BrainFlakes is back for 2009

Books read during 2009:

1. Agincourt, Bernard Cornwell
2. Couldn't Keep It to Myself, Wally Lamb, (ed.)
3. The Mistress of the Art of Death, Ariana Franklin
4. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie
5. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
6. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
7. Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire, Ruth Downie
8. Ex Libris, Anne Fadiman
9. Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri
10. The Color of Magic, Terry Pratchett
11. Collected Stories of William Faulkner
12. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, Lewis Buzbee
13. Soft Spots, Clint Van Winkle
14. The Wapshot Chronicle, John Cheever
15. The Convict and Other Stories,, James Lee Burke
16. Death at La Fenice, Donna Leon
17. Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson
18. Good Omens, Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
19. The Worst Hard Time, Timothy Egan
20. Sanctuary, William Faulkner

Your host for this thread is Charlie

What's going to be first? I can't wait.

Curious, aren't you. Cornwell's Agincourt will be first, and I'm working on Faulkner's Collected Stories, but that one will be a while. Joycepa just finished a Chaim Potok, so I may do some re-reading of him . . .

Caught ya, Charlie! Skulking among the 50 Book people, are ya. No use--can't hide!

I adore Cornwell's Sharpe series! Really eager to hear what you think about a book of his that is on something else besides the Napoleonic Wars! I'm perfectly prepared to buy the lot--just let me know.

Hi, Charlie,
Thanks for the link to your new thread. Last year was such a wonderful year for reading. I can't wait to see what the new year brings. :)
--BJ

1. Agincourt, Bernard Cornwell

On October 25, 1415 King Henry V (yes, Shakespeare's Henry), led 6,000 archers and men-at-arms against a French force of 30,000 at Agincourt—and won. According to Cornwell's notes, only Hastings, Waterloo, Trafalgar, and Crécy rival Agincourt in renown. It is a gore-fest even by Cornwell's standards, and is not recommended for those with sensitive constitutions.

Unlike many of the English-French sweep-and-plunder skirmishes during the Hundred Years War, Henry's purpose was to "rightfully" regain the crown of France. Despite the odds against him, Henry never faltered in his belief that he would win because God told him so. From page 395:

"Henry of England was filled by a God-given joy. Never, in all his life, had he felt closer to God, and he almost pitied the men who came to be killed for they were being killed by God."

That quote bothered (and continues to bother) me because how many millions of people have died over the ages because of the same belief?

Cornwell, as usual, uses a fictional character for intrigue, to carry the story along, and to have access to the bigwigs for strategy and whatnot. In Agincourt it is Nick Hook, a master archer. Anyone who has read the Grail Quest series will notice a lot of duplication about archers in this book and will be reminded of Cornwell's excellent description of the battle of Crécy.

Finally, the battle of Agincourt (Azincourt in French), does not take place until the last quarter of the book. In addition to the story's set-up and some dawdling by Cornwell, the majority of the book is about the siege of Harfleur in Normandy. Expecting a swift victory over the small walled city, the French fought brilliantly for over two weeks—decimating many of Henry's force with cannon, tunnels, and dysentery. To me, the siege of Harfleur was as interesting as the title battle.

Overall, this stand-alone book is a Cornwell festival and will please his fans. Except where I noted, I enjoyed it and give it 4 stars.

(Gee whiz, I ought to turn this "blurb" into a book review!)

Outstanding review Charlie!

Answers my question about whether or not I should start exploring Cornwell's other books. Answer: yes.

The first Corwell series I read was the Grail Quest and I zipped through the three of them. Here they are in order because they must be read in order in order to know what's happenin'.

Grail Quest Series

You made it really easy to put them on my lists! Nasty, nasty, Charlie!! :-)

>3 BrainFlakes: I've decided to work through Faulkner's Collected Stories this year, too, Charlie. Race ya!

I'm 300 pages in, but I only read one at bedtime (mainly because my wife won't read to me—and yes, I know she isn't my mommy).

I therefore concede to the race to you, LW3.

And what's this about Rattlesnake Farming—tired of attorneys, or is this a subsidiary of the firm?

Rattlesnake Farming--in Scranton, PA?

Well, I don't really know what it is. I was intrigued by it at my local new/used bookshop, and took it home. That makes TWO books in my catalog now with "rattlesnake" in the title. (The other being Willie and the Rattlesnake King, written by an old grade-school friend of mine.) But there is an annual rattlesnake round-up in Noxen, PA, which is only a few miles from here, and it is often where we go to celebrate Father's Day. I find them fascinating creatures, and some of them are strikingly (pardon) beautiful. The round-up used to involve killing and barbecuing a certain percentage of the snakes, but they are protected now, and it is a smallish carnival sort of event, with the snakes as the main attraction. Their rattles are marked with a color code so they can be returned to the spot where they were found at the end of the week-end. I think it serves an educational purpose, because the Pennsylvania Game Commission gets involved, provides information about the snakes and their habitat. The downside, of course, is that the same individuals get "rounded up" year after year, and now have virtually no fear of humans. In fact, I think some of them pack their valises and wait at the mouth of their den for the guys with the snake barrels to come pick them up the third week of June. (Was this way more than either of you wanted to know?)
Charlie, if you're 300 pages into the Collected Stories, and reading one a night, you will finish long before I do. I will probably read 2 or 3 a week, and I've just started.

#13: No, no--the information was terrific! But I have to say--where the Hades is Noxen? did they rename some other town? I've never heard of it before.

I don't think they renamed it, Joyce. It's south and west of Scranton. If I tell you it's between Bowman's Creek and Harvey's Lake will that help?? The town has an information-packed website, even though it's really just a wide spot in the road.

*We now return you to Charlie's thread, already in progress*

Just wanted to say thanks for your help with the cover for American Earth. When I input the book, the cover was not available on amazon. I am so happy to have it now. :)
--BJ

@12-15: Nothin' says NEPA like the Noxen Rattlesnake Round-Up.

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Can I have that on a shirt?

#17 So the flower appears with her 5¢ worth.

Noxin, the Calaveras Township of rattlesnakes.

To answer your question, sure.

@ 18: "The flower." Hehe. Who knows what bulbs lurk in the ground of gardens? THE FLOWER knows.

5¢. Is that due to inflation or because my addition to the convo is just so darn valuable? ;-)

You know, I just love these mother-daughter combos or minus one or the other--doesn't matter--just love them.

#20 I do believe that LW3 and the Flower are in cahoots together (is that a redundancy?). Flower is running inteference for LW3 with that stupid rattlesnake thing I started to sidetrack me from the Faulkner contest. To prove it, I'm sitting here typing instead of reading . . . Faulkner.

And with all their degrees in English and writing, they scare me. I'm afeered they're going to start marking up my comments and reviews with red cyber-ink (is that a hyphenated word?), snorting with glee as they rip me to shreds.

Otherwise, I like mother-daughter combos too.

Edited for not closing my italics; an error not of the English language, but of stupid HTML programming.

He's on to us, kid. Wouldn't you love to see what Faulkner might have done with a rattlesnake round-up?

Tough to beat the wild horse round-up (is that a hyphenated word?) in The Hamlet.

Yes, that's one of my all-time (is that a hyphenated word?) favorite scenes in any novel. BTW, the Flower (really, she's more referring to the boat than the flora) gave me a BUNDLE of red pens and pencils for Christmas! But I promise not to use any of 'em on my friends.

#24 I suppose I could call your daughter Laura, but she and I have never been formally introduced. Then again, the nineteenth century is just about over, so what the hell.

@25. Oh, Mr. Flakes. Such formality. You flatter me, sir, for I am but a silly young thing not half so deserving of your pretty manners. Please. You must call me "Laura." I insist. Mama shall not mind.

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Better now? ;-)

Actually, I was rather warming up to "The Flower." It has a certain weight to it somehow, no?

Brain....Flower. Flower....Brain. There. That's as formal as I get. Call each other anything you want, now.

#26 But Miss Laura! What would Mr Darcy think should he find that you have a gentleman caller sitting in the parlor? And your dear Mama—you know how prone she is to the vapours.

* * *

And dear Mama doesn't appear to know much about boats (#24). Does she have a rowboat named Flower, or is she referring to the ship Mayflower?

Oh I just love that one, Charlie--the gentleman caller bit! And dear Mama being prone to vapors! I can just see it.

Ship, boat...quibble, quibble. Yes, it's the Mayflower to which she refers and from which she descends.

And I'm more the kind of Mama who encourages gentleman callers..."Tom...TOM. Down at the warehouse, aren't there some -- nice young men? Find out one that's clean-living---doesn't drink and---ask him out for sister!"

@30. Okay, Tennessee. I don't recall any such prodding. ;-) Course, it's a moot point now.

Thank you, Linda and Laura, for the fun. And Joyce, I'm glad that you enjoyed our sad attempt at a Victorian melodrama.

But I must take a break now for a . . . book review!

Heavens, Victorian! Me, I thought I was sitting in a front row seat of Glass Menagerie--which by the way, is my favorite T. Williams play.

2. Couldn't Keep It to Myself, Wally Lamb, (Ed.)

Lamb, who wrote one of my favorite books, I Know This Much is True, was asked in 1999 to give a lecture on writing as part of the education program at York Correctional Institute, a maximum security prison in Connecticut. He did so as a favor, but after two hours he was hooked: There were several female inmates who asked him to teach them how to write. Lamb agreed, and he began giving a class every other Thursday—which he continues to do today.

The writing, at first, was terrible—flat, disorganized, and mostly of the pity-party type. But Lamb, a teacher by trade, was patient and skillful. The women came to realize that writing was an outlet for their anger, hurt, and shame, that it was a method whereby the secrets hidden in the dark recesses of their souls might be revealed.

The result of three years of writing is this book. It contains the stories of ten women of all colors and ages, and not a "poor me" is to be read. They write about their families of origin, their children and husbands, addictions, life in prison, gang life and, most of all, their childhoods. One story broke my heart: titled "Thefts", a little girl of twelve was impregnated by her father, sent away for the gestation period and birth, and I can tell you no more.

The purpose of this book is not to debate the nature-vs-nurture question, which probably cannot be answered anyway. But Lamb gives a meaningful statistic, born out by the stories: of the ten contributors, eight had been battered and nine sexually abused.

Obviously, this book is not for the casual reader. Lamb may have over-edited in places, but it did not take away from the horror these women have endured. To say that I liked this book makes me sound like a ghoul, but I have a reason for giving it four-and-a-half stars.

