sjmccreary reads 75 in 2012, part 1

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sjmccreary reads 75 in 2012, part 1

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1sjmccreary
Déc 28, 2011, 7:45 pm

Here again for another year. Since joining LT, my annual books read total has actually gone DOWN each year. I think that is because I'm reading "better" books - less fluff, more substance. That is exactly what I was hoping for when I joined, so I'm pretty tickled about it. However, the downside (as we've all discovered) is that I'm also learning about more and more great new books that I want to read. So my reading has slowed down, but my wishlist has exploded. *sigh*

I'm aiming for something in the 80-100 books range in 2012. But more importantly, I'm hoping to read books that I love, and to love what I read.

Happy New Year, everyone!

2lindapanzo
Déc 28, 2011, 8:59 pm

Glad to see you back here for 2012, Sandy. I'm reading better books the past few years (since joining LT) but more of them, too.

I understand that exploding wishlist concept, too.

3drneutron
Déc 29, 2011, 8:11 am

Welcome back!

4_Zoe_
Déc 29, 2011, 9:45 am

Hi Sandy,

I agree about reading "better" books. I'm actually sort of proud that I'm not going to reach 75 this year--I'll come out at about 72, but I'll also have read three 1000-page books that I really enjoyed in November and December, instead of just rushing to the finish with a bunch of quick books that I was less interested in.

Also, your thread is often one of the worst offenders when it comes to exploding my wishlist ;)

5dk_phoenix
Déc 29, 2011, 10:53 am

But more importantly, I'm hoping to read books that I love, and to love what I read.

Hear hear! I join you wholeheartedly in this sentiment!

*starred* :)

6alcottacre
Déc 29, 2011, 6:08 pm

Glad to see you back again, Sandy!

7calm
Déc 30, 2011, 9:58 am

Good to see you Sandy - hope you have a great year of reading:)

8Donna828
Déc 30, 2011, 10:45 am

Hi Sandy, I'm echoing your desire to read what I love this coming year. My problem is that I love most everything. ;-) Happy New Year!

9mckait
Déc 31, 2011, 12:15 pm

10PaulCranswick
Déc 31, 2011, 3:11 pm

Sandy look forward to keeping up in 2012. Happy new year!

11sjmccreary
Jan 1, 2012, 12:02 pm

I've been seeing this around a lot this morning and thought I'd give it a try. Using books read in 2011.

Describe yourself: I am not a Serial Killer

Describe how you feel: Still Alice

Describe where you currently live: In the Woods

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Lost City of Z

Your favorite form of transportation: Half Broke Horses

Your best friend is: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

You and your friends are: Infamous

What’s the weather like: Big Spring Autumn

You fear: Confederates in the Attic

What is the best advice you have to give: Go the F**k to Sleep

Thought for the day: Not Yet Drown'd

How I would like to die: Flying too High

My soul’s present condition: Running From the Devil

12sjmccreary
Jan 1, 2012, 12:29 pm

Thank you for all the warm greetings - I hope you will feel free to post whenever you stop by. I'm guilty of lurking on so many threads and never posting, so I understand that. But it's so nice to know that you were here, so please post once in a while at least. And I'll try to post more on the threads I visit, too.

As I sit here, I can see that I have several pretty short books sitting on the shelf, to be read. Since today is a holiday, I think I might sit down later and read through one or two of them. Just because I can. And since that is why I got them, after all. However, in the meantime, it's getting close to noon here and I'm beginning to hear stirrings upstairs as someone is finally getting out of bed. I guess it's time to go see about feeding the troops - they'll be hungry once they finally get moving.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's Day.

13DeltaQueen50
Jan 1, 2012, 6:49 pm

Just coming by to drop my star and claim a comfy seat. My New Years wish is for a great reading year for us all!

14sjmccreary
Jan 1, 2012, 7:15 pm

Have just finished my first book of the year.

Book #1



January 1905 by Katharine Boling

I chose this book for the 12 in 12 Group's 12-month sub-challenge. It is a short chapter book, labelled "Ages 10 and Up" that I read in about an hour. It tells the story of 11-year old twin girls who hate each other. Pauline must work in the cotton mill with the rest of the family to help pay the rent and imagines that her sister lounges about at home or the company store all day, taking naps and eating sweets. Arlene, her sister who was born with a crippled foot, isn't able to work but must stay home alone doing all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry for the family. She doesn't get to go the mill and spend the day with her friends and family, laughing and talking over lunch. Instead she must eat a cold dinner alone after the lunch buckets are delivered to the mill. Everything changes one day when each girl is forced to see that she isn't the only one whose life is hard. Once they learn to share their burdens, both are happier.

It provides an eye-opening view of the reality of child labor in the early 20th century, and includes an essay about how that practice came to be abolished. Not flawless, and rather simplistic, but good for its intended audience. 3 stars.

15Storeetllr
Jan 1, 2012, 7:28 pm

Hi, Sandy ~ Happy New Year!

16ronincats
Jan 1, 2012, 7:41 pm

Happy New Year, Sandy!

17ChelleBearss
Jan 1, 2012, 7:49 pm

Found and Starred! Wishing you a wonderful 2012

18lkernagh
Jan 2, 2012, 12:24 am

Another 12 in 12 Challenge member found and starred!

19alcottacre
Jan 2, 2012, 12:37 am

*waving* at Sandy while passing through the threads

20sjmccreary
Jan 2, 2012, 12:41 am

Yay! more visitors! How exciting!

21tymfos
Jan 2, 2012, 5:45 am

Found you, Sandy. I have you starred. Have a great year!

22gennyt
Jan 3, 2012, 6:42 am

Happy Reading Year in 2012, Sandy!

23thomasandmary
Jan 3, 2012, 9:33 am

Just finished your 2011 thread, Sandy. Like others who commented on your Thanksgiving day, I was moved to goosebumps and watery eyes. IMHO you should be a writer; your writing is beautiful and powerful and most importantly, you pass on hope through your words. It has been a privilege to share this past year here on LT with you. I hope that 2012 will bring many blessings to you and your family.

24sjmccreary
Jan 7, 2012, 2:46 pm

Happy New Year, everyone!

#23 Thanks, Regina. You sharing your own experience has meant a lot to me, as well.

25Donna828
Jan 8, 2012, 2:26 pm

Your January book looks interesting, Sandy. I'm lovin' that sub-challenge on the 12 in 12. I need to do some posting over there but my fingers need a rest after today's workout getting caught up (not!) on LT.

I hope you are having a good weekend. It's a gloomy day here. Perfect for getting some more reading done!

26sjmccreary
Jan 8, 2012, 5:01 pm

Hi, Donna! I've started another January book that I'm more excited about - I've been thinking of it as my "real" January book. The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith. Just started it last night and read only a few pages while I was waiting for the football game to end so that we could watch a movie. This is my second book by Highsmith and she hits the ground running!

Beautiful, sunny day here today. I know I asked for a mild winter as we have a lot of outside work that needs to be done before spring, but I am missing the snow and cold!

It seems I've been neglecting this thread - I've finished a couple of books that haven't been posted here yet. I'll go look them up and get them listed.

27sjmccreary
Jan 8, 2012, 5:06 pm

Book #2



Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

A wonderful little book about a fictional island nation set off the South Carolina coast. Known as Nollopton, it is named for its most famous son Nevin Nollop, author of the famous pangram sentence, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." The sentence is displayed in the town center composed of individual letter tiles. When the "Z" tile comes loose and falls to the ground, shattering, the High Council meets to determine what action should be taken as a result. Their decision? Nollop is communicating from beyond the grave and letting them know that the letter "Z" is no longer necessary and should be stricken from use. So it is banned, all spoken words containing the letter Z, all written documents containing the letter Z, all are now forbidden. Those who violate the new edict will be punished.

The story is sometimes silly, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and very often too true-to-life for comfort. As more and more letters fall, and become banished from use, the Nolloptonians must become quite resourceful in order to communicate with one another. A deal is struck with the high council - if a shorter pangram sentence can be composed, all the missing letters will be restored.

It isn't perfect, but what I loved about it is that he shows the different ways that ordinary people react to extraordinary situations. 4 stars.

28sjmccreary
Jan 8, 2012, 5:27 pm

Book #3



Iron House by John Hart

An intense thriller that begins with 2 orphaned brothers living in Iron House, a very rough orphanage in North Carolina. Michael is strong, but Julian is weak and constantly being bullied by the other boys when Michael isn't around. When the leader of the bullies corners Julian in a bathroom after an especially brutal beating, Julian snaps and uses an old knife to stab the boy in the neck, killing him. When Michael finds them moments later, he manages to convince Julian to tell the adults that he, Michael, killed the bully because he was picking on Julian. Michael takes the knife and runs away from Iron House. Just as a wealthy senator's wife shows up to adopt both boys. When Michael can't be found, she takes Julian home alone.

Michael makes his way to New York City where he survives on the streets until Otto, a famous gangster, hears of him and takes him in. Michael is raised as a son, and brought into the family business as an enforcer. He becomes one of the most ruthless killers on the streets, but has decided that he wants out of the life after meeting a woman and falling in love. Otto has agreed to release him, but the rest of the "family" is afraid to let him leave. As long as Otto is alive to enforce his ruling, Michael is safe. But Otto is dying, and the rest of the family will stop at nothing to force Michael into line, including threatening both his woman and his brother Julian, whom he hasn't seen since Iron House.

The rest of the book is a fast-paced roller coaster of intrigue, deception, lies, secrets, money, and hidden agendas. So many twists and turns that I simply had no idea where it would end up. Excellent. 4 stars.

29tloeffler
Jan 8, 2012, 5:28 pm

I love your advice! That was the greatest book.....

30sjmccreary
Jan 8, 2012, 5:32 pm

#29 Hi, Terri! I assume you're talking about Ella Minnow Pea?

31alcottacre
Jan 8, 2012, 5:34 pm

#27: I enjoyed that one a lot too, Sandy.

#28: I will have to give that one a shot some time. I will see if my local library has a copy. Thanks for the review and recommendation.

32tloeffler
Jan 8, 2012, 5:36 pm

No, I'm talking about your meme with "The best advice you have to give."

But I loved Ella Minnow Pea also!

33ChelleBearss
Jan 8, 2012, 10:59 pm

#28 great review! I've seen that at my library but not picked it up yet ... I really should grab it!

34PaulCranswick
Jan 9, 2012, 11:21 pm

Iron House must make the Hitlist with both you and the reliable Judy giving it a most definite thumbs up. Good review Sandy.

35DeltaQueen50
Jan 10, 2012, 1:22 am

Great review of Iron House, Sandy. And thanks for the nice comments on my thread. It's been awhile since I read a thriller with so many twists and turns. It's hard to slow down now I'm finished!

36labwriter
Jan 10, 2012, 7:09 am

That looks like a winner, Sandy. Great review.

37tymfos
Jan 10, 2012, 7:57 am

Glad you liked Iron House, Sandy. I'm about halfway through, listening to it on audio, and finding it quite suspenseful.

38dk_phoenix
Jan 10, 2012, 8:30 am

Ella Minnow Pea is one of those books I've meant to read for ages. I've heard only good things about it!

39cal8769
Jan 11, 2012, 11:21 am

Hi Sandy, I'm finally catching up with you.

I agree with your first post. I also find that I'm reading less but better books. Quality over quantity.
You have a great start this year and am looking forward to lurking!

40jnwelch
Jan 11, 2012, 11:38 am

As you know, Donna, I liked Iron House a lot, too. Fast and twisty. I wonder whether any of his others are as good.

41sjmccreary
Jan 14, 2012, 10:35 am

I'm glad to see so much excitement about Iron House - I hope everyone has a chance to read it soon, and enjoys it like I did. I need to find out his other books and get them added to the wishlist.

I haven't been reading much this week, nor posting on LT. I've been working and am booked solid the next 2 weeks. I have been making progress on my car audio book. Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. I'm nearly finished and should wrap it up in a couple of days. I won't be making many comments about it, since audio is not an ideal format for this book. This is a book which needs much more careful study and contemplation that an Iron House requires in order to have a good understanding. I would like to another reading later. From a print copy and over an extended period of time to allow for the checking of references. I saw on Amazon that there is also a study guide for this book that has been published. Does anyone know whether the study guide has any connection to the publication of Benedict's book, or is it a strictly independent work? In any event, the book makes use of a lot of biblical references, as well as other works, to interpret different events in the life of Jesus. Without being able to linger over the explanations I know I've lost a lot of the more subtle points he is making. But I like that he has explained a lot of WHY he chooses one explanation over another when settling on the interpretation that he believes to be true. Which is completely opposite to the way Jesus: a biography from a believer by Paul Johnson was written. (That was the book I attempted a couple of months ago and promptly ditched. Which, in turn, led to an interesting and very spirited discussion about worship styles, so it wasn't all bad.) So, that will be showing up as completed in a couple of days. I'm trying to continue pushing ahead on a couple of print books in progress, but I haven't even picked them up in two days, so that progress is very slow. Keeping my fingers crossed for a quiet day tomorrow that will allow for some serious reading. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday.

42lindapanzo
Jan 15, 2012, 12:14 pm

Sandy, I know that you like to read Kansas books (didn't you have this as a category in 999 or 10/10?). Anyway, I came upon a book about the 1966 Topeka, Kansas tornado and thought you might be interested.

And Hell Followed With It: Life and Death in a Kansas Tornado by Bonar Menninger.

Have a terrific Sunday. As a die-hard Packers fan, I will be on pins and needles today.

43sjmccreary
Jan 15, 2012, 1:02 pm

Linda, I'm very interested to find that book. My dad was a career National Guardsman. He was called out to the Topeka tornado and was away from home for what seemed to me to be a very long time. He came home with photos and newspaper clippings of the damage which I still remember being amazed at. Years later, my folks moved to Topeka and from certain vantage points, you could still see the path the tornado took through town.

I just noticed the author's name. I wonder if he is related to the Menningers who started the Menninger Clinic? I see that it is located in Houston now, but it was first established in Topeka, Ks and was located there for many years, and grew in prominence to become one of the national leaders in psychiatric medicine.

Thanks for the great lead! Good luck to your Packers today.

44billiejean
Jan 16, 2012, 12:57 pm

I finally got all caught up on your thread. I added Iron House to my wishlist. I have also been interested in reading Jesus of Nazareth, so I was glad to see your thoughts on that one. I haven't read anything by Pope Benedict XVI yet.

Belated Happy New Year, and thanks for all your helpful advice.

45lindapanzo
Modifié : Jan 16, 2012, 1:38 pm

#43 Hope you enjoy it, Sandy. He takes a neighborhood by neighborhood approach (the mound, Washburn U, downtown, and airport area) so this might be a bit more meaningful to you.

You raise an interesting point about the author. At one point, he mentioned that Menninger Clinic, calling it, I think, one of the nation's leading psychiatric hospitals. He also praised the doctor's there for helping out, even though they hadn't done any clinical work since med school and how their ability to stitch was rusty, too.

Interesting but his other book is about the JFK assassination. I've never read it but recall reading about his startling conclusion--that JFK was actually killed by a secret service agent who lost his balance and accidentally shot the back of JFK's head.

46mckait
Jan 16, 2012, 1:24 pm

I have read one or two by Hart and liked them...

47sjmccreary
Jan 16, 2012, 4:14 pm

#44 BJ, I've seen a list of Benedict's books, most of which were published before he became Pope, and some of them look pretty interesting. I just finished Jesus of Nazareth a few minutes ago and will be posting the few comments I'll be making later today. I definitely want to do a re-read sometime soon. I think the sequel focuses largely on Holy Week, and I'm contemplating reading that one during Lent.

#45 The Menninger Clinic had such a prominent presence in Topeka that any author writing about a tragedy in that town would have had to mention it. But it is such an unusual name, that I'd say he is almost certainly related to them. The clinic was started early in the 20th C (around 1920, maybe?) by a doctor whose sons followed him into the profession. This author would probably be a g-grandson, or even gg-grandson, of the old man.

I've never heard of that particular theory about JFK!

#46 Yeah, I'm thinking I'll need to read more of his books. Any particular recommendation?

48mckait
Modifié : Jan 16, 2012, 4:25 pm



The Last Child for sure...

49sjmccreary
Jan 16, 2012, 5:12 pm

#48 OK - that one goes on the wish list. Any others? Anyone?

50cbl_tn
Jan 16, 2012, 5:32 pm

I found Hart's Down River very hard to put down when I read it a couple of years ago.

51sjmccreary
Jan 16, 2012, 5:48 pm

#50 Ha! I was having trouble adding that to the wishlist, until I realized that it was already there!

52sjmccreary
Modifié : Jan 17, 2012, 11:20 pm

Book #4



Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration by Pope Benedict XVI

I've pretty much made all my comments about this book already. It was a great book - methodical, complete, serious, scholarly, yet accessible. It is detailed, with tons of references, both to biblical passages and to other works. I'm not Catholic, so I've never had any reason to pay much attention to what it is that popes actually DO. But it somehow surprised me that he is such a theologian - and a good writer, and teacher. I definitely want to do a detailed re-read of this book soon. And I'm thinking of doing the sequel, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week as a Lenten read. 4-1/2 stars.

53ronincats
Jan 17, 2012, 11:21 pm

I did my school psychology practicum in Topeka and spent time up at Menninger's-- quite an institution! I hadn't heard that they had moved.

54sjmccreary
Jan 17, 2012, 11:26 pm

#53 According to the Menninger's web site, they moved to Houston in 2003. I remember Mom talking about what a blow it was to Topeka. Who knows why they moved. Probably someone wanted to live there instead of here.

55lindapanzo
Jan 18, 2012, 11:39 am

#52 I have to add that to my list. The sequel, too.

56sjmccreary
Jan 21, 2012, 12:41 am

Book #5

The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith

I'm not posting a cover image for this one, since LT doesn't have any covers to choose from that are even close to the first edition cover on my library-bound book. Published in 1964, this is the story of 2 American men who first meet accidentally in Athens. Both are in Europe hiding from troubles in the US. Chester is a middle-aged businessman who has swindled dozens of investors by selling them shares in phony companies. Rydal is a young man who hates his father and has been spending the inheritance left to him by his grandmother on an extended tour of Europe. As the book opens, he has just refused to return to America to attend his father's funeral and his brother and sister are angry. When Chester arrives in Athens, Rydal takes special notice of him since Chester looks just like Rydal's father. Chester is suspicious of Rydal, thinking he might be an investigator sent to track him down and bring him home to answer for his crimes. The two men circle around each other. Never trusting the other, not even liking each other. But not able to forget the other, either, or leave him alone. I recognized a technique of Highsmith's from another book of hers that I read last year, Strangers on a Train. There really isn't much action in either book, but the tension comes from the internal dialogues of the two men. Both are suspicious, both feel guilty. Both spend time alone pondering their situation and options - and creating monsters that might not exist. A highly suspenseful story - 4 stars.

