Smiler: Speedier than Lightning in 2011... #12

Talk75 Books Challenge for 2011

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Smiler: Speedier than Lightning in 2011... #12

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1Smiler69
Edited: Nov 1, 2011, 9:21 pm


Richard Diebenkorn (April 22, 1922 – March 30, 1993) was a well-known 20th century American painter. His early work is associated with Abstract expressionism and the Bay Area Figurative Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. His later work (best known as the Ocean Park paintings) were instrumental to his achievement of worldwide acclaim. (from wikipedia)



Currently Reading:
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon by Émile Zola



My Threads
Part Un (Books 1-5)
Part Deux (Books 6-29)
Part Trois (Books 30-54)
Part Quatre (Books 55-72)
Part Cinq (Books 73-99)
Part Six (Books 100-110)
Part Sept (Books 111-128)
Part Huit (Books 129-145)
Part Neuf (Books 146-181)
Part Dix (Books 182-200)
Part Onze (Books 201-220)

11 in 11 Challenge:
Category #1: English Language Classics 11/11 - COMPLETED
Category #2: Classic French Authors 6/11
Category #3: Mysteries & Crime Fiction 9/11
Category #4: Visual Arts 8/11
Category #5: Books Published Since 2009 10/11
Category #6: New To Me Authors 10/11
Category #7: Big and Scary: books over 400 pages 10/11
Category #8: The Two World Wars and the Time In-Between 10/11
Category #9: En Français 9/11
Category #10: Sooner Than Later: Recent Acquisitions 9/11
Category #11: The Film Might Be Good But the Book is Better 9/11

2Smiler69
Edited: Nov 1, 2011, 7:28 pm

Books completed in October
221. ♫ Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear ★★★¼ (review)
222. The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling ★★★¼ (review)
223. Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart ★★★½ (review)
224. Dust by Arthur Slade ★★★★ (review)
225. ♫ Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese ★★★★½ (review)
226. ♫ The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison ★★★★½ (review)
227. ♫ Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie ★★★¾ (review)
228. Alexey Brodovitch by Kerry William Purcell ★★★★ (review)
229. ♫ Summer by Edith Wharton ★★★ (review)
230. Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires ★★★★½ (review)
231. ♫ Kim by Rudyard Kipling ★★★½ (review)
232. Chien de faïence (The Terracotta Dog) by Andrea Camilleri (rating & review on the way) ☀
233. ♫ Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark (rating & review on the way) ☀
234. ♫ Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck (rating & review on the way) ☀
235. Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires (rating & review on the way) ☀

Books completed in November
236. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (rating & review on the way) ☀
237. ♫ We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (rating & review on the way) ☀



My rating system:
★ - hated it (may or may not have finished it but listing it for the trouble)
★★ - it was just ok
★★★ - enjoyed it (good)
★★★★ - loved it! (very good)
★★★★★ - all-time favourite (blew me away—will read again)

⅛ ¼ ⅓ ½ ¾ ⅞

♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
☀ = TIOLI

3Smiler69
Edited: Nov 1, 2011, 7:44 pm

Suggested reads for October

☛❉ Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (Library Book, TIOLI Challenge #18: A book that has been mentioned in 150 conversations or less)
☛❉ Dust by Arthur Slade (Library Book, TIOLI Challenge #18)
☛❉ Chien de faïence (The Terracotta Dog) by Andrea Camilleri (Library Book, TIOLI #9)
☛✔ The Ghost Road by Pat Barker (TIOLI Challenge #18)
☛✔ Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch (TIOLI Challenge #11)
☛✔ The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (TIOLI #1: A novel assigned in an English class)
☛✔ Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (TIOLI Challenge #2: Read a Characteristic Work of the 75 Book Challenge group)
☛✔ Alexey Brodovitch by Kerry William Purcell (TIOLI Challenge #3: About an artist for National Arts & Humanities Month, 11 in 11: Visual Arts)
☛✔ Avedon Fashion 1944-2000 by Carol Squiers (TIOLI Challenge #3, 11 in 11: Visual Arts)
☛✔ Polio: An American Story by David M. Oshinsky (TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book about infectious diseases)
☛♫ Summer by Edith Wharton (TIOLI Challenge #1)
☛♫ Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (TIOLI Challenge #2)
☛♫ Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (TIOLI Challenge #2)
☛♫ A Room with a View by E. M. Forster (TIOLI Challenge #4: Author using anything other than the simplest version of their name)
☛♫ To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (TIOLI Challenge #11)
☛♫ Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie (TIOLI Challenge #17: Letter X in the title)

Nobel Prize month suggested reads

☛✔ Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa (TIOLI Challenge #18)
☛✔ The Elephant's Journey by José Saramago (TIOLI Challenge #18)
☛♫ The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison (TIOLI Challenge #18)
☛♫ Kim by Rudyard Kipling (TIOLI Challenge #11: author whose first and last names have # of letters)
☛♫ Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck (TIOLI Challenge #8)

Suggested reads for November

* ☛❉ Son Excellence Eugène Rougon by Émile Zola (TIOLI Challenge #1: at least one animal mentioned on page 50) - Reading
☛*The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (group read, TIOLI Challenge #1, 11/11 Category #10: Recent Acquisitions)
☛✔ One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (TIOLI Challenge #1)
☛♫ Emma by Jane Austen (TIOLI Challenge #1, Category #11: The Film Might Be Good But the Book is Better)
☛✔ Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa (TIOLI Challenge #3: found by mashing 2 tags; one seldom-used, one much-used)
☛♫ 1984 by George Orwell (TIOLI Challenge #3, Category #11: The Film Might Be Good But the Book is Better)
☛* ❉ La femme au miroir by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt (due 20-11-11, TIOLI Challenge #8: an author I've only read ONE book from, 11/11 Category #9: En Français)
☛❉ Me and You by Anthony Browne (TIOLI Challenge #9: a book Reviewed and Recommended by a Fellow 75r during the month of October 2011)
☛♫ We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson (TIOLI Challenge #9)
☛❉ Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz (TIOLI Challenge #10: originally written in a language that is NOT a lingua franca: Hebrew)

(tbc)

* = must read
♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
❉ = library
☛ = TIOLI

4Smiler69
Edited: Oct 10, 2011, 7:33 pm

Books I've read so far:

January:
1. Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler (TIOLI) ★★★★ (review)
2. La Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty) by Tahar Ben Jelloun (TIOLI) ★★★★ (review)
3. Regeneration - 1st of the Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker (TIOLI) ★★★★★ (review)
4. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane ★★★ (review)
5. Sanderson: The Essence of English Decoration by Mary Schoeser ★★★★½ (review)
6. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (TIOLI) ★★★ (review)
7. Doors Open by Ian Rankin (TIOLI) ★★★ (review)
8. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson ★★★★ (review)
9. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon ★★★★ (review)
10. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt (TIOLI) ★★★★ (review)
11. Egon Schiele: The Leopold Collection by Rudolf Leopold (TIOLI) ★★★½ (review)
12. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (TIOLI, Group Read) ★★★ (review)
13. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket ★★★ (review)
14. The Arrival by Shaun Tan ★★★★★ (review)
15. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak ★★★★ (review)
16. The Bells by Richard Harvell ★★★★ (review)
17. Black and Blue by Ian Rankin ★★½ (TIOLI) (review)
18. ♫ Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens ★★★ (TIOLI) (review)
19. ♫ Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney ★★★★ (review)
20. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom ★★★★ (review)

February:
21. Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon ★★★ (review)
22. ♫ Skellig by David Almond ★★★ (review)
23. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman ★★★★★ (review)
24. Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe ★★★½ (review)
25. ♫ The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman ★★★★★ (review)
26. ♫ The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West ★★★★½ (review)
27. ♫ The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ★★★★⅓ (review)
28. ♫ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll ★★★★½ (notes on the audiobook)
29. Three Seconds by Roslund & Hellström ★★★ (review)
30. The Turn of the Screw and The Aspern Papers by Henry James ★★★★ (review)
31. ♫ The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie ★★★½ (review)
32. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski ★★★★ (review)
33. ♫ Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ★★★★¼ (review)
34. La Fortune des Rougons by Émile Zola ★★★★ (review)
35. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ★★★★ (review)
36. ♫ The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton ★★★★ (review)
37. The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker ★★★⅘ (review)

March:
38. ♫ Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood ★★★⅘ (review)
39. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot ★★★★¼ (review)
40. ♫ The Help by Kathryn Stockett ★★★★⅓ (review)
41. Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman ★★★¾ (review)
42. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko ★★★¾ (review)
43. ♫ The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie ★★★ (review)
44. Coraline by Neil Gaiman ★★★★ (review)
45. Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan ★★★★ (review)
46. Dead Souls by Ian Rankin ★★½ (review)
47. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney ★★½ (review)
48. ♫ Already Dead by Charlie Huston ★★★¾ (review)
49. ♫ The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman ★★★★⅓ (review)
50. ♫ Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene ★★★½ (review)
51. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman ★★★¾ (review)
52. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen ★★⅚ (review)
53. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy ★★⅚ (review)
54. ♫ Tripwire by Lee Child ★★★★ (review)
55. The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri ★★★½ (review)
56. ♫ Matilda by Roald Dahl ★★★★ (review)
57. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James ★★★★½ (review)

April:
58. ♫ Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog) by Jerome K. Jerome ★★★★ (review)
59. Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman ★★½ (review)
60. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón ★★★★⅝ (review)
61. ♫ Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain ★★★★ (review)
62. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick ★★★★ (review)
63. Invisible River by Helena McEwen ★ (Read for Early Reviewers) (review)
64. ♫ Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn ★★★★⅓ (review)
65. ♫ Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson ★★★★⅞ (review)
66. ♫ Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh ★★★★⅓ (review)
67. La Curée (The Kill) by Émile Zola ★★★★⅓ (review)
68. ♫ The Inimitable Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse ★★⅘ (review)
69. The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton ★★½ (review)
70. Mockingjay (Hunger Games 3) by Suzanne Collins ★★★★ (review)
71. ♫ Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë ★★★★⅞ (review)
72. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman ★★★★½ (review)
73. Apollo's Angels : A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans ★★★★½ (review)
74. ♫ Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori: Book 2) by Lian Hearn ★★★½ (review)
75. ♫ The Fall of the House of Usher: The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe ★★★⅝ (review)
76. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway ★★★★ (review)
77. ♫ The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino ★★★⅓ (review)
78. Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris) by Émile Zola ★★★★⅓ (review)

May:
79. ♫ Animal Farm by George Orwell ★★★★★ (review)
80. Playback: A Graphic Novel by Raymond Chandler ★★¼ (review)
81. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys ★★★★¼ (review)
82. ♫ Dubliners by James Joyce ★★★★ (review)
83. ♫ The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht ★★★★★ (review)
84. ♫ Gros-Câlin by Romain Gary ★★★★⅓ (review)
85. L'argent facile (Easy Money) - Stockholm Noir 1, by Jens Lapidus ★½ (review)
86. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo ★★★★ (review)
87. ♫ And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie ★★★★ (review)
88. Emma, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori ★★½ (review)
89. ♫ La petite fille de monsieur Linh (Monsieur Linh and His Child) by Philippe Claudel ★★★★½ (review)
90. Lost & Found by Shaun Tan ★★★★★ (review)
91. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain ★★★★ (review)
92. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen ★★★ (review)
93. ♫ Mansfield Park by Jane Austen ★★★¾ (review)
94. The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva ★★★¾ (review)
95. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger ★★½ (review)
96. Daytripper by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba ★★★½ (review)
97. ♫ Killing Floor by Lee Child ★★★½ (review)
98. ♫ Flying Too High : a Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood ★★★½ (review)
99. Silas Marner by George Eliot ★★★★ (review)
100. ♫ An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin ★★★★⅓ (review)

June
101. Le Chat du Rabbin: La Bar-Mitsva (The Rabbi's Cat, Book 1) ★★★★⅓ (review)
102. ♫ Les âmes grises (By a Slow River) by Philippe Claudel ★★★★½ (review)
103. Monstres Malades by Emmanuelle Houdart ★★★★ (review)
104. Le Chat du Rabbin: Le Malka des Lions (The Rabbi's Cat, Book 2) ★★★★ (review)
105. The Haunted Playground by Shaun Tan ★★★½ (review)
106. In Search of Klingsor by Jorge Volpi ★★½ (review)
107. ♫ The Prestige by Christopher Priest ★★★⅞ (review)
108. Le Chat du Rabbin: L'Exode (The Rabbi's Cat, Book 3) ★★★★ (review)
109. ♫ Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant ★★★★½ (review)
110. ♫ The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey ★★★★ (review)
111. The Tiger : A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant ★★★★ (review)
112. ♫ The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell ★★★¾ (review)
113. The Deadly Doll by Janine Burke ★★★★ (review)
114. ♫ Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach, read by Samuel L. Jackson ★★★★½ (review)
115. La Conquête de Plassans / The Conquest of Plassans by Émile Zola ★★★★⅓ (review)
116. The Art of Asking Your Boss for a Raise by Georges Perec ★★★ (review)
117. ♫ Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller ★★★½ (review)
118. Trapped by James Moloney ★★½ (review)
119. L'apprentissage amoureux by Laetitia Bourget ★★★★⅓ (review)
120. ♫ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (BBC Radio Collection) by Douglas Adams ★★★★★ (review)
121. Le Chat du Rabbin: Le Paradis terrestre (The Rabbi's Cat, Book 4) ★★★½ (review)

July
122. Blanche Neige by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★★¾ (review)
123. The Old Child by Jenny Erpenbeck ★★★½ (review)
124. ♫ Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ★★★½ (review)
125. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo ★★★½ (review)
126. The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin ★★★★ (review)
127. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes ★★★★ (review)
128. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo ★★★★★ (review)
129. ♫ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain ★★★★ (review)
130. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame ★★★★ (review)
131. L'enfant silence by by Cécile Roumiguière & Benjamin Lacombe ★★★★⅓ (review)
132. Le petit chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding Hood) by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★★ (review)
133. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan ★★★★ (review)
134. Le Carnet Rouge by Benjamin Lacombe illustrated by Agata Kawa ★★★★¾ (review)
135. ♫ Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris ★★★★ (review)
136. ♫ The Cat in the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites by Dr. Seuss ★★★★ (review)
137. ♫ The Roald Dahl Audio CD Collection by Roald Dahl ★★★★⅓ (review)
138. Le chat du rabbin 5: Jérusalem d'Afrique by Joann Sfar ★★★★⅓ (review)
139. Flotsam by David Wiesner ★★★★½ (review)
140. The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo ★★★★⅓ (review)
141. Le bois de Klara / Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck ★★★½ (review)
142. ♫ Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson ★★★ (review)
143. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman ★★★★⅓ (review)
144. Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones ★★★½ (review)
145. La funeste nuit d'Ernest by Sébastien Perez, Illustrated by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★ (review)
146. Longs Cheveux by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★ (review)
147. Blues Bayou by Benjamin Lacombe illustrated by Daniela Cytryn ��★★★(review)
148. Cerise Griotte / Cherry and Olve by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★ (review)
149. Pourquoi la carapace de la tortue... ? by Mimi Barthélémy illustrated by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★ (review)
150. Les Amants Papillons by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★★ (review)
151. La grande journée du petit Lin Yi / Lin Yi's Lantern by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★ (review)
152. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead ★★★★⅓ (review)

August
153. Hurricane by David Wiesner ★★★ (review)
154. Kite flier by Dennis Haseley ★★½ (review)
155. Tuesday by David Wiesner ★★★★ (review)
156. Sector 7 by David Wiesner ★★★★ (review)
157. June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner ★★★★½ (review)
158. La Petite Sorcière by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★½ (review)
159. Grimoire de Sorcières by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★★½ (review)
160. ♫ Watership Down by Richard Adams ★★★½ (review)
161. ♫ Charlotte's Web by E. B. White ★★½ (review)
162. La mélodie des tuyaux by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★★ (review)
163. L'Esprit du temps, tome 1 by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★½ (review)
164. L'Esprit du temps, tome 2 by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★ (review)
165. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ★★★★★ (review)
166. L'amoureux by Rébecca Dautremer ★★★ (review)
167. Cyrano by Taï-Marc Le Thanh, illustrated by Rébecca Dautremer ★★★★ (review)
168. Nasreddine by Odile Weulersse, illustrated by Rébecca Dautremer ★★★★½ (review)
169. L'ange de grand père / Grandpa's Angel by Jutta Bauer ★★★★½ (review)
170. Selma by Jutta Bauer ★★★★⅞ (review)
171. Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire ★★★★ (review)
172. ♫ A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith ★★★★½ (review)
173. ♫ Once Upon A Time In The North by Philip Pullman ★★★★ (review)
174. ♫ Brokeback Mountain by E. Annie Proulx ★★★★½ (review)
175. Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo ★★★★★ (review)
176. La faute de l'abbé Mouret / The Sin of Father Mouret by Émile Zola ★★⅞ (review)
177. Un Lion à Paris by Beatrice Alemagna ★★★★★ (review)
178. Le trésor de Clara by Beatrice Alemagna ★★★½ (review)
179. Le secret d'Ugolin by Beatrice Alemagna ★★★★ (review)
180. Un jour, grand-père m'a donné un ruisseau by Gaëlle Perret, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty ★★★★ (review)
181. Tristan et Iseult by Béatrice Fontanel, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty ★★★★ (review)
182. ♫ Rules of Civility by Amor Towles ★★★ (review)
183. Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer ★★★★ (review)
184. ♫ The Scarecrow And His Servant by Philip Pullman ★★★ (review)
185. Renard & Renard (Kleines Glück & Wilde Welt) by Max Bolliger, illustrated by Klaus Ensikat ★★★★ (review)
186. Princesses oubliées ou inconnues... / The Secret Lives of Princesses by Philippe Lechermeier, illustrated by Rébecca Dautremer ★★★ (review)
187. Tigre le Dévoué by Qifeng Shen, illustrated by Agata Kawa ★★★★ (review)
188. Rossignol by Benjamin Perez, illustrated by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★★ (review)
189. Rose Blanche by Christophe Gallaz, illustrated by Roberto Innocenti ★★★★ (review)
190. The Miracle of the Bears by Wolf Erlbruch ★★★ (review)
191. The Fearsome Five by Wolf Erlbruch ★★★½ (review)
192. Histoire courte d'une goutte by Beatrice Alemagna ★★★¾ (review)
193. L'enfant qui mangeait les nuages by Agnès Lestrade, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty ★★★★ (review)
194. The Crows of Pearblossom by Aldous Huxley, illustrated by Sophie Blackall ★★★½ (review)
195. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin ★★★★½ (review)
196. Destins de Chiens by Benjamin Lacombe ★★★½ (review)
197. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo ★★★★★ (review)

September
198. ♫ Great Expectations by Charles Dickens ★★★½ (review)
199. One City, Two Brothers by Chris Smith, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty ★★★¼ (review)
200. Nasreddine & son âne by Odile Weulersse, illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer ★★★★ (review)
201. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck ★★★★★ (review)
202. ♫ Still Life by Louise Penny ★★★ (review)
203. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt ★★★★½ (review)
204. ♫ The Hunter: A Parker Novel by Richard Stark ★★★★ (review)
205. ♫ The Man with the Getaway Face Richard Stark ★★★★ (review)
205. ♫ Die Trying by Lee Child ★★★½ (review)
206. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton ★★★★ (review)
207. I Am the Great Horse by Katherine Roberts ★★½ (review)
208. The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi ★★★ (review)
209. Bugs in a Blanket by Beatrice Alemagna ★★★ (review)
210. J'ai le droit d'être un enfant by Alain Serres, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty ★★★ (review)
211. The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo ★★★ (review)
212. Fil de Fée by Philippe Lechermeier, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty ★★★ (review)
213. ♫ Farm Boy by Michael Morpurgo ★★★ (review)
214. ♫ The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull ★★★⅞ (review)
215. Pearl of China by Anchee Min ★★★½ (review)
216. From the Land of the Moon by Milena Agus ★★★★★ (review)
217. ♫ The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey ★★★½ (review)
218. ♫ Memento Mori by Muriel Spark ★★★★ (review)
219. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes ★★ (review)
220. Carte Blanche by Carlo Lucarelli ★★★½ (review)

Note: touchstone books are rated 4.5 and up.

5Smiler69
Edited: Oct 6, 2011, 11:11 pm

Books I'd like to read this year (*options* not obligations!)
✔★ Prodigal Summer and/or The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Polio: An American Story by David M. Oshinsky
Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
✔★ The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
✔♫★ Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
✔♫★ Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
✔★ La Fortune des Rougons by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 1)
♫★ Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
♫★ Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Moment of Seeing by Stephanie Comer
✔★ The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
✔ The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
✔★ The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky --->keep for 2012
✔★ Samarcande by Amin Maalouf
La vie devant soi (The Life Before Us) by Romain Gary
Stupeurs et tremblements Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb
✔★ L'enfant de sable (The Sand Child) by Tahar Ben Jelloun
✔★ The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
✔ Crete by Barry Unsworth --->keep for 2012
✔★ Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
✔★ Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
♫★ The Difference Engine by William Gibson
✔★ The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi --->keep for 2012
✔★ One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
✔★ The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
✔★ The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
✔★ The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
✔ La Curée by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 2)
❉ Le Ventre de Paris by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 3)
❉ La Conquête de Plassans by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 4)
❉ La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 5)
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 6)
L'Assomoir by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 7)
Une Page d'Amour by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 8)
Nana by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 9)
Pot-Bouille by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 10)
Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola (Rougon-Macquart 11)
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
❉ To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
❉ Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans
Cleopatra : A Life by Stacy Schiff
✔★ The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
✔★ The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
♫ The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman
✔★ L'élégance du hérisson by Muriel Barbery --->keep for 2012
✔ La forme de l'eau by Andrea Camilleri
l'Excursion à Tindari by Andrea Camilleri
L'enfant de Noé by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
La reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas --->keep for 2012
✔★ Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
✔★ The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
♫♞ A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
♫❉ An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
♫★ Animal Farm by George Orwell
♫❉ Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
♫♞ As You Like It by Shakespeare
♫❉ Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières
♫❉ Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo --->keep for 2012
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
♫♞ Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
♫❉ Dubliners by James Joyce
♫❉ Gros-câlin by Romain Gary
♫★ Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon --->keep for 2012
♫❉ No Dominion by Charlie Huston (unfinished)
Passing by Nella Larsen
♫❉ Tales Of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe
♫❉ Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
♫❉ The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde (unfinished)
♫❉ The Blue Notebook by James Levine
♫♞ The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
♫❉ The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark
♫❉ Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
♫❉ Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
♫❉ When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
✔★ The Tenant and the Motive by Javier Cercas
✔★ Possession by A.S. Byatt
✔★ The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa
✔★ Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa
✔★ Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker
✔★ There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
✔★ Queenpin by Megan Abbott
✔★ The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson
✔★ Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill
✔★ The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace
✔★ The World of Gloria Vanderbilt by Wendy Goodman
✔★ Avedon Fashion 1944-2000 by Carol Squiers

✔ = off the shelf
♫ = audiobook (all acquired in 2011)
❉ = library
★ = acquired in 2011
♞ = performance

(ongoing editing)

6Smiler69
Edited: Oct 6, 2011, 11:59 pm




Untitled by Richard Diebenkorn (1945-46)

I discovered Diebenkorn last spring, when our watercolours teacher gave us an exercise based on this painting, which I fell in love with. I like the watercolour painting at the top for the beautiful colour combinations, unusual composition and it's apparent simplicity which might make us think "hey, I could do that" precisely because it's the kind of image that encourages me to pick up my paints and do some exploring too.

7Smiler69
Edited: Oct 7, 2011, 11:30 pm





218. ♫ Memento Mori by Muriel Spark ★★★★
(Read for TIOLI # 19: A book with similar tags to one of the books in your library using the LT tag recommendation feature)

If I wasn't entirely sure what to make of Muriel Spark after reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Memento Mori has turned me into one of her biggest fans. When Dame Lettie Colston receives another in a series of what appear to be crank calls—the caller always delivering the same message "Remember you must die"—she is, of course, deeply disturbed. Is the caller a madman? Is it someone close to her trying to scare her to death in hopes of coming into a large inheritance? Eventually, most of her acquaintances, including her brother Godfrey and his wife, Charmian, a once celebrated novelist well into her eighties sinking into dementia, also receive the strange calls. Far from convincing the police to take the matter seriously, the victims each claiming that the caller is a different person and that a gang must therefore be behind the hoax, has the officials thinking the whole case is a perfect example of mass hysteria.

I had read some excellent reviews about this book (including this one), which, according to some sources, might be Spark's best novel, so did come to it with some expectations and was pleasantly surprised to find that it more than deserved the praise. The biggest surprise was that Spark managed to make a book about death and dying so funny and not the least bit morbid (or hardly at all) and the group of elderly characters—the youngest of them at just over seventy—an absolutely fascinating bunch to read about. The audiobook version read by Nadia May is also highly recommended.

Here is a Guardian article about the joy of rereading Memento Mori, something I will be doing too eventually.

8DeltaQueen50
Oct 7, 2011, 12:11 am

Hi Ilana I have just been catching up on threads tonight, and I wanted to stop by, say Hi and leave a star. I think you need some (((Hugs))) as well.

I also think we would all be shocked if suddenly presented with a list of our actual book spending. I've been trying to cut back, but it's hard when so many good books are brought to our attention!

9Storeetllr
Oct 7, 2011, 1:02 am

Memento Mori sounds fascinating. I haven't read Sparks before but, after your review, it will be my first.

Have to say I don't understand most modern art, but I like the two paintings you posted above, especially the first one, probably because of the colors but also something about it is very restful to the eye. Although I love the brillliant colors of the second one.

{{{big hug}}}

10Smiler69
Edited: Oct 7, 2011, 1:41 am

#8 Hi Judy, so nice to have your visit. And the hugs are much appreciated.

I also think we would all be shocked if suddenly presented with a list of our actual book spending

I'd like it if we'd all do a bit of a comparison. Might help me put it in perspective. Or give up on book-buying for the next decade or so. ;-)

#9 Nice to see you Mary. I hope you like your first experience with Muriel Spark. I accumulated no less than 4 audiobooks of various works of hers, and am relieved that I liked this one so much as bodes well for the others.

I knew when I posted those Diebenkorn paintings that probably lots of visitors to this thread wouldn't *get* it, because abstract art isn't everybody's cup of tea, but since it's something I've grown to truly love, it was bound to show up in my threads, especially as most of what I consider my best work is abstract too. Glad you enjoyed these two examples. The good news about most modern art is that there isn't much to "understand"; it's really more about listening to what reaction the work brings up for you the viewer. Most artists, though not all of course, couldn't really explain in any logical way what they were trying to communicate. It just becomes an instinctive process that has very little to do with logic.

