Chatterbox Attempts a Third 75 Books...

As before, now that I've finished a second batch of 75 books and just adding to them indefinitely, I'm launching an entirely fresh challenge. Also as before, I'm going to try to divide my reading between fiction and non-fiction. I'm also still doing a lot of reading for my 1010 Challenge and my off-the-shelf challenge; I don't count those books toward this one, but will list them in posts here as I finish them so people don't have to go racing all over to find them!

For anyone who's curious, here is a link to the final thread in the second 75 Challenge. You can see a list of what I read, and go back through links there to the earlier threads to read my comments on them.

The counter for the third 75-book challenge is here:




And the one for my total year-to-date reading is here:




The third 75 are as follows (and I hope the touchstones will work this time!!)

1. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson, *****, STARTED 8/30/10, FINISHED 8/31 (fiction)
2. The Amateur Spy by Dan Fesperman, ****, STARTED 8/28/10, FINISHED 8/31/10 (fiction)
3. The People's Queen by Vanora Bennett, *** STARTED 8/29/10, FINISHED 9/3/10 (fiction)
4. Mrs. Tim of the Regiment by D.E. Stevenson, **** STARTED 9/1/10, FINISHED 9/3/10 (fiction)
5. The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824 by Harvey Sachs, **** STARTED 9/1/10, FINISHED 9/3/10 (non-fiction)
6. The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe, ****, STARTED 9/2/10, FINISHED 9/4/10 (fiction)
7. Red Queen by Philippa Gregory, ***1/2, STARTED 9/4/10, FINISHED 9/5/10 (fiction)
8. Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost, ***, STARTED 9/3/10, FINISHED 9/5/10 (non-fiction)
9. Villa Air-Bel by Rosemary Sullivan, **** 1/2, STARTED 9/4/10, FINISHED 9/6/10 (non-fiction)
10. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon, ****, STARTED 9/6/10, FINISHED 9/7/10 (fiction)
11. Paganini's Ghost by Paul Adam, ****, READ 9/7/10 (fiction)
12. Roma by Steven Saylor, **1/2, STARTED 9/4/10, FINISHED 9/9/10 (fiction)
13. Small Wars Permitting by Christina Lamb, ****, STARTED 9/11/10, FINISHED 9/12/10 (non-fiction)
14. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick, ***, STARTED 9/7/10, FINISHED 9/10/10 (fiction)
15. The Passage by Justin Cronin, ****, STARTED 9/8/10, FINISHED 9/10/10 (fiction)
16. The Winter House by Nicci Gerrard, ***, STARTED 9/12/10, FINISHED 9/13/10 (fiction)
17. The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins, ****, STARTED 9/12/10, FINISHED 9/14/10 (non-fiction)
18. Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger, *** 1/2, READ 9/14/10 (fiction)
19. Lost to the West by Lars Brownworth, *** STARTED 9/10/10, FINISHED 9/14/10 (non-fiction)
20. Neither East Nor West by Christiane Bird, ***1/2, STARTED 9/12/10, FINISHED 9/15/10 (non-fiction)
21. Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson, ***1/2, STARTED 9/15/10, FINISHED 9/16/10 (fiction)
22. The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre, ****1/2, STARTED 9/13/10, FINISHED 9/17/10
23. The Art Thief by Noah Charney, *, STARTED 9/13/10, FINISHED 9/18/10 (fiction)
24. Encounter by Milan Kundera, ****, STARTED 9/11/10, FINISHED 9/18/10 (non-fiction)
25. Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker, ****, STARTED 9/18/10, FINISHED 9/19/10 (fiction)
26. In Cheap We Trust by Lauren Weber, ***1/2, STARTED 9/17/10, FINISHED 9/21/10 (non-fiction)
27. The House of Dust and Dreams by Brenda Reid, ***, STARTED 9/19/10, FINISHED 9/21/10 (fiction)
28. Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams, *****, STARTED 9/21/10, FINISHED 9/22/10 (non-fiction)
29. Homecoming by Cathy Kelly, ***, STARTED 9/22/10, FINISHED 9/24/10 (fiction)
30. The Romantic Revolution by Tim Blanding, **** 1/2, STARTED 9/21/10, FINISHED 9/25/10 (non-fiction)
31. Kiss Heaven Goodbye by Tasmina Perry, *** 1/2, STARTED 9/23//10, FINISHED 9/25/10 (fiction)
32. Dreaming in Chinese by Deborah Fallows, *****, READ 9/26/10 (non-fiction)
33. Farthing by Jo Walton, ****, STARTED 9/25/10, FINISHED 9/26/10 (fiction)
34. Your Republic is Calling You by Young-ha Kim, ****, STARTED 9/26/10, FINISHED 9/27/10 (fiction)
35. The Whites of Their Eyes by Jill Lepore, ****, STARTED 9/25/10, FINISHED 9/28/10 (non-fiction)
36. Empire by Steven Saylor, **1/2, STARTED 9/24/10, FINISHED 9/28/10 (fiction)
37. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom, **, STARTED 9/27/10, FINISHED 9/28/10 (fiction)
38. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, **** 1/2, STARTED 9/1/10, FINISHED 9/29/10 (non-fiction)
39. Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves, ****, STARTED 9/28/10, FINISHED 9/30/10

Am I first?? Woo hoo!

I've got to break down and order The Finkler Question. Of course The Slap arrived here last week and I still haven't gotten to it. **sigh**

Nice new digs you've got here!

Yah, I like the purple. How DO you do it with all those books?? I think I'll make my first 75 before the end of the year, but you do set the bar high!

Just weird, teelgee, that's all!! I hope I don't read as much as I did in August, which was slightly absurd, even by my standards. North of 50 books in a month? 35 to 40 is more usual.

#5: Only slightly absurd? I thought my August was ridiculously absurd.

You're both superhuman.

#7: That's SuperSuz and SuperStash to you, Terri :)

LOL!

OK, The Finkler Question has gone into my Book Depository basket. But AAAAGH Book Dep has emptied the other 10 or so books I've been adding over the last few days! What a pain.

50 books in a month is amazing.

Hmm, have to go back to the Book Depository. They were still out of stock of The Finkler Question when I checked two days ago.

ETA And it was still out of stock when I checked now! I seem to be jinxed.

#12: They were out of stock when I checked in the middle of the night too, Rebecca, so I am wondering how come Cushla can put it into her basket? Maybe it is a European thing.

And I checked both the UK and the US sites, just in case they were different! By the way, I have noticed that there are occasional price differences between the US and UK sites, so it's worth checking both.

#14: Thanks for letting me know. I will keep that in mind.

>8 alcottacre:: SuperSuz and SuperStash. I love it! I can't imagine reading a book or more a day. Maybe your name has to begin with an "S"?

Did I mention that I hate the Book Depository?? There is only so much agita that I will deal with... My copy of Finkler arrived in 5 days after being ordered from Amazon.co.uk! Am now debating whether to order up Rose Tremain's Man Booker candidate or just wait for the US publication. Sigh. Will probably wait, and read The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet in the interim.

#8/9 -- ROTFL!!!

Book update later today.

Since I refuse to pay for shipping from Amazon here in the US (always wait until I have enough for the SuperSaver option) and get free shipping (i.e., included in the price) from the Book Depository, I really refuse to pay the exorbitant shipping rates for Amazon UK. Just my personal quirk!

Well, don't hate me, but there are 2 versions available - one for 16 Euros and one for 13. I ordered it this morning, and haven't had any email about out of stock...

SuperSuz please make sure the next book is really bad, because I get charged a $7 credit card charge (NZD) and do not want to go back on there for a few weeks!

11> What is the Book Depository?

For some reason I get free shipping from Amazon on everything. I'm trying to remember why.

>20 MikeBriggs: - Do you have a Prime membership? A subscription guarantees you 2-day shipping on everything.

Mike, the Book Depository is a UK-based online retailer that ships worldwide for free. Many people swear by it; I've had numerous problems where orders haven't been honored at the original price, so am rather jaundiced about them.

I have the Prime membership as well -- that way I know that stuff will arrive in a reasonable time frame. When my Vine books come via Smartpost, it can take 10 days to 2 weeks, which is absurd. And Amazon is sending more of their SuperSaver orders that way. Still, given that I'm getting more on my Kindle these days, I may opt out of Prime. Until now, it has been a boon to get free 2-day shipping.

#19, Cushla, I don't hate you but you must have hit a window of opportunity, because they are out of stock now no matter which currency I select!

>9 teelgee: Pricelss! Is there a T-shirt?

21> I had a special preview membership that didn't cost me anything a long while ago, but I stopped it. Apparently the Prime membership continued despite not paying the fee. (I similarly received about a year's worth of ESPN magazine for free when it forgot to pull my name from the subscribers database).

22> Thanks - UK, eh? I've sometimes gotten things from Amazon.co.uk that I couldn't get here at Amazon.com (or for that matter from Amazon.ca, I've always wondered what happened to Amazon.co.aus; one of these days I'm going to track down the best way to find UK/Aus/CA/English speaking books directly (as in whatever search engine/store Australians/etc. use)). Cost a lot that way, though. Odd that Book Depository ships for free.

Oh, and that is how I get a lot of my books - my used ones - buy for $0.01 from a used book outlet and have Amazon ship their normal free 2 day deal.

I've never had a problem so far with Book Depository - maybe that's a curse though because I always buy more than I should every time I visit their website.

#25 : I'm jealous, Mike. I'd love to get free shipping from Amazon, but I don't want to pay for the Prime membership. Amazon should offer free Prime membership to their loyal customers who spend $xx with them annually.

Oh my, I do love Xena, I do....
I wish that there was a te shirt.. or better yet a sweat shirt..
!!!

As for not liking Louise Penny... I am trying to wrap my brain around that...
but rest assured I still like you ! :P

I like prime.. a lot.. I want to have it forever!!!! lol

An example of the joys of Amazon Prime: I finished reading The Finkler Question the night of the 31st. The next morning, I wondered what else he had written, and finding that the list included a book that ties into my interest in family history/genealogy (hopefully subject of book #2), I ordered Roots Schmoots that day. It arrived today. :-)

Kath, it's not that I don't like Louise Penny, I'm just underwhelmed. Especially compared to the degree that others do like her. On the other hand, I've just started reading The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe, another Canadian crime novelist, and am finding myself captivated by her lead character and the setting. So, there is no accounting for taste!

I think it is Three Pines itself for me. I want to live there.. :P
I want to know the people. and I must admit, I do like the stories.
I never used to read mysteries. ..
I did pick up the one that you said is your "happy place " read..
haven't added it yet.. maye I can try it t his weekend?

or .. we shall see.. lol

Which one is that, Kath?? One of the Elizabeth Pewsey "Mountjoy" books?

Pewsey, yes !

You people are responsible for my addiction to at least 6 crime or mystery series ........ it's a blessing and a curse!

I have a copy of Still Life home from the library at present, yet feel no strong desire to read it. I've told my mother about Louise Penny and she's very keen to try her so at least I might have created a convert!
Roots Schmoots sounds interesting, and I'm lucky to have a library copy of The Finkler Question awaiting my attention.

Books du jour:

(Cushla, you're safe in the case of the first book on this list!)

1. The People's Queen by Vanora Bennett. I loved this author's first book, Portrait of an Unknown Woman, which I've re-read several times and highly recommend to anyone with the slightest interest in historical fiction. Her second, Queen of Silks is quite good, IMO; her third, Blood Royal, had some really weird/off kilter moments, but was still very interesting to anyone curious about her characters and era. One of the things I have enjoyed most about Bennett's novels is that she uses little-known characters as a prism through which to tell a story -- Sir Thomas More's adopted daughter; a mistress of Richard III, Owen Tudor and Christine de Pisan. But it all somehow crumbles in this fourth novel, which deals with Alice Perrers, mistress to Edward III, John of Gaunt and Geoffrey Chaucer. The core of the plot -- a kind of revenge tragedy -- is intriguing, but concept isn't enough to transform this into an entertaining read. It's overly long, far too complex (what on earth possessed her to make 14th century financial chicanery the heart of a historical novel???) and the writing is often dreadfully coy. A pity, because these are interesting characters, and Bennett's spin on them is completely different than that of Anya Seton in her definitive novel, Katherine. 2.9 stars, not recommended except to die-hard historical fiction nuts, and then only with the above caveats. TIOLI, could fit as a chunkster, in the "possessive" category, but it's slotted under the title challenge.

