DonnaReads Ch. 7 - 'Falling Into Books'

There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love.

~Christopher Morley

May you all read books that you love!







Donna Reads Ch. 6 includes links to past threads for 2010.

Thread No. 7:
*I own this one
**Favorite - Highly recommended

87. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams* - Wayne Johnston
86. Lost - Alice Lichtenstein
85. Same Kind of Different As Me* - Ron Hall, et al.
84. Faithful Place - Tana French
83. The Meadow - James Galvin (audio)**
82. Dreaming in Chinese* - Deborah Fallows
81. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
80. A Rule Against Murder - Louise Penny
79. At Weddings and Wakes* - Alice McDermott
78. Madame Bovary* - Gustave Flaubert
77. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet* - David Mitchell**
76: How Proust Can Change Your Life* - Alain de Botton (discussion on Thread #6)

CatyM was kind to do this graph of my 75 books read for this challenge:



Thanks, Caty!

Obviously, I will continue to read books right up until December 31, 2010 and the depiction may change a bit, but I love this representation of my reading.

My ratings are centered around 4 stars because the great reviews and recommendations on LT help me to decide which books I will enjoy.

I've decided to categorize my books according to my simple rating system. This was a fun project to do!

5-Star Books: Outstanding...
The Moonflower Vine - Jetta Carleton
Light in August - William Faulkner
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende

4.5 Stars: Excellent...
The Solace of Leaving Early - Haven Kimmel
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann
The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
Mountains Beyond Mountains - Tracy Kidder
Paula - Isabel Allende
Beloved - Toni Morrison
Blindness -Jose Saramago
The Once and Future King -T.H. White
In the Company of Angels - Thomas E. Kennedy
Montana 1948 - Larry Watson

4 Stars: Very Good...
A Passage to India - E.M. Forster
A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle
The Seven Storey Mountain - Thomas Merton
The Girls - Lori Lansens
Jazz -Toni Morrison
In the Wake - Per Petterson
The Good Soldiers - David Finkel
The Matisse Stories - A.S. Byatt
King of the Hill/Looking For Miracles - A.E. Hotchner
The Moon Is Down - John Steinbeck
The Plague - Albert Camus
The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
The History of Love - Nicole Krauss
Norwegian Wood - haruki Murakami
An Unquiet Mind - Kay Redfield Jamison
Where the Bluebird Sings...Lemonade Springs - Wallace Stegner
Atticus - Ron Hansen
In The Woods - Tana French
The Likeness - Tana French
Grayson - Lynne Cox
American Salvage - bonnie Jo Campbell
The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie R. King
Being Dead - Jim Crace
My Losing Season - Pat Conroy
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
Dancing at the Rascal Fair - Ivan Doig
Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Fingersmith - Sarah Waters
A Fatal Grace - Louise Penny
Strength In What Remains - Tracy Kidder
This Is Graceanne's Book - P.L Whitney
The Twin - Gerbrand Bakker
Parrot and Olivier in America - Peter Carey
Native Speaker - ChangRae Lee
The Prince of Frogtown - Rick Bragg

3.5 Stars: Good...
Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane
World Without End - Ken Follett
Shadow Tag - Louise Erdrich
Prague - Arthur Phillips
The Postmistress - Sarah Blake
Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice - A.S. Byatt
Specimen Days - Michael Cunningham
Baking Cakes in Kigali - Gaile Parkin
Tinkers - Paul Harding
The Leisure Seekers - Michael Zadoorian
Still Life - Louise Penny
The Birchbark House - Louise Erdrich
The Cruelest Month - Louise Penny

3 Stars: Fair...
A Gate at the Stairs - Lorrie Moore
A Death in Vienna - Daniel Silva
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguru
Cheating At Canasta - William Trevor
Secret Daughter - Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Therapy - David Lodge
An Irish Country Doctor - Patrick Taylor
When the Mississippi Ran Backwards - Jay Feldman
A Girl Named Zippy - Haven Kimmel
Netherland - Joseph O'Neill

2.5 Stars: Not my kind of book...
I Am the Messenger - Markus Zusak
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Cory Doctorow

Here are my projected reads for the TIOLI Challenge...one of my favorite groups. The challenges change every month. They are so creative that I can usually find books on my teetering TBR stashes to fit several categories. But the best thing is: I can Take It Or Leave It!

September...
Challenge No. 1: 'Library Thing' 3-Letter Combo in Title...
Madame Bovary- (ary) - Completed
At Weddings and Wakes (ing) - Completed
The Things They Carried (thi) - Started, but not completed
Dreaming in Chinese (ing) - Completed

Challenge No. 10: Chunkster -480 pages or more...
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (480 pp.) - Completed
The Girl Who Played With Fire (503 pp.) - Completed
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (562 pp.) - Completed

Starred! :)

Starred! I have such mixed feelings about Madame Bovary -- so I am with you.

Welcome to my new thread, Stephen and Lucy!

I'm happy to "lead off' with such a fine work of historical fiction.

Book No. 77: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. 4.3 stars.

This quote will help explain the last line of my review. It occurs early in the book (Pg. 13) when Jacob first realizes that his new life might deliver more excitement and pain than he was counting on.

The pain in Jacob's nose suggests a breakage, but the stickiness on his hands and knees is not blood. Ink, the clerk realizes, hauling himself upright.

Ink, from his cracked inkpot, indigo rivulets and dribbling deltas...
Ink, drunk by thirsty wood, dripping between cracks...
Ink, thinks Jacob, you most fecund of liquids...

Edited for typo in quote.

Hi, Donna. Got you starred. Like your graph and listing of books by stars. Sorry to see you didn't like A Gate at the Stairs that much. I picked that as a book club selection that I'm responsible for in December.

#7 Thanks for that clarification, Donna. I was going to congratulate you on your witty turn of phrase! Saw your review on my home page this morning and thumbed it. I'm really looking forward to reading Mitchell soon.

>8 phebj:: Pat, most people liked A Gate at the Stairs more than I did. It is certainly worthy of discussion. I'd like to hear about your groups' opinions of it - if you can remember to tell me in December! Be sure and post it on your thread where I'll see it.

>9 phebj:: Afraid I'm not clever enough to come up with the word "fecund" on my own. Isn't Mitchell's writing brilliant? Can't wait to read Cloud Atlas. Thanks for the thumb.

Found you and starred you! I'm planning to attempt Madame Bovary one day since I usually enjoy the classics. I'll be watching for your review.

Found you! Looking forward to the fall collection of wonderful books and insightful comments.

Hi Donna, I love the prominently-displayed graph up there! And you may not know it, but you've been an inspiration -- our discussion of ratings prompted this blog post, complete with graphs !

Welcome, Angela, Sandy, and Laura.

I'll try to have some 'insightful comments' on Madame Bovary soon. I have to be finished with it by 6:30 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday). I'm just glad it has moved from the duty-read category to the pleasure read.

>13 lauralkeet:: Your graph is much more interesting than mine, Laura. ;-) Loved your blog comments. I've bookmarked you! How on earth do you find time to keep up on reading, LT, family, and a blog? Oh yes, we musn't forget that 4-letter word....WORK!

Thanks Donna! Well, something's gotta give. For me, it's housework :)

Starred!

Although I’m very fond of classics, well more than the average person anyway, I do not plan on reading Madame Bovary. Way too tragic for my taste. But then again I never say never when it comes to books. :-)

Gotcha.

I'm afraid Madam Bovary never got to the 'pleasure read' stage for me. Glad you're enjoying the latter part.

Hi Donna, I'm glad to see your excellent review of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet as I plan on reading it next month. Graphs are beyond me I'm afraid though.

Donna- I love the new thread! Very worthy of a beloved LTer! I didn't read the whole review of the Mitchell book (hopefully I'll read it in the near future) but I'm glad you really enjoyed it. I was disappointed in a Gate at the Stairs too, especially since it started out so strong!
We are reading at the same pace too! My latest book, I'm currently reading, is #77 and then my latest audio will be #78. We are smoking!

woohoo found you and got you starred :)

Hi Donna, stopping by to say hi so you end up on the right page! always find interesting things here!

