Lorie's 2009 Book Reads, Part 2

Starting a new thread since the old one was getting kind of long. Here's the link to my first thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/52017







List of Books read in 2009:

January:

1. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick, 4 Stars
2. The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough, 3 1/2
Stars
3. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, 4 1/2 Stars
4. The Wild Wood by Charles De Lint, 5 Stars
5. The Magician's Book by Laura Miller, 3 Stars
6. I am Legend by Richard Matheson, 4 Stars
7. The Coffee Trader by David Liss, 3 1/2 Stars
8. Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen, 5 Stars
9. Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman, 4 Stars
10. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, 3 1/2 Stars
11. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper, 3 1/2 Stars

Total Pages in January: 3156

January Favorite: Whistling in the Dark

February:

12. The Book Of Flying by Keith Miller, 2 1/2 Stars
13. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, 3 1/2 Stars
14. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, 4 Stars
15. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper, 3 Stars
16. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, 5 Stars
17. Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury, 3 Stars
18. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, 5 Stars
19. The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed, 4 Stars
20. World War Z by Max Brooks, 4 Stars
21. Down the Common by Ann Baer, 4 Stars

Total Pages in February: 3048

February Favorite: The Graveyard Book

March:

22. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, 5 Stars
23. The Grey King by Susan Cooper, 4 Stars
24. Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper, 3 Stars
25. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles Shields, 3 1/2 Stars
26. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters, 3 1/2 Stars
27. Graceling by Kristin Cashore, 4 Stars
28. The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan, 3 1/2 Stars
29. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym, 4 Stars
30. Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn, 3 Stars
31. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, 3 1/2 Stars
32. The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney, 4 Stars
33. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, 5 Stars

Total Pages in March: 3894

March Favorites:
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

April:

34. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 5 Stars
35. Sunshine by Robin McKinley, 3 Stars
36. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, 4 Stars
37. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, 3 1/2 Stars
38. The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney, 3 Stars
39. The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin, 4 Stars
40. The Last Apprentice: The Night of the Soul Stealer by Joeseph Delaney, 3 1/2 Stars
41. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith, 4 Stars

April Favorite: The Hunger Games

May:

42. Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, 3 1/2 Stars
43. Sixpence House by Paul Collins, 3 1/2
44. A Woman's Worth by Marianne Williamson, 4 Stars
45. A Fine Brush on Ivory: An Appreciation of Jane Austen by Richard Jenkyns 3 1/2 Stars
46. Little Bee by Chris Cleave, 4 1/2 Stars
47. Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies, 3 1/2 Stars
48. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach, 4 Stars
49. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton, 3 1/2 Stars
50. Property by Valerie Martin, 3 1/2 Stars
51. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, 3 Stars
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, 4 1/2 Stars
53. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, 4 1/2 Stars
54. The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris, 4 Stars
55. Columbine by Dave Cullen, 4 Stars

May Favorite: The Forgotten Garden

June:

56. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown 5 Stars
57. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, 3 1/2 Stars
58. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer, 3 Stars
59. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, 5 Stars
60. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, 3 Stars
61. The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater, 4 Stars
62. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney, 2 1/2 Stars
63. The Gunslinger by Stphen King, 2 1/2 Stars
64. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys, 4 Stars

June Favorites:

The Indifferent Stars Above
Earth Abides

Just posting so I don't lose you!

same here! :)

Another member added to the multi-thread gang!

welcome to the multi-thread group.

I've starred your new thread.

Hi lorie

Thanks for leaving a link!

I enjoyed your recap in the first message! Of the 33 books you've read so far this year I have read 16 of them and 4 more are on my "to read this year" pile. I always enjoy your comments on your books.

#'s 2, 3, 4, 5 Thanks for stopping by. I enjoy visitors!

#6 I'm not surprised that you've read or will read most of the books I've read so far this year, Carolyn. Every time I add a book and then go to the book's detail page where it tells you other members that have the same book (either from my Private Watch List or my Top 50 Similar Libraries) your name is usually there! The other name that is there as often is Linda's (Whisper1). We obviously have some very similar reading tastes. I always enjoy your comments as well, and when I visit your thread and read one of your reviews of a book that I have not read, I really pay attention, and often add it to the TBR pile because I can be sure I will enjoy it!

Just a note to say I'm here too!

Lorie
It is true that you, Carolyn and I share similar tastes. I check your threads daily and I discover you either have read what I did, or I add your recommendations to my ever growing pile.

I imagine that sooner or later many members of the 75 challenge group will have similar libraries since we are always adding each others recommendations to our tbr lists.

I like your list of books read thus far and the ratings given.

#8 *waves enthusiastically at Roni*

#9 I think you're right Linda, 75 challenge group members will probably have libraries that become more similar as the year progresses. I've been a part of LT for about 9 months, and I have no idea now how I use to choose books without all the recommendations that I can choose from now. I know I'm reading better and more interesting books than I ever have before (not to mention a much larger quantity!).

lorie

"I'm reading better and more interesting books than I ever have before (not to mention a much larger quantity!)."

I totally agree. I'm also getting much pickier about what I'll spend my time on. And I'm reading many things I would never have thought to read without the recommendations--my horizons are widening. Even better, when you get a chance to compare ideas about a book with others the book gains yet another dimension. I always loved school--this is better because we can choose what we will read and talk about!

#11
Exactly Carolyn! And my definition of a "good" book has changed. I may be 52 years old, but I feel like my reading tastes are just beginning to mature! The joy of LT!

--> 11

I'm also getting much pickier about what I'll spend my time on.

Yeah. I find myself lots of time tossing aside novels that I think are just "Meh." There are just too many good books just waiting to be read.

And I'm reading many things I would never have thought to read without the recommendations

When many people all talk about how great a particular novel is, I want to at least take a peek at it to see what everyone's talking about. I never look at bestseller lists because I don't like the same author's names coming up over and over. What particularly excites me are new authors' names - and even more so if they are LT authors or authors whose books have been part of LT's ER program.

Even better, when you get a chance to compare ideas about a book with others the book gains yet another dimension.

One of the reasons I love LT so much is just what you express. I find traditional book clubs too difficult because it always seems that I want to read something different from what others are reading. I particularly love the Reading Globally group here at LT because the only thing that is chosen is the theme. Then every person reads what he or she wants to, and yet we can all discuss our own choice of book.

ETA: I added the link to the Reading Globally group.

Speaking of "tossing aside novels that are just 'meh' ", I'm putting To Say Nothing of the Dog aside for now (172 pages into it). It's just not grabbing me, so I've started The Hunger Games and I'm afraid I may be up most of the night reading because it has sucked me in!

Thanks for your insightful comments SqueakyChu. I think I will go lurk on the Reading Globally group.

#14: I hope you love The Hunger Games! I know I sure did when I read it, and I already have the second book pre-ordered through Amazon.

#14

Suprised to see you weren't captured by To Say Nothing of the Dog, I absolutely enjoyed it. Have you read Three Men in a Boat? I think thats essential for the enjoyment of TSNotD.

The Hunger Games sounds very good though, wish I didn't have a ban on acquistions at the moment!!!

--> 14

I'm afraid I may be up most of the night reading because it has sucked me in!

Oooh, fun! A book so good it keeps you up at night reading it... :)

#16 I read Three Men in a Boat last weekend and enjoyed it, and I will be finishing To Say Nothing of the Dog sometime, I just wasn't in the mood for it last night. I often have several books going at the same time and right now I've got 5 books that I need to finish.

#17 Yes, didn't get to bed until almost 4 am and then was awakened at 6.

My daughter is pregnant and her water broke. Unfortunately its nine weeks too early. She's in the hospital and they are trying to delay delivery for at least 48 more hours as they have given her medicine to accelerate the baby's lung development. This will be her second pre-mature delivery, my older grandson was born 12 weeks early and has mild cerebral palsy as a result. We are very worried and just a bit depressed. It comforting though, to share my worries with my friends here on the 75 Book Challenge. Maybe you all can put some positive energy out there for my little unborn grandson.

You KNOW we all will, Lorie. You can count on it.

Of course we'll have positive thoughts.

If its any help, 9 weeks isn't nearly as bad now as it used to be, and with advances in medicine I think you have a right to hope for the best. And there is a BIG difference in the development from 28 weeks to 31 weeks.

((((hugs))))) and positive thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Your daughter and her baby will definitely be in my thoughts.

Oh, Lorie - I'm sending all of my positive energies to you, your daughter, and her baby.

Lorie

Prayers and hugs to you and your family. Please keep us posted.

Thank you all for your good wishes. I feel much more optimistic now that I've had a long nap! My daughter is still hanging in there and the baby is staying in place for now. Yes, 31 weeks is much better than 28 weeks, and this baby will not be as fragile as my older grandson was when he was born. Plus this new baby is huge (98 percentile!) and that's got to be a good thing.

