Cameling's Throw Down with a Side of 1010 - Part 5

My categories for the 1010 Challenge are:
Biographies : Perfect Hostage
Travelogues : An Area of Darkness
Crime/Mysteries : White Nights,The Cipher Garden
History : A Forger's Spell
Business Non-Fiction : Drive : The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Classic literature : Anna Karenina
Historical Fiction
Short Stories : Love Begins in Winter, What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us,Nocturnes,The Elephant Vanishes
Asian fiction : The Palace of Illusions,The Last Chinese Chef
Fantasy : The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers >/b>

January Books Read
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy
Double Cross by James David Jordan
Drive : The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
The Information Officer by Mark Mills
Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
The Salt Smugglers by Gerard de Nerval
White Nights by Ann Cleeves
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us by Laura van den Berg
An Area of Darkness by V.S. Naipaul
The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery

February Books Read
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
Georg Letham : Physician and Murderer by Ernst Weiss
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
Beyond the Blossoming Fields by Junichi Watanabe
Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon
Not Quite Paradise : An American Sojourn in Sri Lanka by Adele Barker

March Books Read
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Cat's Claw by Amber Benson
The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards
Sundowner Ubuntu by Anthony Bidulka
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
No Sleep Till Wonderland by Paul Tremblay
Nocturnes : Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon
The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews
Still Life by Louise Penny
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

April Books Read
A Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Going, Gone by Laura Crum
The Sleeping and the Dead by Ann Cleeves
Madam Will You Talk by Mary Stewart
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
Perfect Hostage by Justin Wintle
Descartes' Bones by Russell Shorto
Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis
Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

May Books Read
White Masks by Elias Khoury
Cassanova by Ian Kelly
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood
The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood
Sweet Dates in Basra by Jessica Jiji
Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
A Forger's Spell by Edward Dolnick
Mona Lisa Awakening by Sunny
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie
Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart
Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens
Amandine by Marlena De Blasi
The Elephanta Suite by Paul Theroux

June Books Read
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child
Aloha Candy Hearts by Anthony Bidulka
To Mervas by Elizabeth Rynell
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason
Music, Food and Love by Guo Yue & Clare Farrow
The Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada
Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
Dressed for Death by Donna Leon
The Glister by John Burnside
Amagansett by Mark Mills
Laundry by Suzane Adams
Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

July Books Read
Annette Vallon by James Tipton
The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin

My first thread appears here : http://www.librarything.com/topic/78973
My second thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/83496
My third thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85876
My fourth thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/88333

Mark : If you liked True Notebooks by Mark Salzman, you should read some of his other ones. I think you'd like Iron and Silk which is about his time in China, living in Changsha and teaching English in a small college there.

The other ones that I've liked were The Soloist (not to be confused with the movie by the same name) about a cellist who gained fame but gave it up to become a cello teacher when he felt his playing had deteriorated, and how a young pupil of his made him realize what it was that he had felt such dissatisfaction with.

Lying Awake was another good book he wrote about a nun in a cloister who wrote amazing poetry which, after they were published, provided money for the upkeep of the Camelite convent she lived in. Later it was discovered that she had a brain tumor and that there was a chance that the tumor was pressing on a portion of her brain that was allowing her to write all these poems. Her dilemma was to go through with the surgery to remove the tumor and risk losing her ability to write, or go through with the surgery and find that she really did have a gift given to her from God, and continue to write.

I read Lying Awake and it was wonderful~

I'm catching up on your thread. I started The Forger's Spell but had to return it to the library. After reading your comments, I need to check it out again.

True Notebooks is now added to the tbr pile.

Happy Sunday to you.

Hah! Tried to get away from me while I was over at the jail, did you? Foiled that plan.

Aloha Candy Hearts by Anthony Bidulka finds our intrepid PD from Saskatoon, Russell Quant, engaged to be married. On his way home, he finds himself sitting next to a man who leaves him with a treasure map, after he is murdered at the airport. With the casting of ashes, a wedding to attend and a sister who rubs him up the wrong way visiting his mother, Russell finds himself dodging an unknown driver of a white truck who seems intent on harming him, while trying to decipher the clues on the map. As with the others, this is a mad cap adventure with our effervescent PD and oh so thoroughly enjoyable.
3.5 stars

I started Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child idly because I wanted something none too taxing to read. What I found was a non-stop adventure with Jack Reacher as he and part of his old team get together to investigate the killer of the other members of their team. A gripping tale of friends bound by fierce loyalty and a standing motto that 'you do not mess with the special investigators'.

I haven't read the Jack Reacher series in order, but I don't think the stories have suffered.
3.5 stars

#7: Sounds like a couple of fun reads, Caroline. I have read the first book in the Russell Quant series and have had the second one on my wishlist on PBS forever. Hopefully, I will get it eventually.

I really like the Jack Reacher series. I am glad you enjoy them too.

Huh... and here I was patting myself on the back for getting a new thread up early this Sunday morning. I should have known I couldn't sneak anything by you all.

#9: I started my new thread earlier than you did and still did not get away with it! There is just no sneaking around this group.

Morning Caroline- Thanks for the other Salzman suggestions! I'm not familiar with the Russell Quant books! Sounds interesting! I've only read the 1st Jack Reacher but wasn't impressed enough to continue the series but everyone seems to really love them, so I might pick it back up in audio!
BTW- Congrats on thread 5! You go girl!

#8 : Do you read a series in order, Stas?

The latest in the Jack Reacher series was just released last month. I'm on the wait list at the library for a copy. I do so enjoy a good action thriller every once in a while.

I know Mark is going to be disappointed but I started Already Dead by Charlie Huston yesterday and when I realized it was a book about vampires, I gave up and put it aside, in favor of Bad Luck and Trouble instead. I like Huston, but I wasn't in the mood for blood suckers yesterday ... I found I was, however, in the mood for people having their neck snapped, guts shot out, or dropped from helicopters flying at 5000 feet. :-)

Good morning! I like your shiny and well caffeinated new thread.

Thank you, Darryl ... now all that's needed to go with it are some silver dollars and bacon, but I'm watching the French Open now and eating potato chips instead ... breakfast will have to wait.

#12: Yes, I have read the series in order. I am weird that way - I have to read them in order.

I think I had better stay away from you when you are in one of your moods - or else I might be bailing you out of jail :)

Morning, Caro darling! Have fun with the French Open!

Soderling is playing better in the third set, but I doubt that he'll be able to take Nadal to a fourth set. Unless there is a dramatic change, Nadal will win his fifth French Open, and his seventh Grand Slam title. And, he just turned 24 years old!

I wonder where Nadal will end up on the list of all time top men's tennis players. Top 10? Definitely. Top 5? Oh, NBC just showed a graphic showing Nadal in comparison to the top men's tennis players of the modern era, which I missed.

Found you! Hope you enjoyed the tennis - I completely forgot to watch any!

Got you starred again. I have the latest Jack Reacher by my bedside but am resisting it for a few days.

Darryl, NBC ran some stats on the top men's tennis players and Bjorn Borg can tops because although he only won 11 slam titles, he only played in 28 of them. So he had a higher percentage of slam wins. Federer came in 2nd with 16 titles but he played in 43 slams. I forgot who came 3rd, 4th and 5th. Nadal came in 6th I think and McEnroe 7th.

I would have liked to have seen Soderling win, but it seemed as if his nerves got the best of him today. He played much better against Federer last week. I like Nadal and he had a horrible year last year, so I'm glad he won. I find the men's tennis much more interesting. I am not too interested in the women's tennis, (they scream too much, and I don't even understand the need for it) although I'm just glad when anyone beats Serena Williams - I don't like her at all.

Yes, those were the stats that I was referring to. I remember that Bjorg was on top, Federer was second, and Nadal and McEnroe were near the bottom of the (admittedly impressive) list.

I haven't followed tennis as closely as I have in years past, either men's or women's. I like seeing Nadal and Federer play, along with the Brit, whose name I can't remember off hand. I like Maria Sharapova's intensity, but the shrieking is a major turn off. I don't like Serena Williams either, but I do like her sister Venus. I had read somewhere that she was wearing a controversial outfit for the French Open, that gave the illusion of nudity, and that she seemed to endorse this impression—or did I hear incorrectly? If true, that just adds to my impression of her as vulgar and classless.

OMG; I just looked at the photos of Venus' and Serena's shorts. Forget what positive comments I posted about Venus. They should have been kicked off the court, and told to put on something decent. That is beyond belief.

To end on a positive note (and to bury the Williamses from my immediate memory), I do like Justine Henin and, um...what's the name of the other Belgian tennis player? Oh yeah, Kim Clijsters.