57PaulCranswick
Jan 21, 2012, 1:00 am

Sandy I haven't read this Highsmith but your very good review reminds me that I should do so. Have a good weekend.

58sjmccreary
Jan 21, 2012, 2:15 am

Book #6



Jaws by Peter Benchley

I was in high school when this movie came out, but I've never seen it. It was a huge blockbuster, so of course I knew the basic story and have seen trailers and clips from it, but have never watched the movie. So, when I read the book, I really didn't know what to expect. What a surprise it was to discover that Jaws is a great book!

The story, as probably everyone but me already knew, is about a small sea-side resort town on Long Island that is being terrorized by a huge, great white shark. After a woman is discovered dead of shark attack, the police chief wants to close the beaches but the editor of the local paper, the mayor, and the board of selectmen convince him that it would be in the town's best interest to keep the incident quiet - after all, it is the wealthy "summer people" who come out from the city that keeps the town afloat. But when there is another attack, on the busy 4th of July weekend, there is no way it can be kept hidden from the public. Chief Brody endures much as he wrestles with the townspeople, the board of selectmen, the mayor and his mysterious business partners, and his own conscience, in trying to decide the best course of action in dealing with the killer shark. Fast-paced and thrilling. I'm ready to see the movie now.

This book was published in 1974, I think. I was struck over and over again by the innocent remarks that were perfectly acceptable 40 years ago that seem incredibly racist now. Still, I give it 4 stars.

59billiejean
Jan 21, 2012, 2:20 am

Jaws is a terrific movie. I read the book many years ago, but I have seen the movie over and over.

60sjmccreary
Jan 21, 2012, 2:32 am

#59 BJ, I just found the movie on Netflix and added it to the queue. I really don't know how I managed to miss it completely all these years!

61tash99
Modifié : Jan 21, 2012, 2:34 am

I read Strangers on a Train last year as well and really enjoyed it. The Two Faces of January sounds like it's along similar lines, I'll have to look out for it

62sjmccreary
Jan 21, 2012, 2:57 am

#61 I hope you'll like it. I didn't realize at first how similar the books are - I like Two Faces better, I think. I found the constant fretting and worrying in Strangers a little tiresome, although I did like the book in the end.

63sjmccreary
Modifié : Jan 21, 2012, 9:56 am

Had to laugh - and share it with this group. I just saw this on the library's web site home page:

Are you up to the challenge?

Can you read 6 books in 12 months? We are challenging any adult, above the age of 18, to pick 6 books to read in 2012. You could win one of 5 eReaders and other assorted prizes.


What a strong reminder that this is such a special place. I know that the majority of people wandering around town probably would struggle to read 6 books in 12 months. Here, we have folks who routinely read 6 books in 12 days! I love LT!

64mldavis2
Jan 21, 2012, 10:37 am

Does that mean I have to start over on my 6 books?

65tloeffler
Jan 21, 2012, 12:02 pm

But what a great challenge for those who don't read as much! The first year I joined this group, I had to struggle to make 75 books. Last year I read 150. I've re-discovered how much I love to read, and I've given reading its proper place in my life now. How wonderful if 6 books in a year could encourage someone else to discover (or re-discover) reading!

66tututhefirst
Jan 21, 2012, 12:58 pm

Does that mean we all get e-readers? LOL What a great idea though for your library to do that. We routinely encourage children to read by offering enticements, why shouldn't we do the same for adults, many of whom would love to read again, but seem to need to have someone or something give them permission to indulge themselves.

67sjmccreary
Jan 21, 2012, 5:58 pm

#64 Yes, Mike, after you read 6 books you have to start over again!

#65 I agree, Terri, a very good idea! I hope the e-reader winners will be people who are newly discovering a love of reading (as opposed to someone like me who doesn't need any encouragement to read books).

#66 Wouldn't that be nice? Of course, most of us probably already have e-readers, at least those of us who want them. But you're right - incentives work for children, why wouldn't they work for adults, too? I thought another library, maybe Linda P's, also gave gift certificates or coupons or something to adults for using the library and reading books.

68brenpike
Jan 31, 2012, 6:55 pm

Sandy, Here you are . . . Got you starred! I'll go back and catch up later : )

69sjmccreary
Jan 31, 2012, 7:10 pm

Glad you found me, Brenda. I was just coming here to copy a link to give you.

70ronincats
Fév 1, 2012, 12:11 am

How is your bookcase organization going? I got my last bookcase put back together today, but still have to organize my books back onto it.

71sjmccreary
Fév 1, 2012, 12:29 am

Well, it's not so much a bookcase organization as a whole-house organization project. I've got a very long list of 30-minute jobs that, when completed, will have organized every shelf, drawer, closet and cupboard in the house. Yesterday I did the 2 shelves of the bookcase and today I admired the neat and tidy little space in the midst of the overcrowded remainder of the case! Your photos are fabulous - what a wonderful feeling of accomplishment you will have after everything gets moved back into its home.

72ronincats
Fév 1, 2012, 12:39 am

Well, you are right. Mine is actually part of a whole-house organization project as well. We are completely doing that front bedroom now--everything moved out except the shelves and heaviest furniture, redo the floors and clean the windows and walls and rug, and rearrange the furniture and clear out everything excess. Then on to the next room--although I think the shelves are going to be the most labor-intensive of the bunch.

73sjmccreary
Fév 1, 2012, 8:44 am

Wow, that is an ambitious project! We need to do much the same except, with both of us working, we quickly run out of steam or get distracted trying to do that kind of work just in the evenings and on weekends. We might get one room done here or there but never get very far. By the time we've done every room, the first one needs doing again!

74Donna828
Fév 1, 2012, 10:32 am

>63 sjmccreary:: Hi Sandy. That is funny about your libraries "challenge" but my High School webpage has that one beat. It was related to goals for the new year. They challenged alumni to read one book... and if that was proving too difficult, it was suggested to begin with a magazine! No wonder I don't keep in contact with any of those people. ;-)

>71 sjmccreary:: I'm glad you found those Narnia books in your organization project. That's a great idea to break it down into 30-minute segments. Hey, I could do that.

75FAMeulstee
Fév 1, 2012, 11:12 am

hi Sandy
I finally found my way to your thread too.

We just finished a downstairs re-doing project, that did not include the bookshelves, they are tidy enough ;-) But space is always the problem, before we moved to this place we did about 1,500 books away, as we have here less place as in our previous house, a little over 1,600 were left, but in six years we managed to get over 2,000 again... so space is becoming the problem again.

76mmignano11
Fév 1, 2012, 1:27 pm

Hi, it is my first time on your thread. Thanks for the well done reviews. I try to do mine in a readable fashion because I know that I always enjoy reading reviews even if I have read the book already. It often gives me a whole new insight.

77ronincats
Fév 1, 2012, 2:02 pm

Sandy, with both of us being retired now, that makes it a lot more feasible to do these major projects. As I mentioned on my thread, those unfinished bookshelves have been around since the late '80s waiting for me to get to them!

78sjmccreary
Fév 13, 2012, 5:42 pm

Book #7



The Darker Side by Cody McFadyen

One of my favorite serial killer series, it is far from perfect. Gripes: Everything fits just too neatly into the "theme" of the book which, in this case, is "everyone has secrets". Every single character in the story - good guys, bad guys, and victims - all have secrets that they wanted to keep but were forced, or felt compelled, to reveal. Also, this author has a tendency to first show us a bit of evidence and then immediately tell us again about it. Sometimes more than once.

But this series also has a cast of characters that are flawed, but who manage to be effective despite those defects. The killers she writes are totally despicable, and yet totally believable. The crimes she imagines are just the kind of thing we cringe at when we see them in the news.

This book begins with 2 victims that seem completely unrelated. One, the trans-gendered child of a US senator and presidential hopeful, raised in a loving and comfortable home, and currently "disowned" by the senator only as a PR stunt to protect his career. In reality, the family loves their new daughter and she has a prosperous career of her own. The other, a former prostitute and sex and drug addict, has no one and nothing. She turned her life around, after being beaten nearly to death by a john, with the help of a local priest. For several years she has been clean and has been active in the church. One lived in Virginia, the other in California. The only thing tying these killings together was the manner of death and the identical silver crosses inserted into the fatal wound by the killer, bearing sequential numbers - well over 100. The number of victims?

FBI Agent Smokey Barrett and her team begin doing what they do best - searching for evidence and trying to understand the killer's motives. And it helps that, despite being very intelligent in some ways, serial killers are still insane and can't help doing or saying things that end up leading the investigators directly to them. Definitely not for everyone, but as a fan of serial killer stories, I gave it 4 stars.

79sjmccreary
Fév 13, 2012, 5:44 pm

Book #8



Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Read in memory of JanetinLondon

My first time with this classic tale. Several of the characters I'd heard of: Pip, Miss Havisham, Estella; but I was totally unfamiliar with the story. I was encouraged to read it now as a result of the 12 in 12 group read, and by my husband who recently listened to the audio version and recommended it to me.

I haven't read a lot of Dickens, and I had an impression that all his books would be dark and depressing places, full of danger and poverty and dispair. This had some elements of that, but after finishing I realized that it is much more. It is a timeless story about a boy who hasn't learned yet that happiness comes more from within than from material wealth. I loved it. 4 stars.

80sjmccreary
Fév 13, 2012, 5:50 pm

Book #9



Introverts in the Church by Adam McHugh

I suspect that there may be a higher concentration on introverted people here on LT than there is in the general population. Several times I've witnessed discussions about how we introverts behave and feel differently about social situations than our extroverted friends. I saw this book being discussed on another thread (Calm's, I believe) and immediately requested it from the library and read it through. It is not a great book, and I didn't find it to be earth-shattering in any way. I've already read a few books which focus on the differences between introverted and extroverted personalities, so much of what he said was not new to me. It seemed to me that a lot of this book was the author trying to figure himself out, and there are lots of examples of his own ministry and how it was impacted by his introversion. He is not an old man and simply has not had so many different experiences - frankly, I got tired of hearing about each of his postings over and over. I would have liked it better if he'd included personal experiences of others as examples of his points in addition to his own.

But there were some chapters that I enjoyed very much. The chapter on introverted leadership has points and suggestions that can be used outside the church environment. Many effective leaders in business and government are/were introverted people who knew how to use their gifts and compensate for their weaknesses. The v. short version is "you can't be all things to all people". The chapter on introverted evangelism was another good one. I've always thought of Christian evangelists in the same vein as car salesmen. And I guess it must work to an extent - there are a lot of Christians around, and even more cars. However the thought of doing either of those things myself is abhorrent. But evangelism doesn't have to be like that for everyone, and shouldn't be like that for everyone. Not everyone will respond to such overt proselytizing. There is definitely a place for the quiet, lead-by-example style that introverted evangelists favor. But my favorite chapter was the last one, about introverts in church. Some of you may remember a spirited discussion here a couple of months ago about about different worship styles. This chapter explained to me why it is that I have such a strong preference of one style of worship versus another. "Contemplative" is the word he used over and over to describe many introverts and it resonates with me, too. Not that I'm the type to spend hours and hours in study and prayer - although some are. Still, the fact that I prefer a quiet, inward-looking, reflective worship experience may be a direct result of my overall introverted personality.

So, not a great book, but not a waste of time, either. I gave it 3 stars.

81gennyt
Fév 13, 2012, 6:39 pm

I'm with you in preferring the contemplative, and the introverted style of evangelism! I probably ought to read something like that chapter about introverted leadership and how to compensate/use gifts more effectively.

82ronincats
Fév 13, 2012, 6:42 pm

Not a great book, but it does sound interesting, Sandy.

83mldavis2
Fév 13, 2012, 7:51 pm

I have not read the recent spate of "introvert" books, but I would suggest, from my own observations, that introverts are those who are wise enough not to speak until they have something important to say and that they feel is a truth, not an opinion. Additionally, many choose not to break into a conversation by talking over those who hold the floor -- which can mean they seldom if ever say anything, never finding a lull in the conversation. Extroverts may make good salesmen, but they don't often make good scientists, and I find very few of my book reading friends who are extroverts, perhaps because of the need to quit talking in order to read. I hope I haven't offended anyone here ... :-)

84sjmccreary
Fév 13, 2012, 10:31 pm

Genny & Roni - if you have some interest, then I'd say the book is definitely worth the effort of finding it at the library. Pick and choose the chapters that appeal to you.

Mike, that is an excellent summary of the author's discussion on managing - communication in an organization needs to take these tendencies into account so that the valuable, and well thought-out, opinions of the introverted members of a group can actually be heard and considered. A personal anecdote to illustrate: I am on the board of a parent booster organization at our local high school. At our last meeting, there was a very animated discussion about a certain (minor) problem. The discussion was about how to handle the situation, not whether one existed. So back and forth, lightning fast, people shouting out comments and rebuttals. I kept waiting for a lull to make my own suggestion. Finally I blurted it out - just 2 words in between all the other ruckus. They all stopped and stared at me. What a great idea! (duh - like I would have spoken if there had been any doubt) They immediately grabbed it and ran, making plans to implement it, and the other good ideas, right away. That's another of his points. We introverts sometimes have to force ourselves to act extroverted in order to be effective. (or even heard, for that matter)

85calm
Fév 14, 2012, 5:06 am

Not my thread Sandy - though it does look like something that I might be interested in. After a bit of searching it was casvelyn who read and talked about Introverts in the Church.

86labwriter
Fév 14, 2012, 7:53 am

Just passing through to say "Hi!" Sandy and to say how much I enjoy the conversation on your thread.

87sjmccreary
Fév 14, 2012, 11:58 am

#85 Thanks for setting me straight. I was confused when I couldn't find it on your thread, but had no idea where else it might have been.

#86 Hi, Becky. Glad to see you here. Your thread is one of the first ones I read each morning - talk about interesting conversations!

88countrylife
Fév 14, 2012, 1:04 pm

>83 mldavis2:: well-said!

Nice reviews, Sandy!

89tymfos
Fév 15, 2012, 6:43 pm

Sandy, that last book sounds like it has useful elements.

The darker Side sounds good. I have the first in that series on the shelf, I think; should get to it.

Nice reviews!

90sjmccreary
Fév 20, 2012, 12:43 am

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the tutored reads that are being coordinated. A wonderful idea where a person with an expertise in a certain area is paired up with someone who wants to read a book that deals with that subject. I've been interested in reading Maps of Time for quite a while, but was prompted to actually purchase the book last year when AuntMarge64 read the book and praised it. Joycepa and I were planning to do a joint read this year, but those plans were called off when Joyce's RL plans change to include an international move this year. That's where the tutored read comes in. Samantha_kathy will be tutoring me while I work my way through Maps of Time. There is a dedicated thread for this here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/133035#. Please feel free to drop in from time to time to check up on me. I'm sure I will appreciate any encouragement. And Samantha probably will, too!

91sjmccreary
Fév 20, 2012, 1:03 am

Book #10



Nightwoods by Charles Frazier

I loved Frazier's Cold Mountain set in North Carolina during the civil war, and was looking forward to reading him again. This one also takes place in the North Carolina mountains, but in the 1960's this time.

"... the world would be a better place if every-damned-body didn't feel some deep need to reproduce." (pg 4)

Luce lives alone as caretaker in an old wilderness lodge as a way of escaping her life in town. That quiet existence is shattered when she accepts custody of her sister's 2 young children. The sister was murdered by her husband and the children are not quite right as a result. At about the same time, the owner of the lodge dies and leaves the property to his grandson, who decides to make a visit to examine his inheritance. And then her brother-in-law comes searching for her and the children, in hopes that they will have a stash of money that Luce's sister had hidden from him before she died.

The language is wonderful. The writing reminds me of Daniel Woodrell's books - both feature people trying to survive in a culture that is oppressive and poverty stricken, where there are no hand-outs or hands up, where - if a person wants to succeed - they have only themself to rely on, where troubles are so plentiful that no one cares about them, but where neighbors stick together and help when they can. 4-1/2 stars.

92brenpike
Fév 20, 2012, 7:26 am

Hi Sandy. Your tutored read of Maps of Time is one I will be following. The book sounds fascinating . . .

Glad you enjoyed Nightwoods. I agree that Frazier's writing is similar to Woodrell. Maybe a little easier to read because it's not quite as gritty as Woodrell tends to be.

93Donna828
Fév 20, 2012, 7:42 pm

>90 sjmccreary:: Sandy, I am impressed with what I read so far in your tutored read. Who needs a college class when they can have a private tutor on LT? I had followed along with Madeline (squeakychu) and Liz (Lyzard) on a Jane Austen read and thought it was pretty cool. The one you and Samantha are doing will be downright educational. Enjoy... and I'll be peeking over your shoulder. ;-)

Nice review on Nightwoods. I'm really glad you liked it. He took a leap of faith setting his latest book in a more contemporary time. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

94ChelleBearss
Fév 21, 2012, 4:25 pm

Hello! Good review of Nightwoods! Another one to add to my list!

95cyderry
Fév 27, 2012, 5:43 pm

So swamped with all kinds of things outside of reading, but wanted to stop in and say hi!

96sjmccreary
Mar 29, 2012, 10:19 pm

I've really neglected this thread, haven't I?

The tutored read is going very slowly (I'm just finishing chapter 2), but I am enjoying it very much and learning so many new things. Please feel free to stop by sometime. Bring snacks - any kind of brain food will be appreciated!

I have been reading other books, too, along with Maps of Time. I'll post them here with abbreviated comments just to get caught up.

97sjmccreary
Mar 29, 2012, 10:27 pm

Book #11



The Sisters of Sinai by Janet Soskice

A fascinating non-fiction about middle-aged sisters who leave their affluent English home in the late 19th century to travel to Egypt and the middle east in search of ancient New Testament texts. Recommended. 4 stars

Book #12



The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

An absolutely delightful little book which tells the story of what happened when the Queen of England stumbled upon a bookmobile and checked something out just to be polite. Highly recommended. 4-1/2 stars

98sjmccreary
Mar 29, 2012, 10:37 pm

Book #13



Jericho's Fall by Stephen L Carter

Tedious story about the former Director of CIA who is dying and unleashes a flurry of activity among all the people whose secrets he knows by threatening to reveal those secrets after his death. Meh. 2-1/2 stars.

Book #14



February by Lisa Moore

Wonderful story of a woman who was widowed in 1982 when her husband died in a (real life) oil rig collapse off the coast of Newfoundland. Never forgetting him, always loving him, she still managed to raise her children and make a life for herself. 4 stars.

99sjmccreary
Mar 29, 2012, 10:45 pm

Book #15



The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri

Definitely my least-favorite of this series so far. Not recommended except as part of an otherwise good series. 3-1/2 stars.

