BJ tries to read 75 Books in 2009, Part 2

Here is my second thread!

Here is the link to my previous thread:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/52768&newpost=1#lastmsg

Next, I will try to move my ticker here:




Now I better go read something to post on my new thread!
--BJ

Was wondering if you were going to start a new thread - been too busy unpacking, I guess!

Just posting so I don't lose you

Did your trip inspire you to read anything culturally related to what you saw?

Hi, koalamom, lunacat, and Julie!
How nice of you to drop by! I did take longer to start the thread than I intended. I think that all that flying just wore me out. Now I am thinking that it will take me quite a long time to catch up on all of your threads! But it will be a fun process! On the trip, I did read part of Don Quixote which I am reading with the 75 Book Reading Group (I am quite behind, but hope to catch up). We drove on part of the Don Quixote trail, so I enjoyed reading it there. The only thing was that we were so busy, that I really did not have that much time to read. But I did find that I recognized the names of some of the places in the book. And I also watched a tiny bit of Spanish tv to practice my Spanish. I really speak slowly and when I am tired, I make no sense at all. My favorite commercial said "Yo no soy tonto!" My daughter informed me that for me it would be "Yo no soy tonta!" which means roughly that I am not silly or stupid -- in other words, I know a good deal when I see one. I quite liked that phrase and repeated it often so as not to forget it.

49. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. I read this book for the 2009 Genre challenge. The genre for July is psychological suspense. Let me just say that this book is full of it. I could not put it down. It was creepy in parts, but not too creepy. I had been wanting to read this for a while and was able to borrow it from my daughter. I will probably try to find some of the sequels.

I have started The Pillars of the Earth for the 50 Book Reading Group. This book is a nice follow up to my trip as I saw several Gothic cathedrals in Spain, and I can only say Wow. I first learned about them last year when my daughter was taking Art History in school and I saw some of the photos and diagrams in her book.

The heat has broken and the hundreds are gone. Yea! Hope y'all have a great day!
--BJ

Got you starred, BJ!

I hope you had a wonderful trip and are posting pics soon.

Hi, Stasia!
Yes, I had a wonderful trip. I tried to figure out the photos once, but could not see them. I will try again today with my husband's help. Hope your temps in Texas have broken, too. Have a great day!
--BJ

Starred you! I glad you had a good time on your trip; it sounds amazing!

Hi, Rachel!
Glad to see you! I did have a terrific time on my trip, but I am also so glad to be home, too. I guess that is just the way it should be.

My daughter is reading Remains of the Day and loving it. She is sharing tidbits with me as she reads along and is whetting my appetite. I knew that would be a good one! :D We are having another beautiful day. Maybe the calendar is wrong. It is cool! Y'all have a great day!
--BJ

50. Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction by David Macaulay. My daughter found this book for me. It is about the construction of a Gothic Cathedral and I read it to help understand my reading of The Pillars of the Earth. I found this book quite interesting as it answered several questions that I had about how things were built.

Last night my daughter and husband and I went to see Harry Potter. It was very well made, but I think that I really must read these books someday in order to understand all that is going on in the movies. Plus, I think that maybe I missed the last movie. Still having unusually cool weather for this time of year and I hope it lasts for a while longer. Y'all have a wonderful day!
--BJ

The David Macaulay books are fabulous, including the cathedral one. Unfortunately, my oldest son took our copy with him when he left home, so I can't refer to it during the group read. :). Glad to hear it helped though.

It really did help by showing how they got those arches made all the way up so high. I am guessing that the book will explain it as well. I am loving the book, too. Lots of interesting characters in it. :) Thanks so much for stopping by. I am still behind catching up on my threads. Two weeks is too long to miss, I think. Have a great day!
--BJ

Several of the Macaulay books were made into a series on PBS. You might want to see if your local library has copies, BJ.

What a great idea! I need to pop over to the library next week anyway to check on my card. I think that I have to update the info -- even though it hasn't changed. Thanks for the suggestion.
--BJ

You are most welcome. Good luck in finding them!

51. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I read this book as part of the Group Reads -- Literature group. This is a book that I had been wanting to read for a while. It was full of suspense, and I loved it. Some call this book the first mystery novel.
--BJ

Book #51 - I loved it too! (but I can't remember many details anymore) Time for a re-read...

I have got to get to The Woman in White one of these days, especially since I read Drood earlier this year.

I loved that book from beginning to end. Who is that mysterious woman in white and why does she give her warning? I highly recommend that book to all who love suspense. :)
--BJ

I really should read The Woman In White sometime. Putting it on my list now, or I'll just forget about it again. Glad to hear you liked it! :)

I hope you like it, Tammie! I think that most of the comments that I read on that book are positive.

Right now, I am working on all the group read books that are in progress. I have started quite a few really long books this year. Although I am struggling a little to keep up with all of them, I am still enjoying them all. So, I won't give up. Just probably won't finish too many this month either.

I talked with my daughter Marian the Librarian who is studying this summer in Spain yesterday. She was visiting several cities this weekend. I think that it was Salamanca that she said that Cervantes had lived in for a while (she also went to Leon and Valledolid). On the tour she actually got to see Cervantes' house! It is still there. They just drove past it in the bus so she was not able to get a photo.

I hope that you all have a wonderful week!
--BJ

Too bad she could not get a picture of the Cervantes house. You would think that the bus driver would stop for that one!

You have a wonderful week, too, BJ.

You are so right! I think that there was a nice statue of him in town that she got a photo of, however. I can't wait til she comes home, but I know that she is having a wonderful time. :)
--BJ

I am glad to hear she is having a good time. I hope she has lots of great pictures to share when she gets back.

Ha!~! Foundja!~! Gotcha starred!~!
belva
a href="http://www.glitter-graphics.com">

Hi, Stasia and Belva!
Stasia, she is putting together an album of all of her experiences. I don't think she will forget any of it and she is learning so much about Spain!

Belva, thanks for the happy star! I love it!

I finally read another book. I am in the middle of so many that I am not finishing them very fast. But here is the next one:
52. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. A 75 book reading group is reading the entire Dark is Rising fantasy series by Susan Cooper and this is the second book. This was a great read, with good and evil, and light and dark. Loved all the parts about the snow while we are in August heat here! I cannot wait to read the next one -- if I can ever find it. My daughter tells me that the third book has not been seen in years. How is that for a challenge?
--BJ

I've had Woman in White on my list since reading Special Topics in Calamity Physics this last fall in which she used this title as a chapter heading. You make me want to read it sooner.

Bookmooch has several copies of Greenwitch, if you or friends belong. So does PaperBackSwap.com. Amazon has copies both new and used. So I think you'll be able to find the next Susan Cooper book if you try!

>26 billiejean: You frightened me for a minute there! But a quick check of my library found 11 copies of Greenwitch (all in stock), one audio CD & one downloadable WMA! Whew! I'm trying to resist, though, until we've finished discussing The Dark is Rising!

I just finished reading The Grey King but I think I'll wait to read Silver on the Tree until the group gets to it. I've never done a group read, but it sounds like fun :)

Hi, everyone!
Bonnie, I hope that you like The Woman in White. Most people in the reading group seemed to like it, although the tying up all the loose ends was maybe a little too much for some. I really liked the book.

Sorry for all the confusion everyone about Greenwitch. I did not mean that it was not for sale. What I meant was that years ago I bought my girls the complete set. I have found all of the books now except that one, and my daughter tells me that she hasn't seen it in a long time. I am hoping not to buy another copy.

Here is the thread for the discussion of the Susan Cooper Dark is Rising books. It is in the 75 Book group under Over Sea, Under Stone:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/67054#1418112

We are almost ready to discuss the second book The Dark is Rising if anyone is interested. See ya there!
--BJ

Hey --BJ;
Well, today I am down to getting the house, pet food, and fridge ready for hubby and grands for while I am gone and packing. Then we will leave early tomorrow for Portland and he and the boys will dump me off at the airport and go on to the Portland OMSI and stay overnight, come up the coast and spend a night in Long Beach at our favorite inn and use the pool and then come on home on Friday. I bet they have a blast.
I think I will have to wait about 4 or 5 hours for my flight, but I am taking a good book (Battle Cry of Freedom) and I want them to be able to have a full day there so I don't mind. It was actually my idea for them to just drop me off and go.
I am not looking forward to the weather down there, but cannot wait to see my Robbi!~! One or the other of us has been calling daily to ask: how many more wake ups til I'm there!~! LOL
It will be all good.
luv ya, catch ya later babe,
belva
PS: am going to PM my cell just in case. K?

Hey, Belva,
I did not realize that you were leaving tomorrow already!! I will also send you mine. We leave on Saturday a.m. and I will send you my schedule -- which is more complicated than I thought it would be. I might have to bring the dog.
--BJ

OK, here is an update on my reading:

53. Holy Hour of Reparation by CMJ Marian Publishers. I use this during my Wednesday prayer time, among other things.

54. The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin. This is the second in the Adelia, medieval medical examiner mysteries. Another great tale set during the time of Henry II. I read this as a part of the Highly Rated Book Group group read.

55. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Also set during medieval times, right before the time of the previous book. This book follows people during the building of a cathedral in England. Although there is some significant violence, it was a great read and I enjoyed it tremendously. I read this as part of Mark's group read on the 50 book challenge group.

I am also reading away on War and Peace and Don Quixote. I am quite behind, but I am still hoping that I will finish both by the end of the year. I am past the halfway point with both. YEA! They are both great reads and I must admit that I have started dreaming about them. Tolstoy and Cervantes are haunting me!

Hope you are all enjoying the end of summer!
--BJ

Hi. I've been considering Don Quixote all summer. Something about it caught my attention and I feel I just have to read it. Maybe it was that Gordon Lightfoot song? Also, a friend of mine moved to Chicago a few years ago and finally just finished W&P as a daily train read - 45 minutes each way - and liked it alot. Classical Russian music has been a favorite of mine for a long time now and I'm ready for some of their literature (maybe). By the way, don't listen to Shostakovich overnight unless you like nightmares about being rolled up by the German army. Not cool after my bi-monthly drunk dart night/Tigers game. Anyhow, back to my point - I think it's time I rolled into the classics arena and was wondering about which translations you are reading and whether they are pretty good or not. I read in one of the 50 book challenge threads (spacepotatoes?) that he hated his translation of Anna Karenina because the characters had anglicized names and occasionally spoke in British slang. I know I'd not like that. Also my library has two (at least) different translations of DQ and the bits of both I read through sounded pretty good. One seemed really light and pranced along nicely, and the other was like a fireside narration. It's amazing the impression you can get reading a few scattered pages. I might just read both. Anyhow, I'm curious about your opinions.

Hey!
I borrowed W&P from one daughter and DQ from the other, so I did not in any way choose the translator. That being said, I am not that picky about translators. Maybe just because I am not that knowledgeable. My W&P translation is by Ann Dunnigan, and it is the Signet Classic edition. My DQ translation is by John Rutherford and is Penguin Classics. Both books have been around the house for a while, so I am not sure if that is still the translation sold. I looked back at the Group Reads -- Literature group which started with W&P and discussed translations, and the preferred one for W&P (and really all Russian novels) seems to be Pevear-Volokhonsky. I have never heard anyone who did not like a translation by that team or person (don't know which it is).

Really both books are wonderful, and I am enjoying them so much. My problem with keeping up went back to when my daughter was graduating. I got behind and then did not pick them up again for a long time. However, when I finally did pick them up again, I was totally drawn back into the stories. I hope that you find a good translation and that you like them. Have a great day!!
--BJ

I am briefly back in town having taken my baby to college. Next I pick up Marian_the_Librarian at the airport as she at last returns to the USA. Then I will have more time for LT. :)

56. Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. I read this book for a 1001 book group read. This book had been on my tbr for quite a while so I was glad to finally read it. It was both witty and tragic and I must say that the ending surprised me.

I am still working on my longer group reads and enjoying all of them. Also reading Naked in Death for the 2009 genre challenge. Plus I am giving lots of attention to my sweet dog before I have to return her to the pet resort for a few more days. Have a great day!
--BJ

Thanks for checking in, BJ!

Safe travels.

Ah so this is where you got to. Have you seen the film of Les Liaisons Dangereuses? I'm a great fan of costume dramas and loved it, though I must admit I haven't read the book.

I am so glad I finally caught up with your new thread. How are you enjoying War and Peace?

I've found the tread finally as well:) What do you think of the J D Robb book? I keep starting and putting down books (not exactly abandoning though, because I like them all, but I'm always curious about the next one.:)

Have a great weekend! Happy Reading!:)

Hi, Stasia, Robert, Tracie and readeron!
I am so glad that you stopped by. I have returned at last from all the dropping off and picking up and dropping off again of the daughters! Boy was my baby from Spain a sight for sore eyes!!

I have not seen the movie of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Robert, but I remember when it was made. I did see Cruel Intentions on tv once, but it is somewhat different than the book. The book is a quick, fun read. Reading the book made me interested in seeing the movie.

Tracie, I am loving War and Peace. Something about Tolstoy, I guess. I found that after putting it down for a while, I was able to pick it back up and get right back into it. The Russian names are confusing, but the story is a great read.

Readeron, I am really enjoying Naked in Death. I am still at the beginning but I am definitely hooked. It is interesting to me that it takes place in 2058 or something like that.

I am happy to report that Marian the Librarian is back in the US at last. She looks great and I think had a wonderful time in Spain. I only got to see her briefly, but on the way back to Austin, we stopped in Brenham to tour the Blue Bell Creamery. I have always, always wanted to do that. We got a big scoop of ice cream at the end. (Mine was Dutch Chocolate!) I always thought it would be so great to live in Brenham!

I am still reading away on the longer books -- especially Don Quixote. I only have about 200 pages left to read in it, so I am getting excited. It is a great read! It is great to be home and the weather is perfect. Life is good. Have a wonderful day!
--BJ

57. The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, translated from Spanish by John Rutherford. Yea! I finally finished this fabulous book! I had read this in high school, but I think that it was abridged. So I had been wanting to read the whole thing. What I needed was a reading group to help me hang in there. Thanks so much for the reading group, Stasia! I guess most people know that this book is about the knight errant Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza and all of their adventures. It is episodic in nature which makes it perfect for reading about 100 pages at a time like we did in our reading group. I loved the translation that I had. This seems like a difficult book to translate, too. All in all, I am so glad that I read this book.

Hope that this back to school time is going well for everyone. Have a wonderful day!
--BJ

Howdy! I just picked up Don Quixote finally, a Signet Classic PB. My library had a near mint copy in the Friends of the Library book-sale area I noticed as I was leaving the CD section (my Edvard Grieg playlist was lacking). A measly buck! I also grabbed the Screwtape Letters as an oddity. Thanks for the translator info, I added that Pevar Volowhatever from above to my ever more cluttered index cards of book ideas.

Hey, DP!
I am excited to hear about your cluttered index cards of book ideas! :) Mine are floating around on little scraps of notepaper (3" x 3"). I randomly run across them and go "oh yeah, I need to get that book!"

I am so glad that you found such a great deal on Don Quixote. I hope you like it as much as I did. I took a detour in my reading plan and decided to stick with Spain. I am reading a book that my dad gave me when I was young that I recently gave to my daughter the Spanish major. I was looking yet again in her room for Greenwitch when I ran across it. It is Platero y Yo. I have a translation of it because I could not read any Spanish at all when my dad gave it to me. Even in translation it is just beautiful.

