Medlem: girlunderglass

Thought of you today :)

http://paisleepress.blogspot.com/2009/11...

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 8:28 am (EST) Nov 10, 2009

Here's the whole list alphabetized, Eliza, if you want it. If not, you can just dump it. I do really like having it. I feel much more confident in the recommendations, considering they're people's favorites. Happy reading! :-)

An Alphabetized List of Your Top Tens for 2009
Abani, Chris: GraceLand
Achebe, Chinua: Things Fall Apart
Ackerley, J.R. Hindoo Holiday
Adamson, Gil: The Outlander
Adiga, Aravind: The White Tiger
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi: Purple Hibiscus
Allen, Sarah Addison: Garden Spells
Alexie, Sherman: Absolutely True diary of a Part-Time Indian
Anderson, M.T.: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume 1
Atwood, Margaret: Alias Grace
Atwood, Margaret: The Handmaid's Tale
Atwood, Margaret: The Penelopiad
Atwood, Margaret: The Robber Bride
Austen, Jane: Emma
Auster, Paul: The New York Trilogy
Azzopardi, Trezza: The Hiding Place
Bahr, Howard: The Black Flower
Baker, Russ: Family of Secrets
Bakker, Gerbrand: The Twin
Balzac, Honore: Old Goriot
Banks, Ian: The Player of Games
Barbery, Muriel: The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Barlow, Tony: Sharp Teeth
Barry, Brunonia: The Lace Reader
Batataille, Marion: ABC3D
Bauby, Jean-dominique: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Bauermeister, Erica: The School of Essential Ingredients
Bazell, Josh: Beat the Reaper
Bemrose, John: The Island Walkers
Benioff, David: City of Thieves
Benson, E.F.: Mrs. Ames
Benson, Mary: At the Still Point
Bishop, Holley: Robbing the Bees
Blixen, Karen: Out of Africa
Bolano, Roberto: 2666
Boyle, Kay: Thirty Stories
Boyne, John: Mutiny on the Bounty
Bourdain, Anthony: Kitchen Confidential
Bradbury, Ray: Dandelion Wine
Bruen, Ken: The Guards
Bryson, Bill: Notes From a Big Country
Bulgakov, Mikhail: The Master and Margarita
Butcher, Jim: Princeps Fury
Butcher, Jim: Turn Coat
Carroll, Lewis: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Chace, James: Acheson: The Secretary of State Who Created the American World
Chang, Jung: Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
Chaon, Dan: Await Your Reply
Chaplin, Charlie: My Autobiography
Child, Julia: My Life in France
Coelho, Paulo: The Alchemist
Collins, Susan: The Hunger Games
Collins, Wilkie: The Woman in White
Cooper, Gwen: Homer's Odyssey
Courtenay, Bruce: The Power of One
Cullen, David: Columbine
Cummings, Quinn: Notes From the Underwire
Davies, Robertson: The Deptford Trilogy
de la Parra, Teresa: Iphigenia]
Diamond, Jared: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Diamond, Jared: The Third Chimpanzee
Dickens, Charles: Little Dorrit
di Lampedusa, Giuseppe Tomasi: The Leopard
Dunn, Mark: Ella Minnow Pea
Du Marier, Daphne: Rebecca
Earley, Tony: Jim the Boy
Easterly, William: White Man's Burden
Erdrich, Louise: The Plague of Doves
Emecheta, Buchi: The Joys of Motherhood
Enger, Leif: Peace Like a River
Evans, Polly: On a Hoof and a Prayer
Fallada, Hans: Every Man Dies Alone
Ferris, Joshua: Then We Came to an End
Fforde, Jasper: The Big Over Easy
Figes, Orlando: The Whisperers
Findley, Timothy: The Piano Man's Daughter
Ford, Jamie: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Francis, Brian: Fruit
Frank, Anne: Diary of a Young Girl
Frank, Thomas: What's the Matter With Kansas?
Fraser, Antonia: The Pleasure of Reading
Frazier, Charles: Thirteen Moons
Frost, Jeaniene: Halfway to the Grave
Funke, Cornelia: Inkheart
Galloway, Janice: Clara
Galloway, Stephen: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Garton-Ash, Timothy: The File
Gaskell, Elizabeth: Wives and Daughters
Genova, Lisa: Still Alice
Gibbons, Stella: Cold Comfort Farm
Gilbert, Elizabeth: Eat, Pray, Love
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins: The Yellow Wallpaper
Golden, Arthur: Memoirs of a Geisha
Goldsworthy, Peter: Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam
Goodwin, Doris Kearns: Team of Rivals
Grace, Patricia: At the Still Point; Waiariki
Grandin, Temple: Animals Make Us Human
Grann, David: The Lost City of Z
Green, Graham: The Ministry of Fear
Grenville, Kate: The Idea of Perfection
Groff, Lauren: The Monsters of Templeton
Grossman, Vasili: Life and Fate
Gruen, Sara: Water for Elephants
Gurnah, Abdulrazak: Desertion
Haddon, Mark: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Hage, Rawi: De Niro's Game
Hajdu, David: The Ten-Cent Plague
Hale, Shannon: Rapunzel's Revenge
Halse Anderson, Laurie: Wintergirls
Hammett, Dashiell: Red Harvest
Harding, Paul: Tinkers
Hendry, Rebecca: Grace River
Hoffman, Alice: The Ice Queen
Hollinghurst, Alan: The Line of Beauty
Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner
Hosseini, Khaled: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Hornby, Nick: The Complete Polysyllabic Spree
Hornby, Nick: Housekeeping vs. The Dirt
Horsley, Kate: Confessions of a Pagan Nun
Houellebecq, Michel: Atomized
Hustvedt, Siri: What I Loved
Irving, John: The Cider House Rules
Irving, John: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Kazuo, Ishigura: The Remains of the Day
James, Henry: Portrait of a Lady
Jamison, Kay Redfield: Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illnes and the Artistic Temperament
