Jolerie's Book Hoarding 7

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Jolerie's Book Hoarding 7

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1jolerie
Modificato: Dic 7, 2012, 12:32 am



I'm super excited to be back for the second year and hopefully this time will also be able to achieve that magical number of 75!! WOOHOO!
I love reading books in pretty much all genres. If it has a good story, good characters, you will find my nose in it. I have a 16 month old 2 year old toddler as well, so reading times are precious and is guarded with a passion.
Looking forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones! :)

Thread 1 - Books: 1-46 (no reviews), Books 47 - 50 (with reviews)
Thread 2 - Books: 51-59
Thread 3 - Books: 60-67
Thread 4 - Books: 68-73
Thread 5 - Books: 74-81
Thread 6 - Books: 82-92

Currently Reading:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

RATING SYSTEM:
5 Stars: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE??
4 Stars: As satisfying as scratching that itch that is just right out of my reach...
3 Stars: Purr...I'm content...almost...
2 Stars: Anxiously eyeing the next book in my pile...
1 Star: Fire fodder...BURN BABY BURN!!




December's Selection
OTS:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Irma Voth by Miriam Toews
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Library:
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Undercurrent by Tricia Rayburn
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

2jolerie
Modificato: Nov 15, 2012, 2:13 pm

Last years ALL STAR BOARD for BEST READS of 2011!

FICTION:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See/A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
SCIENCE FICTION:

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
HISTORICAL FICTION:

Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George
YA:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner/The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
CLASSICS:

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins/1984 by George Orwell
FANTASY:

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

Some notables not to be forgotten:
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Anne of Green Gables Collection by L. M. Montgomery

3jolerie
Modificato: Dic 18, 2012, 12:01 pm


YA=Young Adult
F=Fantasy
FN=Fiction
SF=Science Fiction
CH=Childrens
H=Historical
GN=Graphic Novel
C=Crime/Mystery
**All lists are subject to changes and updates.

Ongoing Series
Alan Bradley – (YA) Flavia de Luce Mysteries (1/6) Next: The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag
Alastair Reynolds - (SF) Revelation Space (1/7) Next: Chasm City
Ally Condie - (YA) Matched (1/3) Next: Crossed
Amanda Hocking - (YA) Trylle Trilogy (1/3) Next: Torn
Anna Carey – (YA) Eve (1/2) Next: Once
Anne Bishop – (F) The Black Jewels Series (3/6) Next: The Invisible Ring
Anne Rice – (F) Vampire Chronicles (3/10) Next: The Tale of the Body Thief
Arthur C. Clarke – Space Odyssey (3/4) Next: 3001: The Final Odyssey
Beth Revis – (YA) Across the Universe (1/3) Next: A Million Suns
Cynthia Hand - (YA) Unearthly (1/3) Next: Hallowed
David Whitley – (YA) Agora Trilogy (2/3) Next: TBA
Diana Gabaldon – (FN) Outlander (6/7) Next: An Echo in the Bone
Douglas Adams – (SF) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (5/7) Next: The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time
Jack Whyte – (H) Camulod Chronicles (6/9) Next: Uther
Jacqueline Carey – Kushiel’s Legacy (3/9) Next: Kushiel’s Scion
James Dashner – (YA) The Maze Runner (1/3) Next: The Scorch Trials
Jessica Day George – (YA) Princess of the Midnight Ball (1/3) Next: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Josephine Angelini - YA) Starcrossed (1/3) Next: Dreamless
Jules Watson – (H) The Dalriada Trilogy (1/3) Next: The Dawn Stag
Kady Cross - (YA) The Steampunk Chronicles (1/?) Next: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar
Kaoru Mori – (GN) Emma (2/10) Next: Emma Vol. 3
Kate Mosse – (H) Languedoc Trilogy (2/3) Next: The Winter Ghosts
Kenneth Oppel - (YA) The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein Next: Such Wicked Intent
Kiera Cass – (YA) Selection Trilogy (1/3) Next: TBA
Kiersten White - (YA) Paranormalcy (1/3) Next: Supernaturally
Kristi Cook – (YA) Winterhaven (1/2) Next: Mirage
Kristin Cashore – (YA) Seven Kingdoms Trilogy (2/3) Next: Bitterblue
Lauren DeStefano – (YA) The Chemical Garden Trilogy (1/3) Next: Fever
Libba Bray – (YA) Gemma Doyle (2/3) Next: The Sweet Far Thing
Lisa See - (FN) Shanghai Girls (1/2) Next: Dreams of Joy
Lois Lowry – (CH) The Giver Quartet (1/4) Next: Gathering Blue
Maggie Stiefvater - (YA) Books of Faerie (1/2) Ballad
Marion Zimmer Bradley – (F) Avalon Published Order (1/7) Next: The Forest House
Meg Cabot - (YA) Abandon (1/3) Next: Underworld
Orson Scott Card – (SF) Ender’s Universe (6/10) Next: Shadow Puppets
Patricia C. Wrede – (YA) Frontier Magic (1/3) Next: Across the Great Barrier
Peadar O Guilin - (YA) The Bone World Trilogy (1/3) Next: The Deserter
Pearl S. Buck – (H) The House of Earth Trilogy (1/3) Next: Sons
Philippa Gregory – (H) The Tudor Court Novels (4/6) Next: The Virgin’s Lover
Pittacus Lore – (YA) The Lorien Legacies (1/3) Next: The Power of Six
Sara Shepard – (YA) The Lying Game (1/3) Next: Never Have I Ever
Scott Westerfeld – (YA) Leviathan (2/3) Next: Goliath
Shannon Hale - (YA) Princess Academy (1/2) Next: Palace of Stone
Stephen Hunt – (F) Jackelian (1/6) Next: The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
Stieg Larsson – (C) The Millennium Trilogy (2/3) Next: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Ted Dekker – (YA) The Lost Books (4/6) Next: Lunatic
Terry Brooks – (F) Shannara Heritage Tetralogy (1/4) Next: The Druid of Shannara
Terry Brooks – (F) The Magic Kingdom of Landover (3/6) Next: The Tangle Box
Timothee de Fombelle - (YA) Toby Alone (1/2) Next: Toby and the Secrets of the Tree
Tony DiTerlizzi - (YA) Wondla (1/2) Next: A Hero for Wondla
Tricia Rayburn – (YA) Siren (2/3) Next: Dark Water

Series Owned (Partial/Complete) but Unread
Alexandra Adornetto – (YA) Halo (0/3)
Amitav Ghosh – (H) The Ibis Trilogy (0/3)
Ariana Franklin – (H) Mistress of the Art of Death (0/4)
Becca Fitzpatrick – (YA) Hush, Hush Saga (0/4)
Brandon Sanderson – (F) Mistborn (0/4)
Carlos Ruiz Zafon – (H) The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (0/3)
Carol Berg – (F) Bridge of D’Arnath (0/4)
Cassandra Clare – (F) The Mortal Instruments (0/6)
Catherine Banner – (YA) The Last Descendants Trilogy (0/3)
Christopher Paolini – (YA) The Inheritance Cycle (0/4)
Connie Willis – (F) Oxford Time Travel (0/4)
Cormac McCarthy - (FN) Border Trilogy (0/3)
Deborah Harkness (F) All Souls Trilogy (0/3)
Elizabeth Bear - (F) The Promethean Age (0/4)
Eoin Colfer – (YA) Artemis Fowl (0/8)
George R. R. Martin – (F) A Song of Fire and Ice (0/7)
Guillermo Del Toro (F) The Strain Trilogy (0/3)
Hilary Mantel – (H) Wolf Hall Trilogy (0/3)
Indu Sundaresan – (H) Taj Trilogy (0/3)
James Barclay – (F) Legends of the Raven (0/4)
Jeanne DuPrau – (YA) Books of Ember (0/4)
Juliet Marillier – (F) The Sevenwaters Series (0/6)
Justin Cronin - (SF) The Passage (0/3)
Ken Follet – (FN) Kingsbridge (0/2)
Kim Stanley Robinson – (SF) Mars Trilogy (0/3)
Lauren Kate – (YA) Fallen Series (0/4)
Lev Grossman – (F) The Magicians (0/2)
Louise Penny – (C) Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (0/8)
Margaret Atwood – (SF) Oryx and Crake (0/2)
Mary Norton – (CH) The Borrowers (0/5)
Michael Scott – (F) The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (0/6)
N.K. Jemisin – (F) Inheritance Trilogy (0/3)
Orson Scott Card – (SF) Homecoming Saga (0/5)
Orson Scott Card – (SF) Pastwatch (0/3)
Orson Scott Card - (F) Mither Mages (0/2)
Peter V. Brett – (F) The Demon Cycle (0/3)
Philippa Gregory – (H) The Cousin’s War Series (0/4)
Robert Jordon – (F) The Wheel of Time (0/14)
Sara Poole - (H) Poisoner Series (0/3)
Stephen Baxter - (SF) Flood (0/2)
Stephen Baxter - (SF) The Northland Trilogy (0/3)
Steve Augarde – (YA) Touchstone Trilogy (0/3)
Susan Beth Pfeffer – (YA) The Last Survivors (0/3)
Terry Brooks - (F) Genesis of Shannara (0/3)
Terry Brooks - (F) High Druid of Shannara (0/3)
Wendy Alec – (FN) The Chronicles of Brothers (0/3)

Completed Series
**Bolded ones indicate my favourite series**

Alison Goodman – (YA) Dragoneye (2/2)
Brenda Rickman Vantrease – (H) The Illuminator (2/2)
Cornelia Funke – (YA) Inkheart Trilogy (3/3)
D. M. Cornish – (YA) Monster Blood Tattoo (3/3)
Donita K. Paul - (YA) Valley of the Dragons (3/3)
Francine Rivers – (H) The Mark of the Lion (3/3)
Guy Gavriel Kay – (F) The Fionavar Tapestries (3/3)
Guy Gavriel Kay – (F) The Sarantine Mosaic (2/2)
Jacqueline Carey – (F) The Sundering (2/2)
J. K. Rowling – (YA) Harry Potter (7/7)
J. R. R. Tolkien – (F) The Lord of the Rings (3/3)
Madeleine L’Engle – (YA) The Time Quintet (5/5)
Philip Pullman – (YA) His Dark Materials (3/3)
Philippa Gregory – (H) The Wideacre Trilogy (3/3)
Robyn Miller/David Wingrove – (F) Myst (3/3)
Rick Riordan – (F) Percy Jackson and the Olympians (5/5)
Robert Scott & Jay Gordon – (F) The Eldarn Sequence (3/3)
Stephanie Meyer – (YA) Twilight Saga (4/4)
Susan Cooper – (YA) The Dark is Rising Sequence (5/5)
Suzanne Collins – (YA) The Hunger Games (3/3)
Ted Dekker – (F) Circle Series (3/3)
Terry Brooks – (F) Original Shannara Trilogy (3/3)
Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins – (FN) Left Behind (13/13)

4jolerie
Modificato: Nov 15, 2012, 1:55 pm

Books Read in 2012:
**Books are OTS unless otherwise indicated
(L) for Public Library Loans
(ER) books received from LT Early Reviewer
January
1. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai 3.5*
2. (L) Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayres 3.75*
3. (L) A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray 4*
Favourite Read:
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
February
4. The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie 3.5*
5. (L) Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver 4*
6. (ER) Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas 4*
7. The Rosetta Codex by Richard Paul Russo 3.75*
8. (L) Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George 3.5*
9. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie 4*
10. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J. M. Barrie 3.5*
11. (L) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 5*
12. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards 5*
13. (L) Across the Universe by Beth Revis 4*
Favourite Reads:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards/The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
March
14. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 3.75*
15. (L) I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore 3.5*
16. (L) Jane by April Linder 2.5*
Favourite Read:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

