AlcottAcre's 2009 Reads, Take 3

Sara mentioned that she is having problems with the February thread loading, so I am starting another new thread (well, the old one was almost at 350, so I guess it was about time!)

January thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/51105

February thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/56421

My memorable reads for 2009 thus far are:

Nonfiction
Bound for the Promised Land by Kate Clifford Larson
Crazy Horse by Mari Sandoz
The Plays and Poems of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Volume 1
The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuscinski
The Eaves of Heaven by Andrew X. Pham

Fiction
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Tethered by Amy MacKinnon
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Maus by Art Spiegelman
The Girls by Lori Lansens
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

Young Adult
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Treasure of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston

My Must Read List for 2009:

Vietnam: A History - currently reading
The Best Year of Their Lives
Parting the Waters, Pillar of Fire and At Canaan's Edge
The Search for Modern China
A River Running West
The Adventure of English
Moonheart
Rediscovering America: John Muir in His Time and Ours
The Proud Tower
When Titans Clashed
The 900 Days
Neverwhere - Read 2/16/09
Sin in the Second City - Read 3/21/09
Fatal Justice
Modern Times
Noah’s Choice: The Future of Endangered Species
The Fortress of Solitude
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Coming out of the Ice
Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Arms of Nemesis
The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft
Excellent Women - Read 02/26/09
A Game of Thrones
Black Swan Green
Bard
In the Shadows of War
Penmarric
Clockers
The Heaven Tree Trilogy - Parts 2 and 3
Doctor Thorne - Read 02/25/09
Inkspell - Read 03/02/09
I Should Be Extremely Happy in Your Company
Shadow of the Silk Road
Galileo’s Daughter
The Namesake
My Faraway Home
Christine Falls
Intimate Kill
Job, a Comedy of Justice
Keeper of the Light
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Read 02/10/09
Cultural Literacy
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Speak, Memory
A Prayer for Owen Meany - Read 02/27/09
A Separate Peace
Cryptonomicon
And the Dead Shall Rise
Move Your Shadow
Shutter Island
Dog Man
The March - I promised Joyce not to read this one!
Peace Like a River
Tree of Smoke - Read 02/21/09

Holy Moly, I finally got caught up on thread two and here is thread three! You are just too awesome, Stasia!

I see you have Doomsday Book on your list of memorable reads so far this year. I LOVED that book :)

#2: No, people just talk around me on my threads, lol :)

#5: Kittybee, I am trying to read more science fiction and fantasy this year because it has been such a long time since I explored those genres. Doomsday Book was first out of the gate, and now everything else has to live up to it!

Stasia
Now you are officially the President of the Three Thread Gang.

I enjoy the conversations found on your thread(s)

Migrated from your other thread, and am now making myself comfy...

Loved your picture of Charlotte's Web. That was always one of my favorites. I can't say what the book was that started it all, collection-wise, for me, as my parents were pretty good about buying books and I was (and still am) a frequent flier at the library. We used to travel around to several different libraries in the area, because at that time they weren't centralized like they are now, because the library at school only let you get out 2 books a week, and the nearby public library only let children get out 5 at a time. So I would whine and daddy would take me to another library so I could get out more books!

Anyway, the one that I would point to as starting it for me was The Boxcar Children, which was the first chapter book I ever got from the library.

I remember listening to the books on tape of The Boxcar Children, I loved listening to them!

We would take my dad to work sometimes or whenever we ran an errand we would listen to them. I should read them, it would bring back good memories. ^_^

Mac

Given that you have read and loved The Hobbit, you can enjoy an extended deadline for LOTR. I haven't read The Silmarillion either and the book isn't even in my this year's TBR list.

As I see the "what was your first book love" conversation is still going on here, I moved this entry from the old thread.

There were always books in my life---Little Golden Books to begin with, of course, and beautiful Disney picture books based on the movies. My favorite of those was Sleeping Beauty. But there are two books still on my shelves that I read to shreds in my 8-9-10 period. Rosemary by Josephine Lawrence, and Favorite Poems to Read Aloud. Neither of them have a spine now. My brother colored and scribbled on the inside of the poetry book, and I colored (carefully, of course) many of the illustrations. Rosemary was the one that made me cry every time I read it. I read it out loud to my daughter when she was a kid, and I choked on the last page that time too.

Edited to fix touchstones, which of course did not carry over properly.

Re first book love, I'm really struggling to think what mine was - I read, and had read to me, so many fantastic books when I was small and re-read most of them many times that I couldn't begin to say which I read first! I had a collection of favourites (including various Diana Wynne Jones, Rosemary Sutcliffe, Roald Dahl, Noel Streatfield and Enid Blyton and some one-offs - including Charlotte's Web and The Sheep-Pig) in a shelf beside my bed, which I can't remember not being there.

I do have a Complete Grimms Fairy Tales and a Nursery Rhyme/Childrens Poetry collection that were more like comfort blankets (and clearly had from an early age as there are torn pages and scribbles all over them!).

I'm not sure I should enter the LOTR discussion as I'm afraid I'm going to upset someone when I say I tried to read it a while ago and got quite a way in before getting so irritated with the elves and hobbits that I gave up. It is on my list to try again at some point (I loved The Hobbit and we had quite a good audio-book when we were small), but it'll probably be a long way in the future.

Glad to see that Crazy Horse is still hanging in there as one of your favorites of the year. I just got her Old Jules (which is about Mari's father) a few days ago. Looking forward to it. I gather that their relationship was not the greatest.

#12: Charlotte, once a book makes my 'memorable reads' list for the year, it does not come off. I just keep adding to the list, not subtracting from it. In January, I had quite a few for the list. In February, I have only added 2.

Sorry to be a nuisance, alcottacre, but thank you. :) I like keeping up with your reads.

Mom banned the re-reading of Charlotte's Web becuase of my state after finishing it. Sniff!

Aawww, poor blackdog. (pats on head)

I was looking over your list of must reads and I noticed you had Barbara Pym's Excellent Women on it. Years ago I went on a Barbara Pym kick and read all her books. If you haven't read her before, she is a quiet and loving author, and I hope you like her. My favorite book of hers is Quartet in Autumn in which four co-workers whose only human contact is with each other are aging and facing a solitary retirement. I recently reread it, as I'm now aging myself (but fortunately not solitary), and it was even better the second time around.

Also, re Black Swan Green, if you haven't read any other David Mitchell, I think it's very different from his other books. Whether you like it or not, you should definitely give his other books a try, esp. Cloud Atlas.

aruba, we share a love of Pym. I too had a pymfest and read all her books. Quarter in Autumn is one of my favourites as well. I did a review of it...somewhere here...

I have just discovered courtesy of Carolyn on one of Stasia's previous threads (five or six I think, I lost count), that I enjoyed a childrens book in middle age without even realising it was a childrens book! I'm just a simple Tortoise. I like simple straitforward prose with interesting characters and a story that is engagingingly told.

- TT

One of my favorite books growing up was Black Beauty. I had a copy that was my mother's when she was growing up. To this day it is still proudly placed on the top shelf of by bookcase (where I keep everything I don't want the animals to get ahold of). The hardcover can be removed and it's been glued back on countless times, but I don't think I'll ever part with it.

#15: It has been a while since I read any Pym, abw, and the only one I have read thus far has been Some Tame Gazelle, which I enjoyed. I will definitely add Quartet in Autumn to the Continent.

Cloud Atlas has already been on the Continent for a while, but my local library does not have it and I have not tracked down another copy as of yet. I eventually will get to it, though.

How is Black Swan Green different though? Different style?

#17 TT: You must learn to count better. This is only thread number 3 - it just seems like more, lol.

Well, most of us re-group at around 200 posts, so yours are super-sized and each one counts double!!

>19 alcottacre:: butting in on David Mitchell, yes, very different style: Cloud Atlas is much more 'literary' in its ambitions, in that it has a very deliberate structure; it's almost like a collection of linked stories, but the stories are nested inside one another like matryoshka, and the characters have strange points of commonality across their various points in history. I loved it, but know lots of people don't.

Black Swan Green is a more straightforward read - the literary skill is focused in the quality of the prose itself. A note: it might help to brush up a little on the Falklands war before reading, as the book is quite concerned with how the British left at home viewed it (I found it a bit tricky as I lived overseas during the war and hence had no real cultural background to rely on other than what I'd picked up doing "war poetry" topics at school once we came back to the UK).

The Hobbit was probably the book that "started it all" for me. There were always books in my life and I was read to constantly as a kid, but one of my first memories of being read to was when my dad read me The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was about five.

It always strikes me on rereads how very different Tolkien's style is between his books (The Hobbit, LotR, and The Silmarillion for sure some of his shorter works and decidedly his academic work as well), so I'm never terribly surprised when I hear someone say that they like one of the books but not one of the others. To anyone who has tried The Hobbit for the first time as an adult and disliked it, I would definitely say give LotR a try before dismissing it. Tone, theme, and characterization are all completely different.

FlossieT has perfectly described the difference between Black Swan Green and Cloud Atlas. Black Swan Green is a straight-forward coming of age novel, and Cloud Atlas is what I call a "puzzle book." I much preferred Cloud Atlas--I thought it was amazing how everything fit together in the end (like a matryosha doll, as Flossie said).

Mitchell has another "puzzle book" which I also liked very much Ghostwritten. I would describe Cloud Atlas as a puzzle in time, and Ghostwritten as a puzzle in place.

Thanks abw - Ghostwritten going on the list too now.... sigh.

