My January thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/51105

My February thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/56421

My March thread is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/58749

My April thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/61444

My May thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/63947

My June thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/65874

My July thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/67964

My August thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/70159

My September thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/72211

My October thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/74345

Message edited by its author, Dec 2, 2009, 12:39am.

My memorable reads for 2009 thus far are:

Nonfiction
Bound for the Promised Land by Kate Clifford Larson
Crazy Horse by Mari Sandoz
The Plays and Poems of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Volume 1
The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuscinski
The Eaves of Heaven by Andrew X. Pham
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
Love Letters from Cell 92 by Ruth-Alice von Bismarck and Ulrich Kabitz, editors
The Diary of Mary Berg by S.L. Shneiderman, editor
Lighthouse by Tony Parker
The Good Doctors by John Dittmer
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The Diary of Gideon Welles by Gideon Welles
The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall
Dr. Seuss Goes to War by Richard Minear
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
Lower East Side Memories by Hasia Diner
A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts 1920-1936 by Richard Samuel Roberts
Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals

Fiction
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Tethered by Amy MacKinnon
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Maus and Maus II by Art Spiegelman
The Girls by Lori Lansens
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King

Young Adult/Juvenile
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Treasure of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Summerland by Michael Chabon
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
The Grey King by Susan Cooper

A note about my memorable reads: I am not a book critic. My memorable reads list is just that: books that are memorable to me - that for some reason or other resonate with me. I do not rate books as many people here do for the simple reason that I am a terrible book reviewer! lol

Message edited by its author, Dec 2, 2009, 12:39am.

This week's reads:

435. Speeding Bullet by Neal Shusterman - young adult; enjoyable book about a young man who saves a little girl's life and the aftermath of his actions; recommended

436. Ritual in the Dark by Colin Wilson - I have read several of Wilson's nonfiction true crime books but never any of his fiction, so I was not sure what to expect from this book and it was very good!; a word of caution about it though - this book was written in 1960 and homosexuality was treated in the book as something which could be outgrown or treated medically; highly recommended

437. What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau - young adult; magical realism crossed with teenage angst and all very good - thanks to Marcia for the recommendation of this one; highly recommended

438. Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck - young adult; Blossom Culp is back in this book, the second book in her series by Peck, and it is just as enjoyable as the first; recommended

439. When the Devil Holds the Candle by Karin Fossum - this book was recommended by someone in the group last year and when Fossum's name came up recently again this year, I decided to give her a try; this book is a much darker type of mystery than those I usually read, but I liked it quite a bit and will look for more books by her; recommended

440. The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner - enjoyable enough historical fiction, but I think I have moved past the point where historical fiction does anything for me - I prefer the real history; guardedly recommended

441. Earthman's Burden by Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson - this scifi book was just plain fun - the story of a man who crashlands on a planet whose teddy bear like inhabitants imitate characters in novels from the Earth, including a Hoka Sherlock Holmes; recommended

442. A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts by Richard Samuel Roberts - nonfiction; I am not sure how I stumbled across this book, but I am glad I found it because this collection of photographs is truly remarkable - the majority of them come from the 1920s, with a few from the 1930s, but all depict the black middle class of the South; highly recommended, and on my memorable reads list for the year

443. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - Carolyn and I read this book together, a re-read for me, and I still love it; highly recommended

444. Blood and Guts by Roy Porter - nonfiction; I found this book on Daryl's thread, and since I enjoy books about the history of medicine, I thought I would give it a shot; I really liked it and for its length, thought it was pretty good - my main complaint about the book is, of course, its brevity, but Porter did include a further reading section that I will be exploring; recommended

445. The List of 7 by Mark Frost - this is a rip-roaring adventure thriller set in Victorian England with Arthur Conan Doyle as one of the main characters (Bram Stoker also makes a brief appearance and there is a 'cameo' by Adolf Hitler too); highly recommended just for the sheer fun of it

Phenomenal reading output for the year, Stasia! Thanks for the inspiration :)

Thanks, Akeela! Glad to see you around again.

Good Morning Stasia

I see lots and lots of great recommendations on your list, thus, it is another week of adding your books to my tbr pile. And, by the way, many thanks for one of your recommendations that was a true gem! I finished Here if You Need me: A True Story and loved it!

I'm glad that you liked Blood and Guts, Stasia. It's a good introduction to his work, and he has a dozen or more substantial books on the history of medicine, including "Quacks", "Madmen", and "Flesh in the Age of Reason", all of which I hope to get to in the next 6-12 months.

I'm adding A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts to my wish list and my gift list, and I'll order it from Amazon later today. My mother and her older sister were born in south Alabama in the 1930s, so this book will be of special interest to them.

Another great photographer of black American life, Roy DeCarava, died earlier this week (the New York Times had a lengthy obituary in Wednesday's edition. He chronicled life in his Harlem neighborhood, and I have one of his books, The Sound I Saw, which consists of photographs of jazz artists and others in Harlem in the 1950s and 1960s. I highly recommend it!

I'm going to check out Karin Fossum, and I mooched The List of Seven from bookmooch!
445 books - amazing!

Whew .... managed to escape adding only 4 books to my wishlist for a change. I've already got A True Likeness sitting patiently somewhere in my TBR tower.

I have Blood and Guts on my wishlist already, but I may just have to take a look at The Moonstone.

I added What the Moon Saw and When the Devil Holds the Candle to my wishlist -- both sound right up my alley -- thanks for the recs!

OMG, this time change has already got me out of sync. Until just now I had forgotten to check "this weeks reads".
Anyway, I have The Moonstone on my bookshelf and I look forward to reading it since you enjoyed it.
I am adding The List of 7, sounds like a winner.
Have a great week!

The Moonstone has been on my TBR pile for more than a year now, I read Woman in White last year and it was a very good read, hopefully I will get to The Moonstone in 2010.

*Sigh*

And there I was thinking I was all caught up with your thread.

#6: I am so glad you liked it, Linda!

#7: I will be looking for your reviews of Porter's other books, Daryl, as the history of medicine is a subject in which I am greatly interested.

As for A True Likeness, the pictures in it were taken in Charleston, SC. The story of the recovery and preservation of the pictures is a tribute to the people involved. I hope your family members enjoy the book. The picture of the kid on page 97 is a winner for me - he just looks like a heartbreaker :)

#8: I hope you enjoy The List of 7, Angela! The Devil Holds the Candle is not the first book in the Inspector Sejer series, but it is unfortunately, the only book of Fossum's that my local library has. You might want to see if you can start the series at the beginning with the first available English translated book, Don't Look Back.

#9: Move A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts to the top of the stack, Caroline. You will not regret it.

#10: Luxx, if you like the Victorian literature style of Dickens and Trollope, I think you will like The Moonstone, too.

#11: You are quite welcome, Missy. I hope you enjoy the books. Thanks for stopping by.

#12: I hope you have a great week too, Lynda!

#13: I have not yet read The Woman in White, so I am taking them in the opposite order, Piyush. I hope you get a chance to enjoy The Moonstone soon.

#14: Sorry, Jenny. New month, new thread.

Love the sound of The List of Seven!

#19: I hope you get a chance to read it, Rachael. It really is fun.

Glad to see that The Moonstone holds up well as a re-read. I also read it before The Woman in White. Both are excellent, with the former just a smidge better, IMO. More 'exotic' :)

445 books... Wow!