* * *

As a part of my Master's work in chemical dependency, I did a three-hundred hour internship in a halfway house for addicted women. In 2004, I wrote a piece in my own journal titled

Throwaway Women

This is the part about interning at a long-term halfway house for female drug addicts, all of whom were diagnosed with mental disorders in addition to addiction, most of whom had been incarcerated or were on intensive supervisory probation, three of whom were pregnant, and how trite the concept of “treatment” is, and how the Twelve Step notion of turning one’s life and will over to the care of God is idiotic because he is not going to help them, and how worthless taking their moral inventory is because ninety-five percent of them had their morals ripped from them by fathers and uncles and brothers when they were defenseless little girls, and how they cling to abusive men who are just like their fathers and uncles and brothers because they are desperate for love, any kind of love even if it is sick, and how much these women hate themselves, and how I saw the self-inflicted razor scars on their wrists and arms and thighs, and how empty these women were inside, and how dead their eyes were, and how their minds and souls were pits of dying coals, but beneath the drugs and the pain there were sparks of beauty in every one of them, tiny glimpses of childish innocence and giggles, of the little girls they could and should have been, and that was the reason I went back there every day, and how the only way I could help them was by being kind because few of them have ever known kindness, especially male kindness, and how I listened without judging because who am I to judge, and how they wanted to talk because no one had ever listened to them, and how they wanted to trust because they had no one to trust, and how they wanted to hope because they had never had any hope, and how maybe they felt just a little bit better after spending a safe half hour with me.

I still remember those throwaway women, I still remember some of their faces, and I often wonder how many of them and their babies are still alive . . .

As the most trivial response, let me say that I agree with you about the nature vs nurture--I think it's an unresolvable argument.

There is absolutely nothing I can say to your journal entry, except that you can write as well and as powerfully as anyone I've read. I never know what to do with unmitigated horror, I who have led such a lucky, rational life.

Wow, that was a great review and statement.
--BJ

I'm speechless. *squeezes Charlie's shoulder*

I'm really incredibly touched by journal entry. Thanks for sharing it.

#35--#38 Thank you very much, ladies, for your kind comments.

Newsflash: Charlie le Escargot finishes his third book of 2009!

3. Mistress of the Art of Death, Ariana Franklin

I read this book based on Joycepa's review, and I was not at all disappointed. It is a mystery that takes place in the mid-twelfth century in Cambridge, England during the rule of Henry Plantagenet (Henry II). Shades of Bernard Cornwell's realism, except Franklin's battlefield is the murder of young Christian children.

Also like Cornwell, Franklin is no less graphic, either in word or deed. Her writing is wonderful--gruesome one moment and humorous the next (mostly from the bumpkin-but-world-wise housekeeper, Glytha). Franklin's timing is masterful, throwing in a twist or a turn when it is least expected.

So who in tea and biscuits is the Mistress of the Art of Death? She is a doctor, an esteemed graduate of the school of medicine in Salerno, Italy, and whose specialty is pathology. Yes, folks, a woman who dissects human bodies in the twelfth century. Adelia is dedicated to finding the perp of the murdered children, but because of the Church she must do her sleuthing in secret. Credit Franklin for some clever ruses, as well as drawing a protaganist who is difficult to forget. I liked Adelia—her dedication and her respect for the body, but she also took herself too seriously; I don't think she cracked a smile until page 250 of 300.

Overall, I give the book 4 stars, mostly for originality and Franklin's skill.

This does sound pretty interesting. I am starting to want to read more historical fiction these days. My girls both like to read that and they have so many books I could borrow. Of course, their grasp of history is lots better than mine, so I don't know it that makes it harder for me to read historical fiction or not. I guess I will find out. How do you decide what to read next?
--BJ

#40: You also have to give Franklin credit, Charlie, for a very different 12th century romance! I nearly died laughing towards the end. And yes, Adelia does take herself too seriously, but that's part of her charm as well.

#41: To sort of answer that question, from my point of view: for me, it's a combination of the historical circumstances and the story line that goes with it, if I don't know the author. Anything set in the American Civil War will get my consideration. I don't remember, at this point, why I started the Richard Sharpe series, set in the napoleonic Wars but I consumed those books as fast as I could get them here to Panama. I thought I would give Sharon Kay Penman's When Christ and His Saints Slept a go because I happen to like medieval mysteries. That was such a good book, set in Henry II's England, that I'm reading her sequel, Time and Chance.

I was intrigued by the description of Mistress of the Art of Death and bought it on impulse. I now have her sequel lined up to buy in February.

Last year I read Kristin Lavransdatter, which is a trilogy set in medieval Norway. I never would have thought of that book even though it won a big award (I'm thinking Nobel, but I can't remember). But I am a member of the Group Reads -- Literature group and someone on there suggested it for a group read. Well, I loved that book! I was so glad to hear about it. I am going to start reading about books on the Historical Fiction group to see what books they mention.

Thanks for your thoughts, Joyce. Do you live in Panama?
--BJ

#43: Yes, I do--in a rural area of a rural province in the western part of the country about 60 miles or so,as the crow flies (about 2.5 hours by car), from the Costa Rican border.

#41 & #43. Grilling your daughters for historical fiction and perusing the LT group are both good ideas for reading ideas (?).

Historical fiction, I think, has a broad definition. I define it as anything that happened before I was born--which starts with WWII and works backward to the year 1.

I'm presently reading The Book Thief, which takes place in Germany during the early years of WWII. It's extremely inventive, which may be an understatement.

#42. Forgive me, Joyce, for forgetting the romance. Mea culpa. It certainly took the starch out of the participants . . .

There was so much to that book that, when writing the "blurb", I didn't know what to put in and what not. I should mention that in my reading experience of the Middle Ages, this was the first Prior I actually liked, and Sister Joan was just the opposite.

4. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Dai Sijie

This is another recommended book, this time by Laytonwoman3rd.

It is a short book that focuses on two teenage boys who are sent by Mao Zedong for re-education during his Cultural Revolution to a remote mountain called Phoenix of the Sky. "Cultural" Revolution, my left big toe. Any book, Western or otherwise, that did not preach the Party line was burned by the Red Guard, shades of Bradbury's Farenheit 451.

This book isn't all about books, but books do play a large role when the boys find a cache of Western books (translated into Chinese) hidden by a third boy, a book-lover himself. (Not bad: I used "book five times in one sentence.)

The tomes, all famous classics, are suitably devoured by the boys and Luo, one of the two and the only character in this story who has a given name, decides to read his favorite author, Balzac, to his girlfriend, the Little Seamstress. She, too, is enthralled by learning of faraway places and people she had never dreamed of.

Ultimately, these volumes have a life changing affect on all three—the un-named narrator, Luo, and the Little Seamstress. The climax of the story comes at the very end of the book with no denouement, which gave me plenty of time to ruminate once I closed the back cover.

There is a lot to like about this book: the characters, life in provincial China, life itself, and for me, the amazing array of flora that grew on the mountain. I agree, however, with LW3: there was humor, but I never found anything remotely hilarious as the Los Angeles Times claims on the book's cover.

* * * * *

Private note to LW3, so no peeking. I read Faulkner's story "Victory" last night and was blown away. I am going to reread it today.

Another great review! I think my daughter (the one still in high school) has a copy of that book. I will rummage around in her room and look for it. :) Or maybe I will ask her to borrow it.
--BJ

#48. Is rummaging allowed at your house? I hate it when my wife rummages around in my "stuff" because then I can't find anything. Like money.

Strictly speaking, no, rummaging is not allowed unless invited. However, since I am the go-to person to find whatever is missing, I feel that occasional rummaging is ok. :) The best place to find money is in the laundry. When the money from jeans pockets appears in the laundry, it is mine. I invented this house rule and I really like it. This is also a good incentive to do the laundry.
--BJ

I only rummage in my house when absolutely necessary and when someone is looking for something and can't find it. Always call on mom for finding what they can't. I love to do laundry too for that very same reason. All the coins I find are nice little surprises in the washer. I have that same rule too, bj.

#47 If you're all the way up to "Victory", I'll never catch you. But you tempt me to read that one out of order. I don't think I've read it before.

So I asked my daughter if I could rummage around for that book and she said that she would find it for me -- after her trip. She is visiting a few colleges. She has so many good books! I already have a stack from her that I need to read.
--BJ

That is great that your daughter has good books to read. My daughter gave me all her books because she didn't have room for them and she wasn't going to read them. They are mostly children books and a few YA. She is in to this author Sarah Dessen so she is only reading her books right now. Her boyfriend reads more then she does.

>53 billiejean: billiejean you are so lucky! Every time you mention how your daughters recommend books to you and viceversa I'm sooooo jealous :P My mom used to read tons we she was younger so I have many of her old books but she's completely stopped now, so there's no question of me recommending any books to her. Ah well. That's what LT is for :)

I am the mom that has a daughter that doesn't read unless she has too. My son reads for school and I will read the books he is reading. I have given him books and he has read them even though he won't say he likes them. I am jealous too because you and your daughter share books...

>56 crazy4reading: crazy4reading if your son reads th books, it probably means that he enjoys them, too. It's just a teenage thing (the not admitting to liking them) :)

Oh yes that dreaded teenage thing. I think he will have it forever... He does enjoy reading but won't admit it, yet. He loves the Stephen King books. He says the books are better then the movies.

Not that long ago, I was the mom who had stopped reading. There is always hope. :) I started reading again because I felt like my brain wasn't functioning like it used to when I read a lot. It took a little while to get back in the habit, but I am really enjoying it now. Maybe just recommend an occasional book that is short and fun. And kids always listen more than they let on.

By the way, Charlie (returning to your thread), it has been a long time since I have read any Faulkner. Which one do you recommend to ease my way in? My girls read As I Lay Dying but weren't that crazy about it. I read Absalom, Absalom! long years ago and I liked it then. I am sure that I will read As I Lay Dying one of these days as I try to read all the books that they have read in high school that I did not read. But is that a good place to start?
--BJ

#59. I wish I could tell you, BJ, but I'm a newcomer to Faulkner--before last June, I'd never read a word of his.

Under the guidance of Laytonwoman3rd, I "eased" into Faulkner by reading some of his easier writing and acquainting myself with some of his recurring characters.

Of the five novels I've read, I liked the three that make up the Snopes trilogy: The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion.

As far as reading one of his major novels, I'm considering Sanctuary--once I finish his short stories.

I'm pretty windy considering I'm no help, aren't I.

You are a lot of help. :) I had not heard of any of those novels -- and I thought that I was familiar with what he wrote. I went to the handy-dandy "will you like it?" feature of Sanctuary, and it said that I would love it. How does LT know this about me? Is this like how Amazon knows when I am out of coffee and what books I want to order? I am going to check out what I have from LOA. Maybe I have one of those and I did not realize it. I think after reading Salman Rushdie, Faulkner won't be as hard as I remember. And his books are shorter.

My husband and daughter are off visiting colleges (actually she has an interview at each school, so she had to go). I am stuck here because I am coordinating a massive Sunday School painting event -- 42 kids in one room! So the dog and I will try to do some extra reading this weekend and I will try not to think about how she (my daughter) will be gone all the time next year. Luckily, my sweet dog is all about attention, so she doesn't mind if I overdo it some. :)
--BJ

#61: BJ, I am in awe of your courage--42 kids in one room! Painting!!

