scaifea's 2008 Challenge

Well, I'm not sure that I want to commit to any true sort of challenge, since I'm not sure I'll make it to 50 books. I'd like to just use this as a way to keep track of what and how much I read in a year, so I hope that's ok. Let me start by trying to explain my reading habits. I usually have 5 books going at once, one each from the following groups:

1. A book read aloud with my husband in the evenings. We take turns picking what we read, and we're also pretty slow about it - several days might go by without the time to read aloud - but we're patient with it and generally do a good job remembering what's going on when we return.

2. A library book. I'd tell you how I pick these, but it's too embarrassing. Maybe you'll figure it out as the year unfolds...

3. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

4. An audio book, which I listen to as I'm sewing or knitting.

5. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. A book from my shelves which I haven't yet read
b. A CYOA book - I'm trying to collect as many of these as I can before the
husband and I have kids.
c. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Stephen King's bibliography (in chronological order)
e. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
f. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)

So, now you've got a glimpse of just how neurotic I am. I'm interested to see just how many books I'll read in a year's time, since I've never really kept track before.

OK, I'm intrigued! I just "starred" this thread! Good luck!

Reading aloud to each other sounds great! We've done it on occassion - one of our favorites for reading was Mann's The Transposed Heads; I'd recommend it for a good read.

I bet you hit fifty books in 2008. You have a great game plan, and how nice that you and your husband read to each other! Good luck!

A musing: Thanks for the recommendation - I'll put it on our list!

mrstreme: Thanks for the vote of confidence - hopefully I'll get there, but some times of the year get really hectic at work and I have to go for days and days without time for reading, so, we'll see.

>1 scaifea:, How interesting, to make one of your reads something from the Banned Books list. I'll bet you can develop a lot of insights into our culture looking at these over time.

#6 fannyprice: Well, I'll tell you, I've read 24 of them already, and I'm trying to read them in chronological order, to see how trends maybe changed over the years. Mostly the early ones were banned on religious grounds, which isn't all that surprising. Also, some of the early ones are snoozerific, but my favorites so far have been Ovid's Ars Amatoria (but that's no surprise, since I'm a Classicist and have read it lots of times before), The Popul Vuh, The Decameron, Moll Flanders, Fanny Price and Candide. The Bible, of course, is the most banned book of all time, which fact is infinitely more interesting than the tome itself (no offense meant here, just being honest).

>7 scaifea:, The Bible is the most banned book of all time? How so? Do you mean challenges to teaching it in schools? No offense taken - I actually find Biblical scholarship fascinating but am not a devotee of the Bible myself.

Also, I did not read your first post carefully - I didn't realize that there was actually a book on banned books - that sounds like a really interesting read. Yet another one for the TBR pile!

fannyprice: Yep. Of all time. Apparently it's been mostly over different interpretations of the text, and the fact that the Catholic church discouraged any translations of the Latin Vulgate for so long, not wanting the masses to be able to read and think about the text for themselves (again, no offense to current Catholics intended). Funny side note: in a 1631 translation into English, the word 'not' was accidentally left out of the verse: "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (!) And then there's stuff like leaders of other religions banning the Bible from their countries and such, and the USSR banning it and all other religious texts from their libraries. And in more recent history in the US, certain parents not wanting the Bible to be taught in school and others not wanting it taught as literature.

I'm no scholar on the textual history of the Bible myself - I'm just summarizing what 100 Banned Books has to say about it. So far I'm very pleased by the blurbs about each book and I highly recommend it, even if you don't intend to try to read all the banned books!

Sounds like an interesting challenge that you've set for yourself. I wish you lots of time to be able to do it too!

I'm also envious of your being able to listen to audio books while you craft. I've found that I can only pay attention to them while I am in the car. I just don't have the attention span or something to listen when I am sitting at home.

Irisheyz77: Well, I do tend to catch myself just sitting with my knitting needles poised but not moving for 15-30 minute stretches while listening to books, and I have to shut it off a lot while I'm sewing, which takes way more concentration for me than it probably should. So I try to listen, but that doesn't mean I'm super successful at it...

1. The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (From my 'unread' bookshelves)

Chabon has yet to disappoint me - this book is a good as all his other wonderfully written novels. There's no bad here - the story is great (a sort of noir detective story in Jewish Alaska) and the writing is superb. His descriptions are just amazing. *Love* Michael Chabon. A great start to the year with this read.

I have three Michael Chabon books, waiting on my bookshelf: The Yiddish Policeman's Union, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Gentlemen of the Road. I don't even know where to begin!

mrstreme: I haven't read Gentlemen of the Road yet, but the other two are fantastic - you can't go wrong with either one!

