Cariola's 75+ Books in 2010

There are just a few days left and a few more books to finish before the New Year, so I thought I should get this thread up and running. I'm hoping to whittle down the embarrassingly large piles of TBRs this year--but I know that I'll be tempted to add to them as well.

Happy reading in 2010, everyone! I thought a good way to begin would be to list my top 10 of 2009:

1. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway.
2. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys.
3. The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt.
4. Music and Silence by Rose Tremain.
5. After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell.
6. The Autobiography of Henry VIII, with Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George.
7. Regeneration by Pat Barker.
8. No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym.
9. The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson.
10. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.

Welcome back!

Duly noted and starred! Nice to see you!

I was so afraid you were not going to join us again this year. I am very glad to see you back, Deborah!

Starred! I'm also glad you'll be with us in 2010, Deborah.

Nope, not moving to the 100 Books Challenge, even though I passed that mark this year. I would miss you all too much!

Starred!

#6: Lucky us! Glad you are sticking!

Ah, it's great to find you here!

Starred!

I have been diligently looking for you here and was relieved to see your new thread. I have added many of your suggestions to my book lists.

Thank you all!

I would be sad if you left! I'm glad you will continue in 2010.

Happy New Year!

Found you! Starred! =) Here's to another great year of reading!

My thread if you want to lurk too!

Found and starred, Cario. Happy 2010 reading!

1. The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran.

This novel had a lot of promise but left me feeling not entirely satisfied--perhaps, in part, because I had just finished Kate Grenville's The Secret River, a much better written and more detailed account of white settlers' conflicts with "the blacks" in the same part of the world (Australia, as opposed to New Zealand). I found the chapters focusing on Margaret and Henry's life in NZ much more interesting than the "American" part of the story (although, as others have said, the depiction of the Maoris was oversmiplified and one-sided). For one thing, Henry didn't really seem to fall in love with Nancy, he just took pity on her because they had both lost a spouse and decided out of the blue to propose to her. Oddly, his love for her seemed to blaze into a passion after his first wife showed up. For another thing, the moral outrage of the Oadeses' neighbors was just too pat. I know that people may have been more religious, self-righteous, and judgmental in 1899, but surely some folks would have recognized that the family was facing a real dilemma and hadn't consciously decided to wallow in sin (which they weren't, in any case, doing).

Most disturbing was that we never got a sense of what the community or the law expected the Oadses to do, as they first screamed for the banishment of Margaret and her children and then for the "salvation" of Nancy--and, in both cases, the imprisonment of Henry, the supposed bigamist. Nor was it ever made quite clear what message we were supposed to take away from the book. That this was a unique case of "accidental bigamy" and a private matter? That polygamous families can work for the benefit of all? While the Oadses may have worked it out for themselves, I was left feeling unsatisfied with yet another novel in which the women are called upon to make all the sacrifices and make them willingly.

I'm now off to London for six days and will post my plane reads when I get back.

Have fun in London!

>17 Cariola: there is snow waiting for you here! Hope you have a great visit.

Have a wonderful trip!

Hello from London, all. No weather problems so far--not as cold as PA and snow is nothing to worry us here, although we've seen reports of the situation further afield.

So far the theatre has been awesome, particularly 'Red,' a new play about the painter Mark Rothko. It was one of those performances that when it's over, you don't want to say a thing because you are choked up with how wonderful it was. 'The Misanthrope' was also a hit--very smartly done in modern day, yet the adpater managed to retain rhyme within his free verse.

Today we went to the V&A and then to a film we had both been wanting to see, 'An Education.' Wonderful atmosphere piece set in 1961.

Tomorrow I will probably go to Persephone Books in Lamb's Conduit and perhaps to the William Morris Gallery. We have a play at night, 'Stoppard's 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.'
Then only one more day. We plan to see the Turner exhibit at the Tate. I will check in when I return, if I don't get to the internet cafe again. I'm sure I will have a lot of catching up to do!

I am green!

Where did you see the plays? At the National Theatre, or elsewhere?

If you go to the British Museum, you could stop by the wonderful London Review Bookshop, which is on Bury Place, a half block away from Great Russell Street and only a few hundred feet from the museum's main entrance. The bookshop's Cake Shop is very good, too.

Have a wonderful time!

oooh! Go to the British Museum if you can. There are so many cool things there. They also have an awesome library evidently. It was being refurbished when I went so I did not get to see it.

Cario, 2 plays, a film, the V&A, the Tate to see the Turner...you really are turning the screws in me here. I stayed in the area of the British Museum and walked over to Persephone. Wonderful area...Virginia Woolf territory!

oh, now I am down right envious...

I so want to go to see the Tate Museum and sit and gaze at the Waterhouse paintings and the other wonderful Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

Beam me over there scotty!

Seriously, have a wonderful time!

http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/CollectionDisplays?roomid=3452

>24 jmaloney17:: Excellent Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum with the best mummies I've ever seen. You just have to fight your way through all of the other (American) tourists!

My plan of attack for the British Museum was go there soon after it opened, see one or two exhibits that I was most interested in, and leave before the hordes arrived. There is no entrance fee, and you only have to pay for special exhibits, so you can come and go as often as you'd like. Most of the museums in central London are also free, from what I remember.

Another free activity I enjoyed was going to Foyles Bookshop on Charing Cross Road, for the free concerts at Ray's Jazz Stage in the Café on the third (or second) floor. I loved going to the Café for lunch, which had spacious seating and great sandwiches, salads and desserts. The bookstore is excellent, although it feels more like a chain store than the London Review Bookshop or the other Bloomsbury bookshops do.

ETA: The Foyles Café also has free Internet access. I sent several LT messages last summer from my netbook while I was sitting there!

I worked in London last year- if its possible to get a tour of Parliament they're really fantastic :) Also if you can get to Spitalfields Market- that's fantastic too!

Hope you're enjoying everything!!

If Linda gets beamed over, I want to be beamed along, too!

Here's the scoop on the plays:

'The Misanthrope': Comedy Theatre. Starred Damien Lewis, Kiera Knightley, and Tara Fitzgerald.

'Red': Donmar Warehouse. Starring Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne. I truly don't think it's possibole for the Donmar to put on a less than excellent show, form past experience.

Tonight: 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' with Toby Jones; new musical arrangement by Andre Previn.

We tried to get tix for iThe Waste Land/i with Fiona Shaw at Wilton Music Hall, but it has been sold out. Since outlying weather has been bad, we may call the venue and see if any reservations have been cancelled.

I've been to the British Museum many times (stayed in the Bloomsbury area for 7 weeks as a grad student), and the current exhibit, 'Moctezuma,' isn't of particular interestto me. I may hop over to the London Review store if I have time today. Right now the plan is to go to the National Portrait Gallery, which has a 'Beatles to Bowie' photography exhibit on (plus I just love the portrait galley--all those Holbeins and Van Dycks and Lellys from my period). Then over to the Charing Cross Road bookshops (probably Foyles for lunch) and then to Persephone. My friend is off visiting her goddaughter in New Malden, but we will meet up for dinner and then on to the play.

Tomorrow we may try to get up to the William Morris Gallery, which neither of us has seen, and then to Tate Britain for the Turner exhibit and whatever else we have time to see (been there many times as well).

We leave for home early Monday morning.

If I don't get back to the internet cafe before then, thank you all for the great suggestions, and I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time, Deborah! Safe travels.

I will get to London before I die---I will get to London before I die---I will...

I too will get to London before I die---I too will get to London before I die--Me too!

British Airways has some great sales on flights between JFK and Heathrow (LON). Last spring BA had tickets as low as $212 USD each way between JFK and LON, which included two free nights in a selected hotel. I'm waiting to see if they'll have a similar offer this spring, as I'd like to go back there this spring. If you'd like, I'd be happy to post offers from BA or Delta (my preferred airline) on my thread as they become available.

Can you prescribe me a heavy tranquilizer too? =) (Sadly, I have a phobia about flying).

Seriously, those are some steals!

35> Does that include all the taxes? We saw a similar deal on Virgin, but the taxes were more than the tickets, so the whole round trip ended up at around $700.

I'm jealous about your theatre trips but very happy for you! It sounds like a great time.

Yes, Darryl, please inform of us of any travel deals. : )

#37: Ah! When I looked at the "Terms and Conditions" section, I found this statement: Fares do not include government fees and taxes of approximately $165 and a $2.50 September 11th Security Fee.

I went back through my old e-mails, and noticed that I paid over $140 in taxes for my trip to London last summer on Delta. The base fare was over $800, and I didn't get any free hotel nights, so this BA deal would have saved me over $500...if I don't count the cost of flying from ATL to JFK. BA has daily direct flights from ATL to LON as well, so they may have a similar deal here.

Don't miss Daunt Books in Marylebone High St! It's fantastic.

http://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/

Glad you're enjoying your time in London :)

#37 and 39 and all other posts about airfare to London

I have seen the deals you are talking about on BA and Virgin for several years. In fact I did one of then through Virgin about seven years ago. It is a very good deal! Remember that it includes the hotel (which usually means a crap but edible breakfast too). The hotels are very decent. Not U.S. hotels, but European size hotel rooms (very small). If you do decide on one of the deals, I think that the best area they have for the hotels is the Bayswater area. There is a lot of competition in that area because there are a lot of small hotels there. The area is very convenient for tourists. There is nothing to see in Bayswater, but it is close enough to everything you want to see.