BOOK 34 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
374 Pages

I did manage to finish The Hunger Games this afternoon and what a good read it was! There have been so many excellent reviews of it that I don't really have much to add. One teeny thing bothered me about it: it's written in the first person present tense, and I find it a little awkward because it sounds like the main character is writing about her life as it's happening. But I did get used to it after awhile because the story is so absorbing. I can't wait for the next one in the series. Highly recommended.

5 Stars

I've decided not to go to the trouble of adding book covers to this new thread, at least for now.

I've started Sunshine by Robin McKinley. So far so good. It's very different than the other books I've read by this author.

#25: Add my thoughts and prayers to the rest, Lorie!

Glad that you enjoyed The Hunger Games. The next book in the series, Catching Fire, comes out 9/1/09.

I don't know how to do bold and italics and don't want to take the time to learn right now, so I've ** the books I've read from this list.

The BBC apparently believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here:

How do your reading habits stack up? bold those books you've read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish

**1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
**2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
**3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
**4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
**5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
**6 The Bible
**7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
**8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
**9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
**10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
**11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
**13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - read some, but not others...
**15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
**16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
**18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
**19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
**21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
**22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
**25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
**30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
**33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
**34 Emma - Jane Austen
**35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
**36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
**39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
**41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
**42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
**44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
**46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy.
**48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
**49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
**52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
**54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth.
**56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
**58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
**61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
**64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
**68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
**70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
**71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
**72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
**73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
**77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
**80 Possession - AS Byatt.
**81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
**83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
**85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
**87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton-partial
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
**92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
**94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
**95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
**99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

So I've read 52 out 100. Need to read more.

Lorie

I hope all is well with your daughter today and that you all had rest last night.

Regarding how to bold and italicize, TadAd graciously posted instructions here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/52135

Linda,

No new news regarding Robin's pregnancy. They continue to give her medicine to encourage the baby's lung development and it's just a waiting game at this point. She will remain in the hospital until the baby is born and her labor could begin at any time. Thanks for your good wishes!

Thanks for the link (and the one you sent to my profile page). I just have not had an opportunity to really take a look or experiment yet.

Lorie, re your stats thread, there's just been a piece of research in the papers in the UK about reading and social class - how books are becoming a real class thing. Of course I can't find it now... but it was a similarly shocking stat on how many people had never been into a bookstore, plus some qualitative stuff on what they thought about people who did read.

My mum was also telling me last week about someone she knows vaguely through her choir who said to her proudly, "Oh, I love to read! Sometimes in the summer I'll read two WHOLE BOOKS!".

Thinking of your daughter too - glad they have managed to slow things down for now, hope that is a sign of good news.

My mum was also telling me last week about someone she knows vaguely through her choir who said to her proudly, "Oh, I love to read! Sometimes in the summer I'll read two WHOLE BOOKS!".

LOL I've run into this kind of statement from people before as well. And actually, compared to the average, reading two books in one summer IS a lot. We here on LT are just obsessive/compulsive! :)

Linda--Look...italics! But, darn, I can't seem to turn them off!!! Going back to the link to figure it out...ok got it!

BOOK 35 Sunshine by Robin McKinley
405 Pages

It's been several years since the Voodoo Wars, so when Sunshine needs to get a few quiet hours away from her work and family, she feels perfectly safe driving out to the cabin by the lake for the evening, never suspecting that vampires are about to change her life for ever.

This is not your typical vampire book. It's nothing like the wildly popular Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, and it's very different from other books I've read by Robin McKinley. Sunshine, the main character, reminds me just a little bit of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plummer, but, although there is a certain amount of sarcastic humor, this is not a funny book. I really don't have a lot to say about it. It's well written, the characters are well developed, and I liked the story well enough, but I didn't love it. Maybe the vampire genre is getting a little tired out, at least for me.

3 Stars

BABY UPDATE:

Jaxon Taylor Logan was born at about 11 am this morning, weighing 4 lbs 4 oz, 17 inches long and 8 weeks early. He's breathing on his own, so we are hopeful that all is well. I watched him being born, and what a powerful experience that was! He's very tiny, but perfect! My daughter, Robin, is doing fine as well, if a little stressed and very tired.

Thank you all for your good wishes. I will post some pictures when I get a chance.

Congratulations, Lorie!!!!!! Jaxon? What a weird but beautiful spelling!

Congratulations! And Welcome to Jaxon! We'll be keeping all of you in our prayers.

Congratulations! You are right in saying that watching a grand child's birth is powerful. I was with my daughter during her delivery and watched baby Kayla's entrance into the world. That was six years ago and the memories of the beauty of it all still linger.

I am happy for you and glad that all is well. He weighs less than a bag of sugar. Isn't life precious!!!!!!

#36 I have to ask, Linda...did you cry? ;) I bawled like a baby! I've never experienced a typical childbirth (I had a c-section) so it was especially awesome to me. I really thought the doctor was going to drop him because he came out like a cannon, he was practically airborn. Seriously. I think it was because he was so tiny and didn't need quite such a powerful push! It kind of startled the doctor and she said "WHOA!" as she struggled to catch him.

Yes, I did cry. It was such a beautiful day. My daughter went to the hospital the day before the baby was born. A huge snow storm was predicted and when her contractions began in earnest, we slip slid through the snowy streets. Throughout the night I watched the snow swirl as we listened to the heart monitor recording the sound of the baby. It was a long labor and Kayla wasn't born until 11:00 a.m. the next day. There was 24 inches of snow on the ground and the roads were closed. I gladly was snow bound at the hospital.

Kayla did not slip out, the doctor had to use forceps.
My daughter was so exhausted that I she slept and I was lucky enough to gave the baby her first bottle.

I am very happy for you! This little boy will hold a special place in your heart!

Congratulations, Lorie, Robin, and Jaxon! I cannot wait for pictures, lol.

Congratulations!!! My sincerest and best wishes to you all, and Jaxon's health and happiness.

I am so happy for your family! Congratulations.

I have a theory that however a baby is born their personalities will mimick that later in life. My first daughter took forever to come out and now at 9 she's very laid back and never in a hurry. My 2nd, now 5, came out in two pushes and has never slowed down. So Lorie... watch out for baby Jaxon! If he started out airborn there's no telling what will happen next! Congrats!!

Wow, he's a reasonable size for 8 weeks. I was 3 lbs something and I was 6 weeks prem. I was thoroughly stubborn and lazy and refused to breathe at first. My apgar score at 1 min was NOT good lol. My theory is, I still had 6 weeks of not doing anything for myself, I didn't want to start early!

Congratulations to you and Robin and Jaxon

Congratulations! I'm so glad that everything is working out.

Well, I tried to post pictures of Jaxon and discovered I don't know how. I did manage to get one picture up on my profile page if anyone wants to take a peek.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, he's lovely. Reminds me of the pics of me when I was newborn, except I had a blue and white striped woolly hat on!

*melts into a big pile of mushy love*

How cute!

oh my...how precious he is! So fragile and so wonderfully made.

Congratulations!!

Lovely picture, Lorie. Congratulations again!

Congratulations! Baby is beautiful.

I am so jealous--I can't wait to be a grammaw.

#34 Jaxon has become a very popular name with this new spelling. Just before delivery one of the nurses said that she had assisted with four births that day, one girl and three boys named Jaxon! My daughter and her husband almost considered another name, but after several months of thinking of him as Jaxon, no other name seemed to fit.

#42 UH OH! I wonder what we are in for if your theory is true!

Thank you all again for your good wishes and for visiting my thread!

My reading has slowed down so far this month, and I'm having trouble getting into any of the books I'm trying to read. I've started but am not even near finishing: To Say Nothing of the Dog, Un Lun Dun, His Excellency: George Washington and A Distant Mirror. I think they are all good, (except His Excellency is kind of dry) but events have put me into a book funk, and I haven't been able to focus.

#53 lorie

"I haven't been able to focus."

Gee, I wonder why? You certainly don''t have anything else to think about, do you? LOL

Congratulations on a beautiful grandson.

However, I should warn you that #42 glassreader described perfectly the difference between the deliveries of my two children. Jaxon may be a handful--and he also may charm the socks off of you (my "handfull" did with both his grandmothers!) and life will never be boring! :-)

BOOK 36 To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
493 Pages

It took me awhile to get into To Say Nothing of the Dog, but once I did, I thorougly enjoyed it. It has everything a reader could want: humor, romance, mystery and time travel. It's entirely different from the only other novel I've read by this author, Doomsday Book , which makes me think that Connie Willis is a very clever and talented writer. The plot is fast-paced and multi-faceted. It's purposefully written in the same style as Three Men in a Boat, of which there are several references, and I would recommend reading it first as it will add to the pleasure of reading To Say Nothing of the Dog.

4 Stars

Great review, Lorie! I read Three Men in a Boat a couple of months ago in preparation for To Say Nothing of the Dog which I am saving to read over Memorial Day weekend when I will be able to immerse myself! :-) I have been a little worried that I might be disappointed because Doomsday Book was my fist book this year and it is now on my top ten favorite books list! You have reassured me--I will go into it with an open mind and I'm sure I will have a great time with it.

