Whisper1 (Linda's) Thread #8

Here are the previous threads:

Thread Number Seven
http://www.librarything.com/topic/91916
Thread Number Six
http://www.librarything.com/topic/90545
Thread Number Five
http://www.librarything.com/topic/88480
Thread Number Four
http://www.librarything.com/topic/86447
Thread Number Three
http://www.librarything.com/topic/83894
Thread Number Two
http://www.librarything.com/topic/82493
Thread Number One
http://www.librarything.com/topic/79072

Wow! You're EARLY! What got into you?

And did you see yet that it's Stasia's wedding anniversary today? That's why I'm second, not her.

*waving hello*

Hi Linda!

Hello, found you!

Hallo!

Read in July:

#93The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck
#92 Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
#91 Book Crush by Nancy Pearl

Read in June:

#90 Zenzele by J. Nozipo Maraire
#89 Freak The Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
#88 Into the Arms of Strangers by Deborah Oppenheimer
#87 Four Perfect Pebbles by Lila Perl
#86 Montana 1948 by watsonlarry::Larry Watson
#85 Whittington by Alan Armstrong
#84 Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo
#83 Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson
#82 Away by Amy Bloom
#81 Lewis & Clark: Voyage of Discovery by Stephen E. Ambrose
#80 A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
#79 Ruined: A Novel by Paula Morris
#78 Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

Read in May
#77 140158::Sister Wendy's American Collection by Sister Wendy Beckett
#76 7069697::Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
#75 5523624::A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson
#74 13878::The Journey Home: A Novel by Olaf Olafsson
#73 9965299::Haunted Lehigh Valley by Kenneth Biddle
#72 3983028::Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far by Amy Grant
#71 3172881::The Diary of Mary Berg: Growing up in the Warsaw Ghetto by Mary Berg
#70 847712::Spooky New England by S. E. Schlosser
#69 53368::Stone Heart A Novel of Sacajawea by Diane Glancy
#68 6608804::American Rust by Philipp Meyer
#67 1849634::The Mistress's Daughter by A.M. Homes
#66 8253381::Raven Summer by almonddavid::David Almond
#65 9997::Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
#64 487251::Kindertransport by druckerolgalevy::Olga Levy Drucker
#63 9912827::A Very Modest Cottage by surratttereasa::Tereasa Surratt
#62 2553::Girl in Hyacinth Blue by vreelandsusan::Susan Vreeland
#61 6483183::The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft by boserulrich::Ulrich Boser
#60 4060848::Secrets of the Monarch: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Living A Better Life by Allison DuBois

Read in April
#59 95506::Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
#58 22513::The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
#57 179864::Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
#56 28558::100 Best Loved Poems edited by Philip Smith
#55 9389904::No Instructions Needed: An American Boyhood In the 1950s by Robert G. Hewitt
#54 148994::Looking Back by Russell Baker
#53 Guilded: How Newport Became America's Richest Resort by Deborah Davis
#52 23959::Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala
#51 8645056::Moon River and Me: A Memoir by Andy Williams
#50 6229::Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
#49 8378261::According to Ruth by Jane Feaver
#48 94498::Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle
#47 5774950::Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman
#46 4320130::I Had Seen Castles by Cynthia Rylant
#45 109::Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Corey Doctorow
#44 636148::The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton

Read in March
#43 2373957::The Book of Kehls by Christine Kehl O'Hagan
#42 8005795::Desperate Romantics by Franny Moyle
#41 3159496::Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
#40 The Most They Every Had by Rich Bragg
#39 200984::The Four Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright
#38 7927635::Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
#37 36533::Stand Tall by Joan Bauer
#36 106939::Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
#35 A Dab of Dickens & A Touch of Twain, Literary Lives from Shakespeare's Old England to Frost's New England by Elliot Engel
#34 4727915::The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
#33 544362::Still Life A Mystery by Louise Penny
#32 2492978::Rossetti: His Life and Works by Evelyn Waugh
#31 The Wicked Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House by Mary Chase
#30 117885::Joni Mitchell: The Complete Poems and Lyrics by Joni Mitchell
#29 7244::Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Read in February
#28 8473076::The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens
#27 3813967::UnWind by Neal Shusterman
#26 Lizzie Siddal: Face of The Pre-Raphaelites by Lucinda Hawksley
#25 6370675::The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian
#24 1419406::The Man From the Other Side by Uri Orlev
#23 8551235::Crow Call by Lois Lowry
#22 501058::The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry
#21 2648573::Looking Back A Book of Memories by Lois Lowry
#20 Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
#19 8595860::The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson

Read in January
#18 29354::Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner and 29355::Politically Correct Holiday Stories by James Finn Garner
#17 3531240::Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
#16 1638::Holes by Louis Sachar
#15 33867::Number The Stars by Lois Lowry
#14 5786850::The Migraine Brain by Carolyn Bernstein
#13 607915::The Measure of Our Days:A Spiritual Exploration of Illness by Jerome Groopman
#12 458660::The Trespassers by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
#11 4952::Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris
#10 8355743::Have a Little Faith:A True Story by Mitch Albom
#9 181905::Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life by Roald Dahl
#8 76114::Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
#7 28657::Boy Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
#6 4954202::The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
#5 8215047::The Lady in the Tower The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir
#4 270482::Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka
#3 9124413::Holiday Inn by Kevin Kling
#2 127012::Ghost by Alan Lightman
#1 337679::The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell

Found and starred!

Wow... today's my day for finding new threads ... glad I made. Starred you .. of course!

Hello my darling! Nine posts is much more manageable before dinner than the 126+ I see on some other threads...

I hope you have a delightful evening!

I'm back, too, and ready for more! more!

Hi Linda! I'm finally caught up on your thread(s). I was a few threads behind. I hope you're feeling better these days. Best of luck with the surgery if that's what you decide to do. Hope you're having a good summer.

Checking in to say hi!

Ah ha! Now all I need to do is find the old thread to be sure I read all of it!

*sneaking in and quietly tiptoeing out*

*following right along behind Stasia, but not before I star the thread*

Hallo! I shall make a big effort to keep track of this thread... Surgery, what surgery? I hope you're well?

Four Perfect Pebbles by Lila Perl

This is a story of frustrating missed opportunities. This is a story of hope. This is a story of courage.

Told in simplistic detail, the story contains the Blumenthal family of four who are moved on Hitler's chess board, forward, backward, sideways, down hill, uphill, on trains, in camps, with hope, with little hope, with denial and then with realization that to be stuck in Germany when your life is meaningless to the master holding the rule book equates to a harrowing game that you never agreed to play.

The author tells the tale of the Blumenthal journey that lasted six and 1/2 terrifying years.

Trapped in Hitler's Germany, the Blumenthal family were temporarily lucky to flee to Holland, but shortly thereafter that country was not safe. Through a series of unfortunate missed opportunities, they were sent to various refugee camps, and then back to German to Bergen Belsen. Six days before the British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen, the Blumenthals were transported like cattle to another location. Riding the typhus infested death train for two weeks, eventually they were liberated by Russian troops.