Charlie, you're probably ready for Sanctuary, but billiejean, PLEASE don't start your reintroduction to Faulkner with that one. It will give you an entirely skewed idea of his work and his people. Not that it isn't a good book--it definitely has its place in his body of work. But it's the one that gave Faulkner his entirely undeserved reputation for sensationalism among people who read nothing else of his.

So--is The Reivers a good one to start with? I'm grinding my way through the Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction, and that's one of them--the one that comes first, since I'm reading in chronological order.

Just reporting in to let everyone know that I survived the great paint experience. We had two absent, so only 40 kids. Boy, were they excited! Now I need a nap. I think that my dog and I will curl up on the couch and snooze!
--BJ

Wow. I close my eyes for twelve hours and look what happens: people come along and scribble on my thread.

#61. Between LT, Amazon, Google, and if you have a blog, Big Brother is definitely watching. And 42 kids all painting is brave. Are you doing a recreation of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel or Noah's Ark?

You have The Hamlet in Faulkner's LoA volume 1936-1940 if you're interested.

#63. Thanks for your guiding light, LW3. You haven't been around much in January and are missed by your friends and fans. Still cooking for the holidays, are you?

#64. After reading about the Dust Bowl and getting Mary all upset, you can probably use something like The Reivers. It was Faulkner's last novel and is supposedly quite funny--hearsay, of course.

I love The Reivers. It is quite funny, though I find most of Faulkner quite funny. It's my favorite Faulkner work (it's the one I enjoy the most), though I think he achieves more in others. I'd call The Reivers a good starting place, though in some ways it is not terribly representative of his other novels.

Okay, I'm done composing compound sentences conjoined with "though."

*awaits LW3's two cents*

OK, so The Reivers it is.

And BJ? Congratulations on your survival skills!! :-)

#66 We painted shoe boxes brown to look like a table. They will represent the altar and be part of an ongoing project to learn about the Mass. I teach First Holy Communion to 7 year olds. They were so excited! Thanks also for the Faulkner info. I checked the "will you like it?" meter for that one and LT thinks I will love it, too.

#68 Thanks for the congrats! This is the kind of project that seems so daunting in advance, but really isn't so bad when it happens. But quite a bit of cleanup! :/

Thanks for everyone's comments of Faulkner. Your thread is so much fun, Charlie! :)
--BJ

#67 Far be it from me to contradict the Professor. (Although I DID teach her everything she knows about Faulkner!) The Reivers is a wonderful romp, Joyce. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It was written by a mellower man than Absalom! Absalom!, or The Sound and the Fury.

#67-#70. I hit the jackpot today with all four of my favorite LT ladies in a row--or, to be precise, in a column.

To be serious for a moment, I can't thank all of you enough for the chats, the humor, and the books you've recommended. I'm presently reading The Book Thief and I'm enthralled by both the story and the inventive writing.

Faulkner, however, keeps drawing me like a magnet. I have all of his major novels to read and I have all of them in my LoA volumes, but my time grows shorter as my emphysema progresses--I nap frequently because the act of breathing plumb tuckers me out.

But I keep plugging away and BJ, lettuce all keep this thread fun!

#71: I loved The Book Thief--thought it was a powerful book indeed.

I've often wondered what I will do when the time grows short for me, if I know it in advance--and reading outside on the porch, when possible, with a couple of dogs seems like the finest way to spend that time.

Coragem and boa sorte, Charlie--I may have to speak Spanish but Portugese is the language of my heart.

I was much taken with The Book Thief too. Another of those books I don't quite understand being cataloged as "Young Adult" fiction. Or maybe that just makes me a young adult??

"So many books, so little time." It'll be my complaint if I live to be 114.
Odvaha a šťastie, Karol.

Hey, Charlie--I did post a reply to your Comment on my blog!

Joyce: Noted, and I replied to your reply. Thank you for the heads up.

5. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn

I think it was the title that attracted me to this small book: "LMNOP" reminded me of grammar school and singing the "Alphabet Song" just as fast as our little big mouths could sing it. Fortunately for me, the ligatures æ and œ were no longer used in American English or I would have grown up tongue-tied.

Enough of my fond memories and to the book. It is about the island "nation" of Nollop off the coast of S. Carolina and named after Nevin Nollop, the supposed genius who penned the pangram, "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." Everything is peachy on Nollip until the letters of the pangram begin to fall off the statue of Nevin. Suddenly, the letters hit the fan: the five old idiots who comprise the High Island Council decide that the fallen letters may no longer be used in either speech or writing. Why? Because the five old idiots believe Nevin is speaking to them from beyond the grave and it is his wish to ban forever the fallen letters.

Despite Dunn's creativity and inventiveness, I did not like this book. Told entirely in epistolary style, the characters were as flat as the paper they were printed on. Parody or allegory or whatever, the benign Council members became monsters overnight with no resistance whatsoever from the populace. And in the denouement, Ella Minnow Pea befriends the only Council member who did not resign, Rederick Lyttle. Too much for me, a lover of freedom, to handle.

There is a solution to this mess, and I like what Ella said on page 201:

"We are, when it comes right down to it, all of us: mere monkeys at typewriters."

I give the book three stars for effort. And now that I'm done typing, I think I'll head out to the kitchen for a banana.

You just crack me up! :D
--BJ

Hey, Charlie, I'll let you know when ours are about to ripen, and you can come down here and pick them fresh off the stalk, so to speak!

I'm with you, Charlie. I didn't care for Ella Minnow Pea either. It seemed so clever and contrived, and not nearly as amusing or thought-provoking as it meant to be. "Effort" is a good word, for both the writing and the reading.

#77. I see no reason to sound funereal when writing about non-serious books. Now, if I was writing about Olivia Saves the Circus, that would be a different matter.

#78. Thank you for the offer, Joyce, but I must warn you that I might swing in your good trees. I'm a lousy guest, too: I eat with my hands and I'm not completely housebroken.

#79. I glad that you agree, Linda. I was afraid I was attacking a literary icon, even though it is my right to do so. And I still don't like Edgar Sawtelle.

The good thing about EMP is it was short.

#80: "Swing in the trees" is not a bad way to get at those bananas, since they are about 20 ft up at this point. And I should add that "housebroken" and genteel eating habits don't seem to be requirements for 70% of the members of this household!

Bad news! We had sunshine yesterday (it was beautiful!) and all the grass popsicles melted. We still have snow on the ground which is pretty, and the melt refreezes at night, but I miss the popsicles. Now the dog has nothing to crunch (except that yesterday I accidentally left the dog treat box open on the floor and she thought she hit the jackpot!).

I hope you have a great weekend!
--BJ

6. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

Knowing that I am a master gasbag, how do I summarize this incredible book in a paragraph or two? Quite simply, I cannot; all I can do for right now is scribble a few impressions.

There are a lot of books that have made me sad, and a handful of them have made me cry: Uncle Tom's Cabin was one of them, and The Book Thief is another. Despite foreshadowing by the book's narrator, Death, I was a wreck by book's end.

Death as narrator. Who better to tell a story that takes place inside Hitler's Germany? Death tells us, shortly after the Allies have bombed a place named Köln where five hundred were killed:

Five hundred souls.
I carried them in my fingers, like suitcases. Or I'd throw them over my shoulder. It was only the children I carried in my arms.

You see, not every German citizen was a card-carrying Nazi, or a hater of Jews, or any of the other monsters of the Third Reich. Liesel Meminger, the book thief, was not. Neither were her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, nor Max Vandenburg, the Jew the Hubermanns' hid in their basement, nor Rudy Steiner, Liesel's best friend whom she staunchly refused to kiss. These, and many other people like them, are the grist for Zusak's, and Death's, elegant, poetically-written mill.

Five stars for this beautiful book.

ETA: correct HTML--twice.

Another great review. You must be a writer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I will read this one.
--BJ

I loved The Book Thief. Great review, Charlie. That particular sentence you quote is one of my favorites in the book.

beautiful review - once again!

7. Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire, Ruth Downie

I believe I was stuck in a time warp while reading this book: I would read, and read, and read some more, glance up at the page number, and realize that I'd progressed exactly three pages. It's a mere 384 pages, but set in about 8-point type it seemed more like 3,384.

I was expecting a book like Mistress of the Art of Death (Message 40), but what I got was a cross between TV episodes of M.A.S.H. and Columbo. Gaius Petreius Ruso (simply called Ruso), is a Medicus (Doctor), assigned to a Roman hospital in barbarian Britain. "That's all, folks!", as the Warner Brothers cartoons say: this first book by Downie is no more about the Roman Empire than is my Aunt Fanny.

So why did I keep reading it, laytonwoman3rd will ask me. Because Ruso is a great character, as is all of the supporting cast. Downie is a mistress of comedic timing (the hospital episodes between Ruso, another Doctor named Valens, and Priscus, the super-anally-retentive hospital administrator are frequently hilarious). There is a mystery to solve, too—the deaths of two prostitutes—and Ruso bumbles along getting nowhere fast (or even half-fast).

To her credit, Downie writes well about the horrors of being a slave girl forced into prostitution—one had her tongue cut out—and most of you know my feelings about abused women. That, I believe, is another reason why I finished the book.

By book's end the mystery is solved and Ruso and his slave Tilla (don't ask) are headed straight for the sequel—Terra Incognita, which is newly in trade paper. I believe I'll pass it up.

Since I both liked Medicus and did not like it, I give it the middle of the road rating: 3 stars.

I was about to send out the search dogs, Charlie. I thought it was taking you way too long to post your latest read. Now I see why. And I know that feeling of reading and reading, and thinking "shouldn't I have turned a page by now?".

#88. Actually, I've been switching off with two other books while reading this one. One you may be familiar with: Collected Stories by William Faulkner. I'm up to page 667.

In addition, Martha made me do our income taxes and I've been in a very deep depression ever since. I (We) need some bailout money, and I'm not talking about jail bail.

I've been resisting The Book Thief, but I think you've talked me into it!

Hi, Charlie!
Your review of Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire intrigued me. Have you ever read Silver Pigs? It is a detective book set in ancient Rome. This book is from long years ago, so might not be around anymore. Anyway, it was fun and easy to read. Have a great day!
--BJ

To second Billie Jean's recommendation--it's the first in the Lindsay Davis series, which is quite fun, although towards the end it does deteriorate in quality. But the first three books anyway are a kick in the pants: Silver Pigs, Shadows in Bronze and Venus in copper. They're set in the time of Vespasian and feature a down-at-the-heels "informer" (read detective) named Marcus Didius Falco, who is an original.

#90. I think it's a great book and so do many others, but it's your decision.

