DonnaReads Ch. 4 -- "In the Good Ol' Summertime"

I'm moving into my summer reading mode... lighter fare, more mysteries, fewer reviews.

"Let your books and your shelves be your gardens and your pleasure-grounds."
~Judah Tibbon~

This has been a busy year so far on LibraryThing.
Thread One.
Thread Two.
Thread Three.

Books read in 2010:
* I own these books
** Favorites -- Books that I've reread or would like to read again.

Thread No. 4

55. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks -- Rebecca Skloot
54. My Losing Season* -- Pat Conroy
53. Still Life -- Louise Penny
52. Being Dead* -- Jim Crace
51. The Beekeeper's Apprentice -- Laurie R. King
50. When the Mississippi Ran Backwards -- Jay Feldman
49. An Irish Country Doctor -- Patrick Taylor
48. American Salvage -- Bonnie Jo Campbell
47. Grayson* -- Lynne Cox**
46. The Likeness* -- Tana French
45. In the Woods -- Tana French (borrowed from Nancy)
44. The Leisure Seeker -- Michael Zadoorian
43. Atticus* -- Ron Hansen
42. Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs* -- W. Stegner
41. Paula* -- Isabel Allende**

Thread No. 3
40. An Unquiet Mind -- Kay Redfield Jamison
39. Norwegian Wood* -- Haruki Murakami
38 Therapy* -- David Lodge
37. Tinkers -- Paul Harding
36. The History of Love -- Nicole Krauss**
35. Secret Daughter* -- Shilpi Somaya Gowda
34. Baking Cakes in Kigali -- Gaile Parkin
33. The Moonstone* -- Wilkie Collins
32. Specimen Days* -- Michael Cunningham
31. The Plague* -- Albert Camus**
30. Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice* -- A.S. Byatt
29. Cheating at Canasta* -- William Trevor
28. The Moon is Down* -- John Steinbeck
27. The Postmistress -- Sarah Blake
26. King of the Hill/ Looking for Miracles -- A.E. Hotchner

Thread No. 2
25. The Grapes of Wrath* -- John Steinbeck**
24. Prague* -- Arthur Phillips
23. Mountains Beyond Mountains* -- Tracy Kidder
22. The Matisse Stories* -- A.S. Byatt
21. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom --Cory Doctorow
20. Never Let Me Go* -- Kazuo Ishiguru
19. The Lacuna* -- Barbara Kingsolver**
18. The Good Soldiers -- David Finkel
17. Shadow Tag -- Louise Erdrich
16. Light In August* -- William Faulkner**
15. In The Wake -- Per Petterson
14. World Without End* -- Ken Follett
13. I Am The Messenger -- Markus Zusak
12. Jazz* -- Toni Morrison

Thread No. 1
11. The Moonflower Vine* --Jetta Carleton**
10. The Girls* -- Lori Lansesn
9. Shutter Island -- Dennis Lehane
8. A Death In Vienna -- Daniel Silva
7. The Seven Storey Mountain* -- Thomas Merton
6. Let the Great World Spin -- Colum McCann**
5. Their Eyes Were Watching God* -- Zora Neale Hurston**
4. A Study in Scarlet* -- Arthur Conan Doyle
3. The Solace of Leaving Early* -- Haven Kimmel
2. A Gate at the Stairs -- Lorrie Moore
1. A Passage to India* -- E.M. Forster**

Books-of-the-Month for 2010

January:
Their Eyes Were Watching God (F)
The Seven Storey Mountain (NF)

February:
Light in August by William Faulkner
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel (NF)

March:
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (NF)

April:
The Plague by Albert Camus
King of the Hill by A.E. Hotchner (NF)

May:
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Paula by Isabel Allende (NF)

June:
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Grayson by Lynne Cox (NF)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TIOLI Challenge
My Take It Or Leave It Challenge for January is: First month, first novel...
The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel. 4.5 stars.
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 4 stars.

February: Book With A Red Spine...
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak. 3 stars.
Light in August by William Faulkner. 5 stars.

March: Book by an LT author...
Prague by Arthur Phillips. 3.5 stars.

April: Short Stories...
Cheating at Canasta by Wm. Trevor. 3 stars.
Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice by A.S. Byatt. 3.5 stars.

May: Books with One Word in the Title...
Tinkers by Paul Harding. 4 stars.
Therapy by David Lodge. 3.5 stars.
Paula by Isabel Allende. 4.5 stars.
Atticus by Ron Hansen. 4 stars.

June: Books with A Problem as part of the Title
When the Mississippi Ran Backwards by Jay Feldman. 3 stars.
Being Dead by Jim Crace. 4 stars.
My Losing Season by Pat Conroy. 4 stars.

Donna
Yours is a very popular, interesting thread. I enjoy visiting here!

I've added An Unquiet Mind to the tbr pile. It sounds fascinating.

Happy Tuesday to you!

Hi Linda, I'm so happy to have you here as my first visitor! An Unquiet Mind is a special book of comfort and hope.

Happy Tuesday to you as well. The sun is shining here for a change.

Congratulations on thread 4! You go, girl!

Wow at this rate you'll end up with twelve threads this year! Congrats!

This is how I end up losing people and then weeks later I think "Hey I haven't been on so and so's thread for weeks." I forget to star the new thread even as I unstar the old one. Came back to make sure this time.

Hi Donna- You've set up a nice thread here! Good job and here's to reading many more good books this year!

New thread, new star!
I keep humming the title of your thread, though.

Welcome to Peggy, Porua, Bonnie, Mark, and Joanne. I hope we're all singing "In the good ol' summertime" pretty soon. I wanted to wait for warmer weather to start my summer thread, but surpassed the magic number.

I took advantage of our one decent day in awhile to do some weeding and even bought some flowers to plant. Spring has been cool and rainy here with more rain on the way. Can't complain too much, though, 'cause it's great reading weather. I'll post my thoughts on Paula by Isabel Allende tomorrow.

What kind of flowers did you plant? I have been wanting to get some purple petunias, but I will probably just leave them in a hanging basket.
--BJ

No offense, but I would rather wait for summertime here in Texas :) The thoughts of 100+ temperatures are making me sweat already!

Amen to that, Stasia. SE N.C. has already given us days and humidity in the 90's. We've been overcast and cool for two days, and I've loved it. Now if only it would really rain!

BJ, I love purple flowers of any kind, but my husband thinks the only color for a flower should be red. I planted red begonias in pots for the front porch, red geraniums, and red and white wave petunias for the stump in our side yard that we're too cheap to have ground out. Besides, it makes a perfect planter.

Enough red, already. I have to go back this week end to get my Moonflower Vine (white flowers) and I'll get some purple and pink flowers for me. We have a lot of perenniels but need the annuals for more dependable summer color. Just a bit of reading humor here...there were two times while writing this post that I spelled the color red as "read"!

Stasia, I hear you. The real summertime for me will be spent indoors enjoying the A/C. I want the early summer days before the temp and humidity levels make it unbearable.

Peggy, I've been trying to send this excessive rain we've been having your way. It looks like we're in for another couple inches in the next two days.

Book No. 41: Paula by Isabel Allende. 4.3 stars.

This is a heartrending story of a mother's deep love for her daughter. Paula suffers from a rare disease and falls into a coma at the age of 28. Her mother is her main caretaker and spends her time at Paula's bedside doing what she knows how to do. Write.

She writes about the political upheaval in Chile that almost destroyed the family. She writes about her daughter's childhood and her hopes for her future. She writes about how she became a writer and how important telling stories is to her. Most of all she writes "of an irreversible voyage through a long tunnel," (Pg. 238) which is the ultimate nightmare of losing a child.

This is a memoir of helplessness and grief; beautifully written, difficult to read. It's a book of raw emotion translated in magical prose. After reading this haunting book, I want and need to read more by Allende. It looks like The House of the Spirits will be added to my ever-growing summer book list.

Give me heat and lots of it. Unfortunately, in Northeastern Ohio summer lasts for, maybe, a week and a half in August. I'm way too thin skinned for this climate so I absorb all the sunshine and high temperatures I can bask in - but of course, with tons of 50 SPF sunscreen.

P.S. I read Daughter of Fortune last year and really enjoy Allende's writing. I'll keep a lookout for Paula. Have you read any of her other novels?

Wonderful review Donna. I want to read this book and at the same time it sounds horrendously sad and I know I'll have to be at a certain place to be able to read it. I loved Allende's Daughter of Fortune and Ines of My Soul; didn't like Portrait in Sepia as much and still have House of Spirits on my teetering tower.

Hi Lynda, I'll send some heat up your way in July and August, but you have to take the humidity that comes with it! You know, I thought I had read several books by Allende, but Daughter of Fortune is the only one in my LT library. I guess good intentions don't count!

I believe The House of the Spirits is her masterpiece. She writes in Paula of how it was inspired by the death of her grandfather and how it was almost magically written. I'm not talking about style, but about how she wrote it in a semi-trance. I also have Portrait in Sepia on my TBR triple towers.

Oh, hi there, Bonnie. Sorry to hear you didn't like Portrait in Sepia. It has a lovely cover. ;-) And yes, Paula is sad, but the way Allende relies on her spirituality takes the "horrendous" out of it.

I had Paula home from the library last year but never got it read. I will have to pick it up again. Thanks for the reminder, Donna!

Paula is one I've wanted to read for a long time, and I own it. I should bump it up. I've liked everything I've read by Allende.

Being chicken, I think I'll forego the beautiful writing and avoid the pain of Paula, but you wrote a lovely review, Donna. I've read only House of Spirits and Eva Luna, so I know that I find Allende magical too. Actually, I've been giving consideration to pushing Zorro to the higher slopes of Mt. Bookpile. I think it sounds like fun.

Do it, Peggy. Zorro was great fun!

Allende was interviewed recently on Fresh Air -- I was fascinated -- I love hearing the speaking 'voice' of a writer.

Donna- Good review! I read The House of the Spirits back in the early 80s, so I don't remember it very well and I've never read any of her other work. I heard her discussing her latest novel, on a podcast the other day. It takes place in Haiti and sounds very interesting.

Stasia and Terri, I hope you both get a chance to read Paula soon and find it as touching as I did.

Peggy, I had forgotten about the Zorro book. I've heard good things about it from a friend who read it when it first came out.

Lucy, I missed that broadcast, but I know what you mean. I was fascinated when Louise Erdrich was interviewed on Bill Moyers' program.

Mark, I'm looking forward to reading Allende's The Island Beneath the Sea someday. I have a lot of catching up to do with all the books she's written, beginning with the one you've read and forgotten! That's okay, I don't remember much about what I read in the 80's either.

Donna, I too found Paula very sad. I'd already read House of the Spirits, Portrait in Sepia, Daughter of Fortune, and Ines of my Soul, and knew she was one of my favorite authors.

Just the other day I pulled Eva Luna off my shelves and will be reading it in June. I also have Zorro and am glad to hear good things ... I've been putting that one off.

Harking back to the Unquiet Mind discussion, another book written by one personally experiencing mental illness that I found absolutely fascinating was The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness by Elyn R. Saks. The author suffers from schizophrenia, but was able to complete law school and became a law professor. Her illness was usually fairly well-controlled with medication, but she would often go off her medicine and suffered full-blown psychotic episodes. She was an excellent writer, and, at least to me, was able to convey what it might feel like to be schizophrenic. (I'm not suggesting that bipolar is in anyway comparable to schizophrenia).

Your review of Paula makes me want to read more by Isabel Allende--like Mark, I've only read House of Spirits.

Isabel Allende is one of those authers I keep meaning to read but haven't. I'm not sure I'll start with Paula, however much I enjoyed your review, Donna. Just too sad.

She was on Craig Ferguson's show a few nights ago and was very charming and funny.

Laura, you sound like a real Allende fan. Is there a particular one of hers that stands out as a personal favorite?

Thanks for the Elyn Saks recommendation, Deborah. I'm interested in reading about all kinds of mental illness since it has popped up in my family. I guess it's always been there, but now it has a name. I'm particularly interested in the first-hand accounts of people who go on to lead successful lives. Those books have always appealed to me.

Joanne, I'll be reading more Allende books in the future. She keeps popping up on radio and TV, and I keep missing her. At least, thanks to you, I know who Craig Ferguson is now. :-)

>32 Donna828:: It's funny, Donna ... I love her books but I read all of those over a very long period of time and the first two pre-LT before I started writing reviews. So, can't remember whether I liked House of the Spirits or Portrait in Sepia more. I do remember liking Daughter of Fortune more than Ines of my Soul or Paula.