Jelloun, Tahar: This Blinding Absence of Light
Johnston, Wayne: The Colony of Unrequited Dreams
Jones, Gail: Sorry
Jordan, Hillary: Mudbound
Jostein, Gaarder: Sophie's World
Kapuscinski, Ryszard: The Shadow of the Sun
Kawabata, Yasunari: The Master of Go
Kent, Kathleen: The Heretic's Daughter
Kidd, Sue Monk: The Secret Life of Bees
Kingsolver, Barbara: The Poisonwood Bible
Kirn, Walter: Up in the Air
Kluger, Steve: Last Days of Summer
Knisley, Lucy: French Milk
Kopelman, Jay: From Baghadad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava
Kramer, Clara: Clara's War, One Girl's Story of Survival
Krazikov, Sana: One More Year
Lahari, Jumpha: Interpreter of Maladies
Lamb, Wally: The Hour I First Believed
Land, Brad: Goat: A Memoir
Larson, Stieg: The Girl Who Played with Fire
Larson, Stieg: The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo
Lawson, Mary: Crow Lake
Le Carre, John: Smiley's People
Lee, Harper: To Kill a Mockingbird
Lehane, Dennis: The Given Day
Levy, Andrea: Small Island]
Lipman, Elinor: Inn at Lake Devine
London, Joan: Gilgamesh
Longfellow, Ki: The Secret Magdalene
Lowry, Lois: The Giver
Ludum, Robert: The Bourne Trilogy
Lychack, William: The Wasp Eater
Lynch, Jim: Border Songs
MacDonald, Anne-Marie: Fall on Your Knees
MacDonald, George: The Highlander's Last Song
MacMillan, Margaret: Paris 1919
Maguire, Gregory: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Mandel, Emily St. John: Last Night in Montreal
Mann, Charles C.: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Maraini, Dacia: The Silent Duchess
Marchetta, Melina: Jellcoe Road
Martel, Yann: Life of Pi
Matin, P.D.: Body Count
Matthieseen, Peter: Shadow Country
McCann, Colum: Let the Great World Spin
McCarthy, Cormac: All the Pretty Horses
McCarthy, Cormad: Blood Meridian
McCarthy, Cormac: The Road
McEwan: Atonement
McKinley, Robin: Sunshine
Maynard, Joyce: Labor Day]
Mercer, Jeremy: Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs: The Left Bank World of Shakespeare & Co.
Min, Anchee: Empress Orchid
Mitchell, David: Black Swan Green
Monroe, Alice: The View From Castle Rock
Moore, Christopher: Lamb
Morrison, Tony: A Mercy
Mortensen, Greg: Three Cups of Tea
Morton, Kate: The Forgotten Garden
Morton, Kate: The House at Riverton
Murakami, Haruki: Norwegian Wood; The Wild Sheep Chase
Murphy, Lynda and Julie Rugg: A Book Addict's Treasury
Nemirovsky, Irene: Suite Francaise
Newport, Jerry and Mary: Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger's Love Story
Niffenegger, Audrey: The Time Traveler's Wife
Obmascik, Mark: The Big Year
Ogawa, Yoko: The Housekeeper and the Professor
Olmstead, Robert: Far Bright Star
O'Reilly, Tim: The Twitter Book
Otsuka, Julie: When The Emperor Was Divine
Palahniuk, Chuck: Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
Patchett, Ann: Bel Canto
Pausch, Randy: The Last Lecture
Pears, Iain: An Instance of the Fingerpost
Peck, M. Scott: In Search of Stones
Pennell, Joseph Stanley: The History of Rome Hanks and Kindred Matters
Peterson, Will: Triskellion
Petterson, Per: Out Stealing Horses
Phillips, Jayne Anne: Lark & Termite
Pollan, Michael: Omnivore's Dilemma
Proulx, E. Annie: The Shipping News
Raabe, Tom: Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction
Remarque, Erich Maria: All Quiet of the Western Front
Rhodes, Dan: Gold
Rhodes, Jewel Parker: Douglas's Women
Robertson, Don: The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread
Robinson, Marilynne: Housekeeping
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life
Ruesch, Hans: Top of the World
Rushdie, Salman: Midnight's Children
Russell, Mary Doria: A Thread of Grace
Sabato, Haim: The Dawning of the Day: A Jerusalem Tale
Safran Foer, Jonathan: Everything is Illuminated
Satrapi, Marjane: Persepolis
Savage, Sam: Firmin
Setterfield, Diane: Thirteenth Tale
Shaara, Michael: The Killer Angels
Small, David: Stitches
Sigman, Dr. Aric: Remotely Controlled: How Televison is Damaging our Lives and What We can do About it
Silvey, Craig: Jasper Jones
Singh, Khushwant: Train to Pakistan
Spiegelman, Art: Maus I; Maus II
Stanisic, Sasa: How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone
Stein, Garth: The Art of Racing in the Rain
Stockett, Kathryn: The Help
Strout, Elizabeth: Amy and Isabelle
Strout, Elizabeth: Olive Kitteridge
Suskind, Patrick: Perfume: Story of a Murderer
Tan, Amy: The Joy Luck Club
Tartt, Donna: The Secret History]
Thackery, William Makepeace: Vanity Fair
Tinti, Hannah: The Good Thief
Toibin, Colm: Brooklyn
Tremain, Rose: The Road Home
Tsiolkas, Christos: The Slap
Tye, Larry: Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend
Verghese, Abraham: Cutting For Stone
Verghese, Abraham: The Tennis Partner
Young, Emily Hilda: Miss Mole
Waugh, Evelyn: Vile Bodies
Waters, Sarah: Affinity
Waters, Sarah: Fingersmith
Waters, Sarah: Nightwatch
West, Rebecca: Return of the Soldier
White, Antonia: The Lost Traveller
Wiesel, Elie: A Mad Desire to Dance
Wilde, Oscar: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Winterson, Jeanette: Written on the Body
Wouk, Herman: The Glory
Wouk, Herman: The Hope
Wroblewski, David: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Young, William: The Shack
Zafon, Carlos Ruiz: The Shadow of the Wind
Zakaria, Fareed: Post-American World
Zaniewski, Andrzej: Rat
Zusak, Markus: The Book Thief

