Ireadthereforeiam: Nine

Hinetitama, 1980, by Robyn Kahukiwa (1940– ).
From: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz

Hinetitama is one of eight works in the Wahine toa series which celebrates the essential female element in Māori mythology. Hinetitama is dawn, the first true human. She was the daughter of Tane and Hine-ahu-one who bound earthly night to earthly day. She became Hine-nui-te-po, the Goddess of Death, after discovering that Tane was not only her husband, but also her father. She is shown here becoming fragmented as she changes from an earth-dweller into the Goddess of Death.

Read so far 2014:

Completed books: December
61. The Noble Lie by Gary Greenberg (230p)

Completed books: November
52. Townie by Andre Dubus III (389p)
53. The Leopard by Guiseppe de Lampedusa (222p)
54. Comradely Greetings by Nadya Tolokonnokova and Slavoj Zizek (106p)
55. Every Secret Thing by Gillian Slovo (282p)
56. Erewhon Calling: Experimental Sound in New Zealand Edited by Bruce Russell (190p)
57. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis (208p)
58.The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer (267p)
59. Rabbit, Run by John Updike (264p)
60. The Pesthouse by Jim Crace

Completed books: October
47. The Library Book, essays on books
48. Stoner by John Williams (288p) BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
49. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (280p?)
50. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki by Haruki Murakami (295p)
51. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (318p)

Completed Books: September
41. Memoirs by Elie Wiesel (418p)
42. Paradoxical Undressing by Kristin Hersh (319p)
43. The High Price of Materialism by Tim Kasser (127p)
44. Herzog by Saul Bellow (320p)
45. Fear of Freedom by Erich Fromm (256p)
46. I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Completed Books: August
38. The Trial by Franz Kafka (250p)
39. The Inequality Debate: An Introduction by Max Rashbrooke (76p)
40. Purgatory/Paradise by Kristin Hersh (less than 1oop)

Completed Books: July
35. Tigers at Awhitu, by Sarah Broom (poetry)
36. Moral Relativism by Steven Lukes (158p)
37. Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe

Completed Books: June
34. To Save a People by Alex Kershaw (230p)
33. Story of a Secret State by Jan Karski (421p)
32. David Golder by Irene Nemirovsky (158p)
31. Affluenza by Oliver James (510p)
30. The World According to Monsanto by Marie-Monique Robin (314p)

Completed Books: May
29. Why be Happy when you could be Normal by Jeanette Winterson
28. The Second Plane by Martin Amis (200p?)
27. Night Fall by Joan Aiken (185p)
26. Miramar Dog by Denis Edwards (294p)

Completed Books: April
25. Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson (195p)
24. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (178p)
23.Making the most of your Time, essays from The School of Life (34p)
22. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (184p)
21. Corporate Social Responsibility by Martin Wolf (20p)
20. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie (172p)
19. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (324p)
18. Sustainable Value: How the World's Leading Companies are Doing Well by Doing Good by Chris Laszlo (196p)

Completed Books: March
17. How Late it was, How Late by James Kelman (374p)
16. Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler (112p)
15. Never Go Back by Robery Goddard (459p)
14. The Fair Society by Peter Corning (194p)

Completed Books: February
13. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (620p)
12. On Equilibrium by John Ralston Saul (234p)
11. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (230p)
10. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (220p)

Completed Books: January
9. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard (290p)
8. The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston (233p)
7. Other Halves by Sue McCauley (283p)
6. An American Childhood by Annie Dillard (250p)
5. Crossing Open Ground by Barry Lopez (209p)
4. Clandestine in Chile by Gabriel García Márquez (105p)
3. The Body Artist by Don DeLillo (126p)
2. The Great Degeneration by Niall Ferguson (152p)
1. Portrait of a House by Simon Devitt

I am currently sort of reading the following books:

At the Movies:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
August: Osage County
Frozen
American Hustle
Labor Day
The Dallas Buyers Club
Tracks
Lego: The Movie
Star Wars: A New Hope
Lawrence of Arabia
Like Father Like Son
The Two Faces of January
How to Train your Dragon 2
Boyhood
Into the Void
Get on Up
Hector and the Search for Happiness

BOOKS BOUGHT IN 2014
JANUARY
1. Clandestine in Chile by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (biography?) $15 (new)
2. An American Childhood by Annie Dillard (autobiography) $3
3. The Glass Room by Simon Mawer $7
4. The Leopard by Giuseppe Di Lampedusa $1
5. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler $4
6. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, $4
7. Crossing Open Ground by Barry Lopez $4
8. House of Meetings by Martin Amis $5
9. Monkey Grip by Helen Garner $3
10. The Industry of Souls by Martin Booth $5
11. The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer $4
12. To Die in California by Newton Thornburg $3
13. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano $4
14. Other Halves by Sue McCauley $4
15. Gullliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift $3
16. The House Gun by Nadine Gordimer $2
17. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie $2.50

FEBRUARY
18. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank .50c
19. As the Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong $2
20. A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler $2
21. Amongst Women by John MaGahern $2
22. Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler $2
23. Mercator by Nicholas Crane $1
24. Novel About my Wife by Emily Perkins $1
25. Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond $1

MARCH
26. The Collapse of Globalism by John Raulston Saul $1
27. The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi $3
28. Remembering Babylon by David Malouf $1
29. Goldeneye by John Gardner $4
30. Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai $3
31. A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson $2

APRIL
32. The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett (new, gift)
33. Affluenza by Oliver James (gift)
34. A Child's Book of True Crime by Chloe Hooper $4

MAY
35. Why Social Justice Matters by Brian Barry $26 (new) CURRENTLY READING
36. Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr. $13.99 (new)
37. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne $12.99 (new)
38. Domestic Manners of the Americans by Frances Trollope $2 (Folio Soc!)

JUNE
39. Canada by Richard Ford $6
40. Moral Relativism by Steven Lukes $13 (new)
41. The Inscrutable Americans by Anurag Mathur .50c
42. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins $10 (new)
43. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins $10 (new)
44. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins $10 (new)

JULY
45. My Friend Leonard by James Frey $1
46. The Complete Poems of Hart Crane by Hart Crane $1
47. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs $1
48. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter $1
49. Maigret in Court by Georges Simeon $1 woops, accidentally took it back to the library, it must have been an ex-library one!
50. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die $4
51. Outsiders by Gerard Hindmarsh

AUGUST
52. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters .33c
53. Memoirs of an Anti-Semite by Gregor von Rezzori .33c
54. Herzog by Saul Bellow .33c
55. Travels in the South of France by Stendhal $3
56. The Dead Republic by Roddy Doyle $2
57. Monster Love by Carol Topolski $2
58. Purgatory/Paradise by Throwing Muses (Kristin Hersh) $34 (new, including 32-track CD)
59. The Inequality Debate by Max Rashbrooke $14 (new)

SEPTEMBER
60. I Love a Broad Margin to My Life by Maxine Hong Kinston. $3.99 (new)
61. Townie by Andre Dubus III $14.99 (new)
62. Walden by Henry David Thoreau $14.99 (new)
63. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (free)
64. The Beautiful Ones are not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah (free)
65. This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein (present)
66. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki by Haruki Murakami (present)

OCTOBER
67. The Summer Before the Dark by Doris Lessing $2
68. Stoner by John Williams $2
69. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver $2
70. Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro $2
71. Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth $2
72. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy $2
73. Ransom by David Malouf $2
74. The Temptation of Jack Orkney by Doris Lessing $2
75. The History of Love By Nicole Krauss $2
76. The Good Parents by Joan London $2
77. The Selfish Capitalist by Oliver James $2
78. The Prodigy by Herman Hesse $1
79. Exit Ghost by Philip Roth $1.50
80. Love by Toni Morrison $4
81. For the Time Being by Annie Dillard $4

NOVEMBER
82. The Tax Inspector, by Peter Carey $3
83. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge $12 CURRENTLY READING
84. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie .50c
85. First as Tragedy, Then as Farce by Slavoj Zizek (philosophy) $25 (new)
86. Comradely Greetings letters to/from Slavov Zizek and Nadya Tolokonnikova $15 (new)
87. I am Right you are Wrong by Edward de Bono $10
88. The Best American Travel Writing 2006 edited by Jason Wilson (meetup gift from Nittnut)
89. The Pesthouse by Jim Crace $8.90 (new)
90. The Smell of Apples by Mark Behr (gift)
91. Underworld by Don deLillo $3
92. A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute $3
93. State Ward by Alan Duff $3
94. The Snow Geese by William Fiennes $5
95. The Noble Lie by Gary Greenberg $4
96. Jonathan Livingston Seagull $3
97. God's Mountain by Erri De Luca $2
98. The History of the Siege of Lisbon by Jose Saramago $2
99. Treading Air by Jaan Kross $2
100. The Burn by James Kelman $2

DECEMBER
101. Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink $27 (NEW!)

Responses to nittnut, scaifea, msf59, lkernagh, BekkaJo, and kidzdoc on last thread, and also from last thread....

Cushla: nice to know my influence runs far and wide then! (in response to your keeping shoes beside the bed in case of earthquake). I don't want to rain on either of our parades, but in the case of an actual quake I am sure the shoes would get bypassed in favour of the kids and/or the doorway!

Ilana: thanks, I am still feeling good about the A, even if the next whopper essay is due this Friday. I have mostly finished it, but there is always room for anxiety in my case when it comes to obsessing over things like this :)

Reading BINGO!

Congratulations on the A! I know that was lot of work!

^thank you! I guess people think that once you get an A, you will always get one...but *newsflash* it actually takes the hard yards! ;)
I was at the library today and I got that feeling that I wanted to read everything. It is hard to control! I picked up 3, ended up putting 2 back, and then realised I am already reading many books, and intended to start another from home tonight as well. Anyhoo- I brought home with me Burial Rites, just in case I can read it before it is due- as well as read my other 5 and finish my essay by this Friday. No sweat, right!?

Happy New Thread!!

Happy New thread, Megan! Love the Hinetitama topper. Vibrant colors. I finished the new Murakami. It was very good. Hope you had a nice weekend!

Happy new thread Megan and I love the thread topper.

>9 scaifea: thanks! I was putting off starting a new one (as usual) seeing as it seemed like hard work :) Now, it there were grades assigned to them, I might put in more effort! ;)

>10 msf59: hmph! I am slow off hte mark with Murakami, but I did start it last night, hoping to at least get to page 80 (like I saw you had got to a while ago). And I nearly made it too....NOT ;) I got to page 25, my eyelids were crashing, I carried on like a trooper, but when I actually dropped the book my lovely other sugestd it was perhaps time to call it a day. But, oh boy. I am really really liking it so far.

>11 johnsimpson: thanks John, I rememebr studying this art work in art history class at high school. It was a topic I loved, apart from the obsessive ruminating on significance and meaning. This one actually does have a lot of symbolism, but sometimes I reckon art is just pretty and it doesn't have to be explained.

*waving* at Megan

^ hi Stasia! I heard you were 'back' :)

At least temporarily :)

You go Megan!