And I also have The Screwtape Letters on my TBR. I had never heard of it before last Spring. My girls told me about it.

I have got to go look for some Friends of the Library sales! Have a wonderful day!
--BJ

All the days are wonderful...

58. Platero and I (Platero y Yo) by Juan Ramon Jimenez, translated from the Spanish by Eloise Roach. This book, given to me by my dad, and passed on to my daughter, is a series of vignettes of the life of Juan and Platero, his donkey, in Moguer, Spain. It is touching, heartbreaking, and simply beautiful.
--BJ

Hello --BJ;
Sounds like you have been finishing up some really good works. I will be happy when I have finished my 999 challenge and have more choices to make. Right now I am locked into six more before that happens but they are all good picks. Only one looks iffy so I think I am in good shape. The grandsons head back to school on Monday and even the little one goes all day so the house will be peacefully quiet and I will take advantage of that and should be able to finish my challenge on time.
I am planning next year to read more of the older classics, some sci fi, (which I do not read at all), some YA, (which I do not do much of unless it is an old fav), mysteries, and some mythology. I just want to branch a little more. I was looking back at the first half of the year and noted that my reading habits have changed quite a bit just during this past year and I think the 999 challenge helped me with that.
I am happy for you that your little Spanish princess is home now and that perhaps your life has quieted down a bit. Maybe not so much running up and down the road? Hope so. That is exhausting. And your poor little dog. All of that kenneling.
Well girlfriend, I am beat and think I need to hit the hay for the day. I will hook up with you tomorrow sometime.
love,
belva

Hi, Belva!
My sweet doggie is so happy to be home from the kennel. They love her there but she gets massive attention at home and that is just what she likes! (Lucky for me.) She has lost some weight on her diet kibbles. We had to cut out the walks due to the heat, but I think we will be able to start again soon.

For me the 999 challenge has to be every single book I read for almost the entire year, so I am happy to do a scaled back version next year. Now that my categories are filling this year, I feel like I am more hemmed in and you know how I like those group reads! (That is my only full category.) I have, however, branched out more in my reading for sure with it.

I like those old classics the best, I think. I don't know why for sure, but I did back when I was young, too. (Ancient history!) If you are interested, I am a member of a SciFi reading group which is broadening my horizons in that area. (Although I have not read the most recently finished book yet. I was too determined to finish DQ.)

Thanks for stopping by. It is great to see you back safe and sound. Have a great day!
--BJ

Hi BJ! I found you! Just stopping by to say "HI".
Joanne

Hi, Joanne!
Guess what? My doggie has lost two pounds on her diet kibbles. And not eating around her is helping me, too! :) Luckily, she likes them. I was wondering if I should try them but decided against it. Thanks so much for stopping by. I have lots of catching up to do. Have a great day!
--BJ

Our golden girl weighed in a week or two ago at 84 pounds, about 10# over the breed standard! She really doesn't look overweight, she's a very muscular girl. Could stand to lose a pound or two though!

My baby is 64.8, but she is on the small side for a golden and not all muscle. I, however, don't really think that she looks overweight by much. And I think that she will have more muscle as the walks return with the cooler weather. She seems more active to me. She is really a delight. She takes all the attention that I used to shower on my girls and is willing to take more. I love my dog!!!
--BJ

Hey there BJ, just stopping by to say hi! Hope you're okay. :) You've done some nice reading I see. :)

Hi --BJ;
It is so good to see you on here being so very cheery and happy and bubbly. What was it Charlie used to call you? The LT cheerleader? Was that it? (miss him) But he is into the blog thing, I think.
Anyway you are definitely the "group read queen". Are there any that you do not take part in? I have only done two in the two years I have been on here. I may do more in 2010. And I am looking forward to the 2010 challenge; doesn't matter how I set mine up---it will challenge me to try different genres and that is all good.
I am going to try to begin walking Abby next week again. She needs the socializing and I need the exercise. She is 9 months old now and weighs about 65 lbs. She is just right but she gets a little nervous when she hears cars and barking dogs. So I think walking her daily would really help. Plus it will cut down on her hyperness. I have a 2 mile loop I like to do and there are a lot of fenced yards on it with big dogs and they run barking and growling at the fence so she needs to get aclimated to it.
I will think of you and your doggie when we are out walking.
Well, I think I will head to bed with Travel Light. Hopefully I can finish it tonight (less than 100 pages to go) and move on to another tomorrow. I am not going to do any reviews until I finish the 999 challenge and they are sure piling up on me. But....you play, you pay. Right:
hugs n luvs,
belva

Hi, Tammie and Belva!
Thanks so much for stopping by! :) Tonight my husband and I went to the high school scrimmage. No kids in high school anymore, but we still want to support the team. It was the coolest the scrimmage has ever been that we can remember. Usually, it is boiling hot. It was very pleasant and the team looked good. But it was a little sad not having my kids there. My dog is all awake having napped all the time we were gone. Y'all have a great day!
--BJ

So, BJ, you're reminding me of Friday Night Lights here. Going to a scrimmage--not even a real game--that's real support! :-)

Hey, Bonnie!
We love football around here!!! There was quite a crowd for it with 3 visiting teams to scrimmage against. The beginning of the season. Yea!
--BJ

Good morning Bonnie.
Hi --BJ
We did the same thing last night --BJ. Welcome back to school BBQ for the community with scrimmages for the high school, JV, frosh, Jr high and little guys A and B squads. Our grand is on the A squad. I was so embarrassed that he made 7 or 8 kids cry. He is a hard hitter. I hope his head doesn't swell too much. His coaches have always told us he is the most coachable kid they have ever had. And he has different coaches every year. There is no B.S. with him. He listens to them, doesn't fool around and goes out there and just does his job. So many of the kids are out there messing around and just having fun. But not Tyler. He takes it seriously but he still has a blast. And he just got his braces on so his mouth is really sore, but he didn't complain.
His squad's first game is Thursday at Quest Field in Seattle before the Seahawks/Raiders game. We are all jazzed!~!
His other G'ma paid $107.00 for her ticket and she isn't even going to stay for the Seahawks game. Our tickets didn't cost us nearly that much. I think we paid $69.00 each and most of the parents are sitting with the team at $39.00 a head, but we wanted to be where we can really see them play. They are so little out there on that big field.
Hey --BJ;
I think summer is heading downhill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmCpOKtN8ME

It started raining last night here. Whoo hoo!~!~! It feels so good. Pretty soon we will be making applesauce and cider. Yea! I love the fall. It always smells so good.
Well, I had better get off here and do some reading if I want to finish that challenge. Then I can mess around. Right?
luv n hugs all round,
belva

Hi, Belva!
That game sounds so exciting! I hope that you get lots of happy memories from that one!

59. Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (AKA Nora Roberts). This is the first book in the Eve Dallas series and has been recommended to me by several people here on LT. I was surprised to find that the book takes place in the middle of the 21st century USA where things are a little different than now. It was more explicit than what I usually read, and also had some difficult issues in it, but I ended up enjoying the book quite a bit. The end of the book had a preview of the next in the series, so I will have to check that out as well.

Now moving on to a collection of O. Henry stories. Oh, and Belva, thanks so much for the Singing in the Rain clip! I really enjoyed it.
--BJ

Hey Belva--That's so neat that the boys get to play at Quest before the Seahawks game. What a thrill for them (and you).

#60: BJ, I am one of the people who is a fan of the In Death series. It is a series that I read for the characters, their relationships and development, not for the mysteries. I do hope you will try more of them.

Thanks for the recommendation, Stasia! I think I will. :)

The O. Henry stories are a quick read. I think that I might finish them tomorrow in time to start on Remains of the Day.
--BJ

I didn't know the 'In Death' series was set slightly in the future. Its made me consider reading them more now, although mysteries still aren't really what I enjoy. Maybe they'd be a good crossover type though?

#64: luna, there is really nothing to them being set in the future as far as a science fiction bent. Flying cars are mentioned, things we do not have now, but really no amount of time is spent dwelling on that kind of thing. They really are pretty traditional police procedural type mysteries, just set in 2050.

#65

Ah, thanks for explaining. Maybe not for me then!

Hi billiejean,

O. Henry is a big favorite of mine, I can't wait reading how you liked his stories! (I've read Selected Stories by him in a Penguin edition and I also read some graded readers with his stories when I was younger.) A wonderful storyteller with a great sense of humor! I should give my book a reread some day, I guess, too:)

Have a great day!

Hey guys;
I found the J.D. Robb series to be a real hoot!~! Like Stasia says they are pretty typical of police procedural mysteries and some of the characters are classic cops, some are not. The buddy of Eve's is an absolute crack up!~! And wild!~! If I remember correctly she is a massage therapist or something like that. Probably the "something like that".
Anyway they are a fun read and really quick too.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!
belva

Hi, lunacat, Stasia, readeron and Belva!
The way that the future interests me in the In Death series is that the laws and society have changed: guns and cigarettes are banned. Coffee is rare. People travel a long way in a short time, but still there are problems like a broken heater in the vehicle. The buddy in the first book is a nightclub singer (former small time criminal). All in all, I liked the book.

Readeron, I loved the O. Henry stories. This is a book of his short stories that I bought for my kids and then ran across it (looking for Greenwitch) and decided to read it myself! I was, of course, familiar with The Gift of the Magi, which I loved, but had never read any of the other ones. They were all worth a read.

60. The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories by O. Henry. As mentioned above, I really enjoyed this collection of short stories by O. Henry. I was interested to learn that he wrote stories to support his child while he was in prison. Each story has a twist at the end.

I have started Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro and am enjoying it so far. Still have several long group reads to work on but taking a little break from them for a while. Hope y'all have a great week!
--BJ

Oh --BJ;
Remains of the Day is a wonderful book. Absolutely one of the best!~!
blubs,
belva

I really enjoyed it too; it's one of those books I want to read again.

Hi, Belva and Bonnie!
I have been long anticipating this book after reading so many LT recommendations on it. I have only read about 20% of it, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. :)
--BJ

BJ- I am another big fan of Remains of the Day. The film version is excellent too! I NEED to read more of this author!!

Hi, Mark!
I am about halfway through The Remains of the Day and I find the story compelling. I loved the line about "More like a sparrow than a crow. From a migratory point of view." I have one more book by him that my daughter got for me that I am hoping to read soon. I think that the film must be very good. I think that it has Anthony Hopkins in it. I would like to see it, too. The other book that I have is Never Let Me Go, which has gotten some good reviews on LT, also. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
--BJ

BJ- That is a beautiful quote! I, too have Never Let Me Go sitting patiently in my tbr. I need to move it closer to the top!

I know of a few LTers who loved The Remains of the Day but detested Never Let Me Go. Personally I loved the former and was fairly impressed and a little disturbed by the latter.

Hi, ChocolateMuse.
Now you have me intriqued about Never Let Me Go! I did read one comment about it that it was better to wait a little after Remains of the Day. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Well, after saying that I was going to take a break from my longer group reads, I decided to work on them after all! I read my September chapters of The Stand. Soon, I will find it hard to stop after 9 chapters. :) Now I am working on trying to catch up with War and Peace. I have passed the halfway point in the book, but I still have a long way to go. On the 15th, I will return to Anna Karenina which is almost over. Hope everyone is having a wonderful September day.
--BJ

Hi BJ! I thought you'd like to know that the 3rd book in the Rose Trilogy, The Wild Rose, won't be released until Spring 2011. I hope you've read the other 2.

-Julie

If I remember correctly, Never Let Me Go has more of a sci-fi element than Ishiguro's other books do, but I haven't read it yet either. It's on the infinitely long TBR! But I am another one who loved The Remains of the Day. It was one of those books that I call "silent killers" in that as I was reading it, I enjoyed it but it didn't necessarily feel like anything special. But by the end, it had completely gotten under my skin and stuck with me for a while afterward.

Ishiguro has such a definite style. Sometimes I think it's better to space out books by an author; otherwise you risk having too much of good thing and feeling a bit sick of it. I made that mistake with Anne Tyler. Read Dinner at a Homesick Restaurant and liked it so much, I immediately read three more over the next couple of days. Since then, I've spaced out my reading of her books, but for a while really was tired of her overly quirky characters.

Hi, Julie, spacepotatoes, and Bonnie!
Julie, I had no idea that the third book would not be out until 2011! I bought the first book and my daughter said, "I have nothing to read." I told her that I had the Tea Rose, so she started to read it and just loved it. So then we went to the bookstore to get the other two and could only find the second one, The Winter Rose. She took that one to college. We couldn't find the third one and now I know why! Anyway, I haven't read either of those two yet. I had gotten into so many group reads that I never could get it started. However, after the great review from both you and my daughter, I am eager to read them both. I hope by Christmas that all of my longer books will be finished and I can start on the trilogy. It's funny, but we were also looking for another book in a trilogy that was supposed to have been published last April and could not find it either. It was the sequel to The Name of the Wind.

I am reading The Remains of the Day for a group read and just cannot wait to finish it. I think that I will definitely finish it this weekend. It is an amazing book. I think it is a good idea to separate books by authors usually, except I am reading both Anna Karenina and War and Peace at the same time. However, both of those are slow and steady, so no overkill there. I did the same thing with Anne Tyler! I read 11 of her books in a row and haven't read one since. The most famous ones I have never read! That's funny!

By the way, I just want to say that I am so glad that it is now football and tennis season! Life is good! Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

LOL, I am also a rampant watcher of the US Open. I even was able to go to NY and see it years ago. So awesome!

What a wonderful experience! You can tell from watching tv that the crowd is just electric. I enjoyed watching the Nadal match last night. Looks like the Williams sisters are on track, although I heard that Venus hit Serena with a serve in doubles! I did not see that one. I hope that Roddick has a good tournament. Lots of surprises so far. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great weekend! :)
--BJ

Well, I don't watch football but am watching tennis right now with my laptop on my lap!

Well, you have to give Anne Tyler credit--that she can make us so excited about her books that we want to read one right after another. LOL! Would we blame a baker if we ate the same cake day after day? Or a restaurant if we ate the same thing on the menu and eventually got sick of it? I definitely take responsibility for OD-ing on Tyler, but she does have a definite style. It took me forever to read Accidental Tourist; I only read it because I had to for my book group. I've read quite a few since then and have enjoyed them. And while I was reading Digging to America, I totally forgot I was reading an Anne Tyler novel.

P.S. You're making me want to read Remains of the Day again, BJ.

Hi, Bonnie!
Oh, I am watching football after College Game Day. Now I am wondering who is playing tennis. I will have to check and see. I am the only person without a laptop, I think. So I can't watch tv and get on LT at the same time. Maybe that will be in my future after the kids get out of college. Or else an ipod. I am getting interested in one of those as well.

61. Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. This has got to be one of my top reads of the year. What an amazing book! Maybe it is just my age, but the looking back over a life lived so far, and then looking ahead to what remains is so compelling to me. I found this book deeply moving. And I have LT to thank for that. I read this book after seeing one terrific review after another. And this one deserved them all.

Bonnie, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that you are having a great Labor Day Weekend. I am thinking that you are travelling, right? I hope you have a wonderful time. :)
--BJ

Actually, I'm home now! And I should be out working in my yard, because my neighbors' daughter is getting married in their back yard. (Wouldn't you know it? A hot, dry summer and it's going to be rain off and on the whole weekend.)

