TrishNYC's Attempt at the 75 book Challenge

I have no idea if I can make 75 books in one year. I would like to think that I could but we will see. Also I was wondering if I reread a book that I have read in the past, can that count toward my 75 total? I am just wondering as I tend to reread certain books every year.

Anyway here goes:
1. The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
2. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman
3. The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. The Girl with the pearl earring by Tracy Chevalier
6. The other Boleyn girl by Phillipa Gregory
7. The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hi, Trish, and welcome. You can do this! As to counting rereads, it's up to you. I do count them; I reread many of the plays and novels that I teach.

A number of us have gathered in The Kitchen to share a little more about ourselves and the books we love. We'd love to have you stop in!

Cariola, thanks so much for the welcome!!

Please don't laugh at me when I ask this question,but Where is the Kitchen? I ask cause I would love to discuss my books as you suggested but I have no idea where its located.

The Kitchen is a topic heading listed under the 75 Book Challenge group. Welcome!

Welcome, Trish! I list rereads also, although I don't reread often and it's usually classics. We'll put the hot water on in the kitchen for you...

Oh thanks so much Alcottacre and Avaland for the welcome. I am really loving librarything.com as I am getting to meet such great folks. I will head on to the Kitchen for some nice tea. Are there any crumpets? :)

Pretty much anything you like, and no calories! 8^}

8. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I wanted to read Oil upon which the movie "There will be Blood" is based on. But I decided to read at least one of his earlier works before I tackled Oil because in my experience the works on which most movies are based are usually inferior to the author's other or earlier works. Anyway, I loved this book up until the last 50 or so pages. The book is very well written and its descriptions of the misery suffered and endured by the workers of Packingtown and its environs was heartbreaking. Be forewarned, if you like your meat too much, this may not be the book for you as it may totally turn you off animal flesh forever. The plight of the young Lithuanian immigrant and his family border on the inhumane. I found it riveting and compelling and I felt enlightened on many issues by its end. But it is by its end that the weakness of the book emerges. The author seems to have lost steam or got too caught up in his own agenda that he turns the end into a veritable "Socialist Manifesto". I have no problem with the ideas of Socialism but close to the end, you felt like it was being beaten into you and with precious little subtle touches. That was disappointing as the whole novel though bold and sometimes brash in its descriptions of life in this time and situation, presented a certain quiet sense of observation that the last 50 pages lack. All in all a fine read and I would highly recommend.

9. Persuasion by Jane Austen. Its basically about love lost and second chances. This is a reread for me as I have read this many many times but I love Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth so any opportunity to spend time with them is very welcome.

10. A wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle. A lovely children's book. Simple but well written. I think that I was so taken in with this book in part because I just read Philip Pullman's trilogy and though I liked it very much, I find that the quality of the books deterioriated as the series went on. To be fair, a wrinkle in time is very short but overall I found that I was much more engaged with the characters and their struggles, something that began to wane as I read Pullman's trilogy. Anyway I would recommend both works.

10 down, 65 to go...hope I can make it!!

#10 - I still love A Wrinkle in Time! I have the copy that I originally bought when I was a child and bought another copy for my girls. My youngest daughter loved the first book in the series so much, she bought all the rest of the books on her own.

11. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Alcottacre, I never even realized that the book was part of a series. I think I will go look for the others at a later date as I really enjoyed this one. Right now I seem to have so many books in my "to be read" pile so I am tackling those.

My Mount TBR is over my head I am sure so I can sympathize, but if you are interested in some point in time, the others in the series are A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters and An Acceptable Time.

I did not realize that Madeleine L'Engle passed away this past year. I was sorry to hear it.

Alcott, thanks for the names of the other books in her series. I was sorry to hear that she died, I hope she lived to a ripe old age full of fun and laughter.

By the way the TBR pile just does not seem to go down and I sit here going "But why?"Well I figured out why that is...I keep adding books to it. Perfect example was yesterday. I went into Barnes and Noble(my local bookstore) and I planned on buying ONE book, The brothers Karamazov, but I ended up with SEVEN books. It was like I was in trance. I walked past shelves and I kept seeing books that interested me. By the time I was done, I literally had to run out before I bought anything more. Infact, I never did get The brothers Karamazov cause I did not trust myself to go back to the shelf where it was without picking something else on my way there and back. By the way I was only in there for thirty minutes. Imagine if I had an hour or more to kill, I would have had to eat ramen noodles for the next month :) Anyways that is how I spent the hours between 2-2:30pm yesterday.

12. All quiet on the western front. What can I say about this book that has not already been said? I have to say that this book is just brilliant. You start off reading it not really sure what's coming but it gets you in its grip and you cannot put it down. The way that Remarque uses language is astounding as he uses it like he created it(language that is). He states facts that seem almost mundane in such a way that just holds you hostage. As I read this book, I was just saddened that 79 or 80 years after this book was written we are still gripped in the throes of some war or another where men and women die because someone else decided that it is to be so. I believe that this book should be required reading for every president, head of state or prime minister the day they take office. I leave you with this great quote from the book, one of many great ones:
" I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how people are set against one another and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring".

#12: I read All Quiet on the Western Front not long ago myself. I had never read it before and was stunned by the fact that I could have missed it for so long. A classic in the best sense of the term.

BTW - I believe L'Engle was 88 or 89 when she died.

I love that quote, Trish, and now I have to add All Quiet on the Western Front to my Amazon wishlist. I read my grandparents' copy many years ago for school and remember liking it, but when we broke up their house, for some reason, I didn't take it for my library. I want to read it again.

13. A series of unfortunate events: the bad beginning by Lemony Snicket

Certainly I must be able to blame you for me spending four hours last night watching "North and South" again:-) Actually, I thought it good to watch after my visits to the Boott Mills and the reading I've done.

#16 I am almost finished All Quiet On The Western Front myself and I totally agree with you. The minute I started it (2 days ago), I was spellbound. You have chosen a fantastic quote from the book which, like you said, is written so beautifully it will never age. Have you read any others about WWI? What are your favourites?

Hey Ava, stop complaining, you know you loved every second of it :)

Tiger, are you done with Western front yet? To answer your question, I sadly have not read as much as I would like to about WWII. But I would recommend a book that I read while in college. The book is The vintage book of war fiction. It is edited by Sebastian Faulks. It compiles so many different stories from different authors on different wars(but I think mainly WWI and WWII). It even has the chapter that involves Paul from Western front and "the guy in the trench"(you know the one I mean). It is very good. Its been about four years ago since I read it for school but I remember liking the book and thinking it was good. Hey, it will inspire you to read the books that it takes excerpts from.

>22 TrishNYC: well, there was that moment he took off his tie...

Avaland, don't get me started on his cravat removal, I almost had a heart attack. I tell you period movies are just amazing, it just goes to show you that less is truly more. In modern movies, everyone is disrobed in the first 5 minutes and true romance is not built up. But in period movies, you can watch for four hours before you see a kiss and yet it stays with you for days.

14. Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro. My goodness, what can I say about this book? It is sad,sometimes funny, comtemplative, but no matter what emotion you have when reading this book, even the positive ones, it is tinged with a deep sense of sadness. Even when you have not fully realized what is going on, you are somehow sad. I do not want to say too much because I do not want to reveal anything important but I have to say that I am left reeling after reading this book. Though I have not read any of Ishiguro's writings before this, I will definitely seek his work out because he is a brilliant writer. There were many times,I felt like I was physically in the book, as if I was experiencing the situations myself. I guess as I think about it, all I can say is that all that you keep asking yourself is why the people involved never seem to contemplate the idea of escaping their situation. The characters seem to be unaware of the idea of freewill, its like they have been programmed to accept their fate and never resist it.
I HIGHLY recommend it but be warned, its depressing.

Re #24: I know I've been touting this one everywhere I go on LT these days, but I read Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day a couple of weeks ago and absolutely adored it. I had read Never Let Me Go a while back, and thought it was great, but I liked Remains even better.

You read an interesting mix of books!

15. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Great book. Though its fiction, it finds a way to encourage you to follow your dreams, regardless of the challenges that this quest may entail. I loved it cause it was such an upbeat and positive read that offers so much hope and encouragement to anyone who has struggled/or is struggling with following dreams or career paths that are less than conventional. I would recommend without reservations :-)

16. The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Great book set in a post apocalyptic America. I think that like many forms of media today we have become steeped in a form of communication that is full of artifice and verbosity, these are absent in this book. The language is so simple and abrupt, it may take a bit of getting used to, for me I did not notice that much maybe because my friend had told me ahead of time that this was the style of writing.

17. Love Rosie by Cecelia Ahern. Not a book that I would normally read as its very "chick flicky" but my co worker lent it to me and so I decided to give it a whirl. A good read, very entertaining. Nothing new here and this kind of material has been touched on before by other authors, perhaps with more finesse. But I did enjoy it and its an entertaining romantic read. I think for me personally I like my romances with a bit more complexities.

18. The God of small things by Arundhati Roy. I have read other things by Ms. Roy in the past but they have all been non-fiction and very well written. I believe this book was her first book and I found it heartbreakingly real. The story swings back and forth between different periods in the characters lives. This book manages to relay so many different facets of a complex story. It talks about communism in India, the caste system, child abuse, dysfunctional marriages and families etc. A great read that will break your heart and leave you sad. I would definitely recommend. Here's a very telling quote from this book:
"We are priosners of war. Our dreams have been doctored. We belong nowhere. We sail unanchored in troubled seas. We may never be allowed ashore. Our sorrows will never be sad enough. Our joys never happy enough. Our dreams never big enough. Our lives never important enough. To matter."

I just finished The Road. What an amazing book!

I totally agree Torontoc. I loved the book. At first I kept waiting for something to happen but then I just got comfortable and let it play out. But I thought I was going to have a heart attack when they had that incident at the house. I swear my heart was pounding.

19. Veronika decides to die by Paulo Coelho. Like his other book that I read, The Alchemist, Coelho tells the story of what happens when we abandon our dreams in order to conform to society's standards. He also talks about allowing ourselves to be open to change and not hold on to tight to the things that we may believe define us. It was a great read and I liked it. But I enjoyed The alchemist better and I felt as I was reading this book, I had seen it all before. Still a good read and I would recommend.

20. For matrimonial purposes by Kavita Daswani

21. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. A reread but always a pleasure.
22. The Waves by Virginia Woolf
23. A series of unfortunate events: The reptile room by Lemony Snicket
24. A series of unfortunate events: The wide window by Lemony Snicket
25. The trial and death of Socrates: Four Dialogues by Plato. A reread. Hey we all love some Plato from time to time.

26. The virgin's lover by Philippa Gregory
27. The elusive quest:Theory and international politics by Yale Ferguson
28. The mission Song by John Le Carre.
29. Hard Times by Charles Dickens
30. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Veronika Decides to Die may be my favourite Coelho. I thoroughly enjoy his style and just loved this book. I might just have to do something I rarely do and re-read it soon. What was your opinion?

The God of Small Things is one of my all time favourite books. I really enjoyed the language and how the author played with it. Again, what was your opinion?

31. The Husband by Dean Koontz. Oh my, oh my, Koontz is really slipping of late. The first book that I read from him was The Taking and it was brilliant. I then continued to read more and more from him and loved his work. But since reading Odd Thomas I have been greatly disappointed with his work. The husband was okay but I was not at all impressed. It started off really well but then it got to a certain point and it was just down hill from there. The story just lacked any complexity and there were no surprises. An okay read but I would not recommend.

Hi Trish!!!

I totally agree - I used to enjoy Koontz a great deal (sorry about the touchstones - the PC I'm using doesn`t have the proper brackets) : maybe I'm just getting fussier with age or I've just read too many of that type of book to be impressed anymore, I don't know... I have his 2 "Frankenstein" books in my TBR and my sister-in-law said they were great: I'll wait to read them until closer to the time book 3 comes out later this year...

Congrats on your pace!!!

Hey Kmbooklover, thanks for the congrats, I hope I can get to the 75 and don't lose steam along the way.

32. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon. A very interesting read about an autistic 15 year old boy. It shows the way in which an autistic person views the world and how what they see as a normal reaction to situation is interpreted by the non-autistic population as odd. For example, simply touching the main character in this book could get him screaming at the top of his lungs. For him, he is just trying to get you to stop touching him as he does not like it but to you, you may be sitting there going "what the heck is the matter? Its not like I am trying to hurt you". I don't know much about autism and the most I have heard about it has been concerning the debates surrounding the assertion by some that vaccinations may/do cause autism. Anyway, I gained a bit of insight into this condition and my hat goes off to all parents and caregivers who deal with this on a first hand basis.

Trish, I read For Matrimonial Purposes a few years ago and have to say that it was disappointing--especially the big buildup to the "surprise" ending. What did you think?

Hey TrishNYC,

I just finished responding to your post on my string regarding Enduring Love, Shopgirl, and Sons and Lovers. Now that I have read your string, I am adding All Quiet on the Western Front and Never Let Me Go to my next stack of reading.

The Road is in my current stack. McCarthy is one of my favorite authors. I grew up in the Southwest and his ear for the language of these folks is absolutely dead on. I just finished reading Blood Meridian, which I found to be the hardest of his books to get through because of the raw violence. But the writing is beautiful and his use of violence, I find, is a comment on violence and the randomness of events in life. Highly, highly recommend his border triology (All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain). His spare, powerful style is at it's pinnacle in these.

I also just finished The God of Small Things at the end of last year. Maybe I will add a message on my string of last years books.

I am glad to see that you also have the same kind of ecclectic reading interests. I am a Koontz reader also. Even though he doesn't write "important" or "classic" books, I find him a good storyteller. Don't give up on him entirely, try some of his earlier books, there are a lot. Check out www.fantastic fiction.com for a complete listing of his books.

How did you find the Golden Compass books. I like Sci-Fi/Fantasy series a great deal and did not learn much from all of the uproar about the movie and how it was "anti-Catholic". So, I'd be interested in your thoughts about the series!!

You are really zooming along on your challenge!

33. The magician's nephew by C.S. Lewis. Very cute, very entertaining book that I believe most adults will enjoy just as much as children.

Are you reading the whole Narnia series? Is it your first time through? If not, you should consider continuing since you have read the first now?

Hey blackdog,
Sorry it took so long. I tell you tv is bad for reading. I get into a show and then I can't get any books read. But as to the Narnia series, no I never read them before now. I just got all of them cause I really wanted to read them seeing as I have heard so much about them. I doubt that I will read them all before reading other things. I think I probably read them in addition or along side other books.

The Narnia books lend themselves to such a strategy. Though the deeper into the series you get, you will find the underlying messages more thought provoking. The next in the series will get you through where the first movie traveled. The third book takes a bit of a detour to introduce a new character and then returns to the children. So, it looks like the next movie deals with the 3rd and 4th books.

I have found that this website often serves as a distraction from my reading also. I have been trying to expand my profile and look at more group posts but then realized I haven't been reading as much.

Are there any particularly cool literary places to visit in NY that you would recommend?

Blackdog--I gotta say that I do not necessarily know any cool literary places. I love going to Barnes and Noble, although of late I am beginning to think that is a bad idea(seeing as I spend too much money there). Other great "literary" places are the guys who set up shop on street corners. Its nice to stop by and peruse the interesting titles.

34. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover
35. The book thief by Markus Zusak. A wonderful, wonderful story that warms the heart while still presenting harsh realities. The book thief is set in Nazi Germany and tells of the coming of age both physically and mentally of a young German girl. By some circumstances that I will not divulge, she comes to live with a poor German couple. While with them she is taught many things about love, sacrifice and develops an avid thirst for books. This book is very interesting in that it shows the other side of the Nazi war, the poor Germans, and how they are affected by the works of their government. This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry and there are many times you feel like your heart is about to burst. The story is told by Death and I found some of the constant interruptions by Death to tell you certain facts a tad annoying. But over time I got used to it and I was more interested in knowing what was next that I was able to overlook it. As the story progressed, the interruptions become fewer and I found Death's interruptions to no longer be annoying. Its almost like that kid you knew in school who really annoyed you but he kept following you around and wanting to be your friend and before you knew it, he was a dear dear friend that you cannot imagine your life without. I would highly recommend this book. Its one of the best books I have read this year.

36. A Ghost in the Machine by Caroline Graham
37. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
38. The Age of Fallibility by George Soros
39. War is a force that gives us meaning by Chris Hedges
40. Nam by Mark Baker

See you finished Nam....pretty powerful stuff, huh?

Also, The Poisonwood Bible, another very pwerful book....that one hit a bit close to home because of some of the religious fanaticism themes. No, I'm not a fanatic; some of the characters reminded me far too much of some people I've known.

First time on Catcher? Probably not. You seem very well read. I really need to re-read that one. But, I want to try Franny and Zoey first.

I've noticed The Book Thief in several places. What'd you think?

Thanks for the nice posting on my library. Been reading and neglecting LT, so I will responed to that one later.

You are gonna hit your 75 without any trouble!!!!

Yes you are right blackdogbooks, Nam was quite the read. I really think that the author's decision to mix in all the stories, grouping them by subject material, rather than by the individuals and their stories really worked. I think there was something about not identifying each story by the person it happened to made the stories more powerful. It was sad and surprisingly funny at certain points(well only in the beginning).

And yes, it is my first time with Catcher in the Rye. I think most Americans read it in high school but since I did not go to high school in the States, I guess I missed out on that.

I highly recommend The book thief. It was given to me by a friend from the UK. I have to confess that I did not like the beginning. It was a bit jarring(or maybe grating is the right word) the way the writer starts the book. The book is narrated by death and it/he/she randomly interjects and I found that a bit annoying at first. But with time I got used to it and really enjoyed the book. I would recommend this book. It really touched me. I loved the little girl and she is my idea of what a young literary adult should be.

41. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.

42. Silas Marner by George Eliot. I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Elliot tends to be verbose and this can be sometimes irritating as you feel like you are spending time reading quotes while you wait to get to the meat of the story. But once you get past that you are left with a lovely tale of redemption. Marner, a man who seems to have been beaten by life finds a new lease on life when a toddler is left at his door step. The story was simple but very touching and you meet a cast of very interesting characters. I would recommend this book and say that it was a very pleasurable read.

How did you like Silas Mariner, TrishNYC.

I recently picked up Middlemarch but abandoned it after 100 pages as was not in the mood. to concentrate on all the characters. Will have to try again!

yes, I might say that Middlemarch might require concentration and patience, at least at the beginning. But I do so love it.

Hey Karenwardill, I did like Silas Marner alot. My biggest complaint with it was that I felt that Ms. Eliot used 25 words when 5 would have sufficed and this sometimes made reading the book like a chore. In a longer book, this would have been a problem but here I was able to get used to it after awhile and really enjoyed the book. I am a bit worried though because I was planning to read Middlemarch soon but if she uses this same kind of writing style in all her works and since Middlemarch is much longer, it may be a bit of a problem.

43. No country for old men by Cormac McCarthy.
I enjoyed The road very much and I wanted to read more from this author. I decided to read this in part because of all the hype surrounding the movie. I noticed that most people seemed to fall in two categories as concerns the movie, hated it or liked it with no one really seeming to fall in the middle. I loved the book. I thought that it was very well written and something about the way it is written makes you feel like you are actually there. There were times when I literally felt hot reading about the sunny Texas landscape. It is not necessarily a story with a particular plot but it is more like a series of events that happen and kinda come together but there is no neat bow to wrap it all up nicely. This book reminded me of the movie Fargo as both feature rolling landscapes and the weather conditions seem to be a silent character in both(with Fargo it was all that snow and in this book it is the hot sun). And like Fargo there seem to be a series of events that are going somewhere and you are not sure where. The characters are very interesting and they say the funniest things without really meaning to (A: I got a really bad feeling about this. B: Well I got a gun, so that should equal things out.) I would highly recommend this book to anyone who liked The Road. The writing style is not as complex as The Road but is still great. A great read!!

Hello TrishNYC,

Very glad you tackled another McCarthy. You saw from my profile that he is one of my favorites. I would also highly, higly recommend the Border Triology All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain. Your description of the other books holds true with these. And, McCarthy's spare prose also remains true. The characters in these books are ones that I have never forgotten after having read the books some years ago.

