LauraBrook's 2013 Category Challenge: Chapter 1

It looks as if I'm not going to finish my 12-12 Challenge, so this year I'm going to be a little kinder and more open with my challenge rules. Really, there are no rules! Since I'm in two real-life book clubs, a chunk of my reading year is already structured enough, and I'd genuinely like to read the books I already own. That makes my focus, once again, on reading (and hopefully getting rid of - at least a chunk of) my own books.



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I'm doing 13 categories, one for each month, with the first category set aside for LT friends who have picked a title from my TBR library. Ideally, I'll read 169 books, but if I don't make it, that's okay too. As long as I read as many of my own books as possible, I'll be satisfied. My first goal, the one that I really do want to get to, is 75 books.

A. LT's Choices

B. January

C. February

D. March

E. April

F. May

G. June

H. July

I. August

J. September

K. October

L. November

M. December

A. LT's Choices - I'll bold them once they're read

In no particular order, they are...

1. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (picked by Mark/msf59)
and/or
2. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (picked by Mark/msf59) *currently reading*
3. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (picked by Joe/jnwelch) *currently reading*
4. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (picked by Linda/lindapanzo) (Aug 1) 401 pgs
5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (picked by Micky/MickyFine)
and/or
6. Soulless by Gail Carriger (picked by Micky/MickyFine) (Mar 13) 373 pgs, 4 stars
7. Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (picked by Sara/saraslibrary) (Jan 21) 64 pgs, 3 stars
8. The Awakening by ?? (picked by Linda/Whisper1)
9. Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson (picked by Nancy/alphaorder & Eva/-Eva-)
10. Sixpence House by Paul Collins (picked by Stephen/Ape)
11. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (picked by Lori/lkernagh)
12. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster (picked by Alison Kay/RidgewayGirl) (Mar 4) 322 pgs
13. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (picked by Lori/thornton 37814)
14. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson (picked by Terri/tloeffler)
15. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (picked by Nora/Norabelle414)
16. Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly (picked by Roni/ronincats) *currently reading*
17. Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson (picked by Anders/GingerbreadMan) (Mar ?) 176 pgs
18. Moon Sworn by Keri Arthur (picked by Chelle/Gogs81)
19. Late Late At Night by Rick Springfield (picked by Kerri/DorsVenabili)
and/or
20. The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (picked by Kerri/DorsVenabili)

B. January
1. Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen (Jan 1) 246 pgs
2. Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith (Jan 14) 174 pgs
3. Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie (Jan 14) 327 pgs
4. Under the North Light: The Life and Work of Maud and Miska Petersham by Lawrence Webster (Jan 19) 192 pgs
5. Evanly Bodies by Rhys Bowen (Jan 16) 210 pgs
6. Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern (Jan 19) 503 pgs
7. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard (Jan 21) 8 hrs 30 min
8. Torcello, the Jewel of the Lagoon by Giovanni Musolino (Jan 23) 88 pgs
9. Chivalry by Neil Gaiman (Jan 23) 27 min
10. Girl With A One-Track Mind by Abby Lee (Jan 23) 320 pgs
11. The Seventh Month by Lisa Gardner (Jan 24) 1 hr 47 min
12. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Jan 25) 352 pgs
13. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce 52 pgs
14. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Jan 28) 337 pgs
15. Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman (Jan 28) 46 min

C. February
1. M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman (Feb 5) 260 pgs
2. Abstract City by Christoph Neimann (Feb 5) 267 pgs
3. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman (?) 368 pgs
4. Moominpappa's Memoirs by Tove Jansson (?) 172 pgs
5. Lost and Found by Shaun Tan (Feb 24) 128 pgs
6. The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi (Feb 24) 56 pgs
7. Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon (Feb 25) 104 pgs
8. Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon (Feb 25) 128 pgs
9. Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale by Zack Whedon (Feb 25) 56 pgs
10. Emma, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori (Feb 26) 192 pgs

D. March
1. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (Mar 1) 6 hrs 30 min
2. Vampire Loves by Joann Sfar (Mar 1) 188 pgs
3. A Regency Invitation to the Party of the Season by Nicola Cornick (Mar 4) 308 pgs
4. We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin (Mar ?) 129 pgs
5. Emma, Volume 2 by Kaoru Mori (Mar ?) 200 pgs
6. Everyone's Reading Bastard by Nick Hornby (Mar ?) 29 pgs (ebook)
7. The Hangman by Louise Penny (Mar ?) 56 pgs (ebook)
8. Emma, Volume 3 by Kaoru Mori (Mar 13) 192 pgs
9. Emma, Volume 4 by Kaoru Mori (Mar 13) 192 pgs
10. Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky (Mar 13) 250 pgs
11. Upstairs & Downstairs by Sarah Warwick (Mar 19) 128 pgs
12. My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf (Mar 9) 224 pgs
13. Emma, Vol. 5 by Kaoru Mori (Mar 19) 192 pgs
14. Emma, Vol. 6 by Kaoru Mori (Mar 19) 192 pgs
15. Emma, Vol. 7 by Kaoru Mori (Mar 20) 280 pgs
16. Emma, Vol. 8 by Kaoru Mori (Mar ?) 208 pgs
17. Emma, Vol. 9 by Kaoru Mori (Mar ?) 213 pgs
18. Emma, Vol. 10 by Kaoru Mori (Mar ?) 240 pgs

E. April

1. The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (Apr 1) 343 pgs
2. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde (Apr 2) 11 hrs 30 min
3. La Perdida by Jessica Abel (Apr 2) 276 pgs
4. Micrographica by Renee French (Apr 9) 208 pgs
5. Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel (Apr 4) 400 pgs
6. No Voyage and Other Poems by Mary Oliver (Apr 7) 67 pgs
7. The River Styx, Ohio, and Other Poems by Mary Oliver (Apr 7) 55 pgs
8. Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin (Apr ?) 6 hrs 30 min
9. Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners by Josephine Ross (Apr ?) 136 pgs
10. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (Apr ?) 405 pgs
11. Sizeable Reflections ed. by Shelley Bovey (Apr?) 196 pgs
12. Soulless, the Manga, Volume 1 by Gail Carriger and Rem (Apr ?) 224 pgs
13. Max Hamm, Fairy Tale Detective by Frank Cammuso (Apr ?) 208 pgs

F. May

1. A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori (May ?) 192 pgs
2. A Bride's Story, Vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori (May ?) 192 pgs
3. A Bride's Story, Vol. 3 by Kaoru Mori (May ?) 208 pgs
4. A Bride's Story, Vol. 4 by Kaoru Mori (May ?) 192 pgs
5. The Case of Madeleine Smith by Rick Geary (May ?) 80 pgs
6. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden (May ?) 304 pgs
7. Elegant Engimas: the Art of Edward Gorey by Karen Wilkin (May?) 123 pgs
8. After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey (May 9) 320 pgs
9. The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond (May 9) 248 pgs
10. Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (May 12) 175 pgs
11. Lovers' Lane: The Hall-Mills Tragedy by Rick Geary (May 15) 80 pgs
12. The Borden Tragedy by Rick Geary (May 15) 80 pgs
13. Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos by Simon Tofield (May 18) 240 pgs
14. Jack the Ripper, A Treasury of Victorian Murder by Rick Geary (May 21) 64 pgs

G. June

1. The Beast of Chicago by Rick Geary 80 pgs
2. Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington 416 pgs
3. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde 13 hrs 2 min
4. The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudspeth 192 pgs
5. The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson 352 pgs
6. Cravan by Rick Geary and Mike Richardson 72 pgs
7. The Mystery of Mary Rogers by Rick Geary 80 pgs
8. Soulless, the Manga, Volume 2 by Gail Carriger and REM 240 pgs
9. Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel 400 pgs
10. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer 266 pgs
11. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi 9 hrs 50 min
12. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey 238 pgs
13. The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans by Rick Geary 80 pgs
14. Imogene's Antlers by David Small 32 pgs
15. Mousekin's Woodland Sleepers by Edna Miller 30 pgs
16. The Adventures of Blanche by Rick Geary 104 pgs
17. Changeless by Gail Carriger 400 pgs
18. Bright Young Things: A Modern Guide to the Roaring Twenties by Alison Maloney 128 pgs

Monthly Totals - Number of books / Pages / Audiobook time

May: 14 / 2,498 / 0

Apr: 13 / 2,518 / 18 hrs

Mar: 20 / 4,092 / 6 hrs 30 min

Feb: 10 / 1,731 / 0

Jan: 16 / 2,865 / 11 hrs 30 min

Books Purchased - Title, author, place purchased, price

1. Taschen's London by Christine Samuelian (Milwaukee Art Museum) $26
2. Dress Up Kate sticker activity book (MAM) $8
3. The Trail of the Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (Amazon, used) $9
4. Crusoe's Daughter by Jane Gardam (Boswell Books) $16
5. City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte (BB) $16
6. Memoir of the Sunday Brunch by Julia Pandl (BB) $14
7. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay (A) $14
8. Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson (A) $8
9. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (Little Read Book) $24
10. Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather (A) $9
11. Hollow Earth by John & Carole Barrowman (A) $12
12. Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner (A) $7
13. Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky (A) $12
14. The Distracted Preacher by Thomas Hardy (A) $9
15. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald (A) $9
16. The Nice Old Man and the Pretty Girl by Italo Svevo (A) $9
17. The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde (A-UK) $8
18. The Art of Being a Healing Presence by Susan Cutshall (A) $8
19. The Subtle Body by Cyndi Dale (A) $23
20. Cecelia by Fanny Burney (A) $11
21. Jane Vows Vengeance by Michael Thomas Ford (A) $13
22. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie (A) $10
23. Versailles: A Biography of a Palace by Tony Spawforth (A) $15
24. Faerie Winter: Book 2 by Janie Lee Simner (A) $8
25. Through No Fault of My Own by Coco Irvine (A) $11
26. Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf (A) $10
27. Energetic Boundaries by Cyndi Dale (Sounds True) $4

reserved

Sometimes leaving it open is a good thing. Give room to enjoy the reading. :)

Flexibility is the key. I think it's much better to just enjoy the reading instead of stressing what category will be completed or not!

Great to see you here - starred! This was my approach for the 2012 one and it was quite a nice break from the regular format. Funnily enough, I was really excited to make regular categories for the 2013 - a year's hiatus is all that is needed. :)

The Awakening is (if it's the one I'm assuming it is) by Kate Chopin and is one of the best books I've ever read. It's also marvellously short so you'll get to tick it off the list in no time.

Have lots of fun with your open categories next year!

Hi Laura, great to see you here. You've got some excellent books already picked out for you so I think you will be having an excellent reading year.

Laura, I'm reading A Game of Thrones and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand in 2013 too.

Some good picks you've had chosen for you. The Shadow of the Wind was one of my top reads in 2011 so I hope you enjoy it at least as much as I did.

Hi Laura, great to see your thread up and ready for visitors! I agree, flexibility is key and I like how you are approaching your 2013 challenge. Looking forward to seeing the books you read!

Hello, everyone! I'm so glad to see so many familiar, smiling faces. :) I haven't had much of a chance to go through the group and star everyone else's threads yet - maybe that will be my pre-Christmas reward for making it through the next 2 weeks!

I'm really looking forward to starting this challenge, the flexibility of it all is so intoxicating that I can hardly stand it! I can't even imagine not having any kind of structure, I'd probably burst from excitement!

Paws, I'm thinking it's the same Awakening too, but I don't know for sure yet. Short is a good thing, in my book!

Cheli, what a coincidence! I'd suggest doing a mini Group Read, but I have yet to really participate properly in one. I'll keep my eyes on your thread for your thoughts on each of them.

Hi Wolfy! I've only heard great things about Shadow, so I'm kind of saving it for a reading slump to kick me out of it.

Welcome to the 2013 group, Laura!! Good to see you here.

Hi Laura - I stopped by to star you a few days ago, but only got around to reading your thread this am. I'm taking an unstructured take on reading this year also, picking 2 letters of the alphabet for each category. I saw a few in your "LT" category that are on my TBR pile also, and look forward to your reviews of them.

Hi! I'll be lurking to see what you read for this challenge. I'm also planning to read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand for my 2013 challenge. It will probably be the first book I read since I need to finish it before a book club meeting in mid-January.

Looking forward to seeing what you read. I remember really liking the sparrow

Hi Laura! Just joined this group and found your thread!

I'll be following along with you as I have you starred.

My beautifully wrapped books are still sitting prettily under my tree begging to be opened ;)

Well, 2012 was a fairly decent year for reading! With a total of 154, this may be the most I've read in one year in my adult life - quite a shock!

Total books read: 154
Total hours for audiobooks: 137 hours, 38 min
Total pages read: 30,389

Best Of list, in no particular order. These are the books I think most fondly of or enjoyed the most, not necessarily the best written, etc.

1. Madlenka by Peter Sis
2. The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sis
3. Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham
4. Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra by Peter Kurth
5. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
6. Through No Fault of My Own by Coco Irvine
7. Chopsticks by Jessica Andrews and Rodrigo Corral
8. Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
9. Schloss Schoenbrunn guidebook
10. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
11. Dracula's Heir by Sam Stall
12. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
13. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
14. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
15. Houses of the National Trust by Lydia Greeves
16. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
17. Japan Ai by Aimee Major Steinberger
18. Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle
19. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
20. The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson
21. The Professor's Daughter by Joann Sfar
22. Paris Then & Now by Peter Caine
23. Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
24. Old World Murder by Kathleen Ernst
25. Jerusalem by Guy Delisle
26. The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen
27. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
28. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
29. Encore Provence by Peter Mayle
30. Sacred Space by Denise Linn

While I was three books short of officially completing the 12-12 Challenge (Gone With the Wind, An Area of Darkness, and Middlesex - apologies to Jenna, Lori, and Linda for not getting to their chosen books), I think I did alright in the end.

Thanks to everyone for following along with my reading and crazy life this past year - see you in the 2013 groups!

Here's my 75 2013 thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/146495

And my ROOTS thread as well: http://www.librarything.com/topic/145825

Hello again, everyone! I don't think I'll be going through the new threads today yet, so if I haven't commented on your new digs, it'll be some time this week. There's so much to catch up on!

Book 1: Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen
The penultimate in the Evan Evans series, this one seemed a bit creepier than the others, but was still very enjoyable. It's just before Evan and Bronwen's wedding, and a young girl has gone missing on Mt. Snowdon, not too far from the happy couples' future home. The boyfriend catches Evan on his way back to town, involving him in the search, which evolves (devolves, really) into a much bigger issue when a secret underground bunker is discovered that appears to be unused but involves lots of creep-town stuff like a bare mattress, camping supplies, and handcuffs hanging from the ceiling. When someone close to Evan goes missing and tries to kill him, things really escalate for a small town in Wales. Very good storyline, 3.75 stars

I've only read one Rhys Bowen. It was a Molly Murphy mystery. You're making me think that the Evan series is much different and perhaps I should try another.

Hey, Laura! :) Best of luck with your 13 Challenge. For some oddball reason, I decided to attempt it as well, but we know I'll maybe read 1/3 of what I should. ;) Anyway, congrats on already reading one book!

Hi Laura! Happy New Year ! Love the monthly set up, and your LT friends have picked some really great reads for you this year. I look forward to your thoughts on the Rick Springfield book. One of my old friends from nursing school is friends with a woman who is president of the Rick Springfield fan club. She's constantly involved in RS fan activities. My friend and I were somewhat amused that after all these years Rick Springfield fandom is still an active thing. Since learning about this I saw a theatre downtown that plays a movie about RS fandom and I heard about this book. Just curious.

Hi Katie! That's the only series of hers that I haven't read yet. The Evans series is sweet, probably a cozy, but the mysteries are really good too. The whole cast of characters in the town is great. Have you read her Royal Spyness series? That's my favorite of the two, but that series ticks a lot of personal boxes for me, so it's not much contest. After I wrap up with Evan I'll start the Molly series. What did you think of it?

Sara, as long as you're trying, that's the important thing. And if you decide to stop trying, that's okay too. :) Just glad to see you over here!

Hi VB, and Happy New Year to you too! I'm looking forward to all of the books (except one, if I'm honest, but I want to get it out of the way), and the RS one especially. I didn't know that his fan club was that active either, but... WOW! Even a movie? I like him enough, and his 80s music reminds me of my childhood in a good way, so I don't know what I'll really feel and think about the book. Hoping to squeeze that one in this month yet.

Yes, a Rick Springfield fan movie. It's called An Affair of the Heart: The Journey of Rick Springfield and his Devoted Fans . I'm sure it'll make it to DVD eventually; when it's finished it's run on W 4th Street.

Wow. I don't know if I'd watch that or not, I'll see how the book goes first!

