THE GATHERING PLACE........Lucky 13

Have at it.........

Since the thread got changed so quickly after I posted, I'm going to take the liberty of repeating my post here:

Hey! If you are a jazz fan and a Facebook member, you can now become a "fan" of my weekly radio show, the Jazz Odyssey. The show can be heard every Monday from 2 to 4 PM Pacific time (U.S.) on the world wide interdoodle at www.kzyx.org and select "Listen Now."

Here's the link to the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jazz-Odyssey-on-KZYXZ-FM/286149694853?ref=ts#!...

That's okay, Jerry...my fault...being on Dial-Up....threads get slow....i was hoping i wouldn't get in the way of your post..i apologize if i did...did...did did it or did...*bad scat*
;-}

Hey, no problem! Somebody's gotta be the last post on the old thread. :)

Are you covered by snow now?

I became a friend of The Jazz Odyssey

I don't know what the exact figures are for how much snow was dumped on SE Ohio....the highest measurement in my yard was 16 inches...but that was drifted snow.....my neighbors came "up the hill" yesterday to help plow my driveway...but i had to dig out around my garage door "by hand" (and shovel)...and my back is killing me today....but my lane is clear and my driveway is open......i'm thankful that the power stayed on throughout..since my house depends solely on electricity for cooking and heat...man, when that goes for any length of time i have to get my cat & i into town for the duration...

;-}

#5> Thanks! And thanks to all my LT buddies who have become fans.

Woo Hoo The Saints beat the Colts !

I have to say that its better the south than us for the snow. Its still cold here and thats bad enough.

I am typing on my netbook from a hotel room. I blew my fuses in the apartment (old house) over the weekend. I have no access to the fuses in the basement and no power (heat). The apartment people aren't around nights or weekends. I stuck it out Saturday, but couldn't do another night.

I am on the 2nd floor and the rest of the building is heated, so my pipes shouldn't freeze. Knock wood.

FF--enjoy that room service! Hope all your pipes survive. I was not heavily vested in the Bowl, but I am glad you are happy with the outcome. :)

Its not a room service kind of place, I am too cheap for that. But thanks.

I don't actually care about the Saints, other than they are in the NFC and not the Colts.

Here is a map on how people (those who voted anyway) around the country thought the Superbowl would come out.

2 Southern States and New England -- except Connecticut and Vermont which have been colonized by New York.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=frontpage&amp...

They even showed your superbowl direct from USA here in Norway. I saw two minutes and didn't understand that strange game, so I went to bed. Hope your power is back. It's bad service though. Someone should be on call.
Message 219: koalamom from last tread. Thank you for the recipe, I will try it.
6: jdthloue: hope your back is better.

Here in Oslo the fjord is freezing again. It was frozen last week, but the wind broke it up.

FF--Any chance of going home today? Thinking about you. Wow! The Saints really were underdogs according to your map.

I've just reviewed Diana Gabaldon's Lord John and the Hand of Devils, a collection of mystery novellas.

I liked 'em. Read all about it in post #59.

What a reading speed you have Richard, and you read every book you review twice?

Thanks Berly. Yeah I went home Monday morning. I just needed to wait for the apartment office/service people to come in. They fixed my problem and all is well again.

>15 IaaS: Hi Inger! Yes, I feel like I have to give the author a real shot at making his/er point before I go runnin' my mouth about how s/he did in making it. It seems only fair.

I've always been a fast reader, thank Goodness!

We've gotten six inches of snow so far today here in Dallas, Texas and it's supposed to snow for most of the night, too. It's official: hell has frozen over. Good news: no school tomorrow. Woot!

We in NH have missed the last 2 snow storms, whoo hoo and I hope we miss the next one.

Snow in Dallas? Gosh.
FicusFan, in the foodway you and my Cousin are twins. He is still healthy, hope you are too.

We're supposed to get 1-3 inches of snow tonight in central North Carolina. I hope it's all gone before Monday so the kids don't miss any more school.

I love all the people who are saying, "See, Al Gore was wrong. There's no global warming." Of course, these are not the people with whom you want (or can) to have an intellectual conversation.

"See, Al Gore was wrong. There's no global warming."

*AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGH*

I heard that on TV today, Fox "News" Channel of course, which I flip to every once in a way just to check on what the hoi polloi are "thinking." I scared the dog and the aunt with my outraged shrieking.

An occasional glance at Fox News is kind of like peeking under the bandage, or slowing down to get a better view of an accident on the other side of the highway. It's human nature. We hide our eyes, but peek between our fingers. "Is it really as scary as I'm afraid it will be?" Yep.

I myself have been know to turn on The 700 Club just to see if my head really will explode. So far it hasn't, but I swear that it's only a matter of time. I secretly long for that brief, satisfying moment when I realize that I've become so outraged that my head is about to go all David Cronenberg. "I knew this would happen!" Bang!

I have trouble too with intellectual conversation about climate changes, because it has been a "believe or not to believe" question.
Warming or not, why do IPCC have to put falsified "facts" into their reports, just to prove their case.
So I am probably one of the "hoi polloi".

I have worked, as an assistant, with research at the University of Oslo, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Those years I learned to be curious and skeptic to the ultimate answers. It is important to keep an open mind, if you ever want to know the “truth”.

http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/23/ae/23ae1ba4be3798d636d356b4151434b41716...

>23 richardderus: & >24 fredbacon:

Voyeurism is alive and well on LT!! Woot Woot! Or is it Masochism? Too many "-isms" whatever......Watchdogs..for the rest of us?...that's what you are...and i thank you...heartily

;-}

Happy Valentines Day ! Everyone

Happy Valentine's Day Cindy and all my friends on LT!!

Yippy- 2 gold, 1silver in biathlon. Even I didn't miss that.

Really like to watch xcountry skiing. Also like the outfits on your curling team. They were a hit on our network broadcasting (NBC) the games. All the journalists were wearing them this morning, as they were doing a report on them.

Fun to hear. Curling is really fun to watch. Yea, those outfits, everybody talk about it. Maybe it will distract the other teams.

IaaS--I'm not so sure about curling--its sort of wierd--men throwing a stone and then mopping the ice??? I just don't get the sport in it. Me--I'm into the figure skating.

I think it's the weirdness about it that got me looking the first time, but it is a strategy-play and that makes the fun.
Yes figure skating and icedance too, so nice to look at.
Yippi, two more gold medals and the curling guys won the 4. match on the row. It is not only for men, it's a girlsport too.

I haven't watched any of it. Usually I watch the winter games, but this year it just doesn't appeal.

I used to love figure skating but since Michelle more or less retired, I have also lost interest.

Oh my gosh you guys! I just watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and feel like it is the best movie I have ever seen. I feel different somehow after watching it, like I want to lasso the moon or swim the English Channel or something spectacular. I don't know how I'm supposed to read after this because it will be so hard to top. Has anyone else seen the movie?

