AlcottAcre's 2009 Reads - Take 12
Discussions75 Books Challenge for 2009
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1alcottacre
My January thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/51105
My February thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/56421
My March thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/58749
My April thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/61444
My May thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/63947
My June thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/65874
My July thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/67964
My August thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/70159
My September thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/72211
My October thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/74345
My November thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/76166
2alcottacre
Nonfiction
Bound for the Promised Land by Kate Clifford Larson
Crazy Horse by Mari Sandoz
The Plays and Poems of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Volume 1
The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuscinski
The Eaves of Heaven by Andrew X. Pham
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
Love Letters from Cell 92 by Ruth-Alice von Bismarck and Ulrich Kabitz, editors
The Diary of Mary Berg by S.L. Shneiderman, editor
Lighthouse by Tony Parker
The Good Doctors by John Dittmer
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The Diary of Gideon Welles by Gideon Welles
The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall
Dr. Seuss Goes to War by Richard Minear
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
Lower East Side Memories by Hasia Diner
A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts 1920-1936 by Richard Samuel Roberts
Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals
Lost Battalions by Richard Slotkin
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
Fiction
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Tethered by Amy MacKinnon
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Maus and Maus II by Art Spiegelman
The Girls by Lori Lansens
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
A Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Young Adult/Juvenile
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Treasure of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Summerland by Michael Chabon
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
The Grey King by Susan Cooper
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
A note about my memorable reads: I am not a book critic. My memorable reads list is just that: books that are memorable to me - that for some reason or other resonate with me. I do not rate books as many people here do for the simple reason that I am a terrible book reviewer! lol
5FAMeulstee
And add a few of your memorable reads to TBR.
Anita
6alcottacre
#4: I am not hard to catch up to - you just have to find me first, Carrie.
#5: Thanks for coming by, Anita! Glad to see you here.
9missylc
10London_StJ
11Whisper1
You are the glue that holds us!
12alcottacre
13cameling
starred you again....
14msf59
16brenzi
Child 44 and The Cellist of Sarajevo both made my list this year too. There is a follow up to Child 44 called The Secret Speech that's supposed to be very good also, although I haven't read it yet. Your Memorable list looks like I have many books to add to my Pile.
19alcottacre
#14: Welcome to Stasia's kitchen, Mark :)
#15: Thanks, flissp!
#16: I have not gotten to The Secret Speech yet either, Brenda. My local library does not have it in, but as soon as they do, I am snatching it up!
#17: If you send me your e-mail address, I will give you a copy of the recipe. I do not think the muffins would survive the mails.
#18: Hello, calm, and welcome!
20lindapanzo
A warm drink would be nice. Chicagoland, or at least my part of it, had its first snow flurries of the season today. The first ones I've seen, at any rate. We all ran to the window to look. You'd think we'd never seen snow before.
21msf59
Linda- I worked outside today (I live in the Downers Grove area) and it felt a bit wintry, but at least the snow didn't stick!
22alcottacre
We are having homemade minestrone and Pain d'Ail tomorrow - you guys come on down . . .
23brenzi
25lindapanzo
People not from here don't realize how large Chicagoland is. We can have a foot of snow up here with the city having nothing.
A nice night to curl up with my current baseball book, Sixty Feet, Six Inches.
26alcottacre
27bonniebooks
It helps that I can ignore the books I've read (that were my favorites as well) and those books that others have already recommended. Plus, I'm going to totally ignore the YA list. Please note that I take full responsibility for the list below:
Bonnie's pick of her "Top Ten" books from Alcottacre's favorites are:
Beals, Melba Pattillo: Warriors Don't Cry
Dittmer, John: The Good Doctors
Kay, Guy Gavriel: Tigana
Larson, Kate Clifford: Bound for the Promised Land
Mackinnon, Amy: Tethered
Roberts, Richard Samuel: A True Likeness
Sandoz, Mari: Crazy Horse
Smith, Tom Rob: Child 44
Thiong'o, Ngugi wa: Wizard of the Crow
Urrea, Luis Alberta: The Hummingbird's Daughter
edit. to try to fix Touchstones and, later, to fix your name.
28alcottacre
29cameling
I am on roasted rice green tea today though ... interesting flavor.
30dk_phoenix
31kidzdoc
32dulcibelle
33sjmccreary
34jmaloney17
35alcottacre
#30: If you send me a PM with your e-mail address, I will send you the recipe for the muffins, Faith.
#32: Well, our projected snow went south, so we did not get any :( It does sound weird - snow in Houston?
#33: I am with you - I want snow too, Sandy!
#34: Maybe your projected snow will not appear like mine did not?
36cameling
The tea takes some getting used to ... it's not my favorite, but it's not as bad as I thought when I first tried it.
38alcottacre
#37: Thanks! Same to you!
