Sundays on the Acre - Take 1

I know I probably do not have a prayer of making it through the year in just one thread, but last year's 12 was a bit excessive don't you think?

Anyway, I really have no set number of books to read this year. I do have a couple of goals for the year, though: 1) I promised my husband to weed out books in my library (due to lack of storage space), so I will be reading far less books from the public library, and will not be buying any (if you see on the news 'Woman Dies in Texas Due to Lack of Book Buying' you will know who it is!); 2) I would like to read as many as I can get my hands on of the books suggested in Writer's Choice: A Library of Rediscoveries, about books that for some reason or other have been neglected through the years.

OK, that's it. I hope you all enjoy your Sunday mornings here on Alcott's Acre.

For those who are not aware, I only update once a week - thus the title of my thread. Oh, and BTW - my TBR list is called the 'BlackHole' for reasons that will rapidly be apparent.

Books Read from My Personal Library in 2010



Pages Read 2010



Memorable Reads for 2010 (eventually):

Nonfiction
The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Dayton Duncan & Ken Burns

Fiction
Salvation by Sholem Asch

A note about my memorable reads: I am not a book critic. My memorable reads list is just that: books that are memorable to me - that for some reason or other resonate with me. I do not review books as many people here do for the simple reason that I am a terrible book reviewer!

Hi Stasia - we have a similar goal in reading from our own stacks instead of the library stacks for the year.

Probably 99% of my reading in 2009 came from the local library, so I have got to scale back considerably. I have not been very successful in the past at the effort, though!

I'd like to only read from my own stacks but I know that's an impossibility because I cave to temptation too easily to buy/borrow after reading reviews from other LTers.

Good luck, Stasia and Kerry with this new goal

Thanks Caroline! I am going to need all the luck I can get with it.

Good luck in denting your TBR galaxy!

I'm doing the Books off the Shelf Challenge to try to get more of my own stuff read. I do better when I have a set goal and a list to check items off!

But I can't totally abandon the local library (nor would I want to). I work there, and I know how important it is to keep our circulation numbers up!

Ah, another peaceful Sunday. At least this thread doesn't have anything devilishly tempting ... yet.

I'm afraid I don't see any chance of decreasing the number of threads! In fact, I predict that it will be more like 24 this year :D

Looking at the star in my hand and thinking "I don't really need to put this on Stasia's nose because her thread is almost always at the top of the heap anyway and I can always find her".
*putting it Stasia's nose anyway*

Sundays on the Acre - I love it! I feels like an inviting mini-vacation every week.

#8: At this rate, she'll need a new thread before January begins!

Gotcha starred. Feel free to start adding to my TBR pile whenever :P

Starred!

Welcome back!

Starred!!

>11 kidzdoc: LOL!

Oh, Dear Friend Stasia..
I'm sure that you will have many more than 12 threads in 2010. Your popularity grows each year. There are 16 messages (including mine) already.

Hugs to you!

Linda

My goodness... less than a day, plus 2010 hasn't started yet, and already you have one of the most popular threads... :) Definitely not getting away with less than 12 threads this time around! Lol.

#17: Definitely not getting away with less than 12 threads this time around!

Yes, I am! I believe in the power of positive thinking, lol.

Yeah, right.

Hallo!

...and no chance on the fewer than 12 threads thing... ;)

Hello, flissp! Thanks for dropping in on the new thread.

I have had so much fun reading your threads in 2009, I look forward to keeping up with the comments and the books you read in 2010.

You have as much chance of having fewer than 12 manageable threads on here for the year as you do of buying absolutely no books for the year--zilch!

#21: Hey, Laura, glad to see you back again!

#22: A gal can always hope, can't she?

Hi Stasia!

Good luck with that "no book buying" thing... ;)

Good luck with no book buying, Stasia! I tried to do that once... it didn't work. Have starred you! :D

I do have a plan in place that I am hoping will keep me from giving in to temptation! lol

#26 cutting up your Visa card?

#27: Well, I would if I had one!

hi waves and stars! loving the thread title very good!

pop by and chat

Bx

Got you starred.

Thanks for coming by Bryony and Bonnie!

Stasia, it's so good to be back at LT. I'm looking forward to Sundays on the Acre. I know you update once a week, but how often do you visit LT during the week?

I've got to tell you--this summer I discovered a sure-fire trigger to get me running to the bookstore: Telling myself I won't buy any more books until (fill in date here). Works every single time. So...now I don't say that, even silently. I just bumble along. It seems to be working; I actually drove right by a bookstore today and didn't stop. Well, that was today, anyway.

Hey Stasia,
I have you starred again. Looking forward to seeing what you like off your shelves.

Can we all get t-shirts that say "Sundays on the Acre"? That way we could recognize each other in airports and such. Good conversation starter as well.

#32: I am on LT every day. I still check all the threads.

#33: Thanks for stopping by!

#34: Hey, I am all up for the T-shirt idea! Maybe next year when I am in PA, I will buy them for all the LTers up in that area.

#34/35 Maybe they could sell them in the LT shop!

#36: LOL!

T shirts are an excellent idea. Imagine the thoughts that would occur to those not in on it....heh.

Why not an LT shirt that you can have custom made with your screen name? I could run up to Stasia at the airport and say, "Hey! I know you. I'm one of your fans!!

*sob*

I can't even get past post number one in Stasia's thread(s) for 2010 without adding a book to my wishlist!

*wail*gnash*

What torments this year portends! Ai de mi, the suffering! Oh, the humanity!

So is the 150,000 on the ticket the estimated number of books for the year? ;)

#40: What? I have not read anything yet!

#41: I wish! No, that is pages read :) If I could read 150K books a year, I would be blissfully happy (no, that's a lie - I would still want to read more!)

>42 alcottacre: Ha! Writer's Choice ring a little bell, sweetie? I'd never heard of it, but it sounds excellent, so what happened? Huh? You know what, little missie, you made me go and add that book to the squagoogol-and-seven others you've brought before my enrapt gaze.

#43: I have not completely read Writer's Choice yet, so I do not know how you can blame me for your haste in adding it your squagoogol!

It seems a lot of people have to goal of getting more read from what they already have....I wonder how many of us will actually be able to forsake the book stores and libraries and buckle down to what we really have. I know I find it nearly impossible...especially if there's a sale....

