klobrien2 (Karen O.) Reads a Ton of Books in 2012 (Second Page)

You found me!

This is a picture of my new grandson, Rory, at about 20 weeks, in the running for Cutest Baby Ever (don't you agree?!) Thanks for coming by!




This is my fourth year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!; and I made it to 153 in 2011.

I'm also learning from the past, and I don't think I'll set any specific goals as to which books I will read--I have more fun just taking it as it comes. I am, however, trying to accomplish reads for the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" project, so that may guide my reading a little. What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

Here's a ticker to keep track of my 2012 reads:




I am trying to read more books from "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." Here's a ticker to keep track of my progress there:




Here's where I'll list the books I read, starting with (the number at the end of each line represents the post number where I placed my "review" for the book):

1. The Necromancer: The Secrets of the the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (book 4 in the series)
2. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson - 12
3. The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley (ILL) - 15
4. Creepiosity: A Hilarious Guide to the Unintentionally Creepy by David Bickel (ILL) - 16
5. Beloved by Toni Morrison (Book 152 of 1001) - 25
6. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. - 28
7. The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF's 40th Anniversary by Reading is Fundamental - 36
8. Firefly Gadroon: A Lovejoy Novel of Suspense by Jonathan Gash (Book #6) (ILL) - 38
9. No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey - 38
10. Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman by Deborah Freedman - 40
11. When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden - 40
12. I, Crocodile by Fred Marcellino - 40
13. Cain by Jose Saramago - 41
14. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (reread) - 42
15. Aurora Consurgens (attributed to Thomas Aquinas) (ILL) - 42
16. The Warlock: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (Book 5 of the series) - 47
17. Zheng He: Tracing the Epic Voyages of China's Greatest Explorer by Michael Yamashita (ILL) - 48
18. The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje - 49
19. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - 50
20. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 56
21. The Sleepers of Erin: A Lovejoy Novel of Suspense by Jonathan Gash (Book #6) (ILL) - 58
22. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx - 61
23. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - 62
24. Minneapolis Institute of Arts: Handbook of the Collection by MIA - 63
25. The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Book #9) - 64
26. The Dog Who Came in from the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith - 65
27. The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck - 66
28. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - 67
29. Felting: The Complete Guide by Jane Davis - 74
30. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 74
31. The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats by Nicholas Dodman - 74
32. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 75
33. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James - 76
34. Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 82
35. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman - 83
36. To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 84
37. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 84
38. The Gondola Scam by Jonathan Gash (Book #7) (ILL) - 88
39. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck - 89
40. I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 90
41. Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm by Brian Michael Bendis - 91
42. God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam (ILL) - 92
43. One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 93
44. The Unquiet Bones by Melvin Starr (ILL) - 94
45. Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton - 95
46. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi - 107
47. Is Sex Necessary? or, Why You Feel the Way You Do by James Thurber and E.B. White (ILL) - 108
48. Storm Front by Jim Butcher - 111
49. The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan - 120
50. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck - 121
51. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken - 122
52. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith - 124
53. Heat Rises by Richard Castle - 128
54. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier - 131
55. Rinkitink in Oz by L. Frank Baum (#10 of 14) - 134
56. Storm Front Vol. 1 The Gathering Storm by Jim Butcher - 135
57. A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel: The Second Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Mel Starr (ILL) - 136
58. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters - 139
59. Storm Front Vol. 2 Maelstrom by Jim Butcher - 139
60. A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558-1718 by Wallace Notestein (ILL) - 144
61. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (book 153 of 1001) - 145
62. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (book 154 of 1001) - 150
63. The Discworld Graphic Novels (The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic) by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Scott Rockwell - 150
64. Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel by Kate Horsley - 151
65. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - 152
66. Revelations: Visions, Prophecy and Politics in the Book of Revelations by Elaine Pagels - 153
67. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - 157
68. A Trail of Ink: The Third Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon by Melvin R. Starr (ILL) - 158
69. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling - 159
70. The Pirates! Band of Misfits by Gideon Defoe (ILL) - 160
71. The Walking Dead, Vol. 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman - 161
72. The Walking Dead, Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves by Robert Kirkman - 161
73. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - 162
74. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 163
75. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes (book 155 of 1001) - 168

I started posting to this thread at this point (I read my 75th book! Yay!) This thread starts with Book 76.

76. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (Book 156 of 1001) - 8
77. Girl Walks into a Bar...:Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch - 9
78. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - 12
79. A Conspiracy of Friends by Alexander McCall Smith - 15
80. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen - 16
81. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot - 17
82. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists by Gideon Defoe (ILL) - 18
83. Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin - 21
84. The Book of Lost Books: An Incomplete History of All the Great Books You'll Never Read - 22
85. The Lost Princess of Oz (#11 of 14) by L.Frank Baum - 25
86. East of Eden by John Steinbeck - 34
87. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Napoleon by Gideon Defore (ILL) - 35
88. Tokens of Grace: A Novel in Stories by Sheila O'Connor - 39
89. Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed, and Forgery in the Holy Land by Nina Burleigh - 40
90. Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger - 41
91. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy - 45
92. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - 48
93. The Enchantress: The Secrets of the the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (book 6 in the series) - 50
94. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck - 51
95. 420 Characters by Lou Beach - 54
96. God's Country by Percival Everettt (ILL) - 57
97. Cowboys and Aliens by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg - 62
98. Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy - 63
99. Father's Day: A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son by Buzz Bissinger - 64
100. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Book 157 of 1001) - 65
101. Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (Book 158 of 1001) - 65
102. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (Book 159 of 1001) (ILL) - 73
103. The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy - 74
104. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury - 75
105. Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy - 76
106. The Bobbsey Twins or Merry Days Indoors and Out by Laura Lee Hope (ILL) - 79
107. The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behavior by David Attenborough (ILL) - 80
108. After Life by Rhian Ellis (ILL) - 83
109. The Young Visiters, Or, Mr. Salteena's Plan by Daisy Ashford (ILL) - 84
110. No Place for a Lady: Tales of Adventurous Women Travelers by Barbara Hodgson - 89
111. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith - 90
112. The Witches by Roald Dahl - 91
113. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (Book 160 of 1001) - 96
114. Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A.S. Byatt - 97
115. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West (ILL) (Book 161 of 1001) - 101
116. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (ILL) (Book 162 of 1001) - 102
117. Catching Fire (Hunger Games, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins - 103
118. Cinder by Marissa Meyer - 106
119. Everyman's Book of Victorian Verse ed. J. R. Watson - 107
120. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (book 163 of 1001) - 110
121. I Am a Pole (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert - 111
122. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce - 112
123. Da Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image by Toby Lester - 116
124. Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin - 124 (book 124 in message 124--cool!)
125. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger - 124
126. Mockingjay (Hunger Games, Book 3) by Suzanne Collins - 135
127. Wonder by R. J. Palacio - 138
128. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - 141
129. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin - 142
130. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin - 143
131, The Complete Photo Guide to Textile Art by Susan Stein - 144
132. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin - 145
133. 50 Buildings You Should Know by Isabel Kuhl - 146
134. The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill (ILL) - 147
135. 1066 and All That by W. C. Sellar - 148
136. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley - 151
137. The Giver by Lois Lowry (The Giver Trilogy, #1) - 152
138. The Monk by Matthew Lewis (Book 164 of 1001) - 156
139. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck - 157
140. A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong - 158
141. The Wonderful O by James Thurber (Book 165 of 1001) - 160
142. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl - 163
143. The 13 Clocks by Roald Dahl (Book 166 of 1001) - 164
144. Unhallowed Ground by Melvin R. Starr (ILL) - 165
145. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley - 168
146. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry (The Giver Trilogy, #2) - 169
147. The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir by Laurie Sandell - 170
148. I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley - 175
149. The Perils of Morning Coffee by Alexander McCall Smith - 176
150. The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith - 181
151. The Pearl by John Steinbeck - 182
152. J. W. Waterhouse by Anthony Hobson (ILL) - 186
153. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre (Book 167 of 1001) - 187
154. Our Town: A Play in Three Acts by Thornton Wilder - 188
155. The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide by M. J. Knight (ILL) - 189
156. The Serpent's Shadow (Book 3 of The Kane Chronicles) by Rick Riordan - 191
157. Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler - 193
158. A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume One by George R. R. Martin, et al. - 194
159. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - 199
160. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - 204

Here's my first thread from this year: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130638

Here's my last thread from last year: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Found you:)

I'm so glad to see you here!

Congrats on reaching your first 75! BTW your grandson looks adorable, he looks like he could also be in the running for happiest baby ever!

Thanks! He is one of the happiest babies I've ever known. (Except I hear that he's sick today, and inconsolable -- poor baby).

So glad to see your post, DeltaQueen!

That is an exceptionally cute baby!

(Carlym, where is that "like" button???) He is very cute, isn't he?! Of course, I might be a little biased. hehe

76. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I have been reading this chunky monkey for, literally, several months. I read the first half of the book in fits and starts; too much time would pass, and I would have to restart from the beginning. However, once I reached the narrative of the protagonist, I was in a fever to finish it, to find out what happened next.

This is the story of Calliope Stephanides, a descendant of Greek immigrants to America, but in a way, it's like Grapes of Wrath. The author uses the story of a specific individual, and a specific family, to describe a history of a group of people, a movement. While the gender identity of Calliope (Cal) is important, there are other important issues going on here.

Beautifully written, this book contains so much humor and drama, even tragedy, sewn up into a seamless whole.

Here are a few of my favorite passages:

He was a great teacher, Mr. da Silva. . . .When he spoke himself, it was in complete paragraphs. If you listened closely it was possible to hear the dashes and commas in his speech, even the colons and semicolons. Mr da Silva had a relevant quotation for everything that happened to him and in this way evaded real life.

Living sends a person not into the future but back into the past, to childhood and before birth, finally, to commune with the dead. You get older, you puff on the stairs, you enter the body of your father. From there it's only a quick jump to your grandparents, and then before you know it you're time-traveling. In this life you grow backwards. It's always the gray-haired tourists on Italian buses who can tell you something about the Etruscans.

I'm finding that there are reasons why books end up on lists like "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." Middlesex is on that list (well, the 2006 version, anyway), and I think that that is well-deserved.

77. Girl Walks into a Bar: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch

I'm really enjoying the autobiographies that famous funny women (I'm not sure what label to use--"comic" or "comedienne" seem too limiting) are putting out these days. Tina Fey's Bossypants was great, and I liked Girl Walks into a Bar a lot. Next up is Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (well, I'm on the waiting list at my library, so it's not quite "next" up)

Rachel Dratch is a very funny woman (there's that label again!) and actress. She is also, it turns out, quite a nice writer. I felt, when reading this book, like I was having a great conversation with a good friend, a friend who is one of the funniest and most open people I know. This was a good read. I hope Dratch writes more.

OMG, Rory should be in advertising with that smile!!! He is a real cutie. And this comes from another Grandma who knows a cute baby when she sees one. ;-)

I'm glad you stuck it out with Middlesex and got the payoff. It was a memorable read for me yet I haven't gone one to read anything else by the author. Again, it's that "too many books" thing!

Hi, Donna! Isn't Rory cute?! He's a sweet baby, too. (And I'm not biased, not at all!)

I've read The Virgin Suicides by Eugenides, but that was years and years ago. Maybe I'll look into The Marriage Plot--that's his most recent, isn't it?

Thanks for stopping by and chatting!

78. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Wow! What a book. This one lived up to the hype surrounding it, in my opinion. This retelling of The Iliad has me wanting to read the original, that's for sure.

At times a history, a war story, but mostly a love story. The writing was vivid and thoughtful. It was so interesting to see a world portrayed where gods were real, and made themselves present in human life.

Here's a favorite passage from the book:

"You chose her," he says. "Over me."

"Over your pride." The word I use is hubris. Our word for arrogance that scrapes the stars, for violence and towering rage as ugly as the gods.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in ancient civilizations, Greek mythology, or love. About halfway through the book, I found it hard to put it down. It was an excellent read.

Okay, fine! Fine! I'm seeing this everywhere. I'll bite the book bullet.

Morphidae, you won't be sorry! I was kind of undecided about the concept of the book at first, but I thought the author did such a good job, it won me over. I hope you like it as well!

79. A Conspiracy of Friends by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the latest entry in Smith's Corduroy Mansions series. The author kept me satisfied (as always, it seems) with his clever, quiet, thoughtful writing. This one had some really funny (sweet, not nasty) moments.

