To all of my friends who so thoughtfully and humorously admitted ages and opinions of age...and thoughts of parrots and sea turtles, too...

YOU ARE THE BEST.

Laughing and wiping tears from my eyes, you have brought to me the realization that every year is great. Gray and white hair are both beautiful and an honor. That a wrinkle is not just a line, but a record of where I have been in my life.

Happy Birthday to ALL of us, every day.
PAM

Last night I finished Stephen King's 11/22/63 and loved it! Considering that I have never cared for time travel stories and have an aversion to fiction involving real people from relatively modern times, it is amazing that I could so enjoy a book about a man who goes back in time in an attempt to keep Lee Harvey Oswald from killing President Kennedy. It is a long book (which I know some RP readers don't like) but the ending is definitely worth the wait.

Because the horror genre is one I avoid this is my first Stephen King book. Can anyone recommend other books he has written that do not fall into the horror category?

King's memoir-cum-writing textbook, On Writing is relatively short and very engaging, even if you have no writing aspirations. His childhood and young adulthood are pretty interesting (or he makes them so). He also speaks frankly of his addictions and the accident that almost ended his life.

Most of his work leaves me cold, but I loved his Dark Tower series and devoured it whole after the last volume was published. The first one, The Gunslinger is very different than the rest, being extremely enigmatic and almost dreamlike while the others are more straightforward. I believe it took King over thirty years to complete the series. This is a something I would never have read without RP. Remember Rayma, who used to post here? She was a huge Stephen King fan, and steered us towards the Dark Tower books. This would be a good one to read on Kindle, very long.

so happy to see several people reading and enjoying My Dear
Pam-you are 45-yikes!!!!! Just a mere baby as I myself will be 62 in April, of course I think it's the new 50 (I hope anyway)
off to pick up the newest E. George at the library even though I probably will be disappointed after what's been said here. I have always loved Lyndley.

I've just finished and thoroughly enjoyed a beautifully written book that has been sitting on a TBR pile for several years. The Land of Spices by Irish writer Kate O'Brien.
You may remember that some years ago we briefly discussed 'nun' related books 'The Nun's Story' by Kathryn Hulme and 'I Leap Over the Wall' by Monica Baldwin.
The Land of Spices set in early twentieth century Ireland is the story of and the relationship between the Reverend Mother of an upper class convent (no shop-keepers daughters) and her young pupil Anna, both seen partly as 'outsiders'. The nun is English, at a time when Irish nationalism (Sinn Fein) is taking hold and the child is looked upon as 'teacher's pet'. Both have become distant and cold through some incident in early life, but through strong will power and intellectual ability the child overcomes family distrust of 'clever' girls and the nun becomes less remote. By 1914 both are ready for changes that will take then to the next part of their lives.
The book was written in 1940 and was one of many banned by the Irish Govt.
The title is taken from the last line of 'Prayer' by George Herbert' written in 1633 and apparently studied in English literature by the girls, but, for me very difficult to understand.

Prayer

Prayer the Churches banquet, Angels age,
Gods breath in man returning to his birth,
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgramage,
The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth;
Engine against th'Almightie, sinners towre,
Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,
The six-daies world-transposing in an houre,
A kinde of tune, which all things heare and fear;
Softnesse, and peace, and joy, and love, and blisse,
Exalted Manna, gladnesse of the best,
Heaven in ordinarie, man well drest,
The milkie way, the bird of Paradise,
Church-bels beyond the starres heard, the souls bloud,
The land of spices; something understood.

Thanks for the recommendations, Siobhan. I do remember Rayma and her love for Stephen King but because I associated him with horror I didn't pay much attention.

I've downloaded The Gunslinger. In his very interesting introduction, King says there are seven volumes containing 4,500 pages!

Frances, I quit reading Stephen King when I finished one of his books, laid it on the coffee table, and thought, "Thank Heaven that's over." Then it came to me in a flash of brilliance that I really didn't have to put myself through "that." I did, however, like The Stand. It is more of a battle between good and evil. I understand it has been revised, but I would have read the first edition.

