Sundays on the Acre, Take 6

Yes, Richard has requested yet another thread, so I am now up to 6 for the year. Unbelievable!

For the masochists among you, Sundays on the Acre begins here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/78996
http://www.librarything.com/topic/82207
http://www.librarything.com/topic/83662
http://www.librarything.com/topic/84472
http://www.librarything.com/topic/85051

For those interested in my wiki, it is here: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/User:Alcottacre, but I do not really recommend it, as it is boring. All the action takes place on my threads :)

Books Read from My Personal Library in 2010



Pages Read 2010



Memorable Reads for 2010:

Nonfiction
The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Dayton Duncan & Ken Burns
Larry Burrows: Vietnam by Larry Burrows
The Morville Hours by Katherine Swift
Waterlog by Roger Deakin
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
Slavery By Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon

Fiction
Salvation by Sholem Asch
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry
The Party by Rudolph Von Abele
The Egyptian by Mika Waltari
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

Young Adult
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

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

So, on the last thread Jenn (nittnut) was discussing raising bibliohoics. I took a gander at my biblioholic's room (I am not referring to myself!), and noted that she has a bookshelf crammed with books, a built in crammed with books, books on dresser, nightstand, floor, pretty much any horizontal surface. I suspect I may have done too good a job in starting Catey on the road to biblioholism.

On the other hand, Beth's books are pretty much confined to one bookcase, and my husband does not have any, so maybe they balance out Catey and me?

#2: Yes, Mom, I suspect they do. :)

Somehow I missed your last thread entirely! I don't know how this could happen.

The good news is that I've built up my TBR list so well that the books I wanted to add from your last two weeks were already there:

Stones into Schools
The Egyptian
Someone Knows My Name

Thank you in particular for mentioning Someone Knows My Name. I had been looking at this book for the Canada Reads challenge in last month's TIOLI, and was shocked that it didn't seem to exist anywhere in the United States. Now I realize that the title is different--in Canada it's called The Book of Negroes. Interesting that they felt the need to change that. I think I like the Canadian title more; it's certainly a lot more memorable.

I decidedly dislike it when publishers in different countries change the titles of the books (especially when the unsuspecting public ends up with 2 books exactly the same except for the title, which happened to me a couple of years ago), but in the case of The Book of Negroes}, I guess the title change here in the States is understandable. Like you, Zoe, I like the original title better.

And not a minute too soon, little missie! I swanEE, these young folk deedle-dawdle about the simplest of housekeeping chores....

Must be a GIF...this Readability button is da bomb!

For those interested - the books in Bonnie's salon are now available on Bonnie's Virtual Bookshelf: http://www.shelfari.com/o1514493167/shelf#

The process would probably have gone faster if Catey and I had not stopped so often to look and see if our local library had some of the books!

Posted in the Kitchen and on Bonnie's Salon thread as well.

My kids are biblioholics as well. There are two small bookcases on the landing that are full of children's books. The boys room is positively overflowing with books and I have absolutely no idea how those precarious piles remain upright. The girls have two tall bookcases in their room. A lot of those shelves are toys, arts and crafts supplies, etc. but they do have two shelves completely full with two rows of books on each of those shelves plus a few laying on the top of the rows. I also believe I saw a few books on the floor last night when I went to tuck them into bed.

Oh - I almost forgot. There are several piles of books on top of the piano as well. One of those piles is my library books (I keep them there so I know where to find them) and the other piles belong to my daughters.

I keep a box in my bedroom to hold books that I think my daughter would like when she is a bit older. If I read something that I think she would enjoy but is just a bit too young for right now, I put it in the box. My MIL has also contributed to the box. I think it will make a great gift for her one day - perhaps her 16th birthday.

Personally, I am very proud to be passing on this disease!

I go away for a week and you jump ahead by a whole thread!!!! (*sighs at the impossibility of ever keeping track...*) ;o)

...On the biblioholic topic, I can safely say that my sister and I almost certainly inherited book mania from our parents. I can't think of a single room in their house that doesn't contain at least one book, including the corridors - and three of the rooms have wall to ceiling bookcases... My granny also has MANY bookcases (I love perusing her shelves when I go to visit, she's got some beautiful old editions of things)

#10: I love the idea of the family chipping in books for the daughter's 16th birthday! Terrific idea.

#11: Hey, Fliss! Welcome back. I would love to visit your granny's bookshelves too. I bet you are spoiled just looking at those beautiful books.

I love the idea of keeping a box of books for when your kids are older!

I'm doing that.

Stasia : Your threads sprout more quickly than the weeds in my yard! ;-) I love seeing bookshelves that are packed with books. I love houses that have libraries. I'm always suspicious of people who live in homes with nary a book in sight.

#12 Thank you for the welcome Stasia - and yep, definitely am! (as I am with my parents shelves actually, I'm always stealing their books - but then, my sister is always stealing mine too, so it all evens out...)

Speaking of bibliophiles, I am reading Tracy Kidder's book on Dr. Paul Farmer, Mountains Beyond Mountains, and in it Kidder relates this anecdote:

"The parents of some fellow students in the gifted and talented class owned a bookstore, and when he (Paul) was about 11 they gave him a copy of J.R.R. Tolkein's trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. He read it all in the space of a couple of days, and immediately read it again. Then he brought the book to the public library and told the woman at the desk, 'I want other books like this.' She gave him a handful of fantasy novels. He brought them back. 'No, this isn't it.' That went on for a time, until finally one day the librarian - no doubt with some misgivings; the boy was only 11 years old - handed him a copy of War and Peace. 'This is it!' he told the librarian about a week later. 'This is just like Lord of the Rings!' "

Wonderful quotation, Stasia! Ooh, I think I need to read Kidder's book!

Karen O.

One of these days, I am gonna get lost in one of your threads!

#16 Speechless!

#17: I have not finished Mountains Beyond Mountains yet, but it is good so far!

#18: I get lost in them all the time :)

#18 : You haven't gotten lost in any one of Stasia's threads yet?! You are a better navigator than I am, that's for sure.

This is the first time I've commented on one of Stasia's threads as I find these long, multiple threads kind of intimidating!

#10 Keeping a box of books for when the children are older? Oh my! And I thought that adding more and more books to my TBR pile was the very worst thing this group was going to do to me in terms of giving me ideas! I'm off down to the basement to find an old Amazon box...

#21: Hey, Linda, thanks for stopping by and commenting. No need to feel intimidated here, I hope!

#21 - Sorry to contribute to bad habits!!! I actually have her books in a very pretty keepsake box right now. (It is a pretty big box.) I just happened to have it laying around the house and thought it was a great place to put them plus I know that it will never mistakenly be given to Goodwill or thrown out.

She is only 13 now so I am sure that I will have more than one box for her on her 16th birthday!

A friend of ours has started giving her age appropriate classics for her birthday and Christmas. He is also a big movie buff so he also gives her the movie. For her birthday he gave her To Kill a Mockingbird and for Christmas he gave her Little Women. He gave her the Winona Ryder film version. He said that even if they were a bit old for her now, they would be something she would always have and, hopefully, books that she would re-read throughout her life.

I forgot to mention - I am only doing this for my 13 year old right now. My two boys are 15 and 17, so if I read something I think they will like, I just pass it on to them or, if it was a library book, get it for them for their birthday or Christmas. I haven't started a box for our youngest yet because she is only 9 and doesn't really have a "type" of book that she likes. Once she is a bit older, I will start a box for her as well.

#22 Oh you know, it took me nearly a year to build up the confidence to post my own thread on this challenge ;-)

#23 :-) My daughter's 5 right now. I guess I might need to upgrade the box at some point... As for the bad habits, my husband paid for my LibraryThing subscription as an early Christmas present the year before last. I do seem to recall commenting at the time that him buying me such a subscription was rather like buying a subscription to a wine club for an alcoholic. Actually, maybe he could buy me a subscription to a wine club next Christmas! Seriously though, I love it. Such great people. Such great ideas!

Stasia- I found you! Great passage from Mountains Beyond Mountains. I need to find and read this book and also his latest. We are always on a mission, aren't we?

Twenty six Twenty seven threads in less than 24 hours? Glub, glub...