I saw it, and I loved it, too. I think it may actually have been the only movie I saw last year. Very well done, thought-provoking, and moving. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. What a great feeling!

Thanks, AMQS! I just have to tell everybody go see it or read the book. This movie just makes you want to seize the day. It was moving...powerful. It seemed like there was something for everybody. There were times when I LOL. I was also in turn surprised, angry, devastated and felt like I'd been flipped over real fast. I don't know what more you could ask of a movie.

>36 scarpettajunkie: & 38

I guess i'll have to put THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON on my DVD List!! Wow, do i like your enthusiasm,scarpettajunkie; now maybe i won't feel weird about my Raving Faves.....Rave On, you!

;-}

Benjamin Button just really got me. I had a hard time sleeping last night because I kept thinking about what I had just watched. I'm just so delighted that it was so much more than what I expected. People on LT talked a lot about the book which is what made me want to see the movie. I had it for 19 days on Net Flix before I got to it. Now I'm sorry I kept shoving it aside.

I reviewed The Aluminum Christmas Tree: A Novel over in my Homeless Reviews thread...post #72.

If you're so inclined, there is a group read of Mrs. Dalloway formed, to start on or about 2/28, over here.

No firm schedules or such, since it's a very short book; just a place with some questions, some nice people (clearly they're all new to LT), and a chance to discuss a fascinating book with interested parties.

Come one, come all!

Hard, hard hard: they did it.
Norway is in the finale in Curling against Canada.
Hipp, hipp, hurra !

It's Saturday the last one in February - YAH!!! and it is lightly snowing still - after the over 16 inches that we got over the last couple of days. Good thing we are retired and didn't have to go anywhere. Tried shoveling the drive and sidewalks yesterday - the snow blower lost its handle - did a bit more with shovels till the arms fell off. Will go out today and finish what we started. May go and try to buy a new blower but since we have to shovel to get out to buy one, we may skip that part till the storm is over completely - of course, they are calling for another something on Tuesday/Wednesday.

oh koalamom--I hope the snow finally stops for this season for you. We live in Central CT and we lucked out--we only got rain and then yesterday's snow didn't stick to the roads (and it snowed on and off most of the day). Its the winter that won't end!

Glad a link got posted in the old thread... I would have kept going there!

We lucked out too here in MA ... the nasty storm seems to have passed us by for the most part ... although we did get a deluge for 2 days coupled with what seemed like hurricane winds. Still, I like not having to shovel.

Not shoveling is a good thing....

camping out on the couch all day in a Snuggie with books, food and drink within easy reach is better. :-)

I am enjoying the snow because I know soon enough the weather will become hot and sticky and I will wish it was a little cooler, plus with the snow I have been getting days off from work which is really nice.

While I was waiting in line at the grocery store today a few of us were talking about the next storm supposed to be about 4 feet of snow and the date is March 7th. Will be interesting to see if this is happens.

it's still snowing on and off today and there's a possibility of another on Tuesday or Wednesday and that may stay south of us - we're holding off on buying a new snow blower because we hope that this will be the only time we would have needed it

I've tried to stay away from the weather discussions as I am feeling a tiny bit guilty. Out here on the west coast we are having beautiful spring weather, the flowering trees and daffodils are in bloom. I keep wondering if we will pay for our short winter, early spring with a long, hot summer!

DeltaQueen50, more talk like this please, it gives hope in the cold and white.

Here in central NC we actually might get a bit of snow Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday a.m. Just what we need - more time out of school for the kids.

My daffodils have poked their heads up (5" or so of leaves only so far) thinking it's going to be spring soon and I hope this potential bit of bad weather doesn't do them in for this spring.

We've had quite balmy weather considering it's only the first of March, and my Azaleas are starting to leaf and daffodils started peeping through too. I too hope the weather continues to warm up and that we're actually seeing a very early spring for a change, and that our hopes are tragically dashed by a massive snowfall later on in the month.

I just got done watching Pawn Stars and had to laugh when a guy wanted to sell a very old handgun and was told that if you shoot Bambi with this, Bambi is going to get up and pound the (BEEP) out of you (meaning the gun had only about a six foot range). My brother in law is a hunter and we have hunters on our property so I got such a visual. Still laughing. And I mean no disrepect. Yup, I'd have been better off reading, but my baser nature needed to be fed.

#56: Haha.. thanks for sharing that visual. I'd dearly love to see Bambi pounding the (BEEP) out of hunters ....what a great image.

Were did everyone go?

fred I was thinking the same thing. No one's been gathering lately. Hi everyone out there? Where did you all go? Spring Fever???

Our Spring ended during the night. Went from low 60's the last 4 days to mid 30's and snow today :-(

The Pawn Stars reference reminds me of a story. When I was in college, I worked at a place called the Physics Lecture Demonstrations office at UT-Austin. I set up and sometimes built classroom demonstrations.

One day I was asked to build a demonstration for a concept called the "center of percussion", which is the theory behind the sweet spot of a baseball bat. To do this, I need a wooden bat. (I had to drill a hole through it.) The director of the place suggested that I might find a cheap one at a pawn shop.

So, off I went to a large, busy pawn shop. I walked up to the counter and an employee asked if he could help me.

"I need a baseball bat," I said.

"What size?"

"It doesn't make any difference for what I need it for."

Conversation stopped throughout the entire store and everyone turned and looked at me with wide eyes and mouths agape. "What do you want it for?"

Suddenly self-conscious, I managed to stammer out a brief explanation for what I was doing. There was a collective sigh of relief around the counter and everything went back to normal.

Our SPRING was supposed to end last night...but no, it's going to be 72F today...68F tomorrow...and 46F on Tuesday, with Rain putting in a Guest appearance somewhere......oh, yes...this is OHIO!

;-}

I have catched a cold cold after beeing in a grandchilds birthdayparty. Children are bacteria and virus-bombs. I want spring and to get rid of that cold soon.

I'm ready for spring as well. I'm on spring break this week, for which I'm very glad! Thursday we had 70 degree temperatures, and Friday we got nearly 12 inches of snow. Back to glorious sunshine for the weekend -- that's springtime in the Rockies for you!

I have missed Porchsitter in the group discussions. So I left her a message asking if things were good. She said,that she has been very busy, that she would be back soon and to tell everyone Hello.

Hi cindy--nice you see you here too. Tell Porchy I said hello!!

On March 13 we had a bad wind and rain storm - a tree hit my house right next to my son's bedroom - no major damage except to his nerves

it got stuck on the brand new gutters for a while and then thudded down to the ground falling very neatly between the house and garage - you couldn't plan where it landed

the tree guy came the next day and cut it up enough for us to be able to get the cars out of the garage and by Tuesday it was gone - root ball and all - and then we had him back to take down the one next to it before it came down on its own as well - this one would not have missed the house!

this past week has been quiet!

