Jessibud2's second attempt to hit the 75 mark!

In my first try this year, 2014, my ticker will record my having reached 55 by year's end, although in real life, I list all my books read in a small blank book, and in that one, I seem to have read 65. Clearly, there were some not added to my ticker. However, now that I can no longer hide behind the newbie mask, I will attempt better record-keeping in 2015! I have also decided not to list book titles *intended* to be read as that never seems to work out. Instead, I will link to each book as I finish.

So, here we go:




And the countdown begins...

Starred and waiting for the reading to begin!

Shelley, it's been really fun to be chatting with you so often again..as we once did back in the "olden days" on the BookCrossing forums. :)

>2 SqueakyChu: Yes it sure has been. And it's all due to your help that I am still here, lol! Thanks again, big time, for all your guidance through the maze of LT this year. Hopefully, I will be figuring things out more by myself this year! Hmmm, I am looking at my ticker. Can I edit out that extra *75*? I certainly do not intend to read 7575 books in 2015!!

I don't see 7575. I guess you already edited out the extra 7,500 books. LOL!

>4 SqueakyChu: Yes, I did manage to do that. :-)

Hooray!

*loud applause*

Welcome back!

>7 drneutron: Thanks! :-) And happy new year to you!

Happy New Year!

>9 scaifea: - And to you, too! Let the reading begin! (for this year, that is...)

>10 jessibud2: Yes! Just as soon as I get caught up on the threads, that is...

And we're off! #1 - Seven Sins for a Life Worth Living by Roger Housden. It was a quick read, and while not the best book I've ever read, I did find a few passages that spoke to me. I like to copy out passages such as these to refer back to - I'd underline or otherwise note in the margins, if I were keeping the book but I am trying to move books read OUT of my house.... so copying out special sections or ideas is fine right now!

Where do you keep your notes? Do you add them to CK? Do you keep them on your computer? I do both as I also like to move my read books physically out of my house!

What is CK?

I used to write them in a notebook by hand, before I had a computer. Now, I just keep them in a file on the computer (faster that way!), though I have started to create art journals and sometimes I will copy some phrases into those.

CK is common knowledge.

On LibraryThing, each book has it's own Common Knowledge area in which you can add information about the book. There is a special slot for quotations.

Let's take as an example a book we both read this past year: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.

1. Go to that book's main page.

2. Scroll down the left hand common and click on "Common Knowledge". You will get this page.

3. Scroll down the center column until you get to "Quotations". There you see quotations that other LT members added.

4. You can add your own quotations to this page by clicking on the pencil to the top right of the quotations already there. That "pencil" is the edit button. At the bottom left of the quotations, click on the button that says "add item". Type in your quotation, and then click on the button that says "save" beneath the quotation you just entered. You've just added a quotation from that book to CK! :D

FYI: The CK pages are open for all LT members to add information. The admin uses this information for other things. We can always use this saved information as well.

>15 SqueakyChu: - What do you know! So much to learn here! Thanks for the tutorial. I had no idea. Very interesting. And funny that you mention Gawande. I just saw a new book by him in the bookstore recently. called Being Mortal. Looks good.

Thanks, Madeline. I'll try to remember CK for next time!

I actually have that book, Being Mortal, which I recently won here on LibraryThing as an Early Reviewer book. I promised to give it to a friend of mine when I'm done. All of the books I've read by Gawande have been excellent. See if you can grab any of them.

You knew I'd give you a tutorial if you asked me a question about LT! :)

>17 SqueakyChu: - I've read one by him and have another, as yet not read. Being Mortal is on my list!

And thanks. You are always my go-to person here! :-)

Hi! Happy New Year and good luck with your reading goals this year. I find that trying to structure my reading too much leads to stress, so I'm avoiding it this year. But I went ahead and made a potential-reading list on my Categories thread. We'll see how many I get to. Good luck with not making your own plans, it's really hard not to! ;)

Something else I have I learnt. As jessibud2 says "So much to learn here".

>19 The_Hibernator: - I am a compulsive list-maker. But when it comes to reading lists, I just find I can't follow them. What I do love to do, though, is select a bunch of books that I want to read this year and place them in a basket in my room. Then I can pick from that group so although I am not following an specific order, I am choosing from the group I intend to read. It's a kind of compromise between the list and my mood/whim. And of course, if, on a given day, nothing in the basket appeals to me, I just go to the bookcase shelves.... ;-)

Sigh. Just looked over the new ER list. I did request one book but there were no fewer than 4 others I would have loved to request. However, as is customary with publishers, they are not available for Canada. I know, as I was once advised, that I should email the publisher, but seriously, I don't believe that would make one iota of difference. And, if we are honest, it's not like I lack for reading material..... Still....

I did, however (as I always do), make notes of the titles and authors so I can look for them in stores at some future time. The wishlist grows...

I think I am going to ignore the Early Reviewers list from now on. Nothing available for the UK again and to rub salt in the wound The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce is USA only when she is a British author writing in a British setting for a London based publisher owned by a German company!! Grrr

PS do not tell anyone but MissMarkey is trying to negotiate for Rachel Joyce to speak at the BC Oxford Convention but nothing is signed yet.

>23 ardachy: - I have seen this book in the stores and CAN'T WAIT for it to come out in soft cover!! (or on audiobook!). It also wasn't available for Canada on the current ER list and I think I swore when I saw that (shhh!)

My lips are sealed about Rachel Joyce. Lucky you guys, if it works out!

#2 - Ta-da! Finished book #1: Leaping Beauty by Gregory Maguire. As a primary school teacher, I have, over the years, amassed quite a collection of fairy tales and *alternate* fairy tale books in my class. We have had loads of fun with these and this book just fits right in.

This is the first book read for my bookcrossing challenge, as well

>25 jessibud2:


This is the first book read for my bookcrossing challenge

Hurray! :)

Oh, Madeline...! Check this out: China's version of Little Free Libraries!!

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2014-12/04/content_19022780.htm

I quite like that *birds* are their thematic muse but the concept is clearly based on the LFL. It even states that, without naming it.

I came to this article after following a link posted by our local radio guy, to China's first subway library (though, after reading the article, it sounds more like a cultural project than a library.)

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2015-01/14/content_19315601_2.htm

I am going to post this on Bookcrossing, too

>27 jessibud2:

It sure looks like a Little Free Library to me...only by a different name. Of course, most LFLs look like bird houses. :)

This one in Walthamstow (London) certainly does:-

>29 ardachy:

That is adorable! ♥

Happy New Year and good reading- there is a sort of little free library at the corner of two streets near me in a new very small city park- there are Muskoka chairs and a red canopy during the spring and summer months-the canopy was taken down for the winter.

>29 ardachy: - Wow, did the owner paint that or did it come pre-painted Really cute! I love it!

>31 torontoc: - I should get in touch with you to find out where it is. The only one I know of and use is on Duplex Ave, just south of the police station on Eglinton. I dropped off some books there the other day.

Happy new year to you, too! :-)

Hi- the glass and metal little library box is at Dresden Road and Wilson Heights-northeast corner-

It was painted by the artist Emma Scutt as part of this project:- http://www.littlefreelibraryproject.org.uk/walthamstow.html

>33 torontoc: - Thanks, Cyrel. I will check it out!

>34 ardachy: - Thanks so much, Trevor. These are delightful!!

Over on Bookcrossing, I saw this thread about the loveliest bookstores in the world, from an article that was included in a recent AbeBooks newsletter. One post led to another, and in one of the last ones, a bookcrosser from Portugal posted a link which included this bit of delightful historic trivia: the origin of the *Keep Calm and Carry On* phenomenon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrHkKXFRbCI#t=11

I really love stuff like this. Bookstores are treasures of all sorts of things, as we already know!

#3 - Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. I finally finished this audiobook and I have to say, it was a slog. It was 12 discs long, which is at least 8 more than it should have been, in my opinion. The only reason I stuck with it, I think, is that the reader, Rebecca Lowman, was really good. I am not really sure what the definition of *chicklit* is, but this might be it. I don't think I'd read this author again, if this is any indication of her work.

I am not even going to add it to my LT catalogue, enough to just count it here.

>37 jessibud2:

What a shame about that book. I really liked Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld as did my daughter.

