AuntieClio Reads in 2014 - Page 6

Hi, I'm Stephanie and I love books

This is my second year with the 75ers and am really happy getting to know more of you. I live in Silicon Valley and am a photographer with an online shop and write an advocacy blog called Party of One for empowering girls and women. lunisea.photography is now on Facebook

These threads are where I'll keep lists and slice and dice the data said lists generate.

Running total

Monthly reading lists:
January reading list
February reading list
March reading list
April reading list
May reading list

Counters:
ROOTS - aiming for 50 read and out of the house



Last year I read 104 but I'm keeping my goal to 75 in 2014.



Emptying and reshuffling some of the many boxes of books I own

Mysterious Box 38:



And as they go out, so too do they come in.

2014 Running Total
(updated at the end of each month)

2014 Total Books Read: 54
2014 Total TIOLI Books Read: 54
2014 ROOTs: 30

2014 Digital Read: 6
2014 Goes: 30
2014 Loaner:
2014 Stays: 18
2013 Undecided Status:

2014 Fiction: 43
2014 Non-Fiction: 11

2014 New Book Categories:
Tudors: 2
60s: 1
Beats: 1
Women: 2
History: 1
Politics:
Religion:
Spirituality:
Photography/Creativity: 7
Business/Marketing: 3
Fiction (Familiar Author): 36
Non-Fiction (Familiar Author): 6
Thingadingy: 6
Other: 7

2014 Books Bought: 27
2014 Gifts: 49
2014 Downloads: 17

Best/Most of 2014
Best of January:
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Most Fun of January:
Aloha From Hell by Richard Kadrey

Best of February:
Dust by Hugh Howey
after the quake by Haruki Murakami

Most Useful of February:
The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists by Eleanor Payson

Most Interesting of March:
Who Am I This Time? by Jay Martin

Best of March:
Dune by Frank Herbert
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Best of April:
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Best of May:
The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
My Name is Red by Ohan Pamuk

Proposed Rules of Engagement

1. To read what I already own


2. If acquiring new books they must fall roughly into the following categories:
   
   
   
   • Tudors (especially Elizabeth I)
   
   
   • Beats
   
   
   • Psychedelic 60s (mostly 1967-1970)
   
   
   • Women (a rather large category, but in spirit, means women who fit into other loosely defined categories)
   
   
   • Religion/spirituality (particularly early religions)
   
   
   • If fiction, must be by someone I have already read (trying to avoid starting new series by new authors)
   
   
   • Politics (but mostly in terms of other loosely defined categories)
   
   
   • History (most non-fiction will be history, meant to be collective for books which don't fit in other loosely defined categories)
   
   
   • photography
   
   
   • business/marketing
   
   
   
   
3. 75 in 2014 is the main goal, not TIOLI


4. Books cannot be purchased simply to fit a TIOLI challenge.

Mysterious Box Count

Mysterious Box 36 - Done


Mysterious Box 38 - in process

Happy New thread, Stephanie! Am I to here too soon?

Mysterious Box 38 - 31 books

Adams, Douglas - Life, the universe, and everything (goes) (March)
Adams, Douglas - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (goes) (March)
Adams, Douglas - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (goes) (March)
Allende, Isabel - Eva Luna
Allende, Isabel - The House of the Spirits (re-read)
Aristophanes - The Acharnians, The Clouds, Lysistrata (re-read)
Atwood, Margaret - Alias Grace (April) (Stays)
Atwood, Margaret- Cat's Eye (April) (Goes)
Atwood, Margaret - Robber Bride (April) (Stays)
Buckland, Raymond - The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca and Neo-Paganism
Chaikin, Andrew - A Man on the Moon (re-read)
Coel, Margaret - The Shadow Dancer (re-read)
Herbert, Frank - Dune (stays)(March)
Herbert, Frank - Dune Messiah (goes) (March)
Herbert, Frank - Children of Dune (goes) (March)
Herbert, Frank - God Emperor of Dune (goes) (April)
Herbert, Frank - Heretics of Dune (goes) (April)
Herbert, Frank - The Jesus Incident
Herbert, Frank - The White Plague
Herlihy, James Leo - Midnight Cowboy
James, P.D. - The Children of Men (re-read)
Kinnan Rawlings, Marjorie - The Yearling
Lane, Roger - Murder In America: A History
Le Mee, Katharine - Chant: The Origins, Form, Practice, and Healing Power of Gregorian Chant
Orwell, George - 1984 (stays) (March)
Peters, Ellis - Hermit of Eyton Forest
Pipher, Mary - Reviving Ophelia (re-read)
Steinbeck, John - Cannery Row
Tannahill, Reay - Sex in History
Thurston, Carol - The Eye of Horus (re-read)
Turow, Scott - Presumed Innocent

May - Thingadingy, 6 books by non-US writers to celebrate

Completed reading
46. (G)(F) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) - TIOLI #1. Read a book which mentions a tree on any page with double numbers. (palm, p. 55)

47. (G)(F) The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor (Ireland) - TIOLI #8. Read a book with flowers on the cover

48. (S)(F) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain) - TIOLI #2. Read a book with at least two words in the title containing an embedded word of at least three letters (shad, had, win)
Also: May Murder & Mayhem

49. (S)(F) My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey) - TIOLI #10. Read a book that is divided into chapters, with each chapter having it's own name.
Also: May Murder & Mayhem

50. (G)(F) The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton (New Zealand) - TIOLI #5. Read a book with a word in the title that could be something good (rehearsal)

51. (S)(F) Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (India) - TIOLI #7. Read a book set in an "anniversary" war other than WWI (175 years since beginning of first Chinese Opium war)

52. (G)(F) The Tiger's Daughter by Bharati Mukherjee (India) - TIOLI #3. Read a book where the title is Somebody's Something

53. (G)(F) Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea (Kuwait) - TIOLI #4. Read a book about a group of women

54. (G)(F) Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetze (South Africa) - TIOLI #17. Read a book by an author from the continent of Africa

---

New to the Stacks:
84. Mischief by Ed McBain (gift)
85. Nocturne by Ed McBain (gift)

New Digital:
Half Way Home by Hugh Howey
Accounting for Taste: The Triumph of French Cuisine by Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson

---

May Total Books Read: 9
May Total TIOLI Books Read: 9
May ROOTs: 6

May Digital Read:
May Goes: 6
May Loaner:
May Stays: 3
May Undecided Status:

May Fiction: 9
May Non-Fiction:

May New Book Categories:
Tudors:
60s:
Beats:
Women:
History:
Politics:
Religion:
Spirituality:
Photography/Creativity:
Business/Marketing:
Fiction (Familiar Author):
Non-Fiction (Familiar Author):
Other:

May Books Bought:
May Gifts: 2
May Downloads: 2

>8 connie53: Connie! So quick to greet me :-)

Proposed June reading:
The Witch Book by Raymond Buckland (Mysterious Box 38) - TIOLI #1. Read a book whose author’s first and last name end in the same letter
A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin (Mysterious Box 38) (re-read) - TIOLI #13: Read a book that is over 336 pages or 11 hrs. audio
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (Gift)
White Fire by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (gift) - TIOLI #9. Read a book that doesn't have a person on the cover
Maus I by Art Spiegelman (gift) - TIOLI #10. Read at least two books with a matched word - going up in alphabetical order
Maus II by Art Spiegelman (gift) - TIOLI #10. Read at least two books with a matched word - going up in alphabetical order
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende (Mysterious Box 38)
The White Plague by Frank Herbert (Mysterious Box 38) (re-read)

Yes, you were the top one in the list of discussions! I follow in (and before) your footsteps!

