Crazymamie's Lucky 13

This is my first time in this challenge - I am new to this group! My daughter Abby and I decided to do this challenge together - she is seventeen (she will be in 2013) and loves to read. We designed our challenge as a pyramid, using the brilliant idea put forth by Morphy. We decided to build our categories around the theme of tv game shows, so each category is named after an old game show. Abby and I will each attempt to complete the challenge, and will record our progress here, but we will not be reading the same books - we will each come up with our own list.

The Categories:

1. Truth or Consequences - nonfiction
2. What's My Line? - biographies and memoirs
3. Beat the Clock - time travel
4. Let's Make a Deal - Manga for me, mysteries for Abby
5. Name That Tune - books set in or about Georgia, our new home state
6. Treasure Hunt - graphic novels
7. Hollywood Squares - books made into movies
8. Queen For a Day - historical fiction
9. Joker's Wild - right now it is anything goes, but Abby and I will each choose our own category for this
10. The Price is Right - books found on sale, at a used book store, or borrowed from the library
11. Match Game - books in a series
12. Press Your Luck - authors new to each of us
13. Pyramid - books published in 2013

Truth or Consequences: nonfiction books
1. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:


Mamie's Candidates:
Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson (ROOT)
The Lost City of Z by David Grann (ROOT)
Operation Mincemeat by Denis Smyth (ROOT)
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
House of Stone by Anthony Shadid (ROOT)
River of Doubt by Candice Millard (ROOT)

What's My Line?: biographies and memoirs
1.
2.

Abby's Candidates:
Would like suggestions for a good bio of Cleopatra

Mamie's Candidates:
Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston (ROOT)
American Lion by John Meacham (ROOT)
The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T. J. Stiles (ROOT)
J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey (ROOT)

Beat The Clock: time travel
1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling - reread (Mamie)
2.
3.

Abby's Candidates:
Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Mamie's Candidates:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (ROOT)
Time and Again by Jack Finney
The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma (ROOT)
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (ROOT - well off of my daughter's shelf!)

Let's Make a Deal: I agree to read four Manga books and Abby agrees to read four mysteries - we are each trying a genre new to us that is a favorite of the other.
1. Alice in the Country of Hearts by QuinRose (Mamie)/ Abby also read this one
2. A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori (Mamie)
3. Emma by Karou Mori (Mamie)
4. A Bride's Story, Vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:
The Art Thief by Noah Charney
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Mamie's Candidates:
Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori - belongs to Abby
Manga Shakespeare: Hamlet- belongs to Abby
Alice in the Country of Hearts - gift from Abby and Birdy

Name That Tune: We chose the tune Georgia on My Mind, so all the books in this category must be set in Georgia, our new home state.
1. Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson - (Mamie)
2. A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia by Sarah Gordon - (Mamie)
3. Killing Floor by Lee Child - (Mamie)
4. The Witch's Grave by Phillip DePoy - (Mamie)
5.

Abby's Candidates:
The Devil's Hearth by Phillip DePoy

Mamie's Candidates:
The Witch's Grave by Phillip DePoy (ROOT)
If I Ever Get Back to Georgia by Lewis Grizzard (ROOT)
A Minister's Ghost by Phillip DePoy (ROOT)
A Widow's Curse by Phillip DePoy (ROOT)
The Drifter's Wheel by Phillip DePoy (ROOT)

Treasure Hunt: graphic novels
1. Maus I by Art Spiegelman (Mamie)
2. Maus II by Art Spiegelman (Mamie) / Emma by Kaoru Mori (Abby)
3. Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel by Melissa de la Cruz (Mamie)
4. Pyongyang by guy Delisle (Mamie)
5. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (Mamie)
6. Pride and Prejudice (Marvel Illustrated) by Nancy Butler (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:

Emma by Kaoru Mori

Mamie's Candidates:
Maus by Art Spiegelman (ROOT)
Pyongyang by Guy Delisle
Pride and Prejudice (Marvel Illustrated) by Jane Austen, adapted for graphic novel by Nancy Butler (ROOT)
Sense and Sensibility (Marvel Illustrated) by Jane Austen, adapted for graphic novel by Nancy Butler (ROOT)
Bone by Jeff Smith
The Sandman, Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

The Hollywood Squares: books made into movies
1. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (Mamie)
2. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (Mamie)
3. The Searchers by Alan LeMay (Mamie
4. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (Mamie)
5. Howard's End by E. M. Forster (Mamie)
6. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (Mamie)
7. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
The Firm by John Grisham
From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming
Wuthering Heights by Jane Bronte
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Emma by Jane Austen

Mamie's Candidates:
Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming (ROOT)
Out of Africa by Isak Denison (ROOT)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (ROOT)
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (ROOT)
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (ROOT)
Emma by Jane Austen (ROOT)
Wuthering Heights by Jane Bronte (ROOT)
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (ROOT)

Queen for a Day: historical fiction
1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Mamie)
2. Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors (Mamie)
3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (Mamie)
4. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (Mamie)
5. Blood Kin by Henry Chappell (Mamie)
6. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Mamie)
7. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Mamie)
8. The African Queen by C. S. Forester (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:

Mamie's Candidates:
The Siege by Helen Dunmore (ROOT)
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (ROOT)
In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alverez (ROOT)
The Polish officer by Alan Furst (ROOT)
Mistress of the Art of Death Ariana Franklin (ROOT)
Doc by Mary Doria Russell (ROOT)

The Joker's Wild: wild card category - anything goes
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)
2. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)
3. Club Dead by CHarlaine Harris (Mamie)
4. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)
5. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)
6. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)
7. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)
8. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)
9. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:

Mamie's Candidates:
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (ROOT)

The Price is Right: books found on sale, at a used bookstore, or from the library
1. Volt by Alan Heathcock - from the library (Mamie)
2. 420 Characters by Lou Beach - from the library (Mamie)
3. Hamlet by William Shakespeare - Christmas gift (Mamie)
4. The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes by Tess Uriza Holthe - from the library (Mamie)
5. Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman - Christmas gift (Mamie)
6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Mamie)
7. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - from the library (Mamie)
8. The Making of the African Queen by Katherine Hepburn (Mamie)
9. The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen - $.99 on Kindle (Mamie)
10. The Radleys by Matt Haig - bought on sale (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:

Mamie's Candidates:
Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham - Kindle Daily Deal (ROOT)
A Word Child by Iris Murdoch - Kindle Daily Deal (ROOT)
Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs - will get from library
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck - Kindle Daily Deal (ROOT)
The Asphalt Jungle by W. R Burnett - Kindle Dailey Deal (ROOT)
From Here to Eternity by James Jones - Kindle Deal (ROOT)

Match Game: books that are part of a series
1. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (Mamie)/ Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya (Abby)
2. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken (Mamie) / The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
3. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (Mamie)
4. Before Midnight by Rex Stout (Mamie)
5. The Pale Criminal by Phillip Kerr (Mamie)
6. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (Mamie)
7. The Chardonnay Charade by Ellen Crosby (Mamie)
8. The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby (Mamie)
9. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker (Mamie)
10. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Mamie)
11. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:
The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Sapphire Blue by Kierstin Gier
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Mamie's Candidates:
Rebel Heart by Moira Young (ROOT)
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (ROOT)
The Bat by Jo Nesbo (ROOT)
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (ROOT)
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (ROOT)
Lennox by Craig Russell (ROOT)
Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (ROOT)
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (ROOT)
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield (ROOT)
Appaloosa by Robert Parker (ROOT)
The Narrows by Michael Connelly (ROOT)
Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill (ROOT)
Sacred by Dennis Lehane (ROOT)

Press Your Luck: new to me authors
1. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (Mamie)/ The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (Abby)
2. In the Woods by Tana French (Mamie)
3. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (Mamie)
4. The Beggar's Opera by Peggy Blair (Mamie)
5. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (Mamie)
6. Soulless by Gail Carriger (Mamie)
7. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (Mamie)
8. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Mamie)
9. Round Mountain by Castle Freeman, Jr. (Mamie)
10. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Mamie)
11. Ashfall by Mike Mullin (Mamie)
12. Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman (Mamie)

Abby's Candidates:

Mamie's Candidates:
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (ROOT)
Empire Falls by Richard Russo (ROOT)
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (ROOT)
Under the Skin by Michel Faber (ROOT)
The Ox Bow Incident by Walter van Tilburg Clark (ROOT)
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride (ROOT)
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (ROOT)
Neon Rain by James Lee Burke (ROOT)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (ROOT)
Gillespie and I by Jane Harris (ROOT)
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (ROOT)

Pyramid: books that are published in 2013
1. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Mamie)
2. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel (Mamie)
3. A Man Without Breath by Phillip Kerr (Mamie)
4. The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh (Mamie)
5. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler (Mamie)
6. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (Mamie)
7. Aimless Love by Billy Collins (Mamie)
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Abby's Candidates:
The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson - due out Jan. 22, 2013
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter - due out Feb. 5, 2013
The Elite by Jennifer Banash - due April 23, 2013

Mamie's Candidates:
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - due out Feb. 5, 2013
The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill - due out Feb. 19, 2013
Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus - due out Jan. 15, 2013

Looking good Mamie!

Thanks, Roberta -and welcome to our thread!

OMG, girl. I remember so many of those old TV shows! Yikes.

I am impressed at the challenge you are setting up for yourself, and good luck!

Thanks, Karen! It was a lot of fun to play around with. And Abby is also very excited about doing it with me, so BONUS!!

Welcome to the challenge Mamie and Abby! Your TV games show theme is great and so are the category pics.... I am having way too much fun playing my own game of spot the actor and giggling over some of the wardrobes/hairstyles of the eras. I am looking forward to following both of you and your reading for 2013.

Thank you for the warm welcome, Lori! We are excited to be here and are looking forward to loads of fun. We had a lot of fun choosing which pics to use to represent the game shows - you're right, the wardrobes and hairstyles are too fun!

Mamie! You are reading Scarlett too! Let's read it together but in an unofficial way. LOL

You've got a deal, Roberta!

What a fun idea to do the challenge with your daughter - welcome to both of you! The gameshow photos are a hoot - I think only one of those got imported to my home country (we had our own version of The Hollywood Squares in Sweden), but I have seen some of them on retro TV here in the US now. Like lkernagh, I am loving the outfits and hairdos. Hope you both have a great challenge!

Welcome, Mamie and Abby! What a great idea for you and your daughter to do the challenge together. I'm looking forward to following both of you. Get ready for the crazyness, Mamie - between this challenge and the 75ers - LT will become a full time occupation!

Eva - Thanks so much for making Abby and I feel welcome over here! Glad you liked the photos - we had so much fun picking them out. Abby is too young to remember these shows, but I remember quite a few of them from when I was little. I think we will both have a lot of fun with this challenge!

Judy - We are both so excited about doing it together. We often try to get each other to read books we have loved, and so we thought this would be a good way to make that happen and have some fun with it. I will be trying Manga for the first time and Abby will be reading some mysteries and thrillers. We both love YA, classics, and historical fiction. I'm sure it will be crazy, but I am also thinking it will be wonderful to share our love of reading in this way. Abby is way ahead of me in reading this year - she has read over 110 books so far. Thanks so much for the warm welcome to this group - y'all get started early over here!

Love your categories and that you are doing it together, Sort of like your own book club. The Pictures are truly LOL reminders of my youth.
As for starting early, we have to get started early so that we can figure out what books fit where and what our categories are going to be, but then we have all that anticipation which makes it even more fun!

Here are a few suggestions:

for Abby in What's My line? - Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - read it and it was great.

Time Travel - If you haven't read Time Traveler's Wife - this should be a definite

Georgia - Rhett Butler's People - Gone with the Wind from Rhett's POV - tremendous

Treasure Hunt - Group reads is having a Sandman read throughout the year
check the link http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Group_Reads_of_2013
http://www.librarything.com/groups/sandman

Queen for a Day - White Queen, Red Queen

Whatever you end up reading, have fun, and don't forget to share!

Chèli - Welcome to our thread, and thanks so much for all of those fabulous suggestions - WOW! That makes sense about why you start early - and don't get me wrong, the timing was perfect for us! We recently moved from Indiana to Georgia (a week and a half ago) and so we are still settling in. Planning this challenge pyramid was the perfect escape from unpacking! Today the last of our stuff arrived - mostly books that we had boxed up and stored...twelve cases worth...so now we are excited to get those books out and organized and see what we can add to our list of possible candidates.

Abby just came in and is so excited about your suggestions! She says she will definitely check out that Cleopatra biography! I haven't read anything that you mentioned above, so I am raring to check them all out. And just think, Amazon has not yet made a delivery to our new home - guess we better order something and make sure they know how to find us!!

Thanks again for everything - I will check out that link!

Welcome both of you! Sounds like great fun sharing the challenge with your daughter/mother.

I have Maus on my candidate list too, it looks really good. If you haven't read Persepolis, I absolutely recommend it. It's brilliant.

Eva, we've had a version of Hollywood Squares in Sweden? I can't think what would have been. I'm guessing it was before my time.

Welcome! Welcome!
(Twice because there are two of you.)
I second the suggestion of the Schiff book about Cleopatra.
I tried to get my daughter to join me on LT but she couldn't get into it. She has no problems taking book recommendations from me however!

What a great theme, and it looks like you have some excellent books lined up. Howl's Moving Castle is so much fun -- hope you enjoy it! And The Remains of the Day is lovely.

Christina, you liked The Remains of the Day? I'm considering reading it for the challenge but I'm a bit wary. It's not very heavy but something about it is scarying me somewhat.

(Sorry about hijacking the thread a bit.)

I thought of another book, but I'm not sure where it would fit (maybe new authors) but it seem so perfect for your mother/daughter challenge. Traveling with Pomegranates is a story by a Sue Monk Kidd (author of Secret Life of Bees) and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, about their travels together and their changes in life. It just seemed very appropriate. I don't normally like memoirs but this one was excellent.

->29 PawsforThought:
It was sometime during the mid-80s, I'm guessing, called Prat i Kvadrat and was led by Fredrik Belfrage.

Crazymamie - I'm continuing the hijack, I'm afraid. :)

Welcome to both of you! I second the recommendation for Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. Love your categories and the accompanying pictures.

Great categories. I loved Press Your Luck as a kid. I also really like the category Lets Make a Deal. I hope that you both get something out of the others choice.

PawsforThought -Thank you! I have not read Persepolis, so thank you for the recommendation. How could I possibly pass up "brilliant"?! And don't worry about hijacking the thread - sometimes that sparks the best discussions, I think. Hijack away!

Mamzel - Thank you! Thank you! So great to know that the Cleopatra book is a good one - she was really wanting a good biography of her, so sounds like we are all set. All of my daughters (I have three) have LT accounts and are cataloguing their libraries, but they have not ventured onto the threads yet. This seemed like a great way for her to be able to dip her toes in the water and also a way for us to have a lot of fun reading together this coming year.

Christina - Thank you! I am really looking forward to Howl's Moving Castle - it's one of Abby's favorite books. And I have been wanting to get to The Remains of the Day for some time, so really want to do so in the coming year.

