Marie's 2016 Challenge (1)

Cartoon by Tom Gauld.

Welcome! My name is Marie and this is my seventh year with the 75ers. I'm in the last year of my twenties (!) and an academic librarian living in South Carolina with my active duty husband (Air Force). We belong to a tiny dog named Finn and a giant cat named Neko.

Previous Threads:

75 Books Challenge in 2010
75 Books Challenge in 2011
75 Books Challenge in 2012
75 Books Challenge in 2013
75 Books Challenge in 2014
75 Books Challenge in 2015

Books Read In 2016

January
1. Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich
2. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson
3. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
4. Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson
5. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
6. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad
7. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
8. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

February
9. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
10. The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson
11. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
12. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
13. Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen
14. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
15. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

March
16. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
17. The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
18. Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson
19. All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
20. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

April
21. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

May
22. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
23. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
24. The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
25. The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial by Peter Goodchild
26. John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger
27. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

June
28. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
29. The Train by Georges Simenon

2016 Challenges

President's Challenge:
1. Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow (2015)
2. First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis (2015)
3. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham (2015)
4. James Madison: The Founding Father by Robert Allen Rutland (2015)
5. The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger (2015)
6. John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger (May 2016)

*dusts off hands*

The husband and I just got back from a seven day Christmas cruise, so I'm finally feeling human again. I have a few more days off from work and then this coming Tuesday is my 29th birthday. Phew, the end of December/beginning of January is always a busy time for us.

Hope you all had a nice Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!

Alright, here we go 2016!

Hi Marie! Starred!

Welcome back!

Welcome to 2016! I've spent the day wrapping up the 2105 summaries on my thread there and setting up the new one. How was the cruise? What did you like best?

While I wait for 2016 to roll in...

Marie's 2015 Challenge

Books read: 80
Pages read: 25,116

Fiction: 38
Non-Fiction: 42

Top 5 (in no order):
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery by Sam Kean
Chicken Every Sunday by Rosemary Taylor
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

>5 kgodey: Hi, Kriti!

>6 drneutron: It feels like I never left, Jim. ;)

>7 ronincats: Roni, you slipped in when I myself was wrapping up my last thread. The cruise was AMAZING! We swam with the dolphins in the Cayman Islands, went cave tubing in Belize and saw Mayan ruins in Mexico. It was beautiful and much needed. I'm afraid I don't have any pictures uploaded yet, but once I get them off my camera I will post some. Happy New Year to you and yours!

Happy New Year, Marie!

Hey Marie. Glad to find you here safely back from your travels. I once saw ruins in Mexico (in my head, I've added 'in the jungle' but I suspect that's wrong - it was a long time ago) - would love to go see more. One day!

Happy New Year, Marie! looking forward to see the pics from your trip:)

Happy New Year and new thread!

>10 swynn: Good to see you, Steve!

>11 charl08: The ruins we saw were called San Gervasio. Our tour guide said she was a descendant of the Mayans, so she brought an interesting perspective to the experience. One guy in our tour was really interested in human sacrifices, and she was pretty quick to say that the Aztecs did it for sport, whereas the Mayans did it for a purpose. My 12 and 9 year old nieces were a bit agog, ha ha!

>12 Apolline: Bente, Happy New Year!

>13 foggidawn: Happy New Year to you too!

Hi, Marie! So glad to see Taran up there in your Top 5 - I loved that series, and that book in particular.

Happy new year, Marie! Glad to hear your cruise was good. I've been enjoying my 29th year so far, I'm sure yours will be great too!

Happy new year, and I'll wish you Happy Birthday too!

>15 scaifea: It was my first time reading the series, and Taran Wanderer was my favorite. It was an unexpectedly introspective book, and I really enjoyed the detour it took.

>16 MickyFine: Happy New Year! Yes, 29 is looking to be a good one. No complaints here, even if 30 does look a bit scary.

>17 mstrust: Thank you! Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2016, Marie!

Happy New Year!

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Marie.

>19 lkernagh: Same to you!

>20 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>21 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. But why did that woman go ice skating without a shirt? She remembered her hat and her mittens, but wouldn't she remember to throw on a coat or something? ;)

---
I was going to finish up all the books left over from 2015 yesterday, but then I tried out my husband's Fallout 4 game and well.... here we are on Sunday. Sigh.

Back to work tomorrow after a 2 week break...

Happy New Year, Marie! Have an enjoyable last day off.

Hey Marie. Don't mind my lurking here and there. I'm looking forward to seeing what you get to read this year.

>23 kidzdoc: Thanks! It was a good mixture of productive and lazy. Back to reality tomorrow...

>24 Kassilem: I love lurkers. I myself am a champion lurker. :)

OOooh I love seeing a Lloyd Alexander book in your top 5 from last year! Fantastic! Dropping off a star for you. :D

>26 dk_phoenix: *waves hello* Glad you found me, Faith!

And we're off... though I began this in early December and stalled out until joining last weekend's read-a-thon.

I think several LTers have loved this book, but I'll give recommendation credit to @charl08. Many thanks!



1. Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich

I was reading a lot of reviews of this book and a lot of them began this way: "I was *insert age* when the Chernobyl explosion happened in 1986." It's a moment they don't forget, like when the first man landed on the moon or 9/11 happened.

The explosion at Chernobyl happened the year before I was born, so it's not an event I grew up thinking about, but I find it endlessly fascinating now. I can't imagine the horror of being displaced, lied to and suffering the health effects of radiation poisoning. It just seems incomprehensible, and it happened not that long ago.

The success of this book is owed to the way it is produced, and that is by letting the victims tell their own story. The author doesn't interfere with the narrative and doesn't include her own take on the oral histories being recorded. Every so often she includes what the interviewee does (cries, pauses for awhile) and the effect is powerful.

A haunting book. It is extremely powerful.

A very strong - and fascinating - read to start your 2016 off with!

Hello Marie - I love your thread topper!

Joseph Ellis is one of my favorite non-fiction authors but so far I've only "read" his audiobooks and have 3 books on my shelves to read.

I remember 29 (quite a while ago) as being a very good year. Happy Birthday and I hope your 29th year is fantastic.

>29 lkernagh: Hello! Yeah, so far so good. My next one, Ghost Map is proving to be a good second book of the year too.

