scaifea's 2015 challenge - thread #2

Welcome to thread II!



Below you’ll find an explanation of my reading habits, which, I warn you, is a bit crazy. Usually I have about 10-12 books going at once, one each from the following groups (and occasionally other books slipped in there, too):

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The CYOA books
c. The Newbery Honor books

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A book for the Presidential Challenge. Books for this category are read in chronological (presidentially) order.

5. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

6. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker lists (combined, in chronological order)

7. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. A book from my shelves which I haven't yet read
b. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. Stephen King's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

8. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book.

9. A book from my Classics shelves.

10. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

11. Book-a-year challenge: Two years ago, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've decided, again, to follow Paul's lead and try to fill in some of those blanks, and so I'm adding an entry here to my lists.

12. The American Author Challenge.

13. The British Author Challenge.

14. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

And on top of these, there will be a multitude of picture books and easy readers, which Charlie and I read together. I only list picture books that I or we read for the first time - no repeat reads will be mentioned here (and they are legion).

So, now you've got a glimpse of just how neurotic I am.
Please feel free to post comments, recommendations, or whatever else strikes your fancy. And Happy Reading, everyone!



What I'm reading now:
-Tropic of Cancer (Banned Books list)
-The Wizard in the Tree (Charlie book)
-Faust (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-John Tyler (Presidential Challenge)
-Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy (audio book)
-Stand on Zanzibar (Hugo & BFSA award lists)
-Excalibur (from the TBR shelves)
-Ralph S. Mouse (Charlie's bed-time book)
-Cicero (off of my classics shelves)
-Essential Tibetan Buddhism (Buddhism list)
-Pierre and Jean (year-by-year book list, 1888)
-Needled to Death (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-The Iliad (everyday audio book in the car)
-Joss Whedon: The Biography (Christmas present!)

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1

Books Read:

JANUARY
1. (#1) Hansel & Gretel (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10 = A
2. Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library (public library book) - 9/10 = A
3. (#2) A Christmas Memory (Charlie book) - 10/10 = A+
4. Flight School (public library book) - 8/10 = B+
5. (#3) The Three Wishes (CYOA list) - 8/10 = B
6. Sneezy the Snowman (Charlie book) - 8/10 = B+
7. The Snatchabook (public library book) - 9/10 = A
8. Jack (public library book) - 7/10 = C
9. The Three Wishes (public library book) - 8/10 = B
10. Waiting Is Not Easy! (public library book) - 9/10 = A
11. My Teacher Is a Monster! (public library book) - 9/10 = A
12. (#4) The Windy Hill (Newbery Honor list) - 9/10 = A
13. (#5) Tantra in Tibet (Buddhist reading list) - 8/10 = B
14. The Magic Nesting Doll (public library book) - 9/10 = A
15. (#6) The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10 = A
16. Clarice Bean, That's Me (1001 Children's Books list) - 7/10 = C
17. We All Sleep (Charlie's school library book) - 8/10 = B+
18. (#7) Dragons! (CYOA list) - 8/10 = B+
19. (#8) The Wonder Smith and His Son (Newbery Honor list) - 7/10 = C
20. Dance (public library book) - 8/10 = B

The Charlie Topper:

Charlie and my dad last week:



And Dad and I nearly 40 years ago:

And the Bonus Question:

Do you have a favorite movie version of a book that, in your opinion, was even better than the book? (Thanks, Mamie!)

>2 scaifea: Great photos Amber.

>4 Oberon: Thanks, Erik! I can't exactly take credit for that second one, though. Ha!

Aw! I love the photos, Amber. Nice new thread.

I'll have to take a pass on the Bonus Question, since I rarely watch movies.

I still have to finish reading the other thread, but for now I am booking my seat here early.

Lovely pictures!!

There are some such movies, but the first one that comes to my mind is Casino Royale. Didn't like the movie much, but I read the book last year and hated it. Not over-sensitive in that area but it was maybe the most misogynist book I ever read (and I read it because it is on the 1001 list). And that wasn't the only issue I had with it...
Will check my bookshelf for better examples where I liked both book and movie.

Oh, I love the Charlie/Amber topper!

Re: bonus question... I do love the The Taming of the Shrew turned into the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You." And I probably like the movie "Clueless" more than Emma. So I guess I find interpretations more successful that straight adaptations, maybe...

The Princess Bride: LOVE the movie, HATE the book.

The movie is that unique sort ridiculous yet intelligent humor that isn't common, but is one of my favorite types of humor. The book is just pretentious in a "Look! See what I did! Aren't I clever?" sort of way and it's full of all these authorial asides that continually interrupt the flow of the narrative.

ETA: And the introduction (I read an anniversary edition, and I can't remember if this is the original introduction or the special introduction) where Goldman talks about how important this book is to him, and how it's based on stories his dad told him as a kid, and the book saved him when his wife divorced him, and his son just doesn't like the book. It was a very moving little essay. Then I looked up Goldman on Wikipedia, and found out that practically every life event from the introduction is made up. Goldman's dad didn't read him the original story when he was a kid, he and his wife did divorce, but not at all like in the story, and he has two daughters, but no sons. It was such a good introduction and it was all fake. Leading the readership on like that is not appreciated.

^ That's a good one. I didn't hate the book, but I did enjoy the movie a lot more.

ETA: Do I remember correctly that the movie was first and then Goldman wrote the book?

ETA2: Nope, I was wrong. Book first.

Aw, the photos are darling. Your dad looks like a happy guy. :)

As for the bonus question, I liked The Silver Linings Playbook in movie format more than the book. Maybe that is just Bradley Cooper talking though.

>9 casvelyn: Agree with Princess Bride, the book wasn't awful but the film is a masterpiece.

Does it have to be a movie, or can it be a TV show as well? Because Band of Brothers is far far better as the mini-series rather than the book.

Happy new thread, Amber! I really love those photos you posted up there.

Bonus question - The Big Sleep because Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I would also totally agree with Nathalie about Casino Royale.

>6 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl! My movie watching has come to a near full stop since Charlie has been around, not that I'm complaining.

>7 Deern: Natalie: Admittedly I haven't read any of the Bond books, but aren't they pretty famously not feminist masterpieces? Ha! I have to say, also, that I'm not a fan of the Bond movies, either. Just not really my thing.

>8 katiekrug: Katie: I *love* Ten Things I Hate About You, but mostly for the eye candy, and I can't say that I like it better than Shakespeare. Ha! I've not yet read Emma, so I can't compare, but I did really enjoy Clueless.

>9 casvelyn: casvelyn: AGREED!! Awful, terrible, foul stinking turd of a book, but the movie? Amazing.

>10 katiekrug: *waves to Katie*

>11 rosylibrarian: Marie: Thanks! He is a pretty jolly guy most of the time. One of his favorite and oft-repeated phrases: "I've got to laugh to keep from crying." It makes perfect sense in Lunsford Logic (Lunsford is my maiden name).

>12 lunacat: Jenny: Feel free to bend the rules! I've not read that book or seen the series, although Tomm's brother is a *huge* fan.

>13 Crazymamie: Mamie: I need to read Chandler at some point in my life because I'm convinced that I would love him, but I agree that you just can't beat Bogey and Bacall in that one. *dreamy sigh*

Lovely photos of Charlie and your Dad and his daughter. Pity your dad and Charlie were laughing at you and your unmanagable TBR mountain.
Congratulations on your new thread my dear.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a much better film than it was a book.

Bonus question: The 39 Steps. Come to think of it, almost any film whose last credit screen reads, "Directed by Alfred Hitchcock."

(Ooooh, and Starship Troopers. Book and film are both awful in their own ways, but the film edges out the book for trainwreckish entertainment value.)

Aww...I love the two pictures you chose for your toppers this thread, Amber. Very sweet side by side.
We talked about this last thread, but hands down...The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's probably sacrilegious to die hard Tolkien fans so hopefully nobody stones me.

On the bonus question: The 1967 movie version of Far From the Madding Crowd mostly because of cinematography...and a young Alan Bates. Doubt that it can be seen on the big screen today.

Love the family header photo's. Your Dad has aged well!

Happy New Thread, Amber! Good call on The Princess Bride in answer to your bonus question. One that comes to mind as equally good is To Kill A Mockingbird. Both movie and book are terrific.

We really liked The Adjustment Bureau movie, with Emily Blunt and Matt Damon, and I don't remember the Philip K. Dick story as being at that level.

The Big Sleep got me thinking about the "Maltese Falcon" The book was great and so was the movie. That'll have to do for my answer to the bonus question.

I've read most of the Bond books and I've seen some of the movies. Everything is more understandable and believable in the books. Bond is less a superman than a plucky Englishman in the books; he gets badly beaten up in every one. His misogyny also emerges logically in the books. His life was not too happy.

Nice photos! As for the bonus question, I thought the movie Die Hard was way better than the book. I can't recall the title of the book anymore, but I remember being disappointed.

Love the Charlie/Grandpa topper - and what a sweet photo of your dad holding you. :)

>3 scaifea: I agree with The Princess Bride, although I really enjoyed the book, the movie is a classic. I can't think of another one at the moment. It's pretty rare I like a movie better than the book, even if the movie is good.

One movie that immediately leaps to my mind is The Learning Tree (1969), which impressed both my husband (to-be) and me when we saw it in our college days. It was directed by Gordon Parks, who wrote the screenplay, adapted from the novel of the same name, which he also wrote. Apparently, film was more his "thing", because when we tried to read the book a few years later, we both found it to be dreadful. Parks was the first African American to direct a studio film in Hollywood, and he opened some doors.

>16 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I've seen the movie but not yet read the book, and you're not exactly making me eager to correct that...

>17 swynn: Steve: Ha! Fair point!