At the beginning of the Nazi occupation young Marion Blumenthal collected three perfect pebbles, superstitiously she believed if she found the fourth it would be a sign that their four family members would survive. Alas, Marion never found the fourth pebble.

Nice review, Linda!

I like your review Linda. :)

"Hitler's chess board"...what a shudder-inducing image. Linda, you do such a wonderful job reminding all of us of the horrors that took place not all that long ago in the scheme of world history. Thank you.

Great review, Linda. I'll have to look for this one. I also liked (if that's the right word) the reference to "Hitler's chess board."

Thumbs-upped and wishlisted, Linda, blast your eyes, like I need more wishlist items!

What Richard said.

*Sigh*

Also what Richard said. You really do add to my pile Linda.

#18: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Wonderful review!

Definitely adding that one to my obese wish list, Linda. What a great review. Thumbed you

Star! Thumb! Addition to my Ever-Expanding List!

(I think that it was my thumb that made you go hot! Congratulations!!)

Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport by Mark Jonathan Harris and Deborah Oppenheimer

In January of 1933 Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers party came to power. The repercussions of this had far-reaching consequences that reverberate today.

Representing only 1% of the population, approximately 600,000 Jews lived in Germany. Unlike the majority of Germany’s population who lived in rural areas, the Jewish population was highly concentrated in the cities of Germany. ¾ of the Jewish population were employed and were high contributors to society. They were three times more productive than the general population.

Why then, they wondered, were they chosen as brutal targets of a man they perceived would not last long in a government role. German people were, after all, perceived as highly intelligent and surely, the craziness would be temporary. As the inhumanity escalated, why then, they wondered, did the world turn away from stopping this insanity.

On November 9th, 1938, the Nazi’s let it be known, in no uncertain terms, that to be Jewish in Germany meant persecution and a systematic purposeful dissolving of their culture and their existence.

When, on that evening, broken glass was smashed, when, on that evening, 1,000 synagogues were burnt and 7,500 Jewish business’ were destroyed, and when, on that evening 30,000 men were taken away to concentration camps, there was little doubt that Hitler had power and meant business.

Horrified at the brutality, England alone decided that something must be done to save the children. Sadly, the United States turned their backs, thus in effect they were responsible for the death of the innocents.

Quickly, a major, remarkable event occurred. Within a nine month period, the people of England opened their hearts and homes to 10,000 Jewish children. This book is the story, told by some of those children who were transported away from their parents and Into The Arms of Strangers.

Sadly, tragically, of the 10,000 children, a mere 1,000 were re-united with their families. Heartbreakingly displaced, so many of the children never saw their parents again. Throughout the years when no word arrived, all worried and all feared the fate of their family.

At the age of 14, Lorraine Allard arrived in England. Later, she learned both her parents were killed in Auschwitz.

Lory Cahn’s father arranged Kindertransport for her, but at the very last minute could not bear to let her go. As a result, when liberated, she weighed a mere 58 pounds after spending years barely surviving in one concentration camp after another.

Hedy Epstein was fourteen when transported to London. Returning to German after the war, she learned that both parents were murdered at Auschwitz.

Ursula Rosenfeld’s father was taken on the evening of Kristallnach and murdered at Buchenwald.

As she received word that she was to be a refugee in England, ten year old Lore Segal was given directions to find help for her parents and family. At this tender age, the burden was placed on her shoulders to get her parents safely out of Austria. Remarkably, she was successful and her parents were given domestic jobs in Liverpool.

Kurt Fuchel was one of the very lucky children who had the stability of a loving English family with whom he lived for nine years and the great fortune of having parents who survived. However, reunited with his biological parents when he was sixteen initially proved problematic. His life, and theirs, had changed dramatically.

I highly recommend this book and the academy award-winning documentary of The Kindertransport.

*sigh*

*thumb*

*add to wishlist*

ETA: Well, I would have thumbed if there had been a review to thumb. ;)

> 30 OOOhh, Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic review of Into the Arms of Strangers!!!!! I'm looking forward to reading it!! Thank you so much for the great comments.

I just posted the review. Thanks Caty! And, thanks to all for your affirmations of my reading and reviews. I am honored!

> 31 The review comes up on the book's page which lists Mark Jonathan Harris as the author. There is also a book page which lists Deborah Oppenheimer as the author, which has no reviews posted.

Yes, I just spotted that (when I still couldn't see the review) and combined them. Thanks for pointing it out, though.

Thanks for pointing this out to me. Actually, there were indeed two authors of the book. I now noted this in my review.

Great review, Linda! I've given you a well deserved thumbs up, and I'm adding this to my wish list.

Another great review, and it sounds like another great book in this area of your interests!

Here's my routine:

1. Go to Linda's thread.
2. Read fabulous review.
3. Thumb review.
4. Add book to wishlist.

Lather, rinse, repeat, ad infinitum. :)

Bonnie, that's very funny and so true. Another great review, Linda!

Your last two reads look great, Linda... Unfortunately, I don't have it in me to read anything WWII/Nazi related for a while. Great reviews!

Wow -- that's an amazing review. Thank you, Linda!

#30: Great review, Linda. Glad you enjoyed the book.

What makes an interesting contrast to Into the arms of strangers is that England had long had a policy of sending its own (poorer) children to be fostered in the colonies. Home Children was the term used for these unfortunates and again after World War 2 thousands of displaced children were simply packed off once again to the colonies.
This story starts in Britain after World War II. Marriage breakdowns and bombings had resulted in orphanages and foster homes crammed with displaced children. So, intending to give these at-risk, orphaned or desperately poor children a better life, the British government, in association with 35 reputable charities and churches, shipped thousands of five to 18-year-olds to Commonwealth countries: Australia, Canada, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and New Zealand. There have been quite a few children's books and nonfiction books written about them including The Forgotten Children: Fairbridge Farm School and its betrayal of Australia's Child Migrants

Kerry



This will be me running to the library tomorrow to find the books you mentioned.

And, one of the best things about our group is how one book leads to multiple discussions regarding related topics. Thinking outside of the box is wonderful!

Thanks ever so much for your recommendations. Now, I'll have a new topic of study to obsess about...

found/starred

Linda - same for me. It just struck me when I read your sentence the people of England opened their hearts and homes and of course here in New Zealand/Australia over the past few years there has been quite a lot written in newspapers about these British child migrants. I've already requested The Lost Children of the Empire which covers the subject. I see online that they were still sending children to Australia in the 1960s!
Two YA books: Land of Milk and honey - William Taylor & Home Boys by Bernard Beckett look at the typical experience of boys sent to farms in New Zealand.

I recently read a good children's book, Emil and Karl, which touches on the kindertransport. It was written in 1938 as war was breaking out.

edit: here's a list on Amazon

Thanks again for all these recommendations. I'm adding all of them to the tbr pile.

Linda - I just added a link to post #47

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-shameful-secret-of-britains-lost-children-...

Kerry. I found this article.

Is the author of The Lost Children of the Empire Melville?

Yes, Melville & Bean are the authors. I've also requested Empty Cradles which is by the Margaret Humphreys interviewed in the article you've linked to.