Beautiful sunny day today ...albeit a bit windy. I think we're supposed to get nice weather this weekend, so I'm hoping to do a bit of spring cleaning on my yard. With the recent storms, there are just so many branches lying around that had broken off the trees around my yard.

#67 : That must have been quite a shock for your son. I was traveling when the major storms hit my area, and I was just praying that I would not come home to find a tree fallen onto my house

A house just up Long Beach Road from us had a HUUUGE conifer come down across its front footage...barely missed smashing the roof...had it landed on the house, there wouldn't *be* a house, so I am glad for the people living there. The tree is still in their front yard.

We had branches come down, that was it. Nothing a reasonable person would call damage. *whew*

just a little bit to one side and it would have hit Scott on the head - not to mention wrecking the house - yeah, we were fortunate

still waiting for the roofer to come back and replace the damaged gutters but we can live with that - though Scott says it gets noisy when it rains as the gutter that was damaged just lets the water flow down from the corner instead of the downspout

It's not supposed to snow in spring! :(

Hello everyone!! Nice to see the weather is getting nicer for some of you. We had some fantastic weather last weekend that I was able to hang my laundry up outside and clean up a few branches that were in my yard. I hope to do more yard work this weekend even if it is supposed to be in the 40's.

Today is a rainy day. So far it has just been showers off and on all day.

koalamam, I hope your gutter gets fixed soon. We were/are getting work done on the house and then the weather turned cold so now we have to wait until it is warmer again. I can't wait for them to finish so that my front porch is covered so that I can sit outside and enjoy the nice weather at night and in the nice spring and summer rains.

#71 : I agree .... woke up this morning to see flakes whipping down ... thankfully it was just a little flurry and the sun's come out this afternoon and pretty much melted it all off.

There are a few tall pines around my house but on my neighbors' properties so I can't cut them down ... but they're so tall if they were to ever fall our way, they'd crash into our house for sure. Every time there are strong winds, I stare worriedly out the window, watching them sway, even if they don't seem to be swaying too violently.

Hi everyone--glad to see we are all gathering again! Hope everyone gets nice weather soon and no more storms.

Well, it's snowing here again but it should be nothing like the storm we had on Tuesday night. Just a couple of inches this time.

No more snow.... and it was nice and sunny this afternoon ....BUT .... it suddenly got really cold tonight. Flaky weather! I'm now whiskey-ing it tonight in an attempt to keep warm.... I suppose I could put on some socks and a sweatshirt, but this at least warms me from the inside.

I want a medal! An award! Keys to the city! I went to Barnes & Nobel this evening after dinner and came out with..... nothing! Yup, didn't make a single purchase. Not a CD, not a book, not a magazine. How's that for will power?

cameling--I am impressed. That is will power! I can't remember the last time I did that.

Me too .. I think it is a first for me. I actually went there to look for a CD, but they didn't have it. Wandered around, saw some tempting books but decided I'd try to be good for a change.

>77 cameling:, you do deserve a medal, or three gold stars at the very least!

I ordered books from Amazon. It's in the 20s here today - and I was in shirt sleeves just a couple of days ago!

Caro.. and who was it that removed your blindfold after leave B&N?

chilly and bright here today...

I ran to the dreadful Walmart this morning to buy bubble sticks for my kids at school, and my windows were icy. ick.

Have I ever mentioned I love bubbles? I bought a stick for me too !

I think if I go into a bookstore after a huge dinner, I'm sort of in a food coma and my brain doesn't engage. That's the only reason I can think of to explain how I was able to leave the bookstore with empty hands.

It's chilly here too ... and not very bright. Worse.. my iPod is dead...I'll need to either repair or get a new one soon or I won't be able to travel again until I do.

I love bubble sticks too ... haven't played with one for a long time .... they remind me of beaches and summers.

Chilly, raining...and I am sore from putting in an 8-hour day yesterday. Mark came over and we cut up a fallen tree...put some new posts in my grape arbor...burned a lot of trash both Household and Natural...got my mowers/weed eater in operating order....my back still hurts and i am gloomy...raining like hell here...

I love Bubbles, kath..I have a really Big Wand thingy...the circle/hoop is 4 inches across..i need a dishpan for the soap...but it's so much fun to twirl around the backyard, making Gigantic Bubbles!!! and laughing like a maniac...

ah, youth!
;-}

Rainy and cold here, too - a good day to finish a good book, in this case Bradley's Sword of Avalon

Yesterday was rainy and cold in central NC too - I re-read a favorite romance.

Which one, Karen?

Once or twice a year, my friend and I climb into her convertable to go and get ice cream. She drives, I blow mad bubbles. Lovely fun!

#87 camling - The Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer. Here's my review: The Devil's Cub

I also just finished my first reading of Cousin Kate by the same author. Here's that review: Cousin Kate

I may re-read another Heyer favorite: Black Sheep - or read one of my two ER books that need reviewing. Decisions, decisions!

Here in Norway it is only crimebooks that counts for the Easter. New crimebooks are released for this season, eastercrime.
So in houses and mountaincabins, everybody reads crimemysteries or see eastercrime on TV.
And outside in the mountains and steep valleys you have to look out for unstable snow.
Spring is here, 50% of my garden is without snow now.

Well, we got a couple of inches of very wet snow yesterday here in NEPA. Today it's supposed to get into the50s and near 80 by the weekend - go figure! Bet all the kids were figuring on a snow day last night, but I was awake at 330 am and it was raining and the snow was slowly disappearing. Hope this is the last that we see this year. Glad I don't live in New Jersey - they got it bad - again.

Its been cold, and rainy here (Southern NH), but survivable. The rivers are real close to the bridges and some streams have flooded the streets. People have water in their basements, but all in all nothing drastic.

Apparently RI has all but washed away, and there was a report of a dam in Maine that let go (no injuries). Really, really need it to stop raining soon.

Happy April Fools' Day, everyone - hope the nice weather we are finally having isn't a joke.

It's a beautiful sunny day here in MA at last. Temps in the 80s ... sat outside to get some sun and had ice cream from Bedford Farms - my homemade ice cream shack .....yup, Spring is here.

Twas a wonderful Easter Day - hope you all had a good day whatever you are celebrating - I had a Reuben on potato pancakes for lunch at a Jewish restaurant - how's that for mixing things up - and I had ham for dinner

My husband's away this month, and I didn't want to drive 4 hours to my in-laws. Thought I'd be spending a quiet Easter, but some dear friends invited me to their house for Easter lunch. Great food, convivial company, and beautiful weather made for a wonderful afternoon, even if I did eat way too much and almost had to roll out the door to the car.

We had a nice easterlunch at my nephew's home and very nice weather. His nabours were outside grilling.
Here we have 5 days easter celebration and free from work.