Stasia, I'm floored by how many books you've read this year - you're getting close to how many I've read ever! Admittedly, I had slacked for a while - but even with reading at a higher rate than I had been, I think two years of your reading = my lifetime. Apparently, I need a longer bus commute to work if I'm ever going to get near your output! :p

#21: I finally broke down and ordered a copy of The Woman in White from Paperback Swap. I am hoping it lives up to all the good things I have heard about it.

#22: Thanks for the compliment, Sean!

#17 - I just found The Moonstone for free on the Kindle, so I downloaded it. Another treat to tackle after my exam this week!

Just posting so this comes up on my home list -- but your review reminds me to read Collins!

Finally found you! What a relief--I thought you disappeared when you hadn't posted your Sunday reads!

I've added List of Seven and Don't Look Back to my list--I like to start at the beginning of a series. :-)

#21 digifish

I like The Moonstone just a little better also--although I love both of them.

Hi, Stasia!
I saw that LSU plays Alabama next week!! Should be exciting. Good luck!!
--BJ

Ooh, I'm going to go find a copy of The Moonstone--can't pass it up with the recommendations that it found on this thread.

Karen

p.s. AND it's on the 1001 Books list.

Yay, I found the free Wilkie Collins and while I was there I found Trollope free for the Kindle!

But, first to finish the last 4 books for the 999 challenge.

Laura

Hi, Stasia -

Hooked two or three good books from the list this week. I always appreciate the ideas and enjoy the books.

Now have the thread starred for the month of November.

Happy Trails,

Ruth

Ooooooo, I find your new thread, and I'm already 30 posts behind!

I've got you starred again now!

There are two sequels to Earthman's Burden if you want more, including a short novel, Star Prince Charlie.

#31 tymfos - me too!

Hallo Stasia!

Rats! My library has nary a copy of Earthman's Burden! I'll have start scouring the used book stores because Amazon doesn't have it, either.

#24: I think you will enjoy The Moonstone, Luxx. Good luck with the exam!

#25: I hope you like the Wilkie Collins' books, beserene. Thanks for posting.

#26: Carolyn, be assured that if I ever disappear from the group it is only because I am providentially hindered. I hope you like The List of 7. You will have to let me know how Don't Look Back is.

#27: Yes, that will be a good game. Go LSU!

#28: Karen, I hope you enjoy it.

#29: Laura, great discovery in both the Collins' and Trollope camp! I hope you enjoy them all.

#30: Hey, Ruth, thanks for dropping by. I hope you enjoy the books you chose from this past week.

#31: Glad you found me :)

#32: Thanks for letting me know, Tad. I will look for them.

#33: Hallo flissp!

#34: Carolyn, if you would like to borrow my copy of Earthman's Burden let me know. I will send it your way.

There are a lot of active posters in this thread, so I thought I'd try to get support going for an idea I posted in the "Recommend Site Improvements" forum (thread is http://www.librarything.com/topic/76354 ). Here's the post:

"I post in a lot of groups, by my standards, and sometimes I want to go back to threads I've started in different groups. Presently I have squads of stuff starred, so that search is tedious; I won't even go into the size of the "Your Posts" choice.

Would it be a royal pain to introduce a "Threads You've Started" choice in the "Your World" bar? It would make my personal life easier, and I can imagine that of others as well."

If it sounds like a good idea to you, please go over there and post a response. It makes the request more popular, and so more likely to be granted.

Message edited by its author, Nov 4, 2009, 11:36am.

Earthman's Burden sounded very good. I just bought a copy (used) on amazon for $3.99.

List of 7 is going on my list!

Stasia my dear friend, over in "Le Salon Litteraire du Peuple pour le Peuple," Salon founder EnriqueFreeque started a thread called "Thanksgiving" in which he publicly gives thanks for his blessings.

I am so thankful that I met you. I cannot stress enough that, when I feel most bleak about the fate of Christianity, I think of you as my antidote to all the bombast and nastiness, and feel a glimmer of hope. That's a giant gift. Thank you for it.

Glad to hear about The List of 7. It has been on my shelf--apparently from one of my sons left it here.

#41: Richard, I am so overwhelmed and humbled by your comments. I cannot express what they mean to me.

I am glad to have had the opportunity to extend our friendship over the course of this year. You, my friend, are a treasure!

The List of 7 is on Project Wishlist. Looks fun...

#40/42/44: I hope you all enjoy The List of 7!

Hi! I just found Grim Tuesday, book 2 in the Keys to the Kingdom. Have you read this series?

#46: No, I have not. Let me know how it is, would you?

Jadebird, I've read all but the last one, which is not out in paperback yet. I should see if the library has it by now! It's a fun children's fantasy series, very different.

ETA But I still like Nix's YA Abhorsen series the best.

Message edited by its author, Nov 6, 2009, 12:04am.

I am going to read the Abhorsen trilogy at some point next year with Carolyn. I will look for the Keys to the Kingdom series, too.

Mister Monday is my first Garth Nix. I'm impressed.

#50: That bodes well for what will be my first reading of him, too.

I'm also planning to read the Abhorsen trilogy next year. I read Sabriel when it first came out and loved it, but somehow never got around to reading the next ones when they became available.

Hmmm, sounds like fodder for a group read when the time comes...

I found Lirael (sequel to Sabriel) today in a used book store. Now I just need to find Sabriel...

I really enjoyed the Abhorsen trilogy. I liked Sabriel the best. I also read Across the Wall which is a companion book to the trilogy.

I read Sabriel about 3 years ago--before LT--because my son gave it to me. I had planned to read the trilogy (my other son lent me his copies of the others and they are still on my "short shelf") but haven't gotten around to it yet. IU'm delighted to have a "nudge" to do that. I think I will reread Sabriel when we do the read--I thought it was "okay" the first time. Now that I have been reading so many fantasy novels I think I will enjoy it much more now!

The Abhorsen trilogy is the book series I have pushed on more people than any other series. (Well, maybe tied with the Tales of the Otori books which are popular among the guys at work) Lirael and Abhorsen are my favorites. The three books are now available in one volume. The Keys to the Kingdom books are good but the middle books dragged a little.

Stasia...seven days into November and 58 posts on your thread already! I agree with Richard! What an incredible person you are! Everyone feels welcome and warm at your table (thread)!

#58: Everyone feels welcome and warm at your table (thread)!

Just the way I like it :)

All I'm gonna say is "What is ... is."

Happy trails,

Ruthie

I will look for the Keys to the Kingdom series, too.

You might want to wait until the last book is published. While the first five were relatively stand-alone, the sixth ends on a cliff-hanger.

re #57
Okay, now I'm looking into the Tales of the Otori...
Thanks, VioletBramble!

Garth Nix looks an interesting author, haven't read anything by him yet, maybe next year I will look into some of his works.

We could do a group read of the Abhorsen trilogy kind of like what we have done with the Dark is Rising series this year. I was thinking maybe next summer - one book each in June, July, and August.

Does that plan work for everyone? Any suggestions are welcome!

That sounds good for me. It should be fun. Someone needs to remind me! :-)

#65: I thought summer would be a good time for us, especially since we already have reads planned out for the end of this year and the beginning of next. Summer sounded good because I know a lot of people will have more free time then.