>18 jolerie: Valerie: I'll get stoned with you, then (that sounded more fun that I intended it to...) because I feel the same way! Long Live Peter Jackson! Ha!

>19 tangledthread: I've neither read nor seen that one... When I lived in Columbus, OH, I used to enjoy the summer movie series put on at the old - and gorgeous - downtown theater, where they would play a selection of classic films on the big screen. I loved that and miss it!

>20 jnwelch: Joe: I agree that both the movie and the book are just so excellent for To Kill a Mockingbird. I don't know anything about the other movie/book combo you mention, but I'm not shocked that the movie is good - Matt Damon can kick anything up a good notch or two, in my opinion. Love that guy.

>21 jjvors: Jeff: Another movie that I've loved but haven't read the book! *sigh* I need to correct these omissions...

>22 jjvors: Jeff: I still don't know that I'd enjoy the books, although I'll likely give one a try at some point. I did like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, though. Ha!

>23 billiejean: There's a book?! I had no idea...

>24 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn! And, really?! You liked that book?! Well then... (*snork!*)

>25 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Very interesting! I did not know one lick of that. I'll have to look into his stuff (not his books, though, eh?).

Whelp, off to the library before picking Charlie up at school - happy afternoon, all!

>26 scaifea: Matt Damon is great, and I'm a pushover for Emily Blunt. They make a good combo!

Parks was a great photo-journalist. He had a lot of stuff in Life Magazine in the 1950's. Later he was well known for directing the movie Shaft. He wrote a lot of memoirs, books about photography, and some poetry. I haven't tried any of that. The Learning Tree might have been his only novel. And maybe it is better than I remember. He was definitely a prolific, creative genius.

Gosh, Amber; your threads move so fast!! Nice photos.

>28 laytonwoman3rd: I wasn't very familiar with Parks until this NYTimes piece published just a couple of weeks ago:
‘A Long Hungry Look’: Forgotten Gordon Parks Photos Document Segregation

I found the photos quite compelling.

Lady, you're flying up with your thread. I love the photos, so beautiful. Happy New Thread, I hope Charlie had a good start back at school.

>30 lauralkeet: Thanks for that link, Laura. I was looking for some representative photographs to post. Couldn't do better than those...tough story goes along with them, too.

>86 SuziQoregon: Both our library and our old refurbished downtown theater http://www.penntheatre.com/history.html do that. They are right across the parking lot from one another. I should take more advantage of their offerings.

Hi Amber, happy new thread my dear and some great photo's. I wonder if you will exceed last year's total of threads, you are off to a good start. Love and hugs my dear.

Wow so many votes for The Princess Bride. Ofcourse it was my first thought as well. After that my next just looking at my own collection would be Howl's Moving Castle. It is one of my favorite animated films along with Spirited Away. His latest one, The Secret Life was Aritty was really good too, it is based on The Borrowers, which I have to read some time.

Mine would have to be The Giver even though the book was good I think the movie was better.

I agree about The Princess Bride -- good book, but great movie. I'd also contend that The Wizard of Oz movie is better than the book.

>28 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Shaft, eh? Curiouser and curiouser...

>29 humouress: Hi, Nina!

>30 lauralkeet: Laura: Oh, excellent - thanks for the link!

>31 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Charlie is is hog heaven back at school, I must say, although his teacher hinted that school may be canceled tomorrow due to the extreme cold weather. We'll see.

>32 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: They are striking, aren't they?

>33 tangledthread: Oh, you most definitely should, especially on the big screen!

>34 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>35 xymon81: Matthew: Oh my yes, Spirited Away is one of my all-time favorites, too. I suspect that I'll like The Secret Life of Aritty much better than the book, because I wasn't at all over-fond of the book.

>36 takenby05: Therese: I haven't seen the movie yet, but I did really like the book (all but the ending, although, to be fair, I haven't read any of the sequels so that problem might be solved if I did).

>37 foggidawn: Oh, good call with The Wizard of Oz! I like the book okay but love the movie. Charlie and I are reading it now and I think he likes the movie better, too...

I think I might be the only person who can't stand The Wizard of OZ (the movie, I've never read any of the books). The play adaptions I've seen have also been terrible. Bleurgh.

>40 PawsforThought: Paws: I love it mostly, I think, because I have such fond memories of watching it every winter when it was on television. My dad and I had a few running jokes about it, and it just one of those reminders of my comfortable, loving childhood.

Love the photos up top, Amber. I have to think about your bonus question because I actually think there is one for me--I just can't remember what it is!

>42 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! Come back and let me know if you think of it!

>12 lunacat: agree that the Band of Brothers series was better than the book. orders of magnitude better.

Oh, someone already said The Princess Bride (a book I didn't hate, but the movie is soo much better).

Umm... taking from last year's reading/viewing, I'd say The Spectacular Now. I can't exactly say why without giving spoilers, but the movie with was very well done.

Amber, this is going to be a whirlwind year if you create a new thread every few days. You have so much energy to keep up with all the crafty and kitchen things you do, read, spend quality time with Charlie and Tomm…and (did I read this right on your last thread?) make your own laundry detergent??? I have the same page-a-day calendar as you do. So far I haven't been impressed but the backs of the pages make good scratch paper for grocery lists, etc.

I love the thread toppers. My goodness, your dad hasn't aged all that much in 40 years! Both pictures are adorable and show the love in your family.

Coming out of hiding to answer the Bonus question: Bladerunner and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. They are way different and almost non-comparable, but I enjoy the movie loads and was a little disappointed when I read the book.

>35 xymon81: Howell's Moving Castle might be one too. Ya know: Miyazaki.

>38 scaifea: I have to say either way movie or the book wasn't fond of the ending I have read 3 so far of the series and I have to tell you have to get to book 3 before you hear anything about Jonas or Gabe again. Not sure what happens in the fourth after I get some of my stack done I will go and read that one to find out.

Hi Amber and congratulations on having a new thread already. I love the pictures at the top. As far as the Bonus Question goes, I just saw a movie recently that I thought was better than the book and it was the newish version of True Grit. I'm probably in the minority on this.

>44 RBeffa: Ron: I'll likely just take your word on that, since I generally don't have the stomach for war movies.

>45 bell7: Mary: I haven't read or seen that one, but I'll keep an eye out...

>46 Donna828: Donna: Ha! Yep, I make my own laundry detergent. So much cheaper plus I feel better having more of an idea about what's in my cleaning supplies.
And my dad is a handsome guy, no?

>47 scvlad: Steve: I've only read one of Dick's works, which wasn't this one, but I did love that one. I really liked Bladerunner when I saw it yonks ago, but I've been told before that it's *much* different from the book.

>48 takenby05: Therese: One of these days maybe I'll get back to that series...

>49 brenzi: Bonnie: There's a new(ish) version of True Grit? I'm so out of the loop on these things.

11. My Teacher Is a Monster! by Peter Brown (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A
A weird (in a good way) little book about a kid who thinks he's teacher is a monster and is horrified to find her in his favorite park one weekend. But once the ice breaks between them (which comes about while they quack at ducks together - yeah, you read that correctly), Bobby begins to re-think how he views his teacher (and the reader begins to see her differently, too).
A cool and funny book that Charlie loved so much, he requested that we immediately read it again!

Also Read Today:

-My Teacher Is a Monster (Well, I told you we read it twice...)
-Polar Animals Stick Together (a little make-it-yourself, beginning reader booklet that Charlie made at school then brought home and read to me)
-The Sesame Street Library Volume 5
-The May 2014 volume of Ranger Rick Jr Magazine, which Charlie checked out of the school library today

I quack at ducks. It's totally not weird at all. I also meow at my cats and yell "squirrel!" at squirrels, mostly because I can't reproduce squirrel noises. And I talk to the fish that live under the Ohio Street canal bridge right next to the Historical Society.

Actually, in my family, if one sees some wildlife out the window, one generally yells "squirrel" or "rabbit" or "hummingbird" or whatever it is one sees. We live on a large lot with lots of trees and shrubbery and have lots of wildlife, so I really have no idea what we're yelling about, but I always have to fight the urge to yell stuff when I'm at other people's houses.

And now you've led me to out my weirdness to the whole internet. Not cool, Amber. Not cool.

>53 casvelyn: *SNORK!!* I. Love. It.
The actual quacking at ducks wasn't the weird part, really, but how it was presented, I guess, as sort of out-of-the-blue, in the story. We yell "squirrel!" too, but I think for us it's more of a movie reference.

I like movie version of The Scarlet Pimpernel (the one with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour) better than the book. I think I like the film version of The Enchanted April slightly more than the book, too.

>55 cbl_tn: Agree re Enchanted April. It makes you feel the atmosphere, whereas the language makes the whole thing feel slightly dated. (At least to me.)

>3 scaifea: even better than!? Nope. Nearly as good, The Road and The Accidental Tourist did very well.

>13 Crazymamie: still need to see The Big Sleep, it could be a contender for me re the movie question as I didn't think much of the book.

Love the family photos, your dad looks like he is cuddling a special bundle with you in his arms!!!

>55 cbl_tn: I loved reading the book but am yet to watch the film (which, until very recently I didn't even know existed). Though anything with Anthony Andrews in it is bound to be good. Always better with Anthony Andrews than without him (case in point: the mini-series of Brideshead Revisited which was great at first and then steadily got more boring after Sebastian went away).

I finally got here, Amber. I am placing a star and hope to drop by on regular visits. Your question is a tough one as I usually prefer the book to the movie, but even though The Searchers was a very good book, overall I think I preferred the movie. They changed the ending slightly and of course, it was one of John Wayne's best roles.

