Tad's Reads for 2010 - Part 6

Books are starred in relationship to others of their type...I'm not comparing Dune to War and Peace.

= I can't believe anyone liked this

to = Disliked, ranging from "probably didn't finish unless compelled" to "there might have been some skimming"

to = Neutral, ranging from "I'll probably forget about it in a year" to "it passed an afternoon"

to = Recommended, ranging from "perhaps just to certain readers, or mildly to a general audience" to...well..."I recommend it"

to = Ranging from "Strongly recommended" to "This is going to be one of my best reads this year"

= Sentimental favorites—I really don't judge them by any other criteria

Part 1 of the thread is here
Part 2 of the thread is here
Part 3 of the thread is here
Part 4 of the thread is here
Part 5 of the thread is here

Summary of Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5


Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright


Children of the New World by Assia Djebar
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
White Masks by Elias Khoury
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin


The Tongue's Blood Does Not Run Dry by Assia Djebar
Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
Spring Tides by Jacques Poulin
A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates
Still Life by Louise Penny
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun
The Translator by Daoud Hari
Chasing Goldman Sachs by Suzanne McGee
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
The Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D-Day, June 6, 1944 by Cornelius Ryan
The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin by Vladimir Voinovich
Nemesis by Lindsey Davis
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett


First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher
The Ivankiad by Vladimir Voinovich
The Media Relations Department of Hizbollah Wishes You a Happy Birthday by Neil MacFarquhar
Bonk by Mary Roach
Miss Buncle's Book by Dorothy Emily Stevenson
Every Last Drop by Charlie Huston
My Dead Body by Charlie Huston
The Big Red Train Ride by Eric Newby
Mrs. Tim Christie by Dorothy Emily Stevenson
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
Lord Sunday by Garth Nix
The Pocket Book of Short Stories edited by Morris Edmund Speare
Couch by Benjamin Parzybok
August Folly by Angela Thirkell
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides
Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
The Snake Stone by Jason Goodwin
Freefall by Jason Goodwin
The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece by Eric Siblin
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
Gold Dust by Ibrahim al-Koni
The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry
Brewster's Millions by George Barr McCutcheon
Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong Qiu
Mrs. Tim Carries On by D. E. Stevenson
The Lawrenceville Stories by Owen Johnson
Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson
The Quiet War by Paul J. McAuley
Concourse by S. J. Rozan
Bad Penny Blues by Cathi Unsworth
The German Mujahid by Boualem Sansal
Horse, Flower, Bird by Kate Bernheimer


Grifter's Game by Lawrence Block
Somebody Owes Me Money by Donald E. Westlake
The Year of the Frog by Martin M. Šimecka
Iorich by Steven Brust
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Legacies by F. Paul Wilson
The Iliad by Homer
Fire from the Andes ed. Susan E. Benner
The Ionian Mission by Patrick O'Brian
Changes by Jim Butcher
Iphigenia (The diary of a young lady who wrote because she was bored) by Teresa de la Parra
Treason’s Harbour by Patrick O’Brian
Stories of Red Hanrahan by William Butler Yeats
Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
High Five by Janet Evanovich
Hot Six by Janet Evanovich
To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Eleven On Top by Janet Evanovich
Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
Deceiver by C. J. Cherryh
Valeria's Last Stand by Marc Fitten
Andean Express by Juan de Recacoechea
Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis
U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton
Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson
Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire by Jason Goodwin
The Forbidden Woman by Malika Mokeddem
From a Whisper to a Scream by Charles de Lint


Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
Report From Practically Nowhere by John Sack
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat by Victor Appleton
MetaGame by Sam Landstrom
Torn from the Nest by Clorinda Matto de Turner
Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison
Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
A Goat's Song by Dermot Healy
Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
The Curse of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley
Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson
Programming Interviews Exposed by John Mongan, Noah Suojanen & Eric Giguère
Gardens of the Sun by Paul McAuley


Triplanetary by E. E. "Doc" Smith
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Anger of God by Paul Doherty
The Time of Terror by Seth Hunter
Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich
The Hope by Herman Wouk
Ha'penny by Jo Walton
A Bad Day for Pretty by Sophie Littlefield
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?: How the European Model Can Help You Get a Life by Thomas Geoghegan
Star Island by Carl Hiaasen
What's So Funny? by Donald E. Westlake


Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton
Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer


The Cougar Club by Susan McBride
Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Got you starred! Haven't seen you over on my thread for a while--did you see my haul of science fiction books last month?

Just found out I'm getting Rivers of Gold from Early Reviewers—a mixture of mystery, thriller, distopic future. Sounds like a perfect escapist read! :-)

>3 ronincats:: Hmmm, I guess I've lost track of it. I've been thinking for a while I need to clear all my stars on threads and start over...they fill more than a page on the Home page and that means I lose track of things.

Wow, you're early! Amazing. Apparently I've won Kingdom Under Glass, which I was really, really hoping to get! Coolness!!

Congratulations, both of you! Sarah (BeSerene) and I both got the new Robin McKinley, Pegasus, and Stasia got something too, as did a few other 75ers. It's a good month!

ETA correct touchstone.

>7 ronincats:: She is on my sh** list until she writes another Damar book!!!!!!!

>6 richardderus:: I had requested that one, also, Richard. Depending on what you guys think of it, I'll probably pick it up after it becomes generally available.

I know, Tad, I know. I responded to your Pratchett comments over on my thread, btw.

#2 - I like your sentimental star category. Everyone should have that. Because when you love a book you just love it - no matter what the critic in you say.

I see you have some Austen on your list this year. My next one is a reread of Emma, which I look forward to. I remember I didn't like it as much as the others, but well see....

Trollope is also there. I'm about to start on the third in the Barchester Cronichles. Dr. Thorne.

>11 ctpress:: Yes, this year finished up my Austen reads. I liked Emma, though it wasn't my favorite...middle of the pack, I'd say. I'm up to the third Barchester, also. I'll either get to it later this year or early next year.

Bishop Proudie and his wife...oh oh oh, what an impression they've left on me, many years after first encountering them. Barsetshire seems as real to me as Suffolk County, right next door to me.

Just checking in as I go through the threads!

Tad> just checking in, my library has just got a copy of Juan de Recacoechea's American Visa after my suggestion to purchase, so I'm looking forward to reading it, hopefully later this month.

Stopping by to wave hi.

Just picked up The Silver Pigs from the library, thanks to your recommendation of Lindsey Davis in your previous thread. Looking forward to discovering Rome through the eyes of Falco.

>14 alcottacre:: Hi Stasia.

>15 avatiakh:: I'll watch for your review, Kerry. I definitely would like to try a second of his books and that's the one garnering the most praise.

>16 Whisper1:: Hi Linda.

>17 Emily1:: I hope you love it as much as I did, Emily.

Morning Tad- It looks like you had a great reading year so far! Keep it up! Hope you are having a great Sunday!

