Carmenere's 6.25 books a month

Wow! 6 books a month is really a challenge for me but one which I am willing to accept. I would love to clear out 75 books from my to be read pile and make room for 75 new books. Good luck everyone and happy reading..............Carmenere

Welcome to the group, Carmenere!

As far as making room for 75 new books, you might want to up that just a bit because this group will have you adding at least double that number!

Thanks for the welcome alcott.

I can already sense my list growing. I'll be watching kittykay's classic art books and jotting down a few from her reads.

1-1-09
#1 A Winter's Tale - Shakespeare
I believe this one has become my favorite play by WS. So many twists and turns. Characters that I became sympathetic toward were suddenly disliked and vice a versa.

1-9-09
#2 brick lane - Monica Ali
Chronicles the life of Nazneen a young Muslim girl from 1985 to 2002. She is from Bangladesh and moves to London via a marriage arranged by her father. She starts out as a traditional obedient wife willing to cut callous's off her husbands feet and trim his nose hairs to a more assertive, stronger woman. One who takes on not only a sewing job but a lover and the local loan shark. What will she do, return to Bangladesh with her husband and two young daughters or stay in England?
Throughout the novel we are brought up to date on the life of
her sister Hasina and the difficult life she leads back in Bangladesh.
I thought the book a bit long and I fear that Ms. Ali has used up all of her stories in her debut novel. Time will tell. This novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

3 stars

1-18-2009
#3 The Haunted Bookshop - Christoper Morley

A delightfully charming book set in the waning days of WWI Brooklyn. Second hand bookshop owner, Roger Mifflin, along with his wife, Helen, and apprentice Titania are thrust into danger and intrigue as World War I comes to a conclusion. Aubrey Gilbert brings romance and a his wild imagination into the mix. Published in 1919 it is quite tame compared to today's standards and I liken it to an afternoon at the matinee. I find it refreshing in its simplicity. Remarkably I found it to be an early 20th century Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi in that Morley drops the titles of books and authors that must have been popular reads at the time and certainly worth a second look today.

3.5 stars out of 4

1-22-09
#4 grayson - Lynne Cox

Recommended by my local bookstore. grayson is a sweet tale, no pun intended, about communicating without words, feeling yet not touching and caring without really understanding. Beautifullly written in first person, Ms. Cox takes the reader out to sea to experience the wonders of the open ocean and many of the creatures it possesses. Sometimes philosophical in nature it can illicit a warm, fuzzy feeling. A Baby whale, dolphins, sunfish, rays and a wise old fisherman with a heart round out the cast.

3 stars out of 4

As you can see I'm following the lead of others. Thanks to all the ticker people for teaching me something new already. Now I just have to figure out how I can make my frog advance. Happy New Year.

Cute ticker!

>5 Carmenere: Carmen, welcome. The easiest way to advance your frog is to click on your ticker and amend your books read number, click update, then use the back arrow to return to your thread. Voila! your frog has leaped forward!

- TT

Hurray! Thanks Tortoise that is amazing. I find that I'm getting the biggest kick out of learning all the little nuances of this board. Happy reading.

Check it out! I've read 2 books in two weeks. That's quite an achievement for me. Of course the laundrey is not done, meals have been sloppy and to do's are accumulating on the dining room table but Ah! so what!

>9 Carmenere:: Ooh I know what you mean... I'd been working & reading and ignoring the state of the house... until yesterday afternoon when I learned that I'm having company today (one of those "I'm in town today, can I swing by?"). That's when I HAD to put the book down and go on a mad clean-a-thon... it's surprising what one can accomplish under that kind of pressure!

msg 4> Brick Lane sounds like a great read. It's going in my TBR pile. Thanks for the post.

SOS!

I have been updating my reading list and reviews in one of my original posts which is message #4. But I see that my post is still lost in December 31, 2008. Is there a way to update an original post from 12-31 and move it to the current date? Also, is it possible to post a review here that copy and paste it to my library? Thanks from a newbie.

Yes, I can copy and paste review! I just did it! O.K. now what about the updates to an old post?

Hi and welcome.
I'm trying to catch up on all the posts. I apolgoize for the delay in saying I hope you like it here with the 75 challenge bunch. We are a friendly group who love books and we love to talk about them.

Congratulations on reading two books in two weeks.

hi there - to update a post, just click on the pencil in the righthand corner of any message that you posted

Thanks for the welcome Whisper1. Yes, two books in two weeks is an amazing feat for moi. At that rate I won't make my quota of 6.25 books a month but it's fun trying.

Hi trinity, thanks for the suggestion. I did just that but it doesn't take that post to the top. I'm still languishing in December - that is unless I post any ole thing just to bring it to current status.
So get ready for a lot of any ole things ;)

No - the post will remain in its position but reflect your update. You will need to update the first post if you want your message to appear at the top of the thread.

message 16

Regarding not making the "quota", please try not to let this get in the way of posting and communicating. My experience with this group is that there really is no pressure.

We are glad to have you a part of us!

We love to see the books and hear what you have to say about them. Don't feel pressured! We are glad you're here!

#18

So.......would you say that if I copy my original December thread to a new thread and add my next book it would be current?

#'s 19 & 20

Thanks for the encouragement Whisper and Cal. I think I'm out of my element but I'm hoping that when I retire this summer I can catch up with everyone.
It's long been my desire to keep up to date with the NYT top 10 fiction and non - fiction plus read everything else that looks interesting plus do some other stuff too.

Just finished grayson and now it's on to Baghdad Diaries. 2.25 books to go for January. Hang'n tough!

congratulations on 2.25 books in January. Keep hangin in there/here.

Playing on LT! That's about all I got done today!

Love your MapLoco, Cal! I'm finding all kinds of awesome things in LT.

It's a great plaything! I feel like I'm spying on the people who look at my profile.

I read 67 books last year but made some major mistakes on my quest for 100 Among them:

Reading Ulysses
Not finishing Crime and Punishment or Mason and Dixon
Taking 18 credits
Going skiing

If you are trying to put up numbers, I recommend:
Reading Greek tragedies or other plays and counting them
Books by people like Cormac McCarthy or Per Petterson are easy to knock out
Avoid the Pynchon, Joyce, DeLillo, etc.

This year I am on pace for about 84 but I am about to get derailed by Gravity's Rainbow.

