tymfos books read in 2009, Volume 2

Well, I've decided to start a new thread, because the other one was getting long. This seemed a good time, because I'm starting my new project over on the 1010 category challenge today (10/10).

My previous 75 challenge thread is here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/69362

My 1010 Challenge thread is here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/74456

It's after 12 a.m. on 10/10, so now I shall begin reading books that count toward my 1010 Category Challenge, as well as continuing toward this 75 Books Challenge.

The first book I plant to crack open in this new dual effort is The Woman in White -- which is also part of the Halloween scary stories group read. (Kind of a three-for-one deal, I guess!)

Do I seem anxious to get started? :)

Thanks for the link--I've got you starred. You are getting a head start. It's only 10:45 here on the west coast. :-)

#3 Hi, and welcome to my new thread!

I considered starting even earlier. After all, LT is an international phenomenon, and it was midnight even sooner on the other side of the Atlantic. But I decided to stick with my own time zone. :)

got you starred as well!

#5 Hi, and welcome! Glad to see you here!

Dropping by to say hello!

#7 Hello to you, too, Cait!

Got you starred again! I will be anxiously following along your 1010 challenge. I am interested in seeing firsthand how these challenges work.

#9 Stasia, I'm glad you stopped by, and glad to see that you will also be following my 1010 thread. It will be a learning experience for me to see how the 1010 challenge works. Already I am wondering if I chose the right topics . . .

Ah, some time to read today! (Finally! after a rather vexing week.) I'm not feeling quite so well, but that's OK; it is another "excuse" to curl up in the big chair and read. I am already over 200 pages into The Woman in White, which I started just after midnight 10/10 and continued when I got up this (Saturday) morning. I have really been drawn into the story.

However, I found that the atmosphere of the tale was affecting my mood a bit too much, so I decided to also dabble in a lighter read to balance things out. Thus, I've gone on and also started a cozy mystery, Thou Shalt Not Grill by Tamar Myers.

I will be interested in your take on The Woman in White, a book I really must get to one of these days, especially since I enjoyed The Moonstone so much.

For another perspective on Collins, you might try the fictional Drood by Dan Simmons. It is pretty good, although IMHO, overly long.

*waves*

found and starred.....
10/10 sounds complicated and would send me running out the door leaving all books behind!

#11 So far, I'm really enjoying The Woman in White. I must admit, I skipped the scholarly introduction that was included in my volume and just decided to dive right into the story. (I'll check back later to see how the notes fit with what I experience in my reading.) I'm finding that the book has a lot of atmosphere, a lot of tension. You know it's building up to something bad happening, and keep waiting for the shoe to drop . . . wondering wht's going to happen next . . . The characters are carefully drawn, interesting and believable.

#12 *waves back*

#13 Thanks for the star! The 1010 isn't that complicated. I just made most of the categories broad enough to drive a truck into -- so I can definitey fit a wide variety of books into them!

Maybe this type of challenge will make me a little more organized in my reading . . . or maybe not . . . ;-)

Oh, I hate being organized in my reading. Sometimes I am anyway, but I don't need more guilt about picking up something off a shelf just because I want to! I thought about doing 999 at the end of the year, listing the books I read and dividing them up into categories on the back end! Think I'll avoid 1010...

Terri, I'm not sure how I'll like it, either. I'm already playing around with the categories and worrying about books not fitting . . . but, hey, I'll give it a try. I like making lists and organizing things . . . but I need room to read things on impulse, and I think I allowed for that in the way I structured my 1010.

is there already a group for the 1010? I'm curious to see everyone's categories!

#17 Yes, here it is:

http://www.librarything.com/groups/1010challenge

One thread is actually gathering gathering up the various categories:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/71319

Book #52 The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. (Obtained through the county Federated Library System.)

I really, really enjoyed this book. It wasn't quite what I expected. I was reading it as part of the Halloween group read, so I guess I was expecting something spookier. It had great atmosphere, and a lot of suspense, but I didn't find it scary.

My big problem with this book is fitting it into my 1010 challenge categories. As I said above, it wasn't really scary, so it doesn't fit in the "Scary Fiction" category where I originally planned to put it. And (I don't think it's a spoiler to say) it's pretty obvious fairly early on who the bad guys are, so it really doesn't fit into my "Whodunit" category. So I am at a loss to fit it into the 1010.

After checking my catgories, "Scary Fiction" actually included Gothic as well as out-and-out horror. That fits this book, I guess, so perhaps (for the moment) I will put it there. After all, there are different kinds of "scary," right?

The Woman in White is absolutely a Gothic novel. Glad you enjoyed it!

Well as I read about 12 - 15 books a month I should reach that goal and go past it in a year.
I am reading The Ringer by Edgar Wallace and Arnold Bennett's Literary Tastes at the moment. Quite a contarst.

tymfos

Glad you like Woman in White--it is one of my favorite Gothic novels. I think maybe it is harder to scare us now-a-days than it was when this book was written. I first read it as a teenager and I remember being pretty scared then. But then, I scare easily--which is why I avoid Dean Koontz and Stephen King. :-D

MusicMom, I guess I DON'T scare too easily. I like Dean Koontz and Stephen King (at least, some of their writing).

It wasn't always so. I remember as a kid, I hid my copy of the Hardy Boys The Haunted Fort because the cover illustration scared me so badly! :D

Book #53 Thou Shalt Not Grill (A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery) by Tamar Myers. Fiction, cozy mystery, 250 pages.

I always enjoy my little fictional outings with Bedford County innkeeper Magdalena Yoder. Yes, the humor is silly and the plots are less than complex; but they are nice, light reads which help provide balance and lighten my mood when contrasted with weightier and/or more suspenseful volumes read at the same time.

Book #54 Fear, by L. Ron Hubbard (touchstone doesn't work). Fiction, horror, 188 pages. (Obtained through the county Federated Library System.)

link because touchstone didn't work:
http://www.librarything.com/work/198474/book/50824710

This was on the Halloween group read list. I started it just to try it and see what it was about; I planned to quickly abandon it if I didn't like it.

I really didn't think that it would be my cup of tea. I didn't expect to like it, even though the dust jacket contained glowing recommendations from Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, and Isaac Asimov -- all favorite writers of mine.

The writing style seemed somehow odd to me, from the start. Other than the seemingly odd style (the nature of which I can't quite put my finger on), the story seemed normal enough for the first chapter. Then it got really, really weird in a hurry. It was bizarre, it was unreal, it was madness . . .

I couldn't put it down; read straight through to the end, way past midnight.

I can't exactly say I enjoyed it, but I needed to see where the heck he was going with this crazy story. Then the ending really threw me for a loop, and I had to look back for a few minutes and try to re-think the story with the ending in mind.

Terri..
Sometimes life is scary enough!

I was able to purchase one of the Tamar Myers books for .10 at my local library and hope to read it soon.

"Sometimes life is scary enough!"

Too true, alas

Loved Woman in White and also loved Woman in Black..gorgeous, both of them.

Any time I u se the word gorgeous, I think of Katharine Hepburn. just sayin'

Book #55 Ghost by Alan Lightman. (Purchased through Amazon.com.)

This hardly fits the "Scary Fiction" category where I had pegged it, as the ghost encounter itself hardly seems scary to the reader. Indeed, the reader doesn't really get a descrption of what the man saw until about halfway through the book -- it's usually just "something" that "can't be explained," etc.

But the book is still scary in a different sense, because of all the fallout of the experience, both his internal questions (he had never believed in the "supernatural" before) and the reactions of others when he shares his story.

Frankly, I found much of what was described (not the ghost, but all the hubbub that followed the sighting) pretty unbelievable. But it was still a well-written book that held my attention. Not a favorite, but thought-provoking

I have family coming in to visit this weekend, so I may not get a lot of reading (or posting) done in the next week. We shall see . . .

Oh, no! My visitors are not coming -- illness abounds and they are considerate enough not to come share the germs. But we will miss them terribly!!!

I'll have to console myself with a good book or two. There are so many that I want to read!

An inter-library loan arrived today that I had not expected to get. Only one library in the state ILL system had it, and they were kind enough to send it when it was available. So that goes to the top of the TBR mountain! The book is Easy (no touchstone) by Phillip Depoy. It is the first in his Flap Tucker series. I loved his Fever Devlin series, so I have really wanted to try this series, as well. I read three chapters while my son was looking at books in the library; so far, I am enjoying it!

I'm also going to start The Face for the Halloween group read. And I've been staring at A Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 on the bookshelf at work for weeks now, and have decided to start that as a non-fiction read.

However, with this nice weather we are having (after snow and cold over the weekend) I do need to get some work done outside, too . . .