#4 - Letters From Yellowstone by Diane Smith. While I enjoyed this relatively short epistolary novel, it wasn't *riveting*. It is the story of a young woman in 1898 who joins a group of scientists on an field study expedition to Yellowstone National Park to collect *samples* to catalogue and for further study. Initially, the lead scientist mistakenly believes Miss Bartram is a man (she signs her letters *A.E. Bartram*) but she quickly proves herself to be an invaluable member of the group. The group is an eclectic collection of characters itself and their adventures and misadventures are chronicled and revealed through their letters. It was interesting to observe the attitudes towards the environment and conservation and how, in some cases, awareness of their value has, and hasn't changed over all these years. Overall, I did enjoy this book. I've never been to Yellowstone myself but I hope to get there, someday.

> 38 - Initially, I thought the book would be great as the premise seemed interesting but it was definitely too long and especially toward the end, I began to feel the some of the plot became groan-worthy. I am certain that if the narrator hadn't been as good as she was, I'd have abandoned it much earlier. I really liked her voice.

Too bad the book was to slow for you, Shelley!

Have a Happy Weekend.

#5 - The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

I listened to this on audiobook, read wonderfully by Dan Stevens. This deceptively simple story is about an ancient man, known to us as Father Time, the first man to count and record time. The story unfolds almost like a fable, as he moves through time to reach 2 modern-day people, a teenage girl and an older man, to teach the lesson of the value and essence of appreciating the time we are given.

I am generally allergic to anything that smacks of religion or *spirituality* and was a bit apprehensive when the story seemed to be going in that direction, once or twice. But, to his credit, Albom does not get preachy and keeps the story on track. I found that I quite enjoyed it.

#6 - I finished this book a few days ago but have only now posted my (long!) review: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Hmmm, I wonder if this touchstone link will link to my particular review; there were many copies when I added it to my library. Oh, Madeline, any hints for me here...? ;-)

Ok, I just checked for myself and it did! :-)

#7 - Stella Bain by Anita Shreve.

I listened to the audiobook version of this. The reader was Hope Davis and she was very good. The story takes place in the years during and after World War I and involves an American woman who finds herself waking up injured, in a French field hospital, without any idea who she is or how she got there. I won't give much more away except that her story involves what we know today as PTSD, though it was called hysteria or shell-shock at that time. I found this to be quite an intriguing story

>43 jessibud2: Good work, Shelley on the link...and a very nice review! I'm glad I have that book in my TBR pile although I have no idea when I'll get around to reading it. I seem to be adding books donated to my Little Free Library to my BC TBR list at a dismayingly rapid pace! :O

#8 - Don't Get Too Comfortable by David Rakoff. This was my first book by this author and although he is Canadian by birth, I will admit that I had not heard of him until his untimely death a few years ago. I listened to him read this book on audiobook and I really enjoyed it. Most of it, anyhow. The first disc and the last disc (of 4) were better, in my mind, than the rest of it but overall, I like his honesty and his intelligence. I would seek out other works by him.

#9 - I am in one of my self-help phases at the moment, trying to read books that will inspire me at a time when I feel in need of inspiration. One Door Closes, Another Door Opens by Arthur Pine sounded like just the thing. It is a fairly quick read and while it does fit the bill, with encouraging words, it is mainly a compilation of stories by the contributors, of how many varied circumstances can lead to opportunities and insights that have changed lives. The author subtitles the book this way: Turning your setbacks into comebacks, and explains that his focus is on how people find success in life by turning their negative experiences into positive ones.

#10 - The Ghost of Hannah Mendes by Naomi Ragen. This is a crossover post from my other challenge, reading my oldest Bookcrossing TBR books. I am embarrassed to even mention how long this one has been on my shelf. However, I read it and it's going to move on next week, when I bring it to our meetup.

Sadly, I was a bit disappointed, overall. I truly loved the historic chapters of this book, the old manuscripts that revealed Hannah's back story. Those were rich and lovingly written. It was the present-day chapters that annoyed me. I truly never liked either of the 2 granddaughters, felt they were completely one-dimensional. The story line also felt incredibly *chick-lit* to me, at times, even laughably predictable and unbelievable. If I hadn't committed myself to reading it through, I certainly would have just skipped over those chapters. Pity, as there was potential for a very good story that I felt never came through.

It wasn't until after I finished and read the author's acknowledgments at the end, that it dawned on me that Hannah (Gracia) Mendes was an actual historic figure who really lived. I googled to read more and found this part to be truly fascinating. I am happy that there has been a resurgence of sorts for her, that she won't, in fact, disappear into oblivion. She was an important figure who lived quite a life during horrific times, and left quite a legacy and she certainly deserves to be honoured and remembered.

The story line also felt incredibly *chick-lit* to me,

Doesn't sound too good...

So was this historical fiction, maybe not written too well?

>49 SqueakyChu: - Well, historical fiction based on a real person. The historical chapters were really good and interesting. The fiction chapters, not so much. I usually love historical fiction and that's probably why I was disappointed. After I posted, I read some of the other reviews posted here on LT. Very split: some loved it, some didn't. But the fiction alone was enough to convince me not to seek out other books by this author.

Time to move on... :)

I have ;-)

Good!! Haha!

Up to better books, Shelley!

Nothing to do with an update but there is definitely a book connection here. I saw this youtube video recently and fell in love with this story. Barter Books looks like a wonderful place and if I ever get back to London (doubtful but never say never), I must find a way to get there:

A little history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrHkKXFRbCI

Hey! I started reading the book you sent me with Zoe. It's called In the Garden: Thoughts on Changing Seasons by Marjorie Harris. I really love it. I've been in kind of a somber mood, and this little book is just the perfect reading for me now.

Keep calm and read on!

Listen, with the way spring has been so very AWOL, that is the best book you could have chosen! I loved it, too. Marjorie Harris is a character and I have a few of her books. Glad it's giving you a lift.

Woo-hoo! I was just notified today that I have won an ER book: The Revelation of Louisa May by Michaela MacColl. Here is the description from when the March list was first announced:

Description: Louisa May Alcott can't believe it—her mother is leaving for the summer to earn money for the family and Louisa is to be in charge of the household. How will she find the time to write her stories, much less have any adventures of her own? But before long, Louisa finds herself juggling her temperamental father, a mysterious murder, a fugitive seeking refuge along the Underground Railroad, and blossoming love. Intertwining fact, fiction, and quotes from Little Women, Michaela MacColl has crafted another spunky heroine whose story will keep readers turning pages until the very end.

Sounds like it may be a young adult book but I don't mind. It's been months and months since I've won any ER books and I'm happy to have another. Sounds like it might also be a quick read, which is also a good thing! :-)

So glad you got a book you wanted!

#11 - The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. I listened to this on audiobook, unabridged, read by the excellent Sunil Malhotra (the same actor who read Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone on audiobook, as well - a master of accents and nuance - wonderful!)

This is a sweeping saga, spanning decades, encompassing family, history, politics, ethics. I liked that the stories unfold through the eyes and perspectives of each of the major characters, going back and forth in time, from past to present and back again. This sounds like it might be a clunky format but in fact, I found that it worked very well and even enhanced the depth and complexity of the story by peeling back layers a bit at a time. I felt thoroughly engaged throughout the book and even brought the last 2 discs into the house from the car to finish as I knew I wasn't going to be in the car today and didn't want to wait till tomorrow!

I also found this online, when I googled after finishing:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/history-act-storytelling/

Hmmm, didn't there used to be an audiobook thread? I wanted to cross-post this but can't find that thread, even though I was sure I'd starred it...

#12 - Billy Joel - The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man

I have always liked Billy Joel's music and just his overall talent, in general. This unauthorized biography of the man was of great interest to me. It isn't particularly well-written but I still enjoyed it. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes in the industry narrative, much of which went right by me, as I'm not so into rock and roll to recognize names. I would have liked more photos, too, but overall, this was a decent book.

I can't remember where I got this book as it is a library discard copy without a dust jacket. Maybe Value Village or maybe even from a library sale though I can't even remember the last time I was at one

edited to add that the square brackets around the title in my original post aren't working. No one else had registered this book before me so it wasn't in the system. So, I added it to my library, and copied this review and saved it. I see it IS in my library now but when I look at this post, the title still isn't live-linked. This is a call for Super-Madeline..... ;-)

#13 - The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. I found this heartbreaking book a difficult one to read, yet I could not put it down. So much sadness yet there was some hopefulness at the end. I thought that for a first novel, this was a wonderfully layered story, examining the morals and ethics of loss and grief from several perspectives. Every time I thought I knew how it would end, or how it *ought to* end, I was wrong. Even though it was sad, I am still thinking about it...

