Smiler's Miscellany: Part Nine

Illustrations by inspirational artist of the month Olaf Hajek



Currently reading, listening to,
and occasionally browsing through:
Avedon Fashion 1944-2000 by Carol Squiers
The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson by David P. Silcox
Amsterdam Stories by Nescio
♫ Muriel Spark: The Complete Short Stories
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (tutored read thread)
River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh
♫ Any Human Heart by William Boyd

            




Favourites of 2012 (4.5 stars and up)
On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry
Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd
L'Assommoir by Émile Zola
Études de Femmes by Honoré de Balzac
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes
Troubles by J. G. Farrell
Letter from an Unknown Woman by Stefan Zweig
Fear by Stefan Zweig
Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman Stefan Zweig
My Letter to the World and Other Poems by Emily Dickinson, Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Stettin Station by David Downing




12/12 Challenge
1. The First Half 1901-1951 8/12
2. Tea with Georgie, Vickie & Eddie - 18th & 19th Century Classics 6/12
3. Picked for me - chosen from my shelves at random by LTers 6/12
4. Guardian Knows Best - Guardian 1000 5/12
5. The Dark Side - Crime & Mystery 10/12
6. Going Places - International authors & places 7/12
7. Young at Heart - Children/YA/Fantasy 9/12
8. Hot Off the Press - Published since 2011 5/12
9. Visual Treats - books on art, photography, design, or just beautiful books 2/12
10. Beyond Fiction - non-fiction 6/12
11. Litérature Française - read in French 4/12
12. From My Treasure-Trove - off the shelf (acquired before 31/12/11) 5/12
Total read: 73/144

Books completed in June
83. ♫ Katherine by Anya Seton ★★★★¼ (review)
84. ♫ Restless by William Boyd ★★★★⅓ (review)
85. ♫ The Suspect by Michael Robotham ★★★★ (review)
86. ♫ Lost by Michael Robotham ★★★⅓ (review)
87. The Observations by Jane Harris ★★★★⅓ (review)
88. ♫ A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch ★★★★⅓ (review coming soon)
89. ♫ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck ★★★★¼ (review coming soon)
89. ♫ The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes ★★★⅓ (review coming soon)
90. ♫ Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (rating & review coming soon)



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

⅛ ¼ ⅓ ½ ¾ ⅞

♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
☀ = TIOLI

Suggested reads for June

☛ ✔ Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (tutored read thread, TIOLI Challenge #17: a book with a prominent tag... etc)
✔ Arabian Nights: Four Tales from a Thousand and One Nights by Marc Chagall (12/12 #3: Picked by Donna828)
☛ The Observations by Jane Harris (TIOLI Challenge #8: a title that has equal or more letters from the second half of the alphabet than from the first half)
☛ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon, TIOLI Challenge #1: third title word has exactly 3 letters)
A Mind of Winter by Shira Nayman (Early Reviewers)
❉ River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh (75ers GR, TIOLI Challenge #8: a title that has equal or more letters from the second half of the alphabet than from the first half)
☛ My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (TIOLI Challenge #3: written by an author who is the younger relative of another published author - Lawrence D.)

Audio possibilities:

☛ ♫ The Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (TIOLI Challenge #11: "sand" or "beach" in the title)
☛ ♫ La confusion des sentiments / Confusion: The Private Papers of Privy Councillor R. von D. by Stefan Zweig (TIOLI Challenge #1: third title word has exactly 3 letters)
☛ ♫ Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (TIOLI Challenge #1: third title word has exactly 3 letters)
☛ ♫ Frederica by Georgette Heyer (TIOLI Challenge #14: One Word Titled Book Written by a Female Author)
☛ ♫ Restless by William Boyd (TIOLI Challenge #8: a title that has equal or more letters from the second half of the alphabet than from the first half)
☛ ♫ The Suspect by Michael Robotham (TIOLI Challenge #8)

♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
❉ = library
℮ = eBook
☛ = TIOLI

2012 Planning

Steinbeckathon:
January: Cannery Row (208*) - Ilana/Smiler69**
February: The Wayward Bus (288) - Mark/msf59
March: The Winter of Our Discontent (304) - Lynda/Carmenere
April: The Moon is Down (112) - Linda/lindapanzo
May: The Grapes of Wrath (496) - Ellen/EBT1002
June: Of Mice and Men (112) - Brit/weejane
July: East of Eden (640) - Ellen
August: The Red Pony (112) - Ilana
September: In Dubious Battle (384) - Mark
October: Tortilla Flat (224) - Tania/wookiebender
November: Travels With Charley and The Pearl (256 + 96) - Ilana
December: Sweet Thursday (288) - Mark

* approximate # of pages
** names indicate who will be heading up the threads.

Anyone is welcome to join in at any point, for as many or as few books as is desired.


Group Reads
January: Orange January, The Secret River by Kate Grenville (75ers), Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
February: Fantasy February, The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
March: Christine Falls by Benjamin Black, The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (12/12), The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
April: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (12/12), David Copperfield (75ers), The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
May: May Murder & Mayhem, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (12/12), A Game of Hide and Seek by Elizabeth Taylor (Virago Modern Classics), Persuasion by Jane Austen (Tutored)
June: River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh (75ers), Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (12/12, tutored read), Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
July: East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon), Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks (12/12), Angel by Elizabeth Taylor (Virago Modern Classics)
August: The Red Pony by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon), Middlemarch by George Eliot (12/12)
September: In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon), Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (12/12)
October: Blindness by José Saramago (12/12), Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon), 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (75ers)
November: Travels With Charley and The Pearl by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)
December: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck (Steinbeckathon)


Books my fellow LT pals picked from my shelves for 12/12:
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood - Picked by MickyFine
Études de Femmes by Honoré de Balzac - Picked by bucket yell
The Global Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger - Picked by msf59
Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Branddon - Picked by avatiakh
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré - Picked by casvelyn
Arabian Nights: Four Tales from a Thousand and One Nights by Marc Chagall - Picked by Donna828
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Picked by DragonFreak
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver - Picked by calm
No Great Mischief by Alasdair MacLeod - Picked by KiwiNyx
The Glass Room by Simon Mawer - Picked by DeltaQueen50
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk - Picked by Deern
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende - Picked by LauraBrook
Blindness by José Saramago - Picked by Whisper1
Caravan of Dreams of Idries Shah - Picked by PiyushChourasia
The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) by Jonathan Stroud - Picked by -Eva-
Candide by Voltaire - Picked by Fourpawz2
Native Son by Richard Wright - Picked by EBT1002
Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman - Picked by bohemima

Books Read in 2012:

January
1. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin ★★★★⅓ (review) ☀
2. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett ★★★★ (review) ☀
3. ♫ Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson ★★★ (review) ☀
4. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi ★★★¾ (review) ☀
5. ♫ Fight Club by Chuck Palaniukh ★★★½ (review) ☀
6. The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF's 40th Anniversary by Reading Is Fundamental ★★★★ (review)
7. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck ★★★★⅓ (review) ☀
8. ♫ To Fear a Painted Devil by Ruth Rendell ★★★⅓ (review) ☀
9. No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey ★★★¾ (review) ☀
10. ♫ Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick ★★★★ (review) ☀
11. From the Mouth of the Whale by Sjón ★★★ (review) ☀
12. ♫ On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry ★★★★½ (review) ☀
13. ♫ The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo ★★★ (review) ☀
14. ♫ Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson ★★★★⅓ (review) ☀
15. ♫ Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd ★★★★½ (review) ☀
16. Paris: Made by Hand by Pia Jane Bijkerk ★★★★ (review) ☀
Madlenka's Dog by Peter Sís ★★★★ (review)
Madlenka Soccer Star by Peter Sís ★★★ (comments)
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling, Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney ★★★★ (comments)
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say ★★★½ (comments)
17. ♫ The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West ★★★⅞ (review)

Unfinished
♫ Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
♫ Soulless by Gail Carriger

February
18. L'Assommoir by Émile Zola ★★★★½ (review) ☀
19. ♫ The Quiet American by Graham Greene ★★★ (review) ☀
20. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole ★★★★ (review) ☀
21. ♫ The Difference Engine by William Gibson ★★½ (review) ☀
22. The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck ★★★★⅓ (review) ☀
23. ♫ Rebeccaby Daphne du Maurier ★★★★⅓ (review) ☀
24. Drawing from Memory by Allen Say ★★★ (review) ☀
25. The Secret River by Kate Grenville ★★★★ (review) ☀
26. Le vieux chagrin by Jacques Poulin ★½ (review) ☀
27. The Seeing Stone by Holly Black, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi ★★★⅞ (review) ☀
28. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sís ★★★★ (review)
29. ♫ Doomsday Book by Connie Willis ★★★ (review) ☀
30. ♫ Études de Femmes by Honoré de Balzac ★★★★½ (review) ☀
31. ♫ The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark ★★★¾ (review) ☀
32. ♫ The City & The City by China Miéville ★★★★ (review) ☀

March
33. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh ★★★★½ (review) ☀
34. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman ★★★★ (review) ☀
35. On Cats by Doris Lessing ★★★★ (review) ☀
36. ♫ Dracula by Bram Stoker ★★★★ (review) ☀
37. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck ★★★ (review) ☀
38. ♫ The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins ★★★★½ (review) ☀
39. ♫ Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen ★★★★⅛ (review) ☀
40. The Dream Stealer by Sid Fleischman, Illustrated by Peter Sís ★★★★ (review)
13 Words by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Maira Kalman ★★★★ (review)
41. ♫ This Sceptred Isle Vol 3: The Black Prince to Henry VIII 1327-1547 by Christopher Lee ★★★★ (review)
42. ♫ A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes ★★★★½ (review)
43. Troubles by J. G. Farrell ★★★★½ (review)
44. ♫ Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon ★★★★⅓ (review)
45. ♫ Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley ★★★★⅓ (review)
46. ♫ The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura ★★★ (review)
47. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi ★★★⅞ (review)

April
48. ♫ Death and Judgment by Donna Leon ★★★½ (review)
49. The Last Song by Eva Wiseman ★★★★ (review)
50. ♫ Letter from an Unknown Woman by Stefan Zweig ★★★★½ (review)
51. ♫ Fear by Stefan Zweig ★★★★½ (review)
52. A Murder of Quality by John Le Carré ★★★★ (review)
53. Call for the Dead by John le Carré ★★★½ (review)
54. The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin by Peter Sís ★★★½ (review)
55. ♫ David Copperfield by Charles Dickens ★★★★ (review)
56. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler ★★★★ (review)
57. ♫ The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ★★★★⅓ (review)
58. My Letter to the World and Other Poems by Emily Dickinson, Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault ★★★★★ (review)
59. Selected Poems by Roger McGough ★★★¾ (review)
60. ♫ The Great Poets: W. B. Yeats ★★★½ (review)
61. ♫ Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of a Woman Stefan Zweig ★★★★½ (review)
62. Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei by Peter Sis ★★★★ (review)
63. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck ★★★★⅓ (review)
64. ♫ Running Blind / The Visitor by Lee Child ★★★★ (review)
65. ♫ The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carré ★★★⅓ (review)
66. ♫ The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark ★★½ (review)
67. ♫ Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper ★★★★ (review)
68. The Global Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger ★★★½ (review)
69. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery ★★★⅓ (review)

May
70. ♫ The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark ★★★ (review)
71. ✔ Queenpin by Megan Abbott ★★★½ (review)
72. ♫ The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye ★★★★ (review)
73. ♫ The Crazy Kill by Chester Himes ★★★½ (review)
74. ♫ The Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri ★★★½ (review)
75. ✔ The Glass Room by Simon Mawer ★★★★⅓ (review)
76. Selected Poems by Carol Ann Duffy ★★½ (review)
77. ♫ The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux ★★★ (review)
78. ♫ Stettin Station by David Downing ★★★★½ (review)
79. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan ★★★⅓ (review)
80. ♫ The Maze Runner by James Dashner ★★⅞ (review)
81. ♫ Persuasion by Jane Austen ★★★★ (review)
82. A Game of Hide and Seek by Elizabeth Taylor ★★½ (review)



Books with touchstones are rated 4.5 stars and up.

(Some of the) Books I'd like to read in 2012 (ambitious list, as always)

✔ Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
✔ The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
✔ The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
✔ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
✔ East of Eden by John Steinbeck
✔ The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck
✔ Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
✔ Christine Falls by Benjamin Black
✔ The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
✔ The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
♫ David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
✔ Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
✔ A Game of Hide and Seek by Elizabeth Taylor
✔ Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
✔ Angel by Elizabeth Taylor
✔ Blindness by José Saramago
✔ Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood
✔ ♫ Études de Femmes by Honoré de Balzac
✔ The Global Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger
✔ ♫ Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Branddon
✔ Arabian Nights: Four Tales from a Thousand and One Nights by Marc Chagall
✔ Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
✔ The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
✔ No Great Mischief by Alasdair MacLeod
✔ The Glass Room by Simon Mawer
✔ ♫ Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
✔ Le Grand livre de la tendresse by Jacques Salomé -unfinished
✔ Caravan of Dreams of Idries Shah
✔ The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
✔ Candide by Voltaire
✔ Native Son by Richard Wright
✔ Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
❉ Une page d'amour by Émile Zola
✔ Nana by Émile Zola
✔ Pot-Bouille by Émile Zola
❉ Au Bonheur des Dames by Émile Zola
❉ La joie de vivre by Émile Zola
❉ Old Filth by Jane Gardam
✔ Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
✔ The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
✔ Living Well is the Best Revenge by Calvin Tomkins
✔ Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
✔ Troubles by J. G. Farrell
✔ A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
✔ A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
✔ Queenpin by Megan Abbott
✔ ♫ Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
✔ ♫ Persuasion by Jane Austen
✔ Timbuktu by Paul Auster
✔ Moon Palace by Paul Auster
✔ Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
✔ Jamrach's Menagerie Carol Birch
✔ The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
✔ Angels & Insects by A. S. Byatt
✔ Possession by A. S. Byatt
✔ Call for the Dead by John le Carré
✔ A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
✔ ♫ The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré
✔ The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
✔ ♫ Running Blind by Lee Child
✔ ♫ A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
✔ The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
✔ The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble
✔ Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
✔ Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
✔ Atonement by Ian McEwan
✔ Music & Silence by Rose Tremain
✔ The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
✔ ♫ Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
♫ 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
✔ The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith

Strikes are for books read so far.

♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
❉ = library
℮ = eBook

Books Acquired in 2012




January
1. ♫ Persuasion by Jane Austen (Au) - Read in May
2. ♫ Just Kids by Patti Smith (Au)
3. A Murder of Quality and Call for the Dead by John le Carré (CI) - Read in April
4. ♫ Soulless by Gail Carriger (Au) - Unfinished
5. The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck (BD) - Read in February
6. An Ermine of Czernopol by Gregor von Rezzori (BD)
7. A Russian Journal by John Steinbeck and Cornell Cappa (BD)
8. The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey (BD)

February
9. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (BD) - Read in March
10. ♫ Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Au) - Read in February
11. ♫ Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds (Au)
12. At Large and at Small — Confessions of a Literary Hedonist by Anne Fadiman (CI)
13. Emma by Jane Austen (White's Fine Edition) (BD)
14. Hella Jongerius: Misfit by Louise Schouwenberg (CI)
15. The Bay of Angels by Anita Brookner (BWB)
16. Leaving Home by Anita Brookner (BWB)
17. ♫ This Sceptred Isle Vol 1 by Christopher Lee (Au) - Read in February
18. ♫ Dracula by Bram Stoker (Au) - Read in March
19. ♫ This Sceptred Isle Vol 2 by Christopher Lee (Au) - Read
20. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (White's Fine Edition) (BD)
21. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (White's Fine Edition) (CI)
22. Emma by Jane Austen (Penguin Threads) (BD)
23. The Secret Garden (Penguin Threads) (BD)
24. Black Beauty (Penguin Threads) (BD)
25. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck (BD)
26. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (BD)
27. ♫ Bleak House by Charles Dickens (Au)
28. ♫ The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh (Au)
29. ♫ 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Au)
30. ♫ Middlemarch by George Eliot (Au)
31. ♫ The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (Au) - Read in March

March
32. ♫ Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (Au)
33. ♫ The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (Au) - Read in April
34. ♫ Muriel Spark: The Complete Short Stories (Au)
35. ♫ Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey
36. ♫ This Sceptred Isle, Volume 3: 1327-1547 by Christopher Lee (Au) - Read in March
37. ♫ Elizabeth I by Margaret George (Au)
38. ♫ I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (Au)
39. ♫ Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (Au)
40. ♫ The Once and Future King by T. H. White (Au)
41. ♫ The Great Poets: W. B. Yeats by W. B. Yeats (Au) - Read in April
42. ♫ A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes (Au) - Read in March
43. ♫ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Au)
44. ♫ The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (Au) - Read in May
45. ♫ The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Au) - Read in April
46. ♫ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Au)
47. ♫ The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura (Au) - Read in March
48. ♫ The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll (Au)
49. ♫ Pavane by Keith Roberts (Au)
50. ♫ Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson (Au)
51. ♫ A Burnt-Out Case by Gramam Greene (Au)
52. ♫ Death and Judgment by Donna Leon (Au) - Read in April
53. ♫ The Crazy Kill by Chester Himes (Au) - Read in May
54. ♫ An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo (Au)
55. ♫ The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats compiled by John Kavanagh (Au)
56. ♫ Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (Au)
57. ♫ This Sceptred Isle Vol 4: Elizabeth I to Cromwell 1547-1660 by Christopher Lee (Au)
58. ♫ This Sceptred Isle Vol 5: Restoration and Glorious Revolution 1660-1702 by Christopher Lee (Au)

April
59. ♫ David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (Au) - Read in April
60. Paul Klee: Selected by Genius, 1917-1933 (CI)
61. The Siege of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell (BD)
62. Amsterdam Stories by Nescio (BD)
63. ♫ Life by Keith Richards
64. ♫ The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
65. ♫ Birds of a Feather Jackeline Winspear
66. ♫ White Butterfly: An Easy Rawlins Mystery by Walter Mosley
67. The Observations by Jane Harris (AZ vendor) - Read in June
68. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
69. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (pre-order)
70. The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., Illustrated by Maira Kalman
71. Karl Blossfeldt by Hans Christian Adam
72. Selected Poems by T. S. Eliot
73. Selected Poems by W. H. Auden
74. Selected Poems by W. B. Yeats
75. Selected Poems by John Betjeman
76. Great Fashion Designs of the Fifties Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney

May
77. Great Fashion Designs of the Forties by Tom Tierney (BD)
78. Classic Fashions of Christian Dior by Tom Tierney (BD)
79. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (BD)
80. ♫ Sons by Pearl S. Buck
81. ♫ The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay
82. ♫ The Maze Runner by James Dashner - Read in May
83. The Sun King by Nancy Mitford (BD)
84. ♫ Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
85. ♫ Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
86. ♫ A Matter of Justice by Charles Todd
87. ♫ Frederica by Georgette Heyer
88. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Folio Society Edition) (eBay)
89. ♫ Katherine by Anya Seton - Read in June

June
90. ♫ A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde
91. ♫ The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
92. ♫ A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch
93. ♫ The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes
94. ♫ Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
95. ♫ All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West
96. ♫ Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper
97. ♫ King Richard III by William Shakespeare
98. ♫ A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
99. ♫ Othello by William Shakespeare (full cast)
100. ♫ The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Wall
101. ♫ A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
102. Naked: The Nude In America by Bram Dijkstra (CI)
103. Alice Neel: Painted Truths by Barry Walker (CI)
104. Guy Bourdin: In Between by Shelly Verthime (CI)
105. The Tulip Anthology Ron van Dongen (CI)
106. A Café on the Nile by Bartle Bull (Abe)

♫ = Audible
BD = BookDepository
CI = ChaptersIndigo
BWB = Better World Books
Abe = AbeBooks
AZ = Amazon

Books Read from My Shelves in 2012




January
1. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (entry date: 2011-09-09)
2. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (entry date: 2008-12-16)
3. ♫ Fight Club by Chuck Palaniukh (entry date: 2011-03-09)
4. ♫ Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (entry date: 2011-09-18)
5. Paris: Made by Hand by Pia Jane Bijkerk (entry date: 2009-05-20)

February
6. L'Assommoir by Émile Zola (entry date: 2010-10-15)
7. ♫ The Difference Engine by William Gibson (entry date: 2011-06-11)
8. ♫ The Quiet American by Graham Greene (entry date: 2011-10-30)
9. ♫ Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (entry date: 2011-06-16)
10. The Secret River by Kate Grenville (entry date: 2009-05-26)
11. ♫ Études de Femmes by Honoré de Balzac (entry date: 2011-06-23)
12. ♫ The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark (entry date: 2011-03-30)

March
13. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (entry date: 2008-11-12)
14. Troubles by J. G. Farrell (entry date: 2011-09-14)
15. ♫ Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (entry date: 2011-02-18)
16. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (entry date: 2011-01-13)

April
17. ♫ The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carré (entry date: 2011-03-12)
18. The Global Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger (entry date: 2010-08-26)
19. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (entry date: 2010-10-12)

May
20. Queenpin by Megan Abbott (entry date: 2011-05-05)
21. The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (entry date: 2011-05-30)
22. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (entry date: 2011-03-09)

Lovely new thread, Ivana. Love the pictures at the top.

