Karen O. (klobrien2) Reading Heaven in 2011, Thread 3

Welcome to my third thread of 2011!

One of my favorite works of art is the Standard of Ur.





From Ur, southern Iraq, about 2600-2400 BCE. 21.590 cm. high x 49.530 cm. long. Two panels, a "Peace" side and a "War" side. Shell, red limestone, and lapis lazuli.

If you'd like more information about this item, see this link: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/t/the_stand...

This will be my third year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!); and who know what I'll read in 2011! I'm aiming for 150.

I'm also learning from the past, and I don't think I'll set any specific goals as to which books I will read--I have more fun just taking it as it comes. I am, however, trying to accomplish reads for the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" project, so that may guide my reading a little. What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

Here's a ticker to keep track of my 2011 reads:




I am trying to read more books from "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." Here's a ticker to keep track of my progress there:




Here's where I'll list the books I read, starting with number 116:

153. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - 97
152. The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford - 90
151. A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas - 86
150. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley - 82
149. I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore - 82
148. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - 76
147. Matchless by Gregory Maguire - 76
146. The Vatican Rip (Lovejoy #5) by Jonathan Gash (ILL) - 75
145. Sanctus by Simon Toyne - 71
144. Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan - 68
143. Libraries in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson (ILL) - 64
142. The Sorceress (Nicholas Flamel #3) by Michael Scott - 63
141. Spend Game (Lovejoy #4) by Jonathan Gash (ILL) - 62
140. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - 59
139. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, tr. Douglas Hofstadter - 58
138. Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the Golden Age of Bad Parenting Advice by James Lileks (ILL) - 52
137. Dracula by Bram Stoker (Book 151 of 1001) - 49
136. Summer by Edith Wharton (Book 150 of 1001) - 46
135. The Grail Tree (Lovejoy #3) by Jonathan Gash (ILL) - 45
134. The Good, the Bad & the Difference: How to Tell Right From Wrong in Everyday Situations by Randy Cohen - 44
133. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - 44
132. Gold by Gemini (Lovejoy #2) by Jonathon Gash (ILL) - 43
131. Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle - 42
130. More Anguished English: An Expose of Embarrassing, Excruciating, and Egregious Errors in English by Richard Lederer - 42
129. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells (Book 149 of 1001) - 37
128. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - 34
127. Anguished English by Richard Lederer - 34
126. The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford - 34
125. The Judas Pair (Lovejoy #1) by Jonathan Gash (ILL) - 30
124. Klezmer: Book One: Tales of the Wild East by Joann Sfar (ILL) - 29
123. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth (Book 148 of 1001) - 28
122. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo - 28
121. The Selected Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay - 22
120. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers - 21
119. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones - 14
118. One Was A Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 13
117. The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott - 12
116. Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die by Jon Katz (LT ER) - 3

In my second thread (http://www.librarything.com/topic/115663), I reported on my reading of these books:

115. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White - 200
114. Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman - 196
113. The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. LeGuin (ILL) - 195
112. Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing by Elmore Leonard (ILL) - 193
111. Bossypants by Tina Fey - 192
110. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - 187
109. I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 186
108. All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 184
107. Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart - 179
106. Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith - 176
105. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin - 173
104. Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan (ILL) (Book 147 of 1001) - 172
103. Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style by Mark Garvey (ILL) - 171
102. Among Others by Jo Walton - 166
101. Soul Clothes by Regina D. Jemison (LT ER) - 158
100. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachan - 154
99. The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 153
98. Moab is My Washpot by Stephen Fry (ILL) - 146
97. To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 145
96. State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy - 144
95. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Book 146 of 1001) - 140
94. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child - 138
93. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - 137
92. Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon - 135
91. The Stranger by Albert Camus (Book 145 of 1001) - 126
90. Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale by Joss and Zack Whedon - 124
89. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (Book 144 of 1001) - 121
88. Bertie Wooster Sees It Through by P.G. Wodehouse - 118
87. Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott (ILL) - 115
86. The Walking Dead, Vol. 13: Too Far Gone - 114
85. The Walking Dead, Vol. 12: Life Among Them - 114
84. The Rabbi's Cat (Volumes 1-3) by Joann Sfar - 108
83. Heart Beat: My Life with Jack and Neal by Carolyn Cassady (ILL) - 96
82. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo - 96
81. That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made by Eric James Stone - 95
80. The Moon Over Lake Elmo by Steve Thayer - 94
79. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith - 90
78. China: Land of Dragons and Emperors by Adeline Yen Mah (ILL) - 89
77. The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse - 81
76. Israel for Beginners: A Field Guide for Encountering the Israelis in Their Natural Habitat by Angelo Colorni (LT ER) - 73
75. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster (Book 143 of 1001) - 69
74. Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 69
73. The Walking Dead Volume 11: Fear the Hunters - 67
72. The Walking Dead Volume 10: What We Become - 63
71. On the Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac - 60
70. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (Book 142 of 1001) - 60
69. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers - 58
68. The Walking Dead Volume 9: Here We Remain by Robert Kirkman - 52
67. Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien - 51
66. The Walking Dead Volume 8: Made to Suffer by Robert Kirkman - 47
65. The Walking Dead Volume 7: The Calm Before by Robert Kirkman - 47
64. Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd (Book 141 of 1001)(ILL) - 43
63. Radioactive: Pierre and Marie Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss (ILL) - 34
62. The Walking Dead Volume 6: This Sorrowful Life by Robert Kirkman - 32
61. The Walking Dead Volume 5: The Best Defense by Robert Kirkman - 32
60. Return of Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (ILL) - 27
59. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman - 22
58. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman - 18
57. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter - 17
56. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming - post number 3