42> Yes, we stayed in Bayswater. Good location near two underground stations, great affordable eateries. I stayed there twice at a real pit with student groups and twice at a much better place, the Central Park Hotel. A plus there is a refrig in each room so that you can hop over to Marks & Spencer in Whitely Center and buy fruit and yogurt for breakfast. As you note, Americans had best not expect big rooms and fresh decor (but then I don't spend much time in the hotel, so a clean room and hot water are all that I require).

2. A Concise ChineseEnglish Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo.

I chose to take this book with me while London, and, as someone said below, the short chapters made it a good traveller's read; also, because it was set in London, many of the places mentioned in the book were right in front of me. I've had this book for awhile and had high hopes for it, but, for many reasons, I found it quite disappointing. First, the "cuteness" of Z's misunderstanding of English words and phrases began to get tedious after the first 100 pages. Second, I have no idea whatsoever why this young girl became so pathetically attracted to a 42-year old loser. Yes, she was in a strange country alone and he was kind to her at first; yes, she thought he was handsome; yes, he became her first lover; yes, he has a house. Is that reason enough to give up your whole personality as well as your time, money, culture, and emotional energy? I don't think so, not even for a somewhat vulnerable girl like Z. The man in the story was a failed sculptor who had run out of ideas (after all, how many penises can you scupt before running out of ideas?), whose job was making random deliveries in a battered van, and who told her outright that for the past 20 years, his lovers had all been men. It doesn't take a genius to read the flashing red sign on his forehead: "LOSER--RUN!!!" Third, certain events in the story were just unbelievable to me. Even a 23-year old from China would figure out pretty quickly that it isn't appropriate for young women to buy porn and read it openly in tea shops, watch peep shows designed for male customers, or attend live sex shows (let alone saying to a guy you met half an hour ago, "I want have sex with you" and stripping off your pants in a natural but public setting).

The author expects us to buy all this naivete simply because Z is a lonely girl away from home for the first time, but it just doesn't work. Writing all this down makes me recall how impatient I was to finish this book (which I left in the hotel because it wasn't worth carrying back). As soon as I post this review, I'm changing my 3 stars to 1.5, giving it a little credit for the original if overwrought idea and some humorous wordplay.

Glad to have found your thread, Deborah and green with envy that you are in London. Sounds like you are having a wonderful time.

#2 read was on my TBR pile but now has been pushed to the not-to-bother one.

Nice job, Cariola! I felt the same way, but didn't say it nearly as well. Better luck on your next book. I read Ms. Hempel Chronicles immediately after Guo's book and liked it lots better.

eta: Forgot to say that I've got a lot of your favorites from last year on my wish list.

#44: I am with Karen on that one - I will put it in my 'do-not-read' file.

I am back from London--returned last night. Back but tired and foggy-headed.

I hope you get some rest, Deborah, and do not suffer too badly from jet lag.

Love that review, Cario. Glad that isn't one I have sitting here TBR. Urk.

LOL, I like your review as well. I had put that one on my TBR because a random bookstore employee recommended it to me, but I think I will yank it off since I trust group member opinions waaaaay more! :)

>44 Cariola:: I read it a while back, and was disappointed. You're right, the guy was a loser. And I was disappointed in the main character's need to be associated with a man in order to feel validated.

Nice to have you back!

3. In Between the Sheets by Ian McEwan.



This is an early collection of seven short stories, most of them with a psychosexual twist. While I can't say that I really liked the collection, it was interesting to see McEwan's style emerging. His mastery of characters' inner dialogue is beginning to show here.

3 out of 5 stars.

Hmm...I like McEwan, but I think I'll pass on this one.

How was your trip? What bookstores did you visit, and what did you buy there? How were the museum exhibits and the plays?

#53: Skipping that one. I hope your next read is better for you.

OK, I am with Darryl: How many bookstores and what did you buy?

Like Darryl and Stasia, I'm gong to pass on your latest read. And, like them, I want to know what books you obtained on your trip.

Well, truth is, I didn't make it to ANY bookstores except those in the museums, and the only things I brought back were a calendar from the Wallace Collection and play programs. The weather was not exactly cooperating. I thought that the Brits would be used to snow, but apparently not. The whole country was in a panic over snowstorms that we would deal with easily here in PA (like 5-6"). In London, some trains were not running; although there was never more than half an inch of snow on the ground, some outlying areas had frozen tracks and more snowfall. Roads, schools, and businesses were shut down, and the newscasters were all about comparing it to "the big snow of '81" and the "blizzard of '63." They were running out of "grit" (which is what they put down on the roads). I did try to get to the Persephone shop, but I had trouble finding it, flurries broke out, and it was starting to feel creepy because it was dark out and I was alone and there weren't many people on the street, so I gave up. Maybe next time.

So most of my time in London was spent in the museums and attending three plays, all of which were wonderful. There was a great Turner exhibit at Tate Britain that focused on the influence of other painters on his work, and a photo exhibit, "From Beatles to Bowie," at the National Portrait Gallery. We also went to see the Wallace Collection, and although we did visit the V&A, we skipped the Maharaj exhibit--very pricey.

The plays were all wonderful. The Misanthrope was an updated version, very smart and funny. Although the reviewers blasted Kiera Knightley, I thought she was fine; you can't blame her that people who normally wouldn't see a stage production came to see the show because they liked her movies. Damien Lewis carried the show. The best of the lot was Red, a stunning new play about the artist Mark Rothko starring Alfred Molina and Eddie Redmayne. I've yet to see a bad production at the Donmar Warehouse. And Every Good Boy Deserves Favour was very moving and unique. I regret that we were not able to get tix for Fiona Shaw's performance of "The Waste Land," which was getting rave reviews.

#57

The thing with Brits and snow is that we completely AREN'T used to it. Our whole inferstructure is not set up for extremes of weather. We just don't get it.

Most of us, especially in the south of England and most of all in London will probably only see one or two days of snow a year, amounting to a couple of inches and temperatures down to maybe -2 C. It really was the longest, worst cold spell we've had for twenty or thirty years.

Because of this, the trains aren't designed to work in that cold weather, we did indeed run out of grit because we only usually have maybe a week's run of weather where the roads need gritting, and very very few of us own snow chains, and no one puts winter tyres on their cars. Most people don't know how to drive in snow.

But before you condemn us as stupid and daft, remember, this is something we might have ONCE a year. So what is the point in spending large amounts of time and money preparing for something, when we could just hibernate for a day or two?? I don't think there has ever, in my lifetime, been a winter so bad.

So.......please forgive us Brits for spoiling your trip and being a bit useless but we haven't got any practice. Now, give us a good amount of rain and we'll be alright.............until our rivers start bursting their banks ;)

Eh, it didn't spoil our trip, and it was clear, as I said, that you all aren't used to snow. (I've probably seen too many versions of A Christmas Carol with kids sledding and throwing snowballs.) We get the same reaction to snow here in places like Nashville, where my daughter lives. They don't know how to plow snow (they leave a ridge down the middle of the road) or how to drive in it. I was raised in Michigan, so snow is no big deal until it gets over 8-10".

This is the second time I've had to forego a visit to the Dulwich Picture Gallery. The last time (July 2007), the trains were flooded out.

I think they made much more fuss about this snowfall than the snow we had before Christmas - which I thought was MUCH worse. My theory is everyone was suffering return-to-work January blues and was desperate to build a big story out of it so they could snag some extra time off work.

>59 Cariola: I have to laugh at your comment about Nashville, Deborah. My son lives there, and he laughs and laughs at how quickly everything there shuts down when there's a little snow. It's got to be REALLY bad here in MO before I can justify not going to work.

61> I lived in Columbia, MO for six years as well--like Michiganders, they're used to dealing with snow.

I laugh because in NE Pennsylvania where I live, people hear that snow is coming and they immediately run to the grocery store for milk and bread. I'm not sure why, but it is an interesting occurrence.

My son works at a Sam's Warehouse Club, and he said that the day they were predicting snow, people were standing in horrendous lines, complaining about the long lines, and buying milk and bread. I've never been snowed in long enough to run out of milk or bread. Weird.

I have to admit that I DO run to the store if a heavy snowstorm is predicted. But usually for lettuce, fruit, or booze, not milk and bread!

Same thing here in Massachusetts. I don't understand the syndrome myself. I mean, are they going to STARVE in two days of being snowed in? We get the same thing before hurricanes and I understand that even less. What is the point in buying super-perishable dairy products when you know that the very first thing that will happen is complete and total loss of electricity for at least a couple of days. At least in a snowstorm you could stash your milk in a snowbank.

In Anchorage we only run for emergency supplies when its predicted to be above freezing during the winter. The only "snow days" we get are actually when the temps hit the 40s. But a foot of snow?! HA! All the better for traction!

In the UK, lots of supermarkets open 24 hours now, except for a few key days like Christmas and Easter. If you go into the supermarket just before one of these holidays, there's no bread on the shelves - even though the supermarket will only be closed for a day!

Back in the 90s we were driving to Florida and ran into what they were calling "The Storm of the Century". We had to hole up in Corbin, KY for a couple of days before the highway was open again. It wasn't much snow to we Canucks but when we saw them trying to clear the roads with gravel graders and cars in the median totally burned out or hanging on the guardrail wires at the side of the road only by the back tires, over the side of a mountain in Tennessee, we realised that it's really serious when people don't have an infrastructure to handle something like this, not to mention the experience driving in it. We saw awful accidents on black ice in Georgia.

Friends in Scotland said it paralysed the country and that there were serious concerns about people dying from the cold. Their homes aren't insulated the way ours are and not everyone has central heating. They have no snow clearing equipment and their cars are small and very light, so flip all over the road.