>213 As a slightly younger but much cooler sister, I would remiss if I didn't guffaw at the comment "slightly geeky"!!! That's a knee slapper!

glad to escape iPad talk.. I was beginning to drool on my keyboard....

yes.. very nice list of books, and I like the sentimental thing. too :)

Well, first, I just love your stars, Tad, 'cas I'm a color person. I like rereading how you rate--it's how I would rate too, if were to rate. I think I'm going try to organize my books that way at the end of the year. We don't have that similar of reading interests, but a five star book is probably going to be good, no matter the genre, so I'm going to try your single 5-star book.

Found you and starred you again...

Some of these comments are making me itch to get back to reading Trollope! :)

>19 msf59:: Hi Mark.

>20 worrellw:: You're just another reason I went mad!

>21 mckait:: :-)

>22 bonniebooks:: Bonnie...remember that 5 stars is "sentimental favorite" for me...not necessarily better than 4½ stars.

>23 BookAngel_a:: Angela...yeah, I want to get back to them, also.

>24 TadAD:: I know, And I know there are different reasons for being sentimental about a book too, but I still think it's probably a good bet.

#129 : My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Young Adult, Newbery Honor, 192 pages



Bottom Line: Reading with your children...

---

I first read this book in 1965. Up until that point, I was a fairly desultory reader. I read well but was pretty much interested only in comics and did the bare minimum required for school. I thought the school books were stupid—which is eight-year-old-boy speak for "totally boring." Then my teacher, Miss Stewart, gave a couple of us a challenge: read what the curriculum specifies and participate in the class discussion...or...read whatever 20 books you want (with her approval) over the school year and have a one-on-one conversation with her on each one.

My Side of the Mountain was the first book I picked and I couldn't have made a better choice to become hooked on reading. I've probably read the book 10 times since then and while, to adult eyes, the book is a bit fanciful, there's no doubt that it's perfectly written to capture the imagination of a child. There is adventure, discovery and, most important, a lesson in independence. All this packaged safely: the book will not impel your child to go out and wander the streets of New York; the reader somehow knows that this is fiction, not a recipe for life.

This book pushed me to complete my first 20 Book Challenge (*smile*) and go on to a life of reading. I don't think you can ask much more from a novel.

Tad- Great review! I also read My Side of the Mountain as a kid and loved it, I even fantasied about running away to the mountains and roughing it. That didn't last long. I also really enjoyed the film version.

I loved My Side of the Mountain as a kid as well--probably first read it in the late '50s and re-read it many times. It was so neat--I definitely wanted to run away to a mountain and try it myself, except the nearest mountains were 450 miles away.

I loved it when I read it and loved it even more when I taught it to fifth graders. Wonderful book.

Why doesn't LT get a "like" button?

Count me in as one of the My Side of the Mountain fans as well!

#130 : Serious Men by Manu Joseph

Indian Fiction, 310 pages
Early Reviewer book



Bottom Line: A very good middle with, unfortunately, a slow beginning and a rushed ending—I could really like this author if he can figure out pacing.

---

The concept of this book was very attractive: Ayyan Mani is a dalit (Untouchable) in Mumbai who works as an administrative assistant in an advanced physics research center. He spends his days spying on his boss and using the petty tyrannies of his position to inflict whatever discomfort he can upon the self-absorbed and bigoted Brahmin scientists. He spends his evening hours devising new stratagems in his ruse to convince the world that his son, Adi, is a genius.

However, if I apply the old proverb that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then the book falls somewhat short. It took me a week to make my way through the first two thirds. Almost anything would distract me from reading during that part of the book; it wasn't until the final portion that the story grabbed my attention.

The main problem with this book is the pacing. The book takes too long to build any momentum in the plot and, during the period, Ayyan is a rather disagreeable character and most of the others remain somewhat indistinct blurs. Eventually, the story gets on track, both in terms of pace and in providing depth to the other characters, but it ends in a flurry that felt rushed.

On the positive side, during the interlude between the slow start and the flustered ending, I didn't want to set it down. Joseph has a real ear for satire and some of the moments are extremely enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed Ayyan's "quotes" of the day...made up on the spot, attributed to whomever struck his fancy, posted on the hall bulletin board, and aimed at puncturing a Brahmin ego here or there.

If souls are indeed reborn as the Brahmins say, then what accounts for population growth? Rebirth is the most foolish mathematical concept ever. -- Isaac Newton

It was serious and comic by turns, full of insights into this complex society and, as he developed his characters, I found attaching to them, particularly the acerbic head of the institute. Even Ayyan becomes more likable as we learn more about him, his motivations, and his actual intentions.

I believe that Serious Men is Joseph's first novel. I can only mildly recommend it. However, if he can find a way to have his next story sustain the pace and depth of the middle of this one, he will have a devoted reader in me.

Having taken a hiatus from LT this week because, not only was it busy around home but (as I said in the above review) everything was distracting me from finishing that Early Reviewer book, I am now simply ignoring the 1000+ unread posts in this forum and starting afresh from today.

>33 TadAD: Sensible. Too much like work to trudge through that much badinage. Liked the review, too!

#33: I am with Richard. A very sensible approach!

That sounds like a fascinating plot/theme -- too bad the execution doesn't deliver. I'll keep an eye open for a cheap/free copy at some point -- doesn't sound like it's worth a major investment.

That is what I do if I get too far behind. Too many other things to do, and after a day or so it all sorts out. I am reading my latest LTER book now, and enjoying it.
Stay With Me. Luckily I had enough time to read more than half of it yesterday ...It always feels good to finish the must reads :)

Tad
Thanks for your excellent comments re. My Side of the Mountain.

My Side of the Mountain was the first book I picked and I couldn't have made a better choice to become hooked on reading.

What a wonderful recommendation! It doesn't get any better than this!

I'm adding this book to my Newbery quest!

>33 TadAD:: I hear ya! Sometimes you just have to take a break and start over. Kind of like me with your thread. Your last one was just too much for me to catch up with. I'll try to do better with this one!

Well when I saw no new posts on your old thread since 2 Oct I started to worry. So glad that was a needless exercise!!

Enjoyed the discussions tho. :) Hope you're feeling less pressured now. Take care of yourself!

#131 : Rivers of Gold by Adam Dunn

Thriller, 288 pages
Early Reviewer book



Bottom Line: Not recommended.

---

When I was looking forward to receiving this, my comment was "a mixture of mystery, thriller, dystopic future. Sounds like a perfect escapist read!" Well, definitely take the word "perfect" out of that sentence.

Have you ever seen the results of a digital photo in the hands of someone new to Photoshop? Overblown colors, harsh grain from too much unsharp mask, odd cropping? Well, that's this book and, yes, I picked that metaphor only because one of the main characters is a photographer.

It's an interesting take on a near-future New York City: the brick and mortar economy of the city has been destroyed by repeated economic crises, the police budget has been slashed to the point where they don't have a prayer, and the sharks of organized crime swim everywhere. That social picture is about the only interesting thing in this book.

The rest is a tired plot that feels awkward and disjointed, filled with two dimensional inhabitants. It's not particularly enlivened by sex that has a distinctly high school boy fantasy feel. The "mystery" cop is so over the top he's caricature instead of character. The author's attempts to write military jargon are distinctly lacking.

Give this one a pass.

#41: I trust your judgment on that one, Tad, and will give said book a wide berth. Too bad.