Remains of the Day sounds great! When I am ready to read my first Ishiguro, I'll make sure this is the book I'll choose to start with!

#83: Yeah, it's one of my dreams to go to each Grand Slam. I've even been to the Rogers Cup in Canada twice. Tennis is very big in my family. I'm actually rooting for Kim Cljisters. I always love comebacks.

Hi, Bonnie, Eliza, and Steph!
Bonnie, how exciting that your neigbor is having the wedding next door! I hope that the weather turns out great.

Eliza, I think that you will love The Remains of the Day. I also have another of his books, but I will wait a little before reading it.

Hey, Steph and Bonnie, did you see Ouden play Sharapova? She is really coming on great this tournament. Steph, I will root for Venus (I think that she is playing Cljisters?), but you are right, it is a wonderful comeback story. So, I guess I will be happy for whoever wins. How wonderful that you have seen so many great tennis matches live. I must admit that I am really disappointed that I am not getting to watch Roddick play his match. I do not understand the coverage. I expect 24-7 these days!

I am halfway through Edward Lear's Complete Nonsense. It is a pretty easy read for today when so much else is going on. Y'all have a great day!
--BJ

#89: I did see the Oudin/Sharapova match... it was a good three set-er, but not too surprising since Sharapova has been shaky since her return. I'm hoping the young Oudin goes far. Safina has been a complete mental case so I'm not surprised she finally lost, too. I only caught the last set of the Roddick match... that's heartbreaking! Makes me worried that he doesn't have the mental toughness anymore because he's losing these tough 5 set-ers in the bonus rounds (tiebreaks and extra Wimbleton games). For the men's side I'm rooting for Rafa or Murray.

I only saw a brief news item about Roddick's loss. I did think that it showed some mental toughness to take it to 5 sets when he started out down 2 sets, but I wish that he had won for sure. I was out of town when he had his hearbreaking loss in the finals of Wimbledon. I haven't seen Murray play in this tournament, but I thought that Nadal, Federer, and Djokovich all looked a little off in the matches I saw them play. I heard that Sharapova had to change her serve after her surgery. It definitely did not look the same. This is quite a surprising tournament. Really the only one that I have seen play like I am used to has been Serena. However, it is kind of exciting to see so many new faces advancing so far. :)

I am almost through with Edward Lear's Complete Nonsense and am about to start Mind Prey by John Sandford for the 2009 Genre challenge in the suspense category. It looks pretty scary, so I probably won't read it at night. Also, I am still planning to read Dracula for Halloween.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Steph! I wonder what tomorrow will bring at the U. S. Open?
--BJ

Hey BJ- I don't know if you are a movie fan but the film version of Remains of the Day is excellent! It stars Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson and both are incredible in the leads!

I'm a little late with this comment, but I thought Never Let Me Go was fantastic. My book group read it, and pretty much everyone liked it. It is weird (I'm not into sci-fi at all, and it does have a touch of that), but so well-written and thought-provoking that the weirdness was OK for me.

Hi, Mark and carlym!
I do love the movies and would love to see the movie of The Remains of the Day. My daughter also read Never Let Me Go and liked it, although I think that she liked The Remains of the Day better. I wonder how many books Ishiguro has written? I am going to look into it and see. I just loved his book so much.

62. Edward Lear's Complete Nonsense by Edward Lear. This book is a collection of several books of nonsense that he published. I especially enjoyed The Owl and the Pussycat, The Jumblies, the Nonsense Alphabets (and there were lots of them), and the Nonsense Botany. This was a light, fun, easy read.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a great day!
--BJ

63. Last night I read Greenwitch by Susan Cooper, the third book in the Dark is Rising sequence which the 75 Book Reading Group is reading in order. Although this was not one of the two award-winning books in the series, I think that I like this one the best so far.

I have started Grave Goods, the next Mistress of the Art of Death book and am still trying to catch up on War and Peace. Mostly war on the part that I am reading now. I am going to check out Dracula to see how much time to allot for that for my October read. I might start it in September so that I can finish for Halloween. This will be my first Halloween without carving a pumpkin in many, many years. But reading is less messy.
--BJ

I'm really impressed by your readings again, billiejean! I think your 2009 reading list may easily be my 1010 challenge!:) Keep up the habit of reading these wonderful books and don't let yourself be influenced by my bad habit (namely reading at night), it can become addictive, afraid, because it's so peaceful and quiet then, but of course it means that by the morning one gets pretty owl-eyed and pining only for a steaming, black coffee and some rest. :)

Have a wonderful day!

Actually, I usually do read at night. But that book looks too scary, and I am worried about bad dreams. So I will probably just read something else at night. I just started drinking coffee a year ago and I love it. Plus the doggie and I like to take a nap every day! :) Have you started organizing your 1010 challenge? I keep thinking about it but haven't yet. I guess I probably will in December. Thanks so much for stopping by, readeron! You always brighten my day! :)
--BJ

Hi --BJ;
Hope you had a great holiday weekend. Did the girls come home? Ours was fairly quiet and it poured all weekend.
love,
belva

Hey BJ,
Oudin played an awesome match today, she's the Cinderella story for this US Open. Hope she goes all the way!
-Caut

I'm so far behind with my challenges that I only chose the categories for the 1010 challenge yet. And I'll try to choose books that overlap with other challenges, like the fifty states challenge or my 888, 999 challenges, which I also plan to finish someday:) I'm a bit stubborn about my goals, as well, I only can't read for deadlines, so my stubbornness is pretty hard to notice:)

Happy reading!

Hi, Belva, Steph, and readeron!
The heat has returned to Tulsa. I am so surprised. I was already thinking Fall!!

Belva, no my girls were not able to come home for the holidays as they are just too far away. I was feeling sorry for myself because I saw all the other college kids home when I went to church. Then my husband took me out to a really nice restaurant last night and I felt all better! :)

Steph, one of the best things about Labor Day weekend is watching the US Open. I did watch the Oudin match and it was amazing!! She really plays with a lot of heart and is so tenacious! It would be great if she could go all the way. Still don't know if she could beat Clijsters or Serena, but anyone else is in trouble. I love how she starts off down the first set and then just digs in and takes down her opponents. Just when they think they have her where they want her, she is in control. I did not see any of the men's tennis except for Davidenko, because there was also so much college football to watch this long weekend. I was sorry to see OU's quarterback Sam Bradford get hurt like that. UT's quarterback Colt McCoy got hurt twice in one season a couple of years ago and it was scary.

Readeron, I also have to overlap the challenges some. Otherwise it is just too many books. I am going to do the progressive categories with 1 in category 1, 2 in category 2 because 100 is more than I can read in a year if everything I read goes toward the challenge. And everything does not go toward the challenge. I think that the book that I am going to read for the genre challenge is Rules of Prey, not Mind Prey. I think that Rules of Prey is the first one in the series. Late last night I was tempted to start it, but I held firm to wait for daytime! LOL! :)

Well, I am off to the dentist now. Hope that everyone has a great week and thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

Well, I see that I stopped posting right before my trip to the dentist. I am still recovering from those two days!! He warned me that it would take a while and he was right. Anyway, I finally finished a book.

64. Rules of Prey by John Sandford. I read this book for the suspense category of the 2009 Genre Challenge. This was my first book by Sandford, and I was worried that it would be too scary. As it turned out, I did not find it too scary and enjoyed watching the hunt for the killer.

I am still working on Grave Goods for the HRBG. And I am going to start Dracula for the Halloween read here on the 75 Book Challenge. And I started Adjunct: An Undigest by Peter Manson for the 1001 list. That one will take a while even though it is short, I think. I just like a little bit of a story!

I can't believe that my kids have been off for a month already. So I went and joined two classes at Church to kind of expand my horizons some. Hope you are having a great day!
--BJ

By the way, congrats to Kim Clijsters for a terrific finish at the US Open. And Hooray for football to take my mind off of my teeth!! :)
--BJ

I looked at the page for Adjunct, and someone has tagged it "totally screwed up." Funny :)

That is pretty funny! This is the kind of book that after you have read for a while and put it down, you can't remember anything that you just read when you pick it back up. Of course, I am still at the beginning, so maybe it picks up. I wanted to read it because it is on the 1001 list, and I have heard so much about it. But I have to trade off with other books in between. :) Have a great day!
--BJ

65. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude. I still love this book after all these years. I think that this read through might have been my favorite.
--BJ

Congratulations on finishing Anna Karenina!

Thanks! :)

It is a wonderful book to read. I highly recommend it!
--BJ

congratulations on managing such a feat!

Wow, you make it sound so offhand and casual, finishing Anna Karenina! Congratulations! And I look forward to seeing what you think of Dracula.

Hope you're fully recovered now from the Big Bad Dentist.

Hi, Eliza and Chocolate Muse!
Thanks so much for the congratulations! I have been reading this book since March or April. I kind of took my time with it. Reading it with a group kept me going. It is long, but it is a wonderful story. Today I read the intro to Dracula. It has piqued my interest, so I plan to read at least some of it tonight. I am also still reading Grave Goods, the next Mistress of the Art of Death novel. It is a fun read so far.

CM, I am happy to report that today at last my gums have quit hurting, except during brushing. The dentist told me that they would hurt quite a bit, and he was right. But now I am much better. I still have one more visit, but I think at last the worst is behind me. Thanks so much for thinking of me! :)

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!
--BJ

BJ- Congrat's on finishing the "classic"! And I'm glad you are feeling so much better ! Take care!

Nice news about the Russian novel. I enjoyed it myself - but in short spurts. I now have my next "classic" on my table Frankenstein}. Many here have enjoyed it and my husband wants it next. He read Dracula many years ago and would now like to try this one.

Hi, Mark and koalamom!
Thanks so much for the congrats and for the well-wishes! Life is good! :) I read Frankenstein last Spring and really enjoyed it. It was different than the movies which was interesting to me. I am wondering if Dracula will be as well.

We are having rainy, cool fall weather. I love the Fall. Maybe soon the trees will turn. Thanks so much for stopping by and y'all have a wonderful day!
--BJ

Hi BJ, I'm interested in your thoughts about Dracula. Most people on Librarything don't like Bram Stoker's writing. I enjoyed Jewel of the Seven Stars, but it was a traditional gothic Victorian story and that kind of writing can be hard for some to read. I've heard it is very different from the Dracula movies. It's considered a classic because it spond all of the vampire movies and stories we have now.

--Caroline

Just wanted to add my congratulations on finishing Anna Karenina! I'm sure it felt very satisfying to turn that last page after 7 months! And we'll get to do it all over again in November - see you in the People of the Book group read :)

Also, glad to hear you've recovered from the dental troubles! My husband had to have dental surgery twice in the last year and a half and he was absolutely miserable each time afterward. It's not pleasant at all to have a sore mouth.

After finishing War and Peace up this year (hopefully by December), I am seriously thinking of doing Anna Karenina next year. I am glad to see you read and enjoyed it!

Hi, Caroline, Spacepotatoes, and Stasia!

Caroline, both of my girls have read Dracula and just loved it, so I hope that I will like it, too. I will let you know what I think. I did not realize that so many people did not like it.

Spacepotatoes and Stasia, Anna Karenina is one of my favorite books. I am thinking that you are almost through with it yourself, SP! I cannot wait until The People of the Book -- that looks like a good one! I definitely think you should read it, Stasia. It is easier to read than War and Peace because it is not as epic. But the characters are wonderful.

And thanks so much to everyone who has sent thoughts and prayers my way with my dental problems. It means a lot.
--BJ

#115 - Well, some of us like Dracula just fine!

That's good to hear, drnetron, as I have that book on my shelf as well.

Hi BJ!

I read Dracula in college and loved it. After a bit of a rough beginning, I could not put it down. As it's been so very long since then, I plan on rereading it this winter.

Hi, drneutron, koalamom, and Joanne!
I think that Dracula will be just spooky enough for Halloween.

66. Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin. This is the third installment of the Mistress of the Art of Death series. I liked that this one had a King Arthur connection.

Now, off to read more Dracula! Thanks so much for stopping by!
--BJ

Hey girlfriend;
Do you happen to have the link for the "Halloween" group? I am unable to find it for some reason. Probably just didn't look hard enough. Thanks bud.
I think I want to try one or two this year.
later babe,
belva

Hey Belva,
Here, I hope, is the link for the Halloween group read. There are lots of good books on the list!!!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/73071#1502811

I will put in on your thread, too! Have a great weekend!
--BJ

Hi, I finished Frankenstein practically in one sitting - I was in bed and falling asleep or I would have finished it right then and there. It was really good and so unlike how the movies have presented the story - no Boris Karloff here (not even Peter Boyle!!)

Hi, koalamom!
I just loved Frankenstein, too. I was amazed at how different it is than the movies. I've read about 20% of Dracula so far. In the beginning it sounded familiar as if I had read it before, but now I don't recognize any of it. It is pretty creepy!!

As a complete contrast, I am also reading my first Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I love it, too. And I am planning to start The Count of Monte Cristo tomorrow. That will take a while to finish, I think.

Well, even though it is the middle of the night, my dog keeps getting into trouble. I guess I better log off for now. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!
--BJ

Hey BJ- Just swung in to say hello! I'm glad everyone is enjoying the Halloween reads. I just couldn't cram 'em in at this time, even though I haven't read many of the choices, maybe I'll catch up later! Hope you had a terrific weekend!

Hi, Mark!
Great to see you! It was a nice weekend and later this week I will see both my girls at college. So I am really excited about that!! The list of books on the Halloween read is a good one. I probably won't get to all of them, but I am glad to see the list for future ideas on the ones that I don't get to. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!
--BJ

Hi, BJ! I was thinking about you when I found myself watching the Texas Tech vs. some other Texas team. I only lasted a few minutes, but it was pretty exciting. I just can't watch football without worrying about all their necks, backs, and knees!

Hey Bonnie!
That "some other Texas team" was my beloved Texas Longhorns, and they did win. I love to watch football, but I never want anyone ever to get hurt. That was quite an exciting game to watch. All the football is slowing down my reading, but I sure do love it!

Dracula is getting quite interesting. I can't believe that I have never read this! Tonight we had a major storm with 6 inches of rain, lots of thunder and lightning, and a little bit of hail. The perfect accompaniment to Dracula, I think! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day! (By the way, you picked the right game to watch! :) )
--BJ

LOL! Oops! That's when I stopped watching-when the Longhorns got so far ahead in the last quarter. Hey, how come you all are reading all these Halloweenish books in September? It seems like that would be an October kind of thing.

I think that we are starting early because the list of books is so long. I was planning to read Dracula in October, but when this group got started and started with Dracula, I decided to join in. I probably can't get all of the books read because I have other books that I want to read, too (like for the 999). Bonnie, why don't you check out the thread (listed in message #124 above) and see if any of the books appeal to you? Let me know what you think. I am trying to choose the ones that I think I can get read.
--BJ

Hi, BJ. Just to let you know I'm starting Julius Caesar's Conquest of Gaul (aka The Gallic Wars, if you still want to read along.

Hi BJ! I've finally caught up with all these messages! I got about halfway through Dracula a few years ago before my interest petered out (bad timing rather than lack of enjoyment, I think)... so now my dilemma is whether to take a break from my ABC Challenge to read Dracula or Frankenstein???

Glad I've found you anyway - I have you starred!