Chèli - Oh, that's a good suggestion! I loved The Secret Life of Bees when I read it years ago. Traveling With Pomegranates would fit in the What's My Line? category which is for biographies and memoirs. It's a memoir, you say? Or I could put it in The Joker's Wild category. Thanks for that!

Eva - Perfectly fine - make yourself at home!

LittleTaiko - Thank you for the welcome and the kind words. Good to know that the Cleo bio is so good!

fmgee - Thank you! We are both excited about the Let's Make a Deal category - we are each going to provide suggestions to the other about possible candidates. Should be interesting to see what we each think.

Thanks everyone for making us feel so welcome to this challenge.

Eva, ah, that's as I thought - before my time. I recognise the title of the show (and Fredrik Belfrage) but have never watched it.

Ditto to all the welcomes and ooohs at the photos - I'm sure you'll pick up many recommendations from the rest of the challengees...

@ 32 -- PawsforThought, yes, I really liked The Remains of the Day. It's rather sad but very well-written. I didn't find it a particularly difficult read, as I recall. Don't let it intimidate you! :)

->42 Crazymamie:. Good. I have it on my list of candidates and if you say it's good and not difficult I might just read it.

psutto - Thank you! I'm hoping to pick up recommendations - that's how I found some of my favorite reads from this year.

Christina - That's good to know since it is on my list for next year.

PawsforThought- Here's to hoping that you decide to read it!

Following along here too Mamie. I think it's great that you & Abby are doing this together. How fun!

Thanks Tina - so great to see you over here!

Hi Mamie - I love your categories and I think it's so great that you are doing this with Abby!

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to set up a thread over here (I have the past two years) or just track some categories in my 75 challenge thread...

Hi Katie! Thanks! I thought about that, too, but since I have not done this challenge before, I decided to set up a thread over here so that I could get to know the others that participate in this challenge. I wondered how easy it would be to do "one stop shopping" but decided to do it this way for 2013 and then decide. I think I will also track the categories on my main 75ers thread - maybe? Never done this before, so not sure what the best way to do it is.

I'm just lazy and getting tired of posting to two different threads. In 2011, I was posting to three threads and that was crazy so I cut one out for 2012... we'll see what my mood is come the end of December ;-)

I'll probably be posting in 4 different threads for 2013. This group will be my main focus though, I'll probably be less active in the others and more or less just post shorter updates on what I've read.

Katie - I totally get that. Three? What was the third one?

PawsforThought - What four threads? I figured I would be posting all of my reads on my 75 challenge thread and could post copies of my reviews here along with some fresh thoughts. Abby will be posting her own reviews and comments here as well.

-> Mamie. Here, 75 books when it starts up for 2013), the European Challenge and BOMBS (or whatever acronym will be used next year). I don't really write review (I don't even know what to write in my own reading journal so just note the title, author and the date I finished reading) but mostly just post what I've read and whether or not I liked it. My reads are pretty intertwined group-wise to that's why I'll be simul-posting.

The third one was Club Read but they aren't very active so it seemed not worth the effort. I also have a thread in the Orange January/July group but I always forget about it...

I figured I would use my 2013 challenge thread to get my reading list started and post brief reviews/thoughts. Then I will be simul-posting on the 75 thread when it starts up for next year. I plan to do most of my socializing over in the 75ers. The 75ers love to chit chat! :)

PawsforThought - Thanks for getting back to me. I didn't know there was a BOMBS thread! For reviews, I usually just write what I liked or didn't like about a book, and maybe a little blurb about what the premise of the story is if I think everyone might not be familiar with it. I love how everyone has their own style and handles this particular task differently. Always fun to see.

Katie -Oh, I've heard of that but had no idea what it was (the Club Read). And the Orange January/July? I am learning so much!

Roberta - The 75ers do indeed love to chit chat - I LOVE that about that group! Do you not have a thread over there now? I'm thinking that I looked for it before but couldn't find one.

Mamie no I've been a member of LT since 2009 but only started participating this summer. It's been so busy with my Mom's knee replacement getting infected and we still haven't been able to get a new knee in so I decided to just hang out at everyone else's house and get my own 75 thread next year. I can't wait! Everyone has been so amazing and I found out about this challenge because of 75ers talking about their 12/12 challenges. Don't worry girl I will link you my thread as soon as I create it! LOL! I need Mamie in my world. :)

Mamie there is a Presidents Challenge too! Chèli (cyderry) shared the link with me. Here it is http://www.librarything.com/groups/uspresidentschalleng

Roberta - That totally makes sense! Your poor Mom! I cannot imagine going through that! Craig had a hip replacement several years ago, and it's a big enough ordeal without getting an infection and having to have it removed. How awful!

Sounds like you have a good plan there for next year. And yes, you must hook me up so that I can be a frequent visitor!

Oh, thanks for that link! I'll check it out.

Cyderry tipped me off about the BOMBS group. It's really great (exactly what I need).
So the 75ers are good at talking, are they? Sound like my kind of people.

PawsforThought - I LOVE that acronym! And I think we could all probably use that group!!

Yes! The 75ers are very active and a truly lovely bunch of people. You should come on over there and check it out. But it's highly addictive! Here's a link to my current thread if you're interested: Crazymamie's 75 Challenge.

I love the acronym too, but I think it'll be a different one next year - some people don't like the destructive vibes and want something more calm. (I voted for SPACE as the new acronym, I think you could have a lot of fun with that.)

I've checked out the 75 group a couple of times but figured there was little point in joining this late in the year. I'll probably join the 75 in 2013 when they start up.

LOL at destructive vibes! Too funny! SPACE is good.

And yea to you're joining the 75 next year - I'll keep a lookout for your thread!

Welcome to both of you! Your mother/daughter challenge is a terrific idea. I'll look forward to seeing what both of you end up reading for the challenge!

Thanks, Carrie! We're excited to participate and have already had so much fun just coming up with a theme and the categories.

Adding my welcome to both of you! I love your idea of a joint challenge!

Thanks, ivyd, good to see you here!

Mamie, this is a great framework for your 13-in-13 challenge. As a good ol' time game show addict, I love it. Good luck with your year of reading (both you and Abby)!

Thanks, Ellen! I think it will be a lot of fun.

HI Mamie! I'm terrible at checking on the 12 in 12 threads but I have your 13 starred for next year! I'll be joining up as well sometime soon, I still have 4 books left to finish my 12 in 12 though

Hi Chelle! So glad you found me over here - and only four books to go for your 12 in 12! Impressive!! Can't wait to see what you come up with for your Lucky 13!

Crikeys, I remember being addicted to some of those game shows as a kid. I haven't watched one in ages, however. Great theme. I especially like your Let's Make a Deal category. My eldest is just turning 12, so he's only just starting to recommend me books. I, on the other hand, am constantly recommending and buying books for him and have to remind myself to slow down now that he's starting to discover on his own what he prefers to read.

I'm looking forward to following both your reads this year and finding out what makes it into The Joker's Wild, and Press Your Luck.

Looks like you have a great reading year ahead! Great game show theme too! Will be following your movie category with particular interest, especially those James Bond books ;) I also notice we have a couple of Westerns in common for the new year: Lonesome Dove and Appaloosa. Looking forward to reading those and hearing your thoughts on them as well!

I'm appalled at how many of those game shows I actually remember!

Anyway a very creative challenge.

I'll be following along as well. Welcome to the challenge.

Looks like there are a few of us planning on Lonesome Dove next year. Any interest in a group read? I'm unsure about it myself, since there are already a ton of great group reads for this challenge! But I might be up for it if others are enthusiastic. :)

Sandra - Thank you! I have four children, ranging in age from 20 to 14, so I know just what you mean about slowing down the recommendations and letting them chose for themselves. It is so wonderful to see their reading tastes develop and to discover what book interests are shared and also where choices diverge. Sometimes they completely surprise me with what they fall in love with that I never would have chosen for them - such fun! Thanks so much for stopping by - I'll look for your thread.

rabbitprincess - Thanks! What fun that we have several books in common for our challenges next year! I need to look for your thread to see how you set up your challenge. Thanks so much for dropping in!

hailelib - We were laughing as we were trying to think them up, and my daughter was in stitches with the old fashions and hairdos. It was a lot of fun to figure it all out - thanks so much for your kind words.

mysterymax - Thanks so much for the welcome! Glad that you will be following along!

Christina - I'm always up for a GR! Just let me know!

I always think your kids are younger because of the pictures you post. Mine are almost the same age: 20, 16, 12. Love, LOVE LOVE your 13 categories.

Kim - My kids are 20, 18, 16, and 14, so yes, very close in age to yours. So glad that you love my categories!! And look at you posting on two of my threads in one day!

Mamie - I won't see quite so much of you over here as in my normal abode (I hope) but I will be keeping an eye on your progress here to and cheering you along.

Thanks for stopping in, Paul. Most of my posting will probably be done over on my main thread, but Abby and I did want to set up our categories over here to be able to keep track of where we are with the challenge. I think it will be a lot of fun!

I have completed two books which fit into our pyramid - Dreaming of the Bones and Between, Georgia.



Book #1: Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie - (4.25 stars)
Fits into Category 11: Match Game - Books in a series

This is the fifth book in Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series, and it is the best one so far. Finally Ms. Crombie gets the right combination of lovely writing, interesting characters, and intriguing mystery. In this one Kincaid is asked by his ex-wife Victoria to look into the closed suicide case of a poet that she is researching for a biography. Lydia Brooke has been dead for years, but Victoria thinks there is something suspicious about her apparent suicide, and grudgingly Kincaid agrees to look into it. What is so well done here is the bridging of a past mystery with a present one. I loved the merging story lines and the glimpses that we got into Lydia's thoughts through her old letters. I also greatly enjoyed the bits and pieces of Rupert Brooke poems that we were treated to at the beginning of each chapter - relevant not just because Lydia was slightly obsessed with him, but also because they are well chosen and speak to what the chapter is about. The mystery itself is interesting and believable, but what has kept me reading these books has been the characters. Do not start with this one if you have not read the others - the character development in these stories is important, and if you start in the middle, you will miss out, and quite possibly feel detached from the main players in the story. This is one set of mysteries where you want to begin at the beginning - the first few books are not nearly as good as this one, but to enjoy this one I am convinced that you need to read the others. Luckily, each book is better than the one before it, and this one is superb.



Book #2: Between Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson (4 stars)
Fits into Category 5: Name That Tune - Books set in or about Georgia

This is my first book by Joshilyn Jackson, but it won't be my last. The title comes from the book's setting, which is also why I happened to pick it up. Between, Georgia is an actual place and is named for its location between Athens and Atlanta, both of which are much larger cities. In this fictional version of the small town there is nothing small about the feud that has been brewing for years between the Frett family and the Crabtrees - and Nonny Frett stands directly in the middle of it because she is both. Born to Ona Crabtree's 15 year old daughter, and then adopted by Stacia Frett, Nonny tries to keep things from spinning completely out of control, but this proves to be an impossible task.

This book is predictable, and I wanted Nonny's inner voice to be stronger, but that being said, I really liked this story. The characters are quirky, the writing is lovely, and the humor is plentiful. An excellent choice if you are looking for a beach read...or just a brief escape from everyday worries.

"I pieced it all together later, questioning everyone who had been there, getting the details separately like puzzle pieces I had to put together in both time and space to get a clear understanding of what had happened and when. It was astrange, the odd bits that stuck with different people....Henry told me that while he was fighting with the dog, that trucker walker walked out of his bookstore with about five Dennis Lehanes on tape. 'It's terrible to get robbed, of course,' Henry said to me later. 'But looking at the bigger picture, perhaps I've created a reader.'"

"Except that was a lie. I knew what I wanted to say. I said it anyway, even though he wasn't there. 'I'm so angry,' I said. 'I'm so angry, so angry,' and saying it at last made me able to feel it. Down in the pit of my stomach, I could sense how it had grown beneath my initial panic, creeping along my bones like a vine, filling me and twining down through all my limbs, spreading up through me and binding me. The anger was a living thing, separate from me but so deep, so basic that it had been working its way through me as unnoticed as my blood, circulating to its own fierce rhythm."

Book #3: Alice in the Country of Hearts by QuinRose
Fits into Category #4: Let's Make a Deal - I agree to read 4 Manga Books

Okay - so I have finished my first manga book. Um...it's a very different experience because you read it from back to front right to left, top to bottom. It takes a bit of getting used to at first, but then it becomes a natural rhythm. I found myself shouting the dialogue in my head in a stilted manner because that is my experience with the video that I have seen that has this type of animation. So I had to take a deep breath and make myself start over. Since this is my very first foray into this type of book, I hesitate to assign a rating to it. Did I like the story? Um...no, not really, but it had potential. It was a take on Alice in Wonderland, a sort of fractured fairy tale, which I normally love. But this was just such a different format. It was also just the first volume, so the story is not finished. I did like the artwork, and I liked how the traditional characters had been reinterpreted. I will be waiting to see what my daughters think of it. They read manga all the time and love it, so I guess what I am wondering is how does this particular story stack up against others? I think after I have read a few more, I would be a better judge, so for now I will leave it unrated and revisit my thoughts on it after I have read some more examples of this genre.

I think my biggest challenge is going to be keeping up with threads in 3 groups this year, nevermind the reading challenges I've set for myself. I need to buy a winning lottery ticket so I can do all this full time instead of whenever I can snatch some time online after work or on weekend mornings.

I love that Abby and you and doing the challenge together. What a great mother daughter activity you're sharing.

I mentioned it in your 75er thread, but I'll repeat myself here since I see you have manga as one of your categories .. check out Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Hi Caro! I could not agree more - I am in the exact same fix, except that I do not also work full time! Abby and I will for sure have fun with the challenge - she loves to read as much as I do, and last year she finished more books than I did! She read 119 all together! I took your advice already and located a used copy of the Fruits Basket book on Amazon, so I ordered it. Now I just need to run down the animated series in Japanese! I know that Netflix has the English dubbed version.

Three books finished - great start to your challenge, Mamie and Abby! Alice in the country of Hearts sounds intriguing - even with the reading challenges of having to flip the book around and what not. Sadly my local library doesn't have that one but given the pile of books I have already waiting for me, maybe that is a good thing! ;-)

Thank you, Lori! It was intriguing, and the premise was a good one, so I will be curious to see where they go with the story line. Abby just read it today, and she loved it. She has already given me the next manga to read called A Bride's Story, and I have already read it! It was sweet and the illustrations were just beautiful. I will write up some thoughts on it tomorrow.

I love Crombie!

Lori - She gets better with every book!

Book #4: A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori
Fits into Category #4: Let's Make a Deal - I agree to read 4 Manga Books

This was my second attempt at reading manga, and I liked it much better. First of all, I didn't have to think so much about how to read it - much more automatic this time around. Secondly, it was more like a story and less like a comic book, so for me it was easier to follow. I still wanted more - more detail, more dialogue, more story, but that is just not going to happen in this format. That being said, the story that was there was charming. Set in Asia sometime in the 19th century, we meet Amir, a young woman from a nomadic tribe who has had an arranged marriage - she is twenty and her young groom is twelve. Don't worry - there is no sex here. The story is mostly a simple one of Amir adjusting to life in a different village far from where she grew up. Conflict arises when Amir's family decides that they want her back so that they can make a more profitable arrangement. What really makes this book is the beautiful and incredibly detailed artwork.