Add me (and Caroline) to the list of those that hate different names for books published in different countries, especially UK/US. Another annoying one was Dinaw Mengestu's debut novel, which was published as Children of the Revolution in the UK (where I bought it in 2007) and as The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears in the US.

#23: We are all book ennablers around here! If you do not contribute to someone's bad habits, believe me, someone else will.

#25: It can be a bit overwhelming, I know. I was looking back at my 2008 thread and in comparison to this years, I was positively terse.

#26: And I never knew I was missing :) Yes, we are always on a mission - at least until books stop being published.

#27: Darryl, this thread is not filling up as fast as the one two threads ago - that one only lasted a week. You reminded me that I have The Beautiful Thing That Heaven Bears around my house somewhere unread. Hmmm, I wonder where it is . . .

I just love Bonnie's Salon! Nice work, Stasia!

I can't imagine saving books (well maybe one or two) for my 16 yr old son to read at a later date (a daughter would be different, I'm sure), but I do have a large storage box filled with picture books and early readers from his childhood that I couldn't bear to part with. Those are in additon to any that are still on his book shelves.

#29: I am glad you love Bonnie's Salon, Joanne. It was a fun project.

I like the idea of a keepsake box or chest of books for a birthday gift... I myself entertain the fantasy of one day having a room in my house completely fitted out with shelves as a library, with a couple of leather tub chairs and a desk and a fireplace. This would be my own library, with a key to keep little fingers out. I'd want my kids to have their own collections of books in their rooms for themselves. Then one day - maybe a 13th or 14th birthday, their gift would be a key to my library. Kind of like the symbolic old 'key to the door' idea but so much nicer... *sigh*

Oh, and another quick word back to Waterlog. Happily I have this book waiting for me on my shelves, as I saw a wonderful review of it while I was at uni and found it serendipitously the next week at Oxfam... For me, a LILO is a thin inflatable thingy you lie on in a pool. An AIRBED is an inflatable mattress to sleep on. FLOATS are little squarish foam boards kids use under each arm/to hold onto in front of them when learning to swim, to practice kicking or breast stroke legs or whatever. And a RAFT is something you build out of logs to escape a desert island... :-)

Ellie, I hope you enjoy Waterlog when you have a chance to read it!

I have a room at my house dedicated for a library. Of course, with all the books in it, there is no room for a chair :)

#27, 28 I really enjoyed The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears and I like that title better than Children of the Revolution, which is a more literal title but less expressive of the book as a whole, in my opinion.

**shaking her head**

I just can't keep up with you, Stasia.

I hereby firmly resolve that I am not going to try to keep up with all the postings on Stasia's threads. I will just jump in when I eventually get there and hope that I can still be welcomed.

I know that I will be missing out on some great books that you will have listed but maybe if I just watch your memorable reads I'll still get a few to add to my mountain range.

#34: Sorry, Cheli. It really is not my fault, you know. It is all the other people who keep talking on my threads :)

You will always be welcome on my Acre. Just come and go as you please.

Okay, I couldn't resist and went back to thread 5 and whizzed through and still added two books to my mountain range. I'll be back but reluctantly because the wishlist is getting TOO LONG!

I can't blame you for being such a fantastic reading model for us all!

I'm wondering if someone should start a separate thread for Stasia's birthday wishes next week....

#36: I'll be back but reluctantly

You do not have to go back, you know.

#37: I do not have a birthday. I was never born. I am a figment of your imagination.

#39 :o)

...Stasia...? ...birthday...?

*trembles before the enormity of the avalache of greetings*

Tina, don't expect to be able to make phone calls for a few days...Maine's information infrastructure is in for a bad siege!

We had a water main break in our basement last week and the very first thing I pulled off the floor to save was the box of books that I am saving for my girls. Luckily I put them in a rubbermaid container a few years ago so they were safe. Not so for my bookmooch books up for trade, but that's okay :)

The sad thing is the girl's box is full and I need to start another one, much to DH's dismay.

Glad to see another thread Stacia. I am looking forward to many more good reviews.

#41 Possibly a special "Stasia's birthday" thread is required?

Going way back to #16 to say I really like that quote and sadly often feel the same way about lots of fantasy books.

Shamefully, I've had War and Peace on my TBR pile for over 10 years now and I still haven't read it.

#41/43: There is no such day, I keep telling you. I am actually a robot in disguise.

#42: I am glad to hear that you were able to salvage the books for your daughters!

#44: I never read it until last year, Heather. It is never too late!

On your previous thread, I saw a reference to books on the nightstand (like the podcast?). I don't understand this phrase. Surely people like you, Stasia, don't have a nightstand any more because they need ALL of that space for the books? So there are books on the books, in effect. I know I do... but then I only have 20cm between my bed and the back of the door, so I wouldn't have room for a nightstand "horizontally" either.

I think my bibliomania skipped a generation, and is doing so again. I inherited it from my grandfather (my mother is a mildly active but not obsessive reader) and my brother doesn't read at all. His children, ages 4, 6 and 7, seem likely to rival me, however, especially the two elder ones. They already ask for books for Christmas & birthdays!

I am proudly raising two bookaholics, 11 and 8. I like to think of the old (old) MTV slogan: too much is never enough! When we go out to do errands the girls always want to know how long we will be gone so they know how many books to bring. Library sales are reverently observed family celebrations.

Stasia, does Tim know you are going to have a birthday next week? I mean, the site could crash. And about that black hole of yours: the edge of Canada is getting sucked over the lip of the thing. Not that I would mind ending up in a black hole full of books but it might make for some interesting international relations.

#44 - I read War and Peace in college. I think I meant it to be as a break from Physics, genetics and Organic Chem.
As a rule I am opposed to abridgment, but in this case, I would make an exception.
Love the movie with Audrey Hepburn.

#47: Rachael, not only do I have books on the nightstand, I have books in the nightstand as well. And on the floor . . .

#48: No generational skips in my family: My grandmother passed her love of books on to my mother, who passed it on to me, who has passed it on to Catey. My other daughter, Beth, is what I call a 'jag reader.' She gets very excited about books like the HP series and will read them all, and then not touch a book again for 6 months.

#49: You echo my saying about books and money: You can never have enough! Glad to hear that bibliophiles are blooming at your house, Anne.

#50: Somehow, I think LT will handle my birthday just fine. As far as the BlackHole goes, if it manages to move Texas closer to Canada, I am all for it, Tui!

#51: I read an unabridged copy last year, Jenn, and I think I would stick to it. To each her each, though!

Omigosh, I just had to read a whole thread an a half... *dizzy*. If you moved Texas closer to Canada, that would be such a boon for me... I could attack borrow from your vast shelves!

Glad you loved Someone Knows My Name (The Book of Negroes) like I did. You should help me prod Kiwidoc into reading her copy!

Should I go over and poke Karen? Tell her she must read the book this minute?

I bet you have a headache now, Steph. A thread and a half? Yikes.

Massive headache, LOL... I just scanned your wiki too. Nah, j/k... I don't really get headaches. I'm alternating my reading tonight. Read a chapter of The Disappeared... catch up on a thread... next up is read a chapter of the Murakami. Today's a good reading day for me, I just plowed through my first Lisa Kleypas romance in a couple hours. Enjoyed it too!

But yes, let's poke Karen!

Quote for the day, from Airborn by Kenneth Oppel:

"I'd chosen the ones (books) my father had kept with him aboard the Aurora. How I loved having them here, their leatherbound spines and tooled titles like friends waiting for my return. Sometimes I just liked taking them down and holding them between my hands, even if I was too tired to read. I was lucky to have them. Eight I had, and each read many times."

I feel the same way about my books - old friends that I am lucky to have!

#56: Still reading The Wind Up Bird Chronicle?

Boring reading that wiki of mine. I just do it to keep track of my reading. It helps me out. I think out loud on it too.

Well I'll admit that I didn't commit your wiki to memory or anything... just skimmed it to see what you decided to put on there. Looked at a few days to see how often you actually make your 'reading goals'. And scarily, it's quite often...

Of course the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle :) I don't have superhuman abilities you have to go from chapter 6 last night to the end for today. I find it a dense book too... I wouldn't be able to sprint through it like the easy Kleypas romance.