Only reading what's on my shelves will be yet another New Year's Resolution I don't keep, so I'm not even going to fool myself into thinking I can successfully handle the temptation not to buy, borrow or beg (yes, I'm shameless) for books that are reviewed on other people's posts. I'm weak, yes, I'm sooo weak! ;-)

I'm not kidding myself about sticking strickly to books on the shelves. But have set a goal of reading at least 1 for every 1 I buy or get from the library. I had thought about a true 2010 (20 TBR, 10 new/library) but I'm not sure I can stick to that and I want to spend my time reading.....not spazzing out about where the books are coming from. So, if my children and grandchildren have to sort thru 7000 instead of 2000 books when I die, as they always tell me "Too bad, so sad...."

Read on....it's going to be a wonderful year.

I figure I'll be doing OK if I read from my shelf as much or more than I BUY! Never mind about the library; working there makes it impossible to not borrow interesting books I see there every day.

Not to mention that CERTAIN PEOPLE keep posting information about incredible books I don't own that are hard to resist . . . ;) Seems that I'm on one of those dangerous (at least, soon to be dangerous) threads now . . .

Cripes - 47 messages and not even the New Year.

Starred, of course, and ready to lurk!!

Ditto as above....
Hello and happy holidays!

hi Stasia

I hope to be able to keep up with your threads in 2010.
A few more messages and you'll need a second thread before 2010 even has started LOL

Anita

#48: My thread is not dangerous :)

#49/50: Thanks for stopping by!

#51: A few more messages and you'll need a second thread before 2010 even has started LOL Good gravy, I hope not! I am a slackard compared to Madeline (SqueakyChu) who is already up to 75!

We're a vociferous lot. Aren't we? :D

Merry Christmas, Stasia!

Yes, we are! I am among the worst offenders though, I fear, and probably not going to change any time soon, lol.

Hey, I'm just taking lessons from you! ;)

Wishing you and your family the best holiday season ever!

Thanks, Madeline!

What was in that coffee you were drinking last night?

That's what happens when the rest of the world (or so it seems) is Christian. A Jewish person has nothing to do on this day. :D

My daughter's gone for the weekend. Even my husband is sleeping. Okay. Maybe I'll read...or bake...

#57: I understand the situation. We celebrated our Christmas yesterday (since I am supposed to be sleeping today because of working tonight), so here I am with nothing to do - until later when I do Christmas dinner.

You can always bake something and send it my way . . .

Hi alcottacre - got you starred for 2010. I think I will start recording the number of pages I read in a year, too....

#59: Hey, Karen. As far as page numbers go, I never recorded them until 2009 and I just decided I would do that for 2010 instead of books. I fell well short of my goal for 2009 (188,000 pages), so I am cheating in 2009 and lowering the bar to 150,000 pages, lol.

Hi early bird (or nightowl?)

150000. I'll be happy to read about 100 books; if they're 300 pages each, I'll top out around 30000.

You are definitely a reading machine!

I look forward to following your progress in 2010.

*Decides to remain a lurker to help Stasia keep her thread numbers down*
Oh, wait...oops...

#63: I think it is moot at this point, Amber, since the new year has not even begun and I have 60+ posts :)

I am looking forward to following your books this year. However, every thread I look at somehow makes my TBR pile grow higher and higher.

#65: The same thing happens to me! I completely understand.

Haha, good luck with what sounds like a daunting challenge for the year! I'll look forward to seeing what you end up reading.

Hi Stasia! Just saying hi over here in the new group, although I have little hope of being able to keep up with your threads! Good luck with your new goal!

#67/68: Thanks for dropping by! I appreciate your good wishes.

Gotcha starred for 2010! When are you coming to PA? I'm here and I'd love to meet you.

#70: Deborah, if (and it is a really big if at this point), I get to come to PA it would be in July. We are having a family reunion July 10th. I am really hoping that I can make the trip!

*frantically flips through calendar*

July 10th, July 10th...I can tell them to come the next weekend! IF you make it to PA, I will make it a point to come and visit!

You are found and starred. I need that night owl graphic. Note the time of my message. LOL!

I am still up too!

Hi! I starred your thread and will follow along. I'm looking forward to this year!

Good grief - more than 75 posts before the year's even started!

Happy New Year Stasia! Its great to see you back for another round!

Happy New Year Stasia!

Happy New Year Stasia to you and your family! I look forward to following your reading in the new year.

Happy New Year, Stasia! Glad to have found your thread!

My thread if you want to lurk too!

Happy New Year, Stasia ..... just a few hours to go before it's official Day 1 of our AK group read. Can't wait.

Happy New Year!!

Good Afternoon from a snowy Wales, Stasia, happy reading for 2010, I am looking forward to getting many more ideas for books to read from you! Ceri

Happy New Year, Stasia.

Just staying home and relaxing. Watching the Rose Bowl Parade, NHL Winter Classic, and bowl games and lots of reading today. I've already finished one book.

Oh Stasia...85 posts already. Happy New Year and happy reading!

Happy New Year, Stasia!

happy New Year, Stasia

Here's to a happy healthy New Year filled with great books!

Hi there! :) Found the new thread to star it and keep my eye on you ;) But give me know if whenever you'll jump into next thread ;p

Good luck with your plans!

Happy New Year Stasia!

Hi! Just stopping by to wish you a Happy New Year! :)

Stasia, I think you should simply reconcile with the fact that this band of loyal followers is here to stay. You just might need two threads per month in 2010.

Much Love!!!!

Just after noon on New Year's Day and already almost 100 posts! Can't wait to see what wonderful books you read this year!

Happy New Year Stasia! Looking forward to your Sunday lists.
(I'm also going to steal that very cute Night Owl gif)

Wow! I was looking for everyone over on my 2009 thread - I posted my last reads of the year there - and you were all over here!

Happy New Year everyone!! I hope we have a great reading year together.

Well it is 2010 ;-)

LOL behind already...

#97: I know how that feels . . .

wondered where you had gotten to...... *toodles off to read your post for last '09 reads*......WAIT! Is that wise?!! How many books will I end up adding to my wish list .... *nervously gnaws fingers*....

Nothing to say - just wanted to be message #100 on "The Acre"

Is it Sunday yet?

>101 arubabookwoman:, I know! I got all confused because of the holidays and I was like,"Oh, it's Sunday! Stasia will have her books up!" But alas, my excitement was for naught, as it is only Saturday.

LOL @ #101! Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we--ok, I'll stop. :P But I know what you guys mean. It's hard to be patient sometimes.

And hello, Stasia! :) I don't think I've popped in here yet, but I just wanted to wish you best of luck this year--not that you need it. ;) I got quite a few good recommendations from you last year, so I can't wait to see what else you'll read for 2010.

come on sunday!