Thanks for the link and the information!

interesting books/discussion here.. :)

*waves*

I feel like I've learned so much about these displaced children, both to and from Britain. I don't even need to read the books now! This isn't a bad thing - I probably wouldn't have read the books anyway, because I avoid books about very bad things happening to children, but I'm glad I have learned something about the subject anyway.

Another thumb from me. Fantastic review, and fascinating conversation.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

A big thanks to Stasia for sending a message telling me how much I would like this book. She was right!

This is a charming story of two young boys who are misfits in society, but fit very well together as friends.

One exceedingly tall, the other dwarfish and afflicted with Morquio Syndrome.

One whose father is in jail, the other, as the town bullies remind him, had a father that was a "magician" and disappeared when the words genetic defect were mentioned.

One who is categorized as learning disabled, the other who is off the charts intelligent.

The story is told by seven foot Maxwell who carries small Kevin on his shoulders. Together they are a mighty nine feet tall.

Together they defy the town bullies, take magical imaginative journeys and learn the importance of making every day count.

This will be one of the top reads for 2010. I'm heading to the bookstore to buy a copy for my permanent library.

If you liked the book A Prayer for Owen Meany, then, please do read this one, I doubt if you will be disappointed.

What a charming review, and an equally charming story! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Hi Linda- Another terrific review! Freak the Mighty sounds very good! Hope you are having a great Sunday!

See post 39 ;-)

Thanks for the great tip, Linda. Owen Meany is one of my favorite books, so I'll be checking this one out. Have a great Sunday.

your review convinced me!

Catching up! Thuds as books hit the wishlist

Linda,
I read Freak a few years ago and also loved it.

Another great review, Linda! I'm sure this will be another Hot Review later today.

Linda, you have had some great reads and great reviews lately! I have added to my wish list!

Looks like another great book, and another terrific review!

Just added Into the Arms of Strangers to my Ever-Expanding list. Great review! Fortunately, the county library has it.

Lots of interesting conversation here as I catch up!

I may add Freak the Mighty to the list, too. . .

Today looks like the day when every thread I visit has me adding a book or 2 to my dangerously obese wish list. *sigh* ... you've done such a wonderful review of Into the Arms of Strangers that I didn't have to stop and think about it, the book just hurled itself onto my teetering list.

Freak the Mighty was already on my TBR list, but it just moved up to imminent with your excellent review. I am also going to have to see if my my library has Into the Arms of Strangers as that sounds very intriguing as well.

HI to all..and, Happy Sunday.

I appreciate all the kind comments regarding my recent reads and the reviews...I'm blushing.

chinquapin...I imagine it is very hot in Fort Worth Texas today. And, by the way, I love the photo on your home page of your lovely dog.

Hi Linda! I'm always lurking but not always posting! Always good stuff going on here! (Ft. Worth has nothing on N.C. - 100° here with enough humidity to raise the heat index to 110°. A bad storm skirted us this evening and lowered the temp if not the humidity. I like any little relief we can get.

My daughter lived in Raleigh, NC for a short period of time. I loved it there, but good God, it was hot and buggy!

I hope you were inside in air conditioning today.

(Linda, we look at Raleigh with envy because they are always a few degrees cooler than we are. And yes, I mostly stayed in today --- should be getting a LOT of reading done.) (I can't even think about what August may bring if this keeps up.)

It is certainly hot here in Fort Worth today....it reached 100 F, but tomorrow it is ONLY supposed to be 94 F. We are used to hot summers here though, and everyone and every car has AC. I was surprised when I visited friends in Ohio a few summers back and it was in the 90s and noone had AC.

#56: Told you you would love it :)

I love your reviews. You have a lovely way with words.

Some wonderful reviews (and lots of thumbs!) Linda!

A quick catch up visit... and relief, no new review since last visit..
whew!

Linda, your thread can be as dangerous as Stasia's.

Happy Monday, Linda!

Zenzele: A Letter For My Daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire

Many thanks to bohemangirl35 for recommending this touching, lyrical and heart-felt book.

As Zenzele embarks on an exciting life-changing journey to leave Africa and attend Harvard, her mother chronicles thoughts and feelings in the form of an open letter.

Proud of both her daughter and her country, her mother eloquently encourages her daughter to remember her rich heritage. Citing others who have left, never to return, or who returned changed forever by a culture that provided different values, Zenele's mother beautifully writes of a wonderful heritage, rich in culture, in depth of caring for each other and of a mighty, proud nation.

Saddened by a younger generation who seeks to race ahead to embrace cultures that seem tainted by the accumulation of objects and money, Zelene's mother reinforces what is true, good and strong about non-material lifestyles and the important of a collective group vs a self seeking mode of living.

The writing is beautiful and image filled. While the story focuses on the politics that shaped Zimbabwe and the heritage of that nation, the letter to Zenzele is universal and many of the messages contained can be written by all parents to their children, reminding them to hold fast to what is important, to strive for the good of all instead of the good of one, to know that education is important, but not at the steep price of ignorantly hurting others.

Highly recommended.

I already have that one in the BlackHole thanks to Gail's recommendation. I just need my local library to get a copy.

Nice review once again, Linda!

My library has that one!! Adding it to the list for when I get back from vacation next week.

I love your review!

Thanks Richard. That is high, sincere praise coming from someone whose opinion I deeply respect and whose writing abilities are incredible!

Zenzele looks lovely, and your review definitely is.

Love your review! The book is going on my TBR-list.

Could you just maybe once read an awful book?

So glad you loved it as much as I did! Thanx for the shout out! :)

I'm with Terri on this one ..... arrghhh... you keep reading such interesting books. *sigh* of course this is swept off to my obese wish list. Thanks for the recommendation, Linda

Both Freak the Mighty and Zenzele sound like lovely books... on the pile they go!

Just dropping by to say Hi and catch up on your thread.

I like the little stick man in #45 who gets wrapped up in his hopscotch box!

Book Crush by Nancy Pearl

Nancy Pearl is also the author of Book Lust and More Book Lust. In this edition she writes recommendations regarding children and teen books.

Packed full of suggestions, I added many to my already bulging impossible to finish tbr list.

While one might think this would be a dry list of recommendations, rather, it is written with a style that kept me reading and very interested.

Like me, Nancy had a not so happy childhood. Like me, Nancy Pearl spent her childhood in libraries. And, like me, she was very fortunate to have wonderful mentors in librarians who knew her, made excellent suggestions and developed her intelligence through kind outreach.

Avoid this book if you do not want additional piles of books to read. Add this book if you delight in witty banter and excellent suggestions with explanations of why the books are recommended.

Sounds like another good one! Onto the list it goes.

#93: I already have that one. I just have not worked up the nerve to actually open it!

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

Previous books I've read by this author led me to believe I did not want to pursue others. Therefore, I was surprised that I enjoyed this book which seemed to be somewhat autobiographical regarding what I've read of Waugh. Namely, that he questioned his sexuality, that he converted to Catholicism and that while shining a scathing light in dark corners, still, he was enamored with the high society of which he bashed.

Because the book is so rich in detail, in poetic descriptions and story line, I'm glad I read it, but because of these very things, I struggle to adequately convey thoughts and feelings.

