alsvidur's 2010 List

Hi! I'm Emilie. I read a lot of non-fiction, animal-related and children's books. My goal is to read more classics and fiction.

If you want to know how a non-fiction book about a critter is, let me know, and I'll probably have read it or at least know enough about the author, accuracy and readability to recommend it or not. I'd love to help you out!






And for the first set of books for the year....

Here's what I've read in the past week:

USPC Guide to Bandaging Your Horse by Susan E. Harris
USPC Guide to Conformation, Movement and Soundness by Susan E. Harris
Secrets of the Gnomes by Wil Huygen
Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred by Anna Ford
On the Fence: A Parent's Handbook of Horseback Riding by Janet Barrett
Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs* by Chuck Klosterman

I finished John Strassburger's Things I Think Matter Most, although it was started before 2010. Since I'm halfway through so many books, I'll keep a tally of the 'half-pints' separate from the ones I started this year.

Just for laughs, I will attempt to keep count of how many magazines I've read as well. (This will get really ridiculous really soon.)

Read: 6
Half: 1
Magazines: 12

(edited to provide extra detail on the titles)
(edited yet again to add a ticker)

Welcome to the group!

Hi Emilie, and welcome to LibraryThing.

I also really like reading animal stories. Have you read Marley and Me by John Grogan or The Cat Who Came for Christams by Cleveland Amory? Try them, if you haven't read them yet, because both are terrific, the former being about a yellow Labrador retriever and the second about a white cat.

Animal books!!! Oh joy, another one of us!!! I adore animals and wish I'd done animal science for my degree... but, I content myself with adopting new pets, trying to volunteer at zoos, and deeply considering getting a Veterinary Admin certificate *just* so I can have an excuse to get a second job that allows me to be around animals all day! Heh...

Anyway, all that to say, I'm starring your thread :) Looking forward to seeing what you read this year!

Welcome!

Emilie, hail and well-met! It will be fascinating to see your reading develop over the course of the challenge...all of us, I think, end up reading things we'd never have imagined we even WANTED to read before starting this!

Hi, Emilie! Loved your introduction, and laughed thinking about your mom wading through 600 books to figure out what you might want for Christmas! Since my wish list on LT is getting so big, I've started a separate (private) wish list of books that I'm more certain I'd want to buy/keep rather than borrow (but how do you really know until you've read the book?!) and I'm thinking of making that much smaller list "public" before my birthday and Christmas. Happy reading. Warning! Your wish list is going to grow exponentially here on LT.

Welcome, Emilie! You'll find plenty of recs for books of EVERY kind here, like Bonnie said - it's great for pushing the boundaries because no matter what you fancy trying, there will always be somebody to point you in the right direction!

Are you carrying on with your goal of reading more classics? That's one of my 'bookish resolutions' for this year, as classics always seem to be bought but then pushed aside in favour of other things on my shelves. Oh, and I want to read more books off said shelves - I guess I can kill two birds with one stone for a few of these!

Hi Emilie!

Interesting reading list. I'll be checking back for ideas :)

(Edit: Oops, too hasty with the submit button and posted this twice.)

Whew – my books have been cataloged; I just have to get what’s been lent out to others. Now I can get back to reading! During cataloging, I’ve gotten through 3 journals, Stevenson's Treasure Island and Become a Winner Claiming Thoroughbred Race Horses: Handicap Like a Pro, Claim Like a Pro, a Guide for the Beginner or the Pro by Marino Specogna.




Treasure Island was exciting, but I really wish I had a sailing dictionary handy. I felt like I missed every third word. Is there an edition out there that has a glossary for the nautically inept?




As for Become a Winner, well, I’m not going to recommend this one. (Ooo, I have to take that back. It’s so awful that I’m lending it to another horse racing person as an amusement.) My first mistake was an assumption that a book titled ‘Become a Winner Claiming Thoroughbred Race Horses’ would be about claiming horses. My fault there – you know what they say about assumptions. Become a Winner is instead a self-published rant on the crookedness of those in the horse industry. It seems like the author had some bad experiences; I feel really bad for him. However, this does not excuse his lack of editing or gross misinformation. The editing was bad enough that it called the entire work (and the author’s intelligence) into question. The fact that he wrote a book attempting to educate other people on horses, how to medicate their horses, or how to train their horses is like me writing a book aimed at telling people how to fix their own car’s brake systems. It’s dangerous. (Or humorous, if that’s how you look at things.) Inaccuracies on horses aside though, his information on handicapping and financial issues was actually decent. You just have to wade through the junk to get there. That said, I don’t think the 5 pages of ‘not incorrect’ theories are worth suffering through the rest of the book. If this guy had an editor to guide his writing, his next book might be something to check out, even if it’s only for giggles. (I feel so bad giving out awful "reviews" to new authors; I need to work on being more constructive.)

Next on the lineup is to finish The Complete Guide to Hunter Seat Training, Showing, and Judging or start either Madame Bovary or Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. I recently viewed Lost in Austen, so am a bit biased towards Rigler, but I *did* mean to chat with the Madame next. Choices, choices.

Read: 8
Half: 1
Periodicals: 15

Whatever you decide to read, I certainly hope it is better for you than that last read!

Finished Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict today, along with some magazines.

Confessions was a nice, quick, easy chick lit-type read. For those that don't know, a modern-day Austen-loving girl gets 'transported' back in time and is stuck inside a body of a woman in Regency England. Although I didn't think too deeply about the implications of when a person stops being a person, I did try and pause to consider the issues of freedom of choice. I didn't think too much about the issue of time, either - I am *so* not a physics person. This one is interestingly thoughtful for a book without much substance - much like Emily Giffen's books. I enjoyed this one - much more than the previous book on my 75 Books Challenge. :) I found out that there's a second book to go after this one (thanks, LT!) and have put that on my wish list.

My favorite quotes involve over-analyzing, "You know, it is a little known fact that thinking is entirely overrated. The world would be a much better place if we all did a lot less of it.", and one that got to me about weddings: "But how about the fact that I wanted my day of illusion - just one measly day; was that too much to ask? Was it too much to wish I'd been spared the truth until after the wedding, until after I got to be queen of the ball in a white satin dress? It was my illusion, damn it, and Frank had cheated me out of it. He had cheated me out of reaching that milestone in my life, that public proof of my worth...."

Read: 9
Half: 1
Periodicals: 26

(Edit: Must learn to proof-read before clicking submit.)

Nine books already? Great start to your reading year.

By the way, thanks for the welcome everyone!

I have not read either Marley or the Cat Who Came for Christmas. Marley and Me is on by TBR shelf, half finished. It's one of those on my off-the-shelf challenge this year. I'll definitely look up Armory's story! I seem to recall vague bits of it; is it a children's story?

I started Madame Bovary, but this will take longer than the others I've whizzed through. Every few pages, the stark style makes me pause and ask myself: what's missing? I've just gotten to the wedding of Emma and Charles. I really like it so far; am I supposed to find some of this amusing? (I have absolutely no sense of humor, sarcasm and irony aside, and sometimes find things funny that really aren't.)

Chiming in on books re. animals, I recently read The Underneath and it is an excellent book.

There is a middle school book called No More Dead Dogs which is about a student who refused to read a book in class because he already knew the ending involved a dog dying since there was a dog on the cover. I have come to agree with this and avoid any book with an animal on the cover. Even if it has a happy ending, I will invariably end up crying. Movies are just as bad. Forget the ads on TV trying to raise money for animal protection groups! I know I am probably denying myself many good books, but I can't read through tears.

mamzel, I'll look through some of mine and see if there are any that aren't too sad. I rarely cry during animal programs/while reading animal books, but I am a sucker for other things in movies, mostly love stories. (Although I have to admit, I did tear up the first time I watched Stuart Little during the scene where no one wanted to adopt him because he was a mouse.)

Whisper1, I've heard The Underneath recommended a lot on LT. Everyone seems to agree that it's a wonderfully written book. I've hesitated to read it since it seems irritatingly inaccurate in it's anthropomorphic depictions of animal behavior, but have recently found it recommended by sources with tastes as picky as mine. Thanks for the reminder; I'll check it out!

Madame Bovary has become my night-time book. I can't seem to get into it in bits and pieces; it takes me a few pages to get back in the swing of things. It could be because it's been a rotten past few days (nothing important, just one of those days), but I've felt like rebelling against my own goals and reading material that does nothing to really boost my reasoning skills, intelligence, worldliness, or any other positive quality. This meant a trip to the library. Too bad, TBR pile. You'll just have to wait while I mow through these.





Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota was awful for my iTunes wishlist! I've added around $300 of new music to buy when I win a million dollars just for being me. I had been forcibly shoved towards reading more Chuck Klosterman (most known for Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs) by a friend, and I'm thankful I've been shown the light.

In short, Fargo Rock City is a detailed dissection of heavy metal bands and music. I am not musically inclined - much to my musician mother's disappointment - and I had no idea there were so many divisions of "rock" music. Fargo Rock City educated me far more than my musician friends ever have on the nuances of metal, glitter, glam, thrash, and rock.

Klosterman's description of certain bands is entertaining enough and enthusiastic enough to have me check out groups I never would have thought of before. I now know more about Motley Crue than I ever thought I would, or thought I would care to. While most of it might have gone in one ear (eye?) and out the other, I was amused more than I thought possible given the narrow subject matter. I'll probably pick up more the on the second read-through after I've heard more of the music.

As a plus, I think he's the only non-animal-centric author who used the word 'ungulates' and actually knew what it meant. Either he knows his zoology, or he knows his way around a thesaurus. Either way, kudos to Mr. Klosterman.

My favorite paragraph described Ted Nugent's personality issues. (Warning: "animal lovers" will most likely take offense. I personally found it hugely humorous.) "Even as a human, Ted is palatable. His "political" take on all that liberal, leftist bullshit is refreshing, and there's something weirdly charming about his maniacal desire to kill every deer in North America. I certainly have no qualms with the idea of killing animals. After years of research, I have come to the conclusion that animals enjoy being eaten; they think it's fun. If Ted wants to ice a few thousand ungulates before he takes his own dirt nap, I won't hold it against him."

Amusing and educational. I think I'll be buying this book just to have as a music reference.

Mythological Creatures: A Classical Bestiary was a children's picture book my partner picked up a bit ago. I wasn't impressed with the artwork or the author's condensation towards those who believed in the myths, but it is still a nice introduction to the more popular mythological creatures. All in all, it's a decent book for the collection.

I remembered to proof-read before hitting 'submit' this time and am depressed by my lack of reviewing ability. I think I pretty much stink as reviewing and critiquing literature, but hopefully by the year's end I will have made significant improvement. (Gentle constructive comments {I am over-sensitive} or recommendations on writing tutorials are appreciated!)

Read: 11
Half: 1
Periodicals: 28

If you are looking for writing tutorials, may I suggest either Darryl's (kidzdoc), Richard's (richardderus), or Mac's (blackdogbooks) threads? There are several others who also write wonderful reviews, such as Tui (tiffin), Deborah (Cariola), and the other Deborah (arubabookwoman). Just go through the group and look for longer reviews - they are wonderful writing tutorials.

I have no reviewing ability either, so I can fully commiserate.

PS - No slight is intended if I did not mention your name in the list of threads to check!

I'm not too interested in the LC/DDC challenges right now, but they got me interested in the variety I read. I suspect I may read more widely ranging genres than I had originally thought. I'll keep track of my reading this year and see how it goes.

292.21 / BL727 - Mythological Creatures
306.09 / E169.12 - Sex, Drugs, Cocoa
302 / HM1033 - Tipping Point
781.66 / ML3918.R63 - Fargo Rock City
843.8 / PQ4462.M2 - Madame Bovary
823.8 / PR5486 - Treasure Island
813.6 / PS3618.I427 - Confessions of a Jane
839.31 / PT5881.18.U9 Secrets of Gnomes

636.10 / SF279 - USPC Conformation
636.13 / SF293.T5 - Beyond the Track
x / SF295.5 - Things I Think Matter
798.25 / SF295.65 - Complete Guide to Hunter
798.2 / SF309 - On the Fence
798.40 / SF331 Become a Winner
636.10 / SF959.L42 - USPC Bandaging

(BTW, thanks for the thread recs!)

Finished The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It wasn't as snappy as his others, but it was his first book after all. He provided a few references at the end of the book, but I wish he would have gone into more detail on certain topics.

Can't decide what to start next; many on my TBR pile are the first in a series. Should I get caught up in something? Hmm...choices, choices.

Books: 12
Half: 1
Periodicals: 28

Started "Riding for a Fall: A Veterinarian Mystery" by Lillian Roberts. I was tempted to put it down at first; the introductory chapters were a bit rough. There were a lot of characters introduced at once, and I'm horrible with names. I kept going and I'm glad I did. There aren't many (quasi-?)villains that make me want to yell, but when an animal rights group lets loose 300 polo ponies, I wanted to berate someone. Anyone. I want to get into the fictional world and help catch the horses and then chase those bozos down. I really despise these guys. I'm really getting into the story, and am glad there are other books in the series to follow.

(Soapbox time: "Animal rights" is very different from "animal welfare." Rights means that animals have the same rights as humans; veganism is necessary; having pets is hypocritical; most methods to stop any use of animals are encouraged. Welfare means working against animal cruelty and supporting the humane use of animals for food, leather, riding, family members, etc, and providing animals with the best quality of life possible in any given situation. Many people who love animals think they are for animal rights, but are in fact more ethically aligned with animal welfare. Definitely *not* looking to have people comment on this issue in my threads, but thought I would explain my stance.)