Let me know how the book on the Hurricane of '38 is. I have had several books about that subject in the BlackHole for awhile now, so I am very interested.

Congratulations on the extra reading time. Sorry to hear about the circumstances, though.

Stasia, I'll be sure to post my thoughts on the hurricane book!

Thanks!

I haven't had much time to keep up with LT. However, I have managed some reading.

I think I'm putting down Sudden Sea for a while. I only got through one chapter. There's nothing at all wrong with it. However, another non-fiction item that I'd like to read just fell into my hands. A library patron ordered Report from Ground Zero through interlibrary loan -- just absolutely had to have it immediately -- and then they decided they didn't want it after all. So I claimed it to read before it goes home to its original lending library. So it has to take priority.

In addition, I'm just totally absorbed with The Face at the moment, and I have Easy by Phillip Depoy to read, too -- also ILL, and thus also a priority. (I finally decided to put aside Easy until I finished Face, because the two plot lines are so complicated, I don't think I can keep them straight unless I do them one at a time.)

I am so swamped with wonderful reading material that I absolutely can't wait to read . . .

So many books, so little time!

oh, I read The Face .. it was good.

Ground Zero also looks good but, difficult. Let us know how it goes....
Do read the Cambria book sometime. enchanting. I am still not finished because i have been so busy... and feeling so bleh.. it is jut not happening.

It is good though.. tomorrow will see it end.

I would be interested in seeing what you think of Report from Ground Zero as well. I just read 102 Minutes and it was pretty good.

Book #56 The Face by Dean Koontz. Fiction, suspense/horror, 608 pages. (Obtained from the Public Library.)

Take one widowed security guard; add the son of a famous movie star; throw in a cruel, insane anarchist and his various associates and underlings; stir with a dead man walking -- and you have part of the recipe for The Face. But there's more. How about phone calls from the dead? Bells from a fatal ride not taken . . . or was it? Blood from a wound that isn't there? This book has enough plot twists to create a maze for lab rats, enough creepy imagery to fuel nightmares.

Wow! This was one of the better books that I've read this year. It really was scary/suspenseful enough to give me some nightmares; and I rarely get nightmares from books or even scary movies.

I recently recalled a book that I'd read early this year (pre LT) and forgot to put on my list of books read when I started this thread. I just confirmed that, indeed, the book was definitely read in 2009, so I'm adding it here:

#Book 57 The Game of My Life: A True Story of Challenge, Triumph, and Growing Up Autistic by Jason (J-Mac) McElwain. Non-fiction. (Purchased at Waldenbooks, early 2009.)

It was all over the news when a young man with autism, Jason "J-Mac" McElwain, was allowed into the championship game of his high-school team in the closing minutes and made a series of 3-point shots during his time on the court.

This is the young man's story in his own words, with a little help from a pro writer.

#37: Not touching that one with a ten-foot pole.

#38: I will, however, look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation.

#38 I saw that young man on TV. At the time, an outstanding young athlete named Gerry MacNamara ("G-Mac") from a local high school was making it big on Syracuse University's basketball team. It was all very exciting, and inspiring.

I am also interested in your thoughts on Report From Ground Zero. I read 102 Minutes a couple of years ago and I was very affected.

#39(b), #40 "J-Mac's" story had special appeal for me because my son has autism. I found it quite touching, especially seeing how many of his friends at school loved and supported him.

#41 I am on page 118 (of 366) in Report from Ground Zero, and it is very moving. The first part of the book (the part I'm reading now) is a collection of first-person accounts by fire and police personnel (and, in some cases, their family members) about their experiences on 9/11.

I'm amazed how, I'm not sure how to say it, how professionally these officers and firefighters are able to recount their stories. Some of the accounts almost sound, I hate to say "matter of fact," but for the most part their presentation is very non-dramatic. Though emotion comes through in their speaking of those lost and thoughts they had of their families in the midst of danger, they seem to have been primarily focused on the job they had to do and getting through it all. However, the events are so dramatic (some of these folks were pulled injured from the rubble hours after the towers collapsed) that it is almost surreal.

My own reaction at the time of 9/11 was primarily one of anger. It took time to let sadness through over all that was lost. I guess each person deals with tragedy in his or her own way.

Oh, thank you for sharing your impressions about the Ground Zero book. It sounds very worthwhile. I will definitely put it on the wishlist and start looking for it.

After talking about something as serious as Ground Zero in my last message, I feel like I need some sort of transition before I deal with this next book . . .

*changing gears*

. . . .OK,

Book #58, Easy, by Phillip DePoy A Flap Tucker Mystery.
Mystery fiction, 278 pages. (Obtained through Inter-Library Loan.)

Link because touchstone doesn't work: http://www.librarything.com/work/373147

This was DePoy's first novel, the start of the Flap Tucker series, each of which has the word "Easy" in the title. Why Easy? It's the name of the nightclub Flap's best friend Dalliance opened in the old "Easy Lube" garage building in Atlanta. (The old signage was edited so that it just reads "Easy.") With main characters named Flap and Dalliance, how could a story be boring?

It's a quick, easy, fun read. It's quirky, offbeat, and filled with colorful characters -- even the murder victims. Flap himself is a trip -- a PI with an almost mystical gift for finding things, a fairly tough gumshoe who uses old-fashioned legwork coupled with meditation to solve his cases. Yes, meditation. And there's plenty to meditate upon as Flap ponders these questions:

What do the murders of a tall, red-headed transvestite found dead inside a crude drawing of a pentagram and a couple of topless dancers found decomposing in the trunk of a Buick have in common with each other and with the disappearance of the alleged wife of Flap's friend Lenny? And was Lenny really married to the missing woman? And did she even really exist? And what, if anything, does Tibet have to do with it all?

The answers to these and other pressing crime issues -- along with some laughs and a few neat plot twists -- can be found in the pages of Easy.

(Note: DePoy has another, more recent series, the Fever Devlin series, which is set in rural Georgia. I like those books, too.)

ETA to add link because touchstone doesn't work, and again to add book cover.

Thanks very much to lunacat, I finally have managed to put a book cover on one of my posts! Will wonders never cease? (Maybe you CAN teach an old dog new tricks?)

Now I'm going to want to go back and put covers all over my threads . . . but only a few at a time due to time . . . not enough time . . . :)

I'm glad I could help and my instructions worked. I'm not very good at writing step-by-step logical things like that!

It's not been a good morning so far. The Phillies lost last night's World Series game; my son had homework difficulties; he also missed the bus and I had to drive him to school; and I messed up an e-mail to his English techer and sent it to the wrong person --had to send corrections and apologies to all around. And my library's web site seems to have disappeared from the face of the Internet. (It's the home page on my home computer, so I noticed it right away!)

But maybe things are looking up. I logged on to LT and learned that I snagged a book through Early Reviewers this month! Singing God's Work by Allen Bailey, about the Harlem Gospel Choir.

Now I've got to get ready and go to work; it should be an interesting day. I can't wait to see if the patron catalog is working, since I believe it operates through our library web site . . . and today is Story Hour!!! :)

Folks all around us are chortling over the Phillies' loss but my wife (grew up outside Philadelphia) is unamused. I don't follow baseball, so my loyalties are determined simply by marital harmony.

Early Reviewers...just got my zillionth "you didn't get one" in a row. I've about given up.

#49 My husband is a Mets fan -- fortunately, the type of NY fan who will root for the National League pennant-winner (rather than that other evil NY team) when the Mets are not in contention. My father-in-law, however, is a huge Yankees fan; he, of course, must be delighted with last night's results.

Sorry no ARC for you again, TadAD. But don't give up. Maybe next month!

I'm sitting right there on the bench with you, Tad. I feel blacklisted....

The hubby and I got new cell phones today. The old ones were barely functional and just about obsolete . . . but they were phones, pretty basic phones.

These new ones are riddles, with so many buttons and functions to figure out that they make my head ache. Of course, we didn't get the plan with internet and text, just phone (all we could afford), but we have to sift through all the icons relating to those web-based functions to find the few items that we need, like the "address" (phone number) list and the settings for the phone.

Thank heavens we had internet non-activated, rather than just not included in the rate package, or we would be bankrupt from per-use internet charges on the phone due to all the wrong icons I've hit!

The instruction manual for my cell phone is larger than the phone itself.

#53 Mine is, too!

Maybe I should count it as part of my 75 challenge! :)

Well, I haven't gotten much reading done the past few days. And I'm feeling pressured to do so. I need to finish Report from Ground Zero and read Fire in the Grove as they are interlibrary loans and due in the middle of the month; I also have a book I'll need to read for our local book discussion group (though I'm currently waiting to get my hands on that one). And I have an ARC coming sometime in the next eight weeks or so.