This week's reads:

446. The Seasonal Kitchen Garden by Peter McHoy - nonfiction; this book would have been much more help to me if a) I lived in the UK and b) I owned a greenhouse; for those who do live in the UK and are interested, I would recommend it because it has nice sets of checklists that would be especially helpful to novice gardeners

447. Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler - nonfiction; I really enjoy Feiler's style - he has a very down-to-earth tone that works well in this book that is part history, part examination of not just his Jewish faith, but Islam and Christianity as well; recommended

448. Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich - a decent thriller, but not an outstanding one; guardedly recommended

449. The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America by Wyn Craig Wade - nonfiction; I thought this was a very well-written book detailing not only the beginnings of the Klan, but its rise (and fall) through the vagaries of political and religious underpinings; highly recommended

450. Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins - young adult; to be honest, I did not much care for this book; not recommended

451. The Limits of Power by Andrew J. Bacevich - nonfiction; Thanks to Mike (sgtbigg) for the recommendation of this one; this was a difficult book for me to read - it is certainly not an enjoyable read by any means - but I think it was one I needed to read simply because of my complete lack of knowledge regarding modern US history; highly recommended

452. The Fallen by Celia Thomson - young adult; I really wanted to like this book (I also have the other 2 books in the series as well), but I have a real problem with the amount of swearing in what purports to be a book for young adults! The storyline is interesting, but the swearing is a sticking point for me; guardedly recommended

453. The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor - another decent thriller, although I felt like this one really went on about 100 pages too long, but still not too bad for the author's first book and I will read more by him; recommended

454. A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan - young adult; the first book in Shan's Cirque de Freak series, I thought it did a good job of setting up the series and the characters and am looking forward to the second book in the series, which I already have on hold at the local library; recommended

455. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann - I had a very good time with this book and was rather surprised by its low rating here on LT - people commented that the book was not really Steampunk (whatever that is?) and that there was no depth of characterization (why were they expecting deep characters in a book of this sort any way?), but I really liked it; recommended - and I am already searching for book 2 in the series

456. Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper - definitely the best read of the week and what a great ending to the Dark is Rising series; highly recommended

Next week will probably be a slow reading week for me as my mother is coming into town Tuesday and then she and my family will be out of town Wednesday and Thursday. Hopefully, I will get a couple of reads in though so I have something to report next week!

Yay, only one to be added to the wishlist. The Affinity Bridge has been added.

Got you this week, Jenny! It has been a while, lol.

Morning Stasia, nothing to add to my wish list this week but good wishes to you and your family for a great week with mom :)

Thanks, Lynda! I hope you have a wonderful week as well.

The Abhorsen trilogy in the summer sounds good. Is there a list somewhere of planned group reads? I can't remember which ones are on the list for the end of this year and the beginning of next.

#72: Zoe, the only ones that I am aware of are Anna Karenina and Moby Dick beginning in January, and now, the Abhorsen trilogy next summer. There may be others, but these are the only ones of which I am aware.

Hope that the rest of your weekend and the entire week to come are pleasant and at least somewhat relaxing for you and your family.

Happy Trails,

Ruth

>67 ooh, I have a copy of The Affinity Bridge - Eric in the Grauniad liked it and I got one off BookMooch... may promote!

I've added Where God Was Born to my list. (I had almost added it when MusicMom read it, and you've pushed me off the fence.)

I'm thinking of adding The Limits of Power and The Fiery Cross, but I need to think on them a bit. (Where God was Born is at the County Library; the others aren't.)

Just catching up, Stasia! I'm glad you enjoyed What the Moon Saw. I'm adding The Fiery Cross to my wishlist, thanks for the rec.

I saw Andrew Bacevich (The Limits of Power) on Bill Moyers a couple of months ago, and was very impressed. I will have to look for this book.

Count me in please for the Abhorsen trilogy group read. I've got them all in my TBR and I haven't started them yet, so if we do it next summer, that'd be perfect.

A nice list this week, Stasia. I had to add The Fiery Cross to my wishlist. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed The Affinity Bridge because it is on my TBR pile and I was a little disheartened to read the dismal reviews of some LTers. I had moved it down the pile the last time I read a bad review about it.

Please you liked The Affinity Bridge. It does involve steam power, science fiction, and the Victorian Age. I enjoyed the second in the series as well.

#66 Abhorsen trilogy in Summer should work out for me too, hopefully I would be relatively free then.

#74: Thanks, Ruth!

#75: Rachael, I have no idea who 'Eric in the Grauniad' is, but I am glad to see that at least 1 other person besides me liked the book! I hope you do, too.

#76: I hope you enjoy Where God Was Born. Perhaps you could put the others on interlibrary loan?

#77: Marcia, the one person who did a detailed review of The Fiery Cross did not like it much at all (even ripping into the way the author did the footnotes), but I thought it was a good historical overview of the Klan. I hope you get a chance to read it - I would like to see your input on the book.

#78: Deborah, it is not an enjoyable book - more of a 'wake up' call than anything. I hope you get a chance to read it.

#79: Glad to count you in for the Abhorsen trilogy read, Caroline! The more, the merrier. As far as The Affinity Bridge is concerned, I am not, nor will I ever be a book critic (my tastes are far too pedestrian), but I enjoyed the book - it was a lot of fun for me. I am not looking for a deep characters in books such as this one, just fun, and taken in that light, I thought the book succeeded.

#80: Horus, I am glad to know the second in the series is enjoyable too. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

#81: Cool, Piyush! I hope you can join us.

#82 Perhaps you could put the others on interlibrary loan?

I already have 265 books on my list that I need try to get via state interlibrary loan (not counting the 90 or so I can get through in-county ILL, like Where God was Born)! I know it doesn't rival your Black Hole, but think it's getting a little bit out of hand . . . :)

#85: Nope, not anywhere close to being out of hand . . .

Right now, the list of books I want to read but cannot lay my hands on stands at 2,101 books and I am not even done adding books from all my notes spread around everywhere. That is close to being out of hand, lol.

Ohhh-kaaaay .... I can see why you've named your TBR the Black Hole! That's alot of books to be on the look out for.

I think libraries are grateful for patrons from LT because I'm sure we request a number of books which they don't necessarily order, and which, when finally ordered, end up being very popular with their other patrons.

2,101!!! Yikes! That's some TBR list. I can see how it happens though with so many good selections here on LT.

#87 Caroline, the 2,101 is just the books that I cannot get from my local libraries. If you incorporate the books I can obtain from them, the number of books at present in the BlackHole numbers 3,738, with more yet to go, lol. One of these days, I will get all the books I want to read listed in one place and then I expect the BlackHole will be upwards of 10,000 or so. Depressing!

It will be interesting to see how the Abhorsen reads turn out. From my experience, people seem to fall definitely into one of two camps: Sabriel People and Lirael People. I haven't figured out what makes the split. I am a Sabriel People.

After reading your recent comments on my 75 challenge thread, and having a few extra spare minutes on my hands this morning, I decided to check out your 75 challenge thread. What was I thinking???!!!!! It is now 7:35 EST time and I have finally finished although I have to admit that I stopped reading all of the posts sometime in March, skipped straight from the end of June and basically only read your posts in October and November. What an amazing list of books you have read! I will definitely check in on your thread every week so that I can keep up. Keep up the good work!

#86 Hey, remember, I'm really just getting started building my list . . .

Stasia, I think you had mentioned on the non-fiction thread that you wanted my take on Fire in the Grove. I've posted comments on my thread (and elsewhere), with a link to my full review.

#90: I did not realize I would be forced to choose sides, lol. I think I will be an Abhorsen person, just to even everything out.

#91: Thanks for dropping by!

#92: Cool, I will swing by and look at the review. The book looks like it is right up my alley.

>93: No one's forced. It simply seems to work out that way.