It is a book first and foremost regarding Catholic religion, the ties that bind and that provide a tether from which, like a dog on a chain, the illusion of freedom when you run brings sudden pain when the one fleeing is suddenly, painfully snapped back within boundaries.

The story is told by Charles Ryder when in Pre-WWII England he leaves his cold, emotionally detached widowed father to aimlessly attend Oxford. There he meets the antithesis of his father in the flamboyant, emotionally raw Lord Sebastian Flyte. We then observe Sebastian's family through the eyes of Charles who is both detached, and yet drawn into the opulence and glory that money can buy.

Lord Sebastian is but one of the well developed characters in this book, others include Sebastian's obsessively religious mother Lady Marchmain, his father who fled the Catholic controlled wife to live with his mistress in Venice, and his young beautiful sister Lady Julia Flyte who at first rebels against the confines of Catholicism but later cannot escape and cannot snap the collar and yoke that tie her.

When visiting the ancestral sweeping mansion of Brideshead, Charles is immediately taken in by the glory of the beauty of the house, the surroundings, Sebastian and Julia.

In a complicated triangle, Charles is drawn to both Julia and Sebastian.

As Sebastian spins out of control in an alcoholic, painful stupor, his actions show Charles how much Sebastian's Catholic rule bound mother has damaged this feminine, gentle, feeling soul.

Rich in detail and in subtle nuances while at the same time painting a brightly colored, multi-faceted landscape of characters and depth, this is Waugh's masterpiece.

Recommended.

Thanks for the excellent review. It reminded me of old times. I read Brideshead revisited over 20 years ago and I was impressed with the book, although I think I wasn't old enough to completely understand it. I've always wanted to reread it. This was the first Waugh-book I read and it encouraged me to read others by him. I really loved Black Mischief, but that's also very long ago, so I'm wondering if my opinion's changed by now...
Glad you enjoyed Brideshead though.

Found You.........STARRED You

and i love Nancy Pearl's books..I always steer by YA book borrowers to Book Crush

thanks!

I think Brideshead Revisited is Waugh's best ... and have you seen the BBC production of it? Anthony Andrews and Jeremy Irons were just brilliant as Sebastian and Charles

Good morning, Linda, Brideshead Revisited needs to be added to my long list. I have fond memories of watching the BBC production on PBS with my Mom. It must have been the early 80s. You should try to find it if you can. I think you'd like it.

Just stopping by to say Hi! You are writing some great reviews.

I am resisting adding anything . . . well, I did add Freak the Mighty . . .

*tiptoes away before tempted to add any more books to list*

Another great review, Linda!

What Darryl said :)

Great review of Brideshead Revisited!!! It is one of my all time favorite books, I'm glad you liked it.

Checking your progress. Hope you're feeling okay.

Great review, Linda! I saw the marvelous BBC production of Brideshead Revisited a couple of years ago (found the series at the library) and I've wanted to read the book ever since.

Loved your review of Brideshead Revisited Linda! I also remember watching the series on TV but have never read the book.

I'm so glad you liked Brideshead Revisited so well, Linda. I've read and loved the book and seen the okay movie, but now it looks like I have to get hold of the BBC adaptation.

Your review of Zenzele gave me goosebumps - a thumbs up from me.

Hello to all! Thanks for your kind affirmations!

Just stopping in to give you a hug!

I'm so behind with your thread Linda! As always some great reviews and I partially escaped because Zenzele and Brideshead Revisited were already on my list.

Book Crush is one I will avoid despite your recommendation. I do not need a book designed to add more books to my wishlist!

Loved the Zenzele review!

Morning Linda- I read Brideshead Revisited many years ago and remember enjoying it. I'm sure there will be a re-read somewhere in the future. Hope you are having a good holiday weekend!

Book Crush always sounds so tempting, and I really need to get to Brideshead Revisited one of these days...

Neither of those call out to me.......

thank goodness!!!

I had already decided that I want to get Book Crush, but I enjoyed your review of it just the same :).

I have always liked reading Evelyn Waugh books, and Brideshead Revisited is probably his masterpiece. I am glad to read that you liked it also.

I started More Book Lust and didn't even get to the second page before I added a book.

Hello to all! I hope you had a relaxing weekend.

Thanks, Linda, consider yourself found. I had inadvertantly clicked the x to, how shall I say this, ignore your thread. Oh!, the shame of it.

Lynda
So glad you found my thread.

The Teacher's Funeral by Richard Peck.

What a joy to read another book by this Newbery award winning author. He has a simple way of painting delightful images that lift off the pages and delicately enter your soul.

This is a folksy, funny and at times hilarious tale of Russell Culver, his friends and family at the turn of the century in the rural mid west.

When the one room school teacher, mean spirited, hand smacking Miss Myrt Arbuckle dies, Russell and his friends are relieved. Their joy is short lived when they learn that Russell's sister Tansy will be the new teacher.

This is a wonderful story of life in the slow lane, when the color of the bright fall leaves was noted and appreciated, when the mutt tagged along down the dirt lanes, loyally wagging his tail, when peaches were ripe and apples were a treasure, when fathers magically predicted a son's behavior, when adults were respected and children minded their P's and Q's, especially when taught by your sister.

#121: That is a Peck book I have not read yet. Thanks for the recommendation!

I think Teacher's Funeral is my favorite Peck book. You are so right about the picture of life in the slow lane--reminds me a lot of life here in small town Maine. Stasia-you must get it-you'll be able to finish it in under 2 hours I'm sure.

Tina
I went back and checked my notes. You were the one who recommended this book to me in March 2009.

Thanks!

#123: I will not be going to the library Tuesday, which is my usual day (well, one of them), but I will be going Wednesday, so I will look for it then.

To those interested in Brideshead Revisited (one of my top 10 novels), I want to strongly recommend the unabridged audio version read by Jeremy Irons, who played Charles Ryder in the BBC television series. I've yet to hear a more perfect union between book and actor.

For anyone interested in Evelyn Waugh, or his books, I will also heartily recommend Evelyn Waugh Newsletter and Studies. Published 3 times a year, it is "intended to stimulate research in the life and writing of Evelyn Waugh."

The current issue (Vol. 41, No. 1, Spring 2010) has a fascinating article called "Lad Zap: Charles Ryder and a Holy Plot of Love," in which the author asserts that "...the slightest details of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited (1945) may possess transcendent importance." He refers to "the "meagre" possessions Charles Ryder sets out proudly in his chambers in his first term at Oxford," i.e. A. E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad. I'll let interested parties read the rest....

Peter...thanks for the hint about the audio - we have it here in our system, and I just put a hold on it.

#126: Thanks for the audiobook info, Peter. I will look and see if my local library has it in that form.

You keep notes?? good idea...but, that is too organized for me :)

Quick...go to the hot reviews and you will see that of the ten reviews, our group is 10/10. Every hot review this morning is from a member of our 75 challenge group. I'm not sure, but I think this is a first for us.

The hot reviews are

lindsacl
Mrstreme
Mckait
sjmccreary
elliepotten
donna828
msf59
blackdogbooks
brenzi
and me

What a hoot!

That's fantastic! Way to go, 75ers!