Hope your next read is better!

Too Bad??? I would think it would be a huge relief to find one that you don't feel the need to read, stas.. lol

I always feel like I have dodged a bullet when I find one that I can give a pass..
There are so many others I want to read! So many books etc..

Finally caught up. I really appreciated the "covers" on the books you read--it meant I could scroll through the three threads and check the reviews easily. Lots of good stuff--but right now I can't add to my enormous "wish list". However, I enjoyed the reviews and two of them are on my "all time favorite" books--Team of Rivals which I read recently and My Side of the Mountain which I read about the same time you first read it and now I'm encouraged to try to find a copy so I can reread it.

#43: Too bad in the sense that it was an interesting premise poorly executed, Kath. Besides that, I can never have too many books in the BlackHole!

#132 : Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Epic Fantasy, 592 pages



Bottom Line: Decent fantasy that probably won't appeal to anyone not a fan of the genre. I liked Elantris better.

---

I picked this up because so many folks love Sanderson and I enjoyed his Elantris.

This is a solid fantasy book: some good world-building, a novel system of magic (though perhaps a bit hokey at times), colorful characters you can relate to, a bit of humor, and a decent plot line with a twist here and there.

I won't call it great. I can't quite put my finger on it but there's something a bit awkward or ungainly about the book—almost like a teenager who hasn't quite gotten control of their new body—and there are some pacing issues. However, these aren't serious and don't really detract.

I'd recommend this to a fantasy fan. Those not particularly into this genre probably won't find much here.

#133 : The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre, translated from the French by Jordan Stump

General Fiction, 115 pages



Bottom Line: A wonderful little piece of literary realism from Archipelago Books.

---

This is an absolute gem of a book. The plot of this story does not contain any edge-of-the-seat excitements, no stunning revelations nor great insights into the human condition. Yet, despite that, I didn't want to put this book down. What Fabre—an author whose two-sentence Wikipedia entry describes as a...novelist who focuses 'on the lives of individuals on the margins of society'—has done is to let the reader experience a fellow human being.

The old adage is that an author should show, not tell, and this story has that in spades. I felt I was looking through the eyes of Pierre, an ordinary, slightly lonely, middle-aged man who tends bar in a Parisian café, watching his customers and fellow staff, and worrying a bit about his retirement. It's done well: it's thoughtful, poignant, and humorous. In only 115 pages I felt I knew Pierre and, to the extent he knew and understood them himself, all those around him.

I can't decide if this book will work for everyone. So many of Pierre's thoughts are set in a context of middle age. But, for those who can empathize with his concerns, this is well worth reading. It's beautifully translated and I hope that more of his work will make it into English.

it's thoughtful, poignant, and humorous

Sounds great to me. Thanks for the recommendation. Good review, too.

Is that a new Archipelago release, Tad?

Now I'm wondering what to do with the ARC of Rivers of Gold that I picked up at BookExpo. I should have been alert to the comments of the publisher's rep that Dunn writes or produces "24", the TV show, or something like it. (I don't watch that stuff, except for Spooks/MI-5, the BBC show, on DVD.)

>48 phebj:: Thanks, Pat.

>49 Chatterbox:: No, Suzanne, it's a couple of years old. Here.

As for the Dunn book...well...maybe our tastes are different enough that you'll like it. All I can say is, if I hadn't been required to finish it because it was an ER book, I wouldn't have.

>47 TadAD: LOVED the review, Tad. I've thumbs-upped it and wishlisted the book.

#47: I have that one already in the BlackHole, although I have no idea who recommended it to me originally.

Great review, Tad!

Waitress sounds like my kind of read, nice review!

Nice Review of Waitress. Thumb!

I'm glad that you enjoyed The Waitress Was New, Tad; I also enjoyed it when I read it (last year?).

The Waitress Was New sounds wonderful Tad. I'm adding it to my teetering tower.

I just ordered a used copy of The Waitress was New from Amazon because my library didn't have it. I love good short books these days.

Thoughtful review, Tad. I can't decide whether I want to read the book yet, but you've put it on my radar.

#134 : Wild Strawberries by Angela Thirkell

Gently British, Humor, 231 pages



Comparing this to the first Thirkell I read, August Folly, I'd say I enjoyed the characters much more but I found the story line to be slow-starting. Lady Emily and Madame Boulle are absolute hoots but the whole thing didn't have much momentum until a bit over halfway through it.

Not a strong recommendation but I'm still game for more of Thirkell's reuse of Trollope's fictional little county in England.

#135 : Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

Thriller, Fantasy, ~416 pages



This was one I had seen on Early Reviewers but didn't win. I was in the mood for some escapist fun and a Kindle makes grabbing something on a whim so easy...

Another entrant in the fantasy/thriller genre. The premise of this one is that the protagonist has just returned from 11 years spent in Hell. The only thing on his mind is a bit of vengeance against those who put him there.

The main character isn't fully fleshed out by the time the book ends but, since this reads like the start of a series, I'm assuming that will come with time. It's reasonably fast-paced although there are a couple of "hey, let me stop and do a little world-building" moments that could have been handled more smoothly.

All in all, a decent representation of this sub-genre. If you like the Harry Dresden or Repairman Jack books, this might appeal.

Catching up.... I just finished a repairman Jack.It was okay, but didn't pull me in.I won't be continuing that series.

>60 TadAD: Hmmm. I think that's one I'll have to try.

>59 TadAD: Angela Thirkell's books are all, well, much of a muchness...like one three-stars-worth, the others won't surprise you with sudden five-stars grandiloquence. I've read them all, at this point, and the reason is that I love spending the leisurely time it takes Mrs. T to take me from Little Rising to Barchester to Gatherum Castle and back, never caring if the trip had only a small change in small things as the reward. They're the book equivalents of a long, cool summer evening spent in a chaise longue beside a shady mountain lake.

Just waving as I pass through the threads . . .

Won Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers...rather excited about that.

Yeah, Nancy Pearl is a fun person to listen to.

#136 : A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cossé, translated from the French by Alison Anderson

General Fiction, French Literature, 416 pages



Bottom Line: After I finished my review, I went to see how other people thought of this—"A love-letter to reading" is my favorite of the descriptions (Belletrista). Absolutely worth a try if you like books about books.

---

The publicity quotes on the back of this thoroughly enjoyable novel will so mislead.

"a thriller, a romance, and a fairytale," says Le Figaro. "commentary on the world of contemporary publishing," cries La Croix. "An Agatha Christie-style mystery bolstered by a love story," chimes in Madame Figaro.

With the possible exception of "fairytale," all these miss the point. Is there a mystery? Well, yes, but it's a plot vehicle rather than the plot and (quite frankly) never does get resolved all that satisfactorily...certainly not to the standards of M. Poirot or Miss Marple. Is there a romance? Yes, more than one, in fact, and quite well done...but these are really minor threads rounding out the characters rather than defining them. Commentary?...hmm, that's a bit like saying Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a commentary on British public boarding schools—it's there, you can form opinions, but it's not the point.