#94: Interesting - so why is no one an Abhorsen person?

#95 It has been a few years since I read the Abhorsen trilogy, so correct me if I am wrong Tad, but this is my view: Sabriel, and Lirael are the names of the main characters in each respective book, while Abhorsen is their job title. When reading the books as a trilogy, Sabriel can somewhat stand on its own while Abhorsen feels like an extension of Lirael.

While I enjoyed all three books, and read them in a row, Sabriel was my favorite because it felt more action packed and I enjoyed her as the protagonist.

Enjoy the series - it is one of my favorite YA fantasy series. I will be interested in reading everyone's comments :)

Glad you liked(?) #451. I've gotten a couple of Bacevich's other books, which I'll get to one day.

#97: Mike, the book itself is fine. The subject matter is (at least to me) not enjoyable. I do think that it is a book I needed to read, though.

This week's reads:

457. Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones - this is the first time that I have read anything by Jones, but it certainly will not be the last, although I must say that I was enjoying this book immensely on its own prior to finding out that it is a retelling of the Tam Lin story, with which I am completely unfamiliar, so I am afraid that parts of the story just escaped me; highly recommended

458. Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals - nonfiction; this is the second book that I have read this year covering the forced integration of schools (I have yet another in the offing) and I preferred this one to Daisy Bates' The Long Shadow of Little Rock I think because Beals was actually one of the students involved and relates her story from that point of view; excellent book, highly recommended and on my memorable reads list for the year

459. Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck - young adult; I am officially a fan of Mr. Peck now and have enjoyed all of the books of his I have had the privilege of reading this past year; this one is not one of my favorites, but still recommended

460 & 461. Bone, Volume 4: The Dragonslayer and Bone, Volume 5: Rock Jaw by Jeff Smith - graphic novels; this series began on rather a light-hearted note but has evolved into something darker the further into the series I get, but I am very much enjoying it; highly recommended

462. Dark of the Moon by John Sandford - the first book in Sandford's Virgil Flowers series, this was pretty good; recommended for fans of the genre

463. Diana: The Making of a Terrorist by Thomas Powers - nonfiction; I learned of this book when I read Lucinda Franks' book a couple months ago and by happenstance, it was my next read on the very day my family and I visited the Oklahoma City Memorial, so with that fresh in my mind, I had a lot of questions as to how an idealistic, 'I am going to change the world' debutante was transformed into a woman putting together bombs and accidentally blows herself up; the book is very good, but there are few direct quotes from Diana herself (perhaps the material just did not exist or was not accessible), but I still highly recommend the book

464. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale - nonfiction; I read this one with Carolyn (MusicMom41) and she did a bang up review that I will not repeat because it covers my main points as well; I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I not had as much familiarity with the case, but as someone who has been reading true crime cases for well over 20 years, I think that familiarity colored my view of the book somewhat; guardedly recommended, especially for fans of the true crime genre as well as those interested in Victorian history

465. Sick of Shadows by Sharyn McCrumb - I enjoyed this mystery very much, especially the literary quotes spread throughout; recommended for fans of the cozy mystery genre

Despite my mother visiting and being out of town a couple of days this week, it turned out to be a better reading week than I had anticipated.

I read Warriors Don't Cry back in middle school, and it was very affecting. Even now I remember it reading it. I'm glad to hear that it is just as moving and memorable for an adult.

#100: It was definitely moving and memorable for me. I think that Beals was lucky in the fact that she had such a wonderful support group - her family especially as well as the other kids going through it as well.

Thanks for you recommendation of The suspicions of Mr. Wicher. The book is waiting here for me. I became interested in it, after enjoying (that might not be the good word) In cold blood.

Stopping by to read your list for the week and see what I want to add to my pile. Having the list published each Sunday makes it easier for me when I want to go back later and find a book that I remember you having read, but, don't remember what you thought about it. I appreciate that feature of yours.

Happy trails, my dear Texas friend -

Ruthie

Hi Stasia,
I added several books from your list this week! I was wondering if you have read any other books concerning the Weather Underground. Do you think the Diana book is a good starting place? I have a book about the Kent State shootings, which mentions the WU, but I would really like a fuller history. Anyone with any recommendations?

>96: jayde1599 - You're correct...those are the names of the main characters. Sabriel will always be my favorite character (well, and Mogget) though I can understand many people really liking Lirael. And, yes, Sabriel (the book) stands alone better than the other two.

A nice selection of books Stasia, but once again I walk away unscathed. Yippee!

#102: I hope you like the book. Thanks for stopping by!

#103: Ruth, nice to have you here!

#104: Sherlyn, I have not read any other books on the Weathermen, but I am very interested in doing so after having read the book on Diana. Sorry I cannot help.

#106: Maybe next week, Lynda . . .

This message has been flagged by multiple users and is no longer displayed.

As usual, youhave some very good books posted, Stasia, but I think the ones which interest me most are already on my Wishlist! (whew!) :)

I just added the Mr. Whicher book to my TBR mountain after reading Carolyn's review. I like it when you two read together - less wishlist accumulation, lol...

#109: Maybe I will catch you next time then, Terri!

#110: I understand completely about the wishlist accumulation, Angela!

You did it again, my book search list just got longer...

Message edited by its author, Nov 15, 2009, 11:31pm.

#112: I would say I am sorry, but I am really not, lol! I hope you enjoy your choices :)

:>

I have Fire and Hemlock down for a reread as I hardly remember it now. When I discovered Diana Wynne Jones a few years ago, I was an instant fan and read everything of hers I could lay my hands on and was never disappointed. I'm pretty sure that first book was The Magicians of Caprona.
starsmending has just created an LT group for fans of Diana Wynne Jones http://www.librarything.com/groups/diana...
I've only read one by Richard Peck, A long way from Chicago which was a wonderful book.

#115: I have now read 4 of Peck's books, Kerry, and there has not been a dud in the lot, although I did not like Here Lies the Librarian as much as the others I have read. I encourage you to give more of his a try.

Yay! Another Diana Wynne Jones convert!

#115 Oooh, shall have to check that group out...

I cannot believe how much you have read - and I thought I was doing well at 124 books!

Some of these books sound really interesting - have noted some of them down, thank you!

#118: Thanks for coming by, Kate! I hope you enjoy your selections.

Fire and Hemlock is one of my favorite books of all time, Stasia. I'm so glad you liked it!

Just spent 15 minutes failing to find my copy :-( I could have sworn I'd stolen it back from my mum, but it's not on my shelf (and neither is The Time of the Ghost, argh!!).

Then I searched my library and discovered it's not even catalogued... aiee!!

I hope you find your copy, Rachael!

I read Criss Cross recently too. I read it in a book group, and I was one of the few who liked it. I can see why it wouldn't appeal. But for me, I appreciated and could identify with the teen angst that was at heart very innocent. Unlike so many young adult books of today that portray young teens having sex, drinking and drugging, being in deeply traumatic situations, Criss Cross is notably guileless yet authentic. Yes, angst-filled books are great too, and honest, but I like that Perkins sketches a picture of the difficulties of being a teen with sweetness rather than bitterness.

#121 Rachel, if you need a fix and still can't find either, you can always borrow mine... Fire and Hemlock is even in a relatively good state as I only bought my own copy (instead of nicking my sister's) fairly recently (Time of the Ghost on the other hand...)

Message edited by its author, Nov 20, 2009, 5:47am.

