SqueakyChu's 75 Books for 2010 - Chapter 3

Welcome to thread number 3! I'm keeping my reading list for months January to March, 2010, here.

An FYI: The Take It or Leave It Challenge (TIOLI) will be directly incorporated into my 75 Books Challenge. Join me, if you'd like. Hint: Always check your TBR pile first when choosing a TIOLI book!



My 2010 goal is to read a wild variety of books for fun!

April 2010

14. The Mermaids Singing - Lisa Carey
15. The Trouble With Poetry - Billy Collins - TIOLI: Read-A-Living-Poet
16. A Good Place for the Night - Savyon Liebrecht - TIOLI: short stories
17. Diet for a Hot Planet - Anna Lappe - TIOLI: Early Reviewer
18. Father Said: Poems - Hal Sirowitz - TIOLI: Read-A-Living-Poet
19. Eaarth - Bill McKibben - TIOLI: Early Reviewer
20. Mother Said: Poems - Hal Sirowitz - TIOLI: Read-A-Living-Poet
21. Yarn: Remembering the Way Home - Kyoko Mori - TIOLI: something about a sweater
22. Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson - TIOLI: tea or coffee in the title
23. Vocare - Ron Ames - TIOLI: Read-A-Living-Poet

TIOLI Books: 9

Woo Hoo! New thread time.

May 2010

24. The Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
25. Dracula - Bram Stoker - TIOLI: one-word title

TIOLI Books: 1

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

June 2010

26. Laundry - Suzane Adam - TIOLI: Problem in the Title
27. As She Climbs Across the Table - Jonathan Lethem - TIOLI: Problem in the Title
28. RubyFruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown - TIOLI: Gay/Lesbian Themed Book
29. An Eagle Named Freedom - Jeff Guidry - Early Reviewer

TIOLI Books: 3

No what?

July 2010

30. The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
31. NP - Banana Yoshimoto - TIOLI: ISBN ending in 4
32. Outwitting History - Aaron Lansky - TIOLI: A Book about Books
33. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch - TIOLI: Walla Walla
34. Man Walks Into a Room - Nicolle Krauss - TIOLI: The New Yorkers 20 under 40

TIOLI Books: 4

August 2010

Moved to next thread.

September 2010

Moved to next thread.

October 2010

moved to next thread.

November 2010

Moved to next thread.

December 2010

Moved to next thread.

You know that you are not going to make it that far on this thread, don't you?

Now all my future months are separated!!!! LOL!

So just start another thread between 'a' and 'm'. I will help.

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Uh...I realized that as soon as I tuned in to my own thread this morning. Coffee's brewing. Trader Joe's Diner Blend.

What?! You created a new month?!!

So then it make's no difference that all your future months are separated :)

Just be glad you do not have to do threads in weeks.

Well, I kind of do. Between the monthly thread and the TIOLI, I'm usually creating something new here every week or two.

I know that feeling. And I do not even do the TIOLI thread.

*starts to worry*

About?

22 posts in less than 15 minutes? I don't think this thread will make it to this evening!

It is all Madeline's fault!

Would you please fly to Texas this morning and bind Stasia's hands or something, Darryl? :)

So, this makes 67 posts in your two threads overnight.... No wonder I keep falling behind!

OK, I am now home from work. What should be talk about so Madeline's thread is not hot and bothered?

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Er, blame that on Stasia!

I was not talking to myself, you know.

:)

If it weren't for you, I'd have probably just sat down very quietly with my coffee (still brewing now, by the way) and read someone else's thread...

#31: See I am saving you from yourself - coffee is bad for you.

OK, serious question now: Do you consider Primo Levi's The Periodic Table to be short stories? If so, I will add it to the TIOLI challenge wiki since I read it last night. The Dewey Decimal considers it essays, but that strikes me as off.

I haven't read The Periodic Table. In reading about that book on Amazon, it looks as if at least some of the stories are fiction, so I'd say, "Go for it!" on the TIOLI challenge. It sounds like an amazing read.

You can also do a poll there (if you want) for fun. Just copy this exactly:

<vote>Could Primo Levi's book The Periodic Table fit in the TIOLI category of a book of short stories?</vote>

#33: It is very good. I hope you get a chance to read it soon, Madeline.

See, we managed to talk about a book even without coffee in hand!

Untrue. I'm drinking my coffee now. It's about half gone. :)

ETA: See my addendum to message #33.

Now you tell me? And I already added it to the thread and the wiki and everything?!

I think it's just fine!

Boy, am I glad you have had your coffee :)

Me, too!!

15. The Trouble With Poetry - Billy Collins



Billy Collins is an easy poet to read. His poetry is short, just a page or two, and deals with everyday subjects. It's the kind of poetry to which most people can relate.

The poem I most liked in this collection is "The Lanyard" which I'd already heard before reading this book. However, for me it has the most resonance of any of the poems in this collection. It begins like this:

The other day as I was ricocheting slowly
off the pale blue walls of this room,
bouncing from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor, I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one more suddenly into the past--
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard...more.

Another poem, called "The Revenant", made me laugh. It began like this:

I am the dog you put to sleep,
as you like to call the needle of oblivion,
come back to tell you this simple thing:
I never liked you--not one bit.

When I licked your face,
I thought of biting off your nose.
When I watched you toweling yourself dry,
I wanted to leap and unman you with a snap.

I resented the...more

If you're not sure about poetry, try this collection. I think you just might like it.

Rating - 4 stars.

Just found your new thread today. Your second poem put me in mind of Love that Dog by Sharon Creech which is a fabulous children's book - written in free verse. Extract here

I'll see if I can get a copy of that Sharon Creech book from my library. It sounds like a fun read.

By the way, my very favorite kids' poet was Jack Prelutsky. When my now grown children were small, his poetry made me laugh more than any other author's did. Grab some of his books and read them to a child!

I'm a child of the sixties who had many favorite poets, among them were James Dickey, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Richard Brautigan. I haven't read poetry for so long! That's why Darryl's TIOLI finally challenge tempted me.

Oh! I just remembered that I have another unread book of a living poet somewhere upstairs. I'm going to see if I can find that book!

16. A Good Place for the Night - Savyon Liebrecht



The only problem with starting this book from the beginning was that I liked the first two stories the best. That was rough because it made the remaining stories a bit less appealing. I only mean that in the smallest sense, though, as each of Liebrecht's stories is amazingly unique (but for the two I mentioned below), complex for it length, and psychologically engaging. Each tells of a different Israeli character(although two non-adjacent stories describe the same person) in a different location with the final venue being an apocalyptic place of no name... more

Rating -- 4.5 stars

#43: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Madeline.

>42 SqueakyChu:: Loved/love Jack Prelutsky. I too read him with my children. Also did the Shel Silverstein bit. I still have some of those books around here which I need to dig out for the grandkids.

I'm struggling with my short story collection. Cheating at Canasta is a bit too dark for my current mood so I'll set it aside for a bit.

#45: I am supposed to be reading that one for TIOLI this month too. It sounds like I should have read it last week when I was reading a bunch of depressing stuff already.

Yeah, reading depressing stuff all at once moves us on into a happier frame of mind faster! :)

17. Diet for a Hot Planet - Anna Lappe



*frowns*

It seems as if I was the only reviewer here at LibraryThing who didn't like this book. Frankly, I found it a downright boring read. The problem was, though, that this was an Early Reviewer book which I felt I had to finish and review. I only have a few more pages to go in it now, but the review is done.

I also sent a copy of this review to Bloomsbury, the publisher. I usually *love* their books, but this one simply did not work for me. It helps for me to know ahead of time, in writing a negative review, that I'm sending a copy of the review back to the publisher or author. That helps me think more clearly about why a certain book was a bad fit for me. Even if it was not a bad fit (I'm a "foodie" in this case, after all), that helps me put down in words why my reaction was negative.