5jolerie
Modificato: Nov 15, 2012, 1:56 pm

April
17. A Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell 3.75*
18. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 3.75*
19. (L) Chalice by Robin McKinley 4*
20. (ER) The Last Song by Eva Wiseman 3.75*
21. The Scions of Shannara by Terry Brooks 4.5*
22. (L) Factotum by D.M. Cornish 3.75*
23. Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden 5*
24. The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald 3.5*
25. (L) Eve by Anna Carey 4.5*
26. The Princess and Curdie by George Macdonald 3*
27. (L) Emma Vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori 3.5*
28. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 4*
29. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter 4*
30. (L) Un Lun Dun by China Mieville 4*
31. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See 5*
Favourite Read:
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
May
32. (L) The Children of the Lost by David Whitley 4*
33. Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum 4.75*
34. (L) The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding 3.5*
35. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman 4*
36. (L) Rebel Angels by Libba Bray 3*
Favourite Reads:
Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum/The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
June
37. The White Mare by Jules Watson 3.75*
38. Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card 3*
39. (L) I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith 2.5*
40. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 4*
41. (L) When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead 3.75*
42. (ER) The Serpent's Bite by Warren Adler 2.5*
43. (L) Stealing Athena by Karen Essex 4*
44. (L) The Selection by Kiera Cass 3*
45. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger 3.75*
46. (L) Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini 4*
Favourite Read:
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

6jolerie
Modificato: Nov 15, 2012, 1:56 pm

July
47. Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll 3.75*
48. (L) Eona by Alison Goodman 4*
49. The Giver by Lois Lowry 5*
50. (L) Chime by Franny Billingsley 2.75*
51. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 4.75*
52. (L) Once was Lost by Sara Zarr 3.75*
53. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 4*
54. (L) Wither by Lauren DeStefano 3.5*
55. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff 4.5*
56. (ER) Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff 3.75*
57 (L) Haven by Kristi Cook 3*
Favourite Reads:
The Giver by Lois Lowry/The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
August
58. (L) Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool 4*
59. East of Eden by John Steinbeck 3.25*
60. (L) The Lying Game by Sara Shepard 4*
61. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 2.75*
62. (L) Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus 4*
63. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman 4.5*
64. (L) Siren by Tricia Rayburn 3.5*
65. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 4*
66. (L) Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 4*
67. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.5*
Favorite Read:
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
September
68. (L) Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld 4*
69. 2061: Odyseey Three by Arthur C. Clarke 3*
70. (L) Lament by Maggie Stiefvater 3.5*
71. Sepulchre by Kate Mosse 4*
72. (L) Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce 3*
73. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson 3*
74. (L) Toby Alone by Timothee de Fombelle 4.25*
75. (ER) Breed by Chase Novak 3.75*
Favourite Read:
Toby Alone by Timothee de Fombelle

7jolerie
Modificato: Dic 7, 2012, 12:34 am

October
76. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami 4*
77. (L) Switched by Amanda Hocking 3.75*
78. (L) Genesis by Bernard Beckett 4.5*
79. (L) The Strange Case of Finley Jayne/The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross 4*
80. House by Frank Peretti/Ted Dekker 3.5*
81. (L) Abandon by Meg Cabot 3.75*
82. (L) The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi 4.25*
83. Dracula by Bram Stoker 3.75*
84. (L) Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 4.25*
85. The Long Walk by Stephen King 3*
86. (L) Matched by Ally Condie 4.25*
Favourite Read:
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
November
87. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 4*
88. (ER) The Glass Butterfly by Louise Marley 3.5*
89. (L) The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate 2.75*
90. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 4.5*
91. (L) Paranormalcy by Kiersten White 3.5*
92. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver 4*
93. (L) This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel 4*
94. Room by Emma Donoghue 4.25*
95. (L) Beauty Queens by Libba Bray 3.5*
96. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell 3.25*
97. (L) The Inferior by Peadar O Guilin 3.75*
Favourite Read:
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
December
98. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 4.5*
99. (L) Unearthly by Cynthia Hand 3.75*

8lunacat
Nov 15, 2012, 2:13 pm

Hope it's okay to stop by this early!!

9jnwelch
Nov 15, 2012, 2:19 pm

Yes, it looks like some of the shelving may still be going up. Is this okay?

10ronincats
Nov 15, 2012, 2:35 pm

Oops, just posted on your last thread, but in my defense, this one wasn't up yet when I started.

11jolerie
Modificato: Nov 15, 2012, 2:53 pm

Thanks for dropping by Jenny, Joe, and Roni!

Jenny, it is never too early. ;)

Joe, don't mind the chaos that is my shelf. Everything is all over the place, but guests are always welcome to join me in the craziness!

Roni, no worries! The weather is pretty good right now. It's cold, but not unbearably so and the snow is slowly and steadily melting with the sun. :) And hey, it's almost the weekend so I'm a happy camper!

12UnrulySun
Nov 15, 2012, 3:22 pm

Haha, I'm so glad you have a new thread now! I missed the whole last one I think.

I see you read Life of Pi, are you excited for the movie?

13jolerie
Modificato: Nov 15, 2012, 3:27 pm



#93 This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA
Format: TPB
Published: 2011
Setting: Geneva, Bellerive
Pages: 298
Rating: ★★★★

Notes: prequel, first in series, horror, alchemy, siblings, rivalry
Books noted: None

You see, when a medicine works, it is blessed science, and when it fails, it is witchcraft.
Page 72

The Frankenstein Chateau has always been a home filled secret passageways and mysterious rooms. It is the familiar stomping grounds for twin brothers, Victor and Konrad, and their distant cousin, Elizabeth, and good friend, Henry. They assumed every hidden nook and cranny had been discovered until an accidental collision with a bookcase reveals a unknown chamber deep within the Chateau. Now this forbidden and forgotten room may very well hold the knowledge that can cure Konrad of a sudden illness that seems to be draining the very life out his body. There is a reason the mysteries within the books found in the library were deemed the dark arts, but despite the perils and dangers involved, Victor and friends will stop at nothing to decode the puzzle to save his brother and win the heart of his love at the same time.

I haven't read the original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, so I don't have a means to compare, but on it's own This Dark Endeavour stands both as an interesting prequel and a creepy exploration of the rise of the subsequent monster that we first meet in Shelly's original story. If nothing else, this prequel has given me an appetite and a curiosity to seek out the classic that started it all. A darkly imaginative story and an intriguing introduction to a series I will undoubtably follow. Recommended.

14jolerie
Nov 15, 2012, 3:30 pm

Haha, Kathy, it is completely and totally understandable. :)
I was actually really excited about the movie when I first saw the trailer and that is actually what prompted me to read the book in the first place. But, now after reading the book, I think the excitement has gone down a few notches. I don't know if the movie can compare to the book and I worry about how they would deal with the ending. Either way, I know I will watch it eventually, but more likely on video than on the big screen. Are you planning on watching it??

15UnrulySun
Nov 15, 2012, 3:45 pm

Yes, I'm looking forward to the theater release! It's been quite some time since I read the book, but I remember enjoying it immensely. I think I'll just let the movie remind me of the story as I watch, rather than re-read.

16lunacat
Nov 15, 2012, 4:00 pm

I'll be interested to see peoples reactions to a film of Life of Pi, but there is no way I could go and see it. I'd be worrying the whole time about what they were going to do with the ending and so not appreciate any of the other parts even if they were good.

17msf59
Nov 15, 2012, 7:51 pm

Valerie- Congrats on the new thread! It's always so bright & cheery around here, even with the dreaded snow.

18lkernagh
Nov 15, 2012, 10:54 pm

Hi Valerie, stopping by to check out the new thread. Love your opening pic and great review of This Dark Endeavour .... That looks like a fun read! I love houses, castles, pretty much anything with secret rooms, hidden passageways and other mysteries. I will happily take that recommendation!

19brenzi
Nov 15, 2012, 10:57 pm

A lovely new thread Valerie. Every time I see your name I'm reminded that I will be reading Tigana next month, my first book of it's kind... fantasy? sci fi? I'm not sure what it is but I'm looking forward to it all because of you:)

20DeltaQueen50
Nov 15, 2012, 11:02 pm

That is a pretty picture that you opened your thread with, Valerie, and that's exactly the way I like to see snow - in a picture. I see you are reading Room, I'll be interested in your throughts on it as my brother just read it (he liked it) and is probably ready to pass it along to me when I next see him.

21LovingLit
Nov 15, 2012, 11:13 pm

Im keen to see what you think of Room too, I thought it very good, although not quite up to Booker standards (was it one that was longlisted?)

Happy new thread! I hope it brings in a few choice reads before the silly season commences.

22drachenbraut23
Nov 16, 2012, 2:51 am

Hi Valerie, congrats on your new thread. Love your opening picture it's just beautiful :)

I am also curious what you think about Room a book I very much enjoyed.

23PaulCranswick
Nov 16, 2012, 3:22 am

Valerie - A little late due to a busy day but signing in on your latest thread.

24calm
Nov 16, 2012, 5:34 am

Hi Valerie - just checking in to the new thread. Very organised:)

Hope you and the monkey have a great day.

25Carmenere
Modificato: Nov 16, 2012, 6:10 am

Oooooo, pretty picture! and happy new thread to you, Valerie.
I've wishlisted The Dark Endeavor. I've got Frankenstein inked in for next October. Do you think I sure read the classic first or the prequel?

Re: Will and Life of Pi. I only read the interesting animal portions to him, no violence. He was at the "I want to own a zoo stage" so I kept it enjoyable.

26vancouverdeb
Nov 16, 2012, 6:10 am

Stopping by to say hi! Congratulations on hitting 75 books! I'm still hoping to do that.....Pretty picture of the snow -but I know better! :) However, we have had a lot of rain. I suppose that is better, but not by much.

Enjoy Room. I enjoyed it but was not as taken with it as some. Room won some Canadian awards, if I am not mistaken? I'll be interested in your take.

27humouress
Nov 16, 2012, 6:15 am

Nice picture. That's the thing about snow; it may be cold, but it looks so pretty and peaceful (until people start walking all over it). And it's especially satisfying to look out at a pristine snow-scape from inside a nice, toasty-warm house. :)

28souloftherose
Nov 16, 2012, 6:44 am

Hi Valerie - happy new thread! I enjoyed your review of The Dark Endeavour. I really enjoyed it when I read it last year but haven't got round to the sequel for some reason. I'd also recommend the original Frankenstein although I think it's probably a little more slow moving than Oppel's take.

29scaifea
Nov 16, 2012, 7:21 am

Hi, Valerie!
Confession: I looked at the book cover before I looked at your typed-out title, and I thought it read, "The Dark Underwear"! Sigh.

30Morphidae
Nov 16, 2012, 7:41 am

I read Life of Pi so long ago I don't think I would be disappointed in the movie because I only remember in general what the book is about. Gotta love getting older. I used to be able remember entire plots just by looking at the cover of a book, now I can barely remember if I read it!

31humouress
Nov 16, 2012, 8:46 am

Amber! And Morphy (from the last thread)! What are the two of you thinking?

32Crazymamie
Nov 16, 2012, 9:05 am

Lovely new thread, Valerie! Love the thread topper!

33jolerie
Nov 16, 2012, 11:22 am

Big waves to Kathy, Jenny, Mark, Lori, Bonnie, Judy, Megan, Bianca, Paul, Calm, Lynda, Deb, Nina, Heather, Amber, Morphy, and Mamie!

I think in this case, Kathy, having some time in between reading the book and watching the movie might not be that bad of an idea. Either way, I'll definitely be coming to you and asking what you think of it!

Jenny, my struggle is the same as yours in how they would handle the ending, but based on just the trailer alone, it looks like the movie is really beautiful, cinematically speaking. Given that, I will eventually want to watch it, but just not so rushed to watch it in the theatres. :)

Thanks Mark! The cheeriness may be in large fact due to the special drinks I give to all you wonderful people as you visit the thread. Most people don't even notice the snow that way. ;)

Hi Lori! It was an entertaining read and hope you enjoy uncovering the secrets of Chateau Frankenstein as much as I did. :)

Bonnie, I would call it historical fantasy. Nothing close to sci-fi and boy oh boy am I hoping and hoping that you will like it. Well, I guess as long as you don't hate it, I'll count that as a success!