Chimimg in to say I don't like the screeching either on the women's side. Those pictures of the Williams' sisters shorts made the rounds last week and yes, they're a disgrace.

Pete Sampras must have been on that list of Grand Slam winners.

Can't contribute to the tennis disucssions... but popping up to say I'm here :)

Found you!

Waving 'Hello' as I go through the threads. Have fun with the Open, Caroline!

A thread with coffee? Excellent!

I somehow managed completely to miss the French Open, except for the men's final - which I put on while I did some paperwork, and looked at twice during the whole match. Must try harder when Wimbledon arrives.

Darryl - Andy Murray?

Right you are, Caty! I'd love to see him win Wimbledon this year.

Don't care about Tennis, baseball or any of those run about and make tons of cash games...but wanted to say good morning.

Caaaroliiine...oh Caaaroliiine...I've just finished and reviewed Date With a Sheesha in my thread...post #11.

You will SO rush to Amazon to order this one rush delivery...it's just great!!

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening all .....

Darryl - I think the pressure at Wimbeldon will be too great (once more) for Andy to win on home ground.

Now that the French Open is over, I am glued to the NBA finals - hey the Celtics are in, so how could I not be, right? And they're playing against the Lakers so this should be a good series for the rest of the week. Can you believe a court side seat in Boston for the games this week is going for about $24,000 ?!!!! That's just for 1 ticket.

Then it's just a few weeks before Wimbeldon, then comes the Tour de France, and then back to tennis with the US Open. *sigh* I love summer sports.

I'm reading To Mervas by Elisabeth Rynell and it has captured my heart in a very strange fashion. I didn't think I was going to like the book when I first started it but it's like a horrid accident ... you're compelled to look. I'm about a third to completing this and my impressions keep changing as I go along. Whatever the outcome, it is really well written.

richard : rush delivery? forget rush delivery... i'm driving myself straight to B&N after work to get a copy and since I have what I'm sure is going to be a boring and technical conference call later tonight, if I might just take a peek. But you know how it is with the last of your favorite piece of candy/fried chicken ...... you are almost afraid to eat it because once you do, it's all gone and you may have to wait months on end before you get another. So I'm in the same boat with Date with Sheesha ... if I get to this now, I'll have to wait months until 2011 for the next one. But if I keep it for a month or 2 before reading it, my wait for the next won't be as long. What a dilemma.

*derisive snort* Like you'll have the self-discipline not to attack and devour as soon as the boring, technical conference call is well underway. I laugh. I roll my eyes.

Because you *know* that it's faaabulous and that it's exciting and full of dangeous, exotic stuff! Because there it will sit, atmospheric, evocative cover reminding you that Russell's waiting, waiting for you and only you to go on this journey with him....

*marvels at size of own cruel streak*

I am just glad he is in a relationship in that one~

>32 mckait: It's true that he is. Much of the story hinges on that fact. Oh my, how very much!

ETA And I completely forgot to mention that Bidulka has Russell reading a Louise Penny mystery in this book!

Hmm, no mention of the Red Sox. Have you given up on them already?

I was so happy for him when you said that, you would think he was my RL friend. Maybe I am losing my mind Oo

>35 mckait: I'd say, on balance, that it's just a sign of how much fun it is to read a series where the characters are all so delightful that one WANTS them to be real. There are others where this isn't so, reams and reams of paper and gallons and gallons of ink wasted on characters who just can't make a person *care*.

Sometimes, I care too much methinks

hmmm

#37: I know I care too much sometimes, Kath.

*nods*

Hah! Wondered what had happened -- then discovered AN ENTIRELY NEW THREAD had appeared....

Personally, I'm still stuck with hockey until the Stanley Cup battle has finished.

#31, Richard's evil streak is definitely faaarr out of control...

Who mentioned the Red Sox on this thread?! Darryl .. you're just missing me throwing clunky boots are you, aren't you? I'm NOT a Red Sox fan, despite living in MA ... I've always been a pinstriped Yankees fan, and one who would marry Derek Jeter in a heartbeat if he were to fall on his head and break up with Minka Kelly - actually my husband and I are in accord on this ... I'll take Derek and he'll take Minka .. that's a fair swop, right? LOL

My other boot is being thrown at that most nefarious being, named Richard ...... I took a peek and the peek turned into a wide eyed look and the wide eyed look turned into a glazed-haul-me-in-oh-master stare ..... until I missed a whole question in the conference call and was brought to a slamming halt by the most inconsiderate engineers this side of the Universe. If not for the fact that I had meetings all day today requiring my physical presence, I would have worked from home so I could sneak in reads of Bidulka's latest in between.

#35 : *snort* Kath... I think most of us lost our minds ages ago!

#37 - 39 : I'm with you on this, ladies. *ignoring richard humming in the background*

Suz : I wondered what happened to you .... thought you had abandoned me .....*sniffle* Are you rooting for Chicago or Philly?

To Mervas by Elizabeth Rynell was an odd book for me. A Swedish book translated into English, I really loved the writing. It was the one thing that kept me from tossing the book aside.

The main character, Marta, is one of the many children in a family where the father is abusive and believes the only purpose of women is to bear children. He holds his family in a firm grip, shouts and lectures at every dinner time, and when his wife suffered complications following yet another birth, not only did he not care that her health was jeopardized, he took pains to humiliate her for her seeming poor health. Her value in his eyes had plummeted and he despised her. She finds an opportunity and escapes the house with the children, with the help of one of her relatives and for a while they are happy but of course her husband finds them, makes Marta open the door to let him in and forces all the children to watch him abuse their mother.

The story alternates between present and the past, and slowly we find out the rest of Marta's life journey. She had a disabled child who died. The events leading up to his death was not immediately made clear, and it was horrifying. Throughout, you're invited into Marta's mind, what she thinks, why she feels a certain way, what she fears and you're hypnotized by her depression and mental torture. This is not a happy story, and I didn't like the story itself because it was really depressing, but I couldn't not finish reading it.

So I don't know how to properly rate this book. I both liked and disliked this for different reasons. I think I'll average it into a 3.5 ... because I can also see how some people will like both the writing and the subject. In fact, I think if it was a rating on just the writing alone, I'd rate it a 4.5

#44: I think I will stay away from that one. Sounds entirely too depressing for me! (I do not need any help in that department.)

#44 Not one for me either.

>44 cameling: Oh HELL no. Sounds like that gawdawful Purple Hibiscus thing I couldn't abide.

So...enjoying Date with a Sheesha, are we? *chortle* I know it caaallled your naaame all day, when you couldn't read it, didn't it? I love when books do that!

Oops. Honest mistake. I forgot that you were a (gag) Yankees fan. I assume that you're a closet fan, living where you do.

Hmm...To Mervas sounds horribly dark and depressing. I still think I'll read it, as I want to finish all of the Archipelago Books I receive this year and several that I've purchased in the past, but I'll put it toward the bottom of my planned reads for the month.

Darryl, pay no attention to her aberrant Yank-mes fandom. One prefers to see the beautiful and intelligent without their hideous character deformities.

Better get a big strong bumbershoot, rd... and practice ducking...

I am legally required to root for the Blackhawks. Because Philly defeated the Habs, you see, who are my fave team. Though the bf supports the Caps, and the Habs trounced the Caps, so that goes double. I can't cheer for Philly.

Anyway, must go back to the game now... :-)

*waaaiiiiilllllll......* not only has a book of mine been stolen out of my own home before I was even a third through, but the greatest baseball team in the world, the holder of 27 World Series rings, the Yankeeeeees, are being maligned by 2 dunderheads. Forget boots, those are way too good for the 2 of youse ..... I'm breaking out the biggest jar of Miracle Whip and mixing in pickled herring, and smearing the mixture all over your sheets and in your shoes!

*sniff* closet my patootie, Darryl - I'm an openly happy Yankees fan here in MA, and when they won last year, the 12 of us in the company who have the good sense to support a delight team took turns to play Sinatra's signature 'New York, New York' every 30 mins at full volume on our stereos from 8am till noon the day after their triumph.

Aha! Found you!

Oh, oh, oh, score tied 3-3, overtime.

I grew up near Philly, and thus must root for the Flyers.

*bites fingernails and jumps back to the TV*

#51 : Exciting game Suz ... still tied at overtime. Since the Bruins aren't in the finals I don't really care who wins, but I think it likely to be the Blackhawks for the Cup this year.

#45/46 : I thought of slinging the book aside a few times because I really didn't like the dark mental spiraling or the violent abuse, but the writing kept pulling me back. Having said that, this is a book I would recommend only with the strongest of caveats.