I hope you enjoy it Carolyn (and I think you will!). I'll be watching your thread for your thoughts.

I've spent two months struggling through His Excellency: George Washington and I've only gotton half way through it (and it's only a 275 page book!). I refuse to read any more. This is history written at it's most dry and boring. I did not like it at all, and feel that I've wasted my time in even partially reading it. A big thumbs down on this one, and I won't be reading any more by Joseph Ellis.

#56 MM

To Say Nothing of the Dog is very good. It is completely different from Doomsday Book but still brilliant in a different kind of way.

I'm late, but many congratulations to Robin, Lorie, and welcome to Jaxon! Thanks so much for sharing him with us.

Thanks FlossieT! I'm very pleased to say that Jaxon is doing very well and we look forward to the day when he can come home from the hospital.

Lorie, Jaxon is beautiful. What a little peanut. Congratulations to the whole family.
I also noticed on your profile that you were a Navy Brat. I was a Coast Guard Brat. Do you participate in any Military Brat organizations?
I'm glad you liked To Say Nothing of the Dog. Connie Willis is one of my favorite writers. Her short story collections are really good also.

#62 Jaxon is a little peanut, and he looks much smaller in person than the pictures.

I did not even know that there was such a thing as a Military Brat orgnanization. Tell me more.

I'll have to check out Connie Willis' short story collections. Thanks for the rec.

Lorie and Violet

I was also a US Coast Guard brat. Spent a lot of time on Navy bases! When I was growing up I always envied the friends I made that had lived in one place all their lives. Now, I realize what a wonderful opportunity it was to learn more about the world and other people and wouldn't trade that upbringing for any thing.

Carolyn--Another thing we have in common! Thanks for stopping by.

>63 loriephillips:: I did not even know that there was such a thing as a Military Brat orgnanization. Tell me more.

As an Army Brat, I periodically receive stuff mentioning organizations. I've never followed up on any of them, so can't tell you very much. I know there's the Military Brat Registry (Google says: http://www.militarybrat.com/) and Overseas Brats (http://www.overseasbrats.com/). For book lovers, there's also Brightwell Publishing, which publishes books on and about being a military brat. There are a few more, but the names escape me.

I think there is a bit of a resurgence in this area right now. So many of the current children are "Sudden Brats"...i.e., children who never really expected to have that kind of life and suddenly dad or mom is yanked up to military service from the Reserves. There are organizations springing up to help kids deal with this, particularly if the parent is killed or seriously injured. Hopefully they do good and don't just exploit...I have no knowledge.

I find the whole concept of "brat culture" interesting—defined by a parent's membership, but largely carried on by and having its impact on the children.

The Military Brat registry that Tad mentioned is, as far as I know, THE big organization. They can steer you to other more specific organizations for various bases/forts. Yahoo and Facebook have groups for numerous sites. My one sister and I have joined a few of the Governors Island Brats groups and she joined FortJay.com. About 10 years ago she became very gung-ho about finding people we grew up with on base. She and her husband live in the house he grew up in, all his friends are people he has known forever. She's kind of envious of that. For years we had annual large reunions of GI Brats. After awhile we found we didn't have so much to say any more and the reunions have become more spread out.

>66 TadAD: Tad - I also don't know anything about organizations for currents brats, spec. for children of injured/killed parents. The government response usually seems so inadequate considering what they ask of their military personnel.

>64 MusicMom41:- MM- My family usually was stationed in the same places over and over. We didn't get to see much. I did like the opportunities to start over though.

#66 and #67 Thanks for all the info. I had no idea. I will have to check out the links. I've been so busy this week I haven't even had a chance to read or catch up on threads!

I thought I'd give this a go:

Copy the questions into your own post and answer the questions.

1) What author do you own the most books by?
Victoria Holt. She was my favorite author when I was a teen and I still have her books.

2) What book do you own the most copies of?
The Bible

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
No.

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Can't think of a single one.

5) What book have you read the most times in your life (excluding picture books read to children; i.e., Goodnight Moon does not count)?
Lord of the Rings

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
The Wizard of Oz

7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
His Excellency: George Washington

8) What is the best book you've read in the past year?
The Book Thief

9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
To Kill a Mockingbird

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?
I have no idea.

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
That's a hard one. Maybe Diana Gabaldon's series? Movies are seldom, if ever, as good as the book, so it doesn't much matter to me.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
The Poisonwood Bible, it would be too depressing.

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I don't recall ever having a dream about these subjects.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Harelquin Romances **blush**

15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I've been working on it off and on for about six months!

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
Ummm...I've never seen one.

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
No Preference.

18) Roth or Updike?
I've never read either.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Dave Sedaris

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Not much of a choice since I've only read Milton!

21) Austen or Eliot?
Austen

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I haven't read Shakespeare.

23) What is your favorite novel?
To Kill a Mockingbird

24) Play?
I don't enjoy reading plays much.

25) Poem?
Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou.

26) Essay?
No favorite.

27) Short story?
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.

28) Work of nonfiction?
No favorite, too difficult to choose.

29) Who is your favorite writer?
I have many. I'd buy anything by Amy Tan without even reading the cover.

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, there's SO many to choose!

31) What is your desert island book?
I love to re-read my Victoria Holt books, and also I really enjoy Madeleine Brent (another author I enjoyed as a teen).

32) And... what are you reading right now?
The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Spook's Curse, and A Distant Mirror.

I had a good time browsing the used bookstore today and here's what I got:

Life in a Medieval Village by Frances Gies
Capote: A Biography by Gerald Clarke

Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman

Lorie
You and I share a love of To Kill a Mockingbird. In my opinion, there is no other book like it. Since reading it years ago, it remains my favorite.

I'll be interested in learning your impressions/thoughs of The Ice Queen. I liked this book very much. But, then again Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. I've yeat to find one of her books I didn't like.

I've read Capote: A Biography. Capote was such a talented and self destructive soul. I love the fact that the character of Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird was based on him as a childhood friend of Harper Lee. In his adult life, he turned on her as well as a host of others.

BOOK 37 The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
722 Pages

I read this book at the recommedation of several people on the 75 Books Challenge and it's definitely worth reading. There are several reviews of it and I can't add any more to what's already been said. It's a good read if a little longer than it needs to be. I look forward to the next in the series.

3 1/2 Stars

#71 Hi Linda,

Thanks for stopping by!

Have your read Mockingbird by Charles Shields? It's a biography of Harper Lee that also includes some info on her friendship with Capote. It's what made me interested in reading more about him.

I'm also a fan of Alice Hoffman. Practical Magic is one of my favorites by her.

edited for touchstones which aren't working for some reason.

I want your used bookshop! In particular I want a bookshop where I could find Life in a Medieval Village. And the 750 others on my wishlist of course, but this I really would like to get my sticky little paws on.

*very jealous right now*

Hi Lunacat,

I don't know if you know it or not, but there is a whole "Medieval" series by Frances and Joseph Gies:

Life in a Medieval City
Life in a Medieval Castle and
Life in Medieval Village

If I like the third one, I'll be looking for the first two.

I hope you get your "paws" on it soon!

Yup, I knew

I just haven't got ANY of them!

*goes off and sulks in a corner* after all, I only have 300+ tbr books that I own

BOOK 38 The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney
455 Pages

Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and there is something special about him. When he is almost thirteen years old he is apprenticed to Old Gregory, the Spook, whose job it is to keep the County safe from ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, witches, and other dark creatures.

This is the second book in the Last Apprentice series. Tom has been apprenticed to the Spook for six months when they encounter the Bane, the most evil and powerful creature of the dark that young Tom has yet faced.

I'm enjoying this series, but I liked the first book, Revenge of the Witch, better than this one which seems written in a much more simple and juvenile style. Still, I liked it well enough and plan to continue on to the next book in the series.

3 Stars

#73..
Hi Lorie

I have read Mockingbird and enjoyed it..

Here is one I recommend staying away from, in my opinion it was dull, boring and flat:

http://www.librarything.com/work/6288966/book/36366708

BUT, here is one I thought worthy of the read:

http://www.librarything.com/work/172879/book/33335196

I've put a new picture up of Jaxon on my profile page. He's gainnig weight and doing very well. The tube in his nose is a feeding tube as he is not yet strong enough to suck.

AAWWW Wook at his widdle nose and bright beautiful eyes!

#79: He is looking good!

Ohhhh, he is so precious! I'm so glad to hear that he's doing well!

Found you again... somehow lost you... hmmm. Well anyway it's nice to be back :)

#83 Thanks for stopping by. I don't often make comments on your thread, but I lurk often!