Full review to come when finished

813.54 / PS3568.O23895 Riding for a Fall

agreeing with your Soapbox theme ;-)
Anita

Just finished "Riding for a Fall: A Veterinarian Mystery". (Off topic: The title confuses me a bit. Shouldn't it be subtitled 'A Veterinary Mystery'? Otherwise, it would be like calling it 'A Pediatrician Mystery', 'A Surgeon Mystery', or 'A Plumber Mystery.' But then again, something subtitled 'A Plumbing Mystery' might not be quite as appealing. What would the issue be in that one? Whose hair is clogging the sink drain?)

Polo ponies belonging to an old friend of small animal veterinarian Andi Pauling are being deliberately injured and the friend eventually gets framed for murder. Andi starts sleuthing around to clear his name. 'Riding for a Fall' is the first in a 3-part series written by real-life veterinarian Lillian Roberts.

I only read mysteries if they involve topics I'm interested in, so I can't comment on how the book fared compared to the rest of its genre, but for my purposes, it rocked. (Do people still say that now?) I identified with the protagonist, the background, the issues at hand, etc, and none of it was inaccurate enough to bother me. In fact, the familiar topics made it even more enjoyable - as they should, but often don't. The only downside was the very end was a quick and choppy as the very beginning, and I had to reread some to catch on. I'll start the next book in the series as soon as I finish with LT tonight. It's hard to impress me with fiction involving critters, but this one gets 4/4.5 stars from me!

Books: 13
Half: 1
Periodicals: 28

Mamzel: Here are a few books in my library that I think have less potential for sadness than others. I've read all of these and find them not as sentimental as others. To my recollection, no one dies or is abused. (Correction: A few animals die in Herriot's books, The Jungle Books, and the second book in Bryant's series. Aside from Horse Shy, none of the deaths are done in a sad or shocking way.)

Classics:
Aesop Fables Aesop
The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling
Just So Stories Rudyard Kipling
Animal Farm George Orwell

Humor:
The Dangerous Book Dogs Joe Garden - similar to the Dangerous Book for Girls and Boys
How to Raise a Jewish Dog Various - Fake dog training book
Dogs' Letters to Santa Bill Adler - Holiday humor
Cats' Letters to Santa Bill Adler - Holiday humor

Mysteries:
Carolyn Banks's series - Involving horses

Chick Lit:
A Girl's Best Friend Elizabeth Young
Guys and Dogs Elaine Fox

Juvenile fiction:
Bonnie Bryant's Saddle Club series - Horse crazy girls
The Penderwicks Jeanne Birdsall - Family's adventures one summer
Emily's Runaway Imagination Beverly Cleary - Girl's random adventures
Strider Beverly Cleary - Boy and his dog
Bunnicula series by James Howe - Talking animals thinking the pet rabbit is a vampire
I Was a Rat! Philip Pullman - Cinderella with a twist
Stuart Little EB White - Boy as mouse
Justin Morgan Had a Horse Marguerite Henry - Famous horse
Misty of Chincoteague Marguerite Henry - Famous horse
Stormy, Misty's Foal Marguerite Henry - Famous horse
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert O'Brien - Talking mouse saving her home

General literature:
Dog World and the Humans Live There Alfred Gingold - General social commentary on dogs
A Sunday Horse Vicky Moon - Horse show gossip, reads like People magazine
The Gift of Jazzy Cindy Adams - Gossip columnist gets a Yorkie
A Dog's Life Peter Mayle - Talking dog as satire
What Wendell Wants Jenny Lee - Humorous commentary on dog lovers
James Herriot's series - The original series not as 'touching' as the collections such as Cat Stories

Just found your thread and I've got you starred! I look forward to seeing what other horse books you read this year!

25: "A Plumbing Mystery"--LOL!

Thanks for your effort to get me back on to animal books. I've actually read quite a few, most of them when I was young. I had LP recordings of the Just So Stories read by Boris Karloff! Loved them - especially "How the Elephant Got His Trunk". I read the whole Heriott series after I started watching the series on PBS. The opening scene of his first calving was amazing. I laughed and cried through all four of the books. I even have the All Creatures Great and Small on cassette. Sometimes I grab a random tape and listen to it on a walk. I read and reread Black Beauty, Misty, and a Scottish version of Lassie when I was young, too. I was born in Virginia so Misty was very dear to me (never made it out to Chincoteague, though). Recently I read the YA book The Knife of Never Letting Go which featured a talking dog that cracked me up. "Poo, Tod. Gotta poo." And amazingly I managed to finish a non-fiction book called, Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants getting over my squeamishness of the rodents. I highly recommend Dog On It. I found it on Stephen King's summer reading recommendations and loved it. It's about a man and his dog who didn't quite make the grade when training to be a police dog. It was one exception to my rule and now I can hardly wait to get the next in the series.

Memzel, Thanks! I'll add The Knife of Never Letting Go and Dog on It to my wishlist. The rat book you read is infinitely better than some of the other 'rats in society' books out there. A few of them are written by people who absolutely hate rats and always have a chapter that tries to make everyone who has pet rodents seem kooky. Another decent one is The Story of Rats: Their Impact on Us and Our Impact on Them, but avoid Rat: How the World's Most Notorious Rodent Clawed Its Way to the Top like the plague. ;) Speaking of, did you know that now many scientists believe that the black death wasn't always the bubonic plague? There are issues with the timing of breakouts and symptoms of patients not adding up. There's a load of books about this that are on my TBR pile so right now I don't know much more than that, but I'm excited to find out more.

Book 14 is down - Hand That Feeds You, book 2 of the 3-part "Veterinarian Mystery" series by Lillian Roberts.

In this story, small animal vet Andi Pauling has a client that shows up with a pit bull and a disturbed child. When the client ends up murdered, Andi starts investigating the dog fighting circuit to find the missing girl, and finds a child pornography ring at the fights. (The book descriptions do not mention this part, nor how large a part it plays in the book - just a head's up for those considering it.)

This book was more of a downer than the previous book in the series given the topic. I found that I wasn't as on the edge of my seat as I was for the first. Still an interesting read, but it didn't have that "who done it" feel where you can't read fast enough. It was likely just the topic change; the writing style wasn't any different. 3.5 stars

And in real life:
Tomorrow morning is the first day of the library used book sale. I'll start the third book by Roberts tonight, but who knows what I'll be reading tomorrow? I'm excited; the library has been purging some of their older volumes - the ones I used to check out and read - so I might get a nice haul in.

813.54 / PS3568.O23895 Hand That Feeds

Books: 14
Half: 1
Periodicals: 28

Went a little crazy buying books this week - the library book sale and an out-of-town trip to several used book stores has added a bit to the TBR Pit of Despair.

I read the children's picture books (Verdi, The Velveteen Rabbit, Clifford the Small Red Puppy, Curious George Visits the Zoo, Curious George, Possum Magic, Little Bear, What Is the Moon?, Why Does It Rain?, Why Is It Cold?, Why Does It Thunder and Lightning?, The Monkey Book, and Frederick.

Out of those, the only one I'm going to single out is Verdi; the flying snake illustrations were great. Verdi the young snake doesn't wish to become old and lazy like the older green snakes, so he sets about trying to keep himself young and yellow.

That's not true: Possum Magic was cute, too. This one involves Grandma Possum making the narrator possum invisible, but unable to make them visible again until traveling through Australia and eating 'native' foods.

I'm going to dock myself one book read for the Bestiary; I'm not going to count picture books towards my total.

As for my reading...I need a push. I'm stuck in Madame Bovary, not really feeling the next "Veterinarian Mystery", reluctant to start Rita Mae Brown's Sister Jane series until I get the next one, and can't seem to settle into anything else. Maybe one of my new books will help.

Books: 13
Half: 1
Periodicals: 32

I love it: the TBR Pit of Despair! Puts my BlackHole to shame.

Tickner's Show Piece is one of my 'new' used books. Although it is a British horse show satire written in the 1950s, it's still just as humorous to this American in the 2000s. Where else can you read about 'jump-putter-ups'? The illustrations were as amusing as the text. All-in-all, spot on. 4/4.5 stars

About the proper dress:
"The knowledgeable female horse-show spectator wears one of two outfits. She either wears flimsy hats, flimsy dresses and spike heels to show that horse-knowledgeable people can look as exotic as ordinary, ignorant, non-horse-knowledgeable people, or she wears old felt hats, huge overcoats and large flat-heeled brogues to show that horse-knowledgeable people don't hold with looking exotic at all." (I'm of the latter camp.)

And on ignoring ponies:
"This is a terrible mistake and likely to be dangerous, because if there is anything a really small pony will not tolerate it is being ignored. In fact, as soon as ponies and pony people notice that a person is ignoring them, they sink their long large teeth into them to make sure that they will be noticed in future."

Books: 14
Half: 1
Periodicals: 32

hi Emilie
Oh I used to own some Tickner books, one was translated in Dutch, later I bought some in English. I loved them!
Thanks for reminding me, sadly I don't have them anymore, but remembering brought a smile on my face.
I am glad you enjoyed them too :-)
Anita

January Summary

Books read: 14
'Half' books finished: 1
Periodicals read: 32

TBR Pit books read: 2
Library books read: 4
Books purchased: 63 (oops)

Non-fiction, horses: 7
Non-fiction, other: 3
Fiction: 5
Classics: 1

306.09 / E169.12 - Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs
302 / HM1033 - The Tipping Point
781.66 / ML3918.R63 - Fargo Rock City
823.8 / PR5486 - Treasure Island
813.6 / PS3618.I427 - Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
813.54 / PS3568.O23895 - The Hand That Feeds You
813.54 / PS3568.O23895 - Riding for a Fall
839.31 / PT5881.18.U9 - Secrets of the Gnomes

636.10 / SF279 - USPC Guide to Conformation, Movement and Soundness
636.13 / SF293.T5 - Beyond the Track
xxx.xx / SF295.5 - Things I Think Matter Most
798.08 / SF301 - Tickner's Show Piece
798.2 / SF309 - On the Fence
798.40 / SF331 Become a Winner Claiming Thoroughbred Horses
636.10 / SF959.L42 - USPC Guide to Bandaging Your Horse

Edit: corrected my math

Nice summary!

Autobiography of a Fat Bride by Laurie Notaro

This is Notaro's second book, after The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club, which I read and enjoyed several years ago. "Autobiography" is a collection of humorous essays about growing up - buying a house, dealing with nephews, getting married, finding 'real' jobs. It took me a bit to get into this one, but by the half-way point I was laughing hard enough for tears. My favorite essays were the ones that resonated the most, "White Noise, White Soap, and Man Desire: Marriage Advice from Two Mean Girls" (detailing how males get the short end in marriage) and "As Time Goes By" (going through the 5 steps one encounters when your spouse is late from work). I'm sick and I'm sleepy, so I don't think I'm going to review this one more than say 'Get it from the library and have some fun.'

By the way, I curse all LT members who are insensitive enough to provide useful reviews. I am supposed to be going through my TBR, but instead I find that my local library (which usually fails me) has many books mentioned by LT reviewers. On the plus side, it's been about 10 years since I've visited enough that the librarians knew me by name and book taste; let's see how long it takes the now-ancient librarians (and the new surly ones, too) to learn it this time.

814.6 / PS3614.O785 - Autobio Fat Bride

Books: 15
Half: 1
Periodicals: 35

I love, love, love Laurie Notaro's books! She makes me giggle - alot. I'll also have to keep an eye out for any of the Tickner's books, they look really interesting!

The Veterinary Receptionist's Handbook by MT McClister

Picked up a side job as a small animal receptionist and got a few books. This book is too basic for people with experience, but would be a great investment for someone new to the industry. I liked the blanks for your own clinic's policies and the sample situation/responses. The clients' FAQ chapters were interesting - are there really horse owners that don't know what colic is? Or dog owners that don't know that antifreeze and rat poison are not things your animal should consume? Other than the simpleness of medical explanations, it was still OK.

636.08 / SF756.46 - Vet Recept

Tracking down the LCC number for this took awhile. Glad my alma mater has 'Ask a Librarian', and the one that helped me was nice and didn't call me an idiot for forgetting to go deeper into WorldCat than a book's intro page.

Books: 16
Half: 1
Periodicals: 35

Tack Care and Cleaning by Cherry Hill

When I opened the Amazon box, I was a bit disappointed. $4 for a 32 page booklet? Well, color me surprised, it's completely worth it! Most of my tack books simply explain tack selection, but this walks you through the tanning process and provides explanations on why certain products are better than others (no anecdotes, just science - amazing for a general horse book!) Not only does it cover leather goods, it goes over leads, ropes, grooming tools and blankets. There are some sections that are really simplified, like the purpose of grooming tools, but I liked it well enough to still give it 4.5 stars. I only wish it were longer and more detailed.

636.1 / SF309.9 - Tack Care Clean

Books: 17
Half: 1
Periodicals: 35

Aaaaahhh! I bought the wrong book! I read a book at a library a few years ago, thought I remembered the title, and I did *not*. I knew something was fishy when I was expecting a big textbook and got a thick 9 x 6" spiral bound thing instead. I figured it was simply because of a new edition. By chapter two, I was a bit surprised at myself; this book is not written in a style I usually enjoy. Thanks to LT, I finally figured out that I got the wrong book. The 'right' book is $80. Awesome. Dare I spend $160 on books for a part-time job that I have pretty much under control and haven't even started yet? Bummer. Maybe an hour's drive to that library is in order. Hope my card still works.

Anyways, the book I mistakenly bought is Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant. I'm only in chapter two, so I still have hope, but dang, the author talks down to you. An entire chapter goes over skills to 'bring you up to an 8th grade level' in math, science and English. The brusque style does not help. I feel like I've done something bad and am getting braided down for it. Not a pleasant feeling when simply reading proactively.