39cameling
40alcottacre
41jadebird
42alcottacre
43alcottacre
485. The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - young adult; I loved Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It when I read it earlier this year, but to me, this book did not have the same 'magic' that the other did - I still liked it, but did not love it, and would still recommend it; there is a third book coming out Spring 2010 that combines the characters from the two books and I will definitely be reading it; recommended
486. Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly - I love Connelly's Harry Bosch character and have read all the books in the series, so when I found out a new one was out, I dropped everything else to read it; highly recommended for fans of the genre
487. A Rare Benedictine by Ellis Peters - Angela recommended this one on her thread as an introduction to the Brother Cadfael series and as I had only read the first book in the series, I thought I would go back and pick this one up; nothing spectacular here, although the copy of the book I had contained some nice illustrations; recommended only for died-in-the-wool Brother Cadfael fans
488. Bayou by Jeremy Love - my, how far comic books have come! This graphic novel, recommended by legxleg is terrific, a commentary (without beating you over the head with it) about the Jim Crow south; highly recommended - and it can be read online here: http://www.zudacomics.com/bayou
489. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux - nonfiction; a classic of travel writing, although somewhat dated now and sometimes it seems as if the author is trying a bit too hard; to me, the saddest note in the book was in one of the footnotes 'Now - April 1975 - most of the Vietnam towns I passed through by rail have been blown up . . . The little train no longer runs between Hue and Danang.'; guardedly recommended
490. Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd - young adult; a terrific book about an Irish youth caught up in the fight for the Irish independence movement; highly recommended
491. The Lucky Gourd Shop by Joanna C. Scott - a kind of 'meh' read for me - the premise sounded good - 3 adopted children search for their birth mother in Korea - but somehow the book itself just did not work for me; not recommended
492. Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg - nonfiction; I have been wanting to read this one since I read Wesley the Owl earlier this year; on the whole, I think I preferred 'Wesley' to 'Alex', but I would still recommend this one because the subject matter is very interesting (at least to me, lol); recommended
493. Dark Curse by Christine Feehan - BC pure and simple
494. Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - having read Bujold's first book and thinking it was a Harlequin romance in disguise, I was not really sure I wanted to read this one, her seventh, but I was pleasantly surprised by it - her writing was much improved (although she did still have some 'Harlequin' moments to my mind), but I just do not like all of the politics in the book - I guess I just expect my science fiction to be that - Carolyn (MusicMom41) liked it better than I did, so you might want to check her thread for her review here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/76313; guardedly recommended by me - highly recommended by Carolyn
495. The Witch Doctor's Wife by Tamar Myers - this was an ER book and as I had never read anything by Myers before I was not sure what to expect; this was a pretty good historical fiction novel set in 1950s Africa; Here is my review 'This book had a little bit of everything: a great setting; interesting, likeable (and some not so likeable) characters; a mystery; and just a bit of romance. My only quibble with the book, and it is a minor one, is that there is a lack of depth to the characters. Other than that, I thought it a very good book.'; highly recommended
496. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson - juvenile fiction; I loved this story of a family of hellions who decides to join the Christmas pageant at the local church and manages to teach the regular church members the true meaning of Christmas; highly recommended
497. The Sweet Dove Died by Barbara Pym - this was the fourth Pym book I have read and the first that I have been disappointed in; I just could not get into this story of a love pentagram (Humphrey-Leonora-James-Phoebe-Ned); guardedly recommended only for die-hard Pym fans
498. Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - I really enjoyed this end-of-the-world scenario book, although it is decidedly dated having been written over 30 years ago; recommended
499. Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - the second book in the Agent Pendergrast series and a pretty good one; recommended for series fans
500. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - I kind of cheated in making this book 500 - I had already determined that if I made it this far, this was going to be the book to do it with; What more can I say about this book than has already been said? It is deservedly a classic, Tolstoy painting on a broad canvas and managing to make everything come together; I loved it and am seriously thinking of reading it again next year along with the group read of Anna Karenina; highly recommended - and while I am at it, I will recommend the Pevear-Volokhnosky translation that I used
OK, I am done for the year. Yep, not picking up any more books until January (and if you believe that - I have a bridge in Brooklyn you need to buy.)
44kidzdoc
Congratulations, Stasia!!! And what a great choice of a book to hit 500 with. I have that new translation, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it.
Bayou sounds very interesting; I'll look at it today. I'll check out The Great Railway Bazaar and Bog Child, too.
Which bridge in Brooklyn are you selling? :)
45alcottacre
46kidzdoc
I'll probably read one or two of the new translations of Dostoevsky by Pevear & Volokhonsky first, probably Crime and Punishment and The Idiot.
48msf59
49lauranav
I will get around to War and Peace some day. I read Anna Karenina this year and am listening to The Brothers Karamazov right now (it's the free download from christianaudio.com for December). With that much Russian literature under my belt, maybe I can tackle W&P next year.
50London_StJ
51Carmenere
Very good artistry at work in Bayou - and I plan to finish it later today.
52legxleg
54rebeccanyc
55kidzdoc
56lindapanzo
Wow--Lucifer's Hammer. Back in the 70s, I absolutely loved that book. I haven't thought of that one in years.
I rarely read those kinds of books today but, back then, I loved stuff like that. A lot of weather catastrophe books, too, though I still like those. Blizzard by George Stone, for instance--what if it doesn't stop?
57profilerSR
During a series-mystery phase in the late 90's, I read Tamar Myers mysteries. I don't read as much series-mystery anymore, so I haven't kept up. I always found them enjoyable, but as you say, the characters lacked depth. They have some really funny moments, though.
58Eat_Read_Knit
Not only is it a truly amazing achievement, it also allows those of us who have read that less half that number (and whose TBR pile contains fewer books than you've read so far this year) to say when questioned about our reading habits, "But my reading is very modest - I know someone who reads FAR more than I do!" Thank you for performing this valuable public service. ;)
I agree with you about The Sweet Dove Died - it is my least favourite Pym novel so far.
The Witch Doctor's Wife looks interesting, and has gone on the wishlist.
59kmartin802
I'm sorry that you didn't like Cordelia's Honor. I am one of Lois McMaster Bujold's biggest fans. I have read all of her books many times. I like the love story between Aral and Cordelia. I also like the adventures of thier son Miles for a more space opera kind of theme. Unless you are opposed to romance, you should try her new series The Sharing Knife. She deliberately tried to combine science fiction and romance. It is interesting to hear her talk about the difficulty of combining the two genres.
60kmartin802
I'm sorry that you didn't like Cordelia's Honor. I am one of Lois McMaster Bujold's biggest fans. I have read all of her books many times. I like the love story between Aral and Cordelia. I also like the adventures of thier son Miles for a more space opera kind of theme. Unless you are opposed to romance, you should try her new series The Sharing Knife. She deliberately tried to combine science fiction and romance. It is interesting to hear her talk about the difficulty of combining the two genres.
61tymfos
I honestly don't know how you do it . . .
62avatiakh
Trying not to add to my own Black Hole but did visit the Bayou website after legxleg posted about it.
63_Zoe_
Also, thank you for mentioning that there's a third Life As We Knew It book coming out soon. I still haven't read The Dead and the Gone (waiting for the paperback release), but I will definitely read both that and the next one eventually.
I was glad to read your review of The Witch Doctor's Wife as well. That was one that I requested from ER and didn't receive, so I may have to keep an eye out for it in stores.