#91-92. I just checked out Davis on Amazon and there are 16 in the series--all out of print, which seems strange.

I'll try another vendor because you've both piqued my interest.

And Joyce: I'm not avoiding you, but rather waiting for a block of time to catch up on all your stuff. Unlike you, my spring chicken doesn't have a lot of spring in it any more.

#93: Oh give me a break, Charlie! Neither does mine, much! Especially these days. do, by the way, check out the young musicians on the blog if you haven't done so. They really are terrific.

I've had to buy a few of the Davis books from Amazon Marketplace. It IS strange that they're all out of print--she released a new one a few years ago, and the series is pretty popular, or was.

8. Ex Libris, Anne Fadiman

I may be an older dog, but I'm still learning new tricks. Last year was my introduction to William Faulkner; Ex Libris is my first book about books. At this rate, I'm liable to pick up something from Harlequin (uh, no I won't).

Fadiman's little book of eighteen essays all appeared in Civilization, the magazine of the Library of Congress. What they taught me was Fadiman has an incredible knowledge of books and I do not. There is a reason for that: while she eats, sleeps, and drinks books (and has since the age of three), I'm just a fellow who likes to read whatever strikes my fancy.

Nevertheless, I liked this book very much. Fadiman writes intimately and lovingly about both books and her family. She fills her essays with interesting anecdotes, and she has a fine, dry sense of humor. Her first essay, "Marrying Libraries," is a good example. After cohabiting for twenty years, she and her husband make a possilble life-changing decision to combine their separate libraries and do away with the duplicates. This is a huge job for two bibliomaniacs, the process peppered with the hilarious and the bittersweet of fond memories.

I give Anne 4½ stars; I may have bestowed five if her subtitle, Confessions of a Common Reader, wasn't such a big fib.

Hi, Charlie!
I had no idea that the Library of Congress had a magazine. I guess I should have known since the Smithsonian does. Is she related to Clifton Fadiman? I have a book by him called The Lifetime Reading Plan. I have never read it cover to cover but just read some of it from time to time.

Thanks for another great review! :)
--BJ

#96. Yes, she's Clifton's daughter. He was still alive when she wrote the book--90 years old, blind, and still a lover of books. And she loved him dearly.

And you're welcome for the review.

Couldn't agree with you more about The Common Reader. I loved it, too. Great review.

Ex Libris is one of those little gems I never would have known about except for LT. My copy is signed by several LT friends I had the good fortune to meet in person about a year and a half ago.

9. Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri

I love this woman's writing and, sadly, I've now read everything she has in print. It seems like she sits down at a table, picks up a pencil, and effortlessly becomes the person she is writing about. What a talent.

Like her first book, Interpreter of Maladies, which won a Pulitzer Prize, this is another collection of short stories—eight of them, but not so short at 333 pages. The final three stories are connected using both POV and a narrator, and IMO are the best of the book.

Lahiri's territory is familiar: Wealthy and highly-educated Bengali immigrants to America, their children who quickly assimilate American culture and spurn tradition, and the frequent clashes that result between the two generations.

Are her stories all the same, then? Of course not. That would be like saying that all stories about Irish and Chinese immigrants are the same. While Lahiri's characters may all be from Calcutta and tend to settle in and around Boston, each one is a unique individual—and it is this uniqueness that is her fodder. One becomes alcoholic and his sister blames herself; another can't get over the death of his mother; and a father, a widower, is afraid and ashamed to tell his daughter about his secret lover and companion.

Overall, I think this is a better book of stories than Interpreter, and I give it a full five stars.

ETA: Formatting (I'm a purist)

This looks like another winner of a recommendation from you! I need to check these books out. :)
--BJ

>100 BrainFlakes: will try to track it down!

Just noticed your message numbers next to the titles in Message 1. I'm off to add another link to the chain of theft of that idea.

Wow! Interpreter of Maladies was an amazing collection of short stories--the best I've read by a single writer, especially so because,as you noted, there was that commonality in terms of the characters, yet the stories were so diverse. I've still got about 30 TBR's to get through, but will put Unaccustomed Earth at the top of my list of books to look at.

BB: That's a new one on me: books to look at. Usually it's buy or borrow or steal.

You won't be sorry you looked at it, though. Since the stories are longer, Lahiri allows the characters more time to reveal themselves than in Interpreter.

I have Interpeter of Maladies sitting on a shelf, but will have to get Unaccustomed Earth now.

#106. Am I in trouble again, then?

I should hope so! Don't want to let you relax, Charlie--would never do.

10. The Color of Magic, Terry Pratchett

This is my first Pratchett book which, coincidentally, is the first Discworld book Pratchett wrote (in 1983). Boy, was it fun, even though all of the Pratchett experts say the next two dozen or so are much better than this one.

But I have an odd quirk: whenever I begin a series, and whether or not it can be read out of chronological order, I always start with the first one. "Start with this one," or "Start with that one," the experts say, "And then go back to Magic and pick up the details." Well raspberries to the experts: I don't have to go back for anything.

Sliding my soapbox under the desk I ask, "Does Pratchett write SF, fantasy, philosophy, or satire? The answer is, "Yes." Just plain yes. To attempt to summarize the plot, which is really a collection of four short stories, would qualify me for a room at the Padded Cell Hotel.

Pratchett describes Discworld ". . . as a flat, circular planet that rests on the backs of four elephants, which in turn are standing on the back of a giant turtle." The turtle's name is Great A'Tuin.

By the way, when reading Pratchett, suspension of belief must be checked at the front cover.

The peoples of Discworld were genuinely curious about A'Tuin: where did it come from? Where was it going? How old was it? What was its gender? Theories abound, some of which Pratchett descibes on page 2 of the Prologue:

". . . A'Turin was crawling from the Birthplace to the Time of Mating, as were all the stars in the sky which were, obviously, also carried by giant turtles. When they arrived they would briefly and passionately mate, for the first and only time, and from that fiery union new turtles would be born to carry a new pattern of worlds. This was known as the Big Bang hypothesis."

Page 2, mind you, and Pratchett's brilliance had me hooked. As did his prose, characters, and villains (Death and Fate are, uh, capitvating).

So, just before I toddle off to bed, I'm going to sample a wine from Rehigreed Province from next year's harvest. "Ghlen Livid," they call it.

My daughter loves Terry Pratchett and has been encouraging me to read the discworld books. Now you recommend them also; that is pretty high praise. I hope to get to one soon. :)
--BJ

#109: "Ghlen Livid"!! Oh fun!

>109 BrainFlakes: scheduled for March - so glad you enjoyed it!! I will be even more predisposed to like it now :)

#112. We just traded comments one minute apart all the way across Discworld . . .

hehe I noticed :D

11. Collected Stories of William Faulkner

The score on LT is 865 reviews for Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, 3 reviews for Collected Stories of William Faulkner--and the latter has not been reviewed since 2007. What a shame. And shame on me for not reading him until my 61st year; I too bought into the myths that "He is too hard to read," "I don't understand him," and "He doesn't make any sense."

I will admit that he is difficult sometimes and that I don't understand every line he writes, but reading Faulkner is an experience for me, both mentally and emotionally. His stories are to be savored, set to "simmer" on the stovetop, as opposed to Meyer's microwavable pop.

This collection includes 42 stories spread over 900 pages, many of them forerunners to future novels. Every one of them sucked me in from the first sentence, and I wasn't able to put the book up until the story was done. Some stories had neatly tied-up endings, but many did not--a Faulkner device that requires the reader to create or imagine an ending.

Faulkner is a master of the war story and the effects war has on individuals. I liked these the best. My favorite is "Two Soldiers," a poignant tale (and title) of an eight-year-old boy who wants to join the Army and ship out to Pearl Harbor with his beloved brother. On the flip side is "Victory," a WWI horror story (and title) of a Scotsman who shoots and machine guns his own troops in France--receiving in turn medals for valor because, in war, events happen with lightning speed and few details. I'm still thinking about this one . . .

5 stars, of course.

So paste your review into the box, and share it with the rest of the community. It deserves a few "thumbs up".

Yes'm.

You do write wonderful reviews. :)
--BJ

See that, Charlie? You're HOT!!! Well, your review is hot, anyway. I told you. 4 thumbs up and a position of honor on the home page. Way to go.

#118. Thanks (again) BJ for the nice comment--you make me blush. (blush) I hope you found the lost book you were searching for.

#119. Sholy you are a smart woman, Linda. I betcha Laura doesn't listen to you like I do . . .

Just thumb-upped it, great one ;)
Wanted to ask, was As I Lay Dying in there? If not, your should read it, it's really good!

#121. Thanks for your thumb!

I haven't read As I Lay Dying yet--my plan is to read Sanctuary next.

>120 BrainFlakes: The man said "Sholy"!!! He's hooked. *Rubs hands together gleefully* You betcha correctly, too.

12. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, a History, Lewis Buzbee

This is a book about books, but it doesn't come even close to Anne Fadiman's excellent Ex Libris. As the subtitle says, it is a history of book-making and publishing through the ages, and a memoir of Buzbee's career as a bookseller and publishers' rep. Mostly it is a paean to the independent bookstore, which Buzbee contends are alive and well—while also bemoaning the closure of this store, that store, and some other store.

There's no question that Buzbee is a "book-luster" (his term), and he writes gently and lovingly about them throughout this small, attractive volume. The problem I had was that much of the book is mind-numbingly simple-minded: do I really give a damn how important the front counter is for ringing and bagging purchases? Or how stickers are affixed to books in the "employees only" back room before the books are put on a cart for shelving? The answers to my two questions are nope and nope.

Buzbee is better at history, even though he jumps around and has a tendency to repeat himself. He loves the bookshops of Paris, and I liked the story of Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare & Co. It was an instant hit with American ex-pats (see Hemingway's A Moveable Feast), and Beach became a confidant of James Joyce—to the point where she published his banned Ulysses.

Buzbee is skimpy with his descriptions of paper- and ink-making, book covers (or lack thereof), and the invention of the printing press. For those interested in this subject, I recommend Balzac's Lost Illusions for the printing business in nineteenth century France.

As far as the rise of the chains, mass-marketers like Costco and Wal-Mart, and Amazon, Buzbee feels that the independents will remain and some will thrive. I hope he's right.

Since I ran hot and cold on this book, I give it the middle of the road 3 stars.

Seems to me that the small bookstore that we had went out of business quite a while ago (there might still be one across town, I will have to go have a look!), and even the big chains are hurt by amazon. (I pretty much never buy books at Walmart, although I get everything else there.) But I just ordered from amazon myself. They had every book that I wanted. I do think that the used bookstores are still around, though, and they have a lot of character.
--BJ

#125. Phoenix is a disgrace when it comes to bookstores. We have exactly one independent and plenty of used that "specialize" in romance. We have one good used store called Bookman's where gems can be found, but that's about it. And Borders is shutting some stores, one in the heart of downtown Tempe, which is also the heart of Arizona State--too expensive and the usual shortlist of classics, which is the fault of corporate-think.

