KiwiNyx 2012 and still Reading - Part 2

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KiwiNyx 2012 and still Reading - Part 2

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1KiwiNyx
Editado: Jun 8, 2012, 6:22 pm


Changed my artwork to a Colin McCahon classic as the other link is not working anymore. McCahon is perhaps our most famous artist and his works are beautifully finished when you see them up close. And so my kiwi art theme for 2012 continues.

Now, books.... Still trying to make a dent in those books on my own shelf which is my unofficial goal for the year.

Library Books = 12
Off My Own Shelf = 24


A note on my star ratings:

5***** A perfect read. Loved it, will re-read it, must buy it.
4**** A great and recommended read, really enjoyable.
3*** Good read, kept my interest but had some issues.
2** A slog, has moments of greatness but overall an uphill battle and one to never look at again.
1* Was lucky to finish, real tripe, avoid.

2KiwiNyx
Editado: Ene 8, 2013, 1:20 pm

Books Read in 2012:

January


1. Cloud Street - Tim Winton (families, western australia, life, love, hard times and good) 4.2*
2. The House of Paper - Carlos Maria Dominguez, illustrations by Peter Sis (relationships between books and their people) 3.5*
3. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway (classic, respect nature and life) 3.8*
4. Maui: Legends of the Outcast - Chris Slane and Robert Sullivan (graphic novel, maori mythology) 2.9*
5. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain - Peter Sis (youth, illustrated, life under communist rule) 4.5*
6. A Clash of Kings - George RR Martin (fantasy epic, character study, battles and intrigue) 4.7*
7. The Merchant of Death, Pendragon Graphic Novel - DJ MacHale and Carla McNeil (YA, graphic, fantasy) 2.9*
8. Ghostopolis - Doug Tennapel (YA, graphic novel, ghost story, good vs evil) 3.7*
9. A Storm of Swords, 1: Steel and Snow - George RR Martin (fantasy epic, character study, war) 4.8*
10. The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story - Sid Fleischman (YA, witch trials, time travel) 3.2*
11. Holes - Louis Sachar (YA, friendship, mystery) 3.6*
12. A Storm of Swords, 2: Blood and Gold - George RR Martin (fantasy epic, character study, survival of the fittest) 4.9*
13. Radioactive, Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout - Lauren Redniss (illustrated non-fiction, science) 4.3*

February

14. Good-Bye - Yoshihiro Tatsumi (graphic short stories, japanese, slightly political) 3.3*
15. Black Blizzard - Yoshihiro Tatsumi (japanese manga, murder noir) 3.5*
16. Al Capone Does My Shirts - Gennifer Choldenko (YA, life on Alcatraz for kids in the 30's, dealing with autism) 3.6*
17. The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling (animal stories, classic) 3*
18. Thorns - Robert Silverberg (sci-fi, emotional voyerism) 3.1*
19. The Kite Runner, Graphic Novel - Khaled Hosseini, art by Fabio Celoni and Mirka Andolfo (Afghanistan life, prejudice, survival, friendship) 4*
20. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie (mystery, classic) 4.3*
21. Departure Lounge - Chad Tayor (NZ, Auckland, mystery of sorts) 2.9*
22. Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane and Christian de Metter (graphic novel, paranoid thriller) 4.2*

March

23. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (classic, rags to riches, mystery) 4.4*
24. The Shadow of Malabron - Thomas Wharton (YA, fantasy, fairytales) 3.1*
25. The Education of Robert Nifkin - Daniel Pinkwater (YA, school life) 3.2*
26. A Knowing Look and Other Stories - Rebecca Emin (short stories, UK) 3.7*

April

27. Salamander - Thomas Wharton (fantasy, stories within stories, puzzles) 2.7*
28. The Book of Air and Shadows - Michael Gruber (lost Shakespeare, thriller) 4.3*
29. The Prince of Mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (YA, fantasy, magic) 3.7*
30. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 4.4*
31. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 4.3*
32. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 3.9*

May

33. A Feast for Crows - George RR Martin (fantasy, epic character studies, intrigues) 4.7*
34. A Dance with Dragons - George RR Martin (fantasy epic, political intrigues, war) 4.5*
35. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith (stalinist purges, political thriller) 3.3*

June

36. A Hero for Wondla - Tony DiTerlizzi (YA fantasy modern fairytale) 4.1*

stopped making a note of my reading for a while here but I can remember I think all the books in the right order...

37. The Devil's Elixir - Raymond Khoury
38. Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
39. Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident - Eoin Colfer
40. Artemis Fowl, The Eternity Code - Eoin Colfer
41. Artemis Fowl, The Opal Deception - Eoin Colfer
42. Artemis Fowl, The Lost Colony - Eoin Colfer
43. Owls Do Cry - Janet Frame
44. Artemis Fowl, The Time Paradox - Eoin Colfer
45. Artemis Fowl, The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer
46. Artemis Fowl, The Last Guardian - Eoin Colfer
47. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
48. It's Time - Pavel Kostin

November

49. 11:22:63 - Stephen King
50. A Game of Thrones (graphic novel) - George RR Martin

December

51. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
52. Nights in Rodanthe - Nicholas Sparks

3SouthernKiwi
Feb 23, 2012, 3:50 am

I like the painting at the top, Leonie!

4KiwiNyx
Feb 23, 2012, 3:52 am

Thanks! It makes me want to take a special trip to Waihi just to see if I could buy one for my very own. She's very good isn't she.

5KiwiNyx
Feb 23, 2012, 4:09 am


21. Departure Lounge - Chad Taylor

Off My Own Shelf: rating 2.9 stars

This is one of those books that is different and intriguing and full of promises and then the last couple of chapters disintegrates into a jumbled non-ending of maybe's, emotions, and unexplained actions. A real pity because I was really enjoying the read until the ending came along.

Now with these artsy books that leave the ending open to the readers interpretation, it is highly possible that I missed something as this is not an ending in a book that I enjoy or fully understand, but after quickly googling the plot it would seem that I have not been the only person left confused.

Mark is a career criminal, good at his job, keeps mostly to himself and follows old acquaintances for fun. What we gradually come to realize is that the disappearance of a girlfriend 20 years earlier has marked him for life and dictates many of his actions. The plot loosely covers other people that were affected by the disappearance and unsolved case of the missing Caroline May and there are also references to the Erebus crash in Antarctica in 1979 that may or may not be linked.

Needed more work I thought although I am pleased to read a local writer and I thank Kerry for passing this one on to me.

6ChelleBearss
Feb 23, 2012, 9:03 am

great painting!! :)

7PaulCranswick
Feb 23, 2012, 9:06 am

Leonie - as usual a very interesting cover picture. Congrats on the new thread.