inlägg gjort av bonniebooks vid 1:05 pm (EST) Oct 17, 2009

My goodness, Congrats on another hot review! You're really on a roll. Keep 'em coming Eliza.

inlägg gjort av Carmenere vid 7:06 pm (EST) Oct 6, 2009

Hey gug;
And the hits just keep on comin'!~!~!
Congratulations for your HOT REVIEW on "Dawn of the Dumb"!
Way to go girl!~! Are you sure you are keeping up with your studies?
just askin'.
big hug,
belva

inlägg gjort av nannybebette vid 5:15 pm (EST) Oct 6, 2009

I just wanted to pop over and congratulate you for your HOT REVIEW on "Dracula". Well done Eliza!~! I'm proud of you.
I am slowly reading him and enjoying the book so far. I am just now getting into Mina's journal (the part "from a correspondent") and wondering when and if Jonathan comes back into the story as it is past when he thought he would have been dead. Yummy suspence~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, you take care and again Congrats!
hugs,
belva

inlägg gjort av nannybebette vid 4:43 pm (EST) Sep 23, 2009

Hi There Eliza

Thanks for your birthday greetings to me. It means a lot!

I appreciate you!

Hugs,
Linda

inlägg gjort av Whisper1 vid 9:12 pm (EST) Sep 18, 2009

LOL that's a great story :)

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 6:08 am (EST) Sep 18, 2009

Thx for the note! Would that be Bram Stoker's Dracula? I think it's on my list for Halloween (some kind of group read with BDB, but I could be making that up!)

My nephew's favorite food was cartofi taranesti -- and with good reason! Yum :)

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 5:00 am (EST) Sep 18, 2009

Thanks! With your assistance I've figured it out. I now have photos of one of the kids on the page. They probably should be shrunk a bit but I don't want to mess with doing that now. I've read Left Hand of Darkness, ehh probably about a year ago by this time, but really didn't care for it all that much. I was intrigued with the author's introductory notes however - and the mention of how artists are liars is something that has stuck with me. I find it to be a very true and helpful description of the artistic process. Of course, "liars" here is not meant in a derogatory manner. Anyway, this is a book that I thought there was a lot more going on than I picked up on... and I addded it but didin't put a rating on it because I've been thinking sometime I'd give it another go. I'll move that up now.