Nice new thread! Great pics up top - love the middle one most.

#9 Welcome Roni! That was quick! :-)

eta: I'm sure you meant Ilana with an "L", right? ;-)

#10 Hi Mamie, I'm still setting up this space, so there'll be more to come soon enough. I also plan on writing a bunch of reviews today to close off May. We'll see how that goes...

Love the illustrations, Ilana! Looking forward to hearing what you thought of Persuasion.

Hi Joe, I'll try to get on it today. Already near 3 and so much to do... ACK!!!!

Hah! I know that ACK!!!! feeling. No worries.

Lovely new thread.
I see the book I picked out for you for 12/12 hasn't made it to the top of the list yet.....

I'm looking forward to lurking on your tutored read of Wolf Hall, Ilana. Thanks to you and Suzanne for making it happen!

Hey, Ilana, want me to take a stab at setting up the thread for Of Mice and Men? I think I could do it.......

Hi, Ilana! Those illustrations are gorgeous - I love the one in the middle!

76. Selected Poems by Carol Ann Duffy ★★½

Mostly, I don't know why I forced myself to read on through this selection of bleak and depressing free verse poems, most of which made me think of fragments of nightmares. I got this book because I'd come across Carol Ann Duffy when I purchased a beautifully illustrated children's book called The Gift (which I've yet to read) and thought I may as well get a feel for her poetry first. This book seemed like a good choice because it's a selection from her first four acclaimed volumes, Standing Female Nude (1985), Selling Manhattan (1987), The Other Country (1990) and Mean Time (1993) and finally a few selections from The World's Wife (1999), my favourite entries by far. In truth I mostly got this particular volume because I loved the cover designed by Petra Borner, an artist I've profiled on a pervious thread. There was one poem, also bleak, but quite beautiful, one of the few which made me think "ah, this is why I've plodded on!", but I didn't mark the page, and just now the thought of having to read through some likely candidates and tripping over so many jagged corners of consciousness was more than I could bear. So instead, the final poem, because it made me smile, taken from The World's Wife which includes entries by Mrs Midas, Mrs Lazarus, Mrs Aesop and Queen Kong:

Mrs Darwin

7 April 1852.
Went to the Zoo.
I said to Him —
Something about that Chimpanzee over there reminds
me of you.

#17 Oops, sorry I missed you Liz. I'm hell bent on getting a few reviews done and over with. Only 6 more to go. Wish me luck! :-)

I see why you were lured into buying the book because of the cover-I love that cover, too. Beautiful!

77. ♫ Le mystère de la chambre jaune / The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux ★★★
(Read for 12/12 Challenge #11: Litérature Française - read in French)

A woman, the daughter of a famous French professor, utters a chilling scream. She is locked into her bedroom, and by the time the door is broken down, she is found unconscious, almost dead, with a terrible head wound. But who could have been her attacker? He could have had no means of entering or exiting the room unseen, and the only clues he's left behind are his victim and a bloody handprint on the wall. The young reporter Joseph Rouletabille makes his way to the scene of the crime with the firm intention of solving the mystery. Slow and plodding step by slow and plodding step.

This book is famous as having been is one of the first locked room mystery crime fiction novels, published in France in 1907. Agatha Christie was reportedly an admirer of the novel and early on in her writing career said she'd like to write something taking a similar approach. I was certainly intrigued at the beginning and found the various elements of the story intriguing, such as the place of the crime: a French château, and the main protagonists: a woman well passed her prime, working as a scientist and soon to be married; her suspected fiancé; Rouletabille, the 18-year-old journalist. I guess I don't have the makings of a locked room mystery fan, because I got bored with all the minute details of the story and found the ending anticlimactic at best.

Hi Ilana, while you're working on reviews, I'll just enjoy reading your thread. Two votes for the middle illustration so far. I'm fascinated by the one on the left. I often feel as if my brain is sprouting branches with all the reading I've been doing.

Yay! You're going to read "my" book in June. I hope you like it. I know you'll enjoy the pictures by Chagall.

78. ♫ Stettin Station by David Downing ★★★★½
(Read for 12/12 Challenge #5: The Dark Side)

The third book in the John Russell WWII series takes place in 1941. The Nazis have started shipping trainloads of Jews to unknown parts, though Russell suspects it can't be anywhere good. Hitler's troops are fighting in Russia, but the best information he and the other foreign reporters can get is that the Germans are only willing to concede one victory after another. John's actress girlfriend Effi keeps being offered parts in movies with blatant propagandist scenarios and the latest script would have her interpreting the role of a deviant Jewish woman who cheats on her Nazi husband, but can she refuse it without offending Goebbels and getting in trouble? Finally, after one of his spying missions goes horribly wrong, John is forced to escape Berlin, and Effi surprises him with her foresight and resourcefulness, but will they managed to leave together unscathed?

This was by far the most thrilling book in the series so far, and Downing plunges us into an entirely believable recreation of WWII Berlin, where the small pleasures of life can still be found even as the horrors of the war keep piling up. I mostly feel frustrated that I've let too much time go by since I finished listening to the audiobook, because the details have faded from memory and no wikipedia page means no memory aid, so I see I can't come close to doing justice to this great addition to an excellent series. Just start with Zoo Station and make your way to this one and I'm sure you'll be glad you did.

#22 Hi Donna, yes, I ended up choosing your book this month for the simple reason that I've got my plate full already with the tutored read of Wolf Hall and wanted something not too demanding from the list. I've had this one for a long time and I look forward to cracking it open. In fact, I'll go pull it down from the top shelf before the night is over as a start.




Well, I fully intended to write reviews for the last 4 novels read in May, but my brain won't cooperate. I'm tired and cranky and this is feeling more like homework than it really ought to, and meanwhile I've got the excellent Grapes of Wrath movie still sitting there, already overdue at the library as of today, and suddenly I want to watch it more than anything. So off I go then!

I must start the Downing series, I've got the first book and hoped to read it in May but never got there. Love your exotic bursts of colour in the opening post.

Hi Ivana, I'm sorry Ilana! I love the colorful new thread. I'm glad you enjoyed the 3rd John Russell book and I am glad these work on audio because that is how I will approach the 2nd in the series.
BTW- I am hosting a G.R. of 1Q84 in October. If you want to add it to your list.

Wow - 26 posts already. Congrats on the busy new thread. Know what you mean with Duffy. Not a free verse fan if I'm honest as some of it seems lazy and barely deserving of being called poetry. Bit of a traditionalist myself to be truthful but she does occasionally strike a chord but is far from a favourite of mine.

*Views top of thread*

*Faints*

I'll be studying these pictures and this artist this month; thank you for something new and fresh to comtemplate.

xo

Hi Ilana, I hope you are enjoying The Grapes of Wrath movie. My mother told me that she had the biggest crush on Henry Fonda back in the day.

I am another one who will be lurking on your Tutored thread of Wolf Hall since I decided at the last minute to join in the Group Read over at the 12-12. With both your tutored thread and the group read, I figured this was the time to pull this one down from the shelf.

wow it's busy around here! Lovely new thread, love the art!

Oh, new thread. And reviews!
I admit I was a bit sad we have to leave the pink flowery May thread, but you selected just another set of beautiful illustrations for June.

I quite liked the Duffy poems I read so far, although I don't remember a special one. But possibly they are bleak - with poems I am glad if I can understand one without using my dictionary, and I'd agree hers are 'accessible', i.e. easy to understand. Must reread some to see if my impression is still the same.

The Agatha Christie novel must be Hercule Poirot's Christmas I think, screaming victim, room locked from the inside. I'll put the Yellow Room on my 'maybe list'. Or I'll just read the plot on wikipedia and reread the Christie.

One of those days I must start the Station series.

I am currently listening to Bring Up the Bodies and will certainly reread WH again afterwards. Or I'll get the audio, because I love having ButB read to me. I'll follow the tutored thread anyway.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I, too, love the middle picture up-top and there are elements of the one on the left I like, but over-all am afraid that one gives me a case of the mild heebie-jeebies.

I was almost all the way through your previous thread when I jumped ship to come over here and start fresh. Wishing you continued good luck with medicating Mr. Ezra. Wish I could make Willie lay down on his back. He doesn't like that position - probably feels too vulnerable that way. From my experience with him the only way to get pills into him is the ol' crush-the-pill-and-hide-it-in-the-victim's-food gambit. Am always fearful that one of these times he is going to figure it out.

I have a guilty secret which I am about to reveal. I think one of my favourite activities of all is not actually reading; it is looking around for books. It must be my favourite activity, because I spend an incredible amount of time doing it. I used to think it was a shopping obsession, but no. I've just spent several hours on the library site scoping out audiobooks. One can't do a general search for audiobooks without entering specific titles, but I found out that by entering the audiobook publisher names, I got the same results. Hours upon hours of adding titles to my wishlist, many of which I already have in book form in fact. Now my dirty secret is out I hope I won't be judged too harshly.

#25 Kerry, do try to make room for Zoo Station this month. It's an excellent book and I'm now so engrossed in the series I can't wait to get my hands on book #4, Potsdam Station.

#26 Thanks for reminding me about 1Q84. I'll add it to the list presently. Of course I'll be glad to join in for that one. You'll find the John Russell series works very well on audio, as it is narrated by the excellent Simon Prebble, one of my favourite readers these days.

#27 Paul, as you know I'm fairly new to poetry, and have yet to earn true respect for free verse. Some of it works, but a lot of it strikes me as you've described it.

Also sometimes,
seems like normal prose, just
broken up
into interesting
sentences.

See? I'm a free verse poet now too! ;-)

#28 *Takes out smelling salts to revive Gail*

What made you faint my dear? I'm glad you enjoy Olaf Hajek's work too. He's apparently quite a famous illustrator, but I only discovered him this week and I'm sure glad I did. I collected dozens of his images into a folder and will be posting a bunch of them on my blog sometime this month.

#29 Judy, I can see why your mum would have had a crush on Henry Fonda back then. He was a very attractive man and I was quite astounded when I saw him at first with those shiny baby blues! To be perfectly honest, I can't say I loved the movie. It was very good, but one of the things I loved about the book was the way it alternated between the Joads and a more general outlook on the conditions in America at the time. I'm glad I saw it, but while I'm sure I'll be picking up the book again in future, I doubt I'll be dying to see the movie again.

#30 Hi Chelle, thanks for dropping by. Glad you like the artwork!

#31 Nathalie, I briefly considered posting some b&w photos by Richard Avedon to start my thread this month, because I really want to give myself a push and finish reading his book this month and of course he was a brilliant photographer, but I thought it would look a bit sad after all the pinkness of last month. Seems like I made the right choice when I read your impressions.

I'll be interested to read Carol Ann Duffy's The World's Wife collection and am considering purchasing the book eventually since they don't have it at the library and I liked the few poems that were included in this collection enough to want to keep them around.

I looked for Hilary Mantel's last two books on Audible of course, but seems they aren't available in Canada. Pshoo! That being said, I would have needed the print copy anyway so I could quote sections on the tutoring thread. I'll be reading chapter 2 right after this!

#32 Hi Charlotte! Glad you climbed on board, though I'm sorry if the images aren't really working for you.

Ezra is a most strange cat, as I've probably mentioned before. He has obvious trust issues, yet, he'll readily let me pick him up and flip him on his back, then let himself be handled every which way. So I think I really found the trick to short-circuit his aggressive tendencies whenever I try to handle his mouth with this whole coddling thing, then quick pill insertion, then right back to stroking him into a blissful state. That's what I've been doing these past few days anyway, and if I play my cards right, he might eventually come to like being pilled so he can enjoy his little ritual. No hopes of ever hiding meds in his food though, because he's not overly fond of the wet food I put out twice daily and tends to work up his appetite for the nightly portions of dried kibble. So while I'm glad that the pill insertion is working lately, I have yet to see (or rather NOT see) positive results.

I hope for your sake things continue well with Willie.

Hi Ilana!
Thought of you as I was working at the book signing today. Dahlov Ipcar - reprinting another beautifully illustrated children's book.
That opening picture up top - the middle one - reminds me of her type of artwork.

Nice reviews! - take a break. Can't get everything done all at once and take it from me, you are hard to keep up with! See? Even you are having a hard time with that ;-)

Sleep well - tomorrow's another day. Hugs.

#35 Claudia, I was just now having a bit of a fight with myself. I'm way behind on everybody's threads and haven't been visiting nearly enough these days, but at the same time my bed time is nearing and I want to get some reading done. Hard choices I tell 'ya! But I think this time the reading will win out, because I've got some tutoring to keep up with!

Lucky you that you got to see the new Dahlov Ipcar book. I've no doubt it must be a beauty!

Ilana - hope you are having a great weekend. Love your free verse poem and I'm sure that we could get it published. When I was new to LT I noticed that Kath's thread is written in free verse and don't see much difference between her approach and Duffys - except for a laureate I suppose.
Your "guilty secret" does not surprise me nor does my own confession that I am similarly afflicted!

Well, I hope that little ritual with Ezra helps. Nothing like a bit of affection to make the medicine go down.....

Mark sent me his copy of Zoo Station and I will get to it in July if not in June. Clearly the series is worth starting!

#37 Paul, I'm convinced that if I spent as much time reading as I do looking for books, I might get as much reading done as Suzanne. Or maybe not quite, but you get the idea...

#38 Ellen, I'm pretty sure Mark will have helped make another convert to the John Russell series. Looking forward to seeing what you think of it!

Ilana, nice to know that I am in such good company - I have the same affliction as you and Paul. I would guess it is more common than you would think, especially here on LT. Even when we visit someplace like Biltmore or Monticello, I find my self fantasizing about sitting uninterrupted in the library and making a list of all the books I would like to borrow!

Oh good! I'm glad to know it's not just me Mamie. Sometimes I imagine that everyone else is spending the best of their time reading and that I'm the only one who does so much around the activity of reading with barely anytime at all devoted to actually cracking open a book! :-)






Well, goodness knows it's taken me long enough to get this together, but I finally posted my latest nude painting project on my blog. On BOTH my blogs actually, which is one of the reasons it took me so long to get the whole blasted thing published. But you only need one link to view it all: http://createthreesixty5.com/2012/06/03/volume-and-roundness-aka-julie/

Hi Ilana!
Following the progress of your nude on your blog, I can see this project was a lot of work. Very proud of your progress and artistic expression...
I'm no art critic so I don't know all the adjectives and specific language I should use... but IMHO - Ya done good! You surely have talent - keep it going!

Since I am only good at stick figures, I'm thinking I might benefit from lessons of roundness and volume ;-) Then again, I might not.

Ilana - hahaha the wondrous world of collecting books, guilty pleasures indeed. Don't think I could match Suz if I did nothing else but read. Could probably get to 250 books a year at half her pace but I don't think I'd do better than that.

Love the nude Ilana with my unpractised eye - I was horrified for a moment as I thought it was someone I knew!

Beautiful painting, Ilana!

Gorgeous voluptuous nude, Ilana! Just saying a quick 'hello' - so far behind on you lovely new thread already! Yikes!

Ilana, I love the nude. Very womanly. I like that.

*waving by*

And by the way, like the nude, but then I generally like all nudes for they are, well, nude!

#42 Thanks Claudia. Most of the people I take classes with don't know how to talk about art either. They're just regular folks who are willing to explore a little. Maybe something to consider?

#43 Paul, you're a funny guy. The likelihood of me painting someone you know being one in a gazillion maybe!

#44 Thanks Darryl. The more I look at it, the more I see how much work it still needs though.

#45 Hi Prue!

#46 Ellen, I had to take it in a taxi to bring it home. Of course the cab driver had a good look at it, and he went on and on about how interesting it was that a woman would paint a nude of another woman. PUH-LEASE! It was really awkward, I mean MORE awkward even by virtue of the fact that I had to sit up front with him as the painting would only fit in the back. Next time I'll take the subway with my nude paintings. There might be a lot of weirdos on public transit, but at least they're not likely to talk to me there!

#47 Hi Piyush! It's a funny thing when you take art classes with nude models, because when you're working on them, you stop seeing a naked body and instead you see shapes and areas of light and darkness and what have you. It rarely occurs to me that people would respond to a painting by virtue of it being of an unclothed body, but then, I'm not exactly normal.




Today I forced myself to go to art class. There were a couple of discussions online last night, both here and on my blog that brought up a lot of conflicting and troubling emotions and sent me into a deep funk. On Darryl's thread, I caught up on a couple of week's worth of convo about relationships and dating, which... let's say it's a subject that is best I avoid altogether, though goodness knows I could write several books on the subject, and then on my blog someone older than me was saying he'd given up painting and his response when I asked him why made me wonder about my own efforts. I cried so much my eyes were painful slits today. But I did go to my abstract watercolours class all the same. So that was an achievement in and of itself. Had a long nap tonight, which is rare these days, but I couldn't stay awake. Still I'm exhausted so will sign off in a moment.

I'm making VERY slow progress on Wolf Hall, but Suz's tutoring is very helpful and I'm able to appreciate what a great writer Hilary Mantel is this second time around, and also how much humour there is in this book, which I didn't pick up on the first time. Am halfway through Restless by William Boyd. It's my second book by him and there is not a doubt that I'll be picking up more. He's a fabulous writer and writes female characters very convincingly, methinks. I'm also really enjoying The Observations by Jane Harris. It's turning out to be one of my favourite books so far, so I can't imagine what Gillespie and I will be like, wow!

Hi Ilana. Going back to your last thread I just wanted to say that I struggled with A Game of Hide and Seek by Elizabeth Taylor too and in fact, I'm still only a third of the way through. I can't figure out why I couldn't get into this one because I've loved the other ET books I've read. The incredibly painful/agonising romance-type storyline at the beginning might have put me off - I don't like being reminded of how awful it felt to be a teenager! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that hopefully we will both enjoy our next book by Elizabeth Taylor more.

#21 Well, I seem to be lapping up early detective/crime novels at the moment so I'm going to add that one as I can download a kindle copy for free :-)

#23 Must get round to the John Russell series....

#41 I saw your blog posts but for some reason didn't comment (why?) so I will take the opportunity of saying now that I love the image you posted above (is that week 4 from your blog?)

#48 Well done on going to art class despite not feeling good - it is an achievement. (Sorry if that sounds patronising but I know how easy it is to discount small achievements like that.) I hope you feel better soon.

I don't think I'd noticed all the humour in Wolf Hall the first time I read it either - I think all my brain energy was taken up in trying to keep track of everyone and everything. Glad the tutored read is helpful and I'm doing a happy dance because you're enjoying Jane Harris. William Boyd's going on my list - sounds very appealing from what you've written. I even have a really old copy of A Good Man in Africa which I've just added to my 'To Read Next' collection as a reminder (this currently contains 60+ books though..... help!)

I haven't started Wolf Hall yet so I'm letting the Tutored Read thread languish. Plan to catch up big time when I start the actual novel.

That cab ride sounds terribly uncomfortable. Ugh.

Ilana, I don't know who on your blog made you cry, but I want to knock him upside the head. I'm no critic nor an expert, but I do know that your art is interesting, often beautiful, always a pleasure to view. And it gives you pleasure to make the art. That counts for something, does it not?

{{{{{Ilana}}}}}

#49 Hi Heather, always nice to get a visit from you. I think my struggles with A Game of Hide and Seek was that the entire story was based on that initial teenage crush and it felt uncomfortable throughout. Also, I didn't care at all for any of the characters. But knowing you aren't taken by it either actually makes me want to read Elizabeth Taylor MORE because you've written such glowing reviews about her other books and I feel the chances are we'll be on the same page, so to speak. It's normal not to be in love with every single book an author has written, imho.

I don't expect everyone to reply to my blog posts. In fact, at least with the blog I can see how many visitors I've had, so even though most people are lurkers, at least I know people have dropped by (unlike here on LT). The preview I showed here was from week 4. I meant for it to be just that: a preview, and hoped people would go see the post to see the steps it went through and also because it took soooo much work to get those posts up, but oh well.

I didn't feel like your comment was patronizing because I know you understand the kind of difficulties I face, no troubles.

A Good Man in Africa was the first novel by William Boyd that went on my wishlist, quite a few years ago now. I'll get to it eventually, but chances are my next book by him will probably be Any Human Heart if only because it's available on audio.

#50 Ellen, be prepared for quite a lot of reading on the Wolf Hall thread when you get there. Suz has been providing a lot of historical background, and I've been asking A LOT of questions, though I'm only just under 50 pages into the book at this stage.