But I really need just a good, old-fashioned mystery to balance out the disaster reading that I'm doing on the non-fiction side . . .

I just edited my profile to reflect the fact that my Phillies are no longer reigning World Champs of baseball.

*sigh*

I feel your pain! I REALLY HATE the Yankees! lol

running madly around trying to catch up....
I think I will be skipping Ground Zero.. I just don't have it in me to read it..

but wanted to check in and say hi! *waves*

57 Thanks for the empathy! :)

58 Thanks for the hello! *waves back*

Book #59 Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center by Dennis Smith. Non-fiction; 366 pages. (Obtained through County Federated Library System.)

Wow. It is impossible for anyone who wasn't there to really, really grasp the reality of Ground Zero on 9/11 and the days that followed. But this book gave me a clearer glimpse than I've ever had before.

My review:

http://www.librarything.com/work/55219/reviews/52490505

#59: Nice review. I am planning to read that one in the near future.

If you can stand any more reading on the WTC attack, I recommend 102 Minutes which I read recently. It is told from the point of view of the civilian survivors.

#60 Thanks, Stasia! I do plan to read 102 Minutes. That will provide another important point of view.

(I'll probably wait a while,though.)

I'm still thinking about Report from Ground Zero. So many stories . . .

I think I am most haunted by the story of the police officer who was in the middle of signing his retirement papers . . . had actually handed his badge over, when the alarm came that the WTC had been hit. He reached across the desk and took back his badge and went to Ground Zero . . .

Please tell me he survived.

I'm in awe of you being able to read books on 9/11. Even though I am in the UK and so nowhere near the attacks, knew no one who was involved, lost no one and wasn't affected by it, I haven't been able to read or watch anything about it since.

Perhaps I'm more emotionally sensitive about these things, or I just want to put my head in the sand and not think about it. Or perhaps its that I was 15 and just at that age when I realised this was the first time I'd seen something happen that I KNEW was going to change the world forever.

It was the same as the UK and USA forces invaded Iraq. I didn't go to school that day and just watched and watched all the footage.

#63 I wish I could. . .

#64 When it all happened, my first reaction was disbelief and anger. Then, immediately following that reaction, trying to help others through it -- what to say to my son, developing a commemorative liturgy for our churches. I never let myself grieve.

My first steps in reading about it were books about Flight 93. I live not so far from where Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. A psychologist from Somerset, Dr. Glenn Kashurba, wrote a abook about the response to that, Courage After the Crash. I bought an autographed copy and read that, because I actually knew some of the responders to that site. Then I read Let's Roll by Lisa Beamer, widow of Todd Beamer who said those famous words, heard in a cell phone call from the plane. I made a rare trip to a movie theater, to see the film United Flight 93. (Some proceeds from the initial showings were going to the memorial fund.)

This is the first book I've read about Ground Zero. What happened there always seemed just too big and awful to wrap my brain around. It still is. But this book helped, and I finally shed some much-needed tears over what happened that day.

ETA trying to make this ramble a bit more coherent.

Having had relatives of some friends and colleagues who died in the WTO attack, I find I am unable to read anything about the event without being overcome by anxiety attacks or a tsunami of grief. I do want to be able to read some of the books out there about the event because I keep reading reviews like yours, but I'm still unable to do so. Perhaps in time .....

Hello and congratulations on your excellent (hot) review of Report From Ground Zero.

66 cameling, the books will likely still be out there somewhere if and when there comes a time that you're ready to read them. You have to be the judge of what you can handle.

Book #60 Fire in the Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy and its Aftermath, by John C. Esposito. Non-fiction, 254 pages, including index. (Obtained through Inter-Library Loan.)

#60a (re-read) The Cocoanut Grove: Heat, Smoke, and Panic , Chapter 7 of Boston on Fire: a History of Fires and Firefighting in Boston by Stephanie Schorow.

from my review of Fire in the Grove: (full review is at: http://www.librarything.com/work/2654493/reviews/46753288 )

The Cocoanut Grove was considered THE place to go for nightlife in Boston. But on Saturday evening, November 28, 1942, fire flashed through the Grove. It was the deadliest fire in Boston history, killing nearly 500 people.

Fire in the Grove shows us the factors which made Cocoanut Grove disaster waiting to happen . . .

The writing is fairly straightforward. The author provides background on the nightclub’s history, introduces us to some of the people who were at the Grove that night, and offers a sometimes gripping account of the fire, rescue/recovery efforts, and the legal and political wrangling that followed all.

For those wanting a basic narrative of the Cocoanut Grove fire and its aftermath, Fire in the Grove is more than adequate. If you want detailed documentation, however, you will probably find this book lacking.

The Schorow book Boston on Fire, with its excellent chapter on the Cocoanut Grove fire, does contain both a bibliography and end notes. For a somewhat different perspective on the fire (her book tends to look at things more from the firefighters' perspective) and excellent source documentation, I recommend Boston on Fire.

I remember reading about the fire and watching a documentary about it on pbs one evening. Thanks for the recommendation to Boston on Fire though ... it would be interesting to read about the firefighters' perspective on the event.

I think I saw the same PBS documentary! Something I saw on TV got me interested in this disaster.

However, I actually bought Boston on Fire to get info on another disaster -- the great Boston fire of 1872. It is REALLY hard to find much written about that, and it was a spectacular disaster. Not too many lives lost, fortunately, but much of downtown Boston was left in ruins. That fire was the subject of another PBS documentary, "Damrell's Fire." (Stanhope Damrell was the fire chief of Boston in 1872 -- he had warned that conditions were ripe for a major blaze, and pushed for building code and infrastructure improvements.)

ETA to add: Maybe it's overstating it a little to call the Schorow account of the Grove fire as being from a firefighter's perspective. I do think she focuses more on the experiences of firefighters (that is her special area of interest) and includes compelling detail about some firefighters who aren't included in Esposito's account.

I already had both Fire in the Grove and Boston on Fire in the BlackHole and unfortunately neither is available at my local library. I will prioritize the Boston book over the other based on your recommendation, Terri. Thanks for the input!

Book #61 When Day Breaks, by Mary Jane Clark. Mystery fiction, 326 pages. (Purchased at Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Fall, 2009.)

From my review:
Even without reading the description on the dust jacket, it's pretty obvious, from the start, who is going to get murdered in this book. Beneath her down-to-earth public facade, Constance Young is your stereotypical selfish, egotistical celebrity, and her enemies are legion -- hence, the available pool of suspects is even deeper than the swimming pool where her lifeless body is found.

If Constance is a stereotype, so are many of the supects.

I found this to be a fast-paced, competently-written mystery, but nothing special.

Full review at: http://www.librarything.com/work/book/51302220

Looking at other reviews, I may have been a little too hard on When Day Breaks in my review.

I suspect I've been spoiled by some of the wonderful, more literary, mystery writers I've been reading lately, like Louise Penny.

#74: Since it is your review and your opinion, I would not worry about everyone else's :)

#75 Right! It is one of those moments, though, when I realize how my tastes in reading material have been altered by my reading experiences.

I'm starting Look Again by Lisa Scottoline, for a book discussion group. It's not the type of book the group usually reads, but I'm game to try it. (It will probably be right in my comfort zone, actually.)

I found two bargains at Ollies Bargain Outlet: Sue Miller's The Story of My Father on the dollar table; and The Monsters: Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein for $2.99.

Both were on my wish list, and neither was in our county library system.

ETA because I like to be accurate, but I never get the name of that store right!

Congratulations on the bargains!

Thanks, Stasia! :)

I'm not getting a lot of reading done. My son got sick, and his asthma flared up and we needed to run to the nurse practitioner to get him checked out. He had to miss a school field trip on Tuesday, and was very upset about that! But he seems to be on the mend now, and will probably be back in school tomorrow, or Monday at the latest.

I guess I will miss our library's book discussion this evening -- after they rescheduled it so it didn't conflict with my women's group meeting. Drat.

And my microwave oven quit working the same day my son got sick . . . not a good day!

Book #62 Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. Fiction, 336 pages. (Obtained from the Public Library.)

I only read this because a book discussion group I belong to was reading it --not their typical fare, fortunately. I did not like this book. I did not find the actions of the main character believable -- but they were extremely aggravating. And the ending was not to be believed.

Nasty review here: http://www.librarything.com/work/6725660/details/52202166

I think I'm getting cranky in my old age!

I'm sorry for the bad day and the bad read! I hope your weekend is a bit brighter.

Thanks, Luxx!!

I'm glad your son is feeling better. No microwave, that's bad.