The book I should have bought is Veterinary Medical Team Handbook.

Edit: I love the state-wide ILL. My university library is a member, surprise, surprise. I still have access to all of my 'old friends' there. No drive required. Yay! Now the only problem is trying to not request everything.

#42: I hate it when an author talks down to you! I would probably return the first book and take a chance on the second just because of that.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How It Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

The Ghost Map covers a cholera outbreak in 1850s London. The public believed that it spread through foul air, but Dr John Snow and Rev Henry Whitehead eventually proved that it was water-borne and coming from a single contaminated water pump. This involved several medical papers and a map that drew from their personal knowledge of the area, showing not only deaths, but local traffic patterns.

I've wanted to read this one since it came out in 2006 and finally got around to it. The first several chapters were interesting enough, but around the 3/4 point the book actually put me to sleep several times. I appreciated the background of London at the time, the investigations and the details of those involved, but the author lost me while trying to explain why this one case changed history. I am aware of how it did, but his explanations weren't as interesting as the rest of the book. I wasn't terribly enthralled with his last chapters on how cities are most likely going to be destroyed with nuclear bombs (the ideas were interesting, but the verbiage was not). I wanted to like this one more than I actually did. Bummer. 3 stars

614.51 / RC133.G6 - Ghost Map

Books: 18
Half: 1
Periodicals: 35

#44: I have that one in the BlackHole already. Maybe I should bump it down some.

Pearls Sells Out by Stephan Pastis

Not much to comment on here - it's a comic book. My new job has been eating away at my reading time. I did buy more books last night though, so maybe those will get me out of my grumpy funk.

741.59 / PN6728.P44 - Pearls

Books: 19
Half: 1
Periodicals: 43

What an awful month for reading. Lots of books bought, few read. It seems that I've started 6 other books this month and stopped, haven't worked on Madame Bovary at all, and feel a general malaise with each book started. Hopefully March will be better - by then I'll have finished most of my off-the-clock training and will have more time to read. Poor Bunny ticker - at least there's not a Ferret ticker right behind him.

Well, the books will still be waiting for you when you have a chance to return to them, Emilie!

And so soon after my previous post, I started and finished a book that didn't add to my general feeling of apathy. Thanks so much to the LTer that recently reviewed Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side! You saved me! :) If I could find the original post, I would credit the poster by name.




Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

In this YA novel, high-schooler Jessica gets an unexpected visitor - a vampire prince who tells her that she is really a vampire princess named Antanasia. Oh, and they're betrothed. And war is the result of refusal.

Frankly, I wasn't expecting this to be good. (C'mon, would *you* after reading that description?) But for a post-Twilight high school vampire novel, it's the best I've come across so far. I think I may like it better than the entire series. Brain candy with very attractive characters and steamy yet PG-13 writing - can it get any better than this? Some of the development of Jessica's character was a bit sudden and without obvious catalyst, but I'm willing to forgive that considering everything else was so nicely put together. I'll be buying a copy for myself so I can reread and re-swoon whenever I feel the urge! I'd give it 4 stars, but since it managed to do what others couldn't and get me out of my funk, 4.5 for Fantaskey's first novel.

813 / PZ7.F222285Jes - Jessica's Dating Dark Side

Books: 20
Half: 1
Periodicals: 43

#49: Catalina7 read it recently. Perhaps it was her?

I don't think so, but my memory is terrible.

I would like to take this time to thank my local library for opening this morning. The roads were terrible and no one was visiting, but they at least opened for a few hours before closing early. I pretend that they did it just for me. I complain a lot about their selection, but gosh darn it, they try like the dickens.




Excuse Me, But I Was Next: How to Handle the Top 100 Manners Dilemmas by Peggy Post

Today's Snow Day read was the etiquette book Excuse Me, But I Was Next. It was easy to read all the way through and not terribly detailed. I thought it would focus more on handling gaffes, but aside from the single mantra that defines etiquette, most of the book covered general topics. The format was 100 questions and answers.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, or perhaps I read more 'traditional' etiquette books, but Peggy Post seemed a bit liberal in her advice. A mother of the bride throwing the shower? Only in cross-country marriages, in my book. Otherwise people will scream 'Saints preserve us!' and swoon and the world will collapse into a black hole. Or I could just be overly stodgy. Anyways... 3 stars.

395 / BJ1853 - Manners Dilemmas Post

Books: 21
Half: 1
Periodicals: 47 (might be 48, forgot to keep track)

#49

I am so glad you read and reviewed this book because I'm afraid the title really put me off. Now I'll add it to the TBR. Thanks.

Talk to the Hand by Lynn Truss

I read this book based on how much I enjoyed Truss's first book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves. This one felt more hypocritical. There were some inconsistencies in her stance. It felt more like a long-winded rant as opposed to anything instructional or useful. Here's hoping her next one will be more like her first as less like this one. 2 stars

395 / BJ1533.C9 - Talk Hand





The Hunter in Pictures by Margaret Cabell Self

This is an older book, published in 1972, that is essentially a pictorial review of the hunter type of the day. There's a picture on each page with brief descriptions underneath. Not much was said about selecting hunters, the actual hunt, or show hunters. I thought I would be able to pick up more since I love Self's other books, but this one felt a bit superficial. Her The Morgan Horse in Pictures was much more thorough. Maybe if I had the motivation to *really* study the photos I would be able to take more away from it. 3 stars

636.10 / SF293.H8 - Hunter Pictures

Books: 23
Half: 1
Periodicals: 50

Edit 3/2/10 21:35: Added LOC numbers. Also below:

Books: 23
Half: 1
Periodicals: 57

I hope your next read is better for you, Emilie! Looks like you had a couple of disappointments in a row.

February Summary

Books read: 9
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 25

TBR Pit books read: 0
Library books read: 6
Books purchased: 15

Non-fiction, horses: 2
Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 4
Fiction: 2
Classics: 0

395 / BJ1853 - Excuse Me
395 / BJ1533.C9 - Talk to the Hand
614.51 / RC133.G6 - Ghost Map
741.59 / PN6728.P44 - Pearls Before Swine
814.6 / PS3614.O785 - Autobio Fat Bride
813 / PZ7.F222285Jes - Jessica's Guide Dating Dark

636.10 / SF293.H8 - Hunter in Pictures
636.1 / SF309.9 - Tack Care Clean
636.08 / SF756.46 - Vet Recept

Nice summary! I like how you are doing the Dewey Decimal listings.

Oh, dear. The Detroit Kennel Club dog show is right in my backyard and I hit it every year. Every year, I end up supporting the Dogwise Publishing booth with a paycheck (or two!). This year was no different. Oh well. I don't need to buy food this month, I guess.




The Knot Guide for the Groom - Carley Roney

My SO is a best man for the first time and is concerned about his responsibilities. We got a few books and this was the first one I went through. It's surprisingly thorough - most wedding books for men are funny but not too detailed. This one covered both! Even I picked up a lot of things from it. There was loads of information for guys, yet it was presented in a way that was easy to read and understand. Time was also spent on explaining to the guys why girls tend to freak out about weddings, and how to "manage" their fiancee for everyone's well-being and sanity. (I really can't come up with a better word for it; it wasn't derogatory at all.) Well worth the $12. 4.5 stars

Books: 24
Half: 1
Periodicals: 58

Dogs Bite: But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous by Janis Bradley

This book covers more on why people shouldn't fear being bitten by dogs than what can be done about dog bites. It doesn't go into dog behavior and how the public can read dog behavior, but what other causes of injury are more common and how statistics have gotten blown up over the years. I particularly enjoyed the author's personal accounts - the media coverage of the Diane Whipple incident in San Diego, her conversations with insurance companies, etc. Not exactly what I was looking for, but a good read nonetheless. One nit-picky issue - what was with the blue borders on every page? Distracting and not very eco-friendly. 3.5 stars

Books: 25
Half: 1
Periodicals: 58

Wedding Speeches and Toasts by Town & Country Magazine

Another one for Kyle. The tone was a bit frou-frou and snotty (eg in describing dress codes, the most casual was 'colorful tie'), but it did cover all the traditional bases I wish other books would emphasize more. Only half of the book was actually about toasting, the rest was a guide for attendants and parents. Quotes were peppered throughout the book and there were 18 lined pages at the back for notes. 3.5 stars

Books: 26
Half: 1
Periodicals: 58

395.22 / BJ2051 - Town/Country Speeches
392.5 / HQ745 - Knot Groom
636.70 / SF433 - Dogs Bite

ETA cover pic and DDC/LOC numbers

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew - Daniel Pool

Read half, got distracted with life and had to return to the library. Will finish later this year. Interesting. 3/5

br>


Goldfish (Aquamaster) - Bernice Brewster

Good intro guide, good basics, lots of nice clear pictures. Definitely on the list of books to recommend for new fish owners. 4/5

br>


Aquarium Plants (Aquamaster) - Peter Hisock

I'm trying live plants in my aquariums for the first time, and so far it's not going too well. Hopefully I can get the plants settled in later this week. This book was nice, lots of color pictures and examples, everything was laid out clearly. Just wish they would list common names along with scientific so I can figure out what everyone else is talking about. 4/5

Books: 28
Half: 2
Periodicals: 59

820.90 / PR468.S6 - What Jane Austen Ate
639.37 / SF458.G7 - Goldfish
635.96 / SF457.7 - Plants

Just wish they would list common names along with scientific so I can figure out what everyone else is talking about.

That is why they invented scientific names, because a lot of plants have too many common names ;-)
But Wikipedia (or Google) is handy to find common names back.

Good luck with growing aquarium plants (and goldfish I presume).

Busy and sick lately, so I started a few books that I'm still halfway through. Included are Gail Carson Levine's Fairest, John McEvoy's Horse Racing Mysteries, Sophia Yin's Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats, and Malcolm Gladwell's What the Dog Saw. Reviews will come when finished.





Reread New Moon by Stephanie Meyer in honor of the movie. I watched the DVD three times and read the book the weekend I was sick. I was disappointed that Bella didn't chose Jacob this read through, either. Oh well. Maybe next time. :)

Books: 29
Half: 2
Periodicals:66

813.6 / PZ7.M5717515 - New Moon

Hope you are feeling better!

March Summary

Books read: 6
'Half' books finished: 1
Periodicals read: 24

TBR Pit books read: 0
Library books read: 1
Books purchased: 49

Non-fiction, horses: 0
Non-fiction, animals: 3
Non-fiction, other: 3
Fiction: 1
Classics: 0

395.22 / BJ2051 - Town/Country Wedding Speeches
392.5 / HQ745 - Knot Guide Groom
820.90 / PR468.S6 - What Jane Austen Ate
813.6 / PZ7.M5717515 - New Moon

636.70 / SF433 - Dogs Bite
635.96 / SF457.7 - Aquarium Plants
639.37 / SF458.G7 - Goldfish

Edit: because I can't count

How to Train Your Dragon - Cressida Cowell

Cute book about a Viking boy who is not so Viking-ish. He has to train a dragon to be accepted in his tribe, but he has some difficulties. Not much like the movie, but still just as cute. It reminds me of Roald Dahl books. 4/5

Books: 30
Half: 2
Periodicals: 81

823.91 / PZ7.C83535 - Train Dragon

Sometimes I wish buying books didn't make me so happy. Maybe then I could rein myself in a bit when having an terrible week. I guess I'll just have to deal with the consequences of having a lot of books. How awful.... :)

I am feeling better; thanks Stasia!

And Anita, thanks for the wishes on the aquarium! One of my tanks sprung a leak a few weeks ago and when I transferred the fish over to a bigger one, I decided to add plants. It didn't go so well. (I had to remove them and the non-vertebrates to medicate a sick fish.) I'll get another bunch of elodea after the treatments end. And as for the fish, I've raised fancy goldfish (mostly oranda and ranchu varieties) and kept various species of catfish for awhile. I love orandas; they're so much more peaceful to watch than my SO's cichlids! Do you have fish, too?

Fairest - Gail Carson Levine

Aza has a beautiful singing voice, but is not a bit comely, in a fantasy land where song and beauty are both highly valued. Circumstances lead her to the castle tending a misguided queen and throwing her voice. Plot line is a mash-up of Cyrano de Bergerac, Snow White and another of Levine's works, Ella Enchanted. It took a chapter or two to get used to the invented words and languages, but then I got into it. I suppose it brings up interesting questions about how far people go for beauty and appearance, but I'm just to shallow and tired to spend much time thinking about it. :) Good enough to inspire me to pick up Levine's other books at the store. 3.5/5

Books: 31
Half: 2
Periodicals: 81

813.54 / PZ8.L4793 - Fairest

#64: You are inspiring me to think about my Dewey Decimal numbers. I bet mine are all skewed to European history, lol

#65: I have that one home from the library now. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did.

I like fish, but have only had goldfish in my pond in a large pot:

pond with goldfish

I even had a waterlilly there:

waterlilly

But one of my Chows got a taste for fish and ate them :-(

Beautiful water lily, Anita! Too bad about the chows eating them.

#66 - I read Fairest a while back and enjoyed it. You might like to try Alex Flinn's books, which are retellings in a modern setting. They're enjoyable enough. I've read Beastly and A Kiss in Time.