As for going to the store before a storm, I always go for milk and bananas. Go figure.

ETA: sorry for the threadjacking, Cario...I actually thought this was the kitchen!

Yes, while I was there, something like 26 deaths had been attributed to the snow--mostly road accidents, a few people wandering around outside, and some falling through ice.

#70

Yes. For some reason, it tends to be people who go and jump through ice or into rivers (not only in the snow) or the sea after their dogs when they think they are in distress. The irony is, the dogs come out alive and the people don't.

Very sad. They say there was a much higher percentage of old people dying of the cold during the snap......because they couldn't afford the heating bills.

"I have to admit that I DO run to the store if a heavy snowstorm is predicted. But usually for lettuce, fruit, or booze, not milk and bread!"

LOL:) This reminds me of when I was watching a horror movie with a friend and they got to a scene where the people running scared find bottles of alcohol and start drinking. My reaction was "Come on! Is this the time for that?" and my friend turns to me and goes(with an exasperated look on her face by the way) "What do you mean? This is the perfect time for that. At least if the thing chasing them catches them, they will be drunk and not feel a thing". Have no idea why that came into my head but there you have it.

4. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy.



This was a fairly typical Hardy novel: misplaced affections, broken hearts, overindulgent parents, class divisions, long lost lovers reunited, hints of scandal, etc. There's a bit of Gabriel Oak in Giles Winterborne (and, for that matter, a bit of Bathsheba Everdene in Grace Melbury). Still, I enjoyed the novel, which I listened to on audio, read by the wonderful Samuel West. The secondary female characters--particularly the spunky and loyal Marty South, but also Felice Charmond and Suke Damson--give the novel an added charm, but the conflicted, rather immature, manipulating and rather easily manipulated Grace Melbury really just needed a good smack.

3.5 out of 5 stars (I've read better Hardy novels--Far from the Madding Crowd and Jude the Obscure, for example).

Trish..Thanks for making me smile! It sounds like you had a great time with your friend.

Hi Deb! I admit, I'm a book cover addict. I'm drawn to the pretty cover of your latest read.

#73: I think I will give that one a try since it is one of Hardy's that I have not read. I do not think it will displace Jude the Obscure in my affections though.

That's funny, Cario, because Jude made me want to give him a good smack. On the whole, I don't like Hardy's people, which makes me not like reading his tales very much, unless forced to by curriculum. ;)

#53 - I think I'd quite like to read the McEwan short stories, his early stuff is very weird and creepy, but sort of interesting in a ghoulish way.

Just getting to read your thread, and to all those who want to go to London, do your best to het there. It is just so fantastic!!

And I am going to put Woodlanders on the TBR pile, I love Hardy. Jude is one of the most moving, haunting books I've ever read. It is incredible, isn't it!

5. The Drowning Room by Michael Pye.

Set in 18th century Amsterdam and New Amsterdam, The Drowning Room is the story of a woman who uses her wits, her wiles, and her body to survive. Gretje tells us early on that she killed her mother--but we never get any details of how or why, and we later learn the she left her mother under a bush, unsure if she was dead or alive. She finds a job as a maid, but an unfortunate mistake causes a disaster that leaves her on the run. We learn bits and pieces of what has happened to Gretje since as she tells her story to a strange boy who has appeared on her doorstep shortly after her husband's death. As much as the novel focuses on Gretje's past, it also focuses on the mystery of this angelic-looking boy from whom she can't shake free.

I can't exactly say that I was blown over by this novel, but Pye does a fine job of creating and sustaining an eerie mood that kept me reading on.

3 out of 5 stars.

#78: I think I will give that one a pass for now, although I may come back to it.

I'm sorry the weather affected your London trip plans, and I wish I'd read your thread earlier, I could have shown you where the Persephone bookshop is (about a 15/20 minute walk from work but only easy to find once you know where it is).

I heard some of A Concise Chinese English Dictionary for Lovers in a radio serialisation last year and have a copy through Read It Swap It - I hope I like it more than you did!

Hope that you get to read a book you really, really like soon.

6. The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain.

If you think of Rose Tremain as mainly a writer of historical novels, this one will surprise you as much as it did me. In fact, I kept forgetting that I wasn't reading a novel by Ian McEwan. It's a mystery of sorts, involving a 13-year old English boy and a 40-ish Russian medieval romance writer. Lewis Little is spending the summer in France while his mother, a Scottish beauty, translates Valentina's latest work. He becomes obsessed with Valentina--an obsession whose depiction seemed very McEwanesque to me. Then, suddenly, Valentina disappears, and Lewis, not willing to leave matters to the police, determines to find her . . .

I certainly didn't enjoy this as much as Tremain's historical novels like Music and Silence, and I'm not much of a one for mysteries/crime novels. But overall, it kept my interest and was a pretty good read.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Music and Silence is on my book shelf. I vow to read this book in the upcoming months.

Don't feel bad--I had it for at least five years before I got around to it. It's lovely.

You should definitely read Music and Silence during the winter months, Whisper. It will increase the impact.

7. Flash Fiction ed. by James Thomas, Denise Thomas, and Tom Hazuka.

As one might expect, a collection of stories by 72 different authors is rather a mixed bag, but Flash Fiction has something for everyone. And because the stories are so short (none longer than four pages), it was a great way to get introduced to some styles and writers that I otherwise might never have read. A few familiar, regularly anthologized stories are included, like Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" and Julia Alvarez's "Snow." But I also enjoyed "Mandy Shupe," Kristin Andrychuk's tale of a Mennonite girl gone bad, Pamela Painter's quirky "I Get Smart," about a woman who gets three "new" cats by renaming the ones she already has, and Mary Morris's melancholy "The Haircut," in which a wife finds evidence that her husband is cheating again. Overall, an interesting collection, and I found some authors whose longer works of fiction I will be seeking out.

3.4 out of 5 stars.

8. Flash Fiction Forward: 80 Very Short Stories edited by James Thomas & Robert Shapard.

A second helping from the editors of Flash Fiction. Again, it includes several regularly anthologized works, like Dave Eggers's "Accident," but also some quirky stories by lesser-known writers. How can you not love a story titled "My Date with Neanderthal Woman?"

I love anthologies just for the reason you mention, Deborah - introductions to writers I might not otherwise have heard of. Thanks for the recommendations of the Flash Fiction books. I will see if I can find them.

9. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.

I read this novel when it first came out but reread it again as I taught it in a class. Sadly, my students did not love it as much as I do (but then, this is a general education course, and most of them hate to read anything other than Twilight or graphic novels). Cold Mountain is a beautifully written, beautifully structured, and beautifully imagined novel about two people struggling to survive the Civil War, hoping to reunite and make some kind of a future for themselves despite the many hardships they have faced and the damage done by the war.

The narrative alternates between Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier, and Ada Monroe, the bright, pampered daughter of an unconventional preacher who has decided to settle on a farm near Cold Mountain. Having had enough of killing and realizing the folly of the reasons for war, Inman becomes an outlier--a deserter--as he sets out for home, believing that Ada is his future and his redemption. When her father dies, Ada, who never felt fully at home in the salons of Charleston, refuses to return to the city and determines to make a life for herself in Black Cove. With the help and instruction of Ruby Thewes, she begins to understand the ways of the land and to recognize her place within it. Inman's road home is not an easy one. Pursued by the Home Guard, a vigilante-type posse intent on hunting down outliers, weakened by wounds that won't heal, exposed to the elements, and betrayed by his fellow man, he somehow manages to retain a sense of human decency. His dreams of Ada and of home keep him moving forward, despite seemingly impossible odds.

Cold Mountain is a love story, an anti-war story, a story man's place within the natural world, a little piece of history, a tale of human endurance. Frazier has done a remarkable job of writing the land in a way that is not only visual but atmospheric. All the elements of good prose come together in this moving, unforgettable novel.

5 out of 5 stars.

Cold Mountain took my breath away. I loved the book and that movie wasn't bad either.

I have got to get Cold Mountain read soon! Thanks for the reminder.

A friend mailed me her copy several years ago and insisted that I read it, she was so swept away with it. It just didn't resonate with me. Do you think being American gives it a different perspective?

Maybe; or maybe if you're familiar with the Blue Ridge (although that didn't influence urania, apparently). You have to think of place as a character. I just felt that the book was beautifully written and did a wonderful job of showing the change and growth in Ada and Inman. Some readers didn't like the alternating POV, or the restraint of the characters, but for me, those were strengths.

And how about the music? I loved all three!

I love Tremain's writing so will give your read a go - even if it is not her best. Thanks.

I am not such a fan of Frazier's Cold Mountain - read a while ago so not able to remember why. Perhaps I was just not in the mood!

10. Conceit by Mary Novik.

Conceit is the story of Pegge, daughter of the poet John Donne, a woman obsessed with the desire to understand and experience true passion--the kind of passion expressed in the erotic poems her father penned in his youth. Pegge barely remembers her mother, who died giving birth to her twelfth child, and her father, now Dean of St. Paul's, has striven to suppress both his poems and his passion as he approaches death.