Just stopping by to say hello! Hope your day is good :)

Authors new to me in 2014:
Alsanea, Rajaa
Achebe, Chinua
Catton, Eleanor
Coetzee, J. M.
Ghosh, Amitav
Godin, Seth
Guy, John
Hearne, Kevin
Le Guin, Ursula
Martin, Jay
McCloskey, Deirdre
Mukherjee, Bharati
Pamuk, Orhan
Payson, Eleanor
Sagan, Carl
Sloan, Robin
Stephens, Walter
Taylor, Jodi
Trevor, William
Yousafzai, Malala
Zafon, Carlos Ruiz

Proposed July Reading
My birthday is in July so I have decided to read books by or about authors considered Californian.

A Perry Mason Omnibus by Erle Stanley Gardner (gift) (Californian author)
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (Mysterious Box 38) (Californian author)
How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove (gift) (Californian author)
Erle Stanley Gardner by Dorothy B. Hughes (gift) (biography about a Californian author)
The First Rule by Robert Crais (gift) (California author)
Ginsberg by Barry Miles*
The Moose That Roared by Keith Scott (gift)**

*while not what one would consider geographically a Californian author, Ginsberg was one of the driving forces of the Beats. The obscenity trial over Howl published by San Francisco publisher and poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, makes Ginsberg part of California history.

**Okay, not authors in the traditional book sense. But Jay Ward et al did set the standard for offbeat, quirky Saturday morning cartoons with Rocky & Bullwinkle created in Southern California.

Good morning European crew :-) Here's a little video to encourage you. Happy to Be Me

>13 connie53: Connie, if you don't mind being in the middle of me shoving lists around, you are welcome. Always! :-)

>14 Apolline: Apolline! Thank you for stopping by.

Good morning Steph! Happy new thread!

Stupid question, but what happened to Box 37?

Happy New Thread, Stephanie! I liked your review on Negotiating with the Dead. I think we felt very similar to that one. I liked the opening chapter(s) about her growing up but that's about it. Like you, I much preferred the King memoir.

>18 AuntieClio: I don't mind! Next time I will find out how many posts you need before I write something

Congratulations on your new thread! You're speeding right along this year, Stephanie!

Looking over your May reading lists, I see several books that I loved: Things Fall Apart, The Shadow of the Wind, The Story of Lucy Gault, and The Wind Up Bird Chronicle. The Murakami is odd and rambling, but enjoyable if you float along without too much analysis.

Sea of Poppies sits on my "Must Read Soon Shelf" begging for attention.
I can't wait to see your reactions to your choices, especially the books I haven't come across yet.

Thanks for taking one for the team with the Atwood book. Ordinarily I'd have snapped that one up, so you've saved me time and money.

Re: Don's situation: it's disgusting to see the human vultures gather, isn't it? The "Oh dear, this is so sad; I'm going to miss him terribly...do you think there's anything in it for me?" makes me crazy! They can't even mask their greed until a decent period has gone by after the funeral. If it's any consolation at all, this is so common as to be sickening.

Keep your head up.

Happy New Thread, Stephanie!!

Love the thread topping picture, Stephanie. Does that mean we'll be expecting more food pics in this thread? :-)

Crazy of the Indigo Swirl Taken by Pati Makowska



Last one for April!
Indigo Slam by Robert Crais - TIOLI #13. Read a book in a genre you haven't yet read from in 2014 (Private Eye)

This is pretty much your typical PI novel, with lots of shoot-em-ups, plotting, a twist, and things (mostly) working out at the end.

One day a 15-year-old named Teri walks into Elvis Cole's office with her younger sister and brother wanting to hire him to find their dad who has been missing for eleven days.

After searching his heart and making sure the kids are good at taking care of themselves, much better than the foster care system could, Elvis goes in search of Clark Haines.

Only Haines isn't his name, and his occupation is much more questionable than the kids would ever know. Cole gets grabbed twice by the Russian mob and the Federal Marshal's office while in Seattle following up on clues.

Back home in Los Angeles, Cole starts realizing that Clark and, therefore his children, is in over his head. Turns out it's not just the Russians, or the Federal Marshals, but it's the local Vietnamese revolutionary group set on taking down the regime at home.

There's a lot of mayhem, and stuff that makes the reader say, "oh Come ON!" more than a few times, as well as a completely unnecessary, unresolved plot line involving Elvis' girlfriend who might be moving from Louisiana for a new job.

This was a good fluffy mind candy book, nothing to take too seriously. Since I read Crais out of order, he may be setting up something for Lucy and Elvis in the next book. But I'm not gonna expend too much energy trying to figure it out.

>14 Apolline: Apolline, Connie has already won a postcard from me, so it's your turn! Please PM your snail mail address to me and I will send you a signed, limited edition, postcard with one of my pictures on it. :-)

>19 michigantrumpet: Marianne, not a stupid question.

The short answer is they're picked kinda randomly.

The longer answer is #36 was chosen randomly and it had some books that I could shuffle easily into box #38 to complete a series (Dune). The next box will be the one with all the Tom Clancy in it, since there were Clancy books in 38 to be shuffled.

>20 msf59: Hi Mark, thank you. It's filled with book darts right now but once I've removed them, I'll be passing the book along.

>21 connie53: Connie, I think 10 or 11 should be enough. :-)

>22 Matke: Hi Gail! I know! 6 threads and 44 books this year already! I never would have guessed.

Re: Atwood, yeah don't. :-) I went to the used book store after my errand running (smog check, oil change, new license tags) to get a copy of a book for a friend. Sadly, they didn't have the one I wanted but I wound up picking three Atwood books whose titles were unfamiliar to me. Oops, I already have two of them. Clearly, I need a better plan.

Re: Don, his dad is trying to help by making sure that everything is being taken care of ahead of time so there aren't very many loose ends. But he really handles it poorly and makes Don feel like he just wants Don to sleep in the coffin he's already bought (I am not kidding) so it will be easier to ship his body back to Texas. (Which has engendered a fight between Joe and the girlfriend because she wants him to stay here). The thing about his SUV was just to make sure he's on the same stick his dad wants him to be on.

But I expect there's gonna be bs over his belongings, etc. And I refuse to even play those games. Once he's gone, I'm done, unless he specifically asks me to take care of something. I am not gonna get between Joe and Melissa.

and *HUGS*

>23 scaifea: Thanks Amber

>24 cameling: Caro, more than likely :-)

Happy new thread, Stephanie!

I'm not caught up at all, but I wanted to keep you on my radar.. good day wishes coming your way>>

Just stopping by to visit your new thread and say hi!