Last week I finally got hit with the cold/flu that's been going around. It had me out of commission until Wednesday, and while I'm feeling fairly good and have been moving around outside of the house a bit, I'm still coughing (hacking would be a more accurate description), a little weak, and a little tired. I sound terrible, but it's just where all of that junk is sitting, right around my vocal cords.

Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people who can read when they're sick, so I spent lots of days staring at the TV and trying to sleep. Now that I'm feeling more like myself, I've started to read a few pages here and there, but mostly I tend to wander around the house, staring at my shelves and piles and grabbing books that I "need" to start reading "right away". Yeah. So I'm getting nowhere fast, like usual. My stack of library books is only 5 books right now, not too shabby, but I've had 6 books of various friends for far longer than I'd like to admit, so those are also near the top of my TBR pile. And, I'm nervous that I'm not going to factor in enough time to read my "LT Picks" books, so those are breathing down my neck as well. *eye roll* I do realize that I'm making myself crazy, but I can't seem to stop that particular train just yet.

In some potentially exciting news, my library finally called me for a Page job!!!! It only took over a year, I don't know why I'm so excited. :) My interview is at 3:00 this coming Monday, and it's with 4 ladies. The one who called me said it was going to be fairly casual and that it'll only take 15 or 20 minutes, so that's a good thing. Now all I have to do is figure out an appropriate outfit to wear and hope that I don't have a coughing fit when I'm with them, and I should be good to go! I seriously need this job, and I'm excited about it too, so if you all wouldn't mind crossing your fingers and things for me, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

And now, I should power this computer down, get ready for bed, and lay down on the couch to try and read for a while. I'm still not caught up on proper sleep yet, and I have to work on stuff around the house tomorrow, and I have some massage clients on Sunday morning, so eating and sleeping well are more important than normal for me. Here's hoping I can get some pages under my belt before I drift off!

Sorry to hear you're (still) sick, Laura. I know how that goes; I'm just getting over my cold, too--fuuuun! We get to be cold/flu twinsies. :P Oh, and congrats on the page interview! Best of luck. And I hope you get to feeling better. :)

I had the flu once and I'll be damned if I get it again - I'm Lysoling everyone in my presence. :) Hope you feel better soon! This year's flu seems to be a really grave one too. :(

Oh Laura, Hope you feel better soon! I like Eva's idea: Let's just Lysol everyone.... ;-)

Yes Laura - hope you're feeling better. One of my co-workers hacked her way through this week - hoping the germs stayed on her side of the office.

Hoping you're feeling more yourself today!

Hope you feel better and good luck with the interview!

Feel better soon! This winter's been really bad for colds and flu, it seems.

That flu is nasty, I hear. I got a flu shot back in October but they were saying on the news that it's only 60 percent effective.

LOVE that photo!! Snow has been in short supply here this winter, not that I mind a bit, but we're supposed to get a couple of inches of snow overnight.

Yuk on being sick,

But congrats on the interview and good luck!

Good luck on the interview! Brush up on your Dewey Decimal before then.

Hi everyone! Thanks for all of your good wishes, crossed fingers, and feel-better vibes! I'll take them all! It usually takes me a couple of days after being sick to feel like myself again, but it's been almost a half of a week and I still feel weird. I'll be feeling pretty good for awhile and all of a sudden I'll have a coughing attack and have to sit down, and then I feel like I can't breathe. So, I lay down, drink a lot of water, and end up doing a whole lot of nothing for the next hour or two. :( Giving 2 massages tomorrow should be a fun experience.

I didn't get a flu shot this year (actually, I haven't for a few years now) because the only thing it ever does is get me sick - why would I pay for a guaranteed sickness? I'll just roll with things as they come. What usually gets me is a combo of a lot of work in December, and with that comes exposure to a LOT of people, some of whom are sick and think it's no big deal to get a massage when they're clearly still in the middle of something. It can certainly help flush an illness through the body, increasing your symptoms and hopefully decreasing the overall time that it stays with them, but that also means that I am rubbing a sick person non-stop for an hour. AH! Kind of drives me nuts. It also makes me wonder if I should really be working on my two clients tomorrow morning, but having to reschedule when I am not actively sick seems ridiculous. Plus, this will be the first income I have in over a week and well, that would be nice. :)

What's been bad for flu and colds is this insanely warm winter weather we've had. Last year and this year are the warmest that Wisconsin has had on record, with hardly more than a few days of a frost in one run. Allergies have been horrible, because mold, fungus, and all of that stuff, hasn't been killed off from year to year. So, it escalates, and along with what would normally happen in a season, all of the excess just gets built up. Hence, super colds and flus that linger much longer than they have before.

Okay, enough yakking about that for now.

If I remember correctly, the library lady said that they're hiring 4 Pages this time around, so hopefully there will be more than just little old me that's a newbie. We'll see! It's my regular home library, so I know where things are well enough, and most of where I'll be working is behind big windows that open over the library desks. It cuts down on the nervous factor a bit to have a handle on what is where already.

And with that, I think it's time for me to get ready for bed, set my alarm, and rest up for work tomorrow!

I haven't gotten a flu shot either in . . . I can't remember the last time I had one. I doubt I'll get one this year or the next. My immune system's not too weak, so I'm not worried about it.

I was going to ask you who the four other ladies were going to be at the interview--the interviewers or your competition. Either way, that's a lot of bodies for one interview. I've done a group interview before, and it wasn't too fun. Basically all of us just feeding off of each other's answers. ("Yeah, what s/he said.")

Anyway, best of luck (again). Page work is very, very easy, and I'm sure you'll like it, even if you have to be surrounded by books all day. The horror! :P

I got my flu shot last year--it didn't help. I didn't get one this year and for the most part, I've been fine. For now.

Good luck with the library job!!! Of course they'll want you!

As for Rhys Bowen, I enjoyed the one I read but had heard so much about how good Bowen is that I was a little disappointed. I'm fine with cozies, but this seemed a bit fluffy even for a cozy.

"They" are saying in news broadcasts that the shot is only 62% effective anyway and it cannot make you sick because it's not a live virus. I get mine every year and I very rarely get anything like the flu. A head cold usually sometime in the winter,but not the flu. But I agree that the unusually warm weather has not killed germs, etc the way it would if it got cold for an extended period of time.

49. I've never had a flu shot in my life and if this bug I have at the moment is the flu, it's the second time in my life that I've had it. And I have a terribly immune system (constant colds). I don't see the point in getting vaccinated when the vaccine isn't that efective and getting the flu - provided that you're not elderly or in ill health - isn't actually dangerous.

I had no choice when I was in the military as it was mandatory, and I've just kept getting it since I retired. Not to say I've never had the flu, cause I have. And I'm getting old(er) :-P

An another military retiree. Hi there. I was USAF for 20 years.

I've been pretty lucky not getting sick considering I work in a public school. I might get one cold per year. I wash my hands regularly with soap and water, especially after handling books, and remind students to sneeze and cough into their elbows.

->45 LauraBrook:
I get my flushot every year and will not miss it. Of course, there's always the chance you were already getting it or you got another strain, but you can't actually get it from the shot. I had a lung condition a few years back and still have some scarification left, so my doctor insist I get one every year. I also have to have a pneumonia shot every five years, which I was trying to get out of, so I asked my doctor if I still have to have one of those too and asked him what happens if I don't. Being the lovely straightforward man he is, he just looked at me and said, "you die." OK, then... LOL!

->50 PawsforThought:
You'll know if it's the flu - the muscle-ache will make you feel like you've been hit by a truck. Twice. :)

Glad to see you are feeling better. I am another one that has never had a flu shot. Haven't needed on so far - *knock on wood* - and figure I will learn my lesson when I do get blindsided by it! Until then, I will continue to be a rebel. ;-)

Good luck with your interview!

Hope you're feeling better today. And Good luck with the interview. I've always thought it'd be fun to work in the library.

Book 2: Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith

shamelessly stolen from the book flap: "Isabel is a single, twenty-something thrift-store shopper and collector of remnants, things cast off or left behind by others. Glaciers follows Isabel through a day in her life in which work with damaged books in the basement of a library, unrequited love for the former soldier who fixes her computer, and dreams of the perfect vintage dress move over a backdrop of deteriorating urban architecture and the imminent loss of the glaciers she knew as a young girl in Alaska.
Alexis Smith's debut novel unfolds internally, the action shaped by Isabel's sense of history, memory, and place. For Isabel, the fleeting moments of one day can reveal an entire life. While she contemplates loss andthe intricate fissures it creates in our lives, she accumulates the stories -- the remnants -- of those around her, and she begins to tell her own story."

I first became aware of this book as it's one of the World Book Night selections and had an intriguing premise. Then, when I met with Nancy for Mark's Christmas Swap she mentioned how good the book was. After that, I knew I had to read this book. At under 200 pages, it took me only a few hours to read, but it's a quietly powerful story, and I know that I'll think about Isabel and Spoke for a long time to come. I can only hope that the book finds a larger audience than it currently has, as Alexis is a fine and crafty wordsmith. 4.5 stars

Sounds good. I've just requested a copy from my library.

Yay! I hope you like it!!!

Interview is in 2 1/2 hours and I'm getting nervous. *Gulp*

Actually, not everyone gets the "feeling like you've been run over" sensation when they get the flu. Lots of people never even realise they've had it as their symptoms are indistinguishable from regular cold symptoms. Just snuffles, sore throat, maybe a fever... the regular stuff.
The only way you can now for sure if you have the flu is if the doctor takes a test and doing that costs way too much so they hardly ever do.

Oh, you'll be fine. You know more about books than any of those other applicants, you're personable and always willing to help out. They'd be idiotic not to hire you. Seriously, you are the ideal candidate.

It's amazing to me how anyone can be hired for a library job who doesn't read! They just hired someone to be a library teacher in the middle schools here and he hasn't read any kid's books!!! And didn't take any home to read over the weekend!!!!! You are leagues ahead of your competition.

I'm back! I met with three ladies (they work in the children's dept, in circulation, and on the first floor which is the main area), who tag-team interviewed me. We got along very well, I think they were impressed by my previous experience (though I'm kicking myself for not mentioning that I'm a quick learner) and by my flexible availability. They do have 4 openings and are interviewing for the rest of this week, but they said that they'd contact me next week to let me know either way. I am praying and crossing my fingers that they pick me for one of them! Of course all I can think about are the small mistakes that I made, but overall it went well and I'm glad to have it behind me!

Thank you again, everyone, for your good wishes, mojo, thoughts, etcetera!

Reward yourself for making it through the interview! And let us know as soon as you know. I will be holding my thumbs for you (German equivalent of crossing fingers)!

I'm so glad to hear that it went well!

#64: I'm so glad the interview went well! And they'll let you know by next week? That's super fast! The place I work, it takes them months to get back to you. So anyway, congrats on "surviving" the tag-team interview (I would've been a nervous wreck), and more than likely, congrats on (hopefully!!) getting the job. Four openings is practically a shoo-in for you. :)

Ugh, I hate tag-team interviews. Congrats on it going so well!

Throwing in some thumb-holding from me too! :)

Thanks, you guys. I think it will all be good, I'm just anxiously awaiting that phone call next week. Meanwhile, I FINALLY finished this ER book.

Book 3: Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie

I so wanted to love this book, but it took me nearly 3 months of concerted effort to finish, and at best all I can say is that it was okay. Told in alternating chapters, Beatrice in the 1800's and Cass in present-day are going through similar family and romantic situations. When Cass finds Beatrice's brooch and diary in her room, she finds that they can see each other in the real world and that they are most likely related somehow. What seems like a glaringly obvious problem (and solution) to Cass is a difficult situation to Beatrice and the parallels are totally lost on Cass. Lots of Drama and storming out, lots of confusion and misunderstanding, ... it got old quickly for me. That's not to say this is a bad book (it's not), or has terrible writing (it doesn't), and it's absolutely jam-packed with historical facts and tidbits, and enough time travel to satisfy any fan of the genre. Just taken as a whole, I didn't find it very readable, nothing really flowed, and it seemed overly long. 3 stars, I guess. I'm giving this 2 stars, on reconsideration.

You are generous! Books that take me months of reluctant slogging do not get an average rating from me. What would it take to just get a single star from you?

You know, I don't know! I'd have to really hate a good chunk of it, and if I did, I probably wouldn't finish it. I keep thinking I should change that rating to something more like 2 or 2.5 stars - I still might do that - and the only real reason I gave it 3 was because I felt like part of the reason that I didn't enjoy it was because I was reading it because I had to. (Did that make sense? Don't think caffeine has kicked in yet.) You know what? I'm changing it to 2 stars. That seems like a more honest number to me. Thanks for questioning me, RG, I think I was foolishly afraid to be honest earlier. :)

I think if your gut says 2, it's probably a 2. There are absolutely books that I have read at a "wrong" time and may have liked more if I had waited, but the review and rating must be after what you thought when you read it, not what it posiibly might have been at any other time and place, right?

Laura - hope you're feeling better. Good luck with the job. I'll also be keeping my fingers crossed for you. ( or maybe some thumb holding -- I need to start using that expression.)

Eva, you're absolutely right. 2 stars still feels dead-on to me.

Thanks, VB. I appreciate your crossing fingers and holding thumbs (a new one to me, and I love it)!

Would anyone be interested in a casual weekend read-a-thon? I could use an excuse to sit and read.

I'd be up for a read-a-thon for Saturday -- my BF will be out most of the day so that will be the perfect opportunity to catch up on my two giant books.

Oy, I missed your interview -- congrats on how well it went, and I'm crossing my fingers too!

I need to catch up on my reading so I'd definitely be up for a read-a-thon this weekend.

Sure, I'd be interested, Laura.

Not busy this weekend and, on Sunday, we're supposed to face our first Arctic blast of the season. We haven't had sub-zero temps in nearly two years.

I may as well stay inside and read. Besides watching the start of the NHL season, the two NFL conference championship games, and the newest episode of Downton Abbey.

Oh, that might be a good idea. I'm having an IT-a-thon one of the days this weekend, though, so I may not be able to squeeze it in. (IT-a-thon = inviting one of the IT-peeps at work over for dinner and cook while they fix your computer...)

Okay, I'll set up a RAT thread in a few. So glad to have some company!

To spare Micky's thread from yet another Richard Armitage photo, I'm posting this one here and on my 75er thread. Oh, he's so loverly.



Please ignore the period after "Girl", it drives me bonkers. :)

Okay, weekend read-a-thon thread is up!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/148523

Haha I didn't recognize him without the massive Dwarf beard! ;)

Looks different, right? So handsome...

I've decided to give up on Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla. It's too confusing and jumps around too much for me to keep a loose grasp of what the heck is going on. I'll search for another Tesla bio, for sure, and the narrator (Simon Prebble - one of my faves) does a good job despite the source material. This book and I weren't meant to be BFFs.

Darn on the Nikola Tesla book. Tesla is such a fascinating historical figure, but I wouldn't enjoy a bio that jumps around either.

Hi Lori - yeah, it wasn't so great. Maybe it would be a little easier to follow in print rather than audio, but the review on the book page here is pretty spot-on. At least it wasn't just me!

Book 4: Under the North Light: The Life and Work of Maud and Miska Petersham by Lawrence Webster

A beautiful book (both physically and literally), covering the life and works of Maud and Miska Petersham, of whom I've shamefully never heard of before this! (Their artwork seems very familiar though, and I may have read some of their books when I was small.) Detailing (but not too much) their lives before meeting and, primarily, their lives after marriage, it was such a treat to learn about them. It contains quite a lot of their amazing and colorful artwork, personal notes and letters, and the history of children's book publishing. It would be happy on the shelves of anyone with an interest in children's literature, illustrations, artwork, publishing, or lovers of a good story. I'm so pleased to have won this through the ER program! 4.25 stars

Book 5: Evanly Bodies by Rhys Bowen

A satisfying conclusion to the series (though rumors abound that she is thinking of writing more - I hope she does!), this finds Evan and his new bride Bron living in their refurbished shepherd's cottage. When Evan's superiors decide to put him on an "Elite Crime Team" with 3 other coppers to cover a murder, he isn't too pleased. When 2 more bodies show up, murdered in the same way, Evan realizes that they must be connected and uses his observational smarts to figure out whodunit - as long as the "lead", arrogant copper doesn't screw it up first. A secondary story involving Bron befriending a teenage Pakistani girl whose family has just moved into the village and opened a grocers, and the girls disappearance (and her younger brothers' interest in extremist Muslim views), Evan of course is roped into looking for Jamila and figuring out just what her brother and his friends are up to anyways. Very good, surprisingly dealing with race issues for a cozy, and an ending that ties everything up in a believable way, I was happy to have finished this book. (Plus, who of us ever finishes a series these days?!?) 3.5 stars

Oh, no. I too was hovering the purchase button for Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla pending your review. Let us know if you find a good one in its stead!!

Have you looked into AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War? It's not strictly a Tesla bio- it also spends a lot of time on Edison and Westinghouse- but I liked it better than any of the Tesla bios I've read.

