Sundays on the Acre, Take 11

Jude says I need a new thread.

A note about my rating scale:

3 stars or below - Not Recommended

3.5 stars - Guardedly Recommended

4 stars - Recommended

4.5-5 stars - Highly Recommended and you best get the book in hand now!

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
http://www.librarything.com/topic/86242
http://www.librarything.com/topic/86988
http://www.librarything.com/topic/87831
http://www.librarything.com/topic/88858
http://www.librarything.com/topic/89413

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
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebekah Skloot
At the Hands of Persons Unknown by Philip Dray
On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M. Poole
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer

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
The Straight and Narrow Path by Honor Tracy
Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski
The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa
Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip
Silence by Shusaku Endo
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Young Adult
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
The Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian

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!

Just in the nick of time.

#2: Woo! You were quick!!

Found you:) Wow, the other thread had over 300 posts. Did you push it as long as you could? I didn't even notice in the end, the number of posts I mean:)

#4: I was really hoping the last thread would last longer than a week. It made it for 8 days, so I guess that is progress.

#3 - Just a case of being in the right place at the right time!

Hey, Stasia, guess what? Now I can't find my copy of Norwegian Wood, but I found Daddy Long Legs! I definitely need to work on those organizational skills!
--BJ

Thanks much...I would miss you if i expired in the process of actually finding you..
;-}

Well, we're in week 17 (according to my calendar) and you're at thread nr 11. At this pace you will at least make it under 50 threads this year:)

I am shocked, simply shocked, that the thread policeman had not come down on your case, Stasia. He must have been distracted--didn't he say Turkish Delight was back in town?

***Starred Ya***** Wave :)

here

Hello, found you!

You tried to lose me, but I found you!

Some belated comments about your other thread:

I think I need to go forth and read Daddy Long-Legs as well! I keep hearing good things about that book.

Also, covers are great. I recently suggested that the LT recommendations page should show covers rather than just titles and authors, but it hasn't caught on yet. Maybe some day....

I'm message #16? I guess that's not so bad, I did work today! No internet on the route, you know! Would be nice, though!

I back up the recommendation of Daddy Long-Legs What a great book!

Stasia

Only 89 more threads to go for this year!

#7: Maybe we can take a class together on how to get organized, BJ :)

#8: I would miss you too if you expired, Jude! No expiring allowed on my watch.

#9: Good! I know Linda is still pushing for 100. I am NOT doing that.

#10: Yea, I think he was so busy with Turkish Delight he had no time for me. Woot!

#11-14: Glad to see you all here!

#15: I picked up the sequel to Daddy Long-Legs, Dear Enemy, at the library today. I hope it is as good. Enjoy, Zoe!

#16: Mark, you could always get an I-Touch or some such thing that has Wifi for carrying along the route, couldn't you? lol

#17: I am glad you liked that one too, Jenn.

#18: Nope, you are dreaming. I am not going there.

Stasia -

Here, catching up. Added Daddy Long-Legs so I will remember to look for it at the library. Thanks.

Love and HT

R

#21: You are supposed to be sleeping, woman! I hope you enjoy Daddy Long-Legs though :)

Yes. I know. Oh, well. What can I say ... I'll go crawl back in bed soon.

R

#23: Wafting 'good sleeping' thoughts your way, Ruthie . . .

Thanks. I'm gonna give it a go. It's chilly here tonight and a warm bed sound really good to me ... down comforter and all.

R

Morning Stasia! It looks like some of you are just making your way to bed, as I have my 1st cup of coffee for the day!

Nope, not heading to bed yet, Mark. Too early for me - it is not even 6am yet.

I should know when I click on your thread and it says I only have 10 messages unread that there must be a link to a new one at the bottom! Enjoy the rest of your week!

#28: Thanks, you too!

Have you starred! Looks like, at this rate, you will have 75 threads by the end of the challenge!

#30: 75 is still better than the 100 Linda seemingly wants me to have this year!

Stasia My Dear Friend

You began thread #11 yesterday and now there are 32 messages (counting this one.)

Bask in the glow and knowledge that you are loved.

>32 Whisper1: Loved?! More like "feared"! If we don't come post on her thread, she'll come to *ours* and start recommending books! The terror of this eventuality keeps me posting...every day except Sunday.

Fear is a kind of love...okay, maybe not. "Healthy respect" then.

Thank you for starting a new thread - it gives me an excuse for giving up on trying to catch up on the last two (I will keep track of no. 11, I will)! ;o)

#33: Now, Richard, have I ever recommended a book to you? No, but you have recommended 10 gazillion to me! And I certainly have not noticed you posting every day - too busy with Turkish Delight?

#34: I am not sure I like that. I will have to decide :)

#35: Promises, promises, Fliss. Two threads behind? You have missed some good stuff!

#36 I know - I just seem to be fighting a losing battle of the threads right now! Strictly speaking, it's only 1 and a bit threads really, if that makes it any better ;o)

#37: Nope. It does not help. You are now officially in Stasia's doghouse :)

Sorry Stasia. I'll never do it again. Honest! ;o)

#39:OK, you are forgiven this one time!

Thank you Stasia (bows head in shame)...

Wow, Stasia, you are rough on us!

R

Ack! I think I missed an entire thread when I was away last week... LOL... oh well, I'll just sit around here and await this week's crop of books on Sunday... that is, if you haven't started yet ANOTHER thread by then... o_O

Faith...count on it...I believe another thread will be in place by Sunday.

#42: Ruth, you were given an excused absence :)

#43: I refuse to start 2 threads in 1 week!

#44: No, there won't!!

We will just wait and see Missy.....

It is only Wednesday....

#45 We will see about that!

#46 Thursday now, but I agree with you on the underlying point.

OK, I admit it: I have a serious problem. I have told myself that over the summer (June/July/August), I need to be reading books exclusively from my personal library. So what do I do today? I go to the library and check out 7 more books - to go along with the 91 books I already have from there! Sheesh. No self-control whatsoever. Now what do you think the chances are that I can read 98 books by June 1st?

Pretty high, actually.
You're really asking us???

#49: No, I am not really asking. I just needed someone to commiserate with me, lol. Misery loves company and all that rot.

Heh - heh - But we're NOT miserable. We love this. I was just listing on my thread the books I have a book mark in. Literally days after finishing a similar size pile. Sometimes it's so hard to decide what to read next that I have to choose 3 or 6.

