Alaskabookworm's 2008 Challenge

Charlas75 Books Challenge for 2008

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Alaskabookworm's 2008 Challenge

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1alaskabookworm
Editado: Jun 27, 2008, 11:47 am

I read 62 books last year; 66 in 2006; and 77 in 2005. My numbers are woefully, distressingly down. So, this is a great group to inspire me. I'd love to eventually work my way up to 100 per year. However, it does seem every year, I pick a longer book (over 1,000) that slows me down. Last year is was Kristin Lavransdatter (which is actually a trilogy, but I counted it as one), in 2006 it was Don Quixote which took me six weeks to get through entirely (had to put it down a couple times).

Anyway, so far in 2008:

1. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik
2. Empress of Asia by Adam Lewis Schroeder
3. Talking Hands by Margalit Fox
4. Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
6. Born Standing Up : a comic's life by Steve Martin
7. The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

What's great about this group is that I can record books that I borrowed to read. I'm trying to do more library books these days, and in good conscience can't put them in my LT library if I don't own them.

2avaland
Ene 25, 2008, 11:46 am

You could put them in your library if you tagged them as 'not owned' or something similar. I have books that I have tagged "gone/given away" which are books I have read that I have, well, given away! I've been actually trying to cull our library a little because new books keep arriving and there isn't much room for them. I would so hate to take down the few pieces of artwork still on the walls to make room for more bookshelves!

welcome, btw. It is interesting to see all the difference books we are reading.

3alaskabookworm
Ene 28, 2008, 12:34 pm

#8 Disappearance: A Map by Sheila Nickerson. This exploratory meditation of death and loss in the Arctic is beautifully written and described, with a satisfying balance of history and personal reflection. Nickerson's bizarre kind of spirituality was a little annoying at times, overall didn't ruin the book for me.

#9 Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. I haven't read a genuine horror novel in awhile, and though I've mostly grown out of any enjoyment of reading occultic themes, this was a fun, energetically-paced ride. Hill managed to develop his characters, kept a firm demarcation between good and evil, and I appreciated his lovely German Shephards and the acknowledgment of afterlife. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Currently working on On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan.

4alaskabookworm
Ene 29, 2008, 5:58 pm

#10 Finished On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. The man is a genius. What a wonderful, heartbreaking, poignant morality tale. One can be "in the right" and still be wrong. This is so true within marriage. And also true in the larger world. Wonderful, wonderful.

5literarytiger
Ene 30, 2008, 4:29 pm

Glad you enjoyed Heart-Shaped Box - it was pretty spooky, wasn't it! Did you find it hard to put down? I read it while jet-lagged...which meant that not being able to sleep wasn't such a bad thing.

6alaskabookworm
Feb 2, 2008, 11:04 pm

#11 Just finished The Chess Machine by Robert Lohr. Really a good story. I'd love to see it made into a movie.

7alaskabookworm
Editado: Feb 9, 2008, 6:09 pm

FINALLY finished...

#12 The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig.

I loved Haig's prose; his primary character's voice. Some great quotes and wise words throughout the book. Because I just set it down, I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Philip ends the story unsure of what is true and what isn't, and the reader feels exactly the same way.

8alaskabookworm
Feb 12, 2008, 7:52 pm

#13 Danny Gospel by David Athey
#14 The Translator by Daoud Hari

9alaskabookworm
Feb 18, 2008, 12:56 am

#15 Take This Bread by Sara Miles. One of the best books on Christianity I've read in a long time.

10alaskabookworm
Feb 28, 2008, 6:27 pm

#16 Patrick by Stephen R. Lawhead. It took me a ridiculously long time read this one (12 days!). I admit to being a bit bored by the story, but nevertheless liked it, and thought the last 10 or pages were really good. This is the March pick for book club in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

11alaskabookworm
Mar 2, 2008, 6:05 pm

#17 People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I loved it!

12alaskabookworm
Mar 3, 2008, 5:17 pm

#18 Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
#19 Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney.

I felt the need to blow through a couple books quickly. My kids love these books, so I thought I would use them to "cleanse the palate". They were very fun.

13alcottacre
Mar 4, 2008, 12:58 pm

#11: I have People of the Book on hold at my local library. I have read several of Geraldine Brooks books previously (as well as several of her husband's), so I am really looking forward to it. Glad to hear that you loved it!

14alaskabookworm
Mar 7, 2008, 1:53 am

#20 Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks. A must-read for anyone who was moved by A Thousand Splendid Suns. I would love to see an updated edition.

15alcottacre
Mar 8, 2008, 11:23 pm

Just for the other side of the coin, you might try some of the books by Geraldine Brooks husband Tony Horwitz. He is an excellent writer in his own right. I loved Confederates in the Attic.

16alaskabookworm
Mar 28, 2008, 3:58 pm

Ooh. I see I'm behind! I think this is the right order:

#21 Wrack and Ruin by Don Lee

#22 The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

I am currently working on another novel set in Elizabethan times; when that is done (even at 600+ pages, it has taken a lot longer than I thought it would) I am taking a break from 16th Century England. Yikes.

17alaskabookworm
Editado: Abr 1, 2008, 7:10 pm

#23 Finally finished I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. It was long, and at times an effort, but a very worthwhile one. I learned A LOT about Elizabeth I, and about that period of history. Very, very good.

18alaskabookworm
Abr 5, 2008, 1:44 am

#24 Lying Awake by Mark Salzman. A short book - more of a novella - but very thoughtful. An exploration of certain aspects of faith.

19alcottacre
Abr 5, 2008, 4:25 am

#18: I already had Salzman's Iron and Silk on my to be read list. I shall have to add this one as well.

20alaskabookworm
Abr 7, 2008, 4:39 pm

#24 The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie. Absolutely wonderful! Though I probably won't do it, because I'm usually a once-only reader, this is worth re-reading.

21alaskabookworm
Abr 11, 2008, 6:59 pm

#25 Robert Rankin's The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse. It was really, really fun! I definitely want to read more of his stuff.

22drneutron
Abr 12, 2008, 3:35 pm

Yeah, I loved it too! The Toyminator was really good too!

23alaskabookworm
Abr 13, 2008, 1:30 pm

I will definitely be getting The Toyminator as well. Happily, a number of my friends plan on checking Rankin out. I love being able to influence culture! Book culture, anyway.

24alaskabookworm
Abr 13, 2008, 9:13 pm

#26 Imagine Me and You by Billy Mernit. Really, really liked this book. Very sweet and smart - like a good "RomCom" should be. I'm still working on writing my ER review, which I plan on posting in the next couple days.

25blackdogbooks
Abr 14, 2008, 10:38 am

Well, I noticed you posted to dr.nuetron's thread about Duma Key. You and I have exchanged messages about The Heart Shaped Box, which I just finished. I am glad that you are giving Duma Key a try. I would also highly recommend Blaze. I just read that one a few weeks ago and felt that SK went back to his roots a bit with it, in a very good way. It is an "Of Mice and Men" tinged, noir, ghost story. King's characters, as always, are so beaurtifully drawn and the story doesn't get in its own way, as some of his less appealing works do sometimes. Anyway, enjoy Duma Key, I've only read the first chapter and the rest awaits in my TBR stack, but try Blaze.

26alaskabookworm
Abr 19, 2008, 8:08 pm

Per blackdog's suggestion, I'm going to keep a lookout for Blaze.

Yesterday I finished #27 for the year: Time and Again by Jack Finney. Really a fun and different kind of time-travel book; I can see why it continues to attract readers almost 40 years after publication.

Now, I'm working on a quickie per my 9-year-old's request: Lunch Money by Andrew Clements. It's pretty good, and funny. Happy reading.

27alaskabookworm
Abr 22, 2008, 3:17 pm

28alcottacre
Abr 22, 2008, 3:29 pm

#26: I am going to try Time and Again. I am a sucker for time travel books!

29blackdogbooks
Abr 23, 2008, 10:52 am

Hello alaskabookworm,

What's the weather like these days?

If you're a sucker for time travel books, I highly recommend Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert Heinlein. I read it a few years ago and am putting it in my next TBR stack for re-read. Great concept and very well written from what I remember!!!

30alcottacre
Abr 23, 2008, 12:34 pm

#29 blackdogbooks: OK, you talked me into it (like it was so hard!) - I put the Heinlein book on my list to read.

31blackdogbooks
Abr 23, 2008, 4:24 pm

Soon the TBR pile will begin to loom....it will become large and forbidding.....you'll be afraid to appoach it for fear it will consume you!!!!!

32alcottacre
Abr 23, 2008, 5:40 pm

#31: I do not have a TBR pile - I have a TBR mountain! I have at least 3 journals where I record books I want to read and that does not include the books I have actually purchased that remain to be read . . .

33blackdogbooks
Abr 24, 2008, 8:32 am

#31 Yes this was a problem for me, too. I have so many books on my shelves and every time I look at them, I create a new TBR stack. So, I started trying to discipline myself by choosing a stack of between 10 to 15 and taking them off the shelves, working through those, and then choosing another stack. I liked one of the comments in the other threads about having a family member pick numbers at random and then using that to choose books. Unfortunately, my eyes are often bigger than my capacity to read.

34tloeffler
Abr 24, 2008, 12:46 pm

I have found it helpful to put together a spreadsheet of my TBR books, both that I own & those I don't. Then I can re-sort them by title, author, note whether the library has an unabridged audiobook, and update it quickly and easily.

35alcottacre
Abr 24, 2008, 3:30 pm

#34 tloeffler: I have started doing this several times, but always get sidetracked (and then there are all those books I am already reading!). I am hoping to get it accomplished one of these days if for no other reason than to eliminate the number of duplications that I run into on my TBR list.

36alaskabookworm
Abr 24, 2008, 11:05 pm

#29 blackdogbooks: I think I have Job somewhere in my stacks. I'll pull it out. Thanks for the tip.

The weather in Anchorage has been fabulous this week; that is why I haven't been on LT much. It got close to 60 with cloudless skies for four days in a row! Then, suddenly, yesterday, the mosquitos arrived. A bit early, which is troubling and annoying. Still some snow piles in the yard, but they're shrinking fast. The other bad thing is there is an enormous amount of dust in the air, as well as some microscopic debris from the Gobi Desert, and my allergies are pummeling me into the ground. I can't stop sneezing and coughing. Horrible. When the birch trees start to get their leaves in about two to three weeks, I'm really screwed. As of last weekend, the travel trailer was still iced to the ground; maybe its better now after all these warm days. But alas! For the next several days there is snow in the forecast!!!! Oh well. At least whatever precipitation we get should clean the air.

#32 alcottacre: My TBR mountain is ridiculous too. The way I manage those books I eventually want to read is simply to buy them. Not the best approach, I'll admit.

Have either of you read To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis? That's a fun and different time travel books as well.

I'm currently reading Dervishes by Beth Helms, an ER book.

37alcottacre
Abr 25, 2008, 2:28 am

Alaska, I love both The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

I put the Jack Finney book on hold at my local library only to get a note back from them that it is no longer in circulation. I am beyond disappointed . . .

38alaskabookworm
Abr 25, 2008, 3:19 pm

#37 alcottacre: I'm really surprised to hear Time and Again is out of circulation! I can tell you I often see it floating about the secondary market. Do you BookMooch?

39alcottacre
Abr 25, 2008, 5:02 pm

#38 Alaska: No, I do not BookMooch. I will check ABEBooks though and other local sources to see if I can find it.

40blackdogbooks
Abr 27, 2008, 11:54 am

#36 Ok, I also have not heard of To Say Nothing of the Dog....and am intrigued by this title also....please tell me more. That's what I love about LT, is the recommendations to othewr books!!!

41alaskabookworm
Abr 27, 2008, 4:31 pm

29. Dervishes by Beth Helms An ER book; I'll work on the review for it over the next couple days. Right now I'm thinking 2 1/2 stars.

30. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Five stars! Best book I've read so far this year!

42alaskabookworm
Abr 27, 2008, 4:51 pm

43Fourpawz2
Abr 28, 2008, 2:39 pm

I love your weather report of the 24th, AlaskaBW. I don't often read stuff from people who are affected by what's going on in the Gobi Desert.

44alcottacre
Abr 29, 2008, 2:47 am

#42: I have The Translator on my TBR list. How did you like it?

45alaskabookworm
mayo 14, 2008, 11:54 am

32. Belong To Me by Marisa de los Santos.

33. Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart.

46drneutron
mayo 14, 2008, 12:51 pm

So how did you like Bridge of Birds? Hope I didn't steer you wrong!

47alaskabookworm
mayo 14, 2008, 6:09 pm

#46 I really enjoyed Bridge of Birds. It wasn't what I expected at all: the structure seemed to be a combo between a mystery novel and a questing/adventure story. It was dreamy and whimsical. I think my favorite part is at the end, when they are flying over China and see all the characters who have appeared throughout the book. It was sweet and funny and deep. I'm very glad to have read it; it is always such a treat to discover a new/old book that I can then pass on to friends for their mutual enchantment. Thank you!

48alaskabookworm
mayo 19, 2008, 2:14 am

49drneutron
mayo 19, 2008, 8:04 am

Duma Key - I thought it was easily the best King book in a while. Creepy and almost gothic in spirit. What did you think?

50blackdogbooks
mayo 19, 2008, 10:47 am

Okay, alaskabookworm, I hope you enjoyed Duma Key as much as I did and that my recommendation did not lead you astray. And, as drnuetron does, I want to hear your thoughts.

51alaskabookworm
mayo 22, 2008, 7:18 pm

35. America America by Ethan Canin. I loved this tightly-woven chronicle of politics and family in small-town 1970s New York. Intuiting early on that the story would be complex, I read it carefully, so as to catch cross-references and nuances. This paid off, and I ended Corey's story with a melancholy certainty over the events he describes. This book comes at a most fortuitous time; I hope it has a wide readership and that during this election year, it will touch something inside every person who reads it.

52alaskabookworm
Editado: mayo 24, 2008, 7:36 pm

36. Avalon High by Meg Cabot.
37. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

53alaskabookworm
mayo 27, 2008, 10:56 pm

38. Jim the Boy by Tony Earley. I loved the prose in this book so much, it made me misty-eyed during the first chapter. I can see why so many reviewers compare Earley to master-writer E. B. White. Both are masters of "showing" rather than "telling". I was surprised by the negative comments I saw on Amazon. A lot people thought this book was "boring." I didn't find that to be the case at all. I am heartened to know there are still writers of Earley's caliber in the world.

54alaskabookworm
Jun 3, 2008, 1:26 pm

39. Bonk by Mary Roach. A book about sexology that isn't for the faint of heart. As usual, Roach tackles the subject with respect and humor. At the beginning of the book, many of her anecdotes made me cringe; by the end I had become a better, stronger person.

40. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card. Using an "alternate fairy-tale" method employed by Robin McKinley, this story is part romance, part adventure. Most of the story takes place the Ukraine, and there is a smattering of time travel as well. While it took me awhile to become fully absorbed, I really enjoyed this story. For light summer reading, this is recommended.

Next up: two library books, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, and The Outcast by Sadie Jones.

55blackdogbooks
Editado: Jun 3, 2008, 6:50 pm

I tried Card's scifi series about Ender and found it a little mechanical and dull. Good enough read but he seemd a little to lost in his own ideas than in telling a story.

56alaskabookworm
Jun 3, 2008, 7:27 pm

I read the first Ender book and absolutely loved it. I do agree that he explores his own ideas (depending on the reader) to a fault. I guess this probably what most authors do, though it is definitely preferable when more subtle.

57alaskabookworm
Jun 5, 2008, 7:16 pm

41. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Yet another page-turning YA supernatural romance. This summer I can't seem to get enough of them.

42. The Outcast by Sadie Jones. A book filled with almost every kind of dysfunction you can imagine. But also a story of struggling for redemption... and finding it. Absolutely wonderful! It was deservedly short-listed for the 2008 Orange Prize. An amazing first novel.

58alaskabookworm
Jun 8, 2008, 9:37 pm

43. Are You There God? It's Me. Kevin. by Kevin Keck. I didn't like this one as much as I'd hoped. I always enjoy offbeat, irreverent books wherein the author wrestles with deep issues of faith. This one seemed to be marketed as such, but in the end was much more a jaunt into the playful world of pot-smoking. It certainly wasn't bad, just not what the publisher purports it to be.