#28 I know what you mean. I feel like I'm doing something naughty. I'm sure I put people spying on my profile to sleep, it's that boring! But, hey, I'm still a beginner here. I'll get it together some day.

#5 Baghdad Diaries - Nuha Al-Radi

I purchased this book a few years ago, along with others, to gain a better understanding of the Middle-East. This one is told from a first hand perspective of Gulf War I through to the start of the ongoing Iraqi war.
Insightful to hear of the war from Ms. Al-Radi's standpoint as well as everyday life in Iraq and surrounding countries. Ms. Al-Radi and her friends try to carry on as normally as possible with sanctions, embargos and living in excile.
Ms. Al-Radi appears to have been a well known artist in the Mid-East and has since passed away.

3 out of 4 stars.

I have added Baghdad Diaries to my Continent.

Carmenere - if you will add the brackets around the titles of the books you are entering, it will allow folks just to click on the title without having to do a separate search for additional info on the book. You can do the double brackets around the authors name. Just an FYI.

#35 Wow, well isn't that cool! I just realized if I had read the instructions like I read books I would've known. Thanks alot.

Baghdad Diaries sounds very interesting.

2-1-09

#6 Kipling's Choice
This little book by Geert Spillebeen vividly portraits the battlefield in Loos, France during WWI. The difference is that Rudyard Kipling's son, John, lays dying in a trench during which he reflects upon his life. Seventeen short years.
Yes, war is dreadful but so is living vicariously through your young sons life. John was rejected by the Navy and Army because of his terrible vision but because of his father's influence and money he was, at last, accepted into the Irish Guard. Because of his military training he was immediately elevated to Lieutant and given the command of his own group of soldiers. There is a tremendous love between father and son and son only wants to do his father proud.
I came away asking myself how often are people placed in a situation for which they are not acceptable because of who they know. In the case of young John Kipling he was placed in a situation which endangered his life and those of his troops.

3 out of 4 stars

Hi Carmenere
I'm glad to know you read Kipling's Choice. It certainly is a very powerful book and was one of my top reads in January 2009. I feel so strongly about this book that I want lots to read it.

That was a thought-provoking question about how often people get placed in a situation they don't belong in because of who they know. I want to read this book now.
--BJ

billiejean
I'll be interested in learning what you think of Kipling's Choice. It is a book that haunts.

#40 Thanks for stopping by billiejean. I hope you do read Kipling's Choice and please don't let my jadedness distort your view of the book. It's really much more than "It's who you know not what you know".

I have not checked in much lately. I think I've resigned myself to the fact that I am not such a prolific reader and will most certainly not reach 75 in '09. But I'll keep chugging along and continue to read the wonderful reviews and recommendations that are posted here.
Currently I am reading literacy and longing in L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack and a B&N ARC entitled Sag Harbor written by Colson Whitehead. Stay tuned for these reviews posted in the not too distant future.

#43: Really, most of us are not so much concerned with the numbers as we are in enjoying trolling through people's reading lists looking for great reading material for ourselves. Relax, and just enjoy the reading year!

Good Morning Stasia - Hope you don't mind me calling you that. I think that's what I've seen others do. #43, Yes, I've found that to be true and I enjoy the banter that usually goes off in to directions one could never imagine. Of course, I'm having a kick adding books to my wishlist at a feverish pace.

I do not mind being called Stasia. It is, after all, my name.

I am glad you are enjoying the bantering on the thread. Quite a few of us were together last year, so we got to know each others reading likes and dislikes pretty well. I am pretty sure your wish list will continue to grow :)

Carmenere

PLEASE do not get obsessed with the numbers. A challenge is simply that, a goal -- not a do or die kind of thing.

I'm glad you joined the group and hope you will hang in there. We are a lively, friendly bunch and have great fun!

Speaking of trolling...I'm adding Kipling's Choice to my TBR list in my thread. Thanks for the review and welcome to the group.

Thanks for stopping by Prop2gether. I'll be looking forward to what you think about Kipling's Choice. Happy reading.

Reading should be done for pleasure and not as a means to reach a goal. I often need to slow myself down, not gulp books but savor them. A book diet.
By the way, Carmenere is the name of one of my favourite red wines, made in Chile. We discovered it several years ago in Mexico and have been enjoying it since.

Hi loosha, Thanks for stopping by to chat. I've been way too busy to get alot of reading done in February and even when I do I can never find enough time to read at long stretches. It's usually 10 minutes here, 5 there. I hope that will dramatically increase when I retire later this year.

We also discovered Carmenere, that deliciously, wonderful, smooth red wine, on a trip to Mexico and can now find it here in the US. In fact I haven't had a bad Chilean wine yet!

Message 48. Laurie, like Lynda, I too will be interested in your thoughts re. Kipling's Choice. It is one of my top reads of 2009 thus far.

3-7-09
#7 Sag Harbor - Colson Whitehead

As this was a B&N arc I will reserve my full review for them (at least until I post it there). All I will say though is this is a fabulous book, I enjoyed it thoroughly and I would recommend it for your summer read at the beach, or porch, or pool, or backyard. Darn, anywhere at all.

4 out of 4 stars

The more complete review of Sag Harbor:

Author, Colson Whitehead, skillfully takes the reader back to the summer of 1985 in the resort town of Sag Harbor, Long Island. Our escort on the journey is Benji Cooper a likeable and semi-autobiographical teenager caught between manhood and braces. Benji faces problems and situations that are universal and timeless - Family, peers and the personal pressures he puts upon himself, all with good natured humor. I had hoped that this novel would be different from anything I've read and it did not disappoint. It is a book that, at first glance, appears to be lighthearted and frivolous but actually explores much more serious themes. Sag Harbor is a delightful read and you will find yourself laughing out loud as Benji comments on the same pop culture you may also remember. Sadly, summer must come to an end and so must this novel but it leaves a vivid picture of a very special place and time in Benji Cooper's life. Highly recommended and can be found in a bookstore near you in April.