BOOK 39 The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
400 Pages

The year is 1171, and four children have been brutally murdered in the town of Cambridge, England, by a sadistic predator. Their deaths have been blamed on a small community of Jews whose lives are threatened by the angry, Jew-hating townspeople. The Jews are given refuge and protection by the King, Henry II. Adelia, a gifted doctor of the Medical School of Salerno, and two companions are sent to the aid of the King at his request. It is their job to discover the identity of the killer, using Adelia's expertise as the "mistress of the art of death". Adelia is the preeminent forensic expert of her era and must conceal her profession because of the superstitions and religious fervor of the times. Discovery could lead to her own death at the hands of the townspeople or the Catholic church who would consider her a witch.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is reminescent of Kathy Reichs Temperence Brennan series, only set in the middle ages, which makes it much more interesting in my opinion. It's fairly well researched and the medieval setting is authentic. The language, however, is contemporary. Franklin makes little effort to simulate the language or sentence structures of the middle ages, making the story unpretentious and easy for the reader to relate to. Recommended for those who enjoy mysteries and historical fiction. A warning, however: parts of the story are fairly bloody.

4 Stars

Great review, lorie. I have this book and can hardly wait to have time to read it. It's seems to be really popular and it is a series! I'm saving it for summer when I can savor it and not have to put it down!

Lorie
I like your description of Mistress of the Art of Death. Like Carolyn, I have the book but haven't read it as yet. I hope to do so shortly.

Little baby Jaxon looks so healthy. What beautiful eyes he has!

#86 and #87

I hope you both enjoy Mistress of the Art of Death, and I think you will! I'll be interested in learning what you think of it. I'm eager to read the next in the series.

Jaxon managed to get 5 milliliters from a bottle today. It's not much, but it's a beginning. As soon as he is able to be fed from the bottle and/or the breast, he will be able to get that tube out of his nose and go home. Probably in a couple of weeks. He's doing very well. He's a very pretty baby, but I suppose I'm biased! :)

no bias--a very pretty baby!

ditto what Carolyn said!

BOOK 40 The Last Apprentice: Night of the Soul Stealer
489 Pages

Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and when he is almost thirteen years old he is apprenticed to Old Gregory, the Spook, whose job it is to keep the County safe from ghasts, ghosts, boggarts, witches, and other dark creatures.

Night of the Soul Stealer is the third book in The Last Apprentice series where Tom faces Morgan, the Spook's former apprentice, who has turned his back on the light and embraced the dark. Morgan plots to summon Golgoth, an evil and powerful spirit worshipped in ancient times, whose powers can bring a never ending winter.

This series, so far, is moderately spooky. I would think they would be even scarier for the 8-12 year old targeted reader. There is religious undertone to the stories, especially in books two and three, and this religious aspect does not seem to be integral to the plot. It's a typical good against evil story line and Delaney seems to be suggesting that organized religion is somewhat on the fence and could fall on either side in the fight against the dark. I'm still enjoying the series, however, and will continue on to the next book.

3 1/2 Stars

You are reading through "The Dark is Rising". That is my favourite series of all time I think.

Some other interesting stuff there too.

I'm currently reading Child 44 and I'm really enjoying it, but I'm getting a little burned out on fiction. I've decided to dedicate the next month or so (after I finish Child 44) to reading some of the non-fiction books in my
TBR pile. I've chosen the following, in no particular order:

A Distant Mirror (already started, need to finish)
Wesley the Owl
Alex and Me
A Lion Called Christian
Reading Lolita in Tehran
A History of Reading
John Adams
A Fine Brush on Ivory: An Appreciation of Jane Austen
Life in a Medieval Village
The Gnostic Gospels
Sixpence House

and two re-reads:

A Woman's Worth
The Highly Sensitive Person

I'm eager to get started!

looking forward to our thoughts on Wesley the Owl - I've heard a lot of praise here on LT so it'll be interesting to see if "another one bites the dust" and falls for this book :)

#93: Some good reading coming up, Lorie. I cannot wait to see what you think of all of it!

the idea of abandoning fiction to read non-fiction gives me the shakes! LOL Truth! More power to you. (I sneak the non-fiction in in bite-sized pieces and read at least one a year :)

BOOK 41 Child 44
436 Pages

This story takes place in 1953 in the repressed society of the Soviet Union. The main character, Leo, is a member of the State Security Force, a police organization that specializes in terrorizing citizens in order to keep them following the party line. He finds himself arrested, interrogated and ultimately demoted and exiled, all because he refuses to denounce his wife as a spy. When Leo discovers that children are being murdered by a sadistic predator, he begins an un-authorized search for the killer. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union considers communism the equivalent to paradise and does not offically recognize the existence of crime. To suggest the existence of a psychotic serial killer is considered a crime against the State. Not only does Leo have to hunt down and eliminate a murderer, he has to do it while evading the State Security Forces of which he was once a member.

I hardly know what to say about this action-packed thriller. I know nothing of the Stalinist Russia of the the early 1950's, and the brutality depicted in this book was quite shocking. It has an absorbing plot but I thought Smith's writing style made the characters seem somewhat remote. He never uses quotation marks to designate dialogue; instead he uses italics to indicate what little dialogue the book contains, which really wasn't that much. But overall, even though Child 44 is not the type of book I normally read, I enjoyed it. Recommended for those who like suspenseful, fast-paced thrillers.

4 Stars

Recap of books read in April:

34. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 5 Stars
35. Sunshine by Robin McKinley, 3 Stars
36. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, 4 Stars
37. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, 3 1/2 Stars
38. The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney, 3 Stars
39. The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin, 4 Stars
40. The Last Apprentice: The Night of the Soul Stealer by Joeseph Delaney, 3 1/2 Stars
41. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith, 4 Stars

April Favorite: The Hunger Games

Looks like a good month with none under 3 stars and lots that I now want to read!

Lorie

I'm agreeing with Luna. It looks like a great month of reading for you. Here's hoping May will be the same. Though, I imagine when baby Jaxon is home from the hospital, lots of time will be spent with him...
There truly is nothing in the world like the feeling of holding a grandchild.

#98: Wow! What a great month you had!

#96 Hi Susan. I go on reading jags where I'll read basically nothing but fiction untill I go into a book funk, and then switch to non-fiction untill the same thing happens.

#s 99, 100, 101 I'm behind on the number of books I usually read in a month, but at least the ones I did read were pretty good!

BOOK 42 Alex and Me by Irene M. Pepperberg
226 Pages

The sub-title to this book is "How A Scientist and a Parrot Uncovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process." And that's pretty much what this short book is about. The author, Irene Pepperberg, is an associate research professor at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and she also teaches animal cognition at Harvard. For 30 years she trained and scientifically tested Alex, a highly intelligent African Grey parrot. This book only touches on the scientific aspect of her work. It's main focus is the bond that developed between Alex and herself.

I enjoyed this book very much. My one gripe is that the focus of the book was more about the bond between Pepperberg and Alex and less about what was learned by studying and testing Alex's cognitive abilities. Whatever we do learn about his abilities is told anecdotically instead of showing the reader the results of the extensive tests that were performed. The book was written more as a human interest endeavor than the process and progress of a scientific study. I would have liked to see both. So my complaint is: This 226 page book is not enough; I want more!

Pepperberg has an earlier work entitled The Alex Studies. I'm adding it to my TBR pile.

3 1/2 Stars

#103: I wonder how that one compares to Wesley the Owl. I must investigate!!

LOL I'll be investiagating that soon!

I plan on reading Alex & Me in the near future, followed by The Alex Studies... I want anecdotes AND hard facts! Fascinating stuff...

Lorie,
I have been so busy the last few weeks, this is the first chance that I've had to congratulate you on your new grandson. I know exactly how you feel since my first grandson was born in February (his name is Jackson) See what we have in common! At least you've gotten to hold yours, I haven't yet. The kids live in Louisiana and I won't see them until Memorial Weekend.

Enjoy these special times!

Cheli

Cheli
How right you are! These are special times. There is nothing to compare to holding your grandchild. It is as close to God as I've ever felt.

#107 Thanks for stopping by Cheli. I checked your profile page and Jackson has grown quite a bit since the last picture I saw! He's adorable. I'm sad for you that you have not yet had a chance to hold him. You must be counting the days to the Memorial Day weekend. I also checked out your blog and really enjoyed it.

#108 *Waves enthusiastically* I agree. Grandkids are truly amazing.

Jaxon is still in the hospital but is doing great. He is 3 weeks old and has gone from 4 lbs 4 ounces to 6 pounds. He will be able to come home as soon as he can get all of his norishment without it being supplemented by a feeding tube. When he nurses or takes a bottle, he gets exhausted and falls asleep before he's had all that he needs, but he's doing better every day, especially considering that his birthday should be June 6th instead of April 8th.

ETA: Jaxon is a very popular name these days, spelled in various ways. There were 3 other boys born on the same day as my grandson with the same name, with the spellings Jaxon, Jackson, and Jaxyn.