The first day of summer is officially June 21st so you have an extra three weeks!

#51: I have found the wiki very helpful in regard to keeping track of what I am reading. It keeps me organized (me? organized?), especially since I am routinely reading anywhere from 18-20 books at any given time.

#52: That is very good news for me! Thanks!!

Probably a stupid question, but what is the wiki and how does it help?

#55: I wish I could come up with some witty definition of what a wiki is, but I cannot. What I can do is direct you to the bottom of any LT page where you will see 'WikiThing' and it can give you all kinds of wonderful info.

Basically, I use my wiki to track my reading (and yes, help keep it organized). Other people probably use theirs for more meaningful stuff.

Everyone on LT has their own wiki page, so you have one, you just probably are not aware of it.

I'm familiar with wikis elswhere, I just had no idea I had one. Neat.

#57: If you had heard of wikis elsewhere than you are doing better than I did. I had never heard of such a thing until LT and then Madeline (SqueakyChu) made them up for the monthly TIOLI challenges and urged me to give one a go, so I did. Thus far, LT has not exploded.

Stasia, who *never* recommends books to me, SOMEhow managed to add...and this is an estimate based on last month's actual count...37% of my wishlisted material on Amazon and here: There is a book that I've just read which you ***MUST*** procure and read ASAP even if it means buying the darn thing--A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF EAST AFRICA by Nicholas Drayson.

It is the single most charming, moving, and elegantly written love story I've read in 2010. Had I not checked it out from the liberry, I'd send it in the package, it's that good. It's only ~200pp, so it's barely a Stasia-snack, but I can't imagine you (and Terri, and Terri, and Linda, and Lynda, and especially Tui, oh yeah and Kath, and Woofie!, and Fliss, and Laura, and Luci, and Lucy, and FAITH oh goodness Faith you'll really like it!, and Joanne!, and and and...) not loving its gentle, sweet, kindly eye cast on some very good people.

ETA PS: "wiki" is Hawaiian for "easy."

#59: 37% is not bad. I bet you have added more than that to my 10,000 or so.

I already have A Guide to the Birds of East Africa in the BlackHole. I just checked. I am going to have to buy it, I guess, since my local library does not have it. Thanks for the reminder, Richard.

>59 richardderus:: Actually, I believe it means "quick" or "fast" since Mr. Cunningham was trying to create a collaborative editing environment where changes were...well...quick and fast. :-)

I'm not sure whether we should all thank him or not. While it has opened up a lot of information (since it's fairly easy for anyone who knows something about something to start editing), it has also created a lot of sites of dubious information. Hence, the schools I know refusing to accept Wiki-sourced info in citations.

>60 alcottacre:: Stasia, I sent my sister a copy as part of the 50 Books at Age 50 package and Abe Books had a bunch dirt cheap...even by their standards. I just looked over there and there are still some for less than $2.00 including shipping.

#61: Oh, thanks Tad. I am off posthaste!

Me too. Although I'm not sure if I'm one of the Terris that Richard mentioned would like it...I'll just assume yes. Always safer to pretend everyone likes me.

>63 tloeffler: Go read your own thread, TLo....

#63 Probably a safe assumption - can't imagine anyone NOT liking you!

I don't think my ex-husband likes me very much. But then, he's weird.

#48: Which books did you get?:)

Terri

The man is pretty weird if he doesn't like you!

#66 I don't think the opinions of ex's count unless they are positive.

>48 alcottacre: I'm sorry, Stasia, did you just say you have 98 books out from the library?

My library has a 50-item limit per card, and I will admit to sometimes getting close. I think when I was in school I was averaging 20-30 including fun reads, school reads, and stuff for my family. But now that I'm there 4+ days a week, I've made up a 5-book limit for myself which I sometimes stretch to nine. :)

And I've got 70+ books I own on my TBR pile...

> 48 & 70 I was going to ask if Stasia has library cards under assumed names. My library has a limit of 30 for books and different limits for other types of media.

She slips 'em a few bucks under the table.

Our library has a 150-item limit. I love telling patrons the number and then listening to the giggles. DVDs and CDs do have a lower limit, however - 20 of each can be checked out.

Karen O.

Our library limits videos to three per family, but has no limit on books checked out -- though the computerized circulation system (shared by the whole federated system and set to county library perameters, I guess) annoyingly makes us click an "override" for each book over (and even a few approaching) 50.

We have homeschoolers, preschools and daycare centers who use our library for materials who frequently exceed 50 items, but not so often individual readers.

I claim one of the "and" spots for A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. It sounds great. Actively procuring this instant.

>75 nittnut: OOO OOO OOO! You'll thoroughly enjoy it.

My library has a copy of A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. I'm heading there Saturday morning and hope to read it this weekend. Thanks again Richard! I was reminded of my love of books regarding East Africa when tututhefirst (Tina) recently noted she recently read West With the Night by Beryl Markham.

My library also has A Guide to the Birds of East Africa and I'm willing to give it a try. Onto the wishlist it goes.

What a coincidence - I took home A Guide to Birds of East Africa from the library last week. I read a review of it somewhere and liked the cover. I'll have to go pay some more attention to it! Thanks Richard!

#67: Bente, I checked out today: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which I already own but I wanted to try the new Pevear/Volokhonsky translation; Lift Every Voice by Patricia Sullivan; Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof; Perdido Street Station by China Mieville for the group read; The Baker's Daughter by D.E. Stevenson; The Daffodil Sky by H.E. Bates; The Night She Died by Dorothy Simpson and The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum. Should keep me busy for a minute or 2.

#68/69: I agree, Terri. Stick with us - we love you, even if the ex does not!

#70: My local library has a 99-book per patron limit. I have bumped it a couple of times :)

#71: No, I do not use assumed names - I use Beth and Catey's cards as necessary.

#72: I wish I had the bucks to slip them under the table, Jim - I would ask for more than 99 books per card - something like access to the entire library every night, all night long!

#73: I need to move to wherever it is you live! 150 item limit?! I would be in heaven.

#74: I am a homeschooler, does that count? Of course, none of the books I checked out are for Catey, lol.

#75-79: There is going to be a rush of reviews on A Guide to the Birds of East Africa soon. I can see it now - "LT propels book to the top of the bestseller charts!"