#8 The Twits - Roald Dahl

I read this selection on the recommendation of whisper. Initially picked it up for my son who was only slightly interested. I on the other hand had to finish it to see if and how the Twits would get their comeuppance. Dahl has a wonderful imagination and uses it to build upon the story so that all the strings are tied up quite nicely. 4 of 4

#9 literacy and longing in L.A. - Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack

In this, their first novel, Kaufman and Mack offer up the story of a booklover named Dora. She often locks herself in her bathroom for long stretches of time reading books which conform to whatever kind of mood or personal problem faces her. She learned of this mechanism gleemed from her childhood days when her mother was an alcoholic and her father more or less deserted them. Currently she uses this vehicle to get through her seperation from husband Palmer, the inability to get hired at the L.A. Times and the ups and downs of her new relationship with fellow bookphile Fred. Good story with a rather abrupt ending but good chick lit none the less. Recommended reading for a rainy saturday. 3 of 4

#10 Dewey - Vicki Myron w/Bret Witter

This little story of a homeless kitten who transformed a small town library into a worldwide sensation was not quite what I expected yet everything it should be.
First, it is the story of none other than Dewey. He is found in the book return shoot at the Spencer (Iowa) Public Library. His predicament and personality soon warm the hearts not only of the library staff, including author Vicki Myron, but also library patrons and ultimately the town of Spencer and the world. It was not uncommon for newsreporters from around the globe and families from across America to visit Dewey, take pictures and just spend some time with famous cat who graced the pages of pet magazines and "Country Living".
What the reader also gets in this memoir is the back story of the author. Ms. Myron story was not expected but 271 pages of just a cats story would probably turn off some readers. Ms. Myron became Dewey's main caregiver and daily companion. One can see why Dewey became such a bright star in a rather difficult life story.
Dewey's story is well told and endearing, a heart warmer from the cornbelt of the midwest.
3 out of 4

yippee, I've finally snagged an early reviewers book. So exciting!

#57: Woo Hoo! Which one did you get?

I am still waiting for my one from February - it is my first, too.

Shangai Girls by Lisa See. I loved her earlier books and I'm really hoping that this one finds its way to me. I have read where some people never receive the books they "win".

#58 - Which book are you waiting for? - Hope you have room on the continent when it arrives. Somehow I get the feeling you'll find the space.

The February ER book I am waiting for is Bleeding Heart Square. I just got notification the other day that I am also going to get one for March: The Twelve Sacred Traditions of Magnificent Mothers In Law (no Touchstone for that one evidently). I hope I like them both!

I have on of Lisa See's books on my 'must read' list for this year, Snow flower and the secret fan. Let me know if Shanghai Girls (no Touchstone for that one, either) is any good, and I will try and get my hands on that one, too.

Snow flower was a fascinating read. One of those books that is enjoyable and meaningful all while learning something too. I think you'll enjoy it.

PS: Do you read a book while posting as I do?

I generally have one eye on a book and one eye on the screen, lol.

#63 - I'm getting a bizarre picture here. Something like fish eyes. Please don't take offense. :)

#64: That's OK, no offense taken. I imagine if it was literally true, the picture would be very bizarre :)

Received my first Early Reviewers book this afternoon. Shangai Girls by Lisa See. I'm currently reading The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which is a great read thus far, for the Barnes and Noble First Look Group. My reviews are slow in coming but come they do....... eventually. ;)

Latest read was The Physick book of Deliverance Dane. I highly recommend it. As a First Look Barnes and Noble member I happily read the ARC. Here is my review:

Howe is an extraordinary new voice in historical fiction
Posted 04/22/09: In Katherine Howe's debut novel the reader is taken back to the late 17th Century through flashbacks (interludes) to the early Salem witch histeria. Flashforward to the summer of 1991, Connie Goodwin is asked by her mother to clean out her Granna's old deserted home in Marblehead, Mass. In doing so she stumbles upon a key with the name Deliverance Dane tucked inside and she's on her way to finding much more than her primary source needed for her disertation. I was completely taken aback by this young authors ability to bring fact and fiction together to give the reader a sense of place and time both in 1681 and 1991. Howe's characters are as solid and magical as her writing. Deliverance Dane would be a wonderful summer read and good for long discussions in a book club for this book surprisingly hits upon issues that are very relevent today.

I would rate it 5 of 5

#67: Catey got an ARC of that one, too. Maybe she will let me borrow it :)

#68 - I hope she does. It would be great to discuss how the lives of women have changed over the years. The novel is also about relationships betweeb mothers and daughters and their inherent characteristics. A great book to share.

Carmenere
I've added your latest read to my tbr pile. I have an affinity with New England, Salem, Mass and anything having to do with the Salem witch trials.

Thanks for your great comments!

I'm trying out this link from B&N First Look Book Club. Hope it works!

#70 I think you will enjoy it as much as I, Whisper. Although I've never been anywhere near Massachussets Howe's writing had me believing I was in Harvard yard, Salem and Marblehead.

That is quite a powerful recommendation. Now I have to read it!

#12 The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead

I listened to the audio version of this one simply because after reading Sag Harbor, which I enjoyed very much, I wanted to see what else Whitehead had to offer.
I found The Intuitionist to have way too many characters to follow or even have the chance to really get to know. I also had a rough time placing this story, is it in the future, the past, I settled on before the civil rights era.
Perhaps the narrator in the audio version swayed my opinion, his narrative was a bit mechanical IMO just like the elevators that play such a bit part in this story.
However, I've read fantastic reviews elsewere so I would like to give the book a second chance and actually read it this next time.

#74: I have found in my experience that a good narrator can make or break a book for me. Do give the book a second chance in print form and see what you think of it then. I will be interested to see if your opinion changes any.

Finally had a chance to update my profile. The picture of Helen Brotsky? has been replaced with something more springish.
Yesterday we planted row upon row of what will eventually be the 3 sisters. A gorgeous day here yesterday prompted me to read outside a bit that is until beckoned to toss the baseball for awhile.

I like the new 'springish' picture.

Carmenere..

You are I are on similar wave lengths. I changed my home page to reflect a spring like painting. I attended an art exhibit at my local art musuem in Allentown, PA. I was captured by a lovely painting (Peasant Girl Among Tulips) by Berthe Morisot. I had never heard of this impressionist.

The painting is filled with breezy, light pastel colors.

#78 Nice choice Whisper, and a very fine impressionist she is! She has a lovely painting in the Cleveland Museum of Art entitled, of all things, (Reading). In fact it would be perfect for a LT profile...........Mmmmmm.

http://cleveland.about.com/od/artmuseumsandgalleries1/ig/From-Monet-to-Picasso/-...

Lovely painting...Thanks for the information.

#80 Yup that's the one. I downloaded it and will use it when I grow tired of the waterlilies.
Thanks tons!

