nannybebette; belva's 5th

Time for a new thread already. Time flies when life happens.

My 1st thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/58024

My 2nd thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/66879&...

My 3rd thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/69911

My 4th thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/72987

The 1st 100 books of 2009:




1. Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors
2. Collected Poems of Robert Frost by the same
3. King's Oak by Anne Rivers Siddons
4. Nora Jane-a Life in Stories by Ellen Gilchrist
5. Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
6. The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
7. Digging to America by Anne Tyler
8. Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler
9. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
10. Complete Poems & Plays, by T.S. Eliot
11. The River King by Alice Hoffman
12. Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman
13. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
14. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
15. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
16. Sweetwater Creek by Anne Rivers Siddons
17. Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons
18. Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky
19. Low Country by Anne Rivers Siddons
20. Sandpebbles by Patricia Hickman
21. Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons
22. Good Grief by Lolly Winston
23. Hill Towns by Anne Rivers Siddons
24. Ya Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells
25. Fault Lines by Anne Rivers Siddons
26. Pieces of my Heart by Robert Wagner
27. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
28. A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
29. Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
30. Language of the Threads by Gail Tsukiyama
31. Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons
32. The Last Valentine by James Michael Pratt
33. Do Dead People Watch You Shower by Bertoldi
34. Before You Knew Kindness by Chris Boyjalian
35. Thirteen Moons by Charles Fraizer
36. The Whole World Over by Julia Glass
37. The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg
38. Ordinary Life by Elizabeth Berg
39. Downtown by Anne Rivers Siddons
40. Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg
41. Rachel's Quilt by Sheila Spencer-Smith
42. Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
43. Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout
44. I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass
45. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowlings
46. The Sea Lady by Margaret Drabble
47. A Slipping-Down Life by Anne Tyler
48. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
49. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
50. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
51. The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
52. The Dream Comes True by Barbara Delinsky
53. The Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau
54. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowlings
55. The Memoir Club by Laura Kalpakian
56. One Extra*Ordinary Day by Harold Myra
57. Night Train to Lisbon
by Emily Grayson
58. Your Labrador Retriever by September B Morn (my guess is a pseudonym)
59. Guide to Owning a Labrador Retriever by Richard T. Burrows
60. Music of Falling Water by Julia Oliver
61. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
62. The Precious Present by Spencer Johnson
63. An Absolute Scandal by Penny Vincenzi
64. The Complete Stories of TRUMAN CAPOTE by of course, Truman Capote
65. The Breakdown Lane by Jacquelyn Mitchard
66. Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons
67. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
68. Eggshell Days by Rebecca Gregson
69. A Bluethroat Morning by Jacqui Lofthouse
70. Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell
71. Foxes Earth by Anne Rivers Siddons
72. Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA by Kris Radish
73. Shop Girl by Steve Martin
74. Three Junes by Julia Glass
75. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen
76. Beloved by Toni Morrison
77. Adam the King by Jeffrey Lewis
78. The Woman Next Door by Barbara Delinsky
79. Local Girls by Alice Hoffman
80. Spring and Fall by Nicholas Delbanco
81. The Saturday Wife by Naomi Ragen
82. Minotaur by Benjamin Tammuz
00. Crime and Punishment
83. Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery
84. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
85. Big as Life by Maureen Howard
86. Studies in Classic American Literature by D.H. Lawrence
87. The Holiday by Stevie Smith
88. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
89. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
90. The Razor's Edge by Sumerset Maughm
91. The Fireman's Wife by Jack Riggs (ER)
92. Conscience Point by Erica Abeel (ER)
93. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck
94. The Blank Wall by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding
95. The Penelopiad by
Margaret Atwood
96. March by Geraldine Brooks
97. The Moment Between by Nicole Baart
98. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
99. The Lost City of Z; A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
100. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

2nd 100 books of 2009:




101. Capote by Gerald Clarke
102. Forest Cats of North America by Jerry Kobalenko
103. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
104. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
105. The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne
106. What Jane Austen Taught Me About Love and Romance by Debra White Smith
107. How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler
108. Looking After Pigeon by Maud Markson
109. To A God Unknown by John Steinbeck
110. The Embers by Hyatt Bass
111. Bantam of the Opera by Mary Jane Auch
112. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
113. Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy
114. Love Letters from Cell 92 by Bonhoeffer and Von Wedemeyer
115. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
116. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
117. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L'Engle
118. A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
119. The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo
120. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
121. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
122. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
123. Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
124. Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found by Jennifer Lauck
125. Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
126. Burning Bright by John Steinbeck
127. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
128. Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
129. The Black Fawn by Jim Kjelgaard
130. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
131. Anna Karinina by Leo Tolstoy
132. Frost in May by Antonia White
133. Little Grey Men by B.B.
134. Battle Cry of Freedom by James M McPherson
135. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
136. The Rising Tide by M.J. Farrell / Molly Keane
137. The Land of Spices by Kate O'Brien
138. Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison
139. The Life and Death of Harriett Frean by May Sinclair
140. Jonah's Gourd Vine by Zora Neale Hurston
141. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
142. The Short Reign of Pippin IV by John Steinbeck
143. The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Whew!~! With that one I finish my 999 challenge that I started in May and bumped my challenge up to 200 books. Wish me luck.

144. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
145. No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym
146. Allegheny, Monongahela by Erinn Batykefer
147. Out of Love by Victoria Clayton
148. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
149. The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs
150. Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
151. All God's Children Need Travelling Shoes by Maya Angelou
152. The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
153. Myself When Young by Daphne Du Maurier
154. The Loving Spirit by Daphne Du Maurier
155. I'll Never Be Young Again by Daphne Du Maurier
156. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James
157. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
158. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
159. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
160. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
161. The Beast in the Jungle and Other Stories by Henry James
162. All Passion Spent by Vita Asckville-West
163. Dracula by Bram Stoker
164. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
165. The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
166. Without My Cloak by Kate O'Brien
167. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
168. For One Sweet Grape or That Lady by Kate O'Brien
169. Virginia Woolf's Women by Vanessa Curtis
170. An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
171. Goodnight Sweetheart by Annie Groves
172. Some Sunny Day by Annie Groves
173. The Grafton Girls by Annie Groves
174. As Time Goes By by Annie Groves
175. Ellie Pride by Annie Groves
176. Connie's Courage by Annie Groves
177. Hettie of Hope Street by Annie Groves
178. The Virago Book of Ghost Stories edited by Richard Dalby
179. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
180. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
181. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
182. Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
183. The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rugen by Elizabeth von Arnim
184. The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector
185. Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman
186. Thin Threads: Real Stories of Life Changing Moments compiled by Stacey K. Battat ARC/ER
187. The Cat Came Home for Christmas and Other Romantic Tales by Globe Digest Series
188. Passing by Nella Larsen
189. Can This be Christmas? by Debbie Macomber
189. Shirley, Goodness and Mercy by Debbie Macomber
190. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
191. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
192. English Diaries and Journals by Kate O'Brien
193. Dina's Book by H. Wassmo
194. The Virago Book of Christmas edited by Michelle Lovric
195. The Moorland Cottage by Elizabeth Gaskell
196. Christmas Treasury by Louisa May Alcott & edited by Stephen W. Hines
197. Christmas with Anne by L. M. Montgomery
198. The Overlanders by Dora Birtles
199. The Snow Goose and Other Legends by Paul Gallico
200. The Lifted Veil by George Eliot

And with that last one, I have completed my 200 book challenge on the 50 book challenge thread. I don't quite know where to go now. Perhaps just over to Club Read, perhaps the 75 or 100 book challenge. IDK!~! I just know that looking back over my reads of 2009, I am not really satisfied. I think I need to challenge myself much more and then also to read more kind and gentle books as well. So I am suffering a bit of a conundrum at this point and know I need to decide soon. Ah.........................I will just think about it. After all, tomorrow is another day.
Year end hugs for all!~!
belva

Newest update on Chrissy. Some of you have already read it. I put it up yesterday. It is just a funny little story of a broken girl mending. My luv to you all and many thanks for your support through all of this.

Just a very funny aside regarding the Chrissy thing.
Yesterday (Monday) the therapists were coming down the hall and Chrissy heard them (she thinks these two guys are pretty cute and you can tell----she does have a boyfriend of 3 years, but it's okay to flirt) and motioned for her helmet (she is bald and doesn't like them to see her head), and her pants. She grabbed her walker, slid off her bed and down the hall she went to the nurses station where the therapists were. The nurses and therapists all gave her a standing ovation. She was so proud. (and flirty!~!)
She is still not talking, but they have her humming and trying to make noises. And she had the surgery to put "part" of her skull back on today. They will be doing more of that later. While they were in there (surgery), they checked out her brain very carefully and say they can see no reason at this time for her to not make an almost complete recovery and live a full and fruitful life.
Yea Chrissy!~!~! We are so happy she is such a stubborn girl.

Such a wonderful story, Belva! I am still remembering Chrissy in my prayers.