BOOK 43 Sixpence House by Paul Collins
242 Pages
Memoir

I'm feeling kind of lazy today so here's the description on the back of the book:

"Paul Collins and his family abandoned the hills of San Francisco to move to the Welsh countryside--to move, in fact, to the village of Hay-on-Wye, the "Town of Books" that boasts fifteen hundred inhapitants and forty bookstores. Inviting readers into a sanctuary for book lovers, Sixpence House is a heartfelt and often hilarious meditation on what books mean to us."

A fairly accurate description, except the bit about "a meditation on what books mean to us." The author is a collector of obscure antique books so the reader is not likely to recognize most books that he references. This book is more of a witty travelogue and a memoir of Collins experences in Wales. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the quirky towns folk, and the quaintness of an old Welsh town which has a castle at it's center. Witty and surprisingly insightful on occasion, I enjoyed it.

3 1/2 Stars

#110: I have that one on Continent TBR. I will have to get to it, because it sounds like I would like it quite a bit.

#110 - As someone who has visited Hay-on-Wye on a number of occasions, and loves both the town and Wales, Sixpence House certainly captures my attention. Will definitely keep an eye out for this one!

#111 and 112 I hope you enjoy it! Peter, I'm jealous that you've been to Hay-on-Wye. It sounds wonderful.

#113 I know what you mean. When I first found that book, I had to tell everyone that looked at me about a town that had 40 bookstores! Sad thing is everyone just looked at me like "and....". That's what's so awesome about LT, you all get it!!!

#114 I know exactly what that's like. I used to work at Barnes and Noble, and when aquantences asked me where I worked and I told them, they didn't know what it was. I'd have to tell them it was a bookstore and they would look at me like I was weird.

Oh my goodness!!! That's too much- they didn't know Barnes and Noble?!?! I think our schools need to start taking field trips to bookstores so people in this country know what a bookstore is. Just a thought.

I'm simply stopping by to say hello.

One of the groups in our high school takes the kids to the B&N in State College, PA. (where Penn State University is) http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/store/2826 It is a huge, wonderful store. The kids love it.

Carrie
I've been to that store. It is great!

#118 Sounds like my type of field trip!

#117 Hi Whisper! You are always a welcome visitor!

BOOK 44 A Woman's Worth by Marianne Williamson
141 Pages
Inspirational

I've purchased this book probably a half of a dozen times, but can never manage to keep a copy in my library because I give it away to my women friends. It's a book I read when I need to be reminded of my spiritual self, a book that up-lifts me and makes me glad I'm female. And at only 141 pages, it can be read in one sitting.

4 Stars

#121: That one looks like it is worth finding! Thanks for the recommendation.

I have to ask, is it a 'I am Woman, Hear my Roar' type book or is it truly an expression of female spirituality?

#124 It's surely not "I am Woman, Hear my Roar". In fact there is a chapter on "surrendering" to the feminine (including sexually!). Basically that being emotional and having feelings of tenderness are not signs of a woman's weakness, but actually what makes her strong and of value. There's a subtle message that feminism has taught women to be tough like a man in order to compete in the world, instead of embracing the compassionate and nurturing nature of women, attributes which are the basis of female power and much needed in the world today. My favorite idea of Williamson's is that all girls are princesses and all women are queens and deserve to be honored as such. There is also quite a bit of God and Goddess, prayer, affirmation, and meditation references. It's feminine spirituality, not feminine chest thumping and it's a little "New Age" which may put some people off.

ETA quotes:

"We are so lucky to be women, and those men are so lucky to know us. We are so full of miracles for all who come to us with pure and open hearts. We are so full of love for those who approach with tender souls. We are so full of beauty for those who believe it's there."

"Most men have no idea of the lengths to which a woman will go for love or the depths of our despair when we feel it cut off. This is not to say that men don't fly high or crash tragically. Of course they do. But their love doesn't fuel the world the way ours does."

"A woman is meant to hold the heart of the world within her hands. She must cater to it and minister to it and kiss it when it cries. We are meant to keep the home fires burning, the fires in our hearts. We are meant to prepare the food, the spiritual food of love and compassion. We are meant to care for the children, not just our own. but every child. When we do not recognize our cosmic function, our own hearts break, and so does the heart of the world."

"Women keep talking about human connections because we are coded to do so. We came into the world with the memory in our soul that this is our function here. It is not our weakness, our neurosis, or our addiction. It is our strength. And when we are denied the power of a valid voice, it is not only we but the whole world that suffers."

Oops, sorry for the VERY long post!

Thanks for the very long post.

The book sounds beautiful. I can't stand the 'roar' books. (So to speak) It will be nice to find a book about true female values.

>125 loriephillips: heh, you're right it does sound a bit "New Age" :)

Lol Eliza, I'm glad someone was agreeing with the 'new age' statement. I'm glad books like this can help people appreciate their worth but I don't think its for me. Whilst reading the (well written) review, I was forced to stifle a snort.

I guess I'm not emotionally or spiritually aware of myself!

I confess that I'm a New Age kind of person at times, but I'm weird like that! It must fulfill some need, especially during stressful or hurtfull times. And I can't agree that the review is well written, just me rambling on. :)

Enjoying the chatting you inspire :)

My first grandchild is due to arrive in 10 days. Guess what name is on the short list? Jaxon! I hope that made you smile, Lorie.

Congratulations, Carrie! And yes, that made me smile and my daughter too. Being a Grandma is wonderful, you're going to love it.

Good news: Jaxon came home from the hospital today. I think I will set aside my books for the evening so I can look at him while he sleeps. :o)

Thanks, Lorie!

You have to pat his little bum and smell him for me. Babies smell so good, well sometimes they do.

I'm glad little Jaxon is home. I imagine you are having a wonderful time holding him and simply looking at him. These are special, special days. Hold on to them -- they slip by ever so quickly.

And, congratulations to you Carrie! In ten days your life will change dramatically....

What great news! I'm so happy to hear your grandson's home. You are blessed.

I'm so glad to hear that Jaxon is coming home. What a great Mother's Day present for you and your daughter. Give him a kiss from me.

BOOK 45 A Fine Brush on Ivory: An Appreciation of Jane Austen, By Richard Jenkyns
198 Pages
Literary Criticism

Richard Jenkyns does a fine job analyzing the novels of Jane Austen. I enjoy literary criticism occasionally, but sometimes the analysis can be very drawn out, examining the most insignificant details, and then my interest wanes. This book, at 198 pages, was the perfect length and Jenkyns insights were coherent and thought provoking. I especially enjoyed his perspective on Mansfield Park which is not one of my favorites of Jane Austen. After reading his critique, I'm motivated to try it again sometime.

3 1/2 Stars

Your last book sounds very interesting, Lorie. I may have to give it a try!

Glad to hear baby Jaxon has made it home!!

Books that came into my house today (for a dollar each!).

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Perfume: The story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty
The Bookman's Wake by John Dunning

I loaned out my copy of Assassin's Apprentice and that gal gave it away to the library by mistake. And, she was broke and couldn't buy a replacement! I must have said 'don't worry about it', or she assumed it :)

Good haul!

Lorie,
I'm really glad that your Jaxson is doing so well that he could come home.
Do me a favor, and give your Jaxson a hug from Nonna Derry.
Hope your Mom's Day is sensational!
Cheli

BOOK 46 Little Bee by Chris Cleave
266 Pages

This is the tale of a Nigerian girl, Little Bee, and Sarah, an English woman, whose lives collide one fateful day on a beach in Nigeria. The story begins two years later in England, when Little Bee, who is in the country illegally, shows up on Sarah's doorstep. In alternating chapters, Little Bee and Sarah tell the tale of that day on the beach and it's life-changing aftermath.

This is a disturbing story narrated by two compelling points of view. Cleave does a fantastic job writing from the perspectives of two different women, giving them distinct and seperate personalities. I particurlary enjoyed Little Bee's lyrical and poetic voice; she is the more evocative of the two narrators. This is one of those books that sucks you in from the very beginning and it's almost impossible to put it down until you've read the last page. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended.

4 1/2 Stars

BOOK 47 Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies
207 Pages

This book is brimming with information of daily life in the 13th century medieval village of Elton in England. It's well researched and interesting if a little dry. I liked it enough and plan to read Life in a Medieval Castle, Life in a Medieval City, and Women in the Middle Ages by the same authors.

I read this book because Doomsday Book and Down the Common: A Year in the Life of a Medieval Woman, both works of fiction that take place in the middle ages, sparked my interest, and I wanted to know how historically accurate they are. After reading Life in a Medieval Village, I can say that both novels are authentic in their historical perspectives.

3 1/2 Stars

The Gies books look so interesting! Thx for the info and the notes on how the fiction compares.

I imagine you are having a wonderful time with that precious little guy!

I note that both you and Cariola read Little Bee recently. I've added it to my to be read list. I like your description

Having Jaxon out of the hopital has made it a particularly wonderful Mother's Day Weekend!

Susan-- How frustrating! I've also loaned books that have never been returned. I'm very careful who I loan books to now.

Linda, I hope you enjoy Little Bee as much as I did.