Hi Porua, Susan, Bonnie, Mark, Kara, and Tammy. Welcome to the new digs!

I'm starting the "home stretch" of Madame Bovary. Why is this beginning to feel like a marathon? I'm ready for something light and fluffy.

Hi there, good to see David Mitchell discussion, I loved Cloud Atlas- even if it was one of the stranger books I've read format-wise! It's a crazy stylistic ride! I hope you enjoy it.

(edited to spell the book in question correctly!)

Hi! Found you, and have you starred again!

Love the breakdown you give of your books in post #3, Donna!

Hi Donna - I found you again!

>23 LovingLit:: Hi Megan. I'm going to allow plenty of uninterrupted reading time when I read Cloud Atlas. A 'crazy stylistic ride' sounds like fun!

>24 tymfos:: Welcome back, Terri.

>25 alcottacre:: That was a fun project, Stasia. It allowed me to see my books in a new light and readjust a few ratings.

>26 Copperskye:: I'm glad you found me, Joanne. I still haven't started on that baby sampler!

Hi Donna, just catching up on some of the threads and found you again. Have a very nice day. I like your graph!

Hi Becky. Welcome back...both to my thread and back to Missouri after your trip to D.C.

Book No. 78: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. 3.3 stars.

Tons of reviews on this one so my comments will take the place of a formal review. The story moved swiftly like a recitation of events in some places and then dragged in other parts due to Flaubert's scrupulous attention to detail. There were no likable characters in this story and only one, Charles, who could be considered happy, although that was mostly because he was too dull-witted to notice the world around him. He was so infatuated with his wife Emma that he couldn't see beyond himself to her extreme unhappiness.

Flaubert is credited with being a master of realism. In Madame Bovary he not so subtly points out the problems in French society in the early 1800's. It was a time when appearances were all-important and people were judged on who they knew and what they owned. Hmmm...not altogether different from modern times.

Emma Bovary is a tragic person, someone who is in love with love and who looks for happiness in all the wrong places. She is a dreamer who is easily bored, melodramatic, hypocritical, and materialistic. She rejects her daughter and detests her husband. If it weren't for the occasional bits of brillliant writing and humorous situations, this book would have been a real slog.

We had an interesting book group discussion on this last night. Our lit professor pointed out all the symbolism and good qualities of the book that I missed. Sometimes classic literature is wasted on me! This will go down as our most exciting discussion, not because of the book, but because of the tornado sirens that brought our conversation to an abrupt halt. After a 30-minute delay, we decided to take advantage of the lull in the storm and get home while we could!

Hi Donna:) Found you again! I loved your opening quote (in #1). That's a quote I can absolutely relate to. Have a wonderful weekend!

#29 Tornado sirens!!! How often does that happen where you live?

#29: I will get to Madame Bovary one of these centuries, but right now I am dealing with my own not-so-likeable heroine, Anna Karenina.

I feel like such a light weight when I see these classics you guys are reading...

>29 Donna828:: I read Madame Bovary for a university world lit course and remember liking it, but that's about it!

>30 Apolline:: Hi Bente, so glad you had fun in the sun on your vacation! I love that quote, too. Nothing better than falling in love with a book. They won't leave you or cheat on you or ignore you. Well, you get the picture. ;-)

>31 phebj:: Pat, those tornado sirens go off way too often imo. I don't pay that much attention to them except when they blast me out of bed in the wee hours of the morning!

>32 phebj:: Anna Karenina is a saint compared to Emma Bovary!

>33 alcottacre:: Joanne, take my advice and choose Anna over Emma if you decide to read one of those heavyweights!

>34 Copperskye:: Laura, I'd have to say I 'appreciated' the book more than I 'liked' it. I wouldn't have rated it 3.5 stars without the guidance and enthusiasm of Dr. Fuller, our book group leader.

I hope everyone has a great long week end. We're leaving for the airport in a few minutes for our trip to Annapolis, Maryland to attend our friends' son's wedding. I've been all around that area (D.C. and Baltimore) but this will be my first time in Annapolis.

I'm glad Hurricane Earl fizzled out. It will make our trip much more pleasant to have good flying weather. We've had 7.5 inches of rain here this week. That's a ridiculous way to break our August drought!

Safe travels, Donna!

Thanks, Stasia!

Nice review of Jacob de Zoet, Donna; I'm glad that you liked it, too.

Have fun at the wedding, Donna!

Have a great trip, Donna! And keep up your record of dodging tornados and hurricanes!

Have a great time Donna. I'm not sure I'll be attempting Madame Bovary any time soon. I guess you've scared me off.

Hey! you were lost!!

Congrats on finishing Madame Bovary - you should be proud of yourself! I might attempt it one of these days.

I loved your review of MB and description of the class discussion -- complete with tornado siren. Flaubert certainly had a bleak outlook, and yet treated himself rather well with Mummy looking after him most of his life. I recognize his brilliance but he annoys me all the same.

I hope you've had safe travels, Donna!

I hope you had a wonderful time this weekend:)

We're home!!! It was a wonderful three days in Annapolis, Maryland. The weather gods cooperated - no hurricanes or tornadoes. In fact, perfect temps which made for lots of long walks through the historic district and an afternoon cruise on the Chesapeake Bay/Severn River yesterday. It was an outdoor wedding at the Wm. Paca House and Gardens (he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence) so I'm glad the weather was so lovely.

I managed to read almost two books. We almost always have a connection to break up the trip (trying for a positive slant here!) so have plenty of airport time. I always try to read something good on the plane to stay awake. I'll finish up my second book tonight and list them tomorrow. Right now I'm too tired to be very coherent in my comments!

>39 kidzdoc:: Darryl, I was disappointed that Jacob de Zoet didn't make the Mann Booker short list. I was so certain that Mitchell would make the cut.

Bonnie, Angela, and Lucy...I've been thinking about Madame Bovary. My final assessment is that Flaubert's work is to be appreciated rather than read with abandon. I can't say that I loved it, but I am glad that I read it.

Thanks to all for the safe travel wishes. It's great to be home. I didn't have much LT time while I was away, so I'll be getting caught up tonight and tomorrow.

Glad you had a safe and happy trip!

Sounds like a great trip--especially the setting for the wedding and the cruise. Can't wait to hear what you read!

Glad you are back safe and sound, Donna!

Welcome back!

Hi Donna. Just read and thumbed your review of the Alice McDermott book. I'm going to wishlist it. I don't remember reading any of her books and I liked the quotes you cited.

edited to fix misspelling

Hello to Tammy, Pat, Stasia, and Porua. Thanks for the big welcome home!

Book No. 79: At Weddings and Wakes by Alice McDermott. 3.5 stars.

How appropriate to read a book about a wedding on my trip to see our friends' son get married! There wasn't an actual wake depicted in this book, but the entire book had a dirge-like tone. I'm not trying to scare you off. I actually liked the book because the writing is so beautiful. My review starts with this: Three children learn about their family through observations and overheard whispers during cocktail hour...this is an Irish Catholic family, after all. They learned bits and pieces of family history when the ice and gin came out in their frequent visits to their aunts' rooms in Brooklyn during the late 1940's.

Book No. 80: A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny. 3.5 stars.

Book No. 4 in the Three Pines series, although this one was in a nearby resort. I like how Penny introduces new characters in each book while, at the same time, giving more complete background information about one of the "regulars." In this book, we learn more about Peter and his family. Knowing his family explains a lot about Peter's personality. We also get to know the delightful Reine-Marie, wife of Inspector Garmache.

I've heard such great things about the next two books in the series that I can't wait to read them. I'll be ready for the bus to Three Pines as soon as I get caught up with everyone else.

Thanks, Pat. As usual, you are my numero uno! I purposely used several longish quotations so I could highlight McDermott's wonderful way with words.

I just read that today is International Literacy Day and that 1 out of every 5 adults is unable to read.