The essence of this story is a paean to the love of reading good books. Ivan and Francesca decide to open a book store, The Good Novel, where you won't find Twilight, anything by Tom Clancy, nor the latest million-selling chick lit. Instead you'll find only great novels, chosen for them by an anonymous panel of some of the best living authors, without regard to publication dates, best seller lists, literary prizes or any criterion beyond the opinion that it is great literature.

And therein hangs the tale. The publishers who see 99% of their books rejected and the authors who realize none of their books are represented on the shelves are not happy and a campaign against the store is begun. There is something almost Ayn Rand-ish (without the strong sense of elitism!) about the whole thing except that the reader can discern that it is bruised egos and wallets firing the opposition, not mediocrity.

At the beginning, I said that "fairytale" might not quite miss the mark. When I think about the amazing success of the store or about the severity of the reaction, there is definitely a element of the unreal about it all. However, I don't think it detracts unless you go in looking for a mystery or a commentary. Instead, look for colorful and lovable characters, the author's deep and obvious love for reading, and opportunities to think about a "literary heritage, which is being threatened by forgetfulness and indifference."

I'm not sure if A Novel Bookstore would actually make it onto The Good Novel's shelves but I think it would be hard to read this book and not walk away a bit excited and eager for your next good novel.

Loved your review, Tad, and a thumb from me.

OK, must bump this straight to the top of my TBR list! I picked it up in Boston in September, and a friend of mine in Canada has been raving about it too.

Sounds delish.

Hi Tad!

I'm trying to check a few threads each day. I'm adding book #133 and #136 to the tbr pile.

Congratulations on your hot review listed on today's home page!

All good wishes,

Oops! I was telling myself not to tap "the blue" (I'm on my iPad) and I touched some other blue. Would it be cheating to list book titles on my January calendar?

I've GOT to read that book...

>64 TadAD: Hatin' on you so hard right now, I almost can't see straight (pun optional).

>66 TadAD: I JUST BROUGHT THIS BACK FROM THE LIBERRY! Ooo ooo ooo I am exceited to read it now, even more so than when I read ~30pp in the New Arrival section!!

Have been reading your reviews and just wanted to say that I love your Bottom Lines, really succinct and helpful. Also, some great reading here, have listed a few for my TBR pile.

>67 phebj:: Thanks, Pat.

>68 Chatterbox:: Suzanee, I think you'll like it. It seems to fall in the general category covered by (my impression of) your reading.

>69 Whisper1:: Hi, Linda. Hope you're feeling better.

>70 bonniebooks:: Bonnie, that is cheating! *wags finger*

>71 BookAngel_a:: I'm glad you're excited, Angela. It means something in that post clicked.

>72 richardderus:: Richard, if you hadn't put in that disclaimer, I would have walked all over that line! ;-D

>73 KiwiNyx:: Thanks, KiwiNyx.

Just saying hi--haven't had anything to comment on, but I'm here!

#64: I was hoping I would win that one, but no go. Congratulations, Tad.

#66: Adding that one to the BlackHole. I love books about books.

Have to agree with KiwiNyx, I really appreciate "the bottom line" of your reviews. Congrats on winning Book Lust to Go and thumbs up for A Novel Bookstore!

Really not much time for reading in the last few weeks. However, did finish one and another on the way.

#137 : The Collector by John Fowles

Psychological Thriller, 305 pages



Bottom Line: Absolutely chilling perspective on a psychopath but the book was marred for me by the philosophical musings in the middle section. If you can bring yourself to skim Part 2, this would be a great read.

---

John Fowles' novel tells the story of Frederick Clegg, a lonely butterfly collector incapable of relating to others, who decides to collect Miranda Grey, a young woman with whom he's become obsessed. His hope is that, if he keeps her near him and demonstrates how much he loves her, she will eventually come to love him in return.

The book is divided into four parts. The first part, told from Frederick's perspective, is quite horrifying. It isn't a matter of violence or cruelty that makes it so disturbing; in fact, it's quite the opposite. Frederick isn't under the illusion that what he's doing is normal, but he's perfectly convinced that he's acting out of genuine regard for her and that everything will be justified in the end: if he treats her with respect and showers her with gifts, she will come to love him and they will live happily together. The strength of this book is in how convincingly Fowles has written this part. There is almost a seduction of the reader into Frederick's mind.

The second portion of the story is told by Miranda in the form of a diary. At first, this was an excellent counterpoint to the first part. As she writes down her terror instead of showing it to him, reality reasserts itself, breaking the spell that Frederick was weaving for the reader. From there, however, the diary becomes filled with meandering thoughts about the nature of Art and social commentary. I felt that Fowles was trying, imperfectly, to convey some philosophical message. It was distracting and hurt the pacing of the story substantially. (As a side note, some light browsing indicates that one of Fowles' purposes was to illustrate the problems with "lower classes" obtaining wealth and power beyond their ability to handle it.)

As I was reading them, I found the ending sections somewhat anticlimactic. The novel had seemed to be building toward a pyrotechnic ending and then...suddenly...it wasn't. Yet, now, I think they, particularly the few short pages of part 4, may be the best part of the book. As you read it, the utter hollowness of Clegg's emotional being overwhelms you. This is what remains once the book is finished.

In the end, it doesn't achieve the cultural icon status for me that it does for other readers. I rarely say this, but I'd probably find a good abridgement of this book a 4½ star read. As it stands, however, I would say it's just another recommended read.

Nice review, Tad!

Great review, Tad, and a thumb from me. I agree with your comments about the book. I read Miranda's diary while traveling, in fits and starts, and wasn't sure if it was me or the book that wasn't connecting as much. I had searched around on the internet and seen something similar about Fowles trying to make a point about the advancement, or lack thereof, of the lower classes. I think that, unfortunately, dates the book. For me, it was still a great find and caused me to rush right out and buy a copy of The Magus (which I haven't gotten to because it's so long). Anyway, glad to see you posting again.

Very instructive review! Thumb.

Glad you enjoyed it. You and I agree mostly on the ending, I think. Felt like there was more coming and was a little disappointed. This one was one of the most popular of the Halloween reads.

I just finished The Dreaming Place and From a Whisper to a Scream. I love de Lint!

>80 alcottacre:, 81, 82: Thanks all.

>83 blackdogbooks:: Mac, have you read a lot of de Lint? He's one of the best modern fantasists going, imo. I have a few more of his things still left to read; I tend to parcel them out over time.

#138 : Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

Medieval Mystery, 400 pages



Bottom Line: Excellent medieval mystery, seamlessly put together and full of wonderful characters.

---

This one ended up on my Wish List after reading JoycePA's review a couple of years ago. I know I'm a bit late to the party reading this as it made the rounds of recommendations on LibraryThing a while back. I find that my expectations of books that everyone is raving about get a bit too high and it's best to let the hooplah die down before I try it...it tends to work out better for me.

That said, I'll add my recommendation if you like historical mysteries because Ariana Franklin has put together the entire package.