>30 karenmarie: I think last year was the first year my non-fiction reads were higher than my fictional reads. I've read Ellis' book about John Adams and his wife. What would you recommend I also read by him? Thanks for the birthday wishes! My husband has a secret dinner location picked out, so it should be interesting. :)

I loved Voices from Chernobyl, so I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it as well. Or maybe "enjoyed" isn't quite the right word for a book like that, but you know what I mean.

Hi Marie! Dropping by to say Happy New Year, Happy Birthday, your thread is starred, and good review of Voices from Chernobyl. It's an event I've wanted to learn more about, especially after living and traveling in Eastern Europe for several years.

>32 _Zoe_: Yup, agreed that 'enjoy' probably isn't the right word. Such an impressive read.

I have LT to thank for the nobel heads up as I havent paid much attention in previous years. I tried to pay forward the favour after reading Voices from Chernobyl and convince my library that they should buy a copy (mine was an interlibrary loan) but at that point it wasn't in print. Hopefully that's changed!

>32 _Zoe_: I know what you mean. I was looking at my 2016 reads and noticed they are all about rather unpleasant subjects - Chernobyl, cholera, a murder investigation... Maybe I have a problem?

>33 aktakukac: Thank you! That is so interesting that you lived in Eastern Europe. Where all did you live? This book made me realize I do not know enough about Russia, the Soviet Union or Eastern Europe for that matter.

>34 charl08: Truly impressive. You know, I didn't realize it was a Nobel book when I picked it up, but I can see why it is now. Hmmm... maybe I should start reading those.

Hi Marie! Happy New Year!

Happy new year! I love your thread topper. That seems like a pretty handy organization scheme! And I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise. My Mexican SIL has lots of siblings in the Yucatan Peninsula and I've been fortunate enough to have spent several Christmases with them there. The only Mayan ruins I've seen are those at Tulum. I know my SIL would like to get me to Chichen Itza.

#31 Marie - Founding Brothers. Quite wonderful, IMO.

>36 norabelle414: Nora, there you are! I was getting ready to send a search party.

>37 cbl_tn: Happy New Year! That's awesome that you have family to go visit down there. I once had an uncle who worked down in Veracruz, but he lives in FL now. I would love to see Chichen Itza some day.

>38 karenmarie: Perfect, thanks. I think that's his latest?

2. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
by Steven Johnson

The Ghost Map is the non-fictional story of a Victorian London suburb in the midst of a horrific cholera outbreak. It was thought during this time period that disease went hand in hand with poverty, sin and miasma riddled air. In reality, cholera was the product of contaminated water.

It would take two determined men named Dr. John Snow, and Reverend Henry Whitehead to push scientific thinking in that direction. The book covers the battle between popular thought and scientific reasoning in a most compelling way, and the book ties up nicely with some of Johnson's own thoughts about how our society is structured in terms of what could be just as deadly to our population as cholera was back in the nineteenth century.

I had the best birthday! My husband really went the whole nine yards and delivered flowers to work AND then he decorated my car unbeknownst to me. I went to my car to drive home and when I opened it up it was filled with rose petals and star shaped confetti.

Then, we were supposed to have a nice, quiet romantic dinner downtown, but when we showed up he had invited several of our friends for dinner and drinks. I felt supremely lucky, especially since it was a Tuesday night and freezing. I am a lucky girl!

A link to an image of the decorated car: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p6smu3xcepn80u4/Birthday2015.jpg?dl=0

>41 rosylibrarian: Awwwww, that's so great!

And happy birthday :)

Happy Birthday Marie!

>41 rosylibrarian: That is sweet! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

*waves*

Ooh, sounds like you've got yourself a treasure there, Marie! And I read your 2nd book a couple of years ago and found it very interesting.

Enjoy!

Oh, I *love* that you had such a wonderful birthday! Yay!!

Thank you, thank you! Sorry, I just had to gush about the husband for a minute. The problem is that his birthday is on the 28th, so I need to really get crackin' on some romantic birthday ideas.

Happy birthday, Marie!

>35 rosylibrarian: I lived in Austria for school and Hungary for work (five years teaching at a Hungarian school), and traveled as far east as Romania, Poland, and Slovakia. I want to read more about some of the places I visited, and history of the region too. There's so much to learn!

I have to admit, when you said your car had been filled with rose petals and confetti, I got this image of it being completely full and opening the doors and loads of it falling out onto the pavement. It's been a long week. It was nice of your husband to surprise you like that!

Belated happy birthday, Marie! Glad you had such a good one. :D

>41 rosylibrarian: He really went all out on the car so cute. Happy belated birthday!

Happy belated birthday!:D

The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution 1783-1789 is Joseph Ellis' newest book. I got it for Christmas.

>51 kgodey: Thanks, Kriti!

>52 aktakukac: That is really interesting. Do you miss it at all? I am getting antsy where I live. I love moving around.

Ha ha ha, can you imagine what the parking lot would have looked like had I opened it up and everything fell out? I still need to take a vacuum to it.

>53 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>54 Tanglewood: I know, it felt like he was asking me to Prom or something, ha ha!

>55 Apolline: Thanks, Bente! Where's your thread?

>56 karenmarie: Oh okay, thanks Karen. I'm glad to be finally reading outside of the Revolutionary War, but when I return to it I'll have to remember that book.

3. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

"Robert Galbraith", also known by her more famous pen name - J.K. Rowling - has done it again. This is the third book in her mystery series, and follows the lives of Detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott.

Decidedly darker than the first two books, Career of Evil centers around a serial killer who prays on vulnerable women. While the other books swing the perspective back and forth between Strike and Ellacott, this one actually features the voice of the killer. It adds to the build up of the book as you try and join all the different events together in a way that tells you who the killer is. As usual, I didn't guess right.

No spoilers here, but THE ENDING. Oh my goodness. I can't wait for the next book, and I hope she continues this series for years to come.

Ha! Me too. I've read that she's writing, so I'm taking that to be that it's on its way (glass half full).

I know!!! THE ENDING.

>58 rosylibrarian: Ah, that sounds fantastic. I grabbed the first one at CostCo so I guess I should join the crowd this year and finally read it. I'm not sure why I've hesitated, it's freaking Rowling. That's it, I'm going to find it and put it upstairs so I don't forget to dive in this year.