And I have you starred. I think 200 will be no problem!!
--BJ

Sorry, Belva, but it is not giving me permission to see Chrissy. Don't the FB people know she has many friends on LT that want to meet her?

Thanks for trying Donna.

CHRISSY'S PICTURE IS ON MY PROFILE PAGE NOW.

belva

Found ya, starred ya, thinking of ya Belva... xx

P.S. What a beautiful niece! This story has moved me so much, especially given my 19 year-old sister's recent (if relatively minor) car accident... It's amazing how far your brave girl has come in such a short time, pass on all our congratulations to her!

Good Morning Belva,

A lovely young woman. And lots of positive energy being sent her way!

Thinking often of you and yours,
Joanne

Thanks for posting Chrissy's picture. What a darling girl she is!

Isn't she pretty? And she is doing so wonderfully well now. Still on the Neurological Unit, but is doing therapy and working so hard. Not really talking, but is beginning to hum and make vocal noises so hopefully it won't be long.
Thanks guys!~!
love ya,
belva

HEY---------is everyone ready to go on Sunday? Don't forget to "fall back" on your clocks as it is the end of daylight savings time (here, anyway) and Whoo Hoo--------

WE BEGIN PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!~!

YEA!~!

Ugh! I am so frustrated. I'm still waiting for my book from the blankityblank library. Someone is holding on to a book that was due 10-5-09 #*#**** and others are due back around 11-5-09. Why did I ever give my book away?! *^&*#&@82. Ugh!

Belva- Yes, your niece looks like quite a sweetheart! Best wishes are still winging their way to you!
People of the Book! People of the Book!
>Carmenere- Those blankityblank libraries make me so mad! We are only reading just over a 120 pages the 1st week, so you could catch up pretty quickly.

Cracking my People book open...Yeah!! Belva, more love and light winging its way to you and Chrissy. Thanks for posting the picture. It's nice to actually see who we are rooting for!

I began People of the Book last night and am loving it thus far. I like the writing of Geraldine Brooks so very much. There is a smoothness about her writing that I find quite comforting no matter the material. I hope everyone is enjoying the read.
belva

I started yesterday too - I'm not too far in yet though because I'm having to do a madcap clean-up of my flat for when the whole house is valued tomorrow - that's the main house, my flat and the workshop. We're not even putting it on the market until spring but the estate agents have insisted on sending someone now. And my flat is just full of boxes and books and magazines and paperwork, it's a disaster!

Still, between reading at the shop and cleaning at home, I think 'twill be okay - and once the guy's left tomorrow I have the rest of the day to read in a newly tidy living room, complete with a jumbo tin of chocolates that I sneaked into my grocery shop! My new filling's still playing havoc with eating but I'm prepared to overlook it for chocolates. :-)

Over in "Le Salon Litteraire du Peuple pour le Peuple," Salon founder EnriqueFreeque started a thread called "Thanksgiving" in which he publicly gives thanks for his blessings.

You, my dear fiancee, make every day brighter and happier just by being in it. I wish every patient in Chrissy's situation had at least one Belva to cheer, to applaud, to fret and worry, and to pray like sixty for them. No one would ever be hungry, or lonely, or sad in a world run by Belva, because Belva is the antidote to all those feelings.

Thank you for being my friend.

Richard;
You just made my heart sing. My world is a better place for having you in it. Thank you for being MY friend. Always there, always cares.
Love ya St.
belva

Just checking in to see how things are with you and yours...
sounds as if Chrissy is doing great, and clearly, she is an amazing girl....
So Happy for you all!

.....

Belva- Yes, you are a ray of sunshine and it's great when you drop by. The group read is going great, huh?

Awww Belva - I can feel the love on this thread! There's a reason I call you 'the fairy godmother of LibraryThing', y'know!

Belva -

Adding my two cents worth to the growing collection of "lovings" being sincerely sent your way.

You are dear to me and a real sweetheart to your friends and family.

It is a pleasure to be one of your friends.

With love,

Ruth

Aw, Kath, Mark, Ellie, and Ruthie;
I love you guys!~! You always make my days brighter.
And guess what??????????????

CHRISSY MAY GET TO GO HOME ON THE 11th!~!

She is walking with a walker, using some words and trying to say others, making sounds for them, humming and what not.

She is my hero along with her mother, Julie or Jules, as we tend to call her. What a ride this has been and if it hadn't been for my friends on L.T. (because I tend to stay home most of the time, you are my only friends bar one) I probably would have ended up back on One South at St. Peter's Hospital.
But that didn't happen and I feel more and more of belva's life slipping back in, thanks to Chrissy's fight, recovery and you all.
So..............here's to you, my friends.
Luv n hugs,
belva

luv n hugs back at ya belva! and a tip of the hat to Jules ~
Confetti all over Chrissy!

Awe Belva, such good news. Let's share a teapot of cyber tea and exhale.

Let's Do!~!~!
And let's make the confetti purple as Jules loves the color purple. (Chrissy likes it too) It is even in all of her user codes and email addresses. Most of her clothes are purple and all of her tatoos are purple. Yes, our Jules has tats. I don't think she would be such a fierce mother if she weren't such a rad personality!~!
Thanx ladies,
belva

Belva, that's great news about Chrissy! Her recovery is going so well :)

Okaaaaaaaaaay;
Am reading People of the Book (group read), War and Peace (group read), Vanity Fair (group read) Elizabeth and her German Garden (Author of the Month read), Real Stories of Life Changing Moments (ARC/ER), and I think that is it for now. November is a busy month. I have so much I want to read for this month and next month as well.
I am looking forward to January so I can begin my 2010 challenge, (10/10/10 with 2 bonus categories of 10 each as well) and I am hoping that I am caught up with all my other reads by then so that I can begin with a clear, uncluttered mind.
belva

Yay for purple confetti! Sounds gorgeous to me. Congratulations on Chrissy's progress!

Hi Belva, I just wanted to check in and see how everything was going before I shut down for the niight. So happy to continue to hear good news regarding Chrissy.

And Wow - what a lineup of books you're reading! I keeping seeing comments about how well the group read of PoftheB is going. Nice job and congrats to you and Mark!

Night sweetie! Joanne

Hi, Belva! It's always good to hear how Chrissy is doing. Glad you're hanging in there too!

Hi, Belva!
I am so happy to see the wonderful news about Chrissy!!! :) What a wonderful blessing!! :) I know that you have been a rock for your family in this difficult time. Thanks for being you. God bless.
--BJ

Hi Belva - I only got caught up on your Challenge threads about a week ago, when you'd reported on Chrissy's improvements. I looked back at your other thread to see what had happened, and although I knew the worst had passed (thank heavens!), I still shed a few tears reading about it. We hear so much bad news, it can be hard sometimes to believe things might get better. I am so so happy that the outcome for Chrissy and your family is a good one! It sounds like she's a tough cookie -- and it seems that same strength runs in your family. ;-)

My best to you and Chrissy and all your family. Thanksgiving is coming soon, and you'll have much to celebrate! :-)

Marie

Hi Belva, just checking in to see how everything is going. Glad to see that your beautiful niece is improving. Happy reading!

That's wonderful news about Chrissie. I'm so happy for you all.

Wow, I go away for a couple of days and come back to:
wookiebender,
Joanne,
bonnie,
--BJ,
HMF,
Delta, and
aruba..............
all coming to my little thread and bringing the love. Thank all of you so very much. I have felt every bit of it all the way throughout this trial. Chrissy may get to go home today; we don't know for sure yet. Will keep you posted!~!
How are all of you? It is nice that my life is coming back slowly but surely. I have been in such a Chrissy cocoon that I don't know what is going on with all my L.T. friends nor did I realize, until this happened, how many of you I have and I appreciate each and every one of you. I need to hit all of your threads and see what I have missed, what is going on in your lives and what all of you are reading these days.
I am, of course, still reading People of the Book and just this morning finished Vanity Fair and truly enjoyed it. I didn't even know who William Makepeace Thackeray was (I, of course had heard the name but didn't have any idea what he wrote) until I began that group read. I was supposed to be reading Life and Fate but Vanity Fair arrived first and I did know that they were both tomes so I just switched the order of my reads. Now I shall begin Life and Fate. I understand it is very good, but I am still also reading War and Peace so I'm hoping they are quite different. The POTB group read is going wonderfully well as it should with all the participation and great comments I have been reading. It is a very good book.
I am no --BJ; I don't know how I got hooked into so many group reads at once. But I AM trying --BJ. You are the group read hero!~! Seven and eight at a time!
Well, I will talk to you all later on your threads. Thank you so much for coming by and all the support.
luv n hugs,
belva

Belva, you are the hero to each and every one of us! :)
God bless,
--BJ

Gosh, --BJ;
You are making me blush. Thank you
big hug,
belva

My husband and I cleaned gutters yesterday and I went to Seattle today and watched Chrissy tie her shoes! What a woman!~! The hospital van was taking some of the more mobile patients and family members to the Aquarium and Chrissy was so excited to go. She is talking well now, but her voice has a kind of monotone to it. Her speech has improved so much though. And on Sunday they are letting her go (for a few hours) to the apartment that they have rented. They have rented the unit until they can go back home to Alaska. Chrissy is making huge strides!~!
I jumped ahead of the group last night and finished POTB. I thought it very good, but would have liked to have seen more of each main character's story line.
So ............ still with War and Peace and Elizabeth's German Garden. Have not yet begun Life and Fate. I may finish War and Peace first.
Have any of you read both of them? Are they very much alike? If so, I just may put off Life and Fate and read some more of the "Author of the Month" and some different and lighter group reads so please let me know if you and any input here.
thanx,
belva

Belva- Thanks for the very encouraging update on Chrissy! Wonderful news! Sounds like you have your hands full with your reading challenges! You can dooooo itttt!