In my first thread (http://www.librarything.com/topic/105184), I reported on my reading of these books:

55. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Georgio Bassani (book 140 of 1001)(ILL) - 196
54. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris - 190
53. Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare (Book 139 of 1001) - 188
52. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - 183
51. Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg (ILL) - 178
50. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming - 175
49. Rashomon and Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (Book 138 of 1001) (ILL) - 174
48. Angelology by Danielle Trussoni - 167
47. Jeeves and the Tie That Binds by P.G. Wodehouse - 162
46. Incognegro:A Graphic Mystery by Mat Johnson - 159
45. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - 157
44. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - 153
43. The Willows and Beyond by William Horwood - 149
42. Playing with Books: The Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing, and Reimagining the Book by Jason Thompson - 147
41. The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle - 146
40. The Walking Dead, Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire - 146
39. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Book 137 of 1001) - 139
38. True Grit by Charles Portis - 134
37. Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates (Book 136 of 1001) - 129
36. Cruel Shoes by Steve Martin - 128
35. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - 128
34. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling - 125
33. The Walking Dead, Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman - 125
32. The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman - 125
31. The Gallery of Regrettable Food by James Lileks - 119
30. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling - 119
29. Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess by Matthew Paul Turner (ILL) - 113
28. Toad Triumphant by William Horwood (ILL)- 113
27. The Walking Dead, Vol 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman - 111
26. The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera by Sandra Hempel (ILL) - 109
25. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle - 104
24. The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels by Janet Soskice (ILL) - 98
23. Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe - 90
22. These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan - 88
21. Passing by Nella Larsen - 82 (Book 135 of 1001)
20. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - 77
19. Tik-Tok of Oz by L.Frank Baum (book 8 of 14) - 71
18. Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 71
17. Persepolis II: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi - 62
16. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi - 62
15. The Lottery: A Novel by Patricia Wood - 58
14. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - 58 (Book 134 of 1001)
13. Ravel by Jean Echenoz - 55
12. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes - 54
11. All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West - 49
10. Johannes Vermeer by Arthur Wheelock - 46
9. Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics by J.R.R. Tolkien (ILL) - 45
8. Duty and Desire: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan - 43
7. Beowulf tr. Seamus Heaney - 40
6. Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning, Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival by John S. Friedman (ILL) - 35
5. Body Work: A V.I. Warshawski Novel by Sara Paretsky - 35
4. The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum (book 7 of 14) - 32
3. The Mythology of Middle Earth by Ruth S. Noel - 25
2. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - 17
1. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger - in post 15

Hello, Karen! You're starred. We read The Trumpet of the Swan aloud a few years ago. I remember the girls cracking up whenever Louis's dad would begin a long-winded speech. Hope you had a great summer!

116. Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die by Jon Katz

I was so glad to win this book for the July LT Early Reviewer. I have read other books by Jon Katz and have really enjoyed his writing. As a long-time pet owner, I've had to say good-bye to several animals over the years. I just recently lost one of my cats to a quick-moving cancer. Alyce was young, and in the best of health for most of her life.

This book is an excellent resource for those who have experienced the loss of a pet, those who who want to prepare for the eventuality, and maybe even for those who are not pet-owners but want to better understand the grieving process of human for companion animal. I read the book from cover to cover, but the reader could easily scan the table of contents for a chapter title that speaks to their immediate need (e.g., "Helping Children"). There are some great topics--"Guilt," "Perspective," "Saying Goodbye," and "Getting Another Pet" were chapters that especially spoke to me.

Katz is an excellent writer, and keeps the emphasis on the sentiment, not on sentimentality. He warns against any anthropomorphization. What he writes seems so common-sensical (animals don't fear death as humans do; animals don't grieve as humans do). But he always seems gently protective of the feelings of the reader.

The advance copy of the book had some very nice pictures of animals throughout, as well as an afterword by Debra A. Katz, M.D.

Your thread is worth coming to if for no other reason than the fabulous pics you post at the beginning. But then you come up with interesting books too. Going Home sounds like one I want to get for our library. Thanks for the shout out.

Quickly coming by to drop a star. I am participating in the current Readathon and I should be reading right now. I'm giving myself 5 more minutes on LT then back to reading!

Hi Karen! *Waves* :)

Hi Karen! Nice review of Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die. Sorry to hear about the loss of your cat--we love our cat so much, that I can't even think about the time when he will no longer be with us. I may check out the Katz book; I still miss my dog and she died almost 15 years ago.

got you starred

Sandy K

*waving* at Karen

Hi Karen! I love the works of art you post at the top of your thread :-)

Hi Karen, just leaving a shiny star and waving hi!

Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by! I LOVE the connections we make on LT!



117. The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

The second in the series. I enjoyed this book, though it did seem to bog down a little in sections. The plot is very imaginative, and the author uses his knowledge of mythology and writing skills to propel the plot along.

And in their rush to create wonders, they have ignored the wonders all around them, ignored the mysteries, the beauty. Myths and legends walk unseen amonst them, ignored, unrecognized. It was not always so.

118. One Was A Soldier: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery by Julia Spencer-Fleming

This series started good and keeps getting better. The characters are wonderful, in all their flaws and glories. Each book in the series has addressed a social issue, and this one deals with the effects of war on returning veterans and those they come in contact with. I can't wait for the next installment!

119. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

You cannot pretend to read a book. Your eyes will give you away. So will your breathing. A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe. The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wallpaper is in flames.