8divinenanny
Feb 23, 2012, 9:09 am

You did the new thread right, I found you!

9susanj67
Feb 23, 2012, 9:21 am

The new threads come pre-starred - such a handy feature! I love the picture at the top of your thread.

10BookAngel_a
Feb 23, 2012, 2:59 pm

This thread has only 9 messages on it so far - perhaps I can keep up with this one. :)

Just saying Hi to my friend Leonie!

11LovingLit
Feb 23, 2012, 3:46 pm

Hi Leonie- you have got through some books this year! Even if the last one left you a little perplexed, (one to re-read at a later date maybe), hope the next one is better.

12Whisper1
Feb 23, 2012, 9:17 pm

Hi Leonie!

13ronincats
Feb 23, 2012, 9:32 pm

Wow, I love that painting!!

14lkernagh
Feb 23, 2012, 9:54 pm

Managed to make my way here.... love the continuation feature!

***waves Hello ***

15arubabookwoman
Feb 23, 2012, 10:33 pm

Another great piece of art to open your thread!

16Smiler69
Feb 23, 2012, 11:12 pm

Hi Leonie, add me to the fans of that painting. Hope your next book is more satisfying.

17Donna828
Feb 24, 2012, 9:06 am

Yes! Leonie has a new thread. Maybe I can keep up with you better on this one. I see you are making a big dent in your TBR books. Good for you. It seems like all my library holds are coming in at once so I've been neglecting my own books this month.

18EBT1002
Feb 26, 2012, 2:49 am

Hi Leonie. The link to the painting seems not to be working late on a Saturday night.
But I found your new thread. :-)

19souloftherose
Editado: Feb 26, 2012, 6:48 am

Hi Leonie - so glad you enjoyed And Then There Were None. You asked for more Agatha Christie recommendations so I've listed some of the ones I remember particularly enjoying. It's been far too long since I read an AC so there's probably lots of good ones that I've left out.

Murder on the Orient Express
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Death on the Nile
Murder in Mesopotamia
The ABC Murders

These all seem to be Hercule Poirot books - not sure why. There's no need to read them in any particular order, each book stands alone.

ETA: The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side and They Do It with Mirrors were Miss Marple's that I remember enjoying and The Murder at the Vicarage and The Body in the Library were wo early Miss Marple classics.

20sibylline
Feb 26, 2012, 12:18 pm

Read w/ interest about the Silverberg as I am on an older sf kick.

21nittnut
Feb 26, 2012, 3:01 pm

Hercule Poirot were my favorites.

Leonie, I had to stop by and ask - are you reading A Feast for Crows? I think they may have killed almost everyone I liked in A Storm of Swords.

22KiwiNyx
Feb 28, 2012, 4:28 pm

Hi Alana, Chelle, Paul, Sara, Susan, Angela, Megan, Linda, Roni, Lori, Deborah, Ilana, Donna, Ellen (thanks for the heads up, I've changed images now), Heather (thanks for some great titles!), Lucy and Jenn (not yet started FoC but I will in the next few months. I'm intrigued as to who dies though..).

Thanks for visiting guys, even if I'm struggling to pop my head in here as often as I would like to. Life is still busy although the home improvements are progressing at a staggering rate and the front outside area should be fully finished and planted in another 3 weeks which is exciting as we only started that project about 4 years ago!!

I'm currently a third of the way through Oliver Twist and while it is slow going, I am enjoying it. I also read Conference of Birds last week and the graphic retelling of Shutter Island so I'll quickly need to write reviews for those soon. I've also picked up more very good books from the library despite myself telling myself to behave so there is a bit of reading to come. My husband is away again next weekend (it still feels like he just got back from the last trip!) but this means I get more down-time in the evening to read so maybe March will be a good book month for me.

I am still determined to always keep my 'Off the Shelf' total higher than my 'Library Books' total so it makes me read more of my own stuff in amongst the borrowed books which I appreciate. Got to have some rules in life I think.

Oh, and for those interested, the Roger Waters The Wall' concert was incredible, stupendous and amazing even! I would go back every night if I could afford it. It was like a rock concert and stage show rolled into one evening and I highly recommend it.

Next week is Urge Overkill and the husband came home yesterday with Radiohead tickets for November so something to look forward to at the end of the year. You know those grey haired old rockers that you often see at concerts? That will be us in 40 years, still going to the shows I think. It's quite addictive actually.

Oh, and this old guy was hitting on me in the supermarket yesterday, admiring my tattoos and trying to get me to show him some of the hidden ones! Creepy or flattering? It made me laugh at the time so I guess flattering.

23LovingLit
Feb 28, 2012, 4:45 pm

I am still determined to always keep my 'Off the Shelf' total higher than my 'Library Books' total
Me too, I have so many that I cant wait to read, but library books always butt in!

24KiwiNyx
Editado: Feb 29, 2012, 11:52 pm

Hi Megan, yes libraries are way too tempting at times.
Okay, Quick read:

The Conference of Birds - Peter Sis
Library book, illustrated retelling of a Persian poem


A very simple version of an old poem, beautifully illustrated as always, and quite inspirational. Highly recommended and it made me want to search out the original source material.

Edited to add that after looking at the source poem, I wish Sis hadn't kept this version so simple. I would have liked more of the gorgeous words to accompany the gorgeous pictures.

25KiwiNyx
Editado: Feb 29, 2012, 11:39 pm

22. Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane and Christian de Metter


Off My Own Shelf: rating 4.2 stars

An excellent and dark tale full of suspense, paranoia and twists that builds slowly into an excellent read.

Two US marshals are sent to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates in this mental asylum but what follows is nothing close to an ordinary mystery. As we go deeper into the convoluted background of marshal Teddy Daniels, we begin to get a glimpse in the story that not everything is as it seems.

Excellent version and fantastic artwork. I really enjoyed this read and felt that this graphic novel didn't lack for anything plot-wise as they can often do.

26KiwiNyx
Feb 29, 2012, 11:49 pm

February Round-Up:

14. Good-Bye - Yoshihiro Tatsumi (graphic short stories, japanese, slightly political) 3.3*
15. Black Blizzard - Yoshihiro Tatsumi (japanese manga, murder noir) 3.5*
16. Al Capone Does My Shirts - Gennifer Choldenko (YA, life on Alcatraz for kids in the 30's, dealing with autism) 3.6*
17. The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling (animal stories, classic) 3*
18. Thorns - Robert Silverberg (sci-fi, emotional voyerism) 3.1*
19. The Kite Runner, Graphic Novel - Khaled Hosseini, art by Fabio Celoni and Mirka Andolfo (Afghanistan life, prejudice, survival, friendship) 4*
20. And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie (mystery, classic) 4.3*
21. Departure Lounge - Chad Tayor (NZ, Auckland, mystery of sorts) 2.9*
22. Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane and Christian de Metter (graphic novel, paranoid thriller) 4.2*

Best Read: And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie, it just kept me in suspense for the whole story and I loved this.