Aha! Running off and starting a new thread, and STILL I managed to find you! *nyah*

>35 richardderus: Richard, it's not like I was trying to hide it or anything. ;-)

>32 wilkiec:, >33 mckait:, >34 ronincats: Diana, Kath and Roni so lovely to have you stop by. The next three months of reading are going to be very interesting for me. Especially May.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) - TIOLI #9. Read a book that is trade paperback-sized TIOLI #1. Read a book which mentions a tree on any page with double numbers. (palm, p. 55)

I really liked this story. Achebe's choice of writing in English but yet to reflect the cadences of Igbo speech, gives Things Fall Apart a folkloric/storyteller feel.

Set in pre-colonial Nigeria (ca. 1890s), the book is about Okonkwo and his clan. It's a kind of slice of African tribal village life through the seasons. There are stories about gods, illustrations of custom and clan; it's a telling of the rhythms of life.

Okonkwo is a prideful man, determined not to be like his lazy father who died owing many debts. But in his pride, he willfully kills a clan member and is exiled to the land of his mother for seven years.

In those seven years, things in Okonkwo's home village have changed. The white man has arrived and brought his religion and need for bureaucracy to Umuofia. As can be expected, cultures clash and, in the end, Okonkwo must decide whether he can accept these changes.

Achebe wrote this book in response to the many books written about Africans as primitive. In Things Fall Apart, he writes of the complexities of Igbo society and culture, including the not so nice things. He also does not make all the white men the stereotypical bossy colonialist.

By writing in English, but using the rhythm of Igbo language Achebe's book compels readers to understand that Africans are indeed not primitive. At some point, I'll be reading other books by Chinua Achebe.

Thingadingy reading you have planned looks an impressive list Stephanie.

Congratulations on your latest thread my dear which neatly allows me to rejoin the fray without appearing too far behind. xx

Things Fall Apart! Oh my. It's a classic tale, and I hope Achebe's telling of it works for you.

Me, too, Stephanie. I thought Things Fall Apart was really good.

I love the Indigo Swirl photo, Stephanie. Was that looking up or down a stairwell?

Hi Stephanie. Such a lovely picture of the stairs!

Abita Purple Haze - raspberry lager

I am a sucker for berry flavored beers and ciders, raspberry being my favorite.


Bacon white cheddar burger & fries

From the Bier Haus a few doors from my favorite used book store.

>39 PaulCranswick: Hello Paul, thanks for dropping by. I owe some of my Thingadingy titles to your recommendation. xo

>40 richardderus: Dear Richard *smooch* I am looking forward to getting into it. I've heard nothing but good about it.

>41 jnwelch: Hi Joe, so glad you found time to drop by after your time in Los Angeles with family. I'm surprised you didn't find a hidey hole in the library and stay. :-)

>42 cameling: & >43 connie53: Caro and Connie, oops I didn't take the picture of the stairwell. I've added the photographer's name to the link. I would dearly love to find some exquisite spirals like that to claim with my camera.

Ooh, Abita! Ooh, Purple Haze, ( I am actually not a fan of fruity beers but I do like that one!) and that burger looks pretty damn tasty too!

I'll have a purple haze, please :) and Thank you!

You're the best Steph!

>47 msf59: Mark, I was surprised at myself and how much I enjoyed this. That may have had to do with the heat I was walking around in and the crisp, cool beverage. I'm not much for adult beverages, but I do love a good berry cider. "Raspberry lager" was on the menu and I thought, "That's for me!"

>48 mckait: Kath, have as many as you like. I talked to Joe's bartender and they have agreed to keep us stocked. Thanks Joe. :-)

I feel very alone in my feelings of 'meh'ness about Things Fall Apart. Just didn't like it at all. *shrug* I hope you're in the majority, though, and end up liking it!

>45 AuntieClio: Our daughter definitely wanted to move into the LA public library and live there, Stephanie. The security folks were pretty darn nice, but I suspect they'd consider that a no-no.

Happy weekend, sweetiedarling!

Are you loving Achebe or no? I thought it was fascinating.

Is a good week-end in store for you?

Happy Friday Stephanie! Hope you have wonderful things in store for your weekend.

It got here! Friday, that is. Happy weekend to you :)

Since I like making sure the books I'm passing on wind up in the hands of people I know, this thread has been set up so we can all play.

75ers book swap

I am only a few pages into Things Fall Apart. Not far enough to know if I like it or not.

The fog started falling a couple of days and I have been struggling to keep it away. Haven't completely succumbed to sleeping all day or watching tv a lot but ...

I'm pretty sure I know the trigger but want to wait a few days to see if it clears on its own. In the meantime, failure is only if you don't get back up after you've fallen.

failure is only if you don't get back up after you've fallen

Like that lots, Stephanie, and I am confident in the expectation that you'll always get back up again.

Have a great weekend. xx

So sorry about the fog, Steph! {{Stephanie}}

Just sayin'

Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your own personal fog, Stephanie. I hope it clears up soon for you.

>58 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul

>59 connie53: *hugs* Connie

>60 richardderus: Just sayin' is right Richard *smooches*

>61 scaifea: Thanks Amber.

I've actually pin pointed the reason for this little bout and find myself without an answer for the dilemma. Some of Don's chickens are coming home to roost (this is a lifetime pattern), and I am disappointed, disgusted ... and find myself enormously resistant to continue helping with cleaning and helping move his belongings. Having said that, there are few other choices of people to help, few who are even willing, which leaves me. Right now I feel like I'm holding an incredibly stinky and full diaper.

He has a tendency to use up people's patience with his procrastination. I've watched it happen more times than I care to think about, and saying to him "What did you think was going to happen?" doesn't make much difference. He knows this about himself and yet cares little to do anything about it.

So we are now at a place where he has to be out of the warehouse this week. Everything, lock, stock and barrel. His friend with the strong back and pickup/trailer will be around on Monday, but the question remains where does he put it? There will be no time for careful sorting.

In addition, the spreadsheet I so lovingly created for him to sell his telephony has not been forwarded to the person who is interested in buying.

I really would like to throw up my hands and just say, "I'm done." Which is what I would probably do were he healthy. But he is not, and has been a stalwart in my life. It would feel treasonous to walk away from him now. I simply don't know how to take care of myself and meet what I consider my obligation to him. The two feel at odds, and I am stuck.

Oh goodness, that *is* a tough situation, Stephanie. I'm sorry that you find yourself in it and I hope that things work out for the better for you - and Don - soon.

Well, now that I've had my little rant, I feel better. Being able to work through it helps keep the fog at bay. I'm still not happy with the situation, but it is what it is. I'm on my way to pick up some lunch, then to Don's to plot and scheme. I'll probably be at the warehouse most of next week, helping triage as things get moved into the "temporary" storage unit he rented today.

Stephanie, It's so sad when someone has almost given up to mend things for themselves. You can feel so worried and concerned about that.

Hang in there girlfriend!

{{{{Stephanie}}}}

I'm sorry you're going through this, Stephanie. I can't help, but I offer sympathy and comforting energy.

xxoo

I have only one piece of advice: Do the thing that, when you look back at this time in your life, you will *not* be able to regret. Not reproach yourself, not wish or even think of (damned inconvenient that) that there had been a better way, but regret.

>65 connie53: Connie, thank you for your encouragement.

>66 Matke: Gail, thank you girlfriend.

>67 richardderus: Richard, very sage advice. I would regret not helping him more than regretting spending the time cleaning and sorting. In some unknowable amount of time, he'll be gone but I'll still be able to hold my head up high because when the call came, I answered.