>59 charl08: She simply must. Plus, they have to turn this into like, a BBC series or something.

>60 karenmarie: I KNOW! What does this mean for the next book?!

>61 dk_phoenix: DO IT! March up there right now. It will be the best decision of your day. Or week. Or perhaps of 2016 up until now.

:(

Have a lovely weekend!

>57 rosylibrarian: It's coming up soon! XD Well, after Your review of Career of Evil I had to start reading The Silkworm, which I just got after it to my chiropractor;) Enjoying it so far, and can't seem to know why I've been putting it off for so long. It is after all, quoting Faith, "freaking Rowling"!!!;)

^_^ ...heeeee...!!!!

Ah, sigh, a whole week of no LT. Life is just so busy! I'll have reviews soon.

Promises, promises!

>67 rosylibrarian: Likewise;) Well, not with the reviews, obviously, but life is busy!! c'est la vie:)

>67 rosylibrarian: At least you are fitting in some reading time, so that's something, right?!

>70 aktakukac: Yeah, I did actually. January went much better than December 2015. I think I read 2 books, the lowest I've read in years.

4. Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson

In anticipation of his new book, I reread Notes From A Small Island except that about 1/4 of the way through the book I realized that I wasn't actually re-reading it... I was just reading it! I think some time ago I started this book and must have put it down because I remembered absolutely none of it. Score!

I find Bryson delightful. I read many a review that calls him cranky, but I love the demands he places on towns and cities. City design is important, especially to travelers and tourists, so why wouldn't he comment on them? I gobbled it up, and can't wait for his latest book, which I have high up on the TBR pile.

5. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
7. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

I'm lumping books 5 and 7 together, because they are books 1 and 2 in the series I was just talking about further up the thread.

After I finished reading book 3 I felt the desire to stick with the characters and re-read the beginning of the series since it had been since 2013 since I read The Silkworm. Masterful as always!

6. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

This slim volume is a bit perplexing. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, but it was quite compelling. It follows one character, Elizabeth (or some variation of that name as she goes through life), in a collection of short stories beginning when she is a teen and after she is well into adulthood.

Liz has always been a big girl. When the book begins she is fat, and the stories revolve around her general attitude towards life, her friends, and her romantic relationships. As the book progresses Liz loses weight and the dynamics in her relationships change. This is where it becomes compelling because Liz isn't what I would call a nice character, but you feel for her as she struggles with her identity in a new body. It's very insightful, and recommended for literary fiction fans.

8. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

I clearly did not do my homework when I checked this book out. I honestly thought I was about to read Ansari's memoir with his thoughts about modern romance mixed in. This book is actually a humorous study in the behaviors that drive how we date - or "hook up" - in the age of information. It's quite scientific actually, with focus groups and research peppered throughout the text.

It was actually, probably much more enjoyable for this reason, especially because Ansari keeps the tone of the book light and funny. I haven't been in the dating realm for awhile, so it was interesting to read about online dating and Tinder. It makes me wonder if I would have ever put myself out there in the digital world. The thought is a bit scary! I also found the chapters about international dating styles very interesting.

Hi Marie! I need to read the Galbraith books, I have a used hardcover copy of The Silkworm that I found for cheap at some used bookstore, but I'd like to read The Cuckoo's Calling first.

I also need to read more Bryson – we had Notes from a Big Country in our bathroom for a while – each story in it was of a perfect length to read in the short time you're in the bathroom for (I'm not the only one who reads in the bathroom occasionally, right?) And I really liked A Short History of Nearly Everything.

Hi Marie. Yesterday I finished Bryson's At Home and always, he is a joy. I didn't know he had a new one out, thanks for the BB.

I finally brought The Cuckoo's Calling up from the basement after seeing so many folks reading and talking about the series in their threads this month. I'm determined to get to all three books this year.

Interesting about the Aziz Ansari book. I had no interest in it until reading your description (like you, I assumed it was a memoir about his love life and figured it'd be too vulgar for my taste), now I'm thinking it sounds incredibly interesting!

Hi, Marie! I have put off The Cuckoo's Calling for way too long! I'll make a note to read it later this year, probably after June or July. The Aziz Ansari book sounds really interesting and is going on the list.

>58 rosylibrarian:: Finished The Silkworm yesterday, and now I am wondering if I should start reading Career of Evil straight away. So, my question is...was the ending SO good I need to read it right away, or was the ending such a cliffhanger "you feel like building a time machine to figure out what is happening next, because the suspense is killing you"??

I am arguing wether to wait until the next book is coming, or to just go ahead and read it XD

>76 kgodey: Ha ha, no you aren't the only one who does that. We have one of those John's Bathroom Reader books in our bathroom. I hope you get to those Bryson and Galbraith books soon!

>77 karenmarie: Bryson is a treasure. In his latest book he talks about how old he's getting, but when I looked it up, he's only 64. Plenty more years to keep writing!

>78 dk_phoenix: Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised, though I would be sort of interested in a short memoir. He grew up in South Carolina (where I'm living) and so I'm mildly curious.

>79 aktakukac: Hi! Def move it up. I'm not a big mystery person, but I love these books. I just love her writing style.

>80 Apolline: I would say go for it, especially while you have the characters fresh in your head. I actually went back and re-read the first two books because they referenced a few things I had forgotten. It is something of a cliffhanger end, much more so than the first two books. UGH, so good! I hope we don't have to wait long.

Did I tell you all that I started taking a graduate level statistics class? What on Earth was I thinking? It is eating so much into my reading, and LT time. Plus, it's statistics, which is not really that fun to me. But anyways, here is January statistics. (Fun statistics!)

January Summary

Books read: 8
Fiction: 4
Non-Fiction: 4

Favorite: Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Thoughts: I got sucked into the world of Strike and Robin this month and I have zero regrets. Interesting that I'm neck and neck for fiction and non-fiction so far. I think I'm going to try and keep that balance for the rest of the year.

9. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

I got To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis for Christmas, from my husband. I'm only 50 pages in, but I'm not feeling it and so I thought I would pick up the book that it pays homage to. (Or references? Or shares part of title with? I'm not actually sure.) Best idea ever! What a great little book. I loved every minute.