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Roald Dahl

Cute, very short story about a thieving fox and three farmers. Not entirely sure I liked it as much in the 'adult read through' as much as I did as a child, unlike Dahl's other books. It was going well until Mr. Badger brought up some morals and Mr. Fox completely disregarded them. Maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind when I read it, though. 3/5




Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

A spell was put upon Ella to always be obedient in this retelling of Cinderella. I've seen the movie multiple times, enjoyed it, and really enjoyed Levine's Fairest, so I got a bunch more of her works. This one was just as good as Fairest, but I think I liked the more fluid plot-line/originality of Fairest a skosh more. There was more of a set-up for the enchanted world in this book, and I wish I had read it before Fairest. It would have been an easier introduction to Levine's fairy tale setting. Already started another of Levine's works. I liked the character of Ella, but am unsure of how exactly the Prince first fell in love with her. I can see the relationship develop throughout the story, and I loved the conversations between the two. 3/5

Books: 33
Half: 2
Periodicals: 81

823.91 / PZ7.D1515 - Fantastic Fox
813.54 / PZ7.L578345 - Ella Enchanted

That picture of the flower is gorgeous! That must have been really nice to look at outside.

My cat would go swimming and fishing in the aquariums if I didn't keep them covered at all times. I understand; it stinks. At least the dog got some enjoyment out of the fish.... ;)

Thanks for the recommendations, Kerry! I will keep my eye open for them at next trip to the book store.

Edit: Added DDC/LCC numbers

Ever - Gail Carson Levine

Kezi must be sacrificed to the gods, but falls in love with Olus, a god of the wind, beforehand. They try to stay her fate. This one is definitely intended for older audiences than usual for Levine - say jr high - and deals extensively with religion and fate. The characters were a bit older as well. The narration switched between Kezi and Olus every chapter - I often don't enjoy this style of narration, but it flowed really well. I wish Olus's character were a bit more fleshed out, but overall I liked what was done. My favorite parts were when they were falling in love with each other; I am a sucker for this. 3/5

Books: 34
Half: 2
Periodicals: 81

813.6 / PZ7.L578345 - Ever

#72: I have not read that one yet by Levine. Thanks for the recommendation, Emilie.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre - Gail Carson Levine

I didn't like this one as much as Fairest or Ella Enchanted, but it was still enjoyable. I guess it was a bit choppy - the first half of the book was character development and the action didn't start until then. Not a fan of the love interest in the story, but I enjoyed the main character, Addie. 3/5 Library




The Fairy's Return - Gail Carson Levine

6 short fairy tales retold. Some stayed fairly close to the original, but others twisted them around very enjoyably. The continuation of 'inside' names (eg King Humphrey the I, II, IV, etc, as the stories progress) was cute. 3/5




Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney

Love the style, illustrations and writing. The kid seems like a jerk though. Could just be me being an old fogey. 4/5

Books: 37
Half: 2
Periodicals: 92

My daughter loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I think it's something you have to be a kid to truly understand.

My son's off to buy his first Wimpy Kid book at the Scholastic Book Fair tonight :)

I really liked the first Wimpy Kid book, but I have rather vivid memories retained from junior high... and some people tell me I still haven't grown up... so maybe that helps with the enjoyment? Haha.

LOL! Do you know anyone that loved middle school?

Top Dogs: Making it to Westminster - Deborah Wood

Cute introduction to the world of dog shows. Wood follows a few dogs through the show season to Westminster, focusing on the smaller breeds. Accurate yet nice portrayal of 'dog people' - a rarity. Not complicated at all, quick to get through, simple, will recommend to people beginning to want to know more about the fancy. 3.5/5



How to Be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon, Book 2) - Cressida Cowell

Much like the review of the first in the series (see above). The Viking clan sets off on a treasure hunt, and Hiccup has a difficult time until he saves the day. Again. :) I see a smidge of character growth in this one; the third in the series is in my TBR pile. I loved the name and illustrations of Alvin-the-Poor-but-Honest-Farmer and the illustrations of sea creatures. I might have liked this one more than the first. 3.5/5

Books: 39
Half: 2
Periodicals: 92

813.54 / PZ7.L578345 - Princess Bamarre
398.2 / PZ8.L4793 - Fairy's Return
813.6 / PZ7.K6232 - Wimpy Kid
636.70 / SF425.16.N72 - Westminster
823.91 / PZ7.C83535 - Be a Pirate

Ugh; middle school! So much drama. I wish there were a way to skip those years. Anyone going through middle school now has my deepest sympathy.

I love Scholastic stuff! I was never allowed to get much at the fairs in elementary school; even back then my parents had to limit it to a few books at a time. I'm lucky enough now that my mom gets teacher-only invitations to warehouse sales after the fairs are done for the year and gets some stuff for cheap for me. The boxes Scholastic uses are worth their weight in gold - very sturdy, attached lid, handles... My mother and I have come close to fist fights over those boxes. :)

Great Horse Racing Mysteries - John McEvoy

12 short 'stories' on mysteries involving racing are summarized in McEvoy's work. Some of them are less mysterious than others, but I guess you need variety. Murders, disappearances, thefts, and race fixing are all covered. Some of these have been more conclusively 'solved' since the 2000 printing, like Phar Lap, while others are still unknown. Although the stories were interesting enough, I retained little of what was written. General framework, yes, specific names, no. This is probably my own fault and not the writer's. If you're interested in racing gossip and mystery, I enjoyed Wild Ride as well. Wild Ride is about one topic, Calumet Farm, and is much more detailed than a collection of shorts could be. My favorite shorts involved missing jockeys and horses. Perhaps I should dig out some Dick Francis.... 3/5

Books: 40
Half: 2
Periodicals: 92

798.4 / SF335.5 - Racing Mysteries

#79: I have How to Train Your Dragon home from the library now and imagine I will be reading How to Be a Pirate (something I have always wanted to know!) some time after that.

What the Dog Saw - Malcolm Gladwell

I haven't finished this one yet, but thought I would start collecting my thoughts before they disappear. Gladwell's previous books have been interesting and I was looking forward to this one as well. This one is a collection of his previously published articles instead of a work focusing on one main topic. What the Dog Saw is divided into 3 parts: the first is pieces focusing on people, the second, ideas and concepts, and the third, predictions.

The first section was not very interesting to me. What the Dog Saw spent a lot of time in the TBR pile because of this - a chapter a week was the going rate. I was dreading the article on Cesar Millan (I wonder how he does what he does, on air, without getting busted for cruelty) but it wasn't so bad. It focused almost entirely on the concept of charisma and little on actual training methods. I am still unsure of how a piece on "pit bulls" in the final section will go.... Yet once I got past the first part, every article seemed to be more in line with his other books.

The article on intellectual freedom, about where to draw the line at plagiarism, inspired some thought - at what point does originality exist? Theoretically, nothing is original, because every idea and every creature and every object relies on what has come before it; things are not created, they evolve. A random sentence inspired some more thought: how many of my favorite songs have the same phrases throughout? How similar are my supposedly varied preferences?

The article on the difference between panicking and choking has also got me going. My biggest "oops" are when someone asks me a question I know the answer to, and I can't seem to dredge it out of my mind. My mind empties of everything but "Uh..." and I give a pathetic half-answer. I'm currently trying to figure out if Gladwell would define it as choke or panic. My initial inclination was panic, since I cannot remember what I was taught, but it looks like it might be choke. We'll see as I keep reading.

#82: Interesting observations on that book. I already have it in the BlackHole. I think I need to bump it up!

What the Dog Saw - Malcolm Gladwell

Some thoughts on this one are in post #82. The article on pits was in line with Gladwell's other pieces: well researched and presented. I shouldn't have been dreading it so much. I still enjoyed the second section most, but the third was very enjoyable as well. The article on job interviews was neat: rephrasing certain questions made a huge difference in the answers I would have given and the response an interviewer would make to me. 3.5/5

Books: 41
Half: 2
Periodicals: 92

814.6 / PN4874.G398A25 - What Dog Saw

Alex and Me - Irene Pepperberg

Scientist Pepperberg describes her life with Alex the African grey parrot, whom she researched with/on in her animal behavior and learning studies. I haven't read her other book, The Alex Studies, but will after this one. I expect it to be a bit more detailed on the science portion and less focused on the emotional side. This work, started after Alex passed away in 2007, only briefly touches on her research. This has some cons (I wanted to get a bit more technical detail), but mostly pros (she could mention interesting bits that aren't able to be published or scientifically verified). The beginning was a bit "why me?" with some self-pity, but Pepperberg soon went past that problem and started talking about birds and her academic life. I enjoyed this one as a light read and will keep an eye out for The Alex Studies. 4/5

Books: 42
Half: 2
Periodicals: 92

636.68 / QL696.P7 - Alex

#85: Have you read Wesley the Owl yet? I read it before I read Pepperberg's book and think I prefer it.

Take the Reins - Jessica Burkhart

Sasha is new at Canterwood, a boarding school that offers a riding program. Simple enough, I though. And yet.... As soon as I finished this one, I thought "Thank gawd *that's* over!" I have this awful tendency to keep reading a bad book, even though I want to throw it (hard) in a trash can, just in case it improves. This one never did. The being-12 part was OK (eg, the excited squeals of 'ohmygosh, a BOY touched my hand!' were pretty funny), but this writer doesn't know a horse from a goat. One expects horse books like this to be a little free with the line between realism and fantasy, but this was just plumb bad. If you want to read a horsey series for girls, stick with The Saddle Club. 1/5




Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson

Interesting. I wasn't horrified by it (why is a considered a horror book?), but it was intriguing. I really don't think this one needs a summary, but I didn't know that the reveal wasn't towards the end. It was only Dr Jekyll's confession that really laid it all out. 3.5/5

Books: 44
Half: 2
Periodicals: 92

/ PZ7.B9232 - Canterwood
823.8 / PR5485 - Jekyll Hyde

I haven't read Wesley the Owl, but will when I come across it. Thanks for the recommendation, Stacia!

Edit: The one emoticon that expresses my feeling about the first book isn't accepted by html in the body of the 'review'. Eyes scrunched up and all.

I will be interested in seeing what you think of Wesley once you get a chance to read it, Emilie.

I picked up a copy of The Alex Studies with a gift card recently, and plan to read Alex and Me first, followed by The Alex Studies. I can't wait for the technical detail of her studies... I find animal communication absolutely fascinating. I'll let you know how the book is if you haven't got to it yourself by then! I also second Stasia's recommendation of Wesley the Owl... there's some amazing stuff in there.

The Owl Box that I have been watching out in California is fascinating. Stacey O'Brien, who wrote Wesley the Owl, pops in about every day just to let everyone know what is happening with the owlets and reassure us that everything is OK.

If you are interested, the website is here: http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox#more

Wild Horses - Eva Pendleton Henderson

The subtitle says it all: A Turn-of-the-Century Prairie Girlhood. Eva's autobiography is well crafted and entertaining enough to inspire me to read more historical fiction. It was nice having something written by someone who actually went through it, instead of trying to guess at what life might have been like. It wasn't very meaty though, and I was left wanting more. (Side note: Wild Horses does not actually feature horses.) I don't think this one was widely published; I found it at a used book sale. 3.5/5




Firehorse - Diane Lee Wilson

On the heels of Wild Horses, I tried to find another book from the same time period. The closest I got was Firehorse, which was buried in the TBR pile. Rachel moves to Boston in 1872, the year of the fires and horse flu. Rachel loves horses and tries to heal an inured horse that pulls the firewagons.

I was so surprised with this book; it's very well written! The vividness of the barn scenes is what really got me: after a paragraph or two of describing the details of the stable, I could smell it. My heart rate decreased, my breathing slowed, and I could feel myself relaxing as I were walking in the barn in real life, on a day when I could stop and appreciate everything. The spiders waving their legs from their webs, the dust motes swirling in the sun, the smell of liniment and leather.... The horses even acted like horses!

Aside from the awesomeness of the horsey parts, the plot was a bit daring: a teenage girl from that time period who tried to become a veterinarian, who was daring enough to be alone with men unchaperoned, etc, had to be (I'm assuming) fairly rare. It must have been hard to find research materials on the topics. The relationship between Rachel and Mr. Stead was a bit coarse, and Father was characterized, but those tiny complaints are all I have. The horses make it all better. 5/5




The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Wow. The life of a German girl in World War II, narrated by Death, certainly does not make for light reading, but wow. I loved all of the characters and cried harder than I usually do when reading a distressing book. The way it was laid out took me a few chapters to get used to, but then I had to appreciate it. The stories within the story were beautiful as well; the details in the illustrations in the Standover Man won me over, too. I ruined part of the book by scanning through the reading guide at the end, only one page before the author made the reveal about the ending. I hate myself a little for that, but I think the impact of Zusak's wording would have devastated me more than the guide. (Rudy, oh Rudy!)

When reading a book about reading and words, one often becomes more cognizant of the author's own use of language. I sometimes judge an author too harshly if they do not live up to the standards they have set for themselves. I don't think I've ever been so impressed by the way the words are arranged in such a book before.

Some of my most favorite bits: The Word Shaker, Leisel following Max's march, the line "I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right", the gift of a cloud, Rudy's love for Liesel, and "The only thing worse than a boy who hates you, {is} A boy who loves you." 5/5

Next up on my historical bent is...




Number the Stars - Lois Lowry

Compared to The Book Thief, which I had just finished, Number the Stars fell a little flat. The crash from such detail into a more juvenile coverage of the same war was hard. I can't fault it for coming after such a work, though. It was still nicely done. Plot in a quick sentence: 10-year old Annemarie helps her Jewish best friend out of Denmark. The chapter of the climax stood out among the rest. 2.5/5 (Maybe I'll come back and raise the rating after the taste of The Book Thief has left my mouth.)

Books: 48
Half: 2
Periodicals: 92

978.90 / PS3558.E484W5 - Pendleton Prairie
/ PZ7.W69059 - Firehorse
823.92 / PZ7.Z837 - Book Thief
813.54 / PZ7.L9673 - Number Stars

I've been so busy this week; I can't believe I've gotten through 4 books in my free time. I suppose it helps that they were all really good....