Also, put All Quiet on the Western Front on my current TBR stack. Thanks for the recommendation. Have to find a copy of The Book Thief and Never Let me go before they can go on the stack. I buy mainly used books to add to the library. Think you might have also added to a recommendation for things Fall Apart, that went on this stack. I keep my TBR stacks to about 10-15 lest they overtake corners of my rooms.

Hey Blackdog,
Thanks for taking the time to comment on my books! I will definitely take your recommendations and check out McCathy's Border trilogy. I was reading No country for old men while riding the train and this guy told me that his favorite McCathy book is Suttree. I had never heard of this particular McCarthy work but seeing as I like his stuff so much, I may end up reading all of his stuff.

I hope you get to read the books you mentioned above. They are really great.

I haven't yet read Suttree, as I buy and read mostly used books and that is a more difficult find. One warning. Reading all of his works means reading Blood Meridian. I am a huge McCarthy fan but this was a very difficult book to get through. Though many consider it to be his masterpiece and compare it to Moby Dick, it is not easy reading. It has many of the same aspects you found so rewarding in No Country for Old men yet it is much more dark, violent, and arbitrary. I still liked it but had to work through it while the other McCarthy I've read feels like I am sitting a table with an old cowboy listening to his stories.

Blackdog, its funny that you say that about Blood Meridian as everyone seems to rave and rave about it. Anyway thanks for the heads up so I know what I am in for.

44. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

Yeah, Blood Meridian seems to get so much attention. I still enjoyed the book but it is not for the fainit of heart, neither in the substance nor the writing. Nonetheless, you should read it some day. I would just go to the others first.

TrishNYC, Are you watching that newish "Robin Hood" series, your Mr. Thornton is on it:-) Just came over to give you a little tease. I'll be good now.

Avaland,
Trish is sitting in the corner looking at a picture of Mr. Thornton and giggling.

Avaland my dear, I have seen all of season one of Robin Hood and I sit there wondering why that woman would choose wimpy boy Robin over manly man Richar...sorry Guy of Gisborne. So he is a pyschopath, I say his just misunderstood. Look things where different back then, good and evil weren't so clear cut. As far as I am concerned, Guy is the man!!!

Yes, Avaland, I am a bit biased. Next thing you know, he will be Hannibal Lecter and I will still defend him and tell you that protein was scarce and that is why he was eating people.

45. No god but God: the origins, evolution and future of Islam by Reza Aslan.

>57 TrishNYC: well, I have only seen parts of a couple episodes, enough to know I'm not interested further. They seem to enjoy making the delicious, dark-haired lads the villains (i.e. Rufus Sewall). Are you watching Cranford on PBS, btw?

I haven't been watching Robin Hood, but I'll have to take a look. I adore Rufus Sewell (and Mr. Thornton isn't bad either!).

I literally ran into Mr. Sewell in the Chicago O'Hare airport. He had a large book in his hands and I couldn't quite catch the title. We had a knowing moment where he realized that i recognized him and I could see him begin to hope that I would not be a clingy, adoring fan. I simply smiled and I saw the relief on his face. Taller i n person than I wouldv'e expected.

oooo, blackdog, tall is he? How wonderful. Stars seem to trend to 'shorter-than-we-imagine'. I was amazingly disappointed with the wax figure of Sean Connery in London. Sigh. Cariola, hope I didn't confuse, Sewall is NOT in Robin Hood but Richard Armitage is. Favorite Sewall movies include Cold Comfort Farm, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, Middlemarch...need I go on? Sorry, Trish, to clutter up your thread!

We were talking about books, weren't we?

#61> Oh, well, then I'm less eager to watch Robin Hood. Instead, I will watch my DVDs of Cold Comfort Farm and The Taming of the Shrew. And perhaps rent The Illusionist again.

Uuuh...I love where this conversation is going. I like Robin Hood very much but even I have to confess that the first few episodes when the show first started were blah. Okay I will say this and then I will hide behind the nearest bleacher...I sometimes think Rufus Sewell is attractive but most of the time, I find him unappealing.......runs and hides as the tomatoes and eggs fly through the sky. As an actor, I have only seen him in Shakespeare retold where everyone in the production was kinda annoying(to me anyway) and in The Holiday which I was surprised that I liked. I do own Middlemarch but I could never get into it. I saw the first 30minutes, and I just couldn't do it. I will give it a try again cause I think it may be good. I normally love all things period but somehow I did not connect with this one.

Avaland-Yes, Cranford is so cute. I am reading the book right now to concide with my rewatching of the miniseries.
Oh and I don't at all mind about discussing movies on my thread. Hey I love all forms of entertainment!!

46. Death of a dreamer: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery by M.C. Beaton. I watched the whole series a few weeks ago and I was interested to see how the book and the TV show compared. There are definitely some similarities but the differences are many. I still like both and take each for what it is. Hamish Macbeth is Highland police man who is seeped in a town that gives gossip a bad name. The village of Lochduh is definitely a character in this book and it makes you want to visit "the idyllic village". This is no high brow murder mystery but it is highly entertaining. I was glad to read something light and fun cause most of my recent reads have been "heavier". I will certainly look for the other books in the series. I would highly recommend.

Being a Sci-Fi fan, I did enjoy Dark City a great deal. I liked the feel of the movie, the noir feel. But I also really liked the dream like quality too it. Don't want to ruin it for anyone, so I won't say more. Good flick!!! William Hurt and Jenifer Connelly also star.

TrishNYC, glad you are not the kind of reader who is turned off by movie or TV versions of the written word. I enjoy seeing other peoples visual interpretations of written works. Sometimes they meet expectations and sometimes not. But it's always fun to look!

Totally agree with you Blackdog, just cause its cinematically translated does not mean its bad. I will add Dark City to my netflicxs queue as I like Jennifer Connelly.

47. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Moshin Hamid. Loved it!! It is not a book for everyone. If you are uber patriotic and believe that America can do no wrong then this is not the book for you. But if you are willing to see the ways in which government policies and actions influence the lives of others, then this will give you something to think about. The conversational tone of the novel will definitely put some people off but though I was a bit unsure of his use of this device in telling his story, I feel that it worked as it showed his thought process. Changez is a young man who moves to the US to attend college, Princeton in this case. He excels at school and lands a covetted position at a top Wall street firm. Outwardly he fits seamlessly into the corporate culture and for awhile he is happy to content himself with living out his version of the American dream. But the brutal and tragic events of September 11th change his whole life and not necessarily in the same way that it does for his neighbors, friends and co-workers. He begins to question his place in his adopted country. His disillusion with America concides with his girlfriend's spiral into melancholy, depression and a loss of connection to the physical world. I would highly recommend this book. Even if you end up hating it, I think it may give you some food for thought.

>ah, trishnyc, well, that may be good. Less people to share with. He is deliciously dressed in 16th century Venetian grab in "Dangerous Beauty". . .

>I agree, blackdog, I also like to see how books, especially classics, are interpreted for the screen.

LOL Ava, you are right more Rufus for you!!! I gotta check out Dangerous Beauty.Is it a period movie? As you may know by now, I am a sucker for period movies.

48. Love in the kingdom of oil by Nawal El Saadawi. I gotta credit Cariola for getting me to read this book. I was looking over her thread and I saw that she had read a Saadawi book and it reminded me of all those Mid-East classes I took in college and how I had read excerpts of her work while doing research for different topics. I never even realized that she did fiction cause I think that all of her works that I have read have been non fiction. Anyway, I will write a review the next time I am on.

6/11/08
Okay I finally got around to writing a review.
I am a bit unsure of what to say about this book. I get all it was trying to do, addressing issues of women in the Middle East, but I have to say that the whole surrealist approach did not fully work to/for me. I got to the point while reading it where I no longer cared what was going on cause the scenes kept jumping from one place to another in a way that was distracting and just did not work well . I guess the basic imagery is one of oil surrounding and pervading every facet of life in this particular country/region. I believe that part of the message was that in this land of abundance, of oil and riches, there is very little provision for women. The lead character, a woman who goes on leave and then disappears, is representative of women in this society who may not be content to live as second class citizens and try to rebel in small ways. Such women discover that their rebellion is less than a blip on the radar as nothing changes. I have no idea what to think of this book. I can't say that I hated it but I also did not like it. If you like surrealist literature then you may like this but even though I read this weeks ago, I still can't tell you where I fall on the like or dislike scale.

Trish, what did you think of The Reluctant Fundamentalist? I have a copy but haven't read it yet. I was wondering if it was one my freshmen might enjoy.

Hey Cariola,
That's so funny cause I was in the midst of writing my review for The Reluctant Fundamentalist and I kept getting interrupted. So by the time I posted it we must have missed each other. Anyway I just posted it above. I hope the review helps.

49. Freud and the non-European by Edward Said.

>67 TrishNYC: yes, period movie. About a young woman whose only choice in retaining any independence is not to marry but to become a courtesan like her mother. She loves Sewall's character but he can't afford her. Sumptuous costuming.

>67 TrishNYC: I read Love in the Kingdom of Oil this year also, must have a post somewhere on my thread.

re: The Reluctant Fundamentalist, I enjoyed it very much but wouldn't say I loved it. Have you read The Yacoubian Building?

Trish, you are very bad for the size of my wishlist. Had to add both The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Love in the Kingdom of Oil to it.

LOL Fourpawz!! I gotta warn you ahead of time though that Love in the kingdom of oil is very surrealist. My praise was more for El Saadawi and her other works than for this book necessarily. But I will try to write my review of that book by day's end.

50. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. Absolutely lovely book!! Its basically about a small town that seems to be populated by a rather large number of women. Here the women would not degrade themselves by claiming equality with men because in truth they believe they are superior to men!! It was an absolute delight to read and I loved every second of it. Though the ladies are all somewhat poor, they all have claim to some form of "genteelity". You will laugh, you may even cry but one thing that this book will leave you with is a deep appreciation for all its lovely characters. I would highly recommend and I think that anyone who has read North and South will like this(though they are very different in tone).

51. Death of an outsider by M.C. Beaton. Beaton is really growing on me!!! I love her descriptions of the Scottish Highlands. Though the residents of the fictional town of Lochdubh and Cnothan are borderline insane, they are a hilarious bunch. Great read. Light and entertaining. Hamish Macbeth solves another mystery while appearing like a slacker to most of his superiors. But the man has appalling taste in women and an odd code of morality. A great read and I would recommend highly.

By the way Avaland, I missed you question earlier. No I have not read The Yacoubian Building. I notice its been mentioned alot on LT. I will eventually get around to it but right now, I am so innudated with all the books that I have bought that I need to get a move on reading them before I buy anything new.

Trish - tell me about these Hamish MacBeth books. Do they need to be read in order or can I jump in just any old where?

That's an awesome challenge and I wish you luck. I'm hoping to get through my library this year as my challenge and then I will allow myself to purchase more books (who am I kidding I'll buy books but I'm trying SO hard not to). I think the number is somewhere between 40-50.

Hey Fourpawz, I have so far not read the books in order. I just felt like it would be too much work to go around looking for the order in which they were written and trying to read them solely in that manner. So far I have read two and I think one may have been #3 and the other was number #20(and I read #20 before #3) and I still got the whole gist of it. The main thing is the crime and then a story unfolds before the crime is committed and afterwards. The inhabitants of Lochdubh which is Hamish's main beat are hilariously ridiculous. They are high strung, irrational and very gossipy. I love the books I have read so far and definitely intend to seek more of the Hamish Macbeth series out. I would not say they as highbrow as Agatha Christie's works but they are definitely very entertaining.

Senegalqueen--thanks for the well wishes. I keep thinking that I will burn out and not be able to finish but since I have reached #51, I believe I can do it. Oh and as to buying books, I can relate, I just discovered the bargain section of Barnes and Noble(the big bookstore chain in NYC) and I am now sure that one day I will spend so much there that I will have to eat ramen noodles, cheap bread and water for three months.

As long as you have a book to read as you contract scurvy!!!!!

LOL blackdog!!!

52. The Art Thief by Noah Charney. Not worth your time. I started off liking the book as it was very reminiscent of Angels and Demons/Da Vinci Code/The Thomas Crown Affair movie. It seemed clever at first but sadly the whole thing began to go down hill. The writer would go off on these tangents giving you different histories of the art world. At first I was not bothered by this but coupled with his constant jumping around from scene to scene involving seemingly unrelated characters and the quickly dissolving plot, I just got bored. The writer kept trying to be clever and it became obvious that he was failing at that task before long. For example, he kept describing these two detectives who are always eating and I guess that is supposed to be funny and entertaining, well it wasn't. I was sure that if I heard one more description of the overweight detective, I was going to hurt myself. Sheesh...what a waste of time. I wanted to like the book, I really did, I went in with no preconceived notions but by the end I did not care who had committed what crime, I just wanted it to be over so I could go read something else. The book was repetitive, became boring and quite frankly the end did not in anyway justify the means. A thriller is suppose to be thrilling, something that never happened here. I would definitely not recommend. I should have watched some TV rather than waste my time in this manner.

Bummer!!!! This is the worst thing. I have a 50 page rule which weeds out most of the books I don't connect with. But, occasionally, a book keeps me interested past 50 pages only to descend into reading hell at about 100 or 150 pages and I feel compelled to finish thinking the ending will redeem it. The last ones like this for me were Under the Volcano and A High Wind in Jamaica. These are both considered classics but neither did it for me and I felt cheated at the end!!!!! Read something you know will connect with and enjoy now as a reward for perserverence.

Thanks for your compassion blackdog. I was so annoyed cause I have gone for a long while without any crappy books. Even if I did not love some of my recent reads, I thought they were decent. Unfortunately the book I am currently reading, The Gathering, is making me apprehensive cause the woman seems obssessed with the male genitalia. Lets hope that there is a reason for the insanity. We live in hope!!!

I'm usually very forgiving about the written word, allowing that most stories register for someone, even if not for me. (The old theory of 'There's a lid for every jar'.) But, that just doesn't sound right at all!!!!!

53. The Remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro. My original review somehow did not post so I doubt that I am going to rewrite all I did before. I decided to read this book in part because every time that I said that I liked Never let me go also by Ishiguro, everyone would immediately suggest The Remains of the day and would tell me how much they liked it better. To me both books are totally different from each other and each should be taken on its own merits. While I can totally understand why one would prefer The Remains of the day as its a much "happier" book, I still love them book and as of right now I would say I loved them equally. Never let me go has a much bleaker outlook while The Remains of the day with its descriptions of the English countryside and glimpses of International politics and intrigues has a much brighter view of life. The story is centered around Mr. Stevens a butler who believes that by serving his "master" he is serving all of humanity. The logic being that if he makes his employer's life easier in all matters domestic, his employer would be able to concentrate much easier on matters of great import. By the time the story unfolds, Mr Darlington his first employer has been dead for three years and he is now working for an American, Mr. Faraday. In Mr. Stevens estimation, Mr. Darlington is an exemplary figure and a gentleman in all its essence. Through his tales you wil begin to form your own ideas about who/what Mr. Darlington may or may not be. Its a very interesting tale and Ishiguro is a brilliant storyteller. He tells a tale that seamlessly transitions from one aspect to another. This story will make you laugh with its quiet humor and the pretensions of certain characters. A huge, huge recommend. Ishiguro is a brilliant writer and I look forward to reading more by him.

54. Death of a Poison Pen by M.C. Beaton. Another excellent tale by Ms. Beaton. If you love a tale about quirky villagers who are borderline insane and description of the highlands of Scotland, then these tales of the doings of the Scottish copper will amuse you. A lovely murder mystery. Would recommend very highly.

55. Death of a Bore by M.C. Beaton. As always, a fun enjoyable read about Hamish Macbeth and the beautiful town that he lives in with its odd residents. I would say that the mystery was more complex this time than some of the others that I have read and I think that was a good thing. But if I hear M.C. Beaton describes Hamish Macbeth's accent "becoming more sibilant" whenever he gets angry or excited one more time, I will be forced to write her and complain.
After this read, I think I will take a break from the Macbeth series. As entertaining as they have been I feel like I need to read other kinds of stuff.

56. Enduring Love by Ian McEwan. A very good read. McEwan is very good at slowly drawing you into a story. This may turn some people off cause they will get bored as things are taking too long to get where its going. I did not enjoy the main character's musings on science and psychology in the beginning as it seemed almost fake and quite frankly pretentious. I get that the main character is supposed to very well read and an intelligent man but intelligence or not, if you are about to be hit by a car, your not sitting there thinking "When that large metallic object makes contact with this shell that holds my vital organs, my brain's synapses will fire rapidly thereby escalating my pain and leaving me in a state where the adrenaline rush caused by my realization will not stem the neurological malfunction known as excruciating pain", nope you are sitting there praying to a higher being and screaming till your lungs hurt. The aforementioned never happens in the book but I am just showing the ways in which the character spoke in the book. But as the story progressed to its real heart, then it gets really interesting. The characters experience a few too many harrowing situations. I truly understood and liked the main character even though I sometimes doubted his sanity. There where times when I was sure that his over-analyzation of events may have sent him over the edge. I was shocked by his wife's seeming indifference to the whole situation. I understand her anger at what she saw as the main character's "shutting her out" when he was in crisis but I thought that she was not very supportive when he tried to tell her of the unfolding dilemma. One of the scariest things in the world is going through a crisis and have no one believe you or everyone believe that you are exaggerating a minor issue. I did not like his wife by the end because she found a way to apologize and still lay most of the blame at the other person's door. The main character definitely made some questionable decisions and I really wanted to shake sense into him many times but he was flawed man who thought that every phenomenon or human manifestation must have a name to it and be perfectly explained and cured by science. All in all it was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it.

Trish, this was the first McEwan novel I ever read, and he is now one of my favorite writers. I highly recommend Amsterdam, On Chesil Beach, and Saturday, if you haven't read them. Atonement got more praise, but I wasn't as thrilled with it.

His early stuff--anything written before Enduring Love--is a bit TOO kinky for my taste (incest, sadomasochism, child molestation, grotesque murders, etc.).

Hey Trish,

Glad you enjoyed Enduring Love....and your comments were interesting to me as they offered a slightly different take. Your feelings about the main character jive up much more than mine did with the movie version, which I think I told you about. As to the girlfriend, I felt like the main character was so constantly trying to control the events around him that he never really communicated what was happening, at least not effectively. Nonetheless, as you said, I think McEwan was able to get the isolation and terror of being stalked down on paper in a way that translates very vivdly for the reader. Let me know what you think after the movie version.

Hello there fellow NYer....I see you've been really busy with all of those books being read....good for you....I'm slowly moving there myself....Even though I'm going to try for reading a chunk of books that I own, I've just given in and decided to count the books I read from the Library...

Well, Happy Reading.

#86 Cariola - just goes to show (I honestly cannot remember McEwan's early stuff as being too kinky but perhaps I need to reread)

I read The Cement Garden (his first novel) when it was published and just loved it - I discovered McEwan before he became mainstream and really loved his edgier stuff. Chesil Beach returned to this edgy side a bit and I think that explains why he did not receive the same acclaim for it as for some others!? His undertone is definitely morbid IMO. He is not Chuck Palahniuk, though.

Hey guys!!!

Blackdog-I am expecting the movie version of Enduring Love by tomorrow. I will definitely let you what I think when I am done. The one thing that I am somewhat surprised by is that when I saw tid bits of the movie, Daniel Craig was about 35yrs old at the most and Sam Morton is in her early 30s at the most. In the book, Joe is 48-50yrs old and his girlfriend/wife is in her late thirties/early forties(?) I am surprised that they changed the ages so much. Did they think that the viewers would have nothing in common with an older couple? I just wonder.

Cariola-Interesting to hear that McEwan's earlier stuff was more kinky. I am very much not into kinky literature. I just suffered through The Gathering and have no wish to repeat that experience again.

Mamachunk-Glad to see you again. I've missed you around here. I was just looking over some stuff that you had read and I have some questions but I will go over to your thread and ask them. By the way, what's up with the weather in NY? Did you hear its going to be ninety degrees on Saturday? I am not leaving my house all weekend. I will stay home with the air cranked to the highest(sorry environment, I conserve in other ways, I just can't do heat), read, surf the web, talk on the phone and watch an unhealthy amount of TV.

57. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. Really, really good stuff. I read the whole thing in two and a half hours. I just zipped through it and found it very interesting. Here we meet two men who from the outset of the novel are good friends and seem to genuinely like and care about each other. But different and seemingly unrelated events test their friendship and ask the fundamental question of us all "Are all close relationships equal in emotion?" Meaning, does each party feel that their needs are being met and if and when that realization dawns that one person is doing more of the giving, how does that change the landscape of the relationship? I found this book simple and yet complex while at the same time exploring the depths of these two men's relationship. It is a definite recommend for me. I think that McEwan is a fascinating writer. I have so far read three of his novels and I think that they are all vastly difrferent from each other. I know that everyone says that his novels are all about relationships(aren't most novels?) but the difference between him and many writer who tackle relationships is that he does it well.

#90 - ageism in Hollywood - ya think??? Couldn't be....
When are they going to realize that those of as of a certain age have money to spend, and would go to their movies more if they had something like intelligent scripts, intelligent acting, and women that weren't 90 lbs. and all under 30?
Sorry for the rant...just wait til you're my age!

#91 High Five, dihiba!

#90 Well, even more than relationships, what I love about McEwan is that he writes the way we think and feel. Nobody can get inside a character's mind and heart quite the way he does.

58. Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton. Delightful highland mystery. Enjoyed every second of it and Ms. Beaton sure knows how to write a lovely tale of murder and mayhem. As always Hamish Macbeth is on hand to solve a puzzling death that everyone seems to see coming except the victims. A great recommend and I loved every second of it.

59. The Gathering by Anne Enright. I really did not like this book for the most part. When did an obsession with the male genitalia and sex and pubic functions become high art? The only reason why I finished this book was because I have a problem with never leaving anything that I started unfinished. It got better in the last 50 pages or so but it was not enough to make up for having to put up with this miserable and self involved woman. I have no problem with a book being hopeless in its outlook on life or the main character being self absorbed but the combination of both was just too much. I get it, you came from a family where your parents could not stop procreating until you ended up one of twelve children. I get it, your parents where neglectful and did not give their children the love and affection they deserved. But seriously, the way this one went on and on and on just did not work for me. I found her graphic speculation into her grandmother's sex life nauseating and her obsession with sexual talk very off putting. Like I said, the last 50 pages got better, perhap because her sex obsession decreased and I was happy for the ray of sunshine that shows up, can't say exactly what it is cause I don't want to ruin it for anyone. But all in all, I personally would not recommend it. Sheesh, reading this book was a chore.

Reward yourself!!!!

Blackdog, I took your advice and rewarded myself with:

60. Death of a maid by M.C. Beaton. Entertaining as always. Hamish Macbeth solves another murder or two. I gotta say that the man needs to join an order where he is not allowed to date cause he has the worst taste in women. His behavior toward them in many instances leaves much to be desired but his actions compared to these women is nothing. The women he is involved with are annoying to say the least and are very very immature. But all that aside, another nice mystery.

Wow, someone who liked The Gathering less than I did. I liked her style, but it was SO gloomy.

I also had problems with the previous year's Booker Prize winner, The Inheritance of Loss. Not for the same reasons, but it just didn't grab me. I find I enjoy the non-winning nominees much more.

I have been trying to read some of the Booker Prize winners, too, and I am not having a lot of success at it. Maybe it's just me, but they (whoever they are) seem to choose the most pretentious and incomprehensible books. I tried reading True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey and could not even make it to the 50 page mark and I had the same problem with The Bone People by Keri Hulme. My local library does not have many of the Booker Prize recipients, which may be just as well. On the other hand, I really did like The Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee.

Cariola--I have The Inheritance of Loss and I lent it to a friend and like you, she was also not too thrilled with it.

Alcot--I really do not think its you as concerns Booker Prize winners. I really think that many times people confuse pretentious and unreadable with excellence. After having read some Booker winners over the years, that prize is beginning to border on rubbish. It seems that most of the time their choices are a huge miss and sometimes they mistakenly pick a good one.

61. Homegirl by Judith Matloff. Another stinker. What have I ever done wrong to anyone? Its like I have been attracting really bad ones of late. It was an early reviewer's book and I now realize that I need to be careful what materials I request. I was not really expecting to get it and I just marked it down just cause. Well this is my reward. Anyway here is my review of the tripe: http://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=TrishNYC

Anohter reward is in order. I made the mistake recently of ruining my book karma by dilligently sticking to my TBR stack when I had obviously populated it with books which just didn't connect for me. Don't do that. Read something you know you're gonna like now!!!! It worked last time.

Sounds like it's time for some great short stories. I highly recommend The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle.

TrishNYC - I totally agree with your review of The Gathering. Like you, I finished it because of its celebrity status but thought it was one of the most depressing and morally unfocused books I have read this year. I know people raved about her prose style but I did not get it.

Actually, I found that I needed to have a non-fiction run after that - to wipe my reading palate clean so to speak. I think it took 4 non-fictions to fix the reading blues it caused.

Really liked your review of Homegirl, Trish. (There is something really perverse in my makeup that makes me like angry reviews of bad books better than nice reviews of good books.) Hope your next ER book (and mine) is better.

#100: Thanks, Trish. Glad to know that someone besides me has problems with the Booker Prize winners.

I think this is why the Orange Prize awards for excellence, originality and accessibility!

#107: I will have to check out the list of Orange Prize winners. Maybe I will make more headway with them. Thanks, avaland.

I love this website!!! Its so nice to get to talk to people who truly understand. I was having a really bad spell with my reading material and you guys truly got where I was coming from. Anyway, I am happy to say that I have had a very good reading time of late.

By the way Fourpawz, you remark had me in stitches for days. But I totally get what you mean. I try to be fair to every author that I read, after all they spent time and a great deal of effort writing their book but my understanding hits an all time low when I feel that I am being patronized with cliches. By the way I did not realize that you had responded to my Julian Fellows, I will be going to your page to make a comment so look out for that. By the way what was your ER book? And Blackdog, I have kinda done away with the TBR pile, I just pick out anything and read it. That way I do not have to feel compelled to read anything that I am not necessarily in the mood for.

62.Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. I liked this short tale but after reading it I cannot help but wonder what kind of life Edith Wharton must have had. The poor thing never seems to have found happiness and so all her literary characters are pots of misery themselves. I have never read any of her books before but I say a movie version of her book The Buccaneers and I pretty much know the synopsis ofThe age of Innocence and boy did everyone in her world end up unlucky in love. Well in Ethan Frome, Ethan falls in love with his wife's beautiful cousin who comes to help with his sick wife's care. Lets just say that everyone ends up unhappy and there is no walking off into the sunset in this one. I liked it and would recommend it.

63. The Tiniest Tiger by Joanne McGonagle. Here is my review http://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=TrishNYC

Trish, I read a bio of Wharton last year. Lots of money, lots of travel, but you're right--an unhappy childhood, an unhappy marriage, an unhappy love affair.

I read Ethan Frome this year as well. I enjoyed it, but needed a happy, fluffy book to follow it! Sounds like The Tiniest Tiger did the trick for you -- great review.

Good to know Cariola. I suspected that all was not well in the Wharton household. Sad for her cause she was a really good writer.

MidnightRain-I totally agree, you need a happy read after Ethan Frome.

64. Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse. A great read and a total recommend. Here's my review http://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=TrishNYC.

By the by does anyone know how to post my review on here without having to post the whole website. What I mean is that I have seen some of you guys just say" Here's my review(and the word review is highlighted and clickable). How do I do that? Sorry if all this sounds convulted, I hope someone gets what I am trying to ask.

You mean like this?

If you follow the link I've just given you, scroll down to "how do I put links in a Talk message?", and there are some instructions. I think there may be other ways, but I've never got to grips with them.

Now I daren't hit "Submit" in case I've done it wrong and there's no link here at all!

Ahh Rachbxl, thanks a mil.

65. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. I am not so sure that I am the target audience for this book. I mildly liked it but I found it predictable and lite. It was entertaining to some extent but I just found it unbelievable as a whole. The main character Cirrini is a young lady firmly under the thumb of her mother who is obviously jealous of her only child. Cirrini suffers through this until Della Lee Baker shows up in her closet whilst hiding out from another bad relationship. The story was very Cinderella like in that aspect cause Della Lee felt very much like a wise cracking fairy god mother with a criminal record. One of the things that I found hard to believe was that Cirrini at age 27 would still be held hostage to her misbehavior as a child. Apparently she was a very troublesome child and was well known to throw a fit or seven with her mother but was a sweet angel to her father. The whole town had been witness to her behavior at one time or another and she earned quite the reputation. But I found it just too unbelievable that the misbehavior of a 5-7 year old child would be remembered and held against the child even into adulthood, small town or not. I find it even harder to believe that the young lady in question no matter how timid would still be blaming herself after all those years. This the generation that thinks Oprah is god for the pyschoanalytical babble that is spewed forth and the arm chair pyschology that is put forth from week to week. So even if she had not sought professional help, I somehow think that by 27 she would stop trying to make it up to her mother based on stuff she did when she was a little child. At the very least Oprah or whatever talk is popular these days would have walked her through that. I can understand if she was a terrible teenager and did drugs and got into fights and slept around but from what I read, she misbehaved only when she was a very little girl. I felt that was a very weak plot device and kinda made the story less believable to me. But to be fair to the book, it never promised high brow romance, it announced itself for what it was. I got it in part because it had a pretty cover and it was $1.99, so I cannot complain. I think that I have gotten too used to romances from Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell and such writers that modern romance unless very well written just don't do it for me anymore. I like some complexity(not manufactured complexity like in soaps--I caught you sleeping with my uncle twice removed and then I slept with the chamber maid and now she is pregnant with Satan's spawn) and wit and just much more depth and in my opinion this had none of the above. If I had to rate it I would give it a 2.5 out of 5. I definitely didn't hate it and I wasn't annoyed for having read it but it just did not do anything for me.

66. Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton. Another entertaining tale from the Scottish highlands. I loved it but I missed some of the village regulars as this story takes place away from the center of the village so there was no real cause to have many of the crazy characters around. This time it was mostly strangers. Nice and quick read.

67. The Sari Shop by Rupa Bajwa. A beautifully written book that delves into the hopeless monotony that characterizes the lives of many especially the poor. The story is set in Amritsar India and centers around a popular sari store that carries some of the best saris in India. Ramchand is a shop assistant who works in this store and for a while seems to just drift through his everyday existence, not questioning much. But he cannot help feeling a certain despondency and listlessness that he cannot at first explain. He begins to educate himself by trying to learn how to read in English. In the midst of this, he gets sent to the house of an absent co-worker and there he meets the co-worker's wife. The woman in question has become a drunk as a way to suppress the many trials of her life:beatings from her husband, family abandonment, loss of her child etc. The woman is hardened shell of a human being who is incensed at the world at large. Ramchand's encounter with this woman feeds into his feelings of dissatisfaction with the world around him. Though the beginning starts off light, by the end you are left in a sad and quite frankly hopeless world. Ramchand continues living his life, nothing has changed, he is just another poor man who must work very hard in other to eek out a meagre living while watching the rich live their lives ignorant and unconcerned about "the other world". Ramchand learns the hard way that even those who may claim to be intellectuals still worship at the altar of money, power and privilege. A great read over all. There are a few weaknesses here and there with the writing but all in all a solid first book and I would highly recommend.

I'm enjoying your posts Trish. I have The Sari Shop sitting on the top of the wobbly pile of books beside the bedroom door. Your review just made up my mind for me as to my next book.

Hey Trish, your description of The Sari Shop was interesting. Did the book use the same magnifying glass on the privileged and intellectual in an attempt to show their lives as hopeless and detached? Or, was it more focused on Ramchand's struggles?

Hey Judylou, thanks for the compliment. I am happy that you are liking my reviews.

Blackdog-To answer your question, I would say not really. The rich are just shown as pampered and indolent, living lives that consist of others catering to them. One can read into this that their lives are uninspired but I think we can all agree that rich and listless is a much better state than poor and restless. Ramchand's first insight into this world is when he is asked to take over some saris to the home of a rich family whose daughter is getting married. The daughter getting married is supposedly independent and a free thinker who wants more of life than just marriage but all in all she turns out to be very much like all the other rich people surrounding her.

Thanks so much for encouraging me to read All Quiet on the Western Front. You weren't wrong, of course, and I enjoyed a great deal.

Trish, I liked The Sari Shop when I read it a few years ago. Of all of it, it seems I remember the beginning most. The scene of selling the saris, him bicycling to the 'other part of town' and how eye-opening it was for him and how it affected him over time.

Hi Trish
I really liked your description of The Sari Shop Looks like I have one more book to add to the ever growing pile to be read! Thanks very much for the recommendation.

Linda

Whoa you guys are too kind. I am happy that you guys liked my descriptions of The Sari Shop as I really enjoyed it even if I was kinda sad by the end. Judylou and Whisper1, I can understand what you mean by the wobbly TBR, I did away with my physical TBR and now I have a mental TBR and quite frankly I am not sure if I made a bad decision there cause now I keep racking my brain with the sheer volume of books that need to be read. I recently started receiving ARCs and that has my mental TBR tethering on the verge of insanity. Well better too much to read than too little, right?

Blackdog-I am so happy that you finally got to read All Quiet on the Western front. It is truly an amazing book. I remember being stunned when I finished. It is such a masterpiece.

68. The myth of you and me by Leah Stewart. I have always been fascinated by the bonds of friendship, particularly between female friends. I have marveled at the ways in which women form these ties with each other that seem to transcend anything. This is a bond that can weather the worst storms in each others life while at the same time providing emotional comfort. But one thing that has also puzzled me about the strength of these relationships is the surprising weakness that this strength can engender. For as fiercely as women can love each other, so also as fiercely can they hate each other upon the breakdown of relationship. And sometimes even the most minute thing can cause that relationship to be severed. I guess that sometimes in that pot of love may be simmering the embers of petty jealousies, seemingly unimportant rivalries etc. With this in mind I was so excited when I read the synposis for The myth of you and me. In this story we meet two women who had been best friends from freshman year of high school all up to their college graduation. The narrator is Cameron who now works for Oliver Douchet a noted writer. One day she receives a letter from her former best friend Sonia whom she had not spoken to in about eight years. This letter sends her down memory lane as she begins to detail the unpredictable start of their friendship to its ultimate demise. I cannot go much into what fractured their relationship cause I do not want to spoil it for anyone who has not read it but I have to be honest and say that I was kinda disappointed when I finally found out what it was. There was all this build up and the reveal was an utter disappointment. Speaking as a lady of the modern world, I can attest that women do fall out over much more profound things and not just over the stereotypical things that everyone assumes that we may disagree on. I realize that life can be very tasking at times and these times may create a certain jealousy in us for what our fellow man possesses especially those closest to you but seriously, we all don't secretly hate our best friends. Some of this is hard to properly articulate without giving anything away but if any of you read it, you may get what I mean. I rarely read a book about male friendships where the catalyst for their breakdown is the same as that most commonly attributed to women. But overall I did like the book. It was sad in many places and I found myself putting it down a couple of times to think about something I had read. I identified with the main character in many ways and I could relate to some of her feelings. But I was so disappointed by the big reveal that it took me a few days to write this review cause I was still deciding if I liked the book or not. But my final conclusion is that I really liked the book and I would recommend it. This book is journey into the past, present and a very hopeful future. You see the changes in the lives of the characters and their struggles are not so dramatic that it steals the credibility of the story. A solid 4 out of 5 for me. I end this review with one of the most touching lines " Please don't choose loneliness my dear Cameron, thinking that it will protect you from grief. It will spare you nothing".

69. The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther. I loved this book almost from page one. The writing was spell binding and the characters were engaging and not at all predictable. But what I will say next is that by the end of the book I ended up not liking the main character Maryam Mazar even if I kinda sympathized with her on some level. I felt that she was selfish in her final decision and that she thought more about her self than about the people who loved her. Maryam Mazar is a woman who at the inception of the story is a sixty something lady. She lives in London now but her country of origin and birth is Iran. Through some circumstances, she is forced to leave home and settle in London where she meets a wonderful man and has a lovely daughter. In the beginning of the book, there is tragedy that sends Maryam reeling and she seeks out her home in Iran, retreating from the misery that unfolds in London. I cannot delve much more into the particulars of what happens but here is where I found her decisions hard to stomach. She makes a choice that to me was very selfish and somewhat immature. Why would you leave behind all the love and care that your husband and daughter have showered you with for a life that you have not known for more than forty something years? By the time she goes back most of the people that were key actors in her life in Iran are dead and only a few important ones remain. She discards her present happiness for a past that she has somewhat eulogized in her mind and in my opinion was not totally deserving of its praises. I totally understand that because of the way in which she was forced to leave Iran, she never made peace with certain aspects of her life but I believe that we can make choices as to who we love and the importance that that love will hold in our lives. What happened to her was a travesty as she was punished for independence and she was a young woman far ahead of her time, born in the wrong country for an out spoken woman. But as much as my heart hurt for her past pains, I could not reconcile her heartlessness in her decision making. Not since McEwan's Atonement have I been so angry with a character and I know that there were legions of people who wanted to give McEwan a piece of their mind for that ending. For me such endings (when well done) actually makes me applaud cause there are not many books that can get your so invested that you get that emotional at the end. A total recommend.

70. Revolution by Alex Tamayo Wolf. A delightful book from which I was not really sure what to expect. I got this as an ARC and not knowing much about the author, I dived in without any preconceived notions. I was delighted by what unfolded. I think the best way to describe this would be a love story that unfolds with Vienna as its backdrop, between 1898 and the beginning of WW1. Helene and Maxl are the main characters who form a beautiful friendship as children. On their first meeting Helene(then 10yrs old) sees Maxl(a few years older) steal a bike and for some unknown reason helps him escape despite the fact that she does not condone stealing. And so begins their friendship which blossoms as the years progress, through letters and postcards and holidays spent in the countryside. But in the background looms Maxl's father who is apparently lacking in any redeeming qualities. He is brutal to his child, careless of his wife's emotions and ever scheming for ways to increase his wealth both legally and illegally. Maxl eventually gets sent off to boarding school and loses touch with Helene as he strives to become more like his father. Meanwhile, Helene's life is descending into hardship and hell as her father loses his vineyard because he gambles away all its profits and makes a deal with an unscrupulous lender. Helene faces a life of degradation and misery as she is sent to an orphanage and eventually becomes a prostitute. There is probably nothing in this novel that one has not seen or heard before but it is the way in which the tale is woven that makes it mesmerizing. The descriptions of Vienna and the Austrian countryside was just amazing. When you are reading of wealth and opulence, you feel like you are seeing it yourself and when the dirt, degradation and filth of the poor regions are described, you almost want to hold your nose cause you feel like you can smell it. I found that I could not put the book down and had to see what would happen next. Its a tale of redemption and love. A total recommend.

Honorable Mention: The Rabbit and the Snowman by Sally O. Lee. I am not counting this toward my total cause its less than 50 pages. Its a delightful children's book that teaches about losing one's friends. What I liked most about it was that it does not beat you over the head with its themes but gently sends its message across. The rabbit and the Snowman become unlikely friends who talk about their lives and environment to each other. But one day the rabbit comes by for his usual chat and finds that the snowman is gone(changing of seasons). The rabbit questions himself, wondering if its because of some physical characteristic or another that made the snow man no longer consider him a worthy friend. The rabbit is sad but eventually moves on with life but always feels a dull ache when he thinks of his friend. When the season changes again, the snowman is back and they resume their friendship. I believe that this is a tale that young kids would love and would be a great tool for parents and their children to discuss friendship and what it entails.

As always, you have found unusual and very interesting books to read. Enjoyed the reviews and have to agree about unhappy and unexpected endings. I have some favorites who often end books in such a way, only to be criticized for it by readers and critics alike. some attribute it to an incapability of writing effective endings; others just claim meanness. But if a book makes you care about the characters on that level, the ending, while unhappy or unresolved or unpleasant, is effecitve because of the care developed by the writer.