Will do, Eva!

Hi ryvre, and welcome! I haven't, but I checked it out (and a few others) on Amazon, so I have a few added to my wishlist. Thanks for the rec, I'm sure it will find the way to my house sooner than it probably should. :)

Book 6: Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

The next time I pick a book for my purse, remind me not to choose a 500 page one! The cover blurb from the Tampa Tribune says "Charming, witty, romantic fare" and that seems about right. It covers the lives of Rosie and her best friend (since they were 5) Alex, and how they're the perfect couple. They don't see it, but everyone else in their lives does, including their ex-husbands and ex-wives. A sweet story, and epistolary (yessss!!!!!), it was a nice, light book. 4 stars. Ms. Ahern is becoming a nice, comfort author - easy to read, and while realistic it's not depresssing or filled with cliches.

>84 LauraBrook: yep I gave up on that too when I tried to read it for a previous challenge, haven't got round to finding a good bio yet either

Phew, glad to hear it! I was starting to feel like kind of an ass.

Book 7: Esio Trot by Roald Dahl

Cute book about a man in love with his downstairs neighbor, who apparently only has eyes for her small pet tortoise. Kind of unethical and maybe a little stalker-ish from a modern POV, it's sweet story of long-unrequited love and filled with wonderul illustrations by Quentin Blake. 3 stars, and out the door! (This book was chosen by Sara/saraslibrary for my first category in this challenge.)

Book 8: King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

Ugh. I know that this is a product of its' time to some extent, but it's really quite racist, and has A LOT more descriptions of hunting and animal killing than I would have thought possible. I suppose if I read it upon publication, or I was a big ol' racist, or I was a young boy who was into adventure stories, I would've like this more. As it is, I can only say that I'm glad to cross it off of my list (and the 1001, etc, lists that it's on) and get it out of my house! I regret picking it for my Classics book club. (Glossing over the aforementioned issues, I can see that the adventure itself and the time in the mines could be exciting and that that is what qualifies this as a classic. But I personally can't overlook the other stuff.) A generous 1 star, and OUT THE DOOR!

I love Esio Trot! The kids were really into Roald Dahl for a while and we even used his language to urge our then very small cat to worg reggib.

I'm still into Roald Dahl! Though I think I'd have to tell my cats to worg rellams instead since they're kind of like small horses. :)

84. I would also be very interested to see if you find another (better) Tesla biography. I'd really like to read more about him, but obviously don't want to pick up a book that's no good.

94. My cat's more of a walrus...

The next time I pick a book for my purse, remind me not to choose a 500 page one!

Will try, but no guarantees! I do enjoy Ahern's books and thanks to your review had added that one to my 'For Later' list with my local library.

Paws, I'll keep you posted. Hopefully Joe (jnwelch) will have a rec or two from his Tesla-loving son. And hah! Walrus could apply for my two too. :)

Lori, glad to see another Ahern fan. I've only read a couple of her titles, but so far they've been enjoyable, fun books without a lot of "fluff" stuff. My current "purse book" is Soulless, and since it's only 300-some pages it's a step in the right direction.

Book 9: Torcello, the Jewel of the Lagoon by Giovanni Musolino

I was trolling through my To Read list here on LT and since this was one of the titles I first added, I decided to whip through it and get it off of my shelf. Well, it was a very quick read as it's in Italian! I skimmed it (it's similar to Spanish, which I had for 6 years in school) and I think I got the gist. It's a tourist book for Torcello, an island on the Northern end of Venice that's lightly populated and has a lovely old church, a cathedral, and 2 palaces that are still left for visitors to see. (Wikipedia has an interesting and helpful entry, if you're interested.) This book is interesting both for the photos and text itself, and to also see what "older" guidebooks are like. 3 stars

Book 10: Chivalry by Neil Gaiman

This audio short story was really fun and delightful! I found it on Audible, and since it was short (duh) and was narrated by Christina Pickles (who has a lovely voice), I thought "what the hell" and bought it. This was my first Gaiman book, and it was so pleasant, funny, and individual, I don't know how I've managed to avoid his stuff before this. (Don't worry, I have Neverwhere and M is for Magic from the library, and another of his audio short stories ready to go.) Chivalry is the story of an old lady who finds the Holy Grail at her local OxFam shop, and after it's home, who comes a'callin' for it. Christina does a perfect job (it's a live recording, so you hear the audience laughing, etc), and I suspect that I'll listen to it again. 4.25 stars

The Gaiman story sounds great!! *off to add to Audible wishlist*

Eva, I hope you like it - though I don't know how you couldn't! :)

I've never read Neil Gaiman before but, for Fantasy February, I thinking of going way outside my comfort zone and reading Neverwhere.

Linda, I hope you'll like it - and I hope I do too! I'm starting it either tonight or tomorrow, depending on when I finish my library book that's about to be overdue. It's for one of my book clubs so I'll have it done (hopefully) in time for our meeting on Tuesday, and it won't count for FF for me.

Not sure what to expect, Laura, since I don't think I've ever read anything like it.

I'll be interested in your review but I probably won't start it til the middle of next week, so it does count for FF.

Two of the library books that are coming in for me are time travel/alternate reality books that I'm reading for FF, too.

Oooh, time travel books are great!!!! Can't wait to see what they are. :)

#103 Heh-heh. One of them is baseball-related. Of course.

I forget...are you a Brewers fan?

Of course. Yeah, I guess I am, but just by hometown default. I don't really follow the sports stuff so much, sorry...

No, I was just wondering. Last time I went to Milwaukee for a Brewers game, we got totally lost trying to get back. I think they shut down the expressway overnight.

Now, we're thinking of going to the Brewers/White Sox game at the end of March. Hopefully, we'll have a better result. I think the freeway is reopened.

Chivalry was one of the stories I really liked from his Smoke and Mirrors collection. Glad you enjoyed your first taster of his work.

>100 lindapanzo:, 101: Will be looking forward to hear what you think of Neverwhere -- it just arrived in the mail as part of my Christmas gift card shopping spree :)

106: Oh yeah, I remember that. Yes, it was a clusterf**k around here, freeway-wise, for awhile. Now things are open, so it should all be fine. (But of course, there is construction and on/off ramps being closed all around my house, so now I get to be annoyed by backups when I'm at home, instead of when I'm working. Lovely.) If you want to meet for coffee/lunch/dinner/a drink/whatever either before or after, let me know!

Hi Wolfy! I'll be looking for a copy of Smoke and Mirrors once I finish M is for Magic - I'm so happy to finally have read something of his!

I'll keep you posted, rp!

>107 AHS-Wolfy: I was just wondering where I'd read that before

Book 11: Girl With A One-Track Mind by Abby Lee

Based on her popular blog (with the same name?), this is a year-long diary of her sexual life. I think I picked this up after I read Belle de Jour: Diary of an Unlikely Call Girl a few years ago, and was first on my PaperbackSwap list as oldest TBR that someone had wishlisted. It's filthier than I expected (and not in an E.L. James way), open and honest, and while it was sometimes a bit shocking (just at how different people's lives can be) it was a fun, quick read. There wasn't the same wondering and excitement between Abby and Blog Boy as there was for me with Belle and her best friend who happens to be a boy, and overall it was fine for what it is. The author has another book out that chronicles her life after a newspaper reveals her real name (both her name and any and all men and women she sleeps with are given fake names too) and how her life turned upside-down, she lost her job, and how she picks herself back up again. If I come across it, I'll read it, but I won't be seeking it out. 3 stars (By the way, I've since watched her give a few interviews and talks online, and she make great points and a hell of a lot of sense about the way women's sexuality is portrayed in the publishing world and otherwise - kudos to her!!!!)

Book 12: The Seventh Month by Lisa Gardner

This audiobook short story is a freebie on Audible right now, so with nothing to lose, I downloaded and listened. I don't know if it was me or the story itself, but I didn't feel much of anything about this book. A female detective (in her 7th month of pregnancy, natch) gets involved as a consultant in a movie about a serial killer and then finds herself hunting down the real deal. I suppose it's supposed to be kind of twisty with a big reveal but it was yawn-inducingly obvious whodunit for this raised-on-mysteries gal. It seemed too long as it was and it was under 2 hours. 1.5 stars, and thank God it was free!

Book 13: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Wow. Just... wow. I'm sure there are copious reviews out there that will summarize and effuse about this book better than I ever can, so I won't bother with anything like that. I don't know why this book is marked as YA, because it really isn't. It's a story about friendship and spies and WWII and women pilots and double-agents and survival, and it's amazing to me that while some of the bones of the story are based on fact, most of it is made up. Amazing! A 5 star read entirely, and this is one that will stick with me for a long, long time. Do yourself a favor and read this as soon as you can!

Agreeing with you on CNV! One of the reasons I'm glad it's YA is the cost. An adult book would have been $5 or $6 more just because.

Laura, if you're interested in more Gaiman short stories on audiobook I recommend Snow Glass Apples, read by Bebe Neuwirth. A creepy retelling of Snow White.
If I didn't already have Code Name Verity on the wish list, I'd add it.

Sounds like I have to get to Code Name Verity. I'm sure it's already on the WL, but perhaps I need to put it on my category thread as a possible.

Mamzel, that's a good point. I was wondering why it was cheaper than normal, but that's why. Thanks for filling me in!

Hiya, VB! Thanks for letting me know about Snow Glass Apples - I think I've found a fairly inexpensive copy of the CD on Amazon, and since I'm very quickly becoming obsessed with his work it'll find its' way to me probably faster than it should. :)

Katie, I'd get to it this year, if you can. It's really quite good, and though it can be a bit confusing at times it's all worth it in the end.

Book 14: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

A true delight to read, and perfect for any and all booklovers out there. It's a picture book (with beautifully rendered illustrations by Joe Bluhm), and shouldn't take you that long to read - so everyone, go out and find yourself a copy ASAP! 4.6 stars

Book 15: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Another wow! Every part and parcel of this story felt so real, so possible to me, and not to repeat myself, but HOW IN THE WORLD HAVE I NOT READ HIS WORK BEFORE?!?!?!??? It reminds me of Jasper Fforde, but taken down a slightly darker path, and without Mr. Fforde's wonderful sense of wordplay. Not that this book is anything lesser than anyone else's work, but it's very much its' own independent thing. The story of Door and Richard and the Marquis and Islington, and London Below, just everything had my mind fully invested and I couldn't read the book fast enough to satisfy my curiosity. 4.5 stars

And, I'm so thankful that I have a book of his short stories here for me to dive right into!

115. Ooh, I've been curious about Neverwhere and was just about to buy it for a friend after we'd had a surprisingly long discussion about the London sewege system but it wasn't available at the bookshop so bought another book instead.
I think I'm going to order it online.

>115 LauraBrook:: Yaaay! This has me very excited to read Neverwhere for myself :)

Book 16: Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman

A unique and horrifying (in a good way) retelling of the Snow White story. I listened to the audio performed beautifully by Bebe Neuwirth, Martin Carey, and Mark Evans (I found it on youtube, but was going to buy it from Amazon Used). Really amazing, and I can't think of any way to improve the performance. 4.25 stars

Many thanks to VioletBramble for the rec!

Paws and rabbit, I hope you both like it! Clearly, I'm on a Gaiman Roll right now. :)

Seems you're turning into a Gaiman devotee. Neverwhere remains my favourite of his novels (so far) with two of the creepiest henchmen that ever there were.

> 118 - Off to search Youtube!

Neverwhere was my introduction to Neil Gaiman and I loved it and I am in awe at the creative mind this author has.

I just finished my Neverwhere reread. It's a good one, but it's not one of my favorites - possibly because I read it the first time in conjunction with the TV-series which I didn't care for at all. (Must rewatch that, though, just to see if I have changed my mind about it.) It's still a 4-star read for me, because less-than-great Gaiman is still far above most others. :) Definitely agreeing with Dave that Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar are absolutely brilliant!

Lots of Neverwhere love around :-) I think the TV series was awful but I read the book first...

Oh I love that Snow White retelling, one of my favourites.

Neverwhere is ok, the idea behind is fabulous... I am trying to think of a London underground story done really well but my mind is drawing a blank. Stupid mind. King Rat by China Melville perhaps, that was ok.. err.. The Rats by James Herbert? well that was just gross :)

125. I just bought Terry Pratchett's Dodger for a friend of mine - it looks really good and it deals with teh London sewege system.

I'm getting the first disc of the BBC TV series today (assuming the near blizzard we're supposed to be getting doesn't lose my mail lady in the process), and I've heard both good and bad things about it. Even if it's not so great, I'm still looking forward to seeing how everyone is portrayed. And, I'm really on a Gaiman roll here lately, getting ready to dig into one of his 2 short story collections that I have from the library. Well, I'll dig in once my coffee is brewed. :)

I haven't read China M's stuff before, but it's always intrigued me. Perhaps after I cool on Gaiman I should pick up one of his books?

Last year when I read a biography of the Thames there was a bit of discussion about London's sewage system, so it was nice to have some distant bells rung in my head when they were moving around down there in Neverwhere.

Job Update?

I still haven't heard anything official, but - yesterday afternoon I got a call from the HR dept for my city. They were doing my background check and needed a copy of my college diploma. I ran home to get it, ran back over there to have them copy it. I was hoping to be able to talk to the head of HR (who called me) but she was, of course, in a meeting, so I only got to speak to secretaries. Right after that, I went over to the library (just a few blocks away). I picked up my books, went to the information desk and told the librarian there that my home voicemail wasn't working properly, and could I leave a note for Jan (the main woman who called and interviewed me) to use my cell phone number instead? Sure, no problem.

So - while nothing has really happened, I don't think they'd be doing a background check for no reason. (And, I've been checking my caller ID every time I come back home since my interview so I know I didn't miss a phone call.) These are all good things, right??!

Yes, good things! I have my fingers crossed for you!

The signs are favorable. Still holding both thumbs.

Laura, that sounds very promising but not definite.

Still keeping my fingers etc crossed for you.

Best wishes!

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!

They called me last night around 5:30, and when she said "Laura, if you're still interested, we'd like to offer you the job" I shouted "YES I'LL TAKE IT!" right away. Then I started to apologize for my excitement, and talked like a normal person. My start date depends on my passing a drug test, so I guess I have to cancel my big Drug Orgy tonight. ;) I'm going in today to pick up some paperwork that needs filling out, and if I can go and do the test on Monday morning I will be there right away. I'm just so happy and relieved, and I think I will honestly like this job. I'm sure it will have its' moments like they all do, but I can't imagine a much better place for me to work.

Thank you all so much for your good wishes, prayers, lighting candles, holding thumbs, naked chanting, crossing crossables, and everything else. I am so appreciative!

wonderful!!

Congratulations on the new job!

132. Oh, that's too bad. Guess we won't be having that 'shroom party after all. ;)

Congrats on the job!

Have fun with the new job!

Oh Laura, I'm so happy for you. Congratulations!! This sounds like a great place to work.

Don't eat any poppyseed cake or anything, either.

Yeah! I'm almost a little jealous. Sounds like a great job!

clapping hands in glee...

YAAAAY! Congratulations! :D

Congratulations!

Congrats Laura.

Congratulations!!!

Congrats!

Woohoo! Congratulations!

Oh Congrats!

Congratulations on the good news!

:D

Congrats!!!!!!

Yay!!!!!

Excellent news about the job - big congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats, Laura!!!

Thanks, you guys! I did my drug test this afternoon, so not only do I hope for a call soon about my start date, etc, but I can also reschedule my big D.O. party! ;) (Did you guys know that they do the test right away, right in front of you? I was fascinated that in the time it took me to fill out a form it was all done and tested!)

I'm not sure how this is possible, but I've hardly read more than a dozen pages at a time since late last week. I keep trying to get somewhere, and when I do, it's half-hearted and I'm never quite sure what I just read. :/

Andrea, thanks for the Kermit - awesome!

Congratulations! I'm glad you didn't have that poppy seed muffin for breakfast to mess up your test.

Do you know that Mythbusters did a check on the poppy seed drug test? You can see what happened here if you're interested.

Whew! For a minute I thought I was passing on an urban myth. I made lemon bread last night and intended to add some poppy seeds to it but forgot. It was delicious anyway.

I've been craving lemon poppyseed stuff, too, and I think it's because I knew I "couldn't have it". Don't worry, tomorrow I'll be getting some muffins at the grocery store. No word yet from the library, and I (unfortunately) have a lot of free time for the rest of the week to try not to obsess about it. :)

In book news, I'm getting close to finishing a library book of short stories. Still getting nowhere fast with everything else. :/

What Kermit did - Happy Dance!!!

& I was thinking of Mythbusters - it isn't really there favorite type of myth. I don't know how you can blow up a lemon poppyseed cake to their explosion standards. A firecracker in the middle, sure, but that's cheating.