Hi Megan, Happy New Thread! I saw it under construction yesterday, but you only had one message up and I didn't think it would be a good idea to barge in before you'd gotten organized. I really loved Burial Rites. Hope you do too.

Oh boy, two books to which I really want to get: The History of Love and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. Soon.

But Stoner --- best book of the year!!?? I must add that to my wish list!

Stoner is now on hold at the library. I'm number 58 in the queue for one of 13 copies. :-)

*sigh* If I can't keep up, I can at least get in on the ground floor of a new thread. Congratulations on the A! You simply show that you can do it, which nobody here doubted.
I wish I were reading Murakami now or Burial Rites.
Persevere with the essay and enjoy the reading!

>15 alcottacre: you mean til school starts back? I remember the days when you were a sure thing on LT, every time I logged on I could guarantee you'd be here!

>16 AuntieClio: thanks Stephanie!

>17 Smiler69: love the thread etiquette :) Thank you. I am really unsure about the cover though, it has "chick lit" written all over it (not literally). I heard such good things about it though, I thought I may as well bring it home.

>18 EBT1002: (&19) If it didn't cost 8 x the books cost (to me) to post, I would send it to you! Maybe a second hand copy will pop out at you somewhere soon!? Both those books cost me only $2 and they are in fantastic condition. What we really need is a portal!

>20 LizzieD: yay, for getting in early. I will have to come and see what you are reading that you are so dissatisfied with! Time to abandon ship maybe and get on the Murakami train!!?? I am terrible at leaving books half-read, so who am I to recommend it?
Essay nearly completed! I am not feeling 100% about it, but it was such a slog to write and I put so many hours in, I am loathe to change it about too much now.

I spy a new thread..... Yay!

>6 LovingLit: - Nice work so far on your Bingo challenge!

Good luck with the last week or so - power on through and you'll be freeeeeee soon :)

I have completely missed Murakami this month - I wanted to join (have the book and everything) but I'm still grinding through a couple that have been hanging about, with no impetus to pick anything else up. Darn it. Next time...

Happy new thread! Just coin' a morning coffee drive-by, Megan : ).

Congrats on another wonderful thread and belated congrats on another "A" :) The Murakami and The History of Love are on my reading pile for next month and so is Stoner.
Very much enjoyed your Vintage skirt - great cut! I usually don't enjoy shopping as much either. So, if I spot something in the window I usually would go in and check it out and I do love shoes and dresses.

Hey there Megan! Am I too late to say 'Brava!' for the A? You rock, girl!

Just started on the latest Murakami. Lots of love for it flying around these pages.

>21 LovingLit: Oh yes, I am Miss Manners Exemplified *roaring with painful laughter*. You should ask the last person I blasted with a few choice words about that one. Guess it all depends about whether you do or do not step on my toes on a day when I am in a ghastly mood. These days, I'm in an awful lot of pain curtesy of my migraines, so clumsy toe-treaders beware! That being said, thread etiquette does have some basic tenets that should be respected by one and all, don't you think? Otherwise, anarchy looms right around the corner.

I don't know what your cover of Burial Rites looks like, but I can pretty well safely guarantee it is a chick-lit-free zone, though it is a story about and told by a woman. To some people, that alone qualifies as chick-lit, but we know better of course.

>22 lkernagh: I wonder how I will go with the last few squares! I am not reading to fill them, but I may just come across the last needed ones, who knows!?

>23 BekkaJo: I powered on! I powered on! Handed in the essay today. Took Wilbur to uni with me and finalised the reference section....went for a coffee with him. It was kind of fun having a buddy to hang with there. He's so cute with his double front gap-tooth! He needed a mental health day off school, I thought. It has been a whole year without one...

>24 lit_chick: meaning you are on your way to get coffee? Mmmm, I always have time for coffee :)

>25 drachenbraut23: I am still loving my green vintage skirt- managed to wear it last night to book club, and my dressing up coincided with the rest of the group wearing their exercise gear! Ah well, at least I showed I can be smart sometimes :)

>26 michigantrumpet: Hello!! Nice to see you round these parts :)
I just now completed the latest Murakami, and my first of his literary fiction. Loved it. Loved the ending. Felt some of the descriptions were a tad basic, dare I say cliched? But still, a solid grand read and I shall be trying more of his.

>27 Smiler69: Yikes, ought I be scared of the wrath of Ilana!? I couldn't imagine it!
I know what you mean about the "got a chick in it- it's chick-lit" school of thought. I definitely don't subscribe! So I will take my girly cover of Burial Rights and duly ignore it. :)

#28 Bless him! Cass has lost and replaced her bottom two but the rest seem to be staying put. Though slightly shocked when she went to the dentist the other day (first time - oops!) and found that a couple of weeks ago she had cut two of her adult molars and not realised it...

We're lucky that it's half term next week - she is looking so tired. Not that it changes much since she has to go to holiday club at her school, but it means she just gets to mess around and chill out for a bit.

I think Burial Rites is on my wishlist, but I'll have to go check.... There's another one with a similar name floating around and I keep getting them confused.

Also, congrats on the A! You're a superstar!

>28 LovingLit: I'd say you're safe from the wrath of my inner monster Megan, no worries. Plus, I never stay angry for long, unless someone had done me grievous wrong and is unrepentant about it, in which case I never, ever forgive nor forget, not the best aspect of my personality, I admit, but otherwise I'm quite happy to laugh and move on.

Given Burial Rites deals with murder and the death penalty and bleak Icelandic poor village living conditions, I can't imagine what kind of cover design they might have given it which might have given anyone the slightest idea it might be chick lit?! Might we see this beauty??

Bekka: they get so emotionally tired from school- the stress of 'keeping it together' must be tough.
Wilbur's two front teeth gap seems huge! His talking has changed :) I cant help but think that he will never be a little boy again once his two adult teeth fill that gap *feeling nostalgic*

Kerri: I keep thinking about (author of Burial Rites) Hannah Kent being so similar a name to Kent Haruf. It strikes me every time I look at the book.

Ilana: I am like you in that sense too- I strike people off if I feel aggrieved on a big scale. I just can't seem to recover from the feeling of being wronged/dissapointed/hurt....perhaps I have an inflated sense of justice or something.
Chick-litty cover (looking more broody and dark here than my faded cover) :

Yes, inflated sense of justice in my case, definitely. Suffered from that since childhood and must be immature as never got over it. O well. There are worse things. That covered isn't bad. Nothing pink. No lace or ribbons. What are you talking about??

^ lol, I love your straight up question "what are you talking about?". :)
Maybe it smacks of historical drama over chick-lit. I tend to lump them in the same category *gasp*. Aren't I dreadful. Any which way, I can't help but think I would love the book so much more if it had a less evocative cover. I feel like this cove is trying to tell me something about the book that I would rather discover myself (in reading it). Maybe that is why I love the Penguin Classic (silver) and modern classic editions. They have a photo or artwork on the cover and I can distance it from whatever the story will be inside.
Picky!?? Who, me?
;)

When I think of broody and dark, I think of the smouldering, soaking wet Colin Firth walking out of the pond in Pride and Prejudice. LOL! Sounds better than Hannah Kent, non?

>34 LovingLit: Ah well, I discovered in the last few years I'm a total sucker for historical fiction (as opposed to historical "drama", whatever that is). Not into bodice rippers though, heaven forfend. There are good quality historical fiction novels out there and then... other stuff. I'd say Burial Rites is among the good stuff. As for the book cover, all I can say is "to each her own". That's such a personal thing really, that I won't argue with you over it, but whatever the case, I wouldn't judge the content by the cover, if you can, would be a shame really. Then again, you might not take to the story, which again, to each her own...

>35 lit_chick: Ah! Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. Mr Darcy walking out of the pond. Who can ever forget that image?? Hannah who?

Oh yeah. Once again, I say, get a copy of Lost in Austen and be prepared to laugh.
And I want Burial Rites...someday.

>37 LizzieD: Peggy, is that a movie?

>35 lit_chick: Is that Pride and Prejudice as in the movie featuring the fresh-faced Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson? I saw them on the Graham Norton show recently talking about that film....(if that was the right one)...they were hilarious. And now that I think about it, Hugh Grant walking out of the water in Bridget Jones' Diary was an OK sight!

>36 Smiler69: oh yea, I mean historical fiction rather than historical drama- shows how little I read the genre. BUT I shouldn't not read it, because there is so much amongst it that is historical literary fiction, which is what I like :)
I (as the disclaimer in my profile page admits) always judge a book by its cover. I just can't help it. I get that added bit of pleasure from seeing the book I am reading about the place if it has a lovely (to me) cover. But in spite of me slating my cover of Burial Rites I am really really liking it! I can't stop reading it. If only my pesky eyes would stay open long enough into the night, I would have finished it already.

>37 LizzieD: I can't *ahem* rave about Austen, so haven't even heard of this one. And I haven't even seen the scene of Colin Firth walking out of the water....but I still think he's hot on account of his long term devotion to his wife in spite of no doubt countless opportunities for unfaithfulness....I am such a sap I know it :)

>38 Smiler69: - I have watched Lost in Austen twice in the past 5 months and still enjoy it! Such great fun!

>38 Smiler69: >40 lkernagh: so it is a movie?

Megan, Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson were in Sense and Sensibility together, not Pride and Prejudice.

^see. I knew I was not qualified to talk on this topic :)
It was either gonna be the 'Ss', or the "Ps"!

Megan, I guess it's a movie, so far no clear confirmation on that though...

I judge books by their covers too. You'll always see me spending more on any given title to get the cover I like best, given the choice. It's always easier to give advice than actually follow it. ;-)

LOL, Yes it is a movie, or more accurately a TV miniseries. Here is the Youtube trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izjns3b0Izk

#21: Yes, until school starts again officially on Monday - although I have already printed out the syllabi for my courses and found out I have 2 papers due next week. I had better get busy - already!

Hi Megan. I'm stopping by and waving hello.

Hi Megan! A good cover SOOO adds to the enjoyment, doesn't it?

Add my name to those who are captivated by book covers.

Hope you are making the most of the long weekend & the gorgeous sun .......

Happy weekend, Megan. I hope your nose is in a book and you have a refreshment nearby. Smiles...

>44 Smiler69: If I had any talent, my dream job would be designing book covers. But alas I do not. But I can appreciate them :)

>45 lkernagh: mini series! *faints*

>46 alcottacre: well, that was not much of a holiday! Ah well, straight back to it then. Go Stasia!

>47 Whisper1: >49 Whisper1: Hi! I have some framed, you know. They are that picturesque....they deserve a frame.

>48 michigantrumpet: ...just to see it laying around looking all pretty...it's an attraction alright.

>50 roundballnz: >51 msf59: Sun is sunny. Sky is blue. Was out amongst it all today. I took Wilb for a hairy bike ride through the city as part of a city festival. It was a Lazy Sunday Cycle, 7.5kms, 1.5 hours. Little W was one of 2 little kids and he managed navigating the city street (with road works, narrowed carriage ways and buses) really well. I was a tad worried for him at a few stages, it is really hard to ride slowly and keep in control. He was a trooper! His wee face was the picture of concentration.

#53: It is much better than before when I would literally have less than an hour between when one session ended and the next one began.