#130 And all deservedly so!

> 126 Peter, thank you for the heads up on the Brideshead Revisited audio. Jeremy Irons as narrator! Perfect! The website on Waugh looks good too; lots of things to investigate.

Golden & Grey by arnoldlouise::Louise Arnold

What began as a fun read unwound into a disappointing lack luster story.

Tom Golden started a new school year harassed and ridiculed by nasty bullies. Grey Arnold has lived his long life as a ghost who, like Tom feels that life is just not fair.

Grey Arnold, so named because he is without purpose and finds life to be grey, becomes Tom's invisible friend and with the assistance of his other ghostly creatures helps Tom beat the bullies and become self assured.

Recently added to my tbr pile after a high recommendation by Nancy Pearl in Book Crush, this is cute, but lacks any substance and thus I cannot recommend it at all.

#134: OK, I am skipping that one!

>134 Whisper1:, that's too bad -- looks like an interesting premise.

Some great reviews! I am adding Book Crush and The Teacher's Funeral. Hope you had a great 4th!

96&126> I loved Brideshead Revisited which I read many years ago, and I will be checking if my library has the Jeremy Irons audiobook. I read Waugh's Decline and Fall earlier this year and do want to read more of his satire.

93> Regarding Book Crush, I have an Australian publication Right Book Right Time: 500 Great Reads for Teenagers which I find a great reference. Love how these books increase our reading lists so easily.

Shame about Golden and Grey, as it sounds like an interesting read.

Boo hiss on Pearl's misleading you! (But I still love her forever for introducing me to The Rule.)

I am definitely going to read The Teacher's Funeral sometime soon. You wrote a great review, and I have grown quite fond of Richard Peck.

Don't you hate it when a book starts out great and then crumbles before your eyes? :(

What Richard said.

Oh my, what a disappointment. I'm grateful I don't have to add yet another book from your list!

Bummer! Well, not every book can be a winner. Better luck with your next read!

Sorry you had a disappointing read, Linda. Hope your next book is a rollicking good one to make up for this

141 YES!!!!

Breezin' thru to say hi... have a great day!

Adding The Teacher's Funeral to my growing stack of gotta reads. My addiction to books is getting worse. Is there a patch for this?

#147: How about this one?

I would not be the one to come to for a patch re. book addiction. And, I'm so hooked that even if there was a patch, I wouldn't try it...

I am trying to stay away from bookcloseouts.com site because they still have their $1.99 paperback and $2.99 sale... I confess that I searched yesterday and found more I'd like to buy. I then did a dangerous thing because I went to Amazon to compare prices....This then could be used as a justification for adding to the bc.com cart.

I went to the library yesterday and found four Richard Peck books I hadn't read. Of course, I brought those home as well as others that popped off the shelf and conveniently landed in my canvas book bag.

I swear that I'll never get to the books at home on the shelves because I keep looking at threads adding to the tbr pile and going to the library. Logically, then, it makes no sense because I buy more books for the shelves.

Help! Help!

# 149 Help! Help!
Serious medicines are in order! Read How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read as I did today, and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better :-) : a lit. professor explains why we should never read books !!!

a lit. professor explains why we should never read books????This makes no sense.

>150 Trifolia:, 151 - I'm tearing up. :(

Apostasy! Nay, heresy most vile! *fumes off to revoke said lit prof's breathing license*

Don't worry. There is a support group for book addicts. It's called LibraryThing. The people there are so nice. They try and help you understand your needs and wants .......

*sigh*

#151-154 Read it, just read it and you'll understand why the professor and LT would get along very well. And don't worry, I loved this book, but it hasn't put me off reading books at all, quite the contrary (so maybe not a good medicine after all...) :-)

Emily Dickinson is Dead by Jane Langton

Many thanks to Tiffin (Tui) for recommending this wonderful summer read.

If you are looking for something so delightfully creative that you marvel at the twists and turns and insights, if you are looking for a book that makes you laugh right out loud, if you are looking for a book that is delightfully clever, intelligently written with a sly, witty sense of humor, then look no further.

Obtain a copy of this book, sit in a comfortable chair, open the first pages and feel the smile on your face as you are transported to Amherst Massachusetts. You will be surrounded and enmeshed in the poetry of Emily Dickinson, while at the same time laughing at the eccentric, stuffy characters who profess to know all there is to know about the brilliant, enigmatic, reclusive, introverted woman whose writing still inspires and captures the heart 124 years after her passing.

The cast of characters in this book are well developed and never boring. They collide when egoistic, arrogant Professor Dombey Dell holds a symposium to commemorate the 100 anniversary of Emily's death.

Highly recommended.

Emily Dickinson is Dead sounds great... but LT says it is part of a series, so maybe I will try and start from the beginning. I am compulsive that way.

Marcia
I discovered it was part of a series after I read it.

While it may be a series, I had no problem whatsoever with jumping into the one.

150: How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read

Oh, I've read that one, it's great.

(Ok ok, I haven't read it, but don't you get the irony? Huh? *nudge nudge* ...oh well.)

#159 LOL, that's the point :-)
Btw, it's an essay, not SF or horror

Linda, great stuff here on your thread. Thanks for the Dickinson recommendation--it looks like something I would like. I can't start anything new right now because I have too many books going at once as it is (the story of our lives here at LT--ha), but I'll put on my ever-growing wishlist so that I won't forget about it.

I've only been an LT member since the first of this year, but it's already hard to remember back to the time when I would fish around for ONE PERSON on a site like facebook who had read anything. What a great place this is!

#156 I usually read mystery series in order but, with Jane Langton, I tend to dip my toes in whenever I come across one of her books. I think I've got Murder at Monticello on my shelves. It's never been a problem with the Langton's, unlike other series.

>161 labwriter: Welcome to Paradise, and don't forget to turn out the lights when you decide to leave.

>163 richardderus:. Why in the world would I leave, Richard?

Richard - don't you know that you never leave paradise? If we left here we would have to go to book LIMBO where there are no good books or peopl;e that read - how boring could that be?

Adding Emily Dickinson is Dead to the list - your review renders it irresistible.

I have to add the Dickinson book to my wishlist; your BB got me!

ETA Oh my! When I went to the book page, I saw the author's name. Jane Langton wrote some delightful children's books, a series starting with The Diamond in the Window, that are favorites of mine. I never knew she wrote a mystery series!

> 156 Wow, I read Emily Dickinson is Dead years ago and had forgotten all about it!! I did not read any others in the series either, but read this one because of the E. D. connection. I was congratulating myself on not having to add the book to my wishlist when Linda P. had to go and mention Murder at Monticello, which sounds good. So I had to add that one. ;)

>156 Whisper1:: I'll give that a try, Linda. Thanks.

Interesting that 126 members have it in their libraries and yours is the first review.

Tad
The author obviously knew a lot about the poetry and life of Emily Dickinson. It was a fun and informative read.

I am very weary today. Yesterday was the wedding of my friend Phylis' son Scot. It was a small gathering of 100 people who were family and close friends of the bride and groom. I was honored to be invited.