Some favorite passages:

Caroline considered the words "poor you." It was the best, most sympathetic thing you could say to anybody. There did not have to be an accident; you could say "poor you" in any circumstances and it would help. It was much better than saying good morning or uttering any other greeting; "poor you" could be used at any time and with anybody--everybody, but everybody, felt hard done by in at least some respect and would appreciate the sympathy.

Now she found herself desperate to know how the situation had resolved itself--if it had resolved itself: a novelist might tie up all remaining loose ends, but life did not necessarily do the same. The circumstances that came about often petered out in a lame way; characters who had been central to the narrative simply went away, sometimes without any explanation. They died at the wrong time, leaving things unsaid, things undone. Great hopes came to nothing; the wrong people won; the ship that was due to come home so gloriously never even made it to port, or was empty when it arrived.

Such was real life.

80. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

I've always loved Anna Quindlen's writing, and I'd put this latest book at the top of my list. Quindlen and I are about the same age, with some similar life experiences, so I often felt some real empathy when she would describe her life at this just-past-middle-age range, this "Life in the Fifties."

Lots of favorite passages and terms here, and Quindlen is liberal with good quotes from all different kinds of sources.

From Soren Kierkegaard: "Life must be lived forward but understood backward."

Henry James, as she reports: "Henry James wasn't exactly a warm fuzzy, so I think it's significant that even he once said, 'Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind, the second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind.'"

In telling us her reaction to a young woman who almost seemed to be preaching to her about life choices: "Karma is a boomerang, and a bitch."

From a greeting card: "After the middle ages comes the renaissance."

(On considering the strides made by women in the world of journalism): "Perhaps the next generation will not even find that notable because it will have become so commonplace. Unremarkable equality, that's what they've grown up with. What a legacy we've left them, male and female alike." (italics mine--I just love that word pair--unremarkable equality.)

Excellent read!

81. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot

Charming, funny poems about cats (and a few dogs) written, with love, from Eliot to his godkids. The version I read had drawings by Edward Gorey which are just fantastic (very fitting to the poems).

82. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists by Gideon Defoe

Another very funny adventure with the Pirates. The crew is led by their Pirate Captain, and one of the funniest bits about the books is that the pirates are never named; they are known by attributes. So you have "the pirate with gout" and "the pirate with a scarf" (he's the number two on the ship). The only pirate named with a first name is Jennifer, and that's probably because she's female. I laughed aloud when I read,

"Moider!," said the pirate from the Bronx. (that's the only time we read about him!)

The books are getting funnier, but they've all been filled with great humor and sense of fun. The books are little, and every word matters. I've been reading them through inter-library loan, but I'm sure I'll track down copies for my library--they are definitely worth a rereading.

"Well, I hope you've learnt an important lesson about not squashing young talent," said the Pirate Captain. "Because this is what happens: years later you get menaced by colossal mechanical men. I think it's what Buddhists call 'coming back to bite you in the ass'."

Soooo many good books! :) Will definitely have to come back to see what other books you will be reading.
And what a cute grandson too!!

Hi, jolerie! Thanks for stopping by and giving such nice compliments to both books and grandbaby. I'll have to go get up-to-date on your thread (I am so behind on so many!) See you!

83. Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Impressive juvenile fiction, the first novel by the author, who wrote it and illustrated it.

It's a terrifying story, but real life in Russia under Stalin was pretty terrifying, too. It's about getting along in a totalitarian society, it's about family, and friendship, and trust.

It's a beautifully drawn and written book.

The lesson the author wants to teach is found in a discussion of Gogol's The Nose:

"What 'The Nose' so vividly demonstrates to us today," says Luzhko, "is that when we blindly believe in someone else's idea of what is right or wrong for us as individuals, sooner or later our refusal to make our own choices could lead to the collapse of the entire political system. An entire country. The world, even."

He looks at the class significantly and says, "Do you understand?"

Of course, they have no idea what he's talking about. This Luzhko is suspicious. I always thought so. All teachers use words you hear on the radio, but he doesn't. I don't know what's wrong with him.

84. The Book of Lost Books: An Incomplete History of All the Great Book You'll Never Read by Stuart Kelly

A truly involving survey of lost writings stretching from BCE to pretty nearly present-day times. At times pretty gossipy, irreverent, but mostly always informative and interesting. I came away with a list of plays and books to read (ones that haven't been lost). A really good "book about books."

Here's my list of non-lost books TBR:

Aeschylus The Oresteia
Sophocles Oedipus Rex
Euripedes Medea, Orestes
Ben Jonson The Alchemist
Bulgakov The Master and Margarita (that one was already on my TBR)
Jane Austen Sanditon
Robert Nue Memoirs of Lord Byron
Tom Holland Lord of the Dead (Lord Byron, vampire--for fun)
Dylan Thomas

Lots of great anecdotes and biographical information. Here's a favorite passage:

In one instance, Moliere outdid his mentor. Lucretius, to prevent the future sufferings he would no doubt have to endure, committed suicide. Moliere, on finding his friends so lachrymose in drink that they were intent on drowning themselves, agreed with them, but cautioned that such a philosophically relevant protest at the conditions of existence would no doubt be undermined if it transpired that they performed the action when flushed with wine. The suicide would take place the next day, after breakfast, when, of course, it didn't.

I loved The Song of Achilles, too. :)

It's the kind of book that stays with you for a long time. Lovely.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

85. The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The eleventh in the series of Baum's Oz books. With this one, it seems that the author has made peace with the public's demands for him to keep writing about Oz and the characters who lived in that place. The story revisits many of the already-known characters, and introduces us to some new ones. There is a mystery plot (Queen Ozma is missing!), and lots of adventure.

The Books of Wonder series is physically gorgeous, and a joy to read, of course. The illustrations by John R. Neill are fantastic, as always.

A few little snippets that I especially liked:

(A few of the characters are talking about Scarecrow):

"Well, he lives at the Emerald City, and he is supposed to have the finest brains in all Oz. The Wizard gave them to him, you know."

"Mine grew in my head," said the Frogman pompously, "so I think they must be better than any wizard brains. I am so wise that sometimes my wisdom makes my head ache. I know so much that often I have to forget part of it, since no one creature, however great, is able to contain so much knowledge."

Each of the books seems to have a profound statement of some kind, and I think that this is this book's statement:

To be individual, my friends, to be different from others, is the only way to become distinguished from the common herd. Let us be glad, therefore, that we differ from one another in form and in disposition. Variety is the spice of life and we are various enough to enjoy one another's society; so let us be content.

Interesting book! I haven't heard of this author or the series before. How many books total are in the series?

Wait, what? You've never heard of the Wizard of Oz?

Hahaha..no...I've heard of the Wizard of Oz, but I actually don't know the original author? Or is Frank Baum the original guy? *Hangs head in shame*

Yep, Baum is the original author. :)

Ahhh...good to know!

Don't feel bad, Valerie! L. Frank Baum wrote a lot of books, but I think there are 14 in the "original" set. Other authors kept on with writing "Oz" books after he was done.

Books of Wonder has published all 14, and they are just beautiful--reproductions of the originals. The Emerald City of Oz has green metallic ink on some of the illustrations--one of my favorites. The character of The Patchwork Girl of Oz is my favorite. The books are kids' books, but I find them really refreshing and fun, especially after reading something grown-up and gritty.

Here's a list of the official "Oz" books (from Wikipedia):

1.Wonderful Wizard of Oz
2.Marvelous Land of Oz
3.Ozma of Oz
4.Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
5.The Road to Oz
6.Emerald City of Oz
7.Patchwork Girl of Oz
8.Tik-Tok of Oz
9.Scarecrow of Oz
10.Rinkitink in Oz
11.The Lost Princess of Oz
12.Tin Woodman of Oz
13.The Magic of Oz
14.Glinda of Oz
15.Little Wizard Stories of Oz?

I'm not sure about that last one--maybe they put that one together after Baum died?

And here I thought it was only 1 book! I didn't realize there was a whole series behind it. I've read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and I've watched the movie version of the book, but haven't read the actual original story as you can obviously tell. I'll look to see if my library has copies of those books. Thanks for the clarification! :)

I would be glad to get another convert to the books! I guess they were very popular when they first came out (well, with kids, anyway). They can get kind of silly, sometimes dated in their philosophy, but overall, easy and fun reads.

86. East of Eden by John Steinbeck

I read this book because it was July's entry for the Steinbeckathon, a group read of Steinbeck novels taking place throughout the year. I might not have attempted it otherwise--it's a chunkster, and it was a little difficult to get going in. East of Eden is a big book, a little overwhelming at first, but so full of Steinbeck's great prose and that sense of American history that his books have. It made me feel like my time was well spent.

After finishing the book, I think that it is mainly about good and evil, and how each of us choose to live in a manner that will honor the good, or, conversely, the bad. The book is also about family, about friendships between men, about relationships of parents with their sons. The book is "about" so much. Having just finished it this morning, I feel like my perception of the book is still developing.

But! I kept track of passages that were especially vibrant to me:

You can boast about anything if it's all you have. Maybe the less you have, the more you are required to boast.

She had a dour Presbyterian mind and a code of morals that pinned down and beat the brains out of nearly everything that was pleasant to do.

Her theology was a curious mixture of Irish fairies and an Old Testament Jehovah whom in her later life she confused with her father.

The lore has not died out of the world, and you will still find people who believe that soup will cure any hurt or illness and is no bad thing to have for the funeral either.

"And, of course, people are interested only in themselves. If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen. And I here make a rule--a great and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting--only the deeply personal and familiar."

What I set down about him will be the result of memory plus what I know to be true plus conjecture built on the combination. Who knows where it will be correct?

...and the tall wild oats and mustard grew beside the road, with wild turnip forcing its boisterous way up and stickery beads of purple thistles rising above the green riot of the wet spring.

I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one, that has frightened and inspired us, so that we live in a Pearl White serial of continuing thought and wonder. Humans are caught--in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity, too--in a net of good and evil. I think this is the only story we have and that it occurs on all levels of feeling and intelligence. Virtue and vice were warp and woof of our first consciousness, and they will be the fabric of our last...

"We all have that heritage, no matter what old land our fathers left. All colors and blends of Americans have somewhat the same tendencies. It's a breed--selected out by accident. And so we're overbrave and overfearful--we're kind and cruel as children. We're overfriendly and at the same time frightened of strangers. We boast and are impressed. We're oversentimental and realistic. We are mundane and materialistic--and do you know of any other nation that acts for ideals? We eat too much. We have no taste, no sense of proportion. We throw our energy about like waste. In the old lands they say of us that we go from barbarism to decadence without an intervening culture. Can it be that our critics have not the key or the language of our culture?"

I gave the book five stars, and have marked it as one of my "favorites."

87. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Napoleon by Gideon Defoe

Gosh, I love these pirate books! Now, I've caught up, and will have to wait for new installments (I hope there are more coming!) The plot is simple but convoluted; the characters are not anywhere near realistic. Truly hilarious and enjoyable, and a quick read (quite the opposite of my last read--East of Eden).

"...And what is England famous for?"

The Governor shrugged. "Our delicate cuisine? Our fine dentition? Our uninhibited raw sexuality?"

"Democracy!" exclaimed the Pirate Captain. "England is famous for inventing democracy."

"Are you sure that wasn't the Greeks?"

"No, it was the English, same as everything else."

Hopefully I will get a chance to read EoE sometime this month. Third time is hopefully the charm and I *will* finish it this time!
Pirates and Napoleon, Jane Austen and zombies, these are all such strange, strange takes on classics, but I definitely want to give them a try at some point since I struggle with the originals so much anyways.

Hi, Valerie! Good thing that it's easy to like lots of different kinds of books! I usually have at least a few books in the works, because who knows what I'll feel like reading at any one time?

Thanks for stopping by!

Hi Karen -- I (finally) found you! Wow, what a lot of terrific books you're reading! I read Breaking Stalin's Nose this summer, too. It was a required text for a class I'm taking, and I enjoyed it a lot. I also recently bought Song of Achilles -- nice to know that you think it well worth the hype.

And dear Rory!! Yes, he may well be the Cutest Baby Ever! Congrats!

88. Tokens of Grace by Sheila O'Connor

A heart-breakingly beautiful set of short stories (some of them very short) that tell the story of Callie, her two little sisters, and her mother in the period after the mother and father split up. The timeframe is the 1960s-1970s; the location, a small town in the Midwest. From time to time I was struck by recognition of places or events (RFK's assassination, Lulu's blue lipstick in "To Sir With Love," for two examples).

This is, physically, a very small book, but every word counts, not a word wasted. That's my favorite kind of story.

At Our Lady of the Lake, she was top of her class in subtracting, an expert at guessing what was left when you took something away.

The world is a peculiar place when you are a mother; passion stays the way you remember but too far away to own it.