#14 - Risk and Redemption by Arthur Kent. I really enjoyed reading this book. Of course, Arthur's brother, Peter, was a fixture on tv here in Toronto for some time and I do remember watching Arthur's coverage of the Gulf War. So reading about his background and earlier journalistic adventures was interesting, too, but I actually found the latter half of the book - the part detailing his wrongful dismissal by NBC and especially, the depositions and all the background legwork that went into his ultimate success in this David and Goliath story - to be much more fascinating. Kent is one of a sadly dying breed of journalists of integrity. It was great to see him persevere and come out on top.

#15 - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. I listened to the audiobook version of this excellent story and was thrilled to realize that the voice of one of the 2 main characters in this book was read by the same incredible actress who read the other Sue Monk Kidd audiobook that I had listened to last year, The Secret Life of Bees. Let me say right here that I have always been drawn to voices and that the reader can make or break an audiobook, for me. Even a mediocre story can work, if the right reader interprets it; by the same token, a great story will turn me off right away if the reader is awful. I have had both experiences and happily, I can tell you that great readers can keep me in my car, listening, long after reaching wherever it is I am going to!

You can read my full review in the link to my library but just to add a bit more here: this is the story of slavery in the 1800s south (Charleston, SC, to be specific). It is told in the voices of Sarah, a daughter of a plantation owner, who is *given* a young slave as an 11th birthday present. Even from that early age, she has deep convictions of how *wrong* this is. It is a turning point for her, and will shape her life as she grows older. The other voice in the story is that of Handful, the young slave. Hers is a voice of strength, of pain, of determination and is powerful. There were parts of the story that, had I had the hard copy book in my hands, I would have skipped over, so difficult were those parts to read. In the audio, I just skipped tracks. I have a difficult time with violence. But that is what life was like then and it is important to recognize.

As I wrote in my review, I have to say that the surprise for me that this story was actually based on real people and true events, reminded me of Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures, also based on real people and real events, and also read (on audiobook) by 2 outstanding readers. These were all such satisfying books and I always feel a bit sad when I finish. It's just as well that this is a long weekend here in Toronto, and the libraries won't be open again until Tuesday. I don't think I am quite ready to dive into something else just yet. I need to let this one sit for awhile...

#16 - The Wily O'Reilly by Patrick Taylor, listened to on audiobook, read by the wonderfully talented John Keating. I have listened to around 4 different Patrick Taylor audiobooks so far, about the adventures of Dr. Fingal O'Reilly, all read by Keating. Not only do I have a love affair with the lovely, lilting Irish brogue, but I find these stories delightful, humourous and engaging. My library doesn't have many of these audiobooks so I have had to grab them as I find them, not necessarily in chronological order. I was somewhat surprised when I went to the bookstore and saw just how many titles there are in the Irish Country Doctor series (at least 10 or 11!) Anyhow, I believe this title that I just finished is actually a retrospective of the early O'Reilly vignettes, which originally appeared as humourous columns published in *Stitches : The Journal of Medical Humour* by Taylor. The series developed from these columns.

Taylor is originally from Northern Ireland and now lives in Canada.

I have The Invention of Wings on my 'to be read' shelf. I will now make a point of getting to it sooner.

Hi Shelley! I haven't read those books you've recently read so I'm rather silent on comments. :) Hope all is well up in your neck of the woods!

>60 jessibud2: Love Lahiri, even if I didn't think this was her strongest book. Glad to hear that the audio book is a good listen.

As an aside from the book count, I just nabbed this from a thread on Bookcrossing. These are funny and quite creative!

http://designtaxi.com/news/358939/Amusing-Photoshopped-Book-Titles-With-One-Lett...

:-)

#17 - A Long Way Home: A Memoir by Saroo Brierley. This was such a good read. You can read my review of this heart-wrenching and heart-warming story of loss and love and an incredible search and its happy ending, via the link.

Anyhow, I have to tell you, the very weirdest thing EVER happened with this book. I listened to it on audiobook, unabridged, 6 discs. I was riveted. Suddenly, on disc 5, it's as if someone wrote the paragraphs on file cards, threw them up in the air and then recorded them in whatever order they fell down. NOTHING on this disc is in order. At first, I thought I just hadn't paid attention and *missed* something. So I started that disc over and sure enough, it was insanely out of order. So, obsessive as I am to read this through, I went to the library yesterday and got the book. I re-listened again to disc 5 today, noting the problems, and sure enough, it seems to have been recorded backwards! Seriously. It took a ridiculous amount of time for me to do this but I followed along in the book, noting where the problems were. The beginning of disc 5 corresponds with pages 211 to 213. Then, suddenly it jumps to pages 209 to 211. The disc proceeds like this, by jumping backwards usually 2 or 3 pages at a time. Thankfully, disc 6 was back to normal and though I could have finished much more quickly if there had been no issues, I did finish.

I plan to let the library know so that they can maybe send it back to the publisher. I wonder if all copies of this audiobook were messed up like this!

A nice bonus of getting the book from the library was that I got to see photos Brierley included in the book.

Of course, after googling a bit, I also found these links:

http://www.npr.org/2014/06/22/323355643/with-memories-and-online-maps-a-man-find...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXEvZ8B04bE

I have now read 'The Invention of Wings' too http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/13332087

Your experience with the 'A Long Way Home' audiobook is weird. Mind you some years ago I read a paper book where the pages had been bound in the wrong order. That was easy to spot and rectify though, I can't even remember what the book title was now.

Question: I was in the bookstore the other day looking for a book when I noticed a book on the shelf that was by an author I had read last year (it was an ER book I won here at LT). The book I read was called *My Accidental Jihad*, by Krista Bremer.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/---/12673694

This book I saw on the shelf the other day was called *A Tender Struggle*. Although I felt the story I had read was only so-so, I had a look at the blurb on the back of this one. It sounded very familiar so I looked inside. There, on the title page, was a note that this had previously been published as *My Accidental Jihad*.

So, what prompts republishing under a new title? Was the first one considered a bit too negative, too provocative? I admit, when I first read it, I did think that the title was not so appropriate but it was only a passing thought.

Have there been many other books whose titles have been changed completely, as this one has?

>72 jessibud2:

That was interesting.

I don't know why the title was changed. I wonder if it was too provocative, thinking that the word "jihad" might provoke anti-Muslim sentiments and keep prospective buyers from buying the book. As if the word "jihad" was not "politically correct" within a book title!

Another thought is that there was feedback from Early Reviewers such as yourself who might have claimed that the original title was wrong for the book for other reasons.

Hey, why not write to the publisher and ask? Then come back and tell us! :D

I know the book title Smilla's Sense of Snow had been changed to Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow (which I think is a stupid title). However, I don't know why the change was made.

#18 - Forgotten Bookmarks by Michael Pope. The author's family ran a used bookstore. This book chronicles the sorts of things he found in the many boxes of books that passed through his hands over the years - things that people used as bookmarks. Items such as photos, receipts, invitations, tickets, letters, postcards, report cards! It is a fun read, not spectacular but interesting and beautifully presented.

Serendipitously, a thread was started yesterday on one of the bookcrossing forums, about bookmarks. It led me to decide to start a bookray with this book, something I hadn't done in years. If there are any bookcrossers here who might be interested, here is the link and let me know if you'd like to join. (Madeline, there is someone from Silver Spring, Md who has joined. Is that near you?)

http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/20/520046

Silver Spring is very near me. Who joined your book ray? Was it someone I know - like 6of8?

>75 SqueakyChu: - Yes, it is 6of8! :-) Shall I add you to the bookray? I can arrange the participant order so that it comes to you and then you can do a hand-off to 6of8. I am waiting till the end of the weekend and then I will see who I have, where they are, and then post the best geographical order. So far, there are me and Madeleine here in Toronto, one in Europe and the rest in USA, one of who is willing to post internationally so I will put her last for the US bunch. I have 8 participants so far. It's a fun, quick read.

>76 jessibud2:

I really shouldn't be added...with everything I have here to read, but since it's you starting it...and 6of8 getting it next (this book sounds like something she'd read), I'll do it. Add me to the list. I'll read it and do a hand-off to her at one of our BCinDC meet-ups.