^yikes! And to think I now have til March 2015 off! The life of Riley for me :) I will hopefully be able to print off some of the course reading and get ahead this summer.

March! A wealth of time. :)

Your description of your long weekend in NZ has me greenly envious. Enjoy it my dear. If the similarities between Hannah Kent and Kent Haruf extend to their writing I better read Burial Rites pretty darn soon. Best to Significant Other and Wilbur & Lenny. xx

>55 nittnut: I know! I don't know what to do with the time….although, I am sure I will come up with something ;)

>56 PaulCranswick: it was a gorgeous day yesterday, and for payback it is raining today. Swings and roundabouts I suppose.
Burial Rites is wonderful. The story is great and the writing too- although I am not sure if it is just me getting used to the writing but its wow factor is diminishing as I read on…. I am rather picky though, and other writers manage to keep me wowed throughout a novel. So. I only have a few pages to go and it is looking like it will make 4 stars.

>52 LovingLit: I thought I would turn to book covers when I was ready to move on from magazine design, but working toward any sort of deadline just isn't possible for me anymore it seems. Or anyway, not at this time. But book covers would definitely be something I'd be interested in as a possibility.

^I'd imagine it is a coveted position! (or is that just me)

I finished Burial Rites. Yay! Great story, I was impressed. But for some reason I could not give it more than 4 stars. I wonder about why not....I think it was the lengthy naratives that revealed the story. They iritated me and I wasn't sure it was plausible that that is how it would have happened. Not the actual story...the way the story within the story was revealed. Maybe only people who have read the book will get me on this one. But there you go :)

Congratulations on another A!!!

^thanks Tina! I am now awaiting my results for my final essay, and with it the course grade.
And today I spent a few hours looking at courses for next year. Unfortunately there are not many that are within school hours (school, as in Wilbur's school and Lenny's kindergarten hours). I might have to do some random course (any one) that fits into my 9-2pm 'available time'.

So yesterday I was trying to sort out my course timetable for next year, and I realised that the only course I am eligible for/can do (and is actually compulsory) for semester one, is one that is outside of school/kindy hours. Damn. I talked to a fellow student who said that the course is relatively non-leaning based (ie, can do it in absentia as is mostly working on individual projects), so accepted that this might have to be how I accomplish it. And then, out of the blue, my mum offered to come in and collect the boys from school/kindy, and look after them in the afternoon til I get back, for the duration of the course.
*shock*
This has never happened before, so little in fact that I never even considered her as an option. My kids have never even stayed the night at her house before. She rarely drops in here, and has never offered to take the kids out anywhere. And what I am most excited about- over and above the chance to participate fully in my next class- is that she is keen on hanging out with her grandkids. This could end up being so good!

>62 LovingLit: Oh, that's great news!

Hi Megan. I'm cracking up as I scan through your discussion about chick-lit and so on. I agree with Ilana that Burial Rites is definitely not chick-lit and it's a wonderful read.



Sigh.

>63 scaifea: *still happy*

>64 EBT1002: who's that scruffy looking cad!?? ;)

Hello Megan! Looks like you are just as studious as ever. Way to go with all the school achievements. :)
I really liked Burial Rites but my brain forgets what rating I gave it. At least a 4....
I'm stealing a breather for myself right now while the big one is eating his dinner and the little one is napping and I'm waiting for the husband to get home from work!

Ah, thank you, Ellen. Smoulder, smoulder … slowly, sullenly, smouldering.

>66 jolerie: Hi Valerie! It's so funny how you U.S. guys call it school. We only call school for those who attend aged 5-17. Anything after that is not called school. I feel sometimes that I need to make it clear what type of school I am attending ;)

>67 lit_chick: hehe, glad you got a kick.

BOOK HAUL (of the non-Cranswickian kind)

Love by Toni Morrison $4
For the Time Being by Annie Dillard $4

Yay.

>68 LovingLit: Not so sure how "non-Cranswickian" it was my dear. I bought 2 books on my last visit to the book shop too!

You will have noticed over at my sedate spot that I am planning a British Author Challenge next year in friendly rivalry to Mark's American version. As one of my oldest compadres here I hope you'll avail yourself.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/182355

Hahaha...except I'm not U.S. I'm Canadian eh?? Although maybe the rest of the world sees it the same ;) What do you guys call it then??

>69 PaulCranswick: I saw that Paul, was going to head on over and be as much of a participant as I am able. :)

>70yikes, you know. I originally wrote "North American" but then changed it to U.S.. I should have stuck with my gut-feeling. ;)

We call it university, varsity, polytech or whatever they type of education of schooling it is. School for us is primary school (ages 5-12) or high school (13-17). I though for some reason you were northern U.S.....I am obviously wrong :(

Eta: I see you are Alberta :) = very northern U.s. ;) And I also see you gave Burial Rites 4.75 stars!

I cannot stop reading Townie by Andre Dubus III.
Although, in saying that I must admit to not having read a word of it today....busy!! But I have carried it with me everywhere in case a few seconds comes up :)

>62 LovingLit: Very cool developments with your mom and I'm glad you'll be able to take the class you want!

>68 LovingLit: - Very good book haul. I love Morrison, but haven't read that one and I mean to get to the big Annie Dillard book one of these days, whatever it's called. I forget.

BOOK 52
Townie by Andre Dubus III (389p)

I liked the cover, so I bought the book. I am that shallow. This memoir is not shallow in the slightest. I can't believe the life of this man has been laid so bare, for anyone to just pick up and read about. It is so personal, and so reflective and so emotional. Yet the life it describes is so rough and violent and difficult.
This book takes in all the grey-areas, nuances and half-truths that face us in modern society (and inside our own heads) and spits them out as a cohesive and rounded memoir. The conflict of loving parents who do a best that is not enough, of seeing your loved ones hurt and in pain and delivering a retribution that is made of the same, of needing to learn and to write but wondering what good it can really do the world. The big themes are treated like the tangled mess that they are, with the knowledge that there is no single solution.
I read the last third until past midnight, knowing full well I would be awake before 6am by way of a three year-old barrelling into my room at full speed. I read because I could not stop.

Hey...no shame. We ALL just a book by its cover at one point or another. You are in good company. :D

Yah, for Townie!! I am so glad you loved this wonderful memoir! I was also a big big fan. I really want to get to his House of Sand and Fog. I've had it on shelf for a few years now.

Hope you had a nice weekend, Megan.

Valerie: in good company? I'd say! I just can't believe that that is my first review in SO LONG. I used to be so good at getting reviews written....maybe now I have no essays due, I will get back to writing well thought out reviews!

Mark: ooh, you read it too!? It was amazing.
My weekend was great, packed full and fun. A Halloween "light party" put on by a local church Friday evening (to stop kids wandering the streets knocking on strangers' doors...). Lenny wandered off twice nearly causing me a conniption. Church fair the next morning, where Lenny was kept in full visual range at all times....afternoon of gardening and cooking. Then dinner in with friends of HOT HOT HOT Indian (palak paneer) and strong beer
ETA:
The beer is called 8.6, but is actually 7.9% alcohol- more when I add a dash of Stones Ginger Wine ;)

And then a movie, noir (to your liking!?): Brighton Rock. Guests liked it (film buffs) lovely other liked it (as it is referenced in a Morrissey song), I liked it as it was cool calm and dark :)
Then Sunday at the steam engine park, where my book trailed me (unread) until that night when I read til the early hours!

Hello to the Straight A student!

I read House of Sand and Fog many moons ago but I remember enjoying it. Townie sound good as well.

Megan, you continue to amaze me with getting A's on your university papers, keeping up with your active family, and reading all these wonderful books. It's great that your mum has stepped up for next year. She will have so much fun with the boys. I don't regret a minute that I spend with my grandchildren, even though they can wear me out after only a few hours.

>78 Cobscook: I am still waiting for my last grade for the essay, and the whole course. It is nerve wracking! I want to read House of Sand and Fog as well, I have had it for ages now and it looks great.

>79 Donna828: hi Donna, it sounds like you spend a lot of time with your grands', I think its great. I guess it just isn't for everyone. I have vowed and declared to be very involved in my kids' kids....they will probably tell me to leave them be! I think my mum enjoys her time with them, she has just been reluctant to instigate contact, I suppose for fear of getting tired right out! They are fast/loud/busy....

Hooray for being able to take that much needed class *AND* for Granny and kids getting quality time together. Win/win in my book!

And I concur with Donna at >79 Donna828:

^hi Marianne,
That studying stuff is all so far away, I have a lovely slow summer to look forward to yet. I hope I don't get too complacent and forget how to apply myself ;)
I double checked with my mum about next years arrangement, and I wasn't dreaming. So it is all on for then.

I went shopping yesterday- see what happens when I don't have university to occupy my time! ;)
I bought a cool vintage dress and white cardi, and 3 books :)
Two of the books were for presents, and the other was The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, illustrated with woodcut drawings and in a large format (A4). The other books were:
- A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking (for my dad for Christmas)
- a settlers account of making his farm in Canterbury (my province) from scratch. It is so old that the copyright has lapsed, and the bookshop has published it on its own, in a leather cover. That is a present for my lovely other's birthday tomorrow. Yay. Shopping for books, even as gifts, is still such a fun experience.

I'm not caught up at all.. but i wanted to say hello!

Hmm, nice shopping, Megan! Wonderful break from having university occupy my time.

Hello Megan,

From my house to yours, Happy Fall

>84 mckait: Hi Kath! Glad to see you out visiting ;)
I hope some of the intensity of late has dissipated for you.

>85 lit_chick: hehe, I know. What's that saying about idle hands doing the devil's work? All this free time I have now....i should be scrubbing the bathroom. *not going to happen* But I could at least be reading.

>86 Whisper1: thanks so much! You are in the thick of AUtumn now, I suppose. I am warming up for summer and glad of it. The rainy winter got me down- well, not so much the rain as the cabin-fevered boys in the house.

Great review of Townie, Megan. I want to read it now.

Pictures of the vintage dress, please? The Coleridge book with wood cuts sounds really cool too.

Sending you a PM. Meet-up! Yay!

>74 LovingLit: Great comments! I'm putting this on my wishlist, if it's not there already. (I can never remember.)

Interested in the vintage clothing as well.

Although I probably wouldn't read it again, the Coleridge book sounds very cool with the wood cut drawings and all.

>88 EBT1002: yay. My job here is done :)

>89 nittnut: >90 DorsVenabili: oooh, I wore it all yesterday too, and never even took a photo. It is a denim-blue coloured short dress with wide bands at the top, white stitching detailing the edges of the neckline and arms, two white buttons at the top. Sort of empire line with a seam under the bust....I wore it with a white S/S cardi and black tights and black sneakers. (do you know how hard it is to find all black flat sneakers for under $200 these days!!)

Jenn: got the PM, looks like tomorrow is fast approaching! I had a dream I was late to the airport on account of witnessing a plan crash and having to hang around to give my account....shows how much I am hoping to have my big day out go off without a hitch!