59alaskabookworm
Jun 12, 2008, 7:31 pm

44. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. I will probably keep reading this series, but really, it isn't all that great. No hidden depths.

45. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray. By way of contrast, Bray's trilogy is exceptionally good. This is only the second, but I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. My poor family has been sorely neglected. I can hardly wait to read the last installment, The Sweet Far Thing. Can't decide whether to wait until it's available from the library or to just buy it.

60alaskabookworm
Editado: Jun 18, 2008, 12:18 am

46. Dreamers of the Day byMary Doria Russell. An excellent book. Unlike many people who've read this, I liked the ending. At its core, this is a book about the machinations of war. Very interesting, relevent and passionate.

61Whisper1
Jun 20, 2008, 2:04 pm

Thanks for the recommendation. I was haunted by The Sparrow I'll put Dreamers of the Day on my list to be read.

62alaskabookworm
Editado: Jun 26, 2008, 8:26 pm

47. Biblioholism by Tom Raabe. A book about books and reading. A must for any LTer.

48. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. A grim fictionalized telling of a small English village that quarantined itself during a ravaging bout of plague, circa 1665-66. Brooks' research is topnotch and many of the story's antecdotes are based on actual historical happenings.

63blackdogbooks
Jun 22, 2008, 9:12 am

Another addition to my wishlist. Isn't there something akin to the Ghostbusters 'Never cross the streams' in adding a book about obssession with books to a book wish list?!?!?!

You are tearing through your reads these days!!

64alaskabookworm
Jun 22, 2008, 5:56 pm

#63 blackdog: I'm tearing through reads at the expense of everything else. Blame it on a broken vacuum cleaner; without a vacuum, how can I possibly hope to clean my house?

The great thing about Biblioholism is that it was like I was being spied upon. Even more, that my deepest biblio-longings were being spied upon.

65alaskabookworm
Jun 26, 2008, 8:25 pm

49. Sabriel by Garth Nix. An absorbing beginning to a well-reviewed YA series.

66alaskabookworm
Jun 27, 2008, 11:46 am

50. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. Of Meyer's teenage vampire/werewolf romance sequence, I like this book best so far. Though I think Meyer could use an editor that has read beyond the 4th grade level, Meyer is working to developing her characters, but building more interesting layers of backstory. There's certainly a lot of tension going on (sexual and otherwise). And I appreciate her characters actually developing and learning and maturing as the story progresses. I still don't know if I'd let my own kids read them.

Truly, my copy was a library book, so I didn't do this, but there were times I wanted to take a red ballpoint to the text. I think Meyer could easily maintain Bella's teenage, young adult "voice" and still cut out about a third of the nonessential words. Her writing reminds me of the stories I wrote in junior high.

Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to the next book, which I'll probably buy, because waiting for it at the library will be almost as eternal as the Cullens.

Next to read is Mr. Sandman by Barbara Gowdy, my May LT ER ARC.

67alaskabookworm
Jul 11, 2008, 7:14 pm

51. Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy. Maybe not for everyone, but the writing is topnotch. Read as an LT ER, but as I am on vacation with severely limited computer access, will write a review next week.

52. Jim and Casper Go to Church by Jim Henderson. Borrowed from a friend. The writing isn't great but the idea is spot-on. Interesting and revealing.

68alaskabookworm
Jul 17, 2008, 6:17 pm

69alaskabookworm
Jul 17, 2008, 7:33 pm

70Whisper1
Jul 18, 2008, 1:40 pm

#52
I love the term "spot-on." I never heard this before.
May I borrow it?

71alaskabookworm
Jul 18, 2008, 9:06 pm

Whisper1: I think I learned "spot-on" from my husband. Not sure what he was talking about at the time. Or it could be from yet another gin-confused butchering of multiple cliches.

But, by all means! Borrow away! Own it!

72drneutron
Jul 18, 2008, 9:15 pm

I picked up "spot-on" from some British friends. I think it's a fairly common term, so use away!

73Whisper1
Jul 19, 2008, 12:02 am

from this day hence I am using the term "spot on."
Thanks for adding to my vocubulary!
I love it!

74alaskabookworm
Jul 19, 2008, 2:21 am

Speaking of all things British, just finished...

55. God Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

...which was just really, really fun. She reminded me of a kind-of British Christopher Moore except rather than demons and vampires, Phillips writes about Greek gods and goddesses.

75drneutron
Jul 19, 2008, 8:16 am

I've heard it's good, so I guess another goes on the semi-infinite TBR list!

76alaskabookworm
Jul 19, 2008, 1:52 pm

56. Rules by Cynthia Lord. A YA book that I wanted to get read before loaning it to my neighbor. 12-year-old Catherine struggles with how she feels about her younger brother's autism, and negotiates an new friendship with wheelchair-bound Jason. This was an honest and touching book that provides a glimpse into the lives of special-needs families.

77alaskabookworm
Jul 19, 2008, 8:32 pm

57. Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson. Very funny juvenile book that pokes fun at the 1950s era adventure books.

I cheated a bit by reading two very short youth books. Gotta keep those numbers up!

Next up is my newest LT ER ARC, a "grown-up" book.

78alcottacre
Jul 20, 2008, 3:26 am

#75 drneutron: Your TBR list is only semi-infinite? I think mine is more on the infinite side than the semi side.

79Whisper1
Jul 20, 2008, 7:56 am

Hi Alaskabookworm and drneutron ..just wanted to let you know I used your term "spot-on" yesterday. I thought my partner would fall off his chair laughing..When he asked where in the world I got this term I smiled and said from a very SMART group of people!

Thanks again. I think I'll use the term again today..just for the fun of it.

Cheerio to you. (I'm smiling)

80alaskabookworm
Editado: Jul 20, 2008, 3:06 pm

Whisper1: Oh, that's wonderful!!

I must tell you that from looking at your profile, I was introduced to the "Meyers Briggs" LT Group, which I joined immediately. I am an INFP, and this knowledge has been pivotal in my forgiving myself for being so lost inside Book World.

I'm currently reading my most recent LT ER ARC, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and it is beyond marvelous. So far shaping up to be the best book I've read all year. I'm so excited! And what floors me, or maybe humbles me, is that I probably would never have bought it for myself.

81alaskabookworm
Jul 21, 2008, 2:16 am

58. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. OMG! I LOVED this book!!!! It hit me right on every level - "spot on", as some of us say - it had history, books, humor, loveably eccentric characters, intelligence and heart, and, yes, romance. I'm not honestly sure a "guy" would like it so much, but it isn't a typical "chick" book either. All I can say is: everything I love about books and reading was pleasantly encompassed in this one tome. I hope its sales smoke.

82Whisper1
Jul 21, 2008, 9:14 pm

Hi Alaskabookworm.
Years ago, when I was a program coordinator at a retreat center, I took the Meyers Briggs test. It truly is fascinatingly "spot on" I am ENFP. I haven't had time to post to the Meyers Briggs group as yet..but hopefully will do so soon.

Thanks for listing your #58 book. I will see if my local library has this one.

83alcottacre
Jul 22, 2008, 4:40 am

alaska: I have put The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on my Amazon wish list based on your recommendation. Unfortunately, this one is not available at my local library.

84alaskabookworm
Jul 22, 2008, 12:48 pm

Whisper1 and alcottacre: I believe The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will be released on July 29th. Lord only knows how long until local libraries obtain their copies.

59. The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd. I was inspired to read this fictional account of Charles and Mary Lamb, as a direct follow-up to "Guernsey", to which enjoyment of Charles Lamb's works are frequently made reference. There was just enough biographical information about the Lambs to give me context to try Ackroyd's book. I enjoyed the book, not knowing what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised to discover the larger story, which is based on actual historical events regarding the surprising discovery of previously unknown works by William Shakespeare. However, probably not a book for people who disdain classic English literature.

85alaskabookworm
Jul 28, 2008, 5:19 pm

86alcottacre
Jul 28, 2008, 6:00 pm

#84 alaska: I got in my copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society today. Hopefully, in between library books this week I will get a chance to read it.

Also, I wanted to let you know if you are interested in Charles and Mary Lamb, there is an excellent book that I read recently called Mad Mary Lamb. It is nonfiction as opposed to Ackroyd's fiction and is quite good.

87alaskabookworm
Jul 29, 2008, 1:07 am

alcottacre: Thanks for the suggestion! I am definitely more interested in learning about the Lambs. Enjoy "Guernsey"; let me know how you like it. I gave it to a friend to read last Tuesday, and she returned it to me today. She loved it.

88alaskabookworm
Jul 31, 2008, 11:55 pm

61. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston. Wanted to like it more than I did. Found it unputdownable through the first third or so. Then I got a bit bogged down. However, I appreciate what Preston does here: tries to instill not only the horror of the Monster's crimes, but the "horror" of how the Italian legal system handled the case. That was very disturbing, indeed. This book is part true-crime, part political corruption. What is frustrating for the reader is probably also even more frustrating for the authors: that in the end, the identity of the Monster is a mystery. The "big reveal" that always happens at the end of a good novel doesn't always happen in real life. Worth reading, but not a favorite.

89alcottacre
Ago 1, 2008, 1:19 pm

Just to let you know, alaskabookworm, I am blaming you completely for my lack of sleep today. I work the graveyard shift (10pm-8am) and got home from work this morning to do my normal routine of reading for 15-30 minutes before I go to sleep, so I picked up The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It is now 12:19pm and I still have not been to sleep because I could not put the book down and now I am passing it off to my oldest daughter to read (in spite of the fact that she does not want to read it). I really have got to get some sleep - I have to work again tonight!

BTW - Thanks for the recommendation. I am very glad I read it, even though I should probably have been sleeping.

90alaskabookworm
Ago 1, 2008, 4:12 pm

alcottacre: I'm glad you enjoyed the book so much! Sorry to be the cause of sleeplessness. Sort of. I was happy to see that bn.com has it as a recommended book. Hopefully lots of people will buy it!

91alaskabookworm
Ago 2, 2008, 4:15 pm

62. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman. This is only the second of Hoffman's books that I've read. I still don't know what to think of her. Her insights into the human condition are penetrating, but I find her prose awkward. Upon close inspection, her storylines are intricate and thoughtfully crafted. She has an unusual writing-style and voice. All things considered, I liked this book, though didn't find it earth shattering.

92Whisper1
Ago 2, 2008, 9:16 pm

Hi Alaskabookworm.

I have The Third Angel waiting for me on reserve at the local library and need to pick this up next week. Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. I've read all her books except for this most recent one. I agree that her storylines are intricate and thoughtfully crafted. I also like that she weaves a bit of magic throughout some of her tales.

93alaskabookworm
Ago 4, 2008, 9:58 pm

Whisper1: After you read The Third Angel, I would appreciate your thoughts! (I like the magic in her books too.) The first one I read was The River King, and it was really different, but somehow stuck with me.

94Whisper1
Ago 5, 2008, 8:43 am

Hi.
Have you read Skylight Confessions? I enjoyed this one a lot!

95alaskabookworm
Ago 6, 2008, 12:41 pm

I haven't read it yet. I'll keep a look out for it.

96Whisper1
Ago 6, 2008, 4:04 pm

Hi Alaskabookworm.

I sent an email to you (at the email listed on your LT page.) This contains a link to the site for the book/word counter. Please let me know if you received it. Thanks.

97alaskabookworm
Ago 6, 2008, 5:55 pm

Got it! Thank you!

98Whisper1
Ago 6, 2008, 8:45 pm

You are welcome.

99porch_reader
Ago 7, 2008, 9:24 pm

Alaskabookworm - Like so many others, I have to thank you for your recommendation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I loved it!!! I also heard it reviewed on NPR and saw the recommendation by BN, but of course, by then I already knew all about it.

Thanks!

100alaskabookworm
Ago 8, 2008, 11:43 am

porch_reader: I'm glad you liked Guernsey too! Its practically a phenomenon, don't you think? The other day my mom was complaining about all the depressing books her book club reads; she's gotten sick of all the angst. So, I said: "Have I got the book for you."

101alaskabookworm
Ago 8, 2008, 11:47 am

63. Beautiful Boy by David Sheff. This was a great book! Sheff has gone through a horrible time with his son's addiction. But this book is much more than a tell-all. It is deeply searching, both inwardly and outwardly. It is about the grieving process, about love, about commitment, about allowing yourself to be in pain to arrive at a better place. This book has a lot to offer. And for me, as a mother of four, it is a wake-up call to be diligent and passionate about keeping my kids educated about and away from drugs as much as I can. Very worthwhile to read.

102porch_reader
Ago 8, 2008, 11:52 am

alaskabookworm - I completely agree! This book - despite some sadness - was very much a book of hope. I've got it on my "living room" shelf so that I'll remember to pass it on to my mom and dad.

By the way, have you heard of another book about Guernsey. It's called The Book of Ebenezer Le Page by G. B. Edwards. The main character, Ebenezer, lived from pre-1900 through the 1960s, so I expect some focus on the WWII occupation. I don't know much about it, but it is highly recommended by the staff at my bookstore, Prairie Lights. I'm picking up a copy today, and will let you know how it is.

103alaskabookworm
Ago 8, 2008, 12:54 pm

porch_reader: Oooooh! Hadn't heard about that one. I'll see if I can get a copy off abebooks.com. Thanks!

I also got another little memoir written by a lady named Molly Bihet, who was there during the occupation. That one was recommended by the Guernsey folks I met here in Anchorage a couple years ago.

104porch_reader
Ago 8, 2008, 1:35 pm

Wow! I see a Guernsey theme emerging in my 2008 reading. I'll keep my eye open for the memoir by Molly Bihet.

Thanks!

105alaskabookworm
Ago 11, 2008, 6:22 pm

64. If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende. A fabulous collection of vignettes about life in small town Alaska. Lende is a well-known and well-liked columnist in Alaska. In her home town of Haines, she is also the local Obituary writer. This is her first book, and it faithfully captures the essence of living in this crazy beautiful dangerous place. It is full of the dichotomy of living in Alaska: frequent untimely deaths measured against abundant and glorious life. It takes a special breed to love Alaska, especially a remote town like Haines, and Lende introduces us to many of those folks. Honest and thoughtful, this is a book that is a meditation on life, death and a generous dose of love.

106alaskabookworm
Ago 13, 2008, 12:50 am

65. Cool It by Bjorn Lomborg. A thought-provoking and discussion-stimulating look at the cost/benefits economics of Kyoto. Lomborg strongly believes more social good, and fewer deaths and environmental impacts, can be obtained by investing monetary resources elsewhere.

107Whisper1
Ago 13, 2008, 3:36 pm

Hi
book 64 sounds very interesting.

I listened to National Public Radio this morning and they were talking about politics and poverty in Alaska and stated there is a great deal of corruption.

There was also a reference that Alaska is the #1 welfare state. I had not heard that before and thus I am now interested in obtaining a balanced source of information. One of my previous students moved to Alaska and loves it!
She lives on Kinnikinnick Street in Anchorage.

108alaskabookworm
Ago 13, 2008, 8:43 pm

66. Books: A Memoir by Larry McMurtry. I didn't like this one as much as I'd hoped; I'm glad I borrowed it from the library. It turns about that for all these years, McMurtry's defining life-passion is as an antiquarian book-collector/seller. Who knew? I didn't, anyway. Where I had a harder time with the book was the whole "antiquarian" part. I love buying books and frequenting bookshops, finding treasures, but really don't care much whether something is valuable or not. That whole sub-culture of antiquarian bookcollecting escapes me a bit; I similarly had a hard time with Brasbanes' A Gentle Madness. But what I liked was learning something unique about a well-known author, and also just getting a better picture of who the whole secondary market book-trade works. I sometimes fantasize about opening my own little bookshop somewhere in Alaska, and Books, perhaps unwittingly, gave advice on how to do it. Also, another thing that encouraged me is McMurtry's discussions on his writing method: he would write his obligatory 5 pages a day, then be done with it that he may read more. I have always wanted to write, but I'm a reader first, and this was a comment I've taken very much to heart. Again, this wasn't the best book about books I've ever read, but it was interesting for the above-mentioned reasons.