>77 SqueakyChu: - Yay! :-)

Email me your mailing addy, please

And please, don't remind me of *everything I have to read here*... I have been culling forever, it seems, yet it barely looks like I've made a dent. I discovered 2 new (to me) LFLs in the last 2 weeks....I only took home one book from one of them on Friday but I do have a bag of books in the trunk of my car to drop off next time I go that way

The idea I had when I started my LFL (which was the same idea I had when I joined BookCrossing in 2003 and LibraryThing in 2006)...was to reduce the number of books I have here at home. Well, you know what happened...in other words, what didn't happen. *sigh*

>76 jessibud2:

Shelley, I've changed my mind. Just send your book straight to 6of8. I simply can't add any more books to this house for me to read, and I have to stop requesting ER books. Period. With all of the toddler books I just put out tonight, I'm feeling quite overwhelmed with books. Thank you for the offer, though.

>80 SqueakyChu: - Ok, I understand. I wish I could be as disciplined, myself...

#19 - On Looking : Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes by Alexandra Horowitz

I actually listened to this on audiobook although I have the physical book on my shelf. I am actually glad I did it this way as I may not have finished it otherwise. The premise was quite interesting to me but I found it a bit of a slog. Nothing specific; the science bits interested me but sometimes also *lost* me. The social aspects were also interesting but just didn't *fascinate* in the way I had hoped this book would. Oh well....

#20 The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama.

This book is a sequel to Women of the Silk and though it can be read as a stand-alone novel, there are enough references to the story and characters of that previous book that it makes sense to read them in order. It has been several years since I read Women of the Silk but it was not difficult at all to pick up where I left off as the tale of Pei continues through the difficult years of occupation in Hong Kong. This is a well-written tale of the struggles of Pei and those she loves, spanning the years during and after the war and occupation of China.

#21 - The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney. It was interesting to find out things about myself that I hadn't known I didn't know. I always knew I was an introvert but there are aspects of this that were surprising and interesting to see spelled out. One of the things that stays in my mind is that the original theory of introversion was thought of in terms of pathology, not temperament. Introversion IS temperament, personality traits, not *something wrong*, or some deficit. And, there is a spectrum of introversion such that some people are more introverted than others. Lainey also talks about how introverts and extroverts recharge their energy levels - very differently! I never actually thought about that in quite that way but it makes perfect sense to me now!

I have actually had this book on my physical shelf for a long time but hadn't read it. When I saw it at the library as an audiobook, I knew it was time.

#22 - Heretic - Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now*.

I have listened to another book by this author and have such great admiration for her intelligence, courage and how articulate she is. However, much as I feel this way, I felt confused by the ultimate message in this book. She gives a very thorough history of the origins and depths and range of interpretations of Islam - I learned much more than I really need to know, given that I am not Muslim, not even remotely religious at all in any way. Yet, what I understood and took away from all this education that I gained is that she seems to believe that a *reform* is not only necessary but possible. I find this totally inconsistent with what I see going on in the world today and find it impossible to believe that such a thing is even remotely possible. If anything, I think it is almost certain that it is IMpossible for such a turn of the tide to occur. I came away from this book feeling extremely discouraged and actually frightened.

#23 - I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan. The story of a friendship told in letters.

I have friends I've met online, friends I have never met in person but who I truly consider to be friends in the real sense of the word. It sounds like a crazy concept but it's true. Before computers, before the internet, people still communicated, still wrote letters. Sometimes, penpals were indeed, people who had never met in person. And sometimes - maybe often - it's easier to reveal yourself, your thoughts, emotions, feelings, secrets, in writing than in person. I know it is, for me.

This is just such a story. Set in the early 1940s, during WWII, 2 women whose only common bond is that their husbands are fighting in the war, meet through letters. What unfolds is like peeling an onion, layer after layer revealing whole lives. It's a lovely, loving story. The only thing that bothered me was my initial horror when I noticed that it was published by Harlequin. The cover looks NOTHING like a Harlequin (I would NEVER have given it a second glance if it had), and the story itself is nothing like what I think of when I think of those bodice rippers or whatever they are called. I can't say I have ever actually read a Harlequin, to be honest, but they just seem like trash in my mind, sorry, I don't mean to offend anyone).

(for some reason, the touchstone at the side does not seem to be reflecting the book I just added to my library. It just keeps reverting to a Mary Higgins Clark book of the same title. Here is the link to the book on my shelf: http://www.librarything.com/work/13563639/book/119954348)

>86 jessibud2: I wonder how many people actually write letters any more. I have one friend who writes a group letter to me and others once a year at Christmas time. I usually forget to answer her. I have another friend who doesn't like to use the internet so she started writing letters and cards to me recently. I guess I'll have to answer her. :o

My most fun cyber-friends are those I've met either online only or both online and in person either from BookCrossing and/or from LibraryThing. It so funny to meet them in real life for the first time and already know all about them! :D

Well, to be honest, back in the days before internet and computers, I was a letter-writer. I loved corresponding with friends and family from far away and LOVED beautiful cards and stationery. Even after I got into email, I would continue to buy lovely cards or boxed stationery. But sadly, people just don't write letters that way any more. I still do use cards to send thank you notes or birthday cards but really, what to do with so much stationery? These days, I try to get a bit creative. I joined postcrossing.com a few years ago - it's a postcard exchange site, similar in some ways to bookcrossing. I sometimes cut the back off cards and turn the front (picture part) into a postcard. It's good recycling but it also makes me happy to use cards and pictures of beauty instead of generic local postcards, sometimes, especially when I know I can match a person's wishlist suggestions.

I do miss real letter-writing. I remember how fun it was to recognize someone's familiar handwriting, or looking at the cool stamps (though that last part I still enjoy with postcrossing).

As for cyber friendships, I have actually met quite a few people in person who I originally met online. It IS funny, isn't it?! Hopefully, someday, YOU will be one of them!

I love the idea of letter-writing, and I really love stationery and cards and fancy writing utensils and such, but my penmanship is rubbish and I always feel like I've ruined the paper when I try to write on it. I wish I could take a penmanship course or something...

I will not count for this challenge books I could not finish but I felt I had to somehow comment on an ER book I won a few months ago. It is called The Revelation of Louisa May by Michaela MacColl and as one might guess from the title, it is a fictionalized story of a young Louisa May Alcott. I remember enjoying *Little Women* when I was growing up and thought this might be fun. But I swear, I could not force myself past chapter 5. I do feel a bit guilty about giving a bad review and although I know a negative review doesn't (or shouldn't) affect my chances for future ER books, this is the first ER book I haven't liked.

But, as I learned after joining bookcrossing all those years ago, there just isn't time enough to read all the good books I want to read and so, I created for myself a Rule for Reading: if it hasn't grabbed me by 50 pages or one week, whichever comes first, I move on. Because, as we all know, there is ALWAYS a next book, waiting..... ALWAYS!

I loved letter writing and had some penpals when I was a teenager and as a mom I wrote weekly with another mom about the things that happened in our lives. Those letters are very dear to me. So I understand what you mean and feel!

>91 connie53: - And I love books that are in the form of letters. There is something very personal about them, and very endearing!

Yes! Did you read Het Literaire Aardappelschiltaart Genootschap van Guernsey by Mary Ann Shaffer. That is really a very nice read.

>93 connie53: - Yes, that is one of my favourites but there are several others too. If only I could recall titles to add here.

A few of the top of my head are: The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg. She is a favourite writer of mine. It's about a woman who takes time alone to learn about herself. All the while she travels, she write letters to her husband (which she does not mail). Berg said on her blog that she got so many letters from readers asking how the character's husband reacted, that in her book of short stories, she actually wrote a story that was the husband's response letter. And it was hilarious!

Another book I read that was in letter form was called Letters from Yellowstone by Diane Smith. A totally different style but charming.

The Pull of the Moon sounds really interesting!

And thanks for taking the time over on my thread to list some of your favorite kids' books - I love that we love the same things! Are you a Mo Willems fan? How about Oliver Jeffers? Charlie and I ravenously read all of their books as soon as they publish them.

>88 jessibud2: I sure hope I have the chance to meet you in person some day. It seems as if we have been BookCrossing friends forever. At least some of my friends have met you in person so I know you're real! 😄

>95 scaifea: - If you get around to reading the Berg book, read Pull of the Moon first. Then try to get hold of her books of short stories called Ordinary Life and read the one titled *Martin's Letter to Nan*. You will thank me, I am sure!

