Sundays on the Acre, Take 12

I am following Darryl's lead . . .

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
http://www.librarything.com/topic/89880

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
Roosevelt and Hopkins: An Intimate History by Robert Sherwood

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
Troubles by J.G. Farrell
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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!

Quote for the day from Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami:

"With my eyes closed, I would touch a familiar book and draw its fragrance deep inside me. This was enough to make me happy."

I know exactly how that feels!

Nice quote.

Found you. Hope everything is okey!:)

#3: Thanks, Darryl.

#4: Hey Bente, glad you found me again :)

Found you! I love your book/reading related quotes for the day - thanks for sharing them.

#6: Thanks, Genny! It is fun for me to look for them as I am reading.

love the quote :) I think we can all relate to that.

#8: Morning, Jess! I agree - all LTers can relate, I am sure.

Stasia
I have such wonderful memories of the local library when I was a child. I can close my eyes and lo these years later smell the wax on the wooden floors, the dust from the old, old books and the lilac perfume of the librarian.

#10: I love the smell of old books!

My first local library as a kid was so old it had a memorial to Lincoln on the wall, funded by kids donating Lincoln pennies, I think as part of the centenary of his birth in 1909 (does that sound right? when did Lincoln pennies come in?). It had a huge glass enclosed doll's house which I'm sure was already 50 years old then. It was like a cathedral for books. It had couches in the kids section where we sat for ages while my mother got her books upstairs. It was quite a drive away, so we only went once a month, and they let us take out double books - no 100-book limits in those days, only around 5 or 6 each I think. I'm sure it added substantially to my love of books and reading. I haven't been back there in many years, and I wonder if it's still there - New Brunswick, New Jersey - anyone know?

still with ya.

Sorry to hear about the debit card problem, Stasia. Not long ago, someone sent a (heavy) package from Shanghai to somewhere in Europe on my Fed Ex account. I was panicky, thinking that someone had gotten ahold of my cc number but it turned out that someone had written down the wrong number for their Fed Ex shipment.

I, too, love your book quotes. I recall that, in the early days of Amazon.com, they would always enclose a bookmark with a nice quote about reading/books.

Fabulous quote! I love the smell of old bookstores and libraries. To me, libraries should be old and musty and full of dust with dim lighting. New fangled libraries with lots of windows and tons of space between shelves kind of creep me out.

I wish Yankee Candle would make a candle that smells like old books - or new ones. Some people like the smell of babies or puppies - I like book-smell. (I like puppies too.)

sheesh! I feel like I have been on a merry-go-round :P

Stasia- You can run but you can't hide! I also had that Murakami quote bookmarked! I hope you are enjoying it!

#15, #16, re: smells

I just saw an advertisement for a White Castle hamburger scented candle.

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2010/05/07/2010-05-07_if_you_luv_the_s...

I like the burgers, but I don't think I'd like this!

Karen O.

LOL I could definitely be up for white castle... in burger form. I'll pass on the candle.

Burn it at dinner time.

I think we should petition Yankee Candle for the 'old book' smell myself.

Wonderful quote by a wonderful writer!

Find-it-Monday post

Quote for the day from Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett:

"The truth is that even big collections of ordinary books distort space, as can readily be proved by anyone who has been around a really old-fashioned secondhand bookshop, one of those that look as though they were designed by M. Escher on a bad day and has more staircases than storeys and those rows of shelves which end in little doors that are surely too small for a full-sized human to enter. The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole (emphasis mine) that knows how to read."

LOL!

Posted to the Kitchen too

I must say that if I have any more weeks like the last 3 have been, I may just have myself committed. Any more stress I do not need. All of that being said a propos of not having a terrific reading week, OK? OK. So here it is:

231. Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve - young adult; I am really enjoying Reeve's Mortal Engines series - he takes bits of this and bits of that and combines it into something new; in this book Tom and Hester are 2 years older (that took me by surprise when I started reading the book because I thought it would just begin where the last left off) - I really liked the introduction in this book of the character of Caul; recommended, but read book 1 first! Mine

232. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake - the first of a trio of terrific reads this week, this WWII tale of Frankie and Iris and the rules of their particular jobs they broke; highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list for the year

233. Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel - young adult; the second book in Oppel's Airborn series, I did not like this as much as the first one, but it was still a good adventure story; recommended

234. The Plague by Albert Camus - I read this one with the group read and enjoyed it once again (a re-read for me), but somewhat less than I did my first read of it about 5 years or so ago; parts of the book really worked for me - part 3 in particular because I thought the journalistic style fit it so well - but other parts less so; recommended Mine

Continuing:

235. Roosevelt and Hopkins: An Intimate History by Robert E. Sherwood - nonfiction; this book won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and deservedly so - it is a terrific 'behind-the-scenes' look at the relationship between FDR and Harry Hopkins, but not told in a 'gossipy' kind of way, just the facts, thank you very much (Sherwood was one of FDR's speechwriters); highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list

236. The City and the City by China Mieville - I can now say I have finally made it through one of Mieville's books; I enjoyed this noir-style mystery for the most part (thanks for the recommendation, Jim!), but the amount of swearing in the book made me dock it half a star; guardedly recommended

237. The Wind Singer by William Nicholson - young adult; the first book in this fantasy series (thanks sirfurboy!), I thoroughly enjoyed the characters of Kestrel and her twin Bowman as well as the other family members - a loving, genuine family for once, despite their foibles; recommended

238. Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer - young adult; I picked this one up based on Linda's (Whisper's) recommendation and am glad I did (you can see her review here; recommended

239. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber - young adult; I enjoy Thurber's humor and have for years and this book for younger readers has all the earmarks - he takes the traditional fairy tale and turns it on its ear; recommended

240. Troubles by J.G. Farrell - I had all kinds of notes on quotes from the book that I wanted to include, but chucked them all due to the number of them - all I can say is that this novel about British Major Brendan Archer and his experiences at the Majestic Hotel (which it really isn't) that mirror the deteriorating relations between the British and Irish in post-WWI times is terrific (I am now on the hunt for the follow up The Siege of Krishnapur); highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list Mine

241. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett - Decidedly liked this one more than The Colour of Magic, so Pratchett is off the 'do not read' list (at least temporarily); I enjoyed the characters of Vimes and Carrot and Lady Ramkin a lot, and who can forget the Librarian?; recommended

THE END

Now I understand why I couldn't sleep! It wasn't my night call, it was because I was stressed out and worried over how many books Stasia would add to my wish list.

Yay! Nothing for me this week; Troubles was firmly ensconced on my list already. YAWN...thanks anyway...

ZZZ...

Another fantastic quote....i wish my "library" has several levels and hidden rooms :) I think I may be inspired to read Guards! Guards! after your review another one to my wishlist.

#28: Sorry, Darryl. Maybe next week?

#29: Jess, you will have to look for that particular quotation in the footnotes, so do not bypass them!

#30: Oh, no...does this mean I'll have another sleepless night next Saturday?