Hey Whisper: I think I might know why Alaska is getting so much press lately. The fact is, this year each resident of the state, regardless of income, is receiving a large chunk of cash from the state (substantially more than normal). Now, I am politically ignorant, but as far as I know the bulk (if not all) of this money comes from profits from the state's reserves. Maybe the pundits are just jealous?

Alaska is nothing like anywhere else in the U.S. It is a very huge place with very few people. The oil industry makes it a very "rich" place. Tourism - more than 1.5 million people each summer (June 1 - Sept. 1) - brings a lot of money into our economy. The military presence here is huge too. A rich state with few people. A politically conservative state, one that wants to do its own thing; one that has a complex history that most "outsiders" are unaware of; a place with a proportionally large population of Native folks, many of whom live in extremely remote communities, who are struggling to adapt to profound cultural changes and erosion issues.

Now, what I wonder is: as far as being considered a "welfare state", does that include the annual PFD (Permanent Fund Dividend)? I would be interested to know how that term is defined. Like any remote place, people come here to "run away." There's definitely some scary people out and about. It may very well be true, at least proportionally.

One aspect of living here is that it is a very small community. If six-degrees of relational separation exists elsewhere, then here it goes down to about 1.5 (a nonscientific guesstimate). In terms of doing business and conducting life, it means everyone is rubbing shoulders with everyone else. And in certain arenas, such as Senator Stevens', that causes problems. Corruption? Probably. Definitely yes. As much as anywhere else. People get greedy and lose their heads.

Anyway, no answers from me; just more gab. But it is very interesting to study. People seem to either love living here or absolutely hate it; there is very little middle ground. I'm one of the love-it people. I've been here five years, having come from the Seattle-area.

109Whisper1
Ago 13, 2008, 10:57 pm

WOW! Thanks ever so much for your wonderful, beautifully written portrayal of Alaska.

I've never been to Alaska but attended a conference in Seattle a few years ago and fell in love with the beauty.

And, yes, the NPR program did mention the large chunk of cash to be given the residents.

110alcottacre
Ago 14, 2008, 3:52 am

Just an FYI: Larry McMurtry owns several bookstores in Archer City, Texas and is just about single handedly responsible for bringing that town back to life. I think that is very cool.

111alaskabookworm
Ago 14, 2008, 10:49 am

alcottacre: I certainly wouldn't be averse to a trip to Archer City armed with my credit card and several large boxes.

112alcottacre
Ago 14, 2008, 11:58 am

Let me know when you go, alaska, and I will go with you - but I think I will take trunks instead of boxes, lol.

113alaskabookworm
Ago 14, 2008, 12:27 pm

alcottacre: Well, you live a heck of a lot closer to him than I do. Have you been there before?

114alcottacre
Ago 14, 2008, 4:21 pm

Nope, can't say that I have. You can come down and stay in my new house and then we can both go adventuring in Archer City together!

115alaskabookworm
Ago 16, 2008, 2:57 pm

67. Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin. A homage to Vergil's The Aeneid, Le Guin takes a minor female character in the latter books of the poem, and weaves a whole world. I enjoyed reading about what early pre-Rome Italy might have been like, and the practice of the ancient Latin religion.

116alaskabookworm
Ago 16, 2008, 3:51 pm

68. The Blue Star by Tony Earley. Sequel to Earley's previous novel Jim the Boy, Jim is now on the cusp of manhood at the onset of World War II. Earley convincingly captures the mind of his 18-year-old protagonist. The uncles, a source of great reading enjoyment in Jim the Boy, are much less prominent in this story. Jim's mom is practically invisible. Rather, this book focuses on young love and an inescapable war. Perhaps not quite as charming as the first book, The Blue Star is a convincing and enjoyable period-piece.

117alaskabookworm
Ago 16, 2008, 9:02 pm

I just started The Gargoyle today, and though I'm only 50 or so pages into it.... OMg.

The reviews are very favorable toward it, so I'm excited to get through it.

A couple nights ago, I was so excited to finally secure a copy (borrowed from the library), that I read the description aloud to my bookclub members. They were dully un-impressed. Oh well, graphic descriptions of porno-star burn victims isn't for everyone. (Remember: I'm still only to pg 50.)

118blackdogbooks
Ago 17, 2008, 10:31 am

Thanks to your glowing reviews of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society I have purchased it as a gift for a friend. Haven't read it yet. Maybe I can get it loaned back to me after the recipient is done with it.

119alcottacre
Ago 19, 2008, 12:06 am

Hey, I like that thinking blackdogbooks! Give gifts of books you want to read and then borrow them. That way you kill two birds with one stone, lol.

120alaskabookworm
Editado: Ago 25, 2008, 10:54 pm

69. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. This book had moments of brilliance, but in the end, it kind of flopped. I thought the ending was incredibly unclimactic. I've heard this book compared to Life of Pi, which I loved, in the sense that the reader (supposedly) wonders: did it all really happen or didn't it?

Since the marketing campaign asks me to compare these two books, then I shall. I must state that the inherent tension in Life of Pi never lets up. It makes one's head spin. I remember what a big deal it was to have found another person who had read that book, and to ask: "Well, what do you think?" My reaction to Life of Pi, my belief that the tiger was real, told me a great deal about myself. It was a brilliant book.

Unfortunately, The Gargoyle just didn't deliver that to me. Its a brilliant premise, meticulously researched and thought out. Davidson does a decent job of continuity of character and circumstance, but in the end it just kind of fell flat. I actually found it rather a chore (though a pleasurable one) to read it after awhile.

For Davidson's sake, I am glad that my feelings about the book seem to be in the minority. It is certainly a worthy and impressive effort, just not "great." Since I borrowed it from the library, I can't indicate the number of stars, but if I could, I'd give it 3.5.

121drneutron
Ago 27, 2008, 11:01 pm

Hmmm. I had high hopes for The Gargoyle. Maybe I'll put it on the back burner for a bit and read some others on the semi-infinite TBR list.

122TrishNYC
Ago 28, 2008, 9:43 am

I second drneutron's sentiments. I have heard so much rave for this book. I hope to read it sometime soon but its actually nice to get a different view on it cause everyone else seems to be gushing. Even if I eventually read it and love it, its nice to see why someone else was not in awe of it.

123Whisper1
Ago 28, 2008, 10:14 am

like drneutron, I'll place The Gargoyle on the bottom, or middle of the tbr pile. My list of books is ever growing and I am aware of how much I have learned since joining this group.

Thanks for posting your impressions of this book.

124alaskabookworm
Ago 28, 2008, 12:13 pm

If you're interested, another gushless review of The Gargoyle is by LT user rabbitreader. I think it's better worded and more coherent than my own thoughts. I think she only gave it two stars. Still, we are definitely in the minority.

Currently reading Simon Winchester's The Man Who Loved China. Its pretty good so far, but my reading pace has slowed dramatically since the kids returned to school. Instead, I've started going to the gym, and studying for the GRE. Its been 22 years since I needed to know how the find the area of a triangle (A=1/2bh).

125blackdogbooks
Ago 28, 2008, 1:13 pm

Someone very close to me took the GRE recently after about 15 years separation for school. Isn't it interesting all the stuff they told you would be an everyday part of life but clearly wasn't. They lied. Don't let the test get you down, it doesn't have any correlation to your true intelligence!

126alaskabookworm
Editado: Ago 28, 2008, 6:37 pm

blackdog: I'd like to think that at 38 years of age I would be far more philosophical about my inability to retain the nuances of the Pythagoreum Theorum for the last 22 years.... What makes that hard to do is the fact that most of the people in my immediate social circle can use it with aplomb. I'm not what that says about any of us. Ah well, I hope I did better on the language portion of the practice test that I took yesterday. All these years of reading have got to pay off.

127Whisper1
Ago 28, 2008, 8:03 pm

good luck with the GRE test.

128dihiba
Ago 28, 2008, 9:41 pm

What's the GRE test?

129alaskabookworm
Ago 28, 2008, 9:53 pm

The Graduate Record Exam. A test, the scores of which, many graduate schools want to see when reviewing applicants. I hope to obtain a Masters in Library Sciences.

130Prop2gether
Ago 29, 2008, 3:30 pm

Good luck! My son recently took the GMAT (comparable test for the schools he's interested in), and, as a college senior, you'd think he'd have felt better about the test. Not so--although he said most of the people in the room were at least 10 years older than he is! Besides, the best thing to remember is how the test is scored and then work your skills to that level.

131blackdogbooks
Ago 31, 2008, 4:50 pm

I am sure you have all the materials you need but just in case: I have an unused GRE 2008 edition which I'd be happy to send to you if you would like it.

Good luck!!! Just remember, standardized test usually just require a system to take. The prep books are usually pretty good at getting you into the mindset. But they are not a true evaluator of your knowlege.

132alcottacre
Sep 1, 2008, 8:35 am

I will send my best wishes along with everyone else's, alaskabookworm. Good luck with the test!

Now, if I can only get my 2 girls to pass their GEDs at the end of this, their senior year . . .

133alaskabookworm
Sep 1, 2008, 9:32 pm

blackdog: Actually, I've been borrowing the library's GRE study book. I would love to buy yours off you, if you really, really mean it!

134alaskabookworm
Sep 1, 2008, 9:40 pm

70. The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester. It took me an entire week to get through this not-quite 300 page book. It really wasn't Winchester's fault. The story is interesting, if somewhat chronologically confusing at times. Though the book is an overview of the life of the late Joseph Needham of Britain, in the end, Winchester seems to be suggesting that world should not be at all surprised by China's rising star on the world stage. He suggests that the last several centuries of China's creative stagnation are an atypical burp in China's vast and innovative past. That stagnation, he suggests, has come to an end. I found his argument convincing, and coupled with the plethora of recent articles about China (in The New Yorker, National Geographic, etc.), am curious to watch China morph and adapt as it joins the global economy in unprecedented ways.

135blackdogbooks
Sep 2, 2008, 10:34 pm

Send me your address information in a private message on my profile page and it's yours for the absolutely unbelievable introductory price: FREEEEEEE. That's my favorite price. It has a CD with it. It was the first edition out for the new 2008 changes in the GRE. I will send it via Priority Mail, USPS, or if you have a suggestion about a way to send it that would be better. Just taking the test is payment enough!!!!!

136alaskabookworm
Sep 3, 2008, 12:25 pm

You are most kind! Thank you thank you thank you!

137Prop2gether
Sep 3, 2008, 1:30 pm

Again--just read how they score the test. Turns out the GMAT scores your first answers highest, and if they are correct, you get a "cushion" for the test. So make sure those first 10 are correct, and you can "deal" with the rest. Also, it would appear that taking it on computer is much faster than a totally written exam. Good luck!

138alaskabookworm
Sep 3, 2008, 7:32 pm

Thank you. Wow, such support. I'm sucking very very badly at the math part. Ah well.

Meanwhile, I'm currently reading The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Should finish it tonight.

139blackdogbooks
Sep 4, 2008, 9:45 pm

Put your study guide in Priority Mail yesterday at about 5:00 pm.....has to travel from the Southwest but hope it gets there soon. You can do it!

Interested in your comments on The Things They Carried. Read In the Lake of the Woods by the same author a couple of years ago and found it an unusual but interesting book.

140alaskabookworm
Sep 4, 2008, 11:36 pm

71. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. This is the first of O'Brien's books that I've ever read. A friend recommended it a couple years ago. It is the September selection for the book club I facilitate. In any case, wow, it was fantastic! Not at all what I expected. About Vietnam, yes, but also about the nature of storytelling - why we write, why we remember; what is real, what isn't. In referencing online readers guides for this book, I learned a new word: "metafiction" (which I would happily define if my damn computer were working, and had saved the 10 or so webpages I added to favorites yesterday. DON'T get the newest version of Explorer - it SUCKS!) In a lot of ways it reminded my of a memoir, or a book-length "creative nonfiction" piece. O'Brien brilliantly repeats various events and images and phrases throughout the book, creating a multilayered panorama of the book's characters. Yet, O'Brien insists that this is a work of fiction. Sometimes in the same chapter he'll suggest what he is writing is what really happened to him in Vietnam, then a paragraph later say its just "story." This may drive some readers crazy, but for me its wonderful. As the reader, I am out of control, and can't really know what is real and what isn't, but, at the same time, I feel I know these characters, both in life and in death. I'm pretty sure not everyone is going to like this book, but I strongly recommend it anyway.

It should be interesting to have a discussion about this book with my book club, which mostly consists of independent-minded church ladies.

saint blackdog: THANK YOU AGAIN! There are not enough words of gratitude (at this time of night, anyway). I'll let you know when the book gets here. (By way of thanks, would you be interested in any Alaskan smoked salmon jerky? Caught this summer and home-smoked.) What was In the Lake of the Woods like?

Next up: White Tiger

141Whisper1
Sep 5, 2008, 8:42 am

Congratulations on the near completion of the 75 book challenge. Way to go!!!!

142blackdogbooks
Sep 6, 2008, 1:12 pm

Just pulled In the Lake of the Woods down to make sure it was the book I read and not the one you described. your review of The Things They Carried could easily be exchanged for In the Lake of the Woods. It had the same kind of narrative thread, weaving back and forth between history and fiction, with frequent interludes of quotes and descriptions from other authors or historical figures. I will be adding The Things They Carried as I enjoyed the unusual but challenging writing style.

I hope the guide gives you a boost. I don't want you to feel obligated to send me something.......but, the jerky sounds good....I would be honored to have a little if you want to send some.

143Whisper1
Sep 9, 2008, 10:00 am

blackdogbooks, I've accumlated many books to my tbr list this week alone! I've added In the Lake of the Woods. I read the reviews and your description and I'm intrigued.

I add this one reluctantly. My former husband was a Viet Nam veteran. I know first hand how very emotionally wounded some of these veterans are.

144alaskabookworm
Sep 9, 2008, 6:17 pm

A friend in my bookgroup is married to a Vet also. There's no way he'll read it. He still has to sit "strategically" in restaurants, so that he doesn't miss "the enemy approaching."

145alaskabookworm
Editado: Sep 10, 2008, 12:49 am

72. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. This is a really hard book to rate. Really, it wasn't "fun" to read, but it's message was timely and penetrating and provocative. I just found out today it is shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. I guess I have to rate it two ways: reading enjoyment - 2 stars; the story itself - 4 stars. That may change by tomorrow.

The protagonist of the story is writing his life story to a fictional (I think) Chinese Prime Minister who is planning a trip to Bangalore, or somewhere else in India. (Already the specifics of the story are fuzzy - sorry.) Balram (the narrator) describes his upbringing in a very poor northern Indian family, and how he breaks free of his caste, along with its limitations, to become one of many rich entrepeneurs in Bangalore, home of international outsourcing.

What struck me most about this book, and what is probably one of the elements that has made it popular with critics, is Balram's journey to "social freedom." That is, breaking out of the mindset of his caste, little by little, and reaching a point at which Balram takes the "great leap forward" to independence. Adiga does this very convincingly. But Balram's decision comes at a great moral cost. Adiga seems to be suggesting that there is hope for the third world, but that for a time only a very few "White Tigers" will have the gumption to enter the global economy, and doing so may cost lives.

Anyway, it was worth reading, but not especially cheerful.

146Whisper1
Sep 10, 2008, 8:43 am

Hang in there...You are very near the 75 challenge goal..Congrats!

147alaskabookworm
Sep 10, 2008, 11:52 am

It is close, isn't it! Maybe I should read three really short books! Let's see.... Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpiller, and The Poky Little Puppy...

148Prop2gether
Sep 10, 2008, 12:46 pm

If it's any consolation--I made 75 very early this year because most of my reading for the past three months has been books of less than 250 pages. I'm saving the big ones for the winter months when I have less time for reading because I'm usually knitting/crocheting like mad.

And Goodnight Moon is well worth the rereading--even if the children are out the door!

149blackdogbooks
Sep 11, 2008, 9:49 pm

In the Lake of the Woods is challenging and difficult but, I thought, worth the time. It is such a culturally and generationally referential book. You should enjoy it on that level alone.

How's the GRE studying?