I'm catching up on threads this evening because I'm too tired to read! Of course, my TBR pile is growing and my guilt is starting to kick in...nope, not going there. Loving the conversations!

re Barbara Pym

For a couple of years before we moved across country I was collecting Barbara Pym in anticipation of reading them all. I own all of her novels except No Fond Return of Love and the works that were complied after she died and her autobiography. But so far I think I've only read Excellent Women and Jane and Prudence, which I enjoyed thoroughly. I'm now inspired again to do a thorough reading of her. I'll start by putting Quartet in Autumn in my 999 classics/fiction category and trying to find a copy of No Fond Return.

re Crazy Horse

Stasia, when I saw that on your list of memorable reads I decided I wanted to read it so I put it on my library wish list--to get some time in the future since it won't fit in 999 this year. Several years ago we spent some time in South Dakota and visited the site where they were (are still?) carving the statue of him. My husbands father grew up in sight of the rock they are carving. Seeing you mention that book reminded me that I wanted to find out more about him. A few days ago, I was rummaging through some boxes of "stuff" hubby brought up from his folks home we are trying to get cleared out so we can sell (preferably) or rent the house. Guess what I found! They had a copy of that book--so now it is in a place where I won't forget about it and has moved considerably higher on the must read list!

>337 on AlcottAcres take 2
G-U-G -- IMO in no way can you judge your response to The Hobbit or LOTR by The Silmarillon. Just talking apples and oranges there. The Hobbit is an absolutely delightful book. IMO LOTR gets a bit draggy with the endless descriptions, but you like words so you might enjoy them more than I did. Do read them! I really think you're missing something special if you don't.

ETA >7 allthesedarnbooks: It might have been The Boxcar Children for me too. I was reading The Chronicles of Narnia at the same age, but I owned the set while The Boxcar Children was one of my first discoveries on the shelves of library. :) The thought of them still makes me smile.

#15: I finished Pym's Excellent Women this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I am looking forward to reading her Quartet in Autumn even more.

#24: I am adding Ghostwritten to the Continent as well now, too.

#26: Great story about Crazy Horse. I hope that you enjoy it as much as Charlotte (Fourpawz), who recommended it to me, and I did!

Re David Mitchell, he has another book, Number9Dream, which is also quite different from the others. What I quite like with his work is that there's a lot of subtle overlaps of the minor characters - various characters pop up in more than one book at different stages in their life. Hmmm. I've just realised I never got around to reading Ghostwritten...

ok, ok, I'm like a little kid Christmas morning. Stasia, what did you think of A Prayer for Owen Meany. You mentioned that you were reading this last night....

Okay, now seriously, you could not have read the entire book in one day!

#32: Yes, I could and I did. I must qualify this in saying that I read it during the night, when there is pretty much nothing else going on at my house except for me reading.

I just finished Ghostwritten by David Mitchell- it is very good.

#34: Thanks for the input on the Mitchell book, Cyrel. I am trying to track down copies of both it and Cloud Atlas to read. Have you read Cloud Atlas yet, and if so, what did you think of it?

#33: Wow! I would find that impossible with A Prayer for Owen Meany, even if I had complete quiet and alone time. When I do read something very quickly, I don't retain the enjoyable (or not so enjoyable, as the case may be) experience for any length of time. I miss details and, especially in the case of John Irving, who ever so nicely ties up all the loose ends, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the ending. However, to each his or her own. My daughter is a speed demon and doesn't miss a thing.

I have never met anyone who has a thread for each month - wow. I am still lurking on your thread, Stasia.

I loved Cloud Atlas! It was one of my favourite books a year ago. Very interesting plot that travels through time and then back again, solving various puzzles that are presented in the interlocking chapters. You are in for a treat when you read it.

I really like what I've heard about Cloud Atlas, but I can't seem to get past the first few pages. It just doesn't seem very interesting. The writing seems thick and overly detailed. I'm disappointed, because I was looking forward to reading a 'puzzle book'. Does it get any better?

Yes- it does- do try reading it again.

#37: Hey, kiwi. Always glad to see you here. I lurk on your thread all the time, so turnabout is fair play, right?

#38: Thanks Cyrel. I am definitely going to have to find a copy!

#36: I am a speed demon for reading, too. I average about 3/4-1 book a day, but I always have multiple books going, so it appears more.

Re 39 and 40--Re Cloud Atlas You could probably get by with just skimming the first chapter. But once you get into the book you'll want to go back to reread it. Part of the experience of the book is that each part/chapter is written in a different literary style. It just so happens that the first part is written in the style of Moby Dick or some such book. I chose this book for my book club a few years ago, and several members complained about the beginning, but I cracked the whip, made everyone stick with it, and they were all glad they did. :)

#44: I will try and keep that in mind when I finally get my hands on a copy, abw. Thanks for the advice.

>44 arubabookwoman:: I usually judge books by the first chapter, so I'm glad to know that it's just one of many literary styles incorporated in the book. You've convinced me to give it a second go. I won't list Cloud Atlas on BookMooch just yet. Thanks!

#46

I'm exactly the same, it has been sitting on my shelf and I've tried to read it twice with no success. I guess I'll give it another go with this new info. When I've read the 2 years worth of tbr books I've acquired since..............

This week's reads:

86. The Wolves at the Door by Judith L. Pearson - nonfiction; despite a somewhat slow start, I thought this was a very good account of the spying career of Virginia Hall during WWII; recommended

87. The Girls by Lori Lansens - this story of conjoined twins grabbed me from page 1 and would not let me go; highly recommended

88. Anna's Book by Barbara Vine - a very good mystery, but not a straight mystery - one that discusses how much of our identity is wrapped up in where we think we came from; recommended

89. The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather - excellent book about how much an artist must give up for the sake of art; I could read Cather's prose forever, she has the ability to paint pictures with her words; highly recommended

90. Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope - I discovered Trollope last year and have very slowly been making my way through his books; I enjoyed this one thoroughly even though it is known from the beginning of the book it will have a happy ending, with Trollope the journey is the thing; recommended

91. Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert - nonfiction; vignettes told by an assistant librarian; his remarks about homeschoolers, though, I found personally offensive; guardedly recommended

92. The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Dickens - having read Drood by Dan Simmons recently, I decided (along with alaskabookworm) to read the story on which it was based; unfortunately, Dickens died before the completion of the book, but what there is of it is very good; recommended

93. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym - I am going to have to read more of Pym's books because I really enjoy them and this one was no exception; recommended

94. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - I read this because so many people here on LT love it, but I am not one of them - to me, this was a good story, but not great; Meany's speeches IN ALL CAPS after a while grated on all my nerves, I felt like I was being shouted at the entire book; I also did not care at all for the political over and undertones in the book; there were parts of the book that I really did like - I will never forget Meany as the baby Jesus in the Christmas pageant - that was a hoot, but all in all, not destined to be a favorite book of mine

95. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - young adult; I loved this book, the first young adult book to make my memorable reads list for this year; highly recommended

96. Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman - nonfiction; I liked the story involved here and very much admire the family's courage in going through everything, but I did not like the way the story was told, if that makes sense - why was everything told in such a choppy manner? 73 chapters in a book that is less than 300 pages? I know Patterson does this a lot with his books and it irritates me in fiction, but in nonfiction, it borders on being a crime; also, why was the story told in 1st person, but written by Cory's father, not Cory himself?; guardedly recommended, but not for the manner of the book, only for the story itself

97a. The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuscinski - nonfiction; this short book was recommended by kidzdoc (thank you!) on his thread as a good introduction to Kapuscinski's work and I thoroughly enjoyed this taste of K's work, but it certainly left me hungering for more!; highly recommended

97b. So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba - this short book was recommended by Akeela (thanks!) and definitely worthy of the recommendation;this is an epistolary novel and the betrayal that the main character feels as she is writing to her friend resonates through the entire book; highly recommended

So to summarize through February: 96 books read for the year, 19 nonfiction read (I am behind the pace I need for goal of 150 for the year), 6 books read on my 'must read' list for the year.

Edited trying to fix seemingly unfixable Touchstones. Argh!

Great variety here, Stasia. The Pym, Kapuscinski, and Lansens have been waiting along time for me to read.

Your reading pace make us all look very lazy. Very inspiring.

Glad to find somebody else who read The Wolves at the Door; I thought the story was fascinating, the writing less so. But a remarkable woman.

#48 Nice bunch of books you've read this week. I also enjoyed The Girls very much. The Hunger Games is getting good reviews all over LT, and I'm glad since I have a copy that is waiting to be read! I've yet to read anything by Willa Cather, but My Antonia is on the pile. I've heard very good things about Barbara Pym but have never read any of her work. Can you recommend a good one to start with?

I'm completely blown away by the volume of your reading! Incredibly impressive. (((((envy)))))

I read The Song of the Lark in college, and loved it. I even got a print of the painting. I've been meaning to read more Willa Cather ever since; thanks for (inadvertently) reminding me!

That print hung on almost every classroom wall in the Ontario public school system in the 50s & 60s, legx. I know it well! ;) But I haven't read the book.

Stasia, I am so glad you enjoyed Excellent Women and Doctor Thorne! :)

Stasia

I read your summary on hubby's computer in Barnes & Noble (we are waiting for Marty to call to say his class is over so we can start home) and now I will be going home with Song of the Lark and The Hunger Games! I'd love to know what picture everyone mentions in connection with Cather's book. The cover of the one I'm buying is an oil painting by Bernard Dunstan of a woman singing and standing beside a grand piano. Somehow, I don't that is the one. Marty enjoys fantasy so I think he will like Hunger Games, too--I also bought him The Graveyard Book by Gaiman. He lives in the same town so we can share easily. :-)

You had a great week of reading--and you've almost reached my goal for the year (100 books) in 2 months! you are truly awesome.

Marty called--on the road we go!

owen meany, could certainly be read in a day.. it is an easy read, and Stasia is a fast reader anyway..

I just finished Lark and Termite. I have not been in a reading mood much lately. Stuff getting in my way. I had to read this for vine....

I am clearly in the midst of a "downer " because not a single book mentioned in this thread since my last post called out to me~

yikes!

MusicMom, the painting is this one:

http://www.art.com/products/p10032528-sa-i846022/jules-breton-the-song-of-the-la...

The real thing hangs in the art museum in Chicago, and the protagonist of Cather's novel sees it there.

#57: Sorry to hear that nothing I read this past week appealled to you, Kath. I will try to do better this upcoming week :)

#51: Lorie, I have only read 2 books by Barbara Pym thus far and enjoyed them both, but arubabookwoman recommended Quartet in Autumn, which I have yet to read, so maybe start there? The only two I have read are Excellent Women and Some Tame Gazelle. To my knowledge, Pym does not write series, so I think you could pretty much read anything of hers safely.