As mentioned, I did not know of this artist until yesterday. I'm captivated by her works.

Hi carmenere - I'm catching up on threads and have now added Kipling's Choice to my tbr list. I like reading work by non-English writers so this fits into that category.
I also liked Snowflower and the secret fan so am now awaiting your review of her latest.

avatikh
Kipling's Choice is one of my top reads of 2009. It is a gem!

#83 Hi avatiakh, I learned of Kipling's Choice through Whisper. Hope you find it as enlightening as I did.
I'm just 1/2 way thru Shanghai Girls but it's looking good.

I just found your thread...don't why I'd never seen it before but there you go, sometimes I'm just slow with these things. Thank you for your reviews and, if you don't reach 75, don't worry about it because it really doesn't matter. It's all about the journey (I seem to be saying that a lot these days *winks at Whisper if she's here* :P)

#86 Thanks for stopping by Eliza, I'm glad you found me. I'm really rather new at this whole LT thing and my reviews are beginning to get a little bit better. I've been picking up alot of ideas from all the helpful readers who share what they know.

#13 Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Lisa See, author of the beautifully written Snow Flower and the Secret Fan has done it again with Shanghai Girls a captivating and emotionally charged novel concerning, among other things, "sister love", its strengths, its weaknesses and its limitations.
The story of Pearl and May Chin is told through older sister Pearl's first person recollections. She begins by taking the reader back to an Americanized Shanghai pre-WWII. They are modern girls, privileged, young and beautiful. Their days are filled with shopping, modeling for "beautiful girl" advertisements or, depending on the night before, sleeping the day away to nights complete with nightclubs, friends, glamour, music and dancing.
Everything changes quite suddenly for the "beautiful girls" when a bit of bad luck befalls their father which ultimately will change the course they had set for their lives.
Soon they find themselves in Los Angeles trying to live the American Dream in an America which is not quite ready to accept them. Or is it just Pearl's perception, fears and longing for China keep her a step behind May who slips right in to life in "Hailewu".
As the years go by, the reader finds that May and Pearl have forged too many secrets, lies and misperceptions which are bound to erupt with terribly tragic results.
Shanghai Girls is written beautifully; Ms. See's characters are crafted with vivid personalities and will be remembered, yes, even loved long after the back cover is closed.
Shanghai Girls mesmerized me, this moment in history intrigued me. Their story captured me and held me throughout. The ending leaves the reader hopeful and longing to learn more of what the future may hold for May and Pearl.
I give this novel 5 stars and my thanks to LibraryThing and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I enjoyed both Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love but I didn't even know about Shanghai Girls! I will be adding it to the TBR pile. Thanks for the rec.

#89 Thanks for stopping by lorie. Shanghai Girls will be released on 5-26-09. Hope you like it as much as I.

Simply stopping by to see what you are reading and to say hello.

#14 The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Awesome! Brilliant! Totally absorbing. Who would have thought so much was involved in the creation of the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago? Who would have guessed that so many innovative items, such as the ferris wheel, the Pledge of Allegiance and Shredded Wheat to name a few, were introduced at this fair, Nothing was going to stop this fair from brightening the shores of Lake Michigan not chaos, sickness, missed deadlines, suicides, the faltering economy nor freak storms hindered the opening as scheduled.
Behind all the action going on in Jefferson Park there was a sordid side to Chicago. Many people new to the area were never heard from again. One person responsible for these disappearances was a man by the name of Dr. Henry Holmes. He's charming and handsome....a real lady killer so to speak and his story is gruesome and sad.
Larson transitions so easily between both story lines that you can hardly tell it's happening. I highly recommend this story and will be on the look out for more of Larson's work. Thanks to Stasia for her recommendation. Lucky me, read three 5 star books in a row!

The Devil in the White City sounds very interesting. You ARE lucky to have read three 5 star books in a row! I've read some good books this month but not a 5 star in the bunch.

#92: I am a big fan of Larson's. I hope you read more of his books. Glad you enjoyed that one!

The Devil in the White City sounds pretty interesting, I'll have to look it up next time I'm at the library. It's so bizarre how many books I've added to the list/read this year already that were not "my genre" until I joined this group on LT...! So crazy.... and so many more books to read!!!

#93 Hoping my luck lasts but 4 in a row would be quite an oddity.

#94 I'm really anxious to check out what else Larson has of offer.

#95 Oh my gosh, I could not agree with you more. I have so many of my own books to read but I just can't stop reading the recommendations as soon as I hear about them.

For the Gardeners out there - Book #15 Eyewitness Garden Handbooks Garden Herbs

A good book to identify herbs that may already be in your garden. It offers the botanical name as well as the common with photographs of each. There are also short descriptions of each herb giving details to its cultivation, propagation and growing habit. Contains brief information regarding the ways in which to grow herbs. It's a good starting off point but not alot of indepth information.

Book #16 The Herb Garden A complete guide to growing scented, culinary and medicinal herbs

I enjoyed this book very much especially the early chapters on the herb garden in history. Nice descriptions with drawings and/or pictures of monastery gardens, Medival and Renaisssance Gardens plus something they call the Physic Gardens of today. Not only does it offer the usual index of herbs, this very helpful little book also suggests different ways to plan your garden and constructing quaint accessories for it. Methods in cultivating herbs in included with advice on everything from choosing herbs to growing herbs in containers.
I highly recommend this book for the novice to intermediate herb garden hobbyist. 4 stars

#98: Oh, I definitely need to find that one! I am very interested in having an herb garden.

Perhaps I can make an herbal concoction to bring more visitors to my lonely thread. (sort of waving but more of brushing away the cobwebs)

Woo woo, just 2 more weeks 'til permanent vacation!

Doing Happy Dance, now doing Dance of Joy (they are very similar)

#101: I visit your thread, Lynda. Doesn't that count?

#102: Permanent vacation from what? It sounds, well, permanent.

Oh Stasia, I didn't mean to slight you, of course you count! Come on, do the happy dance along with me!
I'm retiring in 14 days. I'll only take on another job if it includes reading lots and lots of books and hopefully I can negotiate reading them beside a pool or the ocean on a beach with young men bringing me Corona's w/lime. Ya think?!

Ooooh, yes, you've got the right idea!

>104 Carmenere:: Not so sure about the "young men" part, the rest sounds pretty good as a retirement plan.

