EBT1002 (Ellen) reads 75 in 2014 - Part 12

Glencoe, Scotland

Blackrock Cottage in Glencoe, Scotland

My Rating Scale:

= Amazing! Perfect!
= Wow, this was great, among my favorites of the year!
= Very good. Definitely recommended.
= Quite good, has several redeeming qualities.
= Pretty good, with a few things done well.
= Average, and life is too short to read average works.
= A bit below average. A waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
2. A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvvette Edwards
3. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
5. The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna
6. My Ántonia by Willa Cather
7. Two or Three Things I Know For Sure by Dorothy Allison
8. Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink
9. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

10. The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith
11. The Polish Boxer by Eduardo Halfon
12. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
13. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
14. Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes

COMPLETED IN MARCH

15. The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante
16. Charming Billy by Alice McDermott
17. Native Son by Richard Wright
18. Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
19. Home by Toni Morrison

COMPLETED IN APRIL

20. Blonde: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates
21. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
22. The Property by Rutu Modan
23. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
24. Someone by Alice McDermott

COMPLETED IN MAY

25. Last Train to Paris by Michele Zackheim
26. My New Gender Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving World Peace by Kate Bornstein
27. Laidlaw by William McIlvanney
28. Sula by Toni Morrison
29. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
30. The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
31. Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
32. Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett
33. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
34. Mission to Paris by Alan Furst

COMPLETED IN JUNE

35. Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlman & Kerascoet
36. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
37. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
38. The Two Hotel Francforts by David Leavitt
39. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
40. The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch
41. Byrd by Kim Church
42. A Death in the Family by James Agee
43. Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut
44. Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys

COMPLETED IN JULY

45. Natural Causes by James Oswald
46. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
47. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
48. Never Go Back by Robert Goddard
49. Stay by Nicola Griffith
50. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

51. Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa
52. A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
53. An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
54. Barracuda by Christos Tsiolkas (Early Reviewer edition)
55. Still Midnight by Denise Mina
56. The Human Stain by Philip Roth

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

57. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
58. The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
59. The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin
60. The Furies: A Novel by Natalie Haynes
61. Comedy in a Minor Key by Hans Keilson
62. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel (Early Reviewer edition)
63. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
64. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

65. Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
66. The Steady Running of the Hour by Justin Go
67. A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash
68. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
69. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris
70. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
71. Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo
72. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER

73. Some Luck by Jane Smiley
74. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
75. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
76. The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth

Gazing back over Loch Lomond after two days of strenuous hiking along its shores

>Hey, I've seen that image before, beautiful scenery! :-)

Hope I'm not butting in too early... Happy New Thread Ellen!

>9 Smiler69: You're right on time, Ilana. I was hoping copying the image location from my previous thread would work. I just love this image with your refinements.

Happy New Thread, Ellen.

>11 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

I can't believe that on the day I'm home sick and planning to do some LT catch-up, LT was down for a couple of hours! Oh well, I did some reading, had a phone meeting with one of my staff members, and napped for about 15 minutes.

Get well soon and thumb up for the reading.

Hi Ellen,

I have been offline for ages, in part because I am taking a certificate program at the UW! Perhaps one day, if you have a Wednesday 5-6 pm free, we could meet for pho or something. I would love to catch up, especially about your wunderbar trip!

Hope all is well,
Lisa

Yippee for new threads and lovely pictures! Beautiful.

71. Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo




This was a fun read that started out slowly, had an interesting middle, and ended with a few chapters full of "can't put it down" tension. Set in Thailand but featuring Norwegian detective Harry Hole, the mystery is just complex enough to satisfy. I changed my mind a couple of times about who I thought might be "the bad guy." Nice.

>13 Ameise1: Thanks again, Barbara. I'm a grumpy patient but I do like having time to read. Abby the cat loves having me propped up in bed with or without a book!

>14 labfs39: Lisa! I have been wondering how you're doing. I'd love to meet up for Pho along the ave. I have a standing appointment on Wednesdays that takes me off campus around 3:30 but if we plan ahead I might be able to rearrange that and meet you after your class.

Wait a minute.... the numbers are messed up.

Fixed them.

>15 michigantrumpet: Thanks, Marianne. It is fun to choose new (or reuse) photos for my continuing Scotland theme.

Dropping by the new thread because I realized I've only been lurking on the old one. I hope you are feeling better.

>17 EBT1002: The same here. Where ever I lie down one of our cats jumps up within 5 minutes. :-)

>19 ronincats: Hi Roni! Thanks for delurking! I have your thread on my long list of threads to visit. I hope you are doing well.

>20 Ameise1: LOL -- yes, Abby is a definite cuddle cat. Sometimes she walks around the house crying and then when one of us goes to bed, she hops up and snuggles into her spot. Silly feline.

Happy New Thread, Ellen! Love the Scottish toppers. I see you are enjoying Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. I finished it yesterday and it will be one of my top GNs of the year. She is terrific.
I may eventually get around to the early Nesbo books but so far, they don't seem like "Must Reads", plus I have several more of the later series to read.

>22 msf59: Yes, Roz Chast has long been one of my favorite cartoonists and I'm enjoying this memoir. Poignant and funny.

I don't know that I'd call Cockroaches a "must read" but if you're in the mood for a quick read with a pulse-elevating finale, this one might be on the list.

Happy new thread, Ellen!

I want to read that Roz Chast. Good to have you back trucking around the LT threads.

Hi Ellen, I'm guilty of mostly lurking on your last thread as well. I've certain taken note of a number of your recent reads though. From Cockroaches to All The Light We Cannot See, and The Narrow Road to the Deep North - all are going on or moving up the wishlist.

Happy new thread, Ellen. I love the pictures. Does the trip now seem a long way in the past? What's up next for you, speaking of reading? I haven't read Cockroaches but have enjoyed a few of the Nesbo books. Good series.

I copied this from my thread: "Of course, I would love to get together on Monday the 10th, if it would work out. What did you have in mind? I work that day and getting back into the city could be tough."

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well today. Boo!!

Happy New Thread, Ellen! I hope you're feeling better this morning...

Hope you are feeling better today, Ellen. Fingers crossed. If you are able to make it out to the suburbs, I will MAKE IT THERE FOR SURE!! Smiles broadly!

Lovely shots of Scotland as always, Ellen, to kick things off.
Expect you to hike your way beyond 75 in the rapidly cooling November air.

Would love you to join in with the British Author Challenge I have started : https://www.librarything.com/topic/182355#4900455

>24 jnwelch: Hi Joe! The Roz Chast is really well-done. It's heading for a high rating from me.

>25 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! Another de-lurker. I'm glad.
Of those three that you're adding or moving up, I most highly recommend The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The other two are good for what they are, but that one is outstanding.

>26 BLBera: Hello Beth. Funny you should ask --- the trip does seem like a long time ago now. It's amazing how much attention the anticipation and planning consumed, and now it is a gradually fading memory. Every once in a while I will narrate out loud some of the finer moments just to help keep them in my active RAM.

Next up, reading-wise, is going to be Some Luck by Jane Smiley. I read her A Thousand Acres a couple of decades ago and absolutely loved it. I haven't read a lot of her other work but this one is getting good early reviews. I was lucky to snag it from the library pretty quickly.

Here's the cover:

>16 EBT1002: Wow! I'm glad I didn't read Harry Hole novels earlier and ended up reading them when the first and second in the series was translated to English. I thought The Bat a good first novel and The Cockroach did not disappoint. Like you Ellen, I thought the beginning dragged a bit but the story certainly picked up. A few nice turns in the plot kept it going to a satisfying finish. Can't wait for number three.

ETA: Thanks for sharing the read Ellen.

>27 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm not sure about getting out into the suburbs; it might start to add up a bit for taxis. So, this time might not work out (I have a pretty narrow window of freedom during the conference and I realize it's a work-day for you Chicagoland folks). Of course, I will be coming to Chicago again for something, and I *may* try to attend the Michigan Booktopia in 2015, so we'll get to have another meet-up one of these days.

>28 scaifea: Hi Amber and thanks for the kind words. I was feeling better this morning and went to work to help with crazy logistics for the conference we were hosting. I could tell that my fever was returning and I was starting to have lovely coughing bouts, so I bailed around lunchtime. Home in bed again now, planning to read a bit and (as you can tell) catch up on LT.

>29 msf59: Oh Mark, I'm just seeing this. Kerri said she thought it would add up to about $60 for me to taxi out to the burbs and back. If that is the case, I'm feeling a bit reluctant to do it.....
:-(

>30 PaulCranswick: Hello Paul! and thanks for stopping by! Yes, I think I will get to the notorious 75 milestone in November. Maybe in 2015 I can reach the century mark again. I'd like that.

I'll head over to visit your British Author Challenge thread right now. I'm planning to at least partially participate in Mark's AAC again next year, too, so it should be an interesting year.

>32 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! It was fun doing a shared read with you, even if it was a pretty quick read that didn't require a lot of discourse.
I'm planning to read The Redbreast in November. Just sayin'.... :-)

>34 EBT1002: I think I'll be joining you in another shared read very soon Ellen! There may have not been much discourse but it was fun knowing you were reading what I was reading and wondering if you were having similar thoughts. Let me know when you are getting ready to start.

Happy new thread!! Lovely photos up top. Sorry to hear you're sick. Hope you're on the mend soon.

>35 luvamystery65: Sounds good, Roberta. I'm thinking it will be a travel book which means either November 7, November 12, or Thanksgiving time.

>36 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli! I think I've turned the corner on the cold/flu. I bailed on my conference early today and I'm propped up in bed, fully expecting to be back at work for the whole day tomorrow.

>37 EBT1002: Sounds like a plan Ellen. I'll request it from the library and have it on standby. It's a bit longer than the first two but the plot sounds interesting.

Hi Ellen - I'll be anxious to hear what you think of Some Luck. It's part of a trilogy, you know... I'm # 8 on the list at the library.

72. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast




This graphic memoir left me in tears. Roz Chast captures the angst of watching one's parents decline into very old age and, eventually, die. This is an exquisitely honest rendering of the universe of emotions Chast felt in her parents' final years: rage, terror, ineffable sadness, longing, and guilt. It's also a beautiful tribute to the two imperfect people who were her parents. Chast captures small moments, her own and theirs, with such insight and attention to detail. There is a scene involving an argument about olives that made me laugh out loud in a waiting room. It was embarrassing but I didn't care.
Absolutely recommended.

>38 luvamystery65: Okay, Roberta, we're on for another shared Nesbo read in November.

>39 BLBera: Hey Beth, and yes, I had read that it's the first in an intended trilogy. If I like it, that will be something wonderful to look forward to!

I'm very sleepy (cold medicine, I guess) but I'm going to start reading Some Luck this very minute.

>40 EBT1002: This looks so good! I'm excited about it. I think I'll put it on my Christmas list.

>16 EBT1002: - I have to read those first two. I've only read The Redbreast and loved it. Also, I had a very embarrassing moment once at a family get together, when I was telling someone they should really check out the Harry Hole series and everyone laughed at me. Ha! For some reason, it just never registered until I said it out loud at that moment (and I do know it's pronounced differently in Norwegian, but still...)

Happy New Thread, Ellen, and feel a LOT better very soon! I do want to get to Harry Hole (whose name my mind pronounces in one syllable too); I just don't know when. And a laugh out loud argument about olives sounds pretty fun. AND I am a Smiley fan from Moo and Horse Heaven.

>42 DorsVenabili: I hope you like CWTASMP?, Kerri. One thing I liked so much is her ability to illustrate her internal struggles without it becoming maudlin or trite. And she included commentary on social injustices without letting them distract from the main thread of her story.

That's a great story! I have this wonderful image of you sitting among family, hearing yourself say that comment out loud and wanting to reach up and grab it back out of the air. I also know Hole is pronounced differently in Norwegian but in my head it's still one syllable. So far, I've avoided saying it out loud. :-)

>43 LizzieD: Hi Peggy and thank you very much. I definitely recommend the graphic memoir but be forewarned that it made me cry as well as laugh. I've not read either Moo (which was, I believe, set in a fictional town based on the town in which I attended graduate school) or Horse Heaven but I have this sense that she is an amazing author. I loved A Thousand Acres.

I just watched a Ted Talk from last year: Meg Jay on why 30 is not the new 20. I recommend it.

Hi Ellen! Sorry, if the Meet-Up, doesn't work out. Doing something during the work week is tough.

Loved your thoughts on Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. And yah, for 5 stars. I gave it a little less, but agree it was a wonderful memoir. Keep spreading that joy!

I am so jealous about Some Luck. It's been getting some terrific buzz. Like you, I was crazy about A Thousand Acres, although I know, not everyone was. Sadly, I haven't read much of her other work. I am considering her for AAII.

^ Mark, if it doesn't work out this time, we'll find another opportunity.
I think Jane Smiley would be an excellent selection for AAII. :-)

I have a copy of Some Luck but won't get to it anytime soon. I am reading Place of Greater Safety right now. It is my first Hilary Mantell and it is good. But lengthy. 750 pages.

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Traveling seems to do that to me - after I return. This semester has also been an up and down ride. I am trying to keep up and get used to the new boss and it is hard. It is clear that he and I have a different work ethic. I work hard when I am there and stay late, but once I leave I don't come back. He thinks I should work less and come in on weekends if I think I need to catch up. No - weekends are hobby time for me. He also told me that I should take shorter vacations and more of them. He is one of those workers who when they have a day of vacation or sick leave they take a day. I save them up and use them all at once. I prefer long vacations because getting things in order so that I can leave is so much work.

I work extra hours at the beginning of the semester and can only count extra hours if I am doing instruction. I now have 2 days of extra vacation and I was counting on taking them at Christmas. Today I got told that I can't do that and have to take them ASAP. I know it is just a difference in style but it is discouraging and since I am subordinate I will have to adjust.

Ellen - Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? just went on the list. Great review.

I hope you feel better soon; I've been dragging a bit with a cold, too.

A friend sent me this link this afternoon. Some good reading...

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20141028-ten-books-to-read-in-november

Hi Ellen, Your Scotland photos are gorgeous! Glad to see Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? getting a lot of love. I thought it was wonderful. And heartbreaking. I'm looking forward to the new Jane Smiley. It sounds like a winner.

>40 EBT1002: Thanks for the enthusiastic review, Ellen. I have to get my hands on Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant. I've been a bit leery, as we lost our mom four years ago and our dad is way up there in years, but it sounds too good to pass up.

>48 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Sorry your new boss is such an adjustment for you. I am like you, I think, in being willing to work really long days during the week but wanting to protect my weekends. I will have to go into the office for a few hours this weekend but that is not typical. I usually work 10-11 hour days M-F, and NOT on the weekends. I know others would rather work "regular" hours during the week and are okay working on weekends. It's just a difference of style. It adds up to the same thing, right?

>49 BLBera: Hi Beth. I'm glad my review encouraged you to put Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant on the list. I loved it!

Interesting article about 10 books to read in November. I was unfamiliar with most of them, but I think I'll put Suspended Sentences by Patrick Modiano on the list.