I added the following books to my library today:

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin
The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Nice! I have three of the four on my wishlist.

BOOK 48 Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
303 Pages

Bonk is a hoot! Mary Roach has written a book of science that is not at all dry and boring, and it's also not at all a serious or academic work (although there is plenty to learn from it). It is, however, full of interesting and surprising facts about the human sexual response and the history of the scientific study of it. I often fail to find humor in books that are meant to be humorous. I don't know why but it's hard to get me to laugh at a book, its much easier to make me cry, and it's not like I don't have a sense of humor. This book made me laugh out loud even before the first chapter: It's dedicated "To Woody" and begins, not with a "forward" but with "foreplay". It's a quick and easy read and very enjoyable. Recommended.

Roach has written two other books, Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. I'm adding both to my TBR pile.

4 Stars

My library has all three of these books in audio versions, so I put them on my list for "need a laugh time" and will download them when I can squeeze them in, they sound like Roach has a good sense of humor. Thanks for the recommendation.

#150 I think you will enjoy them. I'll be watching your thread for your thoughts.

I'm currently reading The Wednesday Sisters and enjoying it.

Two more books added to my library today:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (I can hardly wait to read it!)
Property by Valerie Martin

>149 loriephillips: Lorie, I met Mary Roach at a book signing a while back (when Bonk was being released), and she talks and acts just like she writes. I was ROFL before the evening was over. I own & have read all of her books, and I highly recommend Stiff and recommend Spook, which I liked, but not as well as the other two. She does a lot of research for her books, but her presentation of that research is fabulous!

#152 I agree that Roach's presentation is fabulous! She is a very witty and intellegent person and I can imagine she would be in person exactly as she presents herself in her writing.

Stiff is one of the funniest books I have ever read. She takes an odd and many times, taboo subject and adds humor without taking away from the gravity of the subject matter. Spook was good but not as good as Stiff. I want to read Bonk but my library only has the audiobook.

BOOK 49 The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
284 Pages

The Wednesday Sisters is the story of five young women in the late 1960's who meet in a park once a week and encourage each others writing aspirations. They share more than just their writing however, and support each other during the difficulties of marriage, children, and ill health.

Clayton is a very good writer with a gentle, understated and sometimes beautiful writing style. While I did enjoy The Wednesday Sisters, I also felt that it has a basic storyline that has been written many times before and not much was really fresh or different, but overall a good effort for a first novel.

3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 50 Property by Valerie Martin
193 Pages

This little 193 page book packs quite a punch. The narrator is Manon Gaudet, the bitter and selfish mistress of a sugar cane plantation in Louisiana, and wife to a sadistic and domineering husband whom she detests. Manon is every bit as much his "property" as the slaves are, and her powerlessness is not much different than theirs. Property won the Orange Prize in 2003, and it explores the evils of slavery and unlimited power over others, and the self-distructive effect it has on the society that condones and participates in it. I can't really say that I liked this book, it's too powerful and disturbing to like. But I am glad I read it.

3 1/2 Stars

chiming in on the posts re. Stiff. I read this book last year. I learned a lot and enjoyed the humor along the way.

Stiff has been on my tbr list for a while.. I think it's just moved up after all these positive recommendations. thanks

BOOK 51 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
221 Pages

18,149 people on LT have this book in their library, and there are 474 reviews. Personally, I can't figure out what all the fuss is about. I liked it well enough but I didn't love it, and about 2/3 of the way through I even got a little bored. Maybe its just me.

3 Stars

I agree. Didn't love it and it didn't hit me. I also didn't like any of the characters!! I felt it was something I should be blown away by, and I wasn't.

I wonder if the book is more relevant/appealing to people who deal with or are familiar autistic/Asbergers individuals...? Many people I know who read it and loved it had regular interactions with autistic or Asbergers kids, so it could be that such a perspective changes the experience of the book. But I could be wrong!!!

Faith, you may have hit on something. I liked the book a lot. My friend has two sons but with Asbergers. They are now teenagers and she is wonderful with them, but is worn down as well.

I also volunteered many years at a homeless shelter where some of the folk there were obsessive compulsive and or, highly repetitive and fixated. When I read Haddon's book, it confirmed a lot of what I experienced and thus I thought he did an incredible job in accurately portraying this sad, sad affliction.

I've purchased some new books in celebration of having the next week off from work:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

All three are recommendations from this group!

Looking forward to seeing how much you get read during your week off :)

BOOK 52 The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
511 Pages

Hugo Cabret is a twelve year old orphan who lives secretely in a Paris train station. He is a thief and a clock keeper. His story is told through pencil drawings, prose, and stills from films from the earliest era of cinema. Although Hugo is a fictional character, the story is intertwined with the real life of Georges Melies, an early pioneer of French films. This is a splendidly presented and orginal children's novel that is literally a work of art. The characters are as beautifully drawn as the art work, and the narrative is simple but entrancing. This book is a feast for the senses. The art work is gorgeous, the pages are thick and of high quality paper, and even the smell of the book is part of it's pleasure! Highly recommended.

4 1/2 Stars

BOOK 53 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
549 Pages

In 1913 on a wharf in Australia, an abandoned little girl is found by the dockmaster. He takes her home to his childless wife and they raise her as their own. On her 21st birthday Nell is finally told of her unknown origins and her life is abruptly and drastically altered.

The mystery of Nell's story is told in alternating chapters from three different time periods: the early 1900's and events that lead to her abandonment, the mid 1970's in which Nell searches for answers herself, and her granddaughter's search in 2006. The story unfolds with the slow unraveling of this multilayered, and non-sequential plot untill all the pieces finally come together creating a multi-generational family saga.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is truly beautiful, the storyline is engrossing, and the setting is perfect for a mystery. My one gripe was that it was a little predictable and I knew how it was going to end long before it actually ended. Despite this, the writing is so good that it kept my interest anyway, right up to the last page.

4 1/2 Stars

I have The House at Riverton by Morton on hold at the library. After I finish that one, I will give The Forgotten Garden a try, too. Thanks for the recommendation!

I agree with you regarding The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick.

I read this a few months ago and was in awe of the incredible art work.
The Forgotten Garden sounds like a book I would really enjoy. I'm adding it to my tbr pile.
Thanks for your excellent description.

Stasia and Linda,

I think you would both enjoy The Forgotten Garden. It's a truly mesmerizing story. I plan on reading The House at Riverton, sometime soon. I think Kate Morton may become one of my favorite authors if it's as good as The Forgotten Garden.

The Forgotten Garden sounds like a good read. I am adding it to my tbr list. I'd never heard of this author before. Thanks for the review.

Yay, you liked Hugo Cabret! Most excellent. :)

BOOK 54 The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris
444 Pages

The Girl With No Shadow is the sequel to Joanne Harris' Chocolat. It's been four years and Vianne, Anouk, and little Rosette run a chocolaterie in Paris. Only Vianne has decided to deny her magic and is trying to live a normal, safe life. She has a very proper and staid boyfriend who offers safety and normalacy, while encouraging Vianne's dependence and undermining her confidence. Instead of making her own fabulous chocolate, Vianne sells the factory-made kind with very limited financial success. Then flamboyant Zozie de l'Alba blows into their lives, befriending Vianne and enchanting Anouk. She brings with her the winds of change that Vianne fears so much. Using her own charms and cantrips, Zozie brings new life to the Chocolaterie and encourages Vianne to begin making her own chocolate again. But Zozie, like a wolf dressed in sheeps clothing, is not who she seems...and she has mischief in mind.

I really liked Chocolat, and The Girl With No Shadow, a darker and more serious book, is an even richer and more satisfying read. The story is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Vianne, Anouk and Zozie. The story has a more modern feel to it and the magic is more blatant and even threatening. If you love Chocolat, you'll love this more gratifying sequel. Recommended.

4 Stars

>172 loriephillips: Sounds like I'll have to give The Girl with No Shadow a try. Thank you for the tempting review. ;)

Hi...just stopping by to say that today I was able to obtain a copy of The House at Riverton. While at the library, I saw the book The Girl With No Shadow. The title caught my eye. Now, I'm checking your thread and I see that you read it...

HI Linda--Too bad you didn't grab The Girl With No Shadow because I'm sure you would like it. If you decide to read it though, you'll want to read Chocolat first (if you haven't already). Joanne Harris is one of my favorite authors. She writes somewhat in the same style as Alice Hoffman.

eta: I'm looking forward to your thoughts on The House at Riverton. It's on the TBR pile.

Six new books added to my library today:

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff
The Discovery of Chocolate by James Runcie
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia by Orlando Figes

I think I'm out of control!

#176 - I just added Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet to my collection as well! The Whisperers is on the wish list.

I tried reading The Girl with No Shadow and did not get into it. Maybe I will give it another go . . .

Bad Monkeys has one of my favorite concepts of all time. A natural cause gun.