Retiring? Oh, my how I envy you! I have nine more years to go. I originally hoped to retire at 62, but my TIACREF pension took a huge hit this year.

#105 It's an even better idea in January! Brrrrrrrr

#106 Over 21 of course....and w/my husbands approval - but I understand where you're coming from.

#107 Oh Linda, 9 years will go so quickly. Let's hear it for 2018! yeah, yeah, yeah!

>108 Carmenere:: Over 21 of course....and w/my husbands approval

My wife wanted to know if she can apply for the same retirement job, assuming the eye candy were also capable of bringing gin and tonics. I told her of course—she should feel free to read the menu, as it were, she just can't order anything.

:-)

#104: Here is my happy dance!

Stasia's got her groove thing on!

OOOOOO! It's so frustrating when your gif's don't work.

Manual gif............................

VIII :)

Somehow I never pictured Stasia with pink hair...

Today it's pink, tomorrow it will be purple . . .

promises, promises :0)

Countdown:

7

Countdown continues.........................

6!

Carmenere;
I lied. I didn't mean to but I did. It must have been someone else's thread that you had posted to. Now, doggone it, I have to go back and read over 115 posts here!~! hehe
belva
(hang on, i gotta go find that post)
Dang----I hate when I do that; it was kambrogi).
But now I have left a post over here. Doesn't say a darned thing but it's here. Does that count? Hey, how ya doin'?
And I had to go clear back up to msg # 98 to see a book comment. Wow, have I been missing the party or what?????????

I have a retirement story that I posted on someone's thread that I will have to find and post over here. Will bring a ***tear*** to the eye.
later,
belva

Found it. Here we go:

"I was retired but still working part-time on an on-call position with a company I had been with for 23 years and my husband and I decided to get new windows put in our nearly 100 year old house (which still had the original windows and frames). When we did the paperwork for the loan, even though I was only part time on-call, they still needed a letter from my work stating that I had a job. So----short story long----I called my boss and she said: "How did you know I wanted to talk with you?" and I says: "I didn't, I just need this letter, blah, blah, blah", whereupon she says: "Well, then you aren't going to like what I have to tell you. Last week my (her) district leader (I worked for a nation wide commercial bank) told her to take me off the books and do away with my position if they weren't going to use me any more than they were." Wow!~! I thought someone had shot me in the foot or poked me in the eye with a fork!~!
It is a hard, cold world out there and I feel so badly for the younger generation attempting to provide for their families.
Sorry, I will get off my soapbox now. I need it for the laundry anyway."

Nice little story, huh?
It wasn't a big deal for me but I wasn't prepared for it and thought I would be working steady all summer long. However, for a younger person trying to help support his/her family, it could have been devastating.
Well, happy retirement to you.
belva

And now I really am going back to bed!~!

121 - I can relate. My husband just got laid off unexpectedly last week. When I say 'unexpectedly' - I mean he went from overtime to out the door in one day! Well, like they always say, "This too shall pass..." (I hope, for both our sakes!)

Well this is odd! For the first time a block of the posts on this thread are highlighted in pink! And it's a moving pinkness because when I moved on to another thread then came back to mine it was still there only in different place. Ever happen to anyone else?

#121 & 123: Yes indeed, these are cold blooded times in which we live. I constantly hear stories from well paid and intelligent business men and women who have been axed under the guise of "reorganization" and "our company is moving in a different direction". But you are so right amwmsw this too shall pass it's just a matter of when already! Just hang tough.

No new book reviews yet because I'm sloughing thru a book that isn't grabbing me but I've got to read for a book club........and I woke up early to read it and where am I? LT!!!!!! Gotta go!

message #121...ouch
message #122...I'm sorry to hear this. I'll hold you in my prayers.

#124: Carmanere, I am noticing the same pinkness on my thread. Since I'm new here, I don't really know why. I'm guessing, though, that it's unread versus read? My mom, billiejean, told me that the pink/blue threads are due to different privacy. ???

Marian

Hi marian_the_librarian.
Belva is ***waving madly at you***. Hello, hello, hello. It is nice to meet you. I have "heard" a GREAT deal about you. he he he
Hi --BJ ***waves***

Carmenere;
I haven't seen any difference. You girls must be special!
I have a stack of 3 or 4 books here I need to do reviews on and just can't do it. I must have spring fever or something.
Well, happy reading all.
belva

Hi, Belva!

Marian

Hey nanny, I like your reasoning, so I'll go with that thought, we just "must be special"! Hope your Sunday is nice and relaxing, filled with lots of reading time!

Countdown continues............................5 days!

cuatro!

TRES, THREE, TROIS - till permanent vacation, more reading time, more shopping for more books time.

Congratulations on your impending retirement. Now you will have lots of time to read!

Thanks for counting down with me Linda. I'm hoping I will have time for lots of reading but my husband keeps talking about this thing called yard work. Have you ever heard of it?

2 days till lots of fun in the sun!

Currently reading Parnassus on Wheels as recommended by so many LT readers.

I really liked Parnassus on Wheels and I hope you enjoy it too!

Here it is, 1 day remaining in the working world until permament vacation!

Happy Last Day of Work! Oh, how I envy you!!!
My husband is retired. I have another 9-10 years to go...Every day as I leave the house I turn to him and smile and say "One of us has to go to work today!"

Happy Retirement!!

It's been so long since I actually posted a review, hope to speed it up.

#17 Parnassus on Wheels Christopher Morley
3 stars

A very sweet, old fashioned love story told by Miss Helen McGill a spinster living with and cooking for her brother Andrew at the New England farm. Life suddenly changes for Miss McGill once she meets Roger Mifflin, owner and propieter of Travelling Parnassus, a mobile book store. Much to Andrew's dismay Helen buys the Parnassus and her adventure begins.
The sequel to Parnassus on Wheels is The Haunted Bookshop which continues Ms. McGill's and Mr. Mifflin's story. It is a romantic, thriller, mystery.
I hightly recommend both of them, although I favor The Haunted Bookshop

*Note to Self* In trying to become better organized, and although I see so many recommendations which I want to jump right into, I'm going to read books that I have on hand and transfer my Wish List out of LT to excel so that my books on LT will only be ones I own or borrowed from the Library and have read or are awaiting me on The Tipping Tower of Tomes.

Congratulations on the retirement!~!

Now as to msg #142;

****chuckle, snortz****

Rotz of Ruck with that!~!