We had a beautiful Easter weekend in Ontario: warmth, sun and some rain. The weather is due to get colder again, but everyone enjoyed suntanning and wearing shorts and sandals for a couple of days. I'll drag the winter coat out again tomorrow.

Mom in Florida enjoyed 24 degree Celsius weather on Friday. WE enjoyed 26 degree Celsius weather!!!!

Gale Force Girl and her man were here for the gorgeous Easter weekend, so I had a great time! We watched every episode of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and all three of us were drooling all over the rug. It's hyperviolent and hypersexual and just generally extremely perverse. FAAABulous! Gorgeous! It's like a graphic novel come to life! Lucy Lawless, aka "Xena: Warrior Princess", is the female lead. She's no spring chicken. She does a lot of nudity and I am here to tell you she has *nothing* to be ashamed of. In fact, the nudity in the show is so constant that, after the initial prurient ooo ooo factor, all three of us forgot about it and watched the exciting story with all its twists and turns and betrayals and murders and politicking unfold.

I don't recommend this to many people, though, because like ancient Rome itself, it's really really really gory and violent. All the gore is stylized, but I don't think it'll appeal to the general viewer, only to the jaded and novelty-hungry. Like me.

Xena?!?!? I do miss that show!

I get "Spartacus" mixed up with the movie "300" .... good bodies in both movies, so what the hey!

Yet another beautiful sunny day today, albeit a little cooler than it was over the weekend, but I'll take a cool sunny day over a thundering stormy day any time. Plus my friends didn't let me leave their house without loading me with leftovers, so I've got wonderful slices of honey-baked ham, roast lamb, mac & cheese, fennel & potato gratin, salad, grilled sausages, triple chocolate chip cookies, and a huge slide of plum tart for dinner... maybe for the next 3 days!

As I was watching a commercial for Spartacus for the first time I was thinking "Oh my god oh my god oh my god, I MUST SEE THAT MOVIE!" Then I saw after it was over that it was a TV show on a channel I didn't get. DISAPPOINTING! :(

Violence and nudity make me happy. Which makes me scared.

We had saussage, ham, corn, twice-baked potatoes, noodles, ice tea and brownies. We also had a whipped sherbert on graham cracker crust desert which was heavenly. Great weather. My son played his heart out both inside and out. We gave his old bike to his nephew who thought he had gold. I built an x-wing fighter out of Legos and watched a lot of Dora The Explorer. Swiper actually was a good guy in one of the episodes!

WOOT! WOOT! (#100)

Duly noted, sir: SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND.

Did you ever see the HBO series ROME.....nudity/sex/beheadings/gore....British accents galore!..I love its tackiness...and, somehow, it turned out to be pretty darn good...but nowhere near I, CLAUDIUS (with Derek Jacobi)..now that is/was Art..with bloodshed and some veddy twisted Family Values....but one knew it was a Stage Play and not, ahem, a mere movie....

And I miss XENA, too.......

;-}

You can tell I'm new to this. Do I understand this thread to be general chatting?

I was reading through and forgot where I was. The Saints to me are the local football (soccer) team for Southampton, England (and they're rubbish).

Then I come across "Spartacus" and not having cable or Sky or whatever, just the basic 5 British analogue TV channels, I didn't realise until I read back that this is not a discussion about the classic Kirk Douglas film, which is really good.

I agree wholeheartedly with the liking "I, Claudius" (the books are even better) but I didn't like the "Rome" series. I don't mind violence but constant nudity and sex gets tedious and slows the story down too much. I sit there whinging "oh, get on with it!"

Yes, I talk to the TV ...

But if the movie features lots of sex, the characters are getting on with it...aren't they? :P

ROTFL!

If I might interrupt the raillery for a little book-related chat...I've finally posted my six-stars-out-of-five review of The Palace of Illusions over in my fifth thread ... #20.

I can't express my feelings any more succinctly than, "It was magical to read a book so profoundly moving and beautiful."

Hi Richard--hope all is well with you. I have Palace of Illusions and will definitely move it up in the TBR pile after your review. Enjoy this lovely spring weather. Nice to just sit outside and read.

MAUREEN! How delicious! I am thoroughly loving my days on the patio, shaded by the just-barely-blooming white dogwood as I sip my gin and tonic while reading some excellent books.

Oh please dear Krishna, let Maureen love The Palace of Illusions as much as I did...if not more....

I've also just reviewed a poetry collection that I suspect might make you feel very light and springy of step for a few days after reading it...Easy: Poems Ponsot by Marie Ponsot. I quote my favorite poem in the collection in the review, so it might tell you if this one's for you.

I knew there was a reason I was avoiding the whole LT thing...too many good book recs! Case in point, this thread, which is supposed to be low risk, since people talk about the weather and TV, but NO!, Richard has to insert a 6/5 star book. Sigh. What's a girl to do? *Leaves to add The Palace of Illusions to her list*

And I miss Xena, too. ;)

Hi - just got home from a 48 hour visit to the hospital - was running a 105 degree fever - one and off for a few days - finally saw the doctor and he called them - much better now but they are still unclear as to what I had

#107 ape - ha-ha-ha and :-P to you, too (lol)

>112 Berly: BERLY!!! At last. I have a surprise for you. See PMs.

>113 koalamom: Oh dear, k-mom, that sounds perfectly horrid!! Feel better soonest.

koalamom--feel better soon!!

richard--I will check out the poem review and looking forward to Palace of Illusions.

Our library doesn't have Palace of Illusions. I've noticed several other books mentioned here that our library doesn't have.

I hope you feel better, koalamom ... drink lots of fluids (preferably non-alcoholic for now) ;-)

I've had a few gruesome days at work and even put in a straight 41 hour work day (i know that's more than a day, but since I didn't get to sleep at all during the 41 hours, it was just one really really long day for me) ... but I had yesterday off to recover and it was perfect ... I caught up on sleep, managed to read again (always a mood lifter) and then went out for dinner with some chums, despite the foul weather. And now that it's sunny today, I'm back up to 100% ..... whoo hooo.

eeek k mom hope you are feeling better. Fevers are the worst!

and eeek caro!

how and why and what the heck????

It was just one of those things where conference calls were scheduled during the day and then a last minute snafu with a kick-off meeting in Japan required my participation via conference call .... at midnight for the entire night .... which ran smack up against a dawn conference call that had been previously scheduled... and then an all day management strategy meeting at the office and another night conference call. Oof... I hope I never have another one of these days again.

My boss was sweet though .. he told me to take Friday off and stay home ... and that it wouldn't count as personal time off work. That was great ... felt like a mini vacation since I didn't do anything but veg over the weekend. Well, I did clean the house, but since I love the sight and feel of a clean and tidy house once again, I can't consider that work. :-)

hope everyone had a good weekend. I just love that the trees are all starting to turn green again. I'm even noticing buds on some of my trees ...won't be long before the flowers are blooming again. Can't wait!