He's got a mini rental storage unit now so I juggled a few things in and out of his SUV so he can start putting things there. Then he went off to meet his girlfriend (who is a PITA) and I put the gloves on and dug in deep. A bag and a half of trash later, loads of 409 and paper towels later, at least half of one of the tables has been cleaned. Giving me room to work on the other half. I told him I had to go slow because I'm having issues with my back but I would work steadily. Two loads of laundry done and I'm back home.

Tomorrow, second verse similar to the first.

Nothing says "go home and stay home," like police cars blocking all the major intersections between the freeway and home. I was stopped twice and asked to verify that I did indeed live in my neighborhood.

I'm sure it has to do with Cinco de Mayo in someway. The "cholitos" were out in force in their hydraulic low rider cars and huge Mexican flags.

>69 AuntieClio: *eep* Stay home! Stay safe! xo

The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor (Ireland) - TIOLI #8. Read a book with flowers on the cover

The Story of Lucy Gault has its roots in decisions made by people one doesn't know which have an effect on one's life.

In 1921 Ireland, the War for Independence comes to Lahardane, the home of the Gault family. Three Catholic boys arrive to set the home owned by Protestants on fire. In an attempt to protect his home and family, which includes 9-year-old Lucy, Captain Gault shoots one of the boys in the shoulder with an old shotgun.

Terrified that worse could come, Everard and Heloise Gault decide to leave the home Lucy loves without telling her why. The night before they are to go, Lucy runs away to hide in the woods, wishing to always live in Lahardane. Believing Lucy has died, her parents leave their home, and daughter, behind too bereft to stay in contact and send contact information.

And that, is the beginning of this quietly written heart rending story of lives emotionally ruined by the decisions of others. To say more of the plot would spoil it.

William Trevor's writing is quiet and eloquent as he describes the lifetime of Lucy Gault, and her parents. It is an awful story, but one which gripped me as I hoped things would work out, and dreaded they wouldn't. Trevor took me on an unexpected journey and I loved every word of it.

Um yeah. Go home and stay home. And read!

And then this morning on the way to Don's, at least 8 CHP/SJPD cars went whizzing past on another freeway close to home.

On the Don front, super pissed at his Dad for throwing stuff away a year ago that was mine. I was working and Don had just gotten out of the hospital, so instead of asking, they just did away with it. When I got there today, there were only a couple of trunks and bins of my stuff. Gone are my super cute bowling shoes which I would probably never use again, but they were super cute. Just ....

Friends D & R were putting stuff in bins and in the trailer to go to the storage unit. D took every opportunity to gossip and bitch about Don to me and I kept saying, "Yes, I know. Yes, this is a lifelong problem. Yes, I know." Tomorrow, if he starts up I'm going to say, "I don't want to hear any of this. Please stop talking." I'm not going to join his outrage train.

And R., whom I had never met before, is his own special brand of sexism. When I asked what else I could do to be of help, he said, "Oh you can sweep and mop the floor."

"Uhm ... no. You must have me confused with somebody else."

Back home now.

Going to read and nap, not necessarily in that order.

Take a nap first, Stephanie! You deserve one!

What rd said >67 richardderus: about what you do for your friend....

Take care of you, too Steph...

Hi Steph- Just checking in. The Story of Lucy Gault was my first Trevor. I really liked his writing. Enjoy!

Hey all. Stephanie is taking a few days off from LT to rest and regroup. She'll be back, but needs some downtime.

Hi Stephanie-- sorry about the tough time you're having helping Don. It's a definitely a burnout situation and I'm glad you're taking time for yourself.

We've decided to have a sale company come in and deal with the stuff in Mom & Dad's house once we get the personal papers removed, shredded, etc. Perhaps that might be an option for Don, too? I get the feeling from your posts that he may want to spend whatever emotional energy he has left on other things.

Whatever happens, you are a jewel of a friend and he is lucky to have you.

Hi Stephanie. Just take all the time you need! {{Stephanie}}

xoxo

I heard from Stephanie that she's knee-deep in alligators and will be back soon as she can.

Hi! Gads what a week. I'm feeling so much better, thank you all for your kind wishes. Obviously, there's still stuff to be taken care of as far as Don is concerned but it seems that he's mostly managed to survive this emergency. For the time being.

In my downtime, I was able to do a couple of things which made me feel better. One of which was to contact Don's friend and send off the spreadsheet. Joe thanked me profusely for everything I was doing to help and said he was really hoping to have Don visit his palatial estate again soon.

The most difficult thing I did was confront his parents about my stuff. Heartfelt, nearly tearful, apologies were proffered repeatedly, and a form of restitution will be forthcoming. Being able to hold them accountable, and to actually be heard by them, is huge. Whew.

And so now ... something or other ... ;-)

>78 streamsong: Janet, I think having a sales company come in is part of the long term plan. The problem is that there's stuff he needs for his work, and has been offered to others, mixed in with it all. The most urgent need is to get him out of the warehouse and into the rental storage unit. He cannot think more than a couple of hours ahead, which makes me crazy because I'm a big picture thinker and am always wanting to be two or three steps ahead. We'll get there, I know we will.

Being around his other friends on Monday just reinforced that I am the best person to work with him because I am willing to listen to him, instead of just do, which everyone else seems bent on. He's often said to me, "Everyone has an idea of what needs to be done."

Kath, Connie, Gail, Mark, Janet, Richard, thank you all for dropping in and keeping my thread warm. :-)

Limited edition by yoote

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain) - TIOLI #2. Read a book with at least two words in the title containing an embedded word of at least three letters (shad, had, win)
Also, May Murder & Mayhem.

I loved this book! It is such a grace to fall into a story that is so well-written, whose characters are fully realized, and a plot which keeps the reader deeply involved. The blurb on the top of the cover of my copy of The Shadow of the Wind is from Stephen King, "One gorgeous read," and it is.

At the age of 11, Daniel wakes up in terror because he can no longer remember what his dead mother looks like. On this day Daniel's father, an antiquarian bookseller takes Daniel to the Cemetery of Lost Books and tells him to pick one book. The Cemetery of Lost Books is the place books that have been forgotten by the world go to reside, and the book Daniel is drawn to is The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax.

Daniel is so taken with the book, he stays up all night to read it and then begins on a journey to find out more about the mysterious author.

Set in Barcelona, the story of Julian Carax is one of deeply held secrets, rumors, scandal, and things that go bump in the night. Four boyhood friends who meet at boarding school and whose lives are affected by adults with deeply held grudges. The friends drift apart after school but continue to unknowingly play important parts in each other's lives.

Daniel and his intrepid sidekick, Fermin Romero de Torres - a homeless man whom Daniel pleads with his father to employ at the bookstore - delve deep into the mystery of Julian Carax and The Shadow of the Wind. Along the way, they meet a policeman with murderous intent, love in all shapes and sizes, histories which were meant to remain buried and the one book which ties it all together.

I could go on and on about the wonders of the way this story is told and about the intricacies with which the solution to Daniel's quest for Julian Carax is revealed. But even having written what I have seems as though too much has already been revealed. The Shadow of the Wind deserves multiple readings.

Just stopping by to say hello :)

Hope you can remember to take care of you :) too!