*****

So I waited on the phone for about 45 minutes to speak to the good people at Apple so I could order my own iPhone 4S, since I've been due for an upgrade since last December with my current carrier. Turns out when they said the phone lines would be open to take orders starting at 12:01 a.m. on the 7th, they mean Pacific Time. So I waited all that time because essentially, the crew manning the phones is telling all the hundreds of thousands of callers who also assumed Eastern time the same thing. Figures.

Tomorrow I have an outing with my new friend, 93-year old Liselotte. I was supposed to go see her art show with her, and told her I'd call her last week, but then was too low to talk to anyone. She called me yesterday and I said "so when are we going to your show?" and she told me it was over. These are the kinds of things I feel guilty about for the rest of my days. But apparently she still wants to be my friend, since she did call me back. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has added a whole new wing which includes a concert hall, and they are having all kinds of events to celebrate the inauguration this month. I had already purchased tickets in the Spring to go see two concerts with my new friend which are coming up a couple of weeks from now (a Beethoven recital and a Balinese dance and music performance). This week they have a bunch of activities exclusively for friends of the museum, so when I got the schedule last week, I reserved two tickets for a session of 5 short films about Canadian artists. I had planned to invite Liselotte and was glad when she took me up on it. If I could go back and choose between her show and the short movies, I'd obviously choose to see my friend's art. oy.

11EBT1002
Oct 7, 2011, 1:40 am

Ilana, I love the art work at the top of your new thread. I haven't known Diebenkorn's work but both examples you've posted are, well, wonderful.

Also have me thinking I'll check out Muriel Spark (what a great name!). :-)

I hope you're well.

12Smiler69
Oct 7, 2011, 1:42 am

Ellen, looks like we cross-posted. Always lovely to hear from you. See my message above for the latest news. xx

13vancouverdeb
Edited: Oct 7, 2011, 8:05 am

Hmmm Ilana - -Memento Mori sounds fascinating. I've got a couple of books by Muriel Spark Muriel Spark - that one there - click on it, and this one All of the Stories of Muriel Spark .Dash it - neither has Memento Mori. I'll have to keep an eye out for it!

Oh well, not to make light of your not going to your class, but I totally understand.

As for my book spending, well, I eat my receipts. I hope your day with Lisolette goes well - but if not, take it easy on yourself.

I won't pretend to know anything about modern art -but I do know that I love the colours! Beautiful!

I hope you enjoy Cutting for Stone. It was one of my favourite books a couple of years ago. It's a somewhat complex tale , which I could never take in by audio , but you seem to do very well that way!

Hugs for a great day!

14DragonFreak
Edited: Oct 7, 2011, 8:30 am

Looking at your paintings, I have no idea what Abstract Expressionism is for. I don't know what they are. There was a time when I tried painitng, but I quit when I couldn't do abstract art. (Ignore that last sentence. It was a line of mine in a play I was in)

15PaulCranswick
Oct 7, 2011, 9:42 am

Just calling in to star - you're closing in on 200 books this year wowzer!

Do like Muriel Spark's books generally some of her earlier one's especially. Look out for The Mandelbaum Gate and The Comforters both of which are excellent IMO.

16jolerie
Oct 7, 2011, 11:40 am

Placing my star firmly on your thread! If I haven't said it before, thank you Ilana for taking the time to share with us the things that are dear and near to your heart. It makes this world seem so much smaller and closer when on sites like this, we are actually getting to know the person (in your case, your love and dedication to the arts), and it's not just about books (although that is also fine). I appreciate your honesty and courage to open minds and stretch comfort zones especially for people like me who definitely know little to nothing about art.

17EBT1002
Oct 7, 2011, 11:49 am

What Valerie said!!!!

18gennyt
Oct 7, 2011, 12:12 pm

Good afternoon Ilana - at least it is afternoon here, I get confused with all the time zones!

Love the colours of the Diebenkorn - someone I hadn't come across before.

Memento Mori does sound good - I only know of Miss Jean Brodie and have not read that either.

I'm glad you've arranged something nice to do with your friend Liselotte - hope you can leave behind the regret about what did not happen and focus on the good things that will happen instead!

19PrueGallagher
Oct 7, 2011, 3:00 pm

Hello lovely! Got you starred - love the watercolours. Thank you for bringing them to us!

20LauraBrook
Oct 7, 2011, 3:44 pm

Just here to plonk a *star* on your new digs, and a quick wish that you're having a good Friday!

21Matke
Oct 7, 2011, 7:23 pm

Very nice art work; even I could appreciate it, with my desire to find the "pictures" in abstract art, a sad failing I'm trying to overcome.

{{{Ilana}}}

22EBT1002
Oct 7, 2011, 7:27 pm

What I love is that everytime I visit your thread, I automatically get to see that beautiful and intriguing watercolor at the top. I see something different each time!

23DeltaQueen50
Oct 7, 2011, 8:38 pm

Back to wish you a lovely Thanksgiving weekend.

I buy pretty much all my books on my Visa card so I will dig out the last few months statements and I will get back to you on the amount. I'm probably going to shock myself, but even that probably won't stop me!

24KiwiNyx
Oct 7, 2011, 9:33 pm

Hi Ilana, leaving my star. When the first image first started to load I tried to guess who it might be. Haven't heard of Diebenkorn before but I especially love the second image and have already seen half a dozen pictures within that one picture. Sorry to hear that you're not up to the art class at the moment but I certainly understand, creativity comes from a secure place deep within and if you don't feel right than it's not something you can do with any enjoyment.

The outing with your friend sounds really nice, as do the shows you're going to see. Enjoy yourself!

23 - Is it really thanksgiving for you guys? I always thought that was in November..

25MickyFine
Oct 7, 2011, 10:01 pm

Dropping off a star and wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving, Ilana!

26EBT1002
Oct 7, 2011, 11:26 pm

Oh, how much I spend on books...... Not pretty. I don't know that I can reconstruct the past few months but I can track the next few. It will be an eye-opener, I know.

27katiekrug
Oct 7, 2011, 11:41 pm

De-lurking to say I don't see the point in tracking what I spend on books. It's a lot, yes, but my mortgage and car payments are made, retirement account is paid into, the power/gas/water are still on, I support my aging father, no one in this house is going hungry, credit cards are paid in full each month, etc etc etc. And I contribute to charities, so the rest of my disposable income is my own. And this is exactly what I tell my husband every time I bring a bag of books into the house and he raises his eyebrows ;)

28Smiler69
Oct 8, 2011, 12:01 am

My outing went very nicely today. We arranged to meet on the ground floor of Holt Renfrew, which is our upscale Canadian department store and is located within a block from the museum. On the way there I thought I'd get myself that new shade of lipstick I've been hankering for (bright red, but ever so slightly, barely orangey—lights up the face instantly). As it happens, when I arrived I found Liselotte at the Clinique counter buying... lipstick!

The short films themselves were very inspiring. There were five of them, filmed between 1969 and 1990. My three favourites were about David Milne, J. W. Morrice and the Group of Seven. Very inspiring stuff. I'll probably blog about it and include some paintings by those artists, so I'll be sure to leave a link here for those interested.

After the showing, we took the bus a few stops to my friend's place, which is just up the hill from mine, and when she invited me up for a drink I couldn't resist. So we had sherry, a few nibbles and a nice chat. It's so easy spending time with her because she has so many stories to tell about people she's known and things and places she's seen. I keep telling her she should write a book and she just waves the idea away.

#13 Hi Deborah! Glad you enjoy the art. Muriel Spark has produced quite a body of work, which is good news since there is plenty more for me to explore. The other novels I currently have by her are The Girls of Slender Means, A Far Cry from Kensington, and Loitering with Intent, but something tells me I won't stop there. I read an excellent review for Aiding and Abetting by one of our members and I see Paul is recommending a couple of other titles too.

I'm really enjoying Cutting for Stone such a rich story with fascinating characters. It's a real pleasure, especially as the narrator is very good too.

#14 Nathan, it took me quite some time to come around to abstract art. When I was growing up, I only had eyes for the Renaissance artists because to me the level of skill they displayed in producing images that were better than real life seemed like an ideal to aim for. Over time, my tastes and understanding have evolved and I now just look at art in terms of whether it elicits a response in me or not. I have a great love of line, colour and shape, and abstract art often pares everything down to those essentials.

#15 Paul, yes, over 200 books, but I padded my numbers with plenty of children's books and short works. I'll have to do a count towards the end of the year of actual novels to get an idea of the *real* numbers. But the way I see it, a book is a book and I like to keep track of everything I read, since there have been times when reading was a real luxury.

I've taken note of The Mandelbaum Gate and The Comforters and will add both to my wishlist since they get your stamp of approval. Thanks for the suggestions. See? Even I'm not safe from book bullets on my own thread!

#16 Valerie... all I can think to say right now is "Wow, gee, thanks... You're making me sound mighty good my friend!"

#17, 22, 25 What I love is that everytime I visit your thread, I automatically get to see that beautiful and intriguing watercolor at the top. I see something different each time!

That means my job is done. :-)

I don't know that I can reconstruct the past few months but I can track the next few. It will be an eye-opener, I know.

I have to wonder if any of us really want to know just how much we spend on books in any given year. Do you think a thread where we track our book spending would work? lol. The trouble with me is that books are just ONE of many other (often expensive) hobbies. As you can imagine, art supplies aren't exactly cheap either, but at least those I can claim for tax deductions. Only thing is, I'll have to actually sell at least ONE of my pieces eventually to justify that.

#18 Genny, I'm fairly sure we're 5 hours behind you here in Montreal. Whenever I want to talk to my mum, I have to factor she's 6 hours ahead in France, so I'm used to keeping track of different time zones. I'm assuming right now you're deep into REM sleep.

I started with Miss Jean Brodie and honestly, I think I would have appreciated that book more had I started with Memento Mori, which gave me a good sense of Sparks type of dark humour. With the former, I was just bewildered, basically.

#19 Hi Prue, glad you've found me again, and also glad you're enjoying my *daring exploit* of presenting the kind of art that I know isn't to everyone's liking. But I figure if we're willing to go out of our comfort zones with books, why not with visual arts too, right? ;-)

29MickyFine
Oct 8, 2011, 12:17 am

Oh Group of Seven is good stuff. They're some of my dad's favourite artists and I enjoy them quite a bit as well (although really I prefer Impressionistic stuff). Their landscapes and the textures of their paintings are gorgeous though.

30Smiler69
Oct 8, 2011, 12:35 am

#20 Hello Laura, thanks for that *plonk*—quite a satisfying sound in this case. I had a lovely day today, so I guess your wish worked!

#21 Gail, my dear, I don't see why you say it's a sad failing. As far as I'm concerned, there's no "right" way or "wrong" way of looking at art. That's one of the great things about it—each viewer is free to interpret the work in their own way. I find it helps sometimes to know about the artist's intentions, background, etc etc, but when you approach the work with no prior knowledge, you really see it with no preconceived notions. If you see images within the images, then all the power to you! If not, heh, so what? ;-)

#23 Hi Judy, thanks for the Thanksgiving wish, which I extend to you too of course. We've never really celebrated it though, even when most of my family was in the same region, but I do like the idea of this holiday.

You know, right after I came home after that ChaptersIndigo shocker, I started looking up a few art books that my teacher had shown us at the beginning of the week and comparison shopping between Amazon, ChaptersIndigo and BookDepository. I like buying my art books from our Canadian book seller when the prices justify it—especially those I haven't had the opportunity to leaf through properly, because that way I can have a quick look at them and return them fuss-free if I don't find they're worth the investment. Art books... is it any wonder I end up with astronomical expenditures? Still, I'll be curious to compare figures with you.

#24 Welcome Leonie! I hadn't heard of Diebenkorn either until this past Spring. Our art teachers are great for that, always bringing in inspiration from other artists. The painting class... on the one hand, I feel really badly about cancelling it, because it's a personal projects class and the teacher is a woman I think is just amazing. But I had decided that I wouldn't start more canvases and instead try to finish a few of my dozen or so unfinished works and that prospect, along with the idea of lugging so many materials around just seemed to be more than I could stand. It is what it is. Nothing prevents me from working on my paintings at home either.

The outing was very lovely thank you.

Canadian and American Thanksgiving aren't celebrated at the same time. I've never known the reason for this. So while ours is in October, you're right that in the U.S. it's celebrated in November, where it's a much bigger deal than it is here, as I understand it.

#27 Oh Katie... reading your message just drives home how badly I need help from someone like you to get my house in order! Financially speaking that is. Unfortunately, I learned from my mum to spend the money while it's there, so have been rather more like the grasshopper up till now, though I so wish I had the level-headed ant's approach! *Big, Big Sigh*. So, I have no idea what my retirement will be like, but in the meantime I'm spoiling myself plenty so when I get there, I might be broke, but at least I'll have lots of pretty things!

#29 Mickey, I think you would have enjoyed the short film they showed about the Group of Seven. They talked a lot about their treks into the wild Canadian terrain and showed some of their influences. Their work just exudes nature with it's smells and sounds and feeling. They ended the film on a rather unsettling note though when they pointed out that most of what had been untouched scenery is probably already lost to industry and commerce... and this statement was made in 1990!

31Chatterbox
Oct 8, 2011, 2:30 am

I lurve Group of Seven works, so will be looking forward to the link. Also enjoy David Milne; saw an exhibit of his work at the McMichael Collection a while back. Morrice, I'm not so familiar with.

There is an excellent newish book by Ross King about the Group of 7 out that I read at the beginning of the year -- def. recommend it.

My faves are probably Tom Thomson and AY Jackson. I'd be interested in seeing a curated exhibit of some of the work the group and its various related painters did as war artists in WW1...

32gennyt
Oct 8, 2011, 4:31 am

5 hours it is then - I know Toronto is 5 hours behind here because I have a RL friend there, but I was not sure if you were in the same zone as Toronto.

33Matke
Oct 8, 2011, 4:18 pm

Following up on your suggestion, I did a rundown of the money on books...a lot. More than I realized, too. Of course, I have all the same points as katiekrug, but it still is a big, a very big number. Don't know if I'm in shock currently, or what, but I don't feel bad about it...or at least not very much. Did you feel guilty or just surprised?

>32 gennyt:: Thank you for showing us about the time, as I often see the time in the corner and wonder what is going on; all clear now.

34vancouverdeb
Oct 8, 2011, 7:33 pm

Ilana, I'm so delighted that your day out went so well! How delightful!! Glad that you are enjoying Cutting For Stone . I'll have to get to Muriel Sparks sooner than later. Happy Thanksgiving!

35avatiakh
Oct 8, 2011, 7:48 pm

Just dropping by to say hello. Glad that your day out was a success and can understand about dropping out from the art class, it did sound like a big commitment being a full day affair. What would you have done with Coco?
I would not like to work out how much I've spent on books since joining the LT groups. I know that I have to start using a spreadsheet wishlist instead of online shopping baskets/wishlists. I also need to curb my overenthusiastic requesting of books from the library.
I've now got Muriel Spark's Loitering with intent audiobook from the library because of all the above love of Sparks. I've only read The Prime of Jean Brodie and liked it a lot.

36Smiler69
Oct 8, 2011, 9:17 pm

#31 Hi Suzanne, I'll have to put that post together soon, but it won't be today. I'm always amazed by how impossibly productive you are; participating here on LT full tilt on a daily basis, reading a-book-a-day, plus your journalism career, PLUS writing books. And all that while suffering terrible migraines. I'm exhausted after having just typed that. How do you do it woman?? Which is to say that I barely manage to keep up with my own thread here with the little energy I have, so everything else, including my blog, ends up suffering.

Interesting that you mention the Group of Seven as WWI artists. I did not know about that. Interestingly enough, the short movie about Milne mentioned that he'd been commissioned as an artist to depict WWI, but the movie about the Group of Seven focused on their passion for painting the Canadian wilderness. I didn't think I knew Morris either, until they showed one painting, a semi-nude which looked incredibly familiar. Turns out I had that painting as a poster for many years when I was a student and knew all about him then, but had forgotten about it. Ditched the poster at some point because I'd gotten it laminated back then—didn't know better at that point—now looking for it via google, can't find a decent-sized reproduction of it. Will have to dig deeper I guess.

#32 I'm always surprised that Toronto and Montreal are in the same time zone too Genny, because the two are so different they may as well be in different countries (and never mind those who actually want to have it that way).

#33 Gail, I don't know if I started a good thing or not because now a bunch of us are going to be looking at our numbers, which inevitably will throw us off since we're all maniacs who buy more than we can possibly read. I felt surprised, for sure, but then hadn't even stopped to ask myself how much I was spending, then felt guilty because... I hadn't even stopped to ask myself how much I was spending on books and I'm just so bad with my money and have always been out of control with my spending; I want, I get. If only that were the end of the story!

#34 Thanks Deborah. Cutting for Stone is great, but I must say I'm amazed that I can take it, what with all the descriptions of repulsive medical conditions and detailed explanations about medical procedures. Especially as I'm usually very easily freaked out by all that stuff. For example, I've been known to faint at the sight of blood and generally have a weak stomach. I often listen to audios as I'm preparing and even eating dinner, so I'll be biting into a cracker covered with hummus before returning to chopping ingredients and hearing all about a complicated surgery to correct particularly disgusting gynaecological diseases. It's a wonder I've managed to hold my food down really. A Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

#35 A spreadsheet wishlist? What's that? You've got my attention there Kerry.

For the full day class, I had worked out that I would go in an hour or ninety minutes late so I could take Coco out and then return for his next walk after no more than six hours or so. He's got his crate (which the cats have appropriated for themselves) so it keeps him out of trouble while I'm away and he's used to it by now.
As I've probably mentioned, I didn't quite know what to make of Miss Jean Brodie when I read it first as didn't really get the humour in it, so I'll definitely have to revisit it eventually so I can appreciate it better.

*****

Well, as has been the pattern these past couple of years, I was, and am, completely exhausted today. The pattern being that one day of activity is followed by a day of near catatonic state. I very nearly gave in to torpor and made my way back to bed shortly after getting up in the afternoon, but instead managed to drag myself to a nearby park which I love (the one with the fountain that I've mentioned a few times) where Coco can run around with other dogs and I like to read by the splashing water. There is a portion of the park that has these concrete picnic tables under trees and there are often gatherings there—today there was a kid's birthday party so lots of cheerful noises in the background and proud young parents walking their little babies and toddlers around. For some reason, I'm always more interested in looking at the dogs. Obviously my wiring is faulty.

It was a gorgeous and warm day today, probably one of the last such days before the cold settles in for good, so it was nice reading outside for a couple of hours, during which I managed to finally finish Bridge of Birds. It was a very good story, but as I'm not making enough time for reading lately, it took me forever to get through and I'm happy to finally being able to move on to something else. Haven't decided what yet. Would like to read a Nobel book, but am also way behind in my Émile Zola category for my 11 in 11 challenge, so might opt for that.

Coming up: a photo or two of that water fountain and mayhap a review too!

37Smiler69
Oct 8, 2011, 10:04 pm


The best feature of my favourite park taken from where I sat and read today.


My little buddy.

38ChelleBearss
Oct 8, 2011, 10:31 pm

That looks like a great place to sit and read! :)

39Smiler69
Edited: Jan 31, 2012, 7:19 pm



219. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes ★★
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #19: Read a book with similar tags to one of the books in your library using the LT tag recommendation feature)

Tony is retired and has plenty of time on his hands to think about the past and bask in tender memories. A group of friends met in high school. A first girlfriend. A marriage followed by children and an amicable divorce. Then he receives a letter from a lawyer telling him he's been left a document in the will of an acquaintance he had not been in contact with for decades. Suddenly, he's confronted by ugliness from the past he had conveniently put out of his mind.

Why I didn't care: the narrator was completely unsympathetic and mostly insipid, which wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't found the story didn't appeal to me either. Tony has had a very conventional life and has always made choices to allow him to stay well within his comfort zone. Then he creates a whole lot of drama about an incident which he thinks he's responsible for, but which belies the notion of free will and that ultimately, we are each responsible for our own decisions. Admittedly, I didn't understand the big denouement, even though I read back and forth to find the clues and try to put it together. But ultimately, I couldn't be bothered. Yes, the writing is good, but I wasn't transported as I have been reading other books. Yes the story makes us question our own past and the accuracy of our memories of it, but revisiting my own past uncovers more ugliness than I'm willing to look into, and which I've been trying to work out in therapy for years, thank you very much. So that's that. I'll read more Barnes with pleasure, but only because I've read another of his books which I've enjoyed, because based on this book, I wouldn't see the point of delving further into his writing. Having said that, I'm willing to consider the possibility that I just didn't get it.

40Smiler69
Oct 8, 2011, 10:38 pm

#38 Chelle, of course there are plenty of ideal reading spots; this is definitely one of them.

41jolerie
Oct 8, 2011, 10:43 pm

That park and the fountain looks like a wonderful place to just kick back, read a book, and watch as people go about their lives. :) I think if I could find a place like that where I live, I would just sit there, watch the people and make up stories of their lives. I'd probably snicker to myself which would cause people to stare, but so much fun to just make things up!
Coco is absolutely precious and huggable!
Hopefully your next book will be a more engaging one Ilana!

42ronincats
Oct 8, 2011, 10:48 pm

Better late than never! Patiently waiting for what you thought of The Jungle Books and Bridge of Birds.

43Smiler69
Edited: Oct 8, 2011, 11:01 pm



220. Carte Blanche by Carlo Lucarelli ★★★½
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book whose cover is in one of the 3 prime colours)

The year is 1945 and Italy is still at the mercy of the fascist regime for a little while longer. Commissario De Luca has just been transferred to the regular police force; there are six different organizations policing the nation and each other, and De Luca figures that his move will mean less politics and less danger. His first case is to figure out who killed a very well connected playboy who was found in his luxurious apartment stabbed and castrated. De Luca is told he has 'carte blanche' to investigate and find the murderer, as long as the person he finds is the one his superiors want him to arrest. Soon he is hopelessly embroiled between opposing power factions pitted against one another, drugs use and trafficking, sex, more dead bodies and a very real threat to his life. This is the first in the hardboiled De Luca trilogy, and there's a good chance I'll be finishing this series of short tomes quite soon.

44Smiler69
Oct 8, 2011, 11:05 pm

#41 Valerie, it's funny because of course I find it impossible to sit and read without taking frequent breaks to look around at the wide variety of people and dogs who come in and out of the park grounds, and I was just thinking to myself today that this was the perfect place... to make up stories about people. Great minds think alike! ;-)

#42 Hi Roni, you're not late at all, we're just getting started here! I hope I don't disappoint you when I finally get around to writing those reviews. I've still got some mulling over to do before I get there though.

45PaulCranswick
Oct 9, 2011, 1:49 am

Ilana - divergence of opinions makes for a good thread! If everyone read the Barnes book and loved it we wouldn't have so much to discuss. Have read four of his books to date - loved one Arthur & George, liked one A History of the World in 10.5 chapters and didn't care much about the other two Cross Channel and England, England. Have most of his work somewhere in the house or office and will get round to The Sense of an Ending with an open mind. Darryl and others may have imppeccable taste but it may not always coincide with mine!

On the expenditure on books I calculated that I have spent almost $5,000 this year to date and this does make me feel a little guilty. I always start the year with resolutions to only buy one book for every two read and am usually fine until mid February when most resolutions are jetisoned as a matter of course.

46Matke
Edited: Oct 9, 2011, 7:38 am

>45 PaulCranswick:: Paul, wow! A big number. Still, one could be spending those dollars on far worse things. Certainly my own number (app. 2200) is not small. Reading is what keeps me sane (well, as sane as I'm going to be anytime soon), so it's a good investment.

Ilana, Coco is absolutely adorable. That pic made me smile instantly. The fountain is beautiful too, of course, but your little gentleman...my.

ETA: Re: Steinbeck: I'm currently reading Travels with Charlie, in which Charlie is a standard poodle, beloved companion of the author. It's delightful.

47Fourpawz2
Oct 9, 2011, 9:20 am

It sounds as if you and your friend had a really great day - one those really nice old-fashioned girly days - the kind I used to imagine I would have when I grew up. Guess I haven't grown up yet cuz I haven't had any of those yet. She sounds like a very interesting person. How nice that she is with it and healthy. Maybe you should write her story if she can't be talked into doing it herself.

As for Diebenkorn, well, I'm afraid I'm one of those people for whom this style is not my cup of tea. ( Heck, tea isn't my cup of tea - have never been able to like the stuff much, even though I want to.) For me it all just looks like messes of color with no point to it. Am afraid I am just too pedestrian when it comes to art. I want to be looking at actual things, places, animals or people.

Love the sound of Memento Mori. That one went right on to the GFW.

As for money spent on books - I have never totaled those amounts and don't ever intend to. Too scarey! However, in order to keep from digging myself into a giant financial hole, I do keep a kind of book fund that I add to every month and work off of that. I find that if I write down what I have, money-wise, and divide everything up, on paper, so that I can designate what is meant to be spent where, it all goes rather more smoothly for me. I've got all these categories - books, Willie's special food, credit card purchases, clothes, food (not the weekly purchases - just the extra expensive things), gifts. Anything extra I just put it into the general fund or my savings account. It works better for me to be able to see it that way instead of just the total amount of what I've got to work with. Of course it really helps to buy so many of my books second-hand and super-cheap on amazon. That way I don't pass out when I go to my indie store and buy actual new books.

Thanks for the new picture of Coco. He's so fantastically adorable! I wonder if he knows how many fans he has.

48Storeetllr
Oct 9, 2011, 3:00 pm

Hi, Ilana ~ Coco's just adorable! Reminds me of the one I saw yesterday while out driving. I was stopped at a light next to the car she was riding in. I made kissy noises & said hi and she (I think it was a she, what with the pink bow on top of her head) got so excited. She was wiggling around and wagging her tail so hard, the woman holding her turned to look what the excitement was all about. We exchanged pleasantries, and the woman agreed that she knew she was the cutest thing alive.

About buying books, I've been mostly borrowing books from the library over the past 15 years, especially the last 5 since I moved out of my large-ish house and into a tiny apartment. Before that, though, I spent a great deal on books which are now in boxes (dozens of boxes) in storage. Before I buy too many more, I am going to have to set up a wall of bookcases to hold the ones I already have. In the meantime, though, I'm satisfying my book-buying addiction by buying eBooks for my Kindle.

49Smiler69
Edited: Oct 9, 2011, 8:34 pm

#45 Paul, your message makes me feel better on so many levels, you have no idea, so thank you for that.