Stasia

We must ask Richard if he is getting a stash of cash for recommending the book....or at least enough to buy gas and rent a huge vehicle for all your fans to get to Sherman Texas and visit you....

If he is getting cash for recommending the book, I wanna know from where! I can recommend books too! lol

If you could get money for every book you read in a year, you would be one very rich lady!

Yea, but I would not recommend them all.

I had A guide to the birds of East Africa home from the library last month but didn't get to read it so it has gone back on my tbr list. I'm trying to read my own books as much as possible, I have so many unread ones.

My library (in the UK) has a 12 item limit - I think I need a low limit to keep me under control there! Stasia, how do you carry them all home?

#88: I do not check out all 99 at one time. My back would break, lol.

#80: Nice haul!

How is there only one post on here since I checked this morning? Is there a new thread?

#91: Nope, nobody has anything to say I guess, lol.

I came home with 6 more library books today. I am beyond hopeless.

> 92 At least you read quickly and have a chance of actually reading the ones you have checked out. I come home with 6 books knowing there is no way for me to read them in the time allowed.

LOL, that we think there is a new thread if there is less than 25 new posts since the last time we checked. I have done the same thing.

I just started this thread 3 days ago and it already has 90+ posts on it. Give it time - it will hit the 250 post mark before you know it.

Went to my local Tattered Cover today. Go here - http://www.librarything.com/topic/80449 - if you're interested in how I fell off the wagon today. I'm trying to feel good about the fact that I've only checked out 3 books at the library in the 2 weeks since I promised not to check out any more until I had made a dent in the TBR pile...somehow I think that actually buying books to add to the TBR pile might be a problem.

Just a drive-by---

My Library....is now the one in my house. I don't know what the limit at the Public Library is.....but I keep telling people, if funding keeps getting cut for the Public..I'll open my shelves for borrowing. But I'd be very nasty if people didn't return my books in a timely fashion..whips & chains & Huge Fines..for starters!!

;-}

Okay, Stasia's Fan Club AND Wiki wonderers -

Here's a link to a good article:

http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/what-is-a-wiki

I need to read/want to read it myself!

R

Somehow, I missed this thread. I blame it on vacation.

Ninety-seven messages. (Shakes head.)

#96: You are far better than me. I do not let people in my family borrow books, let alone strangers!

#97: Thanks, Ruth!

#98: You are never allowed to go on vacation again, Linda!!

S - I'm here wondering if you are up getting ready to post your Sundays on the Acre thread at the stroke of midnight. You are a wicked, wicked woman to pull us in like that!

I am sleeping better for the most part. Not too many nights lately of being a night owl and hanging out with you. But, tonight I went to bed and just don't feel sleepy. Oh, well.

I think I will give bed a try again very shortly.

Looking forward to reading your post tomorrow morning ... or if things don't go well (I don't get sleepy) maybe I will see you later here on LT.

Lovings and as always, Happy Trails to you ...

R

#100: I post my weekly list around 5am CT every Sunday morning, so check back early tomorrow, Ruth. I am glad you are sleeping better these days. I will be up puttering around LT for a while, so I may see you through the threads, although I am hoping you get some rest.

S -

Thanks, me too. I always seem to sleep better after I say good night to you on your thread, out there in the Lone Star state.

Good night.

L & HT -

R

#102: Good night & HT to you too, Ruthie!

This week's reads:

215. Good Evening, Mrs. Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes - I read this collection of short stories, culled from the pages of The New Yorker, for April's TIOLI challenge and am glad I did; these slice-of-life stories are all set in England during WWII - I especially liked 'Mrs. Ramsey's War', 'It's the Real Thing This Time', 'Literary Scandal at the Sewing Party,' and 'Goodbye, My Love'; recommended Mine

216. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie - it has been a long while since I read one of Dame Christie's mysteries and when Amber mentioned this one on her thread recently, I decided to give it a go; I really enjoyed this one, which is not in any of Christie's regular series, but rather a stand-alone; recommended

217. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson - young adult; very good book about the yellow fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia in 1793 (George Washington was one of the personages that left the city trying to get away from the epidemic); Anderson does a good job with her lead character of Matilda and her maturation throughout the book; I also like that Anderson included an Appendix in the book detailing further information about the epidemic and those involved; recommended

218. Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster - young adult; I remember seeing the movie years ago, but beyond the basic plot remember little of it; I found the book charming, primarily written in the form of letters, from an orphan to her unknown benefactor, and clearly reflective of a different age (the book was originally published in 1912); recommended

Continuing:

219. On Hallowed Ground by Robert M. Poole - nonfiction; Terri recommended this book, which I had to get from interlibrary loan to be able to read, and it was excellent; the history of Arlington Cemetary is fascinating as are some of the stories that go along with it - I thought the background into the decision to bury JFK there extremely interesting; highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list for the year

220. Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss - young adult; this was one of the books chosen for 'Bonnie's Salon' a couple of months ago and since I had never even heard of it, thought I would give it a go; a teenage girl and her family move to Connecticut to a house that is haunted by its former occupants who appear in a dollhouse that is an exact replica of the new house, and are acting out the house's history; recommended

221. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters - I was disappointed in this book - I kept asking myself why it was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize; I was expecting the book to blow me away and this just did not; the book is not bad, it just is not excellent either (to me, at least); guardedly recommended Mine

222. Wild Romance by Chloe Schama - nonfiction; this ER book was a disappointment as well - the research is clearly there and I would give Schama an 'A' for that, but the execution was not very good at all; not recommended Mine

The Touchstone for Wild Romance does not seem to want to work

Continuing:

223. This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart - I like Mary Stewart's books: she knows how to tell a good story and tell it well, and this book is no exception; recommended

224. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - I liked, but did not love, this book - it took me a while to get used to Mantel's style, but once I did I got caught up in the story, although I do wish there were not quite so many common names: Thomas, Anne, Elizabeth, Mary, etc. because it made the book difficult to read at times in keeping track; recommended Mine

225. Thirteenth Night by Alan Gordon - Suzanne recommended this medieval mystery series and this is the first book and a pretty good one; recommended

226. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer - nonfiction; my paperback of this book was almost 1500 pages of text, not including indices, appendices, etc., so you can imagine how in-depth it goes into not just WWII but also the causes and history behind the war; a couple of things really struck me: how many times Hitler could have been stopped prior to the war by people both inside and outside Germany and the consequences of what would have happened had Britain fallen; highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list for the year Mine