Worst Read: A tie between Departure Lounge and Thorns. They got different scores but they both failed their genres in different ways and could have been so much better.

Best Graphic Novel: Shutter Island, one of the best adaptions to this genre I have read so far.

Stats:
Library - 3
My Own - 6
Classic - 2
Graphic Novels - 4
Fiction - 9
Non-fiction - 0

I'm actually very pleased at 22 books read in the first 2 months. One last statistic for January and February:

Female Authors - 3
Male Authors - 19

Crikey, need to read more chick books. Jane Austen my old pal, it might be time for a reread...

27EBT1002
Mar 1, 2012, 11:53 am

It's interesting to me that there are more and more graphic adaptations of previously published novels. The genre seems to be taking off.

28EBT1002
Mar 1, 2012, 11:53 am

And I love the new artwork at the top of your thread. Nice!

29mks27
Mar 2, 2012, 2:43 pm

Hi Leonie, You have been doing some great reading! Glad you are still enjoying A Song of Fire and Ice series. The first season of A Game of Thrones is out March 6 here in the U.S and I have it preordered on Amazon....can't wait for it to arrive!

The Christie sounds like a good one!

30sibylline
Mar 3, 2012, 8:22 am

What great reading this last month. Martin does seem to kill off the loveable more often than the unloveable, but so far, enough have survived. I also saw how it was going to be after the first one -- that in some ways, each book had to be seen separately or taken separately, to some degree and that overattachment to anyone wasn't going to get me anywhere good.

31nittnut
Mar 3, 2012, 9:56 am

Creepy or flattering? Probably both :).

I'm intrigued by Shutter Island.

32LovingLit
Mar 3, 2012, 2:59 pm

Hi Leonie, any news on your husbands schedule? Will you be visiting Chch soon?

Shutter Island looks too scary for me :)

33The_Hibernator
Mar 4, 2012, 2:36 pm

I didn't know they made Shutter Island into a graphic novel. Did you like it as well as the original novel?

34KiwiNyx
Mar 4, 2012, 10:38 pm

Ellen - yes, it is a popular genre, as my family loves them I'm always on the lookout for the graphic novels but I have noticed they are more available in recent years.
Michelle - oh exciting, one day I'll own all the books and the DVD's too.
Lucy - good approach to the books. It is a twisted breath of fresh air when you realise that killing off favourite characters makes the book interesting.
Jenn - yep, I thought both too.
Megan - yep, he's away again in one week and we think he'll be back in 3 weeks, a 2-3 week stopover at home than off again so I'm narrowing down a possible window of the March/April period! Shutter Island wasn't scary, just very twisted.
Rachel - I haven't read the novel form but I liked the movie version and this book was just as good as that. I should probably find the novel and compare.. just so many books and so little time..

35KiwiNyx
Mar 4, 2012, 10:51 pm

23. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens


Off My Own Shelf: rating 4.4 stars

A great tale of mystery and intrigue, rags to riches, good times and hard times, angels and villains, and of course the young hero of the piece, Oliver Twist.

I know this tale so well but I was surprised with my first reading and with just how many twists and turns the story takes as we follow Oliver's adventures. Mr Dickens could have given us the exact same story in half as many words and this did make the read slow going at times but the actual story is so full of everything that makes a good tale and this verbose style was the literary way of the time.

Slow in parts but too good overall and very hard to put down at times, I really enjoyed it and can now say I've read a grand total of 2 CD books!

36nittnut
Mar 5, 2012, 9:48 am

I really enjoy Dickens - but he was actually paid by the word - most of his stories were serialized originally. Makes for slow going at times, for sure.

37KiwiNyx
Mar 5, 2012, 2:54 pm

Paid by the Word? That makes so much sense after reading OT. I wonder, were other authors of the day paid in a similar way?

38LovingLit
Mar 5, 2012, 7:04 pm

>35 KiwiNyx: Mr Dickens could have given us the exact same story in half as many words yes, Ive heard that.....

>36 nittnut: he was actually paid by the word, have heard that too :)

39nittnut
Mar 5, 2012, 8:06 pm

Alexandre Dumas and Leo Tolstoy come to mind...

40avatiakh
Mar 5, 2012, 8:49 pm

I picked up a cheap edition of A Tale of Two Cities so will give Mr Dickens a turn later this year. Gah...always bothers me when the touchstone to a classic book like this goes first to an abridged version by another writer or Disney even.

41DeltaQueen50
Mar 6, 2012, 2:53 pm

So far in my meagre experience of Dickens (I've read a grand total of 4), Oliver Twist is my favorite. I plan on reading David Copperfield next month and A Tale of Two Cities later on this year.

42EBT1002
Mar 6, 2012, 5:26 pm

Joining us for the David Copperfield GR in April? Or are we doing that in May? I'm so confused....

43DeltaQueen50
Mar 6, 2012, 11:31 pm

I believe that Mark is hosting the David Cooperfield Group Read in April. (But don't quote me) :)

44VioletBramble
Mar 8, 2012, 11:53 pm

Hi Leonie! Love the art work in your new thread.
The Conference of the Birds is a gorgeous book. I also would have liked it if more of the original poem had been used. But then I read in the afterword that Peter Sis said he likes to tell stories in pictures instead of words because his English isn't that good.

45AMQS
Mar 9, 2012, 12:10 pm

Hi Leonie, hope you have a great weekend!

46EBT1002
Mar 10, 2012, 10:05 pm

Judy, luckily, I can trust Mark to post something about it as it grows near. I think you're right that it's April. I'd better get hold of a copy.....

Hi Leonie! I hope you join us for DC GR. :-)

47PaulCranswick
Mar 10, 2012, 11:44 pm

When we think of the mighty tomes turned out in the 19th century it is amazing to think what a different world it was. No TV, radio largely unavailable for most of the period, so the digestion of epic stories, especially in serial form was one of the main pleasures in life for those blessed with disposable income. Penelope Fitzgerald, Muriel Spark and Julian Barnes with their short novels would not have lasted 10 minutes in Victorian England, or post-revolutionary France, or Imperial Russia.

Would be interested to see when you are in Christchurch Leonie such that dates for a meet up could be sorted out.

48sibylline
Mar 17, 2012, 1:59 pm

"Short Novels of the Victorian Era" Hmmmm.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

It's a very short list so far. My brain is utterly blank!