Book #16



The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

YA novel about a boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation who decides that the only way to get ahead is to live in the white world, so he transfers to a high school in town. This is the story of him trying to live half in one place and half in the other. Not being completed accepted in either one. Excellent - recommended. 4 stars.

100sjmccreary
Mar 29, 2012, 10:56 pm

Book #17



And Hell Followed With It by Bonar Menninger

I loved this nonfiction book about the huge tornado that hit Topeka, Ks in June 1966. I don't normally read disaster books, but I do like Kansas books. I'm a native Kansas girl, and I am fascinated by tornadoes. I have a personal connection to this story - my dad was one of the National Guardsmen call out to assist in the aftermath. A dozen years later, my parents moved to Topeka and Dad pointed out the still-visible path the storm took through the center of town. 5 stars.

Book #18



Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

A battered woman ignores all advice to leave her abusive husband until a gypsy fortune teller at the airport tells her that if she doesn't leave him that he will kill her. She believes the woman to be the mother who left her as a child in order to escape her own abusive husband. Not bad, but not as good as it could have been - 3-1/2 stars.

101sjmccreary
Modifié : Mar 31, 2012, 1:10 am

Book #19



Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indridason

A wonderful conspiracy-mystery-thriller set in Iceland. The American military mounts a covert recovery operation when a Nazi plane which crashed on a remote glacier before the end of WWII is located fifty years later. This is one of my favorite authors, and I loved this book. 4 stars.

Book #20



The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry

One of the Cotton Malone series. This one is focused on Alexander the Great and his legacy for the Asian territory he conquered. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for this, but I was pretty ready for it be over by the time I finally got to the end. 3 stars.

102sjmccreary
Mar 30, 2012, 12:55 am

Book #21



Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Interesting and informative but not earth-shattering unless you've never read anything before about introverted vs. extroverted personalities. Still, it was thorough and included a lot of nice details about some of the research that has been done. 4 stars.

------------------------------------------------

Well, that's all for now. I've got a couple more that I hope to be finishing up in the next day or two. I'll try to keep up a little better from here on out!

103Donna828
Mar 30, 2012, 12:58 pm

Sandy, unlike many of us who post a lot and read a little, you have been busy with the books. I like your brief but informative reviews. I am trying to do the same but I still tend to get a bit wordy.

104DeltaQueen50
Mar 30, 2012, 8:01 pm

Hi Sandy, I bet it feels good to be all caught up! You have been reading up a storm, and, Operation Napoleon is headed right for my wishlist.

105tymfos
Avr 3, 2012, 8:46 pm

Hi, Sandy! You've done some great reading lately! I may read that tornado book . . . and I've put February on my list, too.

106tloeffler
Avr 3, 2012, 9:23 pm

I was feeling terrible about not having read your thread in a long time, until I realized that YOU weren't even here for a month! So I feel less terrible about that, but do feel a little bad about being an extrovert. I do think there's a place for us in the world, though. Otherwise, it would just be too quiet. I'm probably one of the worst of the bunch--I took the Myers-Briggs for a class last month, and on extroversion, I had every single one of them. Fortunately, I'm also very self-absorbed, so I don't feel too bad about it.

Anyway, hope to chat with you about Woe to Live On Monday!

107sjmccreary
Avr 20, 2012, 11:17 am

Well, I've managed to neglect this thread again, just after promising that I wouldn't do it again!

#103 Donna, I think you should consider yourself fortunate - I haven't been posting much here which means that I've been off annoying someone else!

#104 Well, it DID feel good to be caught up! Hope you like ON.

#105 Hi, Terri - you'll like the tornado book if you like disaster stories. And I think you'll also enjoy February.

#106 Terri - you made me laugh right out loud! You're right, the world would be entirely too quiet without you in it!

108sjmccreary
Avr 20, 2012, 11:20 am

Book #22



Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J Sandel

A look at the concepts of justice, fairness, and freedom. He does this by examining different philosophical schools of thought (e.g., Aristotelian, Kantian, etc) and then applying those to different hypothetical situations. Some of the particular examples I can recall:

Is it right when a low income white woman is denied access to a prestigious law school in favor of a middle class back man with lower test scores, as a result of affirmative action? Part of the arguments here dealt with the idea that the low income woman might actually be at a greater disadvantage than the middle class man, that in present society income might be a more decisive factor than race when it comes to discrimination and lack of opportunity. Offsetting this is another argument that no one has a "right" to be admitted to law school, and as long as the school makes its admissions decisions in accordance with its stated mission, then accepting lower performing students in favor of better ones who lack another desired trait is perfectly acceptable.

Is it right, or even possible, for "us" - our current government and society - to apologize to a specific group of people for the wrongs done them by previous generations? The arguments addressed the nature of apology - that it is an admission of personal guilt or wrongdoing. No one alive now owned slaves, so is it meaningful for modern whites to apologize to the descendants of slaves for the wrongs done their ancestors? On the other hand, the concept of patriotism was also examined which implies that we as individuals incur some measure of responsibility for (and the right to feel pride at) the actions of our countrymen, even when we are not personally involved.

Which is fairer - the current "volunteer" military, or the conscripted service of the draft system? Does it matter that high income individuals stay out of the military in droves when given a choice? Shouldn't the rich also take their turn? But isn't conscription just another form of involuntary servitude?

There are many other difficult issues that are examined in terms of what is fair, or right, or moral. Some of them were easy to follow, but others I found convoluted and confusing. Plus, there were no clear conclusions drawn at the end that I could base an opinion about his arguments on. In fact, for several days, I wasn't sure even what the book had really been about. Obviously, someone with more knowledge of, or interest in, these kind of conundrums would have enjoyed the book more thoroughly than I did. As it was, I gave it a neutral 3 stars.

109sjmccreary
Avr 20, 2012, 11:23 am

Book #23



Time and Again by Jack Finney

This was a great book - the kind I barely put down once I'd started it. Si was selected to participate in a secret government program to send people back to the past. He requests NYC in 1882, with the intent of investigating an old family mystery of his girlfriend's, and so it is arranged. Like the time travel depicted in the movie "Somewhere in Time", the theory in this book is that time is like thread wound around the spool of a place. If you are in a certain place, it is only a matter of jumping to another thread to arrive at a different time. So, the important thing is to choose places that exist both in the present, and in the targeted past. The rest depends on the mental powers of the traveler to make the jump.

As expected, there were lots of descriptions of 19th century New York, and comparisons to the present (well, to 1970, when the book was published). I loved that part - and suspect I would have liked it even better if I were familiar with the place. Another aspect that I especially liked was Si's initial impression that 19th century New Yorkers were somehow more alive, more vibrant, more optimistic than their 20th century counterparts. He was so seduced by the charm and elegance of the earlier period that he couldn't see the problems in that society. On the other hand, he was so aware of the problems in his own time, that he failed to notice the joy and pleasure in the lives of his contemporaries. He explained it by saying (paraphrasing here) that when you're on vacation, the faces of the people you meet are just part of the view - and isn't it beautiful? It's only after you spend time living somewhere (or sometime, in this case) that you begin to see that those people have real lives and real worries and concerns. At that point, it becomes difficult to see any of the original beauty at all.

I love good time travel stories, and was so wrapped up in that part of the story that I found the mystery to be a little confusing. Still, it was all figured out in the end. I loved this book. 4-1/2 stars

110alcottacre
Avr 20, 2012, 8:47 pm

*waving* at Sandy

111tloeffler
Avr 20, 2012, 8:51 pm

Oooh, I'll have to put Time and Again on my list! It sounds right up my alley.

And I left you a voice mail message.....maybe I'll see you Sunday???

112sjmccreary
Avr 20, 2012, 10:19 pm

#110 Hi, Stasia! Great to see you again!

#111 Haven't checked my messages yet - you'll be around? Yay! I'll give you a call tomorrow.

113tututhefirst
Avr 22, 2012, 2:55 pm

Nice to see you Sandy....I haven't been posting much myself....kinda doing drive-by lurkings..

114sjmccreary
Avr 22, 2012, 8:47 pm

drive-by lurkings -- Tina, you have such a way with words! That's exactly what I've been doing, too.

115mldavis2
Avr 22, 2012, 9:33 pm

#108 sjmccreary > I found Sandel a fine example of non-judgemental philosophy. I have recorded his series of Justice: What's the Right Thing To Do and use it as an instructional series on open minded situational ethics. While I'm not a philosophy major, I am intrigued by any factual presentation that forces me out of my comfort zone to consider that I may not have all the answers and that most deeply rooted ideology is potentially flawed and/or inapplicable to each and every situation. It forces me to abandon labels such as "conservative" or "liberal" and to realize that there can be many answers, not all of which are right or wrong -- in fact there may be no right or wrong answer, which is what makes us uncomfortable. If you're interested in digging a bit deeper, you can view a 12 part lecture series he gives at Harvard University on the web site www.justiceharvard.org

116sjmccreary
Avr 22, 2012, 10:08 pm

Mike, those 12 lectures look like the same as the chapters in the book - have you read it? I'm not sure if a different format would have made the material more meaningful for me. I struggled with understanding some of the nuances of his arguments. I've never taken even a single philosophy course, so this was my first exposure to a lot of these concepts. I mostly liked the parts I understood - even if I didn't agree with them!

117mldavis2
Avr 23, 2012, 8:06 am

116 sjmccreary > No, I don't have the book. I thought the lectures were good because of the audience (lecture hall) participation which pushed students to take a stand and then try to support their views. Sandel doesn't take a stand, which is why I like him. So often books are one-sided or written to make a point. Sandel simply puts information out there and lets it simmer in its historical context. This is the essence of great education -- simply presenting the facts or scenario and forcing students to think through the possibilities rather than giving them the answers. In other words, teaching them how to think rather than what to think.

No, I am a chemist, but I went to a great small liberal arts school (wow, has the word 'liberal' been hijacked out of context these days) as an undergraduate and took several courses in religion and philosophy from the great Quaker theologian and philosopher Dr. D. Elton Trueblood. He was a master of Socratic dialog and it was fascinating watching him humiliate students by letting them destroy themselves with their own logic. That sounds cruel, but he was a jovial old elf with an immense presence of latent power (sort of like Yoda) and it was all done in an enlightened atmosphere that ultimately never really offended anyone. The reason Sandel makes us uncomfortable is that he offers no answers, just questions with which to wrestle.

118Eat_Read_Knit
Avr 24, 2012, 10:59 am

Hi Sandy. *waves hello, catches up*

119sjmccreary
Avr 26, 2012, 3:41 pm

Book #24



Running Scared by Lisa Jackson

Despite the cover - which has no basis whatsoever in the story, and which alarmed my son who insisted that "I thought you didn't like horror stories" (he was skeptical when I told him that it was a romantic suspense not horror, that bad things would be happening but that the guy who would be helping her would be single and handsome) - this was actually a pretty good book.

Kate was still recovering from the sudden deaths of her husband and infant daughter when her sleazy-attorney boss offered her an opportunity: Adopt this new-born baby boy, and take him far away from here and never return. The parents, he told her, were the unmarried daughter of a prominent Boston family and a convicted killer who was already in prison. The girl's family just wanted the "problem" to go away and never bother them again.

So she took the baby, left Boston, and settled in a small town in rural Oregon. Fifteen years later, the baby's grandfather changed his mind. He is dying and has no male heirs - his only son having been killed even before the baby had been born. Now he wants his grandson to come back to the family and take his rightful place. He hires a private investigator to find the boy and return him to Boston. However, his daughter - the boy's mother - has her own reasons for not wanting her son to be found. She contacts the father, a man whose identity she has kept secret, and begs him to find their son and keep him hidden from her father.

Kate and her son, John, have been struggling in Oregon. John is not well-liked at school and is a frequent target of a notorious bully. John has a kind of second sight, which allows him to see into the minds of people he touches, and into his own future in his dreams. Lately, he has been dreaming about a bad man coming to get him and take him away. So when a strange man moves into the house next door, Kate is skeptical of his intentions - despite her growing attraction to him.

Yes, it's somewhat predictable, and the second sight thing is convenient, but I still found it to be a highly entertaining story. 4 stars.

120sjmccreary
Avr 26, 2012, 3:42 pm

Book #25



Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon

In the after-word, the author reveals that his working title for the book was "Jews With Swords". This is the story of 2 Jewish men, one a Frank, the other an Abyssinian, who are traveling in 10th century Central Asia. They come upon a young prince whose family has been killed and agree to transport him to his grandfather. Much adventure and intrigue. A short novel, which would make a great movie, I think. 3-1/2 stars.

121sjmccreary
Avr 26, 2012, 3:44 pm

Book #26



Woe to Live On by Daniel Woodrell

"I watched the road and blew on my hands and stamped my feet and damn near froze, but no bad luck gained on us. It was as pleasant a night as I'd had in a while." (pg 101)

I've heard that, during the civil war, there were more battles in Missouri than any other state. But probably most people can't name even a single one. That is because much of the fighting in Missouri was in the form of guerrilla skirmishes. This book follows one such group. They call themselves the "First Kansas Irregulars" and are a rag-tag band of boys and thieves and a slave named Holt. They spend the war hunting down, and killing, Jayhawkers from Kansas and Federals. And any unfortunate union-sympathizers who cross their path.

The scene is gritty, the action is violent, the language is perfect. The climactic scene is the (real-life) burning of Lawrence, Kansas, in a raid led by William Quantrill. The carnage was amazing - homes burned, people slaughtered. But the results of Northern raids into Missouri were no less awful. As jfetting said in the discussion of the book in the Missouri Readers Group, "there were no "good guys" in this conflict".

Daniel Woodrell (a native Missourian) is one of our favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. His topics are always grim and his settings are oppressive, but his writing is fabulous. We always joke about enjoying his books, because, really, there is nothing enjoyable about them. Except the writing. Highly recommended. 4-1/2 stars.

122ronincats
Avr 26, 2012, 4:38 pm

I simply have to read the Chabon book soon--it's been in my tbr pile for a couple of years.

And the Woodrell sounds interesting--the history between our two states is not pleasant, is it? (Of course, now Mizzou has taken themselves out of the competition...)

123sjmccreary
Avr 26, 2012, 5:00 pm

#122 No, it seems that battle has been brewing for a very long time. Of course, I still consider myself a Kansan, so we are on the same side. (Except when it comes to KU. Sorry.) You should absolutely read the Woodrell - if you can find it. This is the novel that was made into the movie called "Ride With the Devil" - directed by Ang Lee and filmed in the KC area (where the story in the book takes place).

124tloeffler
Avr 26, 2012, 8:35 pm

The man who wrote Friend and Foe Alike: A Tour Guide to Missouri's Civil War said in his talk that only Virginia & Tennessee had more Civil War battles than Missouri. And some of the battles in Missouri were even before Fort Sumter. Very interesting dynamics here...

125sjmccreary
Avr 26, 2012, 9:44 pm

I'm glad you mentioned the name of that book. I want to see if I can find it.

126Donna828
Avr 26, 2012, 10:13 pm

That was a wonderful review of Woe To Live On, Sandy. If I hadn't already read the book, your review would have made me find it by hook or by crook. I think ir's being rereleased this summer so it should become more readily available.

127tututhefirst
Avr 27, 2012, 3:43 pm

Running Scared just landed on the TBR pile, mostly thanks to your great review. SIGH.

128DeltaQueen50
Avr 27, 2012, 9:57 pm

I agree with Donna, Sandy. If I hadn't already added Woe to Live On when I read Donna's review, it certainly would have been added due to yours!

129cyderry
Avr 28, 2012, 9:09 am

I'm with Tina, Running Scared sounds very interesting, going to have to see if I can find it at the library.

130sjmccreary
Avr 28, 2012, 11:52 am

Tina & Cheli - hope you can find that book, I realized too late that I've got the wrong touchstone. (Should be Running Scared) Evidently, it was also published under the title "Wishes", so maybe you can find it by that name.

Donna & Judy - *blushes* - gee, thanks. A re-release is good news - will it be under the title Woe to Live on, or will they change it to "Ride With the Devil" to tie it to the movie?

131sjmccreary
Mai 7, 2012, 3:23 pm

Book #27



World and Town by Gish Jen

"Those who live..." (last page)

The icing on the cake of a lovely day last week when I drove to Springfield and met Donna for lunch, and had the opportunity to see her beautiful home and meet Lucky (probably the sweetest dog in the world, says the cat person) was that I finished this audio book on the drive back home.

I'd been listening to this one in the car for over a week, and didn't always like it. I couldn't figure out just what it was about. Hattie is an elderly Chinese-American woman who is still recovering from the losses of her husband and her best friend, both to cancer. She moved back to the small New England town, where she'd spent much of her youth after immigrating to the US from China, in order to live more affordably. Hattie was the daughter of an American missionary mother and Chinese father, who was a direct descendant of Confucius, and was sent by them to the US at the start of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. She never saw her parents again.

In the book, we meet many of the townspeople. Hattie's friends, the members of her walking group and her yoga class. The man from her past who moves back to town - a son of the family Hattie lived with while growing up, on whom she had always had a "crush". The estranged husband of one of the women in Hattie's groups. He was kicked out of the house by his wife after she had joined a fundamentalist Christian church and been "born again". She claimed that Jesus told her to divorce her husband because he refused to also accept her new beliefs. And the family of Cambodian refugee immigrants who moved in next door. Hattie becomes especially close to the 15-year old daughter of the family, and is very distressed when the girl becomes involved in the same church as the man's wife. And Hattie is devastated when her old dog dies.

We are also witness to many of the events of the community - the approval of the construction of a cell tower in town, despite widespread opposition. The threat of a Wal-Mart type store moving in. The terrorist attacks of 9/11. A rash of burglaries that might involve the son of the Cambodian family.

And so it rambles. It wasn't until the final paragraph of the book - and the quote above - that I finally realized what the story was about (for me, at least). Everyone has experienced losses. Whether it be the death of a loved one, or the loss of a home - or even a country to live in. The loss of a beloved pet or the end of a marriage. The loss of a job or of innocence or of peace of mind. Some people do not get past their losses, some do not even survive them. But for "those who live", the future is still a bright place.

132sjmccreary
Mai 7, 2012, 3:27 pm

Book #28



Kim by Rudyard Kipling

This is the first Kipling I've read since the illustrated set of Just-So Stories that my grandmother had when I was little. Set in colonial India, Kimball O'Hara is the orphaned son of poor Irish parents who grew up "native". He wears an amulet around his neck containing papers given him by his father with the instruction that he was never to part from them. He also was given a quest by his father before he died - find the red bull in a green field. One day, he meets a lama - a Buddhist holy man - on a quest for the "River of the Arrow" which will be his path to eternal happiness. Kim travels with the lama, and is taken on by the old man as his disciple. Until, one day, Kim stumbles upon a regiment of British soldiers, whose regimental flag is a red bull on a green field - his father's regiment. The papers in his amulet identify him as his father's son, and he is taken into the custody of the colonel. From then on, Kim feels pulled in two directions - towards the English who want to train him to work for them, and towards the holy lama, whom he has come to love, who wants to teach Kim the way of Enlightenment and use him as a guide to search for the River of the Arrow.