Continuing:

227. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - I enjoyed this book, which moves back and forth between 1986, and the pre-WWII years, as it tells the story of Henry and his history, due to the discovery of artifacts in a hotel basement from the WWII interment of Japanese Americans; recommended Mine

228. A Girl Called Al by Constance Greene - young adult; I discovered this one on Shauna's thread (thanks!) and confess as to being a bit confused regarding Al - is she really that self-possessed, being the daughter of a single mother and absentee father or it more the persona she is trying to grow into? - there are other books in the series, so I will try and discover through them; recommended

229. Vision in White by Nora Roberts - this has been my by-the-bed book for a month and a half now and I finally finished it; BC pure and simple!; recommended for fans of Roberts and the genre only Mine

230. Mister Monday by Garth Nix - young adult; Simply put, I got caught up in this book and did not want to set it down, very much enjoying the ride; this is the first book in Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series and I am anxiously anticipating the rest; recommended

OK, so April's top reads for me:

Silence by Shusaku Endo, At the Hands of Persons Unknown by Philip Dray, In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, Briar Rose by Jane Yolen, Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian, On Hallowed Ground by Robert M. Poole and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer. A nice variety there, I am proud of that.

I am up to 68 nonfiction reads for the year already, so my annual goal of 100 is in sight, although I doubt I will read much nonfiction over the summer.

Touchstones are being wonky!

THE END

Whew. Only one book for me this week, Good Evening, Mrs. Craven. I'm sorry that you didn't like Wolf Hall more, and that The Little Stranger was a disappointment. I'd still like to read it for my 2010 Orange Prize longlist challenge, but it will likely be the last one I get to.

#108: Darryl, I still gave Wolf Hall 4 stars, so it is not that I disliked it, but the style of the book more than anything made me not love the book. I will be curious to see what you make of The Little Stranger. I hope you enjoy Good Evening, Mrs. Craven.

Morning Stasia! Wow, another mighty reading week! Most of the people I know couldn't read that many in a year. I have never read Sarah Waters, so this might not be a good place to start. I have Night Watch in the stacks. A friend has Wolf Hall, so I'm hoping to get to that this year and I would love to read the Shirer book, somewhere in my lifetime. Have a great Sunday!

good grief stasia.... finally found you.. i missed a whole thread. woe is me...
Rough Magic looks good! KInda suits my current mood....

#110: The only other Waters book I have read was Fingersmith and I think on the whole, I liked it better, but that is just me. I also have The Night Watch hanging around my house somewhere waiting for me to get to it. Wolf Hall is definitely worth the read, so do not let my comments put you off of it. I hope you get to the Shirer book some time in your (hopefully) long life, Mark.

You have a wonderful Sunday too!

#111: I would not worry too much about losing my threads, Kath. I have a hard time keeping up with them myself.

I hope you enjoy This Rough Magic if you get a chance to read it.

>104 alcottacre:-107: Fever 1793 - I'm glad you liked it. That goes back to the 2008 group...we talked about this and then you told me about your "I know I'll never red everything but that doesn't stop me from adding to it" list that has become the Black Hole (back then you still called it a Continent).

I've never read anything by Mary Stewart beyond the first three of her Merlin trilogy. I enjoyed that, but I guess I had this impression everything else was a Gothic and that's not a genre I read much of.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich...I had forgotten about that book. It's amazing, isn't it? It was the only book my dad claimed to have read after school days—he was not a reader, that was my mom. I've wanted to read it again for decades but other books always seem to call before 1500 pages of re-read. Of course, I've re-read other books about as along, so I should just get my duff in gear.

If you liked Mister Monday, I think you'll enjoy the rest of the series since I thought they got better (though the ending may have been a trifle weak).

Btw, I just went back to look at the 2008 group since a link to it is still on my home page. Do you realize we only had 168 members and you only had 578 posts on your (single!!) thread for the year?

#114: It is hard to believe it only took 2 years for Fever 1793 to emerge from the BlackHole :)

This was my second time through The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, although it has been 20+ years since my initial read. It is an amazing read, I agree, and I imagine if given another 20+ years here on Earth, I will probably read it yet again.

I have already put the second book to the Keys of the Kingdom series on hold at the local library.

Thanks for stopping by, Tad!

>115 TadAD:: ...and four of them were in 2010, so don't count. :-D

#117: Yes, I realize those were the good old days of only 1 thread. It is hard to believe that some of us have only been together for 3 years here on LT, the way we bandy each other about.

Why can I not have 578 messages on just one thread any more? Who made up the 250 post rule any way?

Ok - not too much damage I've wishlisted Mary Stewart in general, On Hallowed Ground, Thirteenth Night and you've reminded me that one day I've got to read HotCoBaS.

Your Thomas's quip made me laugh. We were at a time-share sales breakfast in Mexico and the Hispanic salesman said "Why does everybody have names like Tom, Mary and Dave? It is so confusing."

Have a good week :0)

#119: I guess maybe it is a good thing I am a Stasia, even if no one knows how to pronounce it!

You have a great week too, Lynda!

Good Evening Mrs Craven and Thirteenth Night have gone on the wishlist. Thanks for those recommendations. Daddy-Long-Legs and Wolf Hall are in the TBR already, and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is on the wishlist, so not too many to add this week. :)

Why didn't they ask Evans? is one of my favourite Christies: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought Vision in White was okay - decent brain candy - although it was pretty forgettable and I'm in no hurry to read the rest of the set.

I read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich when I was a teenager; I don't remember much about it other than it was very detailed and absolutely massive. It's been 15 years: maybe I should read it again.

#121: You got off easy this week huh, Caty?

I agree about the Roberts book, decent BC, but I will probably read the rest of the series. I keep these kinds of books for me to read just before I go to sleep, so I do not want anything I might actually have to think about, lol.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is one of those books, I think, that almost demands re-reading. There is no way anyone is going to catch everything on just one (or two or three) reads of it. I also think it is important to re-read just so I do not forget what one man is truly capable of doing.

Excuse my stupidness but what is BC?

#123: BC = brain candy

>124 alcottacre: Aaaaaah, now there's something that would suit me just fine.

#125: Yeah, I just have to have it every now and again :)

oh, dear...oh, me...oh, my..Here I go again. I proud that I read a lot of books this week and thus could pat myself on the back for making a dent in the tbr pile...THEN I visit your thread and I'm adding five more...