Hi Stephanie. So glad you worked out some of your things. It all sounds much more positive than before. Good for you!!

Hi Stephanie, I'm delurking to wish you a peaceful weekend. Maybe you should declare a "Stephanie" Day and do whatever pleases you. It's great that you are such a good friend to Don but try not to forget about your own needs. That includes the mini vacations from LT! I like Richard's announcement that you are 'knee deep in alligators' although it sounds kinda painful.

2014 May Thingadingy International Reading Adventure (Projected)

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

India (x2)
Ireland
Japan
Kuwait
New Zealand
Nigeria
Spain
South Africa
Turkey

>85 mckait: Hullo Kath

>86 connie53: Connie, thanks. That was a really hard situation.

>87 Donna828: Donna, thank you for the advice. Part of the problem is that we work around Don's schedule (he still works a few contract jobs) and his health (dr.'s appointments, need for rest, etc.). So it's really up to when he has the energy/time to do stuff. I like when it's just the two of us working together, there's a synchronicity since we've known each other for so long and it's just quieter.

Not everything is out of the shop yet, but we're closer. We made a Goodwill run and I picked up some things to bring home. His friend with the pick up and trailer is coming back on Monday.

Once this project is done, Don will be able to rest (and so will I). And then we can regroup.

Stenhanie: Glad you're making progress and hope that you and Don can get to the point where you can rest a bit soon. Seems like in many ways it might be easier with less 'helpers'.

Re: Shadow of the Wind ... I did NOT see that coming. Of all the things I imagined happening it never once occurred to me that Julian's love for Penelope was "incorrect." Well done, Sr. Ruiz Zafon, well done!

Well, here's hoping this project finishes up smoothly and more quickly than you anticipate. I wish you could get a bit more help. I am glad to see that the end is in sight...

I am so pleased that you thought through the position with Don and came to the right decisions. Poor chap will not have the luxury to procrastinate indefinitely and you'll miss it too I'll wager. It is a part of him and you are a very essential part of his life - he needs you and it is a no-brainer isn't it, no matter how painful it's challenges can be? The two "friends" seem to be, ahem, helping not such a lot but you'll get there eventually.

Sending plenty of tropical hugs to a dear lady and a firm handshake to Mr. Derus for the dispensing of excellent advice.

Catching up and waving before I move along to the next thread!

It sounds like you're making progress with Don's situation, Stephanie. You're a thoughtful and loyal friend. Glad you've been enjoying Shadow of the Wind. I wasn't as taken by it as some others have been, but it was a good ride.

>90 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli, as far as the heavy lifting goes, I am just in the way. Once the stuff is all moved, then I'll be more productive.

>92 mckait: Kath, I did ask if there weren't other people who could help with the sorting, etc. and Don said, "There are, I just don't know what to ask them to do."

>93 PaulCranswick: Paul, thank you. The fog has lifted, as has the frustration. You're right, it's all part and parcel of who he is. If he was ever on top of things I would wonder who he was.

*hugs* back to you.

>94 thornton37814: Hi Lori! So glad to see you here on my thread.

>95 jnwelch: Joe, and isn't that what makes our group so wonderful? All of us liking what we like without expecting others to like it too?

This post removed because I think the gremlins on Joe's threads tried to be tricky here.

My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey) - TIOLI #10. Read a book that is divided into chapters, with each chapter having its own name

This is a whodunit of the first order. It's also complex with 12 different first-person narrators, each adding their voice to the story unfolding before us. There are many themes to be explored, other than the murder of two miniaturists working on a secret book for the Sultan.

My Name is Red begins with a chapter titled, "I am a Corpse," in which the first murder victim relates how he came to arrive at this sorry state of affairs.

Eventually, we meet Black, nephew to the miniaturist who is organizing this secret book, and who is also in love with the miniaturist's daughter, who has two children by a husband who went off to war in the Ottoman Empire four years previously. See? Complicated.

My Name is Red is set in Istanbul during the turmoil of the late 16th century in the Ottoman Empire, when Sultans and shiekhs and imams battled each other, and the infidels of Western Europe, for control of the Empire and the Muslim soul.

Caught in this turmoil is the idea of art in the Islamic world, where everything is drawn without perspective, because only Allah sees from above and sees how things truly are. For an artist to do otherwise is to invite idolatry and worship of figures into his world, which is against the Koran. But creeping slowly into the art world is the Venetian way, in which paintings have perspective and represent the world in a more realistic way. East vs. West embodies the conflict which leads to murder and cries of heresy.

Black must sort his way through all of this, knowing but not quite understanding that everyone, including his soon-to-be wife, has their own agenda and will obfuscate the truth for their own expediency.

My Name is Red is a book which demands time, and multiple readings.

Yesterday, I finished a project for myself which allowed me to do a bit of neatening and tidying in my apartment.

Today turned out to be a Stephanie day so I took full advantage by getting pizza and taking a nap.

Tomorrow I have my own errands to run, including a trip to the chiropractor.

Don said he and R. worked in the warehouse today. R. owns a blues club and will be recruiting volunteers after tonight's jam session to help make the last little push. Don's fairly well known in the local blues community so I'm sure there will be many who can help.

It is supposed to be pushing 100 this week. The last place I want to be is out moving stuff. Don is taking another little trip beginning Thursday, coming back Sunday night. I think we agreed that next week would be resting.

Very good, you need some time for yourself, Steph!

Errands went well. Pantry has been re-stocked and I am about to go for a nap. It is a thousand degrees outside and supposed to be that way the rest of the week. Humbug.

Don says that anything he cares about is now out of the shop and either into storage or his place. The recruits did a great job. Tomorrow they will clean up the garbage and take the scrap metal someplace and he will be done.

He looks so much calmer and said he'd slept for 12 hours yesterday, which is nearly unheard of for him.

I think this means I have the rest of this week and most of next week to hide away and do Stephanie things. :-)

Yah, for Stephanie Day! How about Stephanie Week?

I hate it when it's a thousand degrees outside. Hope it's better today.

>104 msf59: Mark, for the foreseeable future I have lots of Stephanie time coming.

>105 mckait: Kath I ventured out to put out the cans for recycling and it was 950 degrees, so I scurried back inside where it is liveable and every single fan I have is going. Supposedly it will cool down this weekend.

So yes! Don is officially out of the shop. Thank goodness! He is so ready for a break, and headed to Dayton,OH for a long weekend with a friend at a convention. Oh, and this:

Me: "is there anything you need or want me to do while you're gone?"
don: "Yeah come over and eat whatever's in the fridge before it goes bad."

Don't have to tell me twice when there's key lime cheesecake and fresh strawberries at stake. ;-)

Oh, sweetie, I am so sorry you are going through all this with Don and his "stuff". Also sorry about your back issues.

And, how wonderful that there were apologies for getting rid of your stuff without asking you if you wanted it. I'm glad there seemed to be a contrite spirit.

Again, hang in there. And Richard is indeed a sage. His words of wisdom are always helpful to me.

I had plans for chores today but I wound up sleeping much more than I expected. Finally feeling a bit more rested and relaxed. Whew.

Yay for some time to do Stephanie Things!!

Go here to find out how to get yours.

Stephanie, you are such a wonderful and good person and devoted friend. Wish I were there to add to the fresh strawberry reward!