It really is a wonderful story on the whole. But page-by-page, I often struggled to follow the intrigues and other developments. The language is antique and it was often hard to decipher. 3-1/2 stars, but that might be a little harsh.

133sjmccreary
Mai 7, 2012, 3:28 pm

Book #29



Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

"What could possibly be causing this undeniable antagonism between Samantha and her fiance's future stepfather's first wife's sister?" (pg 54)

Meg Langslow has gone back home for the summer to plan weddings for her best friend, her brother's fiance, and her mother, and to act as maid of honor for each bride. What a fun, crazy, farce of a story! Three demanding brides, murder, mayhem, peacocks, Gone-With-the-Wind hoop skirts, velvet gowns in July, crazy relatives, unwanted attention from undesirable men, and a hunky dressmaker - too bad he's gay (right?). I don't normally read cozy mysteries, but this one was wonderful. 4 stars.

134sjmccreary
Mai 7, 2012, 3:30 pm

Book #30



We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Creepy and suspenseful, this short book tells the story of Mary and her sister Constance who live in the family's old house together with their disabled uncle. They are the remnant, and only survivors, of a wealthy family who was poisoned several years earlier - 5 people being killed in a single day by arsenic in the sugar. Constance was acquitted for murder. Uncle Julian is incapacitated as a result of the poisoning and obsessed with the events of the fateful day. Mary, the narrator, is the one who leaves the grounds and goes into town twice a week for groceries, supplies, and library books. While there, she endures the stares, whispers, and rude comments of the townsfolk who are fascinated by the family and their gruesome past. Despite normally being quite dense and slow, I saw through this one from the very beginning - which took the edge off the suspense for me. Still, very good -- recommended.

135mldavis2
Mai 7, 2012, 6:18 pm

I'm not normally a mystery reader, but I fell off the wagon during the weekend in KC when I visited the "I Love A Mystery" bookstore (highly recommended if that's your love). I love Doyle and have read all of his mystery works, so I picked up two books by Laurie King, one by Richard Boyer, one by Sarah Waters and one Agatha Christie. Now I'm back on the wagon.

136Donna828
Mai 7, 2012, 9:28 pm

Hi Sandy! I admire people who can write more than one review at a time....although it is hard on my WL. I'll be reading Kim sometime this year. Hmmm, I may have said the same thing last year! I'm kind of an antique so I don't expect to have any problem with the language!

130: I'm pretty sure the rerelease of Woe to Live On will have the same title. I hope they don't do a movie tie-in cover. I dislike those for some reason.

137sjmccreary
Mai 7, 2012, 10:22 pm

#135 Mike, I've heard of that store, and am even on their e-mail list, but I have never actually been there. I do love mysteries, but not exclusively. Maybe we can squeeze in a visit there during the June meet-up?

#136 Donna, I would NEVER call you an antique - you're not that much older than I am, after all! ;-) Whenever you get around to it, I'm sure that you will enjoy Kim.

I finally got started on The Outlaw Album today, and on the dust jacket it lists his other books - including Woe to Live On, re-released as Ride With the Devil. But I have to agree with you - I dislike movie tie-ins. I don't like seeing actors' faces on the cover of a real novel - they belong only on magazines.

138ronincats
Mai 8, 2012, 12:24 am

Sandy, you gave a beautiful summary of Kim. I have always loved it, the richness of the cultures of India and Kipling's obvious love of them. And the characters are so wonderful. My ideal of cursing was definitively set by this book. Thanks to the widow, I early came to think that using scatological curse words was taking the stupid and unimaginative way out--true cursing was much more inventive and original!

139mldavis2
Mai 8, 2012, 6:57 am

#135 > Can't remember if I have a June date etched into my calender or not - seem to remember I did. Anyway, it would be a good diversion. The store is about the size of a regular independent book store but they have very little other than mystery, suspense and such with a huge stock. My KC friend told me that it has changed hands twice in the past few years, so I hope they can survive in this economy and with the onslaught of eBooks. They are very active with mystery and discussion groups and had an author there when I stopped by last Saturday, so they are looking good. I just hope they continue to thrive - or so it seemed.

140jnwelch
Mai 8, 2012, 8:08 am

We saw a play adaptation of We Always Lived in the Castle in Chicago, Sandy, that was very well done. I had read it, and therefore knew how the story worked out, but like your reading experience, it still was awfully good.

141cyderry
Mai 8, 2012, 9:23 am


142tututhefirst
Modifié : Mai 8, 2012, 5:42 pm

Sandy....I have World and Town on my list, and really appreciate your honest appraisal. Lately there have been several books that took some effort to get through, but in the end, I had those "AHA" moments and feel like I did accomplish something positive.

And Murder with peacocks was just so dang LOL funny that I get a huge smile on my face just thinking about it. Would Meg Langslow make a great TV series? - so much more fun than the "reality" crap that's filling the airwaves today.

I think after reading my latest WWI book To End All Wars and seeing how pro-war Rudyard Kipling was, and how he used every political string he had to get a waiver for his only son (and only child) to serve--the son was almost blind and really had expressed no over-riding interest in going into the army, but Kipling got him in, and the son was subsequently killed on one of the thousands of unnecessary blood baths generated by that obscene and immoral conflict, that I will NEVER EVER read anything written by the elder Kipling again. other than that, I don't feel strongly about him.

143sjmccreary
Mai 10, 2012, 12:03 am

#139 They were actually scheduled to close last year, I think it was, and were in the middle of a huge inventory liquidation sale in preparation to go out of business when some kind of reprieve was received - not sure just what happened. But they seem to be going strong (so far as I can tell from the e-mail newsletters I get from them periodically) and they often have author visits scheduled.

#140 Joe, that would be a great play to see! I will be on the look-out for one our our local theater companies to put it on and order tickets without hesitation if they ever do!

#141 Hi! to you, too!

#142 Tina, I was always terrible at discerning the meaning of anything we were assigned to read at school, so I have absolutely no confidence that what I've written is anything close to right. Still, I was happy with my interpretation of the book. Especially since it is really not the sort of thing I read very often, or enjoy when I do. I'll be interested in your opinion of it.

That is interesting about Rudyard Kipling - it must have been a terrible situation if you reacted so strongly as to refuse to even read anything he's written as a result. I hope I will choose just the right time for reading To End All Wars. I don't know if you ever travel to this part of the country, but we have a wonderful WWI museum here in Kansas City. One of the few (maybe the only?) in the entire nation. I'm sure I will take advantage of my proximity and make multiple visits during and after reading any serious WWI book.

144sjmccreary
Mai 10, 2012, 12:06 am

Book #31



The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell

"Patience is the quality most lacking in people of my group, and impulses must be recognized and arrested and considered before taking action, or else the flicker of a bad idea unchallenged can instantly make you swing a sharp instrument of hurt into the area of someone you had ought to love but can't for a second." (pg 156)

This is a book of short stories by the author of last month's Woe to Live On (post #121 above) and the popular Winter's Bone.

It's best not to read these too quickly, or when you're having a bad day. Unlike his full-length novels, there are no reprieves of hopefulness punctuating these short, brutal stories. The setting is absolutely the Ozarks region straddling the Missouri-Arkansas state line. The scenery, the mindset, the dialect - these descriptions are what Woodrell does best.

The outlawry in these different stories is so varied, that it became a little game for me to guess who the "outlaw" was in each story and what that person had done before it was revealed. I can't remember the last time I read a volume of short stories, so I really don't know how to rate this book. The writing is excellent, as usual, but I really prefer the novels more - there is just so little time to develop anything in a short story. So, 3-1/2 stars.

145tututhefirst
Mai 10, 2012, 12:16 am

Sandy, thanks for letting me know about the World War I museum in KC. I'd not been aware of it, but will definitely put it on the bucket list when next we head in that direction. If the price of gas were more manageable, we'd love to rent an RV and take off on a year long roll across the country to see all the unusual and interesting sights we've missed in the past. So maybe someday you'll be hearing from me.

146mldavis2
Mai 10, 2012, 6:42 am

I enjoyed the WWI museum in KC. It is trying to become the official national WWI museum but I don't know how that effort is coming. The docents there were most interesting. Sadly, there are few if any WWI vets left and this horrible scar is being forgotten. It is well worth a trip and much of the day.

The "I Love A Mystery" bookstore is like so many other independent stores, struggling amidst the huge eBook onslaught. Yes, I use a Kindle and it has its place, but my choice is still a real paper book for some reason. I love having classics available for free and I love taking hundreds of books on vacation in the palm of my hand. Nevertheless, I can't loan or borrow books as freely or easily which I think is an essential part of sharing (other than online, of course). I bought three books from the store that I didn't need but wanted to help support them. There were perhaps 15 people there on a Saturday morning and one author which was perhaps the catalyst for that crowd. I didn't stay. They are hosting discussion groups and have an impressive stock of mystery-related books and some rare early editions on display.

I finished Christie's Murder on the Orient Express last night and gave it 5 stars. It is a classic, and I admit with great embarrassment, the first book by Christie I've read. It won't be the last.

147sjmccreary
Mai 10, 2012, 10:46 am

#145 Tina, I look forward to hearing from you anytime. The RV tour of the country sounds like a wonderful idea - one I've often dreamed of doing as well.

#146 Mike, with equal embarrassment, I read my first ever Agatha Christie book not long ago. It won't be my last, either. My grandmother was a big Christie fan - I wonder if my mom is the one who kept all her books when she died? (Grandma's books, I mean, when Grandma died)

148sjmccreary
Juin 11, 2012, 10:15 pm

Book #32



Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

I wrestled with my reactions to this book. It was fast, easy reading about a young man who left a fundamentalist Christian church "home" to work with Christian students on a traditionally anti-religious college campus (don't recall the name of the school - someplace in Oregon, I think). Then he lived in the woods with a group of hippies for several weeks before returning to an organized church camp run by fundamentalists. Rather than feeling like he was back home, he bristled at the (to him) unnecessary rules and restrictions imposed there.

At first I questioned the benefit in listening to anything this young man had to say when he obviously enjoyed better the religious community that permitted him to drink, smoke and have recreational sex. I thought him shallow and uncommitted to anything meaningful. I haven't totally changed my mind about that. However, he did raise some good points. When he arrived at the organized church camp near the end of the book, I think he realized that smoking pot would not be tolerated. But he was surprised to learn that neither was his long hair and shabby clothes. Only after cutting his hair, shaving, and changing clothes was he accepted by the rest of the camp staff. And why should that be? He was still the same man inside, after all.

And that is my primary take-away point from the book. God is more concerned with the person we are inside, not our outside appearances. This is exactly the same lesson I taught my kids when they were 10. But I still think this author is young and immature, so this is evidently the lesson he is still learning. But it is an important lesson and bears repeating. Does God really care which church we worship in, or what songs we sing? Probably not. Probably He cares more about how we live, how we treat others around us, and how we represent Him to unbelievers (both in words and deeds). (A more in-depth consideration of theology doesn't have a place in this book.) I understand a movie has been made from this book, which might be interesting to watch. Even though I wasn't blown away by this book as many others have been, I still found it to be thought-provoking and worthwhile.

149sjmccreary
Juin 11, 2012, 10:16 pm

Book #33



Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome

A light-hearted and comical look at human nature when 3 young men decide to row up the Thames to escape the drudgery of everyday life. Many of the observations are still spot-on, despite being made more than a century ago.

Fun. 4 stars.

150sjmccreary
Modifié : Juin 11, 2012, 10:23 pm

Book #34



The March by E L Doctorow

"The old planter sat with his arms resting on the arms of his chair, and from under this thick white eyebrows he was making them over into a rabble, a thieving pack of highwaymen. Pryce recognized the old man. The accent might be different, the manners unrefined, but this was a lord of the realm, one of those bred from generations of wealth, to be accorded deference from the day he was born. Pryce's father was such a one. Pryce had made himself a journalist and fled London so as not to become such a one. How many of them did not know how stupid they were beneath the manners of their class." (pg 217-218)

"But they had breached the barricade, they were coming over, and Brasil, catching one on his bayonet, couldn't shake it out of the boy, so left it and the rifle stuck there and turned and ran, finding himself not alone, the onslaught unstoppable, the shouting and scrambling screaming not from his own throat alone. And he ran and ran through the woods till he found the reserve lines, where he fell down to catch his breath, panting and gasping behind the sheer bulk of blue uniforms pressing forward to take their turn. And good luck to them, Brasil thought, for I have not known such terror since I was held back in the third grade under Sister Agnes Angelica." (pg 295-296)

"How many minutes later he didn't know, a brigade of the Twentieth Crops had moved in to stem the attack and Oakey said to no one in particular, I had a horse here somewhere." (pg 301)

This book took me a long time to finish - about 2 months. I struggle to describe it. After marching to the sea at Savannah, Sherman turned his army and marched back up through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, onward to the end of the civil war. But Sherman himself is a minor character in this book. The story is populated by the dozens of people, northern and southern, slave and free, warrior and caregiver, victor and defeated, men and women who all found themselves swept along in Sherman's wake.

It is violent and gory. It is sad and it is hopeful. It is a story of human survival during war. More than a week after completing it, I find myself still thinking about the book and liking it better for its well-written descriptions of the indescribable. Highly recommended. 4 stars.

151mldavis2
Juin 12, 2012, 6:31 am

E. L. Doctorow is a highly recognized and regarded author, but I've never read any of his works. Doctorow writes in many genres, so he is difficult to categorize. Although my plate is full of Civil War books right now, I just may have to add this to my unending list. Thanks.

152sjmccreary
Modifié : Juin 25, 2012, 11:34 am

I'm really not doing a very good job of keeping up this thread, am I? I have finished a couple of books since I last posted, and am making slow progress on a few more. One of which is The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson. I am about half finished and not loving it. Can someone who has read this book help me out? Is there anything in the 2nd half which makes the first half worth slogging through? Or is it just more of the same right up to the end?

153brenpike
Juin 25, 2012, 11:38 am

Sandy, I did not care for The Finkler Question at all. I was bored with it from the beginning and pushed myself to finish thinking it had to improve, but, alas, it did not. My advice . . . Give it up and move on to something you'll enjoy more!

154mldavis2
Juin 25, 2012, 2:24 pm

The Man Booker Prize, which The Finkler Question won, is a prize given to the best book from British Commonwealth authors. If you look through the list of winners that go back to 1969, you'll see few titles that are recognizable, at least to this neophyte to fine literature. I find most of the winners were involving current or fictional history, or non-fiction with political overtones. I have not read this particular book, although it is on my "To Obtain" shelf if I ever find it at a bargain price. And, yes, I have read some very good books that I was tempted to put down somewhere in the middle but was glad I resisted the temptation. Most "Bookers" are rather heavy reading, I suspect.

155Cauterize
Août 7, 2012, 11:12 am

Did you ever finish The Finkler Question? I read it a while back, and I did not care for it and wish I had make the decision to DNF (but kept going since it was a Booker winner). The second half is in the same vein as the first.

156sjmccreary
Sep 7, 2012, 9:21 am

#153, 154, 155 I did not finish The Finkler Question have never had a second's regret about that. In fact, the other day I was trying to think of the name of that book that I gave up on and had trouble remembering anything about it. It definitely was not the right book for me!

157sjmccreary
Sep 7, 2012, 10:43 am

I popped on here today - after being absent from my own thread for more than 2 months (how sad is that?) - because we got some very sad news yesterday that I'm having trouble processing.

As most of you probably remember, it's been nearly 2 years since my son Bill was killed suddenly. The outpouring of love and support and condolences from everyone on LT was overwhelming and something I will Never forget. Of course, we also received tons of support from everyone else we know. Chris (my husband) especially reached out to Bill's friends and asked them to share their memories and stories, and we received many wonderful notes. A friend of ours took those stories and put them together in a book for us together with a lot of our photos. It is a beautiful keepsake. One of Bill's good friends from school, though, was a bit stand-offish. We really didn't think much of it, since dealing with death is something many young people simply don't know how to handle. (Heck, many of us middle aged people aren't so good at it, either.) Anyway, several months later, Pat - Bill's old high school friend - contacted Chris and apologized for holding back. He said that he was afraid that if he shared his memories then they would no longer be his. Silly, yes, but it took the birth of his own first son to make him realize how important it was for us to hear stories about Bill.

Pat and Bill were on the high school swim team together. Bill was a good swimmer, but not very fast. He swam only the longest races - the ones that required the most endurance - but never won. Pat was a excellent swimmer and one of the stars of the team. He was also something of a clown and everyone loved him. He and Bill and another teammate all ended up at the same school in Springfield, MO, where Bill was living when he died. Pat is very tall and lanky but fell in love with a very short girl and decided to get married. Bill, of course, was invited to the wedding. I remember Bill talking to me about the upcoming wedding and whether or not he should go. Maybe they were just inviting him to be polite. He was tickled by the physical appearance of the two of them together - his very tall friend with his very short fiance - but I think he was nervous at the though that someone so close to him would actually be getting married. I told him that he definitely needed to go - Pat was his friend, and that is what friends do - they would not have invited him if they didn't want him to be there. Besides, he already owned a suit, so there could be no excuses. I didn't hear any more about it, except that he did attend.

Pat's very short story, which was received too late to be included in the book, was about the wedding. Of course, the boys had drifted apart since high school. Neither of them went directly to Springfield after high school, and so didn't arrive at the same time. Pat was involved in a serious relationship, while Bill was forever a loner. But they managed to keep in touch and Pat invited him to the wedding not knowing whether Bill would show up or not. It wasn't, in fact, until the recessional at the end of the ceremony that Pat saw Bill sitting in the last pew of the church, in his suit, with an enormous smile on his face, that he even knew he was there. It was the smile that did it. Bill rarely smiled. He wore braces on his teeth for years that he was sensitive about. But even after they came off, he was just too curmudgeonly to be bothered with smiling. So Pat saw Bill there, smiling and happy for him. That was his special memory.

And it became a special memory for me, too. Chris and Pat began a more-or-less regular correspondence, and Pat kept us updated about his new son - the baby whose birth prompted him to get in touch with us. He was beautiful, but began having health issues several months ago. Earlier this summer, we were told about a diagnosis of epilepsy which was upsetting, but treatable, right? Then there was something else - some kind of virus that had damaged his liver, or kidneys, but for which transplants would not be optional for some reason (it's hard getting all this news third hand).