It was such a difficult day. Phyllis died in February of this year from ovarian cancer, and one night in particular haunts me. She and I were alone and I was giving her the tpn treat for nourishment. At that time she weighed 85 pounds. She was particularly vulnerable and we shed many tears together.

I hear her voice telling me that she knew she would not be alive when Scot got married, she would not see her daughter Tracy in the bridesmaid gown, she would not dance with Scot at the reception and she would not be lighting the altar candle. She so wanted five more months of life simply to be there on his important occasion.

Her ex husband (the minister) did a fine job in performing the marriage ceremony. I was strong until his current wife lit the candle in the place of Phyllis. She did this with grace and respect, honoring Phyllis. And the memory of Phyllis' words came rushing at me with gale wind force.

At the reception, Scott showed a wonderful video presentation in honor of his mother. There was hardly a dry eye in the place! In those photos, she was smiling at her children as they wore halloween outfits she sewed for them, photos of them walking up school bus steps as they carried lunch boxes en route to the first day of kindergarten, photos of their funny faces over birthday cake candles, photos of her delightful smiling, happy face wherein I could hear the sound of her laughter, and, one final photo of her presence at Scot's college graduation wherein by then she was very frail.

After 21 days of heat and scorching temps with no rain, it rained yesterday morning. If felt like the tears of Phyllis from heaven. Then, in church as the soloist's voice filled the space with beauty, the sun dramatically appeared.

Today is hard. It feels like aftershock from an earthquake. I'm going to allow the tears to flow, sip tea and stay in my pjs.

Thanks to all of you who were so kind to me during the time Phyllis was so sick. You were a tremendous support.

Life is indeed a tear and a smile filled with sadness and joy, death and life, sorrow and celebration!

Oh, Linda. How very sad the circumstances and how beautiful the remembrances. My thoughts are with you today. :)

Oh, bless you, Linda. My prayers are with you. What a wonderful friend you must have been to her.

Linda, I will be thinking about you today. I know how sad this must have been for you. My own mother died a month before my youngest brother's wedding - we all thought she'd somehow make it that last month, but it was not to be. It's good to take the time to just sit and think about Phyllis, and about the sadness/joy mix that you mention.

Thank you for sharing Scot's wedding with us, Linda. I couldn't help but begin to choke up as I read your recollections of the day. How beautiful and loving of Scot to remember his mom in this special way. Phyllis must have been a remarkable woman because she obviously raised a remarkable son and continues to have a remarkable friend in you.
Pj's and tea sound like just the ticket to reflect, reminisce and renew.

Wow. What a beautiful and heartbreaking message, in keeping with real life. I'm sure that Phyllis was watching over Scot's wedding, and that her spirit was with him that day, as it will be for years to come.

PJs, tea and a good book or two sounds like a good way to spend a quiet Sunday.

Linda, thank you so much for sharing that poignant post with us.

Thinking of you.

Oh Linda, how heartbreaking.

Just reading your post brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us.

May you have a peaceful day,
Joanne

Sweetness...my heart breaks for you. {{{Linda}}}

What an emotional day for everyone. Thank you for sharing the joy and sadness of your friend's family. Thinking of you and sending hugs and prayers.

Sending more hugs to you, (((Linda)))!

{{{{{hugs}}}}}

I'm thinking of you. What lovely memories of Phyllis.

Big hugs to you, Linda .....what a wonderful way for Scott to include his mother's participation in his wedding. I believe that every time we bring up vibrant memories of someone we've loved, they are with us again, if only for a short time.

Have a peaceful and restful day today, Linda .........and just ..... be.

Oh, Linda, hugs to you -- please know that you're in my thoughts as you remember your dear friend.

Thank you for sharing your reflection on Scott's wedding.

Linda, Scot's wedding sounds beautiful, thank you for sharing that with us. Thinking of you.

What a beautiful and exhausting day you had yesterday, Linda. Grieving is such hard work, but it is good to know that life goes on. I have a hunch that the spirit of Phyllis is still with you today as you reflect on your wonderful friendship. Be well.

Thanks for sharing this Linda.
Hoe endearing that Scott included his mother in this way at his wedding.

Thinking of you
hugs
Anita

**hugs** for you Linda. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

lots of messages, and I am too lazy to read them, so I will just go on from here.. hope you don't mind..

Your post brought tears to my eyes. A year ago I lost a dear friend to breast cancer. Our last visit together, she told me a list of things she wanted her (now 12 year old) daughter to know when she was getting married. They were funny and poignant - everything from "do NOT put your registry info in the invitation" to more sweet and personal observations on marriage and family.
I know it's so hard, but at the same time, I am so grateful for the last few visits and talks we had and I'm glad to have been there with her along the way. I'm sure your friend and her family are so grateful for your friendship. Speaking for myself, if I'm ever that ill, I hope I have a friend who is willing to give me treatments and cry with me and not pretend it's not hard. OK now I'm totally crying. Bye.

{{{hugs}}} as you reflect on the memories of your dear friend.

Linda, that was such a beautiful and bittersweet remembrance of your friend Phyllis and her son's wedding. Emotions are hard but also wonderful and you have a gift for expressing them.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is the second of Jane Austen’s books and to date over 20 million copies have been sold world wide. Sweeping in scope, a review will be a difficult process.

This is a complicated book with many rich, intricate characters. This is a complex tale of societal norms, of the perceived rigid place of men and women in society, of ranking, of unbendable rules, of silliness and of seriousness.

This is a statement of prejudice of perceived first impressions. This is a statement of haughtiness, pride and arrogance that, when manifested in a superior manner, forfeits a true insight into the mark of a person. This is a tale of a woman who learns to search deeper, pushing first impressions aside and it is a tale of a male who learns that pride and arrogance are not the highest values.

This is a statement of marriage -- those that are arranged, those that are loveless, those that are filled with love and those that are barely tolerable.

Kind Mr. Bennett has five daughters of marriageable age. Silly, insipid Mrs. Bennett strives to find husbands for them. I found him to be uncomplicated and her to be annoyingly stupid. Originally inheriting the estate under an antiquated law of fee tail male, the property must pass to a son, thus, Mrs. Bennett knows full well that if her husband dies before she does, she and her daughters will be homeless. Already lacking intelligence and social graces, this imperative drives Mrs. Bennett to insufferable actions.

When aristocratic Mr. Bingley arrives, Mrs. Bennett pushes and wheedles her eldest daughter into his circle. Accompanying him is the snobbish, aloof Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth, the second Bennett daughter, while drawn to Mr. Darcy, is spunky and rebels against his behaviors of looking down on those he perceives of unequal status.

When Elizabeth meets Mr. Wikham, a dashing military officer, she is smitten and drawn, particularly when he tells of offenses done to him at the hands of Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth later discovers that her first impression of Wikham was foolish and he is indeed a cad. When learning that it is indeed Mr. Darcy who is a person of ethics and kindness, Elizabeth must change her paradigm to shift with a new reality.

When drawn to Elizabeth’s strong personality and loving nature, Mr. Darcy must also shift his rigid conceptual framework to accommodate the higher value of love which replaces snobbish societal conformity.

Highly recommended.