Kerri: (see above comment on vintage dress)
And, yay, Townie gets another one! When you look at the recommendations on the book page (the Townie book page that is) there sounds like another similar one called something like 'southies' (maybe). About south Boston, in the 70's. the violence and poverty etc. I don't know if I can face it just yet, but it has good reviews.

>91 LovingLit: Oh, thanks. My wishlist is on Goodreads, so I missed that. I think you're talking about All Souls, which also sounds interesting. I'll check that out too. They both might be good for my working-class reads blog that never gets off the ground. Ha!

^yes, it was All Souls: A Family Story from Southie.
I love the sound of your blog, so it's not actually in existence yet? Once you get that thing going I will be all over it :)

>93 LovingLit: I will keep you posted. It's almost a joke now, because I've been talking about it for so long, but I figure if I keep mentioning it in various different places, I will guilt myself into getting on the ball. :-) I've set it up and worked on some preliminary content, but that's it. It's my winter project for sure.

^ I love things like that, they remain great ideas for a loooong time :)

I finally scored myself a little book I have been coveting for ages. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. 50c at the library, one that is new and had never been entered into the library system! Yay.

Yah for Part-Time Indian!! I loved that one. Hope you had a good weekend, Megan!

Hey Megan! No better time to catch up than New Thread(ish) time. I ditto Marks sentiments re: PT Indian. I crave to read more works by Alexie one day.

Enjoy your spring and congrats on the A work! Well done!

With all your reading about Massachusetts and Boston, you'll have to plan a visit here sometime! Caro (Cameling) and I will be sure to show you around....

I'm another Part-Time Indian fan. Didn't know what to expect when I picked up that gem but it had me laughing out loud at moments. :D

>96 msf59: >97 Carmenere: the librarian looked surprised when I said I had been looking out for PT Indian, she obviously thought of YA books being only for YAs. Just like I used to! I look forward to reading it, asap (which means at some point in the distant future!).

>98 michigantrumpet: I know! I have had a hard time with the word "Massachusetts" lately, a few books I referenced in my last essay were published there and I was always having to google it to see about the spelling!

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

I have embarked on my big day out! I flew this morning to Wellington (a half hour flight, at a very reasonable price thank you very much) and we descended into the capital city with much bumping about into a nor'west wind that is increasing to near gale force today! I almost felt air sick it was so bumpy, and the approach over the choppy ocean doens't help. Lucky my (previous) nerves of steel were accessible :)
Today I will:
- art gallery
- cafe
- dine
- Chrsitmas shop
- book shop
- op shop
- wander freely and unencumbered
- read
- Have an LT meetup

I have just popped in to the library to send off an email I have been meaning to for ages and thought, why not just check LT while I am here. Of course. And I am meeting up with Nittnut (Jenn) and Cushlareads (Cushla) this afternoon- hooray! I met Cushla nearly 3 years ago when Lenny was a baby and will be having a cuppa at her place. Of course I shall report back on the meetup, but I will have to rely on the others for photos.

>99 jolerie: hi Valerie! I have not a clue what the book is about but Neil Gaiman says on the front that he is sure it is so good that it will be banned, so that says something! It might be one I save for Wilbur to read. Although, I am almost giving up on having him to his home reading- he is so agaisnt it, that I feel I might be doing more harm than good in pushing it. I will just keep reading him books I think.

Yaaaaay!!! See you later on!!

And eek to the flight. Thought of you landing this morning...

(And yes everyone we will take photos.)

Meet up!! Sounds good and exciting. I hope you all have a good time.

>102 cushlareads: hello Cushla :)
Thanks for putting on a splendid afternoon tea yesterday! It was lovely to see you, the kids and your place, and of course- Nittnut too!

>103 connie53: we did! Thanks. I've not been disappointed yet with a meetup :)

First: Book Haul

First as Tragedy, Then as Farce by Slavoj Zizek (philosophy) $25 (NEW!)
Comradely Greetings letters to/from Slavov Zizek and Nadya Tolokonnikova $15 (NEW!)
I am Right you are Wrong by Edward de Bono $10 (expensive 2nd hand)
The Best American Travel Writing 2006 edited by Jason Wilson (a perfect meetup gift from Nittnut)

All non fiction I notice now. It looks like that is the way I am headed these days :)

My big plans for yesterday's BIG DAY OUT in Wellington were as follows....I got to all the important ones!

- art gallery *check*
I spent 2.5 hours at Te Papa and the City Gallery. Saw a really interesting video installation. 8 screens, with perpetual motion style moving wood/steel installation in the middle of the room as well. With the closure of my city's main gallery for earthquake repairs I have been longing to wander around a large gallery.

- cafe *check*
I waled most of the way up Cuba Street to Fidel's, my favourite Wellington cafe. I had a delicious coffee and a Moroccan chicken salad which was so so good.

- dine *check*
Did this last thing, at craft beer place called the Little Beer Quarter, down a back alley somewhere in the Wellington CBD. I had panko crumbed prawns (entree) and a pint of Black IPA (YUM on both counts). I would recommend NOT trying the Peppered (edited for spelling of peppered) Steak Porter there though. It was ...how shall I put this....Heinous is the right word I think. Or just ew.

- Chrsitmas shop *oops*
I never was a good shopper.

- book shop *check*
See book haul above :)

- op shop *oops*
Didn't come across any!

- wander freely and unencumbered *check*

- read *check*
At the pub, on the plane, at the cafe, in the bookshop, on the bus, at the airport.......

- Have an LT meetup *check*
Nittnut met me at Unity Books where I chalked up 78 points on my Unity card....yikes. I couldn't choose between the last two so had to get them both. I confessed to my lovely other when I got home, and he was fine ;)
I was kindly driven from there to school to 'pick up the kids'- where we ran into Cushla, who was also 'picking up the kids'. Don't forget, they are practically neighbours. Then we went back to Cushla's for afternoon tea and a lengthy chat! It was lovely to meet nittnut, and see Cushla again after 3 years. We talked books, kids, life, LT, school and holidays. Perfect! Photo to come :)

Yah, for another successful Meet-Up, Megan! We love our love our LT Meet-Ups, don't we?

And yah, for a black IPA! Yes, I am a fan.

^ I have to say that apart from meeting a new LTer, and seeing a cool massive art gallery, the black IPA was the highlight of the day! Happiness is a full pint and a book, I always say. Well, actually, I just made that up now, but it works for me.

I think you made all the right choices in how to spend your big FREE day, Megan! You skipped shopping, except book shopping. Perfect day.

^ I think so too. I considered walking into a clothes shop, but even the thought of finding something good, the thought that I would spend money on that when it could have been books, put me off. :)

Sounds like you had an absolutely wonderful day ... did Wellington turn on the wind for you as well ?

" Happiness is a full pint and a book." I always knew you were a very special person. Swoons a little...

Alex: the wind did indeed put on a good show for me. I was on the waterfront (out the back of Te Papa) and the wind was howling at me over the water. It really cleared out the cobwebs! Seeing as it was a nor'wester, it was warm though. So pleasant.

Mark: hehe, depending on my mood (and on how many of each I have already had) the beer could be swapped for coffee. But the sentiment is the same. It is such a promising situation, seeing your book sitting there and the full vessel.

"It is such a promising situation, seeing your book sitting there and the full vessel" Perfect!

>106 LovingLit: That does sound like a fantastic day! I'm similar to you in that I excel at book shopping, but that's about it.

Is Peppered Steak Porter just what it sounds like? If so, wow. Gross. I can't stand smoked beers either. That flavor in beer just does not work for me.

>105 LovingLit: I just looked up Comradely Greetings: The Prison Letters of Nadya and Slavoj. I might have to check that out.

Sounds like a great day out!

That sounds like such an awesome day. A little time for yourself and and little LT meet-up to top it all off. :D

I'm still an LT meet-up virgin. Maybe one day. ;)
My in-laws are heading your way this holiday though. Not sure the exact location but I know they will be on your continent. My MIL has a relative who is celebrating her 100th birthday. What a milestone!

Just got invited to participate in this survey (through Blogher) from Monsanto. Thought of you. Don't know if the link will work, but just on the off chance...

https://blogher.co1.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSurveyEngine/?Q_SS=0SzuDGGj2Q90rnT_...

Megan, what a fabulous couple of days in Wellington : ). Yay!

What a lovely day! Can't wait to see the photos.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/181141#4916351

That is the link to Nittnut's page to see our meetup photo. Be warned, the wind was blowing, and Cushla's son took the photo with no advance warning. There is very little eye contact with the camera :)

>114 roundballnz: don't I know it.

>115 DorsVenabili: Peppered Steak Porter was foul. I asked about it, and should have tasted it really. He said it wasn't hot or peppery really, just that it tasted like meat. By then it was poured and I felt I had to pay. I don't know what I was thinking.
I just finished the Nadya/Slavoj letters. Wonderful! Short, but wonderful.

>116 SandDune: I certainly recharged my batteries, and got my fix of city culture :) Chch isn't up for much city culture these days with the centre still half dead.

>117 jolerie: wow, 100 years old seems very far away for me. If I ever make it. I am not sure I will!
Your in-laws are coming to NZ? Please don't say Australia as that is even further away that the US/Canada thing! But it would be good payback for me confusing your location:)

>118 nittnut: oooh, sounds ominous but I will take a look. Thanks.
Oh, and classic story about the other photos from the meetup! Backsides and trees huh?

>119 lit_chick: well, it was only one day, but it was a long one. And Lenny told his kindy teacher I was in Africa, so....it might have been a longer day!

>120 London_StJ: I dont have a camera on my phone (that is worth anything) so only photo is from the link I posted above. I could have taken some lovely photos of the city if I had remembered my camera....maybe I will post the photo of the hole Wilbur dug in the lawn. That one is classic. I figured a hole in the lawn isn't the worst thing in the world!

Haha...we are even. ;)
They are heading your way....in that general direction, but yeah I'm not 100% sure exactly where. I really should find out so we aren't clueless while they are away. :)

What fun!

>122 jolerie: so they are headed to the South Seas huh? That is close enough :)

>123 London_StJ: I know!
He wanted me to take a photo of him and his hole. So he did 2x peace signs with his fingers, and I asked what that meant (knowing he didn't know the most common meaning of it). He said it showed how many 'explorer points' he had!

Looks like you had a lovely day! Books, lunch and dinner and nice people to meet with!

BOOK 53
The Leopard by Guiseppe de Lampedusa (222p)

This book is a favourite of a friend, so I read it. It is written in the 1950s and set at the time of the formation of the nation of Italy, when feudal ways gave way to powers that came from being 'elected' (very big *ahem* with the use of 'elected' there). The Leopard of the title is the emblem from the coat of arms of the ruler of his area. It is with a sympathetic ear that we listen to the story of his family as they reign over their own last days. Even though he a egotistical mysoginist we kind of forgive him for it as he struggles with his ebbing power and vitality. I found this a moving account of the existential dilema in us all.


BOOK 54
Comradely Greetings by Nadya Tolokonnokova and Slavoj Zizek (106p)

Nadya Tolokonnokova is a member of Russian punk group Pussy Riot. Along with one other member of the group she was imprisoned in 2012 for 'hooliganism' because of the performance of a music piece in a church criticising Vladimir Putin. She was sentenced to 2 years and was released slightly early, just before the Sochi Winter Olympics. In her time there she worked 6-7 days a week, up to 16 hours a day in the prison workshop making Russian Police uniforms.