First published in 1889, this book rings true and humorous today. In the simplest of explanations it follows three bumbling men, and their dog, as they take a boat trip down the Thames. It's a lot more than that though and really digs into human nature and the funny things we do.

I'll tell you why it rings true today. There's a bit in the book about one of the men riding in a boat with a woman and the woman is as sweet as can be until she starts driving the boat and then she turns into a crazy lady. Well, I happened to be listening to this part in my car as I was driving and this jerk cut me off and then I turned into a crazy lady and I thought, well... yeah, some things never change.

Highly recommended!

>83 rosylibrarian: Yikes. I didn't realise Three men in a boat was about road rage. I've never read the book, but caught a funny programme based on the setting, three comedians tried to sail a boat down the Thames, with mixed results (one took it a bit more seriously than the other two could cope with).

I do like those Penguin covers. Very classy.

>83 rosylibrarian: I'm glad you liked Three Men in a Boat! It surprised me how good it was too, and how funny and relevant. I recommend reading the sequel Three Men on the Bummel, too. It takes place a few years in the future, when most of the men are married and have kids. The men decide to go on a bike trip through Germany and set up an elaborate plan to get their wives to agree to let them go. The wives, of course, are like "Please get out of here." It's just too funny.

>84 charl08: Ha ha, well I wouldn't say it is about road rage, but it is featured. And yes, an excellent, classy cover.

>85 norabelle414: Awesome, I had no idea there was a sequel. It's going on the wishlist. Thanks, Nora!

I read Brooklyn by Colm Toibin last year, and saw the movie this past weekend.

So, so, so good. I really loved it. Highly recommended. Saoirse Ronan is a doll.

Okay, now stay in that headset and go back to To Say Nothing of the Dog and give a wave to our trio when you see them on the river.

>88 ronincats: Oh, that gives me hope. I picked To Say Nothing of the Dog back up, and I'm at the part where they are in the boat and just rescued a drowning professor.

10. The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson

Oh, Bill Bryson, you grumpy old man you. I think he got even grumpier in this book, but I still loved it all the same. I would love to travel with Bryson if I didn't think I would inevitably end up annoying him.

Having just read Notes from a Small Island recently, I will say that this one feels very similar except that his children are grown (and producing grand children), and he talks more about his age. He also drives a lot more. In NFASI, he makes it a point not to drive, but in this book he doesn't give it quite as much weight, though he's still not much of a car man.

You know, Bryson never does make it to the little village my husband and I lived outside of when he was stationed there - Mildenhall. (Or Bury St. Edmunds) I kept waiting, but alas, he only got as close as Cambridge. I guess it is just not to be.

#83 - Some things never change :) You remind me that I really should reread Three Men in a Boat so long ago I read it and I can't even remember the scene you describe.

Saw the movie A Little Walk in the Woods - Redford playing Bill Bryson - hmmm...great scenery but the movie disappointed me. Well, I thought that I would read one of his books. Can you recommend one?

Looking forward to see the movie Brooklyn soon.

>91 ctpress: It was a scene in which Jay was remembering a time he was in a boat with a girl. I loved all of his little flash backs.

I've heard that movie was disappointing, which is too bad. I hope to still get around to it one day. Oh man, recommending just one of Bryson's books is hard. It depends on what mood you are in because his subjects vary. If you like travel books, I would recommend his one about Australia, In a Sunburned Country. If you like science, try his masterpiece A Short History of Nearly Everything. I started with his memoir, which is called The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. It gave me insight into the author before reading his books.

Brooklyn is so, so very good. I think it is one of the rare movies I want on Blu-ray. Let me know what you think!

My husband came back from a week of training in Florida at 1:00 AM last night, and of course I'm stuck at work the very next day. Woe is me!

On a brighter note, I'm heading to a conference in Washington DC next month. March 7-11th. Nora, I'm going to pm you!

11. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

Emma Watson told me to read this book, so I listened to Hermione.

I probably would not have picked this up without joining Watson's book club. I knew nothing about Steinem. Steinem is an interesting woman, and she has lived an interesting life. Despite her recent comments about Bernie Sanders supporters, she's done a lot for women's rights. I admired her passion, her independence and her intelligence.

12. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Paul Kalanithi was a 36 year old neurosurgeon when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. He wrote this short memoir during the final year of his life, and wow, is it incredibly moving. I cried for a good hour when I was done with it. It wrecked me.

I knew this was going to be a sad book, but I wasn't prepared for its thoughtfulness about mortality and how being a doctor affects your view of death. When Paul transitions from being a doctor to a patient, I felt the struggle in his mindset.

Paul died in 2015, and his wife writes a beautiful epilogue at the end. It expands our view of Paul even greater, and I closed this book feeling very grateful for my own husband's health. It's always good to be reminded of your good fortune.

>92 rosylibrarian: If it's OK to chip in, I loved the memoir Bryson wrote (all those posters in the loft his mum threw out!). And his book abut driving through small town America was interesting to me, as I knew nothing about the places he went to. I'd say read them here and there, because I read too many in a row and his grumbling began to feel too much like a formula, rather than fun and a different approach to many travel writers.

>94 rosylibrarian: What do you think of Watson's club? I read an article about it (also talking about Florence and the Machine's twitter bookclub) and have had a quick look.

>90 rosylibrarian: Bill Bryson is always great fun isn't he.

I once worked with someone in Derby called Peter Gotobed whose family somewhat amusingly hailed from Little Snoring.

Have a lovely Sunday, Marie.

>96 charl08: Very true about formulaic. I felt a little that way reading Bryson's travel books so close together, especially since both took place in England.

And, I am a fan of Watson. I was sort of looking for a challenge and I have to admit that I have not read a lot of feminist type writing. I read a lot of books by females, but it isn't by design, which is why I was intrigued. Plus, if it makes me read classic books like The Color Purple, all the better.

>97 PaulCranswick: Peter Gotobed and Little Snoring. You just can't make that up. Amazing! Have a great week, Paul.

Hi Marie - I'd agree about your Bryson recommendations. Two more that I found fascinating were Shakespeare: The World as Stage, and One Summer: America, 1927.

I don't think I could read When Breath Becomes Air because my MiL was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer in 2009 and died in 2013. I think I'd cry and cry and cry.

>99 karenmarie: One Summer was pretty good. I haven't read the Shakespeare one yet.