Judy, I only have less than a quarter of the book left. It went by really fast and if anything else I was utterly engaged.

34jolerie
Nov 16, 2012, 11:34 am

Megan, I have no idea what standards the Booker has when it comes to awarding their prize. I wonder if Room was nominated not so much for quality of writing as much as the ingenuity of having the perspective come from a five year old boy. As much as I've seen people talk about how hard or distracting it was to read a book with a five year old narrator, I can't imagine it would have been any easier to write in that voice either.
I looked it up and it did make the shortlist for the prize in 2010 and it won a whole bunch of other Canadian awards as well.

Hi Bianca! Enjoying seems like such an odd word to use for books like Room. It definitely is disturbing, but not nearly as much as I thought I would have been before reading the book. I should be wrapping it up sometime today. :)

Paul, it is never too late and it is never too early. ;)

Thanks Calm! Thanks for dropping by. I hope you are having a lovely day as well!

Lynda, I haven't read the classic by Shelley either, but I think it's pretty safe to say that it matters not which way you choose to read the books. They are both so different. TDE is geared towards a YA audience so I'm guessing the tone and style is completely different.
Ahh I see what you did with Will. I kept imagining you sitting there and reading the entire book to him and was amazed that he could sit for such a long book! I was looking for tips on how to keep a little boy sitting for any length of time. :)

Deb, it is so great to see you, my friend! Hoping things are getting better for you! Don't worry about that silly number. I think especially with this group, it is just a reason for us to band together, but not nearly as important to reach it. As long as we are reading good books, who cares what the final number is. :)
Rain in Vancouver??? Why am I not surprised..haha!

35jolerie
Nov 16, 2012, 11:42 am

Yes, you are absolutely right Nina! I think my attitude toward snow would be vastly different if I had to commute in it daily or work in it. Most of the time I just get to watch it from the comforts of my warm and toasty kitchen. The slushy, messy, and dirty part of the melting and the back breaking work of shovelling is another strike against the season. :)

Heather, my interest has definitely been perked in regards to Shelly's Frankenstein, although like you said, I'm well aware that the books are probably not similar. It will be interesting to compare the two together so I'm going to try to read the classic sooner rather than later so the stories are fresh in my head.

LOL. Oh Amber! That is going to be my laugh for the day. There is a love triangle in the book, but definitely no Fifty Shades, if you know what I mean. ;)

Morphy, I don't know if it's so much an age thing than a brain thing. I'm sure there are whole books that I don't remember reading at all! I've found that being on LT and writing reviews, no matter how brief or short, has been extremely helpful in retaining my memories of the books. It was beginning to be embarrassing when people would ask for book recommendations and I can never remember a reason why I did or didn't like a book....
Back to the previous thread, if one was on a nude beach, then it wouldn't be so illegal. ;)

Hi Mamie! Always so great to see around, spreading your usual cheery, bright self! :)

36EBT1002
Nov 16, 2012, 12:50 pm

I'm glad you liked The Bean Trees.

37jolerie
Modificato: Nov 17, 2012, 1:55 am

Hi Ellen! It definitely was an enjoyable read. Makes me kind of itchy to re-read The Poisonwood Bible since I don't remember much detail from that one, but so many unread books just sitting on the shelves would induce way too much guilt at this point!

38MickyFine
Nov 17, 2012, 5:41 pm

Having loved Frankenstein so much when I read it in university, I don't think I can handle Oppel's novel. I've heard some not so great reviews from people who are familiar with the original. But I insist you must read Shelley's novel ASAP. It's just brilliant.

39Smiler69
Nov 17, 2012, 5:46 pm

Hi Valerie, sorry if it had been a while since I'd visited you, but here I am now to wish you a happy new thread! I'll have to go catch up with a few of your recent reviews, though I jumped on the one you wrote about The Bean Trees (congrats on the Hot Review!) as it's been on this year's agenda as a book picked for me and I do mean to get to it before the year is out. I found your review made me want to pick it up very soon, and thumbed it while I was there.

Hope you're having a brilliant weekend!

40DorsVenabili
Nov 17, 2012, 6:22 pm

Hi Valerie! Nice review of The Bean Trees from the previous thread. I do love the Kingsolver that I've read so far (The Poisonwood Bible and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle) and have a few more waiting on the shelves that I hope to get to some day.

41vancouverdeb
Nov 18, 2012, 4:10 am

Stopping by to say hi! I too really loved The Bean Trees and also very much The Poisonwood Bible. I'll admit that some of her books were too intimidating for me - like The Lacuna.

42PersephonesLibrary
Nov 18, 2012, 3:44 pm

Hello Valerie! I heard of Kingsolver only in September and I am really looking forward to The Poisonwood Bible which is already waiting for me on my shelves. Your review of The Bean Trees made me even more curious! And Life of Pi - I hope that I will have time to read it soon.

43Donna828
Nov 18, 2012, 8:33 pm

What a crisp, clean thread you have, Valerie. That pristine snow picture almost makes me look forward to some of the white stuff!

I just sent my illustrated copy of Life of Pi home with my daughter-in-law as she wants to read the book before she sees the movie. I hope my husband isn't too tired after his China trip to see it either on Thanksgiving Day or this coming week end.

44jolerie
Modificato: Nov 18, 2012, 10:54 pm

Micky, I guess it was a good idea that I didn't read the original classic yet! I'm sure they are as different as night and day and not remotely comparably and I think I'll be okay with that. Oppel's take was entertaining and enjoyable on its own as well. I will definitely try to fit in Frankenstein at some point soon so I can see the difference.
Guess which bookstore I hit up while away on my weekend in Canmore?? ;)

Ilana, apologies are never needed on my thread. I'm just happy to have you drop by when you get the chance since I know how crazy RL can be and that's on top of trying to keep on top of everyone else's thread. :)
I hope you do have a chance to read The Bean Tree soon since and enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks for the thumb. It means a lot coming from you since I know you much thought and care you put into your own reviews!

Hi Kerri! I've read The Poisonwood Bible as well and enjoyed it so I will be keeping my eyes out for her other books. I will have to look up Animal, Vegetable, Miracle since I have no idea what that book would be about, although the title is definitely intriguing.

Deb, I've seen mixed reviews and reactions to The Lacuna, but since I've liked the two books that I've from of hers so I may just keep my eyes open for a discount or used copy of the book just to see what is causing the difference of opinions.

Hi Kathy! Thanks for visiting my thread! I will have to check out your thread soon to see what books you have been reading. :)
You are in for a treat with both of those books, Life of Pi and The Bean Trees.

Thanks, Donna! I try my best to keep things neat and tidy...haha! I will definitely be checking back on your thread to see what you thought of the movie version.

45jolerie
Modificato: Nov 18, 2012, 11:06 pm

So the weekend was spent out of town and in the mountains for my husband's company Christmas party. The entire weekend, accomodations, food, as well as a kid's party for the little one was fully covered by the company. Since we were so close to Canmore, we and by we, I do mean just me, were excited to hit up the used bookstore in town. Obviously you can't walk into a bookstore and come back empty handed. The book gods would smite you for that slight. So, I happily obliged.

Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear
Ink and Steel by Elizabeth Bear (Thanks to Roni for bringing this series to my attention)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Tess of D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy (Thanks Ilana for your great review on this one!)
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard (this was the movie with Michelle Pfeiffer)

And a bookstore sale was also my undoing as more books called my name... These were all either Man Booker winners or on the Long/Shortlist.
On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry
Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

46katiekrug
Nov 18, 2012, 10:19 pm

Nice haul, Valerie! Interesting variety - the only ones I've read are Year of Wonders (loved it), Jamrach's Menagerie (really liked it), and Midnight's Children (liked it but read it for a political science class on nationalism rather than as literature :) ). You are filling in those empty spots on the new bookshelves nicely!

47ronincats
Nov 18, 2012, 10:28 pm

Hope you enjoy the two Elizabeth Bear books, Valerie, as I sure did.

48jolerie
Nov 18, 2012, 11:36 pm

Hi Katie! I love having a range of books on my TBR stack since you never know what kind of mood you will be in. :) Judy (Deltaqueen) made a tentative bet that my empty shelves won't last till next summer and at this rate, she is probably right. I'll be lucky if I make it till next summer....

Roni, they were a great deal at the used bookstore and in new like condition. No creases or anything! Too bad they didn't have the other 2 books in the series and now I have the first and third one, which is odd, but I'll gladly deal with the "hole" on the shelves if I get a good price for the books!

49lkernagh
Nov 18, 2012, 11:37 pm

Nice book haul Valerie. Looks like you had a good weekend out of town!

50LovingLit
Nov 19, 2012, 12:05 am

>45 jolerie: good haul, and great company for shouting a whole weekend away!

51jolerie
Modificato: Nov 19, 2012, 12:47 pm



#94 Room by Emma Donoghue
Source: OTS
Genre: Fiction
Format: TPB
Published: 2010
Setting: ?
Pages: 321
Rating: ★★★★¼

Notes: abduction, prisoner, rape, Joseph Fritzl, motherhood
Books noted: My Big Book of Nursery Rhymes (Peter Stevenson), The Runaway Bunny (Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd), The Shack (William P. Young), Twilight (Stephanie Meyer), The Guardian (Nicholas Sparks), The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown), Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll), The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas), Hansel and Gretel (Brothers Grimm), The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle), The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein), The Lorax (Dr. Seuss), Go Dog Go (Philip D. Eastman), The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter), The Pied Piper (Robert Browning)

Yeah, but not just--I mean, of course when I woke up in that shed, I thought nobody'd ever had it as bad as me. But the thing is, slavery's not a new invention.
Page 235

The world that Jack calls home is not very large, but it belongs to him and Ma. Old Nick sometimes comes at night with a beep beep, but Jack stays very quiet and still in the wardrobe so he never sees him. Everyday is a slightly different from the day before and because it is all he has ever known, he is comforted and content, except sometimes, he does get a little bored. The outside is not real until one day his mom asked him to play a pretend game of be dead in Rug and then once outside, his goal is to find help so he can free his Ma. The world beyond his Room is larger than he could ever have dreamed and above all, more scary than he imagined possible, but he is now five and that means he is a big boy and big boys pretend to brave, even when they are scared.

Told from the perspective of five year old Jack, the book was disturbing on so many levels. Scary, because sometimes I couldn't tell if I was reading a story straight from the news, or reading a fictional book. Scary because it comes too close to mirroring the realities of our world. Scary because I am a mom. If this book was only about the horrific evils that exist in our society, I know I would have been left with nothing but a sick and queasy lump in my stomach. Surprisingly, what I walk away with is not a hyper need to bar my windows or barricade my doors from the dangers lurking beyond my doorsteps, but rather an appreciation for the love and lengths a mother will go to protect the only thing she deems precious enough to live each agonizing day for. Room was not an easy book to read, but it was a story of devotion and survival worth telling.

52brenzi
Nov 19, 2012, 1:05 am

For whatever reason, I still have not read Room although your review and the 4.25 stars make it very tempting Valerie. Thumb!

53SandDune
Nov 19, 2012, 2:34 am

Great review of Room. I love your 'books noted' feature.

54msf59
Nov 19, 2012, 7:05 am

Hi Valerie- Good review of Room. I was a fan too. She has a story collection that just came out, that looks good too.
Nice book haul! Yah!

55Morphidae
Nov 19, 2012, 7:11 am

I also really liked Year of Wonders. I've read all but one nonfiction book of Geraldine Brooks and the only one I didn't care for was Caleb's Crossing.

56katiekrug
Nov 19, 2012, 12:37 pm

Excellent review of Room, Valerie. I totally agree.