134 - I'd recommend trying Frankenstein, but then I haven't read Dracula yet, so I may be prejudiced. I just found, after much trepidation and procrastination, that Frankenstein was a great book and an easy read - enjoy.
In case you don't know me, I am a classicphobe and while I know I'll never be a classicphile, I am finding a lot of that genre to be very enjoyable!

Hi, Robert, Ellie and koalamom!
I just got back in town from visiting my college girls and saw that y'all had stopped by.

Robert, thanks for the heads up on Julius Caesar. I realize that you may have already finished it by now while I have been out of town, but I am in the mood to at least start it. I got to sit in on my daughter's morning classes and one of them was Humanities 101. The class was discussing Thucydides. I enjoyed listening to it so much that I was tempted to pick that up when getting home. But I think that the Gallic Wars will be just the ticket!

Ellie, so nice to see you. I have not finished Dracula as I went out of town and did not take it with me. But it is pretty exciting so far. However, I also loved Frankenstein. So I think either choice would be a good one.

Koalamom, are you really a classicphobe? I did not realize that. You read so many wonderful books and so quickly. I have not finished it yet, but I think that if you liked Frankenstein, you would also like Dracula. Now, I hope that the ending is a good one, since I keep recommending a book that I have not finished.

While gone, I finished one book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living Catholic Faith edited by Jack Canfield and others. This is the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book that I have ever read. My girls have read lots of them, so I decided to give this one a whirl. I loved it. I was so uplifting. I know that I will read more now. :)

I missed seeing y'all while I was gone. :) Thanks for stopping by!
--BJ

67. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living Catholic Faith edited by Jack Canfield, et al. I should have listed it with the number above, but I forgot. So I added this so I won't get confused.
--BJ

I think I got to not like classics in high school. I hate to have to analyze and answer questions about what I read. My comprehension isn't that great to have to answer questions.

I do read across the genre, some of which I love and some not so much and some I am getting to know and like better.

You know, I find that often that is how I feel about books that I had to read in school. And my kids sometimes, too. Sometimes I like to reread some things from then to see if I will like it better now. My daughter keeps telling me to read Les Miserables which I read in school (abridged). She keeps telling me that I will love it. So I guess I will have to give it a try. The one big exception was that I loved Anna Karenina when I read it in high school and I still love it. But I think that I look at the book somewhat differently now than I did then. And I know what you mean about answering questions. I do group reads with questions, but I don't mind answering those as I only have to answer if I want to and I don't worry about a short answer. I don't really do book reviews either -- just a short comment. I don't want to feel like I'm in school again. I signed up for a Bible study in Church and we have to answer lots of questions for it, so I am a little nervous about it. But I am hoping that we only have to share the answers if we want to. I guess I will find out tomorrow night. Wish me luck!!
--BJ

I'm about a third of the way through The Conquest of Gaul, and I'm not going particularly fast. I need something lighter for while my better half is watching TV, but can't make up my mind what.

bj - that's me! I can answer if I can answer with what I think and not what the name of the dog in chapter three was! I think the Bible Study will be more of what you get from the readings rather than the name of the people the prophet is speaking to.

Hi, Robert and koalamom!
I just got The Gallic War off of the shelf and plan to start on it later tonight. But I will probably take it slowly. Tonight is my Bible study class. I answered all of the assigned questions, but I am not sure that I have good answers. Some of those questions I just don't know how to answer. Take care!
--BJ

Two more books:
68. It is Time to Meet St. Philomena by Mark Miravalle. I read this as part of my prayer time.
69. It Came From the Far Side by Gary Larson. Love these books!
--BJ

Quick football question since i'll get a more fun answer from you than wikipedia - Who was Darrell K. Royal? An old coach for your 'Horns?

Darrell Royal was the greatest football coach ever of the Texas Longhorns. He is still involved in the football program and helped to select our current coach Mack Brown. They just recently (in the last 5 years or so) added his name to the stadium. He is an all around good guy. He coached the 69 team that beat Arkansas to win the National Championship. He recruited Earl Campbell to play for Texas and it is a nice story.
--BJ

I'd bet Bo Schembechler would have beat him arm-wrestling. And thanks-that's one of those things I've meant to look up for a long time and just never did

That's funny! Not sure, though. :) Royal might have made him laugh with a funny story and got him off-balance. Michigan sure is on a roll this year. No game this weekend for us. Guess I will just watch OU and Miami. Should be interesting.

70. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. I borrowed this from my daughter and it was funny. I think I liked the movie better, but I did really enjoy this book. Nice and light reading. Does this count as chick lit?
--BJ

Absolutely.:) Glad that you liked it!

Hi BJ!

I haven't stopped by in a while so I'm here catching up and saying "hi". I liked Bridget Jones, both the book and the movie.

Hi --BJ;
I have been sitting here catching up on your thread. I have fallen so far behind this past week but yours and Robert's too were really fun to catch up on. A lot of interesting reading and commenting going on. And the football trivia doesn't hurt either.
Well, on to the next one.
I love you girlfriend.
bellva

Hi, readeron, Joanne and Belva!
I have been quite behind on all of my threads, too, since going out of town. Seems like we have been travelling more than usual lately. Thanks so much for stopping by. I am hoping to finish Dracula soon. But first, I must buy groceries!
--BJ

>142 billiejean: Hi Billiejean, I am with you on the question and answer thing. I bought the book Know the Bible by Michael Eation thinking it would be interesting but he asks questions such as "What is the point of each of these illustrations?" "Why is this?" "What are the implications? etc.The book of is full of such questions and my response is: I DON'T KNOW! YOU TELL ME!

I gave up as I hadn't a clue how to answer the questions. :)

- TT

Hey, TT!
Sounds like the title of the book should have been "Explain the Bible to ME!" My Bible study class has been really great. We only have to answer if we want to and then there is a great dvd lecture at the end. The only thing is that it lasts for 24 classes which is a lot. I am hoping that I stick with it. :) Thanks for stopping by.

I am on the exciting conclusion of Dracula at last! I hope to finish it up today.
--BJ

Big shout-out to BJ!!! How are you friend?

Hi, Mark!
I am having a great day watching football on tv all day long. I love this time of year. I only wish that my team was playing, too. But the LSU-Georgia game and the Notre Dame Washington game are quite exciting. :) Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!
--BJ

With all the talk of Dracula Maybe I'll try and get to it this month.

Hi, koalamom,
I just finished it and found it quite good. I hope that you like it, too.

71. Dracula by Bram Stoker. The original dracula story (I think). I finally read it and quite enjoyed this creepy book for the fall season. The weather has turned here and it is definitely Fall now. This is written in "original documents" -- diaries, newspaper clippings, telegrams, etc. I can't believe that I had never read this classic before. :)

I also got a copy of The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which I have also never read and hope to read it during this October, also.
--BJ

I'm a little behind with the comment, but I'm with you on Bridget Jones's Diary. I liked it fine but thought the movie was better! That almost never happens.

I bet you saw the movie first?

Hi, carlym and Bonnie,
Yes, I did see the movie first. Just like with Get Shorty. The movie was hilarious. But I did like the book. I think that the movie was more like P&P in the Jones-Darcy relationship. Hope y'all are having a great day!
--BJ

I love both the movie and the book pretty much equally. One thing I miss in the movie (though they did put it on as an extra on the sequal, when they have her interview him while she's in character and he isn't) is her obsession with Mr. Darcy as played by Colin Firth in P&P.

Hi, Kittybee!
I was not sure that I would be happy with a sequel to this. I kind of liked the ending. Did you like the sequel?
--BJ

Just saying hi, BJ! I had to laugh at your football day. I spent the whole day in bed reading Wives and Daughters. Re: Bridget Jones's Diary, I was really surprised that some of my book group friends didn't see the P&P connection--it just seemed so obvious! (And I don't read the back covers if it was referenced there.) But then I've read that classic at least five times. :-)

Hey, Bonnie!
Last night was another exciting night of football with Green Bay and the Vikings. I don't usually watch NFL, but that game was too big to miss and I really enjoyed it.

I thought that it was more obvious in the movie. Of course, using the name Darcy it quite a heads up, isn't it? Did you like Wives and Daughters? I haven't read any Gaskell yet, but my daughter has and really likes her books. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!
--BJ

I liked Wives and Daughters though not nearly as much as Pride and Prejudice and probably not enough to read North and South right now. And, btw, I'm always here, I just don't comment if I don't feel like I have anything to add to the conversation or if I'm in a hurry. I was telling arubabookwoman yesterday that I could probably read a book in the time I spend on LT some days.

72. The Grey King by Susan Cooper. Another great book in The Dark is Rising sequence. I am so glad that I have been reading these books which my girls have been telling me for years are just great. Thanks, LT!

Bonnie, Lately I have not been on LT as much. Too much going on these days in the real world. I agree that reading on LT does equal reading a book! :) The only thing is that I always end up wanting to read more books, not less. There are so many great books out there. And my house is full. I am looking at my books and wondering how I will fit in my company???

I have 4 Elizabeth Gaskell books and haven't read any of them yet. Plus I bought my first Georgette Heyer book and haven't started that yet. I could probably live the rest of my life on what I have now, but still get tempted to get more. Well, I better get going on my Bible study questions for tonight. Have a great day!
--BJ

73. The Stand (The Complete and Uncut Edition) by Stephen King. I read this book as part of a 75 book challenge group read. I was pretty close to the end after reading the October chapters and decided to go ahead and finish it. I am not a big Stephen King fan, although I was at one time. However, I really did like this book. It was quite long, but a good story. I am glad that I read it.
--BJ

Have never read anything by King yet - can you believe that? (don't say yes! :P)

Hi, Eliza!
His books run the gamut. They are generally quite long. This one was more story than gore I thought for his books in general. After having children, I kind of stopped reading the books. They were too scary for me. But this one was a good, I thought. Thanks so much for stopping by! :) I am so behind on LT these days. I just found out that my baby in college has the flu, so I have spent the day trying to make sure she has what she needs. Take care.
--BJ

Hi billiejean

I hope your daughter is feeling better.

Chiming in on Stephen King, previously I read his books, but after awhile, I thought he went too far off the edge. I think The Tommy Knockers was the last book I read of his. He seemed to ramble on and on and on and on.

The Stand and The Shining are two of the ones I liked.

Yeah, I stopped reading his books a long time ago too. I don't like that genre that much anyway, but I remember that I was reading a collection of short stories by him and decided I don't like how he describes older women, or even the world in general--it's too harsh, too negative, disrespectful and degrading. No thanks!

I have only read one King book and I still get shivers when I think about it - the one about the car and the name is on the tip of my tongue but ...

I think you are talking about Christine. I am a big fan of King but I agree he has had some rough patches. I too, hated Tommyknockers, but I thought he rebounded with some good books. I feel his last couple, not counting the short story collection, have been very strong.
BJ- I loved The Stand but did not like the expanded version. No wonder it was edited. Way too much!

so what's a good King to start with then?

or to start AND finish with - just so I find out if I like him :)

GUG - I haven't read any Stephen King either, so you're not alone! I had Carrie on my shelves at one point, but I must have decided not to bother and it disappeared long ago. A customer of ours has just brought a big box of books for us to take a look at, including loads of crime and thriller-type books, so if he is okay with our price (fingers crossed) I should have The Green Mile to read soon. I've not seen the film so it'll all be new for me!

Yes, Christine, I knew it began with a C. Forgetfulness is a part of life when you are approaching then end of your sixth decade!

#175: Eliza, I would start with Salem's Lot. It was King's second book, and it is my favourite of his. The Stand is incredible, but looong (I like the longer edition better, but I am in the minority here), and The Shining and Carrie are both pretty good too.

Glad you liked The Stand BJ - I think you are the only one who finished the group read! LOL

Girl- You can't go wrong with any of the earlier books mentioned above but also consider The Dead Zone, another gem!
Ellie- I loved The Green Mile! Hope you do too!
Where's BJ?

What a wonderful surprise to turn on the computer and find so many visitors!!

Linda, Thanks so much for the good wishes for my baby! I have been trying to decide whether I should take off to Houston or not. She says that she can take care of herself. I guess the good and bad part is that she is now on Fall Break. So she won't miss too many classes, but she will be alone taking care of herself. Her roommate doesn't leave until tomorrow, though. Her friends have been turning in homework for her and picking up medicine. She isn't supposed to leave her room because she is contagious. The flu is rampant in Texas from what I hear, and especially in the schools. Hey, are you the one who is reading all the Newberry books? Or did I just dream that? If you are, have you enjoyed doing that?

About Stephen King: I stopped reading with IT which I hated. I heard that The Green Mile was terrific as well as Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (I liked the movie). I did like the long version of The Stand, but it was rather long. I think that the Group Read is not over until December, but I just wanted to go ahead and finish it. I am doing the same thing with War and Peace. (I am on the 100 page Epilogue now! Yea!) I really liked 'Salem's Lot, but I think that I liked The Shining better. Carrie is quite short if you wanted to start with a short one.

Thanks so much Linda, Bonnie, koalamom, Mark, Eliza, Ellie and Cait for stopping by. I needed the boost today! :) And I am sorry that I have gotten so behind on everyone else's threads. And back out of town next week!! Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy all the football on tv!!
--BJ

Hey, Mark, I was posting at the same time you were!! :) Mostly I have just been reading and calling Houston to check on my sick one.
--BJ

Hi BJ! I just finished watching the Aggies lose a close one to OK St. A&M seemed pretty mediocre overall but their O-line was pretty tough and made many, many smart blocks on scrambles and busted plays. I wasn't aware that they had Mike Sherman from Green Bay as their new coach after that Franchione guy that I hated from when he was at TCU. That line blocks like an NFL team which you don't see much in college. They're well coached and smart. And, as everybody knows, there is a fine line between winning and losing, and it is the offensive line. Just something for you to think about come Thanksgiving (I assume they still play on T-day). Good luck with Ralphie, the only mascot that could take out Bevo, except maybe that Mountaineer guy from West Virginia. I doubt that he's a very good shot with a stage musket and blank rounds, however.

Oh, get well to your daughter with that flu. I don't get it often, but it sucks bad. Also, how was that Rice/Vandy game? Still running the double wing or did that go out with an old coach?

Dangit, I keep remembering things to add. King's best book for me is The Eyes of the Dragon, which is the only one of his books I own, except for a tattered copy of The Stand a friend gave me years ago. Silver Bullet is a good werewolf story also. The rest of his books I have read were rather mediocre (to my tastes, anyway). Tommyknockers was the last straw and I haven't read one since that was new in paperback. I hated Cujo, about the rabid dog and Pet Sematary too. Maybe because he spelled cemetary wrong on purpose. That's a pet peeve of mine, especially the stupid Z's in everything these days like Bratz dolls or wheelz. It's asinine. Anyways, I'll take some good old Asimov, Stephen R. Lawhead or Tad Williams any day over SK.