I didn't know much about Project Gutenberg until I saw the obituary of its creator -- Michael S. Hart. He died this past Sept. After looking it over a bit, I'm bowled over by its immensity. What a treasure trove! All those books ** For Free ** -- and you don't need a 'reading device' -- just a regular computer. I've attached the link below for the obit. and Project Gutenberg itself.

* * * * * * * * * *

Finished Julian Fellowes book - 'Past Imperfect.' There's an inspired description of the main character ... who threw off aristocratic life even when he could have entered it ... instead made a big life for himself on his own --

'He was unafraid of the rules that frighten people. He made up his own and one must always admire that. I suppose he was an original. It's something so many of us strive for and so few of us achieve.'

* * * * *

Pam - Happy Birthday! Couple months ago the Head of Gerontology of Johns Hopkins University (voted #1 best hosp. in U.S. by nat'l polling / US News & World Report) was interviewed on TV. He said that middle age now lasts until -- are you ready? -- 75! So people in this range have a long, long time for living full-tilt !

Lemonhead - Do you mean the movie 'Mr. & Mrs. Bridge[s]', starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward? It came out in the 1980s. I didn't see it -- so don't know the plot.

Here is a link that might be useful: Project Gutenberg & M.S. Hart obituary

Carolyn, I had a flash of brilliance like that after finishing a Patricia Cornwell book a few years ago. We do have a choice, don't we?

King mentions The Stand in the introduction I read this morning, describing how upset some fans of the book were with the changes made. He had good reasons for the changes, though. I may give that one a try as well.

Frances, I started reading 11-22-63 and really liked it; unfortunately, I had to return it to the library before I could even get close to finishing it. That was the first SK book I've picked up in probably 20 years. A friend told me his writing style changed dramatically after his accident. I count It as one of the nastiest books I've ever attempted.

Frances, I think Stephen King's "The Green Mile" might be another book you would like to try. Although there is no horror, there are some things that might be termed supernatural. Also, I know the movie "Stand by Me" was based on a King short story, contained within his short story collection "Different Seasons", I think.

I read a lot of Stephen King's horror books when I was younger and loved them, although there were a couple I could not finish.

I have just started reading A First Rate Madness by S. Nassir Ghaemi, a psychologist. His hypothesis is that the best leaders in a crisis are ones who are prone to depression or mental illness because they are more likely to have the traits of empathy, realism, resilience and creativity. I am still early in the book and definitely not sure whether I will agree with him but so far the anecdotes and discussion about depression has been interesting.

I took this book out from the library because it was the only book I was slightly interested in that was currently available for an e-reader (I got one for Christmas). I have attempted e-readers before and have not had success but have discovered something: I have an easier time reading non-fiction than fiction on one. I still find sinking into a fictional story with a real book easier than with an e-reader. Perhaps I am too focused on using the device to start 'picturing' the story.

I recently finished Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I loved it! I enjoyed it more than any other book I've read recently. Admittedly, things are tied up rather too neatly in the end, but that didn't matter. It was just such a great read.

I'm now on to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. I'm enjoying it, but it suffers from the misfortune of following on Cutting for Stone in my reading chronology. (I'm not sure if that makes any sense at all!)

Frances - I 2nd The Stand, I have read it a couple of times & have seen the mini series starring Gary Sinise also a couple of times & really enjoyed it. I enjoyed The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Lisey's Story, those are what I recall without looking more up! And I agree about The Green Mile!

I read Cutting For Stone last year, recommended by my Dr. and thoroughly enjoyed it, he often comes up with books I wouldn't have ordinarily chosen myself.

I just finished The Walk by Lee Goldberg-another kindle freebie-and not one I would recommend for those living in the LA area as it is all about 'the big one'. It is fiction of course, but scary stuff & we know it will happen one day!