>50 Copperskye: Joanne! Hello! Yes to wonderful and heartbreaking. What is more terrifying and inevitable than aging and dying? Ugh. One thing I loved about Roz Chast's work is that she brought appropriate and poignant touches of humor and authenticity to the whole issue, too.

>51 jnwelch: I do recommend it, Joe, but with kleenex at the ready. Having lost my own parents quite young (Mom died when I was 22 years old, Dad when I was 33), I missed watching them age and having to take care of them. But I have been a witness as P's parents have aged (her mother died three years ago and her father, now 92, is ticking along with Parkinson's) and it's not for the faint of heart. Still, the argument about the olives brings it all into perspective.

I'm reading Some Luck by Jane Smiley and I think it's good. But I'm spending way more time in the head of infants and toddlers (!) than I really want to spend. It means I keep getting distracted.

Ellen, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Thanks, Barbara!

At first, Some Luck was not doing it for me. Now, about 1/4 into it, I'm getting a feel for the characters and enjoying their nuanced development.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. Hmm. Looking forward to your comments on Some Luck when you finish. If I remember the other Smiley novels I read, I don't think she does grab one right away...

It sounds like I must absolutely read the Roz Chast.

Enjoy your Sunday!

I forgot to add that I hope you're feeling better!!

I've not read Jane Smiley, but I think I have something by her (not a big one though.) What's the big one? I think I get her confused with someone else, but I can't remember who the someone else is.

Ok. Go Seahawks! Believe until it's mathematically impossible!

>40 EBT1002: I am still in denial that either of my parents might die, ever. So I think this one is either very necessary, or that I will put my blinkers on and pretend it does not exist. :)

Seahawks!

ETA: The Seahawks!

Gosh, both you and Mark have put Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? in line to be added to my Graphic Novel reading next year.

Ellen, it's hard to keep up with you, even when you're not feeling up to par. I'm glad to hear the new Smiley book is taking hold. I plan to wait until the second one is released before I jump into a continuing story. I don't want to have to read the first one twice. ;-)

Congratulations on Thread No. 12. I'm glad you are still posting pics of Scotland. Can't get enough of them!

Hi Ellen! Just trying to catch up with all the LT folks before the end of the year and of course checking out all the awesome books that I'm missing out on. LT=WL obesity :)

I've been hesitant about Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant because I lost my folks at about the same age as you lost yours. I do have many friends coping with the issues of aging parents though so hearing that you recommend it makes me push it back on the list.

>57 BLBera: Hi Beth! Some Luck took about 50 (80?) pages to get me but it's a worthwhile read. I was having drinks and small plates (so Seattle) with a friend this evening and I was describing the novel to her. I was interested to find myself commenting on the mom's (Rosanna) expressed experience of the differences in her relationships with each of her children: she loves them each and the relationships have unique nuances and distinctions. So real.

>58 banjo123: Hi Rhonda! Yes to reading Roz Chast! :-)

>59 DorsVenabili: Thank you, Kerri. I do feel better (thank goodness). Jane Smiley's big one is A Thousand Acres for which she won the Pulitzer. It's quite good but I haven't read much else by her. Moo is apparently set in a fictional college town much modeled after Champaign, Illinois (my graduate alma mater) but I have not read it.

Mathematics. Bah! I continue to hope, although it would be nice if the Cardinals would just lose a game.

>60 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I lost my parents "early" in my life, so I can't totally relate to the denial. Still, I recommend Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant, full stop.

>61 maggie1944: Karen, LOL. YES to the Seahawks. Twice. At least twice.

>62 DeltaQueen50: Judy! Just go read Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. Just do it.

>63 Donna828: Donna, I'm glad you're still enjoying my Scotland pics. I have to admit that the 3 weeks seems like a distant memory --- it's hard to hold onto that degree of connectedness with the Earth and all things visceral and non-stressful. Sigh.

The Smiley book is good.

>64 jolerie: Valerie! So good to see you -- thanks for stopping by. I had seen you on various threads; I'm glad you're making the rounds. I hope you are well.

>65 SuziQoregon: Juli, I lost my mom at age 22 (my age) and dad when I was 33. I absolutely recommend Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. It's sad, indeed, but it's also humorous, poignant, and true.

Ellen I have my copy of The Redbreast ready to go. I am currently reading Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood for the MysteryCAT and GeoCAT but it should be a quick read. Will you be ready by the weekend or should I wait a little longer?

Hi Ellen! Not much to say, just trying to get out and about a bit :)

>68 luvamystery65: Roberta, let's do it! I will finish Some Luck in the next day or two (too much driving to work which means I don't have bus-ride reading time). I'll read The Redbreast next!

>69 katiekrug: Hello, Katie! Good to see you getting out. Thanks for swinging by my neighborhood and saying hi.

>66 EBT1002: Ok, perhaps I'll check out A Thousand Acres! It sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm sure I haven't read it.

Also, you never explained your motivation to read My Struggle: Book One. It looks interesting. I've never heard of it.

>71 DorsVenabili: - Kerri, not that I'm any kind of great barometer, but I really loved A Thousand Acres. It's good on it's own, but having some passing familiarity with King Lear brings it to a different level. I am also a King Lear fan :)

Hey Ellen - I just got a note from the library that Some Luck is waiting for me. Looking forward to it.

>71 DorsVenabili: I think A Thousand Acres is worth checking out. I'm sure I was not all that familiar with King Lear when I read it and Katie's comment makes me want to go back and read it again. I do remember loving it (A Thousand Acres, that is).

>72 katiekrug: Hi Katie and see my comment to Kerri above.

>Hi Beth! This has been a pathetic reading week for me but I plan to finish Some Luck before I fly out of town Friday morning.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I just picked up three books from the library:
Long Man by Amy Greene (Who recommended this to me?)
The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth (I think this was a Suz recommendation.)
Faithful Place by Tana French

I will finish Some Luck in the next day or two and start my shared read of The Redbreast with Roberta, possibly as I travel on Friday. I'll take one of the library books with me, too.

bon voyage, Ellen.

>72 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! King Lear is one I actually haven't read, but I'll keep that in mind when possibly reading A Thousand Acres.

>74 EBT1002: Have a safe trip! I want to continue with the French books (I'm only on the second one), but they tend to be long audiobooks, so I'll hold off until 2015. As we know, I'm trying to squeeze in all the books I can in order to reach the magic number. :-|

Happy Thursday, Ellen! Sorry, it won't work out for Monday. Sad face. I am glad you are enjoying the Smiley and I am REALLY looking forward to your thoughts on the Redbreast. It was my first Nesbo and remains my favorite.

I read A Thousand Acres many, many years ago for a book club. Loved it, and only later became aware of the Lear connection. I agree, Ellen, it would be interesting to re-read with that in mind, although I confess I hardly ever re-read.

Have a safe trip. I need to get back to Tana French - loved the first but the second one has been languishing on my shelf far too long.

>75 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen!

>76 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri. I'm looking forward to reading time on the plane. :-)
"As we know, I'm trying to squeeze in all the books I can in order to reach the magic number."
I totally hear ya. Padding the stats. That's us. Suddenly I'm on a mystery novel binge. Ha!

>77 msf59: Hi Mark. I'm very sorry I won't get to see you on Monday but I completely understand. I enjoyed Some Luck (more about that in a moment) and will start The Redbreast as I try to get a bit of shut-eye.

>78 lauralkeet: Hi Laura! I'm not much of a rereader, myself. Too many books to read for the first time! But I might do this one.

>79 SuziQoregon: Thanks Juli. I'm less excited about this conference than I usually am, and I don't know what that is about. I'm rooming with a dear friend who is my counterpart at another university in my region of the country. I always look forward to connecting with her but not having a hotel room to myself is a loss. The cost was just too steep. I don't know whether I'll get to this, my third Tana French before it's due back at the library but I can always put it on hold again.

73. Some Luck by Jane Smiley




Great read, wonderful family, some digressions that didn't quite resonate for me.

Next up:

>82 EBT1002: Whoop! I'm finishing up Cocaine Blues today and I'll just get started on The Redbreast tonight. I'll dive into it this weekend. I hope your conference turns out better than you feel about it Ellen.

Have a good trip Ellen! xx

>83 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! I started The Redbreast on the plane today. It's off to a good start but I only got about 90 pages into it. The flight was shorter than I had been thinking and I had some work to do. Also, I turned out to be in a music sort of mood so I listened to some Shawn Colvin and Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, which I think is about the most beautiful piece of music on Earth.

You can YouTube it here.

>84 Smiler69: Thanks, Ilana!

>85 EBT1002: I've got that video playing now, thanks for posting the link. Certainly among the most beautiful pieces of music, to be sure!

Hello, Ellen. I am finally all caught up with you! Hoping that your conference is filled with fabulous.

>87 Smiler69: Oh good, I'm glad you like it, Ilana. The second movement can bring me to tears.

>88 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Good to see you. Thanks for the well-wishes. I have to present tomorrow and Sunday morning and then it should be a breeze after that.

Okay, I'm very excited about the double-header we have planned for 2015: Mark's AACII and Paul's BAC. I have participated partially in Mark's AAC this year (I may break down and buy a copy of Rabbit Run while I'm here in Chicago so I can get it started for the November John Updike read). Next year I plan to fully participate in both of those challenges. This is a commitment of three particular books each month, which is kind of a lot, but I am loving the selections our fellows have made.

Mark's AAC-II:

January - Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
February - Henry James
March - Richard Ford
April - Louise Erdrich
May - Sinclair Lewis - Elmer Gantry is practically required, right? I have a copy.
June - Wallace Stegner - reread Angle of Repose or Crossing to Safety (happy sigh)
July - Ursula K. Le Guin - I've only read The Left Hand of Darkness, so I don't know where to go from there.
August - Larry McMurtry - the sequel to Lonesome Dove (there is one, right?)
September - Flannery O' Connor
October - Ray Bradbury - reread The Martian Chronicles
November - Barbara Kingsolver - This will require a reread for me. I may do The Bean Trees, her first and still my fave.
December - E.L. Doctorow - Ragtime, I think.

I really don't yet know what I'll read for each of these. I've put a few tentative selections up there but I'm just starting to consider the options. And I borrowed Kerri's idea (I'm cross posting this on the AAC thread as well as here) and put in bold the authors I've never read.

Good luck with your presentations! See you in December, I hope.

Ellen, I wish you a gorgeous weekend.

>91 EBT1002: Ellen there are 4 books in the Lonesome Dove story. If I may suggest, go back to the beginning of the story where Gus and Call join the Texas Rangers in Comanche Moon. It was a good story. The ending felt rushed to me but overall a good story.

Hi, Ellen! How are you feeling now? I think it's rotten to have presentations to look to when coming off a bout of la grippe. Good reading going on, though! I've been keeping Jo Nesbo on the back burner for a day when I'm needing a new series to turn to; always good to have reserves. I admit to having been totally underwhelmed when I read A Thousand Acres long ago, and to an avoidance of Jane Smiley ever since. I do keep noting other readers' reactions that make me feel I need to reconsider, however.

Hi Ellen! Hope you are feeling better. Good luck on the presentations (though I am sure you won't need any luck)

Hi everyone. Today's presentation went swimmingly and it was really the only substantive presentation I have to do. I have a 10-minute gig at tomorrow's business meeting, but I'll make some notes this evening and it will all be good. This is a fun conference -- I get more hugs in one day here than possibly the whole rest of my year. It's great to see peers and friends from other Institutions of Higher Education, some of whom I've known for years (and most of whom I only see once a year). It's also fun to be in Chicago, although I'm not in great walking shape with this ankle thing. I did walk around a bit this evening. Purchased two Mighty Bright lights (don't ask) and a copy of Rabbit, Run. The latter purchase was silly since I know I can get it at the library but maybe I'll read it on my return flight.

Yay on a great presentation! I'm sure you're glad that's over now!

>92 maggie1944: Hi Karen! Have a great time in Hawaii!

>93 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara!

>94 luvamystery65: Roberta, thanks for the recommendation. I will read Comanche Moon next August.

>95 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. My pulmonary health is good, thank you, although now I have this ankle/foot thing. Pathetic. Really. I resisted Jo Nesbo for a long time because he seemed like the fad of the month, but I must say that I liked both The Bat and Cockroaches, and I fully agree that The Redbreast exceeds them. So, it's a good series to have on reserves.

I read A Thousand Acres around the time it was published, in the early 1990's. I remember being moved by it (and I was living in that region at the time) but I don't now remember much else about it. I have a couple of vivid images from the narrative, which says something to me about her ability to create memorable scenes.

>96 banjo123: Hi Rhonda and thank you for the well wishes. I'm all better now and my main presentation is done. I'm going to surf some threads (only a few) and then make some notes for tomorrow morning's business meeting.

I'm planning to skip the late afternoon session so I can watch my Seahawks! :-)

>98 Smiler69: Thank you, Ilana! It was actually a pretty easy presentation. It's one I've done before (part of a pre-conference Leadership Institute we do for new directors) and all my co-presenters are so wonderful. It was a fun day.

For planning purposes, I thought I would start tracking Paul's British Author Challenge, aka BAC. He's doing two authors per month, one female and one male, and I'm planning to set a goal of 100% participation. This challenge will introduce me to several authors whom I have not yet read.

January: Penelope Lively* & Kazuo Ishiguro

February: Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh*

March: Daphne Du Maurier* & China Mieville*

April: Angela Carter* & W. Somerset Maugham*

May: Margaret Drabble* & Martin Amis*

June: Beryl Bainbridge* & Anthony Burgess*

July: Virginia Woolf & B. S. Johnson*

August: Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene*

September: Andrea Levy* & Salman Rushdie*

October: Helen Dunmore* & David Mitchell*

* Author whose work I have not read.

>97 EBT1002: great job on the "went-swimmingly" presentation. Must be good to have that under your belt, as they say. Shame you cant wedge in some LT meetups while there.
Your conferences sound fun!

ETA: the BAC looks scary to me! I know not a lot of the authors, and may just have to dip in/out as I go. I am def interested in more Penelope Lively and Sarah Waters, Virginia Woolf and Salman Rushdie also call to me.

Mark's AAC-II:

January - Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

February - Henry James*

March - Richard Ford*

April - Louise Erdrich - reread Tracks?

May - Sinclair Lewis* - Elmer Gantry is practically required, right? I have a copy.

June - Wallace Stegner - reread Angle of Repose or Crossing to Safety (happy sigh)

July - Ursula K. Le Guin - I've only read The Left Hand of Darkness, so I don't know where to go from there. Help?

August - Larry McMurtry - Comanche Moon

September - Flannery O' Connor

October - Ray Bradbury - Something Wicked This Way Comes and reread The Martian Chronicles

November - Barbara Kingsolver - This will require a reread for me. I may do The Bean Trees, her first and still my fave.

December - E.L. Doctorow* - Ragtime, I think.

I really don't yet know what I'll read for each of these. I've put a few tentative selections up there but I'm just starting to consider the options.

*An author whose works I have not yet read.