It's Sunday somewhere!

It is here :) for 49 minutes now...

here just 7 minutes away ;-)

Oh whew it's still Saturday in Stasiaville. Hi!

*flees for two days*

Best of luck this year with your "make a dent in your TBR pile" challenge!! Love the title to your thread!

Wow, over 100 posts without even posting a book. It doesn't take long for one to fall behind on your thread.

Good luck not buying or borrowing this year, I'm in the same boat.

All caught up so I'm ready for your Sunday reviews. Four more hours here to go until Sunday!

For all you early birds, appreciated as you all are, I do not post my weekly reads until around 5am CT Sunday morning. Just FYI.

BTW - I saw a 'Peanuts' cartoon yesterday where Lucy and Charlie Brown were complaining at how fast the year rolls by and Lucy exclaims 'We need longer years!' I feel the same way only 'I need longer reading years!'

I found you! *Wave* Will tune in tomorrow...

This message incorporates the last week of December (which I also put on my December 2009 thread, so you may ignore those books if you read that post) and the first days of January 2010:

536. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom - nonfiction; I really enjoyed this book detailing the stories of 2 different men's lives; one of my favorite quotes from the rabbi talked about in the book, a very wise man IMO ''It is far more comforting to think God listened and said 'No' than to think that nobody's out there.'; highly recommended, not for the greatness of the writing, but for the character of the two men - on my 'memorable reads' list for the year

537. Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb - nonfiction; a very good account, using info recently released, of the hunt for Eichmann who escaped the allies after WWII; one error in the book (the kind that drives me nuts!): the concentration camp at Ohrdruf was spelled 'Ohrdurf' - I hate that kind of error, which should have been caught in editing, surely; recommended, especially for WWII buffs

538. A Place of Execution by Val McDermid - Suslyn mentioned this book at the end of 2008 and I have finally gotten to it, an excellent police procedural; highly recommended (thanks, Susan!)

539. The Best American Short Stories of the Century edited by John Updike - I checked this book out of my local library to read one short story, Susan Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers, and ended up reading the entire book over the course of about 6 months (I cannot tell you how many times I had it in and out of the library, lol); recommended

540. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke - this was my ER book for September, which I finally got a couple of days ago; a pleasant enough addition to the series, but nothing remarkable; I do wish the author would finally resolve the love triangle one way or other, though!; guardedly recommended for fans of the series or cozy mysteries in general

541. Report from Ground Zero by Dennis Smith - nonfiction; a very good book describing the efforts of firefighters (primarily), police officers, and Port Authority offices during the 9/11 attacks and aftermath (thanks Terri for the recommendation!); I think the book would have been stronger without the second half of the book - the interviews in the first part of the book were strong enough to support it, IMHO; highly recommended

542. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - young adult; the final book in the 'Mortal Instruments' series and a very good conclusion to the series; highly recommended, but read the first two before tackling this one!

OK, so final reckoning for 2009: 542 books completed, but I fell short of my goal of pages read (188,000) coming in at only 170,938; fell short of my goal of nonfiction reads (150) coming in at 148.

January Reads:

1. House of Bricks by Ren Meves - the author of this book is in the 75 books group (jadebird) and sent a copy of her debut novel to me and a good one it is: a re-telling of the Three Little Pigs story, anthropomorphizing (sp?) pigs (good guys), wolf (very bad guy), cats, coyotes (still tricksters) etc., set in the American West; recommended (and thank you very much for the book, Ren!) Mine

2. The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan - young adult; the second book in the Cirque du Freak series, this was very good - I think Shan does a great job of giving his characters voice, especially the teen and pre-teen boys and in depicting Darren's predicament and his reactions to it well; recommended (Library)

3. Travels with Lizbeth by Lars Eighner - nonfiction; the depiction of the author's 3 years of being homeless rings very true - he pulls no punches as to how he got and stayed there - and using a very sardonic, wry wit describes his encounters with bureaucracy and traveling mates alike (although I must say his sexual encounters with men he was not well acquainted with took me aback a bit, in this era of AIDS); recommended (Library)

Right now, the library is winning the battle of the TBR stack, and it will for a bit as I have about 60 or so library books to take back yet, but by year's end, I am hoping to have read 1 of my books for every library book.

542 books??? How you can do it? I really wonder about that!

I've made my life record with 234 books and I was so proud of so much reading, but now I see it's possible to read a lot more in one year. I just wonder how you did it ;)

Congratulations! It's an incredible result :D And the plan of balancing library-own books seems to be a reasonable one. For me it worked well in 2009. Will cross my fingers for you!

Have a great reads in 2010!

Thanks, Aga. I do almost all of my reading in the wee hours of the night - no disturbances from dogs, family members, phone, etc.

#114 Stasia - Re: Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb - I have the audiobook version of this. I'll listen caregfully to see if the spelling error you noted is replicated in that. And congratulations on reading 542 books in one year. It's a mind-bending and awe-inspiring figure :)

#117: Peter, in the book the spelling error occurs early - 3 times by the 15th page or so. It will be interesting to know whether it shows up on the audio version. I even checked the index of the print version and sure enough, it was misspelled there as well.

Thanks for the congratulations.

Travels with Lizbeth sounds very interesting. I worked as a volunteer and as a board of directors member for our local shelter. It was a very eye-opening experience!

I deal with the homeless quite often in my job. Eye-opening is a great way to describe it.

Nice selection of books this week Stasia but none to add to my notebook. Have a great week.

Hi Stasia, Happy New Year again! 542 is quite incredible...

I am another one who always checks out your thread on Sunday mornings (though it is nearly 2pm in the afternoon here so have to wait a bit longer than some).

I have got a great number of my book ideas from it, and am now planning to read Ada - I read Lolita last year and would like to extend my Nabokov repertoire this year.

Happy reading for 2010...

>114 alcottacre:: Nothing for me this week. People tell me I'd love the Fluke books but I don't have the energy to start another mystery series while I'm in the middle of so many others (and not progressing on them).

whew! made it out without an add to my list.. but but not without a couple to think about :)

I've been tempted to check out the Cirque du Freak series for awhile now, so I think I may just have to move that to the list now.

Happy Sunday, Stasia. More snow here in MO so I am reading threads and skipping church! I think there was about 12 seconds when we were "tied" for books read this year. I'm still standing strong with one book under my belt. Kidding, of course, we all know this isn't about the numbers...just good book conversation.