Poor Cyrano de Bergerac has been sitting on my nightstand the whole time, bookmark on page 5, waiting for me to finish my historical bent. (Or more recent history, if you want to get technical.) I was going to wait until I saw a version of the play on DVD, but 20 minutes into it, I think I might enjoy it better if I read it first. This doesn't happen often, since if I read the book first, I am always disappointed in the movie. If I watch a movie first, I am surprised and delighted that the book is so good and there are so many new details to uncover; there is no disappointment involved. We'll see how it turns out.

(Oh Rudy!)

#91: Some great reading there! Looks like you have been busy, Emilie.

Yep. Nice list.

Even though The Book Thief has been called a YA book, it didn't feel that way to me. And Number the Stars is definitely a children's book, not a YA, so don't think they can be compared, but I know what you mean. It's hard to read 2 books so close together that center on the same historical events. If the first book really moves you, the second is bound to disappoint.

I agree, Bonnie. The Book Thief didn't seem like a YA book to me at all. And I was right - after time, Number the Stars did grow on me. I didn't set out to compare the two since they are so different, but every time after you read a really great book, the next is a little bumpy, even if it's still a good one.

I picked up The Golden Compass instead of Cyrano. I just wasn't ready for the theatrical humor after a series of more somber books. It's coming soon though. Then maybe some Three Musketeers. Or Caddie Woodlawn Or...

It looks like April was busy...!

April Summary

Books read: 19
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 11

TBR Pit books read: 3
Library books read: 1
Books purchased: 33

Non-fiction, horses: 1
Non-fiction, animals: 2
Non-fiction, other: 1
Fiction: 15
Classics: 2

814.6 / PN4874.G398A25 - What Dog Saw
823.8 / PR5485 - Jekyll Hyde
978.90 / PS3558.E484W5 - Pendleton Prairie
823.91 / PZ7.C83535 - Train Dragon
813.54 / PZ8.L4793 - Fairest
823.91 / PZ7.D1515 - Fantastic Fox
813.54 / PZ7.L578345 - Ella Enchanted
813.6 / PZ7.L578345 - Ever
813.54 / PZ7.L578345 - Princess Bamarre
398.2 / PZ7.L4793 - Fairy's Return
813.6 / PZ7.K6232 - Wimpy Kid
823.91 / PZ7.C83535 - Be a Pirate
/ PZ7.B9232 - Canterwood
/ PZ7.W69059 - Firehorse
823.92 / PZ7.Z837 - Book Thief
813.54 / PZ7.L9673 - Number Stars

636.68 / QL696.P7 - Alex
798.4 / SF335.5 - Racing Mysteries
636.70 / SF425.16.N72 - Westminster

And here's May's readings so far:



Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules - Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw - Jeff Kinney

I liked both of these much better than the first Wimpy Kid book. In these, Greg seems more mischievous than cruel and rude. My only wish would be that it wouldn't take me so little time to go through them.



The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

I liked this one very much, but can't see why it's considered a modern-day classic. Maybe because the twists and turns have been ruined by the movie? We'll see when I pick up The Subtle Knife.



The Record that Serves and Protects - Eric Joseph

This short 30-page booklet was for work. It just details medical record keeping procedures; nothing new is covered.



Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris

Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris

Club Dead - Charlaine Harris

Re-reads of the Sookie Stackhouse series to refresh my memory before plunging into the new release, Dead in the Family. Entertaining series; much better than the show!

Books: 55
Half: 2
Periodicals: 110

813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Dark
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Living Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Club Dead
/ R684 - Record Serves
823.91 / PZ7.P968Go - Golden Compass
813.6 / PZ7.K6232Dr - Wimpy 2 Rodrick
813.6 / PZ7.K6232Dp - Wimpy 3 Straw

Emilie

You are reading some great books! I liked the Diary of a Whimpy Kid books. I laughed out loud manytimes.

I agree with Linda about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. They are funny.

#97 and others:

It's funny, I really, really liked Golden Compass but had no urge to read the following books. I can't really explain it.

Roared through the Sookie books to get to the latest, Dead in the Family, and stopped to read the short story collection, A Touch of Dead, along the way.

I hadn't read A Touch of Dead yet, but am glad I finally spent the money on it. (I hate spending so much money for hardcovers when the font size is so large. Maybe it's something I have about money spent per word, which might equal time spent enjoying it. Anyways, not important.) I got filled in on a few stories I hadn't read in other collections yet, and my urge to acquire everything in a series has been satisfied. I loved 'Dracula Night'; I think I just love Eric. He's so dreamy! ;) Or maybe just really fun to read about, along with Pam. 3.5/5

Dead in the Family was a bit surprising. I couldn't get one major conflict out of it, like most other Sookie books, but instead a undercurrent of many minor events. Sookie's character has changed since the first book, that's for sure. I'm disappointed about what Ocella said to Sookie at the end - foreshadowing sucks when it ruins what you think you want to happen. And to wait another year for the next one in the series just lets it simmer and rot in my mind. I'm sure Ms. Harris will come up with a good resolution in the next book; I'll just have to trust her. 4/5

Books: 63
Half: 2
Periodicals: 110

813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Family
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Touch Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Gone
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Worse
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Together Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Definitely Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Doornail
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead World

Ok, so it's been busy lately. Social butterfly and all.

May Summary

Books read: 15
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 18

TBR Pit books read: 1
Library books read: 0
Books purchased: 12

Non-fiction, horses: 0
Non-fiction, animals: 0
Non-fiction, other: 1
Fiction: 14
Classics: 1

813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Family
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Touch Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Gone
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Worse
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Together Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Definitely Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Doornail
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead World
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Dead Dark
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Living Dead
813.54 / PS3558.A6427 - Club Dead
813.6 / PZ7.K6232Dr - Wimpy 2 Rodrick
813.6 / PZ7.K6232Dp - Wimpy 3 Straw
823.91 / PZ7.P968Go - Golden Compass

/ R684 - Record Serves

Ah, there you are you social butterfly, you :) Nice to see you back again!

June Summary

Books read: 2
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 20

TBR Pit books read: 0
Library books read: 0
Books purchased: 46

Non-fiction, horses: 0
Non-fiction, animals: 0
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 2
Classics: 0

813.6 / PR6119.Y54 - Bergdorf Blondes
813.6 / PS3613.C575 - Nanny Returns

And my horrifying statistics for the year so far...

65 books were read
2 books started last year were finished
130+ professional periodicals were read

6 books were rescued from the TBR Pit of Despair
12 books were read courtesy of the library
218 books sucked my money away (!!!)

10 books on horses
6 on other animals
12 non-fiction books on topics other than things that move
39 lovely fiction escapes
4 classics added to my brain size

And because I am tired and worn-out, reviews of my June reads will come soon. Eventually. Vacations should require vacations. Vacations near Half-Price Books stores are bad ideas....

You have extremely interesting book choices. As a fellow animal lover, I have found several that I want to read. And that is an excellent half-year summary. I am a huge library user, fortunate to have an excellent metropolitan library system nearby, so it is hard for me to fathom purchasing 218 books, or being able to find shelf space for them. I am envious, though :)

#105: Vacations near Half-Price Books stores are bad ideas.

LOL!

I just had a vacation near a cheap book store too, and I agree - bad idea!!

I read a lot more from the library when there were good ones nearby. I moved last fall and my local library leaves a lot to be desired. They do a good job with what limited funding they have, but they simply won't be able to cater to my narrow interests in this part of the state. I miss my old town - huge university library, big public library system, so many used bookstores.... My only defense for the amount of books bought this year is my prowess at finding used book sales. Most of the books were bought for fifty cents or a dollar.

Books: 65
Half: 2
Periodicals: 124

2 books finished today and 2 notes for the June books





Firmin - Sam Savage

When I started this book last year, the beginning made me feel so ashamed of myself for not knowing the classics better that I made it my goal this year to read more. When I finally decided to read this one, (I gave up and decided I would read it no matter how well I knew the authors or characters frequently mentioned) I ended up a little disappointed. It's very nicely done, but very depressing as well. The author came off a little snobbish; this one might appeal to readers with more discerning tastes and a flair for stories of destruction. I was hoping for a book that featured an intelligent rat who loves books, and I did a get a protagonist that was easy to feel for. I think I would have rated this one a lot higher if I got my happily ever after ending. Still chewing this one over and may change the rating later. 3/5





Your Special Wedding Toasts - Sharon Naylor

This one was a read-through for my SO. There are lots of examples of entire toasts and speeches, along with a series of questions that by thinking about answers to practically write your speech for you. Lots of tips and a few quotes are here as well. If you're looking for quotes though, look elsewhere. The few ones here did not inspire me as much as some listed in other wedding books I've read. Still a great buy, and I'll be keeping this one around for my own use later. 4/5





Nanny Returns - Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

A good beachy read, although... am I the only one who gets tense and stressed reading the Nanny books? It's addictive reading, but I pay for it. Nice continuation of the Nanny Diaries. I loved the kids in this one as much as I did in the previous. 3/5





Bergdorf Blondes - Plum Sykes

Chick lit beach read. Don't remember much of it; it wasn't terribly memorable but did pass an afternoon in the sun. Something about fashion, money-hungry girls and New York City.... 2/5

Books: 67
Half: 2
Periodicals: 127

813.6 / PS3619.A84 - Firmin
808.51 / PN6348.W4 - Wedding Toasts

(Edited for grammar and touchstones)

I read the first Nanny Diaries book and have no desire to read another - mainly because of how the poor kid was treated, so no, I would say you are not the only one who gets tense and stressed reading those books.

I agree with you & alcottacre - I didn't enjoy Nanny Diaries at all. It was a stressful book - mostly because of the crazy parents in it. Also, I love Bergdorf Blondes - I thought it was funny!

The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

One of the classics that's flown by - I was surprised to see that it was so readable. I've seen so many movie versions and the book was still better: non-stop action and intrigue throughout the whole story. I never knew it focused so closely on D'A's adventures and less on Athos, Porthos and Aramis. I'm glad I finally read it. 4/5

Books: 68
Half: 2
Periodicals: 135

843.7 / PQ2228 - Three Musketeers

Yes, its a pretty good yarn. Glad you enjoyed it.

Some variety here: a play, a popular kid’s book, a good kid’s book, and a horsey biography. Nice weekend. :)




Cyrano de Bergerac – Edmond Rostand

Interestingly read on the heels of The Three Musketeers, as there are numerous references to Dumas’s work. I knew it as a comedy growing up (thanks Wishbone!) and never really remembered the tragic ending. Bummer. The introduction and notes in this edition seemed superfluous after The Three Musketeers – the novel was enough of an introduction to the times, concepts and ideas. Still decent. 3/5





How to Speak Dragonese, How to Train Your Dragon: Book 3 – Cressida Cowell

Hiccup, the non-Viking-like Viking boy, is captured by the Romans and must rely on new friends and nanodragons to help save the day. Cute, like the others. Still like the illustrations and plot in the 2nd book better, but the introduction to the Romans and the set-up of the next book in the series were nice. 3/5





The Penderwicks on Gardam Street – Jeanne Birdsall

The widower Mr. Penderwick starts dating again, much to the horror of his four daughters. After the first Penderwicks book, I was cautiously optimistic that Birdsall was going to be a ‘great one’. After the second, I’m pretty sure she will be, at least to me. The characters are all so nicely drawn out; they have their children’s book typical stereotypes, but none are better than the others – Rosalind loving babies is treated with the same respect as Skye treating them like bombs. All the characters are treated with respect. This one is very well told; I did not welcome interruptions that pulled me out of Gardam Street. 4.5/5





Yankee Doodle Dandy: The Life and Times of Tod Sloan – John Dizikes

This biography details the life of a jockey who revolutionized racing. Recall those old Currier and Ives prints with jockeys sitting tall on horses. Now think about how jockeys ride today – crouched over withers with short stirrups. That’s essentially due to Tod Sloan. There was some debate a long time ago whether his style of riding was really better for the horses, but now there have been numerous research studies that show it essentially saves the horse’s energy by recycling it. There is less motion wasted with a jockey than there would be without one! Anyways….

This one went by surprisingly quickly, but felt at times like it were a graduate student’s research presented in book form. Lots of quotations and references to other sources and little fluid writing. It can be forgiven though – what is there is still interesting. There were some interesting notes about the character of those involved in both racing and theatre, as I am. As much as the horse racing side interested me, it was the final chapter on Little Johnny Jones that was the most fascinating. This is the musical that gave us the ditties Yankee Doodle Dandy and Give My Regards to Broadway. The musical and the song are based on Sloan’s experiences in the UK. In short, after revolutionizing the ‘monkey crouch’ in the US, he went over to England, where Americans were (and are) not very well regarded in racing. He cleaned up over there, only to encounter some trouble with the Jockey Club, and fell into disrepute. 3.5/5

Books: 72
Half: 2
Periodicals: 137

842.8 / PQ2635.O7 - Cyrano
823.91 / PZ7.C83535 - Train Dragon 3
813.6 / PZ7.B51197 - Penderwicks 2
798.40 / SF336.S553 - Yankee Doodle

Telling Stories to Children - Sylvia Ziskind

Less about reading aloud and more about telling stories from heart. Still had some nice tips though, especially about planning things out. Filled with examples of poetry and short stories, with long lists of books to look into. Unfortunately, this edition is fairly dated, so stories created after the 1970s aren't included. 2.5/5

Books: 73
Half: 2
Periodicals: 137

372.64 / LB1042.Z57 - Stories Children

#115: I have the first Penderwicks book on hold for me at the local library. I may just pick up the second one at the same time!

>115 alsvidur:: I loved Cyrano; it's still one of my favorite plays. Somehow, when I see all the remakes ("Roxanne", "The Truth About Cats and Dogs", etc.) and they give it a happy ending...I understand but feel a bit cheated.