>55 cbl_tn: Carrie: One of the side effects of this particular bonus question is to make me feel completely inadequate both about my reading habits and my movie watching! You've mentioned two more book/movie combinations that I haven't read *or* seen! *sigh*

>56 Chatterbox: Hi, Suzanne!

>57 LovingLit: Megan: Aaaand there's two more that I haven't read or seen. Dang, folks. I feel like an illiterate cave-dweller, here!
And thanks - I think the photo of him and me is pretty sweet.

>58 PawsforThought: Paws: Must look up this Anthony Andrews.... Oh, *that* guy! Yes, I like him, too.

>59 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy! I do hope you stop by when you can - I'll miss visiting your thread this year.
And I know that I'm in a *very* small minority about this, but The Searchers is one of my very least favorite movies. Ugh! I could barely make it through that thing! I don't care for westerns and I really don't care for John Wayne. I know, I'm strange.

On the agenda for today:

Charlie's school has been canceled because of the wind chill predictions for today (they're saying that it may get as low as -45 below, wind chill-wise), so I get him all to myself today! Once Charlie gets up, I'm going to make French Toast for breakfast with the leftover bread I made last weekend. And I think I'll finally get round to making those cinnamon rolls today, maybe, too. Whenever I had a Snow Day as a kid, my mom would always make doughnuts that day, and Charlie and I did that last year, but I think today we'll go for the rolls instead. I suspect that there will be art projects happening today and likely some board games, too. Hopefully I can get Charlie to play in the sewing room for a bit, too, as I didn't make it down there yesterday (although I did make excellent progress on organizing my thoughts for the book fair - I've discovered Evernote and my life will never be the same). Leftovers for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front: I read a bit more of The Windy Hill and also some of Cicero yesterday and am still very much enjoying both. I'm starting to feel a bit of nervousness setting in for not having yet started in on my AAC and BAC books - this weekend, maybe...

The calendar book today: Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen. I've never read anything by Hiaasen - thoughts?

Morning Amber. It's way too early for me to consider books vs movie versions and I just finished explaining to my husband why I just purchased a new vacuum. Thus, totally exhuasted and I've only been awake for 1 hour.
I'm always doing the Squirrell thing. It has a much better/cuter sound that Racoon! or Chipmunk!
I think I need coffee, over and out.
Will's schooled is cancelled as well. freezing temps, lake effect snow

ETA: I've read a couple of Hiaasen's books and enjoyed them.

>62 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! What kind of vacuum did you get?
And yeah, I'm nearly finished with my first cuppa tea and I think I need a second this morning...

Morning Amber! Happy New Thread! Let's not talk about the weather, okay? Ugh!

To answer your movie question: I pick the Godfather hands down. Jaws is a good example too!

>64 msf59: Morning, Mark! No, let's not talk about the weather. Ugh, indeed!
Well, I've seen both of those movies, at least, but haven't read the books...

The pictures of Charlie and your dad and you and your dad are lovely!

Bonus question: North and South. The book is good, but the miniseries is able to make the drama of the mill strikes and the feelings between the leads so much more immediate and affecting. That Richard Armitage plays Thornton doesn't hurt either.

>60 scaifea: He's flawless.

>66 lycomayflower: Thanks, Laura! And there's another one that I've heard of but never read not seen. I have heard that the miniseries is excellent.

>67 PawsforThought: Paws: I'll have to search out more stuff he's in.

Please stay warm! I thought 25 below was bad!

Bonus question:
>57 LovingLit: I agree that The Accidental Tourist is a better movie. I loved that movie - great performances by Geena Davis and William Hurt.

Also, I'm perhaps the only person on Earth who prefers the movie version of Blue Is the Warmest Color.

Morning, Amber! So, about the weather... Just kidding - trying to make Mark groan. Have fun with Charlie today, and I hope that you make it to the sewing room. Your plan of leftovers is not helping me decided what's for dinner. Your calendar book for the day is by an author that is on my TBR list - I think he writes mysteries? And he has written a few YA. I am thinking that Kim and Ellen like his stuff.

>69 DorsVenabili: Kerri: Oh, will do! We're not leaving the house today, at all!
I'm a big fan of Davis and Hurt, so I should check that movie out. And I've not heard of Blue is the Warmest Color, I'm afraid.

>70 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I know I've seen Hiaasen's name round these parts before...

The French toast was super-tasty - I love making it with homemade bread! Charlie is now happily engaged in playing a board game with his stuffed animals and I'm nursing my second cuppa tea and putzing a bit here before getting to those breakfast dishes...

My husband and I listened to Bad Monkey on a road trip last year. Hiassen writes sort of funny crime capers, mostly set in South Florida. The audios are mildly entertaining but I don't know that I could just sit and read one of his books.

>53 casvelyn: Isn't it perfectly normal to talk to animals in their own languages? I do it all the time. Except for my horse..........bizarrely my subconscious informs me that she understands perfect English whereas no other animals in the world do.

>73 katiekrug: Katie: Huh. Good to know. I think I may be the opposite, though - I have no patience for a mediocre book on audio, and I'd be more likely to stick with it if I were reading it.

>74 lunacat: Morning, Jenny!

I like Hiassen's fiction pretty well. He is also a journalist at the Miami Herald, and writes a fair bit of nonfiction, mostly about the dire environmental condition of Florida. I always imagine he is channeling Travis McGee (boat bum hero of John D. MacDonald novels) when he talks about the destruction of the Everglades and Florida's ecosystem.

He also wrote a book that you would probably hate, Amber: Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World. You can probably guess the topic.

Morning Amber!

It's hard to find a movie I like better than the book. I love the play Wicked but the book Wicked by Gregory Maguire not so much. Also, I read 2 or 3 Bones books but I much prefer the Temperance of the TV show than the book Temperance. At least the first five seasons. I haven't kept up after that. I really should give book Temperance one more try. I love all the science but I wasn't drawn in. Some characters grow with time. I'll have to see. One day. Not today.

Also, a movie that for me was equal to the book is The Hunt for Red October. They got everything right. The sequels were horrible!

>59 DeltaQueen50: Judy I loved what they did with John Wayne's character in The Searchers movie but for me the book was Martin's journey and the movie did not do it justice.

Blade Runner is a good pick for the bonus question. The story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is very good, but the movie is even better, IMO.

On the other side of the coin, I never wanted to watch the movie A River Runs Through It because it was reportedly so-so, and I loved the book.

>78 jnwelch: Oooh, that would be another good bonus question: What movie are you afraid to watch because you loved the book so much?

>79 rosalita: My list would be huge!

>75 scaifea: - Oh, sorry. I gave the wrong impression. I don't think the books are mediocre, it's just the style, for me, works better in audio. They can be quite funny but it's the kind of humor that translates better aurally, IMO.

>74 lunacat: My cats don't understand a lick of English. Or at least they don't know the words "stop" or "no." My feline is bad enough that they don't understand my meows either. I think it's my accent.

Amber! Impossible to keep up with you. Happy second thread.

>76 rosalita: Julia: Thanks for the info! And, no, I likely won't hate it - sounds pretty interesting, in fact.

>77 luvamystery65: Roberta: I haven't seen the play, but I couldn't make it through the book version of Wicked, and I very rarely abandon books. I love TV Temperance (the Deschanel sisters can do no wrong for me) but I've never tried any of the books.

>78 jnwelch: Joe: I've seen the movie for A River Runs Through It, though I've not read the book, and I wasn't too fond of the movie, I have to say.

>79 rosalita: Julia: Agreed!

>80 luvamystery65: Roberta: Agreed!!

>81 katiekrug: *snork!*

>83 BLBera: Hi, Beth!

Re: Temperance Brennan. +1 for TV-beats-book. Mrs. Swynn and I love the show, but once tried to listen to a "Bones" novel on audiobook on a long trip. Halfway through we agreed that the trip was long enough without the book, thanks very much. It probably wasn't as bad as it seemed, just didn't stack up to the show.

I also much preferred the "Dexter" show to the book series.

Love the photos of Charlie, your Dad and you!

Hiaasen is wacky and weird. We have listened to a couple of them as road trip books.

>85 swynn: Steve: Ooof, yeah maybe I'll stay away from the Temperance books, then. I watched one episode of Dexter once and I'm still pretty traumatized. I'm not made of stout enough stuff to stomach that, so I've not tried reading the books, either.

>86 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli! And I like wacky and weird, so maybe I'll have to give him a try!

Hi, Amber! I'm making your Mexican chicken for supper -- it's in the crock pot right now!

>88 foggidawn: foggi: Excellent! I hope you like it!

No, school because it's too cold? That would never happen here.

>90 Ameise1: Nor here! I've never even heard of a school closing because of weather/temperature.

Amber: I had a friend who grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, and I asked him if school was ever closed because of the temperature. He said the only time school was closed was if the buses didn't start. And he grew up with air temps -30+.

>90 Ameise1: >91 PawsforThought: >92 BLBera: Barbara, Paws & Beth: I think they determine when they close here for cold weather by keeping in mind the kids who walk to school or have to stand outside to wait for the buses in the mornings.

Hiya Amber! For the bonus question, I actually prefer the film version of Stardust to the book. I like Gaiman but the film was just much more enjoyable for me. *shrug*

>93 scaifea: Well, kids aren't forced out during recess if it's like -30C, but other than that - no change. I walked to and from school (about 20 minutes but some kids had twice as long) in -40.

>94 MickyFine: Micky: Quick, someone get me my smelling salts! The movie better than the original Gaiman?! *fans herself dramatically*

>95 PawsforThought: Paws: Was it an uphill walk both ways? *snork!* (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

>79 rosalita: The only movie(s) made out of a book that I absolutely refuse to ever see is (are) The Lord of the Rings. I don't care how good everyone says it and how true to the book Peter Jackson is and how visually amazing it is. There is absolutely now way that it can do justice to the literary masterpiece that is TLofTR.