No problem, Laura, I'll just read them all! :-) I liked Daughter of Fortune, too. I'll probably go with The House of the Spirits and then Portrait in Sepia because I've had them for so long. I also want to read her new one about Haiti.

Book No. 42: Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs by Wallace Stegner. 4 stars.

There are only a few reviews of this wonderful book so I had to get back in the groove and write another review posted here.

I really enjoyed these essays, although I wasn't acquainted with all the writers he wrote about and thought he had a little too much to say about the problems of water rights, etc. in the west. I do recommend the book as another way to get to know this outstanding writer. I'll be reading The Big Rock Candy Mountain fairly soon which is a semi-autobiographical look at his father.

I am off for a quick trip up to K.C. to watch my 6-year old granddaughter's debut as a ballerina tonight and go to two soccer games tomorrow. Fun times.

Have a wonderful trip!

Donna- Good review! I have not read this one, but have read Angle of Repose and Crossing to Safety. Both excellent!

Have a fun trip, Donna! The Stegner group read was interesting and I'm glad I read the book. (I still have two essays left to read.)

Hi Donna:) I don't know if you have already heard of it, but I will mention it anyway. Have you heard about the book The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende? As I have come to understand it continues where Paula left of. I have not read any of the books, but I did get The Sum of Our Days at a book sale recently, and my mother has Paula, so hopefully I will get to read them soon.

Have a lovely weekend!

Good review, Donna! I miss the group already, but I'm not going to commit to anything else for a bit while I try to catch up with what's on my list.
Hope the little ballerina has an enchanted evening, and you too!

I hope you enjoy seeing your granddaughter dance! Have a lovely trip.

I'm home from a wild two days with the grandkids. I'm worn to a frazzle, but in true LT fashion, I'm getting caught up with posts before I collapse. Actually, I have a birthday party for a friend in two hours, and I'm trying to keep alert until then.

>36 London_StJ:: Hi, Luxx. I lurk on your thread quite a bit and do enjoy those fabulous pictures of your boys. My grandson Griffin is also two. He and Brooks would make quite a team with their bumps and bruises, although I don't think Griffin has gotten quite the "shiner" that Brooks had awhile ago. I hope both boys are feeling better by now.

>37 msf59:: Mark, a few of Stegner's essays are a bit dated, but for the most part, it was a wonderful reading experience. I think we're going to try a group read of Stegner's The Big Rock Candy Mountain this fall. I hope you can join us; this group really gets into some great conversations.

>38 Copperskye:: Thank you, Joanne, for the good wishes and your insightful comments on the Bluebird Sings group read. We're still posting away over there so be sure and add your final thoughts.

>39 Apolline:: I wasn't aware of this sequel to Paula, Bente. Thanks for educating me. I'll look for it. I hope you're having a lovely week end in beautiful Norway as well!

>40 LizzieD:: Peggy, my little ballerina was awesome. Do I sound like a gloating grandmother? I'll also miss the Stegner gang, but will keep up with everyone's summer reading until we get together over on that Big Rock Candy Mountain in the fall.

>41 alcottacre:: You have a great trip as well, Stasia. Enjoy your down time. For me, that would mean extra reading, but I think you're good in that department! I thoroughly enjoyed the dance recital, but the back-to-back soccer games just about did me in!

No shiners yet? Heh, well, I'm sure Brooks could teach Griffin about maximum injury for minimum effort. ;) And both boys are doing much better - thank you!

Sounds like a good time was had by all! Glad you had a nice visit with the grandkids.

Hi Donna- It sounds like you had a good time with the little ones! I might join you guys on Big Rock Candy Mountain, since I have never read it. I'm also toying with doing a G.R. of Blindness in September. We'll see!

Hi, Stasia and Mark. I have Blindness on the TBR piles. I've heard such good things about it.

Book No. 43. Atticus by Ron Hansen. 4 stars.

I bought this book at The Blue Bicycle (used bookstore) in Charleston, S.C. last year, thinking my husband would like this story about a troubled father and son relationship. Well, he has yet to read it, but it fit in perfectly with my One-Word Title TIOLI Challenge. I really liked it and look forward to reading Hansen's Mariette in Ecstasy which has also been languishing on the unread Triple Towers.

You know, it's hard to break old habits. My review of this modern-day retelling of The Prodigal Son is here.

Donna- Good review! It sounds good! I thought I heard of this author before and I looked at his books and sure enough he wrote The Assassination of Jesse James, which was made into a film with Brad Pitt. I loved the movie.

Hi Donna - Sounds like an interesting read.

Oh, and you're not blaming your husband for your book buying habit now, are you? ;) (I'm just teasing you...)

#47: Atticus was one of the very first audiobooks I listened to. It was a good book and I enjoyed it. I am glad you did to, Donna.

If you liked Atticus I know I'll like it too, so onto the wishlist it goes.

Hmmm I want to say I've read it because it sounds so familiar but I have no record of it. Oh well onto the pile it goes Donna.

>49 Copperskye:: Joanne, as a fellow book lover, you know I'll use just about any excuse to snag a book that I want to read. I could have used the old "supporting the local economy" excuse. I'll save that one for next time!

Stasia, I think Atticus would have been great as an audiobook.

Lynda and Bonnie...I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

>48 msf59:: Uh oh, I'm in trouble for overlooking Mark. Sorry, Pal, just in a hurry to get some yard work done before it gets too hot -- or we get another pop-up blast of rain like we did yesterday. I've already spent too much time here on LT catching up on others' threads.

I also enjoyed the movie "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Hansen sure knows how to tell a story.

I'll write about my first official summertime book tomorrow. I just got home from a good movie -- "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." I may jump in and read books 2 and 3 in the trilogy now that I got introduced to the characters. I think I can do better with the violent sex and torture, etc. in the written word rather than seeing it on screen. I'm glad I was a little distracted by reading the subtitles. Actually, it was a very good movie; just more action than I'm used to.

I also started reading an exciting book today which Mark and several others have liked and Bonniebooks didn't. So far I'm pretty hooked on In the Woods by Tana French. I borrowed it from a friend so I could read it before I read my copy of The Likeness. I kinda like my plan to read some mysteries and thrillers this summer!

Hi Donna- I'm jealous that you got to see Dragon Tattoo at the theater! How did you swing that? It played in the Chicagoland area for a very short time and disappeared. I was bummed! I plan on starting The Girl Who Played With Fire very shortly and I have the latest arriving from Amazon.
I hope you like In the Woods. I loved it!

Donna

Yours is a popular thread...There are many messages sent I last visited here.

Hello to you!

Hi Donna, I enjoyed reading In The Woods. I'll be interested in your reaction when you finish it.

I liked In the Woods hugely -- I have the next one, which I am stupidly hoarding, as I tend to do.....

Hi Mark, Linda, Joanne, and Lucy. I stayed up too late last night reading In the Woods. That is the biggest problem I have with it right now...I just don't want to put it down! Too bad I have to clean house and do some cooking today to get ready for week end company.

Mark, I read where they are making an American version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" possibly starring Brad Pitt as Mikhael. I wonder who will play Lisbeth?

Lucy, I know what you mean about hoarding. I do that too, but this time, I have to jump right into The Likeness so my friend can read it.

Donna..

If you stayed up late reading the book, that is high recommendation. This one has been on the tbr pile since March, 2009. I'll move it up some notches.

I second that, Linda.....especially since Lucy enjoyed it too. That is, if I can finish Innocent one of these first days. (I do think I like it better than the other two in this general group did, but that may be because I still can't find my copy of Presumed Innocent for comparison.)

That's all the encouragement I need to go for The Likeness next!

>55 Donna828: The review of the movie I read said that the rape scene was so violent that it would never have been produced here in the US. I posted an interesting article on the Interesting Articles thread about Steig Larsson and how his selfish brothers who weren't close to him at all are grabbing the estate from his longtime companion. She, on the other hand, has an unfinished copy of Book 4. Don't know how far along it is and whether or not someone will finish it.

>64 brenzi:: That doesn't surprise me, Bonnie. My friend and I were discussing how the shock factor went beyond the "R" rating and would have to be toned down for American audiences. It was shown at our local "art" cinema and was unrated. I'll have to check out that interesting article conveniently located on the "Interesting Articles" thread.

Book No. 44: The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian. 3.8 stars.

What could be more representative of summer than a road trip to Disneyland? This wasn't just any old road trip, however. It was undertaken by John (suffering from Alzheimer's) and Ella (in the final stages of cancer). Ella wants to avoid hospitals and doctors while trying to live through some of her memories of family trips. I really enjoyed this bittersweet story and this atypical couple in their 80's. Ella in particular made me laugh with her potty mouth. But she also had a pensive side:

...I can't help but be stunned, plain old whopperjawed, by the beauty of this sky. As for its size, well, the sheer immensity of it makes me feel so insignificant that I realize that all my problems will ultimately pass with nary a soul noticing. It's then that I find calm. (Pg. 181)

What a good book to start my summer reading with. Happy Memorial Day to those of us in the U.S. and Happy Summer Reading to all!

I've got that one on my list already.

And you too, Donna -have a great weekend! I just love summer!

Donna

Madeline recommended The Leisure Seeker and I'm glad I read this delightful book.

Happy Holiday to you!

Thanks for reminding me of the gems that Zadoorian threw out so generously in The Leisure Seeker. I really enjoyed it.

I have The Leisure Seeker in the BlackHole due to Madeline's recommendation. I guess I had better bump it up!

Well, the young 'uns should be almost back to their new home in Texas. We had a nice relaxing few days. Good weather, good food, good times.

I jumped back In the Woods without any problem. One more late night and I should be finished with this psychological mystery. I've about decided to give my upcoming book group a pass for this month as I'd much rather go right into The Likeness than do another read of Pride and Prejudice. Anyway, I know the book so well, I can probably go to the meeting and discuss it w/o reading it again.

Donna- Hope you enjoyed "the young 'uns"! I'm so glad you enjoyed In the Woods. I loved it too! The Likeness is also very good. French is a talent, no question about it! She has a new book coming out this summer. A stand-alone I think!

I'm reading The Likeness right now! Loving it.

>71 msf59:: A new Tana French book! That is good news. There were a few very slight problems to a picky reader like me with In the Woods, but I'd say on the whole that it was very good.

>72 sibylline:: More good news. I'll be reading The Likeness along with you, Lucy. It's always more fun reading "with" someone. I have some errands to run, but I'll get going on it this afternoon. My husband may be driving to Cincinnati for a few days this week which would give me lots of uninterrupted reading time. That is simply the best way to read a page-turner which I hope her second book turns out to be.

Book No. 45: In the Woods by Tana French. 4.1 stars.

I'm glad there are so many good reviews of this book so I can just jump right into French's second book. I thought it was about Cassie and Rob, but I see that Sam is the new love interest. I guess Rob is damaged goods! The only problem I had with this book was its predictability. It was just too coincidental **SPOILER alert** that Cassie had a relationship with a psycopath and then Rob succumbs to his own "twisted sister." These are two pretty savvy detectives after all. I also thought it was too long and the whole first "woods" mystery was a bit drawn out.

Oh goody. That makes my day.

I did have some of those same reaction to *ItW* but I was enjoying myself enough to suppress them, I guess. And Cassie does 'love' a thrill.... Rob I accepted as being damaged and therefore short on judgement..... but I liked their relationship a lot, Sam, so far, just isn't as interesting or even convincing as a beau. Nice guys are so dull, fictionally speaking, sigh.

Hi Lucy. I'm getting into The Likeness and agree with you on Sam. Dullsville. I think Cassie is getting tired of him as well. However, I'm not reading these books for the love angle. They're just pretty darn good stories with more literary writing than many mysteries I've read in the past.

How far along are you? I'm adopting Becky's (labwriter) method of assigning pages to read each day for this one. I have a 4-day church conference coming up on Friday and want to be able to focus....which means I need to read 155 pages both today and tomorrow to finish The Likeness. Not really a problem as the story has gotten hold of me.