While there is much to admire in Conceit, it is not without its flaws. Mary Novik has obviously conducted extensive research into seventeenth-century London, including its architecture, history, society, family life, and literature. For the most part, these details are effortlessly woven into her fine prose. Oddly, in a book featuring John Donne, Isaak Walton, and Samuel Pepys, the literary allusions themselves seem stilted. One example: when Pegge's husband William shares a cup of sack with Pepys, the latter's conversation is peppered with the coded sexual language familiar to readers of his diary. While I haven't read a biography of Pepys, I doubt that he used this code in conversation with persons who would not have understood it all; and in flirting with a tavern maid, he certainly would have expressed his desires in more forthright terms. It came across to me rather like a rap on the head (as if to say, "It's Pepys, you know? The sex-crazed guy who wrote about his adventure in a coded diary"). Since Pepys is one of our greatest sources of the details of London life in his day, including the Great Fire that launches Conceit, he might have been put to better use. Lines from Donne's poetry, of course, are central to the story, but they sometimes came up at odd moments and, again, tended to distract the reader. But since Pegge's obsessions are the novel's focus, this is more forgiveable.

Overall, the characters and relationships are certainly original, engaging, and well-developed. Pegge's love/hate relationship with her father, who she nurses towards death while still a teenager, haunts the rest of her life. A physical late-bloomer, she obsesses over her "fleurs" (menstruation), a habit that curiously continues through her childbearing years and on into menopause. When she marries William Bowles, she brings with her the bed in which her parents made love and in which her father died. Her own efforts at penning passion are scrawled across the pages of her father's biography, pompously written by Isaak Walton, the object of her own first (and perhaps undying) love. As Pegge's behavior becomes more and more strange, her memories of Donne border on the incestuous and become confused in her mind with her marital relationship. Pegge's rivalry with her sister Con, her obsession with Walton, and her husband's gentle, loving concern are all brilliantly rendered here.

I have to admit that I was rather offput by seeing my beloved Donne presented as a self-centered hypochondriac; I am not sure if this is Novik's invention or recorded fact. However, the chapters that flash back to his courtship of and early marriage to Ann More redeem him. Structurally, the novel moves back and forth through time--a ragged structure but one appropriate to Pegge's thought processes. We even hear the voice of Ann Donne, come from the grave to accuse her husband of abandoning his promises.

On the whole, Conceit fully engaged me in Pegge's world, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical novels that are intellectually challenging. It's also a wonderful study of the complexities of the father-daughter relationship. As has been mentioned by others, it is hard to get ahold of a copy in the US, although the book was critically acclaimed and a strong seller in Canada. I had to wait a long time before I found a copy. It was worth the wait.

A great review! Too bad this book isn't widely distributed in the U.S. I have it on my wishlists on PaperBackSwap and Bookmooch, so I will wait and see if one becomes available!

I went to add Conceit to my wishlist and discovered it was already there! It's a good thing I'm not so forgetful over books I have read or I'd constantly be rereading stuff I just didn't remember.

Nice review btw :)

Adding Conceit to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Deborah.

97> I'm even worse that that: I keep forgetting I OWN books and buying second copies!

96> Jill, if a PBS friend hadn't requested the book, I'd send you my copy. How far down the line are you? Maybe I can ask Bonnie to reserve it for you when she's done reading it.

Deborah, for the hard copy, I am 1 of 1. For paperback, I am 7 of 7. I would be happy to send book to anyone that wants to read it once I am done. (It could be like a chain letter!). =)

Glad that you liked Conceit. It is one of my favourite historical fiction books.

11. Drake's Bay by T. A. Roberts.

To be fair, I'm not going to rate this book because it just wasn't my cup of tea. I don't usually read mysteries, but the historical angle and the academic context caught my attention; that is why I requested the ARC. Unfortunately, the characters were stereotypes, and they didn't interest me at all. I found the plot predictable and the dialogue artificial. I was looking for something along the lines of Possession, but this was more like The DaVinci Code (or, like someone else said, a Harrison Ford action flick, and I don't much enjoy those either).

Great review of Conceit, Deborah; I'll add this to my wish list, too.

Conceit is already on the tbr pile, but your review now prompts me to move it up closer to the top.

12. Governess: The Lives and Times of the Real Jane Eyres by Ruth Brandon.

A rather uneven, if generally interesting, work on the lives of governesses in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England. Brandon includes letters and diary entries in individual chapters on a number of well-known governesses (including Claire Clairmont, Everina Wollstonecraft, Anna Leonowens). One thing soon becomes clear: Jane Eyre was definitely an exception to the norm. Most young women did not, in the end, fare so well.

3 out of 5 stars.

#105: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I think the subject matter is very interesting (especially since I am a big Jane Eyre fan.)

#106

You have confirmed to me that you are insane. I cannot stand Jane Eyre. However, to be fair to both you and I, perhaps I should explain.

Jane Eyre is one of the first 'set' books I remember having to read. I was probably around 11 or 12? I was scared of my English teacher who made us speak out loud in class (I was one of the most shy people in the school), and watching a black and white version of the book also scared me.

I then had to study it TWICE more in consecutive years in my later years, when I was 14 and 15. Each with different teachers but each disliking it more and more, and getting increasingly bored of being forced to read it.

I hate how much obligatory reading has scarred any enjoyment I might have in classics. These were always the required reading and even though I was considered high in the intelligence factors, my disabling shyness made any discussions on books impossible, so I feigned ignorance.

We were also forbidden from reading ahead, and I got tediously bored of reading at the class speed and so would daydream and then lose what on earth was going on.

It appears to be a miracle I am still a reader!

So, there lies the tale of the hatred of Jane Eyre.

Jenny

You are spot on regarding why teachers influence our likes and dislikes of certain books.

I was so very fortunate to have wonderful mentors and teachers who discovered I loved to read and fostered this as a very positive quality. Like you, I was shy.

I had a wonderful librarian and a super fifth grade teacher, who when my life was falling apart and my parents were divorcing, kindly, gently, knew that reading was my outlet and found books he thought I would like. To this day whenever I hear the words Dr. Doolittle, I think back to Mr. Peters.

-------------------

I love Jane Eyre. It is one of my top three favorite books. But, unlike you, I read it later in life when the beauty of the story resonated with me.

#107: You have confirmed to me that you are insane.

It took this long for you to figure it out?

#109

I was holding out hope for your redemption. I know what a curse insanity can be ;)

#110: No hope, I am afraid.

I know what you are saying about teachers though. I had a wonderful American lit professor in college who instilled in me a love of The Scarlet Letter that abides to this day. I loved the book so much that I read it twice through that semester and I still try and squeeze it in once a year.

13. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin.

How convenient that I finished this novel just as Tim Burton's new version of Alice in Wonderland is sweeping the country! The narrator is Alice Liddell Hargreaves, once the little girl for whom Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodson wrote the famous tale. It begins and ends with Alice, age 80, wrapping up a tour of America and relates the details of her relationship with Dodson. Was it an innocent friendship, an impossible love affair, or something more sinister? Alice keeps us guessing up until the end, dropping tantalizing tidbits along the way that, I confess, sometimes made me cringe a bit. The repeated motif is "that day on the train"--a day that Alice claims to have little recollection of but which resulted in the Liddells cutting off all contact with Mr. Dodson.

Even more fascinating than her relationship with Mr. Dodson are those with her mother and her older sister Ina--but I won't give anything away here for those who might want to read about it for themselves. The remainder of Alice's life is a fairly typical Victorian portrait of a woman who marries a nice man who is not the first or even second love of her life but rather her ticket out of an unpleasant home life and a spinster's future. Years later, like so many women of her era, she has to face the trauma of watching her sons going off to the battlefields of World War I.

My overall reaction to the book is mixed. At times, I was captivated, but at other times, the novel seemed rather a dull and conventional, like something I must have read many times before. Worth reading, in other words, but not exceptional.

3 out of 5 stars.

#111: Hooray! Another Scarlet letter fan! When I tell people I love the book I usually get puzzled or even hostile looks: reactions, no doubt, to forced classroom readings.

My own nemeses of forced classroom reading include Pride and prejudice and A farewell to arms. I was an English major so I'm supposed to wax eloquent about 'em, right? Sorry, required reading soured me on 'em forever.

I don't know, maybe it's a Pavlovian reflex, but you keep reviewing books, and I keep adding them to my Wish List! Very intrigued by Alice I Have Been.

#112: My local library has that one, so I think I will give it a try, keeping in mind your reservations.

I've been waiting for Alice I Have Been to come out for awhile... all the promo material made it sound very good, but I appreciate your review giving the bad and the good. I think I'll still read it, but maybe not as soon as I'd planned. Thanks!

Thank you all for your kind comments about Conceit! If you are interested, I have quite a bit of background information about the 17th century at my website, www.marynovik.com, also information on what inspired me to write Conceit, a bookclub guide, and so on.

all good things!
Mary Novik

14. The Awakening by Kate Chopin.

Reread for a course I'm teaching (I'm about to get 50 papers on it!). Since I've read this classic novel of a woman's confused longing for selfhood many times, I found myself focusing on Chopin's style this time. She has such a marvelous way of using description to convey characters' emotional or mental states. And once you've read it a few times, you start to recognize the subtle effect of pattern and repetition; it's beautifully structured.