150alaskabookworm
Sep 12, 2008, 5:52 pm

I took a diagnostic test yesterday (that didn't include the essay writing portion) and got 68%. Not sure how that translates in real life. My math skills are abominably weak. My verbal skills are much better than they were 20+ years ago when I took the SAT. Still got a lot wrong, though. But I do think there is some improvement from a couple weeks ago.

151Whisper1
Sep 12, 2008, 8:32 pm

alaskabookworm.
I'm thinking of you. Good luck! As a person working in academia for 25 years, I truly do believe that these tests do not accurately measure knowledge base.

152FlossieT
Sep 12, 2008, 9:09 pm

Hi alaskabookworm - haven't posted on your thread before - I have The White Tiger in my TBR pile (and next up once I've ploughed through all the library books I ambitiously borrowed for summer reading). Sounds like it's not going to be a light read...

Goodnight Moon is not really so big in the UK as it seems to be in the USA and I've always wanted to read it to see if I can figure out why.

153blackdogbooks
Sep 13, 2008, 9:18 pm

Don't let the scores get ya' down. Focus on the process of taking the test and use the study guide to develop a system for the taking of the test.

154alaskabookworm
Editado: Sep 18, 2008, 11:01 pm

73. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. Whew! Finally survived the teenage-vampire-romance quartet! I have to admit, the fourth book was a lot more fun than I was expecting. I started reading the series to find out what all the fuss was about. They were all quick reads, so though I didn't really like them that much, it wasn't too much a waste of time. By the end of the series, I just wanted to find out how it all ended. In the end, I do plan on seeing the movie this fall.

155Whisper1
Sep 15, 2008, 4:39 pm

congratulations. The goal is very near!

156Prop2gether
Sep 16, 2008, 11:44 am

Like blackdogbooks says, ignore your scores and work out your method so you can progressively improve your score without killing yourself in the process. And watch out for those serial commas!

157alaskabookworm
Sep 16, 2008, 12:12 pm

Only two more books! Thanks for encouragement on both the reading and the GRE stuff.

158FlossieT
Sep 16, 2008, 1:28 pm

alaskabookworm, just noticed a title in your first post: our booksellers just picked The Invention of Hugo Cabret for a recent selection of books with a vague film connection and I flicked through a copy in the shop - it looks amazing!

Does it read as well as it looks?

159Whisper1
Sep 16, 2008, 1:52 pm

Hi alaskabookworm.

I'm currently reading Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech. I believe you read this book and I'm wondering what your impressions were.

Thanks.
Linda

160alaskabookworm
Sep 16, 2008, 10:58 pm

FlossieT: I really liked The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Its a beautifully done, unusual book. It's what I would call "gentle" and ultimately uplifting. The illustrations are AMAZING. It definitely has that "film connection" thing going for it. It also introduced to me the one-time historical sensation of "clockwork machines", which for a time, dazzled the world. At about the same time that I read Hugo Cabret, I also read "The Chess Machine" which also features clockwork machinary prominently in the story, as well as some interesting historical figures.

Whisper: I actually (blush blush) haven't yet read anything by Sharon Creech. I've got a bunch of her books, but haven't gotten to them yet. (Perhaps even more humiliating: I haven't read The Tale of Despereaux yet.)

Right now I'm halfway through Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Very good so far.

161Whisper1
Sep 17, 2008, 10:47 am

another one added to the list....I'll check my library for We Have Always Lived in the Castle Where oh where do you find such interesting reads?

Thanks!

162Prop2gether
Editado: Sep 18, 2008, 12:03 pm

Oh, Shirley Jackson is terrific. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

And if you like clocks and the history, I strongly recommend Longitude by Dava Sobel. It's the true story of an English clockmaker who created the first clock capable of keeping true time so longitude could be calculated safely asea. His four clocks are on display in Greenwich, and I about drove my siblings mad on a Sunday walk there because all I wanted to see was the Harrison clocks.

Edited to add John Harrison here.

163alcottacre
Sep 17, 2008, 10:07 pm

#162: I will second the recommendation of Longitude. It is a very good read.

I am going to have to find the Shirley Jackson book, too. I have not read any of hers.

164alaskabookworm
Sep 18, 2008, 1:52 am

Whisper: I get most of my book ideas from LibraryThing (go figure), and Nancy Pearl's two books: Book Lust and More Book Lust. What's great about Nancy, is that she often brings to the forefront prolific writers who are simply out of vogue. The Shirley Jackson book was from her section about "scary" books that aren't true horror novels. I've got numerous books about books, but Pearl's books are my very favorites. She can be dangerous, however. Sometimes I just sit in front of the computer with Book Lust in my lap, buying books after book from abebooks.com.

Prop2gether: I've got Longitude somewhere in the house. I'll have to pull it out of hiding.

165Whisper1
Sep 18, 2008, 11:43 am

Did Shirley Jackson write Hell House?
I'm not sure why I think this is true...could be I need another cup of coffee today.

166alaskabookworm
Sep 18, 2008, 12:08 pm

Whisper: I think Jackson wrote The Haunting of Hill House which is very similar.

167Prop2gether
Sep 18, 2008, 12:13 pm

Yes, although the original title is different, I believe. She is also the author of The Lottery, one of the most chilling short stories I've ever read (and have read several times).

168alaskabookworm
Sep 18, 2008, 3:18 pm

Aha! I seem to remember The Lottery from high school reading. I must say, her writing packs a punch.

169Whisper1
Sep 18, 2008, 9:00 pm

hi. Thanks for the clarity regarding Hell House/The Haunting of Hill House The Haunting of Hill House was the name of the book I was thinking of when I wrote the post.

170drneutron
Sep 18, 2008, 9:51 pm

Hell House was written by Richard Matheson, who also wrote I Am Legend and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. Some of my faves!

171alaskabookworm
Sep 18, 2008, 11:01 pm

74. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. A brilliantly written book full of psychological tension. There are no "normal" people in this book. Told in the first person by Mary Katherine Blackwood, "Merricat", who is an eccentric young woman living with her sister and uncle in social isolation. Throughout the story, the intricacies of human nature - more particularly, human dysfunction - are explored. This is book full of inference, and Jackson does an amazing job drawing her characters. This would be a fun book to do with a book club, because there is so much here to think about and discuss.

172alaskabookworm
Sep 22, 2008, 6:30 pm

Ugh. Finally did it!

75. Watchmen by Alan Moore. I picked this book up on a whim because I had seen the movie trailer and was curious. It was a mind-bogglingly brilliant graphic novel that wrecks havoc with ideas of morality. A must read. I strongly suggest it as a book group pick.

173FAMeulstee
Sep 22, 2008, 6:35 pm

congratulations alaskabookworm!

174drneutron
Sep 22, 2008, 7:46 pm

Great! And a good selection to achieve your goal!

175Whisper1
Sep 22, 2008, 7:56 pm

Hi and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

I've enjoyed reading your lists and comments.

176alaskabookworm
Sep 22, 2008, 8:27 pm

Thanks everyone! Should I shoot for 100 by year's end?

177glassreader
Sep 22, 2008, 8:30 pm

Way to go!!! 100?? Piece of cake, right?!

178alcottacre
Sep 22, 2008, 8:42 pm

Congratulations on making the goal, alaska! Hey, I have faith in you - you can make 100 easy!

BTW - I totally agree with your assessment of Watchmen. My review was one word - "Wow"

179Whisper1
Sep 22, 2008, 10:16 pm

Hi..I've added Watchmen to my list. While I was going to start The Guernesey Literary and Pototo Pie Society instead, I'm reading #74 on your list We Have Always Lived in the castle. WOW! What a powerful book.

180Prop2gether
Sep 23, 2008, 12:02 pm

#179--Be sure to read The Lottery if you've missed it before.

And you can try John Wyndham (The Midwich Cuckoos or The Chrysalids) for a change of pace.

You have over three months left, and you're wondering about the 100 point? Unless you're reading thousand page tomes (okay, readily available), you can do it. Go for it!

181alaskabookworm
Sep 23, 2008, 3:25 pm

Yeah, I guess if I want to make 100, I should avoid A Suitable Boy, Infinite Jest, The Pillars of the Earth, and anything by Dickens.

Prop2gether: I think I read The Lottery in high school; I'll have to dig a copy back up again.

My husband has started on Watchmen. I'm so glad its being made into a movie. Otherwise I might never have heard about it. Now I can't wait tos ee the movie. Has anyone else seen the trailer? Its intense.

182alaskabookworm
Editado: Sep 24, 2008, 9:05 pm

76. Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland. This was an ER ARC. I don't normally read "genre" books, so this was a departure for me. Though I haven't watched or read "Buffy", I would imagine this book was a cross between that and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Anyway, though I'm unaccustomed to reading books that are quite so sexually explicit, it was kind of a fun escapist read. The story definitely moved along, with chapter stops skillfully placed in the middle of the action, so I wanted to keep reading. I liked the way Handeland sort of melded mythology and religion for her supernatural creatures. There was enough humor, too, to evoke an occasional chuckle. I liked the main character, Elizabeth Phoenix; she was approachable, though a quite a bit sluttier than a "girl-next-door". I prefer the books I read to be a little less pornographic.

Before picking up this book, be sure to read the reviews others have done. My review is downright flattering compared to others.

184alcottacre
Oct 5, 2008, 8:45 am

#183 alaska: What did you think of The Secret Scripture? The reviews on it seem to be a mixed bag.

185FlossieT
Oct 5, 2008, 5:46 pm

Yes, I'd really like to hear your thoughts on that one too - I nearly didn't read this as from the reviews it sounded so gloomy and tragic.

186FlossieT
Oct 5, 2008, 5:47 pm

(PS I have to say I much prefer the US jacket!)

187alaskabookworm
Oct 5, 2008, 8:04 pm

I didn't put a quick review at message 183 for the very reason that I didn't quite know how to review The Secret Scripture. I still don't know whether or not I loved it. But I'll jot some observations and let you make a decision.

First, there is a minor character whose brief presence in the book makes a big impact on the latter part of the story. This person is the main character in one of Barry's earlier books, The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty. Having not read this latter book, I have no idea how it would have influenced my reading of The Secret Scripture, but it bothers me that maybe I missed something. I'm pretty sure I did.

Next, I will say it is a beautifully written book, very poetic, and at times, vague. But the vagueness is intentional to the story, which is told in a vascillating fashion between a 100 year old woman in a mental institution and her 60ish doctor. It took me a week or so to read, which is unusual for me. It is a putt-downable kind of book. There are numerous references to Irish history and its people, and because I'm not really up to speed on the civil war of the 1930s, I got lost. I never consulted an atlas or Wikipedia; I should have.

Nevertheless, it is an evocative story, a very sad story, and a story with a "surprise" ending (which I guessed at about 1/3 of the way through). If you do start it, and begin to feel confused, my advice is to stick with it to the end. I'd give it 3.5 stars. I will likely read The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty.

188alcottacre
Oct 8, 2008, 9:45 am

#187 alaska: Thanks for the info. I will keep my eyes peeled for both it and the other book you mentioned.

189alaskabookworm
Oct 18, 2008, 6:45 pm

190alcottacre
Oct 19, 2008, 1:14 am

#189 alaskabookworm: What did you think of Motherless Brooklyn? It looks pretty good!

191alaskabookworm
Oct 20, 2008, 11:01 pm

80. The Antipope by Robert Rankin.

Alcottacre: I liked Motherless Brooklyn. Actually, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. It had been recommended to me by a friend who raved and raved about it. Perhaps my expectations were way too high. I liked it and thought it very clever, but I can't say it blew me away. It is this month's book club pick, which is tomorrow night. I will be interested in hearing what others say.

192alcottacre
Oct 21, 2008, 3:04 am

#191: Thanks for the input, alaskabookworm!

193TadAD
Oct 21, 2008, 10:01 am

How did you like The Antipope? I read The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse and thought it was hysterical.

194alaskabookworm
Oct 21, 2008, 4:08 pm

Loved The Antipope. I am sad and surprised that Rankin's stuff isn't more widely available, or read, in the US. Especially since Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are so popular. I plan on reading the whole Brentford "Trilogy", of which there are (according the LT's Common Knowledge) eight in the series.

195Whisper1
Oct 21, 2008, 4:31 pm

Hi alaskabookworm

I'm currently reading Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts I note you list this book in your library. I'm curious regarding what your impressions are/were of this book. Thus far, I like it.
Thanks
Linda

196blackdogbooks
Oct 21, 2008, 9:07 pm

197alaskabookworm
Oct 22, 2008, 6:03 pm

Whisper: Haven't read Shoot the Moon yet. But I read another one by her and I liked it.

blackdog: I did like The Brief History of the Dead. It wasn't at all what I expected, but it really got under my skin. I find I keep thinking about it. A sign of a good book. A truly original concept, which is always refreshing.

198Prop2gether
Oct 22, 2008, 7:04 pm

I enjoyed both of Billie Letts' books I've read--quirky characters in "real life" situations and working it all out. There are few funnier essays around than her description of being chosen for Ophrah's book club and the ensuing luncheon and discussion.

199FlossieT
Oct 23, 2008, 5:01 am

#197: I thought The Brief History of the Dead had some of the most vivid descriptions of being cold that I have ever read - what did you think? I guess given your location you're somewhat more qualified to speak on this point in any case :)

200alaskabookworm
Oct 23, 2008, 11:13 pm

FlossieT: The coldest I've ever been in is about 25 below. With adequate clothing, and no breeze, its very tolerable. But, snow and air and light definitely take on a different... composition?... at those temperatures. But without the adequate clothing? Or with a breeze? My husband and I refer to that as "piss you off cold", meaning the second you step out into it, your body is so repelled by the cold that you get this "flight of fight" sort of enraged feeling.

I can't even begin to imagine 70, 80, or 90 below. Youch.

I agree, Brockmeier's descriptions of deep cold are amazing. When he talks about Laura taking her gloves off to climb the rope to get out of the crevasse, I just CRINGED.

The further I get from the book, the more I like it.

201Prop2gether
Oct 24, 2008, 11:49 am

Have you read about the Shackleton expedition or, in fiction based on fact, The Terror by Dan Simmons? It's based on the Arctic expedition of the Terror and Erebus, and I found myself in the middle of it just when I landed in St. Louis for Christmas last year. I was put up in the basement, and I thought I'd never warm up during the day--I kept getting Simmons' images of layers and layers of English clothing accomplishing nothing.

202drneutron
Oct 24, 2008, 12:40 pm

Oh, man, The Terror was great! I've never felt so cold reading a book...8^}

203FlossieT
Oct 24, 2008, 9:28 pm

#200: your last comment rings a very clear bell: I read it at the beginning of the year, and had put it on my "good read but could bear to live without it" pile - couldn't bring myself to list it on BookMooch, but possibly suitable for lending to unreliable friends ;-) Having it come up again on so many threads has made me realise how much of the book has actually stayed with me (and I seem to forget so much of what I read at the moment that that is no mean achievement).

I need to go and translate your temperature measurements into centigrade so I can be properly awed.

204alaskabookworm
Oct 25, 2008, 11:36 am

Prop2gether & drneutron: Yes, I read The Terror last year, and it was in my top five. I loved it. I even convinced a total stranger in Costco to buy it. (That's me, lurking in the book aisle, blatantly steering patrons away from crap.)

I did also read a Shakleton book a few years ago; maybe the one by the ship's photographer. Can't exactly remember.

81. Looking for Alaska by John Green. Fantastic young adult story that covers the plethora of teen angst, but with especially thoughtful examinations of life, death, and the meaning of it all. Very, very good; highly recommend.

205alcottacre
Oct 26, 2008, 6:02 am

#204: If you enjoyed Looking for Alaska, I recommend An Abundance of Katherines by John Green as well.

206dihiba
Oct 27, 2008, 4:59 pm

I lived in the Canadian subarctic for 4 years and it didn't bother me too much - but I remember walking one day (we had no car, but we lived in a small mining community that you couldn't drive out of anyway) and the air felt as though it was literally being sucked out of you.
My daughter was born on Feb. 8th and it was about
minus 90 F that day, with the windchill factor. Mighty cold.
We also got tons of snow up there.
I have a much higher toleration for winter than most people, so I was born in the right country : ).