>102 LovingLit: Hi Megan! Actually, I'm meeting Kerri and Joe for a beer (and some pub food?) early Monday evening. Hooray! I was hoping Mark could join us, but family things call him.
This conference is actually a lot of fun. These are "my peeps," in that I feel really comfortable with this group of people and it's so good to be among people who totally get what one does at work all day....

The BAC is a bit daunting, and there are certainly more authors whose works I've not read than those with whom I'm familiar. I may regret my decision to aim for 100% participation in both that and the AAC. We'll see how it goes. I always give myself permission to change my mind on these kinds of things, although a challenge is, well, a challenge.

^ aaah, so it was Mark who couldn't make it! Cool that you'll see the others though.

My challenge right now is to not pick up any new book before i have finished at least one that I am already reading :)

>105 LovingLit: I love that challenge, Megan!

Have fun at your meet up. Congrats on the presentation. I hope the ankle is back in shape soon. Updike?? Good luck with that.

I'm going to start the Chast book next.

>107 BLBera: Hi Beth! I hope you love the Chast book as much as I did! I just devoured it.

Re: Ursula Le Guin, it depends if you want to go the science fiction route or the fantasy route. Her The Left Hand of Darkness is a true classic on gender representation. Although it seems strangely tame to today's youth, it was truly ground-breaking at the time it was written and I think you would find it interesting. Fantasy-wise, A Wizard of Earthsea is delightful.

Congrats on the presentation and I'm glad you are enjoying the conference. That is one of the few things I miss about working--getting to see old friends at conferences.

I'm stopping by to keep up with your busy self. I'm glad this conference was relaxing and fun for you, and how great you'll be able to connect with LT friends. That is always a big bonus. I think we need to work on getting some year around resident of Kaua'i to be a LT friend so we can always have a meet up when we visit that special island.

I am, as you can guess, pretty jazzed to be leaving, especially as I'll be giving this rain storm my back. Just make it through today, with a Seahawks game for good measure, and then tomorrow at oh-dark-hundred I'll head for Seatac and fly away..............

Wow, 100% participation seems mighty ambitious as a goal... I completely support you in that decision Ellen, but I won't be judging either if you fall short. I decided last year already with Mark's challenge that I would use it to pare down my tbr, will be doing so with the BAC as well, and, well... as I've found out this year, no matter what, life happens too, and then sometimes you just feel or don't feel like reading certain books when the moment comes, though I must say I'm really excited that I'm able to slot so many great books I already own onto my reading plans for next year and really looking forward to getting to them too. But B. S. Johnson, really?! Now I call that mightily ambitious. Good on you dear friend. :-)

By the by, I'm planning on reading Elmer Gantry this month, as I already gave up on John Updike before the fact, not having him anywhere on the tbr and had replaced him with Sinclair Lewis and his Elmer Gantry which you'd picked out for me last year, and I have more on the tbr, so will be reading another book of his for the AAC next year...

Morning Ellen! Are you in our fair city? Hope everything is going good. I like how your AACII is coming together. I haven't even made my picks yet.

I am sad about missing the Meet-Up tomorrow but there is nothing I can do...shuffles away.

I can't believe I forgot that you had already read The Dispossessed, as I believe I was the enthusiastic recommender. Ha!

>103 EBT1002: I think Elmer Gantry is a great choice. My favorite is Babbitt, but I think most people would like Elmer Gantry more.

Yay for the Mendelssohn! Glad it makes you weep, even though that's a weird thing to say.

I'm going to read Ballad of the Sad Cafe, too, for the AAC II, Ellen. Our daughter loves The Turn of the Screw, so that'll be my Henry James.

>109 ronincats: Hi Roni. I know I loved The Left Hand of Darkness when I read it in college (which means around 1982 or so). So I have to decide whether I want to do a reread of that great gender-challenging classic or try A Wizard of Earthsea. I tend not to be a huge fan of fantasy although I did love the first three in the Dragonriders of Pern series. I may not decide until the month of July!

Yes, seeing old friends is one of the best parts of this conference. I get so many hugs, it's wonderful!

>110 maggie1944: Karen, I will think of you tomorrow morning at oh-dark-hundred, knowing that when the plane lands and you step off into that open-air airport in Lihue, your soul will be immediately nourished. The air. I love the air there.

I'm messing around on LT while I sit in my hotel room watching our Seahawks. And texting with P, sharing our frustrations and exaltations at the Seahawks' performance. It does look like it's raining cats and dogs there.

Yes, I'm watching that game, too. And it is chilly here today. As well as wet. And you are so, so right. The air at Lihue is so soft, and sweet, and gentle. At least when its not windy. Or rainy. It can be rainy there, too.

14-14 right now. Giant's passing is pretty damn good. Did you see that the Seahawk's Hawk did not return to her/his handler, and landed on a fan's head? Hung out in the stands for a while, but was returned to his handler eventually. What a thrill, for the fan, at least if his head is not worse for the wear.

>111 Smiler69: Ilana, I'm not sure it's a good thing, this 100% participation goal. But I will work hard not to put too much pressure on myself, too. If it starts to feel like pressure that is adversely affecting my reading pleasure or overall stress levels, I will give myself permission to change my mind. It's not like it's a competition. It's just a challenge. :-)
And I don't know one thing about B.S. Johnson. I'm not sure I had ever heard of him prior to Paul posting about him on his BAC thread.

The whole John Updike thing is weird to me. I'm going to read Rabbit, Run but my expectations are quite low. I have been sort of wanting to read some Sinclair Lewis for a while, so I'll save it for the BAC and hope that doing a group read will make it more compelling. Some of my favorite "bookies" love Sinclair Lewis and I want to find out what that's about.

Well. The New York Giants lead the Seahawks by 3 at the half. Injuries have been tough for the Seahawks all year and Eli Manning, the whiniest quarterback in the league, is having a good day. Grr.

ha ha ha. Yes, the injuries have been a player in this, as well as previous, games. Grr is right about Manning's "big day".

I like the commentator who said that the Hawks will show as the game progresses their ability to pound, and pound, and pound. What a team.

Did you read Mink River for the 11/10 book group meeting? Will you go to it?

*de-lurk*

>118 EBT1002: - Tom Brady is way more whiny than Eli! And what about Jay Cutler? He's the worst...

*re-lurk*

>112 msf59: Hi Mark and yes, I'm in your fair city. It's a fun place to be. My foot injury is keeping me from enjoying it as much as I would like, but I did get out and walk around a bit last evening. It's chilly but not raining and that is a good thing. I am very sorry you can't join our little LibraryThing meet up but I certainly understand. I am confident we will have other opportunities.

>113 DorsVenabili: Hi Kerri! Yes, I do believe you were the enthusiastic recommender of The Dispossessed and it was a good read. It was outside my wheelhouse but worth that departure. You sent me a used copy of Babbitt a while back. Can you say what it is about Elmer Gantry, relative to Babbitt, that makes it more appealing to the masses? I think I'll do a bit of reading about each of them and decide from there. Or I'll just read Babbitt since I have it. :-)

"...that's a weird thing to say." Really? You think so? It's true, though. I was listening to it on the plane yesterday and near the end of the second movement, the Andante, there is this moment when the violin reenters and I was so moved, lying there with my eyes closed, and I felt teary-eyed. This is weird? Oh well.

(I also think Hilary Hahn is beautiful. I love watching her play the violin.)

*de-lurk (again)*

I read Kerri's comment as meaning she thinks it's weird to say what she said: "Glad it makes you weep." Not that the fact of it making you weep is weird.

*re-lurk (again)*

>114 jnwelch: The BAC is definitely going to introduce me to some new-to-me authors. I'm excited about that. Maybe I'll join you and read The Turn of the Screw. Or maybe I'll do the one that Julia Roberts' character was starring in in "Notting Hill". Ha.

>116 maggie1944: Karen, I did see that about the Hawk! It would be a bit scary to have a hawk land on your head (and I always worry about any animals that are made into live mascots for sports teams, although I'm a huge fan of Dubs). And yes, the air on (around?) Kauai is soft and sweet and gentle. I love it.

>119 maggie1944: I hope that announcer is right!

>120 maggie1944: Karen, I did not yet read Mink River and I will still be in Chicago on Monday so I can't make it to the book group. I feel badly because I do believe I was the one who nominated Mink River for us to read.

>121 katiekrug: Katie, you do have a point about Tom Brady. And Jake Cutler. I think I have just always held Eli in contempt since his shenanigans when he was drafted (by San Diego, I think).
I hate entitlement. Which is funny to say as a football fan. :-|

>123 katiekrug: - Katie - thank you! You win a prize for correctly interpreting my words! I admit to crying over melodies all the time.

>123 katiekrug: Ah ha! Thank you for that clarification, Katie! I know Kerri well enough that I should have seen that. Silly me. (And probably I was just feeling a bit sheepish at having told everyone here that I wept while listening to Mendelssohn -- ha!)

>126 DorsVenabili: LOL --

I especially like "crying over melodies" :-)

Updating the BAC list:

January: Penelope Lively* & Kazuo Ishiguro

February: Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh*

March: Daphne Du Maurier* & China Mieville*

April: Angela Carter* & W. Somerset Maugham*

May: Margaret Drabble* & Martin Amis*

June: Beryl Bainbridge* & Anthony Burgess*

July: Virginia Woolf & B. S. Johnson*

August: Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene*

September: Andrea Levy* & Salman Rushdie*

October: Helen Dunmore* & David Mitchell*

* Author whose work I have not read.

Just making note of three books I want to read soon:

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince
Whipping Girl by Julia Serano

Thanks to Kerri and Joe for helping me find books to read about trans* and related experience.

I might join you in some of your Brit reading. I love Penelope Lively. Which of hers will you read? I've never read Andrea Levy and would like to read her soon. I'm always up for Virginia Woolf and Iris Murdoch, too.

Have fun at your meet-up. I wish I lived closer. :(

OK, young lady, those Seahawks did good, didn't they. I laughed when Eli Manning completely lost the football in a preliminary to a pass.... Rain does favor the Hawks.

I feel badly for our little group, too.

Have fun in Chicago tonight, Ellen! I am last-minute-planning for my big day out- to the capital city tomorrow. Yay! From 7:30am to 8:00pm I am free, free I say! (can you hear the desperation in my voice?) :)

Oh good, Seattle beat the Giants!!

I'm very upset with Mr. Nesbø right now. I'm a little more than halfway through the book.

I'm really caught up in Gracefully Grayson, Ellen. The quiet bravery required is staggering. Many people around her, of course, want her to be "normal', and she knows how to pretend she is, but she can't do it any more. Come what may.

Glad to hear you are having a great conference so far, Ellen.
Way to go with your plans for 100% participation in the BAC. Are you planning on doing that with the AAC one as well?
Have fun with meet-ups tonight. What fun! :)

>135 luvamystery65: Uh oh, Roberta. My reading has slowed down with the conference -- just too many people with whom I need to connect. Now I'm very curious about what you encountered in The Redbreast that has made you upset with Mr. Nesbo. It may be tomorrow on the plane before I can make much headway.

>136 jnwelch: Joe, I'm very interested! I will definitely be getting a copy of Gracefuly Grayson when I return to Seattle.

>137 jolerie: Valerie!! I knew you had been making appearances around the threads and I keep thinking I want to find your thread but haven't followed through. I will do so now. Welcome back!
My "plan" is to fully participate in both the BAC and the AAC-II in 2015. I feel like the combo will put a good dent in my TBR library and introduce me to several new authors.
I'm looking forward to sharing a beer with Kerri and Joe tonight!

Our keynote speaker today was Eboo Patel and I was so impressed and moved by his talk. He was challenging those of us who work in Higher Education to directly address religious diversity in the same ways we have addressed issues of racial diversity and diversity in sexuality. I bought his two books, Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation and Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America. He signed both of them for me and I plan to read them very, very soon. I want to make progress on The Redbreast but I may start reading one of his books on the plane tomorrow, too.

>130 EBT1002: Apropos of books about trans and related experiences, did you catch this article in the NYT?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/magazine/when-women-become-men-at-wellesley-co...

Hope the ankle is starting to feel better. Loving all the Nesbo love.

Patel sound like a very interesting person, and a good message for us all to take to heart. I'll be interested to hear what you think of his books.

Brave new world out there - just spent a half hour reading the article >140 michigantrumpet: posted. I'd been wondering how the 'exclusively' women's college's were handling this issue and now I have some idea.

Hope you had a great Meet-Up, Ellen! Count me in next time. Sorry, I missed it. Hugs!

Safe travels, Ellen! Great to meet up with you and Kerri last night. You were missed, >143 msf59:, Mark.

I posted a murky but happy photo over on my thread.

>85 EBT1002: - Oh thanks for the link - looking forward to listening to that.

Glad your presentations went well. You've got a lot of great reading planned for those challenges.

Glad you were able to manage a meetup while you were in Chicago too.

Thanks for meeting up with us during your busy conference! I had a lovely time.

Have a safe trip home and enjoy The Redbreast or the other thing you might read instead. Enjoy it all!

Eboo Patel sounds really interesting--I have put his book on hold. I thought my daughter might be interested in it, as she has made several Muslim friends in college. But she is kind of a die-hard atheist, so maybe not.

I think you highlight exactly the challenge, to somehow value tolerance for everyone's choices for religious, or spiritual, or lack thereof, practices, or beliefs. I've felt very sad at the insistence by some that the US of A, the great melting pot, is somehow a Christian country, as if someone has declared it such.

Just a quick delurk to say that I'm happy that you're enjoying the conference and hoping that you're being kind to the ankle.
Love the reading plans, and I'm off to see who B. S. Johnson is. I love this place!

>131 BLBera: and >132 maggie1944: and >133 LovingLit: and >134 ronincats:
Beth, Karen, Megan, and Roni, I apologize for skipping you! I hope you'll chalk it up to benign overwhelm rather than anything else.

>131 BLBera: Beth, I'm not sure what I'll read by Penelope Lively. I don't know a lot about her work. I've had The Long Song by Andrea Levy in my TBR library for eons. Small Island is another that has earned positive reviews.
I still haven't read any Iris Murdoch and readers I trust tend to love The Sea, the Sea so that is easy. I may give To the Lighthouse another try in July. I started it earlier this year and set it aside in boredom.

>132 maggie1944: Karen, the Seahawks showed up big time in the second half. It was almost like old times. Four touchdowns for the Beast Mode: I like.

Yes, I fear that our little book group is not much longer for this world. It's hard to pull folks from all over the metro area on a weeknight, and it has been suggested to me that book groups with a focus might tend to be more successful. I have so little experience with book groups, it's hard for me to say. My most successful experience was a lesbian book group in Champaign, Illinois, in the 1980s. So, we had a focus. And we always did a vegetarian potluck in conjunction with our book discussion. I kid you not.

>133 LovingLit: Megan, hooray for free days! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed yours!

>134 ronincats: Roni, Ha! Yes, I was very pleased with the outcome of Sunday's game. :-)

>140 michigantrumpet: Hi Marianne. I did catch that article and I loved it. I think the current discussion about gender, including how it plays out at women's colleges, is fascinating. I'm going to dedicate some 2015 reading to the topic of gender, trans* experience, and related content.