This week's reads:

465. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb - the latest entry in the Eve Dallas series is not my favorite, but still, a good solid book in the series; recommended

466. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally - this book threw me at first because although fiction, it really reads more as nonfiction due to almost the entire book being narrative; highly recommended

467. Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner - I enjoyed this book about a middle-aged woman who finally sets out on her own; highly recommended

468. The Religious Body by Catherine Aird - the first book in the Inspector Sloan series and I thought it was a respectable beginning; recommended

469. Girl Sleuth by Melanie Rehak - Carolyn (MusicMom41) recommended this book on her thread and wrote a very nice review of the book; I enjoyed the book although I was really never much of a Nancy Drew fan (but I loved the Hardy Boys!); recommended

470. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - young adult; I really liked this book - it helps that I love A Wrinkle in Time - that Kerry (aviatkh) recommended; highly recommended

471. Undone by Karin Slaughter - this book crosses the 2 Karin Slaughter series that I am aware of - her Grant County series and her Will Trent series - and does a good job of it; I thought the book was excellent; highly recommended

472. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - young adult; I did not care for this book as much as I liked the first book in the trilogy - I felt like it got away from Clare at times - but I will finish the trilogy despite my reservations on this one; guardedly recommended

473. Across the Savage Sea by Maud Fontenoy - nonfiction; a terrific account of Fontenoy's attempt to row solo across the North Atlantic, I felt as if I were in the boat's cabin right along with her; highly recommended

474. Among the Betrayed by Margaret Peterson Haddix - young adult; the third book in the Shadow Children series, this one belongs to Nina, with a couple of recurring characters from the first two books; not as strong an entry in the series as I would have liked, but given that it is written for readers younger than I am, it probably works better for them :); guardedly recommended

I got an e-mail this week from Amazon touting their new 'Kindle for PC' program, a free download, and thought I would give it a shot. Reading from the PC is difficult for me because I have terrible eyesight, so I had misgivings as to whether or not this would work, but so far, so good. I downloaded a couple of books that my local library does not have yet, The Children's Book and Let the Great World Spin. I have started the former (and am loving it!), so as of right now, it has been a successful experiment.

Message edited by its author, Nov 22, 2009, 6:07am.

I'll formally add Schindler's Ark, the 1982 Booker Prize winner, to my wish list.

Stasia, do you get eye strain or fatigue when you read a PC screen for a long time? If I'm on the computer continuously for more than a couple of hours, then try to read a book, magazine or newspaper, especially at the end of the day, my vision is blurry. This doesn't seem to happen if I read a book for a couple of hours, though. I've been told by urania that this doesn't happen to her when she reads books on her Kindle, but I've never seen one or tried one, and I can't see myself getting one anytime soon, since I like the feel and look of hard and soft cover books, but especially because most of the books I buy are not in an e-book format at the time I acquire them. And, it seems like a new Kindle comes out every 2-3 months, so the version you get is nearly obsolete at the time of its purchase.

Darryl (President of the Anti-Kindle Society)

Darryl

Can I please be a member of your society? While some co-workers and friends rave about their kindle, like you, I'm with you re. these contraptions. I'm on the computer much of the time during the day, the strain on my eyes is difficult.

In my work in publications, over the years there is a huge shift to online journalism and yearbooks on dvd. And, while our student newspaper has both a printed and online version, our yearbook remains a solid, printed, glossy page 350 book. As long as I'm adviser, I hope to keep it that way.

Good Morning Stasia

I'm quite sure you will reach the 500 mark in the next few weeks! As always, you have an impressive list this Sunday morning! 466, 470 and 473 are added to my pile!

>126
Ditto what Linda said. IMO Kindles are so hard and cold to the touch. I'd rather turn an old supple, well worn page or a crisp and clean page any time.

>125 Happy Sunday Stasia - Thanks for reminding me to add Schindler's List to my wish list. (didn't know it was also known as Schindler's Ark....interesting
Also adding Across the Savage Sea. I can not resist a good seafaring story.
Have a great week :)

edited to add: Speaking of wonderful seafaring stories, I have been following Jessica Watson from Australia as she sails around the world. She is awesome! http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/

Message edited by its author, Nov 22, 2009, 7:22am.

#126: Yes, my eyes do get fatigued after reading on the PC. Honestly, I think if my eyes did not get tired, I might not sleep at all :) BTW - I will be looking for your review of Schindler's List.

#127: Good morning, Linda! I hope you like the books you have chosen.

#129: Actually, Schindler's List was Schindler's Ark originally. No idea why the name was changed, Lynda. Thanks for the link about Jessica Watson. Like you, I cannot resist a good seafaring story!

Stasia - Across the Savage Sea sounds great! I was going back through my reading for this year and realized that I haven't read much non-fiction, so this one is definitely going on my TBR.

I agree with you that Among the Betrayed is not the best; I found it a bit too predictable. I enjoyed the next one more, though.

I've almost managed to escape without any growth in my wishlist, except that I'm tempted by When You Reach Me....

I will happily and unabashedly stand by my Kindle 2!

I find it very difficult to read on a computer, and I had similar reservations about the Kindle. However, the text really does read like paper, and I find it very comfortable to read. The Kindle application for the PC kind of misses the point if you ask me, but that's just my opinion.

Not that it has changed my book-buying habits. If anything it has help me broaden my reading horizons because I'm less hesitant to buy something I may not like, and I continue to make weekly trips to the bookstore. ;) So I guess the only negative aspect of Kindle ownership on my end is how quickly I burn through my book allowance.

Stasia, glad you liked Lolly Willowes -- I just read it recently and was surprised by how much fun it was. And hope you like Let the Great World Spin; it was one of my favorites this year and I am happy it received the recognition of the National Book Award,

Stasia, Thanks for the kindle info. Amazon has not sent me any offfers like you received but I would try it if they did. However, I don't think I would actually purchase one because I'm pretty old fashioned and love the feel and look of good old fashioned books.

Also, thanks for straightening out the confusion about Schindler's List/Schindler's Ark. I never knew they were the same book. I read Schindler's List in the early 90's and it was a stunning read. Thanks for reminding me of it.

(Touchstones not working)

The Kindle application for the PC kind of misses the point if you ask me, but that's just my opinion.

The point for me is that it lets you explore the content available for Kindle without actually purchasing the device. I've spent a bit of time looking around the Kindle store and downloading free books, which wouldn't have been possible before. I'll wait until I actually have enough content to make it worthwhile before buying a real Kindle, but in the meantime I can build up my collection. I think there's going to be a lot of progress on eReaders in the next year or two, so I'm in no hurry to shell out my $260 right now.

>136 - Good call. Waiting is really smart, too - I imagine Amazon will drop the price once the Nook is released.

I imagine Amazon will drop the price once the Nook is released.

Yup, I think prices will definitely be falling. More importantly, I hope Amazon will be forced to allow more book formats. Basically, I don't want Amazon controlling all my books; I want to be able to store my e-books myself and use them on whatever device I choose, rather than being restricted one. I've heard horror stories of people having their Amazon accounts suspended because they returned "too many" products--at which point they lost access to their Kindle books.

>130 I think the title change was to do with the movie - apparently movie execs felt an 'ark' would send the wrong message (maybe expecting Harrison Ford and a bit more buckling of swashes). And then the book was renamed to match the film.

I've got on my shelves a copy of Searching for Schindler, Keneally's book about the process of writing the book - added on a 75er's recommendation. Looks really good.

I loved A Wrinkle in Time so am putting When You Reach Me on the list too - thanks!

I'm adding Lolly Willowes to the wishlist!