Went to Lansing,Mi, today to the Antique Book and Paper Show. It is always fun to look. Couldn't afford anything.

Caro, how can one even spell strategy, never mind participate on zero sleep?

Finally- spring is here.

IaaS--beautiful flower!!

#122: spelll... wha? what's that Kath? What's a bummer is that I may have another similar day next week! all these lay offs and lean teams are really not working out ... I'm sure we are all less productive .. I know I am.

I love that buds are starting to appear on my trees and I was so excited when I caught some crocuses already blooming in my yard. I LOVE Spring!

Caro.. that is way too much to expect from you.. it really is..
TERRIBLE

I like spring well enough.. Autumn is my favorite though.. then spring...

All my daffodils have come up. Neighbors tulips are up. This is away ahead of schedule for Northern Indiana.

I should try to remember this Fall to plant my bulbs before the frost comes in. I keep forgetting and then spring comes and I have no daffies or tulips springing up. :-(

When you remember this Fall, will you remind me, too? LOL. I worked for 13 years on the beds at my old house and they are BEAUTIFUL in the springs, but I haven't gotten my act together in the new house yet.

I had daffs on one side of my house.. and they stopped flowering. weird. they come up and it is all green no flower.

That will teach me to buy bulbs from a school fund raiser.

that's nice - brings hope that maybe we'll see spring after all - my dandelions are up, but alas, the kid who would bring me a bunch is living in Georgia and complaining that the new internet connection is not working - the more they change things, the more they bollix them up

Well this may be late, but my son watches Spartacus: Blood and Sand. I think the first time I walked in on the show I was like "Why are you watching porn!?!?" He says very quietly "It isn't porn." I then sat there and watched some of it and was just like what the.... I haven't been able to figure out the plot or anything because I haven't seen it from the beginning. My son is only 18 and he can find the weirdest shows on cable.

Hey Berly .. I've written on my calendar for October 15 (just happened to pick that date) .. "Plant bulbs .. Remind Berly". haha... hope this works!

Our tuplis are mad things, the younger ones blooming and the older ones leafing. No one takes them up at the end of the bloom, because, well if they make it they make it is our 'tude. The lilies are about to stink the place up, and the bleeding-hearts are out!

>132 crazy4reading: I'm not so sure that "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" isn't porn, just dressed up in Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes...errr, togas...most of the time.

Caro... I love you!

#133 Thanks!!

I have no tulips, no daffs .... but I do have some hyacinth and crocuses that popped up ... although the frost this morning may have killed them. I ended up buying a bunch of tulips and lilies for the house just to 'Spring' things up a little at least on the inside.

Kath : back at 'cha

I've another mad night ahead of me but this time, hopefully I'll only have to stay up for 22 hours instead of 41 like the last time.

Cameling--Here's hoping for 22?!? And that the frost was wimpy.

Golly, only 22 hours and you act like it's hard to do! Lazy, lazy cameling!

I'd tell your bosses to staff back up plenty pronto, or you're taking your expertise on the road. That'll scare 'em.

A vulcano has erupted on Island. Massive clouds of ashes is blowing towards Norway.
We woke up this morning with the news that all airtraffic should be cancelled. Now it has spread to the whole Northern Europe and 1/4 of the airtraffic in Europe is stopped.
Some ash has fallen down in the North of Norway and now in the evening I can smell sulphur in the air. Very strange for us in an area with no vulcanic activity.

#141 IaaS - I saw that on the internet! It's quite shocking how northern Europe is being affected by an event in Iceland.

I hope it doesn't get any worse for you.

Yup, only 22 hours after all ... so it could have been worse. I tried to go to sleep but only managed to sleep for about 2 hours, so woke up and talked myself into going to the gym for a swim. Felt pretty good about that but when I got home after my swim it was only 7am, too early to head to work, so I read in bed for a bit and fell asleep for another hour before getting up and heading into the office.

Hmph .. I wish my bosses would scare easily, but I think they know that I'm too lazy to look for another job. And these late late nights are temporary. I won't have to do them on a weekly basis once the project is over. I just hope I survive long enough to see the end to this project. ;-)

Tax day!

IaaS : I saw the volcano eruption on the news last night. It looked scary and beautiful at the same time. Is the sky all gray where you are because of the volcanic ash in the air?

I found some glittering ash on my gardentable just now, nothing dangerous, only strange.
How long the airtraffic will be cancelled no one knows, but the weatherforecast tells us the wind from Island will continue at least some days.
Last time this vulcano blow up in 18-somthing it lasted for 18 months.

Cameling, your boss is not right, if he want the best of people he have to let them sleep.
I am not really sure what is vulcanic clouds and normal clouds, but we had both sun today and clouds. The sky is not all grey, but the ash is to dense for airplanes of all types. We can see the sun and stars, but is it like a haze. In Island it looked like dense fog, I saw on TV.

This volcano is causing some real fear! I can't believe the pictures I'm seeing about it...and the idea of an 18-month eruption is just too weird to think about. What will Norway do, use *boats*? How primitive! ;-P

Unfortunately, when one has to hold a conference call with people from different continents, the time zones mean that at least one person is going to need to be on the call either very late at night or very very early in the morning. Since this is a global project that's being rolled out in 3 continents, these calls are a necessity. And it's not always me that stays up late, once a week, I get to do a call with a smaller group on this project at my noon time, and then the team in Asia have to stay up late.

I hope it's not dangerous to breath in the air with all that ash, IaaS

In Norway it is no danger to breath, but in Iceland they are told to use masks. It is very dangerous for airplanes because the ash will melt in the engines and make them stop and altso the planes will be sandblown.
It can cost lives in Norway because no airambulances can fly. Yesterday they nearly saved a man with a very seious condition. They had to bring him with ambulance-car 310 miles.

This volcano facinates me. I wish it could all happen with no consequences to those eho live there.. just continue with the intriguing and amazing displays.

Boats? 18 months? Did it say that somewhere?
I am missing a lot this week it seems..

2 of my colleagues are stuck in London because of the canceled flights, and are taking advantage of the situation by having a nice little holiday. :-)

I read in the papers that some people in Germany have been complaining about having to change their plans, and think the aviation authority there is being extreme in closing the airports. I think passenger and crew safety should be a priority and that the authorities are right to err on the side of caution.

I heard on the news that there's a bigger volcano (Katlya) near the one that's currently erupting (I can't remember how to spell the long name) and that they think its overdue for a big eruption.

Eyjafjallajökull (Eyja-fjalla-jökull = Eyja-mountain-glacier) is the name of this erupting vulcano.
Poor Islanders, it is catastophic for people and animals with all the ashes falling over the land.
It is safety first, so I hope nothing bad happens in the air.
Nearly 80% of all airtraffic in Europe has been cancelled today, and nobody knows for how long. The economic effects of this will be huge. And if Katlya altso erupts, as everybody in Island fears, I do not dare to think about it.