Wow! Chrissy really sounds like she is doing well! How many weeks since the accident, Belva?

The news about Chrissy just gets better and better. What a wonderful miracle.
--BJ

I'm so glad Chrissy continues to improve.

I don't think Life and Fate is very much like War and Peace, other than that they both are set during war and are huge family sagas. I've only read about 250 pp of Life and Fate so far, but my advice would be Do Not skip this book.

Wonderful news about Chrissy. Isn't Thanksgiving around now (forgive the non American's vagueness)? Will you be able to spend it with her? Truly something to be thankful for.

Okay, arubabookwoman; you talked me into it. I think I can do both of them at once and began Life and Fate this afternoon. So far I'm just getting into it and familiarizing myself with the wheres and whens, etc. But looks good thus far. Thank you for the encouragement.

Mark, bonnie, --BJ, Robert;
Life is becoming good again. Limbo--------not such a great place. But our girl is coming along by leaps and bounds. We don't know what more to expect out of her each day. It has been only 7 weeks since her accident bonnie so she has come a very long way in a very short time. And yes, it is miraculous!~!
Robert, our Thanksgiving is in two weeks and this year we truly have a lot to be thankful for. We don't know yet if we will be able to spend it with her. I know her grandma and grandpa will be there, her boyfriend, her 2 brothers, 2 cousins, another auntie so that is a great deal of people. Plus if we go, then my mother will be all alone so most likely we shall remain home and I will cook; we will bring my mother to our house and have our 2 local children and their families and settle for a phone call with Chrissy and her's. Hopefully our daughter in Texas will be spending the day with friends. She has some marvelous friends. When I go down to visit her, sometimes she tells me; "Okay, this trip you will be staying with so and so because I have such and such going on." It's pretty funny. She has about 6 friends that all have a room for me whenever. Just like one huge happy family. Some are straight and some are gay and they all treat me like I am the cat's meow. Really nice.
Will, you all take care. I think I need to do some thread hopping.
luv to all,
belva

Awww Belva, big hugs to ALL of you... you are the cat's meow, after all! I must say, I'm very impressed by your reading list at the moment. My ABC challenge has taken quite a hit at 'I' - I'm waiting to see how Cinnamon City turns out after the Bronte Book Mistake - but I've enjoyed Week 2 of POTB even more than week 1 so that's been fun! :-)

Miss ellie;
I missed it. What Bronte book mistake?
And yes, POTB has been awesome!~!
hugs,
belva

I started reading Authors in Context: The Brontes for my 'I' read, thinking it was going to be a biography with some historical information and a bit about adaptations of their work - but it's actually only a short bio with a whole lot of critical material on the books. Which may explain why I thought it was a good idea when I bought it during the Uni Years...

So I gave it up to the bookshop and I've started Cinnamon City again from the beginning (I was only about 50 pages in) and now I'm really enjoying it. I think my lack of concentration was swirling all the foreign names and terms around a bit too much last time!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, gotcha!~! I like having my authors in my own context. Not that I don't read biographies of authors, I do........especially women authors of years ago. But I don't think that one would be satisfying to me either.
love ya,
belva

just dropping by to say hi and thanks for visiting my thread.

pleased to hear of such good progress for your Chrissy.

Belva - yes, I still have Lucasta Miller's The Bronte Myth on my shelf, plus Daphne du Maurier's The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte and I'm sure there's a copy of Gaskell's biography of Charlotte kicking around in a box of old books somewhere... PLENTY to go at without worrying about this one!

Hi Belva, thanks for stopping by my thread over the weekend and thank for the congratulations. It's so nice to see your posts around the threads again, it's not the same here without you! I'm glad that Chrissy is doing so well, what an amazing girl she is.

I did really enjoy the People of the Book group read, we've got a great group! The book wasn't what I expected going into it but I really enjoyed it, for the most part (I'm not a fan of Hanna or her mother, especially now that I've finished it). I highly recommend The Thirteenth Tale, I'd think you'd enjoy it and this is the perfect time of year for it. When it gets cold, dark, windy, and rainy out, just cozy up with that book and enjoy the ride :)

I've just skipped ahead and finished People of the Book for the group read too - but I don't think I'll add my thoughts to the thread for week 3 until Thursday, when more people are likely to have finished it too... I didn't much like Hanna and her mother either - jeez, what a harridan! - though I did think Hanna seemed more likeable with Jim in her native Australia at the end. And another recommendation for The Thirteenth Tale - can I resist until the festive laziness of the Christmas holidays?!

Hi Belva! So glad to catch up on your thread and hear the great Chrissie news!! I know this Thanksgiving will be a special one for you and your family.

Really enjoyed People of the Book, although I liked the historical personalities more than the present day Hanna. I don't think I'd bash her as much as some people have, but I'll throw in her mother for sure!

Hugs!

I had a whole long response to all of you here and added info on Chrissy and my father-in-law, but it is now out there somewhere in computerland.
Update on father-in-law on Marks profile.
I am going back to bed and will re-do this post later when feeling better.
Love to all,
belva

Best wishes to your father-in-law and to you. Take care of yourself, Belva.

Much love,

Dad has now been moved to a long term care facility. We don't know if it will be permanent or not. He hasn't recognized anyone in the family since last Sunday afternoon, which is very sad as one sisters (these are my in-laws) who lives in Kentucky was unable to get a flight out until Monday early. They still don't know exactly what is it is but he is definitely suffering from "sundowners". So when we go to visit, we try to go earlier in the day as his days start going to shit about 3:00 or so. He still doesn't know us, but seems content and happy enough until then. And it is so hard to see him like that.

I have been trying to keep busy. The vertigo is all but gone. I only fell once yesterday and it was pretty funny. I mainly stayed in bed and played with my pretty picture books but I feel much better now. I try not to bend over; I kneel and I don't turn my hear; I turn my shoulders. That seems to be working at this point. So far, my biggest whoops, was when I was cleaning the litter pan. I was leaning and I just slowly kept on going. I yelled for the husband and he caught me just in time. Talk about "egg" on your face!~!

I finished Life and Fate by Vasili Grossman this morning. What a powerful novel. This was only the 3rd book I had read from the Eastern front's perpspesctive and I didn't even realize it until rebeccanyc posted a comment on the 2nd thread of that group read. Grossman, in my humble opinion used the war as the main character and I think he did it quite masterfully. There were many underlying snippits and snapshots of human interest stories but only one that seemed to follow through very much. That is my only complaint about this book. It is a fascinating read. I am so glad I read it and I am especially glad that I read it in the spirit of a group read.

Now if I can just get past War and Peace; another group read. But I have until the end of the year for that one. Currently I have that on my plate, The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rugen, (at the point of which right now, I am preparing to jump into the book and bitch-slap dear cousin Charlotte); but other than that, it is wonderful, and I am getting ready and building up to begin the dreaded Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land by Herman Melville. U sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssee,
we hatesssssssssssssssssssssss Melville.
We doessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssn't
like him at all sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssso
we doessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssn't
know why we sssssssssssssssssssssssssigned up to read him, but now we mussssssssssssst
and we isssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssn't
happy about the ssssssssssssssssssssituation.
belva

Berly, miss ellie, spacespuds, and calm.............
****big waves to U*****

hi belva! *waves back* be well;)

*waves to all*

eta

glad you didn't do a dive into the litter pan...

Hey Belva- Thanks for the update on "Dad"! Please keep us informed! What's your problem with Melville? I've only read Moby Dick but thought it was outstanding!

Hiya Belva - Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. I hope things are starting to calm down in your life and that you will soon be feeling fit as a fiddle. Joanne

See, it is the small things in life that make us so happy...kudos missing the litter bin! Hope your Dad gets his memory back, and if not, that his fog remains blissfully happy. So sorry. Hugs for Thanksgiving and I might suggest that you not do any of the serving, but sit happily upright in your chair. :) (You don't want to dump the gravy on anyone, afterall.)

Lots of Love to you and for all my other favorite people here!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Belva.

You will be in my thoughts and I send gratitude your way for all of your loving posts this year, my first on LT.

It is wonderful to read the good news about Chrissie, and sad, of course to read of the struggles of your father-in-law. Hope your dizziness clears up quickly, too.

With love,

Ruth

Hi, Belva,
I hope that you have a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving full of family and friends and good books.
Love,
--BJ

A big wave right back at you and a happy thanksgiving!