I found this to be an incredibly moving book. This is a book about books, about literature, about the power of imagination. It's also a story about courage in the face of the brutality and misery of war. It's a coming-of-age story, a love story, and an anti-war book.

The author speaks in the voice of Matilda, a young girl living with her mother on a Pacific island caught in a civil war. The island is under blockade, and there is no electricity, no modern conveniences, but the islanders consider themselves lucky to have plenty of fish and fruit. One resident on the island proceeds to provide education to the children, beginning a process of reading through Dickens' Great Expectations.

I was sitting here, disappointed in my feeble attempt to describe the book, when I realized that, the more complex the book, the more difficult it is to report on, to review. I will say that this book will touch your heart and your mind, and I'd heartily recommend it to you.

Karen, I think you captured the essence of Mister Pip beautifully in your first paragraph, it is all those things you said it was and I agree, a great book. Good review.

Glad you enjoyed Mister Pip as much as the rest of us.

Mister Pip sounds like a good read. I'll have to add that to my ever growing wishlist!

Found and starred your new thread!

Hi Karen, your review certainly sold me. I'm adding Mr. Pip to my wishlist and looking forward to reading it.

Hello Karen, just been catching up on your last thread and this one. Lots of good reading - you remind me I must seek out the other two volumes of graphic novels of Serenity, to complete those stories The Shepherd's Tale in particular sounds like a good read, I always did want to know what was Book's story.

Nice review of Corduroy Mansions earlier up also. I enjoyed that one and have not yet got the next volume. And I really enjoyed the first volume of Julia Spencer-Fleming's series but have not yet managed to read any more - that series is a bit harder to come by in the UK but I'm hoping they will pop up on Bookmooch eventually.

19: DeltaQueen--I hope you like it--it's a special book.

20: jennyt--Shepherd's Tale was really interesting, both in content, and in structure. It's a great read. I really liked Corduroy Mansions and you've reminded me that I want to read the next in the series--thanks! And I've read all of the current Julia Spencer-Fleming now--it's one of my favorite series.

Thanks to all of you for stopping by and posting! I'm always thrilled and surprised when I see that people are reading what I write! I love it!

120. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

Second in the series of Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. Again I feel as if I have trouble getting started in the book, but then things start to pick up and I end up having had a very enjoyable read.

This one had some heavy courtroom reporting both at the front and end. I assume that the author wanted to give the reader another chance to figure things out ahead of time, but yikes!

The books remind me of beloved Wodehouse--where words are the thing. Here are some of my favorites:

(Lord Peter is complaining about having to search for clues on his hands and knees) "I say, I don't think the human frame is very thoughtfully constructed for this sleuth-hound business. If one could go on all-fours, or had eyes in one's knees, it would be a lot more practical."

His friend, policeman Parker replies: "There are many difficulties inherent in a teleological view of creation, said Parker placidly.

In another section, Parker is in Paris, having conversations in French, which are charmingly translated for us who speak only English. The dialogue is full of phrasings like: "I beseech you to do me the favor to remember all about it."

And, finally,

"Boil my brains!" said Lord Peter. "Boil 'em and mash 'em and serve 'em up with butter as a dish of turnips, for it's damn well all they're fit for! Look at me! (Mr. Parker scarcely needed this exhortation.)

121. The Selected Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Edna St. Vincent Millay

St. Vincent Millay has long been one of my favorite poets, even as a teenager. Dejah_Thoris had done some recent reading, and this encouraged me to do some rereads, myself. I very much enjoyed it (again!)

This collection has selections from a range of original publications. From A Few Figs From Thistles, "Second Fig":

Safe upon the solid rock the ugly houses stand:
Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand!

(The Native American cemetery on Madeline Island--in Lake Superior, across from Bayfield, WI--contains a recent, probably illegal burial of a person, with this poem on the tombstone).

Water is a frequent theme of the poems:

I am too long away from water.
I have a need of water near.

("Exiled," from Second April)

And, probably my favorite St. Vincent Millay, a sonnet:

Oh, oh, you will be sorry for that word!
Give back my book and take my kiss instead.
Was it my enemy or my friend I heard,
"What a big book for such a little head!"
Come, I will show you now my newest hat,
And you may watch me purse my mouth and all of that.
I never again shall tell you what I think.
I shall be sweet and crafty, soft and sly;
You shall not catch me reading any more:
I shall be called a wife to pattern by;
And some day when you knock and push the door,
Some sane day, not too bright and not too stormy,
I shall be gone, and you may whistle for me.

Mister Pip sounds wonderful. I checked it out awhile back but was afraid to read before ever trying a novel by Dickens. Then again, maybe reading it will finally motivate me to try one of his books, huh? :)

Hi, Stephen! I, too, wondered if I should read Great Expectations first, but I think either way will work. I actually am reading David Copperfield right now (well, I'm about twenty pages in so far!) Hope you like Mister Pip (and Dickens) when you get to it!

Hi there, for what it's worth I hadn't read any Dickens when I read Mister Pip but it didn't impact my take on the story at all. The teacher uses it as a learning device for the kids and so you are learning things about the book as the kids in the story do. For me, this worked really well.

Yup, KiwiNyx, I agree with you! The author explains enough about Great Expectations so that Mister Pip makes sense.

122. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Excellent juvenile fiction, with great characters (including the narrating title character) and lots of action. Strong pro-peace theme, which I just loved.



123. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth

Finally made it through this "1001 Books" book; although it was quite funny a lot of the time, it was mostly a depressing and non-uplifting read. I'm glad I read the book, but I don't think I'd ever read this one again.

I did find a few favorite quotes from the book.

Christ, I could strangle him on the spot for being so blind to human brotherhood!