This book had been one of the first books I put on my Word-format TBR list; I've recently started putting them on LT as "To Read." This book was a test case for moving a "To Read" book to "Read But Not Owned" (it was a library book). Worked great!

89. Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed, and Forgery in the Holy Land by Nina Burleigh

Nina Burleigh has very strong skills and experience as a journalist, and this book is proof of it. The book thoroughly tells the story of the business of the selling of antiquities in Israel. I've read books about Israel, but this book made me feel like I was an eyewitness, like I was there, meeting the people that the author was meeting, seeing through her eyes.

The author's detective work mostly involves the "James Ossuary," a relic whose owner claims represents the ossuary (bone receptacle) of James, the brother of Jesus, the son of Joseph. Burleigh presents a compelling case that the ossuary is a forged item, and that more than one person was responsible for presenting the ossuary as a true relic.

It is not a crime to buy, sell, or trade antiquities in Israel. Israel is almost alone among what are know in the parlance of cultural heritage experts as countires of origin in allowing the trade; it is the only Middle Eastern country to permit it.

It seems to be that culture, and the presence of so many different religious and political forces, each with their own goals and desires, that allows the sale of fake antiquities to go on. At the time of the writing of the book, the several-year-long trial was still going on; on 3/14/2012, the owner was acquitted of forgery, but convicted of illegal trading in antiquities.

90. Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery set in northern Minnesota. I'm surprised it's taken me so long to read William Kent Krueger, but I'm definitely hooked.

In the night, the storm had moved east beyond Lake Superior and into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Its passing left the sky clear and with a few stars still shining. The snow lay smooth and deep, cast in the pale blue-gray light of early morning. The air was so still the white smoke from the chimneys in town rose straight up as birch trunks. Cork loved the painful cold of the morning, the brittle new snow beneath his boots, the breathless clarity of the sky.

The paperback copy I read had a few pages of the author's next book, Boundary Waters, as a teaser for the reader. I loved the words of this "drum song":

Straight is my path.
Straight is my mind.
Straight is my heart.
Straight is my speech.
Kind will I be to my brothers and sisters.
Kind will I be to beast and bird.

Glad you liked Iron Lake! :)

Hi, Hibernator! Or, should I say, Hi! bernator!

I think I might have read Iron Lake, but years ago. It had such a sense of familiarity about it. But maybe that was because the locale and the people seemed so familiar. In any case, it was a real "like" for me.

Yeah, I'm excited to read the next in the series...but I'm never good at keeping on track with series reading...it's often several months between one book and another book in a series.

91. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

I've always found the character of Theodora very interesting. Stella Duffy has pulled together the scant information that does exist about Theodora and the world in which she lived, embellished, and novelized it. This isn't historical writing, but it is an interesting read.

It was a time of several religious and political authorities, often in disagreement. Justinian is explaining to Theodora that he is working to make changes in law so that he and she can marry.

Only mildly disturbed by her lack of response - even in his fervour he did realise this must all come as a bit of a shock -- Justinian explained, "I have been looking into it for a while." And then, when she still looked confused, he tried another tack, "Timothy thinks it's a good idea."

"The Patriarch?"

"Of Alexandria, yes. Haven't mentioned it to the Constantinople one, not yet. Or Rome, well, who knows what's going on over there. Anyway, Timothy thinks it'll help."

Just *delurking* on your thread to say Hello *wink* and to say that I very much like your collection of books :)

Hi, drachenbraut23! Thanks for stopping by to chat!

92. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

I've read a few books this year by women comic writers/actresses (Tina Fey's Bossypants, Rachel Dratch's Girl Walks into a Bar . . .:Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle). I've enjoyed them all.

Kaling is very, very funny, and really smart. She's a little edgier sometimes than the other two authors I mentioned above. But she's perfectly willing to laugh at herself (and everybody else). I hope she writes more!

Wow, look at all the reading you've been doing. I'm jealous. :)

I have Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore on my WL. Thanks for all the wonderfully concise reviews, Karen!

Hi, Valerie! Thanks for visiting!



93. The Enchantress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

The sixth and final book in the series, this one did not disappoint. All loose ends were tied up, the history and status of all characters was shared--I wish I would have had some kind of chart to keep track of all the plotlines and characters. I found the ending very satisfying, and I cried and laughed many times. The main lessons I took away from this YA series is how to be brave in the face of overwhelming odds, and the importance of friendship.

94. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

The August entry for this year's Steinbeck-a-thon. It is a short novel; almost more like a collection of four short stories, all revolving around Jody, the little boy who lives on a ranch in the Salinas valley with his mother, father, and hired hand Billy Buck.

The life on the ranch is hard, and the tone of the book is sad. There is real heartbreak here, and resilience, and hope. Life goes on, even in the event of death.

Jody's schoolmates are impressed when they learn that he now has a pony:

Out of a thousand centuries they drew the ancient admiration of the footman for the horseman. They knew instinctively that a man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot.

I found the book very sad, even though I recognized and love Steinbeck's writing. One of the saddest things for me (besides the plot elements that cause sadness) is the relationship between Jody and his father. The father is a hard, controlling man, and often uses words to control or to hurt.

Jody knew how his father was probing for a place to hurt in Gitano. He had been probed often. His father knew every place in the boy where a word would fester.

I don't know that I'd recommend this book. It was good enough, but I don't know if I would have spent much more time on it (if it had been any longer). I really am appreciating reading more Steinbeck, so if you are looking to be more familiar with the author I'd say, sure, read this book.

*waving* at Karen - love the grandbaby picture up top :)

Hi, Stasia! Isn't Rory (grandson) a cutie? I think this is my favorite picture of him, and it's a difficult choice.

Thanks for stopping by!

95. 420 Characters by Lou Beach

This is such a cool book; unique, too, in my experience. The author provides tiny little stories (only small in the number of words), and stories of all kinds of genres. He's a master of "short and succinct," with not a word wasted.

Here's one of my favorite of the stories:

Freedom, peaceful roamer, sniffer of trash and trees, catcher of thrown balls, a real good mutt, was shot by my jerk neighbor Norris, a mean prick who'd chop up your ball with an ax if it landed in his yard. Freedom wandered onto Norris's land and Norris popped him with the .22 rifle he uses on squirrels. We had to amputate Freedom's left hind leg, but he's a better three-legged dog than Norris is a two-legged human.

I tagged this book with "on writing" because I think the work that the author went through to create these stories would be excellent exercise for aspiring writers--getting words on paper, selectively as possible, but conveying definite moods and plots. These are really amazing and hugely entertaining!

#54: Off to see if my local library has that one. . .

55: Stasia, it would be perfect for you--you can pick it up when you have a minute or two to spare, and read a few of the tiny stories. I hope you find it, and if you do, that you like it!

96. God's Country by Percival Everett

I had requested this from ILL last month, to read it for the TIOLI Western challenge, but received it a little too late. But I'm fitting it into the August "Mid-size work" challenge (it's only 219 pages).

This is a WONDERFUL book. It's a Western, but it's a satire. It's incredibly funny, but also very sad. It's about diversity in the American West at the end of the 19th century--where everyone except white males of Christian culture are at risk of bias, lawlessness, just general cruelty. The book reminded me quite a bit of True Grit, or even the movie "Blazing Saddles"--using humor to teach history lessons about the time and place.

Here are some of my favorite passages:

I had read what I could of the dime novels about the frontier, thinking it my duty as a citizen of it to make sure the truth be told, and generally the little books gave a fair account, but always failed to mention the smell. Hell, we hardly ever bathed and our stomachs were always grumbling and complaining and we wore our boots without stockings. If a vulture wouldn't attack us alive, it sure as hell wouldn't light on us dead. Out of good sense, we lived far from one another. We came together in bars and churches more or less to assure ourselves that our smells were normal and not an indication of coming death.

I'd learned my frontier Christian lessons well--lie, steal, cheat, and, when all that failed, pray.

A man who looked a year older than God came up to us...(he said):

"Sure is windy. But then, it's always windy. If it ain't blowin' from this way, it's blowin' from that way. I seen me many a backward-walkin' cow out on that prairie. I seen a hawk once fly in one spot for an hour till it just died of humiliation."

God's Country sound like a book I would enjoy, it's going on the wishlist. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention, Karen.

Oh, God's Country sounds wonderful -- great review and quotes!

Adding God's Country to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Karen!

DeltaQueen, AMQS, and Stasia--I wholeheartedly recommend God's Country--I hope you like it as much as I did. It is not a long book, either, so if you don't like it, you won't have wasted too much time (hehe).

I don't know where I read about this book--I looked on LT, but it doesn't seem to be anybody here. I think I remember that the book was reviewed in a local (St Paul) newspaper. Now I think I must go read more Percival Everett.

Thanks for stopping by!

97. Cowboys and Aliens by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

Beautiful graphic novel with an exciting and humorous story. I haven't seen the movie of the same name, but this book is labeled, "The graphic novel that inspired the film." I think the film may have gone off in its own direction, because I went to IMDB and I didn't find a lot of overlap on names and characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel anyway.

98. Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

Finally! finished one of the five Binchy books that I want to read this month for TIOLI - The Maeve Binchy challenge. This is also my first book by the author. I set up the challenge as a tribute to Binchy, who recently passed away.

I liked the book, the style. I found myself really caring about the characters. It reminded me, quite a bit, of the TV show "Clatterford," with its sharp humor and dialogue. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good read, not challenging, but definitely entertaining.

I'm a ways into Circle of Friends, which will be my second Binchy read.

99. Father's Day: A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son by Buzz Bissinger

This is an excellent story of a cross-country roadtrip that the author took with his son, one of twins who was born prematurely and is developmentally disabled due to his difficult birth. Bissinger is a gifted and honest writer, and the story is, in turn, both funny and sad, but always inspiring and beautiful. It is a love story, pure and simple.

Bissinger is a wonderful writer, sharp and honest with his words. I loved these phrases: "onepercentification" (instead of "gentrification," I suppose); "impatient imperfect perfection"; "the sprawling sprawl of Los Angeles."

While the focus of the narrative is the relationship between Buzz and his son Zach, the book is also a road story; the pair travels from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in a rented mini-van, visiting places where they have lived in the past.

Bissinger is fearless in what he tells us in this book.

I felt the need to get every word right, to capture my son Zach and my relationship with him without understatement or overstatement. I also decided that this book must be completely candid no matter how difficult at times, to get at the truth of my heart. That meant confessing my own faults. It meant confessing my feelings about having a severely disabled son, so complex and contradictory, because love always has limits.

He is not the child I wanted. But he is no longer a child anyway. He is a man, the most fearless I have ever known, friendly, funny, freaky, unfathomable, forgiving, fantastic, restoring the faith of a father in all that can be.

This is an excellent book. I gave it a full five stars, and would recommend it to all.

100. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll by Lewis Carroll



101. Alice Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

I read these two classics in an edition called The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition, introduction and notes by Martin Gardner, a Caroll scholar and fan. The compendium was a delight to read, with lots of good background information and analysis in the sidenotes (I love sidenotes, don't mind footnotes, but hate endnotes!).

I'd never read these two classics, but now know that we shouldn't call them "children's classics," because adults can love them just as well as children. There is so much great wordplay, fun with logic, and the excellent drawings of John Tenniel--these books are a great deal of fun to read.

From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

Here one of the guinea-pigs cheered, and was immediately suppressed by the officers of the court. (As that is rather a hard word, I will just explain to you how it was done. They had a large canvas bag, which tied up at the mouth with strings: into this they slipped the guinea-pig, head first, and then sat upon it."

"I'm glad I've seen that done," thought Alice. "I've so often read in the newspapers, at the end of trials, 'There was some attempt at applause, which was immediately suppressed by the officers of the court,' and I never understood what it meant until now."

From Through the Looking-Glass:

The great "Jabberwocky," which I'll reproduce here for safekeeping:

'Twas brilling, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And has thou slaid the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brilling, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

So much poetry in this second "Alice" book, some beautiful, some whacky and fun. Here is the favorite stanza from "The Walrus and the Carpenter":

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

Another beautiful poem from Alice Through the Looking-Glass, this one from the notes. Gardner thought that this poem was a possible inspiration for the song of Humpty-Dumpty. It's a poem called "Summer Days," by Wathen Mark Wilks Call. I thought it was heartbreakingly lovely.

In summer, when the days were long,
We walked, two friends, in field and wood.
Our heart was light, our step was strong,
And life lay round us, fair as good,
In summer, when the days were long.

We strayed from morn till evening came,
We gathered flowers, and wove us crowns,
We walked mid poppies red as flame,
Or sat upon the yellow downs,
And always wished our life the same.

