DonnaReads Chapter 6

This is an equal opportunity thread. All are welcome here! No clever quotes or title this time. It's all about the books, so let's get started.

I don't know why anyone would want to dig back into the archives of my first five threads -- unless they were interested in some scintillating conversations, or the many comments about the books I've read, or maybe take a look at the picture of the first bloom on my Moonflower Vine. Ah, now I understand. It is a beauty, but it is also posted on my Profile Page!

For whatever reason, here is the link to Thread No. 5 with all previous links listed in Message No. 1.


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

Thread No. 6
75. The Cruelest Month -- Louise Penny
74. The Prince of Frogtown -- Rick Bragg (audio)
73. Montana 1948 -- Larry Watson (audio)**
72. Native Speaker* -- Chang-Rae Lee
71. The House of the Spirits* -- Isabel Allende**
70. Parrot and Olivier in America -- Peter Carey
69. The Twin -- Gerbrand Bakker
68. Netherland* -- Joseph O'Neill

Thread No. 5
67. This Is Graceanne's Book -- P. L. Whitney
66. Strength In What Remains -- Tracy Kidder (audio)
65. In the Company of Angels* -- Thomas E. Kennedy**
64. The Once and Future King* -- T. H. White
63. A Fatal Grace -- Louise Penny
62. A Girl Named Zippy* -- Haven Kimmel
61. Fingersmith* -- Sarah Waters
60. Blindness* -- Jose Saramago
59. Infidel -- Ayaan Hirsi Ali
58. The Birchbark House* -- Louise Erdrich
57. Dancing at the Rascal Fair* -- Ivan Doig
56. Beloved* -- Toni Morrison**

Thread No. 4
55. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks -- Rebecca Skloot
54. My Losing Season* -- Pat Conroy
53. Still Life -- Louise Penny
52. Being Dead* -- Jim Crace
51. The Beekeeper's Apprentice -- Laurie R. King
50. When the Mississippi Ran Backwards -- Jay Feldman
49. An Irish Country Doctor -- Patrick Taylor (audio)
48. American Salvage -- Bonnie Jo Campbell
47. Grayson* -- Lynne Cox**
46. The Likeness* -- Tana French
45. In the Woods -- Tana French (borrowed from Nancy)
44. The Leisure Seeker -- Michael Zadoorian
43. Atticus* -- Ron Hansen
42. Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs* -- W. Stegner
41. Paula* -- Isabel Allende**

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

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

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

One of the most innovative groups on the 75 Book Challenge thread was started in January by Madeline, also known as SqueakyChu. Named TIOLI because one can "take it or leave it," it consists of a primary challenge, which I always try to take part in, conjured up by Madeline's creative mind and other challenges submitted by others in the group with creative minds.

Here is a list of the primary challenges and the books I've read for them:

January: Debut Novel...
The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel. 4.5 stars.
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 4 stars.

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

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

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

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

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

July: Books Ending with #4 in the ISBN...
Blindness by Jose Saramago. 4.5 stars.
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. 3 stars - due to animal cruelty.
In the Company of Angels by Thomas E. Kennedy. 4.5 stars.

August: Books by Authors Attending National Book Festival...
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. 5 stars!
Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee. 4 stars.

Yay! I’m the first one on your new thread! Got you starred. :-)

Hi Donna, Stopping by so you end up on the right page.

Hey! All of those challenges *do* look pretty creative when they're listed like that! :D

>4 Porua:: Porua, I am proud to have you as my first visitor. I just thumbed your stellar review of In the Name of the Rose and did an exhaustive (and exhausting) house search looking for my copy of it. I found it upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms with built-in bookshelves...which is one of several "overflow" retreats for my books. I'm not sure when will be the best time to read a cerebral book like this one, but at least I know where it is now!

>5 tjblue:: Hi, Tammy. Glad you found me. It's cool that my first two visitors are from the 50-Book Challenge thread...my old "stomping grounds." I'll be by to see you soon.

>6 SqueakyChu:: Madeline, I do appreciate all the time and creative energy you put into my favorite group. It's my favorite because of the element of surprise each month and the fact that my TBR pile is actually going down. Yay!

Hi Donna: I'm hungry for lunch and all this talk about the "numero uno" makes me want to go out to Uno's for lunch for a "numero uno."

Maybe I'll even finish my civil war baseball book over lunch.

TIOLI is one of the most creative groups though this tadpole is more of a "leave it" sort and goes her own way on this.

got ya starred :)

#7 Thank you, Donna! Glad you found your copy of The Name of the Rose.

“I just thumbed your stellar review of In the Name of the Rose...”

*Blushes* Thank you!

The 75 Books group is so much fun! I love reading the threads. So many interesting threads, so many exciting conversations and the TIOLI challenge. All so enjoyable!

Edited to correct typo.

Hi, Donna! I've starred your thread again.

Thanks for guiding me to your new thread, Donna! You were quite right about me missing it:) Got you starred now!
Have a lovely weekend!

>8 lindapanzo:: Linda, I have yet to read anything for this month's TIOLI...how can I be so far behind when it's only six days into the month?
I hope you enjoyed your numero uno!

>9 curlysue:: Kara, glad to have you here. As I said at the top of the thread: "this is an equal opportunity thread." I should have gone on to say that lurking is permissible, but I'd love to have you post more often.
How are things in DeLand?

>10 Porua:: Not only did I find The Name of the Rose, Porua, I brought it downstairs to a more prominent location. Now I just have to open it and read it.

>11 kidzdoc:: Hi, Darryl. I'm only on Page 41 in Parrot and Olivier. Busy day today. I hope to make some headway on it this week end.

>12 Apolline:: Hey there, Bente. I'm glad you stopped by. You're always welcome here. You have a great week end, too.

Btw, both links on your thread go to Tom McRae. I loved his introductory spiel...and his music was enjoyable. I am way out of touch on modern music. Is he popular in Norway?

Hi Donna, I'm back!

eta: what a great reading year you're having!

Why, thank you, Anne. It's always a great year when I can read a variety of such good books. Unfortunately, my last read wasn't so good. Here goes....

Book No. 68: Netherland by Joseph O'Neill. 2.75 stars.
I knew that decimal rating system would prove its worth! This book fits right in between my designation for 2.5 (Finished grudgingly) and 3.0 (Average. Some may love it, but it didn't exactly float my boat.)

Hmmmm...what to say about a book about Cricket and that jumps around so much that I wasn't sure if we were in NYC, London, or Holland. This was a post 9/11 book and it was easy to tell that the structure (or lack of it) was supposed to reflect the chaos after that time. Also, Cricket was a metaphor for creating order and a way to depict the loneliness of the immigration experience. The protaganist Hans was a native of The Netherlands who came to New York by way of London. It was a clever idea that just kind of fell flat for me.

I'm not going to bore my readers with a plot summary because I'm not recommending it. There were some bright spots in the writing, however. I liked this quote that reveals the aloofness of Hans and the book in general:

We are in the realm not of logic but of wistfulness, and I must maintain that wistfulness is a respectable, serious condition. How, otherwise, to account for much of one's life?

Hi Donna!

Gotcha! starred

Well looky here. For once you actually rated a book higher than me Donna. I gave this snore fest 2.5 stars, grudgingly. What in God's name was all the fuss about? I believe this book was a NY Times Notable Book or some such thing. Worthless.

>16 -Cee-:: Hi Claudia. What a cute little guy to brighten up my thread. Thanks!

>17 brenzi:: For once you actually rated a book higher than me...LOL!

I'll try not to let that happen again, Bonnie. It's funny, I was going to rate it 2.7 which would have officially been 2.5, but this was the book my Thursday "Let's Talk About It" group read, and I actually moved it up a notch because of our discussion. It also won the PEN/Faulkner Award and was long listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2008. Go figure!

Stephen calls this "The coolest quiz on the internet." We'll see how my answers pan out. Wish I had Stasia's books to choose from!

Using books read thus far in 2010...

Describe yourself: I Am the Messenger
How do you feel? An Unquiet Mind
Describe where you currently live: In the Woods
If you could go anywhere...? Norwegian Wood
Favorite form of transportation: When the Mississippi Ran Backwards
Best friend is: The Leisure Seeker
You and your friends are: The Girls
What's the weather like... The Grapes of Wrath
You fear: Blindness
Best advice: Never Let Me Go
Thought for the day: Their Eyes Were Watching God
How I would like to die: Beloved
My soul's present condition: Still Life.