I'm really sorry about your father-in-law, it's so heartbreaking watching someone you love go through that. My grandfather had dementia and for a while, he only recognized one family member. He'd spend hours in front of the mirror talking to his reflection and not realizing that it wasn't a separate person, and he'd get agitated that his reflection wasn't responding. It would have been hilarious if it wasn't so sad. He did eventually get back to a good, lucid period for a while. I hope your father-in-law is able to come back to himself too.

And take care of yourself, hope you are also feeling better.

Belva - Have a great Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone;
Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate the care, concern and friendship of everyone.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Ours was nice and quiet. Only eight at table and I ordered a cooked dinner from the local deli. It was wonderful. I did pies, extra mashed spuds and gravy, dressing, sweet potatoes and a salad. But they did a very good turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls and a pumpkin pie. So I did take a lot of stress off myself.
My vertigo is gone; just still a little dizzy, but I can cope with that.
Dad is content. He isn't aware of where he is most of the time, sometimes he recognizes us; sometimes not. But they are taking good care of him and he is not sad nor begging to come home. That would make it so much more difficult if he were unhappy, but he isn't. He is just accepting of where he is and what is happening in the moment. That is all he seems aware of most of the time. We are hoping he will get better. This is our second go round with this so we know it is possible, but we are prepared that if he doesn't, this is the way things will be.
Chrissy is expected to be able to go home to Alaska somewhere around the middle of December. We are all excited and happy about that. She is definitely our miracle girl!~! Her mom & dad haven't yet decided if they will remain in Alaska & fly her in from the island to Ketchikan daily for her therapy or come back down to Seattle and have her do her therapy at Harborview. Time will tell.

Mark;
You asked:
"What's your problem with Melville? I've only read Moby Dick but thought it was outstanding!"
That's the one; you hit it in a nutshell!~! I have tried Moby Dick 3 or 4 times and I just have a problem with the way he writes in that I get lost in there somewhere. I have yet to be able to read more than a third of it. I read a book of his shorts and same thing. I hated them........................all of them. To me, he is the dreaded author. (He and James Joyce. But I am not giving up. I never give up. In the near future I have slated for myself Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land and Pierre: or, The Ambiguities. Maybe if I can get through some of his other works I can go back and make it through Moby Dick.

Happy Days After!~!
hugs to all,
belva

Belva--I admire your tenacity with Melville, but seriously, why torture yourself if he doesn't float your boat. Save your valuable time for someone you like! Love ya!

Berly makes an excellent point! I was just interested in why you didn't like him! With massive amounts of choice unread books out there, why get bogged down!

I did get through Moby Dick, but would really appreciate having those hours back again. Never, never again.

There is a thought in Moby Dick that sticks with me to this day. I can not remember the line verbatim but the jist of it is that you know your in a warm cozy, dry place when you stick your toe out from under the sheets and feel how cold it is where you were before you found a warm place. It may sound silly but I do that occassionally and give thanks for the warmth of a duna on a cold winters night.

Moby is a very well told story but one needs to be in the mood for it. I remember I picked it up once or twice before I sunk my teeth into it. Something is going to trigger your need to pick it up again Belva, someday.

I've never read Moby Dick but I absolutely love Bartleby the Scrivener ! If you say Melville hasn't been your thing so far but you're still trying,maybe you should give that a try. You know why? Because it's less than 100 pages long! Start with little steps. One at a time. :)) Maybe one day you'll get to enjoy the dreaded Moby Dick!

I've managed 2/3 of Moby Dick. I do have to say I was rather entertained, but the *second* chapter about the white whale in art gave me conniptions. What, one whole digressive chapter wasn't enough? He had to write *another*??

And I haven't been back. But I will. One day, just not today.

flying through and waving... off to work!

hi belva. glad things are looking better for you. and chrissy is truly a miracle girl. on melville, i've been told that his book typee is good. but i've been told many things. not all true as i found out the hard way... but it's always fun finding out.

I have a hard time with Melville unless I'm just in a very particular mood for his style of writing. I loved Moby Dick for the most part, but there were some chapters in the book where if I were the editor, I would have just slashed because he was losing me.

Dearest Belva, I'm just flitting by to send sweet wishes your way and to hope that the world will soon be set to rights for our LT fairy godmother... these threads have lost a little of their their magic sparkle without you! xx

Hi Belva thanks for dropping by.

Thanks again to you and mark for arranging such a great group read.You are right it was a wonderful book to read and I am really glad I got the edition with that cover art. Reminds me I haven't posted a review yet - eeks another one!

Also set and ready for January's World Without End!

take care of yourself;)

calm

Hey, Belva! 184 books! Aren't you a bit of an overachiever for the 50-Book group? ;-) When your thread started unveiling itself today, I saw that you had just read Book #99, Lost City of Z. I thought, "Yeah! I'm going to read that next, so we can talk about it--no, wait, here comes the next thread..." and it kept going on and on. Except for Vanity Fair, I'm not recognizing the titles or the authors so I'm not commenting, but I do visit every time you post. Take care!

Hey all:

>#71:
Berly; yup, I have the tenacity of a bulldog!~!
I have given up on Moby Dick for a while. But I am going to read Melville's Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land. I am "planning" on enjoying this one.

>#s 72 & 73
Mark & Robert;
Thanks for popping by and for your Melville input. I am impressed that you stuck it out, the both of you. (Moby Dick, that is.) I know that technically it is a wonderful book so I really want (some day) to be able to read it. But I think I will wait a year or two again before re-trying.

>#74:
Carmenere;
Thank you for the encouragement. And I love that analogy!~! And am amazed that it came from Moby Dick.

>#75:
Hey gug;
Nice to see and hear from you. I went right over to my libraries site and put Bartleby the Scrivener on hold. Baby steps; I love them. Thank you.

>#76:
wookiebender;
Yes!~! That is me, exactly! And one day, just not soon, right? Yeah.

>#77:
Hey Kath, darlin';
Thanx for poppin' in to say hi/by on your way through. Hope things are going well for you and that all of your four legged family members are doing well. Happy holidays!~!

>#78:
Brian;
Yup, you're exactly right! It's not the being there, but the getting there that is the real trip!~! Thanx for stopping by.

>#79
cameling;
So what kind of a mood is a "Melville mood? Hmmmmmmmmm, I will have to think about that one because I can totally see the realism of that comment. Thanx!~!

>#80:
miss elliepotten;
You are just too sweet!~! Thank you. I hope everything is going well in your world and that you enjoyed your visit with your sis and family.
How is the shop going? Still having "characters" popping in now and then? Take care and Happy Yule Tidings to you.

>#81:
calm;
The People of the Book group read was wonderful wasn't it? I was so impressed with the running dialog and comments that carried through with the reading of that one. It was just an excellent group read choice.
I haven't even been doing reviews lately. Will get back on that horse one day. I have to do one today as I read an ARC/ER book yesterday so I need to get that one up. I actually have already done it on the book page, just not my thread.
Thanx for popping by. Catch you later.

>#82:
Hi bonnie;
How are you? Did you have a good Thanksgiving? I was wondering if both boys made it home for the holiday with you.
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon is a wonderful book. I am so glad you are going to read it. That one has really stuck with me and is definitely in my top 10 for the year. So, yeah, we can talk about it if you like. It is a fascinating story and when I read it, I felt like I was right there!~!
Thank you for stopping by. It is nice to be climbing back into my own life little by little.

Thank you everyone for coming by my thread to say hello. I truly appreciate it. It is nice to be thought of even if I haven't had much time to be here myself.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and wish all of you a lovely holiday season.
best wishes to all and a warm hug,
belva

Thin Threads: real stories of Life Changing Moments compiled by Stacey K. Battat.

My thoughts and comments:

This book reminded me greatly of the Reader's Digest's "My Most Unforgettable Character" segments except it would need to be called "My Most Unforgettable Moment". It was a quick, nice little read. It took me perhaps 1 1/2 hours to read it. I read it yesterday and have already forgotten all of the stories. So I would say this might be a good book for someone getting over an injury or illness. It is definitely a book without depth but I did want to finish it so it does have some redeeming qualities.
belva

Hmm, sounds like the title says it all.

Ahh.... a good one to skip then. Thanks for the heads up.

Hi Belva! Yes, the characters are still coming, some nicer than others but all stories to be told... Unfortunately it looks like our regular battleaxe Mrs Hadfield, who was very abrupt (think sergeant major) but is finally mellowing and actually called me by my name this week, might be rather ill. She had a stroke three weeks ago and when she came to see us on Thursday she was having trouble with her memory, and had started hallucinating (a woman in red wearing sandals) which she said was a precursor to that first stroke. When I called that afternoon she was waiting for someone to take her to hospital to get it checked out. So we'll be rather worried until she comes back or rings us about the book we have for her, and we know she's okay. It made me cry a little bit when I came off the phone - we're starting to gather a kind of extended family around us here, and it's so horrible when something happens to one of them!