65FAMeulstee
500 is really like WOW
My own plans to read more classics this year did not work out, although I did read Don Quichote, for next year I am in doubt, one of the Russian classics or Moby Dick. I won't plan more than one ;-)
Anita
66porch_reader
67Emily1
68sjmccreary
69VisibleGhost
70FlossieT
71MusicMom41
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has been a tradition in our family for many years. And on Friday night the play we went to was a musical production of that story by our local theater company! A nice way to "kick off" the holiday season.
War and Peace is a favorite of mine, also. I've read it twice and you've inspired me to get the P-V translation and read it again next year--it's been quite a while since my last read. I already have Anna waiting on the "short shelf" for January. I also bought the P-V translation of The Brothers Karamazov last year to do a reread and it is still waiting patiently. I may make 2010 my "Year of the Russian Novels!" :-)
73BookAngel_a
76VioletBramble
77cameling
What a great list of reads last week. I've already got Nine Dragons and The Great Railway Bazaar on my TBR, but I've added Lucifer's Hammer and The Witch Doctor's Wife to my wishlist. I've not read anything by Tamar Myers yet and I've been reading some good reviews of her stuff, so time for me to dive in.
Are we still going to do the Anna Karenina group read in January?
80ronincats
I'm sorry you didn't like Barrayar more, but I understand. I think that much science fiction, that which is more than just an action story, at least, interacts with politics a lot. Its nature is to examine ourselves, or at least aspects of humanity, in social and cultural contexts which are mutated from those familiar to us. I have always said that SF keeps my assumptions loose--that I am not embedded in our cultural matrix and the tacit assumptions therein quite so much because I am reading a literature that questions all of them in one way or another, and makes them explicit in a way no other genre can. This means there are often political overtones, and always political undertones.
However, if you ever run across it, I would strongly recommend that you read the novella, The Mountains of Mourning. I think it is simply a beautiful story. You can find the first chapter at
http://www.baen.com/library/1011250002/1011250002.htm
81alcottacre
82ronincats
83alcottacre
84bookaholicgirl
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a great book. I read it to my daughters last year and we loved it.
85Whisper1
I've been out of town since Thursday and wanted to check your thread before I return home this evening..I found 68 new messages!
Congratulations on reaching 500! Please do continue to stay with us not=so=high achievers.
You are incredible!
86alcottacre
89jmaloney17
93dulcibelle
94Carmenere
95alcottacre
#89: I am with flissp on that one - not even one book? That is scary
#94: Lynda, I know that I have added more than my share from your reading list this year to the BlackHole, so turn about is fair play, heh?
96msf59
97alaskabookworm
98alcottacre
99dk_phoenix
100BrainFlakes
101arubabookwoman
Deborah
102alcottacre
103lindapanzo
Is this your most ever?
104alcottacre
105alcottacre
You're The Scarlet Letter!
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Raised in a culture steeped in religious values, you raise some
serious questions about the nature of that culture. While you no longer see
yourself as a part of that society, you are a staunch defender of the rights
of those who wish to remain there to do so. At the same time, you illustrate
the hypocrisies of that society and some of the better intended people therein.
Ultimately, it's possible the best improvement you think anyone could make would
be the improvement of communication devices on ships. Your least favorite letter
is A.
Take the Book Quiz II
at the Blue Pyramid.
Thanks to Amanda4242 for putting up the link for me to copy!
106sjmccreary
107alcottacre
108sjmccreary
109alcottacre
110sjmccreary
111alcottacre
112sjmccreary
113alcottacre
114sjmccreary
115alcottacre
116sjmccreary
117kmartin802
On quiz 1 I was The Mists of Avalon and on quiz 2 I was The Scarlet Letter. Now, I know that The Mists of Avalon in somewhere buried in my TBR pile but I have never read it. I actually try to avoid anything Arthurian and "camelotish". I do like a lot of the books by MZB but prefer the Darkover books to her Arthurian stuff.
And I do remember reading The Scarlet Letter at some time in my past but I don't own it, don't want to, and don't remember much about it. Six questions seems to be an awfully short quiz to determine what book you are.
We are having a blizzard today. Theoretically, this means lots of reading time (after I remotely finish my school work).
118Whisper1
You're A Tale of Two Cities!
by Charles Dickens
You find it challenging to be unequivocal, often tempering your
statements with contradictory or mitigating concepts, just to be sure. Nevertheless,
it's clear that you live in remarkably extremist times and have seen some rather
dramatic things transpire. You are particularly distrustful of the French. While you
find it difficult to part with things, you would gladly sacrifice a carton. Sewing
makes you very nervous.
Take the Book Quiz II
at the Blue Pyramid.
119jmaloney17
120lindapanzo
121FAMeulstee
You're As I Lay Dying!
by William Faulkner
Schizophrenic and unpredictable, you are able to hold many conflicting ideas in your head at once without getting confused. However, this doesn't mean those around you or trying to communicate with you fail to be confused.
In fact, your willingness to say precisely whatever is on your mind lends a kind of mystery to you that makes some people afraid of you. But maybe it's just that people don't like being as morbid as you can be. Despite this dark streak, you really like the singer/songwriter Jewel.
Take the Book Quiz II
at the Blue Pyramid.
I am not sure what I was at the first Book Quiz, but I think it was Watership Down
123Carmenere
2nd - A portrait of the artist as a young man
It seems I'm growing up! I'll probably be The old man and the sea by the 3rd quiz.
124alcottacre
#123: Not only are you growing older, Lynda, but it appears that a sex change operation must be in your future :)
125brenzi
That's just crazy.
128tymfos
I don't think I want to know what book I am today, though . . . .
Hello, anyway! ;)
130cameling
You're not really sure what all the fuss is about, but it seems
like it's all a lot of overreaction. Light and playful, you tend to be the one
making dirty jokes in the corner, or even in front of a whole bunch of people.
You end up being more or less unable to keep a straight face, even when something
serious seems to be on the line. Despite this, you still have something to say
about gender equality. In the end, you're just looking for a hero.