#59: I would like you to know that it took me a couple of weeks to read The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, thank you very much. lol

You are right though, it is a dense book. There is a lot going on in it. That is one of the things I really like about reading Murakami - he always challenges me as a reader.

BTW - I went over to Karen's thread and poked her too. Between the two of us, surely she will read the book now!

BTW, what IS a 'wind-up bird'? The writing implies that it's a common object or something. I'm thinking I'm not understanding the description through the translation. I need to google it.

I saw your poke! Your gif is hilarious! You know what's weird, when I went to her thread to do my post, I almost felt that I was like physically travelling to another place. Oh yes... I'll just pop over to Karen's thread... drop her a note, give her a poke...

#61: The only 'wind up bird' that I know of is the one Murakami refers to in the text - the one at the abandoned house. Sorry, I do not have my copy of the book with me here (I am at work) or I would look it up.

I am glad you like the poke. Let's hope Karen does too.

No, I meant, what IS a wind-up bird? I looked up on google and I guess it could be one of those tin birds that you wind up with a key and they bob up and down? I haven't seen one of those in forever... I can't remember if they actually make a musical noise or a metallic whirlling.

#63: I guess it could be one of those tin birds that you wind up with a key and they bob up and down

Sorry, I misunderstood. Yes, that is the way I pictured the wind up bird Murakami refers to.

Murakami keeps writing passages where Toru here's the sound of it, but cannot see it... but since I'm not sure what that sounds like in real life, it's frustrating me a bit. Bah, ignorance!

Anyways, it's bedtime for me... I've got a new dark-haired, green-eyed fictional man to dream about tonight. TTYL, Stasia!

Have a good sleep, Steph!

This conversation definitely makes me want to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle...and soon! I bought a brand-new copy for Mark's group read in May, and now it looks like Norwegian Wood is the pick. Another excuse to buy a book. I'm glad I didn't make any bans on book buying for the year as I heard some people did.

Something is wrong here. There has only been one other post since 6 am. Are you feeling okay, Stasia?

Jeesh, i better get in here while there's still space!!

I finally finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...and, while i thought it was a helluva ride..it had its drawbacks...I might post a review, but Life is being a Bitch for now.

>51 nittnut:

i thought i had the Audrey Hepburn War and Peace...but , no.. I have Vivien Leigh in Anna Karenina...and i do like it.

;-}

#51, 53, I am a big War and Peace fan -- I've read it three times, including as a teenager when I skipped the war parts, so I wouldn't give up on the whole version, nitnut, now that you're out of college.

Haven't seen the US movie with Audrey Hepburn, but the multipart Russian series (available from Netflix) is remarkable. I am in the middle of watching the multipart BBC series (also from Netflix) and I'm afraid I've been spoiled by the Russian version: if I had seen the BBC version first, I would have liked it better, because it is certainly up to the BBC's high standards, but now all the characters seem so British!

STOP making new threads

#67: Well, it did not take long for that resolution to be broken :) I received my copy of Norwegian Wood today - and I am assured that since it is for a group read, it does not count against book buying for the year.

#68: Scared myself pretty badly last night at work, Darryl, but I think I am OK now. There were no posts on the thread since 6am because I was the only one here then. Steph went to bed unfortunately.

#69: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was one of my favorite reads back in 2008, but I did not like the second book as much when I read it last year. I still need to read book 3. I am glad you came by, Jude. I hope you do post your review!

#70: I have never seen the film version of War and Peace, but now I can say that I have read the book.

#71: Tell everyone else that! If they would stop talking on my threads, I would not have to keep making new ones, Jenny.

That's right, blame everyone else all the time. Never take any responsibility yourself ;)

#73: Well, I could just talk to myself on my threads, but NO - everyone else has to chime in!

#70 - It's true, I may need to read it again, but I wasn't advocating a wholesale abridgment. More like a more concise rendering of certain parts of the story. It felt a bit like Dickens - paid by the word. I like Dickens too. I'll stick it back in the TBR pile.

I will have to try the Russian movie series, it sounds great. Thanks. I do love a really good loooong movie.

I haven't seen the Russian series but I have seen the BBC ones and I loved them. I should get on Netflix to get them when I come back from my trip.

*urk* Someone said Dickens...*dashes off to be ill*

Not that you have an opinion. (:

>78 nittnut: Moi? Perish forbid!

Stasia

In one mere day, I return to your thread and 79 new messages. You are loved!

This thread is like a coffee shop with bookshelves and big cozy chairs.

#81: This thread is like a coffee shop with bookshelves and big cozy chairs.

Oh, I like that description! (except in my case it should be a 'tea shop' lol)

BTW Jenn, if you do try War and Peace again, read the new Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. That is the one I used last year and thought was terrific.

Just coming through to clear the thread out, preparing for the Sunday morning reviews...

@72: Yes, unfortunately Steph does like to sleep... she just doesn't like to go to bed early or wake up early either ;) I'm also eagerly awaiting Sunday's list.

#84: Well, you are awake now! What do you want to talk about? lol

Well... I got further in the Murakami... I was not expecting the tale told about the Japanese soldier in Mongolia. Spine-chilling. I didn't think the story was going to go that way!

#86: Yeah, that one was a bit much to take. I could definitely have lived without it.

Are you at work right now? (Your wiki says you should be) If you are, that's cool you can do LT there. Also, I'm noticing that your reading goals aren't italicized... did you make them?

Yes, I am at work. No I have not yet made my reading goals - but I have until 6pm Sunday to do so. I am almost done with the first goal - I have about 20 or so more pages to go.

lol, this sounds so regimented, even though I know that it isn't, and you aren't! I have until 6pm Sunday to do so :) I need to go through my shelves to see if I have a season book for your challenge. I hope I can get to The Dispossessed for the Hugo Winner TIOLI - looking at the wiki, it seems that somehow my entry has disappeared from last night. Weird.

It is weird that your entry would disappear from the list, although I know every time I go in to edit my wiki I get an error message and have to save it twice. Maybe yours just did not save? No idea. I am very new to the wiki thing.

My schedule does sound regimented, but it really is not. I just use the wiki to help keep me on track - I really have to given the number of library books that I have out at any one time, plus trying to meet TIOLI challenges and read at least on book from Writer's Choice every week.

That's cool that you're trying to find neglected books and trying them out and then letting us see the fruits of your labour. Little secret - I read a copy of Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide so I could try to find some good books for the group. I was worried that all my new reading would come from group recommendations and nobody would find something from me! :)

Anyways, after your answering post, I'm heading off for the night. Mr. Steph wants to go hiking tomorrow and I can't sleep in as much as normal. *sighs*

#92: I want to try and read one book a week from Writer's Choice. I am trying to alternate between fiction and nonfiction, but I am already having difficulty getting my hands on some of the nonfiction books.

I would not worry to much about your reading coming only from the group's recommendations. I am probably one of the few people in the group who reads every thread every day, so if someone does not pick up a recommendation on someone else's thread, perhaps they will pick it up on yours.

Have a wonderful time hiking. That is a past time I really enjoy although I have little time for it any more.

*smiles* I wasn't worried about it, but everyone has weird little mental things. I don't want everything I read to be found through the Group sort of thing. I'm eclectic in life and so I guess I want to be eclectic in reading. So I am still doing my random library pick-ups even though, more often than not, I regret them.

But thanks, we're going to the Rockies. The good thing about where I live is that it'll take about 40 minutes to get to Kananaskis Country which is so beautiful. And I get amused with Nova carrying our food and water in her doggie backpack... it's just that I'm the person who wants to go at 12, not 8 like he does. ugh. Night!

#94: Might I suggest that on your random library pick ups, you check the rating here on LT before you read them? You do not have to read the reviews, just check the ratings. Personally, if a book is rated below 3.5 stars here on LT, I will not even try them any more.