I notice you The Dispossessed, also by Le Guin, in your library, though without a rating. If you haven't read it, right here is a recommendation from me: it's good!

Again, thanks. -k

inlägg gjort av KevinTexas vid 4:28 pm (EST) Sep 16, 2009

Hello. I've been trying to add some photos to my profile page but haven't been able to figure out how to do it... if it's not a complicated ordeal, would you let me know how it's done. Anyway, your review of The Left Hand of Darkness has prompted me to place that book back on the "To Read" shelves.

inlägg gjort av KevinTexas vid 7:11 am (EST) Sep 16, 2009

Hey gug;
I just wanted to pop over and congratulate you on your Hot Review for "My Name is Asher Lev". I read that so many years ago and it hooked me on Chaim Potok. I think I read everything he had out at the time.
Excellent job my dear.
See you on the threads and again, congrats!~!~!
hugs,
belva

inlägg gjort av nannybebette vid 12:09 am (EST) Sep 15, 2009

Hi Eliza;
Thanx for getting back with me.
I should have realized that you wouldn't have time for this.
I just wasn't thinking. Sorry about that. Well, we must needs to carry on without you, but I hope you are having a wonderful day and that you are reading something awesome.
love,
belva

inlägg gjort av nannybebette vid 1:24 pm (EST) Sep 10, 2009

Hi;
Mark and I have been discussing the possibility of another group read in November and want your input. We have narrowed it down to two books at this point. "The People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks and "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. So chat it up with friends or us and let us know if you are up for it and what you think. Probably the same plan as with "Pillars of the Earth" which seemed to work out perfectly for almost all of us.
Think it over and give one of us a shout.
hugs and looking forward to hearing from you,
belva

inlägg gjort av nannybebette vid 10:08 pm (EST) Sep 8, 2009

Welcome back! I hope you had a great holiday, and I'm so glad the book made it to you. Enjoy, whenever you get to it!

inlägg gjort av spacepotatoes vid 12:26 pm (EST) Sep 3, 2009

Thanks for your comment Eliza. The Collapsing Universe was my first Asimov although I know of The Fantastic Voyage from an old 1960's movie starring Rachel Welch, she was to the 60's what Angelina Jolie is today. Check it out when your in a campy movie mood.

inlägg gjort av Carmenere vid 10:28 am (EST) Aug 17, 2009

Lovely, worked like a charm. Thanks very much!

inlägg gjort av rosalita vid 6:08 pm (EST) Jul 5, 2009

Hello, girlunderglass,

I read your post in the Talk topic about ratings and half-star ratings, and wanted to say thank you and apologize for appropriating your rating scale -- it was just what I needed.

One question if you don't mind: How did you get the "average rating" bit into the "about my library" segment of your profile? That's pretty nifty.

inlägg gjort av rosalita vid 6:09 pm (EST) Jul 4, 2009

Hello girlunderglass,

I read your review of Catcher in the Rye, and loved it -- you finally explained to me my own reactions to the book. I am adding your library to my list so that I can savor more of your reviews.

danielx

inlägg gjort av danielx vid 9:01 pm (EST) Jun 26, 2009

Symptoms of Inner Peace

Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace.

The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to inner peace, and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions.

Some signs to look for:

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

An unmistakeable ability to enjoy each moment.

A loss of interest in judging other people.

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

A loss of interest in conflict.

A loss of the ability to worry.

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

Frequent attacks of smiling.

An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

An increased susceptibility to the love offered by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

~ Author Unknown

inlägg gjort av theoldman vid 8:56 am (EST) Jun 23, 2009

Hi Eliza

Thanks for your kind outreach regarding my question about the new LT feature of the wish list.

And, by the way, I really enjoy your thread and learning about the books you read. Your reviews are always so great!

Linda

inlägg gjort av Whisper1 vid 12:07 pm (EST) Jun 15, 2009

Inviting some people to the thread I just started. Thought it might be of interest to you.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/66785

inlägg gjort av callmejacx vid 10:41 pm (EST) Jun 13, 2009

Yeah, Eliza! Weren't you the one who told me about "Collections" months and months ago? I have to admit that sometimes I wished I hadn't known about it--I was getting so impatient for it to be working, but now it's HERE! Yeah! Happy sorting and tagging. B.

inlägg gjort av bonniebooks vid 11:37 pm (EST) Jun 9, 2009

"thank you! I really hope they find a way to satisfy us wide cover-lovers as well as the Uniformity crowd :)"

Me too :-)

inlägg gjort av PitcherBooks vid 5:09 pm (EST) Jun 7, 2009

Eliza--

Thank you, thank you, thank you for convincing me to try Franny and Zooey. I finally had time to read it -- read it Sunday and last night -- and LOVED it. It is so much better than I remember Catcher being (of course, I was a teenager when I read that, so maybe now I'm a more appreciative reader! :-) ) I got it from the library but I will definitely buy it because I know it will become one of my favorite rereads. And I have a feeling every time reread it I will get something else out of it. I'm having trouble writing a review because where do you start?!