Numbers 215, 218, 220, 226 and 230 go on the list.

#127: Come and talk to me when you have over 100 books out of the library! Then you might get some sympathy :)

You make me laugh...and I appreciate it.

#129: That's what I am here for: comic relief.

I've had The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich on my bookshelf, unread, for more than 30 years. The closest I've gotten to reading it was taking the cover off, because I couldn't stand looking at the swastika on the spine. Your reading it not once, but twice, Stasia, makes me think that it might become one of my summer reads.

#104-7 That's another impressive list of books there. The only one I have read is Mister Monday - sounds as though you enjoyed it a little more than I did: I preferred his Abhorsen series, but I still enjoyed Monday enough to go on to read Grim Tuesday and expect I'll read the rest in due course. Wolf Hall is waiting in the TBR pile - I look forward to trying to keep all those Thomas's apart!

I like the sound of Good evening Mrs Craven so will look out for that one. And I've read quite a few Mary Stewarts in the distant past, and one recently The Stormy Petrel which I enjoyed (set on a Hebriddean island).

I look forward to seeing what next week's crop of books looks like!

#131: I will be honest and say it is not something I would choose as a 'summer read', which I tend to think of as being light, but if you do read it over the summer, Rebecca, I do not think you will be disappointed.

If you do not want to tackle the 1500 pages of that one, you might give Shirer's Berlin Diary a try instead. It is much more limited in scope though.

#132: Hey, Genny! Thanks for coming over to my place to visit.

As far as Mister Monday goes, I think it was the timing of the read in this case. I had a rather rough week and it was just the kind of read I needed to be able to fall into.

I hope you enjoy Good Evening Mrs. Craven. I have not read The Stormy Petrel yet, so I will have to look for it.

Sunday again!

Glad you enjoyed Why Didn't They Ask Evans?. I haven't read any Christie for ages and ought to reread them but there are so many new books (and old books) crying out to be read!

Fever 1793 sounds good and has gone on the wishlist - I wonder if it will take me more than 2 years to get to it!

Daddy Long Legs I read some time ago and really enjoyed. I don't think I ever read the sequel though.

This Rough Magic is in my TBR pile so I should bump it up. I think it's my mum's copy that I've 'long term borrowed'.

I also found all the Thomas' and Henry's is Wolf Hall confusing. I suppose as it was historical fiction, Mantel couldn't really change their names to make it easier for us!

I have Mister Monday out from the library so should be reading it at some point in the next couple of weeks. Glad you enjoyed it!

Four posts of books this week! Thought your thread had been quieter than usual - you've been reading instead!

#135: The four posts of books is not my idea. LT is making me do it that way, unfortunately. It just got to be too much of a pain in the rear to try and get the reads into only one post.

I am glad to see that you found something to like in this week's books. I have Dear Enemy, the sequel to Daddy Long-Legs home from the library now although I do not know when I will actually be reading it.

#133, Stasia, the summer is a better time for me to read big books because I am usually less busy and have more time for reading, so it's easier to tackle something long than when I have to read little bits at a time. Another long book I want to tackle that has also been sitting around for a long time, on a related theme, is Hitler and Stalin by Alan Bullock.

#137: I have the Hitler and Stalin book in the BlackHole too. I think I need to buy it though - the local library has a copy, but at over 1000 pages, I like to take my time and not have to feel rushed.

Good morning, Stasia - I was sorry to see that you didn't enjoy The Little Stranger more. I preordered the pp and Amazon should be delivering it to me in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully I'll like it more! I loved both The Night Watch and Fingersmith.

#139: I am sure it is just me - lots of people enjoyed The Little Stranger more than I did. I have not read The Night Watch although I do own it.

Okay Stasia, You got me this week.. I chose 2 from your list this week.. Uggh More in my wishlist/tbr pile.. Yikes... LOL But Actually I had to add 3 cuz I needed to read the first one before I read the 2nd one you have listed.

Gonna give a go at Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss, This Rough Magic (Heirs of Alexandria) by Mercedes Lackey

#141: The This Rough Magic by Mercedes Lackey is not the one I read, Monica, so I do not know how it is. The book I read with the same title is by Mary Stewart.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stasia, When I clicked on the Link in your reads that is where it took me and I didn't look back at the author again.... Touch stones must be wacky.. LOL..

#143: They must be. Sorry about that. I try very hard to make sure I get the right Touchstones in my posts, but sometimes LT just will not cooperate. I will see if I can fix my post.

ETA: OK, I fixed it! Thanks for letting me know it was wrong, Monica.

#144 your very welcome Stasia, although it did get me some more books that looked interesting lol.. I know what you mean about them not cooperating all the time. :) It happens.

#99 I am not so good at letting people borrow mine either (unless I have somehow managed to read one that belongs to me). I am quite good at getting other people to lend me their unread books though and I use all available tools, right from a sad face to a promise of a review for them!

I like Mary Stewart too. I think she is the first author I read where I deliberately went out and looked for everything she had written. Jane Aiken Hodge was another author that I was reading at about the same time and did the same thing for. I still have some of my favorites by them on my shelves.

rushing through but had to stop in to say hello ....

Another outstanding week for you, Stasia. I feel fortunate to have only two hits this time.

I read Rise and Fall of the Third Reich quite some little time ago ( you know, like 15 years...and once before that when I was about 20) and found it depressing because Hitler did so much so (relatively) easily...no opposition. I enjoyed it far more than Shirer's Berlin Diary, which was a bit too much of "Look at how wonderful I was!" for my taste.

Almost any Christie is b.c. of the best type for me, excepting the Tommy and Tuppence books---too cute. I often go back to my small stash of her works when the world is just too much for me. Another, completely different author who works in that capacity for me is Frances Parkinson Keyes, who is really quite, uh, tacky---but so very relaxing.

I loved all those Mary Stewart gothics a long time ago. Nine Coaches Waiting and Madam, Will You Talk? stand out in my memory. I found her Arthurian books superb.

Between you and Richard, I'll have to live to be 120 to read all I want to read.

And...I hate to lend books, because I have lost so many personal treasures ( sentimental, not monetary) that way.

ETA: spelling corrcections

nice list of reads :)

Love the book graphic. You find some goodies

I dodged the SBBs again. Of course, that's not counting the 4 I already had on my list and I got her on my thread! AHHH! Justice!