Would you believe this!? I hadn't even heard of Kate Morton until reading your review a few days ago, and then this evening, a friend leaving Japan soon, dumps a pile of books on me including both The House at Riverton* and The Forgotten Garden! Where am I going to find the time? Look out for a review sometime in 2015 ;)

* Actually, the book is titled The Shifting Fog, which is the Australian version of The House at Riverton.

What a lovely surprise!!

#177 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet looks really good so I'm putting it near the top of my TBR pile. The Whisperers is quite the tome (at almost 700 pages) so it will be awhile before I get through it! I'll be watching for your thoughts on The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden sometime in the next decade! ;o)

#178 The Girl With No Shadow wasn't a slow go for me, but some of Joanne Harris' books are. She doesn't write action packed plots. Blackberry Wine was kind of a slog.

#179 I'm intrigued. I have no idea what a "natural cause gun" might be.

Lorie (and others), I saw you just read my book Columbine here, and thought I'd let you know I'm doing an Author Chat here starting Monday.

If you have questions, I'll be here on LT for two weeks to discuss. See you there:

http://www.librarything.com/groups/authorchat

BOOK 55 Columbine by Dave Cullen
358 Pages

I read this book because of several recommendations from readers here on LT. It's not a book I normally would have picked up because, considering all the media attention over the years since the massacre, I thought I knew a little someting about it already, but not so. Columbine is a well-written, powerful and disturbing report of the tragic shooting at Columbine High School near Littleton, Colorado in 1999. Cullen provides a detailed and well researched view of events leading up to the shooting and it's aftermath. It's not possible to be unaffected by this book. It is an horrific nightmare of a tale and utlimately extremely sad. It brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. Highly recommended.

4 Stars

#184: I am putting that one on hold at my local library. I have seen several excellent reviews of the book. I am not sure, knowing the tragic situation, that I would have picked it up either, but with such wonderful recommendations, I am sure I need to read it.

I hope you enjoy it, Stasia. I'll be watching for your thoughts.

#183 Thanks, Dave. I enjoyed the book, so I will be sure to drop in on the discussion.

Recap of books read in May:

42. Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, 3 1/2 Stars
43. Sixpence House by Paul Collins, 3 1/2
44. A Woman's Worth by Marianne Williamson, 4 Stars
45. A Fine Brush on Ivory: An Appreciation of Jane Austen by Richard Jenkyns 3 1/2 Stars
46. Little Bee by Chris Cleave, 4 1/2 Stars
47. Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies, 3 1/2 Stars
48. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach, 4 Stars
49. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton, 3 1/2 Stars
50. Property by Valerie Martin, 3 1/2 Stars
51. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, 3 Stars
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, 4 1/2 Stars
53. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, 4 1/2 Stars
54. The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris, 4 Stars
55. Columbine by Dave Cullen, 4 Stars

7 Fiction
7 Non-Fiction

May Favorite: The Forgotten Garden

Looks like you had a pretty good month!

Some pictures of Jaxon and his big brother.

Great pictures, Lorie. So glad to hear Jaxon is thriving!

He's darling! And big brother looks so proud!

Lori, he is beautiful! He looks angelic in the last picture. You and your family must be very happy.

Thanks for sharing the lovely pics!

Love the pics and I'm so glad to see that you had a good batch of reads. May June be as fun :)

Book 56 The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown

288 Pages

Although I had a general understanding of the events that occured when the Donner party was stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this is the first book I've read about their horrible ordeal. SpongeBobFishpants and Fourpawz2 have both written excellent reviews of this book that I can't hope to match. All I can say is that it's one of the most memorable non-fiction books I've ever read. Highly recommended.

5 Stars

#196 Sounds like a good one. I'll have to check for it at the library.

#196: Every review of that book that I have seen has been very good. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

Wow! Jaxon's big brother has such a loving look on his face. What a great picture.

#199 Big brothers name is Chance and he's 11 years old. He is so tender hearted that when Jaxon first came home from the hospital, every time he cried, Chance would cry too! He's getting over that a little bit now. Chance was even eager to learn to change diapers (but not the icky ones).

Thanks everybody, for stopping by! I'm a proud grandma and like to share my pictures.

Chance and Jaxon are wonderful. The pictures are great!

The photos are wonderful. Jaxon is growing and looking very healthy!

Those pictures are lovely. You can just see the love between those two boys. Jaxon is so lucky to have an adoring big brother. And that answers the question I left on your Profile Page about whether or not Jaxon was home yet. I know you are busy being the proud Grandma.

It will be interesting to see how many books you are able to read in June. May looked like a very productive reading month for you. Ditto on the memorability (is that even a word?) of The Indifferent Stars Above.

#'s 201 and 202--Thanks for stopping by and admiring my grandsons!

#203 I somehow missed your message on my profile page. I've commented back. May was a very good reading month for me. I expect some good reads in June, just not as many. I'm currently reading The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (it's beautifully written), and just started A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.

BOOK 57 The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
300 Pages

This is the story of 100 year old Roseanne McNulty who has spent more than 60 years in the Roscommon Regional Mental Hopital in Silgo, Ireland. The hospital is about to be demolished and her psychiatrist, Dr. William Grene must evaluate her to see if she should be transferred to the new facility or if she was wrongfully committed during the religious and political turmoil of the time period. The story unfolds through the journals of both Roseanne and Dr. Grene and there are differences in the what Roseanne remembers about her life and what Dr. Grene's research of her past uncovers.

I hardly know what to think of this book. It was short listed for the Booker Prize and it's very beautifully written and very sad, even tragic, but somehow not a book that resonated in me. It's gotten very good reviews and I felt like I should love it but I didn't. I liked it well enough and I'm glad I read it but it's not quite my cup of tea.

3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 58 The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer
307 Pages

After the Earl of Rule proposes marriage to Elizabeth Winwood, who accepts him for finiancial reasons even though she is in love with someone else, Elizabeth's younger sister, Horatia, decides to rescue her by proposing to the Earl that he marry her instead. The Earl is secretly captivated by Horatia's charm and high spirits and agrees to her proposal. After the marriage of convenience takes place, however, Horatia's high spirts get her into a scrap and her new husband must rescue her.

This is the second Heyer regency that I've read. I appreciated Heyer's obvious in-depth research, the excellent historical details that she is well known for, and the delightful setting. This book is a fun, comforting read, but I also found Horatia a little too silly for my taste, and I have a feeling that childish heroines may be Georgette's Heyer's trademark.

3 Stars

No, no, only in some of Heyer's books. For more mature heroines, try Black Sheep, The Reluctant Widow, The Toll-Gate, The Unknown Ajax, The Nonesuch, False Colours, Frederica, The Grand Sophy or The Masqueraders. You don't want to read The Corinthian or April Lady. On the other hand, there ARE characters in each book who are rather silly, but not always the lead heroine.

Thanks for the recommedations Roni! I won't give up on Georgette Heyer.

BOOK 59 Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
345 Pages

This apocalyptic novel is different from any other book of it's type that I've read in the past. Though published in 1949, it's not outdated and it's not the horror story that many of the more current apocalyptic novels are. It's more philosphical and thought provoking and I was so absorbed by it that I read it in a day. My one objection is that the authors own prejudice peeks out of the narrative with some obviously elitist ideas. Still, it's one of the most memorable books I've read so far this year. Highly recommended.

5 Stars

#209: I read that one last year and agree with you, it is a very good book. Glad you enjoyed it, Lorie.

My own quibble with the book was (SPOILER) the failure of the adults to make sure that the children could read. Yikes!

BlackDogBooks figured out that if you click "post a message" for the message ABOVE the deleted message it will let you post. Because Zire's message was "deleted" you can't actually respond to it, apparently.

I was having the same problem in a bunch of threads before he figured that out. But now you should be able to post away!

Hi Luxx--Thank you so much! It even makes sense when you think about it.

What an odd glitch, or whatever it was..

Lorie, I'm finally free from my slave-driving husband and back to my reading now that I am no longer working. I decided to catch up on threads today and saw the wonderful pictures of your Jaxson and Chance. They're wonderful!. Hope you popped them into a screensaver so that whenever you can you see their beautiful faces!
Cheli

#215 Thanks for stopping by and admiring my grandkids! I wish I was "no longer working" but I'm thinking that will only happen when I die. ;)

BOOK 60 The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
362 Pages

Connie Goodwin is a Harvard graduate student who plans on spending the summer researching her doctoral dissertation on American Colonial History. Her plans are spoiled when her mother asks her to clean up her grandmothers old, abandoned house in Marblehead, near Salem Massachusettes, in preperation for its sale. In this house, Connie finds a 17th century Bible with a key hidden within its pages. Inside the key, she finds an old piece of parchment on which the name Deliverance Dane has been written. Thus begins Connie's search to find out the life story of this woman which involves a physick book of magical spells, and ultimately teaches Connie a little something about herself. The story unfolds alternately between Connie's research efforts in 1991 and the Salem witch trials of the 17th century.