The narrator is describing his first visit to the American Midwest, where he experiences extreme culture shock:

Then there's an expression in English, "Good morning," or so I have been told; the phrase has never been of any particular use to me.

I found that visit to Iowa one of the funniest episodes in the book--the modes of speech and behavior ring so true to life.

124. Klezmer: Book One: Tales of the Wild East by Joann Sfar

Joann Sfar is amazing, both as a storyteller and as an artist! I love his The Rabbi's Cat series, and now I love this initial entry in the Klezmer series. In fact, the author suggests that the reader might want to read both series at the same time--they are flip sides of the story. The writing is fresh, funny, and often deeply moving. The drawing is sharp and distinctive, and the watercoloring of the drawings is a feast for the eyes.

The author describes this book as a musical graphic novel: music, as in klezmer, is very important to the story. A very helpful list of klezmer recordings is included, as is a fascinating notes section and pages of illustration studies. It really adds to the understanding of the book, the place, and the cultures that the book visits.

The dialogue (as translated from the French by Alexis Siegel) is witty and sharp. Here's an example: two characters, one a dropout from a yeshiva, one a Gypsy who has escaped ruffians who killed the rest of his family:

"Do you always lie this much?"

"I'm not going to tell you the truth just because you saved my life. We're not related. Why should I talk to you straight?"

"Just to see what it feels like."

"You think I don't know? Telling things exactly the way they happened is so ugly it ought to be forbidden. I'm inventing you a story, it's the most basic courtesy."

"No need to worry about courtesy with me."

"OK."

This is a fun, moving, delight to read. I had to obtain it from ILL, but it was well worth the extra effort.

125. The Judas Pair by Jonathan Gash

I've recently started watching the British TV show "Lovejoy" and was thrilled when I saw that pbadeer was reading The Judas Pair for TIOLI. I made a fast move to get the book from ILL (my library doesn't seem to have very many books by the author--rats!)

The book is great reading. The sharp wit and insider knowledge (Lovejoy is an antiques dealer) comes through again and again and this book was hard to put down. I've already requested the next book in the series.

Don't you love this dedication?

This book is dedicated, with respect and humility, to the Chinese god Wei Dt'o, protector of books against fire, pillaging, decay, and dishonest borrowers.

Brilliant, it's something that belongs at the start of every book.

Nice quotes from Clouds of Witness - I think the wit and playfulness of the language is one of the reasons I love Sayers books so much (I'm slowly (re-)reading my way through the series at present) and why I personally think she is much better than Christie.

I haven't read War Horse but I did really enjoy Private Peaceful which also covers WWI and has a pro-peace kind of theme too - recommended if you've not yet read that one.

Hi, Kiwi--isn't that a great quote?!

Hello, there, gennyt--Thanks for the recommendation on Private Peaceful--I've made a note!

Been finishing up some "little" books (small in size, but not in reading enjoyment).



126. The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

I read this for the TIOLI read-a-book-with-similar-tags challenge. I had read The Trumpet of the Swan and The Incredible Journey popped up in the LT tag recommendation feature. I'd have to say that the feature worked pretty well--but I had wanted to read The Incredible Journey after reading it discussed on LT. Very moving and enjoyable juvenile read.

It was kind of eerie to read the following line, after I'd just read Trumpet of the Swan and War Horse:

The sound of a shot and the splash of a duck had had the same effect on the Labrador as a trumpet call to an old war horse, and drew him as irresistably.



127. Anguished English by Richard Lederer

What a terrific little treasury of English usage! I giggled my way through this book (I had to NOT read this as my pre-sleep read because it was too involving and hilarious). I've got three more of the series waiting for me but I wonder if I should save them for a rainy day, so to speak. I think a few chapters of these books would do wonders for any blue funks.



128. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Charming little juvenile fiction, a mystery set in New York, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to be specific, and involving two young sleuths looking for adventure.

This book was mostly about plot, of course, but I did find one quote that I just loved:

People working at the Grand Central Post Office grow used to strange remarks. They hear so many. They never stop hearing them; they simply stop sending the messages to their brains. Like talking into a telephone with no one on the receiver end.

Yep, I have encountered people like that; I'm sure that this has described me at times.

Hi Karen, I think it may have happened again, Anguished English is going to be ordered from the library and my own shelves challenge is thwarted once more.

Kiwi, the book is wonderful for picking up for a few minutes as time allows--in fact, the author recommends that you don't try to read it all at once. I hope it makes you chuckle as much as it made me do so. Some of the items require a little puzzling through, but then the reward is even more!

129. The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells

What a strange book! My library shelves it in the science fiction section, but it really does read as social commentary or even horror at times. Parts of it were difficult to get through, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It does raise questions of our use of science and whether or not, just because we CAN do something, we SHOULD do that thing.

One of the characters is having a crisis, and bemoans his life. I just love this phrasing:

"This silly ass of a world," he said. "What a muddle it is!"

A little later he's yelling at his fellow sufferer:

"Drink," he said, returning. "You logic-chopping, chalky-faced saint of an athiest, drink."

Love it!

Hi Karen! You've had some good reads lately. I recently read The Incredible Journey aloud - it was a favorite when I was a child.

Anguished English looks terrific -- I'll need to look for it.

#37 I liked The Island of Dr. Moreau when I read it, I am kind of a H. G. Wells fan. BTW, your touchstone for the book is wrong, it directs to its namesake by Joseph Silva

I love those quotes from the Moreau book, HG Wells seemed to have a great sense of humour.

Thanks, Piyush--I edited the touchstone to spell out "Doctor" and now it's working.