But the book is not about much of this stuff. It is letters to and from Nadya and Slovenain Marxist philosopher Slavoj Zizek. She had admired his work and he was invited to correspond with her once the opportunity for a meeting was made impossible due to her incarceration. They to and fro in highly intellectual banter, commenting on and countering each others ideas. It is very nice to read more about and from a punk princess who was in the media mainly for her mini skirt and balaclava.

BOOK 55
Every Secret Thing by Gillian Slovo (282p)

Gillian Slovo is one of three daughters of Joe Slovo and Ruth First- ANC revolutionaries/terrorists/guerrilla fighters/intellectuals/anti-apartheid campaigners/politicians/parents. And it is that complex! The girls necessarily take second place to activities that the parents engage in for the sake of justice and the greater good. The author of this family memoir struggles to come to terms with her place and needs in a situation where the needs of others are greater and of a life and death nature. As is so often the case, there is no absolute resolution, but as the story of their combined lives unfolds we get the feeling that Gillian has at least come to have peace about the actions of her heroic and largely absent parents.

This account gives a lot of information about the rise and actions of the ANC, who went from terrorists to the ruling political party after the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in the early 1990s. I would have liked more political stuff near the end when it was coming clear that the ANC being in charge was able to affect little change in economic situation for black South Africans. But I think that at that time, there was just so much jubilation that apartheid had ended and that formerly exiled ANC members were now in positions of power, that the possibility of change was enough.

oops, duplicate psot

AACII (for my reference and to be added to)

January: Carson McCullers The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

February: Henry James What Maisie Knew And, hang on, Henry James isn't British!!??? (oops).... ...not keen for a re-read of the Turn of the Screw

March: Richard Ford The Lay of the Land

April: Louise Erdrich The Blue Jay's Dance (reread)

May: Sinclair Lewis

June: Wallace Stegner Crossing to Safety

July: Ursula K. Le Guin

August: Larry McMurtry

September: Flannery O' Connor

October: Ray Bradbury The Martian Chronicles (maybe)

November: Barbara Kingsolver Animal Vegetable Miracle OR The Bean Trees

December: E.L. Doctorow

A flurry of interesting books!

>126 LovingLit: I read The Professor and the Siren earlier this year (although I failed to take notes, so details are blurry) and was so impressed with his writing that I put The Leopard on my wishlist. Glad to learn you liked it.

>129 LovingLit: Oh, cool! You put Animal Vegetable Miracle on the list. I found it fascinating and entertaining. I loved reading about her adorable family too. I also recently read her non-fiction account of the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983, focusing on the women involved - Holding the Line. It was very early in her career and she spent an amazing amount of time with them and conducted a ton of interviews. I got a lot out of that one too, but it helps if you're interested in the subject matter, I suppose.

>125 connie53: hi Connie! My big day out seems so long ago now.....but I am getting great positive vibes from friends who say that they will consider doing something similar, seeing as it sounded so much fun.

>130 DorsVenabili: the copy of The Leopard that I read was a $1 op shop copy. Really old and dusty, with no jacket. It gave me no expectations of what it might be about, so it was a fun journey reading it.
And Animal Vegetable Miracle, I have been wanting to read for ages and ages. I own a copy and am looking forward to getting to it soon(ish)!

BOOK HAUL

Underworld by Don deLillo (a chunkster at 827 pages)
A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute (love that surname)
State Ward by Alan Duff (of Once were Warriors fame

$3 each at the 'Lost and Found' market today. *happy*

Hi Megan! I saw the classic film version of the Leopard, starring Burt Lancaster, many years ago. It is classic cinema but have not read the book.

I like your AACII choices. So, you read the first 2 Bascombe books? I really want to bookhorn in the Sportswriter before March, so I can get to my reread of Independence Day.
Do you have any Stegner in the stacks?

Hi Mark- I have read the first 2 in the Frank Bascombe trilogy, liked them a lot. Even if they aren't exactly riveting. :)
Stegner......um, who? ;)
I am waiting to investigate my choices further for the AACII (as well as the BAC as there are some in there I don't know either). I will edit in my findings.
My film-buff friend said he'd seen the film verrsion of The Leopard, I presume there is only one version, so it must have been Burt Lancaster too. He said it was worth the watch.

eta: how about Crossing to Safety? I liked the cover ;)

BOOK 56
Erewhon Calling: Experimental Sound in New Zealand Edited by Bruce Russell (190p)

It is difficult to discuss a niche music scene without coming over as pretentious or exclusive, which some of the authors here acknowledge. Personally I have found the 'experimental scene' that I have encountered in my city to be very receptive to all types, and to new-comers. People are I suppose put off by the challenging nature of the music, and the cliquey seeming patrons who more often than not are dressed very hipply ;)

Various contributors here give accounts of the sound scene in the major centers. By all accounts it is a select few in terms of crowd numbers. Un-populist by nature, the music we are talking here is droney, looped, sampled, feedbacky, loud or very quiet, and often with little visible musicianship (ie: produced with computers or electronic equipment where it is difficult to equate the sound with the process of making it).

What I am drawn to in this scene is captured in this quote: the "...non macho aesthetic...comparatively free of rock posturing, finding beauty in the domestic and the happenstance" (p154). I like being challenged by music and finding some wonder or interest in it. This book is a good reference, but not very cohesive.

>121 LovingLit: Fun photo!

BOOK 57
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis (208p)

I read this chapter by chapter to Wilbur. It started well enough, and I kept wondering how the wardrobe came into it :) (for those who already- or want to know- it came later, much later. Like on the last page).

So Digory and Polly stumble upon Dig's Uncle Andrew up to no magic good in his loft. The children are used by him as an experiment to be sent to another magical land using his magic rings. He tricks them into going just to have someone able to give an account of the journey. They go, they come across various lands, some of which are dodgy in the extreme, and in which Digory cannot help his inquisitiveness and unwittingly unlocks a nasty witch from her slumber. From here the witch tags along with the kids, and eventually Uncle Andrew is drawn into the drama too. And lo and behold- they all end up in the newly forming Narnia where the Lion Aslan presides. Aslan is so obviously God. The religious and moral message is loud and clear. This is where I cold hardly contain my raised eyebrows. But then I remembered the 1950s in Britain were very staid and pious. Either way, it was not my cuppa, and Wilbur was not sold either. on the 2nd to last page he even suggested flagging it for a game of Ludo! (but even I could not so that, so close to the end).

^I have often wondered about the purpose of that little book. It's sort of unnecessary in the grand scheme of the Narnia books. Does anyone really care how Narnia got made? I mean, I get the why he wrote it, but I've never really been able to fit it into the series in a way that doesn't bug me. Oh well.

Crossing to Safety is excellent. A good one to have on shelf.

#132 Good haul! have you read any Nevil Shute? I keep meaning to read more - I have adored the three of his I have read (A town like Alice, On the Beach and Pied Piper). But Pied Piper still has that special something for me.

I read the entire C.S. Lewis series awhile back so I don't remember the individual stories all too clearly but I do know that as a whole, it is one of my childhood favourites. I understand how it might not be everyone's cuppa but that is what makes books so great...no two people will read the same book and have the exact reaction and no one book can be loved universally by everyone. :D

>135 LovingLit: This sounds interesting. This is probably the dumbest question ever, considering the title, but is this scene totally unique to New Zealand, or does it have sister-scenes across the world? And what would those be? That sounds even dumber now that I typed it, but still...

>137 LovingLit: Part of me feels cheated, because I've never read any of the Narnia books (seriously, Mom?!), but then another part of me doesn't really care. Ha!

>136 EBT1002: fun? or funny ;) I tried to assert my right to veto any shot, but the photo-taker, being a young lad, was off before any of us got the chance to veto anything!

>138 nittnut: I hadn't realised until I read it that this isn't really the first in a Narnia series. It'd be better billed as a prequel, I reckon. After reading some other reviews, I think I will read more to Wilbur as the kids sound a bit more adventurous in the next books. Less pushed about by circumstance and more personality somehow.

>139 msf59: great, thanks Mark. Now that I have your buy-in, I shall biro it in as my choice :)

>140 BekkaJo: The only Neville Shute I have read is a random old paperback I found in an op shop called What Happened to the Corbetts?. It was written before WWII but successfully predicted what an invasion (or bombing) of London might be like. I liked it a lot. Now that I have A Town Like Alice I am excited to read that, but it was On the Beach that my dad recommended to me and made me interested in Shute in general.

>141 jolerie: Valerie, I hope I will like the next books more. From some reviews I see that this prequel doesn't compare well with the rest. Plus, if I don't read them to Wilbur, we won't eventually be able to see the movie(s) that were partially filmed in NZ. And I want that to happen, so I will try another one with him next year maybe. It is on the shelf waiting, but the Three Muskateers caught his attention first, on account of the swords. Of course.

>142 DorsVenabili: Experimental music is a world-wide genre. It also known as just plain 'art', 'sonic art' or 'sound art'. I suppose it blurs the line between conceptual art and music.
My friend who died early this year (was originally from the UK, but he lived here in NZ for 10 years before his death) was an experimental musician, he toured Europe and to Australia. He reckoned Germany was big on the style.
Look up 'The Auricle' on facebook, it is a sonic gallery in my town, they have installations and who the latest touring sound artists is. One of the chapter authors from the book helped set this gallery up.

I previously felt cheated for never having read the Narnia series, but no longer. :) My best friend growing up had the whole series in a box set, and I was really jealous of it- even though I wasn't a reader much then- I just saw it as something cool I didn't have (I can't believe I just outed myself as a previous non-reader!).

>143 LovingLit: My kids have absolutely loved other Narnia books. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair are favorites. Like you said, way more adventure and personality.

>143 LovingLit: Got it. I totally get what you're talking about. I'll look up Auricle too.

Ooh, I'm so jealous that you get to read A Town Like Alice for the first time. I love that book.

I got an A, I got an A, I got an A!

For the essay, and for the course.

In psychology, which I have never studied before. *proud*

I am rushing off to bookclub now, and will come back after to reply to the messages I have neglected for now.

>137 LovingLit: I have to admit the The Magician's Nephew is one of my favourites of the Narnia series, which was about my favourite children's series of all time. I read it first as well, and always preferred it to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was brought up in a mildly Christian household: people believed in God, I was sent to Sunday school, marriages, christening and funerals were in church, everyone knew lots of hymns but no adults ever went to church. So I think I was quite good at picking up on Christian imagery while at the same time never assuming it made any more difference to my day to day life than my Dad's preferred choice of music: The Messiah and Welsh male voice choirs singing hymns.

Hooray for the A. Very happy you can continue the streak. ;)

>144 nittnut: I remember the titles from my childhood, and that we didn't have them at our place! I have had a lot of people in RL lately say that they loved them. I am definitely going to read them, if not to Wilbur, then myself.

>145 DorsVenabili: goodie, the Auricle is a lovely little venue. New Regent Street (where it is) is one of the few street-scapes which survived our earthquakes OK. it had been strengthened beforehand, it is so nice now to have a lovely little vintage looking street still there.