I loved this passage on Page 109:

If you've ever dreamed that you walked into your best-loved book or film or TV program, then maybe you've got some idea how it felt: things coming alive aound you, strange and new and utterly familiar at the same time; the catch in your heartbeat as you move through the rooms that had such a vivid untouchable life in your mind, as your feet actually touch the carpet, as you breathe the air; the odd, secret glow of warmth as these people you've been watching for so long, from so far away, open their circle and sweep you into it...

As one who reads before bedtime, I frequently enter that dreamlike state that incorporates real life and book life.

I will catch up with you this weekend when I will be, oh unusual beyond anything, all alone for two days..... no spouse or child around. I'll probably just wander around talking to myself. It's the calm before the storm because next week my daughter graduates (her school ends in 8th grade, they have a yearbook, they give speeches.....) with special awards night and then the ceremony and then several parties that are official and my sister is coming for it since there are no adoring grandparents still alive and she is staying for a week, and the following weekend, well, Monday the 20th we are leaving for good, as in MOVING to Vermont. I am presently in a state of denial and paralysis! The house is sold (which is wonderful and weird) and since the closing isn't til September we can sort of dilly-dally about final packing up. Most of our stuff is either moved already or in storage, so we are semi-camping which has been interesting.

But enough about me!

What a great passage you pulled out! I am inhabiting that dream-like state right this minute, I suspect!

Have a great conference. You'll be out of touch?

Lucy, that's wonderful news about selling your house. You know that a lot of people are going to be jealous when you move to Vermont. Such a beautiful state. Do you have family there?

Enjoy your week end of peacefulness. It will be the perfect time to gear up for your daughter's 8th grade graduation, having company, and then moving. Sounds like much of the hard work of packing is done so you can enjoy your sister's company.

I was on a real reading roll today and made some good progress in The Likeness. My conference is in town so I'll be glad to sleep in my own bed after my long days. We have a banquet Friday night and an Ordination on Sat. night, which make for two 12-hour days! I'll be a zombie on Sunday and Monday. I'll be sporadically checking in here and will look for your comments on the book. Enjoy!

Hi Donna- Glad you are enjoying The Likeness! I love Cassie's character. What's this conference you are doing?

Lucy
Congratulations on many levels..Lots of wonderful, exciting things happening in your life.

>75 Donna828: Donna, you wrote, "As one who reads before bedtime, I frequently enter that dreamlike state that incorporates real life and book life." I'm not sure about that, but I am sure that I'm really into a book when it becomes a part of my night dreaming. Nothing very creative happens, but I'm right there with the characters in the place, and usually glad about it.
Hope your conference is inspiring!

>78 msf59:: Mark, The Likeness is killing me. I desperately want to finish it today...and I have quite a few other things I need to attend to before the Missouri Annual United Methodist Conference begins tomorrow morning. That's quite a mouthful. Just call me "church lady" for the next few days!

>79 Whisper1:: Hi, Linda.

>80 LizzieD:: Peggy, my dreams aren't very creative either, but they're interesting to me...at least the ones I can remember. Right now they're all about assuming a new identity (as in The Likeness). Sometimes I wish I could do that!

This is my third and final year as lay representative from my church to this annual conference. It usually is inspiring when 3,000 Methodists get together! We do have some great musical entertainment and speakers. My favorite part is choosing and attending the various workshops.

I'm a little late, but I read Atticus last year and really liked it. I've been meaning to read more by Hansen but you know how that goes...haven't gotten around to it!

Maybe by the end of the weekend I'll catch up to you in the Likeness I'm only about 1/4 in so far. I read Tey's Brat Farrar a couple of novels back there and find it quite interesting to be reading two *identity* books in a row -- esp. with a mysterious and inexplicably close resemblance ..... and other parallels as well.

3000 methodists! Yowza. As Peg says, Be inspired. I would think it would be hard to avoid it!

Wow Donna you're making me want to read the French books immediately. Hmmmm.

As one who reads before bedtime, I frequently enter that dreamlike state that incorporates real life and book life.

Oh yes that happens to me quite often as I keep reading until I have dozed off at least four or five times before I actually give up and go to sleep. (I could get so much more read if I didn't require sleep. Drat!)

Last night I entered the dream world of Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and if anyone has read it, you know what kind of a place that can be.

>82 Ape:: Thanks for visiting, Stephen. Atticus isn't one of those "flashy" (or maybe I should say flash-in-the-pan) books, but the story lingers. I'm considering taking Hansen's Mariette in Ecstasy as my lunch break read for the next few days. I wonder if it's politically correct to take a book about Catholocism to a Methodist gathering?

Other books under consideration:

Grayson by Lynne Cox or
Books & Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdrich (this one would be a reread for me).

They all fit my criteria: short, enticing, but not too absorbing.

83: Lucy, we'll talk more after you finish The Likeness. I'm not sure the coincidence with Brat Farrar is a good thing. I've heard many complimentary things about Tey's book which might make Tana French pale in comparison. I'll be very interested in your opinion.

>84 brenzi:: I agree that sleep does frequently interrupt my reading! Sometimes I have to backtrack a few pages the next day -- but I'm sure that never happens to you or anyone else. :~}

Hmmm...I might not enjoy being in Sparrowland as I drift off to sleep. I'm not sure how far you are into the book, but there are some unforgettably appalling scenes in it. I did like the book; just wouldn't consider it the best nighttime reading. And I still haven't read its sequel, Children of God!

I preferred The Likeness to In the Woods. I also prefer Sam to Rob. I think I'm in the minority on both counts.

I think I'm powerfully attracted to stories of lost people living communally and trying to create something resembling a family.

Nancy, I'm not sure which of the two French books I prefer. I'll let you know after I finish The Likeness today. I married a "Sam" so I guess in real life I prefer the slow, steady man -- but the "damaged" Rob and Cassie had such good chemistry.

I am really liking the pseudo-family aspect of the story as well. I also like the role of Whitethorn House. French uses it so well in creating a changing atmosphere...going from happy-go-lucky to downright creepy.

Btw, thanks for your feedback on Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom on your thread. It's good to know I got one hit out of it!

Donna, Grayson is a nice easy, breezy read. Definately not offensive to anyone that I can think of..........but ya never know. (Touchstone not working)

I agree, choosing workshops can be a lot of fun. Sort of like choosing college courses without the stress of grades. Enjoy your conference.

I have read Grayson too and agree that there is not anything offensive in it.

Okey doke...Grayson is going in my tote bag with the two back-ups in the car in case those workshops get boring! I was leaning that way because I've already read the Erdrich and the Hansen book might be too intense. Thanks Lynda and Stasia.

Book No. 46: The Likeness by Tana French. 4.2 stars.

I really raced through this one so please don't hold my comments against me. I'm writing this off the top of my head with little cogitation involved. First of all, I love Tana French's writing. She engages me and gives me much to think about. She did a great job developing interesting characters. The plot, however,...here it comes...was quite a stretch for me. There were too many things that were just implausible, starting with "the likeness" of Cassie to Lexie.

Now that I've gotten that little detail out of the way, I'll say that I recommend both of French's books. They're well-written stories in which the suspense builds slowly but surely. I'm leaning toward liking this book a tad bit more than In the Woods, mainly because I loved the house being a character much in the vein of Brideshead or Manderly...also one of Jane Austen's books which slips my mind right now...maybe the gothic manor in Northanger Abbey? I also related more to the female POV. That Cassie is a case!

Donna- So glad you enjoyed The Likeness and even better than her first novel. I agree the premise is a major stretch but French draws the reader in so perfectly. So you married a "Sam", huh? Not bad at all!

Hi Donna, Yup, that's why I haven't read past about the first 30-40 pages of The Likeness - the implausibility factor. I have it waiting on the shelf though, for when I think I'm ready.

BTW, Grayson is a good pick -enjoy!

Tana French has a new one coming out this summer - I'm so excited. I loved both her books - my whole book group wants to move into the house in The Likeness. Count me in with the people who prefer Rob to Sam. Sam is so boring, and I don't think that Tana French thinks he is very interesting either. The new book is apparently about the undercover cop guy, Cassie's old boss (I forget the name).

The new book is apparently called Faithful Place and is available starting July 13. Whohoo!

Hi, Donna!
Hope you have a great trip!
--BJ

>93 Copperskye:: Joanne, I advise you to just grin and bear it for a few more pages and pretty soon the amazing writing and characterization will take you away. I'm okay with flaws in books as long as I can acknowledge them to my friends.

>94 jfetting:: Hi Jennifer. Cassie's Undercover boss was named Frank Mackey. I'll enjoy learning more about him. He's kind of a manipulator -- as I'm sure all good cops have to be at times.

Will you be reading When the Mississippi Ran Backwards with the Missouri Readers? I have it on hold at the library.

>95 billiejean:: I thank you for the good wishes, BJ, but I'm not going far. It's about 3.5 miles from my house to downtown Springfield where the convention will be. I erred earlier in my estimate of attendees...it's closer to 2,000. You know, I might as well be going on a journey because I don't have time to drive home for lunch or breaks. I think I'm planning the contents of my purse, tote bag, and most importantly lunch and snacks as carefully as if I were going on a long trip!

I think a book about Mackey would be very intriguing.

I am not as deep into The Likeness as I would like to be -- I have a feeling it is more about where my head is, than the book. I seem to get interrupted every five seconds by something urgent. Or, I get in bed, all ready to read and just boom fall asleep. ARGH.

Hope you had a great first day at yr. conference. !

Hi Lucy,

I hope The Likeness picks up for you soon. It took me awhile to get into it. But then I wasn't planning a graduation bash and a big move!

I just got home and get to return in less than 10 hours. Tomorrow will be a good day because we have workshops in the afternoon. Tonight it will be a "boom fall asleep" night for me, although I think I'll tune into the Spelling Bee for a bit.

Grayson is the perfect book to read on a lunch break. I'll finish it tomorrow. I love Cox's writing about the mermaid waters, etc. This one's a keeper! I can't believe it was on a Border's table for a buck!

Well, no surprise that you liked In the Woods better than I did, but didn't it drive you...OK I'm going to pm you the same comment I sent to Mark, because I don't want to be a spoiler. :-) Enjoy your reviews, as always.

Happy to get a chance to check back into your thread-its always so great!
I'm really happy to see you enjoyed In the Woods-I loved it, one of my favorite reads of last year. I also really enjoyed The Likeness, so I hope you do too!

>100 seasonsoflove:: I'm always happy to have to visit here, seasons. I've got a summer of mysteries lined up. Yup, I'm a new Tana French fan. I'm looking forward to her new release in July.

Suddenly somewhere around the halfway point I became very engaged with The Likeness-- I suspect that most of my problem before that was the nature of my 'real life' being quite chaotic last week and tranquil over the weekend so I could really dig in! But I think the book does pick up and intensity somehow also.

Hallelujah! I'm back.

Lucy, it's funny you should mention real life. I promised Mark this quote (on his thread) that comes from The Likeness about the real world. This is dedicated to Mark's son and all the other new graduates including Stasia's daughter out there. It's lengthy so bear with me.

I'll set the stage first: The housemates are playing poker when Rafe's father phones to harangue him about living in a "commune" and how he should join the "real world." This is part of the conversation that floats around the background of this all-too-familiar lecture from a parent...

Daniel: Ah, now that's a concept that's always fascinated me: the real world. Only a very specific subset of people use the term, have you noticed? To me, it seems self-evident that everyone lives in the real world--we all breathe real oxygen, eat real food, the earth under our feet feels equally solid to all of us. But clearly these people have a far more tightly circumscribed definition of reality, one that I find deeply mysterious, and an almost pathologically intense need to bring others into line with that definition...

I think the mentality has its origins in the Puritan moral framework: the emphasis on fitting into a strict hierarchical structure, the element of self-loathing, the horror of anything pleasurable or artisitic or unregimented...I've always wondered how that paradigm made the transition to become the boundary, not just of virtue, but of reality itself. (Pg. 164)

Abby's thoughts: The real world thing...Our entire society's based on discontent: people wanting more and more and more, being constantly dissatisfied with their homes, their bodies, their decor, their clothes, everything. Taking it for granted that that's the whole point of life, never to be satisfied. If you're perfectly happy with what you've got--specially if what you've got isn't even all that spectacular--then you're dangerous. You're breaking all the rules, you're undermining the sacred economy, you're challenging every assumption that society's built on. (Pg. 165)

Whew! That's a lot to mull over, isn't it? Sometimes (and this is coming from my own experience) we push our kids into the "real world" when, by golly, they have their own definition of what is real for them. I love it when books give me something like this to chew on.