207Prop2gether
Oct 27, 2008, 5:40 pm

#206--My son's in the middle of the Wisconsin plain at school and winter's norms without wind chill (which is a given) are somewhere around 30 below (Fahrenheit). Me--I'm a California and Southwest desert child, and for me, 50 degrees is just bundling weather, with hats and gloves and scarves and wooly socks. Of course, some of our desert nights do get that cold after very hot days, so I've been through some extremes. However, I really did identify with those seamen on the Terror and Erebus!

208Whisper1
Oct 27, 2008, 8:32 pm

Pennsylvania can get mighty cold in the winter, but, certanly not as cold as you have there in Alaska. I love the change of seasons and fall in Bethlehem is simply lovely. I just returned from a week in St. Petersburg Florida where it was 80-85 degrees each day. The sun glimmering over the water was lovely, but I rather prefer the mountains and the colored leaves that gently fall on the ground and then are wisked around the air.

Because I'm reading lots of YA books lately, I've added the John Green recommendation.. Thanks!

209alaskabookworm
Oct 29, 2008, 11:44 pm

Wow. What a week its been so far. I'm chairing the annual book fair at my kids' school (for the very first time), and the last two weeks it has been all consuming. Probably spent $200 there today. (The day's sales exceeded $3,500) I'm probably the best and worst person for such a job. However, managed to get a couple more books read:

82. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. Loved this book about Queen Elizabeth becoming a bibliophile. Sweet and clever and quick and fabulous. Read this after watching Helen Mirren in "The Queen." An interesting mix of vision and media.

83. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike. Since the sequel just came out, I HAD to read this. Or so I felt. In any case, very interesting; some similarities to the movie, but really more of a stand alone. Any feedback on this one? Its the first Updike I've read and I'm having a hard time processing. Is this a book about feminism? What is Updike suggesting? I really did like it.

Currently reading the first Terry Pratchett Discworld book. Need to cleanse the palate, I guess.

210TadAD
Oct 30, 2008, 1:04 pm

I'd like to read The Uncommon Reader. However, I made the mistake of making it one of my Early Reader requests, so now I have to wait until that's announced before picking it up. :-)

211FlossieT
Oct 30, 2008, 9:07 pm

abw, I laughed very hard at your $200 comment.... school book fairs are dangerous things because it feels, morally, so RIGHT in so many ways.

I read The Witches of Eastwick about 10 years ago now so my memory is a bit fuzzy - I've never seen the film though. The overwhelming impression I have retained of the book is that it felt very much like a man trying to understand the way women think. I just read a review of the sequel this weekend and am curious to revisit, as I'd quite like to read Widows but am not confident that I've retained enough of the detail of the first book to properly appreciate it.

And Discworld... sigh. Don't think I've read a new one since Small Gods. I kind of miss them.

212alcottacre
Oct 31, 2008, 5:29 am

#209 alaskabookworm: I really enjoyed The Uncommon Reader as well. I thought it was the perfect length - Bennett did not try to pad it and add another 100 pages. It was just a charming, simple story.

213alaskabookworm
Oct 31, 2008, 3:55 pm

FlossieT: We are apparently not the only two people who believe in the inherent "morality" of Book Fair purchases. I am very, very pleased that we did over $6,000 of sales in just two days - in our small school of 400 students. Our school library will now have over $3,600 to spend on new books!!!! Yeah!

214porch_reader
Oct 31, 2008, 4:47 pm

Alaskabookworm - That's wonderful! Im chairing my first elementary school book fair in the spring. Last year, I was a clerk and kept recommending books that I thought the kids should buy. I'm not sure that their parents appreciated it, but we sold a lot!

215alaskabookworm
Oct 31, 2008, 8:54 pm

porch_reader: Are you going through Scholastic? That's who we used. Our school librarian was hesitant, but working with them has been a great experience.

216Whisper1
Oct 31, 2008, 11:06 pm

HI
I've added The Uncommon Reader to my pile. Thanks.

217alcottacre
Nov 1, 2008, 7:00 am

#213: Well, you can look on the bright side of the whole thing, alaska. At least you did not personally subsidize all $6000 in sales, just a couple hundred dollars, and the school library gets a bunch of money to spend on those most worthwhile of objects - books.

I still have fond memories from my childhood of the Scholastic Bookmobile. Glad to hear that Scholastic Books are still in operation.

218TadAD
Editado: Nov 1, 2008, 8:05 am

I was an Army brat and we lived abroad when I was a kid. Bookstores carrying books in English were rare and the Scholastic Book Fair was the high point of my life. I still have a half dozen or so of the books I saved my allowance to buy.

219alcottacre
Nov 1, 2008, 8:42 am

#218 TadAD: The first book I ever bought for myself I bought at a Scholastic Bookmobile, and I still have my old copy of Charlotte's Web. I bought it when I was 8 and it has now lasted, even though falling apart, 38 years.

220TadAD
Nov 1, 2008, 8:54 am

The first one I bought with my own money (as opposed to parents handing me some) was The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes. I still love it.

221porch_reader
Nov 1, 2008, 9:39 am

#215 - Yes, we use Scholastic for our book fair too, and have had good luck in the past. I may be bugging you for tips on how to run a successful book fair in the spring!

I love everyone's book fair memories. My elementary school was very small, and we didn't have a book fair, but I still remember the joy of bring home Scholastic Book Orders. I saved up my allowance, and could always count on my mom and dad for a little extra too! Now, when my kids bring home book orders, I think I'm more excited than they are!

222drneutron
Nov 1, 2008, 10:06 am

I used to buy Scholastic all the time in school, then my son took up the tradition. Those book order thingys were my favorite homework!

223alaskabookworm
Nov 1, 2008, 11:59 am

My gosh, book fever starts at a young age, doesn't it?

Its great to hear everyone reminiscing about those old Scholastic orders. My sales rep at Scholastic would be tickled to read this thread.

Today is our municipal library's book sale. I just balanced the checkbook, paid bills, and oy. Not sure I should go.

224alcottacre
Nov 3, 2008, 8:02 am

Why pay bills when buying books is so much more fun, lol? Of course, you may want to pay the electric bill so you can see to read.

225drneutron
Nov 3, 2008, 8:50 am

Pshaw. That's why we have candles. 8^}

226alaskabookworm
Nov 3, 2008, 4:07 pm

I did end up at the book sale, a head cold making my nose drip copiously; alas, I had no tissues, so I got "creative" with my woolen mittens. Bought fewer books than ever at the library sale - seems I already own most of them. Oops.

227Whisper1
Nov 3, 2008, 4:54 pm

hi alaskabookworm
I hope you feel better real soon.

woolen mittens? sounds cold in Alaska

228alaskabookworm
Nov 3, 2008, 10:11 pm

Bit of a cold snap. Today it got to the mid 20s, but previously its been in the teens and very sunny. Quite lovely, though not very warm.

229alaskabookworm
Nov 4, 2008, 5:43 pm

230alaskabookworm
Editado: Nov 9, 2008, 12:55 am

85. March by Geraldine Brooks. A great Civil War era novel; well deserving of its 2006 Pulitzer win.

231TadAD
Nov 9, 2008, 6:58 am

I think I'll have to hunt this one down. A good Civil War book would just fit the bill right now...haven't read one in a while.

232blackdogbooks
Nov 9, 2008, 9:33 am

Hey alaskabookworm,

I'm still here and I keep a close eye on your thread. I was at my neighborhood Hastings book store, which stocks many, many used titles. I had a gift card and was clearing books off of my long look to buy list. I almost bought a copy of The Terror based on your recommendation. Alas, my gift card ran out. :( But, I will get one soon, I hope. I am going to our local Friends of the Library Book Sale today, $2 per bag'o'books. I will have a lot of books to add to the library. I will keep an eye out for it there.

By the way, it was sunny and 65 in my part of the world yesterday. Don't think I could handle mid 20's or worse. Don't know how you guys do it!?!?!?!?

233FlossieT
Nov 9, 2008, 5:54 pm

alaskabookworm, just got a copy of March from the charity shop yesterday! I was a Little Women nut as a kid so looking forward to this (when I get to it - realised the other day that I can't really legitimately ask for books for Christmas this year, as I have already bought more than I can hope to get through next year, unless I can, say, drop a day's work a week, or sell one of the kids ;-))

234blackdogbooks
Nov 9, 2008, 6:01 pm

Hmmmm, kids or books..........

235FlossieT
Nov 9, 2008, 6:11 pm

It's a tough call. The eldest is clearly safe - he's just asked me to start cataloguing his books in my LT account as he is not yet 13 and can't have his own.

236alaskabookworm
Nov 9, 2008, 6:55 pm

FlossieT: When reading March don't try to hard to "reconcile" it to Little Women. Brooks definitely takes the March-family story different direction than Alcott did. I suggested to my book group (who are all reading it) that they read the author's Afterword first. It puts the story in a good framework. I really, really loved it.

blackdog: You'll find Terror before long; second-hand copies are starting to crop up here and there. I have to restrain myself from buying additional copies. Talk about overkill. I chuckled over your comment about sunny and 65. That weather is about a typical summer day for us. A scorcher might just top 70!!! Of course, that's fine for me, because I detest hot weather for any length of time. (I can handle it for 5-7 days at a time.) In the fall, when the first snow falls, I kind of feel relief. It just seems normal to have snow. Its also an excuse to not do yard work for six months - all the more time to read!!!!

I've put most of my kids' books in LT; from easy chapter books on upward. What I haven't catalogued are the picture books. And I would bet I have at least another 1,000 of those. Geez. Books are everywhere. The other day we got a late notice for a school library book. I never did find it, but the process of going through every stack took days and days. I finally decided the $3.99 replacement cost is probably worth not having to look for it.

Well, I finished another book today:

86. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn. I'm a sucker for young adult love stories. This one is funny and engaging. You know, maybe I was reading all the wrong stuff 20 years ago when I was a young adult, but it never ceases to amaze me how drug use and fellatio and all other kinds of "mature" subject matter cover every page of so many of those YA books. Am I old or are people just less repressed or have our children lost their way? I don't know. Nevertheless, Nick and Norah are a breathe of sanity in their New York music scene; very sweet how they find each other.

237Whisper1
Nov 9, 2008, 9:16 pm

Hi alasakbookworm.

I wgikegeartedkt agree re. your comments about YA books and serious subject matters that seem to cross some lines. I recently read a Robert Westall YA book and felt he used a bit too many graphic words for his audience.

Your question "Have our children lost their way?" is a good one and is very thought provoking. Sadly, I think the answer is "yes" they have. And, perhaps some of the authors are aiding and abeting this behaviour. Who knows?

I do know I'm very fortunate to have been raised by a wonderful grandmother who had "values" -- how ever that is intrepreted. For me, it means, kindness, respect for others and a sense of appropriateness.

238alcottacre
Nov 10, 2008, 7:03 am

#236 alaskabookworm: Thanks for the recommendation of the Rachel Cohn book. I will look for it.

And I agree with you about how "mature" subject matter has crept into young adult books these days. As the mother of 2 teenage daughters, trying to find appropriate reading material is sometimes a challenge. And I do not feel old about it - I agree with Whisper in that the way my generation was raised, we were instilled with values that clearly reflected black and white and did not have as many gray areas as seem to exist today.

239FAMeulstee
Nov 10, 2008, 2:34 pm

Yes, there are more "mature" subjects in YA these days, but I always disliked the too much black and white / right and wrong in the books of my youth.
The transition from Childrens to YA is imho the transition from more black and white into the gray areas...

240alaskabookworm
Nov 10, 2008, 7:36 pm

87. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Another winner by Green, who combines humor, angst, and a great deal of smarts to his books. A much lighter storyline than his Looking for Alaska but just as enjoyable.

241alaskabookworm
Nov 11, 2008, 2:24 am

88. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Its been on my shelf for a long, long time; I'd never read it before. Last weekend, a friend chastised me for my negligence, and vehemently thrust it in my hands. So, I read it tonight in one sitting, my heart in my throat, sick was sadness. An amazing book. Now, I will go kiss my four beautiful children and have a good cry.

242alcottacre
Editado: Nov 11, 2008, 4:39 am

#240-241 alaska: Glad to hear that you enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines. Green's newest book, Paper Towns, just came out in late October and I have seen some good reviews of it, although I have not yet had a chance to read it.

As far as The Giver goes, I just discovered recently that it is the first book of a trilogy. If you are interested, the other 2 books are Gathering Blue and Messenger. I have them home from the library, but have not read them yet. The Giver is an amazing book - I hope the other 2 live up to it.

243Whisper1
Nov 11, 2008, 11:56 am

Message to myself regarding post #237....DO NOT attempt to write when suffering from a nasty headache...

Oh my, I just read what I wrote...."I wgikegeartedkt agree" was meant to be

I wholeheartedly agree!

Yikes, trust me folks, I really can read and WRITE...

On another subject, the book An Abundance of Katerines continues to be mentioned -- so, I'm moving this one up on the list of tbr.

Also, I agree about The Giver. It is an a powerful book.

244ronincats
Nov 11, 2008, 12:26 pm

Okay, discussion about the Giver. It is powerful, has won awards. Did anybody else feel that it was just a tad too didactic? That the message just a little bit overpowered the story? Or not?

245TadAD
Nov 11, 2008, 12:30 pm

Personally, I think "wgikegeartedkt" is much more interesting...

246alaskabookworm
Editado: Nov 11, 2008, 5:38 pm

** Spoiler Alert **

I'll admit there were just a couple times that dialogue between Jonas and the Giver seemed a bit "Ayn Rand", but those moments were brief. There were two revelations in the story I didn't see coming that sort of stole my breath: the lack of color, and the truth of Jonas' father's job. Honestly, and here's my inherent idealism cropping up, I found it a bit extraordinary that there were no real rebels in this controlled society. It seems that there is something inside people - some people - who would have been able to "see" truth.

Whisper: that's funny. QWERTY was quirking.

Alcottacre: I'll have to check out those sequels. Maybe I already own them and don't know it. Hmmm. That's what LT's for, right? In any case, I've got a hold on Paper Towns at our library. I was thrilled to see I'm not going to have to wait for it.

247ronincats
Nov 11, 2008, 1:00 pm

Linda, that's part of what I meant. The society seemed almost too static, too controlled to be real life--it almost seemed as if it were set up as a straw man for the message the author wanted to get across.

248TadAD
Nov 11, 2008, 1:15 pm

Ack, please put a *Spoiler* message in if you're revealing stuff that's important so I can skip over it.

249alaskabookworm
Nov 11, 2008, 5:38 pm

Oh gosh! Sorry TadAD!

250TadAD
Nov 11, 2008, 5:46 pm

Ah, don't worry. I'll probably forget by the time I get around to that book...I'll push it way down on the pile. :-)

--Tad

251alaskabookworm
Nov 11, 2008, 9:20 pm

Often, I write things in a vaccuum - with the absolute confidence no one else will ever read them.

ronincats: Right after putting down The Giver, I picked up Bernhard Schlink's The Reader. Have you read that one? Very interesting to read after The Giver.

252alcottacre
Nov 12, 2008, 4:46 am

#243: It's OK, Linda, I just thought a cat sat down on your keyboard.

#244: I thought the book almost had to be written that way considering the audience that it was written for. That, of course, is just my opinion. It did not detract from the book for me although the point is certainly valid.

253TadAD
Editado: Nov 12, 2008, 7:36 am

#251: Everything gets read here. :-) This is the only forum I follow religiously, but I read every post on every thread.

254blackdogbooks
Nov 12, 2008, 10:14 am

Yeah, me too......it's part of that sickness!!!!!

255ronincats
Nov 12, 2008, 10:31 am

Linda, I had never heard of The Reader. What did you think of it?

You all are so good. I already spend so much time reading here instead of reading books...I have threads I never miss and keep current, and others that I dip into as time becomes available. The ones that discuss a lot, as here, are all on my "don't miss" list. It IS a sickness. As I work at the computer evenings, I am clicking on the update button on LT every 5 minutes to see if anyone has added anything!

256ronincats
Editado: Nov 12, 2008, 12:09 pm

Linda, I had never heard of The Reader. What did you think of it?