I would like to add my two cents about the Kindle. I just got one two weeks ago (I saved up my amazon gift cards for a long time and got it at a great price) and I love it. I will not stop reading 'real' books, but I will use the Kindle along with my other books.

The screen is the best part of the Kindle. It's amazing. At times I can't stop looking at it because it's so unique. It looks nearly EXACTLY like a piece of paper. No eye strain at all. A friend of mine who knows way more about technology than I do explained how it works. He says the screen is made up of little tiny tiles that flip over. There's no back light to strain your eyes. The battery is only used when you turn the page on the Kindle, which is why the battery lasts up to two weeks.

I enjoy the tactile feeling of books, too. I got a nice leather-looking cover for my Kindle that opens up just like a book. So when I hold the Kindle it feels less cold, and more cozy like a book. I do like holding my kindle more than I like holding a thick paperback, because the paperback always tries to close on me and I end up losing my place. But I love the feel of a thick hardcover with wavy edges and the Kindle does not beat that.

I have been able to find 53 free ebooks for my Kindle so far. The only format that does not work well is PDF (and there are ways around that problem, too). The free ebooks are not entirely composed of dusty old classics - I've found non-fiction and cozy mysteries for the Kindle as well.

I was nervous that I wouldn't like my Kindle, but I have found it to be quite a pleasant surprise. Space is a problem for me as well, since we live in a 4 room apartment, so the more books I can find for the Kindle, the less I clutter up our small space.

Since there's so much Kindle talk going on here, I wanted to let you guys know that I finally wrote my long promised "Kindle Review" and posted it to my thread.

Here's the link:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/74035
The review is message #110

I listed the pros and cons that I found, and I really tried to be fair. I'm not trying to be controversial, since I can see why people love the Kindle and also why some people don't like it. Personally, I was scared when I bought it - thought I might not like it. I think it all depends on the individual, so I wrote my review to help people who might be curious to decide if it would work for them or not.

To steal and modify a phrase of Stasia's...
"Not every ebook reader is for every body!" or maybe...
"The Kindle is not for every body!" :D

#140 ditto!

I love my Kindle 2 for many reasons.

I like the amount of space it saves when I travel. I can bring home my Kindle for the Thanksgiving holiday and have more books than I can possibly read in no more space than one trade paperback.

I like the e-ink technology. My eyes don't get any more tired using my Kindle than they do when I'm reading a paper book. And I like that I can adjust the size of the type to make it the best for me. Try that with a paper book.

I like the ease, convenience and speed of getting new books. (Although this is also a negative in that it is so quick and easy to spend money. ;-() I have 44 books tagged as free for my Kindle and I have a couple other free books on my Kindle that I couldn't easily add to LibraryThing.

They aren't cheap. But they are less expensive than buying a bigger house and car for all my books.

The one thing I don't like about the Kindle is how it handles footnotes. When you are reading a text and come across the notation for one there's an option to go straight to the note, but there doesn't seem to be a way to go back to where you were in the text. Granted, I've never looked the problem up so there may very well be a way to move seamlessly between the two, but I have not found it on my own. It makes reading books by authors such as Terry Pratchett less rewarding.

#143 - I haven't tried that yet, Luxx - I'll have to check it out. That would be annoying...

There also does not seem to be a way to organize the list of books that are on the Kindle. The ones you are reading are always on page one, however the rest of them seem to be arranged randomly. A minor complaint, but still a little bothersome.

Hi!

I don't have an ereader (they aren't easily or cheaply available in Australia yet). But I've been using Adobe Digital Editions on my main PC (and Asus mini-laptop) to read classic novels in epub or pdf format for a while now. Sitting at a desk to read a novel isn't as comfy as sitting in an armchair with a paperback, but it is a substantially cheaper alternative.

p.s. Any sort of eye strain should be checked by an optometrist or optician.

#131: Amy, the book is not lengthy - only about 150 pages, so it should not take that long - so it should not take that long for you to read. I hope you enjoy it!

#132: Give in to the temptation, Zoe. You know you want to :)

#133: I do not see myself getting a Kindle any time soon, Luxx. The main reason I gave the Kindle for PC a shot was because of my inability to get hold of some of the books I would really like to try like the aforementioned The Children's Book.

#134: I am not sure when I will get to Let the World Spin, probably at the beginning of next year, but I hope I enjoy it as much as you did, Rebecca.

#135: Brenda, the Kindle and Kindle for PC are not the same thing. The Kindle for PC is a downloadable application whereas the Kindle is a (way-out-of-my-budget) device. I will not be giving up hard copies of books - I am like you - I like the feel and smell of them too much.

#136: My point exactly about the Kindle for PC.

And they don't have Kindle for Mac--I checked!

#139: My first thought on hearing Schindler's Ark was as in Noah and the . . ., but you are probably more in the ballpark on that one, Rachael. I will be interested in seeing your thoughts on Searching for Schindler when you get a chance to read it. It looks like one I would probably enjoy.

#140/141: The Kindle is not for me, I do not think, but I liked your review of it very much, Angela. It seem balanced and fair to me. Oh, and I hope you like Lolly Willowes.

#145: Laura, almost all of my reading is done at a desk rather than the couch, so having the Kindle for PC was not a big deal in that regard. I tried reading some of the free books out on Project Gutenberg on my PC, but I had to bump the text size up so much that I had to scroll back and forth, which after a while got to be ridiculous. The text size and the scrolling problems were my biggest concerns in using the Kindle for PC, but thus far, have proved not to be an issue.

509

That's my prediction of how many books you will end up reading this year.

#150: I will try and get there just for you, VG!

Just finished reading 150 messages.... wow you read alot, Stasia. Interesting discussion about the Kindle - which I am quite tempted to try as an option to collecting all this paper. It appeals to me to have illuminated script, especially as I almost exclusively read at night.

However, I LOVE the feel of books, so it will probably never replace the book buying I do.

Look forward to seeing you at the 500 mark, which will be over 3 times as many read as me!

#152: One of the reasons I will probably never break down and buy a Kindle is that not only do I love the feel of books, I also like the smell (especially of old ones).

Thanks for the vote of confidence for my hitting 500. I daresay my lifestyle is a lot less stressful than yours is, doc :)

I meant to tell you that I will be reading When You Reach Me very shortly for my YA book club. I'm glad to see it you liked it; I just got it in the mail a couple days ago. I look forward to it. I hope you're doing well.

#154: Doing just fine, Linda. I hope you enjoy When You Reach Me. Thanks for stopping by!

wow... you read a lot. if someone put 500 books down and told me to read them in a year i'm pretty sure i'd scream a nightmare scream. i'm kind of screaming just thinking about it. can you remember the books you read earlier in the year... you see, that's my problem. all of these stories just get mixed together in my head and let me tell you, what comes from that mix is pretty interesting! i need more memory.

#156: I am pretty good about remembering what I read throughout the year, Brian. I always have book journals to fall back on if a name or title escapes me.

If you figure out how to fix the 'needing more memory' problem let me know. I could always use more!

I've downloaded an e-book reader for on my mobile phone, which can read txt-files. I've placed one book on my phone as well and will soon try it. Unfortunately, the screen is quite small, but a real e-reader is too expensive at the moment, as I than want a 6 inch screen. In the Netherlands, Sony seems to be popular (as in, being for sale, I've never seen somebody with it yet).

My goodness!! 500 books? Wow.

I'm aiming for my "personal best" in a single year--154 and "might" get there.

#159: I have not made 500 yet, although I hope to by year's end.