Here's my review, if you're interested in reading it.

Rating - 2 stars

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I'm interested in knowing if any of you share your negative reviews directly with publishers and authors, or if you just post them to LT, blogs, etc.? I do it sometimes as a courtesy to those who send me books to review.

Once I did it because I was sent a huge, heavy, but *gorgeous* cookbook and started off hating it right away (not what I'd cook, cookware I would not use, bad print for my eyesight). I simply could *not* make myself read it or review it. I wrote to the publisher who told me thanks (...but they never sent me any more review copies of their books!). :)

You know, I've never even thought of sharing my reviews with publishers and authors first before I post on LT. I don't blog, so I think if I didn't like the book, the damage is somewhat confined. Hmm.... have you sent a negative review to an author and had them try to change your mind about the book?

I only sent the negative review to the publisher because the request on the letter I received with the book said "we hope you enjoy he book and encourage you to share your thoughts with us by emailing us at...".

I think it's important for publishers to also know why some books are not well received. If done properly, I think it could only help in future editions of a book.

I never sent a negative review to an author, but I did receive an email from an author after I posted a negative review on Amazon. I debated his points via an email back to him. I never heard back from him. Oh, well. I'm entitled to my opinion as a reader.

I love to email authors if I particularly like a book. It's really fun to tell them how much I enjoy their writing. I would not send a negative review email to an author. Authors know how to find negative feedback. I don't need to put it directly in their inbox.

I'm not usually negative in reviews. I'm mostly positive or neutral. I think that's what makes a negative review so hard for me. Others, however, love to write scathing reviews. For me, however, such reviews are not helpful and often embarrassing.

I think publishers keep an eye on what's posted in various larger forums like this & Amazon; authors certainly do. I suppose if I were writing for a smaller blog, I'd send them the link. Definitely wouldn't change a review unless the author or publisher pointed out something I'd gotten dead wrong, however.

I thought your review was very fair and respectful, Chuster.

Chuster?

It seemed shorter than typing SqueakyChu and less rude than saying Chu. I should have just said Madeline.

Hahahaha! I thought you were in the wrong thread! I just didn't "get" it. Sorry...

Ha, I didn't get it either at first.

>55 SqueakyChu:: nope, exactly right spot. Following your reading like a burr on a blanket.

18. Father Said: Poems - Hal Sirowitz



Father Said is a book of short poems based on a family: father, mother, son, and daughter. In each of the poems, the son is speaking, remembering the words of his father and recalling them by including the words “Father said”. At first, I thought the book was funny. I read some of the poems aloud to my husband and a friend. Neither thought the poems were funny at all. As I read the poems more thoroughly and as I read more of them, I realized that the humor was really irony and the life lesson taken by the son from the father was the frailty of each member of the family.

Here’s an example...

Getting Rid of Her

You won’t have to worry about where
you’re going to be buried, Father said,
because I got you a cemetery plot. It’s
too bad I can’t find you a girlfriend,
because it seems like you need me
to take care of that too. You haven’t
done well in that department. I hope
you get rid of the one you have.
She didn’t know what to say when
I asked her if she liked taking care
of you. It seemed like she was
waiting for you to marry her before
she’d even start. She should
at least have given you a preview—
cook you dinner instead of making you
take her out to restaurants every night—
& not leave it to your imagination.

The poems were well done and food for thought. Much of what “father said” could be applied to families in general and the way that family members relate to each other. The toughest part of the book for me was the last chapter. That was where the son was recalling the words of his father who, at that time, was dying of prostate cancer.

Although the direction of this book was different from what I initially expected when I picked it up, it made for interesting reading and even the need to pause for personal reflection.

Rating - 4 stars

OMG that is so sad.

That is absolutely the weirdest thing about this collection of poems. When you first read them, they seem very funny. However, when you stop to think about them, they become deeply sad.

I couldn't decide what to do with this book. I think I'm going to keep it and make it part of my permanent collection as I have a few other older poetry books I've collected. I've never before encountered a collection of poems quite like this one, though.

I just mooched (from BookMoooch) another book of poems by the same author. It's called Mother Said. If I get it in time, I'll try to fit it into this month's TIOLI challenge. That will be three books for a topic I thought wasn't even going to touch me. Ha!

Well after just reading the one I'm interested enough to look for the book. Do all the poems take this approach at looking at everyday things and writing from a logical pov? I could actually imagine my husband saying something like this.

ETA thumbed your review.

I could actually imagine my husband saying something like this.

That's exactly what struck me as funny. All of the poems have that same tone. I posted some more poems (Messages #68 and #70) on this thread.

The reason I tried to get the book myself was that I had seen an article about this poet and his poetry in The Washington Post Book World a long time ago. I copied down and saved two of his poems. I had that book on my wishlist for the longest time until I finally got a copy of it. Then there was kidzdoc and his Read-A-Living-Poet challenge... :)

Thanks for the thumb!

>58 SqueakyChu:: This poem and the others you posted in the Read-A-Living-Poet thread remind me of cleaner versions of "S*** My Dad Says" on Twitter.
Looking forward to reading this.

You're right, Madeline .....reading the first few lines of the poem, it was funny, but as the rest of the poem unfolded, I got a little irritated with the father ... because I thought he was being rather mean to his son. If all the poems are like this, I think I'll give it a miss. I get enough nagging when I'm around my mother for too many days .. i don't need to read nagging sarcastic poems from someone's dad too.

19. Eaarth - Bill McKibben



I don't usually read about global warming because I'm more specifically into food issues than into the entire subject of our changing world. However, I won Eaarth as an Early Reviewer and needed to read it just to review it. I was a bit skeptical of having to do this after having just read a boring LTER "foodie" book about how our food industry is detroying our world. I wasn't sure I could handle two such books in a row. I'm happy to report, though, that I very much enjoyed McKibben's book to the extent that I'll surely read more by this author. Here's my posted review.

Rating - 4.5 stars

#65: Nice review, Madeline. I will have to look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation!

You're welcome. I'm so glad it turned out to be a good book. Lappe's book put me to sleep. :(

Maybe I should try the Lappe book for curing my insomnia!

I always fall asleep while reading. I can be totally asleep and I'm still holding a book aloft in my hands. :) Boring books work best, though.

I always have what I call my 'by-the-bed' books, so I grab one and read for at least 30 minutes before I actually fall asleep. I do not, however, hold the book! I would get clunked in the face a lot that way.

Definitely lightweight paperbacks for reading in bed, as opposed to War and Peace or The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Unless you wish to be knocked unconscious...

That happens! I have a big clip on my book so that I don't lose the page when it falls in my face. :D

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Unless you wish to be knocked unconscious...

Now that's a great cure for insomnia!

#71: In my case, being knocked unconscious might be a solution at times :) As I am currently reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich . . .

It's a good and awful book. And very heavy, literally and figuratively. And it will knock you out if you drop it on your head. It will leave a mark too.

#75: It will leave a mark too.

With my head, no one would be able to tell, Jenn.

I agree with you about Third Reich - it is good and awful.

Hahaha! Read this...

CRUMBS

Don’t eat any food in your room,
Mother said. You’ll get more bugs.
They depend on people like you.
Otherwise they would starve.
But who do you want to make happy,
your mother or a bunch of ants?
What have they done for you?
Nothing. They have no feelings.
They’ll eat your candy. Yet
you treat them better than you treat me.
You keep feeding them.
But you never offer me anything.

It's from a collection of poems called Mother Said: Poems by Hal Sirowitz. I just copied this poem and left the copy in my daughter's room to find when she gets home from work. :)

This is my newest TIOLI read for this month as well. I'm using it for kidzdoc's Read-A-Living-Poet challenge.