#19: You can borrow some! I do not mind sharing :)

Hi, Donna!
New thread, new star! I'm going to have to try that quiz.....but with my books read so far this year???? We'll see.
Meanwhile, I'm half-kicking myself for using a pbs credit on Netherland. I guess I'd better get to it soon so that somebody will take it off my hands if I don't like it.

Yeah, THAT quiz I won't do until the end of the year when I have a whole year's worth of titles to draw from.

howdy :)

Fun quiz! Read your titles and see that I've read 1.3 of the books you've listed (unless Beloved is also the Morrison I've read which would bring me up to 2.3!!). LOL

Thanks for the heads up, Donna. The link is now fixed:) Tom McRae is not really that big, in a Lady Gaga and Rihanna commercial kind of way, but he is big among those who is leaning more to indie and singer/songwriters.

My brother is passionate about indie and singer/songwriters and therefore rub it off on me:) The passed few years he has actually described my music collection in positive terms, which would never happen a few years ago. He is as passionate about music, that I am about books. It's a good thing we can recommend books and music to each other then:)

Love the quiz too. You're more than welcome to the woods in Norway...we have more than enough!

Donna- Lost you for a day or so! Nice new thread! I was disappointed in Netherland too! Some readers really loved this book!

Man, it's always a bummer to start of a new thread with a dud. It's safe to say that I won't be adding that one to the list.

Hi! Thanks for the link to your new thread!

I'm a little late to the thread, but I'm here now!

And yes, that is indeed the coolest quiz on the internet. It's fun to fill out, and fun to read everyone's answers, with all the book titles and and and...it's just the coolest! Love your answers. :)

Thanks for visiting...Stasia, Peggy, Roni, Susan, Bente, Mark, Luxx, and Stephen...whew...think I got everyone. It is so nice to have visitors.

Stasia, my answers would have been more entertaining if I had your huge reserve of books to choose from.

Peggy, as Mark said, some readers really loved Netherland. I hope you're one of them.

Roni, I just couldn't wait. Maybe I'll do it again at the end of the year!

Susan, I'm curious. What was the .3 book of mine that you've read? I'm guessing you didn't like it after reading the first third.

Bente, I'll go back and listen to the duet. I really love how you combine music and books. Maybe I will get to those Norwegian woods someday.

Mark, I was disappointed in Netherland, but I didn't think it was worthless...as a mutual friend did! ;-)

Hi Luxx, my next read will be better. I've started both The Twin and Parrot and Olivier in America, and they both look very promising.

Stephen, better late than never! The quiz was fun. I hope more people respond to it.

Dear Donna -

I have quite a bit of catching up to do, and I am looking forward to checking out more titles of books that you have read recently.

We most often seem to gravitate to the same ones, therefore, I come to your thread to both refresh my friendship with you and also discover new possibilities for myself to add to my TBR & wishlist categories.

I would love to have you stop by my current thread sometime soon. It can be found

right here

Cheers and Happy Weekend!

Hi Ruth, I just came in to get a drink....I've been outside weeding...and found your message. I enjoyed our little exchange on your thread a few days ago. ;-)

Don't worry I'll be back to tell you how much I enjoyed The Twin which I remember you liking awhile ago. I've just started it and am liking Bakker's meditative writing style.

I'm glad you feel up to posting today. Have a great week end!

My faves: Mississippi Backwards! Girls, Beloved. Funny and lovely!

Thanks, Lucy. Some people are going to repeat that quiz at the end of the year. I can probably come up with better answers with more books to choose from. Stasia said I could borrow some of hers!

Be careful of the meese -- and keep the camera handy!

AHA!!! thanks for the heads up :)

eta

How I would like to die: Beloved .....like!

I felt the same way about Netherland and was kicking myself that I gave that book to my son for Christmas, based on the NYTimes review. That book was all over the place, yet went nowhere! Not bad writing though. The Twin is a somber book, but it sure was good. I will be totally surprised if you don't love it and go on to write one of your usual beautiful reviews complete with quotes. No pressure, though! ;-)

Donna- Netherland was a book I wanted to love. It contained some beautiful prose but as a whole it did not gel! I would still like to read more of O'Neill's work.

Welcome, Kath, with another cute star to grace my thread. I think we'd all like to die "Beloved!"

Bonnie, I'm getting to where I don't trust reviews anymore, especially from the critics. I am looking forward to reading The Twin. I read just enough to whet my appetite and know that I'll love it.

Hi Mark. Oh yeah, I'll give O'Neill another shot if he stays away from writing about cricket! Btw, The Prince of Frogtown audiobook is narrated by Rick Bragg. My husband turned up his nose at it until I reminded him that he loved Ava's Man on a trip several years ago. Here I go book pimping again!

Hi Donna. I agree with everyone about Netherland. I went right out and bought it in hardcover as soon as I read the NYT review and then was very disappointed. About a year and a half later it was a book club selection and I decided to re-read it. I actually liked it better the second time because I really liked the writing but even after two readings it was only a 2 or 2.5 star book for me. It was very hard for me to feel connected to the main character and my eyes started to glaze over with all the cricket discussions.

>28 Donna828:: I'm going to do that quiz on my Thingaversary. It's amazing how often you can find a title that works and often reflects your feelings perfectly.

>37 phebj:: Oh, Pat, I can't imagine reading Netherland twice. Although, most of the time, when I reread a book, my appreciation does increase with a deeper understanding of what the author is trying to convey.

>38 bonniebooks:: Bonnie, I look forward to reading your quiz answers when you come back after your break.

Speaking of breaks, I took a short one from reading Parrot and Olivier to read The Twin because it was out on ILL and nearing its due date.

Book No. 69: The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker. 4.2 stars.

Helmer is slowly making his bachelor's farmhouse his own, adding his personal touches of blue-gray floors, white walls, and minimal furnishings. He moves his aging father upstairs where he receives less care than Helmer's pair of donkeys. A life of solitude and simplicity suits Helmer just fine. After all, he has the company of his memories and the hooded crow who watches over the house. Life is uneventful; then the new farmhand moves in.

You can read more of my short review over here.

Now back to the further adventures of Parrot and Olivier in America....

Edited to amend rating, although it was a pretty darn good book!

#69: Darryl sent me a copy of The Twin and I really need to get it read. Nice review as usual, Donna. Thanks for the reminder!

> 13 two words.... HOT + MUGGY... Donna, I live 10min from Deland, in Deltona. right next to Lake Helen and Cassadaga :)

might have to take a second look at The Twin, sounds interesting

#39 I can't imagine reading Netherland twice

Donna, I had to laugh at your comment. I read Netherland for a book group, none of whom really liked the book, and they were dumbfounded that I re-read it. It was much better the second time because I really appreciated the writing. It kind of reminded me of my experience with The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon. Really liked the writing, the story not so much.

>40 alcottacre:: Stasia, you'll like The Twin (I'm tired of all the touchstone work on this one!) if you like slow, meditative reads. Bakker's writing reminded me of Per Pettersen. It must be a Scandinavian thing!

>41 curlysue:: Kara, it's hot here, too, with dewpoints above 70. Icky sticky! Deltona! Well, I remembered the "D" anyway from our long ago conversation where I told you my father spent part of his youth in Lake Helen. We went to visit when I was a teen, and I remember lots of orange groves. I like it better in the winter. :-)

>42 phebj:: Just think how much you would like "that book" if you read it a third time, Pat! As I told Mark, I might read another book by Joseph O'Neill someday - if there's no cricket involved!

I am getting a sports education after reading about the great sport of curling in the second Louise Penney book. I think I need a baseball book where at least I understand the game!

#43 Baseball book? Donna, I am all about baseball books. (After mysteries, my favorite type of reading.) I don't often read fictional books involving baseball though.

What did you have in mind?

#43: I do enjoy slow, meditative reads. Night Train to Lisbon was one like that recently for me.

Boy Donna you are mighty busy. I liked your review of The Twin and I think it's already on the pile but looking at those 4.5 stars makes me want to move it up.

>44 lindapanzo:: Linda, I loved the Babe Ruth and Negro League sections of The Given Day when I read it last year. Did you read that one?

>45 alcottacre:: Night Train to Lisbon is very much on my book radar, Stasia. It sounds like my kind of book.