Book #5: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (4 stars)
Fits into Category #12: Press Your Luck - Authors that are new to me

The strength and charm of this book, just like that of True Grit and I Capture the Castle is found in its narrative voice - that of Eli Sisters, the younger half of the Sisters brothers duo. This is a tale that holds everything that one would expect of the old West: brutality, ugliness, cynicism, and greed. The Sisters brothers are no innocents, they are hired killers, but when we view their actions through Eli's eyes we are treated to some of the things that we forget to think about when we think about gunslingers. For example, what happens when a hardened criminal is treated to the minty delights that can be found when he is shown how to use a toothbrush and given one of his very own? What do you do when your horse is not cut out for a life of crime but you love him anyway? Eli's conscience reveals his heart and his ruminations as he struggles to find his own voice while remaining in Charlie's shadow. I loved the interaction between the two brothers - Charlie who is a bully and a thug belittles his younger brother, but does not begrudge him. Eli loves his older brother but does not wish to emulate him. He recognizes what Charlie is but also understands why he is that way - like most relationships in life, it is complicated.

"I had in the last year or so given up whores entirely, thinking it best to go without than pantomime human closeness; and though it is unrealistic for a man in my position to be thinking such thoughts, I could not help myself: I saw my bulky person in the windows of the passing storefronts and wondered, When will that man there find himself to be loved?"

"...let's say that she wasn't all bad, but the good was there in such measly quantities you had to keep a sharp watch lest you miss it entirely."

What category are you putting TSB ?

What category are you putting for TSB ?

Glad you liked The Sisters Brothers! :) The part about the toothbrush was very funny indeed.

Tina - I put it in Category #12 Press Your Luck, which is authors that are new to me.

rabbitprincess - It was just so unique for a Western, I really loved the narrator! And the toothbrush thing totally cracked me up.

Loved that book! I am going to make my husband read it one of these days.

Katie - That's so funny because I was just trying to get Craig to read it!

Oooh. I've got Ths Sisters Brothers on my ereader, but I hadn't planned on reading it yet (heh, meaning 'this year'). So tempted to bump some other reads for this one. I Capture the Castle is one on my shelves that I hadn't planned to read either, but I should because it's been there awhile.

Can't wait until you've read a few more mangas. I'm looking forward to finding out how you will rate them.

Book #6: Maus I by Art Spiegelman (4.5 stars)
Fits into Category #6: Treasure Hunt - Graphic Novels

Originally published as a serialized insert over a period of eleven years in the magazine Raw, this graphic novel broke new ground between comic strip and novel, and was one of the works that helped to create a new genre. The first six chapters of that strip are gathered together in this first volume which was published in 1986. The remaining chapters were published in a second volume in 1991. In 1994, the two volumes were published together as The Complete Maus. We have these books as two separate volumes, and so here I will discuss just the first one.

Maus I is the story of Spiegelman's father, specifically it is the first part of the story of how Vladek Spiegelman survived the Holocaust as told to his son Art, making this a memoir. It's cleverly done, using mice to depict the Jewish people, cats to represent the German people, and pigs to delineate the non-Jewish Polish people. What I liked about this book was its contrasts. Black and white images combine with subtle and sophisticated humor and wit to bring Art's story off of the pages. Vladek's broken English and character flaws combine with Art's frustration and his struggle to understand his father to paint a picture that is real and vivid and speaks to the humanity in all of us. Highly recommended.

Sandra - Sorry to take so long to respond to your post - I have not been back over here until now. I loved both The Sisters Brothers and I Capture the Castle - the narrators of the story make both of them so great. I am still thinking about the manga, and I will definitely come up with a rating system for them and go back and rate the ones I have already read as soon as i figure it out. I'm thinking about giving one rating for storyline and another for artwork and then averaging those to arrive at final overall rating.

Book #7: Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken (4 stars)
Category 11: Match Game - Books in a series

I just discovered this delightful series last year thanks to Heather and Dee. This is the second book in the series of The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken, and although they were originally published in the 1960s, they are new to me. I wish that I had known about these children's books when my own children were smaller because they would make wonderful read aloud books. Packed with action and charming characters and dastardly villains whose evil plans must be foiled, these stories are just begging to be read at bedtime. Sophie and Simon are back from the first book, but we also get to meet an entire cast of new characters including my personal favorite Dido Twite. If you're looking for an adventure full of mayhem and humor that is for the young and the young at heart alike, this is a series not to be missed.

another prompt for me to get round to reading maus

Maus is a fantastic work of art - it's the one I recommend to anyone who wants to try graphic novels for the first time. I figured if they don't like the format, at least they've read one of the greats.

Hi, I'm Abby. This is my first challenge on LT, so my mom, Mamie, and I thought that it would be fun to do it together. I know I'm a little late to the party, but I plan to remedy that. I have followed a few threads though I don't have one of my own, this will be my first go at one. I have read 7 books this year that I can fit into my pyramid and I will work at catching up my reviews. For now I will settle for listing the books so far and then see about the reviews tomorrow.

1. Fruits Basket Vol.1 by natsuki Takaya - it is going into the Treasure Hunt category
2. The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson - This will go into the Press Your luck category
3. A Bride's Story Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori - This will go into the Treasure Hunt category
4. A Bride's Story Vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori - This will also go into the Treasure Hunt category
5. Alice In the Country of Hearts Vol.1 by QuinRose - again going into Treasure Hunt
6. Dust Lands by Moira Young - This will go into the Match Game category
7. Maximum Ride: The Final Warning - This will go into the Match Game category

That about wraps that up. I am very happy to be joining this group challenge, and I look forward to seeing what everyone else is reading!

Pete - I am not a big reader of graphic novels, but I was impressed with this. My kids love this genre, and I am beginning to see why. Hope you do get around to it.

Eva - An excellent point! I will be reading at least six of them this year to fill my pyramid - any suggestions?

Abby - You did good, kid! Can't wait to read your reviews!

Welcome to the challenge Abby! I am Roberta.

Mamie - Chalk me up as another fan of Maus. Like you , I have a limited interest in Graphic Novels, but there have been several that have impressed me very much. I have my eye one another: Abina and the Important Men. It's in PINES but isn't circulating which probably means it was acquired in the last six months. I may get impatient and buy so my library has a copy!

>102 Thebookdiva:

Greetings, Abby! You've picked out some great books and I'm looking forward to your reviews. BTW, I hope you're enjoying Georgia - I moved here about a year and half ago and love it!

Welcome, Abby! It's nice to have a young person here with us. Are you going to read more of the Fruits Basket series? They are very popular in the library where I work.

Well, if you're a fan of fantasy, I highly recommend Neil Gaiman's Sandman-series - there's a group read going on for that one too over here. If fairy tales are your thing, then Bill Willingham's Fables-series is a good one. For Noir, try Britten and Brülightly. For biographical, perhaps Fun Home or Blankets would work. For something more surreal, try Etgar Keret's Pizzeria Kamikaze. Or one of my favorites, for some serious social criticism, there's V for Vendetta. GNs are (finally) taking over the world and there are a barrage of good stuff out there.

Hi Mamie, and a big welcome to Abby. Looking forward to seeing how you both fill your pyramid.

Welcome Abby! We've heard so many great things about you that it is a pleasure to "meet" you! Look forward to following your progress this year. :)

A big thank you to Roberta, Dejah, mamzel, Judy and Tina for stopping by to welcome Abby to the challenge - I know she will be along later today to thank you herself also, but she was so thrilled to see the posts to her!

Dejah - I have not even heard of that one - I will have to check it out to see what it's about. I am looking forward to exploring a genre that I don't know a lot about, and it's fun to have my kids be able to share their favorites and their insights about the genre with me.

Eva - Thanks so much for that info! I have purchased the first book in the Sandman series and will be reading that as soon as I can get it back form my son, so I'll check out that group read. Thanks for the link. I am excited by all the titles you have given me - thanks so much for taking the time to list them!

Judy - I think we will have a lot of fun filling that pyramid!

Wow! Such a warm welcome!

Roberta - Thank You!

Dejah - Thanks and I love Georgia, I don't know how anyone couldn't. I like that it doesn't snow here, and I love that winter is sweatshirt and jean weather! I'll try to get on those reviews for you.

Mamzel - I am definitely going to read more of the Fruits Basket series, I hope to read them all. Thanks for the welcome, I bet working in a library is like heaven. Surrounded by books all day knowing which are the most popular and best rated....I love the library, I could spend an entire day in one just pulling books off the shelves and looking through them.

Judy - Thanks, and I look forward to seeing yours as well. Everyone's reviews of the books they're reading will probably influence my reading quite a bit, so I can't wait!

Tina - Thanks a lot , I look forward to getting to know all of you and seeing all the books everyone reads!

OK, here is my first book review:



Book #1: Fruits Basket Vol.1 by Natsuki Takaya (4.5 stars)
Category VI: Graphic novels

I think it only fitting to start with a graphic novel seeing as how I am graphic novel crazy at the moment. This graphic novel is the first of 26 in a series. Normally I wouldn't give you a big narrative about what the book is about, but I just can't help myself with this one. I am hoping to get you interested enough to check it out from your local library.
Fruits Basket is about a high school girl call Tohru Honda and her dealings with the Sohma family. Under strange circumstances Tohru comes to live with three Sohmas in their house. she soon finds out that the Sohma boys are not what they seem, in fact, they are all cursed. Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure are all members of the Zodiac; they transform into animals when they are under too much stress or are hugged by the opposite sex (bizarre I know). 12 people (the number of animals in the zodiac) in the soma family are cursed in this way. As Tohru lives with them and they with her, they all learn about each other and who they really are. It is a very sweet story with interesting characters from kind-hearted Tohru to lovingly violent Kagura. This graphic novel will have you laughing one minute and then touched the next. The artwork was very good and the dialogue easy to follow. If there was anything I would change, it would be the size of the book, I wished it was longer. I can't wait to get my hands on Vol.2!

For those who have seen the anime version of Fruits Basket, put down the remote and pick up this book. The anime is wonderful and is, in fact, what got me so obsessed with manga to begin with, but the book gives you a lot more information. The reader learns more of Tohru's feelings and you gain more insight into the curse and other characters. The characters look almost exactly the same with the exception of Yuki, whose expressions in the manga are slightly different. If you loved the show, you will love the manga even more.

What a great review, Abby! You did an excellent job - actually, you're making me feel really slack over the last few reviews I've written and the three I haven't gotten around to. Be sure to post your review on the book page - I'd be happy to give you a thumbs up!

BTW, I'm glad you're enjoying Georgia. I don't miss the snow, either.

Welcome Abby! Nice to have you here.

Also nice to hear you like GNs - I've realised over the past couple of years that I actualy really like GNs, something I had never thought before.

Thanks to Eva for mentioning V for Vendetta. It's been on my TBR list since the movie came out but I just never seem to be able to move it to the top.

Welcome, Abby. Nice review of Fruits Basket. I know my niece was reading them in high school, but I had no idea what they were about. I like some graphic novels but the manga style of illustrating never really appealed to me. You've piqued my interest with your review though!

Hi again Abby.... I have never picked up a GN in my life. But, I have a feeling that if you stick around that just might change for me!! :)

Oh, and I second what Dejah_Thoris says... I'll thumbs up your review as well when it is on the main page!

I am getting caught up with all the new posts since my last visit. Love the review of Maus... that is on my reading list for sometime this year and I am looking forward to it.

Great to see you posting here Abby! I see I am going to enjoy following your reading this year. Your review of Fruits Basket is excellent! This is my first year for reading graphic novels - there are so many out there! - so you will be able to help me with your thoughts regarding the ones you read.

*This is Abby, I just realized that was logged in under my mom's name*

Dejah - Thank you, I will hopefully get the review on the review page really soon.

Paws - Thank you for the welcome. Quite a few people seem to be glad that I read graphic novels. I have noticed also that some have mixed feelings about graphic novels. On my part, I love them. I love the art, and the strange characters and plots. I do think that they can be very useful when reading classics for the first time. If you read Hamlet, Emma, or The Three Musketeers in a graphic novel format, you can get the gist of the story easier than if you just read the book. I find that especially for Shakespeare I like to read the graphic novel first so that I understand the story and then I go back and read the real thing.

Sandra - Thank you. That is interesting, what is it about the manga that you think doesn't appeal to you? It is quite the different reading experience at first, I know. Sometimes I have to reread passages to fully understand them. So much weight is placed on facial expressions. I always wondered what other people thought about manga.

Tina - I hope that I do! Once I get to know your reading preferences a little more I might be able to suggest something. Thanks for saying you'll thumbs up my review as well.

Lori - Maus is a really great story. Thank you very much for the welcome and the compliment on my first review. I'll try to get some more in here soon. Way to go on you starting to read graphic novels, there are a ton out there. I hope that I can be of some help.

119, Abby - I'm not sure what it is about manga that doesn't appeal to me. Maybe it's the lack of colour, maybe the unnaturally large eyes. But these would be details I would be willing to overlook if the story sounds good. I ended up putting down Preluds and Nocturnes when I tried it because the artwork was too bold and busy for my tastes, but that was several years ago. I find myself intrigued by the story line again so I'm going to give it another try. I could see the same thing happening if a manga storyline catches my attention the same way. And your review is making me wonder if I could like manga after all. I know my library has the Fruits Basket series. If I happen to see the first volume I may give it a go.

Book #8: In the Woods by Tana French (4.5 stars)
Fits into Category 12: Press Your Luck - authors new to me



I really loved this book. The writing is beautiful, the characters are interesting and three-dimensional and flawed, and the story line is very interesting. It's not so much about mystery although there is plenty of mystery in it; it is more about the psychology of the crime. The prologue takes you back to the main character's childhood and it is so beautifully rendered that the writing reminded me of Ray Bradbury - pure magic in the imagery and flow of words.

"Picture a summer stolen whole from some coming-of-age film set in small-town 1950s. This is none of Ireland's subtle seasons mixed for a connoisseur's palate, watercolor nuances within a pinch-sized range of cloud and soft rain; this is summer full-throated and extravagant in a hot pure silkscreen blue. This summer explodes on your tongue tasting of chewed blades of long grass, your own clean sweat, Marie biscuits with butter squirting through the holes and shaken bottles of red lemonade picnicked in tree houses. It tingles on your skin with BMX wind in your face, ladybug feet up your arm; it packs every breath full of mown grass and billowing wash lines; it chimes and fountains with birdcalls, bees, leaves and football-bounces and skipping-chants, One! Two! Three! This summer will never end. It starts every day with a shower of Mr. Whippy notes and and your best friend's knock at the door, finishes it with long slow twilight and mothers silhouetted in doorways calling you to come in..."