Congratulations on aiming for a personal best, Linda! I hope you reach it.

152: It appeals to me to have illuminated script, especially as I almost exclusively read at night.

kiwi, I'm pretty sure the Kindle does not have any kind of illumination - it is not backlit like a computer screen is - so you can't read at night unless you get a light for it just like you would with a book.

161- You are correct. No back lighting on the Kindle.

At first I was disappointed by that, but then I realized that the epaper technology made it easier to read for long periods of time. If it had a back light, it would be a lot like staring at a computer screen for hours.

Message edited by its author, Nov 24, 2009, 7:11pm.

Yeah, I'm really curious to see those epaper "screens" - so far the people that have got a Kindle say it really is just like paper. My boyfriend is contemplating getting the Barnes&Nobles one (which looks better than the Kindle but unfortunately doesn't have Wireless for us here in Greece yet) - I hope he does get it though so I can reap the benefits of an e-reader without having to pay for it :)

I picked up Shindler's List by Thomas Keneally a week ago so I'm glad that you're endorsing it as a good read.

I would have liked the option of backlighting on the Kindle, though. It would be a great option for the night reader who doesn't want to disturb the better half.

I guess that, on this thread, you just jump in, fasten your seat belt, and hang on for the ride.

I too downloaded the free Kindle for PC for two reasons. One was to get a feel of what a real Kindle is like, and the other to give my ailing eyesight a break.

I paid $7.99 for an electric copy of McCarthy's The Road and, reading it on my PC screen, it doesn't feel like a real book (nor does it smell like one). The ability to change font size, however, was wonderful.

As far as buying one, I think I'll wait like some of you others until the price goes down and the technology goes up.

#166: CharlieBrain! Glad to see you pop in - you are right, just jump in where- and whenever.

At this time of Thanksgiving, I want all of the group to know how wonderful you are. I so appreciate a community of book lovers who can discuss and share books without rancor, so 'THANK YOU' all very much!

Just popping in to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving, Stasia. Have a great holiday weekend.

Message edited by its author, Nov 25, 2009, 9:50pm.

Stasia, I also wish you a happy Thanksgiving!

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, Stasia!

Happy Thanksgiving Dear Friend!

I'll probably invest in a Sony Reader (Kindle equivalent) one of these days (when they've come down significantly in price), but only for holidaying purposes - it could never replace the smell of a real book ;o)

Re Schindler's Ark, I've had it on my TBR pile ever since the film came out - but I thought that it was based on true events?

...and while I'm here, belated happy thanksgiving to all you over there!

Happy Thanksgiving!

#172 - it's been years since I read Schindler's Ark, but he writes a fiction around the real events, keeping as close to the truth as possible. I just picked up his latest The People's Train, which is also fiction, based on a true story around the time of Lenin and the Russian Revolution.

The more I use my Kindle the more I like it. I just finished the paper version of Torch of Freedom by David Weber. It was 600+ pages long. It was awkward to find a position for comfortable reading. If I was sitting up and reading, the book got heavy quickly. If I was laying down, I was constarntly having to shift the book around as I read both facing pages. Admittedly, my vision is pretty poor which required some of the shifting. With my Kindle, I don't have to do as much shifting of the book and I can adjust the font size to make it the best for me.

The one advantage of the paper book is that it came with a CD with most (all?) of David Weber's other books. They are all available for download to my Kindle and in other formats too. Buying one book essentially gave me another dozen or so for free. Of course, I had already purchased most of them and have them in my book collection. But now I can put them on my Kindle and have access to them when I am away from my book collection.

All are correct when stating that the Kindle is not backlit. However, that also means that you can read it outdoors in bright sunlight. I personally find it equivalent to reading a paper book. No more eye fatigue than book reading for me. I can't say that I really miss the new ink smell of a real book. I went with the Kindle because I am already a devoted customer of Amazon.com. It was the most convenient one for me.

Currently, I have 163 books on my Kindle. I choose to archive the ones that I have already read and have 28 archived items. Amazon stores them for me and I can get them back with a couple of clicks. The only disadvantage is that I can only archive things I buy from Amazon. All my Baen books (of which the Weber's are the latest group) have to be backed up on my home computer.

If you go with an ebook reader of any kind, you can quickly add content to it by visitng the Baen free library at Baen books. They specialize in science fiction and have lots of great authors. In addition to the free books they also sell electronic versions of their other books for quite reasonable prices. I think I got each of Lois McMaster Bujold's books for my Kindle for about $5 each. She is my favorite author. I already have each of her books in hardcover and paperback. Some I also have on cassette tape. I know she also has MP3s too but I don't have that version yet. Can you tell that I am a devoted fan?

catching up with posts...

Also hoping you had a nice Thanksgiving :)

I have to admit.. having a book or two in my pocket on my itouch is a nice thing.
Easier than you might think to read.. and like a security blanket ... keys, inhaler, cell phone, wallet and 10 books.. right.. and off i go.

Happy Turkey Day!

I am learning so much about kindles. Thank you everyone for the discussion.

I'm heading to Dayton Ohio next week to visit my daughter, son in law, twin grandsons and spunky little grand daughter. I'm more focused on what books to take to read in the airport than I am re. what to pack for my four day stay.

Wow, that sounds like a great trip! Have fun!

178 - I do that all the time... I enjoy picking out the books for a trip, and yet I agonize over the decision too.

Thanks to everyone for the Thanksgiving wishes. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!

This week's reads:

475. Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye - nonfiction; this was a well-written and well-researched (and with Satchel, that is saying something!) biography of Satchel Paige; recommended

476. The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood by Susan Wittig Albert - the third book in Albert's Beatrix Potter series, these are just charming, easy going books; recommended

477. Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa by R.A. Scotti - nonfiction; enjoyable book on the history of Mona Lisa and details about the theft in 1911 which went undetected for about 24 hours and unsolved for 2 years; recommended

478. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny - you know, when I started this series I thought it was just going to be another cozy series, the kind of which I am very fond, but Penny has consistently proven that assumption wrong - the Three Pines series is so much more than that; this is simply a terrific book, the best in the series to date IMHO and on my memorable reads list for the year

479. The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs - young adult; this is the second book of Bellairs' that I have read, but the first one that he actually wrote for young people and I think it shows - I preferred the first book I read, The Curse of the Blue Figurine, to this one; guardedly recommended

480. The Walled Garden by Chaim Bermant - nonfiction; an excellent book on the traditions of Jewish life; recommended

481. A War Imagined by Samuel Hynes - nonfiction; frankly, this book bored me and I am not sure why - I liked Hynes' premise that 'WWI altered the ways in which men and women thought not only about war but about the world, and about culture and its expressions', but it sure seemed to take a lot of time for him to support it - I do not know, maybe the problem was just me; guardedly recommended for those who have an interest in the social history of WWI

482. A Step from Heaven by An Na - young adult; this was a very good book recommended by several people in the group about a Korean family emigrating to America - the book touches on several issues: alcoholism, the immigrant struggles, spousal abuse; recommended

483. Infinite Riches: The Adventures of a Rare Book Dealer by David Magee - nonfiction; this book was recommended by dcozy here in the group and it is a great look at the ups and downs of independent bookstore ownership, something rapidly disappearing unfortunately; highly recommended

484. Where Time Winds Blow by Robert Holdstock - this book was recommended here in the group by iansales as one of the science fiction reads from the 1970s that holds up well today and I agree with that assessment; recommended

Well, I have read more books this year than I did last, so I guess that is an improvement. I only made it to 480 last year and with about 5 weeks left in the year, 500 looks to be doable. I am at 131 nonfiction books for the year, but I do not think at this point I will be reaching my goal of 150.