We've got a great setting: the England of Henry II, his struggles to assert control over the Church made complicated by the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket. We've got a good plot line: a serial killer preying on children in the town of Cambridge, Jews being scapegoated (particularly by the Church) and, as a consequence, the country's banking system unraveling. We've got an interesting premise for the main character: Henry's summons to Salerno for what we'd call a forensic pathologist results in Adelia Aguilar. She's the best qualified for the job...true...but misogynistic England is absolutely not ready for a 12th century Abby Scuito.

There are two things that take those beginnings and make this a great mystery. The first is the well-rounded characterizations. So often in mysteries, only the main character or two is given any depth. Everyone else is a two-dimensional cutout whose purpose is either: a) to serve as convenient red herrings, or b) to check off the boxes of the main character's life ("loving boyfriend...check...faithful housekeeper...check"). Franklin avoid this: from Adelia, to the boyfriend, and on to the housekeeper, each character is a distinct personality, each relationship is a complex one that can fail as easily as it could succeed.

The second is the seamlessness with which she glues everything together. Henry's struggle with the Church isn't some irrelevant piece of history glued onto the story in order to give is some period flavor. It's an integral component of the plot without which the story wouldn't work. The fact that Adelia is female doesn't come across as yet another far-fetched plot device intended to make this just one more in a long line of "quirky" mysteries. Rather, though the ideas that drove it might be a bit more of the 20th century than the 12th, Franklin tends to play by the rules and force Adelia and her companions to deal with the ramifications of her situation.

I may not be quite ready to replace Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael as my favorite Middle Ages sleuth; there are too many years of enjoying him. But, Adelia makes a good run for it and, if the later volumes in the series are on a par with this one, she may capture the title.

#83, 84: I only a few under my belt but often describe him as one of my favorites. I've been collecting up the Newford books to read in the order he suggested and have the first three, with the last one, done. I have a hard time not abandoning all my other reading and reading them all immediately.

Another great review, Tad, and a thumb from me. I tried The Mistress of the Art of Death but couldn't get into it--maybe I'll give it another shot.

I tried to buy he Mistress of the Art of Death from Barnes and Noble online. It took my info and gift card and swallowed the order whole. I had all 3 (?) of them in the cart. I fought with B&N to get a new card ... it was not easy but I got one. I tried again. Same exact result.

So 50$ in gift cards later, no books and no gift card.
I am not meant to read that book, obviously....and
that was the final straw in my dealings with B&N online. I have had so many issues with them over the years, I am done with them for good.

glad you liked it though :)

Tad, just getting caught up with your thread and happy to see your review of The Mistress of the Art of Death as I have it on my shelf right now. Also I almost purchased A Novel Bookstore a few weeks ago at B&N. Looks like I'll have to go back for it.

Kath, that is yucky...

Mistress of the Art of Death is great. There is a weird/gruesome corpse scene in the second book which lingers in my mind as not-so-great, but Franklin generally does a top-notch job in blending real historical issues and a good mystery. The most recent (published early this year) involves her returning to her home in Sicily, with the king's reluctant permission.

Franklin's other nom de plume is Diana Norman, and she has written an excellent trilogy that goes from the American to the French revolutions and features another strong and independent-minded woman, beginning with A Catch of Consequence. What's intriguing is that it's not all court balls and stuff. Her heroine, Makepeace, starts off as a tradeswoman in colonial America, rises to become a lord's wife, loses everything, and starts again. She's a thorough-going pragmatist and tolerates no nonsense. Highly recommended.

Hi There Tad!

Congratulations on TWO hot reviews! Thumbs up from me on both!

Unfortunately, Tad, you and I seem to like the same kinds of books, so I had to put The Waitress Was New on reserve at the library, and although A Novel Bookstore is already on my TBR, I may have to get that one too. Just when I thought I had my library-going under control...

And I'll tell you, I loved Mistress of the Art of Death, but the books that followed grew progressively less interesting for me, and I think I stopped at the third or fourth. Always glad to abandon a series!

#85: I enjoyed that one too, Tad. Glad to see you did as well.

90... yucky indeed...checking out A Catch of Consequence....thank you :)
it sounds good.

Great review, have wishlisted the Mistress of the Art of Death and also other books by the author.

I was in the bookstore the other day and saw A Novel Bookstore, and remembering that I had read a great review of it, I bought it. Now I remember where I heard about it. Can't wait to read it.

#139 : Fall of a Cosmonaut by Stuart Kaminsky

Mystery, 277 pages



Bottom Line: I still enjoy this series of mysteries set in Russia, though I liked them a bit better when they had the politics of the Soviet Union entangled in them.

---

I've been reading this mystery series since some time in the early 1980s and I still enjoy them. The books may have lost a bit of je ne sais quoi in their backdrops as they moved from the Soviet Union to post-Soviet Russia: the political drama surrounding the investigations just seems less intense and convoluted. However, the characters I've come to enjoy are still there and, despite being largely unchanged with time, have avoided becoming caricatures of themselves.

I'd recommend this series to those who enjoy whodunit type mysteries.

#140 : Expiration Date by Duane Swierczynski

Noir Mystery/SF, 241 pages



Bottom Line: I picked this up on Mark's recommendation and was glad I did. Fun, fast, noir mystery story involving time travel.

---

What would happen if you took an author who wrote for Marvel Comics and had him write a noir thriller that walked some of the paths laid out by Heinlein's "By His Bootstraps" with flavorings of 1970s conspiracy theories and the 1982 Tylenol Scare thrown in for good measure?

Something kind of fun.

Veterans of time-travel stories may figure out a number of things before the author reveals them but the ride is still enjoyable. Expiration Date is fast-paced (there's definitely something in the writing style that gives a hint of a comic's quickness), humorous and has that gritty flavor that makes noir enjoyable.

#141 : Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers by Nancy Pearl

Travel, Book Recommendations, 271 pages



Bottom Line:A wonderful way to increase the size of your Wish List.

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In her introduction, Nancy Pearl describes herself: "I am not an enthusiastic traveler. Let me lay my cards on the table, clear the air, call a spade a spade, and make something perfectly clear. I am barely a traveler at all."

And yet, she writes a unique travel book here, based on the fact that she is an inveterate armchair traveler. What makes this book different is that it is not a book about the places you can visit—it is a book about the books about the places you can visit. As a person who has become famous for carving out a job that might be described as "Book Recommender," she shares her suggestions on everything from light fiction to serious history about 120 places around the world.

You can certainly read this book by starting with the Introduction on page xiii and working your way through to page 271...and I, eventually, did just that. However, I think it was more fun to just open the book and let serendipity guide you through, much like opening an old encyclopedia (back when they were printed in those pre-Wikipedia days) and just wandering from topic to topic.

The first time I opened it, I happened upon "Siberian Chills" and noted that she enjoyed Stuart Kaminsky, Martin Cruz Smith and Alexander Solzhenitsyn (all favorites of mine) while I added Huffaker's The Cowboy and the Cossack to my TBR list. A comment there about reindeer led me to "Frolicking in Finland" where I added Thompson's Snow Angels. And so it went...

This is a marvelous book that, in many ways, is exactly what so many of the reading groups here on LibraryThing are about: readers sharing what they've encountered with others. Whether you want to find some books about a destination in your travel plans, or simply do a little armchair traveling of your own, this is a recommended book.