>141 maggie1944: Karen, Eboo Patel was such a dynamic and wonderful speaker! I want to bring him to the UW. I'm going to make it happen.

>142 sibylline: Lucy, it's a bit of a dilemma for women's colleges. They are facing a bit of a mission challenge at present, and this just complicates things. I like the inclusive way that Mills College in Oakland, CA, approached it. I think their policy is something along the lines of "anyone is eligible except those born male who identify as men." It will be interesting to see how this plays out for them in the decade to come.

>143 msf59: Hi Mark. We each had a Zombie Dust in your honor. Tough work but we are a committed threesome. You were missed. We had lots of laughs and some great book discussion. I look forward to connecting with you again whenever we can work it out.

>144 jnwelch: Hi Joe. It was great fun! Thanks for posting the picture. I'll go give it a look-see and I'll post the less murky one here over the weekend.

>145 SuziQoregon: Hey Juli. I hope you enjoy the Mendelssohn concerto. It's kind of my obsessive listen these days. I just love it.
Presentations done, tomorrow I return home. And since some of the work I have had to do on the plane is now behind me, I can truly do some readying. The Redbreast, here I come!

>146 DorsVenabili: Hi Kerri! I also had a lovely time. You and Joe are such wonderful company. We laughed. I like that.
I'm kind of embarrassed at how long it's taking me to read The Redbreast. I'm loving it but this trip was just very busy.
Thanks again for making a meet up happen so early in a work week!

>147 banjo123: Rhonda, what is so wonderful about Patel is that he is so broad and inclusive in his thinking. He is a Muslim but his real deal is that we, as a society, are failing to deal head-on with religious diversity. He said, essentially, that if US colleges and universities fail to lead discourse on religious diversity, we are forfeiting our college students to the new feed on FB. He noted that "people say that addressing religious diversity is hard. But you dealt with race! And of course, there was that easy issue of diversity in sexuality and gender." He articulated very clearly that students (people) are entitled to their religious beliefs, including their fundamentalist beliefs (short of violence to any who disagree). But if we don't find a way to acknowledge the differences, the tensions, and the common ground, then we are failing to lead the way toward greater peace and understanding. I'm not writing it half as articulately as he spoke it, but I was persuaded.

All that is to say that I think your atheist daughter might resonate with Patel's discourse. I'm pretty much an atheist myself and it was immensely affecting.

I have to add one thing here. He said how many billions of humans on Earth are Muslims. Billions.
And all we know about are Al-qaeda and Isis.

That's like knowing about Fred Phelps and the KKK, and thinking we have any idea at all about Christianity.

^ he has a point.
And not just in >153 EBT1002:, also in >152 EBT1002:!
Always good to hear an inspirational speaker, and to have a good laugh with (LT) friends :)

>148 maggie1944: If you ever get a chance to hear Eboo Patel speak, Karen, I highly recommend him. He founded the Inter Faith Youth Corps in his efforts to get young people with different faiths talking and working together.

>149 LizzieD: Peggy, I love this place, too. I learn all the time!

>154 LovingLit: Yes, Megan, it's a good combination. Inspiring thought leaders and good laughs with LT buddies.

Life is good.

Updating the BAC list:

January: Penelope Lively* & Kazuo Ishiguro

February: Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh*

March: Daphne Du Maurier* & China Mieville*

April: Angela Carter* & W. Somerset Maugham*

May: Margaret Drabble* & Martin Amis*

June: Beryl Bainbridge* & Anthony Burgess*

July: Virginia Woolf & B. S. Johnson*

August: Iris Murdoch* & Graham Greene*

September: Andrea Levy* & Salman Rushdie*

October: Helen Dunmore* & David Mitchell

November: Muriel Spark* & William Boyd*

December: Hilary Mantel & P.G. Wodehouse

* Author whose work I have not read.

It is bed time.

Good night.
:)

But first....

Mark's AAC-II:

January - Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

February - Henry James*

March - Richard Ford*

April - Louise Erdrich - reread Tracks?

May - Sinclair Lewis* - Babbitt

June - Wallace Stegner - reread Angle of Repose or Crossing to Safety (happy sigh)

July - Ursula K. Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea

August - Larry McMurtry - Comanche Moon

September - Flannery O' Connor

October - Ray Bradbury - Something Wicked This Way Comes and reread The Martian Chronicles

November - Barbara Kingsolver - This will require a reread for me. I may do The Bean Trees, her first and still my fave.

December - E.L. Doctorow* - Ragtime

*An author whose works I have not yet read.

^lol, OK. Goodnight now?

>150 EBT1002: I'm not sure what I'll read by Penelope Lively. May I recommend Moon Tiger? I loved it, and it won the Booker.

I find the women's college discussion fascinating as well. My younger daughter did an overnight visit at Mt Holyoke where she attended a meeting of a group exploring gender issues. It made for interesting discussion. She ultimately chose a coed school but was came close to attending Bryn Mawr.

Hi Ellen - Lots of good stuff here. I hope the ankle is improving. Patel sounds great. I'll look for those books. We have quite a large population here. Gender article also interesting. I am always looking for new and/or better ways to address these issues in the classroom.

I loved How It All Began - one of my favorite books from a couple of years ago. I love how Lively plays with the idea of fate and fact v. fiction. But I love most of her stuff...

You have an ambitious reading year planned.

Book groups. Mine has been meeting since 2001. We meet at noon on the third Friday of the month. It has worked well to fit it into the work day. Sometimes meetings get scheduled, but we do have a core group. In January, we have an evening meeting to choose our books for the year. Our only criteria is that it be available in paperback. That cuts down on new releases that are not available at the library and makes cheap versions easy to find.

Well, I'd better go teach.

>138 EBT1002: I have finished The Redbreast and it was quite good. I'm still a bit upset with Mr. Nesbø but the man can write a great story. I'm also happy with him right now. All will be revealed when you finish. Take your time. We will freely discuss when you are done.

ETA: I am adding Sacred Ground to my 2015 Category Challenge. It will go in my Peace Category.

>152 EBT1002: Awe, thanks! You guys were such wonderful company too, and thanks for helping me read all that small print! Ha! I actually found an old pair of glasses in a drawer yesterday (two pairs ago - my previous pair broke in half) and I can see with them a bit better than my contacts until my frames are ready, so that's good.

>160 EBT1002: Do you have any Henry James ideas? I've only read The Turn of the Screw. I think I'll try Washington Square for the challenge, per LT Joe.

Poking in my nose again........... I enjoy I. Murdoch A LOT, but if The Sea The Sea had been my first, I'd never have read another. If you want a good dose, I'd recommend The Bell. I also LOVED and ADORED H. James in my 30s. He's easy to recommend: Washington Square for James light or The Portrait of a Lady for James full strength. (Oh. I see. You weren't actually asking for James advice.)

>166 LizzieD: I agree The Bell is a good choice for your first Murdoch. Also really liked The Portrait of a Lady. I have Daisy Miller on my Kindle so will read it during the appropriate month.

74. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller




I couldn't concentrate on a traditional book during my travel today so I finished listening to The Dog Stars. Yes, folks, you heard that right: I completed an audiobook!

Set in post-apocalyptic Colorado, this is the story of Hig, his dog Jasper, and their companion Bangley. War, the flu, and another dread disease known simply as "the blood" have pretty much killed off all the humans. Hig and Jasper and Bangley are surviving -- barely -- in a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later sort of wild west. Hig has a Cessna that he flies, hoping against hope that someone from one of the various western control towers will someday respond to his chatter. No one does. He fishes and, against Bangley's judgment, he checks in with "the families" on a weekly basis. The families are infected with the contagious and deadly blood disease, but Hig's need for a modicum of human contact and compassion lead him to provide occasional provisions. Occasional encounters with other survivors provide fodder for the plot to proceed. I can't say more than that without risking spoilers. What this may tell you is that the novel is minimalist in terms of plot. It's about Hig. His internal life is the real terrain here and it's his existential journey that provides the movement.

The narration is spare and at times downright lovely. Hig is a likable character and his losses have emotional traction with the reader. If I operated in the world of finer distinctions, I would likely give this 3.8 stars. So I should probably round up to 4.

>159 LovingLit: and >161 LovingLit: LOL -- you caught me in my staying-up-too-late silliness, Megan! My eyes were drooping but like a child I didn't want to go to sleep!

>162 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Moon Tiger it is! I will add that to my developing list.

Women's colleges are shrinking in number. I think there is some question as to their relevance and purpose in the 21st century. I also think that, in order to succeed, they have to put their stake in the ground and say "this is what we stand for." It will work or it won't but having a clear mission is crucial.
Where did your daughter end up going, if I may ask?

>163 BLBera: Hi Beth. So it seems that I may want to read two by Penelope Lively. Why not? I am determined that 2015 will be another stellar reading year, so.... I'm adding How It All Began to the list, as well.
I like the sound of your book group. I may just try to start my own, one that meets closer to the U District. I like my TPB group but the trek north on a Monday evening is hard for me with my work schedule.

>164 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! You will see above that I didn't read The Redbreast today. I had a lot on my mind and I was pretty worn out; I just couldn't concentrate on reading. So I decided, while wandering around the airport, to try my audiobook. It was perfect. I could listen in the airport, I could listen while boarding, and I listened throughout the flight. Did I miss a line or two to distraction or sleepiness? Yes, indeed. But I got most of it and it worked for my frame of mind. SO - I will return to The Redbreast this evening and I can't wait to see what you're upset and happy about. I agree that the story is so well-told.

I'm thrilled that you're adding Sacred Ground to your Peace category for 2015 reading. I will read it with you (do you have a target month?).

>165 DorsVenabili: Hi Kerri! I'm glad you found some glasses that will get you more effectively through the next couple of weeks. Seeing is so important for those of us who read! And you're welcome for the fine-print assistance. Ha. I swear it was dark in that place.

I did not have ideas for Henry James but I love that folks are giving recommendations (and see my comments to Peggy in just a moment). I really know very little about his works.

>166 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I love it when you poke your nose in! Book recommendations are always welcome, especially with something like the BAC brewing. Kerri has recommended The Sea, The Sea. I think she said NOT to start with A Severed Head (but I love that title). I do also happen to have The Bell in the TBR library, so.... Call me undecided.

I think I'll go with Washington Square for HJ (what do you mean I wasn't asking for advice? It's implicit with a blank author designation, right?). Given what I'm committing to for the year, going with HJ light sounds like a good idea. So thank you!

>167 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Another vote for The Bell. I wonder if I could read both....

Paul's British Author Challenge:

January:
Penelope Lively* -- Moon Tiger or How It All Began
Kazuo Ishiguro -- The Remains of the Day

February:
Sarah Waters -- The Paying Guests
Evelyn Waugh* --

March:
Daphne Du Maurier* --
China Mieville* -- The City & the City

April:
Angela Carter* --
W. Somerset Maugham* --

May:
Margaret Drabble* --
Martin Amis* --

June:
Beryl Bainbridge* --
Anthony Burgess* --

July:
Virginia Woolf -- To the Lighthouse
B. S. Johnson* --

August:
Iris Murdoch* -- The Sea, The Sea (and The Bell?)
Graham Greene* -- The End of the Affair

September:
Andrea Levy* -- The Long Song
Salman Rushdie* --

October:
Helen Dunmore* -- The Siege
David Mitchell -- Cloud Atlas

November:
Muriel Spark* --
William Boyd* -- Restless and/or Waiting for Sunrise

December:
Hilary Mantel -- Bring Up the Bodies
P.G. Wodehouse --

* Author whose work I have not read.

Mark's American Author Challenge-II:

January: Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

February: Henry James* - Washington Square

March: Richard Ford* - Rock Springs or The Sportswriter

April: Louise Erdrich - reread Tracks?

May: Sinclair Lewis* - Babbitt

June: Wallace Stegner - reread Angle of Repose or Crossing to Safety (happy sigh)

July: Ursula K. Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea

August: Larry McMurtry - Comanche Moon

September: Flannery O' Connor -

October: Ray Bradbury - Something Wicked This Way Comes and reread The Martian Chronicles

November: Barbara Kingsolver - This will require a reread for me. I may do The Bean Trees, her first and still my fave.

December: E.L. Doctorow* - Ragtime

*An author whose works I have not yet read.

Wow! You are deep into 2015. I am still trying to achieve my 75 for 2014. I think I am having a panic attack!!! ; )

And I think I liked the Dog Stars a tad more than you and I recently gave a 3.8 rating too (to another book). Well, actually it was 3.8888! Big hugs.

>169 EBT1002: Ellen I would love for you to join me in Sacred Ground next year. I don't have a target month but I think not January or February. I also don't want to wait until the last two months of the year either. Let's touch base about it by mid-February and we can decide on a month at that time. I'll go put a note in my Category.

Also, I would love to continue the Harry Hole journey with you. I think I'll be ready for book 4, Nemesis, by mid January but can wait until February, if you want to continue together.

Hi, Ellen, I guess you are home now and I am not. Ha! I finished listening to The Farm and it is a book which had a good deal of conversation here some months ago. It was very interesting, in the end. And I do recommend it as a good, convincing, and engaging mystery.

I was, like you, also impressed at finishing listening while I was traveling. Listening to a good book while all the travel stuff is going on around you is very satisfactory. We had a "medical emergency" on the flight, and I was happy that I could just keep listening while the staff and the doctor who was on board were able to take care of the passenger, and I wasn't constantly trying to figure out what was happening. I am definitely a fan of audio while traveling!

I am following your book choices for next year, but have not found time for my own choices yet. Should be an interesting year.

I hope the week is going well for you, and that you've recovered from your travels.

>169 EBT1002: Women's colleges are shrinking in number. I think there is some question as to their relevance and purpose in the 21st century. I find it interesting that women's colleges seem much more prevalent in North America. In the UK as far as I am aware there are only a couple of all-women colleges left in Cambridge, but even those aren't all-women colleges in the sense of some of those in the US, as lectures etc will be shared with students from the co-ed colleges. I think all-male colleges have died a death completely.

>169 EBT1002: Women's colleges are shrinking in number. I think there is some question as to their relevance and purpose in the 21st century. I also think that, in order to succeed, they have to put their stake in the ground and say "this is what we stand for." It will work or it won't but having a clear mission is crucial. Where did your daughter end up going, if I may ask?

Of course you may ask! I have two daughters, and both attend Kenyon College in Ohio. Kate is a senior English major, and Julia is a first year with strong interest in the sciences. Kate wouldn't go near a women's college; Julia was very open to it because she thought the all-female environment would be more supportive for a science major than being in male-dominated classrooms.

>176 SandDune: even those aren't all-women colleges ..., as lectures etc will be shared with students from the co-ed colleges.
We saw this at Bryn Mawr and Mt Holyoke. While both are women's colleges, they also have strong relationships with neighboring co-ed colleges. Bryn Mawr and Haverford are very tightly integrated -- you can live on either campus, take classes on either campus, and each school has at least one area of study that they exclusively offer (e.g., Haverford has a music department, Bryn Mawr does not, but students from both schools participate).

Hi Ellen, just finished a quick scroll through your thread and I see you are ever so close to reading your 75th book! Hope it's something fabulous!