Revolution sounds really good, Trish. Put it right on the old wishlist.

Richard Armitage. Ha! just wanted to see if I could get your heart racing:-)

I think I have a copy of The Saffron Kitchen around here. You did a nice writeup on it, I might have to dig around for it.

Trish, I have the audio version of The Saffron Kitchen. Maybe I'll give it a go next.

avaland, you got MY heart racing!

My ears have been burning for a few days now and I was wondering why and now I see why(none of you dare make a joke about the burning probably being an ear infection).Its all this talk of my main squeeze(I wish right). Avaland, if it gives you any pleasure, I fainted twice when I read your message.

As always guys, thanks for your kind words. You guys are giving me a big head(falls off chair cause head is too heavy).

You know Cariola, I have been meaning to try out an audio book but I am yet to really get into it. I got Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier but I only listened to just a few chapters and then I never went back. I mean to go back and listen to all of it one of these days. I think one of the things that has put me off audio books is that I am always afraid that the narrator may not be good or have a reading voice that I may not like. Can you recommend a couple that you have listened to and really liked?

71. Ringside 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant. A most interesting read!! As the name implies this is a book about the Scopes trial but unlike other books that may cover this topic, here its told from the perspective of various towns people and reporters. I believe that this is actually a book for young adults but it is extremely good and very very well done and will appeal to all ages. I was a bit hesistant to request it(it was an ARC) because I am tired of all the religious bashing that seems to have become very popular in the last few years but that is not what happens here at all. Every side is presented respectfully and shown to be intelligent. In my opinion, the author does not take sides with either side but presents the best of both sides(with a few nutters of course). I was also happy that we get to see both groups,Christians and Agnostics/Atheists, as intelligent and not foaming at the mouth radicals. It was refreshing to see many Christians presented as being open minded enough to embrace the bible and the concept of evolution at the same time. Though this book is only about 227 pages, it manages to create characters who have depth and are not two dimensional. The cast of characters were intriguing and very interesting. Some of the characters fall out over their different stances on the issue and many have their horizons broadened by the experience. To me the one relationship that dissolves that was sad to see was that between Clarence Darrow and Willam Jenning Bryan. The two men had apparently been very good friends but being forced to support their beliefs in such a public forum as the court destroyed their relationship irreparably. My favorite characters here were Willy Amos and Marybeth Dodd. Willy Amos is a young black boy who dreams big. When he meets Clarence Darrow he is inspired to believe despite the odds that maybe one day despite the color of his skin, he may have a share of the American dream. Marybeth Dodd on the other hand is a 17year old girl who wants more of her life than her small town or father may consider appropriate for a woman. I would recommend this book heartily.

72. Beat the reaper by Josh Bazell. Hmmh...what did I think of this book? Well I got it as an ARC and I am happy that I did not spend my money on it. It was entertaining but I could have done without the vulgarity and bad language especially at the beginning. The basic story is that of Peter Brown who is in the witness program after having committed certain crimes in his previous life. In his new incarnation, he is a doctor and works at one of the worst hospitals in Manhattan, New York. In the first scene he is mugged while watching a rat and pigeon engaged in a tug of war(yes crazy stuff like that happens in this book). He disarms the mugger quite violently and goes off for his rounds in the hospital. Unfortunately for him when he gets into the hospital, he meets someone who causes his old and new lives to collide. He spends the rest of the novel trying to stay alive while educating the reader as to his old self. His tales will make you laugh out loud but also make you cringe. The main character is definitely not anyone's hero and is really guilty of all he is accused of. He keeps company with bad people and does bad things(at least in his old life). The book is funny, quirky and definitely different from much of what I usually read. I felt that some parts of it dragged but all in it was well done. Would I recommend it? I have no idea, I have to ponder that one.

73. A bite at a time by Morris Katzoff. This was a very touching read and is basically a motivational book. While his main focus is weight loss, I think that most of what he talks about can be applied to everyday challenges. Mr. Katzoff himself was once morbidly obese and managed to lose most of the weight without surgery. He used the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet as his aid and credits this program with saving his life. To date he has lost 200 Ibs and has kept it off. I enjoyed reading this book and found him to be very inspirational. This is definitely not a weight loss book. There are no diets in here. He focuses on battling with your mind and attitude and getting it to the right place in order to achieve your goals. He is sometimes tough but always compassionate as he knows the pain, it is a road that he has himself walked. One of the things that I liked was his idea of "one bite at a time". He says that rather than take the attitude of "one day at a time" where one feels that they have made one mistake today and see the whole day as a failure, he says to take it bite by bite, that way your nutritional mistakes can be remedied while still eating the same meal. So if you find yourself eating something that you know you shouldn't, rather than get depressed and eat it all and maybe even order more, the one bite at a time approach says to put the food away once that realization hits you. You have not failed, since you are taking it a bite at a time. I would recommend this to everyone both as a weight loss tool and as a life tool. Whether you have to lose 10 or 100 Ibs or your trying to apply to graduate school and are scared, I think that you will be encouraged.

WOW! Congratulations for the near completion of the goal of 75! Great job! And, your reading list is amazingly astounding.

Trish, I listen to audiobooks while driving (but can be a bit distracted, of course!) and while working out (where I can concentrate better).

Of course, my first recommendation for you would be Richard Armitage reading Robin Hood! However, it's a bit pricey ($19 per episode)--too pricey for me. He also narrates a Bernard Cornwell novel, Lords of the North, which I haven't read yet. It's the third in a series, but he only reads this one.

Another fine voice for the ears is Alan Rickman reading The Return of the Native.

One of my all-time favorite books, which I've read in print and listened to and have also taught, is The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru. The author is also the reader, and he's quite good. (Authors can be dreadful readers; most of them should leave it to the actors.)

Here are some others I thought were good on audio; they represent a variety of genres:

The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle
The March by E. L. Doctorow
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Sorry RA does not read this one!
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
Saturday by Ian McEwan
Dubliners by James Joyce. The collection was read by seceral Irish actors and writers, including Ciarin Hinds, Stephen Rea, and Frank McCourt.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory. I have had mixed reactions to her novels but think this one is her best.
Through a Glass Darkly and The Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Lady Susan by Jane Austen

I belong to audible.com. Not sure, but I think that non-members may also be able to go to their site and listen to samples. A reader whose voice seems inapprpiate or that grates on your ear can kill a book. There's are two readers I dislike so much that I avoid anything read by them.

Update: four episodes of Robin Hood, read by Richard Armitage, are available on audible.com for $11.49 each. Still a bit pricey for something under two hours in length, and it's really just a reading version of the script, so if you've seen the show, there's nothing extra here besides the beautiful voice (yes, I did listen to samples!).

Okay everyone needs to stop bringing up Richard Armitage. I now have a major concussion from falling off my chair numerous times.
Cariola-Thanks so much for all the audio book recommends. I am really excited cause I see so many things on the list you gave me which interest me. Now why oh why can't they have Richard Armitage read North and South?? I mean its a travesty to have to listen to it from anyone(okay lets go back to not speaking to Richard Armitage). Oh and Cariola, it delights my heart to know that Richard Armitage is reading some episodes from Robin Hood. I probably will get one just so that I can hear him read. And I have a strong feeling that I will soon be well versed in Lords of the North(even though I haven't the faintest idea who these lords are). I don't drive but I ride the subway to work so audio books will be a nice change from just listening to music.

Whispers-thanks for the congrats. I officially reach 75 tomorrow. Yeah!!! By the way thanks Cariola for starting this thread. It has really helped me catalogue all that I am reading.

74. Black girl/White girl by Joyce Carol Oates. Genna Meade and Minette Swift are room mates in a Philadelphia all girls college. Genna is a descendant of the college's founder and Minette is the daughter of a prominent D.C pastor. Genna is white and Minette is black. But though this novel seems at the beginning to be all about race relations in the years closely following the civil rights movement,(in this case 1974-75) I believe its about way much more than that. Minette is an obnoxious young woman who has a titantic sized chip on her shoulder. She walks about like she is the best thing since bread was sliced and will not even acknowledge friendly overtures by the other students especially her room mate Genna. At first I thought that there was a method to her madness, maybe she was tired of being condecended to but you quickly discover that its so much more than that. She does not get along with anyone regardless of race and finds an excuse to claim that others are pushy, phony etc. She joins a local accapella group at her school and soon discovers that unlike her home choir, she is now a little fish in a huge pond and that there are girls with way more talent that she can ever dream of. She quits the group on some excuse when the choir director tries to correct her mistakes. This is just one example in a long line of confrontations that she encounters. Through it all her long suffering room mate defends her when all the other girls in her residence hall turn against her. Genna is the child of two very neglectful parents who expose their children to all manner of harmful situations: drugs, random strangers ploughing through the house,illicit sexual activity(thankfully not involving the children) and emotional unavailability. In all this Genna's parents are that streotypical liberals who have made their daughter almost believe that black culture was to be eulogized and faultless in all its essentials. But despite Genna's quest to befriend Minette and her seeming "goodness" I have to say that I did not like her either. I felt that beneath it all was a certain self righteousness. What is that saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Well Genna embodies that. Why this need to befriend a girl who was disrespectful, annoying, easy to take offense and just generally not a nice person? Would Genna have put that much effort into befriending a white student? And for me there in lies the biggest hypocrisy of it all. By Genna's own admission, there were other black girls in her dorm who were friendly, smart and sources of knowledge for black culture if she is to claim that this is what led her to want to get to know Minette. It was a sad tale and there are no heroes here. As much as I found Minette unlikable, I felt sorry for her sometimes as she was clearly slipping into depression as the weeks went by. But her generally unappealing behavior made it hard for me to sustain that compassion. Maybe if Oates had chosen to give us more glimpses into Minette, maybe(a huge maybe) I could have liked her better(I kinda doubt it to be honest). I would recommend this book with the caveat that there will be no happy happy joy joy at the end. It ends badly for all involved. A great and haunting read.

Wow. A lot of people on Amazon did not like this book, but based on your rec, Trish, I added it anyway. Thanks again for the rec.

>133 TrishNYC: I liked Black Girl/White Girl. Have you ever read a Joyce Carol Oates with a happy happy joy joy ending?



ok, I couldn't resist:-)

Hi.
I'm currently reading Wild Nights! Stories About the Last Days of Poe, Dickinson, Twain, James and Hemingway by Joyce Carol Oates and I'm enjoying the creativity in her writing. I agree though that she tends to be gloomy...one of the reasons I took a break from reading her books for awhile.

Whoa I have missed you guys!! Last week was such a lazy week for me and I read very little and spent my time watching TV and on the phone.

Avaland--for some odd reason, I can't see the picture you posted. I have tried signing out and signing back in and even shutting off my computer but still it won't load. All I get is a blue box with a question mark. Can you repost it again? I am dying to see what(or should we say who) it is.

Whispers--I can totally understand why some people hate Black girl/White girl. There were times when I was really annoyed with both characters and wanted to sit them down and give them a stern word. I think one of the things about the book that makes it hard to take for some is that it is offers no hopeful outlook. Both main characters leave much to be desired and its hard to leave the book with a very good feelings.

Avaland-This was my first time reading Ms. Oates but based on this I definitely want to read more by her. But it does not seem that she writes many happy stories. I saw a wee bit of We were the Mulvaneys when it was made into a Lifetime movie and all I could take was 5 minutes cause it went from happy happy to sadness galore.

75. I finally get to log in book 75. The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut. A total dud. I was promised a "taut","intense tale" and all I got was total duldrums and boredom. This book took me two weeks to read and I have never spent two weeks on a book, not even ones that were 1000 pages long(and this one was only 205 pages). Sheesh, I was so bored. This is a tale of a doctor, Frank Elhoff Jr, working in a rural back water hospital that is understaffed and under funded in the hinterlands of South Africa. Everyone in the hospital just drifts in and out of their boring lives and nothing much else happens. Into this picture comes Laurence, a young doctor who fancies himself a bit of a maverick. He turns out to be a "cause junkie" jumping from one idealistic notion to another without every really committing to anything for a long time. This book is set in South Africa shortly after the end of apartheid and I thought it would be so much more interesting and touch on useful information. Instead I was subjected to dodgy writing and a nap inducing plot line. About three pages to the end of the book, a stab at race and what it means to be White or Black in post-apartheid world is made but it was embarrassingly badly done and seemed like an empty platitude. It was boring tripe and felt like I was reading the diary of a very boring person. Frank is the narrator of the story and he is himself kinda unlikable and uninspiring. I didn't hate the book but I definitely did not like it. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one, it wasn't worth it.

76. I am Legend by Richard Matheson. I got this on the recommendation of Blackdog and it was so GOOD. No one laugh but I actually cried at one point(and a weeper I definitely am not). The scene in question involved a dog and I am a sucker for dogs. Robert Neville is the last man on earth after some sort of vampiric germ has decimated the earth. He stays alive in part because he is apparently immune to this germ and he keeps off the streets at night. The book speaks to loneliness and sadness that comes from being all alone. Even if one is friendless in a world full of people, at least one is connected to a community. Imagine a world where even your least favorite person is gone. It is a terrifying thing. Matheson is a brilliant writer who makes the loneliness, tension, fear and desolation of Robert Neville palpable. I was surprised by some of the differences between the movie and book cause I thought I knew everything that would happen(By the way, the movie was really good too) having seen the movie first. Though the book was short, it packed quite a punch and I was surprised(in a good way) by the end. A great read and I would recommend.

Hi.
I saw the movie I am Legend and say the foreshadowing of the fact that something rotten was going to happen to that beautiful book...made me so sad!

I wasn't sure I wanted to read the book after seeing the movie, but after reading your description, I'll give it a try.

Thanks.

Congrats on reaching 75, Trish. Too bad the book couldn't have been better. I was interested to read your question elsewhere about the meaning of "I Am Legend". I haven't read it yet, but I have wondered about what that means and I like your guess. If it isn't what it means it ought to be.

Congrats on passing #75!

I also loved the book I am Legend and even though I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, thought the book was better! But I have to disagree with you about The Good Doctor. I read it a few years ago now, but I seem to remember liking it!

Yikes! I just re-read my posting regarding I am Legend. It was my first day back at work after a day week vacation and I must have been tired when I wrote it. Here is what I meant to write:

I saw the movie and couldn't help but realize something not so great was going to happen to that wonderful dog! It made me sad.

Oh, my I really should not write when I'm weary...

My apologies.
Linda

TrishNYC,

CONGRATULATIONS on meeting your goal here, though I suspect it was not a difficult mark for you to make. I responded to your questions about the last line of I Am Legend over on my thread. For those of you who saw the movie and don't know about the book......the book is well worth the time. Even though it's only a novella, it has so much more detail and emotion than the movie (which I also liked). And, the ending is a bit different with ever so many more implications. The edition I read included several short stories which were also very rewarding.

Thanks guys for all the congratulations. I have been in a bit of a reading slump over the last few weeks, not finding anything that grabs me. Sad since I am in a house surrounded by tons of books.

Whispers--I laughed at you second message. I was wondering what you meant with the first message, I kept going, "what book". Yeah the dog did not fare so well in the book either but I really thought it would not go the way it went in the movie cause the dog came in at such a different juncture in the book.

Fourpawz--I can't wait till you read it cause I would love to see what your take on it will be.

Judylou--I am glad you liked The Good Doctor. It just did not work for me but oh well. By the way what is the name of your thread on the 50 book challenge. I keep trying to find it cause I want to see what you are reading but I can't for the life of me find it. It isn't under you name is it?

Blackdog--I skipped over the short stories in my edition and went straight for Hell House but now that you say that they are good, I may just give them a try once I am done with Hell House.

Avaland--(thud)... Sorry that was me fainting after seeing what you posted :)

77. I Quit by Linda Joy Allan. This work chronicles Linda Joy Allan's struggle with three addictions: food, alcohol and cigarettes. She talks about the first time she remembers feeling self conscious about her body and being bigger than the other girls in her class. But the most crushing blow was when she heard her grandmother discussing her weight with her mother. She remembers the binges and the highs and lows that food seemed to be able to bestow upon her. One day she is finally able to quit her food addiction but no sooner had she dropped the candy bar, she picked up the bottle of booze. She drank actively for about eleven years, hurting people along the way including her friends and family and a host of men who tried to love her despite her spiral into severe alcoholism. Regardless of all the love showered on her, no one loved her like her booze(in her mind). Eventually after years of wasting her life away and living very dangerously, she is able to get her life back on track.

Linda Joy Allan is brutally honest in relaying the life she lived while in the throes of addiction. My biggest criticism of the book is that while she spent so much time talking about the various details of her addictions, she spends very little time discussing her recovery. Her recoveries from the different addictions seemed almost simplistic. Don't get me wrong she credits her faith in God and spirituality for finally getting her out of the hell she had created for herself but I wish she had devoted a bit more time discussing the details of how exactly this helped her. She leaves the reader with light and rudimentary details of her recovery process. Far be it from me to criticize anyone's ascent into light after such a dark time but I feel that in glossing over the details of how she achieves her recovery, she missed a great opportunity to help anyone who may have identified with her struggle and tried to use it as a tool to help themselves. Just saying you stopped and now you are better does not cut it.

Her words in the last few pages are very touching and I felt that they really came from her heart. As someone who has never struggled with any addictions, I was stunned by the revelations in this book. I was shocked at the lengths that people will go to sustain their habit but it also gave me hope that people can change no matter how long that may have been at a particular behavior.

78. When we were Romans by Matthew Kneale. This book is an interesting read that delves into the topsy turvy world that young Lawrence, his sister Jemima and their mother live in. The story is told by Lawrence a nine year old boy who has been forced by circumstances to shoulder way too much responsibilities for such a young child. Shortly after meeting the family, they are on the run from a father who is portrayed as an ominous figure who means to do his family ill. The family ends up in Rome, living on the mercy of friends, charity of strangers and some good old fashion luck. Through it all Lawrence is our guide, fascinated by Roman leaders of days past, astronomy and trying to navigate the world around him.

Very early on I realized that Lawrence is not as reliable a narrator as he would have us believe. His naivety clouds his ability to realize the true enormity of his situation. But this is not his fault as he is only a child and has a child's propensity to believe adults that he has come to love and trust. I believe that most people will realize certain facts very early on and know what is really going on. But I will not go into those details cause I hate when people spoil a book for those who have not read it.

I thought it was an a good enough read. Some of the draw backs of this book is that it is told in a child's voice, complete with misspellings. For awhile that literary device worked but then it just got a tad annoying and overdone. The book also dragged in parts and as much as it was a short book at 224 pages, I think it should have been shorter as parts of it just felt unnecessary. One of the best things about this book was its ability to convey the powerlessness of childhood, the petty jealousies of youth, sibling rivalry and the many feelings and emotions that being a child evokes.

Honorable Mention: Fire Fish by Davy Liu. I have decided to stop counting children's book in my total books read for the year. They have to be at least 150-200 pages long or I will not be chronicling them here unless they are exceptional. Fire Fish fits that bill(the exceptional bit not the lenght part). It is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL children's book that was written and animated by a gentleman who counts Disney and George Lucas as former employers. This book pays homage to those roots and presents a delightful story. It tells the exodus story from a very different perspective. The drawings will delight both parents and children. Anyway below is my review:

My goodness, what a throughly enjoyable children's story!! I loved every second of it. The animation was breathtakingly beautiful and was obviously done by someone who is extremely talented. This is the story of three little fishes, Sarai, RaaOn and Sesom, who learn the lessons of fear and faith as they transverse the sometimes perilous waters that they live in. One of the greatest pleasures of these young fishes is watching the great fin race where the reward is "sweet lovely food". Sarai and her siblings fantasize about what it would be like to participate in the race and win this much desired bonus. But all of this is put on hold because her parents are caught in a net and she and her siblings have to find a way to secure their release. In this quest the three fishes will have their faith tested, make new friends and above all learn that being part of a loving family is one the greatest joys in life. This story is a "fishy" take on the Exodus tale but is so well done that even if you already know that story as many of us do, you still feel like this tale is fresh. I believe that both parents and children will feel enriched after reading this story and will be dazzled by the extremely gorgeous drawings that make this story come alive. I highly recommend this wonderful book and I can't wait to see what else the writer and animator has in store for his next project.