Kiwi, I think that Wells did have a sense of humor, but those quotes probably weren't representative of the book--I just really liked them. The overall mood of the book is gloomy, and scary, and upsetting. But well worth the read!

130. More Anguished English by Richard Lederer

These books are such a treat for those who like to play around with English (you really do need to have a punny sense of humor, I think). Terrific to pick up for a few pages: in fact, that's probably the best way to read them.



131. Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle

I really liked this L'Engle, the fourth in the series featuring the Murry kids (the first was A Wrinkle in Time). In this one, the twins of the family, Sandy and Dennys, accidentally are sent to a desert place and a time which is not their own. I loved the look at the pre-flood culture, with all of the L'Engle imagination and poetry.

Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it (Song of Solomon 8:7)

132. Gold by Gemini by Jonathon Gash

Interesting and well-paced. Lots of comedy, drama, and action. This is the second of the novels featuring Lovejoy, the English antiques "divvy" and ladies' man. I liked this one maybe even more than I liked the first (The Judas Pair). I'm working through the DVDs of the British television series concurrently which seems to be working out very enjoyably. I plan to read the entire series, so I'll be looking for the next one.

I find the voice of our hero, Lovejoy, just hilarious. Here's a sample:

In the town we had a splendid time shopping. I mean, really breathtaking.

It's great. You trudge along a row of shops, then trudge back. Then you trudge between two or three shops which all have the same stuff. Then you trudge about searching for a fourth, also identical. Then you trudge back and forth among all four. Then you find a fifth. You keep it up for hours. As I say, it's really trudging great. We got Janie some shoes. It only took a couple of months or so.

133. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I found this YA fantasy novel involving and thought-provoking, and I have continued to think about for days now (it's almost "haunting," bwah-ha-ha!). I love it when an author creates a new world, and uses a new way to present it to the reader. In this book, the author used old, strange photographs to describe characters and events--in a sense, the snapshots drive the action in the book. A very fun book to read. I hope that there will be a followup book!

Thanks to whoever recommended this one! I think it was either curlysue or luxx. Thank you both!



134. The Good, the Bad & the Difference: How to Tell Right From Wrong in Everyday Situations by Randy Cohen

I've been working on this book for a long time! for two checkouts from my library, with several renewals each. I don't know why it took me so long, but I'm glad to have read it. Randy Cohen used to write the ethics column for the NY Times Magazine, but he was replaced when the staff went through a shake-up a while back. I really missed his column, where he takes what seems to me such a down-to-earth, commonsensical approach to the "everyday situations" of the title. And he does it with a lot of humor and integrity.

I particularly enjoyed a section of each chapter devoted to the posing of ethical questions for the reader to answer. Several of these ethical questions were from fictional characters. For example:

While I yearn for romance and rapture, I find myself with a husband who is dull and stifling: he is a doctor much older than I am. Recently, visiting Rouen to go to the theater, I met an old friend who offers the passion I crave. Would it be so wrong to have an affair? --Emma Bovary, Vonville, France

Each chapter is devoted to a part of human experience (e.g., "School Life," "Family Life," "Medical Life," etc.) In addition, there are great introductory chapters, a chapter which offers ethical questions where the author has changed his advice, and a chapter where he lists the ten toughest questions he has come across.

A great book to pick up and read a bit, then ponder.

135. The Grail Tree by Jonathan Gash

This is the third of the Lovejoy novels. I really like the characterizations and the insider antiqu-ey asides. The story in this episode got a little convoluted, and not really believable. But still quite exciting. Definitely a "brain candy" type of read.

136. Summer by Edith Wharton

I read this book for the TIOLI read-a-book-assigned-in-an-English-Lit-class challenge. I'm glad I read it, but it would have been a more satisfying read if I was actually participating in a classroom situation. I have unanswered questions and thoughts and I'm sure this one will bounce around in my mind for a while.

However, I am once again confirmed in my love for Edith Wharton's writing. Listen to her description of a late summer:

It was a golden triumphant September. Day by day the flame of the Virginia creeper spread to the hillsides in wider waves of carmine and crimson, the larches glowed like the thin yellow halo about a fire, the maples blazed and smouldered, and the black hemlocks turned to indigo against the incandescence of the forest.

Gorgeous!

>46 klobrien2:: I loved the quote you chose from Summer, Karen. There were so many lush descriptions of nature in that book. I agree that an in-depth discussion of any Edith Wharton book is worthwhile. I am amazed at the breadth of her writing when I always thought she just wrote about stuffy people in old New York!

Indeed, what a beautiful quote from Summer. I'm adding it to my TR-list. Thanks for pointing that one out, Karen.

137. Dracula by Bram Stoker

I wanted to read this for October TIOLI, but didn't finish it in time. Never fear, I was able to include it November TIOLI because of the animal-mentioned-on-page-50 challenge.

This was a bit of a slog as the book is a bit repetitive and there are many plot "swerves." The character of Dracula, of course, is iconic and interesting to me. It's also historically interesting to see how the book has influenced popular culture.

I became annoyed by the use of dialect, and especially by the strange dialogue of the Dutch doctor Van Helsing. The unusual word formations shortly lost any charm for me. I did find one section amusing, where Van Helsing is describing the speech of a sea captain:

"The captain swore polyglot--very polyglot--polyglot with bloom and blood"

So, the captain could swear in many languages, but used a lot of "bloomin'" and "bloody," I guess.

I'm glad I read the book, but I'm glad to have finished it.

Donna828 and JustJoey4, thanks for stopping by! I really enjoyed Summer, and it was an interesting juxtaposition to read that and Dracula--both included in "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die," and two very different books!