>96 scaifea: Ha! Well, technically, yes! But downhill as well, luckily. ;)

Not that I loved the movie, Twilight - I absolutely despised the book! I thought that the movie was better. I have not seen the rest of them so I don't know. Because I must finish a series, I finished the books, but I just can not get myself to watch the rest of the movies.

>99 jayde1599: Oh, jeez. I am bound to agree. I did manage to make myself watch the movies (not the last, one, I don't think) because a friend of mine likes them and I'm a pushover sometimes. But I couldn't make it through more than two pages before literally throwing the book at the wall.

Bonus question answer: While not better than the book, I feel that "To Kill a Mockingbird" was one of the best screen adaptations of a book ever done.

I also talk to animals in as close an approximation as possible though less so with the cats and dog. My cat knows several English words and phrases though she has learned to twist "no" to her advantage. Generally she is well-behaved but she will do something that will need a "no" response to get my attention. Sometimes, she will even start doing something, like putting her paws on the table, and will look at me to make sure I know what she's thinking and to ensure a "no" response. This usually is an excuse for her to flee the scene like a madman, which gets her yet more attention as she is hilarious when she tears around the house.

I can get crows, geese, ducks, cows, sheep, goats, chickens, bobwhite quail, and red tailed hawks to answer. I'd love to try my wolf howl (picked up from PBS nature shows) but wolves aren't in my area.

>97 scvlad: Steve: I won't mention, then, how I don't really like the books... Oh, wait...

>98 PawsforThought: Paws: *grins*

>99 jayde1599: >100 PawsforThought: Jess & Paws: I haven't read the books or seen the movies, but I have to admit that all the fuss over how terrible the books are makes me morbidly curious. I will likely eventually poke my nose in, just because.

>101 CassieBash: Cassie: Agreed!

>102 CassieBash: Cassie Even after nine years, I frequently find myself completely surprised at what a large vocabulary our Border Collie has (read: words we say that she understands). There are even certain phrases for which we've had to invent code to keep her from understanding what we're talking about. Crazy smart dog.

>89 scaifea: It came out well, very warm and tasty for a cold evening. Lots of leftovers, too, which is handy.

>104 foggidawn: foggi: Oh, yay! And it's the kind of dish that gets better as leftovers, too!

Re: Charlies snow day....I would be tense with the prospect of a snow day with my two crazies angels. Either one to be home alone with would be lovely, but both? It is serious bouncing off the walls. Constant. I wich they could have got more of my *sitting around* genes and less of my lovely other's *can't sit still* genes.....

12. (4th non-picture book of the year) The Windy Hill by Cornelia Meigs (Newbery Honor list, 147 pages) - 9/10 = A
The story of two children who go to spend the summer with with older cousin, who seems not at all his usual happy self, and the adventures they have in trying to figure out what's wrong. Much in the vein of The Secret Garden, although on a smaller scale. Very enjoyable.

13. (5th non-picture book) Tantra in Tibet by H. H. the Dalai Lama (Buddhist reading list, 219 pages) - 8/10 = B
This one was a bit over my head, I must admit, but I enjoyed the parts that I did understand.

14. The Magic Nesting Doll by Jacqueline K. Ogburn (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A
A gorgeously-illustrated fairy tale about a young woman with a magic matryoshka, with the help of which she saves a prince from an evil spell. Many thanks to Linda for recommending this one - Charlie and I both loved it!

Also read today:
-My Teacher Is a Monster
-Mickey and Friends (another from the Disney beginning readers pack)
-Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
-Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
-The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!
-Castle

>106 LovingLit: Megan: Ha! Charlie's never been a rowdy kid, so there was no worries on that front today. Sweetest thing he said today, this morning over our French Toast breakfast: "Mommy, I really like school, but I also like staying home with you sometimes." Cue heart melting...

I am finally here and dropping a star!

>55 cbl_tn: Yes, definitely the movie of The Scarlet Pimpernel outshines the book.

For me, the movie that came to mind for the bonus question was The Devil Wears Prada. I saw the movie and then tried to read the book but didn't get very far. It was the acting that brought that story to life.

Such sweet pictures up top, Amber!

Totally agree that the film adaptation of The Princess Bride was a thousand times better than the book. Also agree that the BBC production of The Scarlet Pimpernel (with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour) was better than the book. However, I loved both the novel and the film The Enchanted April pretty much equally though for slightly different reasons.

I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy about a dozen times before I saw the films, and, though I agree that it is a masterpiece of literature and epic fantasy, I love the films (extended versions) too, even though some really good parts are left out (or the films would have been 12 hours each rather than three).

>109 AuntieClio: Hi, Stephanie!!

>110 Familyhistorian: >55 cbl_tn: Oops - how did I miss you up there, Carrie?! Apologies! Alas, another book/movie combo that I've not read/seen Meg: I may read the book someday but I have no desire to see the Prada movie - I really don't like the gal in that one...what's her name...? The Princess Diaries girl?

>111 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary! I feel like I've read Enchanted April, but maybe not...
Also, part of me thinks that all book series being made into movies should just be handed over to HBO for a mini series. That way they can take their time and get all the details in, plus HBO's productions are always pretty top notch, it seems. I love the Harry Potter films, but just think of what else they could have done with the books had HBO been in charge...

>103 scaifea: Agree with the border collie genius! We had one and by the time she was about five, our language had had to adapt an awful lot to work our way round various things.

On the agenda for today:

As long as Charlie has school today (I haven't heard anything to the contrary just yet), I'll take him there, come back home for some treadmilling, a bit of cleaning, and then get ready to go back into school this afternoon for my library volunteering. Tomm gets home this evening, but not in time for dinner, so I think Charlie and I may go out for Chinese...

On the reading front: I finished up a couple of books yesterday afternoon while Charlie was playing on his own (see >107 scaifea: above) and then started in on Pierre and Jean last night, which I'm already enjoying a great deal. The story pulled me right in from the beginning and I think this slim novel is likely to pack a big punch...

The calendar book for the day holds no real interest for me (I've never really been an Elvis fan - I'm more of a Jerry Lee Lewis kind of gal): Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick.

>113 lunacat: Jenny: I know, right?! I love Border Collies, and although I'm excited at the prospect of having a new puppy in the house this summer, I'm wondering what sort of adjustments having a Golden Retriever is going to take - I'm going to expect it to be as smart and well-behaved as our Tuppence and I think I may be disappointed in that respect... Ha!

Bonus Question answer for me is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I read the book a couple of years ago, but I grew up on the movie. It is my favorite to this day.

You and Charlie have a great day, Amber!

>115 scaifea: Golden Retrievers are among my favourite dog breeds so you're in for a treat! Are you getting a long or short hair?

My dream dog is a Newfoundland but I'll never have the money or space for one, so GR's come a close second, and are more practical. But definitely not on the same intelligence level as Borders, so you could well be in for some difficulties at the start. I don't think it's that they're less intelligent as such, more that it's a completely different kind of thinking. After all, they were bred for different jobs so it makes sense.

Something I discovered from being round both breeds is that GR's are much more food orientated than a lot of Borders, although of course each individual is different. Our Border was very human focused and wanted to be doing stuff for us all the time, whereas GR's are a bit more laid back with sudden bursts of madness when they lose their brain cells, and train well with treats.

>116 alcottacre: Stasia: Agreed!

>117 lunacat: Jenny: We decided on a Golden Retriever because we're getting it as a dog for Charlie and they seem to be fantastic pets for children. I'd like a long hair, but we'll see what we can find, breeder-wise, around here. My dream is someday to move back out to the countryside (or just a bit farther out from town) so that we can have a couple of acres again, room enough for more dogs - in addition to always having a border collie (and likely always a golden, too - I'm certain that we'll all fall in love with the breed), I want a Jack Russell, a Wire Fox Terrier, an Irish Terrier, and an Irish Wolf Hound. I kinda like dogs. Ha!

>103 scaifea: *head-desk*

Morning Amber! Chicago schools are closed again today, with a smattering of suburban ones. I think we are getting wimpy. I do not remember having any snow/cold days, when I was in school. And I walked!!
Last Train to Memphis is an outstanding bio. One of the best I have read. The 2nd volume was weaker but this one is the BOMB!

ETA: Jerry Lee Lewis has a new bio out too, that looks excellent.

>119 scvlad: Ha! Sorry, Steve...

>120 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'm a little surprised that our schools aren't closed again today. And I'll have to keep an eye out for that Jerry Lee Lewis biography!

ETA: I just found out that Charlie's schools are on a 2-hour delay this morning...

*drive by wave and awwww at how cute your son is*

>122 BekkaJo: Morning, Bekka!

>118 scaifea: They are indeed brilliant dogs for children. Just the right balance of ridiculous energy and enthusiasm, as well as being very kind, gentle and laid back.

My favourite retriever was one we had at the riding-school I worked at, who was surrounded by kids a lot, and often all day during the school holidays, and he never put a foot wrong. Such a darling.

And they are the best to snuggle as well :)

I missed the announcement of a new dog coming to Scaife Manor. I'm so excited! You'll have so much fun. We have labs, not a golden, but both are wonderful family dogs.

>118 scaifea: I'm the same way about dogs -- I'd love to live out in the country and have a big pack of them. There's my Sophie, the best mutt ever, and I'd love to rescue more shelter dogs, and I grew up with Springer Spaniels, so one of those, please, and I've always wanted big dogs, so a St. Bernard and a Great Dane, and Irish Setters are just beautiful . . . I may have mentioned this on your thread before when this topic came up, but as a child I used to look through books of dog breeds and make lists of all the ones I wanted.