The discussion started on my blog and the man I was exchanging with were not at all mean or offensive or anything like that. I've "known" Jonas through blogging for quite a few years now, and he's a lovely man and very sensitive. He had simply responded to a post I wrote about painting in oils, saying he had taught himself to paint with oils and used to enjoy it a lot, and when I asked him why the past tense, he said he'd take the time to mull it over as it gave him a lot of food for thought, and came back to me with a link to his own blog where he'd posted his answer. There was nothing offensive or mean in the least with what he said, only that it made me sad that he felt he shouldn't keep pursuing painting and writing poetry because he'd never be a real poet or artist. It made me reflect on my own efforts and tapped into my own insecurities about why I even make art at all, that's *all*. I often feel that, while I've been given certain skills with visual arts, I'll never be anything more than just a decent artist, and that doesn't sit well with the part of me that's always wanted to stand out from the crowd and make a lasting contribution somehow. But it's more complicated than that even, and one of the topics I cover often in therapy. I know you're a busy lady and may not have time, but if you want to see the discussion, you can follow this link, where you'll also find a link to the response he posted on his blog. It's an interesting discussion if anything. I just tend to take these things too much at heart. http://fromsmilerwithlove.com/2012/05/29/working-with-oils/

Ilana, Thanks for the description of your exchange with Jonas, the impact on you, and your struggles with your relationship with art and being an artist. It all makes so much sense. Of course you want to stand out from the crowd and make a lasting contribution --- wanting to create art is inherently about wanting to affect an audience/viewer/reader...... and about finding a way to do so that is so deeply personal and meaningful and authentic...... How could that not trigger insecurities and questions about why you do it?

I'll definitely check out the blog and the conversation there -----

#52 Helen, if you're interested, I posted a new entry this evening summing up my feelings about the whole thing here: http://fromsmilerwithlove.com/2012/06/05/hunger-and-apathy/

Thanks for understanding.

Some raw feelings being exposed today dear lady. The exchange between Ellen and yourself in particular being extremely sensitively handled and well written. Without wishing to be intrusive as an artist or poet our feelings, thoughts and vulnerabilities are often laid bare and coping with that exposure and the reality it reveals to us is very trying. I have written poetry of sorts intermittently over the last 30 years and I often find that I work better at times of great stress, unhappiness or, conversely, joy. I have hidden away most of my work from myself for the last 15 years or so as I know I'll spend all my time scoring it and re-writing. This lack of satisfaction has lead me to concentrate on commerce but I would like the luxury of going back to my written words when my business allows.

On a personal note your work reveals that you don't need to keep analysing the relative merits of your efforts but like myself you will do so anyway.

"never be more than just a decent artist"??!!!! Hhrrumpfff. Consider yourself at the receiving end of a gentle virtual slap. You are as fascinating and unique and talented and extraordinary an artist as you are a human being. You have many admirers here - and on your blog. And, I would be proud to have any work of yours that I have seen on my wall (and pay good money for the privilege). So I am not sure how you are measuring yourself my dear, but seems to me that you need a different yardstick to your own senser of perfectionism! Mwah mwah mwah.

Oh dear... It's been a very long day, and I've stayed up too late already. Paul and Prue, you are both dear to me, and your comments are noted and appreciated. I'll come back with individual responses tomorrow. Since it's already 'tomorrow' for you, wishing you both a great day and afternoon. xx

Ilana, I went and read your comments from today (June 5, I think) about making art, about mediocrity and excellence, about meaning and creativity. Since I'm having a particularly blue evening, myself, I hesitate to chime in at all, but I guess I can't resist.

You know, when it all boils down to it, at some point I gave up on seeking meaning inside myself and validation outside myself. That was backwards. The validation has to come from within. And the meaning has to come from without. This minor shift (thank you therapist Barbara) in perspective had a huge impact on my persistent and recurring depression. It's hard to explain fully, but it seems to have some alignment with the creative process. Maybe you'll find it useful, at least a little bit.

As I say, this evening is not necessarily the best one on which I should be chiming in about mood and meaning; I'm feeling much too consumed by regret (I hate that feeling more than almost any other!!) to be of much use, but I guess I have some deep sense that this, too, shall pass. And all it means, all any of it means, is ...... nothing and everything.

Oh boy, too philosophical. Heading to bed. xoxo

Catching up once again..
I am SO impressed by that beautiful big painting, Ilana! And thanks for posting all the steps.

I can only support Paul's, Prue's and Ellen's posts, I couldn't express it as well as they do. The minor shift re. validation Ellen describes is something I am working on, and work it is. Taking small steps, but I can finally see the first successes.

***
I started listening to WH again and I fully agree with I'm able to appreciate what a great writer Hilary Mantel is this second time around, and also how much humour there is in this book, which I didn't pick up on the first time
While I loved it on my first try, there's so much I can only fully appreciate this second time. I only now notice how wonderfully she wrote the cardinal for example. Your tutoring thread helps a lot as well!

You are an amazing artist. I am just starting out as a 46 year old scribbling on some paper so you are an inspiration.

#57 Ellen, I'll give some serious thought to this validation/within meaning/without business, and will bring it up with my own therapist today. I understand the first part, not so much the second. I'm sorry you had a bad time of it last night and hope you're much better today. No matter how you're feeling, your comments are always appreciated. xx

#58 NathalieI'm really glad you're finding the Wolf Hall thread helpful. Suzanne is doing such a fantastic job sharing her vast knowledge that I feel better knowing there are a bunch of other people benefiting from it too.

#59 Thanks Morphy, that's kind of you to say. It's never too early or too late to start, as I'm sure you well know.

Another excellent painting, Ilana. Sorry to hear about the mental distress you've gone through. Seems to me heightened sensitivity often is coupled with artistic talent and creativity. So you feel things more keenly than many of us, and that in turn helps fuel your art. A blessing and a curse. No doubt there are times you wish you could just turn off that sensitivity, art be damned.

xo

#61 Thank you Joe. It would seem indeed that I am both blessed and cursed with an artistic temperament. And yes, an on/off switch on sensitivity would be greatly appreciated at times... :-)




Doing better today. I had a new dress come in from J Crew that I'd been wanting for the past couple of months, a cute and simple little stripy nautical-type thing. The weather was perfect, and perfect for the dress, not too hot, but not cold either. Saw my neurologist after which I spent an hour or so getting lost amid the maze that is Victoria Hospital (though plenty of helpful and kind people were on hand to help me find my way). All this to find the receptionist in charge of the sleep clinic to make an appointment, as my neurologist thinks we should run some tests to see what is causing all the fatigue (the Gabapentin he prescribes could be the cause, but we're ruling out possibilities as it could be due to a sleeping disorder too). Then I went to see my therapist with Coco as my sidekick (he got to sit on her lap as she's quite a fan), then got an ice cream cone from one of those places that make their own with quality products, then took a long meandering walk through Westmount Park, where I met a fascinating old man in a wheelchair, who told me how his great-grandmother had taken a voyage to Ellis Island in 1788 from Lebanon, (only of course it would have to be an older ancestor than that, but it made for a good story anyway) and how he, a school teacher at the time, made good investments in the 50's and was able to retire at the age of... 50 and now travels to his different homes in the US and Canada with his grown son who looks after him full time.

Now I've spent the evening not doing anything very productive, just adding more audiobooks to the wishlist from the offerings at the library. Finished Restless by William Boyd (excellent, can't wait to read/listen to more by him), listened to a few short stories by Muriel Spark (a most strange and varied offering), and now off to see what Suzanne has posted for me on the Wolf Hall thread before... getting ready for bed as tomorrow is painting day with an early start. I'll be starting the audio of The Suspect by Michael Robotham as I take Coco for his last walk of the day, then plunging into more of The Observations, which is one of those books that tempts me every night to break my recent goal of turning lights out at a more reasonable hour and finishing the thing in one prolonged session. Good stuff indeed.

I love books that make me stay up past my "bedtime." The Observations is one I need to look into now that I'm a Jane Harris fan. Your day sounds pretty good; I'm glad.

you stop seeing a naked body and instead you see shapes and areas of light and darkness

That is so unhealthy! And I am sure the models feel neglected too, with no one leching looking at them.

Ilana - How very talented you are! I love the progression of the nude that you posted - truly amazing. What really gets me now that I have seen the steps in the process and the final result is how incredibly detailed the painting is - the small portion of the painting that you posted here first where we see the neck and the bottom portion of the face was so great just by itself. Can I just say,"WOW!"

I love what Ellen said above about validation and meaning: "You know, when it all boils down to it, at some point I gave up on seeking meaning inside myself and validation outside myself. That was backwards. The validation has to come from within. And the meaning has to come from without. " I think that is so true. I am wishing for you a deep understanding of how very special you are. This thread is such a very small part of your creativity and talent for expressing yourself - both visually and verbally, and look at how beautiful it is! Look how many individuals come here to see and read what you have to say - your voice is making a difference and having an impact every day.

I'm glad today was better; I hope tomorrow is kind.

Several books arrived today in the mail, along with my set The New Yorker Postcards, fresh off the press. I brought back a big bagful of audiobooks from the library this weekend and haven't had the chance to unpack them yet, so I'll be listing all these new arrivals asap, probably tomorrow. It's already late and it's been a very long day, though a very satisfying one in the painting studio again. The past two weeks we worked with a male model and finished one painting per class. Not the kind of thing anyone would really want to put up above their couch, but I'm happy with my work and I've learned a whole lot in the process.

Tomorrow is my "do nothing day" so I should be able to spend a bit of time here on LT. I'll try to do it all: catch up with some threads, write some reviews, do some reading and all the while relaxing.

#64 Ellen, if I weren't so tired nights I'd have pulled a couple of all-nighters to finish The Observations days and days ago. As it is, I'm prolonging the pleasure, which is also a nice way to take in this intriguing story. The narrator is lots of fun too.

#65 That is so unhealthy! And I am sure the models feel neglected too, with no one leeching looking at them.

LMAO! :-D

However, I doubt the models feel neglected, since there are at least ten pairs of eyes doing nothing but look at them for hours on end, but whether we make them feel sexy is a different story... ;-)

#66 Awwww Mamie, what a lovely message you've left me tonight. I honestly don't know how to respond other than to say a big thank you and that you're a real sweetheart.

I've still got to figure out the part about finding meaning without. I completely see how validation has to come from within (been working on that for many years and still not quite there yet), but the meaning coming from outside... that concept has me stumped to be honest. Maybe you and Ellen can explain it to me?

Okay, here's a late-night and probably one-too-many-glasses-of-wine effort ---- ha.

For me, it meant looking for meaning and purpose outside myself. I spent a lot of my life hoping that "meaning" would come from within. That I would make sense of all my pain and all my longing and all my loneliness by looking within and understanding myself. That is absolutely an important part of coming to terms with oneself. But meaning, for me, had to come from turning some of my focus outside myself. Meaning was not going to come from deep understanding of self. Compassion and acceptance would come from that, but meaning would come from seeing what difference I could make in the world. Meaning would come from the impact I could have outside myself rather than coming from the resolution of a lifetime of neglect and terror. The reason I'm here is not to make sense of my experience. That is an important endeavor and leads to solace and peace. But the "reason" I'm here is to make something -- anything -- better than how I found it. So, for me, meaning comes from my work, from my relationships, from my presence in the world.

I don't know that this captures it, and I have to say that the concept was presented to me at just the right moment in my life (I say, again, thanks to former therapist Barbara) ---- at a moment when it could resonate and settle for me. I still seek validation from without. And I still, sometimes, seek meaning from within. But the recognition that I could only validate myself --- and that my life would only be meaningful if I made a small positive difference in my little corner of the world (not if I "made sense" of my years of suffering) ---- for me, that was the turning point.

I hope this helps, Ilana. I truly believe that each of us has to make our own way with this complicated stuff and that timing is everything. I only share this because it was a turning point for me. I hope it is useful to you, as well.

Regardless, know that you have friends here who truly care about you and think your presence in the world makes a positive difference. Each of us only makes a small impact. It's the exceedingly rare person who makes a "large" impact. That was something I had to wrap my head around too --- and my heart. It's okay -- nay, it's vital to make a positive difference in a very small corner. If we all do that, every corner is covered.

Off to bed. Sleep well, Ilana. Please, be compassionate with yourself.

xoxo

I guess I want to add one little comment. It was huge for me to realize that I would never, ever find "meaning" in the suffering I experienced as a child and adolescent. There is no meaning to be found in that. It just was what life was. It didn't "mean" a damn thing. Meaning is created and is forward-looking; resolution (acceptance, compassion) is found and is backward-looking. Both matter deeply. And they are different.

>It didn't "mean" a damn thing.

Amen, sistah.

#68-9 Ellen, thank you for taking the time to explain those ideas. I think I understand what they mean from a logical point of view, but I'm not quite sure it registers at my core quite yet. However, the way you sum it up, "Meaning is created and is forward-looking; resolution (acceptance, compassion) is found and is backward-looking. Both matter deeply. And they are different." does resonate, and I think that's because I'm still stuck at the "acceptance" stage and at looking backward, and am having trouble looking forward and finding meaning without. But then, maybe it's just staring me in the face and I don't see it all that clearly. That would be pretty typical!

#70 Yep, I'm with you there, Morphy.

I'm glad that bit resonated for you, Ilana. As you well know, this kind of stuff is exquisitely complicated and it takes a lifetime to sort through it all.
Keep taking good care -- and hug my buddy Coco for me -- (and Ezra and Mimi, too) --

Sorry I've been absent for a while, Ilana ... RL has a bad habit of interrupting my LT hangout at the best of times.

#72 I've definitely got my work cut out for me forBooks

#73 Caro, please don't feel you need to apologize! I don't even work or have anywhere near as busy a lifestyle as you do, and even I can't keep up with this group, so no worries. I'm just happy to see people are still visiting me even though I'm such a bad LTer! :-)




I was hoping to have the whole day to catch up here and do some reading, but I inadvertently made plans, thinking I was accompanying a friend to a concert tomorrow night, but a phone call a few minutes ago just confirmed to me that the concert is tonight. Grrr. It's a baroque music recital, and neither my friend Kim nor I are that keen on baroque music, but she promised one of the musicians she's go, and I want to spend some time with my friend Kim.

It's Grand Prix weekend here and we've had student strikes and protests for the past few months now (my neighbourhood had been spare from the marches, but their latest "coup" has been to get all the students in the city to bang pots and pans starting every night at 8 p.m. We've got lots of students around here, so we get a nice concert every day). On top of that ongoing cacophony, weve got more protests planned this weekend to oppose the Grand Prix (don't ask, I'm not sure what it's all about either), so the city is a big mess. We'll be travelling by subway instead of by car to avoid the traffic jams that are bound to clog up all the city's arteries. This is when I'm really happy not having a car.

Books
I've been breaking my curfew these past couple of nights because of The Observations. If you've been hesitating about picking it up for some reason, then don't delay. It's an engrossing story and a fun ride with plenty of wickedness spicing up this tasty dish.

Books brought in from the library:
It's Lonely in the Modern World: The Essential Guide to Form, Function, and Ennui from the Creators of Unhappy Hipsters by Molly Jane Quinn
♫ What the Day Owes the Night by Yasmina Khadra (original French)
♫ The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler (in French from Swedish)
♫ Mal de pierres by Milena Agus (I hadn't realized this was the French translation of From the Land of the Moon, but I loved it so much last year I'll happily listen to the French version)
♫ The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas (original French)
♫ Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas (original French)
♫ Belle by Georges Simenon (original French)

From Amazon:
3 Anya Seton novels: Green Darkness, Dragonwick, Devil Water (2 of which were less than $5)
2 cookbooks by Donna Hay Simple Essentials: Chicken and Simple Essentials: Salads & Vegetables (I keep telling myself that if I land on the "right" cookbook I'll suddenly want to cook all the time...)

I wish I was more proficient in a romance language to read books in their original language. You're amazing, Ilana.

#75 Thanks Caro, but when it comes to being fluent in two languages, I don't really have much merit; I'm mostly just lucky that my parents are bilingual and that I was raised and schooled in both languages. I don't remember a time when I didn't understand both languages, and I admit that it's very handy. I just wish I could read in many more original languages and do without translations altogether! :-)

I've been thinking of you, too, doll...Just that my "Ms Cranky Pants" has taken over, of late...taken over way too often...and i can't "send her back" for a refund!!!

Catching up here...I've heard of Donna Hay, but never seen one of her cookbooks....after looking at them on Amazon, i'll take one of each...they look gorgeous, which is a necessity in a cookbook, I think

Anya Seton...i read most of her books when i was in Middle School, and was enthralled...I'd afraid to re-read them for fear I'll find them, uh, lacking....Damn this grown up "inner critic" who tends to spoil some of what i loved as a nit wit kid...

Speaking of the "right" cookbook...you might want to check out How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman....no glossy color photos...mine is a huge paperback...but i go to it at least once a week when i'm stumped... it really does cover everything!

;-}

Oh, Ilana. I have been lurking here a long time. I have some profound things to say - but no words!

I like what Ellen is saying and how she is trying to say it:
* validation within; meaning without
* "vital to make a positive difference in a very small corner"
* "your presence in the world makes a positive difference"

Thanks, Ellen! What kind of wine were you drinking???
Maybe if I drink some, this will be even more enlightening!
lol Life is so much work - trying to figure it all out.
Ron doesn't do this kind of thing and seems happier than I. But I just can't help it...

So my dear Ilana - keep on keeping on! You make a difference to me and I love all your creativity and passion!

Hugs to you! btw, how is Coco?

Another day gone already. The music recital yesterday was a horror. Kim and I kept looking at each other with huge eyes to express our frustration. We were forced to stay put through over ninety minutes of truly horrible music and even worse singing. It was a tiny room with just a dozen people or so in the audience, and one of the musicians was a friend of Kim's, so leaving was not an option. The music was played on baroque instruments and had baroque influences, which sounded interesting enough, but these were modern compositions by a man who lives in Provence. Lots and lots and lots of what I can only call noise. Instruments played as if they were out of tune, a cacophony of sound with no attempt at any musicality, so that when there were musical interludes, it felt like a salvation. Only these were ruined by the singer. I thought it was just me, but when it was over Kim went on and on about how much the singer got on her nerves which reassured me quite a lot. She had no voice. A horrible québécois accent instead of a charming Provençal one, as the lyrics called for, often sang out of tune and was generally lacking in talent. Even her violin playing got on our nerves and sounded as bad as her signing. And through it all, she had this manic look on her face, huge smile, eyes so wide... you'd have thought she was in a religious trance. We agreed she must be in a sect. I'd say I would have been better off staying home and reading, however getting to spend time with Kimmy, even through the more torturous parts was well worth it.

Tomorrow I've signed up for a workshop of watercolours in the park. I've never worked outdoors and have always wanted to, so this is a good opportunity to break the ice. They're calling for sunshine and very warm weather tomorrow, so I'll be wearing one of my new maxi sundresses, lots of sunblock, and most probably bring Coco along, or not. I haven't figured out how to keep him from wandering off without being forced to hold on to his leash, which would be very impractical.

Brought a bunch more (audio)books and a couple of movies home from the library today:

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with Maggie Smith should be quite a treat. She won the Academy Award for that performance on the year I came into this world, 1969. Never seen her act in her younger days either and looking forward to it.
The Triplets of Belleville is an animated movie I've heard rave reviews about.
♫ Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck read by Gary Sinise should be good and came just in time for the Steinbeckathon. I'll borrow the movie, which I've never seen and which he directed and acted in once I've finished re-re-reading the book this month.
♫ The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco will be a reread also—I read the English translation maybe 20 years ago and this time will listen to the French version.
♫ Perfume by Patrick Suskind will be another a re-read. I loved it the first time, not long after it was first published, so we'll see how I find it on second reading, in French, as with the first time.
♫ Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan has been sitting on my shelves in the paper version for years now. Maybe I'll get to it sooner on audio?
♫ Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks was a new title to me and I found the story description intriguing. In the Original English of course.
eta: almost forgot to mention I also brought home River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh. Can't wait to get started on it.

#78 Dearest Claudia, thanks for leaving a note even though you "didn't have words". I think you did quite well, considering? Coco is fine. Took him to the library and to a terrace at café afterward, and he had many fans in both places. My favourite part? That even as people are fawning over him, he always glances in my direction to make sure I'm there, which makes me feel very special.

Bedtime! Hope you are well my dear.

I have a feeling I'll be kicked out of the 75ers soon for lack of participation on threads other than my own... forgive me?

I hope that your outdoor watercolor experiment is fun!

I started Of Mice and Men today. It's another good reason for Steinbeck's Nobel Prize.....

Ilana - I understand that the disciplinary committee sat last night and you were completely exonerated of all charges. Furthermore your group licence was renewed for an indefinite period. Sweet dreams. x

#79 The concert sounds... just awful.

#82 Hear! Hear!

Hi Ilana, I enjoyed the online counseling session. Ellen and others have found the words of understanding and encouragement that I lack. I can only add that aging helps with all those feelings of inadequacy. My biggest accomplishment came from raising three pretty wonderful human beings. I didn't create in the form of art or music but we all have our contribution(s) to the world. And I can only echo Mamie's WOW! about your lovely nude painting. Very accomplished - and I don't feel bad about my thighs anymore. ;-)

Enjoy your en plein air session today. I'd love to stroll by and take a peek at your art!

Hi, Ilana! Looking forward to what you think of Bonjour Tristesse when you get to it, as I've thought of reading that one more than once.