I keep telling myself that I am not going to buy anymore books until I have read the ones on my shelves (and I have many shelves) but I am one big, fat failure. Of course you could have waaaaaaaaaaaay more will power than I do. Here's to ya!~!
later lady,
belva

Hi Belva,

I am a sucker for library booksales and yard sales. Come on, .50? How could I stop myself? Unfortunately, they are never books I have on my Wish List. So my owned books continue to grow as my Wish List stagnates. What's a reader to do? Such problems!

I still don't feel retired. Too busy writing thank you notes and cleaning rooms.

#142: Good luck with that endeavor - better luck than I have with it, anyway!

#144 ahhh, cleaning rooms. Good luck with that one, too!
Cleaning, organizing closets. I thought I'd get that done when I retired. It's been a year and a half. Not one closet has yet been cleaned or organized. But I've read a lot of books!

#146 Ha, I receive a lot of my motivation from my son (age 10) and husband. Once I get the rooms the way I want, I'll have more leisurely time to read as I had planned.

OK I am really excited now. I've organized my library (to date) in alphabetical order by author. So as soon as I complete of bees and mist I will be reading Tuesday's with Morrie by Albom, Mitch.

Ya know, I had my library just like I wanted it. You know, convenient for me to use and then we get the upgrade of the "whatchamacallits" and now sometimes I will type in the title of the book I want to see and a whole page of other books come up. I's so "cornfused".
But they say: "change is often difficult for the aged."

>#146: loosha;
you crack me up! Seems I spend all my time reading or on LT. We have become so adept at escapism. Hee hee.

belva

#141
I was able to obtain a copy of Parnassus on Wheels from my local library. I hope to read it this week. I like your description. Even though you gave it 3 stars, still, it sounds as though you enjoyed it.

Damn,
I just lost a book of a post to you and now am totally frustrated with "it" all. Will come back later and redo.
Sorry,
belva

BTW;
Where do you think "they" go when that happens?
Hmmmmm,
b

#152 It frightens me to think about it Belva.

Book #18 of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

I was fortunate to receive this ARC from Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club.
Billed as a fable of Bees and Mist is more like a confusing journey with a young lady named Meridia as your traveling companion. Meridia's world is strange in that her parents don't talk to each other and her father is cold and severe. She marries a young man named Daniel who has a disfunctional family as well. All is told through metaphors and symbolism.
I do like Erick's style of writing and many of his lines are lyrical and memorable, however, one of my favorite authors is Gabriel Garcia Marquez who specializes in mystical realism and bees just isn't quite there yet. The novel Like Water for Chocolate, another story I really enjoyed in the lines of mystical realism, is different in some way from bees that I just can't put my finger on yet. Maybe in both circumstances the author's provided more answers and less ambiguity than Erick. But as this is his first novel I expect to see great things from him in the future.

#152: I think "they" are somewhere with all the missing socks in the universe.

Stasia
I was thinking the same thing.

#156: Great minds, huh.

Yeah, and all that too.

I reviewed Of Bees and Mist on my thread as well... I agree with you, it was good, but there was something missing... it felt like it could have been so much more, and yet I still get the sense that Setiawan will write some wonderful things in the years to come. He's an author I'll definitely keep watch for.

#159 - I read your review, Faith, and it is very much along the lines of mine. Great minds thinking alike, I'd say.

Book #19 - Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom

I can't really understand why people write these books and why people read them (me included). I felt like a voyuer as I read this touching story about Morrie Schwartz a 78 year old college professor dying a slow and painful death from ALS. If we read them to grasp a little bit of knowledge that we did not possess prior to reading it then this book succeeds. But why is it that we tend to listen to people more intently when they're dying when they had just as much to say when they were well? Perhaps we tend to take it more seriously. I know the author, Mitch Albom, wrote it to record his beloved professor's thoughts about what really matters in life such as death, family, marriage and our culture. I found this story to be more uplifting than depressing more inspiring than gratuitous. I can't possibly rate this book, it's like rating a life but I would recommend it's inspirational message.

What a great set of comments regarding Tuesdays with Morrie...so very insightful and unique.

I so enjoy your writing style!

Leaving for Gettysburg for a couple of days and I'm taking Isabel Allende's Daughter of Fortune with me. See ya's.

#162 Linda, you scared the bejeebers out of me! I had writen another post and I saw these colorful zebra legs above my post. wow!!! thanks for the very nice comments by the way. I'm glad you stop in to visit.

No bejeebers intended!

Have fun in Gettysburg. Will you be visiting battlefields?

And, by the way, the more I look at the Zebra legs, I'm reminded of colorful stockings I wore in high school. I had tops that matched the stockings. I thought I was soooo cool when I returned to school after Christmas vacation, wearing my neat outfit...
Then, being the klutz I am, I slipped in the cafeteria and the entire tray of food flew all over me.

The silence in the cafeteria was deafening...I count this as one of my most embarrassing moments of teen age years.

Still, I think I looked cool, except for the chicken noodle soup plastered to my hair.

Funny story! I bet you looked Marcia Brady cool. It's a coincidence that the day I wore my new earth shoes to school it was a wet and muddy day. I slipped in the playground and mud smeared all over my shoes, that mom told me not to wear that day. The cutest boy in school heard me crying in the restroom as I tried to clean them. Oh such fond memories - so glad they're behind me.

Yes, we'll be going to the battlefields. Husband and son will enjoy especially. I never got around to reading the Gettysburg books that have been recommended here but perhaps I can pick some up while there.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your Gettysburg adventures. I hope you have a lovely time! It is a very rainy Spring/Summer here in PA. I hope that you will have sunshiny days and that you don't wear your new shoes, slip and fall and then find that the ghosts of Gettysburg are listening to you cry in the bathroom.

Gettysburg is an incredible place to be. To this day you can stand on the middle of one of the battlefields and feel like weeping. It is almost as if you sense the ghosts of those who died there.
We lost so very much there.
I think you all will gain so much from this trip.
And it is always good to get away so enjoy.
later,
belva

Belva and Linda, to look down from Little Round Top and imagine the artillary being shot at and by each side and the men falling by the thousands is an image I will never forget. We were blessed with splendid weather and a good tour guide from the park service during our trip through the battlefield. He was quite knowledgable and pointed out so much that we would have surely overlooked had we traversed the field by ourselves. He covered each days battles, strategies and losses with us and brought it to life.
The Soldiers' National Cemetary, where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address, is another must see.
Historic Gettysburg is really a nice town too and is interesting in its own right. OK, back to the business of reading!