You all are so good. I already spend so much time reading here instead of reading books...I have threads I never miss and keep current, and others that I dip into as time becomes available. The ones that discuss a lot, as here, are all on my "don't miss" list. It IS a sickness. As I work at the computer evenings, I am clicking on the update button on LT every 5 minutes to see if anyone has added anything!

BTW, I wonder how many of the 175 members of this group have their own active threads. Anybody ever figure this out?

257alcottacre
Nov 12, 2008, 12:08 pm

#253-254: This is the only forum I follow religiously, but I read every post on every thread.

And here I thought it was just me!

258alaskabookworm
Editado: Nov 12, 2008, 12:23 pm

89. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. I picked this one up because I had it, a friend had read and recommended it, and because I recently watched the movie trailer. Set in post WWII Germany, 15-year-old Michael has an affair with a much older woman, who later goes on trial for something completely unrelated. Now a law student, Michael is a witness to Hanna on trial, trying to reconcile the memory of the Hanna he knows and the Hanna he is now learning about. Exploring some of the profoundest questions of morality, identity, intimacy, and understanding, The Reader tries to understand why people do the things they do. A very "German" book (it is a translation) and the prose can be choppy and hard to follow. But it is a quick read, and historically discusses the psychological fallout of that generation of Germans whose parents were involved directly or peripherally in the Nazi regime. Schlink describes again and again "numbness" - the emotional distancing of oneself from events and others. An extremely thought-provoking book. I recommend it be read in a group or with someone else.

259Whisper1
Nov 12, 2008, 1:42 pm

The Readers sounds like a good "read." ok, ok, just a sick bit of humor interjected in the posts....

I'm adding the book to my TBR pile.
Thanks for your description.

260alcottacre
Nov 12, 2008, 3:00 pm

I read The Reader about a month or so ago and agree with alaskabookworm's review. I thought the book did an excellent job of showing how Michael had grown up and is now puzzling over things he did not know about the Hanna he knew when he was younger.

261FAMeulstee
Nov 12, 2008, 4:08 pm

#253 254 and 257: This is the only forum I follow religiously, but I read every post on every thread.

me too ;-)

262FlossieT
Nov 12, 2008, 5:23 pm

Gosh, you are all very good. Having joined so late on in the day I got a bit overwhelmed by how many people are on there! Every now and again I go back to the list at the bottom of the group page and add a couple more threads to follow... but I probably won't have got to them all by the end of the year.

LT is my lifeline to sanity. Or some might say, my path away from it. Discuss.

263alaskabookworm
Nov 12, 2008, 6:45 pm

Yes. My lifeline too. 'Tis good to be understood by SOMEONE. In this case, a lot of someones.

264Prop2gether
Nov 13, 2008, 12:52 pm

Me three. I got suckered into Facebook by my daughter so she could post pictures and within 72 hours was hooked up with over 25 of my nieces, nephews, and children's friends. Oh, and some Scrabble games. But it's the books, and having people who appreciate them, and talk about them, and disagree about them (but can explain why)--I love the exchanges, especially within this group.

265alaskabookworm
Editado: Nov 13, 2008, 1:48 pm

Many of my friends and family are on Facebook too. But I just can't get into it. I realize it would take so much time - time I want to spend here and reading.

Hey, I have a question for you all. What Group is everyone going to be in next year? I know a bunch of you have read well over 100 books (alcottacre???!!!!); are we all going to stick together in a Challenge Group, or what?!

266Prop2gether
Nov 13, 2008, 2:06 pm

Check out the thread What Group Should I Join--lots of discussion--and yes, there will be a 75 Group Challenge set up. It appears that many of us are anxious, enthusiastic, slightly paranoid (pick your adjective) about this group and wanting to keep in touch.

267alaskabookworm
Nov 13, 2008, 2:20 pm

Prop2gether: Just went there; got myself caught up! Thanks for the recommendation!!! I'm glad to see I'm not alone in wanting us all to stay together.

268suslyn
Nov 13, 2008, 3:18 pm

Msg 62 -- biblioholism -- I love this. It was so validating LOL

269alaskabookworm
Nov 14, 2008, 12:31 pm

90. The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers. I liked this better than I thought I would. Most of my friends whose reading is limited to "Christian" fiction (the writing of which I generally loathe) love Francine Rivers, and insisted I would like this one better than her other stuff. And I did. It's a traditional gospel story, set in 1850 in the Ozarks. This tiny settlement has an unhappy past, a sorrowful present, and a dismal future. It is told from the perspective of a 10-year-old girl, who has her own burdens, and is desperate to be free of them. A decent yarn from that genre.

270alaskabookworm
Nov 14, 2008, 12:35 pm

suslyn, I read Biblioholism earlier this year! Wasn't it great!? I laughed through the whole thing.

271blackdogbooks
Nov 14, 2008, 12:39 pm

Your #90 is on my list of books to look for! Thanks for reinforcing my choice!!!

272alcottacre
Nov 15, 2008, 2:17 am

#269 alaska: It sounds like a book I would enjoy. I, too, tend to stay away from the "Christian" fiction genre, although my youngest daughter reads extensively in it. Thanks for the recommendation!

273suslyn
Nov 15, 2008, 4:08 pm

msg 270 -- Yes!! I'm in hysterics each time I pick up Biblioholism (How did they know?!!)

I understand re: Francine Rivers and the genre at large. I do have some excellent missionary biographies (really).

Blessings,

Susan

274alaskabookworm
Nov 15, 2008, 6:25 pm

Suslyn, My book group is going to be reading The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, the missionary biography that was later made into the movie "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" with INgrid Bergman. Have you read that one?

275alcottacre
Nov 15, 2008, 11:54 pm

#273: As with most things, I prefer nonfiction to fiction, so I would probably enjoy the biographies more than I do the Christian fiction.

#274: Gladys Aylward was one of my heroes when I was growing up. I will definitely have to read The Small Woman. Thanks for mentioning it, alaskabookworm.

276alaskabookworm
Nov 16, 2008, 12:20 am

91. Here's the Story by Maureen McCormick. I borrowed this from the library, furtively tucking it under my arm in the hopes no one could be witness to an interest in the personal life of the actress that played Marcia Brady. I grew up on "The Brady Bunch" and at a tender age, was influenced by this fictional family.

Despite my embarrassment at wanting to read the book, I did so in essentially one sitting. McCormick's voice, while a far cry from "high lit", is authentic and sweet. From talking about her career, to drug abuse, to family issues, to her emotional/spiritual awakening, there is a lot here that rings of the truths I've learned in my own life. McCormick doesn't put herself on any kind of a pedestal, nor does she try to bring anyone down. While there are suggestions here of the difficulty of being in the entertainment industry, this isn't a tell-all. It is an exploration to understand a life both unusual AND typical. I put the book down feeling both very encouraged and thoughtful. Go 'Mo!

277alcottacre
Nov 16, 2008, 12:29 am

#276: I have not read the book for the very reason you mentioned - I hate those 'tell all' books. I am glad to find that the book is not that variety. I was an unashamed Brady Bunch fan growing up, and will probably love the book. Thanks for the info!

278alaskabookworm
Nov 16, 2008, 12:34 am

alcottacre: I think you might like it. I was surprised at a number of turns.

279alaskabookworm
Editado: Nov 17, 2008, 12:26 pm

92. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation Part I: The Pox Party by M. T. Anderson. This is only the second of Anderson's books that I've read (the first being Whales on Stilts which I read earlier this year), but from what I can tell, the man is a genius. Set in and around Boston just prior to the Revolutionary War, the story deals with issues of freedom and war, what it means to be enslaved. Well-researched and skillfully written, this is a book worth reading.

280alaskabookworm
Nov 18, 2008, 9:21 pm

93. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. A fun and smart book that explores the complexities of familial relationships, immigration, and eldercare.

281TheTortoise
Nov 19, 2008, 8:01 am

>261 FAMeulstee:. Fame: Just to say I love this group and am trying to read every thread. I enjoy reading the reviews and adding to my TBR list for 2009. As I only joined a few weeks a go, catching up on the threads is quite a task but an enjoyable one - looking forward to 2009!

>272 alcottacre: Alcottacre: I don't think I have ever read any Christian fiction. I tend to read Non(un!)-Christian fiction and Christian Non-fiction. The only Christian fiction I have is The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas. Is that Christian fiction?

- TT

282avaland
Nov 19, 2008, 9:11 am

Wow, just stopping in to catch up on what you're reading - there's a lot for me to catch up on! I won't attempt to respond to it all, but I have enjoyed your reads and what you have to say about them. I was particularly interested in your take on March. You also reminded me of the Witches of Eastwick sequel, which I can't decide to chase down or not. I read "Witches" ages and ages ago and I don't have a particular need to continue the story (and the movie images have displaced the book's story, at this point.)

283suslyn
Nov 19, 2008, 10:49 am

"Message 274: Suslyn, My book group is going to be reading The Small Woman" Yes, I think i own it too (in storage in France). Fascinating woman, amazing determination and I was so mad at her I could spit! LOL tell me when you finish it. I want to know if you felt the same way for the same reasons :)

284suslyn
Nov 19, 2008, 10:53 am

Msgs 276 & 277 -- A friend took me to see The Brady Bunch in live theatre in NY for my bday. I could have swooned! and I'm not the swooning type. It was the Davy Jones episode and Davy Jones was there playing himself! LOL I never have been a real fan, except when I was 7 & 8, Bobby Sherman and Davy Jones just got stuck in there and I still feel that way til this day -- lol. It's not rational and I can't do anything about it!

285suslyn
Nov 19, 2008, 11:02 am

Msg 281 -- I suppose that would be Christian fiction but it's not in the genre that comes to my mind when I hear or read "Christian fiction." That genre is one which exploded onto the scenes in full form in the, what?, 80s? with all the Zondervan glitz and crazy advertising. Some of it makes a good read, but you have to wade through a lot of sometimes stupid, usually overly sentimental and/or simplistic schtick. In general, unless you're very luck (Providentially guided?), you don't come away with something you want more of. That said, I own a mess of it -- LOL

Some examples would be:
Piercing the Darkness by Peretti
Love Comes Softly by Oke
Left Behind by LaHaye

Costain's The Silver Chalice is another book which I would put more with The Big FIsherman. It has Christian themes, is fiction, but I wouldn't call it "Christian fiction."

A lot of it has to do, i think, with the post 50s changing demographic. Earlier Christianity or at least some nominal adherence was status quo. It's not the same story now.

Alaska -- I'm littering your page!!

286Whisper1
Nov 19, 2008, 10:01 pm

Hi alaskabookworm.
Based on your review, I've added the Maureen McCormick book to my tbr pile.

287alaskabookworm
Nov 19, 2008, 11:24 pm

wow, what a surprise to see 6 more posts since I was last here!

avaland: good to hear from you. I'm way behind on posts. Been reading too much (haha). I visited your list the other day too, and I'm not sure we've read any of the same books. An intimidating fact if it means adding your "likes" to my TBR.... Not sure I'd go out of my way to hunt down "Witches". Not that I've read the new one yet, but like you, the movie made way more of an impression than the book. I wish I knew more about Updike; I might then be better able to appreciate whatever contrast exists between the two.

suslyn: I welcome your comments. I'm amused by the number of posts. I am currently (based on your suggestion) working through A Severe Mercy which is great. I have to say that the whole life of privilege that is described makes me want to chuck it all and hitchhike to Oxford so I can be profound while drinking lots of wine, but alas. Guess my intellectual growth will have to occur surrounded by kids, snow and dog hair. At least I can still do the wine. C. S. Lewis is my spiritual father, if it isn't too obnoxious to make that claim. (His writing deeply affects me.) So I am a very happy place reading snippets of Lewis' letters to Vanauken.

I really can't stomach Christian fiction as a rule. While some of the concepts, such as Peretti's, are interesting, the execution (i.e. writing) just bogs me down. Call it snobbish, but at times I just can't get past it. Much to the chagrin of some of my friends. Ironically, I am the volunteer librarian at my church, and am continually buying books for others in the church to read that I probably won't ever. I made a presentation at church a couple weeks ago about LibraryThing, having put the church library online (different profile than mine: abchurchak), and wanted to do a demonstration. In discussing our church library I let folks know that I'd started a new section, full of what I described as "heathen" books (no offense intended). That got some nervous laughter from congregants. But my hope is that after people return their "inspirational romances" or Dee Henderson books, someone (please God, SOMEONE!!!) pick up our copy of Don Quixote or Brideshead Revisited...... I can only dream.

288alcottacre
Nov 20, 2008, 4:02 am

alaska: Now, quite after the fact, I would agree with suslyn's assessment as to what constitutes Christian fiction these days. I am with you as far as stomaching Christian fiction. My youngest daughter, on the other hand, inhales the stuff, which I honestly do not mind. It is just not for me.

289TheTortoise
Nov 20, 2008, 4:26 am

Thanks for the comments about "Christian" fiction. I suspected there was a lot of dross about. That's why I have never sought it out. I will stick to the classics!

- TT

290suslyn
Nov 20, 2008, 7:02 am

Have to say that while I don't like the CF stuff either, with a few, okay very few, exceptions, reading Grafton's M is for Malice brought to mind the impetus for the genre. i love that "heathen" books! What about The Big Fisherman and The Silver Chalice -- do you have those and others of that ilk? A man called Peter, Christie... (Is it 'sad' that I could go on and on like this?) hmmm... the touchstones aren't loading

291TadAD
Nov 20, 2008, 7:42 pm

I've never really thought of The Big Fisherman or The Silver Chalice as Christian fiction...though I might consider A Man Called Peter to be...I'd have to re-read it.

As for "classics" of whatever the former genre would be called: Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz was also good, as was Lew Wallace's Ben Hur. Did someone mention The Robe, also by Lloyd Douglas who wrote The Big Fisherman?

292blackdogbooks
Nov 20, 2008, 8:43 pm

You have to write about any of the resonses you get from your church members about the "heathen books"!!!! Love to hear about that.

293alaskabookworm
Nov 20, 2008, 10:22 pm

Actually, after church that day, several people wandered up to the library (usually you can hear crickets chirping in there); and they all excitedly asked in hushed tones and sideways glances: "Where are the heathen books?" They were perhaps disappointed to see "Jane Eyre" and "Cry, the Beloved Country."

Another funny anecdote about that day: so, I was in front of the whole church trying to do a demonstration of LT with internet being projected from the sound booth to the big overhead screen. Unfortunately our net connection is a bit termpermental, and it got stuck on the LT homepage; you know the one: it has that nice stack of books on the left. So, I keep talking, trying to be unphased and flexible, but the congregants start to chuckle and whisper to each other. Now I'm nervous, not sure if my fly is open or toilet paper is hanging from my pants. But I keep talking. Then, one of the younger guys out there, not able to resist any longer, points at the screen and asks, "So, where is THAT book in the church library?" and I turn around and look at the screen with the LT homepage innocently up there, and I realize that one of the titles blazing away in hot pink letters says: "The Lusty Lady." Very deadpan I retorted, "Oh, that's in the "heathen" section. Or maybe in with relationships." I got some laughs.

And to think, I was the kid in school who wanted to crawl under a rock and die when called upon class. Sheesh.

294alaskabookworm
Nov 21, 2008, 1:19 am

94. A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanuaken. A story about a unique marital journey, and eventual spiritual awakening. Intense love and intense loss, seasoned with friendship and insight from the author's remarkable friend, C. S. Lewis.

295alcottacre
Nov 21, 2008, 4:09 am

#294 alaska: I have loved C.S. Lewis for as long as I can remember - since the first time I read the Chronicles of Narnia a century ago. I have read just about all of his books now (his A Grief Observed is one of my favorites), and read all the books I can find about him, including the one that you mentioned. I am going to have to locate my copy and re-read it.

296suslyn
Nov 21, 2008, 7:21 am

Msg 291 -- clarification -- I don't consider The Big Fisherman or The Silver Chalice "Christian fiction" either -- thought they might be an unobjectionable addition to the library, easing folks off the pap into some better books.