2. Another "title" TIOLI read was Mrs Tim of the Regiment, which I relished as a straightforward and lively alternative to the histrionics of book #1. I'm not sure why it would be described as a classic (the Bloomsbury Group reprints are described as being "lost classics"), as it's more of a revival of an amusing period piece, but one that is almost literary comfort food. There's no real subtext here at all -- it's the diary of a military wife, who must relocate to Scotland. There's no real character development, just an amusing chronicle of events and characters, but that's enough to keep me entertained. The bulk of those events don't even pop up until halfway through the book, which made the first half feel occasionally slow. Still, I'll gladly keep an eye open for affordable copies of the sequels to this book. 3.9 stars, recommended with moderate enthusiasm.

3. Easily the best of the books was The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824 by Harvey Sachs. It's a comprehensive overview of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, from the context in which LvB composed it and in which it was first performed, to the cultural/social life of the time, the way later generations of musicians and composers responded to it, and the work itself. The last part was the weakest, for me as a non-musician. It's a detailed analysis of the symphony, full of technical terms and with occasional excursions into non-technical dimensions, but I kept wishing that I had a score at hand and more than a tiny knowledge of how to read music. Someone who is a musician will get far more out of that part of the book than I did, but I can imagine going back to it later. As it is, it was great to read this while listening to not only the 9th symphony but also some of Beethoven's piano sonatas and the op. 131, one of his late, great quartets. Recommended to anyone with an interest in music and history -- and music history specifically! 4.2 stars.

#34 Glad to hear that you liked The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824. I will be starting that one soon. With being away, September has gotten off to a slow reading start for me but I do hope to get to it soon.

Found, starred and caught up with, which isn't grammatical but who cares. I've got the Book Depository sending me The Finkler Question as soon as it comes back in stock. And I think that Xena thing would just be faboo on a tee shirt. Terri, you can send me one for my birthday, ok?

I could read 50 books a month if it weren't for other things like, oh say, life. As it is, if I get to 75 this year, I'll be doing fine.

I confess I have no life. Books, yes. Cats, yes. Life, nope.

I finished Mrs Tim of the Regiment today as well - I agree with you about it being a period piece but think it's well worth reviving - I found a wonderful quote in another reprint (Elizabeth Jolley) about reading older novels last month. I liked Miss Buncle's Book better but may read more D E Stevenson this month as I have two other books by her out of the library which fit the same challenge (the second Mrs Tim and the second Miss Buncle).

>37 Chatterbox: Lives are overrated.

Howard Jacobson alert: If you haven't read Kalooki Nights, I shall gift you with my copy that you may savor it; I can't find The Very Model of a Man, a trenchant novel of his, or I'd hand that one over too. "Kalooki" is in the way of thanks for letting me read Imogen Robertson.

Suz

One week from tomorrow and we will be at Richard's party! I am so looking forward to meeting you and some of our other LT members.

Ooh, Richard, would love to read it. I'll bring the second Imogen Robertson opus with me for you to read (assuming I can find where I put it!)

So, I'm reading Team of Rivals and just realized that I'm distantly related to one of the people who are profiled, Salmon Chase. We're both descended from Moses Chase and Anna Follansbee, 17th century arrivals in Boston. Go figure... Genealogy tosses up the oddest things.

#34: Adding the Sachs book to the BlackHole. It looks like a very good one. Thanks for the recommendation, SuperSuz!

p.s. I felt the same way about Mrs. Tim but sometimes that exactly what you want, isn't it: a plain, ordinary, unconfrontational cosy.

Tui, yes -- I didn't really expect more but perhaps had hoped for a stronger plotline to go with the comfy cosy? If that makes sense. I'll update my reading later, when Tigger the feline has stopped trying to dance on the keyboard.

Book du jour:
The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe. Once again, the TIOLI challenge (well, and the fact that I have an ARC of the sequel to this debut mystery sitting on my TBR stack to be read and reviewed...) prompted me to pick up a book I've been passing over for months. Wish I had read this rather good mystery earlier, even though the killer is a really twisted individual. That's in large part due to Wolfe's inside look at small-town Ontario and small-town policing, which has been the realm of her heroine, 61-year-old police chief Hazel Micallef, until the day when two dead bodies, drained of blood, are linked together. Now instead of arresting someone for driving his car through his ex-wife's picture window, she's chasing down the mysterious "Simon", across many provinces and jurisdictions. I really enjoyed this mystery, despite the somewhat gruesome/bizarre crimes, because of the characters, from Micallef, who can be her own worst enemy, to the promising young cop, Wingate, who seems to be concealing something in his past, and Micallef's sharp-as-a-whistle octogenerian mother, Emily. Unless you never venture out of cozy mystery land, this is a thumping good read. 4.2 stars, for TIOLI challenge #1 (ing ending).

#46: I have that one on my Nook already (I forget who recommended it though - Sandy, I think). I will have to get to it soon!

>34 Chatterbox:: I'm glad you enjoyed Mrs. Tim, even if only moderately. I find those quiet pieces so refreshing at times. I've read the first sequel, Mrs. Tim Carries On and found it much the same in tone and liked it very slightly better.

I've added The Calling to the stack as I do venture outside "cozy mystery land" quite a bit. If you're a real mystery fan, I just finished Bad Penny Blues, which fits that category also and I enjoyed it.

I'm giong to look for Mrs. Tim (I just realised that that's me) because I quite like books like that sometimes. It sounds a bit like Mrs Miniver or The Diary of a Provincial Lady, both of which I really liked.

I've also added the Beethoven book to my wishlist. I love Beethoven's 9th, and I might try to find a score...I'm sure there must be a free one online if I look.

Ooh.. your reference to A Portrait of an Unknown Woman reminds me that it's in my TBR Tower and I've been meaning to get to it. I should move it up a few rungs.

cmt, try your library if you can't find it online.

I would like to read the Beethoven, too. The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824. I read Beethoven's Hair last year and found it fascinating.

The Beethoven book is a good read for music addicts, I think -- and I'm going to seek out some of the histories that he cites in the notes and the bibliography. It has also spurred me to read Heine's poetry!

The books du jour:

1. Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost wasn't what I hoped it would be, reading more like a loosely-connected string of case studies than a real analytical overview of the issue of peoples' addiction to stuff/collecting. For what it is, it's complete, but is likely to appeal more to people with an interest in psychology and a comfort with reading relatively stodgy prose than general narrative nonfiction. True, a lot of the material was fascinating -- in a gruesome way -- but the case studies are also so extreme that they are hard to relate to. I'm a clutterbug, but I couldn't relate to the issues the people Frost have to grapple with. A giant "meh", although Frost does get to some of the issues I had hoped he'd address (such as the prevalence of "stuff" in a society where we have more shopping malls than schools), he doesn't integrate that into his analysis, which is largely confined to the psychology. Leaves too much unaddressed. Not really recommended, unless you have a macabre fascination with the phenomenon. 2.9 stars.

2. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory was a big step up from some of this author's recent historical novels, although it's still a very uneven portrayal of a fascinating woman, Lady Margaret Beaufort, that probably doesn't do its subject justice. Margaret ended up as the hope of the Lancastrian cause, and her son (to whom she gave birth to at the age of 13...) ultimately became Henry VII, father of Henry VIII, as the last heir standing after the Wars of the Roses. In Gregory's book, Margaret is filled with a sense of destiny from the beginning, and maneuvers relentlessly in her son's interest. It's a refreshingly different take on the era (possibly one of the most over-written in historical fiction right now) and parts of this are vivid and well conceived, including, surprisingly, the battle scenes. But the overly-florid, repetitive writing that characterized The White Queen is still there, and given that Gregory doesn't plan to follow this with a novel about Elizabeth Plantagenet (who married Henry VII), but instead intends to backtrack in time, there are waaay too many hanging plot threads. (There are also LOTS of errors, large and small -- how hard would it have been to identify the new Duke of Norfolk correctly as John instead of Thomas??) Overall, 3.3 stars. I'm glad someone finally wrote about Margaret Beaufort, but this is not one of Gregory's best books. Only for historical fiction nuts and diehard fans of the author.

#53: Woot! A post from which I can finally not add books to the BlackHole. I am never touching another Philippa Gregory book, so that was an easy decision, and the 'Stuff' book is just not for me.

All this means, of course, is that you will get me good tomorrow!

Wow--You're hard to keep up with. The Beethoven book looks very interesting--I was a music history major before I went to law schoool--so onto the pile it goes.

Here goes -- directing a book directly aimed at SuperStash's BlackHole...

the book du jour was Villa Air-Bel by Rosemary Sullivan. An example of how eccentric my reading patterns can be -- I had been watching a DVD of an older British crime series, and remembered that the lead actress had also played a role in an older (late 80s) series about SOE operations in German-occupied France. Which reminded me that this book was sitting on my shelf, still unread. It's the fascinating, if sometimes choppy, story of the role of the Emergency Rescue Committee in getting all kinds of endangered artists and intellectuals out of Vichy from 1940 until late 1941 -- the last window of time in which it was possible to save stateless people on the run from the Nazis. Beneficiaries included artists like Chagall and Max Ernst, the surrealist Andre Breton, and Victor Serge. The story centers around those who ended up living in a villa on the outskirts of Marseille -- the villa of the title -- as well as Varian Fry, the American writer and editor who ended up surprising himself with his resourcefulness and courage, even when the US authorities were blocking his attempts to save these people. The story was briefly touched on in The Rape of Europa, the great book by Lynn Nicholas about the Nazi's approach to art (looting it; destroying some of it), and there was a TV film a while ago that I remember, with William Hurt playing Varian Fry -- although the latter focused more on the dramatic examples of getting people illegally over the Pyrenees, which happened in a minority of cases. The real drama, the day to day struggles of life in a war zone, are conveyed here in a compelling way. Highly recommended. 4.3 stars.

(sorry, touchstones appear non-functional today -- Labor Day vacation for them as well??)

I am freaked out by people who seriously hoard things, so this is a book I will pass. I saw some trailers for a new tv series about hoarders, and just the trailers alone gave me the willies. I'm not a neatnik by far and I don't mind a little clutter but there's clutter and then there's a need for therapy and the guys from 1-800-GOT JUNK.

Caro, I agree with you. This book focused on the really, deeply obsessed/troubled people -- the folks who, if they weren't hoarding, would channel their troubles in other directions. What I hoped this book would look at was the intermediate stages -- i.e., am I, who do buy in multiples (if there's a T-shirt I like, I'll get two, because otherwise it will be impossible to find a replacement when I rip or stain the first one, and because it's very hard to find things I like that suit me in the first place), who buy a lot of books and who procrastinates about attempting to impose order on lots of stuff, in danger of becoming a hoarder? After reading this, I doubt it. It's a bit like someone who is 30 pounds overweight reading a book about morbid obesity, i.e. people who weigh 450 pounds. You can relate on a very general level, but the anecdotes are so extreme as to be unhelpful.

I think there's a tv program coming soon about hoarders ... I saw the trailers for it, and that's a program I know I have to avoid. The trailers shows some homes with cruddy dishes, cups, plates etc piled high in sinks, stacks and stacks of papers all over a house, plastic bags of what looked like used diapers filling a stairway and a rat running around ...eewwww.

TV shows like that are just voyeurism. You know that you're peering into the lives of deeply troubled people, and I find that objectionable on so many levels. About the only "reality" TV show I even go near is Project Runway, because it's so intriguing to watch the creative process at work. I find it funny how seriously they all take "fashion" (and would love to bash Michael Kors, who I think is seriously egomaniacal), but watching people move from an idea to the reality in only days is compelling. I can enjoy it without guilt because I know it's a kind of creativity that I will never possess (vs cooking shows, where the subtext always feels to me like "this is what you could do if you weren't so lazy...")