>146 lunacat: yay! I am looking forward to that now. And On the Beach as well. Presently I have picked up the Pesthouse by Jim Crace, which is dystopian ficiton: a genre I am keen to explore more of.

>148 SandDune: my mum was Catholic, but I never knew it as a kid. We never went to church and I only knew about her religious upbringing as an older teen. I admit to being confused by religion, although I get it hypothetically, I cannot understand the un-shakeable faith that people seem to have. I think I just found the religions links in the Magician's Nephew so glaringly obvious, I felt he was trying maybe to sneakily recruit people! Or just subliminally lead them....

>149 nittnut: Thanks! I know that up to this point I have been dying for straight 'A's, and now I have that for the first 2 (of 6) courses. Naturally I will hold the bar as high. I see stress in my future, I may have to relax a little if I want to get by and remain sane.

>147 LovingLit: WooHoo!! Congrats!!

^And HUGS!!

Congratulations for getting an A on the paper and for the course!

Woot! Way to go, Megan! You ROCK!

LOLOL!!!! I got a nice surprise while reading in bed last night and went to sleep with a smile on my face :-)

So - I'll bet you know what I am talking about...
Reading Wide Sargasso Sea ... turned the page... and a little thin strip of paper fluttered out of the book you gave me!
(For those who don't know, you were my Swap Santa last year.)

It reads (as you know) -
"How's it going, Cee? Liking it so far? :)"
What a nice surprise!

You must have been wondering if I was ever going to read this book and find your note. It was tucked in so cleverly. Ha! Loved it.
It's going good and yes, I am liking it a lot so far.
You are so much fun ;-) See? I'm still smiling ;-) Thanks! You made my day :-)

Congrats on the A ! I'm not at all surprised. You are smart, work hard, and deserve it. It's all so obvious to the rest of the world.
Try not to stress out about straight 'A's. Just dig in and enjoy... the 'A's will no doubt follow you.

Congrats Megan, although I'm not surprised! You deserve it! Way to go!!! :D

Amber, Mark, Nancy, Valerie: thank you!! I have been grinding my teeth waiting for these results, oscillating between feeling confident and then completely not confident. I was so happy when I logged on to the results page to see an A. I was dancing about the house and the kids were all "huh?- what's going on?". Hehe.

Cee: you know, I actually had forgotten about that little note! I am so glad it finally found you, and that now I get to have a smile on my face thinking about it. I remember having a little giggle when I put it in there for you. ;)
You are right about forgetting about an end goal....I have a lot of time off now, so I am loving reading whatever I want and forgetting about essays and presentations for a while. I will think of it one section at a time!

Megan, big congratulations for getting an A for the essay and the course, you deserve it my dear. I can picture you dancing about the house, enjoy everything until you start the course again. Love and hugs to you and your family from the both of us.

Congrats on the resounding A Megan! And I am a bit astonished that you'd never managed to read the Narnia books before - but of course, I was a very bookish child, and that was probably my favourite series, reread more times than I can count before I even hit double figures. I can still remember picking up my copy of The Silver Chair from the second-hand bookshop in my grandparent's village when I was 7. And flying home from that trip with a nice stash of about six or so paperbacks, and being terribly pleased with myself, yet terribly worried that our bags would get lost and I'd lose my books!

I never enjoyed the first or last of the series as much as the rest - they seemed bafflingly odd when I was young (not a religious household), and then when I reread the series as a wildly atheist teenager, I was astonished to find religious themes running through the entire series! (Although I suddenly 'got' the first and last books). For a while there I was quite annoyed with C.S. Lewis for sneaking all these religious ideas past me as a small child, but have come around to thoroughly enjoy them again as an adult.

>158 johnsimpson: thanks John. It was a fun evening last night. I was really happy with my grade, and the overall one. I collected the essay this afternoon and read the feedback, which was constructive and really gratifying as well. I personally loved the 'double' tick at the end, which I am sure was as a result of my 'killer' last sentence ;)

>159 evilmoose: that is a nice story! I love that you resented, then forgave Lewis for his trickery. Hehe. My parents never seemed to have loads of fiction books around our place, there were a lot of photography books, and hard cover display books, art ones etc. (I used to issue them with cards to stamp in the back etc, like a real library). We had a few Enid Blyton kids fiction books, but hardly any. I certainly coveted the Narnia ones!

Hi Megan, nothing like a good last "killer" sentence my dear, love and hugs to a fabulous A star student.

>161 johnsimpson: I know! I love finishing with a bang :)

hi :=)

>147 LovingLit: Of course you did! Of course you did! Of course you did! End 'em with a bang - good thinking!
I've loved catching up here and looking at the meet-up picture and taking note of your latest book hauls.

Yah, for A's! And Yah, for Double Pales! Hope you are squeezing in some reading this weekend. Fingers crossed.

Congratulations on the grade well-earned!

Congratulations on another well deserved A, Megan!

An "A" followed by time off!! Pretty perfect I'd say. I love the note you slipped Cee in the book. I got a smile too.

>163 AuntieClio: hi back!

>164 LizzieD: I was so unhappy with the way I wrote the last essay....it was like getting blood from a stone! Eventually I wrestled with it so much that it formed into something workable, and the last sentence was a flash out of the ether *boom*. I love that.

>165 msf59: In spite of my best efforts, Mark, I barely squeezed in 6 pages yesterday! And that was with managing to wrangle myself a half hour reading spot at prime time too! (from 7-7:30pm). I got to the thing I was going to early, and used it all up driving around various car parks trying to find one that was not closing before my event came out. gggrrrrr.
Ah well, the PechaKucha Night was great anyway.

>166 London_StJ: thanks Luxx. That A certainly had a lot of hours in it. I wonder how much I paid per hour for my grade....course cost divided by hours worked....oh, hang on. I am not on a maths degree! I will leave that to the statisticians.

>167 kidzdoc: thanks Darryl! I am still buzzing about it, like the cat that got the cream.
And now I get to read whatever I like :)

Adding my congrats on the A!

I love the little note story too. :-) On a related note, one of my favorite things about used books is the little weird slips of paper you find in them, and also the dedications and notes sometimes included at the beginning. On the other hand, I don't enjoy finding things like pasta sauce stains and other sticky matter. The good with the bad, I suppose.

>168 Berly: hi Kim :)
And we are planning summer holidays now too. I always feel good having several trips away on the calendar. It is shaping up to be a great summer!~

>170 DorsVenabili: I like finding things like receipts or bus tickets, things that show where/when the book has been. Or photos or bookmarks- personal things. It reminds me that I am not the only holder of the book.
Sticky stains? No thanks! ;)
And, thanks for the A love.

Megan your recent meet up with Jenn and Cushla sounds like so much fun. I have my own meet up in Joplin coming up. It's always fun to spend time with Stasia, Terry, Brenda, Sandy, Cindy, Mike, and whoever else we can talk into coming. You know, I am not surprised about your A for essay and psychology course. Very happy for you! So, what and when is your next educational endeavor?

^hi Donna! Thanks :)
My next academic endeavour is the next course, starting March 2015. The course I think I will do is 'the philosophy of science'. And I might look into how (on earth) psychology got to be classified as a science. This one has a 6000 word essay as part of the assessment, and a presentation as well. I just want to get a topic that interests me and one that I can sustain interest in. It is a little hard to get a social justice topic to fit into this course, but I will keep thinking.
I have seen pics of past Joplin meetups. They do look fun, most do!

Ah, you'll have a bit of a break from academics before your next course. How lovely!

Enjoy your break before you have to bust out your full-on geek mode. ;)

PS - unknown substances on books gives me the willies. I just don't want to know...so gross!!!

Just got back from the South Island. We had a great time at Golden Bay. We are pretty glad we didn't try to drive down to Milford Sound - my dad was struggling with motion sickness most of the trip. We had easy ferry crossings, did some long line fishing and mostly just enjoyed the beaches and the beautiful weather. :)

>177 nittnut: Jenn/Megan, I am jealous as I would gladly spend at least half my time on the South Island NZ.

>175 lit_chick: yup! I am relaxing into the summer weather. It is a very warm day again today, so have ditched the shoes.

>176full on geek-mode alright! that sounds like me. Geeks are the new black...or something.

>177 nittnut: sounds great. I was about that region last Christmas holidays and it is gorgeous. I have camped at Totaranui a few times (three?) and have always had a lovely time there. GLad you had a good one- and you will be glad you bypassed Twizel!

>178 PaulCranswick: Aaaah, a convert :)
Happy to have you, Paul.

I finished Rabbit, Run.....it is dark, brooding, real, and I think wonderful :) But that's just me.

I was able to seeing as I spent a long time in the waiting room waiting to see my mum who is in hospital again. Not anything too dire this time thank goodness. She will be out again today. So I waited so long because after asking about seeing my mum, and being told to wait there, I then asked another reception person when I wondered about the flippant way the first one treated me. And then waited some more after I was told that "if she had time" she would add my name to the "board" so that my presence was known. Eventually (that must have happened) a nurse came out and laughingly joshed me for being in the wrong place as my mother was in ward x, over the other side of the hospital.
Right.
So how many times do I need to ask this before I get the right answer? Apparently three. No matter, I got an hour of reading time. :)
But I did get only 5 minutes with mum before having to go pick up the kids from kindy/school. So that was not so great. She was in good spirits though so no harm.

Now I want to read the second Rabbit book, asap. And the December one from Mark's AAC list.....talk about a late starter on that challenge.

I'm a long-time Updike fan too although it may be that the Rabbits are the only ones I've read. It was so long ago that I ought to start over. *sigh*
Hope your mother is quickly (but not too quickly) well. I'm hanging around to envy your summer and see what your plans are.

^ I had no idea of when this novel was written, and ended up reading the publication date and being surprised. For some reason I thought it was more current.

Congratulations on the A, Megan!!

I am a fan of Wallace Stegner, although it has been a long while since I read his work. I remember loving Crossing to Safety as well as Angle of Repose. I think he is an excellent choice for the AAC because the sense of place, namely the western U.S., is so elegantly present in his novels.

Ugh, sorry about the bureaucratic mess at the hospital. Your attitude, focusing on the hour of reading you got to enjoy, is laudable. I hope things go okay with your mum. And I am also enjoying Rabbit, Run, perhaps less than you did but with genuine appreciation for Updike's writing.

eta: I have been very aware that Rabbit, Run was published the year I was born. It was a different world then.

>183 EBT1002: Hi Ellen,
There are obviously many amazing authors out there that I have never even heard of. This bothers me a bit, as I would like a comprehensive list to work from, please. :) Wallace Stegner has a very cool name, and I am happy to think of that as reason enough to read his work.

Re: the hospital, I would have been a tad upset if my mum had been really ill! I was interested in the situation from an observational pov, actually. I ruminated on it, and figured out that although I gave all the right information at the first point of contact, assumptions were made and the information was limited to those assumed parameters from there on. So by the time I was in DEPT X, their frame of reference was their dept only. So I get how it happened that I waited an hour in the wrong place in spite of asking 3 people where to go to see her.