Hi Stasia, yet more great books to add to the growing TBR mountain. Cheers

#61: Glad you found something you liked in this week's reads, Diane! Thanks for stopping by.

Lol, I read your sentence in #59 as

Sorry to hear that nothing I read this past week APPALLED you, Kath. I will try to do better this upcoming week.

#63: I can work at appalling people this next week, too, Luna. Thanks for the laugh :)

I'm planning to read all of Pym's work eventually. My favourites so far have been Excellent Women and Jane and Prudence, which were delightfully appealling ;)

#65: I think I will get to all of Pym's books eventually as well. Quartet in Autumn will be the next one because of abw's recommendation of it, but I will read Jane and Prudence after that one because of your mention. I hope it will appeal to me as well!

Not just you Stasia, anything anyone read. That is serious...lol.
I have been feeling a little down lately. Usually I am afraid of your thread because it makes my tbr pile grow....I tiptoe in and read quickly.. :P

Just wanted you to know I've been lurking here -- with a smilte :)

" suslyn
Just wanted you to know I've been lurking here -- with a smilte :)"

Is that something like a smite?

My goodness, Stasia! I already had Hunger Games on my list, and have now added The Wolves at the Door and So Long A Letter... I shall never read them all, I'm afraid!

#68: Susan, I appreciate your lurking here - with or without a smilte :)

#69: Kath, do make me smite you, either, lol

#70: Marcia, sure you will! Just do not ever sleep . . .it is a bad habit any way!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'm with Kath.

fantasia..when I see your name or fannyprice
this song goes through my head :

"Everybody Wants My Fanny"
Bell Bennt, artist maybe?


Everyone is out to get my Fanny
Everybody wants to see my Fanny
Everybody likes to hold my Fanny
But she loves no one but me

Everybody wants to seize my Fanny
Everybody likes to squeeze my Fanny
They do everything to please my Fanny
Still she loves
no one but me

Oh, don't touch my Fanny
Please don't ever try
My little Fanny
Is reserved for just one guy

That's why I never let another love light blind me
Everywhere I go you'll always find me
With my little Fanny right behind me
Cause she's so in love with me

Everyone who ever spied my Fanny
Tried to hang around beside my Fanny
Maybe I should go and hide my Fanny
Or she'll find somebody new

I've seen lots of fannies in my time
And frequently their cheeks were close to mine
But never have I held one so divine
Like the Fanny that belongs to me

We will be married
Some day next June
And when we go away
To spend our honeymoon

I know that everyone is goin'a miss my Fanny
No one ever could resist my Fanny
But they wouldn't dare to kiss
my Fanny
Cause she's so in love with me

OT I know...just sayin"

LOL! I like that! Thanks for the laugh, Kath!

Stasia
Once again, you have an amazing list of books this week. For now, I'm adding Song of the Lark. But, I know I will return again and add more.

This is a dangerous thread, whisper.

I went through a Willa Cather phase several years ago and read everthing in sight by her - really a lovely writer. Next month my book club is reading My Antonia so I look forward to a second read.

Do you ever reread? Your lists are so long and so inclusive of many genres that you may not make that a priority. I find that often a second read is even more thrilling than the first in the sense you don't hang so heavily on the plot and character development - knowing as you do where they are headed -style and nuance and even new meanings jump out. Anna Karenina really became my "first among equals" when I read it a second time a couple of years ago.

orangeena
You raise an interesting point. There are some books that when I re-read them, I gain a deeper appreciation. Jane Eyre is one of those.

...and when you watch the Austen movies for the 100th time, somehow the sex-appeal of those gentlemen only seems to increasel!!!!!! (Yes - I am shallow)

#58 legxleg

Thanks so much for the link! I don't think I have ever seen that painting--even though I have been to The Chicago Art Institute several times! Next time we go to visit our son I will make a point to look it up. It is beautiful! And really looks like it would go with a Cather story. It made me think of My Antonia. I haven't read Song of the Lark yet--but now I own it I will fairly soon!

#65 digifish books

re Barbara Pym

We must think alike! I really enjoyed Excellent Women and Jane and Prudence, the only two I've read, but over the years I've collected all but one of them and plan to read them all. I've pulled Quartet in Autumn to read this year because arubabookwoman recommended it. Maybe next year I will just make Barbara Pym a category and finish off the list! :-)

*ahem* I started a Barbara Pym thread over in the Anglophile group last year. Fell head over heels over her.

Ooh, new favorite quote (from The Haunted Bookshop):

". . .there is indeed a heaven on Earth, a heaven which we inhabit when we read a good book."

Love it!

Stasia

how very true!

That's a great quote, Stasia, and so true! I also think the theme song from "Reading Rainbow"--I can be anything--is true for all of us. I look forward to your comments on The Haunted Bookshop..I've been intrigued by the title for years.

#86: I quite enjoyed The Haunted Bookshop, but not as much as I liked Parnassus on Wheels, which is more of a prequel, I think, than a sequel. I recommend them both.

Two more books that I can't live without reading...

#88: Well, Kath, since all I did last week was appall you, this week I must appeal . . .

And again with the misread. I read Kath's as

'Two more books that I can live without reading'.

For some reason I appear fixated on Kath not liking your reading at the moment!!!!!!!!!

#90: I am not sure, but I think there is something Freudian in that somewhere :)

#91

Oh dear. That doesn't bode well *sigh*

Stasia,

Add me to the list of people who are adding The Hunger Games to their TBR because of you!

Appalled? no... just unmoved... lol

#94: Kath, lunacat misread your original message from last week - she thought you were 'appalled', but you had said nothing 'appealed' to you.

#93: Don't blame me - I am absolutely sure someone recommended it to me (I just cannot remember who at the moment), so take it out on them :)

BTW - it is the first book in a series, so there are going to be more books following. I only hope they are as good as the first one in the series!

oic...

and Stasia, it is fair to blame the one that you heard it from, not the one they heard it from. Thus your fault. You should contact Amazon about getting a finders fee~

This week's reads:

98. The Working Poor by David K. Shipler - nonfiction; I really enjoyed Shipler's style, using real people with real problems, but he presented few solutions and I wish he would have done; still all in all, a good read; recommended

99. Inkspell by Cornelia Funke - YA; I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but am concerned that in a book designed for kids as young as 8, there were several curse words (at least 3 'damns' and 1 'bastard'); recommended

100. Family Skeletons by Rett MacPherson - this was a nice cozy mystery for a day where I desperately needed nothing too heavy; recommended for those who enjoy cozies

101. The Annotated Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - the introduction of this book was 100 pages long, giving all sorts of info about Baum, and I enjoyed learning more about him, but once the actual text of the book began, I found the notes more of a distraction than anything - some of them seemed to be just grasping for something to say about the text, although for the most part, they were interesting

102. The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley - I read Parnassus on Wheels last year and really enjoyed it; I enjoyed this follow-up book as well, although not as much as Parnassus; recommended

103. Dance of the Happy Shades and Other Stories by Alice Munro - the first book of Munro's that I have read, but definitely not going to be the last; recommended

104a. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome - I loved this - I thought the humor was great; I listened to it as an audiobook and Martin Jarvis did a great job of narrating it; highly recommended

104b. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney - YA; I did not enjoy this book in the series nearly as much as I enjoyed the previous 2

105. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb - I freely admit to being addicted to the Eve Dallas series and I thought this was a very good addition to it; recommended

106. The Fuzzy Papers by H. Beam Piper - I enjoyed these 2 books (Little Fuzzy and The Other Human Race) quite a bit, although I actually preferred the first; these science fiction novels deal with what it is to be a sentient being, although they do it in a fun way (and I could not help but think of Ewoks as I was reading them, just like other LTers); recommended

107. The Long Shadow of Little Rock by Daisy Bates - nonfiction; Thanks to Cal for the recommendation on this one; I found the writing not to be the best, but the story itself of the Little Rock Nine was compelling; recommended, especially for those interested in the history of the Civil Rights movement

108. The Faith Club by Ranya Idilby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner - nonfiction; this was interesting to read in counterpoint to book 107 - after 9/11, three women of different faiths, Muslim, Christian and Jewish decide to come together to learn about their differences and similarities; I found the book thought-provoking, if a little too 'pat'; one of the quotes I completely agree with is the "Politics masquerading as religion", which unfortunately, it all too often does; recommended

From Gates of Repentance, a Jewish devotional book, mentioned in The Faith Club:

When will redemption come?
When we master the violence that fills our world.
When we look upon others as we would have them look upon us.
When we grant to every person the rights we claim for ourselves.

> 98 Stasia, I am reading Three Men in a Boat together with Idle thought's of an Idle Fellow his book of essays. I thought I had read Three Men in a Boat but if I did, I don't remember any of it! I took Mrs. Tortoise to the hospital and was reading it while waiting and I was convulsed with laughter. I had to try and stifle it. While everyone about me was in pain and anguish it didn't seem quite right laughing like an idiot!

- TT

#99: TT, I will have to look for Idle Thoughts - if it is as funny as Three Men in a Boat, I will be getting strange looks from my kids (again).

I hope Mrs. Tortoise is OK!

The Haunted Booksho and Parnassus on Wheels look tempting..
I know the feeling about certain days needing certain books.

I have developed much more of an interest in non-fiction than I used to have, but there are days I need a good solid novel, and some days fluff is all I can handle.

eta Three Men in a Boat was mentioned in a book I just read..I may have to look at that one too,, :)

#101: At least I am tempting you this week . . .

sadly true

A friend has my copy of Three Men in a Boat for some months now, I guess it is about time to ask her my book back.

I'm happy that you liked The Haunted Bookshop too. I don't keep many of the books that I have read but I will keep that one. Parnassus on Wheels is on my list but the title seems so daunting, don't you think?

Looks like you are reading some satisfying books, Stasia...and adding to my TBR pile...again. :)

I read The Haunted Book Shop and Parnassus on Wheels and enjoyed them both. I agree that Parnassus is the better of the two.