2. Deadwood City by Edward Packard (a CYOA book)

I hesitate to count these books, since they take almost no time at all to read, but anyways...

Good luck with your challenge. I'll be popping in to see how you're going.

amandameale: Thanks! At this rate, and by the way my teaching load is shaping up this semester, the going's gonna be pretty slow.

3. Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie (from the Christie bibliography list)

I really enjoyed this one: a series of short stories about a detective who uses his talents to make unhappy people happy, and does so in surprising and clever ways.

4. Nightmares in the Sky by Stephen King (from the King bibliography list)

Really a photo book of various gargoyles, mostly in NYC. King wrote an extended foreward to it, in essence. Both photos and text are fascinating.

I haven't posted in so long because I haven't had much time to read, what with all the class prep and such :(

But, under the idea that it's my thread and I'll do what I want to, I thought I'd announce that I had my first sonogram and saw the baby's heartbeat! Wow, it was an amazing feeling! It almost made me forget about the 24-hour nausea I'm experiencing (and I'm not kidding - there's not a single moment of any day that I'm not nauseous. Yuck. Can't wait for the 1st trimester to be over.)

Hopefully I can get back to reading soon - I'm about a third of the way through Neverwhere right now and I'm really enjoying it.

Oh that's wonderful news! 2nd trimester is the best one IMO. Enjoy!

not that I ever had the morning sickness (although she did make me suffer...), but as a Dad who has been barfed on 2 nights in a row -- the nausea never ends!!! Then the next morn they trot off to school, and I get the laundry duty... ewwww...

anyway, I LOVE your post #1 reading choices. I'm more of the random, grab whatever I find from my long list of LT suggestions type...

TeacherDad: Fortunately (for Tomm), my nausea has, uh, how shall I put this delicately, yet to produce manifest evidence of itself (knock on wood). But that doesn't mean that Tomm hasn't felt the effects of a pregnant wife - he's already making frequent trips to the grocery store on my behalf! He's been brilliant so far and I really appreciate him.

Like lindsacl said, the 2nd trimester is usually better. Hang in there and enjoy those little kicks that will be starting soon!

A girl I work with recently found out she was pregnant...like you the her first trimester is filled being nauseous & she can't wait for the second trimester and for some relief!

Have you tried ginger candy at all? My friend says that helps.....a little.

Well, I remember back a few months when you were just thinking about getting pregnant. Congratulations!

You mean you can just think about it and it will happen? I'd better be careful :-)

#26 & 27: Ha! Yeah, it happened a lot faster than I thought it would, really. We've worked it out and we're pretty sure that this is a Christmas Eve baby, which I think it kinda cool...

#25: I've heard about ginger helping nausea, and I think I'll try to get some ginger candy this weekend - the doctor's options won't really work for me: dramamine or benadryl are safe to take, apparently, but I certainly wouldn't be nauseous, since I'd be unconscious! So, that's not an option for the work week. The other option was a pill that apparently isn't covered by most insurance plans and costs $50 per pill! So, no thanks there either!

scaifea - $50 a pill?!?! damn....must have been developed by a man and men who made the decision at the insurance company. For no women who has ever been pregnant would allow such injustices!

The girl here was just telling me how her husband (not thinking) recently told her that the nausea was all in her head and that she should just walk it off. Her response was to yell at him for being an unfeeling lout and then promptly burst into tears. Men just don't understand. lol

#29: Wow. I'm *so* glad that my husband isn't like that! He's really been a saint so far - he's such a patient person to begin with, and he even does things for me before I ask him to - ex: he rubs my back every night until I go to sleep, since that seems to distract me from the nausea - pretty great, huh?

Back rubs helped me, too! I took an anti-nausea medication that they subsequently pulled off the market (when my daughter was 2 or 3 years old). There was a big lawsuit over it, which ultimately changed the way expert scientific testimony is presented in court. We quote the findings of "Daubert" in legal briefs all the time. The long and short of it was that there was no credible evidence that the drug was implicated in any incidence of birth defects, and a lot of women suffered needlessly when the drug was taken off the market. It certainly didn't cost $50.00 per pill, but I don't remember whether insurance covered it or not. (It was TOooooo long ago!)

@30: overall she says her husband has been great. he does all the cooking since she can't open up the fridge with out gagging. According to her he is a fitness nut and so thinks that exercise will make everything better. She was never as big into the whole fitness thing and thinks why bother starting now - especially since she just wants to curl up into a ball in bed most days.

I'll have to recommend the backrubs to her. Every little bit helps right? =)

Oh the memories of morning sickness!! For me it always helped to have a lifesaver or gum or something like that in my mouth--it made it a little bit easier. But 2 things sent me running for the bathroom--the smell of tunafish and the smell of garlic, which at the time I was pregnant my co. cafeteria used extensively and with poor ventilitation. That was not a fun time. My best to you Scaifea and may your morning sickness go away very soon.