Hi there Terri ... err...... oops... sorry, the Blackhawks just scored and won. *raising a cushion as a shield and fleeing*

Yeeee haaaaa!

That was an amazing goal! (Especially after doing their damndest to lose the whole shooting match...)

Wait...did someone throw a clunky boot at me and call me a dunderhead? Just for that, I will post huge photos of the Red Sox in action on this thread at least 10 times a day until you take that back.

Rats. I forgot to pick up cherries at Publix today, which I was going to put on the PB sandwich I just ate (I'm still in night mode, and this is the fourth night in a row I've had dinner at ~1:30 am).

BTW, oh potato chip connoisseur, what is your favorite brand and type. Make mine Cape Cod kettle chips, please.

Congratulations to the Blackhawks, and a round of applause for the overachieving Flyers.

Blackhawks? Flyers? "Habs"? ...?...

Caro, whatever do you mean it was STOLEN?!? Illicitly borrowed? The perp must be found and executed forthwith!

*fumes at human perfidy*

>57 kidzdoc: Ignore that rant, Darryl, it's a symptom of the vitamin deficiency or whatever it is that causes Yank-me fandom. Not her fault, poor lamb.

{Agrees with rd up until his remark to 57} What book?!?!? what happened?? who is the culprit.. miracle whip them immediately !!!

I just swallowed a cherry seed... 57 will I grow a cherry tree in my belly? or worse?

I just reviewed two wonderful books and am now reading
The Children's Hospital and enjoying it..

>59 mckait: I suspect we'll be calling you "Bing Wagner" 'fore too long here, Miss Cherry Pit 2010.

And the book in question, Date with a Sheesha, is the seventh Russell Quant book!! The poifidy! The evilness!

Hi Caroline- Just swinging by to say hi! Hooray for the Blackhawks!! They did an incredible job this year!

ye gods woman!! has it come back home?

poifidy indeed!

signed
bing

ps
my book is weird and good!

Reeshard (as they would call you in Montreal, my dear Richard), the "Habs" are the Montreal Canadiens; the Habs is short for les habitants (literally, the inhabitants), the phrase used to describe Quebec's earliest settlers.
(I can tell who has never once watched Hockey Night in Canada....)

I think we need a TIOLI challenge for bizarro titles Date with a Sheesha has to qualify. I saw someone reading Brief Interviews with Hideous Men on the subway on the way home. There are some real gems out there.

#63: The Bookseller (UK) gives out a prize, the Diagram Award, to the book with the oddest title. This year's shortlist consisted of six books:

The Changing World of Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Ellen Scherl and Marla Dubinsky (I should get this as a graduation gift for a friend, who will complete his gastroenterology fellowship this month)

Collectible Spoons of the 3rd Reich by James A Yannes

Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes by Daina Taimina (the winner!)

Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots by Ronald C Arkin (my personal favorite, both because of the title and because the author is a professor at Georgia Tech, whose campus is a short distance from where I live)

What Kind of Bean is this Chihuahua? by Tara Jansen-Meyer

Afterthoughts of a Worm Hunter by David Crompton

More info on these compelling books can be found here and here.

More bizarro titles can be found at Abe Books' Weird Book Room.

LOL -- thanks! My father's oldest friend is a gastroenterologist, who wrote a book entitled The Irritable Gut. It did well enough that he ended up with first a catamaran and later a small sailboat named The Irritable Gut... :-)

Can you imagine reading Collectible Spoons of the 3rd Reich, though??

#57: Not taking it back! so there!

You are duly punished, Darryl - the forces have extracted punishment on my behalf - no cherries for you tonight! take that!

On the book theft - ok, it wasn't really a theft - my cousin had come over for a visit while I was out, saw Date with Sheesha on the table, picked it up, asked if I was done with it, and Edd, not really paying attention, said he was sure I wouldn't mind her borrowing it from me since i had so many other books to read! and away she went, with a book I'd only just gotten a quarter of the way through...... back to NYC!
I haven't started to speak to Edd yet...it is definitely frosty in this house.

Edd is certainly in the dog house! This is Edd, telling the dog that he will be living with him for awhile.

#59:Kath : If you do grow a cherry tree from your belly button, be sure to prune regularly and you will never have to buy cherries again. :-)

#61: Mark : I'm so touched that you stopped by for a visit even while you're on vacation. Hope you're having a good time.

The Celtics have me on the verge of biting my fingernails ... they HAVE to win today's game!

#63: haha.. that's funny Suz ... what a great title for a book on hideous men ... *still chuckling* .. i wonder if they name them and show pics

I'll half forgive you, Darryl for those hilarious book titles. I love After Thoughts of a Worm Hunter .. haha... that's great!

Linda : he doesn't deserve such a cute dog or a nice doghouse ... he's definitely outside the doghouse, lying in the dog's dish being snarled at by a salivating Rottweiler

boy, oh boy oh boy...He is really in trouble. Sounds like he should take you on a trip to the book store and wait patiently while you take your good ole time browsing.

haha....doesn't work because he loves bookstores too and generally takes longer than I do when it comes to browsing

Those are qualities that would keep him out of the dog house.

Another good bad title: Knitting with Dog Hair. Follow the link, it's true.

I will take your advice regarding the cherry tree.

Good titles.. :)

Why on earth has Edd not had one overnighted to you by Amazon?!?!
Silly thing!

Doesn't it feel.. weird to be cut off so abruptly?terrible ! :P

My spouse says he saw Knitting with Dog Hair at a book sale.... it was hard to forget....

We own a book called He Died With a Falafel in His Hand.

I read a book of knitting short stories once. There was a story in there about a woman who was trying to save $$ on yarn, so she collected her dog's hair, spun it and knitted it into a big comfy sweater. All was well until the day she was caught in a rainstorm...

Kath : Actually he did just that .... and it should arrive tomorrow. :-) And he cut the grass today, watered all the vegetable plants, cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms, and made me cups of tea all day. Oh and more importantly, he's promised never, ever, ever, ever, to give away any of my books or tell anyone (not even his mother) they can have my books without first checking with me.

richard and lucy : the 2 of you slay me .... I bet these books sell more because of their titles than anything else. Hopefully the content is worthy of the title.

Jenn ... that's a great story! I can't stop laughing ...

Not getting a lot of reading done what with basketball still on and the World Cup starting today.

Ah, the World Cup. Everything has come to a complete halt here. We can be found in front of the TV, wearing our World Cup (USA) Havaianas until a winner is declared. I won't be reading much either, but I can get some knitting done. But not with dog hair.

When I read the dog hair knitting story, I was chuckling from the start, but when it got to the part where she took shelter from the rain in the local yarn shop, and the wet dog smell and the people, oh, I laughed until I cried. I wish I could find that book. I will find it and post so everyone can enjoy.

Off to the Rose Festival Parade tomorrow morning and then the President of our Classic Soccer League (Husband coaches tow teams, son plays on one and daughter assistant coaches yet another) is hosting a party at his house for the World Cup multitudes. We are so there!

It's been tickling my memory, but I think I have actually SEEN a sweater knitted of dog hair -- a friend from high school who had a sheltie sort of dog with fairly long fur, with bits of black and gray and white. The sweater was angora looking, not half-bad! I stopped at her house maybe -- fifteen years ago on my way from here to there. For awhile this same person was in the business of making wedding gowns out of antique gowns..... so she's clever indeed.

After listening to the radio the last few days, I think we will have to sit down to watch a game!

>78 nittnut:, 80. A few years ago I was helping my cousin start an alpaca farm, so in the interest of diving in head first and learning everything (a particular curse of mine), I took some spinning classes. The conversations around the spinning wheels during the class were hilarious. One woman was, indeed, using dog hair to spin into yarn. The strangest one, to my mind, however, was the woman who was spinning dryer lint. Seriously.

I love alpacas. I used to know a family with an alpaca farm, but they ...well, they vanished.

Long story, but the alpacas were fun!

I saw someone on Dogs 101 ( I think) who knits from spun animal hair at the request of the client... she made handbags.

I love my dog, but I don't think I would like to wear him or carry him as a handbag

>82 mckait:. LOL. I love my dogs too, but I don't want to wear them. I often threaten to "create a cat" out of their dog hair as I'm sweeping up yet another huge pile.

Oh, I agree, the alpacas were so much fun. That was in about 2005. I'm thinking now that many people who had those farms probably have had bad times with the economy going sour. My cousin's farm didn't last long.

that could be..

As a child I used to have visions of shivering naked foxes and chinchillas (I would have had them of mink too if I had known what one looked like) whenever I saw people wearing fur coats. I've sheared sheep when I was a teen, but they seemed to like getting the weight of their fur off them, so I didn't feel sorry for them.