Thanks, Brenzi! But just when I thought my son was on the mend . . . his fever went back up. Drat! He does so much want to get back to school tomorrow, but he's not going if he's still got a fever. He's spent the evening sleeping, though, which is probably good for his recovery.

Sorry to hear about your son's illness; I hope he gets better soon. I've taken care of a few kids this month with fever and wheezing who tested positive for influenza A, probably H1N1, including two more today. We've had a LOT of kids this week with moderate to severe asthma attacks that required ER visits or hospitalizations, so many that the hospital is past capacity and we've had to call in extra staff (docs, nurses, respiratory therapists, etc.) and use rooms that normally are used for day surgeries to fit these extra kids.

#87 Well, thank heavens so far my son hasn't been that sick. It sounds like you really have your hands full, Darryl! I am sure you take very good care of those kids, though.

I took my son to the pediatrics office Wednesday, and the nurse practitioner didn't think he had H1N1 -- said kids with that were a LOT sicker than he was, especially those with asthma. He had the "regular" flu shot at his asthma check a month ago. He's scheduled to get the H1N1 shot Tuesday when he goes back for a check, if he is better by then.

He's not eating much, but I notice he is drinking a LOT of fluids. I know you're supposed to do that when you're sick, but this seems almost excessive.

I hope your son is feeling better soon, Terri!

Thanks, Stasia! He seems to be fine today, except for a bit of trouble from his asthma -- totally manageable with his inhalers.

Good!

I'm glad to hear that he is doing better today, and drinking lots of fluids. As long as he has normal kidney and heart function, he'll get rid of any excess fluid by urinating more.

Thanks, Darryl and Stasia!

He's basically a healthy kid (despite the asthma) and generally bounces back from illness quickly.

I'm glad your son is doing better. My nephew has asthma and it's terrible whenever he has an attack. It seems to get worse during the cold weather.

Thanks for stopping by, Caroline!

Now, my son's asthma always seems the worst in the Fall. It settles down when it gets really cold. But we've had a warm fall, and only brief freezes. Once we get a good, hard freeze he will be much better. (We think it's the leaf mold that sets it off.)

Book # 63, The Haunted Rectory , by Katherine Valentine.
Fiction: Christian fiction/horror/cozy/suspense? 436 pages large print + discussion guide. (Purchased at Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Fall, 2009.)

(link because touchstone wouldn't work: http://www.librarything.com/work/book/51302290)

This was an odd one.

First, to really get into this story, you need to accept the reality of "second sight," Hell, and demonic forces; and the fact that the power of God can triumph over the real, physical forces of Evil (with a capital E). I have no problem with that, but that worldview might lose some readers.

Next, you have to deal with a book that tries to combine The Exorcist with a "cozy" format, and vestiges of Dan Brown -- top secret Catholic orders/organizations and the like.

It didn't quite work for me. I probably wasn't the only one; the book was clearly designed to be first of a series, but no sequels have been forthcoming (as far as I can determine) since its publication in 2006. However, I did keep reading to see how it would all end.

I need to think about this one before I try to write a full review.

ETA to add link & bold title when touchstone failed

I didn't enjoy the Exorcist and am not a huge fan of horror, so I think I will give this a miss. Thanks for the heads up, Terri

I posted my full review of The Haunted Rectory.

http://www.librarything.com/work/1404789/reviews/51302290

I am giving it a pass as well. I hope your next read is a better one!

I thumbed your review Terri because you did a good job of describing why it didn't work for you so I don't feel the need to add it to the pile.

#97 You're welcome for the heads up, Caroline!

#99 Thanks, Stasia! My fiction reads have not been very good this month, but at least my current non-fiction read is pretty good!

#100 Thanks for the thumb, Bonnie! I do try to say WHY things don't work for me because I appreciate that in other peoples' reviews. (Sometimes the thing they didn't like suits me just fine!)

Book #64, Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi. YA fiction; 136 pages. (Purchased at Ollies Bargain Outlet, Fall of 2009.)

I picked this up from a discount book rack a few weeks ago, simply because it was the first YA novel I'd seen about Hurricane Katrina.

Last night around midnight, I picked it up off my own TBR shelf just to look at it as a possible next fiction read, and I wound up reading it straight through.

I'm still mulling it over . . .

This afternoon, I stopped in Books a Million while I was in Morgantown. They had a rack of $1 "last chance" books sitting outside in front of the door. I bought 3 books @ $1 each.

Every Second Counts: The Race to Transplant the First Human Heart by Donald McRae
The Lost Saranac Interviews: Forgotten Conversatins With Famous Writers by Joe David Bellamy
Kiss Her Goodbye by Robert Gregory Browne.

All were impulse buys, not on any of my lists. The first looks promising, the second is simply a beautiful book -- worth more than $1 just to look at -- and the third looks like it may be a loser, but hey it only cost $1. I would have gotten off really easily if I hadn't had to go inside to pay . . . and look around . . .

I am proud of my self-restraint. With wishlist titles all around, I left having purchased (in addition to the dollar books) only the one book I said in advance that I would purchase if it was there:
Columbine by Dave Cullen.

I also renewed my Millionaires Club membership (which will eventually pay for itself in discounts) and got a free tote bag.

Then I went to Office Depot and bought a big new desk half-price -- a REAL bargain (and it has some bookshelves) -- to replace this one that is quite literally falling apart.

Not a bad afternoon...

Sounds like a pretty good afternoon to me!

BTW - Columbine is on my memorable reads list for the year. I am anxious to see what you think of it, Terri.

BTW - Columbine is on my memorable reads list for the year. I am anxious to see what you think of it, Terri.

I remember that, Stasia; it's one of the reasons I was so eager to buy it! ;-)

Today, I received in the mail my Early Reviewer book for October: Singing God's Work by Allen Bailey. It is the story of the Harlem Gospel Choir. No indication that it's a special ARC -- copyright page labels it as a First Edition.

#103--I really enjoyed Columbine, too, and it was great to talk to Dave Cullen on the LT Authors Chat this summer.

What is the Millionaires Club membership? A discount program? When I first read that, I was thinking of Half Price Books and wasn't aware that they had memberships. However, I realized you meant Books a Million. I think there's one about 15 minutes away from the office but I haven't been there in years.

ditto on Columbine...

ER book looks interesting...

#107 I'm sorry I missed that chat. I must have been interesting.

Millionaires Club is one of those discount programs. You pay $20 for a card/membership good for one year, and get at least 10% off on the books you buy from them (more on some -- some real nice deals on their website -- when you look up books, there's the price, and the club price). The way I buy books, I usually get the $20 back, and then some. (Plus the lovely fashion tote . . .) . . . and they e-mailed me some nice coupons. It's not a really sweet deal, I suppose, but I can be a real sucker for discount programs, especially where book-buying is concerned . . .

#108 I'm eager to get started on Columbine, but need to finish current read, Rescue Warriors, and then I think I should read the ER. The ER does look interesting . . . though I expect a certain level of self-promotion, since it's written by the choir's founder & director.

I'll be looking for your review on Columbine. The event had a very large impact on my high school years. I'm not sure how I would respond to it, but I'm intrigued.

That's a great discount program. Hmm... must look into this. Thanks for the tip, Terri.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

#110 I don't know exactly when I'll get to Columbine, but I am really eager to read it and will definitely review it when I do. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving!

#111 Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Caroline!

The Books a Million club is probably not the greatest discount program, but it works for me because I enjoy visiting their store when I'm in Morgantown. (It's probably the "large" bookstore that's closest to and easiest to get to from my house.) And I did OK online with it shopping for my son's books last Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving Caroline!

I'd just like to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here on the 75 challenge! Our conversations here are among the new blessings for which I am thankful this year! Have a wonderful holiday, everyone!

I did absolutely ZERO reading over the holiday. Why? 1) Busy with family. 2) distracted by my new microwave which doesn't work properly (it quit while making Thanksgiving dinner). 3) distracted by assembly of new desk and the teardown/ re-assemble of my computer system which that entailed.

But mostly, I am just in a reading funk. I've got a bunch of books started, and I got stalled on all of them. I seem to have arrived at a point in each that I didnt like, and gone no further.

Today I made myself read at least one chapter out of each book I'm working on, to try to get past the "stuck" places in them.

The easiest to get back into was Rescue Warriors. I only needed to read the next few paragraphs to get beyond being swamped in the "alphabet soup" of acronyms (of various task forces, units, etc.) and caught up in a search-and-rescue account.

I HAVE TO get reading, as I need 11 more books to meet my goal!!!

Funks come and funks go. I had one a few weeks back. Mine just snapped out suddenly. I hope yours goes away soon. :)

#117 Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Well, I'd better get out of the reading doldrums, because I just learned that, for the second month in a row, I've been selected to receive an Early Reviewer book! I'm getting a copy of On Hallowed Ground by Robert M. Poole. It's the story of Arlington National Cemetery, and sounds interesting. . .