This week's reads:

99. Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs - I really like Childs' cozy mystery Tea Shop series, but did not care overmuch for this one; not recommended and I probably will not read any more books in this series Mine

100. Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow - I know there are a lot of people who really like this book, but I am not one of them: it was OK, but several things about it bothered me, not the least of which is why Doctorow felt it necessary to change basic facts about the two men; guardedly recommended

101. Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan - young adult; book 3 in the Cirque du Freak series and not as strong an entry into the series as book 2 was, IMO; guardedly recommended

102. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin - the only other book of Baldwin's that I have read is his Go Tell it on the Mountain, which I really liked and although I do not think Giovanni's Room is as good as that one, it is still very good - a love story, pure and simple, with men that Baldwin fleshed out well to make them seem real (and the ending of the book left me terribly sad); highly recommended

103. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann - I read this book for Madeline's TIOLI challenge for the month (reading an LT author) or it probably would have sat around unread at my house for a while longer; I thought McCann did a very good job of creating the 'voice' of each of the main character's and interweaving the character's stories; highly recommended mine

104. Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War by Carlo D'Este - nonfiction; as many of you know, Winston Churchill is one of my personal heroes and I thought D'Este did a great job of pointing out not only Churchill's strengths but his weaknesses as well; Peter pointed me to the book and did a very nice review - here; recommended Mine

105. A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper - young adult; this book, written as diary entries by the young protagonist Sophie, is pretty good - the diary Sophie writes manages to convey a very good sense of her world and all that is happening in it as well as the history of her small island nation; Ashley (legxleg) recommended it last year and although I did not like it as much as she did, I would recommend it; recommended

107. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder - nonfiction; a terrific biography of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man whose drive I cannot help but admire, and his work with the poor in Haiti, Peru, Russia; highly recommended and on my memorable reads list for the year

108. The Private Wound by Nicholas Blake - this was my Writer's Choice book for the week and a bit different from the others I have read as it is a murder mystery; Nicholas Blake is the pseudonym of Cecil Day-Lewis (Daniel's father), and in this case wrote a very good, tightly-written mystery (and for those of you who are fans of old mysteries, I checked the section of the back of the book just out of curiosity and found listings by C.W. Grafton - Sue's dad) - recommended Mine

109. The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory - I liked this book, the first in a trilogy, but wish I had known before I started it that there was a previous trilogy, although the action in this book (that felt a bit young adult to me) takes place 1000 years after the first trilogy ends; I thought the authors did a good job on setting up the world and creating believable lead characters; recommended, although you may want to read the first trilogy first

110. Galactic Patrol by E.E. Smith - the third book for the group read and IMHO the best of the three (and I am not going to talk about it any more, leaving my comments for on the spoiler thread); recommended mine

111. Spring Moon by Bette Bao Lord - for my TIOLI seasons challenge; very good historical fiction that begins in 1890s China and continues through the 1970s, this book follows the character of Spring Moon and her family; I enjoyed not only the story that Lord tells, but the headings at the beginning of each chapter that tell of Chinese history, poetry and clan stories; recommended Mine

Not as good of a reading week as last week, but not too bad either.

OK, so Visible Ghost brought to my attention that I completely skipped a book in doing my weekly update, so here it is:

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli - graphic novel; this book is a terrific use of the graphic novel format and indeed, I cannot see it working in any other medium; Mazzucchelli gives each character different characteristics through his drawings - Asterios Polyp is drawn as very geometrical, etc; VG did a very good review of the book here; highly recommended

I thought I was going to escape this week as the first few books weren't recommended and then I got hit.

Let the Great World Spin is already in the wishlist but Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill sounds good for when my brain gets back to serious reading. I've seen Mercedes Lackey's name crop up a few times so I will try her books out but my library doesn't have the series you were reading. I might try a different one. Neither does it have Spring Moon!

#97: Heather, you could check to see if your library has the trilogy previous to the one I am reading. The first trilogy is called the Obsidian trilogy and the books are The Outstretched Shadow, To Light a Candle and When Darkness Falls. As I said, I wish I had known about this trilogy first.

Spring Moon is, IMHO, worth seeking out, especially if you are a fan of good historical fiction.

#98 Nope they don't have that one either. They have some others in the Valdemar series and a couple of alternate history/fantasy series, one set in Venice and one in the UK in the time of Henry VIII. I'll try those to see if I like her writing and then decide whether to try and track others down on bookmooch or amazon.

#99: Well, sorry about that. I have never read anything of Lackey's besides the one I just read, so I have no idea what to recommend and what not to.

This is just crazy, insane. Stasia, you've definately created a monster....ok you've had help! I haven't checked into your thread for a couple of days, find I'm 100 posts behind on the old one only to find you've got a new thread of which I'm also 100 posts behind........eeeesh.

Ok, Let the Great World Spin, Warlord, Mountains Beyond Mountains added to wishlist. Thanks for the recs

Oh, Spring Moon as well. Can you compare this to something Lisa See would write?

#100 That's ok :-)

I've read two of your highly recommended books, Giovanni's Room and Let the Great World Spin, and own the third, Mountains Beyond Mountains. Congratulations as always, Stasia!

#101: Sorry, Lynda, but I am really not sure what I can do about it.

I hope you enjoy the books you chose from this week's recommendations.

#103: Thanks, Darryl!

Morning Stasia- I'm so glad you enjoyed the McCann book. It's a book that has lingered with me, these past couple of months! I need to read more of his work. Like you, I've only read Go Tell it on the Mountain, so I also need to get to more of his much-acclaimed novels. The Kidder books, this one and his latest, have been high on my list! The world spins along with our heads..but in a good way!

#96 Stasia - Well, I'm certainly glad you enjoyed Warlord. As you know, I recently finished Churchill and America by Martin Gilbert, and today I completed the equally illuminating Churchill and Secret Service by David Stafford. Reviews are pending (expect a long wait - work you know!), but I highly recommend both (I know you've got the Gilbert volume).

Churchill will also figure large in my next few reads - With Wings Like Eagles: A History of the Battle of Britain by Michael Korda, and Nineteen Weeks: America, Britain, and the Fateful Summer of 1940 by Norman Moss.

I'm also lining up the following two Churchill books for the coming year...

- Churchill: Visionary. Statesman. Historian. by John Luckacs
Last year I enjoyed two of Luckas other Churchill books (Five Days in London: May 1940 and Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat: The Dire Warning: Churchill's First Speech as Prime Minister), so I'm hoping to be equally satisfied.

- Churchill and Finland: A Study in Anticommunism and Geopolitics by Markku Ruotsila
From the opening page... This book examines the intertwined dynamics of Churchill's anticommunist and geopolitical thought. It looks at the ways in which he attempted to use Finland as both tool and ally in the anticommunist projects of the twentieth century. Finland appeared a staunch ally in Churchill's recurring efforts to destroy or negate international communism, but the broader concerns of geopolitics and Great Power diplomacy complicated what might have been a simple task of teaming up with like-minded Finns. The resulting tensions are explored and explained in this study of comparative anticommunism based on Churchill's private papers and on additional British, Finnish and American documents.

#106: What book are you referring to when you say Kidder's latest, Mark?

#107: Have you read any of Stafford's other books, Peter? I started his Ten Days to D-Day last year, but had to take it back to the library (which does not have his Churchill book) before I got a chance to get very far with it.

I am going to check and see if the library has any of the other books you mentioned, aside from the Martin Gilbert book which I will have to locate in my personal library.

#109 Stasia - In 2008 I read David Stafford's Endgame, 1945: The Missing Final Chapter of World War II, which I thought was excellent (my REVIEW). I have not read his "Ten Days to D-Day: Citizens and Soldiers on the Eve of the Invasion", but as a D-Day fan, it's certainly on my wish list.

#110: Endgame, 1945 was the book I was looking for when I stumbled across the D Day book. My local library still does not have Endgame.

Strength in What Remains is his latest and it sounds excellent!

#112: OK. I have already read that one - it was the book that led me to Mountains Beyond Mountains. I just wanted to make sure that there was not another book by him that I was missing. Thanks for the info, Mark!

Adding the Churchill book to the giant wishlist - on the strength of your rec, Stasia. I vaguely remember him from when I was just a wee tot. And I remember my mother telling me that he liked to sit around naked a lot, swilling booze and smoking giant cigars. Would not be surprised if a lot of that was just a giant pile of bunk as was a lot of what Mummy used to tell me.

The Blake book sounds interesting; I like old mysteries.