#81: Spinning dryer lint ... now that's something I would love to have seen. Did she ever make anything, Becky?

I'm under a lot of tension and being given foul looks at home now because I'm rooting for England against the US in their match. I used to follow the EPL as a child and when I lived in the UK, so I'm more familiar with the British players than I am with the US team. Who knew half the people here at my house were actually serious when they said they felt they had to support the US team for patriotic reasons. Oh well ... I'm sure when I bring the snacks out, they'll speak to me again .... or not, considering the US are down 1 goal right now. *silently cheering*

I will refrain from telling my husband - you traitor - he is quite dejected at the moment.

Finished Voices by Arnaldur Indridason today.
In the week before Christmas, when all is calm and all is bright, someone came into a small room in the basement of a hotel and stabbed the hotel's doorman as he was dressing to play Santa to the children that afternoon. Are doormen so invisible to the rest of the hotel staff that nobody, not even the hotel manager, knew anything about his habits, his background or even where he came from? And why would someone want to kill Santa?

Inspector Erlendur tries to piece together the background of the victim with the assistance of his team. His list of suspects grow with each day he spends in the hotel. Finding a motive for killing what appears to be an almost homeless elderly man who had just been sacked from his job anyway proves to be a challenge.

In his own inimitable fashion, Inspector Erlendur sifts through the lies most of the people he interviews tell to find the secrets they are trying to hide. Why would a British record collector want with the victim? Why does the dead man's family appear to have no compassion for him? What secrets did the dead man have to hide himself and were they strong enough to warrant his murder?

As Inspector Erlendur grapples with the dark and seedy side of Iceland, we also learn of an incident in his childhood that left a deep scar within him.

A well crafted murder mystery with twists and turns at every corner.
4 stars (i gave it 3.5 at first, but I've changed my mind. It's really good)

#87 : Jenn... your husband should be jubilent now, as is mine ... the crowd here can't stop crowing and deafening me with their screams. What a stupid mistake on the part of the English goalkeeper

Traitor!

That was the most ridiculous goal I've ever seen.

I'm rooting for our boys in this match, and as long as they are in the hunt. Otherwise I'm pulling for England.

We have to play much better in the second half to have any chance at all. Our back line is playing very poorly.

The US are actually playing better than I expected. They're doing very well to keep the English team at bay because the English team do have the better players. arrgghhh... can't believe Rooney just missed a possible header into goal.

He's had a lot of good chances in the last 10-15 minutes. Shame he's missed them all.

Oh well ... 1-1 isn't too bad. It could have been worse.

Yes! This was a huge result for the US club. Now, we have to take care of business against Algeria and Slovenia, to advance to the second round. Hopefully England can regroup from this disappointing effort.

England should have won, but they played reasonably well and it could certainly have been worse: at least Green made that save at the near post later on. If they don't let this result get to them, they should (hopefully) still manage to get 7 points.

>85 cameling:. All I saw her do was spin the dryer lint into yarn. I thought she was kidding--but she was very serious, it turned out. Who knew? It didn't look like yarn I would want to work with. She didn't use it for "practice" with her spinning because she was an excellent spinner. Still, I thought it was odd.

I swear I could knit an entirely new cat every month from the fur the resident felines shed. Not that I'm going to try.

#97 - I feel the same about all my pets.
I adopted an old samoyed many years ago and their hair is often collected for spinning.
Can't resist adding this link to people wearing hair of the dog.

Hi Caroline- Good review of Voices. You have the wrong touchstone, though. Did you read the 2nd in the series too? I loved Jar City and looking forward to continuing. I think the 2nd is Silence of the Grave. Hope you are having a great Sunday!

Mark : That darn touchstone keeps changing. I don't know why it does that. This happens with some of the other books I've listed as well, and I don't know what to do about it.

Jar City was the first one I've read which got me hooked on this author. I haven't read the second one yet .... I don't always read in order. ;-) But I'm on the prowl for more of his books. I like the grimness of his characters.. they just seem much more real.

Music, Food and Love by Guo Yue is a memoir of a man who lived before, during and after the Cultural Revolution in China. Born to a musician father and a foreign language teacher mother, and one of 6 children, Yue was a precocious child who showed musical talent and a love of food from a young age. His father passes away and the children are separated from their mother during the Cultural Revolution when she's taken away to the countryside to be 're-educated'.

The writing is rather stilted and reads like someone writing diary entries. The descriptions of the simple home cooked foods in China were not sufficiently expressive to invoke the aroma, texture and flavors of the dishes. Having been to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xian, I found the descriptions did not do justice to the memory of the food I enjoyed there.

The are recipes at the back of the book for the meals described in the book which may appeal to some readers interested in Chinese home cooking.
I'm giving this 2 stars ......I think I'm being generous.

Nice review, Caroline—but I'm very disappointed that this wasn't a better book. I was all set to put it on my wish list after the first paragraph of your review.

Thanks, Darryl. It had such potential ... but oh well, at least it was a quick read so I didn't waste too much time on it. On to the next .. at least now that the Celtics have won their game this evening, I might get a few minutes of reading in before I hit the sack.

Too bad about Music, Food, and Love, Caroline. I hope you have better luck with your next read.

I started Jar City last year and got sidetracked (imagine that!). Thanks for reminding me I need to get back to that series.

tsk tsk ... bad Stasia ..... no ice cream for you, young lady, until you get back to Jar City.

The really bad thing is that I have no idea where to find it now, lol. I know it is in my house somewhere!

That's OK about the ice cream. I do not like it anyway.

Caro, I am wondering how your weekend went? Your wing cook off? Your lazy day yesterday ( did yu actually have one?)

Hi Caroline- Hope you had a nice weekend! We are stuck in Portland until late tonight but I have the wife's notebook and a couple of books, so that makes it a bit more tolerable.

#106 : drats .. if I still had my copy, I'd send it to you, Stas. Time to wade through your unread books or half-read book piles ... I will hound you until you find it.

#107 : The weekend was great, Kath, thanks for asking. Saturday turned out to be the lazy day instead because it rained. The wing cook off took place yesterday and it was fantastic. The weather held out, we sat out on the deck, sangria, beers and mojitos were the drinks of the day, bruschetta, hummus, taramasalata, marinated olives and ...surprise, surprise... potato chips were the munchies. The wings all turned out great and 2 of my contributions took the 1st and 3rd place. :-) Dessert was blueberry pie, ice cream and brownies while watching the Celtics beat the Lakers to a pulp!

#108 : A couple of books, Mark? Didn't you just bring 1 Larsson book with you on vacation? Does that mean you found a bookstore or 2 while you were on vacation and bought some? Confess ... we want to know what you bought.

Caroline- I brought along Drown by Junot Diaz, as a back-up. I loved Oscar Wao. I don't know if you have read The Dogs of Babel but I found an ARC of her latest book called The Nobodies Album, which is getting some decent buzz. That one is packed in my suitcase, though!
ETA- If you make that "Retreat", next April, I'm going to have some food requests!! You sound like an awesome cook!

Caro, you always sound as if you are having so much FUN!

And it is fun just haring about it :)

I am with mark, btween you and richard, I gain weight just reading in this group

hugs

*Drive-by Wave*

that's all..weather is still pretty miserable here...damp/muggy....i'm "medicating" myself with serious Internet time

;-}

I am having a devil of a time with my e on this toshibi--h just read my previous post

sigh

Mark : I haven't read the Dogs of Babel yet, but I've heard it's good.

I'm not awesome but I haven't killed anyone yet. I just like cooking ... i find it very relaxing. I love making desserts, but I don't have a sweet tooth, so I only make cookies, cakes and pies when I know there'll be folks around to eat them.

Kath : Just think how much more weight you'd gain if richard and i were your flanking neighbors! ;-) Um... toshibi? hahaha

Hey Jude ... sorry the weather's horrible at your end. Medicate away ... at least you're not doing something as silly as ... err..... reading?!

Received an ARC yesterday and it was a slim volume so I decided to read it .... as I thought, it didn't take long.

The Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada and translated into English. A prisoner in one of the subcamps in Auschwitz battles fear, hunger, cold, beatings and torture at the hands of the Nazis. A luthier before the war, he manages to avoid the gas chamber or being called upon as a subject in terrifying human experiments when he professes to have carpentry skills. He works on cabinets in the camp Commander's house and through a chance encounter, is provided the task of repairing a damaged violin. Satisfied with his work, the Commander sets him on a new task - to build him a violin as wonderful as a Stradivarius.