"{W}hat I walk away with is not a hyper need to bar my windows or barricade my doors from the dangers lurking beyond my doorsteps, but rather an appreciation for the love and lengths a mother will go to protect the only thing she deems precious enough to live each agonizing day for.

That's exactly what I got from the book, too, though you articulated it much better than I could. I think some people didn't like the book because they couldn't move past the disturbing parts (which is understandable as there are some awful things going on) and see that it wasn't an exploitative "shocker" kind of book but a thoughtful portrait of maternal love.

57drachenbraut23
Nov 19, 2012, 12:41 pm

Hi Valerie, totally agree with everyone else, wonderful review of Room. Your review echo's very much how I felt about the book. *smile*

58jnwelch
Nov 19, 2012, 1:11 pm

Another thumb for your review of Room, Valerie. Not my cuppa, but my wife thought it was excellent, too.

I'm another fan of Year of Wonders. Terrific book.

59jolerie
Nov 19, 2012, 1:30 pm

Lori, it was definitely nice to get away for the weekend, although it felt like it went by way too fast and lookie here, it is Monday again. :)

Megan, there are no two people I'd rather spend my time with than the two favourite men in my life. ;)

Hi Bonnie! As I've quickly come to realize, there are 2 camps when it comes to Room. Those who love it and those who hate it. I'd be curious to see which side you choose if you ever decide to read the book.

Thanks Rhian! I am always amazed and surprised at how many references to books there are in the books we read. My books are now filled with post-it notes and it's a lot of fun. It would be interesting to make a list of the most common books noted at the end of the year. Oh fun, more stats!

Mark, I still have Slammerkin as well as The Sealed Letter on my TBR mountain so I should probably get to those before I decide to buy any more of her books.

Morphy, I have Caleb's Crossing on my TBR stack as well so I'll be curious to see if I have a different reaction from it than you.

Katie, I am actually so relieved that the book was so much more than the "bad stuff". It made the book that much more meaningful instead of just a really bad story on the evening news. I think it also helped that I totally wasn't expecting that aspect of the book when I first started reading it as well.

Thanks, Bianca! I am so very glad we agreed. :D

Joe, thanks for the thumb even though it wasn't a book you enjoyed! Now I'm doubly glad that I snagged that used copy of Year of Wonders as it looks like the common consensus is that it's a gooder. :)

60MickyFine
Nov 19, 2012, 2:52 pm

>44 jolerie:/45 Yay for Second Story. *daydreams of all the bookish delights*

61UnrulySun
Nov 19, 2012, 6:53 pm

I only sort of liked Room. It was a naughty pleasure to read, like rubbernecking at an accident... but it wasn't particularly well-written and the last quarter of the book was superfluous. Still, I'm glad I read it so I can chat about it. It seems like one of those that "everyone" has read. :)

62jolerie
Nov 19, 2012, 11:48 pm

Micky, I did find it rather ironic that it's called Second Story, but it's actually in the basement part of the complex. :)

Kathy, I did feel that a bit at the beginning. Like stopping to watch an accident even though you know you should really just move along. For me the fact that it is supposed to be in the voice of a five year old boy, it would be hard to make it "well" written, but to be consistent in that voice for the entire length of the book, was for me, a commendable feat. I know some people had some issue with the writing and I did find it a bit distracting in the beginning as well, but pretty quickly I just took it for what it was and it didn't bother me much afterwards. :)

63humouress
Modificato: Nov 20, 2012, 4:10 am

Hi, Valerie. Delurking to say that your review of Room is good enough to almost tempt me to have a look at it; but I know that I'm one of those who wouldn't be able to get past the subject matter.

(ETA clarity)

64Morphidae
Nov 20, 2012, 7:42 am

Oh, don't get me wrong. Caleb's Crossing wasn't a bad book. I gave it 7 out of 10 stars, but I usually give Brooks' books 8 or 9 stars. It's all a matter of degree.

65EBT1002
Nov 20, 2012, 10:22 am

Excellent review of Room, Valerie. And you are in for a treat with Year of Wonders. I read it several years ago (definitely pre-LT) and I still have some very vivid mental images of scenes and characters.

66Carmenere
Nov 20, 2012, 10:27 am

Hurrah for your nice weekend in the mtns. and the conveniently placed bookstore.
Hope your having a great day.

67MickyFine
Nov 20, 2012, 2:47 pm

>62 jolerie: One of my favourite things about that shop. :) Are you guys getting the cold snap we're having up here? It suddenly dropped into the negative teens with windchills in the negative twenties. Brrr. Time for another cuppa.

68jolerie
Nov 20, 2012, 3:41 pm

Nina, we all have our thresh hold of what we can handle and what we can't and there is nothing wrong with that! I know I can't handle horror very well so I typically steer clear away from that. As for Room, all the disturbing situations I found were more insinuated rather than explicit which I appreciated.

Oh good, Morphy. I look forward to reading both books at some point since I haven't tried her books before.

Ellen, all these high praises for Year of Wonders definitely makes me want to make it a priority read for next year!

Thanks, Lynda. The weekend is now come and gone and we are back to the good old grind of a regular week. I hope you are having a fantastic day as well!

Micky, I was surprised at how cold it was today when I went out with the monkey for some errands. And, of course, I saw those pesky white things floating around every so often as well. I didn't check the forecast, but I'm thinking we may be expecting a bit more snow this week....

***********************************************************
So last night I finally started Cloud Atlas and I don't know if Mitchell is just taking his time to build the story, but as of right now, I'm a bit underwhelmed with everything. I'm hoping it picks up soon! Did anyone else feel the same or is it all in my head??

69scaifea
Nov 21, 2012, 7:29 am

Now that I'm convalescing, I'm trying to catch up on threads, so I'm a bit behind the times with this, but...
WOW! What a book haul! Excellent finds. And the whole weekend sounds lovely!

70jolerie
Nov 21, 2012, 1:33 pm

Hi Amber! Glad to have you visiting. Hope you and the boys are feeling better today! It was a great haul and now it will probably just sit on the shelves for a couple of years...

71DeltaQueen50
Nov 21, 2012, 2:00 pm

Wow, Valerie, I loved your review of Room, now I am really looking forward to getting it from my brother.

Congrats on filling up those shelves a little more! I will add my voice to all the others who are praising The Year of Wonders, and I have also read The Deep End of the Ocean, which is very good, but as a mother, may be another difficult read.

Canmore is often a travel destination for us as well, and now that I know of a good second-hand bookstore there, all the more reason to visit.

72jolerie
Nov 21, 2012, 2:12 pm



#95 Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA/?
Format: TPB
Published: 2011
Setting: A mysterious island in the middle of nowhere
Pages: 390
Rating: ★★★½

Notes: beauty pageants, feminism, competition, conspiracy
Books noted: Orlando (Virginia Woolf), Lord of the Flies (William Golding), Gray's Anatomy (Henry Gray), Walden (Henry David Thoreau), The Mystery of Edwin Drood, David Copperfield, A Tales of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

Remember: We are Miss Teen Dreamers. We are not victims We are not cowards. We are bright shining stars, beacons of hope to all who arrive on the shores of our beauty.
Page 94

Fifty contestants of the Miss Teen Dreamers Pageant crash land on a deserted island and find that amidst the busyness of surviving they must also be diligent in practicing their dance routines and maintaining the beauty standards. The Corporation should be coming to save them any minute now and a Miss Teen Dreamer is everything but unprepared for life's unexpected surprises. While building fashionable huts, constructing a desalination tank out of sequinned evening gowns, and weaving jewelled SOS banners, these pageant queens also uncover a conspiracy on the island that threatens to jeopardize their rescue mission and undermines everything sparkly that gives their life meaning.

Beauty Queens is first and foremost a satirical look at the crazy world of perfection that women live in, breathe in, play in and ultimately compete in. The notions of female beauty, the boundaries of feminism are all dealt with in an irreverent and mocking manner. There were some smirkable and other times just flat out funny moments. A social commentary on our constant need to perpetuate the rat race that is consumerism, Libba Bray walks a fine line of sending a serious message masquerading in a ludicrous story filled with even more ridiculous characters, bodacious pirates included. The story revolves around each of the girl's perspective with their individual profiles and the intermittent commercial advertisement, as if you were watching a TV reality show, only in text form. In the spirit and heart of a true Miss Team Dream, perhaps the only way to find oneself is to get lost in a deserted island, but remember to always remember your sparkle. A silly story that I couldn't really take seriously and perhaps that was the intention, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

73MickyFine
Nov 21, 2012, 5:24 pm

Glad you liked Beauty Queens, Valerie. I've heard great things about it and I do mean to tackle it eventually.

74msf59
Nov 21, 2012, 7:16 pm

Valerie- You might have to give Cloud Atlas some time. Once it really starts to unfold, it will really grab you, (I hope!). We had a group read of it and it was a perfect forum.
I also have The Year of Wonders, to get to, plus her latest. I love Brooks.

75ronincats
Nov 21, 2012, 7:21 pm

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Valerie. Yes, I know Canada already had its Thanksgiving, but here's a USA Thanksgiving wish.

76katiekrug
Nov 21, 2012, 9:57 pm

I have Beauty Queens on my audio wishlist at the library. I'm thinking it will be fun in that format.

77LovingLit
Nov 21, 2012, 10:08 pm

>51 jolerie: love the Room review, and that you loved it too. Great reviewing skills Valerie!

78avatiakh
Nov 21, 2012, 10:42 pm

I tried to read Beauty Queens but wasn't in the right mindset at the time I picked it up and it just felt silly, so I gave up after about 10 pages, the audio might work for me as well.
I'm also on the 'haven't wanted to read Room yet' team, though I might just pick it up one day soon to find out if I'm in the love it or hate it group.
Great book haul and I'll plug Year of Wonders as well, I've read three plague books, and enjoyed all of them, though don't think i could handle anymore.
Like Mark says, I think you have to push through the first bit of Cloud Atlas, I can only remember not being able to put the book down.

79Crazymamie
Nov 21, 2012, 10:47 pm

Nice review of Beauty Queens! That sounds like a book that my daughter would love - might have to get it and put it back for Christmas for her.

80lkernagh
Nov 21, 2012, 11:25 pm

Hi Valerie, I saw on Micky's thread that snow is in the forecast yet again for your area..... the white stuff sure is pretty, but it sounds like you guys have enough and don't need more coming down. Beauty Queens keeps cropping up... I may need to flip through it and see if it is something that would appeal to me. Good review!

81Carmenere
Nov 22, 2012, 8:44 am

Hi Valerie, I'm thankful that you came back to the 75er's after your little break, have a great day on this southern Thanksgiving Day.

82mckait
Nov 22, 2012, 11:24 am

I confess to being very very behind. Sorry... That is a gorgeous photo up top... really beautiful! Hope all is well at your house.. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

83jolerie
Modificato: Nov 28, 2012, 1:19 am

Micky, I know you would appreciate the use of footnotes in this one. ;)

Thanks for the encouragement, Mark. I'm about 1/4 through the book now and it is starting to pick up a bit, but I keep thinking that it better have an out of this world, kick butt, ending for me to give this one a higher rating because of the rather slow start. Maybe it's all the references that I'm not getting as well too, so yes, a GR of this one would have been helpful! I'll check to see if I can find the old GR thread after I finish the book.

Thanks Roni! I just wish we also had the day off to enjoy like you guys. :)

Katie, I think the audio version of it would be enjoyable. I would be interested in hearing all the funny teeny bopper phrases would be and how the character voices would be interpreted, especially a big group of high maintenance, beauty queens. :)

Thanks Megan!

Kerry, Beauty Queens is a rather silly book so I think you do have to be in the right mindset to get into this one. I've read reviews about how outlandish it was so I went into it fully prepared and quite enjoyed it, as long as I didn't have to take anything seriously.