Adding my belated congratulations! So happy for you!

Congratulations on the job, Laura! Also, I'm super excited that you loved Code Name Verity too, and Neverwhere is my favorite Gaiman! (Obviously I am very far behind on threads.)

Thanks much!

I just spoke to my new boss, and I could either start tomorrow morning (yikes - both because it leaves me hardly any time to mentally prep myself and do my laundry, and because we're supposed to get 5 to 7 inches of sloppy snow starting around 6AM tomorrow and I don't want to be freaking out about getting out of my driveway and then being able to get in afterwards if they miraculously happen to plow my street in a timely fashion), or next week. So, I'm starting at 1 in the afternoon on Monday. :) Perfect. Time for me to get a client or two in on Friday, work my usual Sunday clients, and still have time to get things together a little more here at home.

Book 17: M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

This collection of short stories was, like most of them, hit and miss. (I've read a few reviews out there and it seems like all of these are previously published, but since I'm new to Neil, they're all new to me - except for Chivalry, which I much preferred in the audio format.) Nothing really stood out for me here, I just vacillated between not caring about the story and being kind of interested. Overall, 3 stars

Book 18: Abstract City by Christoph Niemann

A fabulously creative and funny book, about all sorts of things, most of them relating to NYC in some way. They're a sort of mostly visual short story set, and it had my creative juices firing and I found myself feeling happy and inspired after reading it. 4.75 stars, and many thanks to VioletBramble for bringing it to my attention!

Today was my first day on the job, and it went really well! All of the paperwork and info is a little overwhelming, like it is whenever anyone starts a new job, but I liked it! I think I'd be in a much more anxious state if I wasn't so dang familiar with the library already. I was really looking forward to the tour, and aside from the amount of space that's "in the back", there weren't any surprises. I was hoping for secret passages and spy holes and things, which is ridiculous, but it would've been fun to have them. My schedule will change a little bit in the next few months (2 people are leaving and 2 more will be hired), but for now I have 4, 3-hour shifts a week. I'd like more hours, and ideally more daytime hours at the library so I can still do massage in the afternoons and evenings, but that's a small thing. Right now things are A-OK, and I'm looking forward to a little regular money in the bank every other week. :)

So happy to see your first day went well!

Glad you're enjoying your job thus far, Laura! Too bad about the spy holes, but maybe you'll uncover something later. :)

It's always nice when you don't get done with the first day and think "What have I gotten myself into?" Glas you're liking it.

I don't think they let you in on the secret passages on the first day... :) Good to hear it went well, though!!

Oh yeah secret passage tours only happen once your fully initiated :-)

Well, PHEW! Glad to know it's okay to hold out hope that you guys think there are secrety parts left to be revealed.

Last night was my first real working shift. All I can say is that I'm glad it's only 3 hours because by the time I was done my feet hurt, my back hurt, I was hot and a little sweaty, only mildly dizzy, and felt like I had really accomplished something. :) It was pretty good! I managed to get 2 1/2 carts of books reshelved (including the dreaded 600's section - it's only dreaded because it's so well-used so things are kind of EVERYWHERE and there are absolutely thousands of books in the section), I fixed a few mistakes along the way, and even though I made the "mistake" of not taking the New Books out to their section right away, nothing else went wrong!

Since I worked the closing shift, there's a walk-through that has to get done, so another Page, Tony, helped me through it. People really leave a lot of stuff wherever they want, and I need to get over my feeling like I don't belong in certain places. This is an issue I have in everyday life as it is, but it really is my job now to move the couches and chairs, looking in every cubicle and open space for books and magazines that people have left laying around. Also, while it might not feel like it all of the time, I really have a pretty big home library! All in all, it's a good thing, but I can see that my doing massage appointments afterwards are Not A Good Idea, I'll like this work, and I can also see how I can get really really sick of doing the same thing all the time. Again - it's a good thing it's only 3 hour shifts!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my fabulous LT friends!

Happy Valentine's Day, Laura.

Delighted to hear the first shift went well. I understand about the sore feet and back. Hopefully, it'll get better. :)

Happy Valentine's!

Great Valentine's Day picture! Hope you had a good one.

I remember from the read-a-thon that you like Tesla. Did you know there's a new book coming out in May? It's called Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age by W. Bernard Carlson.

I'm making a note of that Tesla book....

Hello all (and BL, thanks for the heads-up on the Tesla book)! I am alive, after all. My first two weeks of work were ache-inducing and schedule-crazy-making (due to clients both coming out of the woodwork and having to reschedule people from the new job schedule), but this week, FINALLY, seems to be calming down. Phew! I wasn't sure I could've kept that up for that long. At the same time, I was in a book funk until this past weekend, and while the first two of the below list were read pre-Funk, the rest are all that I've read this week so far. It's not as impressive as it looks, lots of slim graphic novels, etc.

Book 19: Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman 3 stars - already quite a bit of repetition, and I think I need a Gaiman-break after this one.

Book 20: Moominpappa's Memoirs by Tove Jansson 3 stars - a fine, dare I say average, set of Moomin stories.

Book 21: Lost and Found by Shaun Tan 4 stars - A very nice collection of 3 stories, filled with outstanding artwork, as usual. I'm beginning to think that he can't do any wrong!

Book 22: The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi 4 stars - A sweet fairy tale that has stuck with me far longer than I expected it to!

Books 23, 24, & 25: Serenity: Those Left Behind, Serenity: Better Days, and Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale by Joss and Zack Whedon 3.25 stars average for these 3 "Firefly" tales.

Book 26: Emma, Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori 4.25 stars. Set in England, this is not your average Manga book. I'll be reading the rest of the series very quickly to see what happens to everyone!

Whew! After last nights' snowfall, we've got over 7 inches of heavy and wet snow - I spent most of today snowblowing and shoveling with short breaks between. I've just started re-watching the "Lark Rise to Candleford" series on DVD, they're such good stories and nothing too unpleasant happens. This morning between my shoveling sessions I finished watching the first season of "Kingdom", with Stephen Fry. It wasn't bad, but if there were more than just 1 more season remaining, I don't think I'd continue to watch it. And, before I go to work tonight, I'm hoping to finish another graphic novel so I can return it and check out the 13 (gulp) books/CDs that are waiting for me.

Okay, off to update my other threads and take a bit of a break before getting ready to go to work!

You know there are THREE seasons of Kingdom, right? Meaning you have two (and not one) left if you've just finished the first one. But they're pretty short.

I really like Kingdom. Admittedly, not all episodes are great but most are.

Oh, no I didn't! I adore Stephen Fry and Celia Imrie, so I'll watch the remainder of the show for them if for no other reason. His sister annoys the crap out of me, but everything else is pretty good - plus, I want to know about his brother! Thanks for letting me know about the 3rd season!

No problem. I have a soft spot for Lyle, poor thing, and Aunt Auriel is the best character ever!

Oooh. Yay for The Sigh. I didn't know Satrapi had a new book out. :)

Poor thing is right! Lyle cracks me up.

Me either, Andrea! I found it on the YA shelf at work and somehow it jumped into my tote bag to come home with me. ;)

Are you a Downton Abbey person too? If so, "Sir Anthony" from Downton will show up in an amusing role.

Why yes I am! I'll keep my eyes peeled for him. (Isn't that a gross saying? Yuck.)

Fred and George Weasley pop up in a later episode, too.

It always amazes and delights me when I see actors in other roles, in places you weren't anticipating them!

And now for a couple of "meh" reads...

Book 27: Down and Out In Paris and London by George Orwell

2.5 stars - it was okay. I know that it's not a cheery, happy, joyful tale, but holy crap! Very depressing to listen to for more than 30 minutes at a time. Thank goodness it was relatively short. An eye-opening book, and an important part of history, but don't drink this with a full bottle of whiskey nearby... you may be hammer-drunk before you reach chapter 10. Not quite what Richard calls a two-hankies-and-a-pistol, but not too far off, either. Was chosen for my Classics book group.

Book 28: Vampire Loves by Joann Sfar

I read and liked The Professor's Daughter by him last year, and when I couldn't fit some books onto the Graphic Novel shelf at work I pulled out the thickest one I could find - and ta da! It came home with me. :) It was okay. It's a collection of 4 related short stories about a vampire looking for love, and who is thoughtful enough towards his victims to only bite with one tooth so they think it's a mosquito bite. It's a unique world filled with new and unusual characters, and while I liked reading it, I didn't feel a pull to get back to it to see what happened next. That's probably more my fault than the books. 3 stars

Laura, that's my second favorite Orwell, just after the equally depressing Keep the Apidistra Flying. I think about it every time I see someone handing out flyers.

->181 LauraBrook:
Vampire Loves was "meh" for me too, but I did find it amusing that love problems are the same for supernaturals as they are for humans.

Hi Laura, just checking in with good wishes that the new job is running smoothly. Good to see you being able to fit some reading time into your busy schedule.

Orwell really did scrape along sometimes. He must have been really tough. I remember Down and Out being eye opening too.

Orwell is definitely one of my literary heroes, I often think about Down and Out when I visit Paris with work, wondering if there are still Plongeurs!

George Orwell regular appears in my top 10 of my most depressing fiction.. I think Coming up For Air is the worst. I do like him very much though, admittedly I prefer his non-fiction.

I've only read 1984 by Orwell before this, and while it's not a "happy" book, I did really like it. I think this time around I expected something a bit less bottom-of-the-barrel than what I found. I'll read him again, for sure, but I'll do it when I know I can take a good chunk of depression with my reading time.

Work-wise, things are going well! I'm getting more and more used to all of the lifting/pushing/hauling and all of the walking/squatting/stooping that comes with the job. And, I got a raise! It was totally unexpected (apparently the city council voted for us to have a raise last week), and now I make an extra 50 cents an hour! Yay!!! On the massage front, this week seems to be a bit more balanced, with just a few clients. That's a good thing - I need time to catch up on all of the laundry, it's really a huge amount. And, some time this month, the office where I work (closest to my house) will be doing a Groupon. It's going to be probably mostly a disaster simply because the people I work with do not think, are not logical, are not planners, and everything is about them always. It's incredibly frustrating for me, and I am doing my darndest to get myself as organized and prepped as possible so that when problems come down the pike, I will look smooth and will feel able to calmly handle any situation, and everyone else can do whatever they want. (Actually, if I'm honest, I've been telling people I know NOT to buy this Groupon, and that I would honor that price if they want to schedule directly with me - it sounds underhanded, I realize, but I'd like them to have a positive experience when they visit my place of business, and the only way to guarantee that is to go directly through me only.)

And with that, I need to fold an enormous load of towels and face cradle covers, change clothes, and head out to do a massage!

Book 29: A Regency Invitation to the Party of the Season by Nicola Cornick

I read this in the middle of the night when I woke up at 1 or 3 am and couldn't get back to sleep. It was a fun, no-brainer read, and while I don't normally read romances, it was an enjoyable way to spend a few sleepy hours. 2.5 stars

Book 30: A Passage To India by E.M. Forster

Chosen for me to read by Alison Kay/RidgewayGirl, I thought that I'd like this one more than I did. While the writing was beautiful, no doubt, I found the subject/main drama to be very uncomfortable and angering. Therefore, it was difficult to read, and even harder to keep picking up every day to keep it going. In the end, just to have it finished, was the main reason I kept going. I'm going to hang on to my 1950's copy to read again, as I'm sure in a few years I'll have a very different response to the book, but for now, I'm giving it 3 stars.

I started to read A Passage to India and then got distracted by other books. I loved Forster's A Room with a View, so I do want to try to read it again, but I know the subject is rough to handle and I hope he doesn't present too many stereotypes about the Indian characters.

Hi Andrea! I loved A Room With A View too, so I was a little...underwhelmed by Passage. The stereotypes/racial crap doesn't get any easier the more you read, I'm sorry to say. Might just have to be like ripping the bandage off and checking it off of all of the "best of" lists that it's on. ;)

Book 31: We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin

Yet another GN that I took home from work when the shelf was too full, and I'm so glad that I did. This powerful and touching memoir of the author and her mother's time (1944-1945) surviving through the last of WWII in Hungary, and with a few glimpses into her modern life in NYC, was riveting. The illustrations only add to the dark, confusing time that was the end of the war in Europe. At turns sad, hopeful, harrowing, and desperate, this could only be true. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. 4.25 stars

Book 32: Everyone's Reading Bastard by Nick Hornby

A friend has lent me her Kindle for a few weeks, so I'm catching up with some ebook exclusives. This story of an ex-husband and how his life changes when his soon-to-be and then ex-wife writes a newpaper column about all of his shortcomings (hence, the title). Not quite as funny as I'd expect from the author, but it was a fun 15 minutes spent reading. 3 stars

Book 33: The Hangman by Louise Penny

Another ebook, this time with one of my favorite inspectors, Gamache, and the fabulously charming village of Three Pines. When an out-of-towner finds a hanging corpse while jogging through the woods, Gamache & Co. come to investigate. Because of its' short length, I could figure out whodunit before the reveal - not typical for me with her books - and it's made me pick up where I left off in the Three Pines series proper. 4 stars

Book 34: Heads In Beds by Jacob Tomsky

*caution, swearing ahead*
This motherfucker can write! (Jacob would only take me calling him a motherfucker as the highest compliment.) Funny, honest, heartfelt, kind, sarcastic, this account of his life spent working in hotels was really great. Chosen as one of my bookclub's picks (not the classics one, obvs.) this got me out of my reading slump. (Well, non-GN slump.) This no-holds-barred account of all of the goings-on in the hospitality industry was fantastic, easy to read, and fully satisfies any spying-on-others urges that you may have. (And c'mon, who doesn't like watching people?!?) A great book, and I'm glad that I splurged to buy my own used copy rather than waiting for my libraries' long hold list to finally get to me. A keeper! 4.25 stars

Book 35: Soulless by Gail Carriger

A unique world, filled with humor, rules and regulations, super- (and preter-) natural beings, and suspense, I loved this book! No reason for it taking me so long to read (and for me to finally get around to reading it, especailly after so many of my LT compatriots' adorations), and I'm looking forward to getting back to Alexia, Connall, and all of the rest. 4.25 stars

Books 36 & 37: Emma, Volume 3 and Emma, Volume 4 by Kaoru Mori

I'm totally digging this manga series set in Victorian-era England! With the exception of my first manga series (Chobits - thanks, Sara!), this is far and away my runner-up favorite. I don't have any idea what will happen from page to page, let alone book to book, and I only wish I could afford to purchase my own set. 5 stars each.

**********************

Life update: Meh. Things are alright. I'm getting more and more used to the physicality of my library job with every shift (though I still have some issues with stooping over for long periods - I suspect that will never go away), and if I can just slow myself down when I'm working instead of essentially racing myself to do things as quickly as possible and getting flushed and sweaty while doing so, it'll be just peachy. No more crazy patron stories (hope I didn't jinx myself), and it's all going along just fine. Massage clients have been fairly steady, which is both good and bad, because it's nice to be a little busy despite the mass amounts of laundry and supplies that it takes.

The space I rent nearby my house has decided (while "consulting" me in a staff meeting that was a barrage of new information 2 days before signing the contract) that we will be doing a Groupon for massage. Ugh. This will only end horribly for everyone involved in nearly every way for about a million reasons. Most of them originate with the owner and her daughter and their apparent total absence of responsibility, logical thinking, cleanliness, class, and communication skills. This leaves me to try and catch up and clean and think logically and ask A LOT of follow-up questions, etc etc etc, and they think I'm an uptight bitch. But, if I don't set things up in a way that makes sense to me, like having one scheduling book to accommodate all of us to make taking phone calls seamless, and paying (by myself) to rent a water dispenser and water jugs so people will have something to drink, and doing all cleaning and organizing and seasonal decorating, I will certainly go 100% insane - at this rate, it's only 94% certain. The place looks like someone has brought in old, unmatching things from home, like it's their partially-finished basement, with tchotchkes, oily residue, mismatched picture frames, badly framed artwork, etc. It does not resemble a relaxing spa-like atmosphere that you'd expect to find, in some form, at a massage therapy business. *heavy sigh* I am doing my best, and will try not to both overly-inconvenience myself with scheduling and/or have a continuous cold due to mass amounts of stress (like the one I'm trying to get over currently). It is going to be a VERY VERY LONG 3-6 months and I'm just trying to brace myself for the oncoming shitstorm. Ugh.

And, starting in April, I'll be starting yet another job. (I know!) I'll be spending Friday mornings/early afternoons working at the health food store attached to my chiropractor's office. I'm not as nervous/apprehensive as I'd normally be for a retail job like this (it's been a while) simply because I know and like all of the employees and have been going there for 6 years. And, it's relatively small, and help will always be about 100 feet away. No idea how much I'm getting paid, or what, exactly, I'll be doing, but it's some very small guaranteed income. (And, speaking of that, even thought I'm working a lot, I seem to have slightly less money than before - it doesn't seem possible, but my bank account doesn't seem to lie.) Crap.