I'm glad I read the book, but I'm glad to have finished it.

I felt the same way when I finished it too!

138. Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the Golden Age of Bad Parenting Advice by James Lileks

Lileks is wonderful at digging up these items of historical horror--and then spoofing them to make for a very funny read. I read his The Gallery of Regrettable Food and this one is much in the same vein, but with less nausea.

Another Lileks!! It goes straight to my wishlist.

Deern, I hope you like it. I actually have another Lileks on my shelf! called Notes of a Nervous Man which I want to get to sometime soon. He is a funny, funny writer, don't you think?!

I loved The Gallery of Regrettable Food! I will have to go on the lookout for his other works.

Hi Karen! My daughter just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and is recommending it to me -- it looks terrific.

I laughed out loud at the quote from Gold by Gemini -- thanks!

#54: He is, I love the website and visit it regularly, whenever I need a good laugh. Unfortunately it's difficult for me to get his books, I have to buy them from amazon UK, and not all of them are available.

139. Eugene Onegin: A Novel in Verse by Alexander Pushkin and A Novel Versification by Douglas Hofstadter

I picked up this translation because I wanted to watch the cinematic version of "Onegin" and the silly thing doesn't have English closed-captioning. I usually do not have luck understanding British actors (I do have a hearing impairment, but British people talk funny--sorry! couldn't resist). And these are British and American (even worse!) actors sometimes trying to speak with Russian accents.

So I knew my best bet was to read the work, first. This translation was a real treat to read! Hofstadter is a superb translator (in my very humble opinion) and he's a terrific writer in his own right. He takes the approach of explaining why he did what he did, and explains how his approach differs from that of other translators. The account of his work on this was involving and moving.

And Eugene Onegin itself is a terrific read. I haven't read any Pushkin before, but I think I must add him to my list of favorite writers. I wish, wish, wish that I knew Russian so that I could read in the original, but I must be content with checking out other translations and rereading this one--I plan to get my own copy.

Here are a few samples:

We are meeting Onegin, a young, bored, well-to-do man-about-town:

Whatever Paris taste's effulgence,
On sniffing out some business lead,
Invents for pleasure or for greed,
For luxury, for self-indulgence --
It's in his room. Ah, my Eugene --
Fop philosopher, aged eighteen.

Then, from the narrator of the story:

Accept my grateful salutations,
Admirer of the muses' strains.
O you whose mem'ry still retains
Odd remnants of my light creations,
Whose loving hand runs gently o'er
The laurels of this bard of yore.

Finally, let me say that I am delighted when a book (a real paper book, most always a hard-cover) is so physically easy to hold and read, and so beautifully designed. This one is a lovely book.

140. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I'm so glad I joined in the TIOLI Read-a-book-by-a-Native-American-Author challenge and read this book--small in size, but huge in depth and beauty. The book is a great mixture of text and illustrations (the artist, Ellen Forney, is terrific!) Although this book is cataloged as Young Adult fiction at my library, anyone of that age or older would like this book. Excellent book!

Here is a quote -- POSSIBLE SPOILER------------------------------ that resonated with me:

When anybody, no matter how old they are, loses a parent, I think it hurts the same as if you were only five years old, you know? I think all of us are always five years old in the presence and absence of our parents.

END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER----------------------------------------------

The author displays a fondness for quotations (I love quotations!) and here are two that I pulled out:

The quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor. (Vince Lombardi)

There is another world, but it is in this one. (W.B. Yeats)

Ah, the Hofstadter Onegin! I read Eugene Onegin earlier this year, in Johnston's translation which is wonderful (and the inspiration for another favourite work: Vikram Seth's The Golden Gate; you must read it if you have not) but I love Hofstadter's work, and would love to read his version as well. I think Eugene Onegin is one of those poems that is well served by different translation approaches, and I can't wait to read more and compare them.

I also love Tchaikovsky's opera: it's one of my very favourite operas.

Hi, Deinonychus! Thanks for stopping by.

I'm looking forward to finding other translations of Onegin. I am taking note of the Seth work, too--I'll plan to read this sooner rather than later. Thanks for all of your recommendations!

141. Spend Game by Jonathan Gash

This is the fourth Lovejoy novel, featuring the funny and charming "divvy" antique dealer of that name. In this book we learn more about Lovejoy's time in the military when a friend and fellow dealer is murdered and Lovejoy must find out who was the murderer and why did they do it.

Lovejoy is a "divvy," which means that he has a second sense about antiques; he knows, by intuition, what is a real antique. The character describes hearing a chime or a bell in his mind when he encounters a real antique. I feel similarly, reading these books, when I encounter certain phrases. They're just so sweet and elegant that I feel like I've been poked. For instance:

Describing another dealer:

He's one of those long, loping men who can't stop their arms from dangling about.

Speaking of England:

But this old island creaks under the weight of its history. Within literally a ten-mile radius of my crummy thatched cottage (he lives in East Anglia) there are thirty buried temples, over a hundred pre-Christian burial mounds of tributry kings, numerous sunken treasure ships in the estuaries and graveyards of famous Roman legions.

I'm enjoying this series a lot, and I'll be looking for the fifth in the series.

142. The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

What a fun series this is turning out to be! This is the third book in the series of young adult, supernatural fiction. I liked this volume a lot: the pace seems to have picked up although there are still points where the plot gets a little bogged down. Still, very imaginative and enjoyable reading.