Pat

I finished My Dear I Wanted To Tell You, lovely book and thank you for recommending it. I have a great interest in WWI, or The Great War as my grandfather always referred to it. This book focused on an aspect that I knew a little about and has led me to learn a lot more about facial reconstruction and the men who pioneered these unusual surgeries. If anyone has any more WWI book recommendations, I would be pleased to hear them. I have done a great deal of reading in both fiction and nonfiction on this subject but there is always more.

Back to Jean Auel's Land of the Painted Caves which I may finish someday, but I doubt it. I like it well enough when I am reading it, but it doesn't grab me and make me want to forge ahead.

Siobhan, re Great War books. BBC TV is starting a 'two-parter' of Sebastian Faulks Bird Song which I think begins in pre-war France and then picks up again in the trenches with the tunnelling crews. It should reach you in some months.
A few others I have heard of but not read are Road to War a WWI girl's diary, by Valerie Wilding, War Girls by Janet Lee (women in the voluntary ambulance/nursing services) and another of the same title War Girls an audio CD by Ruth Siller taken from letters/memoirs etc.

I finally got around to Alexander McCall Smith. I am working my way through the No. 1 Ladies' Detective series. What a charming books. I am thoroughly enjoying them! I got the recommendation here. Thank you.

Thanks to everyone for the Stephen King suggestions. I'm about half through The Gunslinger but have to admit it is giving me the heebie-jeebies. I will finish it and then decide whether to continue with the other volumes.

re WW1 books- I remember enjoying Land Girls-I think the author was Angela Huth (although I'm not sure) and not being British I knew nothing about that. I'll check my shelves as it's a subject I love to read about also.

Thank you for those Vee, they sound right up my alley and they are new to me.

Frances, The Gunslinger is very, very strange but the rest of the series is very different, much more conventional. Of course it still might give you the heebie-jeebies! I think when he wrote it he really had no idea that he was going to write a 4500-page series over several decades.

I have heard yet another person recommending 11/22/63 so that will have to be read by me, although I am No. 67 on the waitlist.

I, too, just finished reading My Dear I Wanted to Tell You. It was well researched and I'm glad I read it. No wonder the 1920's were given over to feverish pleasure and frantic money-making. After what they had all just gone through that generation's perspective had to have been affected.

I also just finished listening to a recording of The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. I never remember what my favorite books of the year were by the time December comes along, but if there were justice, I would certainly put this one on the list for 2012. I tried to read it when it first came out and gave up in disgust. Too slow, so atmospheric as to seem murky, it was completely frustrating for a quick reader like me. I was convinced that there was a good story buried in there but I just couldn't get to it. Last week I gave it another chance, checking the recording out from the library to entertain me on the lonely stretches of a road trip, and I just finished it up late last night. I am so glad I did. Forced by the pace of well-done narration to slow down, I found myself deeply merged into both of the interwoven time streams of the story, 1991 London and 1939-41 English countryside. Layer upon layer of secrets are revealed in turn, and every time I thought I knew the whole basic story, that new reality was revealed to be yet another layer. In fact I was so immersed I found my own world somewhat intrusive when I came up from time to time to deal with daily realities. I would describe the book as a Gothic mystery, a superb Gothic mystery full of richly realized characters. Half the reviews on Amazon are from people who have thrown up their hands in frustration. I do understand this; I was one of those people myself. Some books simply work far better as a listening experience, and in my opinion, The Distant Hours is one of those books. Highly recommended, and unless the reader is more patient than I am, highly recommended that it is experienced as a recording. Quite possibly it is the best modern Gothic novel I have ever read.

Rosefolly

Thank you for that, Rosefolly. I am one of the readers you describe, and I find I often like the same books you do, so I will give The Distant Hours another chance.

I'm rereading Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander, a great favorite of mine even though I don't like war, sailing, or military things. (I hasten to add that I greatly appreciate what the military does in keeping me safe, and the men and women who do so on an individual basis.) Although it is a mystery as to why, I love this series and have started rereading, a task I will probably not finish in my lifetime.

I'm reading Howard's End Is On The Landing by Susan Hill and I'm really enjoying it. I have finally reached a point in my reading life where I have a large enough frame of reference so that I am familiar with (or have at least heard of) the books and authors she writes about.