Then we got a message from Pat's wife - on August 28 she sent this: "We were told today that he has Alper's syndrome. This means that he has a rare condition that makes him unable to produce healthy mitochondria. Up to a couple months ago he still had my mitochondria, but after about a year his body must replace them. Tis means he does not have the ability to have healthy cells to sustain basic functions. We were told today that Alper's has no treatment and no way of keeping his body from failing. They told us that we are counting his remaining lifespan in months."

As it turns out, "months" was optimistic. Samuel died Tuesday. He was 14 months old. I never met this boy, I've never met his mother, and I haven't seen his father in several years. And yet, I am devastated by this news.

158cal8769
Sep 7, 2012, 11:53 am

I'm trying unsuccessfully to not to cry at work. My heart hurts so much. I am so sorry.

159ronincats
Sep 7, 2012, 12:32 pm

I'm so sorry to hear about Samuel. I think Pat may need to hear from someone who has experienced that kind of loss, although he may not be able to reach out right now. I know you will be there for him, because of, not in spite of, your own loss, Sandy.

160cbl_tn
Sep 7, 2012, 12:34 pm

Sandy, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's son. I'll keep them in my prayers.

161DeltaQueen50
Sep 7, 2012, 6:35 pm

As always, Sandy, there is nothing so sad as hearing of the loss of a child. It's hard to know when the right time to reach out is, but, I agree with Roni that your support will mean a lot to this grieving family.

162alcottacre
Sep 7, 2012, 8:09 pm

Oh, Sandy. I am so sorry to hear about baby Samuel and his loss. I cannot imagine what his parents are going through right now.

I agree with Roni and Judy - your support would mean so much!

163tloeffler
Sep 7, 2012, 8:58 pm

That is just so heartbreaking. My condolences to Bill's friend and his wife.

164mldavis2
Sep 8, 2012, 7:02 am

Thanks for sharing. It helps to write it down. It also helps everyone who reads it to recognize how fragile life is and to remind all of us to count our blessings and good fortune. Someone once said that life is like a game of musical chairs in which the music stops more frequently as we get older, and there is no ultimate winner. Enjoy your chair while you can and help the families of those for whom the music stopped.

165sjmccreary
Sep 8, 2012, 10:26 am

Thanks for all the concern - please do keep this young couple in your thoughts and prayers. I hope God will bless them with other children, but I know they will never completely get over the loss of Samuel. Mike, you are right. It did help to write it down. There is a happier tangent to this story.

Chris LOVES football. It really doesn't matter who is playing, he just loves the game. He has season tickets to Kansas State University, which is about a 3 hour drive from here. Neither of us went to that school, but his brother has tickets and it's an opportunity to watch a good team and see his brother every few weeks. Last Saturday was the first home game and so the two of us drove out there. The visiting team was Missouri State University - the same school in Springfield that Bill and his two high school teammates attended. (I wore an old shirt of Bill's to the game and rooted - in vain - for the MSU bears.) During the 3rd quarter, they showed a pretty girl on the big screen with a caption that it was her birthday. Then the guy sitting beside her knelt down, pulled out a ring box and proposed. She was from K-State, he was from Missouri State. The caption on the screen referred to the guy as "J.R." Well, Bill's other best friend - also on the swim team - was named JR, and JR had also gone to MSU. I was trying to see his face and wondering whether that could possibly be "our" JR. After the girl said yes and the guy picked her up in a big hug, he swung her around so that the camera could finally see his face. It WAS "our" JR! We were so excited! However, on the drive home that night, I found myself getting weepy. I kept remembering Pat's story about Bill - how he was so happy at the wedding. Now his other best friend is getting married, too, and Bill would have been just as happy - only now he is not here to see it.

I guess I'm feeling rather sorry for myself - none of these weddings are Bill's, and none of the babies will be his, either. When Samuel died, it just put me over the edge. His memorial service is this afternoon in St Louis, but we decided not to make the trip. I'm cleaning house today, but if you come over later there may be tear spots on the polished furniture because I can't seem to turn them off this morning.

166tloeffler
Sep 8, 2012, 12:29 pm

Sandy, I expect Bill will be at JR's wedding too. Maybe not in the same way, but perhaps in a better way. Weepy is okay. I always feel that if we're crying, our body needs it and we should just let it go.

Thinking of you, and hoping the week gets cheerier for you!

167Donna828
Sep 8, 2012, 12:47 pm

Sandy, I am sorry to hear about Baby Samuel and the heartache of Bill's friend Pat and his wife. I know thoughts of Bill will never leave you, but to have so many reminders of what he has missed must be especially hard to deal with.

Thanks for reaching out to us. You have been sorely missed. And, as I told you once, the 9th day of each month is reserved for special thoughts of you and your family. I would love to see Bill's book if you ever feel like sharing.

168tymfos
Sep 10, 2012, 8:35 pm

Sandy, just reaching out to you with hugs. So sorry about baby Samuel, and your hurting heart thinking of Bill.

169labwriter
Sep 10, 2012, 9:03 pm

Oh Sandy, I'm so sorry. I think about you and your Bill often. Those tears are prayers. I don't know if that helps. Bless you.

170countrylife
Sep 25, 2012, 12:15 pm

Sandy, I'm just returned from vacation and reading about Bill's friends and baby Samuel. In my own soul, I imagine these stories would be hard, yet important, to hear - both touching and heart-wrenching. I feel so sad for baby Samuel's parents, and for you and your family going through freshly opened heart-wounds. Sometimes I think words are empty from someone who hasn't walked in your shoes. Yet, I had to speak, just to let you know that you're thought of and prayed for.

I'm sure Pat and his wife know the meaning behind their son's name, but I had to look it up, and think it sweetly fits: Name of God; asked of God; heard by God.

171labwriter
Nov 1, 2012, 11:45 pm

I always love the books you post on your profile page. What are you reading these days?

172sjmccreary
Nov 4, 2012, 9:52 pm

Thanks again to everyone for the loving and supportive thoughts. You guys are the best.

Becky, thanks too for the nudge to get back to the books. I've been wanting to for a while now but I'm so far behind I just didn't know how.

Looking back, it appears that the last book comments I posted here were for The March by E L Doctorow back in June. Since then, I began re-reading the entire Calvin and Hobbes series by Bill Waterson. I always loved that comic strip and I never get tired of reading it again. Then:

Book #35


On Secret Service by John Jakes

Beginning with the agreement between the Pinkerton Agency with the Union Army to provide intelligence, and continuing up through the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln after the final surrender, this is a fictionalized account of spying, espionage, and intelligence gathering during the civil war. 3-1/2 stars

Book #36


Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The story of the Indian boy lost at sea when the ship carrying him and his family to a new home in Canada is sunk. I read this book in about 2 days, being unable to put it down for very long at a time. I'm looking forward to seeing the new movie that has been based on this book. 4 stars.

Book #37


Clair de Lune by Jetta Carleton


Allen takes a job teaching in a small college in Southern Missouri just after earning her own degree. With WWII looming on the horizon, and she barely older than her students, Allen struggles to determine the path her life should take.

This was a group read with the Missouri Readers Group here on LT. Jetta Carleton is the author of The Moonflower Vine which we read a year or two ago, the only book she published in her lifetime. The Clair de Lune manuscript was discovered among her papers after her death. It had been read and reviewed by friends and acquaintances, but Jetta never felt it was good enough to publish. She was a pubishing industry professional and knew what she was talking about. This book was a big letdown after Moonflower Vine. 3-1/2 stars.

Book #38



The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood


A young graduate of a girl's school for orphans is hired as governess to a wealthy family that has taken in 3 children who have been raised by wolves. 4 stars.

173ronincats
Nov 4, 2012, 9:55 pm

Hi, Sandy! Good to see you around. You remind me I need to get to the next in the series after really enjoying The Mysterious Howling.

174sjmccreary
Nov 4, 2012, 10:10 pm

Book #39



Crooked Letter Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin


A small town constable investigates events that involve his childhood friend. It's much better than that description makes it sound. 4 stars.

Book #40



Charlotte Gray by Sebastian C Faulks


A young Englishwoman, fluent in French, volunteers to go to France on a covert intelligence-gathering mission during WWII in order to be closer to the man she loves - a regular English spy. The third book in a series, but works very well as a stand-alone. Not an outstanding book, but it does have some very poignant scenes - especially those which look at what happened to the French Jews who were transported to "work" camps. 3-1/2 stars.

Book #41



Juliet by Anne Fortier


An American woman named Juilet travels to Italy to learn more about her parents who died there when she was a young girl and discovers a personal connection to Shakespeare's Juliet. 3 stars.

Book #42



The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern


The night circus is established as a means of providing a venue for 2 young magicians who were pledged to compete against one another many years earlier. Loved it. 4 stars.

175sjmccreary
Nov 4, 2012, 10:31 pm

Abandoned



Ulysses by James Joyce


Did not finish, but made it more than half way, so it gets rated and commented upon. I know I missed most of the literary references and other "inside" comments, which surely took away from the pleasure of the work. However, there is just no plot whatsoever, and after about 15 disks of an audio book (24 total), I grew weary of not knowing what he was talking about or what was going on. However, listening to the audio book was like listening to a poem. A really, really LONG poem. The language, the word play and the wonderful Irish accent of the reader, was amazing - and the reason I stayed with the book as long as I did. I might try it again someday, but not anytime soon. 3 stars.

Book #43



Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich


Same old Stephanie Plum - I've already forgotten what it was about, except that Stephanie has just come back from a trip to Hawaii where something happened that made Morelli angry. This was an audio book selected by my husband for the car ride on a short vacation we took in September. Perfect for the car. 3 stars.

Book #44



Rough Weather by Robert B Parker


Spenser is hired to accompany a wealthy woman to her daughter's wedding, at which the daughter is kidnapped and the groom, the preacher, and several security guards are killed.

Also selected by hubby for the trip, this is a "Spenser for Hire" book. I've never read any of these before, and never watched the TV show. It's a very long series and I imagine they can become rather tedious if read one after the other, but I quite enjoyed this one. As a stand alone, it doesn't work very well. I needed him to fill me in on several of the characters and relationships that were developed in other books. 3-1/2 stars.

Book #45



Marco Polo: from Venice to Xanadu by Laurence Bergreen


Bergreen reviews Marco Polo's account of his travels to Asia, compares his comments to other accounts from the same period and to other known facts, and then gives "the rest of the story" - what happened to Marco after he returned to Venice until the end of his life. Fascinating. 4 stars.

176sjmccreary
Nov 4, 2012, 11:22 pm

Book #46



The Litigators by John Grisham


A young lawyer walks away from large downtown firm and ends up in a small street firm of ambulance chasers. I always enjoy a good Grisham. 3-1/2 stars.

Book #47



Kiss Me, Kill Me by Allison Brennan


A private investigator's search for a missing girl intersects with an NYPD-FBI task force investigation into a serial killer. I'll admit that I missed the clues which pointed directly to the guilty person. Still, it was pretty predictable. 3 stars.

Book #48



Live Wire by Harlan Coben


Myron Bolitar's sister-in-law shows up at a night club when he is there looking for a missing client and Myron begins searching for his long-estranged brother. I've heard that this is the final Myron Bolitar book - sad because they've gotten much better since Myron stopped being such a smart-aleck and the story lines have begun dealing with more serious topics. However, the character of Mickey Bolitar, Myron's nephew, is introduced and there has been at least one book published featuring Mickey. 3-1/2 stars.

Book #49



The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling


The sudden death of a small town councilman during a fierce battle of local importance brings to light the many hidden battles in the community.

This book has been getting attention beyond what it deserves on its own merits. It's not terrible, but if it were written by anyone else, I doubt anyone would care about it. This is not Harry Potter for grown-ups. Rowling is great at creating complex characters in a complex, realistic setting. She did it in Harry Potter and she did it here. But in this book, we only have 500 pages to be introduced to everyone and the situation, follow along as developments occur, and then watch as the final resolution happens; not the several thousand pages and 7 volumes that we were given for the Harry Potter story. As a result, the ending of this story seemed very abrupt and unforeseen. It would probably have been a better book if it were a couple of hundred pages longer. She is a tremendous scene-writer. The book was hard to put down since each scene, each conversation, each development, was interesting on its own. They just weren't all tied together in a coherent way. Plus, I felt as though she was intentionally including every unpleasant, unsavory, undesirable trait or habit that she could think of. Even in the most unpleasant of places, I would expect that there are some genuinely nice people, but we didn't meet them in this story. I still think Rowling is a talented writer and I will be waiting to see how she does on her next attempt. 3-1/2 stars.

177sjmccreary
Modifié : Nov 4, 2012, 11:33 pm

So that's it. That's what I've been reading all summer and fall.

ETA - Hi, Roni! I was thinking the very same thing as I was listing all my books.

178labwriter
Nov 5, 2012, 12:30 am

I'm so happy to see you here with your great list of books.

Wow, you're a brave woman to have hung in there so long with Ulysses. I have it on my shelf, and I've attempted it but never gotten very far. Like, not far at all. I bought a book to go with it, Ulysses Annotated, but that one has just sat on my shelf as well. I figure one of these days I'm going to tackle it. Reading bucket list--ha.

I'm interested to hear what you thought of the Rowling book.

179tymfos
Modifié : Nov 5, 2012, 8:07 am

Wow, I'm happy to see that you've been reading, Sandy! Glad to see you liked Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. I think that's the only one of this recent bunch that I've read, and I really liked it, too.

Also, thanks for commenting that the Spencer book didn't work as a stand-alone. I've been pondering that series, and not sure which ones I have readily available. (The library has lots of Parker; I know he did several series.) I'll make sure to start at the beginning if I try him.

I know Ulysses is a major challenge, and don't blame you for abandoning it. I think you were brave to attempt it. I suspect listening to it read by someone with a delightful Irish accent may be the best way to try to get through it -- since, I've heard, it's stream-of-consciousness narrative, that format would be appropriate. I never would have thought of that. What audio version did you listen to? Do you know the narrator's name? Just curious.

180sjmccreary
Nov 5, 2012, 9:56 am

Becky, I wish I'd had a guide book to go with Ulysses, but I was listening to the audio version in the car and would not have been able to stop and consult a reference each time I was confused. The Rowling - I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. I loved Harry Potter and want to love her other work, too. I'll be giving her another chance, but this one didn't impress me overmuch.

Hi Terri! There are so many Spencer books. I don't think Chris read any of them in order, and I know he didn't read all of them, but he was able to pick up the bits about the different characters and pass them along to me after finishing only a few of the books. I don't think our library even owns the entire series. One of his other series is Jesse Stone. I haven't read any of those, either, but they have made a series of TV movies starring Tom Selleck based on those books that I've watched and enjoyed.

Ulysses is a stream-of-consciousness narrative, which I did not realize ahead of time. I had the Blackstone Audio production - the cover is exactly the I one posted - which was read by John Lee. I think if I had been a little more knowledgeable about what the book was before I started I might have enjoyed it more - at least more enough to have been able to finish it.

181sjmccreary
Nov 5, 2012, 10:33 am

Book #50



Mrs Mike by Benedict Freedman


Based on the life of Katherine Mary Flannigan, who travelled from Boston to Alberta, Canada at age 16 in 1907. She went to live with her uncle in hopes that the cold fresh air would be healthier and help alleviate the pleurisy in her lungs. She soon met Mike, a handsome Sargent in the RCMP who had "eyes so blue you could swim in them", and they convinced her uncle to allow them to marry. Then she travelled with Mike to his permanent post in the northern wilderness. This book tells the story of how she came to establish a home and a life in such an isolated and rugged place.

I first read this book as a young teenager - nearly 40 years ago. I've read it several times since. It is one of my all-time favorites. There are so many memorable events - standing shoulder-deep in the freezing river for hours to escape the forest fire, the diphtheria epidemic and the flu epidemic, the woman who gave birth to 12 babies but only raised 6 of them and who then had to amputate the leg of her own son after be was caught in a bear trap, Katherine and Mike playing in the snow with their children, Katherine's trip back to Boston to see her mother and the stifling closeness of the city and petty complaining of the people there. Katherine Mary was in awe of the pioneer women she met - women who were strong and resilient, who suffered hardships and didn't break, women who had left behind the comforts of civilization and embraced the wilderness. By the end of the book, she had become one of those women. This is one of my desert-island books. 5 stars.

182cyderry
Nov 5, 2012, 10:39 am

SO glad I didn't rush out to read The Casual Vacancy just because it was by JK Rowling. I have it on my list for next year, that will be soon enough. Thanks for the review.

183sjmccreary
Nov 5, 2012, 10:44 am

#182 You're right - next year is soon enough. I only read it when I did because I placed a hold at the library as soon as they began taking them so I started out fairly high on the list.

184DeltaQueen50
Nov 5, 2012, 5:49 pm

Hi Sandy, you've been reading some great books over the last few months. If we ever get stuck on the same desert island, we both better bring our own copies of Mrs. Mike or we'll be in a tug-a-war!

I never thought I would want to read The Life of Pi but recently the movie trailers and now your review has me rethinking that.

185Donna828
Nov 5, 2012, 7:00 pm

There you are! I've missed your posts, Sandy. I saw the trailer for Life of Pi yesterday. It looks good. I'm particularly eager to see how the ending is done.

186tututhefirst
Nov 6, 2012, 5:59 pm

Wow Sandy, what a terrific batch of reading.....there were several BB's for me, many I have also read (and we seem to agree on), and some great recommendations on the "to be avoided" pile.

Keep it up. I look forward to what's next.

187sjmccreary
Nov 12, 2012, 12:15 am

I met Donna (Donna828) yesterday at the semi-annual Johnson County (Kansas) Friends of the Library book sale - the one that is so big they set up in the mall. The plan was book sale at 10 and lunch at noon, but I knew I didn't need to buy any books so I showed up at 11:30 and only had time to find 4 books before we left for lunch. After I got home, I discovered that I already owned 2 of them! For $3.50, I got:

Sleeping Beauty by Philip Margolin - a duplicate of a book I bought at this sale last time - although, in my defense, I haven't read it yet and this one has a different cover.

Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - another duplicate also purchased at this sale last time, but I sent that one away to college with my daughter in August so I never had a chance to read it. Now she has her copy and I have mine. And mine is a pristine hard cover with the dust jacket intact.

And the Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer - a book that I wanted to read back when it first came out but never did. It is a brick.

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling - I picked this up from the "Vintage" table - this volume was part of a set of Kipling novels with no copyright date. I'd had it on my wishlist for a while and it has bubbled up to my list of planned reads for the next 6 months or so. I'm happy to have such an attractive copy on hand now for when I'm ready to read.

After the sale, Donna and I had a lovely lunch at a local Mexican restaurant and a very nice visit. It feels like we're old friends - catching up on news about the families and such. I'm only sorry that Brenda (brenpike) and Teri (tloeffler) both had family obligations come up at the last minute that kept them from coming too. However, the Joplin meet-up is fast approaching and I know that they'll both be there, so I'll see them then.