You mentioned that there were other books using these characters, I think. I'm pretty sure I wrote them down but I can't find out where.. Would you please remind me what they are? I'm sure they can't be as good as this but I'd love to read them because I've grown attached to all the characters.

Bottom line--I laughed, I cried, and I frequently had to stop to "ponder." It doesn't get any better than that.

Carolyn

inlägg gjort av MusicMom41 vid 7:22 pm (EST) Jun 2, 2009

Hi Eliza, just letting you know the book is in the mail! I forgot to ask how long it'll take but it might be a couple of weeks since I chose surface mail. Let me know when it arrives!

inlägg gjort av spacepotatoes vid 11:58 am (EST) Jun 1, 2009

OOOoooOOOooo! A hot review today, and of "The Catcher in the Rye" no less! Congratulations!

RMD

inlägg gjort av richardderus vid 11:16 am (EST) May 29, 2009

If you enjoy Wibberley, you should really try to find a copy of his No Garlic in the Soup. It's a humorous (of course!) travelogue of his family's trip to Portugal. Sadly, it's out of print but I found a copy in a second-hand shop.

--Tad

inlägg gjort av TadAD vid 11:28 am (EST) May 27, 2009

I read 23 pages of "The Kindly Ones," make of that fact what you will....

You want "The Mouse That Roared"???? How in the WORLD did a sweet young morsel like you ever hear of Leonard Wibberley?!?! I will see if I can put my hands on my copy, and let you know if I do...it's yours.

Cheers
RMD

inlägg gjort av richardderus vid 2:36 pm (EST) May 26, 2009

Well, go IKEA then. I built a dining-room set from them once, when my first husband and I were setting up shop. It was very easy, I paid the super to do it after looking at the "directions".

I *really* want to read your review of "The Kindly Ones", hint hint.

inlägg gjort av richardderus vid 12:54 pm (EST) May 21, 2009

gug;
That was an awesome ride.
Congrats on your Hot Review!~! You definitely are deserving of it. It was well written and very different.
Great job!
belva

inlägg gjort av nannybebette vid 10:05 am (EST) May 21, 2009

Eliza! Such a review, I'm kvelling all over the Thing, it should only happen more often that you review these kinds of books and so well too!

Congratulations, you've brought out the spirit of my Jewish bubbe and she likes you.

RMD

inlägg gjort av richardderus vid 10:53 pm (EST) May 20, 2009

Hi
You posted on the "Add Books change" thread in New Features and said you saw nothing new. That thread has since moved on.
You are correct, someone resurrected an old thread!

inlägg gjort av kevmalone vid 4:05 pm (EST) May 14, 2009

Thanks, I live in a sheltered world (called being a married with kids forty-something) so I'd never heard the song before but I loved it, a bit like Michael Nyman meets Camper van Beethoven - is it typical of the band.

I'm still trying to work out what it means but it's a great user name nonetheless.

inlägg gjort av Barry vid 3:18 pm (EST) May 6, 2009

Sorry I just realised I left a message after you on a talk thread (which I now can't find) which said something like "where did that name come from" which might have come across a bit rude. If you're offended I apologise. It's just that when you're as unimaginative as me (guess what my real name is) you're a bit in awe of unusual usernames.

inlägg gjort av Barry vid 2:31 pm (EST) May 6, 2009

1. Cat's Cradle will always be a favorite of mine. At the high school where I teach, we have teacher led book clubs and that was my selection. I was hesitant because I thought no one would sign up for it (there was a Twilight book club at the same time and what teenager can resist that?). I was shocked that not only did I have a pretty good turn out, but the students read and loved the book's absurdity and humor. Whenever someone asks me for a book recommendation, my first question is, "Have you read Cat's Cradle?"

2. You got to see The National?!!? Oh, I envy you! Berninger's voice is indeed distinctive. I've gone days without listening to anything but Alligator and Boxer over and over again. I think my favorite songs are Start a War, Apartment Story, Karen, and All the Wine.

inlägg gjort av snat vid 10:01 pm (EST) Apr 30, 2009

Very interesting about your name, Eliza!

inlägg gjort av avaland vid 9:48 am (EST) Apr 30, 2009

I appreciate you!