Hooray for Stephanie Week!

Ohhh! Very cool 75er stuff. I have starred the thread and hope to get myself something :)

So, it was down to 950F there? well, that sounds promising. If you need to cool off, they say it is going to be 37F here tonight, and I have a guest room.

>112 michigantrumpet: Marianne, that would be so cool.

>113 mckait: Kath, thanks for the offer. It cooled down this weekend but is supposed to get warm again during the week. If I can get my transporter working, I'll come occupy your guest room.

At Don's yesterday, mostly doing laundry. There were several small bins of CDs he wanted me to go through and see what I wanted to borrow. And I counted the number of telephone equipment bins so I can tell his friend how many there are.

I brought home Key Lime cheesecake and the strawberries to enjoy before they "went bad." :-)

Don will probably rest this week, so not much cleaning, etc. Which leaves time for me to do my own deep cleaning and work on other projects, like reading.

Stopping through to let you know about a new thread called Friends of Nancy P.

Part therapy for for the completists in our group, and part a safe haven to blow off some steam about those books you want to throw against the wall. Kudos to Steve the Curmudgeon for setting it up!

>116 michigantrumpet: oh yeah!

Hey, Steph, as we say here in the deep south...

A thousand degrees sounds like AL in July. And in August. And September, too, early on. Right now the windows are open, we've porched for a while, and it's supposed to be good until Friday, when the heat is coming back.

Did I mention that The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favorite books of all time? I was completely bowled over by it. It's almost time for a re-read.

Love the 75ers stuff. Next month I'll be placing a wee order.

A happy week to you, 'Stephanie.

I agree with Gail...the 75ers stuff is unique and wonderful.

I head back to the site tomorrow.

>118 Matke: Gail, you might have mentioned a time or two the The Shadow of the Wind is a favorite. :-) It's one of mine now too. Along with My Name is Red.

It was much cooler this weekend, but is supposed to start getting warmer later in the week. Not quite a thousand, but close. At least when I worked there was air conditioning.

>119 Whisper1: Thank you Linda, and to Gail for your compliments about the 75er stuff. Truly, it was great fun and beats cleaning other people's belongings by a very long shot. :-)

Holy spedoinkal!!! Art Garfunkel has a list of every book he's read since 1968 on his website.

Atoms for Peace rehearsal

The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton - TIOLI #5. Read a book with a word in the title that could be something good (rehearsal)

So many reviews I read of The Rehearsal called it brilliant, and postmodern. I won't hold the PoMo against Eleanor Catton, but this just read like a very smart, young writer doing her best to impress everyone.

Catton's prose is sharp and kept me involved all the way through. But about a third of the way in, the realization struck that I was reading a play, not a book. And a somewhat plotless play, at that.

Most characters were flat, what there was of a plot was disconnected and non-linear, and the ending was ... there was no end. It was as if a voice somewhere had called out, "Aaaand, scene," so that's where the book ended.

The book I would have liked to read would truly have been about the effects the scandal of a teacher having an affair with a student, and then the local Drama University's first-year students doing a play about it, while one of the actors discovers he's dating the sister of the student, had on the community. That would have been interesting.

This one, not so much.

Don missed his flight home from Ohio, so is spending another night there. He forgot about the difference in time zones.

He also forgot to tell me that the social worker from the oncology department would be calling to talk to me about setting up a blog for him (something he and I talked about a year ago). So she scared me a lot when I answered the phone and said, "Hi. I'm H, the social worker for Don, from the hospital." Logic says the call I dread wouldn't come from the social worker but when I heard Don and the name of the hospital, logic ran for the hills.

After we talked, I hung up and cried. Phew. And then I texted him to tell him how much that scared me, which is when he told me he missed his flight.

Oh Steph... way too much stress. I hope that your transporter works soon :)

How did you find out about Garfunkle's books?

I haven't even related the conversation with his dad last week which made me call and say, "I'm so sorry you had to put up with your dad all your life. I get it now."

Or the conversation about the paranoid, insecure girlfriend who thinks I'm spending too much time with him. She's already run me out of his home (literally, we were roommates and because of her I had to move), I refuse to let her run me out of his life. Which I have said repeatedly, "I'm not going to stop being your friend."

She pitched a fairly public fit last July when we all went to see Don play what turned out to be his last gig. She *called* him on the cell phone from the back of the tent, and then sent an "envoy" to the table where he had just sat down, because *I* was at the table. (No, because I was on the same premises.) When he came back from talking to her, he had a troubled look on his face. I asked what was wrong and he said, "Oh I'm just trying to figure out how to make everybody happy."

"I'm not leaving," I said and turned to the friends I had brought.

Last week he took a *cab* to the airport because she was too wound up about me taking him.

No wonder little cold sores are popping up now.

>125 mckait: Kath, I think there was a link from Book Riot. It was a story about musicians who read.

I am releasing my copy of The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton into the wild. If you would like it, please PM me.

Spoken for!

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (India) - TIOLI #7. Read a book set in an "anniversary" war other than WWI (175 years since beginning of first Chinese Opium war)

I'm not quite sure what to make of this sprawling book. Sometimes it's filled with too many details and lists, and sometimes it's so full of pidgin as to be incomprehensible (the glossary is of little help). Yet, this tale of people from disparate backgrounds all setting sail for a new life with new stories is a lot of fun.

Major themes include racism, classism, gender roles, and plain old everyday greed. The British take over India to make money. In Sea of Poppies, it's the opium trade with China. Money is being made hand over fist until the Chinese decide to ban opium, which causes the usual uproar over open markets, for which the English want to go to war.

The ship Ibis was once a slave ship and is pressed into service for transport of people to the Mauritius Islands to work the sugar cane fields on British owned plantations. Mr. Burnham, one of the opium traders, stands to make a great deal of money from the labor of the migrants in the hold of his ship and the sale of opium to the Chinese.

It is on his ship, our large cast of characters meet. And, while their backgrounds and stories have been told before setting sail, it is on the Ibis that the meaning of those stories, and the clashing of them, begins to show fruit.

Sea of Poppies is a complex, sprawling story with an anti-climactic ending. Not meant to be read as a stand-alone, this first book in a trilogy is merely the opening salvo in what could be a rip-roaring tale.

Today was a good day. And by that I mean, there were no extraneous stressors. Yay!!!!

I have been puttering, doing a few regular chores and contemplating the best plan of attack for a "deep cleaning."

Nothing much interesting going on, thank the universe. Grateful for a very quiet day filled with rest, reading, "Hell on Wheels" on da Netflix, and such.

I have no plans for the week, except to do my own thing.

Go me, smothered in awesomesauce ;-)

All caught up here, Stephanie. I love your plans for the week - excellent thinking! I hope that you like Sea of Poppies as much as I did - I'm still waiting for the third book to come out. I have another by him on the shelves - The Glass Palace, which I need to get to.

Hoping that today is full of fabulous and empty of stress. Hugs to you, dear!

It's hard to fathom someone who wants a person that they supposedly care about to have fewer people around to love them. Sad and sorry woman.

Hoping today is calm ad easy for you :)

Happy you had a day with no extraneous stressors!! You were way overdue for that. Enjoy a week of doing your own thing!!