I haven't heard of the 2 authors you mentioned. Will check them out

>96 SqueakyChu: - One of these days, Madeline, one of these days. Never say never, as they say! :-)

>97 jessibud2: Thanks for the tip! And ooh, you're in for a treat with Willems and Jeffers!

> 98 - Ok, you got me curious, so I googled. I have seen books by both these authors though I don't own any. But I was quite intrigued by this little clip; he's adorable: https://player.vimeo.com/video/57472271

:-)

Here's another one for you: Any books by Joost Elffers and Saxton Freymann. Absolutely brilliant and delightful! :-)

>99 jessibud2: Yep, Jeffers is completely adorable. And Willems is hilarious. And you've found authors I've not read! Woot! Adding them to Look For list now!

>100 scaifea: - https://www.google.ca/#q=elffers+and+freymann

http://www.scholastic.com/titles/authors/freymann_elffers.htm

#24 - Gutenberg's Apprentice - I just finished listening to the audiobook version of this book and it was very good. It's a novel but historical fiction. I am very pumped now to read more and try to figure out how much of it is real fact. I like that at the end, there is an afterword that tells of each character and how they turned out, when and where they died, etc. So I learned that Peter Schaeffer was a real person and was Gutenberg's apprentice. But during the book (11 discs), I heard the word *killjoy* and the word *glasses* (as in, eyeglasses). I wonder, were those 2 words/terms even in use in the 1400s? More research for me..... But I love stuff like that!

Ok, I googled and discovered that it was plausible that there were indeed eyeglasses in Gutenberg's time: http://www.museumofvision.org/exhibitions/?key=44&subkey=4&relkey=35

But the use of *killjoy* is not good. Wrong century! I can't remember now if it was a character or the narrator who used it in the book but it doesn't matter. It doesn't belong.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/killjoy

In any case, the author of this book is also a professional printer and her attention to the detail involved in the actual creation of the press and the labour-intensive work of creating the type, was very authentic and fascinating. I recommend this book!

I have 2 other books on my shelf about Gutenberg and I think I may get to them now sooner rather than later!

A little off-topic, and a question. I have had 2 sudden *friend* requests, one yesterday and one this morning. Both from names I do not know. I did not respond but when I clicked on their names to see their profiles, the first has been suspended, and the one this morning only joined LT today. Is there a way to report this to the powers that be here at LT? Has anyone else experienced this? I know I can simply delete the email and not respond, which is what I will do, but is this something that is tracked or that the admin here needs to know about?

you could look at the "Spam" group and see if there is a thread to report your questions about the" instant friends"

P.S. -are you going to " Word on the Street " in Sept?

>104 torontoc: - Hi Cyrel. I was just thinking about you this week as I noticed that the venue for WOTS has changed! It is now at Harbourfront Centre and yes, I do plan to go. Maybe we can meet up and I can return the book you lent me. In a funny turn of events, a good friend of mine who knows how I love Stan (and Garnet) Rogers, gave me this very book for my birthday (which was months after you lent it to me!).

How are you doing?

Thanks for the reply, by the way. I have to see if I can find the Spam group...

Good to hear from you! Let's plan a time- I'll send you a message on your profile page!

Last year, I listened to an audiobook version of Walter Isaacson's bio of Steve Jobs. It was quite fascinating. Yesterday, I saw a really interesting documentary about Jobs. It's called Steve Jobs - the Man in the Machine and this film worked as a rather good complementary piece, being such a visual medium. He was not a very nice man, and didn't treat people very kindly, but maybe that goes with the *genius* personality. There is no denying his vision. But wow, what a complex guy and complex organization. There was quite a bit I learned in this film about the inner workings of Apple and the financial aspects of his life and his business that Isaacson did not touch on. I would recommend this film even if you have not read the bio but, as mentioned earlier, if you have read the book, this is a great follow-up and gives a different perspective and insights.

Hi Shelley!

I saw Zoe and Mark recently, and I gave her that book to bring you the next time she comes to Toronto. Of course, I forgot to add a nice note card ... like the one you sent me, but you'll know the book is from me by the BCID...Haha!

Hey, because of the book Steve Jobs, I decided to get an iPhone. Seriously. I thought that if the company takes their products so seriously, I should be prepared to shell out big bucks for it. I am very pleased with my phone, but it sure does keep me away from reading! :D

>108 SqueakyChu: - The whole phenomenon of iPhones, iPads, etc, is fascinating, truly, even though I have not yet succumbed, myself. I know I am in a very tiny minority. But the story behind it all is really so interesting. I am really happy that I read the Isaacson book first, before seeing the film, because each gives its own perspectives and together, they present a really insightful picture. I bet you can find it on Netflix.

When is Zoe coming to Toronto do you know? I have one for her to take to you, too! ;-)

I don't know when she'll have a chance to go to Toronto as she is just starting a new teaching job. I'm guessing she'll be pretty busy. She's not even coming to the National Book Festival in DC this year. Well, she was just here two weeks ago, so I guess that's okay. :)

RIP Oliver Sacks. I just read that he passed away this morning. You know, we knew it was coming, he told us it was coming. But still, it's just so sad to lose such a bright light, such an articulate, sensitive and brilliant man. I've read several of his books, have several others on my shelves as we speak.

:-(

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/science/oliver-sacks-dies-at-82-neurologist-an...

The Men Who United The States by Simon Winchester.

I listened to the audiobook version of this, read by the author, Simon Winchester. As always with his books, his research was exhaustive and thorough and his story-telling, wonderful. I really love his subtle humour, and his ability to weave together not only the big facts and names, but somehow to include anecdotes about such things as the origins of AM/FM (radio), AC/DC (electricity) and National Public radio. As well, inserting his own personal stories into the narrative at the beginning, end and throughout, really made me smile. I love this author!

>111 jessibud2: I haven't read any of his books yet, though I own several. I was thoroughly moved by the movie "Awakenings" based on one of his books.

>113 SqueakyChu: - Winchester is an excellent writer and also a great reader of his works. Not all authors are good readers but he is definitely in this category, as far as I'm concerned. I highly recommend The Professor and the Madman, the story of how the Oxford English dictionary was made. Of the 3 or 4 books of his I've read so far, I think I most enjoyed that one although this one was pretty interesting, too, if you enjoy history.

#26 - Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper.

I have always loved historical fiction and one of the things I like to do after reading such a book is to google to see if I can figure out where fact ends and fiction begins. In the section called *conversation with the author* at the end of the book, Harper mentions that Alex Haley (author of *Roots*) dubbed the blending of fact and fiction as *faction*. I like that! You can read my full review in the link but in brief, author Harper took the one known fact about Anne Whateley - the her name appears in an official documented record as being the person William Shakespeare was *betrothed* to, on the day before he officially wed the pregnant Anne Hathaway. That is a fact. What it meant, and where it goes from there, is where historical authors come in!

#27 - A Lucky Life Interrupted by Tom Brokaw. I have always admired and liked Tom Brokaw as a journalist. He always seemed to me to be one of the old school, *real* journalists: intelligent, articulate, insightful and trustworthy. You just don't see this anymore. I knew he had written a few books but had no idea he had cancer. This was a well-written, very honest memoir and quite recent, too, published just earlier this year. Brokaw was diagnosed at age 74 with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that is treatable though not curable. He detailed the gruelling regimen of treatment, pain and the ups and downs of *recovery*. He also never failed to mention how grateful and lucky he felt to have the support of a very loving and attentive family (wife, 3 daughters, one of whom is a doctor and was invaluable throughout his ordeal) and excellent health care. He spoke of how aware he became of the cost of health care, and how apparent it was and worrisome it has to be for those without the supports that he is blessed to have. A lot of thoughtful and thought-provoking writing here.

I also liked how he interspersed the story with memories of some of the highlights of his illustrious career (Tianenman Square, the Berlin Wall, Mandela, 911, and much more), the awards he has received and why the President's medal of Honour (is that what it's called?) last year was the most meaningful, and some of the incredible people he has met over the years.

I listened to this book in audiobook format, unabridged though not read by him, unfortunately. The reader, Mark Bramhall, was good except for occasional, inexplicable lapses into what sounded almost like a lisp. These were short-lived and not enough to be distracting but it was odd. That said, I was engaged throughout and am happy that, so far, Brokaw's outcome is a good one.

#28 - Unforgettable: A Son, A Mother and the Lessons of a Lifetime, by Scott Simon

Second memoir (of sorts) this week for me! I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially considering that I am Canadian and not familiar with his work on NPR radio or on tv or in print.