I don't want to sound like I'm whingeing or ungrateful, because I'm not, but my schedule and lack of free time is very worrying. Ideally I'd like 2 days off a week, and right now, I don't have more than a half day most weeks through April. A mini-breakdown is inevitable. I'll be escaping into books as much as I possibly can (and here too - I've really missed LT!), though they will most likely be heavily illustrated.

And have I mentioned that I have yet to start getting my taxes together, let alone make an appointment with my accountant (and how will I afford it and the taxes that I assuredly owe?!?), the house is a disaster of paper and odds and ends, I literally have 3 double-sided pages of things that need buying/doing before the Groupon goes live (in 10 days!!!!), my DVR is near-full (and it takes over 400 hrs!), and all I want to do most days is lay on the couch, take naps, laze around like a bum.

I think I need a 1950's wife to take care of me.

Should we all wish for the groupon offering to be a bust?

I hate to say it, but yes please!

Glad to hear you're liking the Emma series - I, for some forgotten reason, paused after #5, but I'm looking forward to getting back to it. The Groupon things sounds awful - I have no idea how things like that works, but I take it there's no way to not participate. It is hard to have a schedule like that where you don't get a proper day to yourself - hope that gets sorted soon! We would all like a 1950s wife to take care of us, I think... :)

I hate it when there are lots of things to be organized and nobody else seems to care about getting them done! Very stressful. Hope that books can help you get away from it all when you need it.

*wishes for you*

Do you have to rent with that group? It sounds like they might be more trouble than they're worth (especially if it means you'll be knocking down your prices for a few months too!)... Groupon and the similar deals is one of those products that is really great for consumers, but which I've never heard of a company being glad of participating. The last day of the deal is especially bad -- I hear all the time about cupcakeries running out of cupcakes and restaurants running out of reservations, with upset never-to-return customers to show for all their Groupon trouble. :-/ Anyway. I am wishing for you!

I'm glad you liked Heads in Beds! I saw that one the other day at work and thought about flipping through it, but I have too many of my own books to read first.

And you're welcome re: Chobits. :) I bought the anime of it awhile back (well, just of episodes 1-4) and tried watching a few minutes of it, but it's a tad silly. The manga/graphic novel series is much better. Anyway, I thought I'd mention that (I think) the Emma series you're reading was also made into an animated series, just in case you're in need of finding something to do with all those free hours you have--ha ha! ;)

I'm glad you liked Heads in Beds. I loved it, too.

I've long wanted to read A Passage to India, though obviously not strongly since I've been meaning to read it, well, for forever. Your comments don't do anything towards making me push it farther up the list so thanks for the warning.

Nice bunch of reading you have done, Laura! Sorry to learn about the challenges you are having to face with the massaging job. The word Groupon makes me cringe. The health food store sounds great. I admit I really enjoy shopping in all of the various health food stores in my town. Here is hoping you survive the Groupon thing with your patience and sanity intact. We are always here for you to vent your frustrations to. ;-)

Books 38 & 39: Emma, Vol. 5 and Emma, Vol. 6 by Kaoru Mori

More excellent adventures in the "Emma" world, with some twists I did not see coming. I'm loving this series! 5 stars each.

Book 40: Upstairs & Downstairs: The Illustrated Guide to the Real World of Downton Abbey by Sarah Warwick

A beautifully produced oversized book about Edwardian England society, country house living, and the life of the servants. Set up as times of the day, it walks you through a typical day for people both above and below stairs. Filled with lots of large photographs and vintage illustrations, it was a real pleasure to read. 4.25 stars

Book 41: My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Extremely well-done GN memoir of his high school years and his friendship with future serial killer Jeff Dahmer. Disturbing, intriguing, compulsively readable, and very sad-making for me. It's what I'd imagined Dahmers' youth to be like, and it's unfortunate that the adults around him were totally clueless to this kids obvious need for help and attention. 4.25 stars

When Jeff's crimes became public in 1991, I was in middle school in a suburb of Milwaukee. I remember watching the local news with my parents, and being sort of stunned that something like this could happen in my backyard. I was never fearful or scared about it because I knew that he was already in police care and that he had only abducted and killed young men, but my parents were incredibly nervous and paranoid that something could happen to me. (This, despite the fact that I'd only been to downtown Milwaukee a handful of times, and always with them or with a school tour group, seemed completely ridiculous to me. I understand that as a parent you never stop worrying, especially about something like this with so many young men murdered, but I always knew that there was absolutely nothing for them to really worry about in the big scheme of things.) As details came out, I was glued to the TV, both with a morbid curiosity and a fascination that I recognized areas that were on the news. Ultimately, yes, he was guilty as all hell and did totally horrible, disgusting, despicable things, but Dahmers' life just makes me so sad - I feel like things did not have to turn out the way that they did.

Sorry to not have responded yet to any messages, will do so when I get home from work tonight.

A couple of hours ago I found out that the Groupon will be going live TOMORROW, and not Saturday as was originally planned. Been on the phone and trying to get paperwork/organizing things together in a rush before leaving in less than an hour for work. Crap.

Your Emma reviews convinced me to start the series. I've only read the first volume so far, and the art really has me hooked.

Lovely to see a view of spring even though it's not very "springy" here. Predictions for another 2" of snow tonight. I'm scheduled for a pedi tonight after work and think I'll be coming home with bare toes slogging through the snow. Yuck! And double yuck! I'm so over winter.

Eva: I hope you can get back to the Emma series! I just finished Volume 7 last night, and in the afterword, the author mentions that this is the final book - but there are books 8, 9, and 10 at the library, so maybe she changed her mind? And you're right, there's no way for me to not participate in the Groupon. A 1950's wife would be good for all of us. Hope you're well!

rp: So far, books are the only thing that will guarantee me some relaxation. And the lack of caring on the owners part is still very much there. :/

pammab: Yes and no, I have to rent with them. No, in that I can go wherever I'd like with a space and price that I dig, but that leads me to the Yes. I pay a commission for each massage I do, up to a (relatively small) cap and then I keep everything after that. The thing is, I've not come close to the cap so far, and to rent a space somewhere else would at least double the current cap (per month!) so until I can get some kind of a massive increase in income from wherever, I'm kind of stuck there for now. It's a bummer, but I'm thankful that I have a space to work that's safe and has a nice layout, despite its' many many many issues. I've also never heard of a business that's been glad for participating in Groupon - I just have to hope that things aren't as terrible as I'm expecting them to be.

Sara: I tried watching the Chobits series too, and you're right, it was waaaay too sweet and cheesy. And dude, there's a series for Emma? I'm totally googling that find out for sure. :) I predict you will really like Heads In Beds whenever you get around to it.

Linda: I thought a friend of mine also liked Heads - glad it was you! Yeah, personally, I wouldn't necessarily be rushing to read A Passage to India, but there are lots of people who didn't seem to mind the racial stuff as much as I did. *shrug* There are so many more books out there, IMO, that unless you feel an urge, I'd give it a pass.

Lori: Thanks, my dear! The health food store thing will be good, I start training next week, and work the week after. (Ssshhh, but I'm kind of hoping that I'll have a little time to read for a few minutes when I'm there.)

ryvre: I hope you like Emma when you read her! It's a fun magna-style view of Edwardian England and the whole upstairs-downstairs-class-issue thing. Plus, Kaoru draws some absolutely beautiful panels that make me stop and admire her work. :)

Betty: I know, I needed something to be spring-y somewhere, so I had to make the change. I've been longing for a pedicure too, but like you, I don't want to slog through snow and ice when I'm heading home. The wind chill today is below zero, with temps not to go much above freezing for over a week - I love winter, but I'm really over it. Hope you pick a fun color and that the snow doesn't start until after you get home!

*************

After talking with the daughter a few times yesterday, I finally got some actually helpful Groupon info (like our merchant password), and instructions for redeeming the coupons both electronically and not. And, apparently, we "shouldn't change our plans for the weekend" to answer the phone because today they're offering our deal in a "private sale" and tomorrow it rolls out to the general public. I don't really have a clue as to what that means, or what kind of numbers are involved in the private sale, but I still plan on being there to answer messages as much as I can. The daughter thinks that I'm being nuts about this, especially with planning to sit there for 5 hours tomorrow, but I'd rather handle the calls promptly and courteously (and correctly) than worry and wonder about how she and her Mom are potentially royally screwing things up. And, after I work on cleaning and decorating for spring, I'm also hoping to read while I'm sitting there!

Book 42: Emma, Vol. 7 by Kaoru Mori

Emma is back in town, the Viscount is more of a pretentious A-hole than I thought, and this (according to the author's afterword) is the last in the series!!! It can't be, as there are 3 more volumes on the shelf at work, and now I really really can't wait to check them out tonight! Another 5 stars

Oops, I should've posted this IMDb link for the Emma anime; it probably would've saved you some time. :) Good luck with finishing the series! I'm sure you'll love to re-read them.

From what I understand, the last 3 Emma-books take place in the same world, but deal with other characters. I'm waiting for a long weekend so I can binge myself through the series one after the other. :)

Hi there - remember me? I sure hope so.

The last few weeks have been a blur, a busy, achey (sp?), exhausting blur. While it's nice to do a lot of massages, it's also crazy-making. The library has been going well too, and I'm more used to the stooping and squatting than before. Last week I trained for a job as a clerk/checkout lady at a small health food/supplement store attached to my chiropractor's office, and this Friday is my first day. There's a lot to learn, but someone will always be nearby to answer any questions, and it's not that busy most of the time, so I should be alright.

And uh...yeah! That's been my life! My new normal is to have 1 day off a week, Sundays, and that day I spend almost the entire time napping on the couch, in bed, or in the recliner. I'm wiped. This past Sunday was Easter (I hope that all of yours were happy ones!), and my parents picked up Chinese (our regular, apparently) and came over to hang out. I planned on making a cake from scratch, but that was nuts, so I bought a creepy bunny cake at our favorite local bakery instead. It was just as good, if not better, because it was no extra work for me!

I've been reading, a little, and while I have a few books to update here, I'm hoping to have some more in the near future. For now, though, I'm going to try and catch up a bit with all of your threads (it's been something like a month - sorry!), have another glass of wine, and not do anything productive.

It's so nice to be back. :)

Sounds like you're keeping busy and out of trouble! Stay well.

Mmmm creepy bunny cake! :P Glad to hear the library job is going well and to hear from you in general! Hope you manage to find some more pockets of rest throughout the week and that your Sunday rest is of the highest quality!

Love "creepy bunny cake!" Sounds like you're keeping busy, then... :) Good to see you back!!

Glad to hear from you and to hear that you're adjusting. At least you don't have to make a special trip to the library anymore! Now, if the health food store sells wine, you're on easy street.

I was thinking about you the other day and wondering if we hadn't been hearing for you because of your groupon deal. Glad you're still liking the library job. Sorry you don't have more reading time. Remember to take time to breathe :)

Nice to see you posting, Laura, even if your crazy busy schedule gives you almost no time for any reading and relaxing! Love the 'creepy bunny cake' - so perfect for Easter, IMO!

Hello once again! I've got a free hour or so before I have to leave for work again (it's massage this time), so I thought I'd try and catch up a little bit with all of my friends! I really miss you guys!

I've gotten a few books read, and will just list them below with ratings. It's been awhile since I've finished some of them, and my memory stinks.

Books 43, 44, 45: Emma, Vols. 8, 9, & 10 by Kaoru Mori 4 stars for 8 and 9, and 4.5 stars for 10

Book 46: Micrographica by Renee French 3 stars

Book 47: Sailor Twain: or, The Mermaid In The Hudson by Mark Siegel 4 stars

Books 48 and 49: No Voyage, and Other Poems and The River Styx, Ohio, and Other Poems by Mary Oliver 4.5 and 4 stars, respectively

Book 50: Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin (I both listened to and read this one) 4.25 stars

Book 51: Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners by Josephine Ross 3 stars (4 stars for the illustrations, though)

There have been several DNF's too, but I didn't keep track of those.

This weekend is Dewey's Read-a-Thon, and I've got both Saturday and Sunday off for this - I'M SO EXCITED!!! I'll try and update here as much as I can, and my only goal for this year is to read 3 books, and one of them must be a book-book, not a graphic novel/audio book. I'll either read a lot or a little, it depends on how wiped out I am from this week.

It was my 5th Thingaversary at the beginning of the month :) and I bought myself 6 books to celebrate - they're still on their way to me (and I don't really remember what I bought!), so I'll update you guys with that list once they arrive.

If you want to see some pictures of my work (the library) and the creepy bunny cake, head on over to my blog (http://pleasepardontheinterruption.blogspot.com) to check it out! I'm too lazy to repost things, and that's where I'll be doing most of my read-a-thon updates this weekend, so if you want to keep track on how crazy I'm getting as it gets later and later, that's the place to be! I do try to update on a semi-regular basis, but as you can see, I've hardly been there at all lately. Hoping that will change, but no guarantees!

And I think that's it for now! Going to try and catch up with a few of you guys and finish eating my early dinner of salad with turkey, cheese, pecans and delicious-but-bad-for-you honey mustard dressing. YUM!

Happy Thingaversary!

I'm planning to do Dewey's Read-a-thon too. I'll be sure to visit your blog on Saturday!

Wow, your library looks so clean and weirdo-free. (jealous) ;)

#217 - Sara, I thought the same thing when I saw the pictures of the library.

Hi Laura! I hope you're finding time to relax and recover from your three jobs. How did the groupon thing go?

Happy Thingaversary!

I too am interested in how the groupon went/goes....

I'm planning on the Dewey Read-a-Thon too. So excited!

Happy Thingaversary - and you celebrated in exactly the right way, I see: loot! :)

Happy belated Thingaversary, Laura. I'm already planning on my 6 books for my Thingaversary in June!

The library is clean, just dusty. And I made sure that all the weirdos were sitting down in front of the computers (not hard to do, believe me) before I took any pics.

My Thingaversary books came in! I bought myself:
Through No Fault of My Own by Coco Irvine, because I loved it when I read it last year
Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner, because I enjoyed the first in the series and can pass it on to my Mom who owns #1
Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie, because I'm slowly collecting all of Poirot's books, and this book is featured in one of my favorite episodes of Doctor Who!
Cecelia by Frances Burney, because I loved Evelina when I read it ages ago
Versailles, A Biography of a Place by Tony Spawforth because it's been on my wishlist for a long time, I love Versailles, and history books, and books about grand houses/palaces.

And, I've just realized that I need to buy one more book to grow on! Oh no, what a predicament! ;)

The Groupon? Is crazy. It's finally not being sold any more, thank goodness, because we sold nearly 400 of them! And there's really just 2 of us doing all of these massages - and most of the Groupons are for 2 massages - so it's very very very busy. I have to take one afternoon and one morning off a week from now on just to preserve my sanity and have a minute to catch my breath at home. And, almost all of the Groupons expire on July 19, so I've got a few more months of this. It's quieting down right now, but I expect it to be the way it was for the last few weeks once mid-June hits. Yikes. Is it any wonder I've nearly drank an entire box of wine this month?!?

Tomorrow is Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon, and I'm pretty excited about it! I totally know that I will be taking multiple naps, which is fine, but really I'm looking forward to having 2 days off together and to reading as much as possible. It's been over a month since I've read more than 5 pages at once (aside from Graphic Novels, since they're full of pretty shiny pictures), and I'm going through reading withdrawals.

I've got about 30 books checked out from work just for this purpose (don't worry, I have more hanging around here just in case), and I've got an audiobook ready to start, and a few of my own books too. My only goal is to read 3 books, and one of them cannot have pictures. I'm planning on making chili and vacuuming, and aside from that I will be alternately reading and sleeping! I really can't wait.

I took a few pictures of my book stacks, but for some reason my iPhone won't "talk" to my computer so I can't download the pics. WTH? I don't know what to do about that, but it's strange.

Anyways, I'll be here tomorrow and Sunday to catch up with more of you guys when I need a brain break. And now, I'm off to bed!

Good luck today, Laura, and thanks for stopping by my blog! Like you, I've also got a huge stack of books ready, but I usually get through 2 or 3 books only each time I do this read-a-thon. I signed up as a cheerleader too, which I enjoy very much, so that reduces the reading time somewhat. I have a couple of graphic novels in my stack, so I might be able to manage more than 3 this time around.

Thanks, and good luck to you too! It's a half hour since the 'thon started and all I've read are blog updates. :-/ I'm just about to step away from the computer, though, and get started reading. My goal is 3 books, but if I can beat my all-time record of (I think) 8, I'll be very happy!

Yay! New books!

And good luck with your busy days. I hope you gets lots of new clients who want to give you lots of money.