There was a programme here about the work of Environmental Health Officers called A Life of Grime, one case of an extreme hoarder became a really famous character, Mr Trebus lived in my borough, quite near to Janet, actually. He died in a residential home a few years ago.

I'm wary of that book because I worry that I am a hoarder, ok I'm not quite that bad but...

#61 - actually, Mr. Trebus was included in the book!

#56: Yep, that one is now in the BlackHole. Drats, the local library does not have it.

Stopping by to catch up on your new thread. The Calling sounds very interesting and I'll be adding it to my wishlist. I will pass on the The Red Queen. At one time I was a Gregory fan but she's fallen out of favor with me because, as you put it, There are also LOTS of errors, large and small

I could live with some errors, Lynda, but many of them are obvious and idiotic and careless. That's what bugs me most -- it's not her interpretation of events where there is room for a difference of opinion, but just blatant distorting of things like the birthdate of one of her characters, or the name issue as noted above. That one is particularly bizarre, because John Howard of Norfolk is well known to anyone who has a cursory interest in the period, in part due to a ditty that was pinned to his tent the night before Bosworth, reading "Jack of Norfolk, be not so bold, for Dickon your master, is bought and sold." (Meaning that Richard III had been betrayed.) It wasn't "Tom of Norfolk." And if I learned that as a schoolgirl in England, I'm sure Gregory did. Bah!

I have an ARC of The Fallen (no touchstone available...), the sequel to The Calling; hoping to get to it soon!

Why on earth do they only offer us 100 options on Touchstone, many of which use the key words only tangentially?? Very frustrating.

I like Project Runway too for the same reasons that you do, Suz, and I too detest Michael Kors because of his ego. I think some of the participants are truly talented... and then there's Tim Gunn .. a sweetie I'd love to be related to.

But other than this, I don't watch reality shows because I don't find them particularly entertaining. If anything I find the ones I've peeked at completely objectionable and downright stupid .... the wife swap show being case in point. I'm not sure I even understand why some people sign up to participate in some of these shows .. ok, I get the 5 mins of fame bit, but seriously ... don't they care that the rest of the world sees them for the shallow imbeciles that they're portrayed as?

But you see Caroline, the shallow imbeciles don't consider themselves to be shallow imbeciles, regardless of the fact tha the rest of the world does.

Alas, 'ain't that the sad truth of the matter, Bonnie ... it's like those people on Jerry Springer. I used to wonder how they could get on the show and behave the way they did and say the things they said knowing that their parents, grandmothers, friends and coworkers could potentially be watching the show .... but then again, with these people, maybe they invited said group to the show itself.

Takes all kinds to make up the world ..... like that idiot reverend who wants to burn copies of the Koran on Sept 11. Grrr... is bigoted moron too kind a description for him?

ok, getting off my rant box

Speaking of television...walked in the house awhile ago and my DH does what he always does when we've been out-of-town....turns on Bloomberg News. And there was SuperSuz doing another intelligent interview about Chasing Goldman Sachs. Pretty soon, you'll be having your own investment show, Suz! Keep up the good work.

Omigod, Donna -- that's hilarious... I wasn't in top form (headachey) but the fill-in host used the words "widely-acclaimed" to describe the book and I wanted to hug her!

Books du jour were two mysteries set in Italy!

1. Death in a Strange Country was my introduction to the Commissario Brunetti mysteries by Donna Leon. I quite enjoyed this, although it's a relatively straightforward police procedural. Happily, there are lots of extras, in terms of character and setting, which to me transformed what might have been an interesting but not compelling mystery into a better book. The fact that not everything was perfectly resolved at the end -- the issue of corruption, for instance, and the final twist -- also augur well for the rest of the series, which I expect I'll continue with. 3.9 stars, TIOLI challenge #1. (the title contains the letter combo "hin")

2. Paganini's Ghost by Paul Adam. I'm always happy to find a new book by this author, and this was a sequel to one of my fave books by him, The Rainaldi Quartet. This time around, Cremona-based luthier (maker/repairer of string instruments, esp. violions) Gianni Castiglione is caught up in the mystery surrounding the death of an art dealer after a concert at which a young prodigy plays Paganini's famed violin, a Guarneri del Gesu. Is his death related to Paganini's history -- and to a possible Paganini legacy (the ghost of the title) that the murdered man was hunting for? The story is an intriguing blend of music, music history, violin-making, etc. Recommended, but read The Rainaldi Quartet first so you are familiar with the characters. 4.2 stars, TIOLI "possessives" challenge.

The mysteries by Paul Adam sound very good; I will look for them. Thanks.

What jadebird said.

What Ren and Bonnie said :)

And how deeply I hate you for giving me yet another series to follow. Just sayin'.

And as a health and safety measure, I'd suggest avoiding the pondlet and the fountain when you're here...in case of stray hihg-voltage wires...one never knows after all.

Richard, I think they ration the number of books that you can keep in a prison cell. Just sayin'. :-)

#74/75: Now children, I do not want to have to send you to bed with no dessert when I am there on Saturday :)

>76 alcottacre: That wouldn't be tough, Stasia...I'm not having a birthday cake (don't like 'em) and, unless I get motivated soon, I won't even have birthday cookies.

#77: I am with you on not liking birthday cake, Richard. When I was growing up, I had blueberry pie every year for my birthday.

#77 and 78 No cake, no chocolate, no ice cream!!!??? Who are you?

#79: Not big on cake, do not like and am allergic to both chocolate and ice cream. I am Stasia, hear me roar :)

Whereas **I** adore ice cream, but serving it to ~30 people ain't happenin'. Cake, ~meh~; chocolate, *retch*.

Phew, a chocolate-free zone! I have been battling migraines and absent neurologists this week -- again. So I refuse to go near ice cream or chocolate.

ETA: What about birthday cupcakes??

Everyone knows that the proper birthday treat is pumpkin pie...

no new series for me... ice cream is a possibility though...

Whoopee... another Commissario Brunetti fan. I love the series, Suz although I will say that because she's got so many out now, there are a few that don't really measure up, but most of them are really good.

richard.. what about birthday churros?

Churros...interesting idea!

mmmmmmmmm Churros

Succumbing to this quiz:

1. The last book you gave five-stars to. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson.
2. The last book you were unable to finish. Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton, an abortive foray into the fantasy genre.
3. The last book you bought. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. (on my Kindle.)
4. The last book that made you cry. Can't remember. Books rarely make me cry or laugh out loud, even if they move me deeply.
5. The last book you borrowed. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, from BookSwim.
6. The last book you received as a gift. Can't remember. People almost never give me books. I did get some ARCs from a friend, including Jewel of Medina by Sherry Jones, none of which I have read yet.
7. The last book you found disturbing. Probably Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, if it's a so-so book about disturbing people.
8. The last book you read that made you laugh. Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float: Classic Lit Signs on to Facebook by Sarah Schmelling.
9. The last book you really felt you got lost in (the good kind of lost): Completely immersed? Probably Madame Proust and the Kosher Kitchen by Kate Taylor.
10. The last book you reread. I've been re-reading very little to nothing this year. Possibly 1984 by George Orwell.

#88: Succumbing to this quiz

Don't we all? I love book quizzes! (happy sigh of contentment)

I've got to look into this Finkler Question ... it sounds like a superb read. Have you read Kalooki Nights, Suz? I've got that in my TBR Tower to be read some time this year. My cousin gave it to me after she read it and said it's one of her top 20 reads of last year.

I think Richard is going to lend me his copy of Kalooki Nights, Caro.

I need to go take a tranquilizer. Have spent two hours trying to get a combo DVD/VCR player sent to my mother in Toronto for her birthday. It is impossible. They don't exist in Canada, except for Best Buy.ca, which tells me I have "the wrong type of credit card" and that they won't process my order. And I can't get it shipped from the US to Canada -- Amazon won't do it and my usual supplier of region-free players won't unless I change the billing address on my credit card, which I can't do. ARGHHHHHH. So much for globalization!!

Book du jour: Roma by Steven Saylor. Well, I should have known better. I'm not a big fan of Edward Rutherfurd's books, or even James Michener's epics -- the ones that jump generations in a single bound and tell the story of a place through the loosely connected stories of people from that place over centuries. Saylor's book reminded me exactly why: the narrative is jumpy and story and characters take a back seat to the overly didactic need to show how smart the author is and connecting each episode to the one before it. In this book, that usually takes the form of stilted conversation between the 'hero' or 'heroine' of each episode and one of their elders -- a parent, grandparent, mentor, etc -- in which they recap recent history for the benefit of the reader. Sadly, that usually chews up about a quarter of each episode, but even then, the stories never really take on a life of their own. I overcame my qualms and requested the book's sequel, Empire, (no touchstone, it seems...) because I'm interested in the period, esp. the latter part of the imperial era, and then decided to read Roma in order to become familiar with the broad story outline. All I can hope is that the sequel is a less arduous read than this was. The good news? It was brisk, and someone who just wants a way to fill in time and is curious about ancient Rome while knowing little about it may find it entertaining. To me, it just felt like a novelized version of a history book, aimed at a 13 year old. 2.3 stars. TIOLI chunkster.

Happily, I'm enjoying my other chunksters much more. I'm about a third of the way through Team of Rivals and enjoying it immensely; about the same distance into The Passage, which I still find puzzling although I like the writing and am intrigued by it.

I'm trying to get The Finkler Question but not having much luck. BD notified me that it was back in stock but when I went there it said "out of stock". And it's not available here yet. **sigh**

I'm lending my copy to Stasia, Bonnie; if you've had no luck when she finishes with it, she can mail it on to you if you PROMISE to take wonderful care of it and mail it back to me when done. Oddly, I do see it as being available on Kindle -- but not as a Dead Tree Book on Amazon. That is a bit weird -- usually if it's not out in the US, it's not available, period...

#92: Too bad about Roma. I downloaded it to my Nook about a week or so ago. Oh well.

I am glad you are enjoying Team of Rivals though, Suz. I thought it was terrific!

Sorry to read about Roma - I really like his Gordianus series.

Hope you have blast this weekend - take lots of photos!!

Stopping by to say I am looking forward to meeting you tomorrow!

#93 - Bonnie, it's so popular that they're out of stock. If you sign up on Books Depository, they'll notify you when copies are made available again.

#98, Unfortunately, I've signed up several times with the BD for notification when The Finkler Question comes back in, and each time they've notified me it's back in stock, it hasn't been when I go the web page for it. Either the notification system is malfunctioning or people just buy it up as soon as it's back in stock. I've taken to checking BD everyday, but so far no luck.

I am trying to post this in threads where party goers will see it.. so.. Suz....
re-posting this here.. Please consider making a single thread that you can all post party info to? and photos? and link us to it??

>100 mckait: Already done, my dear: aver here though it's pretty nekkid just now.

you have done a verrrry fine job of following me around..lol. well done.

Hi! Just catching up trying to catch up. Oh, the Paul Adam mystery series sounds interesting . . . as if I need another series . . .

I already have the first of the Donna Leone series waiting on the shelf.

Just catching up myself...

Recently finished books:

1. The Passage by Justin Cronin. OK, yes, there are vampires of a sort, but this is really a book about the world post-apocalypse. Only it's not a nuclear blast but a biochemical catastrophe that has quietly swept through North America -- and possibly the world, except no one really knows. The first segment of this novel lays out a bit of the "how", in a rather oblique way; the second similarly addresses the "what next". But reading it is a bit like trying to gauge the nature of an iceberg with nothing but the tip that pokes above the surface of the water to go by. Gradually, bit by bit, more of the iceberg becomes clear, but only slowly. Anyone looking for the backstory to be delivered quickly is going to find this a frustrating read. In a nutshell: the bulk of the book surrounds the adventures of a group from a tiny surviving colony of human "souls" in California, who over the many decades have lost hope as well as any sense of the "before". Cronin does a masterful job of laying out the rather claustrophobic survivor mentality of the 90-odd members of the colony, and the various personalities. When a mysterious young girl arrives -- one of the first strangers any of these survivors have ever seen -- it proves to be a catalyst for dramatic changes of the kind that the survivors fear. Bits of the final third of this felt too "Mad Max" to me, but I'm still curious about how Cronin plans to address some of the unanswered questions and resolve his novels. It's not great literature, but it's very good writing and an imaginative plot, so I'll come back for the next installment. 4.2 stars.

2. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick. I'm reading some of this author's books because I have to interview her next week. She's part of what I call the "plain vanilla" school of historical fiction -- she takes the real characters and situations and simply turns them into fiction. She's more successful than many in terms of her imagination and attempts to portray what life might have been like in early medieval England, but there's nothing extra here -- no attempt to come up with an interesting theme (as Hilary Mantel did in Wolf Hall, when she wrote about Thomas Cromwell and the rise of ambitious young men from the lower classes to powerful positions under the Tudors.) It's OK, but not recommended except to historical fiction nuts. 3.1 stars.

3. Small Wars Permitting by Christina Lamb. This quasi memoir is actually about 40% Lamb's recollections, interspersed with articles she wrote at the time. That balance is an awkward one -- just as I got interested in her memoir, I'd jump back to her journalism. I think this might have worked better as either pure memoir or a collection of her articles with very brief introductions. Especially the last major piece in here, which was a long story about an attack on Benazir Bhutto only days before the Pakistani leader was assassinated. It cried out for Lamb's comments and thoughts and observations about the murder itself -- but there is nothing. Perhaps she figures we can all read between the lines and understand? If so, that's bad journalism, IMO. Despite the occasional frustration of this kind, however, this is an interesting book, drawing attention to lots of different under-reported conflicts (the battles over the Amazon, Zimbabwe) and a few over-reported ones (Iraq). I will say that it is one of the better foreign correspondent memoirs I have read -- Lamb seems less in love with her own daring, and less inclined to put her own actions and responses at the heart of the narrative, and less inclined than many others to glamorize the war correspondent's trade. Recommended, but it's not a substitute for reading more deeply about the "small wars" of the title. 4 stars.

All are TIOLI books.

Hey Suz! In the hustle and bustle of LT I lost track of your thread at some point. Sorry! So I just wanted to let you know that I'll once again be assuming my role as thread-lurker. :)

ETA: Oh! I'm glad you liked The Passage! :D

nice review of The Passage....

the others are good too, :)
but they have not drawn me in...
I am being STRONG!

Kath may be strong, but I am feeling vulnerable today and therefore weak in the face of the wonderful reviews you've posted, Suz. I tried to put up a fight, but alas, I was too feeble and added Small Wars Permitting to my obese wish list. Already have The Passage in my list.

I just can't crack The Passage. Something isn't there that I need to be there, and for the life of me I can't figure out what that is.

It doesn't help that it was a wrist-sprainer, either. If I'm going to support this great wodge of pages, it better support me back, and so far it ain't.

From our Day of Indecently Fun Shopping (ie, book shopping with no whining demands to go somewhere else), I got The Hare with Amber Eyes and so far it's really really good! Fire up the Kindle fearlessly.

I have neglected this thread, shamelessly...but The Hare with Amber Eyes was worth it.....my Kindle awaits..

You read so much, Suzanne, that I'm a bit ashamed of my Slow Poke status...hopefully I'll pick up the pace as the weather gets colder

;-}

rdear... I felt that way about The Passage for months..
When I opened it finally, it was with grim determination to fulfill a commitment.
When I forced myself into it.. before long I was hooked. I really hope that you can get into it.. I think if you persist a bit, you will be drawn in. I agree that it is a wrist sprainer..

It did take me about 200 plus pages to get really engaged in The Passage, and I never got to the point where I was walking around the house with it held before my nose while I made myself a meal, etc., but I did whip through it in about three days...

Book du jour: The Winter House by Nicci Gerrard. I suppose this would very broadly fit into the "chick lit" category, since it's a novel that revolves around relationships and has a woman as the central character. Briefly, it's the story of Marnie, who is summoned to the deathbed of a once-close friend named Ralph by a mutual friend, Oliver. The plot revolves around the way in which their friendships were distorted by the events of one summer when they were about 18/19/20. The character of Ralph isn't always convincing, and the reader never gets to understand who Marnie is as a person, beyond her emotions and her nostalgia for times past. There is some OK writing and a few insightful comments about nostalgia/homesickness, etc., etc., but overall I'd have to say this is a book that could have been good but that is bogged down by too much sentiment, even though that sentiment isn't sweet and gooey but often dark and depressing. Ultimately, I think I would rather have read some upbeat chick lit! 3.2 stars.

I'm just de-lurking to say hello. You've done some very interesting reviews here, but -- like Kath yesterday -- I'm being strong and resisting the temptation to add more to my overlong list . . .

*resumes lurk mode*

>99 rebeccanyc:: Rebecca, I'm having exactly the same problem and I'm dying to read that book.

CB, I love the title "Ophelia Joined the Group of Maidens Who Don't Float, etc." and, had I known of it, would have bought the book just based on its title. Not a fan of Rutherfurd either, having slogged through Sarum and ground to a halt in London.

I'd like to read The Passage and will wish list it. Will I miss much info if I skip the first 200 pages? ;}

#112 -- Lurk away!! :-)

#113 -- Ophelia is great. At times I laughed so hard I had tears running down my face. It's intelligent wit. I learned about the book after the author had a bit of it in McSweeney's; sent her a PM on Facebook to say how much I had enjoyed it, and she told me she'd just landed a book contract. So I got the book the day it came out. It's my fallback book when I need to laugh during bleak times!

#114 -- Lynda, sadly, yes, the disjointed/puzzling first 200 pages is the price of entry to the rest.

Finished The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins; v. good -- will post comments later today.

It was nice to meet you Suzanne!

Likewise, Linda!

Ok, the books du jour:

1. Finished The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins. This is an intriguing look at how American children and particularly high school students are under pressure from everyone -- including themselves -- to overachieve at the expense of their health and sanity. Reading this just reminded me how lucky I was to grow up in a sane environment, when teenagers didn't need to have CVs and didn't need to network their way to college. Still, it's a salutary reminder of what has changed in society as a college education appears far more crucial and "credentialism" is on the rise. I wonder what will happen to this generation of teens 20 years on... None of the broad trends are too surprising, but Robbins has pulled together a tremendous amount of detail, resulting in a compelling and compassionate sage of the high pressure lives of teens in an affluent DC suburb. Recommended, 4.1 stars, TIOLI for a school-themed book.

2. Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger. I needed something utterly mindless to read, so opted for the hopefully frothy chick lit saga, the plot of which revolves around what happens to a young woman when her husband suddenly hits the big time in the music industry. It's a fun indictment of the celebrity worship that infects our society, but not as withering or fun as The Devil Wears Prada, alas. Still, amusing enough, if forgettable. 3.4 stars. TIOLI for a building title -- chateau being Francais for castle.

3. Lost to the West by Lars Brownworth was a brisk and entertaining tour of 1,100 years of the Byzantine empire in a mere 300 pages. I got a freebie copy from my publishers, and hoped that it would live up to the promise implied in the title and the jacket copy of focusing on the Byzantine empire's role in preserving and transmitting classical and other scholarship during the European dark ages, but that is just addressed in passing. Brownworth is obviously far more interested in the imperial intrigues -- very few Byzantine emperors died peacefully in their beds -- than in the social, cultural or intellectual history of the period, and the result is probably a lively if very sweeping overview of the highlights of the period. I wasn't surprised to discover that Brownworth is a high school teacher, as the feeling I got throughout was that the book was the written version of lessons delivered by a very skilled and popular high school history teacher. It would probably appeal to anyone reading about the Byzantines for the first time, but left me underwhelmed and with too many questions. (A slipshod/incomplete index and skimpy bibliography didn't help.) Yes, John Julius Norwich's magisterial three-volume history of Byzantium is a much greater investment of time, but it's worth it, and there is a condensed version of that book available, that I'd recommend in preference to this. (I read it while traveling around Turkey a while ago.) A more recent book is 1453, which deals with the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans, and is also a popular history, but one that is more focused and better all around; a 4-star read for me while this only rated 3 stars. TIOLI for a direction of the compass challenge.

I'm going to have to read The Overachievers (if only to see which school it mentions...and I think I already know!). :)

By the way, Suzanne, it was fun to "meet you" in the party thread! Now I can put a smiling face to your name.

I am just going to pretend I have read everything for the past 5 days. . .

119- Ditto what Madeline said! :)

Gah, I still think I think I look like a gargoyle in those pics!!

Book du jour: Neither East Nor West by Christiane Bird. The only major problem with this travelogue is that by the time I got around to reading it, it was rather dated. The author traveled to Iran in 1998 -- pre-Ahmedinejad, pre 9/11, pre nuclear controversy, etc. etc. -- so many of her observations may still be true, or may be hopelessly out of date. The other problem is one that afflicts many travelogues: it's an outsider's view of a complex society, written by someone who speaks very rudimentary Persian and mostly relied on transglnlators or people who could communicate in English, thus restricting what she could do/say/understand. So while there are some very interesting encounters and some great descriptions of places, I probably wouldn't be able to recommend this whole-heartedly, and will seek out some other books about Iran written more recently. Still, it's probably a good introductory book, and there are some beautifully written passages, particularly those where she is looking back on her misty memories of her early childhood in Tabriz. 3.5 stars, despite its flaws; TIOLI (geographic direction challenge -- both East & West in the title).

And I thought I was tired before I came into your thread........sheesh!

Suz

You do NOT look like a gargoyle. You do look like you were having a lot of fun.

Authoress Suzanne...winner of the inaugural "Adorable Gargoyle Award for Talent, Brains, and Beauty" perhaps.

Took half of an over-the-counter sleeping pill last night and not only did it knock me out, but i had weird dreams. When I finally came to, I was expected onstage at the Met to sing the role of the Countess in the Marriage of Figaro, and no one would listen to my protestations that I didn't know the lines and that I couldn't sing! (The costume was gorgeous though...)

At least by the sound of it you woke up before you made it onstage...

Thanks to a ringing telephone, yes... Although not before I'd had a panic attack in my dream. Heavens, I can do those quite well in my waking hours!!

#126: LOL! If we had known you can sing, Suz, we could have had you entertain us at the party :)

Trust me, Stasia, I can't sing... but I would love to be able to, so that probably was the hidden wish in the dream/nightmare!

Book du jour:
Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson. Oh, how I loved this book, and bless whoever first brought it to my attention. (Can't remember any longer -- old age...) I much preferred reading about Barbara Buncle's adventures than those of Mrs Tim, perhaps because it's more of a linear story with a "real" plot -- and a delightful, old-fashioned one at that. In some ways, the story has the feel-good impact of L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle where the malicious and stupid get their comeuppance and those they overlook and snub get the best revenge -- that of living well and prospering! I can see myself re-reading this many times in the coming years. 4.5 stars, TIOLI challenge book (for the "possessives" category.)

#130: I loved Miss Buncle's Book too, Suz. Glad to see it has found another fan!

I have weird dreams with no meds Suzanne.. lol but that was a good one..

I REALLY want Miss Buncle's book but haven't been able to locate a copy yet...hopefully soon! It looks like just my kind of book. :)

I think several of us mentioned Miss Buncle's Book - I read it a couple of months ago. I have the second book about her, Miss Buncle Married out of the library - a large print edition which was published some time this year.

Did NOT get blown away in yesterday's mini-tornado in Brooklyn -- although some of the photos were taken only a few blocks away. The only damage on my street are a couple of big tree branches -- none of which landed on the house or did any damage. I even missed the storm as I was making my way home from my neurologist's office on the subway, and headed straight to Target -- by the time I got out, the drama was over...!

I'm glad your house wasn't damaged during yesterday's storm, Suz. So do you think you'll get part 2 to your dream tonight since it was rudely interrupted before you got to go on stage in your lovely costume?

It may require taking the other half of my OTC sleeping pill, Caro! It's odd -- I take painkillers that knock most people out for migraines, and they don't do a thing to me -- take 1/3 to 1/2 a Unisom, and I can't function for 12 to 14 hours. Plus the weird dreams! I do hope I don't find myself on stage being jeered by rabid opera fans, however...