188tymfos
Nov 12, 2012, 12:17 am

Sandy, I'm glad you had a nice visit with Donna! (And found some book bargains . . .)

189brenpike
Nov 12, 2012, 12:19 am

Hi Sandy. Nice to read about your Saturday meeting with Donna. Sorry to have missed seeing you both. Joplin!!

190labwriter
Modifié : Nov 12, 2012, 8:16 am

Oh, Sandy, And Ladies of the Club is one of my all-time favorite books. I've read it twice, and read parts of it more than that. You're right, it's a brick, and my poor copy is falling apart. It was published in 1982, and then was chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection in 1984. I think that's how I ended up reading it, because I belonged to the BOMC at that time. Even as long as the book is, I remember that I never wanted it to end.

I think this blurb from Wiki sums it up really well:
The book, which looks at the club as it changes throughout the years, spans decades in the lives of the women involved in the club, between 1868 and 1932. Many characters are introduced in the course of the novel, but the primary characters are Anne Gordon and Sally Rausch, who in 1868 are new graduates of the Waynesboro Female College who soon marry, and the decades that follow chronicle their marriages and those of their children and grandchildren. Santmyer focuses not just on the lives of the women in the Club, but also their families, friends, politics, and developments in their small town and the larger world.
I sort of wonder how I would respond to the book today, 30 or so years later. I have a feeling I would love it just as much. I hope you enjoy it!

Added: Just for fun, I'm posting a review I wrote of the book when I put this into my LT library a couple of years ago.
There was just something about this book that captured me completely. I love the structure of the book--I think it's brilliant. At the beginning of each chapter is the year and the names of the women in the Waynesboro Women's club for that year. As the years pass, daughters take their mothers' places, not only in the club roster but also within the community. Maybe one reason I enjoyed this book so much was because I read it the year I moved from the west to the midwest. I lived with these characters in the book for weeks while I read it; I was saddened when they died and also when I finished the book. Maybe this is one of those books where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I've read the book twice now, all 1175 pages of it; I'm quite sure I'll read it again.

A reviewer here at LT reminded me of another aspect of the book I enjoyed--the politics that was going on around these women and the way it affected their lives. What I remember was that Santmyer was very clever about not taking sides herself as an author, but instead letting her characters take sides on the political issues of the day. Another reviewer said the characters were "all rich Republicans," but that's not how I remember it.


191sjmccreary
Nov 12, 2012, 1:13 pm

#188 I wish Pennsylvania was closer to Missouri...

#189 It's my turn to drive

#190 Becky - although I don't remember ever reading this book, reading some of the reviews is triggering some feelings of familiarity. Maybe I read part of it after all. That just makes me all the more anxious to tackle it, since what I'm remembering is something that I enjoyed but couldn't finish.

192sjmccreary
Modifié : Nov 12, 2012, 7:02 pm

Book #51



Why I Believe the King James Bible is the Word of God by Peter S Ruckman


I read this "book" in an attempt to gain an understanding of a position that seems improbable to me - that the King James Version of the Bible is the one and only true Word of God. I understand that many Christians prefer the KJV over other bibles, but the position I'm referring to goes beyond that. This wasn't actually a book - it was a 20+ page Kindle download that I read on the PC. It cost me $1.25 and I'd pay it again for them to take it back! Here is the review I've posted on the book's main page:

I think it's important to consider both sides of an issue that you care about. The more you care, the more important it is to understand the opposite point of view. I don't always actually do this, but in this instance the cost was low, and it only took a couple of hours of my time.

First, some background. I have been a Christian my entire life. I was raised in the Presbyterian church, and still identify myself with that denomination. I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe that God made men (and women) with an intellect and the ability to think and reason logically. I believe that science and faith are compatible - that God created the natural world and nothing we are able to discover about it will ever contradict who God is or what He has taught us about Himself. I concede that some discoveries may seem to reveal errors in scripture, but I believe that the errors will have been in our previous understanding and not in the scriptures themselves. God's word is inerrant, but our understanding is not.

Dr Peter Ruckman is an outspoken proponent of an increasingly popular school of thought sometimes referred to as KJV-Only. In short, Dr Ruckman teaches that the King James Version of the Bible as produced in 1611, also referred to as the Authorized Version (AV), is, itself, the inerrant Word of God. No other version is The Bible, the True Word of God. Only the original KJV.

This short work is his personal testimony of belief in the inerrancy of the King James Version. His points:

I believe the King James Bible is the word of God because it's the only book in my library that doesn't have a copyright. Basically, his argument is that since the only copyright on this work is the original crown copyright from 1611, and since Ecclesiastes 8:4 says that the word of a king is power, then this version is valid. Modern translations don't have the mark of any king so they are not valid. Then he proceeds to talk about how the English seem to be some kind of chosen people, since our timekeeping and navigation both are in terms of England (specifically, Greenwich mean time, and zero degrees longitude both being in England). Added evidence is that the English language has become so universal.

I believe the King James Bible is the word of God because of the time in which it first appeared on the scene of this world. So many modern events and developments had not occurred yet. "The King James was translated at a time in history when God the Holy Spirit could work and get some men to produce a work that they believed in, because all that stuff wasn’t going on." The translation committees producing modern versions "are shot through with infidelity ... they're droids, wimps."

I believe the King James Bible is the word of God because of the promise God made of preserving His word. This is where Ruckman introduces the concept that the translation is divinely inspired, although he doesn't say it in so many words. Briefly, since there were translations of Old Testament prophecies (originally in Hebrew) included in the New Testament (written in Greek), and since the New Testament is part of the whole inspired scripture, then it must be possible for a translation to be inspired. The implication seems to be that KJV, as a translation, can be inspired, but the next logical question (can't other translations also be inspired?) is not addressed. Next, he talks about the different instances in the Bible where God tells His people to keep, or remember, or hear or preach "my words" and concludes that in order to do these things then God must have a way of preserving His words.

I believe the King James Bible is the word of God because of the instruments of its preservation. Ruckman likes the KJV translators because they used the "correct" Greek manuscript - the one without the apocryphal books. Now, I am not familiar with the different biblical manuscripts, but I understand that the belief that those used for the KJV are, indeed, the most accurate is not uncommon. However, Ruckman does not introduce any other argument in favor of them except for the absence of the apocrypha. The next thing he says about the KJV translators is that he likes the preface they wrote for the 1611 version.

I believe the King James Bible is the word of God because of the honesty of its preservation. In short, the KJV translators italicized words that were added in English which don't have corresponding words in the Greek. He cites an instance where the KJV translators added an English phrase at the end of a verse to complete a thought that was not in the Greek manuscript. Two hundred years later, another manuscript was discovered that had the completed thought. So now, when the KJV has something not found in the Greek manuscripts, it's because the complete manuscript hasn't been discovered yet.

One reason I believe the King James Bible is the word of God is the pride and inconsistency of its critics. This section was rambling and hard to read, but it seems that he doesn't like it when men who openly disagree with him are friendly and civil in public. He also doesn't like it when someone says they prefer one version of the Bible, and then use another on occasion. That is the kind of inconsistency he talks about. Bear in mind, these are Christian men he is talking about, but those who do not share his opinion about the inerrantcy of the KJV.

Last but not least, I believe the King James Bible is the word of God because of the preeminent place it gives the Lord Jesus Christ. He claims that all the modern version attack the deity of Jesus. I don't have access to all the versions he refers to, but those instances I checked are far less than an "attack" in my opinion. (Example, 1 Tim 3:16: KJV = "God was manifest in the flesh", ASV = "He who was manifested in the flesh".)

I apologize for the length of these comments, but I am trying to fairly present a summary of Dr Ruckman's statements and supporting arguments. I tried to maintain an open mind while reading and looked for opportunities to agree with him. I found some, but they were minor points which were not even on-topic. I've tried not to resort to his own common practice of calling names and issuing insults to those he doesn't agree with (and in doing so I've left out all mention of the frequent rambling rants and vicious attacks) but it is hard not to think that he is in some way deranged. It is alarming to think that there are so many people who take him at his word and swallow everything he says - hook, line, and sinker. (The phrase "drinking the koolaid" comes to mind.) I don't claim that all my own beliefs are correct, but I find it inconceivable that God would send us such a disagreeable and divisive messenger to deliver a True message from Him.


Obviously, I'm not going to recommend this book as a genuine source of information or encouragement. I gave it 1/2 star.

193Donna828
Nov 12, 2012, 9:04 pm

Great review, Sandy! Thanks for saving me $1.25! That pays for five of the kid's books I purchased at the book sale. I listed my new books on my thread. I enjoyed our lunch together so much that I took Lori and Griffin to the Jose Peppers closer to where they live. I even ordered the same thing!

194sjmccreary
Nov 12, 2012, 9:33 pm

You got the better bargain by far! I usually order the same thing each time I go to JP's too - it's one of my favorite lunch places.

195tloeffler
Nov 12, 2012, 10:20 pm

I really wish I could have been with you guys Saturday. But I'll be in Joplin!

I agree with Becky, Sandy--And Ladies of the Club, in spite of its size, was one of my favorite books also. I was so sad when it ended! And, like Becky, my copy was old and falling apart. But I always saw at least one copy at book fairs, so I just bought another one!

196mldavis2
Nov 13, 2012, 7:16 am

#192 sjmccreary> Thanks for taking time to review Ruckman's opinions. Without starting an unending thread on the contents, I find it interesting and refreshing that virtually every author who has attempted to tell the rest of the world what (s)he believes, leaves something with which we agree and disagree. The value and vitality of religious thought, analysis and belief is, in part, due to the culture and training of the author, combined with the culture and training of the reader. It is that multifaceted nature of religion that helps keep it vibrant and in front of us for a lifetime. Ruckman's arguments are interesting but flimsy and often illogical. One cannot question his faith, only his reasons.

197ronincats
Nov 13, 2012, 8:49 am

Great thoughtful review, Sandy! Definitely a thumbs up.

I was going to recommend In Discordance with the Scriptures: American Protestant Battles Over Translating the Bible (Religion in America) by Peter J. Thuesen as good follow up reading on this issue, but see you have recently added it. Does that mean you are reading it, or just putting it on your wish list?

198sjmccreary
Nov 13, 2012, 10:37 am

# 195 Terri, how are you doing? I'm very glad to hear that you are still planning on Joplin. I'll see you there.

#196 Mike, as always your comments go right to the heart of the issue. I don't want to begin a debate about the contents of the book. One cannot question his faith, only his reasons - Absolutely.

#197 Roni, that book is on my wishlist, on your recommendation from an earlier conversation. Truthfully, I'd forgotten all about it. The library doesn't have it, so I'll have to be on the look-out for it in other places. I am definitely willing to read more on this subject, but I don't think I'd like to read more of Ruckman's work.

More about why I read the Ruckman work - I enjoy lurking over in the Religion groups. I don't read all the threads, but there are often lively debates about different topics that are interesting. What I've found is that there are some very intelligent people who make excellent points. On both sides. Recently, there was a discussion in which the subject of the inerrancy of the King James came up. The person claiming it then refused to answer any of the sincere questions from others about why they believed so. It was frustrating, because I also wanted to know the answers to those questions. That person was the one who unwittingly introduced me to Dr Ruckman many months ago when I spotted one of his works on the Connection News on my home page and investigated further. The two of us had a short private exchange about him and his work. Following the recent public discussion, this title appeared on the connection news. I sought out the other person's thread to see their comments about it: " If you wonder about why some of us believe the way we do, it would be worth the money to read why this preacher believes the way he does, and not just trust in what you've read about him online...Entertaining and informative". So I read it.

And I'm still wondering. In the public discussion in the other group, the topic at hand was about the definition of "heaven" in Genesis 1. These highly intelligent people, some of them biblical scholars, then launched into a look at how the underlying Hebrew and Greek texts were worded. There was a question about whether "heaven" was singular or plural and someone posted stating that it was plural and quoted the King James as evidence. There was more conversation about the translation - the Hebrew evidently doesn't translate well to Greek at this point - and the KJV poster stated, in response to questions from the others, "As I believe that my Bible is inerrant, I don't have a need to go into long debates or discussions about what it might be saying, just because someone insists that it is full of mistakes."

Now, no one was dismissing the KJV out of hand, it was merely a scholarly discussion about whether "heaven" should be rendered in the singular or plural, since the Hebrew and Greek don't agree. But that is typical of the reactions I read in Ruckman's book. For example, he calls nearly everyone a "liar", but specifically names evangelist Billy Graham as such. Why? When Billy Graham was saved, he knelt down and clutched his bible (a King James) and declared to God that this was the holy word and that he would follow it forever. Later in his ministry, Billy Graham used the American Standard Version. So he is a liar. To me, it is obvious (if the story is true) that Billy Graham wasn't referring specifically to the King James translation when he declared that the bible was the true word of God, and so he did not break his promise when he began using a newer translation. But not so to Ruckman and his followers.

This kind of reaction is what puzzles me - and that was the understanding I was hoping to gain by going to the source, so to speak. I'm pretty confident that I will never be convinced to agree with them, but if I can understand why they believe the way they do, then it will be easier for me to be accepting of our different opinions.

199tututhefirst
Nov 13, 2012, 7:49 pm

Wow Sandy....what a thought-provoking discussion. We have recently begun having discussions with our grown son (raised RC, and hasn't been inside a church except for relative's funerals in years) the Bible....he brought it up, and said he wanted to get a nice edition of the KJV for his 12 year old daughter so she could be exposed. We were of course delighted that he seemed receptive to scripture but I made the mistake of asking why the KJV? I'm not sure where he got some of his ideas, but it sure sounded a lot like the Ruckman arguments. I'm going to investigate some different versions for Christmas presents for son and granddaughter, and now, armed with this discussion, I feel much more "in the know" about what the beliefs of the KJV group are.

200sjmccreary
Nov 13, 2012, 8:16 pm

#199 Tina, there's nothing wrong with the KJV. I asked my grandparents for one when I was a teen, and received it - a lovely leather bound, red-letter volume with my named embossed on the cover. Of course, that was in 1976. My only problem is with the believe that it is the ONLY version that should be used, that no others are the word of God. When our kids turned 13, we gave them 13 gifts for their birthday. One of which was a hard cover teen edition of the NIV bible. If your son has become a "Ruckmanite", then there's no telling what his reaction might be if you give his daughter a different version. Maybe one of those parallel bibles, with 2 or more translations side by side, would be a good compromise. Just curious - the Catholics didn't use KJV, did they? I mean back in the day, when KJV was the predominate version, didn't the Catholic church have their own version?

201ronincats
Nov 13, 2012, 10:12 pm

The New Jerusalem translation was one of the very best when it came out when I was an adolescent, and was a Roman Catholic edition. I know it's been updated at least once. It went back to the earliest extant Greek copies and corrected a number of the translation errors in the KJV.

202tututhefirst
Nov 14, 2012, 12:13 am

Sandy, no the catholics used another version (we were just told it was the "Catholic" bible and NOT the KJV.) Of course my Lutheran mother always had her KJ available, and when I became an adult and a confirmation teacher, one of the courses I took was a comparative biblical study of the differences in all the versions. I personally prefer the Jerusalem or the New Standard versions, and have no objection to the KJV ( I was thrilled that my son even acknowledged its existence). It was his absolute intransigence about accepting any other version that disturbed me. I'm looking forward to some good discussions over the Christmas holidays.

He's suddenly become a reader, so I'm taking him a pile of things I think he'd like. His daughter has always been a reader, and now that she's reading things that are way beyond "Hop on Pop" (like the Twilight series) it should be a vibrant holiday.

203tymfos
Modifié : Nov 14, 2012, 8:53 am

Very interesting discussion! Ruckman's first reason that you quote has elements that sound absolutely bigoted. So people who speak other languages (and therefore read Bibles other than the KJV because they don't speak English) are all heathens in his opinion? And the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts are worthless to study now that the "true" word has been revealed in English?

It's really sad, because a familiarity with the original languages can reveal nuances of understanding that can never be captured by any single English translation of the passages. For instance, "you must be born again" : The Greek translated as "born again" also means "born from above." Understanding the grammar of the Greek and Hebrew texts also adds insights

It also sounds like he missed the commandment about not bearing false witness against one's neighbor. His rampant personal disparagement toward those who disagree with him as "liars" can't be making God happy.

204sjmccreary
Nov 14, 2012, 9:37 am

#201 Roni - it must be the Jerusalem Bible that I was thinking of. I had no Catholic friends and my Catholic grandmother had so thoroughly converted that she barely mentioned anything Catholic (she did have to explain the presence of her sister, the nun, however) so I have never had an opportunity to look at one up close. I imagine it's similar to the KJV?

#202 Tina - it does sound like it will be a lively discussion within your family! I hope that it will go well and that no one will come away angry.

#203 Terri - It's like you can read my mind. Those are all the same questions I keep asking and still have no answer. I don't know if he goes so far as to call all non-English speakers "heathen" (he didn't in this book), but it sure sounds as though he is implying that they do not have the true word of God. Plus, what about all those years before 1611?

I don't want to keep this all to myself - go out on Amazon and read some samples of Ruckman's writing. Many of his books are available - read some of the previews. It won't take long to get a taste for his style. Also read the reviews - some people love him. I just wish I could understand WHY.

205labwriter
Nov 14, 2012, 12:07 pm

What an interesting discussion! I'll just throw this out about Bible versions.

I have a good friend at my (former) Episcopal church who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. She knew doctrine inside out. For awhile she was also a member of our Bible class. I remember that she often referred to the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible, which for the longest, longest time (maybe 300 years) was THE English translation used by the Roman Catholics. I honestly don't know how it differs from the King James version. From what I understand, that is now changed, and the Roman Catholics have now sanctioned the Revised Standard Version (RSV), although theirs is the RSV-CE. The difference between the RSV and the RSV-CE, I believe, is that the Catholic version contains the Apocrypha. I may be wrong, but I believe I've also heard this one called the Ignatius Bible.

My very favorite version for everyday (and of course the King James, in my mind will always be set apart because of the beautiful language) is the New RSV (NRSV). It was released in 1989 and is an updated version of the RSV. I like the language in this one very much. One of the things they've done in this edition is to work on reasonable gender language. I grew up in the church during a time when the word "man" was synonymous with "mankind" and was essentially gender neutral. So that language didn't really bother me all that much. However, for some people, it means a lot to have the language reflect the the culture in a more inclusive way. I think it's an excellent version.

The way the NRSV differs from the RSV is that the Old Testament translations reflect the scholarship of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In general, the edition reflects that and other advances that have been made in translation/scholarship. Also, all of the "thee" and "thou" language has been changed. In the RSV, I'm pretty sure only some of it was changed.