I'm enjoying the Nancy Pearl as well, though I haven't finished it yet.
I was surprised though when I got to the Canadian section - no Louise Penny?? Her novels are set in a fictional town, but so are a lot of the other travel works mentioned.
Perhaps Pearl mentioned her in another book lust book and I've forgotten.

I'm a big Tim Powers fan, but Expiration Date is not one of my favorites. It's good, but doesn't compare to my favorites. Have you read Last Call? It's the best of his contemporary set books IMHO, although I haven't read Declare yet and it is supposed to be very good as well.

The Nancy Pearl book sounds great. Thanks for the recommendation.

Also, I finished The Waitress Was New last night and loved it. I first heard about it from your review. It'll take me a while to get my own review done but wanted to thank you for that recommendation as well.

>100 BookAngel_a:: I don't know. Maybe she's not a Three Pines fan.

>101 ronincats:: Wrong book, Roni. This is the one by Duane Swierczynski. Yes, I've read Last Call.

>102 phebj:: I'm glad you liked it, Pat.

Happy Holidays Tad!

I'm adding Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers by Nancy Pearl to the tbr pile.

Doh!

Tad- Good reviews, sir! I like the sound of the Pearl book. On the list goes it goes!

Nice review of Nancy Pearl's latest book, Tad. I'll add that to my wish list as well.

Happy Thanksgiving Tad. I'm simply stopping by to say thanks once again for all the computer assistance! I am very glad you are a part of this lovely group! I hope you have a great time in NY with the 75 group!

Tad, I'm still thinking about how cute your dogs are!

I definitely need to get a copy of the latest Nancy Pearl book. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Tad!

Have a terrific Thanksgiving!

Nancy Pearl has such an infectious way about her. Nice review, Tad.

Happy Thanksgiving, Tad!

Really just checking in. I haven't had much spare time the last few weeks, though it was great to see the crowd in NYC last weekend though—note to self—remember that NY is generally colder than NJ.

I've got a couple of books to post but I'm having extreme difficulty with a review for Belletrista and I'm making myself get that one out of the way first. I enjoyed the book but don't really have much to say about it. Very annoying.

Weekends are busying up for the holidays plus I have to remember to murder a friend who said, "Oh, Tad will do a Web site for such-and-such group; I'm sure he won't mind."

As I said, just saying hello.

*waves hello*

I'll alibi you for the "friend" murder, just let me know when. Oh, and also, probably a good idea to delete this thread....

Although we've chatted a couple of times on others' threads and in a PM, this is my first time on yours--mainly because I still don't know how to find particular ones, I just hunt and peck.

Anyway, I wanted to say how much I admire your rating system and reviews. Sentimental favorites is a great category. I usually don't give a book five stars unless I've read it more than once, which amounts to about the same thing.

I just listened to My Side of the Mountain on audio with my daughter recently. I had read it long ago, and it was so fun to experiene it with her. It led us to a couple of other such survival books: Island of the Blue Dolphin, Julie of the Wolves. Do you have any other recommendations in this vein? My daughter is 7.

Finally I wanted to say thanks for adding to my wishlist. Both The Waitress was New and A Novel Bookstore were added tonight.

#113: Weekends are busying up for the holidays plus I have to remember to murder a friend who said, "Oh, Tad will do a Web site for such-and-such group; I'm sure he won't mind."

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your former friend. If Richard does not end up providing you with an alibi for the time of the murder, I will.

And why is it that those websites always turn out to be the projects from hell?

>114 richardderus:/116: I may take you up on it. And Stasia. Two people can claim I wasn't where the police think I was.

>115 labfs39:: Thanks, Lisa. I hope you enjoy them; they were both a lot of fun.

Was driving down Main St. and noticed that one of the local churches had opened a small second-hand book shop. Picked up a copy of Plainsong, which Stasia had recommended to me years ago, and a nice collection of Guy de Maupassant's stories, both hardbacks, for a total of $3. I hope it survives as it's only 2 minutes from my house.

I adore Plainsong! (I decided "love" just wasn't good enough ;-) writing is just so good, plus I just love those two old ranchers--they're just so real!

Two minutes, eh? That sounds risky. Keep an eye on Julie, you might start seeing your own books there if you're not careful!

#119: I hope you enjoy Plainsong as much as I did, Tad!

Haha! A second hand bookstore 2 minutes from Tad's house? Are the books in alphabetical order by author? But not by genre? Does it appear that his children are working there part time? It is his library annex. Oh, yeah, deja vu all over again!

Tad, A second hand books shop two minutes from your house sounds delightfully dangerous.

Richard, your message rings true. The books are taking over all available spaces in my house. Will threatens to contact the tv producers of the show re. hoarders.

A local library sells books that are donated. Paperbacks are .10 and hard cover books are 3 for $1.

I tell you, it is heaven for me! I rationalize my purchases by telling Will the money goes to support their childrens programs, and I always give more $ than the .10 or $1.00 when I pay for the books.

Hey Tad,

Have to add my recommendation to Plainsong. I happened on Haruf and he has become one of my favorite authors. Hope you like it.

#142 : Thirteenth Night by Alan Gordon

Mystery, 243 pages



Bottom Line: I stopped after 60 pages.

---

With Thirteenth Night Alan Gordon continues the story that William Shakespeare began in Twelfth Night. The Duke of Orsino has died under mysterious circumstances and Malvolio, believed an agent for some other power, is thought to be at work again. In response, Feste the Fool is called into service to investigate. For, as it turns out, the Fools' Guild is actually a cover for an international organization of operatives dedicated to preserving balance in Europe and the Middle East and acting as a counterweight to the Catholic Church.

Suzanne recommended this one to me based upon my enjoyment of medieval mysteries but I fear we must agree to disagree on this one. The dialog bothered me from the beginning, too glib and anachronistic for my taste. As the story progressed, the situations just seemed too contrived and the characters a little too slick.

I gave it 60 pages and stopped.

#143 : Souvenir of Canada by Douglas Coupland

Essays & Photographs, 142 pages



Bottom Line: A nice series of essays and photographs attempting to convey what it means to be Canadian.

---

This was a recommendation by Tui last year—definitely a good one from my perspective.

Souvenir of Canada is a series of essays, organized alphabetically from Baffin Island to Zed, that attempt to capture a sense of what it means to be Canadian. I think three types of people will read this book.

First will be the Canadians. I suspect that there will be a moment of "of course" for them somewhere in this book. After I had finished it, I lent it to a friend from Quebec. He gave it back, smiling, "There were a couple there that were just right...and 'Flies' and 'Stubbies' made me laugh." I think the photographs hooked him a bit, also; he kept pointing out things to me.

Second will be the Americans who haven't been there. I think they'll enjoy the glimpse: a familiar-but-something's-slightly-off-kilter-here image that will leave them thinking our northern neighbors might be a little bit loony in some ways ("Cheeseheads") but are rather sensible in others ("Miss Canada").

Third are the Americans who have passed some time in Canada. I've spent several cumulative years of my life there over the last half century and, for me, the sense when reading the book was recognition, a sense of "Ah, that's it."