I didn't meet my goals last year either, but you came closer than me! Here's to 2010!

I unearthed your book no. 538 on New Year's Day when I was trying to bring a little order to chaos - mean to read that puppy this year. (I, too, got it on suslyn's rec.) Re: your book no. 1 for this year - cats as tricksters? Willie is very unhappy!!! He's making a list of authors who might be guilty of feline-ism and begs me to read it. It's on the list now.

Whew! First Sunday and everything I would have added to my wish list was already there!

Took a moment to find your thread, but have you safely starred now! :D

#114 I’m glad you liked House of Brick.

City of Glass and Cirque du Freak sound interesting; I’ll be looking for those.
Thanks!

I just bought City of Ashes for my daughter/me . It's good to know the series holds up through the rest of the books.

I have the Mitch Albom book and the Val McDermid books on the TBR pile. I like the Joanne Fluke series but I, too, wish she'd just resolve that love triangle issue. I'm getting tired of it.

Aaahhh, Sunday morning and time to sit down with Stasia's reviews--such a nice tradition!

House of Brick caught my eye, but I can't find it on Amazon. Is it out yet, Ren?

ETA it didn't come up on the title search but I found it when I did the author search.

Boy am I glad I caught your post for the last week of December so nothing for me to add from this current January list ....whew.... *escapes by the skin of her teeth*

I'm adding Report From Ground Zero. I'm looking for more good non-fiction this year.

Oh, is it Sunday? Did Stasia post her Temptation of St. Richard list? I can't see that far up the page. Pity, isn't it?

House of Brick sounds great! Congrats, jadebird.

I've added it, as well as Best American Short Stories of the Century and Travels with Lizbeth to my wishlist. Congrats on 542 books in 2009, Stasia! You are an inspiration.

Blimey. Its only the 3rd and you've already got 138 posts on your thread. I have no hope of keeping up this year *sigh*

House of Brick also has some great reviews over on its main page as well. It sounds great, I will add it to the wishNotebook.

Gotcha starred... AND I bet you're on your 2nd thread before the end of January :p

Nope. Nothing for me to add this week...although this will probably be the only week of the year that I can say that.

I'm with the others who mentioned interest in the Cirque du Freak and Mortal Instruments (aka "City of...") books. I have a few in each series, but not all of them. I was contemplating reading City of Bones this year (I just recently bought it) since it's the first in the series, but it looks HUGE. I think I'll start Cirque du Freak instead. Thanks for the ideas, Stasia! :)

#139: And blimey's right, lunacat! :D This thread's kind of like looking up at the Eiffel Tower and wondering how you're going to get to the top.

Hi Stasia - I've already read the Shan books. I'm planning on reading his adult Procession of the Dead trilogy this year.
I've returned the majority of my library books unread and am trying not to request any enticing reads - using the wishlist much more instead. It's very hard and only 4 days into the New Year!

just house of brick to add.

congrazz Stasia on all the books!

#134 I'm glad you found it, roni.
#138 Thank you, allthesedarnboks, House of Brick is kind of a big epic puppy, so it took a while to put it together.
#140 & #145 I'm honored to have my book part of anybody's tbr stack.

#121: Maybe next week, Lynda. Thanks for stopping by.

#122: Hey, I am glad to have you on the Acre Sunday mornings :)

#123: Tad, I understand what you mean about not starting another series. I cannot seem to finish them is my basic problem - I get started on one and then another comes along . . .

#124: Maybe next week for you too, Kath.

#125: I would be interested in seeing your thoughts on the Cirque Du Freak series, Luxx. I hope you get a chance to read it in 2010.

#126: Hey, Donna, sorry you missed church Sunday morning, but I am glad to hear you are tucked up warm. It is cold here but no snow or ice, thank goodness.

#127: Hey, Susan, 2010 is another year. Here's hoping we both do better.

#128: Not cats as trickers, Charlotte, coyotes as tricksters. Willie can rest at ease.

#129: Catch you next time, Jasmyn :)

#130: Thanks for starring me, Emily!

#131: Thanks again for sending House of Brick to me, Ren. If you decide to read either the Mortal Instruments or Cirque du Freak series, I recommend reading them in order.

#132: I thought the series well done, Susan. Thanks for stopping in!

#133: Do you think if we both wrote to Ms. Fluke it would have any influence on her? Probably too late for the next book, which I know is due out soon, but maybe the one after that?

#134: Welcome to the Acre for today, Roni. I am glad you enjoy the tradition! So do I, truth to tell.

#135: I will get you soon, Caroline, I just know it!

#136: Bonnie, I can recommend both Report from Ground Zero and 102 Minutes if you care to read more about the 9/11 bombing. Both are very well done.

#137: Very funny, unSaint Richard.

#138: Marcia, I am glad you found something to like on this week's list. Thanks for coming by!

#139: Sorry, Jenny, I wish I could control them but it is beyond my power. I was hoping to make it through the year with only 1 thread like I did in 2008.

#140: Sherlyn, I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy it!

Oh, you are up late...

#141: Glad to see you here, Pam, but I sure hope you are wrong about needing 2 threads for January!

#142: I doubt it very much, Darryl. I pull far more off your thread than you do here.

#143: Sara, although the Mortal Instruments books are lengthy, I found them quick reads. You cannot go wrong with the Cirque Du Freak series, though. I have only read the first 2 in that series, so it is a qualified recommendation for all of them :)

#144: Kerry, I bought the first book in Shan's Procession of the Dead series, but I think I am going to wait on it until I finish the Cirque Du Freak series. I know exactly what you mean about tempting books to run over to the library and grab! I am restraining myself fairly well right now. I am hoping it will last, lol.

#145: I hope you have a chance to read House of Brick, Bryony. Thanks for dropping in!

Re: the note on my thread about Cybele's Secret and Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier--have you read her newest, Heart's Blood? I kept putting it off because it didn't look that good, but it was fantastic. A retake of Beauty and the Beast, but not obviously so--it's set in a secluded Irish keep, Whistling Tor, around the time of the fourteenth century Norman invasion. Lots of intrigue and truly memorable characters (most of whom are spirits trapped on the Tor)...if you liked Wildwood Dancing, I'd highly recommend this one as well.

Gotcha starred, Mom!! :)

#154: Jasmine, Wildwood Dancing is the only one of Marillier's that I have been able to read to this point. I have a ban on buying books this year, so am limited to what my local library has and although they have a few of hers, Cybele's Secret and Heart's Blood are not among them sad to say.

#155: Thank you, sweetie!