I've worked with a young woman for over two years now to improve her reading skills. Cindy has many problems in her life, but, due to her hard work and determination, becoming a better reader is making a huge improvement in her self esteem.

That sounds like a great thing to do, Donna. I've often thought it would be a great thing to volunteer for. What kind of organization do you work with?

welcome back :)

I taught and tutored in a literacy program in Philadelphia -- I loved it! Watching someone blossom into a reader is a great experience.

I did the adult literacy training years ago..
But I ended up volunteering for an AIDs support group instead..
I have never done anything with the training, and would no doubt need to repeat it if I ever wanted to.

I think it is a great thing!
Good for you for making a difference Donna.

>57 phebj:: I volunteer for the Ozarks Literacy Center, Pat. They have a good training program and provide excellent support for their blossoming readers. I've always worked with children in the past, but find working with adults is equally rewarding.

>58 curlysue:: Thanks, Kara!

>59 sibylline:: That was a nice turn of phrase, Lucy. I borrowed it for my response to Pat.

Cindy and I will probably finish this phase of her learning by the end of the year. Her goal is to get her GED, although she is a long way from that. She's a ward of the state and has her hands full with her job in a sheltered workshop and learning some life skills. I admire her so much for her dedication in learning how to read along with everything else she's attempting.

>60 mckait:: Kath, there are so many ways we can help others. I'm always amazed at the needs we have in this time of "prosperity."

Hi Donna - Welcome home. It sounds like you had a great time at the wedding.

That sounds like a great volunteer job you have. I'll be looking for some other volunteer opportunities when I retire in a couple of years and that sounds like something I'd like to do.

I love Alice McDermott and read At Weddings and Wakes several years ago but now I see that I never added it to my library(!). Which means I'll be wondering if I really did read it...but I know I did...I think... Anyway, I see bits and pieces of my own Irish Catholic family in her books and characters.

Hi Joanne, and thanks for the welcome home.

You know, I've read four books now by Alice McDermott. None got rated higher than 3.5 stars, but imo, she is a good solid writer. So lyrical and gives me so much to read between the lines. I like that! There were four sisters in the book; three of them lived with their stepmother in a small Brooklyn apartment. Does that sound familiar?

Book No. 81: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larrson. 4.1 stars.

Wow, what a page turner. I don't read many crime thrillers -- if that's even a genre -- but, what a ride! When a book interrupts my sleep, I know I'm hooked! Since everyone else in the LT world has probably already read this book I'm not going to review it. I can't even compare it to the first in the series because I let the film take its place. I do think the Lisbeth Salander character is compelling which made the backstory in "Fire" so interesting to me.

It's a cliffhanger. I'm glad that I don't have to wait three months in the library queue for No. 3. I have it in my hot little hand already due to the generosity of my daughter.

Donna- I'm so glad you loved The Girl Who Played With Fire. I liked that it focused so much on Salander. She rocks! It comes out on dvd next month, so I plan on watching it before starting Hornet's Nest. A quick refresher!

Hi Mark, I also plan to see the film version of The Girl Who Played With Fire when it comes to our local art theatre later this month. I have a few books from the library I need to read before I can get to The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I'm just enjoying my reading life so much these days, aren't you?

I've been in K.C. this week end catching up with my daughter and family. Gotta enjoy these grandkids while they still want me around! Our newest granddaughter (in Dallas) is eager to make her entrance into the world. She isn't due until October 1st but MamaMary is on bed rest with high blood pressure and edema....so little Baby X may come as early as next Friday!!! She's a big girl weighing in at 7.5 pounds already so there shouldn't be a problem with coming a bit early. My reading will definitely thin out when I go south to be a mother's helper.

Congratulations on the almost here new granddaughter, Donna. I have yet to read any of the Steig Larrson books. For some reason, the hype and the length of the books has been keeping me away. That, plus all the other hundreds of books I want to read right away.

passing through :)

>67 phebj:: Thanks, Pat. I'm excited!

I withstood the hype of the Larsson books until I saw the Swedish film, Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and knew I had to find out more about Lisbeth Salander, a cross between Wonder Woman and Little Orphan Annie! I wasn't disappointed with her compelling story in the second book...and, of course, now I have to read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest because one can't hang onto that cliff forever!

>68 curlysue:: Hi Kara. I hope you can stay longer on your next pass-through. ;-)

Book No. 82: Dreaming in Chinese by Deborah Fallows. 3.5 stars.

I requested this NF Early Reviewer book because my husband travels to China several times a year and, who knows, he might actually talk me into going with him one of these times! We do have occasional visitors from China, and I thought I could wow them with my Mandarin skills. Well, that's probably not going to happen, but I did gain much insight into body language and some general attributes of the Chinese people which might prove helpful. My review of the book can be found here.

saw Girl With The Dragon Tattoo after i read the book, liked both :) surprised that hubby liked the movie since i dragged him to it and it was subtitled who would of thunk. I have the second one to read before i see it at my local artsy theater. a girlfriend of mine said the second book was "angry" what did you think?...

Hi Kara. The second book made me angry because it told about the evil in Lisbeth's past that contributed to her antisocial attitude. After reading about what happened to her, I'm amazed that she can function in society in any capacity. I suppose it could be considered "angry" because of the revenge factor. I don't want to say too much and give the story away. It was riveting and I also plan to see the movie. Hey, thanks for staying and chatting awhile.

How exciting to hear that your new granddaughter will arrive soon! I'll be thinking good thoughts for MamaMary and the baby. I remember how impatient I was during the last few weeks of being pregnant. Even a good book couldn't distract me.

I've been lending out my dvd copy of Dragon Tattoo and everyone, who has read the books or not, loved it. It's almost a perfect thriller.
Hope you enjoy Faithful Place!

We watched it this weekend-wow, what a good movie! Now to wait for the second to come along this Fall...

I was excited to see the Dragon Tattoo movie so as soon as it came out on dvd I got it from the library. Hubby said (of course), "I'm not watching a movie in Swedish with subtitles." But of course he hung around and relented and when it was over said, "Damn, that was a good movie." Anxiously awaiting the second movie.

I also loved the movie - thanks for the recommendation. Can't wait for the next one!

>72 porch_reader:: Thank you for those good thoughts, Amy. I think Mary is a real trooper. She just quit her job a week before she had to go on bed rest. I know it's frustrating for her not to be able to do all the things she had planned for this last month. They've subscribed to NetFlix!

>73 msf59:: Mark, I think Faithful Place is going to be another page-turner. My last book was on the slow side so this will get my adrenaline back up!

>74 drneutron:: Thanks for stopping by, Jim. I love the casting in the Swedish films. I'm not so sure about the American version coming out.

>75 brenzi:: Bonnie, I'm always amazed how easy it is to adapt to subtitles when watching a foreign film. I'm glad your husband liked it.

>76 sjmccreary:: Hi Sandy...I was up in KC over the week end. I forgot to check the paper to see if "Fire" has opened there. I think it's scheduled for The Moxie here in Springfield later this month. Have you read the books?

I'm on the library's wait list for the Dragon Tattoo movie and I go back and forth about whether or not to read it first or skip it and just watch the movie (I have the book so I feel like I should read it but I'm not sure if I'll like it...). There are 330 people in front of me for 40 or so movie copies so I have some time to decide.

How exciting that your soon-to-be new grandbaby wants to meet you sooner rather than later! Hope her mom is doing OK - bed rest stinks.

I'd read the book before seeing the movie. The movie follows the book pretty well, but deviates in a couple of spots and leaves some stuff out to get it down to a reasonable length. Also, there's a subplot in the book that gets glossed over - it's not detrimental to the story by any means, but the book is more fleshed out because of it.

Just stopping by to say hi.

I've been debating reading the Larsson trilogy. One of my co-workers has been really raving about the series since she started the first one. Usually, she and I have different taste in books, but these ones sound interesting . . .

Joanne, I don't know how to advise you. I found the movie spellbinding without having read the book. And I picked up on the second book without any trouble. I tried reading the first book when it came out and gave up after 50 pages of technobabble...at least that's how I remember it.