Stasia, I can't believe you read all those books PLUS The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I read the Shirer book many years ago and would like to start on the new trilogy about the same time period. Can't recall the authors name right offhand (Evans?) but I've got the first one on my Kindle.

Oh yes, The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans.

That'll probably end up being a multi-year reading project as I also want to read the Shelby Foote trilogy about the Civil War first.

Well, here we go, there's a Christie I haven't read (added to TBR), and that Mary Stewart sounds wonderful (added), and... well, I wonder that I haven't yet read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, though I know my father has a copy so perhaps I'll borrow it for a bit later this year...

Daddy Long Legs is a regular reread for me--glad you liked it. I haven't read Dear Enemy since I left Savannah, but I remember liking it a lot--it's about Sally. I just put in a request for it at the library.

Rise and Fall is one of my lifetime memorable reads--I hope to reread it when I retire.

On hallowed ground : the story of Arlington National Cemetery is going on the wishlist. I can request it from the library but I will probably want to buy it.

It was an interesting and very varied list this week for you.

*Sigh* the list grows and grows and grows. This week I'll be adding A Guide to the Birds of East Africa (thanks, RD) as well as Good Evening, Mrs. Craven, Time Windows and Mr. Monday. I already have Hotel on the Corner in the pile, and I'm pretty sure my brother can loan me The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Now all I need is time to read all of these books (and a bigger house with more shelves wouldn't hurt either.)

c-a-n-t k-e-e-p u-p

You got me with Good Evening, Mrs. Craven, On Hallowed Ground and Fever 1793.

Glad you liked Rise and Fall - I was also struck by how many opportunities there were to stop Hitler. I read a book that was pretty much about the battle for England, and what the consequences might have been had England fallen...can't think of the title. *mousing off to research* - The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain. It probably deserves a re-read.

I love Mary Stewart. Other than the Arthur books, I like Thornyhold and Touch Not the Cat. There are still many to read though.

I have read Mister Monday. My son has read all of the series. He really liked the final book - Lord Sunday. I need to read the rest. He has such a long list for me. Like I need someone else keeping lists for me.

Nothing in your list for me this week ..... I am stunned!

Oh no! I'm sorry you didn't like The Little Stranger; I absolutely loved it. It's definitely an atmosphere kind of book, and if the atmosphere doesn't grab you I could see why it might fall a little flat. I also loved Fingersmith, and Tipping the Velvet too, although that one comes with an adult rating.

I think I might take your recommendation and rediscover some Agatha Christie. I used to read her as a kid and I haven't read any in a good long while. She would make for some good summer reading.

By the way...I was smart and went to the bookstore this afternoon before reading your post. Otherwise, I might have spent quite a bit more money. :)

Nothing this week Stasia (for once):)

#147: Kathy, I have never read anything by Jane Aiken Hodge. Are there any of hers that you especially recommend?

#149: Hey, Gail, nice to see you here. My favorite of Mary Stewart's is Touch Not the Cat. Have you read that one?

#150: Susan! Thanks for stopping by!!

#151: Yeah, yeah, rub it in Cheli. Your day is coming :)

#152: Linda, if it makes you feel any better, I started The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich the first week of April. It took me almost the whole month to get through it, what with all the other books too. I have the Evans trilogy in the BlackHole, but I am not sure when I will get around to it - I have to buy it first!

#153: Hey Faith, glad you found a couple to like this week.

#154: Thanks Carolyn! I hope you get a chance to read On Hallowed Ground. I think you would like it.

#155: I understand about needing a bigger house with more shelves - and we just moved into ours 2 years ago :) Thanks for dropping in, Anne.

#156: I love that graphic, Kath!

#157: Jenn, I hope you like the books you chose from this week's list. I am off to see if the library has a copy of The Most Dangerous Enemy, so you got me back already :)

#158: The world as we know it is probably coming to an end with that news, Caroline! Maybe next week.

#159: I was smart and went to the bookstore this afternoon before reading your post. Otherwise, I might have spent quite a bit more money. :) That is smart!!

#160: Again? Man, I am really slipping for you, Bonnie. Sorry about that. I will try and do better by you next week.

I agree with your comments on Wolf Hall, I also found her style took getting used to and I had to reread several passages to make sure who was who. I'm just starting out with The Little Stranger and it's my first Sarah Waters.
I have the first few books in the Mister Monday series but haven't read them yet, I loved his Abhorsen books so really should start reading them.

#165: I am glad to know it is not just me with Wolf Hall. It seems like everyone else just loved it, but I could not work myself up to love with that one.

I will be interested in your take on The Little Stranger, Kerry.

Stasia - Just got caught up, added some books, now *yawning* and hoping to get to sleep soon.

Your weekly book lists are always so varied as to genre and fiction non-fiction. Balanced. You are interested in many, many things.

Moving on, saying good night ...

Love and HT, dear one,

R

#167: Thanks for stopping in, Ruthie. I hope you enjoy the books you chose from this week's list. Thank you for the compliment. Now, go get some sleep!

I added 5 to my TBR list this week! I am sorry that you didn't enjoy The Little Stranger. It was the first Sarah Waters that I read and I enjoyed it so much that I added the rest of her books to my TBR list. Perhaps you would enjoy another of hers more. As you know, I totally agree with you on Wild Romance. Have a great week!

#169: I have read Waters' Fingersmith and I liked it more than The Little Stranger. I have The Night Watch at home somewhere to read and will get to it eventually.

I keep misreading the title Time Windows as Time Widows and going "that sounds really interesting" and then realizing that there is no such book as Time Widows.

#171: LOL! I cannot tell you how many times that has happened to me.

*trepidatious peer*

Is The List safely 50 posts away? *whew*

Safe to come back in! Hi Stasia!

#173: Chicken! lol

Hullo Stasia, I'm impressed that I've either already read or TBR longlisted the books that most interest me from your list. But I did add Daddy Long-legs and the William Shirer book and have moved On Hallowed Ground up a few notches on the longlist.

I had similar thoughts about Wolf Hall - liked it, didn't love it. I've enjoyed the books I've read so far of the Keys to the Kingdom series, though I listened to the audiobook of the first few and it's been awhile. I really should reread and then polish off the series now that Lord Sunday has come out.

#175: Hey Mary, thanks for dropping by. I am glad you found at least a couple that were not already on your list.