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 9:33 am (EST) Apr 29, 2009

You definitely won't regret reading the rest of the Lord Peter novels -- and they definitely pick up around the ... third, I think, "Strong Poison," in which he meets his love interest, who is a fascinating character in her own right. Not all of them are great, but they're all worth your time, and they're definitely an improvement on "Whose Body?" "Gaudy Night" alone would be enough to justify the series. (Did you even know that back before ... I don't know, before WWII, before the '50s ... they actually made scholarship students at Oxbridge wear different gowns from those of the students who paid?)

inlägg gjort av jmeisen vid 11:57 pm (EST) Apr 28, 2009

Okay, Eliza, you've convinced me to give Salinger another try. I read Catcher in the Rye when I was in college because everyone was raving about it but I was totally underwhelmed. Maybe I expected too much but I was never tempted to revisit his work. After all your raves I'm going to try Franny and Zooey--I assume that should be the first one I attempt. I'll order it from the library--I'm still tentative, you see. :-)

However, I like character driven novels at least as well as I like plot driven novels and better than I like novels with plots but no character development. Now let's see if I can learn to like Salinger's characters! I found Holden Caulfield banal and boring. Obviously I was in the minority! Perhaps I was too young to appreciate him--I knew too many of those boys in high school and really didn't care that much about their inner lives. From my much more mature aspect I might enjoy the book more now--after all I thought my adolescent sons were marvelous! ;-)

Carolyn

inlägg gjort av MusicMom41 vid 2:30 pm (EST) Apr 24, 2009

Hey Eliza! Just dropping by to say hello, and thanks for all the great book-talk! I know I can always count on you for some great discussions :)

Are you still on vacation in Spain? I was in Europe this past summer and can't wait to return - Spain is on my must-see list, along with Greece. Hopefully I will get there one day! Have you traveled all across Greece? Any places that are absolutely must-sees? It is hard to find a decent guidebook on Greece - they are either for high-end travelers, or for people who like to party, and I am neither!

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Cait

inlägg gjort av Cait86 vid 4:06 pm (EST) Apr 5, 2009

Just saw your note again (about reading 'Narnia') and remembered a story. I'm a good guesser -- for years and years I thought you were supposed to do your very best at an eye test just as you would for a test in school. 'hmmm let me see ... the general outline suggests an R K or E...' "K" I'd say out loud. Apparently I was right a lot on my guesses because while I couldn't really see I didn't have to wear glasses while driving LOL I swear I was 35 or so before I realized I'm supposed to say I something like 'I can't really see that line well' :) Hope you and yours are doing well!

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 8:23 am (EST) Apr 4, 2009

Yes, I can make out "narnia" in the title :) but I didn't try til just now. I think the big lion and the kids kinda gave it away ;->

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 5:54 pm (EST) Mar 31, 2009

Wish I had some of the books you're seeking -- I'd send 'em over! Love the Narnia and lipstick photos! :)

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 12:20 pm (EST) Mar 30, 2009

Hi Eliza - Just stopping by to let you know I'm alive and well, and thanks for stopping by on my thread. I'm am completely overwhelmed right now, just increased my workload by about 100%, and haven't been able to do much of hardly anything else but work lately. I did take the time to catch up on your thread - and absolutely enjoyed the ~140 posts I made my way through! I hope to be back hanging around and posting in another couple of weeks, before the next surge in work occurs. I'm kinda hoping by summer things will have quieted down to a dull roar.... In the meantime, I will look forward to catching up on your thread again....! - Lisa

inlägg gjort av LisaMorr vid 10:04 pm (EST) Mar 29, 2009

Loved your review of Emma!

inlägg gjort av lindsacl vid 11:54 am (EST) Mar 29, 2009

Hi. I'm stopping by to say thank you for taking the time to post instructions on my tread regarding how to import photos. I really appreciate your kindness and the energy you spent and the clear directions. Thanks ever so much.

Linda

inlägg gjort av Whisper1 vid 9:02 pm (EST) Mar 24, 2009

Ha ha! That's funny!

inlägg gjort av AlbinoRhino vid 12:58 am (EST) Mar 18, 2009

Hi there Eliza,

Thanks a lot for your compliments on my review, and I'm glad other people see the book the way I did!

Actually The Catcher in the Rye was the first book I've read by Salinger, but it certainly won't be the last, and all your advice and links were greatly appreciated!

Thanks again,

Dan.

inlägg gjort av RachDan vid 1:51 pm (EST) Mar 12, 2009

Thank you for your insightful review of "The Left Hand of Darkness". I have to admit I was absolutely clueless what made this a good sci-fi novel after I read it and walked away shrugging. Other reviews have sung its praises without illuminating what makes it great, but you've put the emphasis on the right points to make me reconsider the way I've dismisssed it. Still not going to say I enjoyed reading it, but at least I can appreciate what it is now.

inlägg gjort av Cecrow vid 9:07 am (EST) Mar 12, 2009

Heavens, I'm delighted that you gave me so much information! That's exactly the kind of thing I love to find out. I'm always interested in how those of us who live in foreign countries make it work and what we do there. So--thanks!

some year--maybe when I'm 90--I'll exercise a little restraint with my rants! :-

Joyce

inlägg gjort av Joycepa vid 7:27 pm (EST) Mar 11, 2009

Consider Watchmen yours:

http://bookmooch.com/m/detail/0930289234

I may be a week or two slow in sending it though. I'm swamped with schoolwork.

inlägg gjort av jibrailis vid 7:22 pm (EST) Mar 11, 2009

Your review of The Left Hand of Darkness is wonderful.