Thanks for the well-wishes, everybody! I've been keeping a bad of crackers with me everywhere I go (my students think I'm strange, spewing crackers as I teach), and that really seems to help keep the nausea to a slightly-more-bearable level. I can't stand the smell of *anything* cooking, so my husband calls me on his way home from work everyday to see what to pick up for dinner. I'll have to give the lifesavers a try (hmmm, that sounds really good right now - I think you've sparked a craving!)

My Wife called me every day to bring home a bag of navel oranges... if I said "but honey, I just brought you a bag yesterday..." I would only hear fierce growling on the line...

(now who's thread has been shanghaied?) ;)

I used mints and juice popsicles to help combat my nausea. I was lucky to not have too much nausea with either pregnancy. It's totally worth it in the end, for what that's worth. =)

#35: Ha! I've been downing the oranges like crazy too! And of course you're welcome to shanghai my thread at least a couple more times - I own you that much at least.

#36: Juice popsicles sounds wonderful - I may have to make a last minute call to the husband on his way home... And I keep reminding myself that there's a baby at the end of all this, which keeps me going.

I suffered motion sickness even when I was driving, and I had to drive a lot during my pregnancies. I was constantly eating sweets and that helped a little.

amanda - my pregnant friend at work says that sweets have helped her too. She finds herself eating apple crisps and pies and things before lunch/dinner now and it seemed to help....and allowed her to eat things that moved away from the color white. For the most part her little peanut only wants mommy to eat bland things that are white - rice, potatoes, plain yogurt. vegatables have been a big no no and she loves them.

her poor hubby spends tons of money almost daily at the grocery trying to find something that will appeal to her.

watching her, almost makes me think twice about wanting a baby....I think that I might just stick with my niece. lol

I'm happy to report that my nausea seems to be on the way out the door (knock on wood!). I've found that my usual taste for sweets is nearly gone - now I'd rather have fruits as my sweets, and that's very strange for me.

See, that wasn't too bad... and the rest of it's easy! whoo hoo!

We read aloud to our kids -- Basil Brokentail was one of my favorite. Now that the two oldest have moved out and my youngest is into things that I've read and re-read, my husband does most of the reading to. I can't remember what he's on now -- for a while it was Tolkien and then Mercedes Lackey. I've been trying to find the Tamora Pierce books at a used shop and not having any luck. Apparently, people who read them, keep them. I wish we had time to read to each other.

The Bible is also the most often STOLEN book of all and in Christian countries, the most purchased (as long as you lump together all translations).

#41 "....and the rest of it's easy"

Are you sure about that? Why don't you ask Mrs. TD for her opinion? =)

>40 scaifea:: fruits are sweets? You deranged woman. I'm off to eat some Thin Mints.

>41 TeacherDad:, 44: If memory serves, the last couple of hours might have been less fun than the first three months.

But oh, the payoff! Worth every bit.

>44 mrstreme:: I asked, she glared. I meant to say the rest is easy until you get to the next hard part... oh great, now the Mrs. is reminding me about my mom bringing Carl's Jr into the delivery room for me... I have to stay here all night...

#46 - TD - I hope she gave you a good tongue lashing! =)

But to reinforce what lindsacl said in message 45 - no matter the pain, it is totally, 100%, undeniably worth it. I wouldn't trade my little monkeys for the world....

Right now, I'm just concentrating on enjoying the 2nd trimester, which I've heard from many women is the nicest and can even be energizing (?). Then my thoughts skip right to the new-baby-in-my-arms-part; I'm not allowing myself to think about those last few hours part just yet - it will happen whether I fret about it or not, so I'd rather not fret just now!

it will happen whether I fret about it or not, so I'd rather not fret just now!

Truer words were never spoken!

Do you know yet if your having a boy or girl?

I'm not far enough along yet to find out the gender, but we've decided to do so when we can - it just seems more practical that way. I'll certainly let everybody know here when we find out!

5. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (from the Gaiman bibliography list)

A good book all around, but not exactly as good as I expected from Neil. I would have liked to have liked the characters more. But fantasy for me is nearly always good, and I did enjoy it - I like the idea that there's a fantasy world lurking underneath London. I would say this is a darker, cooler, grown-up version of Harry Potter, in a sense.

I LOVED orange juice when I was pregnant. And although all of it was definitely worth it, I wish OJ tasted half as good now as it did then.

I also loved knowing the gender. It wasn't purely practical either I just felt closer to the baby growing inside me knowing he was "Jack" if that makes any sense.

6. Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind (audio book to listen to while I knit)

This is the fourth in the Sword of Truth series, and I'm really enjoying them - good fantasy, great characters. Can't wait until the next in the series gets here through the mail!

7. Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore (from the Moore bibliography)

As with all of Moore's books, this one is laugh-out-loud funny. Loved it.

8. The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (from the Banned Books list)

Much better than I expected it would be. I actually agree with a lot of Paine's views of religion.

How are things with you? Everything okay?

Yes, I'm fine - finally out of the nausea/exhaustion stage of pregnancy (and into the eating-everything-in-sight phase!). I've not been in much evidence on this thread or the What Are Your Reading group because work has me so busy that I've just not been reading. :( Hopefully I can start to get back into the swing of things - I miss reading!

Working extra and being pregnant can definitely cramp the reading time! Glad to hear all is well with you.

So, I know that these are children's books, but I've never read any of them before, and I really took my time poring over each page, looking carefully at all the illustrations, and getting excited about being able to read these to the little one when he/she arrives! They're all fantastic books, and I particularly like the Peter Rabbit one - it's a pop-up book with wonderful surprises in it.

9. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
10. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
11. Mad About Madeline: The Complete Tales by Ludwig Bemelmans
12. The Aesop for Children
13. Peter Rabbit: A Lucky Escape

Goodnight Moon is one of my favorite kids' books. We still read that one - and my boys are 6 and 8. I love to hear them say "a big bowl of mush." LOL. I hope you're feeing well.

I also love Goodnight Moon although at 12 & 15, my girls don't request it much :-) Do you have Curious George? My oldest has an extensive collection of George stuff from books to dolls to a jack-in-the-box (George-in-the-box?). He's been her special honey since she was about 6 mos old!

Curious George is definitely on the list of books-to-get for the nursery. Let me tell you, it's a pretty long list too! I can't believe that I made it through shildhood without ever reading Goodnight Moon - what a lovely book.

You are going to have so much fun introducing a new little reader to great books! You must take a look at Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It's the one I always give to freinds having baby boys.

My daughter loved A Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban. The entire series about Frances, a little badger, and her sister Gloria is delightful.

Cariola: I *loved* A Baby Sister for Frances when I was a kid and I really want to get one for the baby. Where the Wild Things Are is another one of those books that I can't believe I've never read because so many people love it, so I want to make sure and get that one too.

Thanks for the recommendations, everybody, and please, keep 'em coming - I welcome any chance to buy a new book for the baby (and for me too, really)!

They're a bit longer, but have you ever read the Serendipity series by Stephen Cosgrove? I think some of the books in the series might by him and another or other authors entirely, but most of them are by him. There are at least a few dozen, and my mom was reading them to me long before I understood them--they're a bit like long fables with strange or outcast animals as the main characters (a dragon, a pegasus, a big-eared bunny, etc.). The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and the stories are sweet. If you like animals, they're a treasure, and they always kept my attention even though I think some parents might discount them offhand because of length (maybe 20-30 pages, but with more text than a lot of children's books). Our other personal all-time favorite was Gretchen and the Lost Carousel by Joan Phillips, which is again beautifully illustrated and full of imagination. Anyhow, good luck!

whitewavedarling: No, I've never heard of Cosgrove, but I'll certainly check him out - heck, sounds like something *I'd* like to read, not to mention the kid!

scaifea - my godmother recently bought Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis for her grandson and I think that its one that you might like to add to your baby book collection. Its a book for ages up to 6 and is about the power of imagination. There is one voice who says a line something like 'Be careful with that stick', to which the character - in this case a pig - replies 'its not a stick' and then proceeds to show all the various things that the "stick" really is. Including a horse, a paintbrush and a conductor's wand. The drawings are simple as are the words. But its a great read aloud book and one that I plan on buying for my friends daughter. She is 2 and has a great imagination and I look forward to talking about the pictures with her. =)

Another good imagining book is Harold and the Purple Crayon. Again the drawings are simple but the story is a fun journey to see all the things that Harold is able to create with his crayon.

One of my friends daughters favorite books was Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton. She liked all of Boynton's books...and they are the board books so hold up really well when in the hands of babies and toddlers who don't know their own strength! Boynton's book have some good drawings and cute little stories that kids like to hear the sounds of.

One more thing before I go. At my friends baby shower the organizer requested that all the guests bring their favorite children's book. My friend got a lot of really good books that way for the wee one and it was really interesting to see what everyone brought. Just thought I'd toss the idea out there for when the time comes for your own baby shower. =)

scaifea, a friend of mine recently set up an LT account for her daughter who was having twins (in fact, they were born about a week ago). She has been cataloguing books they already have plus ones received as gifts. The LT name is "twinbabies" -- you might want to have a look at the catalog because there are a lot of great classics there!