Chapter one takes us back to the present day where we learn that the narrator of this story is a detective in Ireland assigned to the Murder Squad. His life is about to be shaken up by a murder that will send him back to the deep mystery that is his childhood. If you love mysteries, like I do, and you enjoy the process of trying to figure out on your own whodunit, then you might be disappointed with this book at first because you will quickly be able to discern this particular truth. But keep reading because what you will find is that the story itself will keep you on your toes. It is like a Columbo mystery, except that the reader is Columbo - you are waiting for the detectives on the case to catch up with your logical conclusions, but in the meantime you are being treated to a story that is all about peeling layers away and exposing what lies beneath the surface. It is beautifully and breathtakingly done.

"I remember that moment because, if I am honest, I have them so seldom. I am not good at noticing when I'm happy, except in retrospect. My gift, or fatal flaw, is for nostalgia. I have sometimes been accused of demanding perfection, of rejecting heart's desires as soon as I get close enough that the mysterious impressionistic gloss disperses into plain solid dots, but the truth is less simplistic than that. I know very well that perfection is made up of frayed, off-struck mundanities. I suppose you could say my real weakness is a kind of long-sightedness: usually it is only at a distance, and much too late, that I can see the pattern."

Book #9: Volt by Alan Heathcock (4 stars)
Category 10: The Price is Right - books bought on sale or used, or borrowed from the library

Thanks to Richard for bringing this amazing collection of short stories to my attention. I say amazing because these stories are dark and disparaging, and yet it is not depressing to read them. They capture so exquisitely those moments of tragedy that are part of every community. I used to live in a small town that was mostly farms, and these stories that are anchored by their location, the fictional city of Krafton, ring true. It is important, I think, to read them in the order in which they are presented, some characters appear in more than one story and sequence becomes valid here, adding depth to their presence. All eight stories are good, but The Daughter was my favorite, and Lazarus was my least favorite. Dig in - I do not think you will be disappointed, and you will have food for thought long after you have closed the pages.

"'I wish I could take my brain and put it inside your head,' Winslow said. 'Just for a moment. Then you'd know what all I can't find how to say.'" - from The Staying Freight

"'Ever feel like your mind's set funny?' Hep said. 'Like ain't a person in the world could understand you? I think I'm crazy. I really think I must be.' Walt watched Hep's face, flushed in the mercurial light. 'Sometimes I wish I was in the movies,' he said. 'Not to be famous or nothing. I just wish I was made of light. Then nobody'd know me except for what they saw up on that screen. I'd just be light up on the silver screen, and not at all a man.'" - from Fort Apache

"The crop whispered, the corn swaying.... The sky hung a black cloth sprinkled with luminous dust." - from The Daughter

"Things vanished. People vanished. Clouds gave way to sun gave way to night. Only feelings, like spirits, endured, branded to the back of our eyes, laced into our marrow. Miriam lifted a sweater to her face, blue and soft and threadbare at the elbows, still holding a hint of her mother's scent. Try as she might, she couldn't imagine her mother on streets of gold, washed in ethereal light, couldn't even imagine her wearing this sweater, which had been her favorite. Miriam could only recall her mother as she'd seen her that day at the morgue, a sheet to her chin...She considered this life and the next, decided Heaven and Hell were just where the living chose to put you once you passed..." - from The Daughter

119. I think that's a great idea to read the comic book version first to get a good grip on the story before delving in with the original. Anything that can get a person to read Shakespeare is a good thing in my book.
I'm very picky with graphic novels and instantly disregards most of them because I don't like the way they're drawn. I prefer when the character look "mostly normal" (as you might have guessed, manga is not my thing). Therefore I'm always on the lookout for interesting new (or new-to-me at least) GNs so will be keeping a close eye on your reading.

->121 Crazymamie:
She does have a very luscious way with language!

I am way behind in getting started with the Tana French series. In the Woods was a more recent acquisition of mine. A book flawed and interesting characters and a focus on the psychology of the crime are carrots for me to get moving on reading this one *scans bookshelf, pile of library books and reading commitments*.... maybe before summer? ;-)

It seems that I have fallen behind again.

Sandra - I understand what you mean. Some manga artwork is way better than others. If an artist doesn't fully understand the proportions and how to construct poses and facial expressions, the art will turn out looking strange and slightly unnerving. I have never heard of that manga and am unfortunately unable to tell you if that is standard manga or below average. Perhaps if the library has it I can give you more insight.

Paws - I will try to expand my horizons in GNs to see if I can find something you might like. It is more difficult I think to find GNs that have normal looking people in today's market. It is easier with comic books, but I find most comic books lacking in story lines and deep characters. By any chance have you heard of the Bone graphic novels? Off the top of my head these have more realistic looking characters, plus they are one of my very favorite GN series. These books do contain lots of magic and some strange creatures that do not look human at all, but most of the characters are human. (this is not a manga series) This series is funny, interesting, and the artwork is quite good. I'll see if I can get a picture in here of some of the characters.

Eva - I think so, too.

Lori - lol, I have a very long reading list as well. They just seem to pile up don't they? There are so many great authors and stories out there that can't not have I humongous reading list.

126. Thanks for the tip, Abby, I'll have a closer look. A quick Google search revealed a style that reminds me very much of a cartoon that was on TV a lot when I was a kid (called Goliath). Ah, memories...
I like magic, so no problem there.

Book #2: Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (3 stars)
Category 10: The Price is Right - books bought on sale or used, or borrowed from the library

This is the fourth book in the Maximum Ride series. Although these are not outstanding books, I still enjoy reading them. They are nice and light for reading alongside other books because they do not require much concentration to read. The downfall of these books is the characters. I like the characters' spunk and how quickly they think on their feet, but they often times anger me exceedingly. One minute they will be calm and smart, and the next they will be stupid and untrue to their natures. Also, the author is trying to introduce a romantic interest into the story, but it is not being told very well. It has been my opinion that women writers are much more adept at writing romance than male authors. Is this just me? I think this is because men have completely different mind sets than women.

These are not really books I would recommend reading.

Book #3: The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (4 starts)
Category 12: Press your luck - New to me authors

This book is the retelling of the old fairytale, Beauty & the Beast. I liked this version of Beauty & the Beast because it was completely plausible, no magic or beasts involved. The characters have depth and the story moves at a steady pace all the way to the end. It was a simple read with a good plot and storyline.

This book is a love story with a villain who won't leave the heroine alone. As the heroine struggles against her hard tasks, people's criticisms, and her own family's expectations, I found myself liking her more and more. She is strong and won't give up without a fight. For anyone who likes fractured fairytales, dig right in.

Eva - She does, indeed. I just love the way she writes.

Lori - I say squeeze it in whenever you can. It was on my TBR for a long time before I finally picked it up, and I am oh so happy that I did.

Abby!! I went to the book store this afternoon after work and just glanced at the Graphic Novels for the first time in my life!! How about that for a first step?? :)

They are expensive! No idea where to even begin. I'm thinking the library might be my best bet to even see if I can handle one before I purchase anything.

Any recommendations?

Abby, I love fantasy based fairy tales and Beauty & the Beast was one of my favorites. I'm adding The Merchant's Daughter to my wishlist.

Abby, I'm always game to read a Beauty and the Beast retelling, too. I've requested it from the library. Thanks!

Tina - Way to go!! Some do run a bit on the expensive side, I agree. I've been getting Graphic Novels from the library as well, it's a great way to get a feel for one without the risk of wasting money because you didn't like it. Many graphic novels have a great premise but lack plot or good characters, so the library is a good way to go. Recommendations...I see that you have Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare in your library, 1) I loved that book, 2) The graphic novel is brilliant. It is drawn in the manga style, but it has almost everything that happens in the book in it. Some other Graphic Novels you might enjoy are Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vol.1, Twilight Vol.1, Maus, and Bone Vol.1. (These last four are not manga) These are all fantasy, and seeing your library I think you might like one of these.

Judy - That is so great! I can't wait to see what you think about it.

Dejah - I hope you like it. I've read 3 or 4 different retellings of Beauty and the Beast but this one is by far my favorite.

*Quick visit to see whats new and screeches to a stop to add The Merchant's Daughter to the ever growing pile of books to find time to read.*

Hi Mamie and Abby!

Hi Lori! Abby is going to be thrilled that you added that to your list!

*waves* at Abby and Mamie!

Hi Roberta! *waves back*

Lori - Nice of you to pop by! I am so thrilled that you added The Merchant's Daughter to your TBR list!

Roberta - Hello! *smiles*

On a side note, I am planning on reading some monster books in February. Vampires, mermaids, werewolves, zombies, ghosts etc. Does anyone have a good recommendation for something I should read?

Oh my, Abby - that's a question that's going to generate quite a few responses, I think!

There are so many good series out there it's hard to pick. Chloe Neill has her Chicago Vampires series (it also has weres) as well as a related YA series the Dark Elite - the first book in that series is Firespell. I haven't read the YA series, but I imagine it's pretty good. The main reason Chloe Neill came to mind is that she has a new book coming out on February 5th....

Also out on the 5th is the first book in Gail Carriger's newYA series titled Etiquette & Espionage. Carriger's first series, The Parasol Protectorate, is steampunk, pseudo-Victorian London with vampires and werewolves (the first book is Soulless, which I'm pretty sure Mamie has on a shelf somewhere) . The new series is about the daughter of the main characters from the earlier series.

There are so many good choices out there! Hmmm...I suppose I should have asked this first, but are you looking for YA or adult? More horror or more romance?

You might like My Life As a White Trash Zombie, too....

139. I generally stay far away from vampire and werewolf-related literature so can't give you any tips on those in particular (except Dracula, of course).

For mermaids, there's always the classic of classics: H.C. Andersen's The Little Mermaid
China Mieville's Kraken and H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu both deal with the sea monster of all sea monsters - the kraken.
There's the classic of classics: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - if you haven't read it already.
If you want to read a play you could try Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt where there are trolls abound. I'm planning on reading that myself next year.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is coming out in February and as it is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood it has a wolf. Well sort of...

Summary: Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.
As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Did you read Cinder Abby? I know your mom enjoyed it as much as I did. It was a fun read.

>142 luvamystery65: Ohhhh....I hadn't realized the sequel to Cinder was coming out next month. I just checked - it's out February 5th, too. That makes seven books I want to read coming out on the 5th. Good glory.

Dejah_Thoris I can't wait for Scarlet! Seven new books on your list out on Feb 5th. Yikes! Decisions! I'll have to lurk on your threads to see which one you pick to read first.

At this point, I'm only buying two of them - House Rules by Chloe Neill and Etiquette & Espionage - the others I'll probably get from the library. While my library system is great (I'm in PINES, like you are Abby), it isn't always the fastest about getting new books on the shelf. It drives my librarian crazy! I think I'm leaning toward the Carriger book first.

Except for Scarlet, the others are all mysteries. I'll get to all of them eventually....

well where do you start on the monster theme? you could go classic/gothic and read dracula and frankenstein (I loved Frankenstein but wasn't so keen on Dracula) and the ghost stories of M.R. James, or you could go modern horror, schlock, YA etc...

I'd double the recommendation for kraken and I'd recommend the devil you know for ghosts, mermaids?? Claire (clfisha) has recommended that I read the brides of rollrock which I'll be getting to soon, for Vampires something a little different dracula the bloody red baron series by Kim Newman

Wow, so many good suggestions! I was hoping that I would get a ton!

Dejah - I suppose more YA but I am open to adult as well. And as to whether it is horror or romance, out of the two, I would lean more towards romance. I have to be careful with horror, but I am not against giving it a shot. I love fantasy adventure books like Harry Potter, Twilight (romance I know), Clockwork Angel, Howl's Moving Castle, Inkheart, Eragon, and of course, the J.R.R. Tolkien books. I will have to look closer at Gail Carriger's books, I have never even heard of that author. The title of My Life As a White Trash Zombie has me cracking up! I remember my mom mentioning it to me...

Paws - I have actually already told my mom that I would read Frankenstein, so that is on the pile. The little mermaid is also a good suggestion, I can't believe I didn't think of that!

Roberta - That is so funny that you mentioned Cinder! I have been meaning to read it for quite some time. My mom has been urging me to read it for quite a while. I will make sure I read it in February!

Dejah (again *smiles*) - I have a ton of books coming out on Feb. 5th as well. I can't wait! That is so cool that you are in the same library system. Our library has more books every time that we go, which is great. I'm hoping that circulation will really pick up so that the library will get more and more books.

Psutto - Thanks for all the suggestions! I will have to look those books up.

Just a couple of "monster" recommendations, and they are both zombies and both trilogies:

The Enemy by Charlie Higson
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

I'll be looking forward to seeing what you read as I'm always up for a good monster read.

I'm very late to the game here, but I also love fairy tale retellings, and "Beauty and the Beast" is my favorite, so I'll definitely be checking out The Merchant's Daughter!

Also, for monster-related books, I have to recommend The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. It's one of my favorite reads of 2012, and it features incredibly dangerous water horses that sometimes eat people. There's also Seanan McGuire's Toby Daye series, if you like urban fantasy -- all kinds of fae in those! (Book #1 is Rosemary and Rue.)

Christina - I have heard of the Scorpio Races before, will definitely look it up. I am thrilled that you will also be checking out The Merchant's Daughter.

Judy - Thanks, Rot & Ruin does look good, actually, my mom wants to read it.

I thought that I would post a general summary of what I have read in January, since I am so behind in entering them into the pyramid.

#1 Fruits Basket Vol.1 by Natsuki Takaya
#2 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (reread)
#3 The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
#4 Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by JK Rowling (reread)
#5 A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori (reread)
#6 A Bride's Story Vol.2 by Kaoru Mori (reread)
#7 Fruits Basket Vol.2 by Natsuki Takaya
#8 Fruits Basket Vol.3 by Natsuki Takaya
#9 Fruits Basket Vol.4 by Natsuki Takaya
#10 Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol.1 by QuinRose
#11 Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
#12 Maximum Ride: The Final Warning by James Patterson
#13 Emma Vol.1 by Kaoru Mori
#14 Fear Itself: Avenger's Academy by Christos Gage
#15 Second Semester: Avenger's Academy by Christos Gage
#16 Dust Lands by Moira Younge
#17 Howl's Moving Castle Vol.1 by Hayao Miyazaki (reread)
#18 Howl's Moving Castle Vol.2 by Hayao Miyazaki (reread)
#19 Howl's Moving Castle Vol.3 by Hayao Miyazaki (reread)
#20 Howl's Moving Castle Vol.4 by Hayao Miyazaki (reread)
#21 The Season by Sarah Maclean (reread)
#22 The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
#22 Bone Vol.1 by Jeff Smith (reread)

I am currently Reading:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling (reread)
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Bone Vol.2 by Jeff Smith (reread)
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (reread)

These are some of the books I plan to read in February:

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Cinder by Marissa Meyeer
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
Nothing by Janne Teller
Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Breaking Dawn By Stephenie Meyer
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is my favorite HP book!

I read Ruby Red last year and really liked it, I must see if my library has Sapphire Blue in.

Abby - I picked up Carnival of Souls last year but ended up not reading it. What did you think of it?

BTW, I hope you had a very happy birthday this weekend!