BOOK 59
Rabbit, Run by John Updike (264p)

This book came to me with warnings of its dark mood. Great, I thought. Right up my alley. And as I also like my books to be, it is not all about the plot.

The story unfolds slowly, allowing time for a real sense of place and personality to develop. We hear the internal monologues of various characters and however superficial their actions seem, their rationalisations for them are not. Being able to marry the action with the persons justifications for it is quite a treat. And it is this, I think, that made me love reading this book.

The plot itself does exist, and it involves Rabbit- a lanky ex-basketball high achiever, who is navigating his way around his young marriage. This is proving not as exciting for him as his heady days of sport. Rabbit is keen to explore and fulfill the needs of himself only, and has no qualms about making use of anyone who can assist his passage. He has a local church man willing to try to steer him on a more morally sound course, and his parents-in-law also care. His wife is struggling with alcohol and the stress of having a largely absent husband whilst caring for a toddler and being heavily pregnant. It is a sad state of affairs. The book ends with an incident, the result of which there is no coming back from. I look forward to reading the next installment.

Very nice review of Rabbit, Run, Megan. I'll have to give this a try, although it won't be until next year at the earliest.

Wow...that DOES sound good.

Sorry to hear about your mom and the hospital but good new indeed that it wasn't anything major! I hope you are enjoying your summer as right now I'm sitting at -20 with a windchill factor of -30. Not going out, even though I ran out of milk...haha!

Darryl: thanks! It describes what, for some, is real life. That is a hard thing to do I reckon. I love this type of book.

Valerie: good, as in a train-wreck? Then yes :) Like I said, it's the kind of book I am drawn to, I fell it gives a lot of what it might be like for people I would otherwise have no idea about.
Holy, that temperature sounds dire! It is weird here, the other day it was so hot I decamped to the garage where it is cool (and there is a couch), an then yesterday it was hailing and really cold! I had to up-turn the kids plastic swimming pool over the strawberries to protect them from hailstones! Spring is so fickle.

BOOK HAUL

The Snow Geese by William Fiennes
The Noble Lie by Gary Greenberg
Jonathan Livingston Seagull.......cos, why not?

And, this is before i set off for a Saturday morning book sale!!!! I will keep you posted :)

At least you weren't left stranded somewhere dreadful like my best friend was!

She'd had a phone call from another friend saying I'd had an accident at a horse event and was being taken to hospital as a precaution. By the time she got there expecting to just pick me up and take me home, I'd deteriorated a lot and she was taken (without being told much) to wait outside a locked door with the sign declaring it the Neuro Critical Care Unit and told to ring the buzzer and they'd let her up! She just thought I had a mild concussion until that point.

Thankfully all's well that ends well, and she's used to the sight of me in a hospital bed, but she said she felt rather apprehensive at that point!

^yikes. I would rather wait at the day surgery waiting room with a book than be taken to a critical unit! Hospitals are scary places really....so many scared and sad people about.

BOOK HAUL
God's Mountain by Erri De Luca $2
The History of the Siege of Lisbon by Jose Saramago $2
Treading Air by Jaan Kross $2
ETA: 100th book purchased this year! The Burn by James Kelman $2

Slim pickin's, I'm afraid. But Wilbur got a good haul, including The Adventures of Super Diaper baby the 2nd in the Captain Underpants set.

Hi Megan! I am so glad you loved Rabbit, Run. It wasn't a pleasant read but he sure didn't shy away from, uncomfortable and very dark issues.

Congrats on all the mini-book hauls!!

Hi Mark- yup yup yup on the Updike. I sought another of his at both book places I have visited in the last few days, but had no luck. Also, Watson was on my radar for December AAC, and still no luck there. I will get it one day, and I will read it, and I will probably love it. I am not impatient.

You have no available library system, in your area?

^they don't have Montana, 1948, that's all. And it is the one I want to read. They have a few other ones, and I also own one.
I am surprised about the absence of the big one though! I may have to make a rec ;)

>195 LovingLit: can't you get it thru inter-library loan ?

Happy your Mum is Ok. Sorry she had to go to the hospital again.

Sometimes with the bookhaul, we have to go with quality over quantity. Also, 100 books bought this year!

I can't believe I forgot to mention THE SAND FLIES. Also, so did everyone else who we told we were going to the South Island. I think I have about 15 bites and my system is not dealing with them well at all. Thorns in paradise. ;)

Late to the table, but well done you on your A! Pardon the pun but you are acing that course!

>185 LovingLit: Nice review! I will give this a whirl at some point.

Great book hauls! I really have to read more by James Kelman. I loved How Late It Was, How Late when I read it a few years ago. I think you liked that one too, right?

Congrats on the A, and best wishes to mom!

>196 roundballnz: $5 for interloan, and $2 for reservation. I am not too concerned about it as I could buy it online for cheap-ish (prob). I just like to get free or mega-bargain :)

>197 nittnut: oh, the sandflies. Yes. They are a hassle. My dads place has them too. You would have needed repellent!! (did no one tell you?) Tea tree oil is good on bites or the amazing Itchy Scratchy. A miracle cream in the realm of Pawpaw ointment.

>198 BekkaJo: thanks!! I am still smugly smiling at the thought of it. And that the prof said it was a pleasure to read.....*sigh*

>199 DorsVenabili: oooh good. You should read it. (who am I to say what you should or shouldn't to....but, I INSIST!) ;)

I loved How Late it was, How Late, you are right. It was a real surprise love, seeing as the first few pages made me wince a little on account of the colloquial Scottish!

>184 LovingLit: "Wallace Stegner has a very cool name, and I am happy to think of that as reason enough to read his work." I fully agree!

>185 LovingLit: great review of Rabbit, Run. I gave it four stars and probably won't read the next installment. Still, I have been "meaning" to read Updike for decades so I'm pleased that Mark's AAC got me over the hump and that I now have a sense of his writing. I will look for your comments about Rabbit Redux (that's second in the series, right?) and who knows, maybe I'll change my mind and read it. :-)

Oh. I have How Late it was, How Late in my TBR library. I just found it the other day and was surprised to see it there. Now I want to read it!

Have a great week, Megan!

BOOK 60
The Pesthouse by Jim Crace

Dystopian fiction is my new(ish) thing. With the reading of this one now complete, I think it is safe to say that I am still seeking a good literary dystopian novel.

The two main characters meet on what is a mass exodus to the East Coast of the USA, the population hoping to secure passage to a land that holds more promise of safety and comfort than what is currently possible. This is occurring long after some event that has caused the population to revert to historic societal practices and the complete demise of technology. This is also where the story fell down for me. From the near get-go, the story felt like a historical novel, and knowing the author only for his historic novel Harvest, I felt that the two were practically the same thing (bar the differing plot lines). The two are drawn to each other and on their journey to the coast they come across many a danger and challenge, and manage to fall coyly in love.

It wasn't bad, and it wasn't great. The writing was lovely at times, but overall the characters intentions were not fleshed out enough. Plenty of times the main two were doing things and I was thinking....really? Really? Which isn't to say someone wouldn't do the things they did, but I just did not see enough evidence as to why.

>201 EBT1002: Hi E!
I love the phrase "I've been meaning to read...". I hear it in my head all the time :P

I wonder if you will read How Late it was, How Late, now that you have been there and all! The language might be more familiar to you....it is a little hard to penetrate on account of the colloquial Scottish but push on! It is worth it.

I am heavily into The Noble Lie at the moment. I grabbed it at the used book sale and jumped it (hehe) on account of my next course being one on the philosophy of science....I am already formulating a study topic based on the misuse of science, or, as I like to refer to my as-yet-unwritten-paper..."In the Name of Science". I am interested in something to do with how science has been appropriated or used to justify wrong-doings.....

The Noble Lie sounds interesting, Megan. I look forward to your comments about it.

^ I thought of you , Darryl, as I was reading it today as the last few chapters have all been medically themed. The issue of brain death equalling death is one, and also the issue of mortality- which led me to think of Atul Gawande's new book (that I hear Obama just purchased)- which led me to you seeing as you raved about it. Nice to know you have presidential taste, huh?

In other news....I bought a brand new item of clothing today! A recent unexpected bill was met by an equally unexpected performance bonus for my lovely other, and I was able to justify a purchase. BUT- only because the skirt mimics one I have had since I was 14 that I still wear in spite of it falling apart at the seems (and by seems, I mean seams) :)


My tummy button is not quite that shape, however, as aren't my thighs...... *sigh*

>206 LovingLit: - What a fun outfit!

^ I didn't get the top! No way could I pull that one off.....the skirt was my purchase :}

Eta: deleted the facebook world map as it was deferring to the webpage for it at the slightest provocation! I suspect bugs so its gone.

>208 LovingLit: - LOL! The top isn't that bad, although I will admit I would be a bit self conscious wearing a mid-drift exposing top like that one so I understand why you only purchased the skirt. ;-)

Nice skirt!!

Do you remember bubble skirts? Maybe not. I would like one when they come back into fashion.

>209 lkernagh: I couldn't deal with the exposed tummy in the late 80s early 90s, and I cant still. Just the skirt is what I have and it will be showcased somewhat more demurely than the lovely model is :)

>210 cushlareads: yes, bubble skirts! My sister had one when we were little and I admired it a lot. I have seen them as part of little girls wardrobes now....and I kid you not- I tried one on that belongs to a 6 year old, and it fitted! I would have to wear it with leggings though as it was short (cool anyway) but- you might want to take T and go shopping :L

eta: or get nittnut to whip one up to order!!!

Hi Megan! Sorry the Crace book didn't cut it. I really liked both Harvest and Being Dead and wanted to try more of his work.

Glad to hear you are another Haruf fan, (RIP). So, you did not read his last one?

Mark, I have not read Benediction, and didn't even know it was part of a trilogy with Plainsong and Eventide. Duh. Silly me huh? Ah well, another one to chuck on the pile.
Maybe I was a little harsh on the Crace one. I just have high standards l guess ;)

Today I am super organised. We are off on holiday this weekend, to my dad's book launch/gallery opening on the West Coast. NZers might have heard my old man interviewed on Radio NZ National last Saturday morning and/or on the Concert Programme yesterday. His book is called "South" (I think!!) and is full of his fave landscape photographs of the South Island. The launch and gallery opening is a two for the price of one deal, so we are making the trip.

Dinner was in the slow cooker at 7:30am because this is what I had planned for the day
- get dinner in the slow cooker!
- get Wilbur to school
- get the car to the auto electric place to get dash lights fixed
- entertain Lenny in the midst of an industrial area for however long it takes to get car fixed
- get to parent/teacher interview after school
- get to karate with kids on time
- get home and dinner into the kids
- get house cleaned and kids pj'd in time for grandma and grandad coming over to watch kids
- get to the Darkroom (a band venue) at 7 to meet a friend (who will hopefully show up).
- get bags packed for tomorrow's 5 hour car trip (including a container that will hopefully not be needed to contain vomit)

*phew*

No wonder I had the foresight to get dinner organised first. It is a beef stroganoff, btw, and is a tried and tested success.