I'm still around, just been traveling and enjoying the good ole summertime.
I'll be adding a few reviews as soon as I catch up on a few things.

Welcome home.
Missed ya.
belva

Here is my review for: book #20 Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allenda

My first time with a link, I'm hoping it works **
0

http://www.librarything.com/work/3973/reviews/37096700

7-22-2009
Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach
3.5 stars

Read it here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/64494/edit/47269392

7-24-09
#22 The Mensa Genius Quiz Book by Marvin Grosswirth
2.5 stars

Review:
http://www.librarything.com/work/247337/reviews/47269265

7-26-09
#23 Persuasion} by Jane Austen
3 stars

I think I'll go back to copy and paste. Not that it really matters.

Oh! The trials and tribulations of love in the 19th century! We learn from the start that our heroine, Anne, was persuaded by her mother's best friend to not marry the man to whom she had become engaged, Captain Wentworth. Intrigue ensues when Anne's former lover returns from abroad after eight years have passed. Is the spark still there, is there another love, will they become a couple again? These are the pressing questions that the reader must page through 272 pages to discover. While we wait to find the answer, the reader follows the well heeled characters through their daily lives of visiting friends, romping through meadows and just being coy .
Although, Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors I found Persuasion to be too Harlequin Romance fluff but it may have been devoured be the working classes of the day, to get a glimps of what keeps the upper crust busy during their days and nights.

8-4-09
#24 Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
4.5 stars

I found this book while on vacation and I had to interrupt my new alphabetical author system to read it. I could not put it down after I read the first page.
Here is my review:

"Things break all the time. Glass, and dishes, and fingernails. Cars and contracts and potato chips. You can break a record, a horse, a dollar. You can break the ice. There are coffee breaks and lunch breaks and prison breaks. Day breaks, waves break, voices break. Chains can be broken. So can silence, and fever............Promises break. Hearts break." And so begins a story that had me completely engrossed from the very start. It is the story, or should I say stories, of Charlotte, Piper, Sean, Marin, Amelia and the little girl central to all, Willow.
Willow was born with a debilitating disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta sometimes referred to as brittle bone disease. For Willow's mother, Charlotte, life has changed dramatically by her birth, she is her main caregiver and constantly monitors her every move in order to avoid a break. Although her family life is relatively happy under the circumstances she and her husband are financially strapped due to Willow's special needs. Charlotte ultimately embarks on a wrongful birth lawsuit that will effect the lives of her family, her friends and, naturally, herself. The reader will ask 'Was it love or financial stress that provoked the lawsuit?' 'Was it all worth it?' There are many things that need to be handled with care and many moral questions abound.
As this was my first Picoult book, I found it to be very thought provoking and will look forward to reading more of her.

Great Review!

When I was in law school back around the time Roe v. Wade was decided, we were presented with issues in our moot court, tort, and legal ethics classes about whether there would a right to sue for wrongful birth--who could sue, what would the damages be, etc. Although I am not a Jodi Picoult fan, (and have not followed this issue at all), it might be interesting to get her take on the matter.

And, I'm interested to know what your alphabetical order system for reading is. Although I'm very bad about following rules, I could use some help in taming my tbr list.

Currently reading The Collapsing
Universe.
A gloriously rainy day is headed toward Ohio tomorrow and I look forward to spending it reading. Ahhhh bliss! Perhaps my holds will be in at the library.

8-15-09
Book #25 The Collapsing Universe The Story of Black Holes
3.5 stars

Review:
Having gained interest in black holes with the advent of the Hadron Collider I needed to seek out more information about them. I found The Collapsing Universe by Isaac Asimov to be a very good jumping off point, a black holes 101 so to speak. This book begins to explain black holes by first giving the reader a fast track study of miniscule atoms and moving outward toward planets, stars, neutron stars, black holes and finally white holes and wormholes, both purely speculative in 1977, the year this book was published.
Asimov writes in a very understandable to laymen fashion. Although he throws in a few scientific equations for good measure, the reader can get by without understanding the math behind the idea. Undoubtedly groundbreaking when first published some of the book is conjecture and so many questions remain, my interest however has been peaked non the less and I look forward to reading further books on this subject.

I would love to know if anyone reading this has any recommendations regarding this subject.

#180: Lynda, I have yet to read it, but Brian Greene has a wll-recommended book entitled The Elegant Universe that may be along the lines of what you are looking for. I am picking it up at the library next week, so I will be reading it in the near future.

Thanks for your recommendation Stasia, I picked up Elegant Universe from the library yesterday along with season 4 of LOST.

We can compare notes on Universe, lol.

8-24-09
#26 The Day the Falls Stood Still Cathy Marie Buchanan
3.5 stars

If you know the Niagara Falls area you will especially enjoy this novel.

Here is my review:

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Canadian Cathy Marie Buchanan appears to be a strong debut for this new author who grew up in the Niagara Falls area. It is a historical novel, set in the early 1900's and encompasses the surging growth of the region brought about by the harnessing of electricity by using the strengths of Niagara Falls itself. It is also a love story between Bess Heath a girl of reasonable priviledge and Tom Cole a riverman who earns a living fishing the Niagara River and finding "floaters" , people who perish in the river and whirlpool. Bess's family does not approve of this friendship but slowly come around when tragedy befalls them.
Having been to Niagara Falls many times I felt that Ms. Buchanan captured the essence of the region with her first hand knowledge and obvious love of the Falls.
She writes with a sense of dread and foreboding even when events are meant to be joyous the reader still feels the sense of impending doom.
Although I am not entirely sure as to why Bess looses her faith in prayer and the enduring love of those who have gone before her that she felt as a student the possiblity of these feelings returning towards the end of the story leaves the reader with a sense of hope for Bess's future.
Thank you LT and Voice for the opportunity to review this ARC .

Next read: Time Traveler's Wife just because a friend lent it to me and we'll compare it to the movie.

Just about finished w/ The Elegant Universe review to follow shortly.

Hi Lynda
I can't wait to read The Time Traveler's Wife, so i will look forward to your review.

Lynda

Thanks for your excellent review regarding The Day the Falls Stood Still. I received this as ARC and am 1/2 way through.