Here's a story for y'all. I, like most (all?) of you, have at least one book with me most of the time. I was sitting in church, looked down and saw my current read lying there face up -- Demon lord of Karanda, huge lettering, scary picture. Oops. The funny thing is that fellow is just a blip in the story line. ... I turned the book face down =}

297suslyn
Nov 21, 2008, 7:23 am

Msg 94 oh, but did you like A Severe Mercy? Are you glad you read it?
PS I heard the sequel was not of the same quality.

298TheTortoise
Nov 21, 2008, 3:02 pm

> 293 thanks for the laugh alaska, or should I say "Lusty Lady!

- TT

299alaskabookworm
Nov 21, 2008, 3:15 pm

I really liked A Severe Mercy. I'm very glad I read it; I had it around the house for a couple years. I'm still sort of thinking about it (my brain chugs away rather slowly). There was something a bit annoying about it, though. For one thing, the poetry in it tripped me up a bit. Vanauken's "voice" was just a tad whiny to me, and when he finally had his epiphany towards the end, I couldn't help thinking, "It's about damn time." I loved the descriptions of Oxford, and all things C. S. Lewis, and the times they would sit around drinking wine and talking about deep theological things... A lovely picture.

I happened upon the sequel at a thriftstore the other day. Not sure I'll get to it any time soon.

I'm craving tacos.

300suslyn
Editado: Nov 22, 2008, 10:53 am

oh you cruel woman! Raised in TX with a serious ever-constant craving for TexMex, I can't believe you even mentioned tacos! LOL Yes I agree about the tone, but, like you, I found it a great read. I love that, "It's about damn time." LOL I'll keep an eye peeled (gross picture, non?) for the sequel whenever it happens.

301blackdogbooks
Nov 23, 2008, 9:48 am

Kudos for opening some eyes and minds. I hope the 'heathen section' rounds some folks out. I have often come on passages in such books that have informed my faith.

302alaskabookworm
Nov 25, 2008, 11:37 pm

95. The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky by Ken Dornstein. To coin a cliche: deeply moving. Younger brother Ken, spends 20ish years processing the unconventional life and tragic death of his larger-than-life big brother, David. In David and Ken, I saw myself and other people I've met in life, and walked away from this book with both more answers and more questions regarding the ways I relate to my own friends and family. Ultimately, this is a book about love and grief. And if at times it is frustrating to walk in either David's or Ken's shoes, it is very true and very brave.

303alcottacre
Nov 25, 2008, 11:39 pm

I am glad you had a chance to read The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky and thought it was worth your time.

304Whisper1
Nov 27, 2008, 7:51 am

ditto to post 303.
I really liked this book. And, I agree that it was "deeply moving."

By the way, my husband and I just booked a cruise to Alaska for this summer. I cannot wait!

305suslyn
Nov 27, 2008, 7:55 am

>305 suslyn: oh congrats whisper -- have a great time!

306alcottacre
Nov 27, 2008, 8:09 am

#305: I am sooooooooooo jealous!!

307alaskabookworm
Nov 27, 2008, 4:55 pm

Whisper: will you be coming through Anchorage????

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everyone!

I am thankful for many, many things, not the least of which is living in a place and time where good literature is so readily available.

96. The Clue of Linoleum Lederhosen by M. T. Anderson. The second installment of Anderson's 8-12YO Amazing Adventures series. Very tongue in cheek and funny.

97. Feed by M. T. Anderson. A brilliant book. Anderson continues to amaze me with his creative, alternate-reality thinking, and diversity between books. About the only thing they have in common is how great they are. This one is particularly good; thought-provoking. A futuristic time in America when computers and the internet - the "feed" - are hardwired into the majority of Americans at birth. Our country is controlled by megaconsumerism (even more so than now!!!). Highly recommended.

308suslyn
Nov 27, 2008, 6:19 pm

>307 alaskabookworm: Thx sounds interesting. I love the thing for which you specifically gave thanks above -- good one :)

309Whisper1
Nov 27, 2008, 9:51 pm

Alaskabookworm
We fly from Philadelphia, PA and into Ankorage..then do a land tour through Denali (spelling?) afterward picking up the cruise ship.

We just made the reservations and I've not had a lot of time to study the itinerary. For me, right now, it is enough simply to know that I'm going to a place I dreamed of visiting.

I am soooo excited. I have always wanted to go to Alaska. Sadly, I'm prompted to do this because of the fact that this year three close friends are struggling with cancer. And, I recently attended a service of a 50 year old friend.

My husband and I came to the realization that, in an unhedonistic way, we need to do things we always wanted to do and to seize the day(s).

Any suggestions you can give re. what to see? Thanks!

And, like suslyn, I appreciate your comments thankfulness!

Happy Thanksgiving!

310TheTortoise
Nov 28, 2008, 9:57 am

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

>309 Whisper1: Mrs Whisper, hope you and Mr Whisper enjoy your "unhedonistic" trip to Alaska.

- TT

311Whisper1
Nov 28, 2008, 8:19 pm

TT

Many thanks..We leave in July and it is something to look forward to.

312blackdogbooks
Nov 30, 2008, 2:37 pm

alaskabookworm, picked up a copy of The Terror due to your recommendation, as well as that of several others. One of the used bookstore employees saw the book in my basket and said that he and several of his colleagues have recently finished the book and also loved it! Gonna go on one of my 2009 stacks!

whisper, I have never been to alaska but a friend of mine went and she went on a bear watching tour. the tour featured a canoe ride in the area where grizzlies feed. She got wihtin just a few feet of a curious bear who had a swim out to her canoe and got great photos. That always sounded fun to me.

313alcottacre
Editado: Dic 1, 2008, 2:05 am

#312 BDB: I think I would make sure that the bear had just fed before I let it within a few feet of me!

Oh, and I concur with the recommendation of The Terror. It is very good.

314TheTortoise
Editado: Dic 1, 2008, 9:58 am

>312 blackdogbooks: BDB If a grizzly bear got within 100 yards of me I would not think it fun, and a few feet would be more like the title of the book you have just bought: Terror - fied.

- TT

315blackdogbooks
Dic 1, 2008, 5:22 pm

Come on......communing with nature!!!! Don't be scaredy cats!!!! The guide said it was very unusual behavior and they were in deep enough water to avoid any real danger.

316alaskabookworm
Editado: Dic 1, 2008, 6:31 pm

My husband had to take a bear/gun safety course for his work, and one of the things he learned was that a fearless bear is the most dangerous kind of bear. Hence, one has a much higher probability of being able to practice "gun safety" with the bear that swims towards one's canoe. While fishing last summer, my husband, who is EXTREMELY cautious during bear season, had a discomfiting close encounter. Meanwhile, after having lived in Alaska for five years now, I still haven't seen a bear in the wild.

Anyhow, moving on. I have to share my book bonanza from this afternoon that only YOU will appreciate.

My son requested the first couple books of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. I had added the boxed set of the first six books to my Amazon cart. Price: $25. I'm glad I didn't buy them, though, because today at my most favorite-est thriftstore (SPCA), I found THE FIRST THIRTEEN BOOKS IN THE SERIES, including four hardbacks. Total price: $8. Can you believe it? Do you think God brings us the books we most want to read at rock bottom prices? I'm thinking so.

Whisper: If you can build a couple extra days into your Alaska trip to tool around Anchorage and environs a bit, do so. Depending on what days you're here in July, ie if its during peak fishing time, we could outfit you. There's so much to see, its hard to know where to start, but it sounds like you're on the right track with the inland tour. Denali is spectatular (provided it deigns to make an appearance).

96. The Case of the Linoleum Lederhosen by M. T. Anderson.

97. Feed by M. T. Anderson. Highly recommended.

98. Paper Towns by John Green. Not as good as the last two; but the repetitive themes in this book (how often can you essentially retell the same characters?) are also what I enjoy about Green's writing. It is at heart wholesome and another emotionally honest book about teenage-dom.

317FlossieT
Dic 1, 2008, 6:40 pm

>316 alaskabookworm:: Do you think God brings us the books we most want to read at rock bottom prices? I'm thinking so.

Just laughed very hard at this. Isn't St Bridget supposed to have said that books don't "count" as possessions, so one can own as many as one likes and still not fall into that eye-of-the-needle materialism trap? So I have been told and it was such a comforting thought that I have never quite dared to check out its veracity.

318Prop2gether
Dic 1, 2008, 7:07 pm

Grizzlies, smizzlies, it's the polar bear in The Terror--or just the cold. Enjoy the book--just don't read too much of it in a basement guest room with minimal heating. You'll want those bearskins!

319alaskabookworm
Dic 1, 2008, 7:51 pm

St. Bridget sounds like my kind of saint. I love it.

320alcottacre
Dic 2, 2008, 5:35 am

#316 alaska: Do you think God brings us the books we most want to read at rock bottom prices? I'm thinking so. I just finished reading The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen in which one of the characters has books that she needs appear magically - great thing is, she does not have to pay for them (she confesses that she has not paid for a book from the time she was 12)! Bad thing is, sometimes she does not want to hear what the book is saying.

321TheTortoise
Dic 2, 2008, 5:56 am

>317 FlossieT: Flossie, I vote that we make St Bridget the patron saint of LT. Every time I buy books a little tinge of guilt accompanies me, but now I know that books are not an overwhelming selfish, greedy, covetous, obsessively addictive compulsion, I can quite happily buy as many books as I like from now on, all thanks to St. Bridget!

322alaskabookworm
Dic 2, 2008, 2:58 pm

The Sugar Queen sounds like a must-read to me. How about an experiment? I will "WISH" in my heart and mind for this book, and let's see if it "magically" appears!?

323FlossieT
Dic 2, 2008, 7:14 pm

>321 TheTortoise:, TT, I'm really going to have to go and check this out properly now.... it has just occurred to me that the person who told me this (many years ago now) was an Irish Catholic named Bridget, who has more than your average fondness for books (glamour by association - hey, I'll take what I can get! - for those that have enjoyed Ali Smith, she's named in the acknowledgements of The Accidental) and who might therefore have a vested interest in the story.... but as I say. It's so nice I have always treasured it!!

Also loving the sound of The Sugar Queen. Books that tell us things we don't want to hear can sometimes be doing us good, after all (hmmm, do I get the feeling that this is the moral of the story?)

324Whisper1
Dic 2, 2008, 10:22 pm

I haven't read The Sugar Queen but, I loved Garden Spells It was magical!
I'm adding the former to my ever growing tbr list.
Gosh, with all the books I've added because of this wonderful group, I think I'll need to join a 1,000 book challenge in 2009...
I'm kidding of course...I love this group and wouldn't think of moving.....

325alcottacre
Dic 4, 2008, 3:11 pm

#322-324: alaska, Flossie, Whisper: I thoroughly enjoyed both The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells. I believe I took the recommendation of beserene's list, so she gets all the credit. I preferred Garden Spells by a hair, but both books are very good.

327TrishNYC
Dic 8, 2008, 8:28 pm

What were your thoughts on The Jewel of Medina? I am really curious about this one.

328Whisper1
Dic 8, 2008, 11:59 pm

alaskabookworm
Congratulations on reaching 100 books! Wow. That is quite an accomplishment

329alcottacre
Dic 9, 2008, 12:07 am

Woo Hoo! 100 - congratulations!!

330ronincats
Dic 9, 2008, 12:26 am

Congrats on making the 100 mark! I imagine it's a good thing you don't have to depend on sunlight for your reading this time of year--you'd never make it so far.

331drneutron
Dic 9, 2008, 8:58 am

Yay! Congrats!

332TheTortoise
Dic 9, 2008, 11:21 am

Congrats on reaching 100 , alaska!

- TT

333suslyn
Dic 9, 2008, 12:07 pm

How nice to have a goal met! Good going.

334alaskabookworm
Dic 9, 2008, 8:19 pm

Thanks guys! 100 is a new record for me. I'm very pleased.

TrishNYC, I'm working on my review of The Jewel of Medina. Its almost there... Just a bit more tweaking. Because there was controversy surrounding the book, I'm having a hard time just writing a simple review without getting lost in socio-political fog.

335alaskabookworm
Dic 9, 2008, 11:21 pm


Earlier this year, in an attempt to learn more about Islam, I spent some time trying to find a fictionalized account of Muhammad’s life. At the time, I felt this would be a starting point for learning more about the foundations of Islam. Though my search was certainly not exhaustive, it was purposeful, but in the end I didn’t find any historical fiction about early Islam. I remembered thinking this seemed odd; a completely unmet literary niche. But since I had no plans to write such a book myself, I settled instead for a couple of nonfiction books by Karen Armstrong, which were highly recommended as primers about Muhammad and Islam.
By the time Sherry Jones’ book The Jewel of Medina became an LT ER option, I’d forgotten about my earlier quest to find historical Islamic fiction. Consequently, I neglected to realize that “The Jewel of Medina” is actually something of an extraordinary undertaking. It wasn’t until I was well over half way through the book that I learned about its controversial publication.
The Jewel of Medina tells the story of A’isha, who was married to Muhammad at a very young age (nine?). Her story explores the unique perspective of not only being a child bride, but also of being one of many wives. A’isha’s life occurs during a significant historical crossroads; she was witness to the birth of one of the world’s great religions, and all the bumps that attended that birth. It is also a story about love and friendship, communication and trust. It illustrates A’isha’s journey towards finding peace with oneself and one’s lot in life. While Muhammad is certainly a central character, this is a book about women, and its plotline is driven by their actions and feelings.
From a strictly literary standpoint, the book is mediocre. It is a moderately engaging story; neither difficult book to put down or difficult to pick up. Jones spends most of her time drawing the female characters and fleshing them out (specifically from A’isha’s perspective; the book is written in the first person). There is little room given to the sights, smells, and atmosphere of being in 7th Century Middle East. Consequently, that place to which the reader longs to step into is disappointingly blank. Little of the imagery lingers; there is little sensory stimulation. This was disappointment for me, because the aspect of historical fiction I most enjoy is to be transported to another place and time.
Authors are supposed to write what they know, and though Jones is certainly a woman and writes about women’s issues, she isn’t Muslim. Jones’ characters seem to be drawn heavily from a 20th Century perspective. There is a chasm of character-intuition that is self-defeating. This is a book more about feminism, 7th Century-style, and less about Islam itself.
Furthermore, I kept encountering the fatal flaw of a lot of historical fiction: how much of the story can be trusted as factual? For me, and a lot of my reading friends, this is a significant question. When this question comes between me and my ability to absorb the story, there is a problem. Especially when the story in unfamiliar territory. Jones’ novel is relationally-driven, rather than driven by historical fact.
For a story about the origins of one of history’s most influential and significant religions, the book is notably void of spirituality. This may be part of the inherent problem with writing about another person’s faith. The lack of Muhammad’s poetic revelations is notable. Everyone in the story seems to be paying lip service to “al-Lah”, but there seems to be no real “showing it” examples of the characters being molded and shaped by God. There is no sense of any character – Muhammad included – having a genuine encounter with God.
On the plus side, what Jones does right is to make her characters fully human. Despite their historical importance, they make mistakes; they are driven by lust, greed, and selfishness. In this sense, they are real and accessible. Even if it is from a 20th Century Western feminist perspective, there were times when I had to pause reading the book and imagine myself in a similar culture and time.
Is it possible for a non-Muslim, Western woman to tell this story? This question nagged at me from the get-go. And clearly, this seems to underlay many of my comments. Certainly, it is a story that should be written, as should many other stories about Islam. And if Muslim men and women won’t do it, who then is left?
Turning the question around, could a book about Jesus Christ written by an atheist be relevant? As a Christian, my answer to that question is: yes. If only to understand how someone outside of my belief system views its foundation and founder, yes, such a book would be very valuable. (And many such books – both respectful and scathing - have been written.) It is also likely there would be parts that would seem to “misunderstand” my faith, and perhaps even be offensive. But in a pluralistic society it is a hopeful sign when people of different worldviews and cultural contexts deeply try to respectfully understand and honor each other.
This is certainly what Sherry Jones has tried to do. No, she’s didn’t get everything right, but who of us ever does? If you enjoy Philippa Gregory’s books, and if you liked Anita Diamant’s “The Red Tent,” I suspect you might enjoy “The Jewel of Medina.”

336alaskabookworm
Editado: Dic 13, 2008, 5:53 pm

(Inexplicable duplication of another posting deleted.)