>46 brenzi:: Bonnie, I thought I gave The Twin 4 stars?!? I think I accidentally did 4.5 at first, then changed it. Hmmm...maybe it does deserve a higher rating. It was definitely better than Tinkers, the same kind of rambling, slow book. Well, maybe The Twin wasn't rambling but I certainly am! Whatever, it's rated, I think you'll like it.

Look at Post 39 Donna. I believe it says 4.5 :)

Not anymore! :-)

Oh only a lowly 4.2. Joanne liked it too so I still want to read it. Even a 4 from you translates to a 4.5 from me. Usually with one (ahem) glaring exception.

Donna- Good review of "The Twin"! Several of my friends here have sung this book's praises, so I need to move it up the WL. I like the comparison to Per Pettersen. I hear he has a new book coming out! Yah!

Nice review of Boven is het stil ("The Twin"), Donna; I'm glad that you also liked it.

Bonnie, there's always an exception, isn't there? And I'll admit, that one was pretty glaring. :-)

Thanks, Mark. Yeah, I'm looking forward to the new book from my favorite Norwegian author.

Darryl, yours was one of several recommendations that made me want to read The Twin. I wasn't disappointed. I'm glad to see more translations coming across the pond. More good books for us to read!

Rescuing my thread from oblivion with this book quote from my current read, Parrot and Olivier in America...

...M. Duponceau's house, when we reached it, presented its face to the street with a very Quakerish humility... I followed him into a dark room redolent of some as yet unidentifiable luxury. Here I watched in blank astonishment as my exiled countryman moved from lamp to lamp and, with every lighted wick, revealed more and more of a library which, I now realized, occupied almost one half of the ground floor of this considerable house... On these walls the source of the luxurious aroma was clearly visible -- books, more books... And, oh, the wonderful variety of those smells. (Olivier in Philadelphia, Pg. 212).

With temperatures approaching 100 degrees, I'm heading back to the cool comfort of my own tiny library to stick my nose in the aroma of a good book!

Lovely quote.

Sounds like my kinda place. :)

#54 I love that quote! (Might have to add that book to the wishlist, too.)

#54: Great quote, Donna!

I too, love the quote in #54. Thank you for posting it.

Glad that you read The Twin. I found it compelling and unpredictable and would recommend it to anyone who has ever enjoyed a more pensive sort of book.

Hi Donna - Glad to see you liked The Twin. I absolutely loved it!

Thanks for the visits. It's always nice to get a little feedback. I love the quotes about reading that Stasia has been posting and will start looking for them as I read. My quote journal has fallen by the wayside, but I frequently include one in my reviews. I think it gives others a brief taste of the writing style of the author.

Has anyone else read anything by Peter Carey? I don't know exactly what it is about his style, but Parrot and Olivier is slow going for me. Don't get me wrong...I like the book...but I find that I sometimes have to go back and reread a paragraph, which is something I usually don't have to do.
Reading The Twin was like a cool ocean breeze on a hot summer day in comparison.

Someone recently (I think it was Jenn - nittnut) complained about "summer brain" on their thread. I am definitely suffering from that malady!

#61: I tried Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang and got absolutely nowhere with it. I just could not. It was a Booker Prize winner, but won no prizes with me. I am willing to give him another chance though - not with that particular book at any rate.

ETA - thanks for the comment about your enjoyment of the quotes. I am glad you like them.

Donna, I've been anxious to see what you had to say about Parrot and Olivier. I tried Carey's Theft: a Love Story and found it a difficult, frenetic read. --Jenny

Hi Stasia and Jenny, thanks for sharing your experiences with Peter Carey. I would agree that Parrot and Olivier is a difficult read and that Carey took his time setting up the story, but I am liking it fairly well. It may not be at the top of my list for the year, but it's worth the effort.

I have Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang, but I won't be in a hurry to read either of them. :-)

Edited to add that there are a lot of "buts" in my comments. Maybe I'm trying to convince myself that my time hasn't been wasted?

Book No. 70: Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey. 3.8 stars.

Please muddle through the first 100 pages of background material in this book, for after this the story literally takes off when the two unlikely companions are thrown together on an outlandish trans-Atlantic voyage. Olivier de Garmont was a young aristocrat in danger of imprisonment for being a traitor in post-revolutionary France. In order to get him out of the country, his parents arranged for him to travel to American to report on the prison system. Parrot (John Larrit) was an older and supposedly wiser English commoner who had street smarts, a checkered past, and a history with the one-armed Marquis who was the friend of Olivier’s protective mother. His services were unwillingly engaged to become Olivier’s personal secretary. It is so much fun to read about these two polar opposites living together in close quarters. The “icy master” is appalled by the servant who mocks him and is surreptitiously sending copies of all dictation back to Olivier’s mother in France through the wonder of carbon paper.

You can find further comments (and some great quotes!) over here.

#65: Nice review, Donna. If I ever get my hands on it, I will try and muddle through.

ditto what stasia said

Great review, Donna. I'll probably try that one from the library but good to know it's worth the effort.

Just stopping in to catch up and wave Hello...... I have never gotten past page 20 in a Peter Carey book; don't know whether it's him or me.

nice review -- I've read very mixed reviews of this book!

Good review Donna, as usual. I think I'll pass though because I haven't been able to get into Carey's writing at all in the past.

Thanks for checking out the review...Stasia, Linda, Pat, Peggy, Laura, and Bonnie...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had trouble getting into Carey's writing style. Or maybe it's his subject matter? Whatever, I do like challenges...and I thought it was worth the trouble, although you won't see his name posted on my favorite authors' list!

I've started House of the Spirits and got right into the "spirit" of that book! Allende sure can weave a story.

Donna- I read House of the Spirits back in the 80s! I have never read anything else by Allende. I'm not sure why.

Hi Donna, Yikes - I lost you for 73 messages! I'm still having hard drive issues so am down a computer and time on-line is limited for me.

I tried to read Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang which sounded like something I should really like but I couldn't get into it at all. Sounds like I'm not the only one.

eta: I just realized I didn't miss you for as long as I thought. I feel better now.

Hi! Just trying to catch up on a few LT threads and wanted to drop by and say hello!

The Twin sounds interesting . . .

Hi Donna, Just stopping by to say, Hope you have a nice day!!

Well, I'm adding Parrot and Oliver in America to my TBR list after reading your review. It, the story and content, appeals to me and I will let you know when I read it how I do with Peter Carey's writing.

Donna- Have you read Crazy in Alabama? I see it's in your library. After I finished the audio of the excellent Ava's Man, this book was mentioned as a recommended memoir. Just curious!

just catching up with you :)

>74 Copperskye:: Joanne, sorry about your computer troubles. I thought it was pretty quiet in CO these days. I hope we're still on for August 22.

>75 tymfos:: Alwas good to see you here, Terri. Even on a "fly by"!

>76 tjblue:: Hi Tammy...see message 75. ;-) I hope you have a nice day, too. Mine would be better if it would cool off here!

>77 womansheart:: Yay! I got a taker! As I said earlier and in my review, Ruth, the book is slow going at first, so hang in there. And, of course, you won't hurt my feelings if you don't. There are too many wonderful books out there to read one that isn't working for you.

>73 msf59:, 78: Mark, I'm loving The House of the Spirits, although there is not much love from the touchstones for this book. I've enjoyed Allende's other books, too; some more than others.

Yes, I read it, Mark. It was crazy! Sorry, couldn't resist. Is that the one where the woman drives around with the head in her car? That's about all I remember except that it was more fun than macabre. Not up to the standards of Ava's Man but a funny story told with a definite southern flair.

>79 mckait:: Hi, Kath, I'm just catching up here myself!

Home at last and skimming threads. Glad to see you are just inches away from 75! You go girl :0)

Am reading, enjoying thread, but brain dead..... August doldrums?

Just waving as I go through the threads, Donna. Hope you have a great evening!

passing through and catching up :) have a great weekend

>80 Donna828: Donna - Positively!! Absolutely!! I'll send you guys an email over the weekend to firm up the time and get cell numbers just in case.

Hopefully the weather will be a little cooler and drier than what you've had this summer!

>85 Copperskye:, Looking forward to it!

>81 Carmenere:: Welcome home, Lynda! Yup, I'm inching along here. My life will get busier in the fall so it will be nice to have reached my reading goal ahead of time. It's been too hot to do much else lately but read!

>82 sibylline:: Oh yeah, big time August doldrums here!