Jim, as readers I think we can all agree that the book is superior to the movie in most cases. This one is probably no exception. I usually don't take the shortcut of substituting film for book, but this time it worked for me.

Hi Terri. The Larsson trilogy is way out of my reading comfort zone...or so I thought. I literally lost sleep because I couldn't put down The Girl Who Played With Fire! Some people are put off by the violent scenes; it's probably easier to read about those than watch them so graphically portrayed. But still, Larsson's message is a good one and I'm looking forward to seeing the next film and reading the final book.

Donna, I've read the first 2 Millenium books, but haven't gotten to Hornet's Nest yet. I understand what you're saying about the first part of the first book. I got through it OK, but kept expecting the book to be about THAT, and had trouble accepting Lizbeth as a main character until very late. In that respect, the movie was better done. My reaction after finishing the 2nd book was that Lizbeth Salandar was my new favorite fictional character! Don't know if the next movie is showing here or not - I almost never go to movies and so I rarely check the listings. (Our library is beginning to get a lot of new release movies so, between them and netflix, we hardly ever have to go to Blockbuster anymore!) Is it another Swedish film, or American?

#81 and 82 I also started the first book and then stopped about 100 pages in and never went back to the series partly because it's been so long and I'd probably need to reread the pages that didn't interest me that much. I'm thinking I'll do what you did, Donna, and watch the first movie and then maybe try the second book.

As far as I know the only movies out now are the Swedish ones with the third one coming out later this year (at least it was advertised in our art flick movie newsletter recently).

I know the movie always has to pare down the book but one part of the book that I thought they shouldn't have eliminated was how Lizbeth made use of her many disguises. In the movie, it only happened at the end in the movie in the last scene whereas in the book it was much more prevalent. I think it revealed a lot about her as a character, but if you didn't read the book first, of course, you wouldn't realize it.

brenzi, i thought and said the same thing too when i watched the movie. i had to go into a little more detail for the hubby so he would know that... :)

#78 I saw the movie first, and some of the scenes were so graphical I have no intention to read about them too! I would recommend you to read the book first.

#82 They are planning an American version of the trilogy, with apparently Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander.

How are you Donna? Congrats on the little girl to come:)

I've read several reviews of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the warning is, it starts out slowly, as if Larsson needs that space to get wound up. And then you hit a point where it's un-put-downable, sort of like falling off a cliff. We'll see. I've just started the book.

Let me add my congrats on the little baby that's in such a hurry to get here!

Just checking in.... catching up...

me too :)

Those "Girl Who..." books and movies sure generate a lot of good discussion. It's fun when we can get excited about what we read and share it with others.

Thanks, Bente and Becky, for the early congrats on my new granddaughter. My son and DIL will check in with the doctor tomorrow and they'll decide whether or not she's ready to make her grand entrance on Friday. I'll definitely be posting here as soon as I know anything concrete.

In the meantime, I've started on my cross-stitch sampler for the baby and I'm enjoying Faithful Place by Tana French. I wish it was an audio book so I could do my needlework and listen at the same time!

Hi there, Kath and Susan.

Maybe you could get your husband to read to you while you stitch? (Mine wouldn't do that in a million years!)

Very exciting about the baby coming so soon - hope she and her mother will both make it through the ordeal easily.

Ahh...cross stitching and audio books...sounds lovely!

>91 sjmccreary:: My husband is in Seattle for a few days, but I'll ask him when he gets home. I think he would probably rather do the x-stitch!

>92 BookAngel_a:: I'm going to listen to the last two CDs of The Meadow as I cross-stitch today. I think I can handle a gentle book like that, but I would have trouble keeping my place on the chart if I listened to one of Stieg Larsson's books!

#93 LOL!

Hi donna, just swimming through all the threads and thought I'd stop by and say hello! :)

Hi there, Stephen. Your cute little fish looks like the bluebird I'm working on in my baby sampler. I hope mine looks more birdlike when I do the backstitching! Thanks for swimming by.

Book No. 83: The Meadow by James Galvin. 4.1 stars.

This is such a quiet, contemplative book about the harsh land along the Colorado/Wyoming border and the hardy souls who lived there. I listened to this on a recent trip and finished it up at home so I could find out what happened to these gritty characters I came to care for. In all honesty, I would probably have rated it higher if I had read the book. I plan to do just that someday and reserve the right to come back and revise my rating. The narration was just right -- it's a problem with me and my attention span while listening rather than reading. I need to focus better on audio books.

Hi Donna: How could I have had 47 unread posts on your thread? I have no idea how that happened.

Maybe I'll get to The Girl Who books next year.

LOL, Linda. It happens to me all the time!

I forgot to add my thanks to Anne (AMQS) for her passionate recommendation of The Meadow. I can see why it's a favorite! I also want to say that Joanne (coppers) said everything I wanted to say about this book in her wonderful review.

One more thing...I entered the ISBN on my Blackstone Audiobook and it said there were no other member copies, so I opted to go for the copy already listed. What a dreary cover! My audio cover is a work of art--a beautiful wildflower covered meadow with a sparkling blue stream running through it and mountains in the background. Almost as lovely as the book itself!

I am going to pretend that I have been here all this time and not even try and go back and read all the 38 unread messages, lol.

Hope you are well, Donna!

Now you know how I feel, Stasia, if I happen to eat a leisurely breakfast and read the paper before logging on to LT in the morning and I find a gazillion messages already on your thread!

You may not have been here, but I followed your every move over the party-of-the-decade week end. I was in Kansas City visiting my daughter and family and she kept asking me what was so interesting on the computer. She didn't get it. Imagine that! I'm going to ditch family and go to the next party!!

#101: I'm going to ditch family and go to the next party!!

Sounds like a plan!

Donna- Glad you enjoyed The Meadow. I have my copy waiting in the stacks!

99: I'm confused though, why not just pick the other source with the proper cover? The book should still count as a copy of "The Meadow," not sure why it matters whether other people have it or not. If it creates a separate page, you can use the "combine" feature to combine it with the rest of the copies. *shrug*

101 me too ~

>104 Ape:: Well, the other page did not have the proper cover....just those one-color generic ones. I could probably scan my audiobook and enter a new cover, but not quite sure how that works. *shrugging back*

Is this the cover, Donna?



If so, just copy this url:

http://audiobooks.gs/img/meadow-bkblak000961.jpg

and go to the Covers section of the book's page and paste that in the "grab by URL" box(make sure to delete the text that's already in there.) See how that works. :)

You are an absolute genius, Stephen! Either that, or I am completely hopeless at anything new on a computer. Combine that! ;-)

I am SO happy to have that picturesque cover instead of that very ordinary one. This is not a drab book by any means and deserves a beautiful cover. Thank you, my friend.

That cover makes me want to read it even more!

Happy to help, Donna. :)

Here is the "old" cover, people, just to show you I'm not exaggerating about the drabness of it.

>107 Ape: Young whipper-snapper. Just so darn smart these days! And no, I really don't know what a whipper-snapper is...

That cover is certainly lovely, Donna. A mountain meadow in springtime. No wonder you didn't want the one that's on the book! I do like the ranch gate on the book's cover, though. And no matter, my brand new used copy just arrived this evening via UPS and I'm happy, drab cover and all!

I was wondering how you would fair listening to it rather than reading it since it jumped around frequently with both people and time periods. Oh, and thanks!

I am a nut when it comes to finding the right cover. When I read a book and my edition's cover is not here at LT (which happens surprisingly often), I keep looking for the right cover everywhere. If and when I find it I grab it. Thank God LT has this feature. Or else all the wrong covers would have driven me crazy!

Hi Donna! Adding The Meadow to my wishlist:) Thanks!

Joanne: We'll have to find an old person to tell us what a whippersnapper is. Where's Richard when you need him?

*ducks*

Porua: I'm the same way! It especially drives me crazy when I'm reading a book with a reflective cover that doesn't scan well, and so it makes it IMPOSSIBLE to find a good picture of it anywhere online. :(

I spent hours, when I was adding my 1960's era science fiction, scanning and uploading covers when they weren't already in the library. So I guess I'm picky that way too.