#87 Ellie, I think that it is wonderful that your shop is gathering an extended family. Even though it is sad when things go wrong, it is so nice to have the support, too. I hope that someday, I will be able to come to your shop!!!

Belva,
All this discussion on Moby Dick has me worried. That was my one big goal for next year. That and continuing to chip away at reading the entire Bible.

Great news about Chrissy. She is still on my prayer list. Take care.
--BJ

> Yup Joanne, the title says it all. Not badly written but it was an "as told to" book and each little story is generally 3 or 4 pages long so not even short stories or novellas. Bathroom reading or sickbed reading, I would have to say. And we do always need to have a couple of those around the house. (Unless, of course, one does have The Readers Digest.
big puppy dog hug,

>cameling;
I think so. It is a very quick read and like I told Joanne, we all know those have their places but I can't see putting out the money for this one.
hugs,

>miss ellie, that is so sad about your little lady cusomer, but so nice when it all comes together and owners and patrons come to care about each other. My favorite bookstore (long out of business now) used to put out one of those big coffee urns during the holidays filled with hot spiced cider and hot paper cups for the customers. People would come in from the cold and browse so long they generally felt guilty if they didn't make a purchase. Sheila, my friend who owned the store, said they made many a sale with that ruse and the shop smelled soooooo good during holiday season.
luv ya,

>Hey --BJ;
I have neglected you so sadly. I have neglected all of my L.T. friends so sadly. I'm very sorry but thankfully my life is slowly becoming my own again. Chrissy is still in hospital but doing therapy and doing it very well, if I may say. We talk on the phone now that she can talk again so I am not up there as much.
My father-in-law- is much closer. They moved him from hospital to long-term-care in Centralia so he is just over an hour away. He suffered a seizure and that got him to the hospital in Olympia first of all. Then the neurologist thinks he had a stroke while in hospital. The family is doing paper work and having him evaluated to see if he can come to one of the long-term-care units in Morton. We are a teeny town of only 1200 persons, but we have a hospital (very up to day) and 4 long-term-care facilities. We are a community with a lot of senior citizens at this point in time. Not a lot of jobs, but a great little place to retire.
Sorry about bursting your bubble regarding Moby Dick. Some people love it. I am not going to attempt it in 2010 but in 2011 I think I will. This coming year I am going to read some of his smaller works and see if I can work up to it for 2011. By then perhaps someone will have a group read of it going on.
How have you been and were both girls home for Thanksgiving? Will both be there for Christmas? I hope you have a lovely holiday season.
big warm hug,

Thanx to all for popping by.
19 degrees here at 8:00 A.M. with 20 mph winds. Yesterday was even colder
big winter warm hug to all,
belva

book # 187: The Cat Came Home For Christmas:

my thoughts and comments:

Just a very nice little book of short stories of kitties at Christmas time. This was a very cozy, warm read for a very cold and windy night. As the wind was literally howling around the house last night, I was cuddled up in bed with the kitties reading this one. The guys were still watching football.
Boy, we saw some strange plays yesterday in all those games. I felt kind of bad for Zorn with that one screwball play where Washington passed the ball, their guy caught it sort of on his back on top of the New Orleans player and when they went to get up the Saint stripped the ball and ran it in for a touchdown. It was challenged, of course, but after much going over that play, the refs called it as it stood----------a touchdown. We couldn't tell for sure if he had a foot/knee down from our angle, but at any rate----------------what a day for some good football watching. And the Seahawks won!~!~! Yeah!~!
And that's my book report.
luv n hugs all round,
belva

Next up: the dreaded Melville with his Clarel. I am actually kind of looking forward to this challenge. And of course I am still deep with the Napoleonic/Russian war with War and Peace. Moscow has just been taken/given; whatever. The French are there now. When this one is finished, I move on to Les Miserables; both group reads. Also I am reading Nella Larsen's Passing and the odd Christmas stories just to break up the bigger books. On to my day.
Have a good one all.

I just finished Passing by Nella Larsen.

my thoughts and comments:

I found this book to be a beautifully drawn character study. It is the story of two girls who were childhood friends but lose touch with each other as they grow up. Both of them biracial, they end up settled in New York. One married to a man of color with 2 children, 1 light skinned and 1 dark skinned and the other married to a very prejudicial white skinned man with 1 light skinned child. This is a very fortunate turn of events for her as she has not informed her husband she is part black. She has been "passing" all this time.
The two ladies meet accidentally one day while having tea at a rooftop cafe. They reacquaint themselves with each other and begin to meet socially. As time goes on the one "passing" becomes more and more brave about her lifestyle and begins to yearn for the life of the Harlem Renaissance. She gets careless about where she goes and the company she keeps. What occurs next this is a shocking turn of events.
I found this book to be very intelligently and subtly written. It is sad that Nella Larsen didn't write more than she did for she was a brilliant writer. I highly recommend this book and I think it is one that will stay with me long past my reading of it.
belva

BJ - I'm still tempted to give Moby Dick a try, so if a group read ever materialises let me know and I might get my hands on a copy and join you!

Belva - glad the world's finally coming to rights, especially with Christmas just around the corner. We'd thought about doing 'hot chocolate and mince pies' nearer Christmas, but we don't know if we'd get enough customers at the moment, mince pies are so messy AND we have no facilities! Perhaps next year if we have a good tourist season we can buy one of those big coffee urns you mentioned, and make a really festive December of it.

No word from Mrs H yet, but usually she's a Thursday visitor. She has so little family, I don't think anyone would let us know if anything had happened, and I don't want to annoy her by ringing for no reason (she HATES fuss!), so it's really just a case of waiting to see if she arrives on our doorstep again before Christmas!

miss ellie;
I so hope for you that Mrs. H. does show up in your shop before Christmas. It's so much nicer when you know everyone is in their proper nook or cranny for the holidays. For any day, but the holidays especially.
Have a lovely day my dear. I am going to check out a few threads and then get back to War and Peace so that I may soon begin Les Miserables.
big warm hugs. (we are so cold here right now. 14.2 degrees--Brrrrrrrr!~!)
belva

Passing sounds like a good one, Belva! I'm going to have to add it to my list of "requests and holds" at the library.

Ha! Ha! (I'm laughing at myself!) I went to add Passing to my wish list but it was already there. Guess I know a good book when I see one--and then see it again! :-) But I'm really laughing because when I was tagging you as also recommending it, I accidentally typed "nannybebetter". I'll have to remember that when you're not feeling so good. Hope all's fine with you now.

Yes, I am doing great Bonnie!~! You just made me laugh sooooo hard!~! You're funny!
Passing is a very small book in size, but as far as content goes, it is pretty huge. And I liked it a lot.
Thanx for popping by. I hope all is well with you up north. Did you lose power the other day? What a fierce wind. We were fortunate enough not to lose ours, but just across town---they lost theirs. And these nights down in the teens; I am just not ready for winter I guess and was content with the fall weather even though it was wet.
Take care of you and I'll talk to you later "funny lady".
big hug,
belva

Hi Belva
#93 - we've got you beat - it's 2 degrees F here! Brrrrr is right!

I love hearing about ellie's customers and find myself worrying about them, too. Sounds silly but there you go.

Joanne;
You are too right. We are at 11.2 degrees at nearly 9:00 A.M. Sorry you are so cold there.
I can't get enough clothes on and I am soooo happy that dear hubby does the marketing for the family. I only have to go out to go to the Post.

Hear that miss ellie? We love your little "shop tales". I wonder how Mrs. H. is doing. You should collect your little anecdotes you as you gather them from your patrons. Who knows? You may find yourself writing a little book one day and we will be reviewing it here on L.T. :->

hugs,
belva

Hi, belva.

I'm glad you read Passing b/c it reminds me that I'd like to reread it. It's been years. It was an assignment in college and one of the most memorable books I've ever had to read for school. It is a gem and I don't think a lot of people know about it.

And congrats on such a wonderful reading year!

How did you like The Eyre Affair?

Hope everyone is surviving the cold and snow! Yesterday here in WI we got 15 inches of snow. I shoveled all day, first at home, then at work, and then at home again. Today it is 6 degrees. I too enjoy Ellie's snippets about her customers!

>#99:
tjblue;
Whoa!~! You definitely have winter weather. Brrrrrr. Don't know what the overnight low was last night. I didn't check this A.M. but right now at almost 1:00 P.M., it is almost 40 degrees; the warmest it has been all week. They are saying snow in the foothills (us) this week end. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, haven't even done my Christmas shopping done yet.
So how is your back after shoveling that 15 inches of snow? And three times in one day. Glad I am me right now.
Thanks for stopping by. It was very nice chatting with you. Come back anytime.
belva

>98 citygirl::
citygirl;
Thank you for your kind words. And yes, Passing is a wonderful and underrated work. I love it.
The Eyre Affair was okay. I neither loved nor disliked it. But I am not into much of the mystery genre and definitely not the S.F. or fantasy genres. But I liked it enough to want to know where the series goes and I likes Fforde's writing style so I got the remainder of this series and his Nursery Crimes books as well. So perhaps by the time I have finished those my feelings about the respective genres may have changed.
Thank you for popping by. I hope you are reading something you are truly enjoying.
belva

I think Fforde is more mocking (in a loving way) the SF and mystery genres than creating representatives of it. I think the books are so much fun and they're obviously for fellow booklovers. Maybe that's the aspect I like the most.