#31: Yep. It's fate. lol

Keith Olbermann read Thurber to his dad recently, when his dad was very ill.
( His dad died ) Dad said Keith should read Thurber to his show audience... so he is doing so . On friday night at the end of the program, Keith reads a few minutes of Thurber. Nice .

#33: I have been a Thurber fan since I discovered him in my teens. Nice to know that someone is passing his writing along to this generation too.

Good Morning Stasia - So glad to see that you enjoyed The Postmistress. I've been looking forward to that one. Added Troubles to my list - thanks!

Glad to hear you got the debt card issue straightened out - not fun!

#35: I hope you enjoy Troubles, Joanne. I can see why it is up for the Lost Man Booker prize.

Thanks!

Hi Stasia,

Just stopping by. The Blake looks interesting; I'll add that to the Wish List. Same with the Farrell. I already own the Mieville, have read the Thurber and Pratchett, and figure I'll get to the Reeve someday (I read the first last year).

On the Pratchett, Vimes is my favorite, so I'm glad you enjoyed him. As a group, stories about The Watch are the ones I enjoy the most. Some people are Witches fans, some Wizards fans, but I'm partial to Vimes, Angua, Cheery, Carrot and the crew. My single favorite novel is Night Watch, which gives us our best look into Vimes' mind, imo.

#37: Hey, Tad. Glad you stopped in.

I have already put Men at Arms, the second of The Watch books, on hold at the local library. I am hoping that I enjoy it as much as I did Guards! Guards!. I will eventually get to Night Watch, I am sure.

Glad you enjoyed Troubles so much, Stasia. As for The Siege of Krishnapur, it did win the Booker, but I didn't like it as much as Troubles, although I thought it was excellent. The third book in Farrell's "empire trilogy," The Singapore Grip, is not up to the other two but is fascinating for its depiction of the British in Singapore and what happened there in World War II, something I knew nothing about before reading the book.

#39: I am currently reading another of your recommendations, Rebecca - Fludd by Hilary Mantel. I just started it, so the jury is out.

I know that I did not catch all the nuances of Troubles the first time around and it is a book I will definitely re-read. I am sorry to hear that The Siege of Krishnapur does not measure up, but I am still going to try both it and The Singapore Grip.

Oh, The Siege of Krishapur is very very good; I just was enamoured of Troubles. Fludd is an odd little book -- probably not for everyone -- but a lot of its background becomes clear when you read Mantel's memoir, Giving up the Ghost.

By the way, how on earth do you keep track of who recommends each book that you read????

Rebecca, are the characters in the "empire trilogy" the same, as they are in Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy? If so, then I'll read Troubles first; otherwise I might read The Siege of Krishnapur, since I've had that on my shelves for several years.

#41: I do not have any kind of system for keeping track of who recommends my reads. I wish sometimes that I did.

Happy Mother's Day, Stasia! Sounds like another interesting reading week. The FDR book looks appealing and the Mieville has been on my WL forever. I have not read him yet or Pratchett either. Troubles also sounds good. Hope you have a much better week, my friend!

#44: Thanks, Mark! I am glad you dropped by and found something to like on this week's list.

>43 alcottacre:: Don't you use a spreadsheet? Just add a column.

I've started using LT's Wishlist for any recommendations and I just put a tag on for who recommended it.

#46: No, I do not use a spreadsheet for keeping track of the BlackHole, Tad. I use Good Reads. I would put the 'recommenders' there under the comments, but they would show up as reviews.

Is there no kind of tag function @ goodreads? I can't remember how they're set up. Of course, you couldn't go back and tag the list, but maybe there's a way to start now if it's impt to you. Could be fun to see the results :)

#48: I use the 'shelves' (no tags on Good Reads) to denote which of the local libraries I can get the books from, rather than to note recommendations. There is no way I would go back and tag the almost 7000 books I currently have listed there any way and a lot of books were not recommended by LTers at all.

Good thought though, Susan. It is important to me to remember where the recommendations come from, but I am not going to berate myself mercilessly if I cannot remember a particular recommendation. Besides, it keeps my memory on its toes :)

>47 alcottacre:: I just went over and looked at GoodReads. No tagging. Can't edit much about a book. Too restrictive for me. I'm glad I found LT first.

Ah ha! I knew when your thread was not at the top of my starred list that there must be a new one and here you are!

Nothing to add this week, Stasia. Glad to see that you enjoyed The Postmistress, I read it last year and gave it 4.5 stars. The writing really puts the reader into the 1940's.

#50: The only reason I have an account at Good Reads is to keep track of the BlackHole. LT did not offer Collections at the time I started my account over there, so the BlackHole is staying put on GR.

Sort of a sideways change of topic here...

I'm surprised that sites like these don't build an "Import all my stuff from XXX" feature into them. In business applications, it's pretty common. Email clients offer it all the time (import my address book), as do browsers (import My Favorites). It removes some of the user's cost of switching.

It is rather surprising, come to think of it. Maybe it is some kind of interface problem? Maybe they just do not want to acknowledge the competition?

#42, No, Darryl, the characters are not the same, although if I recall right one of the characters from Troubles shows up in The Singapore Grip. Instead, it is a thematic trilogy, looking at the effects of empire on the colonizers and the colonized: the British in Ireland, India, and Singapore.

Happy Sunday Morning to all!

Stasia, just when I've made a dent in the TBR pile, I visit your thread. Alas, I'm adding many...again....

#56: I would say I am sorry, but I really am not :)

The Postmistress is already on the wishlist, and I've added Troubles.

Glad you enjoyed Guard! Guards! more than The Colour of Magic. :)

Well after a couple of weeks reprieve, you got me good this week Stasia. I'll be adding The Postmistress, The City and The City and Troubles. Maybe you said and I just didn't catch it (what with so many posts here) but why did you recommend the Mieville book guardedly? Was it the language?

Happy Mother's Day!!

The Roosevelt and Hopkins book sounds terrific and so onto the tbr pile it goes.

Indeed, Happy Mother's Day :)

Thurber I haven't read since my late Teens-early 20s...a shame, too. I loved his wit!

China Mieville I do love dearly. Swearing doesn't offend..you should hear me when I'm "on a tear"...I'm glad you have one of his titles under your belt, as it were..

Happy Mother's Day, friend!

;-}

.......and thanks for posting on my thread.

Oh yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed Guards! Guards!. My partner prefers the Guards books, and we both recommend Night Watch if you haven't picked it up yet.

I added 13 Clocks and The Wind Singer to the wishlist. Thanks!

The Postmistress looks interesting. I saw a play this week in Toronto, Waiting for the Parade. All about Canadian women during WWII waiting out the war and the effects it has on those back home. Fantastic stuff.

#58: I hope you enjoy Troubles, Caty. And by all means, move The Postmistress up the TBR stack!

#59: Well, it is about time I got you good, Bonnie, as many times as you get me! I would have given The City and the City four stars, excepting the language, which bumped it down to 3 and a half for me. I am just picky that way. A little bad language goes a long way with me. I figure writers ought to be able to WRITE and not swear at me all the time.

#60: Happy Mother's Day right back at you, Linda. I hope you like Roosevelt and Hopkins.