>124 lunacat: Jenny: Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to the cuddling! Tuppence will allow cuddles, but she mostly just endures them, I'm afraid. She's definitely a working class dog - ha!

>125 lauralkeet: Laura: Yep, we think Charlie's at the right age to have his own dog - we feel that all kids should own a dog - and to learn the responsibilities involved in caring for his own pet. But, of course, Tomm and I are pretty excited about having another dog in the house, too. Tuppence? Well, we'll see how she likes it...

>126 foggidawn: foggi: Yep, I'd rescue All The Dogs, too, if I could.

And now they've decided to cancel school entirely again today. It means another whole day with my favorite 6-year-old, so I'm okay with that.

Oooh... I missed the earlier puppy announcement. How wonderful, a puppy for Charlie! :)))
Yes, retrievers are perfect family dogs. Looking forward to all the future pictures.

A new pup for Charlie - bet he's a happy boy! They canceled school here. For us that means our daughter doesn't have to go to work, and she gets to spend time with her favorite furry companion.

I was thinking of you with the children's books - have you read the "silent" Journey and Quest by Aaron Becker? Beautifully done.

>128 Deern: We're all pretty excited, Natalie! We're hoping to find a breeder that will have puppies sometime in early summer.

>129 jnwelch: Joe: I *love* Journey, and so does Charlie! I haven't managed to get my hands on Quest yet, but it's most definitely on the list.

We had a Golden Retriever as kids (Goldie was the fellows name). Great dog but absolutely sex mad. Completely uncontrollable- with all the lady mutts of the village there were a lot of dogs in our little part of West Yorkshire that looked a heck of lot like him.

>131 PaulCranswick: Paul: Ha! Well, I suspect we'll have that taken care of early on...

I have limited experience with dogs as my family has been rabbits-and-cats oriented since I was 2 years old, but all the Golden Retrievers (all the retrievers, period, really) I've met have been fantastic dogs. Aways friendly, kind, calm and caring. Very smart too. One of our neighbours has had Goldens for twenty years and they're the best dogs in the neighbourhood. I think the only dogs I've known that have been in the same range of sweet as those have been my other neighbours' Samoyed, my friend's mixed-breed (mongrel) and our own Beagle - and they were all very old when I met them.
Larger dog breed are better with kids, I think (not that smaller ones can't be good too).

>133 PawsforThought: In general I'm not a fan of small dogs, so myownself, I mean. I've never had a golden retriever, but like you, I've loved every single one of them that I've met.

Growing up, we had two dogs (brothers) that were a golden retriever/black lab mix. Wonderful dogs. I am partial to labs, with goldens a close second. They have similar personality types, I think. Our dog, Louis, who is mostly black lab, just wants to be everyone's friend and is great with kids, even though he's not around them much.

Also, I predict photos of Charlie with new puppy wil be A-DOR-A-BLE!!

Ah, labs are wonderful. We had small dogs when I was a small child. As an adult, my first dog was a lab mix, and so is my current darling, a lab - pit bull mix, Milo.

Such sweet pictures!

Movies that are better than the books HHMMM I rarely watch movies of books I read because of the obvious disappointment but 2 movies that I liked better than the books (and the books were great) are The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. When I read I see the action in my head like a movie. My problems with movies are that they cast differently than I see the character and usually the book is changed.

>135 katiekrug: Katie: Oooh, I hadn't thought about the cute factor of Charlie + puppy... Ha!

>136 markon: Ardene: Oh, what a cutie Milo is! And I love that name for a dog. Charlie has already decided that regardless of gender he puppy will be named Mario.

>137 cal8769: I haven't seen The Green Mile but I have both read and watched Shawshank and I love both versions very much, I have to say.

I have to add a cute story about Border Collies. My friend has three children and a Border Collie and she always laughs when the kids are out playing because as they run around the yard the Collie will 'herd' them. She said it's amazing to watch her do it and the kids never know. LOL

>135 katiekrug: Yeah, I think all retrievers are fairly similar in personality.

>139 cal8769: Carrie: My mom had a border collie when my brothers were little and she tells the story of how my third brother learned to walk *very* late because every time he stood up and tried to walk, the dog would gently tug on his clothing to make him sit back down. Tuppence has some pretty strong herding instincts, too: whenever the the phone rings or someone knocks on the door, she immediately jumps up, runs all round the house to make sure she know where all of us are, then goes to sit next to the phone/door, as if to say, "Okay, you can answer that now, I'm ready." Ha!

>141 scaifea: I had the opposite experience with out beagle. I was a fairly quick learner, partly because being a beagle she was the perfect size for a real-life walker so I'd use her as support. My brother did something similar, but mostly for pulling himself up from a seated position (this must have tugged quite painfully at her fur but she never once let it show). She'd "babysit" us when we were out in the garden or on the cul-de-sac soo (no cars allowed), too. She was basically Nanny from Peter Pan.

As a family that has recently gone through the introduction of a puppy into the household, I thought I would provide a word of caution. I overestimated the hassle that potty training would be and massively underestimated the problem with biting. We were well stocked on chew toys but it took quite awhile for Pele to figure out that he could not bite when he was playing. To clarify, he never bit anyone to hurt them or with much force but he was (and still is to some extent) very nippy. This was a real problem with the younger kids. While my youngest is much younger than Charlie, the older kids had trouble with it too.

Even with obedience training (2x) and regular efforts to wear him out with exercise, the biting was a problem. I will say that he has mellowed over the past couple of months. He still destroys objects (usually toys) on a regular basis but he is a lot less nippy with the kids than he was. I will also say this became a real issue for me - I did not do well seeing my kids crying after he bit them even if it was his form of play. He has grown (55 pounds now) into a much better dog but there were some times over the summer where I would have returned him if my wife had agreed.

I am not sure we will get a puppy again.

>111 Storeetllr:, >112 scaifea: Oh, yes! Totally agree that a series done by HBO would be a million times better than a film which must, by necessity, cut out parts that usually make the books for me.

ETA that I'm campaigning to get a dog. My sister is a bit resistant, though she wants one, because our landlady said "no dogs" and it's written into the lease, but the prior tenants had dogs, as evidenced by the ruined carpets and chewed up wood banister, but I told her it couldn't hurt to ask. It would cost us (me) a nonrefundable deposit of, I think, $250, but small price to pay. Well, we'll see. No puppies, though. Only a rescue dog from the pound for me. Too many older dogs abandoned by (or, in the case of neglect and abuse, taken away from) previous owners. And rescued dogs, unless too damaged by prior abuse, are usually so grateful to be taken into a loving home, you can't beat them for willingness to obey the rules (and not chew up the furniture or bite hands).

Oooh - a puppy!!

>142 PawsforThought: Paws: Aw, sweet.

>143 Oberon: Erik: I still remember well enough having Tuppence as a puppy and the hassle of potty training and such, but still think it a requirement of childhood to have one's own dog and so will endure. Tomm's parents recently got a puppy, which they oh-so-thoughfully brought with them on their last visit without asking if it was okay to do so (typical), and so Charlie already has knowledge of how bite-y a puppy can be. I suspect, though, that it's even more of a problem with labs, which is what they have and what looks like you have from the photo - it makes sense knowing what the breed was, well, bred for (they need to figure out how sensitively to hold things in their mouths and such). And we didn't have nearly the trouble with biting (mouthing, really) and chewing with Tuppence that they're having with their lab. In short, yes, I know, but I'm not concerned.

>144 Storeetllr: Good luck, Mary! I hope you win out and a rescue dog is in your future!

>145 SuziQoregon: Juli: I know, right?!

Peppa, my black and white cat, loves this home-made fish shaped catnip toy I made. She fetches it. I'm not sure if it's the phrase or the sing-song way I say it, but she seems to know I'm initiating the game when I go " fishy-fishy-fishy-fetch!" I toss the toy on the word "fetch" and I vary how long I drag out the "fishy" part. She also answers when called on a regular basis and often follows me around. We joke about her being a dog, which might explain why she seems to get along better with the dog than the other cats.

Sadly, she will soon lose her dog friend to cancer. We are trying to find a collie through a rescue place, since my mom has always wanted a collie. (She grew up watching "Lassie", after all.). Unfortunately there just aren't a lot of collies in our hunting-hound area. We do have some shelters looking for us so hopefully we won't be without a dog for long. I have no practical preferences of dog breeds for our area and lifestyle so if Peppa likes the next dog and the next dog likes cats, I'm good with it.

>147 CassieBash: Cassie: Cute story about your cat, and I'm sorry to hear about your dog. It's the hardest part of being a pet owner - I had to say goodbye to Susie, my 16-year-old cat, this fall. Best of luck finding a new friend for Peppa.

15. (6th non-picture book) The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman (Gaiman bibliography, 74 pages) - 9/10 = A
A man small in stature but big in mysterious abilities sets out with a guide to find the Misty Island and a cave, which some believe to house untold wealth in gold. But there's a price to be paid for the gold and the man seeking the cave isn't the only one with secrets...
This is Neil being Neil and I'm very okay with that. Folktales and legends and fairylands mixed together with convincingly real characters, motivations and emotions. Long live proper storytelling and Long Live Gaiman!

I heard that there was dog conversation going on over here. Had to come see if there are photos.
>143 Oberon: made me just about faint from the cuteness.
We only have Abby, now, aka the OC (Only Cat). I have fantasies about a puppy but my current schedule would not be good for a puppy. Maybe someday.

Hi Amber! I see that your threads are off to their breakneck pace again this year. :-)

The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains -- what a great title. And it sounds like a fun, short read. I'm kind of warming up to Gaiman.

>150 EBT1002: Ellen: I haven't posted any Tuppence photos this year yet - let's fix that, shall we?