I am reading, and enjoying, several things. I just finished the astonishing Special Topics in Calamity Physics, so you know how it goes for a few books after a real standout, nothing seems quite as wonderful.

Passing sounds like a must read and I have placed it higher on THE LIST. I, too, enjoyed Fforde's erudite spoof of the mystery genre. I have read three or four in the series. It's like walking down memory lane, the way he keeps his characters popping in and out of other books. Definitely a fun mind. Of course, I enjoyed Moby Dick, too, so that may negate my Fforde endorsement!!

I'm trying to carefully narrow down the books I might want to read over Christmas, and so far The Eyre Affair and Special Topics in Calamity Physics are both up there... I feel like I'm going on holiday: how many of the books I've been saving up to dive into can I read in ten days?

Good news and bad news: Mrs Hadfield came in on Thursday, to my surprise, given the events of the previous week. I expected not to see her for a few weeks if she was recuperating, but that is one tough little lady. The bad news is, she still wasn't feeling well... but all things considered, it could have been much WORSE news. It put a smile on her face anyway, me practically bowling Mum over to get out of the office to see her, all smiles. We had a moment's chatter about Alan Bennett, and she collected his new play that she'd ordered. Unbeknown to her, I'd also slipped a Christmas card inside the middle of the book as a surprise, because I get the feeling that she doesn't have many people to send them to her any more. When she'd gone I was so relieved that she was alright that I burst into tears in the office, only to set Mum off as well!

I should start up my journal again - it's slipped terribly now we're working so much - and keep note of all these little happenings, shouldn't I? We have such lovely days and such bad days, such wonderful customers and such vile ones, and sometimes we feel more like a social services drop-in than a bookstore! It's wonderful really, but oh how I'm looking forward to a rest over Christmas!

Hi everyone. Thank you for popping over.

The newest on Chrissy; she was released and allowed to go home and is now back in Coffman Cove, Ak. They still haven't decided on how they will do the therapy but they'll work it out. We are all sooooo happy about this.

The father in law continues in his decline. The entire family was there yesterday and he didn't acknowledge a one of us. Kay, the eldest daughter was attempting to shave him and he just kept shaking his head back and forth. Good thing she was using a battery powered razor!~! A lady wheeled her chair up right next to his and put her face down so she could look up at him and I guess he didn't like that either because he drooled on her. God, I hope someone shoots me first.
belva

I don't know if I'm supposed to be laughing, but I am.

I know. It isn't funny, but it is. I suppose if we can't laugh about some of this we would be crying and I have totally had enough of that with Chrissy. And we know that everything is accomplished to the glory of God, though we don't understand. So we might as well laugh. I think Dad would probably laugh if I were sitting there drooling on some man's head!~! He would think it was sad, but he would laugh.
belva

I can relate. I spent most of this past year watching my brilliant, funny mother-in-law succumb to cancer. Fortunately we did a lot of laughing and she kept her sense of humor for a very long time. You're right: you have to be able to laugh.

Well, 2 months later I have now finished the most wonderful War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

My thoughts and comments :

This book is written quite different from his Anna Karininan. (I think that the touchstones only work for Anna Karenina.
The is the story of the French and Russian war as told from the Russian front. At the beginning there are quite of few of the social aspects, the balls, parties, parlor visits, etc, but when it get into the war, Tolstoy really puts you there in the war. The logistics of war and wartime are laid right out there. The French were so not prepared for where their Napoleon took them. He didn't fight the war he had planned. And Alexander responded in kind. It very much came to the generals and commanders calling their own plays and battles. I much preferred Tolstoy's "War" to his "Peace". But I also liked how he wrapped up the story.
The very wimpy Pierre turns out to be the man after all. We get to see several sides of Alexander and of Napoleon. I had never read of Napoleon and so really found all that quite interesting. All in all, this is a great story and deserves to be read today and has it's place in literature today. I think it has proven and will continue to be proven a timeless epic of War and Peace.

I am now reading Clarel and Mrs. Dalloway by the awesome Virginia Woolf and enjoying that one very much indeed. (along with my interspersed Christmas stories) Have decided to put Les Miserables on the back burner until after the holidays and just chill and read cozies.
belva

I also just finished 2 little Christmas stories by Debbie Macomber entitled Can This be Christmas? and Shirley, Goodness and Mercy. I enjoyed both of them tremendously.
Macomber writes just sweet, little, cozy, comfy reads. The perfect thing for me when I need a break from the tomes.
Which, speaking of, I think I am done with until after the holidays. I was going to jump right in with Les Miserables, but think I will forgo that until after the first of the year. I believe that I will finish the year off with light, much shorter fare.
Happy holidays everyone.

And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

belva

Congrats on finishing War and Peace! I am reading it myself but have it somewhat on the back burner at the moment. I am about a quarter of the way through.

Hi Belva--Great news about Chrissy. What a wonderful gift for the holidays. Sorry about your father-in-law. Although directed drooling does take a lot of skill (obviously I am subscribing to the laugh rather than cry philosophy.)! Let me know if you want some friends with Les Mis. I haven't read it in years and I think I even read it in French last time (college). I might understand more of it now as an older, wiser person, especially if it is in English!! LOL. Best wishes to you and yours.

Berly;
There is currently a group read of Les Miserables going on at the Group Read Literature homestead. It began Dec 1st and runs through end of Feb. I am going to wait until Jan 2nd, most likely, to begin and would, of course you silly girl, love for you to join me.

We are all subscribing to the laugh rather than cry philosophy here as well. Even Nana. We have no choice but to go with the flow and Pa is in no pain, hasn't a clue about much of anything----he looked at the menu the other day and asked if that was Tyler (our daughter's eldest son). If he isn't being combative nor drowsy he is actually happy almost all the time. He is never sad. It's just whatever when you come and whatever when you go. So if we didn't laugh about it, we definitely would be crying. But it's all okay. He's good.
I will be talking to you re: "Les Mis" before the first of the year.
luv n hugs,
belva

Medillia;
It took me two months to read War and Peace and I had to put other read in here and there to get through. It is just so big. But it didn't make my head hurt like Life and Fate did. That one was really intense. Tolstoy rather strolls through his tomes as opposed to Grossman hurtling through his. At least that is how I felt. I felt like I was a trainwreck about to happen and had to read passages over again, but what a brilliant piece of work.
I do hope that now matter the length of time you take to finish War and Peace, that you do finish. It is worth it. The group read I was with for that read began at the beginning of the year and are scheduled to finish by year's end, though I think most have finished. I joined extremely late. It was hosted on the 75 book gig and the thread is still there. I like that because if you can't read along with, you can still feel a part of the group read.
thanx for popping by,
belva
P.S. W & P went much faster for me once he got into the war part of the story. Tolstoy does a great war story.

# 191 Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

my thoughts and comments:

I loved this little book though I really feel like I didn't truly understand it very well and want to read it again rather soon. From about the 20th page in, I felt like I was reading poetry. I love how Ms. Woolf puts her words down on paper. Words that had no rhyme at all to them seemed, in my mind's eye, to rhyme. I would have loved to been able to see into Virginia Woolf's mind's eye. What a fascinating woman and what a fascinating book.
The book is very small and is about married couples; some here and some there. Some productive; some not so much. One gentleman is very depressed and I found his story very interesting. Also the way the doctors looked at his illness at that time. This is not an exact quote, but to be in the company of loved ones at a time like this is harmful to the patient. They need to spend months of time in bed away from home and just rest.
I think that Mrs. Dalloway is a very important HUGE little book and would love to hear what a lot of you have to say about it.
belva

#115 Oh another one I haven't read in ages! But as I remember, Woolf is just so good at capturing people in a small space in time, in their own little universe. It makes them so believable and compelling. I agree that her writing is lovely, lyrical and that they require a second reading to get the most from them. Which means now I have to go find it again. Oh, you are bringing back all these great book memories for me! I am in for Jan for Les Mis. :)

Hi, Belva,
Just now catching up on your thread. My computer broke down while I was out of town for Thanksgiving. I got to spend it with lots of family. And at last, the computer is repaired.

I am glad that Chrissy got to move home and I am so sorry to hear about your father-in-law. This has been quite a year. I am continuing to pray for Chrissy and will add your father-in-law, too.

By the way, Ellie, there is a group read for Moby Dick set to start in January in the 75 Book Challenge for 2010 group. Please join us!! I need lots of encouragement with the long ones.

And, Belva, I am so glad that you liked War and Peace. It is quite different than Anna Karenina, but such a great read. What is it about these fabulous Russian novelists?

Take care and God bless!
--BJ

Just a quick hello..
I am at work and pretending to work on our library page.. lol
take care and feel hugged!