What a nightmare! The concert. Ow.

Ilana, I think Ellen expressed so beautifully about finding meaning from without. I think what gives life meaning to each of us is finding what makes us happy and following where that leads. Meaning is found in what we do with our lives, how we interact with the world - and that is different for everyone. Donna has such a good point that we all feel the need to be creative and contribute in some form, but that is going to be a different experience for each of us. Like Donna, my greatest feeling of accomplishment comes from my children. They are what I have poured my love and knowledge and creativity into. They are what I focus my energies on.

My niece will be thirty this year, and she is having a hard time with it because she says that she wanted to make a big impact, do something important and she hasn't. I say to her and to you that you cannot measure the impact that you have because much of it is unseen - it is not easy to quantitate. Sometimes the people who get the most credit for making a big impact on the world were not so great at impacting those around them - their families and loved ones were left behind in their shadows. More important (I think) to make big impacts that do not bring glory - think of it as creating ripples that spread and reach further than you anticipated. You impact each of us everyday with your art and your lovely shared thoughts and your insights. What I learn from you, I take away to share with my daughters, who share it with their friends...a ripple. From little things like a new way to decorate Easter eggs to big things like validation needing to come from within. And it started with you.

I'm not a fan of baroque music at the best of times, so I can only imagine how horrific it must have been for you to sit through a recital when it's not even borderline good, Ilana.

Any chance you could put Coco on a long leash and tie one end of the leash to your chair while you paint?

The painting with watercolours in the park workshop went well today. I don't think I'll be showing anything I did, because I can't say I'm happy with what I produces, but that doesn't matter. I had a lovely day, and that's all that matters. Coco was a real prince throughout. The tote I carried my materials in was quite heavy, so I just attached his leash to that as I moved around, problem solved! I found shaded areas to work in, but I don't know if it was getting up early today or being outside and focusing for several hours at a time, but I'm just about ready to call it a night already!

#81 Ellen, I'm copying the Of Mice and Men CDs as I write this, and should be starting on it within the next few days.

#82 Paul, thanks for that, you made me smile, as usual. :-)

#83 Heather, when I think back on the concert now, it seems quite comical actually! The good news is I never have to listen to them again!

#84 Donna, my mum tells me that aging helps with a lot of things, and that the depression itself should lessen over time. I can say that I do accept a lot of things about myself that I felt were impossible when I was younger, so there must be truth to that. I agree that everybody has their very own contributions and that these can take many forms, not least of all, children. This wasn't an option for me, and I decided I had best leave it to others who know what they're doing, as I'm sure you did and still do! That model was wonderful. Quite a big girl when fully dressed, but when she took off her clothes and lay there she just looked like a goddess. Thinness is overrated! :-)

#85 Hi Joe, I really want to get to Bonjour Tristesse at some point because it's such a classic, but have to admit that the title alone doesn't exactly make me want to plunge into it. I guess we'll see which on of us gets to it first, eh?

#86 Funny, I thought of you Lucy, and of that lovely harpist who's videos you directed us too and kept wishing I could be sitting at one of her concerts instead. Now that would have been an altogether different experience! What was her name again?

#87 Mamie, I'm always amazed at the amount of wisdom that is to be found within this group. I'm always amazed at how kind and helpful and generous everyone is with contributing their outlooks and what they've learned in life and find it very helpful.

Funny how we all seem to think when we hit 30 that we're supposed to have it all figured out. I was no exception there, and here I am now, twelve years later (13 in a month and one day), and I still have yet to figure things out. I'm slowly coming to accept that I very well may never do so... it's all about the journey, they say, and on my better days I'm inclined to agree with that. I love the image of the ripple that you've brought here. I'm ok with causing a few of those as a legacy. :-)

#88 Hi Caro. It was pretty horrific, but somehow, I survived and best of all, had a good laugh about it all with my friend as we bitterly complained about the singer. Still makes me smile when I think of it.

Books

Finished listening to The Suspect by Michael Robotham this evening. It was pretty good as far as murder mysteries/thrillers go. I'm really tempted to jump into the next book in the series, Lost, so we'll see how long I can hold off before I do so.

Only about 120 pages to go on The Observations and I can see there will probably be some kind of surprise denouement and can't wait to find out what it is. That being said, getting there is quite a lot of fun.

My Wolf Hall reading may well end up taking up the rest of the year, considering the pace I'm going at. I can only manage 20 pages or so every other day, as taking notes while reading is quite a laborious process and I end up spending quite a lot of time over at the tutoring thread, where Suz is an absolute found of knowledge. She never ceases to amaze me. No way would I persevere with this book if she weren't helping me and I'm learning a whole lot in the process. In fact, am headed that way now, before taking in the first episode of the season's True Blood.

Bonjour Tristesse is quite a lovely read and you have the bonus of being able to read it in the original French. Sounds like you had a wonderful day in the park to make up for the rather awful musical evening.

I'm following the Wolf Hall tutored read but must confess it's getting a little too detailed for me especially as I'm not currently reading in that time period.

I'm glad you had a glorious day out painting, Ilana. Even if you don't feel satisfied that they're good enough to show, I'm sure you're a harsher critic of your own work than others would be. And a treat to Coco for being a trooper today.

Happy Sunday to you dear one. I love your works...and your words

It's in the little things that you have an impact. I was told the other day that I was the inspiration for someone to be brave enough to get into a bathing suit and get into a pool after my encouragement.

I go to a rehab pool and I've been told in passing that I brighten someone's day just being there.

So you never know.

I hope you're doing well, Ilana. I think you're spot on when you say it's possible you/we/one may never "figure it all out." I don't even know what that would look like! I'm certainly more centered at 51 (almost 52) than I was at 31 or 41, but it seems to me it's an ongoing process.

Bonjour ma cherie! I also have Bonjour Tristesse with me for a re-read, so, snap! Half-way through Any Human Heart - recommend it as your next William Boyd book... really enjoyable...so far behind on threads (damn it for a long weekend here!), so this shall just be a quick visit!

I'm not sure where the day went yesterday. I know I went to art class, but after that it's all a blank. I do know that I ended up getting the next Robotham from Audible, Lost and started listening to it in the evening. But then of course, why get just one audiobook when you can get several, right? Not at all reasonable on my part considering I've been brining home a steady flow of free audiobooks from the library also. But it's continually being re-established that most of us are NOT reasonable when it comes to books. So I got the following also:

♫ A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde (Dramatized, with a full cast)
♫ The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (I have this in book format, but the narrator David Horovitch really tempted me)
♫ A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch (narrated by Derek Jacobi)
♫ The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes (next in the Harlem Cycle)

In the meantime, I just finished The Observations this morning and my biggest decision today will be what book to follow up with...




I hadn't visited here in the past couple of days, so sorry about the delay in answering messages...

#91 Kerry, I can see how the Wolf Hall thread might be too detailed for you if you're not currently following along with the book. You might find it so even if you were actually, because I am asking an awful lot of questions. So much in that book has me stumped, and I really want to understand what's going on since Mantel apparently wrote it assuming her readers knew all the background history on all the characters mentioned.

#92 Caro, Coco certainly deserved quite a few treats for his stellar performance on Sunday. I wasn't sure he'd behave himself all that time, but I wanted to see if this was the sort of thing I could bring him along to in future, say, when I want to go painting outdoors on my own. He passed the test with flying colours.

#93 Hi Linda!

#94 Hi Morphy. I saw on Paul's thread the other day that he mentioned you'd recently lost 130 lbs? Is this true? If so, hats off to you, that's an amazing accomplishment and you must be really proud of yourself! I'll think of that whenever my skewed body image gets in the way of wearing shorts or a bathing suit...

#95 Ellen, thankfully, on most days (like today), my main preoccupation is just how to cram as much into my day while getting as much as possible reading done. :-)

#96 Prue, always nice to see you've dropped by my dear.

Nope, not true.

I've lost 133 pounds! :D

Unfortunately, I still have a long way to go. But I'm making good strides!

#98 Even better! I'm cheering you on Morphy. I need to start doing exercise again, not just for weight management, but for my overall wellbeing and I just can't seem to be bothered to get going with that. Soon though. Now that I'm having trouble fitting into most of my clothes, I feel the motivation build up wouldn't you know...

*waving hello*

Hi Heather!




I really want to get some reading done today, but just now when I went to update my current reading, I saw that I still have a bunch of books from May still left to review. I'll take an hour or so to write a bunch of brief impressions so I can finally get up to date. It's all weighing on me. Right now, am off visiting a handful of threads to try to catch up there also. A 75ers job is never done...

Delurking to say Hi, admit that I am no where near caught up with your thread but I am looking forward to your review of The Observations.

Well, I ended up spending the evening reading from Wolf Hall and then posting my questions on the tutoring thread. This has taken up roughly 3 hours of my evening. So much for catching up on threads and writing reviews! Maybe I'll try to use up the next 30 minutes on writing a few up now to just get them out of the way once and for all!

#102 Hi Lori! Don't know if I'll manage to get to The Observations tonight, but I do intend to catch up with all my latest reads soon. My biggest next decision will be figuring out which book to pick up next for my bedtime reading... too many great options to make it an easy choice!

Flash reviews:



79. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan ★★★⅓
(Read for 12/12: The First Half 1901-1951)

I read this book to coincide with the reading of The Grapes of Wrath over at the Steinbeckathon, since I'd read that great novel just last year. While the former tells the tale of the fictional Joads, who were forced to leave behind their farmland and try to find greener pastures in California, The Worst Hard Time tells the real-life stories of families who stayed put in what came to be known as the "Dust Bowl" in the American High Plains between Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado, where irresponsible farming practices led to severe land erosion which led to unrelenting dust storms. While I found the history of the plains and what led to the storms, the politics involved in creating them and then trying to relieve the farmers who were hit hardest by the Great Depression quite fascinating, I found the descriptions of the dust storms based on several eye-witness accounts became repetitive and boring. Once I'd heard about dust entering through every crack and causing all manner of evil, I'd had enough and didn't need countless examples, so I guess that doesn't make me much of a fan of catastrophe stories. All the same a good read which I'm sure will appeal to many.

80. ♫ The Maze Runner by James Dashner ★★⅞
(Read for 12/12: Young at Heart)

Young Thomas wakes up with no memory whatsoever of his former life in a strange world populated by boys. They are protected inside an enclave, where they farm and attend to their daily needs, but outside the walls, which open at dawn and close with dusk, is a great maze filled with danger and gruesome beasts which are half machine and half living creatures. A band of boys called The Runners have the dangerous mission to explore the giant maze and try to find exit points. But the maze changes every day and after several years and the monthly arrival of a new boy, nobody has found a solution to set them free, and they still have no idea what they're doing there. Thomas is convinced he must join the runners as he thinks he'll find the clues they need; one of the boys swears he's seen Thomas before; is it possible he's already been here before his memory was erased? The premise was exciting and there were great elements to the story, but it seemed stretched quite thin and some of the writing was so bad I kept wincing. This is the first book in a series which I know has already made quite a few fans, but unfortunately I can't be said to be one of them.

81. ♫ Persuasion by Jane Austen ★★★★
(Read fort 12/12: Tea with Georgie, Vickie & Eddie - 18th & 19th Century Classics)

At the head of the Elliot family is the baronet Sir Walter, a widower and a vain man who lives beyond his means and makes up his mind about people solely based on their appearance and station in life. His eldest and his youngest daughters take after him, to great comical effect, but Anne Elliot, his middle daughter, is quite different. She's a great reader of poetry and has never forgotten her first romantic attachment to Captain Frederick Wentworth, a romance which took place eight years before the story begins. But like all well bred young ladies of her day, she let herself be persuaded by a close friend of the family, Lady Russell, to break off the engagement because of Wentworth's apparent lack of fortune and prospects. But Wentworth is back, now having acquired great wealth and looking for a wife, and anyone will do, as long as she is fond of the navy. Anyone that is, but Anne. This, the last novel Austen wrote as she was dying, is a story imbued with a sense of loss, missed opportunities and regret, but of course in the end, love must conquer all and hope wins the day. I can't say now how much or how little I would have enjoyed this novel if I hadn't read it with the help of Liz, my devoted tutor, who patiently explained to me all the subtleties of the story and various conventions of the time which helped me to appreciate it as only dedicated Jane Austen fan could. Thoroughly enjoyable. The audio version by the ever-perfect Juliet Stevenson was quite a treat too.

It's late and I shouldn't be here, but I've just got one book to go to finish my reviews of my May reads, so one last push...





82. A Game of Hide and Seek by Elizabeth Taylor ★★½
(Read for 12/12: The First Half 1901-1951)

I've been hearing a lot about Elizabeth Taylor this year and have read many glowing reviews about her other books, so couldn't wait to plunge into this one to see what the fuss was about. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed by this story about Harriet and Vesey, who've known each other since they were children and playmates and have never forgotten their first, painfully awkward embrace. Vesey has always been slightly cruel to Harriet, but she has been unaccountably infatuated with him from the first. Still, his university studies take him away from her, and life must go on. Year later, Harriet is now married to a much older man who venerates her. Together they have a teenage daughter, and they all live a comfortable life in a prettily decorated suburban home. But Harriet still can't stop thinking of Vesey, Vesey who became an actor hoping for fame and glory, but has only managed to find small parts in mediocre theatre productions and lives hand to mouth in dismal and shabby flats. When Vesey comes to town on tour, Harriet can't resist getting together with him and their pathetic romance picks up where they've left off. Her daughter has also formed a strange attachment to Vesey and surreptitiously reads all their communications, and her husband suspects her frequent outings aren't as innocent as she claims, but like a moth to a flame, Harriet can't stay away from her lover. I found the story sad and pathetic and couldn't bring myself to care for any of the characters, least of all for this deplorable pair. I was tempted to give up from the very first pages, but soldiered on, only because of all the wonderful things I'd seen written about Taylor's great talent. While it's true she writes beautifully and creates credible characters, forcing myself to finish this book was a slow and agonizing process and the best part was getting to the last page, albeit the ending was bleak and left me mostly perplexed. Still, I haven't given up hope and look forward to reading more of her work, perhaps encouraged by the fact that even one of Taylor's greatest fans allowed that she couldn't find it in her to finish this book... a sure sign that this author was capable of writing much more captivating fare.

Ilana - Looks like a couple of stinkers in your last four reviews. Heard so many good things about the other Ms. E. Taylor that I am also looking forward to trying her out but it won't be this one that I try first for sure.

- 98 - Morphy/Ilana, When you are keeping score as I know you/she do/does meticulously - I know that there is a big difference between 130 and 133 pounds! My trainer at the men's refinery (bless him) has pushed me continuously to start back my training sessions with him (especially as I have 22 (now 21) sessions at over $100 a pop to go). Went yesterday and, due to more walking and less over-eating I was down 2 kilos from 5 months ago (4.4 pounds). Did my training and detoxification (basically sitting in a ceramic flower pot for 30 minutes which has been heated to 48 degrees) and was shattered but happy yesterday. Hope to be able to report my own more modest progress shortly.

Morphy is an inspiration for me as I think she knows and I wish her every success with the next 50 lbs (just a shame she reads all the wrong books!!)

>just a shame she reads all the wrong books!!

:P~~~~~~~~~~~~

#108 Paul, you can call them what you want, but I hesitate to say the above books are stinkers, especially since the first two were enthusiastically recommended by our friend Mark. I'm still glad I read them, but obviously, to each his/her own.

You definitely get my encouragement to stick to your training, and congrats on those 2 kilos lost. I wouldn't mind losing a few myself, but something tells me that would have to mean less sweets and some form of exercise over and above the regular walks I take with Coco...

#109 :-D




Started reading River of Smoke last night. Am just a few pages in, but I can tell I'm going to enjoy this one at least as much as the first book...

Good reviews, Ilana! The premise was exciting and there were great elements to the story, but it seemed stretched quite thin and some of the writing was so bad I kept wincing. Wow, that summary of The Maze Runner is right on the money for me. I didn't read the others, either.

I'm so glad you enjoyed Persuasion! Such a good book. You and Liz put together a wonderful tutoring thread on it.

Sorry the Elizabeth Taylor wasn't better. The only one of hers I read I did enjoy a lot: Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont. I'd like to try another, but, given your comments, I don't expect it will be the one you read.

#111 Oh Good, I'm glad you agree with me about The Maze Runner Joe. I know both Mark and Judy were fans of this one, so I felt badly about not enjoying it more and did give it a fair chance, but it just didn't work for me.

I thought the Persuasion thread was fascinating and Liz exceeded my expectations as always, and I'm happy others such as yourself thought it was good too.

As for Elizabeth Taylor, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont was already on my wishlist (being as it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize), and I've also seen recommendations for At Mrs Lippincote's, Palladian, A Wreath of Roses and A View of the Harbour. They don't carry any of her books at the library, so I'll have to purchase them in future, but the next one I do have in my tbr already is Angel, which I should be picking up relatively soon.

Mrs. Palfrey was really well done, and I'd been thinking about A View of the Harbor based on LT reviews I read. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of Angel.

Hi Ilana- Well, you know better than trust little old me! LOL. I thought Maze Runner was a good to decent read but I stand by the Worst Hard Time as being outstanding and I'm not alone there.
I have been doing awful on my reviews. I'm at least 4 or 5 behind. Bad Mark.
I see you are reading River of Smoke. Did you find the Group Read thread yet? Love to have you stop by!

#113 Joe, I'll try to fit in Angel in the next few months. I want to purchase a couple of her books, starting with Mrs Palfrey but... this may sound really silly—it's just that I don't like the covers of the more recent Virago editions. I looked up Abe Books to see if I could find the one with the green cover from the Virago Modern Classics collection, but they don't seem to be available at all. Tough times, I tell ya!

#114 Hey Mark, as I said in my review, I'm probably not the _target audience for catastrophe tales, though I'm sure plenty of people will find the book excellent. I really wanted to completely love it since you were so enthusiastic about it... I am really glad I read it because there was a lot of valuable information there, I just wasn't enthralled is all.
I won't say "Bad Mark", since I'm ALWAYS close to 7-8 reviews behind. I'd like to stop that and maybe I will someday... it just doesn't seem like a big enough priority for me to stay on top of it.
Will have to make my way to the River of Smoke thread asap. Did you start on it yet?




Coming up: I've broken down and now feel the need to jump on the list bandwagon and come up with my favourites of the last decade, etc. Working on that right now and will publish results as soon as I'm satisfied with my selection...

Yes, the ROS thread is up! As far as the reviews go, I just got out of the habit of writing them up a day or so after reading the book. I NEED to be back into it, even if some of them are even shorter than usual.
BTW- I'm nearly done with an historical YA on audio, called Between Shades of Gray, which you might really like. Check it out.

Mark, I actually reserved Between Shades of Gray from the library on audio last week! I'm waiting for my turn to come up, it sounds really good. I didn't know it was a YA book, but I guess they get labelled that way if the main character is young.

eta: great timing and I'm glad you're liking it!

Hello gorgeous! Going to place my hands over my eyes whenever you talk about River of Smoke as I Sea of Poppies on my WL...so no spoilers, please!

Also have The Worst Hard Time on my sidetable stack - must get to it sometime this year...

As always, great reviews - if not great books! You always give so much to this community!

I add my congratulations to everyone's weight-loss/fitness endeavours. Myself, I am starting up with a new trainer on Friday - now that I am mostly in Melbourne these days, I have no excuse to re-establish a routine. Looking forward to some heavy-duty weight training (which I love) balanced with some cardio sessions (which I really have to force myself to do). Gotta do these things!

Here are my favourite works of fiction published between 2000-2009. I went by original publication date for translations.
I couldn't limit it to less than 15 books, so here goes (in no particular order):

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (2003)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003)
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2001)
Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda (2004)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (2008)
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (2008)
From the Land of the Moon by Milena Agus (2006)
Balthasar's Odyssey by Amin Maalouf (2000)
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie (2000)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (2006)
The Yacoubian Building by Alaa El Aswany (2002)
Stettin Station by David Downing (2009)
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (2008)

eta: an honourable mention goes to The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

next up... a list of the books from the last decade that I can't wait to pick up from my own shelves...

Hi Prue! I'll do my best not to give away any spoilers on River of Smoke. This is generally not a problem as I don't discuss books in much detail as I'm reading them. Whether the review (when I get there) can also be spoiler-free... well, we'll see when we get there.

I'm so proud of you for starting on such a great fitness regime. Did I ever mention to you that some years back, I decided I needed to lose some weight, joined a gym, got a trainer, did weights and cardio, and 8 months later did a fitness competition and won!? True story. But these past 5 years I've done NOTHING. Up till then, I'd been doing a regular regimen of Ashtanga yoga (90 minutes daily) and was in incredible shape, but I just let myself go and finding it hard to find the motivation to do anything about it, to be honest. It's complicated, like everything else in my life! I'll get there. Slowly but surely.