Tuppence in the snow, back when we lived in Ohio:

Also Read Today (Charlie and I didn't read any new-to-us books today)
-Castle
-Cool Robots

>151 scaifea: That's a prize winner! Looks like she's emerging full-blown from the snow.

Oh! I LOVE that photo of Tuppence! And Erik's dog is super cute also. I am very excited about the puppy talk. A puppy!

Tuppence is adorable!!

I loved all the Borrowers books, but then I read them when I was 12, between 6th and 7th grade. I thought Arietty was a good adaptation of the first couple of books.

Howl's Moving Castle movie and book really didn't follow the same plot. Howl was more heartless in the book and the other characters were different. The movie was great and the book was good--so I guess I liked the movie better!

My daughter is dog shopping. Not sure where she got the idea that she could have a dog... but she's looking at boxers. I can't explain it, I just don't like boxers.
I wouldn't mind having a dog. I think it's a really vital part of childhood to have a dog if you can. That said, NO way will I do a puppy. As I told my kids, I've house trained you three puppies and I'm not doing it again. I think I would like to see about adopting a greyhound or another rescued animal.

>151 scaifea: Made me laugh! Not sure if she's half buried in snow or that's just the angle, but the look in her eyes: "Hey! What the...?!? You gonna get me out of here or what?"

>156 jjvors: I felt the opposite way about Howl's Moving Castle -- love the book, like the movie. But I loved the book before the movie came out, which might have something to do with my feelings toward the movie.

>153 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda - we liked it, too, and used it as our Christmas card that year.

>154 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Puppies are pretty exciting, aren't they?

>155 CassieBash: Cassie: Thanks! We sure think so.

>156 jjvors: Jeff: I've only read the first in the series and have no real desire to seek out the rest. I wonder if I would have liked it more had I read it as a kid (I read it just a couple of years ago). I haven't seen the movie, but I suspect that I'd like it much more than the book.

>157 nittnut: Jenn: Yeah, I don't mind house training puppies, as long as they're a smart breed, like Tuppence.

>158 Storeetllr: Mary: It's just the angle - I was looking straight down at her when I took the photo.

>159 foggidawn: foggi: I'm pretty sure that I'm in a minority about not liking the book. Did you read it as a kid?

On the agenda for today:

Well, I'm waiting to see if there's a delay or cancellation again today for school, but if not, I'll take Charlie to school then do the grocery shopping for the week, then head back into school to volunteer. If school is canceled, I'll still do the grocery shopping since Tomm is working from home today and Charlie can stay with him, and then maybe finally get into the sewing room? Maybe? Mini Hamburgers for dinner tonight, I think, if I can find some tasty looking dinner rolls on which to serve them...

On the reading front:
I tore through The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains yesterday afternoon (see >149 scaifea: above) and then (finally!!) started in on The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter in the evening, and it drew me right in from the start. Fascinating characters carefully and quietly drawn. I'm 1/4 in and I'm hooked.

The calendar book today sounds pretty interesting - a "family memoir" that "is as gripping as a mystery novel," about a father found dead on a Chicago street and the son, years later, trying to solve the mystery of his death: After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story by Michael Hainey. Anyone read this one?

Happy Friday, Amber! I work tomorrow but I am happy for everyone else. Nancy from Milwaukee, gave me a copy of After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story and it still sits on shelf, unloved and unread. It sounds so good.

>160 scaifea: No, I discovered Diana Wynne Jones in my 20's, and she quickly became one of my favorite authors.

>162 msf59: Mark: Hop to it and read that one, please, so I'll know whether to get it or not. Ha!

>163 foggidawn: foggi: I don't know why I didn't warm to The Borrowers; maybe I should give her another try...

Good Morning, Amber! Dinner sounds good - my kids love to have sliders; it's one of their favorite things. I have heard of today's calendar book, but I have not read it. I saw the author interviewed on a morning show when the book was first coming out, and I was appalled that they gave the entire mystery of the book away right there in the interview!

Hoping that your Friday is full of fabulous!

>165 Crazymamie: Mamie: Wha?! Gave it away?! Dang.

I know, right?! I bet his publisher and his agent were not happy!

Happy Friday, Amber! No school here! I'm bummed, they've only had one day of second semester since winter break. With an AP history class, that means lots to make up. Our highschool and middle school use block scheduling so that's 80 minutes a day of info. Oh well, it all works out!
Congrats on the PUPPY!!

>151 scaifea: Ha! Wonderful photo of Tuppence, Amber.

I thought Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains was pretty good. Jeez, Gaiman sure has variety in his writing life, doesn't he? It must be a lot of fun.

>168 Carmenere: Lynda: Charlie *does* have school today, as it turns out, and I've been grocery shopping and back again already! WooHoo! I understand the frustration on the teaching end of missed days - I've been there before!

>169 jnwelch: Joe: I can't remember: Have you read Fortunately, the Milk yet? I remember thinking after the last page of that one, "Boy, I bet he's an awesome dad."

I'll live vicariously through your adventures with a puppy. My 2 boys are fearful of anything with fur that moves towards them so no puppy for us in the near future. And I would never get them gerbils or hamsters and such because they remind me too much of a close relation that makes me want to squeal and jump on a table. I guess fish? Name it Moby Dick and call it a day. :)

>171 jolerie: Valerie: I feel the same way about hamsters and gerbils and such, but I also really don't like fish...

>170 scaifea: I did read and enjoy Fortunately, the Milk, Amber. I bet he is an awesome dad. Think of being the lucky kid he reads to at night! He is so good on audio. I wonder whether he makes up stories for his kids? I used to do that with ours.

>173 Samantha_kathy: Samantha: *takes a deep breath and tries not to cry* No, really, it's fine that you don't like Neil... Really, I'll be okay...

*snork!*

>174 jnwelch: Joe: I think I read that that was the origin of Fortunately, the Milk - made up on a whim for the kids - but I could be mis-remembering.

>150 EBT1002: the cuteness is an excellent defense mechanism. Toddlers have the same thing.

>171 jolerie: Frogs. My son has frogs, African water frogs I think. They came in a kit where you watch them grow from tadpoles. My son enjoys them and my littlest goes into his room every morning to check on the froggies.

>176 Samantha_kathy: Samantha: Well, okay then... Ha!

>177 Oberon: Erik: Ohhellno. No frogs in this house. Nevernevernever.

>171 jolerie: Maybe a bunny or a guinea-pig would be a good pet? They are furry but are big enough to not be mouse like, but small and easy to keep. We have a guinea-pig in the living-room. I desperately want a giant house-bunny but my housemate/best friend says we have enough pets..........she might be right with 5 cats and a guinea-pig in the house.

I also want an axolotl, just because of their smiles.

A friend of mine had giant snails as a child because her sister was allergic to furry creatures.

>179 lunacat: Jenny: Oh, gross!! I do NOT like the looks of that thing!

>180 jnwelch: Joe: Sing it, Brother Joe!

Aww, sorry. Want me to remove him?

>178 scaifea: Anti-frog? Pretty benign, low maintenance creatures. Kids, especially boys, love lizards, turtles and frogs. But each to his or her own.

>164 scaifea: Wait, I'm confused -- I thought we were talking about Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, not The Borrowers by Mary Norton. I've never been a big fan of the latter, though I think I read some of them as a kid. I'd agree that The Secret World of Arietty (the anime version of The Borrowers) is better than the book, but I do not think that the anime version of Howl's Moving Castle is better than the book.

>182 lunacat: Jenny: Would it be weird if I said yes, please? I have a bit of a phobia. It's not as full-blown as my snake fears, but it's significant enough that the picture makes me jittery.

>183 Oberon: Erik: See my comment to Jenny, above. Kids also love puppies, so there. Ha!

>184 foggidawn: foggi: I think we've been talking about both, off and on, here. Sorry for the confusion. I've not seen or read Howl's Moving Castle.

Don't you have to feed the frogs flies???
I don't think I could do that. Bugs? No thanks.....

I always wanted a turtle.

>185 scaifea: Until they get bit by said puppy. :)

>187 jolerie: Nope, frog food. Little pellet things. I think there are frogs that you can feed crickets to and that sort of thing but these you just by floating frog food. Pretty easy.

I had turtles when I was a kid (as well as dogs and cats). We caught those little fellers from the ponds and swamps. And sometimes we got them from Woolworth's or somewhere. Nowadays they warn you against them, because they carry salmonella. To make that worse, we fed them raw hamburger. Nobody in my generation should be alive today, I swear.

>190 laytonwoman3rd: So true! We had turtles too, box turtles (or maybe they were tortoises), to whom my mom fed raw hamburger too, along with lettuce. Poor babies, it's a wonder they survived for as long as they did.

>190 laytonwoman3rd: >191 Storeetllr: How did they survive at all?

Happy Friday Amber!

>187 jolerie: Valerie: No, I couldn't do that, either.

>188 katiekrug: Katie: What's stopping you? Go on, lady, get yourself a turtle!

>189 Oberon: Erik: What kind of dog are you raising?! Sheesh.

>190 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: *snork!* Also, EWWWW. I'm not a fan of turtles. Or anything remotely reptilian-like. *Shudders*

>191 Storeetllr: Mary: Again I say, EWWWW!

>192 PawsforThought: Paws: At the risk of sounding harsh, I don't care. Ha!

>193 SuziQoregon: Juli: Well, it *was* pretty happy, until all of this Animals That Haunt My Nightmares talk invaded my thread... *sigh*

>194 scaifea: A cute but highly problematic one.

>195 Oberon: *snork!* Best of luck with that.

A puppy! How fun!

As for movies, I liked Gone Girl better as a movie than as a book. I am sure that's debatable though.