131alcottacre
132flissp
133Fourpawz2
135alcottacre
136legxleg
137alcottacre
501. The Real Diary of a Real Boy by Henry A. Shute - nonfiction; this was very short, only 58 pages, but a quite enjoyable look at life when things were slower and boys still fished at swimming holes; be aware that the diary is not edited for spelling and punctuation errors, which are rife throughout as it was written when the author was about 8-10 years old; recommended
502. The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese - nonfiction; I greatly enjoyed Verghese's My Own Country when I read it and so looked forward to this book with anticipation, but this one just did not have the magic for me that the other one had - it is still a good read, but I just preferred the other book; recommended
503. Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen - very good historical fiction novel and I loved the grandmother in it - I already have book 2 home from the library to read; highly recommended
504. The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten - nonfiction; a very enjoyable romp through the Yiddish language filled with pronunciations, meanings, anecdotes, and jokes; highly recommended
505. To Kingdom Come by Will Thomas - this is the second book in Thomas' Cyrus Davenport series, but does not live up to the first, enjoyable enough, just not as good; guardedly recommended
506. Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells - young adult; another one of my dystopian reads for the year, and overall a pretty good one; recommended
507. The Worst Years of Our Lives by Barbara Ehrenreich - nonfiction; I will say first off that this book was not what I was expecting - I thought it was going to be a look at the economic situation during the Reagan era, but instead what I got was basically a diatribe against all things Republican, conservative, or fundamentalist, all of which I am; it is a shame, because I really liked Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed; recommended for people other than me
508. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Thurston - audiobook; this book has been in the BlackHole forever now and when RebeccaAnn mentioned on her thread that she had listened to it, I thought it was about time to get to it, and I am glad I did - an absolutely terrific book with a wonderful job of narration by Ruby Dee; highly recommended and on my memorable reads list for the year
509. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - young adult; this book takes some work, flipping back and forth between past and present as it does, but I loved it - I thought the character of Taylor Markham was well-done and Marchetta has some terrific chapter endings in the book; highly recommended
510. The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges - nonfiction; this is a compendium of imaginary beings from both Eastern and Western literature, done with a Borges touch - thanks go to Greg for the recommendation of this one; I suspect J.K. Rowling has more than a passing knowledge of it, given the number of imaginary beings in her Harry Potter books (basilisks, phoenixes, centaurs, mandrakes, etc); recommended
511. On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt - young adult; my daughter Catey tells me that this is her BFF Terra's favorite book, and I can see why it appeals to her: likeable hero and heroine caught in circumstances beyond their control; I enjoyed this very much, the second book in Voigt's Kingdom series; recommended
512. Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede - this is the concluding book to Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles and I liked this one nearly as much as I enjoyed the first book in the series; recommended
Two more weekly posts and then one midweek post will wrap up 2009. Hard to believe, isn't it?
I have only read 139 nonfiction books this year and so will fall short of my 150 nonfiction book goal, but overall I am satisfied with my reading for the year. I do intend to continue my civil rights movement and Vietnam War reading into 2010.
138calm
This sounds like my kind of book - The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges (so onto the find list it goes) and there are a few others to investigate!
139alcottacre
140kidzdoc
I'll get to The Book of Imaginary Beings someone in the future, after my TBR collection shrinks a bit.
141VisibleGhost
142alcottacre
#141: Well, I would trust you over Amazon any day of the week, VG. Thanks for the recommendation of the book, but unfortunately my local library does not have that one - it is already in the BlackHole.
143kidzdoc
2010 will be the year that the TBR pile shrinks, despite my plan to read less books (100-125) and despite the fact that I'll already be 11 books in the hole on January 1st, counting the books that will come throughout the year from Archipelago. Keep hope alive!
144alcottacre
145kidzdoc
That reminds me: I need to write a list of book recommendations today, as my group is starting a formal book club this week.
146alcottacre
147Carmenere
#143 - I like your reference to tribbles Darryl
#144 "so not buying any books next year" snicker, snicker
148alcottacre
I have over 800 books in my house that I have not read yet (I mean what would I read if the local library ran out of books or burned down or something), so I have really got to make a dent in the stack!
149msf59
150missylc
151Whisper1
I'm resigned to the fact that I will NEVER finish the tbr pile. I still have many of your recommendations from 2008, and now 2009....Each time I visit here Sunday morning there are more and more and more.
Happy Sunday to all!
152legxleg
153sjmccreary
Glad to hear that the Patricia C Wrede series ends strong - I don't think I ever made it past book #3, but was thinking of re-reading the series in 2010.
154ronincats
155London_StJ
156RebeccaAnn
157rebeccanyc
158rainpebble
It seems so long since I have spent a Sunday morning on the Acre. It feels good to be here.
I am so very pleased that you liked Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston is just a wonderful author and I loved this particular book.
Hope things are well with you and the family.
I hope also to get to see you again next year. This time it will be my turn to buy.
luv n hugs,
belva
159bonniebooks
P.S. I'm sure that B.E. would say that some of her best friends are "Republicans, conservative, or fundamentalists." ;-)
160kmartin802
I feel bad that I can 't keep up. This would help remove some of the guilt.
161Cait86
I am way, way behind on threads, but I just spent about 30 minutes getting caught up on your last two. Congrats on meeting your 500-book goal - I think that is incredible! I think I read somewhere that you are in the midst of The Children's Book, right? I'm waiting for your opinion on that one, as it is my favourite read of the year.
Have a great week :)
162alcottacre
#150: I am glad you found a lot to like this week, Missy!
#151: Linda, I promise in 2010 to read books that you will hate so I do not add to the TBR pile :)
#152: I am glad to see that you are enjoying The Book of Imaginary Beings, which really is not designed to be read through the way I did it, but I hope you get to finish it soon. It really does have some lovely prose. Thanks for stopping by, legxleg!
163Whisper1
re. #151...not possible. You and I have the same reading likes and dislikes. I'm simply happy to learn about all the wonderful morsels you send my way!