I second Where the Wild Things Are--and it's for girls, too. I know I loved it!

My favorite book as a kid seems to be out of print now, but there are used copies here and there. It's Amos: The Story of an Old Dog and His Couch by Susan Seligson. I also loved Pretzel (the longest dachshund in the world!) by H.A. Rey, another cute dog story.

Well--writing that note to you this morning inspired me to go to the bookstore and buy some of them for a friend of my boyfriend who had a girl a month or so ago--discovered unfortunately though that nearly all are out of print (there are a few you can order though); if you have a good used book store though, they were hugely popular and I'm betting they'll all be stocked there, so good luck! Being a fan of Neil Gaiman and Christopher Moore myself, I'm betting you'll like them too.

14. The Story of Barbar the Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff

Another edition to the little one's library. Again, I'd never read this book before, but it's a cute story and the illustrations aren't bad either.

15. Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

This is the 5th book in the series, and I'm still very much enjoying them, but I sometimes get frustrated with all the plot conflicts. I know that you can't really have much of a plot without conflict, but I just wish that these characters could have a little downtime to enjoy life sometimes. Crazy, I know, but I get so attached to the characters that I just want to see them happy. Hopefully, eventually (at the end of the series), they will be!

16. The Red and the Black by Stendhal (from the Banned Books list)

Before I started this one, I had no idea what it was about and had some vague notion that the French Revolution was involved. I certainly wasn't expecting a romance (strange as that romance story may be). It was an interested read, but certainly not a happy one, and I don't think I'll be picking this one up again.

Do you know why The Red and the Black was/is banned? I read it recently and I couldn't really figure out what was so objectionable about it.

Jthierer: It was banned on religious grounds (it was placed on the Vatican's 1864 Index of Forbidden Books and remained so until 1966), mostly because of his critical portrayal of the Jesuits (I'm getting this from 100 Banned Books. What did you think of it?

It was a slow start, but I liked it once I got over the fact that I really did not like Julian as a person. He was a well written character, he just got on my nerves. Now that you mention the Jesuits, I guess that makes sense, but I would not have picked up on that on my own. Learn something new every day.

I'm about a quarter of the way through the 100 banned books list, so at this point I'm getting pretty good at picking up on the bits that may have caused censorship; so far, it's mostly based on religious grounds. I'm with you on Julian - I didn't really like him either, but then again, I didn't really like *any* of the characters! You're right though, he was pretty well written.

Hi Scaifea: between morning sickness and banned books, this is a pretty interesting thread! I love the little book "Owl Babies" - wonderful pictures for wee ones.

Great list, Scaifea. I love Michael Chabon's writing!

I have read the first 120 or so pages of The Red and the Black about 5 times, I keep having to go back because I have forgotten what happens, then feel like I am rereading the same thing all the time.

If I persist, is it worth finishing off??

tiffin & kiwidoc: Thanks! Yeah, the topic has veered off course a couple of times, but for good reason, I think. And I haven't met a Chabon book yet that I haven't loved - they're all quite different from each other, but very well written.

notmyrealname: Well, I'm not sure what to tell you. I thought it was ok, but certainly not the best book I've ever read. The ending surprised me (not in a bad way), but that could be because I was not exactly paying close attention by that time... I'm still not quite sure what the book as a whole was supposed to be about - if you ever finish it, maybe you can clue me in...

#82 - haha I'll let you know when I get there!

17. The Eye of Cybele by Daniel Chavarria (from my 'unread' bookshelves)

Historical fiction (more fiction than history, but I'm not really complaining) set in Athens right at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. I guess it's sort of a mystery novel, but the genre is hard for me to pin down. I know enough about the time period, so I quite enjoyed it, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone who doesn't know who the major players were in Athens at the time.

I got a bunch of children's books last weekend at a baby shower that a friend threw for me, and I'm just getting around to reading some of them today. I'd never read all but one of these before. Most of them are considered classics, I think, some for good reason, and others, well, left me scratching my head as to why they've gain that title.

18. D'Aulaires' Book of Animals - lovely book. Beautiful illustrations, and such a cool premise: read it traditionally (turning the pages left to right, and it's a story of where different types of animals live. Read it from the back to the front (it's hard to describe how this book is put together; sort of accordion-style), and it's the same illustrations, but the back view of the scenes, and it tells you what each animal 'say's (sounds like). Wonderful kid's book.

19. Where the Wild Things Are - I can't believe I've never read this before. Definitely deserves to be called a classics. Great illustrations and cool little story.

20. The Story of Ferdinand - I *loved* this book when I was a kid, and it's still wonderful to me even now as an adult. I'm so happy that someone got this for me (well, for Charlie, really).