That would make this an incredibly tough read. I cried and cried without having lost someone to lung cancer.

Nice review of When Breath Becomes Air, Marie. I'll finish it later this afternoon.

>101 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I am very much looking forward to your thoughts, especially because you are doctor.

*waves at Marie* Catching up. Slowly.

>103 MickyFine: *waves feebly* I know the feeling. I have been absolutely sick this entire week. Fever, anvil on my chest, the whole nine yards. Kill me...

Oh no! Feel better soon...

>104 rosylibrarian: Oh that's the worst. I hope you're on the mend soon.

Well, it's funny because I pretty much started feeling really awful the minute Donald Trump won the primary here in South Carolina. Coincidence? I think not.

Hope you are feeling better soon (and in that case, it had better not depend on Trump going away!).

>104 rosylibrarian: I hope you are feeling better soon. While reading through your thread, I was hit with a number of book bullets. I very much like your writing style. Your reviews are a joy to read.

Get well soon, Marie.

>107 rosylibrarian: Well at least you've not lost your sense of humour. Hope you have a relaxing weekend to recover.

>107 rosylibrarian: Politics on your side of the border has made me even happier than usual that I'm Canadian. ;)

I hope that you're feeling better today, Marie. Trump fever, is it? I hope that it isn't a chronic condition, for you or the rest of us.

>108 ronincats: I do wish this cold and Trump would both go away.

>109 Whisper1: Oh, well, shucks. Thank you. :)

>110 DianaNL: Hello, and thank you!

>111 charl08: No, I haven't lost that, thank goodness. I took Friday off to rest, so I've been enjoying a three day weekend.

>112 MickyFine: Yeah, our politics have been even more circus like than usual. It's embarrassing.

>113 kidzdoc: I hope we're all soon cured of Donald Trump. Even writing out his name makes me feel ill.

13. Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen

Have you ever seen Sarah Andersen's cartoons? They are hilarious, and Andersen, a recent graduate, shows a lot of promise both as a cartoonist and as an illustrator. She's well on her way to success with the release of her first book.

Adulthood is a Myth is a slim volume of autobiographical cartoons featuring Sarah as a young woman combating introversion, apathy and adulthood. There were many times when I was nodding along, thinking, yep! That's totally me. I feel like Sarah and I would be BFFs if we both weren't so introverted. The book doesn't feature anything you couldn't find on her website, but if you're a fan or want to introduce someone else to her work, it would make a good gift.

I'll leave this here to show you what I mean about her work being so relatable:

>115 rosylibrarian: Ha! I love that cartoon. I'll bet that a lot of us could relate to it.

>81 rosylibrarian: What an ending, indeed! I hope the next next one will be out soon :) In these Trump-times I am quite satisfied with our monarchy, even tough one can debate whether someone should inherit such a position and title.

When we have elections, we vote for the political party, not a specific person. The winning party decides who will be prime minister etc. I do not think I am ready to have presidential elections the way you do. There is more focus on the person than the politics, which is not my cup of tea, for now anyways.

Btw, Loved the cartoon!:)

>115 rosylibrarian: Another fan here :-)

>115 rosylibrarian: I think Hani would agree with that book title in my case Marie.

Have a lovely Sunday.

I love, love, LOVE Sarah's cartoons! Love that you got a copy of her book, too. I hope to do the same to help support her work, one of these days, because she definitely has a bright future ahead if she keeps on with it. It's uncanny how insightful and relatable her work is...I love reading her work and going "wow, someone else experiences this TOO?!". Fantastic.

>116 kidzdoc: It's true. Even when I was at my most broke, books were still a priority.

>117 Apolline: That's very interesting, and very true about putting so much attention on the person, versus the politics.

>119 PaulCranswick: Ha ha ha! Adulthood does seem like a myth the older I get.

>120 dk_phoenix: I would gift this book to a majority of my girlfriends. Her sense of humor is right on the mark. Her illustration work is really good to. She's the kind of artist I had hoped to be when I went to art school... but being a librarian is pretty good too. :)

14. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On was born out of an interesting concept. Rainbow Rowell wrote a book called Fangirl in 2013 and within that book was a fan-fiction story that the main character was writing. Carry On was that fan-fiction story and Rowell turned it into its own book. I really loved Fangirl, but you wouldn't have to read one to get the other.

Carry On is Harry Potter fan-fiction. There are many similarities. The main character is an orphaned mage (Simon) who goes to a magical boarding school, has a Hermione-esque side kick (Penny) and has a Malfoy-esque enemy (Baz). In the beginning, this was a little off putting to me. I got that it was supposed to be fan-fiction, but it seemed redundant. The story only really took off when Baz came back on the scene and livened up the book. I liked his character a lot, and wished for a book revolving solely around him. I found Simon to be extremely annoying, and didn't really get all that engaged with his magical abilities. The love story was sweet, but I honestly though Baz could do better.

All in all, kind of a mixed bag, but an interesting concept I haven't seen done before.

15. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

To Say Nothing of the Dog was one of those books that was a lot of work, but paid off in a big way. I really struggled with it for the first 100 pages or so and even stopped to read Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome to see if I was just missing something. I think I struggled with the science and jargon of the book. Everything hinges on time travel and the theory of chaos, and it took me awhile to wrap my head around concepts like time lag, and time continuums.

Once I got there though, this book shined. It's really, really funny, in that dry British kind of way. Essentially, the book is about one man's mission to travel back in time to recover from doing so much time travelling. His boss is rebuilding Coventry Cathedral in the future, and all that's missing is the Bishop's Bird Stump. (I had to look this up. It seems to be a rather ugly vase.) Along the way he bumbles through several mishaps and meets a cast of characters that will have you laughing out loud. It's a little bit of everything - humor, mystery, a nod to the classics and a touch of a love story. I think is one of those books that will benefit from a second read.

February Summary

Books read: 7
Fiction: 3
Non-Fiction: 3
Graphic Novels: 1

Favorite: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Thoughts: I felt like I was on a roll in February, even though it is such a short month. My favorite would have to be Paul Kalanithi's book though. It wrecked me for days. It's such a powerful little story, and an important reminder of mortality. On that happy note, Happy March!

>123 rosylibrarian: Oh man, you're making me want to reread it...