#61: Thanks, Susan. It means much to me that you take the time to drop by here.

#62: Yes, do re-visit Thurber, Jude! I hope you have a wonderful day, too.

#63: I have the second book in the Guards section of Discworld on hold at the local library, but I am sure I will get to Night Watch eventually. Assuming, of course, that my local library has it! Have a wonderful Mother's Day, Luxx.

#64: Be warned, The Wind Singer is the first book of a trilogy. I liked the first book in the series so much, I went ahead and got the others from PBS, lol. I hope you enjoy the Thurber book as well. You might as well add The Postmistress to the TBR stack too!

Woot! My hubby and girls just came in with my Mother's Day gift: a brand new bag for carrying my library books in! My old one was missing part of the bottom (which did not make it very conducive for carrying books in, lol.)

Happy Mother's Day, Stasia (and any other mums here). You really nailed me this week with additions to the TBR stack. Never mind. I know that there is no way now that I'll ever run out of engaging titles.

#68: Happy Mother's Day to you as well, Gail. I am glad that you found something to like on this week's list. It will keep you in books for at least a little bit :)

Great gift for you, Stasia...can't imagine how they came up with that idea. he.he

I shouldn't laugh because I DSBBed again and just know that when I get hit, it's going to be a doozy!

#70: You are getting too good at dodging book bullets, Cheli. I am going to have to aim harder this next week :)

No, no! Please, spare me!

It wasn't that there weren't any books I liked, I just already had them on the list. In fact, Tina is bringing a few of them next week when she comes to visit. I even had to create a new collection to "Fit in this year" the books that I don't want to wait for.

Happy you liked Guards! Guards!. Isn't Feet of Clay next in Pratchett's city watch books?

I started to make a snarky comment about the size of the library bag (the term "Santa Clausesque" came to mind), but I realized that I am probably the last person on LT who should say anything about the size of someone else's book hauls.

Happy Mothers' Day, Stasia - and Stasia-followers who are mothers!
I'm way behind, but I have now officially decided to hunt up Troubles and to find my copies of *Siege of K* and *SGrip* which I hid from myself in an effort to make them accessible. I was already about to buy *Ciy/City* - I'm a Mieville fan too.
And reading about book scent back in the teens on the thread triggered this response. My mother's older sister's dementia is now dragging through concern about "the baby" which she sees sometimes and has lost sometimes. I figure "the baby" was the most important focus of her life. I never had one, so I wonder whether if I live that long, I'll be consumed by finding and losing "the book."

Happy Mother's Day.

It would be faster to tell you what did not interest me on the list today....I'm just full of SBB's today.

Happy Mother's Day, Stasia! Ooh, I liked Fludd, but it is an odd little book. The Siege of Krishnapur has been in my TBR for awhile. I didn't realize there was another before it. I'll keep a look out for it.

Happy Mothers' Day, Stasia! Love the quotation from Guards! Guards!

May add an item or two from your list -- not sure. (Am I getting picky in my old age?)

Another week of good books, I love Philip Reeve's work and have a signed print of one of the Mortal Engines book covers even. I read Nicolson's Windsinger books back when they first came out but haven't read his Noble Warriors series.
I have more Pratchett lined up to read also, but am always being sidetracked by other books. China Mieville is another I should persevere with, I started Un Lun Dun but didn't get it finished.

#72: Nope - I am aiming for you this next week, Cheli! Just kidding, I would never tailor my reads that way. I am glad Tina is passing on books to you that are already in the TBR stack. I think she is the person that initially recommended The Postmistress to me, so I hope that is one of the books that is included!

#73: I checked LT's list on the City Watch series, and according to it Men at Arms is the next volume, Ren.

#74: You know what they say about those who throw rocks at glass houses, don't you Darryl? Only in our case it would be books . . .

#75: Hey, Peggy! Thanks for dropping by. I hope you like Troubles. I will be looking for your input on The Siege of Krishnapur and Singapore Grip (if you ever locate where you put them, a problem I can readily identify with!)

#76: Wow, I got you a lot today huh, Jenn? And on Mother's Day, too!

#77: I am halfway through with Fludd and I am still not sure what I make of it. Is it supposed to be tongue-in-cheek do you think? Happy Mother's Day!

#78: How old is old age and I will tell you if you are getting picky or not! Happy Mother's Day to you, too!

#79: I have Un Lun Dun at home to read as well as Perdido Street Station, which I am determined to get through this time for the group read - it is my 3rd attempt. Happy Belated Mother's Day - I know by the time you get this it will be Monday, Kerry. It just dawned on me that they might not even celebrate Mother's Day there. If not, well ptooey on them!

>81 alcottacre: re>79 avatiakh: Or, they might celebrate on another day as they do in France and other countries.

True! Good point, Susan.

Yeah, Stasia, 5 books. I am especially looking forward to Troubles.

#84: Well, it could have been worse Jenn :)

OK, so Elizabeth (ejj1955) e-mailed me this link:

http://www.wimp.com/techsupport/

I thought it was funny, so I am passing it along. I will post it to the Kitchen as well.

OK - it was 6 - because you also got me with the book after Troubles - whatever that was. The siege of someplace. It's bad when I'm picking up the books you haven't even read yet.

I am headed off to watch North and South courtesy of Netflix.

#86: Then it should be seven actually, because there are 2 books that follow Troubles: Siege of Krishnapur and Singapore Grip.

THBPPPP, THBPPP.

Think loud and spitty.

#88: Nope, it is still Mother's Day here and I refuse to let you rain (spit) on my parade :)

Hi, Stasia!
Loved, loved, loved the quote from Guards! Guards! I have got to read that book. And visit our used book store.
--BJ

#90: Glad you enjoyed that one, BJ.

#26 I don't know if I will ever re-read The Plague, but good to know that the book does manage to hold its charm even the second time around.

#92: I think it loses a bit of its charm on the second go round (at least it did to me), but I still would not hesitate to recommend it because it is very good.

Happy Mother's Day (still 90 mins to go here), love the smell of books candle idea, and Thurber goes to the top of my "get next" list...

#94: I hope you enjoy Thurber when you get to him, Joel. Thanks for the Mother's Day wishes!

#81 - it was Mothers Day yesterday here as well. I visited my mother and gave her a copy of the latest Jack Reacher novel 61 Hours, like me she's a fan.

#96: Cool! I like the Jack Reacher books too, so I am glad to have another fan hanging around, even if she is halfway round the world from me :)

Is your mother an LTer, Kerry?

No, she hardly goes online since we tried to set up broadband for her. She just turned 82.

#98: Oh well. I guess not every reader can be on LT - although I still hold out hope!

Nothing for me this week! I am a bit cranky this morning though which could be why. Perhaps I will come back tomorrow and have another look and see if my opinions change. Have a great week!

You too! I hope the crankiness goes away :)

#81, All I will say about Fludd is that things are not necessarily what they seem to be. I will say that I am sure I missed a lot of the Catholic and other symbolism in it when I read it.