21. Baby Signs - A board book with a few basic signs for the baby to learn. The Husband has already bought a book about how to teach little ones sign language, and we think that some of the signs in this book aren't really standard American Sign Language, so we'll see, but it's still a cool idea.

22. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Again, never read it before, but it's a cute little board book with cool illustrations. I think I can tolerate reading this one over and over and over, if it comes to that...

23. The Very Busy Spider - This one I didn't so much see as an instant 'classic'. It's ok, but it's certainly not the best kid's book ever. Still cute, though.

24. Boynton's Greatest Hits Volume 2 - A collection that includes: The Going to Bed Book, Horns to Toes, Opposites, and But Not the Hippopotamus. All very cool little books, and I can't wait to explore them with Charlie when he finally 'gets here'.

25. Pat the Bunny - Ok, I just don't get it... what's so amazing about this book? I've heard so much about how wonderful it is, and I don't think so. Huh, oh well.

I think I can tolerate reading this one over and over and over, if it comes to that... Believe me, it will.

I love all things Boynton! As for Pat the Bunny, it's probably because you are not a little person. This may be the first, but not the last time, that you "don't get" something your child likes!! Although I personally preferred Goodnight Moon.

When is Master Charlie scheduled to make his appearance?

But Not the Hippopotamus I give a 9 to; Boynton's Moo Moo Laa Laa gets a 10. If you like Where the Wild Things Are, you've got to see The Wolves in the Walls.

And, if you don't get Pat the Bunny, you should get Pat the Yuppie - it's dated, but sometimes the parody is better than the original.

Oh, I miss having a wee one.

A_Musing, do you mean Moo Baa La La La? If so, I agree -- 10 out of 10. Or maybe even (homage to Spinal Tap) an 11 ...

Yes ... you can tell they're getting older and it's been a while.

Yeah, I had a feeling that maybe I don't get Pat the Bunny because I don't have fond memories of it as a kid, since this is the first time I've read it.
Thanks for all the recommendations, everyone - they're all going on the to-buy-for-Charlie-list!

lindsacl: Charlie is due to arrive in September - I've got a long hot summer ahead of me...

Forgive me if I'm repeating myself, too, but I have two words you should google for Charlie: Barefoot Books. It will be a year or two before he's ready, but that's a year or two in which to begin accumulating. Have a good summer - I wish much cool weather for you.

A_musing: Those books look wonderful! Thanks for the tip!

I hope you're feeling well. I gave birth to one of my sons in Sept. and it is a long, hot summer when you're in your third trimester. But it's worth it! =)

26. Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie (from the Christie bibliography list)

Another murder over dinner that Poirot inevitably solves. More and more I find the Poirot mysteries to be a lot like ancient Roman comedy, in that both have repetitive elements in their plots and character types, but still manage to be entertaining and surprising. For the life of me, I have yet to figure out 'whodunnit' before the murderer is revealed.

27. Essays and English Traits by Ralph Waldo Emerson (library book)

Ugh. *Finally* made it through this one. I would say that I'm just not really into reading moral-ish essays, but that's not true - I enjoy reading Seneca, Cicero, de Montaigne,... but this was painfully boring. Needless to say, I'm not going to declare myself an Emerson fan anytime soon.

More books for Charlie:

28. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
29. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
30. Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
31. Days on the Farm by Kim Lewis

32. Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

Another in the Sword of Truth series. I'm still enjoying the series - I love the characters - but I sometimes get frustrated at all the problems Richard faces. I know that you can't have a plot without conflict, but sometimes it feels like there's just so much of it.

How many more weeks until Charlie's debut?

mrstreme: He's due to arrive Sept. 15th. Can I just tell you how much I'm looking forward to this hot summer? ;)

Ugh. I had one of my sons in September. It was like carrying a furnace around my waist. I wish you lots of coolness.

LOL - thanks for the cool wishes - from the heat we've had here already, I think I'm going to need it!

Even more books for Charlie:

33. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
34. The Mousewife by Rumer Godden
35. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh

I haven't been here for ages. This is certainly a unique thread - your books and Charlie's books. For a minute I was horribly concerned that I had missed the baby's arrival. I'm supposed to read The Red and the Black this year. Oh dear.

amandameale: Nope - Charlie's due to arrive mid-September. And good luck with The Red and the Black!

36. The Pillars of Creation by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

This is book 7 in the Sword of Truth series. Certainly not my favorite of the bunch - the main characters of the series didn't even show up until the last few chapters!

37. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (from the banned books list)

I've only ever read A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations before this, but I think I can safely say that I'm a Dickens fan. His stories are decidedly creepy, and I like creepy, although Oliver got a bit irritating after awhile. Honestly, who faints every time something even slightly unpleasant happens to them? That kid had issues.

38. Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

Book 8 in the Sword of Truth series. Three more books to go (I think) and I'll be finished with the series!

39. Manifesto of the Communist Party by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels (from the banned books list)

This was easier reading than I expected it to be, but still not exactly a gripping read for me. Nevertheless, it's one of those books that I'm glad I've finally read for myself.

40. Dark Visions by Stephen King, Dan Simmons and George R. R. Martin (from the Stephen King bibliography list)

A collection of short stories by all three authors. The back cover says that the last of King's stories in this collection is "the most powerful and unsettling of all his works", so I was a bit worried going in, since some of his short stories really get to me. However, I didn't find that to be the case with any of these (I'm not sure what that says about me, but, oh well). The George Martin novella at the end is really well done - one of the best werewolf stories I've read.

41. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (from the banned books list)

I can't believe that I made it through high school *and* a BA in English without ever having read this book. It's a lovely book - I very much like Hawthorne's style.

42. Chainfire by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

Book Nine in the Sword of Truth series. Two more to go!

I remember the theme of my essay for The Scarlett Letter. "Was Chliingworth evil?" Great memories and a great book!

mrstreme: I think Chillingworth may be my favorite character, although Hester is a pretty great, strong woman figure, and I like her very much as well. So, what did you get on the essay...? :)

LOL. I hope it was an A - too many years ago to remember! =)

I may have to re-read The Scarlet Letter I think it was one of the books that made me think (in high school) that I wanted to be an English teacher myself.

laytonwoman3rd: Oh, I highly recommend a re-read. I know that there are things in the book that I wouldn't have caught on to as a high school student that I really love about it now. It's such a good book - again, I'm glad I finally read it!

laytonwoman3rd: You can't read The Scarlett Letter; I have your copy. ;-P

#117. Really? I didn't know I had a copy. If the one you have was mine, I don't think I want it---your catalog says its "falling apart". ;.P

43. Phantom by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

This is the penultimate book in the Sword of Truth series. One more to go!

44. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (from the Neil Gaiman bibliography list)

I know that I've read this before, but it was long enough ago that I really didn't remember much of it at all. It's lovely, of course. Wonderful read.

45. Confessor by Terry Goodkind (audiobook)

This finishes the Sword of Truth series. I felt bogged down with the whole affair in the middle books, but I do like how the whole series ended, so overall I'm pleased and glad I read them. Not the greatest fantasy ever, but still enjoyable.

46. World War Z by Max Brooks (I read this one because my best friend told me I *had* to.)

I loved this book. I'm a big fan of zombies anyway, but the format of the book is very cool (written account of interviews with various witnesses to the 'zombie war' some 10-odd years after the fact) and the writing is very good too.

47. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (read aloud with The Husband)

This was mostly a re-read for me (all but the last book, Mostly Harmless). I loved the series when I was a kid, but the ending to this last book was a real let-down, I have to say. Also, not the easiest series to read aloud to someone, what with all the made-up long, hard-to-pronounce alien names and such. But still very very funny in parts.

48. I'm Pregnant! by Lesley Regan

I started this book when I first found out that I was pregnant. Since it has a week-by-week format, I've been reading it as I come to each stage. So, since I'm expecting Charlie to get here any time now, I finished it up. I'm really glad I read it, since it offers a no-nonsense outlook and gives the pros and cons of every viewpoint - there's no pressure to make one particular decision over another (breast vs. bottle-feeding, for example) and is informative and supportive of all viewpoints.

Hey, I know you're getting close! Good luck with everything!

Thanks! I'm pretty much just sitting at home with my feet up trying to rest as much as I can before it happens, so hopefully I'll get some good reading done!

I've been trying to work my way through the large pile of books for Charlie's nursery, so here's what I got through yesterday:

49. Just So Stories
50. The King with Six Friends
51. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
52. B is for Betsy
53. The Courage of Sarah Noble
54. The World of Pooh

How many more weeks till Charlie's debut?

I always loved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Are you reading these aloud, so Charlie can soak 'em up?

mrstreme: Any day now, and believe me, I'm ready for him to GET OUT! (LOL!)

laytonwoman3rd: I am, actually, reading them aloud as I go along, both so Charlie gets used to hearing me read to him already and as practice (since I tend to read too fast when I read aloud and I'm trying to force myself to slow down and be more dynamic). I think The Husband thinks I'm a bit crazy, but I'm doing it anyway. I'd never read any of these books before (not even the Pooh ones!) and I really enjoyed Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle too - I like the idea of lessons in manners taught through as much silliness as possible. I'm a huge fan of being silly.

More books for Charlie's room:

55. When We Were Very Young
56. Now We Are Six
57. A Book of Nonsense

So, if you don't post for awhile, at least we'll know why.