The following list is based on the one found on the site Mark got us all excited about, http://thegreatestbooks.org/the-greatest-fiction-since/2000. I've chosen books from it that are in my possession and which I can't wait to read as I think I'll probably want to add them to the above list. I've limited myself to 12 titles:

Atonement by Ian McEwan (2001)
The Known World by Edward P. Jones (2003)
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2002)
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer (2002)
2666 by Roberto Bolano (2004)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2005)
Small Island by Andrea Levy (2004)
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (2008)
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (2008)
Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky (2004)
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003)

Also: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009) - currently reading

Oh great lists, I also fell for the charm of Hunting and Gathering though a few of the others wouldn't make my own favourites list. I've read 7 of your want-to-read titles and have 3 of the others on my tbr list.

Hi Ilana, sorry that The Maze Runner didn't live up to it's hype. Actually although I did love the book at the time, the second one really turned me off the whole series, but I do have the third one on my Kindle so I will probably finish the trilogy at some point.

Great list of your Top Reads in this decade. Stettin Station is the third in the series, I believe, so I guess I better get reading!

great lists Ilana! Of your second list I have read Middlesex and The Time Travler's Wife and loved them both! I have the Book Thief and hope to get to it sometime this year as I keep seeing great reviews on it!

Ilana - Each to his or her own - quite right; that's par of the fun isn't it? I have been the lucky recipient of a couple of recces from Mark which have been great.
Your list of reading threw a few curveballs as I had hoped and anticipated. There are four on the list I don't remember seeing elsewhere and are going on my wishlist posthaste (Agus, Malouf, Sijie, El Aswany). I have all of them on your to do list also except the Jones but I've only read two of em.

Bonjour Tristesse was the first novel en francais that I fully understood and loved reading at 15 or so, not that that is a recommendation exactly. But I adored it. Hmmm. Not sure I ever listed it here, must go look. I know I don't own a copy anymore.

Doing anything, which includes simply being outside makes one sleepy -- probably is the best cure for insomnia there is.

Another wonderful list! We have 3 - but I have only read four of the books on yr. list (Middlesex, Olive, Everything) - I must read Interpreter of Maladies I think, it is turning up on so many lists. (The 4th is the McEwan, I don't know why, but he hasn't lit my fire yet).

I don't remember Bonjour Tristesse being a particularly depressing book. I think it was full of dramatic and unhappy teenager feelings which might resonate with a very young reader, but if you are reading it now, you should not get infected by the sadness. I should reread it as well, but I have no idea where my copy is. I also enjoyed her Aimez-vous Brahms, but like Lucy says - after so many years it is difficult to give a recommendation.

Funny that of your last books read and reviewed an Austen gets the best rating, would you have believed that some months ago? I am so glad you enjoyed Persuasion. I lurked on the tutored read thread, as I am lurking now on the WH thread.

Thanks for posting that "greatest books" link, another wonderful list to compare with my own reads.

Way up above:
on most days (like today), my main preoccupation is just how to cram as much into my day while getting as much as possible reading done.
YES!!! I agree completely!!!

121> I haven't found time to do this yet, but I am going to. It's a fun site and a fun way to do some planning of reading! I bet a TIOLI challenge (or two) will come out of this conversation!

I used to try to stop by your thread almost every day, Ilana, but lately I've been trying to save it up for when I have a few moments to really spend here. That's not working this week, but- as always - you know I'm thinking about you and all my LT friends/community. P really doesn't understand that I feel like I have an actual set of friends here, but it feels that way to me!

Okay, off to work where I hope I can steal a few minutes (maybe with my sandwich at lunch to peruse the link you posted in 121 (and with a nod of thanks to our dear Mark).

Well, I was really far behind here, but am happy to report that I'm all caught up now. And what a wonderful way to spend a bit of the evening - catching up on your thread! I love the reviews that you posted. I am working my way through The Worst Hard Time now and think I am liking it more than you did. I hear what you're saying though about the repetition. I LOVED Persuasion, and got so much more out of it by following your tutored thread. What great questions you asked! I am also following your tutored read of Wolf Hall and , though I finished reading the book last night, will continue following the thread because I am learning so much. I thought the first part of the book was the hardest because you really have to get used to Mantel's writing style and how she keeps saying "he" but not explaining who "he" is. As you get farther in, though, it kind of takes on a rhythm and begins to be easier to follow.

LOVE the lists. What a great idea to post a list of the books that you WANT to read - I might have to copy that! I have quite a few of those books in my own TBR. The Book Thief was a favorite of mine.

Hope you are having a wonderful evening and that today was kind to you.

It was our last painting class of the session today, and I would have been sad about it, except that the instructor Ian, a young man who is an excellent teacher, is offering a class in his private studio throughout the summer which I just registered to today. I really took to painting with oils, so I'm glad I'll get to continue during the summer. Not sure where the evening went, but I do know I'm just about ready to turn in, though very happy to see I've had several visitors today! Tomorrow is a day of total rest, when I plan to do lots of reading and catch up on more threads. I'll probably post a couple more book lists too, because they sure are fun to put together, aren't they?

#122 Hi Kerry, when I made up my list, I mostly stuck to my five-star reads, and those are always books that have grabbed me in some way that I can't give a rationale for usually, so I understand that they wouldn't necessarily appeal to everyone. All the same, I've gotten a kick out of seeing everyone else's lists, even though there are so few books on them I've actually read, and it's fun to take notes and compare our favourites, right?

#123 Hi Judy! Yes, Stettin Station is indeed the third in the series, and the one I enjoyed most I think. I really loved Zoo Station too, and while I liked the second book, found it wasn't as tidy somehow—the various storylines seemed to me a bit scattered, though I'm sure not everyone will share my opinion.

I do remember you being quite taken by The Maze Runner, so sorry to see you weren't so keen on the second book. Maybe book 3 will end up being the strongest one?

#124 Hi Chelle, I recently found they had the audiobook version of The Book Thief at the library and have reserved it, so it looks like I'll probably get to that book first from that list... well, that and Suite Française too maybe, since it's another one they have on audio.

#125 Oh Good news Paul. I was indeed hoping that I might hit someone with a couple of book bullets with a couple of books that hadn't appeared anywhere else. Mission accomplished! :-)

#126 Lucy, when I saw that they have the movie version of Bonjour Tristesse by Otto Preminger with the gorgeous Jean Seberg, David Niven and Deborah Kerr, available at the library, I suddenly got much keener to listen to the audiobook, so it might happen sooner rather than later.

I've only read one book by Ian McEwan so far, On Chesil Beach, and though I can't say I loved the story, I was so taken with his gorgeous prose that I made sure to get my hands on several of his other books. We'll see how I find those, but I already know in advance I'll just love the writing, if anything.

#127 Nathalie, agreed that it's quite funny that the highest rating went to the Jane Austen novel. I know eh? Who would have thought this time last year that it would come to this? I think I recall panning the first two I read, Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, though I've already spoken to Liz about that and she's eager to tutor me on those two whenever I'm ready to have a go at them again, which may happen as soon as next year, we'll see...

I started catching up on your thread earlier today and as usual found much to pore over. You'll be hearing from me over at your place sometime soon no doubt!

#128-9 Hope you've had a chance to enjoy the link today Ellen, though it'll be there for you whenever you're ready for it I'm sure! No worries about your visits here my dear. I'm happy to see you when you drop by, but I don't expect you to come by every day, because for one thing, I know you're a very busy woman, but for another, I don't exactly have that much exciting stuff going on every day! Not to mention the fact that I'm terrible at visiting threads myself these days! We all do what we can, but no matter what, I agree that I consider many people here (including you of course) to be my friends and I think of you all while I'm away doing other things too.

#130 Hi Mamie! I'm so glad you got a lot out of the Persuasion thread. Liz is a stellar tutor and I'm glad others like you got to benefit from her vast knowledge. Same goes for Suzanne of course, who positively astounds me with the amount she knows about the Tudor period and beyond! I'm' sorry it's taking me so long to get through Wolf Hall... I'm reading it along with other books, and because I need to take extensive notes while I'm reading it, I have to be well reseted and willing to do a bit of work when I read it, which slows me down considerably. But it's well worth the effort because I'm getting so much more out of it this time than when I tried reading it a couple of years ago! I hadn't made it past 100 pages and had no idea what had been taking place all along! Now I'm actually able to enjoy Mantel's writing style and approach with the characters.

As for the books I WANT to read, I really limited myself to those books I already own, because otherwise, I'd still be sitting here probably listing plenty more! That was just from those books published in the 2000s... I'll follow up with 90s and 80s lists too eventually, now that I've jumped onto the bandwagon! :-)

I had a great time perusing that website yesterday. Haven't posted anything yet, but developed a list of twelve books that I own plus four books that I don't (yet) own that I want to read in the near future. Wolf Hall is among the twelve.

Great lists, Ilana. Lots of good ones there, but it particularly made me smile to see The Graveyard Book. I read it and liked it, and then got the audio book so I could hear Neil Gaiman read it. If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to take some time and listen to Gaiman read others he's written. He's very good.

#132 Ellen, I spent quite a bit of time between yesterday and today perusing the lists as well. I've checked out most of the lists, and so far have 140 books read vs. 230 on my wishlist (typical).

Statistics

140 total books read.
29% of the top 100 fiction.
20% of the top 250 fiction.
15% of the top 500 fiction.
3% of the top 100 nonfiction.
2% of the top 250 nonfiction.
1% of the top 500 nonfiction.

One thing is amply clear: I've got plenty of great reading ahead of me yet to look forward to!

#133 Joe, I really think that part of what made me love The Graveryard Book so much is precisely the fact that I listened to the audio version performed by Gaiman. I think he's a fantastic narrator too. I don't see why you need to wait to win the lotto to be able to enjoy more of his wonderful reading... surely they have some of his audios at the library, and if not, Audible is an affordable enough option! (Disclaimer: Audible does not offer me any form of compensation in return for my endorsement of their services...)

Continuing with the lists, here are my 15 favourite books published in the 90s based on my ratings appreciation at the time I read them (see my note to Ellen in #140):

Regeneration by Pat Barker (1991)
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995)
Mr. Vertigo by Paul Auster (1995)
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac Mccarthy (1992)
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (1997)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd (1990)
Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler (1997)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (1992)
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (1999)
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (1994)
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson (1995)
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (1996)
The Rock of Tanios by Amin Maalouf (1993)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres (1994)

... and here are the 90s books currently on my tbr I most look forward to:

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (1999)
Birdsong by Sabastian Faulks (1993)
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson (1995)
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod (1999)
The Crossing by Cormac Mccarthy (1994)
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (1995)
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (1992)
American Pastoral by Philip Roth (1997)
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman (1991)
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh (1993)
Music & Silence by Rose Tremain (1999)

11 is a funny number, and I'm sure there are more in my tbr that I'll end up liking, though I'm not sure how excited I am to get to them, so they're not included here.

>134 Smiler69: Ah, I said too little about the lottery, Ilana. It's time, not money. You're right, there are plenty of affordable/free ways to get my hands on Neil Gaiman audio books. It's bringing home the $ that limits my time. When I have time now, I tend to devote it to the next book I can't wait to read. Winning the lottery would free up time for listening to Neil Gaiman audio books that I've already read, and for drinking beer recommended by Mark.

I'm glad you heard Gaiman's narration of The Graveyard Book. It really is wonderful.

Your lists are great. You've got some that are near and dear to my heart. I loved All the Pretty Horses, The Windup Bird Chronicle, and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. They're some of my all-time favorites. On your tbr, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Birdsong, Snow Falling on Cedars, The Crossing and A Fine Balance (bring the tissues) are all excellent.

Oh, Snow Falling on Cedars and No Great Mischief and A Fine Balance are good ones to have ahead of you.

Um, you were "rating" books back in the 90s? No, you've just read them since starting on LT but they are from the 90s....

I feel like I came a bit late to the party. :-)

Ilana, I'm so glad you have jumped on the list bandwagon. I like your "looking forward to" lists. LT becomes more fun all the time doesn't it?

I'm so glad you'll be reading River of Smoke with Mark's groupies. ;-). I hope to get started on it later this weekend. My five days in Kansas City have taken a toll on my reading.

#138 Actually Ellen, I didn't express myself properly, hence the confusion. What I meant to say was that I based my choices on my appreciation of the novels at the time I read them. In other words, when Bridget Jones Diary was published, it was a new and exciting book (though I hated it for the fact that I wished I had gone ahead and published my own RL journal before this book came out!). Had I read it in the last decade, it certainly wouldn't have made the list because it was such a big phenomena and influenced so much in pop culture that it wouldn't resonate the same way now. I guess I should have specified all that to begin with...

Donna, it was just a matter of time before I joined in the list-making fun! You remind me I haven't hadn't dropped by the River of Smoke thread yet... but that's all taken care of now!

Waves ..... passing thru - should be a more regular visitor again now

Morning, Ilana! I am loving your lists - especially where you list what you WANT to read from that decade that you currently own. Clever! I need to do that. Big plans for today? Saturday's at our house are the "Big Clean" days. We give each room a thorough going over, as opposed to the tidy we do during the week. Furniture is moved, floors are vacuumed and steam mopped, windows are polished...the whole shebang! It takes us less than two hours because we have the process down to a fine art. And the music is the best part - we blast it so we can hear it in every part of the house. And then we get the rest of the day to ourselves as a reward for being so industrious. The weather has been beautiful here, and today looks like another gem. Hope today is kind to you.

Hi Alex, lovely to "see" you again! :-)

Mamie, sounds like you guys indeed do have housecleaning down to an art. You even make it sound like lots of fun... who would have thought? Here's my approach to housecleaning:

First of all, try to keep my place from falling into utter chaos by doing the absolute minimum necessary. When it becomes close to becoming an absolute pigsty, do the following:

1. Pick up the phone
2. Call Chona (my on again off again housecleaner for the past 16 years)
3. Make an appointment
4. On cleaning day, spend time visiting LT.

Repeat as necessary.

:-)

Plans: rarely make them. The main reason being I've never been much of a planner and also because my moods are so unpredictable and migraines often butt in, I tend to do things at the last minute. My weekend days aren't much different from my weekdays, though I always aim to do more reading (which rarely happens, I'm always doing something or other, but don't asks me what!)

Today, I did make tentative plans with my dad and if my looming headache doesn't settle on me, will have him over for tea and Madeleines, while I draw or paint him outside on my balcony. A little while ago, when in my mid-day haze after sleeping in because I went to sleep at 5 a.m. (don't ask) I called him to say Happy Father's Day thinking we were on the 17th. He said the best father's day gift I could give him would be to immortalize him in one of my drawings or paintings.

I posted a couple of things which might be of interest to you on my blog in the last hour:

http://fromsmilerwithlove.com/2012/06/16/on-tortured-souls-a-drawing/

http://fromsmilerwithlove.com/2012/06/16/bookshelf-porn/

Ilana!! I LOVE that "A Soul of Substance" - absolutely incredible!!

The bookshelves...um...bookwalls are drool worthy, indeed!

I like your idea of housecleaning, too! We run a pretty tight ship here with cooking and cleaning and chores because I am raising four children, and I feel it is imperative that each of them understands and values what it takes to get a meal on the table, completely clean a bathroom or the kitchen, mow the lawn, make a menu plan, etc. They may not choose to do all of those things for themselves when they are adults, but they will at least appreciate the time, effort, and planning the goes into each. We rotate through chores so that everyone gets a turn and everyone gets a break from each thing. So one week they might be on bathroom, which means a check and tidy of the area each day, a big clean on Saturday, and washing the towels for the week. After the big clean, everybody rotates to the next area. It works for us, and helps to prevent the mindset that certain chores belong to certain genders.

I hope that you get to have a fun and relaxing time with your Dad that is free of stress and hurt. Take care.

The bookshelves ......... LIKE!

Housecleaning was easy, but now am living with my Autistic Brother I am having to lear to relax ...... very hard!

Not trying to be antisocial, Ilana. Lurking a lot - and - loving your thread and blog!
Just too tired to say anything of value - wishing the days were shorter and the nights longer. The sun getting up at 4am is a killer... whose idea was that anyway? Probably the dang fishermen :(
though I DO love fish!
Not sure having FOUR children is worth having the help with housecleaning. Eeeek! I like your method a bit better ;-)

Hugs and more hugs!

Just stopping by..

You have a housecleaner..on retainer???

Boggles the mind......

;-)

Love your housekeeping plan. I admit that we have someone in every other week and it's a life- (and relationship-) saver. I feel very privileged to be able to afford it.

Cee, I often agree with you but here I must express an alternative point of view. I love love love the long days. Light at 4am, not dark until 10pm. It does make me a bit hypomanic, but I just love it.

Ilana, just going to check out your blogs before digging into River of Smoke.

Cool apartment in Brazil.... and I love the tortured soul image. Very touching.

Hi there!

Thinking of you and sending lots of love.

Well, I ended up having quite a lovely and productive afternoon with my dad. I spent a couple of hours sketching and drawing him and was quite happy with what came out. I've taken a bunch of photos and will post them on both blogs soon. After that we watched The Triplets of Belleville, an animated movie I'd heard many good things about and we both ended up loving.

In books, I finished Lost by Michael Robotham yesterday which I liked quite a lot, though not as much as the first book in the series. The narrator in The Suspect is Dr Joseph O'Loughlin, a psychologist with a gift for figuring out people just by observing them who has also just found out he has Parkinson's disease. I ended up quite liking him and his family, but in the second book he plays a secondary role. Must say I'm not terribly fond of stories featuring children as victims of violence or abuse of any kind, and the topic here is the disappearance of a little girl who may have been murdered by a pedophile... all the same, it was quite well put together and kept me interested throughout.

For a complete change of pace, I picked up A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch, my first book by this author. Got it from Audible, mostly because it's narrated by Derek Jacobi, who does an excellent job of course. A man who cheats on a wife he adores with a mistress he quite likes ends up finding out his wife has fallen in love with her psychoanalyst and wants a divorce. Quite humorous, in a very biting English way, which I always enjoy.

Had a minor drama yesterday provoked by my own compulsion for taking people to task when I should just keep my stupid mouth shut. This ended up resulting in me being the recipient of a good strong dose of verbal abuse, though I must say I should have known better and really deserved it this time. Hopefully it'll be a lesson that will stick, because the emotional impact of these exchanges with the less desirable element of the human species is much too taxing and unhealthy.

So how did Ilana make herself feel better? By buying a bunch of books of course! Several art books which had sat in various online shopping carts and wishlists for a while: Naked: The Nude In America by Bram Dijkstra, recommended by my painting instructor, Alice Neel: Painted Truths, also Guy Bourdin: In Between, which has become a collector's item though I managed to find a new copy at a very reasonable price (I'll believe it when I actually receive it) and The Tulip Anthology. Also, a cheap copy of A Café on the Nile by Bartle Bull on AbeBooks, and the following from the latest Audible sale (25% off for members):

♫ The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (narrated by David Horovitch)
♫ The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes
♫ Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens (narrated by Simon Prebble ♥)
♫ All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West (narrated by Dame Wendy Hiller)
♫ Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper
♫ King Richard III by William Shakespeare (full cast)
♫ A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (full cast) (WEIRD touchstone!!!)
♫ Othello by William Shakespeare (full cast)
♫ The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Wall
♫ A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (narrated by Rosemary Leach)

Here are others currently in my shopping cart, though I've already spent so much this month on books, I'll sleep over it...

♫ The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
♫ Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford (narrated by Patricia Hodge)
♫ Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner (have this one in print, but want it just for Anna Massey's narration)
♫ Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir by Ngugi wa'Thiong'o
♫ Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (will get it with one of my credits)
♫ Cloudstreet by Tim Winton (was going to get Dirt Music based on Paul's recommendation, but didn't like the narrator so I'll get it in print to appreciate the prose better.)

#145 Mamie, I ended up naming my drawing in honour of Jonas's comment. He always makes the most amazing comments and his blog is filled with more very profound thinking on his part. "A Soul of Substance" indeed. I will always remember that.

It sounds like you're got a great hold on running your home and family with the best of principles in place. I wholeheartedly approve. In fact, you sound exactly like the kind of mom I would be in my fantasy of the perfect life I would have if I had ever been, at any point in my life, a well-adjusted person. Which I might have been had I had the kind of parenting you are providing for your kids. They are very lucky to have you and I hope they know it. If not, tell them I said so please.

#146 Alex, it sounds like you have quite a challenge on your hands. Is your brother able to function more or less normally or does he need constant supervision?

#147 My dearest Claudia, it never occurred to me even for a moment that you might be anti-social. I'm just happy to hear from you when you do surface. I'm catching up with threads very slowly and your is on one of my tabs. I'm almost there!

My "method" by the way is a complete lack of one! I just try to keep complete chaos at bay, though am constantly flirting with it...

#148 Jude, Chona is very dear to me and is almost like family at this point. She had a back injury at her job in a chip factory some years back and now ekes out a living as a cleaning lady, though she can't take on too much of a workload either, so she always has time for me provided I give her a bit of advance warning. And since I'm very flexible with my own schedule... it always works out somehow.