#102: I am not at all familiar with Catholicism, so maybe that is part of the difficulty I am having with the book. It just seems to me that the tone of the priests is very tongue-in-cheek, but I am not at all sure that I am interpreting Mantel's meaning correctly.

If you mean the priest who arrives in the village to help, he is not necessarily the person they were expecting . . .

OK, maybe that is part of the problem I am having in the discussion between the two priests.

Just wanted to say that I am hooked on the movie - North and South. Sucked the husband right in too.

I hope you had a lovely mother's day!

A young friend of mine is making his way through the Discworld series and is giving me those that he thinks I will enjoy. He has been right so far. The last one he loaned me was Equal Rites. I loved, loved, loved this one.

Thanks for talking about Windsinger. I have skipped over these more times than I can count. I will try them now.

#107: Thanks, Luxx! I did and hope you did as well.

#108: I hope you enjoy The Wind Singer books. The copy of the second book in the series, Slaves of the Mastery, had to be returned to the library for mending (it was literally falling apart), so I have no idea when I am going to be able to read that one.

Maybe one of these centuries I will go and get my college degree after all: http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/93164889.html. People like that inspire me!

What a wonderful story!
--BJ

I thought so too, BJ.

Stasia, with all the books you read, you probably have the equivalent of way more than a college degree! But it's nice to have the real thing.

#113: I keep thinking that once the girls are gone I might actually go and get mine. I still do not know what I want to be when I grow up though.

I am abandoning A Star Called Henry, 261 pages in. The book is just doing nothing for me. I kept waiting for it to get better or grow on me, one or the other, but it is not. Maybe Doyle is just not for me.

Hope the one you're reading now is better

>114 alcottacre: Me either!

#116: I am thinking forensic anthropologist.

My 11 yr old wants to be a forensic anthropologist. Or an astronaut. Why not? I admit I did have a stunned and open-mouthed reaction when he said forensic anthropologist.

Well, Bones does make forensic anthropology seem really exciting. Does your 11 year old watch that show?

#118: Tell him to check out Dr. William Maples book Dead Men Do Tell Tales. It is absolutely fascinating. Then, he can buy a copy of what the girls call my 'dead body' book: Spitz and Fisher's Medicolegal Investigation of Death: Guidelines for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigation.

Cannot tell I am interested in the subject can you?

#119 - none of us have watched that show. I have heard from several people that they like it. We'll have to rent a season and watch.

Ooh Stasia - he's going to adopt you.

Stasia

There is much to admire about you! I often think about my spontaneous decision to join the 75 challenge group. One click and I've developed a wonderful friendship!

#121: Hey, I will adopt him right back!

#122: I think it took a little more than one click, but I sure am glad you chose this group!

--->122 Whisper1:: Stasia, it's amazing how knowing you online has brought so many of us together in so many different ways. Refreshing in these times of hesitancy about making new friends. This is a good thing you're doing!

#110 Not sure whether you read the New York Times, Stasia, but today's paper had an obituary for the last remaining Ziegfeld Follies girl. She lied about her age and started right when she finished 8th grade. Doris Eaton Travis was 106. Just a few weeks ago, she did a Broadway Cares event and even did a few kicks, though she said she wasn't up to doing cartwheels anymore.

Anyway, the relevance here is that she got her college degree at age 88 (taking 11 years to do so). A BA in history from the University of Oklahoma. Phi Beta Kappa. She got halfway through her Master's but then decided to write her memoirs instead.

I love reading obits and this was one of the more interesting ones I've read lately. Sort of mini biographies.

Her memoir is The Days We Danced.

Stasia,

You should check with the Universities and see if they have a program where you get credit for your life experience. I checked it out a few years ago when I was thinking that I was going to have to go back to school and found I could actually earn about 30 credits just writing about the experience I had and what I learned from 20+ years in the workforce. Most of mine would have been in Computer Science and Accounting since I took to PCs as soon as they came out and incorporated programming and accounting together. Now I'm beginning to think I could probably work on a History degree with all the Histories and Biographies I've been reading. Most of it, I was told, was just taking the final exam to see if you could pass. Something I'm sure you could do with your schooling background.

Miss Stasia...I thank you most humbly for the thoughtful gift of A Gentle Madness! I LOOOVE IT!! I've already ignored the dog for long enough that she growled at the book menacingly as I reaached for it again.

I never got my degree either. I thought about going back and finishing it, but honestly I just **loathed** school and its tests and requirements and bureaucracy. I might think about the low-residency program from The Union Institute and University, and get a simultaneous BA/MFA for researching and writing my planned book "Rufus"...if it didn't cost the Earth, the Moon, and the stars, which would have to be deficit financed, and Obama's loan program modifications don't take hold until 2014. (Thanks, Republican Representatives.)

Oh well. Li'l ol' unemployable me.

I really admire anyone who goes back to school at an "advanced age." By this I mean anything beyond the traditional "right after high school" approach.

In my late 30s, I had to get a professional certification and, even though I didn't have to be a resident, it was so much tougher.

Stasia, you're more well read, and probably more intelligent, than at least 95% of college graduates!

I think that Chèli has the right idea; my mother received a significant amount of credits for life and work experience from our local community college when she went back to school in her 40s to get an associate's degree.

Actually re: >126 cyderry: I was thinking about Columbia Intl U where I went to grad school. THey have a masters level one year certificate that I think you'd enjoy taking and for which they do consider life experience instead of a bachelors degree.

#124: I will say without hesitancy that I love being in this group. Several of us have been together for 3 years now and I would not have missed the experience for the world!

#125: No, I do not get the NY Times (they do not deliver it to Sherman - I know, I have tried). I love stories like that though. I will have to look for the book!

#126: My local community college does not even offer an anthropology degree, so I am not sure that my life experiences would count over there. Not that I have any for anthropology anyway. Thanks for the thought, Cheli.

#127: I am so glad you are loving it. I thought you would - it is definitely one of my all-time favorites!

#128: Me too.

#129: Thanks for the compliment, Darryl. But, like I said to Cheli, I do not think I have any life experiences that would count toward an anthropology degree.

Stasia, here's a link to the obituary in the NYT:

Doris E. Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106

The online version of that day's paper is free. My father receives a daily e-mail with the headlines for the day, tailored to his interests, and reads the articles that interest him online.

Ditto what Darryl said in post 129. Trust me on this one Stasia. I work in academia. I shake my head at some students who, after four years of a college education, cannot write a simple sentence.

#133: Thanks for the link, Darryl!

#135: You're welcome! I remember hearing about her when she received her degree; I think that CNN or The NewsHour on PBS did a story about her.

As mentioned, I love reading interesting obits. I hope soon to read the book Dead Beat by Marilyn Johnson, which is about the "perverse pleasures" of obituaries. I like to think of them as mini biographies and find them fascinating.

For instance, in the local papers, there's an obit for the artist who did the famous Car Spire in suburban Berwyn, IL. This was made famous in the movie Wayne's World.

#137: I just finished Johnson's This Book is Overdue! last night and have already started looking for Dead Beat. The local library does not have it though.