*Sigh*, P&P is one of my favorites. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

I will never, ever get over having to study this one book FOUR TIMES while getting my BA & MA in literature. Absurd--but it demonstrates how professors can be just downright lazy. That was my take on the reason for studying this novel and none of her others. It's a wonderful book, and so is everything else Austen wrote.

Linda, I like what you wrote about the book.

Hi Linda, just catching up!

So glad you enjoyed Brideshead Revisited - I completely agree that it's his best, but I'm going to recommend Vile Bodies to you too, if you haven't already tried it?

...and P&P too! Isn't it wonderful? Such subtle commentary and humour. You must read Persuasion now (my absolute favourite)! ;o)

The wedding sounds wonderful, if extremely poignant - how sad that Phyllis didn't quite make it for her son's wedding. I hope your pj day helped a bit.

I'm glad you loved Pride and Prejudice, Linda. It's one of my all time favorites!

Thank you for sharing your experiences at Scott's wedding with us. My dad passed away a four years ago in April, when I was 21, and I have a hard time watching shows or movies with weddings in them, because I know when I eventually get married I will be doing it without my daddy. I'm so sorry about Phyllis, I know it was hard for you and the rest of her loved ones. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

P&P is one of my favorite books because of the rich characterizations that Austen has. I so wanted to know what the characters did after the end that I've explored the many authors that have written sequels to this story. I have 10 that I am reading this year though I have found that there are well over 30! Some of the sequels pick up right after the wedding, some twenty years later. Some are good and some are bad but I still end up loving the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth no matter what.
I'm glad that you enjoyed the original, it is definitely worth the effort, IMHO.

I just love P&P. I don't know how many times I've re-read this book or watched the various versions of the movie. *happy sigh* It never gets old. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Linda.

Great review of Pride and Prejudice. I got my first copy for Christmas when I was 12, and I've loved it ever since.

Jenn
P&P is difficult reading for a 12 year old. I'm sure you were preciously bright.

Hi Linda- I'm embarrassed to say, I have not read Pride and Prejudice. Why? Who the heck knows! Just go easy on me, I'm just a lowly postal worker! I do have a copy somewhere, if that counts for anything!

Mark, I'm an uppish househusband with no visible means of support and I haven't read it either, nor am I likely to. Jane leaves me colder than a welldigger's socks. I acknowledge her amazing achievement in writing these books. Can I go now, or am I to be subjected to the heaping of steaming piles of contumely upon my cranial emptiness?

I have to admit, I tried Pride and Prejudice and it just didn't do anything for me, either.

If we all wanted the same thing from books, how boring would the library be?

LOL Linda. Well, of course I was bright... sometimes I still am.

Mostly just an early and voracious reader. My mother taught me to read (out of desperation) when I was 4. She probably gave me P&P out of a similar desperation due to my having read everything appropriate in the Childrens section by the time I was about 10.
My dad used to read me the "It Pays to Increase Your WordPower" page out of Reader's Digest and have me define the words. So, while maths are not my forte, I do have a prodigious vocabulary. I was lucky to have friends in HS who just teased me about using more than 2 4-syllable words in one sentence, rather than abandoning me as a hopeless nerd. I sound like I'm bragging. It was just an accident of parentage. My mother was a teacher and my father is actually a bit of a genius. Photographic memory, etc.

Honestly, I am sure I didn't get much more than the plot and the beautiful language the first time I read P&P. I fell in love with the language, the period, the very restrained but powerful emotion. It was my favorite Austen for a long time. Now, I lean slightly toward Persuasion.

*Edited to say "Richard, Just Go."

#205 - Well, I've been wondering if men could like P&P the way women do. But then, there probably are books that only men like...
Aah well "Pride" and "Prejudice", what's in a title?

Pride and Prejudice... it has been a long time...a very long time.
I have to re-read sometime soon.

Richard- Thanks for the support, you're the best "uppish househusband" I know!

Add me to the list of guys who have never tried Pride and Prejudice...

msf59, Richard and Stephen, go on, give P&P a go - I bet it won't be as you expected and it's fairly short. There is soooo much more to it than the romance, it's the characterisation and social commentary that are so much fun. Actually, if you're only going to read one, read Persuasion instead... ah, but as tymfos says, If we all wanted the same thing from books, how boring would the library be?...

#203 & 207 I think the thing with all Jane Austen's stuff is that you can get something different from it at any age. I first read Pride and Prejudice when I was about 10 - and I loved it - but coming to it again a few years later, I realised just how much I'd missed (and in some cases misinterpreted) that first time round - biggest of which was that I didn't "get" the subtlety of Mr Collins at all - I just thought the bits with him in were boring ;o)

I've no idea how many times I've read it now (suffice to say that it's in the double figures, but not quite as much as Persuasion) and I get something fresh from it every single time. (*thinks, hmmm, haven't read any Jane Austen yet this year, must rectify...*)

So am I the only female in the world who didn't "get" Pride and Prejudice? Perhaps I gave up way too soon on it. The part that I read, the people just seemed so shallow and obsessed with social status and making the right marriage. I just have no interest in such topics.

Not only have I not read P&P, I haven't read Austen.

*ducks behind a table to avoid getting hit with rotten tomatoes*

I do have P&P here though, does that help?

Thanks, Carrie!

(I wondered if I should duck behind a table when I posted, too.)

And I do still own a copy of P&P.

#205, 210: Just thought it would be a little interesting to have a group read for women with a book chosen by the men and vice versa. It may introduce some of us to a genre/author we are not familiar or comfortable.

I was just thinking last night how wonderfully diverse this group is. I, for one, can't stand Steinbeck, but I know there are several fans here on 75. I guess Austen is another one of those authors.

>216 Carmenere: - VERY interesting idea. I'll watch from the sidelines. ;)

216: That sounds like a fantastic idea!

But, I keep giggling at the thought of a group of men reading Sophie Kinsella and a group of women reading Conan the Barbarian. :P

I'm sure we wouldn't do that to eachother, right? :)

#216 I do not have the least bit of experience setting up a group read but if anyone has advice or would like to take it upon themselves, please do so.
Perhaps we need a man to get a concensus for the ladies read and a Lteress to get one for the gentlemen. Any volunteers?!

Count me with the women who don't "get into" Austen, my latest try was Emma but I quit half way...

Stephen : I can't stand Sophie Kinsella and I loved Conan the Barbarian. I think there may be more women who enjoy the more 'macho' books than there are men who would enjoy chick lit.

I can't stand Sophie Kinsella either. My book club read Shopaholic last year, and I was alternating between biting my fingernails and checking my bank account. It stressed me out really badly, and that's just unforgivable in a beach book.

I'd have a hard time getting through a Sophie Kinsella (I've tried one...didn't finish) but I do enjoy Austen (have read six).

Lynda, the problem with a Chosen By the Opposite Sex read is getting the opposite sex to agree on what to choose. :-)

It would be interesting to try to figure out what book I've read that best represented "male perspective". I haven't the foggiest idea which that would be right now.

I've read lots of books from the male perspective, or "Manfiction" as Stephen King says his son refers to it. Tom Clancy comes immediately to mind.

King has an article here about the subject titled "Stephen King: Who Says Real Men Don't Read?"