Mamie, I would be totally curious to see how a teenager would react to Bray's portrayal of a typical teenager's mindset, reaction, and perspective of the world. Well maybe not quite a typical teenager....haha!

Lori, it's all part of the complete package of living in Calgary. We seem to be getting above average snowfall so early in the season, but I don't mind it so much since it isn't like I have a daily commute to have to drudge through everyday.

Thanks Lynda! You are too sweet! I am so thankful to be back amongst great people and great books! :)

Lovely to see you Kath, especially since I know just how busy you've been recently! Have a great Thanksgiving. Hopefully you have some time to just relax and not stress about anything.

84drachenbraut23
Nov 22, 2012, 2:26 pm

Hi Valerie, just to let you know that thanks to your lovely review on The Giver some time ago, I finally read the book and it was stunning. I got so hooked that I got the whole quartet for my kindle and just sucked them up in 2 days *grin*.

Wish you and your family a lovely weekend *wave*

85jolerie
Nov 22, 2012, 6:22 pm

Bianca, nothing makes me happier or gives me a bigger smile then to know that someone else loves a book that I enjoyed! You are fast! I still have to read the other 3 books in the quartet, but yes, The Giver was such a gem. I am only sad by the fact that it sat on my shelf unread for years. Makes me wonder how many other gems are lurking on my shelves just waiting for me to discover! :)

86The_Hibernator
Nov 22, 2012, 7:47 pm

Nice review of Room. I've been wanting to read it. :)

I know I've probably said this already, but I'll take another moment to say how much I loved The Giver. I liked the second and third books, and am eager to read the fourth.

Happy Thanksgiving!

87mckait
Nov 23, 2012, 2:04 pm

Well now that this morning is over, less stress. WE ( finally ) made a will today. Time flies you know...
anyway, that is done, advance directive and POA so.. we are all sorted. Aside from a lingering feeling of imminent death... no stress.. lol

88EBT1002
Nov 23, 2012, 5:44 pm

Good for me to be reading the encouragement you are getting for Cloud Atlas. It's one of those that I have sitting on my shelf and have just felt a bit intimidated by it.

89calm
Nov 24, 2012, 10:23 am

Hi Valerie - Cloud Atlas is good - unusual but I thought it was worth persevering with:)

Some good reviews up there and I'm even thinking of reading Room now:)

90AMQS
Nov 24, 2012, 3:47 pm

Hello Valerie, I am just passing through and wishing you a happy weekend!

91tymfos
Nov 27, 2012, 5:01 pm

Hi, Valerie! I'm just getting to your latest lovely thread. (So far behind on LT!) Loved your review of Room. Still struggling with whether I will read it or not, but your review fell into the "maybe I will" column.

92mckait
Nov 27, 2012, 9:24 pm

Checking in... miss your smiling test :)

93brenzi
Nov 27, 2012, 10:16 pm

Hi Valerie, lovely review of Room. I have still not gotten around to that one yet.

94drachenbraut23
Nov 28, 2012, 3:16 am

Hi Valerie, just checking to see how you are. Very quiet here without you :(

95Carmenere
Nov 28, 2012, 6:40 am

Hello Valerie! Still snowing by you? Does Caleb enjoy playing in it?

96scaifea
Nov 28, 2012, 7:21 am

Morning, Valerie! Just checking in...

97jolerie
Modificato: Nov 28, 2012, 12:08 pm

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been incommunicado. We were out of town this weekend and of course we came home with the little guy coming down with a bad case of diarrhea so the start of this week has been spent changing a lot of diapers... Hopefully he is on the mend now and I'll have to the time to catch up with all your threads at some point. :)

Rachel, The Giver was probably one of my favourite surprises for this year. I can't believe it was sitting on my shelves for so many years just patiently waiting for me to discover it!

Thanks for dropping by and checking on me, Kath! I'm tired, but still smiling of course. :)

Ellen, I finished Cloud Atlas earlier this week, but I don't think my review will be encouraging anyone to be reading it anytime soon... It's another one of those cases where my opinion will probably be one of the minority in the LT world.

Hi Calm! I'd be curious to see what you think of Room.

Thanks Anne! We did have a lovely weekend visiting with friends, so for that I'm thankful. Now it's back to the regular weekly grind and dealing with the sick toddler on top of all that good fun. :)

Terri, it's always great to have you swing by when you get a chance. :)
I understand your struggle and hesitation with Room. I resisted for the longest time because of the subject matter but eventually wanted to see for myself. It turns out that the stuff that I was "scared" of wasn't the focal point of the book and truthfully I've read books that have been much more graphic in content. Room was nothing like that. The point was made, but it was never shoved in your face.

98jolerie
Nov 28, 2012, 12:07 pm

Thanks Bonnie!

Hi Bianca! It's always nice to be away from LT a couple of days and come back to catch up with good friends. :)

Lynda, it has stopped snowing, but there is still lots of it lingering on the ground since it's been rather cold the last little bit. I expect we should see a good number of significant snowfalls before winter is done for the year! Caleb, surprise surprise, is not a huge fan of the snow. He is hesitant to walk in it so naturally, playing in it isn't on the top of his list. Maybe next year! :)

Thanks for checking up Amber!

99jolerie
Modificato: Nov 28, 2012, 12:12 pm


3rd day of the runs...my little guy is not a happy camper..... :(

100luvamystery65
Nov 28, 2012, 2:01 pm

So sorry your little guy is not well. He is still so handsome and adorable. Hang in there both of you. :)

The Giver is on my TBR pile since your review. I picked up a copy for fifty cents at the Friends of the Library book sale. Maybe I'll read it this weekend. I'll let you know. (I think I had it on my list for 2013 but I may bump it.)

101MickyFine
Modificato: Nov 29, 2012, 2:49 pm

Sorry to hear the monkey is not feeling well. Hope he gets better soon, for both your sakes. :)

102lkernagh
Nov 28, 2012, 5:33 pm

Checking in Valerie. Sorry to hear your little guy has not been feeling well. Here is hoping he is on the mend.

103mckait
Nov 28, 2012, 5:41 pm

Ah, there he is.. little cutie :) hope he feels beter soon...

The Giver is on my shelves, too.. waiting...

104jnwelch
Nov 28, 2012, 6:02 pm

Oh my goodness, poor little guy. That sad look makes you want to do something to make him feel a little better, doesn't it?

105Crazymamie
Nov 28, 2012, 6:12 pm

Poor little Monkey! Sending healing thoughts and mojo - hope he feels better soon, Valerie.

106msf59
Nov 28, 2012, 8:06 pm

Valerie- I love the little monkey photo, despite his discomfort. I hope he is on the mend. Actually, I make that face when I don't see you posting. I'm smiling now.

107AMQS
Nov 28, 2012, 10:50 pm

What a darling little monkey! Hope he feels better soon.

108vancouverdeb
Modificato: Nov 29, 2012, 4:35 am

Oh sorry that the Monkey is not feeling well! I hope he is on the mend! I'm glad you enjoyed Room - and nice book haul!! :) I just read a juvenile / YA book about the Inuit people calledFatty Legs: A True Story . The illustrations and story were really wonderful! If they have it at your library, I recommend it!

109scaifea
Nov 29, 2012, 7:35 am

Oh no - your Monkey and mine, both! Charlie's had a mild case for the past 3 days, but finally last night he had a normal, well, you know. The good news was that he managed to make it to the toilet nearly every time, so the potty training is working, even in dire straits! I certainly hope your Monkey is feeling better today; does he like bananas? That's what Charlie's doctor suggested for him, in lieu of any sort of medicine...

I'm practically giddy with all the talk around here lately about The Giver, which I've recently finished, too. It isn't often that I read something that proves to be popular (for some reason, my reads are usually not the ones that are super popular on LT)!

110DeltaQueen50
Nov 29, 2012, 1:35 pm

Valerie, your little guy's picture is so expressive, he definitely looks unhappy. I hope he is feeling better today as I suspect when he isn't feeling well, Mommy is wearing a pretty unhappy expression as well.

111jolerie
Nov 30, 2012, 2:44 am

Thanks for the well wishes, Roberta. I think we are finally out of the woods and just in time before we head out of town again for the weekend!
50 cents for The Giver is an absolute steal! I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and please come back and let me know what you think of it! :)

Thanks Micky. Even as a sick monkey, he is still such an easy toddler to care for relatively speaking so I am not one to complain. I know I've got it good!

Hi Lori! He is definitely feeling better and back to his good old regular self. Thank goodness it didn't last too long. :)

Kath, don't make the same mistake I did and leave that great little book sitting on your shelf for too long!

Joe, that is probably the hardest part about the little ones getting sick. His favourite thing to drink in the world is milk, but the last couple of days we have been avoiding dairy in his diet to see if it helps with his situation and every time he looks up at me with those eyes and asks for milk, my heart just dies a little bit. Thank goodness we were finally able to give it to him today and nothing gives me more joy than to see his face light up with a gigantic smile! :)

Thanks, Mamie! I'm sure your mojo did just the trick as my little guy was as good as new today and hopefully it stays that way!

112jolerie
Nov 30, 2012, 2:52 am

Awww, Mark, you sure know how to make a girl feel special!

Thanks, Anne! All the well wishes and wonderful energy from the fine folks of LT did wonders for me and gave me just that extra boost to get through the day. :)

Thanks for the recommendation, Deb! I'll have to check that out and see if my library has a copy. I'll have to swing by your thread to see what great readings you've been doing lately.

Amber, I totally know what you mean. I almost did a dance of joy today when he finally had a "regular" you know what. ;) Who know bowel movements could be such a source of relief and cheer! Banana and apple sauce was definitely a staple in our house the last couple of days. We avoided all fibrous foods and dairy as much as possible and now 4 days later, I think we are finally back at 100%!
I'm glad you enjoyed The Giver. Just goes to show you that a lone ranger will once in awhile join the pack, given the right book at the right time. ;)

Judy, it brings a smile to my face to hear you say that since for the first 6 months of his life, he barely cracked a facial expression. He was my stone-faced monkey. While every other baby would smile and laugh when tickled and such, my guy just stared and stared and stared.... Now, of course, he is Mr. facial expression and I never know what to expect anymore, but it sure brings a lot of joy to my day! :)

113PaulCranswick
Nov 30, 2012, 4:23 am

Valerie - I hope Caleb is feeling much better and that he doesn't need to hide behind the cuddly toy too much longer!

114humouress
Nov 30, 2012, 4:37 am

>99 jolerie:: Oh, poor baby!

My little ones pretty much lived on milk till they were about 2, so having to remove it from their diet at that age pretty much meant removing their diet. We switched to things like soy, rice or almond milk for the duration. Not quite the same thing, but it got us by in a pinch. We had long life cartons or powdered soy milk on standby (yes, it happened more than once).

115scaifea
Nov 30, 2012, 7:32 am

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that he's feeling better - yay!!
I completely understand the heartbreak of telling them No when they ask for milk - we went through that when Charlie had a cold, and that was hard since, up until a few months ago, he had only ever had milk and water!

116jolerie
Nov 30, 2012, 12:39 pm

Thanks Paul! The little guy seems completely back to normal and I am one relieved mom. :)

Nina, I thought about giving him an alternative as well, but he's so in love with his milk that he rejects anything that tastes like, it but isn't quite like it. Thankfully he did take some juice diluted by water so for 2 days he just had that. I just have to accept the fact that my little guy is one milk drinking machine!

I'm glad you understand Amber! I was telling my husband that this the first real time where I had to say NO to something that he really liked for his own good and it was HARD. I know it's good practice for later years when I have to say no for his benefit even when he doesn't understand....sigh.