337alaskabookworm
Editado: Dic 13, 2008, 5:53 pm

(A second inexplicable duplication of a posting deleted.)

338alaskabookworm
Editado: Dic 13, 2008, 5:53 pm

(The third, and presumably final, inexplicable duplication of a posting deleted.)

339TheTortoise
Dic 10, 2008, 5:25 am

>335 alaskabookworm: Alaska, I would like to commend you on an excellent review. 4 times!
Well done.

- TT

340alaskabookworm
Dic 10, 2008, 12:13 pm

Oh thank you.

341alaskabookworm
Dic 10, 2008, 7:49 pm

Ah! I posted the review to my blog and Sherry Jones read it! She was very gracious, but I hate it when that happens.

342TrishNYC
Dic 11, 2008, 3:16 am

Whoa Linda, that was a brilliant review. I know a lot about Islamic/Middle History and was on the fence about this book but you review has definitely moved it from the maybe column into the yes column. Again marvelous review and also very insightful. I really like what you said in the final paragraphs.

343alaskabookworm
Dic 11, 2008, 12:32 pm

Thanks TrishNYC.

I just realized that my review is posted four times! I have no idea why. It's self-replicating. Weird.

344dihiba
Dic 13, 2008, 11:18 am

I have had a lot of contact with Muslims in the past few years - mainly students but a few teaching colleagues as well. I may be wrong, but my impression is that "fiction" is not encouraged in the religion - especially about figures tied to Islam.
I think it is considered a form of idolatry, which Mohammed fought strongly against. That is why we never see images of Allah. Many Muslims are also discouraged from acting, the entertainment world, and so on, although this is not uniform. Students have told me that it is considered a sin to take Drama class, but many do.

345alaskabookworm
Dic 13, 2008, 12:39 pm

dihiba: Thank you for that information. That makes a lot of sense. And I appreciate knowing that. It certainly explains why there is such a lack of historical fiction by Muslim authors. This must be why poetry is such an important art form in the Middle East. I must say, I would be very sad to not be able to read and write fiction.

346dihiba
Editado: Dic 13, 2008, 6:36 pm

Just to give a bit of a lie to my own posting : ), I am currently reading Brick Road by Monica Ali. It's not historical fiction, though, but modern. And Ali is British-Bangladeshi.
I am not aware of a ban on the reading of fiction - certainly the students participate in the English and ESL courses which of course, do have fiction studies. I would love to know what the "official" stance is on fiction, if there is one. I think I'll put this question to a Muslim teacher I work with.

347blackdogbooks
Editado: Dic 13, 2008, 6:58 pm

dihiba, let me know what you think of Brick Road by Ali as I just picked that one up.

alaskabookworm, you got your ticker up on your 2009 thread, good job!

348dihiba
Dic 13, 2008, 8:26 pm

I'm just about halfway through and I think it's great! Will post about it when I finish.

349alaskabookworm
Dic 13, 2008, 9:37 pm

bdb: Yeah, I finally spent some time TRYING to catch up on some threads. I sort of set today aside to read. Still my pj's (as are two of the kids), and have artfully avoided the huge pile of dishes in the sink. I'm thrilled the new group is set up and good to go. What a funny bunch we all are.

350suslyn
Dic 14, 2008, 4:48 pm

>349 alaskabookworm: I agree -- and so nice too. I'm really glad I found you all.

351blackdogbooks
Dic 14, 2008, 10:31 pm

You'll have to tell me how you "artfully" avoid chores. I just avoid them, but if I could do it with some elan or chic, I might get away with it more often!!!

Looking forward to your comments, dihiba!

352alaskabookworm
Dic 16, 2008, 9:11 pm

101. Thirsty by M.T. Anderson. A YA story about vampires. I didn't enjoy this as much as Anderson's other books.

102. The Small Woman by Alan Burgess. The true story a English missionary (Gladys Aylward) who travelled alone to China in the 30s, and her amazing life in the secluded mountain villages. Told without much embellishment, her story of courage and love speaks for itself. This is the book club pick for this month.

103. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Another YA book about a futuristic world in which people are "surgically corrected" at age 16 so that everyone is "pretty". The idea is that if everyone looks the same (extraordinary beauty becomes common), there will be true equality. It seems to be working, but the protagonist, who is on the cusp of her 16th birthday, discovers there's more going on than meets the eye. I liked this book a lot more than I thought it would and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

blackdogbooks: Artful avoidance looks something like this: I poetically pirouette past the putrid piles! I sashay singing songs and spinning circles around soiled sweaters and socks! (Can't alliterate anymore right now. So silly.)

353Whisper1
Dic 16, 2008, 9:37 pm

Linda
I like your description of Uglies I'm placing this on the 2009 tbr pile.

354alcottacre
Dic 17, 2008, 4:47 am

#352: Linda, I have The Small Woman home from the library and will be reading it in upcoming weeks. Aylward was one of my childhood heroes and I am glad this book about her is a good one.

355Whisper1
Dic 17, 2008, 7:20 am

Hopefully I'll have time to read over the holidays. I want to get to the library today and check out The Small Woman and Uglies

356suslyn
Editado: Dic 17, 2008, 7:41 am

I love The Small Woman but boy howdy did she make me mad! I wanted to step in and shake her. Wish I'd been on the field with her to help her examine her choices -- if she ended up making the same one, fine, but working as she did I think she was really bereft of the counsel of community. Even working as part of team, there was for me and my teammates a dearth of wise counsel to query, encourage, affirm, correct as we faced those life choices we all make.

357alaskabookworm
Dic 17, 2008, 11:18 am

suslyn: I think for all those reasons, it will be interesting to discuss Aylward at my book group. In some ways, she seemed a very naive and simple. Yet, in face of reality, she was amazingly courageous. I cannot imagine walking in her shoes for even a few minutes. Too bad you can't hop on up to Anchorage for my book group's discussion!

358suslyn
Dic 17, 2008, 11:42 am

or walking to china! I'd love to be there too :)

359alaskabookworm
Dic 17, 2008, 12:13 pm

104. I Once Was Lost by Don Everts. Though this was okay, it wasn't quite what I was hoping. Rather than conversations with people new to the Christian faith, it was more of a how-to-evangelize handbook, which was not why I picked it up.

360suslyn
Editado: Dic 17, 2008, 1:59 pm

That would be disappointing. Jesus for Jews might be a good read for you. if testimonies is what you were looking for.

ETA: Since it's published by Jews for Jesus I'm sure it's still evangelical in bent, but it's a series of stories of different Jews who came to embrace Jesus as Messiah.

361suslyn
Editado: Dic 17, 2008, 2:02 pm

just saw you read Left Behind -- did you hate that? I thought the first book was so-so, not terrible, but after that it quickly denigrated into what I call 'headlines' -- no development just quick blurbs. phaw!

ET fix touchstone

362alaskabookworm
Dic 17, 2008, 8:09 pm

I never read Left Behind. Where does it say that? Curious. I did read the first page once, but that's about it. I've often had "issues" with church friends who've, because they know I'm a serious reader, recommended books that I tried but thought were trite and poorly written.

I'm trying to be less of a reading-snob because I have to respect anyone who actually has the gumption to finish their manuscript and get it published. That's a lot more than I can say for myself, who has like three half-written manuscripts. Mine might be slightly better written than some things that have been published (or not), but if I never finish, what's the point?

363suslyn
Dic 17, 2008, 8:22 pm

>362 alaskabookworm: LOL it doesn't ... ummm that was an example I used in my explanation of Christian Fiction to TT. Sorry. (so embarrassing!)

I saw the title in the sidebar and assumed... and you know what they say about assumption!

Well I've just about come to the point where I think just because you can write doesn't mean you should publish. I've been begged for years by profs, students and friends to write, but...

364alaskabookworm
Dic 17, 2008, 11:29 pm

You probably actually have something to write about!

365suslyn
Dic 18, 2008, 12:56 am

:)

366alaskabookworm
Dic 21, 2008, 3:40 am

105. The Brentford Triangle by Robert Rankin. The second in the multi-tome "trilogy" by Rankin. This story involves alien invasion, Edgar Allan Poe, and lots of beer. How could you go wrong? I'm appalled Rankin isn't more readily available or well-known in the states.

367alcottacre
Dic 21, 2008, 4:09 am

Let me guess - Edgar Allan Poe was actually an alien, lol. I will have to hunt for Robert Rankin's books. I had never heard of him prior to your thread.

Have you had a chance to glimpse at the books yet? I hope they are something you will like!

368TheTortoise
Editado: Dic 23, 2008, 7:50 am

>367 alcottacre: Stasia, that reminds me, I must read some of the Edgy Alien Poet.

- TT

369alaskabookworm
Dic 22, 2008, 2:52 pm

What's most charming about EAP's presence in The Brentford Triangle is that he isn't an alien at all!

I have been Interlibrary Loaning Rankin's books, as they are a little hard to come by.

Stasia, I haven't started the books yet; I'm trying to get through a dwindling pile of library books that are fast approaching their due dates. But then they're next! I've got them sitting on the table waiting. They are get a wee bit impatient to be introduced, as am I, I'll admit.

106. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. Was it blackdogbooks that recently these? And a bunch of folks in this group had also read them, so I got this one from the library and LOVED it! The whole time I was thinking it would make a great movie!

370TadAD
Dic 22, 2008, 3:44 pm

>369 alaskabookworm::

'Twas I. I'm glad you liked it.

371alaskabookworm
Dic 22, 2008, 8:39 pm

Ah ha! Thanks TadAD! It really was great.

372alaskabookworm
Editado: Dic 26, 2008, 5:47 pm

107. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. This book has been recommended by numerous folks on this thread (my copy is actually a gift from one of them!). It is a gentle magically realistic book about a small town in North Carolina. Primarlity a romance where love conquers all, I spent all morning laying in bed and read it straight through. A great way to unwind from the holidays.

373Whisper1
Dic 26, 2008, 11:29 pm

alaskabookworm

I thought Garden Spells was a magical book. I liked it very much.

And, I enjoyed your description of it.

374alcottacre
Dic 27, 2008, 2:23 am

I am very glad you enjoyed Garden Spells!

375alaskabookworm
Dic 27, 2008, 1:18 pm

Currently making fast work of The Sugar Queen which I'm liking even more (books that magically appear - I get down with that). I would have finished it last night, but my husband and I are bonding over Season 4 of Lost, and we had to watch three episodes.

376alaskabookworm
Dic 27, 2008, 7:59 pm

108. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. Though Allen uses a similar mixture of ingredients in this book as are in her first (Garden Spells), I was thoroughly charmed. Of the two, I preferred this one, as I found the quirks of its characters more similar to my own. Allen's use of magical realism is skillfully controlled and very engaging. Thanks to all who either recommended/gifted to me this book.

Meanwhile, I got a copy of The Buried Book from the library today (as well as four others that I probably won't get around to reading!)

377alcottacre
Dic 28, 2008, 8:59 am

I read The Buried Book earlier this year. I hope you like it.

Glad to know that you liked the two books!

378alaskabookworm
Dic 28, 2008, 11:51 am

My mom came into town last night and she asked me if I had any reading suggestions. I immediately plopped The Sugar Queen in her lap. She was surprised by how quick my response was.

379alcottacre
Dic 29, 2008, 12:24 am

I hope you have a great visit with your mom and that she enjoys the book as well. Spread the love around, lol!

380alcottacre
Dic 30, 2008, 5:41 am

I just finished The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, and in doing some further research about Gladys Aylward, I came across the following anecdote about how the book came to be written. I thought you might be interested:

Gladys Aylward (1902-1970)

Gladys returned from China to England in the late 1940's an unknown missionary. Alan Burgess, who was producing a series on war heroes for the BBC radio, visited her in the hope a missionary could tell him about heroes she had heard about in China. Well, no, she said in her rusty English. She didn't actually know any heroes.
"What about yourself?" he asked the little woman half-heartedly. "Did you have a scrape or two?"
"I doubt people who listen to BBC would think I've done anything interesting."
"Didn't you even come into contact with the Japanese invaders?" he pressed.
"Yes," she answered cryptically. It wouldn't be very forgiving if she told Alan Burgess the Japanese had shot her down in a field outside Tsechow. Bombed her too. In Yangcheng. Strafed her near Lingchuang too. Smashed her on the noggin once with a rifle butt too. Finally put a price on her head: dead or alive. "Some Japanese are very nice, you know," she volunteered.
"Apparently your life in China was rather sheltered," he grunted dryly.
Gladys had to offer the poor man something. "I did take some children to an orphanage near Sian."
"You don't say?" he grumbled, not hiding disappointment. "Kids? To an orphanage?"
"Yes, we had to cross some mountains."
Burgess perked up. "Real mountains?"
"Yes, I believe you would call them real mountains. The journey was made more difficult because we couldn't walk on the main trails. Oh, and then we had to get across the Yellow River too."
"Isn't that the notorious river that drowns so many it's called 'China's Sorrow'?"
Burgess was more and more aghast as Gladys detailed her trek. His voice choked. "You ran out of food? You had no money? Just you and 100 kids - many of whom were toddlers - trekked for one month across mountains, across the Yellow River, ducking Japanese patrols and dive bombers? And at Sian you were diagnosed with typhus and pneumonia and malnutrition? Yes, Miss Aylward, I think people who listen to BBC would think you've done something interesting…"

381TheTortoise
Dic 30, 2008, 6:10 am

>380 alcottacre: Stasia, I loved the Aylward anecdote - it made me smile. Thanks

- TT

382alcottacre
Dic 30, 2008, 6:21 am

Glad I could brighten your day a bit, TT :)

383lenereadsnok
Dic 30, 2008, 11:06 am

I'm reading The Small Woman now. Thanks for the additional information. It is a wonderful book isn't it.
Do you know if the movie The Inn of the Sixth Happiness was made from this book? It is my husbands favorite movie.

384TadAD
Dic 30, 2008, 11:32 am

>380 alcottacre:: Sounds like something I would like.

385suslyn
Dic 30, 2008, 2:28 pm

>383 lenereadsnok: I don't know if the book was made from the movie -- She was such a great subject! Glad you enjoyed her story Stasia :) As you know, for me, there's just about nothing better than a missionary biography -- even my beloved fantasy LOL

If you read Foreign Devil in China I'd be very interested in your take. For me, he is the best example of a well-balanced life. So many Christians do one thing well (if that!), but this guy was a really good dad AND really good at his ministry. I really don't think they gloss over his mistakes and characters flaws, rather I think this guy came closer than most of us do to living out his heritage in Christ.

Happy New Year sis.

Susan

386alcottacre
Dic 30, 2008, 6:49 pm

#383 lene: The movie was made from the book.

387alaskabookworm
Dic 30, 2008, 10:56 pm

Stasia, Today was book club in which we discussed The Small Woman. I wish I had read your anecdote to the group (but I hadn't seen it yet)! It answered the big question I had: who was Alan Burgess and how did Aylward's story come to be told? I am so glad you shared that! Thank you. I'm going to forward it by email to my book club members.

Apparently there was a big hullabaloo about the movie, with Aylward having some objections to Ingrid Bergman playing her. Some very interesting discussion.

388alaskabookworm
Ene 3, 2009, 6:28 pm

109. Doubting by Alister McGrath.

110. The Buried Book by David Damrosch. Finished this at 5:45pm on New Years' Eve - just minutes before the first guest showed up at the party we hosted. *Phew!*

389Whisper1
Ene 3, 2009, 8:58 pm

Linda
Congratulations on finishing 110 books in 2008. That is an amazing feat! By the way, I adore the funny looking creature on your home page. Can you tell me about him, ie is he a character from a book?

390alaskabookworm
Ene 4, 2009, 12:04 am

Linda/Whisper: I don't know where that image came from originally - embedded in some "joke" email I received some years ago. I was so taken by the image, I saved a jpeg on the computer - and, Wa-la!, my profile pic. Though I question its accuracy as far as capturing the essence of "Me" (I'm a dog-person), that picture still makes me smile (something about being a bedraggled, water-logged amalgamation of species).

391tradermike
Abr 27, 2010, 4:10 pm

Good review.

I just finished the book, too.

You expressed all of what I also thought of her book and even more that I hadn't thought of, but your words came out better than my thoughts.