#126: At least you have one bookstore!

#127. Yes, you're right. I apologize for whining, complaining, moaning, and bit*hing.

You barely get off--this time.

13. Soft Spots, Clint Van Winkle

Subtitle: "A Marine's Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" (PTSD)

Definition of a soft spot: stepping on (or in, as Van Winkle did) the remains of a fellow Marine.

Published just six days ago, this book is a sad, sad testament to the Iraq "war" and the effect it is having on way too many returning veterans. Van Winkle, with a Masters degree in creative writing, has written a tight horror story in a mere 213 pages--not one extraneous word, no soapboxing about the reasons for the "war" (other than "murky"), and definitely no James Frey-type chest-pounding bullshit.

Van Winkle, an active-duty Marine at the time, was deployed to Iraq on Valentine's Day, 2003 (over six years ago), very close to the beginning of the "war." His mission: to follow the battle plan and uphold the integrity of the Marine Corp.

The problem is, there was no battle plan. There were no terrorists yet, no homicide (screw suicide) bombers, and no IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices, like roadside bombs). The fighting was with Saddam's loyalist fedayeen and, because they looked like any other Iraqi, there were thousands of civilian casualties--including a ten-year-old girl Van Winkle thinks he blew away.

And therein lies the PTSD part. Once home again (his enlistment was over and he was discharged), Van Winkle struggles with living a normal life and memories of battle. The story segues back and forth between the two, which the favored "expert" ARC reviewers on Amazon found confusing.

But that is the very nature of PTSD: the inability to distinguish reality from nightmare, as well as the veracity of the nightmare itself. These memories strike at any time any place, and Van Winkle drank heavily because the memories, and the anger, stopped when he was hammered.

When Van Winkle sought help at the Phoenix V.A. hospital, he was diagnosed with PTSD by a nurse, given a script for an antidepressant, and sent on his way. Period. A few weeks later, he was seen by a psychiatrist at the same place, given a script for an antidepressant, and sent on his way. Period. "It is all well and good to stick a 'Support Our Troops' magnet on your car," he says, "but the people who should be supporting me, the Veterans' Administration, is doing nothing."

As if you can't tell, this book made me extremely angry. And it should make every one of you angry as well if you choose to read it. I give it 6 stars, but I'll have to settle for 5.

Thanks for the review! I hate reading books like this but think it's important to at least know the truth.

Yep, thanks indeed! The book sounds really really really good!!

#130: Fascinating that you should post this review at this time. If relations with my ex-Air Force brother weren't a little tender at this time, I'd send him a note to read it. But as it turns out, we had a bit of a "discussion" Saturday over this very topic. There is this US Armed Forces propaganda bit going around now about an HBO film "Taking Chance", about accompanying a dead Marine, I think it is, back to his family from Iraq. Very heartwarming, my brother said, then making the ultimate error of referring to "whether or not you believe what we're doing over there". I did refer to the "Support Our Troops" mindless mantra that occurs when the US drops about 200 collective IQ points and told him that the Armed Services had to do something to combat the image of Abu Ghraib and the Walter Reed/Vets Administration scandal over how the returning veterans were handled. God bless the Washington Post for its investigative journalism on the Vets Administration's disgraceful treatment.

I just wish I'd known about this book at that time. But given the things I've said about his precious military leaders, it's probably best I don't say much more for a bit.

Good work, Charlie, for bringing the book to our attention.

#132. Here we go again, trading thanks and book recommendations.

#133. I need to blog about this because the V.A. has gotten much worse. I know a psychiatrist at another V.A. hospital who has left because of the bureaucratic B.S. Viet vets are getting kicked out the door so there's room for the Iraqi vets, who are still receiving nothing but meds and walking papers.

In the meantime, an article in the newspaper yesterday (Sunday), said suicides are up . . .

Yeah, I'm trying to read, and send along to my son, more of these kinds of books as he is considering going into the military. (And he was sooo easy during his teenage years, but somehow they find the tender spot that just kills you!)

#135. I would suggest to your son the Coast Guard if he's really determined to enlist. Unknown to most people, they saved hundreds of people in New Orleans while Katrina was happening (along with the Navy).

Thanks again for plugging the Coasties, Charlie. Can't be enough good things said about what they do, so much of it under the radar.

Even being the total peace-loving, military-hating, commie-pinko that I am, I'd go for that! Sigh! I'm hoping it's all been a clever ploy to get his cautious, worrying mom to advocate for jobs that I would previously discourage him from doing..."Oh, you want to jump out of airplanes, risk your life, and burn out your lungs fighting forest fires? Go for it!"

The Coast Guard does great work and gets almost no recognition for it.

#148: Glad to hear that there's another one besides me!

Charlie, about blogging: about 2 weeks ago on my blog, thanks to the post (you know the one) about the torture and murder of the brother of one of our friends by Noriega's thugs, I received a comment from one of those "Support Our Troops" mindless jerks. The big, brave puling little coward wouldn't even give his real name but signed in as "The Duke" from a John Wayne domain. I won't go into the comment. Nothing gets on the blog without my approval and I didn't even bother with it. I received another one calling ME gutless because I wouldn't approve his big he-man attitudes of what "dribble" I was producing compared to the wunnerfulness of serving soldiers. The best thing to do with those clowns is, of course, ignore them, but I was cynically not surprised to get that kind of reaction.

The hypocrisy of it all just infuriates me, because sure as the sun rises in the east, that type screams about taxes, approves of money for killing and not one dime for real support of the poor people who have wound up damaged for life from head traumas and other wounds and are getting no help from the government. The WA Post article made it very clear about what the VA is NOT doing. I find it ironic that perhaps in response to that series (for which the Post received the Pulitzer last year, I believe), they're now kicking out other patients to make way for non-treatment of Iraq veterans.

And the VA used to be--oh, let me see, can I guess when?--about 9 or 10 years ago one of the finest institutions the government ran. And then came You Know Who.

Thanks for bringing this book to my attention Charlie. When people read about the "glory" of war they should think about the the walking wounded who don't have a scratch on them. We should get Dubya to read this. Give him a good look at the effect of his decisions.

#140: Oh please, wildbill--I know that Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich, and Dave Brooks have all vouched for the fact that Dubya can read but they've all said that he reads from everything only that which confirms him in his Greatness. That came up again recently, can't remember how.

The Post series just devastated me.

>139 Joycepa:, Agree with pretty much everything you had to say. :-) Not so sure the VA has ever been in the "finest institutions" category when it comes to medical services, though; they just have never had sufficient monetary support for that.

Oops! Sent same message twice. Sorry about hijacking your thread, BrainFlakes--just such an emotional topic for me! You've read an interesting mix of books so far. (I think I've read about 2/3's of them too.) What's your next book?

#143: I read that about the VA, perhaps in the Post series, maybe somewhere else. The article praised the efficiency of the VA system and the services it gave to veterans--then compared it to what is going on now. No, they didn't have a lot of money, but what they did have, they used well. Then came one of those now notorious appointments of some crony or high school dropout friend or whoever, and the VA went the way of FEMA. Probably a relative of Brownie. *snort*

ETA: You can tell that I've taken the day off, celebrating getting my US tax info off to my accountant in the US--I'e been entirely too active on LT! LOL

Sorry for disappearing, folks, but I toddled off for my afternoon nap--otherwise, according to Martha, I'm an old grouch.

In defense of the V.A., Van Winkle says that the medical services he's received have been excellent. It is the psych services that are in disarray, and the Viet vets that are getting kicked out are PTSD cases. I have a gut feeling that the V.A. doesn't really believe that PTSD exists, like Agent Orange cases.

Wouldn't it be nice if we funded the V.A. the same way we've been funding Bank of America and JPMorganChase . . .

#139. I think your commenter was Rush Limbaugh, the king of hate radio. I once blogged about the Vietnam "war" and the death of 59,000 young Americans, and some woman commented that it was their karma. I have never forgotten that one and I get pissed every time I think about it.

#140-141. Dubya, IMO, was a sociopath as well as a narcissist--otherwise, how does he sleep at night, unless he has a load on? And Joyce, I imagine his reading material is pretty skimpy. Oh, how I miss Molly Ivins, who had his number from back in Texas.

Bonnie: There's no such thing as hijacking a thread because I'm here reading it. At present I'm rereading John Cheever's The Wapshot Chronicle and I'm going to start The Worst Hard Time, which really got to Joyce.

And as far as the Coast Guard goes, Linda is right: they do a ton of things. Drugbusting is one, but most of their work is aid--I wonder how many stupid boaters' lives they've saved, in addition to the legitimate maritime disasters.

#145: Charlie, I don't think Dubya is a sociopath. What I think is that he is a brain-damaged alcoholic/drug user, given his past. He certainly has the personality. Cheney is the sociopath, IMO.

As for my commentator: I think Limbaugh is smarter. That ought to give you a good idea of the level of the comment. The coward.

Could it be that the VA hospitals differ from region to region? The Post series was pretty damning.

The Worst Hard Time is really engaging! Sometimes authors of books like that get bogged down in too much detail, but not this one.

#146. Did you notice how Cheney just disappeared a few days before the Inauguration? Both he and Rummy gave me the creeps--sons of Dr. Strangelove.

Worse than Limbaugh? Holy cow; I wonder how he found you.

I imagine the VA hospitals do differ--most, if not all, are teaching hospitals, which means inexperienced slaves for free. I remember seeing something on TV a long time ago (60 Minutes?) that showed doctors not changing rubber gloves between examining patients. Good idea to save 3½ per pair, especially with infectious diseases.

#147. I am on my way to start said book. I know you and Joyce are right about it being engaging.

I am hijacking this thread! What fun to be a voyeur here!~!~! That being said:

"Five hundred souls.
I carried them in my fingers, like suitcases. Or I'd throw them over my shoulder. It was only the children I carried in my arms." is one of the most beautiful quotes I have ever read.

What fun to find a thread so smart and funny. I think I will hang around a while.
Happy reading to all and blessings on your day.
N/B

#149: Ah, a quote from The Book Thief! One of my favorite reads.

#149. What a nice surprise! A real voyeur on my thread! I'll have to remember not to LT nekkid. *Charlie makes mental note not to LT nekkid*

Oh. I forgot. Welcome, N/B. Yes, we have our smart and funny moments around here, thanks to the great people who come around. Like #150. We talk books of course, but I think socializing is just as important.

And you're right about the quote. I think The Book Thief is a wonderful and haunting book.

IMO, #150 is a rather nasty misanthrope who ought to keep her sarcastic mouth shut more often and for longer periods of time.

#152. Don't you dare!

I would read a book entitled "The Rather Nasty Misanthrope".