I did not notice the swear words when I read Inkspell, probably because I'm just so used to seeing it in books. My eleven year old grandson pointed it out to me and he was shocked in a giggly kind of way. I don't know why the author thought that was necessary in a kid's book.

hmmm to make kids giggle? Very small kids most likely won't be hearing or reading that one. I loved both Inkheart and Inkspell. I don't remember any swearing, but I was reading it for me. I will soon be getting Inkdeath.. and look forward to it :)

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
more books to add to the TBR pile. Stasia, you are reading some amazing things.

And based TT's laughter and your recommendation, I've added Three Men in a Boot
and I'm adding your book #98, 99 and 100.

Regarding The Working Poor, in my social work days when I helped a friend who started a shelter for the homeless, I grew ever so tired of getting of explaining to people why homeless shelters were/are necessary in this country. There is indeed a working poor in America. The folks in historic North side Bethlehem did not want the shelter there and legislated it to be on the "South" side of town.

I still get on my soap box when I see commercials to illicit funds for the poor of foreign nations. We are such a haughty, arrogant nation that we would be in denial and irate if, in Bangledesh, there was a commercial to give to the poor America.

Oh horror that Americans would dain to send a video clip of Appalachia to another nation..saying, "for .60 a day, a cup of coffee, you can feed an American."

Ok, enough of my tirade for now....
Thanks for allowing me to high jack your thread.

I think that I should just add your library to my wishlist, Stasia.

Stasia - Wow! Sunday has become my "add lots of books to my TBR" day, thanks to you! What a good week you had. I'm especially excited to read The Long Shadow of Little Rock and The Faith Club. Thanks!

Stasia, I'm going to post a link here because I think this is one of the most read threads here. A few people including myself would like some guidance on starting to read Wodehouse and I know a lot of the 75ers enjoy him. Can some of you come to this link and help us out?

http://www.librarything.com/topic/59660

All of you who are reading or have just finished Three Men in a Boat MUST go on and read Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog if you haven't! You will delight in it.

I'm glad you enjoyed The Long Shadow Of Little Rock. It showed the turmoil and difficult decisions as well as the bravery of all the people involved.

*adds Shadow to list*

I've added To Say Nothing of the Dog to my list. Thanks roninctas. Thanks for the question cal8769..I too am curious regarding where to start with Wodehouse books.

And, Stasia, your thread is incredible!

Well, I wish I could say to all of you who have added to your TBR mountains that I am sorry, but I am not. You guys do it to me all the time!

#109: It would not do for you to add my personal library to your wishlist, Cal, since the majority of books I read come from the public library. All the books in my catalogued library here on LT are books I own.

ETA: Thanks for posting the Wodehouse link!

Actually didn't add any to my TBR mountain from your thread today; this is only because there were several you read that were already on there!

#118: Well, maybe next week, Marcia :)

#107: Kath, I do not think the swearing would have bothered me nearly as much if the book had not been written for kids as young as 8. The language is pretty much sadly unavoidable these days, but in a book for children that young, I think it is unnecessary.

You may be right in that the bad language was put in there for giggles from the younger crowd, but if that is the case, I would not have thought it was necessary to do it at least 4 times. I know, it's just me . . .

Well different opinions are what make things interesting :)

#120 Stasia

It's not just you. I would like to see younger children not be exposed to profanity in literature. They get too much exposure in RL and I find it sad when I hear 7 and 8 year olds using it. For older children, at least middle school and up imo, if profanity is necessary in a story for character development and makes sense (a "street kid" for instance or if circumstances call for it) I am not offended by it. But for youngsters, and especially if it's just for "giggles" I get offended. We used to try to protect our children--what happened?

In re. to the swearing in Inkheart, I haven't read it yet (been meaning to, like half of the rest of the books on the planet!), but I understand it was originally written in German. It would be interesting to see if the language was there in the original, or if it's part of the translation.

#123: That was something I had not considered, Marcia, but you are correct, it was originally written in German.

#122: I am glad to know it is not just me :)

chiming in on the why in the world do kids books have to have profanity conversation...I agree! I was very much offended by Roald Dahl's use of the word "slut" in one of his books, then did some research to learn that he was referring to a slovenly woman, not a prostitute. Still, I thought there were other, less crass words that could have been substituted.

Stasia - I totally agree with you. Why do kids get robbed of their childhood so soon. Let them grow up more slowly and enjoy their fantasy worlds. It is all too much, too soon, IMO.

In my world, kids are exposed to swearing in grocery stores, on television at times.. and perhaps parents? I don't remember what swearing there was in this book, but I doubt it was too bad. I admit thought, that I did not stop my kids reading anything they wanted to read. That is how I grew up.. mom did'nt care.
I cared, payed attention and was available for questions at all times.
Also, damn and sonofab~ have come out of my mouth many times over the years.

what were these words anyway????

#129: Kath, there were at least 3 'damns' and 1 'bastard'. The latter was the one that really got to me.

hmmm .....

I agree that it was unnecessary, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me...
as far as allowing an 8 yr old to read it. I would venture to say it is a word most kids have heard a time or two, somewhere..

damn always seemed rather a weak curse word to me.. far below the more shocking four letter words available...

just

And a cute 2 cents it is! (one of these days I am going to learn how to do all the fancy HTML stuff, too)

#126 I wonder if slut is one of those words that has become more offensive over the years. I was under the impression that it didn't used to be particularly offensive, particularly given its original meaning. If it's one of the older Dahl books it may well not have had the same sting to it (I'm completely guessing though, and I'm very tired so could well be talking rubbish).

#123 I was going to post something similar, I think it has a lot to do with the translation. I really don't remember it being there so I wonder if it's been taken out of later editions. It's more likely that my memory just isn't very good though!

>108 Whisper1:

LOL at Three Men in a Boot! I can't believe it picked up a Touchstone!

>98 alcottacre: I'm going to put Family Skeletons on my mom's TBR stack. She just flies through the reading material and she loves mysteries.

#135: jade, it is the first book in a series. There are 10 more after that one, so if she enjoys it, you can throw a bunch more on your mom's stack, lol.

Oh boy! Thank you.

#136, and, Stasia, I imagine you read the first and then ten more within a day...

#138: Nope, I just read the first one. I wanted to see if I would like it first before tackling the rest of the series.

#133 re 'slut', I think Moomin2009 may be right, it's a time and place thing - in fact, being English, my automatic connection with 'slut' is just someone who's slovenly, not a prostitute, so maybe it's a transatlantic difference too (but am not going to speak for the whole of the UK here!)?

>126 Whisper1: Linda, Is the objection to the word slut or to the reference to a prostitute? Depending on the context slut can mean slovenly or a sexually promiscuous woman. I suppose by extension it could also apply to a prostitute, but not necessarily.

I dislike swearwords in print and will not be using any in my writings. Well, perhaps a damn and blast but certainly none of the harsher swearwords. They are not very pretty and do not appeal to my artistic instincts.

- TT

I'm not sure the majority of people would even consider "damn" a true swear word anymore, and I don't think I ever realized "blast" was one.

TT
Your question is a good one. The objection to the word slut is simply because I think it is a demeaning word. Because it was VERY unusual to see a curse word in a Dahl book, I researched and found that his intent was to connotate slovenly behavior.

Nice to know you are not using swearwords in print.

As someone whose livelyhood depends on the printed medium as I oversee the students who pull together the yearbook and newspaper at a local college, I stress the power of words and tone of voice over and over again to the point I'm sure the students are tired of hearing it.

Sadly, I feel like an old proper lady. I'm attending a professional conference of College Media Advisers. One of the titles of a session is "Yearbook Advising What SUCKS and What Works" Oh my, I almost twirled around in my desk chair what I saw that.

Rules and etiquette somehow go out the window with email communications and I blame the power of the text message.

My virgin ears!!!!!!

I just finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to my girls. I was not expecting any swear words but came across the word "ass". I was so into my character voice that I read it... LOUDLY.. because the character was being loud. Once I realized that I had read it out loud I looked at my girls to see if they had registered the word, but it didn't seem like they did. There were so many other other words that could have been used in place of ass and was surprised that Dahl used it at all. I'm all for a good swear word and even believe that sometimes there is no other word that will work to describe a situation! BUT... for kids? It is totally unnecessary.

I'm guessing you're not in the UK? It's really not a swear word here, it's becoming more commonly used as such due to TV etc but as an insult until pretty recently it really did mean donkey. The ruder one has different spelling and pronunciation but is similar. In fact it is exactly the kind of word that would be chosen for kids because it's not particularly strong.

yeah, ass is in the bible. I remember as a kid when I first heard it thinking "curse words in the bible?! Whoa!"

#147: Actually, if you think about it, the Bible has quite a few swear words, although not in the context of swearing.

and tons of begetting

Ass was a donkey in our house and if we were a silly one, we got called one. There were no connotations of one's backside whatsoever.

Stasia dear, I hate to tell you this, but you're a menace to the biblioholic community. Viewing any of your thirteen dozen threads with an average of sixty-nine thousand, five hundred nineteen yummy books in them constitutes entrapment of the willpower impaired.

You will be served papers to cease and desist by Thursday Next.

#150: Richard, I am looking forward to the visit by Thursday. Maybe I can steal her secrets about getting into books and change all of literature as we know it :)

I am sitting here royally mad because a library book that I really wanted to read, I simply cannot. I opened the cover of the book and it reeked of cigarette smoke, to which I am very allergic. So now I am nauseated, with a bad headache, and I cannot read the book!

Not a happy camper . . .

152: I had a similar experience once: At a used booksale, I was ecstatic to find a $3 copy of Lytton Strachey By Himself. A couple of days later, when my cold cleared up, I realized that it stank of cigarettes and, even worse, it had started to make the neighboring books on the shelf stink as well. I was so disgusted I dropped it into the free books box outside my neighborhood used bookstore. I later wished I'd kept it and tried some charcoal odor-absorbent treatment first, but ah well.

#153: I have been very fortunate, given the number of books I check out of the library, how few I have had the problem with. At least 90% of the books I read come through libraries, and I only had one last year with the problem and thus far, only 1 this year.