Thanks guys for all the congratulations. I have been in a bit of a reading slump over the last few weeks, not finding anything that grabs me. Sad since I am in a house surrounded by tons of books.

Whispers--I laughed at you second message. I was wondering what you meant with the first message, I kept going, "what book". Yeah the dog did not fare so well in the book either but I really thought it would not go the way it went in the movie cause the dog came in at such a different juncture in the book.

Fourpawz--I can't wait till you read it cause I would love to see what your take on it will be.

Judylou--I am glad you liked The Good Doctor. It just did not work for me but oh well. By the way what is the name of your thread on the 50 book challenge. I keep trying to find it cause I want to see what you are reading but I can't for the life of me find it. It isn't under you name is it?

Blackdog--I skipped over the short stories in my edition and went straight for Hell House but now that you say that they are good, I may just give them a try once I am done with Hell House.

Avaland--(thud)... Sorry that was me fainting after seeing what you posted :)

77. I Quit by Linda Joy Allan. This work chronicles Linda Joy Allan's struggle with three addictions: food, alcohol and cigarettes. She talks about the first time she remembers feeling self conscious about her body and being bigger than the other girls in her class. But the most crushing blow was when she heard her grandmother discussing her weight with her mother. She remembers the binges and the highs and lows that food seemed to be able to bestow upon her. One day she is finally able to quit her food addiction but no sooner had she dropped the candy bar, she picked up the bottle of booze. She drank actively for about eleven years, hurting people along the way including her friends and family and a host of men who tried to love her despite her spiral into severe alcoholism. Regardless of all the love showered on her, no one loved her like her booze(in her mind). Eventually after years of wasting her life away and living very dangerously, she is able to get her life back on track.

Linda Joy Allan is brutally honest in relaying the life she lived while in the throes of addiction. My biggest criticism of the book is that while she spent so much time talking about the various details of her addictions, she spends very little time discussing her recovery. Her recoveries from the different addictions seemed almost simplistic. Don't get me wrong she credits her faith in God and spirituality for finally getting her out of the hell she had created for herself but I wish she had devoted a bit more time discussing the details of how exactly this helped her. She leaves the reader with light and rudimentary details of her recovery process. Far be it from me to criticize anyone's ascent into light after such a dark time but I feel that in glossing over the details of how she achieves her recovery, she missed a great opportunity to help anyone who may have identified with her struggle and tried to use it as a tool to help themselves. Just saying you stopped and now you are better does not cut it.

Her words in the last few pages are very touching and I felt that they really came from her heart. As someone who has never struggled with any addictions, I was stunned by the revelations in this book. I was shocked at the lengths that people will go to sustain their habit but it also gave me hope that people can change no matter how long that may have been at a particular behavior.

78. When we were Romans by Matthew Kneale. This book is an interesting read that delves into the topsy turvy world that young Lawrence, his sister Jemima and their mother live in. The story is told by Lawrence a nine year old boy who has been forced by circumstances to shoulder way too much responsibilities for such a young child. Shortly after meeting the family, they are on the run from a father who is portrayed as an ominous figure who means to do his family ill. The family ends up in Rome, living on the mercy of friends, charity of strangers and some good old fashion luck. Through it all Lawrence is our guide, fascinated by Roman leaders of days past, astronomy and trying to navigate the world around him.

Very early on I realized that Lawrence is not as reliable a narrator as he would have us believe. His naivety clouds his ability to realize the true enormity of his situation. But this is not his fault as he is only a child and has a child's propensity to believe adults that he has come to love and trust. I believe that most people will realize certain facts very early on and know what is really going on. But I will not go into those details cause I hate when people spoil a book for those who have not read it.

I thought it was an a good enough read. Some of the draw backs of this book is that it is told in a child's voice, complete with misspellings. For awhile that literary device worked but then it just got a tad annoying and overdone. The book also dragged in parts and as much as it was a short book at 224 pages, I think it should have been shorter as parts of it just felt unnecessary. One of the best things about this book was its ability to convey the powerlessness of childhood, the petty jealousies of youth, sibling rivalry and the many feelings and emotions that being a child evokes.

Honorable Mention: Fire Fish by Davy Liu. I have decided to stop counting children's book in my total books read for the year. They have to be at least 150-200 pages long or I will not be chronicling them here unless they are exceptional. Fire Fish fits that bill(the exceptional bit not the lenght part). It is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL children's book that was written and animated by a gentleman who counts Disney and George Lucas as former employers. This book pays homage to those roots and presents a delightful story. It tells the exodus story from a very different perspective. The drawings will delight both parents and children. Anyway below is my review:

My goodness, what a throughly enjoyable children's story!! I loved every second of it. The animation was breathtakingly beautiful and was obviously done by someone who is extremely talented. This is the story of three little fishes, Sarai, RaaOn and Sesom, who learn the lessons of fear and faith as they transverse the sometimes perilous waters that they live in. One of the greatest pleasures of these young fishes is watching the great fin race where the reward is "sweet lovely food". Sarai and her siblings fantasize about what it would be like to participate in the race and win this much desired bonus. But all of this is put on hold because her parents are caught in a net and she and her siblings have to find a way to secure their release. In this quest the three fishes will have their faith tested, make new friends and above all learn that being part of a loving family is one the greatest joys in life. This story is a "fishy" take on the Exodus tale but is so well done that even if you already know that story as many of us do, you still feel like this tale is fresh. I believe that both parents and children will feel enriched after reading this story and will be dazzled by the extremely gorgeous drawings that make this story come alive. I highly recommend this wonderful book and I can't wait to see what else the writer and animator has in store for his next project.

Hey Trish: Was reading your message number 143 and not being sure which you were talking about (I am Legend or Black Girl/White Girl, I bought 'em both. (They were both on the list, so I guess I must want them.) Will let you know what I think.

LOL Fourpawz, I was actually talking about I am Legend as I kinda figured you were already sold on Black girl/White girl.

79. Shade by John B. Olson. This was my early reviewer's book for July and it was quite an interesting read. Those who are uncomfortable or do not like Christian fiction may want to give this one a miss. Below is my review:

This is the story of a grad student, Hailey Maniates, who has her quiet life ripped to shreds by some unearthly happenings. While being attacked both physically and mentally by a stranger in Golden Gate Park, she is rescued by a handsome homeless man called Melchi. From this encounter, her life seems to spiral out of control and both she and the reader begin to doubt what is real and what is purely an overactive imagination. Her savior Melchi deposits her at a local hospital because she had been hurt by her attacker but when she descends into abnormal hysterics, the doctors think she is mentally unhinged.

I think this was a good first book by a new writer. My biggest issue with the book was that the book rested too much on making the reader feel too much as Hailey felt. When she was confused, we were confused. When she could not determine reality, we could not determine reality. As a story telling device, this is wonderful but the problem began when this device is overused as I think it was here. I spent the first 65 pages of the books confused and wondering exactly what was going on and I don't think that this is a good thing. There was quite a bit of jumping around between scenes and not enough character development. The villain's motives were a bit blurred and confusing and even when we we are told why he is doing what he does, it just seems kinda flimsy and lacking in complexity.

But the pluses of the book are many. I liked its main message and I really liked the two main characters and wish I got to know them better. In my opinion, the last 100 pages were the best part of the book. It was in the last 100 pages that I felt the thrill and suspense that I felt had gone missing midway through my reading of the book. I hope the writer writes a sequel to this book,one that gives a clearer picture of the legend that spured the story and allows us to truly understand what was going on. Definitely an interesting read. (And any writer who finds a way to work in a mention of Dr. Who and his sonic screwdriver has my vote)!!

Enjoying your reviews and comments, Trish. Doing a little catching up since returning from Oz.

Hi Trish

I simply want to agree with avaland. I enjoy your reviews and your comments. Thanks for your insightful and detailed descriptions!

Thanks guys. You are so sweet. I really love this group and you guys give me such great ideas for what to read.

80. Stalin's Children by Owen Matthews. Owen Matthews weaves an unforgettable tale in this celebration of his family and the lives that they lived both by choice and by force. Matthews' mother is Russian and his father is Welsh and their love story is the central theme of this memoir. With their letters to each other serving as a springboard, Matthews gives us an intimate portrait of how much his Mother, Lyudmila, and his father, Mervyn, fought to keep alive their love, a love that was considered inconvenient by both their governments.

Both Lyudmila and Meryvn came from family background that would scar them in physical and mental ways. Lyudmila's father Boris Bibikov was a loyal party member who served his government without question. He saw the deaths and brutalizations that his beloved government carried out but he excused it all because he like many party members believed that the communist philosophy was supreme. The hunger and starvation that farmers suffered due to collectivization were not unknown to him but they were inconvenient truths that he was not ready to deal with, so he ignored them. But Bibikov did not just ignore the atrocities, he also benefited directly by being a minion of the state, living in a beautiful house, buying foreign goods and taking vacations in beautiful sanatoriums. Unfortunately for Bibikov, he later sides with Sergei Kirov who was seen by many at the time as Stalin's heir apparent. Bibikov like many who took this stand thought that Stalin was slowly going to step down and did not realize that their stance would eventually lead to their demise. Kirov dies quite unexpectedly and all his supporters realize that they are in hot water. But Stalin like the master manipulator he was, does not take any action for awhile. He even promotes some of Kirov's supporters, Bibikov included. Just when some thought it was over, Stalin exacts his revenge and all or most of Kirov's support are dragged into jail, brutalize, tortured and made to confess to conspiracy against their government. Bibikov is one of this number and he is seized while on vacation. His family never sees him again. Left behind are his wife,Martha, and his two young daughters, Lenina and Lyudmila. Their lives are reduced to extreme poverty in a matter of days and eventually Martha is hurled into jail where she remains for a little over a decade.

Somewhere in her twenties, Lyudmila meets Mervyn, a diplomat at first and later student. They form a deep attachment and love for each other. But unfortunately for them Mervyn finds himself being recruited by the KGB who think that by wowing him with nice meals, fancy vacations and talk of a better world, he will turn against his government. But when he continuously refuses, he is eventually repatriated. The rest of the book chronicles his fight to marry the woman he loves and the Russian government's refusal to allow this and his own government's ineptitude in offering any help. Through it all, Lyudmila and Mervyn write letters to each other for five years, vowing their love and continued fight to be together.

This book is fascinating and the writer is a master storyteller who somehow manages to keep all of the story interesting. Matthews family history is the history of Russia and a testament to cold war politics. I could not put this book down and every page was a discovery. I was saddened by the end but the facts of it I will leave the reader to discover on their own. I highly recommend this great book.

Hey Trish!! Good to see you back...Hope all is well...

mamachunk

Trish, If I was just a bit more clever I'd put a link on here for you. But because I'm not, you'll find my thread over on the 50 book challenge under "judylou's at it again in 2008'.

#149: Great review of Stalin's Children. Definitely one I will look out for - thanks for the recommendation!

Trish, you did it again! You wrote a wonderful, insighful review. Thanks ever so much!

Linda

Another one for the great heap o' books, Trish. Great review. Keep 'em coming.

Hi Trish - finally made it over to your thread. Lots of interesting stuff on here - only sorry I missed all the Rufus Sewell chat back in April, having had a special teenage-crush place in my heart for him since seeing him in Arcadia at the National Theatre (note: I was actually a teenager at the time, so I feel this is fair enough).

Congratulations on making 75 already!! I hope you've posted on the reached-75-already thread. How do all you guys find all this time to read?

#155 FlossieT: How do all you guys find all this time to read? The answer to that is simple Flossie - we do not believe in sleep!

I don't either (it's 3:30am UK time right now :-) - sleep is for wimps, right?) and had always thought that I was a fast reader.... but clearly not!!!

Hey guys. You are all so sweet and nice and I have missed being on here on a constant basis. But I am back now to regular posting. Life got really busy and I have not been reading as much cause of all the busy, busy, busy.

Judylou--I finally found your thread on the "50 book challenge. Its kinda funny but I never realized that there were multiple pages on that thread so I kept looking and looking and wondering where you were. I will look more closely at you thread cause I see that you have many books that I would love to discuss further.

Mamachunk--Thanks so much for your concern. I am very well, it just that life has been so busy. I had a month vacation from work and when I resumed work, I found that I was taking twice as long to get everything done cause I was so used to the rest time. Again thanks for asking.

Flossie--Thanks for your kind words and congrats. How do I read so many books, let me just say sleep is for wimps(and then she promptly falls asleep while typing...8hrs later when she wakes up...)what was I saying again? No I was not sleeping, I was "resting" my eyes :) Sorry you missed the Rufus Sewell conversation. As the whole world knows by now, I am more of a Richard Armitage girl but I can appreciate the merits of Rufus S. By the by Flossi he is going to be in a new TV series here in the States. I have no idea what its called but I know that I have seen his face on buses advertising a show.

Avaland, Fourpawz and Alcottacre--you guys know how to give a girl a big head :)

81. The Next Falling Empire by Marc Boyajian. The author has many good ideas and he talks about things that I believe many of us have worried about as we look at America's future. He talks about the problems with our health care system, our broken democracy, terrorism, foreign policy and many other national concerns. With each topic that he brings up, he proposes a solution. But it is in these solutions that I found it very hard to like the book. For example to the problems that the US has encountered in Iraq, he proposes that the president offer $15,000 per family on the condition that they hand over their arms and hold elections. Huh?... does bribing people really work?Also what happens to the families that are not gun toting(as I am sure that not every family in Iraq is armed and dangerous), do they go out and find some arms just so that they could get their $15,000?

He believes that the US and Europe have lost jobs to China through their own fault. He believes that our loss of jobs is caused in part by the fact that we overtax our companies causing them to raise prices, that there are too many laws and regulations controlling businesses and these factors make it hard for them to do business. Also he states that unions while good for the worker, are detrimental to businesses and worker benefits while seen as great recruiting tools are a burden to businiess. In everyone's rush to praise and exault China and India's ascent, has anyone considered the cost to the local population? Thomas Friedman in his book , The World is Flat, also exaults current economic might and growth over the human cost. Can any of us really believe that businesses on their own would be responsible if they are not held to a higher standard in the form of regulations and laws? His gripe with benefits is also hard to swallow, how are we to save for our retirement? Though not a member of any union, I personally can see their benefits. I am sure that there are problems with the ways in which their duties are performed but I see the presence of unions as invaluable to the working class. Please let us not count China's current economic growth as a raving success on all fronts. What about the pollution and environmental damage that's being done all in the name of success?

He also believes that unemployment insurance though a good idea needs improvement. I think many of us will agree with that sentiment. However, he lost me when he says "anyone who cannot find a job in two to three months, is either not looking in the right places or committing fraud due to an agreement with the employer where they collect unemployment benefits while working for the same employer for less pay under the table, until the benefits end". Again, Huh...? I really am not sure what kinds of people the author knows but I have known people who were laid off from prestigious Wall Street jobs and they needed many months to find a job. And no, they were not defrauding the government by working under the table. Also taking a job at McDonalds after having attended an Ivy league school was not really an option considering the school loans that go along with that education.

He also has a section where he dicusses the hatred of the rich. He says that the majority of people have a great animosity to the rich and whenever anyone they know comes into money, they immediately hate the person. First I have to say that I do not know or have ever met anyone that thinks like that and I find it hard to believe that people who hold that view are in the majority as the author would have us believe. He says "Most everyone wants to become rich" I doubt that, I think most people want to be comfortable and sustain their families. He continues "unfortunately what they lack is the knowledge of how to do it...most of all they lack the positive attitude. They usually succumb to the negative surrounding them". Yes people may lack the know how on how to invest in the stock market but I find that most people in the world we live in will NEVER be rich no matter how hard they work. It does not matter what profession they pursue, riches may not be in the card for them because of external factors like size of family, medical issues etc. Also certain people's profession will not allow them to become rich. I know many artists, professors or other such professions who despite their hard work, they hopefully will live comfortablly but certainly not be swimming in money.

But to be fair the author does discuss certain things that I believe are very important. He talks about the lack of fairness in our foerign policy and how this makes us lose credibility worldwide. He discusses how America's litigious mindset is ruining our businesses and general lifestyle. He discusses the decline of the family structure and the fact that our need to sustain ourselves economically is be impacting our families and children.

All in all I found the book to be a bit simplistic in its reasoning. I feel that more research was needed to back up the proposals that he feels would lead to solutions. I really wanted to like this book, I really did. But when I weigh its pros against the aforementioned, I cannot give it anything higher than 2.5 stars.

Another Grade A review, Trish! Thanks.

Interesting comments on what sounds like a book without much depth and rather simplistic answers to very complicated situations. The American Dream is really a myth. Sure, there are exceptions, but generally speaking most people do not move up in economic status. It sounds like your author has never been working class, or beyond that, impoverished.

Thanks Fourpawz!!

Avaland--I got that exact same sense about the author. He is a Syrian immigrant and I am sure through his hardwork and perseverence has done well for himself. But I think that that success has probably fostered in him the attitude of "If I could do it, why can't you?" That attitude forgets that people have varying circumstances and everyone of us will not achieve on the same level. I really think he meant well in writing the book but somehow he missed the mark, in my opinion.

82.A map of home by Randa Jarrar. This was my august early reviewers book. An absolutely delightful book that takes you from Boston to Kuwait to Egypt and finally settles in Texas. The author weaves a very interesting tale of Nidali Ammar and her eccentric family. Nidali is a girl born to a Palestinian father and an Egyptian mother. Unlike many books that I have read about the Middle East, Nidali's parents do not want her to marry young rather her father stresses education almost above everything else. He wants her to be a famous professor who can hold her own against any man. Her father's ambition feels like he is trying to live vicariously through her and since her younger brother shows early on that he is not a book worm her father rationalizes his obsession. Her father, Waheed, was forced to leave Palestine because of a war and he moved to Egypt where he got his university degree in Architecture/Engineering. But it is clear that his chosen career would most likely have been different had he been able to grow up in his own country, free of the turmoil of war. With this in mind, he concerntrates his efforts on making his daughter into all that he wished he had been.

The story of the meeting and courtship of Nidali's parents is in stark contrast to the present that Nidali and her brother are forced to inhabit. Her parents fight often and use choice langauge in private and in front of their children. Her father is physically violent both to his wife and children. Yet despite his volatile temper, you find it a bit hard to hate him, I certainly did not like him but I think that the way that the story is crafted makes you acknowledge his numerous faults without fully detesting him. Her mother is somewhat odd but is essentially a good and feisty soul who feels trapped by the situations she finds herself in.

On Nidali's thirteenth birthday, Sadaam Hussein attacks Kuwait which is Nidali's residence at the time. She and her family are forced to flee to Egypt and eventually end up in Texas where he father finds a job. Again she trys to find where she fits in and school becomes her refuge as it had been all her life. But again her father will not let her be her own person and they fight over her choices.

Its almost impossible not to love Nidali. She is such a lovely young lady. Her observations about life are sometimes rib achingly funny. But even in these moments of hilarity, one is gleaning a picture of her world. A world that is frought with loneliness, displacement, loss and the search for an identity that is independent of your parents and culture, whilst still loving one's parents and culture. This book is very reminiscent of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis and it articulates many similar themes. I could have done without some of the crass and vulgar language. Also reading about a thirteen year old masturbating was certainly not a highlight of my day. But all in all I would absolutely recommend this book.

EDIT: Okay after I wrote the above and posted it, I looked at the page I was again surprised by how long my review is. Sheesh...I am beginning to look like I have nothing better to do than write reviews(but lets be honest, do I? LOL). I swear, I am gainfully employed and have many friends. I just get carried away whenever I start talking about books and want to give the person who has not read the book a good idea of what the book is like without spoiling the story.

(I'm laughing!) I'm just off to add A Map of Home to my own list, because I feel like I've read it myself!
But seriously, I'd far rather read a long review with some feeling in it than "I liked it", "not bad" or whatever. Please don't stop!

You got carried away? I do not believe it! Would anyone here get carried away talking about books? Nope, never happen . . .