206ronincats
Modifié : Nov 14, 2012, 12:31 pm

From Wikipedia:

In 1943 Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical letter, Divino Afflante Spiritu, which encouraged Roman Catholics to translate the Scriptures from the original Hebrew and Greek, rather than from Jerome's Latin Vulgate. As a result, a number of Dominicans and other scholars at the École Biblique in Jerusalem translated the scriptures into French. The product of these efforts was published as La Bible de Jérusalem in 1956.
This French translation served as the impetus for an English translation in 1966, the Jerusalem Bible. For the majority of the books, the English translation was an original translation of the Hebrew and Greek; in passages with more than one interpretation, the French is generally followed. For a small number of Old Testament books, the first draft of the English translation was made directly from the French, and then the General Editor produced a revised draft by comparing this word-for-word to the original Hebrew or Aramaic.3 The footnotes and book introductions are almost literal translations from the French.

The translation itself uses a literal approach that has been admired for its literary qualities, perhaps in part due to its most famous contributor, J.R.R. Tolkien (his primary contribution was the translation of Jonah). The introductions, footnotes, and even the translation itself reflect a modern scholarly approach and the conclusions of scholars who use historical-critical method. As examples, the introduction and notes reject Moses' authorship of the Pentateuch, as well as the Book of Wisdom having been authored by King Solomon.
The Jerusalem Bible was the first widely accepted Roman Catholic English translation of the Bible since the Douay-Rheims Version of the 17th century. The Jerusalem Bible was also used in the European liturgy and the Mass. This reference for The Jerusalem Bible can be found in the introduction page of the Roman Catholic Missals as the source reference for the readings. It has also been widely praised for an overall very high level of scholarship, and is widely admired and sometimes used by liberal and moderate Protestants. The overall text seems to have somewhat of a "Mid-Atlantic" nature, neither overwhelmingly British nor particularly American, making it acceptable to both groups in most instances. Overall, it has come to be considered as one of the better English translations of the Bible made in the 20th century.

207tymfos
Modifié : Nov 15, 2012, 4:39 am

KI agree with Becky in that my favorite version is the NRSV. Of course, the KJV crowd hate it for one of the reasons that we like it -- the gender-neutral language, which they view as "changing" the word of God. Of course, as I recall, the Greek words so often translated as "man" / "men"/ "mankind" were gender-neutral in the original Greek -- the language has another word for man as in "male person(s)."

I also agree that the KJV is special for its beautiful language. In my (already organized) funeral plans, I've specified the 23rd Psalm read from KJV!

One other point: the KJV-only movement violates a basic principle of Protestant tradition (and my understanding is that these KJV-only folks are rabid Protestants): sola scriptura "Scripture alone." One thing the Reformers insisted upon was that doctrine should be based on Scripture, not human tradition -- and this dates back to before 1611. Nowhere in the Bible -- in any version, including KJV -- does it say that any one translation was/would be especially divinely inspired (and translation was already happening -- the Septuagint was a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures which was often quoted in the New Testament, especially by St. Paul.)

For that matter, the entire notion of literal verbal inspiration embraced by so many fundamentalists is not to be found in Scripture. The best it claims for itself is that all scripture is inspired and useful for teaching and for reproof. Much teaching in Jesus' time was done by non-literal means -- parables, for instance!

And the whole Reformation principle of scripture in the vernacular would suggest that it is a good thing to update the translation as language usage change.

ETA to fix typo and add last paragraph and some other thoughts

208tututhefirst
Nov 14, 2012, 10:04 pm

205,206,207....thanks for clarifying the names of the various versions. As I always say to my kids...Jesus did NOT speak English, Greek, or LATIN, but that doesn't mean we can't know the meaning of what he said. I often think that listening to us poor humans in our debate about scriptural correctness must engender an urge to get the whips out as he did with the moneylenders in the temple. Anyway, Sandy...thanks for promoting such a wonderful discussion --it's great to be able to discuss the literary merits of these books without having to descend to a religious battle.

209sjmccreary
Nov 14, 2012, 11:51 pm

I've been wanting to try one of the newer translations, but didn't know which one to go for. It sounds like I need to give serious consideration to the NRSV. I had a RSV while in college and afterwards, and always liked it. Then I went with the NIV for the newer scholarship when I wanted a study bible. Now I'm ready for something else - still more recent scholarship and maybe more precise language than the NIV has.

#206 Do you know if there is a protestant version of the New Jerusalem bible? I don't mind having the "apocryphal" books in my bible, but I'd prefer not to have them included in the OT in unfamiliar locations.

#207 my understanding is that these KJV-only folks are rabid Protestants -- Yes, I think that might be fair to say. In the Ruckman book, Catholics are grouped together with Jews and Muslims as non-Christians. In fact, he considers them to be inferior to the other two groups since Jews and Muslims both are led in their beliefs by the written word, some of which is essentially the same as our own bible. Catholics, OTOH (in his view), are led by the Pope. Thanks for the information about the gender-neutral Greek words (I'll admit to being concerned that the gender-neutral bibles were just being PC - it's nice to know there is a legitimate reason for that change) and the concept of sola scriptura.

#208 it's great to be able to discuss the literary merits of these books without having to descend to a religious battle -- absolutely, Tina - I've never met such a wonderful, open-minded group of people quite like I've found here on LT. This is something special.

210mldavis2
Nov 15, 2012, 7:39 am

As an amateur theologian (aren't most of us ....) I have spent many years studying the origins of religion including the various biblical translations, comparisons among various faiths, new findings such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi texts, other historical accounts, and virtually anything that sheds light on the various origins, interpretations and beliefs. It is heartwarming to see this group of diverse readers discuss some of these topics while staying completely within the bounds of civility, something that cannot be said of many rabid fundamentalists. Interesting discussion and a great group of people!

211sjmccreary
Nov 15, 2012, 9:12 am

#210 Well, and you are one of us!

Not intending to quash any additional discussion on this topic, but I have finished another book.

212sjmccreary
Nov 15, 2012, 9:15 am

Book #52



The Kennedy Detail by Gerald Blaine


I was only 3-1/2 years old when President Kennedy was assassinated, so I have no memory of it. Unlike so many people, including my husband, I don't know where I was when Kennedy was shot. I've heard of the Warren Commission and the conspiracy theories, but have never paid any attention to them. I never understood the fascination with the Kennedy's or even the reference to "Camelot", so I had no idea what I would be reading about in this book. The book is a compilation of the stories of the secret service agents who were assigned to protect President Kennedy, and his wife and children. It provides a fascinating inside view of the White House and the lives of the first family and the agents who protected them.

The primary purpose for the book was to tell the secret service agents' story of the assassination. So many of the theories that have been publicized in the last 50 years place much of the blame on different agents, or on the actions they did or did not take. Those agents, now elderly men, decided it was time for them to break their vow of silence and many of them talked about that day in Dallas for the first time while working on this book.

**SPOILER ALERT**
According to the secret service agents who were there that day in Dallas, Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Just as the Warren Commission concluded.
**END SPOILER***

But it also provides a great deal of information about the day-to-day operations of the business of protecting the president. I had no idea. And almost overwhelming information about what went into the planning of the president's trips away from Washington.

I had the book on audio in the car and it was great - I looked for excuses to drive places, and then took the longest routes. I found myself sitting in parking lots and even my own garage, reluctant to turn off the CD player and get out of the car. I planned every single lunch according to whether there was a drive-up window so that I didn't have to stop listening to this book. I don't know whether this particular book was so amazing, or whether it was Kennedy's story that I was hearing for the first time that had me so enthralled. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4 stars.

213brenpike
Nov 15, 2012, 10:45 am

Sandy, I am about 5 years older than you, so I remember very well, no only where I was when I heard about the assassination, but also the events of the following days. I was glued to the television, as I'm sure most of the country was, for those sad and memorable days.
I started this month with a book written from different perspectives of that day in Dallas, starting with the First Lady's selection of dress. It ended with return of the limo to the garage in Washington for inspection by the individual responsible for providing the president with transportation.
I am adding The Kennedy Detail to my TBR list. . . sounds like a book I would enjoy as much as you did.
See you soon! : )

214mldavis2
Nov 15, 2012, 3:53 pm

I had the opportunity to tour the site in Dallas where a rather comprehensive museum has been erected on the premises. There are still conspiracy theory advocates luring tourists to their books and videos, but the museum tour is worth a few bucks and some time if you ever get to Dallas.

215Donna828
Nov 15, 2012, 4:31 pm

212: Sandy, I was in gym class when we were told about Kennedy. I was happy to get sent home from school early but shattered as I watched the aftermath on TV. You will be relieved to know that Stephen King agrees with the no conspiracy theory.

216tymfos
Modifié : Nov 15, 2012, 4:37 pm

210 Mike, I totally agree with you. It is wonderful to be able to have a civil discussion on these topics within a diverse group. I'm glad of the folks who are participating in this thread!

212 Sandy, I was just about a year older than you when Kennedy was shot, so I remember a little more, but I didn't understand much of what was going on, except that the coverage (of the funeral, I thinik?) pre-empted my favorite cartoons. (Kids can be so self-centered.;) But somehow the subject has always interested me. I have a much clearer remembrance of when Bobby Kennedy died, and I think my brain makes a connection between the two brothers and their sadly similar fates. This book would really interest me.

I had the book on audio in the car and it was great - I looked for excuses to drive places, and then took the longest routes. I found myself sitting in parking lots and even my own garage, reluctant to turn off the CD player and get out of the car.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this when listening to a good audio book!

217ronincats
Nov 15, 2012, 8:18 pm

Donna, I was in gym class too! Freshman year in high school, midday--we were back in the locker room. But we didn't get sent home early.

218DeltaQueen50
Nov 15, 2012, 11:41 pm

Hi Sandy, the question of "where were you when President Kennedy was shot" has been suplanted by the events of 9/11. That seems to be the event that people ask that question about today. But I distinctly remember being at class in Junior High as the news of the assassination came out. We were sent home which really, in hindsight, being Canadian, was quite amazing. As each province is different, I don't know if other Canadian schools were closed, but the ones in Victoria certainly were closed in honor of the American President.

219cbl_tn
Nov 16, 2012, 7:00 am

I don't have a memory of the Kennedy assassination since I wasn't born yet. The news events I remember most vividly are:

Elvis Presley's death - I was at a minor league baseball game (Knoxville Sox vs. Savannah Braves) and the news was announced over the PA system during the game.

Reagan assassination attempt - I had just arrived at school for practice for My Fair Lady. Our choir director's brother had acting experience and he was helping with the staging, direction, etc. He was known as a joker, and when he told us that the president was shot, no one believed him at first.

9/11 - I was in a staff meeting at work. The mother of one of my co-workers called after the first plane hit the tower and we turned on the television and watched events unfold the rest of the day. I was concerned about the whereabouts of a family friend who is an airline pilot until I finally heard that he wasn't flying that day.

I'm ashamed to say that my brother lives in the Fort Worth area but I've never been to the Sixth Floor Museum. We did go to Dealey Plaza once. I was too scared of the rats running around in the open to fully appreciate the location's history.

220sjmccreary
Nov 16, 2012, 9:58 am

#213 Brenda, I hope you will enjoy it

#214 Mike, they mentioned the museum at the end of the book - the next time I go to Dallas I will plan to visit it

#215 Funny you mention Stephen King. I've had his book on my wishlist ever since it came out. There are probably nearly as many Kennedy books out there as there are Lincoln books (well, maybe not quite that many - yet) but my first thought was to read Stephen King's book next!

#216 Terri, I was surprised when they said in the book that all the TV networks (all 3 of them) were broadcasting only coverage of the Kennedy assassination. I thought constant news coverage after a major event was a more recent thing.

#217 Both of you in gym class! And it shows - both of you still healthy and fit!

#218 I definitely remember where I was when I heard about 9/11 - in the car driving to work (I wonder why I was listening to the radio and not an audio book?). The difference for my kids in school from the kids in school in 1963 is that there are TVs in all the classrooms now, and they watched the coverage all day as they moved from class to class - in the high school, at least. Our district cancelled all after-school events, but they did not cancel any classes. I am very surprised that the Canadian schools would have even announced the death of the American president, much less that they let out early. It would never have happened the other way around, I'm sure!

#219 I remember when Elvis died, but not where I was when I heard about it. I DO remember where I was when Reagan was shot - recently married and home sick with the flu. I watched the news coverage on the brand new 12-inch B&W TV that my husband's friends went together and bought for us as a wedding gift.

Interestingly, to me at least, these events seem seared permanently into our brains. But I read a book last year, The Invisible Gorilla, about the ways that our minds trick us into believing things that are not true. There was a chapter about just this phenomenon. Researchers interviewed students about their memories of the events of 9/11 and what they were doing at the time, and discovered that people who were together remembered widely different things, and that some people remembered things that could not have happened (like being in a specific class that wasn't taught that day of the week).

221cbl_tn
Nov 16, 2012, 10:10 am

The Invisible Gorilla is on my TBR list. The topic fascinates me. Have you seen the YouTube video that goes with the book?

222sjmccreary
Nov 16, 2012, 10:22 am

#221 I hadn't - I watched it just now. I don't know how I would have done if I hadn't already known what would happen. I got the wrong answer on the number of ball passes, though. I'll look forward to your reactions to the book after you've read it - I loved it.

223labwriter
Modifié : Nov 16, 2012, 1:56 pm

>220 sjmccreary:. If you held a gun to my head, I couldn't tell you the year Elvis died. He was of my older cousins' generation, not mine. I never was into him--not ever. Not that I can't or don't appreciate his music--he was just of another time.

224streamsong
Nov 16, 2012, 4:46 pm

Just thumbed-up your Ruckman review. Did you realize it's become a hot review?

225cbl_tn
Nov 16, 2012, 5:33 pm

>223 labwriter: Elvis was either a year older or younger than my father, so by the time I became aware of him, he was just an overweight middle-aged guy with a bad haircut wearing a jumpsuit. I didn't understand all the fuss at the time of his death. Years later, I had a friend who was an Elvis fan and I discovered the movies and TV clips filmed when he was at his peak. My friend's enthusiasm was contagious, and watching old Elvis movies is now one of my favorite "escape" activities. I also love to listen to his gospel music.

226sjmccreary
Nov 16, 2012, 6:19 pm

#223 I don't remember the year, either. He was still alive in 1975, but was gone before 1980. I remember hearing about it at the time.

#224 Yes, I saw that - I was a little taken aback

#225 I didn't appreciate him until much later, either. Remember several years ago when the postal service was putting out a commemorative stamp and polled people about whether they preferred Young Elvis or Old Elvis? I liked Young Elvis - and I also love to hear him sing gospel.

227thornton37814
Nov 16, 2012, 7:16 pm

My dog died on the same day Elvis died. You can guess which I mourned more.

228sjmccreary
Nov 20, 2012, 10:20 pm

Book #53



The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz


Contemporary romance - brain candy - just OK - would be better in print - the female reader in the audio edition was nearly intolerable. 3 stars.

229ronincats
Nov 21, 2012, 10:40 pm

Happy Thanksgiving, Sandy!

230cyderry
Nov 22, 2012, 10:02 am

I eremeber when I first started listening to audio books and felt cheated when I didn't hit red lights so that my trip would take longer. Isn't that a hoot - wanting to hit red lights?

Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy a good book.

231sjmccreary
Modifié : Nov 28, 2012, 10:52 am

Book #54



Stoner by John Williams


A Missouri Readers group read - this was definitely not an uplifting, feel-good book.

William Stoner was the only child of hard-scrabble dirt farmers near Booneville, MO at the turn of the 20th century. The county agent told William's father about the new school of agriculture at the University of Missouri in Columbia, just 40 miles away, and suggested that William be sent to learn all the latest techniques. But when he took a required English class during his sophomore year, he fell in love with literature and ended up changing his degree. He stayed on to earn a Masters degree then PhD, and then was offered a full-time teaching position in the English department. He married a woman who seemed incapable of loving him and who even interfered with his relationship with their daughter when she realized how close they were. The only part of his life that came easily to him was teaching but that, too, was spoiled when the new department chairman developed a grudge against him.

This was an extremely well-written account of the life of a man who was content to take life as it came. He rarely asserted himself to make things change, and was strangely willing to accept the unfair persecutions flung at him by his wife and chairman. Highly recommended. 4-1/2 stars.

232sjmccreary
Modifié : Nov 29, 2012, 11:41 am

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining 7 other LTers for the 3rd annual Joplin meet-up. We had beautiful weather and a lovely time chatting, shopping for books, eating, and more chatting. The only thing that could have made it better is if everyone had been there who had planned to come. There are pictures posted on a couple of different threads around here - I forgot to bring my camera. These are the books I bought:

A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman
March by Geraldine Brooks
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
A History of God by Karen Armstrong
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
The Ex by John Lutz
The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull
Billy Bathgate by E L Doctorow

Most of them had been on my wishlist to be acquired someday, so I feel pretty satisfied with my haul. We are already planning for next year. The first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

233DeltaQueen50
Nov 28, 2012, 5:27 pm

Great book haul, Sandy. I think I gave very high marks to all the books on your list that I have read. I saw the picture on Donna's thread and it looks like Joplin was a lot of fun.

234porch_reader
Nov 30, 2012, 7:37 pm

Wow, Joplin must be a good book shopping spot. I've been going from thread to thread drooling over the lists of books acquired. Glad you had fun!

235sjmccreary
Nov 30, 2012, 9:22 pm

Joplin is a GREAT place to shop for books - I hope you'll plan to come down next year. If you make it to KC, you can ride with Brenda and me from there. Tuesday after Thanksgiving - Dec 3, I think.

236sjmccreary
Déc 1, 2012, 4:18 pm

Book #55


The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey


Chief Inspector Peter Diamond considers himself to be the last real detective left, all the new guys rely on computers and science and technology to tell them things rather than thinking and looking for themselves.

After the body of a woman discovered in a local lake was finally determined to be that of a well-known TV actress, Diamond immediately suspects her husband, a local English professor. Especially since the husband returned home from a business trip and didn't report her unexpected absence, even after several days, coming forward only when he heard about the discovery. Diamond was suspended from duty following a complaint that he had battered a witness - a 12-year old boy. Rather than accept suspension pending investigation, Diamond resigns the force but is unable to forget the case. He begins to work with the defense and help uncover evidence that leads to the truth about the crime.

This is the first book of a series. Diamond seems humble enough to be aware of his shortcomings, and trying to over come them. I don't know whether he will re-join the police, or continue to work as a private detective, but I am anxious to continue the series and find out. 3-1/2 stars.