Best wishes to you and wishes for an uneventful birth when it happens (soon!). =)

mrstreme: I had another check-up today and have been scheduled for a c-section for next Wednesday. So, unless I go into labor before then, Charlie will arrive on the 17th! I'm nervous about the procedure, but definitely excited. I'll post pictures once we get home!

September is a lovely month to have a baby. One of my sons was born on Sept. 24. =)

GOOD LUCK! I will be thinking of you and can't wait to see the pictures.

Wow, this is getting really exciting now! I'm sure that's an understatement. Anyway, I hope the next week is comfortable for you and, like the others, can't wait for photos!

Just checked in after being away a couple days. ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND CHARLIE. I'll bet HE isn't nervous!!

Charlie Update:

He's here!! I went into labor yesterday, so they performed the c-section yesterday afternoon. Everything went smoothly and Tomm and I now have a perfectly healthy, wonderfully handsome, 10lb 0oz baby! I'll post pictures in a few days once we're all back home.

Congratulations! Glad everything went well for you and Charlie, not forgetting Tomm!

Welcome to LibraryThing, Charlie!! We've been waiting for you. I know some babies who had their own LT accounts before they made their official appearance. Don't let Mom wait too long to set you up!
Congratulations, Mom and Dad. Hope you can get some rest over the next few weeks.

10 lbs! You didn't have a baby - you had a linebacker!

WELCOME CHARLIE! We've been waiting for you! Congrats to Mom and Dad!

Congratulations! and Welcome Charlie! I'm glad everything went OK. I wish you many happy moments reading together :o)

Congratulations! What fabulous news! And I am totally impressed that you were on LT within 24 hours of giving birth. There's a woman with her priorities in the right place!

Smother Charlie with hugs & kisses for all of us, OK? It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it ...

lindsacl: My husband gave me the strangest look when I asked if I could use his laptop to check LT while here in the hospital, but I just *had* to tell all my LT friends about Charlie - LOL!

Glad you did check in. Give Charlie a kiss from all of us.

Congratulations! And I LOVE the name Charlie!

58. Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind (read aloud with The Husband)

Meh. This prequel to the Sword of Truth series wasn't all that great, but, thankfully, short.

Congratulations on the baby! I noticed you are collecting baby books and just wanted to recommend a great one: Love You Forever. Such a sweet book! My mom just gave it to my sister-in-law. : )

catalina7: Thanks for the recommendation - I'll be sure to add that one to the list!

59. The Complete Adventure of Curious George

Another one for Charlie's bookshelves. Great stories - I'd only read the original story before this, but the others are great too.

>149 scaifea:: George is my older daughter's absolute favorite character, ever. She has a "George shrine" in her room, still (she's almost 16) ... and a well-worn puppet (long story on that one, having left the original puppet behind at a PA Turnpike rest stop).

Anyway, George was a good little monkey, and always very curious. I like the one where he paints the room.

60. Fluke by Christopher Moore (Moore bibliography list)
61. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (banned books list)

Fluke is great - another Moore masterpiece. Uncle Tom's Cabin is yet another book that I can't believe I made it through high school, let alone college, without reading. It was sort of what I expected it to be, but with much more Christian overtones than I thought there would be.

I am amazed that you're reading with the little one. That's great! I often read my books out loud to my kids when they were newborns (it used to put my oldest to sleep...hmmm). I hope you're doing well!

Well, I have been reading my books aloud to Charlie, and it does put him to sleep! Also, though, this weekend we visited my parents, so it was a bit of a vacation for The Husband and I, since the Grandparents were on Charlie duty, so I got some quality reading done, which hasn't happened in a long while in more than 5-minute spurts.

62. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Another book for Charlie that I hadn't read before. It was good, very much like Charlotte's Web, I think.

63. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
64. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Yet another couple of books for Charlie's library. Honestly, I'd never read either of these before either, (srsly, I've read The Cat in the Hat in Latin, but never in English!), and they're both quite good. I'm pretty sure that these are my final books for 2008. Thanks for everyone's comments this year - I've very much enjoyed keeping track of my reading here!

Happy New Year! I hope you get to add some "grown-up" reading to your days in 2009.

Hahaha - thanks laytonwoman3rd! I hope so to, although I enjoy the kid's books too!

I love Harry the Dirty Dog and No Roses for Harry is lovely too. He has so much character!

That's funny about reading Cat in the Hat in Latin. I have Winnie the Pooh in Latin somewhere...

cmt: I may have to order No Roses for Harry, since I very much liked Harry the Dirty Dog. I don't have Winne Ille Pooh, but I do have The Grinch in Latin (the Latin in it is fairly complex - lots of subjunctives, so it's good for my Latin students.)