The all-women college I graduated from is now co-ed. I think many of these same sex institutions go co-ed simply for monetary issues. I know my college had dropping enrollment and to stay alive they had to go all in and at least 2 other colleges in the Cleveland area did as well.

>168 EBT1002: Congrats on finishing an audiobook! You seem to be on the one-per-year plan :-) I go through periods where they drive me nuts and periods where they really really work for me. Actually, this one sounds like a good audiobook candidate for me too.

I must admit, I'm completely baffled by the attempt to put you off reading The Sea, The Sea. The Bell is a perfectly fine novel, but for me, The Sea, The Sea is a masterpiece and I think you can handle an unlikable main character. Of course, I tend to have odd taste, so there's that, so it might be best to always ignore my advice. :-)

*whispers* I liked The Sea, the Sea and read it before reading The Bell.

Well, I know that there is a lot of *2Sea* love around - I just didn't like it. I don't have to like the protagonist to enjoy/appreciate a book, but this one didn't do anything for me at all. Maybe someday I'll reread it.
Meanwhile, if you want a really top-notch engrossing Wm. Boyd, do put Restless on your list for consideration. And you have Miéville, Drabble, Rushdie, Dunmore, and Wodehouse to look forward to - lucky Ellen!

Hi Ellen! In regards to the Dog Stars: " So I should probably round up to 4." Yes, you should, my friend. And if you can get your mitts on the Painter, try to do so, you might even like it better.

I LOVE your AACII list! It looks like we have some shared reads going. Since you have read the Bean Trees, (which I also loved) you should join a couple of us on Pigs in Heaven, which is her 2nd "Turtle" book.

>177 lauralkeet: Speaking of women and sciences and Kenyon (and stop me if I've already mentioned this before and have forgotten and am now shamelessly repeating myself): I strongly (yet humbly) recommend that Julia seek out Prof. Paula Turner in the Chemistry department (I think she may be on sabbatical this year, though), if she has any concerns about being a woman in a male-dominated field. Paula is an *amazing* person: super-smart, super-friendly and is pretty passionate about women in the sciences, along with being a fantastic example of one herself: she's raised an amazing daughter while finishing a dissertation and then teaching and working toward tenure. And she's *very* approachable and would love, I know, to chat with Julia about anything and everything.

>183 scaifea: oh that's really good to know, Amber. I will mention it for sure!!

I hate the idea of all-women's college's disappearing. I think they are important. These institutions provide a place that is supportive and nurturing that is not found in many places. That fact in itself may be good or bad. I think that we should be encouraging students to seriously look at these institutions as places that provide a great learning experience and lots of fun for those who attend.

In general, after spending 24 years working in academe at Big State U's I recommend, to anybody who asks me, send your children to small liberal arts colleges for their undergraduate degree, or at least the smaller state funded U's. I know that the Big State U's are often cheaper but the smaller schools oftentimes come up with financial aid packages that are very competitive with costs at the Big State U's. The large Big State U's largely are warehouses for undergraduates who just want to paint their chests red and get drunk at sporting events. The academic experience is becoming a secondary importance. I think this may be because for the professors who teach, the teaching is secondary to their research. They have to produce in order to keep their jobs. Production means publications and grants. For the undergraduate neither of these things is important. What is important is the learning experience. If the student decides to go on to school or finds that they desire or need a professional degree then they can go get that Master's in Business Admin, or that Master's in Education, or Engineering, or Nursing, etc. etc. and do it at one of the Big State U's as there the emphasis is on research and that is what will be of importance in the job.

I try not to be cynical about higher education, but the fact is they are largely becoming vocational schools instead of places of learning. In-other-words, people go there to get a higher paying job and for the experience, not to get an education.

And, Benita, I think one of the huge tragedies is that "a college education" has been sold for years as the path to jobs which pay well and on that promise, as we all know, lots of kids borrow to pay for their
college education" and then, sadly discover - there are not guarantees in life. I was lucky enough to be able to go to college at a place where the public subsidized the institution because it was believed to be a good thing to have well educated citizens, and the federal government also provided me support because my Dad had been military and died very young, after WWII. I was considered a "war orphan". And finally, I was encouraged to get a Liberal Arts education because it would teach me how to think, and how to solve problems, etc. Getting the job was what followed afterwards, and was not guaranteed me.

We know that young people owing huge college debts is sad. Who wants to start exploring being an adult with that heavy burden from the beginning.

This country would definitely be better off to put more into educations, and less into war and prisons.

Ellen, I am impressed with your reading plans!

Ellen, I wish you a lovely weekend.

I've only read two Iris Murdoch novels so far, the first was A Severed Head, which made me an instant fan and which I found hilarious. I won't recommend the audiobook to you, but that's what I went with and it was most excellent because of Derek Jacobi narrating, and in fact I look forward to another listen. My second was The Sea, The Sea, which I found excellent as well (you can find my reviews for both). I've planned The Bell for the BAC too, but I've also accumulated quite a lot of other Murdoch titles on audio this year (4 more in all), so I may very well read more than just one book by her in 2015 if things go as I'd like them to.

Looking at the list of BAC authors you haven't read yet, I can tell you you're in for quite a treat, though of course tastes may vary, but I'm really pleased with the list overall as already read and love most authors there. The only ones I haven't read yet are Martin Amis, B. S. Johnson, Anthony Burgess and Helen Dunmore. Dunmore is no problem because I'd had The Siege on the wishlist since at least 2011 which was recommended by so many friends, I'd been meaning to get it for ages, so I didn't hesitate to finally buy it so I'd have it at the ready. Amis I decided to strike from my personal list for now since I'm aiming to read from the tbr, considering it's mostly filled with British authors to begin with and he's nowhere on it. I'm willing to make a few exceptions to discover a few, but not very keen on him. If I see lots of people raving about him next year, I may add him to the wishlist.

I was going to cross out Burgess too because not on the tbr and never wanted to read A Clockwork Orange (after I tried 1.5 pages in college and decided it was NOT for me), but I'll give him a chance and probably borrow Nothing Like the Sun, historical fiction about Shakespeare, as Paul encouraged me to discover him when he mentioned how versatile an author he is on the BAC thread. I mentioned B. S. Johnson to you especially because I'm particularly scared of him. When I look at his author page and see the tags 'Metafiction' and 'Postmodern' and 'Experimental', it sends off serious alarm bells in my mind and I can just imagine myself wincing as I'm going through perplexing paragraphs borrowed from the library and longing to read something from my own tbr I've been waiting to get to for ages... so crossing him out too for now, though have added him to the wishlist and will await comments from fellow readers...

Bravo on finishing The Dog Stars! All I know is when I gave it a try I was particularly down in the dumps, going through a particularly depressive period, and while I was willing to put up with a lot (the killings, the sadness of losing loved ones, the unknown diseases, the grumpy murderous neighbour) for the sake of the wonderful writing which made all the pain bearable even for me in that fragile state, but when it came to his dog dying at such an early stage in the novel, which, is that even a spoiler since it comes so early in the novel? And then our hero going into even deeper grief, I couldn't continue past that point. Maybe things became easier after that, maybe not, but for me, when I'm going through really rough times, Coco and the cats are what really help me to hang on, so that was not somewhere I was NOT willing to go even in imagination.

I'm a tad confused about the Sinclair Lewis situation. I thought when you picked out Elmer Gantry for me last year that you'd already read it, but apparently not. And now I see you've switched it with something else on the AACII list, so does that mean you want to read it this month with me?

Anyway, sorry about the monumental post. It had been a while I guess.

xx + lotsa hugs {{{{{Ellen}}}}}

Oh my, folks have happily been visiting my thread while I was getting through those last two days of the work week. It's so nice to have good book conversation going on here!

Today P and I took advantage of a sunny, cold late autumn day and hopped on the ferry to Bainbridge Island. It was gorgeous! The ferry ride is about 30 minutes long with lovely views of Mt. Rainier and the Olympics and the city behind us.... We walked around the main street area of Winslow a bit. I'm still a bit gimpy so we didn't do too much walking. I bought a new wallet (thrills a minute) and we had lunch. Then we rode the ferry home (brr). I read some in The Redbreast (closing in on the end now) and watched a couple of bald eagles circling over the peninsula of the island. Now I'm happily settled on the couch. I do wonder why I haven't yet poured myself a glass of wine. Hmm.

BRB.

Laundry folded, dinner in the oven, glass of Mark Ryan "Lost Soul" Syrah poured. I'm back.

>173 Berly: Kim, the planning for 2015 is a bit of a lark and it's completely spurred on by Mark and Paul with their respective American and British author challenges. I've signed on for those and worry a wee bit that my spontaneous reading will take a hit. But I'm only committing to three books per month for the challenges, so I'm hoping I can sneak in some other things, too! I'm currently about 4/5 through my 75th book and it's a fun read. Sometimes I like my 75th to be remarkable in terms of its depth or literary value. This one is just a fun read. It's a new way of doing 75. :-)

And thank you for the hugs! (and the good laugh at "3.8888")

>174 luvamystery65: Hello Roberta. I'm totally in for a shared read of Patel's Sacred Ground and I have no parameters in terms of which month. Definitely check in with me in mid-February and we can see where we're both at. I'm spending the first week of March on Kauai, so that might be a good target time window.

And yes to continuing the Harry Hole series! I will put Nemesis on hold at the library and suspend it until the third week of January.

>175 maggie1944: Karen, I know you are enjoying our favorite island! I was not one who attended to the conversation about The Farm but I just swung by your thread and saw that you had enjoyed it despite a somewhat unbelievable solution. Ah well.

Say hello to Makahuena point for me!

>176 SandDune: Hi Rhian! Interestingly, as I have been doing some reading, women's colleges are shrinking in number here in the US but they are growing in number in some parts of the world where women have more recently been denied access to education. I never considered attending a women's college but my current interest in gender fluidity -- which is becoming so much a part of the conversation on all college campuses! -- has piqued my interest.

>177 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Kenyon College, a great place to spend four years! I love that Kate is a senior English major. What are her plans for post-college? I'm intrigued by Julia's thoughts about attending a women's college with her interest in science -- it makes a lot of sense to me that she would anticipate that she might find it a more supportive environment in which she could flourish. I hope Kenyon ends up being a great place for her. As a Student Life professional, my advice to her is to find a mentor. Connect with one or two professors who she feels care about her, who excite her interest in the field, and who encourage her to follow her dreams. The research indicates that this kind of connection, along with some co-curricular activities (student organization, leadership, whatever) are the critical components in successful college and post-college engagement. Not that she asked for my advice, of course....

>178 Carmenere: Hi Linda! The Redbreast is my current, and my 75th read of the year. It's a fun one!

I think a lot of women's colleges are having to go co-ed in order to survive financially. I never considered attending one, but I think it's sad to see them fading.

>179 DorsVenabili: Hi Kerri! "You seem to be on the one-per-year plan..." Ha ha, I do believe you are correct. I've tended to think that audio books only work for me when I'm doing yard work (which leaves out a lot of the year in Seattle!) but I will say that listening to the audiobook while wandering around the airport totally worked for me. It's a hard venue for me to read because I'm distractible, but listening allowed me to walk around and still be making progress on a good book. I will try that again.

You are right that I can totally handle an unlikeable main character. I'm slightly amused by the discussion of the merits of The Sea, The Sea vs. The Bell as a first Murdoch read. Since I've read neither, I can't intelligently weigh in! You have been singing the praises of The Sea, The Sea for as long as I've known you, so I'm still leaning toward reading that one.

>180 lauralkeet: Validation.

>181 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I'm pretty excited about the challenges for 2015 because they will definitely be introducing me to new authors. I'm putting Restless down for William Boyd. He is one of the authors whose works have I not only not read (awkward, but you know what I'm saying), I know very little about him. So thanks for the tip!

>182 msf59: Hey Mark! I really enjoyed The Dog Stars and I do believe that almost any book will suffer in my rating scheme if I listen rather than read them. In the end, I admit that the uber-male perspective got a bit tiresome for me.

Barbara Kingsolver will be an interesting author for me to choose. As I mentioned, I purchased, read, and loved The Bean Trees long before she was a household name and I've read everything she has written. I also loved Pigs in Heaven but I think I'll read The Bean Trees as a start to a reread of the Turtle series. Who knows? Maybe I'll read both of them!

>183 scaifea: and >184 lauralkeet: I LOVE that my thread is helping a college student find a good connection at her place of study. I mean, my career has been dedicated to higher education. How perfect.

>185 benitastrnad: Hello Benita. I share some of your views. I attended a small private college as an undergraduate (my dad taught English there so it was kind of a predetermined path) and then went to a huge state institution for my graduate work. It was the right combination. Clearly, many students succeed just fine attending large state universities as undergraduates and my mission is helping them do just that, but it makes it even more imperative that they find their niche early.

>186 maggie1944: Hi Karen. State funding for higher education has indeed plummeted in the past decade or so. That said, I know there is an initiative at UW trying to get students to think beyond majors in business or engineering. Frankly, parents are sometimes part of the problem as they urge their offspring to major in one of those fields likely to lead to lucrative careers. I have seen many unhappy seniors, headed toward a six-digit salary and downright miserable because they realize how many hours every week they will spend doing something they hate.

I also think the education landscape is complicated and reflective of many other trends in our society. We are short-sighted and we move too fast.

Cynical? Me?

>187 banjo123: Rhonda! So succinctly and perfectly said!

I'm dong a bit more planning for 2015 than usual. We'll see how it actually plays out. Ha.

>188 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. I do love sheep.

>189 Smiler69: Hi Ilana! I have both A Severed Head and The Sea, The Sea in my TBR library. It's kind of fun how strongly people feel about her various novels. Having read none, I think this is a symptom of an excellent writer.

I'll be reading The Siege with you; it has also been on my list for eons. I admit that I have some trepidations about Anthony Burgess. I've never even tried to read any of his works but I know my mother was horrified at the film A Clockwork Orange. Of course, my mother was horrified at many things, so I should not trust that barometer.

I love your comments about The Dog Stars, including your spoiler. I cracked up at the thought that something that happens so early in the story might not qualify as a spoiler, but I think you made the right choice. I will say that the part you reference made me cry and I was mad at the author for a while there. Bad things happening to animals is the hardest thing, plot-wise, for me to stand. I have hesitated to read Kafka By the Shore because of warnings along these lines.

Ilana, I don't remember recommending Elmer Gantry to you. Did I? I have definitely never read it, and it seems unlikely that I would recommend something I'd never read, unless you were considering Sinclair Lewis and I chimed in to say that Elmer Gantry had been strongly recommended to me. In any case, at our meet up on Monday, Joe and I agreed that we would read Babbitt to honor Kerri's appreciation for it. I doubt I'll get to Elmer Gantry this month....

And I love the "monumental post"!! Now I've written a monumental post in response. :-)
And thank you, always thank you, for hugs!

Hi, Ellen, I share your enthusiasm for meeting new authors in the challenges for next year. I think my committing to trying to do both the Am. and the Brit. ones is a bit of a stretch but my eyes are so much better than they had been, and I've been completing several books which have been sitting this year - so I think I'll try to do the best my time and eyes will allow. I will want to sit down with you at some point and go over the lists and see which you are reading, and why you chose those, and see if it persuades me to join you. As it very well might, which may help me stick to the program, maybe.