Mother Said will go the route of Father Said:onto my TBR pile. This poem reminds me of many guilt trips my mother took me on LOL.

My daughter found the book and thought it was funny. My husband said (after I read the poem aloud to him) that it's not a poem. :)

Well, I think the premise of the book is that it's a *Jewish* mother (who stereotypically lays a guilt trip on her children). The author has a sister, but most of the issues get laid on him. Oy vey!

Here's another one from the same collection that made me laugh. The author must know my family!

The Collector

I know you tell your therapist,
Mother said, all these bad stories
about me, making me look like
a villain. But if she ever came
to the house & took a look at your room,
she'd have bothered you to clean it.
Other sons collect stamps & coins,
but I had to have one who collected dust.
It wouldn't have been so bad if you kept
your collection under your bed, but you spread it around the house whenever
you left your room.

:)

LOL. I must have that book!
Running off to find it...in spite of swearing to buy no more books until I've read the ones I have...
I'm not Jewish, but I'm totally a stereotypical Jewish mama. I told my kids last week - the house has to be clean before we go on our trip, in case we die and someone has to come in and see how we live. Picture their collective gasp of horror - we're not going to die on our trip are we?

I told my kids last week - the house has to be clean before we go on our trip, in case we die and someone has to come in and see how we live.

Perhaps you should rewrite this, Jenn, to make it a bit longer, and then slip it into Sirowitz's next poetry book. It seems as if both of you are on the same track. :)

20. Mother Said: Poems - Hal Sirowitz



What a funny book, but what a tragic book at the same time. I read this book on the heels of another book, Father Said: Poems, by the same author because that book spoke to me. This book was even heavier as this was the book with the Jewish mother. You know that character, of course. She's the one who lays on the guilt trips. She's the person who speaks about her death during her entire lifetime. Naturally, she is also the person who is most likely to talk about the following:

Poked-Out Eye

Don't stick your head out of the window,
Mother said, while your father is driving.
A branch from a tree can poke out
your eye & even if he stops in time,
& is able to find it among all the fallen leaves,
you can't just put it back into the socket,
& expect it to work like it did before.
A doctor will have to reconnect the tissues,
& if any part is damaged--your father
might have stepped on it before finding it--
it'll never work right & everyone
will know it's defective,
because of the way that you squint.

Join the family in this book -- for a laugh, for a bit of nostalgia, or just to absorb some Jewish guilt. It's an experience you'll remember.

Rating - 4 stars

I love being mortified by what people eat, so now I got myself into reading Twinkie Deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger who does an in-depth analysis of the ingredients in a Twinkie and many other processed foods (most of which I try to avoid). It's fascinating to read so I've set aside about three other books I'm currently reading in favor of finding out what *are* those ingredients I cannot even pronounce that can be found in processed food. More later... :)

I have always loathed Twinkies. I did not like them as a child and cannot see myself ever eating one again - and that was before I knew what was in them! Someone in the group read that one last year and I think I put it in the BlackHole then. I must go check . . .

I'm not a big fan of processed food either - but I can't read about it.

Someone once told me that if you're going on an extended hike in the Grand Canyon, two non-perishable items they list to take are Twinkies and Velveeta. I always knew there was a reason not to eat those things.

#82 - I'll work on that. I've never been terribly good at poetry. Guilt poetry though, I can see I might have potential.

I've got a pretty strong stomach but the worst I've heard about, I think, are the people who put the Twinkies in the deep fryer and sold them at the county fair. That's right, Deep Fried Twinkies!

Uh-huh. Those are the same people who make the deep fried Snicker bars. I'm sure that when I was 10 I would have loved it. Now it sounds like a REALLY BAD IDEA.

I am not in favor of deep frying anything, and since I like neither Snickers or Twinkies, I think I am safe from their evils.

I'd like to invite those who live near Kensington, Maryland, USA, to a local street book festival on Sunday, May 25, 2010, from 11am to 4pm in celebration of the International Day of the Book. I'll be there with my local Bookcrossing group giving away free books to festival-goers.

Here's a nice article written by one BookCrosser in my group about the festival two years ago.

Hope to see you there!

April 25, yes? We have plans that day. :( But I hope you have a lovely afternoon!

Maybe next year?

Or how about this one? I'll post a reminder closer to that date.

I wish I lived close, but unfortunately not. Have a great time, Madeline!

22. Yarn: Remembering the Way Home - Kyoko Mori



I found this little-known book (only three LT members own it) at The Book Thing in Baltimore and planned to give it away at the upcoming book festival in Kensington, Maryland. Leafing through it, however, made me put it aside to read first. Then Cheli came up with the TIOLI challenge "to read a book with something related to sweaters in the title in honor of the changes of Spring". The book was entitled Yarn, so how could I resist?

It was a calm, sort of sad memoir that was beautifully written. I understand that the author also writes novels so I shall be looking for them as well in the future. In addition, I found out that she teaches at George Mason University (which is in the DC area), so who knows? Perhaps some day I'll meet her as well. Here you can find my review of her book.

Oh, my! So far, it's the only review on LT of that book!! That doesn't happen so often. :)

Rating - 4 stars

Madeline..
Thumbs up from me on yet another excellent review!!!!

SqueakyChu, long time since I found your thread! :)

Great review! I look forward to reading it. The cover and title got me right away, and the review closed the deal.

My book about sweaters is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac which has at least 4 sweaters in it. I can't say I'll finish a sweater, but maybe. I have one on the needles right now for my daughter.

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Thanks, Linda and Jenn! I'm glad you like my review.

I think you'll like the book, although I found it a bit depressing. I wonder if the subdued tone of that book has to do with the fact that the author is Japanese. I see that she has some novels, but most appear to be young adult novels. One is a book of poetry. Perhaps I'll get that book and see what it's like.

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Ugh! Don't remind me about unfinished knitting projects. I was working on a scarf for my daughter who just left for college. In the meantime, she graduated and is now studying to retake the LSAT (the exam to enter law school). Maybe I'll finish that scarf in time for her law school graduation! Ha!

One fun project I did a few years ago was to knit a mouse (later filling it with catnip) as a gift for my daughter's and her boyfriend's cat. Sadly, the cat died recently (very young, of cancer), and we don't know where the mouse is. :(

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Hi to jadebird...Was I lost in the meantime? :)

#94: Thumbs up from me for your review as well. Nice job, Madeline. I am adding the book to the BlackHole.

Thanks, Stasia.

Popping back in again. I think May 15 is the festival I hoped to attend in the first place. I'm going to put it on my calendar and hopefully it will work out! Thanks for the reminder.

I love your review Madeline and what a find. I was the first one to write a review of American Salvage which I found to be very curious. You're right there aren't too many books on LT with no reviews written about them

Deep fried twinkies ... mmmm..... is it sad that having been away and coming back to read 33 posts in your thread, this is the one thing that stuck in my mind?

stopping by to wish you well with your book sale!

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Hope to see you in Gaithersburg, Luxx.

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You made American Savage sound like a book I'd really like. It's been on my wishlist since you reviewed it.

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Carolyn, I must say that deep fried Twinkies sound utterly horrible. :(

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Thanks for your good wishes, Linda. The festival is on - rain or shine. It's going to be a rough day as we expect lots of rain here on Sunday. :(

But it's good .. oh so good ... you have to try one... ok, half ... i'll eat the half you don't like. ;-)

...but first I have to get down to my recommended BMI (24.9). I'm trying to lose weight before summer hits hard. I'll tell you how many calories I can have, and you'll have to cut me a very small piece (just to try once...and then never again). My BMI is 27.3 now, and fried Twinkies won't help it go down! :)

>98 SqueakyChu:
I have this thing about sweaters. I have not yet managed to finish one that ends up fitting the person for whom it was started. I have High Hopes for the current one though.