The dream did remind me to contact a friend in Toronto about a planned opera jaunt. She's going to come down in late January and we'll do a bit of Verdi -- Simon Boccanegra and Traviata -- at the Met.

Books du jour:

1. For my 1010 challenge (and an ER book), read Salvation City by Sigrid Nunez. Nunez has a beautiful, spare but evocative writing style, and she does a great job with this book, which manages to view all its characters through a sympathetic prism. Still, while it's presented as a post-apocalyptic novel, that's not really what is going on -- a flu pandemic is simply the reason why 12/13-year-old Cole Vining ends up in the religious community of Salvation City, and the backdrop to his coming of age story, in which he has to find his way to the point where he can make his own decisions about his own future. Cole wrestles with the odd contradictions of hard-line, old-school fundamentalist Christianity that is the lifestyle of all around him, including his new parents, Tracy and PW (aka Pastor Wyatt) and what his (now dead) parents tried to teach him about life. Is this his new life? If so, what does that mean about how he can remember and think about his past? There are some intriguing issues, thoughtfully presented, in this book, although it didn't have quite the impact on me that I thought it could have. One of the best elements is Nunez's awareness that life has no easy answers, whether you're 14 or 48. 4 stars, recommended.

2. Finished The Bishop's Man, Linden MacIntyre's second novel, which won Canada's Giller Prize. In it, MacIntyre uses the same Cape Breton setting and picks up some of the lesser characters from The Long Stretch to serve as the heart of this book. (Although this isn't really a sequel, I'd still recommend reading the other book first, for context.) Duncan MacAskill, a Catholic priest, has been his bishop's chosen enforcer for years -- the man who intervenes when a priest is accused of some kind of misconduct, whisking the culprit away and covering things up. Now the news of what some of those priests did is starting to leak out, particularly in Boston and Newfoundland, and MacAskill is sent off, out of the way, to a tiny parish of his own, where he is forced to confront some of his own demons, ranging from his experiences in the 1970s in Honduras to the fallout from his actions as "the Exorcist" for the bishop. A lot of the buzz surrounding this book has to do with the timeliness of its theme -- I happen to think it's simply a great novel anyway, one that forces the reader to ponder questions of isolation, relationships, what it means to be human, what one is responsible for to others, etc. Even better than MacIntyre's first book; I can't wait to see what he comes out with next. Highly recommended, 4.6 stars. (Possessives challenge for TIOLI)

I love La Traviata. And at the Met ... oooh.. I'm jealous!

So -- come to NY and join us! Jan 29...

be careful what you wish for. :-)

#137: Adding both books to the BlackHole. You would think I would know that by now I would know better than to visit your thread!

Nice reviews of both books, Suzanne; I'm adding The Bishop's Man to my wish list.

Well, I've finally run into a book that was a waste of a good tree. It's even worse than the other Italian-based mystery I read earlier this summer; makes James Patterson look great. I picked it up at the suggestion of a source who is an art consultant, but hadn't started reading it until now -- it popped up on my list of "controversial" books. Not sure why it's controversial, unless it's the fact that it got published at all.

What is this gem? The Art Thief by Noah Charney. It is a meandering, confusing story of a series of art thefts and the people trying to solve them. I did keep reading it because I'm interested in the art theft issue generally, and some of the technical issues (overpainting, etc.) were intriguing, but the writing was utterly dreadful. Imagine, if you will, three pages' worth of a one-sided phone call, in which the person simply reels off facts and opinions and thoughts about Malevich?? That happens over and over again -- it's one sided dialogue or clumsy description throughout. No attempt made to transform this into a book with either style or character, and the plot is little more than what the author fleshed out in a one-page outline, I'm sure. 1 star. I did finish it, so I'm logging it under TIOLI's controversial books challenge, but I'd urge anyone else not to waste 5 or 6 hours of their time. Blech.

2. The other book du jour was much better, but challenging in a different way. Encounter by Milan Kundera is the Czech author's latest compilations of essays, etc., all loosely connected to the concept of 'what is art' -- the novel, etc. But that is VERY loosely connected -- Kundera ruminates on everything from Janacek to expatriate writers, from writers in Martinique and Haiti to Rabelais. It's interesting, but I'm simply not as erudite as Kundera, and have read fewer of the authors he cites (esp. the surrealists). So at times I struggled to follow his argument. So I found myself greatly liking some of these short and beautifully written pieces. One such addressed whether expatriate writers really owe anything to their native lands and should return when exile is no longer necessary; ditto whether they must continue writing in their native language -- intriguing since Kundera himself has switched to writing in French. I struggled to follow some others, especially when Kundera switched to using literary criticism-ish instead of English/French. But it was great to give my brain a workout, and this relatively short book was a great one to dip in and out of over the course of a week. 4 stars, recommended to those with a high tolerance for literary terminology, NOT a TIOLI book.

Too bad about The Art Thief. It sounds like one in which I would have been interested.

makes James Patterson look great

I'm glad I was sitting down when I read this! James Patterson tops my personal list of authors I can't believe I read even once!

I am interested in your review of Salvation City because I read another book by Sigrid Nunez, The Last of Her Kind, a few years ago and enjoyed it. This sounds like a somehate different kind of novel.

Adding The Bishop's Man and The Long Stretch as they both sound good Suzanne. I agree with Rebecca about the fact that I read a James Patterson book, back when my tastes hadn't really matured (at least that's the excuse I'm using).

Now, nobody knock James Patterson! He's made readers out of many a reluctant soul. Don't read his stuff, mind, but be a little tolerant of his place in the wolrd of letters. Likewise Belva Plain, Danielle Steel, Rosamunde Pilcher, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler...these are people with a mission, and whatever makes a person read is a Good Thing (said in best Martha Stewart voice).

The Bishop's Man sounds damned good and depressing, so I will give it the widest possible berth. I need some jolly, frivolous whoop-de-do.

You're right, Richard, about James Patterson making people readers: the person who insisted that I read one of his books (I've happily blocked out the title) probably read one book a year, if that.

Oh God, you had to read one of those craptastic tomes! Poor Rebecca. I am pleased that you've recovered so well.

Just be glad I didn't parody JP in my post.

I've been known to do that.

Some people might not notice.

But I'm sure you will.

You know who you are.

You're smart that way.

>150 rebeccanyc: LOL

I was wondering if I'd read any of James Patterson's books, but after reading your #150 post, I remember :-) (although I'd rather forget...)

#150, ROTFL, Rebecca!!!

God forbid that anyone read them for the language. I "discovered" them while on a month-long reporting trip in China. They are excellent entertainment on long plane trips, and can be left in the back of seatpockets without a qualm.

I outgrew Belva Plain and Danielle Steele eons ago, and the only Clive Cussler I read was back in 1977, on the same high school trip to India that I read and relished Mariana by Monica Dickens. Who knows what happened to the Cussler book? But Mariana - the same copy -- is still a cherished part of my library.

Ricardus, if you want something seriously goofy, you need to read Miss Hargreaves. I'm nearly finished; will report back on it later today.

I need something goofy and light myself.
Falling into a funk.. and need a funk fighter...

Book du jour:

Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker is one of the Bloomsbury Group reprints of 'classics' of the first half of the 20th century. It's a hilarious, goofy romp told by a young man with more imagination than sense. In one of his flights of fancy, he ends up inventing a Miss Hargreaves, complete with a cockatoo, a harp and a book of poetry -- only to find her materializing, with unexpected consequences. It's kind of a sorcerer's apprentice type story, when an exasperated Norman, fed up with his octogenerian shadow, inadvertently cuts her loose to behave as she wills, with even more hilarious fallout. It's fundamentally a very funny, even absurd story (Norman's father is perhaps still more eccentric than Miss Hargreaves), but also ends with an element of the poignant. Recommended. 4 stars. TIOLI challenge, for the "title in a title" category.

>155 Chatterbox: I've wishlisted it, since it sounds completely irresistible!

#155: I love those Bloomsbury Group reprints. I will have to track that one down. Thanks for the recommendation!

Miss Hargreaves sounds like a fun read; I'll look for this later today.

Looks good to me too.. but I won't be picking it up for a while.. I have wishlisted it and look forward to it... someday soon.

Miss Hargreaves is also on my wishlist - gotta love those fun reads!

How could I resist Miss Hargreaves when your review alone made me smile? Off to the obese wish list it goes.

Add me to the list of wishlisters:)

I've not come across Miss Hargreaves before, but it sounds great. There are some really lovely books in that series of reissues. Adding that one to the wishlist.

Here's another one for the wishlists -- I hope!

Today's book du jour was:
Heartstone, the latest episode in the ongoing Tudor mystery series by C.J. Sansom. It again features Shardlake, the hunchback lawyer who has found himself at odds with powerful figures ranging from Henry VIII to fellow lawyers, despite being a relatively mild-mannered individual. The problem? Shardlake has a sense of justice, and tenacity. The two combine to lead him into peril again when Queen Catherine Parr asks him to investigate the fate of two young people, whose tutor had been the son of one of her loyal servants. As if one impossible and unpopular quest wasn't enough, Shardlake decides to combine his research trip with a side trip to probe the reasons that Ellen (you need to read the books in order...) is confined to Bedlam as a lunatic. As if two mysteries weren't enough, there's also a threatened invasion by the French to contend with -- and a sea battle in which Shardlake risks being caught up. These books are historically impeccable, intricately plotted and compelling reads -- the best of what historical mysteries have to offer, IMO. Start with the first in the series, however, Dissolution. That way you'll have five books to read before being forced to wait for the next offering, as I now will have to do... *sulk sulk sulk* 4.8 stars, a chunkster for TIOLI, for my 1010 challenge and highly recommended! (Anyone who enjoyed Wolf Hall will love this; it's just as intelligent, but less literary fiction and more easily read.)

I must, must, must get to Revelation so that I can then get to the new one. An excellent series.

Suz... you're killing me here ....ANOTHER series?! And of course you had to throw in Wolf Hall in there to reel me into looking out for Dissolution. hmph!

Oh, no. Oh, well, the Sansom series is going on the (very, very, very long) wish list. Sounds too good to miss!

OK, they are on the wishlist now, starting with Dissolution. At the end of the year, I'm doing a count-up to see how many books you've added to it.

I've only read Sovereign and really must get to the other Shardlake books as I really liked it. I read Sansom's Winter in Madrid earlier in the year and that was good too.
I second the recommendation for Miss Hargreaves (love how the touchstones can only bring up Roger Hargreaves' Mr Men series!), I read it too slowly earlier this year but it was a great black comedy of a book, and yes, Norman's father was 'quite' different. I have most of the Bloomsbury Classic series on my tbr pile, and so far have only read two of them, the other was A Kid for two Farthingswhich was charming.

Suzanne

I like your description of Miss Hargreaves and it is now added to the tbr pile.

I am lucky I guess with the Shardlake books as I already own several of them.

Catching up quickly, as I'm off to Boston tomorrow morning, and giving a speech there (only half-written... gulp...) on Thurs.

Books du jour:

1. In Cheap We Trust by Lauren Weber: an interesting but uneven look at the virtue of thrift, more honored in the breach than the observance in the US today. The first half or more of Weber's book is a whistle-stop historical survey of thriftiness/cheapness through American history, with stops at Franklin, stereotypes of the Jews and Chinese, wartime thrift, etc. etc. That part is much less interesting than the latter handful of chapters in which she examines our current financial plight, the way that consumers came to dominate our economy and the ecological implications of our addiction to consumption. She pulls her punches a bit when it comes a conclusion, and some of her territory has been well-trodden in magazine journalism, but it's a useful one-stop read for someone looking for an accessible approach to our conflicted relationship with money. Mildly recommended; 3.7 stars. TIOLI for the money challenge.

2. The House of Dust and Dreams by Brenda Reid. I picked this up because of its setting -- Crete in the late 1930s and during World War II. The first 150 pages or so were interesting enough, with the story alternating between the Englishwoman who goes to live in a remote Cretan village and the village woman who befriends herself. After that, much of the plot came to revolve around romantic entanglements, and the part that didn't became unconvincing. It kind of floundered to an end. 2.9 stars; only if you're desperate. It's going off to Paperbackswap on my return home. TIOLI for the "book with a building in the name" category.