This is a wonderful edition that includes cultural context materials (ads for corsets and skin creams, advice for the housewife, etc.) and several fine critical essays, each preceded by an explanation and history of the critical mode (feminisim, psychoanalytic theory, etc.). Highly recommended not just for scholars but for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the novel, it's reception, and it's significance.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

I am delighted to find you have a thread here on 75 as well as Virago! Great discussions and reviews happening here - the issue of timing and setting for a book 'working' I think is huge -- books read 'for school' often even when the teacher is wonderful, still have that aura of being required, rather than discovered, I always thought..... The other topic I loved and think might have a folkway aspect: people running out to buy things when they hear of bad weather. I've noticed that Philadelphians have a number of 'group behaviours' that they relish, are very proud of -- and one of them is running to the market in droves when a storm is predicted. They all do it so cheerfully, it's funny and endearing. Vermont, my official home, is not like that at all!!! Although everyone there has a different coat or pair of shoes for every five degree difference, in the last census VT people had more shoes than anyone else, but I guarantee they were mostly boots..... not Jimmy chu's.

add me to the list of those who love the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter

#118: What edition of The Awakening do you have, Deborah? I read the book a couple of years ago, but it did not have all of the textual materials to which you refer and I would like to be able to read that version.

121> It's the Bedford/St. Martin's edition. The editor is Nancy A. Walker; ISBN 0-312-19575-3.

#122: Thank you for the information. I will see if I can find a copy.

15. One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

Well, let me start with something positive: This was a very short book and a quick read, good for kicking off Spring Break. And the author writes dialogue that, for the most part, really sounds like conversation.

I had been looking forward to reading One Amazing Thing, but, overall, I was sorely disappointed. The first third of the book left me feeling like I was trapped in a B-rated '70s film--namely, 'The Poseidon Adventure.' Every disaster film cliché imaginable was resurrected in this story of nine people trapped in a passpport office in the wake of an earthquake. The roster of stereotypical characters include a goth Chinese-American teenager and her grandma, who is wiser than she seems; a take-charge African-American Vietnam vet (his take-charginess somewhat softened by his asthma attacks); an Indian boss and his assistant (and yes, they are having an affair that they have been trying to keep hidden because, of course, he is married); an older couple growing estranged from one another (he's the cranky character, the one whose smoking habit threatens to blow them all up due to a gas leak, and she's the one hooked on tranquilizers); an angry young Muslim man (the one who freaks out in the beginning and endangers everyone by trying to force open a door); and an Indian-American college girl. As the water level continues to mount, all that was missing was Shelley Winters.

Once we're introduced to the characters and everybody calms down a bit, Uma, the college girl (who just happens to have been reading The Canterbury Tales), proposes that they keep busy and relieve their stress by each telling a story from their lives (just like the people under pressure do in 'The Poseidon Adventure'). Every story is about the person either being terribly hurt, terribly hurting someone else, or both; I guess you've got regret on your mind when you might be facing death. And of course, there are some confessions that made me scratch my head, wondering why a person would want to inflict pain on a family member at just that particular moment. Only in Jiang's story did something "amazing" figure (unless you count the aurora borealis that turned out to be a gas fire).

I don't necessarily need a novel to wrap up neatly, but I have to agree with other reviewers here who complained that the conclusion leaves much to be desired. We could have had an explosion, perhaps a rescuer's voice was heard or his shadow fell through the breach in the ceiling, but no, we're not given even a hint as to whether these folks, in whom we're supposed to have an emotional investment by now, survive or not.

I've enjoyed several of Divakaruni's novels and short stories. Although the cover blurbs from other respected authors are full of praise for this book's originality, I found it facile and derivative.

2 out of 5 stars.

Edited to add rating.

#124: I am currently reading that one (I am only up to chapter 3), so I am sorry to hear that then ending leaves a lot to be desired.

BTW - thanks for the help on The Awakening. I ordered a copy of that edition.

16. Realms of Gold: Letters and Poems of John Keats.

I just spent a lovely afternoon listening to Samuel West and Michael Marsh read this collection of selected poems and letters by John Keats. The letters are arranged chronologically, and the poems interspersed were written at the same time, often even mentioned in the letters. Keats was the first poet I fell in love with at the age of about 14, and I fell in love with him all over again after listening to this fine and beautifully read collection.

5 out of 5 stars.

Deb

I know you like the art of Waterhouse and the Pre-Raphaelites. Here is a link I found regarding how Keats influenced these painters.

http://www.preraph.org/gallery/

Thanks, Linda. It took a bit of looking (which isn't hard when the paintings are by the Pre-Raphaelites), but I found "Isabella and The Pot of Basil." Great site!

I'm sorry I didn't specifically note that painting. I plan to go to the Delaware Art museum in early summer. I'm excited about seeing these wonderful paintings.

>129 Whisper1:: Whisper1, have you been to the DE Art Museum before? They have a wonderful Pre-Raphaelite collection. I work near there, but it's funny how when something is in your backyard you don't visit as often as you should. However my husband and I went last summer for the first time in many years and really enjoyed it. While you're in the area you might also want to visit the Brandywine River Museum to see Wyeths, and Longwood Gardens just because it's beautiful.

Thanks Laura

I plan to go to the Delaware Art Museum in the spring/early summer. Thanks for mentioning the Brandywine River Museum and Longwood Gardens. I think it might be nice to spend a few days doing all three venues.

Yes, that would be a nice trip. And you can also visit Lancaster, PA (Amish country) or Philadelphia or Baltimore ... as you plan your trip, feel free to contact me if you have any questions !

The Keats sounds wonderful. Thank you, I studied Keats for 'O' levels with such a wonderfully inspirational teacher that I have never forgotten many of his poems. I will definitely search out this CD - thank you Deborah.

17. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

This book is a bit lighter than my usual fare, but I was absolutely charmed by it. If I lived in Edgcumbe-St.-Mary, I think I'd be in love with the major, too. It's the gentle tale of a widowed retired major who is grieving for his recently-deceased brother when friendship blooms with Mrs. Ali, the widow of a Pakistani shopkeeper. Friendship inevitably turns into stronger affection--but what will the members of the club say (let alone the major's son, a broker schmoozing his way up the corporate ladder)? And will the major ever succeed in reuniting a pair of Churchill shooters given to his father by a maharaja and divided between his sons at his death? Much of the novel centers on conflicts between the "older generation" values of the major and the new values of "progress." Mrs. Ali, too, has conflicts with her own beliefs and the traditional Islamic values of her husband's family. But all is not so serious--particulary due to Major Pettigrew's wonderful wit (which often goes over the heads of others) and some delightfully comic scenes.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

#134 That one sounds like a great read - it's gone on the wishlist!

I saw this book at Barnes and Noble and it looked good. I hope to obtain a copy from my local library and read it in the next few months.

Thanks for your excellent review!

I've had this one of my shelf for awhile. Sounds like a great book and must get to it soon!

It sounds delightful--I put it on my wishlist. Unfortunately, there are 31 people ahead of me at the library! I may have to buy it...

#134: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I hope my local library gets a copy soon.

Sounds good! I like that the story is about a Islamic family set in Pakistan, but still "light-reading."

140> It is not set in Pakistan; Mrs. Ali's conflicts are with her husband's family, and they all live in England. There is one rather intense and serious (but not jihadic) young man in the story, but nothing like the novels you must be thinking of.

18. Romancing Miss Bronte by Juliet Gael.

About 250 fifty pages into this 400-page book, I asked myself, "Who is romancing Miss Bronte?" At this point, Arthur Bell Nicholls had JUST admitted to himself his attraction to Charlotte but had not yet spoken of his feelings, so I could only conclude that it was the author, Juliet Gael, who was "romancing" her in a different way, by trying to turn her into a romanticized heroine admirable not for her beauty but for other, more endearing qualities. The real romance is Charlotte's life: her endurance in spite of personal and professional rejections, her devotion to a demanding family, the sacrificing of her own needs and desires to fulfill those of others, and her dedication to her own work. The book, then, is not quite what the title suggests--which is probably a good thing in my case, since I am not a reader of conventional romance novels. Although the writing does get bogged down in unnecessary details at times, overall, Gael creates a lively portrait of one of the great women writers of the 19th century. The inclusion of a number of the literati of the day (Lewes, Thackeray, etc.) and their reception of both Bronte and her successful novel Jane Eyre make for interesting reading. The complex relationships among the Bronte sisters is also carefully and believably drawn.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

19. The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster.

Reread for a class I am teaching. This is one of my all-time favorite Jacobean tragedies. Forbidden passions, secret marriages, spies, incestuous feelings, political machinations, a malcontent, lycanthropy, and murder--and on top of it all, excellent writing. What more can you ask? I love teaching this play because it touches on all the aspects of the genre and of early modern court society that are so significant to understanding the period. Daniel de Bosola is my second all-time favorite villain (the first being Edmund in King Lear); I had the good chance of seeing him played by Ian McKellan at the National in 1985.

I just wish there was a DVD version. Back in the 1970s I saw a television production starring Vanessa Redgrave, but so far, it is not available. I'm waiting for one of those BBC collections--"Vanessa Redgrave at the BBC"--to come out. They've done them on Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, and Maggie Smith, and the series is wonderful; that's how I've gotten ahold of some of the classic plays that I teach ('Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Country Wife, etc.). But so far, the students have been enjoying reading scenes aloud.

5 out of 5 stars.

#143: Having never read The Duchess of Malfi, I will definitely be checking into that one, especially since you gave it 5 stars. 5 stars on your threads are must reads for me.

Ditto what Stasia said.

I read a review in the NYT about the Helen Simonson book which was positive - describing it as a quietly charming book. I have hesitated - worried it would be similar to the Guernsey book which was charming in it's way but not great for me. I look forward to the Simonson book after your review.

146> Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is SO much better than the Guernsey book, which I thought was just OK and rather a letdown in the end. There's really no comparison; I didn't find Guernsey very "charming."

#147: I was able to pick up a copy of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand at the library this past week and am really looking forward to reading it. Thanks again for the recommendation, Deborah. Although, I must say, I really did like 'Guernsey.'