117jolerie
Modificato: Nov 30, 2012, 3:53 pm



#96 Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Source: OTS
Genre: Fiction
Format: TPB
Published: 2004
Setting: Multiple locations and times
Pages: 509
Rating: ★★★

Notes: humanity, multiple lives, souls, choices
Books noted: The Island of Doctor Moreau (H. G. Wells), The Jungle Book (Rudyard Kipling), Moby Dick (Herman Melville), A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Ken Kesey), The Republic (Plato), The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edward Gibbons), Epic of Gilgamesh, The Drowned and the Saved (Primo Levi), All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque), One Thousand and One Nights

A half-read book is a half-finished love affair.
Page 64

I don't even know where to begin to describe what Cloud Atlas is about. The scope and depth of Mitchell's Booker Prize Shortlist work is mind boggling as we follow the multiple lives and story lines of people who live as an example to the rest of us of just how connected we may all be despite being strangers to one another. Jumping from genre to genre, writing style to style, time to time, Mitchell's ambition must be commended but somewhere in all the grandeur and greatness, I got a bit lost. I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. The flipping between separate stories was a bit too jarring for me and I found it took more time that I cared for to get into a new story with new characters and new worlds. By the time the story comes full circle to complete one narrative, I've already forgotten what had previously happened and when that occurs, for me, it becomes an issue of connecting with any of the characters so in the end none were able to stick in my head long enough for any lasting meaning or attachment. Too many references were beyond my scope of understanding and that ultimately became an obstacle and hinderance to my enjoyment of this otherwise amazing piece of literature.

118jolerie
Nov 30, 2012, 1:27 pm



#97 The Inferior by Peadar O Guilin
Source: Public Library
Genre: YA
Format: TPB
Published: 2007
Setting: Unknown world
Pages: 438
Rating: ★★★¾

Notes: science fiction, cannibalism, societies, survival, first in series
Books noted: None

And they said: "Father, it would hurt less if you would eat us: you dressed us in this miserable flesh, take it off."
Dante Alighierie, Inferno Canto xxxiii, 60

In a brutal world of eat, or be eaten, Stopmouth is considered to be one of the outcast and weakest link. If it weren't for the protection of his family, he would have been volunteered as a sacrifice to serve the greater needs of the tribe. One moment of betrayal by his brother, one strange woman falling from the skies, changes the destiny of his life and ultimately the fate of his tribe. Now the delicate balance that forms the structure of his world between man and beasts is forever changed and suddenly everything he has known has become one big question mark.

For a YA read, I was surprised at the violence and grimness that makes up the world of The Inferior. Death is such a common occurrence that it is just accepted as a part of daily living. Be prepared for some graphic content, but also some fascinating exploration of the psychology behind being part of a society that is built upon Darwin's Theory of survival of the fittest. There is a constant alluding of the fact that there is more than meets the eye and a bigger mystery surrounding this bleak world, but nothing is fully answered since this is only the first book in a trilogy. I am definitely hooked and intrigued enough to want to find the answers to the questions posed in the first book of the series.

119LovingLit
Nov 30, 2012, 2:33 pm

Cloud Atlas was a straaaaange piece of fiction wasn't it!!? I happened to love the crazy ride it took me on, but the rest of my book club hated it :)

120The_Hibernator
Nov 30, 2012, 3:40 pm

I'm really curious about Cloud Atlas myself...it's good to see your opinion. :)

121EBT1002
Nov 30, 2012, 5:10 pm

I'm glad your boy is feeling better.
Re: Cloud Atlas Jumping from genre to genre?? Oh lordy, I'll need to be in a good space to tackle that one. I've known that, I think (which is why it's sitting on my shelf still), but I will get to it one of these days.

122scaifea
Nov 30, 2012, 6:31 pm

>116 jolerie:: I'm relieved to find that Charlie is now old enough that I can (sometimes, sort of) explain to him why I'm saying no to something he wants, and it has actually worked to calm him down about the no-saying. I try to give a simple explanation and then come up with some alternative that may satisfy him, or give him some sort of choice between alternatives, and it's been working great! For example, after the disastrous heartburn-inducing Gatorade incident, he asked for more "grape drink" the next day, and instead of just saying, "no, you can't have anymore of that," I told him that he couldn't drink it because it was what made his belly hurt, but that instead, the next time we went to the grocery store, he could help me pick out a new kind of drink from the juices. And that worked - he was excited about trying something new and forgot all about the gatorade. This is certain to stop working when he hits his teens and becomes completely illogical, but I'm enjoying it for now... ;)

123MickyFine
Dic 1, 2012, 6:13 pm

Looks like you've had some more challenging reads lately. Hope your next read is something you can straight up enjoy. :)

124mckait
Dic 2, 2012, 8:44 am

I find it astounding, the rare times I hear, or hear OF a mom saying no to a child these days.
Far too often it seems to be a lost word.

125souloftherose
Dic 2, 2012, 10:12 am

Hi Valerie - glad to hear Caleb is feeling better now. Hope you're all enjoying the weekend.

126brenzi
Dic 2, 2012, 10:08 pm

Hi Valerie, so glad your little guy is feeling better. Cloud Atlas was the kind of book that you either loved or hated. I don't think anyone would say it was just OK. I loved it but it was a lot work to read it.

127Morphidae
Dic 3, 2012, 7:57 am

I was one in the loved camp, but Cloud Atlas definitely drove my "must read the ending first" soul crazy.

128avatiakh
Dic 3, 2012, 2:16 pm

Ooh someone else whose read The Inferior. I really enjoyed that one and have read the sequel which gives a lot of answers to the world Stopmouth has lived in. I think there will be a long wait for the last book unfortunately, I don't think he's started it yet. Btw, the author, O'Guilin, is a vegan!

I also loved the journey Cloud Atlas took me on.

129cameling
Dic 3, 2012, 2:21 pm

Arrghh...been too busy of late to keep up with the threads on LT, but I've just managed to catch up on yours today (my first slow day in a month and a half).

I'm glad Caleb is starting to improve. Although he wasn't a happy camper, that was a really adorable photo of him.

Sorry to hear you didn't really enjoy Cloud Atlas. The first time I read it, I had just come off reading Team of Rivals and the fantasy was just a little too abstract for me, so I put it aside and read something else. I went back to this a few months later and then absolutely loved it. I watched the movie a while ago, and I think if I hadn't read the book, the movie would have made no sense to me.

130AnneDC
Dic 3, 2012, 10:36 pm

Hi Valerie--I'm trying to catch up. I'm glad the little guy is feeling better and I agree that he is adorable even when he's not at his best. I need to get to Cloud Atlas one of these days.

131ronincats
Dic 3, 2012, 10:42 pm

So glad the monkey is feeling better. When he is miserable, you are too.

132drachenbraut23
Dic 4, 2012, 12:53 am

Hi Valerie, I lost you and found your thread. Caleb looks awful upset on that picture - poor baby - I am also glad to hear that the little monkey is feeling better now.
I wish you a great week :)

133msf59
Dic 4, 2012, 6:36 am

Hi Valerie- Sorry Cloud Atlas didn't grab you! It's not an easy read but the rewards are endless. I think it helped they we had a Group Read on it. Having that kind of support and input, probably made all the difference.
Hope all is well!

134jolerie
Dic 4, 2012, 5:54 pm

Hey Megan! I wish I had enjoyed it more than I did, but I guess it just wasn't in the cards for me. :)

Rachel, it seems like most people here on LT enjoyed it, so I'm in the minority. I hope you for your enjoyment, you fall into the larger majority of opinions. :)

Ellen, I am amazed that he was able to write in such a varying of styles and I think that goes to show you the muscle power he has when it comes to writing, but sadly it just didn't quite connect for me. Hopefully you appreciate it more when you finally get around to reading it.

Amber, I can't wait for the day when "reasoning" with him isn't meet with big round confused eyes questioning why his mother would withhold something like milk from him. I think giving alternate choices is such a great idea and it has worked in other areas when the monkey is being difficult and stubborn but wow my child can be bull headed sometimes and nothing seems to pacify him. There are limits of course to how much I will let him have his ways, but gosh is it hard to say no sometimes, especially when pulls out his arsenal of cuteness...

Thanks, Micky. My next 2 reads afterwards were definitely more up my alley and thoroughly enjoyable! :)

Kath, it is very true. I'm learning the importance of giving boundaries and setting limits for my child and I know other parents struggle with it as well! Sometimes the best thing we can do is just to say NO, and hope that our children will one day understand why.

Thanks Heather! Caleb is feeling better and we are all done with our travelling so I for one am ready to just vegetate at home and just enjoy the peace and quiet.

Bonnie, I think maybe a GR read of Cloud Atlas would have worked better for me since I had a lot of questions while reading it. Maybe at some point in the very distant future, I will attempt a re-read of it and see what I feel then. In the meantime, I want to watch the movie and see how that plays out!

135jolerie
Dic 4, 2012, 6:03 pm

Morphy, I'm just a rebel without a cause. Clearly I'm missing something from the book since so many people here on LT have such a high regard for the book. The only storyline that I found interesting was the futuristic one about Somni, but everything else was just okay for me at best.

Hi Kerry! That is a fascinating tidbit of information about the author being a vegan. You would never have thought that given the emphasis of meat-eating and hunting that is found in the book, unless perhaps he is making a commentary of that specific life style. I definitely want to get my hands on the second book because so many question were left unanswered, but oh how I hate it when the series is not finished yet!

Caro, it's so great to see you here! Totally understandable with the busyness especially with this time of the year. We haven't slept at home for the last 3 weekends in a row because we had to travel somewhere every week, so I know what you mean about keeping up with LT. I am woefully behind but hopefully now that we are home and plan on staying home, I'll be able to catch up before the new year! :)

Thanks for the well wishes Anne! I hope you enjoy Cloud Atlas more than I did when you get around to reading it. I'm actually surprised that is one you haven't read yet being that you are such a prolific reader!

Yes, you are so right Roni. A happy baby definitely equals a happy mommy! :)

Thanks for finding me again Bianca! We plan on having a great week and I hope the same for you!

Mark, you are probably right about the GR point. I definitely would have benefited from having some kind of clarification as I was reading through the book. Regardless, I'm glad I read it and now I can go watch the movie. I can't imagine how the movie would make any sense if you haven't read the book first....what a crazy ride!

136cameling
Dic 4, 2012, 6:06 pm

Valerie, if you don't manage to catch up before the new year, not to worry,... you have something to add to your resolutions list for 2013. :-)

137jolerie
Modificato: Dic 4, 2012, 6:17 pm

November Round-up



Total books read: 11
Total pages read: 3788
Average rating: 3.73

Fiction: 5
YA: 6

Series: 3
Standalone: 8

Female authors: 6
Male authors: 5
New to me authors: 8

Library: 5
OTS: 5
ER: 1

Favourite Read:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
What I expected was not what I got, but what I got was so much more than I had expected...

139jolerie
Dic 4, 2012, 6:21 pm

Haha, Caro, you know what they say about resolutions right?? We make them just to break them..... ;)

140msf59
Dic 4, 2012, 7:34 pm

Valerie- Wow, what a nice December reading list! Some great titles. Sadly, I did not get to the Song of Achilles this year, despite the LT pal raves!

141scaifea
Dic 4, 2012, 8:51 pm

On the bull-headedness: Charlie can definitely be stubborn, and I've been reduced to telling him before that he gets that stubbornness honest and straight from me, and I've had 30-odd more years' practice at it, so he should just give in because he won't win against me. Ha!

142humouress
Dic 4, 2012, 9:52 pm

>134 jolerie:, 141 : Girls, I'm telling you now to train your kids to know that when you say "No" it means "No". And when you use that particular tone of voice, there is absolutely no negotiation entertained (like when it comes to holding your hand to cross the road).

Unfortunately, that's a lesson my oldest seems to have forgotten, thanks to his grandma spoiling him. *sigh* So get it in early, and get it in good.

143jolerie
Dic 5, 2012, 2:56 pm

Mark, I've heard great things about it as well so hopefully I will get a chance to read it this month! I just finished Ready Player One and loved it. You were bang on the money with that one as well. :)

Amber, I have nobody to blame the bull headedness on but myself. As my husband can attest, when my horns get stuck, nothing can move me so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the little one picked up on that itty bitty character trait..haha!