Finishing up one more that is rather good -- I'm not big on memoirs, but this guy was one of the people who read from his book at the same event that I read from mine last month, and I picked it up out of curiousity -- Losing my Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams. Will finish tonight but update tomorrow.

Too bad about the Reid book. It sounds like it could have been a good one.

I am having my own conflicted relationship with money at the moment, so perhaps I should try and find a copy of In Cheap We Trust :)

Good luck with the speech tomorrow, Suz!

Speech isn't until Thursday, thankfully, Stasia.

Still, besieged by noise from outdoors, an errant mosquito and a migraine, I am unable to get any sleep.

So here's the book du jour, very, very early in the "jour"!

Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams is a remarkable book. I usually steer clear of memoirs, and I would have assumed, had I spotted this on a table at the Barnes & Noble, that it wouldn't speak to me at all. After all, I'm an upper middle class, middle-aged white woman who has had a relatively privileged if not wealthy upbringing -- what would a younger African-American man who embraced hip-hop culture as a teen have to say to me? It turns out -- a lot. Because this book is about how Williams learns to question the prevailing mores of black youth culture and set out to define the world on his own terms. That includes not automatically heaping scorn on anything that isn't deemed "real" by his peers, but allowing his natural curiosity to investigate everything from cheese and wine to philosophy and music, and figure out what it is that he likes, what he wants and ultimately who he is. On one level, this is a poignant lament for what has happened to a chunk of African-American society, where the only figures worthy of admiration are hip-hop moguls who make like gangstas, or professional athletes. While he delves into his philosophical studies to attempt an explanation of why that might be so -- and paints a vivid picture of what that means in reality for many of those he knew growing up -- the fascinating part of this story and the one that should grab every reader out there is how Williams manages to break away and begin the process of being independent. (It involves a baguette...) That's a process that too few of us ever really consciously undertake, probably because we don't exist in worlds that require us to make the hard choices that even a middle-class young black man does in America today. A great story about family, books, and coming of age; the exception to my "no memoir" rule. 4.8 stars, TIOLI main challenge, highly recommended. Buy this one now.

really? No memoirs? Interesting how we all have such disparate but well set interests.. no short stories for me..

Kath, I just don't like many memoirs. So many of them these days remind me of Jerry Springer's show (OK, not as extreme, but...) Everyone thinks their life is a story waiting to be told, but only about 0.05% of us are correct in that assumption, IMO. I only find a memoir interesting if it goes beyond the "I was hard done by because of ABC, and then I achieved XYZ". Alas, the latter seems to be the formula these days. I've also read too many "American goes to exotic place and writes about meeting strange and exotic people there" books -- billed as travel stories, they are more about the traveler than the place. I want to walk away from a book having been made to think about something bigger than the person who wrote it.

Suzanne, I agree with you about the Springer-esque and American-goes-to-exotic-places books, but I've read several memoirs that are really excellent, including Them by Francine du Plessix Gray and Two Lives by Vikram Seth (both of which are more about other people than about the authors and Borrowed Finery by Paula Fox, a very restrained and unsentimental look at a difficult childhood. All of these books bring larger issues of psychology and history to the surface.

I kind of have an unwritten law about memoirs in that I only read those written by an author. Then I at least can assume that the writing will be fairly good. That's why I'm anxious to get to Nabokov's Speak, Memory which is sitting on my shelf. I'm a little sick of the hard-luck stories too although I liked both The Glass Castle and The Liar's Club.

I'm eager to read Speak, Memory too, along with The Words by Sartre.

Suz : That's precisely why I didn't like Eat, Pray, Love .. I thought it was just too much about her and her various neuroses and just superficial coverage of the countries, culture and people in the countries she went to.

>176 Chatterbox:: I went through a big memoir stage several years ago until I realized that anyone can say anything about themselves. I am very suspicious that things are blown out of proportion or are outright fantasies in many of the popular memoirs. I liked your comparison to a Jerry Springer show, Suzanne.

>177 rebeccanyc:: Titles duly noted, Rebecca. I'll look into these memoirs that deliver more than the usual formula. Thank you. I'm always glad to find exceptions to my preconceptions.

>178 brenzi:: Good point, Bonnie. Respected authors are not included in my prejudices against memoirs. Adding Speak, Memory to Rebecca's suggestions.

I agree, Rebecca. For instance, one memoir that I loved was Ann Patchett's chronicle of a friendship in Truth and Beauty. Yes, it was a memoir, and a hard-luck story, but it was also about the nature of friendship and dealt with creativity, the writing process, etc. But there are just soooo many memoirs coming out now... I know of two that I will need to read because I know the authors, and both I'm uneasy about. In one case, the author is bipolar; in the other case, she comes from a seriously dysfunctional family. The books will have to be VERY well executed to transcend that. Oh yes, and in both cases, the books will be the authors' debut on a broader stage; neither is really known for anything at this point. I'm happy for them as people, but...

You certainly have a point about that.. both Donna and Suz.. I don't read a lot of them, but I have read a few enjoyable ones. Now if something is described as coming of age.. I might very well run for the hills.. not always.. but...

#174: But when I posted my comment, Thursday was tomorrow :)

Definitely adding Losing My Cool to the BlackHole. I do enjoy memoirs and that one sounds like a dandy.

#178/179: Speak, Memory is terrific, IMHO. It was on my memorable reads list for last year. I hope you both enjoy it.

It was great meeting you last night, Suz. I hope the bit of fresh air and drizzle managed to allow you a restful sleep and that you woke this morning without a headache.

Enjoy your evening out in Cambridge .. and don't forget to check out the Harvard Book Store in addition to the Coop.

#185: You guys met up?! Did you take pictures? Where are they?

Erm, my excuse is that my flash doesn't work, and we met for dinner, not lunch! Caro's is that my conversation was so witty and fascinating that she simply forgot...

The migraine improved from 3 a.m. to about 3 p.m., thus allowing me to get through the speech. But since I was speaking instead of eating (duh), it returned this afternoon, and I cut short my dinner with an old friend in Cambridge. We went to a place called the Grafton something or other? Just past the Harvard Book Store (yup, we went in!!) and the burger place. Great lobster risotto.

My loot from the Coop:

Spartacus Road by Peter Stothard
Stradivari's Genius by Tony Faber (my curiosity whetted by the Paul Adam mystery book that I have loaned to Stasia)
The Case Against Perfection by Michael Sandel
The Long Ships by Frans Bengtsson (I blame Rebecca)
The Death of the Adversary by Hans Keilson'
Evening in the Palace of Reason by James Gaines
The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History by Samuel Moyn
The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser
And on a whim, because it seemed to be a bibliomaniac's book, and because it's a Europa editions novel described as "a droll paradoxical novel of theological manners" and "a zestful, thoroughly amusing commentary on the world of contemporary publishing and bookselling" -- A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse.

Am hoping to go to the Gardner tomorrow, but because WABC has asked me -- at the last minute -- to do a half hour radio thing starting at 7 p.m., I have to be home and standing by my phone line by then. Which means leaving nearly five hours earlier than I had planned, as my original schedule would have put me at somewhere around New London, Connecticut, at 7 p.m.... Apparently I'm going to be talking about my book for 30 mins on the John Batchelor Show, which is syndicated. So let's hope the headache just vanishes... I'm off to bed with some strong painkillers and some just-purchased instant icepacks. This is soooo tedious. At least no one is trying to drill up the road outside my hotel.

#180

I agree with you 100%. I could not stand Eat, Love, Pray. It was way too self absorbed.

#188: Suz, I hope the headache is gone soon! Sounds like tomorrow is going to be a busy day for you!

Congrats on the haul.

Suz
Sorry to hear of your headache...I know what those are like...not fun at all.

Good luck tomorrow, Suzanne; I hope that you're feeling better tomorrow.

#180, 189, I didn't even read Eat, Pray, Love because I knew I would hate it!!!

#188, You can blame me all you like, Suzanne, but soon you will be thanking me!

yep... you are a busy woman for sure...
hope you feel better today..
migraines are so bad.. even when they are gone they leave residue...
:(

Book du jour:

My choice was mellow chick lit, given my schedule and state of the aching head. Alas, "Homecoming" by Cathy Kelly (the correct touchstone isn't offered as one of the 100 possibilities -- this is annoying) didn't live up to the author's earlier books, not because it was formulaic (group of women wrestling with past secrets and reaching resolutions) but because one of the characters ended up irritating me beyond endurance. I can deal with warm 'n fuzzy formulaic plots when I know that is what I'm getting, but in this case, one of the characters, 39-year-old Connie, kept becoming irritated that others saw her as over the hill and unmarriageable -- and at the same time made herself miserable for the same reason. Of course, she ends up meeting a man and living happily ever after. Sooo 1950s. The other plot lines were marginally more interesting, but this is only a 2.8 star book (out of a maximum 3.5 stars for this kind of book generally -- I'll rarely give a chick lit novel more than that, only if it's original or witting or features great writing.) It does turn out to be TIOLI-eligible at least, for the #1 challenge. Not recommended really. Some of Kelly's books are more fun.

So did you make it to Isabella Gardner today before your train home, Suz?

I'm sorry your headache came back so you had to shorten your dinner with your friend. I love Grafton Street restaurant ... I'm there quite often actually for drinks and bites. On occasion, I'll head in for a late breakfast on the weekend, they do a mean full Irish breakfast complete.

Did you get anything from the Harvard Book Store? What did you think of the place?

I'll be looking out for your review of The Gardner Heist - I saw that a couple of weeks ago and I've put it on my obese wish list for further consideration.

I did NOT make it to the Gardner. It doesn't open until 11, and I had to be on my way to the train by noon, so I would have been rushing around looking at my watch anxiously every few minutes.

Did make it home headache free but exhausted...

At the Harvard Bookstore I just bought The Slap for my friend Glen, a belated b-day present.

I did add a few books to my Kindle, however, including Yiyun Li's new book of short stories. And I found Flight of the Falcon by Daphne du Maurier, at the train station bookstore when I ended up with 15 mins to kill before I could get on the Acela.

And now I'm home, where it's back up in the 80s and the house is stuffy. Gotta get ready for my radio 'appearance'... :-)

I am glad the headache is gone. Sorry about you not being able to make the Gardner though. I watched the documentary about the Gardner heist about a month ago and the museum looks amazing!

Good luck with the radio show!!

Yaay..headache-free travel. I hope you manage to rest up a little before your radio interview.

And after that is over, I can look forward to series 8 of "Spooks", known here as MI-5. The box set just arrived from the UK. *doing happy dance*

Well, the Coop splurge was obviously a sign of things to come...

I snuck into the Barnes & Noble in Union Square today, and emerged with the following:

The Shadow Market by Eric Weiner
In Rough Country by Joyce Carol Oates
Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason
The Whites of Their Eyes by Jill Lepore
Somebody Else's Century by Patrick Smith.

I almost bought Michael Cunningham's new novel (has anyone else read it?), and the new book by Deborah Fallows, Dreaming in Chinese. Think I will get the latter on my Kindle.

Returned home to find two boxes of books from Stasia, including 8 (eight!) volumes in the Donna Leon mystery series, the first novel by Dinaw Mengestu and Good Evening, Mrs. Craven. AND a long-missing box from Amazon.co.uk, with some mindless reading in it, AND a t-shirt with frogs on it from Donna!!! So, all in all, a windfall day. I'm going to have to stop acquiring books, with so many here to read...

Wow.. windfall is right... sounds like Christmas came early for you, Suz. Have a wonderful weekend. How did your radio interview go?

It was fine, I think. The host was chatty and opinionated, so that helped fill in some time! He was also knowledgeable and had read the book, which really helped.

Nice haul. I'll have to look for The Whites of Their Eyes because I enjoy Jill Lepore's writing

201: Lovely, but like that's going to happen....

#201: I'm going to have to stop acquiring books, with so many here to read...

Has Hades frozen over and not made the news?!

If I said that there would be pigs flying over my house.

Mine too, Luci, mine too!

Suzanne, All the way back on post #164 you recommended Heartstone. I loved Wolf Hall so I will definately look forward to finding the C. J. Samson series.