#149 Ellen, I actually hired Chona when my ex-boyfriend David and I started living together ages and ages ago. He had a thriving business and I had no intention of becoming his live-in housemaid or have housekeeping become a source of stress, so convincing him to have a maid come in every other week wasn't difficult. We split up, and I never got over it, but at least I got to keep Chona!

Re the tortured soul image, I used it as inspiration for a piece I did with my father today. It came out quite well and I'm happy with it. Will show it very soon.

#150 My dear Linda, You are an angel. xoxo

Hi Ilana

#119 I'm still fascinated by all the lists - although we didn't have a lot of overlap there are still a lot of books on your list that I really enjoyed that just didn't quite make it on to my list.

#144 Wow, the Soul painting/drawing has a lot of emotion.

#152 So sorry to hear you were subject to more verbal abuse yesterday :-( Hope the books helped.

Hello Ilana - loved your tortured soul! The Pursuit of Love is one of my all-time favourite books and introduced me to the wacky Mitfords - with whom I have something of an obsession.

That book had me in stitches! (Love in a Cold Climate not as good IMO. I would recommend that you try to get hold of Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford as well, for a more factual record of their childhood. Just such a fascinating and contradictory family!

Hi Heather, you know, the thing about naming a handful of books that were most memorable is that there are so many others that were really quite great that don't get mentioned. For instance, I have a great deal of 4-star reads in my collection here, 4 stars meaning that I really loved the book, but I wasn't necessarily intent on reading it again... I've yet to come up with an 80s list. Also, looking back at my list from this decade, I almost wish I'd allowed for books published in the last 3 years as well...

Books always help. Whether it's reading them or purchasing them. But this evening I made myself add all my new purchases to the list here on my thread, and that was a sobering experience. In any case, it helped me decided then and there to empty my shopping cart over at Audible. I've got enough audiobooks at this point to last me for a good while. Though there are always other books calling our name, aren't there?



My, it's been awfully quiet here today... I published more work on my blog this evening. My father came over yesterday, as I'd mentioned before, and I decided to post the images today for father's day. If you follow the link, you'll see a photo of my dad and be directed to the artwork as well: http://fromsmilerwithlove.com/2012/06/17/sitting-on-the-balcony-drawing-my-dad/

Brought back more things from the library today:

A Man for all Seasons, the movie version which Suzanne recommended to me as an accompaniment to Wolf Hall.
♫ Quand le requin dort by Milena Agus, who also wrote From the Land of the Moon which I loved so much. This book hasn't yet been translated into English
♫ The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
♫ The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (I have the book but I intend to listen to it soon!)
♫ The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (same as above)
♫ The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (last time I read it I was a child...)

Hi Prue, sorry I missed your message before posting the above. I've been really wanting to read The Pursuit of Love, especially as i have The Sun King and was hoping to read some of her fiction first. Maybe I'll go ahead and get just that one extra book while the sale is still on for another hour... thanks for the recommendation! ;-)

Hi Ilana- I hope you had a nice visit with your Dad. I like the photo. I also like your 90s list. Some top-notch reads. Sadly, I've had Motherless Brooklyn in the stacks forever. I've also been meaning to get to a fine Balance. That seems to be an LT treasure.

"Books always help." Amen, my friend! Amen.

Ilana, so glad that you had an enjoyable time with your Dad. I really loved seeing the progression of you drawings. It's amazing how each one captures something different about him. You are so very talented, my friend! Thanks for sharing!

#158 Mark, the visit with my dad turned out to be quite pleasant. A real blessing when that happens. I predict that when you get to Motherless Brooklyn you'll wonder why you let it sit there so long. A Fine Balance is still untouched because it's so fat it scares me!

#159 Thanks Mamie, your comment made me feel all warm and made me blush. :-)

Ilana, I love the works you did with your father as your model. It sounds like a wonderful afternoon --- with real connection and some fun. I know your family dynamics can be challenging at times; I'm so pleased to read that you had a good time with your dad. As I think you know, I lost my dad when I was 33 years old (he was 73) and I regret that I had not yet pushed through my "stuff" to get to know him (or, perhaps more to the point, let him get to know me) in an authentic way. I'm glad you have time like this with your dad while the opportunity still exists. It may be imperfect, but it is what it is. And it's precious even in its most agonizing moments.

Oh, and the picture of him holding Coco and Lulu (am I remembering his dog's name correctly?) is really cute.

I hope you have a good week. I'm starting Wolf Hall tonight, having read through the first 30 or so posts on your tutored read thread.

Ilana - I may start Mitford's The Sun King soon. Lovely way to spend father's day with your old man - trust that the good days with him more than make up for the ones that are less so. Would hate to think that my three all of whom I adore would not want to spend their adult time with me and I am already starting to treasure our time as I can see it rapidly coming to an end, especially in Yasmyne's case.

156: Wow, Ilana, I'm impressed that you have two blogs. I loved the preliminary picture of your dad holding the dogs in the first one, but gave up on the second one loading on this ancient laptop. I'm glad there is a MacPro in my future! I'll try the iPad later to see the progression of drawings of your dad.

I thought I was on your "real" thread last night when I found myself immersed in the world of Wolf Hall. Now I wish I had bought that pristine copy I saw at The Dusty Bookshelf in Lawrence, KS so I could follow along better. I love the in-depth tutoring session. I mentioned elsewhere that I might forgo taking a college course this fall and just follow some of the tutored reads being done here on the 75ers group. What an intelligent and erudite group of tutors we have.

Your head is so full of ideas! Great drawings - all!
So happy for you and your Dad having a day of connection and fun.
Sometime you should try to get a photo of you and Dad together. Might Coco be smart enough to manage that? lol

#161 Ellen, I do make efforts to have pleasant exchanges with my dad precisely because I'm conscious he won't be around forever. I found that having him as my model is perfect because I can't speak as I draw, and he can talk all he likes, so we both get to do what we like best with no chance for disagreements!

Lulu is really sweet, but she's such a wild one that she drives me nuts every time she arrives, but after an hour or so I always enjoy her a lot.

Good luck with the Wolf Hall thread, there's almost as much reading to do there as there is in the book! :-) As I go forward though, I'm finding I don't need to ask so many questions, so it should be easier to follow from here on out.

Fyi, I'll be starting on Of Mice and Men tonight. Have it loaded on my iPhone for when I step out with Coco in a few minutes.

#163 Hi Donna! Sorry you had trouble loading the blog. I'm not sure where I got the idea to start a second blog for my artwork. I think it was mostly because my Smiler blog is all over the place and sometimes gets quite personal, and I wanted to have a place that was really just about the artwork. Sometimes it gets confusing though, figuring out what should go where and directing traffic onto the creative blog.

I too am really impressed with the amount of knowledge our tutors are able to impart. I feel incredibly spoiled and very lucky to have access to a precious service like that—and for free too! But what do you mean when you say you thought you were on my "real" thread?

#164 Nah! Claudia, most of the time I have no ideas whatsoever. But I'm learning through all my art classes to just let the body take over and do it's thing. It has it's very own intelligence and the key is to trust in it.

I doubt Coco could take a pic of my dad and I... but I'll see what we can do about that. Good suggestion!



Am starting on a new project my OT put together. It's a photographic exploration as a kind of therapeutic outlet. We're having our first meeting tomorrow, when I'll find out more about it. I think there'll be something like 10 participants in all and it'll probably last through the summer.

Finished A Severed Head this evening. It's quite a head trip! I'm itching to get my reviews written... maybe tomorrow?

Off to get ready for bed and River of Smoke which is quite engrossing. But first, starting on Of Mice and Men read by Gary Sinise while I take out Coco for his night walk.

I read A Severed Head earlier because Lucy was talking about Iris Murdoch on her thread and that title came up, and I was saying that I might have to read it just because of the title. I actually quite liked it. Have you read anything else by her? I would like to, but I am uncertain what would be a good next step.

I loved what you were saying about your Dad modeling for you being the perfect solution because he can talk while you draw - so great.

Just checking in to see how your day went. Sleep well.

I'll be interested in your take on Of Mice and Men, Ilana. I think it's a brilliant short novel, but painful (I guess those usually go together, don't they?).

Hello lovely one! Great to hear you read A Severed Head - which i have immediately placed on the WL. Don't know if i have read it or not but I did read many Iris Murdoch books in the 70s/80s - she is also quite the philosopher. I would recommend The Sea, The Sea and The Black Prince which i remember being quite excellent.

Ilana/Mamie - I like her earlier stuff best (Murdoch) that is. Under the Net, The Sandcastle and The Bell are all worth a read. Nice post by Donna and I must say that I agree - don't follow the tutored reads that closely but Suz is doing a wonderful job and I remember Liz doing similarly sterling work last year with Madeline and Jane Austen. Erudite is a lovely word and applies in equal part to both of them.

Hi Ilana - I'm not posting or reading much at present, but I have been lurking!

#166. Mamie, I really enjoyed A Severed Head. It's true the title is quite intriguing, and in fact I think I'll have to list it in Suzanne's unusual title TIOLI challenge. The narrator is so incredibly self-absorbed, as are all the characters in the story mind you, which makes for some pretty ridiculously funny situations. I definitely want to read more books by Iris Murdoch, and currently have The Sea, the Sea (Booker Prize winner), The Bell, Under the Net and The Black Prince on my wishlist. I see Paul has also recommended The Sandcastle, so I'll add it to the WL to for good measure! :-)

#167 Ellen, as I just now said on the discussion thread, what struck me most with this third reading was the theme of loneliness which seems to run throughout and how each character deals with it. Another theme that I saw this time is the fragility of life and how easily all creatures can go from vibrant and living to inanimate shells. It's definitely a very profound story that keeps you thinking after it's over.

#168 Prue, I'd somehow always had this idea that Iris Murdoch wrote very complicated books that were hard to figure out, but I didn't find it was the case at all and warmed to her themes immediately in this book. I'm tempted to jump right into another book of hers ASAP. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up reading her entire bibliography within a couple of years, something I'm working toward with another author recently discovered, Muriel Spark.

#169 Thanks for the suggestions Paul. Between that and the lists you've posted on your thread, I'll be adding books to my wishlist for a while to come as I go through those. I find it amazing that we have readers dedicated enough to keep this tutored reads thing going, it's an amazing feature and I've already benefited from it a lot by following a few. Liz actually tutored me just last month with Persuasion if you'll remember, which was quite an excellent experience as well.

#170 Hi Kerry, nice to hear from you!

*lurking with nothing intelligent to say*

xox

#172 Hi Gail!




I brought Coco to the vet for his teeth cleaning this morning. I'll only find out tonight when I pick him up around 7 or 7:30 p.m. whether they've taken out every tooth in his mouth of not. I felt so upset at leaving him behind that I very nearly cried. But he'll be ok. Now it feels very strange being at home and not having him by my side, and even Mimi, when I arrived, looked down the stairs, waiting for Coco to follow me. Poor little guy.

Finished listening to Of Mice and Men last night. Gary Sinise does a wonderful job with the narration, giving a different voice to each character in a most credible way and reading with great sensitivity. I've just reserved the movie version at the library, which should be interesting. Keeping whatever other comments I have for my review otherwise.

Last night I watched The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with Maggie Smith playing the lead character. I can see why she won the Oscar for that role, and I must say I enjoyed the movie more than the book, though some elements of the story were vastly changed. It was surprising to see Maggie so young and beautiful too. but it was filmed in 1969, the year of my birth, so 42 years ago... I'm now tempted to have a little Maggie Smith festival and borrow all her movies from the library. Except those based on books I haven't read yet of course, those will have to wait.

Again...i am way too late to keep up..

nothing to say that would rate "intelligent" on the radar

***hugs***

Prue and Paul - Thanks so much for the Iris Murdoch suggestions. Now I just have to decide which one to read first!

Ilana - You have reminded me that I have not written review yet for Of Mice and Men either. I read it right away this month, but didn't want to post my review right away because I knew a lot of others were planning on reading it, so decided to wait a bit...then forgot! I have read it many, many times, and I feel like I take away something more each time. I just love how Steinbeck writes.

Looking forward to your review of A Severed Head. I've only read The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch but I really enjoyed it (it also has some fairly self-absorbed characters and humour so hopefully you'll also like it).

#165 Your photographic exploration project sounds like an interesting summer project. Let us know how it goes...

#174 Jude, whatever comment you have to contribute is always appreciated whether it be "intelligent" or not...

#175 I know it's a book I'll read again in future. I'd forgotten just how dramatic the end is. Not a bad thing—that way I keep returning to it fresh!

#176 Heather, I have a feeling I'll like other Iris Murdoch books as well. She has a style and sense of humour that appeals to me.

Here's an update on the photo project: it'll take place over eight weeks, with weekly meetings. Yesterday at the meeting there were six participants including me, plus the OT and her supervisor, who is apparently quite involved in the arts. The idea was to set a curriculum and brainstorm ideas of what we'd like to photograph and what came out was: architecture, nature, our homes, places we feel safe and happy, and staged photos describing our emotions (my idea). Then the OT showed us some videos on YouTube of similar kind of projects that were done by people with mood disorders at an institute which provides all kinds of technical support for video, sound, editing and so on in the US. NOT something that is available to us here.

Turns out only three of the participants have ever taken photos or even have cameras (including me), so the others will be provided with some. I was glad to discover a girl there I knew from when I attended a program at the day hospital; Suzie has studied fine arts and is generally very artistic, which is very cool. On the other hand, there was another young girl who had also attended the program with me whom I was NOT pleased to see. Annie looks like she's near catatonic and just sits there mostly smiling to herself. When she's asked a direct question, she'll just answer with one or two words. The OT had told me she wanted only people who had an ability to communicate in this group, so I have no idea what Annie is doing there. At the end, we did an interesting exercise of each person choosing an image among a given selection, then pairing up and describing what the image evoked for us. We meet again next week with our cameras this time.

Coco update: the vet just called me a few minutes ago, and my heart practically jumped out of my chest when I saw the name of the vet on the phone display, worried that something horrible had just happened. But the vet said he was just calling me to give me an update. Coco is now under sedation and is doing well, but looking at his x-rays, they've discovered that quite a lot of teeth need to come out, maybe up to 10 of them! Poor Coco. :-(

#178 Oh no - poor Coco :-( Glad it wasn't anything more serious though.

Coco update: I got a phone call a short while ago to tell me I can go pick up Coco at 7:30. The shocker was when they told me how many teeth they removed: nineteen of them!!! Nineteen... so now, all that left basically are his molars. I literally was in shock. The technician who called me reassured me and said that it's very common for small dogs his age to have had all their teeth removed. I can't help but be upset with myself for not having gone through this procedure last year, but it wasn't suggested, so I didn't worry about it, though I did start brushing his teeth. I guess the upside is no more tooth brushing. My poor darling. I feel like such a bad mama now. :-(

aww poor Coco! My cat Taz had two out earlier in the month and I felt so bad for her! Hopefully Coco has some good meds to keep him pain free tomorrow!

ETA ok you posted again before I hit post. 19 is a lot! Poor thing!

You're not a Bad Mama, no way!

Older pets have health problems that we can't anticipate..no matter how hard we try...don't beat yourself up about this issue..just keep loving Coco..he's your "baby", right?

;-}

Having just been to the dentist myself, I can sympathise with poor Coco! He is lucky to be loved by you - definitely not a bad mama!

Sorry to hear about Coco! Poor little guy. And hugs to you too!

You are definitely a Good Mama, no question about that.

Poor baby--and poor Mummy. Soft pats for both, and soft foods for Coco.

Geeze, I thought when Loki had 5 teeth out a while ago that was bad. But I did hear at the time that some dogs do have ALL their teeth removed and are still able to live a happy life - as well as eat.
Loki recovered quickly. When he got home all he wanted to do was eat! (he knew he had missed a meal or two) and sleep.

Poor sweet Coco - but really I think you feel worse than he does. You are taking care of him, loving him, and are an excellent Mama.

Hugs to both of you! CocoLove will be fine.

{{{{{Coco & Ilana}}}}}

Oh, Ilana, sorry about Coco. You are a great Mama to him, so don't beat yourself up about his teeth. A lot of smaller dogs have dental issues. All four of our poodles have issues.
Sending love and hugs to both of you, poor dears.

Oh Ilana, you are such a good mom to that little Coco. If they say it's usual, it is. I guess it means soft food for him now, and he will be just fine. With the teeth out, it reduces the likelihood of infection and other problems. Know that we all love you and we all love Coco and he will be fine. Of this I am confident, even from three time zones away. :-)

I watched The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie a couple of months ago (I haven't read the book and likely won't do so) and I agree that it was a wonderful performance by the young Maggie Smith.

Keep taking care, Ilana, and please try to be gentle with yourself. You're a good momma to the Coco-meister and this is just the kind of thing that happens. it comes with the territory -----

xoxoxoxo

Thanks Chelle, Jude, Prue, Mark, Gail, Claudia Mamie and Ellen for you kind words of sympathy. They are very much appreciated. It's been a long day, and Coco and I are about to turn in. I've been told he should be better by tomorrow already. I'll respond to you individually during the day.

{{{{{Coco}}}}}

Hi Ilana, I hope Coco is recovering nicely. Do you have to change his diet or feed him differently now? Give the little guy a hug from me as well.

Dear Ilana - as you know the veterinary profession is not my favourite given my own experiences this year and I cannot help but think that the earlier call was to ease you into bad news. Can't believe, common or not, and especially given how much you obviously care for your little fellow, that the Vet couldn't have found a way to save some of the megs. Anyway hugs and best wishes to both of you from cynical old me.

Oh, poor Coco. I don't think you should blame yourself at all. I hope he starts to feel better tomorrow.

I'm off to meet a friend at the mall shortly to escape the ridiculous heat and humidity. First: a prolonged cold shower. Won't be gone for long as don't want to leave Coco alone too much. He's doing much better—already ate soft food this morning with quite a hearty appetite! That's what he'll be eating the next 2 weeks, and then he MIGHT be able to eat his kibbles again too.

I really have to run, but thanks again for dropping by and I'll respond individually later this evening. xx

My sympathy, too, Ilana. I'm glad Coco is feeling better. Odds are this will be a real plus for him going forward.

hugs and pats!

The temperatures have been soaring over here. Today was just over 40 degrees celcius (around 105 F), which is way beyond what I can take. Cold showers and A/C, and plenty of homemade iced lemonade are my coping mechanisms. Hopefully this heat wave will break soon. It's only June for heaven's sake!

I got together with Suzan today, who is attending the photo project with me. We've spent a little bit of time together in the past, and I really like her. She suggested we get together and hang out in a mall or go to a pool before our brains baked into mush. We ended up going to the café at Indigo bookstore and gabbed away for close to 3 hours. I got back home to Coco who seemed to be doing just fine. He's got a good appetite now, which is always a good sign.

I've been making myself Greek salads this past week (what I eat through most summers), made one tonight, had 2-3 bites and can't eat anymore. It's just too bloody hot to eat, and I DO have A/C or sorts here and the fans going full blast. I need to drop a few pounds, so maybe lack of appetite isn't a bad thing!

#181 Chelle, that was a major intervention he went through for sure... but the technician told me he behaved like an angel. In other words, like his usual self. :-)

#182 Jude, you're absolutely right. I knew what I was getting into adopting a mature pet. Someone said to me yesterday: "does he still have all four of his legs?", and I realized that of course things could be much, much worse.

#183 Prue, I remember when I had the bright idea to have all four molars taken out in one session. The pain meds were extremely strong and I was high as a kite, but I still felt pain. It's hard to tell with animals, they suffer in silence don't they?

#184 Thanks for the hugs Mark. Always appreciated.

#185 Hi Gail. Yes, soft food for Coco for the next couple of weeks, then they told me I can try him on his dry kibble again, as apparently lots of toothless dogs manage fine with it. I've given him a half-half diet up till now, but I'll let him choose what he prefers for sure. He was lapping up the soft treats I gave him today, chewing with his gums which I thought was a good sign.

#186 I was thinking about you a lot Claudia these past few days, because remembered well when Loki had his teeth taken out and how worried you were about the procedure, which was totally understandable. The up side is that I won't ever have to worry about his teeth anymore. Mind you, he still has his molars left...

You might be right about me feeling worse than he does, but of course we'll never know about that for sure!

#187 Thanks for the sympathy Mamie. At least I was forewarned that poodles often have tooth problems before I officially adopted him. All that tartar and gingivitis could have led to all kinds of health complications, so I guess it's all for the best. Hope your babies will be ok. Do you brush their teeth?

#188 Ellen, you always have a way of making me feel better. You're obviously a great therapist! :-)
I realized today that we're both lucky that I have the means to care for his health, which is definitely not the case for so many animals who are abandoned or euthanized when health problems arise. Adding to my distress yesterday was the fact that I met a cat on the street when I was on my way to pick up my baby. It was obviously a house cat, as it was relatively clean, and there was an indentation where the collar had been. But it looked really unhealthy generally, and worst of all, had a grotesquely swollen upper lip. I pet her (?) a little bit and tried to think what I could do for her, but then had to make the decision that I needed to care for the pets who are already under my care first. Still, an encounter like that usually leaves me feeling desperately sad for days, sometimes weeks. I know I can't help them all of course, though I wish I could. It's moving season over here (Montrealers are relocating ALL THE TIME), which is when the shelters are completely overcrowded because so many people, poor excuses for human beings, abandon their animals in the process. The animal welfare laws in Quebec are completely inadequate and too many animals suffer needlessly here. Sigh. Anyway, all this definitely compounded how badly I felt when I went to pick up my baby. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that poor cat who obviously needed a serious medical intervention (another reason people abandon their pets. So cruel!)...