Roberta - All the books are wonderful, but if I had to choose a favorite it would either have to be the first one or the last one. The last one did such a great job wrapping everything up! The Half Blood Prince was somewhat ruined for me because, before I read it, someone revealed a key piece of information. I was so upset that they gave this away. I do love how the characters grow in the 6th book though. I reread the Harry Potter books several times each year, or listen to them. The guy that does the audiobook is amazing! I love the audiobooks because I can easily listen to them while doing other things.

Judy - I liked Ruby Red as well. My sister owns both of the books but I have not yet read Sapphire Blue. I think that I will have to skim back through Ruby Red before reading it to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

Dejah - Thank you for the Birthday wishes! I did have a wonderful birthday, I received quite a few books which I was thrilled about. Including Warm Bodies which I have already started! Carnival of Souls was ... disappointing. The first half of the book was great, but as I continued reading it, I realized that the story wasn't going anywhere. I usually like Melissa Marr, but for me this book needed more of a story line. I still intend on reading the second one when it comes out just to see if it picks up. Perhaps the first book was setting up the second. If you are looking for romance, action, and a page turner, this is sadly not your book.

Ok, so clearly I am way behind on my reviews. I have decided just to review those books that made a very notable impression on me, either good or bad. So, here goes book review #4!



Book #4: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (5 starts)

I have reread/re-listened to this book every year since I first read it. This book is a dystopian novel that takes place in North America. The main character has so much depth and a ferocity to her that I couldn't not like her. She is smart, funny, and amazingly human. She succumbs to human emotion like any other, but what makes her admirable is her will to not be defeated by anything. Thrown into an arena with 23 other tributes to fight to the death for others entertainment, Katniss must fight for her very life. The story never stops moving for one moment; from the very first page I was transported into a completely different world with a story that had me unable to put the book down.

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


Book #5 Alice in the Country of Hearts by QuinRose (3 stars)

I know that my mom has already given a review on this book, and like her, I was not quite sure what to make of this manga. This book had a very interesting premise (a retelling of Alice in Wonderland) and interesting characters, but it lacked even a basic storyline. I was immediately intrigued by how this version of Alice in Wonderland had changed the characters, Wonderland is in a state of war between The mysterious Queen of Hearts, the mafia boss The Hatter, and the amusement park owner Gowland. The residents of this Wonderland are violent, confusing, and all of them seem to be drawn to Alice. The main character of Alice ... could be smarter. Although I liked her outlook on what a life was worth, and how she always gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, I felt that she should have been portrayed as more intelligent. I feel that she should be the kind of girl trying to unravel the mysteries of Wonderland, but instead she seems content to wonder around blindly. The book hints at a bigger meaning to Wonderland, but this manga, I felt, didn't have much of a storyline. Though perhaps, this first volume was setting up the world and characters for the second volume.

On another note, the artwork was quite good. The characters look more human-like than some manga I have seen, with the exception of those characters in this book that have animal ears. All the characters in this version of Alice in Wonderland are human (for the most part), and the artist did a fabulous job of portraying emotion with all of them. The reader can gleam only half of the story from the text, the rest lies within the pictures. Displays of emotions, hidden scenes, and moments of memory are all captured in the artwork without a single word being said. I thought this very clever and skillful of the artist to capture so much just within the artwork.

I will be interested to see where this series goes from here.

I LOVED The Hunger Games too! Glad to see it made such a good impression on you! You have had quite the reading month, Abby. Wow!

I am behind on this thread - I will be trying to get things caught up over here this week. For starters, here is my latest review.



Book #23: A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia by Sarah Gordon (4 stars)
Fits into Category V: Name That Tune - books set in or about Georgia


Mary Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964)

I am writing this review first simply because the book is due back at the library today. Since I recently moved to the beautiful state of Georgia, I am wanting to learn more about the state's history and about the people. My reading this particular book came about through a serendipitous chain of events. Paul had recently read and reviewed a book of Flannery O'Connor's short stories: A Good Man is Hard to Find. I had never read anything by this author, and thought that she might be a good one to add to my list. Later that day I went to the library just down the road from us that had newly opened. In searching through their non-fiction in order to find something to check out about Georgia history, what should I see but this gorgeous book! I did not know that Flannery O'Connor was from Georgia! I will confess that having read the delightful Finding George Orwell in Burma last year, I was hoping that this book would be on par with that one. It is not. Although I gave both books four star ratings, they received the stars for different reasons. Finding George Orwell in Burma is a beautifully written travel memoir where the author (Emma Larkin) is retracing Orwell's steps through his time in Burma and tying the steps of the journey in with his writings. It is delightful and full of insights that will have you picking up Orwell's books as soon as you have finished. A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia is very different. It does give a good overview of O'Connor's life and some insights into her writing, and the pictures are absolutely gorgeous, and there are a lot of them, which is what boosted this book's star rating for me. The writing is where it suffers - dry in places and sometimes tedious, the narrative lacks warmth and flow. The best section by far is the chapter entitled Andalusia, which is the name of the farm where O'Connor spent her final years and did much of her writing. This chapter shines, providing insight and depth into O'Connor's writing legacy.

"Flannery O'Connor's use of the land is not like that of William Faulkner, for whom the South's complicated and tragic history is inextricably tied to the envy and greed of the propertyless for property, for land, with all the bizarre comedy and violence entailed by the age-old conflict. To be sure, O'Connor saw humanity as fallen and always subject to envy and greed, among other sins; her vision, however, belongs to Christian prophecy, wherein the rural landscape, with its inevitable long line of trees, serves as the setting, at times almost ritualistic, for the individual's confrontation with evil and with the possibility of God's redemptive grace. O'Connor, unlike Faulkner, is not concerned with the actual history of the South or with any kind of collective white guilt; her fiction is centered on the individual search for salvation."

I guess I was expecting more of that kind of analysis and thought in a book thats title starts with "A Literary Guide..." Still, there is much to be learned from this book, and it provides a nice background for those who, like me, are unfamiliar with Flannery O'Connor. It is a good place to start, and certainly if you want to see the buildings and places that had such an impact on her life, then this is an excellent choice as the photographs are stunning. Certainly worth your time if the subject interests you.

Book #21: Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors (4.25 stars)
Fits into Category VIII: Queen for a Day - historical fiction

This book is everything that its beautiful cover promises. Set in 1177 when the great Khmer Empire dominated what is now known as Cambodia, this book tells a fictionalized version of the actual invasion of that Empire by the Chams from what is now Vietnam. Led by their ruthless and powerful king, Jaya Indravarman IV, the Chams overthrew the Khmers and conquered their capital city of Angkor. Indravarman knows that he must not rest until he has captured and killed the Khmer prince and his wife who fled into the surrounding jungle. Meanwhile, Prince Jayavar and his wife, Anjadevi, must figure out how to regroup the remaining Khmers so that they can fight to take back their kingdom.

Filled with the sights and sounds of that ancient kingdom, this story beautifully captures the struggle between two cultures for the same lands. I loved how the great temples were described and how the religious beliefs were explained within the context of the story. The point of view of the fully fleshed and diverse characters also make this book memorable - I really liked reading about the struggle from different perspectives. My favorite character by far was that of Asal, a Cham warrior who struggles to remain true to his own moral code while serving a king whose lust for power in insatiable. This is historical fiction that is well done and worthy of the time that it takes to read. The second half of the book really picks up the pace of the story and keeps you turning the pages as you nervously await the outcome. And perhaps best of all, this is a story complete within itself - the very rare and sought after standalone novel. Highly recommended.

"'It's good for you to beg,' Ajadevi whispered, when no one was near. 'One day, when you rule this land, you shall remember the suffering of your people.'

'You think I need reminders?'

'Not reminders, but memories.'

'And the difference between the two?'

'Reminders are for those who cannot remember. Memories are for those who want to remember.'

Jayavar thought about his children, visualizing each of their faces, starting with the youngest. He envisioned them when each of them had seemed happiest. His little girl, Chivy, laughed as she rode on his shoulders. His eldest son, Kosal, rejoiced at the birth of his own child. He wished them well, as he often did, taking his time with his thoughts, trying to connect with his loved ones.

'I think memories make us human,' he finally replied. 'They give substance to our spirits.'"

Ooo - I didn't win this in the Early Reviewers but I definitely want to read it. There was just recently a series (on History Channel?) about Angor Wat.

Mamzel - I had not read anything by Shors before, but it was very well done. Have you read anything else by him? And I am excited to hear that the History Channel (or some channel) recently did a series on Angkor Wat - I will have to investigate and see if I can find that. Thanks for the info!

I've been hit! I've been hit! I tried to duck but I got caught in your crosshairs Mamie. LOL It's the quotes on memories that did me in. Just beautiful.

Oh good, Roberta! I think you will like it - very well done. Glad you liked the quote.

My Word! Is it March already!? How did that happen? Sorry for neglecting my LT duties everyone.
Well, I shall start with listing the books that I read in February. As good a place to start as any:

#1: Spice and Wolf vol. 1 by Isuna Hasekura (GN) 2.5 stars
#2: W.I.T.C.H. Vol. 1 by hyperion (GN) 4.5 stars
#3: W.I.T.C.H. vol. 2 by hyperion (GN) 4.5 stars
#4: W.I.T.C.H. vol. 3 by hyperion (GN) 4.5 stars
#5: Soulless vol. 1 by Gail Carriger (GN) 4 stars
#6: Soulless vol. 2 by Gail Carriger (GN) 3.5 stars
#7: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff 3.5 stars
#8: Fruits Basket vol. 5 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4.5 stars
#9: Fruits Basket vol. 6 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4.5 stars
#10: Fruits basket vol. 7 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4 stars
#11: Bone vol. 2 by Jeff Smith (GN) 4 stars
#12: The Earl & The Fairy vol. 4 (GN) 2 stars
#13: Eclipse By Stephenie Meyer 4.5 stars
#14: Fruits Basket vol. 8 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4.5 stars
#15: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (GN) 3 stars
#16: W.I.T.C.H. vol. 4 by hyperion (GN) 5 stars
#17: Fruits Basket vol. 9 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4.5 stars
#18: Fruits Basket vol. 10 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4.5 stars
#19: Fruits Basket vol. 11 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4.5 stars
#20: Fruits Basket vol. 12 by Natsuki Takaya (GN) 4 stars
#21: Brightest Day vol. 1 by Geoff Jones (GN) 3.5 stars
#22: Bone vol. 3 by Jeff Smith (GN) 4.5 stars
#23: W.I.T.C.H. vol. 5 by hyperion (GN) 4 stars
#24: Eragon by Christopher Paolini 5 stars
#25: Blue Bloods by Melisss De La Cruz (GN) 3.5 stars
#26: Brightest Day vol. 2 by Geoff Jones (GN) 3.5 stars
#27: Brightest Day vol. 3 by Geoff Jones (GN) 3.5 stars
#28: Breaking Dawn By Stephenie Meyer 4.5 stars
#29: Mastering Manga by Mark Crilley 5 stars
#30: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr 2.5 stars

Statistics for January:
# of books read: 20
# of GN: 13
# of Audiobooks: 2
# of Women Authors: 16
# of Male Authors: 4
# of Rereads: 6
# of Books from the Library: 8
# of New Authors: 2
# of Books in a series: 18
# of Male Main Characters: 4
# of Female Main Characters: 16
# of Hardback: 8
# of Paper back: 9
# of Ebook: 1
# Bought this month: 1

Statistics for February:
# of books read: 30
# of GN: 23
# of Audiobooks: 1
# of Women Authors: 14
# of male Authors: 11
# of Rereads: 11
# of Books from the Library: 10
# of New Authors: 4
# of Books in a series: 27
# of Male Main Characters: 6
# of Female Main Characters: 22
# of Hardback: 3
# of Paperback: 26
# of Ebook: 0
# Bought this Month: 2

I was so far behind....:-(

Abby, welcome!
you got me with a BB on the Fruit Basket. Next month I am going to read my first Graphic novel - The Invention of Hugo Cabret. So maybe Fruit Basket with be my second.

I would consider Hugo as more of an illustrated novel than a graphic novel (higher ratio of words to pictures). In any case, it's beautiful and a wonderful story. I hope you enjoy it.

Nice reading analysis, Abby! What was your favorite book for February?

I have to admit the only books you read in February that I've also read were the Stephanie Meyer books. And I've read the non-GN version of Soulless, of course.

I am SO behind on posting over here! And Abby will probably catch up on responding this weekend - life has been busy lately.



Book #28: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (3.75 stars)
Fits into Category XII - Press Your Luck - a new to me author, also a ROOT

I had to let this book settle a bit before I could review it because I was so disappointed with it when I first finished reading it. So what didn't I like about it? Well... I thought that part of what was presented at the beginning of the book as a bit of a mystery to me would be addressed in the final pages, and this did not happen. And the characters that I liked the best were just on the periphery. I also thought that parts of the story dragged more than they needed to - I can appreciate the tedious passage of time without actually having to experience it personally. It's funny because there is a passage in the book where the major players are all at the theater together (well, not together, but they are there at the same time), and the narrative so perfectly captured what I was feeling about parts of this book:

"Florentino Ariza had not been impressed in any way by the invention of moving pictures, but Leona Cassiana took him, unresisting, to the spectacular opening of Cabiria, whose reputation was based on the dialogues written by the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. The great open-air patio of Don Galileo Daconte, where on some nights one enjoyed the splendor of the stars more than the silent lovemaking on the screen, was filled to overflowing with a select public. Leona Cassiani followed the wandering plot with her heart in her mouth. Florentino Ariza, on the other hand, was nodding his head in sleep because of the overwhelming tedium of the drama. At his back, a woman's voice seemed to read his thoughts: 'My God, this is longer than sorrow!'"

Yes, yes that's just exactly it! Too long. And this is one of those books that requires a lot of effort on the reader's part, at least on this reader's part. Márquez writes beautiful, flowing prose that needs to be extracted from the complicated sentence structure that he delivers it in. Still, this is a worthy task because the language and the meaning are combined in a lush and decadent manner. The words are intended to be savored. I just wish there had been fewer of them - words, that is. The first portion of the novel takes 100 pages to tell a story that could have been captured in 50. Still, the second half of the book delivers a faster pace, less monotony and greater insights. All of the main characters are deeply flawed, and I found that while I could not forgive them certain transgressions, there were qualities that I could admire in each of them. There is humor here, and perception, and truths about life that are delivered in an unflinchingly honest way. So, while I did not love this book, I do not feel that the time I spent with it was wasted.

"The only consolation, even for someone like him who had been a good man in bed, was sexual peace: the slow, merciful extinction of his venereal appetite. At eighty-one years of age he had enough lucidity to realize that he was attached to this world by a few slender threads that could break painlessly with a simple change in position while he slept, and if he did all he could to keep those threads intact, it was because of his terror of not finding God in the darkness of death."

"His uncle was angry with him because of the manner in which he had thrown away the good position of telegraph operator in Villa de Leyva, but he allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day that their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves."

Too long was my impression of Love in the Time of Cholera, which is sad considering it had such a promising, page turning beginning! That last bit almost felt like the author didn't know when to end his own story. Great review, Mamie!