Sorry about the Touchstones, but none of them seems to want to load today.

Glad you enjoyed Where Time Winds Blow. I love the central premise - the rift where the time winds blow in mysterious artefacts from other times and places - but the final quarter of the novel where it is "explained" feels like a bit of a letdown to me.

I wish there had been more of the 'exploration' angle to the book than there was, but I thought Holdstock did a good job in his characterizations of Lena, Leo and Kris. I agree that the final quarter of the novel is the weakest part.

The THree Pines Mystery series looks very interesting, I must say. I've never read anything by the author before, but adding her to the authors-to-check-out list!

#184: Several people in the group are reading or have read the series, Eliza. I hope you can find and enjoy the books as well!

Another Sunday morning checking your great reads for the week. I'm hopeless because I'll never, never read all the books I want to read, but I keep adding them.

Here are the ones I'm adding from your current list:

Three Pines Series
Vanished Smile
A Step From Heaven
Where Time Winds Blow

Stasia, I don't know how you do it, but both your quality and quantity of books are amazing!

#1816: I'm hopeless because I'll never, never read all the books I want to read, but I keep adding them.

And how do you think I acquired the BlackHole of books? See, I am as bad (if not worse) than you are :)

#183 Agreed that the characterisation was done very well. Another author of the same period, perhaps stronger at characterisation but certainly much bleaker in outlook, is DG Compton.

Anything in particular of Compton's that you recommend? I do not remember if his name was in the list that you already provided for me on your thread or not, and my notes are at home.

I've not read that many by him - Chronocules, Scudder's Game and Justice City, all of which are good; but I understand The Steel Crocodile and The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe are very good.

I only made it to 480 last year and with about 5 weeks left in the year, 500 looks to be doable.

Only 480??? :)

Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend goes on my wish list, if it isn't there already, and A Step From Heaven also sounds interesting.

I'm adding Infinite Riches: The Adventures of a Rare Book Dealer to the list. Looks like another great week!

I second #192 and the Three Pines series looks good too. Thanks and have a happy week!

Will be looking for the Three Pines series. Thanks!

You got me for two this week. I'm adding Satchel and Vanished Smile to the tbr pile.

Thanks for your recent list, Stasia. I love reading about bookstores, collecting, etc. I am adding Infinite Riches: The Adventures of a Rare Book Dealer by David Magee. Thanks.

Re. the Kindle - my interest is increasing - I wonder how they handle illustrations and photographs and other nonword symbols. Are they reproduced on the Kindle? Anyone know?

#190: Thanks, Ian. I will see if I can find any of them.

#191: Darryl, glad to see you found a couple to choose off my list for a change!

#192: Thanks, Luxx. I hope you enjoy Infinite Riches.

#193/194: The Three Pines series is a great one. Every book improves on the one before IMHO. I hope you get a chance to read them.

#195: Glad you found a couple to your liking, Mike. Thanks for stopping by!

#196: Karen, I hope you enjoy Infinite Riches when you get a chance to read it. In case you did not know, there is actually a group here on LT called 'Books on Books.' If you are interested, you can find them here: http://www.librarything.com/groups/books.... Sorry, I cannot answer your question about the Kindle, since I do not own one.

Stasia Doster's Dewey Decimal Section:
409 Geographic & persons treatment
Stasia Doster = 901991459058 = 901+991+459+058 = 2409

Class:
400 Language

Contains:
Linguistics and language books.


What it says about you:
You value communication, even with people who are different from you. You like trying new things don't mind being exposed to unfamiliar territory. You get bored with routines that never change.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

alcottacre - I got the exact same answer as you did!

#196 Kiwidoc - For your info, Amazon just released a software update for their Kindle #2's that allows them to read PDF's. I almost fell off my chair. This was my number 1 worry about the Kindle before I bought one. So obviously if the book is a PDF and there's pictures, they will show up on the screen, in black and white.
(One negative about the PDF's though, is I haven't found a way to enlarge the text. All the PDF's on my Kindle are readable, but the text could be a little larger for my liking.)

As far as the .mobi books, the books that are formatted for the Kindle, I THINK they display basic black and white pictures when they are part of the text pages. They don't display pages of photos that are often included in books though. I've only had my Kindle a couple of weeks, though, so perhaps an expert can chime in.

I've never seen photos show up in a document or .txt file that's imported to a Kindle, so don't know if that's possible.

I had no idea they added PDF support. It was such an obvious disadvantage of the kindle compared to the other readers that I guess they had to.

Stasia, I'm going to do some WWI reading next year. I know you said "guardedly recommended" but what else can you tell me about A War Imagined ?

Hi, Stasia! I've added Satchel and Vanished Smile.

I just ordered Infinite Riches off abebooks. That is the kind of book I can't resist. Sad to see it appears to be out of print.

#200: Great minds and all that :)

#203: Terri, I sent you a PM. I hope it helps. If you would like some further WWI reading, I can suggest a few titles, but most of my reading has been on WWII. Peter may be of more help to you there.

#204: Terri, I hope you enjoy them!

#205: I think you will really like it, Linda. One of the things I loved about it were the anecdotes about Marks & Co., the bookstore that Helene Hanff writes so lovingly of in 84, Charing Cross Road, one of my all-time favorite books.

Normally, I do not share about books I receive, but this one was just too good! I have been hunting for a copy of The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy for a while now - someone in the group mentioned it and because it was one of his that I had not read, I wanted a copy. I have had it on my PBS wishlist for probably 6 months or so, with no luck, so I decided to just order it off ABEBooks. What I received is an absolutely gorgeous hardbound copy of the book, gilt edges all around, from 1924! Honestly, it does not look as if the book has ever been read. Needless to say, I am thrilled.

Posted to the Kitchen thread too.

I wonder if I can get away with not starting a December thread . . .

Message edited by its author, Dec 1, 2009, 3:50pm.

Nah, don't even think this can be a possibility. We all flock to your site like a moth drawn to a flame, like a butterfly to a bogenvila, like the 75 challenge group members drawn to a book sale.

#207 Sounds lovely - there are few things that give me more pleasure than a beautiful book... AbeBooks is a wonderful place :o)

What a find Stasia! Wouldn't you just love to know where it's been?!

#209: I agree, flissp! Few things in life are better than beautiful books.

#210: I would love to know the book's history!

Stasia- Just stopping by to say hi and thanks for dropping in for my Challenge christening!

Linda- I thought my tbr was already out of control! I better proceed carefully, in this land of LT Giants!

#214: Mark, do not believe a word Linda says :) Thanks for stopping by!

Message edited by its author, Dec 2, 2009, 9:59pm.

Mark..
Welcome to the world of quick, lively banter where even if it is a rainy NE Pennsylvania evening, you can visit Stasia's thread and laugh right out loud, making the moon shine through the clouds on a gloomy night.

All is well in the land of the LT giants where those of us little dwarfs can hide under the shadow of the flowers and mushrooms while watching Stasia's huge pile of books grow and grow and grow. Just like Alice in Wonderland, we all smile like Cheshire cats. And, we hope that we are not buried by the accumulated books she reads each and every week.

Linda, I second you!

BTW: I have started a new December thread located here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/78197

Stasia.. your thread is always a scary place for those of us trying not to add to the pile for a bit...

darn!