#191 Hi Judy, Coco is doing as well as I can expect. It's a bit hard to tell how much discomfort he's feeling today, because when I took him on his walks today, he didn't seem to want to walk very much. But then again, it's so incredibly hot here and that could just as well explain his lack of enthusiasm. He did eat with a hearty appetite though, which I know is always a very good sign.

#192 I quite trust this animal hospital Paul, firstly because it has a very good reputation, and also because they never pressure one into needless interventions, as most vets do. In fact, they often suggest NOT doing certain things saying it's not worth the expense... But whether some of his teeth could have been saved or not is something I'll never know for sure. However, had some of them stayed in, there was no guarantee that he'd be able to keep them even with constant vigilance and cleaning, so perhaps it's really for the best.

#193 Hi Heather. They've told me to give Coco his painkiller for only 4 days, so presumably he should be feeling much better very quickly. My initial reaction was to blame myself (as I do for most things!), but now with a bit of distance I can see that I really did the best I could, and that's that.

#195 Thanks Joe. You're absolutely right, he'll be a much happier fellow when he's all healed up. He's presumably endured chronic pain for a long time, and that will be over now—the tech even told me I can expect to have a whole new revitalized Coco very soon!

#196 Thank you dear Prue. xx

Hello sweetheart! I got a big haul of books from BD - which I have listed on my thread. You know, before I joined LT, I used to think I was fairly literate - but this group has opened my eyes to such new worlds - brave new worlds - and fantastic people. I am just so grateful to be a part of this amazing group. And Ilana, you especially have enriched my life through your sharing. One day, we shall meet. You are incredible!

Ilana, I'm just like you --- seeing an animal hurt or abandoned or lost just breaks my heart. I have sometimes stopped and been able to help, but too often I have to do just what you had to do -- remind myself that I can only care for a limited number and my first obligation is to those whom I've already adopted!

I saw an interesting thing on my way home from the final installment of my jury duty adventure yesterday: a guy at the bus stop (in the middle of the busiest downtown part of the city, mind you) with a cat on his shoulders. The cat looked quite healthy and was amazingly calm; she had a leash and collar, but when the guy let the leash drop to do something (he had set the cat on top of a large covered trash bin), the cat just stayed there...... and when the guy was putting his backpack on the cat initiated getting back on his shoulders. And the guy just walked on toward wherever he was going with the cat happily (?) settled in on his shoulders. It amazes me that a cat would so calmly handle the noise and activity of that busy city street (buses, people, pigeons, bicycles, cars......) without freaking out and trying to find somewhere to hide. She obviously feels very used to him and their life together. I wish them all the best.

I'm glad that Coco seems to be recovering (and having a good appetite is a great sign!). And even with all those teeth out, he'll be able to eat dry kibble. That surprises me, but if you and he prefer the dry kibble, it's a terrific outcome!

Okay, back to work for me..... I really do have a million things to do, but I'm not much in the mood....

Hi Ilana, Stopping by to get caught up.

Today was just over 40 degrees celcius

That is way to hot for me! Seriously, if I could send our cold weather your way I would in a heartbeat.... here on the west coast it is a cold 12'C and raining. Yup, you read right.... 12'C.... I mean, it is June - almost July - for pete's sake! Wacky weather or what. I hope cooler weather heads your way soon!

Stopping in to check on Coco and you. Sounds like Coco is doing really well! Yesterday seems like it was a lot of fun - just what you needed. Hope today was just as lovely.

First stop for the weekend - I agree with Lori 40 degrees is way too hot. Stay cool and have a lovely and relaxing weekend. x

Today was supposed to be cooler than yesterday, but my body couldn't tell the difference. The one good thing about this heat is that I'm making vast quantities of lemonade, and there's nothing like homemade lemonade on a hot day. Since I can't keep much food down without feeling queazy, it's more or less my sustenance of choice these days. I wasn't fitting into a lot of my clothes anyway, so it's not a bad thing.

Tomorrow I'm invited over to my friend Kim's for an early dinner and then we'll be hanging out at the summer festival that apparently takes place every year in her neighbourhood. She lives in a nice suburb just minutes from downtown and there are apparently all kinds of interesting shows and entertainers on the waterfront. Should be fun. The only thing is I can't bring Coco with me because the city of Lachine doesn't allow dogs into their parks. How retarded is that exactly? But Coco's doing just fine and sleeping most of the time as usual, so leaving him in his crate a few hours shouldn't be a problem.

#199 Prue my dear, I did see your wonderful book haul when I dropped by your thread yesterday. Very exciting. I've been ordering up art books these past couple of weeks as if they were... I don't know... cheap? which they certainly aren't. For every art book I could buy... well, never mind. They're worth it, though nobody here gets much excited when I mention them, because of course there's a very limited readership for those to be found on LT, understandably enough. Though... maybe there's an art book group I could look into?

You my dear are a sweetheart. Nothing would make me happier than to come down to Melbourne to meet you. I loved my time in Oz so much when I visited for 3 weeks in 2007 that I decided I want to move there. And I hadn't even gotten to visit Melbourne—I get the feeling I'll just want to throw my return ticket away once I get there!

#200 Ellen, I'm still thinking about that poor cat. Mind you, I didn't go check if it was still out there where I saw it, which isn't very likely. May pass by as I take Coco for his night walk. You should have seen it it. When I say it's upper lip was grotesque, it doesn't quite describe just how gigantically swollen up it was.

Love the story about the guy with the cat on his shoulders. That is indeed very unusual behaviour for a cat. I tried to teach Ezra, then Mimi to walk on a leash, and they wouldn't have any of it, never mind staying up on my shoulder in mid-city bustle. That must be one very special cat to be sure!

#201 Lorry, hi! I would all too gladly share some of our weather with you. If we mixed the two together and got a little bit of this and a little bit of that, I'd be perfectly happy, wouldn't you? Next week is supposed to be more bearable. Worse comes to worse, I'll have dropped a few pounds on my lemonade diet by then! :-)

#202 Hi Mamie. Suz is a really great gal. She's from... New Brunswick I think? We met at a day hospital when I attended their programme for people struggling with mood disorders. She's dealing with anxiety issues, which I can completely relate to. I don't usually like to spend time with people who face serious disorders like me because I don't find it necessarily healthy, but her and I tend to have really positive exchanges and she somehow makes me look at things in ways I haven't necessarily considered before.

#203 Thanks lurv. Same to you m'dear. xx

I finished The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes today. I started it yesterday and didn't even have time to mention or list it here, but then it's a pretty short book. I much preferred the two first books in the series over this one, but I know there are some great ones coming ahead, so I'm not giving up on the Harlem Cycle. Now I've started on Ender's Game, and I can see that I'm going to want to be doing lots of long boring chores to listen to this one. I'm just at the 5th chapter and am completely sucked in already.

I was going to write one-sentece reviews for all my June reads so far because have fallen ridiculously behind again, but short reviews aren't necessarily easier to write than longer ones, at least not for me, so it'll have to wait till... well, someday because I'm exhausted and still need to walk Coco and want to get some reading in before lights out.

I only just now read the Coco story. The poor little guy, I so hope he won't suffer any pain when the medication ends!

40 degrees is way too hot. We've had a hot week here as well, but the limit was at 35/36 degrees, which was hard enough to bear after the cold weeks we had before that. Last night we had an impressive thunderstorm here, the flashes came like from a stroboscope, without interruption. I watched from my window, but didn't dare to step out on the balcony.

I feel with you re. the abandoned cat, and I know this can go on for quite a while, even though you know your decision was right.

I never made lemonade. Did I miss something? *off to check lemonade recipes*

Hope you'll enjoy the festival tonight despite the heat!

Hi Ilana. I hope you enjoy dinner and the festival tonight and that it cools down - although we often complain about not having summer I wouldn't ever want to swap our 15 degrees with rain for 40 degrees.

Hi Ilana- I hope Coco is doing good and it begins to cool off for you! Have a great weekend!

A good week-end to you, Darlin', although how you can have a good weekend with temps that high is hard to imagine. My word, it's hotter there than it is here! That seems out of the natural order of things. I long for coastal N.E. with the rain and the fog and the blessed coolness.

About the City Kitty: can't imagine how that could happen unless Kitty is doing major tranquilizers. I love cats more than one probably should, but even my old, rotund, slow-witted (I know, a dumb cat, right? Who'd have thought it?)childhood pet wouldn't have tolerated that, and she was amazingly accomodating.

Oh, and I wanted to mention that my hair just about caught on fire when I visited The Lists! Now I never want to get off the computer.

HI Ilana! Happy St-Jean Baptiste Day! Or is that tomorrow? We don't celebrate it here in NS, I think it's just a Quebec Holiday. Hope you have fun tonight with your friend at the festival!

Cats and leashes.
When I first had my beloved and very handsome gray kitty, Dorian, I was living in Illinois (grad school) and I put him on a leash and harness and took him outside to sniff around the yard while some friends were playing frisbee or something. He was about 3 months old and very interested in things. He was quite happy, sniffing this, sniffing that, checking out the big, wide world...... and he saw something interesting..... and he pounced on it..... and he leapt straight up as that bee stung him on his paw! Poor little guy, his paw swelled up pretty good for a couple of days. Next time I tried to put the harness on him, he was having none of it!!!

I could hardly blame him.

After that, he was a 100% indoor cat, but I spent the next 14 years entering my home bent forward at the waist with my hand out to catch head of Dorian.....

He was a good cat.

I'm going to imitate Mark, who did this good news / bad news thing I thought was quite clever:

The Good New: the weather is perfect today. Sunny, not too hot with a nice soft breeze
The Bad News: I have a migraine that makes my eyes and teeth hurt, so not going to that festival thingy this evening, no way.
The Good News: My friend Kimmy completely understands and we can see each other either tomorrow or during the week instead
The Bad News: This good news/bad news thing is too complicated for me to figure out. Makes my head hurt more.
The Good News: I get to lie in with Coco and read, and I know my wonderful LT friends will still be here when I'm better.

Happy Saturday everyone. Will get back to you individually when I'm able.

I'm glad to hear that Coco is doing well after his surgery. I hope your migraine settles, we don't get the extremes of temperature where I live. We moan when we have to pull on a jacket during winter, and our summers never get too hot.

And yes to the one sentence reviews.

About cats on leashes - there is an old guy that comes to our outdoor shopping mall regularly with an old labrador and a cat (wearing a hat) riding either on the back of the dog or sitting around the neck of the man. He stops for all the children to pat or have photos taken, I'm fairly sure this is the only social life the guy has. Both animals wait outside the supermarket while he shops for groceries, it sort of makes my day when I see them.


I used to feel bad about all the street cats in Tel Aviv, I saw so many unloved dirty cats that it became overwhelming. I fed a few that lived near us and have seen an old woman set out about 20 or so plates in Jaffa to feed an army of street cats, but overall there's not much you can do. And in Rio, in one of the parks a guy came and fed an army of cats, his dog sat and watched the proceedings with an air of resignation!.
Also noticed this at the library the other day - A street cat named Bob: how one man and his cat found hope on the streets by James Bowen.

Just read about Coco's affliction. All my best to him (and you). Have to agree with those who say that he will probably be just fine, post-extraction. I think there might be a tendency to project our own people horrors over the idea of having a large number of teeth extracted and how it might make one feel about oneself. And yes, I also agree that you are in no way a bad mama.

Willie goes out on a leash often, but recently, after I get him all hooked up, leash-wise, he stops dead in the open doorway for about 30 seconds, stares outside and then books it for the other room. Can't imagine what he thinks is out there.

Wow - 105 - that was almost 10 degrees worse than it was here. I sure hope this isn't some kind of an indication about the rest of the summer.

I had the same reaction to The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - the movie was much better than the book, I thought. Love Maggie Smith. That's a good idea - hunting down all of her movies. Wonder what I can find on Netflix...

Again, all my best to you and Coco - and Mimi and Ezra, too.

My cat will lay down and refuse to budge if I put a harness and leash on him.

213> I love the story and the picture. Who says animals aren't amazing?

ETA that I hope your migraine is better soon, Ilana. And that you and Coco had a good lie in.

Well, another day with completely tolerable weather. Another day with less tolerable migraine too. I want to see my friend Kim, but I've begged off for today again as don't want to move away from my couch any more than I need to.

I've got some serious catching up to do with my reading. I was just reminded by Ellen over on the Steinbeckathon thread that we're starting on East of Eden in July, not a small undertaking by any means, especially as I already have two large tomes on the go with Wolf Hall and River of Smoke. I'm greatly enjoying them both, as they are both so well written and most entertaining, but will have to at least finish one of them because I can't see myself juggling three large tomes at once. The idea of it alone makes my head ache even more. Therefore, I'll have to dedicate this week to reading above all else to try to finish something. Unless I end up getting East of Eden on audio to take the pressure off, which is always an option I suppose. Meanwhile, I'm already halfway through the audio of Ender's Game and really gobbling it up. I can see myself wanting to continue with that series, any suggestions on that one way or the other?

#206 Hi Nathalie, they assured me at the vet's that dogs get over that kind of intervention very quickly. Tonight is supposed to be his last dose of painkiller, but if I have any hesitations afterwards, I'll call them back and see if they advise continuing for a few days more.

I've never even considered looking up a recipe for lemonade. I just squeeze lemons, add water, sweetener and water to taste, and that it! I like to use an already liquified sweetener to make the mixing easier, so I use either cane syrup or more recently I've been using organic Agave nectar. The ratio of lemons to water really depends on how tangy you want to make it. Sometimes I also add fresh crushed mint leaves which is quite nice. Then for an evening cocktail, I sometimes throw in a splash of Cuban rhum too.

#207 Heather, you know, as I get older, I find I'm appreciating grey rainy days and the colder temperatures of winter more than the alternative. Too much sunshine usually disagrees with me both because it hurts my eyes and head and also because I'm so fair that I tend to seek out the shade anyway, because even with sunblock on, I just get red an splotchy and never get what you'd call a healthy glow. Last time I got that, I had been living in Crete for 5 months with daily exposure and did achieve a nice honeyed colour, but most people I know get that way after just a few hours, not a few months! I dream of moving to a small English village someday... I also dream of moving to Australia, or France maybe, but those are different dreams altogether.

#208 Thanks Mark, but wishes seem to have come true: cooler weather, and Coco seems to be doing just fine, thanks!

#209 Hi Gail, oh yes, I do know there is such a thing as dumb cats because I happen to live with one. Ezra is by no means what I would consider to be anything like intelligent. But he is handsome, so at least he's got that going for him, if nothing else.

When you mention lists, you must be referring to Paul's thread, which got us all started on our latest craze, right? I'm still wanting to compile my 80s and 70s favourites, though I'm not sure I've done enough reading to warrant those. I'd also love to do one of those century lists, or at least a couple of decade's worth of consecutive years with favourite books, but it seems like an awful lot of work and I did start doing some research only to find there are too many gaps to make a convincing list!

#210 Hi Chelle. It's St-Jean day today, but I've never celebrated this holiday. I'm glad to read and speak French, but otherwise feel closer in spirit to France than to Quebec culture. It's always been like that for some reason. Thanks for the good wishes anyway!

#211 Poor Dorian! Too bad he came to identify the harness with the bee sting! But why was he exclusively and indoor cat after that? Were you worried about letting him roam outside? Ezra didn't give me much choice in the matter when he started peeing in front of all the entrances (both balconies and the front door). I allow Mimi out only to be fair, though she doesn't make use of that privilege much. I often leave the back door open so Ezra can come in and out (he spends most of his days outside when the weather's nice, which suits me fine), but Mimi does no more than step out onto the balcony, then comes right back in.

#213 Thanks for sharing that story and photo Kerry, I can see why seeing this duo would make your day, I'd feel the same way! I looked up A street cat named Bob at our library, but no luck. I used to bring in all kinds of found animals when I was a kid. If I weren't so emotional, I'd consider volunteering in an animal shelter, but it would just break my heart to see so many unwanted animals on a regular basis. Instead, I donate to a couple of organizations and sign a bunch of petitions to try to improve their lot. We all do what we can handle, right?

#214 Hi Charlotte! I think you must be right about us projecting our own fears about losing teeth onto our animals. Now that a few days have gone by,
I know without a doubt that it was the right thing to do, because he'll be much healthier and comfortable for the change, and things would have only gotten worse over time otherwise. Coco doesn't seem to hold any kind of grudge against me, and his breath is already much nicer, so the guilt has abated now.

I'm surprised that your Willie is willing to walk on a leash (or had been until recently). You've made him sound like such a difficult cat, and seems to me it takes quite a spirit of cooperation on their part to allow someone to lead them that way. It takes so little to spook a cat though, so it could have been the slightest thing that make him change his mind. Mimi freaks right out when she hears me handling a plastic bag. She's a really easy going kid, but bring out a plastic bag and she lights right out of the room in a panic!

#215 Lori, that's exactly what happened with Mimi the few times I tried it on her. She just crouched down and would NOT cooperate.

#216 Thanks Ellen. xx




sorry about all the typos folks. I spent too much time responding and now my head hurts too much to proofread...

I'm also struggling with (and immensely enjoying!! -- paradox lives) both River of Smoke and Wolf Hall. I will definitely finish RoS this week so that I can shift gears a bit and give WH more of my attention (and hopefully make some mental space for completing The Grapes of Wrath and starting East of Eden).

Never let it be said that we are not ambitious.

All these drastic changes in temperature aren't good for woman or beast....my head throbs every morning from sinus pressure....I bitch and moan...and blow my nose..a lot!

Lemonade? Here is a recipe using "simple syrup", which i've found to be the secret to good Summer drinks:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_lemonade/

and here are the proportions for said Syrup...if you allow it to cool completely before refrigerating, it lasts quite a while:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2249375_make-simple-syrup.html

feel better, doll

;-}

So sorry that Coco had to have so many teeth removed, but glad he is recovering quickly.

#219 Ellen, I finished chapter 10 of RoS before taking Coco for his walk a earlier on. I plan to continue on, but then again, my head has cleared up enough for the moment to allow me to actually think so I may tackle Wolf Hall next (need to be alert enough to pay attention and take notes for that one) and/or write those blasted reviews, or rather notes on my latest reading, that I've been putting off.

#220 Jude, sorry to hear you've been suffering too. We've been expecting a thunderstorm all week now... they keep predicting one from day to day, and from the looks of things outside and the feeling in my head, it might just happen tonight.

Thanks for sharing the perfect lemonade recipe. I did think I could make my own sugar syrup and might do so if I find myself going through too much of the store-bought stuff, but essentially I was using the right method for that perfect drink with even sweetness top to bottom. Leave it to Simply Recipes to break it down for us. I love that site!

#221 Thanks Lucy. Coco was goofing around and being really playful today during his walk, running and doing his multiple pirouettes, which he only does when he's in a good mood and feeling well, and that was before I gave him his dose of painkillers, so it's looking like he's doing just fine already.




Coming up: some kind of notes on my June reading so far.

83. ♫ Katherine by Anya Seton ★★★★¼
(Read for TIOLI #14: Read a One Word Titled Book by a Female Author, 12/12 Category #6: Going Places)

The Katherine of the title is Katherine Swynford (1350-1403), an important figure in English history as she is the ancestress of many royal figures, and also, incidentally, sister-in-law to Geoffrey Chaucer, who married her sister Philippa. There are few known facts about what kind of woman Katherine was, which gave Seton plenty of leeway to turn her into a beautiful, strong-willed woman. Married off at a young age to a knight she actively disliked, she nonetheless caught the eye of John of Gaunt, of the House of Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Lancaster, the third son of King Edward III. They were lovers over a great number of years and had 4 bastard children, named Beaufort, and eventually married in 1396, three years before the passing of the duke. While their relationship is at the heart of the novel, it is much more than a romance novel, as Seton does a wonderful job of bringing the 14th century vividly to life with rich detail, and putting the story firmly in the context of important historical events. Strongly recommended for fans of historical fiction. I listened to the audio version which is very well narrated by Wanda McCaddon, aka Nadia May.



ok, that took too long. Going for faster & shorter now.





84. ♫ Restless by William Boyd ★★★★⅓
(Read for TIOLI #8: a title that has equal or more letters from the second half of the alphabet than from the first half, 12/12 Category #6: Going Places)

It's 1976, and Ruth is about to discover that the woman she has always known as Sally Gilmartin, an ordinary British housewife and mother, actually started out her life as Eva Delectorskaya, Russian-born and eventually recruited by the British secret service just before the start of WWII. Ruth, who teaches English to foreign students and is a single mother to a little boy, has no idea why her own mother, who has been acting strangely lately, has suddenly decided to share all the secrets of her training and missions during the war in detailed manuscripts. The story alternates between the "present" of 1976 and Eva Delectorskaya's fascinating story. I listened to the audio version which included an interview with the author, who said that he made up all the details of how he imagined the secret service would operate. It hardly matters whether Boyd based himself on facts or not, because he obviously has a very active imagination, and the story he weaves together holds the reader in fascination from beginning to end.