I would too, Linda, but Joyce is too busy buying tires today to write it.

Give me a chance, give me a chance--only now I have to suss out where I can buy a new battery without being robbed blind. One of the mechanics at the Nissan dealership gave me the name of a friend of his at a notorious auto parts place that you avoid if you want money to buy your next meal, but I'm to tell him Miguel sent me! Since I have the top legal price, from the dealer, I can figure out if this guy is going to try to take me for a sucker or actually give me a deal!

Great book title, though. I'd like to claim it before anyone else does.

14. The Wapshot Chronicle, John Cheever

What is a Wapshot? you're wondering. It is a prominent-but-past-their-prime family in the washed-up fishing village of St. Boltophs, MA. In the Massachusettsian language, it is pronounced "Warpshart."

This is the first of only five novels Cheever wrote—he was best known for his short stories—and it won the National Book Award in 1958. It is a reread for me from many years ago (thanks to the Library of America's new volume), and I found it both wonderful and frustrating. Written over a period of twelve years, it is episodic and the episodes don't always mesh—especially at the end.

The Wapshot family is Leander, a retired seaman who runs a ferryboat for tourists (and is his life), his wife Sarah, and their grown sons Moses and Coverly. And oh yes, there is Leander's cousin Honora, an outrageously nutty old lady who holds the purse strings to the Wapshot fortune. Honora has a proviso for releasing the money: both Moses and Coverly must marry and produce a male heir to carry on the Wapshot name.

Episodic, yes, but there is one overall theme: all of the women in the book are dominant over all the men, close to the point of their emasculation. I won't say anything about Sarah and Leander (spoiler), but the inexperienced boys meet and marry women who are just too much for them. Melissa, Moses bride, seems mentally ill to me, and for good reason: both of them are under the thumb of Melissa's ward Justina Scaddon, an evil harridan unlike the eccentric Honora.

Cheever is a fine writer, especially in his description of St. Botolphs and the town loonies. He is hilarious at times, suddenly poignant, and just as quickly, shocking and sexual. That, of course, was Cheever's genius: based on his own tragic life, he knew people from the inside.

As I move on to the sequel, The Wapshot Scandal, I give this book 4½ stars because of the ending.

Charlie, Charlie;
I want to be a woman dominant over all men to the point of their emasculation!~!~! Sounds like a life changing goal and experience! Gotta get to the library and find "the Warpsharts". I am due a good belly laugh and this sounds quite the proper trick for it.
Happy trails,
N/B

nannybebette! I'm truly shocked! ;-)

I had never heard of this book before. Thanks! :)
--BJ

Okay, so I went to the "Will you like it?" meter and it says that I will love this book; certainty:high! But I did not see your review there. Anyway, I need to check it out. Have a great weekend! :)
--BJ

I'm glad you mentioned the "Will you like it?" meter as I haven't really tried it yet. I've heard there are some weaknesses to it, as it just represents the books you've read, and not whether you liked them or not, but it's worth trying a few books to see if I'm going to love them as much as it thinks I'm going to (e.g., Wapshot Chronicles = certainty high). What it doesn't factor in, though, is that I don't like what I've read about Cheever, the person, or even the title. Does anybody else overlook books because you don't like the title or the cover?

Does anybody else overlook books because you don't like the title or the cover?

*nodds*
Guilty!

Well, I don't discount books because of cover or title...but I admit I've picked up a book and read it Just based on the cover or title.

Oh, most certainly that too!

I bought a book because the title was The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse. I haven't read it yet, but I could not pass up that title. :)
--BJ

I'm guilty of everything you folks are talking about, except emasculation (n.b. N/B). I think it all has to do with marketing--covers that catch our eye or clever titles. I know that I've been sucked in a few times.

And for what it's worth, I think that overall U.K. covers are more eye-catching than the often-bland U.S. ones.

I think every time I check this thread there are always so many posts. I have never heard of Cheever or his books (yes I must live a sheltered life ha, ha). I clicked on the will you like it for The Wapshot Chronicles and it says I will probably like it. I am going to see if I can find it any where and give it a look see. There are so many books I want to buy and read yet there is so little time and money.

I am off to try and catch up on some of my reading.

Oh Great Review Charlie!!!

Using a visual aid, the top photo is the U.K. version of Connolly's continuing Charlie Parker series. The bottom cover makes me think of a story about a farmer with pigeon problems. Which book would catch your eye?

I think the top cover would catch my eye the first time I looked at it. The second makes me think of weather because of the clouds.

#168. I think your best bet for Cheever will be the library, Monica. His short stories were really his forte.

Hey Charlie;
I prefer the 2nd of the two pics. I think it stands out as the more uncommon cover of the two. But then that is just my opinion.
Ya know, I have observed that your thread gets highjacked a great deal. Fascinating, ain't it? How that happens. I'll bet you are afraid to go to bed some nights.
Happy trails,
N/B

#172. If you go back to Msg. #1, it says that this thread is hosted by me. If folks want to socialize (or socialise) here, it's fine by me--that's how I get to know people.

I'll bet you are afraid to go to bed some nights.

I'm afraid every night because I don't know what lives under it.

**gleefully bellylaughing**
N/B

#171> Damn I hate to get books out of the library. I prefer to own the books. I will go to the library this week and see if I can find any of his books. (now I just need to make a mental note to myself to remember to do that.)

I checked the local library catalog online and they do not have any John Cheever books at all. There are 6 available copies at other libraries I just don't know if I want them to send it over to my local one and then decide that I don't want to read it...

Edit:

I bought a John Cheever book today. I don't know when I will be reading it. the stories of John Cheever is the book that I bought. I started reading that book and the journals of John Cheever at Borders and was enjoying both of them. I will buy the other book after my birthday.

I remember when we were in college my (now) husband was reading Wapshot for a course that I didn't take. Don't remember him mentioning all that about the emasculating women...on the other hand, he didn't recommend that I read it, either... wonder if it's still in the attic in a box I haven't cataloged yet.

latyonwoman3rd,
I would be digging if I were you. These just sound too good.
N/B

15. The Convict and Other Stories, James Lee Burke

This small volume (216 pages) of nine stories was originally published by Louisiana State University Press in 1985. Their power, however, have not been diminished by time. Four of the stories are about war and the effect it has on individuals—a subject that is timeless. For me, these were the best stories of the book and three of them bear noting.

"Losses" takes place at St. Peter's Catholic School in New Iberia, LA (Burke's home) in 1944. The cast includes Father Melancon, parish priest; Sister Uberta, teacher; and a passel of somewhat unruly fifth graders. Claude, a student and the son of a mean drunkard, is narrator. If I hadn't known better, I would have said that Claude was doing a retrospective of my life. Until, that is, Sister Uberta began to act strangely—and there I have to leave it.

"When It's Decoration Day" switches to the Civil War just after Sherman had set fire to Atlanta. This is the longest story in the book, and it follows a rag-tag bunch of Confederate soldiers making their way to Alabama away from the Yankees. The narrator is Wesley Buford, a sixteen-year-old boy from S. Carolina and one of the only survivors or non-captured in the battle at Kennesaw Mountain.

Burke doesn't pull any punches in this story: this is in-your-face war, as descriptive and gory as anything Cornwell has written. The Yankees have doubled around from Atlanta to Alabama, where Buford and his fellow soldiers fight the valiant fight. The final sentence is a stunner and not one I will soon forget.

"Lower Me Down with a Golden Chain" takes place in Guatemala during the rebel uprising. The nameless narrator is a journalist who has access to both Army Captain Ramos and a rebel leader. The Army is equipped with a U.S. Marine Corp. howitzer, and the journalist is outraged when the Captain blows a rebel contingent to literal pieces. The rebels, in turn, burn a local village bus filled with civilians, and again the journalist is outraged.

This is where Burke makes his strongest stand against war—and the reason why I believe the publication of these stories at this time is not a coincidence. The Guatemalans ask him what is different about what they do from what the Americans did in Korea. In Vietnam. To our own Southern Blacks with vigilantes and the KKK in the twentieth century. Captain Ramos tells the journalist,

"Ah, my friend, you can afford to be a moralist because you are not a participant."

5 stars with much to justify them.

These sound good, Charlie. I used to be a big fan of Burke with his Robicheaux series but really got tired of the recovering alcoholic stuff. Plus any woman who married him was crazy because she died! Sort of boring after a while.

But these sound different.

I will say that I was under the distinct impression that from Atlanta, Sherman went to the Carolinas, not Alabama.

#179. In the story there is no indication that Sherman was with the Alabama contingent. I got the feeling that the Yankees were about the size of a batallion or two, which would be hugh for a dozen ill-equipped men.

#179: Looks as if Burke just sent out a detachment! :-) Yes, a battalion would be huge for just a few soldiers.

#181. You mean I passed muster with you about the Civil War? *Charlie wipes sweat dripping down his face*

Oh, give me a break, Charlie! It's Burke who may have done ok. You're just the reporter.

Imagine--sending a battalion--how many regiments was that (in those days), 4-5 depending?--after a dozen poor guys!

Well, it's fiction. Just so Burke didn't send Sherman's entire army after them. Still, a battalion?

Another interesting book. You are rolling along!
--BJ

This sounds like a book I will have to check out. James Lee Burke is definitely more than just writer of detective stories.

16. Death at La Fenice, Donna Leon

Moving swiftly along at my escargot reading pace, I believe I'm the last of my LT friends to review this book. I would have to be some kind of doofus (if in fact there are "kinds") to recap the story, so I'll limit myself to impressions.

This was a "police procedural" in its purest sense: Leon stayed focused throughout the book on the investigation of a murder and the techniques Brunetti used to solve it. Leon accomplished in 278 pages what takes Jonathan Kellerman (the Alex Delaware series) and Ian Rankin (the John Rebus series) 500 or more because the latter two writers spend way too much time with extraneous blather: what-iffing, cop shop politics, and protaganists with 10,000 personal problems. (Boy, that was a long sentence!)

Leon is a mistress of characterization. Yes, she uses a brief physical description and dialog to define her characters, but she goes much further with their attitudes, body language, and personal foilbles. More than once I thought that the rude prima donna, Flavia Petrelli, could use a good prima spanking. Leon is equally adept at the tragic (Signora Santina and her sisters) and the humorous (Patta, the ultimate police bureaucrat).

Ultimately, the book revolves around Guido Brunetti, a seasoned investigator who not only relies on his gut feelings but also has a psychologist's bag of tools. Observation of body language, listening instead of talking, long periods of silence, and purposeful obtuseness are all powerful methods of questioning. I never found one interview that was boring, even if it led to a dead end.