Whew! Glad you finally ended up appreciating To Say Nothing of the Dog, even if it did take a while.

>123 rosylibrarian: Oh, tempted. Great review... adding it to the wishlist.

>125 bell7: Do it! I would love to compare notes. This is one of those books that makes me wish I had read it in England lit class to soak up all the extra meanings.

>126 ronincats: I truly struggled, but it paid off. Plus, it got me to read Three Men in a Boat, so double win!

>127 charl08: Squeeze it into your voracious reading! :)

16. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Would you believe I had never read this book before? I picked it up for Emma Watson's book club, and since it was Black History Month in February.

This epistolary book follows the lives of two African American sisters in Georgia during the 1930s. One sister, Celie is raped by her "Pa" and gives birth to two children. She's then married off to a man Celie calls Mr. ____ for the majority of the book. Her sister, Nettie, runs away and eventually ends up moving to Africa with Christian missionaries and Celie's two children.

Celie writes to God for the majority of the book, and Nettie writes to Celie, though Celie's letters are blocked by her abusive husband. Celie spends years raising her husband's children and meeting an interesting cast of characters who bring strength and a different perspective to Celie. Nettie grows close to the people she meets in Africa as she watches their plight unfold.

It's a hard story to get through. The book begins with a rape scene that is hard to stomach, but Walker has developed characters you instantly fall in love with and I turned the pages as fast as I could to find out what happens to them. There are twists in this book that catch you off guard, and passages so you beautiful you have to re-read them a few times. It's no surprise that this book won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.

>130 DianaNL: TGIF! I think we're going to go watch Tina Fey in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

>123 rosylibrarian: Years ago, I had asked a coworker at the bookstore to recommend a good scifi book for me, a person who didn't read scifi. He said "Unquestionably, To Say Nothing of the Dog." It took me years to get around to reading it, but he was absolutely right, I loved it. I keep meaning to read Three Men in a Boat too but that'll probably take an equal number of years. ;)

>123 rosylibrarian: Sounds so good I added it to my "Hmmm, that sounds interesting" collection. I've already read Three Men in a Boat, which I loved. My wife started it and pretty quickly bailed with a disparaging remark about it being "a guy's book."

>132 ursula: Hi, Ursula! How wonderful to work in a bookstore. Sometimes I dream about switching from libraries to bookstore, but unfortunately their numbers have dwindled. I do hope you get to Three Men in a Boat. It's wonderfully funny, and actually quite short.

>133 weird_O: Hi, Bill! Glad it caught your interest. It took me awhile to get there, but it turned into a good reading experience. It's funny that your wife thought Three Men in a Boat a "guy's book". I guess all the characters are men, but I found them quite funny.

I remember one time a library patron asked me to recommend "women's fiction". I have to admit, I was a little blown away. I didn't realize women had their own genre, and had to do some digging about what she meant.

>134 rosylibrarian: Working as an extra at a bookstore, I sometimes think it would be the most perfect job in the world, if it wasn't for the obnoxious customers. Most customers were fine, but the bad ones...well, tres terrible! It could definitely ruin your day. Some people's manners... But I looove working with books:)

I guess you'll meet some of them in the library, too? (not referring to books;)

>134 rosylibrarian:, >135 Apolline: Sometimes I miss working in bookstores ... and then I remember some of the customers. :)

>135 Apolline: >136 ursula: It seems a shame that bad customers exist in a bookstore, but I guess they exist everywhere. I mean, what do you have to be grumpy about? You're in a bookstore! It's the same for libraries though. We get patrons that require lots of patience. ;)

>135 Apolline: Bente, I cannot understand why people would be nasty in a bookstore or a library. There is a reverence due to books and the environment they are exhibited and traded.

Have a lovely Sunday, Marie.

>138 PaulCranswick: You and me both then, Paul, I don't get it either. It's a mystery! Maybe we should put Poirot on the case;)

I was at work last Christmas Eve and had a customer I suspect was intentionally trying to ruin my Christmas. No kidding, she nearly made it! I cried in the car on my way home after work, she was THAT nasty! At Christmas!!

>138 PaulCranswick: Reverence is the perfect word. Have a lovely weekend, Paul.

>139 Apolline: Oh, no! I'm so sorry they made you cry. I think people forget that other people have feelings. It's been awhile since someone made me cry at work, but I remember one time in particular I was giving myself a moment to think about a movie recommendation and the guy started yelling at me that I was too stupid to do my job. His wife looked horrified, and like this had happened before. I actually felt worse for her because they were married.

I had a great week in DC at a conference. I played hooky one afternoon and went to the Holocaust Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The Holocaust Museum is extremely moving, and well done.

But, in more exciting news, I finally met some fellow LTers! Nora was awesome enough to set it up, and I met Nora and Jim at Kramerbooks & Afterwords. We had some great beer, some amazing food and they were so lovely to meet. They were also kind enough to walk back to my hotel with me so that I could give them their presents, some locally made tea, that I had forgotten to bring with me. (Oops!) Anyways, thanks Nora and Jim!


(Nora, me and Jim! Don't mind my awkward face as I try to bend down to be the photo - ha!)

>141 rosylibrarian: Fun! That looks like a good time was had by all. Thanks for sharing it. I've only been to Kramerbooks once but it was a Very Expensive visit.

Aww, faces! Glad you had a great time in DC. :)

Yay! The picture! I'm glad we were able to meet - I had such a good evening. And the tea is great, by the way...

>142 charl08: any chance you'll be back in the DC area? I'd love you get some folks together with you.

>141 rosylibrarian: Thanks for putting up the meet-up photo Marie. One day in the not too distant future I hope to join you all in the states and get in a few meet-ups too.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

>142 charl08: It would have been expensive for me too, if my luggage wasn't 49.5 lbs when I flew into DC and knew that I was about to tip it over into excessive baggage fee land.

>143 MickyFine: You were brought up! Our next meet up should be in Canada. :)

>144 drneutron: Glad the tea was to your liking. My husband thought the bumper sticker was hilarious, by the way.

>145 PaulCranswick: Yes, that would be wonderful!

>146 rosylibrarian: Aww, I'm worthy of IRL discussion? That's cute. :)

>141 rosylibrarian: That seems like fun!! No chance of a meet up in Norway anytime soon??;)

Hurrah! Meet-up photos! Aren't they the greatest?