237sjmccreary
Déc 1, 2012, 5:26 pm

Book #56


I Could Pee on This by Francesco Mariculiano


A very small book of poems "written" by cats. The title caught my notice, as we are currently having, um, litter box issues with our cat. I thought it might be a humorous look at the strange and annoying things cats do. And I think it was intended to be just that. But it fell short. Many of the short verses started out being very cute, but then ended with a toneless thunk. For example,

Nine Lives

The first life is for running
The second life is for staring
The third life is for climbing
The fourth life is for tearing
The fifth life is for sleeping
The sixth life is for sleeping
The seventh life is for sleeping
The eighth life is for sleeping
The ninth life is for writing my memoirs

But some made me smile:

That Top Shelf

I think I can jump to that top shelf
I want to jump to that top shelf
I know I can jump to that top shelf
I am jumping to that top shelf
I missed that top shelf by a good six feet
And now everything is on the floor
And I'm left wondering
Why people even bother buying china
If it breaks so easily

Or this one:

Forever

I could lie by your side for the rest of our lives
I think I'll walk away right now
I could let you pet me for a hundred years
I think we need some time apart
I could be kissed a thousand thousand times
I think I'm needed somewhere else
I could sit on your lap forever
I said I could sit on your lap forever
Don't you even think of trying to get up
Well, you should have gone to the bathroom beforehand
Because forever is a very, very long time

I think my favorite verse was this one:

Something's Wrong

Something's wrong
Why are the walls a different color?
Something's not right
When did we get these stairs?
Something's off
How did the kitchen move across the floor?
Something's going on
Who changed all the homes outside?
Something's very odd
Why are you mispronouncing "Georgia" as "New York"?
Something happened
When you put me in that carrying case
And someday soon
I will figure it out

This is, literally, a 15-minute read. I didn't even need to check it out at the library - I read it in the car before I drove away. The photos are very cute, but overall the book fell flat. 2 stars.

238tymfos
Déc 3, 2012, 6:37 am

Shame that last one wasn't better. It was a good premise, and I liked the favorites you included. And that title is an eye-catcher!

(Good luck with your litter box issues.)

239thornton37814
Déc 3, 2012, 8:46 am

About that top shelf -- that cat obviously did not belong to any of us. If it had, there would have been books on that top shelf!

240sjmccreary
Déc 3, 2012, 9:38 am

#238 Terri, look the book up the next time you visit the library. You'll be able to read through it in less time than it takes to check it out. You might enjoy it better than I did. As in that last poem, we are moving soon. I'm worried that our litter box problems will only be aggravated by the upheaval. (Do you have cats? Any advice?)

#239 lol!

241tymfos
Déc 3, 2012, 8:05 pm

Sorry, no advice, Sandy. I don't have cats -- hubby's quite allergic. And I don't think our library has that book. (I haven't checked, but I think I'd remember seeing that title!) But I do wish you well in your upcoming move!

242sjmccreary
Déc 7, 2012, 8:29 pm

Book #57


Cover Her Face by P D James


The first book in the Adam Dalgliesh series - the new maid in a English manor house is an unwed mother who is found strangled to death in her bed the morning after the village fete was held on the grounds. A lot of people had motives for wanting her dead, or the opportunity to kill her - but who had both? The unflappable Dalgliesh is called in and very soon has solved the mystery. A solid beginning to a series I've long heard of but never read. 3-1/2 stars.

243sjmccreary
Déc 7, 2012, 8:51 pm

Book #58


Winter Harvest Cookbook: How to Select and Prepare Fresh Seasonal Produce All Winter Long by Lane Morgan


As some of you know, my husband and I recently bought a house out in the country and will be moving in January. We leave the city and its noise, lights, traffic and excellent libraries behind for peace and quiet, bright starry night skies and a much smaller rural library system. We also gain 5 acres of land with plenty of space for the fruit trees I've always wanted and a large garden. I'm excited about being able to produce more of our own food, maybe even most or all of it within a few years. But what do you eat in the winter when you're growing your own food? No fresh tomatoes in January! This book introduces many easily grown, or purchased, winter-time vegetables and presents dozens of fabulous recipes for hearty home-cooked meals. My library copy has a fringe of tags stuck in all the pages that I thought looked good - except for the dessert and baked goods chapter, when I simply gave up as I would have been marking every single page. This is a book I will definitely be looking to purchase if I don't receive it as a gift for Christmas (I've been hinting). 5 stars.

Tonight, using a recipe from this book, I made a soup using leeks, garlic, Italian sausage, potatoes and kale in a chicken broth. Quick and easy. Delicious.

244Donna828
Déc 8, 2012, 9:12 am

Sandy, your cat poem book had me smiling. I wonder if there is a similar book penned by a dog? Yummm, the soup sounds delicious. Perfect for the cold drizzly day we had down here yesterday. I look forward to your adventures on Green Acres!

Have you read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? I haven't, but I intend to next year. It sounds like a book about the back-to-nature experience you are seeking. Those starry night skies sound inviting!

245sjmccreary
Déc 12, 2012, 7:22 pm

#244 My daughter was home from school the other day - taking a break from campus before finals. She was excited to tell me about a book of poems written by cats that she'd seen at the campus book store. We laughed when I realized it was the same one I'd just read and we had fun comparing our favorites. I haven't read AVM yet, I've never read anything by Kingsolver - I suppose I should, but I just don't know what to expect her books to be like so I've held back. Dumb, isn't it?

When it comes to Christmas presents, I was never that kid who snooped and peaked at what Mom had hidden, and I never picked at the wrapping trying to see what was inside (although I freely admit to shaking and rattling). I still have infinite patience when it comes to waiting for gifts given to me by anyone in the family. But the LT SantaThing book exchange is another matter entirely! I don't know who my Santa is (that won't be revealed until Dec 25), but I do know that LindaP was playing "elf" by making her own suggestions. The package from Amazon was waiting for me when I came home from work today and I had it opened before I even took off my jacket! Inside were 4 books straight from my wishlist:

Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson
Poison by Sara Poole
Curse of the Narrows by Laura MacDonald
and my very own copy of Winter Harvest Cookbook by Lane Morgan, just reviewed above.

I can't wait to thank my santa for the wonderful selection.

246Whisper1
Déc 12, 2012, 7:46 pm

Your Santa LT member knows you well.

What a great selection.

247lindapanzo
Déc 12, 2012, 8:26 pm

As a fill-in Santa, I tried to snap Sandy up but someone else I know beat me to it so she and I put our heads together and made suggestions and then she chose and ordered for Sandy. She's a better shopper than I am, let me tell you, though the Halifax explosion book (on sale for something like six bucks) was my idea.

Even though I wasn't your Substitute Santa, Sandy, I'm glad that you love your books.

248sjmccreary
Déc 12, 2012, 8:35 pm

Linda, the two of you made a good team! The Hallifax book (Curse of the Narrows) was the one that was most delightful! Novels are easy, and I requested the cookbook by name, but it always takes a little bit of nerve, I think, to pick a nonfiction for someone. I can't wait to get started on these! Thanks for taking care of me!

249cbl_tn
Déc 12, 2012, 8:54 pm

I like your Santa's choices, too! They all sound like good reads, and the cookbook sounds like one that will see a lot of use. I've read the Victoria Thompson. It's one of my favorite historical cozy series.

I'm still waiting on my SantaThing books. I plan to open them as soon as they arrive since I'll be traveling over Christmas. I'm flying and I don't have room to take them with me. (Unless I end up taking one or two to read on the plane!)

250thornton37814
Déc 13, 2012, 6:45 pm

I was almost your Santa, Sandy, but then Jeremy and Tim cancelled the first go-round and reran the matching script so that no one got someone they'd had before. I ended up with someone else. Your Santa did a good job though.

251sjmccreary
Déc 13, 2012, 9:36 pm

#249 Needing something to read on the plane is a perfect excuse to go ahead and open the package.

#250 Darn. I liked the first Santee I was given - no one I know but our libraries are very similar. The person I ended up with was totally different. I keep hoping I'll get someone I know, or that my santa will be someone who knows me. This year with Linda helping was the closest I've come.

252sjmccreary
Déc 18, 2012, 10:38 am

Two books completed on my lunch hour on Friday:

Book #59


Iron Lake byWilliam Kent Krueger


I really liked this little mystery-thriller set in Northern Minnesota in the days leading up to Christmas. Cork O'Connor isn't the sheriff anymore, but he is quick on the scene of 2 suspicious deaths in the small town. When the new sheriff doesn't do much about them, Cork conducts his own investigation to learn the truth about what is going on in the mixed white-Indian community. The first of a series, I'm looking forward to more. 3-1/2 stars.

Book #60


Talking About Detective Fiction by P D James


The famous novelist talks about the Golden Age of detective fiction, the different elements of detective fiction and the importance of each one. It was interesting and informative, but I enjoyed her novel (post #242 above) better. 3 stars.

253thornton37814
Déc 18, 2012, 6:34 pm

I enjoyed Iron Lake when I read it, and I need to make sure to read another in the series next year.

254cyderry
Déc 18, 2012, 9:45 pm

Your Santa sent some good books, I've read a few of them.
I have Iron Lake ready for early 2013.

Happy Holidays!

255sjmccreary
Déc 20, 2012, 12:53 pm

Our first winter storm of the year is here! My inner 10-year old is thrilled!

256sjmccreary
Déc 21, 2012, 12:24 am

I know that winter storms can be dangerous, even deadly. I know the icy roads cause traffic problems - my husband reported an hour-long commute this morning instead of the usual 20 minutes. When I got out this afternoon, I passed nearly a dozen cars still in ditches on the sides of the road. But the sparkling whiteness covering the ground is lovely. The crisp cold air is invigorating. I love being able to go outside and work hard clearing the snow and ice off the driveway and sidewalk - and not get hot and sweaty!

While I was home this morning (waiting for a repairman) I finished up an audio book that has a winter storm as a key element of the story:

Book #61


Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz


Rose is a Border Collie dog who lives and works on a remote farm in upstate New York. More precisely, she lives to work. The book opens with Rose and Sam, the farmer, preparing the farm for a major winter storm. The majority of the book is told from Rose's POV, with short sections told by Sam to explain things that Rose would not understand. The storm that hits is far more severe than anyone expected. It rages on for 5 days, dumping several feet of heavy wet snow, with winds howling and temperatures below zero. It is hard on all the farm's occupants. The animals are not able to reach the food and water left for them by Sam after they have been covered by snow and ice, and Sam is not able to take more to them because of the heavy snowfall and deep drifts. Rose and Sam struggle to care for the animals and farm structures even at risk to their own health and safety.

The story is very good - suspenseful and full of action. I thought the title sounded like a children's book and when I realized that it was to be told from Rose's POV, I was worried that it would be treacle-y sweet, but it wasn't too bad that way. It would make a great kid's book, and I would have been able to enjoy the story, and the impressive blizzard, if it had been. What spoiled my enjoyment of it were the frequent scenes that became almost mystical in their strange spirituality. Rose repeatedly "remembers" not only her own past but the past of her entire species. She is even able to see the past of another of the farm animals by looking into its eyes as it is dying during the storm. She visits a kind of dog heaven where she is reunited with her mother and brothers and sisters (littermates), all of whom died when Rose was a puppy. She communicates with other animals telepathically (for lack of a better word). Not just the sheep that she was bred to control, but the wild coyotes and other animals that are not part of the farm. All that just got in the way of a good story, in my opinion.

I liked the way that Rose loves her work and how she knows what Sam is planning by noticing what shoes he is wearing and by the tone of his voice. I loved the map of the farm that she carries in her head, always checking it against what she is seeing and updating it whenever a new lamb is born, or an old ewe dies, or any other change occurs - no matter how small. I like the way that she can figure out how to get the animals to do what Sam wants them to do by watching them and remembering how different individuals act. Really, I liked everything about it - except that mysticism stuff. Unfortunately, that was a big distraction for me. Animal lovers, and dog lovers in particular, will probably love this book. But I am only giving it 2-1/2 stars.

257tymfos
Déc 23, 2012, 6:44 pm

Glad to see that you liked Iron Lake, Sandy. I love that series!

258Donna828
Déc 23, 2012, 7:20 pm

I usually like Jon Katz's books, Sandy, but that degree of mysticism is a little far out for me, too. Most of the snow was gone yesterday when we got to KC.

Have a special last Christmas in your old house. Here's to new beginnings!

259sjmccreary
Déc 23, 2012, 8:17 pm

#257 Glad to hear that the series holds up - it's just the kind that I like best!

#258 Yes, our snow melted pretty quick - which made your trip safer. But I hear that we are due for very cold temperatures and maybe more snow later this week. Just as we are trying to move! We're all set for our last Christmas in the old house - our son is bringing his new-ish girlfriend (we've met her once). They will get here Monday morning and stay until Tuesday evening. He is taking charge of Christmas dinner. Starting with a raw pig leg that he bought in early November and has been processing into a ham for us to eat on Tuesday. I'm anxious to see the meal that our chef-in-training is planning. The grocery list he gave us doesn't provide many hints. He drew the line at green bean casserole. He refuses to make it, so we'll have to do that ourselves!

I don't know whether I'll have time for LT on Monday, as we'll be finishing up last minute details and enjoying having all our kids home together for 2 whole days. So I want to take the opportunity now to wish each of you a wonderful Christmas. Travel safely and enjoy your family and friends.

260cyderry
Déc 23, 2012, 10:26 pm



261lindapanzo
Déc 24, 2012, 1:12 am

Merry Christmas to you, Sandy!!

262ChelleBearss
Déc 24, 2012, 11:52 am



Merry Christmas!!

263ronincats
Déc 24, 2012, 6:13 pm


Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics


I want to wish you a glorious celebration of that time of year when we all try to unite around a desire for Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All. Merry Christmas, Sandy!

264tymfos
Déc 25, 2012, 3:22 am

Merry Christmas, Sandy!


glitter-graphics.com

265sjmccreary
Déc 26, 2012, 2:17 pm

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is now looking forward to a fresh new year (and clean slates on all our reading challenges!)

Yesterday, we celebrated our last Christmas in the house we've lived in nearly 20 years. This is the house where our children grew up. Now, we begin the hard work of actually moving to the new house. My hope is to be able to host our annual New Year's Eve celebration there.

So, yesterday, my two nieces were here - ages 7 and 8, and voracious readers. I offered my SIL all my old Nancy Drew books, plus the Great Illustrated Classics that I bought for my kids, plus a few other assorted hard cover children's books. I was happy to see that they left with a grocery sack completely full of books. But I had to laugh when I checked the book shelf this morning and found 2 lonely books left - rejected by my nieces! I will put them into the towering Goodwill pile before I take them to the new house. But I'd much rather give them to someone who will read them, or at least love them. If anyone here wants one or both, or knows of someone who would, I will be happy to send them to any US address - no cost to you:

The Brownie Scouts in the Circus by Mildred Wirt - there is no cover image on LT, but the dust jacket is missing and the book's cover is plain orange. It is aged and probably dusty, but is otherwise in good condition. It is inscribed "To Sandy from Daddy, August 1968", but there aren't any other marks in it that I am noticing.


The Mystery of the Ivory Charm by Carolyn Keene
This is #13 in the Nancy Drew series, and is a yellow-spined edition from the early 1970s. There is a potato-stamped book plate pasted in the front cover with my name "Sandy Hill" neatly printed by me. I read the book and shared it with my best friend Judie, but we both loved books and were careful with them, so this one is also in good condition, except for the dust and general aging. There is an elephant on the cover, so I can't imagine why the girls didn't want it!

Send me a PM with your name and address and I will get them sent ASAP. We won't be taking anything to Goodwill until January, so they will be here for a couple of weeks at least.

266tututhefirst
Déc 26, 2012, 10:56 pm

#242....I recently read Cover Her Face again, and really want to continue to re=read this series in 2013. It's been quite a while, but I found it to be every bit as good as I remembered it.

267ronincats
Déc 26, 2012, 11:42 pm

I just finished Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her, where it is established that Mildred Wirt wrote the first seven and then #11 through #30 of the Nancy Drew books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate under the pen name of Carolyn Keene as well as other series under other pen names (Ruth Fielding, the Dana Girls) as well as some series under her own name--your first book is an example. So she wrote both of your books!

268sjmccreary
Déc 26, 2012, 11:48 pm

#267 I had no idea those two book were related in any way other than that I happened to own both of them! That's very interesting.

269Donna828
Déc 30, 2012, 9:41 am

Huh, I didn't know about all those pen names, either. Thanks, Roni. Sandy, you could save those last two books for your future grandchildren!

I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration in your new home. If you find an interesting bookstore in the vicinity, we can always have a meetup near you. ;-)

Wishing you and your family a new year filled with all good things.

270labwriter
Modifié : Déc 30, 2012, 1:27 pm

We also moved into our house right after Christmas and before the New Year--it was quite a challenge, but it was so great to start off the New Year in the new place. Best wishes to you and your family for a very good 2013!

I love the Nancy Drew discussion--I'm still hanging onto my copies until I find an "interested party" to give them to. Those books started my book collecting obsession (and probably also my "series" obsession--like the alphabet books written by Sue Grafton).

Did you also read the Judy Bolton books? I think I liked Judy even better than Nancy. For any Judy Bolton fans, there's a wonderful website at judybolton.com. One of my favoite books of all time--The Haunted Attic, by Margaret Sutton. I think that one was the second in the series. It looks as though I even wrote a review--ha.

271thomasandmary
Déc 31, 2012, 1:39 pm

Sandy, hope your move went well. Wishing you a very blessed and happy New Year.

272ronincats
Déc 31, 2012, 5:27 pm



Here's to a great new year ahead, Sandy!

273cyderry
Déc 31, 2012, 7:17 pm


274sjmccreary
Jan 4, 2013, 1:13 am

I've seen several other folks provide a summary of the year's reading, so I thought I'd see if I could put together a short "best of 2012" list. This is what I came up with - in reverse reading order:

1. The Kennedy Detail by Gerald Blaine - I'm still telling people about this book
2. Mrs Mike by Benedict Freedman - a favorite book since my early teens, this was my 2nd or 3rd re-read. It holds up beautifully - I loved it as much as I did the first time
3. Time and Again by Jack Finney - chosen for me by LindaPanzo. She said it was her all-time favorite book and I can see why.
4. And Hell Followed With It by Bonar Menninger - the story of the 1966 Topeka, Ks tornado - I am a Kansas girl and have personal connections to this story
5. Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict - scholarly but readable, it was just what I wanted

At only 61 books completed, this was my lightest reading year in recent memory. But fewer books finished means fewer clunkers, so I'm not going to bother with a "worst of" list.

I'm an eternal optimist, so I'm looking forward to even better reading in 2013. If you haven't already found me in the 2013 group, my thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/146524

275lindapanzo
Jan 4, 2013, 11:25 pm

Sandy, I'm so glad that you loved both the Finney book and the Topeka, Kansas tornado book. That was one of the best tornado books I've read.

I'll have to look for the other three books you mentioned.