I definitely enjoyed Mountains Beyond Mountains but, in a way, felt it had less impact than something like Three Cups of Tea. The difference is that Farmer is just so inhuman in his quest that it's harder to relate to it on a mortal scale.

I'll just pretend I didn't see Tad's negative comment about Mountains Beyond Mountains because that is going to be my travel book for Friday. Have you read the oldie by Tracy Kidder called Old Friends? It is a poignant story about two old men in a nursing home. It sounds depressing, but the writing is superb. I read it many years ago so I'm foggy on the details.

It's not negative! Don't take it that way. I was only trying to convey that Farmer seems Olympian somehow, whereas Mortenson was merely mortal. I was in awe of the former; I was galvanized more by the latter because he was more on my scale.

Oh heck, I'm expressing this very badly. Just ignore me.

Hi!

Tad, you expressed yourself very well. I totally get it. Mortenson is a mere mortal like the rest of us. Which reminds me, I also need to read Stones into Stones.

>115 TadAD:-117 - Tad, I think I know exactly what you mean. When I finished Mountains Beyond Mountains, I thought, "Wow! That Paul Farmer is amazing. We need more people like him in this world." And when I finished Three Cups of Tea, I thought, "Wow! That Greg Mortenson is amazing. Why haven't I done something like that?" Maybe it's because Mortenson didn't have any special skills or training, and he stumbled several times along the way. I loved both books, but Three Cups of Tea was more motivational for me.

quickly peaking in and adding #102 and #107...

It sounds like you didn't enjoy this week's books as much as last week.

Added Giovanni's Room to my wish list as I am always in the mood for a great love story!

A few books to be added this week.

Homer and Langley is already there. Mountains Beyond Mountains and the Nicholas Blake book also go on.

Spring Moon sounds fantastic. Of course, I have a weakness for Chinese history.

You've made my week. No books I want to read. Woop!!!

May I extend my humblest and most gratuitous thanks to you.

#101 -- Spring Moon is very like Lisa See's novels in that she is writing sagas revolving around women's characters. It's set in the 20th century, so the closest comparison in terms of the background would be "Shanghai Girls" combined with "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan". The biggest difference is that while See is usually trying to shed light on some unknown facet of the Chinese experience ('paper sons' in the former, or women's secret writing/language in the latter), Lord's book is a more straightforward family saga. Think Belva Plain's earliest novels or the first books of Gloria Goldreich, only set in China. It's the story of the life of Spring Moon, set against the backdrop of a changing China. It could also be compared, in some ways, to the parts of Joy Luck Club that are flashbacks. It's a decent yarn; I read it back in the 80s when it came out and really liked it; re-read it a year or so ago and didn't think it had held up that well, but that's just me & probably because I had kept elements of the plot in my brain - it's still a perfectly good novel that will give you a lot of insight into the plight of China in the first half of the 20th century. It's partly drawn, if I recall correctly, from the author's own family history; she was married to one of the first US ambassadors to China.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I do have the Doctorow book on my giant wishlist, but am having second thoughts about actually getting it, given that I am not (repeat, not) a lover of Doctorow and was really quite put off of it once I understood that he had completely messed with the real story. What was the point of that anyway? Did it serve a purpose?

I agree with you about Homer and Langley. I liked it and I THINK I understand why Doctorow gitched with the facts, but its hard to pull off historical fiction when you don't feel like you can trust the story.

I loved Mountains Beyond Mountains as well. I read it several years ago and upon putting it down immediately went out and started volunteering in my community. (Baby steps.)

Have a great week.

I'm disappointed with your take on Homer and Langley mainly because I've had it on my pile for awhile and I'd like to either move it up or out Stasia. But I will add the Tracy Kidder book to the pile.

Whoopeee.... nothing from here to add for a change. I've got Spring Moon already in my TBR Tower. *quickly escapes*

I didn't think Homer and Langley is one of Doctorow's best, and I was bothered by a few inaccuracies about what was going on in New York at certain times, but I enjoyed it. I think it is the author's license to fictionalize a story. He wasn't writing a biography; he was starting with some facts and some ideas and making up his own story: that's what fiction is.

I haven't read the Doctorow as yet, but think I still will. As Rebecca notes, he's fictionalizing individual lives. That can bother me, when those lives are a fact of history, but less so when they are individuals who are relatively obscure and the author is tweaking the story to make a broader point. I'd be very perturbed if he was doing it in a book presented as non-fiction -- which I've also seen happen. Anyway, Homer and Langley is on my BookSwim list; I'll probably get it this month or next.

>131 rebeccanyc: He wasn't writing a biography; he was starting with some facts and some ideas and making up his own story: that's what fiction is. EXACTLY. Thank you.

#114: Charlotte, do give the Churchill book a try. I think you would like it.

#115: I hope you like the Blake book, Tad. I understand completely what you are saying about Mortenson and Farmer. Mortenson seems like a guy you could sit down and have a cup of tea with and chat about his work. Farmer seems like someone I would just stand and gape at.

#116: Donna, I have not read Old Friends. Thanks for bringing the book to my attention. I will see if I can locate a copy.

#117/119 - I understand and agree.

#118: Hi!

#120: Exactly, Amy!

#121: Not that this week's reading was not good, Linda, just that it was not as good as last weeks. I am glad you found a couple to add to your TBR pile. I hope you enjoy them.

#122: Just a point of clarification, Deirdra: Giovanni's Room is a love story between two men.

#123: Hey, Linda. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are feeling better. Enjoy the books!

#124: I hope you can find Spring Moon and enjoy it, Jenn.

#125: Maybe next week, Jenny!

#126: I have not yet read any of Lisa See's novels, although they are on my radar. Thanks for the reminder, Suzanne.

#127: This is the first book by Doctorow that I have ever read, Charlotte. I saw no purpose in the changes, honestly.

#128: I like your baby steps, Linda. After I read the book, I spent half the night looking for volunteering opportunities here, lol.

#129: Bonnie, there are a lot of people here on LT who enjoyed Homer and Langley. I am just not one of them. I think you should try it for yourself and see what you think. I hope you enjoy Mountains Beyond Mountains.

#130: I am glad you lucked out this week, Caroline. I will try and get you next week.

#131: Obviously I did not express myself well enough about Homer and Langley, which only goes to prove I should not do my weekly update at 5am. It bothered me that Doctorow changed the facts only in that I saw no real purpose in his doing so. Beyond that, the book itself just fell flat for me. I did not care for the second half of it at all.

#132: Hopefully you will enjoy the book more than I did, Suzanne.

Holy cow - I go away for the weekend and there are 98 messages! I'm just going to stop by, say hi, and let you know that I'm glad you're recommending Let The Great World Spin. As soon as I finish The Anubis Gates, that's next on my list.

#139: Just goes to show you are never allowed a weekend off around the Acre, David. I hope you enjoy Let the Great World Spin.

Wow--another great reading week Stasia!

#141: Thanks, Deborah. I am glad you stopped by.

Do you think an acre is big enough to hold all the books mentioned here?

I am sure it is, Jenny. It just depends on how high we stack them.

I didn't know you had a wiki. It's interesting seeing your reading schedule. I rarely read for longer than thirty minutes in one sitting. I get ants in my pants. I got lost tying the threads and the wiki together though. Which thread did you mention Asterios Polyp in?

#145: VG, I have a job that has a lot of down time to it, so I am forced to do something with that down time, so I read.

Asterios Polyp was supposed to have been on this week's post, I just missed it. It should have been book 103. Thank you for bringing it to my attention - I will go back and add it (and I had a note to myself to direct everyone to your review, too!)

OK, Visible Ghost brought to my attention that I completely skipped a book in doing my weekly update, so here it is:

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli - graphic novel; this book is a terrific use of the graphic novel format and indeed, I cannot see it working in any other medium; Mazzucchelli gives each character different characteristics through his drawings - Asterios Polyp is drawn as very geometrical, etc; VG did a very good review of the book here; highly recommended

Well, the Touchstones are not working and the link to VG's review is not working. LT hates me this morning!

Ahhhh...... You read so many you can't keep track of them all. ;) I was curious to see if you liked it. I'm a fan of books that are just a little bit different from everything else out there and that was one of them. Glad you found it enjoyable.