Lori - I am just now seeing this post over here. I am so sorry! Thank you so much for the compliment. And too long is exactly how I felt about it. Have you read anything else by Marquez?

Book #39: The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel (5 stars)
Fits into Category XIII: Books published in 2013

I was thrilled when I saw this book come out in February of this year; I grew up watching John Ford's stunning adaptation of Alan LeMay's novel about an uncle that is obsessed with finding his niece who has been taken captive by the Comanches during a raid that left the rest of her family dead. All of her family except for her adopted older brother and her uncle who were away at the time. John Wayne plays the lead, and he is bitter and vengeful and as complicated a character as I have ever seen him play in a movie, and I have seen them all. My Dad and I used to watch Action Adventure Theater every Sunday together, and this was one of his favorites. "But he's so hard," I would always say. "That's the point," my Dad would argue, "hatred makes a poor weapon because it controls you. It narrows your focus until it's all you can see and you lose sight of even yourself. It drives the goodness right out of you and makes redemption almost impossible."

So when I saw this book come out, a book about the making of that iconic movie, I snagged myself a copy hot off the presses. Please, I thought, please don't let me down. And it didn't. It delivered on a larger scale than I could have imagined. First off, the book is organized so perfectly: a brief snippet of a glimpse into John Ford's character, and then parts one and two of the book take us straight into the backstory - the real backstory, the one that set the stage for Alan LeMay's novel. Frankel starts with the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, that famous captive whose tragic story gave us the last Comanche chief Quanah Parker. Frankel takes his time here, patiently introducing us not just to Cynthia Ann but to her uncle James, who is the original inspiration for John Wayne's character Ethan (Amos in the novel). He doesn't stop there, though, he takes us through Quanah's own history and legacy, and we follow the Comanche people as they are exiled forever from choice and freedom.

Part three of the book explains the evolution of the Western and introduces us to Alan LeMay, the author of The Searchers and to the novel itself that John Ford's movie of the same name is based on. Fascinating stuff here and insightful observations:

"The Western consistently outsold all other genres, including its closest competitor, the detective story....Men wrote and published most of the books, of course, both nonfiction and novels, and they presented a vision of the American West as an exclusively male domain where women served either as victims or as objects of purity rather than desire. It would take many years for a different and more ambiguous version of the settlement of the West to emerge: a female counternarrative that emphasized family and community over the lone heroic gunman. The characters created by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Willa Cather had to fight for their place alongside Wild Bill Hickok and Billy the Kid. Even Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane, the great sharpshooter and gunslinger, were women of manly virtues."

The Searchers was Alan LeMay's thirteenth novel, and it was the result of fusing fact and fiction into a story that focused not on the captive but on the search for vengeance. Debbie (the character loosely based on Cynthia Ann Parker) becomes less of a character and more of a device. LeMay explores the driving force of unchecked hate not through insight into Amo's psyche but through the observations and thoughts of Martin Pauley, Debbie's adopted older brother, who is the narrator of the story. Martin feels that he can never give up because Amos never will, and Martin understands that they have a common journey but that they are pursuing two very different things.

"The tension is established that drives forward the rest of the narrative. Amos Edwards is an angry, implacable man bent upon revenge. Even though Debbie is the daughter of Martha, the only woman he has ever loved, Amos doesn't care if she lives or dies. His goal is to avenge Martha's rape and murder, and to destroy the world of those who have destroyed his, His sole motivation is hate. When it comes to Comanches, Martin is no less hateful....But Martin's hatred has its limits...Martin values kinship above all else. Because Debbie is his sister, his obligation to her is clear, unbreakable, and nonnegotiable. While the world around him seems crazed with bloodlust and vengeance, his own moral compass remains firm."

Part four of the book covers the director JohnFord, the actor John Wayne, the movie production, the setting and filming of the movie, the movie itself and its legacy. Now we have arrived at the meat and potatoes of the book, and we are not to be disappointed here either. The writing shines, and we are treated to so much more than just the narrative that the book's title promised us. Thoughtful and exploratory, each section provides additional insights into how the film became the legend that it is today. The opening scene had to be changed because a film starring John Wayne needed to deliver him up front, and while LeMay's opening worked for the novel, it would not deliver the visual or emotional impact that Ford's film required. Dialogue and other scenes also had to be changed because the novel is narrated by Martin, and the movie would need to show us things that in the book we learn only through Martin's thoughts and reflections.

"Some of the biggest changes in the script involve enhancing and darkening Ethan - and in the process molding him into a character strong enough yet complex enough for John Wayne. The moral center of gravity in the novel is Martin Pauley....But in the film, Martin is eclipsed by his deeply troubled yet charismatic uncle. The narrative centers around Ethan's divided personality and his motives in conducting his obsessive seven-year search for his niece..."

I don't want to spoil the book's surprises, so I'll stop there. I'll simply say that I have seen the film more than twenty times, and after I finished reading this book, I wanted to watch it all over again looking for the things that I had learned. I also purchased a copy of the original novel. It's good - well worth the time, and the ending is very different from the movie. I have only two complaints. The first is that I wish the photos included in the book were larger and that there were more of them. The second is that I wish I could share this book with my Dad. We discussed the movie many times over the years and he would have loved this in depth exploration of one of his favorite films. I guess that bittersweet stab of pain was offset by the remembered bits of conversation we had on the subject - it gave him back to me for just a brief window of time. So thanks for that, Mr. Frankel.

That sounds like a great book! I'd especially like to read part 3, about the evolution of the Western.

Hi rabbitprincess! It was a great book - so many interesting things. I was expecting it to just cover what basically the last section covered, but it had so much more. And well written.

> 170 - Love in the time of Cholera is my first and only Marquez so far, although I do have One Hundred Years of Solitude sitting waiting for me on my TBR bookcase.......not sure when I will get around to reading that one!

I tried In the Time of Cholera a few years ago and actually made it halfway through before setting it aside. I loved the writing but not the story. A lot of people really love that one though.

Hello sweet Mamie. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend sounds amazing. I don't have time for it this year but I will put it in TBR and meanwhile snag it for my mom who is a huge John Wayne and western fan.

I wish I could share this book with my Dad. We discussed the movie many times over the years and he would have loved this in depth exploration of one of his favorite films. I guess that bittersweet stab of pain was offset by the remembered bits of conversation we had on the subject - it gave him back to me for just a brief window of time This brought tears to my eyes. This is exactly why I will get this for my mom. NOW!

Thank you Mamie!

ETA: It will arrive on Wednesday. I know she is going to love this book.

Hi Roberta! Thank you so much for that response. I hope your Mom loves the book - I know I did! I think it is so cool that you share a love of reading with your Mom.

Book #40: Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman (5 stars)
Fits into Category X: The Price is Right - this book was a Christmas gift from Stasia. Thank you, Stasia!

Thanks to Morphy for the shove on this one! All of you who sang its praises were so right - it was indeed lovely, delightful, and highly entertaining. Since I seem to be the very last person to read this book, I need not go into details, but I loved not just how much Anne Fadiman loves books but also how much she loves language. I think my favorite part is the very beginning where she talks about marrying her own library to her husband's. Craig and I have been married for 22 years, and we have not taken this drastic step. It seems too soon - I don't want to rush into anything. I do know that we would not have to deal with the duplicate problem. There is only one book that each of us had in common when we got married, well, okay, two. Any guesses? I'm sure some of you would say the Bible, and you'd be right, but that is not the first book that I thought of. So what is it? The Hobbit!



Book #41: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (4.25 stars)
Fits into Category VII: Hollywood Squares - books made into movies

I read this play many years ago as a high school student. I remember liking it, but I had forgotten how dark it is, or perhaps I just couldn't appreciate how dark it is. When Blanche comes to visit her sister Stella, we learn that Belle Reve, the family plantation, has been lost to debt. Blanche comes to visit but really plans on staying for as long as she can get away with it. Stella and her husband Stanley are expecting their first child and really do not have room for Blanche, and, as we will soon discover, they have troubles enough of their own. Thus begins a dark tale filled with flawed characters who stand at the edge of disaster. You can feel them hovering there, and you know that all it will take is one misstep - the question is who will take it. I love this exploration of manipulation and desperation, and the questions and the doubts that it brings. I love this exchange of dialogue between Blanche and Stanley as they meet for the first time; it sets the tone for the rest of the play. It's important to note that Blanche has already helped herself to some whiskey earlier when she was alone in the apartment, and then pretended to find the bottle so that her sister could offer her a drink before they went out for the evening.

Stanley: Oh. Didn't know you were coming in town.

Blanche: I-uh-

Stanley: Where you from, Blanche?

Blanche: Why, I--live in Laurel. {He has crossed to the closet and removed the whiskey bottle}

Stanley: In Laurel, huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, in Laurel, that's right. Not in my territory. Liquor goes fast in hot weather. {He holds the bottle to the light to observe its depletion} Have a shot?

Blanche: No, I--rarely touch it.

Stanley: Some people rarely touch it, but it touches them often.



Book #42: Round Mountain by Castle Freeman, Jr (3.75 stars)
Fits into Category XII: Press Your Luck - authors new to me

The really cool thing about this book is how it came into my possession. Mark got this book for free from the Concord Free Press - the idea is that in exchange for the book, you agree to donate money to a charity of your choice and then, after you have read it, pass the book on to someone else who will do the same thing. So Mark passed the book to Lucy who passed it to her husband, and then they passed it to me. I actually received the book while we were still living in Indiana, so now the book has moved to Georgia. It's ready for a new home, and there is no one signed up on the Wiki list that Caro created last year, so PM me if you would like to have this book passed to you next - but remember you are agreeing to donate to a charity of your choice and pass it forward when you're finished.

This collection of short stories was a slow starter for me, but it had a nice flow to it once I got going. The stories share the rural Vermont setting and a recurring character central to each story, Homer Patch. There are twelve stories in all, and I found the collection to be uneven - some of the stories worked better than others for me. The progression is not linear, and I keep wondering if I would have enjoyed the stories more if they had been presented in order. I wanted more - more depth, more order, more closure...more something. Still, there is humor here and reflections on rural life that ring true.

"Kevin and Zipper: what are they? Not criminals, exactly. The criminal is part of an economy in a way Kevin and Zipper have no idea of being. Not madmen. Madmen have, after their fashion, thought things through. Kevin and Zipper don't think things through. They are simple souls. Kevin and Zipper are the bearers of the ancient male principle of destruction and self-destruction. They smash up, lay waste, defy with a kind of deep physical ease that is better than thought, better than free will. They make trouble the way a bull runs at a fence, the way the blood horse lifts his head to the wind. It's what they do because of what they are. Kevin and Zipper are the trouble cavalry. And therefore, to be sure, an anachronism. Kevin and Zipper belong in a museum, or, if there were such a place, in a zoo for dangerous ideas. By all means let them be seen, visited. Let them be admired. For is theirs not the same material, the same force that produces the beloved heroes of romance: Roland, Lancelot, Coeur de Leon, the vainglorious Custer himself? In a world founded on trouble, trouble's thoughtless cavaliers have a necessary place, an honorable place, a place of legends. In a world founded otherwise the necessity is gone, the honor is gone. Only the legends remain, and they are reduced to constables' reports, to the repetitious, digressive stories of the small towns and villages."

Book #42: The Searchers by Alan LeMay (4.25 stars)
Fits into Category XII: Hollywood Squares - books made into movies

After reading Glenn Frankel's book that explores the making of John Ford's classic movie The Searchers, and learning about the original novel that the movie was based on and about its author Alan LeMay, I was curious to read it myself. I had seen the movie many times, but I had never read the novel. It's good. It really holds up. Unlike the movie, the novel is told from Martin Pauley's point of view, and it is through his eyes that we view Amos Edwards (John Wayne's character Ethan in the movie). Martin is more complex in the novel, and he grows before our eyes as we turn the pages, developing a rich character that can stand up to Amos and his hatred. I was trying hard to decide if I liked the movie or the novel better, and while I think the movie has a slight edge, I liked the ending of the book much better. The writing rang true, and the dialogue spoke, which is why the most moving parts of the dialogue in the movie come directly from the novel, intact and unrefined. And the heartbreak - you can feel that, the toll it takes on both of them to search every day for years, following one dead end after another, always seeking and never finding more than just one more lead, and yet not being able to let it go, either.

"It was the heartbreaking distances that held them back from coming up with him for so long. You were never in the wrong place without being about a week and a half away from the right one. That country seemed to have some kind of weird spell upon it, so that you could travel in one spot all day long, and never gain a mile."

"'This is a rough country,' Amos was saying. 'It's a country knows how to scour a human man right off the face of itself.'"

What a coincidence, I requested The Searchers from the library after reading your review of Glenn Frankel's book! Great review. (And my library has also ordered the Frankel book so I've put it on the "request later" list.)

Oh, hooray for that rabbitprincess! I hope you like both of them when you get to them.

Hi Mamie, great reviews of both the Frankel book and The Searchers itself. I also have loved the movie over the years and finally read The Searchers for the first time a couple of years ago. This is one of the few times that I actually prefer the movie to the book. John Wayne was born to play Ethan Edwards, and this along with his roles in movies such as Red River, The Quiet Man, and Sands of Iwo Jima show what a fine actor he was. I tear up everytime I hear him say "Let's go home, Debbie".

134.... Abby, I have looked and my library still doesn't have a lot of GNs. They had a few of the Buffys for season 8, but not the first one, so .... I bought it used from Amazon! My first GN!! All thanks to you! :)

I will let you know how I like it (I LOVED Buffy - the show - but only began watching it in the last 2-3 years). Good pick for me!

Judy - Thank you so much! I also like the movie slightly better than the book, but I prefer the book's ending. I do think that John Wayne was born to play that role - I could hear him saying the lines in the book, too! I love that part where they are traveling at night and they keep hearing that owl, and Martin asks Amos (Ethan) if that's a real owl and Amos responds that it's a real something. Incidentally, the Frankel book says that the reason they changed the name from Amos to Ethan was because of the Amos and Andy show - it was very big at the time!

Tina - I will tell Abby to get on here today - she will be so excited by your post! She loved those Buffy GNs - I have the first one in the stacks myself.

When my daughter was expecting her second child, she was trying to find names that went with Wayne as that is the name of her father-in-law, and since she included her Dad's name in with her first child, they wanted to do the same for hubby's dad. I suggested the front runner of Ethan Wayne as a little private nod to John Wayne and The Searchers. She had a girl, so instead got to used the name Annette, which went nicely with their choice of Camille.

Ethan Wayne is a great sounding name! But it probably wouldn't work as well for a little girl! The name they chose is beautiful! Speaking of Wayne stories, Craig's parents named his older brother after his dad and his uncle making him...wait for it...Bruce Wayne!

Whew! How time flies!

#165 - Thank you. I have been very curious about Hugo as well, I will be interested to hear your thoughts on it.

Dejah - I have been reading completely on whim and without any sort of plan or coherent thought. As a result my reading has been everywhere. I absolutely love the Stephanie Meyer books and I plan on reading the actual book of Souless. Hands down my favorite book that I read in February was Eragon by Christopher Paolini. It is one of my very favorite series and I read it multiple times each year.