Lynda, I think/hope you'll enjoy them!

Weekend books:

1. Kiss Heaven Goodbye by Tasmina Perry. Chunkster chick lit, a la Penny Vincenzi, although Perry takes herself less seriously than Vincenzi can. Four young people cover up a secret; 20 years later it comes back to haunt them and disrupt their new lives. Lots of business success, ambition, fashionista stuff, dysfunctional relationships. Cotton candy for the brain, but fun reading nonetheless. Chunkster for the TIOLI challenge.

2. The Romantic Revolution by Tim Blanning was a fascinating and well-developed introduction to the transition from the Enlightenment to the Romantic era. He is the master of this material, and moves effortlessly from writing about the development of romanticism in literature and music to dealing with its political manifestations and consequences. I'd argue that we are still engaged in this debate today, to some extent; one group of us arguing in favor of emotion, the other focusing on reason as a basis for policies, etc. Intriguing and very approachable; highly recommended. 4.7 stars.

3. Dreaming in Chinese by Deborah Fallows. I loved this book (downloaded it yesterday after almost buying it in Barnes & Noble). My only quibble is that I'd recommend buying the book itself, as not all of the characters she gives as examples reproduce well on the cyber-page (some are just boxes...) Not enough to spoil my pleasure in this novel approach to writing about China: Fallows uses the language as a way to explore Chinese social, cultural and political concepts, and illuminates both the language AND China in the process. And it's never dull. Having studied Japanese eons ago, and retained a surprising amount, I particularly enjoyed the points where Fallows stops to point out how the characters are built up various components, with individual meanings. She herself says she enjoys learning a language to speak and listen to others, rather than to read or write, so the only element she didn't address was the visual nature of those characters -- how the character for "west", for instance, represents a sun setting behind a tree and conveys the meaning almost effortlessly. Lively, highly recommended. 4.8 stars. (TIOLI challenge #1 -- "ing" are the relevant letters.)

4. Farthing by Jo Walton is another TIOLI book for the same challenge. I think it was Tad who introduced me to this series; I'm a sucker for alternative versions of history, and in this mystery, it's Walton's view of "what if" that is really the star. (I had the mystery sorted out about half or two-thirds of the way through the book, without really trying.) In this case, it's 1949, and 8 years earlier, the Brits made peace with Hitler's Reich before the Russian invasion or Pearl Harbor. Now the state is starting to become more fascist... The daughter of an aristocratic couple (their "Farthing Set" is loosely modeled on the Cliveden set) is married to a Jewish veteran of the war, and they are present at Farthing, the family estate, when a noted member of the new order is murdered. For me, the real suspense was following Lucy and David, rather than the investigations of the Scotland Yard inspector, although he becomes more interesting as a character as the story went on and seems to be the heart of the trilogy of novels. I'll certainly read the next book, despite the so-so mystery and Walton's apparent determination to make every sexual liasion a homosexual one, even when it has nothing to do with the plot, which became a tad artificial and thus annoying. 4.2 stars, recommended.

#210: I already own Farthing - which I will read one of these centuries - but am adding the other 3 to the BlackHole. Thanks, Suz!

Farthing sounds fun... as I am trying to hide in escapism lately...

woooo, Must still be half asleep. I, at first, didn't notice the h in Farthing

Suzanne, I just read a review of Dreaming in Chinese and thought it sounded fascinating, and now with your review I'll just have to run out and get it.

>210 Chatterbox:: I'm glad you liked Farthing...I really did, also.

I have to say, I was disappointed in Ha'penny. I agree that the best part of the first book was the Lucy/David story, not the mystery—I also liked the whole feeling of insidiously creeping Fascism. The second book, however, is more thriller than mystery in nature and the move to Fascism is now a blunt hammer smacking the reader and wasn't quite as believable...and, therefore, not quite as chilling. I haven't decided yet whether to go for Half a Crown.

Woo hoo! Another froggy LT shirt makes its appearance on the east coast! I liked Dreaming in Chinese, too, although I didn't rate it as highly as you did, Suz. My little quibble with it is that I had to keep flipping back to the glossary at the end for the pronunciation guide. That wasn't too cumbersome, but oh how I wish she had put the definition with the word in the glossary. I usually don't write in my books, but I've been adding all the definitions to the words and phrases I want to remember. Now I just have to wait for a visitor from China to try them out. So far I've mastered "I love you"!!!

I'm glad y'all liked Dreaming in Chinese as well. I really wished it had been a longer book!

#215 - I'm hoping that Ha'penny preserves some of the tension -- the mystery element isn't that compelling that I would lament its disappearance. I was able to get Half a Crown for only $6 plus a Paperbackswap credit -- including postage -- so I went for it. We'll see - if it's crummy, I'll just send it back out into the world!

Donna, it was interesting to compare the way I have learned to say a few Chinese words with the tones -- I found that way I "get" the tones more, extrapolating from words already learned, than if someone is trying to explain the concept of tones to me. Not sure if it would work on a larger scale, i.e. trying to learn Mandarin, but it was intriguing.

Kath, I'm definitely on an escapist tilt these days, too!

Dreaming In Chinese sounds too good to miss. I will have to read that soon.

I'm going to look for Dreaming in Chinese. I did a year of Mandarin ages ago and loved it, but have retained next to nothing - just a few phrases. I found writing the characters very relaxing, and would love to go back to learning it (but not till my German is sorted out!!).

>218 Chatterbox: I thought Ha'Penny was quite acceptable myownself, and found Half a Crown more than adequate. But Farthing remains the best of them all. It felt to me like Jo Walton was at her most impassioned, most incandescently furious, in that book.

Cushla, yes, trying to learn two languages simultaneously as an adult is a recipe for disaster. I did it with Russian and German (at college) and Japanese (in the holidays). I quickly dropped German, as I kept trying to use German words to fill in the blanks when I didn't know the Russian or Japanese words. It all fit into a giant mental category entitled "foreign language", it seems!!

OK, time for a quick update while I try to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing today. My editor just said "whoops, we've already written about that", re a column idea he proposed last week and that I'd just finished reporting, so it's back to square one. Would like to shake him until his teeth rattle.

1. Your Republic is Calling You by Young-ha Kim: I spotted this book on my monthly Amazon Vine list, and ended up actually buying it rather than using my ARC allowance to request it. I'm glad that I did, as it's a quirky and fascinating story of an overlooked and forgotten North Korean spy in Seoul. His boss was ousted in a coup a decade ago, and he's been left on his own since then, to focus on his business and his family. Suddenly, he gets a message -- he has been recalled, and must prepare to head north, into a world that he wouldn't recognize, within 24 hours. The story takes place over that 24 hours, and it's the story of how Kim and his family spend their day. I loved the story when told through Kim's eyes, but it felt distracting to get his daughter's perspective and that of his wife. But the strength of Kim's narrative -- his experiences in north and south, his wandering through Seoul experiencing a kind of early-onset nostalgia, his paranoia (or is it?) about people following him, his increasingly frantic mental gymnastics about whether to go or stay, his questioning about whether this is a real message or not and what awaits him, his need to decide whether to turn himself in to the Southern authorities or just gamble on returning north, knowing that if he doesn't they'll send a hit man to come and get him... It's absolutely fascinating and a great insight into the dramatic changes within S. Korea in the last 10 or 20 years. Recommended, TIOLI for challenge #1, 4.2 stars.

2. The Whites of Their Eyes by Jill Lepore. I picked this up on the weekend, as I'm very curious about the way people use (and misuse) history when making their political arguments, and the rather goofy way that the tea party types are doing this today. Lepore does a good job of pointing out some of the specific examples of this, such as the founding fathers' approach to media and the role of religion, as well as the nature of history itself, and she makes some valuable points in a balanced and thoughtful -- as well as scholarly -- way. (Scholarly in the sense of well-researched and carefully thought-out, not pedantic and dry.) The book suffers a bit from its structure, as Lepore's narrative meanders and seems to make the same point several different ways in multiple places (eg slavery, the role of women, etc.) I sometimes felt I had to back up and re-read a couple of the pages, just to be sure I got the essence of what she was saying. Still, a valuable book, as it's unbiased (IMO) and based on real facts rather than polemic. 4 stars, TIOLI (for the "white" category), recommended. Sadly, those who should read this, won't -- so divided have our politics become.

3. Empire by Steven Saylor. (The touchstone isn't among my 100 options, sadly...) Just a few notes, as the cat is now sitting in front of the computer monitor, but that's all this tome warrants anyway. It was an ER book for me -- the only reason I finished it -- and the sequel to Roma, which wasn't any better. Many of my same "yuck" factors kicked in here -- artificial story lines that (of course!) revolve around all the well-known events, this time including Claudius, Nero's burning of Rome, Domitian's tyranny, etc. etc. Half of the stories seem to be there just to provide a fictional "ordinary person in Rome" coloring, all are weighed down by two much dialogue that exists only so that the characters can tell the reader what has been happening since the last episode, etc. It's the kind of novel where characters sit around discussing one of their group possibly moving to Campania, and how he had dropped in on good old Pliny at his home near Pompeii, when suddenly they hear the noise of an eruption... Yeah, you get it. Read Robert Graves or Colleen McCullough's series. Sure, as Saylor points out in his author's note, they are about the well-known figures in history -- but at least those figures live in three dimensions, which is more than can be said of Saylor's in this book. 2.5 stars, because I'm sure it will appeal to people who know nothing of Rome and thus who don't feel hammered over the head, and because it's historically accurate and not bad enough to just hurl at the wall. TIOLI as a chunkster; not recommended.

Suz, I'm glad you added Turbulence into the October TIOLI. I've been meaning to read it since I first heard about it but since it's not 1010 or TIOLI, I hadn't gotten around to it yet.

Rats, The Whites of Their Eyes was the book I meant to look for when I was in my favorite bookstore today. I had to order Dreaming in Chinese, another of your recommendations, because they were sold out.

I highly recommend The Gardner Heist...It is a very interesting.

And one more...

The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom. Another "controversial" book and another surprisingly un-readable book. Sigh. I should have known better after Stasia dissed it. I have a hard time understanding how the author has had sequels published. The story of Israel Armstrong, who travels to take up his new (first) job as a librarian in a tiny Northern Irish community, only to find all the books missing. That may his biggest problem, but it's far from his only one as he struggles to adjust. The problems? Israel isn't either likable or convincing, and nor are the other characters; the author's idea of humor and wit are a very heavy handed attempt at replicating Fawlty Towers. Depressing when it should have been fun and entertaining. 2 stars; I'm off to finish reading Team of Rivals as an antidote. 2 stars, TIOLI controversial book. Blech.

#223: Adding a couple to the BlackHole, which is growing by leaps and bounds with your help.

#227: Well, I have been known to be wrong, you know! I could not even finish that one though.

>223 Chatterbox::ii Lepore does a good job of pointing out some of the specific examples of this, such as the founding fathers' approach to media and the role of religion I found this image a reliable Tea-Party-stirrer-upper:

Yes, she mentions this exact example. Although, if I'm not mistook, I believe it should be John Adams' face on this?? More appropriate, too, as his views are more often abused by tea partiers on this issue than Washington's.

Washington was Prez at the time, so he gets the face-time. It was before the change of administrations that it was signed, I believe....

Aha, I thought it was Adams who had actually signed this.

Small rant: got up this morning to find NO internet access. Spent two hours on the phone with the idiots at Verizon before they would admit what I already knew, that it was a phone line issue. Now it will be several more days before I can get someone to look at the line. Odds are, they will just show up, look at the house from the outside and then go away. That's what happens here. A few times since I moved in, I've had to chase them down the street to get them to come in and look at the lines. God knows what the problem is this time. It's only affecting the DSL line, not my two voice lines.

Will be piggybacking on my neighbor's wi-fi for the time being...

Ye gods and little fishes! I'll mojo up a fast and good resolution for you.

However, Washington did right a famous letter to the congregants of the Touro Synagouge in Newport RI, as copied below{

The letter from George Washington in response to Moses Seixas

To the Hebrew Congregation in Newport Rhode Island.