In between the calm and detailed descriptions of the luthier's gradual progress in violin making, are sharp and jerky descriptions of the manner in which the camp guards control the prisoners, the fear the prisoners feel in the uncertainty over how long they have to live and the methods by which they will die, and the unholy glee that the soldiers take at abusing and humiliating the prisoners.

A very short read, but not, I think very well written. I don't know if it's the translation and if it would have been better read in the original Spanish.
I'm giving it 2 stars because I thought it had potential but fell short of being a really dazzling story.

Almost a 100 posts in the last week? You and your friends are part of the reason I'm not keeping up with the 75-Book group. And you've got to be a good cook, because I still drool whenever I think about that mac-n-cheese recipe. With all your travels, you should be a good one to judge Music, Food, and Love, so if you're giving it a 2, I'm passing by that one at a trot.

#115: Too bad about that one. It sounded right up my alley - as a matter of fact, I am reading a very good one set during the Holocaust, The Inextinguishable Symphony, but it is nonfiction.

>114 cameling: Kath calls her husband's Toshiba computer the "Toshibitch" because it has the misfortune not to be a Mac. Y'all Mac people are weird about y'all's nasty little Macs. I hate the damn things, myownself.

>115 cameling: DRAT! I was hoping for so much more. *scrubs entry from wishlist*

>115 cameling: Oh I passed on that one Carolyn and glad I did I guess. I thought the title was a cute play on The Cellist of Sarajevo and didn't think it could ever live up to that.

richard is right.. it is not my mac. It is heavy and slow and
( wait, that sounds like me)

anyway

Sorry about that read caro....sounds not uplifting :)

Caroline, did you see the article in the NY Times about one the main rivers in Iraq become so weak that salt water is pushing farther and farther inland, ruining the livelihood of farmers/growers, the fishermen, and those who live along its edges? Thinking of you, since we both read Sweet Dates of Basra. I wonder how many of the 'river people' have been affected?

#116 : Sorry Bonnie ... but it could be worse. I think Stasia gets about 100 posts a day

#117 - 120 - Oh well .... one can never tell with the ARCs. I'm not sorry I read it though ... there were just so many gaps in between that it felt unfinished.... like pieces of the manuscript had been misplaced.

I'm on to something a lot more fascinating now... sort of a book within a book, a journey by one man into another man's life. More later...when I eventually finish it

#122: I do not get 100 posts a day, thank goodness! It just seems like it some times.

What are you reading now? It sounds interesting.

Bonnie : Wow ... i was just talking about that article with some colleagues at lunch today! One of my colleagues is from Iraq, and he has some family who in the area near the Shatt al Arab. He said that the river has been drying up for a long time, and that the people are slowly losing their livelihood, but there is nothing the government is doing to help.

Stas : I was just at your previous thread ..before I discovered your new one .. so in total, I went through 50 posts before I posted my little note on your new thread .... and the day isn't even over yet!

I've started Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier

#125: Night Train to Lisbon looks interesting. I cannot wait to see what you think of it. Read faster!

50 posts is not the same as 100 posts, I would like to point out.

124 Sad and infuriating

I really liked Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier. In a strange way, it reminded me of Shadows of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron.

In Night Train to Lisbon, a quiet professor of languages in Bern chances upon a Portuguese woman one night and can't get her out of his mind. She speaks one sentence in Portuguese to him and leaves. He goes to his favorite bookstore to buy a Portuguese language book and finds instead, a memoir by a Portuguese doctor, one who was beloved by everyone until he treated a member of Salazar's secret police and was then shunned by his former patients and friends.

The short chapter the man at the bookstore reads to him from the memoir has such a profound impact on him that he is compelled to learn everything possible about this doctor. He leaves his job at the spur of the moment and takes the train to Lisbon. He learns Portuguese and through reading chapters in the memoir, he searches for the people who knew the doctor.

This is a book within a book .. we read the memoir written by the doctor, his hopes, his fears, his philosophy and his torment. As the professor meets with the people who knew this doctor, we get their perspectives of the man and what he meant to them. In the process, we see the professor change too. His journeys to places the doctor visited or lived in help him expand his horizons and broaden his self-analysis.

I loved the depth and complexity of all the characters introduced, and the relationships the professor forms with some of them. Each character drew you to them, made you want to hug them, made you want them to be your friend, and made you want to keep them safe.

4.8 stars in my book.

Thumbs-upped, wishlisted, and voodoo dolly with your engrams imprinted in it at the ready. No more good books. You've been warned, little missie.

Don't forget to go harvest cupcakes in the next three hours, Caro! We'll get gold for sure!

#128: Any comparison to Shadow of the Wind means it automatically goes in to the BlackHole because I loved the Zafon book! Thanks for the review and recommendation, Caroline.

Thanks for that great review, Caroline! This book has been floating in limbo in my TBR list, but I'll move it way up now.

Great review, and added to my wishlist as well. Love books set in Portugal and Spain.

Added Night Train to the wishlist. Thanks for your review, Caroline!

There you are! Have you been having a busy week? I miss you when you are not bouncing around everyones threads :) To me, you are like the cinnamon on the toast. Toast is cozy and yummy and comfortable food. A bit of cinnamon adds zing and makes it even better :)

Don't work to hard, and I am betting that you are having an interesting weekend.. you seem to have a knack for that.

Thanks cameling, I like the sound of Night Train to Lisbon and my library has it;)

Caroline- Good review! Gave you the thumb! On the WL it goes! And like Kath says, you are the "cinnamon toast". Have a great Sunday!

Adding Night Train to Lisbon to the list. Thanks for another great review.

Caroline, lost track of you for awhile but saw your Hot Review of Night Train to Lisbon which as been sitting on my TBR shelf since last year's 999 challenge "Things Portuguese" category. I must bump it up a bit on the list. Just wish you hadn't compared it to Shadow of the Wind - a book I tried 3 times and just flat gave up on.

#81FF...re dryer lint. We actually collect ours in a small basket and set it out in early spring....birds love to 'pluck it' and use in their nests. It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy (pardon the pun) that I'm recycling and giving some little baby birdies a soft and cozy home when they arrive.

*rushes through in another feverish catching-up attempt*

Hopefully once I'm not so preoccupied with blitzing my house I'll get better at keeping up! And once I've read a few more books (The Count of Monte Cristo is somewhat slowing proceedings in that department) I can start adding books to the old wishlist again, guilt-free!

ETA >139 tututhefirst: - that is an amazing idea! We have so many birds around our garden, living out in the countryside as we do, that would be so lovely for them!

Caroline,

Thumbed, wishlisted and moving on up the pile. Night Train to Lisbon is new to me but you make it sound wonderful.

I've got that one waiting for me... I had heard it compared to The Shadow of the Wind before, and between that and the lovely name and beautiful misty cover, how could I resist? Looking forward to it!

Another use for dryer lint (if you live in the Lyme disease areas like we do) is to sprinkle it with an anti-tick powder and then put it along the outside of your house (in some container) for mice to find. They take the lint, use it in their nests, and kill the deer ticks that ride them so often before they spread the disease into houses.

Wow ... hello everyone. Sorry for the silence ...wait.... I've only been away for 2 days. Since all of you are adding or moving Night Train to Lisbon to your wish list or up a notch in your TBR pile, I'll address Tina specifically for a spell ...

#139 : Tina ... forget I said anything about Shadow of the Wind and give it a try. It starts off a wee bit slow but before you know it, you're loath to put it down and you really start rooting for Raimundo Gregorius, our rather mousy but sensitively lovable professor with the hidden heart of an adventurer and poet.

#143: I wonder if the bunny at my in-laws' will like dryer lint instead of plucking the grass from their front yard to line his burrow? They've got a large bald patch right now, and the bold bunny calmly chews the grass and then hops over to the large tree in the middle and dives, grass bundle in mouth, into the hole he's dug under it. He doesn't even care that the we (including 2 noisy excited kids) were standing there watching him.

Hi Caroline- Welcome back for your little trip! BTW- I'm a big fan of Shadow of the Wind, I'm inspired by the comparison. I need to get to Zafron's latest! I've had it for awhile! Check into BOTNS, there is an update on the "Retreat"!! YAH!!!

Hi Mark ... thanks for the tip... I looked into the update for the retreat. Can't wait for tomorrow when the lodging information is released. I'm so excited!

Dressed for Death by Donna Leon. An earlier one in the Commissario Brunetti series, we are introduced to smart and beautiful Elettra in this one. A body is found in a field behind a slaughterhouse, the person so violently beaten that there is no face to identify the person who later is found to be a transvestite. Without an identity and with just an artist's rendition of what the person might look like based on part of his facial structure and hair, Brunetti and team visit the red light districts of Venice to try their luck interviewing the prostitutes. The biggest challenge he has is finding a motive for the victim's murder and he takes us along with him on this puzzling journey as he interrogates, annoys and generally makes a few important people in the city nervous.