Do you have English language bookstores available in Athens?

Joyce

inlägg gjort av Joycepa vid 5:17 pm (EST) Mar 11, 2009

I can sent it to ya if you want, just let me know on here or facebook-the book The Book Thief.
Heidi

inlägg gjort av heidimorden vid 1:41 pm (EST) Feb 26, 2009

Thanks for back-looking me up from BM :) I do the opposite to people too, especially when they have books that I like in their library!

Also, thanks for nudging [I Know This Much Is True], I need some nudging to get me going on some of these books...that one's been there for awhile even though I really want to read it.

inlägg gjort av Ambrosia4 vid 4:19 pm (EST) Feb 25, 2009

Thanks for leaving a comment on my 50 book challenge. I was beginning to worry people were finding my comments on the Journal of Dora Damage distasteful.
Jenny

inlägg gjort av mumoftheanimals vid 8:25 am (EST) Feb 21, 2009

Well, Bella wouldn't need to die if she would have figured out how to save herself, right? It's her total and needless victim behavior that renders her so pathetic.

inlägg gjort av LauraFitzgerald vid 12:52 pm (EST) Feb 18, 2009

Way to go for getting your review of Twilight as a LibraryThing hot review! I read and loved your review, by the way. Gave you one of those special green thumbs.
Tiffin

inlägg gjort av tiffin vid 12:41 pm (EST) Feb 17, 2009

You are on Facebook, so am I. We should hook up on there also. Heidi-Mitchell Morden on the Ottawa network.

inlägg gjort av heidimorden vid 9:22 am (EST) Feb 17, 2009

good old depressing read for me every time! (as long as i can follow it up with something upbeat!)

inlägg gjort av flissp vid 11:42 am (EST) Feb 16, 2009

wow - just read your review of This Much is True - definitely one to add to the TBR mountain then!!

inlägg gjort av flissp vid 11:30 am (EST) Feb 16, 2009

Thanks for the post girlunderglass. You're going really well with your challenge. I like your blog too. I discovered Fleet Foxes last year and was so excited. I like your reviews too - very clear and informative. I'm half asleep as I write this so should probably go back to bed. It's another warm night in Brisbane

inlägg gjort av alexdaw vid 11:42 am (EST) Feb 9, 2009

I do have an odd assortment of books that I have read, don't I? I guess it keeps it interesting. This year my goal will be to beat last year's total of 41. If I get to 50, all the better. Thanks for visiting my challenge thread and good luck with yours.

inlägg gjort av compskibook vid 12:35 pm (EST) Feb 8, 2009

in case you miss my comment to your comment about the quote in #24 here it is...

just imagine the number of people sitting at starbucks each morning, coffee in hand, head tilted back, screaming...

inlägg gjort av Banoo vid 9:55 pm (EST) Feb 4, 2009

Definitely a small world! I'm not familiar with Tarnaveni but my mom's side of the family lives in Targu Mures, it's where we spend a good part of our time when we visit. It's a really nice city.

No doubt our number of shared books will go up! I've been seeing lots of interesting titles in the group already that I would have never heard of otherwise. My TBR list is getting rearranged everyday, but I love it :) What did we ever do before LT?

inlägg gjort av spacepotatoes vid 9:02 am (EST) Feb 4, 2009

Hi girlunderglass/Eliza! Hope you don't mind my commenting here, I didn't want to hijack nooli's thread. I was born in Gheorgheni, it's in the Transylvania area, the mostly Hungarian part of the country (I am Hungarian). Most of my family is still there so we go back to visit every few years. I've mostly visited places in that region, but I'd love to see more of the country. There are a lot of beautiful places to visit!

inlägg gjort av spacepotatoes vid 9:02 pm (EST) Feb 2, 2009

At your service, ma'am :)

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 9:40 am (EST) Feb 1, 2009

Eliza -
Allende is wonderful. I love the mixture of history, mysticism & romance in many of her tales. Enjoy Eva Luna! (I'm often up past my bedtime reading...)
- Holly

inlägg gjort av loud4alibrarian vid 12:42 pm (EST) Jan 29, 2009

Fleet foxes -- love the idea. Wish their intonation was more 'on'. If it were I'd snatch this up in a heartbeat!