I found you!!!!!! My life is complete!!

#158: Carrie, you seriously need to get a life if finding my thread completes yours :)

:) It's the simple things that keep me happy.

#156: Oh, Stasia, that's a bummer--this is why I love my library system: 9 times out of 10, if it's not in the system and I request it, they'll buy it. Does it cost you to do ILL through your library? Does your library system do that? If so, and there's no/minimal cost, I think Juliet Marillier would be worth it. (I have a no book buying policy this year, as well--so I'm very thankful for the library!)

#148 - Willie is much relieved.

Phew - I don't have time to go to work anymore. All these huge threads are enough for me. Big congratulations on the massive number of reads last year.

#161: Yes, my local library has ILL, it is just a pain to use. They do have several of Marillier's books, so I think I will start with the ones they do have and then maybe by the time I am done with those, they will have the others available.

#163: I am glad for Willie.

#163: I know what you mean. Thanks for the congratulations, Karen.

The 5th day of the new year and you think you can get by with one thread? You ought to work the Comedy Club circuit, Stasia.

In my typically zippy manner, I just found this thread and starred it—even though I'm a mere lurker.

Good Morning Stasia

Just a quick note to say what a special person you are. We all flock to your thread like sea gulls on the ocean board walk waiting for someone to throw them a french fry.

#165: Hey, Charlie, thanks for lurking :)

#166: Thanks, Linda.

Hey alcottacre - can I count each of your threads as a book in and of itself?

:)

Sounds good to me!

Just found your thread and wanted to stop in and say hi! And starred! =)

Drop in any time, David! Glad to have you here.

>166 Whisper1:: Hahaha... Linda, I love your analogy. I was trying to eat dinner while reading this thread, it was almost a disaster when I read that line!

Whew! Found you (thanks for the "help"), starred you, caught up, and looking forward to your Sunday post. :-)

I can see right now that your thread will be "hard to load" long before January 31st! :-D

why thank you

oh stop it

#173: When it hits the point of 'load rage' let me know so that I can start another one.

WOW! This is a long thread already. I talked to myself most of the year last year on the 50 Book Challenge, so I am glad you all seem more 'talkative'.

#177: Not talking is not a problem on this thread, believe me!

--> 177

Angela, to say that we 75-ers are 'talkative' might be an understatement. I've already red-"x"ed off a gazillion people and still can't keep up with the remaining threads!

You will *not* talk to yourself here.

That is totally true. My friend tapestry100 just migrated from the 50 Book group for the same reason and was delighted to find us such a friendly group (even for flaky users like me). Hooray for us!

Oh, and thanks for the link to your thread, Stasia. Here I am! *waves* ;)

Angela

You will find Stasia's thread to one containing a lot of great books and wonderful conversations!

Welcome to the 75 challenge group!

>>180 beserene: beserene is correct. I was surprised by how many people stopped in to say hi on my thread before I had even one book posted! You all are a great group over here. =)

#180: Waving right back at you!

#181 : Don't forget to warn Angela about all the books she's going to need to borrow,beg, buy or steal after reading the recommendations and discussions around them on Stasia's thread.

Right you are Caroline!

(waves also)

Thanks for stopping by, Bill!

Another Angela here...there was only one of me last year on this challenge (I think!) There's at least three Angelas this year. :D Maybe I can get more books read if there's more of me...hmmm...

I finally got caught up with your thread and starred you Stasia - now that it's soon time for you to start thread #2 of course. May you find lots of good books this year.

Glad you found me, Angela!

Not new thread time yet - I am hoping to make it through January with only one.

LOL..... are you making that statement with a straight face, Stasia?!!!!

Yes. I was hoping to make it through the entire year with only one thread. Why not? I did 2 years ago.

Oh dear.... someone's broken into Stasia's house and hit her on the head.... she's now delusional. It's January 9th and you already have 192 posts in your thread! So not happening that you'll get through even half of Jan on a single thread ... unless you're going to let this thread go to 500 posts before you start a new thread.

#192: unless you're going to let this thread go to 500 posts before you start a new thread.

Sounds good to me, lol.

Hold out Stasia, you can do it! Don't give in to all those tempters! 12 threads I can deal with, but more is just crazy! LOL

Looking forward to tomorrow's weekly post :)

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cait!

It has been rather a rough week for me, so as is my wont to do in such times, I buried myself in books. This week's reads:

4. A River Running West by Donald Worster - nonfiction; a very good biography of John Wesley Powell, the man who named the Grand Canyon and did geological surveys of much of the area surrounding the Colorado River; a quote from the book: 'Like the men he recruited, Powell came west as a rather ordinary, undistinguished man and found himself challenged to rise to a new, higher plateau than he had known.'; the first part of the book was the most interesting to me - once Powell hits Washington my interest waned; recommended

5. No Visible Wounds by Mary Susan Miller - nonfiction; this book deals not with physical abuse of women, but emotional and psychological abuse, which is just as real although certainly not visible; I grew up in this kind of environment, and was hoping the author would offer some suggestions as to how to deal with that, but none were forthcoming; it is however, an important book for women dealing with these types of situation and how to escape (I am glad my mother finally did, although it took her 44 years to do it); some of the appendix material may be dated; recommended

6. The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex by Owen Chase - nonfiction; in preparation for the group read of Moby Dick beginning the 15th, I wanted to read the book that inspired Melville and found it a surprisingly readable account of the attack by a whale on a whaler; recommended

7. The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip - the first book of the Riddle-Master trilogy, this one was rough going for me at first, but improved as the novel went on; recommended Mine

8. Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter - nonfiction; I agreed with a lot of Carter's stands in this book; for example, 'We are all born with free will, to accept or reject whatever we choose. At the same time, we have no right to deprive other people of the freedom to study and to accept or reject propositions that are put forward as truths.' and 'Jesus Christ was the greatest liberator of women.'; recommended

9. The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones - young adult; this was a rather 'meh' read for me - I never found the protagonist fully defined as a character, and picked out the 'bad guy' well before the denouement; possibly recommended for younger readers, say 10-12

10. The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns - nonfiction; even if you do not read the text of this book which is quite good, I recommend that you pick it up for the pictures which are outstanding; highly recommended

11. Frindle by Andrew Clements - juvenile; this was a cute juvenile about the complications that ensue when a boy decides his pen will no longer be called a pen but a 'frindle'; recommended

Continued in next post . . .