You are absolutely right, Nina. I've also learned that you need to stick by what you say and if you threaten something, make sure you can actually follow through with it. I don't know if other people have similar experiences but I remember my mom constantly threatening my brother and I with outrageous claims that we KNEW she couldn't follow through on. For example, she would say things like if you don't do something, I'll throw you out the window. Really mom? You'd throw me out the window?? So her threats over time kinda of lost their sting. Now when I discipline the monkey, I make sure to say things that I can actually do. NO exaggerations just because I'm frustrated...haha!

144cameling
Dic 5, 2012, 3:25 pm

Valerie ..but that's the joy of making resolutions .. to see how long we can work towards achieving them before we throw up our hands and tear them up. haha

145LovingLit
Dic 5, 2012, 5:29 pm

>137 jolerie: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
What I expected was not what I got, but what I got was so much more than I had expected...

Great synopsis!
It is one Id like to re read one day,and see the film adaption of too.

146jolerie
Dic 5, 2012, 6:26 pm

Oh Caro, if there is anything I am good at, it is breaking resolutions. I think I may even hold the record for fastest bailout ever..haha! The one good thing about New Years? You do get to start fresh and I'm looking forward to that!

Megan, I have friends who want to go see the movie, but I don't know if I want to watch it on the big screen yet. Maybe when it comes out on video although that seems like rather a waste since I heard its beeeeautiful!
I keep looking at my calendar and seeing the date for your operation looming closer. Thinking of you and wishing you a very stress-free recovery time

**********************************************************
The kiddo is up from his nap and running around the kitchen island like a maniac. Dinner is in the oven. Dishes to clean and then a massage and chiro appointment for me. Life is good. Now to tackle all those unread messages at some point...yowzers!

147Donna828
Dic 5, 2012, 8:02 pm

Hi Valerie, I see your life has had some ups and downs recently, including your book life. Your husband's "office" party sounded FUNtastic. How great that you were able to incorporate a book shopping expedition. Sorry Caleb was so miserable, but what an adorable picture, though I missed the cheesy face! Too bad about Cloud Atlas, a book that I loved. As Mark said, the group read was great for support and explanations. Hope life is smooth sailing for you now through the holidays.

148jolerie
Modificato: Dic 5, 2012, 9:56 pm



#98 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Source: OTS
Genre: Fiction
Format: HB
Published: 2011
Setting: Oklahoma City, United States
Pages: 372
Rating: ★★★★½

Notes: science fiction, 80's, video games, pop culture, underdog
Books noted: The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien)

It was the dawn of the new era, one where most of the human race now spent all of their free time inside a videogame.
Page 60

The world that Wade Watts lives in is similar to ours with one major difference - the lines between what is reality and what is cyber becomes none too clear. Most people now work, play, and ultimately live in a fabricated existence with fully fleshed out characters in what is known as OASIS. The creative genius behind this technology has passed away leaving behind a multi-billion empire but, most importantly, the power to drive the helm of his company is up for grabs. The rules outlined in his last will is simple - solve the riddle, play the game, find the treasure, and survive to claim the greatest prize ever known to man.
One word sums up Ready Player One - FUN. Pure, nostalgic, unadulterated FUN. Reading the book felt like I was living one epic adventure RPG game with Wade being your quintessential underdog, slash nerd, slash antisocial hermit, that you can't help but hope against all hope will rise to be the hero at the end. For anyone who lived through the 80's, a lot of the enjoyment came from remembering and reminiscing over the many pop cultural references that Cline includes in the storyline. Even if the 80's means nothing to you, the dreaming and imaginings of a world like OASIS should be enough to tickle the inner geek out of anyone. A wonderfully creative experience that was part stroll down memory lane, part technological fantasy about the future potential of our world, all wrapped up in one glorified ball of dweebilious fun! Recommend.

149dk_phoenix
Dic 5, 2012, 9:55 pm

Oh, that's one I keep meaning to get to!!! *reminder self-slap*

150ronincats
Dic 5, 2012, 10:59 pm

Hey, glad you loved Ready Player One too!

151MickyFine
Dic 5, 2012, 11:01 pm

Oh A Tale of Two Cities is probably my favourite Dickens I've read so far. Hope you manage the time to squeeze it in. :)

152Morphidae
Dic 6, 2012, 7:44 am

I so agree with you about Ready Player One - sheer fun!

153mckait
Dic 6, 2012, 8:58 am

Just a quick pop in hello.. it looks like things are going well :)
Nothing much going on here. Same old thing.. but that can be good!

154luvamystery65
Dic 6, 2012, 2:28 pm

Runs to dodge the book bullet....oh, I'm hit! *sigh*

155jnwelch
Dic 6, 2012, 2:48 pm

Love that RPO review, Valerie! Hope you post it on the book page - I'll thumb it if you do.

156PaulCranswick
Dic 7, 2012, 11:24 pm

I don't think I have seen a negative review of Ernest Cline. Must get to that. Have a lovely weekend Valerie.

157souloftherose
Dic 8, 2012, 5:22 pm

#148 "One word sums up Ready Player One - FUN. Pure, nostalgic, unadulterated FUN."

Sounds good! It was wishlisted already but it's bumped closer to the top now...

158EBT1002
Dic 9, 2012, 1:08 am

Even though it was outside my usual genre, I really liked Ship Breaker and it has stayed with me since reading it. I hope you enjoy it if you get to it this month.

159vancouverdeb
Dic 9, 2012, 5:44 am

What a bunch of amazing reads in November and more planned for December! Great going, Valerie! Song of Achilles is on my TBR read shelf. Perhaps in " Orange January " I'll try to give it go.

160Carmenere
Dic 9, 2012, 8:45 am

Hi Valerie! You've read some really good looking books lately! and how's everyone's favorite little monkey? I see he's running around so that's a good sign.
How's the massage, chiro thing going? I've come down with the aches and pains lately and wonder if I need to visit these folks.

161msf59
Dic 9, 2012, 8:54 am

Hi Valerie- How are you stranger? Great review of RPO! It is FUN! You must have been very young in the 80s, so I'm happy that the book entertained you so much.

162cameling
Dic 9, 2012, 1:00 pm

Good review, Valerie. Ready Player One has been in my obese wish list for far too long. I really should make more of an effort to get a copy soon.

So what are you reading next?

163Crazymamie
Dic 9, 2012, 2:31 pm

Nice review of Ready Player One, Valerie - I have that one in my TBR, and I keep meaning to get to it.

164lkernagh
Dic 9, 2012, 6:30 pm

Hi Valerie - great to see another very positive review for Ready Player One. I am hoping to get around to that one in 2013 - I do like a fun read!

165brenzi
Dic 9, 2012, 9:30 pm

Hi Valerie, great review of Ready Player One; just wanted you to know I'll be starting Tigana tomorrow. Kind of a chunkster but it looks good.

166jolerie
Modificato: Dic 10, 2012, 2:04 pm

Hi Donna! It has been a crazy couple of weeks and even though we aren't heading out of town anymore, I feel like the craziness just keeps coming. We have had appointments or dinner parties every night of the week so far and I'm just about ready to throw in the towel. I'm hoping it slows down just a tad before the holidays, but that might just be wishful thinking on my part. :)

No need to slap, Faith! Just a gentle and friendly *hug* as a reminder is perfectly acceptable around here...hehe! I hope you like it when you get around to reading it. :)

It was such a fun read, Roni! I have my Secret Santa from last year (Brit) to thank for getting me it.

Micky, I am actually enjoying it so far. Of all the Dickens that I've read, which isn't a lot, it will probably be my favourite so far..haha!

Nods in agreement with Morphy! :)

Hi Kath! Thanks for dropping by. Sorry I haven't had a chance to visit your neck of the woods to see how you are doing. Hope things are going well in Kath land!

Haha, sorry about that Roberta! At least I hope it's a good BB when you get around to reading it. :)

Thanks for the gesture, Joe! I'm so random about when I post stuff on the main page, but I figure RPO must have a tonne of good reviews on it already.

Paul, I think it's one you will enjoy. Hope you and yours are doing well!

Bump, bump, away Heather. I'm sure glad I read this one sooner rather than later and I'm always happy when my opinion matches with the majority of the community here on LT.

167jolerie
Dic 10, 2012, 2:10 pm

Ellen, I'm hoping to get to it sometime this month and if not definitely sometime in January. :)

Uh oh, busted by Mark! I was just a baby during the 80's so a lot of the pop culture reference wasn't really my thing (I'm more the 90s), but the gaming stuff totally perked my interest. I am a total geek at heart, but of course that's just between you and me so don't go spreading that around. ;)

Caro, you should try to read it sooner than later. I think you would enjoy it. ;) I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities right now and for a classic, it's pretty good and that means a lot coming from me...haha!

Hi Mamie! Read it, read it!

Lori, it is definitely FUN so I think you will enjoy it. 2013 sounds like a great year to read it! :)

Bonnie, I'm so excited for you to start Tigana. Sit back, enjoy, and immerse yourself in a fantastical world of epic proportions. :D

168DeltaQueen50
Dic 10, 2012, 2:35 pm

Hi Valerie, I'm so glad that you enjoyed Ready Player One, it certainly was a fun read. I just finished A Tale of Two Cities and it totally blew me away, I loved it!

169humouress
Dic 10, 2012, 6:05 pm

Hi Valerie. I read Tigana when I was a teen, young and idealistic. I was very much pro the rebellion, and couldn't sympathise with some of the plot directions. I might have a different take on it now. Maybe it's time to pick up some GGK again ... *runs, dodging BBs*

170DorsVenabili
Dic 11, 2012, 6:30 am

Hi Valerie! I hope you're doing well! Very good review of Ready Player One. That's been on my radar for a while, but I haven't managed it yet. I usually don't do well with virtual reality stuff (I'm not sure why), but I've heard so many good things about that book that I'll definitely give it a try.

171luvamystery65
Dic 11, 2012, 8:11 am

The library sent me an email that Ready Player One is ready to pick up. I'm headed there shortly. :)

172ChelleBearss
Dic 11, 2012, 9:54 am

Glad to see you enjoyed Ready Player One! "Dweebillious" = awesome! :)

173nittnut
Dic 11, 2012, 11:47 am

racing through and waving hello... *wave*

174cameling
Dic 11, 2012, 4:12 pm

Valerie - you're reading some great books this last month of the year. I loved AToTC and it's one that I re-read almost every other year.

I should put together a list of classics that I still haven't read that are in my TBR Tower and check it against ones I haven't read and still haven't even gotten a copy of yet. Some, like Moby Dick and Bleak House I detested and regretted the hours of my life I'll never get back trying to read them. But some like The Count of Monte Cristo, Vanity Fair, Anna Karenina and The Three Musketeers and of course AToTC will always remain favorites to be read again.

175mckait
Dic 16, 2012, 7:54 am

Just a quick hello... hope things are staying happy in your world :)

176AnneDC
Dic 16, 2012, 9:00 pm

Hi Valerie. I'm hoping to get to Ready Player One soon in the new year as I already own it and keep seeing great things about it.

177vancouverdeb
Dic 17, 2012, 1:04 am

Stopping by to say hi, Valerie! Good for you that you made it through Cloud Atlas. I'm impressed! I made my way through The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by the same author - just barely - and I think that Cloud Atlas is much more complex! And congrats on making your way through Life of Pi another book that would be FAR beyond my small brain!

Busy time of year! I hope you are having a great Christmas season!

178msf59
Dic 17, 2012, 7:01 am

Valerie- Just checking in! Hope all is well. You must be very busy.

179scaifea
Dic 17, 2012, 7:57 am

Hi, Valerie! Hope you're not feeling too much holiday rush/stress, and I hope you and the Monkey and the Monkey's dad are all still healthy! I think Tomm and Charlie and I have gone 4 days straight without someone feeling under the weather...hoping it sticks...