Stopping by to wave hi.

Thanks for the quote, Donna! I will pass it along to Catey.

During Sunday's sermon, our deacon mentioned that Tom Brokaw was the Keynote speaker at his son's graduation. Brokaw told the graduates that the real world is just like middle school. Now that's scary!

Just stopping by to say hello! You didn't add to my Ever-Growing List, merely because so many of your books (including the Tana French ones) are already on the list!

Donna- Great quote from the book! A nice reminder, why I like her writing!

Hi Donna -- later on in The Likeness are a couple of bits about how close the margin most people (in Ireland) live, a paycheck or two from being out in the street - soon after reading that I got in the car to do errands and on Fresh Air was an interview with this fellow who has been investigating the usurious check-cashing/short-term loan industry..... there is a remarkable amount of social and economic commentary in this second book.... not opinionated, but highlighting certain incongruities. The tensions and misunderstandings between the kids living in Whitethorn House and the town..... all that was exceptionally well done, I thought. The young man from the village is awful but also sympathetic.

Some truth in what Brokaw says....... sadly.......

I spent enough years in a middle school setting to say that Brokaw hit the nail on the head.

Good morning and thanks to Linda, Stasia, Lynda, Terri, Mark, and Lucy for stopping by. I suspect that Tom Brokaw is correct in his analogy about the real world being like middle school. It's a scary place out there! Especially when we are pressured to meet everyone else's expectations.

My next book is like a breath of fresh air...



Book No. 47: Grayson by Lynne Cox. 4.5 stars.

This little book can easily be read in one or two sittings. It takes place in the Pacific Ocean in the waters off Seal Beach Pier in San Diego. This heartfelt true story of doing the right thing will appeal to all ages. While it's told in a simple, straightforward manner, it contains many profound truths.

A teenage girl is in the final stages of her rigorous morning swim when her friend onshore tells her she has to turn back to deeper waters because she is being followed by a 15-foot-long (!) baby gray whale who will surely die if he follows her to shore. Gathering uncharted reserves of strength, Lynne turns around to help Grayson find his mother. She clings to her friend's wise words: ... Sometimes the important things take time, sometimes they don't happen all at once, sometimes answers come out of time and struggle, and learning... as she undertakes this incredible journey of love.

Lynne's beautiful writing allows the reader to enter this magical underwater "mermaid's world where color and light were transformed into liquid. I swam through colors, through liquid silvers, whites, yellows, greens, purples, and blues....sunlight became liquid too. Undulating beams of white and gold and silver light whorled and wavered around me..." Come and join Lynne on a journey that changed her life. Highly recommended to animal lovers of all ages.

Edited to add book cover.
Edited again to provide correct link to book. Maybe this is why I find reviewing books exhausting. :-)

Donna What an incredible review! Thumbs up from me!

Did I tell you how glad I am that you are a part of the 75 challenge group? If not, consider yourself told.

Hugs to you,
Linda

Thanks from me too, and hugs all around!
Peggy

Awww....{{hugs}} to you guys as well.

I followed my usual procedure of writing the review and then reading the other reviews. I'm swimming against the tide on this one! Many people called this a little gem, etc. then gave it 3 stars! Oh well. I loved it, it fit my mood, and I'm standing by my gut reaction.

#111: I am glad you enjoyed that one, Donna! I did as well - it was better than a 3-star book for me, but probably not as high as you 4.5-stars though, more like a solid 4.

Well Donna you have swum against the tide before and lived to tell the tale. Thumbs up on the review. It sounds like a lovely read.

I looked back on my review of Grayson from 1/09 and I have to admit I was one of those reviewers who gave it three stars. However, to put it in perspective I was only rating as high as 4 stars last year, I don't know when I changed my rating but now I go as high as five. So with that said, in today's rating system it would probably be a 4 out of 5. So glad that it fit your needs, Donna.

Hi Donna! I'll leave it to you to come up with some reading coincidences, I just finished Northanger Abbey last night, and here you are talking about it:) I wasn't updated on your thread until today. I have to add The Likeness to my tbr pile after this. I loved your review of Grayson too, so I'm adding that one as well.

I also noticed your speculations on who will play Lisbeth Salander in the upcoming American production of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The third film was aired over here a while back, and they might get a bit more attention here since the books and films are Swedish. Well, my point is that I have read a few articles that mentions Kristen Stewart from Twilight or Carey Mulligan (Kitty Bennet from the 2005 P&P production, Isabella Thorpe in a 2007 production of Northanger Abbey) for this role. This rumour has also made it into Mulligan's IMDB site.

Hope you are doing well:)

I wouldn't have thought it could be, but after reading your review Grayson sounds very good! And my library has a copy, so onto the never-ending wishlist it goes!

Stasia, ratings are tough for me. I think I bumped this one up a bit because of the literary writing and the message of perseverance when things get tough.

Bonnie, thanks for the thumb! It was a lovely book.

>117 Carmenere:: Lynda, I was more puzzled than critical with my comment...or at least that's the way I intended it. I have enough problems figuring out how I'm going to rate a book without quibbling about someone else's rating. ;-) Thanks for your explanation. I had to guess at ratings of many of the books I read before LT. I've kept track of my reading for quite awhile; just didn't use a 5-star rating system.

>119 Ape:: Hi, Stephen. I hope you enjoy the swim, er, I mean read. It's a short and quickly read book so at least there isn't a big time commitment involved.

>118 Apolline:: I'm doing great. Thanks for asking, Bente. And congratulations to you on your new job. Thank you for the information on who might play Lisbeth Salander in the American version of "Girl." I really enjoyed the Swedish version. After a very short time, I got involved in the story and was accustomed to the subtitles. I thought the casting was perfect, although I'm not acquainted with those actors.

Hi Donna, I too enjoyed Grayson when I read it a few years ago.

Stars are funny things. Sometimes I see what I think is a low rating (say 3 stars) but its accompanying review will just rave about the book.

But what do I know - everything I've been reading lately has been getting 4+ stars!

122: I'm the same way with stars. I recently gave a book 4 stars but spent the whole review pointing out the flaws.

I've kept a running book list for over 20 years now. In my simple -- before LT world -- I used to award one star for my WOW reads. Those are the books that I want to keep on my library shelf and plan to read again someday. My 4.5 and 5 star books fit into that category -- including Grayson.

It's those other stars that are troubling to me. As Joanne says, "Stars are funny things." And, Stephen, if its any consolation, I frequently point out flaws in a book I'm reviewing to let the reader know why it wasn't rated higher.

I told somebody I was going to post this review this morning...and I'm running out of morning. It's a quick review as others have said what I felt much more eloquently.

Book No. 48: American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell. 4.2 stars.

Meth labs, suicides, drinking and drugs, all kinds of abuse -- these are the themes of stories usually set in my adopted state of Missouri rather than my home state of Michigan. But I suppose that desperation and despair have no boundaries of state lines. I don't know how she does it, but Bonnie Jo Campbell makes (most of) these characters sympathetic and yes, even hopeful.

The best part of my review is in the second paragraph.

Edited for numbering problem on last two books. Sheesh!

Lost you there for a while. Glad I found you again! I thought stars were tricky enough, but now everyone has gone to the decimals as well. Sigh. Thought Grayson sounded worthwhile. : )

Lost you there for a while too ... this group has gotten really large ... it's easy to lose people if you haven't been on for even a day sometimes. But found you again - whew! and starred you again too.

Donna, glad you liked American Salvage. I read it earlier in the year and loved it, after seeing several people rave about it on LT. The only thing that's bad is that I can't remember that story about Marylou at the moment and it's driving me crazy because it was a library book and I can't just go look it up! I hate when that happens. Oh well, maybe it'll come back to me.

I remember Marylou's story vividly, as I do all the other stories in this collection. They have resonated with me as no others in recent memory. Thumbed your review Donna.

Alrighty, you're the second person to give American Salvage good marks, so onto the wishlist it goes.

Welcome back, Caroline. It's really hard keeping up with all the threads for sure. Glad you found me!

Pat, let's just say that Marylou had a really good aim and a really good opportunity. :-)

Thanks for the thumb, Bonnie. You're the reason I read this book.

I hope you enjoy American Salvage, Lynda. I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but like Bonnie said, they stick with you. I've been reading and savoring them over the past month or so.

Hi Donna- Good review on American Salvage. I need to find a copy. I might also read Beekeeper's Apprentice, but later in the month. You know I like following your lead!

Hi Mark, I'm glad you're finding time for LT while on vacation. It's my "downtime" when I'm away from home....which I am right now. But I'm only 3 hours away in K.C.

I left Springfield before 7:00 a.m. so I could get to the book sale here when the doors opened at 10:00. Well, I made it only to discover the sale started yesterday!! Oh well, fewer people -- but there were also fewer books. I came away with a baker's dozen for me...and about the same for the grands. My daughter and 2-year-old grandson met me there so I had some good "help" for about an hour.

Enough about me...I know you're dying to know what I found in the leftovers. Next year, I'm writing this date on the calendar and not depending on my addled memory.

For upcoming book groups at the local library:
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
Madame Bovary by Flaubert (I got this for a friend as I already have a copy)

For my permanent collection. These are books I've read and loved:
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
the Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich

The rest are just because I wanted them!
The Palace of Illusions- Divakaruni (Lots of good LT buzz on this one)
Suttree - McCarthy (this has been on my list for years)
A Frolic of His Own - Wm. Gaddis
The Septembers of Shiraz - Dalia Sofer (my best friend loved this)
Prairie Nocturne - Ivan Doig (This is the 5th Doig book I've bought -- and I've yet to read any. Hope I like thm!)
Kate Vaiden - Reynolds Price (I loved Roxanna Slade by him)
The Devil's Highway - Urrea
Falling Man - Don DeLillo
Acedia & me - Kathleen Norris (my only NF; I've liked her other books)

That's it for me! Gotta take my weary body and play with a winsome grandson!

#133 Donna, I can't imagine how many books must have been there yesterday. My daughter and I made it to the sale this afternoon - just got home about an hour and a half ago. As were were making our way to the check-out, they were bringing out boxes and boxes of more books. The empty store that was being used for storage was stacked 6 or 7 feet high, and it took up most of the front half of a standard mall boutique-sized shop. Still lots of books, but maybe the best were already picked out. Haven't unpacked yet, but we came away with a box full of about 20 PB's and 10 HB's for $20. Thanks for the reminder!

Great haul Donna. I'm hoping to get to Madame Bovary and The Septembers of Shiraz this summer.

Wonderful book finds!

And, congratulations on your hot review for American Salvage. Both you and Nancy raved about this book and both had hot reviews regarding it.

You are reading such wonderful books!

Nice list Donna!
I read Septembers of Shiraz last year and really enjoyed it.

Nice haul, Donna!

Nice going, Donna. Doesn't your heart flutter when you've spot something like Suttree that you've wanted for so long?!

Thanks for the kudos on my book acquisitions. I was mistaken in my post; I bought two nonfiction books. The Devil's Highway is a true story about the struggles at the Mexico/U.S. border. I'm not sure which book I'll read first. I have 3 library books that take precedence.

>134 sjmccreary:: Sandy, I'm glad you also got a good haul at the sale. I'm so sorry that I told you the wrong day. If it's any consolation, I heard that the first day was mayhem! I'll get it right next time. You probably know that there will be a sale in the fall at the same place.

>135 brenzi:: Bonnie, you and I will be reading quite a few of the same books this summer. I opted out of my reread of Pride and Prejudice. I ended up having a conflict for the book group the evening they met. We're reading Beloved for July; not my favorite Morrison book, but I know I'll get some good insight from this group.

>136 Whisper1:: Thanks, Linda. American Salvage was a great book. I've backed off on writing reviews for every book I read, but this one deserved the extra attention!

>137 Copperskye:: I'm looking forward to reading September of Shiraz, Joanne. I'm wondering if there are any good book sales coming up in the Littleton area. We'll be out there sometime this summer. I can be flexible when it comes to books!

>138 alcottacre:: Why, thank you, Stasia. I looked at my stack of 13 books and thought, "that's about a week's worth of reading for Stasia!"