Congratulations on getting an ER book and here's to hoping the book funk is gone soon!

Thanks, Stasia!

I hope you get out of the funk soon. I had a short one a few months back but I had one that lasted about 4 months in late '06 into '07! Awful! I'm hoping that never happens again.

Oh, Bonnie, a 4-month book funk? Ghastly!

(Though I might actually get my house cleaned if that happened to me . . . :)

I can't imagine a 4-month book funk. Yikes!!

I had a one-month one but not at 4-month one - here's hoping you get out of it soooon!

Terri - i hope your funk doesn't last 4 months like poor brenzi's did.

here's a little wish that your funk flies off to the never neverland ....


glitter-graphics.com

#123 Hi, Linda! Yikes is right!

#124 Thanks for the good wishes, Eliza!

#125 Thanks, Caroline -- love the picture!!

I seem to be slowly getting out of the funk. I'm enjoying Rescue Warriors again, and will almost surely finish it today. The Early Reviewer Book, Singing God's Work, is a fascinating story -- as long as I suspend my cynicism over what can appear to be rampant self-promotion. (How many times can he put the modifier "world-famous" before the choir name before it gets stale?) I'm also reading Al Capone Does My Shirts, which is a pretty nice YA read, though the grownups in it drive me crazy.

Help! if there's anyone who knows how to use ticker factory to add those cute counters . . .

How can you have tickers for more than one group? (Or can you?) When I set up a new one for my off the shelf challenge, my ticker for this group got changed. Not good!

hello, to answer your question - I have multiple tickers; so it is possible. When you go to the tickerfactory click create new ticker (or whatever it says) and don't forget to choose a new password - I think that is where it might possibly interfere with your original ticker.

calm

Thanks, calm! I'll try that.

Hey, it worked! Thanks again, calm.

I use the same password for all my tickers and it's always worked okay. Maybe I've just been lucky with that. I do use a different style for each ticker though so maybe that helps.

I have no idea. When I have a ticker question, I ask Cheli (cyderry) and she will patiently explain.

Thanks for dropping by, Linda. For now, I'm just going with the different password, since it worked. BTW, I thought of you today when I bought a baseball book, The Echoing Green. I seem to recall that you like baseball a little. :)

Aha, I'm breaking out of my reading funk! I've finished one!

Book #65. Rescue Warriors: The U.S. Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes by David Helvarg. Non-fiction, 333 pages + select bibliography and index. (Purchased at Waldenbooks, sometime in 2009.)

Overall, a wonderful tribute to the most under-appreciated branch of our military. This book takes you "where the action is" as the US Coast Guard members perform their duties; it also discusses the history of the Coast Guard and challenges that it faces. A little too technical for me in places, but quite worthwhile, I feel.

I'm giving my copy to the Public Library -- I want other people to read this book!

Here is a link to my review:

http://www.librarything.com/work/8159287/reviews/46655053

#132, ah yes, "the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant" book. After my curent read, Sixty Feet, Six Inches, I need three more baseball books this year to finish the 999 challenge category. The Echoing Green might be one of them.

#133--I wonder if Rescue Warriors is available on Kindle. This might become an early year 1010 book for me. I would love to read more about the Coast Guard.

Congratulations on being out of the funk! I had already added Rescue Warriors to the BlackHole, so I do not need to add it again. I just hope my local library gets a copy in soon.

Hmm.... I think I've just found the perfect Christmas present for one of my nieces as she's in the Coast Guards. Nice review, Terri ... great gazooks.... the power of LT wishes is not to be trifled with ... even reading funks flee with haste.

#132: I'll be interested to hear more about The Echoing Green. I've seen enough clips of Bobby Thomson's home run off of Ralph Branca to make me think that I watched the game on TV! My mother lived very close to the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan in the early 1950s, although she wasn't much of a baseball fan.

Has anyone written a book about the 1960 Pirates?

I think the Echoing Green is the one that gets into detail about how they might've been stealing signs from the scoreboard when Bobby Thomson hit that home run. That seems right--it was somewhat controversial.

Yes, there's an absolutely fabulous book about the 1960 Pirates. I read it a few years ago. It's The Best Game Ever by Jim Reisler. It actually goes way beyond just that one game, of course. I love visiting Pittsburgh for ballgames and appreciate it (and Pirates fans) even more now.

(There is another The Best Game ever book--about the famous 1958 Giants/Colts game that sort of "established" the popularity of the NFL but the Reisler book is not that one.)

Thanks, Linda. I do remember hearing about that book recently. Forbes Field, the former home of the Pirates, was built adjacent to Pitt's campus, and the university took over the space after it was torn down in the early 1970s. The original home plate can be seen, in its former location and encased in glass, in one of the campus buildings, and a portion of the outfield wall, where Bill Mazeroski hit his game winning home run in the 1960 World Series, has also been preserved.

Linda, you're right about The Echoing Green -- it is the one that deals with the sign stealing issue.

I'm seriously debating whether to wait and read it during baseball season, or if to read it this winter to help tide me over to baseball season . . .

I think I may add The Best Game Ever to my list, too . . . I'm surprised that none of the libraries in our county have it, being as we're in Pirate country.

thumbed review....and added to my wish list on Amazon

#140, Terri, I actually prefer to read baseball books during the off-season. It makes me think warmer thoughts or something.

Do you ever go to Pirates games? I like that ballpark and have been there several times. I like the Great Pierogi race. Do they still do that? It's probably been 3 or 4 years since I was last there. It's a nice place to visit.

We have been to some Pirates games. We're almost 2 hours from PNC Park, so it takes some planning to work a trip into our crazy family schedule. I seem to have missed the perogi race, so I can't speak to that.

The first time we had tickets, we all came down with the stomach virus and couldn't go. The last time we went, it poured rain until we gave up and went home, certain they'd never get the game re-started. (They did.)

I'd like to go sometime when the Phillies (MY team) are in town, but that always seems to coincide with when we're on vacation out-of-state or some other insurmountable schedule conflict.

(When my now-husband -- a Mets fan -- and I first started dating, one of our first dates was Phillies vs. Mets at the old Philadelphia Veterans Stadium.)

141 Kath, thanks for the thumb! And thanks for stopping by. :)

I am looking forward to your thoughts on The Echoing Green. I am a huge baseball fan :)

> 133 Fantastic review of Forgotten Warriors: The U. S. Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes. I am in the process of tracking it down at a library branch.

#145 I'm not quite sure when I'll read The Echoling Green. I have SO many books on the pile!

#146 Thanks! Good luck finding it, and I hope you enjoy it.

Congratulations on your Hot Review. RescueWarriors sounds very good so onto The Pile it goes.

Thanks, Bonnie! I hope you like it.

Book #66: Singing God's Work: The Inspirational Music, People, and Stories of the Harlem Gospel Choir, by Allen Bailey. Non-fiction, 159 pages. (Obtained from October 2009 LT Early Reviewer program.)

I have mixed feelings about this one. It's refreshing to read about a man who managed to overcome poverty and racism to do remarkable things, and about a choir which travels the world sharing God's love and promoting peace and reconciliation among all nations.

It can, sometimes, come across as a bit of self-promotion. (First-person accounts always run that risk.) And the punctuation is terrible. (For this I don't blame Mr. Bailey, who had a professional writer as co-author, and surely had an editor at York House Press, too.)

It is a fairly short book, an easy read, and thus the flaws are more easily overlooked, in my opinion.

My full review:

http://www.librarything.com/work/9045118/reviews/53436195

Book #67: Book of the World's Worst Decisions by David Frost. Non-fiction, 126 pages. illus. (Obtained at Public Library sale, Fall, 2009.)

Exactly what the title says it is. Short items about really dumb decisions -- Really dumb decisions!

OK for what it is. Some of the stories are quite familiar, some obscure. Light, easy, not particularly memorable read, good for a few chuckles.

This book was recently discharged from the public library after not being checked out since 1992. Maybe that says something . . .

It looks like the book funk must be officially gone. Good!

Okay for what it is.. good descriptive phrase for so many books! :)
including the one I just finished. No need to add it to your pile, but it gave me a couple of hours of relaxing reading.

#152 Stasia, I think the book funk is history!

#153 Kath, yes there are a lot of books that fit that description, aren't there?