3.5 stars

Caro, is the Donna Leon series one that should be read in its proper order, to make sense of character development, etc...?

Suz, I don't think so. I've not read it in order and there really aren't many main characters in the central team.

Just catching up with you.......

Hey there Mark... I'm reading The Glister now... and liking it a lot so far. Thanks again, buddy

The Glister by John Burnside.
A town where left barren and depressed as a result of the closing of the chemical plant where many of their now ill citizens used to be employed, suffers yet more tragedy as young boys, 5 in all, disappear. No explanation can be found for their disappearance, their bodies aren't found so everyone assumes these are runaways trying to seek a better life outside.

But are they runaways or is there a darker evil that is preying on the boys of Innertown?

The story and the evil gradually unfolds through the telling of individual stories. We hear from a friend of one of the boys who went missing, the town's policeman, his crazy wife, a boy who grew up on the sidelines and made himself into a powerful businessman, a hardened teenager and a hermit.

We can feel the evil swirling around us, but we can't pinpoint exactly where or what it is until ...... it's too late.

I liked it but I wasn't wowed by it, so I'll give it 3.3 stars. The ending is good though.

Hi Caroline- I didn't recommend The Glister. I remember someone here talking about it, though. I think I will take a pass on it.
Did you see that Ann from BOTNS stopped by my Challenge to say hi?

Hmm... odd, I had you noted in my wish list notes who recommended The Glister ... oops... now I wonder who did....

Yes, I saw Ann's note on your thread ..... that's like a benediction. :-) so what activity are you chairing a session at the retreat? Did you book your room yet?

Hi. I'm catching up with your thread. Night Train To Lisbon sounds great. It is now on the tbr pile.

I am skipping The Glister. I hope you enjoy your next read more, Caro!

Hi Linda ... I think you'll enjoy Night Train to Lisbon .... it takes off a little slow, but when it takes off it carries you on a beautiful journey.

Oh I am, Stas .. I'm reading Amagansett by Mark Mills and enjoying it so far.

pops in to say nighty night

Just saying hello.

*waves*

evening, Kath ... wakey wakey

*waves hello back*, Terri

nursed a hangover yesterday .... it's been a loooooong time since i was up with friends drinking till 2.30am. Had an impromptu cookout at my house on Friday when I mentioned to a few colleagues at lunch that I was making pulled pork that day, and had a bigger shoulder than I had planned. Before I could say 'boo', 6 of them invited themselves over to help my husband and i eat it ... and they arrived with hot dogs, ribs, beer, and vodka. So the grill was fired up, an ice bucket put out on the deck, and a party ensued! :-) 2 of them ended up staying over because they'd had too much to drink to drive, and the others had their girlfriends or husbands as designated drivers for the night and went home at midnight .. after said designated drivers were sent out on an ice cream run at 10.30pm

i love impromptu parties.... even if i have to pay the price the day after. Thankfully not all impromptu parties involve alcohol in such copious amounts.

hey! I have been missing you ... glad you had a nice time :)

you always manage to have parties happening around you , lol

Amagansett by Mark Mills ... I cannot get enough of Mr Mills. He writes really good thrillers and this is another one that will not disappoint.

2 fishermen out at sea find a dead woman in their nets off Long Island Sound. Although deemed to be a suicide, something just doesn't feel right to local policeman, Tom Hollis and he starts to ask around for more information about this woman, who, as it turns out, is the daughter of a wealthy tycoon. At the same time, one of the fishermen decides to investigate her death on his own.

Secrets abound and are unraveled as the guilty try to cover tracks and stay one step or more ahead of getting caught.

Very enjoyable and I'll give this 3.9 stars

Laundry by Suzanne Adam is a book about a woman who grows up in Transylvania, with a mild case of epilepsy. The start of the book hints at something gone wrong but all we have is an almost catatonic woman hugging herself on a couch.

Then she decides to share her story with her bewildered husband, and we learn of events in her childhood and her family dynamics that have shaped her character all through life in Transylvania to life in Israel where her family moved when she was about 8 years old.

It's hard to review this without giving too much away, but I think I'll have to just say that it's a good look at how things can remain hidden, even in families who think that they share everything and have close bonds.

I really liked this even though there were a few points in the book that disturbed me. All in all, I'd have to give this 4 stars because after the first quarter of the book, I was reluctant to put it down...... and I know I may be in the minority, but I did like the way it ended.

Thanks to Madeline who sent me the book. I'm now going to pay it forward .. so if anyone wants to read this, send me a PM with your request. Please make the request a public one so others can see whether or not they should send in their request.

Hi Caroline- Sounds like a good time! Hope you are feeling "better" today!

Hi Kath ... yesterday was spent quietly, very quietly reading on the couch, watching Wimbledon on tv and drinking about 3 gallons of water. haha

but I'm back at full strength today! ta da! Went out for a dim sum brunch with some friends and ended up sitting and talking at the restaurant for 3 hours!
Then I treated myself to 3 bargain books at B&N where I went after brunch because I needed a notebook for work. ha! can't ever pass up the bargain shelves. I was really good though and refused to look at the stacks of new arrivals, thus saving myself from emptying my wallet there. Ok, I'll confess that I wanted to get out as soon as possible because there was a thunderstorm brewing and I wanted to get home before it hit .... I made it just in the nick of time .. the skies opened up the minute I walked up to my front door. .... I knew there'd be a reward for my self-control. haha

Hi Mark - yes, thank you. I'm definitely back to normal again. :-)

#163: I already have Amagansett in the BlackHole. I hope my local library gets a copy in soon. I liked Mills' The Savage Garden.

Amagansett by Mark Mills... I have had that one in mt hands half a dozen times, but never bought it... looks good!!!

Sounds like you had a wicked good time at the party!

What lovely summer fun!

Drunk and disorderly in the confines of your own home---sounds heavenly Caroline ;-)

Hi Caroline- Amagansett sounds very good! I have yet to read Mills and I have a copy of The information Officer waiting in the stacks, given to me by a very special friend!

#167 : I've got The Savage Garden in my TBR Tower waiting for me.

#168 : It is a good read, Kath. I think you'll like it. Quickly, twinkle out to get a copy in your hands for the 7th time and take it home with you this time!

#169 - 171 : It was fun, ladies... and thankfully my friends had fun too. I so love it when everyone has a good time, and if there's any disorderliness that has to take place under the influence, it's best that it's done at home ... with only my husband and a friend's girlfriend to laugh at us the following day. I had a better day after though because I got to stay home ... one of my badly hungover friends had to go help his friend do some roofing the next day.

#172 : hmmm.... the special friend just sent her copy of Amagansett off to her cousin or you could have been the happy recipient of it.

Amagansett is already on my List, or I would add it. And the county library has it!

*gives in*

got 'cha Kath!

Just reached my 75th book and completed this challenge. I'm surprised I reached this goal so quickly.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay is a delightful read. A 15 year old boy is in France with his father, a world famous photographer and his team. While they work, Ned explores ruins and cathedrals, and meets a cute teenage exchange student. While exploring some cloisters, they chance upon a bald man with a scar across his face. That starts off a series of strange events involving large boars, shape changers, a druid, wolves, family secrets, battles past, a mysterious woman, and a quest to rescue a stolen friend.

In the midst of all this, Ned discovers an aunt and uncle, unexplained powers and his childhood changed forever.

If not for the fact that I had an early morning meeting at the office, I was tempted to pull an all-nighter on this and read it all in one go. I'd categorize this as a YA novel though.
I'm giving it 4 stars.

Reminded me a little bit of 'The Highlander' movie .. can't say more without giving some really interesting plot bits away. :-)

Congratulations, Caroline!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!

Congratulations on 75 and Ysabel sounds like a good read.

Congratulations!! Ysabel is a YA, but it's extra fun for Kay fans who started with his Fionavar trilogy, because of the characters who show up here.

Congratulations on reaching 75!

Congrats! Amazing feat considering it's only June!

Congratulations on reaching the goal ... and you read so many great books!

Caroline- That's incredible! I'm very impressed! I'm only in the mid-50s and that's counting audios. You're going to have a great year!

congratulations on reaching 75.

Ysabel is in the pile of books waiting for me at the library - pleased to hear it's a good one!

Congratulations! :)

Brava, brava! And what a really good book to have as #75. Well done you!

Congrats!

Conratulations on reaching 75 already Caroline!