Two caveats about this book:

1. Don't take the #5 boat if you really need the #8 because God only knows where you'll end up.

2. Don't play Monopoly with Brunetti's wife Paola because she steals from the bank.

5 stars

Too funny Charlie!~!
You make me laugh. Good thing too, cuz if you didn't I wouldn't be reading your posts!~!
later,
belva

Your escargot reading pace is quite a clip if you ask me! Another great review!
--BJ

17. Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson

Most of you know that I have a penchant for helping the adult little girl lost—it was my career, and my life, before lung disease disqualified me from the physical aspects of the job.

I was never qualified, however, to help the eating disordered, the subject of Anderson's magnificent new YA book. In a short 278 pages, Anderson managed to take me on a trip to a hell I never want to revisit.

This fictional story is told by eighteen-year-old Lia, or rather two Lias. Oftentimes Anderson will strikethrough a sentence (the real thought in Lia's mind) and immediately follows it with Lia's exactly opposite vocal response. In her mind Lia will say, "I would love a piece of that pizza," Anderson strikethroughs it, and Lia says, "No thanks, I just had a big dinner." It is a powerful technique that clearly conveys the depth and progression of Lia's illness.

Lia has a best friend, Cassie, bosom buddies since third grade, but Cassie dies at the beginning of the book alone in a sleazy motel room. Cassie was bulimic (gorge and purge) from the age of eleven, but her too-busy parents never noticed anything until she was found dead at nineteen.

Anderson's prose is lyrical, almost poetic, as Lia describes Cassie's "wake":

The line of people waiting to stare at the empty body snakes out the front door of the church and down the steps to the sidewalk. Dark chords from the organ slip into the night, turning our shoes into concrete blocks and pulling down our faces until we look like trees drooping with black leaves.

Let there be no doubt that this is a tough, tough book to read. The tension starts on page 1 and never lets up, not even for a moment. It is necessarily graphic but never pruient; it is not unlike reading Dante's trip into the downward spiral of the Inferno, except that Anderson is talking about today, the real world . . . and thousands of little girls lost.

#188. I'm glad that I make you laugh, Belva. My wife stopped laughing back around 1983 or 84--I forget.

#189. Thank you, BJ, Head Cheerleader of LT.

Hi, Charlie!
Another great review. I don't think that I could read this book. It sounds too sad for me.
--BJ

18. Good Omens, Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

How the hell do I review a zany book about Armageddon, for heaven's sake? I suppose I could say it was devilishly funny and wholly (lame) enjoyable and leave it at that, but that isn't my style.

Rather than try to recap the story (there are 180 other reviews on LT for that sort of thing), I'll jot down some of my general impressions.

Good Omens is irreverent but never sacreligious. God neither shows himself nor speaks, except through a being named Metatron. The authors never take potshots at any one religion—unless one considers televangelicalism religion.

To me, the latter was one of the funniest bits in the book because it was dead on satire. Marvin O. Bagman, host of Marvin's Hour of Power, has a knack for getting people to send him money: an album of songs he's written like, "Jesus Is the Telephone Repairman on the Switchboard of My Life," and "When I'm Swept Up by the Rapture Grab the Wheel of My Pick-up."

Nevertheless, there are people and groups who will object to this book (wasn't little Tommy Cruise baptized "Metatron" in the Church of Scientology?) And that's too bad because Gaiman and Pratchett aren't zany for 369 straight pages; they discuss, through various characters, the nature of the Universe, of God, of good and evil, of free will, and most intriguing of all the question, why must there be an Apocalyse that will penalize everyone?

On the downside, I read this book in bits and pieces. Too much humor at one time became overwhelming and less funny, just as a sad book will do. I also didn't like the small, very-serif font and the even smaller footnotes.

I give Good Omens four stars, which is very good but not stupendously great.

ROFL! (This was my first time for that one!) Another great review!

I am only about 1/3 through the book, but I might be aiming toward stupendously great. I am alternating between it and The Stand. How is that for contrast!!

Have a terrific weekend!
--BJ

By the way, I loved your review and went to give it a thumbs up and what??? No review??? I think this one deserves to be published for all of LT. :)
--BJ

#194-195. BJ: I know you're a lot younger and prettier than I am, but ROLFing can be hazardous to your bones.

I hope that Good Omens stays stupendous for you, and The Stand is one of my favorite King's.

And I did put the review up on LT, but not 'til this morning—I'm not a night owl like a lot of LT folks (translated insomniacs).

I went through ten sessions of ROLFing, it was painful and increased my shoe size from eleven and one-half to twelve and one-half. The truly weirdest part was the nose treatment, don't ask.
Sounds like a good book, similar to the treatment that Mark Twain gave Christianity in Letters From the Earth.
Marvin should have added "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex?" one of my favorites from Ray Stevens.
Keep them coming BF.

hmmm well believe it or not I am going to skip your review on this one. I know that I'll be influenced by your opinions and I don't want that because I plan to read the book soon, and hop to be unprejudiced for or against it when I do. I will read your review only after I've read the book. There. How's that for a punishment for having too many lovely reviews?? :)

>193 BrainFlakes: Just the other day I saw a bumper sticker that said "In case of Rapture this vehicle will be unmanned." Gotta love the confidence.

#199: AND the sexism.

#197. I'm truly sorry, Bill, about your feet and nose. There is such a thing as ROLFing, but I don't think you're referring to that—or are you?

My fave Ray Stevens is "The Mississippi Squirrel Revival," which I just put in the CD drive.

#198. I've never considered my reviews to be lovely, but you're more than welcome to skip them. You have better things to do in Spain anyway. (I'm so jellus.)

#199. I had a friend in college who borrowed a car while his was being repaired. While driving from Boulder to Denver, people kept blowing their horns at him and, true to the Good Motorist Code of Ethics, he stuck his arm out the window and flipped them the bird. It wasn't until a day or two later that he saw the bumper sticker on the car: "Honk if you love Jesus."

#200. Would you be happier, Sulker, if the sticker said "unpersoned?"

PC is "unstaffed". Will not lighten my sarcastic reaction to said bumper sticker. Best left unsaid.

Sulker *proving the correctness of the nickname once again*

The ROLFing I am referring to is a massage treatment that is supposed to eliminate the bound up fascia that restricts muscles from functioning properly. It was developed by Ida Rolf. I went through it in law school. A good friend had been trained by Ida Rolf and recommended it. It was intense but I did become much more limber. I had a decrease in back pain and was able to stretch further doing yoga postures.
When I say intense, the masseur (who was smaller than I was) sometimes used his elbow with all of his weight on it massaging the big muscles in my legs. He did use cocoa butter so my skin was slippery and I came home from each session sore and smelling like a coconut. It was one of the stranger things I have done in my life.
I just used the increase in my shoe size as an example of how the massage loosened up my muscles and that let my feet stretch out.

Ah, you fun-loving lawyers, you. It's too late now, but you could have dropped by any Catholic church in the neighborhood and used their rack for free with the same results.

I think they charge for the Iron Maiden, though.

Charlie;
I think you are a bad, bad boy!~! R U "trying" to give the devil's whore a bad name? For shame
Those last many posts should have had their own thread, but if not, what better place than "Charlie's"?
Ha, kind of makes you sound like a bar Charlie!~!
hugs n stuffs,
b

>202 Joycepa: "unmanned" and "unstaffed" strike me as two fairly interchangeable words in a certain context. Gee, I'm glad I started this discussion! Annnnyway...Joyce, where and when did you get the nickname "Sulker"? I must have missed that.

Ha, and I thought she meant "skulker".

#206 & 207. I am qualified to answer your question and misconception, ladies.

Joyce, who is infinitely patient and a woman who seldom speaks her mind, chided me for a comment I made and told me to quit whining.

When I caught her sulking because she was broke and couldn't buy a hibiscus plant she was lusting for, I chided her back.

Hence, we are now called Whiner & Sulker.

As for skulking, N/B, I wouldn't put it past her.

Frankly, I much prefer Skulker and had decided to petition for a legal name change.

And i might add, Linda, that I think that in the context to which you referred, they probably are interchangeable. But I try to be kind. Doesn't come easy.

You know, Joyce, I'm getting sick and tired of repainting the sign on our office door.

Signed,

Whiner

You "jokesters" are so much fun to listen to! I so admire your witticisms. If only there were a shot for that! But that's what I love about being a reader; you don't have to be a good writer to appreciate the ability in others.

"ability"? Who? Me? Charlie!?

*she ROLFs*

And I just want to tell you all, with enormous satisfaction, that Skulker here has just received the very latest Commisario Brunetti book and will be starting it soon.

#211. There goes the sign again, Bonnie:

Whiner, Skulker (unless she's changed it again), and Jokester. I think we should move to England and become barristers.

#212. I'm ignoring you for the time being. I'll let you know when my ignorance is over.

19. The Worst Hard Time, Timothy Egan

Subtitle: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dustbowl

DUE TO THIS PIECE OF CRAP "TEXT EDITOR" AND ITS INABILITY TO FIND A LINKED PHOTO, AS WELL AS WIPING OUT THE LAST THREE PARAGRAPHS OF MY REVIEW, THIS REVIEW HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY CANCELLED.

I apologize for yelling, which is different than whining.

Nice review. Since we live in Oklahoma, the Dust Bowl is a major topic throughout the school curriculum. My kids have taught me a lot about it.
--BJ

Victim of the Stone Age technology of this creaky Web site are you, Charlie?

#217. I love LT, but it could use a decent text editor and photo grabber and a few less useless bells and whistles.

And it could be more stable and more responsive but who's complaining? Not the Skulker or you'd have to repaint the sign on the wall again, Charlie.

Coming soon to this thread: my review of Faulkner's Sanctuary. I need to ruminate about it first before I start shooting off my big mouth.

I still haven't managed to read any Faulkner lately. I tried out the Will You Like It? meter on this title, and I think I broke it. The meter disappeared and some printed gobbledygook appeared. Not sure what that means.

By the way, Lent is over. Does that mean that I can start complaining again? Somehow, I don't think so. :) Have a great day!
--BJ

BJ: I've been getting gobbledygook too--that's what happened on #215 and I was royally p.o.ed (sp?)

You can complain, but you cannot whine or Joyce will jump all over you. Just some friendly advice.

Your spelling looks good to me. By the way, someone asked you on my 50 book challenge thread which discworld book you read first and what others are on your tbr. I answered what I thought was the first book, but don't really know any other titles, so if you have a chance, you might drop by one more time. Please?

Happy Monday!
--BJ

>220 BrainFlakes: I'm a-waitin'. And I hope you're composing your review in WORD, for copy-and-paste to LT. I don't want to hear any "review cancelled yada yada yada" and blaming it on the site. ("The dog internet ate my homework") *adopts hands-on- hips stance*

Linda, you can not do photos that way, sorry. I compose on a word processing program (NOT that clumsy cripple, Word) and upload, but I have o do bold or italics through the lousy text editor that this creak, cranky site has. And photos are ridiculous. It's not Charlie's fault--he just can't upload the way you do on normal Web sites.