49LovingLit
Mar 17, 2012, 7:43 pm

>47 PaulCranswick: Penelope Fitzgerald, Muriel Spark and Julian Barnes with their short novels would not have lasted 10 minutes in Victorian England, or post-revolutionary France, or Imperial Russia.
ha, so true Paul, they wanted a longer lasting entertainment!

Hi Leonie....busy busy you must be! Hope you are getting some R&R (rest and reading)

50labfs39
Mar 29, 2012, 7:30 pm

I'm glad you enjoyed the presentation of Conference of Birds, even if you wished for more words. As I read the book with my daughter, it was a good mix for us. Weren't the pictures amazing? The hidden objects and words, the mazes, the wonderful 2 page spread of the birds gathered for the conference and how on the next spread, in addition to color, he added the one change that we hadn't even noticed at first? Well, I guess, you can tell I really enjoyed it!

51souloftherose
Abr 8, 2012, 5:15 pm

Hi Leonie - glad you enjoyed Oliver Twist so much!

#35 " Mr Dickens could have given us the exact same story in half as many words" :-) Probably true but he did have a way with words!

#36 - 38 "he was actually paid by the word" I'm not sure about this. Most of his stories were serialized and I think he agreed the number of instalments, their size and the fee upfront with the publishers but to me that's slightly different to being paid by the word. Maybe I'm splitting hairs? I did find this FAQ about it on a University of California page (thank you google!). I remember my edition of The Pickwick Papers said that at one point Dickens wrote too much for one instalment and they had to include the second part of a chapter in the next instalment which I thought was quite funny - almost as if he'd struggled to make it short enough rather than the other way round. I think Dickens' wordiness, for good or for bad, was partly just his style and partly an 18th/19th century style. I think a lot of 18th or 19th century authors can seem quite wordy compared with modern ones and I don't think they all published in instalments (although some did).

#47 "Penelope Fitzgerald, Muriel Spark and Julian Barnes with their short novels would not have lasted 10 minutes in Victorian England" :-)

#48 A Christmas Carol?

Dickens often seemed to get some of his fellow authors together to write shorter collaborations for his magazines but they're not very well known today. I've got A House to Let on my kindle which is apparently a collaboration between Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell and Adelaide Anne Proctor (who I've never heard of) which is less than 100 pages according to amazon.

Apologies, for going overboard on the Victorian comments - you may not all find this as fascinating as I do...

52PaulCranswick
Abr 10, 2012, 1:40 am

Leonie - hope everything is well with your goodself. Belated happy Easter to you and yours.

53DeltaQueen50
Abr 16, 2012, 6:56 pm

Hi Leonie, I'm just catching up with everyone after being away for a couple of weeks. I hope all is well and you are happily busy with RL.

54nittnut
Abr 16, 2012, 10:21 pm

Passing through, waving hello.

55alcottacre
Abr 17, 2012, 3:21 pm

*waving* at Leonie

As far as Dickens and being paid by the word goes, it was a common practice. Another English writer that I thought of in that ilk is Wilkie Collins.

56AMQS
Abr 19, 2012, 6:25 pm

Hello Leonie -- miss you around here!

57KiwiNyx
Editado: mayo 27, 2012, 6:12 pm

Waving back at you lovely people and thank you for your kind words.

I have had such a long break and I needed it as well. Life is very hectic, I am now mostly a solo mother as my husband works mostly in San Francisco at the moment. I was hoping to get away for a break this April but he has been away since the end of March and I have no family up here to watch the kids. I've also not been very well, had many trips to the doctor and am trying to get myself back to the land of the living.

Reading-wise it has been a struggle and my book choices have not helped at times. I am so tired these days that I don't get a lot of time at night to read and I often choose to watch a movie instead of read at the moment, it's just where my head has been. I am watching a lot of movies adapted by books though!

Instead of doing a review for the books I've missed since I was last on, I'll do a quick catch-up for each:

24. The Shadow of Malabron - Thomas Wharton. A fantasy about a boy who gets transported to another magical fairytale realm and who must help vanquish the evil there. Started well but got real slow and predictable. 3.1*

25. The Education of Robert Nifkin - Daniel Pinkwater. An amusing tale of Robert Nifkin's last year at high school and the odd things he got up to. Light read, nothing special. 3.2*

26. A Knowing Look and Other Stories - Rebecca Emin. A collection of short stories that the author draws on real life instances that most of us would recognize. An enjoyable collection with some powerful and beautiful ideas within. 3.7*

27. Salamander - Thomas Wharton. A frustrating read about a journey of discovery for a group of family and friends. Had promise but falls well short and was a chore to finish. 2.7*

28. The Book of Air and Shadows - Michael Gruber. A great thriller about a lost Shakespeare play and the people trying to find it including lawyers, professors, book sellers, russian mafia, and an ex-con priest. Fast, well-paced story. 4.3*

29. The Prince of Mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafon. A mystery with an evil magician and a couple of siblings set in a small beach town. Interesting light read. 3.7*

58lkernagh
Abr 20, 2012, 1:26 am

Leonie - Getting caught up here and hope the hectic nature of life slides into the slow lane so you can focus on getting better!

59SouthernKiwi
Abr 20, 2012, 3:05 am

Good to see you back, Leonie! Hope your feeling better, and get a break soon :-)

60labfs39
Abr 20, 2012, 9:42 pm

Hang in there, Leonie, and let us know when you need some (long-distance) support. Thanks for sharing your recent reads.

61Donna828
Abr 20, 2012, 9:55 pm

Hi Leonie, I'm so glad you posted as I was getting worried about you. That single mom business gets old. My husband traveled a lot while our kids were at home...and he missed so much. I hope things turn around for you soon. Glad to hear you are getting some reading done despite being so tired. Take care!

62markon
Abr 21, 2012, 2:51 pm



Hi Leonie, good to hear from you!

63LovingLit
Abr 21, 2012, 9:19 pm

hi! good to hear from you even if you arent at your best.
Books into films is a great way to bide time til the books call you again :)

64ChelleBearss
Abr 22, 2012, 9:04 pm

Sorry to hear your health has not been well. Hope you feel better soon!

65ronincats
Abr 22, 2012, 10:53 pm

Leonie, good to hear from you. Sorry for all the stresses or strains, but glad to hear you are coping.

66souloftherose
Abr 23, 2012, 9:20 am

Good to see you back Leonie but sorry to hear about your health issues. Enjoy the movies; hope you get a break soon.

67EBT1002
Abr 27, 2012, 11:19 pm

Hi Leonie, just hang in there and do Real Life. We'll be here when your life eases a bit.

68nittnut
mayo 13, 2012, 9:50 pm

*Waving Hello* and a Happy Mother's Day to you. Take care.