Thank you all. How sweet of you all to cheer me on. I guess this is adieu then .... it's been a sweet ride. What will I do next I wonder .... ride off into the sunset with my needlepoint perhaps?

No, you just keep on truckin', my friend! No letting up, not for a second! This is what we DO!

Congratulations, Caroline, on reaching 75!

#191: Riding off into the sunset? Yeah, right. As if we will let you get away with that!

Way to go, Caroline! The big 75 -- in only half a year!

Don't you go anywhere!!!! What would we do without you???

The sweet ride goes on...and on...and on! At least I think it does. I haven't reached the 75 mark yet. Congratulations to you!

Adieu??? Where does it say you can do that????

ETA - Oh, yes and I forgot to add - Congratulations! (But only if you don't go anywhere. Otherwise - Bad Caroline! Bad! Bad! Bad!)

Amagansett arrived today~~~~

Fell of the bike when the dazzling sunset blinded me and I stabbed myself with my needlepoint needle. ahh well... sewing and riding motorcycles were never strong suits of mine anyway. So back to the books it is.

Sadly, I wish I could say I enjoyed Annette Vallon by James Tipton .. it sounded so promising, but it was trite and any references to the French revolution were just that ... mere references. 1 star ... for no misspellings. *ugh*

Hehe, wow...never knew anyone who could sew and ride a motorcycle at the same time. :P

Hope you stab wound isn't too painful, and heals quickly! :)

#200: Fell of the bike when the dazzling sunset blinded me and I stabbed myself with my needlepoint needle. ahh well... sewing and riding motorcycles were never strong suits of mine anyway. So back to the books it is.

Wait; what??? More details, please. Or maybe I don't want to know...

#201 : That's where being able to multitask comes in handy ... of course being able to balance on a motorbike would be handy too! good thing it's just a virtual one.. haha

#202 : Nope, just me thinking for a moment that since I'd reached the target I had set out for myself at the start of the year, I may need to seek a new adventure and ride off in the sunset on my virtual motorbike, whilst needlepointing (i crave challenges in the virtual world I guess). So no worries for you there, Darryl .... I'm still whole .. well with a singed eyebrow from being too close to a flare up on the grill just now.

I miss a motorcycle. I haven't had one since I was 23. I have this burning desire to pack up sleeping bag and Kindle and tour the U.S. on one. Of course, the family doesn't think this is a good idea.

Mid-life crisis, I guess. ;-)

Ok I picked up this book because I had liked The Painted Kiss - and so I thought an historical fiction about Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris would be enjoyable. The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey was, in my opinion, meh at best.

Jane, who, after being told her entire life that she's ugly, finds herself being toasted by Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris, 2 artists who, engage her as their muse. A love triangle ensues and Jane, after being unceremoniously left by Rossetti after a tumbling, married Morris and resigns herself to being a wife and mother of 2 children. But lo and behold Rossetti returns to their lives and things are tossed in an upheaval.

2. 5 stars I think.

*sigh* I'm not having much luck with my reading lately ... :-(

Oof! Sounds like that last one is one I can do without.

I hope your luck with your reads is better soon, Caroline, or you might really be tempted to ride off into the sunset (in which case, I want to tag along!)

love the gif..

how was your "hot dog" party?

So what sort of book are you looking for? fluff? brain drain? intellectual darryl-y stuff?

#207: Hey! I'm an adjective!

*puffs out chest proudly, struts around living room*

intellectual darryl-y stuff = unremitting despair

intellectual darryl-y stuff = highbrow *sniff*

lol

Congrats on reaching 75!

I picked up a good used copy of Amagansett a week or two ago - I'm looking forward to it even more now!

#163 I have lost count of how long I have had Amagansett in the TBR pile. I did think The Savage Garden was excellent, but it's so long since I read it that I can't remember anything else about it.

Congratulations on reaching 75!

The Wayward Muse sound like it ought to be interesting ... sounds like it isn't. Pity.

#208 Hey! I'm an adjective!

Uh... congratulations to you too?

Sorry you're on a trail of mediocre (or worse) reads Caroline. Maybe time to grab a Three Pines book??

#206 : Must be your positive vibes, Stas ..but I seem to be on something that's pretty interesting ... keeping my fingers crossed that by saying so this early in my read, I'm not jinxing it.

#207 : The hot dog party was a blast, Kath. I don't even want to admit how many I actually ate through the evening, but they were all good. I think the best one I had was a jumbo frank which I sliced in half, stuffed one half with blue cheese, another half with brie, added chopped onions, topped with chili, poured some jalapeno cheese sauce over, and added dollops of sour cream. The cheese inside the frank melted, and each bite was a little bit of heaven.... a messy heaven, but heaven nonetheless. Icy cold beer to wash down and I was silent with contentment. One of my friends heaped smores on his hot dog and proclaimed it the best hotdog he'd ever had. Had a bit of edd's chili kraut dog and had to admit that that was better than it sounded.

I read an XMen comic book this morning and that helped me clear my mind before letting my fingers roam through my TBR Tower before finally settling on The Janissary Tree

Hi Caroline- Yes, please turn your bad reading streak around! Maybe something tried & true? I hope you have a wonderful 4th! Be safe! No fireworks or open flames for you, just sit still and drink! That's my prescription! Dr. Marky-Mark

#208 : woulda coulda shoulda... but didn'ta pick up an intellectual darryl-y type book after all .... blame it on the weather. All this sunshine is shouting for a day at the beach which dictates for a less than intellectual read. I have to say though, Darryl .. that's a really good category I'm tempted to add on my Goodreads shelves for books that I've read or would like to read that's recommended by you.

#210/ 211 : I hope you get to Amagansett sooner than later.

#212 : Bonnie .. I would love another Three Pines read, but I've read them all already, and the latest in the series Bury Your Dead isn't scheduled for release until September. :-(

Very sound advice, Dr Marky-Mark ... and one I intend to adhere to for tonight. Given my general klutziness, I'm keeping far away from fireworks tomorrow, except to watch it on TV.

Darn.. something's wrong with my phone today ..... it's not working well .. I've missed a few phone calls this afternoon because it's not ringing. I wonder if it has anything to do with it falling into the tub of ice yesterday evening as I reached in for another beer. I suspect it might still be a little damp inside .... I guess I should open it up again and dry it off with a hairdryer and then maybe leave it open for the night .......... drats... i really don't want to have to buy a new phone

Please don't be in the tub when you're using the hair-dryer! Pleeeeeese!

ahhh.... good point.... removing hair dryer FROM the bathroom

#213: More positive vibes heading your way, Caro!

*sigh* my phone is buggered for good. I will have to go get a replacement tomorrow at the mall.

On the positive side though ... it means I'll have a phone-free day, a perfect excuse not to have to check work emails and no calls to return or receive.

Just finished making some cornbread so now all I have to do is put together a spicy sriracha sauce for the chicken wings, dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder and I'm all set with the stuff I'm bringing to the cookout later.

Caro's recipe for sriracha sauce will appear below::::::::::::::::::

( I hope)

Sorry to hear about the phone problems, Caroline. I hope the good vibes I sent before did not backfire!

First, Congrats on reaching your goal Caroline!
Secondly, I seem to be in an unintentional Long Island state of mind lately regarding the books I've been reading so I have added Amagansett to my wishlist to keep the vibe alive.

Glad you enjoyed Ysabel -- me too. Wishing I could get my hands on some of the other scrumptious soounding reads on your thread... even the one about the luthier :)

Since you requested it, Kath ... here it is:

Sriracha sauce for spiced chicken wings ... also good with cornbread and grilled rack of lamb (as attested by almost everyone at the cookout yesterday)

1 cup Hot Sriracha sauce (found in the Asian aisle in the supermarket)
1 and a half sticks of butter (unsalted) melted
Juice of 3 large limes and the zest of 3 limes
half a cup of chopped cilantro

Mix them all together.

Enjoy

The drought of not so great books was broken with The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin. Hooray!

Set in the 1830s, Istanbul seems peaceful with exotic spices perfuming the air. But 4 cadets of the New Guard are missing and their general, the seraskier, seeks the assistance of Yashim lala, the stealthy guardian of security, a trusted eunuch approved by the Sultan and who has access to the harem. When one by one, 3 of the cadets are found dead and in very disturbing circumstances, Yashim realizes that their disappearance and also the methods by which they are killed and where they are found has a greater significance to the country than anyone had initially thought. The Janissaries, the fighting machine of slaves to the Ottoman sultans, thought to have been destroyed and suppressed during a massacre on decree by the Sultan, seem to have resurfaced. But how is this possible? And where are they hiding?