This week's reads continued:

12. The Ten Cent Plague by David Hajdu - nonfiction; at times interesting, at times boring look at the early days of the comic book industry in the US; I was disappointed that the strips mentioned and described were (I guess) unobtainable for inclusion (at least some examples would have been nice); guardedly recommended

13. Triplanetary by E.E. Smith - I read this first volume of the Chronicles of Lensman for the group read; I found the language stilted, the dialogue between the male and female lead some of the most insipid ever written, and the flow overall, choppy; I have been told that the books get better from here and I certainly hope so! Mine

14. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling - a reread for me and I have nothing to add to the tons of reviews; recommended

15. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander - Reading for the Chronicles of Prydain group read and I enjoyed this one, although I wish it was more than 'Taran meets so and so', 'Taran runs into so and so', etc - it was definitely episodic, although I am still looking forward to reading the rest of the books; recommended Mine

16. Heir of Sea and Fire by Patricia A. McKillip - the second book in the Riddle Master series and to my mind, much better than the first, with outstanding female leads and a less choppy storytelling style; recommended

17. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson - I enjoyed this tale of a spinster lady who, through a chance meeting, gets to do nothing but enjoy herself thoroughly for one day of her life; recommended Mine

18. Salvation by Sholem Asch - one of my goals for the year is to read little-known books recommended by the book Writer's Choice and this is the first: a book giving a snapshot of a 19th century Polish Jewish shtetl - it cannot be approached with 21st century sensibilities - but must be appreciated for the story of Yechiel, the boy who does not fit with his father's notions, and searches to find himself and his destiny; highly recommended

You beat me to A River Running West. I find John Wesley Powell endlessly fascinating. I'll get to it one of these days. I agree with your thoughts on The Ten Cent Plague. It had the potential to be really good but it fizzled for me and I never finished it.

Wow! Fifteen books in a week? Congratulations!

Your use of the word Mine reminds me of my best friends' son when he was a toddler. If his sister was playing with a toy of his, he would usually run over to her (and often run over her), grab the toy, and scream, "Mine! Mine!", as if his life depended on getting it back.

I have Our Endangered Values, so no need to buy that one. Salvation sounds interesting, but I'll hold off adding it to my burgeoning wish list.

#198: I hope you get to read A River Running West, VG. Powell was a fascinating man.

#199: I did not realize until I was typing up the posts how many I actually read this week, Darryl, so it was something of a shock for me, lol. The 'Mine' is because I am trying to delve into my books this year and I am hoping it will help me keep track. Add Salvation to the wish list - I do not think you will regret it. If you would like more information about it, I will give you the blurb from Writer's Choice.

Glad you enjoyed Hed -- interesting to see your reaction to the close! And yes, I think the you'll find the Prydain books get better too. I tried to do the group read but couldn't get past the first chapter. And I loved that book! LOL I requested and got it in the 2008 Santa thing here on LT... Maybe later this year.

#201: I am reading the third book of the trilogy now, so I hope it is a good ending :)

Yes, I would like that blurb, if it isn't too much trouble. Thanks, Stasia!

#203: Darryl, I sent you a PM with the blurb.

Good Morning Stasia! My goodness you've really hit all my buttons this week. I love all things canyonlike and seafaring so A river running west & The Wreck of the Whaleship goes to the wishlist as does National Parks. Hope you don't have such a rough week this coming week : )

#205: Well, I am glad I found something you would like this week since I did nothing for you last week!

Stasia, I'm intrigued by the book Writer's Choice that you mentioned in post #200 and that it led you to read a book by Sholom Asch, an author whose writing I've never read. I'll be curious to see to which other writers the book Writer's Choice directs you.

Whew! Another week of avoiding increases to the TBR pile.

As I commented on the group thread, the Smith will get less kludged together but that dialog, particularly between men and women, is pretty typical of 1930s pulp.

I love the Alexander but I'm quite aware that much of that is because of the age at which I read it. Rereading as an adult they lose a little luster, though I still think #4 Taran Wanderer is a great YA novel.

Stasia, I read Salvation many years ago as part of a course I took on Yiddish literature in translation, and I must confess I've completely forgotten it, so it may be due for a reread.

A River Running West also sounds fascinating, as I have a long-standing interest in the Grand Canyon going back to when I was fortunate enough to take a raft trip through it, nearly 30 years ago, I'm shocked to realize.

RIddlemaster in one of my new books and should be read sometime this year. Glad to hear it sounds worth the read.

Just dropping in to see what all the excitement is about. And probably, I will lurk about a bit, too. Good luck with your goals this year.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day has been on my wishlist for a while and I'm glad you enjoyed it. It makes me more eager to read it now. :)

Because I visited Yellowstone in July 2009, I am very interested in book #10 regarding the National Parks! I've wanted to read it since watching the PBS series.

At our family gathering yesterday, we rec'd a spectacular, heartwarming, take your breath away gift from the two wonderful people who accompanied us on our Yellowstone trek. The most incredible thing is that these are photos taken by my dear friend Martha and she had them published into a coffee table book. Reliving the vacation brought tears to my eyes! There are no words to suffice for the beauty of America and our National parks.

Hi Stasia! I hope this week is better for you than last week. A River Running West is definitely going on my TBR. We hope to take a trip to the Grand Canyon after the boys get a little older, and I'd like to learn more about Powell and the Grand Canyon so that I can dazzle (bore?) my family with little known facts!

Phew, only one book to add to the evergrowing TBR list, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

I'm absolutely fascinated by the fact that you can read 15 books in one week. I couldn't do that even if I quit studying. Impressive!

#214, porch_reader, I have quite a number of books about the Grand Canyon from when I took a raft trip through the Canyon in the early 80s They are all about 30 years old, but if you are interested, go to my library and search for the tag "Grand Canyon". Some may still be in print, for example, probably John Wesley Powell's own narrative of his trip.

Yeee-Hah........no additions for me! Everything has either been read, I own or I'm not interested in.

In slightly unrelated news, I think that you should let your thread go to 600 posts in retaliation for our burblings, ramblings, bumblings and generalised garblings.

Stasia : I've taken to reading your thread with my Sunday breakfast tea before I even hit the newspapers! You've made quite a dent in your off the shelf reading. Kudos to you!

I loved reading Miss Pettigrew and watched the movie too which, I'm glad to say, managed to capture the charm of the book.

Have you watched the Ken Burns programs on our National Parks on PBS? They were running last year. The photographs and filming was extraordinary. I've got The National Parks on my wish list.

Salvation sounds interesting so on to the wish list it goes.