Tina - That is FABULOUS! I can't wait to see what you think of it. I am also a huge fan of the show, who wouldn't be with someone like Angel? It is good that you have already watched the show because the graphic novels jump around a little bit and fill in some of the stories between episodes.

March Reads:

#1 Spice & Wolf #2 (GN) by Isuna Hasekura
#2 Spice & Wolf #3 (GN) by Isuna Hasekura
#3 Spice & Wolf #5 (GN) by Isuna Hasekura
#4 Avengers Academy: Permanent Record (GN) by Christos Gage
#5 Cinder by Marissa Meyer
#6 Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
#7 Eldest by Christopher Paolini *Reread*
#8 Brisnger by Christopher Paolini *Reread*
#9 Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
#10 Artemis Fowl #1 (GN) by Eoin Colfer *Reread*
#11 Artemis Fowl #2 (GN) by Eoin Colfer *Reread*
#12 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling *Reread*
#13 Alice in the Country of Hearts #3 by QuinRose

April Reads:

#1 Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story (GN) by Anne Rice 3.5 stars
#2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 5 stars *Reread*
#3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 5 stars *Reread*
#4 Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter 4.5 stars
#5 Library Wars #8 by Kiiro Yumi 4.5 stars *Reread*
#6 Library Wars #9 by Kiiro Yumi 4.6 stars

Currently Reading:

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gler

To Read:

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Haniff
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Secret Society by Tom Dolby
Sapphire Blue by Henry Holt
The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Book #45: A Man Without Breath by Phillip Kerr
Fits into Category XIII: Pyramid - Books published in 2013

This is the ninth book in Kerr's Bernie Gunther series, and it does not disappoint. For those of you not familiar with these books, they are mystery/thrillers written in the noir style and set in WWII Germany. We first meet Bernie in March Violets which takes place in the 1930s as the Nazi Regime is coming to power but prior to the outbreak of war. The first three books in the series have been grouped into the omnibus edition entitled Berlin Noir, and through them we get to see Bernie at three different stages during this era - pre WWII, during WWII, and after WWII. The other books in the series go back and fill in the gaps. Bernie Gunther makes an interesting hero because like all of us, he is flawed. He wants to play by the rules but understands that doing so will get him killed. There is also the fascinating dilemma of whose rules to play by - he is not a member of the Nazi party and yet he finds himself constantly drawn into the fray. Why? Because Bernie used to be a cop, a very good cop who chose to retire and pursue the life of private detective when he saw what was happening to the police force under the current regime. He loves his country, but he does not love the Nazi party, so it is a slippery slope that he must traverse.

In the latest book, A Man Without Breath, we find Bernie in Berlin in March of 1943; he now works for the Wehrmacht War Crimes Bureau, but he won't be there (in Berlin) for long. He is dispatched to Smolensk, Russia by non other than Propaganda Minister Chief Goebbels to investigate a mass grave that has been found in the Katyn Forest. Seem suspicious? Goebbels is hoping that this mass grave will be found to be full of Polish officers that were mass murdered by the Russian secret police (the NKVD). Goebbels wants to use the information to sever ties between Russia and the Allied forces. Oh the irony! Bernie finds himself in the unenviable position of procuring and presenting the evidence without disturbing any other...um...similar sites that were not created by Mother Russia. And in the meantime, there are other bodies piling up. German and Russian bodies. Seems like Bernie will also have to deal with a murderer on the loose, but how and why are the victims connected?

I really liked the latest entry in this series. It was fast paced and interesting, and the plot twists just kept coming. I also think that Kerr does an excellent job of placing these fictional stories within the historical framework. I would love to add a few quotes to this review, but I received this book as an Early Reviewer book, and the publisher has asked that the proof not be directly quoted in case of any changes to the writing before publication. That's too bad because there is some delicious stuff here. And Bernie! Oh, Bernie, if we ever meet up, I hope that you are on my side! Highly recommended.

I've never heard of this series but it sounds so intriguing. March Violets will have to go on the wishlist now.

Hi Stacy! I really like this series - it combines two of my favorite things: historical fiction and mystery. And they are well written. Hope you like March Violets when you get to it!

This thread is so much quieter than your 75 thread, Mamie, even with Abby chiming in!

Abby, I hope the rest of your April books are proving successful.

Dejah- Although I read quite a bit in April, I hardly read anything on my list! Somehow this always seems to happen to me. I carefully look through my books and pick out the ones I most most want to read at the time, and then throughout the month I steadily forget about each book on the list one by one until they fade away. I blame part of this on my dear mother, seeing as she sneakily tempts me with new books she has bought. I am afraid to admit that I don't really put up any sort of fight when this happens, but happily thank her profusely and dive into the new book with relish. Completely forgetting about the book I was supposed to read to begin with. Oh well!

Abby I was just commenting on another thread that I admire those who can stick to a reading plan, but I'm not someone who can do it! I'm happy reading whatever calls to me next, and while I try to broaden my horizons (LT is great for that) there's only so far I'm willing to push. If I don't want to read something, I don't. And I think you're absolutely right to blame it on your mom, lol!

Dejah, I keep forgetting about this thread! SO it's my fault that things are quiet over here! I did finally up date my entries in my categories, but I will have to come over here and do a better job!

Book #59: The Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne (4.5 stars)
Fits into Category I: Truth or Consequences - nonfiction

For those of you who were doubtful that I would ever finish Empire of the Summer Moon, you can relax, it's in the bag. I gave it 4.5 stars and already I am thinking that maybe I need to bump that up because very few books have ever had me rereading the chapters before I have finished with the book. It is very well done and filled with so many amazing facts. It is not just about Quanah Parker or the rise and fall of the Comanche Nation, it is about how the Texas Rangers got their start, about the evolution of the Colt revolver, about how we are doomed to repeat the past over and over again if we cannot learn from it. Originally, I had this book out from the library, but it became more than a book for me; it became a journey. It would not let me read it quickly or take it lightly; it has depths that beg to be explored and passages that cry out to be pondered. I ended up buying the ebook version because then I could also buy the audiobook for just a few dollars more, and this, for me, became the perfect way to explore this book.

"Few historians would argue that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which a defeated Mexican republic signed on February 2, 1848, in the wake of the lopsided war, was as momentous an event in American history as the signing, seventeen years later, of the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Yet in its own way it was quite as definitive. Appomattox stitched the nation back together....But Guadalupe Hidalgo created the physical nation itself. Before the treaty the American West consisted of the old Louisiana Purchase lands that rose in ladderlike fashion from the mouth of the Mississippi, climbed the courses of the Missouri, and touched the rocky, fog-shrouded shores of the Northwest. It was a tentative, partial fulfillment of the national myth. Guadalupe Hidalgo, in which Mexico gave up its claims north of the Rio Grande, made the dream suddenly, and completely, real. It added the old Spanish lands that lay, enormous and sun-drenched, athwart the Southwest. They included the modern states of Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, California, and Nevada. There was Texas, too, in a sense, though it had been subsumed in 1845. U.S. annexation of Texas was what the war with Mexico was about, and the American victory settled the question forever. In all, the United States of America acquired 1.2 million square miles of real estate, an instant 66 percent increase in its total landmass. In the terms of land gained, on a percentage basis, it was as though France had acquired Germany. Thus was the nation entirely recast. Its singularity of purpose, its raw and conquistador-like desires to possess and dominate all lands it touched and to dispossess or destroy all of its aboriginal peoples, its burgeoning will to power could now stretch, untrammeled, from sea to shining sea. It was manifest destiny made manifest."

I chose the above passage to represent the book because it speaks to everything that amazed me about the narrative of this incredible piece of nonfiction. It is beautifully and eloquently written. It takes what could be confusing and dry sets of statistics and makes them accessible and interesting. It sets the story that it tells firmly within parameters that are well defined and clearly explained. And it gives you the big picture while also delivering the smaller ones that make the story stunning and personal. It is a book worthy of your time if you are at all interested in the subject matter.

LOL, I just posted my review of this book and then come here to visit and there's your review. Excellent timing as usual Mamie.

Judy - Too funny! It was an excellent book - so well done.

Book #60: The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh (3.5 stars)
Fits into Category XIII: Pyramid - books published in 2013

Frances Irvine has been raised in a life of privilege, but at nineteen her father dies suddenly, leaving behind a bankrupted estate that leaves Frances with few choices. She decides that the least horrible choice is to marry someone that she does not love - Edwin Matthews. She feels that he has taken advantage of the situation by proposing again, even though she had previously turned him down. Now she must make her way to the Southern Cape of Africa where Edwin is waiting, and where together they will make a life that will be very different from anything that Frances has ever known.

"Panic made her skin crawl. She pulled her hand out from under the sheets and looked at its whiteness in the dark, reassuring herself that she was still there, as a ship might fix its coordinates on a star. What does a person become when they have nothing left to hold on to?"

I really wanted to love this book. It's supposed to be a sweeping saga set in Africa in the 1880s. It's supposed to be a page-turner. Although the writing is lovely, and the descriptions and setting are fabulous, the story fell flat for me. The main problem was the predictability - I felt like I always knew exactly what was going to happen next. The second problem was the main character - I didn't like her for the most part; she was selfish and lazy and while I felt sorry that as a woman she did not have more choices, she certainly made a mess of the few choices that she did have. I do think that this author has promise. I would gladly try something else by her, but this is her very first book, so I will have to wait.

->196 Crazymamie: & 197
That's funny, I was just on Judy's thread and was wondering why she posted a review on your thread too, but then I saw it wasn't the same one. :) It's on the wishlist!

Once again this thread has gotten away from me. I just finished the most amazing book and was determined to put a review of it up:

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion 4.5 stars

This book was the most unique love story I have ever read. The world has ended for the most part with few humans left living and the dead roaming around trying to eat human brains. The main character of the book is a zombie called R seeing as that is the only letter he can remember of his name. R isn't like other zombie's, he questions the world around him constantly. When R saves a human girl's life things start to rapidly change for R in ways he couldn't imagine.

"I am dead, but it's not so bad. I've learned to live with it. I'm sorry I can't properly introduce myself, but I don't have a name anymore. Hardly any of us do. We lose them like car keys, forget them like anniversaries. Mine might have started with an 'R', but that's all I have now. It's funny because back when I was alive, I was always forgetting other people's names. My friend 'M' says the irony of being a zombie is that everything is funny, but you can't smile, because your lips have rotted off."

"Frank's buttery baritone says it better than my croaky vocals ever could had I the diction of a Kennedy. I stand over the record, cutting and pasting the contents of my heart into an airborne collage. I don't care if you are called-scratch-whenpeople say you're-scratch-wicked witchcraft-scratch-don't change a hair for me, not if you-scratch-'cause you're sensational-scratch-you just the way you are-scratch-you're sensational...sensational...That's all... I leave the record to play out its normal repertoire and sit back down in front of Julie. She stares at me with damp, red-rimmed eyes. I press my hand against her chest, feeling the gentle thump inside. A tiny voice speaking in code. Julie sniffs. She wipes a finger across her nose. 'What are you?' she asks me for the second time."

This book is strangely sweet and very funny. The writing style pulls you in and makes you feel like you are right beside R the entire time. I would have given this book 5 stars, but the excessive use of the F word added nothing to the story and was only used for the sake of using it. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a little romance with their blood and gore.

Eva - LOL! I hope you like it when you get to it.

Book #65: The Making of the African Queen by Katherine Hepburn (5 stars)
Fits into Category X: The Price is Right - I borrowed it from the library

This book came up on my last thread when we were talking about old movies and the fabulous Katherine Hepburn. Dejah and Kathleen both recommended it, and so I owe them a huge thank you because I had never heard of it before. It is delightful! Ms. Hepburn wrote this book more than thirty years after making the famous movie, and she writes in such an engaging manner that you feel as if she were speaking directly to you. And the photos! Gorgeous full page photos that are just incredible time capsules. Unfortunately, this book is out of print, but if you can get it from your library, and you have seen the movie The African Queen, then make sure to dive into this amusing and entertaining little memoir about the making of the movie.

(Talking about her assistant, who was a native of Africa and did not speak English) "He was a very decent person-as honest as the day is long. And thoughtful and fun as my helper and dear when I was ill. I remember observing one thing which struck me very powerfully. I would look serious or worried or trying to be sympathetic-or solemn. And I would receive back an absolutely impenetrable expression. A wall. But if I smiled or laughed, he did too. The universal language. This amazed me. I would have thought that tears were the things that bound us together, but no-smiles, laughter-and they warmed us immediately. Understand my ridiculous self-thank you-yes. We are ridiculous, aren't we--black--white--yellow? If we couldn't have some laughter we would crumble. Color be damned. We must laugh together."

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Book # 67: The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen (4.5 stars)
Fits into Category X: The Price is Right - only $.99 on Kindle

I finished this book at the end of last month and have been trying to decide how best to describe it - not an easy task. It will not be for everyone, but I really liked it. It is original and surreal and surprising. Always surprising because just when you think you know where it is taking you, it goes in a completely different direction. It has a nonlinear stream of consciousness thing going with the narration that takes a bit of getting used to but that really works quite brilliantly. I liked the narrator who has been damaged by life but who really wants to let go of his cynicism and anger and self-doubt and find himself worthy of his own journey. To go forward, he must go back and all along the way there are ghosts that complicate the journey, and though they all seem to belong to him, he does not know who some of them are. That is until he finds a book on a bus that he is riding - some of his ghosts are characters from this book.

It takes about the first third of this book to settle into its rhythms, I think, but the time and the effort are not wasted. There is beauty here and originality. A tale that makes you want to start the book all over again once you have finished it just to see what you make of it the second time around. Now that you know where it is going. I like books like that. The narrator talks about Hemingway and Fitzgerald and Murakami, and that is so intriguing because that is exactly what the writing reminded me of in this book. The unpredictable surreal slide between reality and fiction of Murakami, the magic of Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby, and the unadorned writing style of Hemingway. And all of this for the bargain price of $.99 if you own a Kindle.

"My college history teacher, Professor Clarke, always stressed the importance of looking at things through different lenses. Lenses, like glasses. I never liked thinking about history as optometry. Though I found the insight helpful, I found the issue of 'seeing' the world less an issue of lenses and more an issue of angles."

Book #70: The Radleys by Matt Haig (4 stars)
Fits into Category X: The Price is Right - bought on sale

This book totally cracked me up. The Radleys are your typical English vampire family trying to abstain from their bloodthirsty ways and mainstream into life in the suburbs. And really, they are doing just fine until everything goes horribly wrong. Perhaps their greatest mistake is calling on Uncle Will to help fix the problem. After all, Will does not abstain, he does not apologize, he does not try to fit in.

Perhaps the funniest parts of this book are the excerpts printed from The Abstainer's Handbook that are interspersed throughout the chapters.

"Be proud to act like a normal human being. Keep daylight hours, get a regular job, and mix in the company of people with a fixed sense of right and wrong." - The Abstainer's Handbook (second edition), p. 89

I love Hepburn! That was a really enjoyable book - glad you liked it too.