Except that LT has upgraded the quality of pictures allowed since then, and I really would like to have the better pictures but am not willing to do all that work all over again...

I've put a lot of my own covers on LT because I want to be able to find the book I own on my shelf. So I need the "right" cover. I agree with people here--the cover of a book makes a big difference to me and I'm picky about it. Don't know why, really.

I generally just take a photo of the cover with my digital camera and then adjust the image using whatever software I happen to have on the computer--I have Photoshop, but sometimes I just use whatever free application happens to pop up. Are these images perfect? No, although I would say that I've gotten a lot better at creating something that looks pretty acceptable. It's more important to me that I have the "right" cover than that I have a perfect image. And it's not as time-consuming as it might sound, especially if I do a batch of books at a time. It's a good project for a day when you're looking for a "braindead" project.

Here's an example of one that I made. It's not too bad.

Maybe 'cover pickiness' goes along with being dedicated readers? I know I was much happier when Stephen came to my rescue. We just got a new wireless printer, and I guess I don't know how to use the scanner. My husband is across country and no help at all. I'll have him give me a lesson this week end.

Becky, I never thought about taking a picture and uploading it. I'll keep that little trick in mind for next time.

Not much reading is getting done by me these days. I'm sorry to say that Faithful Place is a bit of a drag, although, in fairness to the book, my mind is on what is happening in Plano, Texas, about 7 hours south of me. It looks like I'll have my new granddaughter tomorrow. A C-section has been scheduled.

Donna- I'm hoping that you are just being distracted and it's not the BOOK. I'm anxious to read that one! I'm hoping everything goes well with the new baby.

Considering what you said earlier, that's probably a good thing, Donna. And she sounds like she's a big healthy baby so best wishes to you all! I'll be thinking about you all.

Hey Donna, it's OK to have happy distractions get in the way of a book. Good luck to you and your burgeoning family :)

Good Morning Donna! Congrats on the new baby arriving soon! Will be thinking of you and your family today, sending good thoughts and prayers. Have a great weekend!

I hope everything goes well tomorrow - you must be so excited!

That first cover of The Meadow is terrible. Where's the meadow?!

#115 "Reflective covers" are the worst. Ugh!

Hi Donna! Good luck with the new grand baby!

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and prayers. Haley Elizabeth Henderson was born today at 12:26 p.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 4 oz. and is 18 inches long. All three of them are doing well! I promise not to be too gushy of a new grandmother, but please cut me a little slack in these beginning days. ;-)

I just hope I can relax and do some real reading soon! I'll be heading down to Dallas late next week and will probably have to post a picture or two from there. I've still got some phone calls to make. I just had to take a little break to settle down. Grandma is on Cloud Nine!

Congratulations, Grandma Donna! Welcome, Haley! What a happy day for your whole family. Looking forward to pictures from Dallas next week.

Congratulations!!!!

And gush all you want! Looking forward to the pictures - how wonderful that you can go down to Dallas to be with them.

Congratulations!!! Looking forward to the pictures too!:)

Congratulations, Donna, and welcome to world Haley Elizabeth! Can't wait to see some pictures.

Great news, Grandma Donna! Very happy for you!

Congratulaions Donna! Let the spoiling begin!

Congratulations, Donna! That's great news.

Woo hoo Donna! Welcome little Haley. Gush away -- we want photos !!!

Haley Elizabeth - what a beautiful name for a beautiful girl! Donna, you should definitely be on Cloud 9! I can't wait to see pictures!

Congratulations on the birth of your new granddaughter! Best wishes!

Just a note about the "boring" cover of The Meadow... It's hard to tell from the picture I see on the computer, but in real life, the light brown is actually like hand-pressed, hand made paper, with little leaves and flecks in it. The small painting inset actually looks very much like entrances to Colorado ranches. Even more special, the painting is by Clara Van Waning. I remember discovering that after finishing the book, and it gave me goosebumps. So, boring though it may be, I still love that cover. Glad you enjoyed the book!

(eta for those who have not read The Meadow, Clara Van Waning is a real person from the book.)

Thank you all so much for the congratulations. I've talked more to my son in the past two days than I have for months...on the phone anyway. He is so proud to be a first-time Papa. I can't wait for those pictures myself!

>136 AMQS:: Anne, I'm so glad to hear more about the book cover. I apologize for calling it "drab" -- it now sounds very meaningful to me. That is really cool about Clara's painting. I'm glad to know all this as I plan to buy the book for my permanent collection.

Congrats, Grandma, on your new granddaughter. So exciting for you and your family.

Hope we can see some pictures, too! What an exciting, joyful time.

No need to apologize -- I only thought you'd like to know that there's more than meets the eye :)

Congratulations, Donna!

Great news, Donna. Congratulations a thousand times over. I have a feeling you'll be talking (on the phone) to your son a whole lot more now that baby Haley is in the picture.

Finally...a picture of our new little princess. Thanks, Stasia, for making the drive to Plano to take that picture! :-)

Btw, Haley means "heroine" which is a perfect name in this reading Grandma's opinion. I love books with a strong female protagonist!

>141 Carmenere:: I think you're right, Lynda. He's always had the 'nothing new' excuse for phone lapses. That just won't cut it anymore!

Congratulations, Donna! :-)

A grand baby!?!?!?!? woot!! so happy for all of you !

Congratulations, Donna!

Glad the baby is here and everyone is doing well. Bet it seems endless, that time period until you actually get down there. Is this the first grandchild?

congrats donna on the new grand baby :)

Congratulations, Donna! And congratulations to your son and daughter-in-law!

Congratulations to you! There is nothing in the world like holding a brand new life and grandchild. I am very happy for you!

Thank you all for even more congratulations! Grandma D is coming back down to earth slowly but surely. I was even able to read my book yesterday!

>146 ronincats:: Ronie, this is my son's first child, but I have three other grandchildren by my daughter who lives in K.C. I'll be going in two different directions to see them, but it takes less than 3 hours to get to KC as opposed to the 7.5 hours it takes to drive to Dallas.

I have a cousin in Michigan who also became a grandmother this past week. We got the brilliant idea to develop a candle with that new baby smell!

You're absolutely right, Linda. I hope to be holding Haley a week from now!

Book No. 84: Faithful Place by Tana French. 3.3 stars.

I think we've already determined that my head was in the clouds when I read this book so my rating may not be that accurate but, try as I might, I could not muster up as much enthusiasm for this book as I felt for French's other two that I read and loved.

I'll just make a few comments and then go see where I went wrong when I read the reviews. First of all, Frank Mackey was not a sympathetic character in the Likeness and he didn't come across much better in this book. He was working on his own to solve a cold case that involved the lost love of his youth. I missed the comradery of his being on a team; although, he did convince the upstart detective, Stephen Moran, to do a little undercover work for him. Hmmm...I really like this guy Stephen. Maybe he will get his own book next time. Are you reading this, Tana?

Another thing that Ms. French did really well was to recreate the atmosphere of working class Dublin. Frank came from a typical (though somewhat stereotyped) Irish family where the father was a no account drunkard, the wife accepted his abuse and passed it on to the children, and the kids either stuck together or hated one another...in this case, a little of both. This was a very good psychological family study but not nearly as suspenseful as her previous works.

Congratulations on your new baby granddaughter, Donna! I'm so jealous, but only in a good way! And I want some of those baby-scented candles please. Lol! And I'm just catching up, but I think it's so interesting how book covers are chosen. If they did an experiment in which they alternated putting books with those 2 covers on a book table, I would have picked up the first one and totally ignored the second one. Yeah maybe it's wrong, but I associate photographs on covers of novels with books of lower literary quality. A generalization, folks! Don't hate me. ;-). Plus, I go for the moody covers (and colors and books) and that does say something about me, I know. And, finally, I really liked the movie of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo--the one with subtitles. Has anybody seen both versions and have an opinion about which one is better? Silly question I know!

I really liked the movie of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo--the one with subtitles. Has anybody seen both versions and have an opinion about which one is better?