I loved the characters new to this installment--Shakespeare (yes, that one), Palamedes the Saracen Knight, and King Gilgamesh. In fact, Gilgamesh speaks the lines that I am choosing to take note of here. He's asked why it is important to take note of simple things. He responds,

"Because someone has to remember," Gilgamesh snapped, suddenly irritated. "Someone has to remember the human who rode the bike and drove the tractor, the person who tilled the fields, who was born and lived and died, who loved and laughed and cried, the person who shivered in the cold and sweated in the sun." He walked around the barn again, touching each item, until his palms were red with rust. "It is only when no one remembers that you are truly lost. That is the true death."

Off to find the next book in the series--The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.

143. Libraries in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson

A sweet little treat of a book on ancient libraries. Some information was familiar to me, some was new, but all was well-presented and illustrated. Thanks to cbl_tn for the recommendation and the chance to include this in TIOLI (the recommended-by-a-75er-in-October challenge).

One of my favorite sections dealt with the age-old problem of lending out books:

Some collections (in the Ancient Near East) offered the privilege of borrowing, and this brought in its wake the inevitable problem of ensuring prompt return. An omen tablet from Uruk insists that "He who fears Anu, Enlil, and Ea will return it to the owner's house the same day."...One way to avoid the problem was not to let any holdings leave the premises. Thus a ritual tablet from Uruk warns that "He who fears Marduk and Sarpanitum will not entrust it to (other's) hands. He who entrusts it to (other's) hands, may all the gods who are found in Babylon curse him!"

64: I MUST add this book to my TBR. What an interesting subject for a book.

mbellerose, it's not a long book at all, but it really was a fun read. I hope you like it as much as I did!

Ditto from me, Karen. That sounds really good.

144. Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

The second in the series "The Kane Chronicles." This juvenile fiction book is about the intersection of the gods of ancient Egypt with two young siblings in the modern world.

I liked this installment of the series even more than the first one. It's funny, it's sad, it's imaginative and entertaining.

Hi Karen, a lot of your recent reads I have bought for my daughter this year so I'm pleased to hear they all look good as I'll be delving into them myself at some stage. Great reviews.

Hi, KiwiNyx! Thanks for stopping by!

I seem to be in a YA/Juvey phase right now, although I am in the middle of a few "grown-up" books. I hope that your daughter (and then, you) like the books as well as I did. I have been pretty lucky this year and haven't come across any horrible reads (well, if they were that bad I would probably give up on them early on).

I'm really trying to hit 150 this year--I made it to 148 last year, so I was close. I'm at 145 right now, so I think it is achievable.

Talk to you later!

145. Sanctus by Simon Toyne

Thoroughly entertaining thriller, in the mode of Da Vinci Code, but more involving for me. I didn't want to put it down once I got 50 pages in, and I can't wait for the promised second and third installments.

Thanks to drneutron for the recommendation!

You're welcome! :)

Hi Karen! Glad to see that you enjoyed The Throne of Fire. I've not read that one yet. We actually own it, and both girls have read it, but I think the fact that we own it removes some of the urgency to get to it. Funny how that works!

Hi, drneutron and AMQS! Thanks for stopping by and chatting!

Anne, I know exactly what you mean about owning a book and the urgency fading.

I work at a public library, and we've had a perq of not paying overdue fees. That free ride just ended, so now I need to be really careful about due dates, especially with highly-requested books (like The Throne of Fire!).

146. The Vatican Rip by Jonathan Gash

A Lovejoy novel (#5, I think). This one has Lovejoy in Vatican City, planning and carrying out a "rip" (steal and switch) in the Vatican Museum. The best part of the book might have been the glimpse of Vatican City and the characters that Lovejoy met there.

I loved this line:

I'll remember her all my life if I live that long.

And listen to this description of the nagging cough of Tinker, a recurring character in the books:

Tinker cleared his throat, warming up for one of his famous rasping coughs. I drew a deep breath to last me through the droplet haze. Tinker's cough started as a deep rumble full of such powerful reverberations that several of the crowd glanced idly towards the windows, wondering what kind of monster vehicle could possibly be making that racket on East Hill. It then intensified, growling and lifting in tone and bubbling as the phlegm in Tinker's stringlike windpipe churned. The volume intensified and swelled sending shudders through the brickwork. Finally out it came, a great explosion in a slamming din of sound, a noise so cacophonous it rapped your eardrums.

"Cacophonous" is a new favorite word for me!

This book was a fun little read. I'll keep on with the series.

147. Matchless by Gregory Maguire

This little gem is subtitled "A Christmas Story" and also, "An illumination of Hans Christian Andersen's classic 'The Little Match Girl.'"

I have really liked the Maguire books that I've read (Wicked, Son of a Witch, Mirror, Mirror), and this one is very Maguire-ish, in that a well-known story is explored and interpreted. I like Maguire's naming this process, "illumination."

I think this will be an annual Christmas read for me, along with the next book.



148. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading Christmas Carol. I found a really cool version of it at my library--published by Viking, it's in "The Whole Story" format. The text is unabridged, and there are lots of annotations and illustrations which really helped me to establish the context and increase my understanding. I might have to get my own copy of this one.

So I'm at 148 books for the year, and that's where I was at the end of 2010. And I still have weeks to go! I'm really enjoying my reading this year, and I hope to continue branching out next year. Maybe getting a little more serious (or not!)

I'm reading I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore right now, and I'm loving how closely the movie stayed to the plot of the book. That will be book 149; I haven't decided what book 150 will be. So many books, so little time!

Congratuations on your successful reading year, I'm planning on getting out my copy of A Christmas Carol in a week or so, and this year I am treating myself to a view of the Alastair Sim movie version as well, I think it's been about eight years since I've seen it.