Simon began to tweet out his thoughts and feelings while at his mother's ICU bedside as she was in hospital, dying. These turned into a journal and then, into this book. In this book, he recalled his growing up years with his mother, had conversations with her, sang, reminisced about the good times and the bad. He talked about the lessons he learned from her over the years. He stayed by her side for that whole long week she was there (I think it was a week). It was a very intimate, loving glimpse into a mother-child relationship, with lots of truly funny as well as poignant moments. Dying has to be the loneliest and possibly the most frightening thing we will ever experience but I can't think of a better way to die than with your loved one(s) right there, holding your hand, right to the end. Sharing this experience in this book (and initially via Twitter) had its detractors and critics but ultimately, I believe that most people who read it, *got it*, understood that love is all that matters, and expressing that love is vital

#29 No Uncertain Terms by Mark and Diane Kender Dittrick

This is a small, humourous little reference book that looks at words that are often confused and misused. Sprinkled with puns and cartoony illustrations, the authors ask what's the difference between a yam and a sweet potato, or a bog and a marsh. How about an order and a command, or the coast and the shore; a dock, a pier and a wharf, or a draft and a wind? I learned that a draft blows vertically and a wind blows horizontally!

A quick read, and totally delightful

#30 - I Must Say subtitled *My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend*, by Martin Short.

I listened to him read the audiobook version of this book and, I must say (ahem), it was terrific. I'm sure the hard copy would have been as good a read but to hear him do all his famous voices was such a treat. It reminded me of how much I loved listening to Billy Crystal read his own book, as well.

I know I would have enjoyed this anyhow, because Short is such a versatile and articulate talent. But it was extra special for me because of his having grown up in Canada, and having lived in Toronto for a period of time. It's very cool to hear him talk about places, streets, venues I know and have been to. Martin Short had his share - more than his share, really - of heartbreak in his life, both early on and in recent years, but he talks about how his *positive gene* has always helped him move through these periods and come out the other end strong and intact.

He talks about how he created some of his memorable characters from Saturday Night live and SCTV. He talks about his movies, his Broadway shows, and the strength he draws from some of his closest show business friends and his family.

What a life!

(edited to add, why is The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory showing up as a touchstone net to this box? It was as I typed my entry, and it was there after I hit post.
Hmmm....)

I recently read the Martin Short book, too, and loved it - glad you did, too.

#31 - Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. Although categorized as fiction, the author did a lot of research into the *orphan train* movement that actually happened in the United States between the years of 1854 and 1929. Approximately 200,000 children (orphans) were transported from the east coast (mostly New York) to the Midwest to be placed in foster homes or adopted.

Kline tells 2 parallel but overlapping stories in this book and without giving away any spoilers, I have to say I was riveted and found it hard to put the book down. It is just heartbreaking to witness what these children had to go through. I honestly don't know how I would have coped under in such situations (and I did think about this!). Children were accompanied on the train by members of the Children's Aid Society. They stopped at various small farm towns along the route where they were basically displayed before families in a meeting room (auditorium or hall). No real official paperwork was transacted but families decided if they wanted a particular child. Babies, and strong healthy boys were often chosen quickly; girls, last. If any children were unclaimed, they were put back onto the train to try again in the next town. It was like a slave or cattle trade. Just awful. Sometimes, if they were lucky, the children ended up with good and loving families. But probably just as often, they were only chosen to help with farm or house work and were treated very badly, sometimes even abused. Oftentimes, their names were changed, and although they were supposed to be sent to school to be educated, that did not always happen. What I found especially heartbreaking was that this character, Vivian, revealed as an adult, that she had always thought that hers was the only train and her group of orphans, the only group. Only when she was in her 90s did she discover just how huge the movement was and how many others like herself there were. I wonder if all those young children felt that way. Of course, they would have had no way of knowing otherwise but I think that is so tragic.

I also enjoyed reading the author interview, her insights and notes on the movement, at the end of the story. These really gave a solid grounding to the book and made it so much more real. A side note from my own observation: the photo of the girl used on the cover was particularly haunting for me. I looked at it often throughout my reading. I think her face really mirrors and expresses the losses and sadness yet strength in her life and in my mind, this is exactly how I *see* Vivian looking, as a child.

This is the telling of a forgotten part of American history and it has been told so lovingly and so well.

Oh, another thing about this book that I loved. In the modern-day story section (there are 2 stories that overlap: one that begins in 1929, and a modern-day story in 2011), the young girl, who is a Penobscot Indian, is assigned a project in her history class (though it could just as easily be a philosophy project) as they are learning about the Indians in their area. It is called the Portage Project and she has to think about that in terms of her own life as well as interview someone else to find out how the concept of portaging has had meaning in their lives. That is, what did you choose to leave behind and what did you take with you, on the journey (through life). Such a fascinating concept!! I can't stop thinking about it

>121 jessibud2: That sounds like a very emotional book, Shelly!

It was, Connie. A lot of food for thought there. Heartbreaking but encouraging as well, in its own way.

>121 jessibud2: I've found the book on line and put it on my wishlist at BOL (The Dutch Amazone lookalike).

I am going to interrupt my thread of posting books read this year, to add a review of an audiobook I listened to back in 2010. This is in response to a post of Amber's (scaifea) asking about *witch*-related reading, for this month of October. This was all I could come up with, for myself!

It was called The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent and I gave it quite a good review, I see! ;-)

Nov. 13th, 2010 -

I just finished listening to this unabridged audiobook (9 CDs), read by actress Mare Winningham. It was excellent; the writing is superb, the reader, mesmerizing, the story both fascinating and horrifying. It is a tale of a family's strength in the 1600s, during the Salem witch trials. Here is the blurb I found online:

"Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha's courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived. Kathleen Kent is a tenth generation descendent of Martha Carrier. She is also a natural-born storyteller, and in her first novel, she paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England, but also of one family's deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution."

At times, it was very difficult to listen to, as the author spared no detail of the gruesome conditions of the times. Had it been a book in my hands, I surely would have skimmed over those parts (thankfully, not too many of them). But as a captive listener in my car, I had no choice but to listen. Still, this was a rivetting tale and although it was a fictionalized account, it is based very much on actual events and real people. It took Kent 5 years of research to write this book and it shows. She is an excellent storyteller.

I had studied a bit about the Salem witch trials when I was in school many years ago and for some unknown reason, this dark chapter in history has always held a horrible fascination for me. What I find striking is how, even though this took place in the 1600s, there is something inherently evil in human nature that seems to appear in every generation. Every extremist group, whether in the name of politics or religion, or both, seems capable of horrific crimes against fellow humans. In my lifetime alone (and in the not-so-distant past, my parents' generation had Hitler, of course), I could rattle off a dozen or more examples of people -- in this day and age! -- being tortured, repressed, discriminated against, terrorized by small but powerful groups of nutbars and there is nothing anyone seems to be able to do to stop them. They do get more sophisticated as the years go by but basically, the mentality remains the same. Oh, I'm sure politicians would like to think otherwise, would like to think that diplomacy works, but the reality is that the more we (ie, humans) evolve, the more we stay the same. It is disturbing and rather depressing, and probably one of the many reasons I have a difficult relationship with both politics and religion...

That said, this book was so very well-written and so very worth the read (or the *listen*. I love audiobooks that keep me in the car; this one surely did!). I highly recommend it.

Thanks so much for posting this! And I love that it's good on audio, too! Adding it to the wishlist...

#32 - The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant. I listened to this on audiobook, read lovingly by Linda Lavin. I think her reading added a dimension of authenticity, at least for me. Her voice was really that of Addie Baum, the narrator of this story, with all the right nuances, inflections and emotion. The premise of this book is that of an 85 year old woman, telling the story of her life to her granddaughter, as part of a project to discover what made her the woman she is today. In essence, it is a monologue, only occasionally addressing her granddaughter, but the reader (listener) forgets that completely as we are swept up in Addie's life. Addie was born in 1900 to immigrant Jewish parents and grew up through very trying and difficult times, including the World Wars, the Influenza epidemic, prohibition and the depression. She somehow found her way, though, through literature, good friends, wonderful teachers and her own brand of determination and chutzpah. In many ways, she blazed her own trails, and not only overcame hardship and sorrows, but experienced great love and joy, as well. I really enjoyed this book.