I've read Barnes' Arthur & George and enjoyed it, but would have enjoyed it all the more had I read any Sherlock Holmes stories first. I have the complete stories in two books on my coffee table, waiting patiently. It's been there for I don't know how many months now. I also have A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters waiting on my shelves, and will definitely get to Flaubert's Parrot, though I'd like to actually read some Flaubert first. I'll be curious to see what you think of Sense of an Ending.

Your number as far as book spending makes me sigh a sigh of relief, because I'm probably at half that. Though I realize that numbers don't mean a thing. We all have different incomes, obligations, spending ability and whatnot, so it's all very relative of course. Still, I'll take the time to estimate what my actual number is and try to be a responsible consumer. Wish me luck with that.

#46 Reading is what keeps me sane (well, as sane as I'm going to be anytime soon)

That goes for me too Gail, though I'd also add Coco in there. He's probably more effective than any of the pills I'm more or less forced to take every day. Just looking at that face makes me melt every time, so I'm always glad to see it's not just me; he has that effect on most everybody.

I just saw that Travels with Charlie is available on an audiobook, narrated by Gary Sinise, so might possibly join you this month, as it would also fit into the Nobel Prize challenge.

#47 one those really nice old-fashioned girly days - the kind I used to imagine I would have when I grew up

Charlotte, funnily enough, as we were sitting there having our sherry, I told her I was sure that when I'd blog or post about our day together, people would totally have this image of two well-bred-ladies-who-lunch doing their thing. It's true that it might sound all grown up and all, but I think we're both just kids in spirit, though it's nice being with someone who no doubt was a luncheon lady at some point and who's so laid back and beyond caring about appearances.

About Diebenkorn, no worries; I knew when I chose that image that it wouldn't be everybody's cuppa. Rarely is there consensus among everybody about most things, but abstract art is very divisive. If you only like figurative art, that's fair enough. At least you know what you like, but I'd say you might want to try to keep an open mind nonetheless. Was a time I thought abstraction was the most ridiculous thing ever. Certain tastes evolve sometimes. Or not. I happen to love tea and have all sorts, though I must say I'm particularly fond of Earl Grey.

Coco is so used to being fawned over that when he goes up to someone who ignores him, he looks all confused and hurt, as if saying "WHAT?? Don't you see how cute I am? Why don't you like me and pet me now? Why Why Why?!? Here: look at me again, I'm sure you won't be able to resist me. Everybody thinks I'm so gosh darn cute and you will too. Just... Look... look... LOOK!!!"

#48 Hi Mary, nice to see you here! I have to say that because of Coco, I end up having conversations with a whole bunch of people almost every time I take him out. He forces me to be sociable that way because people often ask me questions like "what kind of dog is he" or ask about his age or say he looks just like a lamb, or a teddy bear and so on and so forth. If it weren't for him, I'd be all sullen and ignoring people. No. I wouldn't be out, period.

You sound so reasonable as far as book expenses go! I thought joining the library would curb my book-buying, and I guess it did to a certain extent, but what it really did was stop me from using BookMooch so much, because I'd rather not have so many books cluttering my already beyond cluttered-up space if I don't mean to read them again. And then of course I've added on audiobook purchases, though of course I try to borrow all I can from the library too, though they have a limited selection of those.

50jdthloue
Edited: Oct 9, 2011, 8:45 pm

Phew! Finally made it here....



I went through a serious Muriel Spark stage about 20 years ago...read everything i could get my paws on......can't remember individual books but I know I love here work. Recently got my own copies of some titles through BookMooch and PaperbackSwap...maybe someday I'll re-read. I'm glad you're enjoying her work

;-}

That Coco is a doll.....so cute (in a good way) with such wise eyes!

51EBT1002
Oct 10, 2011, 12:56 am

Ilana,
I have been so very busy I haven't had a chance to check in on LT all weekend. I love the picture of the fountain in your favorite park - it looks like a lovely place to sit and read (weather allowing, which apparently it was!). And COCO........ I love that little guy!! The picture of him on the brick pathway is just so adorable. Thank you for sharing.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy The Sense of an Ending. Like you, I've been looking forward to reading it based largely on Darryl's (and others') positive reviews. It's still on order at the local library so I suspect it will be at least November before I get to read it. And you know, one thing I love about LT is that we all get interested in what each other is reading, we all go to our library or bookstore and seek out books recommended by our buddies on line, and sometimes we like what they recommended, and sometimes we don't. (I'm tempted to break into French here, but it would be so silly to do so with you, my French-speaking friend!). So, I'll just say, I appreciate all our differences.

I hope you have a good week. I also hope I can stop by a bit more frequently.

xoxox

52casvelyn
Edited: Oct 10, 2011, 11:37 am

>49 Smiler69: I love tea too, although I don't particularly care for Earl Grey. I do have a black tea-bergamot perfume that smells amazing, though.

I do like the Diebenkorn paintings, although abstract art isn't usually my cup of tea. I love Medieval art and the Pre-Raphaelites and Edward Hopper - I have no idea what they all have in common, but I do tend towards paintings done with oils rather than watercolors and art in general that uses deep, rich color. Jewel tones are the best!

I think I've spent ~$300 (excluding textbooks) on books this year. I'm a poor grad student, so my book-buying habits will change drastically once I graduate and find full-time work. Actually, what I most look forward to about having a "real" job is establishing budget lines for books and for non-essential foods like wine and chocolate.

53DeltaQueen50
Oct 10, 2011, 2:55 pm

Hi Ilana, I did my exercise with my last four month's Visa bills, and I seem to be averaging about $130.00 a month on book purchases. I can live with that as I earn a small salary for doing my husband's accounting, so spending a portion of that on books is ok by me. I do believe that my monthly totals have gone down this year as I buy more Kindle copies and less actual books.

54Smiler69
Edited: Oct 10, 2011, 7:28 pm

#50 Hi Jude, I guess I'm late to discover Muriel Spark, especially considering I know she's sometimes read in school, but it's never too late to discover any author is it?

#51 Hi Ellen, let me guess... you were about to say "Vive la différence", right? Please don't be shy to practice your French around me. I imagine that The Sense of an Ending is one of those books that will get all kinds of reactions. I'll be looking forward to your whenever you get around to it.

Always lovely having you visit, though I know you're a very busy lady so I don't take it personally when you can't come do your rounds.

#52 I remember when I was a student, how I couldn't wait to start making a decent salary so I could also afford non-essentials and *gasp*, even luxuries. Now, as much as I'd like to go back to school, I don't think I'd be able to go back to that student life. Glad you're enjoying the Diebenkorns.\

#54 Thanks for sharing that with me Judy. I guess I find it helpful to see that I'm pretty well within the range of my fellow book worshippers, though I'm sure to anyone else, that kind of budget on books would make absolutely no sense.

*****

My adorable Coco has greatly fallen out of favour with me today. I usually sleep like a log but last night kept waking every 20 minutes or so and was just having a horrible time of it. Coco sometimes gets up in the night and when he walked out of the room in the wee hours, I crept after him this time to see what he was up to, only to find him stepping out the the cat litter box happily chewing at a tasty treat he'd picked up there. Needless to say I was furious. This had been a problem when I had gotten him but I had rather hoped the problem had taken care of itself when I consistently locked him in his crate while I was away. Apparently he's taken advantage of me being out cold to get his midnight snacks. I'm disgusted and horrified, but I was warned before getting him that lots of dogs find the cat litter to be filled with delectable goodies. I can't stand sleeping with the bedroom door shut, so now it looks like I may have to lock him up at night too, and the prospect of that is just horribly depressing. But then, I'm generally depressed today about just about everything. I don't do well on too little sleep.

Am almost finished Cutting for Stone and was bawling my eyes out a little while ago because the story had taken quite a sad turn, so although I wanted to finish the audiobook, with less than 30 minutes to go after listening to a good 3 hours straight, I had to take a break. The good news is during that time I made a delicious and huge vat of beef and vegetable soup, and an equally large apple/peach/pear crisp, so I'll have enough homemade goodies take me through the week now.

Last night I was going to start my latest Zola book, but then couldn't put down Dust by Arthur Slade until I'd finished it. It's a very clever YA novel set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in Saskatchewan. Another winner suggested by Kerry and a quick read too.

55jolerie
Oct 10, 2011, 7:49 pm

I refuse to see how much I've spent on books over the last year. I am afraid that if I actually knew how much I spent, I might seriously have a heart attack. So I'll happily be ignorant of the fact and continual my incessant need to keep purchasing. And since there is food on the table, a roof over my family, clothes on our backs, and bills are paid on time, my husband has no need to question my habits either. :)

56msf59
Oct 10, 2011, 8:32 pm

Hiya stranger! I came back yesterday and tried catching up on the threads, (no easy task) and I think I forgot to visit one of my best pals.
I'm glad you are enjoying Cutting For Stone. It's great stuff. Sorry to hear about Coco and his feline snacks. Ewwwwww...

57vancouverdeb
Oct 10, 2011, 8:44 pm

Hi Ilana! Yes, Paul's confession on how much he spends on books helps me too!;) Like Valerie, at 55, I refuse to keep track of my book spending -but maybe I should. Maybe I wouldn't be driving that 20 year old car of mine!;)

Your pictures are delightful! I just got back from a walk and while it is raining here- of course - it's quite mild so I ended up wearing just my short sleeved v - neck - with pants etc of course, and an umbrella.

Coco is just darling!!!! If you look on my profile page, you will say my dog Daisy, She's not as cute as Coco, but she's pretty close !;) I too find that I end up talking to all sorts of people when I walk the dog- even when my hair is scary curly and I am sans makeup... Hugs, Ilana!!!

58PaulCranswick
Oct 10, 2011, 9:23 pm

Would admit that my "habit" has got steadily worse over the years as my income has gradually increased steadily from impoverished student to flustered parent to reasonably successful business owner. My problem is that my idea of what constitutes disposable income is probably not what my bank manager would agree with! Balancing budgets in a family life can be about the compromising of priorities - for example SHE-WHO-MUST-BE-OBEYED wants a new sofa set (the old one still retains the rustic charm it has developed over 15 years) and has set the price for that at circa $2000. For me that represents around 150 books. Therefore a compromise is essential - she recovers the sofa set for $600 and I still have the money for another 100 books! Of course the skill of negotiation is never never ever reveal what will happen to the money saved!

59DeltaQueen50
Oct 10, 2011, 9:35 pm

>58 PaulCranswick: - Isn't it interesting how crafty we addicts can become when it comes to feeding our habit.

Whoops, I guess Coco can fit into the above as well!

Hope you're feeling better Ilana.

60Smiler69
Oct 11, 2011, 12:03 am

#55 Valerie, I fully support you in your decision not to face the truth. All kidding aside, I believe I might have been much better off not knowing about it either.

#56 I finished Cutting for Stone tonight Mark, and shed quite a few tears. But then, I probably would have shed tears with any other book too. Or not. Glad you stopped by!

#57 I went and had a look at your Daisy Deborah, and she is indeed quite the cutie. I rarely make an effort when I go out nowadays, and people still try to talk to me, even when I'm at my scariest. Some days when I'm feeling particularly anti-social, I almost wish I had a pit-bull. :-O

#58 One of the great things about being single is never having to negotiate about anything with anyone. But sometimes I wouldn't mind if someone tried to keep me in check a little. Then again... I probably wouldn't put up with it. I like your tip on negotiations skills. You thought of writing a book Paul? ;-)

#59 Judy, I'm envisaging a scenario with a book-addict going through withdrawal and badly needing a fix. Who would this person call and where would they meet to conduct their illicit business? A librarian? At a... motel? No, wait, is this sexaholics-anonymous?

Off too take my cat-poo eating cutie for a quick outing then calling it a day (after the requisite reading of course)

61PrueGallagher
Oct 11, 2011, 12:05 am

Oh Ilana! Consider yourself lucky that the 'tasty treats' are not the size of cow pats (which my beloved has been known to sink her teeth into - though not now she is grown). Is there no way to put a grate around the litter tray - easy for cat to climb but harder for a dog?

Shame-faced I must admit that my Sootie sleeps with me in bed (with the door closed) so I have no mind about any nocturnal wanderings (which have in the past been accompanied by paper shredding, knicker munching and sock sucking.

#58 Paul I am shocked! Trading off your wife's domestic pride for more books! I'm torn now - who should I side with on this issue? On the one hand, there is the sisterhood - and on the other side - a fellow-addict. Can't decide...

62EBT1002
Oct 11, 2011, 12:23 am

I shouldn't laugh, but your reference to dear Coco as your "cat-poo eating cutie" just cracked me up. I'm sorry he is still up to his old canine tricks. Sigh. They just can't be perfect, can they?

Meanwhile, I'm interested to read your tearful reactions to Cutting for Stone. It's up next for me.

I hope you can get out of your current funk, Ilana. I'm a lifelong insomniac and it can wreak havoc with mood, energy, getting things done, outlook on life...... Here's to a good sleep tonight.

Cheers, my friend.

63Matke
Oct 11, 2011, 8:48 am

{{{Ilana}}}

Oh dear. I too am conflicted about Paul's negotiating. I see the desire for a new sofa. But, if a brand-new look can be achieved by getting it recovered...I'm afraid I'll always land on the side of the book buyer.

64Donna828
Edited: Oct 11, 2011, 9:55 am

>39 Smiler69:: Ilana, I so appreciated your opinion on The Sense of an Ending. I have yet to read a Julian Barnes book. I'll be sure to put him on my radar because, like Paul, the 'divergence of opinions' makes me want to read a book and form my own opinion of it.

I don't spend much money on my books, but I might track my spending next year to make certain of that. I buy most of my books used and take advantage of trade dollars at that. Then, there are those wonderful library book sales where I can get a boxful of books for under $20. I have that wonderful opportunity coming up next week. ;-)

I'm also a Coco fan despite his questionable culinary habits!

65PaulCranswick
Oct 11, 2011, 10:57 am

Ladies I can see from the mixed feedback that I have to tread carefully with houseproud sensibilities, although the level of positive comment was also to be expected given our common book-devouring interests.

Ilana not sure SHE-WHO-MUST-BE-OBEYED and my long-suffering and ever-dependable staff would allow me sufficient respite to produce a full length book. I'll have to make do with the making copious contributions on the various threads laced through with well-intentioned siggestions, anecdotes and plenty of the lowest form of wit available! Surprisingly given my typographical aversion nowadays to anything approaching discernible grammar, I successfully had several poems published as a youngster (only in local magazines I hasten to add) which I find particularly cringe-worthy when I irregularly open my well guarded file full of jottings.

66ChelleBearss
Oct 11, 2011, 3:00 pm

Sorry to hear about the poo-eating! My lab did that as a pup and we now keep the kitty litter in a storage room in the basement and we have a baby-gate blocking most of the door with a small space for the cat to slip through. The pooch can't get in there now to snack. Would that work in your home?

67PrueGallagher
Oct 11, 2011, 3:29 pm

Oooooohhhh Ilana - a peach/pear/apple crisp! Sounds perfect autumnal fare. I am really looking forward to the culinary delights of Vietnam - a cuisine I have not eaten enough of. Loved your comment to Judy about dark dealings with a librarian after-hours...

About the not having to negotiate if you are single - that is one of the things I am also keen to savour on my trip - being able to see what I want to see, linger where I like, and trot around every darn temple that I can find!

68DeltaQueen50
Oct 11, 2011, 4:25 pm

I know that I function best as part of a couple, but travelling can sometimes be difficult for the two of us to agree. My husband thinks one museum or art gallery is more than enough. He thinks he's soaked up the country's culture if he's found a pub and sampled the local beer!

69vancouverdeb
Edited: Oct 11, 2011, 6:30 pm

Great review of The Sense of an Ending, Ilana. I have had that on my kindle for a while now and I keep meaning to get round to reading it! It's nice to see that everyone is not giving it 4 - 5 stars. I have yet to read it -but I must say that while just looking over the book, I was not overcome with a desire to read it. I hope I will find it more redeeming than you did -but that has yet to be seen. After reading All Quiet on the Western Front I want something fairly light or maybe humourous.

You got through Cutting for Stone very quickly! I can't wait to hear what you think of it. It's among my favourites - but people do vary !!

70Smiler69
Edited: Oct 11, 2011, 11:01 pm

My my... it feels like I've been away forever with this flurry of messages! I'm always happy to have visitors and comments, so thanks Prue, Ellen, Gail, Donna, Paul, Chelle, Judy and Deborah!

Tomorrow I have a special outing with my good friend Kimmy. Back in July, she had offered to take me for a drive around the Eastern Townships for lunch and some wine tasting as a birthday gift and we're finally off bright and early in the morning to catch as much of the gorgeous landscape as we can. It's just about 90 minutes away from Montreal and quite lovely out there. I'll bring my camera and take plenty of pictures. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll be able to do the rounds of threads tonight (off to bed early) nor probably tomorrow either, but I assume I'll be forgiven for that.

I started listening to the audio version of The Bluest Eye read by Toni Morrison; we already know she's a brilliant author, but she's also a great narrator. I can't believe I waited so long to get to this one. Such beautiful writing and characters who's lives you can't help but get wrapped up in. I'm already halfway through. It's always a good sign when I actually want to do housework to give myself plenty of listening time! This has encouraged me to borrow a bunch of Ernest Hemingway audiobooks too, so hopefully I'll be able to fit in more Nobel Prize authors for Paul's challenge this month.

As for physical books, a quick look at my list of suggested reads for October will show how slow I am this month. I doubt I'll be able to read even half of those. Not sure how come because I haven't really changed my reading habits, but I do have A Clash of Kings by my bedside from which I read a chapter every night on top of whatever else I've got going. But I guess the last thing I need worry about is quantity. I wonder what my real number of books read this year will be when I remove all those children's books from the count? Whatever the case, I doubt I'll be able to match this kind of volume in future.

*****

#61 Prue, the gate is a great idea, though I'm not sure what I could implement it with. I'll give it some thought. I did try to get Coco to sleep in bed with me at first, but he always ended up going back to his own doggie bed, so what I've done these past couple of nights is put his leash on and attach it to a leg of one of my side tables. Not an elegant solution, but it works for now.

#62 Ellen, you're absolutely right, nobody is perfect, not even Coco, as incredible as that might seem! :-)

I can't imagine having to live with insomnia all the time. I'm completely dysfunctional if I don't get enough sleep, unless I happen to be in a manic state, which... is probably not so desirable considering the side effects. If I can't get proper sleep three nights in a row, then I bring out the big guns and take Ativan, which completely knocks me out for the night and the better part of the next day too. Do you take anything for your insomnia? Tried meditating before sleep? Not an original suggestion, and I should be doing it myself before encouraging others to do so, but still...

eta: regarding my review of Cutting for Stone, I'm afraid I won't be able to reveal what it was that had me shedding all those tears, as that would probably be quite the spoiler. I'll look around and see if any of the book descriptions mention anything about it before I venture there. Otherwise, you'll find out for yourself soon enough!

#63 Thanks for the hug dear Gail. I'm glad to see, based on your comment to Paul that you've got your allegiances in order. If we book lovers don't stick together, then who else will justify our particular brand of madness??

#64 Donna, when I was ready to write my review for Sense of an Ending, I felt like I was the only person who hadn't 'gotten' it, but going back and reading some of the reviews, I see that not everybody was enamoured with it; although a 4.11 rating would seem to indicate otherwise. Amazing to think it's only been mentioned in 58 conversations so far and would fit into my TIOLI challenge this month! I'll of course very much look forward to your take on it, whatever your opinion may be. And I hope you'll be willing to explain to me the part that completely went over my head, which may or may not influence me to change my initial rating.

Why am I not surprised that you are so responsible about book acquisitions? I do aspire to be more like you some day, but in the meantime I take consolation with the notion that it's people like me and other avowed bookshopaholics that keep booksellers in business. :-)

Coco sends his thanks, and adds that he doesn't understand what all the fuss is regarding his favourite snacks, especially as they're made of 100% holistic ingredients!

71Smiler69
Oct 11, 2011, 10:59 pm

#65 Hi Paul, regarding household rules and abuses, I'm like the Switzerland of marriages; I don't take sides, but I try to reap the benefits whenever I can (gratefulness counts). I'm just reminded as I write this that not only am I behind on your regular thread, but I'm much overdue for a visit on your Nobel Prize thread as well, which I'll give priority to when I get around to visiting threads.

I'm sure you don't give yourself enough credit regarding your poetic skills (or is it skill with poetry?) I don't spend enough time reading poetry, and it's something I need to start making more space for, though I did toy with haiku for a period and seem to have a knack for churning them out. In this case, once again, quantity overrules quality. Some of them made their way to my blog in case you want proof. ;-)

#66 Chelle, sounds like you have a great system in place. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment and have no basement I could cordon off. And since Coco can get into any space the cats can, no sense in having trapdoors or anything of the sort. Maybe if I could find something to raise the litter that would work since he doesn't like to jump very much.

#67 Prue, I must be horribly behind on your thread, or just have a poor memory (probably both) since I can't remember when it is you're going off to Vietnam. Sounds exciting though. You going alone? Will you take lots of pics?

The peach/pear/apple crisp is very very good. Too good. It's probably big enough to serve 10 or 12, and I've made my way through more than half of it already. I'm hopeless when it comes to my fruit crisps. They take quite a while to prepare what with grinding of flax seeds and all, and still, I can't seem to make them last more than 2-3 days. *sigh*

#68 Judy, I haven't done all that much travelling with partners, and I guess it's hard to find someone you agree with on suitable activities when traveling. It certainly sounds as though you and your husband don't quite have the same idea of a good time as far as that goes. I've travelled alone plenty before, but I'm not so keen on it anymore. I'll probably end up being one of those old and bent purple-haired ladies who takes bus tours with other equally old and stooped travellers. At least it's a fair bet that they'll all want to visit the museums along with me. ;-)

#69 Considering your current frame of mind as far as reading choices go right now Deborah, I would also hold off on The Sense of an Ending. Not light, not funny. Not even a little bit, as far as I can remember. I like humour mixed into my drama. Makes it easier to digest. As for Cutting for Stone, I get through audiobooks quite fast, what with three walks a day with Coco and the odd bout of cooking and household chore. Also, being on my own, I can pretty much listen all the time, save when I want to read a physical book or need to pay attention to something else, like LT for example. :-)

72EBT1002
Oct 11, 2011, 11:14 pm

Hi Ilana. I've never read The Bluest Eye but it's been on my TBR list for, well, years. It sounds as good as I've thought it would be. But first, all the books I already have on the stack by the bed. :-)
I'm about halfway through Room and then I have Cutting for Stone and From the Land of the Moon. I'm looking forward to both.

Sorry I made a note in my challenge that Toni Morrison can't fit: either first or last name has to both start and end with a vowel. I hope you can fit it into another challenge this month.

I bought two books today and kept the receipt. I figure the best way to track my books $ is to keep receipts for a couple of months and then do the math. I'm guessing I spend $100-150/month on average. Not saying how much I spend on wine. :-D

Hugs for Coco, as always.

73msf59
Oct 12, 2011, 6:40 am

Hi Ilana- Enjoy your day with Kimmy! It sounds like you deserve a nice day out!

74Smiler69
Oct 12, 2011, 8:48 am

#72 Ellen, sounds like you've got some great reading lined up! Can't wait to see your reaction to From the Land of the Moon. One book you won't catch me reading anytime soon is Room. Sounds too much like a true-life kind of horror story to me (although I know it's fiction). I stay away from the nightmarish stuff.

As for your TIOLI challenge, I'm such a dunce! I realized shortly after putting it on the wiki the mistake I made (WHAT was I thinking?) but somehow didn't get around to removing it. I'll just switch it over to my challenge instead.

#73 Hey Mark! I'm just getting ready right now—shouldn't even be here, but couldn't resist checking in. I'll take lots of pics and post some here for sure.



Have a great day everybody! Coco and I are off for our little adventure! :-)

75kidzdoc
Edited: Oct 12, 2011, 3:57 pm

Hi Ilana! I'm slowly catching up on threads, so I apologize for not posting sooner.

Thanks for posting the Diebenkorn paintings. I haven't seen anything by him, but I'll look for his works when I go to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) next week.

Thanks also for your honest review and thoughts about The Sense of an Ending (and certainly no apologies are needed!). As others have said, it would be quite boring if we all shared the same opinions about books, etc. There has been a wide variety of opinions about the book on the Man Booker Prize web site here, and several people have had opinions about the book that are in line with yours.

I did bring my copy with me to SF, and I'll probably re-read it by this weekend or early next week, and post a review on my thread soon afterward.

Unless I missed it, I am admittedly disappointed that you didn't comment on the physical structure of the UK edition of the book, with its pages trimmed in black against the floating dandelion shoots amidst the smudged and faded words on the front cover. I think it's the most aesthetically appealing and unique book I've purchased this year.

Great review of Memento Mori. Did someone else also review this recently?

ETA: To answer my own question, Deborah (Cariola) reviewed Memento Mori last week, as well. She also raved about it, so I'll definitely have to read it.

76Matke
Oct 12, 2011, 3:41 pm

Hi, Ilana. Just trying to catch up on threads. I'm reading four books at once, so lots of time between book covers and not so much on LT. I'll be following along, though.

77Fourpawz2
Oct 12, 2011, 6:12 pm

My, my - who would have guessed that Coco - the Mr. Mega-Sweetness of the Known World - would have midnight-snack cravings of that ilk. Not I. However, in my experience, sweet little kitty-cats are no better - just different. I've seen various of my little darlings - including Willie - gobble up their own puke before I could get to it/discover it. Even more notable was Nellie - my part-time cat - who was a great hunter. One day she came trotting up the driveway, mouse in mouth. She sat down - ate it - and then puked it up. (The squeamish should turn away here, if I haven't lost you already.) One minute after that, she reconsidered and gobbled up the macerated mouse-body once again. Apparently it was much better the second time around.

Coco's guilty secret seems almost tame in comparison - at least to me. Just hope he brushes his teeth afterwards.

I don't know as I could ever settle into the discipline of wedded/committed bliss - especially when it comes to the necessaries of life such as the acquisition of as many books as possible. Am much too selfish. I don't play well with others.

78Smiler69
Oct 12, 2011, 11:39 pm

#75 Hi Darryl, no need to apologize, I'm just happy to have your visit and post, since I know you're such a busy guy.

I can't wait to hear about what other Diebenkorns you come across when you visit the SFMOMA. If you can, I hope you can post an image or two of what you'll have come across, at least here on my thread. I'd be particularly interested in a book about his works on paper, so if you have a chance and are so inclined, maybe you can have a peek at the book store to see if they have something like that?