Stasia, Just wanted to pop in and say that I believe that you can be a success in whatever you attempt. You are the greatest!
--BJ

#139: Thanks for the vote of confidence, BJ. I only wish I were.

#138 I was just going to say that I read another book by Marilyn Johnson recently when I realized that it was This Book Is Overdue, too.

I think I have two copies of Dead Beat but think I bought a second one because I misplaced the first one.

#141: I think I have two copies of Dead Beat but think I bought a second one because I misplaced the first one.

That sounds so much like me!

#142 One good thing is that it's happening a lot less often thanks to LT.

Of course, too, now I duplicate real books and Kindle books.

#143: Let's just face it, Linda: where books are concerned, we are going to be hopeless :)

Stasia--Don't give up on Roddy Doyle til you've tried either Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha or one of the short novels in The Barrytown Trilogy. I don't care for A Star Called Henry or his Paula Spencer books, but I loved Paddy Clarke and The Barrytown novels.

#145: OK, I will give Paddy Clarke a try. I know my local library has that one. I will have to see about the Barrytown books. Thanks for the input, Deborah.

Stasia, let me know when you decide to read Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. One of the categories for my 1010 challenge is 2010 Booker Prize longlisted novels and past winners, and I am planning to read it this year (it won the award in 1993).

#147: OK, Darryl. I will keep you posted. I probably will read it in the next couple of weeks, depending on the availability from the library.

Trying to keep up!

#148: Okay, but give me a head start, though. I doubt that I can keep up with LT's ultimate speed reader!

#149: Hey, Kath! I know how you feel.

#150: How much of a head start? lol

If you're going to start in within the next two weeks I'd better read it next week. :)

It should be a quick read for either of us. My copy (hardback edition from 1994, bought used at Strand) has 282 pages, but it is in a larger than average font size.

ETA: Let me know if you read it sooner, as I could start it as early as tomorrow.

#152: Darryl, I have to put the book on hold from the local college library. I know I will not have it before next Wednesday, so if you want to start reading it now, that should allow you enough lead time, don't you think?

Hmm, I also have Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha lying around here and never came to read it. Maybe I should also read it now, always nice to dicuss it maybe then. The book moved from book shelf to the table. First I want to finish The secret life of E. Robert Pendleton, as I just start to get into the story... But some free days ahead :)

Maybe I'll join you if there's going to be several people reading Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - I think you'd also like his collection of short stories The Deportees better than A Star Called Henry.

#155: I checked, but I cannot get hold of The Deportees from any of the local libraries. Feel free to join in on the Paddy Clarke reading, Luci!

Stasia, I think I'll start Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha early next week, maybe Sunday or Monday. I'd like to finish the books I'm reading now before I start anything else, especially because I'm in a bit of a reading lull at the moment (I think it has more to do with me than the books I'm reading, though).

Morning Stasia- I like Roddy Doyle. I also really liked A Star Called Henry. I have also read Paddy Clarke but it's been a long time. Maybe a re-read is in store.

Hmm...is there enough interest for an impromptu group read? If so, I'll wait on everyone else (you decide, Stasia!).

A group read is fine with me, although I cannot be exactly sure when I will get my hands on the book (I am at the mercy of the local college on this one, so it is whenever they may get around to it - next week sometime or possibly the week following that.)

I'll wait and see when you get the book, Stasia.

I could be in for a group read of Paddy Clarke as well! I have it on my TBR pile. And by pile I mean entire bookshelf.
I read The Women Who Walked Into Doors awhile ago and wasn't enthralled with it, but I was told to give Paddy Clarke a go.

I will let everybody know when I have the book in hand, although anybody who wants to get started on it can certainly do so. Once I have the book, I will motor through it fairly quickly as at the local college library, I cannot renew the books, so only have them for a very limited amount of time.

Quote for the day from The High King by Lloyd Alexander:

"Know this, too," Taliesin added. "All men born must die, save those who dwell in the Summer Country. It is a land without strife or suffering, where even death itself is unknown."

I am booking a trip to the Summer Country forthwith! Just think how much reading I could get done if I never die!!

Posted to the Kitchen too

Ah! I have this in my TBR jungle; I liked the first in the series. Please book passge for me as well; what fun we could have.

Stasia

I like to think that my friend Phyllis is now in "Summer Country." During her final days in hospice, she told me that when she closed her eyes she was where it was bright, happy and there were lots of children.

Some would say she was hallucinating, I believe she was entering the door to a pain free, happy summer country life.

Wonder why trying to read a book "with " someone is so..
un-appealing to me?

Summer Country~ I like it..
My gram sent me a message when she passed.. and described it as beautiful, wonderful colors and flowers and green.. oh.. and the kicker was she inserted a message that only I would understand. So..

I'm late to the party, as usual...but you were talking about Hilary Mantel....and, since Mother's Day was last week, I have to mention two of her books that i absolutely adore for their black humor, and sheer dreadfulness...Every Day is Mother's Day & Vacant Possession....not for the faint of heart..but good stories.

Regarding "school"....i "gutted it out" for 4 years at Antioch College (1969-1973) and earned a useless BA in English Lit...but I learned a lot about phony Academics and Hippie Charlatans....and Emily Bronte...

soldier on, Stasia!
;-}

Oh, I almost forgot about the college degree part. Well, I'm of two minds (this interesting condition is quite common for me) about degrees. On the one hand, they are more or less useless as any sort of gauge to a person's identity, abilities, or worth in general. On the other hand, the exchange of ideas in college classrooms can be exhilirating. I got my BS at thirty (some have said at birth), and managed to eke out an MA at 38---and only for the money that added to my salary. While each was helpful on my career path, the best, most truly educational courses were those I took at a local junior college. Further classes became, as Richard said, exercises in bureaucracy.

As for both of you, Stasia and Richard, I'm of the opinion that you each deserve a master's degree simply on the basis of your life experiences and your contributions to same. Look at how much pleasure, and thought-provoking discuassion you bring to LT, which is a tiny sampling of real life.

yooohooooo Stasia .... Just popping in for a visit and to try and catch up after being away such a long time. reeling and need a rest now .... especially since I know what's in store for me tomorrow when you post your Sunday list!

My mother sent this to me and since I know we have several teachers in the group, I am passing it along (because it is so true!):

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.
One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America .

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life…
(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.” …. You want to know what I make?
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?”

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

(posted on the Kitchen thread too)

Nice!! Thanks so much for posting this. Such an important thing to read, especially as I am frequently discouraged by the state of the teaching profession.

"What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" Yikes. Yet, a sentiment shared by too many.

#172: I fail to understand a society where teaching is scorned (and completely undervalued), but people who play games are heroes (and completely overpaid!)