>139 Carmenere:: Lynda, I had about given up on finding Suttree. I'm not a die-hard McCarthy fan, but read somewhere that this one is not to be missed. And, yes, my heart did the flutter thing...but it was partly due to exhaustion. I was lugging those books around for 3 hours after a 3-hour drive. Crazy me!

Donna- I am a big fan of McCarthy and have had Suttree in my tbr forever. Is this another one we will read together, or at least in same loose time frame?

Hi Donna! Just popping in to say hello:) Nice haul you got from the book sales. You got to love book sales right?!

Hey there, Mark. I'm ready to read Suttree and/or another Steinbeck whenever you are.

>142 Apolline:: Book sales are like a giant treasure hunt to me, Bente. Better than Christmas!

I was asked about my favorite reads of the year on a PM, so I decided to put ** after the books in Post #2 that I will keep in my permanent collection to be read again someday. These are mostly books that I think I can gain further insight from or that were just plain enjoyable to me.

Thanks for adding the ** to your list, Donna. Some real favorites of mine in there for me too, so I'm eager to try Moonflower Vine, the only one I haven't read yet.

Bonnie, keep in mind that Moonflower Vine is set in the area where I live and reminded me so much of my husband's family. That was much of the appeal to me, although, I think it's a pretty good book about family values being important both 75 years ago and now.

Book No. 49 An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor. 3.3 stars.

This was a pleasant read or, in my case, listen. The audio version made a routine road trip pass quickly as I was pulled into the bucolic Irish countryside of a kinder, gentler era by the soothing Irish brogue of John Keating. Dr. O'Reilly mentors the young, know-it-all, Dr. Barry Laferty. Barry quickly learns that book knowledge doesn't necessarily translate well to a small-town medical practice. Quirky patients call for a creative kind of doctoring with a heavy dose of matchmaking thrown in for a happy ending.

That is one of my small quibbles with this book. Everything is wrapped up just a little too neatly for me in a twee sort of way. Patrick Taylor has been compared to James Herriot without the animals. Well, with the exceptions of the comical Labrador Arthur Guinness and his feline nemesis, I missed the animals. I also missed the depth of Herriot's writing who could make me laugh and cry within the space of a few pages. Taylor made me smile and frown, but he's no James Herriot! Still, as I said in the beginning, Taylor provides a pleasant way to spend a few hours and I will be returning to the Irish countryside in his other books.

Well, Book #49 must have been a big yawn for others as well. I thought I'd garner a few reactions to my "he's no James Herriot" line!

Book No. 50: When the Mississippi Ran Backwards by Jay Feldman. 3 stars.

In my reading world, 3 stars is an average read that might appeal to some but didn't exactly float my boat. Get it?....river metaphor there!!!

Oh my, what to say. Parts of this book were really enticing. I loved learning more about the charismatic Shawnee Tecumseh. The maiden voyage of the riverboat "New Orleans" was made interesting by the colorful characters, Nicholas and Lydia Roosevelt. Also, Feldman did a super job of describing the groaning sounds of erupting earth and the sulphurous smell that occurred during the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 in the too few pages that he devoted to the disaster.

This was more of a history book centering on the precarious relations between Native Americans and the U.S. government due to the westward expansion fever. There were some side stories involving slavery issues and a barbaric murder and the development of steamboat travel. The book jumped around quite a bit as Feldman struggled to make some tenuous connections between too many unrelated events.

No formal review of this one as Lindapanzo concisely stated my feelings about the book in her excellent review.

Hi. Just to say I read both these reviews with interest. I haven't read either book, but your reviews gave me enough idea of what they were about for me to decide not to read them. I have to say that it's frustrating to see reviews of the same book on different threads - should I comment on it multiple times? should I say the same thing multiple times? Am I commenting on the book (which often I haven't read) or on the review? I guess it's not practical to have a thread for every book ever mentioned or reviewed, but it does reduce the level of intelligent conversation one can really expect to have. Anyway, I liked your comments.

Your review of book #50 reminds me of a similar book The Day the Falls Stood Still. Although it was a fairly good book only a few paragraphs dealt with the day Niagara Falls froze and virtually stood still. The remainder of the book was part love story, part the problems caused by new technology. Seems these titles are there to grab our attention but fail to deliver what we long to see.
Better luck with #51!

Well, I probably won't read When the Mississippi Ran Backwards based on your rating, but the title of the book along with your comments made me think how perfect a title that would be to describe the advent of steam-powered boats on that river and how much that would change things for those who don't have access to the new technology. It reminded me of Native Americans having to fight against the European-American settlers with their guns. Or the Native-Americans in the Northwest who lost their livelihood (e.g., salmon) when parts of the Columbia were dammed. Now you've got me curious!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Donna for your great review that will not be adding to my teetering tower.

Awww, thanks for the nice mention of of my review of that somewhat disappointing When the Mississippi Ran Backwards.

I had such high hopes for that book, too.

>148 JanetinLondon:: Janet, that is an interesting question about posting the same comment on different threads. I tend to read a lot of threads so I do see that happening a little, but for the most part, it seems redundant. I guess if I want more visitors, I'll have to start reading "cutting edge" books instead of what everyone else is reading. :-) Thanks for stopping by.

>149 Carmenere:: Attention-grabbing titles. That sounds like a fairly interesting premise for a new thread. I wonder if it's been done? I guess the other book that I read this year that might qualify would be Cheating at Canasta. The stories in this book had nothing to do with Canasta.

>150 bonniebooks:: Bonnie, I can almost guarantee you that you would find something to love and to hate in When the Mississippi Ran Backwards. The subjects covered were that different from each other. Someone in our group wanted more science, another didn't want to read about cruelty to Indians, etc. Try it -- you might like it!

>151 brenzi:: You're welcome...and

>152 lindapanzo:: You're welcome.

Hi Donna, I have a couple of those Irish Country books that I picked up off the sale rack. I haven't read them yet so I was interested in what you had to say. You said about what I was expecting!

#147: I am debating about that one since I am a history buff; however, your point about the author striving to make tenuous connections makes me think I will not be reading it. Thanks for the review, Donna!

>154 Copperskye:: Joanne, the Patrick Taylor books would make great "in betweeners" when you want something light and cheery after reading those heavy books you've been reading.

>155 alcottacre:: I don't want to be the one to make you stay away from the Mississippi Backwards book, Stasia. There is a lot of good stuff in there; it's just kind of jumbled up like the aftermath of an earthquake!

Oh, I almost forgot why I'm here on my thread. I'm doing an abbreviated recap of what I've read for my first 50 books this year. Who knows, this might be the year I make the 100 mark, although my reading slows way down when the holiday mayhem heats up in Nov./Dec.

Non-fiction: 8 -- I'd like to have a higher number here
Group Reads: 7 -- this includes the face-to-face group at my local library
Books I own: 30! I am happy with this number as that was the only goal I made for myself...to read more books from the TBR stacks.

The only problem is I've been going to book sales and used bookstores so the stacks keep growing. Ack! At least I'm in good company with my little problem.

At least I'm in good company with my little problem.


May all our little problems be so enjoyable.

I think you may reach 100 before the holidays hit! Good luck!

#147 a great review, Donna. I'm still not finished with When the Mississippi Ran Backwards, but so far I agree with everything you've said. I'm about half done (almost up to the photos in the center) - the quake hasn't happened yet. If I didn't already know that it gets very little coverage, I'd be losing hope that we'd be hearing much about it's causes and effects. So far, all the side stories are pretty interesting. They just aren't what I was hoping to read.

#149 It seems to happen all too often that a book with a great title gets my hopes up only to leave me disappointed by content that fails to deliver what was "promised". I wonder how much the authors are involved in that and how much is pure marketing.

I have some great books in my tbr's that I want to read (e.g., Wizard of the Crow, Sea of Poppies, Cloud Atlas...), but I keep borrowing from the library which then need to be returned before I get fined which prompts me to borrow more books...well, you know the problem.

>158 Carmenere:: Yup, some problems are good things to have.

>159 sjmccreary:: Bait and switch. Too bad it happens in the book world as it does in real life.

>160 bonniebooks:: Oh Bonnie, that library is a tempting place, isn't it? Ours isn't as beautiful as the Seattle library, but it has lots of distractions. I reserved a whole bunch of books months ago...and now they are all becoming available at the same time. Another enjoyable problem!

Okay, I'm off to do some yard work and, as a reward, I'm going to Borders to use my 40% off coupon to get my husband something we'll both enjoy reading for Father's Day.

My daughter and I stopped at a used book store the other day and bought up a pile of stuff, when we got to the house we split them and sort of casually made sure the spousal unit didn't really see the full extent of it..... because we are moving he would go bananas if he knew we were bringing MORE books home right now. I mean, we've put a huge number in storage. Hard to explain to him that THOSE are the ones I have READ and want to KEEP -- THESE are ones I HAVEN'T read......

I'm going to Borders to use my 40% off coupon to get my husband something we'll both enjoy reading for Father's Day LOL!

I love these posts re. our continual want/need to acquire more books than we could possibly read.

Another "few" books arrived in my house yesterday. Will simply walked past the box, delivered UPS while I was at work, and said "Oh, lots of MORE books?"\\

>161 Donna828: I reserved a whole bunch of books months ago...and now they are all becoming available at the same time. Another enjoyable problem

Unless they all get delivered on the same day, our library lets us put a suspension on holds so that if you get one book you can suspend all the other holds until you're ready w/o losing your place in line. Pretty nice feature and one that I've used many times. Now if they arrive on the same day, you're sunk. Well, not really sunk but you'd have to read like a maniac because most books I order are the 7 day variety because there's a queue for them. (unless they're over 500 pages, then you get three weeks; darn those 490 page books!)

After a bunch of good books arrived while I was out of town in January, I discovered that my library will let me suspend requests too--and without losing my place in line (same as you)--just amazing, huh?

Mine does that as well. I'm constantly fine-tuning when ILL books will arrive.

No matter what the book, we always get 3 weeks though.

>162 sibylline:: Oh those husbands are so easily fooled...sometimes. Either that, or, like mine, they've just given up.

>163 sjmccreary:: I found hubby's book right away on the bargain table -- a Daniel Silva, Moscow Rules, that he hasn't read. That should work out perfectly as I reserved The Secret Servant, the one before M.R. for his drive to Cincinnati next week.

I used my 40% off coupon for a birthday gift for a friend. Nothing for Donna! But that's okay, because I haven't found places for all the book sale books yet!

>164 Whisper1:: Linda, did your partner do the eye roll? It's the body language that I enjoy. Actually, my husband doesn't say much at all. He knows I can get cranky when he picks on my one little obsession.

>165 brenzi:, 166, 167: The two Bonnies and Linda are brilliant! I "froze" the two books that I am next in line for so I just have to finish the 3 I have checked out now and the pressure is off. I can't believe I forgot I could do that.

I wish my local library had the 'putting the hold on hold' feature!

It might, Stasia! But, then, you would know if it did, I guess. I just discovered that I can not only choose which books to suspend, I can also vary the time for each book. It's supposed to be for people going on "vacation" but people have learned to take advantage of it. I would feel guilty, but it was one of the librarians who very excitedly showed me how I could manipulate the system. Yay for librarians who love people who love books and just want more, more, more! :-)

#170: No, mine does not, unfortunately.

shoot! Missed a whole thread *sigh*

Just popping in to say hello:) Hope you're doing fine!

I am doing fine this humid morning in Missouri. Working my way up through the threads on LT is my usual cool down after a walk with DH and the dog. It's always a pleasant surprise to stumble upon my own thread with so many visitors.

Hello to all, and I hope everyone gets to read something wonderful today! I'll finish the wonderful Beekeeper's Apprentice and then begin reading the short Being Dead for the TIOLI challenge. Can you guess that it's my "problem" book?

That's a problem all right! It reminds me of the _______ - shoot! What do you call these things??? Ah....Clerihews.

What I like about Clive
Is that he is no longer alive.
There is a great deal to be said
For being dead.
~ E.C. Bentley

ETA: (I think that one was about Clive Bell, Vanessa Stephens's husband. Somebody literate?)
(And re-edited to get it right.)

#170 Ours is supposed to be for vacation holds as well but I quickly learned that it had other uses, that is, varying the length depending on when I wanted to read something.

Our library used to have a way to put the holds on hold - for vacations - but I never used it since it involved actually bothering a library employee. With our latest catalog update, however, I can do it online, so I'll probably be trying it out the next time it looks like I'm going to be flooded with holds coming in all at once. I don't know if I can specify the delay, though. That would be nice.