#148: I really did enjoy it. I am just now discovering graphic novels and the ones that are out of the ordinary especially. I appreciate you bringing this one to my attention.

Ick ptooey! Between two men? I don't need that. It's okay if they do whatever it is they do. I just don't want to watch. I think I'll take it off the list. It's like go off and do your own thing, I'll be over here in the heterosexual corner and happily married. Thanks just the same.

Stasia- That was your first Doctorow? Wow, you are in for a treat! I've been reading him for many years. You'll have to track down Ragtime and March, which is one of his later works.
Asterios Polyp sounds very interesting. I have taken note.

#138, I agree with you that the second half of Homer and Langley wasn't up to the first part; too many characters, for one thing.

#150: The story works as a love story and there is nothing graphic in the book, but I thought I had better mention it before you ran off to find the book and it was not what you expected. I am also in the heterosexual/happily married corner, BTW.

#151: Yes, it was. I cannot read March - JoycePA warned me about that one and said there was a factual error so egregious I would not be able to overlook it - so I promised her I would never read it :)
Do take a look at Asterios Polyp - it was one of the graphic novels I was planning on bringing to your attention (I posted on your thread about recommendations and that was going to be one of them.)

#152: Exactly - it was like the whole second half of the book got away from him.

Oh, all right. I will leave it on the list because it would be good to broaden my horizons. It sounds like what I've head Brokeback Mountain described as, never having watched or read. I just don't think I'm ready for love making described between two guys. I'm really sorry I can't get my head around that. I feel it should be behind closed doors. Kissing I could handle beyond that my brain explodes. It just doesn't do anything for me and I'd rather stay away. Like when I put my sneaker up to my dogs nose and she backs away. Too much in my face.

#154: The book works beyond being a love story in other ways, but I do not want to give too much away. If you are that uncomfortable, Dierdra, I would just suggest you give the book a pass.

#144

I think we should try sometime. Have a mass meetup of 75ers, get them each to bring as many books as they can with whatever mode of transport they have, and stack them within an acre field.

It would keep me amused for a while anyway. Of course, we'd get distracted reading and talking about the books but that wouldn't matter. Can you imagine what a vast maze we could make in the acre?

I wanna do it :(

#156: I wanna do it too!

I can see it clear as day in my mind's eye.

Perhaps it's my idea of Heaven. Who knows?

#158: What I have been picturing in my mind's eye is the Kitchen: one huge dinner table around which we are all seated. I even drew out a diagram of where I thought everyone should be :)

I would imagine I'm in the naughty corner?? ;)

Nope, you are not even in a corner, lol. Would you like to be?

Wow. You mean I'm allowed to socialise and mingle with other people??

*dances sideways round the table squealing slightly in glee at possibly being considered a grownup*

You are sitting in between ronincats and kittybee. Hopefully they can keep you in line!

Hmmm..........

*considers the thought of someone keeping me in line*

You really do like to believe in impossibilities don't you??

Here, here, Jenny. Sit down and be a good girl. Let's talk books. Let's talk cats. Let's mingle! Let's sparkle in an appropriate manner. Don't want to make the others feel uncomfortable, you know.

Thanks, Stasis--you've got me in good company! Who's on my other side?

#164: I am supplying them with very heavy books to hit you over the head with!

#165: justchris

#165

Thank you. I get very over excited. Don't give me too much sugar!! Strangely enough, if I really did ever meet you guys, I would actually be painfully shy until I knew you loads better. I have such lack of self confidence and I would assume that I was a disappointment and that no one really liked me! (see, even now I'm feeling shock that I would be considered 'good company!)

But for now I shall keep charging round the table and making inappropriate comments.

And hitting me with very heavy books doesn't work. I have a tough skull, born of falling off horses too many times! It takes a lot to take me out, so good luck trying.

Of course, you have the advantage of a lack of stamina on my part, so you will only have to bear me for about an hour before I start dozing off in my chair. Even with lots of talk on either side of me!

I'm so thrilled you liked Mountains Beyond Mountains. I feel like it's important to remember, given TadAd's comments, that Dr. Farmer himself knows that not everyone should be like him. In fact, I think that PIH wouldn't work if everyone was.

It is interesting to me that both Mortenson and Farmer had wealthy benefactors who were kind of curmudgeonly that stepped out on a limb to do the right thing thereby enabling them to go off and do the crazy work they felt compelled to do. It takes all of us.

/soapbox.

#168 I am thinking of the dormouse from Alice in Wonderland...

Stasia, I need to come up with my own winter/spring/summer/fall books for TIOLI. I think I listed them in the middle of the night about four of your threads ago.

Surely I can work baseball into several of them, along with In the Bleak Mid Winter.

#169: Feel free to get on you soapbox on my thread any time, Nancy!

#171: I would love to have your company on the Seasons challenge, Linda.

I think most of my seasonal books will somehow involve baseball.

Oddly enough, I have never read Roger Kahn's immortal baseball book The Boys of Summer so that one is a definite. I've also got a baseball book about spring training. I think it's Under the March Sun: The Story of Spring Training by Charles Fountain.

#173: If you are going to read The Boys of Summer, I can swap out my one that has summer in the title and read that one along with you. More points that way!

Maybe I'll push up The Boys of Summer. Nothing says these need to be done in order, right?

Nope. I just want to cover all 4 seasons. I do not care about the order myself.

I am heading to bed for a bit. I have been up around 20 hours or so and need a little rest.

Sleep well.

Are you doing fall or autumn? There are plenty of World Series books out there, under either of these, I believe.

#167 Perfect! You are great at this, Stasia. You could be a social hostess!

I've added book #108 to the wishlist...
I was sad to see your thoughts on Homer and Langley but I think I'm still going to try it when I get a chance. I'm not buying it new however!
I heard that the facts were altered, and that does bother me a little, because while I'm reading I know I'm going to keep thinking "this is a true story". I don't know much about the actual brothers' lives though, so perhaps that will help me to enjoy the fictional account without noticing the changed facts.

#177: I am doing fall - Stone's Fall by Iain Pears.

#178: I am glad you like you table partner. Let me know if you want the rest of the people seated in your vicinity, lol.

#179: Like I said Angela, there are a lot of people here on LT who liked the book more better than I did.

I had a few days barely time to read the threads and I am almost too late to leave a message in this thread ;-)

#181: Thanks for stopping by, Anita!

Hi Stasia, I'm sorry to hear that your first experience with Doctorow didn't go well. I haven't read Homer and Langley because I just don't have a desire to read about the Collyer brothers, historically accurate or not.

But, like Mark, I can't resist suggesting a couple of my favorite Doctorow books because I have been a fan of his for a very long time. I wholeheartedly recommend Ragtime, World's Fair and The Waterworks. I'll stop there... :)

Joanne..
Who are the Collyer brothers?

Of the three Doctorow books you mentioned, which one would you most recommend?

I just noticed that you started yet another new thread - and it's already almost 200 posts. Ack!
I have Mountains Beyond Mountains on the list as my nonfiction book for May. I'm intrigued by all the comments here. Hmm..

#183: Joanne, thanks for the recommendations. I will see if I can find any of them at my local library.

#185: Hey Kelly, thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy Mountains Beyond Mountains.

#184 Linda, Homer and Langley Collyer, wealthy brothers who shared a brownstone in NY, were infamous hoarders in the early/mid 20th century. I find them too sad and bizarre to want to read about.

Ragtime is an interesting mix of fictional and historical characters. World's Fair is a coming of age story. Both take place in early 20th century NYC. If I had to pick one - Ragtime. Billy Bathgate is good, too.

Ha! I have finally caught up. It took me not one, not two, but three threads! Phew. I've added a few books to the neverending wishlist, of course.

Stasia, I'm so glad you loved Spring Moon, Bette Bao Lord is one of my favorite authors, and it's a beautiful book. Have you read In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson? IMHO, it's a masterpiece, although very different from Spring Moon.

#188: Spring Moon was the first book I had read by Lord. I will look for your recommendation too, Marcia. Thanks!