In summer, when the days were long,
We leapt the hedgerow, crossed the brook;
And still her voice flowed forth in song,
Or else she read some graceful book,
In summer, when the days were long.

And then we sat beneath the trees,
With shadows lessening in the noon;
And in the sunlight and the breeze,
We revelled, many a glorious June,
While larks were singing o'er the leas.

In summer, when the days were long,
We plucked wild strawberries, ripe and red,
Or feasted, with no grace but song,
On golden nectar, snow-white bread,
In summer, when the days were long.

We loved, and yet we knew it not,
For loving seemed like breathing then,
We found a heaven in every spot,
Saw angels, too, in all good men,
And dreamt of gods in grove and grot.

In summer, when the days are long,
Alone I wander, muse alone;
I see her not, but that old song,
Under the fragrant wind is blown,
In summer, when the days are long.

Alone I wander in the wood,
But one fair spirit hears my sighs;
And half I see the crimson hood,
The radiant hair, the calm glad eyes,
That charmed me in life's summer mood.

In summer, when the days are long,
I love her as I loved of old;
My heart is light, my step is strong,
For love brings back those hours of gold,
In summer, when the days are long.

I'm glad you enjoyed the two Alice books! I think they are more "nonsense" than "children's literature." There's a lot of stuff in there that is meant for adults to enjoy. I wish I had read the Martin Gardner edition instead of the Norton Critical Edition, but we all live and learn, don't we? :)

It's similar to children's movies that have jokes or references that only adults would appreciate. :)

Hibernator (Amy?) and Valerie (I'm pretty sure): Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Gardner seemed to emphasize the logic/philosophy/game theory elements of the books, sometimes, more than I would like. On the other hand, he provided great historical and literary insights, so it kind of balanced out for me.

The physical book was a delight to read--hardcover, beautifully designed, nice thick paper. When you mentioned the Norton book, Hibernator, I got an image in my mind of a thick paperback with thin sheets and print packed on the page. I guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions!

I'll have to check out the other editions to see how I like them in comparison to the Annotated Alice.

I've got two other books requested as a result of reading Alice--The Real Alice by Anne Clark Amor, and the book of poetry that has the lovely "Summer Days" poem--Everyman's Book of Victorian Verse, edited by J. R. Watson. I love the "networking" that happens when one book leads to another.

Thanks again for chatting!

Actually, my name is Rachel, but I don't mind being called Amy. :)

Martin Gardner (my dad informs me) is a mathematician that wrote for Scientific American for years. He had a obsessive fascination with Alice in Wonderland and The Snark. I think he named a mathematical model after the Snark, in fact. Wikipedia agrees with me

It's understandable that Gardner would wax a little mathematical, therefore. :)

Edited to fix link

Hi Karen, I loved your thoughts on the Alice books. I read and reread those dozens of times when I was young. Maybe we're due for a read aloud. Thanks also for sharing some of the poetry. One of the great benefits of working for a children's choir is learning all of the wonderful texts out there set to music. We've done a few different versions of Jabberwocky, and occasionally The Lobster Quadrille. So fun, and the kids hardly know that they're memorizing some of the world's great poetry. Once they've sung it, though, they'll remember it for life.

Actually, my name is Rachel, but I don't mind being called Amy. :)

Boy, you are very easy-going! But I'm really going to try to remember your real name. Sorry about that! And knowing more about Gardner really clarifies his intro and notes in the Annotated Alice. Thanks!

Hi, Anne! I'd read Alice in Wonderland in my youth, but it was great to read it as an adult. And it would be great to do a read-aloud of it! I must keep an eye out for the music--sounds like a lot of fun.

Thanks to you both for stopping by to talk. I learn so much on LT, and it's because of fellow-readers like you!

102. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

An enjoyable read with similarities to the author's sister's Jane Eyre. The main character is a governess in the mid-19th century England, and the book is a commentary on the lives of the upper class (by and large, it's not a flattering commentary). It took me a while to get into the story (and Agnes spends some time as a governess with a different family at the beginning in what I thought was a really unnecessary portion of the book). But I was quite involved by the end, and couldn't wait to find out "what happened next."

And this read bumps my "1001 Books" number--I have been really slow in nudging that number so far this year.

103. The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy

My second of five planned reads of Binchy books, in memorium of the author, who recently passed away. I've got all three others started. I've also gotten used to the author's style and "Irish" vocabulary, so the reading is going faster. Whether I finish all five by the end of the month is still possible, especially since my other reading has slowed a bit. I'd never read any Binchy before, and I'm glad to finally be doing so.

I really liked this book--the central motif of the copper beech tree that grows by the small village schoolhouse serves as a framework for the stories of several of the village's children and people of the town. The book follows their stories through the years, to a truly lovely ending. This was my favorite of the Binchy books so far (but I've only finished two!)

104. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

It was a real joy to read this novel again. I had read it in high school, some thirty years ago, and I loved it then; it has stood the test of time with me.

The book almost reads like a collection of short stories, with an underlying focus, young Douglas and his family, friends, and acquaintances. Bradbury's writing is so beautiful; the words seem so like poetry.

The boys bent, smiling. They picked the golden flowers. The flowers that flooded the world, dripped off lawns unto brick streets, tapped softly at crystal cellar windows and agitated themselves so that on all sides lay the dazzle and glitter of molten sun.

One thing I didn't remember from my teenage reading of the book, or maybe I didn't even notice it enough TO remember it--was the motif of growing old, of decay, of dying. It's presented almost as a counterpoint to the motif of "coming of age" that Douglas and his friends experience.

Such a lovely book. I might reread this one every summer now.

105. Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy

The third of the Maeve Binchy books that I've read this month. I think this might be my last for a while--while I enjoy Binchy's books, I've grown a little sated with them. These are the first of her books that I've read, and I created a TIOLI challenge for them, to memorialize the author, who recently passed away. I wanted to match the reads of any books that were put on the challenge, but I'm leaving two unread (for now) - Minding Frankie and Nights of Rain and Stars.

Circle of Friends is a very long book for the genre--I read a paperback version of 596 pages, and it really bogged down in the middle. It was written in 1990, and seems a little dated. I like Heart and Soul and The Copper Beech much more than this one. A librarian friend had recommended Circle of Friends to me--I would recommend either of the other two over this one.

That's not to say that there isn't some good writing here. Here's a passage that I found really funny:

They opened front and back doors to let out the smells of food. Benny said it was hardly tactful to the hens to let them smell the turkey dinner, but perhaps hens had closed off sections of their minds on this subject. Sean didn't know how to react to this kind of chat. He debated several attitudes and decided to look stern.

All-in-all, I'm glad to finally have read some Binchy books, and I'm fairly certain I'll give others a try in the future.

Adding the Buzz Bissinger book to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Karen!

Hi, Stasia! I hope you like Father's Day if you get to it. Bissinger sure writes from the heart.

p.s. It's great to see you here! Enjoy your time off from school. Thanks for stopping by to chat.

106. The Bobbsey Twins or Merry Days Indoors and Out by Laura Lee Hope

I read this to match a read in August TIOLI, but also to revisit the books that I read in my childhood. It amazed me that I found that this book (the first in the series) was one that I had read forty-five years ago, and that I recalled plot elements very clearly.

I was also sad because of how horribly sexist and racist the book is! It is not a good book at all. It's actually pretty funny, because I had thought that I would see if I could track down copies of the books (I got this one through ILL), but that desire is quickly going away (!)

107. The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behavior by David Attenborough

An excellent book, one that has been on my TBR list for a LONG time. It's actually the third in a series of books, companions to the TNT television series. Now I need to read the earlier books in the series, Life on Earth and The Living Planet.

The chapters in the book cover a specific "trial" that animal life faces; for example, the first chapter is entitled "Arriving," and explains the various ways animals are born. The writing is excellent and compelling. Of course, the subject matter is pretty exciting, too: "Behaviour is perhaps the most obviously exciting aspect of natural history. It is full of action and drama," the author tells us in the introduction.

The photographs are fantastic, and there are a lot of them. Lots of full page photos, and a few two-page spread photos.

>79 klobrien2: that's too bad! I have found that a few times when I revisit books I read when I was a child. It always seems jarring -- I seem to remember most other things, but not racism/sexism.

I'm glad I didn't remember the bad spots in The Bobbsey Twins, but they were pretty blatant (to my adult eyes). Maybe kids just don't pick up on crap like that.

It was sweet, though, to reread and recognize the good stuff, so I'm not sorry to have reread the book.

Hope you're having a good Labor Day weekend!

108. After Life by Rhian Ellis

This was a great little read, set, for the most part, in a community of spiritualists, and telling the story of one Naomi, the daughter of a medium, and a medium herself. There is a murder (actually before the start of the book). This book is one that Nancy Pearl has included in her "Book Lust - Rediscoveries" series. I thought it was a great book, suspenseful and funny. Great writing--here are some examples:

(On the transition from New Orleans to the North): We got on the bus and trundled northward. Outside, the landscape stiffened and cracked. One morning, we were wakened by the idling bus to find ourselves surrounded by snow. I'd never seen it before, or at least, so much of it--occasionally a few damp flakes fell in New Orleans, melting before they hit the ground--and at first I thought we'd parked in a field of concrete....The air smelled different, like water in a tin bucket, and crows flapped in circles over our heads. When I spoke, my voice fell straight out of my mouth, completely swallowed up by snow.

Eve tempted Adam, and Adam was tempted, and because of this humans have lived ever since in a state of sorry exile from the Garden they believe is home. But some early spiritualists figured out how to get back in. After death, they said, the soul goes to the Summer Land, a place of flowery meadows and soft breezes and magnificent scenery, all created out of the deepest wishes of the dead. Nothing is denied them. If the dead want art, art galleries spring up, and if the dead want fresh, ripe fruit, orchards grown from the mounstainsides. There are schools in the Summer Land, but no one has to go. At night, the dead can visit the living, who are free to join their dead loved ones while they sleep. After a lifetime of thwarted desire, the dead can at last indulge it, and thus the very thing that caused our expulsion from the Garden in the first place will lead us back into it.

109. The Young Visiters, Or, Mr. Salteena's Plan by Daisy Ashford

I came across a movie at the library, the film rendition of this book. The film was a real treat, and featured Jim Broadbent and Hugh Laurie. I tracked down the book, a small, old-fashioned book, and I found it quite as charming as the movie. It was a real antidote to the bad aftertaste of The Bobbsey Twins.

The book was written by a nine-year old Daisy Ashford, and she had a real knack for language and dialogue. She used very little puntuation or structures, and her spelling was not standard. The editor of the copy that I read (J.M. Barrie) broke up the chapters into paragraphs as an aid to the reader.

I need to find my own copy of this book, for I'm sure I'll read it again and again. I'm glad that I saw the movie first (the opposite of how I usually feel), because, for one, the movie was so well done, and, two, it helped to have the framework of the plot in my mind as I was reading.

#83 Delurking to say I've never come across an author with my own first name (Rhian) before!

It's a beautiful name! I saw your name on a thread somewhere, and did a double-take until I realized that you and Rhian Ellis were different people. Well, I'm glad to meet you, Rhian! I'm going to go star your thread, although I am so far behind now, I don't think I'll ever catch up.
Thanks for stopping by!

#86 When I was at school in South Wales it wasn't a particularly unusual name. There was another Rhian in my year at school and another two Rhiannon's I think. But not so common elsewhere!

I grew up in Minnesota (Upper Midwest part of the USA), and there are scads of "Karen"s--it was the second most popular girl's name the year I was born (1958). In my youth, I longed for an unusual name--like Rhian! 8>)

110. No Place for a Lady: Tales of Adventurous Women Travelers by Barbara Hodgson

Wonderful book, jam-packed with interesting, beautiful illustrations. This book is a great survey of women's travel writings from the mid-17th to the end of the 19th centuries. The author splits the study by geographical region, and includes a wonderful bibliography (I've got several books to look for). Loved this book!

To fly abroad from the hive, like the bee, and return laden with the sweets of travel, scenes, which haunt the eye--wild adventures, that enliven the imagination--knowledge, to enlighten and free the mind from clinging, deadening prejudices--a wider circle of sympathy with our fellow-creatures;--these are the uses of travel, for which I am convinced every one is the better and the happier. (Mary Shelley, quoted in the book)

111. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith

This book is last year's entry in the Isabel Dalhousie series by the author. Dalhousie is a philosopher, owner and editor of a philosophy journal, mother of a small boy born later in life to her and her handsome young man. She's a wonderful character--I would love to have someone like her as my friend.

One of her most endearing traits (and one that readers are privy to) is the way her mind works. She is always thinking and wondering, and her thoughts go off on tangents and wild goose chases and then come back to their origination point. She is a person who is very comfortable with herself, and with others.