>83 alcottacre:, 84: Waving at Stasia and Kara as they breeze through. You guys have a great week end, too!

>85 Copperskye:, 86: Can't wait!!!

I found this quote about books in my latest read, House of the Spirits:

His (Jaime's) bedroom was a tunnel of books, the walls covered from floor to ceiling with shelves full of volumes no one ever dusted because he always locked his door; they made a perfect nest for spiders and mice... During an earthquake that Clara neglected to predict, they heard a roar like that of a derailed train, and when they were able to open the door they saw that the bed had been buried beneath an avalanche of books.

I guess books can be dangerous to one's health!

#87: Well, if I have to go in an avalanche of books seems highly appropriate to me!

Thanks for sharing the quote, Donna. Have a great weekend!

Hi Donna, just waving as I catch up. Glad you're enjoying The House of the Spirits, I'm hoping to get to that one later this month.

>ooh, that's a good book. I read it years ago, and always meant to read other books by Allende, but never have.

Hi Donna, Finally found you. I did post some of my favorites on my thread.

Mark@78--But Crazy in Alabama is not a memoir--it's a novel. It would make a pretty strange memoir (not to mention strange memoirist) admitting to driving to California with her husband's head in a tupperware bowl.

I read The House of the Spirits, a LONG time ago and loved it.. I think I have another one or two of hers around here. .. but not sure. I too would like to read more.

aruba- Thanks for the clarification! I was mistaken!

#92: LOL!

#92 LOL That would be strange!

>91 cindysprocket:: Thanks, Cindy, I'll check them out...well, two of them; I have the Theroux book already. Maybe I'll read it one of these days!

>92 arubabookwoman:: It's not any crazier than some of the stuff I read in the newspaper these days! Several years ago there was a woman in southern Missouri who rode around in her car with her husband's body to keep it from decomposing in the heat. Apparently, she propped him in the front seat so he could be closer to the AC vents. Talk about crazy!

>93 mckait:: I think I'll finish The House of the Spirits today. It's heading for a high rating! It has totally gripped me.

That is a cool quiz! (way up at message #19)- gosh, I pull my head in for a few days and all of a sudden you've got a new thread with nearly 100 posts! Busy traffic area around here. And a good read in itself!

>98 LovingLit:: Thanks, Megan. You ought to do the quiz. It's fun! Some people are waiting until the end of the year when they have more books to choose from in their reading lists. I may "update" my version then!

Well, I've been in the clutches of a *gasp* 5-star book for the past several days. I know Isabel Allende is not everyone's cup of tea, but the last two I read by her really touched my heart. I'll be reading more of her books for sure!

Book No. 71: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. 4.8 stars.

This is going to be a strange book review. It’s more about the author than the book. After reading her account in the autobiographical Paula, I knew I had to read The House of the Spirits. In Paula, Allende writes about a goodbye letter to her beloved grandfather in Chile:

“…I wanted to tell him not to worry, that nothing would be lost of the treasury of anecdotes he had told me through the years of our comradeship; I had forgotten nothing. Soon he died, but the story I had begun to tell had enmeshed me, and I couldn’t stop. Other voices were speaking through me; I was writing in a trance, with the sensation of unwinding a ball of yarn, driven by the same urgency I feel as I write now. At the end of a year the pages had grown to five hundred, filling a canvas bag, and I realized that this was no longer a letter. Timidly, I announced to my family that I had written a book.."

I do mention a few things about the actual book over here.

ETA: Interesting that my "blockquote" appears here and not in the review as I intended!

I must read this book again. It was somewhat of a watershed book for me when I read it in 1990? 91? introducing me to the wonderful contemporary Latin American writers, of whom Allende is my favorite. Great review, Donna.

Oh Donna, interesting review. Thumbs up. I've read a few of Allende's but not this one. Yet.

Isabel Allende is another one of those authors that I know I will try someday. Lovely review, Donna!

Glad you enjoyed The House of Spirits Donna. I hope to read Ines of My Soul later this month. Allende is one heck of a writer in mho.

>100 teelgee:: Thanks, Terri. This book is a keeper for me; one that I'll want to reread again. I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations.

>101 brenzi:: I'll be reading more of Allende's books, Bonnie. This one is supposed to be her best and would be hard to beat.

>102 Copperskye:: Our South American writers have a different style, Joanne, that takes getting used to. I like their vivid imaginations and passionate characters.

>103 Carmenere:: Lynda, I'll be interested in your opinion of Ines of My Soul. As I recall, it got mixed reviews. I've read Daughter of Fortune and thought it was pretty good, but Paula and The House of the Spirits were both outstanding. Obviously, I'm in agreement with you that Allende is "one heck of a writer."

>104 Donna828: South American writers can be hit or miss with me. I loved Gabriel Garcia Marquez'sLove in the Time of Cholera but could never get more than 100 or so pages into One Hundred years of Solitude.

Great review, Donna. I definitely have to get to it soon.

I loved Ines of My Soul -- even with the quite graphic violence. I just finished her newest, Island Beneath the Sea, which I LOVED. A five star book for me.

Hi Donna!
I read The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte. (Spanish writer) Are South American writers similar to his style, do you know? I could only take a little of that at a time, and I expect a 'hit or miss" reaction - like Joanne said. Perhaps I should try The House of Spirits since it gets high praise from so many.

>105 Copperskye: I'm adding Love in the Time of Cholera to my wishlist. Looks interesting to me :) Thanks!

Hi Donna :) I read Daughter Of Fortune a long time ago, and enjoyed it. House Of Spirits has been on my TBR pile for awhile now.... moving it up, and good review not strange at all

>105 Copperskye:: Joanne, I struggled through One Hundred Years of Solitude. I remember thinking it might take me 100 years to finish it. And I had to make flow charts to keep all the characters and story lines straight. I'm glad to hear the good news about Love in the Time of Cholera as it sits there on my TBR shelf waiting for attention.

>106 alcottacre:: I hope you enjoy the Allende book, Stasia. The touchstones don't care for it at all! I think it helps to know that it is based on the author's true story; that's why I slanted the review in that direction.

>107 teelgee:: Good to know you liked those two Allende books, Terri. I have Portrait in Sepia and will be looking for her other books. When I find an author I truly love, I like to buy their books for my collection -- even the not-as-good books.

Hi Claudia,

I hit Submit instead of Enter! I haven't read very many Spanish authors at all so I don't know how they compare to the Latin American authors. You may have to let me know!

>109 curlysue:: Hi Kara, and thanks for not thinking my review was strange. I didn't say much about the book at all, but I guess my 5 stars lets everyone know how much I valued my reading experience. Glad to hear you're moving The House of the Spirits up the ol' TBR pile!

Hi, Donna -

Reads as though Allende is your author of the week, if not the month. Hooray! Isn't is wonderful to enjoy special books and authors so very much.

Sending love your way.

R

I'm enjoying the conversation here, as always. Lots of comments have been made about your wonderful review of House of Spirits, but no one has mentioned that it is currently the #1 hot review! Congratulations!

I read Daughter of Fortune earlier this year - my first exposure to Allende, but I hope it won't be my last. I picked up HoS at the Johnson County book sale in June, and I've also added Island Beneath the Sea to the wishlist. Donna, I'm like you - when I find an author I love, I like to read everything they've written.

#108 Claudia, I've read a couple of Perez-Reverte's books and liked them a lot. They were both in his Captain Alistriste series, though. I thought they were much much different than Allende's Daughter of Fortune, but I don't know whether that is only because they are totally different types of stories, or whether they are indicative of the authors' personal styles. I will say, based on my VERY limited exposure to Latin American authors, that Perez-Reverte seems more European in comparison.

Edit to correct grammar.

I enjoyed Daughter of Fortune and Ines of My Soul but Portrait in Sepia was just a 'meh' read for me. I'm going to try to get House of Spirits soon.

Thanks for your feedback, Donna & Sandy. I'll just have to keep reading more books and see what I think... Oh! Such a hardship and sacrifice! ;)

>112 womansheart:: Hi Ruth, I finally read another 5-star book. Thanks for the love...I need all I can get!

>113 sjmccreary:: Sandy, I'm glad you got such a great book at the Johnson County Book Sale. I'm already planning my trip for next year. ;-)

Thanks for answering Claudia's question with your experience. That's the great thing about LT. Somebody usually has the answer to a question.