I have added A Map of Home to my already massive TBR continent. Thanks for your insightful remarks (from one of those who just writes "I liked it", lol).

> alcottacre, you write a bit more than that! (and if you wrote any more, there'd be no end to your thread, given the numbers of books involved, of which I stand in awe, like everyone else!)
We seem to be following each other around this morning (well, my morning).

#164 rachbxl: I am very wary about writing reviews because most of the time I cannot express to a person why I did or did not like a book, so I just generally say whether I liked it or not. I enjoy reading other's peoples reviews, however, and am very glad that there are people who do a great job at literary criticism. I am just not one of them.

It's morning here, too, and I am supposed to be working, lol.

>165 alcottacre: I know what you mean, alcottacre - when I first joined LT I was reluctant to say anything at all about what I'd read; I felt quite self-conscious about it. I soon got over it, but I wouldn't claim to be making any contribution to the world of literary criticism! I do like to look back and remember what I thought about a certain book, though - before LT I just had lists of titles and authors.

#166 rachbxl: I flag books in my book journal that I especially enjoy so that at some future date I can buy them and add them to my personal library. If I wrote reviews for every book I read, I would never get anything else done!

OK, 4:03am, and I am still supposed to be working, drats.

On The Next Falling Empire: kind of makes you wonder why this guy decided to move to the US, doesn't it?

I love your reviews, Trish - don't you dare change! As for my reviews, I've noticed a huge difference between last year and this one. My very first review I was careful to pick a book that no one else owned and that was many years old. With the next one I pulled back for fear that the author might read it and feel I was being mean to her. Now it's all changed. After all, I paid money for the book or gave up time to read an ER book, and I think that entitles me to say what I really think about it. (But I still try not to be too mean.)

Reviews are personal--strictly. I know which movie critics I generally agree with, and which book reviews I read in full or in part. Go for what works for you! I, too, try to keep my reviews short and sweet--but if I really liked or really loathed a work--oh my, it's just too hard not to explain.

Thanks for your words!

As always you guys give a girl a big head :) Thanks for all your comments guys.

Alcott-If you were to write an extensive review on all the books your read, you would spend more time writing the reviews than reading. I am so jealous of how much reading you get done(Green with envy). And why in the name of all things holy and unholy were you up at 4:03AM?

As concerns writing reviews, I have to say that I got my inspiration to write reviews from all the encouragement that you guys have always given me. I was really shy about expressing my opinion concerning what I read but with all the praise that you guys have heaped on me, I went boldly into the reviewing world. I like the review process on LT better. When you post reviews on Amazon.com, it becomes this whole fiasco that people who do not like your review feel the need to attack your review and tell you how wrong you are. My reviews are my opinion. It does not mean that my word is law and that I am saying everyone should hate the book, I am just saying that for me, it worked or it didn't.

Cariola-Its so interesting you say that cause my friend who read my review had the exact same reaction.

83. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. This has to qualify as one of the best books that I have read this year!! The author is brilliant at giving such vivid and beautiful descriptions of life in New England in the late 1600s. The harshness of the landscape and the punishing winters are so well portrayed that the reader almost feels like they are present in the scene.

The heart of this story is 10 year old Sarah Carrier who is brought up in a stern and gloomy household. Her father is reserved and she has a very uneasy relationship with her mother, Martha. Sarah's family moves from Billerica to Andover and shortly after, her brother is stricken with small pox. Sarah and her younger sister Hannah, who is a baby at the time, are sent to live with her aunt, Mary Toothaker, and her family back in Billerica until the epidemic passes. Here she sees a family that is in stark contrast to what she has grown up with. Mary and her husband Roger treat their children very affectionately and for once Sarah feels love expressed openly. Sarah forms a very close relationship with her cousin Margaret and grows to love her aunt and uncle beyond familial obligation. But eventually she must return to her home in Andover, a proposition that she does not relish.

Upon her return, Sarah is once again confronted with her outspoken and brash mother who is not well loved by her neighbors. At first, you look at Martha through the eyes of Sarah and you may also dislike her. But as you read the story you realize that Martha's true crime in the eyes of her neighbors is that she is not a conventional woman, one who is willing to be subservient and pretend to subscribe to showy religious piety. For this many may secretly admire her but all seem to outwardly dislike or hate her. So when an opportunity such as the denouncing of witches unfolds, Martha was a prime candidate to be accused of every sin under the sun.

When these accusations concerning her mother surface, Sarah begins to see her mother and her whole family in a very different light. She begins to see that sometimes one can present a happy and jolly countenance while masking less than honorable intentions. This understanding comes with the knowledge that those who seem glum may actually be the purveyors of virtue. With these realizations in hand, Sarah begins to see her parents in a different light and gains true insight into who her mother really is.

It is shocking to believe that these events transpired in America. I understand that this was in the early days of the nation but it does not make it any less shocking. I believe that aside from just religious frenzy gone mad, there was also economic gain at stake here. The property and assets of people accused was seized by the state and many times people behind accusations would inherit the possessions of the damned. Rabid idleness also allowed people's minds to wonder and come up with ridiculous accusations. All in all, it was a period where the worst human motives were allowed to merge and run wild. This is historical fiction at its best. I would recommend this book even if you are not into this genre of literature cause it will touch your heart.

84.The Terminal Spy by Alan S. Cowell. The murder of Alexander of Litvinieko was at one time worldwide news and many of us spent hours watching its aftermath. The author covered this story extensively and tries to document the incident in this book. The basic story is that Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned on November 23, 2006 and suffered a very painful death. He openly accused, Vladimir Putin with orchestrating his demise in a note supposedly dictated to his friend Alex Goldfarb and released after his death. Litvinenko was himself once a member of the KGB/FSB and his defection to the West and subsequent discussion of its intimate details left many in his former country displeased with him. He held press conferences, outed confidential information about his former employer and was always in the market to tell his story to anyone (especially the press)who would listen. It is hard to estimate the validity of his claims and how much he really knew. In reading information from other writers, I found that some members of the press did not consider him a credible source as some of his allegations was seen as fantastical and he was known to exaggerate. But regardless of the credibility of his claims, someone found him threatening enough that he was poisoned with Polonium 210. Some have likened the effects of this element in the human body to having a nuclear bomb detonated inside you.

My complaint about this book was that the author spent so much time giving the reader tons of details that in my opinion did not add to an understanding of the incident. Sometimes while reading, I felt like he was unable to find out much more information than we all saw on CNN or any other news outlet. This led to him creating the feeling of a thriller on the level of Robert Ludlum's Bourne series. He spent way too much time telling us about the supporting cast to Litvineko's life and murder that sometimes I lost sight of why I was reading the book. In the end all this extra knowledge did not add to the story or get us any closer to unravelling how Polonium 210 ended up in Litvineko's cup and who put it there. The book would have been better served by just covering the murder with some side information thrown in but it is possible that just doing so would not have been enough to write a whole book. As tedious as all the extra histories of the people that Litvinenko knew turned out to be, I have to give the author credit because I am sure that he must have worked very hard to gather all that information. All in all, it was an okay read that had much potential but was weakened by too many unnecessary details.

Trish, I don't know where the 'rabid idleness' would've reared its head in 17th century America; it took too much to eek out a living. Everyone has been recommending this book to me but at the moment I can't let fiction interfere with the research and fact. All that relationship stuff has to be speculation because I haven't seen much of it in the nonfiction books I've read.

Did the novel include her confession of being a witch under examination? It is striking (and horrifying) that an eight-year old girl would be accused. And in her confession you can hear an eight year old's imagination letting loose (and also saying what is expected of you). As it happens, I just picked up the transcripts of all the legal papers related to the witch trials this morning at the library. I've been reading them all day.

Still, I think my daughter might like the novel. Her favorite book growing up The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

Interesting that she is 10 in the book and I said she was eight, so I must correct the record. She is asked on the stand how old she is and she says, "Near eight years old, brother Richard says, I shall be eight years old November next." I suppose a seven-year old viewpoint is not as compelling as that of a 10 year old.

You are right about the idleness, I guess what I meant was after all the hard work that people had to do just to get by, they had alot of times where there was not much going on. There was no TV, no computer and whatever free time they had, some spent fermenting gossip:gossip which could get dangerous as it did in this case.

I think you may be right that in real life she was actually eight but in the book she starts off being nine and she has a brithday not too long before the accusations begin. In the book her mother tells her to confess to being a witch to save herself. I guess the rule most times was that if you confessed and named names, then you would be saved. I am not home at this moment but when I get home I will check but to the best of my knowledge, her full confession was not included. I believe she just talks about her confession without us actually hearing how it played out word for word.

Trish - I will definitely add The Heretic's Daughter to my TBR list. I have read only a bit about this time period, so I'm excited to read more. But mostly I want to read the book because your review made me want to know Sarah better. I'm anxious to learn more about how her relationships unfold throughout this book. Thanks for the great review!

As always Trish, your reviews are simply incredible.

>174 TrishNYC: yes, if you confessed you weren't executed. Confession usually included accusing others as witches. Richard Carrier and Mary Toothaker named Mary Bradbury (my ancestor) among others in their confessions. In the morning I'll transcribe her confession, I think you'd find it interesting (it sounds like a seven, almost eight year old - which is probably why she didn't use it).

Examination of Sarah Carrier.
August 11, 1692

It was asked Sarah Carrier by the Magistrates or Justices John Hawthorne Esq; and others: How long hast thou been a witch? A. Ever since I was six years old. Q. How old are you now? A. Near eight years old, brother Richard says, I shall be eight years old in November next. Q. Who made you a witch? A. My mother, she made me set my hand to a book. Q. How did you set your hand to it? A. I touched it with my fingers and the book was red, the paper of it was white. She said she never had seen the black man; the place where she did it was in Andrew Foster's pasture and Elizabeth Johnson junr. Being asked who was there beside, she answered her Aunt Toothaker and her cousin. Being asked when it was, she said, when she was baptized. Q. What did they promise to give you? A. A black dog. Q Did the dog ever come to you? A. No. Q. But you said you saw a cat once. What did that say to you? A. It said it would tear me to pieces if I would not set my hand to the book. She said her mother baptized her, and the devil or black man was not there, as she saw, and her mother said when she baptized her, thou are mine for ever and ever and amen. Q. how did you afflict folks? A. I pinched them, and she said she had no puppets, but she went to them that she afflicted. Being asked whether she went in her body or her spirit, she said in her spirit. She said her mother carried her thither to afflict. Q. How did your mother carry you when she was in prison? A. She came like a black cat. Q. How did you know that it was your mother? A. The cat told me so that she was my mother. She said she afflicted Phelp's child last saturday, and Elizabeth Johnson joined with her to do it. She had a wooden spear, about as long as her finger, of Elizabeth Johnson, and she had it of the devil. She would not own that she had ever been at the witch meeting at the village. This is the substance.

Attest. Simon Willard.

Pretty interesting, huh?

Whoa, its pretty fascinating stuff. Sad to hear that your ancestor was accused. Did she live through the ordeal?

Whisper1 and porchreader--Glad you guys are liking the reviews. I really enjoyed the book. I know precious little about that period but I was inspired to read up on it while reading the book. Interesting side note: Kathleen Kent is a descendant of Martha Carrier.

85. Boycott by Tom and Jerry Caraccioli. I am usually sceptical about reading sports books because many times they devolve into stats, averages and numbers. But as I read this book, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very well written book about an important moment in American history. I was deeply saddened to see how athletes who had slaved and worked so hard to become Olympians, saw their dreams snatched away because of politics.

Olympians have a very short window of opportunity in which to achieve their goals. They make so many sacrifices, physically, mentally, emotionally and in many cases financially. Many who qualified for the 1980 Olympics thought they had it made as they would be able to compete against the best in the world. Unfortunately for them, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and President Jimmy Carter decided that among the ways to show US disapproval would be to enact trade sanctions, food sanctions and withdrawing its athletes from the Olympics which were to be held in Moscow. The saddest part about this was that for many of these athletes, they would never again compete as some were not able to sustain the heights they attained just before the 1980 Olympics. Many found that they were either physically unable to stay in Olympic shape or that they just lost the drive to try again. It is hard to accept that these young people's quest for excellence was thwarted by Carter's need to make a symbolic gesture. What exactly did the boycott achieve? Carter meant to punish the Soviets but in a way he punished the American athletes. Not a single life was saved by anyone not showing up for the games. The conflict in Afghanistan went on for many years after the boycott so what really was accompolished?

I found it ironic the pressure that was put to bear on the USOC to pass a vote to boycott the Olympics. Alot of the rhetoric used is very reminiscent of what I see in politics today. The USOC was told " If the US decides to participate in the Olympics, it would be a tacit approval of Soviet actions" and "If you vote not to support the president, you are doing the worse thing you can possibly do". In addition to all the rhetoric, it appears that undue pressure was applied to sponsors to renege on deals that they had made to the USOC. Of course the government denied any involvement in this but the coincidence is hard to ignore.

Some athletes are still angry, they feel robbed. But the vast majority of the eighteen athletes interviewed for this book, have come to take it in stride. Many believe that the boycott was a bad idea and should not have happened, others think that Carter took the best decision he could under the circumstances and in accordance with his advisers. I have to say that I was very proud of all of the athletes in this book. Despite the fact that their dreams were shattered, most have chosen to see the benefits that Olympic training provided them in all facets of their lives. One of the most disappointing things to see is that to this day Walter Mondale, the then Vice President and a key player in this event, still insists that the right decision was made. Maybe I just wanted him to show that he really understood what he and his government took from these talented people. In the foreward to the book he does acknowledge the loss that these Olympians suffered but I felt it was a bit hollow. Just my view, some one else may read the same thing and think he came across as sincere.

This book is so well constructed as the authors present the story without interjecting any personal agenda. The story unfolds from the mouths of the athletes themselves without any commentary added to sway opinions. As you read you make your own assessments and judgements as to how you feel about what occured. Another strength of the book was that interspersed with the athletes stories is the timeline and unfolding of the conflict in Afghanistan and the political events that led to the boycott. This fact made the book much more than just a sports book but a greatly informative rendering of history. A great read and I would highly recommend.

>179 TrishNYC: yes, she did, thanks. She was tried and convicted but 'escaped' or was allowed to escape before the last hangings. She is the only woman to survive who didn't confess and that may have been because she was the wife of one of Salisbury's most prominent citizens (who was also the militia captain), but things were also starting to come to an end in Salem. Increase Mather had made statements something along the lines that the devil could be so clever to appear as an innocent (and to bring into question some other things like 'spectral evidence') which seemed to hold some weight (he and at least one other brought these points up). Imagine, the devil could be clever enough to be or use Anne Putnam! Once people started thinking about those possibilities it all started to fall apart quickly. If you ever want to read on the subject, the best book I've read on it is In the Devil's Snare by historian Mary Beth Norton.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I'm adding more and more to the TBR pile and because the semester has been so crazy busy, I've not had time to read as much as I want. In the Devil's Snare was added to the tbr list.
I am very interested in this particular time in history.
Thanks!

#171 TrishNYC: I am so jealous of how much reading you get done(Green with envy). And why in the name of all things holy and unholy were you up at 4:03AM?

Consider the compliment reciprocated - I really appreciate the time you spend in writing your reviews. As to why I was up at 4:03AM - two reasons: I do not get all that much sleep, and I was at work.

#181 Whisper: We can commiserate together on this one - I already told you my Mount TBR has turned into Continent TBR. By the end of the year, it might be Planet TBR! I have added In the Devil's Snare to my list as well.

Well, I just ordered the audio version of The Heretic's Daughter and managed to snag a swap copy of In the Devil's Snare. Both sound fascinating!

Avaland, I am happy to hear that your relative survived. You know, I never really thought that anyone escaped once the authorities got you in custody. Nice to know that she was one of the exceptions. I will definitely look for In the Devil's Snare. It looks really interesting. This website is going to send me to the poor house :)

Alcott--Whoa, how many hours of sleep do you get a night. I can totally see how you do not get much sleep cause you are a reading machine.

Cariola--When you say you snagged a copy...pray tell how.

86. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti. I think that one of the biggest drawbacks that this book will face is the constant comparison to Dickens' body of work especially Oliver Twist. I see the similarities and I understand why people are making those comparisons but I think this is a very different book than Dickens would have written. Tinti is no Dickens, nor should she strive to be. Dickens is a great writer and Tinti is not too shabby herself.

The story is set in 19th century American and begins with Ren, a young boy growing up in an orphanage. The monks who run the home are a bit neglectful but treat the boys well enough. One day Ren is adopted by a goodlooking and charming young man, Benjamin Nab, who somehow convinces the monks that he is Ren's older brother. Nab weaves a fantastical tale of how they got separated and paints himself in a heroic light. But to no one's surprise once he gets Ren away from the orphanage, we find that he is nothing that he has represented himself to be. The long and tall of it is that he is a grifter who seems mostly interested in making a buck by almost any means necessary, both legal and illegal.

Ren begins his new life with Nab and finds that it is nothing that he expected when he dreamed of being adopted. When Ren envisioned his life away from the orphanage, he thought he would get a happy life with a mother and father who loved him and gave him plenty to eat but what he gets with Nab is a life of tricking people out of their money and possessions, with his missing hand serving as a tool for sympathy. But despite Nab's obvious poor qualities as a father figure, he is not at all an unlikable character. He is obviously charming and is shrouded in mystery that makes you want to know more.

In one of Nab's many efforts to make money, he decides to become a grave robber. During this escapade, we meet Dolly. Dolly is a corpse that is dug up but then mysteriously becomes animated. I found the resurrected murderer Dolly to be a bit of an odd character and not in a good way. I felt that his presence brought in an unnecessary supernatural element to a story that was doing well on its own. He is a cross between a zombie and a robot. I think he was an unnecessary addition that did not do much toward moving the story along.

There is nothing in this story that is terribly original. Things get tied up a little too neatly and the end was a bit trite. But I still found it to be an entertaining story with many interesting characters.

87. Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton. Another entertaining read about Hamish Macbeth and his crime solving ways in the Scottish Highlands.

Trish, do you use the swap sites, like BookMooch or PapbackSwap? I just typed in the title on BookMooch, one copy came up, and I requested it. That simple.

bookmooch.com
paperbackswap.com

Ahhh...that makes sense. Well I am a bit apprehensive about joining either cause I hear that some of them penalize you if the book does not get there on time, or many other miscellaneous reasons. But since you seem to have had a good run with them, maybe I will give it a whirl. Also I think that I sometimes get territorial with my books. There are some books that I would not mind giving away but the vast majority, I want to keep and I am not sure if there is a quota I must have on the site to get any serious consideration.

88.Bone by Bone by Carol O'Connell.
Oren returns home to Coventry, California after a twenty year absence. The event that precipitated his departure from Coventry was the disappearance of his younger brother, Josh. Suddenly, twenty years later his brother's bones begin appearing on the family porch almost night after night. So begins a very promising mystery about coming home to battle past demons and finally finding peace.

By the time Oren returns home he is an excellent Army investigator whose reputation with the army is blemish free. He begins to investigate his brothers death and discovers many things about his home that were previously unknown to him. But as the investigation rolls along, the book begins to lose its way. The characters were just downright unrealistic in their behavior and motivations. Everyone has a back story that is filled with trauma and drama. There is the librarian who showers maybe once a year and her smell kept the library empty. There is the wife of the town tycoon who is a raving alcoholic and has a daughter, Isabelle, who though not as damaged as her mother has had to live with the knowledge of a mother who is slowly going mad with drink and a father who fuels the habit. There is also the housekeeper whose origins had remained obscured for more than forty years but was sure to be hiding something. It was just too much after awhile. It began to feel more like a mental institution rather than a town.

The relationship between Oren and Isabelle has to be one of the worst storylines I have ever read. Isabelle is obviously in love with Oren and has probably been so since she was about eleven. But because Oren refused to dance with her at a party, she proceeds to show her love for him from then on by ignoring him. When he returns to town, she sees him in the street and after having not seen him in twenty years, she walks up to him and kicks him in the shins. Her next encounters with him involve her trying to run him over with her car and almost running him over with her horse. Seriously!!! Who writes this stuff? I felt like I was reading a Mills and Boon novel. Did I mention that by this point both Oren and Isabelle are in their thirties? And sadly enough we are supposed to take this as some sort of legitimate courtship. Did I mention that they never actually spoke to each other after the incident at the party?