Great, comfortable read for the early days of autumn.

Here's one passage that I really liked. Her son, Charlie, has just thrown a piece of bread on the floor: Moral philosophy for two-year-olds, she thought. Don't throw food. It was as good a starting point as any to begin the teaching of responsibility towards the world around us. And it was helpful to back it up with some justification too: That's not nice. Again, a simple expression said it all. Philosophers might tie themselves in knots over the question of conduct that was morally wrong--that debate, after all, was what Isabel's job was about--but perhaps the ultimate answer was so much simpler: that's not nice.

112. The Witches by Roald Dahl

Very fun juvenile fiction that I never would have read if it had not been for LibraryThing, the TIOLI challenges, and ccookie. So, thank you, everyone! I very much enjoyed Dahl's style and sense of humor. This book would be so much fun to read aloud to kids. Strong emphasis on words and storytelling.

Awww, I love Roald Dahl. Whenever I need a little pick me up, his books are always ones that I can count on to get me back on track again. :)

Hi, Valerie! I agree-I'll certainly add Dahl to my list of cheery-reads. Although there was a lot of darkness in the book, the focus was how to get past the bad things that happen. So, very practical, too!

Thanks for stopping by and chatting!

Wow, I never thought of Dahl as "cheery."

No...maybe not cheery, more whimsical. :)

113. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

A good example of the classic kind of science fiction. It was kind of a slog for me, but I'm glad to have another easy 1001 Books book done with. I've enjoyed the H.G. Wells books that I've read, but they are dated in their language and plot elements.

114. Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A.S. Byatt

I really enjoyed this book: it's mostly a retelling of some of the Norse myths that "the thin child" encountered in a book, Asgard and the Gods, but it's also about the child herself, and about the natural world around us. It's about war, and its effects on children and humanity in general. It's about belief systems and religion. And it's written in a beautiful style by an author in love with language and words.

In an afterword, the author writes some "Thoughts on Myths": The myths were cavernous spaces, lit in extreme colours, gloomy, or dazzling, with a kind of cloudy thickness and a kind of overbright transparency about them.

And, But if you write a version of Ragnarok in the twenty-first century, it is haunted by the imagining of a different end of things. We are a species of animal which is bringing about the end of the world we were born into. Not out of evil or malice, or not mainly, but because of a lopsided mixture of extraordinary cleverness, extraordinary greed, extraordinary proliferation of our own kind, and a biologicallly built-in short-sightedness.

The Invisible Man was a slog? Well, at least it was a SHORT slog. ;)

I love Roald Dahl - I was a bit too old to come across him as a child, but I loved reading his books to my son. I think my favourites would have to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. A couple of weeks ago when I bought some books from my local bookshop they came in a bag with this quotation from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is just great:

So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install,
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.

I've got Ragnarok: The End of the Gods on my kindle waiting to be read, so pleased that it sounds so promising.

98: Rachel, I had a hard time getting into the story. I didn't like Mr. You-Can't-See-Me at all. There were moments of humor which I enjoyed. If the test of a good read is if you can see yourself reading the book again, then, for me, this was NOT a good read. But different strokes for different folks. But, like you say, it was a short slog.

99: Rhiann, I love that quote! I'll definitely be looking for more Dahl to be reading. I hope you like Ragnarok when you get to it. Byatt included a nice bibliography, and I've got more reading to do on the Norse myths. Good winter reading!

Thank you both for stopping by to chat!

115. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

Wonderful book! Story of a man who undergoes amnesia as a result of shellshock, and the effects of WWI on him and his loved ones. Masterful short novel by Rebecca West, who also wrote Harriet Hume. Return of the Soldier is one of my favorite books this year.

An important element in the book is the culture clash between the upper-crust and less well-to-do in wartime (WWI) England. This is a love story, but also a description of war on the homefront. The soldier has returned to his home, but is he truly back?

116. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

I absolutely loved this book. I'd forgotten how funny Adams is, and what an imaginative writer he is. Now I can't wait to read the next book in this series, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

As I find with books that I really like, this one is a little hard to describe. It is, at one time, humor, philosophy, science fiction, history, and did I say? funny. I haven't quite figured out the ending yet, but I think after I let it sit for a few days, I might get it.

Fun, fun book.

Here's one passage I jotted down (I want to record dozens more): Michael usually referred to his mother as an old battle-ax, but if she was fairly to be compared to a battle-ax, it would only be to an exquisitely crafted, beautifully balanced battle-ax, with an elegant minimum of fine engraving which stopped just short of its gleaming razored edge.

117. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I feel like one of the last LTers to read this series. I'm glad to have finally read the second book. It's a powerful series of books, and I found the tension almost unbearable at times (oh, no, what's going to happen next??) Next stop after I post this is to go get on the request list at my library for Mockinjay, the last in the series.

You're doing some really interesting reading.

I'm glad you liked Dirk Gently. Will you read the sequel? It earned a place on my tbr list, but will be a while before I get to it. I was disappointed that there wasn't more discussion on the group read thread, but it looked like most people just didn't enjoy it.

I read The Hunger Games earlier this summer and was surprised at how much I liked it. Eventually I'll get to the other two in that series, also.

You got me with a book bullet with Ragnorak: The End of the Gods. I haven't read anything by Byatt, but am planning to read Possession as part of the October reads. Well, that's my plan at least. ;-)

Hi, streamsong! I picked up the sequel Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul today at the library. I put it in my living-room stack of books (as opposed to my hall table stack of books. The living-room books get read first!) Douglas Adams is a really quirky author--I think you have to be in the right mood to read him.

And I'm on the list (position 130 or something) for Mockingjay so I'll be waiting for that one. Unless I pick up a rental copy at my library (25cents/day). I keep thinking about Catching Fire and wondering what Katniss is doing now, and then I remember that this was a book! Not real! The series really made an impression on me, I guess.

And I hope you get Ragnorak and enjoy it as much as I did. I have read Possession, too, and liked that. There's a movie version of it, by the way, that I think was pretty good.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

118. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Another great YA read. This one is a fantastic take-off on the classic fairy tale story of Cinderella; this "Cinderella" is a cyborg mechanic on a future Earth. I found it a very compelling read, and I found the heroine smart, sweet, and heart-capturing. This is Book One of the Lunar Chronicles series, and I can't wait for the second in the series!

119. Everyman's Book of Victorian Verse ed. by J. R. Watson

I picked up this book because it was referenced in The Annotated Alice--the beautiful poem, "Summer Days," which is probably my favorite poem ever (see post 66 of this thread).

I don't read much poetry, but I really enjoyed this collection. J. R. Watson's introduction was illuminating and educational, and I just love his style. He is not afraid to be upfront about his work for this collection:

To edit a selection of such poetry is both a test of nerve and a declaration of faith. It is a test of nerve in an ironic age to print so many poems which are not ironic; it is a declaration of faith in the value of much of the verse, major and minor, reprinted here.

I enjoyed most of the poems here; some I found just dreadfully boring and barely managed to skim through, and some broke my heart and caused tears to flow. I am a dyed-in-the-wool public library book reader, but this will be one book that I want in my personal library so that I can dip into it for a refreshing taste of non-ironic verse, whenever the need arises.

Love your review of Ragnarok. I'm reading it at present but finding it a little hard to get into, mainly my own fault, just not devoting enough time to it each time I pick it up.
I really liked Cinder as well and can't wait for the sequel, Scarlet, which comes out in February. You've prompted me to join the library queue for it so I'll be getting it as soon as it hits the library shelves.

Well, I'm going to check my library and see if they have it "On Order" yet--thank YOU for the prompt!

Later: No, they don't have it yet. I'll make it a LT "To Read," then!

120. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

Truly a sad story (the narrator claims this is "the saddest story" he knows). The acquaintance of two couples, one American, one English, is related in a very haphazard way. I would love to read this in a classroom situation, because it is very complex writing (what did the narrator know? and when did he know it?). The plot mostly has to do with the cruelty of "good people" to each other and to those around them.

I found a lot of passages that I just loved; here are two in particular:

His relatives, however, as they were mine too--seemed to have something darkly mysterious against him. I imagined that he must have been mixed up in some case of graft or that he had at least betrayed several innocent and trusting maidens. I pushed, however, that particular mystery home and discovered it was only that he was a Democrat. My own people were mostly Republicans.

(Some messiness is cleared up) It was a most amazing business, and I think that it would have been better in the eyes of God if they had all attempted to gouge out each other's eyes with carving knives. But they were "good people."

This book has been on my TBR list for, probably, a decade. I'm glad to have finally read it.

Just read a couple of kids' books, just for the fun of it. I'm including them in my book count, because things even out in the long run. And, it's my list!



121. I Am a Pole (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

This is a beautifully done and funny! book. See, there's this pole, and he doesn't know what to do with his life, doesn't know what kind of pole to be. The illustration by Paul Hildebrand is top-notch, and there are world-class blurbs by the late "blurbist" Maurice Sendak. The send-up of a published book's format is very clever and made me laugh out loud. This is a good book for kids AND adults.

122. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

This book has been discussed in the NYTimes, and it sounded like a winner. It seems to have begun life as a short movie, then a game, and, though the author says he's been working on it as a book from the start, here it finally is.

It's a charming story, beautifully illustrated, and it's the kind of book that can be read again and again.

Here's one of my favorite passages:

Morris tried to keep the books in some sort of order, but they always mixed themselves up. The tragedies needed cheering up and would visit with the comedies. The encyclopedias, weary of facts, would relax with the comic books and fictions. All in all it was an agreeable jumble.

Sounds like my bookshelves!

Oh wow, Karen -- some great reads here! I am a Pole sounds very fun, as does The Fantastic Flying Books. Thanks for the recommendations!

#112 I've seen the video of that - it's really sweet. I think somebody posted it on LT earlier in the year.

I'll have to track down the video--the book's illustrations were very "cinematic," in my opinion. Anne, I really liked both of these "Easy"s--I hope you do, too. The NYTimes had some "Pete the Cat" books listed, so I'm checking those out next.

Thank you both for chatting!

Karen O.

123. Da Vinci's Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image by Toby Lester

This was a wonderful read. I really like Lester's style--he's obviously done his homework, and he's a good storyteller, but not stuffy or pretentious in the least. This book was generally about Leonardo (and what an interesting character he was--the original Renaissance Man, I think), but it was specifically about the drawing known as The Vitruvian Man, and how the human form ("the microcosm") can be seen as a model of Earth, of architecture, of the Trinity, ...

Fantastic illustrations, including several color plates; Further Reading; Bibliography, Notes, and Index. I'm continuing on the topic with a few books cited here--City of God by Augustine of Hippo, and The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci edited by Jean Paul Richter. The author has previously written The Fourth Part of the World, and I'll be looking for that one, too.

Here are some of my favorite passages from this book:

Anagogy. Now, there's a word not thrown around much today. Derived from the Greek verb anagein ("to lift up") and the related noun anagoge, the word had long been used by Latin and Greek theologians to signify the spiritual uplift that comes from discovering signs of Heaven in earthly things.

Leonardo's library: The range of both collections, as Leonardo itemized them in his notebooks, was extensive. He owned not only encyclopedic compendiums and scientific treatises, as is to be expected, but also all sorts of less predictable texts: works of classical literature, treatises on religion, guides to grammar and rhetoric, collections of sonnets, saucy romances, joke books, and more. He read for both edification and pleasure. Amen!

I think this is a tremendous summation of the book, in one paragraph: "He who understands himself understands much," Taccola wrote under his man in a circle and square. That's surely the spirit, at once individual and all-encompassing, in which Leonardo summoned up the ghost of Vitruvian Man. Animated by the ancient philosophical injunction "Know thyself," containing worlds both great and small, and ceaselessly reconfiguring himself in the act of self-study, the figure captures a hinge moment in the history of ideas: the intoxicating, ephemeral moment when art, science, and philosophy all seemed to be merging, and when it seemed possible that, with their help, the individual human mind might actually be able to comprehend and depict the nature . . . of everything.

Ooh Da Vinci's Ghost looks like a good one! He is such a fascinating person, and I have been intrigued by him ever since I visited a house where he once lived. I'll add this to my list.

Anne, I'm sure you'll like it! (I sound pretty positive, don't I?!) Don't you love the feeling you get from being in a famous place, especially if you can connect it with a famous person?! I felt like that in San Antonio, at the Alamo, and also at the Rymer Auditorium in Nashville.

I have my Thing-aversary coming up, and as this is my fifth year on LT, I believe I am able to buy five books, no guilt. I am aided in the no-guilt thing by the fact that I have a gift card (woo-hoo!)