This week's reads:

242. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery - I liked this book a lot, probably because I heavily identified with Valancy, who at 29 is unmarried living in a repressive home (mainly due to her mother), when she decides to propose to Barney - I was 26 when I proposed to Kerry, lol; recommended Mine

243. The Black Circle by Patrick Carman - juvenile; this is the 5th book in the 39 Clues series and overall I liked it, but there is one factual error (the kind of thing that drives me nuts); guardedly recommended

244. Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton - nonfiction; this is the third of Sarton's journals that I have read this year and I liked it more than the others; it is more contemplative in tone than the other two - 'I live alone. . .for the reason that I am an impossible creature, set apart by a temperament I have never learned to use as it could be used.' also 'My experience of great solitude is that its character is unstable - at time it exalts and fortifies then soon beats down, and throws one into a starving and thirsting state, into a sustained waiting for what will not happen.'; recommended

245. Lord Darcy by Randall Garrett - Roni recommended this on one of the threads and I thoroughly enjoyed this alternate history/mystery: instead of using fingerprints, forensic evidence, etc to solve mysteries, the services of a sorceror are engaged; the book that I read was an omnibus, having several short stories and a full novel, great fun; recommended

246. Family Portrait by Catherine Drinker Bowen - nonfiction; Becky recommended this one (thanks again!), literally Bowen's picture of her family, who are lovingly portrayed faults and all; recommended

Continuing:

247. Coraline by Neil Gaiman - juvenile; I read this one for the May TIOLI challenge, but all-in-all I preferred Gaiman's The Graveyard Book; guardedly recommended

248. The Book Nobody Read by Owen Gingerich - nonfiction; Gingerich, a noted astronomer, took exception to Arthur Koestler's claim in The Sleepwalkers that no one read Copernicus' book De Revolutionibis, so he tracked down first and second editions of the book over a 30-year period to look at the notations; recommended

249. This Book is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson - nonfiction; Johnson's look at the changing roles of librarians, "a profession in the midst of an occasionally mind-blowing transition", but I wish there had been more in-depth info here, especially concerning smaller libraries (something Mary mentioned in her review); LibraryThing is mentioned, which I thought was cool; guardedly recommended

250. The Knights of the Round Table by Jon Scieszka - juvenile; this is a cute book for the younger set, about 3 boys who inadvertently time travel back to the Middle Ages; recommended if you are about 8-10

251. Make Way for Lucia by E.F. Benson - this one is from 'The Tui List,' this story set outside of London about Lucia, and what I think of as her court; any book that contains the quote "Do you know that you have a purple halo?" is good in my book - just a nice, comfortable read; recommended

Looks like you had a nice week. Hope this one's as good or better.

Continuing:

252. The Painter of Battles by Arturo Perez-Reverte - Perez-Reverte, a retired war photographer himself, writes this story of Faulques, a retired war photographer who is painting a mural reflecting the horrors he has seen, and Ivo Markovic, a soldier who Faulques made famous through one of his award-winning photographs; Faulques distanced himself from the horror of war by using a camera, and Markovic distances himself by using the third person in telling his stories; recommended

253. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky - Boy, where to start with this one - it is a masterpiece, IMHO; Prince Mishkin, an epileptic, is trying to make his way into Russian society, but he is so pure (I think that is the word I am looking for) that he is just not up to the labyrinthine social intracies involved - he is trying to save everyone, in spite of personal sacrifice; highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list for the year

254. The High King by Lloyd Alexander - juvenile; a fitting conclusion to the series: Taran has grown up, Gurgi is still a great companion, and several of the characters cared about meet their fate; recommended (but only after you read the previous 4 books) Mine

255. Old Jules by Mari Sandoz - nonfiction; I read Sandoz's Crazy Horse last year and thought of it as a tale told around a campfire - the same could be said of this book, a biography of Sandoz's father, who was not a nice man at all, but a product of his time - "sometimes it seemed that Jules's purpose in life was to quarrel with everyone he knew"; also, "This country will develop in time, but not until the ground is soaked in misery and in blood"; recommended

256. Fludd by Hilary Mantel - another book for May's TIOLI challenge; the book is well-written, but to be honest, I do not understand it at all - is it supposed to be tongue-in-cheek? I did not identify with characters and cannot say that I really liked any of them and I do not understand the point of the book; not recommended Mine

257. Feed by M.T. Anderson - young adult; I know there are a lot of people who really like this book, but I am not one of them- I thought the premise was interesting: people all plugged into the 'feed,' an internet-like device hooked directly into the brain, but I never cared for the main character, Titus, and frankly, the amount of bad language in this young adult book turned me off; guardedly recommended Mine

THE END

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100515/ap_on_re_us/us_graduating_at94

thought of you

>177 alcottacre: I jumped the gun, I see. So it was even a better week.
sorry for the interrupt!

#178: I did not even see that you had jumped the gun until you mentioned it, Susan :) That is why I am trying to remember to put 'The End' on my last post. LT has really become a pain in the rear about my lengthy posts.

Thanks for the link, I will check it out.

Nice list as always ! :)

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky goes on my wishlist.

Wow, you have had a good week. How on earth do you manage to read eleven books, in one week though? I read two last week and felt quite proud of myself!!!

Wow, you have had a good week. How on earth do you manage to read eleven books, in one week though? I read two last week and felt quite proud of myself!!!

#180: Thanks, Kath! I appreciate you dropping by. I hope you enjoy The Idiot.

#181/182: Hey, Jillian! I do not sleep a lot and I work a job with a lot of downtime to it, which really helps with the reading numbers.

*bumps The Idiot higher up the wishlist*

I'm in the middle of Fludd at the moment, and I know exactly what you mean about not being able to understand whether it's tongue-in-cheek. I'm not sure what I think of it yet, though.

#184: I will be interested in seeing what you think of Fludd when you are done with it, Caty.

Well, I enjoyed Fludd. I think Mantel has a wicked sense of humor and used it to poke fun at and deflate not only the church but also some of the types of people she knew from her bleak childhood in a bleak town. And we could all use some miracle sometimes! But I admit I missed a lot of the symbolism (Catholic and alchemical).

#186: I knew you enjoyed it, Rebecca. I just wish I could have as well. I think part of my problem is that I did not understand the symbolism at all. I do not know.

I love The Blue Castle. Glad you enjoyed it Stasia. Now I may have to reread it.

#188: Any excuse, right Tabs?

Morning Stasia! I managed to get away easy this week, although your high praise of The Idiot, will propel that one to the List! Have a great Sunday!

A book by L. M. Montgomery that I have never heard of? I have to read it for sure. And great review of The Idiot. I need to read that one as well. Happy Sunday!
--BJ

Once again, a great reading week for you Stasia!

The Idiot goes onto the list Stasia. Fludd was already on the pile but you have made me reconsider. I'm not sure I'd "get" sarcasm from that time period in history. Hmmm.

I thought that I'd read the May Sarton book, Journal of a Solitude but I find that I haven't and so onto the list it goes. The Book Nobody Read also sounds good.

I'm adding The Blue Castle and The Idiot to my wishlist/tbr list. I've always loved Lucy Maud Montgomery's work, and Dostoevsky is one of my father's favorite authors-- it would be great to be able to have a conversation about one of Dostoevsky's works with him!

Hellloooo! Thank you very much, I'v added The Painter of Battles and This Book is Overdue!. I've also added Fludd for curiousity's sake and tagged it NOT rec. by Stasia. Ah Ha! Already have The Idiot on the Tipping Tower and look forward to reading it even more so now that you liked it. Have a super, duper week :0)

Stasia, what was the error in The Black Circle? I didn't catch it when I read it.