I just fixed the link for my review of Singing God's Work. It got messed up in the "combine works" move I did when I realized my review wasn't being credited on the Early Reviewers thing. . . my copy was off by itself on it's own, lonely record, and I got it to join the party with all the other copies. :)

The Book of the World's Worst Decisions could be the precursor for those The Darwin Award books that I find really hilarious when I stand and read them at the bookstores, but can't bring myself to buy because like this one, most of them are good for laughs, but hardly memorable.....although I do remember one about 2 guys going into a tiger's enclosure to drape flowers over the tiger, who was clearly irate at being woken - possibly by their alcoholic fumes

Book # 68: Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko. YA fiction, 214 pages + author's note. (Obtained from the Public Library.)

This story is set on Alcatraz Island in 1935, when it was common for families of prison guards and other prison employees to live on the island. Young Moose lives on the Island with his mother, father (a guard/electrician), and sister Natalie, who had special needs. Natalie is clearly autistic, but never called that in the book, as that specific diagnosis did not exist at that time. (Note: the author discusses this in her Author's Note at the end. She has dedicated the book to her sister Gina, who was diagnosed with severe autism.)

Poor Moose seems to bear the brunt of all the family's problems; his mother is too focused on Natalie's needs, and his father too focused on humoring (not the right word, but I can't find the right word tonight) the mother.

Add in a dictatorial warden, the warden's trouble-seeking daughter, and assorted escapades and misunderstandings, and it makes for an interesting read.

My choice of this book was influenced by the fact that I met the author at a Children's Literature conference and was very impressed by her presentation.

#156: I had already put that one in the BlackHole when Linda (Whisper) read it earlier this year, but it sounds as if I need to move it up some.

That must have been a horrible place to bring your family to live. Still, I second Stasia on this one .. I've already got it on my list but maybe I should move it up so I get to it sooner rather than later.

#158 Actually, from what Choldenko writes, it wasn't as bad as it might seem. The prisoners were safely behind heavy-duty walls, except for maybe a few near the end of their terms, who were on their best behavior as they did their jobs on the island, so as to not jeopardize their release. The kids take the ferry across the bay to go to school, where they get a certain kind of respect for living on Alcatraz.

Moose's main issues were those of the typical kid his age who has been uprooted to a new place, with a sibling who has special needs. The setting does add the opportunity for some "different" kinds of adventures and peer-pressure issues (competing to get hold of a baseball that was hit over the wall by the the "cons," for example).

#157, 158 It's a nice read. I got a bit aggravated with the way Moose's parents treated him, and the warden was a jerk, but I think that's the author's intent -- she really draws you into sympathy with Moose. I think Moose's character is very well crafted -- I really got to feel for him. And Natalie is wonderful -- she comes across as a real person as the book moves along. The parents are less well-developed characters. But, then, parents are always a bit of a mystery to their kids, and the story is told 1st-person by Moose. The father is almost always working and trying to keep Mom happy, from Moose's perspective.

Funny, I was least comfortable with the mother. Since my son has autism, I would have expected to feel more of a bond with her. Unlike her, I don't have a second child whose needs I have to balance with those of my child with special needs. And I have a lot more resources to draw upon than she did in 1935, when "autism" wasn't even a word.

Terri

I really liked Al Capone Does My Shirts I agree with you re. the mom, I felt the same way.

And, thanks for giving me an idea for a friend whose son is in the Coast Guard. I was strugging with what to get her for Christmas. I'm going shopping for this book in the next few days.

Happy Holidays

161 And thanks to you, Linda, for reminding me about Al Capone Does My Shirts when you read it. I had been intending to read it since the literature festival, but you helped me to move it up toward the top of the list!

One of the great things about LT...it is a win/win situation all around!

I decided I needed a real "page turner" for my day off today, so I've turned back to James Patterson's Alex Cross series, which always keep me on the edge of my seat. I'm up to the book Cross, which I think is the 12th installment of the series. So far, so good. Maybe I'm finally going to find out who murdered Cross's wife Maria!

Funny that you're reading him now Terri. He was on NPR this afternoon on their "You Must Read This" segment and you'd expect he would have chosen an edge of your seat murder mystery but no he picked Mrs. Bridge a very innocuous little book that centers around family life. Apparently he has a degree in English literature and it was always thought that he would write serious fiction, books that would be in contenion for all the awards. Instead he writes wildly popular (and profitable) police dramas.

I should have guessed that Patterson had some English Lit background. Even in his crime books, he shows great skill in character development, more than the typical "thriller" writer. That's one of the reasons I like his books. Alex Cross has been, from the beginning, a very complex character -- so real that I sometimes get the feeling I'd like to have a seat on his porch and listen to him playing some jazz piano, then join him for a brew and a discussion of criminal psychology. Even Patterson's criminals aren't one-dimensional.

To be fair, some of Patterson's books are not police books. He's written a non-fiction book, Against Medical Advice. And he's written several more "serious" books that aren't crime stories.

But he does have a knack for pacing and plotting that really works well in the mystery/suspense genre.

Not to offend anyone, but I really liked Mrs. Bridge. In fact Mrs. Bridge and its companion book Mr. Bridge are on my list of desert island books. However, since I read them a long time ago, that may change--I plan a reread soon. I loved the way the author was able to get into the minds of the characters, and depict a husband and wife who loved each other, but were essentially disconnected. The movie with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward isn't bad, either.

#167 Certainly, no offense! I think the surprise was that Patterson, best known for action-packed thrillers, picked a more literary book like Mrs. Bridge to read from for the program. Obviously, he liked it very much! I never read it or saw the movie. Maybe I should look it up sometime . . .

simply stopping by to say hi.

Hi, Linda! :)

Book #69: Cross by James Patterson. Fiction, mystery-suspense, 393 pages. (Obtained from the public library.)

What can I say? I love the Alex Cross series. Cross is just one of the neatest crime-fighting series characters I've found. The book maintains the usual level of fast-paced suspense and action. Definitely a page turner.

My full review here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/993429/reviews/47306647

>167 arubabookwoman: I did not mean to suggest that Mrs. Bridge was anything except very, very different from what Patterson writes. I haven't read it yet but it's been on my TBR list for some time and I think I will be moving it up now.

Nice review, Terri. I enjoy the Alex Cross series too. It's really popular because I keep seeing people reading it on planes, trains and at airports whenever I travel.

#173 Thanks, Caroline!

I'd have to say that James Patterson is one of the most popular authors among patrons at the library where I work. His books are constantly being checked out!

I just got a book of short stories through inter-library loan called Sleep No More, by L.T.C. Rolt. I'm not sure where I got the recommendation -- it may have been one of the LT "automatic" recommendations, as there are no "conversations" listed for the book, and I don't recognize the usernames of others who have the title. But I'm enjoying it immensely! They are rather old-fashioned English ghost/horror stories, so far not the gory type, but the kind that work on your mind . . .

It's an older book (copyright 1948 -- the edition I borrowed was from 1952) and when I went to order it through inter-library loan, only one library in the PA Access system had it. I'm sure glad they were willing to send it!

Sleep No More sounds like a great book!

And, I also enjoyed your review of Cross..thumbs up!

Hmm..... I'll have to keep Sleep No More for my 2010 Halloween read

#175 Thanks, Linda! I am enjoying it. I recognize one of the stories from a ghost story anthology I read earlier this year, but so far the rest are new to me.

#176 Caroline, this would be a good one for Halloween! The stories are creepy/spooky, but not over-the-top grisly horror. The kind that leave some room for imagination . . .

Uh, oh. I was taking a break from Sleep No More and picked up the non-fiction book I brought home from the library -- just to look at it . . .

Next thing I knew, I was through parts I and II of Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds: The Tragedy & Triumph of ASA Flight 529, by Gary M. Pomerantz. And having to restrain myself from reading on . . .

If I'm not careful, I may "sleep no more" until I get these books read . . .

I'd better get to bed right now . . . Good night!

Count me in with the Alex Cross fans. I am going to have to get caught back up in the series.

Adding Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds to the BlackHole.

I'm not exactly a James Patterson fan, but I am a fan of Mrs. Bridge and was happy to see his nod to Evan Connell on the NPR interview that I read online. I plan to reread both Mr. and Mrs. Bridge in 2010...maybe with the Missouri Readers group which, btw, anyone can join if something we are reading appeals to you.

I'm with you, arubabookwoman (Msg. 167) in having fond memories of these quiet, moving books. Tastes change, so I am eager to see if they still have that special place in my heart.

Thanks for opening up this discussion, tymfos. Bonnie (Msg. 172), by all means move Mrs. Bridge up to the top of the pile.

Hey you've got a hot review for the Patterson book. Excellent Terri!

Book #70: Sleep No More:Railway, Canal, & Other Stories of the Supernatural, by L.T.C. Rolt. Fiction: short/stories, ghost/horror stories, 162 pages. (Obtained through Inter-Library Loan.)