>189 alcottacre:, You're welcome! I think you'll love In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Stasia! It was one of my favorites, a children's book about a girl who immigrates from China to live in Brooklyn and finds a hero in Jackie Robinson while dealing with the trials and joys of life as an Asian immigrant in the 1947. Really great stuff.

#190: A book about baseball? What's not to love? lol

I loved both Ragtime and Billy Bathgate.

#190 A book about baseball that I was unaware of? How could that happen?

Onto the list it goes. It sounds terrific.

Stasia, I am starting my quite lengthy book #3,000, Wrigleyville: A Magical History Tour of the Chicago Cubs. When I finish that, I will join you in The Boys of Summer.

#193: I started The Boys of Summer last night. So far, so good. If you are going to read it, would you be sure and add it to the wiki for the TIOLI challenge? More points that way :)

I added The Boys of Summer but won't add the other seasonal ones until I'm sure I'll get to them. I still have to read a mystery to match Cheli, too.

I suspect that I will continue the seasonal books into April, though, once baseball season starts, I tend to put baseball books aside for awhile. It's now, when I am chomping at the bit for the regular season to start, that I really want to read about baseball.

#195: 25 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes until Opening Day. Not that I am keeping track or anything.

I'm going to the Cubs Home Opener on April 12th so 33 days and 1 hour til I see them in person.

You know I could really learn to hate you :)

Okay, no hating here, only loving! Of course, I'm a big Cubs fan too! My expectations are more grounded this year. It's healthier!
Another earlier Doctorow pick, is The Book of Daniel, told through the eyes of the son of a fictionalized couple based on Julius & Ethel Rosenberg. Riveting stuff!

I'm adding The Book of Daniel, Billy Bathgate and Ragtime to the ever growing, I need to live to be 150 to read, tbr pile.

#199: I hope Linda knows that I was just kidding. I have been a Cubbies fan for as long as I can remember and have never even lived in Chicago.

#200: I have to live forever to read all the books in the BlackHole.

Ragtime Ragtime Ragtime Ragtime

Best book by a long, long shot that Doctorow's written. And he's written some very good books! I like The Waterworks quite a lot. I loved Billy Bathgate. But Ragtime is his chef d'ouevre.

Happy Birthday, Stasia! Or Happy Hatching Anniversary! Or Happy Parthenogenesis Event Recognition! Check your mailbox on Monday.

I grew up a Dodger fan back in the day of Fernando Valenzuela. Vin Scully is the voice of baseball for me. We've also been temporary fans of the Mariners and now the Rockies, because we live in Denver. But there's nothing like Dodger Stadium and a Dodger dog. But I don't like baseball that much. (: My oldest son learned to say "kick their butts" when he was 1 1/2 and I was watching the playoffs (you know, anyone but the Yankees).

>202 richardderus: Richard - The other Doctorow suggestions came up after Stasia was less than impressed with Homer and Langley and I didn't think it was necessarily a good sample of his work even though I haven't even read it (!!) and should not really have an opinion. Have you? Since you're obviously a fan of his early work, too, I was just wondering again if I should bother.

I am willing to give Doctorow another try some time, and I think probably Ragtime would be a place for me to start. It sounds very good.

#202: Thanks for the hatching day wishes, Richard! I hope you had fun at The Strand, you lucky dog.

#203: I agree about Vin Scully. When he leaves the Dodgers, it will be a great loss to baseball.

Yay, baseball talk, I can skim right over it all and not pay attention. It's such a boon on my reading time :)

I really enjoyed Doctorow's most recent collection of stories, Sweet Land Stories. I had read most of them in the New Yorker, and it was a pleasure to read them again in the collection.

#207: Unfortunately, it does not appear that my local library has that one in yet. I will add it to the BlackHole and see if they add it to the collection in the near future.

Squeaking in under the wire:

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo review is percolating in my head, as I type. We had to get my spouting back up..before the (supposed) rain...ahem..and my push mower died/has been dead...so I'm shopping for machinery this week.

I did get a boockcase assembled yesterday so that pile of books on my bedroom floor (that the cat loooved so much) is now shelved...another bookcase is en route but will have to live upstairs.

DOCTOROW?? i go with The Book of Daniel for "riveting"...but Ragtime was my first and will always be a favorite.....

;-}

I had already added The Book of Daniel to the BlackHole along with Ragtime, Jude, or I would have added it just on your say-so :)

What is your cat going to do now for something to love?

I am just finishing up Slavery By Another Name and I must say that after reading this book, it is one of the few times in my life I am ashamed to be an American.

I do not understand people who hate on the basis of color, creed, religion, sexuality, etc. I have read extensively on the Holocaust and thought I understood something of what man's inhumanity to man is about, but Nazi Germany was nothing on the treatment of blacks in the South after the Civil War. I do not know how, with all I have read on the Civil War, I just assumed that once slavery ended, life for blacks improved.

Obviously, my knowledge is lacking and I am glad I finally got around to studying the Civil Rights movement although I am finding that it goes further back than the 1960s, so I am heading back to the Reconstruction period, which I have not studied at all, to get the background I need.

I know what you mean about post Civil war - it's devastating to read and very hard to accept, but don't be ashamed to be an American. It's not the intent of the Constitution to enable slavery. I believe that because of the Constitution, slavery had to end. It's terrible that it was so difficult. In some ways, I think it has made our country stronger, and hopefully less likely to repeat such mistakes. Unfortunately, there will always be people who hate and our job as active lovers of freedom is to make sure their behavior is always considered shameful and unacceptable.
OK end of soap box. It's just what I think. (: I am looking forward to reading Slavery by Another Name. It sounds amazing.

I know my naivete shows when I read books like the Blackmon book, but sometimes I wonder how I could have missed knowing something for such a long time.

And Woodrow Wilson was a white supremacist?! I never knew that until this book.

I don't think it's naivete to be repeatedly shocked by what humans are capable of. I think we should be shocked. I'd rather expect better, especially of a free and highly privileged people.

If you want to read a book about Woodrow Wilson that will raise your eyebrows right over your head, read Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism.
This is definitely not what I learned in my HS history class. It turns out that WW was not the nicest person.

Stasia, I know you're kidding. I believe that the only time I'd fear for my safety is if I were to insist on Betty White or someone of that ilk to get the Grandma Mazur role, instead of you.

I love Vin Scully. Every year, I get that baseball package (Extra Innings) that lets me see every game and, after the Cubs are finished, I like to put the Dodgers games on, just to listen to him.

Wow. I turned my back and there is a new thread with 215 unread posts. I just cannot keep up when classes are in session, but I'm still around and trying to pop by when I can! I hope all is well, and that you're enjoying your new job.

#214: I already had the Pestritto book in the BlackHole - I just need to find a copy. My local library does not have that one.

#215: I figured you would understand I was kidding - and I would be mortally offended if anyone other than myself is playing Grandma Mazur! I am a Vin Scully fan too, and it is unfortunate so many of the old guard commentators are disappearing - Jack Buck and Harry Caray a few years back and the wonderful Harry Kalas last year.

#216: Thanks for stopping in, Luxx. I know you have your hands full between classes and your beautiful boys, but I appreciate your effort.

Stasia - I'm sorry to be such a dolt, but who the heck is this Grandma Mazur character you keep going on about?????

#218: Charlotte, in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Grandma Mazur is Stephanie Plum's grandmother. She packs a .357 magnum, so needless to say, she is not quite your everyday grandma. She is a hoot however!

Oh - no wonder I didn't seem to know her (never read any of that series, I'm afraid). Thanks, Stasia!

#220: No problem!

#211 Stasia - The book Slavery by Another Name came to my attention about 12 months ago - a well built African-American gentleman, who often traveled on the same train as me here in Tokyo, was steadily reading his way through a dog-eared soft back edition which he kept stuffed in an over-sized coat pocket. I never talked to him, and his face always remained inscrutable as he read, but I always wondered about his opinion of the book, especially now, given your strong reaction.

#222: If you have a chance to read the book, Peter, I urge you to do so. I know you have both Civil War and World War II categories in you 1010 challenge, but since this book covers the period between the two wars, I do not think it would fit either category.

I would have been curious about the gentleman's reaction to the book, too.