So I scared you off, sorry. All airtraffic back on track. Just a thin grey glittering dust came down with the rain. Most of the tourists and people stuck all over the world came home.
Today it is theatre with some friends. "Forever Young by Erik Gedeon".

Yaaay... air travel has resumed. I thought I saw on the news that Eyja was still erupting but with less force.

How is the air now for you IaaS?

My man-of-the-hour was home in Turkey when the volcano erupted, and no flight was available to take hime back to New York for three days...pretty mild, since he was scheduled to return late in the travel-ban...but he had to fly to South America, then Miami, then home, instead of Istanbul-London-NY as usual.

One more like this, and the cruise ship industry will be back to people-moving like they were up until the 1950s.

Cameling- The air looks fine, but the cars was very dirty after rain. It seems to bee no more water fossing into the crater so the ash is heavier.
Richard- One Norwegian schoolship sailed to England to pick up "ash-stuck" passengers. It would be fantastic to see the England- and America- boats be back, but we have had it with vulcanoes now, please.

>155 IaaS: Inger, I completely understand that feeling! I remember the non-summer of Mt. Pinatubo's explosion with no fondness whatever.

I've reviewed an excellent catch-up-with-his-career book, This Side of Brightness by LT author Colum McCann.

It's in my Club Read thread, post #156.

thumbed!

So now I have $170+ saved up for a Kindle. My husband must have been in a good mood because he said that he would chip in the rest if there is money left over after we get our little red Nissan fixed! If worst comes to worst I am still able to save our pocket change and soda pop cans.

I reviewed the one-word-titled Zeitoun for our May "Take It or Leave It" challenge, and thanks to tymfos who sent me her copy; I read it, and I am a thrilled, excited supporter of the book. Please, read soonest and buy a copy. There aren't even 700 copies of it on LT -- and there ARE tens of thousands of copies of Twilight.

This simply shouldn't be.

>160 richardderus: Loved your review of Zeitoun...gave it a dainty Thumb...now must scope me out a copy...chop! chop!

>161 jdthloue: It's great, and it's worth it, Jude.

I've also reviewed Mr. Golightly's Holiday (Jude, very much not for you) and The Museum of Innocence (Jude, very much for you!).

Here in Boonville, the tiny rural town I live in in northern California, we have had a blessed event today! Yes, you guessed it! The opening of our very own new & used bookstore, Laughing Dog Books! The store was opened by a friend of ours. As soon as I got notice on Facebook that they had finally opened their doors, I ran right over and purchased two books, becoming their first ever customer! I bought Mississippi Mud, a true crime by Edward Humes in hardcover, and Doctor Fischer of Geneva or the Bomb Party by Graham Green in paperback, both used. My dollar bill goes up on the wall! Happy days in small town America!

W00T! Jerry, that's a great day indeed and the owners deserve much success for their bravery in bucking the de-booking of American towns.

I just reviewed a wonderful mystery that was introduced to me by the horrible Karen/karenmarie, may she be afflicted with boils, called A Test of Wills. It's in my thread, post #178, and it's only fair that others get caught in the net of this fascinating series character Ian Rutledge...or does his shell-shock-symptom voice, Hamish MacLeod, count as a character too...hmmm

yay!!! What 164 said :)

165 ~ BOILS? ick

Damn, the LT like-o-meter thinks I will love it. The good news is my library has it as an e-audiobook. That list is much shorther than the TBR list.

No boils yet. Ha.

For a contrarian take on a modern classic, please go see my review of Yann Martel's Life of Pi.

I finished and reviewed Thunderstruck for the May TIOLI challenge in my thread, post #196.

Message 169: richardderus, I can't find your rewiev of Life of Pi, but I would love to read it.

IaaS--click on the title instead of Richards my review--his is the 1st review there as of right now.

my daughter just brought that book home , richard (170) -she recommends it highly

>171 IaaS: Inger, Maureen in #172 is right...I hope you found it and liked it!

>173 koalamom: koalamom, I am in a minority with my opinion. I think most people respond to this book on a level that I simply do not, and I can think of no good reason that people should *not* like it. Simply wasn't my idea of a good time.

Greetings all, and happy Memorial Day weekend.

Today my wife and I celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary!

Five years is the "Wood" anniversary, so we bought each other trees! A peach tree sapling and a fig tree sapling, which we planted in our front field last weekend.

Happy Anniversary rocketjk!!

Happy anniversary :)
What a great idea!!!! trees~

#175 I hope you and your Mrs. and your trees live a long and fruitful life. I know, very sappy. Congrats!

Happy Anniversary !

Thanks for all the good wishes. We had a terrific day. Went to the local farmers market and the town's Memorial Day Weekend flea market. (Two books) Took the dog for a long walk in the woods, lazed around the house afterwards, and then went out for dinner at what passes as the fancy schmancy restaurant in this small town: vegetable bisque and duck! Stopped for a nightcap at another restaurant where there was some folk music on offer.

Today is the Anderson Valley Open Studios (http://andersonvalleystudiotour.50webs.com/) with the Lions Club tri-tip BBQ dinner at the local fairgrounds this evening, benefiting the Anderson Valley Elder Home.

Rural, small-town life!

180 it sounds perfect!

Congrats, rocketjk - my husband and I celebrated our anniversary the same day - just 34 more years, though.

Just finished The Devil in White City, richard - maybe you'll like that Larson book better

I've finished my second read of Chasing Goldman Sachs and posted my review. It's also on my thread...post #145. I'd've posted it to Amazon but I can't yet; Powell's has it up, though.

Read it. You *should* be scared as you do!

Isaac's Storm was my favorite, I think...

Just about flew through a book called London Lavender by E.V. Lucas. I enjoyed it so much! Easily may end up as one of my favourite reads this year.

My review is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/60564932

Or my 50 book challenge thread,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/80925

I have just reviewed China Court, an elderly novel by Rumer Godden, in my thread...post #214.

She's a snoozer biddy from the mid-century, but this book is extremely involving.

A chance comment by fellow LTer bonniebooks has inspired me to start a thread to discuss the question, "What book have you bought multiple copies of, intentionally, with the purpose of giving them to friends and loved ones, and what might it say about you?"

Come and play!

I've finished and reviewed another good Charles Todd mystery, Wings of Fire, in my thread...post #223.

I've reviewed Aloha, Candy Hearts, a Russell Quant mystery, in my thread...post #250.

Since June is Gay Pride Month, I'm suggesting to those who haven't read a book with a gay main character that they try these charming, unchallenging mysteries. There is no discernable sex in them, so they're not likely to challenge the sensibilities of those not so inclined, and the world they create has a lot of charm.

Happy Gay Pride Month!! And the first in the series would be.....

Thanks, dumplin'! I've been to every anniversary parade...the tens and the fives...since the tenth in 1979. Last year was the FORTIETH anniversary parade. Ow.