OK. I'm still here on Kaua'i and spending many hours reading seems just so easy..... so we will have to see how it goes when I get home, and when I'm good to go back to Instacart.

I hope the cold is not too brutal and that you and P. continue to explore the world of the Seattle area. The ferry trip to Bainbridge was a great idea on a brilliant sunny day! Good for you two.

I'm putting on a very short bucket list the need to do more hiking in the Mt. Rainier park, not wintertime hiking, but the rest of the year.

>191 EBT1002: Ellen thanks for waiting for January for Nemesis. I have so much reading to do for December but I'm ahead of schedule but I don't want to rush through the 4th book. I also want The Redbreast to sink in for a bit. I'm really enjoying this series.

I am great with reading Sacred Ground in March if that works for you. As I said, I put a note in my 2015 Category challenge to check with you mid-February and we can decide then.

I did a LOT of planned reading this year. I participated in 5 challenges, did my Spenser Project and my 2014 Category Challenge on top of all that. I can say with authority that all though I will participate in some challenges next year I will not stress out to be a purist and I will not plan ahead with the exception of my Navajo Mysteries/Longmire Project.

Good news about doing all that planned reading is that if I go back to school I think I can manage all the reading/projects. I really need to go back to school.

>192 EBT1002: Thanks for your advice, Ellen! Kate's experience reflects what you're saying (follow your dreams, find a mentor, develop relationships with faculty). We thought she might attend grad school but she has decided to put that off for now, and is looking for work in writing or publishing. She currently has a freelance online writing gig, and obtained a temporary position working for a literary agent at graduation with understanding that if something full-time comes along she will jump at it. So, not bad so far. While Julia is less certain about her major, she has time to nail that down and we are encouraging her to talk to lots of people about it. This first semester has been mostly about finding her footing at college not just in managing the course load but making friends, finding extracurricular activities you enjoy, and learning how to live independently (and with a roommate!). She seems to be doing pretty well so far. I'm looking forward to both of them being home for a week over Thanksgiving!

I'm a fan of The Siege; I think it will work for you when you get to it. I thought Any Human Heart by William Boyd was good; I can't remember whether it was Paul or Mark or someone else who recommended it. I'm going to have to figure out another one of his to read for Paul's challenge.

Hope you're having a good Sunday and rest from your travels and stuffing yourself with education.

Interesting conversation. I was just talking to one of our post-docs whose brother is a patent lawyer and loathes it. He has undergraduate and master's degrees in engineering and was convinced by well meaning parental units that as a patent lawyer he could use both his love of engineering and be assured of a job with financial success. He's giving up his job to go back to get his PhD in aeronautical engineering, his first love. Unfortunately, he has a huge student loan debt and so getting the PhD will be quite tricky.

I finished Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? yesterday in one sitting. Roz Chat certainly hit the nail on the head, expressing many feelings that I was ashamed of, and hadn't ever said out loud. I started the introduction to Being Mortal which Darryl quite liked. I'm hoping to be able to generate conversation with my 87 yo frail but still independent Mom, but we shall see. She is a master of deflection. (Don't you think that wind is awfully cold today?) :-)

I, too am torn between all the lovely challenges, reading spontaneously, and reading books already on my shelves. Ain't gonna stress, though. This is supposed to be fun!

#200
I liked your statement about not stressing about reading. This is supposed to be fun!

However, as the organizer of a small book discussion group I do have to say that I am developing a strong dislike for people who join a book discussion group and then don't read the book, yet come to the meeting. I have to wonder why? I don't mind if they don't come because if they haven't attended at least once in six months I just take them off the e-mail list, but to attend and never have read the book? I am beginning to think that two of our members are just desperate for social outlets and don't really care about reading.

>196 maggie1944: Hi Karen! I would love to sit down with you sometime and go over my choices. As you know, I don't always remember who recommended a particular work to me or why I thought I'd like to read it, and I'm giving myself permission to do less than 100%. Richard Ford, for Mark's AAC, is probably the author I'm least excited about.

And, as you know, hiking at Mt. Rainier National Park is one of my favorite activities so that is another thing I'd love to chat about!

Keep enjoying Kauai. :-)

>197 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! I'm happy to wait until January for Nemesis. I've suspended my hold and should get it around January 12 or so. In the meantime, I have lots of other things to read. :-)

You did do a lot of planned reading this year! Part of me knows that I'm overcommitting for 2015 but I like both the AAC and the BAC so I'm willing to give it a try. As I've said before, I reserve the right to change my mind.

>198 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Kate sounds well-poised for whatever comes next. There is a Meg Jay TED Talk that I recommend about the importance of the early 20s in developmental terms. I think it's so important to balance patience with focus at that age.

And for Julia, "This first semester has been mostly about finding her footing at college not just in managing the course load but making friends, finding extracurricular activities you enjoy, and learning how to live independently..." Awesome.

>199 jnwelch: Hello Joe! I'm looking forward to reading The Siege. For William Boyd, I know that Any Human Heart is probably his most recognized work but I am leaning toward Restless and/or Waiting for Sunrise. The latter has "psychoanalysis" as one of its tags and that interests me.

So far I'm having a fine Sunday except that my Seahawks are not looking strong against Kansas City.

>200 streamsong: Hey Janet! I'm glad you also devoured and enjoyed Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. I agree that she nailed it, including all sorts of normal emotions that we tend not to acknowledge in managing our aging parents' lives. One thing I sometimes feel sheepish about admitting is that part of me is glad (now, in my 50s) that my parents died when I was so young. I mean, I'm not really glad about it and it had a huge impact on my young adulthood, but watching friends and P take care of their elderly parents... well, it's just tough.

I'm off to add Being Mortal to my wish list.

>201 benitastrnad: Hi Benita! I fully agree that reading is supposed to be fun! As one with a crazy-busy schedule, I am guilty of occasionally attending book group without having read the book. I try to just listen and soak up what wisdom I can. But I usually read the book; it does sound like you have a couple of uninvested members of your book group. On the other hand, is it worth your blood pressure to worry about what their motivation is? If they aren't hampering the discussion, why not let them sit in? Just a thought.

#205
That is what I keep telling myself - the idea is to get people to read things that they normally would not read, so I have kept them on the list. However, one of the other members of the group called to talk to me about it last week. I told her much the same thing that you said - it isn't worth getting upset about. One of the women does tend to take over the conversation and I often find myself guiding the group back to talking about the book, but other than that it isn't that much of a problem. I do find myself wondering why they bother since it is clear to us and to them that they aren't readers, or at least not that interested in what our group is reading, but I am not stressing about it. I have bigger things to worry about right now.

Even I, a reader who loves to talk about what they are reading, find it sometimes a stretch to read some things that the group has picked out to read. I try to read the books but sometimes I have problems with them. For instance, one of our members loves anything written by Joyce Carol Oates and I just can't find any of her titles that really interest me. I have read the two that were on our book discussion list but I didn't really like them and hope that we don't read many more of her titles. I think that part of the reason a person belongs to a book group is to read things that they would not normally read but to rarely read anything the group decides upon seems odd.

I do like to join in on group reads here on LT from time-to-time, but find that I don't read as fast as most and so end up finishing the books much later than others. I plan on reading some of the books for the BAC but won't be joining for all of them.

The excursion to Bainbridge Island sounded wonderful. I have been on that ferry myself and the scenery going over and coming back is wonderful. I would find it impossible to read while on the ferry, but then I am unaccustomed to the beautiful views of your fair city and so would be far to easily distracted. I am glad for you in that you found a way to take a break without putting undue physical stress on your ankle.

Hi Ellen - Lots of great conversation going on here. Your trip to Bainbridge Island sounds great -- we're shoveling snow here.. :( I'm glad you're enjoying The Redbreast; I think it's my favorite one so far -- but it was the first one I've read. Still, the first four I've read are all strong reads.

I read Restless this year and enjoyed it - a variation on the usual spy story... My copy is looking for a new home, so if you're interested...

I'm resisting joining the challenges -- too much planning. And when I end up not doing it, I feel bad about it. I think I'll continue my mostly spontaneous reading.

>207 BLBera: Oh Beth, I'm definitely interested! But it means I need to find something to send to you!

>206 benitastrnad: Oh yeah, Benita, if someone comes to book group, hasn't read the book, and takes the conversation on tangents, that would bug me. Actually, it kind of bugs me when they do that if they have read the book! Of course, I expect and enjoy when the conversation wanders after we've finished deconstructing the book but that is another dynamic.

Bainbridge Island is such a great partial-day getaway. This is kind of what it looked like yesterday:

Wow, those colours. Just gorgeous.

Well. I probably have some Kansas City friends around here but this football game is frustrating. I absolutely think a flag should have been thrown when the Seahawks went for it on fourth and goal; Baldwin was pushed with a forearm and the announcers missed it right along with the refs. Grr.

>210 Ameise1: It was a beautiful day, Barbara. The sun doesn't get very high in the sky this time of year so the day had a bit of an orange tinge all day long.

Well, it sounds like Bainbridge Island was a hit!

>211 EBT1002: I already talked about football on my thread, so ugh. Back to positivity though! Woo! It was actually kind of a good game. Like, if I was just watching it and didn't have a horse in the race, I probably would have enjoyed it. Ha!

I saw your concern about Richard Ford on the AACII thread and I sort of share it somewhat, but I think I'll read Canada nevertheless. They compare the Frank Bascombe books to Updike's Rabbit books, so that's something to consider, I suppose.

>213 DorsVenabili: I'll go read your football thoughts on your thread. I agree that it was a good game if one didn't have a horse in the race.

Hmm, I have a feeling I won't decide what to do about Richard Ford until the last minute. I keep changing my mind based on different people's comments and ideas. Now I'm thinking to join you in reading Canada. I suppose I'll figure it out in March!

Touchstones still not working.

75. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo




As police procedurals and Scandi-crime novels go, this is one of the best I've read. Good complexity, likable characters and well-constructed bad guys, a healthy platonic partnership between Harry Hole and Ellen Gjelten, and a satisfying suspenseful denouement. I'll be reading Nemesis, the fourth Harry Hole novel, with Roberta early in 2015.

Touchstones not working.

Next up: The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth, recommended by Suz.



edited to get the touchstone

Ellen - You don't have to send me anything. Really, I'm happy to find a home for it.

You're in for a treat with the Airth. They are excellent; I just finished the latest.

I agree with your comments on The Redbreast; I also enjoyed the fact that there was a little less angst than in some of the Scandicrime.

You are on a crime spree, aren't you?

Did the Seahawks lose? I had Scout over, so didn't see much football this afternoon.

>217 BLBera: Beth, the Seahawks did lose in a close game with Kansas City at KC. Russell had an opportunity to do his fourth-quarter heroics but it was not to be. Injuries on the offensive line and the need for a true star receiver are making for a tough year.

And many, many thanks for sending me your copy of Restless. I'm looking forward to reading it for the BAC.

I do seem to be on a bit of a crime spree. In my teens and 20s I read a lot of mysteries and crime but had moved away from them. I don't know that I'll read the whole Harry Hole series, but I'll at least do one more as a shared read with Roberta.

>203 EBT1002: Great TED talk!

^Glad you enjoyed it, Rhonda. And this Brene Brown TED talk is my all-time favorite.

Hi Ellen!

Both you and Roberta have gotten me interested in The Redbreast. I never used to read any sort of crime books before I joined this group, but alas I've ventured out of my comfort zone and am pleasantly surprised that it's a genre I wouldn't mind dipping my toes in more often.

I'm reading a book right now that is set in the Pacific Northwest (mainly Seattle) and I thought of you. :)

Sorry about them Seahawks, Ellen. We have a KC-born neighbor and sports fan, so I'm sure she's happy. Our Bears finally won one, so we all get a week's respite here from being annoyed with their under-performing (it would be one thing if they just didn't have the personnel to be better, but they do).

Hope your week's off to a good start. I keep hoping to see you post the photo from the meetup. Did it turn out okay, or is it really murky like we must have had flashlights to get around the bar? I've seen one like that.

>215 EBT1002: Glad you liked it! I did too. Now I have to get going on the rest of them.

>216 EBT1002: I'll be interested to know if you enjoy this. I've been looking for good historical mystery series.

>221 jolerie: Hi Valerie! I do recommend The Redbreast. I read far less in the mystery/thriller genre than I used to but this one is really excellent.
I'll have to wander over to your thread to see what you're reading that is set in the PNW. I kind of like that it made you think of me. :-)

>222 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Ack, I keep forgetting to post the photo. I will do so. It's definitely less murky (which may be part of why I have resisted posting it...).

>223 DorsVenabili: As usual, Kerri, your recommendation was sound. Roberta and I are going to read the next in the series, Nemesis, in mid-to-late January. We'd love to have you join us. It's not that they warrant or provoke a ton of deep discussion, but the shared reading is fun nonetheless.

So far The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth is a quick and engaging read. I'm quite enjoying it and find myself wanting to put the first in the series on hold. This is the third in the series and it was Suz's recommendation that led me to read it.

I miss having Suz's thread as an active spot for getting excellent recommendations.

P and I have been watching the DVD of season one of Orange is the New Black. What an excellent show! We had watched the first three episodes a couple of months ago but it was due back at the library. So, we're almost done with this disc. I need to see if the library has season two available yet and get myself in the queue.

Okay, here is the less murky photo from last week's Chicago meet-up.



Ellen, Kerri, Joe

>226 EBT1002: I love it!

>226 EBT1002: Much better! And it looks like we were drinking water all evening - how did you pull that one off?

>224 EBT1002: - I'm not sure when I'll get to Nemesis, but perhaps I'll join you. I may want to read the first two in the series first, but I haven't decided. I'm kind of paralyzed by indecision with regard to Nesbo novel-reading order.

>226 EBT1002: Oh, that's far less murky than the other! And I've gotten a much-needed haircut since then.

>227 luvamystery65: Now we have to manage a meet up for the two of us, Roberta!

>228 jnwelch: Joe. I was drinking water all evening. That's why my cheeks were flushed.

>229 DorsVenabili: Oh right, I forgot that you hadn't read the first two. For what it's worth, I don't know that this is a series for which reading in order makes much, or any difference.

And I still need a haircut!

I love the newly lighted photograph; how did you get yourselves together again, in more light? (smile)

>230 EBT1002: LOL!! :-)

>226 EBT1002: Niiiiiiice!!

I read Redbreast when it first came out and really liked it. Then at a later date the horrible political massacre on the island in Norway happened, and because I had read this book I had some handle on the conflicted political past of Norway that helped me to understand that event a little bit better. Until I read that book I did not realize that Norway sent troops to serve in the German Army or that the Norwegians voted Quisling into office. All of this goes against our picture of what modern day Scandinavia is that it sometimes stretches credulity, but if you read history it is clear that things are not black and white. History is such a tangle web.