The other one hasn't been made yet Bonnie.

Congratulations on the new grand-baby Donna!

Donna

I think Stasia said you two will be meeting when you are in Texas.

Have a wonderful time! I'd love to see photos of your grandchildren. Please be sure to post some after you meet beautiful little Hayley.

And, by the way, meeting beautiful Stasia is also quite a lovely experience.

#155: meeting beautiful Stasia is also quite a lovely experience

I am seriously worried about you.

156: Yeah I know, clearly something is going on in her head Stasia. She forgot to include 'kind, humble, and totally amazing!' It must be the medication.

#157: OK, now I am seriously worried about you too.

Good morning and welcome to the Stasia Fan Club! I thought I noticed the hint of a halo over Stasia's head in at least one of the pictures from Richard's party. ;-)

I hope our meeting does take place on this upcoming visit when I am full of Haley-bliss. No worries, there will be a picture of two of the newest grandbaby. The other three grands live in Kansas City, and I'm sure there are some pictures of them in my photo collection on my profile page.

#159: I am hoping our meeting takes place on this upcoming visit too, Donna! I am looking forward to it.

is that a fact? must go look at the grands.....

Welcome Hayley Elizabeth! :)

Well, I made it through another book. This one is for tonight's church book group. I'm going to practice looking for the good in things instead of focusing on the bad because this book had plenty of both. It doesn't help that it's a memoir. I'm suspicious of that genre to begin with, and this book has two narrators so I was doubly skeptical!

Book No. 85: Same Kind of Different As Me (with a long unwieldy subtitle) by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent...it doesn't help that there is a ghostwriter either! 3.26 stars.

I really wanted to love this book that was supposed to be about helping a homeless man make something of his life. In reality, Denver Moore, the man who grew up as a Louisiana sharecropper and ended up on the streets of Ft. Worth, gave far more than he received. His story is inspirational and believable. He has retained his humility despite the success that his transformation earned him.

The rest of my review can be found over here.

OMG....Let the gushing begin...I just lifted this off Mary's FB page. I'm not sure I can stand to wait until Sunday to see Haley!



Well, take my word for it, people. Haley is a cutie. In the picture (blocked by FB?) she's yawning. The picture of innocence. I'll try and get my son to e-mail the picture to me.

OK, I put the picture up on my Facebook page and get a different code so will try once more...

What a sweetie! You must be beside yourself, Donna!

Haley is a beauty! Thanks for sharing Grandma Donna!

Awwwww. She's beautiful Donna. I bet you can't wait to get your arms around her. Lucky you!

3.26???? Could you please be more specific with that rating? I mean how are we we peon readers going to know exactly what you mean? Carry it out to the thousandths place please;-)

I love those toes sticking out from the bottom of her gown! What a beautiful, beautiful little girl.

She's just beautiful! Love those toe-toes! Congratulations, Donna. Can't wait to hear about your visit when it finally arrives.

What a sweet picture of a sweet baby girl... congrats. donna

Oh my gosh! She is beautiful!! I want to squeeze her! Will you pass on a hug from me, Donna?

Awwww .... adorable.

Awwwww, what a cutie!! Bet you can't wait to get down there to see her!

She is just too cute! How precious.

You have a beautiful granddaughter Donna!! I envy you! No babies around here right now, only sassy teenagers.

Okay, Haley gets a hug from everyone who said she is a sweet, beautiful, adorable, cute and/or precious baby!

Those toes sticking out got my attention, too. Is it just me or does she have big feet? Must take after her Grandmother...big mouth, big feet.

There is no way this little girl is going to turn into a sassy teenager. ROFL!

I just got home from my discussion of Same Kind of Different As Me. Others in the group weren't as critical as I was, but some of them read only one book a year!!! We all agreed that:

1) Denver Moore is the rock star (you have to read my review to get the reference) and
2)the book packs an emotional punch and raises social justice issues.

I'm standing by my 3.26 rating! See, I can still talk about books.

#177: See, I can still talk about books.

As if there was any doubt!

Congratulations grandma, and that's a lovely photo! I hope she continues to yawn whenever her parents want her to sleep.

Haley is gorgeous! I bet her grammy's gonna plant lots of little kisses on the toesiewosie's.

Haley is beautiful, Donna! I think I said it already, but: congratulations!

Thanks for sharing that precious photo! :)

Cute baby!

Nice to see a lovely baby girl. I have 3 grandsons. Will have to wait for great granddaughters. If I live that long.

Aaaaaaaw! Everything about that picture is adorable--the baby, the quilt, the stripes, and those cute toes! I have this sudden urge to go to the fabric store.

P.S. Thumbed your review! As always, a great one!

Awww... so cute!

What Bonnie said - everything about the picture is perfect, the quilt with the lace edging and the striped gown, her little foot peeking out. Give her a hug from me, too. She's gorgeous!

passing through and catching up :)

When my one and only was born 11 yrs ago, I insisted that there would be no shoes nor socks in the picture and I haven't regretted it in the least. I still gaze at those little feeters in the picture and can practically smell the goodness.

Hope you're having a wonderful day with your expanding family, Donna.

I'm not there yet, guys! I leave Sunday morning to go see my lovely little bundle of Haley Elizabeth. My life has been crazy this week. I've been cross-stitching until my eyes are crossing -- but that's not going to get finished before Sunday. I've been reading my TIOLI Chunkster when I'm not stitching -- and I'm not even halfway through yet!

So, I've decided to chuck everything and do some baking. So far I've made two different kinds of cookies and one large Chicken and Rice Casserole. All are frozen and ready for transport. I've shopped for the perfect little 'extra' gift. I've come up with the present that no one else will duplicate...1001 Childrens Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. Of course, I had to start off the baby library with a few board books as well! I'm making homemade spaghetti meat sauce for dinner tonight, and a large portion of that will be frozen and taken to Dallas as well. I'm worn out and can hardly wait to get in the car on Sunday for my 7.5 hour drive listening to Every Man Dies Alone. A little rest at last.

Thank you for all the kind words about our new grandbaby. I really appreciate it!

ETA: No touchstones today?

Ooh, great choice on the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. Linda recommended that to me and I enjoyed flipping through it.

You're making me hungry!

I'm sure that there will be one new Texas mom who is very happy to see her MIL on Sunday!

#190 Seems we are all almost as excited as you are Donna.
1001 Children's Books sounds like a great gift and of course one she can reference for a very, very long time.

Congratulations and happy travels!

What a happy, busy grandmother you are!! I'm sure your son and DIL will appreciate everything! Perfect book choice - I wish I had had 1001 Children's Books when my son was little. Even now it is a joy to flip through and look at all the wonderful books.

Safe travels to you on Sunday - and only 7.5 hours away - that's not too bad.

Oh boy you are busy Donna. Take advantage of these days that won't repeat themselves. You're in for a great time once you get to Dallas. Have fun with that precious bundle.

Well, I've been having fun looking through 1001 Children's Books. I hope Haley has more success reading her 1001 books than I've had with the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. In my defense, the books in the second listing are a bit longer and more challenging.

I'm stalled in my chunkster book (still having concentration problems) so I decided to read the shorter library book that I need to get returned before I leave town.

Book No. 86: Lost: A Novel by Alice Lichtenstein. 2.8 stars.

I am losing patience with books that do not deliver on their promise. This was supposed to be about an elderly man with Alzheimer's Disease who wanders away from home in the midst of winter. I would have preferred more focus on the lost man and the search rather than on the personal troubles of the search organizer. The writing was fine, and I may try any further books by Lichtenstein, but this one left me cold!

Such a cute photo of Hayley and what a great idea for a present for her! I may borrow it (the idea for the present not the book from Hayley!)

#195 Only 7.5 hours away, over here that would take me from the south of England all the way up to Dundee in Scotland! (http://goo.gl/maps/W0xq) Safe travels!

safe travels

>198 souloftherose:: Heather, I'd rather be driving through England and Scotland rather than through Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas! Oops, scratch that! I forgot, you Brits drive on the wrong side of the road. That could be dangerous to my health and to the safety of the other drivers on the road. ;-)

>199 curlysue:: Thank you, Kara. I probably will turn on my GPS and my book on CD and travel on 'auto pilot'! I will have to watch the changing speed limits in Oklahoma. We learned that the hard way when we moved my son and his wife to Texas from CO in January.