Deep fried Twinkies again? Well, one bite is good, and it goes downhill from there, but it's probably worth one bite in a lifetime. County Fair Cuisine is a unique category (don't know if it can be called food).

That's the thing about knitted scaves, Jenn. They don't have to fit! :)

So true.

Sweaters do not seem terribly unseasonable this morning. Looking out at2 inches of snow, and more coming down fast.

You're still having snow? :(

We are having so much snow today that school is closing at 1:OO (in 15 min.).

It's not completely bizarre for Denver. I remember the year my daughter was born it snowed about 6 inches May 12 - I had to pick my big pregnant way into the hospital the next day through the snow and ice.
It's kind of depressing because we just had a couple of weeks of lovely weather, all the trees are blossoming, and some of them will lose limbs. We probably have about 4-5 inches at my house but we're at about 6200 feet. Nearer downtown where my husband works more like 1 inch. Crazy.

I guess there will be no soccer games tomorrow...

I am soooo glad our snow is over, but I love Denver. That's a great city in which to be living.

22. Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson



Yeah, yeah. I know I complained about this book taking a bit too long to read, but when I was done, I was simply overcome with tears. Greg Mortenson has an amazing story. It's truly worthwhile reading. I did post a review that is very brief because this book has been reviewed hundreds of times both here and elsewhere. If you're interested, you can find my thoughts about this book here.

Rating - 4.5 stars

Oh I'm so glad you liked this book, Madeline. I thought it was an amazing story and I'm just in awe of Greg Mortenson. There needs to be more people like him in this world.

I haven't actually ever eaten a whole fried Twinkie before ... Jenn is right .. one bite is enough ... anything more and it becomes a little sickish.

I'll be glad to read Mortenson's newest book. It's co-written by a different writer so I think it will be an even better read.

I think the first book should have been made shortened into at least two different books. There was so much to tell, and including everything made it feel a bit too long. Nevertheless, I can see why the Greg and his co-author wanted it all in the one volume. It's a good thing I wasn't the editor. But then again, how can you cut out even one of the characters in it? Impossible!

By the way, I'd like to know what Mortenson's wife and children were doing this whole time! :)

umm.... laundry?

Probably! :)

Ha, I really wasn't expected you to rate the book 4.5 stars after all your complaining! But I'm glad you liked it in the end.

Glad you liked Three Cups of Tea. I really enjoyed it. I have Stones Into Schools in the TBR pile. Hoping to get to it soon.

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Ha, I really wasn't expected you to rate the book 4.5 stars after all your complaining! But I'm glad you liked it in the end.

You know, sometimes it's hard to rate a book while you're reading it. I think what makes a book successful in the end is how resonant it was for you, how you feel after you've finished it, and how much you remember of it later on. I think Three Cups of Tea scored high (or will score high) in those three areas.

Perhaps what made it difficult was that I was listening to it on audio tape in my car, basically just every weekend since I take the Metro to work. It seemed to take forever to finish. I'd been "reading" it for two months. I then decided to really read it via the hard copy (thinking I'd like it to end up as an official TIOLI read!), so I actually sat down with the book to finish it. Guess what? The story line moved along a *lot* more quickly after I did that. :)

>121 SqueakyChu: You know, sometimes it's hard to rate a book while you're reading.

I often find that while I'm writing my review, my rating changes as I delve more closely into what I've read; writing a review makes me appreciate a book more fully:)

my rating changes as I delve more closely into what I've read

I find that I sometimes even change my star rating afterward, upon further reflection about a book. My comments stay pretty much intact, though.

Wow! I did so well this month. I completed seven TIOLI challenge books. Three were Read-A Living-Poet (by kidzdoc). Two were Early Reviewers (by Zoe). One each were a book of short stories (by SqueakyChu, that's me!) and something to do with a sweater (by cyderry/Cheli).

I moved my remaining books to May because I doubt if I'll finish any of them before the beginning of May.

Anyhow, there's still NO WAY I'll read 75 books before the end of the year. It doesn't hurt to try, though, does it?

Congratulations on the 7 TIOLI challenge books, Madeline. That is quite an achievement - and the month is not over yet!

No, it does not hurt to try for the 75! I hope you will stick with us. You might surprise yourself yet.

Thanks, Stasia. Now it's off to bed because I'm working a book festival in the rain tomorrow. :(

By the way, if I only read short poetry books, I could easily do the 75. :D

They count, right? :)

Have a good time at the book festival. I hope the rain holds off!

Madeline

Try to stay dry tomorrow. Good luck with the book festival.

Wow! Seven TIOLI's - that's great!

*looks for umbrella, tarps, plastic bags, and boots*

#130: I was hoping the rain would miss you. Keep the books dry!

What about Madeline, Stasia? Don't you care if she gets wet or not?

I hope you AND the books stay dry.

#132: I figured the umbrella, tarps, plastic bags, and boots were for Madeline, Darryl. If she cannot keep dry under all that, there is no hope for her :)

--> Thanks, everyone!

I'm now headed here. Our group will literally be giving away hundreds of gently used books. Latest count seems to be about 800. Two years ago, we gave away over 1,00 books. This year, however, two of our most active Bookcrossing members are still stranded in Europe. They were at the International Bookcrossing convention in Amsterdam, but their flight out of Europe was postponed until next week due to the Icelandic volcano ash in the air. We'll be back in full force, however, for the May book festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland. More on that next month.

#134: I wish I could go!

Me, too!

ME TOO!

Yes, me too.

Looks like a fun event. Wish I were there ..... I'd bring a hot toddy for you, Madeline, to keep the chills away if it rained.

It didn't rain, but I'd like that hot toddy anyway. We ended up giving away 697* books today and had lots of fun. It was a super day.

* I revised this number because I forgot to subtract the number of books that hadn't been chosen and that I brought home.

I'm glad you escaped the rain and had a great day!

Excellent!

Thanks for keeping us posted on the book sale. I'm glad it didn't rain...It sounds like a lovely day. I imagine you are very tired.

That's a lot of books to give away. Keep up the good work!

What it looked like... (I'm taking this picture)

At the festival today, a local author, Ron Ames, signed his book of poetry, Vocare, and donated one copy to Bookcrossing. I'm reading the poetry now, but sadly it doesn't speak to me. I've read about half of the poems. I'll read the other half of the book and see if I feel any differently when I'm done.

697 books given away! Sounds like a terrific turnout, Madeline, in spite of the potential for rain.

I am glad you had such a great day, even if I could not be there, lol.

Madeline, if you're still interested in trying a new living poet (or two, or three … yep, poetry is my secret advantage in the 75 books challenge!), you might enjoy Deborah Garrison's A Working Girl Can't Win – funny, sassy, very approachable. And if you feel like venturing offshore, Wendy Cope is an underrated British poet. Again, she's funny, approachable, and a better poet than she's given credit for.

Go on, there's still time!

I'll bite, Joanna, but not for the TIOLI. I added the first book you suggested to my wishlist. I'm seriously running out of time now. :)

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Could you also suggest one of Wendy Cope's books for my wishlist?

Her first, Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis is a good starter – pretty much all light and amusing, quite often written in forms. (She's a master of forms like the triolet and villanelle.) The central section is a series of spoofs of famous existing poems written by ‘Jason Strugnell’ (an imaginary character). They're pretty good spoofs too!

Her second, Serious Concerns is more … um, serious in nature – some black humour creeping in, as well as some straight poems. But still plenty of wordgames and fun too.

Those two are probably the best starting points, although there's nothing wrong with #3 If I Don't Know – it's halfway between the other two in tone, and has a few ‘versions’ of poems by the Russian poet Marina Tsvetayeva, which work quite well. (You don't need to know the originals to follow them.)