69PaulCranswick
mayo 13, 2012, 10:29 pm

Hope you had a great weekend Leonie and it would be nice to hear from you soon.

70LovingLit
mayo 13, 2012, 10:47 pm

....sill not around?
....will check in later then :).....

71mks27
mayo 14, 2012, 9:22 am

Leonie, I hope you feel better soon and have some time away from responsibilities. Life can just throw you off at times. I am going through a bit of that myself and it has negatively affected my reading so far this year.

I am sending you lots of positive energy and good thoughts!

72DeltaQueen50
mayo 14, 2012, 6:09 pm

Hi Leonie, just passing through and wishing you a great day. Hope to hear from you soon.

73SouthernKiwi
mayo 15, 2012, 2:00 am

*Waving hello*, hope everythings OK with you and yours Leonie.

74KiwiNyx
mayo 27, 2012, 6:56 pm

Hello, gosh it's been more than a month since I was last here.

You are all such amazing people for checking in on me and I wish I had more time in the day to respond individually - thank you and know that your messages have made my day.

An update on life in this neck of the woods... my husband is overseas again, no rest for the wicked there as he will spend the majority of the rest of the year in San Francisco and London. It makes it a bit hard for us left behind but the reality is that we have to go through this as a family if we want to get ahead in life.

Speaking of which, the hard work is all for the house renovations that are slowly progressing. Our house now has a part of it at any one time which is stripped bare and given a make-over. Currently we have the hall under construction but the addition of floor to ceiling bookshelves in there, holding approx. 1500 books makes me so happy every time I walk by.

Living with my father-in-law for half of each week is a bit more space invasion then I'm used to but he is doing a great job on the building and he is cheaper than a real builder! He's actually started to take the daddy role with the kids which I think he is enjoying too.

My health is improving but my back has had many relapses and I am often needing my painkillers to get through the day. I'm looking about for something new, sports physio perhaps, anything to stop myself feeling so bent and old.

Books I've read in the last month are listed below. I really enjoyed The Hunger Games books and of course reading the last two George RR Martins was an absolute pleasure. The biggest disappointment was Child 44 - a chore to read, some good parts but too much chaos to create a great read.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 4.4*
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 4.3*
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 3.9*
A Feast for Crows - George RR Martin (fantasy, epic character studies, intrigues) 4.7*
A Dance with Dragons - George RR Martin (fantasy epic, political intrigues, war) 4.5*
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith (stalinist purges, political thriller) 3.3*

I hope you are all doing great in your part of the world. I hope I'll get more time on here but thank you again for checking in on me.

75LovingLit
mayo 27, 2012, 7:18 pm

More than a month! Ive been wondering where and how you were, Sounds a slog with your husband away so much.
The book shelving does sound good though!
Glad to see you back, but sorry to hear about your pain, is there no solution you can come across? Surely in this day and age something can be done? I hope so for your sake. Take care :)

76LizzieD
mayo 27, 2012, 9:10 pm

Goodness, Leonie! I'm sorry that you've been having health and back problems while your husband has been away. As if that were not hard enough for somebody in great health! How good that your fil can work on the house and father the kids some. Glad you've been doing some good reading - that's bound to make you feel better!
Hang in! Visit LT!!

77avatiakh
mayo 27, 2012, 9:55 pm

Hi Leonie - catching up on your thread and just wish you didn't have to suffer the back problems. Hoping that those daughters of yours have been helping rather than hindering when you aren't feeling the best.
Great reading list, I've just been thinking about picking up those last two George Martin books.

78DeltaQueen50
mayo 27, 2012, 10:36 pm

Hi Leonie, great to hear from you. I have bookshelf envy don't you know! A place for 1,500 books would make me very happy too. Take care of yourself.

79labfs39
mayo 28, 2012, 12:34 am

Echoing everyone else about bookshelves (yea!), back (boo), and family situation (hard). How old are your girls, Leonie? Are they able to use Skype? I've never used it, but my husband is heading to Germany for a couple of weeks, and I was thinking of trying to set it up for my daughter.

80susanj67
mayo 28, 2012, 1:20 am

Hi Leonie, great to see you again, and that's excellent news about the bookshelves. Sorry to hear about your back. I hope you can find someone who can help. You've got some good books there - those Martin ones are huge!

81SouthernKiwi
mayo 28, 2012, 4:55 am

Great to see you back again Leonie, and your new book shelves sound fantastic! I'm inching closer and closer to picking up The Hunger Games, and I'm wanting to do a re-read of A Song Of Ice And Fire but probably won't until next year. I hope you find something to help with your back soon.

82PaulCranswick
mayo 28, 2012, 6:14 am

Leonie - lovely to see you back posting and updating your reading a wee bit. Slightly surprised by your relatively low mark for Child 44 which I enjoyed immensely but - hey - we can't agree about everything.

83Morphidae
mayo 28, 2012, 9:09 am

Is your husband in the military or was he transfered?

84KiwiNyx
mayo 28, 2012, 7:41 pm

Yay, I've got the flu so I'm not going to work today! Yay because I can actually reply to everyone on my own thread for once.

Megan - Hi there, so annoyed I haven't been able to get the trip to Christchurch in. I am spending christmas down there though so maybe we'll finally meet after all. re. my back, I've done years of doctors, chiropractor, physio and massages but they are all just a temporary fix. I think I am just over the nature of the injury and wish there was a one-stop cure that lasts forever.

Peggy - Heya, must say that the good books recently have really got me back into reading. I think there was a book funk about 6 weeks ago but I've pushed through that thankfully.

Kerry - definitely pick up the Martin books, they really do keep the twists and turns of the story going nicely and he has the amazing ability of continuing the quality of the writing throughout. I can't wait for the TV series to catch up with the books now. My daughters are amazing when my back goes on me, they fetch painkillers hot and cold packs, voltaren rub and they pressure massage the seized muscles for me; I have them well trained.

Judy - bookshelf envy! I'll see about getting a photo of the new shelves on here and then we can all share the book love.

Lisa - my girls are 13 and 15 so a good age although my 13 is going on 20! They are very technologically savvy and often google chat with their Dad when he is away. We used to use Skype all the time but we took it off a few of our machines as the newer versions are less user friendly then the original and we tend to just phone or email now. This is our 5th year of him traveling so we're very used to the time away.

Susan, hi there. The Martin books are big but just so well-written that the size doesn't come into it. When you get a book you have trouble putting down, you know it's a good 'un!

Alana - hope you enjoy The Hunger Games when you get around to it. The movie kept very close to the book as well which we all appreciated. My non-reading 13yr old (she gave up books when we got an iPad!!) even started reading the trilogy. I'm planning to reread the Martins when he finishes the whole series so I'll get Westeros alive through the TV shows until then.