Rosefolly, I'm glad you liked The Distant Hours. I have loved all of Kate Morton's books and can't wait to see what she writes next. She's well worth the effort, IMO.

Next up is The Devil in White City for my book group meeting in February.

Finished up a thought-provoking read of "The Wal-Mart Effect" by Charles Fishman. Not a total bashing of the corporation, but more of a big-picture review of how Wal-Mart has become so big now that it controls the market forces, not the other way round. It was also interesting reading the behind-the-scenes of running Wal-Mart.

This was a later edition, and so a section was added where the author was invited by Wal-Mart to their HQ and given the opportunity to ask questions. The company is incredibly careful about releasing any info to the media, and so this was a rarity for them to meet one-on-one with someone who wasn't a fan. Still didn't change my mind though. I just can't shop at Wal-Mart knowing that their cheap prices are costing someone somewhere in the world a decent living.

Interesting book though.

I finished Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time, which is certainly the most unusual mystery I have ever read. On the surface of the book, not much happens. From his hospital bed, an injured detective sets out to solve one of the biggest mysteries in English history: Did Richard III murder his two nephews?

The author makes a persuasive argument that Richard III may have been innocent, and in fact is himself the victim of a smear campaign solely instigated to bolster the rather flimsy claims of Henry Tudor to the British throne.

Though I am no historian, I disagree with Tey's assessment of the beheading of the elderly Countess of Salisbury at the behest of Henry VIII. Tey's suggestion that her execution was an attempt to remove an heir to the throne whose claim was stronger than the king's. The Countess was, in fact, a respected member of the court for most of her life. The order for her head came as the end result of her paranoid, vindictive monarch's political feud with her son, Cardinal Pole.

Other than that one sticking point, Tey's book raises a lot of lesser-known historical facts which raise intriguing, even troubling, questions.

Kathy-
As soon as I finished "Cutting for Stone" I read Abraham Verghese's "My Own Country". As a specialist in infectious disease, Verghese became, by necessity, the local AIDS expert. The same grace and compassion, so evident in "Cutting for Stone", makes "My Own Country" more than just a memoir of a young doctor's experiences in Johnson City Tennessee.

Siobhan-
"The Sojourn" by Andrew Krivak is a WW1 story from a different angle. A 2011 National Book Award finalist in fiction,inspired by the author's own family history. It is the story of Jozef Vinich, who leaves a 19th Century mining town in Colorado and returns with his father to an impoverished life in rural Austria- Hungary. He serves as a sharpshooter in the Kaiser's army. It is a story of survival in a country divided by language,class and ethnicity yet fighting on the same side. It is beautifully written. I reallly enjoyed it.

I just finished "A train In Winter" by Caroline Moorehead. A story of friendship and courage.It is an accounting of some of the 230 women of France who resisted the German occupation during WW2. Of these 230 only 49 survived the ordeal of imprisonment, first in Paris and then the final destination, Auschwitz. Well worth reading!

I have just finished Charles Finch's latest, A Burial at Sea. I really liked the first book in this series and then the others not as much, but I enjoyed this one quite a lot.

pamies- I also enjoyed A Train In Winter
I have read and loved all K. Morton's books.
have just about finished E. George's newest book and it is a disappointment. It bounced all over the place and didn't feature her well loved characters as much as she used to-they almost seemed like bit players. I don't think her books have been as good since Inspector L's wife died. so sad....

Just finished two novels I greatly enjoyed, although in quite different ways: Matt Bondurant's "The Third Translation" is part thriller, part historical memoir, part romance, with a lot about ancient Egypt thrown in. The author is quite skilled at tying up all the disparate threads to make a unified finish.

"The French Gardener" by Santa Montefiore concerns two families living at different times in an English country house and how the past, when unveiled, can heal dysfunction. It is beautifully written and quite inspiring. I sat up late most of the last several nights, unable to put down either book.

Finished the Martin Cruz Smith mystery -- "Three Stations". It was short -- but an exciting, exotic (set in Moscow) story. Full of strange people.