Hi, Stasia. Just winging through...

#224: Hey, Ren! Thanks for stopping in.

Stasia

Naturally, I'm adding Slavery by Another Name to my list.

You mentioned feeling ashamed that you are an American. When I was heavily involved with the local homeless shelter, I had the same type of feeling. I wondered how, in this nation of wealth, we treated homeless people so terribly. I wondered, and still do, about the self righteousness of a nation that advertises help for other nations so that perhaps we don't have to look at the fact that right in our own back yard we are filled with those who are hungry and homeless.

While we direct our fingers at other nations, we should be pointing right back at ourselves.

ok, I'm getting off the soap box now.

#226: Linda, soap boxes are definitely allowed on my thread :)

#227

Why is it called a soap box? I've only ever seen one piece of soap in a box and that was tiny and weak and you wouldn't be able to stand on it. Other than that, soap doesn't come in boxes.

Unless that means it's a soapy box, in which case surely you'd just fall off it in your ranting and intensity. Plus it would be a waste of soap.

I think about things too much :/

#228: Jenny, soap was delivered to stores years ago in sturdy wooden crates, which were recycled for many purposes (e.g., the Soap Box Derby, where children once made racing cars by attaching wheels to the basic box. Nowadays of course, their parents fund fiberglass molds for body parts, etc.) But one of the best uses for a soap box was as a portable "stage" for an orator to stand on, to rise above a crowd and make speeches. It was democracy at its most basic: get on your soap box, and harangue the assembled listeners.

The info was found here: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1302.html

Thought I would say hello before you begin an all new thread.. pls link me whn you do ?

#230: Sure will, Kath.

Huh.........now I know. Thank you kindly for the info!

#232: No problem.

>204 Copperskye: *waaaay* up there...I did read Homer and Langley and I don't think it's very good. I suggest that you skip it. Honestly...it's a great set-up for a story, but it's so bathetic in this treatment of it.

>205 alcottacre: I had oodles of fun at The Strand, thenkewveddymaaahch. And also at the Westside Used and Rare. And BookBook, which once upon a time was called Biography Bookshop, and was down the block from The Divine Miss's apartment. And our Book Circle, which read The Memoirs of Hadrian, a long-time favorite of mine, and which we had a passionate, red-wine-fueled debate about.

*contented sigh* I have a very nice life. Frustrations notwithstanding, it's pretty sweet to be me.

#228/229
And I was going to say it was because of the frothing at the mouth....

#226 I like your comments about looking abroad rather than at home - I'm still not ashamed of America (froth) I'm just ashamed at our arrogant self-centered politicians who only seem to care about the people when they want to be re-elected. Ptooey. It seems to me that many "regular" Americans spend lots of time volunteering and trying to serve in their communities. Hooray for you!

#226

I'm still not ashamed of America (froth) I'm just ashamed at our arrogant self-centered politicians who only seem to care about the people when they want to be re-elected.

Methinks this could refer to an awful lot of countries, including the UK right now! Elections are coming up and suddenly everyone cares about everyone. The really sad thing is that while I feel everyone should vote, I don't feel inclined to vote for any party as they all appear self-serving and to care very little for actually helping people, and more about how much money they can suck from the tax-payer.

See here for more info on why a vast majority of British people are now extremely fed up of their MP's http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk_politics/2009/mps%27_expenses/default.stm

#236 - That was very interesting. Thanks! I would guess that you're right - many people all over the world are pretty fed up with the behavior of some members of their governments. Still trying to think - what to do?

> 237
Over here the same.
I still can't think of a way of government that does not corrupt those in power...

Richard for Emperor of the World! Take care of all the petty problems - by issuing books for everyone :)

Added Slavery by Another Name to my list of books to look up . . .

There you go Stasia! If more people read more of the time, they would be too busy to make trouble. They might learn something too... it's the new world order. Books for everyone!

Stasia

Happy Almost Birthday. What will you do on your special day (Sunday?)

Stasia : I think you ought to start a new thread on your birthday and add your new weekly list of books then too.

It took me a good 15 minutes to get through all the posts on your thread, catching up from having been AWOL for the last few days. Tired now ... need food to refuel ....

I am still crawling my way through The Hemingses of Monticello and I had my eye on reading some more slavery or civil rights themed works. Slavery By Another Name would seem to fit that bill.

#241: My thoughts exactly!

#242: Sleep and work and work and sleep. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? (not)

#243: I had intended to start a new thread tomorrow, Caroline. Thanks for spending time working through this one. I am glad you are back.

#244: If you would like some other suggestions, I would be happy to provide more, Sherlyn. Just let me know.

Stasia, may your birthday be one page turner after another. In Lyndaspeak, that means, Have a Fantastically, Terrific, Happy, Non-stop Joyous Birthday ever! Oh yeah, and many more too. :)

#246: Thanks, Lynda!

to delete double post

I turned my head for a couple of days and came back to 106 posts!

Re Doctorow--The Book of Daniel is my favorite, but I also have warm feelings about one no one has mentioned so far: Loon Lake. I can't remember anything about it other than that I really liked it when I read it years ago.

Happy, happy birthday tomorrow. I hope it's a special one!

Since it's already Sunday here in Hong Kong, Happy Birthday, Stasia!!!

Happy birthday:) (It's already the 14th here)

Happy birthday Stasia

#249: I have never heard of Loon Lake. I will look for that one too based on your recommendation, Deborah.

#249-252: Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!

Happy Birthday Stasia.

By the by - after that discussion on Roosevelt and Hopkins, I thought I'd read a few pages of my PDF copy. That has now extended to about 50 pages. While I don't like reading books on my laptop, I might treat this one as a long term project and keep with it. So far it has proven to be a very engaging and enlightening read. I can well see why it won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize (for Biography).

Just an hour to midnight, but I'll jump the gun anyway... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope it's relaxing and enjoyable... and full of delicious birthday treats :)

So many posts here, each time I visit. I think you'll really like Ragtime, I read it last year. I've got The Book of Daniel on my tbr and really want to get to it in the next couple of months.

Happy Birthday - Sunday is almost over here, I'm about to cook dinner.

#255: Thanks, Faith. Work and sleep are on the agenda - and no delicious birthday treats :(

#256: I think I will give Ragtime a try. My local library does not have The Book of Daniel unfortunately. Thanks for the birthday wishes, Kerry!

New thread started here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/86988

I thought I had better start another one before tomorrow's weekly post!

Happy Un-Birthday, Stasia! I seem to get to your thread just as you're moving to a new one. I loved Spring Moon when I read it a lifetime ago (a couple of times). It's a book I want to read again to see if it holds up to my 60-year-old sensibilities.

Another 'thumbs up' for Mountains Beyond Mountains I've liked all the Tracy Kidder books I've read, but this one really needed to be written. Paul Farmer deserves the sobriquet "Dr. Amazing!"

I'm glad you're talking about Slavery by Another Name. I felt lucky to snag a used copy; I've been wanting to read it in full since reading the first couple of chapters last year.

#259: Sorry about the thread moving, Bonnie. I would have been happy with just one for the year myself.

I would be curious to hear how well Spring Moon holds up for you. I thought it well-written.

Are there more Tracy Kidder books that you would recommend? I have only read two: Strength in What Remains and Mountains Beyond Mountains.

Slavery by Another Name is not an easy book to read, but definitely worth the effort. I hope you get a chance to read it soon.

Have a fanastic birthday!

Am going back to read 120 posts now...

#261: Thanks, Cushla! Umm, happy reading?

Ummm, more like happy tummy bugging in this household. No washing machines on Sundays + sick 3 year old (+ Ma and Pa) = missing New Zealand today! But at least I feel like turning on the computer today.

Sorry to hear about the tummy bug. I hope everyone feels better soon!

Thanks - think today will be better!

I just hope your 5 year old does not get it too!

Happy Birthday!! (now that it's sunday here, too...)

Thanks, Suzanne!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday! Hope you get lots of books...

Yes, lots and lots of books... :)

Guess it's almost new thread time... unless I missed the link. Sorry to see I missed your bday! Hope it was super!

You missed the link, Susan. It is up in message 258: http://www.librarything.com/topic/86988

thx