Paul - interesting about Child 44. I was expecting a lot more from this one as the reviews are excellent but the writing style, many grammar mistakes, and the fact that it took about 200 pages to finally thread all the many parts of the story into the one plot line really made it a chore to read. The dialogue was well written and there were parts I enjoyed but I can't forget that I had to force myself to read it at times.

Morphy - my husband is actually in IT, chief software architect. His company was recently bought out by a big firm from Silicon Valley and so his head office is now there in San Fran which makes the commute to work from little Whangaparaoa, NZ, a very long drive! Their clients are scattered throughout NZ, Aus, US, UK, Ireland and Asia hence the crazy travel schedule.

Gawd, this flu thing is really rather unpleasant!

One other piece of exciting news in our lives, we have booked our tickets for our overseas trip and we'll be taking in Singapore, Italy, Switzerland and France in September/October. The most exciting part of that so far is that we are going to the Singapore Grand Prix and for a racing fanatic like myself, I am all giddy like a sugar crazed toddler whenever I think of it!

85labfs39
Editado: mayo 29, 2012, 12:51 am

I'm sorry you're dealing with the flu. I wonder if your stress levels have lowered your immunity. On the other hand, it is nice that you have time to pop in, and that your daughters are so kind and attentive. Any parenting secrets? ;-) That is a god-awful commute. It must be hard to be a single mom when he's away. Congrats on your trip! Are you meeting up with your hubby?

86LovingLit
mayo 29, 2012, 4:04 am

Wow, your trip sounds amazing Leonie! That is something to look forward to and thoughts of it will surely get you through the winter :)

87SouthernKiwi
mayo 29, 2012, 4:54 am

Now I have bookshelf envy and travel envy. Your trip sounds amazing Leonie, and a Grand Prix into the mix as well - nice work!

88DeltaQueen50
mayo 29, 2012, 12:42 pm

Yep, travel envy being added to the bookshelf envy! A lovely time of the year to be travelling and great destinations.

89souloftherose
mayo 29, 2012, 1:21 pm

Hi Leonie - good to see you back!

Must be really tough with your husband working overseas so much at the moment especially with house renovations at the same time! Sorry to hear about your back problems - I hope you can find something which helps.

#84 Flu? :-(

I need to pick up the next G. R. R. Martin book. My husband just reread the first four books in preparation for reading the fifth book which has just come out in paperback here.

Your trip sounds fantastic - hope you have a great time and what an experience for your daughters!

90ChelleBearss
Jun 2, 2012, 8:24 pm

Hi Leonie! Your bookshelves sound amazing! 1500 books is a ton!

Hope your back feels better soon. Has your doctor mentioned anything to you about building up the muscles in your back as a preventative measure? My mom has arthritis in her spine and our doctor has told me the best way for me to prevent myself from getting it (or reducing the symptoms when I do) is to build up my muscles. My fiance has been training with me on the TRX system and it seems to be helping, I find that I don't get as sore when I work around the house now.

91AMQS
Jun 2, 2012, 8:37 pm

Good to see you here, Leonie. Sorry you have your hands so full -- hope you have some time to take care of yourself! Wow, what a trip!! So excited for you!

92PaulCranswick
Jun 2, 2012, 10:00 pm

Leonie - that looks like one heck of a good travel schedule. You will be close to me in Singapore and I often get down there. If our schedules can synch it would be nice to meet you all for a coffee and a book or ten. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

93KiwiNyx
Jun 8, 2012, 6:40 pm

Since I haven't done a round up in ages, here are the books read from the last 3 months and my best and worst reads:

March
23. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (classic, rags to riches, mystery) 4.4*
24. The Shadow of Malabron - Thomas Wharton (YA, fantasy, fairytales) 3.1*
25. The Education of Robert Nifkin - Daniel Pinkwater (YA, school life) 3.2*
26. A Knowing Look and Other Stories - Rebecca Emin (short stories, UK) 3.7*

April
27. Salamander - Thomas Wharton (fantasy, stories within stories, puzzles) 2.7*
28. The Book of Air and Shadows - Michael Gruber (lost Shakespeare, thriller) 4.3*
29. The Prince of Mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (YA, fantasy, magic) 3.7*
30. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 4.4*
31. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 4.3*
32. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (YA, dystopian, survival) 3.9*

May
33. A Feast for Crows - George RR Martin (fantasy, epic character studies, intrigues) 4.7*
34. A Dance with Dragons - George RR Martin (fantasy epic, political intrigues, war) 4.5*
35. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith (stalinist purges, political thriller) 3.3*

Best Read: A Feast For Crows - George RR Martin, this is a book and a series and an author I simply cannot praise highly enough. A great read and a story you won't mind reading all over again when he finishes the series.

Worst Read: Salamander - Thomas Wharton, a confused mixture of fantasy set amongst strange characters and unspoken paths of destiny. Really weird, a chore to read in many places and not a book I'd recommend (as it was recommended to me!)

Biggest hype but most disappointing read: Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith, really erratic thriller, takes 200 pages for all the threads of the story to come together and progress in a single plot-line, many spelling and grammatical errors which bugged me, and a book that I had to make myself keep reading in places. After all the great reviews I've read on this book I expected a lot more.

Other good reads of note: The Hunger Games trilogy was good although the 3rd book is less so than the first two. The Book of Air and Shadows is a great solid thriller, a favourite of mine and a re-read. Oliver Twist while very wordy in places, is such a well-thought out story with a little bit of everything to keep the action going, and finally Martin's A Game of Thrones series just keeps up the high standard he started with book one and the books are absolute pleasures to read.

94LizzieD
Jun 8, 2012, 6:49 pm

Flu on top of everything else hardly seems fair. I won't even envy you the shelves and THE TRIP this fall! It sounds amazing.
You have read some great stuff over the past three months - no wonder the reading slump lurched away with a whimper.
I have to say that Oliver Twist is one of my least favorites among the Dickens. When you've recovered, try one that I think is better: Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend, David Copperfield, The Pickwick Papers!

95KiwiNyx
Editado: Jun 8, 2012, 7:00 pm

I apologise for not replying to everyone individually but thank you all for visiting. I'm doing regular walks with the dog and hopefully this will help with my general health and hopefully my back. The flu is almost gone, it was particularly nasty but now I've had it I shouldn't get sick again for the rest of winter which is good. I've also just finished another book so I can do a mini review for it:

A Hero for Wondla - Tony DiTerlizzi


From the author who wrote The Spiderwick Chronicles, this YA fantasy fairytale is an imaginative and engaging read. This is the second book of the series and we follow Eva Nine and her alien friends as they encounter other surviving humans and discover that the fate of Earth/Orbona is at risk, from the other humans. Eva follows her heart and risks all to save her new world. That may sound confusing but trust me, this series is a great discovery and the artwork within is incredible. I can't wait for the next installment. 4.1 stars

96SouthernKiwi
Jun 8, 2012, 10:02 pm

I was interested to see your ratings for The Hunger Games books, this morning I finished the second and am about to start the third once I catch up on everyone's threads. Happy to hear things seem to be getting better for you, Leonie.