Hey, DP!
I watched the first half of the A&M - OSU game, then I had to deliver Neighborhood Newsletters with the dog as my husband and I are the Block Captains. I have discovered that it is not really possible to be fired from that job! Anyway, I thought A&M looked pretty good. I had not realized that Franchione got fired, although I have been saying for years that they need to get rid of him. I just couldn't really stand his press conferences. I am going to mention the new coach to my husband and see what he thinks about it. A good offensive line is so key, as demonstrated by our lack of offensive line yesterday. I just could not believe how bad they were. But the second half was quite good. I watched the OU-Baylor game and Baylor is really coming along these days. Parity. Yikes!! Bradford looked pretty good on passing but the passes were dropped all the time. I also noticed that he was limping some. Poor guy can't get a break. I also saw some of the Michigan - Iowa game. Boy Iowa is having a great season. And I watched what was left of the LSU-Florida game after our game was over. I was amazed at how low scoring it was. I wonder why. I didn't count LSU out until the very end because of the spectacular ending to their game against Georgia. Bevo looked pretty much ready to take all comers at the game. Ralphie better look out. We still play A&M on Thanksgiving as far as I know. It has been a Thanksgiving tradition in our family forever. I hated when the game was moved to the weekend or even a different weekend. Nothing goes better with turkey than football. :)

Thanks for the well wishes for my daughter. Since going on the tamiflu, she is getting much better. She sounds lots better on the phone. I am optimistic that she will be well enough to go back to class when Fall Break is over. I will see her briefly on Wednesday and I can't wait.

I think that maybe my daughter has read The Eyes of the Dragon. She likes SK books and I am taking my copy of The Stand to her when I see her. Funny, I hated the misspelling of Pet Sematary, too. I haven't read any Asimov, but I recall the my brother read everything he wrote practically (and that was a lot!!), so I have been wanting to read some. I have fallen totally behind on the Group Reads -- SciFi group. I still haven't read the last book and haven't even purchased the current book. I started the last one, but read other books instead. Speaking of which . . .

74. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I finally finished this book. For some reason, I got the urge to get closure in my long group reads all of a sudden. I still love this book, although the essay on free will and the laws of history at the end was a little much. Everything I know about Napolean pretty much comes from this book, so I think that a little more research is called for sometime soon. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by. I love the chance to talk about my favorite sport football. Oh, Yeah, the Rice game was great through half time when we left. We were tied!!! But my daughter is not a big fan, so we left after seeing the MOB, which is quite fun. The game went downhill from there. I honestly can't recall what sort of offense they ran. For some reason, I was kind of distracted during the game. We had really close seats about the 20 yard line. But we were overly packed into the seats. And it is not the same as watching my beloved Longhorns. Hook 'em!
--BJ

BJ- Congrats on finishing War and Peace! I have not read very much Russian literature. American snob, I guess. Although I plan to, one of these days!

Well, I will say 'Congratulations' as well on finishing W&P although we will certainly miss you in the group read.

Congrats on finishing W & P! I'm working on Les Miserables now and recently passed the famous section where Victor Hugo describes the Battle of Waterloo. Maybe when I finish Les Mis I should read War and Peace! :)

Hi, Mark, Stasia and Medellia!
Thanks for the congrats on War and Peace! The group read was just what I needed to get through this book. I will still be around for the group read, though. :) My girls just love Les Miserables. That was a book that I read in school, so I didn't just love it. Plus I read the abridged version. So I am thinking of reading it next year -- which is almost here. We already have a copy sitting around the house calling me. :) I have picked back up The Forsyte Saga, which I abandoned during all the graduation festivities and never picked back up. I am having a little more trouble getting back into it than I did W&P and DQ. But I hope that if I stick with it I will get back involved with the story. Have a great day!
--BJ

Wow, BJ, Anna Karenina and War and Peace in one year? You are a brave woman. Add my congrats to the list :)

Thanks for the congrats, spacepotatoes! Really the only way that I was able to read War and Peace was that we had this terrific group read here on the 75 book challenge that took it about 150 pages or so a month. This is not the kind of book that I could have barrelled on through. I love the pace set by the group! Especially since I fell behind when my daughter graduated from high school. I had been hoping for a group read for this book as I knew that I would never finish it on my own without that support. :) (Thanks, Stasia, so much!) I have another book that I have been similarly hoping to run across a group read for -- Moby Dick. My daughter Marian the Librarian has read it, but I know that I won't get through it without the support of a group read. I have had some people tell me to just go ahead and start it. I say that I will but never do. Maybe next year will be the year!

I am going out of town again tomorrow, so I won't be around much in the next few days. I hope that all of you out there are enjoying the cooler October weather -- if in the Southern Hemisphere, the warmer October weather. I love these seasons of change. :) Have a great day!
--BJ

I want to participate if we do a group read for Moby Dick next year too!!
(raises hand as high as she can)
Me! Me! Pick me!
:D

Hmmm, interesting... I had a copy of Moby Dick once, I could be persuaded to try it again (buying a copy at aged 12 or whatever it was may have been a tad optimistic!).

You two just give me hope! :)
--BJ

OK, I am in for Moby Dick, too. If I can handle Dickens, Tolstoy, and Cervantes in one year, surely I can handle just Tolstoy and Melville next year, right?

I would THINK so...at least I'm hoping I can handle it too...
:D

>189 billiejean: I know what you mean about the group reads, I'm not sure I would have made it through Anna Karenina on my own this year either. I'm contemplating a group read of Vanity Fair next year, but I could be up for Moby Dick too.

I would love to join a group read of Moby Dick if I don't read it without one first - I've got it in my 'to read really soon' list!

You lot are insane. Needless to say, Moby Dick is absolutely NOT on my tbr list next year.

I remain in wonder at people who have the ability to read the Classics. I have yet to discover a book pre-1900 that is considered a literary classic that I have enjoyed. I mean, actually liked reading.

Three Men in a Boat is the only one I've loved, but I don't think that is a classic in the traditional sense (I know what I mean even if no one else does!).

Well, I'll claim inanity. 8^} Moby Dick is a favorite, and I'll happily join in a group read.

You'll claim inanity eh??

I have never thought of you as Inane ;)

Heh. Stupid fingers...8^}

How exciting! I just got back from out of town and see all of you (almost) wanting to join in on a group read of Moby Dick next year! What a great and wonderful place this is! By the way, I have heard only good things about Three Men in a Boat, so that is a book that I want to read, too. :)

I had the best time on my trip. We drove to Austin and picked up Marian the Librarian. We drove to Houston and met my baby, who looked so good all recovered from the flu. Then we went to see U2 in concert, which was a dream of mine. They played and played, so many songs. Then we took the girls back home. We got to Austin about 4 AM, which is hard on even me the night owl. So we really slept in the next morning. Both girls had class the next day. So really we never should have gone to the concert, but we were all glad that we did!! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by and expressing interest in a group read of Moby Dick next year. I will be ready to start in January. Shall we do similar pacing to the group reads we have going on this year? That way if someone gets busy, it won't be too hard to catch up. I will pull my copy down and check it out.
--BJ

BJ, you made me laugh when you mentioned the Bonnie Book Group in one of your postings as if it were real. Apparently, all you have to do to make something true on LT is talk about it enough. (Thanks, Mark!) You're very welcome to join our imaginary book group, BJ. And since your name starts with a "B," we won't even have to change your name.

Glad you had a great trip with your girls. Some songs and bands are timeless aren't they?

Hey, Bonnie,
I was just over on your thread catching up on it. I still have a ways to go (about 50 posts). Somehow I did not get your new thread starred so I was missing it. Soon I will be all caught up. It was a wonderful trip and the girls say that the band is crossgenerational, which means I guess that we all four loved the concert! :)

I finally finished book number 75!! Yea!!

75. Anne Frank's Tales From the Secret Annex by Anne Frank. This collection of stories and personal experiences was new to me. She had quite a lot of insight for one so young. This is a book that one of my daughters recommended to me and I really enjoyed it.
--BJ

BJ- Congrats on reaching 75! Very impressive!

Congrats BJ! I'm still working on my 50 but with the shop up and running maybe I'll join you for 75 next year...

And still two and a half months of 2009 to go - keep reading! :-)

wooo hoooo the big 75!! Well done BJ!

201: I caught the U2 concert in Charlottesville--it was pretty awesome! The stage was amazing. It's hard to see how they carry that around and set it up before every concert.

Ready for the UT game today?

Hey BJ! Congratulations on the big 75! I'm worried I won't get my 50 this year and here you are hitting 75! Awesome!

Congrats on 75! And thanks for sharing your U2 experience. They are one of my favorites!!

Congratulations, BJ. Well done.

Hello, everyone!
Thanks so much for the congrats for reaching 75! I am pretty happy because I only read 72 books last year. The best part is having friends to share books with! :)

Yesterday I did not see LT all day as it was football day for me -- especially the big UT-OU Red River Rivalry game. I was excited and nervous. It was the perfect game for tv, because lots of excitement and no knowing who would win til the end. I guess that more scoring might have been more fun, but it is also fun to watch defenses fight it out. Lots of turnovers so that it was all so unexpected. I was glad that we won (barely) because my UT daughter went for the first time and it is her senior year. So many close games yesterday. All in all a great day for football.

The set for the U2 concert was amazing. I was wondering myself how they ever put that up and take it down. It just barely fit in Reliant Stadium under the dome. It was so neat when the dome opened up for a beautiful view of the stars.

I am still reading The Forsyte Saga and am almost 2/3 through. Now I have to close and go to Church! Have a great rest of the weekend!! :)
--BJ

By the way, Robert, I saw on tv that there are still earthquakes there. I hope that they are not affecting you too much.

Yep, we had another one on Friday, about 10 minutes before going home time, so I was still in the office when I had that swaying feeling again. I stayed where I was. I just refuse to walk down those 41 flights of stairs again unless I really really have to. Once it was clear that they weren't going to turn the lifts off I took the lift down and went home.

It's getting ridiculous. We seem to have had more quakes in the past couple of months than in the previous 14 years I've been in Jakarta.

That is what I was thinking. We don't really get that much coverage of it here, but it seems like we have heard about quakes there numerous times. They did indicate that the buildings were fine for the last few quakes. I am glad that you are ok.
--BJ

A U2 concert in the middle of a favorite team's game? Football heaven, huh?! And congrats on reaching your 75 goal. You tackled some big ones this year. When are you going to relax and read some pop fiction?

Yeah, I think that I have had too much fun lately. :) I am supposed to read a thriller book for October for the 2009 Genre Challenge. I don't have a book picked out yet so I better get with it. But that is probably going to be pop fiction, right? I am thinking of reading Tom Clancy's Patriot Games if I can get a copy in time. I used to love Clancy books back in the day, so I think it will be fun to revisit his work. As a general rule, I usually like the older classics more than the more contemporary books -- however, I have been meaning to dip into those discworld books. Maybe I will get some for Christmas!

I have been trying to diet along with my puppy. I write down everything I eat. No snacking of any kind. My puppy seems to be doing better with her diet than I am. I guess I just need to spend more time on the elliptical. Hope things are going well with you, Bonnie! Thanks for the congrats. Take care.
--BJ

BJ, go get a cronometer on line. It's great! It's a free software/application that you keep on your desktop--no ads! You'll love it; it's very visual with colored graphs and a pie chart. You type in the food you eat and the amount and it will not only keep track of the calories you've eaten, but also the percentage of protein, fat, and carbs as well as the vitamins and minerals. I quickly found out I wasn't eating enough protein or getting enough of certain vitamins.

That's a great suggestion! I don't really know how to figure it all out myself. My big thing is that every time the government gives us diet guidelines, they are changed later and it just so happens that the last guidelines were bad for us. On top of that, I have significant food allergies. That makes it harder to follow diet guidelines, too. I have just been looking at the American Heart Association cookbook guidelines, but then the other organizations have differing suggestions. I don't know why it is all so confusing. Oh, I have to go cook dinner. This no snacking definitely means eating on time! :)
--BJ

For a while I wrote down what I was eating and about how many calories each thing was. It was hard to remember to do it, but it made me a lot more conscious of how much I was eating, even though I wasn't trying to follow any particular diet. Even though no one else saw my list, it was like having to admit to all the ice cream and other junk, so I definitely thought more about my choices.

BJ, I read Three Men in a Boat and didn't like it at all. Since you said you haven't heard anything bad about it, I thought I should give you the other perspective :) I thought the humour was predictable, slapstick and silly, and felt that J.K.J laboured on and on with his jokes till he'd beaten them completely to death. Which is strange, because I LOVE P.G. Wodehouse, who is generally considered to be rather similar.

Congratulations on reaching 75! (Books, that is, not age!)

Well, I was going to read Moby Dick soon (once I finish Lord of the Rings) and then move on to Les Miserables - but since the group read for Les Mis is in November and you will start a Moby Dick group read next year, I might just have to swap my order around. Now, that will mess with my poor head, won't it...

Hi, carlym and ChocolateMuse,
Definitely writing everything down, and I mean everything, has cut down drastically on sugar!! And I love sugar! I think that it has been good for me to do. But I still want a piece of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the info on Three Men in a Boat. Maybe I won't be in too big a hurry to read it. I would love to have you read along with me on Moby Dick. I need support for those long ones! How is The Lord of the Rings going? I loved those books. My brother gave them to me for my birthday one year long ago, and I was so glad.
--BJ

76. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy. I finally finished this trilogy on life in turn of the 20th century Britain. I liked it, especially the third book of it, but I think that I liked War and Peace better. This is another book that I had never heard of until hearing about it on LT. I started it with the Group Reads -- Literature group but fell behind due to graduation. So lately I have been finishing all the books that I have started.
--BJ

Slightly belated congratulations on the 75, BJ - but even more congratulations on the 'Tolstoy double' - fantastic! My only real reading goal for this year was to read War and Peace and Anna Karenina, and I've failed miserably (the likelihood of my managing it in the just-over-2-months-remaining of 2009 is vanishingly small). Ah well :) There's always next year.

almost there - keep up the good work!

I can't believe you've read War and Peace, Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov in one year! And read 76 books in total so far! I'm planning to start The Idiot soon and will use you as my inspiration if I find myself flagging!

Hi, Flossie, koalamom, and Rebeki!
Thanks for the good wishes! I also have some short books in there, too. And I do like the Russian writers! Flossie, you might want to just stick with Anna Karenina first, as it is much easier to read than War and Peace. Then you can finish War and Peace after. Koalamom, you are an inspiration to me as you are such a great reader! Rebeki, I look forward to hearing what you think of The Idiot. I think that I might read Crime and Punishment next year. That was a book my girls read in high school that I have never read, so I am trying to get all of those in somewhere.

Two books of poetry:
77. A. R. Ammons: Selected Poems by A. R. Ammons. This is a poet that I had never heard of and probably would never have read if not for the American Poets Project. Some of the poems I liked; others I didn't. Here is one I liked:

For Louise and Tom Gossett

After a creek
drink
the goldfinch
lights in

the bank willow
which
drops the brook
a yellow leaf.

I thought that it was perfect for the Fall. Keep in mind that I am no scholar on poetry. I just kind of go with what I like.

78. The Children's Own Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I am more familiar with this poetry. This is a book that I had gotten my kids long ago. Perusing what was around, I decided to read this. I thought that "The Wreck of the Hesperus" was an interesting selection for a children's collection as it was pretty grim!
--BJ

Bj, "...the goldfish lights in the bank willow...?" What does that mean?

Hey Bonnie!
It is a goldfinch, not goldfish. So the bird lands in the tree and then the tree drops the fall leaf in the water. I have never seen a goldfinch, but I would love to. I think that I am just not observant enough for birdwatching. But about a week ago we had a hawk land on our fence. It was magnificent and enormous. I loved it!! Hope all is well with you. Have a great and wonderful day!
--BJ

LOL! Maybe that's why I don't like poetry all that much--because I don't properly read the words in the first place! That's scary!

Just stopping by to compliment you on the tenacity of your reading, BJ. You finished the Galsworthy trilogy...good for you. I enjoyed seeing it on Masterpiece and would like to read that some day. I read War and Peace last year and am still resting on those laurels!