>114 brenzi:: 'Meh' for Portrait in Sepia, huh? I'll save it for this winter when even a meh book will be a welcome diversion from cold weather.

>115 -Cee-:: Claudia, thank you for your sacrifice. Your LT friends appreciate it!

I was so excited to come home tonight and find a box with frog tee-shirts on the island in the kitchen. My husband had a dozen made with the TIOLI logo. Now, what to do with them???? Oh, I put two pictures on my Profile. Don't look at the ol' hag of a model...just the shirt. It's a beauty!

Donna, I love the t-shirts! They came out great.

Old hag??? You're gorgeous! Great shirt, too!

>116 Donna828:, cool photos! Great Tshirt, very fun!!

#116 Tres chic!

Oh, how cute! Lovely model! :)

Nice T!

Are tote bags next? You could start a business.

#116 Lovely pic! But I’m curious. What are the t-shirt frogs doing?

Nice T-shirt & photos! :)

Naturally, I had to look at the photos on your home page after the positive comments left. I particularly liked the one of the view from your deck! Lovely!

Thanks, all! Joanne, it is a very small part of the business we own. Full disclosure here. We make and sell luggage primarily for airline pilots and flight attendants. As part of that business, we provide personalization services and own one of those big fancy embroidery machines. Some airlines like to provide low cost t-shirts and other products (yes, maybe even tote bags!) for their employees, so we have a business partnership with a screen-printing company. They are the ones who did the t-shirts!

>123 Porua:: Porua, the frogs are...ready for this?....playing leap-frog! The whole shirt idea came out of the logo designed by Cheli (cyderry) for the Take It Or Leave It Challenge (TIOLI) in the 75 Book Challenge Group. Here's a link to explain that part of it! The leap-frog is part of a fun meter where members can jump over each other as they read more books! It's a fun group to belong to, but my little frog doesn't get very high up the meter. That may be more than you really wanted to know. LOL

Cute shirt, Donna! :)

I don't know what your beef is with the model. What happened, did she curse you out while you kidnapped her from a Victoria's Secret catalogue shoot or somethin'? ;)

i love frogs, and i like the shirt Donna. real cute

Very cool shirt Donna. You're a great model!

skipping through and wondering how I missed seeing a shirt...:P

You have to go to my Profile to see it, Kath. I'm trying to avoid photos and book covers to help those with dial-up systems. I also posted the picture on the TIOLI thread.

Thanks for the nice compliments, Stephen, Kara, and Bonnie. I'm expecting some strange looks when I wear my shirt out in public. I plan to wear it for our 11.5 hour drive to Colorado tomorrow because it's so comfy. And, to answer your question, Stephen, I kidnapped a model from the Grandma edition of V.S.! Uhhhh, let's not go there, okay?

Book No. 72: Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee. 3.8 stars.

English is protagonist Henry Park's second language, but he (along with the author, who is Korean by birth) displays a masterful fluidity of the language. Henry is estranged from his Caucasian wife due in part to his emotional aloofness that was passed down by his taciturn father. How ironic that silence plays such an important role in a book featuring language...from his father's language of the fruit stand and cash register all the way to the language of social justice represented by the "money club" called a ggeh that redistributes funds based on need.

Read more here.

Donna, I just saw your review on my home page and thumbed it. I bought Native Speaker recently and am looking forward to getting to it. So far, I've only read A Gesture Life which I really liked.

Thanks, Pat, you are quick! I've liked all 3 of his books. Aloft was my favorite, I think, although it's been a couple years since I read it. Native Speaker was very deep, and I may have rushed the reading of it too much. I wanted to get it done and reviewed before we head west tomorrow.

We won't make it quite to your part of the country, but we have an 11.5 to 12 hour drive to Denver to visit my oldest son and his wife. I'd say "just shoot me," but I'm actually looking forward to listening to the audio books I picked out. My husband's first choices were already checked out, darn it. ;-)

Ooh, I forgot I have Aloft sitting on my shelves from a used bookstore run. Glad you liked that one too. Hope you have a good trip (and some good audio books)!

I also have Aloft sitting unread on my shelf. I'm glad to hear you liked it Donna.

Safe travels to you and enjoy your audio books!! The weather is lovely, just a little warm.

See you Sunday! :) (If you wear your TIOLI T-shirt, we'll have NO problem finding you!)

Love the shirt! I'm really looking forward to Sunday.

Like Terri, I'm probably due for a reread of The House of the Spirits. I'm sure I read it about 15 years ago. Your review makes me want to relive it -- hope I still have it!

Nice review of Native Speaker, Donna. Although my local library does not have that particular book, it does have several of Lee's other novels including Aloft, so I will give that one a try.

Have a good time in Colorado, Donna and a safe trip.

#126 Frogs playing leap-frog. That's really funny! Have a safe trip, Donna.

I read Aloft a number of years ago Donna and really liked it. Then I picked up what he wrote next, and for whatever reason, couldn't get through it and gave up. I've not tried anything else since. There's another library sale coming up in a few weeks so I think I'll look for something by him and give him another go.

Sounds like you're going to be meeting up with a couple 75ers on your trip to Colorado. What fun! Have a great time.

Great review of Native Speaker, Donna; I read it several years ago, and you reminded me of what I did and didn't like about it.

Hello from Colorado! Twelve hours in the car yesterday, and my husband and I are still friends. We had a bad moment (I did anyway) when one of my books on CD turned out to be flawed. It was The Meadow, the one I particularly wanted to listen to! I could tell when we got to Clara's journal: "Washed today; canned beans today; spent the day darning socks..." that it was putting hubby to sleep (and he was driving!), but I was lovin' it and then it started skipping to the point of "let's try something else."

Montana, 1948 behaved perfectly and, Joanne was right, Beau Bridges was the perfect narrator. We both loved it, but it was too short! I succumbed to carcolepsy and let hubby listen to his talk radio shows across western Kansas and eastern Colorado. Crossing my fingers that The Prince of Frogtown will work properly from our return trip home on Monday!

Sorry about going on and on...I'm just so thrilled to be back in my "second home." After living here for a good part of the '90's, it feels great to be back, especially in August! Had a lovely walk in the cool, non-humid air this morning.

Thanks to all who read and thumbed my Native Speaker review. I hope to find some time while my husband is "working" up in Golden today to catch up on what everyone else is reading. Sometimes I go with him, but would like to spend the time with my son. That is the purpose of this trip -- although the meet-up with LT friends at the Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch on Sunday is a pretty close second! I'll try and get a picture of the five of us and post it here.

Donna - hope you have a wonderful weekend. Looking forward to the picture. Safe travels.

Hi Donna- I see you've been quite busy while I was away! All frog T-shirts and good reviews! Native Speaker sounds wonderful. I now have 2 of his books in the stacks, The Surrendered & A Gesture Life and need to get to one of them. Have a great time in Colorado, I love this state as well. I lived in Limon for a year or so and still have family in the Grand Junction and Montrose areas.
BTW- Love the pix! I did not see any old hags, either! Also sorry to hear about The Meadow! Major bummer!

Dear Donna - I hope that you have a wonderful time. Sorry to hear about the bad CD of The Meadow. I hate it, too when things don't fall into place just the way we expect them to. Oh, well. Montana, 1948 sounds really good though. I like Beau Bridges, too.

I added Native Speaker to my library, TBR category. Sorry, if I already mentioned this, I can't remember.

Have fun. Relax. Enjoy the wonderful weather. And, also your family members and LT Firends.

Sending love your way.

You have my respect, woman! 12 hours in the car and still happy!!!
You also have my thumb on Native Speaker and I have yet another new book/author to wish for. Furthermore, you have my envy for cool and non-humid, and I say that with deep feeling!
Enjoy your 2nd home time and be safe on your return trip!

12 hours in the car and still happy!!!

I'd say 12 hours in the car and still able to move all your body parts?? That's too long for me. I'm pretty cramped after about 6. I know, I'm acting very old.

So glad you are having a wonderful time!

I succumbed to carcolepsy

I had to laugh at that comment but know exactly what you mean. Sounds like you're having a wonderful time. Hope you can get a picture of your LT meetup.

Yes, definitely post pictures of the LT meet up! Safe travels for you and your hubby, Donna.

12 hours in a car??? at one time?? And you are still friends...?
You have my undying respect.