#154: Now that you mention it, I've bought a ton of books at used booksales, but only a handful have ever smelled like smoke, and none were as bad as that one. Maybe the people sorting through them before the sale starts weed out the stinky ones.

#155: Either they weed them out or they treat them. I am grateful to anyone who takes the time to do that!

Home remedy- I just received a book via bookmooch that smelled of something smoky- I first put it into a ziplock plastic bag and put it in the freezer for three days. That didn't work because it still smelled. I then put baking soda into the bag and left the book for a 2 weeks. I just checked it and -no smell! I'm not sure whether you want to do this for a library book though.

Stasia, I am cursed with the same problem. I've learned to give the books a quick sniff prior to checking them out. It really stinks, doesn't it, on every level.

ETA: thanks for the tip, Tor! Might not work with library books unless you renew them but great for 2nd hand ones. Freezing doesn't hurt the spine glue?

No- the book is in the plastic bag and in the freezer for about 3 days. I haven't noticed any problems with spine glue yet. When I put in the baking soda- I didn't put the book back into the freezer- I just left it in a storage spot in my house.

Thats a fabulous tip - although smoke does not bother me and I rather like that musty smell of second hand books. I have a similar treatment at times - for my credit card after visiting this thread!!

This is an interesting subject---I wonder why more second hand and/or library books don't smell of cigarette smoke? Are readers less likely to smoke than other people? I can't say I've ever come across a book contaminated with that stinkiness. In our college days, my husband smoked and there are probably books in my house that have hardly been opened since that time. I wonder...

Isn't baking soda a marvelous thing? I buy it in huge boxes and use it for so many purposes.

Back to the "slut" discussion - I've always kind of thought of a slut as a non-professional hooker. Somebody who does it as it a hobby, if you will.

Fourpawz2
Stirring the pot a bit, I'm throwing out the following question:

I wonder what the word is/would be for a man who does the same?

oooh Linda, you're shaking things up hehe :)

This is a BIG discussion. Unfortunately my brain is too fried right now to start expressing my thoughts (only had 4 hours of sleep last night) but I'll come back to ya.

#162: LOL! I like how you defined that, especially the hobby bit.

#163: I don't think there is a word; guys are allowed to "sow their oats" more than women. But personally, I still call guys sluts if the name fits.

Linda, I watched a Bollywood movie, Dev D last week in which a girl uses Slut for a guy, so maybe slut transcends gender boundaries :P

Wouldn't a "professional" be called a gigolo? After a certain age an amateur would be called an "old goat." ;-)

I agree, that boys and younger men are allowed to be more promiscuous than young women are. Lot's of older women seem to get away with more without being labeled "slut"--perhaps it depends on how much money they have?

However, I'm sure that somewhere there is a term for promiscuous young men--just can't think of it now.

#162: I believe the word you're looking for is "manwhore": http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/manwhore (see the second definition).

>168 wunderkind: Yeah, they used that one in Grey's Anatomy :)

Womanizer? But still doesn't sound as bad as "slut".

How about the adjective "randy?" "Lecherous" is used more for older men and "rake" doesn't carry the same pejorative connotation that slut does.

Do men control language usage? At least the young ones! "Boys will be boys!" :-D

Can't you turn lecherous into a noun as a "lecher"? Maybe I'm just making things up in my head.

There really is no equivalent of slut for a man. Whatever word you use to discuss a man's sexual inclinations, it sounds like a good thing! Double standards still rule.

- TT

20 posts without a book being mentioned. That has to be a record.

If a gigolo is a professional male, would the amateur be a gigabit?

Manwhore, that's a good one. Thanks, wunderkind. :) There's also butt-slut, manslut, player, etc @ http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wikisaurus:promiscuous_man . Fun! :D

#169: I hate "womanizer" because it seems to carry the connotation that the women involved are victims somehow.

oh my, look what I've started.
It simply is a pet peeve of mine that there are so darn many derogatory words for women and women's body parts.

Only tangentially related to this increasingly weird discussion, I myself object to the use of "this/that sucks" as a derogation. Really, must everything in this puerile mass culture relate somehow to sex? Can't we simply leave sex in its proper, private place?

I believe strongly that, if we are a culture increasingly unable to form a thought without a sexual dimension being present whether in fact or inference, we are a culture cut off from the basic need that sex fulfills...intimacy. And that is the saddest, most horrifyingly empty thing I can imagine.

(/rant)

richardderus
agreed!

I don't think very many young people think of "this sucks" as a sex-derived phrase. Much like most people don't know "gipped" is/was a racist term.

#180 wunderkind
I agree. Even I had to think about it to realize it's sexual deriviation and I'm not exactly young! It's secondary meaning has obscured it's original meaning. Still, I've always thought it was an ugly expression if very expressive.

#181--It is ugly, but I am young and it was such a pervasive word in my adolescent vocabulary that I haven't quite managed to shake it yet.

>182 wunderkind:, pretty much what wunderkind said, unfortunately.

#180 ff: I rarely, if ever, use bad language, and I have never considered the word 'suck' as a swear word.

#178: I completely agree with you, Richard. If everything comes down to sex, then true intimacy has flown out the window. And I for one, believe that God gave sex to humans to fulfill our need for that kind of intimacy, not just for reproductive purposes. OK, now I am ranting, too . . .

So true richard....

When my oldest son was n 2nd grade, I incurred the wrath of his music teacher one day. The man called in a fine tizzy. It seems Adam ( my son) had told Richie ( his buddy) that his singing sucks. ( no doubt teasing, they were good buddies)
I said "oh dear, does it???"

The poor man was sputtering and I could picture him stomping and turning purple. I just couldn't take it seriously .. ( Richie came to my house after school... again... so neither did he apparently)

I was a strict parent in many ways. But not conventional .
If I decided to keep my kids out of school for a day for whatever reason,
or if one of the four them needed a mental health day.. They stayed home.

This wasn't a weekly event by any means.. and was not abused, but hey... you only get to have your kids little one time. I made the most of it.
When it was time for excuses, I would put why they were out. ( Visiting an old local graveyard to pull weeds, went for haircuts and ice cream .. needed to play at grandma's farm etc. ) It made the school folks a little crazy. It didn't harm the kids at all.. they all read long before they began school, we always read at home and learned things.. worked on projects etc. Always. And all 4 were in the gifted programs over the years. They all grew up to be well educated, good and happy people. Two of them were in the military.. ( that despite my feelings on the subject, but again, they were taught to have their own opinions) It worked.

eep.. sorry for babbling.. but it isn't totally unrelated. Sometimes what is shocking for one person works just fine for another. I think we have to beware of taking things too seriously...

mckait- I am smiling @ your term "Mental Health Day"! I love it! As I type this my husband is loading the car for a trip to Kentucky. My children will miss 2 days of school because of it and my 5 year old wanted to know what we were going to tell her teacher about her missed days. I said, "Morgan (her sister) wants to ride horses on her birthday and what better place than Kentucky. So, we'll tell her we're going to Kentucky to ride horses". She was delighted at this idea of taking a break from school just for fun. And why not? It's two days to create a great memory with my girls who will be grown in a blink of an eye.

I totally agree, mckait - my Dad was always generous with the Mental Health Days when I was in school. I don't think they should be a regular thing, but once in a while every student needs a mini-holiday from school. I think that going to school on a day when you really need a break is actually more detrimental than missing a day - it just causes kids to have negative associations about school in general.

Glassreader - your trip sounds great! What an exciting birthday present!!

Wonderful! Have a blast.. and you are just too right about how fast they grow...

mckait - I did exactly the same with my kids - I wanted them to feel that home was the centre of their universe, not school. We always do things as a family - my teenagers don't live separate lives (although now they are becoming ready to fly away for a while).

Richard - I like what you said about intimacy. In our media-driven world, it is sometime hard to reconcile.

When my daughter was in school, there was a built-in protocol that would have covered that trip to Kentucky, or a parent/child "field trip" to a farm, etc. You filled out a form, explaining in brief what you were doing and when, and you almost always got a seal of approval for what they called an "approved absence." This was important, because if you didn't do that, the child wasn't allowed to make up any missed assignments, which could adversely affect the almighty letter grade. Upon return, depending on the activity, the child was expected to share a little of it with the class in some way. It was a pretty positive program, I always thought, and we took advantage of it somehow nearly every academic term. Of course it didn't cover a spur of the moment need for a mental health day, but as I recall, my daughter never wanted one of those. Her mother, on the other hand...

I think a judicious use of a Mental Health day is a good thing, but every day you do it, the school loses money. The state doesn't give the school the money to educate your child that day if it isn't an "acceptably excused" absence. Which can wreak havoc with school budgets, which are tightened to the breaking point already. And unfortunately, there are families that don't use good judgment (missing 15 Mondays a year because they are out at the desert on their ATVs, for example). And also are students who do really suffer academically from not being there for key instruction.

My concern was and still is my children. Not the school budget. I educated my children at home, too. Did not rely on strangers and their idea of what they needed to learn. As noted, none of my children suffered academically. If more people did things the way I did.. as well as others here clearly do... the budget could be decreased exponentially.

As kiwidoc put it so well, home was the center of the universe for my kids.

They are grown now, and live in other places, where they went to college mostly~ but they call once or more a week and when something rocks their world, they call.. and I do the same. It's called being a family.

Have a good one, Mom!!

Indeed, Happy Birthday, Stasia!

Happy Birthday Stasia - hope you have a great day!

And, most importantly, did you get any good books this year? LOL

Happy Birthday Dear Friend!

I hope your day is as special as you are!

Many happy returns, Stasia. Hope next year is full of good things for you.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes! They are really appreciated.

Happy birthday, Stasia! Hope you get lots of great books!

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Stasia
Happy Birthday to you!

BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY STASIA!!! and many happy returns of the day.

I heard there was a birthday..?

Happy birthday :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY--AND MANY, MANY MORE!

Happy Birthday, Stasia! Many happy returns of the day (and if the returns are library books, many more happy checkouts!)!

Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! I had a very nice time with my family, playing on my new Wii and chomping down on pizza and cheesecake, diet all forgotten for the day.

This week's reads:

109. The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable - young adult; I thought this book was very well done, the first book of a series and I will be looking for the others; recommended

110a. Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay - a good-natured poke at archaeology; some of the pictures are a hoot

110b. God Rest Ye Merry Soldiers by James McIvor - nonfiction; this short book was recommended by Peter and I liked it a lot; the homesickness of the soldiers is palpable; recommended

111. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith - a big 'Thank You' to alynnk for the recommendation on this one, it is terrific and makes my list of memorable reads for the year; this mystery is set in Soviet Russia and makes you feel like you are in that oppressive atmosphere; highly recommended

112. Treasure of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston - juvenile fiction; this is the second book in the Green Knowe series and I preferred it to the first book; the friendship of Susan and Jacob is what sets this book apart; I have put it on my list of memorable reads for the year; highly recommended

113. American Lightning by Howard Blum - nonfiction; parts of this book were interesting (the 'Manhunt' section), parts of it dragged, and parts of it were completely unnecessary (Griffith's womanizing and Darrow's affair had nothing to do with the case, so why did they need to be in the book?)

114. Crusoe's Daughter by Jane Gardam - this is the first book by Gardam that I read, but it will not be the last; it is the kind of book that sneaks up on you - not a lot of action, more of an emotional book; recommended

115. Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien - nonfiction; I admit, I was predisposed to like this book since I have collected owls for 30+ years now, but I genuinely enjoyed the story of this woman and the owl she raised from the time it was 4 days old, and I learned some things about owls I did not know; recommended

116. The Irregulars by Jennet Conant - nonfiction; this was another book Peter recommended and I enjoyed it a lot; there are a lot of names to remember and I thought Conant did a good job distinguishing people so that the reader could remember who was who; recommended, especially for history/WWII buffs and Roald Dahl fans

117. The Chimney Sweeper's Boy by Barbara Vine - this is the second book by Vine that I have read this year and both dealt with the subject of identity, although in different ways; recommended

Ol' Wesley was quite the character, wasn't he? I don't think I'm ever going to forget what an owl pellet is.

Yes, he was quite a character, VG. Who knew that owls might like baths?

I liked Wesley the Owl . I sent it to my daughter. She has two owls that live in the patch of woods behind her house, and they often come out to say hello.. She sees them often.. I have seen one of them too..

#209: I am jealous, Kath. Living where I do, I have not ever seen an owl in the wild.

I am fortunate... I spent much of my growing up on a farm.. met many creatures :)

Amy lives in charlotte, nc. She is fortunate to have a nice home that has a strip of woods running along the back, as well as a creek. One owl has been there for 3 years, one is newer.. just this year...

I have a son who lives in the wilds of st louis. He has had everything from chickens to snakes , opossums, to all sots of critters show up at his house..

makes me laugh

He made a video of the chicken ( actually a rooster) and put it on youtube, calling it city chicken :P

Stasia
As always, you have an incredible list of reads. Some of them are already on my tbr pile. The additional one added is Child 44.

Happy belated birthday. It sounds like you had a good one!

Several of these were already on my TBR pile, and I'm adding Singer of All Songs, Motel of the Mysteries, and American Lightning. You're thread is dangerous for my wallet!

Oh here she goes again, that Stasia, tempting the frail in spirit to spend their last, pathetic shekels to buy things like Child 44 which sound too good to miss....

I'm glad your birthday was so pleasant, and remember that birthday food has no calories!

Re Jane Gardham, I highly recommend the sad/funny Queen of Tambourine. Old Filth, which is more recent, is good too, but I had a much more personal connection with the character in Queen of Tambourine.

Happy belated b-day from me too, Stasia. And always remember you should celebrate your birthday for a week .............at the very least.

Thanks again everyone for the birthday wishes. Nice to know all those calories I consumed yesterday do not count, Richard!

#214: Marcia, I do not particularly recommend American Lightning unless you are especially interested in the early Hollywood time period or labor unions.

#215: Stop snivelling, Richard :) I pull more books off your thread than you ever could off mine, lol, so I do not feel any sympathy.

#216: abw, I already have those on the Continent to try and track down as my local library does not have either.

#217: I wonder if my family would agree . . .

Edited trying to fix Touchstone for American Lightning by LT is not letting me fix it!

Book 110b & 116 - So glad you enjoyed them :)

The reason I added American Lightning was because I do enjoy historical crime nonfiction and love the silent movie era... I thought I might give it a chance even though you didn't care for it. It's certainly not at the top of my pile, however!

Sorry I missed your birthday, Stasia. It was my daughter's birthday on Friday and her party yesterday so I've been a bit pre-occupied. Glad you had a good one and lots of other birthday wishes!

Just re a very old post up here (145?), 'ass' in Roald Dahl was almost certainly used to mean 'idiot', derived from the donkey definition - not a part of the human body.

Happy belated birthday! Best wishes for the upcoming year. Sounds like you had a good birthday.

I can't believe your third thread is already over 200 posts.

Book # 112. I'm definitely adding the second Green Knowe book to my wish list. Thanks for the review.

Happy Belated Birthday, Stasia!

Whew! 103 unreads since I've been here last!

#221-223: Thanks for the belated birthday wishes! Flossie tell your little one 'Happy Birthday' from me.

#220: Just do not expect a great read, Marcia. I think the book could really have been done much better.

#222: I hope you enjoy it Violet!

Whew! Caught up with this thread, at last. Hope you had the loveliest of birthdays, Stasia. You share it with my late Grandma, who was one of the "Layton women" from whom I take my user name.

Happy birthday (+3), Stasia! And Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone.

Happy Belated Birthday, Stasia!

- TT

There was a birthday? When? Where? Why wasn't I invited?

Happy belated birthday wishes from the wilds of Tokyo :)

Peter

Shoot! Just yesterday I wondered when your bday was ... and now I know! Glad you had fun :)

Wow, I'm not around for 3 days and suddenly there's "73 messages unread" on here! LOL. Glad you liked Wesley the Owl, I've been hoping to find time to read it as I've been told I'll adore it... I've also been told I should buy my own copy, because if I borrow it from the library I won't want to give it back. Haha.

Good to hear about Singer of all Songs as well, I've had that one sitting around for awhile but have never picked it up... probably because the cover didn't strike me, so it's faded into the background... oh well, now I remember it and will add it to the list :)

belated happy birthday!

I just realized I've never posted on your thread so I'm here to make my debut appearance-

-and wish you a happy birthday (judging by the last fifteen posts or so :P)

Happy belated BD, fellow March birthday person!

#226 ff: Thank you all!

#229: You were invited, Peter, but you were busy having a baby . . .

#231: Faith, I hope you get a chance to read Wesley the Owl and Singer of All Songs. Let me know if you like them.

#233: Thanks for dropping by!

#234: When is yours Charlotte?

Peter had a baby? How long was his labour? Did it hurt? What's the baby's name? How's he coping with the emotions now..........and most of all, does breastfeeding hurt?

Stasia, I got The Pendragon legend from the Book Depository. No delivery charges, plus it was the only place I could locate it.

Happy birthday Stasia!

lunacat
You are a silly feline! Thanks for the laugh!

#236: lunacat, you need some help :)

#237: Thanks tiffin! I will look for it. (OK, weak-willed creature that I am, I went ahead and ordered it)

#238: Thanks cushla!

Happy Birthday!

#241: Thanks Cyrel!

It's Saturday - the 21st. Number I'm-not-going-to-say-how-many (too scarey).

#240: oh crumb, I really hope you DO like it *looking for nearest train station*

#243: I understand completely - 50 is creeping ever closer . . .

#244: Don't worry about it, Tui. I just cannot help myself :)

Check this out:

On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 7:50 AM, TheTortoise wrote to Tickerfactory.com:

Many of us at LibraryThing use your tickers to count off our reading lists. Would you consider making a ticker section for Books, please?

Email reply received from tickerfactory.com on 17/03/2009

Check our new "Generic Counter" ticker. It will allow you do do what you want.

- TT

Tortie, brilliant - I had so wanted bagpipes.

I changed mine to a bookworm, lol. Thanks for letting us know, TT!

TT I wrote them the same thing, and got the same response..
I kept the same ticker though, for now ...

:)

as Stasia would say "Cool Beans!"
Thanks Kath and TT

This weeks' reads:

118. Through It All: Reflections on My Life, My Family, and My Faith by Christine King Farris - nonfiction; this memoir is by Martin Luther King Jr.'s sister, which is the reason I read it, but I had a hard time with the writing style, which seemed very choppy for most of the book and meandered quite a bit, IMO

119. Mariana by Monica Dickens - this book was recommended by digifish (thanks!) and it was very good; highly recommended

120. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon - recommended by Joyce (who has reviews of all the Leon books on her thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/57824), this book is the first in the Guido Brunetti mystery series and very good; highly recommended

121. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway - an absolute must read, just a terrific book; Galloway is rapidly becoming an author whose books I am automatically going to get after loving this book and enjoying Ascension; Laura did a great review on her thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/59158; highly recommended - go buy a copy this very instant!!

122. The Eaves of Heaven by Andrew X. Pham - nonfiction; another recommendation by Peter and one I read for my Vietnam reading this year; another terrific book (back to back with the one above!) and one I will probably re-read at some later point in the year; highly recommended

123. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein - an unusual narrator in this one, being narrated by the dog Enzo; I enjoyed it for the most part, but was put off a bit by some of the more 'soap opera-ish' elements; still recommended

124. No One You Know by Michelle Richmond - the premise of this book really had me interested: the protagonist's sister is murdered, a best-selling book is written supposedly exposing the murderer, and the protagonist sets out to find whether the author really did peg the murderer since no arrest was ever made; the actual book itself I did not care for as much as the premise, although I cannot really specify why; the book was good, but not great and I think it could have been much better; guardedly recommended

125. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay - Carolyn does a terrific job of reviewing the book on her thread (http://www.librarything.com/topic/51107), so there is really nothing more for me to add, but this one is making my memorable reads list for the year, too; highly recommended

126. Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott - nonfiction; this book was on my 'must read' list for this year, and it was pretty good; Trish also read it this year and her very nice review is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/55140; recommended

127. Birds of America by Lorrie Moore - this was overall a good collection of short stories; my favorites were 'Which Is More Than I Can Say', 'Community Life', 'Beautiful Grade' and 'Real Estate'; the only one I really did not care for was 'Terrific Mother'; recommended

128. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer - this was just a good, old-fashioned fun read; highly recommended

I had a great reading week and hope I have another one like this very soon! (not that I am greedy or anything, lol)

Great reading week! You're on pace for 584 books read this year. I'll probably come in around 84. IOW, 500 books behind! Well, I might end up with 84 started but unfinished books also at the rate I'm piling them up. I'm getting an inferiority complex that I'm a reading slacker.