Wow, what a productive week for you, readingwise. I'm adding A River Running West and No Visible Wounds. Have you read Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft? I highly, highly, highly, recommend that book for anyone concerned with abusive relationships.

Only one "gotcha" on this week's temptations: A River Running West -- the rest, well, added or ignored already...I cannot abide Patricia McKillip's storytelling style for even a chapter, and the Doc Smith books I'm rethinking re-reading; I cannot begin to imagine how anyone can read Welsh names without laughing uproariously..."Llangollen" is a guaranteed hoot-fest for me. Makes the Lloyd Alexander books unsuccessful as reads for one with my disability.

I didn't realize that there's a Miss Pettigrew book. Onto the list it goes.

Whew. No new books to add to the TBR this week. All the interesting ones are already there ;-)

>217 lunacat: yup -- 12 is the most anyone should have to do in a year :)

Lots of good reads here. A few I've read or are on the tbr already so I'm only taking note of Salvation.

Oh, my goodness, I'm impressed -- and a little daunted! I've had my eye on Miss Pettigrew for a while. Glad to know you recommend it.

edited: a while? awhile? Had to look it up.

18 books in one week! Absolutely amazing Stasia.

That is quite a week of reading...wow! amazing.

What a great reading week, Stasia! I added the Jimmy Carter book to my wishlist, as he is a great inspiration to me. Thanks! :)

Stasia that was alot of books!

12 to add to the moutain!

Bx

I think it is a hoot how many people stop by this thread, compelled to check it out, and then are relieved when they don't find anything to add to their TBR pile! Too funny.

#207: Madeline, I did read a couple last year that were mentioned in Writer's Choice: A Heart for the Gods of Mexico by Conrad Aiken and A Childhood: The Biography of a Place by Harry Crews, both of which I would recommend. One very nice thing about Writer's Choice is that the recommendations are not just limited to fiction, but nonfiction is included as well.

#208: Hey, Tad. Congratulations on dodging book bullets this week.

#209: I think Salvation is worth a re-read, Rebecca. I hope you get a chance to enjoy both it and A River Running West.

#210: I will be finishing up book 3 in the series in the next few days. I hope I enjoy it as much as I did book 2. Glad to see you have it on deck to read this year, Jasmyn.

#211: Karen, lurkers are always welcome. Shoot, I lurk everywhere!

#212: Angela, if you would like, I will send you my copy. Just PM me and let me know.

#213: I know that the photography in the book will not live up to seeing the real thing, but some of the photographs are simply spectacular. I do urge you to pick up the book.

#214: I hope you enjoy it, Amy!

#215: Tanja, I am glad you found something here to your liking!

#217: I don't know, Jenny, 600 sounds like an awful lot. I hope you can find something to add to your TBR pile next week :)

#218: Caroline, I do not get PBS so I missed the series, which I would have really enjoyed, I am sure since I have watched a couple of Burns' documentary series and loved them both. I hope you get a chance to read Salvation.

#219: Sherlyn, I have not read the book you mentioned but will certainly look for it. Thanks for the recommendation!

#220: Hey, Richard, at least I 'gotcha' with one!

#221: I hope you get a chance to enjoy it, Linda.

#222: Maybe next week, Rebecca.

#223: Hey, someone on my side! Thanks, Susan.

#224: Kerry, I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy Salvation. It is very much worth seeking out.

#225: Anne, I hope you enjoy Miss Pettigrew when you get a chance to read it.

#226: Uh, Bonnie, it was only 15 books last week. I read 3 that counted for the previous week.

#227: Thanks for dropping by, Lorraine!

#228: Enjoy the Carter book, Marcia. I had not read any of his books before? Are there any you particularly recommend?

#229: 12? Wow, Bryony. I do not think I have ever had anybody at that many at one time before.

#230: You are right! It is funny.

To anyone who has added Salvation to the TBR pile or would like additional info on it, I would be happy to provide the blurb from Writer's Choice for you as I did for Darryl. Just let me know and I will PM it to you.

Thanks for the reads, Stasia. I did not realize Melville was inspired by another whaling book - so that Chase book has to hit the pile. Good for you reading Moby Dick which I think is a masterpiece.

#238: The Chase book is not lengthy, but I enjoyed it. Nathaniel Philbrick has also written a book on the Essex, In the Heart of the Sea, that I read several years ago and would also recommend.

The Chase and the Philbrook sound tempting. I will look for them. Thanks. :)

#240: I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy them (although enjoy might not be the right term), Ren!

Hello. Sorry to hear you had a bad week, but at least you had some good reads. I hope this week is better for you. I've added Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day my wishlist as it sounds delightful and is on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list.

#242: I did not know about Miss Pettigrew being on the 1001 Books list, which I tend to avoid assiduously.

Thanks for the good wishes, BTW.

Wow, Stasia, thanks - I'll PM you now...

Nice reading per usual Stasia! I'd like to read some more McKillip having only read Winter Rose, from what I've been reading it sounds like the Riddle Master series is a bit more of a quest series, while the others are more fairy-tale like. I'm looking forward to see what you think of the third part.

#245: Riddle Master is definitely a quest series, Abigail. I have not read anything else by McKillip yet. Would you recommend Winter Rose?

ETA: fixing Touchstone

#238 : Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea was really a wonderful read, as was his Mayflower. I love how he can write history in the style of a fascinating story, as opposed to dry facts and dates.

#247: I agree, Caroline. I have read both of those and found them interesting. I have also read his Sea of Glory. Philbrick, I find, writes very readable history.

I like Winter Rose -- it's pace is very different than Hed's. It's a strange book, but one I pick up fairly often for a re-read.

#249: Thanks for the input, Susan. I will see if my local library has a copy.

I've got Sea of Glory on my TBR tower but haven't managed to get to it yet. I must try to push it up the book chain.

Nathaniel's Nutmeg was a really interesting look at the very bad bet the Dutch made after a war with the English. Run Island mean anything to anyone here? Thought not. How about Manhattan Island? Hmmm, which one proved to be the better deal?

I have both Mayflower and In the Heart of the Sea sitting on my shelf....I'm thinking it's time to bump them up higher on the TBR list. Everytime I pick them up they look really interesting, but other 'stuff' keeps getting in the way. Must correct this.

#246 McKillip's The Sorceress and the Cygnet is her strongest (that I've read), I think. Also, I thought Changeling Sea was mesmerizing. I've read the Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy, and it wasn't my favorite, though my mom and hubby liked it very much.