Oh gee. Age tells. Did I read *R&FotTR* or did I not? Maybe I can look at my copy and be able to determine the fact. And having it in hand, maybe I ought to read it but NOT NOW.) Loved Mary Stewart; love Dame Agatha (including Tommy and Tuppence), agree about Wolf Hall. The only Waters I've read is The Night Watch, and I enjoyed it so much that I've gotten the rest, except for Little Stranger, with my precious credits from PBS but haven't read a one. (I have a bunch of books on offer there, but if I don't want it, nobody else does either. *sigh*)

#177: Yes, you need to read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Peggy, even if you have read it before - I am not letting you off the hook!

Thanks for coming by.

>156 mckait: LOL

I'm with Kath

I was like Wonder Woman dodging bullets this week. I've already read Wolf Hall and The Little Stranger. I already had On Hallowed Ground on the list and hope to get to it this summer. I own no less than three copies of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (and still haven't read it), but I intend to. I have been planning to read more Christie, so Why Didn't They Ask Evans? sounds like a good specific title to investigate.

P. S. I am currently in the midst of Hunting Eichmann and it is an obsession! Thank you for pointing me toward it!

#180: I think once you finish Hunting Eichmann you will probably want to read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Sherlyn.

I hope you do try the Christie. Since it does not have any of her 'regulars,' it does very well as a stand alone, and it is fun, to boot.

>166 alcottacre:: Like, but no love here for Wolf Hall. I kept thinking while I was reading it, "what am I missing here?" Apparently, not that much!

Hi, Stasia!
Another wonderful week of reading! I really admire all the nonfiction that you are reading. I am reading 2 at the moment, but I read them slowly. I already have The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich on my tbr -- it has been sitting there for over 20 years! Maybe I will add it to be TBR challenge next year for extra encouragement. I enjoyed your reviews. Have a great day!
--BJ

--->161 alcottacre:: I don't recall Touch Not the Cat at all. My Stewart Period (I've had so many different platonic love affairs with authors that I now pretentiously refer to them as "Periods") was so many years ago...but I looked at the book's page and will probably add it to the wishlist, hoping to get it from the library. During that same time frame in my life, I read quite a few books by another author, whose name unfortunately escapes me--ah, yes, Helen MacInnes--one of the titles had something to do with Salzburg and a mystery/suspense sort of thing occurred there. I only mention this here because it seems to be the sort of thing you'd like for light reading. Salzburg Ah, there it is on Touchstones. You might try it if you haven't already.

I got off easy this time! Most of the interesting books were already on my list or I've already read them!

#182: Well, whatever it is you missed, Donna, I apparently missed it too!

#183: Hey, BJ! Thanks for the compliment about the nonfiction reading. If only I had read it at this pace last year when my goal was 150!

#184: I will see if my local library has The Salzburg Connection. Thanks for the recommendation, Gail.

#185: Maybe next week, Terri!

I enjoyed MacInnes' books a lot. The Salzburg Connection was one of her good ones (a couple were stinkers) but my favorite was Assignment in Brittany.

>165 avatiakh: Kerry, wait to read the Abhorsen trilogy until this summer. I think we are starting with Sabriel in June for a group read.

I also went through a period where I read all of Mary Stewart's books (and Phyllis Whitney and a couple of other gothic authors) back in my 20s. I KNOW I read Touch Not the Cat, but I remember not a thing about it.

#187: I have read Assignment in Brittany and enjoyed it.

#188: Time to do a re-read huh, Roni?

Evidently someone does not have anything better to do with his/her time. I apologize for the problem and appreciate those who have flagged him/her.

I've also gone to his profile and flagged him for spam there.

It's not like you need a spammer to need to start new threads all the time!

Yeesh.

no kidding!

Hi Stasia - I'm curious to see if I end up liking Wolf Hall or not. I suspect I may feel the way you do. Like, not love. I broke down and bought it a while ago so it's waiting here now.

I'm actually tempted to display it prominently in our apartment, since Wolf is my last name. (How about on the front door? "You are now entering: WOLF HALL"...lol)

Spammers getting attracted to Stasia's thread too now? As if we need more posts and more threads!

#198-200/202: If anyone needs spammers, I am pretty sure it is not me! Thanks, Rebecca.

#201: I like that idea, Angela! Maybe have a sign done up in Old English letters? I will be interested in seeing what you think of the book once you have done with it.

Morning Stasia! If that was a Spammer, what was he selling? Annoyance? Nice job!

#204: I do not know what he was selling. I blocked him after the first message and do not care to go back and read the others. It was a kid being rude.

Wow, I was going to compliment you Stasia, since it is already tuesday and you didn't need to start a new thread at sunday. You "only" had 205 posts. Well, you would have even less without the spammer, so I guess you did okey this weekend:D But I have to admit I walked in on over 80 unread messages, hopefully I can keep up now. Nice reading week for you btw, I had to add a few of course:)

#206: I hope you enjoy the books you chose, Bente! Thanks for stopping by.

All this Wolf Hall talk. I ran out an bought it last Christmas because it made so many top ten lists. All the Wolf Hall haters only started talking after I bought my copy. I have since been putting off reading it. Stasia, I'm sort of glad to hear there is a middle ground, not loved it, not hated it, just plain old, liked it. I think I might tackle it over the summer.

#208: I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to read it, Susan!

--->187 TadAD:: Oh, yes, I remember Assignment in Brittany! I loved it.

--->188 ronincats:: I had forgotten Phyllis Whitney. She was pretty popular for a while, and I read several of her books.

#198, 203-205. I did go back to his profile and unflag him as a spammer because, offensive as his posts were, they weren't "commercial spam" which is all you're supposed to flag someone as on a profile page.

Mixed results here for me this week - I read Fever 1793 several years ago when my daughter brought it home from school - we both loved it. On Hallowed Ground is already on the wishlist, and so is Wolf Hall. Rise and Fall of the Third Reich looks like a difficult, but important, book so that one lands on the wishlist, and I'm also going to look closer at Thirteenth Night since I'm a sucker for a good mystery series. So, 3 misses, one certain and another probable hit. I think I came out slightly ahead!

#212: The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is decidedly an important book, but I did not find it a difficult read at all - merely lengthy.

#213 That's good to hear - long, I can deal with. Long AND hard are usually more than I can stand.

#214: I understand that problem completely!