97DeltaQueen50
Jun 9, 2012, 2:11 pm

Hi Leoni, it's great to hear from you. The Game of Thrones is a book (and series) I want to get started on one of these days. Glad you are feeling better.

98sibylline
Jun 11, 2012, 10:24 am

Hoping you feel a little improved every day. Glad you love Martin as much as we do around here!

99nittnut
Jun 15, 2012, 6:29 pm

Hi Leonie! I've been away a bit too, just trying to catch up. Sounds like a dream, bookshelves that will hold 1500 books! Oh my. Take care!

100VioletBramble
Jun 29, 2012, 11:58 pm

Hi Leonie! I hope you're feeling better these days and that all is well with you and your family.
I'm sorry you didn't like Salamander Was I the one who recommended it to you? It's one of my favorite books.
Take care!

101PaulCranswick
Jun 30, 2012, 12:13 am

Leonie - nice to see you back - I am amongst the hypers of Child 44 I'm afraid - thought it was quite atmospheric, but that is part of the fun - not agreeing on everything. Have a lovely weekend.

102jolerie
Jul 5, 2012, 11:46 pm

Thanks for message Leonie! I am finally trying to make my way around the threads and see what everyone is up to. Hope to catch up with your reads for the rest of the year. :)

103KiwiNyx
Editado: Oct 31, 2012, 5:43 pm

Thank you to Megan who sent me a message and got me fired up to return to Library Thing.

I've been away for a while but there were good reasons: massive renovations at home (the inside stuff this time), a trip to Europe and Singapore in September/October which was incredible, work commitments as ever, mummy commitments of course, hostess commitments which has been a major dent in my normal routine all year (permanent house guest = quite stressful times), and my health has been all over the show this year, especially my back problems.

So, update then, top half of the house will be fully completed this wednesday when we get new carpet down. My newest chiropractor is a superstar and I'm finally getting results and feeling better. We're getting closer to christmas so my house guest will probably ease off in December.. things are getting better.

Ok then, books.. I've tried to remember everything I've read since I last posted a book in June. This list below is pretty accurate, I haven't done ratings yet but I may do them later.

37. The Devil's Elixir - Raymond Khoury
38. Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
39. Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident - Eoin Colfer
40. Artemis Fowl, The Eternity Code - Eoin Colfer
41. Artemis Fowl, The Opal Deception - Eoin Colfer
42. Artemis Fowl, The Lost Colony - Eoin Colfer
43. Owls Do Cry - Janet Frame
44. Artemis Fowl, The Time Paradox - Eoin Colfer
45. Artemis Fowl, The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer
46. Artemis Fowl, The Last Guardian - Eoin Colfer
47. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
48. It's Time - Pavel Kostin

I really enjoyed the Artemis Fowl series as you can probably tell. Didn't think I would but my 15yr old convinced me to try the first book and I was away. Also, I really needed a light read and these books were perfect.

Of the other books, they were all good except the last one: It's Time, which is a early reviewer book. It just missed a few times for me due to the cultural differences I think, and the ending.. well, I still don't really know what happened.

There could possibly be 1 or 2 books I have forgotten about.. will add them if it comes back to me, but this list gets me back up to date and I've just started reading Stephen King's 11.22.63 which I am enjoying so far.

Hi to everyone, Happy November!

104jolerie
Oct 31, 2012, 4:42 pm

Leonie, it is so GREAT to see you posting. Totally understand about RL getting busy. I was only able to return part way through this year as well. Just take it one day at a time and don't let it overwhelm you. :)

105PaulCranswick
Oct 31, 2012, 4:58 pm

Brilliant to see you back Leonie, safe and sound and very busy obviously.

106labfs39
Oct 31, 2012, 7:03 pm

Glad to hear that things are turning around for you, Leonie. I too have been away from LT, but was so happy to see your post that I had to come say hi.

107avatiakh
Oct 31, 2012, 7:04 pm

Hi Leonie - also glad to see you back after such a busy year. I can understand that you had to let LT go for a while. I'm hoping that your ongoing back issues didn't interfere too much during your travels.

108ronincats
Oct 31, 2012, 9:50 pm

Good to see you back, Leonie! Glad things are looking up all over the place!

109nittnut
Oct 31, 2012, 11:08 pm

Hi Leonie! Nice to see you around!

110DeltaQueen50
Nov 1, 2012, 12:38 am

Hi Leonie, welcome back.

111cushlareads
Nov 1, 2012, 2:19 am

So pleased to see you back! I've been disappearing for weeks at a time too.

112TomKitten
Nov 1, 2012, 9:25 pm

Hi Leonie,
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who goes away for months at a time. Welcome back!

113roundballnz
Nov 1, 2012, 11:25 pm

Good to see you back .......

114LovingLit
Nov 1, 2012, 11:44 pm

Hi Leonie!
Good to see you back again
*pats self on back for supposedly being responsible for that*
You can actually thank mark for that as I only started the Asia Pacific Christmas Book Swap (APCBS) in jealously of the one he arranges.
I bet your place is a dream to be in (houseguest not included...maybe?) with all the renovations complete.

115SouthernKiwi
Nov 2, 2012, 3:13 am

Fantastic to see you back Leonie!
The house sounds like it's going to be great and your trip sounds absolutely amazing - how much of Europe did you get to see?

116katiekrug
Nov 3, 2012, 3:00 pm

Great to see you, Leonie!

117ChelleBearss
Nov 10, 2012, 10:14 pm

Nice to see you back Leonie! :)

118LizzieD
Nov 10, 2012, 10:52 pm

I'm a bit late to the party, but I think it's great to see you back too, Leonie. I hope you're really feeling well and that everything seems more manageable!
House and trip sound wonderful and wonderful!

119gennyt
Dic 6, 2012, 5:16 am

Hi Leonie, I hope things are ok with you - is the back getting any better? Is the permanent house-guest still there? And most important, have you been reading any good books?

120bryanoz
Dic 6, 2012, 6:21 am

Hi Leonie, I'm a bit late on the welcome back, but hope all is good with you.
I have only read the first Art Fowl book, enjoyed it, now I'll add the rest of the series to my TBR pile !
Cheers.