Hi Stacy! I love Hepburn, too. And I loved the book - I wish it were still in print.

Didn't realize it was out of print. Better hang on to my copy!

Yes - hang onto it!

Happy Monday everybody! I have decided that to perk up my Monday I am going to review some manga. Since I am completely obsessed with manga lately this might take me awhile. For those of you who are not familiar with what manga is here is a quick overview: manga is a style of art that originated in Japan where people are drawn with very small noses, big heads, sometimes strange hair, and most importantly, very large eyes that display almost all of the emotion. They are read in the traditional way of backwards to front and in a counterclockwise manner.



Book #1: Dawn of the Arcana by Rei Toma 4 stars

When young princess Nakaba is sent to be the bride of an enemy kingdom's prince, she expects almost certain death at his hands. Shamed for her red hair, she is used to the cruel manner she is treated with and therefore holds her head high. With only her servant Loki to keep her company, princess Nakaba will have to fight to remain her own, and stay alive.

"EMPTY CHEERS...A PEACE NONE THINK WILL LAST...I AM NO GUEST HERE. I AM A LAMB-AN OFFERING. SOONER OR LATER, THEY'LL HAVE MY BLOOD."

"When the flames of war grew too fierce, a royal marriage would take place to mend the rift. In effect, a peace treaty. But such peace never lasted longer than five years. Even so, this did not deter them. Futile attempts at peace continued. And so it was that Caesar, second-born prince of Belquat...and Nakaba, princess royal of Senan, were married...as a symbol of peace. The people marveled at this red-haired princess from another land...while in whispers they wondered how long it would be before a dagger found her throat."

This fast-paced story line of these books keeps the reader intrigued and guessing. As long forgotten secrets come to light and the nature of kings and subjects are revealed you will be wondering who is really a friend and who is really the enemy. Nicely written, with detailed art, this story will immediately pull you into the intrigue of the royal family, and have you rooting for Nakaba to survive this journey.

Book #2: Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi 4 stars

"In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves-the Library Forces!"

Iku Kasahara's greatest ambition is to become a defense force member of the library. Someone who protects the library and its books from the Media Betterment Committee. If she succeeds in her ambition, her life will be constantly on the line. But with Iku's temper problems and the constant nagging of her evil supervisor plus her rather naive outlook, can she reach her goal?

Enormously funny yet sometimes touching, this book is a quick but fun read. The artwork was masterfully done and the storyline was well thought out. As the first in a series of 9 (so far) these books just keep getting better with each new addition. As Kasahara grows and learns from her mistakes her true character and large heart come to play a big role in more than her own life. I have read all nine books multiple times and can't wait till the tenth one is published.

Tina - in answer to your question about the Mortal Instruments books and Clockwork angel, each series stands alone. You do no have to read the Mortal Instruments first. In fact, I would suggest reading the Clockwork Angel before starting the City of Bones because the story takes place before City of Bones and the Mortal Instrument series actually makes more sense after reading Clockwork Angel. Confusing I know. If you do read the Mortal Instruments books let me warn you, I would suggest only reading the first 3. Ignore the last 3, in my opinion they are just not worth it and the 3rd Mortal Instruments book, City of Glass, has a great ending. I hope you really like Clockwork Angel.

Thanks for the Library Wars recommendation. On to the wishlist it goes.

Stacy- I am so glad to hear that you added Library Wars to your wishlist. It is a wonderful book, and I am going to say now that the first one is the one I like the least. The series picks up with each book, and the characters grow tremendously. I hope you like it.

I'm looking forward to reading it! Just got a notice that it's waiting for me at the library.

Hey Abby... I'm glad to see I can read Clockwork Angel now.... I read the first Mortal Instruments but it has been a while so I was curious about needing to re-read first.

Good luck with your surgery tomorrow! I'll be thinking of you & praying for all to go well!

Wow this thread is lonely! ;-)

I checked over on the 75ers thread and she is alive and prosperous over there.

#218 Mamzel I talk to her all the time on her 75 thread. It is hopping! I just wanted to tease her about her lonely Category Challenge thread. LOL

Believe it or not she actually went AWOL on her 75 thread for a few days. She went on vacation to Florida. The nerve!

Some people!

Wow, this thread IS lonely. What have I been doing? *hanging head in shame*

As of today I have finished reading 161 books this year, you would think, wouldn't you, that I could have enter at least 1 of those books into the categories above hmm? I probably finished this challenge awhile back and am totally unaware of it. I will do my best today to fill in the categories above and write some reviews of my favorite books. In the mean time, for October I am reading strictly spooky books. On my list are The Woman in Black, Shutter Island, and World War Z. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Abby- I can't wait to see what you've read. I'm not to good with spooky books. I tried to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children last year and the pictures scared me! Especially the bus driver with the X on his glasses! I've heard it's good so maybe I'll try the audio. :)

Roberta- I'll be sure to post the books soon! I have heard of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children before. My Mom got that book from the library when it first came out and she had to return it because the pictures creeped her out too. She showed me some of the pictures and yikes, those things could give someone nightmares.

Congrats for having read 161 books already this year! That is awesome! Looking forward to seeing what you think of Shutter Island. I loved the movie but haven't picked up the book yet.

Lori- Thank you so much! I'm so excited about reading Shutter Island, my mum read it and couldn't stop talking about it. I don't know if she watched the movie or not, I will have to ask her.

Ok, a little later then I had planned, but here are the books I have read the past couple of months:

Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight Sarah J. Maas
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
Hyrule Historia by Shigeru Miyamoto
Urban Sketching by Gabriel Campanario
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
A Bride's Story Vol.5 by Kaoru Mori GN
A Bride's Story Vol.4 by Kaoru Mori GN
A Bride's Story Vol.3 by Kaoru Mori GN
Dawn of the Arcana vol.11 by Rei Toma
Inyahsa vols. 13-16 VIZBIG
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Harry Potter books 1-7 by J.K. Rowling
Fruits Basket books 1-24 GN
Perchance to Dream by Robert B. Parker
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Gone by Michael Grant
Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
Library Wars vol.9 by Kiiro Yumi GN
Library Wars vol.10 By Kiiro Yumi GN
Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story by AnneRice GN

Currently Reading:
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Lots of good stuff here. I see you are carrying on with A Bride's Story, I really like the first volume and must get back to that series.

I am planning on reading The Woman in Black later on this month as well.

DeltaQueen- Thanks you. I absolutely LOVE the Bride's Story books. I go back to them time and time again for the amazing artwork. I can't wait to see how you like The Woman in Black, I just started reading it yesterday. So far, so good.

Wow, that's some nice progress there!! I have A Bride's Story on the wishlist - can't wait to get around to it!

Eva- thank you, I really hope you like A Bride's Story! It's one of my favorite GN.

I just had a student check out the first Harry Potter. I asked if he had read them before. When he said no I exclaimed how lucky he was. It's cool that kids are rediscovering the series now.

mamzel- I love to hear that other kids are picking up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time. That is the book that started my love for reading. I still read the book every year about ten times (this is no exaggeration), it is one of my favorites of all time. I really hope he loves it as much as I and millions of others do.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

If you have not read this book, you are missing out on a whole book of pure mind-bendingly creepy literature. I LOVED this book, and accordingly rated it with 4.8 stars. There is not much one can say about this book without giving away part of the amazing plot, so I'll just say this: This book has your mind racing from start to finish, it turns in unexpected places and makes you rethink what has already happened a hundred times.

One of my favorite quotes in this book was this one:
"She said once that time is nothing to me but a series of bookmarks that I use to jump back and forth through the text of my life, returning again and again to the events that mark me, in the eyes of my more astute colleagues, as bearing all the characteristics of the classic melancholic."

This may just be the best new book I have read this year. Absolutely awe-inspiring.

I haven't read much Lehane, but what I've read has been absolutely riveting.

I have a couple of his books on the tbr shelves and keep meaning to get around to actually reading one at some point in time. Shutter Island is one of them and it looks like I should move it close to the top of the pile.

Shutter Island was a great book. I hear the movie is pretty faithful to the source text as well.

Great review of Shutter Island! I loved the movie - about as much as one can "love" a suspense thriller - so it looks like I need to add the book to the reading list. ;-)

Eva- That's good to hear that his other stuff holds up. I'm going to have to see what else he's written.

Wolfy- I hope that when you get around to it you like it. I know what you mean about tar shelves and not getting around to them. Mine keep growing instead of shrinking.

Rabbitprincess- I am so glad to hear that the movie holds up! I always like to compare the book to the movie.

Lori- Thank you! Now I have to find the movie and watch it. Maybe the library has it...

"I've come to the conclusion that mondays are 50% longer than every other day."

It's morning, it's monday, it's cold, and I haven't had my coffee yet. We're off to a great start. Today I started reading Hamlet again, still loving it as I always do. Other books that I have finished recently are Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange by Melissa Mar.

Be back later to write a review of Hyrule Historia by Shigeru Miyamoto. Now for the coffee.

Hyrule Historia by Shigeru Miyamoto

This book goes into depth about the Zelda games franchise. Especially how the artwork, character design, and setting of each of the games was created. As well as talking about the storyline of each of the games. It was a fascinating read for a Zelda fan and the artwork is just amazing. The book focuses on the newer game installments such as Zelda Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and Spirit Tracks. It was interesting to learn about the creation of Zelda and how the characters came to be. For a game and art lover this book was a special treat!

I love the Zelda franchise, so I just might have to get my hands on that book. Ocarina of Time is my favorite installment, even though I always get hopelessly lost.

That does look like a very interesting book, I'll keep an eye out for it. I used to play the Zelda games but unfortunately my little-old-lady fingers just couldn't keep up with the francise!

Casvelyn- Ocarina of Time is actually one of the few I haven't played. My brother is amazing at these games and puts my lack of skill to shame. When my family first started playing the Zelda games (the black and white gameboy) believe it or not my mother was actually the biggest fan. We couldn't get her off of that game. Whenever she got stuck, she would call a family friend to tell her what to do. She was even better than Dan at that time!

Judy- I just LOVE Zelda. The newer games have a more elaborate storyline, and with the wii games, you actually swing the numchuck to swing your sword. So its more realistic. The artwork in the book is just amazing though.

>243 Thebookdiva: You should try Ocarina sometime! I think it's my favorite because of the storyline, the soundtrack, the massive amount of things to do and items to collect, and a decent helping of childhood nostalgia. It was the first video game I ever played, not counting MarioKart tournaments at my cousins' house every Thanksgiving.

My brother is way better than me at gaming as well, at least the hand-eye coordination aspect of it. I'm better than him at figuring out what to do next, particularly in games with numerous sub-quests or puzzles. There's been so many times where he'll be stuck on something and I'll tell him, "Do this, this, and this." He insists that can't be right. Hours later, he finally tries my suggestion, and lo and behold, it works on the first try. But he always has to fight dungeon bosses for me. I die too much.

Casvelyn - I will definitely try it! I think my brother owns it so I will have to borrow it from him. He also loved it. You have MarioKart tournaments at Thanksgiving?! So does my family! Everyone's always fighting to get on since there are so many of us.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one. Lately I have been figuring out the new games quickly when watching my brother. I have to stay pretty quite too because he likes to figure things out fro himself. But he has taken several of my suggestions, and so far they've worked! I die too much when fighting bosses too but that doesn't stop me from trying. Have you ever played the Minish Cap? THis is the only Zelda game I have managed to play from beginning to end completely on my own. The only problem is that I can't get to the final boss. Supreme bummer, it's a timed thing.

Personally, I think timed things should not be allowed to exist. I haven't played the Minish Cap. I do a lot more PC gaming now, particularly since I like open-world RPGs, and there seem to be a lot more of those for Xbox than for Nintendo consoles, and Xbox stuff tends to get ported to PC far more often than Nintendo stuff. Right now, I'm playing through the Elder Scrolls games, which are immensely fun, and I'm not really dying that often, except when I do stupid things like fall off the roofs of buildings.

Casvelyn - I totally agree with the timed thing. That's actually why I can't play a lot of video games because if I'm timed I freak out. Let's just say you wouldn't want to see me try to play metroid. I've played on an xbox exactly 3 times in my entire life, so I don't really know what the feel of playing games on it are. I have never even heard of Elder Scrolls, what's that about?

The Elder Scrolls are a series of games--the three most recent ones are Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. I'm playing Morrowind right now. It's "older" (I think it came out in 2003), but I don't have the graphics capability on my computer to run the newest games. They're fantasy RPGs; they seem similar to the Zelda games to me, particularly Twilight Princess. They're open-world, which means the fictional world is huge (in Morrowind, if I want to go from one end of the world to the other on foot, it takes at least an hour in real time, depending on which road I take--there are options besides walking everywhere, though). You have a lot of control over your character--which traits to level up, what clothes to wear, which missions to accomplish, which weapons to use. There's one main quest, but also dozens (hundreds?) of sub-quests. I love it because I get to play as an Elf warrior woman with this really cool sword that shoots lightning at the enemies. Also, I can still play reasonably well even though I don't have a lot of skill with my sword. Honestly, I just sort of swing wildly in the general direction of the bad guys, and it works. Mostly, anyway. There was one guy I couldn't get past until I realized the problem was my flimsy armor rather than my lack of sword skills.

I also really like the richness of the culture in the game. There are multiple races, with different styles of architecture, dress, and living. And the missions are quite varied. I've solved murders, escorted pilgrims to shrines, raided abandoned Dwarvish cities, and saved people from bandits.

Oooh! I actually am familiar with Skyrim, I just didn't know it was part of the Elder Scrolls series. Daniel has it on xbox. I have never played it however, 4 of my five family members are always fighting to get on it. One xbox 4 people...there is usually always someone on it. I do know what you mean about the map. I watch them quite often and it is huge! The guys say that they love how much there is to do and that there is a lot of choice btwn weapons and armor. Another RPG game that I like playing is Dragon Quest. It's a fantasy game and although there is one basic storyline, there are also tons of side quests, dungeons, and other stuff to do.

By the way, be careful, one of my siblings was playing Skyrim and got into a drinking game. The next thing she knew she was waking up in prison with no memory of what had happened! After she broke out she found out that she was engaged (though she doesn't know to who), wanted in 3 different towns, and apparently she stole quite a few items of importance. The rest of us were laughing our heads off.

I love RPGs, also known as dungeon crawls. Unfortunately they have become too advanced for me and my ancient computer. Elder Scrolls was a big hit in my house. I enjoyed the Might & Magic and Ultima series.

Bookdiva - Do you think that the game designers put their own experiences in the games?

mamzel - hmmm. I think to an extent they do. All inspiration comes from somewhere and for artists, it effects everything we draw and create. I bet it comes from a lot of different people though, since each aspect of a game is created by a different team of artists and writers. That sure puts a new perspective on game creation, huh?

Ok, I just started reading Paradise Lost by John Milton, and I am already loving it! Oh how the melody of the words swirl together in a gentle rhythm and offer their own meanings that never before where guessed at! Is there any greater fruit in life than that of poetry?