Ditto what Kath said! Will and I traveled 12 hours each way to Princeton Maine...It got downright ugly at times, especially when I had to stop for potty breaks more often than said partner thought necessary.

Okay, guys, I didn't say I was happy about 12 hours in a car! And, it could have gotten ugly when The Meadow failed me and I had to listen to Rush Limbaugh. What a time to forget my I-Pod!!!

We usually stop in KC which is three hours from our home; making it a reasonable 9 hour trip the next day. For various reasons, we bit the bullet and did it this way. We still have the option of stopping my our daughter's house on the way home (that door is always open to us), but we both have things to do on Tuesday so.....we'll see how "friendly" that leg of the trip goes. We've had more togetherness on this trip than we have had all summer!

I'm gettting a little bit of reading done in the Louise Penny book I brought. I am trying to get caught up to everyone with these books. Today is the day we go to the Denver Art Museum to see the King Tut exhibit. It should be interesting with my son on crutches. He had a cyst burst behind his knee 10 days ago and is feeling better, but it's hard for him to walk any distance without at least one crutch. We're going to make a quick stop (I'm allotted 30 minutes) at the Tattered Cover's new location. I just need to check it out; I'll get my real book fix tomorrow when the LT gang meets.

Sounds like you're having a great time! In spite of Rush Limbaugh. I lean to the right, but would still rather listen to the tires on the pavement than to him. I think doing that earned you at least 30 minutes in the book store!

Hi, Donna -

Enjoy everything. Have fun. Eat yummy food you don't have time to make at home. Read a great book. Get extra rest. Use your wit and wonderful sense of humor.

Just stopping in to leave a friendly and loving note.

Life is good.

Ruthie

I miss the Tattered Cover in Cherry Creek. The LoDo location is the next best thing. We visit the new location at least once a year. We shop first, then eat at the Ethiopian place about two blocks away, then visit the Greek bakery across the street. Then you can roll us home :) I can't wait to hear about the King Tut exhibit -- I haven't been yet. I hope your son was able to enjoy the day despite his knee.

Donna
What members of our group will you be meeting?

Have a great time at the LT meet up, Donna! If you are ever down Texas way again, I hope we can meet up some time.

Have fun!! I'd love to meet some LTers someday.

>155 sjmccreary:: Hi Sandy, my crew was very patient with me at the TC. My DIL likes to read so I kept saying "Oh, this is good, you'd love this one," etc. She is reading Eat, Pray, Love now so we were able to talk about that.

Tires on the pavement would have been welcome. I kind of like quiet in the car occasionally when I'm driving by myself, but my husband has to fill every void with either the TV or radio. Luckily, I'm getting good at tuning these background noises out.

>156 womansheart:: Ruthie, that's wonderful advice about yummy food. Rebecca made kabobs and Chinese noodles last night for us. That's about it for good food so far. We've been doing lots of takeaway in deference to my son's knee. Getting in and out of cars and up and down from tables is hard for him right now.

>157 AMQS:: Anne, I'm glad we didn't know about the ethnic food in the area, esp. the Greek bakery. We would have had trouble waddling around the Tut Exhibit. Quite crowded and lots of walking. We pushed Mike in a wheelchair!

>158 Whisper1:: Linda....there will be four of us meeting. Anne (above), Joanne (Coppers), Jenn (nittnut), and me. Julie (Jhedlund) lives in Boulder and can't make it this time, but hopefully we'll be able to do this again.

>159 alcottacre:: Absolutely, Stasia. With a new granddaughter being born at the end of September, Texas won't be able to keep me away! I'll let you know when I'm traveling solo, and we can arrange a meeting place. As you know, I drive right by your fair city on my way from Missouri to Plano.

#161: Sounds like a deal, Donna! I look forward to it.

Donna- Have a great time with the gang! Give everyone a hug for me! Take pix!

Hi Donna - Looking forward to seeing you later! Did you bring this hot weather with you? Thanks for leaving the humidity behind!

>161 Donna828: - Speaking of bakeries, there is a new Duffyroll bakery up on Broadway. MMmmmm...!! I also want to hear about the Tut exhibit. We probably won't get to it until later in the fall.

Just stopping by to say hello!

Have a great time!

Four LT members had a lovely 3-hour conversation about books and assorted other topics at the Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch, CO, yesterday. It was so much fun that I hope we get to do it again.

From left to right....
Me, Anne (AMQS), Joanne (coppers), Jenn (nittnut).

I've spent another long day in the car so I'm not very chatty tonight for some reason. I've unpacked, washed the car, gone to the library and grocery store, and I'm pooped!

While I'm here, I'll list the two books that we listened to on our road trip. Both were very enjoyable. I read Montana, 1948 sometime in the 1990's, but apparently it's one of those that hasn't gotten put in my library.

Book No. 73: Montana, 1948 by Larry Watson. 4.5 stars
Wonderful coming-of-age story about family secrets and justice. I love the way the story unfolded and how it impacted the family and community in this lovely setting. Perfectly narrated by Beau Bridges.

Book No. 74: The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg. 4.2 stars.
The author narrated this one, lending an authentic southern voice to the third book in this trilogy about growing up in poverty in Alabama. It was interesting how Bragg reconstructed the story of the father he barely remembered in conjunction with the ongoing story of becoming a stepfather to a 10-year-old boy. Very moving.

Great picture of you guys! Thanks for posting it. Sounds like it was a wonderful trip.

wow- you guys meeting up sounds like such a cool idea! New Zealand doesn't seem to have so many LTers so I think it might be a tad hard for me....lucky I have my old fashioned book club to talk books with!

Montana, 1948 sounds great, Ill have to check that one out I think.

Glad you made it home safely, Donna. I posted the same sentiment somewhere else, but obviously on the wrong thread, lol.

How nice it sounds :) and what a great pic. Thank yo for posting it.. and I m glad that you were able to meet up.

168 Montana, 1948 was a good one.

Great picture Donna! I'm glad everyone was able to stop talkig about books for 2.4 seconds to say cheese. :0)

Beautiful ladies with happy faces and warm hearts! Love the picture!

What a treat to see the picture of the four of you that met up in Highlands Ranch, CO. Really neat!

Thanks for taking and posting the photo.

I agree with Claudia in post #172, above, happy faces one and all.

Glad you are home, Donna. Time for a break?

Lovely to see that photo! I'm glad you all had a good time.

Great picture - glad the trip was a good one and you made it safely home. Also interested to note that, in your list of essential "just got home from the trip" chores, you included a trip to the library!

Hi Donna, Love that picture and so glad you were able to get together. Isn't it fun to put a face to the name and find out how much you have in common? I've got to get to Montana 1948. It's right there....on my shelf....beckoning to me.

Great pic! Glad you had a good time.

Hi Donna! Love the picture! :)

Maybe we'll publicize our next Rocky Mountain High LT meeting and have a bigger crowd next year. It was such fun!

Sandy, a trip to the library was essential or they would have sent The Girl Who Played With Fire back to the reservations gods. I've waited too long for that to happen.

Stephen, I'm glad to see a new thread for you. I'm still in recovery mode from all that driving we did and can't handle 100 new messages on your old thread. Thanks for making my life easier!

Hello to all who admired the picture. I'm going to stand behind the chair in the next one! Either that or give up pizza. :-)

Give up pizza?????!!!!!! Never! Besides, you look great - pleeassse! We are always our own worst critics.

I wonder how many others are close by here? The more the merrier!

Donna, you all looked great in the picture! Definitely, publicize your next Rocky Mtn High LT meeting. Denver is not that far away from Boise and I have family in Fort Collins. If I can, I'd love to come.

>180 Copperskye:: you look great...

Now everyone can see why it was such a great meeting. These women are all well-read and KIND to boot!

>181 phebj:: Pat, we did talk about moving the next meeting a little bit further north and west to accommodate our friend in Boulder who couldn't make the meeting. Sounds like that would help you out as well. ;-)

I think I'm going to go see if I remember how to read. I have a Louise Penny book that has been calling my name all day!

Bonnie

I highly recommend Montana 1948!

Donna, I've been to many states, but not Colorado. How great it would be to save up my $ and make the trek to meet you all.

Thanks for giving us loners a vicarious thrill with the picture! I'm envious, but delighted that you all were able to get together. I repeat: anybody who drives I-95 through N.C. should let me know when you're coming!

Anyone going to Chicago or Milwaukee, or even St Louis, or going to a mystery conference, please let me know.