164alcottacre
#154: Roni, I agree with you that one of the charms of the book was Daystar and his complete ignorance of what is happening around him. It is a series I will probably read again at some point since I enjoyed it so much the first time around.
#155: I predict you will enjoy The Joys of Yiddish, Luxx. I am glad to know that I am adding substantially to your wishlist as you have done to mine!
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#157: I did not even know there was an updated version, so I guess I am very lucky that my local library just had the old one from the sounds of it!
#158: Hey, Belva! Glad to see you around the Acre of a Sunday morning. I am looking forward to our next meeting.
167alcottacre
#160: Kathy, not everyone can keep up! We just do the best we can.
#161: Thanks for the congrats, Cait. I looks like it will be next year before I finish The Children's Book, but thus far, I am really enjoying it!
168brenzi
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170sjmccreary
Good luck in achieving such a difficult goal!
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172rebeccanyc
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175klobrien2
I will play devil's advocate, and mention that I'm reading the updated (30 years after) version. Lawrence Bush (the reviser) states in the intro to the later book that "American life and Jewish life worldwide have all undergone tremendous transformations....My task has been to reflect some of those changes through a concise commentary on Rosten's text."
It seems that what Bush has done in the 2001 version (as far as I've read--I'm not very far yet) is to add commentary and explanation to the original Rosten book. The book blurb says that he worked closely with Rosten's daughters to do this.
Stasia, I'm sorry to impinge on your thread, but it's always nice to have an alternative viewpoint, I think. I'm sure that in either one of these editions, the greatness of the original comes through.
Karen
176jmaloney17
Is your next book Dark Angels or Now Face to Face?
Dark Angels is the prequel and Now Face to Face comes after Through a Glass Darkly. I was very confused when I read Through a Glass Darkly then discovered there was one that came before it only to find out that it was written later but took place before Through a Glass Darkly. I still have to read Now Face to Face. It is sitting on my shelf at home waiting patiently. A lot of people think Dark Angels is weaker, but I liked it just as much.
177alcottacre
#176: I picked up Now Face to Face the other day at the library. I am not sure when I going to get to it, but I will eventually.
178allthesedarnbooks
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180cameling
I've already got Their Eyes Were Watching God on my TBR pile (very twee compared to yours, thank goodness) and maybe I should move it up the read rank since I'm hearing such fantastic reviews.
Through a Glass Darkly and Jellicoe Road have made it onto my wishlist.
181alcottacre
Unfortunately the 800 unread books is probably just the tip of the iceberg since I do not even have all of my books catalogued on LT yet. *sigh* What will I read if I read all of them and the local library catches on fire or goes out of business or something? This is a major fear for me!
182brenzi
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184tloeffler
185cameling
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513. Turning Angel by Greg Iles - this is the second book in Iles' Penn Cage series and I was disappointed in it; the story revolves around the murder of a high school student who was sleeping with a 40+-year-old man, but there were several plot holes I could not get over, nor could I reconcile my mind to the fact that in the book not just one, but several of the high school girls were sleeping with men old enough to be their fathers; not recommended, unless there is nothing else on hand to read (I would prefer cereal boxes to this myself)
514. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott - young adult; the formula that keeps Nicholas Flamel and his wife from aging has been stolen from them and a set of 15-yo twins gets thrown into the midst of the battle to get the formula (contained in a book) back; not Harry Potter, but then what is, but still enjoyable enough; recommended
515-517. Bone, Volumes 6, 7, & 8 by Jeff Smith - graphic novels; I have thoroughly enjoyed the Bone series (and am anxiously awaiting the final volume); what started out as a lightweight tale rapidly evolved into quite a complex one, with great worldbuilding by Smith IMHO; highly recommended
518. MacBeth by William Shakespeare - Catey and I are studying this for British Literature, so I gave the play a re-read this week; Mac remarked on his thread comparing Shakespeare and Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series and how they both wrote for the audience, but I must say that I do not think that Meyer's books will hold up as well as old Will's plays do, just because of the sheer number of quotations from Shakespeare that we continue to use today; recommended
519. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood - I am going to be in the minority on this, but I prefer Oryx and Crake to this one, although I really liked this book too; highly recommended
520. A Mighty Long Way by Carlotta Walls Lanier - nonfiction; this is the third book I have read this year about the integration of the high school in Little Rock, Arkansas and of the three, I prefer the one by Melba Patillo Beals, Warriors Don't Cry; one thing I did appreciate about Lanier's book was the chapter on what the election of Barak Obama meant to her; recommended
521. Lost Battalions by Richard Slotkin - nonfiction; this is not an easy book to read - it is lengthy and goes into detail about several WWI battles - but I think it is probably one of the most important nonfiction books I have read this year; the battalions referenced in the title refer to the 369th Infantry (the Harlem Hellfighters) and the 77th Division, which was famously surrounded in the Argonne but refused to surrender despite massive losses (there was a film made for A&E about 10 years ago about this and it is very good); the book asks the question 'Should black and ethnic Americans (the 77th was primarily composed of Italian and Jewish immigrants) have fought for a country that treated them as second class citizens?'; terrific book, highly recommended and on my memorable reads list for the year
522. The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough - nonfiction audiobook; I have wanted to read this book for several years, but my local library did not have the print version, and when Tina mentioned the audiobook on her thread, I thought I would give it a try; Edward Hermann's narration was pretty good and the book itself was excellent, giving a very good picture of the happenings up to and beyond the time of the flood; recommended
523. Bleak House by Charles Dickens - I finished this several days past the 'due date', but I really enjoyed the book; Dickens' creates atmosphere from the very beginning, but I found the character of Esther too much of a ninny for my taste; highly recommended (even to you, Richard!)