121KiwiNyx
Dic 13, 2012, 4:46 pm

Okay, Book update, I finished the Stephen King book 11.22.63 which I really enjoyed and I might even write a review of soon. I also read the graphic novel version of A Game of Thrones which is excellent and the artwork is beautiful.

OK, to answer a few questions - The chiropractor I've been seeing since October has really turned my health around and opened my eyes to some amazing breathing and stretching exercises I can do to ease off my back pain when it comes. I can even roll my shoulders without them hurting now which is a huge step for me.

My Europe trip was amazing. We spent about 6 days in Singapore which we loved, then 2 weeks in Italy (Milan, Florence and Rome) which was great and so cheap and the food was incredible. We had a weekend in France with family, and then 4 days in Switzerland (Lucerne and Zurich). The history was amazing, the scenery quite beautiful and it was just a lovely family break. Plus, we also went to the F1 grand prix race in Singapore which was very exciting, especially to motor heads like us.

I don't have my houseguest now (although he may come back next week to sort something out..) and the peace and quiet has been lovely. Life however is busy as always but there is big news in my part of the world...

I QUIT my job!! I am so happy about this decision and the plan is to enrol at Art College next year, actually driving up there today to drop off my enrolment forms, and generally become a happier, healthier person, who has more time on their hands to do things such as maintain a library thing thread for the WHOLE year.

I loved reading all of your messages, you guys make me smile so much and are the best bunch of readers I've ever not met! I hope everyone has the best christmas break and that the New Year brings about some fantastic and exciting things to all of our lives.

Okay, back to book news, I'm reading Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks at the moment as I thought I should try his stuff out and the writing is so boring. It's an okay story but I am not hooked at all and I'm wondering how this guy wrote what became one of my favourite movies of all time.. The Notebook. Perhaps it is just this book and I chose a bad one to begin with.

My book club has chosen to read a Bryce Courtney book over the holidays so I'm debating on rereading The Power of One which I love, or trying his last book. Maybe both.

Okay, better go as I have to write to my newest sponsor child (I have a boy in Nicaragua and now a girl in Tanzania) and send her a wee christmas present.

122nittnut
Dic 13, 2012, 7:38 pm

Sounds like things are going well. I am so glad for you!

I also am bored to tears by Nicholas Sparks. Good luck with that one. I just read The Power of One this year for the first time. It is a beautiful book. Beautiful.

Have a wonderful holiday!

123katiekrug
Dic 13, 2012, 10:29 pm

Good to hear from you, Leonie. Your vacation sounds lovely, and I'm glad you are feeling better overall! I'll be looking for your 2013 thread!

124roundballnz
Dic 14, 2012, 1:46 am

Art college sounds life changing in a very good way ..... your excitement comes off the page !

125labfs39
Dic 14, 2012, 10:11 am

Yea! Less pain, more balance in your life, Art College! Sounds like wonderful things are happening for you just when things seemed so bleak.

Nicholas Sparks. meh

I'm interested in the children you sponsor. Through which program were you connected?

126TomKitten
Dic 14, 2012, 5:19 pm

Congratulations on getting the help you needed and on quitting your job and making the choice to go back to school. Looking forward to reading more from you in the months ahead.

127SouthernKiwi
Dic 14, 2012, 7:01 pm

Congratulations on quitting your job and Art College Leonie, how exciting! Sounds like a fabulous time was had in Europe, and fantastic to hear that the back pain has eased! It sounds like things are looking up for you in 2013 :-)

128DeltaQueen50
Dic 14, 2012, 7:12 pm

Leonie, so good to hear from you and that the pain is more manageable. My husband has been experiencing extreme back pain and is on a waiting list for an operation, but meanwhile he tried a new chiropractor that has managed to help him a lot.

Great news about going to Art School next year, we'll all be looking forward to hearing about your classes.

All the best of the season to you and your family, Leonie.

129LizzieD
Dic 14, 2012, 7:53 pm

I'm joining the chorus of joy that things are turning around and upside down and hopeful for you, Leonie! Long may they flourish!
(Nicholas Sparks - worse than meh!)
We sponsor a child and a community through Save the Children - very much the thing to do!

130PaulCranswick
Dic 15, 2012, 2:30 am

Leonie - nice to see that your health issues are much improved - it is funny how little we know about being able to breathe properly isn't it? Kudos to you on your career decisions - always a brave choice to go back to college but I'm sure it will prove a rich and rewarding experience.
Please look out for something arriving on your doorstep any day now. Hope my dog-eared copy still gives plentiful enjoyment.
Have a lovely weekend.

131lkernagh
Dic 15, 2012, 10:46 am

Great news that you have seen good improvement with your health issues, and congratulations on quitting your job and going to Art School! Nice to see you are ending 2013 on a high note. Sounds like 2013 will be an exciting year for you!

132ronincats
Dic 15, 2012, 3:34 pm

Congratulations! Here's best wishes for the New Year and the new you!

133ChelleBearss
Dic 24, 2012, 12:44 pm



Merry Christmas!!

134cushlareads
Dic 24, 2012, 12:49 pm

Merry Christmas Leonie!

Great news that you've quit your job and are going back to art college. Can't wait to see photos of your creations!

135ronincats
Dic 25, 2012, 12:18 am


Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics


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

136AMQS
Dic 25, 2012, 1:27 am

Wow, what wonderful changes for you this year, Leonie. Merry Christmas!

137LovingLit
Dic 25, 2012, 3:24 am

congratulations on life changing decisions made. Isnt it crazy that even having the decision made can make you feel better. What are you going to be studying at Art College?

Happy Holidays to you here's to a grand break and a fantastic new years!

138SouthernKiwi
Dic 25, 2012, 10:18 pm

Belated Merry Christmas, Leonie!

139gennyt
Dic 27, 2012, 9:30 pm

Happy Fourth Day of Christmas, Leonie, and congratulations on the decision to leave your job and go to art college and generally make a new start for a more balanced life. Hmmm reminds me that I am meant to be thinking about my own future and making some decisions soon too...

140PaulCranswick
Dic 27, 2012, 10:29 pm

Best of the season to you Leonie. I hope your book arrived in time? x

141PaulCranswick
Dic 30, 2012, 8:42 pm

Leonie - Happy New Year!

142arubabookwoman
Dic 31, 2012, 7:16 pm

Best Wishes for the New Year Leonie!

143LizzieD
Dic 31, 2012, 8:08 pm



Hope 2013 holds wonders for you, Leonie!

144souloftherose
Ene 1, 2013, 8:01 am

Happy New Year Leonie!

145SouthernKiwi
Ene 1, 2013, 10:26 pm

Happy new year Leonie, all the best for the exciting changes ahead in 2013!

146nittnut
Ene 3, 2013, 1:36 pm

Happy New Year!