Am now reading what I'd planned to this winter -- "Smilla's Sense of Snow" by the Danish writer Peter Hoeg. Have never read a book by him; but this one is so fascinating, so far, that if it keeps up this way, I'll definitely want to buy his other novels. It's about a woman "Smilla", who suspects "a rat" when her 7-year-old boy-neighbor dies from a roof-top fall. The story dips into Smilla's childhood in Greenland once in awhile. There are bits about the science of snow and ice. She loves both, and so do I! ... Winter being my favourite season. There is a map of Greenland and Copenhagen, Denmark before the title page, which I appreciate as it makes the story even more fascinating, and easier to follow Smilla's footsteps.

Lemonhead - Your comments on Wal-Mart interest me. ... A few years ago, PBS TV did an in-depth investigation on Wal-Mart -- it was on PBS's investigative series, "Frontline." The reporter even went to the shipping piers in China to show the enormous pile-up of shipping containers ... all going to the U.S., for Wal-Mart stores across America.

Two ex-managers from Rubber Maid Corp. explained in detail just how Wal-Mart destroyed that wonderful company. Rubber Md. refused to come down in their prices when Wal-Mart tried to pressure them to do so. I have Rubber Md. storage bowls I've had for ages -- they are as good now as they were the day I bought them -- in the 1980s!

Here in NY City, just a couple years ago, Wal-Mart tried to build a big store in The Bronx. The reasoning by the powers-that-be was "more jobs!", "good for the neighborhood!", etc. Well, the locals all scoffed at the idea of supporting their families -- or even just themselves -- on $7 an hour. ... I don't blame them one bit (even The Bronx is expensive to live in). Wal-Mart was told -- in no uncertain terms! -- what it could do with its plan to build a new store. Happily, it never materialized. ...

As to workers in China who put together all those goods -- There was a news article on radio last month re this. There are now nets strung up under high sections of "workers' housing" to catch the suicides. ... A high price, indeed, is paid for the avalanche of cheap goods pouring out of that country. No, I have never bought a thing from Wal-Mart ... and I never will.

Lauramarie, your comments regarding Walmart remind me of my recent experience trying to obtain (here in Canada) brown mucilage glue for a craft project.

Do you remember that wonderfully dependable brown glue which could be safely used by just about everyone? It is particularly prized by crafters, as it is much more forgiving than the very strong, often highly toxic glues which are now available in abundance. I recently heard from a reliable source that the company which made the brown mucilage glue was put of business by Elmer's Glue. The brown mucilage was too popular, too reliable, and too safe (especially for children), and so Elmer's had to figure out a way to stop its production. In its place, consumers are now offered a host of Elmer's products which are often toxic and unsafe for children. Any crafter will tell you that products like "Gorilla Glue" are unforgiving to work with, and often damaging to their projects.

I can't speak for the U.S., but the brown mucilage can't be found for love nor money here in Canada. I suspect the product is now hard to find in the U.S. There are a few bottles probably kicking around in independent hardware and craft stores.

Not to sound too virtuous, but I try, where possible, to shop at independent stores. This is becoming harder and harder to do. I particularly dislike shopping at Walmart, because I hate the way shoppers are herded like cattle going into a slaughter house.

Sorry if the above sounds like a rant!

Hello Timallan -

No need to apologize -- venting is good for the soul! And what you describe above is *worthy* of ranting about. The destruction of good products is evil -- even if not illegal.

Anyway, as to the brown glue -- I haven't tried to buy any glue for many, many years. ... I get by on cellophane tape exclusively! I'm surprised that that glue is no longer being made -- but yes, I do remember that goo-ey brown stuff. (By the way -- is it true that glue was made from dead horses?) What you say about Elmers doesn't surprise me -- sad to say!

As to danger in the super-glues - One time I used epoxy glue on a project ... it made my skin bumpy even tho' I'd opened windows and taken "fresh air" breaks. A dermatologist had to prescribe a strong antibiotic -- took 5 days to clear up. The Dr. told me it was caused by the fumes from the epoxy, even tho' I'd taken all the precautions.