Thanks so much for giving me the link to the reviews for Sense of an Ending on the Booker site. Reading just the first top three, I finally understood that my assumptions had been right, though I still can't quite make sense of it all. Someone wrote a criticism that I would have written almost exactly the same way, had I not been meticulous about avoiding spoilers (will send you the quote in a PM). I didn't comment on the appearance of the book because while the cover was the same as that of the UK edition, the pages were not trimmed in black—indeed, I didn't know they had been, so obviously Random House of Canada decided to cut on cost in their printing. I'm sure that must have added a lot to the experience.

#76 Hi Gail, I promised myself I'd just spend a short time here and get back to my books too, but then I got caught up trying to catch up with everyone. Now it's late and of course I've got lots more catching up to do, but it'll have to wait as I'm pooped, and yes, still must read before sleep.

#77 Charlotte, your message had me laughing hysterically:

(The squeamish should turn away here, if I haven't lost you already.) One minute after that, she reconsidered and gobbled up the macerated mouse-body once again. Apparently it was much better the second time around.

I'm still laughing out loud about that one! So gross, but toooo funny. :-D

I guess I never gave marriage a chance. I acted so crazy with most of my b-friends that they ran away the first chance they got. Only half kidding. Actually, I did most of the dumping because I had impossible standards. And the only guys who talked marriage ended up being crazier than me, so... no. I don't know if I could settle down now that I'm middle-aged. I guess it would really depend on the person, cause it would take someone very special indeed to make me consider getting into any kind of relationship at this point. I'm selfisher than you are, I'm sure. :-P

*****

Had a really great day today with my gf Kim. She drove us about an hour out of the city to a region called the Eastern Townships so we could view the gorgeous scenery with all the trees dressed up in fall colours and do some wine-tasting at local wineries. I took a million photos. Was going to post some tonight, but am completely exhausted, so it'll have to wait. My best pics I think were those I took of a bunch of young cows that were right by the road. They got really curious and came closer to me and posed while I clicked away like mad. So expect at least one picture of trees, and one picture of cows sometime soon. :-)

79EBT1002
Oct 13, 2011, 12:35 am

>77 Fourpawz2: LOL

>78 Smiler69: I'm glad you had a good day with your friend Kim. Friends = priceless. And autumn colors with a friend may be even better!

80jolerie
Oct 13, 2011, 12:50 pm

Glad to hear you had such a great time with your friend Ilana. Hopefully you can post some of your pics here so we can share in the gorgeous scenery as well. :)

81DeltaQueen50
Oct 13, 2011, 6:30 pm

Your day sounds lovely. I lived in Ottawa many years ago and I still miss the fall colors that we had back east. We just don't get that kind of color out here on the West Coast.

82kidzdoc
Oct 13, 2011, 7:15 pm

Ilana, I'll let you know if I see any paintings by Diebenkorn. I don't believe that there are any exhibitions specific to his work, but there are several of his works posted on SFMOMA's web site, and I'll bet at least some of his paintings are part of the museum's permanent collection. I had planned to visit the museum's bookstore at least once, so I'll let you know if I find anything.

The cover image of The Sense of an Ending that you posted is identical to the one I bought in London, which was published by Jonathan Cape (which is part of Random House UK), so I assumed that the two editions would be entirely identical. It looks as though the two book jackets are identical, with a black edge along the right side of the front cover and the left side of the back cover. In my copy, the right hand border of each page of the book is trimmed in black (but not the top or bottom borders), as if the book was charred at those places. My copy indicates that Suzanne Dean designed the book, and she did a marvelous job in doing so.

Hmm...with all the literary prizes out there, I wonder if there are any for the best designed book of the year? The Sense of an Ending would get my vote this year, and the jacketless UK edition of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell was my favorite from last year:

83vancouverdeb
Oct 13, 2011, 11:13 pm

Just stopping by to say hi -and also to mention that the idea of North American's generally not liking ginger ( re another thread ) was an idea that the chocolate shop here " Purdy's" - you can look it up on the web - - far better than Laura Secords, which does exist in BC- to my knowledge - told me that people either hate/ or love ginger. That's were my North American husband gets his crystallized ginger or else his chocolate covered ginger from each Christmas.

BTW- not that my opinion necessarily counts, but I read The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet as part of a group read last autumn - I could barely get myself to wade through that book. I did give it a 3.5 - but honestly I found it to be a nonsensical tale . About half of the group readers found the same thing - the other half loved it.

There's my unsolicited opinion on A Thousand Autumns :)

Hope you are doing well, Ilana!

84Smiler69
Oct 13, 2011, 11:17 pm

Oh brother. I'd just typed a whole bunch of stuff here in answer to messages, plus more, and had a bunch of other things going when my computer suddenly restarted itself without warning. Or hardly any. It's been a low energy day for me, and I just don't have it in me to summon the enthusiasm again to type up a new bunch of stuff. So my replies, along with the reviews I planned on writing, along with the pictures I meant to post will have to wait till another time.

I'll just say I finished The Bluest Eye today and thought it was excellent.

85Storeetllr
Oct 14, 2011, 12:28 am

Though I do think the fence is a good idea, I have one more suggestion for a cat-poo-eating-doggie-proof catbox (from my own personal experience with Max the Wonder Dog who did that once and then threw it up all over the front passenger seat area of my brand new car, out of which I could never quite get the odor even though I had it detailed a couple of times by professionals): Try one of those catboxes with the covers. I know your Coco is pretty small and might be able to fit through the opening, but to keep Maxie from sticking his head inside and scarfing up the goodies, I used to keep mine in a hall closet with the opening facing the back wall and then kept the sliding closet door opened just wide enough for the cat to get through.

Thinking about it now, it's amazing the poor cat bothered to go in her box at all, as hard as I made it to get into!

86EBT1002
Oct 14, 2011, 1:12 am

Ilana: I read From the Land of the Moon for your TIOLI challenge and I really enjoyed it. I didn't fall in love with is quite as much as you did, but I think it warrants a re-read. It feels like the kind of short novel that I will enjoy even more on a second read. Thanks for the recommendation!

87PrueGallagher
Oct 14, 2011, 3:13 am

#85 - that's hilarious!

88PrueGallagher
Oct 14, 2011, 3:18 am

Lovely Ilana - glad to hear you had a wonderful day out. Photos of cows? *Yawn* Too many in this here neck of the woods - and I am especially annoyed by the ones that were grazing in our orchard and thought that my washing was some kind of fodder. Have to stain-soak and re-wash the lot! Bloody bovines!!

89Fourpawz2
Oct 14, 2011, 9:42 am

No, no - we LOVE cows. Want many pictures of cows.

90vancouverdeb
Oct 14, 2011, 6:54 pm

Ilana- I did that once - wrote all sorts of detalied replies to everyone on my thread -and then somehow I bumped the keyboard or something - and bingo - all was gone. In fact I'm sure I've done it more than once! It's very frustrating!!! Sorry to hear of that!

91Smiler69
Oct 14, 2011, 9:54 pm

#79 & 86 Ellen, fall colours with this particular friend is definitely better. Kim and I share similar sensibilities and both seem to naturally lose ourselves in the moment when witnessing beauty, and especially the beauty offered by nature.

I guess it's understandable that you didn't fall completely in love with From the Land of the Moon. One thing I should have said when I wrote my review but somehow felt might be a little bit too much disclosure, is that I very much identified with the grandmother and the extremes she goes to because of her passionate nature. The meds have put a huge damper on all that, and I must say that it mostly seems like a huge relief.

#80 Valerie, I worked on editing some photos yesterday (when the computer decided to work against me) and again today, so pics are coming right up!

#81 Judy, I didn't realize that you didn't get fall colours out West. Don't the trees know they're supposed to put on bright colours over there? I take fall colours a little bit for granted and guess I really shouldn't.

#82 Darryl, I look forward to hearing what you'll have come across when you hit the SFMOMA's bookshop. I'll also go and check out their website to see what they've got by D-Korn over there. If you do see a good book on his works on paper... well, I guess I should PM you about that.

Had the Canadian edition of The Sense of an Ending been similar to what you describe, I would have definitely commented about it, but I guess they opted for a cheaper version. Thanks for sharing that cover of The Thousand Autumns. I had come across it on BookDepository when I was shopping around for the book and thought it looked interesting, but I guess I'd have found it even more special had I seen the real thing with the sleeveless printing and all.

As for awards on best covers, I do recall seeing book covers receiving awards when I used to pore over design magazines, so the awards are out there, but they are usually thrown in with many other categories. I do agree it would be nice to see best cover designs recognized by the literary world as well.

#83 & 90 Deborah, I think I must have participated in the same group read for Jacob de Zoet, and was one of the dissenting voices who found plenty to criticize. I too ended up giving it 3.5 stars. Haven't read anything else by Mitchell, but I have every intention of exploring more of his work. Opinions, whether solicited or not are always welcome! :-)

I've been working on computers for a good 20 years and have lost vast amounts of data over time. I've lost huge amounts of writing since I started blogging and more specifically here on LT, and every time, I just want to cry. Sometimes I find I'm able to start all over, but other times I just get too upset about the monumental waste of time that represents. With the latest incident, I needed to take some time off so I could come back to the message box reinvigorated!

92Smiler69
Oct 14, 2011, 10:12 pm

#85 Mary, thanks for the great ideas. Your message did remind me that while Coco can get in just about anywhere the cats can (he's even a bit smaller than them!), he isn't anywhere near as flexible of course, so for now, I've simply turned the litter box to face the wall, and as it's under a table leg, will force the cats to slink their way in, which I don't think they'll mind, but should be virtually inaccessible to Coco. Don't know why I didn't think of that before, but sometimes the simplest ideas elude us. Of course, the only problem is I can't verify whether my system is actually foolproof unless I catch Coco in the act...

And added difficulty is that I can't make the litterbox too inaccessible either, as Ezra, the elder of my two cats, also has an inappropriate urinating problem and tends to shun the box too often as it is. I tell you, I live with so much pee and poo, I may as well have three babies in diapers on my hands!

#88 & 89 Photos of cows? *Yawn* Too many in this here neck of the woods

No, no - we LOVE cows. Want many pictures of cows.


LMAO! :-D

Those two messages side by side had me laughing for a good long while. Well, Prue, I'm afraid I'll be siding with my cow-loving friend this time, which isn't to say I don't appreciate you friendship just as much. But it seems that regional differences puts our appreciation of bunnies and Daisies at opposite ends of the spectrum!

Charlotte, feast your eyes on these:

    


(if you click on the photos, you'll be taken to flickr where you can view them larger)

93Smiler69
Oct 14, 2011, 10:13 pm

For those who prefer trees and landscapes:



94kidzdoc
Oct 14, 2011, 10:21 pm

Ilana, I went to the Oakland Museum of California this afternoon, to see the Días de los Muertos (Days of the Dead) exhibition, and saw a collection of 8-10 works by Richard Diebenkorn. I took photos of each of them on my BlackBerry, and I've just posted them to my Facebook page:

Richard Diebenkorn collection

Just before I left I stopped at the museum shop, and saw only one book about Diebenkorn, The Art of Richard Diebenkorn by Jane Livingston, which is published by University of California Press.

I'll go to SFMOMA early next week, and I'll let you know what I find there.

95DeltaQueen50
Oct 14, 2011, 10:24 pm

Absolutely beautiful Ilana. The colorful picture of trees and the country road makes me long for a autumn drive.

Out here we get some color, just not the varied colors that put on such a show back east. The first time I took my husband to Ontario in the fall he was astounded. At times the colors were so bright they almost hurt the eye.

BTW those cows look like they wanted to join in on your Girls Day outting.

96Smiler69
Oct 14, 2011, 10:49 pm

#94 Darryl, thank you so much for taking and posting those photos! Very sweet of you. The first painting looks familiar. It's part of a series of which I've seen several, though not 'in person' of course. I'm really only familiar with his non-figurative work, as that was what I discovered by him and was captivated with first, not to say that I'm not interested in exploring more of his work. I did see The Art of Richard Diebenkorn on Amazon etc. when I started looking for books of his work. Since they don't have a copy of it at our big box bookstore, I think I'll just order it from their online site so I can have a quick look-see before deciding whether it's for me or not.

Look forward to hearing/seeing what you find at SFMOMA.

#95 Judy: the cows were quite an event let me tell you. Usually when I go for a drive with someone and say "oh, COWS!", they basically ignore me and keep driving, but Kimmy slowed the car right away and patiently sat with Coco while I clicked away. At first the cows were all standing farther off and not really looking toward the road, but after a couple of minutes, they all started approaching me en masse and apparently Coco started going wild and barking at them, but then Kim said as they came nearer, he decided to stick to low growling instead. I didn't hear any of it, but could imagine the scene only too well. Poor thing, I wonder if he has any clue that he'd never stand a chance if he ever tried to physically defend me?

97Smiler69
Edited: Oct 15, 2011, 12:03 am



221. ♫ Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear ★★★¼
(Read for TIOLI #21: Read a book set between 1910 and 1950 and 11 in 11 Category #8: The Two World Wars and the Time In-Between)

It's 1929 and Maisie Dobbs is just starting up her one-woman detective agency. Her first customer is suspicious that his wife is having an affair, but from the first interview Maisie has with him, we are given strong indications that she has her very own investigative approach. When she follows the man's wife and discovers the woman has been visiting the grave of a man identified only by his given name, and then arranges to have a conversation with the woman, Maisie realizes that she has a much bigger case to investigate than a simple spousal misunderstanding. As she goes about uncovering secrets which may save the lives of several war veterans, we also revisit Maisie's past, from the moment she entered into service when a young girl as a 'downstairs' maid. Thanks to her uncommon intelligence and curiosity Maisie gained the respect of her employer who arranged for private tutoring, which eventually lead to Maisie being accepted at university. When WWI was declared, Maisie felt obligated to help in the war effort and became a nurse, found, and lost her first love, and her experiences of treating wounded soldiers gave her the necessary background which ultimately helps her crack her first important case as a detective.

The book delves on themes that I have great interest in, namely WWI and it's aftermath. I especially appreciated how the story referenced Craiglockhart Mental Hospital, which I first read about in Pat Barker's Regeneration. I also liked Dobbs' unique holistic approach in her dealings with people—an unusual MO for a detective, which was also problematic for me because it played into the cozier aspects of the novel which sometimes grated on me. The narrator in the audio version was good, but I also found her delivery cloying, which, again, overemphasized the sentimental aspects of the story. I'll probably seek out the next in series to see how things evolve, but will read it in print format next time.

98Smiler69
Edited: Oct 15, 2011, 7:42 pm



222. The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling ★★★¼
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book by an author whose first and last names have the same number of letters,
Nobel Prize Month, and 11 in 11 Category #11: The Film Might Be Good But the Book is Better)

I had come across references to The Jungle Book numerous times over the years, most recently in The Tiger's Wife, where it plays quite an important role, which convinced me it was time to acquaint myself with this classic of children's literature. I vaguely recall reading the abridged and illustrated Mowgli stories as a child, but was quite unprepared for what I found in this omnibus version containing both Jungle Books. The first thing that struck me was the level of sophistication of the stories, which seemed to be possibly too complex, in language at least, to be fully intelligible to children today. The second thing which surprised me was that other than the Mowgli stories—about a boy raised by wolves who becomes the king of the jungle, so to speak—none of the other short stories were set in the jungle, and in at least a couple of them, animals were secondary characters only. As is the case with most people, I enjoyed the Mowgli stories most, because of the jungle setting and the variety of wild animals who each in turn are given ample room to express themselves and display their anthropomorphized characters. I've always been fascinated by the notion that certain human beings have a gift for communicating with and understanding animals, and was well regaled here, albeit only in fantasy. It's impossible to read these stories and not be impressed by the unique mentalities and behaviour of the main characters; Akela the wolf, Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther, Kaa the snake and of course the lame tiger Shere Khan, have all become legendary because each has important life lessons to teach Mowgli and the reader, but more importantly because they become familiar to us as the stories progress while also retaining their mythical status.

Had I only rated the Mowgli stories as a whole, some favourites of which are Mowgli's Brothers, Kaa's Hunting, How Fear Came, Red Dog along with another great favourite, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi—about the eponymous mongoose who outwits a pair of dangerous snakes—I would probably have given the books four stars at least. But some of the other stories, such as Her Majesty's Servants, The Undertakers and Quiquern did not at all appeal to me and diluted the experience. Because of this, it is very likely that I will read my favourite selection from the Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book again sometime, and will likely appreciate those stories all the more as I revisit what will by then have become familiar and beloved characters.

99EBT1002
Oct 15, 2011, 3:20 am

Hey Ilana. Stopping by before grabbing my 6 hours of sleep. You were writing about how much you resonated with the grandmother in From the Land of the Moon --- I think anytime a book resonates with us enough for us to give it five stars, it's as much about us and our history and our sensibilities and our longings as it is about what that author put on those pages. I figure if I give 5 stars (or maybe even 4.5 stars) to a novel, I'm giving away something about myself. And (mostly) I say "why not?"

More soon, between conference presentations and spells by the pool. It was 51 and raining when I left Seattle. I gotta say that I'm handling the 97 and sunny quite well. To splash around in a pool after 11pm and not be at all cold is a treat for this Seattleite!

100msf59
Oct 15, 2011, 6:49 am

Hi Ilana- Thanks for sharing the lovely photos! The last one reminded me of my trip to Michigan last weekend. Have a great day!

101LauraBrook
Oct 15, 2011, 9:00 am

What a treat to see such beautiful photos this early on a Saturday morning! It must have been glorious to be surrounded by all of that beauty. :) Thanks for posting!

102Fourpawz2
Oct 15, 2011, 9:12 am

Thank you for the pictures, Ilana. What beautiful cows and how nicely their brown/red color compliments the trees in the background. (I just love cows. They are one of my favorite large animals, coming right after buffalo and elk.) And the shots of the gorgeous trees by themselves. All those lovely autumn colors. We do not have more than the barest smidgen of color down here. The nasty old hurricane let us with a leaf-palette that runs from brownish-green to brown and of course, about a bazillion crinkly, cripsy, brown mostly dead leaves still on the trees. It's an autumn foliage disaster!

103Donna828
Oct 15, 2011, 12:14 pm

Ilana, I loved the cow pictures AND the landscape pictures. Our trees are just beginning to turn color here in the heartland of the U.S. I think DH and I will take a drive next weekend when they should be at their peak. There's a good possibility that we'll see some cows around here. I'll try to remember my camera so I can post a few pics on my thread.

104Storeetllr
Oct 15, 2011, 12:24 pm

Hi, Ilana ~ Great photos, thanks for sharing them. For the most part, we don't get color like that here in So.Cal. Our colors are primarily green or brown, depending on the season, so it's always a treat to see pictures of fall foliage from the east and midwest.

105PaulCranswick
Oct 15, 2011, 1:38 pm

Ilana your photos strangely made me nostalgic for past visits to Bonnie Scotland with the fir and the thistles. Didn't realise Quebec could look like Scotland so much or was that Nova Scotia? Maisie Dobbs would appear to be another series to get hitched to and will find a place for it in my TBR forest. I've given up with the TBR mountain metaphor - forest is surely more apt in my case - books are made from paper; paper is made from wood - wood is collected together in a forest - you can get lost in a forest - I can't find many of my books!

106Smiler69
Oct 15, 2011, 1:48 pm

#99 I think anytime a book resonates with us enough for us to give it five stars, it's as much about us and our history and our sensibilities and our longings as it is about what that author put on those pages

Much agreed. This is why it's easy for me to decided when a book warrants four stars when I thought it was really good or 4.5-5 stars when I felt it was a special experience.

Enjoy your time in AZ!

#100 Did you take any photos so we can compare Mark?

#101 It must have been glorious to be surrounded by all of that beauty

Yes, it certainly was Laura. The memory of it still lingers in the most pleasant way. Happy to share a few pics and glad you enjoyed them.

#102 I'm not sure why it is I'm quite so fond of cows Charlotte, especially as I don't have any real experiences with them to base myself on. They just seem to me to be such peaceful creatures and it's impossible to explain the joy I feel when I see them in a field. The only thing that put a damper on the experience this time was that I couldn't take the thought out of my mind that this lot was likely to get butchered sometime in near future, which made me consider, for the millionth time at least, whether I should go back to being vegetarian.

#103 Donna, I'll look forward to seeing your pics from that drive. My one suggestion would be that you might want to consider posting them a bit larger? I love when you post pics, but always wish I could see MORE of them! :-)

#104 I'm glad you enjoyed the pics Mary, it was my pleasure to share them here!

107Smiler69
Oct 15, 2011, 1:55 pm

#105 Paul, I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Scotland yet and hope I get there someday, and certainly would never have imagine that Quebec could compare to it in any way. I take that as a great compliment as I've always felt that Scotland must be unbelievably beautiful.

I've given up with the TBR mountain metaphor - forest is surely more apt in my case

Sounds like you've thought it all out Paul. I can't find a metaphor for my own collection, so I just call it my library, since 99.9% of the books in my possession have yet to be read. I'm rigorous about cataloguing and tracking my books here on LT, otherwise would probably end up buying several copies of the same books, since I tend to forget which ones I already have!

108DragonFreak
Oct 15, 2011, 1:57 pm

Are those cows up there? I'm sorry, but I've seen so many cows in my life, I hear them in my sleep.

109PaulCranswick
Oct 15, 2011, 2:00 pm

Nathan I thought it was sheep that you were supposed to get involved by counting to get to sleep?

110Smiler69
Oct 15, 2011, 2:03 pm

#107 I'm sorry, but I've seen so many cows in my life, I hear them in my sleep.

LOL! Well, I guess it goes to show just how much of a city girl I am that I still get excited enough at the sight of cows to want to take gazillions of photos when I come across them!

111jdthloue
Oct 15, 2011, 2:37 pm

Cows look peaceful, while grazing in a field...but, when my Dad raised them (he was still commuting between here and Akron...and I came to the farm to "tend" them) I found them to be aggressive....because they didn't "know" me??...I was late in feeding them?...Whatever.....they chased me for a good while until I got to a gate and closed it...never again, i said (in my best Scarlett O'Hara voice)...Cows are best seen from "our" side of the fence...OY!

Too much happening here for this old recluse....I love your photos...the trees aren't as colourful here, this year...the weather has been too erratic...today is Windy as all Hell.....made Venison Vegetable soup...very stinky Garlic Bread is next

;-}

112MickyFine
Oct 15, 2011, 4:42 pm

Beautiful landscape photos, Ilana. And some very lovely reviews. I have to admit I only am familiar with the Jungle Book stories through Disney's animated and live-action versions. One of these days I'll get around to reading Rudyard Kipling...

113avatiakh
Oct 15, 2011, 7:15 pm

#111 - lol, you need to read Belinda by Pamela Allen.

Ilana - lovely photos and I also need to read all the Jungle Book stories, I'm guilty of reading Rikki-tikki-tavi over and over again and ignoring the rest. We had an illustrated version of the story which I read to my kids and I have a feeling we also watched this animated film the book was adapted from.

114vancouverdeb
Oct 15, 2011, 8:51 pm

You know, where I live, in quite an urban setting, not far from me is a farm along the dyke. There they have Belted Galloway Cows - I belive they are Irish or Scottish in origin. They walk across the dyke trail, which is well used by people, bikes, joggers etc and graze on the dyke. It's so intriguing!

I should really read the The Jungle Book. I'm afraid the Disney version is the closest that I have gotten to it!

115Smiler69
Oct 15, 2011, 11:12 pm

#111 Jude, seems like we're in the same weather system this time, or at least partially so. It's been very windy here today and we've been getting rain since yesterday as well. I'm making soups these days too. And apple/peach/pear crunch. I'm onto my second one of those in a week. Hope my winter clothes still fit when comes time to wear them. :-)

#112 Micky, that was my first experience with Kipling, though certainly not my last (see below). It's safe to say that the Disney version of The Jungle Book and the book itself have just about NOTHING in common. Slight exaggeration maybe, but hardly.

#113 Kerry, I have to say that Rikki-Tikki-Tavi was definitely a great favourite of mine too. I was tempted to re-read some of the stories, including that one, but made my way through that book so slowly, one story every week or so, that I thought it best to just keep plodding along. I'm glad I went through the effort, because now I know where my preferences lay and I actually look forward to my next reading of them. Thanks so much for the link to the film. I've just clicked on the link and will watch it tonight. Thanks also for giving me the correct spelling of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. I'm usually more attentive to that sort of thing and was led in error when the touchstone appeared for my misspelled version.

#114 Deborah, I had to google 'Belted Galloway Cows' to see what you were talking about—how neat! I don't think I'd seen those before. I can imagine it must be strange having them in a mostly urban setting ambling alongside dedicated joggers :-)

Re: The Jungle Book, see my note to Micky, above. Mind you, the last time I saw the Disney version must have been over 30 years ago, so can't say I remember it, but it's a safe bet that much was lost of the original stories in the Disneyfication process.

*****

Brought back a small selection of books from the library yesterday, mostly audiobooks:

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, narrated by Grover Gardner
To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway, narrated by Will Patton (unfortunately, disk 1 doesn't seem to want to mount on my laptop—any suggestions anyone?)
The Long Fall by Walter Mosley
Fortunate Son by Walter Mosley
What It Is by Lynda Barry, a graphic novel
Picture This: The Near-sighted Monkey Book by Lynda Barry, another graphic novel

I also downloaded Kim by Rudyard Kipling and Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck from Audible, both of which I intend to listen to in the next couple of weeks for Nobel Prize month and as shared reads on TIOLI with Kerry. I feel that having read The Jungle Books recently gives me good background to jump into Kim. We'll see if that holds true soon enough...

I got some reading done today as it was perfect weather to sit back on the couch and pore through several books. Love the pattering of rain as background noise when I'm reading. Tonight however, I wasted a good 90 minutes which could have been used on a book when I got caught up watching the movie Tron, of all things. I turn on the TV for company when I'm having dinner usually, and when the movie started, I got curious to see where they were going with it, but it's so absolutely not my thing... Don't know what I was thinking!

116Fourpawz2
Oct 16, 2011, 8:39 am

When we broke up my grandmother's house, I got custody of a clutch of farm animal photos that were taken when my great grandfather had the farm and in amongst them were several of a pair of belted Galloway twin calves - too cute! I've really loved cows since I was about six or so (before that I was scared of them - too big) and I used to spend hours sitting on the stone wall between Grandpa and Granny's property and the pasture that belonged to the dairy farm next door just watching the cows. Cow make me feel good.

117msf59
Edited: Oct 16, 2011, 8:44 am

Hi Ilana- A pal of mine took all the pictures and I haven't seen them yet. Should be some excellent ones in there. I will share when I get them.

118DragonFreak
Oct 16, 2011, 2:04 pm

>109 PaulCranswick: No it's more like it keeps me awake at night. And then there's the stock show where all night, throughout the town, all you here are cows.