My favorite "Scrooge" is the musical version with Albert Finney. I don't think I've ever seen the Alastair Sim version, although I've read that it's one of the best. I think I'll have to track it down, too!

Wow, congratulations on so many books read. Can't wait to see what you choose for the magical 150!

Book 150 will be...Parnassus on Wheels! Seems fitting to have my "double 75" be a book about books, and a TIOLI shared read! I'm already chuckling my way through--it should be a great read.

149. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

This is book one of a promised series to be known as the "Lorien Legacies." I saw the movie version a while back and, when I learned it was based on a book, I had to read the book (of course). I usually prefer to read the book first, but no harm was done by switching the order(!)

Fast-paced, lots of fun to read, didn't want to put it down! I'm looking forward to reading the second book, The Power of Six.



150. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

What a terrific little "book about books"! Actually, it's about a lot else--it's about being an older woman, stepping outside of one's comfort zone, finding love when you least expect it. The book reads as so modern in its thinking, but it's very cheerful and beautiful. I am so glad that this one popped up in TIOLI. I'll be looking for other books by Morley.

I found myself writing down so many great lines and phrasings from this relatively short book--it's packed with insights and humor. Here are a few snippets:

By the ghost of Susan B. Anthony... or By the bones of Piers Plowman... Get the idea? Just use the name of your current favorite author or personage!

I was mad all the way through. I have felt like this!

There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning, and yearning. A man should be learning as he goes; and he should be earning bread for himself and others; and he should be yearning, too: yearning to know the unknowable.

Helen McGill, the heroine of the book, does this terrific imitation of a man, meant to scare away a threat:

My expedient was absurd enough, but at any rate it satisfied my desire to act. I seized one of my boots and banged vigorously on the floor, at the same time growling in as deep and masculine a voice as I could muster: "What the hell's the matter? What the hell's the matter?" Can't you just visualize that?!

A final bon mot: A man can be slack in everything else, if he does one thing as well as he possibly can.

This is how I feel after reaching 150 books!!

Congratulations (loving the blue man dance)!! Your last two reads are both ones that greatly appeal to me and I also thought the movie I am Number Four was pretty good. Another series to add to the list I guess.

Congratulations. I have seen nothing but praise for Parnassus on Wheels, and I hope to be able to fit it in sometime next year.

151. A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

I can't believe I hadn't ever read this book! Such beautiful prose that it reads like poetry. So atmospheric and funny. I read the 2004 version, illustrated by Chris Raschka with beautiful torn paper drawings. I am sure this will be a regular December read for me.

Hi, KiwiNyx and DeltaQueen50! Thanks for stopping by. I highly recommend both I Am Number Four and Parnassus on Wheels, especially the latter. If you try them, I hope you like them as much as I did!

(Going back to watch the dancing blue guy some more--he is so cute!)

Haha, I love that GIF in post 83. Congratulations, Karen! :)

Hi, Stephen!

I love the GIF, too! I keep going back to that post to watch it. It's very happy, isn't it?!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

152. The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford

It was so interesting to read this book after just having reread A Christmas Carol. The book was well-written and informative, and left me with a much greater understanding of Dickens and his times.

I really like Standiford's style of writing; he's very organized, but is writing seems precise and lush at the same time. Here is how he describes a period in Dickens' when the writer is at a crossroads, looking to find a way to reconcile what he wants to do with what he needs to do (earn a living):

He might have passed off the disappointing response to Barnaby Rudge as his own fault, a miscalculation born of exhaustion. His sense that he needed a bit of time away from the grind of writing to gather his perspective was one reason he had conceived of his tour to the United States, after all. And perhaps he could attribute the failure of American Notes to the glut of similar books--however inferior--already in print. But, given the relative indifference to Martin Chuzzlewit, how could he help doubting his own judgment? Which is to say, his literary talent. Which is to say, his very sense of self.

Merry Christmas Karen. I've got the Les Standiford book on my wishlist.

Merry Christmas Karen!

Merry Christmas Karen!

Merry Christmas to you, Karen, with best wishes!

Merry Christmas, Karen!

Thank you all for your kind wishes! I did, indeed, have a merry Christmas, and I hope that you did, too! I didn't get on LT for a few days, and I think a lot has happened -- yikes!

Looking forward to another good year of reading!

Happy New Year Karen! Looking forward to catching up with you in the 2012 group.

Hi, KiwiNyx! I joined the 2012 group, and I'll get my thread going there as soon as I can. I'm kind of dreading how busy the 2011 group was in December 2010 and right away in January. So, I'm working up the courage by posting my last book of 2011 here (I actually did finish it last year, but haven't posted it yet).



153. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I don't usually read a lot of fantasy or supernatural-themed books, but I'm glad I read this one. And it's only the first in a planned trilogy! There are witches and vampires and ghosts--everything but the kitchen sink. And even that is there--talk about housekeeping tips for witches!

The best part of the book (for me) was the love story between the two main characters. A close second were the insights into history and into books, themselves.

The book ran a little long (nearly 600 pages, and probably could've used some judicious editing, as they say). But it was well-paced and suspenseful, and I am quite anxious for the next installment.

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. (Albert Einstein, quoted here)

So, 153 books for the year! I beat my last year's total (the number wasn't that important, but is more of a fun fact). I had lots of great reads in 2011, and I'm really looking forward to 2012, with LT, the 75-bookers, and TIOLI. Let's go!

Ooh, that one does look good!

I've created my 2012 thread over in the 75 books in 2012 group--if you're reading this, please link over here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130638

Oh, I want to keep this thread around for reference (like I just did to find the last Louise Penny I've read). So here goes.

Wake up! Wake up!