>227 bonniebooks:: I am chuckling about the imagery of a goldfish lighting in a willow tree. No wonder I don't understand poetry. :-)

>228 billiejean:: Lots of goldfinches to the north of you here in Missouri. I have a feeder by the kitchen window so I get to see them up close and personal. Shall I send some south to Texas?

Hi, Bonnie and Donna!
Actually, I don't always read properly either. I got a little embarrassed during my Bible Study that I had read too quickly and totally missed the point of one of the questions. But then, no one else had read that part at all, so I guess it was ok! :) Plus, the vocab in some of the poems by Ammons was way beyond me. But I just wanted to let it wash over me and not get technical about it. I think that is why I liked that poem.

You are not too far from me actually, Donna! I live in Tulsa. I just write about Texas a lot because that is where I am from originally and both of my girls go to college in Texas. I love Missouri. I think that it is so beautiful there. Plus I have been to St. Louis a few times and the people there are so friendly. I just love that city! My cousin moved to Springfield not too many years ago. Last year we went to Branson for the first time. There is a lot of traffic there for such a small town. Maybe there are some goldfinches here, too. I would love to see one.

Happy reading!
--BJ

>226 billiejean: I did start on War and Peace with the group read, but rapidly realised that the few-pages-a-night model just didn't work for me - I kept forgetting who everyone was. I'm going to have to tackle it on a holiday, when I don't need to worry about it being too bulky to carry on a commute, and I can just splurge on multi-hour reading sessions to really get into it. But I WILL do it. I will.

Hi BJ- We have goldfinch up here in northern Illinois. I have a finch-feeder in the backyard and they are quite beautiful. They are losing their color for the winter, so they are a bit drab at the moment but they do not migrate and stick around all year.

Hi, Flossie and Mark!
Flossie, I know that you will finish it! It is quite hard to carry around, but having a nice cozy vacation will be just the ticket!!

Mark, what do you feed them? I wonder if I got a feeder if I would see some? Is this the kind that the squirrels try to rob? They are really clever. We have cardinals and blue jays and robins here. I like to give them food in the winter, but I don't have a bird feeder. Of course, I also have a big dog in the backyard. However, she pretty much ignores the birds, even if they are eating her kibbles. She goes for cats, squirrels, and gophers and turtles. Just for a little exercise! :)

Y'all have a great day!
--BJ

Our finch-feeders are designed for thistle. Finches go crazy for this and you can safely feed them this all year, without disrupting their normal feeding process, or so I've heard.
Glad you are joining us on the group read and have a great weekend!

I can't keep up with BJ's reading of the classics but I can help with feeding goldfinches!

Like Mark said, nyjer thistle in a thistle feeder (the holes are smaller). We have a lot of sparrows and house finches around and they aren't interested in the thistle which is good since they really take over the feeders. I am waiting for the goldfinches to come through (well, not literally) but we've had a lot of chickadees all summer long and they are my favorites.

An easy way in the winter to attract birds is to have a birdbath - they look for water.

Thanks for the info Mark and Joanne. Now I know what I want for Christmas!
--BJ

The Forsythe Saga has been in the BlackHole for a while now. I really need to move it up!

Oh, and BTW -




- Congratulations on making it to 75!

Thanks, Stasia!
You brightened my morning which started very early today for me. I finally started The Silver on the Tree yesterday. :)
--BJ

I still need to read that one, too, for the November 8 deadline. I probably will not get to it until about then :)

short books count - though I do admit reading Where the Wild Things Are but not counting it - not sure if I'll see the movie - maybe my son will get it at NetFlix when it comes out there

#240 I know that I started a little early, but I am on a quest to finish my 999 and that book will finish off a category. And I wanted something on the shorter side to read; although, this one seems longer than the others.

#241 I probably would have counted Where the Wild Things Are, but I have read some other longer things that were not the whole book and didn't count them. You know, we have that book around here somewhere. I can't recall if I read that one or just my kids read it. The movie looks pretty good from the trailers. Maybe we could all see it at Christmas. I can't wait until my kids are home for a while! :)

We are having a beautiful day here. My husband and I are going to drive around in the country and look at the trees today. I bet the dog would love to go, too! And we have to schedule it around both Church and football today. I love the Fall. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
--BJ

Maybe I will go and add it to my various lists, then. I do have the "If you give A Mouse..." books here!

I love those If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books, which featured prominently in some movie I saw a while ago. I think it was Airforce One.
--BJ

I worked for the publisher for 12 years. I even have the "Mouse" and "Moose" ones in Spanish. I had gotten them for my daughter who speaks both Spanish and Portuguese. I even have the mouse and several cookies.

I woud love to get that book in Spanish, too. Both of my daughters speak Spanish, too. I am working on it, but not nearly as fast as I wish!

Finally I remembered that I have this book called Birds of Oklahoma: Field Guide by Stan Tekiela. So l looked up Goldfinch and it says that we have them here yearround. Yea!! Now I just need to get a feeder and see if one appears. I guess that it might take awhile for one to find the feeder. Maybe I will try a birdbath, too. However, I have enough trouble keeping up with freezing dog water in the winter. :) My big solution is to have the dog inside all the time so the water won't freeze. She likes that.

Another exciting Saturday of football. We loved our drive to see the Fall Foliage yesterday. Life is good. Take care.
--BJ

I'm not much of a poetry reading but I liked the goldfinch poem so much I copied it into my journal. As you said, it's perfect for fall, and it's so-----circular. Thanks for posting it.

And congratulations on the 75 and the Tolstoy.

Circular! Yes, that's the right word. You get a nice feeling, and it makes you think about reciprocity in life. And it's so easy to remember. I was telling a friend re: my Alzheimer moment (reading goldfish instead of goldfinch) and I could recite the whole poem. She liked it too!

I think I still liked it better when it was about goldfish.

Hi, arubabookwoman, Bonnie, and lunacat!
I am glad that you liked the poem. Reading about goldfinches, I see that they like the country better than the city. I guess because we mow over the thistles that they like to use to build their nests. I kind of like that the poem sent me off in the direction of the field guide to check them out.

I have finally caught up on my reading for my church classes, so I will return to Silver on the Tree later today. In addition to the 999, I still have to finish the Genre Challenge (3 books) and the TBR Challenge (2 books). Then I can just read whatever I want. I think that I will cut back on my challenges next year some. Thank goodness some of the books overlap between the challenges.

It is cold today and beautiful. My maple is starting to turn. I love this time of year. :)
--BJ
ETA I wonder if I will ever type a message that does not need editing for typos and grammar?

Our maples in Michigan are now leafless and bare, much like the Wolverines chances of backing into a bowl game. In honor of the approaching winter I present a stark poem, the only one I have ever taken the time to memorize. It's by Robert E. Howard, a true master of the English language

How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound.

Hey, DP!
This is my first message using the Google Chrome -- wow is it better than Internet Explorer!

I like your poem. I will have to look into Robert Howard. I wonder if I have anything by him around here?

Only 6 wins to get to a bowl, right? How many do you have? I think that there is still hope. I didn't get to watch the game on Saturday, but I was still rooting for them. In fact, the game that I did watch left towards the end of the 3rd quarter to show USC! As you can imagine, I was not amused! I called my daughter in Austin and, of course, she got to see the whole game. Too bad she wasn't taping it!

I got three books in the mail today:
Cole Porter: Selected Lyrics
A Separate Country
World Without End
The last two are for group reads in the new year. I wonder if I can hold off that long?

Wow, I see that the spellcheck works now! Maybe I won't have to edit every single message now.
--BJ
BTW, Did you get to see the stadium? What was it like? Like OSU? Surely not.

Robert Howard wrote the classic Conan the Barbarian stories, and several other Conan-like characters. Bran Mak Morn (king of the Picts), Kull of Atlantis, Cormac mac Art and some cool westerns with a very Conan-like lead character (The Vultures of Whapeton). Most of his works are short stories so check out Project Gutenberg Australia http://gutenberg.net.au and try 'The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune' (Kull), or 'The People of the Black Circle', 'Jewels of Gwahlur', or 'The Pool of the Black One' (all Conan) or really any of them that catch your interest. Not particularly lady-like dainty reading but Conan is somehow quite the gentleman with the ladies. In one of the stories he saves the girl on a rope bridge and lets the sack of jewels that he was hired to steal fall. He has his priorities. To his foes however, not so gentlemanly.
As far as being a great writer, Howard has a knack for using simple language that conveys so much imagery without over-flowering the prose. A great example that comes to mind is this rough quote. "With his last breath, Conan smiled and plucked the forgotten dagger from his boot and rammed it in to the serpent's eye." The use of plucked instead of just grabbed or drew or whatever brings up the joyous task of plucking an apple from a tree. I guess this makes him the anti-Robert Jordan, who, irony of ironies, got his start by writing overdone Conan storiesin the early '80s. Wheel of Waste of Time...

UM has 5 wins but their chances are slim. I suppose they could beat Illinois or Purdue to get eligible for a bowl, but they have no chance against Wisconsin or Ohio State. They have decent players but theeir super soft ridiculous defensive scheme is killingthem. They make a few nice plays then give up 20 on a draw play because they drop their DB's into deep coverage. The plan is to jar the ball loose or tip balls downfield but they are so exposed to the run and sneaky draws. Soft D=Many L's

I used to hate the draw play back in the day when Texas had the most awesome defense ever but was so-so on offense. The third and long quarterback draw -- to catch them by surprise -- used to make me almost ill while watching. Of course, Vince Young was the master of the draw and Colt McCoy is not so bad either. Now my big complaint is the pass to the flat as the first play of every game -- and often every first down. For years I have been watching this predictable play!! Now that one of those was finally intercepted for a touchdown (which was my fear all these years), I think that they are mixing it up more.

I think that Michigan can beat Illinois and maybe Purdue. Even OSU is not totally out of sight (depending, I guess, on where the game is played). We play OSU (OK) for Halloween. Should be scary! I just hope we get to see the whole game. :)

Thanks for the recommendations. I have been wanting to read a Conan story for a while now. I will look into it.
--BJ

Is it just me or does Colt McCoy look like he is playing below his potential this year?

His stats are not quite as good as last year; however, he has played sick for two weeks and also played injured. And the receivers have not played as well as last year. Except of course for Jordan Shipley. We really miss Quan Cosby, who played lights out last year. Also hurting his offense, I think, was the early decision not to have him run the ball. The running game without his running suffered. I can see why they did this, but he is a great scrambler. Last week, he said that it was so nice to play a game when he was healthy, although he was still somewhat injured in his thumb. I have this suspicion that lots of teams have suffered this year from the flu just from watching other teams' inconsistencies, too.

By the way, I am hearing scenarios for LSU to break past both Florida and Alabama and get a berth in the National Championship Game. They have done it before and won! To me, everyone looks vulnerable this year.

I think that Ok State will be quite a difficult test for UT next weekend. They are quite good. I hope that the team will be ready. :)
--BJ

79. Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper. This is the final book in the Dark is Rising Sequence, and I loved it! The group read of the entire series has been really fun for me.
--BJ

#256: I think LSU has a long road to hoe before any discussion of a national championship game can be taken seriously. I really think Florida has the best shot if Tebow can stay healthy. I am really sorry about the situation with Sam Bradford at Oklahoma - I would have loved to see them in a challenge for the national title.

#257: I will be reading that one in the next couple of days. Glad to see you loved it. I hope I do, too.

I just finished Silver on the Tree too! I liked it but I thought it had a sort of sad/melancholy ending. Have you ever read anything else by Susan Cooper?

Hi, Stasia and Kittybee!
I agree about the ending, but I thought it was appropriate. I have only read these Dark is Rising books by her and I liked all of them. I hope that you like it, too, Stasia! I think that Susan Cooper has written some other books but I haven't read them. I did see The Dollmaker on tv years ago which was way too sad for me. I cried and cried. Happy reading, and thanks for stopping by!
--BJ

80. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. This book has been on my tbr for about 20 years. I finally decided to read it. At first, I did not feel totally immersed in it, but the more I read, the more I liked it. Parts were humorous, other parts were sad. I can see why it made the 1001 list.
--BJ

BJ, have you ever seen any of the miniseries of Brideshead Revisited? I think it was originally for PBS or BBC in the 1980s, and it stars a young Jeremy Irons. My mom LOVES this book (as do I) and now has the miniseries on DVD. It's something like 12 hours long, but I think it's worth it just to watch even a little bit--the acting is very good, and it's true to the book

Thanks so much for the info on the miniseries. I usually enjoy a miniseries more if I have read the book. I had never heard of this miniseries, but I definitely want to see it now. Actually, I am always amazed at how many of the books I read turn out to be in miniseries (like I earlier read The Forsyte Saga). I am kind of excited that I have 3 more of his books. I bought this set of four novels 20 years ago just because I had heard of Brideshead Revisited. I can't imagine why I had never read them before. I am glad that I have hung onto them all this time. Thanks for the tip! Have a great day!
--BJ

~Big wave to BJ~ How are you?

Another recommendation from me for the Jeremy Irons miniseries... I've been a bit naughty and watched (most of) the miniseries but haven't read the book yet - and it's fantastic. Because Jeremy Irons narrates over the top of a lot of it, it retains the book's lyrical qualities too, Charles's musings on life, which might so easily have been lost. Well worth a watch!

Hi, Mark and Ellie!!
I am doing good! Still haven't read part two of People of the Book, but I am looking forward to returning to the story. I will definitely have to look out for that miniseries. For now on tv, I am watching a Great Courses series on geology which is pretty interesting. It makes me want to go to Hawai'i. Purely for academic reasons of course! :) Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!
--BJ

I've just started POTB part 2, but it's not the ideal book to be trying to read in the middle of a busy shop on Bakewell's Market Day! I've been reading it at night and in the quiet morning shop hours, and sticking to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time when it's busier. Hopefully tomorrow it will be a quieter day so I might be able to concentrate better!

I must admit that at night I keep getting carried away harvesting things on FarmVille and watching 'Charmed' on DVD. Before I know it, it's bedtime! My ex had it at university, up to about season 6 I think, and during bad times when depression had hit and strange things were going on at my halls (arsonist in residence, great stuff) we watched them for hours on end, sometimes right through 'til dawn. Now they're kinda comforting, and very addictive!

Tonight Mum and my stepdad are out for dinner, so I'm going for pizza, POTB and Starter for Ten on telly. I read the book years ago - anybody seen the movie? Or should I stick with Charmed?!

Mmmm! I'm going to have to add Brideshead Revisited to my Netflix cue.

Hi, Ellie and Bonnie!
I have never heard of Starter for Ten. But I say give it a try. The dvds are always there for backup. I have heard good things about The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime, and I have a copy. I guess I should read that one soon. Bonnie, let me know what you think about the miniseries. I loved the one on Pride and Prejudice. Y'all have a great day!
--BJ

I second, third, whatever the suggestion for the TV series of Brideshead Revisited, though IIRR it was an ITV production rather than a BBC one. Be that as it may it really was wonderful.