The way you've described the book reminds me of Lamb in Love; quite a good read.

20. Solar by Ian McEwan.

Ian McEwan does it again! Solar is a hilarious, intellectual romp for our times. It's a satire that aims its shots in many directions: at the narrow worlds of academia and scientific research; at the New Age/hug-a-tree/love-can-save-the-world philosophy; at the idealism of the young and the cynicism of their elders; at the wheeling and dealing behind corporate American enterprise; at the inexplicable nature of love and its counterpart, lust.

Michael Beard, a Nobel prize-winning physicist, has been sitting on his laurels for years, working half-heartedly for a British energy center that sees wind energy as the future, spending more time mocking the "ponytails" (the young post-grad physicists who work under him) than developing new theories or resources. In his spare time, Beard has lumbered his way through five marriages and numerous affairs, and his penchant for alcohol, beef, pancakes, and crisps have added more weight to his physical profile than his professional one.

But then things start to happen--call them accidents or fate or coincidences, or just plain old opportunities. And Michael Beard is there to pick up the pieces and use them to his best advantage.

A few of the reviews already posted tell, I think, way too much and spoil the surprises to come for future readers. I'll only say that I knew how dark McEwan could be, but I had no idea that he could be quite so funny. Several of the scenes, including the one on the Paddington train alluded to by others, had me actually laughing out loud.

I listened to the audiobook and was delighted to find an interview of McEwan by his editor at the end. In it, he discussed his research process (which included not only reading about global warming and renewable energy but an extended stay in New Mexico and an arctic trip with a group of artists and scientists) and the fact that he has already been approached by a number of physicists who claim they know upon whom he based the character of Beard (he claims it was his own creation, but that it's probably a "good thing" there are so many likely Beards out there rather than just one).

Overall, Solar is a smart, funny, and perceptive novel about our times, and I highly recommend it. Don't expect it to be another Atonement or On Chesil Beach; McEwan is attempting something entirely different here, and you will have to be willing to take it on its own terms.

4.5 stars out of 5.

I loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. I am going to share it with my father who is retired National Guard. I think he would appreciate the subtle humor.

Fabulous review of Solar, Deborah! Your comment about the incident on "the Paddington train" is intriguing and enticing, as I passed through the Paddington National Rail and Underground stations practically every day during my trip to London last summer. I've thumbed your review, and I'm now very tempted to start it ASAP, as I bought the book yesterday.

I'm adding Solar to the huge tbr pile. By the way, I saw (on your home page) that you added The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. I recently rec'd. this as a ER copy and hope to read it soon. I'll be curious to know your impressions.

#150: I put that one in the BlackHole when Jill reviewed it the other day. I have got to get to it soon!

I haven't been a McEwan fan, I hated Atonement, why I could not tell you, was OK with On Chesil Beach, haven't read Saturday because not having loved anything, it's hard to get excited. But this sound possible. I feel as though something is wrong with me that I don't get him.

21. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel.

I feel a bit guilty in not giving a higher rating to The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, just because it is a story about the horrors of the Nazi regime and the suffering of children, and because it attempts to do something original--namely, mingling the classic fairy tale with two Jewish children's struggle for survival in war-torn Poland. While there is much to admire here, at times I felt let down by the writing itself, and some of the situations and characters in the novel were just too predictable: the psychotic SS officer, the weasly mayor, etc. On the other hand, Murphy brings the magic of Bialoweiza Forest to life--a magical place inhabited by wild ponies and bison and primeval trees. And she create some wonderful characters in Magda (the witch), her brother Piotr (a priest), her grandniece Nelka, and Nelka's lover, Telek. She also focuses on some of the war's victims and heroes that have been more or less forgotten, including the Poles, who suffered under both the Nazi and Russian occupations; the Jews who survived the holocaust by living in the forest; and the partisans who resisted the Nazis with guerilla warfare tactics and punished collaborators. And in many ways, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel is a powerful tale of love, hope, and redemption. As you can see, my feelings about the book are mixed. While I certainly would encourage anyone interested to give it a go, I can only give it 3/5 stars.

155> Oh, don't feel that way! I love McEwan, but he is one of those authors who is either an acquired taste or you love him/hate him right out of the box. I don't know that this book will turn you around if you didn't like the other two, although it is quite different. (Atonement was not a favorite of mine.)

#156: I bought that one last year due to numerous good reviews here on LT plus my own interest in the subject matter. It will be interesting to see how I feel about it once I get a chance to read it. Thanks for your input on the book, Deborah.

My lack of enthusiasm for Atonement has always puzzled me -- it took three tries to get to the end. I soldiered through Chesil, so as not to repeat the experience. The subject matter and situation and even his writing were/are all things that interest me or that I greatly appreciate. And yet. I felt his 'hand' at all times, I never felt free to give myself up to it, if that makes any sense. Why one doesn't 'like' someone so evidently good is such a mystery to me.

#156 I have also owned this for several years, and wanted to read it for that long, but it hasn't worked its way to the top yet. I hope it gets there soon!

#150 Added Solar to the wishlist despite the fact that I have 3/4 McEwan books sitting on my shelf unread. I haven't read Atonement, I think Enduring Love is my favourite so far.

22. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connnor McNees.

Well, I made it 2/3 of the way through this rather tedious novel before giving up on it. It read to me like a really bad YA romance that dragged on way too long. The dialogue was stilted, the characters bland and stereotypical, and the writing full of clichés. I learned nothing that I didn't already know about the Alcottts, having read American Bloomsbury a few years ago (even though that wasn't exactly a stellar book either). Louisa May Alcott comes off here as a cranky young woman with a superiority complex and her sisters as silly 'little women' trying to find husbands. I really did try to finish it and feel a bit guilty not doing so, but I'm pretty sure there were no surprises in store had I continued, and there are so many other promising books languishing on my shelves . . .

1 out of 5 stars (and I'm being kind).

#162: My reluctance to read that book has just been validated. I am not touching it. I cannot blame you a bit for pushing it aside and moving on to something you like better. I certainly hope you enjoy your next read more, Deborah.

And I didn't even talk about the sex scene! Louisa drops her drawers on the first kiss. HIGHLY unlikely!

#164: OK, that just seals the deal for me. Not touching it with a 10 foot pole.

On the other hand, I am greatly enjoying Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, which you recommended earlier.

Granted, there's a LOT of adolescent mooning around before the first kiss, but still . . . don't waste your time.

So glad you're enjoying Major Pettigrew.

#166: I was expecting Major Pettigrew to be rather a light read, but Simonson has several layers going on in it. I am really loving it.

I just loved Major Pettigrew and I'm so glad it's finding fans here on LT! I loved the humor and I grew to love the Major and wish he were my dad.

23. A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks.

I have a particular fascination with books that move among multiple points of view, interweaving the characters' mini-plots into one well-crafted whole. Overall, Sebastian Faulks's latest novel, A Week in December, successfully does just that. With tongue firmly in cheek, but also with a good amount of affection for all of his characters, Faulks gives us a well-rounded but satirical view of contemporary London society: the good, the bad, the ugly, the charming, and the misguided.

As others have mentioned, two potentially disaster-creating characters--hedge fund owner John Veals and would-be terrorist Hassan al-Rashid--take center stage, and while their stories are indeed fascinating, they push the others' (some of which I found much more interesting) into the background. If the novel has one fault, it may be that there are a few too many threads in the plot, and, as a result, some characters get shorted. I wanted to know more about Jenni Fortune, the book-loving tube conductor who is addicted to an online role-playing game, and her blooming romance with barrister Gabriel Northwood; I wanted to learn more about Gabriel's schizophrenic brother Adam; about the senior al-Rashids; about Spike, the Polish soccer player, and his girlfriend, Olya, who poses for online porn.

The novel also runs the reader through the full emotional gamut. Perhaps the most satisfying moments for me were those that reflect on books, reading, academia, and the world of competitive literary prizes. Faulks is at his satirical best here. As an educator, I was particularly amused by a small incident, the book reviewer R. Tantor being hired (undercover, of course) by a school to write comments on students' papers, a way of appeasing the parents who complained that the teachers themselves couldn't even spell. And I was highly amused by Trantor's observation that technology has managed to make ignorance not only acceptable but an asset. He's a cranky old bird who gets his comeuppance in the end, but his perceptions are often right on target.

A Week in December is sharp, entertaining, and complex. It's one of those rare books that I will likely read again one day because I have the feeling that I might have missed something.

4 out of 5 stars.

#169: I will have to look for that one. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Deborah.

>169 Cariola:: I love Sebastian Faulks! Didn't realize he had published something new so will be on the lookout for it.

24. She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith.

Reread for a class that I am teaching. Goldsmith's aim was to knock the popular sentimental comedy off the stage and replace it with what he called "laughing comedy"--and he did it resoundingly with She Stoops to Conquer. The play features a cast of characters who, though flawed, are all likeable and human. Old-fashioned Mr. Hardcastle loves the simple country life, but his wife and daughter long for London. To appease him, daughter Kate has agreed to wear a plain housedress in the evenings if he will allow her to wear the latest fashions during the day. Hardcastle announces that the man he has chosen for Kate's husband is on his way to visit. Marlow sounds like the man of her dreams--rich, generous, well respected, young, and handsome--but he has one flaw that she can't abide: he gets tongue-tied and "reserved" in the company of respectable ladies of his class.