At Xmas last year a big-box store (Wal-Mart? can't remember) out on Long Island opened their doors to the big crush of shoppers waiting outside for the big pre-Xmas sale. They ran down the young guy employee who unlocked the doors -- killing him.

Lauramarie, it is indeed true that some common glues were once made from rendered horse carcasses. The practice ceased many years ago, from what I am told.

Mucilage is an organic product made from certain plant fibers. The product I describe is still readily available in other parts of the world.

Your epoxy glue experience sounds very scary, especially as you had followed all the safety recommendations. It makes you wonder about how dangerous are other household products.

Epoxy will cause an allergic rash to the skin. You do have to handle it carefully. The inventor of the glue himself told me so, and warned me to always handle it carefully. He himself was awfully fond of both Elmer's glue and mucilage, and used both frequently where they were appropriate.

That inventor just happened to be the father of Rouan and Rosefolly.

Rosefolly, I think I have some of your father's product around here! What a small world we live in -

I finished The Distant Hours in fairly record time, being unable to put it down or do anything useful until the denouement. Luckily it was a quiet night at work and I got in the last 200 pages! Really, really entertaining. I will read more of this author, however I think I will save her for vacations, summer, etc. I hated rushing through, this is a book to read in a lawn chair with an icy beverage in hand.

I am on a bit of an Australian roll, having picked up John Bailey's The Lost German Slave Girl at the library. This is a nonfiction book that tells the story of a young slave in New Orleans who is spotted by someone who recognizes her as the daughter of a friend. I can't remember how I discovered this book (very sad since it was just a couple of days ago - I hope my ability to read is the last of my faculties to go).

On impulse I purchased a children's book called Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell, who produces a comic strip called "Mutts." I have probably read this book 20 times, poring over each illustration. If you have a little one in your life, or even if you don't, I highly recommend this little gem.

Rosefolly, what a coincidence! I hope we didn't say anything about epoxy glue which gave offense.

No, no offense at all.

Epoxy glue does cause contact dermatitis, and it can be pretty severe. It's really important never to let it touch your skin until it has cured. The company he worked for (Koppers) sold epoxy to another company early on. There used to be good warnings on the label. I have no idea if they are still as careful as they ought to be in their cautioning literature. It has a lot of other uses in industry besides glue. They use it to fix specimens for electron microscopes, to fill in wood in restoration, and even -- this made Dad the proudest -- on spacecraft.

Dad brought some home before it was even on the market. He had whipped it up in the lab. Our car was a badly rusted old Ford station wagon, and he repaired the holes in the fenders with glass cloth and epoxy, each layer carefully sanded. This had been done millions of times since then, but I am pretty sure he was the first person to ever do so.

Rosefolly

Rosefolly - How impressive. Was your dad a chemist?

Lauramarie -- Smilla's Sense of Snow is one of my favorite books. It's such an atmospheric and intriguing story. I convinced my book club to read it years ago. Fail! They couldn't even keep the characters straight. :-( I put together a chart outlining who the characters were and how they connected to the other characters. That helped, but they still didn't really get it. I hope you enjoy it.

I'm close to finishing P.D. James' Death Comes to Pemberley. It's been a fun read. A reread of Hunger Games is next. We'll be discussing it at one of my book clubs next month.

My other book group has scheduled a Susan Wiggs book called Home Before Dark. I've never read anything by Wiggs, but I'm a little concerned that there might not be much to discuss. Anybody here read anything by her?

Rosefolly,

I remember Dad repairing that car with the epoxy glue. I had forgotten all about that until you mentioned it.

Sarah canary,

Yes, our father was a research chemist. He was the first in his family to attend college (he majored in chemistry, of course...) and was delighted that so many of his children did so as well. (Although none of us took an interest in chemistry, at least not that I'm aware of.)