Hi, Robert!
Thanks for the info and recommendation. I still haven't started The Gallic and Civil Wars. It is sitting on the table right by the couch, but I suddenly got the desperate urge to finish the 999 challenge. I decided to do a scaled down 101010 challenge because it was controlling my reading too much. I hope that all is well with you. Are you still reading Julius Caesar? Have a great day!
--BJ

Update: Starter for Ten was pretty good! I actually remembered some bits from the book as I was watching it too, which was nice. James McAvoy, James Cordon, Dominic Cooper, Rebecca Hall... a quintessential Brit movie... :-)

This looks like a good one! I decided to add the book to my wishlist. Thanks for the update, Ellie!
--BJ

I'm reading Adrian Goldsworthy's biography of Julius Caesar at the moment, but I've nearly finished it.

I am at the exciting conclusion of Dances with Wolves. I am loving this book and hope to finish it today. That will be the last book for my 999. Yea!
--BJ

Congratulations, BJ! Sounds like a great book to finish on!

Hi, Bonnie!
You are right it was a wonderful book. And apparently has a different ending than the movie.

81. Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake.
--BJ

I was about to feel bad about adding to your TBR pile... and then you added Dances with Wolves to mine so now I feel better! ;-)

I think that it is fun adding to the tbr. I only hope that I have enough years left in me to get through it. It must be wonderful to have a whole store of books! :) I hope that you will like Dances with Wolves. It is not too long, but it is a terrific story. Have a wonderful Friday, the 13th! And a super weekend!
--BJ

Hey BJ- I read the book Dances with Wolves, a few years after seeing the film, which I loved and remembered it being very good. Has the author done anything else?

Hi, Mark,
My copy only lists one other book Airman Mortensen. I think he also wrote the screenplay for the movie. This is the only book that I have read by him and it was terrific.
--BJ

Here are two books that I read for one of my Church classes which has now ended.

82. Pope John Paul II's Letter to Women: Study Guide and Source Document by Pope John Paul II.

83. Pope John Paul II's Letter to Women by Erica Laethem.

I am finishing up The People of the Book and have started The Pritikin Promise which my doctor recommended to me. :)
--BJ

What did you think, BJ? I'm asking as someone who is married to a Catholic but not converted (he would say "not YET converted", ho ho) - obviously women's issues are always an interesting area to those 'on the outside', as it were.

I thought it was very good. Very respectful and appreciative of the gifts that women have. I signed up for the class as a way to cope with the empty nest syndrome and did not know what to expect. I truly enjoyed this class and will probably sign up for a follow up class next semester if there is one. Pope John Paul II wrote quite a bit and I am interested in reading some of his other writings. He was a pretty remarkable man. I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)
--BJ

84. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I read this for Mark's and Belva's group read. It was an interesting concept with a number of historical vignettes on the history of this special book. I especially loved the descriptions of the pigments created and used in the illuminations. I would never have the patience to be an artist, but I surely do appreciate the result of all that effort.

Still reading the Pritikin book. It looks like to me that with all of my food allergies, I am not going to have very much to eat on this diet. But I will give it a whirl for a month (after Thanksgiving, my fav meal of the year!).

I have started The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy for the 2009 genre challenge. This was supposed to be my book for October, so I am late with it. Only two more challenges to finish up by the end of the year. Happy Turkey Day!!
--BJ

Congratulations on wrapping up all but 2 of your challenges, BJ!

Thanks! I am thinking about cutting down on them next year. There have been so many other books that I have wanted to read but didn't get to this year.
--BJ

#288: There have been so many other books that I have wanted to read but didn't get to this year.

I can completely empathasize :)

We all can! I'm glad I tried the 999 challenge because I got to "meet" some great people that I wouldn't have otherwise, but next year I'm going to read whatever I want, when I want. Whoo hoo! :-)

Yeah - though it did "force" me to read some books that I might otherwise not have gotten to - I still felt "obligated" to read something in a genre out of my comfort zone, so to speak, but it was quite an experience

i will still try and read one book in each genre I selected for the 1010 but am glad I don't have to find 10 in each genre

I'm also just doing the 1010 and not a 100 also

Last year I finished the 888 at the end of December. So I did not really think I could finish the 999. I did finish it in November, but it still controlled all of my reading. However, I also picked much more flexible categories. Just reading 56 this year will help. :)
--BJ

>290 bonniebooks:: "Whatever, whenever"...that sounds like my reading goal as well.

It is true that you meet new people on the various challenges, but my temperament just kind of rebels when I feel like I have to do something -- even if it is something I want to do. Probably not making sense here!

BJ, I just want to say how I admire the fact that you have read so many long, difficult books this year. I have enjoyed following your journey.

Thanks so much for your kind words! I kind of like those long classics. :) I am planning to read Moby Dick next year, which has been on my tbr forever. I was going to try to squeeze in The Count of Monte Cristo before the end of the year since I have heard so many wonderful things about it, but I don't think I will get it done. I know what y'all mean about just reading whatever, whenever. There have been a few times where I had trouble sticking to my game plan this year. A few books got put down for a long time (like The Forsyte Saga). That is why I think next year will be more relaxed. The biggest problem is that there are too many choices out there and whatever anyone else is reading always sounds so tempting.
--BJ

#293: It is true that you meet new people on the various challenges, but my temperament just kind of rebels when I feel like I have to do something -- even if it is something I want to do. Probably not making sense here!

I understand that exactly! The reason why my 'must read' list for the year got ditched is because I felt like it became a job, rather than something to be enjoyed and relished.

I'm doing the 1010 thing this year - it's my first time doing this sort of challenge so it'll be interesting to see how I get on. I'm cheating a little and picking 5 books per category, not 10, so hopefully I might be able to read some free choices too. I'm just finding that with Mount TBR growing ever bigger, unless I really fancy reading something particular, when I finish one book I don't know where to start picking another! Maybe this year I can reduce it down enough for me to Read Free in 2011... :-)

billiejean
I haven't stopped by in awhile. Yours is a very popular busy and popular thread and I regret that I didn't keep up.

Congratulations on reaching the 75 goal!

>288 billiejean: and 289 That's my problem with all the challenges. Books come up that I really want to read and I can't get them in. I'm sticking to the open-ended challenges like The Pulitzer and Orange Prize and Booker Challenge. That way when something else comes along I don't have to miss out or feel guilty about abandoning the challenge.

Hi, Stasia, Ellie, Linda, and brenzi,
How nice to see everyone stopping by! There definitely needs to be a balance in the challenges, y'all are so right!! I have trouble with the balance part. :) I also signed up for the 1010 because everyone is so nice, but I also limited the challenge. I just can't read 100 books. I think I will be a lot happier with the smaller challenge.

Thanks so much for the congrats, Linda! I also need to catch up on your thread. I have fallen so far behind with all the traveling that I am doing these days.

Hope all of you are having a great weekend!
--BJ

Congratulations to the Longhorns for winning the Big 12 South. I think they will win the Big 12 championship game against Nebraska fairly easily.

Do you think McCoy will win the Heisman?

I am totally biased!! I thought he should have won it last year. At the ceremony, they showed all the stats that he was #1 on. Bradford did not have those kinds of stats. I think that Bradford won because OU really likes to run up the score and not play backups late in the game. Bradford, however, is a major talent, and I am totally biased. Plus, he is a nice person. But he had trouble when he lost that great O-line. McCoy has played great consistently even when he had O-line problems. Now he is the winningest quarterback ever and will probably have the highest completion percentage ever, but the sportscasters seem to downplay him when discussing voting. They did the same thing to Vince Young, who I thought absolutely should have won. So, I don't really think he will win. But I do think he should. On an interesting side note, the winner of the Heisman often loses the bowl game. So my husband does not really care if he loses the Heisman again, because it is such a distraction.

We still have to play Texas A&M on Thursday -- a super tough game in College Station. And Nebraska is looking quite good these days. So I do hope UT wins the Big 12, but I am not sure it will happen.

I was sorry to see LSU lose. I was rooting for them the whole way. Did you know that the Ole Miss quarterback transferred from UT? He is pretty good. And we kind of needed him when Colt got injured, but he had already gone. He has been pretty successful there -- even beating Florida.

Sorry to go on and on about football. It is about all I am thinking of these days. :)
Have a super Thanksgiving, Stasia!
--BJ

Aha! That's where I've heard Jevin Snead's name before. He's the guy that McCoy outplayed and put on the bench a few years ago! LSU really needed to rush their kick team out since they couldn't kill the clock like that with only 1 second remaining, but that's such a hectic situation that they were probably just screwed anyway no matter what they tried. And Nebraska is actually mediocre to decent but Ndumacong (?) Suh is a man amongst boys, he will bust somebody's chops. Look out for #93, he's a defensive tackle that runs like a linebacker. The Flying Pellini brothers will have the blackshirts ready and they might have a chance, even though Texas is clearly a more talented team. Maybe Mack Brown will screw it up again, but who knows. I'm sorry we have to be opposing rivals in your 'Horns' next few games but that's just the way it is. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if UT beat A&M, though, but I've rooted for your hated Aggies for a long time on Thanksgiving night. A four story high bonfire will do that to a young kid who loved football on TV.

And for my money, Red Storm Rising is Clancy's best. Hunt for Red October was really good, but RSR was better. I'd really like to catch up on his Jack Ryan books but after Patriot Games I was totally turned off. That was one of the most disappointing and boring books I've ever read, at least in that size, so I haven't continued. I did pick up the few later Ryan stories that I was missing this summer and I will read them eventually, skipping over PG, of course.

Hey, DP!
First, everyone, please forgive my rant on the Heisman. I am totally biased and a little over the top on the subject. By the way, did anyone see Vince Young lead the Titans to the 4th victory in a row against the Texans?

I don't hate the Aggies, although I definitely don't root for them in this game. When I lived in Texas, everyone was either an Aggie or a Longhorn, so I had lots of Aggie friends. (Of course, now there are lots of Tech fans, too!) I am a little nervous about the game. The best team does not always win. And this is the 10th anniversary of the Aggie bonfire tragedy. And only 4 days to get ready!

Suh is some kind of football player. I still think of Nebraska with a lot of respect in the football arena, although they have not been as good of late. They look like they are coming back, though! :)

I cannot recall if I read Red Storm Rising, although I think that maybe I did. The last Clancy that I read was Executive Decision, kind of creepy to think about it now. The one I am reading (well, I have only just barely started it) is going to be about Jack, Jr., I think. He has not yet been introduced as a character, which shows how close I am to the beginning. This book is called The Teeth of the Tiger. Next, I think I will look for a Vince Flynn book. I have been hearing good things about them.

Gotta run. Happy reading!
--BJ

I think you meant Executive Orders, and yes I saw the Titans game. I needed the Texans to get that FG and pick up a few yards in OT for a fantasy league win, but I lost for the 7th week out of the last 8. Shaub and Andre Johnson had to get me a tad more but my luck ran out as usual. You'd think after 15 years of fantasy Football I'd be used to this but I still have red rage 'Mongo smash' moments.

You are right. It was Executive Orders. I have never really understood how fantasy football works. And I don't really follow the NFL as well as the college games. But I saw that the top two quarterbacks last weekend played each other. Interesting. I think it was Detroit and Cleveland? Looks like that would have been a good game to see.

I just can't really get into supporting the Texans because I was an Oilers fan (and Dallas). And, of course, a big fan of VY.
--BJ

Fantasy football is pretty simple. You get some pals together (8-12 is best), pick your teams and each week you set a lineup and get points based on their performance. The points scale is set by each league but ours are pretty standard. For example Vince Young had 116 yards passing (5 points, 1 per 20 yards), 73 yards rushing (7 pts, 1 per 10), 1TD (6 pts), 1 fumble (-2), and no sacks or INT's(-1 per sack, -3 for a pick) for a total of 16 points. Then you add up the RB's, WR's, kickers and Defense/Special Teams and get your score for the week. This used to take an hour or so for two of us to calculate from newspaper box scores but we do it online now, which is easier and more correct. As to that sloppy Cleveland Detroit game, it was fun to watch, but it was like watching two JV teams play and it came down to who would screw up last. Stafford (the Lions rookie QB from Georgia) had 422 yards, 5 TD's, 2 Int's and 1 sack, which adds up to 21+30+(-6)+(-1)=44 fantasy points. Both teams have a few good players but they are very mediocre to poor compared to the rest of the NFL. Stafford and Calvin Johnson are great, CJ is the best young WR in the NFL, but the Browns are just plain poor. I'm a Browns fan of long standing. I got off the Lions ship in 1984 when Billy Sims blew his knee out again and decided that I liked the Browns' mud colored uniforms, their outdoor field and their fans. I remembered that Sims game as being against the Oilers, but Wikipedia says it was the Vikings. He jumped over the line, got traction off what I recall as a white helmet, flew through the air like a cartoon character, then when he landed a safety wiped out both of his legs. Career over, and I blame it on that awful astroturf in that stupid Silverdome downstate in Pontiac, which someone just bought a few weeks ago at a public auction for 500 and some odd thousand dollars. Not bad for an 85000 seat indoor stadium with good connections to I-75. Just a bonus FYI.

Still having significant computer problems, but I just wanted to say thanks for the explanation about fantasy football. It seems to me that schedule could be almost as important as talent as far as points are concerned.

Did not get to read on my Thanksgiving trip and am now behind on my challenges. I better get with it!!
--BJ

Playing matchups with borderline players is key, but sticking with your elite players is the best plan. And as to the computer problems, seriously consider a macintosh. I'm on my 5th one since 1986 and my current iMac will be a part of my library until the monitor fries, which is the most common problem with a very old model. Hopefully I'll get at least 20 years of use out of it, as it is only for storing my ebooks and some classical music. A good mac can be bought on ebay for a few hundred dollars that will work just fine for most computer users (internet, email, digital photography, printer/scanners that just plug in and work, no janky Windows BS, there's even a free Microsoft office clone out there (they do suggest a donation of your choice (I might as well add this for a rare, non-algebra triple parentheses))). I could go on a long technical lecture series here, but I'll save it.
As to the college coaching carousel, ND needs to hire that guy from TCU. The Horned Frogs are undefeated and ranked #4 or so, depending on which poll you like, and they might not get picked for a BCS spot. He's done all he can there. Let Stoops sit at OU and be mediocre to decent so I can feel good about Nebraska beating them in the future. And I'm sure Mike Sherman at A&M will do well, with his NFL general manager/head coach experience. They do need to bring back that bonfire though, safety be damned.

I definitely like that triple parentheses!!

They did bring the bonfire back at A&M, almost right away. I guess the students loved it too much. I think that maybe making it smaller is all that is needed, and they might have made it smaller for a while. I'm not totally sure, but I do know that they brought back the bonfire years ago. That coach looks to be much better than the last one.

I agree that the TCU coach is definitely up for bigger things. But I thought that with a number 4 ranking he was guaranteed a BCS spot. The Cincy coach could also move up. It is an interesting BCS year. Still have hope for a playoff.

This computer problem has been a rare one, but it is a pain. I think we are going to switch to windows 7. I used to work on a mac but never really got to where I liked it. Those who do though are certainly loyal.
--BJ

There are no guarantees for the Mountain West conference, or the WAC. Brian Kelly used to be the coach at CMU, in fact he brought his CMU staff to Cincinnati after they had coached the Motor City Bowl and they helped Cincy to a bowl win a few weeks later. The last time Notre Dame had a Central Mich. coach was Tyrone Willingham and that didn't work too well, in fact Charlie Weis apparently couldn't clean up his mess.

Did you see the OU v. OSU game (Oregon, that is) last night? Pretty exciting, although I was rooting for Oregon State.