Forgot to mention...I love those Patrick Taylor/Irish Country Doctor books, too. I think my next one is the Christmas one.

I’m gone for about two weeks; I come back and look what I find. Nearly a 100 new messages on your thread! Now how will I ever be able to catch up with it? I’ve missed all the interesting conversations. :-(

>175 LizzieD:: Thanks to you, Peggy, I now know what a clerihew is. You're never too old to learn, right? As far as Being Dead goes, I'm not sure how I'm going to respond after reading this epigraph:

Don't count on Heaven, or on Hell.
You're dead. That's it. Adieu. Farewell.
Eternity awaits? Oh, sure!
It's Putrefacation and Manure
And unrelenting Rot, Rot, Rot,
As you regress, from Zoo. to Bot.
I'll Grieve, of course,
Departing wife,
Though Grieving's never
Lengthened Life
Or coaxed a single extra Breath
Out of a Body touched by Death.

What the heck am I getting into? Has anyone read this book?

>176 lindapanzo:-8: Linda and Sandy, our system is easy to use and has no restrictions that I know of. Simply check the freeze box on the website and your position remains the same in the queue for the book until you unfreeze it. I'll be using this feature more frequently.

Linda, I have a lovely HC of An Irish Country Village which I'm saving for the next time I need a comfort read.

>179 Porua:: Hi, Porua. You snooze, you lose....as my kids used to say. :-) I hope you've been off having fun. Thanks for thinking that you missed something interesting!

What the heck am I getting into? Has anyone read this book?

No...but that epigraph is making me want to add it to my wishlist! :)

# 180 Believe me fun was the last thing I was having! And definitely no snoozing. ;-)

Book No. 51: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. 4.2 stars.

This book was the bee's knees! I've always wanted to use that strange expression. It's not in my book of Word and Phrase Origins. Does anyone know where that saying came from? But I digress.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice is a smartly written book offering a different view of Sherlock Holmes through the teenage eyes of Mary Russell, who just happens to literally stumble upon him in the English countryside. The retired 50-something detective instantly recognizes his equal and takes her under his wing to teach her the delicate art of crime solving. Minus .2 points!

The duo work their way up to a major kidnapping case that is very emotional in its aftermath. No spoilers here...let me just say that I became a big fan of Mary Russell after seeing the softer side of her. Next thing I know, the pair is off to Palestine for R&R and a little undercover work. I couldn't see the purpose in this side trip except to add pages to the book. Minus .5 points!

The rest of the book was engaging enough to make me want to read more of both Conan Doyle and Laurie R. King. I only wish that Dr. Watson had been in this book more and was more favorably portrayed. Minus .1 points!

If I did my math correctly, this brings a 5 star book down to a respectable 4.2 stars. I really liked it, but it didn't achieve the pinnacle of my rating system.

#175 Donna, now thanks to you I know what I clerihew is (I had to google it). I loved the one you posted but have no idea who Clive is.

>181 Ape:: LOL Stephen. I'll let you know how ghoulish this book becomes. I have a low tolerance for rotting bodies. The book is just under 200 pages so maybe I can read it with a clothespin on my nose!

>182 Porua:: Whatever it was you were up to, Porua, I'm glad you're back.

# 185 "The book is just under 200 pages so maybe I can read it with a clothespin on my nose!"

LOL!

It feels good to be back!

Donna,

Ew, Ew, ew, if you gave it 4.2 points then I would probably give it 4.7 points (even though I haven't adopted the new super duper precise rating scheme) which means I would really, really like it. Gosh darn you Donna. Another book onto the pile.

Hi Donna- I'm so glad you liked The Beekeeper's Apprentice! I plan on starting it in a few days. I only have a few pages left in the Larsson book (I know it's taking me FOREVER) and then I'll knock out a short story collection and then the King book.

>183 Donna828:. Hi Donna.

A bee's pollen baskets are located near its "knees."

Bee's knees; cat's whiskers; cat's pajamas, etc. One website says sayings like this became popular in the 1920s. It was part of the flapper culture.

Some that didn't make the cut: the eel's ankles; the elephant's instep; the snake's hip; the flea's eyebrow.

The same guy who coined these phrases also came up with, "Yes, we have no bananas."

How's your moonflower vine?

Hi Donna - I'm so glad you liked The Beekeepers Apprentice. I have it sitting here on the coffee table but haven't really decided what to read next. Maybe...

Glad to see you liked The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Donna. I enjoy that entire series, although I must say that the first book is one of the strongest entries, IMHO.

>186 Porua:: Well, I've started Being Dead and no clothespin has been required thus far.

>189 labwriter:: Thanks for that interesting history of "bee's knees," Becky. I can understand why "the eel's ankles" and other oddities didn't catch on. I've never really thought of bees as having knees, but at least it has a catchy rhyme to it.

My Moonflower Vine is growing like a weed! It needs lots of water these days because it is in a pot on my deck that gets sun until about 4:00 p.m. No sign of any flowers yet. How about you?

Re: The Beekeeper's Apprentice...
Bonnie, I am pretty certain you would love this.
Mark, I look forward to your experience with the book.
Joanne, quit looking at it and read it!
Stasia, I've heard that from others, but it doesn't keep me from wanting to read the series.

Edited for typo

Hi Donna, yes, my moonflower vine is doing well too. I'm thinking it would probably like more sun than it gets, but it gets what it gets. Mine too--no sign of flowers yet.

I started the Mary Russell series many years ago and now I'd like to pick it back up, but I can't remember where I stopped. How dumb is that?

Nancy, that must have been before LT! Just one of the many wonderful things about this site is keeping track of what we've read.

#194, 195 One of the main reasons I was attracted to LT!

Book No. 52: Being Dead by Jim Crace. 4.2 stars

Wow! I've been dragging my feet about reading this one for years because I thought I would be so repelled by the graphic descriptions of death. Crace handles it beautifully. The descriptions are indeed true to life (*groan*), but his poetic language makes them easier to read. Being Dead reminded me of Tinkers with its roundabout way of approaching a difficult topic, although I must say Crace's book is the better of the two IMO!

From my review...

Two lovers in their early 50's, Joseph and Celice, are killed on the beach where they first made love 30 years ago. As the end of the brief first chapter states: "They paid a heavy price for their nostalgia." This is not a book about the murder per se, but about death and decay described in oxymoronic language both lyrical and clinical.

There's more over here.

Hi, Donna! I found you again!

(I am so far behind on threads. . . )

Definitely *not* for the squeamish!

Becky (labwriter) posed an excellent question on her thread: Why don't more Lters write about what they're reading during the course of the book?

Well, why don't we? We certainly think about what we're reading and make predictions and look up background information, so why not share the journey?

I'm currently reading Still Life by Louise Penny. I have been wanting to read this series for ages to see why I'm going to be on that bus heading to Three Pines this summer! It is a charming little town just across the U.S. border into Quebec, Canada. Just so you know, the three pines themselves have historical significance. They are a code meaning that loyalists are welcome here. It was used after the Rev. War when the loyalists were fleeing the U.S. and were unsure when they had crossed the border to Canada and safety.

I'm still getting to know the characters that continue in the next 4 books, with No. 6 due sometime this fall. So far, I'm not so sure about Inspector Gamache. He seems so patient and kind; but then he can turn on a dime and deliver a "dressing down" that shows he's no pushover. Most of these "talks" are delivered to his new trainee, the flippant female Agent Nichol. This could get interesting.

Becky (labwriter) posed an excellent question on her thread: Why don't more Lters write about what they're reading during the course of the book?

I've been wondering the same thing. I just discovered labwriter's thread fairly recently, and she's about the only person who really discusses a book as she's reading it, and I've been cogitating about how to do the same thing. In fact, that was partly behind my most recent (and embarrassing) "thinking out loud" on my thread.

Unfortunately, I can't add to your discussion above because I haven't read the book yet. And that could continue to be a problem with these kinds of discussions, because I like to know as little as possible about a book before reading it; so often only read enough to know whether I'm interested in the book. But, Donna, if you have a reaction to a book, or make a connection to your life that I have strong feelings/thoughts about--you know me--I'll be glad to jump in. :-)

Had to fix italics.

Hi Donna- Good review and I gave you the thumb! It's funny, when you started the book, you weren't sure how you were going to feel and you ended up loving it. It sounds very unique!
I agree with Becky too! I try to at least put a quote in here and there, as I'm reading but also like Bonnie, I'm careful about divulging to much!
Donna, you seem to be a trend-starter over here, maybe you can kick-off something! BTW- Hope you are having a great weekend!

graphic descriptions of death.

Yep yep, I'm definitely going to have to find a copy of Being Dead at my local library. :D

>198 tymfos:: Hi Terri, I know that feeling.

>201 bonniebooks:: Unfortunately, I can't add to your discussion above because I haven't read the book yet.

Therein lies the problem, Bonnie. If I just chat about the book, then people reading it will either think I'm crazy or just say as you did that there's nothing they can add or really comment on.

>202 msf59:: Unique is right -- and thanks for the thumb.

I love your quotes, Mark. It gives a little piece of the book to nibble on while getting acquainted with the author's writing style.

As far as being a trend-setter, we'll see about that. Most of my great ideas fall flat before they even make the thread!

>203 Ape:: Oh yes, definitely read it, Stephen. There's a bit of creepiness, a bit of weirdness, and a bit of philosophizing as well. Something for (almost) everyone!

Creepiness, weirdness...yep, right up my alley! Oh, errr, philosophizing, yea, that too, right. ... *ahem*

Guess you could skim the philosophy, Stephen!

Okay, I've been thinking about Betsy's question and Bonnie's problem with spoilers and/or lack of context. How about something like this? Take an excerpt from the current book being read that resonates with you but is not a spoiler of any sort and turn it into a discussion that anyone could enter.

An example: I've read on a bit more in Still Life and found this wonderful description of Myrna's bookstore...

The walls of the shop were lined with bookcases, all ordered and labeled and filled with books, some new, some already read, some French, most English. Myrna had managed to make it feel more like the library in a cultured and comfortable country home than a store. She'd set up a couple of rocking chairs beside an open fire, with a couch facing it.

Can you describe the "perfect" bookstore of either your imagination or real life? Or, carrying the idea on a bit more, what is one of your favorite bookstore memories?

I'll start, but only because Mark called me a trend-starter! I used to love the Four Corners Bookstore in Colorado Springs. Different rooms of good quality used books, neatly arranged in many different topics. A friendly staff that completely ignored you if that was your choice! And the best thing? Yes, like Myrna's bookstore in Three Pines, it had a working fireplace with a few comfortable chairs nearby for reading.

When I went back on a visit last year I found the doors locked and a sign that said they had converted to an on-line operation!!! Nooooooo.

My husband and I are off to Tent Theater at Missouri State to see "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." We just had a big thunderstorm go through the area which cooled the temps from 95 to a much more pleasant 72 degrees. That's important when you're at an outside theater with only a few fans for cooling!

I'm looking forward to reading some vignettes about bookstores tomorrow. :-)

#206: Can you describe the "perfect" bookstore of either your imagination or real life?

Stasia's perfect bookstore: No clerks to pester me. Big comfy chair with ottoman at just the right spot, so that I can try before I buy. Lots of books in a variety of genres to choose from. Pot of tea handy next to big comfy chair. Open 24/7 so that whenever the mood strikes me, I can show up. Everything on sale all the time, lol.

I'll be right there, Stasia :)

#208: Cool! I can always use the company. Handy for discussions before purchasing.

I know my daughter would say Shakespeare and Co in Paris -- of course -- I like used book stores better than new book stores too -- I always have a feeling that I might find a reading treasure when I step over the threshold of one. S and co. is narrow and dusty and awkward, but the true magic of it is upstairs where there are strange nooks and crannies and dead ends and little beds and chairs and under a stairway a tiny table and chair with old typewriter are perched. The front upstairs room has a table and more chairs and that is where they have readings. There are cats (sorry allergic folks, but they seem essential to a good used book store). And, of course, books. A lot of them are English, which adds to the charm. We acquired our English Edition Harry Potters there (essential to the HP afficionado), discovered Diana W-J and generally had to take our daughter there every other day for a fix of books and cats.