524. The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald - I had never read anything by Sebald before, so I was not quite sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book, a fictional memoir narrated by Sebald presumably, who meets 4 people and they talk to him about their lives and what lead them to emigrate and the ramifications of that decision; Theme of the book seems to be: '. . . Mental suffering is effectively without end. One may think one has reached the very limit, but there are always more torments to come. One plunges from one abyss to the next.'; highly recommended
525. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - juvenile fiction; several people were appalled that I had never read this one, but now that I have done so, I think I can truthfully say it is better designed for people younger than I am - I think I would have loved it as a child, but as an adult, not so much, especially the racism toward the 'Indians' and I am not sure that the mention of the fairies having an orgy is really appropriate for the age group, however it was intended
So, with this week's reads my nonfiction total for the year is up to 142. I am still not going to make 150, but I am happy with the nonfiction I have read this year nonetheless.
190petermc
The Slotkin book has been on the "get it if you come across it" list for a while, but I haven't "come across it" yet! Two books I have come across however, are Five Days In October: The Lost Battalion Of World War I by Robert H. Ferrell, and Blood in the Argonne: The "Lost Battalion" of World War I by Alan D. Gaff; both of which deal with the infamous 77th. I hope to tackle at least one of these in 2010.
Interesting you mentioned the Sebald book. His On the Natural History of Destruction is one which I've recently been recommended.
191legxleg
192alcottacre
#191: Dickens is a favorite of mine, so finishing Bleak House was no chore for me. I do hope you get a chance to read it in future, Ashley.
193Carmenere
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#194: Thanks, Linda.
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198msf59
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I had not read any Atwood until this year. I have now read 3: Oryx and Crake, The Penelopiad, and The Year of the Flood, and I liked them all. I have her Alias Grace on the agenda for next year.
200alcottacre
name on the receipt was Tim's, so how do I know who to thank?
Posting to the Kitchen too.
201Fourpawz2
Put The Johnstown Flood on the wishlist - looks good. I've been looking forward to reading Atwood's The Year of the Flood even though I was not a fan (not at all) of Oryx and Crake.
202alcottacre
I have seen people thanking their Secret Santas on their profile pages, I just have not figured out how they found out who their Secret Santas were. I did not do the Secret Santa thing last year - this is my first year to do it, so I thought someone who may have done it before could spill the secret.
203legxleg
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205_Zoe_
206London_StJ
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Peter Pan more; I read it to Brooks this year and have considered picking up others in the series.
Hope you're feeling better!
208BookAngel_a
Looks like another great reading week to me!
210marise
Think I will seek out Lost Battalions for my husband as it sounds right up his book alley.
211brenzi
212arubabookwoman
213RebeccaAnn
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#206: As far as Peter Pan goes, Luxx, I think it is more my age than anything else. I am betting Brooks loved it - pirates and Indians both - and he would probably enjoy the rest of the series (I did not even know it was a series!), and then you have Max to read it to as well.
#207: Cyrel, was The Emigrants recommended on your thread? If it was, I apologize for not recognizing your recommendation - I do try to thank people when I know where the recommendation came from. You are right, Sebald did write in an interesting style and I am going to be looking for more of his books. I am sorry he died so young and will not be writing any more.
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#209: Thanks! I am feeling a bit better this evening.
#210: Lost Battalions is not just WWI history but is social history as well, so if your husband is into both, I would say it would be a book he would appreciate, Christine.
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#212: Thanks, Deborah.
#213: If you have not read it, RebeccaAnn, I recommend you give it a go and then you can decide for yourself whether or not you like it!
217scohva
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219iansales
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221London_StJ
Brooks and Max give me a great excuse to read books that I otherwise would have left on my list.
Are you working on any special holiday reads?
222alcottacre
How about you?
223London_StJ
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225London_StJ
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227flissp
Re his Shakespeare, I'll second Stasia. It was a fun enough read, but it wasn't really particularly enlightening.
Stasia, thank you for reminding me about the Bone comics. I bought them as they came out for a long time, but tailed off at some point (I think it was when I went to University) - I've been meaning to catch up on them, but I have to work out where I left off first! ;)
228TheTortoise
As I have not been posting reviews on my thread for a couple of months I thought you might like an update on my activities.
I have recently finished writing book number three, a crime novel called The Confession of Sandy Harris.
I have sent it to an agent who requested that I send it to him. He thought this was the most commercial of the three books I have written this year.
His initial reaction was that it was "an impressive piece of writing."!
I will let you all know if anything comes of it.
Thank you to all who encouraged and supported me throughout the year.
- TT
229alcottacre
#228: TT!! Lovely to hear from you again. Linda and I were just talking the other night about you. I hope, despite all that is going on with you, that you are planning to join us in the 2010 group. Good luck with the book! Use me as a character! Kill me off! Send free copies stateside!! lol
230richardderus
*escapes without adding to Wishlist*
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232kidzdoc
The Emigrants is also going on my wish list.
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234torontoc
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236cameling
I like Atwood's writings. Have you read The Handmaid's Tale yet? That's my next favorite of her books after Oryx and Crake. I've still got Cat's Eye on my TBR and I plan on reading that next year.
Hope you're feeling better, dear Stasia.
237alcottacre
I have not yet read The Handmaid's Tale. The next Atwood up for me is Alias Grace, which I own, but I imagine I will be getting to The Handmaid's Tale next year. I look forward to your review of Cat's Eye. I do not know anything at all about that one.
Thanks for the good wishes. I am feeling better today.
238cameling
Glad you're feeling better. Will you get to read as much over the Christmas holidays? I need to know, so that I can properly steel myself incase of an onslaught of recommendations from you
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240FlossieT
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242bonniebooks
243flissp
I read my sister's A-level copy of Cat's Eye, so had all her accompanying notes in the margin of the book, which was quite amusing...
#229 Re Bone, you're probably right - the main problem is that I don't have the collections, I've got the original comics, so I think one or two "chapters" are missing... Must investigate over Christmas...
244iansales
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247cameling
Maybe if I send you some from the piles from when I shoveled this morning, you could have enough to make your own little dancing snowman.
248allthesedarnbooks
249RebeccaAnn
250TheTortoise
I will gladly use you as a character and kill you off! If only I knew more about you. I am sure I will write about a book eater a some stage, suggest a title. What about The Bibliography of a Book Eater!
~ TT
251alcottacre
#248: Thanks, Marcia! I am doing much better. I hope you get a chance to read The Johnstown Flood very soon.