The actual mystery got lost in the mix of all this unnecessary stuff. It is sad that this book was so exciting and enjoyable at first and lost steam along the way and never fully recovered. By the time the mystery was solved, I have to say that it did not matter as much to me anymore who had done what. I believe that this writer has alot of potential as evidenced by the first part of the book but with this one I believe she missed the mark. An exciting mystery was derailed by an over abundance of eccentricity in the town and its inhabitants.

#185 & 187 TrishNYC: I will have to look for The Good Thief - I solemnly swear not to compare it to Dickens (even though he is a favorite of mine).

Too bad about Bone by Bone. I really like O'Connell's Kathleen Mallory series.

Trish, BookMooch is the better of the two. They don't penalize you for a lost or late book, and they also give extra points for shipping books overseas. The only thing PBS has going is a much better browsing system.

Thanks again Trish.....looks like I scored a copy of Rocket Man.

#187 Sometimes I think it is good to read something you don't end up liking that much. Good for balance! It helps remind us that writing and reading is so very subjective. I am always suspicious of folks who right only good reviews/thoughts or only bad thoughts/reviews.

#171 The Terminal Spy is the book you have reviewed most recently which caught my attention. I have followed that case in the news for some time and it is fascinating!

Alcottacre--I too was bummed by the O'Connell book. I have heard that she is a very good writer and I am definitely going to give her other works a chance. Even though I did not like this book, I saw the seeds of a good storyteller.

Cariola--I went on bookmooch and I looked you up. You have quite a bit of stuff that I would like to mooch. I will let you know when I join.

Blackdog---I am glad that you are getting a copy of Rocket Man. I have not started reading it yet but it looks good.

89. The Book of Nonsense(Sacred Books Volume 1)An absolutely delightful read!!! I was swept away into a world of wonder, mystery and danger as I followed Daphna and Dexter trying to navigate a suddenly perilous world. Daphna and Dexter are fraternal twins whose personalities are as different as their physical appearance. Whereas Daphna is a bookworm and fancies herself to be very social even if not necessarily popular, Dexter is somewhat of an outcast both at home and in school. A day before the twins turn thirteen, their father returns from a book buying trip in Turkey(he is a book scout) with a very strange book. The book is frayed and damaged on the outside, with the inside seeming to contain a jumble of words that have no meaning or order.

Daphna persuades her father that he would probably be able to offload this weird book at the new bookstore that was opened a few months back during his absence. She is horrified when she watches her father get hypnotized by the creepy shop keeper who takes the book away from him and tries to exact further payment in the form of Daphna going to work for him. Daphna sets out on a quest to reclaim the book and save herself, finding a surprising ally in her brother Dexter. So begins a very wild ride through town as the twins try to outsmart the villain and his minion.

This book is excellent in capturing the personalities of its characters and displaying them in a realistic way that rings true. Daphna and Dexter's relationship is a perfect picture of sibling rivalry and petty jealousies. Each has a tendency to misunderstand even the best intentions of the other. I thought it was very interesting the way that the author was able to show the attitude of youth to the aged without it being disrespectful or untrue.

This book is a true find and I think that everyone will enjoy it regardless of age. Keep an eye out for the little clues, they will come back and mean more than you thought.

This is book one in what I hope is going to be a very successful series.

The Book of Nonsense (Sacred Books Volume 1) looks great fun! I will have to look for it.

Likewise, Trish. It's going on the wishlist in just a minute.
Regarding your book number 88, even though you laid out very clearly why you thought it failed, I kind of still wanted to read it for you made the first part of it sound pretty good. Decisions, decisions!

Hey Fourpawz, I can pass the book on to you. I got it as an ARC and it does not come out till Dec/January. If you want it, send me a PM with your address and I will send it out pronto.

I gotta warn you though, the book suffered some minor cover damage cause I was carrying too many books in my bag and one of them kinda bent the cover of Bone by Bone.

90. Descartes' Bones by Russell Shorto. I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this book. When I started reading, I was not sure that I would be able to make it through the whole thing because I found it dry and somehwat bland. But as I continued reading, I began to find a very interesting story.

Descartes died in 1650 in Sweden where he had taken refuge because of the unpopularity his beliefs had engendered in his home country of France. He was disinterred sixteen years later when France decided that such a great man should not have his corpse remain on foreign soil(and a Lutheran one at that). This would turn out to be one of many times that Descartes' body would be disturbed from its resting place and used in a poltical or religious tussle.

Descartes main thesis that put him in opposition to the authority figures of his day was the belief that man should place a greater reliance on reason rather than on unquestioning faith. He sought to reorient the way humans thought and lived by asking them to empty their minds of preconceived notions implanted by tradition and religion. Of course many in the church saw no merit to his theories and believed that his way of thinking would lead people away from religion and remove the church as the established mediator between the people and God. The powers that be tried everything within their disposal to discredit him, banning his works and theories from respected institutions and universities. In addition, they accused him of being a cult leader and for good measure he was said to be a sexual deviant.

I am not a student of philosophy so I am sure that there are many who are well versed in in this area who may find fault with certain claims made to Descartes place in the canon of philosophers in this book. But for me as a total novice, I found this book to be interesting and enlightening. I learnt so much about Western thought and reason and its evolution over the years. I found it interesting that a person who was so religious(he was a devout Catholic) expounded theories that many saw as the bedrock of atheism. But many of Descartes fiercest disciples were men of the cloth and devoted to God. They were very open minded and did not see any conflict between their religious worldview and Descartes teachings.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this book is its tendency to go off on tangents. Some of these tangents worked very well but some were unnecessary. For example, having almost a whole chapter dedicated to the study of cranial capacity and its relation to intelligence was in my opinion a waste of time. Shorto claims that Descartes' skull helped debunk this area of bad science. I disagree. It may have in some minute way but whatever part it played was not enough to justify the presence of this chapter in the book. I also found the narrative to be rambling and repetitive at times. Shorto constantly skips back and forth between time periods, leading to a boat load of confusion at times. I do not know that Shorto utilized Descartes bones to tell his tale as well as he might have hoped. Sometimes I felt like stories concerning the bones were thrown in with no real cohesion between their fate and the other things being discussed in the book. But all in all I found this book to be fascinating and I would absolutely recommend it.

I read about Descartes' Bones the other day in a book catalog I received and thought it sounded like something I would like. Having read your review, it will definitely go on to Continent TBR. I enjoyed Shorto's The Island at the Center of the World, but have not read anything else by him.

TrishNYC, interesting review on a fascinating subject (book #90). i will be looking out for this book...

Yep, on my pile as well. Nice review, too.

>185 TrishNYC: Is The Good Thief a modern Victorian or a book written in the 19th century? Just curious.

>I will add my endorsement of BookMooch. I've been a member for a year now and have mooched about 30 books and have sent out over 200. I put books in my inventory that I no longer want (for a variety of reasons), duplicates (and yes, we are still finding them), and sometimes I buy a couple of books at a library sale and put them in inventory (I like to make sure there is some nice literary fiction in circulation:-) The cool thing for people like me is that I can give away my excess points to other BM members or charities (I do mostly the latter). Might not work well if you don't have easy access to the post office.

Thanks guys. Since I joined the website, I have been getting an enlarged head from all your kinds words. My friends say I am becoming unbearable to be around :)

Avaland-Its set in 19th Century America. And thanks for your input on bookmooch. You and Cariola have convinced me. Now I just have to look through my library and see what I am willing to part with. Hmmhhh...

91. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Apparently, I am one of the only people in America that had never heard of this book. I just found out about it two days ago as I was talking with some of the kids at my job and one of them was holding a copy. I asked what the book was about and they looked at me in shock. Anyway, I read it and I will say that it was an entertaining if macabre read. The people in this town have created a world devoid of diversity. Everyone adheres to sameness and its almost its own religion. There are pseudo family units created that carry out some sort or semblance of normalcy. I call them pseudo families because you don't get to chose your mate, you apply for one, and your "children" are given to you after an application process. Sexual maturity is stunted because from the moment you hit puberty, you are given pills to deaden all such feelings. The children that are placed in your house are born by women who have been assigned the job of birth mothers and genetically your children are not at all related to you. Jonas is a child in one of the many families in this town. When he turns twelve he learns that his assignment is that he is to be "the receiver" i.e one who receives all the bad memories, pain, suffering that the townspeople would have had to face if the receiver did not exist. As he begins his training he begins to question all that he has been taught to believe. He questions sameness, why is it so important? Through this training he becomes very lonely because he realizes the lies that he has been bred into. He cannot share his thoughts with anyone except the out going receiver and with each day of training he becomes determined to escape.

It is a very interesting story and certainly worth the read. I did not think it was wildly original seeing as I think that most of us have read many, many stories about Utopia societies and how they go wrong. But I did like the story and thought it was worth the read.

92. Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer. Viscount Ashley Desford meets Charity(aka Cherry) Steane at a gathering while visiting his aunt. The next day as he returns to his London home, he encounters her walking on a lonely road and seeing the peril that she could fall into, takes her to his best friend Henrietta(Hetta) Silverdale's house. So begins a comedy of errors and misunderstandings as Desford tries to find Cherry's grandfather and avoid scandal.

All the main characters were very likable and even the baddies give the reader a chuckle. One of the biggest problems with this book is that I believe that the novel may have benefited from being shorter because there were parts of it that I was not bored with but certainly not interested in. A prime example of this is when Desford sets off to find Cherry's grandfather. The long descriptions of the journey there and back were somewhat tedious and I was impatient to hear more about the main characters not about road travels, broken wheels and horses going lame. Another part of the story that was not as well handled was the romance between the two lovers(sorry I will not tell who these are, you will have to find that out yourself). Not enough time was spent developing that story line and the reader is left to fill in their back story. By the time they get together, you are happy for them but its hard to feel very invested because you are not given the opportunity.

It wasn't all that I thought it was going to be but it was not bad at all. Something tells me that this book is not Georgette Heyer at her best. All in all an entertaining read.

#200 TrishNYC: I just read The Giver for the first time this year as well and enjoyed it - from the sounds of it, more than you did. I did not realize until today that The Giver is part of a trilogy, so if you are interested, the other two books are Gathering Blue and Messenger.

Alcott-I did like The Giver, I think that the reason why I was not over the moon about it was that the way the people who recommended it to me made it sound led me to believe that it was going to be better than it was. I definitely liked it but it was not as monumental as I expected.

93. The Believers by Zoe Heller. This was a very interesting read and I had to give myself a few days to digest it before I wrote a review. Audrey meets Joel at a party while Joel is visiting London from America. She proceeds to spend the night with him and promptly leaves with him when he returns to America. So begins the saga of this very interesting family. Thirty something years later we see the couple again, now parents of three and very politically involved. Karla is their oldest daughter and very unhappily married to Mike. Lenny is the adopted son whose real parents were hippy radicals, his father ending up dead from a bomb he was building and his mother killed a police officer and was serving a life sentence as a result. Rosa is the youngest of the kids and had recently returned from a four year sojourn in Cuba where she had immersed herself in revolutionary socialism. She was now dabbling in Orthodox Judaism.

Audrey and Joel raise their children on ideas and ideals but in my opinion there was little love in the household. Joel for all his moralizing and radical politics turns out to be an unfaithful husband who fathered a child from one of his many flings. He sees his views on life as superior to most people's and even his wife who shares many of his views is treated with condescension, " It was a feminine prerogative to hold unreasonable political views, he felt". Audrey herself is brash and like her husband believes herself to be in the right in most if not all situations. She is pompous and harsh and emotionally manipulative of her children and friends. Her son Lenny has a serious drug problem which is apparent to everyone but still she treats the situation as if he has the common cold. When her friend helps him to find sobriety, she is resentful of this fact and tries her hardest to undermine his recovery. And for all her radical and supposedly progressive talk, she makes anti feminist remarks about the doctor treating her husband because she is young and female.

This is not a book where there is really anyone to like. I found most if not all the characters to be shockingly self absorbed and blinded by their own view of the world. Except for Karla whose storyline was sad and depressing and Jean who was Audrey's friend, everyone else had an enormous chip on their shoulder. Even with Rosa who tries to get in touch with her spiritual side, one wonders if it is a passing phase like her many other former pet projects. Its like she has to swing from one extreme to another. She goes from being a faithful atheist to being a faithful believer. Part of the reason why I doubted the voracity of her religious conversion was the nagging question, why not start off with reform Judaism first and then if that was too tame eventually move into the Orthodox? I did appreciate her doubts and anger with certain aspects of the religion, I found those emotions to to be realistic and true.

But as unpleasant as I found most of the characters, I will say that the writing of the book was superb. I think that the fact that the author was able to make me detest many of the characters and still care enough to read on spoke volumes to her ability. I was amazed that a British writer who lives in the UK could capture New York so well, right down to the ads in the subway cars. Some of her language and phraseology was a bit too British for an everyday New Yorker but that is a very minor quibble. In my opinion, it was a well written work

One of the things that is compelling about your reviews is your fairmindedness. Even in books for which the story is not great, you can still comment on the writing, or vice versa. That's important to me in looking at books because there are so many reasons to read a book, story, style, character, etc. A couple of the last books I have read have left me with the same sort of dilemma; I liked something about the work but not the book as a whole.

Thanks.

Trish, I haven't read the book, so it probably isn't fair for me to comment on characters I know nothing about, but I can totally believe someone who was an atheist going straight to Orthodox, especially for someone who was a "believer" -- Reform Judaism is pretty light-weight; it requires little in terms of lifestyle change and isn't likely to shock or upset anyone except the most rabid anti-Semite. The character as you describe her doesn't seem to be one who takes measured, thoughtful steps.

TrishNYC, Zoe Heller spent quite a while in New York - can't remember whether it was months or years, but she used to have a diary column in the UK Sunday Times talking about her time in the city - so she probably knows the scene quite well :) In fact, for the longest time I thought she was an American writer that had moved to the UK on the basis of that column....

Your review is really interesting - have you read Notes on a Scandal? You say of The Believers, "I think that the fact that the author was able to make me detest many of the characters and still care enough to read on spoke volumes to her ability" - which is pretty much exactly how I felt after finishing Notes!

I've just started Claire Messud - The Emperor's Children - which several of the UK reviews of Believers have mentioned as a forerunner - although it doesn't have the family-saga angle. I think they must have meant "large-scale New York novel".

I'd be interested to hear your opinion of The Emperor's Children. My wife tried it and tossed it after a while.

I too will be interested in what you think of The Emperor's Children. It more or less infuriated me, although I did read the whole thing. I had an opportunity to meet the author, and she gave a lovely, thoughtful talk -- but it didn't change my opinion of the book.

Blackdog--Thanks so much for you words.

Rebecca--I think that my inability to believe her transformation was based on, as you perfectly described--- "doesn't seem to be one who takes measured, thoughtful steps". She seems earnest but if you look behind her words and really see her actions, I just found her less than credible. She holds her room mate in complete contempt because her room mate is a bit annoying and flighty. While I personally have no great desire to be friends with such a person, I respect their right to be who they are AND if I am living with them, I would at least try to go beyond just civility with them. Also when Rosa talks of her sister's weight gain, she is obviously disgusted about it while at the same time holding people who commented on her beauty(Rosa's) as vain and too conscious of outward appearance. Her comments on her sister's weight are not based on a concern for her sister's health but more about how her physical appearance is becoming unsightly.

Flossie--Thanks for that tidbit about Zoe Heller, I did not realize that she had lived here for awhile. I have not read Notes on a Scandal. I saw the movie, but from your description of the book, it seems that some of the characters may have been made more sympathetic than in the book.

TadAD--I don't believe I have spoken with you before. Thanks for commenting on my thread. I will look into Emperor's Children. You wife's and Rebeccanyc's experience with it does not bode well for it though.

Emperor's Children is on the pile of library books I check out a few weeks ago. After reading the posts, I'm not sure if I shoudl read this one, or simply skip along to the next.

#209: You can always try the 50 page rule. If it doesn't do it for you in those 50 pages, put it aside and go on to the next. Life is too short for books you do not care to read - there are just too many out there!

Alcot, I always mean to try the 50 page rule but never carry through. I keep holding out hope until the page before last when I realize that I have been duped.

94. Rocket Man by William Elliott Hazelgrove. Whoa!!! I really liked this book. There were moments where I was not so sure about it but by the end, I was really impressed.

Dale Hammer is a forty six year old man who bought a house in the suburbs that he obviously can't afford, a writing career that seems permanently stalled, a wife who is most likely leaving him, a son who he fights with often and a father who just moved into the room over his garage. Life is not looking good and Dale quite frankly is not doing much to help the situation. His shocking pig headness is exasperating and there were many moments where I really, really disliked him. His move to the suburbs seems to have triggered a general dissatisfaction with life , supposedly absent when he lived in the city. He is on some sort of teenage rebellion beginning with taking a bizarre shortcut between a vacant field that borders a McDonalds and a Dairy Queen shop while driving home his son's boy scout troop(and drinking a V8 laced with alcohol). In addition,he almost runs over the crossing guard at his son's school. Though in some perverse way I agreed with him, that kind of behavior is just not acceptable for an adult, especially when your son is in the back seat. And on and on he goes with his irrational and generally annoying behavior. He looks at his neighbors and acquintances with absolute contempt, seeing himself as their intellectual superior. At a certain point I was just so annoyed and not sure why I was reading about this immature man who can't get his life together.

One of the things that kept me reading was the hilarious laugh out loud moments that Dale seemed to attract. At one point sheer hilarity was the order of the day especially during his interactions with his father. His references to Gone With The Wind had me laughing uncontrollably. But in all that laughing there is pain and despair. I believe it was Thoreau that said that most men lead lives of quiet desperation and that statement applies perfectly here. His struggles are very timely in America of 2008. He is living the American dream of buy now, pay later. Unfortunately, most of the time when later comes there is no money to pay up. His life exemplifies what many middle class Americans are experiencing.

By the end, I can't say I ended up liking him but I was certainly rooting for him and I wanted things to work out for the sake of his family who obviously love him but are tired of the nonsense. I also understood him better and saw the toll that the rat race can engender. A great read overall.

#206/207/208/209: TadAD, rebecca, Trish, Linda - I just posted my thoughts on The Emperor's Children on my 75 Book thread... but the 'digested read': Big New York Novel about self-involved thirty-something New Yorkers. Not bad enough to give up on, but intensely annoying!

This is an honorable mention. I am not counting it as a book read.

Kosher by Design: Fabulous Food For A Healthier Lifestyle by Susie Fishbein. This is a great cook book, one of the best I have ever read/used. I love the fact that the author took the time to outline many great ideas and tips for cooking healthy meals. She includes foods that most people may not have heard of like farro, barley, millet and spelt. She also cautions moderation even with foods that are considered healthy(who knew that one cup of olive oil has 2,000 calories?). But most importantly about this cook book is that it contains delicious, healthy and easy to make recipes

I made the Mexican Turkey Albondigas soup and I only realized that I was eating the plate when I felt some ceramic pieces in my mouth. It was delicious and best of all I did not feel heavy after eating it. I also made the Zuccini Lentil soup, the Healthy Unfried Chicken and the Summer Harvest Quinoa. All delicious, all amazing. Another thing that I really like about this is that the author includes a generous offering for vegans and vegetarians. This is important to me as I have a friend who is an ethical vegan and I now have receipes that I can make for her when she visits rather than just offering her salad and chips. The vegan/vegetarian offerings include Vegetarian Pate Bundles, Asparagus Radicchio, Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Pepper Crostinis and Chummos Canapes.

I am yet to make any of the desserts but they all look beyond yummy. Offerings include Peanut Butter Pizza, Baklava Bites, Crispy Cream Bars and Green Tea Applesauce cake just to name a few.

Another gigantic plus for me is that each recipe has a picture of what the meal is supposed to look like. This may not be important to some but to me, that is a major factor. Another biggie for me is that this book is visually stunning. The pictures are beautiful and make you want to eat the page on which its printed. This is a wonderful addition to any kitchen.