#197: I think I will be passing on that one. The book I read on Alzheimer's earlier this year, Still Alice, was a good one. I would love to find another at that level.

See you tomorrow! Drive safely.

She's wonderful -- hope your visit is just as good :)

And, re: book covers, I like them to match too -- if they don't it doesn't represent my library :) LOL silly, but true.

Popping in (late, as usual) to say "What a gorgeous little thing and what a cute picture of her!" and "Say hello to Stasia for me tomorrow!"

How wonderful that you're meeting up with Stasia! Have a great visit :0)

beautiful!beautiful!beautiful! baby!!

wonderful gifts...


I am losing patience with books that do not deliver on their promise.

I hate that too......
safe trip :)
more pics?

Thinking about you on your way to see your grandbaby. Lucky you, lucky them!

Safe travels! I can't wait to hear all about it!

Have a great trip Donna. Can't wait to hear more about the grandbaby and your visit with Stasia.

My trip was fine; no wrong turns. It was great to meet Stasia. Yes, we had someone take our picture. I'll post it tomorrow. We had a nice chat but were just getting warmed up when I had to leave.

Now that I know my way down here and know that Stasia is a mere 350 miles from my house, I'll be coming down more often. Haley looks pretty cute in her Kansas City jersey, but I think I'll wait for a more girly outfit to take her picture.

I listened to Every Man Dies Alone on the way down. I'm about halfway through. It's a great trip companion. Compelling story, well read and easy enough to follow.

The other picture of the Texas Twosome can be found on my Profile Page in my photo gallery.

Aw, you guys are so cute together!

Hi Donna- Great picture! It's so nice you got to meet! Also glad you are enjoying Every Man Dies Alone. It's an amazing read!

You too look like you're having a great time. Beautiful picture.

Great picture! It's going to be tough to wait on Every Man... until after I finish my library books. Hmmm, I suppose I could justify it by saying that I should read my Thingaversary book during the month I celebrate it--yes, that works! :-)

Great picture of the two of you, Donna. Thanks for posting it. Glad your trip was good.

Great photo! Safe travels.

What a lovely, photo! Wonderful Smiles! Glad to see you both had a nice chat.

Love the pic, and that Stasia is now apparently the LT 75ers Ambassador :)
I hope she is loving every minute of it :)

Glad you got there safe and sound..

#218: I would be happily be the 75ers ambassador if I could afford the travel costs!

218: I second that nomination, Kath! Stasia is friendly and gracious...two wonderful qualities for our LT Ambassador. She handles the job quite nicely online as she visits with one and all on the 75 forum.

You don't need to travel Stasia. We'll come to you. Dallas would make the perfect location for an LT gathering at some point. It's easy to get in and out of; plus there are a few LTers in the area. And, I'm including myself there as I will be a more frequent visitor to Texas.

Where is the picture of baby Haley? I was waiting to see one of the two of you together, Grandma :)

Great photo of the Texas Twosome...

Hey Donna! Love both pictures:) Hope you're enjoying your stay in Texas!

What an exciting time the end of 2010 is for you! Beautiful Baby! Beautiful Women! I'm off to your profile page to look at more.

Love Haley's picture! (And the one of you and Stasia of course).

I'm stealing your idea about 1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up for my new grandson.

>198 souloftherose: - I'm jealous - sometimes I wish I could get to Scotland in 7.5 hours! Distance is all relative, I guess. :)

Great picture of you and Stasia, Donna! I'm so glad you were able to get together!

How's that adorable baby Haley doing?

I posted a few Haley pics last night, but was too tired to alert anyone about it! Man, this is hard work for an old lady. I'm used to more down time in my world. I'm not complaining, though, because I know I'll miss being here after I get home on Saturday evening.

In the meantime I've vacuumed, taken the dogs out for a walk, and now I'm waiting for clothes to wash so I can put them in the dryer. I have a chuck roast and a pork roast to put in the oven after that. We're eating well this week so far, although leftovers are in the picture for tomorrow as we have a doctor's appointment scheduled.

I'm going to hit the threads for a few minutes then hope to fit in some reading this afternoon. Wish me luck!

>225 arubabookwoman:: Deborah, the 1001 Children's Books was a big hit for an extra gift. I'm glad both my son and DIL like to read and will be good encouragers for Haley to get crackin' on that list!

#227 Donna, what an angel you are to your son and DIL! These first weeks are soooo exhausting and it's lovely to have someone who cares so much to handle the things that must be handled. Enjoy the remainder of your stay and safe travels home :0)

>227 Donna828:: the pix are sweet, Donna !

What Lynda said!

I do hope you sneak in your few minutes of reading though.

The pictures of your new granddaughter are wonderful, Donna. You are making a real difference for your son, DIL and Haley.

Lots of love to you and yours. I know the time will pass far too quickly and you will be on your way home with a heart full of memories.

>230 alcottacre:: Good news! I am making progress in my book. I feel like a beginning reader here with my struggles to concentrate. I'm also doing a disservice to The Colony of Unrequited Dreams which I'm sure is quite good -- if I could just get into it!

More good news...Mary's cardiologist doesn't seem too worried about her high blood pressure. She's to continue the low salt diet and will be taking a different medication, hopefully one that doesn't make her so tired. It is quite an undertaking to take a newborn out and wait through a longish appointment. We're all pooped.

231: I'm glad you visited here, Ruthie. I put some new pics up on my profile page a few minutes ago. After all, Haley has changed so much since I posted pictures two days ago. *grin* I took the old ones off so I wouldn't overwhelm the system with Grandma pics. "A heart full of memories"...I like that.

Hi Donna! Thanks for sharing the pics. :-} Have you figured out who she looks like?

#232: Glad to hear about the good news for Mary (as well as the rest of the clan, I am sure!)

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is one of those books I will get to eventually. My local library does not have it, but it is available for my Nook.

Fixing it so others can post, so you do not end up with the same problem Linda has.

Thanks, Stasia!

Book No. 86: The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston. 4.2 stars.

I liked this journey to Newfoundland in the 1930's (?) despite the fact that I was forced to read it in dibs and drabs. But there was nothing drab about this book. I liked the relationship story between Joe Smallwood and Sheilagh Fielding. I thought it was very clever of WJ to create Fielding's true self through her newspaper column and her private journals.

There was an interesting misunderstanding about the letter that caused Smallwood to leave the private school that would have made his path to success an easier one. But then we wouldn't have had that incredible journey on foot across Newfoundland to sign up the railroad workers to the union. This led to some lovely descriptions of the land and sea by the author which I loved. One example:

On moonlit nights, the glow from the ice and snow was such that you could see for miles along the coast or out to sea, everything looking as it might have after days of freezing rain. Somewhere out there, there was water, somewhere out of sight the sea began, the ice-field formed its own coastline, and along that line, when the moon was out, light and darkness met, the light ending so abruptly it was as though beyond the ice lay not water but the emptiness of space, the edge of the world, which if a man were to fall off he would fall forever. (Pp. 355-356)

Donna -

So pleased to learn that you, too, enjoyed "Colony". I thought very highly of it and enjoyed it so much. The characters were interesting and I learned so much about Newfoundland itself. The country was described so vividly that it was an additional character in the telling of the story.

I'm thinking of you enjoying your dear baby granddaughter. Continue to drink her in. I love the picture of you holding her in your arms.

What a DARLING! And what a big girl she is!! (And Granny ain't bad either!)

Donna, great review of The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. I've had that on my TBR pile since Bonnie recommended it highly earlier this year. Glad you liked it so much too. Now I just have to find time to read it.

Enjoy your granddaughter. I love seeing the pictures.