#249: I have really enjoyed the Bone series. I hope you do too, RebeccaAnn.
#250: You could always make me a book collector who stumbles across a valuable book and gets killed for it :) All of the books you are doing sound wonderful, TT, and I wish you all the success in the world!
255alcottacre
#254: Right back at you :)
256allthesedarnbooks
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258profilerSR
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I hope you have a wonderful Christmas too!
260cushlareads
261alcottacre
262FAMeulstee
We have it too, first time since 1982 I think.
The snow started more than a week ago and today it is starting to melt.
263msf59
264SqueakyChu
I only sent you the snow you said you wanted. It's a bit of our snow from Maryland. When did it finally arrive, and why are you so surprised? :)
Merry Christmas, Stasia!
265alcottacre
#263: It is a sad state of affairs when Texas is getting snow but Chicago is not! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas anyway, Mark.
#264: Thank you for the snow, Madeline! I love it - we received it last night, but it will be gone by this afternoon.
266SqueakyChu
*throws snowball in a southwesterly direction*
267alcottacre
Since you are responsible for the weather here in Texas, I am requesting a mild summer - no 100 degree days :)
269SqueakyChu
Are you sure you tossed it back to Maryland?
Since you are responsible for the weather here in Texas, I am requesting a mild summer - no 100 degree days
If I don't have it, how can I send it down to you? We have hot, humid summers. Want a bit of that?
Seriously, though. Do you have lots of 100-degree days?! Yikes!!
*thinks about hot weather with great wistfulness*
*remembers reading at the beach - background: soft winds, unruly waves, sparkling sand...*
270alcottacre
#269: We have been known to have over 90 days straight of 100 degree temperatures. I do you not think you would be thinking of hot weather with any wistfulness then, Madeline :)
272SqueakyChu
Hmmmm? Let me think that temperature over a bit. Hot and dry beats cold and wet to me any day.
273alcottacre
#272: I think cold and wet would win over 90+ days of 100+ temperatures personally :)
275alcottacre
276jdthloue
Jude
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278lindapanzo
Today's a great day to stay home and read.
279London_StJ
280mckait
I will catch up with you in 2010!
Take care... embrace happy!
282legxleg
283allthesedarnbooks
284SqueakyChu
Well, Kathy, now that you've found your car in all that snow, how do you drive in it? :)
285kmartin802
I don't know. I haven't tried to drive anywhere yet. I'm waiting a couple more days until the City crews have cleaned the streets up a little more. I have plenty of books to keep me busy.
286alcottacre
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
-- Arnold Lobel
I think all of us can relate!
287richardderus
Oh! It's early enough on Sunday that I got here before Stasia empties the Temptation Truck all over! Glad you had a good Christmas, dear, and look forward to another trip here...wait, it's almost 2010!...ah, farewell fat old thread, I'll see everyone in the 2010er soon.
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526. A Lady of Quality by Frances Hodgson Burnett -I tend to think of Burnett as a children's writer (The Secret Garden, etc), but this book is decidedly for adults and once you get around the somewhat archaic speaking style, pretty good; recommended
527. Ada by Vladimir Nabokov - Nabokov has firmly taken a place among my favorite authors, even though I had never read anything by him before last year; this book about the incestuous love between a half-brother and sister is very good and Nabokov's use of language is top-flight - this book bears a re-read because I know I did not catch everything Nabokov was saying the first time through; highly recommended
528. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld - young adult; I have no idea what the purpose of this book is other than to be the second book of a trilogy and it does not even hold up well then; disappointing and honestly, I think it could be skipped (and I am saying that without having read the third book yet)
529. Slay Bells by Kate Kingsbury - a nice enough mystery set at Christmas, nothing earth-shattering but a good way to spend a couple of hours; guardedly recommended
530. The Road by Cormac McCarthy - I have nothing to add to the multitude of reviews for this book other than to say 'I loved it!'; highly recommended and on my memorable reads list for the year
531. Bone Volume 9: Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith - graphic novel; a fitting, bittersweet ending to the Bone series of books; highly recommended
532. Stories for Christmas by Charles Dickens - this book contains not only A Christmas Carol, but several of Dickens' novellas and even more short stories; highly recommended, even if you read it for nothing more than A Christmas Carol
533. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver - nonfiction; I have been reading this book off and on for several months now and have really enjoyed Kingsolver's journey from consumer to producer; highly recommended
534. Fadeout by Joseph Hansen - the Dave Brandstetter series was recommended to me by Richard, who knows I enjoy a good mystery and this one was very good; recommended
535. T.H. White: A Biography by Sylvia Townsend Warner - nonfiction; I stumbled across this book while searching for others by Warner after having read her Lolly Willowes and enjoying it; this is a good biography of T.H. White, who wrote one of my all-time favorite books, The Once and Future King, although from other sources I have read there seems to be some controversy over Warner's claim that White was a sadistic homosexual; the letter that White wrote upon the death of his beloved dog Brownie is heartbreaking; recommended, despite the controversy (especially since it has no bearing whatsoever on White's writing ability!)
Nonfiction-wise, this week's reads brings me up to 144, so even if I do not hit my goal of 150 for the year, I am going to get awfully close. I am currently reading another nonfiction, Hunting Eichmann, but I think it may be my last nonfiction for the year. We shall see - I still have 4 more days left :)
290Carmenere
I need to check into this Nabokov guy. Know he wrote Lolita but I've not read anything by him. On to the list anything my Nabokov goes.
292alcottacre
293msf59
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295msf59
296alcottacre
I will read Midnight's Children with you though - if I can find my copy!
Spring sounds good for The Once and Future King.
297calm
BTW I've added some more info on the bug collector's next page in group thing.
299SqueakyChu
I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle slowly month by month as I was participating in a CSA and harvesting vegetables from my own garden. I could relate to a great deal of what she said,
experiencing such things as the overabundance of tomatoes first-hand. I so much prefer Kingsolver's nonfiction to her fiction. I esepcially love her books of essays. Have you read any of those?
301brenzi
303FlossieT
304richardderus
Not that I've read any Nabokov, you understand.