For new bookshops, I like chairs and coffee, but what is essential to me is the sense that the people who run it are very very particular about what they buy, passionate about reading, and open to suggestions and discussions. In the best of these usually very small bookshops I've ended up having intense discussions with the staff and other book browsers -- much like LT. This never ever EVER happens in the big box stores. I go to this kind of bookstore (in Phillie it is Joseph Fox on Sansom St.) when I am feeling a need to expand my reading horizons. They led me to Jane Gardam, for ex., in my pre LT days, and many many others!

>207 alcottacre: and 210: Thanks for "playing," Stasia and Lucy!

Stasia, by all means let "everything be on sale all the time."

Lucy, I too love the treasure hunt aspect of used bookstores. They feel much cozier than the sterile atmosphere of B&N and Borders. Oh yes, the conversations. Maybe there's something about the used books that allows people to open up and actually talk to the person next to them.

The perfect book shop would be any used book shop that opened up in my town. We don't have one, so anything would be nice! :(

Donna- I like Stasia's description of a "perfect" bookstore. When I was stuck in Portland Airport, there was a bookstore called Powell's that I really like. This was a miniature version of the real store, located somewhere in the city. There were homemade post-its attached everywhere, describing the authors or a series, with wonderful enthusiasm, which reminded me of this comfy place! I found a piece of scrap paper and was cheerily jotting titles down. I also love chatting up a salesperson, who knows his or her "stuff".

Hi,
My "perfect" bookstore was Bookland in Brunswick, ME... perhaps not a fantasy bookstore but it felt like home with many more bookshelves. It was owned by locals who pitched in to buy it when the previous owner went out of business, so it felt ok to spend money. After all, we were supporting our friends.

It was the Friday night destination for all ages. It rocked! The prices were reasonable - always a sale. There was a mix of new and used books, crafts, magazines, cards, everything! In the back was a great little cafe where you could, of all things, read while you had a snack! No fireplace unfortunately, but lots of scattered chairs for getting comfy. Staff members were knowledgeable and helpful. They posted mini-reviews and recommendations of books they had read.

A large bookseller chain moved to town and slowly Bookland died. :( *sniffle*

Still love to look for used book shops - as I love to hunt for treasure, too!
Claudia

>212 Ape:: You have my sympathy, Stephen. My favorite bookshop went out of business a few months ago, but there are still 3 decent used bookstores in a radius of 5 miles from my house. I rotate between them on a fairly regular basis.

>213 msf59:: It's too bad that you didn't get to go to the big Powell's store, Mark. I've heard it's pretty wonderful. At least you had plenty of time to browse the airport location. :-)

Hope you've been having a great Father's Day!

>214 -Cee-:: A new visitor! Welcome, Claudia. Your Bookland sounds like a regular "Cheers" sort of place with books! It's so sad when these little gems close because they can't compete with the big guys.

OK I'm trying to get caught up as I was only on long enough yesterday to read Becky's thread about writing about what you're reading and then going back to my own thread and doing so. But I can see Bonnie's point about not wanting to know too much about what goes on in a book you might want to read and also not being able to comment much on a book you haven't read yet. I still think I'll write a little about what I'm reading.

On another note, no good used bookstores in my area at all so I would love to see one open up and if they want to really draw me in they'll throw in a working fireplace, some comfy chairs, combination of new and used (emphasis on trade paperbacks) and coffee available.

Great review of Being Dead Donna.

*sigh* I'm with Stephen. Anything that opened here would be my favorite, but if it could be the dream one, I wouldn' argue. (And, Lucy, have you read the book about Shakespeare & Co.? I don't recall the name, but Kermit read it this year and loved it - written by one of the "guests." {Apparently, the owner allows people to live on the premises if they promise to read a book a day.})

Hi Donna!

My favorite boookstore, Tattered Cover, has started selling used books. Between those and the bargain books, it's fun to go through the shelves and see what can be found for a good price.

But really any store, with small rooms, comfy chairs and an enthusiastic, helpful staff, is tops in my "book".

How's Still Life going?

Joanne

Hi Donna,

I'm way behind with this comment--I had the same reaction to An Irish Country Doctor. It was nice but not as good as I had hoped, and not as good as the James Herriott books.

Bonnie, we have 3 used bookstores nearby, but none of them has the atmosphere of the one that closed. *sigh*

Peg, I want to spend a few days at Shakespeare & Co. and do nothing but read. Sounds like heaven -- with Paris thrown in for good measure!

Hi Joanne: Yeah, The Tattered Cover is hard to beat. I like the addition of used books to their inventory. I'll definitely stop by and check it out next time I'm in Littleton. Still Life? Going, going, gone! I enjoyed my first visit to Three Pines and look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Thanks, Carly, for backing me up there. I'll still be reading more in the series for a respite from heavy reading.

Book No. 53: Still Life by Louise Penny. 3.7 stars.

Interesting characters, lovely location, engaging mystery, adequate writing...
this book was good enough to capture my attention and make me want to continue the series, especially knowing from others that it gets more compelling with each book. I'm glad I reserved a spot on the bus to Three Pines!

I'm currently reading My Losing Season for the TIOLI Challenge. Pat Conroy is one of my favorite authors, and it's to his great credit that he can make a book about basketball interesting to me. He fell in love with the sport at an early age as a way to fit in as the new kid in the many places he lived due to his mobile military upbringing. Reading was his other love. Loved this quote on Page 45:

Basketball, like a good book, gave me a place to be alone without the lacerating wounds of lonelieness as an accompaniment.

That made me wonder what other activity LT readers engage in when they want to be alone without the "feeling sorry for self" attitude that sometimes comes with solitude.

Donna's on the bus!! Woot!

Simply stopping by to wave hi and say I hope you are having a wonderful summer.

>222 alcottacre:: I wouldn't miss that trip for anything, especially now that I'm getting to know the people in Three Pines. I want to spend a lot of time browsing in Myrna's bookshop.

>223 Whisper1:: Linda, now that things are beginning to slow down for me, I can relax a little and enjoy summer -- as long as the AC keeps kicking out that cool air!

I'll answer my own muse in Post 221. Walking is the activity that I enjoy either in solitude or in the company of my husband, a friend, and always my dog. There's no leaving this house without Lucky!

I usually go early in the morning so I can hear the birds at their chirpiest. The repetetive activity works like meditation for me. I sometimes have those "busy" thoughts going through my head, but mostly it's just me, the pavement, the panting of my dog, and blessed silence. A great way to begin the day.

>221 Donna828:, 224: I agree completely Donna. Getting out at sunrise is the perfect way to start the day!

Hi Donna & Louanne,

I'm gonna leave sunrise for you. Our sunrise is somewhere between 4 - 5 am (not really quite sure and don't need to know). It's a tad early for me! I'll take sunset. I like walking Loki after supper - another chirpy time for the birds as they celebrate day's end. Calms me.

I've been contemplating reading Still Life by Louise Penny and have seen mixed reviews. Your comments have convinced me to bump this up on my wishlist. Would like to start a series with interesting characters. Doesn't always have to be great literature. ;-) Claudia

Louanne, you and I think alike on morning exercise...

Claudia, I'm usually too tired after supper to even think about going for a walk, but I notice there are quite a few in my area who like to get out then. By the time I get the dishes done and the kitchen cleaned up, I'm ready to settle down with my book.

Most of the buzz I've heard about Penny's Three Pine series has been positive. I'll read another one in a few weeks and let you know. My goal is to read all five of them this summer so I hope my interest continues.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm getting a wee bit tired of My Losing Season by Pat Conroy. He's a favorite of mine, but this is a lengthy book about basketball which is testing my patience as is his rehashing the "Mean Daddy" theme of The Great Santini. His coach at The Citadel makes Papa Bear seem almost ummmm...paternal.

Donna

I saw the movie The Great Santini with a friend. She was so upset by the abusive father that she wanted to leave.

I like your description of walking with your dog in the early morning.

>226 -Cee-: Sunrise is currently just after 5am where I live, and that's my wake up time! If I don't get out in the morning it doesn't usually happen. I sometimes feel sorry for people who miss the magnificent sunrises!

>227 Donna828: I've read a couple of the Three Pines books, and am hoping to get to the 3rd this summer too.

Hi Donna- Just stopping in to say hi! Really enjoying The Beekeepers Apprentice and the audio of WAR by Sebastian Junger. It might be my favorite book about the war in Afghanistan.
BTW- Did you have any interest in going to the BOTNS Retreat next April? We need to get a crowd going.

Hi Linda, I thank you and so does my panting dog! I don't think I'd care to sit through a movie of a bully beating up his wife and children, either. The book was horrific enough...although very well written...and it makes me understand Pat Conroy better. I wonder if his devastating childhood made him the writer that he is.

Louanne, I'm not quite that much of an early bird, but at least it's not too hot when we go early in the morning around 6:30. I'll think of you when I return to Three Pines.

Hey Mark. Isn't Beekeeper's Apprentice a great book? I'm glad I have the rest of the series to look forward to. I'm going to pace myself on that one and read a little of the "real" Sherlock Holmes stuff in between.

Yes, I need to get ahold of War. I've heard great things about it.

I'm sorry I won't be joining your posse next spring in New England. I'd love to, but with a new granddaughter being born this fall, any extra traveling I do will be to Dallas! I've been following your plans with envy. Sounds like a fun time. Who knows, maybe you'll make some converts amongst those GoodReaders!

a posse next spring in New England? Oh, do tell me more!

Linda- Books on the Nightstand is holding a "Retreat" next April in Manchester Vermont. It should be a great time! There are a couple links in my Challenge. We would love to have one of the LT Giants attend!

Mark...

Vermont in the spring! Oh, it sounds wonderful. Is Books on the Nightstand a group here on LT, or a sub group of our 75 challenge group. Please post the link...

Thanks!

Linda- Ann & Michael host a wonderful book podcast called Books on the Nightstand. There are links in my Challenge but I'll post another!

Thanks Mark!

Yea! Donna's on the Three Pines bus!!

I'll also probably miss the BOTNS weekend. It's a great podcast, though - probably my favorite.

I've started following BOTNS, too, thanks to all the buzz from Mark and others. That should be a great week end.

I'm already committed to the Three Pines bus tour and Sandy's (sjmmcreary) KansasCity BBQ/booksale/Jazz retreat next June. If I didn't have my kids scattered to the three winds, I would certainly be more flexible in my travel plans.

Most of the best trips I've taken have been through the world of books! No packing, jet lag, or huge expense involved. :-)

Regarding "being alone" activity, I have an intense fear of boredom that is most likely actually a fear of loneliness. If I'm not reading, I find that knitting makes it possible for me to be alone and quiet.

I've recently begun walking every evening, but I can't say I enjoy it or take any pleasure in its solitude. It is just about exercise at this point. Hopefully I will learn to enjoy it.

Hi Nancy. Part of the joy of early morning walking is that it wakes me up! I get up in the morning, check the weather, throw on some appropriate clothes to either keep me warm or cool, and off I go. Done for the day!

I have a friend who enjoys her quiet time of knitting. Now that would be totally frustating to me with my two left thumbs.

When I posed this question to my husband, he said driving is the activity where he can most enjoy solitude. That's good, as he has a 45-minute one-way commute to work each day.

Donna, I also love walking my dog in the morning, the earlier the better. There's something about the beginning of the day when my mind is free of worries and the world is just waking up that I love. I also love just sitting in my backyard listening to the birds and watching the clouds go by. Something about communing with nature.

Book No. 54: My Losing Season by Pat Conroy. 4 stars.

I've shared a few comments upthread about this basketball memoir. I enjoyed this book about survival, growth, and loss as teacher. I probably would have rated it higher if I were more of a basketball fan. I had to take frequent time-outs to cool down after all the descriptions of hot games!

I'm a big Conroy fan and even liked his overblown last book about Charleston, South of Broad. He is a very effusive writer, but his love of language is part of what I enjoy about him.

Here is an excerpt from the Epilogue that ties together Conroy's twin loves of basketball and writing that define his life.

I came to the writing life as a point guard, and it became the metaphor of my transition. The novelist needs a strong ego, a sense of arrogance, complete knowledge of tempo, and control of the court. As a novelist, you tell people where to go and bark at them when they are out of position. It's up to you to fill the seats by your style and flashiness and complete mastery of tempo. You thumb your nose at critics and academics and keep your eye on the flow of the game. You stand in the center of things and you create the world around you. You must retain your poise and confidence, and you dare them to box you in or trap you in the corners. The point guard knows that the world is fraught with pitfalls and dangers, and so does the novelist. (Pg. 399)

I don't want to become as wordy as P.C., but I did write a short review over here.