So far, I think I'll be looking for good used copies of:

A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
A Dance With Dragons by GRRM
Origins: Creation Texts from the Ancient Mediterranean (Doria and Lenowitz)

Happy Thingaversary! Enjoy, and let us know what else you get!

Happy Thingaversary! Have fun with the book purchases.

Happy Thingaversary! Enjoy your books.

Thanks, everyone, for the Thingaversary wishes! I can't believe it's been five years (although I've only been using the site socially for a little over three years). I'm so blessed to have met you all this way!

124. Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin

Terrific book! Funny, musical, and wonderful illustrations by James Dean. Any kid would love this book, and I bet it would be very helpful to smooth over any first-day-of-school jitters.



125. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger

I'm really liking the Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger (whoa, lots of "K" sounds there). This is the second book in the series, and I was involved and concerned all the way through. I'm putting this on the "Survivor" TIOLI challenge because there certainly were some survival-grade issues throughout.

I love Krueger's use of language. I came across the word "susurrus"--isn't that a wonderful word?! When was the last time you ever read that word in a book?!

The author excels at evoking northern Minnesota (a place near and dear to my heart). Here's a passage I just loved:

Across Iron Lake, through the cedars near the shore, over grass still greening under the October light, came a breeze that smelled of the North Woods. Of evergreen and deep, clean lakes. Of sun-warmed earth. Of dessicated autumn leaves. Of the cycle of dust to dust. Of things seen and half seen, things unseen but sensed. Delightful!

I've already requested Purgatory Ridge, the next book in the series.

Speaking of series, I am LOVING the FictFact website, and I've gotten all of my series registered there (I think--I am amazed at how many series I read!) I love how it "knows" all of the books, and their order in series. And it lets me know when there are new books available. I am a FictFact fan!

Ooh, I had so much fun shopping for my books in my pajamas! My final list ended up quite like I had imagined. Now I get to wait in happy anticipation for them to be delivered (I usually prefer buying in person, but this was fun, too!)

Today's haul:

1. A Storm of Swords George R. R. Martin
2. A Dance with Dragons George R. R. Martin
3. Origins: Creation Texts from the Ancient Mediterranean Doria
4. The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre
5. Nothing But Wodehouse P. G. Wodehouse

I'm reading the Lovecraft for Halloween; I have an ILL copy coming, but now I'll have my very own. The Wodehouse book looks like a charming collection of stories and excerpts. Fun!

Hi Karen, I just checked and found you on FictFact and I am now one of your followers.

I've found you on FictFact too.

Well, I'm going to go find you two now! I just love that site!

lol, Deltaqueen50! 586 series?! Wow! Although I found it amazing how many series I was reading and not poking a pin in them and saying, "yes, that's a series."

Hey Karen! It seems I lost your thread at some point, but consider yourself re-found.

Rory is ridiculously cute, for sure.

Happy Thingaversary! :)

I know, what can I say, when it comes to reading I am so greedy! Of course the fact that I love both mysteries and fantasy tends to involve me in a lot of series.

Happy Thingaversary Karen! I love it when we have an excuse to buy books, guilt free. I use all birthday, holidays, and I guess thingaversarys now to unabashedly walk into a bookstore empty handed, but out with my arms full. :D

Hi, Ape! I bet you lost me when I made a new thread (I didn't have enough posts to get the "continue" option, and I really wanted a new thread for my second "75 Books." I'm glad that you found me again!

DeltaQueen50, those authors just keep popping the books out! I was really surprised at how many series I've been reading without really being conscious of it. I say, good for you!

jolerie, I find it really hard to feel badly about buying books, especially when I get them for a good price. I am a relentless user of the public library, but there are some books that I just have to have for my own.

Thank you all for stopping by to chat! Good reading!

The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

I reread this classic short story for a few reasons: (1) to bump the TIOLI short works challenge to the letter "O," so I could put A Short History of Myth on the list; (2) it is October, after all, so I'm doing a little more horror/Gothic/scary reading than I usually do; and (3) I found a great copy online, very readable and enjoyable.

Because it was so short, and a reread for me, I'm not going to include it in my count, however.

126. Mockingjay: Hunger Games Book Three by Suzanne Collins

Oh my gosh, what a compelling and satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I cried intermittently throughout the book, actually sobbed at the end. Katniss Everdeen is a brave and loving heroine, and the world that Collins presents is incredibly tragic, but there is hope at the end. Great series of books!

Way behind Karen, but I enjoyed your reviews of the Oz books and Alice in Wonderland. I've had the Annotated Alice on my wishlist for a while now. The Books of Wonder editions of the Oz books also sound really interesting but they don't seem to be available in the UK - I wonder if the Oz books are less popular here because I've struggled to find the originals in the local library too (although there are lots of abridgements and adaptations).

#69 "Gardner seemed to emphasize the logic/philosophy/game theory elements of the books, sometimes, more than I would like." Now, as a mathematician, those are the very bits I would be most interested in :-)

And a belated happy thingaversary!

Hi, souloftherose! The Annotated Alice is terrific. The Books of Wonder series books are so beautiful and faithful to the originals that they make your eyes hurt (not really, but I wanted to emphasize how terrific they are). The publisher is based in New York. I just googled them, and they have a special on the collection of 15 "Oz" books, all for $225! That really is a deal, because the books are quality. I know what I want for Christmas (for the next ten years!)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

127. Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Wow! One of the best books I've read this year. This is a Juvenile fiction book that has something for everybody. It's about being brave, about being a friend, and about treating others as you would have them treat you. The hero of the story is August, a boy just entering 5th grade who will be attending a real school for the first time. Auggie was born with severe facial deformity, has undergone many, many surgeries to bring him to a place where he can go into the average world to make his way.

I can't believe that this is Palacio's first novel! She uses some great techniques, like multiple points-of-view, or a chapter made up of emails and text messages--this is the world that Auggie and his friends (and their parents) live in. Palacio has an excellent ear for kid's speech and ways of thinking.

Excellent, excellent book. I gave it 5+++++ stars, and marked it as one of my "Favorites."

Mr. Browne is one of Auggie's teachers at his new school. He gives his students a new precept to follow at the beginning of each month. I loved these: "Mr. Browne's Precepts":

When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer)

Your deeds are your monuments. (inscription on an Egyptian tomb)

Have no friends not equal to yourself. (Confucius)

Audentes fortuna iuvat. (Fortune favors the bold.) (Virgil)

No man is an island, entire of itself. (John Donne)

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers. (James Thurber)

Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much. (Blaise Pascal)

What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful. (Sappho)

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can. (John Wesley's Rule)

It was at moments such as these that Joseph recognized the face of God in human form. It glimmered in their kindness to him, it glowed in their keenness, it hinted in their caring, indeed it caressed in their gaze. (from Under the Eye of the Clock, by Christopher Nolan)

Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right using of strength. . . .He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own. (Henry Ward Beecher)

#137 $225! And I bet that doesn't cover shipping to the UK either!

They look like they do a lovely range of children's books. I also saw a signed first edition of The Phantom Tolbooth for sale on their website which was one of my favourite childhood books for only $3,750 here.

#138 So, did you like it Karen? :-P

I've heard good things about Wonder so I'm glad to see another positive review. I'll look out for it.

#138 So, did you like it Karen? :-P

Whatever gave you that impression?! 8>)

I usually look at the rare books ad in the NY Times each week--how cool to have a first edition, but never could I justify paying that kind of money! I'll have to look for a (library) copy of The Phantom Tollbooth--I've never read it.

128. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Two years after its publication, I caved in and read the first of the Flavia de Luce mysteries. I really enjoyed it, although it felt maybe a little bogged-down in the center portion. I felt a little tingle of synchronicity because the narrator mentions the short story "The Pit and the Pendulum" and I'd just reread the story. I also like the way we learn a little chemistry along the way! It's good to learn new things!

I'm all set to read the next book in the series, The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag.

Here are a couple of passages that I just loved:

(1) "Let me pose another question," he said. "What if you had come here today and found that I'd hopped the twig, as it were; flown off to my eternal reward?"

"You mean, died, sir?"

"That's the word I was fishing for: died. Yes."

(2) Having just come through a war in which tons of trinitrotoluene were dumped on our heads in the dark, we were a nation of survivors, and I, Flavia Sabina de Luce, could see it even in myself.

And then I muttered part of the Twenty-third Psalm for insurance purposes. One can never be too sure.

129. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin, ill. James Dean

I love these "Pete the Cat" books! I think I'll buy a set of them for my grandson Rory when he gets a little older, although I'm sure he'd love looking at the gorgeous illustrations and colors! of the books right now. This one features simple arithmetic and even the concept of "zero"--very cool!

130. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin, ill. James Dean

Ditto everything I said in the previous message. In this book, Santa (an appropriately bearded and mustached cat, with huge blue eyes) is sick, and Pete the Cat has to come to the rescue: "Give it your all, give it your all! Because at Christmas, you give it your all!"

Beautiful, saturated colors, funny and beautiful illustrations, and great messages. What could be better?!

131. The Complete Photo Guide to Textile Art by Susan Stein

This was a wonderful "and now for something completely different" for me! This book is a huge compendium of every surface design technique known to textile artists (I think). Gorgeous (and plentiful) photographs of the techniques, projects, and textiles--it's a feast for the eyes.

And I know the author! She's one of the nicest people in the world, and extremely talented, to boot (I almost typed, "to book"--that would be pretty silly, but appropriate, I guess).

But here's the dilemma--if I start messing around with these techniques, my reading time will suffer. So maybe I'll just read about the fun stuff out there, and try to incorporate a little textile time into my life.

132. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, ill. James Dean

Another excellent installment in the "Pete the Cat" series of Easy reads. I just love the stories, the artwork, and the cute little blue cat. This book focuses on colors, and, may I say, the colors are gorgeous.

133. 50 Buildings You Should Know by Isabel Kuhl

Beautiful, informative book, read thanks to pbadeer and TIOLI challenge 13 (Read a book about architecture). The fifty buildings are listed chronologically as to when they were started (some of the building went on for, literally, centuries). There's a very handy timeline, lots of architectural information and websites are listed when available. Gorgeous photography of beautiful places!

I have just a few quibbles that keep me from giving this 5 stars: (1) other than the timeline, there is no introductory chapter, nothing to give a framework or structure to the book; (2) a one-page index? Granted, the type is teeny-tiny, and flows to the edge of the page, but ONE page?; (3) there were quite a few blatant typos--these always distract from the reading, and, I'm sorry, but they really stand out to me. For example, "a fact that reflects a new HONEST in design," "PURPOSE built as a school of art and design," "a Danish PASTR." I believe that the author is German, and I swear I found a stray "und" in one of the captions. A little more careful proofreading would have found these typos (heck, a spellcheck would have found a few of them).

But, still, an incredibly interesting look at beautiful, historically interesting buildings! Good read!

134. The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill

Yes, I read a Romance novel, and I'm not ashamed. This one was recommended by morphidae (thanks, morphy!). The Viking of the title sets off on a voyage from Norway at the end of the first millenium CE and finds himself in California in the 21st century. It is very necessary to suspend disbelief here, but the book is a pleasant, funny read, with some sizzling love scenes. The culture clash between old Norse and modern American is really interesting, and the dialogue is silly but charming.

135. 1066 And All That by W. C. Sellar

I read this for the first time a few years back, but I just love it. This purported history book is so outrageous and silly that I giggle my way through it. I was glad to reread it for a shared TIOLI point this month!

There is no shame in reading a romance cover, Karen! But, wow, that cover! My eyes glossed over the title and zeroed in on those abs....haha!

I know, right?! I got the book through ILL, and there was a big sticker on the cover! Oh, no! Every once in a while, I'd have to peel the sticker off so I could look at him!

136. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Thoroughly enjoyable. Second book in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. I think I'm hooked now!

I found one of my new favorite words here - "muddlederumpus" - it means, "all messed up," "kerflooey," "kittywampus." (I think.)

Also, I need to find recipes for rock cakes and Jenny Lind cake--both were mentioned here, as tea-time treats.

137. The Giver by Lois Lowry

I loved this book, and know that I will continue on with the series. It's a dystopia, but in this world, everything is safe and peaceful. Jonas is the name of the twelve-year-old boy selected to be the new Receiver of his community's memories--from the old man who has kept those memories for decades--the Giver.

Lots to think about in this YA novel. I'm so glad that LT readers brought it to my attention. I can't believe that I hadn't sought it out before.

I read The Giver earlier this year and couldn't believe how long I let this one just sit on my shelves. Loved it! And the fact that there was so much story in such a small book only made it that much better!

Hi, Valerie!