Great list - but I'm safe this week. A good thing because last week you really got me, and with fewer books to choose from.
I'm glad you loved The Blue Castle. It's an old favorite of mine. I enjoyed her passive rebellion.
I should move The Idiot higher up the TBR list.

I think one of my projects for next year, after retirement, is to read some more of the classic Russian novels. I read Anna Karenina for college, and don't want to re-read it, but War and Peace and The Idiot, I think, have to go on my project list!

So glad you enjoyed Lord Darcy, Stasia. They are fun, aren't they? Unfortunately there are just too few of them, even with Michael Kurland's contribution. I really enjoy that world.

I'm pulling The Blue Castle off the shelf for when I need a quick comfort reread over the next few weeks--it's been too long since I read it. Bantam reissued all of Montgomery's works in paperback in the late '80s, and I snapped them up as her work had been hard to find prior to that. So glad I did.

Coraline is more of a short story for me, a genre I don't get into as much. Also preferred The Graveyard Book.

I do plan to start the 39 Clues series as some point--enough people have had positive reviews to whet my interest--but not yet.

Now that we have finished The High King and the series (and the re-visit was fun!), it looks like The Abhorsen Trilogy is coming up next, with Sabriel in June. Do you remember who is spearheading that one, Stasia? Is it Mark?

I've had The Idiot patiently waiting for me far too long. I think this is one book that I'll drag out for a long time, just so I can see people's reactions when they ask me what I'm reading! Btw, I loved The Brothers Karamazov.

I love the Anne of Green Gables books and hadn't heard of The Blue Castle before so that has gone on the wishlist. Also Lord Darcy which sounds fun.

Fludd, Coraline and The Idiot are also in my TBR pile. I was planning to read them this month for the TIOLI challenge but I don't think I'm in quite the right mood for them at the moment. Glad you enjoyed The Idiot so much :-)

I'm intrigued by your (and one or two others') ambivalent reaction to Fludd, to the extent that I am eager to read it despite your lack of recommendation! I've not yet read Wolf Hall and hadn't come across Mantel until that book started getting so much attention, so I don't know what to expect of her at all.

Must read some Dostoevsky one day!

Nothing new for me this week. The Idiot is staring at me, waiting to be read.

#202, gennyt, One of the great things, to my mind, about Mantel, is that, with one or two exceptions, each of her books that I've read is completely different from the others. What links them together is Mantel's wit, compassion, and ability to say a great deal without wasting any words. But some books are definitely better than others.

>210 alcottacre: Heather, from Wikipedia:
Garrett is best known for the Lord Darcy books, the novel Too Many Magicians and two short story collections (Murder and Magic and Lord Darcy Investigates), set in an alternate world where a joint Anglo-French empire still led by a Plantagenet dynasty has survived into the twentieth century and where magic works and has been scientifically codified. The Darcy books are rich in jokes, puns, and references (particularly to works of detective and spy fiction: Lord Darcy is himself partially modelled on Sherlock Holmes), elements that often appear in the shorter works about the detective. The omnibus that Stasia read had all of these original works in it. Michael Kurland wrote two additional Lord Darcy novels.

Kurland has also written two novels, Ten Little Wizards and A Study in Sorcery, set in the world of Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy, prefiguring his later success as a mystery writer.

Also nothing for me this week, though I am due for a reread of some Dostoevsky eventually. Arturo Perez-Reverte's books are already on my list.
I read the first of Patrick Carman's Skeleton Creek books and enjoyed the interactive aspect of the book which I'm sure appeals to kids.

I also didn't feel particularly overwhelming love for Feed though the characters made more sense after I heard MT Anderson talk about what he set out to achieve. Do continue on to read his Octavian Nothing books.

I loved the creepiness of Coraline.

I'm going to request The Idiot--sounds like a wonderful read. I wonder if I should get the electronic version, on my moldy old e-book reader. It's a hefty read, is it? (in poundage?)

Karen O.

Will add The Idiot to my wishlist. I have Notes from Underground sitting beside me just begging to be picked up.

The Idiot is one I've toyed with reading. On the list it goes!

#190: I hope you get a chance to read The Idiot, Mark!

#191: Glad I could dig up an L.M. Montgomery book that you are unfamiliar with, BJ!

#192: Thanks, Linda!!

#193: There are people here in the group who did like Fludd, Bonnie, so give it a try at least and decide for yourself. I hope you like The Idiot.

#194: I hope you enjoy them both, Linda!

#195: Interesting combination there, Alexandra. I hope you like them!

#196: Oh, I am so glad someone is going to read The Painter of Battles. I forgot to credit Cyrel with that recommendation. I thought the book was very good. Enjoy it and the others, Lynda :)

#197: Kathy, I will PM you with it.

#198: Sorry, Jenn. Maybe next week?

#199: I am spearheading the Abhorsen Trilogy reads for the summer, Roni. I set up the threads yesterday. As for Lord Darcy, I liked the book so much, I ordered a copy through PBS. Thanks again for the recommendation of that one. BTW - I really like the Russians. I know they are not for everyone, but I enjoy them.

#200: I have not read The Brothers Karamazov so I think it will be the next Dostoevsky that I tackle. I hope you like The Idiot, Donna.

#201: I hope you enjoy The Blue Castle and Lord Darcy, Heather. I think you will!

#202: Genny, definitely give Fludd a try. I will be interested in seeing what you think of it.

#203: Sorry, Darryl. I do not seem to be doing very well with recommendations for you these days.

#205: I will have to look for the Michael Kurland books set in that world too, Roni. Thanks for the mention of those. I will see if the local library has them.

#206: I have the Octavian Nothing books here to read, Kerry, I just have not gotten to them yet. I am hoping to get to them soon.

#207: Karen, my copy of The Idiot was 600+ pages, so yes, it is a hefty one.

#208: Hey, Dr. Dawn! Nice to see you on The Acre. I hope you enjoy The Idiot. I have Notes from the Underground in the BlackHole, but have not read it yet.

#209: Great, Luxx! I hope you like it.

Stasia

I am always amazed at you. You read a 600 + page book and then many more all in one week.

I love Dostoevsky but haven't read The Idiot yet. On the list it goes. I also love Montgomery--I hope my library has a copy of Blue Castle! I've read all the Lucia books and own three of them--it might be time for a reread! Especially since I seem to be is such a frivolous mood lately.. :-D

Finally caught up with you!

#203: It's not that you're reading books that I don't find interesting lately; I just happen to own, have read, or wishlisted all of these books!

It's just another piece of evidence that my library is out of control.

Alright, Stasia, the damage is as follows:
Lord Darcy
The Idiot
The Blue Castle and
all the books in the Lloyd Alexander series (though I've been eying that with interest for awhile...)
are now added to the TBR longlist.

Oh, and out of curiosity, can you send me the error in the 39 Clues book too?