She also released a New and Selected called Two Cures for Love quite recently, but I haven't read it yet.

I'm not sure if this author's for me, but I'll be a sport and give her a try. I added the first Cope book you suggested to my wishlist. Thanks!

Just got my copy of Mother Said in the mail. Yippee!

I'll be curious to know what you think of it.

23. Vocaer - Ron Ames



This is a book of poetry given to me by the author at the Day of the Book Festival in Kensington, Maryland. He was very excited to learn about Bookcrossing and donated a signed copy of his book to us. I read the book, and, sadly, it did not appeal to me. Here are my thoughts. I'm hoping, as I pass this book along to others, that there are readers who will like the poems in this book more than I did. It was most gracious of Mr. Ames to share his book with us. I feel bad about not liking his writing that much. :(

Rating - Unrated

I admire your honesty!

A group of us were talking on another thread about negative reviews. The point that came out was that honesty is the best way to handle negative reviews. It's an intersting discussion if you'd like to take a peek at it. With this particular review, I feel better about not putting a star rating on it - since I've personally met the author and would love to give him 5 stars for being nice (but not for his poetry).

I thought your review was thoughtful and kind, as well as honest. I also thought the poem you posted with it was interesting. I too find it difficult to get past grammatical errors. They are so distracting. I hope that you can pass the book to someone who will enjoy it. Authors need thick skins - not everyone will like their work.

Bingo...well put!

I think I mentioned on another thread that I gave a negative review to the book Not Just The Levees Broke by Phyllis Montana-Leblanc. Yikes, it got nasty when she posted a very ugly reply to my review and to another review similiar to mine. Not only did she post critically, but others as well...

It soured me to writing reviews on Amazon.

>155 SqueakyChu:: I thumbed your review for Vocare because it was the most positive negative review I've read...if that makes sense. I liked how you even included one of his poems that you could relate to. Poetry is hard to review imo, and you did a fine job.

>145 SqueakyChu:: Cool picture, but where are the throngs of people? FREE books, after all. Wish I lived closer. I'd have been there with my rain gear and tote bag. What a great service project!

Finally, just want to thank you again for all your hard work on the TIOLI challenge. It's so much fun to see what you come up with each month. The only bad thing about it is I want to keep a large TBR pile to choose from. Oh well, as long as I have a big house I might as well fill it with books!

it was the most positive negative review I've read

LOL!! I don't want to hurt this author's feelings if he joins LibraryThing, as I suggested, and finds my review of his book. Gulp!

The day of the Kensington book festival was overcast and threatening rain all day. A sunny day would have brought more people. We figure that we did give away somewhere between 600 and 1,000 books, though. We're bringing well over 2,000 book to the Gaitherburg Book Festival on May 15th. That festival is free so come on over. Wish us a sunny day!

--> 160

You're welcome about the TIOLI. The hard work is worth it to see that people are having fun with it. I enjoy it just as much as others because I know ahead of time *only one* of the challenges that come each month. :)

>>155 SqueakyChu:: Very impressed with how you handled that review! It was honest, but thoughtful and kind. Nice job. :)

Thanks. That was one of the hardest reviews I've ever written.

*looks to the left and right to see if (and also worried about whether) the poet/author is reading my review right now*

24. The Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon



Boy, did I ever like the experience of reading this book! More details on my review.

Rating - 4.5 stars

Great review! I had a hard time getting into Shadow of the Wind, but I might give this one a try.

I'm really pleased you liked this book as I have it lined up to read this year. It garnered quite a few mediocre LT reviews when it first came out. I'm also planning to try his YA fantasy The Prince of the Mist which has finally been translated.

--> 166

Thanks, Jenn.

--> 167

I've not yet read The Shadow of the Wind which was probably why I enjoyed this book so much. I didn't try to compare it to any other book. I just found it hard to put down and a very entertaining read in and of itself.

It must be very hard for an author to follow a terrific book and have to try to make it just as wonderful as a previous one which garnered all kinds of praise. There's so much pressure on an author in this situation.

For whoever didn't get to the Gaithersburg Book Festival, this is what you missed:



Our Bookcrossing group, BC in DC, gave away between 1,400 and 1,500 free books!

I have really got to move closer to you, Madeline! Of course, where I would put any more books I do not know.

What a wonderful turnout ... I'm so jealous, Madeline!

I'm with Stasia. Maybe you could rent out a room:)

The funny thing is, though, that the festival itself did not have a lot of attendees. This was the first of what is to be a HUGE annual event. Gaithersburg is a peanuts-sized city. I guess it wants to put itself on the map. :)

See that lady in the pink top (and looking down) in the picture? That turned out to be a woman I knew and hadn't seen for years! Small world...

I'm sure after this event, the word will spread and you'll have more people at your next one. Peanuts are small but pack a good punch! :-)

Our group really had a good time, so it was worth it to us!

25. Dracula - Bram Stoker



I did it. I finally broke down and read the first classic novel I've read in years. I was richly rewarded, too. This was a great book. I'm not enthralled with vampire lore, but I did very much enjoy the experience of reading this book. Here's my review

#177: Nice review, Madeline. Congratulations on getting outside your comfort zone, a hard thing for all of us.

I bought The Annotated Dracula last year and will probably be reading that one around Halloween. It has been a while since I picked up Dracula.

I am not a fan of Vampires either - and this is one on the list of "I can't believe you haven't read it!" Your review encourages me to pick it up. I happen to like Epistolary novels, so that was helpful information. I think I'll do like Stasia, and go for Halloween.

I'm so glad you liked Dracula! Thumbs up from me.

Me too!

--> 179

Jenn, if you like epistolary novels, for sure you'll love Dracula. The book is more about the people who befriend each other than it is about Dracula per se.

To others:

It takes a while to read, though, so I'm not sure it would work for May's TIOLI challenge - if your holiday weekend will otherwise be busy. It *will* work for Zoe's Member Recommendations TIOLI challenge for June! (Hint! Hint!) Ha!

>180 London_StJ:, 181

Thanks Luxx and Jim! Is it significant that we three Marylanders favor Dracula?

Must be something in the Bay.

Nice review, I read it last year and really enjoyed it. After reading it I felt impelled to watch Dracula movies for a while, my favourite was Shadow of a Vampire.

--> 184

There are *lots* of things in the Bay. Perhaps we've been using the wrong approach to cleaning it up. Do you think garlic would help? :)

> 185

Yeah, Kerry. I was thinking the same thing. Now I want to at least read some more vampire novels. Think I'll skip the Twilight series, though. :)

>182 SqueakyChu: Heehee, thank you for guiding people toward the Member Recommendations challenge!

You're welcome. Dracula, at least the top edition recommended, got 9 thumbs already!

I haven't read that many vampire novels, but I can recommend Elizabeth Knox's Daylight, I really liked the setting (French Riviera & caves) and the vampire lore was interesting. The other popular one is Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire. Yes, do leave the Twilight books alone.
Maybe you should venture into werewolf territory?

#177 Glad you enjoyed Dracula, it's one of my favourites! I haven't read many other vampire novels but I found The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova quite enjoyable (although not as good as Dracula).

> 190

Thanks for the recommendations, Kerry.

>190 avatiakh:

I did read The Historian, Heather. I liked the first half of the book, but ultimately found the book too long and a slog near the end.

The copy of the book that I had came from another Bookcrosser who had incuded a picture of Count Dracula in the pages of the book. When I read it, the picture suddenly fell out of the book and scared the hell out of me at the time! It was weird.

When I reviewed The Historian for Bookcrossing, someone suggested that I read Dracula. I got a copy of the book, but thought I'd really not get around to reading it any time soon. Since the Bookcrossing website is now a total mess due to its upgrade, I can't get to the journal entry for the Historian, but I do know that I got my copy of Dracula back in 2007. I'm now ready to move Dracula along to someone else who wants a truly great read.