Donna, I saw your review earlier today and gave it a thumb. I also like Pat Conroy but haven't read anything since Beach Music. My sister-in-law read South of Broad but wasn't very enthusiastic so I haven't wanted to read it and since I know virtually nothing about baseball, I don't think I'm going to be getting to The Losing Season either.

I thumbed you because it was a well-written review as usual, Donna, but I have a bias against Conroy since reading Prince of Tides. That was a good book, but I just felt he went over the line when it came to his description of the rape scene. It seemed like he was trying to titillate the reader a bit, rather than show us the shock, pain and humiliation for the character. Maybe that scene wouldn't bother me as much now, given the direction of both books and movies in this regard since POT was published. I should go read that part again to see if it has the same shock value. Was anybody else offended by Conroy's writing of that scene?

Hi Donna- Good review! I've only read Prince of Tides, (I don't remember the rape scene very well). I don't know why I haven't read anything else by him. I did like the film version of The Great Santini though!

Donna,

I liked Prince of Tides more than a little. I recall reading it standing up at the kitchen counter, always a good sign of a compulsively readable book. (I don't recall the rape scene though.) But, for whatever reason, I never sought out any of his other books until South of Broad which I couldn't get into and dropped after 50 pages (love the Pearl rule).

Anywho, thumbed your review but can't decide whether to add it (not much of a bb fan). I think you said somewhere that you really liked The Great Santini. Maybe I should look for that one.

Nice review Donna! I read The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini years ago and loved them both but for some reason, I have no desire to read any of his recent books. You do make this one sound good, though. I also just realized I never added those two books to my LT library.

No major fans of Conroy here I see. I think one of the reasons I like him so well is because of his military upbringing, although I'm glad my dad wasn't the mental case that Pat's father was!

Pat - I think we're both nature lovers. Maybe Conroy will write about the natural wonders of his S. Carolina island home. My husband and I visited friends there last September and got to see where P.C. lives.

Bonnie - It's been way too long ago for me to remember that scene in Prince of Tides and that is the one book of his that I don't own.

Hi Mark - Thanks for chiming in on the Conroy talk. Always good to have you here.

Bonnie R. - You probably read the best parts of South of Broad which were the wonderful descriptions of Charleston. I think they were early on in the book. Yup, when you read a book standing up, it's a good one!

Joanne - I'm glad I could help jog your memory!

I have never read anything by Conroy although I do own South of Broad and imagine I will get to it eventually.

Nice review, Donna. Thumbs up from me too.

Glad you've had some good reads!

>210 sibylline: I'll agree about Shakespeare and Co. Now if they just had a bathroom! LOL

Stasia, please don't judge Conroy by South of Broad. He's a wordy southern writer who got carried away with his flowery language in that one!

Susan - no bathroom? What are they thinking?

Book No. 55: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. 4.2 stars.

44 reviews on this one, so I'll keep my comments confined to my thread.

I thought this book was a fitting memorial to Henrietta Lacks, who unknowingly furnished scientists with genetic material that is still growing 60 years after she died of cancer. Just yesterday I read that it was the tenth anniversary of the Human Genome Project's completion of the first map of cell structure. It was very interesting to me to learn that the DNA of any two humans is 99.9% identical.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the whole medical ethics POV of this book, but I do believe that Skloot put her heart and soul into the ten years of research and writing of it. I liked how the trust between her and Henrietta's daughter, Deborah, was slowly built through Skloot's persistence and courage. Yes, it took courage to deal with a hostile family, many of whom had criminal records and were mentally unstable.

Deborah had many problems in her life, but she was portrayed as a sympathetic character who just wanted to learn more about her mother and sister Elsie. To her credit, she wasn't the one screaming for "monetary satisfaction" and was even forgiving of the conditions they uncovered in the institution where sister Elsie died because "You got to remember. Times was different." I came to admire her and delight in her way of thinking.

Hi, Donna! I definitely need to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks!

I finally was able to obtain The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I was #20 on the list from my library.

opps Donna, I hit the submit button too soon. I wanted to add that your review is great and provides a wonderful framework for reading the book, which I'll start tonight.

Donna- Glad you enjoyed Henrietta Lacks! It's one of my favorite reads of the year!

I am glad you enjoyed the book as well. Nice review, as usual!

Just dropping by to say "hi"! Glad you liked Henrietta Lacks and I enjoyed your review.

Hi Terri, Linda, Stasia, Mark, and Joanne. Thanks for stopping by. Terri and Linda, I hope you enjoy Henrietta Lacks as much as Mark, Stasia, and I did. Joanne, I couldn't tell from your comment whether or not you've read it. It's a very worthwhile book.

I'm going to be reading Beloved by Toni Morrison for Thursday's book group in the next few days. I've read it before and remember it as being highly disturbing. Not only that, but it's about ghosts, a topic that doesn't set well with me.

I think I'll look for a companion book to take the edge off Beloved. Maybe the time is right to begin Ivan Doig's McCaskill trilogy about settling in Montana during the depression. English Creek is the first in the series, but I also own This House of Sky which is the acclaimed memoir of Ivan Doig cited in Stegner's Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs. Ah....decisions, decisions.

>258 Donna828: "Ah...decisions, decisions." Aren't we the happiest people in the world to have this kind of decision to make!

Yes now that school is just about done for me for about 6 weeks I will enjoy contemplating my biggest decision: which book shall I read next? Simply blissful.

>258 Donna828: - I did read Henrietta Lacks, Donna, and loved it, too. And, as it happens, I'm also planning to read an Ivan Doig book next, The Whistling Season. It'll be my first of his and, after reading the first couple of pages, I'm really looking forward to it.

Agreed that book decisions are the best! I ended up choosing the second book in the Doig Montana trilogy, Dancing at the Rascal Fair because it came first chronologically. So far I'm enjoying the journey of two friends from Scotland settling in Montana in 1889 when it gained statehood status.

You'll have to let me know what you think of Whistling Season, Joanne. This will be my first Doig book, too, but probably not my last.

Bonnie, enjoy your blissful 6 weeks off from school. Happy reading!

Btw, I know this thread is getting long. I plan to begin anew on July 1st.

Oh, Donna, your thread is such a dangerous...and great one!

You read such interesting books.

I hope your summer is going well!

As it happens, I own a lot of Doig and have never read one. (A huge portion of my library is from Penguin Press remainders that I picked up at 50¢ apiece in the early 90's from our local Indian tribe. I got wonderful stuff just on the off chance that it might be good for later.) I appreciate your hint that I should start the trilogy with *Rascal Fair* --- maybe I can do that before the year's out. Thanks, Donna!

Donna, I'm not at all familiar with Ivan Doig but you've piqued my interest so I'm going to wait for your review because if you like it I probably will too.

I've really been enjoying your thread, Donna. Thank you so much for the recommendation of Being Dead. I listened to it on CD (the narrator, Virginia Leishman, is a favorite--having heard her reading of To the Lighthouse last year) and I found the writing to be so exquisite that I'm listing it as a favorite. I'd only ever tried Jim Crace once before-- I didn't like The Pesthouse at all, but now I will look for his other works. any other great ones you know of?

You liked The Immortal Life of Henrietta Sacks a bit more than me. The story of the family struck me as being almost exploitive.

I read The Whistling Season earlier this year and was so charmed. As a former teacher, I'm sure this will bring you many smiles.

I'm enjoying my summer off immensely. I'll be making the move from teaching 3rd grade to 5th grade so I have a lot of planning to do. I know I may regret leaving behind the sweetness of my 8 year olds for what most say is the brutal meanness of 5th graders, but I was growing a bit complacent and feel that I could use a good kick in the butt!

251: I've been eying The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for awhile now and really liked your review. Thank you!

Donna- Ivan Doig has been on my radar for awhile! I have The Eleventh Man buried in my tbr. He sounds like an author I would love. Time to finally get started with him...after the Group Read and after The Passage and after...oh boy!

>263 Whisper1:: Danger here? No way, Linda. My summer is going great; thanks for asking. A most beautiful sunset tonight with the background music of the cicadas or locusts or whatever they're called. I'll just call them "the music of Missouri summers."

>264 LizzieD:: Oh Peggy, do break out the Doig books. I'm completely hooked on Rascal Fair when I should be reading Beloved for Thursday night's group!

>265 brenzi:: A quote from my current life-interrupter to whet your appetite, Bonnie.

"Dusk slowly came, into this country so appropriate for dusk--the tan and gray of grass and ridge looking exactly right, the soft tones a day should end with. This time of evening the gullies blanked themselves into shadow, the ridgelines fired themselves red with the last sunset embers. But we were here to make homesteads, not watch sunsets."

(Pg. 97)

I know your dance card is probably filling up quickly for your 6-week break, but maybe you could fit one of Doigs shorter books into your schedule.

>266 GCPLreader:: I'm glad you liked the book Being Dead, Jenny. I haven't read anything else by him -- but, what a writer!

I'll be reading The Whistling Season after I've read the six Doig books that I own. The narrator of Rascal Fair is a teacher as well. Makes me wonder if Ivan Doig was a teacher at some point. I guess if I read his autobiography, I'd find out. :-)

>267 RosyLibrarian:: You're very welcome, Marie. I'm glad you liked what I had to say about Henrietta Lacks. There is so much to like about this book; I hope you enjoy it if and when you get around to it. And thank you for visiting my thread.

>268 msf59:: Hey there, Mark. I hear you on that "after" remark. Keep in mind that Dancing at the Rascal Fair is my first dance with Ivan Doig, but he's already moving into "favorite author" territory.

I gave Bonnie a quote from the book upthread, and now I have one for you in light of your love of the great outdoors in the heat of summer:

That first Montana summer of ours was determined to show us what heat was, and by an hour after breakfast each day, Rob and I were wearing our salt rings of sweat, crusted into our shirt in three-quarter circles where our laboring arms met our laboring shoulders.

That reminded me of you enjoying the "fresh air" at your son's party...or maybe walking your mail route in the toasty Illinois summer heat.

See ya later at The Once and Future King group read!

I have Whistling Season to read and really want to, but may have to return to library before I can get to it. Maybe i can convince our 'genre' club to read a western and use this one. Would it qualify as a western?

I'm glad you're reading The Once and Future King, too. I look forward to it -- I've tried, but have not managed to do a group read yet.

Whistling Season looks wonderful. I love books like that. I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

I definitely need to get to Ivan Doig soon!

Morning Donna- Thanks for the quote! It was perfect! Actually the weather has been gorgeous here. Mid to high 70s, sunny, no humidity. If it only could stay this way! Group Read starts tomorrow! Yah!

OK Donna those quotes convinced me. I'm on the hunt for Ivan Doig.

Ok I've got a copy of Dancing at the Rascal Fair coming from PBS. Do you know that there is a TIOLI challenge to Read a Book recommended by another LT Member? I had to laugh. I don't think I read any other kind of books:)

Hi Donna, just wanted to let you know I'll be starting Grayson later today, I picked it up from the library after seeing it on your thread. :)

>276 brenzi: You crack me up Brenzi! I can understand though, as some of my purchases have been inspired by LT chatter (wodehouse et al).

>271 tututhefirst:: Tina you asked if Whistling Season would qualify as a western. I've only read about it thus far, but it looks to me like it would definitely fit in the "books written about the western life" category. Doig's westerns aren't exactly giddyup, hang-em-high westerns. More the gentle, let's-raise-us-some-sheep and make-a new-life type westerns!

>272 AMQS:: Hey there, Anne. Welcome to another new voice here. Mark's group reads run like clockwork. I'm looking forward to some good discussions about The Once and Future King.

The rest of ya'll -- Stasia, Mark, Bonnie, Stephen, Susan -- thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll head over to my new thread which I plan to start tomorrow.

Oh, did the group read start? too much scanning of threads on my part, I guess.

Susan, you probably already know that the GR for The Once and Future King begins today, so you're not a bit behind.

I've been busy setting up Thread No. 5 over here. I'm a little disappointed that my title takes up two lines. I thought I could count spaces better than that!

As we say in the Ozarks...."Come see me!"