Along the way, Goldsmith delights us with the antics of Kate's half-brother, the oafish and prank-loving Tony Lumpkin (who turns out to be a lot smarter than he seems) and a second pair of lovers, Marlowe's friend Hastings and Constance Neville, Mrs. Hardcastle's niece and ward. Not to mention a whole crew of hilarious servants!

This has been one of the most popular plays in the English language since its debut in 1773, and it's easy to understand just why.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

#172: I do not believe I have ever read that one. I will have to remedy that.

25. Love and Summer by William Trevor.

While Trevor has crafted a story of some emotional depth here, it left me unsatisfied, and I'm not sure exactly why. It may be in part that the characters all have a strong measure of reserve about them; I never really felt that I knew them very well, or even that they would allow themselves to any kind of inner emotional lives. Ellie seems to have drifted through her life until she falls for Florian; her character is defined mainly by the phrase "I don't mind." This makes what Ellie seems to believe is love but Florian refers to as "friendship" awkward and passive (and even a bit irritating). There are other characters in the novel as well about whom I would have liked to know more (Ellie's husband, the Connulties, Orpen Wren, etc.), but they, too, come off as distant or just strange. Perhaps this is the atmosphere Trevor wanted to convey: a place so overpowered by tradition and constrained by secrets that no one feels comfortable revealing an inner life of any kind. The result is a kind of flatness, and the novel, while well written, didn't leave much of an impression on me in the end.

3 out of 5 stars.

#174: Hmm. I think I have that one around my house somewhere to read. I guess I can put it off for a bit longer.

Simply stopping by to wave hi.

26. One Secret Thing by Sharon Olds.

I've been reading some collections of poetry--partly because April is Poetry Month, partly to find new poems for a class assignment, and partly for inspiration and motivation to get back to writing myself. I can't say that I enjoyed One Secret Thing. There were some startling images, particularly in a section of poems describing war. But Olds tends to be a confessional poet, and I am not fond of people putting their personal therapy into published poems. It just seems rather self-indulgent to me.

I'll be reading Li-Young Lee next--a poet to whom I can much better relate.

3 out of 5 stars.

Fabulous review of Solar, Deborah. As you already know my feelings, it made me take a different look at the book.

You have reviewed two of my TBRs here, too. The Faulks and the Trevor are waiting for me. I am a fan of both - so your reviews have just enticed me further. I am also waiting to read the Simonson - so considering we often don't have exactly the same responses, it will be interesting.

178> Thank you! Isn't it interesting how differently readers respond to the same book?

I suspect that you'll enjoy Love and Summer a bit more than I did, based on your review of Brooklyn. I think you will like A Week in December, but keep in mind that it's not the usual historical novel that we've come to expect from Faulks; like McEwan, he's trying to stretch into something very different here. And I'd bet money on your liking Major Pettigrew's Last Stand!

27. Chef by Jaspreet Singh.

My reaction to Chef is rather mixed. It's a very melancholy novel--as one would expect, since it consists of the memories of Kirpal Singh, a man who has just learned that he has an incurable brain tumor. "Kip," a former military chef, is on his way to Kashmir to prepare the wedding feast for the daughter of his former general. Along the way, he relates his experiences years earlier as a young chef-in-training with the Indian army. Kip had joined the army in honor of his father, an officer who had died while serving in Kashmir, and one of his hopes is to fill in the somewhat sketchy details regarding his father's death. His reminiscences also include his training under the master chef, Kishan, with whom he forms a surrogate father-son relationship, and his fascination--call it love, if you will--for Irem, a young prisoner suspected of being a terrorist.

As a Sikh, Kip is a uniquely placed observer of both sides of the Kashmiri conflict. While he serves in the primarily Hindu Indian army, he develops an affection for the devastatingly beautiful but spare landscape, the city of Kashmir, and the Kashmiri people--who are mostly Muslims. The descriptions of life on the Siachen glacier are compelling, and the author's sadness over the damage done by years of warfare is everpresent. While Kip's reminiscences hold moments of joy, these are few; they are primarily focused on sorrow and regret.

The story floats back and forth through time--much as the reminiscing mind itself works. But at times, the novel gets bogged down in detail, or in what may be the author's attempts to create an original voice. As the title suggests, Kip's culinary skills are the scaffolding that holds the plot together--sometimes not strongly enough, and at other times a bit too calculatedly. Still, it's a worthwhile, if not outstanding, read.

3 out of 5 stars.

Your latest read sounds interesting!

#180: Since it is a worthwhile read, even though you only gave it 3 stars, I will see if I can find it. Thanks for the review, Deborah.

28. The Bronte Myth by Lucasta Miller.

A rather dry feminist-historical account of the lives and "afterlives" of the Brontes. Miller recounts the siblings' break into publication under male pseudonyms and the public's flurry to learn more about the authors of these passionate novels. Once their gender and reclusive lives were revealed, even more speculation followed. Was Bramwell the inspiration for Heathcliffe, and what was his relationship with Emily really like? Was Charlotte a sainted daughter for devoting so many years to caring for ill siblings and a demanding father? Was she really like Jane Eyre, and if so, who was the great love that inspired Rochester? Was Emily a "mystic" of sorts--one with a death wish? A lot of familiar territory and a bit of the unfamiliar are covered here, and it may be of interest to Bronte fans who want to know more about the reception of the novels and perceptions of their authors.

3 out of 5 star.

I read that one years ago and liked it even less than you did. It was extremely 'meh' for me.

#183: Skipping that one! I hope your next read is better, Deborah.

Jane Eyre's a favorite and I keep threatening to read Wuthering Heights. Sometimes these literary review type books only spoil the book for me. Not always, but they can sort of ruin the reader experience by infusing 'intended meanings in the text. My thought is always that reading is a symbiotic experience, the book's meanings changing in many regards with each reader's own baggage.

186- Well said!

#186: Definitely! The same book is never going to be the same to two different readers.

29. The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington.

As I'm not a fan of fantasy or magical realism, this book did little for me--except bore me to tears. The writing itself is fine, and I enjoyed reading the introduction, but that's about all. (Oh, I love the cover--which was painted by the author.)

1.5 out of 5 stars.

I confess, I'm drawn to books because of covers. The Hearing Trumpet would be a book I would see and pick up to look at.

Better luck with the next one!

190> That (and the fact that the book is also a Virago Modern Classic in another edition) was exactly why I plucked it from the TBR stacks. Others seem to have loved it. If the idea of a coven of old women in a quirky home for the mentally distrubed who seek the Holy Grail witih the help of magic bees, etc., appeals to you, go for it.

That summary makes it sound more intriguing than it deserves, I'm afraid.

30. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin.

This intriguing collection of eight interconnected short stories by Pakistani writer Mueenuddin provides insight into the lives and minds of a variety of characters, all of them somehow connected to K. K. Harouni, a wealthy landowner in Lahore. Here, it seems that everyone is struggling to get ahead, to get a life that just is a little better, or simply to stay afloat. A cook leaves her drug-addicted husband to become the second wife of the upper cook--who never tells his family of their marriage. An aging farmer buys a bride (a beautiful but mentally challenged young woman who can cook), only to find her disappear one night. A modern, Princeton-educated young woman, tiring of her fast life in the city and looking for meaning after surviving an automobile accident, marries a man devoted to the family farm. For these characters and others, every step forward inevitably ends in a step or two backwards. Mueenuddin's stories show a culture in conflict, rapidly moving into the 20th century while bound to the traditions of a feudal past. Cruelty and corruption abound, with women getting the short end of an already short stick. But there are also moments of love, of joy, of hope. Mueenuddin captures the atmosphere of modern-day Pakistan through his characters, each carefully drawn, and his sensitive, detailed writing enabling us to empathize with each of them. Overall, a lovely, if not exactly uplifting, collection.

4 out of 5 stars.

I enjoyed In Other Rooms, Other Wonders though I was disturbed by what the female characters had to do to survive. A moving book.

That book is in my TBR tower- I will have to move it up!

#189: I would have picked that one up based on the cover as well. I do like magical realism, so I will probably give it a shot.

#192: I already have that one in the BlackHole. Just waiting for the local library to get a copy.

I bought In Other Rooms, Other Wonders last week and started the first story yesterday. Glad you thought it was good.

>189 Cariola:: magical realism ... blech. This one won't be landing on my tbr pile!
>192 Cariola:: but this one is already on my tbr, thanks to Jill's review a while back. I just keep hearing good things.

Thumb for the nice review. Heard the author on NPR and enjoyed listening to him.

Thumbs up from me as well. This book is already on the tbr pile and I'll move it up closer to the top after reading your review!

31. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

I was rather underwhelmed by this memoir of Hanff's first visit to London. If you've read her better-known first book, 84 Charing Cross Road, you'll know that she is a dyed-in-the-wool Anglophile and passionate booklover. There, the New Yorker charted her long correspondence-cum-friendship with British bookseller Frank Doel. Once the book starts bringing in royalties as well as more paying work, Hanff decides to fly to London for the book's English launch. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, written in diary form, charts not only the places she visits but the people she meets, including the now-deceased Frank's wife and daughter. I had hoped that it might stir my own fond memories of earlier visits, and at times, it did. But Hanff spends more time describing and criticizing the various people she meets--most of whom are trying to show her a good time or who are expressing their delight in her book--than detailing her first impressions of all the sites of London that she has longed to see. She comes off, I think, as a rather self-obsessed and cranky woman and, oddly, while she seems a bit of a misanthrope, she apparently delights in listing all of her invitations and acquaintances--complaining all the while. After awhile I found myself skimming the pages for the "good stuff" and ignoring the rest. Stilll, not bad for a quick read in a single afternoon.