The Road, bah. GOOD post-apocalyptic lit? Earth Abides. A Canticle for Leibowitz. Even Gather, Darkness! is good, though dated, and The Day of the Triffids still sends chills up my spine 35 years after my first read of it.
WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!? THERE IS A LIST! *flees*
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#298: Thanks, Luxx! Happy New Year to you (and your boys) as well!!
#299: I have not read any of Kingsolver's essays to this point, but I do have her Last Stand: America's Virgin Lands on the list of books I am going to try and put on ILL next year. Is there any book of her essays in particular that you would recommend, Madeline?
307alcottacre
#301: Bonnie, Speak, Memory is the master wordsmith at his best, IMHO. It does not read like a traditional biography, so be forewarned. I hope you enjoy it. I am hoping to get to Pnin and Pale Fire both next year.
#302: Darryl, I do hope you get the chance to read Nabokov in the upcoming year. He is decidedly worth the effort.
308alcottacre
#304: Yes, Richard, I am going to try and get a re-read of Ada in next year because I realized as I was reading it initially that I was missing things. The man was writing at 70 things that at 47 I do not understand yet I am sure. I have read Earth Abides and liked it very much, I own A Canticle for Leibowitz although I have not read it yet. The Day of the Triffids is already in the BlackHole and now I am adding Gather, Darkness!. I hope you are happy. My list nothing - you posted your own :)
#305: Thanks for stopping by, Deborah! I look forward to your thoughts on Speak, Memory in 2010.
309flissp
I'd like to pipe up and support the shifting of The Day of the Triffids up your monstrous TBR pile if I may? Great book (although I like The Chrysalids even better...)
310alcottacre
311flissp
I'm sending mental waves to break down your husband's resolve... :)
312alcottacre
313GeorgiaDawn
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315sgtbigg
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317dk_phoenix
318cameling
319jadebird
#318 Animal, Vegetable, Mineral can easily be read in sections to fit around all the other books you are reading, cameling.
Happy New Year!
320alcottacre
#318: Caroline, as Ren says in her message, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is divided in such a way that it can easily be fit in around your other books. Give it a try!
#319: Thanks for coming by! I am looking forward to getting my hands on The Day of the Triffids as well, since to this point I have read exactly 1 book by Wyndham, and I cannot say that I was terribly impressed. I am hoping Triffids and Chrysalids redeem him for me.
321porch_reader
Also, I read Small Wonder, a book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver, last year and highly recommend it.
I have so enjoyed your threads this year. I'm looking forward to 2010!
322alcottacre
I am looking forward to 2010 - and your threads.
323SqueakyChu
324alcottacre
326Whisper1
328arubabookwoman
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330petermc
331FlossieT
333Whisper1
As you can see by the link for my 2010 thread, there is a small band of mighty LTfriends who want to see you when/if you arrive in PA. How I hope this happens!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/79072
334kidzdoc
335SqueakyChu
338alcottacre
342alcottacre
Not working tonight, Lynda - tomorrow is another story :)
343rainpebble
big new year hug,
belva
344alcottacre
345rainpebble
347FAMeulstee
Frank does work this night, he just left. I will see him again in the morning.
So me and the Chows pretend it is just a night like any other ;-)
See you tomorrow in the 2010 group!
Anita
349jdthloue
glitter-graphics.com
350richardderus
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536. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom - nonfiction; I really enjoyed this book detailing the stories of 2 different men's lives; one of my favorite quotes from the rabbi talked about in the book, a very wise man IMO ''It is far more comforting to think God listened and said 'No' than to think that nobody's out there.'; highly recommended, not for the greatness of the writing, but for the character of the two men - on my 'memorable reads' list for the year
537. Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb - nonfiction; a very good account, using info recently released, of the hunt for Eichmann who escaped the allies after WWII; one error in the book (the kind that drives me nuts!): the concentration camp at Ohrdruf was spelled 'Ohrdurf' - I hate that kind of error, which should have been caught in editing, surely; recommended, especially for WWII buffs
538. A Place of Execution by Val McDermid - Suslyn mentioned this book at the end of 2008 and I have finally gotten to it, an excellent police procedural; highly recommended (thanks, Susan!)
539. The Best American Short Stories of the Century edited by John Updike - I checked this book out of my local library to read one short story, Susan Glaspell's A Jury of Her Peers, and ended up reading the entire book over the course of about 6 months (I cannot tell you how many times I had it in and out of the library, lol); recommended
540. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke - this was my ER book for September, which I finally got a couple of days ago; a pleasant enough addition to the series, but nothing remarkable; I do wish the author would finally resolve the love triangle one way or other, though!; guardedly recommended for fans of the series or cozy mysteries in general
541. Report from Ground Zero by Dennis Smith - nonfiction; a very good book describing the efforts of firefighters (primarily), police officers, and Port Authority offices during the 9/11 attacks and aftermath (thanks Terri for the recommendation!); I think the book would have been stronger without the second half of the book - the interviews in the first part of the book were strong enough to support it, IMHO; highly recommended
542. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - young adult; the final book in the 'Mortal Instruments' series and a very good conclusion to the series; highly recommended, but read the first two before tackling this one!
OK, so final reckoning: 542 books completed, but I fell short of my goal of pages read (188,000) coming in at only 170,938; fell short of my goal of nonfiction reads (150) coming in at 148.
Overall, I am very pleased with my year's reading, thinking that the quality of my reading is definitely going up thanks to LT! I still have pedestrian tastes in my books, but I am continuing to expand my reading horizons.
I wish I could go to everyone individually and tell you how much your comments and discussions have both challenged and encouraged me this year. From the bottom of my heart 'Thank you!'
Happy New Year Everyone!!
356boekenwijs
357msf59
Happy New Year, Stasia!!
358alcottacre
359BrainFlakes
360alcottacre
361profilerSR
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363AndreaBurke
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365bookaholicgirl
366bonniebooks
367alcottacre
368flissp
...right, I'm over to the 2010 thread to fight a losing battle against keeping track - it may be a while before I surface!