#213 TrishNYC: Sounds like a cookbook I need to find. I am always searching for more vegetarian recipes, and the names of some of the recipes you mentioned are intriguing. Thanks for the write up!

You've made me hungry.

You should count the book!!

I picked up a copy of Sari Shop with a gift card at my local book store!!!!

I liked the Sari Shop. It has similar themes to The White Tiger - the difference between the haves and have-nots.

Thanks again for connecting me with the publishers for Rocket Man. I think you enjoyed it a little more than I did. I just read your review. I avoided it until I could finish and write mine. BTW, like your regal picture on the B&N site review!!!!

Alcot--If you are into cookbooks. You should really check this one out cause its just delightful!!

Blackdog--you are very welcome. I love this site and I will always take any opportunity to share the book wealth.I do get why you where not blown away by Rocket man though. The cover was an eye sore and some of the writing was not to tight or well co-ordinated. Hope you like The Sari Shop

Judylou--The White Tiger sounds interesting. I will be on the lookout for it.

95. The Rest Of Her Life by Laura Moriarty. Leigh's teenage daughter Kara accidentally kills another teenage while driving her father's car. As the family greives the loss of the dead girl and the loss of the life that Kara had previously known, the deep fissures in the family come boiling to the surface.

Leigh and her daughter Kara seem to have lost the bond that was once present when Kara was a young child. Their relationship has devolved into a series of uncomfortable moments, awkward silences, general animosity and teenage rudeness. Leigh seems desperate to try to reach her daughter but her daughter appears not to care a hoot about her mother or her feelings rather having a very close and loving relationship with her father.

While there is a certain indefinable something that may make this book unappealing, that same something, is what makes this book likable for me. There is a realism that this story portrays that while unpleasant is very true. No one wakes up one day and wants to have a bad relationship with their child or resentment toward their spouse for being close to the said child. But sadly these things happen. I am not at all implyng that Leigh is an innocent bystander and things just happened to her but she seems to try to connect with Kara and her efforts are constantly met with failure. Leigh's husband Gary is without a doubt a loving husband and father but just as Leigh has somehow failed to build ties with her daughter, so has Gary with their son Justin. The family in some ways seems to be divided into two halves, Gary and Kara, Leigh and Justin.

There is something inherently infantile about many of Leigh's responses to life. She constantly talks about "trying to be nice". Its like she is constantly looking for affirmation and acceptance and just wants someone to pat her on the back. But its not in a self serving or arrogant way, more in a deeply insecure manner. Leigh appears to be unable to form any close bonds with others except for Gary, her sister Pam and her son Justin. She has no work friends or childhood friends and even her one friend is the town gossip Eva who quite frankly no one should tell anything personal to because it will be all over town in three minutes.

Leigh is deeply flawed as most people are despite their best intentions. She strives to be all that her own mother never was: emotionally available to her child, kind, loving and caring. Sadly it is almost like she read the parent handbook on how to raise a child and decides to follow it to the letter and is shocked when it does not work. Her mother was emotionally abusive to both of her children and eventually abadoned Leigh when she was fifteen. This experience leaves behind a daughter who swore that she would be a fabulous mother when she had her own children and never replicate any of her mother's actions. This book is a perfect play on what transpires between love and its execution. Many times the desire to do right may not be translated as we would like and we end up hurting the very people that we want to protect. This book is almost brutal in its honesty and while it won't necessarily leave you warm and fuzzy, it will make you think and gives you hope.

Thanks for this great review of The Rest of her life! It sounds like another one to add to the tbr pile. I especially like (and relate to) your words regarding "Many times the desire to do right may not be translated as we would like and we end up hurting the very people that we want to protect." This is a profoundly true statement!

Thanks Whisper1, I really enjoyed reading it.

96. The Lost City of Z by David Grann. I was not sure of this book at first because to be honest the name of the book was a bit meh. But I am grateful that I did not allow this to limit me because it turned out to be a really good read.

This book chronicles the quest of Percy Harrison Fawcett to find the lost city of El Dorado which he nicknamed the city of Z. Fawcett had been told of a legendary city so "enormously rich in gold-so much so as to blaze like a fire". This began his life long obsession to find this mythical place. Fawcett started his career at a military post in Ceylon(now Sri Lanka). He embarked on his first South American expedition when he was commissioned by the Royal Geographic Society to map the border between Bolivia and Brazil. It was an arduous trip but he surprised everyone by completing the task in half the estimated time. He later embarked on a mission to find the source of the Rio Verde. It was a hellish trip where he and his crew were ravaged by insects, a brutal trek through the forrest and biting hunger. At a certain point in the journey, they were forced to do away with all but the basic necessities. They even abandoned any food that they could not immediately carry believing that they would be able to live off the land, it was afterall the forest and they assumed that it would be teeming with animals they could hunt and eat. But they discover to their dismay that this forest was inhospitable. The trees drained all the nutrients out of the soil leaving the jungle floor in almost total darkness. Animals avoided the jungle floor and Fawcett and his team found themselves hungry most of the time. But upon returning home from this ordeal he was soon restless again. He said " It was the voice of the wild places and I knew that it was now a part of me forever. Inexplicably-amazing- I knew I loved that hell. Its fiendish grasp had captured me and I wanted to see it again".

Of all the expeditions that Fawcett would embark on, the search of Z would be his most important. He researched and gathered information that he believed suported his theory of Z and after he secured some funding he again set off for the Amazon. He took with him his son Jack and Jack's best friend Raleigh Rimmel. They received a rousing sendoff from the world's media and were treated like celebrities everywhere they went. But once they reached the Amazon and had sent out a few communiques, they were never heard from again.

After the disappearance of the Fawcett party, many initiatives were launched to find them or news of them. Some who survived came back with tales of Fawcett's death by Indians, some said he had been kidnapped by Indians. some even claimed that there was evidence that he had indeed found Z. There was even a proported sighting of a child believed to be Jack Fawcett's son. Someone even claimed to have found Fawcett's bones which later turned out to be the bones of a long dead Indian. This story is fascinating in all its essentials. Its heartbreakingly sad how this man was so consumed by the idea of this city that he followed it to his and his family's destruction. Regardless of how he met his end, we can tell that it was most likely not a happy one. He left behind a wife who died in extreme poverty, a son who continued to seek his father's approval by trying to continue his father's work and a daughter who never got to know her father. It is impossible not to admire many aspects of Fawcett's personality. He was a very hardworker, he was undetered by the constant rejection that he faced in his search to achieve this goal and he serves as a model for never giving up. But in this case, never giving up proves to be his greatest undoing as passion became obssession very quickly. Amazing read that will enlighten you and break your heart at the same time.

97. Night by Elie Wiesel. I am hard pressed to describe this book because it is just that phenomenal. The writing is bare, raw and it is very hard not to shed a tear while reading it. Though you kinda of know how its going to pan out, you still want to believe that it will turn out differently. Wiesel goes from a normal everyday life to hell in a few short months.

At the beginning of the book, he is a young boy whose main goal in life is to become as immersed as possible in the Jewish religion. But when he and his family are moved to the ghettos and eventually the concentrations camps, his old life almost seems like it belonged to another person. There is not much that I can say about this book that has not already been said but it is in my opinion one of the best books I have ever read. It chronicles the slow descent into a nightmare that you cannot understand what you have done to deserve. Even as I write this review,I have to control myself not to get emotional because the memory is still so strong despite the fact that I read it a few days ago.

I "read" this as an audio book and the narrator, George Guidall, was phenomenal. This was my first audio book and what a way to start. I really wish, wish, wish that books like this were things we could read with the assurance that these things will never happen again, alas that is a lie.

The Lost City of Z sounds like a great read. One of my favorite movies about such things is called "At the Mountains of Madness", about the two British explorers who attempted to locate the origin of the Nile river. Very entertaining and informative movie. I know you dig movies, too. So, thought I'd pass that one along for you.

I don't think I will get to The Weight of a Mustard Seedright away because it doesn't get published until March of next year. I want to finish up my TBR pile I set a month or so ago. I have been reading several ER books and want to get back to my stuff. But, who knows, it may call out to me sooner than I think. Thanks again for being my "connection".

I agree with BDB about The Lost City of Z - it does sound like a great read. I would also recommend another exploration movie to you, The Mountains of the Moon, about Burton and Speke.

Yep, I just requested The Lost City of Z at the library. Talk about right up my alley! It's on order, and it looks like I won't get it until late January or early Feb. But at least I'm third in line!

By way of recomendation, have y'all read River of Doubt? It's the story of Teddy Roosevelt's exploration of an uncharted Amazonian river after losing the 1912 election. Great book about a harrowing adventure.

Yet another 'duh' moment for me......this year has been populated with them. I incorrectly named the movie I was talking about (which Ms. Acre has correctly name "The Mountains of the Moon"} for H.P. Lovecraft's classic horror/scifi novel. Both are great experiences but the movie I was describing is the one named by Ms. Acre. (I keep wanting to use the shorthand AA but she's forbidden it!) Thanks for gently straightening me out there!!!!

The Lost City of Z - another stellar review, Trish. Onto the wishlist it goes.

#224 drneutron: I read River of Doubt earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I second your recommendation.

#225 BDB: Hey, everyone is entitled to 'duh' moments (or years as the case may be). I even started a whole thread about them, lol :)

chiming in re. duh moments...I lost my keys today...cannot find them anywhere in the house.

Oh, if only I could find some kind of contraption that I could attach to them and clap my hands to find them.

Since this is the second time this year I've lost an entire set of keys, I really need for find them.

They make gadgets for that, whisper. Here's just one:
http://apexdistribution.stores.yahoo.net/ulkejuwh.html

#229: Ok, now Linda, order at least 2 of those doohickies - one for your keys and one for the doohickie that you will lose, lol.

It's been a long time since I've read Night* by Elie Wiesel, but I really enjoyed it too. Have you read the following two books in the trilogy--Dawn* and The Accident*? I have Dawn*, but I haven't started it yet. Maybe I'll add it to my 2009 TBR list. Btw, congrats on almost making it to 100 books! :)

(*Hmm, for some reason, my touchstones link to a different book. Sorry about that.)

message 230 and 231!

WOW. Thanks! I found my keys today but lost precious reading time locating them.
I am going to get one or two or three of those gadgets. Plus, it will save a lot of frustration for my husband who tries in vain to help me and then gives up, walking away shaking his head!!!

#232: I did not realize that Night was the first book of a trilogy. I will definitely have to find the other two. Thanks for the info!

#231--Absolutely the correct advice! I was given a clapper for my keys, and promptly "lost" both. So now I have something like 6 sets of keys available, and ended up taking 4 to Chicago last weekend, because I couldn't find the first 3 in my bags!

LOL, all this talk about finding keys and lost items is hilarious. I have a bowl by my door that I drop my bunch of keys into once I open the door. That way I never look for my keys. I am also one of those people who gets really neurotic if they cannot find something so I am saving the neighborhood my hysterical crying by being organized.

Saraslibrary--Like Alcot I did not realize that Night was part of a trilogy. I will check the others out though I have to be emotionally prepared cause Night was wrenching for me.

Blackdog-Thanks for the movie recommend. I will definitely check it out. Teddy Roosevelt is mentioned a few times in The Lost City of Z.

Fourpawz--As always thanks a mil for your kind words. My head has now exploded :)

98. The Glister by John Burnside
In Glister we find a book that is trying too hard to be smart. The writing is good enough, the story had potential but somehow it does not really pan out. The basic story is that of a town that is dead both figuratively and physically. The giant plant that once was the lifeblood of the community has been closed after years of polluting the people and their environment. Many of the town's inhabitants are sick or dying of diseases that can be traced back to their association with the plant. Now the town is just a shell that is going through the motions but no one is really doing much but just existing. Into this mix throw in an unscrupulous millionaire, an incompetent police officer, a fourteen year old who is trying to make sense of the happenings around him and the disappearances of young boys that remains unsolved and you have what could have been a really good mystery.

Young boys have been going missing from the town for many years. Not much is done to solve the mystery and the boys are all said to have run away for the bright lights of the big city. The author was able to create a setting that draws you in almost from the start. You feel the deadness and desolation of the town as you read and you feel as creeped out by the place as the author wants you want to. As you read of the disappearances, you let your mind ponder what is going on and your excited to find out the truth behind it all. Though the author sometimes spends too much time on describing scenes or people's thoughts, you still read on because you want to see where this is going. The story keeps getting more and more bizarre as you read but you keep reading because something about this town is very odd so bizarre just seems like something that should happen. But then you finally get to the point where enough is enough and you cannot take anymore. The end was this weird, seemingly supernatural ending that in my opinion was the final nail in this story's coffin. It was a mess and it was too bad that all the potential just went nowhere. I really cannot recommend this to anyone because I am not even sure what happened here.

99. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. This was a most enlightening and interesting read. Though the book is fiction, it draws on the memoirs of Anne Eliza Young who was purported to be Brigham Young's nineteenth wife(I say purported because it appears that he had quite a few and she was probably not really #19 but may have been somewhere around #25) to weave a tale that will captivate you almost from the first page. The story merges the life of Anne Eliza in the past with that of Jordan Scott in the present. Anne Eliza's fame/infamy sprang from her decision to divorce her husband in so public a manner for what she saw as his abandoment and mistreatment of her. She took him to court and wrote a book to discredit him and his polygamous practices. Obviously by so doing she became persona non grata with her former church members and their families. She fought an extensive battle with Brigham Young both in the court of law and in the court of public opinion. Her battle would prove to be instrumental in dismantling polygamy as a major belief system of the Mormon church.

The parallel and present day story that is told alongside Anne Eliza's is that of Jordan Scott whose mother is herself a 19th wife and accused of shooting her husband to death. Years before, Jordan had been abandoned on the side of the road because his father had caught him holding hands with his step sister and the prophet considered this behavior to be inappropriate(by the way he was 14 when this happened). It is important to mention that Jordan's family was considered fundamentalist and not part of the Latter Day Saints(Mormons). His community was headed by a prophet and almost every family was polygamist or soon to be. When Jordan returns to help his mother after her arrest, he is now 20 and still carries with him the scars of his earlier abandonment and ostracism.

Both stories are told side by side with Anne Eliza's story occupying most of the book. Though I found the modern day story interesting, I was not blown away by it. The real genuis is the way in which the author used Anne Eliza's two books, church documents, newspaper reports and people who may have known her to create a portrait of a woman who must be admired for her spunk. I imagine that women's rights were not what they are today and getting a divorce during those times for a woman must have been a difficult venture. With that in mind, I cannot begin to comprehend the guts it must have taken her to get such a public divorce from the leader of a powerful church. Her books, lectures and later works where all driven by what she saw as the unbridled male lust that was manifested in polygamy and the women and children held hostage to this practice.

In my opinion, this is a very well written book that gives you a look into the early history of the Mormon church. Obviously you need to do your own research to find out what is factual and what is fiction. Anne Eliza though very informative on the practices of her church at the time was also a biased author whose anger toward Brigham Young clouded some of her writing. I would highly recommend this book.

Re: Book #99, If you are interested in non-fiction on the LDS church and the practice of plural marriage, I just finished and enjoyed Under the Banner of Heaven by Krakauer. Fair minded book I thought and very informative. Also, The Mormon Murders which also covers the rich and unusual history of the LDS church. Neither is particularly favored by folks in the LDS faith but I found them both interesting and fair.

Thanks for the recommends blackdog, I just picked up a copy of Under the Banner of Heaven.

100. The King's Daughter by Sandra Worth. Elizabeth of York has the rare distinction of having been the daughter of a king, sister of a king, niece of a king, wife of a king and mother of a king. But despite this pedigree, she does not receive the same copious amount of ink as her more famous Tudor relatives like Katherine of Aragorn, Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard or Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth grew up lavished in luxury with a loving father, Edward IV, who was devoted to her and her siblings. Her mother, Bess Woodville, was always something of a dark shadow in her life as she always seemed harsh and solemn as well as schemeing and manipulative. But Elizabeth's life takes a dramatic turn when at seventeen her father dies and her mother makes a grab for the throne,claiming to be securing the title for her son before he came of age. Bess was expressly going against her husband's sanctioned will as he had clearly appointed his brother, Richard III, to the that position. Bess and Richard III would then engage in a tug ot war over whose authority would reign supreme in England. When Bess comes out on the loosing end of the fight, she moves her family to a monastery where she claims sanctuary for herself and her family. Richard III declares himself king on the claim that his brother Edward IV's marriage to Bess Woodville was never valid because Edward IV was already married.

Eventually Bess and Richard III would reconcile and Elizabeth would serve as one of Anne Neville's (Richard's wife) companions. The two women would grow close and Elizabeth would begin to see a different side of Richard III than she had previously believed. She sees him as a man of principle who she had gravely misunderstood. She understands why her father entrusted the throne to him and comes to trust his decision making. She discovers that she has fallen in love with him and his wife Anne encourages this affection as she is herself dying and wants Richard to have a trusthworthy and loyal companion. But that union is not to be because after Anne dies, Richard III loses his hold on the monarchy to a usurper. Henry VII.

From the outset, it becomes obvious very quickly that the author is sympathetic to Richard III. She presents him in a very flattering light and he is seen as a man whose downfall was his trusting nature and desire to do what was right. I thought this was very interesting as I have rarely seen him represented as being so noble. Historians and literature have not been kind to him as he was presented as a hunch backed deformed character whose moral character was questionable.

This book is brilliantly crafted and very well written and every page brings with it more interesting discoveries. I could barely put the book down because Elizabeth was such an interesting character whose assessments of situations and people was very interesting and enlightening. In my opinion, one of the weaknesses of the story was the way in which Richard is presented as almost flawless. This makes his character lack true complexity as he seemed almost one dimensional. Whereas Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort, Bess Woodville and many of the other characters may have had a basic representation in the book, they were allowed dimensions to their personality. For example, though Henry VII was brutal and avaricious, we saw him as having loving moments with his wife and children. But with Richard, it seemed like he was just a bit too perfect. I realize that the story was told through the eyes of Elizabeth who is supposed to be in love with him but it did not seem in line wth her character to not realize and document his failings. And this brings me to another weakness in the book. Elizabeth is supposed to have fallen in love with Richard and that love was the catalyst that made her assent to marry Henry VII despite her misgivings about him. We are led to believe that her love for Ricahrd III, leads her to marry Henry VII because she saw this as a way to save England from it warring past. Respectfully, I just did not buy that story line. Not enough interaction was shown between them for her to suddenly be head over heels with Richard. I understand that she may have come to respect him and see him in a totally different light but I just did not buy that she was in love with Richard. But despite the aforementioned, I thought this was a marvelous read and one of the best books I have read this year. I can't wait to see if the author will explore the Tudors further as her take on history is very, very interesting. Great historical fiction.

#238: Sounds better than anything Philippa Gregory ever wrote! I will definitely look for this one.

Congratulations on reaching 100! And to think, at the outset you weren't sure you'd make 75!

Congratulations on reaching 100!!

congratulations on reaching 100 books!
And, thanks for your excellent review of The King's Daughter. I saw this book at Barnes and Noble and almost bought it. Now, I'll have to go back and get it.

>238 TrishNYC: Trish, Elizabeth of York sounds like a fascinating character and The King's Daughter like something I would enjoy. Thanks for the review.

Could not locate the correct touchstone - see 238 above.

Congrats on the 100!

- TT

Silly me - I paid no attention whatsoever to the fact that you hit 100. Woo Hoo!! Congratulations!

Congratulations on reaching #100!

I am very keen to read The 19th Wife. It sounds very interesting. I'll have to find it in 2009.

I loved your review of The King's Daughter by Sandra Worth. Am off to see if my library has it!

Well, they don't have it but they do have the three from her Rose of York series.
Interesting to see she's a Canadian; have never heard of her!

Congrats on reaching 100. I was very interested to read your review of the Sandra Worth book. I have The Rose of York and when I read it a couple or three years ago I just could not get anywhere near finishing it - though I don't recall just now why I disliked it so - and resolved never to read another one of her books. I respect your opinions and book choices though, Trish, so I'll give it another try.