I am getting excited about the game on Saturday. Tonight our kids' high school is playing for the State Championship against their biggest rival. It is going to be so cold!!! Why is it always cold for this game when the weather can be perfectly fine any other day??? Anyway, we have tickets and a blanket and are ready to go.

I spent the last two days in continuing education classes, so not much reading going on. But today I return to Clancy. Then I need to read Age of Innocence, which I am hoping will count for two different challenges. Otherwise, I am not going to make it. I forget how hectic this time of year is.
--BJ

Congratulations to the high schoolers! I hope they win (and that you stay warm)!

I missed the OU/OSU game unfortunately. Glad it was a good one.

What? Oregon State? My son goes to University of Oregon and I lived and worked in Eugene while my ex-H was finishing school there, so I would have been rooting for the other side--if I cared! ;-) I know where my son was last night though. It's 3:15 our time, so he's probably awake by now--if he ever went to bed. Happy reading, BJ! I always enjoy your posts even when I don't understand a word you and your football-loving pals have said. :-)

You are so lucky, Longhorns lover! And if I didn't think that those little semicolon/parentheses faces are unbearably silly, I'd make one with its tongue sticking out. >:{P Like that, only ornerier and with a bigger moustache. Maybe with some of this - F@$&! At least that was an awesome defensive game, just the way I like it. It was also nice to see UT get out of that hole after that last kickoff where the guy muffed it and they called him down at the one. He didn't have the ball when his knee was down. Hopefully Nebraska's offense will be better next year. If I were a Longhorns fan, I'd be really worried about Alabama bringing their boots. Hopefully that high school game went your way, and wouldn't it have been nice to have Oregon State in the Rose Bowl? 1966 or '64 was a really long time ago in football years, not that many in real years.

Hi, Stasia, Bonnie, and DP!
Well, my high school team got totally stomped!! It was 32-0 at halftime. And it was freezing. We had to leave as I couldn't stand the cold. I am such a wimp!! This was the worst game that I had ever seen this team play ever!!

And Bonnie, I think that Oregan has had a stand out year this year! The PAC 10, right?

DP, I felt physically ill during the entire game!! I was texting my sunny daughter in Austin and she kept optimistic throughout, but omigosh. I was beginning to wonder why I like football so much when it is so upsetting!!! And Alabama looked unbelievable! But I guess that if we do get to play them, which I don't think is a lock, at least we have faced a couple of tough defenses this year. And no one will expect us to win, which takes the pressure off, right?

And what about the Cincy - Pitt game? And what about USC - Arizona? What a day for football. Would it be possible to have Stoops v. Stoops in the bowl game?

On a lighter note, I guess now we won't have to worry about the Heisman curse, will we? I think that Colt must have gotten a little mixed up from all those billion hits he took, because I think he will look back at that third down play and say, "What was I thinking?"

OK, I need to have a cup of coffee and try to get my mind calm before teaching Sunday School.
--BJ

Sorry to hear about your high school team.

Texas got lucky against Nebraska that is for sure, but I think the game may cost Colt McCoy in the Heisman voting.

I was rooting for Pitt against Cincy, so that 1 point is a killer for me!

Just dropping into say hi and let you know I'm hovering and reading - I just have NO idea what you're talking about! My Britishness strikes back... I'm going to do one of those smiley faces now, haters look away! :-)

BJ, I couldn't even watch the last few minutes of the UT game last night--I woke up this morning and was happily surprised to see that we won!

Glad I'm not the only one, ellie.

Hi, Stasia, Ellie, Carlym, and Robert!
I am feeling much better now. :)

Stasia, I think that you are right about the Heisman. I am now on board with those thinking that Suh should get it. Wow!!! I guess this was a bit a of a preview of the next game. Defensive games like that are so scary. It truly looked like Nebraska had extra men on the field when on defense every play.

Carly, to me it was just like a train wreck. Too awful to see but impossible to look away. I remember when UT played Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship in 96 or so. Back then, I did not think we had any chance. I watched but not closely. (I had to do something for the kids, I think.) My husband kept saying that we could win. And we did! On a great 4th down play which lead to the game winning touchdown. For some reason, I was thinking that James Brown was the quarterback, but I can't recall for sure. Anyway, after all this time, I thought that last night could be payback.

Ellie and Robert, lets just say that football is the greatest game ever played. I think that rugby might be similar, but not as loved as football is here.

I am hoping that the high school football team is recovering from the big loss. They did play better in the second half, but could not stop the amazingly well-prepared opponent. Luckily, there is plenty of time to get ready for next year! :)

It is sad that the season is almost over for the year. What will I do for 6 months?
--BJ

By the way, any tips for the O-line? Losing Suh in less than one second when double-teaming indicates a problem.
--BJ

#322: Texas' offensive line was well and truly outplayed by Nebraska's, IMHO, and if Alabama is smart (which they decidedly are with a coach like Nick Saban), I would use the same game plan against them that Nebraska did. At this point in the season, I am not sure there is any fix for the offensive line.

You are right about the last Big 12 Championship matchup between UT and Nebraska, and I thought the same thing. I think we ruined their shot at the national championship then, and I'm sure they were thinking about that this weekend.

The commentators keep talking about how UT's o-line is good this year, and I think they must be looking at a different team. McCoy really got beat up by Nebraska (and by A&M). He's got to have a little time to throw.

My husband rewatched the first half last night. I just couldn't. Anyway, he saw some things that could have gone a different way. A few passes not dropped and we could have had 14 more points. I am remaining cautiously optimistic with low expectations. Alabama is great, but no one could be at the level of Suh. I hope! While it is true that it is late in the season to fix the O-Line (which I have been lamenting all season), maybe a few changes could be made in the next month. Just a little more time would help. Or maybe it just isn't going to go well at all. Yikes!
--BJ

I know it's a bit late, but I wanted to say, Congratulations on surpassing your goal of 75 books. And to show the full meaning of how excited I am:

Thanks for the congrats! Looks like Jean-Claude! Lionheart?

My computer is finally fixed and it is a dream! Yea!
--BJ

Jean-Claude, but Bloodsport.

Congrats!

Right, right! How could I forget? I have only seen that one once.

And congrats to Mark Ingram for winning the Heisman. What a great person. I was so happy for him. :)
--BJ

Yay! Your computer's fixed. I know what that's like.



And a huzzah for Ingram, too.

destinyhascheatedme - I love your Data video clip!

Yes, I would have to say that it captures exactly how I have been feeling lately about the old computer. Even typing on the keyboard seems so much smoother now. Yea!!
--BJ

What kind of keyboard are you using? Qwerty of Dvorak? Switch to Dvorak!*

Oh, and watch this. You'll enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGtucrJ8hM

*If you want, I can give you a long list of reasons why Dvorak is far superior to Qwerty.

>331 craso::
I'm glad you enjoyed it, craso. But it's not mine, all credit goes to Edward Bayntun & Movie Moron.

OK, that was hilarious! My younger daughter has had trouble with 2 -- count 'em -- 2 printers at college this semester. Luckily, the second one surrendered. The first one is now an extra one for us, which turns out to be lucky. Once we switch to Windows 7 our trusty old scanner won't work anymore.

I don't know what Dvorak means. I thought he was a composer. I am not sure that I can switch keyboards at this point. I already know where all the letters are. :)

By the way, I was rooting for Navy in the Army-Navy game in honor of my father-in-law who served in the Navy in WW2. And luckily I found the FCS games and the division 2 games on tv, too. They have playoffs and finish before Christmas!!! It can be done!!! Then the rest of the bowls could be after Christmas!!!!

Well, my doggie on the diet has discovered that she can get into the kibbles all by herself. Better go supervise or all that progress will be reversed in one sitting. :)
--BJ

BJ, I sympathize with you on trying to get your dog to lose weight! My cats have chewed through kibble bags before--I now have to put the food into a plastic container as soon as a bring it into the house. They have also gained weight on diet food!

>334 billiejean:
If you're using a Qwerty keyboard, you're at a huge disadvantage. It was designed to be counterproductive. Think of it in evolutionary terms. In the beginning, there were a variety of keyboard layouts, from the letters arranged in alphabetical order, to Maltron. And, with the market working as the force of selection, only the best, most efficient design will win out, right? Back in the old days, typewriters were prone to jamming if you typed too fast, so manufacturers deployed a variety of nefarious schemes to slow people down, such as scattering the most commonly punched letters and concentrating them on the left-hand side (where right-handed people have to use their weaker hand, although polar bears should do fine) and thus we have the Qwerty keyboard. When revealed in 1873, it was hailed as a true feat of anti-engineering. Sidenote: if you look at the top row, you can see that all the letters for "TYPEWRITER" are all up there, so that typewritter salesmen could use that as a sales pitch, demonstrating how fast you can write with one of these gadgets. Anayhow, a Dvorak keyboard is easier to learn, and will double your typing speed, as well as reducing the work your hands have to do by 95 percent. The only reason the Qwerty's still around is because of tradition. Like the Pardoning of the Turkeys by the White House (truly Homo Sapiens at our least sapient) or the running of the bulls. If you're already sufficient at the Qwerty, it'll take you a longer time to be proficient at a Dvorak, because there's so much you'll have to UN-learn, but you won't regret it. Although . . . good luck finding a Dvorak. There's not much demand; that's one reason I'm writing this, to let people know (and I really really hate Qwerty, and Dvorak is really the only alternative out there). The market, and evolution, is blind. One only need look at the appendix and the popularity of Matthew McConaughey movies (Contact being the exception that proves the rule) to realize that. A more practical example is the compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which were invented around the same time as Edison's lightbulb, but which took until the 21st century to gain any momentum. Same for the electric car. Other examples include the politician and Radio Shack.

To freely convert your computer to a Dvorak layout, try:

http://dvorak-keyboard.com/

Good luck with your dog. It's hard enough with people, and we're supposed to be sentient!

Thanks for the info on the keyboard. One of my daughters is a leftie, so she will be glad to know that one thing in this world favors her!!! I have to say that I really, really don't like compact fluorescent bulbs, and I gave them a try many, many years ago. I guess that LED is the future for me.

Actually, the dog has lost over 10 pounds! Pretty good! My diet is helping her. Not as much food around for either of us. I do have a plastic container, but I was late putting the food in.

Well, I am off to Texas! See y'all later!!
--BJ

Good catch on the LEDs. And enjoy Christmas with your family in Texas!



Ho ho ho!

Hey there BJ! Just stopping by to say hi and wish you a Merry Christmas! :) I know it's a bit early, but I don't know if I'll be able to go online again soon.

Hi, destinyhascheatedme and Tammie!
Thanks so much for the Merry Christmas wishes! And I love the Star Wars sleigh!

I am having a wonderful Christmas break with my girls. We are making cookies!! Yea!

Merry Christmas to one and all!
--BJ

#340: I hope you and the girls have a great time baking Christmas cookies (you could always drop some by Sherman, lol). Have a wonderful Christmas, BJ!

merry christmas, bj

Thanks for the Christmas wishes!! We did have fun making lemonade cookies. Apparently, I had forgotten to teach them that you can make cookies from scratch. It was so much fun. Merry Christmas to you too, Stasia and koalamom!
--BJ

Merry Christmas, everyone! We got our white Christmas -- 6 inches of snow!
--BJ

I got my white Christmas, too, BJ! (although only 2 inches of snow)

Our snow is still here, but melting. Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas.

Merry Christmas. I'm so envious. The only snow in California are the fake (toxic) foam kind or the kind that lands you in jail. Although I did wake up early enough to see that there were some frost on the grass! YEah! It's a miracle.

What irony. You got a huge blizzard in Tulsa with a hint of Lake Superior in it and up here in MI we got lousy freezing rain from Arkansas.

Merry Christmas, everyone!! For those who got snow, I am so happy for you. For those who didn't, I will send good wishes for a Happy New Year snow!

I saw on tv there was snow in the Florida Keys -- manufactured of course. :)

By the way, I had no idea that Frank Solich was coaching at Ohio until the game started today. He has done pretty well there already, I guess.

I think that I will start reading again after my company that is arriving soon leaves. So I won't finish those last two challenges after all. But I did get a new book for Christmas, and two cookbooks. Yea!
--BJ

Congratulations on the books for Christmas!

Solich Schmolich. He's the guy that ruined Nebraska's streaks for 43 straight winning seasons, 40 9-win seasons and 40 straight bowl games (approximates but definitely the right magnitudes). What he didn't ruin Bill Callahan did, he's the guy that lost the winning seasons streak with Solich's players. There's a big difference between the Big 12 and the MAC, and he's a pretty good X's and O's guy, maybe he's too nice of a guy to really succeed at the highest level. That happens sometimes in recruiting new players, like using Joe Paterno's or Bobby Bowden's age against them, only implying that a really nice friendly guy lacks aggressiveness or some such.

Hope it's been a lovely Christmas for you BJ! I didn't really read on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, but now the family commitments are done I have a window of opportunity before my auntie and her hubbie arrive for a couple of days. Woe betide anyone who tries to persuade me that maybe I could break away from the 'book and pyjamas' thing I've got going on right now!

Woe betide anyone who tries to persuade me that maybe I could break away from the 'book and pyjamas' thing I've got going on right now!

LOL! Me too! Although, since I'm staying with my mom, I've had to stop to chat, eat Christmas leftovers and work on a Christmas puzzle with her. Together we finished it in one day! Yay!

Enjoy your time with you girls, BJ!

It has definitely been a wonderful Christmas!! Still loads of snow on the ground but the main roads are much improved. The PJ and books thing sounds lovely. I will give that a go in January. My diet is wrecked. I will have to get busy before my recheck visit to the dr.

I realize, of course, that Solich did not really succeed at Nebraska standards. But I am glad to see Ohio have some success these days. Or maybe I just don't keep up with Ohio enough to know how their team is.

I see that predictions give Texas only a 1 in 3 chance in the bowl game. That is the way I like it. I am going to try to be nonchalant about the whole thing. Just glad they made the game. :) Who cares about the final score???

I need to try to wander over to the 2010 75 challenge and get a thread started soon. It is almost here.
--BJ

Link us in over here when you do... I want to get you starred for 2010!

Peace, love and good will all coming your way from me dear --BJ. I love you and wish you the best in 2010.
big new year hug,
belva

Happy New Year, BJ!

Happy New Year, BJ! I know a lot of people can say this, but...You were the first person to respond to my very first thread on LT, so you'll always be special to me!

Happy New Year! :)

Happy New Year BJ! How many books did you end up finishing in 2009? What's the goal for 2010? I managed to eek out 51. The last part of the year was difficult for me to finish because of my work schedule.

Take Care - Julie

Hello, Ellie, Belva, Stasia, Bonnie, Tammie and Julie!!!
Happy New Year to everyone!! I have had company, so have not been able to get on the internet for several days. I ended up reading 84 books, but stopped well before the end of the year. Just too much going on! But I am excited to start reading again. New group reads are starting now!

Thanks so much everyone for all the wonderful conversation, suggestions, and discussions. I will try to get the new threads started tonight and link them here.

Here is to a prosperous (or at least break even) and happy and healthy new year for us all!
--BJ

Hi BJ - Happy New Year! I was looking for your new thread in order to say hi and star it. I'll drop by again when you get the new one set up! Joanne

Hi, Joanne! I am running behind getting things started this year. Here at last is the link to my new 75 book challenge.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/81561&newpost=1#lastmsg

I hope to see everyone there! Happy New Year! 2010! Wow!!
--BJ