There's nothing mean-spirited about this book. Even when he's slyly poking the ribs of those who live below the 49th parallel, it's nothing more serious than, "Well, we aren't exactly like you, eh?"

#144 : The Fish Child by Lucía Puenzo, translated from the Spanish by David William Foster

Argentinean Fiction, 161 pages



Bottom Line: A rather engaging novel whose romantic adventure story line frames a look at the class divide in Argentina and how our station and circumstances define our perception of life.

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My full review will be in the Jan/Feb issue of Belletrista.

#144 : Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery by James R. Benn

Mystery, ~304 pages



Bottom Line: A pleasant mystery set during World War II—nothing special but likable enough if you're looking for something light.

---

This was free in Amazon's Kindle Store and had reasonable reviews, so I gave it a try. I'm a sucker for retro.

What I found was a pleasant enough mystery. It was coltish and awkward at times but I found I rather liked Lt. Billy Boyle, a former Boston Southie homicide cop who thought he had wangled a cushy staff job under his distant relative, Uncle Ike, and would sit out the war in Washington DC, bored and safe. Of course, when the relative becomes Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe and espionage leaves an important allied officer dead, Billy finds out that his war is going to be neither safe nor boring.

I wouldn't place this on any lists of great mystery novels but it passed an afternoon and, since it's only $3.44, have downloaded the second in the series to my Kindle for some other day.

Sounds like some interesting reading, other than the one you stopped on.

Tad- I have to put my 2 cents in on Plainsong! Great book! Easily in my top ten for the decade. The sequel was pretty good too!

>126 TadAD: I seem to have several of these in my library. I have no memory of them. They're gone now, anyway, and it looks like I'm just as glad.

>127 TadAD: Wishlisted. Drat. Looks good. Double drat.

>128 TadAD: Pending a read of your review.

>129 TadAD: No Kindle! Can't get it! Boo hoo!!

Sorry you didn't like Thirteenth Night -- I really enjoyed it, enough to overlook the fact that it was a rather contrived plotline (the idea of a Fools' Guild is a bit silly) but hey...

I'm intrigued by the Coupland book. Yes, no one here has the remotest idea of a stubby. Not to mention beaver tails. And is there a section on "eh?", eh? (My sister in law uses that constantly, despite having been raised overseas...) Then there's hockey.

I got a free ARC of Billy Boyle, and later downloaded it for free onto my Kindle, so it's obviously the publishers are hoping for some traction there. Haven't read it yet, though.

Adding the Puenzo book to the BlackHole.

I also downloaded the free Billy Boyle book to my Nook, but have not gotten to it yet. One of these years.

The new "Graph Your Authors' Nationalities" feature in beta is interesting to me. When I first joined the 75 Challenge, my stated goal was to expand beyond my extremely US-centric and genre-centric reading habits.

While there are way too many years of backlog with a fairly large number of books to make this chart not still seem US-centric, believe me that it's much less so than in 2008. That "Other" was more like 1% back then.

It's interesting to be able to track this.



Interesting that the UK gets double billing. Obviously evidence of some sort of conspiracy designed to weaken the fabric of American civilization.

Ooh! I love visuals!

The UK entries are a complete mess because entries have been - and legitimately can be - made in so many ways: England is part of the UK; not all of the UK is England. Ditto Scotland. And that's before you get into the English (or whatever) authors that pre-date the existence of the UK.

I also think it's interesting to track this. (I'm also finding it very interesting to compare these charts with the data and charts I have for this year's reading; this year's reading has, I think, more variety than a couple of years ago - but definitely has less variety than my chart here because although I've been trying to read more widely, most of the international authors I have are still in my TBR pile!)

>137 Eat_Read_Knit:: It seems to me that, for sanity's sake, LibraryThing should decide whether the fact that England is a country establishes it as a top-level "domain" (so to speak) or the fact that it's part of a larger political unit, the UK, is more important. Having both is just chaos.

Personally, it seems like having England as the country rather than the UK makes sense--once you get to "country" you should stop. But, I don't think it really matters as long as there is some consistency.

Whatever the decision, I think author location should be based upon how that decision would be seen today--e.g., if we decide we're using England, then J. K. Rowling is an English author, not a UK author; if we're using UK instead of England, then Shakespeare is a UK author. It may feel a bit odd since we think of him as English but that way lies madness. After all, we don't say Sam Houston's writings were from the country of Texas just because it was a separate country when he lived there. And, God help us, what would we do with authors from the Holy Roman Empire where there were literally hundreds of countries that changed every few years?

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think using England, Scotland, etc. is more descriptive. Think about an author from, say, Armagh. Which is more descriptive, that he's a United Kingdom author or that he's an Irish (or even Northern Irish) author? I'd say the latter.

Of course, if we were really mean, we could label all authors from England with names starting from A to I as "England", all starting from J to R as "Great Britain" and the remainder as "United Kingdom". We could shift that system one place for Scotland and two places for Wales. Northern Ireland we split the alphabet in half with United Kingdom. There—we've got six places in the list for under 100,000 square miles and everyone would be scratching their heads! :-D

Having both is just chaos.

At least you're not alone in thinking that.

I currently have 316 UK authors, 80 England UK, 23 England, 16 Scotland and a handful of Wales. Plus some Irish authors that date from the period when Ireland was part of the UK.

Yes, you've pointed to some pretty good evidence of chaos, indeed.

I try and tag my books by the author's nationality and the country the book is about, but it gets very complicated. For instance I've had to create tags for Czech, Slovakian, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Czechoslovakia. And what about a book written in what was once Poland/Lithuania/Russia? Then there is what used to be Serbo-croatian literature: same language in two alphabets and now two separate countries. I've avoided UK/Great Britain, like the plague...

Or what about someone who defines themselves as Ruthenian or Kurd -- where there ISN'T a country??? :-)

Just asking...

Wow, makes the UN seem downright sane.

#135: Sorry I did not read your thread before I mentioned it on my own! I love the nationalities graph!

Carpatho-Ruthenian Transdniestrite lit in Russian but using the Romanian transliterations.

Yes! Exactly! Fortunately there are no limits to tagging. It's just the new nationalities chart has my perfectionist tendancies all atwitter.

Edited to remove animated gif of mad typing.

Richard, your lack of sleep has heightened your wit.

Tad, I just read Auggie Wren's Christmas Story and really liked it. I first heard about it from you so thanks for the recommendation. I've ordered a copy of it from Amazon (the one I read was from the library) but boy was it hard to find one that was reasonably priced. I paid $15.00 for a used hardcover with illustrations but from there the prices jumped up to $30 or $40 and then to about $90!

#145 : The Sentimentalists by Johanna Skibsrud

Canadian Fiction, 218 pages



Bottom Line: I was a bit disappointed in this winner of the Giller Prize. The plot, the themes, the characters all worked for me but the writing style was a bit too meandering and…obfuscated?...for me. It took half the book just to figure out a perspective.

---

My full review will be in the Jan/Feb issue of Belletrista, along with that of The Fish Child.

Sounds as though I can skip The Sentimentalists, if I could ever get my hands on it, which is highly unlikely :)

Bummer, Tad... That looked intriguing. I may still pick it up, but it can wait until I'm next in Toronto so I don't have to pay massive shipping costs.