I'm not a big vampire fan but I did like Dracula when I read it for school many many moons ago. Sorry you found The Historian tedious, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

I've had The Historian sitting on my shelf for eons but every time I think about it one word jumps out at me........vampires.

I am not a vampire fan - but I liked The Historian. I think it's more historical fiction/mystery with a side of the Dracula legend than a "vampire" book.

The picture of Dracula falling out would have creeped me out too!

#177 - I'm glad that you liked Dracula. It's one of my favorites.

26. Laundry - Suzane Adam



This is a *very* creepy book that I found by luck at The Book Thing in Baltimore. When I told bookoholic3 about this book, she said I'd love it. She was spot on. It takes place on a kibbutz in Israel, but, as the story starts, the reader has no idea to where it's going. Here's my review.

By the way, there are three reviews posted about this book here on LibraryThing. Avoid reading the long (but good!) review before you read the book itself because it really does give away too much of the story (in my opinion).

Rating 4.5 stars

That sounds like a must-read book for me. Love your review.

#197: Nice review, Madeline. I wish my local library had it.

>>197 SqueakyChu: You have successfully whetted my palate. I am now interested. I think I might just try to find it.

Thumbed you, Madeline. That's a good review and I'm certainly intrigued. I took your advice and avoided the super long review although it was quite tempting to peek. But I figured I'd rather find the surprises in the book for myself.

I can send my copy of Laundry to a BookMoocher here in the U.S. Send me a message (not private so others can see if it's been requested) so I can reserve it for you on BookMooch (I'll need your BookMooch name). (Caroline just mooched the book!)

Perhaps we can then mail this book from person to person (that's your choice, of course) as I'm not sure how easy it is to get a copy of it. It is registered on BookCrossing so everyone who gets my copy of the book can make a journal entry, if desired.

Madeline,

Creepily wonderful review. Thumb! I'll have to look for this one.

You know you're going be inundated with requests once more LTers see that kind offer of yours. I sprinted over to your profile page to send you a message. I would be happy to be part of the Laundry book chain.

Caroline, it's been reserved for you on BookMooch. Go get it!

>198 avatiakh:

Kerry, this book is right up your alley. I know you'll love it.

>199 alcottacre:, 200, 204

Stasia, Jim, & Bonnie:
I don't think this book will be all that easy to find. Perhaps my copy can keep on travelling?

I've asked my library to purchase a copy.

Will they do that? If so, that'll be great!

I mooched it, Madeline. Thank you so much ..... whoopeeee! I feel like I've just won the lottery!

Hi Madeline

I'm so darn far behind in the threads. Tonight I'm visiting yours and as always, enjoy time spent here. Your reviews are wonderful.

In particular, I liked your review of The Angel's Game and have added this book to my tbr pile.

Sending all good wishes to you,

Linda,

Have you read The Shadow of the Wind yet? My husband said that The Angel's Game was almost like the exact same book!

Psst! Go take a look at the TIOLI thread (post #233). I wrote a funny story there. You'll have to know about the June TIOLI challenge in order to fully appreciate it. :)

I own a copy of The Shadow of the Wind, given to me as a gift. OH, if only I had lots and lots and lots of time to read all the books that are on my shelf. If I stop going to the library, I might read more of those I own...But, alas, on my way home tonight, I stopped and obtained six-seven more.

I just finished an incredible PBS dvd on Lewis and Clark and now I'm trying to learn more about their expedition.

What a unique experience you had to re-connect with a long ago acquaintance at your books sale.

I had an even better experience recently with a long-ago acquaintance. I found a woman on Facebook who was one of my best friends in high school. We met last week after not seeing or hearing from each other for 40 years. It was great fun!

And Laundry goes onto the TBR pile!

David
My experience is that you cannot go wrong with Madeline's recommendations.

Great story over in TIOLI, Madeline .... so write the rest and I'll read it as my June challenge. :-)

For those looking at my story over on the TIOLI thread, you need to know that I wrote the story with all the book titles currently listed in the TIOLI main challenge. The list of titles can be found in Challenge # 1 on this page.

Fun story! Can't wait for the next installment...

Can't wait for the next installment...

I think my story was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Anyone else is free to take on a story for another challenge. :)

27. As She Climbed Across the Table - Jonathan lethem



I'm not sure how to describe this book. A love story? An urban science fiction? A satire of university research? I like this author, but some of his works I like better than others. I started out not liking this book, but liked the ending. Go figure! What's it about? A man's girlfriend falls in love with nothing. No kidding! I know you don't understand. You can read more here, but I'm not sure that will help much either. You might just have to read the book. Ha!

Rating - 3 stars

28. Rubyfruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown



This is a quick read, but the story leaves something to be desired. I probably would have been more impressed with this book had I read it 35 years ago. Here's my review.

Rating - 3 stars

#223: Nice review, Madeline, but I think I will be skipping that one.

I remember glancing at this when it was first out, but finding the writing less than appealing. I think you're right that this was an early book to deal pragmatically with homosexuality, certainly before the much better Oranges are Not the Only Fruit.

I read Oranges are Not the Only Fruit a few year ago and liked that story much better (except for the fables in between the chapters - I found those annoying). A more recent read, which was kind of fun and also deal with lesbianism, was Dykes to Watch Out for by Alison Bechdel.

29. An Eagle Named Freedom - Jeff Guidry



I throughly enjoyed this book. If you love animals, if you care about relationships, if you have a spiritual side...this is a great book for you. Read more here in my review.

Rating - 4.5 stars

#227: Into the BlackHole it goes! Thanks for the recommendation, Madeline.

#227 - I am adding it to my list as well. Great review!

>228 alcottacre:

You're welcome Stasia.

> 229

Thanks, Jenn.

I'm such a softy. I pretty much cried my way through that book. I simply have no tolerance for seeing an animal suffer.

Look who I ran into at the ALA convention in DC today...



That's Abby and Tim, with me on the right (if you haven't already guessed).

How fun!

Oh, that's exciting! I'd love a chance to argue with Tim in person ;)

Great pic, Madeline.

Thank you so much for Laundry. While some scenes were pretty disturbing, on the whole, I really liked the book. By the way, I tried to go to www.bookcrossing.com to list it, but I keep getting an error message for the page. Did the site get taken down?

Madeline.

Hi. I'm spending some time reading threads today and realized I'm behind on yours. What a wonderful photo. I hope you had a great time at the ALA conference.

After reading your review and Caroline's, I'm adding Laundry to the TBR pile. And, I cannot resist An Eagle Named Freedom.

All good wishes to you!

--> 23

Zoe, we talked about you! You're the person we both most like to argue with...and listen to! :)

--> 234

I just clicked through the BookCrossing link in your message and that link worked for me.

> 233

Luxx, I can't tell you how much fun it was to see Tim and Abby as real live people!

> 235

The highlight of the conference was really meeting Tim and Abby because everything there was pretty much geared to librarians. I didn't have time to stay for presentations (author talks) because I had to get back early to go to a drum concert tonight.

An Eagle Named Freedom is a nice read. Hope you enjoy it, Linda.

>236 SqueakyChu: I think that's something to be proud of! :D

I had a sudden flashback to parent-teacher interviews... I was always eager for my mother to get home and tell me what the teachers said about me!

#231: Great picture, Madeline! Congratulations on getting a chance to argue with Tim face-to-face.

>239 SqueakyChu:: That would have been the highlight for me, too. It's great to be able to put smiling faces with names....yours included!

I'm going to be on the lookout for An Eagle Named Freedom. I'm a real softy myself when it comes to animal stories. I picked Grayson as my favorite NF book for the month of June. It really spoke to me. I guess it's because my 6-year-old granddaughter speaks "whale" much of the time! :-)

Donna, have you read Marley & Me yet? If not, that (nonfiction) dog story is definitely for you.