3 out of 5 stars.

That's a disappointment, Deborah. I loved 84, Charing Cross Road, and the idea of a follow-up book sounded exciting. I'm sorry to hear it's a drag. I don't think I could handle the complaining.

Most of her complaining is that other people and responsibilities are getting in the way of what she really wants to do and where she really wants to go. Yet she admits that she's sponging free meals off them in order to afford to prolong her visit. The book actually has a 4-star average, so I guess other readers enjoyed it more than I did.

Funny, your impressions of Helene Hanff in her second book were my impressions of her in her first--didn't even finish 84m Charing Cross Road, and had so expected that I would love it.

32. The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir.

In The Lady in the Tower, Alison Weir presents an exhaustive study of the downfall of Anne Boleyn, Henry VII's second queen. Unlike many books that begin at the beginning and trace the king's courtship of Anne and her strategies of resistance, this one begins when the marriage is already in trouble: Anne had experienced several miscarriages (at least two of the fetuses were identified as male and the last reported to be severely deformed), and Henry, desirous of a male heir, already had his eye on Jane Seymour. Weir details the last four months of her life, from Henry's growing distance to the last miscarriage, from his efforts to have their marriage annulled to her trial, imprisonment, and execution, and even beyond to the various legends of ghostly apparitions. Although obviously biased in favor of Anne's innocence of the adultery/treason charges, Weir presents strong evidence to back up her opinions. If the book has a dominant flaw, it is its repetitiveness. The author returns to the same points again and again, sometimes with additional evidence (and sometimes not), and the effect is still rather tedious at times. (I actually put the book away for a few weeks, unsure if I would return to finish it.) Overall, I did not learn much about Anne or her last days that wasn't already familiar, but I did learn a bit more about the five men alleged to have been her lovers.

3 out of 5 stars.

#204: I just cannot get excited about Weir's fiction. I think I will stick to her nonfiction books.

205> This WAS nonfiction. I think I was just a bit too Tudored out to appreciate it. Actually, I rather enjoyed her novel, The Lady Elizabeth.

I love your expression "Tudored out!" When my partner asks why I keep reading about Anne Boleyn and if I'm hoping that in one of the books she will keep her head, I simply ask him why he reads so many WWII books and if he is doing so because he wants to read one wherein Pearl Harbor did not occur.

Good comeback, Linda!

#206: Ah, OK. Then I may get around to it one of these years.

#207: If I were able to instigate an alternate reality, I would make sure that none of WWII happened!

33. Hester: The Missing Years of The Scarlet Letter by Paula Read.

Historical fiction is just that: fiction. Readers know that the author is deviating from fact to create a good story. But good writers also know that these deviations must seem plausible if readers aren't to shake their heads or snort with derision.

That said, Paula Reed's Hester: The Missing Years of The Scarlet Letter relies on a series of unlikely premises:

1) Hester's husband Roger Chillingworth makes Pearl (the result of Hester's adultery with the Rev. Dimmesdale, a child that he has only met once) his heir. So this man who changed his name to avoid being known as a cuckold presumably has no concern whatsoever for the scandal that this action will cause after his death?
2) As soon as the cash falls their way, Hester opts to return to England, supposedly so that Pearl can make a good marriage. Are we truly to believe that no one wrote back home about Hester's notoriety and that she can start over with a clean slate in Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth? Apparently so.
3) Hester, we now learn, was a baron's daughter. However, she had no idea that her father was dead, nor that his estate has been either abandoned or seized. But her improved status provides her with a childhood friend in the upper class, one willing to take in Hester and Pearl and introduce them to society.
4) Hester's experience with her scarlet "A" has given her a keen understanding of sin that manifests itself in a paranormal ability: she sees sin surrounding others like a cloak, much as modern-day psychics claim to read auras. (Of course, the one man whose aura she can't see clearly is the one with whom she falls in love.)
5) Oliver Cromwell, uber-Puritan, supposedly believes that Hester's ability is not due to witchcraft or the devil but is a gift from God, sent to protect his government; he uses her as a sort of litmus test when questioning suspected traitors. (Who knew that Oliver Cromwell was a New Ager? I thought he was a religious zealot and a misogynist.)

Putting all that aside (is it possible?), well, this is still not a particularly engaging novel. I will give Reed credit for taking on a period in English history that is often overlooked as dull, and she does a reasonably good job of depicting the daily lives of the upper class and the anxiety rampant under Cromwell's Protectorate. That alone makes the book worth reading. But the plot gets bogged down at times (e.g., lengthy dissertations about philosophy) and the writing itself is uneven. The dialogue is generally stilted, yet at other times the author falls into melodramatic schlock:

"He understood so entirely; it was as if we were two halves of the same soul, two halves drawn inexorably together towards completion. Once released, the passion was far from spent. It intensified and distilled into an elixir, infusing itself into the blood of the child it had produced."

Add to this a flat, predictable ending, and you'll understand why Hester earned only 1.5 stars from me (which may have been a bit on the generous side).

#204 and others - having just finished Wolf Hall, I would really like to find out more about the Tudors, and would love to hear any recommendations you have, either about Henry VIII's reign in general or about Anne Boleyn - the ones you refer to which "trace the king's courtship of Anne and her strategies of resistance" sound extremely interesting.

I'm assuming you're looking for nonfiction, right? I'd start with David Starkey's Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII. Starkey's histories read like novels--not at all dry. Eric Ives's The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn is detailed and authoritative (but not as easy a read).

#210: I love The Scarlet Letter. No way am I touching Hester: The Missing Years. Ick.

#212, yes, non-fiction preferred. Thanks for the recommendation!

...if I'm hoping that in one of the books she will keep her head LOL!

I am a Tudor junkie. Here are some of my recommendations:

http://www.librarything.com/work/277843/book/25717922
http://www.librarything.com/work/287613/book/25742330
http://www.librarything.com/work/231751/book/25742992
http://www.librarything.com/work/237856/book/26014812
http://www.librarything.com/work/287613/book/26015095

216> Good list! (All except the Warnicke are fiction, however.) I have to admit that I started Queen of Subtleties but didn't get far (might have been Tudored out again!). And I'm not a fan of Carolly Erickson's overly florid style. One of the best fictional books I've read on the Tudors is The Autobiography of Henry VIII with Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George. I don't recommend Philippa Gregory's novels, unless you just want a Tudor romp without much truth behind it.

I agree with you re. Philippa Gregory...ugh. I don't like her books at all. Like you, I enjoyed the Margaret George book.

Here's an interesting link: 15 famous New Yorkers share their favorite books.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/15-New-Yorkers-Share-Their-Favorite-Books

34. Keats (Poetic Lives) by Robert Mighall

This is a brief but very dense literary biography structured around the development of Keats's verse and short career. Although a bit short on biography, the author does a fine job of integrating short poems and excerpt of longer ones with events in the poet's life. The purpose is to show not only how what was happening in Keats's life--his abandonment of a medical career, his brother's death, his various friendships, his own illness--influenced what he wrote at the time. but also to trace his intellectual and artistic development.

This is a lovely little book in shape, size, and design. It's the kind of book you'll want to keep on your shelf for quick reference, or for a quick dose of Keats.

Further Recommendation: Realms of Gold, an audio CD that similarly integrates biography and poems, read by the wonderful Samuel West.

35. Don't Cry by Mary Gaitskill

A stunning short story collection. I don't want to say more as I am reviewing it for Belletrista, but I will post a link when it goes online.

Added July 7: Here is a link to my review in Belletrista.

#220: I have read several reviews of that one, so I may just have to break down and read it, despite my unloving attitude toward poetry.

#221: I will be looking for the review of that one in the next Belletrista edition.

Thanks Deobrah and Linda for the Tudor recs. I adored Wolf Hall and it's about time I read another Tudor book. I own 2 Alison Weir books, bought pre-LT, and have never got into them. (You would think I might've figured this out in the bookshop...)

>219 Cariola:: Thanks for sharing that link about 15 New Yorkers and what they like to read. Who knew Jay-Z was a reader? I particularly liked Gwyneth Paltrow's idea about birthday books.

In a similar vein, I've had a book on my nightstand that I dip into occasionally. It's called The Book That Changed My Life and subtitled: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them. I love to read about books that inspire others. Hmmm....maybe that's why I spend so much time on LT.

#220 I read the book on Shelley in the same set, and thought the format mixing biography and poems worked really well. I shall keep an eye out for that Keats volume, I think.

36. The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

Well, I gave up on this one after about 75 pages; it's just not my kind of book. The McKotches are a snobbish family that is dysfunctional in all of the most stereotypical ways: sexually repressed mother from an "old money" family, father with a roving eye who worked his way out of the wrong side of town, handsome but obviously gay teenaged son, hyperactive nine-year old son (acting out in response to family problems, of course). The exception is 12-year old Gwen; although she is the one who has "the condition" that keeps her from physically maturing, she's the sanest of the lot. When Gwen is diagnosed, the family falls apart--although it is clear that it has barely held together for years. Truth to tell, I just didn't care about any of these people. Haigh's writing is good enough, but this is a story that felt like I had read it a hundred times before. Maybe it gets better . . . but I skimmed the last few chapters, so I'm pretty sure I haven't missed much by putting this book on the swapping block.

#226: OK, I can skip that one.

I hope you enjoy your next read better, Deborah.

>226 Cariola:: yuck! on to better things ...

This thread was getting rather long, so I started Part 2 here.