Just wanted to add that, coincidentally, Anita Diamant mentioned Orphan Trains in her book, The Boston Girl. I would never known about them or made the connection had I not read Orphan Train so recently. I love when there is overlap like that in my reading ventures.

>128 jessibud2: I love that too. I like books of movies or songs where books are mentioned. Especially when I've read that book.

#33 - Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. Subtitled *Medicine and What Matters in the End*. I have always been in awe of medical people who can manage to excel in their field and also write for the reading public. That alone is a feat that boggles my mind. That he is able to do this so eloquently is real talent.

This book opens up a subject we all instinctively know we will have to face one day, but probably try, consciously or unconsciously, to avoid: the subject of end of life care, most especially in terms of quality of life versus medical intervention. And sadly, that is the very crux of the issue of our highly technical and medicalized society. Where once, a long time ago, people died at home, surrounded by family and traditional customs, today, in North America anyhow, the purpose of *medicine* seems to be to prolong life at all cost, regardless of whether it is actually benefitting the patient or not. In fact, such interventions seem to completely ignore the patient as a participant in the event altogether. Gawande talks about several patients of his and how their individual situations and choices were handled and dealt with, including hospital interventions, nursing homes, hospice care and assisted living centres. Then he turns the mirror on his own personal tale: the one of his own father's terminal illness and how he, as a doctor, came to experience the other side of the story, as it were.

I wish this book would be compulsory reading for every medical student from this day forward. I am not elderly, nor am I facing any health issues that are close to what Gawande talks about in this book. But aging is something none of us can avoid and frankly, I think about this a lot. This book offers a practical and honest look at questions, options and plans that everyone can learn from.

#34 - Better by Atul Gawande, also on audiobook. As always, I find Gawande's writing excellent and his insights fascinating. But if I am honest, I have reached my saturation point on medical non-fiction for now. I have his final title that I have not yet read, Complications, on hold at the library but I may give it a pass for now. I also happen to be reading, in regular book form, a book by Abraham Verghese called My Own Country and that too, is non-fiction, about his early years in the United States as a doctor. All good, and like Gawande, so very well-written. But I find myself drifting to other books and have started a fiction book just yesterday, to give myself a break.

I need to read more of Gawande's stuff; I've only read Being Mortal but really thought it was life-changing. I understand, though, how you could get burnt out on it.

#35 - The Children Act by Ian McEwan. I listened to this on audiobook, and it was read beautifully by Lindsay Duncan. I have to say that for the first 4 discs (out of 5, total), I was enjoying the story very much. It is a rather dark story about a judge who must rule in difficult cases involving children and their welfare, at the same time as her own marriage is going through some rough times. However, when it took a turn I felt was somewhat unrealistic, that was a game-changer for me. Maybe I am just shallow, or naïve, but I think this ruined my engagement in this story. Which was a disappointment, for me. Oh well...

I loved reading Gawande's books (Complications, The Checklist Manifesto, Being Mortal, Better) and also The Tennis Partner by Verghese. I always tucked other reading (usually fiction) in between them. In that way, I could more fully appreciate the nonfiction. I did read Verghese's novel, Cutting for Stone, which also was very good.

>134 SqueakyChu: - The only Gawande book I have yet to read is Complications. It is sitting on my physical shelf but I will wait for a bit before picking it up. I do read a lot of non-fiction but too much of the same type can get a bit overwhelming sometimes.

I agree. :)

#36 - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I listened to this on audiobook, read so very well by Scott Brick. For much of the first disc, I wasn't sure I would continue because it seemed a bit slow and not going anywhere. But happily, at the insistence of a friend, I did push on and in very short order, I was hooked. This is a book that falls into the category of books about books but it is more than that., and is deceptively sweet, yet complex. Each chapter begins with a quote from a book and Fikry's thoughts on that passage. A.J Fikry is a bookstore owner in a small, east coast island town, recently widowed and rather disappointed with how his life is turning out. But an unusual series of events turns all that around and without giving away any spoilers, it is safe to say that what follows is not as predictable as one might expect.

I really liked this story and will seek out others by this author.

>137 jessibud2: I didn't care for The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry that much. I don't remember much of it, but I did write about it after I finished it that "I was a bit disappointed in this story. It sounded like fun to read a novel about a bookstore owner. However, I felt that the story just glossed over the lives of the characters and had no real depth." I thought that Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore was a much more fun read of a book about books (or bookstores). Have you read that one?

>138 SqueakyChu: - No, I have not read that one although the title is familiar to me. I will look out for it!

>139 jessibud2: It's a fun one. Look for it!

#37 - I just finished My Own Country by Abraham Verghese. What a heartbreaking story. Verghese chronicles the story of his early years as a young internist in the United States as he begins to find a place for himself in his field of specialty, infectious diseases. As he settles himself and his young family in a small rural town in Tennessee, he finds himself treating some of the earliest patients with HIV AIDS. As the numbers grow, he is learning that he is not simply treating one disease; he is becoming the primary care physician for these patients at a time when very little was known about the disease, and very little could be done. Blood tests to test for it were only beginning to be done, and the stigma was enormous. Verghese was not only the doctor who cared for them, but he also began to trace how and where the virus was contracted and travelled, within the States in those early years. As he became more involved in the lives of some of his patients, he also chronicled the effect and the toll it took on them and their families, as well as on his own personal and family life.

More than once, Verghese reflects that he wants to learn how to help his patients have a good death; that their suffering with this disease is difficult enough throughout its duration. The physician, no matter how good, how competent, and how compassionate, still feels helpless at the end. It is vital that the patients themselves be a part of the decision-making regarding how they want to die, what measures they want or don't want, to be taken when that time comes. In this, I found an interesting overlap with *Being Mortal* by Atul Gawande.

This was not an easy book to read but it was one I could not put down. It's been 25 years since this book ended. I spent some time googling last night, to see what Verghese has done in the interim. I learned that he now teaches new doctors. From the Wikipedia article on him:

"Verghese became founding Director of The Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2002.12 His focus here was on medical humanities as a way to preserve the innate empathy and sensitivity that brings students to medical school but which the rigor of their training frequently represses. In San Antonio, besides developing a formal humanities and ethics curriculum that was integrated into all four years of the medical school program, he invited medical students to accompany him on bedside rounds as a way of demonstrating his conviction about the value of the physical examination in diagnosing patients and in developing a caring, two-way patient-doctor relationship that benefits not only patients and their families but also the physician.13 At San Antonio, he held the Joaquin Cigarroa Chair and the Marvin Forland Distinguished Professorship.14

After a relatively short, five-year tenure in San Antonio, he was recruited to Stanford University School of Medicine in late 2007 as tenured professor for the Theory and Practice of Medicine and Associate Chair of Internal Medicine.15 His deep interest in bedside medicine and his reputation as a clinician, teacher and writer have continued to define his role at Stanford, where he is deeply involved with patients at Stanford Hospital and directs the third-year medical student clerkship. His writing and work continue to explore the importance of bedside medicine, the ritual of the physical examination in the era of advanced technology, where, as he notes frequently in his writing, the patient in the bed is often ignored in favor of the patient data in the computer.16 He is renowned at Stanford for his weekly bedside rounds, where he insists on examining patients without knowledge of their diagnosis to demonstrate the wealth of information available from the physical exam. This emphasis has led to the development of "The Stanford 25", a new initiative at Stanford designed to showcase and teach 25 fundamental physical exam skills and their diagnostic benefits to interns."

A quote rom his own website sums it up: “I still find,” he says, “the best way to understand a hospitalized patient is not by staring at a computer screen, but going to see that patient. For it is at the bedside that I can figure out what’s important to the patient and how the data you have accumulated makes sense.”

Much as Verghese is the doctor we all want as our own, I am gratified to see that his reach in teaching young doctors may indeed carry further than it would if he had continued to practise medicine himself. Who knows, maybe the next generation of physicians will turn out to be more like him and learn to balance technology and humanity. And wouldn't that be a blessing...

Shelley I thought I would pop over here to say hello. I really enjoyed your participation in the NF November thread. Now I know where to find you and I will definitely look for you when the 2016 Group starts.

>142 luvamystery65: - Thanks, Roberta. I look forward to the 2016 groups!