By the way, if anyone wants my copy of An Eagle Named Freedom, I'd be willing to reserve it (USA only, please) for you on BookMooch. It's a small hardcover book so it wouldn't be expensive to ship. It's also registered with Bookcrossing so it has a Bookcrossing label taped inside the front cover. To get it, please leave a message on my LT profile page. Do not make your request private so that others may see if it has been spoken for. Thx!

I'm going to lookout for An Eagle Named Freedom as well... I'll have to have a box of tissues at my side, I assume. I just lose it with animal stories too, sometimes even when it's not supposed to be sad, just at the sheer amazement of animal intelligence... aaah, I'm such a sap!!!

*passes Faith some Kleenex* :)

When we were in Yellowstone last summer, each day we passed an Eagle's nest, high, high up in the sky in the tree.

It was such a delight to see the grand eagle perched nearby.

What marvelous creatures they are.

I don't think I've ever seen an eagle in the wild. What a special experience that must have been, Linda.

Are you a birder? If so, I have a book to recommend. :)

Yes, I am a novice birder. We have a feeder and I love to watch the cardinal visit. I also note that gold finch seem to travel in pairs. My butterfly bushes draw teeny, tiny hummingbirds.

Please do tell me your book recommendation.

Actually there are two.
1. To See Every Bird on Earth by Dan Koeppel
2. The Big Year by Mark Obmascik

These are nonfiction accounts of serious birders. I greatly enjoyed both books. I hope you do as well.

I'm going to add both of those to my TBR list as well! I'm just learning to recognize our local birds... the interest came out of my fascination with exotic birds (parrots, mostly).

>243 SqueakyChu:: Yes, Madeline, I've read Marley and Me and have sniffled through the movie. Good stuff.

>248 Whisper1:: Linda, I saw some of those teeny, tiny hummingbirds when I was out weeding my garden this morning. I wish they would pluck off some of the Japanese Beetles that are also attracted to my Butterfly Bushes.

Oh, I almost forgot to say we have baby Cardinals nesting in the same Butterly Bush. It's a busy place!

Gahhh, Marley and Me movie......I sobbed my way through that one. Just too gut wrenching and brought familiar memories of beloved dogs gone to the great beyond.

Bonnie. I have such a difficult time reading a book or watching a movie wherein the beloved dog dies.

Madeline
Thanks for the recommendations re. the bird books. I've added them to the pile.

30. The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama



Had I read this book while I still didn't know Barack Obama, I'd sure have been impressed. Here is a book that almost totally agrees with all of my political ideas. Now that Obama is president, however, not much in the book was new to me. I know our president and how he feels about issues pretty well. I'd have given this book 5 stars if it had to do with only political ideas. The truth, though, is that it only gets 3.5 stars as I didn't find what I already knew very stimulating as reading material.

Rating - 3.5 stars

31. NP - Banana Yoshimoto



I liked this quick-to-read book very much. It's probably the best of the few books I've read by this author. The story is of a young woman whose life becomes entwined with the children of a recently deceased novelist. We learn that, in the past, this woman was the girlfriend of the novel's translator, a relationship which unfortunately ended with his suicide.

What I liked most about this novel was that I wasn't certain where the story was taking me and whether or not to be frightened by it. Yoshimoto often uses death as a theme, with this book being no different in that respect. The story has an undercurrent of sadness, again a feeling which pervades much of Yoshimoto's writing. The narrative is sparse, like much Japanese literature in translation. I appreciated how the novel dealt with the uncertainties of friendship. One often is not sure just how meaningful a friendship really is. Since I wasn't too sure in this story either, that was one of the touchpoints that kept me on edge while trying to quickly find out what happened in the end. I was not disappointed as I like the almost surrealistic way the story was told and felt satified with its ending.

(I more or less said the same things in my posted review.)

Rating - 4 stars

#255: Too bad my local library does not have that one. Nice review, Madeline!

32. Outwitting History - Aaron Lansky



I agree with those who told me how much I'd enjoy this book. Boring title, but great read! It's the story of how one young man recognized that both the Yiddish language and books published in Yiddish were slowly disappearing. His goal to was to collect as many books published in Yiddish as he could to preserve a vanishing literature and window into a bygone culture specific to Jews who spoke this language. For more about this terrrific book, here's my review.

Rating - 4.5 stars

#258: I am glad you enjoyed that one, Madeline. Nice review too!

#258 - Your review reminded me about this book, which I'd heard of before. This time, I'm going to look for it.

#258 -- What a fascinating story! Must hunt that one down...

Madeline...yet another great recommendation and review from you!

Well, that sounds different and interesting!

33. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch



This book came recommended by richardderus. It was a quick read, funny in places, but nevertheless sad. In the book, a college professor who has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer gives his last lecture to his students at Carnegie Mellon University. You can read more of my thoughts about this book in my full review.

Rating - 3.5 stars

#264: I will get around to that one eventually. It would fit into the Walla Walla TIOLI challenge for this month, but I do not think I have time for it.

Nice review, Madeline.

Thanks, Stasia. Actually, I did read it for the Walla Walla challenge. It's a really small book. I read it in four days. You could probably finish it in hours.

#266: If I have time, I will try and sneak it in, but as I have 11 more books to read for various challenges before July 31st, it is highly unlikely.

Michael has watched The Last Lecture several times, and bought the book for the boys. I've seen parts of the lecture, and I found it very sad.

The part of that book that really tore me apart was when Randy Pausch was talking about his kids. I'd been diagnosed with breast cancer when my daughter (who will be 24 years old this month) was two years old. Even worse than the thought that I was imminently going to die (which I believed at the time I was diagnosed) was that my daughter would grow up never even knowing me. My sons were a bit older so they'd at least have had a vague memory of me. Fortunately for me, I did not have a recurrence (yet, anyway) of my breast cancer and marvel at the fact that my kids are now grown up people who know me almost too well. :)

was that my daughter would grow up never even knowing me.

I can't tell you how often this very fear goes through my head, and I'm perfectly healthy. I'm so glad you came through the ordeal safe and sound!

Thank goodness you beat cancer Madeline. I've stayed away from The Last Lecture because the bits and pieces I've seen of the video have seemed like the saddest thing ever. Good review though as usual:)

What Luxx said!

> 271

Thanks, Bonnie. I enjoyed your review of Fault Lines as well.

>254 SqueakyChu:: (Yeah, I know, I'm a little bit behind on the threads) I know our president and how he feels about issues pretty well

That's why I couldn't understand why people complained that they didn't know where Obama stood on issues. After all, it was out before the Presidential race began. I think people (and *maybe* I'm guilty of it too) just parrot what they hear on all the political talk shows. I don't know how anybody who read both his books can be all that surprised by his presidency.

34. Man Walks Into a Room - Nicole Krauss



What a boring book! For a good writer, I wish Nicole Kraus would have written something that were more fun to read. This book just dragged. More here.

I'd like to steer others away from this book and into a book of this author's that I like better. Try The History of Love, but take notes so you don't lose track of who's who. That's a much more entertaining read.

Rating - 2 stars

Huh. Well, there's one I don't have to put on the wish list. Hope the next one's better!

#276: OK, not adding that one to the BlackHole. Maybe your next book will be better for you!

75-ers sure are a talkative lot. We're not even in the groups with the highest number of members, yet we always manage to score highest in the Most Active This Week. This week I see we have 3,108 posted messages. That's for only 709 members!!

Just sayin'. :)

We are a chatty bunch:)

#279/280: Who, us?

35. Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer



This is a horrifying and scathing report on factory farming of food animals (turkeys, chickens, pigs, fish, and cows) by the recently-turned-vegetarian novelist Jonathan Safran Foer. Here's my review of his book.

Rating - 4 stars

#282: That one is already in the BlackHole. I know I will get to it eventually, but I have no hope at all of turning my husband into a vegetarian.

Sounds like the book version of Food Inc. After seeing that movie and reading Omnivore's Dilemma we switched to organic meat and try to eat a whole lot less of it. It is truly horrifying to see where our food really comes from.

The issue, I think, is that you and I are some of the few people open to learning about this issue. The problem comes with the vast majority of our population who don't want to know and who don't care for various reasons (with egoistic self-satisfaction and price being two not insignificant reasons). I like the way in which Foer indicates that becoming vegetarian has a subtle influence on others. I'll probably not become a vegetarian, but I've already become a lessmeatarian, a term coined by cookbook author Mark Bittman.

Can I just point out that not all farming is factory farming? I know it's by far the most common way to raise meat animals in the USA and UK, but in Australia and New Zealand ruminants at least are raised on grass outdoors in 99% of cases. And if you want to make a difference, buying organic and freerange meat (and asking for it in places that don't advertise it) will help those farmers who do things ethically to survive. Because most farmers are getting less money for their animals now than they were twenty years ago.

And you can really taste the difference in the meat down in AU and NZ. It's a lot more flavorful compared with US beef, in my opinion.

It isn't that hard to find organic and free range meat from a coop or area ranch. You just have to look, and have a large-ish freezer and maybe a friend or two who want to buy a cow with you (:. Doing it that way, we spend about $3.50/lb (sometimes less) which I think is a great deal. There are also many food coops and farmers markets.

My father grew up on a sheep ranch. They raised their sheep on grass, and sold them mostly locally. I grew up on lamb and beef from my Grandfather's farm. The flavor is incredibly different from what you can buy in the supermarket. The first time I cooked with store-bought lamb I nearly gagged.

I think the more people willing to look for better quality food, the better. If you or family members are not wanting to go vegetarian, there are lots of options.

I have a teensy issue with the "organic" food thing - meaning that sometimes in the local supermarket, there is no way to know if the $4 "organic" celery you are buying is really any different than the 99 cent celery. I think it's good to find a balance somewhere between going bankrupt buying over-priced food and eating the best quality you can find.

I have a teensy issue with the "organic" food thing - meaning that sometimes in the local supermarket, there is no way to know if the $4 "organic" celery you are buying is really any different than the 99 cent celery.

You're exactly right, unfortunately. “Organic” should be an ethical position, not a brand. The best way is to avoid the supermarket altogether if you possibly can – buy from growers directly, or via a co-op, or at a farmer's market – anything to break some of the stranglehold that supermarkets have over the entire food supply chain. (If you haven't read Not on the Label yet, do: it has all the explanations you need.)

And, um, sorry for highjacking your thread, Madeline …

And, um, sorry for highjacking your thread, Madeline …

This is not highjacking my thread at all. "Foodie" conversations *greatly* interest me. I'm always ready to listen to them and to jump right in.

For those that don't know, I belong to a CSA and am the editor of its newsletter. I often get to say whatever I want about food. It's a great forum for me!

For those not familiar with the concept of CSA, it's a cooperative arrangement between a farmer (our farmer grows organic produce) and customers in which customers pay an upfront seasonal fee for a weekly share box of produce. I love it! CSA stands for community supported agriculture. I know our farmer although I've not yet had the pleasure of visiting her farm which is situated within the state in which I live (Maryland).

anything to break some of the stranglehold that supermarkets have over the entire food supply chain

I so totally agree. I also advocate that people try to grow their own vegetables (or even just herbs) on a small scale. It's fun and so rewarding.

ETA: I wishlisted the book you recommended.

Just for fun:

I'm posting the editorial article here that I posted to last Monday's CSA Newsletter. I thought you'd enjoy it...

----------

Which foods should I avoid buying?

When choosing produce to buy in a grocery store, shoppers are often faced with the dilemma of whether or not to choose organic versus conventional. This choice is not made easier by the sometimes significant price difference between the two and the more difficult economic climate of today. In an effort to help others with this puzzling question, the Environmental Working Group publishes a yearly list of the foods most likely to have the heaviest contamination by pesticides. Fortunately, it also provides a list of produce least likely to contain pesticides. These lists were updated June, 2010. Perhaps you’d like to keep both lists handy for your next trip to the grocery store.

In order, starting from most contaminated, the “dirty dozen” are: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale/collards, potatoes, and (imported) grapes.

In order, starting with the least contaminated, there are: onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mangoes, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwifruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupes, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, and honeydew melon.

As you can see, not all of the aforementioned produce are “local”, but that’s another issue entirely!

Madeline Guzman, editor

Source: Vegetarian Times (September 2010 editorial)

Slightly off topic, but concerning sustainable food supply, my son just watched End of the Line which is a documentary about overfishing. This was after we saw the news about research on beached whales that shows that they are starving as we continue to overfish, upset the food chain and deplete their food supply.
I recommend also the novel My year of meat by Ruth Ozeki for anyone wanting even more reasons to become vegetarian or lessmeatarian.

My Year of Meat is a delightful book, although I could not get into Ozeki's following book.

My husband and I love to fish. When our boys were young, we would take them fishing along the Chespeake Bay. As the years progressed, available fish (bluefish, corakers, white perch) dwindled so badly, the rockfish became illegal to catch because of their scarcity, and the blue crabs were hardly to be seen any more. It sort of took the fun out of this sport for us.

Fish farming is *not* the answer, either!

Madeline, any thoughts on starting a new thread? This one is at almost 300 posts. Richard will get you, you know!

Are you going to tell Richard? :)

Ooo, I was wrong! It was Stasia!

291 - great editorial and great information.

In one of my classrooms in college there was a quote - which I don't remember perfectly - that had a significant impact on me. It said something to the effect that we are in real trouble when we forget that milk comes from a cow, not from the supermarket.

Now that I have children, especially because we live in an urban area, I am grateful for the option of CSA's, local ranches, farmer's markets, and MY garden, so that I can impress on my children that food does not actually come from the supermarket.

Thanks!

forget that milk comes from a cow, not from the supermarket.

...except for the milk that comes from other mammals. :)

I wish I knew the quote. I'd add it to a future Newsletter.

Great conversation here. We have long shopped local; we happen to be in a part of New York State where fresh produce is very bountiful and we have had a large garden for over 30 years so we eat our way through the seasons, starting with spinach, lettuce, peas, strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries; into the mid-season bounty of beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers, peaches, plums, cherries, summer squash and ending with cauliflower, broccoli, apples, pears, blueberries, potatoes, acorn squash, butternut squash, and pumpkins----all from our own garden or purchased at the local farms and farmers' markets.

Just picked the green beans from our garden that are going into tonight's dinner. The potatoes and the onions are from my CSA box.

ETA: While I was at the library today, I couldn't help myself. I ended up buying the Vegetarian Times Cookbook from the library sale shelf. Shhh! Don't tell my husband! :)

Lessmeatarian, I like it. I also belong to a CSA, this is our second year and it is the greatest decision I ever made. I carry the dirty dozen and clean 15 list with me if I need to pick thing up at the grocery store. The local organic farmers market is great but is only open on Saturday :(

I think the more the topic is discussed, the more people are informed and that can only be a good thing.

Lessmeatarian

I read another term yesterday. The Vegetarian Times Cookbook calls us "flexitarians"! :)

The local organic farmers market is great but is only open on Saturday

Interestingly enough, that was the reason I first joined my CSA too. When I started to work days during the week and being Jewish, I opted out of making Saturday my grocery shopping day (a local farmer's market day).

Oops! Forgot to add that my new thread starts here.