So that's 400 massages for you to do before July 19th? Crikey! Fingers Xed you get some new great clients from it at least. Have a great read-a-thon!

Nice success on the Groupon, tempered by the fact that there are only two of your giving the massages! Yikes! Sounds like getting in a read-a-thon now is a smart idea!

Oh my goodness, did I ever need that read-a-thon! You know how you get to the point where you can't stand the sight of anyone and you feel like punching something? That's where I was before the 'thon. Not a good place at all, I can tell you that. Now, I'm much better. Partly due to 2 days at home, uninterrupted to read and nap to my hearts' content, and partly because after that, my schedule has been a little less insane since then. Like today, for example - All I have to do is work at the library from 3 til 6! I've been washing up (both dishes and clothes), watching DVDs that need returning, reading a bit, sorting through junk mail/paperwork, taking care of the birds outside, etc. It's been really a nice day. My parents even stopped by for lunch! Reminds me of the "old days" when I had hardly an employment to speak of, a cleaner house, and a happier and relaxed conscience!

At any rate, here are the four books that I managed to read during the 'thon:

Book 52: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

I totally loved this first book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. In it, we meet Mary Russell, and Sherlock, Watson, and Mrs. Hudson, while Sherlock is living in "retirement" in Sussex. The friendship between Mary and Holmes is wonderful, and Laurie King does an excellent job capturing the feeling of the Holmes stories while believably showing each character in the future. I don't know how in the world I've managed to avoid this series for so long, and I regret not picking it up sooner. Many thanks to my friend Erica for pushing me towards it! 4.25 stars

Book 53: Sizeable Reflections ed. by Shelly Bovey

This British short collection of (slightly dated) essays on being a big woman and living life to the fullest was inspiring and made me feel quite a lot better about myself. It may be a bit hard to get a hold of a copy, but if it sounds interesting to you, then I highly suggest seeking one out. 4.5 stars

Book 54: Max Hamm, Fairy Tale Detective by Frank Cammuso

This short GN would be a real treat to anyone who enjoys either retellings of fairy tales or hardboiled detective stories - if you enjoy both, you'll love this! Puns, apropo illustrations, and a lot of fun are packed into these pages - 3.5 stars

Book 55: Soulless, the Manga: Vol. 1 by Gail Carriger and Rem

A lovely interpretation of the book, and I'm looking forward to volume 2! 4 stars

And these are the books that I've managed to finish since then:

Books 56, 57, 58 & 59: A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 -4 by Kaoru Mori

You can really tell how much Kaoru's artwork has advanced between writing the Emma series and this one. The story and setting are brand-new to me, so it makes this series even more interesting. Set during the 19th Century on/in/near the Silk Road, it tells the tale of a few different women's lives and how they came to be married, their nomadic tribes, what life is like for them now (as compared to before they were married), etc. It's fascinating! I can't recommend them highly enough, and while I thought I'd at least like them, I found myself absolutely in love with them! 5 stars each

Book 60: The Case of Madeleine Smith by Rick Geary

Yet another GN, it tells the true story of the alleged crimes of Victorian lady Madeleine Smith. Part of a larger series focusing on Victorian crimes both infamous and not, the stark black-and-white drawings are pitch-perfect for the tale, with just enough teasing and quotations to quickly pull you through. Excellent, and I've got a few more of these on my dining room table ready to be gobbled up! 4 stars

Book 61: Tomorrow When The War Began by John Marsden

A choice for one of my book clubs, I didn't care for it at all. Nothing overtly bad stuck out, it just didn't do anything for me. We were split as a group (half loved it and half didn't really care either way), and I'm relieved to FINALLY not be pulled into yet another long series! 3 stars

Book 62: Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey by Karen Wilkin

A very nice collection of his artwork, a small biography very nicely written by Ms. Wilkin, and a good way to spend an hour or so. Recommended for fans - 3.9 stars

Book 63: After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story by Michael Hainey

Wow. Michael is a great writer (no surprise considering his family tree) and this was such a compulsively readable book about his investigation of his father's mysterious death when he was a boy, that I picked it up to see what it was like and read over 60 pages before I looked up. Really and truly excellent, and while I won't spoil the ending (that'd be too cruel), I will say that it wasn't what I was expecting to happen. Hainey writes some small scenes that are powerful and that feel too honest and specific to seemingly be applicable to anyone but he and you - but then I suspect that most of us have had moments of clarity like that in our lives. Really wonderful, and I'll be looking for a copy to add to my bookshelf. 4.5 stars

Glad to hear that the readathon helped you get to a happier mindset! Looks like a good assortment of books, too.

Sorry you didn't like Tomorrow, When the War Began. I always recommend it to teens who "have to" read Science Fiction for a class because it's more of a realistic adventure/survival story. I think the series gets better as it goes, too. But good for you avoiding another series trap. :-)

It's been ages since I read it, but I loved the Beekeeper's Apprentice, too. I've been tempted to try the series, but I think I'd have to reread the first book first.

Max Hamm: Fairy Tale Detective goes on the list, just 'cause. Nice batch of reading, Laura! ;-)

Hi Laura, I am intrigued by The Bride's Story, I think Mamie also recommended this one highly. I really like Emma, but I haven't gotten back to continue that series yet and here I am planning to start a new one!

#229: lol @ You know how you get to the point where you can't stand the sight of anyone and you feel like punching something? -- Not laughing at you; I just totally know how you feel. I'm glad the read-a-thon hit the spot. :) And I love your reads. I'll have to keep an eye out for them, especially the graphic novels.

230: Hi, rp! It was very helpful to my state of mind, most definitely!

231: That's alright, BookLizard! One of the girls in my book group loved the book so much that she went right out to the library and gobbled up the rest of the series! :) And, like you said, I'm just thankful that for once I can avoid a series. ;)

232: Hi Andrea! You could probably just skim Beekeeper's and you'd be all set. My Mom started the book a couple of days ago and is about 3/4 of the way through it - looks like I've got to start hunting for the rest of the series!

233: Lori, I think you'll like it, just 'cuz. :) It's a quick read.

234: Judy, I think it's totally normal to start another series before finishing the first one. :) You're in good company, and LT is the perfect place for you! The Bride's Story is a bit more in-depth than Emma, in general, and there's really no way to get the two confused. Just jump in and do it!

235: Yay! Well, sort-of, I'm just glad to have a little company in that crazy place. GNs are great, aren't they?!? Hope you're doing well!

I forgot about 2 books!

Book 64: The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

I'm a late-comer to the Pioneer Woman world, but I'm sure a fan of hers now! My Mom is the one who really introduced me to Ree and her life, and it's her books that I've been reading. This particular cookbook was tummy-grumble-inducing and beautiful to look at. Too bad Ree wasn't in my teeny kitchen too cook everything for me! 4 stars

Book 65: Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

Yet another book about food, this makes me wish I had the capability to write a similar memoir. I really liked her first food memoir, French Milk, and you can tell that Ms. Knisley has grown by leaps and bounds both in terms of storytelling and artwork. Lucky enough to have foodie parents, Lucy grew up in and around great food/chefs/eating/restaurants. This book hopscotches around her memory, doling out advice, recipes, and moments from her past with pitch-perfect illustrations. A total delight and pleasure to read. 5 stars!

Relish sounds really fun... and a good way to get cooking in your own kitchen.

French Milk was a fun read! I see that my local library has Relish: My life in the Kitchen on order so I have placed a hold.

Loved French Milk, so it looks like I need to pick up Relish. :)

#236: Graphic novels are great! :) I just put a hold on French Milk and Relish: My Life in the Kitchen (this one is on order, so it may take awhile before I get it), so hopefully I'll get around to reading them. Thanks!

#229 - I had to stopy and laugh when I read the bit about wanting to punch someone. That descrbed how I'm feeling today perfectly - people just need to go away and let me be for a few days. If only a readathon was possible! Glad you were able to unwind a bit.

I'm glad to hear that the read-a-thon went so well for you, and I'm impressed by the number of books you had finished! Several people have recommended The Beekeeper's Apprentice to me; it definitely sounds like something I should read.

237-240: Ladies, I hope you all enjoy Relish!

241: LT, I hope you're not feeling too punchy any more - but it's nice to hear someone else feels the same way sometimes!

242: Beekeeper's was really great - but be warned, the first half of the book is about how Mary and Sherlock meet and develop a friendship and covers a few smaller cases. The second half is where the big mystery and thrust of the book takes place. I hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to pick it up!

Books 66 & 67: The Borden Tragedy & Lovers' Lane: The Hall-Mills Mystery by Rick Geary

I'm really enjoying this series on 19th and 20th century unsolved crimes. Mr. Geary's linework is pitch-perfect for these stories and it's always just the right amount of information that's included. I highly recommend the series if it sounds at all interesting. In Borden, I learned about a few new pieces of information that I hadn't known about previously (and this after watching a few TV programs about the crime) and found it even more fascinating than before. In Lovers Lane, this was an entirely new-to-me crime about an adulterous couple found murdered in a farming field in New Jersey. To this day, no one has been convicted, but the shoddiness of the police work and the amount of suspects is really alarming. 4.5 stars to each book.

Book 68: Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos by Simon Tofield

Yet another delightfully funny and charming entry into the Simon's Cat universe. I chuckled and laughed at this book more than the others, simply because I have 2 cats and could really appreciate the love/hate relationship shown here. If you have a cat, know a cat, love cats, or just animals in general, you'd certainly enjoy this book! 5 stars

************************

I'm working most of the day today, though I did get a "reprieve" from my first appointment. My client woke up with food poisoning (awful) which means that I have at least another hour and a half at home this morning (lovely)! So I've been watching a program about Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, having some coffee and about to make breakfast. It's really the little things that make me happy these days. :) After work this afternoon, I'm stopping at one of my bosses houses to get keys and instructions for taking care of her cats this week, and then I'm going into my massage office. I'm hoping that I can get out of there within an hour, but I don't think that'll happen.

There are several things that need doing, and it's going to take a while. I'm switching the massage tables out (bringing mine in from home), cleaning, and putting up some more "decorations" in my room. I've been told that my massage room is kind of an energetic "dead zone" (and I agree, but it's actually kind of nice for me since I'm so sensitive to that stuff) and the owner, her idiot daughter who also works there, and the Ayurvedic nutritionist that works there have all decided what needs to be done to "my" room to increase the energy. I'm okay with making a few changes, but I'd like to make them myself and/or approve what will be done. Apparently, that's not something that they're even considering. Things like replacing the broken stereo on the wall with an enormous circa-1992 stereo system that doesn't fit anywhere so it requires moving/adding furniture into a room that isn't that big to begin with. And adding fake ivy vines along the ceiling (ugh - the dust!), and painting flowers around a mirror that gets switched with another, larger, mirror sometimes. And adding a wind chime so it makes noise every time a door is opened/closed in the office - um, no, annoying! And adding "lots" of pictures to the walls - NO!!!!! The rest of the place is visual chaos and I'm purposely trying to keep my room as minimal and visually quiet as possible. We have a clock, a medium-sized mirror, and a large illustration of a beech forest on the walls - that's it! There are also 3 doorways in my room (the main door, a pocket door to connect with the other massage room for couples appointments, and the furnace/storage room). That's plenty of visual "interest" for me! They want to add badly framed copies of masterpiece artworks with the artist name and title written in fairly large print all over the place - NO AGAIN!!! I have a strict "no words" policy in my massage room as it's distracting both to myself and the clients. You end up reading and looking at the letters and not the picture itself! UGH! It's incredibly frustrating, and when I was there on Thursday trying to figure out how to put things together, everyone else was in the room with me and trying to move things - it was too much and I got really angry and overwhelmed. The only one who noticed that I was quiet was the owner, and she left the room. I just didn't say anything and asked if they would give me a week to bring things in from home as I've been slowly gathering items over the past 8 years for my massage business. There are already some glass ornaments hanging up and a few crystals that have been added - that's kind of okay, but I asked for a week and didn't even get a full day! Am I being unreasonable/crazy here? I don't think I am, and I realize that I don't own the business, but I do use that room often and I'd rather that I be the one to place anything in there for decoration. It's just so incredibly frustrating!

Sorry for the vent! It just had to come out in a place where I know people will be understanding and there is NO WAY my coworkers will ever find it!

In other, happier news, yesterday was my birthday! I'm now 35 (booooo!) which I've heard is officially the start of middle-age. Let me tell you, it feels true to me! It was a very nice day, and I just stayed at home in pj's by myself, watching TV, reading, taking naps, and doing laundry (unfortunate but necessary). It was really nice! It does make having to work all day today a little bit of a bummer, but that's okay. At least it's a quiet day on the road, which is always nice!

And now, I should finish breakfast, change clothes and get ready to go! I hope you all are having a lovely and restful Sunday!

Happy birthday!! Sounds like a good way to celebrate. Hope today at work goes well.

Happy belated Birthday, Laura. From my vast experience, middle age starts in your 40's so get out there and enjoy being young!

You are not crazy at all. My mom has done "fixes" to my bedroom in the past an on multiple occasions and it drives me nuts. You should have at least some control over the space in which you work.

A Happy Belated Birthday to you!! May the rest of your year be joyful. :)

Happy belated birthday from me, too!

Happy birthday, Laura! Vent away..... sounds like your 'colleagues' have some crazy control freak issues they need to deal with that do not taking into account their colleagues or clients. If I am in for a massage the last thing I care about is whether there are pictures on the wall... I am there to have my physiological issues dealt with. Besides, if you are working on my back, how can I even see pictures on the wall? Just a thought that has left me pondering this further. ;-)

I'm on the waitlist at the library for Kitten Chaos. I love Simon's Cat.

I just read How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You which is rather unPC, sometimes stupid, but mostly amusing. There's a cute section called, "If we treated our cats like they treat us."

I didn't know there were Simeon's Cat books! But I've watched the videos on YouTube and lived them. Sounds like the books are great too.

There's a book on poetry I want to order for my library since I think it would attract attention - I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats. Cats sure get haters! (Because if this is love, I can do without it!)

#243: Personally, I think your boss and the others kind of invaded your space. Unless you were receiving complaints or something from customers (which I highly doubt), I don't understand their going overboard on decorating. Constructive criticism is one thing, but what they seem to be doing is too much. I honestly don't know what to tell you either, because I have no clue what I'd do in that same situation. Sorry, I'm not much help, but I do agree with you. :)

Btw:


Seriously, 35 is middle-age now? o.o I definitely feel middle-aged, but still... Poo to that.

#251: Love it! :D I just put a hold on that one at our library.

Book 69: A Treasury of Victorian Murder: Jack the Ripper by Rick Geary

Another excellent entry into this series. This time, the familiar story of Jack the Ripper is told through the real contemporary journal that a young gentleman kept. It put a slightly different spin on the story, and felt just slightly new. Impressive! 4.25 stars

> 253 - ..... and the e-book of Jack the Ripper is now downloaded from my local library!!! Thanks for the heads up on this one, Laura!

ETA: couldn't find correct touchstone for the book.

"the point where you can't stand the sight of anyone and you feel like punching something?"
Yep - it's called Friday afternoon in my life. Fridays are my crazy-busy day at work and I frequently want to bash a few people over the head. Good to hear the readathon went well!!

Adding Relish: My Life in the Kitchen to the wishlist - I liked French Milk a lot, but this one looks even better.

Happy belated birthday!!! Maybe a few decades ago midlife started at 35, but I think we can safely move that a bit further ahead now (and I'm not only saying that because I'm over 35 myself!!).

Eh, how are fake flowers relaxing??? The massage therapist I go to (too rarely) has an all white room with a few fresh flowers. Thanks - that's all I need. :)

I had a gift certificate (not a groupon!) for a massage, and so got on last week. Your posts made me aware of the decor! Which was neutral colors and a single, framed poster. I don't think a busy room would have been as relaxing -- I didn't go to have things to look at!

Hi Laura! Hope everything is going well with work and life.
I added Relish: My Life in the Kitchen to my wish list. I loved the foodie parts of French Milk.

Looks like the Rick Geary true crime series has lots of interesting entries in it. I read Devil in the White City which is partly about a murder at that time too, and kept asking myself what was the police force like and what were they doing. Looks like Geary might answer that for some of the police forces of the time.

Hello, my favorite people! I really miss you guys!

I'm sorry to report that life hasn't been much kinder and I haven't really been content of late, but I'm working on changing that. Things are trucking along here in the same way that they have been for the last few months. I'm going to have to quit my job at the health store sooner than later simply because it makes the most sense (in that it's the furthest from my house, the fewest hours, the least pay), though they're so nice there that I'm stalling until I find the right time to do so. And, they'd be getting a 2 month notice, so they can't really sniff at that.