Not really. I hope nobody takes me seriously. I'm smack dab in the middle of the 75 group reading range which is a comfortable place for me. There are some voracious readers in this group.

#252: I certainly do not consider you a reading slacker, VG! I am envious of the quality of the books that you read, let alone the subject matter.

I am glad that you are reading at a pace you are comfortable with. Isn't that the best way?

Stasia--

You're "killing me!" Okay, Eaves of Heaven and Cellist of Sarajevo go straight to the TBR pile. At least Eaves is a memoir, so I have a category for it! Next time, I doing a category with "music" in the title--I keep seeing all these great books that would fit there! I'm making a note of Mariana because that one also sounds like it would an enjoyable read--maybe when I finally get to WWII?

BTW Thanks for kind words about my review (she says smiling and blushing).

#252 VG

You're doing just fine--although you may find you will read more than you think you will this year if you keep reading the threads of the "voracious readers!" The only danger they represent is that they keep finding these terrific books that the rest of us feel compelled to go out and find and read for ourselves.

Until I started reading these threads last summer I would average about 35 to 40 books a year. Last year I read 110--which for me was phenomenal! It gave me the courage to try the 999 challenge this year which I'm having a good time with.

I'm off to look for your thread and see what you've been reading! :-)

You are just cooking through books this year! Great job!

Now, I'm back to my own reading. *picks up her nineteenth book this year*

I really enjoy the Donna Leon books for a spot of light reading, they are about the only crime fiction I read. Strike that, they ARE the only crime fiction I read. The quality varies from book to book but I generally know that I am not going to dislike any of them...........however, I might be slightly disappointed from time to time.

>251 alcottacre: Stasia, Cellist of Sarajevo sounds excellent.

> 254 Carolyn, another Music book I recommend is Music Lovers, a biography of Tschaikowsky. (Will fix the touchstone when it is working!) No touchstone for this book. The author is Catherine d. Bowen.

~ TT

#254: Carolyn, if you end up getting Cellist, you will probably have to do as I did and order it through The Book Depository in England. It is not out in the States yet. It is on LT as an ER book, but the chances of getting it that way are probably not very good.

And the kind words about your review were well-deserved :)

#257: TT, I would like to see your review on it if you have a chance to read it. You write very thorough, enjoyable reviews.

Stasia, another great week of reading. Good for you.

I have previously read No One You Know by Michelle Richmond and like you thought that it was good but not great.

I have added Cellist of Sarajevo to the ever increasing pile of books to be read.

Looking forward to see what you read next.

#260: Thanks, Diane and thanks for stopping by! I think it will take a truly stellar week to top last week's reads, though.

So glad you had such a satisfying week of reads! Here's hoping another follows :)

#262: Thanks Susan!

If anyone is dying for The Cellist of Sarajevo, it has been out in Canada for a while now, and I can buy it for about $11 Canadian, which is about $9 American. Let me know if someone would like a copy shipped!

Huh - that's strange. I pre-ordered The Cellist of Sarajevo through Amazon last year and got it. (Still haven't read it yet.) I wonder what's up with that.

Cellist of Sarajevo author Galloway lives in Vancouver, and it was long-listed for the Giller Prize here. (The person who won the Giller was Joseph Boyden for Black Spruce which I read and did not care for much. )

I couldn't believe that it was knocked out from the short-list (even though I have not read it yet).

It should be easy to find on Abebooks or Indigo Books (Canada version of Amazon).

Great reading list, Stasia. Unless you are a speed reader, you must read 4-6 hours per day - I bet your TV does not get much use!!!

#266: Karen, if it was left up to me, my television would get no use. Actually, if it was just me, I probably would not have a TV at all. And no, I am not a speed reader - I am generally up all night reading and taking care of things I do not have time to do during the day.

Stasia
I can truly relate. One of my few frustrations with my husband is that he watches lots and lots of TV. Like you, I could easily eliminate the squak box from my life (the tv...not Will.)

I checked your thread earlier but had low energy, so didn't post.
Now, I can tell you that I've added books #119, 120, 121, 122, 125 and 128! Yikes six more on the tbr pile. These all look so great!

#268

"(the tv...not Will.)"

Linda,, I'm so glad you clarified that! I might have been worried! :-D

I'm spending a lot of time these days trying to think of things my husband can do when he retires this summer so the TV isn't on all the time! Last night we had a good time finishing up the audio book we had been listening to on our ride back down to the valley yesterday. That's giving me some ideas.

Carolyn
Funny you should mention retirement...
I'm not retired, but Will is.
I know when I retire I will NOT be watching hours of TV, even if it is checking the stock market reports like he does.

Woo! Stasia, My Fitness Trainer is way harder than Wii Fit, at least at the beginner level!

I don't know what I'd do without TV. What would I read in front of while everyone else is watching it?

#271: Then I definitely do not need it. I am still at the 'I am barely moving from the couch' physical fitness level, Roni :)

Stasia.
I believe you will be the first official member of the four thread gang.
By December 2009, you will be the reigning Queen of the hostess with the mostest. You will receive a crown and a BIG, but muffled thanks, from those of us who are now buried under our tbr piles after adding hundreds of your suggestions.

>273 alcottacre: I'm at the same point, Stasia. I bought the other program this weekend and tried it last night. It pushed me at quite a fast pace, and I had trouble keeping up, but it says it will adjust for that next time. Wii Fit lets you go at much more your own pace, but probably My Fitness Coach will be better for the aerobics in the long run.

#274: Cute, very cute . . .

#275: I feel like anything I do at this point is better than what I am doing now, which is nothing. I just have to find something I can do consistently that is not going to kill my very bad leg joints.

Stasia - I read your thoughts on The Art of Racing in the Rain, I probably won't pick this book up now though it sure does have a cute cover. Last year I read Matt Haig's The Last Family in England which is narrated by the family's dog, it was a bit of a black comedy if I remember correctly. It does change the perspective somewhat when a pet tells the story.
I'm definitely pushing Tigana higher up my tbr list. I'll also be reading Donna Leon once I get through Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbani books.

272, That's so true!

#278: I am not saying the book is not good - I just think it could have been better with a little less 'soap opera' feel to some of the plotlines, but that's just me.

Happy belated birthday!!!! I hope you had a wonderful time.

I am surprised to hear that Cellist of Saravejo is not readily available in the US. Last year I walked into Barnes and Noble and picked up a copy.

#281: Thanks Trish. I did have a very enjoyable birthday.

Maybe they just did not want to stock Cellist close to me here in Texas, but I thwarted their plans and found it anyway! (Evil laugh inserted here)

Just chiming in to say I got the Cellist of Sarajevo from my local library last winter - put in a request and it was filled very quickly.

It is a big city library and often popular or newer items take a loooong time to become available, but I know it has been obtainable there for a while. Perhaps the publishers underestimated its appeal and it is between printings??? I know from my bookstore days that sometimes happens.

>251 alcottacre:: great to hear the endorsement of The Cellist of Sarajevo as it's on my list!

I really like Lorrie Moore. She has a novel out this year as well, which I'm really looking forward to.

#284: I was trying to find Moore's novel, which my local library did not have, when I came across her book of short stories, so I decided to try them. I am glad that I did, because they were very good.

I hope you can find Cellist, Rachael. It really is a terrific book.

Thanks for dropping by!

This week's reads:

129. 1066 and All That by Sellar & Yeatman - this was a very funny book - a parody of English history; highly recommended

130. The Book of Flying by Keith Miller - I really liked the prose in this book, just some beautiful passages in this quest tale of a poet trying to attain wings to win the woman of his dreams; highly recommended

131. Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix - juvenile; this is the second book in the 'Shadow Children series, but I did not care for it as much as the first, it is still a good read, though; recommended

132. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner - young adult; I read the first two books in the Attolia series last year and recommend them; this was a fitting conclusion to the series and very good; highly recommended

133. The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood - nonfiction; interesting book on why some people survive disasters and others do not; recommended

134a. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - juvenile; I did not find this book to be as well written as The Giver, but I still thought this Newbery winner was a good read; recommended

134b. Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine - juvenile nonfiction; I read this in conjunction with Number the Stars since they both dealt with the Holocaust, although this book was nonfiction; this book was about the efforts of one Japanese woman to track down information about the owner of a suitcase from a Jewish girl in Auschwitz; highly recommended

135. No Better Place to Die by Peter Cozzens - nonfiction; this is the first book in Cozzens' Civil War trilogy, each dealing with one of the battles of the war; this particular book dealt with the Battle of Stones River; I found it to be well-written, although it does drag in spots and it definitely needs more maps, especially toward the end of the battle; recommended

136. Kate's Klassics by Kate Camp - I bought this book after seeing kiwidoc's recommendation and I really enjoyed Kate's takes on classic literature (even if I still disagree about Wuthering Heights); recommended

137. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley - this is the first book of McKinley's that I have read and it definitely will not be the last; I thought the entire book very good and really enjoyed the sly humor throughout; recommended

138. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell - nonfiction; a huge 'Thank You' to Tad for the recommendation last year of this one; it was laugh-out-loud funny in many places and I had a good time with it; there are parts that drag, but all in all the book was a hoot; highly recommended

139. The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard - thanks to lunacat for the recommendation on this one; this is 1960's science fiction and I enjoyed this end-of-the-world scenario book a lot; recommended

OK, not as good a week as last week, but then again, I really did not expect a repeat.