Lovely meet-up pic of some very lovely LT people. :D

>195 EBT1002: Much agree with your comments about Iris Murdoch's books. I haven't read much about the author herself yet, though I do know she was quite a character and definitely had a strong personality, which is completely evident from her books, which you either love or hate, no two ways about it. She was obviously very prolific and I've only read two books of hers so far, so shouldn't really pronounce myself, though from various comments from friends I do have a strong sense that whatever she has to offer, you get a strong dose of it, and I personally have to love her for it, or at the very least admire her, which sometimes seems almost like the same thing.

As for Anthony Burgess, as I said, I tried A Clockwork Orange the book and persevered maybe for 3-5 paragraphs but was turned off from the first words. Same for the movie, a few years later, so I'd have to agree with your mother in that case, from the very little I did see, because you couldn't have paid me to sit through the whole thing. But since Paul assured us the author had great range, I took his word for it, and since I do really love historical fiction, I'll look forward to seeing what he makes of Shakespeare and his time in the aforementioned Nothing Like the Sun. But you can't pay me to read A Clockwork Orange. Ok, maybe I'll take $500K and upwards to pay off my loans and buy some decent real estate...

Elmer Gantry: I've located your original post, which I found very interesting to reread at this time, since you offered some great suggestions which I see were a sort of bargain between the two of us. I suggest you visit it again as well: http://www.librarything.com/topic/160751#4379349

For the record, out of that list, I read Snow Falling On Cedars the month after you'd suggested it (BIG LOVE, for the movie too), and reread The Heart is a Lonely Hunter this summer. I also plan on reading Their Eyes Were Watching God and maybe Sula in December. I'll be happy to read the other suggested books and share those you wished to in 2015 if you still would like to (just need to read one more book in the series before getting to Germinal).

>220 EBT1002: I've bookmarked the Brene Brown TED talk for future viewing. In bed on the iPad while cozily wrapped in the duvet sounds like a good time to be well disposed for it.

>224 EBT1002: All this mention of Jo Nesbø is definitely making me lean toward starting the series sooner than later...

>225 EBT1002: Orange is the New Black: so here's my question: I have the audiobook on my hard drive. I'm also presently deep into season 4 of The X-Files on NetFlix (which I never saw the first time it ran, or re-runs, so it's brand new to me and I'm completely fascinated by it!). There are 5 more seasons, at the rate of 1-4 shows per day (24 shows per season!). Should I listen to the audiobook in the meantime before starting on the show (on NetFlix)? Should I skip the book altogether? Do I need to start watching this NOW??

>226 EBT1002: Yay! A meetup!

Back to >195 EBT1002: You DID say "I love the "monumental post""! :-)

eta: typos (as usual), minor edits.

The Anthony Burgess I liked a lot was Earthly Powers. The Clockwork Orange movie was strong stuff, but it didn't make me inclined to read the book.

I've got to figure out which Iris Murdoch to try for Paul's challenge.

Hi Ellen - Thanks for the photo -- what a nice group. Lots of good hair. :) I read The Redbreast first because it was the first one translated, and don't feel I need to go back and read the first ones in the series. But, for those who HAVE to read things in order, go for it. You know who you are.

I have quite enjoyed the Airth series. He spaces them out, too, so it's easy to keep up with him.

>229 DorsVenabili: >231 EBT1002: I don't think you need to read the first two books either. For me they gave a great background into Harry that I appreciated, but they were out when I picked up the series. If you started at The Redbreast, it seems like you could just go forward. The plot in the first two is lacking in comparison to Redbreast.

>230 EBT1002: Yes Ellen we do.

Love the meetup photo!

>226 EBT1002: What a lovely trio.

>226 EBT1002: I came for the meet-up photo and ended up skimming the whole thread. Such interesting discussions. I'll have to stop in more often.

>226 EBT1002: LOVE the photo, Ellen! I should have been on your right, that is for sure!!

>226 EBT1002: Dang. I'm so jealous of everyone in that photo, getting to meet everyone else in that photo. *sigh* And it looks like you all were having a blast!

>232 maggie1944: I didn't actually fly back out to Chicago (though I would be happy to have done so!). Joe's flash didn't go off when the server took our photo. Mine did. :-)

>233 jnwelch: ;-)

>234 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. We had a good time. Joe and Kerri are great book conversationalists.

>235 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. "History is such a tangled web." Indeed. I love it when I read a mystery novel and learn something!

>236 jolerie: Thanks, Valerie.

>237 Smiler69: Hi Ilana!

Regarding Murdoch: "I personally have to love her for it, or at the very least admire her, which sometimes seems almost like the same thing." I love this statement. It is so true of so many authors. I'm looking forward to digging into Iris Murdoch's work; she has been in my TBR library for eons.

Regarding Anthony Burgess, here is an author about which I really don't know a thing. I will probably join you in reading Nothing Like the Sun, although I will want to know if there is some Shakespeare research I should do first.

Regarding Elmer Gantry, I'm chuckling. I wondered if I had recommended it as one I also wanted to read. Maybe I'll read it after I do Rabbit, Run and still read Babbitt for Mark's challenge. :-)

I'm also cracking up at how many books I said I would recommend because I owned them and wanted to read them my own self. Sigh. Life is too busy. I've read Their Eyes Were Watching God and Sula. I haven't read any of Emile Zola yet and would probably want to read in order, as you are doing.

Interested in shared reading of The Bone People (I think there is a group planning to do this in February? -- see, I say "I'm in" on group or shared reads but I don't remember very well -- I need to figure out a better way of tracking these things. Not a spreadsheet.) or Fifth Business?

I've not watched The X-Files (I know, this makes me weird and out of touch) and I've not read Orange is the New Black. Others who have done both may have opinions about reading and/or listening before watching the series. What I can say is that I LOVE the series. We have settled into a one-episode-per-evening rhythm because they are a bit intense. I hate most of the male characters with a passion; they are uniformly evil or pathetically self-involved. Or both. Well, the one guard who falls for an inmate is not so bad. But still.

I did say that, it's true. And I meant it. :-)

>238 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I'll investigate Earthly Powers. Have you read Nothing Like the Sun?

Good luck figuring out which Murdoch to read for Paul's challenge. She evokes strong feelings in her readers! This suggests to me that, in the long run, one can't go wrong no matter what one chooses to read. One may not end up liking the novel, but one will likely end up feeling one has experienced Iris Murdoch. Whomever "one" may be.

Ever find yourself writing something and thinking "this is nuts, why am I writing like this?" but feeling too far in to change it?

>239 BLBera: Hi Beth. I am usually a compulsive read-in-order sort of person but I agree that Nesbo's works don't require this. Of course, I have read them in order so far but that's another story. Regarding Airth, the one I'm reading is third in the series. I'm enjoying it and will put his other works on my "someday" wish list (as opposed to my "must read soon wish list).

>240 luvamystery65: Roberta, I agree completely on both counts. :-)

>241 lauralkeet: and >242 Ameise1: Thanks, Laura and Barbara!

>243 ffortsa: Hi Judy! Thanks for those kind words. I'll go check out your thread, too. I feel like I'm making a bit more space in my life for LT so maybe I can keep up with folks a bit better. We'll see how that goes. It helps that I'm injured and can't run. My running time can be devoted to LT.

>244 msf59: Mark, my friend, you should indeed have been sitting there on my right. Next time.

>245 scaifea: Hi Amber and what a nice sentiment you express. I can wholeheartedly say that any opportunity for a meet up with Joe or Kerri should be embraced and enjoyed, not to mention the opportunity to meet with both of them at the same time! I've met each of them more than once now and they are among my favorite people on Earth: two great souls with excellent senses of humor and more knowledge about books than I can even hope to emulate.

My conversation with Ilana has me thinking about Émile Zola. I have Germinal and The Belly of Paris in my TBR library but I notice that The Fortune of the Rougons is the "first" in the series of Les Rougon-Macquart. So now I'm wondering if I should get a copy of that and try to read these in order. Thoughts?

>248 EBT1002: Oh, you got me, Ellen. I thought I'd substitute for Burgess in the BAC, but I'm a pushover for Shakespeare explorations by good authors. Nothing Like the Sun looks like my cuppa. Darn, I keep trying to find something to get me to read The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys. That was my substitute.

I picked The Bell as my Iris Murdoch. Not sure why, but at least I'll have given her a try.

Ever find yourself writing something and thinking "this is nuts, why am I writing like this?" but feeling too far in to change it? Ha! Yes! That kind of describes my modus operandi.

BTW, I really liked Germinal, which I didn't expect.

Ellen, whatever you decide about the Zolas, I'm not one to push others to read them all in order. Especially since it seems not all books have decent recent English translations. I like him a lot, ever since I studied him in high school for French class, and I was always going to eventually read his series in order, but the books do all read very well individually as the connection between them is rather tenuous and you have to know about the construction of the whole to even notice those connections really. Just saying.

My first Murdoch was A Severed Head which I found hilarious. Not a likeable character in the bunch but they're all severely cracked, which is rather typical of her I'm finding, but it was also short, and on audiobook as narrated by Derek Jacobi, a fantastic treat. Just thought I'd put that out there. (my review: http://www.librarything.com/work/5200/reviews/86661074)

I read Fifth Business several years back and defintiely want to read it again. It's muy excelente. In fact, want to start the trilogy over again because have lost the thread, and have also gotten it as a magnificent Folio book, and though I'm ostensibly at book 3 now, I wouldn't mind going back to the first two books as refreshers and then launch into the last one shortly after. Helps that I happen to be a Robertson Davies fan, but one who doesn't read enough of his work, unfortunately.

Elmer Gantry: "because I own it and want to read it." Your words on Nov 26, 2013, 12:03am.

:-)

oh, gosh, now you have gone and made me know that there is a group read of The Bone People. I have it, and have wanted to read it, for ages. One more book on my list for next year.

*lays wiggling on the floor, in delight*

I love Brene Brown. I've read a few of her books as well. I Thought It Was Just Me got one of my rare 9/10 stars.

I finished A Clockwork Orange and gave it 6/10 stars. I remember reading it with a website up that had a glossary which made it much easier. I wasn't doing micro-reviews then so don't have any other information.

I would be up for The Bone People in February. I've had that on my TR list forever and it would fit for FF, right? Win, Win!

>239 BLBera: >240 luvamystery65: Can't. Do. It. Must. Read. In. Order. :-) (I'm totally neurotic.) The only reason I read The Redbreast first was because the other two hadn't been translated yet.

>250 EBT1002: I loved Germinal, but that's the only one I've read, so have no idea if it's the best recommendation. Might your decision also depend on whether you prefer coal mines to prostitutes? (Isn't one of them about a prostitute, or am I making that up?)

And on that note, back to work!

I knew that would get Kerri!

#251
Reading Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys shouldn't be a problem. It is a very small book.

>256 DorsVenabili: I'm that way as well, so I totally get it. I read an interview with Nesbø and he said that he wrote the first book after he spent time in Australia and the second book when he spent time in Thailand. He was working in finance, writing and recording and touring with his band. They are short on plot but they do give an excellent background into what makes Harry tick. Read them and enjoy them for that. They are both fairly short novels. I hope you can get to them and join us in mid to late January for Nemesis.

Howdy Ellen!

>258 benitastrnad: I just can't get it off the tbr and into my hands, Benita, who knows why. Did you like it?

>259 luvamystery65: Interesting. Also, I remember seeing Nesbo on the Craig Ferguson show and talking about his band - he was rather delightful!

Did I mention I have Bone People and have wanted to read it for a long time? February, eh? Might work for me, too.

>251 jnwelch: Joe, we just need to make up a reason for you to read the Helen Humphreys (and I haven't visited your thread in the past 48 hours so you may be way ahead of me on this). I'm thinking we just designate December "make up shared reads to motivate you to read something you've been meaning to read" month. I know northing about The Frozen Thames but I'm a sucker for a shared read.

It occurs to me that, around here, every month is "make up shared reads to motivate you to read something you've been meaning to read" month.

You didn't expect to like Germinal and were surprised? Why did you not expect to like it? Just curious.

>252 Smiler69: Hey Ilana. I love Derek Jacobi and would love to listen to an audiobook narrated by him. I mean, we all know how my relationship with audiobooks goes, but I do love his voice. I was a sucker for the PBS "Brother Cadfael" series.

When would you like to reread Fifth Business?

>253 maggie1944: Well, Karen, this is my memory we're talking about. I'm not remembering the specifics of a group read of The Bone People. Someone is going to have to hold me to account.

I was reaction to message >255 msf59:. Maybe it is a "aborning" group read with Mark, and you, and me?

>254 Morphidae: Hey Morphy. I love Brené Brown's TED talk about vulnerability (the one to which I linked above in >220 EBT1002:. I was less enamored with her follow up talk about shame although vulnerability and shame are so intertwined as to be inseparable. I just didn't think her second talk was as engaging. I haven't read her book, I Thought it was Just Me but I love the title!

Six out of ten is not a rousing recommendation for A Clockwork Orange.

>255 msf59: Mark, I'm hoping someone who was involved in the discussion of a February read of The Bone People will chime in and say "Ellen! For pete's sake, you promised way back in ___ that you would do a shared read of The Bone People in February ___."

As I said above, I really need to figure out a way to keep track of my reading commitments. Pieces of paper scattered about the top of my dresser are failing to serve the purpose effectively.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Not yet caught up but must go to work. I'll be reading The Dead of Winter on my bus commute, hoping to complete it in the next 24 hours or so.

Happy Friday, Ellen! I thought you might just be brushing off my Bone People Group Read suggestion, so I thought I better just leave that baby alone.

I still like the idea...shuffles away.

>263 EBT1002: Oh oops, looks like I've been put on the spot eh? How about May for Fifth Business then? So far I've only got two other books planned for that month...

Keeping track of reading commitments: the only way I can do it is dedicate a spot toward the top of my threads for it and keep referring to it. Without that I'd be lost.

For keeping track of reading plans, I have dedicated tabs in my master reading spreadsheet for each month. And for 2015 plans, I have another tab "2015 Plans" :)

I wish I was this organized in the rest of my life. Or at work.

Ellen, Keri Hulme is one of the August authors for the 2015 Aus/NZ challenge. I noticed Paul is active on that thread. Maybe that's a clue to the origins of your Bone People commitment?

>265 EBT1002: I started using Evernote a couple of months ago. I love it. It's my "online brain."

>267 Smiler69: This is how I keep track of my reading commitments.

>270 Morphidae: I seriously need to try this.

Howdy Ellen!

>270 Morphidae: I love Evernote, although I use a spreadsheet to keep track of my reading plans (notice how I don't call them commitments??)

Nothing Like the Sun sounds interesting...I may join you in it, as otherwise I am a little afraid of Burgess.

Hi Ellen, found some more sheep and wishing you a lovely weekend.

>274 Ameise1: Cute!

I am so hopelessly far behind - but, let me see, IM discussion, Dog Stars and gender issues..... (have to make a list before I forget) jumped out at me.