Ok. I suck at this. Trying to write two sentences isn't working. I'll give it one last try with the next couple of books and if it doesn't work, I'm giving up for now. My head hurts too much to be making all these efforts. :-(

85. ♫ The Suspect by Michael Robotham ★★★★
(Read for TIOLI #8: title has equal or more letters from the second half of the alphabet than from the first half, 12/12 Category #5: The Dark Side)

When an unknown woman is found brutally murdered, the police call in psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin, who has a gift for figuring people out based on non-verbal cues in hopes he can help them figure out who the victims was. O'Loughlin is a very talented man with a roster of interesting clients, one of which is particularly disturbed and disturbing. But he also has secrets of his own to hide, and quickly goes from being a collaborator to becoming the prime suspect in the case, and DI Vincent Ruiz isn't willing to give him any breaks. Someone is trying to frame the doctor and he knows exactly who it is, but he'll have to put his own life at risk to prove the killer is at large if he has any hope of putting his life back together. I thought this was a great thriller and took an instant liking to the psychologist, as the principal character and narrator of the story, so immediately followed up with the next book in the series.






86. ♫ Lost by Michael Robotham ★★★⅓
(Read for TIOLI #8: title has equal or more letters from the second half of the alphabet than from the first half, 12/12 Category #5: The Dark Side)

I was looking forward to following psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin again as he cracks another case, this time involving none other that DI Vincent Ruiz, his sworn enemy in the first book, who has been fished out of the Thames with a grave leg shot wound and a missing finger, but no memory whatsoever of the events that got him in that situation. But I was sorely disappointed that the narration this time had been handed over to Ruiz, with O'Loughlin only playing a secondary role. The story that emerges is a good one and held my attention all along: a little girl has gone missing without a trace while making her way from the fifth floor of her apartment building to the ground floor. There are mean gangsters, and huge cache of diamonds thrown in the mix which also held my interest, but I could have done without the pedophile who is suspected of having killed the girl—a story element I thoroughly dislike in any book, no matter how well put together. I still may continue with this series, if only to see where Robotham takes it next, now that he's gotten the pedophile out of his system.




Again, a big FAIL on short and quick. Sheesh. Now I'm totally exhausted. Off to read for a bit.

Katherine got one of my rare 10 out of 10 star ratings. Good to see someone else enjoyed it!

#225 I've got three more novels by Anya Seton to look forward to in my tbr. Have you read any others by her Morphy?

Nice to hear that Coco is up to his usual hijinks (hi jinks? hijinx? - is that one word or two - it looks peculiar, no matter how I type it. Dratted office 'puter has no spellcheck). Hope you are up to frolicking soon, too, Ilana.

Glad you liked Katherine. I liked it best of all of the Seyton books I've read.

As for Mr. Willie - yes, it is surprising that he is somewhat o.k. on a leash. I would never be able to take him out on the sidewalk for a really, truly walk - even moderately serious engine noises freak him out - but he's not too bad in the yard. But every now and then he gets these notions. The last time I opened the door in an inviting fashion, I think he heard somebody who was walking by with someone else, talking - just at a regular volume and he tried to drag me with him into the furthest reaches of the house. I have to take his leash off first, before I just let him run, or he's sure to catch it on something. That's how he upset his back-up water dish all over the rug. He just ran - zoom!!! - right by and the little loopy handle caught the edge of the dish. Water everywhere.

Ilana- Good review of Restless! I hope to FINALLY get to Mr. Boyd, after all these years. I have Any Human Heart in my very near future. I hope you are enjoying some cooler weather. It's perfect here.

Ilana - I will also have to promote Katherine on my shelves as all the reviews are positive and it is set in a period of history that fascinates me so.
Good to see that Coco is making light of the fact that he is a canine without canines.

Very nice reviews! You definitely got me with the first two; I am thinking about the third one. So very happy to hear that Coco is in good spirits and doing so well - what a trooper! I hope that your headaches are better - that is certainly no fun. I am really enjoying River of Smoke, and, like Judy, think I will not want it to end because of the long wait for the next installment. I cannot believe that this is the last week of June - what happened?

#227 Charlotte, I checked the spelling of hijinks with my online dictionary and it looks like you had the right spelling the first time. Coco treated me to a few more pirouettes today, which always makes me laugh. I'm better today than I was during the weekend, but still in some pain. We're under a low pressure system for at least a couple more days to come, but I'm hoping the pain will receded independently of that.

I hope I enjoy Green Darkness, Dragonwick and Devil Water when I get to them, because I do know that Katherine is considered her best novel, so while I don't expect to be equally blown away, I'm thinking they'll at least make for pleasurable journeys.

#228 Mark, having read Brazzaville Beach and Restless (listened to, actually), I now consider myself a William Boyd fan, and really look forward to reading more by him, not least of which Any Human Heart. I saw that it had been published in a Penguin Celebrations edition a few years back and am thinking I'll try to get my hands on a copy, even though that title is available at the library—I just NEED to get my hands on one of those vintage-looking covers! I have a half dozen other titles by him on my wishlist, including A Good Man in Africa (which has been on there for many years now) and An Ice-Cream War. I'm hoping for sooner than later on them all...

Weather here cooled off considerably since yesterday, and today is actually slightly chilly. We were at around 20 degrees (high 60s) earlier and now around 16 degrees (low 60s) which should last for a couple of days with grey clouds and rain. I'm perfectly happy with that. :-)

#229 Hi Paul. Katherine had been on my wishlist for many years, but then I forgot all about it, until I caught up with one of Suzanne's older threads and saw she had mentioned it in a review of Devil Water, which had also been languishing on the same list. I didn't wait and jumped right in when I saw Katherine had recently been made available on audio, read by Wanda McCaddon, whom I've grown to like quite a lot as a reader. Good thing too, because she's recorded a huge amount of great books!

My canine-free canine is doing just find in his current state. Not like he ever made use of his front teeth anyway; I don't think that dog bit anything in his life, and he's just as macho as ever when he meets other males!

#230 Thanks Mamie. One reason I always put off writing reviews is it seems to take so much out of me. I'm not accustomed to having to think anymore! ;-)

I know... July in less than a week. How strange. I know July 1st is coming up real quick because it's the official moving day for half the province and people have been throwing out couches and mattresses and other unwanted items on the street for the past couple of weeks already. It's like this every single year. Kinda nutty.

87. The Observations by Jane Harris ★★★★⅓
(Read for Challenge #13: Read a Book with an Amusing Tag on LT - "saucy wench", 12/12 Category #6: Going Places)

I had reason to leave Glagow, this would have been about three four years ago, and I had been on the Great Road about five hours when I seen a track to the left and a sign said 'Castle Haivers'. Now there's a coincidence I thought to myself, because here I was on my way across Scratchland to have a look at the Edingurgh castle and perhaps get a job there and who knows marry a young nobleman or prince. I was only 15 with a head full of sugar and I had a notion to work in a grand establishment.
Not only that but this lad from the Highlands had fell into step with me the past hour, he would have been about my age and he had been to get a tooth pulled. He kept dragging his lip down to show me the hole. I was sick of this boy and his grin and his questions, fair are you going? fair do you live? fwot is your name? fwould you like to lie down with me? — all this. I had told him a whole clatter of lies hoping he would go away but he was stuck to me like horse dung on a road sweepers shoe."

So begins Bessy Buckley's account of events that transpired at Castle Haivers. Impressed by the name, she expects to find a great estate, but is met instead with a run down home and the owner's wife chasing down a pig. The beautiful Arabella Reid just so happens to be looking for a maid, and Bessy is quick to assure her she's had plenty of experience, a fiction which is quickly dispelled, but Arabella Reids's greatest concern is whether Bessy is able to read and write, and when our heroine demonstrates her abilities to Arabella's satisfaction, she is taken on as hired help. When she asks for permission to read, her mistress agrees and hands her a book: "it was called Bleak House, I hoped it wasn't an omen", says our girl. By Bessy's own admission, she is a terrible maid, and knows not the first thing about housekeeping, but this doesn't seem to concern her employer. Mrs Reid's main interest is in reading her new maid's daily entries in a journal she has instructed her to keep, encouraging her to describe her days in great detail and relate all her feelings and impressions. Then there are strange tasks to perform and tests to submit to, such as sitting and standing repeatedly on her mistresses command and being subjected to having detailed measurements taken of her body and facial features. Both mistress and maid have plenty to hide, and when Bessy discover's Arabella's secret she is deeply hurt by it, which sets her on a course of action which will eventually lead to a complete mental breakdown and the intervention of a doctor intent on using the latest techniques and drugs available in these Victorian times, to restore his hysterical patient to health. Bessy is a highly amusing narrator, who uses colourful language and imagery and doesn't shrink from disclosing to us the details of a sordid past which helps to explains the strange attachment she has formed for her employer. My conclusion: Jane Harris's debut makes for a riveting read.

I clearly must put The Observations on my WL. Great review and I know I like the author since I adored Gillespie and I.

I'm so glad that Coco is demonstrating some perkiness as he recovers from his dental procedure(s). It seems that he is going to be just fine (which is the best news of all!).

>226 Smiler69: No, Katherine is the only Seton I've read. You'll have to let me know if the others are as good.

Lovely review, Ilana! That really makes me want to get to Gillespie and I which is sitting in my TBR. So happy to hear that Coco is doing so well - today is the first day without meds, right?

#233 Ellen, I CAN'T WAIT to get to Gillespie and I. I know it's going to be quite a treat. I'll probably jump into it once I'm finished with River of Smoke, though I've had an ER book on hold that I really should get to soon... *sigh* it's a tough life having to choose among all those books... ;-)

#234 Goodness only knows when I'll get to them Morphy, but I'll be sure to share my findings when I do!

#235 Hi Mamie, yes, today is Coco's first drug-free day. He seems to be doing fine. Just now I gave him a cuddle and he responded with lots of affectionate kisses—something he only does when he's feeling well.




DOWNTON ABBEY FANS!

I just viewed a short little clip—it's a preview of Shirley MacLaine on season 3 of Downton Abbey, greeting Maggie Smith on her arrival.
You can view it here: http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/06/25/downton-abbey-clip-with-shirley-maclaine-and-m...
The clip was shown during the ceremony when Shirley MacLaine was honored with the American Film Institute’s life-achievement award this month.

Love it! (the Downton Abbey clip) Thanks for posting the link. It will be hard to wait for the new season.

Karen O.

Great review of The Observations, Ilana. Guess I'll have to read it to see which one is the saucy wench! No worries, it went on the WL after Bonnie raved about it.

I hope Coco continues to do well. He may actually feel better off of his pain mess. They make me wonky!

#237 It's definitely something to look forward to, isn't it?

#238 Glad you liked the review Donna. I was hoping to do it justice, because I really looked forward to my hour of reading it before sleep every night, and while I wanted to take it all in in a big overnight binge, I was glad to stretch out the pleasure too.

Coco's doing just fine. He gets nervous whenever I touch him anywhere near his mouth, but I guess that only normal. It'll no doubt be tender for the next couple of weeks or so.




Well, on the personal front, I'm no sure how I'm doing exactly. The migraine has receded but is still lingering. I went to my photo group this afternoon and was quite discouraged with the experience. It's not so much what we did: pasting a photo of ourselves on a sheet and writing out answers to a series of questions about said photo, a project we were encouraged to do as creatively as possible with a bunch of art materials that were available to us. That part was fine. The part I'm really struggling with is that the project is taking place at the Allan Institute, which is a mental health facility where I see my shrink and OT, and at least a couple of the participants are what you'd call "low functioning" individuals. In other words, their mental illness and/or drug treatment prevents them from communicating or operating in what might be considered anything close to a normal way. As I write this, I can't help but wonder how that will come off sounding. I recognize it makes me seem very intolerant, which, I suppose I must be to a certain degree. While I'm fine with one-on-one interactions, I've never felt well enough or secure enough about my own mental state to be able to comfortably interact with people who are struggling even more than me in a group setting that is run out of a mental institution. For instance, at my art classes, there are plenty of people who have all kinds of personal troubles, but because it's a "normal" art school and not a mental institution and the focus is on other things, it's not a problem at all. Part of it is that I inevitably end up feeling that if I need to be in a group that is made up exclusively by mental patients, then I must be worse off than I'm willing to admit to myself. But in this specific instance, I have a real problem with it because it had been strongly suggested to me that this specific project would be open only to people who were functional and able to communicate well, so that i feel like I was more or less trapped in a situation that I would have avoided otherwise. I could on on about this because there's so much I want to say about it, but I won't. I'm meeting my OT (the same one who head the photo project) tomorrow for an individual session and I'll bring up theses issues with her. All I know is these past two weeks I've walked out of our sessions feeling worse than when I went in, and it's lingered for quite a long time.

I'm off to post about this on my blog, because I do want to invite feedback, so comments are appreciated of course.

In Books: I finished Ender's Game last night and did consider going on with another book in the series, namely Ender in Exile, but I decided to go for a change of pace and downloaded Any Human Heart by William Boyd, as it had come up a few times here in conversation and had been on my wishlist for a long time. So that's what I'm listening to now. Am continually bowled over by River of Smoke which I almost don't want to finish because I'm enjoying being in that strange world so much. Same with Wolf Hall, though no worries there because it'll take me forever to finish it at the pace I'm going!

Just just found out the filmmaker Nora Ephron passed away today. She was 71, the same age as my father is currently. Being a woman and a successful movie director, even in this century, was quite exceptional. May she RIP.

Glad to see Coco is coping admirably. Good review of The Observations - must get to Jane Harris soon.

Ilana, I think you're doing fine. I sent you a PM because my message got long winded, but I think the main problem is that for some reason issues like depression and anxiety and panic attacks are not treated the same as kidney infections, low blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Why do we attach stigma to mental health issues - it's just another part of the body and requires the same care and attention that we give to everything else. I think that also people want everything to have an easy answer and a quick fix - that would be so wonderful, but unfortunately life doesn't work that way.

#241 Hi Paul, as you saw, my first experience with Jane Harris was a very good one. I really look forward to reading her next book.

#242 Mamie, thank you for the message and your note here. It's funny because when I was first diagnosed as having bipolar disorder over a decade ago now, I resisted being medicated, which is apparently very common among bipolar patients. I just refused to accept that I had a mental disorder, and what doctors and nurses kept saying was similar to what you said here, i.e. "if you had a broken arm, wouldn't you put a cast on it?". I can't speak for anyone else, but even if I've now accepted my condition and am slowly accepting my limitations, I can't help but be prejudiced about those who are less able to cope with daily life than I am. For instance, schizophrenia absolutely terrifies me, as does the idea of people becoming completely psychotic or catatonic. For some reason, the comparison that comes to mind is how black people used to (still do maybe?) consider that the paler their skin, the more socially acceptable they were, with lighter skinned blacks looking down on their darker brothers and sisters. Of course, far be it from me to compare being black to being mentally ill, though it's true that both were and are still stigmatized, with many in either group having a tendency to internalize the prejudice in their own way. There's been so much mental illness in my family that it's a miracle that I'm as functional as I am... so it's never far from my mind that I could just as easily become a raving lunatic! Hence, this instinct to want to distance myself from that as much as I can.

242> Well said, Mamie.

Ilana, first of all, I (for one) don't think you sound intolerant. I am a big believer in compassion and taking care of others. I'm also a big fan of self care and of time for oneself. I spend my life taking care of others and sometimes I need time when I don't have to be compassionate, caring, interested, or patient. I think that goes for you, too, Ilana. You are a kind and compassionate woman. That comes through all the time on your thread and on your blogs. And you went to that class expecting it to be a time during which you could focus on your own creative process. You mention feeling trapped into the situation. I think that's the crux of it. You might, on another day, choose to be in that situation. This day, you weren't choosing that.

*steps down off soapbox yet again*

Your post in #243 is interesting, Ilana. I think you draw some interesting parallels and it's something I haven't thought about a lot. But it makes absolute sense that, with your struggles with depression, it would be anxiety producing and uncomfortable to be around others struggling with more serious conditions. Possibly some internalized "prejudice," as you suggest, but also perhaps just a reminder that life is tenuous. My impression is that you tend to have to work to focus forward in your life, it takes energy for you to nurture yourself and maintain your health; it would be distracting (understatement?) to have to expend energy observing and interacting with "less functional" people (which, if the rest of us admit it, takes extra energy for virtually everyone -- it just does) when you kind of need that energy for yourself. I don't know if that makes any sense.

Hey! how did I get back up here again??

*slinks away somewhat abashedly*

I'm thinking about delving back into Wolf Hall now that I've finished River of Smoke but I have this stack of library books on the dining table!

#239 I saw your blog post and wanted to stop by quickly to comment. I don't think it's intolerance, I think like Ellen said, you need to take care of yourself at the moment and if being in the group is making you feel worse then it's worth considering whether you should stop going.

And I'm sure this isn't something that only you struggle with. When I was in hospital I went to a music therapy group and after a while they needed to split the group into two: one for the more low-functioning people and one for the day patients because it was unhelpful for those a bit further on to be in a group with those less well.

I might be starting to ramble a bit here but one of the things I found helpful about being in hospital was seeing the change in some of the other patients as they got better. Some would respond really quickly to whatever combination of medication/care the hospital offered so over a few weeks I could see the change from someone exhibiting behaviour that if you saw on the street might indicate a 'crazy person' to someone appearing pretty normal although they might still have a way to go in recovery. I think that helped me think of them not as a 'crazy person' but as someone who has an illness which sometimes makes them act a bit crazy sometimes and then I could also apply the same thought process to myself and feel less ashamed.

I, too, do not believe for a minute that you are being intolerant. As long as I've 'known' you here on LT, it has been plain that you are always yearning for and striving toward participating in all kinds of artistic experiences and this group - although it seems to have an artistic element in it - clearly is not focused on that, but rather on the participants' afflictions. I say this because it seems to me if it were truly about the photography, the people chosen to participate - and I mean ALL of the people chosen - would be in a state of mind truly capable of doing so. I've no business advising you, no doubt, but this does not sound like the group for you, Ilana. I think the OT should refine the composition of the group a little more - perhaps separate it into two levels with different objectives. For the more highly functioning it should be more about the actual photography and for the others more about just being there.

Please ignore this completely if it is not helpful.

Going to watch the DA clip now...

Great review of The Observations, Ilana!

Very very fine review of The Observations I doubt I'll be able to resist it now.

I'm with everyone else here - If you leave class feeling bad and it lingers, well..... all the shoulds etc. don't matter.

Well today is more or less a loss again because the migraine is back at full strength. I've also been having difficulty walking these past few days because my achilles tendon has been progressively becoming more and more painful to walk on, so that now I can't walk without a pronounced limp, though I have no idea what causes this. In other words, I'm falling apart!

I was supposed to meet with my OT today, but called to cancel for the above stated reasons, though I brought up my issues with the photo group on the phone. She told me that when she put the group together, everyone was doing much better, and the trouble with mental health patients is you never know when they might start feeling worse. Fair enough, I know all about that from personal experience. I told her I was willing to give it another couple of weeks to see how it progresses now we'll be starting to actually take photographs. So we'll see.

Two books arrived in the mail today, A Café on the Nile by Bartle Bull and I Before E (Except After C): Old School Ways to Remember Stuff by Judy Parkinson. I got the former from an AbeBooks vendor, and the latter very cheap at a BookDepository sale.

#244 Ellen, there's nothing to feel embarrassed about, I value your comments because you obviously know what you're talking about and you always bring a fresh perspective on things too.

I saw on your thread that you were struggling you too many library books and had returned a bunch lately... Too Many Books All the Time (TMBATT) seems to be a generalized condition in these parts!

#245 I'm curious Heather, what kinds of things did you do in your music therapy sessions?

#246 When I spoke to my OT a couple of hours ago, she did remind me that there are at least a couple of interesting people in the group that I think I'd enjoy working with, so I've decided, at least for the next session or two, to focus on those two people and disregard the others as best I can (without being rude of course). She believes I might get a lot out of the experience. Remains to be seen whether she is right or not. For now, I'll see how the next couple of sessions go and take it from there. That being said, I appreciate your input and agree with your idea that the objectives should be different according to each person's abilities.

#247 Thanks Darryl!

#248 I doubt I'll be able to resist it now.

Great! That means I've done my job well! :-)

Right. I'm off to take Coco out for a walk/limp. Maybe I can use my umbrella as a cane now that the rain has let up.

Here's something more cheerful to end this thread on before I start up the next one... I posted a whole bunch of these neat birdhouses on my blog just now: http://fromsmilerwithlove.com/2012/06/27/for-bookish-birds/