Now it's driving me crazy trying to think of what the error was in The Black Circle and wondering why I didn't catch it (or, maybe I did and just let it go...)!!!

I really liked Coraline when I read it years ago, but I found it incredibly creepy and I'm not sure I'd read it again. It's a true 'scary story' in all senses... those button eyes are the stuff of nightmares...

Finally, Feed... I haven't read it and don't plan on it, but I know the frustration that comes from reading what should be a decent YA novel that's marred by excessive foul language, often seeming to be included just for the sake of having it there. It's very frustrating. Maybe some publishers think that's what teens want (though I'd argue they're wrong).

#214: Linda, I did not read all of those books + The Idiot in the space of a week. I started The Idiot May 1st. It is not a book built for speed reading - at least, not by me.

#215: Carolyn, if your local library does not have The Blue Castle let me know. I will loan you my copy.

#216: If your library is out of control, Darryl, I hate to think what mine is!

#217: Woot! Got you good this week, Mary. I will PM you with the factual error just like I did Kathy.

#218: PM on the way to you too, Faith. I would argue right along side you with the publishers!

Ouch, I got knicked by Lord Darcy , going to have to check it out..

**shakes her head and thinks...I knew I couldn't dodge them forever.**

#220: I knew you would not be able to dodge that BB, lol.

Like your list for the week, Stasia.
I re-read Coraline everytime I read it with various nieces, nephews and godchildren.

I've read The Idiot years ago... agree with your take on it ... loved it.

But alas, nothing for me on your list to take away for a change. :-(

#222: Sorry, Caroline. I will try harder next week.

Quote for the day from Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov:

"Where have you just come from?"

"From the book shop. I went to find out if the papers had come out. Have you read my article?"

"No!"

"I'll send you a copy - read it!"

"What's it about?" asked Oblomov, yawning widely.

"Oh, about trade, the emancipation of women, the wonderful days we had in April and a new invention to stop fires. How can you possibly do without reading - you're missing life's passing show?"

I know I cannot possibly do without reading!

Posted to the Kitchen too

Nothing for me this week, Stasia (which I look upon as a good thing)! Have a great week reading!

#225: Maybe I will catch you next time around!

The Idiot had been sitting on my shelves for ages! I lost count of how many friends borrowed it and yet I never got around to reading it, and now I seem to be unable to locate it!

#227: I hate when that happens. I hope you find your copy soon, Piyush.

#174 - Journal of a Solitude - I'm glad that you enjoyed this one. I think it's my favorite of her journals. And I agree with your thoughts about Coraline and The Graveyard Book.

I've never read anything by Dostoevsky. Perhaps I should give The Idiot a try.

#174 : The Idiot is definitely well worth reading. I read it for school many many moons ago and liked it, but a few years back, I decided to reread it, and now that I'm *ahem* alot older, I appreciated it alot more than I did when I was 14.

#224, I am hoping to read Oblomov this summer (along with way too many other books, of course), so I will be interested in what you think about it.

I knew you'd like Old Jules, Stasia. I thought it was one of the best books I read last year. Currently I have two more of hers still to read and am wondering which one I should read next.

#229: Thanks, David. Of the 3 of the journals I have read thus far, it is definitely my favorite. Do give The Idiot a try. I will be interested in seeing what you think of it.

#231: I am about 40 pages into Oblomov, Rebecca, and enjoying it a lot. Who knew the Russians had a sense of humor? All the ones I have read seem to be more on the gloom-and-doom end of the spectrum!

#232: While I did not like Old Jules as much as I did Crazy Horse, I did enjoy it. I appreciate you introducing me to a new author, Charlotte. I will be keeping an eye out for the book you choose next.

Like many others have said, I think I'll move The Idiot up closer to the top of the TBR pile. I read The Brothers Karamazov in university and loved it (though it took me eons to read it). Since then I've had Crime and Punishment and The Idiot on my shelf collecting dust. Maybe this summer is a good time to delve into some classics.
And thanks for the post about teachers. It helps to hear encouraging words when trying to get through a pile of 78 opinion papers. Sigh. 6 more weeks and then I can spend some more time with my bookshelves!

Like many others have said, I think I'll move The Idiot up closer to the top of the TBR pile. I read The Brothers Karamazov in university and loved it (though it took me eons to read it). Since then I've had Crime and Punishment and The Idiot on my shelf collecting dust. Maybe this summer is a good time to delve into some classics.
And thanks for the post about teachers. It helps to hear encouraging words when trying to get through a pile of 78 opinion papers. Sigh. 6 more weeks and then I can spend some more time with my bookshelves!

I hope the 6 weeks goes by quickly!

Aack! I got hit by 4 bullets this week...

#237: Ooh! Which ones?

>177 alcottacre:: Stasia, The Idiot is my favourite Dostoyevsky. I loved that story.
Re the Lucia books, my personal favourites are Miss Mapp and Mapp & Lucia. But Queen Lucia (or Make Way for Lucia in the U.S.) sets the stage and you can see the growth of the character as he goes on.

#239: I never would have heard of the series if not for you, Tui. I am planning on reading them all - or at least as many as the local library has :) Thank you so much for introducing me to them.

I know The Idiot is also on 'The Tui List,' but I had actually planned to read that one this year before discovering your list. I really enjoyed it. I had read it 20+ years ago, but I wanted to try the new translation. It is excellent. All of the Pevear/Volokhonsky translations I have read (this makes the third) are.

Quote for the day from The High Lord by Trudi Canavan:

"I had the chest brought to my rooms today. It took some time to open it. I disengaged the magical locks easily enough, but the lid rusted shut. I didn't want to risk damaging anything inside, so I took great care. When I finally had it open I was both disappointed and pleased. It was filled with boxes, so my first sight of the contents was very exciting. But as I opened each box I found only books inside. When I opened the last box I was greatly disappointed. I had found no buried treasure. Just books."

OK, what is wrong with this guy? Books are buried treasure!!

(posted to the Kitchen too)

Hi there, stumbled across your list today and I must say it is very impressive. My first thoughts from it are that I obviously need to find myself a copy of The Idiot. Keep up the great reading and reviewing.

#242: I hope you can lay your hands on a copy of The Idiot, Kiwi. Thanks for stopping by!

#241 I totally agree!
--BJ

I figured at least one person in the group would!

Or one million!

(You know that I meant that I totally agreed with you, right?)
--BJ

#246: Oh yes, that was understood.

I am on to your evil plot, Madam Stasia the o-so-innocent eyelash batting enabler! Posting quotes of the day to stealthily add titles to the wishlists of the LT populace...for shame, for shame.

Who me?

where do you find those stasia? LOL

#250: I use www.glitter-graphics.com, Susan. I am sure there are other places on the 'net, but I like their graphics a lot, so I just stick with them.

Take 13 on the Acre is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/91301

Come on over when you get a chance.

238- My four book bullets :(
were:
The Idiot
The Blue Castle
Book #1 in the Lord Darcy series
and
This Book is Overdue!

That's more damage than I usually take from your Sunday posts...but don't stop or anything...okay??? ;)

#253: Stop! I do not think I possibly can! lol