I've got the second book home from the library - Gathering Blue. I'm itching to get started on it, but I have other books that will be due long before that one.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Had a terrific day today! Went to the orchard near our home and got lots of apples and a few pumpkins (going to make apple butter, and cook the pumpkins for baking). Took an impromptu drive east to Stillwater, which is a lovely though quite touristy town on the border with Wisconsin. It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful drive, and I've got to make sure to get back to that neck of the woods more often.

AND, my local library had their book sale, and I got some really nice deals!

History for the Beginner by Cordier and Robert: for fun. A high-school textbook from 1948, should be interesting.
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Exodus, Mila 18, QB VII by Leon Uris: A 3-in-1, complete and unabridged. At $1 per hardcover book, I got those three for 33.3333etc cents a pop.
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
In the Beginning by Chaim Potok. Love anything by Potok.
I Never Sang for My Father by Robert Anderson
The Rough Guide to Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Cool!
The Mentor Guide to Punctuation Handy!
Cliff notes for All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy I couldn't resist, as the McCarthy book is in my reading stack

And six of the books are hardcover (which I very much prefer). All for $6.50.

And now my DH and I are going out for soup!

Very good day!

138. The Monk by M.G. Lewis

A Gothic classic, one of the "1001 Books." I really did find it shocking and involving most of the time (kind of a plod at other times), to see the progression of evil and cruelty in the monk of the title and in other characters in the book. The author drew some very sharp distinctions between good and evil.

I read this as part of my Halloween reading. It was a dark and stormy read, very satisfying. I was aided greatly by the tutored read that lyzard and SqueakyChu are doing. What a great concept! They aren't quite done with the book, but I pushed ahead today to finish (I really wanted to be done with it).

I found a couple of passages that I really liked:

An Author, whether good or bad, or between both, is an Animal whom every body is privileged to attack. For though All are not able to write books, all conceive themselves able to judge them. This is a passage that lyzard pointed out, too. It's a good one!

Another occurs when a guest house owner, Jacinta, goes into a long rant about her problems, looking for sympathy. The listener (The Monk) responds:

"In truth, good Woman," replied He, "It will be difficult for me to relieve you, without knowing what is the matter with you. You have forgotten to tell me what has happened, and what it is you want."

This reminds me of the father in Pride and Prejudice saying, "I have not the pleasure of understanding you" to his wife. I use that line quite often, and now I have another one to use at the appropriate time. He he.

139. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck

I really enjoyed the October entry in the Steinbeck-a-thon, Tortilla Flat. Steinbeck tells the tales of a group of men living in what we would call poverty, but they consider themselves rich because they have friends and can live as they wish.

Once again, Steinbeck's power of description is amazing. It is a time of quiet joy, the sunny morning. When the glittery dew is on the mallow weeds, each leaf holds a jewel which is beautiful if not valuable. This is no time for hurry or for bustle. Thoughts are slow and deep and golden in the morning. And, again, Time is more complex near the sea than in any other place, for in addition to the circling of the sun and the turning of the seasons, the waves beat out the passage of time on the rocks and the tides rise and fall as a great clepsydra. (Note to self: look up the word, "clepsydra.")

Although the novel is written in English, the dialogue between the is often very formal, lovely in its phrasings. I finally figured out that Steinbeck is feeling limited by a single form of address (the single, casual, English "you") so he invokes the dual address system of Spanish and other Romance languages. The men can thus address each other as "thou" and their belongings as "thine."

Here's one of my favorite passages:

"Not I," he cried. "I will never forget thee, Pilon."

"So you think now," said Pilon coldly. "But when you have two houses to sleep in, then you will see. Pilon will be a poor paisano, while you eat with the mayor."

Danny arose unsteadily and held himself upright against a tree. "Pilon, I swear, what I have is thine. While I have a house, thou hast a house. Give me a drink."

"I must see this to believe it," Pilon said in a discouraged voice. "It would be a world wonder if it were so. Men would come a thousand miles to look upon it. And besides, the bottle is empty."

140. A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong

My favorite type of book (especially non-fiction)--short, but very sweet. This is a well-organized, well-written, vibrant exposition of "myth," organized chronologically by periods of human existence. I'd come across a lot of the theory and the documents before, but Armstrong has a great way of distilling it down and making it so understandable, and ... digestible. I love the broad stroke approach to the topic.

We need myths that will help us to identify with all our fellow-beings, not simply with those who belong to our ethnic, national or ideological tribe. We need myths that help us to realise the importance of compassion, which is not always regarded as sufficiently productive in our pragmatic, rational world. We need myths that help us to create a spiritual attitude, to see beyond our immediate requirements, and enable us to experience a transcendent value that challenges our solipsistic selfishness. We need myths that help us to venerate the earth as sacred once again, instead of merely using it as a 'resource'. This is crucial, because unless there is some kind of spiritual revolution that is able to keep abreast of our technological genius, we will not save our planet.

Well, two months left in the year, and I'm sure that I'll beat my "books read" count from last year. I read 153 last year, and I'm at 140 now. Having some great reads.

I have seventeen (17) holds at the library right now. Some of those are DVDs and CDs, but still! It's like all of my holds came in at once.

141. The Wonderful O by James Thurber

I was thrilled to learn that there were a couple James Thurber books on the 1001 Books list. I was additionally thrilled to see that they are very short books (an entirely different world than that of the Middlemarches and Les Miserabless of the list).

My library puts this book into Adult Fiction, but it's the kind of read that YA or even younger could enjoy. It's got a fairy-tale vibe to it: two dastardly pirate-type characters take over an island, looking for buried treasure. When they can't find the treasure, they settle for removing any object or animal whose name contains the letter "o"; they dictate that the language will be changed to outlaw any letter "o."

The book is about censorship; it's about fighting back against occupation and unjust situations. The writing is top-notch; the language has a rhythm and beauty to it, and at times it's almost poetry, as well as a paean to vocabulary. It's funny, illluminating, and invigorating. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me.

Removing the "O"s from words renders most everything unintelligible:

"They are swing chas. What is slid? What is left that's slace? We are begne and webegne. Life is bring and brish. Even schling is flish. Animals in the z are less lacnic than we. Vices are filled with paths and scial intercurse is baths. Let us gird up ur lins like lins and rt the hrrr and ust the afs."

"What nannibickering is this?" cried the blacksmith. "What is this gibberish?"

"English," said Andreus, "without it's O's."

I like the look of The Wonderful O - I've added it go my wishlist.

I hope you like it as much as I did. It's the kind of book that stays with you for a while, in a very pleasant way.

142. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

It's a never-ending process to catch up on all of the books that I should have read when I was younger (I was 3 years old when this book was first published). Roald Dahl's books are written from the point of view of the kid; adults, if they are evil, can be done away with, and personal strengths like courage and friendship are stressed.

I loved the characters in this book, common insects made quite large and anthropomorphic by magic. The plot is incredibly imaginative and involving. The illustrations are fantastic, and there are a number of poems that are a joy to read. This book is deservedly considered a children's classic.

143. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber

The second of the James Thurber books that are on the 1001 Books You Must Read list. This one is a lovely "fairy tale," with a princess kept in a castle against her will, the prince who comes to try to set her free, the evil Duke who stands in the prince's way. There's magic and ghosts, and Thurber's wonderful language and almost-poetical prose.

Here's one of my favorite passages:

"The fat is in the fire, the die is cast, the jig is up, the goose is cooked, and the cat is out of the bag."

"My hour has struck," the minstrel said. (Why use one figure of speech when you can use several?!)

144. Unhallowed Ground: The fourth chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon by Mel Starr

Another fine installment in the mysteries surrounding Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff in medieval England. The books contain a great mixture of history, mystery, and even a little theology.

De Singleton's voice is always simple, honest, succinct. Here, in one of my favorite passages, he is talking with his wife about a mystery that he is currently trying to solve:

"What is justice but truth with its sleeves rolled up, ready for labor? If only those who have always done justly, who have always spoken truth, deserve justice, who, then, is worthy?" (Notice all of the punctuation in that last sentence! Whoa!)

A fifth Hugh de Singleton has just been published, but I've had to locate these books through ILL, so ILL have to be patient (get it?!)

James and the Giant Peach along with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are some of my favourite children's books. Love it! :)

Hi, Valerie! Okay, now I know I have to get Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! Believe it or not, I've never read that book or seen any of the film versions of it. Oops!

Thanks for stopping by!

145. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

The fourth in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. Thoroughly likable read. The author seems to be spending more time showing us Flavia's family. Flavia is growing up, but she still certainly gets herself into scrapes and situations. I'm ready for the next in the series!

Here are a couple of passages that I really liked:

Miss Mountjoy was the retired Librarian-in-Chief of the Bishop's Lacey Free Library where, it was said, even the books had lived in fear of her. Now, with nothing but time on her hands, she had become a freelance holy terror.

Flavia is fascinated by all things chemical. Here she is thinking about a set of very odiferous chemicals:

With a bit of patience and a Bunsen burner, some truly foul odors can be generated in the laboratory. In 1889, for instance, the entire city of Freiburg, in Germany, had to be evacuated when chemists let a bit of thioacetone escape. It was said that people even miles away were sickened by the odor, and that horses fainted in the streets.

How I wish I had been there to see it!

146. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Wow! I really loved this book, the second in "The Giver Trilogy." The book is, again, a possible future, definitely a dystopia, but again there is cause for hope and a message for our own world. The main character, Kira, a young girl with strong artistic talents but who has had a physical disability since birth, is a very likable and inspiring hero.

One snippet for my thread: a lullaby. (I think I have a veritable collection of lullabies snipped from the books I read!):

Night comes, and colors fade away: sky fades, for blue can never stay..."

Can't wait to read the third book, Messenger. Off to find a copy of it!

147. The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir by Laurie Sandell

What an amazing book! Written as a graphic novel (and very well done, in my view), the book is a memoir of the author's "life until now," with emphasis on her father and their relationship. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but her father was truly an impostor, and a criminal, committing credit card fraud and ripping off his nearest and dearest (family and friends).

An involving, heartrending story, which is, at the end, uplifting.

I need to read Gathering Blue soon since I loved The Giver.
The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir is going on my to loan from the library list. Thanks Karen! :)

Hi, Valerie! I hope you like both of those books as much as I did. And thanks for stopping by to chat!

I'm very happily busy with preparations for Thanksgiving -- we'll have eight adults and one darling little baby (see top of thread). I'm getting some cooking done today: just roasted a turkey breast and got it all sliced. It smelled (and tastes!) delicious. I patted it down with olive oil, a little salt and pepper, and basted it a few times during the roasting. I think I prefer the olive oil over the butter that I usually use.

I'll make a big dish of brown-sugar yams tonight, then crockpot stuffing, scalloped corn, green bean casserole (I know, but I'll add fresh mushrooms) tomorrow. Real mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and breads. Pumpkin pie, apple pie. I know we'll have way too much food, but we love leftovers in my family (especially Thanksgiving Day leftovers).

I have so much to be thankful for! I have a job, and I get to work in a library; I have a wonderful husband; a cozy home; my mother is still living and happy; my sisters and brother are close enough to visit; four very fun cats; and I have access to countless books for enjoyment and education. I am very thankful!

Mmmm...Thanksgiving dinner sounds just delicious, Karen! Please add 3 more settings as I have plans to crash the party with my two monkeys. ;)

148. I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

This was number 4 of the Flavia de Luce mystery series by Alan Bradley. Again, Flavia encounters murder and helps to solve the mystery and get everything sorted out. This book had an added treat of being set in a very cozy format (there is a blizzard keeping a film crew, and most of the nearby town at the de Luce mansion), and it is Christmastime.

The character of Flavia is so unusual; she is so smart, but so innocent; she has great bravery and creativity. She is an 11-year-old kid who would be a joy, and a nightmare (at the same time), to mother.

I had a few favorite passages from the book; one is just a phrase: "the year dot," to mean, "since the year zero." Isn't that great?! I looked it up; it's a UK thing. Just love it.

The other passage of which I took special note was a conversation between Flavia and the housekeeper's husband:

"What's Father Christmas bringin' you this year?" he asked me suddenly. "A nice dolly, then, p'raps, with different outfits, an' that?"

A nice dolly indeed! What did he take me for?

"Actually, I was hoping for a Riggs generator and a set of graduated Erlenmeyer flasks," I said. "One can never have too much scientific glassware."

"Arrr," he said, whatever that means.

I'll be taking a little break from the series, as the next one isn't due out until early next year. I eagerly await it!