I like LT but the hosts(s) should get a clue and fix up this thing to bring it up to at least at the beginning of the 21st century before they go adding other things that just clog up and slow down the whole system. touchstones are a sometime thing, as far as authors are concerned. and they should just eliminate the sorry joke they call Zeitgeist--they haven't updated parts of it in nearly 6 months.

I hate to back Charlie up, much as I love to jump all over him with unholy glee, but he's absolutely right on this. This site needs work (done in HTML which is a disgrace), NOT more bells and whistles.

20. Sanctuary, William Faulkner

This was my sixth Faulkner novel and, like the others, I was mesmerized by it. I know I've used that verb before, but I don't know how else to describe how deeply involved I get when I read him. Faulkner purposely leaves out details, character motivations, and conversations, leaving them instead for reader speculation. The reader becomes an active participant in the story, rather than waiting passively for clear-cut answers by book's end.

Sanctuary combines the elements of horror, crime, and mystery in a story about evil. There are no winners in this book: while some characters are overtly evil, evil lurks somewhere within all the others—and by extension, in all of us. Faulkner knows human nature and is adept at characterization. Every time I read about Clarence Snopes (yes, another one) and a monster named Popeye, I felt like I needed to wash my hands; the sleaze seemed to drip off the page.

Knowing human nature and how fickle it can be, Faulkner presents a real enigma in the character of Temple Drake—a woman reminiscent, at least to me, of Eula Snopes in The Hamlet. I will be ruminating about her for some time to come, and that is what makes Faulkner unforgettable.

I give it a hefty 5 stars.

#224. You know, Linda, I was going to say something nice about you, but you can forget it for right now. I was merely trying to fix a photo, a visual aid that saved literally a thousand words, when LT regurgitated.

#225. It's scary, Joyce, when you're nice to me--as a matter of fact, this might be the first time. I'm not worried, though; you'll be your true misanthropic self in an hour or two.

Yah, well, don't get used to it, Charlie. It's a real strain for me, and I'm not into putting myself out. Once is all you get.

Yes'm.

>227 BrainFlakes: If you were to say something nice about either of us for public consumption, I'd really suspect an alien take-over, Charlie. (PODS!)

>225 Joycepa: I know you can't do photos that way. I was just poking at Charlie because I really wanted to see what he was going to say about Sanctuary. Funny, but I just don't have any gripes about this site; I see that everything you say is true...it just doesn't bother me. I love what it does so much I'm not whining/complaining/otherwise-sniping about any shortcomings. 'Cept when it flat out crashes.

>226 BrainFlakes:. And that's what he did when he was just trying to write a pot boiler!

#230. Okay, we're friends again. I only hold a grudge for ten or fifteen seconds, but I forgot what the hell nice thing I was going to say. Maybe it'll come to me once I get out of this POD.

As far as Sanctuary, o' mentor of mine, do you generally agree with my assessment? And where to next: Requiem for a Nun to find out more about Temple?

I do agree with your assessment, indeed. I think in my review I called it a "powerful novel about a sorry lot of people". Excuse me for self-quoting. Requiem for a Nun would be the next logical choice...it's another experiment in form for Pappy. Less action, more psychological plumbing of depths. And the source of the kernel of Faulkner's philosophy: "The past is never dead. It's not even past."

#232. "Sorry lot of people," in spades. Thanks, Linda--you're a peach.

Charlie,
I have never known anyone to truly understand Faulkner as well as you do. Brilliant! :)
--BJ
ETA Sorry about the split infinitive.

>233 BrainFlakes: Awww...you really can do it. Thanks. (My Dad used to say "Ain't she a peach?" about my Mom. It's about the best compliment I can imagine.)

#234. Hey BJ! Is it OK to come over now that the Big Popcorn Explosion & Debacle has been cleaned up by HAZMAT?

I think the only person who truly understands Faulkner is Faulkner, but Linda (#235) comes darn close.

And as far as split infinitives go, I wouldn't know one if it bit me. (Do they have anything at the drugstore for SI bites?)

#235. I'm kind of like Joyce, but on occasion I can say nice thing—and mean them.

And in return for the nice thing you said, I'm giving you 3 "Pick on Charlie" cards, to be used at your discretion. (No expiration date, no cash value.)

You people all scare me and send me running back to 1 South!
And # 230 laytonwoman3rd--quit poking Charlie. You're gonna piss Martha off and we know how she gets when she's pissed!~! She makes him quit playing!

#238. I'm happy you finally made it, Belva—I know you were busy yesterday.

And we are scary, aren't we, in a friendly sort of way. We all share a passion for reading, but humor is a passion we need too.

The only things Martha won't let me play with are electrical appliances and anything that might explode—like microwave popcorn.

#238 Is that why he disappears? I thought Martha must be some sort of saint, actually. But I would think she would be relieved that he keeps himself occupied with LT, and out of her hair.

Awwww Charlie--Martha should not let you play head games cuz we all know yours (your head, that is) explodes quite regularly!~!

And you're right--where would we do without humor? I would still be sitting on 1 South. hehehe

And latyonwoman3rd; Martha is a saint. Of what sort yet, I don't know, but indeed a saint she is.

Oh, sorry Charlie---forgot you were there.

Just to reassure everyone: Thanks to the rapid response of Julie and multiple cleanup efforts, my microwave is no longer a Superfund site. I was going to celebrate by having some popcorn, but I changed my mind!

Did I tell you that I also had an incident with the washing machine last week? I guess it is best not to bring that one up. :)

Have a terrific Wednesday! :)
--BJ

C'mon---we gotta find out about the washing machine incident. "Inquiring minds want to know."

Well, the washer started making a super loud complaining noise during the rinse and spin cycle. I just ignored it. My husband said, maybe we need a new one. Well, he said I bet you can do one more load! (HA!) So I put in one more load. OK, I don't believe in small loads. Why do two, when one will do? So during the rinse cycle, it totally quit! Now, you might think, not too bad because you can hang them out. Which I did, but they were quite soapy and not wearable when they ultimately dried. When I say during the rinse cycle, I mean full of water.

So we all had to bail out the washer. First my husband started with Tupperware. My daughter and I were down to the soup ladles trying to finish it up and running out of room, when my husband said, "What about those SHAMWOWS? I knew we bought them for a reason. Well, they worked. And I did get a new washer, which immediately got to rewash those clothes.

Is it any wonder that I nuked the microwave popcorn for an eternity with such trauma in my life?

Sorry for the long boring story. I guess that I did my best for the economy by buying a new washer. (The guy who sold it said his wife always insisted on buying a set each time one needed replacing. So I told my husband he is really lucky that he married me!)
--BJ

Ya know--BJ;
I think I will just live my life vicariously through yours. I will pretend mine is "just a dream". da do da da da do

Oh, you can have your thread back now BrainFlakes!~! hehe

I loved your story about the washer BJ. I actually had to get a washer and dryer earlier this year. The way I got the set was I sent my husband to the laundromat to dry the clothes since it was just the dryer that went. Usually I would hang out wash but it was winter so I really didn't want to do that plus my daughter has allergies and her clothes can not get hung up outside. Well back to my story. Every time my hubby went to dry the clothes there were these 2 ladies who would go in and put their clothes in the dryer and my husband noticed that they had not showered nor were the clothes wet that went into the dryer. He came home and said I am never going back there again and we went out and found a washer dryer set on sale. He was afraid that if he just bought a new dryer that the washer would decided to go next.

Okay sorry to take over your thread Charlie... Just had to add my 2 cents. Have fun and will see you guys again sometime....

Actually, we just got a new dryer about 6 months ago. So maybe we should have just gotten a set on sale. That was one wild laundromat story! That would definitely rush a purchase for me, too. :)

And, you know, Belva, my life isn't always this exciting. LOL! (No ROLFing this time. It just sounds indelicate.)

Have a great day! (Really sorry, Charlie!)
--BJ

We're just going to re-name this thread "Charlie's Wash-o-Rama and Domestic Calamity Outlet"

Very good laytonwoman3rd. (and appropriate)

Of the last twelve posts to this thread none have been by the "host". I find that funny!~! Some of us just cannot take ownership, can we? Own it, Charlie, own it!~!

He's probably busy reading...or something.

I was thrilled to the bone a few minutes ago when I opened my LT homepage and saw 12 (Belva's correct) unread messages. I had no idea that my review of Sanctuary would cause such a stir. I was beside myself with pride and a hearty well-done.

All for naught, as it turns out. Not one word about Faulkner, or even about his washer and dryer.

I'm truly sorry, ladies, that domestic engineering is a pain in the patootie. And you are all welcome to bitch, moan, whine, and complain on my thread. I kindly ask, however, that you put your teacups in the sink when you're finished and that you leave me just one cupcake.

And just so y'all will know, I have my own problems around here. Last week our 25-year-old AC/heat pump gave up the ghost—stuff just doesn't last like it used to. They used a crane and everything to put in a new unit, to the tune of $3,600. That's okay, though. My brother-in-law had to replace his too, but he got ripped for $4,600. Hah.

I'm kinda hungry. Does anyone have an extra biscuit or scone or something?

Hi, Charlie,
So sorry about your HAV system costing so much. Lots more than my washer! But thank goodness you got a better price than your brother-in-law. Otherwise, it could have been embarrassing.

By the way, I left you a cupcake. I cooked it in my microwave!
--BJ

Somebody RUN for the vinegar!~!

And Charlie, as far as your review of Sanctuary by Faulkner goes we all stopped at the word "mess"merized cuz we all have/make our own. heeheehee

#254-256. You two oughta go into vaudeville together. And take Linda with you because she talks about me in the third person.

Thanks Charlie. I can't think of any two ladies with whom I would rather spend stage time. (or any time for that matter) And you should be flattered that she talks of you at all!~!
Didja getcher breakfast?

Yes, I am flattered--it's good to have friends here at LT, and we all owe ourselves a little fun. I'm reading The Boys in the Trees and I needed the break.

Looks like I'm going to have to start another thread pretty soon--these long ones are hard on Joyce.

Hey, I was looking for your review to give it a thumbs up, but I can't find it. Are you going to post it?
--BJ

#260. Can't post it because all of my Faulkner is in LoA omnibuses, and LT doesn't recognize it.

Oh, bummer!

Well, here goes:

Big Thumbs Up for a great review!!!
--BJ

>261 BrainFlakes: The solution to that is to read everything in the omnibus, and review them all under the LoA title. What a bargain for your readers--three or four for the price of one. (Of course, you could also just cheat and add another edition of the book to your library and post your review to that. Your friends would never tell. )

What friends?
(and if you start a new thread; where shall I go? what shall I do?)

TO ALL MY LT FRIENDS:

I'VE STARTED A NEW THREAD HERE

If you want to keep track of me, light up the yellow star at the top of the new page.