>78 jnwelch: Hooray for A River Runs through It. One of my favorite books. And I got to hear Maclean read from it when I was in college. I did see the movie, but it didn't ruin the book for me, because it was just different.

Describe yourself: Forever Amber

Describe how you feel: Today I Will Fly!

Describe where you currently live: The Einstein Intersection

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: All the Way to Lhasa

Your favorite form of transportation: The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

Your best friend is: One Cool Friend

You and your friends are: A River of Words

What’s the weather like: It Could Always Be Worse

You fear: When I Grow Up

What is the best advice you have to give: Paddle Your Own Canoe

Thought for the day: Should I Share My Ice Cream?

How I would like to die: Singing to the Sun

My soul’s present condition: Spark

>197 banjo123: Rhonda: I have Gone Girl on my shelves but haven't read it yet and I haven't seen the movie either. I need to fix that (the book part) soon...

16. Clarice Bean, That's Me by Lauren Child (1001 Children's Books list, picture book) - 7/10 = C
I don't really know why, but I'm just not really a fan of Child's books. *shrugs*

17. We All Sleep by D. J. Panec (Charlie's school library book, easy reader) - 8/10 = B+
There's not much in the way of content here, but the idea behind this series is neat: For each page, the left side is meant to be read by an adult and the right side by a child just starting to read, so you can truly read a book 'together.' Charlie loved the idea when he discovered these books in the school library and was very excited to bring it home and read it with me.

>116 alcottacre: we saw the Wizard of Oz on telly a while ago now, and Wilbur loved it. I did too! I cant see the book living up to the film.

Amber, I love your 198 meme. I've seen around, but I've not got any brilliant ideas for myself. Forever Amber works well! And you are so optimistic, with the weather " It Could Always Be Worse." We've had so much rain and overcast skies I am quite weary of it all!

What a cute puppy! Our girl Poppy the now 18 month old " puppy " has certainly been a handful for me and my husband! :)

Forever Amber! *snork*

>201 LovingLit: Megan: It doesn't, really, at least not to my way of thinking.

>202 vancouverdeb: Ha! Thanks, Deborah! We've had a bit more than rain here lately, but now that Tomm's back home and has shoveled the driveway I say, Bring it On!

>203 Storeetllr: Mary: Too bad the book was atrocious, eh? *sigh*

Forever Amber was one of my mom's favorite novels. When I was pre-teen, I had gotten the idea that it had sexy bits in it, so I snuck it from the bookcase to read. I remember putting it back unread because I just could not seem to get into it and felt that, however sexy the bits were, it just wasn't worth it. (This was back in the 50s, when censorship was in its heyday.)

Ooh, I managed to miss this thread for a few days, and it's nearly full already! But evening Amber, and may you have a good weekend.

For the bonus question, my first thought was The Princess Bride as well - I'd watched the movie quite a lot before I realised a few years later that there was a book. And the book just made me squirm with discomfort at the antics of the narrator. Others that get a mention are Chocolat and He Died With A Felafel In His Hand - the latter of which I'll be surprised if anyone else in the thread has read (ok, maybe if there are some other Australians lurking, but still, not super likely).

Wonderful top photo with Charlie and your dad.

I also love your book piles. They are nice to browse when I come to your thread. I was about to comment on the Evelyn Waugh cover but then we are suddenly deep down in thread two and it seems ages ago. Ah, well, new day, old news :)

>151 scaifea: Adorable Tuppence!!!!!

Amber a fly past wishing of great weekend before you're done with this one already.

Amber, I wish you afabulous weekend.

>205 Storeetllr: Mary: I read it because it's on my Banned Books list, and of course it's on that list for sexual content, but yeah, it's not all that racy these days. It's also not good. Ha!

>206 evilmoose: Hi, Megan! I *love* the movie version of Chocolat but haven't read the book. I like the story in the movie okay, but let's be honest - the real attraction of the movie, for me at least, has nothing to do with plot... *dreamy sigh* (And no, that sigh isn't about chocolate, either.)

>207 ctpress: Hi, Carsten! I'm so glad that you like the book photos! The first one is always a snapshot of a small section of my shelves - I'm working my way round all of them - and the second photo is of what I'm currently reading. What did you want to comment on the Waugh cover? I'd love to hear your thoughts. No worries how long ago the original conversation was!

>208 EBT1002: Ellen: I know, right?! We love her to bits.

>209 PaulCranswick: Lovely to see you Paul! Hugs all round to you and your family.

>210 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! What an adorable - and timely - picture!

On the agenda for today:

For the most part we'll be having a quiet day at home, and I'm looking forward to it. This morning, Tomm and Charlie have a date with their Legos, apparently, and I plan on lazing round in my pajamas and a cuppa and making the thread rounds. This afternoon Charlie is going to a Sock Hop at the public library and we're both pretty excited about it (he's excited because he loves these dance parties (he's been to them before) and I'm excited because it means 30 extra minutes of uninterrupted reading time at the library - ha!). I also need to find some time to go through the bills and organize the last week's worth of photos from the camera. And laundry. And maybe some time in the sewing room? Maybe?
I'm trying a new recipe for dinner: Pork and Lentil Soup. We'll see how it goes.

On the reading front:
I started The Remains of the Day yesterday for Paul's BAC, and am very much enjoying it so far, although for some reason I'm nervous that I'm going to get my heart broken with this one. The main character seems so fragile in certain ways, and I want to protect him, somehow... I've seen the movie, but it's been so long ago that I really don't remember much about it, other than Emma Thompson being amazing, as usual, in it...

The book calendar offers up a trivia question for the weekend: "What does the 'J. K.' stand for in 'J. K. Rowling'?

>3 scaifea: I am a bit torn here as I have never preferred a movie over a book. Still, I loved reading Dracula and have read it 3 or 4 times over the years. But I adored Coppola's movie for the visual richness and story flow. He kept quite a bit of the letters/journal aspect which I enjoyed. The addition of the victorian/decadent/art nouveau visual excess was wonderful, and added a new dimension for me.

>212 scaifea: Ooo, The Remains of the Day is so good. It is a bit heartbreaky, but soooo good.

Trivia: The "J" is "Joanne" or "Jo." I think the "K" is not actually part of her name but was added in order to give her a second initial. But she took it from her grandmother's name, maybe? I wanna say "Katherine."

Joanne, and nothing, really. She chose the K as a second initial when her publisher suggested she not use her real name on her books in case boys wouldn't want to read them if they knew she was a woman! The "K" is actually for Kathleen, who was one of her grandmothers. (I used to work with a total Harry Potter fanatic; she listened to the books on her ipod all day long, in a continuous loop.)

>214 lycomayflower: Snap!

>216 laytonwoman3rd: Jinx!

>217 lycomayflower: You owe me a Coke! Oh...HI, Amber...is this your thread?

>213 0wllight: Hi, Judith! Is the Coppola version the one with Gary Oldman? Because I love him. Love. Him.

>214 lycomayflower: Laura: Well, you win half a chicken dinner; your momma's got it right with "Kathleen" instead of "Katherine."

>215 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: DINGDINGDING! Winnerwinner of the full chickendinner!

>216 laytonwoman3rd: - >218 laytonwoman3rd: *snork!* Don't mind me - I enjoy these banterings between you two.

>219 scaifea: Yes, that's the one! I love him, too. I thought his work in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was simply grand.

Swooping in to say happy weekend, Amber! The sock hop sounds super!

>220 0wllight: Judith: Yep, I've loved him in every movie I've seen him in. He's a great actor (and it doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous).

>221 Carmenere: Lynda: Charlie *loves* these events, and I think it's wonderful that the library puts them on in the winter specifically, to help the little ones burn off some cooped-up-in-the-house energy!

Okay. I am no longer scared to be here because I am all caught up. And that should last about 10 minutes and then I will be scared again! LOL. Have fun at the sock hop. ; )

Hi Amber!
Sounds like you and Charlie are having a good start to your new year! Love the photos of you and Charlie with your dad!

That's very exciting that Charlie will be getting a puppy this year! We loved having Jackson and Tempe from puppy stage. The cuteness is (usually) worth the work that a new puppy brings. Both our beasts have been wonderful with Chloe as well! Jackson follows her around now and constantly wants to lick her hands because he knows she is a wonderful source of food stuffs! Now that she is eating solids she likes to drop food down to him and he knows that once she is in her high chair he will get something yummy dropped on his head!

>223 Berly: Kim: *snork!* Charlie had lots of fun at the sock hop and I got some good reading time in, too!

>224 ChelleBearss: Chelle: Ha! When Charlie was in the eating-in-the-high-chair phase, Tuppence would come running from wherever she was in the house when she heard the sounds of him being strapped in, knowing treats would quickly appear on the floor!

I'm not making it through 225 posts, but the photo of Charlie and your dad is absolutely charming.

Happy new year!

>226 London_StJ: Hi, Luxx!

Am completely behind on this thread, but without a doubt the movie made of The Princess Bride was, I thought, far superior to the book.
And while the picture of your dad and Charlie is sweet I love the one of you with your dad. He looks so absolutely loving and charmed by you. I bet he's a great dad.

Just popping in to say Howdy!

>228 Fourpawz2: Charlotte: You're in good company here in your Princess Bride thoughts! And thanks for your kind words about the photos - he is indeed the Best Dad Ever.

>229 luvamystery65: Howdy, Roberta!

18. (7th non-picture book) Choose Your Own Adventure: Dragons! by Jim Razzi (CYOA list) - 8/10 = B+
One of the better in the series. Not much to these, but I'm nostalgic for them and they're fun.