#252 Nathaniel's Nutmeg does sound interesting, Richard.

>254 jadebird: It really, really is. It's not the most limerant prose, but the story is suspenseful (even though you know the ending!) because the lens it's seen through is personal and affecting.

#252: Nathaniel's Nutmeg looks interesting, Richard, and I am putting it in the BlackHole.

#253: I do not think you will be disappointed if you move them up the TBR stack, Tina, but believe me I know how other 'stuff' gets in the way.

#254: Thanks for the recommendations, Ren! I will see what I can find.

Hi! Just stopped to say hello. I'm not posting a lot, but I'm lurking about . . .

Hadn't heard of Nathaniel's Nutmeg - thanks for the recommendation, Richard.

#257: Hey, Terri! Thanks for taking the time to drop in.

I skated by this week, mostly because I didn't have time to read anything very carefully. Your thread can be a danger spot, but I love you for it!

Thanks for coming by, Luxx! I know you have your hands full with those beautiful boys of yours.

#255 richard--limerant (or is it limerent)--a new word for me. And a lovely one it is. Thanks.

#246 - I liked it (Winter Rose). I read it primarily because I am interested in the Tam Lin story and its variations, and I think it was on a list somewhere.

#263: I have read a couple of the Tam Lin stories, most recently the one by Diana Wynne Jones, Fire and Hemlock, so I will be bumping Winter Rose up in the BlackHole. Thanks for the input, Abigail.

I loved In the Heart of the Sea too, Stasia. Philbrick is a nice man - met him at the Whaling Museum a few years ago when he gave a lecture there. Another shipwreck book that you might like is The Wreck of the Medusa by Alexander McKee. Been meaning to re-read that one.

Oops, double post!

I'll be interested in hearing what you think of Winter Rose. I read it when I was about 13 and really didn't understand it, and a couple of my friends who read it at the same time had the same reaction.

#265: Thanks for the recommendation of the McKee book, Charlotte. I will look for it. I think it is cool that you actually got to meet Philbrook!

#267: I will keep you posted on what I think of it once I have a chance to read it. I have to get my hands on a copy first.

On the shipwreck theme, I found Where the Sea Breaks Its Back by Corey Ford totally absorbing.

#269: I will have to look for that one too. Can't tell I like shipwreck stories now, can you?

#270 I read the Ford book when I was living on an island in Southeast Alaska and traveling by boat was just part of life. It doesn't take much imagination in those circumstances to feel intense empathy for any poor souls marooned in that country.

True!

>262 arubabookwoman: Deborah, you're welcome! And yes, it's "limerent", I misspelled it. To me it's more useful as a term describing feelings towards art than feelings towards other people, I don't know why. In my experience, it's possible to sustain something stronger than a crush and less sexual than an infatuation, and much longer-lasting, on a book than it is on a man, but that's just me.

alottacre -- I'm intrigued by House of Bricks, and I'm tentatively going to recommend a book by a friend of mine called Sharp Teeth. It's a book in verse (well, modern verse) about gangs of werewolves in L.A.

Yes, it sounds unreadable, but it's actually a beautifully written compelling book.

#274: Thanks for the recommendation, Greg. I will see if I can locate a copy.

Hi, Stasia!
My dog keeps waking me up in the middle of the night, so I finally got caught up on your thread tonight. :) I am really looking forward to reading Moby-Dick, and I am enjoying The Book of Three. I need to read more off my shelf, too. Anyway, wishing you the best in 2010!
--BJ

Hi, I have been lurking all along, I can't believe how big your thread is and how much you can read in a week. My life has been so crazy lately, I have barely started my first book this year. Way to go... BTW I read you are coming to PA at some point. It would be cool to meet you. Love reading your posts.. Very fun reading. Wish your thread could count as a book lol

#276: Hey, BJ! Thanks for spending your insomnia time with my thread, lol. I wish you the best in 2010 as well.

#277: Feel free to lurk as much as you like, Monica. I lurk everywhere and believe me, I wish the threads in the group did count as a book - I read them all.

Stasia ma petite choux (it's a pun, guys), it's time to face reality and open up Stasia's Acres, thread the 2. Any more posts on this one, and it will single-handedly cause telecommunications failures all over the State of Maine from overdownloadosis.

Really. Truly. Stop the madness.

Ah, come one Richard, surely this one can last through January!

NO. No it can't. It's the THIRTEENTH and you have 281 posts. NO. January is a two-thread month for Stasia.

Really. Truly.

Stasia...at least you can point out that this thread is really already a month long since it started in mid December. I don't think Maine is in danger of overload since thankfully people (myself included as a potentially guilty one) have refrained from lots of fancy graphics....that's what makes the downloads overload (the book covers and dancing girls, etc.).

Although there are 281 posts, most are quick, and probably one of a kind as people found you and 'logged on'. The biggest trick will be getting them NOT to spend 80 posts saying "OK I found you and starred your new thread" whenever you switch to the next one.

But whatever you do, don't stop. Your leadership in this forum is one that we all rely on. I think you can probably tough it out until the end of Jan or at least make the shift in the last 10 days of Jan and then go through Feb (since it's a short month).

New thread for Stasia is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/82207

>236 alcottacre:, I haven't read any of Jimmy Carter's books before, unfortunately, Stasia, but I'm a big fan of him as a person, especially his humanitarian work. I will def read the book sometime soon, and then hopefully I can get around to his others!

Now off to star the new thread... Already!

Nothing personal Stasia, but I am simply not looking at the books you read this past week!

I have got to make some headway on what I have. I did want to see what you are doing and see what others are saying about your reads :P

I just can't stay away!Even though sometimes I just lurk...

Stasia,

Your page count ticker is inspiring me but I have a very Type A question as I fire up my own. How do you count the pages on a non-fiction book? Just the text only (not the index or footnotes), right?

#285: Lurkers are always welcome, Kath, I hope you know that - I lurk everywhere :)

#286: Mark, for any book, I count the pages actually read: if there is a preface or an afterword that I read, then I count it. The same with a bibliography or footnotes section. I never count the index since I do not read it. I do, however, frequently read all of the other sections I mentioned, in which case, I count them.

Thanks for the welcome Stasia. I actually introduced myself in the intro thread a while back, before I wimped out and switched over to the 50 Books group. =) Now I'm back.

Love your "pages read" ticker. Hm ...

#288: Well I am glad you are back then, Shauna.

Feel free to steal the 'pages read' ticker. I know I lifted the idea here off LT.

Hi there madhatter... goon name :)