Oooh, the perfect read for a stormy winter night!

Review:
http://www.librarything.com/work/8931092/reviews/5054

Why is it that when you try to edit, the touchstones go wacky and refuse to be fixed?

#179 Glad you've enjoyed the discussion! Just one of those spontaneous things that evolves on our threads . . . I had missed the Patterson NPR interview, and was unfamiliar with the Connell works until now. Isn't it nice how these discussions just spring up among us? :)

#180 Thanks, Bonnie!

Congratulations on your Hot Review!

Thanks, Caroline!

Book #71: Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds by Gary M. Pomerantz. Non-fiction; 287 pages. (Obtained from public library.)

I thought this book was really excellent. Pomerantz made me feel like I got to know the people involved -- enough so that I cried when reading about those who didn't survive. He also explained the technical side of things in plain language that I could understand. And he explored the physical and emotional aftermath of the crash for those who survived.

Full Review here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/72796/reviews/54038492

Great review! I've given it a thumbs up.

Thanks, Darryl!

#185: I had already added that one to the BlackHole when I saw you reference it on another thread, but I agree with Darryl, it is a great review and I gave it a thumbs up as well. Thanks for the recommendation and review, Terri.

Thanks for the kind words, Stasia!

The book was a very compelling read. I do highly recommend it.

Our library's copy was a "memorial" by an anonymous donor in memory of one of Flight 529's casualties, who was apparently a friend. I must admit, I think that added a little extra sense of connection for me while reading.

Drat! What with the transition between 2009 & 2010 threads, I have so many threads starred, it's become almost meaningless.

I know I'm going to lose track of someone or something here on the boards . . .

#190: I know what you mean!

#191 Ack! It's reached the point where I can't even find some of my own threads!

We've got freezing rain here in the mountains of southwestern PA, at least in the patch where we're at. Our churches (a multi-point ministry) have all cancelled services, with a decision TBA about Christmas caroling scheduled for later in the day, when temps are supposed to rise above freezing.

So I may actually have some free time for reading today!!!!!!!!

I star my threads and a few other peoples' as well but, with so many starred threads, finding my own is a problem, too. I wish we could double star our own.

Speaking of the mushrooming threads as the transition between years is underway, let me post a link to my 2010 thread on this 75 challenge:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/78980

But I'll be posting here on this old thread until the end of this year. I still have 4 books to go this year to meet my goal!

Excellent review for Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds. I am looking forward to getting my hands on this book.

I will be catching you both here and on the 2010 threads, Terri!

Hey Terri you have another hot review! Great job!

Hi, folks! Glad you stopped by! Thanks for the kind words!

I read a book this evening -- couldn't put it down until it was read, couldn't go to sleep until it was reviewed and posted.

Book #72: A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger. Non-fiction, 266 pages.

I bought this, completely on impulse, while on vacation, at a place called Frogtown Books in Toledo, strictly on the basis of:

1) the author: I'd just read The Perfect Storm, so anything by Junger looked appealing.

2) the title, and particularly the town named. I have more than a passing acquaintance with Belmont, Massachusetts, having spent some time there over a decade ago.

3) I got an almost mint-condition used copy of the book for $1.

This is more than just a true-crime book about a murder. This is a book about race and justice and the tumult of the 1960's. I found it a very compelling read.

Full review here:
http://www.librarything.com/work/520493/reviews/49217016

I just looked over my threads for the year. I was running almost 50/50 between fiction and non-fiction reads all year year until October, when the Halloween group read tilted my totals toward fiction.

As it stands now, of the 72 books I've read, 40 are solidly fiction. One other book of short stories is mostly fiction, too. But the stories were interspersed with folk tales and analysis -- and I liked that part better than the pure fiction stories, so I'm counting that as half/half.

The quality and variety of reading material -- both fiction and non-fiction -- has definitely risen, IMHO, since joining LT! At one time, I was almost exclusively a genre fiction reader, with occasional bouts of folk tales interspersed with disaster books. LT has definitely broadened my horizons!

#199: Sandy and I were discussing last night on her thread the difference that LT has made in our reading habits and agreed that LT has broadened our reading horizons immensely.

>199 tymfos:: I totally agree with you and Stasia that LT has had a positive influence on my reading habits. I am not making many goals for 2010, but I would like to read more nonfiction. I'll take a peek into your library, Terri, for some suggestions.

Browse away! My library is an open book . . .
:)

I had started The Worst Hard Time, but -- despite the high quality of the book -- I was having a hard time getting into it right now. Wrong season, wrong frame of mind, whatever. I felt I probably should read the book at a time when I could appreciate it more. I was debating putting it aside, but wondering what to read in its place.

Then, today, my LT Early Reviewers program book for November -- a hardcover first edtion of On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery arrived. Granted, doesn't seem more seasonally appropriate than the other book, but it looks very appealing.

So I think I'm going to put away the Dust Bowl and start reading about the Cemetery. How's that for a transition?

Sounds Like a good plan to me ! :)

> 203 On Hallowed Ground looks really good. I can't wait to read your thoughts.

On a non-book, RL note:

I remember when my son, who has autism, would scream or sob wordlessly if we moved a piece of furniture or even a knick-knack, or otherwise re-arranged his orderly world.

Over the past month or so, we got some new furniture. "Too much change," he commented finally after the last delivery, but he seemed to be coping with it OK. I held off on the Christmas decorations for a while until today, to let him re-gain his sense of "normal" for our house.

This afternoon he came home from school and called out happily, "I'm home!" -- and then, "Oohh, you put lights on the tree! I really like the lights! They look nice." (Even had all the pronouns correct!)

Definitely made my day! :)

fantastic!!!

Well done :D

Wow, that is progress!!! I work with students with Autism in my job in the school system. It is so challenging and I have such admiration of the great things many parents and their children accomplish. It sounds like you'll be having a great holiday!

Parents are key... TSS's come and go.. parents are forever, and they are key. Some didn't get that memo tho :(

Thanks!

I consider it all a team effort, though. We have had some great folks on our son's team, and for the most part everyone has worked together very well.

Kudos to you! What a heartwarming story! And, what a special, special mom and person you are!

What wonderful news, Terri. And a great time of the year for it, to boot!

206 - That's wonderful!

Book # 73: A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (Canadian edition title: Dead Cold). Mystery fiction, 311 pages. Purchased used, through Amazon.com.

I love Louise Penny's Three Pines mysteries. I like the setting, the quirky characters, and the plot twists. I enjoy her literary allusions and her wry sense of humor. I like the way the reader never quite knows all that's going on -- sometimes even at the end of the last page. That "unsettled" quality that Penny leaves at the end of the book is so much like real life.

I need some time to put together a full review, but my short version is that I liked it.

BTW, I notice my thread is getting quite long. It seems awfully late in the year to start a new one, but should I anyway? Is the length of this one causing problems for anyone to load it?

#214: I have enjoyed the entire Three Pines series. I am glad to see that you are enjoying it too.

I am not having trouble with your thread loading, Terri, but those on dial up might be.

No problem on my end, loading your thread, Terri. I haven't read any of the Three Pines mysteries yet and I love quirky characters, so I'm going to wishlist this and give it a shot.

#216: Caroline, I highly recommend reading the Three Pines series in order.

Stasia's advice in #217 is absolutely right, Caroline! Definitely read this series in order. I read the fifth as an Early Reviewer book and went back to read the rest of the series in order. I'm glad I got the ER book because it introduced me to the series; but I wish I hadn't read that one first! I think this is one of the most order-sensitive mystery series I've read.

ETA to add The first book in the series is Still Life.

I just took Still Life out of the library. I can keep it for nine weeks so hopefully I get to it by then because I've heard so many good things about the series.

>219 brenzi: Excellent, Bonnie! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

My review for A Fatal Grace is posted:

http://www.librarything.com/work/2705703/details/49464643

Terri - I love your review of A Fatal Grace. I just read that one myself, and I got it for my mom for Christmas. (I got her a copy of Still Life for her birthday.)

And I'm not having any trouble with your thread either. I've been feeling guilty about mine too, but I hate to start a new thread with just 10 days left until 2010.

ha, i managed to find the Three Pines series on Amazon and there were some cheap used ones, so I picked up the whole series. Thanks for the tip... I'll read them in order

#221 Thanks, porch reader -- Amy, right? (I looked back on the 2010 group introductions thread.)

#222 Great going, Caroline! Enjoy!

>223 tymfos: - Yes, Amy - although I answer to almost anything! I have a feeling I'm going to be referring back to the group introductions thread quite a bit. There are a lot of new "faces" on the 75 Books Challenge!