Dear Berly, --BJ and Kath;
I am indeed feeling warm and hugged this A.M.
Such a lazy day here. Rather stormy; rainy with some snow, 32 degrees and I am feeling rather lazy. I really need to clear out the corner for the tree (which we don't have as I refuse to put any more pressure on dear hubby) and decorate. I think I will just do the mantle, clear out the corner and take the truck and hatchet out above the kid's place (their property) and cut down a small tree. I can to that by myself and he won't even have to think about it.
Glad that I am bringing back good book memories for you Berly. Woolf was a fascinating woman and married to a wonderful and understanding man.
--BJ; so happy that you were able to spend Thanksgiving with lotz of family. I love Thanksgiving. My very favorite holiday. Just lotz of good food, family and friends, and good thoughts and thanks for all we have been given.
Kath--you should just stay on the puter all day giving out hugs. The world would be a better place.
luv u all,
belva

English Diaries and Journals by Kate O'Brien.

My thoughts and comments:

I must confess that I purchased this thinking that it was diaries and journals OF Kate O'Brien. But was surprised when I began to read it that it is her commentary on the English diaries and journals of others. Nontheless, I found it to be quite fascinating and it has some wonderful art pieces included.
Ms. O'Brien takes to task the diaries and journals of Sir William Dugdale, John Evelyn, Samuel Pepys, the Woodforde family, John Wesley, (would love to get my hands on that one), William Windham, Fanny Burney, Dorothy Wordsworth, Benjamin Haydon and Caroline Fox to name a few.
None are gone into in great depth; not enough to really come to know the writer of the journal but enough to pique the interest. And Ms. O'Brien's commentaries are never boring as also one finds her books to never bore one.
So it wasn't what I thought I was getting, but I am happy that I have it and am sure I will read it again. The book itself is lovely and one that I gladly add to my collection.
belva

Belva - if you liked Mrs Dalloway, have you read Michael Cunningham's The Hours? It's about three women, each connected in their own way to Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf, a 50s housewife who loves the book, and a kind of modern incarnation of Mrs Dalloway herself...

Oh, yes, Ellie. The Hours is a good one, too. Best of luck surviving the last minute shoppers and their attitudes. Concentrate on the lovely sound of the cash register!

miss ellie:
Dear heart;
I have The Hours in one of my bookcases with the "dreaded" movie tie-in cover, but I've not yet read it. It sounds really good so with you and Berly both recommending it, I must read it soon. And I loved Mrs. Dalloway!~! And Virginia Woolf; I just find everything about her fascinating.
hugs to the both of you,
belva

>115 rainpebble:: Belva, I too loved Mrs. Dalloway and felt the need to read it the second time. I loved the reread even more and will visit it again sometime. I also second (or third) the suggestions from Ellie and Berly to read The Hours. I even liked the movie version of it!

Belva, you should read The Hours while Mrs. Dalloway is fresh in your mind as Cunningham's book very closely shadows Virginia Wolf's. As good as the writing in his book is, I don't think he deserved the high praise he did for that reason. On the other hand, it was fun to compare the two and see all the little details that he replicated in his book.

Thanks Bonnie. I will try to get to it very soon.
belva

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

My thoughts and comments:

This book mesmerized me and I read it in one sitting. It is about a village in Spain, during the 15th or 16th century, inhabited by Christians, Muslims and Jews. The Jews live behind a gated wall which is locked each night. Their books are all burned and they are all considered as heretics. The entire village knows that they will all perish one day.
Those Jews who wish to live, live a life of pretense. They pretend to have Christian names, they pretend not to observe the Sabbath, they pretend all the while not do the Jewish things that they do.
The main characters of the book are a Jewish girl, Esther; no one knows that is her real name and her friend Catalina. Catalina is not a Jew. She does not know that her best friend is a Jew.
Esther's brother is in Seminary as becoming a Catholic priest is one way to help protect the Jews. She lives with her mother, grandmother and grandfather who is a teacher. Unbeknownst to the community, he teaches the village Jews at night in a cellar room. He is also a surgeon and only the Jewish community knows that as well.
Catalina's intended falls in love with Esther and when Catalina discovers this she becomes so angry that she turns the family in as Jews. What follows is horrible. Actually, what goes on throughout the entire book is horrible.
This book is written by Alice Hoffman. A writer I have yet to see "blow" a book. I highly recommend this book. It is short, easy to read, but I wouldn't have a child under 15 or 16 read it.
I, however, know that within the next 6 months, I will have read it again. I have never read material like this written in such a simplistic manner. Kudos to Hoffman. She has done it again.

Presentation Parlour by Kate O'Brien

My thoughts and comments:

This book is actually a bio of sorts. It is Kate O'Brien's remembrances of her five aunts and what they contributed to her life; three sisters of her mother and two of her father. Her mother died when she was just six or younger.
While reading this book I realized that most or perhaps all of the Kate O'Brien books I have read have been autobiographical to a degree and to quite a degree.
Young Kate's aunts were Aunt Annie who had a very sunny disposition and youthful attitude all of her life. Then there was Aunt Fan (a nun) who was rather strict and formidable but well loved and enjoyed all the same. Aunt Mary (also a nun) who was the glue that held them all together. Aunt Hickey, who was really not well liked; expected much for little and not a real family player. And rounding out the aunts comes Aunt Mick, who was just about and tended to make one rather anxious.
Presentation Parlour is rather like a slice of life book in that Ms. O'Brien dedicates a chapter of the book to each aunt and tells of the goings on with that particular aunt. I enjoyed this book tremendously; read it in one sitting and intend to do it again one day soon. Kate O'Brien never lets me down. I have enjoyed every one of her books I have read.
This is a delightful book and I enjoyed it a great deal. Some of the interactions between her aunts and herself and others are quite hysterical. They were all quite the character; each in her own way.
Kate is quoted in the forward as having said: "It is pleasing to consider this uniqueness of possession each one of us has in life. We carry little baggage of any importance for the single journey; but we do go it alone, and no customs officer or shadowy boatman, or the 'fell sergeant' himself, can force us to declare anything. We each take a passage which no other takes, even though over the same years and through what for convenience we agree to call the same landscape."

Hi Belva, I was just dropping by to update myself on your thread and read your thoughts about Incantation. Sounds like an excellent book and it's going on my list.

I also just want to add that I too enjoy reading Ellie Potten's posts about her customers and life in the book shop, hope she continues to keep us all updated.

Hi Belva, I haven't read any of Alice Hoffman's YA books but Incantation looks very interesting. On to the list it goes!

Have you read The Story Sisters yet?

Belva-- Nice reviews. I love Hoffman and will have to get this one. I also love the quote you provided by Kate O'Brien. My brother was just here for a visit and we were comparing notes about our childhood. Although we are only 5 years apart, and both enjoy our family immensely, our experiences differ radically in some areas. Very interesting.

just catching up on your thread here :) I read Mrs Dalloway when I was 15 and abandoned it midway because I found it very boring. I'm thinking somehow it wasn't the right age to read that particular book. I plan to reread it sometime in January/February. Maybe this time it'll work for me.

>132 girlunderglass:: Yes! Fifteen is just way too young to appreciate a book like Mrs. Dalloway. I don't care how precocious a reader someone is, that book is just not developmentally relevant enough for a typical fifteen year old--though you are decidedly not typical, gug! :-) I thought of myself as a serious reader at your age, but you've already read so many books that I wouldn't have considered at your age, so maybe I'm not a good person to comment. Still, interest, age, life experiences, etc., can make such a difference in how you respond to a book! You may appreciate this book next year; I'm not saying don't read it, but I bet it will be a much better book for you if you wait another ten, even twenty years! There are so many good books out there--enjoy the space you're in!

Hoffman rarely fails me....

Trying to keep up.. failing, but?

*waves* and leaves quietly

I'm looking forward to reading another Hoffman novel over Christmas... they always make me think and often make me cry, and I like to lose myself in them completely, so I've been saving them for non-shop-time.

I'm still battling my ABCs to try and get as close to finishing as possible by the time my 1010 starts in January. Bakewell seems to have turned ghost town in this last freezing cold week before Christmas, so I'm getting a fair amount of reading in here, and at night in between headaches! 4am this morning saw me sitting in bed with a mug of tea, stoned up on codeine, reading Confessions of a Shopaholic! Trip-py. ;-)

I definitely don't want the headaches miss ellie, but would take the tea and codeine; better yet if you have morphine and demeral to alternate!~! When I crushed my hand twenty something years ago, that is what they gave me; alternating every two hours. The happiest 3 days of my life!~! I just didn't know it. hee hee!~!
get well soon my dear.
belva

Dear Heart and I took care of "pa" yesterday so his sisters could get some sleep as they had been up with him all night. We brought him home from long term care when they put him on comfort care alone and took him off his meds.
We got home rather late and got the call this morning at 9:00 that he had stopped breathing. So now it is just my mother in law, her four children, and their 2 natural grandchildren there. (I have the boys) That is how he wanted it and so that is how we are doing it. And my feelings aren't hurt. He was a wonderful father-in-law for 37 years and I will miss him tremendously. They only lived 3 blocks from us. But he was beginning to struggle for air last night and now he is in a better and much kinder place.
belva

Sending lots of love, Belva.