Culture Reject - Inside the Cinema -- do you know if the album is of this ilk? Once bought an album because of a beautiful lyric piece -- turned out to be an abnormality in that seriously heavy metal album. (I grew to love it anyway, but had really been looking for more of their lyric sensuality...) (their lyrics just said the F*** word! My friends kids' wouldn't be listening to this -- pity, in a way)

no doubt, no doubt, more questions will be coming at you as I make my way down the list :) Thanks again

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 8:40 am (EST) Jan 27, 2009

Thank you sooo much for the intro to Hannah & Sam -- fabulous!! Are the lyrics all this 'innocent'? I have two families in mind with young teens whose moms wouldn't appreciate "let me rip your clothes off and FK you" lyrics

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 8:28 am (EST) Jan 27, 2009

Hi there!
Saw your post on my 50 book challenge thread. Barbara Pym is wonderful. There's not a lot of plot to them but her words just flow so well. I've only read 2 so far but it probably doesn't matter where you start. Her famous ones seem to be Excellent Women, Glass of Blessings, Crampton Hodnet and Jane & Prudence. Let me know if you read any....

inlägg gjort av tuppy_glossop vid 7:14 pm (EST) Jan 26, 2009

I dropped Roni a note to tell her the consensus is in: we want the list!

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 1:34 pm (EST) Jan 25, 2009

Okay -- I love your blog! You guys rock! :)

inlägg gjort av suslyn vid 9:56 am (EST) Jan 23, 2009

Hi there! I was just looking at your 75 challenges posts and wandered over to your blog (Letters have no arms) and I'm in love! I already have a list of songs to download when I get home (currently sitting here avoiding the stack of work in front of me). We don't have a lot of the same interests in books, but if taste in music is any indicator, I will be following your 75 book challenge for suggestions. Cheers!

inlägg gjort av gracemcclain vid 9:48 am (EST) Jan 23, 2009

That sounds like a nice idea. I try to get comics from the library when I can. That saves me lots of money.
My internet is struggling to open the flickr page...
Wow. I really like her stuff! Reminds me of...*flicks through magazine* found it! Carrie Chau: http://www.wunyingcollection.com/ You have to click on the picture to see other work. I guess its not all that similar now I look at it. Still, it's good.
You should also check out Sarah Ferrick's art: http://elf-shojo.deviantart.com/
She did a cute short comic here: http://tea-for-one.xepher.net/comics/gww...
If she did a comicbook/manga I would buy it in a heartbeat! She'd already been in a Tokyopop competition, so I'm keeping my hopes up!

inlägg gjort av unsuspected vid 5:41 pm (EST) Jan 20, 2009

Ah! That's exactly why I like Batman! Like all the villains are amazing and the psychology behind them and Batman... It's all very interesting.

I'm reading Watchmen right now, which is supposed to be a classic of graphic novels. It's gonna be a movie I think coming out March. There isn't much action, it's basically all focused on characters and psychology, but it's very heavy reading, at least for me. You get this kind of depressing end-of-the-world kind of feeling. But it is very interesting. Maybe you should check it out.

Once I get around to reading the other Batman comics I'll let you know what I think. I'm planning on reading Sandman too, but I'm not sure how action-oriented they are.

Black Orchid is another graphic novel that looks interesting. The art's by Dave McKean.

Are you interested in manga at all? I'm just getting into that too.
Good luck in your 50 book challenge too :)
You don't mind if I add you as a friend?
And where is your picture from?

inlägg gjort av unsuspected vid 5:44 pm (EST) Jan 19, 2009

Hi girlunderglass!
I saw your post in Rachook's 50 Book Challenge. She's my cousin :) I'm getting into graphic novels too. I'm kind of into more dark/gothic types of graphic novels, so I'm not sure if you'd like that. Did you like Arkham's Asylum? I've been planning to read that, along with a few other Batman graphic novels, since I love the Batman movies.
You can go through my library if you want ideas. I haven't read many of them, but I'm sure you could read reviews and decide for yourself what you'd like. The tag to look under is 'pictures' - that includes graphic novels, manga and books with illustrations. If you don't want the books with illustrations, you can search for "manga|comic".
And I like your picture very much. Did you draw it?

inlägg gjort av unsuspected vid 3:30 am (EST) Jan 19, 2009

Hey, thanks for the comment.
Yes, I do love graphic novels :D they are funny :D
Unsuspected kinda introduced me so shes probably better to ask about them but I do like [Death Note], Its a Japanese manga (dont worry its in english) and its also a tv/movie series (try searching: Death note eng dub ep 1, on youtube(you need the eng dub bit so you dont get it in japanese) Its realy good :))
Also, I like [Johnny the Homicidal Maniac], its pretty weird but funny and theres like a sequal called Squee.
umm... I have recently read [Glass houses], its not a graphic novel but its about vampires and I found it really good!!
talk to you soon :D
Rachook

inlägg gjort av Rachook vid 5:59 pm (EST) Jan 15, 2009