Sorry it wasn't a better week for you.

Just thought I'd mention that BBC Radio 7 broadcast a reading of The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard (read by Robert Glenister) in four 30-minute episodes, between March 1st and March 23rd. The last episode is still available (8 hours remaining) at this time. I listened to these, but haven't counted it as a book read - now I think about it I honestly don't know why! Good book though!

#187: Peter, it was not a bad reading week for me, just not as good as the previous week, which was an excellent reading week.

I hope you continue to enjoy The Drowned World. The only book of Ballard's that I had read previous to this one was Empire of the Sun, which is in a totally different vein.

So glad you enjoyed The Blue Sword, one of my favorites.

Roni, I have The Hero and the Crown home from the library now and will be reading it within the next few weeks I am sure. Any others of McKinley's that you especially recommend?

General Announcement to the assembled Stasia-threadies:

We should now refer to Stasia as "Lucy," because she pulled a fast one on me just like Lucy used to do to Charlie Brown with that dratted football. Promised not to read more books I'd like, so I would come back and annoy Roni and Rachael and Linda and Ellie and company...and then posts a review of My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, a member of one of the most gifted writerly families ever.

*miff*

Stasia
I confess that I anxiously await your weekly list of books. I read the list much like I read the Sunday paper, leisurely and attentively.

You are dangerous to my tbr pile, but alas, I love it! Some of your reads I already have on my tbr pile, but the new ones I'm adding are #129, #136, #138 and #139. I'm particularly interested in My Family and Other Animals and will hope to move this up toward the top...after I plod through the many, many library books I have accumulated these last few weeks.

Thanks, as always.

I just realized you have 290 messages on thread three. I'm not surprised. There are such stimulating conversations happening here!

I'm glad you enjoyed Hana's Suitcase! I have both Number the Stars and The Giver home from the library this week - I hope I enjoy them as much as you did!

Glad you liked 1066 and all that - it is really a classic and now I am inspired to re-read it.

Hana's Suitcase is such a wrench!! I think the photos really add impact.

I must go back and revisit Gerald Durrell. Thanks for the weekly report, which I wait for like Whisper each week!!!

#286 I read The Book of Flying in February and while I agree the prose is excellent, I just could not really enjoy the book and didn't care anything for the characters. I think I just didn't get it. I'm glad your read it to, Stasia. I enjoy hearing other opinions of the books that I just don't seem to get. It seemed like I SHOULD like it, but I just didn't.

Glad you enjoyed The Blue Sword. The Hero and the Crown is very good as well.

1066 and All That sounds very interesting. Would you recommend it for someone who is not well-versed in English History?

I'm so glad you enjoyed The Blue Sword, I think it is a contender for my favourite book. The Hero and the Crown is also very good but The Blue Sword just edges it for me.

Also glad you liked The Drowned World. Sounds like you enjoyed it more than me. I found it a little dense, but maybe I'm showing that I am not used to 'older' writing like that.

There was a great movie made from My Family and Other Animals. I did not get to read the book until sometime after seeing the movie and it was fun.

Just signed out 1066 and All That and expect it will be funny.

>286 alcottacre:: Glad you liked it. There is a sequel of sorts, Birds, Beasts and Relatives that is good, though not quite as good.

Also, last year I read Prospero's Cell by Gerald's brother, Lawrence (Larry in the book you just read) and loved it! It is also a memoir of the family's stay in Corfu, but a very different kettle of fish. Here were my comments.

#291: Richard, I tried very hard not to read anything you would like. How was I to know you are so taken with the Durrells?

#292: Linda, please wait until you are completely healed before you try My Family and Other Animals. I think you will hurt yourself with the laughing otherwise. I am glad you enjoy my weekly report and I hope you continue to do so! It is kind of fun for me to come back and see everyone's comments, too, so I probably enjoy it as much as everyone else.

#293: Cait, The Giver is probably the best book of Lowry's I have read. Number the Stars won the Newbery, but I really think The Giver is a better book. It is the first book of a trilogy, but the other two books are nowhere close to it in quality IMO.

#294: Karen, I do hope you give 1066 and All That another go. I think it is one of those books that is highly re-readable, just for the laughs. I agree with you about Hana's Suitcase - the pictures of that beautiful little girl add to the emotional impact of the book. I am glad you enjoying checking in each week, too.

#295: Lorie, if you want to continue to know nothing about English history other than the 2 dates (there were 4, but they cut two out being deemed as unimportant) the authors think important, read 1066 and All That. The book is humor really, not history, so no knowledge of English history is required. As far as The Book of Flying goes, it sounds as if I did enjoy it more than you did, but as I always say - Not every book is for every body.

#296: The only other book of Ballard's that I had read prior to The Drowned World, lunacat, was Empire of the Sun and it is completely different. I do not mind the 'old' style science fiction at all, having grown up with the classics such as H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.

#297: Horus, I rarely think movies live up to the books, but I may have to look for the movie version of My Family and Other Animals. I bet it is a hoot! I hope you enjoy 1066.

#298: Tad, again my thanks for the recommendation. I did look to see if my local library had Birds, Beasts, and Relatives and Prospero's Cell, but they do not have either, unfortunately, so I will have to look elsewhere.

Stasia, the two Damar books are my very favorite McKinleys. That said, reading her two different retellings of Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and Rose Daughter, written at very different times of her life with different emphases, is well worth the effort. Both are beautifully done, and people argue vehemently about which is their favorite. McKinley's most powerful work is Deerskin, which is the retelling of a very dark fairy tale, with much pain and tragedy in it--not for everyone. I really enjoyed her vampire tale, Sunshine--quite different from the run-of-the-mill vampire books. And her latest, Chalice, is beautifully written. But the two you are reading are my very favorites.

#302: Thanks for the input, Roni! I will see which of the ones you have mentioned my local library has. I think I actually bought Chalice. Hmm, have to check on that . . .

. . . Yep, I did buy it. Now all I have to do is locate it and that will have to wait until I am actually home!

I am not here.

#304: Well thank you for making a completely unobserved appearance :)

Polonius tried that in Hamlet, Richard, and look what happened to him. Best to step out openly and admit that you are avidly reading the weekly wrap-up along with the rest of us, the Durrells notwithstanding. Only your best interest at heart, of course.

>304 richardderus: Rich, I've often wondered if you were all there, now I know you not all here, either!

~ TT

Stasia, have you (or anyone else) read anything by Elizabeth Goudge? For example, Green Dolphin Country?

Looking for recommendations.

~ TT

>305 alcottacre:, I shall not speak.

>306 tiffin: tiffin, Polonius! I shall avoid that fate like it was plated in polonium! *winces at own bad pun*

>307 TheTortoise: Milord, here? I'm not even there, though I do seem to be everywhere....

>309 richardderus:, Everywhere? Now that is spooky!

~ TT

I'm a big Elizabeth Goudge fan, but Green Dolphin Street is not one of my favorites. The Dean's Watch, the Eliots of Damrosehay series, the City of Bells series, The Rosemary Tree, Island Magic, and her children's books Linnets and Valerians and The Little White Horse are my favorites. I tend not to like her historicals, of which Green Dolphin Street is one, as much.

>311 ronincats: Thanks ronincats, which one of those would you recommend first?

~ TT

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, but The Dean's Watch is probably my favorite overall. If you don't like it, you probably won't care for her books in general.

>313 ronincats:, OK Ronincats, I have reserved The Dean's Watch at my local library. thanks. It is classifed as historical, which is hysterical, considering you don't like her historicals!

~ TT

Well, it is, but it isn't. Her other historicals are based on specific historical events, while this one is simply set in a historical setting, if you know what I mean. With her, it is the character studies that are so meaningful, but her settings in England's cathedral cities are delightful.

I read 4 Elizabeth Goudge books late last year. I didn't like Green Dolphin Street either.

The Heart of the Family is a later Eliots book and I loved it. I was reading it the week my father died and it really spoke to me.

Gentian Hill - I wasn't thrilled with this one. She has some great imagery, but it seemed a bit on the wordy side to me when I read it.

Castle on the Hill was another great book. I enjoyed the story and the characters.

I'm stalled in the Durrell book but I'm sure it will get done soon -- glad you enjoyed it. I didn't get to the LOL parts but I was smiling a lot.

Stasia, I've been doing some deep thinking about that Continent TBR of yours, involving orders of magnitude and painting oneself into a corner. If you jump straight to Universe TBR, what do you do for the next order of magnitude? Because you KNOW it's going to get bigger.

My suggested scale:
pile, mountain, continent, planet, solar system, galaxy, universe

This gives you room to expand exponentially. Of course, others might have some differing gradients to suggest--I'm not suggesting that this is the only possible one.

Whaddaya think?

( I think it's a good thing April starts the day after tomorrow--time for a new thread!)

#318 - May I suggest that after "universe", the next order of magnitude be "fourth dimension" or "parallel universe" ;)

#308 TT: I am glad Roni could answer your question on that one because I have never read anything by the lady!

#311: Roni, thanks for helping out TT.

#317: Susan, humor is so subjective I hesitate to recommend humor books. If you are not laughing out loud yet, then you probably are not going to get as much enjoyment out of it as I did.

#318: I appreciate your putting so much thought into this problem, Roni. I was just going to skip to Universe TBR and have done with it, but I can see your point. I will take it under advisement. Yes, I know I need to start a new thread (again). I plan on getting one up and running tomorrow night some time.

#319: Good suggestions, Peter. I really hope I do not end up having to put my TBR list in another dimension, though.

>319 petermc:, 320...I think the next order of magnitude is "Singularity TBR" and, as fast as Lucy...I mean Stasia!...reads, we could be looking at the first literary singularity ever recorded! As fast as words are emitted, they are drawn in to the inescapable event horizon of Singularity TBR.

And all because the lady can't sleep.

My new thread for April can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/61444

See you on the flip side, I hope! (even you, Richard)

Singularity is perfect, Richard! And then she can go Post-Singularity!