>146 rosylibrarian: Still, well done on the restraint. I had a huge baggage allowance and still managed to have to get on the plane with my waterproof coat on, each pocket with a book in! Bad.

Great meet-up photo - seems like you have a nice time together.

>147 MickyFine: Yeah, Canada road trip!

>148 Apolline: Yeah, Norway (not road) trip!

>149 ronincats: It was really amazing. Hopefully it won't take me 10 years to make it to another one.

>150 charl08: That's smart thinking! I guess I'll have to make up for it by going to the book store...

>151 ctpress: We did. Good food, good beer, good people.

---

I swear I'm still alive, barely. Work is killing me. Today is a 12 hour day... and all I've been doing outside of work is watching/reading Outlander, so nothing too exciting. Well, except that Outlander is very exciting!

Have a wonderful Easter.

>152 rosylibrarian: There are worse ways to spend your free time that reading/watching Outlander :) Rereading and continuing with the series has been on my list to do for years.

>155 aktakukac: This is my first time reading it, and it was solely because I fell in love with the TV series. I may have re-watched it twice in quick succession... because....... hot Scottish men. ;)

I read Outlander as an ebook when I was overseas, as I was dying to read it and couldn't wait to get back to the USA to get a physical copy. I remember thinking at the time, how I would have to reread it with an actual copy in my hands. I think I read the next two, maybe three books, but I just need to start from the beginning again. I have seen part of the TV series, but will be watching that from the beginning, too, because yes...hot Scottish men!

Sigh. Hot Scottish men.

Although can I complain that with a season subscription on iTunes (I don't have real tv so this is my solution) I still have to wait two whole days before the season two premiere is available? What kind of cruelty is that?

>158 MickyFine: Do you have Amazon Prime? You can add a Starz subscription for like $8 USD and you can watch it TWO DAYS EARLY.

>146 rosylibrarian: There are some tentative plans for a Canadian meetup this summer! July 3 in Toronto.

>160 _Zoe_: Excellent, I will put it on my calendar and hope for the best. I've always wanted to go to Toronto!

>161 rosylibrarian: Hurrah, it would be excellent to meet you at last!

I've got Marie addicted to LT meetups! Mission accomplished. *pats own back*

>159 rosylibrarian: I don't think the Canadian version of Amazon Prime includes TV subscriptions... Also, I don't have it so it's a moot point anyway.

>162 _Zoe_: Yes, it would be excellent.

>163 norabelle414: You did. There are worse things to be addicted to though. :)

>164 MickyFine: Oh dang. Well.... all I can say is, 7 more days, yay!

>141 rosylibrarian: Oh, LT get togethers are so fun. Thanks for posting this lovely photo!

Happy weekend of reading to you!

>165 rosylibrarian: Yay indeed!

Yikes, so I haven't updated anything about reading in a very long, long time. Since I'm supposed to be working on a research paper, that sounds like I need to remedy this issue right this very moment! ;)



17. The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of my favorite books. It's a book I've bought for others as gifts. It's so good that I was excited to see that one of the authors of it had written another historical fiction novel. I must admit that after reading the synopsis I thought to myself that it didn't really sound like my kind of book, but I decided to give it a whirl.

The Truth According to Us works with a lot of great themes. It's essentially a family drama, and about a brother and a sister that live their lives according to different truths. When an outsider moves in and has to write an account of the town history, she is pulled into an incident that changed the lives of the family she boards with. There's certainly a lot of food for thought in this novel about the meaning of truth, loyalty to family and memories and ultimately, forgiveness.

It's a well written story, but the reason I knocked it down from four to three stars was that the pacing dragged on. Barrows could have cut out about 150 pages and made it a more engaging story. It just seemed to meander a little bit into unnecessary territory.

18. Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson

I read E.F. Benson once before. I had received a copy of his Mrs. Ames in 2011. I remember it being about a woman in a small English town where gossip was traded like currency. Queen Lucia and Miss Mapp follow the same vein, with slightly altered female characters and a new cast of town dwellers. In these books, Lucia and Miss Mapp are the queen bees and their subjects bow down to their wills - until they revolt.

Queen Lucia in particular was quite funny, and I enjoyed Benson's prose, but I feel that, like Mrs. Ames, these books are kind of middle of the road reads for me.

>169 rosylibrarian: I haven't read these, but I love the cover - such style.

>170 charl08: Absolutely. I love that art deco aesthetic.

19. All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks

Read for Our Shared Shelf, this book left me puzzling on its message and wisdom. Having read it a number of weeks ago, I've forgotten some of the things I struggled with, but I remember closing it with a sense of discomfort, probably because it ended on a rather religious note about angels. It's not a bad thing to feel discomfort in a book club aimed to make you think, but it probably isn't something I would have picked up for fun.

Just checking in. You've been quiet for a while. Making sure you haven't swooned yourself into a state over a certain Scotsman. ;)

>173 MickyFine: Thanks for checking in, Micky.

April has not been a fun month. My work responsibilities have been overloaded on top of taking a graduate course, and trying to find time to see my husband. I have barely read anything that wasn't for work or school. I've just been slowly plowing through the Outlander books and it's slow going because they are rather long.

I hope to be more active in May as some projects wrap up.

I've had a busy month too - hope May's better for you!

>174 rosylibrarian: Another member of the f#@&ing busy club signing in.

I hope you have more time for yourself soon Marie (and your poor husband too of course).

Have a splendid weekend.

>175 drneutron: It should be - we're heading out to Wyoming for vacation.

>176 PaulCranswick: Ah, it's both a club you do and don't want to be a part of. :)

20. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
21. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
23. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Well, as I mentioned, I have not done a lot of reading this past month. I finished April with one book read. One! But, I suppose if I had to finish one book, I'm glad I started the Outlander series. It's been on my wishlist for years, but the size of the series always put me off. Then, I watched the TV show and was hooked. It's a great story, and rather complex. The books even more so, and I've been enjoying them immensely. I'm just about to finish the third book, and I'm a little uncertain as to where it's going, but I have confidence that Gabaldon will pull it off. I hope.

Edited to add Voyager. My review hasn't changed much, but I think I'm going to take an Outlander break for a bit.

April was not a productive reading month for me either. Real life got in the way. I trust May will be better.