My dad's new book! Spirit of the South, by Andris Apse.
I am getting it for Christmas, I am told :) Here is some more info about the book, seeing as the touchstone is still sorting itself out.

>214 LovingLit: It looks like you have everything organized, Megan, for the big trip. Have a great time seeing your Dad and enjoy the celebration.

In regards to Haruf: Benediction does take place in Holt and a few of the characters from the earlier books are mentioned but it stands very well on it's own. It does look like his final book, being released next year, will also take place in Holt. Hooray!

And finally: (including a container that will hopefully not be needed to contain vomit). Fingers crossed. LOL.

>216 msf59: I hardly remember reading Plainsong and Eventide, but I do remember rescuing them from the 'donate pile' because I like them too much to give away. I might have to read them again to get the story back in my head, I would hate to miss out on anything important.

You and me both, Mark, with regards to the vomit situation! We got so close to getting there one time, but 10 minutes before we hit destination there was vomit. :) There are a few big mountains to get over (like that range in on the cover of my dad's book, for one!), and also Mt Hercules poses a problem for the weak-of-gut.

>200 LovingLit: Ouch, shows you how long its been since I did such a thing!

> 202 Curious what does "good literary dystopian novel." look like ? might have a suggestion depends though ...

^ I am curious too! All I have so far is The Road which I love love loved. I want something as good please :)

>219 LovingLit:

Have you tried On the Beach?

hullo Megan

>220 lunacat: no I have not! But I have wanted to for ages, since my dad recommended it. Maybe he has a copy I can steal when I am there this weekend! Thanks for the rec. It sounds promising.

>221 AuntieClio: Hi Stephanie.

Meanwhile, back at home base while kids are schooling and lovely others are working, I continue packing the car minus the attentive help of 2 children I must say, packing by myself is quite peaceful and wonderful! Bye for now!

>215 LovingLit: Wow! Your dad's art is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing.

For a good literary dystopian novel, have you read I Who Have Never Known Men? I don't hear it mentioned much, but it is fantastic and literary.

Best wishes on a vomit-free road trip!

The Road is probably on my list of favourite books of all time...although it is so dark and bleak. Now you've got me thinking if there is any other book similar to it...
Have fun on your trip and sending you some vomit free mojos. ;)

Road trip was vomit-free! *celebration*
But it was whining all the second half, which equals 2 and a half hours of whining. :( We have decided to leave late for the homeward journey tomorrow in the hope that the kiddos sleep the second half rather than grizzle and fight. Who knows, it could work!

The book launch was great. The sun came out and so the speeches were held outside the gallery. (I will have to post a group picture that was taken, as Lenny and Wilbur managed to score themselves front row seats with their granddad.)
The head of the Dept of Conservation (DOC) was a guest speaker and told stories of how him and dad had been to crazy remote places and had some hairy experiences. Like the time they were stuck in a tent together for 4 nights and 5 days in a heavy storm on a Sub-Antarctic island. They were down to one loaf of bread and to pass time and occupy themselves the sliced the bread into thin slivers. They were hungry. And that isn't even the worst thing. The tent had been divided to carry some each and dad's travel companion had been assigned the tent poles, but he had forgotten them. So the tent they were stuck in was literally touching their heads. Talk about cold went hungry and grumpy!! (Dad says it was this experience that led him to always carry all of his own survival gear himself)

>223 DorsVenabili: I love my dad's pictures. They are so arty I reckon- definitely not your average landscapes. He meets 'young' photographers all the time who expect to go to a picturesque area and get a great shot that day- he goes back to the same places sometimes dozens of times hoping for weather conditions that will make the picture he wants. I suppose being a perfectionist in that sense is a good thing!

>224 jolerie: me too Valerie! I loved that book. A lot. Boy the film was hard to watch though- it did a great job of bringing that book to life. Too good a job actually! :|
I am trying to find dad's copy of On the Beach while I am here, but my searching has just ended up in me getting distracted by all the other lovely books he has....*ah well*

That's a lot of whining... good luck! I live in a land of whining at the mo since my two are all messed up by the house move, plus all the xmas excitement.

Safe journey.

>226 BekkaJo: hi Bekka,
So you know what I am talking about then? :)
The trip home was safe. It also involved vomit. Ew. But, as car vomits go....it was a fantastic one! It was basically just the dinner that had been eaten earlier, and all of it into a box (thoughtfully provided by yours truly). A quick stop to rid ourselves of the vomit-filled box, and we were on our way again. *seeing the silver lining*

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

Also, I forgot to mention that my dads new book Spirit of the South (yay! touchstone works....see >215 LovingLit:) has got essays in it by Alison Ballance, Anton Oliver, Fiona Farrell and Kennedy Warne, and poetry by Jim Morris. I am really excited to get my copy so I can read the essays that I didn't already read the proofs of. Luckily for dad he sold a stack of copies at the launch, that and the fact that a big stack came with ripped pages (!!) so had to be sent back, means that I have to wait. Fair enough.

The essays are to do with people and their relationship to the land. Anton Oliver's is the only one I have read, seeing as he is a famous ex-All Black. He is also an academic, and a very thoughtful and emotional person by the sound of his essay. It is guys like him (and John Kirwin who fronts a depression awareness campaign here) who 'allow' NZ men to show and talk about emotions. The male NZer is a particularly staunch brand of manly man. I am not at all drawn to that ra ra rugby man type, hence my boyfriend-less high school life....but more and more lately men here are getting less meat-head and more relaxed about not having to prove their manhood by acting rough and tough.

Anyway, I carry on.
I am reading On Photography by Susan Sontag as obliquely recommended by DorsVenabili (Kerri), and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

BOOK 61
The Noble Lie by Gary Greenberg (230p)

This book appealed to me as next year I am doing a course on the philosophy of science. Sub-titled "When scientists give the right answers for the wrong reasons", it seemed philosophical in nature. And it was.

Most of the chapters deal with medical moral dilemas like organ transplants, which are accepted as morally sound. But when you get into the nitty gritty, it becomes less black and white. Organs need to be alive to be transplanted, but the host needs to be dead before they can be taken. There have been some situations in which the host has been 'moved on' rather hurriedly in order for a more viable patient to be the recipient of organs. It is these moral grey areas that the author explores.

Another chapter deals with 'the Unibomber' (who I had never heard of) who was pronounced to have schizophrenia, in spite of much evidence to the contrary. The author proposes that society feels more comfortable labelling a wrong-doer mad and evil, rather than intelligent and of sound mind and evil. The over-diagnosis of depression is explored- this was very interesting to me as there is a certain amount of crossover here with the Critical Psychology I was studying this year.

He raises some very interesting moral ambiguities, but this book was less science and more sociology, I thought.

Oops I did it again.
I bought a brand new book off the back of tonight's pay day + Christmas bonus.

Five Days at Memorial, by Sheri Fink. For the modest (compared to other books around here) price of $27. But it is money for jam, as there are nearly 500 pages in that thing! *feeling excited*

I've been wanting to watch the movie because I loved the book so much, but I don't think I can handle some of the scenes if they stayed true to the book. Is it really graphic??

Hi Megan! Glad you had a vomit-free trip! Sounds like a very nice trip and your Dad sounds like a wonderful and very talented man.

I LOVED Five Days at Memorial. Good grab!!

>230 jolerie: graphic? Well, I had to close my eyes during the dungeon scene....OK, it was probably just a basement, but what it was being used for makes it a dungeon in my books. That was hideous. It was also really sad seeing a young boy and his dad wandering the wilderness, having sons.....*tears in eyes*

>231 msf59: vomit-free one-way ;)
You must have missed the return trip story which featured one vomit, relatively clean, all contained in the provided container. Go me for preparation!
Mark, I am all for value for money. When I say how loooong Five Days at Memorial was, I snapped it up. That is also the reason I bought Voltaire's Bastard by John Ralston Saul, it was about 6 times longer than any other by him on the shelf! I have been looking forward to it since Darryl read it.

*Wave

And somewhere back in the early 200's - love the new skirt! My tummy button doesn't look like the model's either. Very much "mid-drift" lol.

I can totally see Cushla in a bubble skirt, can't you? And Haha! about me sewing her one.

I was sort of fascinated by The Noble Lie until you said more sociology than science. Then I was kinda bummed. I would like to read more about this over-diagnosis of depression though. That sounds interesting. Also, the unibomber - totally true that he is an evil genius.

Finally, I would like to mention that when I did the touchstone for The Noble Lie, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea came up. Odd, no?

Dropping by to add a recommendation of Station Eleven as it falls firmly under the heading of literary dystopia and is absolutely amazing. I can't rave highly enough about it, other than to say I stayed up till 2am reading it on a night I was actually sleepy as opposed to suffering with insomnia!

>233 nittnut: hi! You know I initially thought 'Mid-Drift' was a typo, but now I get it :) (duh) That's a good one!
I think the author of The Noble Lie is a newspaper science reporter. Which maybe accounts for the sociological aspect to it. There were also actual facts in the book though, so I guess it could be called science!
(I get 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea too)

>234 lunacat: Ok that seals it, I will check the library for it asap! Thanks for the rec! Wish me luck.
eta: the book is on order, and there are 6 holds on one copy. Lol, I guess I will be reading it some time late next year then.

>235 LovingLit: How annoying for you! I went looking on Amazon to see if I could get a cheap copy to send to you but with it not even having been released in PB yet, there are no useful 1p copies. Rubbish.

^aw, that is such a kind thought. And, hang on, 1p copies!!? Woah, that is cheap.

>237 LovingLit: I'll keep my eye out in the New Year. We can often get 1p+£2.80p&p copies of used books on Amazon but generally on extremely popular or older books. There is always a chance though - and it might just show up in one of the local charity shops round here.

^ The postage from here to 'overseas' (anywhere out of Australia or the Pacific region) is about NZ$13 which I suppose is about 5 pounds-ish. Amazon shopping for me is out of the question seeing as it is the postage that stings. That is why I like the Book Depo :)
I will let you know if I snag myself a cheap copy with free postage from there in the mean time!

Book club Christmas dinner last night. On deciding where to go, I put in my 2c worth and said I'd like to go somewhere with booths. So, a boothy restaurant was duly sourced :)
I had a Caesar salad and calamari. And (some of) a bottle of Shiraz. It was all absolutely delicious!! The others had rolled chicken breast on roasted potatoes, seared Akaroa salmon on soba noodles and pork belly with Asian greens. Yummo.

I think I rather shocked them with the tale of my 101 books bought this year, and of course declined to speak of hauls of Cranswickian magnitude. They just wouldn't understand. (Paul, if I had the space and the $$, I would be Cranswickian in my book buying to, I am certainly with you on that!)

The Book club Christmas dinner sounds like a blast. Nothing like sitting around jabbering about books. Are these all "serious" readers?

^ um, no. I mean they read, but it is not as much of a priority as it is for me and us here. They think I am weird for reading 'so much', I am sure. (so much, psscht, I wish I read so much!)

eta: and I managed to nearly knock off The Prodigy (aka "beneath the Wheel") last night. A long hot bath and straight to bed to read more sorted that out!

"They think I am weird for reading 'so much'." Well, you are in a company of weirdos, right here, my friend!!