The first, mentioned in the review, is Amuse Bouche. Now go read that review and make me feel better.

PS a package wings its way to you.

Ha! Back from reading the review, wherein I found the answer you have most graciously provided here as well. Thanks and kudos!! Can't type anymore...eagerly rubbing hands together in anticipation of a PACKAGE!! xoxo

I've just finished and reviewed Date With a Sheesha, the seventh and latest Russell Quant mystery...what a wonderful, wonderful surprise and delight it was! The review is in my thread...post #11.

Anyone who's hesitating to delve into the series, take note: The rewards are getting greater!

Richard, read your review, really was great. Checked 2 different library systems in the area neither one carries anything by the author. How disappointing. Will have to check used book stores this weekend.

Thank you, Cindy! Amazon has lots of used copies of Amuse Bouche, the first installment....

Richard, Happy Gay Pride month!!

Richard - I just finished Larson's Thunderstruck which I did like, though I liked Devil in the White City much better. Thunderstruck dragged a bit but was interesting how he brought the two story lines together.

I've finished and reviewed Lester Higata's 20th Century, an ARC from the University of Iowa Press through the Early Reviewers program, in my thread...post #75.

Very, very good collection of short stories!

>196 momom248: Thanks, Maureen!

>197 koalamom: k-mom, it's not up to the standard of The Devil in the White City, I agree. But it illuminated the time and place very satisfyingly, I thought.

I've finished and reviewed the dreary, dull Paddy Clarke, Ha-Ha-Ha in my thread...post #247.

I've posted my review of Montana 1948 at long last, if anyone's interested, in my Homeless Reviews second thread...post #2.

It holds up so well to re-reading that I feel like I've come back to an old friend's hearth on a cold winter of the heart.

I've finished and reviewed the bitter, beautiful collection of stories American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell in my thread...post #167.

I'm off to find more books by this terrific, fearless author!

Great - I'll check out your review of Montana 1948. Sounds interesting...

Is there summer over there? Or are you all sitting inside by the fireplace reading?
Here it has been blowing cold from north day after day, and the moment a cloud covers the sun it is freezing cold. Still waiting for summer and swimming. Have a nice day.

Summer has arrived with a vengeance, Inger, and it's good to see you!

Here on Long Island today, it will be almost 35C and the sea water is 22C. Perfect for swimming!

Cheers, I'm off to let my air conditioner cool me off.

tis warm in NEPA and tomorrow my daughter goes back to GA where it's like this all the time - at least she has AC

Happy Father's Day to those that this applies

I finished, reviewed, and loved The Uncommon Reader, just like everyone else. The review's in my thread...post #10.

St. Hans, Jonsok, the Midsummerfeast, today is the day where the main event is the burning of large bonfires. Drinking beers and grilling sausage on sticks. As a child I was put to bed in the middle of the day for a couple of hours this day because the fire starts very late in the evening. The bonfire was buildt on the beach and if somebody did not put their boat on the water before Sankthans it would be put on the fire. I have seen a lot of small woodboats fed to the fire as a child. At midnight; fireworks.
Good with bonfires in the cold summernight. Now it is 13C in the morning.

Ohhh, Inger, that sounds delightful! The festival, and the temperature...it's almost 33C here today. ICK.

I've just reviewed The Basque History of the World in my thread...post #18.

richard I am reading Montana 1948 and very much enjoying it! Thank you for the recommendation. Stay cool--this humidity is killer...

SOOO true, Maureen, it's sticky, drenchy, hot, and it's not gonna rain! Boo hiss, Weather Goddess!

I am really happy you're liking Montana 1948, too, since it's on my life list of beautiful books. It's amazing to me how many people recall it with pleasure after one reading as much as 15 years before. Not many books make that kind of impact on this large a number of readers.

Good books about libraries are too rare. Think about reading This Book is Overdue!, which I just reviewed in my thread...post #31.

Reading drivel and not very quickly..

wicked headache last two days.. I think from combination of no A/C at work and
chemical cleaners .. feeling slightly better ...knowing I am off tomorrow helps..
:) very sleepy though..

mckait--hope you feel better and its cooler at work!! Enjoy your day off.

Finished Montana 1948 this afternoon. Too bad that it was a library book. I would consider it a definite reread.

ah but it is better to read a library book and like it and then go buy yourself a copy than to buy a book and find you can't stand it and are now out of the money

So ends my Miss Marple marathon. I’ve enjoyed chronologically re-reading and reviewing them. Here is the review of the last of the Miss Marple book ever written, Nemesis.

The link to my review is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/61547595

Or my 50 book challenge thread,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/80925

>216 Porua: Porua, I think it's amazing that the old girl was still *writing* at 80 or so! That the book was a disappointment, well, I can't imagine that she was in peak physical form by that time...so how could she have done her best work?

Still and all, I won't be reading it...not a big Christie fan. Thanks for reaffirming my natural desire.

#217 A disappointment compared to the other Miss Marple books, most of which are excellent. I’m a big Agatha Christie fan and Miss Marple is my favourite detective. I have read all of the Marple books and most of Christie’s other works. I do not really enjoy the later Christie mysteries but they are still way better than anything else in the same genre (for me at least). :-)

In my thread, a chat got going about our local libraries that ended up with more than 10 photos of local branches being posted. Seems like we're all interested in sharing that with each other.

Since it seems the idea of sharing our spiritual homes with each other is really appealing, here's a thread where we can do that!

I love tutu's library picture.. I want to go in and feel the history!

Finished reading the noir/pulp classic, The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson. Left quite an impression on me.

My review is here,

http://www.librarything.com/review/61652431

Or my 50 Book Challenge thread,

http://www.librarything.com/topic/94041

The wife, yellow lab and I are about to shove off for a driving trip (about 2 days if we wander, which we will) for a week in a cabin here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Echolakes.jpg

Then I'm off for my annual long weekend with three of my buddies. Each year we meet in a different city to go to baseball games and check out the music clubs and art museums. This year, our 11th consecutive, we meet in Cincinnati!

rocketjk--that pictures looks beautiful!! Enjoy and have fun in Cincinnati. My brother lived there for many years--its a great city!

Maureen!! Go here!

222 I am weeping with envy

... I can't help but wonder about this thread. We have our own threads, and we have The Kitchen threads. The gathering thread seems redundant to me. Anyone else? And it does get neglected a lot, as most homeless posts go to
The Kitchen. Just sayin'

Kath: It's true that this thread gets neglected, but at the same time it is a different group. This is the 'What Are You Reading?' group, so not all 75ers are here, and not everyone here are 75ers. Last year I posted here, but was in the 50 Book Challenge group, so...*shrug*

oic... that clears it up...lol

I spend 99% of my time in the 75ers group and didn't notice this one was a different and neglected ( by me ) group.