Wonderful news about your son, Terri! My cousin's son is severely autistic, so I understand the thrill of something like that.
I'm anxious to get started on the Louise Penny series next year. Everyone seems to like it so well (except dr.neutron)!

Book #74:Tracks in the Straw: tales spun from the Manger by Ted Loder. Devotional, 174 pages. Requested and received as birthday gift, 2/09.

This book is a collection of writings looking at the Christmas story from unusual points of view -- animals in the stable where Jesus was born, a maid at the Inn where there were no rooms, the Innkeeper, etc. My favorite of the lot was the one set in modern times: "Gum on the Altar," about two friends in a mental hospital at Christmas time.

The previous books I've read by Ted Loder, Guerillas of Grace and My Heart in My Mouth, contained passages which spoke to me in a deep, deep way. This one really didn't.

Hang in there! One more book to go and you reached the goal!

All good wishes for a bright, wonderful holiday!

Happy Holidays, Terri

Thanks, Linda and Caroline!

I wish I had time to visit each thread of my friends here on LT with holiday wishes. But time is in short supply for me right now, and may continue to be for the next week or so.

So let me just wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, a festive Kwanzaa, a sweet post-Solstice celebration -- a joyous whatever holiday season you may celebrate this time of year -- and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry, Merry Christmas to you dear one!

Merry Christmas, Terri!

#230 Thanks for the sparkly tree, Linda! Have a happy New Year!

#231 Thanks, Sherlyn! Have a happy New Year!

Book # 75 (!): Ghost in the Mirror: Real Cases of Spirit Encounters by Leslie Rule. Non-fiction, 231 pages. Purchased at Books a Million (I think) sometime in 2009.

It's probably appropriate that I hit my goal with a book from one of my favorite genres -- a collection of purportedly true ghost stories.

I grabbed this book off my shelf because it looked like a quick, easy read and I wanted to be sure I finished at least one more book this year to reach my goal in this challenge!

I've always thought that some of the creepiest stories involved people looking in the mirror and seeing someone who isn't supposed to be there . . . I thought this book would be full of stories like this. In reality, while each section featured such a story and the theme was emphasized throughout the book, there were lots of other kinds of ghost stories, too. These are all accounts that purport to be true. Some were pretty creepy, some less so. There was some theorizing about mirrors as portals into the nether realms, etc., that I don't necessarily buy into.

Rule includes contact information for those haunted places that are business establishments, such as restaurants and inns. That always makes me feel a little skeptical, wondering how many of the stories are real, and how many are just PR to draw business from people fascinated by the paranormal. Rule does seem to do a fair amount of investigating as far as the history behind the alleged hauntings, pointing out some legends which aren't supported by fact. (It's not unusual to see hauntings attributed to an event that supposedly happened years ago which, according to historical records, never really happened. . .)

This is a genre I enjoy and collect, and this was a fairly standard entry in my collection.

Book # 76: Ghost: Investigating the Other Side by Katherine Ramsland. Non-fiction, 300 pages. Purchased at library sale sometime in 2008. Finished 12/29/09.

This is a book that sat over half-read for much of this year. I'm not quite sure why I put it aside for so long. I suspect I was having trouble digesting some of Ramsland's adventures as she stumbled through her efforts to have a true paranormal experience.

This story grows out of her experiences researching her book on the Vampire sub-culture, during which she recieved a ring with a questionable history, and a possible ghost -- a not-so-nice ghost -- attached. For someone who purported to believe in the possibility of the supernatural as something with some power, she seemed to take a lot of reckless risks. She sought out all kinds of conflicting spiritual techniques and philosophies, sort of a paranormal smorgasbord, and ignored a lot of the advice she had sought out. It seemed that she alternately questioned and believed everything anyone said.

I suspect her attitude mirrors that of many people today: skeptical yet wanting to believe there's something more than what science can measure and explain. Struggling with all the conflicting theories of the paranormal which are out there claiming to be right. Drawn in by one convincing argument after another, some of which are mutually exclusive.

I kept waiting for her more critical investigative attitudes to reassert themselves, which eventually they did to some extent. Agreed: the field of paranormal investigation is not well served by those who blindly accept everything odd as paranormal, without looking for natural explainations. It makes it that much harder to objectively study those things which truly do seem unexplainable.

Which doesn't mean that her final actions in the book were all that sensible . . .

This book offered an interesting look at the very many ways people look at and deal with the paranormal, including some of the cutting-edge (or far-out fringe, depending on your viewpoint) developments in spirit communication.

Thanks, Stasia!

You are quite welcome. Congratulations!

Congratulations, Terri!

You ended 2009 with a real bang, Terri. Congrats to you and Happy Reading in 2010.

Congratulations, Terri! What a great way to close out your year of reading.

Happy New Year and see you over on the new thread starting tomorrow with a fresh new challenge.

Thanks, Darryl, Donna, and Caroline!

But I'm not done yet, I'm on a reading roll . . .

(No image available) Book # 77: A Child Shall Lead Them: Lessons in Hope from Children with Cancer by Diane M. Komp, M.D. Non-fiction; 168 pages plus endnotes.

A word of disclaimer: I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Komp when I was part of a chaplaincy training program years ago. She made such an impression upon me that I have sought out her writings.

From my review: Diane Komp is on the faculty of Yale Medical School, and a practicing pediatric oncologist. As such, her practice is not only devoted to the care of children with cancer, but she treats many of the sickest of the sick: those whose poor prognosis causes their families to seek out the most expert of care. And her career began at a time when the word "cure" was hardly even in the vocabulary for childhood cancer patients. I can't imagine a more difficult job. . . In this book, Dr. Komp shares her spiritual journey, as her experience of the suffering of children led her first away from, and then back to, faith in God. She shows us the strength of the young patients she treats, and how they can be an example to all of us as we face the issues of life and mortality.

full review here: http://www.librarything.com/work/758601/reviews/51671783

May I add a New Year's wish inspired by this book: God bless the doctors and nurses who care for all our sick and suffering children!

Book # 78: : The Great Boston Fire of 1872 by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco. Pictorial essay, 128 pages.

I hesitatate to count this, because it contains so little actual reading material -- just an introduction, photo captions, and acknowledgments. After starting it on Christmas day (having received it as a Christmas gift), I put it aside so something more, ah, verbal could have the honor of being #75, and finished off the last chapter today.

But I decided to include here it just to share its existence with those who might find it interesting. I probably won't include it in my 1010 challenge (and it's too new for the books off the shelf challenge!)

Review here: http://www.librarything.com/work/1641689

Thanks, Terri; I had not heard of this book or this writer before. I'll look for this book in NYC tomorrow, and order it from Amazon if I don't find it there.

Have a Happy New Year!

Congratulations on hitting 75, Terri! I'm looking forward to reading with you in 2010!

I guess it's time for top 10 lists, as I think I'm done reading until 2010 . . .

My top 10 non-fiction

1. Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy, by Diana Preston
2. Confederates in the Attic, by Tony Horwitz
3. The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger
4. A Death in Belmont, by Sebastian Junger
5. Report from Ground Zero, by Dennis Smith
6. Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds by Gary M. Pomerantz
7. 3000 Degrees by Sean Flynn
8. The Terrible Hours by Peter Maas
9. The White Cascade by Gary Krist
10.Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? by Jimmy Breslin

These are not in order, except for the top two. And I struggled over several other titles that I think may have been the equal of some of these books. I really, really read a lot of good non-fiction this year.

Congratulations on surpassing your goal Terri! I think I'll reference your great non-fiction list for my 1010 challenge. They all look so interesting. Happy New Year to you and your family!

My top ten fiction, in no particular order, except for #1-4:

1. Death is a Lonely Business by Ray Bradbury
2. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
3. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
4. Judas Child by Carol O'Connell
5. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
6. Easy by Philip Depoy
7. Find Me by Carol O'Connell
8. The Face by Dean Koontz
9. The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff
10.The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Note that these are purely subjective lists as of how I feel today, 12/31/09. If we check, we will probably find that they don't even match up with the number of stars I gave these and other books I read.

#243 You're welcome, Darryl. I feel honored to bring new reading material to your attention, as you have added much to my wishlist!

#242 Thanks, Terri! See you on the 2010 threads!

#246 Thanks, Bonnie! Hope you enjoy whatever you may glean from my list.

Happy New Year!

Terri - What great books you've read this year! I'll see you in 2010!

Congratulations on reaching the goal. I've enjoyed getting to know you and reading your thread! Thanks for all the kind comments posted throughout.

Happy New Year to you!

Thanks, Amy and Linda! Look forward to seeing what you read in 2010.

I already have more lined up to read in January than is humanly possible (except maybe for Stasia:)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year, Terri!