A co worker is hooked on Diane Gabaldon's books. I read the first few, but couldn't get into them as much as he did.

Sign me up for the Busy Club! But, hey, at least summer is just around the corner:)

>179 Whisper1: I hope May will be better too. It already seems to be.

I really, really enjoyed the first book. The second one was a step down, but still exciting. The third took the story in a direction I'm not all that sure I like. I'm not sure about this 20 year gap that she brought into the story. It does make the story more complex, and sort of gives Jamie and Claire that star crossed lovers thing, but I'm really wondering how this is going to end...

>180 Apolline: It is! In Charleston it is already hot and humid.

>178 rosylibrarian: Voyager has been my favourite so far although I'm not all the way through the series. I read the first 5 last year and then took a break and haven't picked it back up yet. At this point, I think I'll wait until season 2 wraps up and then fill my Jamie & Claire craving by reading the rest of the series. :D

>178 rosylibrarian: Just started that series myself this week during my long car ride. That's good news to me that you like them. And really, that book should count as three books because it's so long! :)

>178 rosylibrarian: I need to read those at some stage.
Have a great weekend.

Hi Marie, I'm seriously behind!

>123 rosylibrarian: BB got me. I just ordered this book. Sounds wonderful.

>157 aktakukac: and >178 rosylibrarian: Hot Scottish men! I had read the first 4 Outlander books and part of the 5th but didn't really grok them. A high school friend posted on Facebook that the 2nd season of Outlander was going to start soon, husband and I found the first season on Amazon Prime, watched it, and husband has been recording the 2nd season Saturday nights and we've been staying caught up. He loves the TV series but is confused, naturally, about some of the time travel issues not seeming consistent. I keep asking him if he wants me to tell him, he says no, then keeps pondering.

And now I'm halfway through book 6 and don't even understand how I could have stopped reading book 5 all those years ago. Gabaldon is definitely pulling it off.

Reading books of 850, 1049, 1059, 1070, 979, and 980 pages has put a serious crimp in my totals for this year, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. :)

>182 MickyFine: Yeah, I stopped at book 3, and think I'll play catch up too.

>183 Kassilem: They are all so long. My stats are really taking a nose dive this year, though part of that is my schedule.

>184 PaulCranswick: Hope you had a nice weekend!

>185 karenmarie: I'm seriously behind too. And goodness, those are seriously huge page numbers!

Hey guys. I just got back from a 10 day vacation in Wyoming, so I didn't read a thing and haven't checked LT in some time. It was wonderful to get away though. We went to the Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone and rode horses and hiked around. Ah, I miss the fresh, cold mountain air already.

I'll try and catch up this week...

Glad you had a lovely vacation, Marie. I hope the readjustment back to the work schedule isn't too brutal. :)

>188 MickyFine: The shortened week helps. ;)

Okay, perhaps I will start posting actual reviews. Sheesh, I am not a very good reader this year. Goodreads tells me I'm 4 books behind schedule for 75.



22. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

I wouldn't know who Caitlin Moran is from Adam, but I'm still keeping up with the feminist reading challenge put on by Emma Watson and this was April's selection.

Most of this book resonated with me. I liked how non-judgmental Moran was about feminism...unless you just outright denied being a feminist.

This quote pretty much sums up her views:

“But, of course, you might be asking yourself, 'Am I a feminist? I might not be. I don't know! I still don't know what it is! I'm too knackered and confused to work it out. That curtain pole really still isn't up! I don't have time to work out if I am a women's libber! There seems to be a lot to it. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?'
I understand.
So here is the quick way of working out if you're a feminist. Put your hand in your pants.

a) Do you have a vagina? and
b) Do you want to be in charge of it?

If you said 'yes' to both, then congratulations! You're a feminist.”

A thought provoking, but easy to read book on feminism.

24. The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler

Despite the cover, this book is shit. Seriously. I can't be nicer than that, nor do I want to relive actually finishing this book.

>190 rosylibrarian: I read this great article Caitlin Moran wrote for Esquire a few months ago that cracked me up but some of the things were very familiar. One of these days I'll get to her books.

>191 rosylibrarian: Sad because that is a gorgeous cover.

>190 rosylibrarian: She's brilliant. I've caught a couple of episodes of her new TV series (she wrote it with her sister) and they were similarly original (and funny). I liked to read her Times column but sadly it's behind a paywall now...

ETA "Raised by Wolves".

>192 MickyFine: I almost picked up her fictional book this weekend, but held back.

>193 charl08: Thanks for the heads up about her TV series.

25. The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial by Peter Goodchild

I kind of debated whether to count this as a book read since it's really more of an play adaption, but it did come via Audiobook Sync, so why not? (Plus my numbers need all the help they can get.)

The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial is the story of how teaching evolution in public schools played out in the American court system in 1925 during the Scopes Case in Tennessee. It's a great story, and the audio book features a wonderful full cast. Great production, and very insightful.

26. John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger

Both President Adams have been a real thorn in my side. I can't seem to find a book I really liked for either of them, and had to force myself to get through this one. I'm not sure why. Both men were exceptionally smart, lived interesting lives and the books themselves aren't badly written. I just... can't seem to get into their biographies.

This book made me realize how very little of Adam's life was spent as the President. When I think about the things in my own life that only lasted 4 years (High School, living in Charleston, etc.) it boggles the mind to think we judge a man primarily based on that sliver of his life. In fact, those were his worst years. He seems continuously disappointing and thwarted. Still, it can't be denied that he gave his life in service to his country and that we have benefited from that service. Perhaps I just need a better book...

(Also, what a bad ass for collapsing, and later dying, during a House debate! That is dedication to ones craft.)

27. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

While thought provoking, I never felt like I quite knew the author behind the memoir. Though she shares intimate details about her partner's transition from a female to a man and talks at length about her pregnancy and motherhood, who was this woman? I felt like she assumed her reader knew who she was, and I had never been acquainted with her work before. I guess I was looking for a little bit more structure and got lost in some of the rhetoric.

May Summary

Books read: 6
Fiction: 2
Non-Fiction: 4

Favorite: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Thoughts: Kind of a lackluster month, really, but much better than April, in which I only read one book and didn't even bother with statistics. June is looking even better!

I need a clean slate. Follow me to the next thread!