#38 - I Can't Complain by Elinor Lipman, on audiobook, read by the author, 3 discs. This was my first introduction to this author and I really enjoyed this collection of essays. She writes so well, with a lot of love, and humour and I found myself laughing out loud more than once! She covered a variety of topics such as her parents, food, kids, widowhood, soap operas, dating, and her son, to name a few. And I love the titles for may of them, too. Very clever (of course, since it was an audiobook, I can't go back to find them and tell you any of them, and in one ear and out the other, as they say; I can't remember any of them now! Sorry)

>144 jessibud2: A while back, I read My Latest Grievance, a novel by Elinor Lipman. I found that book hilarious. I would imagine that Lipman's NF would be good as well. Nice to see you enjoyed it. Often Lipman books cross my shelves on their way to my LFL, but I don't have enough reading time to slip them onto my TBR. Maybe in a few decades. Really! :)

>145 SqueakyChu: - This NF should be worth seeking out, Madeline. Because it's a series of essays, and the whole book isn't that long, it makes for quick and easy reading.

>146 jessibud2: You convinced me. If I see it, I'll grab it. :)

>147 SqueakyChu: - Good girl. :-) I look forward to hearing your impressions

:D

Not about books, but more important: I posted this this morning on another forum I frequent and wanted to repost it here.

I am feeling Very Proud to be Canadian right now; read all these comments:

https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeToCanada?src=hash

The mayor of Toronto, the Premier of Ontario AND the Prime Minister of Canada, all on hand at the airport to greet the first Syrian Refugee arrivals last night.

We should never forget Canada's *none is too many* response to Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis, after WWII.... (google that phrase if you don't know about it). It was a disgrace. Thankfully, smarter, saner minds and more compassionate hearts prevail today. It's about being human, and doing the right thing. And now more than ever, this is needed

>150 jessibud2: You should be proud. How wonderful and kind. I had to post a reminder to someone on my friend's FB thread about the parable of the Good Samaritan. She made a comment about how the people in San Bernadino gave a shower to their killers. I reminded her that their killers were not refugees but fleeing the likes of the same group the killers identified with. I also reminded her that we should not let people like that take our kindness away.

>150 jessibud2: I don't blame you for being proud - that Prime Minister of yours seems like an amazing guy!

#39 - Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova (read wonderfully on audiobook by Skipp Sudduth)

As she brought attention and understanding to Alzheimer's disease in her book Still Alice, so she does with Huntington's Disease in this insightful and heartbreaking story of a family facing a new reality. Huntington's is a genetic and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disease that each offspring of the afflicted family member has a 50% chance of inheriting. A blood test can determine if a person is gene positive or negative and once Joe O'Brien, the patriarch of this family, learns he has inherited it from his mother, it is up to each of his 4 children to decide if they want to find out whether they, too, have inherited the gene. The ramifications of the disease, which typically begin to manifest in middle adulthood, affect each of them in different ways and ultimately determine their decisions.

Genova, a neuroscientist herself, brings a real and intimate awareness of this disease to the general reading public in a way that is accessible and thought-provoking. As with Still Alice, this one had me thinking about it long after the last page.

I actually have another book on my physical shelf called Mapping Fate, subtitled A Memoir of Family, Risk and Genetic Research, by Alice Wexler. It was published 20 years ago and I am curious to read that now, as both a follow-up to my reading of Genova's book and also as a kind of look back, a prequel of sorts to what we know now about HD. Genova's book is very new, very contemporary; it mentions very recent events such as the Boston Marathon bomber, for example. Genova's is also fiction while Wexler's is not.

#40 - Eat Your Words - Charlotte Foltz Jones, illustrated by John O'Brien

I seem to have been overdosing on heavy often medically related fare lately and as the year slides to a close, and my numbers are still shamefully low, I have decided that I need a diet of lighter (and shorter) books to go out on. So, I browsed my shelves for the skinniest books I could find, if for no other reason than to at least bump up the stats. I found this one on my kitchen shelf and had forgotten about it! Perfect!

This was a short amusing look at the language of food; word and phrase origins of food in our everyday language. Or not. Many of the anecdotes relayed here may or may not be accurate, as *proof* of origin is often difficult to verify. However, the author offers what etymology and folklore is known and together with whimsical and often hilarious illustrations, this glimpse into the culture of food and language that is a staple of human existence is delicious!

#41 - I Feel Great About My Hands - edited by Shari Graydon. This is an antidote and response, of a sort, to a book published a few years back by the late great Nora Ephron, called I Feel Bad About My Neck, about the down side of aging. Graydon wanted to focus on the positives of aging so she approached a collection of Canadian women over 50 and asked them to write short essays on their perspectives on this. I will admit that although I am Canadian (and over 50), there were many on the list whom I had not heard of before. That said, and as can be expected, I suppose, with any collection of writers, some of the essays were so-so, and some were better. A few were terrific. Overall, I like this better than the Ephron book I will say that

Sigh. I have really messed up with the tickers. I have no idea how I did this but the ticker for this thread seems to have been replaced by a ticker that I was having difficulty posting to my new thread for 2016. I did manage to get it right on the new thread, eventually, but how it ended up on this one as well is beyond me. Oh well, I'm certainly not going to try to get it back at this point. Suffice it to say, I will not get to 75 this year. The truth is, though, my little notebook I keep track of books in at home has a count of 59 books read so far and likely one more to add before the end of the year. I don't always remember to add them all here, apparently. Still won't meet the challenge but 59 is better than the 41 I have mentioned on this thread.

You don't need to feel bad about not hitting 75. The point is just trying to read what you love and hanging around with people that love to read. Don't worry about messing up tickers or anything else.

Yay for reading 59!!! ;-)

No need to worry about the old tickers. We have a new year coming up. I am still going to be in my 50's at year's end. I'll try to do better in 2016.

Yeah, we don't care so much about the numbers. That's really just an excuse to spy on each others' reading! :)

>157 luvamystery65: - Thanks, Roberta. And, now that the original ticker is gone, I may just use my *real* numbers to post my last couple of reads of the year! ;-)

>158 SqueakyChu: - Me, too, Madeline, me too! (famous last words...;-)

>159 drneutron: - Sounds like a plan, to me, Jim! Not to mention, it helps add to that infamous Mt. TBR...! Ha!

#59 - Canada Customs: Droll Recollections, Musings and Quibbles by Bill Richardson. Richardson used to be a staple on CBC radio and is one funny guy. I really miss not hearing him on the radio any more but I love that I can still *hear* his voice as I read his words. I believe this is the first book he published, back in 1988 (he has since written many more, thankfully) and is a collection of short essays and poems (some of these, not so short) on a wide variety of topics. In fact, many of the poems are read-aloud worthy! Some of the titles in this slim volume include *Human Airer*, *Homework*, *Love Handles*, *Metamorphosis*, *Riverdale, North*, *Wrap Sessions*, *Inflatable Toys*, *Rudolf: The Real Story* and *Style and Substance*. This smattering of titles can't even begin to hint at just how hilarious Richardson can be. The human mind works in strange ways, sometimes (well, maybe much of the time) and Richardson is living proof of this. I just want to add that my cat, Mia, was thrilled when I finished the book because it meant that her cat naps could once again return to the peace and quiet she is accustomed to, instead of the bed-shaking caused by my hysterical and uncontrollable laughter.

#60 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was my final read of 2015. It was a reread, probably 40 years or so after the first time. I almost never reread books because I just don't have enough time or years left to read all the unread books I want to get to. But I dug this one out of the back of a shelf and with all the buzz (good and not so good) about the most recent Harper Lee release, Go Set a Watchman, I decided it would make sense for me to revisit this classic before tackling the new one. Especially since I didn't really remember many of the details other than a general overall sketch. I wasn't disappointed and found it very interesting, in a number of ways, to realize how little some attitudes have changed or progressed over the years. Yes, of course, a black president would have been outside the realm of possibility back in the 60s when this was written (or the 30s, when the story took place). But racial inequality and bigotry are still alive and well, sadly, in many places in North America today, both in small towns as well as large cities, both in the south as well as everywhere else too. What the hell is wrong with people anyhow? Will we, as a species, ever evolve into civilized humans, I wonder, every time I hear of yet another racially based crime or issue?

Sigh... not the tone I wanted to end the year with but this book was really well-written and stands the test of time. I would like to see the film again soon, one of these days. I have no problem watching films more than once ;-) This was one of the very few books-to-film adaptations that is a success, in my humble opinion.

Of course, now I want to dive right into 2 other books I have, Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields and Scout, Atticus & Boo - A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird by Mary McDonagh Murphy, instead of moving on to my 2016 challenge reads. Oh, the dilemma...

And with that, I say over and out and onto 2016!