Stasia

Am I correct in remembering that last year there was another weirdo who was inappropriate and followed your thread and we had to flag him?

#216: It was not on my thread, it was Roni's and several others - he just followed me around and after I would post, he would post. I guess I just attract weirdos :)

I guess I just attract weirdos :)

On behalf of everyone here - Thanks. (:

We are all weird, in our own ways. Regular people can't understand why I read so much (roughly four books per week).

They would be completely baffled by Stasia.

#218: Present company excepted, of course, Jenn :)

#219: Point me to 'em - I am ready to baffle somebody, anybody.

#220: Love that one!

*sings*

Stranger in the night
Weird by daytime, but
Stranger in the night...

My favorite skit from the Muppet Show.

LOL

#222: Well, it is true - I am stranger in the night than during the daytime :)

Speaking of weirdos - some characters (young men) were canvassing the neighborhood on the weekend just past, trying to sell subscriptions. It’s an annual thing - like the lilacs in bloom - very regular and dependable in its occurrence. I don’t know what the organization is that they purportedly are part of, but you always know it’s the same guys because of their routine - very slick, young and making every attempt to let the foolish homeowner know that they are above-average intellectually speaking. They have curiously unaccented voices that really stick out in my neck of the woods and the price of the subscriptions is way, waaaay out there - I don’t even let them get to that part of their spiel anymore. But this year the head character said, in the course of telling me how he was hoping to win a trip to the Bahamas if he sold enough magazines, that ‘We’re not weirdos, or anything,” and then reaching into his back pocket he actually handed me a laminated credentials card on which was printed “not a weirdo”. Hard not to laugh like a loon when I saw that!

Charlotte

I want one of those laminated cards.

>225 Fourpawz2: OMG that is hilarious.

#225 That sounds like a most useful card to be able to show in awkward situations! :)

I thought you guys would like that one. I just love it when somebody just hands me a really great story like that.

I think, Linda, we should all have one of those cards. For myself, it would surely prove useful after I've just finished putting my foot in my mouth with some flight of fancy that makes sense only to me (or at least it made sense before I opened said mouth).

Charlotte

Your comment re. putting your foot in your mouth brought back a memory.

I was young, fresh out of college, convinced I could save the world. I applied for a public relations job at an insurance company. After written tests and grueling interviews, I really felt as though I had the job.

The last person to interview me said "My, but your resume is impressive!" "You are so young and yet you have worked since an early age!" Trying to impress, I smiled and told him that I had worked from the time I could obtain working papers. He replied that he also began working at an early age. (I think he was about 35 years old.)

I looked at him, smiled and said "Did they have working papers back then?

He looked at me, mouth agape. I knew at that moment that whatever I would say would only add more damage. Needless to say, I did not get the job.

I now tell students who are going on interviews that when they are nervous, simply think before you talk.

# 218 - # 230 ROFL!

I also noticed that I said in my post that I owned three copies of a book I've never read, and no one even batted an eye. There are some things only readers understand.

#230: Oh my goodness!

#231: Of course there are :)

Tipping the Velvet is one of my all time favorite reads.

The Little Stranger? meh

#233: That's about the way I felt about The Little Stranger too, Kath.

Sher

I noted your comment about three copies of a book you never read. Alas, I certainly understand. I'm heading to the library book sale on Thursday. I'm quite sure I'll be purchasing some books I already own and have packed away on the shelves.

Thank heavens---I honestly thought it was just me. You know, walking in, putting the new books up, being startled by the same title staring you in the face, saying, "So...perhaps you could actually read me now, to avoid further trouble?"

Our employee-run charitable contributions committee at work is having a book sale for charity next week so, last night, I put together some bags of books to donate.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't buy as many books as I donated. Since I'm working the sale, maybe I'll be too busy to buy? Here's hoping.

#225 LOL

my "no soliciting" sign says

ABSOLUTELY NO SOLICITING
I don't care what it is or who you are.

It's bordering on rude, but very effective. I created it after the "no soliciting" sign had no effect whatsoever on the Not Weirdos canvasing my neighborhood. We did have to call the neighbors with the girl scouts and tell them we'd make an exception for Girl Scout cookies (:

#238: I need to hang a sign up something like this:

ROFL - so Texan of you.

#240: I would have to add a clause for the Girl Scouts though - I love those Thin Mints!

yeah, don't shoot the Girl Scouts.

Night.

#238 & #239 - I'm loving both of those. Maybe one for the back door and one for the front door .... *wanders off to look for 2 poster boards and some markers (in pretty colors of course)*

#243: LT - the most antisocial social site on the 'Net :)

LOL -- I won't add my own stories but they're like those above (inluding Whisper's interview)

Love y'all! LOL

*timidly peeking into thread*

"Hello!"

No posts on Stasia's thread for over 20 hours? Did I miss a thread? Is something wrong??

*tiptoes out*

#222 I'm convinced that there is a Muppet quote for every occasion. I loved this one!

I'm scared, I escaped again and now I know that when I get hit, and it will happen eventually, I will probably be extremely painful. But no SBBs this time.

Holy Toledo -- I wondered what was missing, and now I realize it was Stasia's thread...

*reeling in shock*

Only 7 messages in 2 days? Did I miss a new thread?

Stasia, you OK?

#250: Stasia is OK, just dealing with several personal issues right now, not the least of which is some kid deciding that my debit card was designed for his personal use and charging $300+ in games to my bank account. Geez Louise.

Ouch! Sorry to hear that!

#252: Thanks, Jim. I got notification from the bank today and it looks like that problem is finally ironed out. Now, I just have to deal with the rest of what's going on!

I had to get a new debit card a couple of weeks ago, after a fraudulent transaction was attempted by someone. Fortunately nothing was taken out of my account, but it's still a PITA to have to deal with this.

#254: Yes, it is! I am sorry it happened to you too, Darryl.

No debit cards for me, but my credit card number was used fraudulently a month or so ago. Fortunately the bank's computer system caught it, since that charge was at a Florida convenience store and I had just charged something in New York (at a bookstore, naturally) at about the same time. They called me and canceled the card right away, and sent me a new one the next day. Upsetting, but excellently handled.

#251 Sorry to hear that - hope you manage to get the rest dealt with soon.

#256: I am glad it got straightened out for you so quickly, Rebecca!

New thread time again: http://www.librarything.com/topic/90536