I expected this to be a very good book since the history of the Salem witch trials is a fascinating period of American history and I liked the idea of the story unfolding between the narrative of a modern woman's search for the truth and the historical events told as a fictional account of the real individuals who experienced them. Although the end result was interesting and worth reading, the author fell a little short of my expectations. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane was somewhat predictable. The clues presented for some of Connie's search for the physick book were very obvious to the reader and it was a little puzzling that she could not see them. I was also disappointed in the way the reader learns of Connie's research successes. She would make a discovery, but instead of the reader experiencing the discovery along with her, we learn of them when she tells either one of her friends or her advisor. I would have preferred peeking over her shoulder to witness the progress of her research as it happened instead of learning about it through a conversation with a friend. An ok read but a little disappointing. It feels like it should have been better than it was.

3 Stars

BOOK 61 The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater
324 Pages
Early Reviewers Advanced Reading Copy

I've read a lot of Jane Austen fanfiction, and this one by Maya Slater is one of the best. There are a lot of books out there that tell the tale of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's perspective, but this one is actually believable and very well done. His character is less well developed than that of Elizabeth in Austen's original story, and it was a lot of fun getting to know him more intimately in this work. In The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy the reader will discover that Darcy is not quite the stuffy prig that he sometimes appears to be in Pride and Prejudice. In fact this favorite of romantic heros comes across as very daring and some of his behavior is downright shocking. Since this book is written from the perspective of a very wealthy young man, the class distinction and gender bias of 18th century England is brought to the forefront much more than is apparent in Jane Austen's original. If you love Pride and Prejudice, if you enjoy Jane Austen fanfiction, if you want to read something that actually adds depth and detail to her original work, I highly recommend this book.

4 Stars

edited for touchstones

Got this quiz from Kittybee's thread, who got it from Stasia (alcottacre)

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader  

You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.

Literate Good Citizen Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm Book Snob Fad Reader Non-Reader  What Kind of Reader Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Oh, The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy sounds good! I'll be on the look out for it, thanks! :)

#220 Thanks for stopping by. I feel like I've been talking to myself on this thread lately! :(

#205 I thought The Secret Scripture was a beautifully written book but that the ending let it down. I'm definitely keen to read others by Sebastian Barry but find I need a break from Irish lit as a lot of it seems to be depressing.
I did the quiz as well and like you, I'm a dedicated reader which suits me fine! Earth Abides sounds interesting, I'll look out for it.

>218 loriephillips:: Hmmm. I usually avoid books where some author 'continues' the work of someone else. However, you make this one sound interesting. Perhaps I'll give it a try.

It's always nice when you can enjoy an Early Review book - glad you liked it!

#221: I lurk on your thread all the time, Lorie (actually, I lurk on everyone's thread). I do not want you to think you are posting to thin air!

#122 I highly recommend you read Earth Abides. I loaned it to a friend at work and we were both really impressed by it.

#223 You might like The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy. It's different from most of the fanfiction I've read.

#224 It's been awhile since I've even tried for an ER book, since I never wrote a review of the one I received about 6 months ago. The author is an LT'er and I really didn't want to give the bad review I thought it deserved because I knew how anxious she was to know what readers thought. I never even finished it.

#225 I know how faithful you are, Stasia, about commenting on everyone's threads. We all appreciate it. You're the best.

Thanks for stopping by y'all. If I had known whining would get a response I would have tried it sooner!

Argh, another message eaten. I posted this morning that I am always lurking here. Also said that I have Earth Abides in my library, and that means I liked it when I read it umpty years ago, but I remember naught of it. You and Stasia are convincing me to pull it out and put it on my re-read list.

Don't know why it didn't show up here, but here it is again!

Lorie,
I'm glad to hear that you liked The Private Dary of Mr. Darcy because I got it as an ER book too so Now I'm really looking forward to it.

#227: Read it, Roni, read it!!

#227 Thanks Roni! It's good to know people are lurking. I often lurk without making comments on other's threads. I've had posts disappear too.

#228 Cheli, be prepared for something a little different when you read The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy. I hope you like it. Have you seen Luxx's hot review?

#229 Glad you like it too, Stasia. Thanks for stopping by!

Oh wow! My first hot review! I never would have noticed on my own - thanks, Lorie.

Good morning Luxx. I, too, have been lurking and skulking
about silently on your thread for some time and you (unknowingly)
have even given me some recs.
But this morning I had to jump right in and say:
CONGRATULATIONS!~!~! Your "hot review" for The Private
Diary of Mr Darcy was quite good and gave me a rec and you
a



You go girl.
belva

Thank you!

Wonderful review of The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy! I definitely have to put it on my to-read list, thank you!

There are some very mixed reviews about The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy here on LT. Some readers didn't like it much but I enjoyed it. It was a fun read, but just so you know, it is fluff. I enjoy a fluff read now and then.

"It was a fun read, but just so you know, it is fluff. I enjoy a fluff read now and then."

Agreed.

Ladies,
I think I can handle fluff. I'm looking forward to it... hopefully in the next few weeks. I have some library books that are due soon so they have to come first.

BOOK 62 The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney

This story takes place in the isolated Canadian Northern Territory settlement of Dove River in the year 1867. The French fur trader, Laurent Jammett, is found brutally murdered in his bed, and the story unfolds with the search for his killer.

WHAT I LIKED: I really enjoyed the historical aspect of The Tenderness of Wolves and Penney's descriptions of the landscape are beautifully and realistically written. I felt the icy coldness and the isolation of the vast Northern Territory's winter environment.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Unfortunately, Penney's characters and plot were as flat and cold as the landscape. If I were to hear this book read aloud I wouldn't be surprised to hear a flat and monotone voice to suit the monotonous prose and emotionless characterizations.

The Tenderness of Wolves is highly rated by most people here on LT and it won the 2006 Costa Book of the Year, so obviously a lot of people liked it much better than I did. I guess it just wasn't my particular cup of tea.

2 1/2 Stars

I hope your next read is better for you, Lorie!

Thanks Stasia!

Hopefully I've found some good reads in the following books that came into my house this week:

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys (a re-read that I loved when I first read it in high school)
A Few Green Leaves by Barbara Pym
Hannah's Garden by Midori Snyder
The Wood Wife by Terri Windling
Something Rich and Strange by Patricia A. McKillip
Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosney
Bee Season by Myla Golding
Solar Storms by Linda Hogan
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
In the Wake of the Plague by Norma F. Cantor

Currently reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King. I read it about 25 years ago and didn't much like it but I'm trying again at the urging of several friends who love The Dark Tower series. I'm still not liking it much but I'm told the series gets better.

Edited for touchstones which aren't working right

BOOK 63 The Gunslinger by Stephen King
300 Pages

I first read this book a long time ago and did not like or understand it (and I certainly can't review it). I read it again because so many people have told me what a great series it is. I didn't like it any better with this second reading. It's a dark and puzzling story. I'm told the series gets better so I plan on reading the second book in the series, The Drawing of the Three, but not for awhile; I've got several books on the TBR pile that look more promising and I'm eager to get to them.

2 1/2 Stars

How's Jaxson doing? Has he started to read yet? (he..he)

Hi Cheli,

Yes, we are encouraging him to get a job because he is getting fat from laying around the house reading all the time. ;o) You can see a new picture on my profile to see how very fat he is getting.

How's your Jackson? Is he reading and job hunting too? The picture on your profile is adorable. He really looks like he's at the beach (I'm assuming he was not really).

Thanks for stopping by!

What a muffin!

Whew! Somehow I never caught this new thread back in April! Two hundred forty-three posts in one read...Wow is me! Glad all is well with your new grandson...so CUTE! Well, both of them are actually. I added The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy and Hunger Games to my Wish List, thank you very much! Hey, have you read Plain Song yet? It's one of my favorites. The writing is terrific and you just gotta love those two old farmers!

#244 Hi Luxx. I hope you are referring to the baby and not the muffin-top I've got going on. :)

#245 Thanks for visiting my thread and admiring my grandsons. I hope you like The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel to The Hunger Games which I hope you also enjoy (I really liked it). I have not yet read Plainsong. I need to bump it up. So many books...

I'm currently reading The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys, Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay, and Stiff by Mary Roach, and all three are very good so far.

Heh, I saw no muffin-tops, just an adorable little one.

BOOK 64 The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
183 Pages

This book has been articulately and favorably reviewed by several people in this group. I will only say that it was a fast, easy and very pleasant read. Recommended. 4 Stars

Recap for June:

56. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown 5 Stars
57. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, 3 1/2 Stars
58. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer, 3 Stars
59. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, 5 Stars
60. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, 3 Stars
61. The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater, 4 Stars
62. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney, 2 1/2 Stars
63. The Gunslinger by Stphen King, 2 1/2 Stars
64. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys, 4 Stars

Favorites for June

The Indifferent Stars Above
Earth Abides

Starting a new thread for the third quarter: http://www.librarything.com/topic/67943#1359410