Massage issues are pretty much the same, though I'm scheduling myself there with open time less and less to preserve my sanity. I'm looking at moving my practice somewhere else because they obviously do not care about the same things I do (like being clean and neat) and since I can't change them, I can change my situation. I've spoken to another girl there (who does Reiki and Ayurveda and has known them for nearly her entire life) and she also agrees that they're ridiculous, treat me and my things/space badly and that it's best for me if I leave them to their madness. She will also be leaving in the future as she's looking for jobs on the East Coast, and has told them repeatedly that her working there isn't a permanent thing, and they just ignore it or choose not to hear it.

Library work is good, though dealing with the public can be trying sometimes. It's mostly just the sheer rudeness that bothers the heck out of me, like people taking multiple phone calls or talking so loudly that the whole place turns to look at them and they get pissy about it or parents totally ignoring their children running around and screaming like banshees. Ugh. But I love my coworkers and my boss, the hours and pay are good, so that's one job that is working out okay.

Needless to say, I don't have much of a personal life. Though, about a month ago I did manage to get away for the weekend to a Spiritualist Camp a couple of hours away (the first "vacation" I've had in years!), and it was so great to just be still and be in nature to reconnect with myself. The inches of mud due to hours of downpours every day wasn't so great, but it wasn't that big of a deal. And, this past Monday afternoon I hung out with my "new" book friend Erica and we ended up going to an author signing, 2 different bookstores, and having dinner with the author and some book people at 9:00 that night, so that was fun and unexpected! I'll be updating my reading list here later today (need to run a couple of errands first, including the grocery store so I can have lunch), and just wanted to say that I've really really missed you all and that I'll be here more often that I have been of late.

p.s. Katie, Geary does talk quite a bit about the police force and how they really didn't do their job so much.

Wow. Sounds like you have a lot going on. I hope you are able to smoothly move on to a better situation for your massage business. :)

Life has been crazy busy for you, hasn't it, Laura, and not all in a good way. Sounds like you have some tough decisions to make. Focus on what you need to.... LT will be here when you have the time, or if you just want to vent! ;-)

Ditto what Andrea said. Hope you get some more quiet/personal time very soon!

I hope your situation improves soon.

When it rains, it pours, eh? Hope that things work out on all fronts - can't stay somewhere you're unhappy even if the propsect of changing is scary. Rude library patrons (however odd that is to me) seems to be common, unfortunately, so that probably won't change, but as long as your coworkers are good, that should make up for it. Keeping my fingers Xed for you!

#259: Glad to hear you're alive, Laura! :) But I'm sorry life and work's really sucking right now.

And Eva's right--rude patrons are pretty common. We have quite a few at our branch. I agree--it's one of the things that make library work so unpleasant.

Just hang in there, Laura! :) We're here for you.

Still waiting for the "good stuff" in life to appear, but I hope that it's still on its' way, and soon. Massage has slowed down a bit since most of the Groupons have expired. Last Friday I finally quit the health store job, but will work there through the end of August and am still on staff as a fill-in person whenever they need one. The library job is fine, aside from rude people, but there's not a lot to be done about that.

And now, in no particular order, is a list of books that I've read since my last bookish update. I'll just give a star rating and if you have questions about thoughts/mini-reviews for some of them, let me know and I'll do my best! As it is, I'm hoping I remember them all!

Book 70: Changeless by Gail Carriger 4 stars

Book 71: The Adventures of Blanche by Rick Geary 5 stars

Book 72-77: Lover's Lane, 20th Century Tragedy, The Beast of Chicago, The Mystery of Mary Rogers, Cravan, J. Edgar Hoover - A Biography, and The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans by Rick Geary 4 stars, 4 stars, 3.5 stars, 4 stars, 3.5 stars, 4 stars respectively

Book 78: Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington 4 stars

Book 79: The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde 3.75 stars

Book 80: The Resurrectionist by James Bradley 2.5 stars

Book 81: The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson 1.5 stars

Book 82: Soulless, The Manga, Vol. 2 by Gail Carriger and REM 4 stars

Book 83: Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel 4 stars

Book 84: No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer 2 stars

Book 85: The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi 3.5 stars

Book 86: A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey 4 stars

Book 87: Imogene's Antlers by David Small 4 stars

Book 88: Mousekin's Woodland Sleepers by Edna Miller 4 stars

Book 89: A Study in Sherlock by Laurie R. King 4 stars

Book 90: House Beautiful Decorating With Books by Marie Proeller Hueston 3 stars

Book 91: The Mystery of the Magic Green Ball by Steven Kellogg 3 stars

Books 92 -97 : Roland The Minstrel Pig, Amos & Boris, Farmer Palmer's Wagon Ride, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Doctor DeSoto, and Doctor DeSoto Goes to Africa by William Steig 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, and 4 stars each

Book 98: Goody O'Grumpity by Carol Ryrie Brink 4 stars

Book 99: Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs 2.5 stars

Books 100, 101: Paddy's Evening Out and Paddy Pork: Odd Jobs by John S. Goodall 4 stars each

Books 102-106 : Spring Story, Autumn Story, Winter Story, Summer Story and The Secret Staircase by Jill Barklem 5 stars each

Book 107: Juke Box Hero by Lou Gramm 1 star

Book 108: kate spade new york: things we love 3 stars

Book 109: The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny 4.25 stars

Books 110, 111: The Tale of the Faithful Dove and The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse by Beatrix Potter 4 and 3 stars

I think that's it for now! I'll copy this over to my 13-13 thread too. Now I'm off to the library - here's hoping that I don't come home with lots of items. :)

Wow, you've made quite a bit of headway! Agreeing with your ratings of Changeless and Sailor Twain. I have Death by Darjeeling on Mt. TBR and was expecting it to be so-so, but it's not fun to have it confirmed - OK, I'll lower my expectations and I'll appreciate it more. :)

At least you've had some reading time! I agree with your rating of The Monster of Florence, although I think I rated it a star lower.

During the stress of handling the international move alone (my SO had to be in his new position a few weeks before the movers came) I did get a massage and it was amazing. I did notice that the room was very clean and undecorated -- why would you want to look at things? Do they place them on the floor under the table? I think that they had some sort of fountain thingy in the waiting room, but I don't think that if you're aiming for serene that clutter has any place! Have you started looking at other places? There have got to be a few in town that have the ambiance and commitment to hygiene that you want that would love to hire an experienced masseuse. But, of course, finding the right place is a big pain, especially when you are already feeling like too little butter spread over too much bread (to quote Bilbo Baggins).

I think I was more generous with The Murder of King Tut than it deserved. It wasn't very good, was it? I like the Teashop series more than you did, but I like it more for the setting and characters than the mysteries, which aren't always very well plotted.

267: Hi Eva! Death By Darjeeling wasn't horrible or anything. The pacing is weird, and her language is sometimes overly formal, so much so that it kept taking me out of the story. But it's a long series, so I must be in the minority. (But maybe lowering your expectations is still a good idea.) And at least it's finally a series that I know I won't be continuing with! That's a nice change.

268: Hi Alison! Monster was a bit of a disappointment, and I did think about rating it one star lower. I don't know why I didn't like it more, there wasn't anything inherently "wrong" with it, but it just didn't do it for me. How was your move? Wow, that's a big deal to have to go through - I'm glad you got a massage! That seems to be the overwhelming response I get from people - why are there so many things in your place? - but I'm doing my best to not get involved. There are 2 crystals under my table and a step stool. And I added a decorative light thingy and got crap from a co-worker that I was "adding more clutter" (this is the same person who thinks it's hilarious that I like to keep things clean) and I said that it was more a question of having a nice light so I could see better during the massage. Ugh. They're nice people and all, but I know I need to leave. Hopefully next week I'll be seeing a potential place, and I just found out that my new potential landlord is a pretty cool guy, he started a company that reuses old tires for planters and shoes. But eh, I don't know. I'm still looking. And that Bilbo quote is very apropo!

269: It really wasn't very good, and that was disappointing. I know James Patterson can pretty much do anything he wants to, but maybe he shouldn't have done this particular thing. I did really like the setting and characters in the tea shop mystery, in fact I liked them a lot, but the pacing and language really annoyed me so I won't continue. However, I did pass my book on to 3 different people who all loved it and are continuing with the series, so I don't feel so guilty about ditching it myself.

Off to do a massage! I'll see if I can casually take a picture of my room and post it here this afternoon...

Here is hoping that 'good stuff' happens for you soon, Laura. Looks like you have managed to get in an interesting mix of reading - with an interesting mix of results! Carriger is fun! I am just getting around to some Heyer reading and noticed the 2 star rating for No Wind of Blame. That doesn't sound like one of her Regency stories.... is it one of her mysteries?

Laura, good things will start to happen. I can feel it.

That Laura Childs teashop series is my absolute favorite.

Thanks, Lori. Carriger is a lot of fun - I finally broke down and bought the box set of the series. Looks so purdy! You're right, No Wind of Blame is the start to her mystery series. Lots of other people seem to like it lots better than I did, so don't put too much stock into my "review". I think it was more a matter of bad timing for me, and I'll try more of her mysteries again when life is a little calmer.

Thanks, Linda. I can feel it too (and am glad that someone else can!!!) though it makes me a bit nervous - I'm not used to good things! (That sounds sad, but it's not meant that way, I promise.) See, I suspected that the tea shop series was good! Didn't a new book recently come out? I just couldn't get into her language, like always saying "It is...." instead of "It's...", though I recently got a sarcastic "thanks a lot" card in the mail from my soon-to-be-former boss since she's now hooked on the series and can't stop reading them! The more I think about it, I think I will try the second book at some point, or one of her other series. Again, some time when life is a little calmer. Will you be coming up to WI for Murder in Muskego? (Or is it in Mukwonago? Can't remember right now.) I think it's November 9th, or somewhere around there.

I just made the stellar decision to have the last giant cupcake and now I have a sugar buzz when I should be falling asleep on the couch with a book in hand. Oops! But so worth it. Yum!

What's this murder event? I will have to look into that.

Are you the one whose mother likes cozies or am I thinking of someone else?

ETA: I can't believe I never heard of that event. Looks like Muskego is in Waukesha County. Probably not too hard to get to. I need to look at a map and see where it is in relation to Brookfield, which I do know how to get to. Thanks for letting me know about this. Yes, November 9th.

Sorry you didn't enjoy The Monster of Florence more. I don't usually read nonfiction and don't like true crime, but I really liked it.

Linda, Muskego isn't hard to get to at all. It's south of Brookfield, and the easiest way to get there that I can think of now is to take 94 to Hwy 43, get off at Moorland Road and head South and you hit Muskego a few minutes later. I'm sure there's another way, but that's how I'm getting there. :) I'm excited that I'll see you there! Now all I have to do is find a way to work a book by each author into my reading schedule.
Yes, my Mom is the one who LOVES cozies! I've recently gotten her hooked on the Liss McKinnon series (first is Kilt Dead), a book-themed series by Kate Kingsley, a trilogy that starts with The Blue Rose, the Wisconsin-set series by Hannah Reed, a series by Kate Carlisle, and she'll be starting the tea shop series soon too. Your thread is next on my list to catch up on, so I'll make sure she doesn't run out of books any time soon.

Hi, BL! I did enjoy it, I was just expecting something a little... more, somehow. It's certainly not a bad book, and I've rec'd it to friends and library patrons, but it didn't quite do it for me in some way that I can't put my finger on. Have you read anything else by Preston? I wonder what he's like "normally"?

Book 112: Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

The original that started it all...

I was recently going through The Guardian's Top 100 Books list and saw quite a few children's titles there that I could read fairly easily (the stack is next to me as I type). When I found an audio version narrated by Jim Broadbent, I snatched it up (with the book too), and got swept away in Christopher Robin's imaginary land. Charming and lovely and wonderful, I'm surprised that I hadn't read it before. 5 stars

In my catch-up-on-threads mini-marathon, these are the next 10 on my list...

1. Linda (lindapanzo)
2. Mamzel
3. Maggie1944
4. Jim (drneutron)
5. Morphy
6. Roni (ronincats)
7. CBL (cbl_tbn)
8. Kay (RidgewayGirl)
9. Mamie
10. Caro (cameling)

Ooh, Broadbent reading Pooh. I'm in! :)

Laura, if you see any sign up info for that Muskego mystery thingy, please let me know. I'll try to check, too.

When I used to go often to Brookfield on business, I'd take Moorland Rd north, to Blue Mound. I'm sure I'll find my way.

Right now, I'm ready an intense World War 1 book but, after I finish (just a few pages to go), I'd like to read a couple of relaxing cozies next.

I've never read a Winnie the Pooh, but I did read a mystery from A.A. Milne. I think it was called The Red House Mystery. It was pretty good, as I recall.

So glad to see you back here more often. Now if we can just get Ivy, Dejah, Victoria PL, and Stasia and a few others back...

@ 278 -- Haha, I have The Red House Mystery on my list for this challenge!

@ 278 -I love The Red House Mystery!

Hello everyone! There's been a lot going on in my life in the last week, more than usual because... I'M MOVING MY MASSAGE PRACTICE!!!!!!

The weekend before last I talked to my friend and fellow massage therapist, Carolyn, and decided that we were going to rent space together. Last Tuesday (3 days later) we saw 2 rooms, the one we are taking and one that's a couple of miles from my house. They're both nice, but the other one was a little too expensive and the space was so large that we couldn't even afford to properly paint the place, let alone try and furnish it. The space we're moving to already has 4 therapists in it, is very nice and neat and clean, and honestly, there were so many ties/"coincidences" and general signs from the Universe that we were supposed to have this space it's actually kind of funny. Yesterday she and I met with our new "boss" and finalized everything, and we move on September 1st! So in less than a week of deciding to find a room together we found one and we move in 2 weeks - it's so fast (really, too fast for comfort for me, but it's good) that I can hardly believe it and there's so much back-end work that I have to do, like writing/sending letters to my clients, figuring out how to move my stuff, setting up schedules, etc etc etc that I'm breaking out in hives and my eczema is going nuts.

I know this is all positive and that I've needed to move from my current location since before I moved in 2 years ago, but it's still stressful and I'm still freaking out about it. To be honest, I feel kind of like an a$$hole and I can't figure out why. Literally everyone that I've told about this move has said that it's overdue and a really positive thing for me. So why am I the one feeling crappy about it?!? Any thoughts/advice is extremely welcome, I feel a little lost.

I'll post before and after photos of my current and new place so you can see what I was working with. Or trying to.

Thankfully I have the rest of the day off today so I'm going to probably have a quick cry, eat lunch, start some laundry and then will take a nap. It's low 70's and sunny with a nice breeze, so it's perfect weather. Later on, I'll probably ignore the billion things to do in my house and read outside on the patio. Ugh. I'm looking forward to feeling relieved and excited about all of this. Maybe some wine will help....

Congrats on the move, Laura!! From all I've heard, it sounds like this is a great thing.

Yay for positive moves! Congrats! :D

@ 281 -- Laura, congratulations! It sounds like this new situation will be much better for you and make you much happier. As for the guilt, have you talked to your current boss/landlord/whatever yet? If you haven't "given notice," that might be causing the anxiety. But regardless, you shouldn't be feeling like an a--hole. Enjoy your new digs!

Congrats on finding the new place!! Are you leaving the old place in the lurch? I'd think that 2 weeks+ notice shouldn't be a problem. More likely, you're an introvert and your body is telling you to mentally process before moving on. Have some more wine. :)

Hurray! New digs! Good luck with the move :)

Sounds like your ability to feel guilty is as highly developed as my own. It's high time you moved and you're owning your own happiness. You moved for business reasons, don't feel bad, feel empowered.

Did that help? Seriously, I can feel guilty about things other people did. It's not healthy.

Congratulations! Some of us just have an overabundance of guilt. There's nothing wrong with looking out for your own best interest. Someone has to do it. You don't owe your current coworkers anything but the courtesy of a two-weeks notice. Now go read, drink, and be merry!

Thank you Linda, Andrea, Christina, Eva, rp, Kay, and BL!!!

Yesterday I told everyone at my old place (well, except for clients) and today things are feeling a little more normal and I'm starting to get excited. :) The only clients on my books for September were my regulars anyways, so it's not a problem. Now I need to get my behind moving on getting the moving letter out to everyone (and dang it, I just realized I forgot to pick up my files at work today), and on just picking a fricking new card design already.

Eva, I am very much an introvert and you're spot-on in that it's all happening so fast for me that I'm mentally and physically having a tough time adapting. But it's getting a bit easier. The wine helped. *hic*

Kay and BL, I SO have an overabundance of guilt. It's not unusual for me to feel horribly guilty about things that I just hear about with people I don't know in the slightest. Ugh, not great. I'm working on it, but it's hard to shake that automatic and lingering response.

Book 113: xXxHolic, Vol. 1 by CLAMP

This manga series is shelved at work a lot (meaning it gets checked out a lot), the title is so strange, and I like the author, so I gave it a shot. A young man get inexplicably energetically pulled into an old-fashioned shop that grants wishes. The witch who owns it hires him on to be the cleaning boy. But the boy is able to see spirits and sense bad things happening, so the witch decides to start using him and his abilities to advance her wares and income.