Thank you, Ruth and Pat, for enjoying my "review" that wasn't really very well thought out, just a few offhand remarks. About that "dibs and drabs"...an old family joke. I know it should be dibs and dabs but we've called it the other for so long now it's just second nature. I guess ya'll are part of the family now. ;-)

Peggy, thanks for noticing our darling g'daughter! I guess she's pretty hard to miss since I've been pepppering my thread with her pictures for the past week or so. When I start my new thread next week, I promise it'll be back to books as usual!

I've started The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien which looks like another winner!

Donna, wasn't Sheilagh Fielding a fascinating character?

I bought a copy of Colony a couple of months ago - probably after Bonnie read it. I think it might make a good winter read. I liked your review, Donna.

Oh, I LOVED The Things They Carried!! Enjoy!

I also loved The Things They Carried but, unfortunately, it falls into that category of books that I read so long ago I don't really remember it. On the bright side, it would probably be a great re-read.

Donna- Good review of The Colony of Unrequited Dreams! I've had that one on my WL for quite awhile, ever since Bonnie strongly praised it. I need to find a copy. The Things They Carried was excellent and I cannot imagine you not loving it!

I enjoyed your comments about The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. I read it a couple of years ago. I didn't love it, but it has stuck with me and I find myself remembering scenes from it from time to time. After finishing the book, I was so fascinated by the story that I did a quick internet search about Joe Smallwood. It seems that most of events in the story are pretty close to true. The one big exception is that the Fielding character was totally fictional, which was disappointing since she was a great character.

I have got to get to 'Colony' one of these years!

Donna

Seeing the photo of you and Stasia brought smiles! You both look so happy!

Little Hayley looks ever so adorable.

And, chiming in on the book The Things They Carried -- it is a memorable read.

Donna, if you have the option, The Things They Carried was great to listen on audiobook.

I guess that there is nothing else to do but to read The Colony of Unrequited Dreams and maybe The Things They Carried, too.

>246 sjmccreary:: Sandy, I'm a little surprised the Sheilagh Fielding character was fictional because Johnston made her seem so real (and, yes...fascinating as Bonnie said in Post 242). I was hoping that her 'journals' had been published!

>243 Copperskye:: Joanne, I think Colony would be a great book to read in the winter. Lots of icy scenes and all that good stuff.

Thank you for all the other comments. I'm not being very good about responding individually these days, but a new thread and good intentions await. I do appreciate the friendship and support of all who have visited and said nice things about my little Haley Beth. I'll probably be suffering from Grandma withdrawal next week.

I made it home okay Saturday evening but I brought the sniffles and a sore back home with me. The sniffles were probably due to change-of-climate allergies because my head is clear today, but my back will take a few days to get back in shape. I've been in this state before. At least I know what caused it this time. Those baby carriers are heavy and have to be held at an awkward angle.

I am really enjoying my audiobook, Every Man Dies Alone. I'll finish it up this week as I put the finishing touches on the cross-stitch baby sampler I'm working on. I need my magnifying lamp to do this close work so couldn't work on it while I was in Dallas.

I've also started rereading Mrs. Bridge for the Missouri Readers group. Wallace Stegner compared her to Madame Bovary. I wouldn't go quite that far, although they are both dissatisfied with their lot in life. I'm just not sure Mrs. Bridge is as aware of it, and she certainly doesn't act on it.

Welcome home Donna! Hope you feel better!

Thread police!

Hi, Donna. Glad you're back home and hope your back is on the mend.

Welcome home, Donna. Are you planning your next trip yet? :)

I have to get to Every Man Dies Alone; Mrs. Bridge too while I'm at it. I have them both so.......

>253 msf59:: Hi Mark, I survived the day. Another busy one tomorrow and then back to reading with gusto.

>254 Ape:: I know, Stephen. I'll get to it tomorrow afternoon. I'm a busy woman these days. ;-)

>255 phebj:: Pat, I need to accept that I can't do everything I used to do without paying a price. I'm wearing a back brace, walking gingerly, and going about my business. It was worth the pain to be a help to my DIL who was hurting worse than me!

>256 Copperskye:: Hi Joanne, my husband and I are making a quick run to KC next week to see the oldest g'daughter in a school program and attend a trade fair on backpacks -- or something exciting like that!

>257 brenzi:: Bonnie, we need to come up with a better mantra than 'too many books...' but that one is so apt!

Here is a little nugget I just read from Mrs. Bridge:

If she bought a book it was almost always one of three things: a best-seller she had heard about or seen advertised, a self-improvement book, or a book by a Kansas City author no matter what it was about.

Notice that she bought the books but didn't read them! Here is a lonely housewife who filled her days with needless shopping, bridge games, and luncheons. She could have better spent her time reading and expanding her mind.

The quote goes on...

Then, too, there were slender volumes of verse and essays that lay about the living room longer than any other book, with the exception of an extremely old two-volume set of The Brothers Karamazov in gold-painted leather which nobody in the family had ever read and which had belonged to Mr. Bridge's grandfather. This set rested gravely on the mantelpiece between a pair of bronze Indian-chief heads--the only gift from cousin Lulubelle Watts that Mrs. Bridge had ever been able to use--and was dusted once a week by Harriet with a peacock-feather duster.

Ah, now that's the kind of treasure I'd like to find at the upcoming library book sale!

Welcome back home, Donna! I hope your back is better very soon.

Oh, I am glad to hear that you are home at least for a bit.

How is your precious new baby grandgirl doing? I really love the pictures that you have posted and hope to see more as she grows and changes.

I wish that I could send you my lovely *moist heat* electric heating pad that I bought at a medical supply place. They use them in the pain program at one of the hospitals in San Diego, CA and I just really depend on it. No drugs or going out to a health care specialist, just bliss in the comfort of your own environment. I will check the brand and any other info and send you a link, dear Donna.

I'm also looking forward to reading Every Man Dies Alone. I hadn't thought about listening to it, but, I'm glad that you are able to enjoy it while you pursue your needlework project. Sounds grand. Multitasking two pleasurable activities at once.

Take care.

Thanks for the good wishes, Stasia and Ruthie.

>260 womansheart:: I have a vibrating heating pad that works wonders for me, Ruth. I just wish I could strap it on my back when I need to go out and do things. I have a meeting tomorrow morning I have to go to. I'll just take my Aleve, strap on my back brace, and grit my teeth! Although it will be hard for me to read the Minutes for this group with my teeth gritted. ;-) The pain is bearable, just an annoyance because I have some housework to catch up on, but that will have to wait.

Baby Haley is doing well. I'll update my picture of her when I see her at Thanksgiving. There should be some big smiles by then! In most of the pictures I took, she was sleeping! We had a quiet visit.

I'll probably read Every Man Dies Alone at some point in the future. It's a wonderful book.

Thanks for checking in with me. New thread day tomorrow!

woo hoo. New thread!

Thank you, Donna. I just sent my niece for her One-Year Birthday the book that you mentioned here, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. She lives in Denver and I live in MO, so I don't see her enough. Her father is my much-younger brother, the one I spent hours reading to when he was little. They live within a block of the library where I spent so many hours of my childhood, so I'm hoping her parents will make good use of this book! It's not as good as having Aunt Becky to read to her every day, but it will have to do for now. Hope you are feeling better, by the way.

P.S. I also just started (barely, so I haven't logged it in here yet) the book by Kathleen Norris that you mentioned, Acedia and Me. It looks great, and I'm so glad you mentioned it.

My mother-in-law read book reviews and bought books and never read them..... but proper ladies have books around, that was the message, I think. Drove me batty!

So sorry to hear about your sore back, Donna. Hope you get better soon!

Alleve can work wonders if you take enough of it. :)

Glad your back and posting regularly again. Please take care of your back, they can be tricky things.

Alleve is a good medication. Tylenol doesn't even touch the pain.

Bonnie and Linda, you're singing to the choir here. I'm an Aleve junkie!!!

My back does this trick several times a year so I'm used to it, Lynda. I do some preventive exercises which helps reduce the occurrences, but I'm more susceptible to injury when I'm stressed. Even good stress as in a new granddaughter!

The NEW THREAD can be found here! See ya over there......