149. The Perils of Morning Coffee by Alexander McCall Smith

I really had to work a little to track this one down. It is a short (52 pages) story in the Isabel Dalhousie series by the author, available only as an eBook. My home library did not have the eBook on its Overdrive system, so no luck there, as you can only get eBooks from your home library system. I actually bought the Nook format eBook, and then read it on my computer. And now I'm seriously thinking of getting an eBook. I've resisted it, as I have a musty old eReader, and I really prefer a paper book, but I can see that there would be some times when a reader would be a convenience (e.g. see "Middlemarch" or "Les Miserables"!)

Anyway, I really liked this little book, and I'm glad I read it. It's a sweet little story of friendship and acceptance.

p.s. I experimented, to see if I could pull the cover picture from the Barnes and Noble site, and voila!

Sounds like you have everything under control and are ready to celebrate. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Karen.

Hi, Valerie! You'd be quite welcome for dinner! Have a happy Thanksgiving!

DeltaQueen, thank you! and you have a great Thanksgiving, as well!

Hi Karen, I'm back again. I have set up the first thread for the December Group Read:

A Tale of Two Cities

Looking forward to seeing you over there.

Thanks, DeltaQueen! I've got that thread starred, and I'm all set to go.

150. The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith

Another lovely episode in the Isabel Dalhousie set of philosophical mysteries. Dalhousie has gotten a reputation for being able to sort things out, to set things right, and to do it without judgment. She is always concerned with doing the right thing, and living an ethical life. These books are very quiet, very comfortable and comforting reading.

A few of my favorite passages:

Isabel smiled. She liked a conversation that went in odd directions; she liked the idea of playfulness in speech. People could be so depressingly literal.

It was the same with last words, which were no doubt mostly banal and often inappropriate, although some, at least, managed a memorable final statement, as did Charles II. He had apologized for taking so long to go: You must pardon me, gentlemen, for being a most unconscionable time a-dying.

151. The Pearl by John Steinbeck

One of the books for this month's portion of the year-long Steinbeck-a-thon. It's a tiny little book that really packs a big punch, as they say. The lives of Kino, Juana, and their little boy are changed dramatically when Kino finds "The Pearl of the World," a pearl of great value which will change their lives forever. This was a heartbreaking story of good versus evil, love versus greed.

But Kino's face shone with prophecy. "My son will read and open the books, and my son will write and will know writing. And my son will make numbers, and these things will make us free because he will know--he will know and through him we will know."

>>#181 Nothing in Charles' life became him so well as the leaving of it. :) His wife, Catherine of Braganza, after an extremely rocky marriage, stayed away from his death bed but sent him a message begging his pardon if she had ever done anything to offend him. He responded, "Alas, poor woman! She begs my pardon? Tell her that I beg hers, with all my heart."

Wow, that is quite touching. I might have to do some reading about old Charles. Would you know of a good history? (I bet you do! 8>))

I always learn something from you, lyzard! Thank you for stopping by to chat! I must make sure that I'm up-to-date with your thread now--I was seriously behind with everybody, and would like to get caught up by the end of the year!

Actually I don't! I've been coming at him from the other perspective, how he was depicted in the literature of the time. There were many romans a clef and other fictionalised versions of Charles published during and after his reign. I have seen the BBC drama production, The Power And The Passion, though, and apparently I've learned enough to know when people are fiddling with history. :)

Always delighted to see you at my thread, Karen!

152. J. W. Waterhouse by Anthony Hobson

I've been intrigued by the work of Waterhouse since catching glimpses of his works on the threads of scafea and whisper1 (and others?). The characters he painted are seemingly so mysterious and deep-thinking, and they are all so beautiful.

I loved this volume; Hobson did a great job at talking both about the artist and about the art. I have never been a formal art student, but I like looking at art, and I like reading art analysis. Hobson divides the study in a set of chronologically-themed chapters.

I really liked the author's "summing up" of Waterhouse, and I feel like copying it verbatim here. But I won't! The main point of the author is that it is difficult to sum up Waterhouse; he has been labeled as "pre-Raphaelite" but the author would call that a false labelling. "...In spite of his Italian birth and sympathies, Nino's (Waterhouse's) paintings are strongly English in spirit....Over and above the question of style, however, is J. W. Waterhouse's narrative ability. He was an illustrator in the finest sense of the word."

Thank you to those who brought Waterhouse's work to my attention!

153. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre

I finally got this book read--I've had it in my reading stack all year, I think! I started it several times, but it requires complete attention and intellectual participation, I would say. Not only is it a very enjoyable and spine-tingling story, but it's a "1001 Read" for me. I'm currently at 167 of 1001 (using the 2006 version of The 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die book. I may get one or two more 1001s read this year, but maybe not. I WILL be tying up some loose ends of my reading, however, which will be fun.

With this read, I've also matched my books read from 2011, so I've made that goal. I feel really proud about that--I've done some good reading this year, and can't really remember any clinkers (if I read them, I've probably put them out of my mind!)

Anyway, with TTSS, I took an approach opposite to my usual--I saw the recent movie version starring Gary Oldman as George Smiley. Then I watched the classic TV series with Alec Guinness as Smiley. Both were very good, I thought, but the book was better (of course). I did find myself visualizing the actors' faces as I read, and it made what was already a very "cinematic" read even more so. Looking forward to reading the second book in the "The Quest for Karla" series, The Honourable Schoolboy.

Le Carre is a beautiful writer. The passages that I took note of on this read were about the main character, George Smiley. What an interesting character!

After a lifetime of living by his wits and his considerable memory, he had given himself full time to the profession of forgetting.

He had that art, from miles and miles of secret life, of listening at the front of his mind; of letting the primary incidents unroll directly before him while another, quite separate faculty wrestled with their historical connection.

That one won't crack, though, Mendel decided with approval; one of your flabby oak trees, Smiley was. Think you could blow him over with one puff, but when it comes to the storm he's the only one left standing at the end of it.

154. Our Town: A Play in Three Acts by Thornton Wilder

I'd wanted to read this play for ages; I have seen one production of it, but that was many moons ago, in my childhood.

The play did not disappoint. It's a great story, and many questions about life, love, and meaning are addressed. This edition (Perennial Modern Classics) had a lot of extras which added to my enjoyment and education.

A couple of favorite lines:

Mrs. Gibbs (she dearly wants to travel): It seems to me that once in your life before you die you ought to see a country where they don't talk in English and don't even want to.

The choir director: Now look here, everybody! Music comes into the world to give pleasure.--Softer, softer! Get it out of your heads that music's only good when it's loud. You leave loudness to the Methodists. You couldn't beat 'em, even if you wanted to.

Emily (her very-well-known, almost last lines in the play): Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover's Corners. . .Mama and Papa. Good-by to clocks ticking. . .and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths. . . and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you.

155. The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide by M. J. Knight (series by Rick Riordan)

Fictfact had alerted me to the existence of this book as being part of "The Kane Chronicles" series, although Rick Riordan was not the author (well, I guess he was, one level down).

The cover has a cool holographic picture in which the images change as your point of view changes. Very neat, and unexpected. The book itself is a kid's book, but contains some Egyptian history and mythology, nice illustrations. (And, of course, characters and plot information from the series).

Very fun and quick read.

This time of year, people aren't posting as much, because, I don't know, maybe they're busy with other things! I just love being able to stay caught up with threads. Simple, enjoyable pleasure.

I'm doing lots of reading, but I have quite a few books going. I'm participating in the Tale of Two Cities read, also finishing up the Steinbeck-a-thon (and I'm a little behind). I'm looking forward to the last week of December with lots of time to finish out my 2012 reading.

156. Book Three: The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

The third (and final?) book in the series The Kane Chronicles. This book was my favorite of the three in the series--loose ends were tied up, and the Kanes achieve their goals and are well-established for their adult lives. I really hate to see the series end, but the author did leave room to revisit the characters in the future.

Lots of Egyptian mythology and even a little ancient Egyptian history. Some very funny scenes of gods behaving more human than divine. And, of course, the big theme of Chaos vs. ma'at (order), good vs. evil, on quite an epic scale.

#190 "This time of year, people aren't posting as much, because, I don't know, maybe they're busy with other things! I just love being able to stay caught up with threads. Simple, enjoyable pleasure."

Heh, I know what you mean :-) I'm glad I managed to catch up on your thread today - I read the Thurber books back in November after seeing you'd listed one in a TIOLI challenge last month. They were very unusual but fun.

157. Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler

The book is a collection of mystery stories, all set at Christmas time, all featuring the Mysterious Bookshop (a real bookstore in NYC). The stories were published annually, each by a different author, and handed out to clients of the bookshop. In 2010, 17 of these little gems were collected in this book.

There were some moments of true wordplay bliss for me, and some great puzzlers, but also a few instances of glaring typos/usage errors that brought my read to a screeching halt (p. 154, "Why do read Bruno Klem?" instead of, "Why do YOU read Bruno Klem?"). But there were only a few of these problems (that I noticed, anyway!)

Otherwise, a very fun read. Now I want even more to visit New York, and especially, to track down the real Mysterious Bookshop.

158. A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume One by George R. R. Martin; adapted by Daniel Abraham; art by Tommy Patterson

Beautiful retelling of the novel. I think they did wonderfully at distilling the huge novel down into a few hundred pages of graphic novel. The artwork is fantastic and never disappointing. There's an informative section at the back that explains the process of bringing the graphic novel to print. Bonus!

And there is a volume 2! My library doesn't have it yet, but I'll be looking for it.

#194 Thanks for your review of GOT graphic novel - I'd been wondering what that was like. Does Volume 1 cover the same storylines as the first book?

Merry, merry Christmas, Karen!

Hi, souloftherose...

I haven't read the book Game of Thrones (yet) so I don't know how well it cleaves to the book. There's only so much you of a big book that you can put in a graphic novel, but what was there was very well done, I thought.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hi, Anne! Thanks for the lovely Christmas sentiment. I did, indeed, have a merry Christmas, and I plan to carry on with Christmas jolliness for the Twelve Days (now there's a great tradition!)

I hope that your Christmas was wonderful, and that the new year will be your best yet! Thanks for stopping by!

159. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

One of my favorite stories ever, and I've taken to reading this every Christmastide. I started reading with a copy from my library, but finished on my new Nook reader (Christmas present).

I'm really liking the Nook--it just boggles the mind how much one could fit on it! Right now I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities - I'm determined to finish it by the end of the year.

I loved your reviews of the James Thurber. I had The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O in one volume as a child, so I tend to think of them in my memory as being one title, but of course they are two separate tales. I'd love to re-read them.

gennyt, I really enjoyed the Thurber stories. They are hard to describe to someone who hasn't read them! I would really encourage you to reread them, because your adult point of view is probably quite different from that of your youth.

Have a happy new year!

I'm finishing up A Tale of Two Cities and that will probably be my last book for 2012. It's a great way to wind up a year of reading. Tomorrow I'll set up my thread for 2013 and try to catch up with those who have been living in 2013 for a while now (why do they do that?!) I will have read 160 books this year--next year, I'll be happy with 161!

Congratulations on 160 books read this year and Happy New Year Karen! Did you finish aToTC in time?

Just squeaked in with aToTC! Absolutely loved it. Now I'm looking forward to my next Dickens read.

160. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I am so glad that I finished my year of reading with this great book. I wasn't really sure what to expect, as I had started at least a few times before, and never gotten far. I suspect my problem is Book One, which I found a little confusing and off-putting. Once I got into Book Two, my interest was piqued, and it was smooth sailing.

The strength of the book, to me, is the finely-detailed, empathetic characters. The "bad" ones are really scary, the "good" ones are not smarmy, but are truly and attractively good.

Some of my favorite passages:

Cramped in all kinds of dun cupboards and hutches at Tellson's, the oldest of men carried on the business gravely. When they took a young man into Tellson's London house, they hid him somewhere till he was old. They kept him in a dark place, like a cheese, until he had the full Tellson flavour and blue-mould upon him. Then only was he permitted to be seen, spectacularly poring over large books, and casting his breeches and gaiters into the general weight of the establishments.

Mr. Lorry and Sydney Carton speaking of life and death:

"Does your childhood seem far off? Do the days when you sat at your mother's knee, seem days of very long ago?"

Responding to his softened manner, Mr. Lorry answered:

"Twenty years back, yes; at this time of my life, no. For, as I draw closer and closer to the end, I travel in the circle, nearer and nearer to the beginning. It seems to be one of the kind smoothings and preparings of the way. My heart is touched now, by many remembrances that had fallen asleep, and my pretty young mother (and I so old!), and by many associations of the days when what we call the World was not so real with me, and my faults were not confirmed in me."

Crush humanity out of shape once more, under similar hammers, and it will twist itself into the same tortured forms. Sow the same seed of rapacious license and oppression over again, and it will surely yield the same fruit according to its kind.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

Wake up! Wake up!