Gentlemen,

While I receive, with much satisfaction, your Address replete with expressions of affection and esteem; I rejoice in the opportunity of assuring you, that I shall always retain a grateful remembrance of the cordial welcome I experienced in my visit to Newport, from all classes of Citizens.

The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet, from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security. If we have wisdom to make the best use of the advantages with which we are now favored, we cannot fail, under the just administration of a good Government, to become a great and happy people.

The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent national gifts. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

It would be inconsistent with the frankness of my character not to avow that I am pleased with your favorable opinion of my Administration, and fervent wishes for my felicity. May the children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.

G. Washington

#232: Sorry to hear about the phone/Internet issues, Suz. And here I was going to try and call you tonight. Guess not.

Rebecca, yes. What worries me is the way so many people would mis-read that document, as a commitment to "Judeo-Christian principles" and thus religion as a basis for the Constitution, etc. Rather than as what it presents itself as: a statement of freedom of opinion. It's one of those debates that may never be won.

Finished two chunksters today, in the de facto absence of Internet (which still persists; I have NO idea what is going on and I'm still trying to piggyback on neighbor's wi-fi....)

1. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin was a great book that took me an unconscionably long time to read, I suspect because Goodwin dealt not only with her central theme, but offered up a detailed history of Lincoln, the cast of characters and the events. I feel like an expert now! I'm not, of course, but this is a masterful narrative. My only gripe is that too few people will power through to the end -- there are about three different books contained in its 750-plus pages. Still, I triumphed, as did Lincoln himself (in a v. different way.) The high points for me were Goodwin's detailed research, which never felt strained or in danger of drowning the story, and her ability to make all these characters vivid and true to life. I actually found tears in my eyes when I came to the details of Lincoln's assassination and the reactions of those like Seward to it. All of them -- even the rather lily-livered & arrogant Salmon Chase (to whom I am v. distantly related, it seems) seem to be somehow "bigger" men & politicians than we seem able to produce today. But then I wonder if that is true, or if it was a function of the time in which they lived and the events they had to confront? Certainly, there is a touch of hagiography in Goodwin's book, and it's that and the length (I could have cut at least 150 pages from this with no impact on the story...) that lead me to give it 4.7 stars rather than 5 stars. Still, recommended. TIOLI chunkster.

2. The Master of Verona by David Blixt is a book I bought a year or two ago on the urgent recommendation of some historical fiction afficionados. I can see why they love it -- I ended up enjoying it more than I did in the first 150 pages, but it's still more of an adventure story set in medieval Italy than a classic historical novel, IMO. It's the story of the adventures of 17-year-old Pietro, son of Dante Alighieri, who gets caught up in the power politics of Italian city-states circa 1314. He also becomes a spectator/participant to Blixt's retelling of the Romeo & Juliet story in Verona. (There are also some wry nods to other Shakespeare plays, including some scenes between a certain shrew named Kate and her husband, and Pietro's introduction to a Venetian moneylender named "Salakh" -- try pronouncing it and you'll get it.) Spotting the Shakespearean references is fun, the story is intriguing, but the backdrop is complex enough that unless you're very interested in Dante, or the era and the place, it's tough to get into. Still, a decent book, recommended only to die-hard genre fans. 3.5 stars, another chunkster, for my "off the shelf" challenge (not the 75 books one).

Have no idea how many other books I'll finish in the next 28 hours or so, but at least one and possibly 3. Any that I don't probably will carry over into the 21st century TIOLI, so that's fine!

I have Team of Rivals on my shelf but it's been intimidating me with its size...glad to hear it's good! I just need to bite the bullet and start on it.

>237 BookAngel_a:: I think you'll find that worry about the size disappears once you start reading it; Kearns just carries you along. Actually...to be honest...it carried me along once Lincoln got the nomination. Up until that point I found it good but not mesmerizing.

Nice review of Team of Rivals, Suzanne; I'll have to put it on my list of reads in 2011.

Team of Rivals is a definite for me in 2011.

I was glad to see Doris Kearns Goodwin commenting, once again, in the new Ken Burns baseball documentary, the Tenth Inning. I first became aware of her after hearing her baseball comments in the original Ken Burns Baseball documentary in the early 90s.

Playing catchup on my reading here... Wrapped up two books that I've been reading off and on much of the month, as well as chomping through a mystery. Here's the list:

1. White Noise by Don DeLillo. I put this on my 1010 Challenge list last December, and have been trying to get into it until January. Had it not been for the TIOLI "white" challenge this month, I may have finally given up in irritation and flung the book out the window. Not because it's not well-written -- DeLillo's style is fascinating and creative. The ideas are intriguing; thought-provoking. The problem is that the book and the characters don't "breathe" -- they are all a device for DeLillo to explore his overall aesthetic. And that just isn't enough for me. This is a case where I'd like to split the vote -- so many stars for enjoyability and so many for accomplishment (in the same way that teachers would divide grades into effort and accomplishment.) In this case, it would be 2.5 stars and 4.5 stars. So I've split the difference, and called it 3.5 stars. It wasn't a book that made me want to read more DeLillo. Sure, I laughed at the appropriate spots, such as Jack Gladney's glum acceptance of the fact that he will die, perhaps in 40 years, from his exposure to the toxic airborne event; his belief that his father in law, spotted sitting in the garden at night, is Death; the fact that he's taking German lessons only now, years after founding a department of Hitler Studies (!) I relished the Greek chorus-style commentary from the radio and the television. But it all felt heavy handed, since it was all too cerebral. It's as annoying a book as a romance novel to me, for completely different reasons: a romance novel has all the attention focused on some pre-scripted, utterly implausible plot to make people feel at the expense of think; in this case, DeLillo doesn't care whether or not we feel his characters are real as long as we think about them. 3.5 stars, for my 1010 challenge and TIOLI September. Try it if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you...

2. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. What De Lillo couldn't do for me, Woolf does. Her ideas about life creep up on the reader through the prose and the characters and Woolf's distinctive style. I first read this 23 years ago (according to the slip of paper I found stuck inside it), and what I recalled then was the plot. This time, what grabbed me most was the structure, and the descriptive power. The second brief section alone makes the book for me -- the passage of time is described through the eyes of the Hebridean holiday house, and the war is conveyed as much through the ravages of insects in the house as by the dramatic events in the trenches of France and Flanders. The fate of the people is parenthetical. Not much else to say about the novel, which is really about relationships and the passage of time, focused on two separate sojurns in the Hebrides and two proposed trips to a lighthouse whose rays can be seen from the house. 5 stars, and I expect I'll re-read this yet again. (Incidentally, I'm glad I read Hermione Lee's bio of Virginia Woolf a few years back -- it shed a lot of light on her style, and I'm re-reading her novels through different eyes.) For my 1010 challenge; TIOLI "building in the title" challenge.

3. Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves. I started reading this author this past winter, when Raven Black, the first in her Shetland Quartet of mysteries, was released in the U.S. I was hooked, and picked this up in Toronto in August. (Few of her books are in print in the US). While not as good as the Shetland books, in my view, this is a very good mystery that kept me guessing right up until the final pages. There are no tremendously amiable characters here -- from the teenage victim to the woman unjustly convicted of her murder and who kills herself a decade later, providing the starting point from the book, everyone is flawed. The police inspector summoned to investigate a miscarriage of justice is fat, suffers from eczema and likes to call everyone 'pet'. There's another former cop who has had a nervous breakdown; a friend of the first victim who sees herself as heroine in some kind of Victorian drama while her husband hides secrets about his own past. It's a bit of a bleak world that Cleeves has painted, but she has great insight into character and setting, as well as being able to conjure up a compelling story. Worth reading, if not as good as the Shetland books. TIOLI for the first challenge set by Madeline; 3.9 stars.

Stasia, the phone works. The Internet -- well, only if I can piggyback on the neighbor's wi-fi after they go to bed or when they aren't trying to use it too. And only on my laptop.

I'll avoid the DeLillo like H1N1, but the Woolf sounds good. Nice reviews, as always.

#241: I loved To the Lighthouse when I read it earlier this year. It is definitely a book I will return to some time in future. I am adding the Cleeves book to the BlackHole.

#242: OK, I will drop you a PM about a time we might be able to hook up. I hope your Internet problems are resolved quickly!

Don't avoid the DeLillo purely on my say-so, Darryl. I'd actually be interested in someone else's views on this -- someone who is reading for the pleasure of reading rather than to feel culturally clued in and highbrow. Am I missing something here??? It's a lauded book, and he's an author people keep telling me I MUST read. After doing so, I wonder "why????" So I'm retreating to some relatively mindless fiction out of reaction to this. I've got a pile of Amazon Vine ARCs growing to unmanageable proportions, that must be dealt with.

I keep meaning to read To the Lighthouse.

I have a copy of Telling Tales and I'm sorry to hear this series isn't as good as the Shetland series (but really not surprised). Have you read the fourth, Blue Lightning, yet? I think it comes out this month in the US.

Yes, I ordered Blue Lightning from the UK earlier this year, as soon as it was available. It's quite an ending -- and that's all I will say!!!

I read a lot of Woolf in the 1980s, then not much beyond her essays (which are faves of mine) since then. I think they are books that you can read differently at various stages of your life. On first reading The Waves was my favorite of hers, so I'm curious to see if that will hold up. There are some I haven't read yet, including Orlando and Jacob's Room.

I am not a Cleeves fan.... I am not able to say why, but I read three Sheltland Island books and.. meh.

Team of Rivals was wonderful. So much easier to read than one might think, considering the subject matter and size.

Sorry about the internet problem and especially sorry about the way they handle it. I feel your pain, as I had similar issues with Comcast. I think ... hope they finally sorted my issues....

They tell me it's a switching issue -- but this is now day #3, with no resolution. Unacceptable.

Just won a copy of an ER book I thought looked marginally interesting -- Moonlight in Odessa -- by an author I don't know. We shall see! An adventure...

I heard some of Moonlight in Odessa on Radio 4 and really liked what I heard - I have it out of the library. If you receive it and get to read it this month I will too.

I am really, really glad that you loved To the Lighthouse as much the second time around, Suzanne, and encourage you to delve into Jacob's Room soon.

DeLillo...a taste and time thing...Libra and Mao II impressed me once upon a time, but I don't think I'd want to re-read 'em.

Will def keep you lot posted on Moonlight in Odessa, although as you know, the ER books can arrive in a flash -- or take three months! In this case, as it's not a book I'm eager to read anyway -- more of a curiosity request -- I won't be tempted to go and buy it if it's not here in 2 months!!

Kath/Richard, yes tastes definitely change. And no authors/books are read in the same way by different people. I know both of you are Louise Penny fans -- I'm about to read volume #3 in Three Pines and still haven't succumbed to the charm. I'm preferring volume # 2 of the Inger Ash Wolfe series and Ann Cleeves' Shetland Quartet mysteries, as well as several other new series. We'll see if Three Pines Vol. 3 changes that!

There are lots of books that I won't re-read. I can see myself going back to Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire and political series, but not, perhaps, Graham Greene. (Though I still haven't unloaded the Greene novels that I acquired in the 80s.) I'm not sure I'll ever re-read Simone de Beavoir's The Mandarins, though I'd like to try. I should be more ruthless about de-accessioning books, but on too many occasions I've regretted doing so and "had" to reacquire something.

Richard, I promise that I'll start a new thread tonight, but for now have to get off my (shared, borrowed) wi-fi...

I've read three novels by DeLillo, one of them being White Noise, which I disliked very much, primarily for the reasons you state in your review. I did not plan on reading another DeLillo, but several years later the buzz about Underworld tempted me, and I read it. I thought it was an amazing and complex book (but very long), and it is one I would like to read again (if only life were endless). I also read Libra, which I remember liking very much as well. If you weren't such a voracious reader, I'd agree with your giving up on DeLillo, but since you read so much (and so fast), you might want to give him another chance.

You have a Thread Police Pass because you're Internet challenged, which is why I said nothing...nothing!...to quote Sergeant Schultz.

Thanks for your tolerance & the pass, Richard; my neighbors have just gone out to run errands, and I have been able to create the new thread.

Here's where you can find me henceforth...