>110 Smiler69: I can imagine. It's the same with seeing a buffalo for the first time, but eventually you realize that the taste of buffalo and cow are much better for you. In my opinion of course.

119avatiakh
Oct 16, 2011, 2:19 pm

Ilana - I just read a terrific blog post highlighting picturebooks from around the world, all fascinating, and as the last three books featured are from France I thought you might like to take a look.

120Smiler69
Oct 16, 2011, 8:27 pm

#116 Cow make me feel good.

Me too Charlotte. I don't try to break it down and figure out the reasons behind this, because when something makes us feel good, it's all good as far as I'm concerned!

#117 I'll look forward to that Mark!

#118 Nathan, I'd like to say I got that, but... sorry, I did not understand... ?

#119 Oh Kerry, you're so so bad! In a very good way of course. I'll check that out soon.

*****

Not much time for anything tonight. Boardwalk Empire is starting in less than an hour, but now I've got to choose between that and Case Histories on PBS too... why did they have to air them at the same time? what to do what to do??

Need to take Coco out, eat, and hopefully do some artwork in preparation for tomorrow's class, though it's not very likely to happen. One can always wish. Oh. Must eat too. Keep forgetting about that as it mostly feels like such an imposition.

Spent far too long on putting together a blog post about my outing to the Eastern Townships, where I've included more photos and a quote that I heard by Edith Wharton on my Summer audiobook which seemed to fit the mood perfectly. The post is here if anyone's interested.

Did I mention there was a library book sale just up the hill from me yesterday and I didn't go? Yep. Didn't go. And I feel no remorse whatsoever. Where to put incoming books has officially become a real problem, so hopefully will help curb my book acquisition compulsion for a bit.

121Smiler69
Oct 16, 2011, 11:05 pm

Well, I went with Case Histories finally, as the other shows will air again this week and this one was a one-time thing. Very good adaptation. Lovely looking man (Jason Isaacs) playing Jackson Brodie. I thought that the three shows would cover just the first eponymous book, but it seems the show next Sunday will be based on One Good Turn, and then the last episode on October 30th will be based on When Will There Be Good News?. So. Looks like I'll finally get to read both books which I've been putting off for far too long sooner rather than later. Now to find what TIOLI challenge One Good Turn will fit into... I wonder if I'll have to set aside my other reading or if I can get it finished along with the others within the week?

Had a few false starts on more reviews, and then something else keeps coming up. Perhaps will try to knock out one or two now...

122Smiler69
Edited: Oct 16, 2011, 11:54 pm



223. Bridge of Birds: A Novel of Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart ★★★½
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #18: A book that has been mentioned in 150 LT conversations or less)

In a small Chinese village, all the children within a certain age group are felled by a mysterious poison that seems to have the ability to count. Because of his strength and pureness of heart, Number Ten Strong Ox, also known as Lu Yu, sets out to find a sage who will help them find the elusive Great Root of Power, which is the only remedy that will bring the children out of their coma-like state, which, if left untreated for too long will spell their death. When Number Ten Ox goes to the nearest town with all the village's savings to find the wise man who will lead him to the cure, he finds the only such man his meagre purse can afford to be Master Kao Li, an impossibly old drunken man who also happens to be an uncommonly clever scholar with "a slight flaw in his character". Soon the two embark on a series of fantastical adventures of mythical proportions in which they must cheat death time and again with with their combined brains and brawn to save them from countless death-traps, a giant invisible killer and several psychotic characters. This is a fun ride in which imaginary fables and adventure play a large role, making for a compulsive reading experience. So why not a higher rating? I couldn't say really, but perhaps the fact that it came so highly recommended by many LTers set impossibly high expectations. Still, a recommend read for those who enjoy fantasy served up with a good dose of humour.

123Smiler69
Edited: Oct 17, 2011, 12:17 am



224. Dust by Arthur Slade ★★★★
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #18: A book that has been mentioned in 150 LT conversations or less)

During the Depression era, a small farming community in Saskatchewan is victim of the Dust Bowl and it's people are desperate for rain. Robert knows that had he accompanied his younger brother, seven-year-old Matthew on his walk to town to buy candy that day, he most likely would not have disappeared. But now he's gone and it seems everyone in town, including his usually stern parents, have forgotten all about Matthew; everyone but Robert, and the local RCMP representative, that is. Adults and children alike are under the spell of the mysterious Abram Harsich, an albino man newly arrived in the community, who brings them magic mirrors and enchanted butterflies, and promises to build a rain-making machine. Robert is suspicious of Harsich, a feeling that is intensified when his uncle, long dead in the Great War, sends him a message that the magician is a dangerous man. This young adult story reeled me in from the first page with great writing and a sense of mounting tension which didn't let up until the end. The malevolent Harsich is truly spooky, even though we know that Robert is bound to prevail, but when he does, we're still left with unanswered questions, which in this case, is all to the merit of this great little novel. Another winner recommended by Kerry.

124Smiler69
Oct 17, 2011, 10:29 am

Well, I got up extra early (for me) this morning—just after 7 a.m.—so with around four hours of sleep, but decided to make a go of it. So far, I've spent the last 3 hours catching up with some threads, have made myself a delicious tea (Taylors of Harrowgates' Earl Grey), had breakfast, and now about to start working on my watercolours project to bring to class this afternoon.

I bought a big bunch of small decorative gourds in amazing colours and shapes at the farmer's market yesterday, then took loads of photos, which I might post on my art blog under "photography" when I'm done editing and arranging them in Photoshop. Now I'm off to do an impressionistic watercolour painting of them. We'll see how that turns out and if it's not too horrible, I'll post it too.

It's a pretty sure bet I'll be ready to pass out after class this afternoon, but that's ok, at least I'll have had a productive half day. I keep hoping that I'll eventually switch my schedule over to more daytime hours, so who knows? this could mark the beginning of a new life! or not, we shall see. I've got several activities planned this week, with two concerts and a get-together with Michelle, the newly arrived British girl I met at a bookstore a couple of weeks ago. I guess one can never have too many bookish friends! :-)

125ChelleBearss
Oct 17, 2011, 1:02 pm

Your blog post is very nice! The pictures are beautiful, I especially like the last picture of the trees and the road with the beautiful fall colours. Thank you for sharing! :)

126jeanned
Oct 17, 2011, 3:10 pm

Really lovely pictures. My only experience with fall foliage in the northeast was a trip to Boston in the 1990s. Drove from the airport to Framingham during the night and enjoyed one day of gorgeous eye-popping color before every leaf stripped from the trees the next night by a hurricane skirting the Atlantic seaboard.

127Smiler69
Oct 17, 2011, 8:36 pm

#125 Thanks Chelle, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I love that "gallery" feature they have on Wordpress, which gives an interesting look when there are a lot of pictures to post, I find. It was my pleasure to share, truly! :-)

#126 Jeanne, I went to Boston once, around the same time as you. I think it was the beginning of fall and I do remember how beautiful everything was driving down there.

There always seems to be, if not a hurricane, a big storm that strips the trees bare at some point. On my street, the sidewalks are thick with fallen leaves; kind of fun to walk around in when wearing wellies or old sneakers.

128jdthloue
Oct 17, 2011, 8:46 pm

Dust sounds good

my life has been betwixt and between......furnace maintenance and a cousin from my Mother's side....i was never allowed to talk to "those" cousins....Dad's Law

Life is either hilarious or tragic.....in between....that's where the questions lie......

129Matke
Oct 18, 2011, 2:28 pm

I always enjoy and often love your blog posts. The cow photos were soothing, and the fall foliage took me back to childhood...do you think the leaf colors are more intense in the rain? I've found that to be so here. Not sure why, though.

A few well-deserved thumbs. Who is the reader for Kim, one of my all-time favorite books?

I've been away from LT for a few days, and probably will be for a few more, but just had to peek at your thread, Ilana. A big hug to you.

130Fourpawz2
Oct 19, 2011, 12:18 am

Love all the pictures on your blog, Ilana. They so take me back to Grandpa and Granny's place at my favorite time of year - the best memories of my life.

131Smiler69
Oct 19, 2011, 12:19 am

#128 I've been finding the in-between zone difficult to negotiate sometimes, having mostly approached life from one extreme or the other, and being forced to relearn to live in a 'saner' way that sometimes makes me want to bash my brains out against the wall... ;-)

#129 Gail, I would say the leaf colours are probably more intense in the rain, yes. For one thing, the water removes any dust that might be covering the leaves and makes the shinier, which I imagine must have a similar effect as putting varnish on printed paper. Think glossy magazines vs. those printed on uncoated, unvarnished paper. I'm sure someone could explain it in a more accurate way, but that's just off the top of my head. I'm glad to know you enjoy my blog post. Heck, I'm always glad to know anyone reads those, never mind actually enjoys them! ;-)

The reader for Kim is (off to check...) Madhav Sharma. I chose him because I liked the sound of his voice and the fact that his Indian accent was obviously more genuine!

I'm glad you stopped by, especially knowing that you're not around much these days. Hope all is well with you sweetie. xx

*****

Off to bed after visiting just a handful of threads. I went to see a Beethoven recital by pianist Anton Kuerti, one of our greatest musicians, who happens to be recognized internationally for his performances of this very same composer, and was awarded the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. He played magnificently of course. It was held in the new concert hall of the pavilion of our museum of fine arts, where they're holding a series of inaugural concerts this week. The acoustics are great, and I imagine this has something to do with the fact that the new wing is partly built into what used to be a church, with the concert hall situated in what used to be the main church area. I went with my new friend, 93 year-old Liselotte, and my 'old' friend Kimmy (who's around my age). L and I are going for another event there on Thursday, which will be a Balinese traditional and modern dance and music performance. Should definitely be interesting. Cuts back on my reading and LT time, but I guess it's for a good cause. :-)

132Smiler69
Oct 19, 2011, 12:22 am

#130 Cross-post!

Your grandparents must have lived in a very beautiful place Charlotte. I'm certainly happy to hear that my humble pictures brought to mind such fond memories.

133calm
Oct 19, 2011, 5:41 am

Wonderful pictures Ilana. Those concerts sound amazing, I look forward to hearing about the Balinese event - that sounds fascinating. It's great that you are spending time with friends.

134DragonFreak
Oct 19, 2011, 9:10 am

>120 Smiler69: Ok, I'm going to help you understand the cow/buffalo thing. You see, you can eat cow, it's beef, and I personally like cow dead eaten than alive; it's just my carnivorous instinct. There's this place in South Dakota called Custer State Park, which I've been there 2-3 times, and it's filled with buffalo. Well buffalo may be neat to look at, but when I went to a restuarant and ordered a buffalo burger, my carnivorous instinct told me that eating buffalo is much better than seeing one.

And if I was more interested in those kind of stories, I would read Dust, but I'm not.

135avatiakh
Oct 19, 2011, 2:18 pm

Nathan - we have a buffalo farm near where I live and they make great fresh mozzarella cheese and yoghurt from the milk and sell it at our local farmers market. I haven't eaten buffalo burger yet.

Ilana: I'm so glad that you liked Dust, especially as he's a Canadian writer.

136Fourpawz2
Oct 19, 2011, 5:44 pm

Sorry, I'd rather see both cows and buffalo than eat them. Buffalo are just magnificent - even when they are stinky (which I guess is all of the time) or when they have that ratty, coming apart at the seams look. Personally, I think they should be the national symbol rather than the eagle. The eagle seems more commonplace while the buffalo is unique to No. America. Also, I find the eagle kind of repulsive looking - I can so buy the whole birds are dinosaurs with feathers argument.
I came off a ten year, self-imposed, cow consumption ban not that long ago and while I love the taste of beef (read mostly hamburger here), I am starting to feel very guilty again and am toying with the idea of going back on the wagon.

137souloftherose
Edited: Oct 19, 2011, 6:02 pm

Catching up on two(!) threads Ilana.

I wishlisted From the Land of the Moon from your last thread.

Re book buying, I actually started a spreadsheet this year to track both number and cost. However, crucially, I haven't totalled the amounts I've spent each month yet - I'm not sure I want to! In some ways buying books is one of my coping mechanisms and although that could be a bad thing I've decided it's a less bad thing than having alcohol, drugs or more expensive shopping as a coping mechanism.

#6 it's apparent simplicity which might make us think "hey, I could do that" That was my first thought on seeing the painting in msg 1! I don't feel like I get modern art, especially the more abstract paintings but I'm glad you shared those with us. One day I will progress beyond liking paintings because they're pretty.

#37 That does look like a beautiful park (and Coco is such a cutie).

#46 "Reading is what keeps me sane" Yes, me too (relatively).

Love the autumnal photos too. Living in the countryside I see quite a few cows and I think I forget to stop and appreciate them.

Hope you enjoy the music event tomorrow.

138jolerie
Oct 19, 2011, 6:16 pm

Making my rounds on the threads and trying to catch up!!

Lovely cows Ilana. They have a soft spot in my heart because as silly a reason this might be, my hubby makes an uncanny impersonation of one that always gets me cracking. :)

Wonderful reviews as always. :)

139vancouverdeb
Oct 19, 2011, 7:27 pm

Hi llana! Great review of Dust . I think you've caught my interest with that one. It sounds very interesting! Good for your, making a go of it on 4 hours sleep! I''d never last!! Like you, I'm a night owl. Glad you had a great day... beside me sits my little Daisy dog, looking at me with her longing eyes. What would we do without our little loves!

140Smiler69
Oct 19, 2011, 9:19 pm

#133 Hi calm, I look forward to tomorrow's event too as it's definitely something out of the norm (well, here in Montreal that is). All that comes to mind when I think of Balinese dancing are those wonderfully ornate costumes they wear, but I'm trying to rid myself of that image because don't want to go in with any expectations whatsoever. Should be interesting for sure!

#134 Nathan, I'm still not quite sure I understand, but you can put it down to the fact that I have a relatively low carnivorous instinct myself, as I rarely eat meat more than 3-4 times a week, on average and am happy to go meat-free.

#135 Kerry, I was just going to ask you whether you've read anything else by Arthur Slade as I would happily explore more of his work based on my experience with Dust, but then I see that I already have The Hunchback Assignments on my wishlist and that it's tagged as having been recommended by none other than you! I'll pick it up from the library someday for sure.

#136 Do you know Charlotte that I don't recall ever having seen a Buffalo in person before? If I did it was a very long time ago.

My mum was vegetarian when I was growing up, and I had the option to eat meat if I wanted it, but was happy to go without because her cooking was just so amazing. Then for all kinds of complicated reasons we went back to eating meat. And then as a student I went a couple of years meat-free again. I've always had issues with meat. I don't like that we slaughter animals to feed ourselves, when we can very well live meat-free. I don't like that we have this mentality that our lives are so much more important than that of the animals to begin with. I don't like that raising cattle doesn't make ecological sense, and I HATE the way the meat industry operates, the way the animals are treated, all the crap they're given to compensate for those terrible conditions, etc. I could eat organic meat, and sometimes do, but it doesn't make much more sense to me. As for fish, don't even get me started. So why am I not completely vegetarian, you might ask? I'm not quite sure really. For one thing, I'm lazy, and eating meat once in a while assures me that I'm getting sufficient protein. For another, I occasionally do get a big meat craving and I think it's ok to have it on occasion. Seriously though, it's an issue that bothers me on a daily basis. So I mostly live on organic milk products (which I love and crave) and eggs, with lots of fruit & veggies and some whole grains, which is the best compromise I've been able to find for now. Oh, and lots of sweets. Which I eat guilt-free and keep praying I never have to worry about blood-sugar (keeping fingers crossed).

#137 Heather! You've been missed my dear! I went by your thread the other day to catch up and got halfway through, so didn't leave a comment. Must go back and get the full update, but I'm very glad you had such a lovely trip.

I hope you enjoy From the Land of the Moon when you get to it. I don't expect you to fall in love with it the way I did, but I do believe you'll find it to be a good read at the very least.

Much agreed that out of all other less healthy and affordable options, buying books as coping mechanism is relative innocuous. I've never heard of death by reading, for instance. Or death by book shopping for that matter. Unless one got so excited about their purchases that they got a heart attack!

Haven't been to that park much since the days have been getting so much shorter and cooler. Seems less appealing to sit on a bench outside lately, but I might bundle up well and bring a book earlier in the day soon before the freezing weather sets in.

#138 That sounds like a good enough reason to like cows Valerie! :-)

Speaking of reviews, of course I'm late as always, which is hardly news anymore, but now I'm stalling even more because have two major works to write about next, i.e. Cutting for Stone and The Bluest Eye. I get so intimidated with those kinds of works as far as write-ups go. So I'll either try to knock out a couple of really short blurbs and keep it as simple as possible, or take the better part of a day to try to contain all my scattered thoughts in a few hopefully intelligible paragraphs... we shall see.

#139 Hi Deb! You know, I think I had a delayed reaction to that abbreviated night's sleep because today I couldn't at all get out of bed till well into the afternoon, and still feeling exhausted. It happens like that on occasion that I'll go on just a few hours sleep and then be all speedy and excited for that day, but then there's always a crash afterward, so I don't indulge too often, besides which, most of the time I can't function AT ALL if I don't get at least 8-9 hours in.

What would we do without our little loves!

I don't know how I ever managed before Coco. He's my joy and happiness.

141Smiler69
Oct 19, 2011, 9:47 pm

Today was a very fun day. When I finally did manage to drag myself out of bed (at nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon!) I got myself a bowl of cereal and sat in front of the computer to read my email, and thank goodness I did, because I had a reminder that I was supposed to meet a friend at 3 on the dot at a café a few blocks away. I don't think I ever got ready so fast in my life before. Somehow I managed to get there just 5 minutes late. It's this place I've mentioned before called Lili & Oli, really laid back; they allow dogs and I just love the casual and warm ambiance. I took the photos below a few weeks ago when it was uncharacteristically quiet, but gives an idea of the place.

I was meeting a brand new friend there, a girl I met at a bookstore a couple of weeks ago. She and her partner has just arrived from England three weeks ago as he's gotten recruited for a big job in the aeronautics industry. She was a sociology teacher and is going through the motions of finding a job here. Really lovely girl with a beautiful attitude and very chatty like me, which makes for a pleasant time. We talked about everything but books somehow, though she did tell me she's getting together with a book group tomorrow. When I met her, she was looking for Let the Great World Spin, which is what they'll be discussing tomorrow. Michelle told me if this group seems interesting to her she'll bring me along next time.

She currently lives right in front of the farmer's market, so I suggested to walk back with her toward her place since it's right by the water and there's lots of fun places for dogs to run around there, and as we got to the park just behind her building, I saw there was a small cluster of little dogs running around and playing. Turns out the local small dog owners get together there everyday between 5 and 6, so we stayed and chatted with the other dog owners while Coco ran around with a gaggle of amazingly adorable critters. I just love seeing him play with other dogs because he capers around and does these air spins and generally clowns around in the cutest way.

That was it really, a very simple day, but a new friend and a new place to go to with Coco so her can run around with others his size and have more fun than just laying around watching me sit at the computer and read all day!

142ChelleBearss
Edited: Oct 19, 2011, 9:50 pm

Sounds like you had a wonderful day! Watching dogs play is always fun! There is a dog park near my house that we like taking our lab once in a while. He is exhausted for days afterwards!

143PaulCranswick
Oct 20, 2011, 10:40 am

#141 Ilana it is always great when you get a connection with someone new. Your English friends sound like a breath of fresh air but then again from a Yorkshireman I guess I would say so!
Living in cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur I have met and heartily befriended wonderful people from a multitude of places - Malaysia has three main races Malay, Chinese and Indian all living in relative harmony and I have innumerable pals from all of these. (SHE-WHO-MUST-BE-OBEYED of course is Malay!) My MIL was born in Singapore and I have many Singaporean friends and Clients with it being so close. We have Thai, Filipino, Indonesian and Indian friends and have had visitors from Cambodia stay with us. I have worked 15 years with a variety of Korean firms and have at least 100 friends amongst them (37% of whom are called Kim!), we have family friends (of either myself or Hani) from UK, Ireland, Japan, Alaska, Texas, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France (I know, setting aside 1000 years of history), Holland, Spain, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia (does putting them alongside each other mean anything?), Guatemala, Ecuador, Germany, Russia, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Bangladesh, Iran, Maldives and Mauritius. Who needs the United Nations - I have it outside my door!

144Donna828
Oct 20, 2011, 10:53 am

Oh, a new bookstore friend. Perfect! I hope you get in the book group with her. Book groups can be great... or not so great. I seem to be tongue-tied (or brain-tied) this morning. Your conclusion of a fun get-together at the dog park sounds divine. My Lucky doesn't do well with other (big) dogs but I think he'd love Coco. Doesn't everybody?

I'll look forward to your comments on Cutting for Stone and The Bluest Eye, two of my favorites. I don't know if you caught it on the audio book, but in Summer, Charity longs for blue eyes, too.

145jolerie
Oct 20, 2011, 3:03 pm

Waking up at 3 in the afternoon sounds like heaven. I don't think I've been able to do that since high school! Now for me, waking up at 8:30 is a luxury but thank goodness for tea and coffee. Some days it's enough to get me through the day and others it feels like it doesn't help at all. :)
Sounds like you had a lovely day my friend. Here's to more days being as relaxing and peaceful as what you just experienced!

146Matke
Oct 20, 2011, 6:35 pm

Hi, Ilana. Your day sounds like it was great: isn't it wonderful to make a new friend? Watching the dogs enjoy themselves is a plus.

"I never heard of anybody dying from reading..."

LOL.

And, Heather and Ilana, book buying is my major coping mechanism as well. Oh, and I've been enhancing my listening skills by listening to some Hercule Poirot stories, written by Agatha Christie and read by (performed by would be more accurate) the marvelously talented David Suchet. I smiled all teh time on a long-ish commute this a.m. to a grocery store while listening to this charming CD. Thanks, Ilana, for getting me going on audio books.

147EBT1002
Edited: Oct 20, 2011, 8:26 pm

Hi Ilana,
I'm finally back from my travels, completely backlogged at work and on LT! So, just skimming to see how things are going. Love your story about your fun day yesterday.

"a very simple day, but a new friend and a new place to go to with Coco so he can run around with others his size..." ---- sometimes the simple things are the very, very best!

It will take me a while to get back to actual conversation, but I wanted to report that I'm alive and well, and still reading (and enjoying) Cutting for Stone.

148Smiler69
Edited: Oct 20, 2011, 11:24 pm

#142 Hi Chelle, I'll try to take Coco to that park at least 2-3 times/week. If it's not raining, we'll head out there again tomorrow.

#143 Paul, it does sound exactly like you have the United Nations as a circle of friends.

As for me making new friends, I'm liking meeting people who just know me as I am now in my current situation and who won't compare me to the successful and ambitious art director I was in what seems like a previous life.

#144 Donna, I'm not in any great hurry to join a RL book club as I'm sure if the right conditions aren't present it could be a real bore. But if this one seems to have potential, I'll gladly try it out. Mind you, I don't know if I would find anything to say about books if put on the spot and expected to speak out, as opposed to have all my leisure to write about them when suits me best.

I did not catch that bit when Charity expressed a longing for blue eyes. Blue eyes are so overrated, I want to tell them. I have them, and I can assure anyone that doesn't that they are certainly NOT the key to happiness and success in life, though I know in Toni Morrison's book, it went much further than a simple aesthetic preference.

#145 Valerie, waking up that late in the day is definitely NOT heavenly to me. When I do, I feel a combination of guilt and exhaustion from too many strange dreams and am faced with such a short day ahead of me that I can't help but feel that I'm wasting my life away. But I guess when you have a baby and can never get enough sleep it must seem like an amazingly tempting indulgence.

#146 Gail, I wish I could express how happy it makes me watching my little guy at play. Brings me right back to childhood and the kind of joy and wonderment a child might feel about such things.

I'm really glad you're enjoying your experience with audiobooks. I know they aren't for everyone, but for me they've been quite a revelation and I don't think there's any going back. I just love that I can be 'reading' while doing things that previously would have precluded that. There's currently a 50% sale on Audible and I filled my shopping cart to the brim and was about to spend a big bundle, then convinced myself to wait until the last day of the sale, on the 31st so that at least I'll make one big purchase instead of going back everyday and ending up spending two or three times as much!

#147 Hi Ellen, glad to have you back! I can imagine you must have a lot of catching up to do in general.

I'll look forward to your comments on Cutting for Stone. I just might bite the bullet tonight and write just a few short words about it and get that review over with. We'll see about that.

*****

Well, this evening L and I went to see the Balinese performance and were both immensely disappointed. For starters, it turns out the listing for the show was quite misleading as it was not at all an authentic affair, which came as a huge disappointment and is very strange, considering the event was held at the museum of fine arts, from which one would expect a certain level of excellence. Out of 20 musician, only one was a confirmed Balinese, and maybe one other was (presumably) Indonesian, while all the others were very much local white-as-chalk French Canadian. There were 4 dancers, three of which were from some Asian descent and reasonably good, while the other a very very tall, very blue-eyed, blonde French woman. The acoustics were not at all right for that kind of music, which sounded like a bunch of loud noise made by countless out of synch percussion instruments, with plenty of cymbals and clanging. When the French dancer came out and did a solo dance in the full Balinese attire, the whole thing just seemed completely incongruous. She was much too tall and all the facial and eye expressions she made just seemed totally ridiculous. The worst part was that she seemed to do a pretty good job of the actual dancing, but it just didn't come off right at all. Then, to top it all off, one of the troupe's very nervous members gave not one, but TWO very long, very boring, very inept speeches, mostly in French, which added nothing whatsoever to the performance. He asked the audience to stay after the last dance as the group had apparently prepared "a surprise" for us, and already at that point, I could tell most of the audience wanted to leave, and we were only half an hour into the hour-long affair! And a very long hour it was too. A couple next to me did leave right before the "surprise" was sprung on us. In one of the two speeches, the so-called presenter actually said that "this show is almost nearly an authentic Balinese experience", which made me groan with discouragement. In other words, a major dud. L was especially upset because she felt responsible, since she was the one who had picked out this show for us, but as I said to her, how were we to know we would have this mockery foisted upon us? At least I got to spend some time with my new friend. That was the best part really, along with a simple dinner we had afterward at the Holt Renfrew café. I still hear the clanging noises in my head and just might have nightmares about it. *big shudder*

149vancouverdeb
Oct 21, 2011, 5:03 am

Sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing evening, Ilana. Well, at least the evening was saved with a nice dinner with your friend. I do hope you enjoy Cutting For Stone . I just loved it when I read it a couple of years ago.