I have Yankee Doodle Dandy on my bookshelf somewhere - I was glad to see your review on it.

My Cat Hates You - Jim Edgar

Pictures of cats with captions that are not as funny as Bad Cat or the lolcat website. Yawn. 2/5





Racing Through the Century: The Story of Thoroughbred Racing in America - Mary Simon

Very interesting; loved the photos and the big layout. Wish there were more talk about general racing and less about specific horses (since you can get info on 'the great ones' very easily), but that's the only tiny complaint. I only pt it down half done because the size and quality of the book made it difficult to carry around. It has some heft to it! 4/5





Saratoga Stories: Gangsters, Gamblers and Racing Legends - Joe Bartels

(Saratoga is an old racetrack that holds very quality racing every July and August, and the track and town have a history of being used as a vacation for the wealthy.) Finished in honor of the Spa's meet - wish I could be there! Badly needs an editor who isn't asleep at the wheel. I put it down months ago, half-way finished, and only now had the stomach to pick it up again. The story is interesting and detailed though. 2.5/5





Wild About Horses: Our Timeless Passion for the Horse - Lawrence Scanlan

Scanlan tries to cover interesting people and horses and hopes to discover why people love horses. Decent attempt, but falls short. Why aren't more horse books written by people with loads of actual horse experience? Ugh. Not inaccurate, but certainly very naive. The first half was interesting (not necessarily educational, but interesting nonetheless) and I whizzed through it, but starting with the chapter on horse treks the quality seemed to go way down. This one was another I had put down and pick up only when steeled for it. 2/5

Books: 74
Half: 5
Periodicals: 137

Not necessarily a good crop here, but I can't expect much when going through the TBR books that I stopped and never felt like picking up again - but it feels good to get them out of the pile!

636.80 / SF446 - Cat Hates You
798.40 / SF335.U5 - Racing Century
798.40 / SF335.U6 N668 - Saratoga
636.1 / SF301 - Wild About Horses

Only 1 more book to 75! Congratulations.

Does anyone know how to block a website on your computer? I need to prevent access to Amazon. I'm getting a new horse soon (probably), and need to be saving money, yet the occasion of acquiring a new horse means buying yet more books about horses. It's not like I'm starving for books on the topic, or don't know what to do, it's just... something new and exciting means buying books, I guess. Oh well. I guess he doesn't need the fancy halter. Poor guy. At least he won't care what it looks like; it'll get dirty soon enough anyways.

#122: If I knew how to do that, I would be very rich, lol :) I would have to block Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ABE Books, Ellie's bookstore in England. . .

I've been in the middle of two tomes on details of horsemanship for my 75th book, and didn't even realize I passed it by reading 2 little ones!





Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life - Bryan Lee O'Malley

I'm sick of my guy friends talking about this book series and not knowing what happens in the books. The jacket blurb seemed really interesting. And the book was interesting, and a quick read, but I think I lack a Y chromosome to really empathize. Great book though. Scott Pilgrim is a series of graphic novels (a movie based on them is coming out soon), where Scott falls in love with Ramona Flowers, but must defeat her 7 evil ex-boyfriends first. Book 2 has been checked out of the library, otherwise I would have read the whole series by now. 4/5





Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4: Dog Days - Jeff Kinney

Amusing. More so than #2. For the first time, I can see the real humor in Greg - I remember what summers were like! The dog scenes were funny too. Cute. 4/5

Books: 76
Half: 5
Periodicals: 141

741.59 / PN6734.S36 - Scott Pilgrim 1
813.6 / PZ7.K6232 - Wimpy 4

Congratulations on passing 75, Emilie!

Congrats!

And the last books read for July, since I've been on an easy-reader kick:





Ben and Me - Robert Lawson

I vaguely remember the Disney cartoon, but didn't realize it was based on a book. The mouse Amos, the narrator, is really the brains behind Ben Franklin. Amos hides in Ben's hat to give directions and help. Cute and much more detailed in Amos's life than the cartoon. 3.5/5



Clementine - Sara Pennypacker

Clementine's Letter - Sara Pennypacker

The Talented Clementine - Sara Pennypacker

SO CUTE! Clementine is a girl in 3rd grade who has a short attention span and a habit of getting into trouble. She reminds me so much of certain little girls I know. The first in the series has Clementine deal with cutting off a classmate's hair. The second, The Talented Clementine, has Clementine attempting to find a talent for the school talent show. In Clementine's Letter, she must cope with a new teacher. From The Talented Clementine: "{Maria} went up to the front of the classroom and did a cartwheel into the chalkboard. We were all very surprised to learn that a chalkboard that big wouldn't flatten a kid when it fell off the wall." The illustrations were just as amusing and right on the money. I can't wait to find the fourth in the series in paperback! 4.5/5

Books: 80
Half: 5
Periodicals: 141

813 / PZ7.L4384 - Ben and Me
813.6 / PZ7.P3856 - Clementine
813.6 / PZ7.P3856 - Talented Clementine
813.6 / PZ7.P3856 - Clementine's Letter

I liked Ben and Me too. I have never heard of the Pennypacker books. I will have to look for them.

July Summary

Books read: 15
'Half' books finished: 3
Periodicals read: 11

TBR Pit books read: 6
Library books read: 1
Books purchased: 23 (I did go a whole 33 days without buying any though)

Non-fiction, horses: 4
Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 2
Fiction: 11
Classics: 2

741.59 / PN6734.S36 - Scott Pilgrim 1
813 / PZ7.L4384 - Ben and Me
813.6 / PZ7.P3856 - Clementine
813.6 / PZ7.P3856 - Talented Clementine
813.6 / PZ7.P3856 - Clementine's Letter
813.6 / PZ7.B51197 - Penderwicks 2
813.6 / PZ7.K6232 - Wimpy 4
813.6 / PS3619.A84 - Firmin
823.91 / PZ7.C83535 - Train Dragon 3
842.8 / PQ2635.O7 - Cyrano
843.7 / PQ2228 - Three Musketeers

372.64 / LB1042.Z57 - Stories Children
808.51 / PN6348.W4 - Wedding Toasts

636.1 / SF301 - Wild About Horses
636.80 / SF446 - Cat Hates You
798.40 / SF335.U5 - Racing Century
798.40 / SF335.U6 N668 - Saratoga
798.40 / SF336.S553 - Yankee Doodle

#129: I did go a whole 33 days without buying any though

That is better than me!

I don't think I've ever gone 33 days without buying books. Did you buy the 23 you purchased at the same time?

The Fearless Traveler - Charlotte Beech

160 pages of common sense applied to traveling. 2/5




Why Does My Rabbit...? - Anne McBride

The best book on rabbit behavior I've come across. 4.5/5




Scott Pilgrim vs the World - Bryan Lee O'Malley

Second in the Scott Pilgrim series. Cute. Getting a better feel of the characters as the stories progress. (The movie was neat too. Cool visuals.) Peeved my local library doesn't have the next 4 in the series. 3/5

Books: 82
Half: 6
Periodicals: 143

636.93 / SF453 - Why Does My Rabbit
910 / - Fearless Traveler
741.59 / PN6733.O43 - Scott Pilgrim 2

And yes, I bought all book in July over the last 2 days of the month. I had to buy birthday gifts and the temptation to browse a bit for myself was too strong. Bargain Books is always a bad place to visit if I want to restrain myself.

#132: the temptation to browse a bit for myself was too strong

I can relate!

I had not thought of Ben and Me in an awfully long time. I remember that being a fun book. Thanks for the reminder!

I'm really looking forward to the Scott Pilgrim movie, though I haven't read past book 1 yet...

Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets - Peter Laufer

The title says it all- however, not so much about the smuggling. More about the people who keep exotics as pets and author's own thoughts on pet-keeping and defining domestication. Nothing terribly insightful to someone who is familiar with the ethical questions and animal welfare, but it might be an enlightening read to someone who hasn't ever thought about the subject. Forbidden Creatures focused on chimps, tigers and pythons, which are all exotic, but mostly legal and lacking the need for smuggling. No animals behind curtains or detailed exposes on drug lords' private zoos. Kind of a bummer. The coverage of people who breed and deal exotics was interesting; the author's conjectures on what the dealers feel and think are food for thought.

Although it seemed a bit erratic in the chapter flow, it was an ensnaring read - I bought it, started and finished it with a few hours. And even though it kills me to rate so highly a non-fiction book written by a general journalist and not someone trained in the field they are writing about, I still have to do it. 4/5

Books: 83
Half: 6
Periodicals: 156

(I wonder why I'm having such a hard time writing a complete sentence lately....)

Edited to add more thoughts

The cover of that one gives me the creeps!

Animal Investigators: How the World's First Wildlife Forensics Lab Is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species - Laurel Neme

This is a very detailed account of 3 projects the FWS lab has worked on: subsistence walrus hunting, the bear bile trade and Amazon bird feather collecting. Neme goes to the depths of telling exactly how many microliters of such-and-such chemical go into a particular test. Although it was extremely thorough, it didn't feel very dry and textbook-y. I only wish she made the book longer to cover more cases. 4/5





Dear Smarty: A Collection of Letters Written to Smarty Jones by Children, Families and Other Animals from Across America - Billy Valentine

The letters were so sweet and heartfelt. Although I understand the reasoning behind covering the letter writers, it often felt too much like a parent's brag book. It might make me weird, but I think kids' letters are best when you don't know the kids - you can imagine them all as sweet little angels and not sisters who beat up their little brothers or such. 3/5

(For those unfamiliar with horse racing: Smarty Jones was a racehorse that in 2004 won the first two races in a big three race 'series' that hasn't been won since the 1970s. He lost by a short margin in the third race, the Belmont, the only race in his life that he didn't win. Smarty Jones was a very popular horse with the public, possibly because he overcame an injury as a youngster.)

Going Wild: Adventures of a Zoo Vet - David Taylor

This book is so outdated it's like reading a very cool history book. Zoo medicine has grown by leaps and bounds since the 1960s (thank goodness), but reading about how it all started is fascinating. This one was a very entertaining and enjoyable read. 4/5

636.08 / SH613.T38A34 - Going Wild
798.4 / - Dear Smarty
363.25 / HV8079.W58 - Animal Investigators

Books: 86
Half: 6
Periodicals: 161

August Summary

Books read: 6
'Half' books finished: 1
Periodicals read: 15

TBR Pit books read: 1
Library books read: 1
Books purchased: 19

Non-fiction, horses: 1
Non-fiction, animals: 4
Non-fiction, other: 1
Fiction: 1
Classics: 0.

741.59 / PN6733.O43 - Scott Pilgrim 2

910 / - Fearless Traveler

363.25 / HV8079.W58 - Animal Investigators
636.08 / SH613.T38A34 - Going Wild
636 / - Forbidden Creatures
636.93 / SF453 - Why Does My Rabbit
798.4 / - Dear Smarty

(Edits: I have no idea why it keeps reverting to 1 classic read.)

Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures - Bill Schutt

How can you not love a book with the tag-line of "Jaunty, instructive, and charmingly graphic"? Especially if that book is about sanguivorous animals - those that eat blood? The book was just as much fun as the tag-line. Vampire bats, blood finches, leeches, mites and chiggers, bed bugs, and candiru are all covered, as well as blood itself. Dark Banquet, while instructive and accurate, is still able to get in all the basics so that people with no prior understanding of blood or zoology can understand and enjoy the topic. Sweet book! 5/5

591.53 / QL756.55.S38 - Dark Banquet

Books: 87
Half: 6
Periodicals: 163

#138: Animal Investigators looks like one I would be interested in. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Emilie!

#140: I will have to look for that one too!

Started Doctor Zhivago today. After 10 pages, I gave up, got out some paper and a pen, started over, and wrote all the names down. After 40 pages I stopped to check out what wiki said about the time period. Lots and lots of Russian names and political parties, but the descriptions of the countryside are just wonderful. Hopefully I can keep going. Or at least get farther than I did in the book Poseidon's Steed: the Story of Seahorses, from Myth to Reality.

I have never read Doctor Zhivago but I know what you mean about keeping the names straight. I just finished Anna Karenina and I read War and Peace last year, both of which have multitudes of people and all kinds of names to keep straight!

Insatiable - Meg Cabot

$%*&^! I stay up all night reading this book and THAT'S how it ends?!? 4/5 Oh yeah. The summary. Meena is sick of vampires in the media, being all sparkly and disheveled. Until she meets one {who is neither of the mentioned descriptives}. The cover design leaves a bit to be desired; I took that jacket off as soon as I got the book. I don't know why I read these crack-books when I know it'll be a year before a sequel comes out. I'm left yearning for more good chick lit and I'm stuck with books on handicapping. These books should come with a warning. I probably wouldn't heed it, but all the same, a head's up would be nice.

Books: 88
Half: 6
Periodicals: 163

Still working on Doctor Zhivago.

I was planning on getting Insatiable for my daughter who loves Meg Cabot, but I think I will wait until the next book comes out before buying it.

145 - I did love the book. I was just disappointed by the open ending with very little closure. It's like someone ripped out the final chapter of a really good book and didn't tell you until you got to the torn bits. If someone had given me a head's up to expect a sequel, I probably would have been much more relaxed about it.





Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight about Animals – Hal Herzog

Herzog wrote wonderfully balanced and well thought-out summary of human hypocrisy in dealing with animals. This is the very first treatment I have ever read of the rights/welfare/use debate that is not terribly slanted one way or another. Herzog is well known amongst those involved with animals; he is a psychologist most known for his studies on human-animal relations and he brings his scientific training to ‘step-back and observe’ with him. “Some We Love…” was extremely readable for a book on this topic, and I would definitely recommend it to a lay person. Although perhaps he didn’t delve into the ideologies of some of the organizations he mentions, that can be forgiven since he focuses in on what the ideology of the individual person is. Individuals from both sides are treated with respect and not as raving lunatics. Bravo, Dr Herzog! 4.5/5





An Odyssey with Animals: A Veterinarian’s Reflection on the Animal Rights and Welfare Debate – Adrian Morrison

To give you a very brief insight as to the leanings of this book, it was written by a neuroscientist who defended Taub in the Silver Spring monkey case, the event that triggered the founding of PETA, and whose research has been a target of ALF.

This book could very well be divided into two parts. The first seems filled with anger towards the extremists and aimed more toward punching their views down than building his side up. I can understand where his anger comes from, but I do not feel that it advances his cause in this case. It is only in chapter 8 that he evens out his rhetoric and gives some real ideas. After this point, the book seems much calmer and is easier to wade through. I felt he could have left out the entire chapter of explaining his field of research in quasi-technical detail and still had a complete book. “Plain talk” would have been beneficial here.

However, his extremism towards one side of the debate helped my own thoughts flesh out by my mentally defending and sympathizing with the opposite view. In my work in research, I have noticed that the researchers working in the ‘70s through mid-‘80s had a huge bureaucratic adjustment to make in their work and often resent the animal rights movement because of this. Some believe that the existences of organizations that exist to monitor animal welfare are simply kow-towing to the movement and have no real place in research. I disagree with the author and some colleagues on this point; ensuring animal welfare is not a slippery slope to animal rights. (Morrison does mention in the epilogue that he has finally realized this, but this thought is not well explained in his book.) I could go on, but instead: 3/5

Books: 90
Half: 6
Periodicals: 174

610.72 / RM724.M845 - Odyssey Animals
Some Love Some Hate

Animal Liberation - Peter Singer (full review to follow completion of book)

Morrison’s book inspired me to re-read Animal Liberation. I haven’t read it since I was in elementary school. However, I am only through the prefaces and introduction, and I feel like I have a brilliant idea of a drinking game: one shot for every mention of “tyranny”, “oppression” and “cruelty”. I would be drunk already.

(I wish those philosophically opposed to animal use would have some background in what animals actually need. Sure, we could treat them as equals. What would happen when a chimp tribe exterminates another? Or a wolf eats a child? What happens to the wild animals that suddenly find themselves overpopulated and starving to death from lack of food? What about our pets released from their slavery into the wild where they are sure to starve to death, or if not, kill other species? What happens when we force obligate carnivores (ie animals - like cats - that absolutely require certain amino acids naturally found only in meat) to be vegetarian? We could create better synthetic taurine, but how would we know if it were safe if we were not allowed to test it on others? Singer and other philosophers feel that the movement will elevate other species to the human level, but I think the consequences would lead to the degradation of society to the point of ‘descending’ to theirs. Philosophy without applied knowledge is just as evil as scientific curiosity without compassion.)

Hmph. Maybe I should pick another book to read this weekend instead.

Getting very close to the 100 book mark, Emilie! Great going.

It's 1:30 am, and I cannot sleep. I can't sleep because I can't find the perfect thing to read before bed. Is this a disorder? Do I need to get help for this? Does the fact that I ordered 3 more books from Amazon because of this - even though I have over 350 books in my TBR pile - change your answer? Should I be worried?

Books: 90
Half: 6
Periodicals: 196

#148: Does the fact that I ordered 3 more books from Amazon because of this - even though I have over 350 books in my TBR pile - change your answer? Should I be worried?

Not in this group! 350 books in your TBR pile is small potatoes here :)

Just a note to myself to help me keep track of the journals I'm going through this week...

Books: 90 (+2 coming)
Half: 6
Periodicals: 232

Edit for update:

Books: 90 (+2)
Half: 6
Periodicals: 247

Barking: The Sound of a Language - Turid Rugaas

'Barking' informs the reader of what the author believes different forms of barking mean and how to handle them. Turid's books are easy to get through in a single sitting, yet detailed enough to provide interesting and sometimes novel concepts. I only rated it so low because I felt that much more ground could have been covered. 3/5





Mini Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic Becky's daughter is turning out just like her. Uh oh! 3.5/5

Books: 92
Half: 6
Periodicals: 260

823.92 / PR6073.I246M56 - Mini Shopaholic
636.70 / SF433.R84 - Barking

September Summary

Books read: 6
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 86

TBR Pit books read: 1
Library books read: 0
Books purchased: 18

Non-fiction, horses: 0
Non-fiction, animals: 4
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 2
Classics: 0

823.92 / PR6073.I246M56 - Mini Shopaholic
/ - Insatiable

304.27 / - Some Love Some Hate
591.53 / QL756.55.S38 - Dark Banquet
610.72 / RM724.M845 - Odyssey Animals
636.70 / SF433.R84 - Barking

Nice summary, Emilie!

The next time I am looking for something light to read, I will have to give Mini Shopaholic a try. I think those books are a hoot.

Further Adventures of Lad - Albert Payson Terhune

Think Lassie. That's what Terhune writes about, but he writes about his own real-life collies. The sequel to Lad: A Dog is just as anthropomorphic, sappy and wonderful as the rest of Terhune's books. He really has a way with words. This one had more serious stories than Lad: A Dog; those who dislike animal character death should skip this one. 3.5/5





An Introduction to Veterinary Medical Ethics: Theory and Cases, 2nd edition - Bernard Rollin

Half of the book is ethical theory relating to vet med and the second half is in question/answer format of issues submitted to the CVMA journal in the past few decades. Rollin at times seems a bit slick in his wording, but makes valid points throughout. 4/5





Death by Dressage - Carolyn Banks

Wow. Really, truly, death by dressage. Cool title for the first in the series.
The Robin Vaughn series is fun to blow through. Not Dick Francis by any means, but enjoyable is a different way. They're more amusing than thrilling. Highly recommend to horse people looking for fiction that tells it like it is. If 'it is' involving multiple murders, but you can't have everything. 4/5





Death on the Diagonal - Carolyn Banks

Another in the Robin Vaughn series. 4/5

Books: 96
Half: 6
Periodicals: 267

174.96 / SF756.39.R65 - Vet Med Ethics
813.52 / PS3539.E65 - Further Adv Lad
813.54 / - Death Diagonal
813.6 / PS3552.A485 - Death Dressage

I have never read any of Carolyn Banks's books. I will have to look for those. Thanks for the recommendations, Emilie!

I went into Lexington's Joseph-Beth Booksellers for the first time. Now *that* is how I would have my bookstores - horses get an entire section in both the children and adult departments! A good third of their bargain books section was racing books. It certainly made up for every tack store near Louisville being closed when I stopped by.

I also found these horse racing blogs that are done by librarians: turfluck.blogspot.com and superfectablog.com. Turf Luck reviews a lot of racing books and focuses on the Tony Ryan Award winners (an award given to good books related to horse racing).




The Snark Handbook: Insult Edition: Comebacks, Taunts, and Effronteries - Lawrence Dorfman

We got this one to help me with my rather pathetic attempts at comebacks. It didn't help me in that area, but it did pass the six hour drive home. 3/5




The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth: the Book

A slight disappointment after the previous "America". Maybe I'm just out of touch with the show lately, or it could be that they are trying topics just out of reach. 2.5/5




I Make Horse Calls: Living A Dream With Horses - Marcia Thibeault

Thibeault writes about her equine veterinary experiences, her trials as an undergrad and a vet student, and her family. At times the chapters skip time periods without warning, but it's not too hard to follow. She manages to throw in a lot of basic horse information in her stories without weighing the stories down. I'll keep an eye out for the sequel. 3.5/5

Books: 99 (!)
Half: 6
Periodicals: 268

808.87 / PN6231.I65D674 - Snark
818.54 / PN6231.H763S74 - Daily Show Earth
636.1 / SF310.L5T53 - Horse Calls

#156: I went into Lexington's Joseph-Beth Booksellers for the first time. Now *that* is how I would have my bookstores - horses get an entire section in both the children and adult departments!

Sounds like the bookstore of your dreams! Congratulations on finding it.

And for my hundredth...




The Kentucky Derby Vault: A History of the Run for the Roses - Andrew Plattner

This coffee table size book contains a history of the Derby, and every other page or so has things to pull out: stickers, old programs, postcards, mutual tickets, and more. The coverage of the history was at times a bit light, but the photographs and archived materials made up for it. 4/5

Books: 100
Half: 6
Periodicals: 268

798.40 / SF357.K4 P719 - Derby Vault

Congratulations on hitting 100, Emilie!

I LOVE Joseph-Beth Booksellers!!! I live in Lexington now, but it was always a highlight of any visits to Lexington in prior years! Glad you enjoyed your visit. The best part is they've often got horse books on sale - I've picked up quite a few from my wishlist from there! And, congrats on 100 books!

My next pair looks a bit mismatched sitting next to each other by the computer...




May the Horse Be With You: Pack at the Track - Harvey Pack

Pack recalls his past experiences in his career and with the people of racing. Some is hilarious, some amusing, others hum-drum. Overall a quick read and worth a chuckle. 3/5




Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast - Robin McKinley

It took a bit to get through the beginning (The character Beauty seemed a bit too dramatic at first - but certainly hit a teenager's way of thinking they're always a martyr), but the pace picked up in part two. Remarkably similar in many tiny ways to the Disney movie (self-propelled dishes, anyone?), but this one beat Disney there by a good 15 years. 3.5/5

Books: 102
Half: 6
Periodicals: 268

813.54 / PZ8.M1793Be - Beauty
798.40 / SF332.P33 - Pack Track

DFED - Are there any other bookstores in the area that you would recommend? Thanks to my lovely new phone, I can search for nearby bookstores where ever I am on vacation, but any recommendations would help narrow the list down. Especially since I'm going back down there next week for Keeneland - we hit the area on the dark days last time - and possibly again in Louisville for the Breeder's Cup.

Morris Book Shop off Southland Drive is another good one. And, there's a great Half Price Books in the Hamburg Place area...

Thanks for the ideas! I'll stop there next time I'm in the area.




Women in Racing: In Their Own Words - John McEvoy and Julia McEvoy

Surprisingly good. Each chapter is an interview with someone involved in racing, including Linda Rice, Mary Scollay, Patti Barton Browne, Charlsie Cantey and Jenine Sahadi. The question portions have been left out and all that remains is their stories. I don't often get inspired by books, but this one came close. Amongst the features on those who had family connections or great wealth to help them along were those on women who could rely only upon themselves. It was a nice change. 4/5




The Black Stallion's Filly - Walter Farley

Ah, Mr Farley. Where would the racing world be without your stories of un-tried maidens in the Derby and 'mystery horses' accepted into the Jockey Club books? I think there's be a lot less people around the backstretch if he had never written the Black Stallion series. This is the first time I've read the Filly since I was in grade school. It's held up remarkably well. 4/5

Books: 104
Half: 6
Periodicals: 271

798.40 / SF336.A2W65 - Women Racing
823.91 / PZ10.3.F22 - Black Filly

October Summary

Books read: 12
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 75

TBR Pit books read: 0
Library books read: 1
Books purchased: 26

Non-fiction, horses: 4
Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 2
Fiction: 5
Classics: 0

636.1 / SF310.L5T53 - Horse Calls
798.40 / SF332.P33 - Pack Track
798.40 / SF336.A2W65 - Women Racing
798.40 / SF357.K4 P719 - Derby Vault

174.96 / SF756.39.R65 - Vet Med Ethics

808.87 / PN6231.I65D674 - Snark
818.54 / PN6231.H763S74 - Daily Show Earth

813.52 / PS3539.E65 - Further Adv Lad
813.54 / - Death Diagonal
813.6 / PS3552.A485 - Death Dressage
813.54 / PZ8.M1793Be - Beauty
823.91 / PZ10.3.F22 - Black Filly

Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team - Heather Prendergast

Fascinating. There is no record of the book I read in LT.

Anywho, I read this for work. Lots of ideas and lots of basics. We put a few concepts into work at the clinic; they've gone over well so far. 4/5

Books: 105
Half: 6
Periodicals: 271

636.08 / SF756.4 .P74 - Front Office Mgt

#164: Nice summary, Emilie!

On one hand, this month's list of books read looks pretty pathetic right now, but on the other, I *have* watched 6 seasons of the best show in the world this month. (It's Buffy, for those of you who are not familiar with me.) And it's kept me too busy to go out and buy more books - at least until today.



Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5: The Ugly Truth - Jeff Kinney

I wish these would take me longer to read. 4/5

Books: 106
Half: 6
Periodicals: 280

813.6 / PZ7.K6232 - Wimpy Kid 5

I need to get to that last Wimpy Kid book!

Books: 106
half: 6
Periodicals: 287

November Summary

Books read: 2
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 16

TBR Pit books read: 0
Library books read: 1
Books purchased: 7

Non-fiction, horses: 0
Non-fiction, animals: 1
Non-fiction, other: 0
Fiction: 1
Classics: 0

636.08 / SF756.4.P74 - Front Office Mgt
813.6 / PZ7.K6232 - Wimpy Kid 5

Clementine, Friend of the Week - Sarah Pennypacker

Still as cute as the first ones in the series. This time, Clementine is a class leader for a week and tries to get classmates to say nice things about her. Then she loses her kitten Moisturizer and things come crashing to a halt. The scene at the copy shop with Moisturizer's 'lost' posters was really touching. I hope I never have to go through that. 4/5

As a side rant, I had a lot of trouble finding this in my local bookstores. Yet my library, which never has any book I am looking for, had it in and available for checkout. Something fishy is going on.... (B&N has decided to carry fewer kids books and face all their stock instead of spine them. Easier to browse, but not so much easier to find something particular. Has this happened to anyone else's store?)