Sending blessings to you and your family Belva.

I'm so sorry Belva. Much love to you and your family.

{{hugs belva}} - take care of yourself.

Belva- You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Tammy

Sorry to hear about your loss, Belva. Love, good vibes, and prayers heading your way.

Belva, you and your family seem to have had a difficult last few months. I'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law, but glad that he's at peace. I wish you and your loved ones a happy and less eventful 2010.

Belva, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this sad time.

Belva, I've been gone a few days and just catching up with everyone. Oh my, what a sad time for you and your family. Thinking of you with love and prayers.

Thinking of you.

Best of wishes to you and your family, Belva. I'm so sorry for your loss but also glad your dear father-in-law is at peace.

May the new year be a happier and more restful one for all of you, you surely deserve it after your strength and courage these last few months. xx

{{{{{belva}}}}}

Belva, I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your father-in-law. God bless.
--BJ

Very sorry about your loss, Belva. I think you are right, though, that he is in a much more peaceful place now.

You have had quite the year! I hope the holidays are peaceful and restful for you and your family, and I wish you all the best for the new year - as others have said, you certainly deserve it!

Sorry to hear about your loss, Belva. Thinking of you and your family.

Well, I just read my first Elizabeth Gskell and enjoyed it tremendously. Definitely a "woman's book", I would think. It was The Moorland Cottage. Rather as old fashioned love story with the antihero, the hero, the heroine, and the supporting cast. And it all falls together in the end, just the way I like them.
belva

Thank you all for your care and support through the passing of our loved one. The entire family pulled together and held one another up and we are truly all doing fine as we know he is in a much better place and his mind is whole and healthy now.
Blessings on you and Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas Belva.

Waved to you, Belva, on my way down to Vancouver tonight. Did you see me through the fog? :-) Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year too!

Merry Christmas, Belva. Hope you're having a truly blessed time.

Happy holidays back at all of you.
Hope everyone had a nice holiday season.
*saw ya Bonnie, waved back and blew "tisses".
Am taking 2 grandsons, 1 granddaughter and 1 niece out to see the movie Avitar this morning. We have to leave at 10:00 to get there by show time after picking everyone up. My son said it was good. Then (mayber) later in the week, I will take my niece out to see The Princess and the Frog. I am bringing her down to spend part of the week with us. She is 23 but is still sooooooooooo into the Disney/whatever princesses. I told her to not depend on the knight in shining armor thing because it is so NOT going to happen!~! I thought my knight would wait for me through 2 bad marriages and 3 pregnancies and he soooo did not!~! Hmmmmm, just can't figure that one out. Wonder where he is? hee hee.
later dayz. Read the good stuff first!~!
hugs,
belva

I just finished reading Christmas with Anne by L.M. Montgomery and a book I was gifted from my Secret Santa, The Overlanders by Dora Birtles.
Montgomery books are always good and help me to stay in my "safe" place.
The Birtles was a new author to me and it took me 3 pages to get into it. From that point throughout the book to the "love story" near the end I kept thinking this could have been a Steinbeck. I don't think he would have had the little love story in there, but it was very good. It was about Australia in WWII when the Japanese are attempting to take over parts of the island, their plants, food, etc. And a man decides that while some of the ranchers are shooting their cattle so the Japanese cannot get them and burning down their ranches and heading out, that he will "overland" more than 1,000 head of cattle 1,600 miles S.E. to a safe place so that the Australians can have food and so there will be stock left after the war to rebuild the herds. I enjoyed this book greatly. Thank you Secret Santa for taking the time to know me so well.
I need to read 2 books today to make my goal and I think I can do that if I choose wisely.
Happy New Year everyone.
hugs,
belva

glitter-graphics.com

Happy New Year to you to Belva. Wishing you a year of good books and good friends ;-)

Have a very Happy New Year Belva!!

calm & ariebonn;
Peace, love and good will all coming your way from me. I wish you both & all of yours the best in 2010.
big new year hugs for you,
belva

I just finished The Snow Goose and Other Legends by Paul Gallico. What beautifully drawn short stories these are. All three are take-offs on myths or legends and were written in a span of almost 30 years between 1940 and 1959. The Snow Goose: a Story of Dunkirk was written in 1940, The Small Miracle in 1950 and Ludmila in 1959. I highly recommend these short stories for anyone. Even children would enjoy them.
I have forgotten who recd this one to me, but thank you so much.
belva

(one more to go to meet my goal.)

Just finished my #100. Phew! Squeaked that in. So I won't take up too much of your time -- have fun reading that last book of 2009! Happy New Year and thanks for being such a great friend. With love and laughter, berly

Belva, my special friend! Have a wonderful New Year! I plan on, with your help of course, having another stellar year on LT! G.R. in 2 weeks! Wow!

Whew!~! Did it!~! Congrats Berly!~! We both just made it, didn't we?!?

Hey Mark; my bestest bud.........U 2!~!
2 Weeks----------I'll be there.

Just finished George Eliot's The Lifted Veil and must say that I loved, loved, loved it!~! That one got me in just under the gun. # 200 in 2009.

And with that last one, I have completed my 200 book challenge on the 50 book challenge thread. I don't quite know where to go now. Perhaps over to Club Read, perhaps the 75 or 100 book challenge. IDK!~! I just know that looking back over my reads of 2009, I am not really satisfied. I think I need to challenge myself much more and then also to read more kind and gentle books as well. So I am suffering a bit of a conundrum at this point and know I need to decide soon. Ah.........................I will just think about it. After all, tomorrow is another day.
Year end hugs for all!~! Good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!~! See you all next year!~!
belva

Let us know where you're off to for 2010 Belva - we'll all follow you en masse when you make your mind up! :-)

So? SO?? Where are you?!? *hyperventilates with anxiety at losing track of Belva*

I'll be sorry to see another move out of the 50 group but I too will follow wherever you end up, so please leave a link! And speaking of, my 2010 challenge is up if you are interested: http://www.librarything.com/topic/80809

Drop in and say hi from time to time!

Hey guys,
Not to worry. I will be checking in with you all. I just needed to do something different with my reading habits.
I have moved over to Club Read 2010 and my thread is here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/80775

I will still keep in touch and thanks spacespuds. I have you starred.
I enjoyed all of you and I think that was part of the problem. I spent too much time B.S.ing. I want to read more of the classics and I just think this may be a better fit for now. If it doesn't work out that way I shall return.
big hugs,
belva

Enjoy whatever works for you Belva! But I hope you still stop by and visit, I'll miss your sunny thoughts. I'm on the 75 book challenge thread this year.

Come see us all Belva (*feels strangely like a family member has just decided to move to the other side of the world*). We like your B.S.ing! Haha, just kidding, you never say anything that ain't worth hearing. :-)

Hugs for the new year, and see you in your new abode over at Club Read 2010... xx

> re: message 166 - Belva -

You have been on my mind and on my spiritual radar for the past several days, if not weeks. I would love to chat with you soon, soon, soon.

I am also setting my reading up in a different format for my self this year. More satisfying and less hustle. I will send private message to your profile page, Belva.

BTW, for the rest of you who are curious, too. I never send any private dirt ...just gorgeous flowers to beloved people. Here's a bunch of beautiful Spring violets (a nosegay, if you will) for all of you friends and fans of Miss Belva.

Love,

Ruth/womansheart

My top 10% of books read in 2009 were:

My absolute favorite read of the year was Dinas Book by H. Wassmo; (can't remember who turned me onto it though)

Then the top 10% of the remainder of books I read:

Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson (thanx WildBill)
The Overlanders byDora Birtles (thanx romain)
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann (thanx Mark, my bestest buddy)
The Loving Spirit by Daphne Du Maurier
The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham
Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
Minotaur by Benjamin Tammuz
Frost in May by Antonia White
One Extra*Ordinary Day by Harold Myra
All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West
Capote: A Biography by Gerald Clarke
Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (I believe, thanx again to Mark)
To a God Unknown by John Steinbeck
The Land of Spices by Kate O'Brien
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Myself When Young by Daphne Du Maurier
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (thanx Whisper1)
All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou
For One Sweet Grape or That Lady by Kate O'Brien
Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg

I think I sneaked in an extra one there; no biggie!~!
My favorite two new authors culled in 2009 are Kate O'Brien and Vita Sackville-West.

Happy reading in 2010 everyone.
I love you all in that L.T. way we have that is so special and I will be popping in and out.
hugs all round,
belva

Hey Belva- Heck of a list there! And I got a couple of shout-outs! I'm not sure if I should take sole credit for Gilead. I know I mentioned it, in regards to Home, which I read last year! Aw what the hell, I'll take credit! Take care, my friend!

Hi, Belva!
Hope you are still here in FBC Land so I can say HAPPY NEW YEAR to you. God bless!!
--BJ

Hi There Belva!

ust stopping bye to say hello... and hope you are doing okay.. and all of your family, as well...(( ))