150jolerie
Oct 21, 2011, 12:15 pm

I dislike false advertisement. I understand that sometimes people say certain things or write other things in order to create publicity, but I think there has got to be some boundaries in terms of what is true and what is seriously just stretching it otherwise you end up with what you unfortunately felt at the end of the night - ripped off!

151Smiler69
Oct 21, 2011, 4:22 pm

#149 I would definitely have preferred spending that time doing something else, but it's over and done with now. I'm about to write a few lines about Cutting for Stone. Probably won't be the best review ever, but I just have to get it out of the way.

#150 Valerie, it wasn't so much that I felt ripped off as much as was disappointed that an institution like the museum wouldn't make it clear that the troupe in question was a local one.

152Smiler69
Edited: Oct 21, 2011, 5:38 pm



225. ♫ Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (688 pages) ★★★★½
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #2: Read a Characteristic Work of the 75 Book Challenge group
and 11 in 11 Category #7: Big and Scary: books over 400 pages)

From the distance of his fifty years, Marion Stone looks back on his personal history. First describing how his mother, a young nun and his surgeon father came to meet on an eventful boat voyage from to India to East Africa and how their unavowed love for each other led to the birth, seven years later in the 1950s, of identical twins, Marion and Shiva; an impossibly difficult delivery spelled doom for their mother and the disappearance of their father. Raised by two doctors who had been friends and co-workers of the biological parents, Marion goes on to describe growing up with a brother to whom he felt an almost spiritual connection, yet was as different in character as he was similar in appearance, and how a girl and a major breach of trust came to separate the two in their adolescence. Set against the very unique background of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, and great political turmoil, which eventually forces Marion to leave his loved ones behind and flee for his life, the novel travels from Addis Ababa to New York and Boston, and back again. While living in the States our narrator becomes a surgeon and eventually meets his father, who has become a prominent figure in the medical establishment. Following an unexpected meeting with a woman from his past, Marion falls critically ill and his family will rally around him in a desperate effort to save his life.

While I was immediately and irresistibly pulled into the story and fell in love with the beautiful writing, I balked at the frequent graphic descriptions of medical conditions and procedures, though could well understand how a novel with medicine and surgery as one of it's main themes must be so, and also came to see toward the end of the novel that these were essential in the telling of the story. I loved that the events were rooted in a solid historical, social and political context, and the perspective of a native Ethiopian describing both his own country and his perspective on life in America. I found the strong love and bond between the twins and their adoptive parents—who were both wonderfully well drawn and well-rounded characters—both moving and lovely to read about. The relationships seemed absolutely real, and were peppered with the kinds of unique moments a family shares and which could only be so well described by a very talented author. Surprisingly, the only character in the story that remained a mystery to me was that of Shiva, and while this was something I found fault with at first, thinking back on it, I came to understand that this was entirely in keeping with the mystery he constitutes even to his own twin, and made perfect sense when one considers all that he eventually comes to embody in this unforgettable novel. Definitely recommended. I listened to the audio version which is also excellently narrated by Sunil Malhotra.

153Smiler69
Edited: Oct 21, 2011, 7:12 pm

Ok, I can't say I exactly threw these together in two minutes without thought. I try to be brief, but it just never works out that way...





226. ♫ The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison ★★★★½
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #18: A book that has been mentioned in 150 LT conversations or less, and 11 in 11 Category #1: English Language Classics)

Though Toni Morrison may have expressed dissatisfaction many years after the original publication in 1970 of this, her first novel, claiming in an afterword that "It required a sophistication unavailable to me", the very opposite though came to me as I was listening to her own excellent narration of the audiobook version. While even I managed to detect what others often claim to see and I do not, i.e. "problems with the writing" with varying voices telling the story, and in this case sometimes to confusing effect, the level of sophistication of the novel itself, of the ideas it presents, of the way in which the characters are drawn and interact, of the overall construction, and of course the language and beauty of the writing made me appreciate this novel best out of the three by Morrison I've read so far (the other two being Beloved and A Mercy). The introduction begins with Morrison's own interpretation of a 'Dick and Jane'-type story: "Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty . . . Here comes a friend. The friend will play with Jane. They will play a good game. Play, Jane, play." This quaint little bit of school primer, with it's image of perfect simplicity and happiness, and not least of which, white children Dick and Jane who 'play and play', and which forms a motif throughout the novel, comes as an ominous sign that things will be far from simple fun and games for Pecola, the novel's 11-year-old black heroine, who is described as an ugly girl and who's greatest wish in life, in spite of the abject poverty she lives in, and the miserable family life, and the poor treatment she receives from nearly everybody she comes in contact to, is to have the 'bluest eyes'.

The first words of the novel may give us the whole story; it starts with the conclusion as it were, but as one coming freshly to this novel, not having read anything else beyond a short descriptive blurb about the subject matter, their meaning, was lost on me, though their poetry was not:

"Quiet as it's kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941. We thought, at the time, that it was because Pecola was having her father's baby that the marigolds did not grow. A little examination and much less melancholy would have proved to us that our seeds were not the only ones that did not sprout; nobody's did. Not even the gardens fronting the lake showed marigolds that year. But so deeply concerned were we with the health and safe delivery of Pecola's baby we could think of nothing but our own magic: if we planted the seeds, and said the right words over them, they would blossom, and everything would be alright. It was a long time before my sister and I admitted to ourselves that no green was going to spring from our seeds. Once we knew, our guilt was relieved only by fights and mutual accusations about who was to blame. For years I thought my sister was right: it was my fault. I had planted them too far down in the earth. It never occured to either one of us that the earth itself might have been unyielding. We had dropped our seeds in our own little plot of black dirt just as Pecola's father had dropped his seeds in his own plot of black dirt. Our innocence and faith were no more productive than his lust or despair. What is clear now is that of all of that hope, fear, lust, love, and grief, nothing remains but Pecola and the unyielding earth. Cholly Breedlove is dead; our innocence too. The seeds shriveled and died; her baby too. There is really nothing more to say--except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how."

The voices of various characters involved in Pecola's life from the little girls who's home Pecola is taken into, to her own mother and father, take over the narrative and give their points of view; describing the histories of their own lives, they give us a better understanding of the how things came to be the way they end up for poor Pecola. One of the great strengths of the novel is that although we know it is a story which will end badly, and although we also know that the protagonists are likely to have harsh realities to contend with, it never drags us down into bleakness and despair. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that Morrison's writing is never sentimental, but rather observant of the least detail that real life presents to us, and of how even when things are at their worst, there is always something interesting going on. We know of course that The Bluest Eye is a powerful commentary on racial hatred, but I would venture to guess that one of the reasons this novel has become a classic is because it carries a universal message. In describing how the beauty myth operates, she describes how humanity as a whole has sought escape from the harshness and vastly unfair playground that is life into this impossible ideal, which is bound to disappoint: "Along with the idea of romantic love, [Pecola] was introduced to another—physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion."

154Smiler69
Edited: Oct 21, 2011, 7:44 pm



227. ♫ Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie ★★★¾
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #17: Letter 'X' in the title and 11 in 11 Category #3: Mysteries & Crime Fiction)

While I'm sure I've already read this classic of classics among mystery novels, and seen several TV and movie versions of, somehow the ending came as a complete surprise. Sometimes, on very rare occasions, it is actually a blessing to have a poor memory. This audio version narrated by David Suchet was a joy to listen to, and helped me fully appreciate my renewed visit in AgathaChristieLand. The claustrophobic effect of the single carriage of the Orient Express in which all the protagonists of the story are ensconced is germane to the story and wonderfully played up. We are presented with a crime; a rich man has been stabbed twelve times while he was apparently asleep. Hercule Poirot, who also happens to be on board the Orient Express, proceeds to question all the other passengers, as it is clear that at least one of them is guilty of the murder. As the story progresses and the suspects are each interviewed twice over by Poirot, it is as if Christie is peeling each one of them like an onion, revealing their identities and secrets layer by layer, and of course, each one of the protagonists has something to hide. In my latest re-reads of the grand Dame of crime fiction, this one was definitely one of my favourites, though no doubt Suchet's excellent reading had something to do with it. To my great amusement, when Suchet was not beautifully imitating Poirot's Belgian accent when he is speaking English—as he famously did in his television role—and pronounced actual French words and sentences, it was clear to my fluent French ears that he speaks little or no French at all.

155Smiler69
Edited: Oct 21, 2011, 7:49 pm

I've completed 2 of my 11 in 11 categories today, Category #1, which I've modified slightly from just 'Classics' to 'English Language Classics', and Category #3: Mysteries & Crime Fiction. Only 25 books to go!

156msf59
Oct 21, 2011, 7:53 pm

Hi Ilana- Sorry to hear your Balinese performance was such a letdown. Bummer! At least it sounds like you had a nice time with your friend. That's important.

Great reviews of both Cutting For Stone & The Bluest Eye. I loved both titles, although I'm probably due a re-read on the latter, since it's been many years.

Have a wonderful evening!

157PaulCranswick
Oct 21, 2011, 8:05 pm

Three great reviews in quick succession Ilana - impressive reading and listening I must say. Interested with your practised comments on the vocal authenticity of Suchet as Poirot. Always thought to be honest that his "thick Belgian accent" whilst speaking english was a little overcooked. btw please teach me how to make my ears fluent as I would make a fortune as a ventriloquist!

158avatiakh
Oct 21, 2011, 8:30 pm

Great reviews, I've added The Bluest Eye to my mountain, Cutting for Stone is probably already there. A shame about the Balinese performance, it did sound like a real mess.

159jdthloue
Edited: Oct 21, 2011, 10:38 pm

I read my first Toni Morrison...Sula....in 1975...Song of Solomon and Tar Baby followed

Then came Beloved and The Bluest Eye...two very visceral reads for me..I couldn't sleep..i had nightmares..i lost weight because i couldn't eat..

I guess those two books were Important to me...never mind that Toni Morrison is from Lorain, OH

I loved your review of The Bluest Eye

;-}

160Smiler69
Edited: Oct 22, 2011, 12:02 am

#156 Hi Mark, sorry haven't visited your thread in a while, but I'll take myself there right after this to see what the latest developments are.
Those two books were really fantastic reads. I'd say I will probably read both again, but more likely with The Bluest Eye, less so with CfS, but only because of it's length.

#157 Oh yes, you must read The Bluest Eye Kerry! Can't wait to read your take on both these great novels.

#158 I take it as a great compliment that you 'loved' my review of The Bluest Eye Jude, especially since you're such a great fan of Toni Morrison.

I started with Beloved quite recently, in 2008 and was quite perplexed by it. My review for that one reads "This is a complex and very disturbing story which deals with slavery, racism and ghosts, lost souls, death and rebirth. It’s a brilliant book, but it felt like a very long and difficult journey. Still, I’m glad I read it." Followed that up with A Mercy, which I was very surprised to win from ER. I almost feel like I wasn't properly equipped to fully appreciate those two fantastic novels, but I think I've finally 'gotten it' with this one. I've got Sula and Love on the shelves, though something tells me I'll be reading a lot more by her.

I was quite encouraged when I read today on her Wikipedia page that Morrison only started writing fiction at the age of 40. Not like I think I have the makings of a Toni Morrison, goodness knows (I'm too white, for starters), but it's always great to get confirmation that it's never too late to start writing, as goes for just about everything else (except for becoming a trapeze artist or a contortionist, and probably a child beauty pageant contestant too for that matter!)

*****

I more or less successfully avoided two major book sales this week. The greatest deterrent that is helping me curb my book-buying instinct is that I've run out of space to pile them up on. There is the floor of course, but what with two cats and a small dog, that's pretty well out of the question, if only because the dust bunnies (which are already ubiquitous around here) would probably start mating and create monsters. Still, I met my dad at the McGill Book Fair yesterday, which is a major event that's been going on for decades, though sadly, apparently it's seen it's last days. A bunch of Montreal Book Bloggers got together at the fair's opening on day 1, and I was invited too of course, but I waited till the third and last day, knowing full well there wouldn't be much to bring back home by then. I did snag a hardback copy of The True Gen: An Intimate Portrait of Ernest Hemingway by Those Who Knew Him for all of $2.50, which had been on my wishlist since I'd read The Paris Wife and seen it in the bibliography. I'll probably wait until I've at least read the other novels by Hemingway sitting on my shelves which I've yet to read before getting to that one. Speaking of which, I was really annoyed this week when an audio version I got from the library of To Have and Have Not read by Will Patton would not copy to my hard-drive. The first disk is so badly scratched up that my driver kept spitting it out. I have it in print format, but there is more likelihood of me getting to it sooner on audio format. Oh well.

161vancouverdeb
Oct 22, 2011, 1:58 am

Fabulous review of Cutting for Stone, Ilana. I loved that book, and it's such a long involved book, it's very difficult to review. You did a great job!

162PaulCranswick
Oct 22, 2011, 5:44 am

Jude thank heavens you've recommended an alternative to dieting - Toni Morrison and sleep deprivation - SHE-WHO-MUST-BE-OBEYED keeps pestering about exercise so I'll tell her to stuff it....er I'll think it anyway.

163Smiler69
Edited: Oct 22, 2011, 9:54 am

#161 Deb, I honestly thought I'd just write two or three lines, as from the outset thought I'd never be able to write a comprehensive review of this book. I didn't try to either, but did the usual when faced with a book that I'm intimidated to write my opinions about... just started with an opening sentence, and let that take me where it would. Now if only I could put that to good use and start writing fiction that way...

#163 Paul, bless your soul, I shudder to think of all the things I've thought-and-not-said over the years, especially as I have a big mouth and have said plenty that I never should have as it is! Haven't yet found a book that's managed to keep me off food for any length of time, but then again, as 'successful' as I've been with dieting in the short-term, it never works in the long term as we all know. Now I'm having all the echoes of every single 'specialist' I've ever heard go on about this topic: "it's not about dieting, it's about lifestyle; good nutrition and regular exercise and yaddy yaddy yadda." yeah... fuck that. What if I'm in the mood for ice cream for breakfast? Then what?

eta: off to have some French toast topped with fruit and... Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, YUM! :-D

164Smiler69
Oct 22, 2011, 11:08 am

I stayed up far too late last night and ended up on dangerous territory: online bookstores.

Here's the damage so far

From ChaptersIndigo:
The Night Circus
The Group Of Seven And Tom Thomson - an art book I discovered in my watercolours class last year.
The Art of Richard Diebenkorn - this one I ordered to have a look at, since they don't have it in physical stores, so if it doesn't appeal to me will be returned.

From AbeBooks:
The Rise and Fall of the Victorian Servant by Pamela Horn - this is a book I'd seen on Charlotte's (Fourpawz2) wishlist a while back and was much intrigued by. Wasn't available anywhere, but found a used copy in good condition here.
Tom Thomson by Dennis Reid - I saw this one this week in a softcover version when we went to the museum of fine arts to see the Balinese show. It ended up being one of the best parts of the evening, as I've been thinking about some of the images I saw in it ever since. The hardcover version has been sold out for some time, but I tracked it down here at a reasonable price (for an out of print art book, that is). Of course I was additionally tempted to get the two Thomson books after seeing the series of short films on Canadian artists a couple of weeks ago.

    

165PaulCranswick
Oct 22, 2011, 4:08 pm

Ilana - Thanks for the nice remarks and I will join you in the Haagen Dasz (either coffee or Baileys flavour please) but I will pass on having to take it together with french toast

166Smiler69
Oct 22, 2011, 7:35 pm

Paul, my cravings for Haagen Dazs seem to go in phases. All through spring and summer, I couldn't get enough of their new lemon flavour. Before that, it was half-fat dulce de leche (extra sweet!), I've gone through the chocolate phase of course. Recently, I had a strawberry phase, but was disappointed every time that there weren't more bits of strawberry in the cream. The vanilla is just as an accompaniment, though I have to admit even that is mighty good. Coffee is amazing, and believe it or not, haven't tried the Bailey's yet, though will have to see to that. :-)

167msf59
Oct 22, 2011, 7:50 pm

Hi Ilana- Looks like a nice book haul, especially that 1st title. Hooray! I'm not familiar with the other authors. Hope you are having a nice Saturday.

168avatiakh
Oct 23, 2011, 3:15 am

That does look like a good haul of books.
I've also succumbed and ordered a copy of The Night Circus, I've seen so many good reviews of it online and in the local papers. I've even signed up for Mark's group read.

169vancouverdeb
Oct 23, 2011, 6:11 am

I have many vices in the area of food. My favourite ice cream is " Death By Chocolate" which in my case I sometimes fear might happen. I too go through phases - I will love my chocolate ice cream for a few months, but then I will completely ingnore it favour of some other goodie. But chocolate is always a part of my day.

A wonderful haul of books, Ilana. I've got Night Circus in my TBR pile, waiting for Mark's great read , and oh! I envy you that lovely book with The Group of Seven. I once had the great pleasure of taking in an exhibit of the The Group of Seven at the Vancouver Art Gallery. It was lovely.

170Donna828
Oct 23, 2011, 8:13 am

I'm beginning my day with your lovely book reviews. The Bluest Eye is my favorite Morrison, too, and I've read most of her works.

I'm tempted to buy The Night Circus as I am on a lengthy wait list at the library. The cost of new books is scary, however, after my haul of cheap books at the recent book sale. I must be strong...and patient!

It's cool and cloudy here today. I still want to go to the nearby state forest to get my nature fix. The dog will be willing, just hope I can convince hubster. I think I'll offer a trade-off for church so he won't miss football games. I'll post a larger picture for you this time. :-)

171jdthloue
Edited: Oct 23, 2011, 5:08 pm

Love your book haul (you'll have to deal with the $$ guilt on your own)...i got a "surprise" ARC of The Night Circus last week...i'm still reeling a bit..

Art Books I adore, but can't afford

Haagen Dazs over waffles?? Heaven on a plate! You have good taste

*hugs*

172ronincats
Oct 23, 2011, 3:00 pm

Ilana, just a late note to let you know you can find a collection of all the, and only the, Mowgli stories in All The Mowgli Stories. Amazon has copies from 1¢ on up. I have the edition with the dust jacket, and enjoy just rereading it without having to search through my complete Kipling editions.

173souloftherose
Oct 23, 2011, 5:03 pm

I'm another person who's tempted to buy The Night Circus at the moment. I'm on the reserve list at the library but the books themselves are still showing as on order and they're only ordering two copies... The UK kindle price is very cheap at the moment. The Rise and Fall of the Victorian Servant looks interesting too.

I really enjoyed your reviews of Cutting for Stone and The Bluest Eye. I tried reading Cutting for Stone last year but got bogged down in the birth scene at the beginning of the book and then had to return it to the library. I've been meaning to try again because there have been so many positive reviews of that one. And glad you enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express. I think David Suchet has now done a TV dramatisation of that one as Poirot - it was one of the last Poirot stories he hadn't filmed.

Sorry to hear the Balinese show was a disappointment.

174jdthloue
Oct 23, 2011, 5:13 pm

On second thought....

All of the hype surrounding The Night Circus...is giving me pause...if not paws

I am hesitant, to jump on the bandwagon....for myself...because i despise Publishers hype

Which has nothing to do with you, Ilana....

.........

175Smiler69
Oct 23, 2011, 11:52 pm

#167 I've been looking forward to reading Night Circus every since I read and ARC review on it, so wasn't about to miss out! Looking forward to our group read Mark.

#168 Guess we'll be bumping into each other on that group read thread then Kerry. I look forward to it.

#169 Deb, any kinds of sweets don't last very long around here. When it comes to art, given the choice between seeing it in RL or getting the book, I'd choose the former, but the nice thing about the book is you get to keep the art for a fraction of the price!

#170 Hi Donna, hope you got your nature fix today. I'll go have a peek at your thread in case you've posted evidence!

#171 & 174 I know about your Night Circus ARC win, didn't I tell you how jealous I was on your thread Jude? I'll have to figure out how to get some of that publisher action myself. Any tips for me? I don't know about publisher hype because I haven't been paying attention. I do know I saw a glowing review from an LT member over on the 11/11 group which had me sold some months back though.

#172 Roni, I went and checked on Amazon as soon as I read your message. Seems the copies on offer are all available only through third parties as used copies though. Maybe they have different offerings here on Amazon.ca. Have already started searching on AbeBooks... thanks for the tip!

#173 Heather, it was a similar situation at the library here with Night Circus. They've only got two copies, and one of them has already been 'temporarily withdrawn', whatever that means. The price they're charging at our big box bookstore is equivalent to softcover price, so I went for it.

I know what you mean about the birth scene in Cutting for Stone. That very nearly undid me as well, and the only reason I kept going was because I'd heard so many good things about it. Also, it seems my tolerance level for that sort of thing has gone up, or at least it did with the reading of this book! The beginning does give you a good idea of how the medical parts are described throughout, but the beginning is definitely the roughest of all.

The Balinese show was so bad that I actually wanted to laugh. Instead I politely clapped at all the right moments and just made a lot of faces when I thought nobody was looking!

*****

I'm trying a new thing to get me to sleep less in the day and have arranged with my dad for him to give me a wake-up call in the morning. The idea is if I wake up earlier in the day, I'll also go to bed earlier, but I can see tonight is already not headed in the right direction. I knew I'd have a hard time making it an early one because I had every intention of watching the 2nd episode of the Jackson Brodie series on Masterpiece Theatre. I only made it halfway through the book this week (if that) and must say that I wasn't completely enthralled with either the book or the show, but I'll definitely finish the book, especially as they've changed a lot of things around for TV, so it's a completely different experience. Dunno if I'll be able to finish When Will There Be Good News? by next Sunday, but I won't worry about it.

Yesterday, brought back the following from the library:

Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires - a YA graphic novel which is a MUST for cat lovers. I read it while sitting at my favourite café and was smiling wide throughout. Another winner recommended by Kerry. Very sweet and fun, and I've already reserved the second of three books.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosey - I was looking up Mosey online a week ago and found they had a whole bunch of his books on audio, which is why I've been hoarding them. Once they're on my hard drive, I can listen whenever I like. This story is about an old man falling into dementia, which sounds pretty interesting.
For Whom the Bells Toll by Ernest Hemingway - narrated by Campbell Scott. Hopefully this one will copy onto my computer because I had to return To Have and Have Not yesterday as the first disk was too damaged. Boo.
Russian Folk Tales - Got this one mostly for the art by Ivan Bilibin. I'll eventually show some illustrations alongside pictures of a cabinet my mom painted with scenes from this book.
Three by Tey by Josephine Tey - This one has The Franchise Affair, Miss Pym Disposes, and Brat Farrar. Got it for the last two stories as they weren't available as single books. This fat volume looks like it's a hundred years old!

176MickyFine
Oct 24, 2011, 1:34 pm

Campbell Scott would be a wonderful narrator. He has such a great voice for that (see the film One Week for proof). If only I had the attention span for audiobooks...

177vancouverdeb
Oct 24, 2011, 2:03 pm

Ilana, as far e-readers go, wouldn't you know it but I purchased a kindle Wi-Fi , 3G model in September just before the new Kindle Fire and New Kobo came out! Oh well! That's life. But yes, I would be very tempted if I were you to purchase an e -reader - and the new Kobo sounds just great!

178Smiler69
Edited: Oct 24, 2011, 11:53 pm

#176 Hi Micky, you know it's funny, because I don't think I've ever seen Campbell Scott act in a movie, but I really like him as a narrator having listened to Tropic of Cancer, An Object of Beauty and Brokeback Mountain by him so far. I'll probably eventually listen to him narrate Tropic of Capricorn eventually too and whatever else he does that might be of interest to me.

#177 Deb, of course you just got the Kindle, how could I forget? I remember you mentioning it at the time. I'm going to wait for the Kobo to be available on preview in the stores and then... probably wait a few months longer! I have so many physical books to read at home that there really is no rush. But having recently purchased War and Peace, and now looking forward to Murakami's latest 1Q84 (which is also around 1000 pages), an e-reader is looking pretty tempting, if only to spare my wrists!

*****

Had a really great watercolours class today. We're working on a series project, which I'm really excited about, but all the same, hadn't done any work at all on it during the week. It's become all too clear that I spend much too much time here on LT. It's just so fun here and there are so many great people to exchange with and follow up on. But I'm going to have to start cutting back. I want to work on my art, and maybe do some writing (other than reviews, that is), and maybe even do a bit of reading! and maybe spend less time hurting my back sitting at my computer, which is starting to become an issue. Now to see if I have the resolve to pull away...

In book news, I'm seriously considering getting an e-reader, if only so I can get to 1Q84, Murakami's latest, which is just under 1000 pages and coming out on the 25th, which is coming up in just a few minutes actually. Perhaps I'll just opt for the audio version to lighten the load.

I'm also very tempted to jump into Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson ASAP. Might go with the Audible version of that too since I've got a few points in reserve.

Am still slowly making my way through my current reads—hoping I can finish them all by the end of the month, but even that's looking overly ambitious at this point. Right... so I'd better get to it then!

179msf59
Oct 25, 2011, 9:21 am

Hi Ilana- I just downloaded the audio of the Steve Jobs bio this morning. I need to get 1Q84 on my Wishlist too. Might be a good Christmas gift choice.

180EBT1002
Oct 25, 2011, 10:09 am

>152 Smiler69: Great review of Cutting for Stone, Ilana. I had similar reactions and will write my review tonight (I hope). I'm not sure I can write a review of this one without at least some spoiler quality.

It looks like you've been doing some other great reading, as well. I think I'm going to have to forego reading each post in order to just get "caught up." Ha. I've never read The Bluest Eye even though it has been on my wish list forever.

181souloftherose
Edited: Oct 25, 2011, 1:24 pm

#178 "Am still slowly making my way through my current reads—hoping I can finish them all by the end of the month, but even that's looking overly ambitious at this point. Right... so I'd better get to it then!"

I so know that feeling.

182EBT1002
Edited: Oct 25, 2011, 2:40 pm

I just put Binky the Space Cat on hold at my local library! You recommended it for cat-lovers. That's me!

eta: was it you who recommended that book?

183Smiler69
Oct 25, 2011, 7:54 pm

Mark, at nearly 47 hours, I don't think I'll have the patience to listen to 1Q84... but Steve Jobs is in my Audible shopping cart already. It's now overflowing with selections that have been on my wishlist for some time (plus one or two more recent additions, of course) and I'm holding back from finalizing the purchase so I won't be tempted to keep going back during the sale and end up spending twice as much. Only trouble is, as the days go by, I keep adding on anyway. *sight*

Must... resist... until the 31st when the sale ends, that is.

#180 & 182 Ellen, I've stayed away from the threads for a couple of days now, so will also have to do some skimming when I get around to it. Today my shoulders are seizing up, so I might have to do stuff away from the computer tonight.