>131 Crazymamie: Mamie, how lovely to see you! I was at little verklempt at your absence. ;-)

>132 mckait: Kath, I know right? She continuously tells people how much she adores him and then she piles on. And he lets her. I just do what I do and let them sort it out.

>133 SuziQoregon: Juli! Long time no see! :-)

I have been sleeping a lot. No, make that A LOT. Really A LOT. Today is more puttering and chores and reading. Oh, and planning a Friday night excursion to go see Prisoner of Azkaban at the IMAX with Jess. I'm sure there will be dinner and shenanigans. YAY!

Don is home and doing his best to rest and take care of himself. Chemo tomorrow along with two doctor's appointments. I leave it to him to decide when I should resume work with him.

I'm loving being in my own (floors need scrubbing) abode with nothin' but my stuff to do.

>130 AuntieClio: Love your plans and activities. I've been doing a bit of Poirot watching (David Suchet) and lots of reading.

So sad to learn that there's yet another person who's so insecure that she can't allow her "loved one" other friends and helpers. Painful.

It's a beautiful day here. As soon as I post my (current as of this minute) list of books on the swapping thread, I'm headed outside to tidy things up a bit.

Wishing you a peaceful and rewarding day/week.

>135 Matke: Yes, it's sad and I feel sorry that she doesn't understand what's she is doing. But, you know, fine. If she wants to keep me from helping Don, then she can do the cleanup.

And yay for Poirot and reading and porches and yards and kitties and all that good stuff for you Gail.

I have been a layabout most of the day. :-D

In the cute, but annoying category:
The landlord had a birthday party in our backyard for one of his grandsons. Noisome little bunch, but kids need to run around and play and carry on, so you know, whatever.

But while I'm in the bathroom, I hear two little voices outside calling my name. Being in no position to open the door, I just let them carry on. But then, one of them (my little buddy, Omar), walks around to the kitchen window and starts banging on it, and hollering out my name.

Finally, I get around to opening the door and there are three little boys ranging in age from 7 to 2 with big bags of candy telling me all about it and inviting me to join in.

Since I was essentially in my jammies, I shooed them off but left the door open so my apartment would cool off. Then they stood outside and tried to get my attention. And when that didn't work, they ran off only to come back out and stand in the yard hollering my name.

As a rule, I like kids. And these kids are not horrible, rotten, little brats. But they are so needy of attention. It makes me feel awkward to ignore them, but I know that if I don't, they'll just hang around and won't ever go away. Ever!

Doesn't Grandpa want to talk to them? After a lifetime of caring for other people's children, I find myself getting tired of them after about 15 or 30 minutes., so I sympathize.

Good to know that you're at peace with/resigned to whatever comes down the pike in the Don situation. You've been a lifeline for him, so can just let it roll.

Any weekend plans?

>138 Matke: Grandpa is always "jokingly" trying to give away his little "monkeys."

Big sleep today, up in time to shower and go see Harry Potter III on the one true IMAX dome screen tonight with Jess.

No real plans for the weekend. Errands, chores, puttering. Reading.

Oh, and I want to say this for those who visit, thank you, thank you. If you don't see me on yours it's because I'm lurking and don't feel like I have much to add to the conversation.

>137 AuntieClio:, >138 Matke: I am not great as a rule with kids - they tend to try my patience extremely quickly especially the needy tear-soaked types. My three I have tolerated to near adulthood and am close friends with some of their close friends but many of them also give me a fairly wide berth as I have managed to adopt a faux stern expression that is somehow believed.

1000 posts up this year on your threads, Stephanie. Congrats to a lovely lady whom I also want to wish a lovely weekend to.

Happy Saturday, Stephanie - may it be full of fabulous! How fun to see Harry Potter III on the IMAX!! That one is perhaps my favorite. Do you solemnly swear that you are up to no good?!

No real plans sounds good for the weekend - those are the best kind, I think. I love weekends that meander.

>140 PaulCranswick: Paul, seriously? "Tolerated" your 3 well-loved children? You may have some of their friends fooled, but you can't fool us; we know what a loving husband and dad you are. xo

So, Stephanie, I understand about lurking. I often read threads with the full intention of posting, only to get current and then find I have nothing to say.

You know, kind of like now...

xoxo

>140 PaulCranswick: Paul, 1K! Dayum ;-)

>141 Crazymamie: Mamie, as sure as "magic managed," I swear I am up to no good.

>142 Matke: yup

>143 richardderus: xoxo

Hi Steph, reading all the stuff about Don and the girlfriend!

Hope you had some relaxing you-time! You well deserve it.

Hi Connie. Yup things are good now, just me on my own recognizance. :-)

Errands run today, snuggled in for the foreseeable future. Just me and my books. :-D

I have a favor to ask. Zazzle has a set minimum of profits I must reach before it will release my money. Would somebody buy one more ... t-shirt, mug, something before the end of May?

Thank you.

>141 Crazymamie: and then this happened at the movie

Hermoine: Is that how my hair looks from the back?
Me (turning to Jess): Does this hairdo make my butt look big?

LOL! Good Sunday Morning, Stephanie! Hot and humid here, but we're going to enjoy the day anyway. Hoping to snag some reading time and perhaps a few moments to catch up a bit on LT. We'll see. Anyway, the house is clean. That's something...right?!

All of this kid talk! I only have one wee neighbor who tries my patience. Well, sometimes two, as another neighbor often has a nephew ? there. The nephew is a brat, the neighbor is Dylan,a nice enough little one. His dad has let him run a bit wild lately. I guess 8 is the age that dad saw as old enough to travel all over town on a bike? Dad also bought each of them a 4 wheeler thingy, which they fortunately ride elsewhere :)

Happy weekend to you!

I finished Alias Grace and really enjoyed it.

Did you see that the One LibraryThing book for June is The Penelopiad? I haven't joined any of the OneLibrary Thingy's but I think I'll do this one. I picked up the book from the library and it's pretty short - about 200 pages - so I think I'll be able to bookhorn it in. ;-)

The Tiger's Daughter by Bharati Mukherjee (India) - TIOLI #3. Read a book where the title is Somebody's Something

At the age of 15 Tara is sent by her upper class Indian (Bengali) parents to America to become educated and out of harm's way as class unrest begins to swell in Calcutta. After 7 years, now married to an American, Tara returns home and finds herself displaced, neither wholly Indian nor wholly American.

Throughout The Tiger's Daughter, Tara attempts to re-connect with those friends and memories which had once made her feel at home in her own skin. Her time in America, and the riots breaking out in Calcutta, show Tara that she has changed in ways she finds unexplainable to her friends, family, and, most especially, to her husband at home in New York City.

A book about changes as big as gender roles and political systems should have some sense of the emotions such changes bring about. Instead, we get boring Tara and her boring friends trying to maintain their boring upper class lifestyle in the midst of social upheaval. As the riots escalate, Tara decides that she does indeed love and miss her American husband and wants to go back to New York City. But I got the sense that she wanted return merely to escape the changes being wrought in the city of her birth.

I really wanted to like this book but found myself bored by Tara and her friends (I might have mentioned that already). I was also angered by the attitude of the other Americans in the books, naively believing they will be the ones to lead the lower classes to form labor unions and demand reforms from the ruling classes. The hoped for epiphany never occurred and we are left with a scared and nervous Tara who really wants to avoid any changes, at all. Yawn.