>183 Whisper1: Linda, You know, Colorado is a great place to vacation...!

Colorado is not that far from Texas, right? Maybe a meet up next year I can make.

We may have to reserve a convention center for next year's Rocky Mountain High meeting!

>184 LizzieD:: Peggy, NC sounds like a delightful place to visit. You'd better keep a pan of brownies in the freezer just in case people take you up on your offer!

Book No. 75: The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny. 3.7 stars.

Ta-Da!!!

April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire...
~T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land

Perfect epigraph for the third book in the Three Pines series. The season is Easter and Ms. Penny centers the story on two seances, one occurring in the old Hadley Mansion that is the scene of previous sorrow and seems to be haunted.

I liked Chief Inspector Gamache's reflections on Eliot's words. He talks about the unpredictable spring weather in Quebec that often kills the early-blooming plants, but goes on to project the thought of "how difficult it was for those who didn't bloom when all about was new life and hope." (Page 248). He is always a keen observer of life around him.

Once again, Three Pines weaves its magic spell around the unsettled population as they wonder who in their midst could have murdered a popular newcomer. While Inspector Gamache is trying to unravel the mystery, he is dealing with the more personal mystery of who is trying to ruin his life and career as an old scandal continues to haunt him. Lots of twists and turns in this one.

Hi Donna. Good review. I just finished A Fatal Grace so I'll be getting to The Cruelest Month soon.

And anyone who wants to travel to the Bethlehem, Easton, Allentown, PA area is more than welcome to visit me.

190- I hope to meet you soon! :)

Yes, I think it will happen! Stasia and I will connect with you Sunday night, the 12th, after we return from Richard's party.

Oh, what a special weekend it will be!

Congratulations, Donna!

Congratulations on reading 75 books! :)

Congrats Donna! You did a great job! And I'm right behind you, so watch it!

congratulations on 75!!!

Congratulations on reaching 75 Donna, and what a great book for no. 75!

Liked the photo and story of your meet up with other LT folk earlier.

Way to go, Donna!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Donna!

Woo-Hoo! You did it! #75. I have yet to read Louise Penny. So many books, so little time.

Thanks to all of you for the congratulations. You know, I always say it isn't about the numbers... but there is a feeling of satisfaction in reaching the goal! I "celebrated" by putting my books in order according to the number of stars I gave them. I know how to have fun!! In doing so, I changed a few ratings by half a star. It was interesting to do this exercise and compare the books I've read so far this year. I read a lot of 4-star books!

I came up with the following numbers:
5 Stars -- 4 books
4.5* --- 11
4 stars - 35
3.5* --- 13
3 stars - 10
2.5* --- 2

I saved my list and will post it when I start my new thread sometime in September.

I'll watch my back, Mark. I'm surprised you haven't passed me with all the good reading you've been doing lately.

Heather, I purposely chose a "winner" for No. 75. I'm still trying to catch up with the Three Pines group. I don't want to miss the bus!

Tammy, I think you would like this series. Comfort reads for me with a bit of mystery and a ton of atmosphere!

Angela, we need a picture when you meet with Linda and Stasia. It is so cool to make the connection in person. I look forward to meeting more LT friends "in the flesh" in the future.

Donna, I was so focused on your review of The Cruelest Month that I totally missed that it was your 75th book! Belated Congratulations.

I "celebrated" by putting my books in order according to the number of stars I gave them. I know how to have fun!! That was very funny.

I also am anxious to see a picture of the PA/LT meetup group.

You sure know how to have a celebration Donna. Surrounded by all your favorite people things.

just passing through and trying to catch up on all your wonderful reads :) congrats on #75

Congrats on reaching 75, Donna!!

Well I was reading your review of the Penny book and never noticed you reached 75. Congratulations Donna. Well done. I'm not sure I'll see that number this year but I'm having way too much fun attempting it to have any regrets :)

Congrats on reaching #75, Donna! I'm reading The Cruellest Month at this very minute.

>202 Donna828:: ooh, I love data analysis about people's reading!! I have a spreadsheet to track several stats (# books, pages, ratings, author gender, book "chunkiness", etc. etc.) ... so far this year, after 55 books, my rating averages 3.6.

Congrats on book #75, Donna! :-)

Meanwhile, I’m still a few behind #50. Wish I had more time. :-(

Thanks, guys, for even more congrats! Will you all come back if I make it to 100 this year?

Janet, I hope you're enjoying The Cruelest Month. I love how the spelling changes depending on which country you're in. Mine matches the spelling on my copy of the book, but I notice the touchstone has the "2 L" spelling. Well, however, it's spelled, I'm pretty sure you will like it!

Laura, I have an overall rating average of 3.6, but that is for the 1,000+ books in my entire library. By just eyeballing my little chart, I suspect this year's average would be closer to 4*. I'll ask my husband, the CPA, who lives and breathes numbers.

Porua, remember "it's not about the numbers!" Besides, you read mind-bending tomes and write NYT-worthy reviews so you get no sympathy from me. :-)

You have a very nice normal curve distribution on your ratings!

>212 ronincats:: resisting temptation to create a graph.

WooHoo!!!! 75! and so early in the year... Great job!
glitter-graphics.com

OK... I started in April and my goal is 50 books... ahhh that would be 50 by next APRIL. At the rate I am going, I might make it. How DO you do it?

I think once I become less obsessed with LT, I'll have more time to actually read. I barely have time to read all the reviews... nevermind the books! :)

Hi Roni, Laura, and Claudia.

Feel free to make a graph, Laura, as I don't know how. But I do know how to average....duh. My 75 books averaged out to 3.84 stars, just a bit above the average rating for my entire library. Hmmmm...does that mean I'm getting "easier" or I'm reading better books?

Claudia, you asked how I do it? I'm one of the lightweight readers around here!

Right now I'm juggling three books which is unusual for me. Seems like I've been picking at How Proust Can Change Your Life forever. I need to finish it and get it back to the library. Ditto for The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet which I've been immersed in for two days. I'm loving it! And I need to get going on Madame Bovary for next week's book discussion at the local library.

I almost wish the weather hadn't turned out to be so pleasant this week. I owe it to my garden to spend some time out there this week end. Other than that, I can read, as DH is going bye-bye for a few days early next week.

Congrats on reaching 75 Donna! You're on track for 100 by year-end.

Donna- How are you? I'm glad you are enjoying The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I recently picked up (thanks to Bonnie & Stasia) a new copy of Cloud Atlas, so I'll be getting to that one first. I've heard very good things about Mitchell's work!

Love the picture you posted. It is nice to have faces to put with names.

I enjoyed your review of The Cruelest Month. I am looking forward to reading more in this series, as I have only read the first book.

Congrats on reading 75!!

*Waits to see the graph*

I'm resisting The Thousand Autumns at the moment (I've told myself I can buy it when it's out in paperback) - but resisting became much harder after reading Cloud Atlas and liking it so much.

No way I am catching up....

You mentioned in my thread about getting to appreciate short stories..
That is a good thing.. and I have often thought that they would make good bedtime reading.. but..
:P

Maybe someday.. just not now.

A quick look here .. looks like some more meet ups are in the works.. what fun!

>220 Eat_Read_Knit:: still firmly resisting temptation (re: graph) ...

Wow! Congratulations on the 75!!! You read some good ones! And by all means read to 100 and expect celebrations!
I really stopped by to tell you that my current profile picture is a fuzzy one of last year's cereus bloom. You can get some idea of its frilly loveliness even if you can't smell it.

>216 Copperskye:: Hi Joanne, not sure if I'll make 100. I read 92 last year. My reading slows down as my life speeds up in the fall and early winter months!

>217 msf59:: Mark, the only previous book I read by D. Mitchell was Black Swan Green which was a great coming-of-age story. I like how all his books are so different. I own Cloud Atlas and will get to it sometime. The Thousand Autumns has captured me to the point where I'm resenting my busy day today. At least I get another lunch out with friends!

>218 chinquapin:: Welcome to my thread, Chinquapin. I enjoy the Three Pines books for a brief vacation from some of the heavier books I've been reading. I've already reserved No. 4 in the series and own No. 5. I want to get them read before Bury Your Dead is released.

I see you live in Ft. Worth. Can you recommend any great bookstores in the Dallas area? My son and DIL recently moved to Plano, and I will be a more frequent visitor when cooler weather -- and my new granddaughter -- arrive!