I'll be looking forward to reading your review of Cutting for Stone. I thought it would be hard to omit spoilers, but I tried my darndest.

I certainly DID recommend Binky the Space Cat for cat lovers! As did Kerry (avatiakh) before me, which is how I discovered it. It's lighthearted, sweet and funny. Hope you enjoy it too.

#181 Yes indeed Heather. I promised myself I'd spend several hours reading today, and it just hasn't happened yet. I SHOULD go to it right now, but am missing my LT friends and too tempted to ignore the pain to surf around the threads a little...

184jolerie
Oct 25, 2011, 8:23 pm

Hi Ilana! Looks like you had a nice haul of books. :) I always love the feeling of receiving new books and getting to add them to ever expanding collections.
I am always tempted by Hagen Dazs when I see it in the store but the price, even when it's on sale is a huge deterrent for me. Even if it is good, I can't seem to justify something that is twice the cost of other ice creams. :/

185avatiakh
Oct 25, 2011, 9:20 pm

Can't wait to see what you get from audible, though I'm steering clear of them for a while, I have too many audiobooks waiting to be listened to. I'm lucky in that I can get a really good selection from the library now.

I was recommended Binky by fannyprice over on Clubreads.

186Smiler69
Oct 26, 2011, 12:09 am

#184 Valerie, trust me, once you've tried Haagen Dazs, the price seems entirely justified. In this case, you definitely get what you pay for. I go through maybe a carton per week or two, unlike many single women, who, as I hear, drown their sorrows in a carton in a single sitting.

#185 Kerry, I can't wait to see what I end up getting from the Audible sale too! :-)

I should also stop getting more audiobooks as have quite the little collection by now, but I need to have enough of them so I can go with my moods, y'know? And then yes, no matter how many of them I have, I'll still end up getting something else from the site when nothing 'feels' right. ;-)

187avatiakh
Oct 26, 2011, 12:40 am

Oh yes, I know that feeling. I often start 3 or 4 audiobooks before I 'settle' on a voice I feel like listening to.

188vancouverdeb
Oct 26, 2011, 1:00 am

For me, Atonement is the only audiobook that I have ever listened to -and I'm augmenting that with my kindle. I find the voice of this particular narrator on the Atonement CD to be a bit snotty . She does not do male voices to well, imo -but I've nothing to compare her to , so....

189Smiler69
Oct 26, 2011, 6:23 pm

#187 I'm not sure why, but while I can more or less stick with planned reads—mostly because I give myself tonnes of options—not so with audiobooks. That whole added layer of a narrator's voice, accent, intonations and so on really has to go with my mood.

#188 Deb, as Kerry and I are just saying, the choice of narrator is very important with audiobooks. Everyone has highly personal tastes as far as that goes. For instance, I looked up Audible to see who was narrating Atonment and saw it's Carole Boyd (for the unabridged version, which I assume is the one you're listening to). I happen to really like Carol Boyd as a reader and really enjoyed her interpretation of Josephine Tey's The Franchise Affair, but of course that means nothing. One thing I always do, and which I would suggest to you, is to sample the audiobooks before borrowing from the library or buying. I can't sample of download audios from our library system here, but when I see a title I want, I always listen to a sample on Audible.com first. They have a huge selection and you're likely to find the title you're looking for. A really good book can be completely ruined if a narrator rubs you the wrong way.

*****

I received three of the books I ordered this weekend in the mail today! They are:

Night Circus

The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson by David P. Silcox, which my art teacher said was excellently written. It's beautifully printed with nearly 400 colour reproductions. At just over $30 (online), it's a real steal!

The Art of Richard Diebenkorn. This one is beautiful, but I may not keep it for a few reasons. For one, the first 140 pages are ever so slightly bent in the top right-hand corner and I insist on buying absolutely pristine books, all the more so when it comes to art books. While there's a nice range of paintings, I was hoping for more somehow. Finally, this one is quite expensive at an online price of $80 for the hardcover (instead of $101), and while I have been known to pay that amount and more for books on visual arts, I have to be really in love with them to pay a hefty price. The good news is I have 30 days do decide, during which I can return the book if I choose to. On the other hand, according to the publishers "Published to coincide with the first retrospective of Diebenkorn's work since his death in 1993, this catalog will be the most comprehensive volume on the artist now available." and the essays, written by three different authors on various aspects of his life and work at least seem really interesting, again according to the publishers.

I just finished listening to Kim about an hour ago, and though I hate to say it, the end came none too soon. I know many LTers love this book, and while there were aspects of it I really enjoyed, it failed to captivate me.

I've started listening to Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark to switch to something lighter and much shorter, and so far, 2 chapters into it, am greatly enjoying it.

Now am off to work on some watercolours for a bit. Must tear myself away from the screen, and it hurts!

190avatiakh
Oct 26, 2011, 8:00 pm

Ilana - you might like to read Neil Gaiman's latest blog post, he's been working with Audible for about 12 months to bring his 'Neil Gaiman presents' selection - not works by him, but works that he likes and feels should be more widely known, it's an interesting selection.

191vancouverdeb
Oct 26, 2011, 8:59 pm

Thanks for that info re the narrators on audiobooks. As it happens, I have a library copy of Atonement and it's abridged, and the " performers" is Josephine Bailey. It's turning out that I am reading more of Atonement on my kindle that I am listening to it though. I'm about 60 % of the way through. Next time I will try sampling on audible. com. Great idea! I too cannot sample my library's audio books ahead of time.

192Smiler69
Oct 26, 2011, 11:26 pm

#190 Thanks for thinking of me with Gaiman's blog post Kerry. As it happens, I got an email from Audible yesterday about this new collection and immediately went to check it out. An interesting selection as you say, and I've put a couple on my wishlist, though can't say I feel compelled to listen to themright now.

#191 Deb, it's quite frequently the case that some novels will have many audio versions with different narrators, so a couple of times I wasn't able to sample audios because they had different versions at Audible, and I ended up returning the CD's without downloading them, because I didn't like the sound of the readers once I listened briefly at home. No biggie, but it just seems like a waste of time and resources to have the library send out what is usually an inter-library loan if I'm not even going to listen to it. Mind you, I sometimes return books unread, but have to say I always feel guilty, partly for the same reason. I happen to like Josephine Bailey quite a lot as a narrator too, which once again goes to show that there is no accounting for taste.

193Smiler69
Oct 26, 2011, 11:34 pm

Well, it seems I was quite 'with the times' when I chose to profile Richard Diebenkorn on my thread this month, because interestingly enough, a new book of Richard Diebenkorn's work was just released TODAY. I've decided that the best way to figure out if I want to keep the book I already have is to order Richard Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series so I can compare and hopefully decide between the two. Of course, what is likely to happen is I won't want to part with either of them. But the first book will get at least exchanged, because I'm really annoyed with the bended pages. Haven't ordered the other book yet, but it's just a matter of hours probably.

194jdthloue
Oct 26, 2011, 11:43 pm

Just got your email...I'm half asleep...will answer tomorrow.

Sweet dreams, you....

195Smiler69
Edited: Oct 28, 2011, 12:16 am





228. Alexey Brodovitch by Kerry William Purcell ★★★★
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #3: A book about an artist for National Arts & Humanities Month and 11 in 11: Visual Arts)

Born in Russia in 1898 to an aristocratic and wealthy family, Alexey Brodovitch fled to Paris in 1920 as an exile, where he found himself in a community of russian artists. He was hired as a painter of stage sets for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, which in turn inspired him to work as a commercial artist. In 1930, Brodovitch moved to Philadelphia to take on a teaching position in advertising design at the Philadelphia college of Art. There he started the Design Laboratory, an experimental workshop for some of his more advanced students. Among the photographers who attended his classes were Diane Arbus, Eve Arnold, Richard Avedon, Lisette Model, and Garry Winogrand. Photographer Ralph Steiner who worked for Harper's Bazaar (which was owned by William Randolph Hearst) introduced him to Carmel Snow, editor-in-chief of the magazine. Snow is credited with saying: “I saw a fresh, new conception of layout technique that struck me like a revelation: pages that "bled" beautifully cropped photographs, typography and design that were bold and arresting. Within ten minutes I had asked Brodovitch to have cocktails with me, and that evening I signed him to a provisional contract as art director.” During his 24-year reign from 1934 to 1958, Brodovitch created a unique look for Bazaar using avant-garde photography, typography and illustration. He was helped by old friends like Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Raoul Dufy, Marc Chagall and A.M. Cassandre. One of his regular contributors was former student Richard Avedon, who became an iconic photographer in his own right (his obituary in The New York Times following his death in 2004 stated that, “his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century.”)

Among Brodovitch's countless innovations were the integration of image and text, cropping of photographs, use of white space, and the creation of dynamic double-page spreads, things every designer and reader takes for granted today. In fact, so many of Brodovitch's ideas became part of the design vernacular, that looking at this book—which gives a brief biography of the iconic art director followed by examples of his page layouts and covers—I had to think back to my own design student days, when I was hit full force by the freshness of his ideas given their historical context and looked to such material as a frequent source of inspiration. The reproduction quality leaves something to be desired, but then, printing standards were not what they are today and the layouts look exactly like the historical documents they have become in the 21st century.

         







196DeltaQueen50
Oct 27, 2011, 3:39 pm

Beautiful pictures, Ilana. I can see why Alexey Brodovitch was so influential and why his work is studied today.

197jolerie
Oct 27, 2011, 4:28 pm

Among his countless innovations were the integration of image and text, cropping of photographs, use of white space, and creation of dynamic double-page spreads, things every designer and reader takes for granted today.

Very true! Thanks to you when I look at a magazine now, I will have a completely new perspective. I never once questioned the history of the "look" of a magazine. Like most people, I just assumed that it just happened or that it has always been that way. Thanks so much another great lesson. :)

198MickyFine
Oct 27, 2011, 5:48 pm

I totally covet the dress in the last photo. Great review, Ilana!

199vancouverdeb
Oct 27, 2011, 6:42 pm

Interesting read and pictures, Alexey Brodovitch. Layout and graphics is something we all take for granted until we have something to do with that area of life. Personally, I loved the cover on Sisters Brothers .

200msf59
Oct 27, 2011, 6:45 pm

Ilana- You have The Night Circus! You have The Night Circus! Hooray!

201Smiler69
Oct 27, 2011, 11:39 pm

#196 I admit I relied heavily on short biographies I found on the net to write that review, but it's inspired me to seek out a full biography on the man. He certainly lived a fascinating life and I'm sure there was plenty going on with the man behind the art director too.

#197 Thanks so much another great lesson.

Don't mention it :-) Seriously though, when I was working as a consultant, it seemed to me that 90% of my job was to educate clients on design and why it was important to let me do the creative stuff, which after all, was what they were paying me for. Sometimes, it seems to me that everyone is a designer nowadays, and I forget that lots of people don't necessarily understand what it's even about!

#198 I'm with you Micky, that dress is to die for.

#199 Yes, everyone takes layouts and graphics for granted, you're right. But I can assure you that having spent the better part of 20 years working in the field, there are people who work themselves to the bone to make it all seem so effortless. For many designers, it's a real passion. It was for me too.

#200 Yay! I have The Night Circus! I have The Night Circus!

Your enthusiasm is infectious Mark!

*****

Today, I had a couple of errands to run downtown, so I took Coco along and ended up doing lots of browsing and some shopping. I spent a good hour or two at Indigo looking at new titles and reading short excerpts from (among others) 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry, The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gib, Damned by Chuck Palahniuk, Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay and... those are the only ones I can recall right now. I also spent some time in the arts section to have a look at Richard Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series, which just came out yesterday. A gorgeous book which I might be 'forced' to get... The good thing about going to that particular book chain is that I'm truly ever only there to browse since the books are SO much cheaper on their website.

We spent some time at the Kiehl's store, where I got an eye cream, scented oil (Gardenia) and a lip gloss which I later realized I already had in the exact same hue at home. Then we made our way to Holt Renfrew, where I wanted to have a look at cashmere hats and gloves (didn't find any I liked save for a non-cashmere blue hat I bought) and where I ended up spending a little time at the Hermès boutique to drool over expensive, make that extremely expensive things I only look at as if they were museum pieces. I do wear one of their scents which I quite love and which has the charming name of Eau des Merveilles. We walked back home along beautiful Sherbrooke street, which is lined with mostly 19th century buildings while I listened to—and finished—Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark. A great and very quirky little novel which I definitely recommend. Now am relaxing a little, have got the makings of a proper beef stock simmering in the kitchen and feeling quite content with my day. Off to bed soon, as I'm really liking this business of getting up while it's still morning and actually having a full day ahead of me. Have now started listening to Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck, which so far is proving to be quite gripping.

202EBT1002
Oct 27, 2011, 11:43 pm

>201 Smiler69: Now am relaxing a little, have got the makings of a proper beef stock simmering in the kitchen and feeling quite content with my day.

I said I wouldn't clutter your thread with the occasional "hi, just stopping by" comment, but I have to say this is one of my favorite sentences I've ever read. Just lovely, Ilana. I'm glad you had such a satisfying day.

203Smiler69
Oct 28, 2011, 12:08 am

Ellen, I can imagine that must sound quite heavenly to your tired soul (does a soul get tired, I'm now wondering?). I'm feeling quite guilty about enjoying myself quite this much these past few days. Surely it's can't be right.

Please please please don't ever think of leaving messages here as "cluttering" my thread. I always love to hear from you Ellen! You are missed my dear. Truly you are!

204kidzdoc
Oct 28, 2011, 12:48 am

Fabulous review of Alexey Brodovitch, Ilana! Thanks for taking the time to post the photos; they are a perfect compliment to your written comments about the book.

205jolerie
Oct 28, 2011, 12:22 pm

What do you use to make your beef stock Ilana?

206Smiler69
Edited: Oct 28, 2011, 12:43 pm

#204 Thanks Darryl, I'm always happy when a book gives me reason to post some visuals to put a little colour around here! :-)

#205 Very simple: a nice big piece of stewing beef w/ bone (I've been using 1lb beef shank), 1 whole medium onion (peeled), 1 large carrot, 1 celery stalk or large chunk of celery root. I also 'cheat' and add store-bought veg & beef cubes, approx 1 cube for every 2 cups water. I start by browning the beef on both sides with vegetable oil, then add 10-12 cups water, the onion, carrot, celery and cubes, bring to boil then simmer covered for 90 minutes. I usually do this at night and then let it cool overnight. Then remove the layer of fat at the top, remove sinews and chop up the beef and vegetables into chunks, add any ingredients I happen to have underhand, like cabbage, potatoes, turnip, beets, carrots, greens, etc, stew for another 30 minutes and... soup!

207EBT1002
Oct 28, 2011, 3:41 pm

Your stock/soup/stew sounds heavenly!

And put away the guilt about how much you're enjoying yourself these days. You deserve it and I love hearing about it. And: I love my job and I mean never, ever to complain about having one. Would I like more free time? Yes. Am I incredibly privileged to have a steady income? Yes.

And yes, a soul can be tired (at least, mine can), which is what good books and cats (or dogs) who like laps are for. :-)

208Matke
Oct 28, 2011, 11:33 pm

Ilana, my dear. So glad to be back--hoping to be more present this week-end and coming week.

Marvelous reviews, duly thumbed and add to the W.L. Of course I've just read about 53 posts, so the only book comment I can make is that Christie had about 4 genuinely new plots, ones which made the reader open her eyes wide. Murder on the Orient Express is one of those plots.

The beef soup sounds wonderful, warming and comforting. Yes, souls can ge tired; mine's exhausted, hence the absence hereabouts.

I love seeing all the pictures; I drool over art even though I have zero talent or aptitude for it.

Never feel guilty.

209Smiler69
Oct 29, 2011, 12:38 am

Well, I finally turned the beef stock to proper soup today. Threw in everything but the kitchen sink, and as there's beets in it, I guess I have to call it Borscht now. I love Borscht, don't get me wrong, but to me it's just soup that happens to have one of my favourite veggies in it. I put in cubes of celery root, carrot, potatoes, turnip, slices of cabbage and Swiss chard and lots of dill. And beets of course. Most of it—save for the beef and beets—organic. Next time I'll get organic meat and beets too. I'm slowly making the conversion. I keep going back and forth towards more or less organic food, but only because it's so expensive.

The day was pretty much spent in the kitchen slicing and dicing. First with the soup, then with what must be my 6th apple crisp of the season (that's nothing; by this time last year I'd probably made three times as many!) Through it all, I listened to Imperial Woman, Pearl S. Buck's fictionalized account of the reign of Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi, from the moment she became a royal concubine. I'm already halfway through the story and finding it quite gripping. I also have the novel Empress Orchid by Anchee Min, so it'll be interesting to compare both treatments when I get to it.

About to call it a day. I REALLY need to start winding down earlier, because I'm getting more and more tired in the evening now that I'm getting up earlier in the day and not sleeping it all away.

#207 In retrospect Ellen, I can't believe I asked that question "can a soul be tired?". I guess it was more of a rhetorical question, because I of all people know how indeed this can be so. I'm glad to hear that you love your job though. I'd seen you make comments about it, but didn't know that you actually enjoyed it, and that's certainly a good thing. Sometimes it makes me sad when I think back about how much I loved my job and how that didn't keep me from crashing and burning, so take that as a warning and make sure to make plenty of time for rest when you can.

#208 Gail, you've been missed arout here, and I hope you're doing ok.

Your comment about Agatha Christie makes me curious to find out what her other three genuinely new plots were, care to share? I was going to ask you which were your favourite ACs, but then went and had a look at your ratings and reviews, and have added The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Appointment with Death to my Audible wishlist. Still, am listening. You and Heather seem to be the biggest AC fans among my friends, but I think she beats you with nearly 60 books catalogued on LT!

I'm sorry to hear you're so run down my dear. Hopefully we can cheer you up a little over here. (((Hugs)))

Never feel guilty.

I will repeat those words over and over like a mantra before I fall asleep tonight.

210avatiakh
Oct 29, 2011, 1:36 am

Hi Ilana - hope you got a good night's sleep. I've added Momento Mori to the TIOLI wiki for Paul's challenge of a recommended book.
Glad to see that you are enjoying Imperial Woman. Did you notice in Kim, that his father's regiment had some mascot or whatever that was made from gold taken when they ransacked the Summer Palace in/around Beijing. It really jarred for me having just heard about the beauty of the palace from the Chinese perspective in Imperial Woman.

211casvelyn
Oct 29, 2011, 9:09 am

>209 Smiler69: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians) are two of Christie's books that have new and creative plots. Something to keep in mind, though, is that her earlier work (1920s-1940s or so) can seem cliched to us now, because we've read so many mysteries, but at the time was quite original. Then again, I love all Agatha Christie, so I'm probably not one to give an accurate picture. The two you've picked are quite good. Also, I recommend N or M?, The Man in the Brown Suit, and Sleeping Murder as being particularly good.

212jolerie
Oct 29, 2011, 12:59 pm

Oh gosh, I'm salivating as I read about your soup making! Any soup is pretty much a good idea for a meal for me on a cold winter day. My husband on the other hand doesn't feel like it's substantial enough and I can hear his stomach protesting about an hour later!

*Wipes off slobber*

213AMQS
Oct 29, 2011, 3:47 pm

Hi Ilana -- I haven't visited in ages, but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your comments on Memento Mori at the top of your thread. I listened to my first Muriel Spark novel (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) earlier this year and loved it -- also narrated by Nadia May. I think she may be my favorite narrator, so I will definitely look for an audio of Memento Mori.

Your beef soup sounds wonderful! I have some beef bones for soup in my freezer -- perhaps I'll follow your example.

I'm reading And Then There Were None aloud right now. I remember it being a favorite of mine years ago, and so far it's as good as I remembered.

214Smiler69
Edited: Oct 29, 2011, 11:20 pm

#210 Thanks Kerry, I did sleep quite well. Slept a whole lot today actually and now feel rested as I haven't felt in a long time. I'm glad you've decided to pick up Memento Mori and am sure you'll enjoy it. It's one of those books that I'll want to revisit eventually for certain.

Too bad I didn't listen to Kim before Imperial Woman as you did, because that reference to the piece stolen from the Summer Palace went completely over my head. Believe it or not, I've just got under 3 hours of audio left of Imperial Woman to listen to. Between yesterday and today I must have listened to around 12 hours out of the 18, what with spending the better part of yesterday in the kitchen (always perfect for long uninterrupted audiobook sessions) and today doing odds and end around the house and spending a few hours drawing and watercolouring. Pearl S. Buck has got me wrapped around her little finger from the grave. I'm so amazed that this story was written by the same woman who wrote about the nearly opposite world of The Good Earth, but then again, I recognize her completely in her deep insight into the human heart.

#211 I listened to the first two you mention this year, which were both re-reads as I remembered finding them excellent when I was a teenager. I've never really paid attention to what period her various books were written in, but your comment is perfectly in line with my own thoughts when I re-visited a few of her books this year, as I had to constantly remind myself that at the time they were written, her ideas must have seemed quite novel. I had already come across The Man in the Brown Suit recently and considered adding it to my audio library, but had never heard of the other two. Thanks for pointing them out to me; I've added them to my Audible WL and will do so here too, as I like to keep track of the reference sources. Not sure why, but I'm really enjoying taking in mysteries in audio format.

#212 My husband on the other hand doesn't feel like it's substantial enough

I've rarely known men to be satiated with soup or salad alone (or even both as a meal, for that matter), while to me, a bowl of soup anytime in fall or winter hits the spot beautifully, especially since the way I make them, filled to the brim with veggies, potatoes and meat (or chicken), they're truly a meal in a bowl.

#213 Anne, lovely to have you over! I agree with you that Nadia May is an excellent narrator, and I find she makes for exceptional casting for Muriel Spark. I haven't heard her in anything else, even though I know she's recorded many books, but I find her slightly raspy voice too noticeable when it comes to classics, and I've chosen other narrators like Juliet Stevenson when it came to classics by Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte, for example, though I may yet change my mind (no pun intended!).

I'm surprised that my beef soup seems so popular; it just seems very basic to me, made with ingredients that I tend to have around often as they also keep well in the fridge, but there's nothing wrong with inspiring others to throw together a hearty bowl of loving! :-)

*****

As I was saying to Kerry in my comment above, I've really sped through the audio of Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck. Some audios just grab me and inspire me to find all kinds of activities to do that will allow for long uninterrupted listening session, and as it happens, housework fits the bill perfectly. Today I also threw in a session of drawing and watercolours as I listened and found that worked for me equally well, as I don't use the left side of my brain when doing artistic projects anyway.

Trying to catch up here a little this evening, though once again, I'll be left with little time to read any physical books. I'm about 3/4 or the way through One Good Turn and for reasons that I would find hard to explain, I have a lot of minor grievances with this novel, although I do find the story to be an interesting one. This despite the fact that I saw the television interpretation of the novel and so have a good idea of where things are going, but I find they've changed so many things around in the PBS version that the novel still offers plenty of surprises.

For November, I've decided to try UNDERbooking myself for once. Not that there aren't tonnes of temptations, but I made such slow progress with printed books this month (which has been quite disappointing) that it's inspired me to try not over-planning, though I'm sure even my modest reading list for the month will present a challenge as it is. Here are the books I've committed to the TIOLI wiki so far:

Son Excellence Eugène Rougon by Émile Zola (TIOLI Challenge #1: at least one animal mentioned on page 50) - Reading
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (group read, TIOLI Challenge #1)
Emma by Jane Austen (TIOLI Challenge #1) - not especially keen on this one, but I'm tempted to match reads with Madeline and follow her thread for Liz's excellent tutorial on this novel.
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa (TIOLI Challenge #3: found by mashing 2 tags) - wanted to read this one for Nobel Prize October, but Nobel Prize November works just as well.
1984 by George Orwell (TIOLI Challenge #3) - As preparation for 1Q84, which I plan to read soon. I have the book in my library, but will probably get the audio narrated beautifully by Samuel West.
La femme au miroir by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt (TIOLI Challenge #8: an author I've only read ONE book from) - Newly released in French, and an author I want to read a lot more from.

Will also add the short Scenes From Village Life by new to me Israeli author Amos Oz.

And just now, looking at the status of my library reservations, just saw the The Night Circus is coming my way this week (had kept my reservation in place with this eventuality in mind), so will be returning the copy I purchased with nary a qualm; frees up funds for yet another book. :-)

215Smiler69
Edited: Oct 30, 2011, 12:17 am

Ok. I'm in one of my 'roll up your sleeves and get it done' moods, so here's a grab-bag of super short reviews (or at least as short as they get for me).






229. ♫ Summer by Edith Wharton ★★★
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #1: A novel assigned in an English class)

Although I kept in mind that this novel was considered to be quite salacious when it was first published in 1917, I kept asking myself "so where's the beef?" I noticed there was one maybe not-so-chaste kiss, but all the rest was innuendo that went right over my head. The heroine, Charity Royal was taken in as a child, away from her alcoholic, dirt-poor mother by Mr. Royal, a lawyer who's wife has died and left him at the mercy of this beautiful young girl, whom he desperately wants to marry; but she despises him for having made clumsy advances at her on a drunken night. Instead, she falls in love with a young architect and spends all her time with him, when she's not working at her job as a librarian, even though she's uneducated and hates books. Probably with good reason, she holds against Mr. Royal the fact that he's prevented her from continuing her studies so he could keep her close to him. I was unhappy with the narrator Grace Conlin; her fast-paced reading fairly ruined Wharton's beautiful writing, though I did pick up on a beautiful quote which I had posted on my blog, but I'll post it here now since it still so befits the season:
“The long storm was followed by a north-west gale, and when it was over, the hills took on their first umber tints, the sky grew more densely blue, and the big white clouds lay against the hills like snow-banks. The first crisp maple-leaves began to spin across Miss Hatchard’s lawn, and the Virginia creeper on the Memorial splashed the white porch with scarlet. It was a golden triumphant September. Day by day the flame of the Virginia creeper spread to the hillsides in wider waves of carmine and crimson, the larches glowed like the thin yellow halo about a fire, the maples blazed and smouldered, and the black hemlocks turned to indigo against the incandescence of the forest”


216Smiler69
Edited: Oct 30, 2011, 12:22 am



230. Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires ★★★★½
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #11: an author whose first and last names have the same number of letters)

I did promise a mixed bag! This little graphic novel was recommended by Kerry (avatiakh) and when she said it would probably be a treat to cat lovers, I got my hands on it as fast as I could. Binky lives with a boy and his mother and is dedicated to protecting his humans from 'the aliens'. He's studied the matter carefully and come to the conclusion that bugs are aliens since they can fly, and so he valiantly catches all the flies that threaten to invade the house. As he's a house cat, everything outside the house is 'outer space' to him, and as a member of F.U.R.S.T. (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) he meticulously follows instructions to build himself a space ship. But can he leave his humans behind at the mercy of the aliens? An adorable little book which made me smile throughout with it's illustrations filled with amusing details. I'm picking up the next in series, Binky to the Rescue from the library tomorrow.