19. (8th non-picture book) The Wonder Smith and His Son by ELla Young (Newbery Honor list, 142 pages) - 7/10 = C
A re-telling of some Celtic folktales.
Some of you may recall that I very much love folktales, fairy tales, and mythologies of all kinds, so I was excited to read this one. But, whoa. Yeesh. Terribly written. Just awful. And that's too bad, because I think the stories may be good (the writing was so atrocious that I couldn't even tell). Will definitely *not* be reading any more stuff of Young's. Ptooey.

20. Sports for Sprouts: Dance by Holly Karapetkova (public library book, easy reader) - 8/10 = B
Charlie picked this one out at the library today - the children's librarian had a whole table full of books on dance for the kids to check out after the sock hop. This is a easy reader that Charlie read to Tomm and me, with minimal help.

Also Read Today:
-My Fuzzy Valentine

Hi Amber, I thought you had some great book answers to the meme that is making the rounds. Forever Amber...now there's a trip down Memory Lane!

When does Charlie get his puppy? I can't wait to hear the stories! He is the perfect age. Haley got a fish (Beta) for Christmas. She loves her Peachy! And it's still alive!

>232 Donna828: Donna: We'll be getting a puppy sometime this summer coming summer! Betas are good starter fish, I think - pretty hardy things. How fun for Haley!

On the agenda for today:

We're all up and French Toasted, although not all entirely dressed just yet. After some lounging round the house this morning, we'll be heading to Dubuque to look for storage solutions for our board games, which Charlie and I started reorganizing last week (they were in teetering stacks in one corner of the living room and that unholy mess was driving me bonkers). I looked for some ideas online and discovered that some people just get rid of the boxes and use plastic bins, label makers and ziplock bags to organize and store them, which takes up much less space! Charlie and I got rid of the boxes and sorted everything into ziplock bags already and now we need to find the right storage units for them. I'm excited! Then, before coming home, we'll go out for lunch - Charlie has requested Panera and Tomm and I are absolutely fine with that. *grins* Leftover Pork and Lentil Soup for dinner (it turned out great last night!), and I think I'll make some baking powder biscuits to go along with it.

On the reading front: I finished a couple of books yesterday afternoon (see >231 scaifea: above) and then read a nice little chunk of Joss Whedon: The Biography, which I'm enjoying for the content despite the writing being not great...

Of all of the reactions to the Charlie Hebdo Awfulness, this is, not surprisingly, one of the best - Mr. Stephen Fry gets it right, again:

http://www.stephenfry.com/2015/01/10/you-must-mock/

Happy Sunday, Amber! Glad you are enjoying the Ishiguro. It is such a terrific book and still remains my favorite of his work.

>236 msf59: Morning, Mark! I don't know why, but I think that the Ishiguro and the McCullers make a nice pair; somehow the writing seems complementary - they're both quiet narratives in their own ways. Or something. *grins*

Here's the recipe from last night's soup, slightly modified from it's original, which can be found in 100 Soups from 1 Recipe (touchstone not working):

Ingredients:
• 8 oz. salt pork, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 potatoes, diced
• 2 ¼ cups lentils
• 8 ¾ cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• pepper, to taste

1. Cook salt pork over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven, stirring frequently, 8-10 minutes or until it has released most of its fat and is browned all over.
2. Remove pork from pan with slotted spoon and drain. Set aside.
3. Add oil to pan and heat.
4. Add potatoes and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in lentils and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
6. Pour in chicken broth and bay leaf, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 ½ hours or until lentils are very soft.
8. Stir in pork and season with pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.

The original recipe calls for 1 onion, chopped and 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, but I can't cook with those ingredients because of Tomm's dietary issues. If you want to include them, add them in with the potatoes in Step #4. It also calls for vegetable stock instead of chicken broth, but I prefer the latter.

*waving* at Amber - Happy Sunday!

>239 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia!

Checked out Robot Turtles yet? Probably more snow days ahead. Just saying! :)

That soup sounds good - I love lentils. Where does one get salt pork? Is it a butcher item, so in the meat case, or pre-packaged?

Katie=hopeless, but trying!

Happy Sunday Amber.

>241 alcottacre: Stasia: Not yet. I was thinking that if I can find it, I may order it for an Easter present...

>242 katiekrug: Katie: I love lentils, too! I bought the salt pork pre-packaged at the grocery store, but if you can't find it, thick-cut bacon would likely do fine.

>243 johnsimpson: Hi, John!

>244 scaifea: - Cool, thanks! I want to try that recipe!

>245 katiekrug: Katie: Let me know how you like it!

So, dumb question: do you put the lentils in dry or are they supposed to be cooked ahead of time?

>247 katiekrug: Katie: You put them in dry, but it's a good idea to rinse and drain them first.

Thanks!

Welcome!

I just made a lovely soup from Goya's 12 bean soup mix (nothing in it except the beans), cooked with a smoked ham hock. I was a bit surprised to find ham hocks in our Northeastern PA supermarket. To half the bag of beans I added 1/2 cup of rice, chopped carrot, onion &celery, bay leaves and a can of diced tomatoes, dried parsley, salt (yes, it DID need salt, oddly enough) and pepper. It's hearty and delicious. The best thing about winter is warming up with homemade soup.

Yummy!

Hi Amber! I am sure you are getting ready to start a new thread, but I wanted to chime in on your new puppy. I have had three golden retrievers in my life and my parents used to breed and sell them. They are wonderful family dogs and completely awesome with kids. That being said, please be careful to only get your puppy from a reputable breeder. Goldens are severely overbred and suffer from a myriad of health problems because of it. We lost our golden Hunter last September when he was only 10 years old, and he suffered from multiple health issues at that time. They can have serious skin allergies, and often get tumors pretty young. Also, be careful to work with with a breeder from a pet line rather than a field/hunting line. I am hearing that some dogs from the hunting lines are getting snippy.

Goldens are pretty smart and they definitely want to please their humans. We had one when I was a kid that could open the sliding door....when it was locked! On the other hand, our Hunter was not so smart...but he was awfully handsome and knew all the basic commands.

All this is only my opinion so take it for what it's worth!!

>251 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Thanks for the recipe! I have something similar in my soup arsenal and it's very tasty. We all love soups so much that I usually make some sort of soup every week. I made up a batch of baking powder biscuits to go along with the leftovers this evening, too. Yum.

>252 cal8769: Carrie: I know, right?! Love soups!

>253 Cobscook: Heidi: Thanks so much for the info - I appreciate it! I've been talking with our veterinarian (for recommendations on breeders) and been doing some searching online, too, because I know that these issues exist. If your family have any recommendations for breeders in this area, I'd love to have them!

Also Read Today:

Charlie and I didn't read any new books today, but we did finish this one from his shelves, which we've been working on for a couple of days now:
-Abraham Lincoln

Hello Dear Friend

I love the photos of you and your dad and Charlie and he. How very special!

The love in both simply radiates and shines through.

Hi Amber! Hope your plans for the day went well! Happy almost-over-weekend!

>235 scaifea: Thanks for posting that. I hadn't seen it, and agree that his mots are justes.

>238 scaifea: you lost me at salt pork. Seeing as I am unsure what that is. *sigh*

>254 scaifea: unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations for the Wisconsin area. Some friends of ours did get their golden from the Midwest, but they were specifically looking for a good hunting line. Not sure that would be important for you?

>244 scaifea: You can get the game through Amazon, Amber, if you do not have a friendly local game store that carries it: http://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-1900-Robot-Turtles/dp/B00HN2BXUY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=U...

>256 Whisper1: Linda: Thanks - I do love that photo of my dad and Charlie.

>257 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel! We did have a good weekend! I should take a photo of the new-and-much-improved game area of the living room and post it...

>258 swynn: Steve: Mr. Fry does always seem to know just what to say and exactly how to say it.

>259 LovingLit: Megan: I didn't know what it was either, to be honest, but it tastes like extra-salty bacon, which is why I told Katie that thick-cut bacon would very likely do just fine.

>260 Cobscook: Heidi: Nope, we won't be doing any hunting. Ha!

>261 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! No, we don't have any such game shop round these parts.

>262 scaifea: I do not have one either, Amber, so many of the games I buy are purchased over the Internet. My favorite web retailer for games is Cool Stuff Inc (www.coolstuffinc.com).

On the agenda for today:

Once I take Charlie to school I'll head back here for some treadmilling, a bit of cleaning, some book fair business and then - fingers crossed - I'll have time to get into the sewing room, which I *still* haven't done. Dang. Oh, and at some point I need to start a new thread... Bangers and Mash for dinner tonight, I think. And Charlie and I made some Butterscotch Bread yesterday afternoon; I'm having a slice for breakfast this morning and it's very tasty with my tea...

On the reading front: I started The Wizard in the Tree yesterday while Tomm was putting together the new shelves, and although I'm not enjoying it as much as I did The Black Cauldron series, it's still pretty good so far. I also read a few pages of Tropic of Cancer last night. Yeah. Not so much. *shrug* I'll keep at it, but I'm not hopeful that it'll get much better. Pretty sure I'm not a Miller fan...

The calendar book for today sounds like it might be a winner: Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes - a "Faulknerian debut novel" set in 1950's Mississippi with a cast of unique characters... Anyone read this one?

>263 alcottacre: Thanks for the link, Stasia!

>264 scaifea: I evidently own Mother of Pearl (LT says I do anyway), but I have not read it yet. I will have to see if I can find it.

>265 scaifea: No problem!

>266 alcottacre: Stasia: Ooh, let me know what you think of it if you find it (and then read it, of course)!

>267 scaifea: If I find it being the problem. I have no idea where it might be!

Morning Amber! Hope the week goes smoothly for you and let's hope the weather is kind. Fingers crossed...

>269 msf59: Fingers crossed, indeed, Mark. Is it June yet? *snork!*

The new thread is up!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/186437