Books: 107
Half: 6
Periodicals: 290

813.6 / PZ7.P3856Clk - Clementine, Friend

Princess Academy - Shannon Hale

The prince's bride-to-be has been determined to come from Mount Eskel, a stark quarry, and all eligible girls are to attend a princess academy to prepare. It's not what I expected it to be; it was more 'wholesome' than 'commercial Disney', so points for that. Everyone is a well-rounded character and I am a sucker for books with restrained romance. 3.5/5

Books: 108
Half: 6
Periodicals: 290

813.6 / PZ7.H13824Pr - Princess Academy

#170: Has this happened to anyone else's store?

I do not have a B&N close to me, Emilie, so I cannot answer that one.

Betting the Kentucky Derby: How to Wager and Win on America's Biggest Horse Race - Dean Keppler

Nothing earth shattering here; if you know the basics of handicapping, you know what the book covers. There are a few tips I wrote down to look at come May, but nothing much. 3/5

Books: 109
Half: 6
Periodicals: 303

798.40 / - Betting Derby

Books: 109
Half: 6
Periodicals: 324

I'm half-way through Lord of Misrule and the only reason I'm continuing to read this pretentious POS is because I'm sure other people in racing will ask me about it. I don't really like the depressing "deep" topics so many adult book winners seem to cover, and I don't like that the author, who has zip experience with actual horses or racing, has painted everyone who works on the lower-level tracks out the same - drugged up losers at the bottom of the heap with nowhere else to go. Just once, I'd like to read an adult book that features horse racing without the characters needing new moral compasses. No wonder the general populace thinks we're all a bunch of animal-abusing druggies! Arrrgh! (On the only plus side of the book, the lack of quotation marks around speech makes the whole story seem like a flowing dream. It's interesting. I just with the topics were different.)



Black Storm Comin' - Diane Lee Wilson

Wilson is the author of Firehorse, which I loved. Black Storm was not so great, but still good. This time, instead of a girl becoming a vet in the early part of the century, Wilson picks another unlikely lead - a boy who happens to have a black mother and white father joins the Pony Express. This book is more about self-acceptance than about horses, but it'll do.

Books: 110
Half: 6
Periodicals: 329

/ PZ7.W69057Bl - Black Storm

I feel a lot better now that I got that rant out. The book itself isn't bad at all; it's simply reading insinuations about my profession in a format that isn't my cup of tea. I *will* finish it this weekend, along with my previously unknown goal of reading 365 journals this year. I have to bust through some of my backlog to make it.

Going through my list of TBR, there are a bunch I started in 2010 but didn't finish. Those should be added to my halfsies tally.

BTW, I'm still 3 months behind in 2010 threads and now the 2011 threads are blowing up. Yikes. Just like in life, the TBR pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Books: 110
Half: 42
Periodicals: 334

#176: Nice rant, Emilie! Might even be worth sending a message to the books author, don't you think?

hi Emilie

Lost you somewhere half way this year, hope to do better next year.
I envy you, so many horse books are available in English, in Dutch there are few and most not readable. On racing there is practictly nothing :-(
We have only one racing track in our country, some more sulkey tracks (or how do you call them). When I was young I lived near the racing track and used to go there a few times a week.

You are right on your ideas about animal liberation, that some poeple don't care about their pets is no reason to get rid of all pets!

Anita

Anita - It's fascinating learning about racing in other countries. Do the race horses raised in the Netherlands tend to race in other countries, then? Is there polo there?

I did not end up finishing Lord of Misrule, but I did finish a bunch of fun books.





Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies - Erin Dionne

Celeste's aunt has entered her in Miss HuskyPeach - a modeling contest for overweight girls. Celeste tries to lose weight so she will lose the contest and be spared the humiliation.

'Models' was fairly inspiring; Celeste learns to do things her own way. It focuses on being healthy instead of being skinny but doesn't preach. It's more about the person and her life than the weight issue. There were some entertaining moments, and overall this was certainly a fun read - chick lit junior. 3.5/5





From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - EL Konigsburg

'Mixed-up' has Claudia and Jaimie running away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and attempting to solve a mystery involving one of the pieces there.

I had no idea this book focused on the Met so much. Cool. The illustrations were a bit dated, but the text has held up well. 4/5





Flawed Dogs: The Novel - Berkeley Breathed

Sam the dachshund is a loved show-dog of Heidy until the evil Poodle Cassius frames him, and Sam is kicked to the curb to be roughed up by life - so rough that Sam ends up hobbling around on a soup ladle for a leg. Sam vows to get revenge on Cassius by storming Westminster KC dog show with a bunch of other abandoned dogs.

Sooo funny! The illustrations are hilarious and the plot made me both laugh out loud multiple times and cry a bit. It's so ridiculous about things (a dog with gas so bad she flies like a rocket, another that is bright blue and lavender colored, etc) that I didn't get my panties in a twist. At the same time, there are fundamental truths involved about dogs that don't get treated very lightly. There are some themes that some kids won't get, but it's not adult material masquerading a kids lit. It's for everyone. That being said, there are some sad and scary moments - if you don't like reading about animals dying, don't read this one. There are too many moments that can bum you out - no real death but still sad stuff. (Get it just for the pictures then - the illustrations alone are worth the price.) 4.75/5

Books: 113
Half: 42
Periodicals: 337

I enjoyed 'Mixed Up Files' too! Glad to see it has another fan!

Why We Love the Dogs We Do: How to Find the Dog That Matches Your Personality - Stanley Coren

Coren grouped dogs not by Kennel Club groups, but by personality types. He then matched people's personalities with how much they like different breeds of dogs. He included the tools so that you can see which dog group fits best with your personality. Most of the book described famous people's personalities, their relationships with their dogs, and why it did or didn't work out. I'd recommend this one towards people looking for a new dog. It's certainly more helpful to making a good match than a picture book of breeds. 4/5

My SO and I don't agree about the qualities we want in a dog - I want reserved and independent, he wants one that's crazy friendly and follows you from room to room, etc. I thought this book would give us some new compromises, but it really just showed us that our personalities lead us towards different breed types. The results were not surprising. (I lean towards the steady group {a lot of the mastiff-types} and the self-assured {terriers}. Kyle leans friendly {retrievers} and clever {sheepdogs}.)



Beyond Ava & Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby - Linda Rosekrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran

Yes, I read weird books. As someone who needs to come up with 40-50 names a year for litters, I have quite a collection of name lists.

This one is an update on the authors' Beyond Jennifer and Jason, Madison and Montana: What to Name Your Baby Now. I found that I liked the older edition better. This edition seems to focus more on what celebrities have named their children. The information about naming trends is nice in this one - and it's what separates this book from the pack - but the names themselves are a bit too far out there for me. I'm all about using unique names, but I tend to pick *names* and not just randomly open a page of the dictionary and pick a sound. For example, if I follow some of the authors recommendations, I could be introducing Trout, Pixie, Poseidon, Saddler, and Mercury as my children. Thanks, but no thanks. 3.5/5

Trout? For a kid? Seriously? What are people thinking?

> 179
No, Duch racehorses seldom go to other countries, with only one race track the quality of the racing thoroghbreds is not high by international standards. The pacers (with the sulkies) are an other story, there have been some famous ones in the past, Henry Buitenzorg and JoJo Buitenzorg in the 1970s, who both had successes in Germany.
I don't know of any notable polo players over here, there are 4 teams in the whole country ;-)

> 181: I am glad my husband and I both love the same breeds ;-)

>181 alsvidur: I've never been without a corgi since my first one -- I didn't say, "Oh I want a corgi" although at 21, I was thinking I had to get a small dog I could take everywhere with me..... and a woman I knew slightly overheard me at a party and said, "I just had corgi puppies" -- well, it's been a love affair every since. I shudder to think what it says about me!!!! He's very loyal and generally sticks close, but is also very playful and has a certain flair, not quite independence, but ..... also they take their role as a family dog guarding the hearth and home very seriously.
He would even protect one of our cats from an intruder, I think. Unless it was something too big and scary like a bear or a bobcat. (They are around.)

Catfishes - Lee Finley

Catfishes is more up-to-date than other books on the topic and has some information other books don't cover in much detail - breeding, compatibility, no-nos - but there's really nothing there that can't be found on the Planet Catfish website. Still, better than some other cat books. 4/5

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle - Hugh Lofting

Interesting. It wasn't about animals so much as exploring and learning. The way other races, species and nationalities were treating is an interesting time capsule into the 1920s. Better than I thought it would be. 3.5/5

Books: 117
Half: 42
Periodicals: 337

639.37 / SF458.C38 - catfishes
813 / PZ7.L827 Vo - Dolittle
929.44 / CS2377.R6648 - Beyond Ava
636.70 / SF426 .C685 - Love Dogs We Do
813.54 / PZ7.K8352Fr - Mixed up Files
-- / PZ7.D6216Mo - Models don't eat
-- / -- - Flawed Dogs

#185: I have never read any of the Doctor Doolittle books. I will have to check them out. Thanks, Emilie!

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat - Lynne Jonell

Emmy tries to be a good girl and loves her absent parents, but she can't stand her evil nanny Miss Barmy. She befriends a rat with magical powers and the adventures start from there. Very entertaining. I loved the rat character - seems nasty at first, but has a true heart. 4/5





You're Making That Face Again: Zits #13 - Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

A comic strip about living with teenagers. There have been better collections of the strip. 2.5/5





The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart

A group of gifted children goes on a secret mission to save the world. This one started slowly - I kept putting the book down - but it picked up in the end. Does anyone know if the other books in the series start off a bit quicker? 3/5





Caddie Woodlawn - Carol Ryrie Brink

Pioneer girl Caddie has adventures in 1860s Wisconsin. I haven't read the Little House series, so I have no basis to compare the two. This one was good enough. 3.5/5

Books: 121
Half: 42
Periodicals: 337

813.6 / PZ7.S8513 - Benedict
813 / PZ7.B78 - Caddie Woodlawn
813.6 / PZ7.J675 - Emmy Rat
741.56 / PN6728.Z55 - Zits Face

I am excited to do my year-end summary, but I should hold off: I am only a hundred pages away from finishing another tonight.

(edit: so flustered, i forgot to add covers)

I should never check my work email when I don't have to. My good mood is down the drain. I'm hoping this premature December summary will cheer me up.

December Summary

Books read: 15
'Half' books finished: 0
Periodicals read: 50

TBR Pit books read: 0 (oops)
Library books read: 0
Books purchased: 32

Non-fiction, horses: 1
Non-fiction, animals: 2
Non-fiction, other: 1
Fiction: 11
Classics: 3

798.40 / -- - Betting Derby

636.70 / SF426 .C685 - Love Dogs We Do
639.37 / SF458.C38 - Catfishes

929.44 / CS2377.R6648 - Beyond Ava
741.56 / PN6728.Z55 - Zits Face
813 / PZ7.B78 - Caddie Woodlawn
813 / PZ7.L827 Vo - Dolittle
813.54 / PZ7.K8352Fr - Mixed up Files
813.6 / PZ7.P3856Clk - Clementine, Friend
813.6 / PZ7.H13824Pr - Princess Academy
813.6 / PZ7.D6216Mo - Models don't eat
813.6 / PZ7.J675 - Emmy Rat
813.6 / PZ7.S8513 - Benedict
-- / PZ7.W69057Bl - Black Storm
-- / PZ7.B7393 - Flawed Dogs

2010 in Review

121 books were read
6 books started last year were finished this year
36 books were started this year, only to be put back down unfinished
383 professional periodicals were read

14 books were rescued from the TBR Pit of Despair
16 books were read courtesy of the library
343 books were acquired

20 books on horses
19 books on other animals
18 non-fiction books on other topics
70 lovely fiction escapes
9 classics added to my brain size

Trends:
More magazines read towards end of year
June and November had better things to do than read
More library books are read in the winter
Average of 20 books bought per month
Horse books and fiction go on kicks – lots and then none
Non-fic animals and non-fic general is steady

The long-awaited (for myself, at least) classification breakdown:

LOC

4 - unclassified

3 - BJ ethics

1 - CS genealogy

1 - E American history

1 - HM sociology
1 - HQ family, marriage, women
1 - HV social pathology, criminology

1 - LB theory of education

1 - ML literature on music

8 - PN general literature
2 - PQ French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese literature
5 - PR English literature
21 - PS American literature
1 - PT Dutch, German, Scandinavian, Flemish literature
38 - PZ fiction, kids

3 - QL zoology

1 - RC internal medicine
1 - RM pharmacology

30 - SF animal culture
1 - SH aquaculture, fisheries
1 - SK hunting

DDC

5 - unclassified

1 - 174 professional ethics

1 - 302 social interaction
1 - 304 social behavior
1 - 306 culture
1 - 363 social problems
1 - 372 elementary eduction
1 - 392 life cycle customs
3 - 395 etiquette
1 - 398 folklore

1 - 591 zoology

1 - 610 human anatomy, cells
1 - 614 disease, epidemiology
1 - 635 horticulture
18 - 636 animal husbandry
2 - 639 hunting

4 - 741 drawings
1 - 781 musical forms
12 - 798 equestrian sports, animal racing

2 - 808 rhetoric/literature
47 - 813 fiction
2 - 814 essays
1- 818 misc. writings
1 - 820 English poetry
10 - 823 English fiction
1 - 839 Germanic literature
1 - 842 French drama
1 - 843 French fiction

1 - 910 geography, travel
1 - 929 genealogy
1 - 978 history of North Am - Western US

Happy New Year, Emilie!

And the 2011 thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/104987 and I started out with a bang!