In addition to his task of finding these missing cadets, he's also summoned by the Sultan's mother, the Valide at the harem ... her jewels are missing and one of the harem women has been murdered. She has an odd hold over Yashim ... and he is to find her missing jewels.

Intrigue abounds in this book, and nothing is as it seems. Woven through Yashim's investigations, is a colorful history of the Ottoman empire, the foreign forces that shaped her and the traditional practices that keep them a community. As Yashim starts to uncover secrets that have been shrouded for over 10 years, he becomes the target of sinister attempts on his life in unexpected places and in unexpected circumstances.

3.9 stars .... very enjoyable. I'm definitely going to need to look for the next Inspector Yashim book

>226 cameling:: I read The Janissary Tree last year and enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad you liked it, also. I read the sequel, The Snake Stone, just a little while ago and thought it was even better. The third, The Bellini Card, is sitting on my Kindle—it takes place outside of Istanbul, so I'm a bit uncertain since the locale was such a plus for me in these books. I've also got Goodwin's Lords of the Horizons on the stack for reading when I go on vacation later this summer. I'm really looking forward to it.

Oh the Goodwin books sound good :)

Thanks Caroline and Tad, I'm going to check out the Goodwin books you have mentioned. They sound great!

Thank you caro, it sounds wonderful!

And I am glad to see that you book luck has turned around :)
may it continue to go well!

Hey there. Popping in to say Hi! Congrats on reaching 75 and on breaking the run of so-so books. I loved the virtual motorcycle/knitting needle incident and was most relieved that you are going to continue reading past your goal. ; )

The Goodwin books are great!! Unusual timeframe/setting, and a good writer combined.

I already had The Janissary Tree in the BlackHole due to Tad's review last year, so I am glad to see you enjoyed it too, Caroline!

What a scorcher it is today ... I think I got a tan just going out to the car at lunch time. At least it's not humid though ...best thing about the summer months...... using the outdoor grill in the evening and sitting out on the deck for dinner. The only annoyance is trying to find the perfect mosquito repellent, one that doesn't involve spraying myself with noxious stuff.

too hot to eat outside...

oh and now you have me hungry for ice cream... lol

We're keeping all the humidity in Missouri these days. Glad to be of service. :-)

About those pesky mosquitoes...I have a friend who swears by a combination of peppermint oil, real vanilla, and (maybe?) lemon extract. I'm not sure about the formula, but it's got to smell better and be better for the body. For some reason, they don't bother me nearly as much as they do my husband. He's much sweeter than I am!

Oh the skeeters............they are the main reason we don't eat outside much. We have a big screened gazebo we usually put up in the back yard so we can sit out and enjoy watching the boats float by, but it takes 3 people to put the d*&m thing up and we just haven't gotten to it yet.

Of course today we had to chase the two cats who were chasing the chipmunk who snuck in through a slit in the screen we didn't know we had, so that was enough for us in the heat.....

So outdoor grill yes....eating out no....

237: I'm the same way, love to grill outside...but I usually bring the food in and eat outside because of the insects.

For whatever reason, mosquito season hasn't started here yet, so we're safe to eat outside for a bit longer yet... I'm sure they'll all pop up soon though... o_O

So outdoor grill yes....eating out no....

agreed

the skeeters are getting indoors! the worst are the bites on my hands in the middle of the night. I wake up madly trying to scratch the skin off my hands...

eat out? In this heat? I couldn't face firing up a grill. I can barely face the idea of hot food.
It's a bit cooler than yesterday, but just moving around is enough to cause me to start to melt. In a word, yuck.

I *can't* face the idea of hot food. I eat cereal and yogurt and drink cold Gatorade by the quart. Auntie wants *urp* PIZZA this evening. *fans self*

You'd think I'd have had my fill of hot dogs after the fest last Friday but nooooooo ... I had grilled dogs on the brain yesterday driving home, so of course i had to fire up the grill (sweating buckets in the process because we have a charcoal grill ... i'm afraid of gas grills ...but i do so love the smell of burning charcoal) and throw some jumbo dogs on it ... it was hot, it was muggy but there was a bit of a breeze, so it was oddly enough, rather pleasant being out on the deck.

I've tried citronella candles, cloves stuck in lime halves and peppermint oil (which did nothing except make me feel nauseous) and the only thing so far that works is an electronic bug zapper that we bought in HK some years back. it's like a child's tennis racket, battery operated, and when you depress a button at the side, the metal 'strings' carry an electric charge and literally zaps any insect (or unsuspecting finger, foot or thigh) that comes into contact.

#242 : cereal and yogurt for dinner, ricardo? *fans self to prevent a shocked swoon* ..... that's not dinner! get thee some proper sustenance, man! hmmm..... pizza......... i could do with pizza tonight......... thin, super crispy, and covered with some meat, mushroom, anchovies and extra cheese

I have just ordered chinese food -- so someone else can do the cooking!

Anchovies on pizza??? *shudder*

The Janissary Tree is going on my list--sooner-rather-than-later.

Here's an interesting phenomenon: recommendations that get passed along from LTer to LTer. It becomes difficult to keep track of who started the recommending. For example, I am adding The Janissary Tree, with notes: r.b. (recommended by) cameling, r.b. TadAd.

LT really is a social network!

Karen O.

Suz : Exactly my thoughts for today .... getting someone else to do the cooking that is, not the shudder on anchovies. I love anchovies .... have you ever tried bagna cauda, the italian garlic and anchovy fondue? mmmmm sublime.

#245 : Karen, I know what you mean .. I should do the same thing .. make a note of the LT member who recommended books to me, or rather I should be more consistent about adding these notes.

Ordinarily I'd swoon at bagna cauda, but it's 87F right now and I don't feel it. Anchovy, garlic, cheese, pasta...a favorite of mine.

I wanted to order in, but we don't have many places that deliver..
so I made crab cakes ( frozen, pre-made.. not bad..not great) and bow tie noodles with caramelized onion and cottage cheese.

cereal would have been more to my liking, but dan wanted food. He worked with john all day on the fans, so I could hardly not feed him.

all done, cleaned and I am thinking ice cream.

Hot food definitely isn't very appealing right now. I had (chilled) tuna sandwiches with egg/pickle/onion. Mmmm...so when did this thread become the kitchen? ...

Mmmm..... i could have kissed the pizza delivery boy ..... but I didn't want to scare him from delivering to our house again. pepperoni, mushroom n extra cheese. super thin and crispy. b-l-i-s-s !!!

We grilled out some chicken breasts but then ran back in the house to eat them! Much safer & cooler that way!
Caroline- No kissing the pizza boy, although he might have got a kick out of it!
The pizza does sound good!

BLTs, bacon cooked in the microwave. That was plenty. No need to venture outdoors.

>249 Ape: At no time, and under no circumstances up to and including starvation and government decree, should eggs and tuna be brought into physical contact. It is An Abomination, mentioned in Leviticus.

Eggs/tuna, and other abominations (how about crabs and milkshakes???) or Lobster and BUTTER.....guilty as charged!

253: It was delicious, and I'll be having leftovers for lunch. Mmmmm, eggs and tuna after it sat in the fridge overnight, yum! ;)

Is it common for women to want to kiss their pizza boys!? *considers becoming a pizza boy* =P

>245 klobrien2: & 246: When I find a recommendation, I add the book to my Wishlist and put a tag on it like ">cameling". If it's a chain of recommendations, I would put something like ">cameling>klobrien2".

tuna drained
hard boiled egg
celery
scallions...all chopped
salt, pepper & a smidge o garlic
mayo or cucumber ranch dressing = tuna salad

*neeners Leviticus and rd*

Now Kath...do you really want to spend eternity among the fornicators and the impious? That's where Leviticus 11,004:1-2 says you'll be for "introducing the abortion of the chicken to the finny friend of man."

I'll risk it

Just wondering what's wrong with fornicators and impious that I wouldn't want to be around them...

Well, Tad, for a start they *fornicate promiscuously* and they are *impious towards the Looorrrd* and...wait, they're sounding like my friends...oh! I know! They are made to eat tuna salads with *shudder* egg in them.

Hmph, I'll fornicate as promiscuously as I want with all the eggs in my tuna salads as I feel like! =D

Caro darling...new thread? (And this time, put the Stephen-filter we discussed on it. He's gettin' too big for his britches.)

Well Ricardo- I've never been one to ignore your royal command .... hence, my new thread can be found here

He's gettin' too big for his britches.

Oh...dear, I'm so embarrased. It's just...all this talk about fornicating... Give a young guy a break!*walks off, red-faced*

>265 Ape: LOLOL

I will miss you in Caro's new thread. Really, I will.