217Smiler69
Edited: Oct 30, 2011, 12:29 am



231. ♫ Kim by Rudyard Kipling ★★★½
(Read for TIOLI Challenge #11: author whose first and last names have # of letters, 11/11 category #11: The Film Might Be Good But the Book is Better)

Kim O'Hara is an orphan, living in the streets of Lahore, India like countless other unfortunate children. So dark is his skin from his prolonged exposure to the elements, that he has no notion at all that he is a 'sahib', a term used to designate a white man. He meets an elderly Buddhist monk who is on a mission to find the mythical river that has sprouted at the place where Buddha's arrow struck long ago, and Kim decides he must accompany the man and be his disciple, so he can beg for food for and shelter for the frail sage. Kim has his own destiny to fulfill: he must find a red bull in a green field, which will reveal to him great truths. And so the young boy and the old man embark on a long journey together that will take Kim from childhood to the life of an educated young man who is of great use as an agent of the British army, which seeks to keep a firm grasp on it's colonies with the use of spies as on of it's weapons. There are many sympathetic characters along the journey and it's a gripping adventure. But though our protagonist goes through a fascinating journey, I failed to be fully drawn into this story, as in the back of my mind there remained the insistent thought that through it all, Kippling might be upholding colonialism as an ideal and I often wondered whether the author considered the natives in the story fully as human beings or was rather parodying regional stereotypes. For example, with the Buddhist sage's continual references to 'The Way' and 'The Wheel', which must have seemed novel ideas to a Western readership at the beginning of the 20th century, was Kippling simply trying to teach Eastern Philosophy to his readers, or was he using the man's constant proselytizing in mockery? This is a book which would probably profit from a group reading to allow the opportunity for discussion on these matters.

218Smiler69
Oct 30, 2011, 12:30 am

I was going to write up a couple more, but these ended up taking longer than I had planned, as usual...

More later then!

Goodnight all!

219vancouverdeb
Edited: Oct 30, 2011, 9:07 am

Morning Ilana! I'm loving all of your reviews ! Great job! As for soup - I agree - a bowl of soup with added meat and veggies is really a meal in a bowl. Lately I'm on a corn chowder fest! ;) I purchase a can of Organic Corn Chowder - lazy, I know, and I add steamed cauliflower and carrots and maybe broccoli to it, as well as stir fried chicken! I only eat half of the can -but on my - that Corn Chowder with the additions is delicious!!!

Kim is going to have to go onto my wish list!Your book Binky looks just great! Thanks for supplying us with snippet of it! My sister is very keen on her cat - Harriet. I love her too!( Both my sister and her cat!;)

As for Agatha Christie book, my grandparents had a huge stash of them when I was younger and I did all of my Agatha Christie reading in my early teens. I really loved the Miss Marple books. Ten Little Indians - that was maybe on of my fav's!

220souloftherose
Oct 30, 2011, 10:04 am

#203 "I'm feeling quite guilty about enjoying myself quite this much these past few days. Surely it's can't be right." I think I know that feeling but please don't feel guilty!

#209 "You and Heather seem to be the biggest AC fans among my friends, but I think she beats you with nearly 60 books catalogued on LT!"

Strangely, I haven't read an Agatha Christie books for years and I nearly got rid of my AC collection several years ago when I thought I'd outgrown them but I'm glad I didn't now as I want to reread them all at some point and my husband did a read through recently. I'm a bit scared about how they'll stand up on rereading now I've read more crime books but as a teenager they were perfect reads.

Regarding original plots, I think And Then There Were None and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd were also original plots but I can see you've read both of those (and I've just seen that someone else has already replied to say the same thing!)

#214 "For November, I've decided to try UNDERbooking myself" I start each month with the same intention and then the TIOLI threads go up and I go crazy! This month has not been an exception...

#216 Binky the Space Cat looks so cute!

Hope you had a good night's sleep.

221calm
Oct 30, 2011, 10:17 am

Looks like you've been doing some good reading, Ilana.

222Smiler69
Edited: Oct 30, 2011, 5:10 pm

#219 Deborah, your clam chowder sounds delicious. I love clam chowder and may just have to try out your recipe. It's a pretty big deal for me when I make anything from scratch as I rarely bother to cook at all. I've never been all that keen on cooking for just myself, so usually it's salads or snack and more recently, omelettes and soups of course. When I do cook something, I usually make it in huge quantities and then either freeze most of it or keep eating leftovers till I run out. Besides, cooking cuts into my LT time! :-)

#220 Heather, it seems that many of us did most of our Agatha Christie reading as teens. I decided to revisit her this year and have to admit that the first couple of books I read seemed a little bit too quaint for my liking. But at the same time there's something satisfying about these 'safe' old fashioned mysteries set in a world that seems so familiar. That being said, I'm not terribly keen on contemporary 'light' mysteries and am just as happy to go back to the classics, especially as I've yet to discover writers such as Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers et al. I'm really enjoying discovering Josephine Tey at the moment, for instance, though as I understand it, she's really in a category apart.

#221 calm, I have to admit that it's quite ideal having all this time when I can indulge in one of my favourite activities. Better yet has been being able to share it with this wonderful bunch here on LT. Until recently, reading had always been a most solitary activity, as I'm sure it was for most of us, and I'm having a blast discovering new vistas thanks to the many great recommendations we come across here every day.

*****

Well, I finally jumped in and purchased a small lot of audiobooks from the Audible.com 50% sale. I tried to get only those books priced 10$ or less, which limited the selection to maybe 'only' 75% of their offerings of 100,000 titles! Needless to say, my shopping cart at one point had maybe three times as many titles in it, but I tried to be reasonable, considering I recently decided to curb my book-buying (yeah, right)!

Here's what I got:

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, narrated by Frank Muller - this one had been on my WL forever, and was recommended by vancouverdeb this month
Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde, narrated by Juliet Stevenson and Samuel West
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, narrated by Bernadette Dunne
Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers, narrated by Nadia May
The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri, narrated by Grover Gardner
Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley, narrated by Nadia May - this was recommended by Donna828 this month
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, narrated by Carole Boyd
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene, narrated by Samuel West
The Quiet American by Graham Greene, narrated by Simon Caddell
The Outfit by Richard Stark
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie, narrated by Emilia Fox
The City & The City by China Miéville, narrated by John Lee - this will be my first book by Miéville
Zoo Station by David Downing, narrated by Simon Prebble

That's the baker's dozen that are already on my hard drive. I may also get a few more before the sale ends tomorrow at noon, and already have the following in my cart:

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, narrated by Michael Kitchen
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, narrated by David Suchet
The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini - this is a new release in the Neil Gaiman Presents collection

I've added links to those narrators that influenced me in my decision to purchase most of these recordings. Click on the links to sample their work.

Off to the library soon, where I'll be picking up a few more books:

La femme au miroir by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux - original French version
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - original French version
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - I have the book and have read it, but I also wanted this version read by Donald Sutherland
A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie - one of the few AC recordings available at the library, this one is a dramatized recording from the BBC
Nemesis by Agatha Christie
Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri - the only Camilleri audio they have, so I pounced on it.
Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires - more Binky the cat to look forward to!

223souloftherose
Oct 30, 2011, 2:54 pm

#222 Woohoo - book haul!

224DeltaQueen50
Oct 30, 2011, 3:43 pm

A great book haul, Ilana!

I just dropped by to give you the link to the Neil In November Thread. I know you aren't planning on a Gaiman read, but feel free to visit.

225ChelleBearss
Oct 30, 2011, 6:40 pm

Hi Ilana! I'll have to add Kim to my wish list!
Great book haul! I haven't tried audible.com yet but I see lots of people on LT get audiobooks from there.

226drneutron
Oct 30, 2011, 7:28 pm

Wow, amazing list!

227PaulCranswick
Oct 30, 2011, 9:10 pm

#222 Happy reading/listening Ilana. There are about half a dozen of those I don't have yet so will be keeping track to see what you think of them all.

228Smiler69
Oct 31, 2011, 12:57 am

#223 I got a few more titles. Not the ones that were in my cart. 2 Ngaio Marsh novels (she's new to me) and 2 Muriel Spark novels. Will list them tomorrow (to keep up the suspense)

#224 Judy, I may yet read a Neil Gaiman novel this month, as I said, also may join in on American Gods, but we'll see. Thanks for the link!

#225 Chelle, Audible is worth checking out, if only to listen to a bunch of free samples from their huge selection.

#226 Thanks Jim!

#227 Thanks Paul. There was much too much temptation there. I'm almost glad the sale is coming to an end soon, because I always go crazy with those, and the 'bargain' aren't necessarily all the cheap, compared to library sales, for example.

229msf59
Oct 31, 2011, 8:38 am

Ilana- Well that should keep you busy for awhile! LOL. Enjoy, my friend!

230jolerie
Edited: Oct 31, 2011, 4:20 pm

Great reviews Ilana and all the books that I have on my TBR shelves except for Binky (but I'm checking to see if my library has that one) so hopefully I will get a chance to read them myself one of these days... :)
I think Audible.com should pay you a bonus for the extra advertisements you do for them. You definitely are an ambassador for audio books!

231EBT1002
Oct 31, 2011, 3:50 pm

I think Audible.com should pay you a bonus for the extra advertisements you do for them. Hear hear!!!!!

Great book haul, Ilana. You have many hours of reading and listening pleasure ahead of you for November!

232vancouverdeb
Oct 31, 2011, 4:09 pm

Great haul of audio books! I've gone to their site and checked it out. Now I just need to think of what sort of audio player makes the most financial sense for me. Enjoy your books, Ilana!

233Smiler69
Oct 31, 2011, 9:53 pm

#229 Yes indeed Mark. It's a good thing that audiobooks don't take up any physical space!

#230 Hope you enjoy them when you get to them. I'll try to fit in the second Binky book tonight to make it count toward the October TIOLI.

I guess my enthusiasm for audiobooks stems from the fact that there is so much of my time when I couldn't read before that is perfect for audio. I just held back for a long time because I didn't consider it as 'real' reading. But now while it takes me forever to get through physical books because I don't always have the patience to sit still with a book, I can still 'read' a whole lot anyway.

#231 Yes, November and beyond... for sure. Now let's see if I can hold back from getting more audiobooks. I already have my eye on 2-3 other ones I'd like to get to this month! One is American Gods by Neil Gaiman, which I have in book form but know I won't be able to fit in that way. Another is Steve Jobs and there's 1Q84 too, though I may hold off till December for that one since it's so long.

#232 Deb, I guess I never had to consider about audio players because I've had iPods for many years, and now with my iPhone, I've got the best all-in-one ever. I'll be curious to see how you do with audiobooks. They're not for everyone, but they seem to work for me most of the time.

234jdthloue
Oct 31, 2011, 10:38 pm

Late to the par-tay.....sorry, no pate (i can't find my little strss mark)

Great haul on the audio books..i wish I could get into that particular media...unfortunately, the narrators tend to compete with the voices that are already chattering in my head...Mind Boggling, i say...hence, I forego

;-}

235EBT1002
Oct 31, 2011, 11:58 pm

I really want to read 1Q84 but will wait until I can get it in paperback. It'll be easier to carry on the bus in that form. :-)

236Smiler69
Nov 1, 2011, 12:47 am

#234 I discovered, when I started listening to audiobooks, that my own inner narrator is amazingly dull, so being read to is really extra exciting to me. But there have been many times in my life when there was just too much going on in my head with lots of noise and it wouldn't have worked at all. These days though, I'm practically brain dead, so lots of blank spaces to fill out with good narration. ;-)

#235 If I had an e-reader, then I'd probably go that route precisely because 1Q84 such a huge brick. But so far as I can tell, they seem to have done a good job with the audiobook, so I'll probably go for it to spare my wrists. Plus, it's more likely I'll be able to finish it in under six months that way...

*****

Just finished One Good Turn. It was just meh for me. I'll still give When Will There Be Good News? a whirl eventually, because so far, I've really liked 2 out of 3 books I've read by Atkinson a whole lot.

Off to take Coco out and listen to We Have Always Lived in the Castle as I get ready for bed. The narrator is doing a really good job of creeping me out—very appropriate on Halloween night!

237gennyt
Nov 1, 2011, 10:38 am

Hi Ilana, just caught up on nearly 200 messages - though I must admit I scampered through fairly quickly as I'm so far behind with everyone...

Sorry to hear One Good Turn was only meh for you - I hope you enjoy the next one better.

And I hope you and Coco didn't bump into any goulies or ghosties on your Halloween night walk!

238EBT1002
Nov 1, 2011, 11:06 am

I just got an email that Binky the Space Cat is ready for me to pick up at my local library branch. Hooray!!

239vancouverdeb
Nov 1, 2011, 11:19 am

Ohh to bad One Good Turn was just meh for you . Everyone tastes are so different! Ohh you are braver than me , listening to a creepy tale in the on Halloween night! I stick strictly to non spooky -but a murder mystery is not bad at all!; What's a few dead bodies among friends?

240Smiler69
Edited: Nov 1, 2011, 12:03 pm

#237 just caught up on nearly 200 messages

Wow Genny, you're very brave. I get discouraged after just a couple of days away from the threads when everyone seems to have 50+ new messages and tend to read through very quickly too. No biggie about One Good Turn. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I really didn't like it very much. I'll give my reasons when I get 'round to writing my review. I'll just say for now that I'd come to expect much more from Kate Atkinson and felt let down with this one.

#238 Ooh! Hope you enjoy Binky, Ellen. No great literature there, just a fun little romp with an imaginative little cat.

#239 So far, We Have Always Lived in the Castle has mostly been about allusions to a possible mass poisoning incident and lots of atmospherics. It's light fun and I'm looking forward to seeing where the author is taking us with it, but I wouldn't say it's got a huge creepy factor. I'm no horror fan, so it's been striking the right note. A little creepy, but not too.

*****

So I have a question for all you good people. I've come across many comments here on LT to the effect that some people didn't enjoy such and such book because they found the characters unlikeable. Most recently, Valerie mentioned on her thread that she didn't like the characters in The Great Gatsby, which prevented her from connecting with the story, which is a valid point of view. Personally, I find I don't especially care about liking the characters, as long as they're interesting to read about, and in fact, often times I find unlikeable characters much more fun to read about than likeable ones, who often come off as trite. So my question is, is it important to you to like the characters in order to enjoy a book, and why?

241souloftherose
Nov 1, 2011, 2:00 pm

Sorry to hear One Good Turn was a bit meh. I enjoyed Case Histories but have been putting off reading the next one for some reason. I think other people have said they thought One Good Turn was the weakest of the series so hopefully you'll like When Will There Be Good News? more.

242JanetinLondon
Nov 1, 2011, 2:33 pm

Hi, Ilana, delurking again, this time to say:

1. Also sorry you didn't like the Atkinson more. I know everyone has different tastes. I hope you like the next one more if you do carry on.

2. I have been reading the Jacob de Zoet thread from last year, or maybe earlier this year, and have found your comments really perceptive and helpful. I'm about to write my own review, and your thoughts have been useful.

3. As per your question above, I don't think I need to like the characters as such in order to enjoy the book, but the reasons for their unlikeability need to be relevant (Captain Ahab, for example) to an interesting theme or plot, not just random (can't think of an example, although I'm sure there are loads), or because I just don't like them even though others do (many books which have young, thrusting, Wall Street types as characters suffer from this for me, for example). And I have to want to know how they develop (even if they stay unpleasant). So, characters have to be likeable, or interesting/useful to the book - if both, a bonus, if neither, a waste of time (I think, anyway).

243calm
Nov 1, 2011, 3:37 pm

Interesting question Ilana - I don't need to like the characters but there does need to be a good story so that I feel some kind of connection to really like a book.

244EBT1002
Nov 1, 2011, 3:57 pm

Hi Ilana. Good question and discussion prompt! This parallels a conversation I have with my partner somewhat regularly, as P will frequently pan a book because "I didn't like any of the characters." For me, this alone is not a determining factor in my overall impressions of any book I read.

I want a novel to provide me with thought-provoking material, interesting and complex characters, a plot/premise that intrigues me, setting(s) that activate my senses, and prose that transcends the ordinary. Luckily, I don't need all of these in the same book (although when it occurs, it's magical)! Depending on my mood, I can be more interested in one of these or another. So, if I'm feeling blue about the world, I may want to read something with redeeming (likeable) characters. And my need for likeable characters probably also increases as these other items on my wish-list decrease.

245souloftherose
Nov 1, 2011, 5:02 pm

#240 Oops, I think I must have scanned past your question. I don't know! I've written several answers and then gone back and deleted them because I realised I was being inconsistent... I like reading other people's responses though.

I think like Valerie there are occasional books where I can't like any of the characters or seem to find anything interesting about them and then I struggle to engage with the book. I think The Great Gatsby was also one like that for me.

246Smiler69
Nov 1, 2011, 9:51 pm

I'd like to participate in my own discussion, but have had a bad migraine all afternoon until now and it seems to be very happy settling right here in my brain, and somehow, making any effort to think is beyond me.

I committed to a dinner tomorrow, and I just realized today that I don't want to go to. But I'm not good at finding excuses (i.e. lying), so I have no idea how to get out of it. Would "I've been having a really bad migraine most of the day and just want a quiet evening at home tomorrow" work, or is that rude beyond words? At least it has the merit of being the truth, and I guess it would be better to say something tonight and not wait till the last minute. Advice?

I finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle tonight and honestly don't know what to think about it. I was thinking all along that it was bringing me somewhere, but then it didn't. So I guess instead of just enjoying the ride, I kept asking 'are we there yet?'. So... yeah. Bummer, actually. Also bummer that for some reason, it didn't mix well with whatever I had going on today so that I found myself downtown after my dental exam with a strong urge to cry. And throw myself off a bridge. Nothing to do with the dental exam, which went fine, except for the hygienist, who kept addressing me with the familiar "tu" instead of the more polite "vous" which absolutely drives me bonkers. That's one of the many reasons I tend to speak English more around here, where snags like that can't happen. I asked her to please address me formally, and I'm sure she though I was a stuck up, obnoxious so and so, but whatever. In any case. there was no bridge where I was, and even if there had been, I can't very well let Coco wait for me ad vitam aeternam, and I managed to hold back the tears finally, which is good I guess, except it isn't doing much for my head all the same.

I'm about to start listening to my recently acquired The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri. I'll listen while I make another baked fruit crisp-thingy. Will try apple/pear/banana. Have never tried that particular combination before, shouldn't be too bad.

247Smiler69
Nov 2, 2011, 12:01 am

I was hoping to be able to come back and reply to comments later, but it's later hand my head is worse. Off to bed shortly. Hoping tomorrow is better.

248EBT1002
Nov 2, 2011, 2:30 am

Hoping tomorrow is better. Me too, Ilana!!! Please, no bridges, my friend. Coco needs you and, truly, the world needs you. I know it doesn't always feel that way, but I deeply believe it.

I hope your head feels easier and your heart feels lighter on Wednesday.

Take very good care, dear.

249souloftherose
Nov 2, 2011, 3:39 am

#246 Sorry to hear you had such a bad day.

"Would "I've been having a really bad migraine most of the day and just want a quiet evening at home tomorrow" work, or is that rude beyond words?"

I would be fine if someone called off something with that excuse but then I've had migraines so I know what they can be like. I say call off and then send them a little card or something when you feel better.

I'm really surprised about your dental hygienist - even I know it's really rude to use 'tu'.

#248 Seconding what Ellen said. I hope the migraine has eased when you wake up.

250gennyt
Nov 2, 2011, 6:07 am

Oh, I do hope you are feeling better today. I agree with Heather, I personally would be fine if someone cried off because of migraine - I know how debilitating it can be, and if your dinner hosts are worth having as friends they will surely understand!

251JanetinLondon
Nov 2, 2011, 6:51 am

I hope the Camilleri (or anything else) helped lift your mood, Ilana. You have been so positive and cheerful lately, so hopefully those positives are the more common feeling.

252Deern
Nov 2, 2011, 12:36 pm

Back just in time before a new thread is started!
Once again many great reviews and many new BBs for me for 2012.

I am quite curious about 1Q84. That one was published in Germany a while ago, which is unusual (normally the English translations are published first). I didn't buy it then because it consisted of only 2 parts of the trilogy.
Is the actual English version now the complete trilogy?

Oh - just read about the bad migraine. I hope you are feeling better today. As the others said, please take good care!

253kidzdoc
Nov 2, 2011, 7:30 pm

Is the actual English version now the complete trilogy?

I can answer that. The US book contains the complete trilogy (Books 1-3), whereas the UK edition is divided into two volumes; the first one contains Books 1 and 2, and the second consists of Book 3. So yes, both editions contain the complete trilogy.

254Smiler69
Edited: Nov 2, 2011, 9:32 pm

When my father's wakeup call came in this morning, I was struggling to stay asleep to help keep the pain at bay. Not that it really works, because I keep waking up to it anyway, but it helps to be out of consciousness for some stretches of time. I cancelled the dinner as well as an appointment today, and huddled down on my couch under blankets with Coco in my arms and Mimi laying on my legs, her usual spot when I'm sleeping. I forced myself up around 3, took Coco out for an hour-long walk as it was beautiful and not cold outside.

Throughout the walk, was enjoying listening to Grover Gardner narrate Camilleri's The Snack Thief. I was grateful, given my state, that I was able to listen at all, and this narrator really makes the characters from this series come alive for me in a way they haven't done in the French translations I've read so far. A few hours later, having tidied up the kitchen (while listening some more), then sat leafing through one of my art books for a while (the Diebenkorn, which I will likely not keep), the pain had lowered to a tolerable level. I edited some photos I took a while back and meant to post on my art blog and now here I am. I'll start a new thread very soon.

#241 & 249 Heather, one thing I decided following my experience with One Good Turn was NOT to watch the third episode of the Masterpiece Theatre production based on the third book. No matter how different they made them from the originals, I'd rather not be exposed to spoilers. Too bad, because I enjoyed the first two episodes, but in the end I'd rather give the third book a fighting chance. Not that that was really the problem with One Good Turn, as I wasn't in love with it much before seeing the film anyway.

#242 Janet, I hope I like the next one a lot better too, but that still won't take away from my appreciation of Atkinson. I loved Behind the Scenes at the Museum so much that she can do no wrong in my eye.

Regarding my comments on Jacob de Zoet, I'm glad to see they're of use to someone! lol. That group read seems like it was an awful long time ago, but I think we had it only this last June. I'll have to go back and read my own comments because I remember not feeling so much perceptive as unappreciative!

Thanks for your thoughts on the relevance of character liveability for you. It's something I question myself about all the time, as my perception seems to change from book to book and I'm always curious to find out how others might see things.

Thanks for delurking for all these interesting (not to mention flattering!) comments. :-)

#243 calm, I agree with you that likeability isn't much of a factor, as long as they serve a good story, be they 'good', 'bad', or any shade of grey in between.

*****

I was about to finish answering all your lovely posts, but Coco is beckoning for a walk and I MUST buy a lottery ticket for a big draw this weekend. (my guilty secret)

Will be back shortly!

255Smiler69
Nov 2, 2011, 9:53 pm

#244 & 248 Luckily, I don't need all of these in the same book

I enjoyed your comments about what makes you tick when it comes to reading. I couldn't have expressed it any better. Funny how 'likeable' is completely personal though, isn't it? Some characters, who have all the outward and inward characteristics of a likeable person, may not appeal to me at. Yet, and here I'm thinking of the TV character House, who has nothing going for him in terms of likeability, yet most viewers can't help but root for him anyway. I too tend to root for someone who's very flawed, probably because... who can really like someone who's seemingly perfect if it doesn't reflect our own imperfect beings?

Thanks for the kind words Ellen. You are one of many here on LT who have a way of saying things to make me feel like there are people who truly care. I lose focus of that sometimes. Especially when in a 'downtown' scene where I imagine all those well-dressed and purposeful people must have their lives much more 'together' than I do. Which of course is only an illusion. But all the same I used to work downtown and be 'somebody', and it hits me once in a while (often, actually) that I have no idea what to do with myself in terms of re-entering anything resembling the work force. Just terrifies me and I quickly go into melt-down mode. Might explain the migraine actually. When I'm in serious physical pain, everything else just fades away.

#245 & 249 You know Heather, sometimes I read back on my own opinions that I express on any given subject, including this one, and find that I fell completely differently about it. We are all filled with contradictions and that's what makes humanity so interesting!

The migraine is coming and going in waves at this point, but at least it's stopped being completely debilitating as it was earlier today and late last night. For that, I'm always so very grateful, you have no idea! Thanks for your support, which is always appreciated.

I sent my friend an email last night telling her what was going on, but when I saw she hadn't responded today, I called her up, and sure enough, she hadn't read it yet. It was evident from my voice and slurred speech that I wasn't well, but she still sounded disappointed (understandable). I've got some complicated feelings about her. I like her, but am weary of getting too close. We see each other in my art class (which is how I met her a couple of years ago) and sometimes I think that is enough for me, so I'm not so sure what the next step should be, if any.

#250 Thanks for your input Genny. Today was definitely one of those days when I would have cancelled any plans, no matter how important because I was completely felled with the pain. Again, very glad it's abated somewhat.

#251 Janet, you're absolutely right, I have been on a rather good streak lately. Getting up earlier in the day and having time to do more things seem to be very helpful, and I'm grateful that my dad is being so helpful and supportive, since I'm trying to break habits that I've had pretty well all my life.

The Camilleri is fun, and I'm really liking Grover Gardner's interpretation. I may very well continue the series this way. My mom sent me book #5 in French, so I'll go back to it when I get there and see how it reads after having gotten a better feel for the overall tone of the thing.

#252 Nathalie! What a treat to have you over! I know you've been a very busy woman and haven't been around for a while. I'm really curious to know what BBs you've been hit with, so will have to have a look at your recent additions.

About 1Q84, I know the French translation came out in two parts in August, and it seems that many books are available in French translation before the English. I'm not sure why that is, but it makes me happy that I can have access to books quicker sometimes. I see Darryl has answered your question below. When are you thinking of picking it up?

#235 Darryl, thanks for answering that question. I find the current book with the complete trilogy is quite daunting because of it's size, and would definitely prefer having it in 2 or 3 parts, but am likely to go with the audio version anyway as I'm not sure I'd be able to get through it within a reasonable delay otherwise.

256Smiler69
Nov 3, 2011, 12:05 am



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