I look forward to your review, Tad, but I'll almost certainly give this one a pass.

I'm so not into obfuscation, so will skip that Giller Prize winner. Have you read any other Gillers? I'll have to go check out that prize.

Tad, just a note to let you know I've set up a thread for "Future Women: Explorations and Aspirations" in the 2011 group. This is for the readings we talked about after reading The Postman in October, with post-apocalyptic or otherwise future views of women's role in societies. I'm not scheduling reading to start until February 1, but am letting people know so that they can star it and start acquiring books if they so choose.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105210

*whew* A book I needn't fret over not reading! Thanks, Tad!

>150 alcottacre:: It's actually not hard to get a copy now, Stasia. Gaspereau Press sold rights to another publisher to put out a cheaper trade paperback. Amazon.ca has it for immediate delivery. Not sure I'd spend the extra for postage, however...

>151 Chatterbox:: The themes of the fallibility of memory and the tendency to romanticize the past were interesting, Suzanne. Unfortunately, much of that was only apparent after the fact. It's a book where the second reading might be better.

>152 kidzdoc:: My review will be slightly less blunt than above, Darryl, for various reasons.

I try not to read other reviews before writing my own because it colors how I think but it's been interesting to peruse a few after the fact. I'm not alone in being a bit underwhelmed by the style. I wonder how much the fact that she's a poet by trade affected things. A lot, I imagine.

>153 bonniebooks:: Bonnie, I've read Through Black Spruce, which was the 2008 winner, and absolutely loved it. I'm a big fan of Boyden's fiction (not so certain about his non-fiction) ever since I tried his Three Day Road back in 2009.

>155 richardderus:: I don't think it would wow you, Richard.

I dipped into Three Day Road and after reading a few sentences, downloaded it onto my Kindle. Now I must find time to read it...

>154 ronincats:: I'll think about that, Roni, but I'm fairly uncertain. If nothing else, four of the six are re-reads for me and I'm not sure I'd want to commit to spending time on them. Especially since I wasn't a fan of a couple of them in the first place. (I wish I could remember where I read my favorite comment about that particular Tepper, "It's understandable that women object to being walking wombs. Why, then, should men be walking sperm banks?")

The two that aren't re-reads, the Le Guin and the Elgin, have never held much appeal for me when I've looked at them. The former because the blurbs and reviews make it seem a bit too much "matriarchary good, patriarchy bad," which is a bit more simplistic than I've come to expect from Ms. Le Guin. The Elgin...well, I admit I've never given it a real chance after a former girlfriend was fairly critical of it.

You've picked a list with a very decided point of view built into it. I suspect you'll be able to generate some interesting conversations over it.

The only one of the list that sorta tempts me is LeGuin, becasue I've heard so much about her. But I'm on the fence about joining that group of reads, as I have so many other reading goals and stuff.

>159 blackdogbooks:: If you're going to read Le Guin, Mac, I would recommend The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed or the original Earthsea trilogy before anything else.

Just my opinion, of course...

Your opinion in these matters means a great deal though. LeGuin seems just out of reach for me right now, as I have so many other things going on in my reading and writing world. Maybe in a couple of years, and then I'll take your advice.

>161 blackdogbooks: FWIW I second Tad's recommendations in the same order he's given them...though I'd push for sooner than later for The Left Hand of Darkness.

You should know that Le Guin never does anything simplistic, Tad. What I love about Always Coming Home is it really feels like an anthropological study of a society that just happens to be post-apocalyptic--you can see her writing skills and then the strong influence of her parents' professions. I like it better than The dispossessed which, while full of ideas, came across as more didactic in its writing to me.

I'm not sure what the former girlfriend was critical of in Native Tongue, but Elgin is a linguist and she uses this in a fascinating manner to develop her story line.

None of these are neutral books, Tad--they are indeed picked to stimulate discussion. I know the Tepper is one of her extremes--I remember snapping at men for a full three days after finishing it. But I also remember moments of high glee from a woman's point of view, which is why I picked it.

If nothing else, I'd enjoy your participation and thoughts on the Elgin.

Her criticisms were twofold, Roni. One was on the underlying premise of the effect a women's language would have on society. Since I haven't read the book, I can't make any intelligent comment beyond reporting that fact. The second was rather involved...more than I would care to go into here...but was basically a contention that the book tended to set back the women's movement, something she (my girlfriend, not Elgin) was somewhat ardent about.

Significant edit: I had some stuff here about your statement "I also remember moments of high glee from a woman's point of view" but second thought says better not.

I would argue that "none of these are neutral books" is actually an understatement. My contention would be—keeping mind that I only know of two of them by hearsay—that this is a heavily weighted list...which might have been your intention. That will provoke discussion certainly...the type of discussion will depend upon how many of the readers see things the way those books present them.

My first response was, "It's science fiction, for goodness sake, not a manifesto," and that, as a student of psycholinguistics in grad school, I have nothing but admiration for Elgin as a linguist--but I really have no oar in this water although I disagree with her. It is interesting to hear what her concerns were, though.

Tad, one of the reasons I wanted to reread these is that I read most of them probably 20 or more years ago and wanted to see how I react to them at this stage of my life. I do not remember at ALL which bits elicited laugh-out-loud moments or why, but it will be interesting to see if they still do or not. I'm not promoting any of them as "the one true Way" but just explorations of possibilities, colored by our current assumptions. That's what science fiction is best at, imho--shaking our assumptions up to see what falls out. I'm hoping these will provoke stimulating discussion about those assumptions, fears, and hopes.

Google just ate my long reply with a "cannot connect to LibraryThing."

So, short version: In Ellen's defense (no notes to my wife about defending an old girlfriend, please), she wasn't claiming it was a manifesto. She was claiming that, like much science fiction, it had a message. She felt that message was poorly delivered and its content was not what it should be. However, all this is neither here nor there, so I'll stop talking. :-)

ETA: Roni, check your profile.

Well, I'm setting off for 20+ hours in the car. Obviously, LibraryThing will not figure heavily into my plans for the next few days and, what with the holidays, I'm not sure quite what will happen.

So, if I don't talk to any of you in the next week or so, I hope you have wonderful holidays of whatever type you celebrate. It's been a good year and fun.

Right back at'cha, Tad! Many happy hours in the car. (then again, I like driving, so it's easy for me to say.)

Hope your holidays are wonderful too, Tad. Drive safely.

Safe travels and a very Merry Christmas, Tad!

Have a safe trip and a Merry Christmas, Tad.

Ditto - a safe trip and a merry celebration.

Merry Happy!

Have a safe and enjoyable trip and a Merry Christmas, Tad!

Tad

One of the highlights of 2010 was meeting you, and others at Richard's September birthday party.

All good wishes for a wonderful 2011! Safe travels.

What Linda said!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas, Tad.

Happy Christmas, Tad! I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet you in person this year.

Happy St. Stephen's Day! Or Boxing Day! Whichever you prefer, Tad, may it be a happy, happy occasion.

Merry Christmas, Tad!