An interesting book, I'll read the next in the series, but I'm not sure if I'll continue after that. 3.2 stars, and I'm hoping that the annoying little girls that follow along with the witch and repeat everything twice go away. I have a feeling they're here to stay, though.

Book 114: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

An interesting look at introversion, clutural differences around the globe, raising an introverted child and all sorts of things. I enjoyed it, though I feel like it's geared more towards extroverts and especially those with an introverted child. The narrator (Kathe Mazur) does an excellent job. Recommended, especially if you haven't read any introvert literature at all. 4 stars

Best of luck with your move, Laura! :) Moving = stress. I think that's a given, but I'm sure things'll work out for you.

I've seen xXxHolic around, but I've never read it. Maybe one of these days. And I always get a kick out of the subtitle for Quiet. That's another one I want to read, being an introvert too, but it'll have to wait awhile. Nice reads! :)

Oh good luck with the move! Fingers crossed for you (& I am another one with misplaced guilt but I don't think you should feel so but I do understand!)

I've seen Quiet around as well, but I'm not sure I need my own quirks explained to me... :) Mainly, I'd need a book that explains to me where extroverts get the energy to be around people so much.

I read Quiet last year and loved it - helped me realize why I feel the way I do sometimes.

#292: Exactly! :) I find being around people very exhausting.

#294 by saraslibrary> I try to explain that to my husband who is very much the extrovert. He just thinks I'm weird.

LOL! Nothing wrong with that (being weird). That must make things interesting for you two, him being an extrovert and you being an introvert.

Agreeing with all of the extro-/introvert stuff here. Last year (or perhaps the year before?) I finally fully accepted my introvert self, and it's been so much better since. I figured out that if I'm around more than 2 other people that that's my limit for a "comfort" zone. Just that realization was a revelation to me, and has really helped me out. Strange, probably, but there you go.

In other news, I just bought this shirt at teefury.com, and I'm SO excited about it!

Omg! I love that shirt! So awesome!

To quote the Ninth Doctor, "Fantastic!"

That's brilliant! You can't go wrong with blaidd drwg! :)

I get that it is Rose but the significance of the banana escapes me. Help?

->301 mamzel:
I know both the ninth and tenth doctors (and perhaps more) have expressed a liking of bananas. Bananas are good. You should always bring one to a party. :)

Bananas come up several times in Doctor Who, as evidenced in this video. I think it's talked about even more than the video shows, too.

LOL! Great video! "Can I have an apple?" "What?!" :)

>302 -Eva-:: Hee, I read your sentence "Bananas are good" in the Eccleston voice :)

Laura, was today the day that you were going to meet Louise Penny? Any stories to tell?

I love that Rose tee shirt. Must go look for one now...

Hello all! Since my last check-in, my laptop went and died, I went out of town for a weekend, and I was so busy working that I didn't have time to buy a new computer. BUT! I've had a bit of time in the last week, so I went and bought a fancy new iMac desktop (I never really used my laptop to, you know, GO places with), and then I had to take it in somewhere to import all of my old stuff from my dead computer to the new one, and needed help setting up my external hard drive and an awesome wireless speaker. So now, ladies and gents, I have a brand-new working computer!!

At some point today I will be setting up a new thread in this group, as I realize this one has gotten rather long and unwieldy.

I've got my iTunes set on shuffle and thought it'd be fun to see what pops up as I type this....

"Five O'Clock World" by The Vogues

Linda, I never did get to the Louise Penny signing. It was incredibly hot and humid that day, I'd spent the majority of it at home, relaxing, and had to get to a bookclub that night. My original plan was to see her at Mystery One at 5:00 and then head to bookclub a little late (since Ms. Penny had another signing at Boswell Books at 7:00). But, at about 4:00 I found out that the Mystery One event was cancelled and was rolled together with the Boswell one, so that screwed things up for me. End result, I didn't get there to see her. Instead, a couple of days later, I went and bought myself an autographed copy and heard about how awesome it was from the booksellers. :( Not ideal, and not planned, but what the hell. The next time she's in time I will make a more concerted effort to get there, weather and cancelled events be damned!

"Sixty Years On" by Brandi Carlile

I've yet to sync my iPhone with the new computer, but once I do, I'll post a few pics of my new massage space. It's still a work in progress, but it's very nice, much better than the old place.

"There's Love" by Nat King Cole
"Be Somebody" by Kings of Leon
"Gossip In The Grain" by Ray LaMontagne
"Venus" by Frankie Avalon
"All My Life in the Ghetto" by Jay Rock featuring Lil Wayne and Will.i.am
"Silence" by Matisyahu
(coffee break, moved the sprinkler to water my newly seeded grass, magazines flipped through, books added to LT)

"Casino Royale" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

I've got weird taste in music.

Question: What do you guys do with ARC's that you no longer want? Was thinking of offering them here for people, or donating them to my library's sale, but is there something else you guys do with them?

"Eyes Like Twins" by Wilson Phillips

Book 115: A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

Another outstanding Three Pines mystery! At first I wasn't sure about change in locale, but it worked out wonderfully, and I so enjoyed getting to know each of the characters a little more. I had my suspicions about whodunit in this one, but I wasn't ever quite sure until the final reveal. Fun fact: "Let It Be" came up about 5 different ways in my life when I was finishing and just after I'd finished the book. Can't just be a coincidence! 4.5 stars

Book 116: The Twits by Roald Dahl

A funny story about the comeuppance of two horrible people, and quick and entertaining read. The illustrations by Quentin Blake, are, of course, perfect, and it's hard to imagine one without the other. 4 stars

"Impressions" by Karen Marie Garrett

Book 117: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

I wish I'd first read this when I was younger, as I think I'd have liked it more. I did enjoy it, don't get me wrong, but the adult part of my brain got distracted by the rhythm of the writing more than I would have liked. A classic for a reason, these tales of Pippi and her two "normal" neighbors (children) was lots of fun, and made me want to be a little more imaginative and not-normal in my own life. 3.5 stars

Book 118: Twigs: The Go-Girl Guide to Nesting by Julia Bourland

Meh - I thought it'd be a little more about decoration and things, but it's really aimed for a younger, first-apartment/house type of gal who's never thought about creating a comfy space for themselves before. Recommended, but only for late teens/early 20s girls who've never lived on their own. 2 stars

"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson

Book 119: Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart

Many many thanks to Eva for sending this audiobook to me!!!! Funny, occasionally poignant, honest, cringe-inducing, and all-around very very good indeed. Tales of her life (more like a spoof reel more often than not) told from present-day 38 year-old Miranda, and with her 18 year-old self popping in a lot (mostly incredulously that her life isn't all posh and fantastic and married-with-kids-and-famous... really, I suspect that it's how most of our 18 year-old selves would react with each of our current lives), it made me laugh out loud at a time when I really needed it. Also, it was nice to learn more about a comedienne that I love. 4.5 stars, and unimaginable to me that people wouldn't listen to the audiobook like I did!

"The City" by The 1975

Book 120: My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop by Ronald Rice

Fun to flip through and see what authors have to say about their favorite bookstores. 4 stars

Book 121: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Ugh, this book! It was a choice for one of my bookclubs (not picked by me), and our reactions were split evenly between not-finishing and not liking it. One tip that I think saved the book for me a little, was to skip reading the footnotes (which is supposed to be the main narration, I think, of the current-day dude talking about how he found the story and really, honestly, his many sexual adventures with super-hot and unrealistic chicks, and his descent into madness), and instead concentrate on the original story instead. That made it at least readable, and while I'm thankful that I can say I've read this book and cross it off of whatever reading lists it's on for whatever reason, I didn't like it much. It's imagination-inducing and incredible (and would make a great horror movie, BTW), and interesting and unique, but I can't say that I recommend it. 1.5 stars, I think.

"The Chase" from the "Torchwood" original soundtrack

Books 122 & 123: Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers and Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers by Dav Pilkey

I think I'm a little out of the ideal audience for this series. I used to really enjoy these books, despite my age, but I feel like the gap between these two books and the rest of the series wasn't a good choice. The older entries are shorter, and read fast and fun and easy. These two new entries are nearly double the length, which is waaaaaay too long, and seem overly complicated and ridiculous in a bad way. It's a shame. 2 stars each

"Nocturne No. 15 in F minor" by Chopin, performed by Elza Kolodin

Book 124: Unicorn Being A Jerk by C. W. Moss

Another rescue-from-the-back-of-the-shelves at work, this funny and inappropriate short graphic novel is a bit twisted. And, Unicorn really is a jerk! 3.5 stars

"Intro" by The xx

Book 125: The Road to Burgundy: The Unlikely Story of an American Making Wine and a New Life in France by Ray Walker

I received this as an ER book. It's a fun entry into the new-life-in-Europe travelogue/memoir genre (that I'm a fan of, by the way), and if you like that sort of thing, you'll like this book. Walker is a good writer, giving just the right amount of information for each situation that he finds himself in, and his story is inspiring and hope-inducing in the best possible ways. Not my favorite book ever in this genre, but it belongs instead in the good-very good group. 3.5 stars

"Miss Marple" theme song
"Missa Confitebor Tibi Domine: I. Kyrie" by Palestrina

Book 126: Holes by Louis Sachar

What a great story! I had so much fun reading this book about Stanley Yelnats and his bad luck/misadventures/adventures at Green Lake Camp. Never knowing where the plot was going, and with an excellent backstory, each time I put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it. It seems oddly believable in a way, and Louis Sachar is an author you can always count on for a good story. 4 stars!

Book 127: Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer

Wow! Nora was right (as usual) - Katherine Kellgrenn is some kind of a sorceress! What she does as a narrator is really wonderful and astounding. Please, do yourselves a favor, and get the audio version of this book! The tale of Jacky and her life before becoming a Ship's Boy, and her many adventures on board (and off) are full of adventure and doom and peril and love and music, and I will most certainly be seeking more books in this series. Go out and read this great book, says I! 4.25 stars

"U Got It Bad" by Usher

Phew! Okay, I'd better get going and do something mildly productive in my house aside from hold the computer chair down and sing along with music. See you all in a bit!

Boo on the old computer dying but happy to see you have a new computer and are back in LTland posting! Love the iTunes music shuffle

I've got weird taste in music.

I prefer the term eclectic..... ;-)

Good to hear from you again, and I'm glad you're happy with your new massage space.

Hurray, welcome back! Hee, I need to read The Twits again sometime. Isn't Mr. Twit's beard gross?!

Oh, I am happy to hear you liked Miranda! It clearly went to the right home since I wasn't that enamored.

I grew up on Pippi, so I have nothing but love for her! My favorite little anarchist, she is. :)

If I can't find anyone in my vicinity who wants them, my ARCs gets donated to Friends of the Library.

Congrats on the new computer! Miranda Hart is my favorite character in Call the Midwife, but I'm not sure her memoir is for me. I'm not a big fan of celebrity memoirs.

The Jacky Faber series is on my wish list, but it looks like I'll have to read the ebook version of most of them. The only e-audiobook available from the public library is #8 in the series and I probably shouldn't start there.

"Symphony No. 2 in E Minor" by Rachmaninov

Lori, thanks for the "eclectic" thing. Guess that's true too, though when my Dad was over a couple of hours ago, I was showing off my wireless speaker to him in the back yard and when it shuffled from Paul McCartney to Eminem, he just laughed. Thankfully he has a great sense of humor, since I know that "Shake That *ss" isn't his type of music, per se. :)

Kay, thanks for stopping by! New massage place is great, I've had it all to myself every time I've worked except for once. Clients are VERY happy too, which is the important thing.

rp! Yes, his beard is Disgusting. Made me want to hurl.

Eva, it absolutely found the right home here! She is the best thing I've read, or the funniest, but I really enjoyed it. Thank you again!

I think I'll donate my ARCs back to work (except for the current ones, that is). And hey, if anyone is looking for a book that was published within the last few months, or really, through the end of the year, let me know and I'll see if it's on the ARC shelves at work! I think they just recycle them a few months after publication and that makes me sad and a little sick. Why not just donate them to the book sale? I get that they aren't worth any money, but I hardly think that 50 cents is really earning anything in the long run.

Just realized that I forgot a book!

Book 128: Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

Thursday is at it again, this time with Hamlet in tow, looking for Landon's final non-eradication from Goliath Corporation, someone to look after Friday in the mean time, assuring that Swindon's team wins the Superhoop tournament (or else the world is doomed), and also filling in for Joan of Arc, trying to enjoy her new position at Jurisfiction, and vanquishing Yorrick Kaine and his Anti-Danish beliefs. There are lots of other things going on in this book, so I have to admit that I had a bit of a tough time keeping things straight occasionally. Still, it's another clever outing with Mr. Fforde and heaven knows there aren't many authors out there like him. 3.5 stars

Laura, thanks for the info about the Muskego event. I'm definitely going to sign up. I haven't read many of those authors but Julie Hyzy and her White House chef series is among my favorites.

No problem! I hope it's as fun and interesting as I'm imagining it to be. :) I'm working on a Book List right now to try and squeeze a few of those M&M authors in.

Joelle Charbonneau has a roller skating series (not ice skating) and she's also got a glee club series. I think I have the first one in Julie Hyzy's manor house series. I think I met Libby Hellman at our local library's cozy extravaganza a few years ago and picked up one of her books.

At some point, I'll look up these other authors and see who sounds most interesting.

ARCs are difficult for the libraries themselves to recycle. They aren't allowed to make money off of them, so they can't sell them at the booksale. Others, however, can give their ARCs to anyone they want and I've yet to be at any sort of charity booksale where there weren't ARCs for sale. Of the two internet book trading sites I used to use, one assigned a monetary value to the credits you earned from sending out books and they didn't allow ARCs. The other made a point of saying that those same credits had no monetary value and ARCs were hotly traded.

Yes- I've traded ARCs and donated them to FOL sales and bought some at FOL sales too. Glad to hear your massage space is working out and a new computer. I've been thinking I might need a new laptop myself, although I haven't looked yet.

As always, awesome reads, Laura! :) I think I only read one you listed (The Twits; you can almost never go wrong with Roald Dahl :), but I might still give House of Leaves a try, only because I've had several horror fans recommend it to me. No rush, though. Oh, and I put an ILL hold on Unicorn Being a Jerk. Looks fun! Thanks! :) And I might try and read Holes sometime soon. My grandmother's been trying to get me to read that one for ages, but I'll probably end up watching the movie first. I know, I know--read the book first. ;) Oh, and Captain Underpants...I really need to start reading that guy. Boy, do I babble or what? Anyway, hope things are fine by you, and again, thanks for the all the cool reviews! :)

Yay! for a new computer and a ton of awesome reading. I'm glad you loved Holes. It's one of my favorite books!

Will try and do a quick report here so I can return books to work this morning!

Book 129: The Earl & The Fairy, Vol. 1 by Ayuko

An unusual premise for magna. A thief purports to be the descendant of an Earl who is looking for a magical fairy sword and sapphire and hires a young woman. She's a fairy doctor, working to keep the human-fairy bond harmonious, has a pet cat (who is really a fairy in cat form) that accompanies her everywhere, and in this first book she gets kidnapped by someone else, then by the thief, and then the two of them are heading towards the Earls island off of Scotland to try and see if the girl will communicate with the mermaids to allow their ship access. Seems like a lot happening in one magna? I thought so too. But it was fun, and I'm halfway through the second one now, so we'll see what happens! 4 stars, 184 pgs

Book 130: A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium, Vol. 1 by Rick Geary

Excellent as usual, and filled with some smaller stories that I wasn't able to find anywhere else. 4.5 stars, and here's a list of the stories found within. 288 pgs
Celebrated Events of the Victorian Age
The Ryan Mystery
The Crimes of Dr. E.W. Prithard
The Abominable Mrs. Pearcy
Jack the Ripper
The Fatal Bullet (about Guiteau and President Garfield)
The Beast of Chicago

Book 131: Late, Late at Night by Rick Springfield

Ugh, just couldn't get into this book. As it was, I just skim-read nearly all of it. Not a great writer (and yes, I realize that that's not his job), and too self-aggrandizing for me. I own this one, and it's going off of my shelves! 2 stars, 324 pgs

Memoirs by celebrities seem to either be fantastic or dull, with no middle ground.

The Earl & The Fairy sounds wild! I'm going to have to check that out. :)

A new chapter is finally opened up! Come and join me over there - will be kind of "bare bones" for a while until I get things organized and transferred.

Kay, I agree, I've yet to find one that was just good or fine. You'd think it'd make me stay away, but no, I'm a sucker.

Eva, it's a little odd, but I'm liking it so far! And, BONUS, it looks like there's only 4 books so far, so that's nice!