We're talking entertainment here, I assume--not deathless prose and literature for the ages. Not to say you've read any of these, Tad, but the category exists. Although maybe that wasn't the argument you were making?

Try Nothing to Lose by Lee Child.
Try Elmore Leonard.
Try Robert B. Parker.

--all of the previous are mentioned by King in the article.

And I think I would agree with Caroline at #222: more girls like "guy" literature than the other way around. Caroline, do you think it's the same with movies?

>225 labwriter:: I would hope that not many people in this group would say men don't read. Of course, they might say Stephen King was talking about real men... *grin*

Not to say you've read any of these, Tad - Anyway, Becky, you don't have tiptoe around my reading—I read pretty much anything. I'm not embarrassed. I've tried Lee Child and Robert B. Parker. I haven't tried an Elmore Leonard, yet, but it's just a matter of time.

I was more thinking about what I'd choose if in charge of a Chosen By Opposite Sex. Would it be something that women were unlikely to have read (the male equivalent of chick lit) and would, therefore, be new to them? Or would it be something that I thought actually expressed a more real-world male perspective (blowing stuff up not being the usual occupation)?

ETA: I just read the King article. LOL. I loved the "I like 'em big and stupid" characterization of Sandra Brown and Jodi Picoult. I've read nothing by either, so don't know how true it is, but it's funny.

#225 The King article is great! Thanks for posting the link.

I'd also tend to agree with Caroline at #222, though perhaps some might say that's a "sexist" assumption???? (But probably real-world true.)

I started out reading my brothers' Hardy Boys books before I found Nancy Drew, and that reading pattern probably continued for quite some time. I still enjoy a good action-adventure novel, especially if there is some kind of mystery involved.

#224. I haven't the foggiest idea which that would be right now.

"that" = book written from the male perspective.

I was just responding to your comment, Tad, because I didn't know what it meant. I don't think I was tiptoeing around your reading. I just didn't know whether you meant 1)you wouldn't have the foggiest idea what might be included in the category; or 2) you wouldn't have the foggiest idea what book you've read that might be included in the category; or 3)none of the above, but something else.

In the immortal words of Emily Litella, "Never mind."

Thinking of men in my life and what they read - my father only reads non-fiction. My husband reads mostly what I put on his bed side table. He liked the Bourne books and I only gave him the first one - so he can claim initiative on the rest. Also he reads work related material. My brothers are more eclectic. One reads a lot of philosophy and the other enjoys historical fiction and things like that. Is there a male version of chick lit? Now I want to know.

>229 nittnut:: King argues that it's called "manfiction" and includes things like Robert Parker. I tend to agree with those who posted above that there's not an exact equivalent since more women are comfortable with "man" reading than vice-versa.

I can't remember whether I read P&P ever, or whether it was just one of those things that everyone has been exposed to and so we think we've read it. I'm not an Austen fan, nor am I a period romance fan. Can't stand Sophie Kinsella or Lisa Scottoline, or Steinbeck, or Jodi Picoult, and I tiptoe very lightly through Stephen King (Hubby loves his books, so I get my fix vicariously) but then again, I really enjoyed John Barth - got on a kick several years ago and read almost everything he wrote. And I can't find anybody else who ever heard of him. Go figah!

If I were going to choose a girl book to give to boys, I'd probably hand them something from Barbara Cartland or Nora Roberts. Back to reading....

222: Oh, I'm sure that the case for many women, but if the ladies of LT wanted to play a mean, mean joke on the guys, picking one of her books would be the way to go! :)

Would we really consider action as "mens" books? I mean, maybe that is the cliche when it comes to film, but I don't think it translates the same way into books. I mean, if 'mens' movies are action flicks, isn't it typical to think 'womens' movies are the dramas? But chick lit isn't drama, it's shopping and...er, stuff? Sooo, I'm not so sure about that.

I think chick lit is so because it's something men just can't relate to. It's not that "all women read it and like it," but just that men won't connect to characters who shop for purses and high heels. Women can prefer action over that, but it's a rare man who will enjoy it, so we consider it "chick" lit.

To find a "mans" genre, you have find a genre that women just can't relate to. The problem is, I can't think of any. I mean, if you think of the cliche "for men and not women" things, the only thing that comes to mind is hunting and fishing. But...that's obviously not true. My own mother took me fishing more often when I was a kid than my father did, so that's just a bad stereotype.

I really don't think there is anything that can be considered a genre "for men." Action/Fishing/Hunting stories, I think, are the closest you'll get, but you'll find plenty of women who like them too. *shrug*

#231 Barbara Cartland?! I'd never subject any human being to her novels unless you really enjoyed them, ie my mother in law.

#232 I think, in around about way, you've just proved that women are well versed in just about everything. Thank you, Stephen :0) *off to rewire my hard drive* or something like that.

I'm enjoying these posts re. books for men...books for women...

Lynda...

Regarding your response to post #232, I agree...My thoughts as well.

---------

Before Richard sounds the sirens, I'm posting my new thread here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/94877

I am having a terrible time keeping up with you and some others.. such busy threads!!!

222 Stephen : I can't stand Sophie Kinsella and I loved Conan the Barbarian. I think there may be more women who enjoy the more 'macho' books than there are men who would enjoy chick lit. I agree!!!

I like some fluffy chiklit sorts of things.. but few, and rare I think? I like "guy" type books, like the Douglas Preston I just read..Koontz maybe? I cannot read King..

but seriously Sophie Kinsella and a few others I could name would make me want to claw out my eyes.. :P

Ah, but if Sophie Kinsella makes you want to use your claws to remove the eyes of someone, even yourself, would you not say that is a perfect example of why it's 'feminine' and considered 'for women?'

...

*searches for eye protection of some sort*

>236 Ape:: If I see a grease spot in the middle of the road in Ohio, I'm not even going to ask what it once was. :-D

>236 Ape:: LOL!!!

I will chime in with one little note, however -- my husband has read the entire Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, and loved it as much as I did (I think he might have laughed out loud a few more times than me with the latest installment), and I think that series is a *bit* like YA chick-lit. Though there's not really any shopping, and mostly a dense teenage girl who makes funny observations about others. Still, that's considered "for girls" but he enjoyed them, so there's an exception to every rule!

And come to think of it, I can't think of a "for men" genre either...

Hi Linda-

I just wanted to thank you for pointing me in the direction of Richard Peck. I picked up A Long Way from Chicago from the library, and then found Fair Weather at a bargain book sale. I stated Fair Weather this weekend and am loving it! I don't know if I'd have ever picked these up if you hadn't recommended him, so thank you! =)

I'm afraid to know what those deleted posts might have said...

#242 Linda posted a comment about a book and I responded. Then she moved it to her new thread, so I deleted it and moved my comment over to the new thread.

(I thought it'd look odd to respond to a book that only I could see.)

Ok, good, that's a relief. *wipes brow*

My fault... I listed my latest read on this thread instead of the new one. Sorry for the confusion. When I discovered my error, I moved it to the new thread.

Quite alright, Linda, I was just afraid they were responses to Tad's 'grease spot' comment. Eek! :)