>219 AMQS:: Thanks, Anne! I hope school is going well for you. I know you'll do a wonderful job with your student teaching!

>220 Eat_Read_Knit:: Caty, I'm *waiting* for that graph as well! I'm glad to hear more good things about Cloud Atlas. I got The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (that's a mouthful) from the library. *Waiting* isn't my strong suit!

>221 mckait:: Hi Kath, yup...some of those short stories will put you right to sleep! It is so much fun getting to meet LT friends in person. I highly recommend the experience!

>222 lauralkeet:: Hi Laura -- see Message 220 and my reply to it. Some of us are computer challenged and can't do cool things like make graphs.

>223 LizzieD:: I'm still disappointed for you, Peggy. At least you do have a picture of last year's bloom. My Moonflowers are going crazy! Stop by anytime.

Wow, Donna, I was so caught up in Three Pines, and thinking about meeting Linda and Stasia, that I completely forgot to say...Congratulations on 75 books!

I will try to get a picture when I meet up with Linda and Stasia...I know Stasia will not love it...but I hate getting my photo taken too (I'm very self conscious about my appearance)...if I can do it, so can anyone! :D

>211 Donna828:: Finished The Cruellest Month and of course I loved it. I also liked your comments on it, which I didn't read until after I finished the book. I KNOW no one here would dream of writing any spoilers, I am just so paranoid that I might THINK something is a spoiler that I need to stay away from all reviews. Must move on to #4 quickly.

#211 "...Besides, you read mind-bending tomes and write NYT-worthy reviews so you get no sympathy from me."

*Blushes* Thanks!

Congrats on reaching #75! (And a fine book for the milestone, too!!!)

>222 lauralkeet:: oh yes, Donna, I understand. By no means am I expecting YOU to create a graph!! I happen to love numbers, graphs, and computers and analysis (in another group I participate in, I created graphs of member height and eye color ... well, it made sense at the time ...) So it was tempting to do something with your ratings distribution, but so far I have successfully resisted that temptation. :)

Thank you all for stopping by. I'm sorry there will be no pretty graph to see on this thread. Laura is still resisting that temptation!

I'm kind of puzzled about the last book I read. I really wanted to like it, but I'm feeling slightly annoyed with myself for finishing it this evening. I had way too much stuff I didn't want to do crammed into my day which seemed to carry over into my reading. Ah well, things always look better in the morning so maybe I can think of some worthwhile things to say about it tomorrow.

Here you go, Donna:

Ohhhhhh....beeeeautiful....quick, call the paramedics....my heart is racing so! Thank you so much, Caty for the beautiful graph! I am in your debt.

Look at all those 4-star books. I think I may have another 2.5 star one to add to the mix. I've been pondering my review and rating for my last book so long that I am thoroughly sick and tired of thinking about it! I'm off to write my review. I'll be back quickly so I can feast my eyes on that lovely graph.

Book No. 76: How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton. 2.8 stars.

Okay, so it's not a novel. It admits that right there in the subtitle. So if it's not a novel, what is it? I can't decide whether Botton has written a book of literary criticism or self-help. Maybe both...or neither. Rambling bits and pieces of Marcel Proust's philosophy are presented in nine "How to..." chapters. But why should anyone expect to learn how to change their life from a man who stayed in bed for 14 years writing a long-winded book?

There's more of my gentle rant over here.

>232 Eat_Read_Knit:: a masterpiece, a true work of art. CatyM, you are my hero!

:)

But why should anyone expect to learn how to change their life from a man who stayed in bed for 14 years writing a long-winded book?

*chuckles*

I think that chart is a revelation! And look at those 4 star books! I'm awestruck! No wonder we are LT soulmates!

I wish I could do graphs! I actually don't have any of the Microsoft programs on my computer, and I'm not sure of any other way to do it outside of Excel.

Google docs, my friend...

#234: I enjoyed that one more than you did, Donna, perhaps because I was reading it alongside Proust rather than on its own. Oh well, better luck with your next read!

Love the graph, love your enthusiasm over it more!!

>234 Donna828: I felt similarly on the Proust book, a bit of a dud amongst his other good ones, I thought.

Nice chart! Wouldn't it be cool if LT would generate one based on our ratings?
Then it could sit on our profiles.. just a dream..

#242: But there is one, Kath - you can click on your 'Statistics/Memes' tab from your home page and bring up your library statistics, which includes all your ratings.

239: Never used it. It's online isn't it? I'd prefer something I could download so I could save graphs as I edit them overtime while reading my books throughout the year. Is that possible with Google Docs? I'll have to give it a try if I can. If it's all online I probably won't be able to use it because I have an extremely slow internet connection.

ETA: Tried it. It's WAY too slow. I need a program, I might have an Excel disc around here somewhere...

Nice review of How Proust Can Change Your Life, Donna. I'll remove this from my wish list, but I hope to start reading Proust in the future (probably not before 2012, though).

I'd love to read Proust so I think I'll join Darryl in 2012. Wow talk about planning ahead. Right now, I can't even say which book I'm reading next!

>245 kidzdoc:, 246: Darryl and Bonnie...2012 it is! I'll join in with you two. It may take us the entire year!! Darryl, we're counting on you to remind us. ;-)

>240 alcottacre:: I agree with you, Stasia. The Botton would have been much more meaningful if I were reading Proust at the same time.

I took Swann's Way out of the library after seeing alot of people post about it during the group read here on LT. It was a little too daunting so I took it back without reading it but if the 3 of you (Darryl, Bonnie and Donna) go ahead with the 2012 read, I'll join you!

>248 phebj:: I think the more support we have in reading Proust, the better success we will have! Glad to have you aboard, Pat. I just hope we can remember this great idea.

I had planned to read all afternoon, but then a friend stopped by. I couldn't very well turn her away as she had some pretty cool toys she was passing down to our grandson. We have an overstock of girls toys here which will be a problem when he gets a little older. At age 2, he doesn't mind sitting at the princess table having a tea party! Anyway, we had a nice visit, but The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is beginning to be a little neglected.

I also had to go pick up a few cards for upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, and the wedding we're going to over Labor Day week end. Borders just happens to be on the way to the Hallmark store, so....

Let's just say my afternoon wasn't a total bust. I came away with The Children's Book by Byatt and Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier. That will teach my husband to go out of town on Sunday!

#249: You picked up two very good books, Donna! I hope you enjoy them both.

Thanks stasia ... if I ever get my brain back I may have a look.

Just doing a thread revival here. I'll probably begin a new one tomorrow...and, with any luck, I'll have at least one new book to post. I am trying to read Madame Bovary for my RL book group Thursday night. It's pretty dry (i.e., boring) so I read it until my brain goes numb, then read some more of Jacob de Zoet which I'm really liking. My problem is that I'm running out of "Jacob" and M.B. just goes on and on and...

I like to think I can find something redeeming in just about any book. Here is a book quote from Madame Bovary that I liked... (Pg. 81)

...what is better than to sit by one's fireside in the evening with a book, while the wind beats against the window and the lamp is burning?...One thinks of nothing, the hours slip by. Motionless we traverse countries we fancy we see, and our thought, blending with the fiction, playing with the details, follows the outline of the adventures. It mingles with the characters, and it seems as if it were ourselves palpitating beneath their costumes.

#252: I like that quote, Donna. Thanks for sharing it.

I look forward to your thoughts on Jacob de Zoet. I have a copy here waiting patiently for me to read it.

Hi Donna,
That's a good quote. Love it :) I do some of my best traveling in books.

Good quote--like the word "palpitating". I read Madame Bovary so long ago, I don't remember much of it.

Glad you're liking the new Mitchell book. I own Black Swan Green and Cloud Atlas but haven't read either. If I didn't need to read another chunkster for September (Handling Sin) for a book group, I'd read Cloud Atlas for TIOLI this month.

Hi Stasia, Claudia, and Pat. That quote grabbed me and Madame Bovary is beginning to take hold as well. Part 2 is so much better than Part 1 that it's almost like reading a different book. I guess it just takes time to sink into the classics sometimes, especially when read alongside a thoroughly engaging book like Mitchell's Jacob de Zoet.

Pat, I'd like to get to Cloud Atlas before too long. I've heard such good things about it.

#256: Cloud Atlas is a dandy, Donna. I hope you enjoy it once you get to it.

Thread No. 7 is up and running!