>150 Crazymamie: Mamie, not have so much luck with the house cleaning here. :-/

>151 mckait: Kath, it is really hard to step back sometimes, especially when they do things like leave their tricycles in the middle of the sidewalk to my apartment. I just move them out of the way, grateful that I didn't trip over it, and then tell the grownups to tell the kids to move it. Sometimes I want to be really mean and bring it inside with me. But ... that's no good.

>152 streamsong: Janet, I'm really glad you liked Alias Grace. I did see that OneLibraryThing is The Penelopiad, which I don't currently own. That plus I have my reading plotted out for the next two months, so I won't be joining in.

I know what you mean, Stephanie. I sometimes feel that urge too.

Stopping through. Seems you've got a good perspective on Don, girlfriend et. al. Sometimes you can only do what you can do and leave the rest for others.

Got one of the 75er tote bags. Looks cute. Hope that helps your May totals. ;-)

I'm definitely one of those 'Hey, kids! Get off my lawn!' Types.

Happy Memorial Day.

Like Marianne, I ordered a 75er item, only it was the t-shirt. xo

>155 connie53: As soon as it cools down a little, I'm going to start my deep clean. My apartment is made of stucco and absorbs all the days' heat. Even with all the fans going, it's a bit too warm. Plus, procrastination. I will be going through boxes and bins on my shelves, wiping them down and doing inventory.

>156 michigantrumpet: Marianne! A tote bag? You lovely person you! Please tell me how you like it when you get it.

Sometimes the good thing about the kids being out while I'm around is I get to hold the baby, who is about a month old now. While taking trash and recycling out, Lizette was kicking the ball around with her boys and let me hold Crystal. I loves me some baby action.

>157 richardderus: Richard sweetness! xoxo

Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea (Kuwait) - TIOLI #4. Read a book about a group of women

Chick lit from Kuwait. Four young women from very wealthy families search for love, and the meaning of love, within the strictures of religion, culture, and class. You think it's hard to navigate finding a loving mate as a Westerner? Try being a woman in the Middle East.

Apparently the answer to "Stephanie, how long has it been since you dusted?" is "Never."

>160 AuntieClio: I would ROTFLMAO, but the dust (and dog hair!) on my floor would choke me!

>154 AuntieClio: Good for you for sticking to your schedule! I haven't been, which is why I'm not making much progress on demolishing Planet TBR this year.

**Inspired by Stephanie I resolve to do stick to my cleaning schedule (nods to Flylady) and my reading schedule.**

>161 streamsong: Janet, Flylady was great at teaching me to break it down into smaller steps. Last night I was able to put some stuff in the Goodwill bin and "oh look! That's where those wandered off to." Plus inventory. In a spreadsheet. Oh, and labels. :-)

Kid, get off my lawn. So now Omar has decided to stand at my open kitchen window and talk to me, even though the curtains are closed. My mistake was acknowledging him to begin with. And then he just stood and talked, and talked, whether I responded or not. He wanted to open the door to my apartment and I told him "no." Finally, I went to the window and pulled the curtain aside and said, "Omar, you need to go away now." Which felt like a horrible thing to say to a really lonely 5-year-old. Since there is a language and cultural barrier ... well, I was going to type I was going to call his auntie. But I think I will go and ask that when his mom comes to pick him up, she come see me.

I don't want it to be don't ever talk to Stephanie but I do want it to be a lesson in appropriate times to talk to me.

ETA: Okay talked to Omar's mom. This is an ongoing issue with him, he talks to everyone all the time. Maria is working with him on it (as well as the sexist comments made by Grandpa) but there's only so much she can do right now. Apparently, he takes after his father.

We agreed that next time I will say, "Omar, I can't talk right now."

Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetze (South Africa) - TIOLI #17. Read a book by an author from the continent of Africa

Wow. I am glad I pushed on with this book. Coetzee's prose may be sparse but it is complicated. The whole of Waiting for the Barbarians is complicated.

The main theme is that of Empire. Maintaining the power of Empire, which requires the "othering" of those not of the Empire. In the small town on the frontier of the Empire, the nameless Magistrate watches over a small population minding its own business, living as well as it can.

One day representatives from the Empire (and the only characters who are given names) arrive. Rumors have swirled around about the impending attack from the Barbarians, and these representatives are sent to protect the village.

Torture ensues, executions, death, the Barbarians are "swept away" leaving one young woman who remains behind begging for scraps. The Magistrate, of course, is witness to the inhumane treatment of these people and takes the woman in. Their relationship is one of the oddest I've ever read.

He spends a lot of time massaging her with oils, paying particular attention to her broken ankles and bruises. They sleep together, but there is no sex. For that he visits one of the many girls upstairs. For about 50 pages, the man has an existential crises with his penis. Why does it work for his girl upstairs but not for the girl in his bed? Why is he comfortable stroking her but not sexually? (I don't know, maybe because she is the "other?")

Eventually, the Magistrate takes the girl back to her people. It is a long journey during which horses die, guards become surly, and they all stink to high heaven because they haven't bathed. (Coetzee spends a lot of time describing the foulness a body experiences when one is not allowed to bathe.)

This journey gets the Magistrate into terrible trouble, and he soon becomes "other." Arrested, tortured, neglected, the Magistrate reflects on what has become of him and understands that the mythical Empire has become the very barbarians being warned of.

Descriptions of torture made me gasp. The creativity, the brutality. I don't wan to know if these methods have really been used or are the product of Coetzee's imagination. They drive home the point that while demonstrating to its own population what being other means, an empire becomes other itself.

Shades of Orwell and Kafka lurk in the shadows of Waiting for the Barbarians. It is not an easy book to read.

You are reading some very heavy books! Congratulations with your ability to stay focused and read while all around you seems to be swirling.

I send hugs!

>165 Whisper1: Linda, thank you. To be honest, my books are what have kept me steady. And hugs in return!

Morning, Stephanie!

I went to high school in a small town in Northern New Mexico where chaw was ubiquitous among the boys. I found this on the curb at the PO this week and it took me back to choir with the boys and their styrofoam spit cups.

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone Uno, found while deep cleaning.

Ok. How COOL is that?!

Oh... I hate UNO, but I might be convinced to play with that deck!

Hugs, Steph... take care of you!

>168 AuntieClio: Stephanie in UK Wintergreen is a form of liniment used to rub on your exposed parts to keep you warm in winter during sports or as a muscle balm.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

>172 PaulCranswick: Paul, you can get all kinds of wintergreen stuff in the US, most of them flavored "wintergreen." But there also balms. I have no idea what "wintergreen" tobacco would taste like, nor do I really want to know.

Oooh, we have that Uno deck, too!!

Ugh...chaw...spit cups...eeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Happy weekend, me lurve!

Hiya, Toots!

Just ambling through while I catch up a bit.

I am releasing Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee from my library. If you would like it, please PM me.

>174 scaifea: Amber, I'll come over to play! My games are in a box just waiting for someone to join me.

>175 richardderus: Richard, of course at the time I didn't think anything of it. But later .... eeeeeew is right.

>176 Matke: Gail, hiya Toots yourself. Glad you ambled through.

Book sculpture by Su Blackwell

Sail with me to the next thread!