180jolerie
Dic 20, 2012, 10:24 pm

Hey Everyone! Thanks for dropping by and checking up on me. There has been a recent death in the family so I probably won't be back for the reminder of this year. Merry Christmas to everyone here and the best in the New Year! You guys are the best.

181DeltaQueen50
Dic 21, 2012, 12:08 am

So sorry to hear the news, Valerie. We'll catch up in the New Year.

182humouress
Dic 21, 2012, 12:42 am

Sorry to hear that, Valerie. Best wishes of the season. See you in 2013.

183Carmenere
Dic 21, 2012, 6:32 am

My condolences as well, Valerie. See you next year.

184msf59
Dic 21, 2012, 7:04 am

Valerie- Very sorry to hear that. Gentle hug. Merry Christmas, my friend.

185SandDune
Dic 21, 2012, 7:28 am

Sending best wishes Valerie.

186scaifea
Dic 21, 2012, 7:44 am

Oh, I'm so sorry, Valerie. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts.

187dk_phoenix
Dic 21, 2012, 7:58 am

*virtual hugs*

188lkernagh
Dic 21, 2012, 5:10 pm

My condolences Valerie. My thoughts are with you and your family at this time.

189jnwelch
Dic 21, 2012, 5:16 pm

My condolences, too, Valerie. We're thinking of you.

190The_Hibernator
Dic 21, 2012, 6:21 pm

That's too bad Valerie. I'll keep you in my prayers. See you next year!

191cameling
Dic 21, 2012, 6:51 pm

So sorry to hear the news, Valerie. My condolences to you and your family. My hugs and thoughts go out to you.

192brenzi
Dic 21, 2012, 9:35 pm

So very sorry to hear that Valerie. Hugs.

193ChelleBearss
Dic 21, 2012, 11:50 pm

Condolences to you and your family! Hugs to you

194ronincats
Dic 22, 2012, 12:28 am

So sorry to hear about your loss, Valerie! Thinking of you.

195ctpress
Dic 22, 2012, 3:42 am

Dear Valerie - sorry to hear about the loss in your family. Praying for you.

196vancouverdeb
Dic 22, 2012, 6:09 am

Gentle hugs, Valerie, So sorry to hear about the loss in your family. Take care, my friend.

197nittnut
Dic 22, 2012, 6:53 am

So sorry Valerie. Take care and we'll be thinking of you.

198weejane
Dic 22, 2012, 7:22 am

Valerie - I was just finally trying to catch up with you. I'm so sorry for your loss. I will be holding you and your family in the Light.

On another note - I'm glad you liked Ready Player One. I loved it! And have been contemplating a re-read. Hope to catch up with you and your growing Monkey in the New Year!

199calm
Dic 22, 2012, 8:13 am

So sorry to hear that Valerie. {{{hugs}}}

200MickyFine
Dic 22, 2012, 5:52 pm

Condolences to you and your family, Valerie. We'll see you in the new year!

201EBT1002
Dic 22, 2012, 9:04 pm

Sending condolences and hugs your way, Valerie. Take good care of you.

202PaulCranswick
Dic 22, 2012, 9:24 pm

Adding my condolences to you too Valerie. Despite all I hope that you take some comfort and restrained joy from the festive season too. x

203AMQS
Dic 22, 2012, 9:35 pm

My condolences to you and your family, Valerie. I hope you will find comfort in each other and in your memories. Take care.

204souloftherose
Dic 23, 2012, 3:11 pm

Really sorry to hear that Valerie. Will be thinking of you all over Christmas and looking forward to seeing you in the New Year.

205ChelleBearss
Dic 24, 2012, 11:28 am



I hope you have a Merry Christmas I'll be thinking of you this holiday!
Hope Santa spoils your little fella :)

206drachenbraut23
Dic 24, 2012, 11:42 am

Hello Valerie, I am very sorry to hear about your loss! Sending you comforting thoughts!

However, I still hope you will have a wonderful Christmas with your lovely little man :)

207Donna828
Dic 24, 2012, 12:09 pm

I know from experience that a family death near Christmas is especially devastating. I'm thinking of you, Valerie, at this sad time. Thank goodness you have Caleb (and Santa) to lighten your heart.

208ronincats
Dic 24, 2012, 6:33 pm


Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics


I want to wish you a glorious celebration of that time of year when we all try to unite around a desire for Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All. Merry Christmas, Valerie!

209EBT1002
Dic 24, 2012, 9:59 pm

Valerie, I know this season may be bringing you sadness. I hope that, with time, it also brings you peace.
Merry Christmas.

211Smiler69
Dic 24, 2012, 10:08 pm



All the best to you and your loved ones Valerie (including the little monkey of course!), I look forward to continued exchanges in 2013.

212AMQS
Dic 25, 2012, 1:34 am

Merry, merry Christmas, Valerie!

213LovingLit
Dic 25, 2012, 3:06 am

Hello hello Valerie, long time no see. I hope you're not snowed under- literally or figuratively. And I am (as everyone is) so sorry to hear that you are suffering with the loss of a family member. Obviously there are no words I can say to help really, but I hope that you have people out there thinking of you can help lift your spirits if even for just a bit. Take care of you and yours :)
(((hugs)))
Here's to a happy and healthy new years.

214tymfos
Dic 25, 2012, 3:58 am

So sorry to hear you've had a death in the family. I hope the holidays can provide comfort through togetherness with those sharing your loss.

215Carmenere
Dic 25, 2012, 8:01 am

I hope that the joy your little monkey brings you today will help make your Christmas a special day despite the sadness you also feel this holiday season. Hugs

216MickyFine
Dic 25, 2012, 1:26 pm

Merry Christmas, Valerie!

217Crazymamie
Dic 25, 2012, 5:11 pm

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Valerie, and extending my condolences on your loss. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts.

218mckait
Dic 30, 2012, 8:55 am

Sincere condolences for your loss...
I look forward to seeing you again in the new year...
Take care..

219drachenbraut23
Dic 30, 2012, 8:57 am



Just wanting to wish you a peaceful and happy New Year!

220gennyt
Dic 30, 2012, 11:43 am

Valerie, I fell very behind on your thread and have been catching up just before the year ends.

So sorry to hear of your family bereavement just before Christmas - this must be a hard time for you and all the family. I hope you are ok. Hope to see you in the new group in 2013 when you have time for LT again.

221PaulCranswick
Dic 31, 2012, 7:10 am

Valerie I hope a difficult festive season ushers in a wonderful new year for you. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

222The_Hibernator
Dic 31, 2012, 12:53 pm

HAPPY NEW YEAR VALERIE!

223katiekrug
Dic 31, 2012, 12:55 pm

Happy New Year, Valerie. Hope to see you around when things get a bit back to normal for you. Take care.

224nittnut
Dic 31, 2012, 3:09 pm

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I hope you are all well and that you will have lots of Joy and good reading in the new year!

225cameling
Dic 31, 2012, 3:45 pm

226AnneDC
Dic 31, 2012, 3:51 pm



Hi Valerie--Making my final rounds to say "see you next year!"

227Crazymamie
Dic 31, 2012, 4:02 pm

Happy New Year, Valerie! Looking forward to following you in 2013!

228ronincats
Dic 31, 2012, 5:06 pm



Here's to a great new year ahead, Valerie!

229lkernagh
Dic 31, 2012, 7:11 pm

Hi Valerie, stopping by to wish you a Happy New Year and all the very best in 2013!

230Carmenere
Dic 31, 2012, 7:15 pm

Hi Valerie, wishing you a whole lot of happy in the new year!

231UnrulySun
Dic 31, 2012, 7:25 pm

Valerie, I'm finally stopping in to catch up after being neglectful in the last part of the year. It's good to see you enjoyed Ready Player One. I finally went to see the Life of Pi movie this weekend, and enjoyed it very much. I had forgotten some of the parts (or maybe they changed them a little?) but I thought the ending was good.

I'm sorry for your recent loss, and hope you're doing okay. ((hugs))

Looking for your 2013 thread, and will try to follow along more diligently in the future!

232jolerie
Dic 31, 2012, 11:28 pm

Thanks everyone for all your kind thoughts and warm wishes even though I haven't had a chance to visit all of you guys the last couple of weeks. It's been a tough couple of weeks especially with the holiday and comforting family members. We lost a very special child (my nephew) in a freak accident, but the family is pulling together.
I've been bouncing back and forth and debating about how active I'll be on LT next year and decided that I won't be creating my own thread, but since this group is so great and I'd hate to miss out on any great reads, so I will continue to star all your threads and keep up with your readings throughout 2013.
Have a great and awesome New Years everyone! Your love and support is beyond appreciated!

233MickyFine
Gen 1, 2013, 12:41 am

So sorry to hear about your loss, Valerie.

Wishing you all the best in 2013. I'll miss having your thread to comment on but I'll definitely see you around. :)

234souloftherose
Gen 1, 2013, 5:54 am

#232 Hugs Valerie. I'll miss having your thread to comment on but glad you will still be around next year.

235gennyt
Gen 1, 2013, 7:05 am

Valerie, so sorry about your nephew. We will miss your thread in 2013, but look forward to seeing you visiting.

236Carmenere
Gen 1, 2013, 10:43 am

Looking forward to your visits, Valerie! Huge cyber hugs are on the way.

237The_Hibernator
Gen 1, 2013, 12:35 pm

I'm so sorry about your nephew. That's tragic. I'll pray for your family.

238ronincats
Gen 1, 2013, 3:15 pm

Very sorry to hear about your nephew, Valerie.

I'll miss your thread and the opportunity to keep up with the monkey, but completely understand. I hope you'll visit.

239Crazymamie
Gen 1, 2013, 5:04 pm

Valerie, I am deeply saddened to hear about the loss of your nephew. I'll be keeping you and your family in my prayers.

240lkernagh
Gen 1, 2013, 7:38 pm

Valerie, loss of a nephew, and a young one by the sounds of it, is a hard one. Keep well, take care and know that you can always visit us here on LT as suits, even if it is to just drop in and say Hi.

241UnrulySun
Gen 1, 2013, 8:59 pm

Ohh, Valerie, I'm sorry to hear about your nephew. How terrible. We'll certainly miss you around here, but hopefully you can find your way in to chat every once in a while. We'll keep the light on for you.

242scaifea
Gen 1, 2013, 10:57 pm

Oh Valerie, I'm so sorry to hear that the loss was of a child. Still keeping you and your family in my thoughts. I'm sad to hear that you won't be creating a thread, but very happy that you'll still be around; I'd miss you tons if you left us altogether!

243drachenbraut23
Gen 2, 2013, 4:18 am

Valerie, I also would like to express how sorry I am to hear about your families loss. However, with all the things going on I can understand why you don't want to create your own thread in the new group. At least you will still be around. I send you all warm and comforting thoughts during your difficult time.

244nittnut
Gen 2, 2013, 8:19 pm

I'll miss your thread, but so glad you'll be around. Thinking of you and your family.

245gennyt
Gen 12, 2013, 9:54 am

Still thinking of you and hoping things are not too difficult for you and your family this January.

246luvamystery65
Gen 13, 2013, 12:06 pm

I'm missing you too Valerie.

247ronincats
Gen 13, 2013, 6:08 pm

I'm missing you too.

248humouress
Gen 17, 2013, 11:31 am

Dropping by to express my belated sympathies; so very sorry to hear of your loss. Somehow, it seems more tragic when a young one is lost. Hope things are looking better for your family.

249The_Hibernator
Gen 17, 2013, 11:52 am

Yes...I was just thinking of you last night. I'm keeping your family in my prayers!

250ChelleBearss
Gen 20, 2013, 7:49 pm

Sorry to see about your nephew. Missing you around here!

251jnwelch
Gen 20, 2013, 7:55 pm

Thinking of you, too, Valerie. My condolences on your nephew.

252humouress
Apr 15, 2013, 2:49 am

Just dropping by to see how you're going.