I'm the same way. I post on the weekly 'what are you reading this week?' thread and go from one to the next by clicking the link at the bottom, and rarely actually visit the group.

I even stopped posting on that thread, as well as books that come in ...
no time, no time....

The whole "WAYRN?" group is less active than it was last year. Most of the chattiest of us have moved to the 75 challenge group. It will have a renaissance at some point, I feel sure.

I'm still here. I'm also in the 25 book challenge group and the Club Read 2010 group. By one count, not the one I'm using in the challenge, I have read 67 books so far this year; I am considering taking the 75 book challenge in 2011, but still this is a friendly place to be.

Robert

I kind of went out on my own when it seems everyone else did too. I am just doing the 2010 Challenge with hoping to read 150 books by the end of the year. This is two challenges in one. I'm at 94 at this point. Kind of miss the banter though.

LTer Luxx posted this link on her thread...a high-school valedictorian assesses frankly, and scathingly, the education she received...and it's worthwhile reading.

Currently reading "Body Surfing" by Anita Shreve...it's been some time since I've read one of her books.
I've been browsing the "Fiction/Literature" shelves at my library this summer, since I'm caught up with most of my favorite "Mystery" series.

I am a bit disapointed because all of you have gone away mostly. I have got little time for reading now. I am busy working with a "Cleen Sweep" and interior prosject at work and use most of my spare time for updating knowledge in furniture, wallpaper, lightening etc. Just now I am reading a Vampyre book, Anita Blake no 2, (relaxing)

236: Vampires, relaxing? What has the world come to!? :P

Maybe with the summer winding down and the sun not out as long each day, those of us who have "abandoned" this thread will return to offer sage advice on the latest book that we have read or whatever other subject comes up and these do seem to do that here!

General Notice: I recently complained that an ARC I received, very late, from smaller publisher Chin Music Press, was in poor condition when I got it. I went on to review Home, Away in terms I hope we can all agree were very favorable, because the book is an important corrective to the one-sided presentations of family dramas now available. I liked the book, and I hope many of us here on LT will give it a chance.

What I didn't expect was the response to my mild bleat of dissatisfaction at the condition issue the book sent to me had...a publicist contacted me here, saying how sorry they were that my copy wasn't pristine, and they'd be sending me another copy of the book that *was* pristine for my library.

**!**

I emailed them, suggesting that they keep the book as I wasn't likely to re-read such an emotionally charged book again; the publicist responded IMMEDIATELY that she'd already sent the book out (!!) and should feel free to share it onwards.

This level of attentiveness cannot be overpraised. Please, bookaholics assembled here, go shopping and supoort a press that deserves support for its brave aesthetic choices and its high-caliber people skills.

Richard,

this is excellent! I will support them as well. Its good to know there are presses out there that still provide excellent customer service!

>236 IaaS: Hi Inger! This group, "What Are You Reading Now?", has dropped a lot in activity. The 75-Books Challenge group is the busiest on the site. There is a Kitchen thread over there if you're interested in where the action is! Love to see you there!

>240 momom248: I know, Maureen, it's just *amazing* to me, and isn't that a sad thing to say....

This thread doesn't get used much anymore but it seemed as good a place as anybody to let y'all know that I . . . um . . . well . . .

. . . bought a used bookstore today!

No kidding. It's called Village Books, a small but packed-with-books affair in Ukiah, CA, the county seat of beautiful Mendocino County, where I live. I shook hands with the owner on sale conditions this afternoon, and it's now only for the lawyer to draw up the purchase agreement. I'm scheduled to take over daily operations on January 15. Between now and then is lots of paperwork, some up-to-speed learning curve stuff, and some technical stuff. Plus a visit to family and a week away with my wife.

Anyway, the store has no Internet presence at all, no website, no online sales, no nothing, so I know what to do first to increase sales! But what the store does have, I'm assured, is a loyal customer base, whose affection and ideas I will be soliciting, you can believe that!

It'll be a big lifestyle change from my current gig as a freelance copy writer, but it's a change I'm ready for.

Wish me luck, and I'll let everybody know when I've got that website up!

Congratulations. Sounds a little scary but very exciting. Seeing as its books, it's got to be fun.

Congratulations and Best Wishes, Rocketjk. I hope you have great success.

WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!

Congratulations! What a wonderful thing!!!
So happy to hear this :)
Sounds like fun and wonderfulness..
best of luck with this new venture..
happy for you !

Congratulations! Wow, what a dream. :)

That's very cool, rocketjk. Congratulations and good luck!

Thanks, all! I'm off for a few days to visit family, sans computer. When I get back, I'll try to take and then post some photos. There's still lots to do in the meantime.

rocketjk Congratulations!! I wish you all the best and much success with your bookstore. That is so exciting!!

Best of Luck to You ! I bet there will be jazz for background music.

Congratulations to you. I would have come if it was not so far far away.

Inger! How wonderful to see you back! *hugs*

Again, thanks all for the good thoughts!

And now I have a question for the group:

For those who frequent used bookstores, do you prefer used bookstores keep a separate "classics" section or that they work "classics" like Dickens, Twain, Conrad, Hemingway, etc., into the regular fiction section. And can you say why, either way? The store currently has such a section, although not too robust a one, and I am trying to figure out the best policy on this issue.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

I myownself prefer to have all fiction in one place, alphabetized. If your area has a lot of class reading stuff to consider, I'd try to find out in advance and shelve them separately, but other than that, what's the reason for a "Classics" section?

Ditto - I've never been a big fan of separating them out. You could look at it that inclusion "upgrades" your fiction section. I like the message that these are good books to read, just like the others. In browsing through used books, I like having them sprinkled throughout.

I agree with Richard and jnwelch.

Nice to see this thread revived. Congratulations rocketjk.

For my two cents, I also agree with the above. Firstly, filing all the fiction books together makes the "Classics" more approachable. They are simply good stories that have stood the test of time and are meant to be read, so putting them in with the rest of the fiction reads seems right.

Secondly, putting all the fiction together means you don't have to decide which books are to be labelled "Classic". Some people have very strong opinions on what they consider to be "Classic" and the last thing you need are people breathing down your neck about your book classification.

241: richardderus; thank you. I have been really busy with an interior decoration job. You can have a sneek peek at my website if you like. I have just started to put in pictures of it. And you were all gone away.

253: rocketjk; I too like to have all fiction in one place, alphabetized. In a bookstore I like to have it divided in crime, scifi, etc, but at home all fiction is together.

From the Library:
Dog Stories edited by Diana Tesdell
Raven David MazzucchelliBlack by Ann Cleeves
Daniel by Henning Mankell
Last Child by John Hart
Blankets by Craig Thompson Graphic Novel
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelle Graphic Novel

I've reviewed Island of Demons by Nigel Barley in my thread......post #165.

Wonderful!

New Year soon, so let's blow ourselves to a new Gathering Place too!