I'll look for your comments regarding The Time Traveler's Wife. I read this five years ago while I was at a conference in Seattle Washington, watching the tv regarding news of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. I will always remember reading the book during this time frame.

Linda, Isn't it amazing how we can associate books with an event. For one example, I'll always connect Life of Pi to a vacation in Cancun and looking out at the dark ocean at night and imagining Pi in his raft adrift with a crazy hyena and a hungry lion.

PS. I'm glad you liked my review and I look forward to reading yours.

8-25-09
#27 The Elegant Universe by Briane Greene
3.5 stars

Thanks Stasia for suggesting this book in my quest to read more regarding black holes.

Here is my review:
I read The Elegant Universe to hopefully increase my knowledge of black holes what I got instead was a review of Newton and Einstein's theory's and the introduction of a new theory, String Theory or as some call it, The Theory of Everything which introduces the possiblity of the existence of 11 dimensions. The book ends with work currently being done at Fermilab and CERN where experiments are being done to collide atoms and possibly simulate the Big Bang.
Although the book barely touched upon Black Holes it did introduce new information that further peaked my interest in this sector of science in easy to read for laymen terms.

This sounds like a fascinating book! Thanks for the great review.

And, silly me, I just re-read my previous message. I was in Seattle four years ago during the time of Katrina. It was a memorable time and a memorable book.

Hello Carmenere;
You have been busy reading more good books I see. I have The Elegant Universe on my shelf but just haven't had the time to read it yet. I am struggling to complete my 999 challenge on time. Six more to go there.
The Day the Falls Stood Still went on my TBR listing and I've read and truly enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife. I know there are some who really outright disliked it, but I am not one of them. I loved it. I loved the storyline, the way it was written and everything about it except that it had to end.
Good reviews, by the way.
Will catch you later on when I get caught up with the other fav threads and my reading.
You take care,
belva

Thanks for visiting Belva. So far, and this is only chapter 2, I'm finding The Time Travelers Wife rather amusing and humorous. Check back later when I'm finished.
Happy reading to you!

#188: Glad to see you enjoyed it. Now, I have to read it!

Stasia;
I will be looking forward to your comments on it when you complete it. (probably 2 days from now) hee hee
hugs,
belva

Lynda

I'm anxious to read your review of The Time Travelers Wife.

>194 Whisper1: I'll be sure to let you know Linda. There seems to have been mixed reviews regarding said book. Here is an interesting article in this weekends Wall Street Journal where it is said new writers such as Niffenegger, Letham and Chabon are contributing to making "the novel ........entertaining again." I thought it was a very good report.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574377163804387216.html

great article...thanks.

9-2-09
#28 The Lost City of Z
3.5 stars

Thanks to all who have recommended this book. I'm glad to have taken your advice.

Books like The Lost City of Z are a perfect example of why I enjoy reading. This book took me somewhere that I have never been nor wish to go but I was taken there nonetheless and was swept up into Colonel Fawcett's obsessive desire to find a dazzling yet perhaps mythical city in the jungles of Brazil.
When it comes to cannibals, snakes and maggots it is best, at least for this reader, to be an armchair traveler and endure it all in the comfort and safety of my home.

Carmenere;
I am so happy that you liked The Lost City of Z. It was a thrilling book for me to read!~! I loved it.
And thank you so much for the article link in post #195. That was very enlightening and I enjoyed it greatly.
Hope you are enjoying your day.
belva

Thank you for your kind words belva. For me, the article did make sense of some of the new material out there. Happy reading!

9-13-09
The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
4.5 stars

Although this book title implies that the wife, Clare, is the central character in this novel it is actually husband, Henry, who steals the show.....and clothes and whatever else he may need when he unintentionally travels through time and space.
I found Niffeneggers' characters to be well defined and memorable even when they make brief appearances, Ben, Richard, Lucille and Annette become 3 dimensional although they are bit players. In fact Annette is never actually alive in the story yet her presence is well received.
The author should receive an award for creative writing. How she ever kept track of all of the dates, ages of characters and events in non-chronological order is a feat in itself and I commend her for it.
It is a lengthy book and by page 380 I realized that time travel is a tedious thing and I was ready for the book to come to its conclusion. Perhaps the same feeling Henry exhibited.
I highly recommend this read, it is fresh, humorous, interesting and at times emotional. I just don't see how Niffenegger can top this one but I will certainly await her next book. In fact, I don't see how the movie can top the book but I plan on seeing it eventually.

Very nice review Carmenere.
I felt almost exactly the same as you when I read the book a few years ago. For some reason this one has been rather controversial in the like/dislike department here on LT and I don't see it, but the diversity of LT becomes very evident at those moments. And that is one of the very things I love about LT.
I hope you enjoy your next read as much.
hugs,
belva
BTW; thumbs up

Hey, muchas gracias belva!

My favorite line from The Time Traveler's Wife:

"You've been running around naked in the stacks again, haven't you?"

"Um, maybe."

Cracked me up.

Lynda, Niffenegger's follow up book, Her Fearful Symmetry, is due out at the end of September in the States.

#200 Great review, this is one of my favourite books, I just loved how it jumped around in time and space.

>204 alcottacre: Thanks for the heads up, Stasia. The cover looks awesome and I look forward to reading it.

>205 avatiakh: Thanks for stopping in Kerry. I believe it is now one of my alltime favorite reads too. In fact, I awoke this morning thinking about Clare and Henry! For me, this is always a sign of a good book or movie.

9-14-09
#30 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Edward Albee
3.5 stars

At first glance the middle aged main characters George and Martha reminded me of The Twits a Roald Dahl classic. Their constant bickering and mean, vindictive mind games made me question their love for each other. In another respect it was as if it was used as somekind of bent mating ritual.
Their mind games continue when they begin to prey upon a young couple visiting them after a dinner party.
The conversation between the couples is almost unbelievable. Almost too cutting, provocative and prying for people who have just met each other this very night. In this way the play seems to date itself. It seems very 1960ish, when swingers were the rage and alcohol flowed freely.
I came away with George being misunderstood by his wife yet very perceptive and in a way helped this young couple realize what they really wanted out of life. I recommend this interesting and thought provoking read.

Just want to thank those who gave me thumbs up for my The Time Traveler's Wife review. You helped make it my very first Hot Review. I am humbled. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

My new thread continues here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/73193

Nice review of The Time Traveler's Wife. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I did too!