The debate between whether to read The Sea, the Sea first (and by the way I hate typing that title) and The Bell - IM, like a proper person of Irish descent, writes in three modes- relentless and sad, wildly comical, and what I would call sentimental for lack of a better word (she writes wonderfully about children and pets, loves to describe clothes and food and beautiful houses). Add to that that she was a philosophy major and is always deeply engaged more than anything else with aspects of good and evil--what is it? How does it express itself? Is evil intrinsic or relational? and so on and so forth. Reading only one Murdoch doesn't really get you into the full range of what she is all about. In truth, even though I found The Sea, the Sea a slog, it will give you a full range of her gifts. Many of her novels slant more one way than the other and it slants more on the heavy side. The Bell is funnier.
And a reminder too that there is a Iris Murdoch Group and lots of threads about various novels. Probably more than you want to know!

I just turned up the Dog Stars and I saw it had a dog in it and thought Uh Oh.... I won't be reading it, out of the house it goes. Enough about that.

And finally - my own daughter is presently at Sarah Lawrence (my own alma mater) and they seem to have done well keeping up or maybe even staying a little ahead of the game (I don't mean that lightly) of gender. It's hard to explain except that a surprising number of people (those who have heard of it) assume SLC is an exclusively women's college even though men came on the GI bill and trickled in and out after and then officially were welcomed around 1970 and ever since. So decades. Anyhow, I've been struck on my three recent visits, how much the school feels essentially the same: a women's college with some men in it. And folks, on the whole, being pleased with the arrangement. The secret, I think, is in the college's educational mission which, I think, deters all but those who are very self-determined. Meaning that the women and men who choose Sarah Lawrence are already unusually independent and original and don't decide what to do based on what others are doing. There seem to be about the same number of men as there were in my day, which was 72-76. My guess is that these are mostly men who have experienced discomfort for having some unusual aspect to the way they think and that is what links the people there together. The biggest change from my time (when being openly gay was just fine within the campus culture-way ahead of the curve) to now is that they are working out how to provide an environment where the transgendered and uncertain people feel they can get on with their lives. For myself, I'm fascinated by the mutability that is emerging as a new reality and that these young people are kind of exploding gender as a limiting and basically convenient concept! Oh and that the men insisted on better Phys Ed facilities, bless them, because it was beyond pathetic back in my day. We barely had gym! Dance studios, but nothing else really. And that first gen. of men formed a basketball team and worked their butts off to do well in their league, didn't even have uniforms to wear. I'm so envious of that, the opportunity to swim would have meant a lot to me back then.

Dropping by to say "hi", and note that I always enjoy your thread, full of interesting issues and conversations, as well as excellent books. I'm still on Kaua'i, and reading Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes which is right now (page 75) still chatting about the missionaries arrival on the Sandwich Isles. It is an interesting follow up to Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook. I will probably finish the Vowell book before, or on, the flight back to the Pacific Northwest on Monday evening. (sad face).

Hope you are well, and enjoying the weekend.

76. The Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth




This was a fun mystery read. On the lighter side with likable characters and enough grit and gloom to stay out of the "cozy" category (thank goodness). The bad guy is a legitimate bad guy in whose head we spend not one minute.

Next up:

>276 sibylline: .......IM, Dog Stars and gender issues........it's a bad fanfiction waiting to be written.

>256 DorsVenabili: Hey Kerri. I'm usually a compulsive read-in-order sort of person, too. I'm glad I have read the Nesbø works in order. It is due solely to the fact that for a very long time I resisted him altogether. I get like that about super-popular writers.

Regarding Zola, "Might your decision also depend on whether you prefer coal mines to prostitutes?" Well, if it is, this choice makes it a no-brainer. ;-)

Good note on which to get back to work!

>257 BLBera: Yes, Beth, and you were correct. It's a good thing all the rest of us are so unpredictable. (ha)

>258 benitastrnad: Oh good. Thanks for the tip, Benita.

>259 luvamystery65: Howdy, Roberta!

>260 jnwelch: Joe, we just need to tackle Frozen Thames together.
I know nothing about the book, but that's just the kind of friend I am. You need help getting a book off your tar pile and into your hands, I'm here to assist.

>261 DorsVenabili: Hi Kerri!

>262 maggie1944: and >264 maggie1944: Hi Karen and yes, I do believe you may have mentioned that....
It sounds like there is an August read of The Bone People brewing (I may well have been involved in that, but don't ask me about it under oath).

>266 msf59: Mark! I will never, I mean never brush off a shared reading suggestion you might make!

>267 Smiler69: You're on, Ilana. A shared read of Fifth Business in May. And I found myself thinking of your thread over the past 48 hours or so, as I was thinking about how to keep track of my reading commitments. In my mind's eye, I could see that list at the top of your thread. This is probably the way I'll go. I have thought about using my Wunderlist app on my iPhone but I'm not sure how effective it would be.

>268 katiekrug: "I have dedicated tabs in my master reading spreadsheet for each month." Katie, there are so many things wrong with this concept. I mean, it indicates that you have a "master reading spreadsheet." It suggests that you have one for each month. It clearly affirms that you use spreadsheets. I know myself well enough to predict exactly how this would go. I would create a lovely spreadsheet and I would fill in all my reading plans. And I would never look at it again.

I wonder if I could use post-it notes instead.

>269 lauralkeet: Laura, thank you for the information and the link. It is quite possible. In any case, I'm in for The Bone People in August and I'm starring that thread.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Making a note here which I can copy and paste into my spreadsheet later. :-D

May: Fifth Business with Ilana.
August: The Bone People with lots of people. Karen! Mark! Pay heed!

>270 Morphidae: Evernote. Making note of this, will investigate.

>271 luvamystery65: Howdy Roberta!

>272 lauralkeet: Laura! Yes! Reading plans. You all may remember how crazy I got around the time of my wedding last year, despite having been with P for 18 years already.
Commitment, scary. Plans, better.

>273 banjo123: Rhonda, please do join us for Nothing Like the Sun. We will either love it or hate it together.

>274 Ameise1: You know, Barbara, that I have come to expect a sheep photo from you pretty much every weekend now, right? I mean, no pressure, but....

>275 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl!

Hi Ellen - I LOVED Some Luck. Smiley did such a great job creating distinctive personalities for the kids. This will be one of my year's favorites, I think. I have The Bone People on my desk, so I think it might be a January book for me.

A spreadsheet for reading? I don't even shelf my books in alphabetical order... Also, I hate Excel, and I think the feeling is mutual. I vote for Post Its.

Good luck with Updike.

>276 sibylline: Hi Lucy! I knew that you have been reading lots of IM in the past year or two. I'm planning to read several by her so really this debate is just about which one to read first and for Paul's challenge. I will say that the discussion has piqued my interest in her work even more, primarily because of something you noted. Her work appears to be so varied. She sounds like a talented author who deserves focused attention.

I left a message on your thread inquiring about the dog thing. I hope all is well.

I love your comments about SLC and women's colleges more generally. I was particularly struck by this: "...how much the school feels essentially the same: a women's college with some men in it." So there is a particular feel to women's colleges. I recently spent a very brief time (a few hours) visiting a women's college in California and I will be visiting again the first week of December. Reading your comment resonated for me even after that brief visit. I'll be attending to the visceral feel of the campus next time I'm there. I'm also fascinated by your impressions about the kind of student - regardless of gender - who chooses a college like SLC, independent and unselfconsciously nonconformist. It sounds like a truly lovely environment in which to study, work, and play. And I totally agree with your comment about how awesome it is that this generation of students are "exploding" the notion of gender as a binary concept. This is something in which I'm intensely interested at present. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here!

Still more conversation to be had, but P and I are going to friends' for dinner. Must get into proper clothing.

>287 BLBera: I like Post Its, too.

>277 maggie1944: Hello Karen, my island-hopping friend. I still have not read any of Sarah Vowell's work but I used to have a copy of Unfamiliar Fishes around here somewhere. Your time on Kaua'i is sounding lovely and I'm so glad. You totally deserve that vacation. I know it will be sad to fly home on Monday. Enjoy your last full day there.

>280 lunacat: Jenny! You're so right!

>287 BLBera: Beth, I left a message on your thread. I'm really glad you liked Some Luck so much. I'm two for two. *pats self on the back*

Yeah, Excel and I aren't much in the way of friends, either. I think I'm going to add a post at the top of my thread where I keep track of reading plans I've made. I don't worry about them so much except when I've made plans with someone else. Then I feel badly when I forget, which occurs too often. It's not out of lack of caring, but out of LO (Life Overwhelm).

Besides, post-it notes and ball-point pens are such fun to buy!

The first 12 pages of the Updike are good. :-|

>290 maggie1944: Another fan of post-it notes. I like them in various colors. :-)

Me, too! And I have a wall calendar with huge squares for each day, room to post 'em! I'll be working on the 2015 months when I get home, early Tuesday morning. Sigh.

Reading Rabbit, Run and starting to think about December.

Tentative December reading plans:

Jane Eyre - a reread inspired by great discussion on Kerri's thread, likely to be audio.
Montana, 1948 for Mark's AAC, in my TBR library.
The Lives of Others because I haven't gotten to it yet.
The World Before Us by Aislinn Hunter for Early Reviewers.
Three Day Road because I haven't really done much in the way of WWI reading this year.
Just One Damned Thing After Another because I have it, lots of people like it, and Beth says it's a "fun read."

2015 shared reads (in addition to AAC and BAC):

January:
Nemesis by Jo Nesbø with Roberta

May:
Fifth Business by Robertson Davies with Ilana

August:
The Bone People by Keri Hulme with several people
Something by Paul Auster with Kerri and Mark?

"The first 12 pages of the Updike are good." Smiles...

Happy Sunday, my friend and I am in for The Bone People for August. Kerri & I were also thinking of doing Paul Auster that month. Have you read him?

ETA- The Watson thread is up.

>294 msf59: I have not read Paul Auster, Mark. I know nothing about him. But I'll do a bit of investigating and consider joining you and Kerri.

*edited because I'm trying to get the touchstone to work*

*edited again because I went and looked at Paul Auster -- The New York Trilogy is something I've looked at many times in bookstores.... this is tempting....*

All of the conversation about commitments vs. plans makes me think of Pirates of the Caribbean, "And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules."

>296 Morphidae: Morphy, I love that line! And now you've made me want to watch that movie again.
Yesterday our friend Jen, who is that friend to whom one goes for all technological and mechanical assistance, helped us set up our Chromecast. We just have to renew our account with Netflix and I'm ready to watch some movies!

Today P and I have to go to my workplace and paint one of the counselor's offices. WHY I said I would do this is beyond me. It will save money for the center (I could actually get in trouble for doing this my own self) but I'm giving up a Sunday. Argh. We'll listen to the Seahawks while we work but this is a rainy, windy, GRAY day and I would rather stay home.

What a nice person you are. If there are two of you, it shouldn't take a lot of time? I'm currently in an office that was illegally painted and I love not having beige walls.

Paul Auster is Siri Hustvedt's husband. I love her writing. I've liked the couple of things that I've read by him, but it's been a while. I like her better. Maybe you could read her instead. My favorites are Sorrows of an American and The Summer without Men.

Ah yes, those promises made in rash moments.... I occasionally make those in rash moments and find myself up to my eyeballs in something I wouldn't even do for myself!
I hope you aren't painting any ceilings - no one over a certain age should crook their necks at those punishing angles for long.

It's not easy to figure out what makes a college mostly populated by women (notice I'm not saying a women's college) feel so different, but there's no doubt in my mind that there is a difference. It's not a simple thing either, that I am sure of. I'll be very interested to hear your own thoughts. Importantly, the (mostly) women's colleges are all different from one another the same way all other colleges have their own strengths and weaknesses and atmospheres. So Mills is one thing, Wellesley another, Smith yet another.... The women's colleges that have accepted men, most of them, I think have retained that elusive underlying difference in focus or emphasis. (Vassar would be an example besides SLC that I know of.) I'm not so sure Wellesley, for example, should be so tied up in knots about the transgendered folk as they presently are. It says more about Wellesley's image of what it is offering than any reality, I suspect. To me it indicates a bit of insecurity and lack of confidence at W. SLC women have a rep of being sort of obnoxious and outspoken (uh, maybe that's just self-confidence?) and thus, taking on men? Pragmatic, ultimately.

Good luck on the painting! I used to like painting, and actually I still do, but I don't like the time that it takes. We ended up hiring out the last painting that we needed.

I am up to page 100+ in Rabbit Run, and really like it. It is not a fast read, however.

Go Seahawks! And good luck with the painting.

I'm so sorry you have to paint during the game. That seems tragic and wrong to me. :-(

>293 EBT1002: I should probably start doing this too. I have more planned reading than usual in the coming months. Of course, I do use a spreadsheet, but this would be an extra help.

>278 EBT1002: I may give this a try. Always looking for good mysteries for audiobook listening.

Yay!! Painting done, we get to watch the game. P is making Bloody Marys. :-)

Well done, lady. Enjoy the game in the meantime I say goodnight at this part of the world.

Glad you wrapped up the painting, Ellen and now are enjoying Bloodies! It sounds like you deserve it, my generous friend.

Go Seahawks! It should be a helluva game!

>299 BLBera: The painting job went very quickly. We walked up The Ave for some lunch, then came back thinking we'd need to do a second coat. We decided it was good enough. To the library to drop off a couple of books and HOME. It has turned into a lovely sunny afternoon in Seattle, too.

I don't know Siri Hustvedt's work. I'll add Sorrows of an American and The Summer Without Men to my wish list.
Thanks, Beth! :-)

>300 sibylline: No ceilings, Lucy, thank goodness. And not much in the way of trim, either. Whew.

I agree that Wellesley's angst regarding "what to do" about trans students is misplaced attention. I like how Mills has set their stake in the ground and is getting on with it. Bit it will be interesting to see how the campus feels when I spend more time there in early December. In any case, it's a lovely little campus.

>301 banjo123: Hey Rhonda. I don't mind painting, as projects go, but I'm glad it went so quickly. I'm happily settled on the couch with the Seahawks and my laptop. But the Seahawks are committing too many penalties and it's making me crazy.

Once the game is over, I'll dip back into Rabbit, Run. It hasn't offended me yet but it hasn't sucked me in, either.

>302 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

>303 DorsVenabili: I agree, Kerri, but since it turned out not to be the case, I'm okay. This is a frustrating game to watch, though. Five sacks of Russell so far. Ugh.

I feel better to be making a list and my plan is to just keep editing it. When I start my new thread, I'll put this at the top. I knew you are a member of the spreadsheet users team. I really am quite impressed with that level of organization.

Depending on the narration, I think The Dead of Winter would be a good audio book.

>305 Ameise1: Sleep well, Barbara!

>306 msf59: Hey Mark! I definitely deserve this Bloody Mary. I was in speed mode with the painting so it actually was a mildly cardio workout. And I was good and had a salad for lunch. So far, the Seahawks-Cardinals game is just frustrating. Too many penalties by the Seahawks and our Offensive Line is letting them get to Russell. The Cardinals are 9-1 but I don't think they are as good as their record; we need to beat them.

9-3 at halftime. Seahawks should be up more!

>311 Berly: Kim, I know. It has been frustrating that they haven't been able to score a touchdown. But they just did, and it's now 19-3. I'm liking the defense. They are playing so well today!