And to get back on track, I picked up a copy of Louis L'Amour's Education of a Wandering Man at the library book sale and enjoyed reading it again. I had read it several years ago; in fact that book was the inspiration for me to keep a record of the books I've read. Louis L'Amour mentioned that he'd kept a reading journal for most of his life and I liked the idea so much that I have kept it up for at least 8-10 years now.

Rouan -- My father was a huge Louis L'Amour fan. I may have told this story here before - but one time he was sitting in an airport coffee shop reading a L'Amour book. The man sitting across from him asked what he was reading. He told him, and explained how much he liked L'Amour's books. The man then stuck his hand out to shake and introduced himself as Louis L'Amour! Not many people impressed my dad, but Louis certainly did. I also enjoyed reading his westerns when I was younger.

At the time my dad passed away, my sister and her husband were living in my parent's house. My parents were in another town where he was being treated. Thinking that they were being helpful, my sister and BIL donated all of my father's things to the local church -- including his library of paperback L'Amour books. My mother grieved over that for many years, but never said anything to my sister. It wasn't just the books, but they sort of represented the fact that she never got to go through his things and recall all the memories.

Rosefolly and Rouan, if Martin were here he would make one of our terrible corny old English jokes about your family sticking together . . .
I asked the DH, a bio-chemist, about mucilage glue as we don't have any product of that name over here and he did know that it came from the slime on seaweed etc and the word comes from the Latin for 'mouldy juice'.
I learn something every day. ;-)

Is this still the book thread? Vee, I should like to know what you think about "Ethan Frome", that is, if you finished it. I have just re-visited it for about the 5th time found it more brilliant than ever. I think the way Wharton frames the story is genius.I find the time setting in bleak New England winter intriguing. The book was written in 1911 and seems in some ways "modern" in its themes.

I just returned a book to the library half-read after realizing that I had already checked it out before and returned it half-read that time as well, immediately forgetting it. The book was called The Violets of March and it was a first novel by Sarah Jio. It keeps coming up in my Amazon suggestions when I look at books by Kate Morton, which is why I checked it out both times. I'm not saying it is a bad book - I never read enough to find out - but it certainly is not to my taste.

Rosefolly

Rosefolly,

I did finish The Violets of March, and you're not missing much. The liked the title, though.

Rosefolly -
What a surprise to find someone here whose father invented the very thing we're talking about! Since I didn't touch the epoxy (wore new workmen's cotton gloves), that isn't what caused my skin to react. It was on my face only. The lumps were below the skin surface. But, it was combined w/ paint; so the mix is maybe what did it?

After the anti-biotics, my skin was as smooth as glass. And the project? A great success. I'd painted the porcelain wall tiles, tub, sink, toilet in my new apartment. Not only did it look custom-made, but it shone as if all new. Even scrubbing w/ scouring powder didn't mar the finish -- that's why epoxy is needed in the paint. People asked me if I'd had the bathroom remodeled...a neighbor saw it, did his w/ epoxy paint, too. In spite of my little debaucle w/it , I recommended it to everyone.

Sarah Canary -
Maybe one reason "Smilla's Sense of Snow" appeals to us so much is because we're both January babies? ... As to the characters -- I'm not having any problems keeping them straight in my mind. Could be because they have such different first and last names...makes it easier. Yes, I agree, the atmosphere is a big part of this story -- really sets the mood.

Happened upon a good book at the library: This is Where I Leave You by Jonathon Tropper. I am really enjoying this fiction book about a family of grown up children and their mother who are brought together to sit shiva when their father dies. Shiva, a Jewish tradition, involves sitting in your house for seven days to honor the dead (I think).

Anyhow, the story is told from the PoV of the middle child and is just really well written. Believable dialogue, and very true-to-life descriptions of sibling relationships (at least it seems to me). As you can imagine, all sorts of emotions and memories bubble up during the seven days the family chooses to reflect on their father but it's not all dysfunction. Apparently, the author has written quite a few other books, but I have not heard of him before.

Just a good solid read. I think I have been busy reading so many Victorian novels, that when I read a more modern and less verbose novel, it's quite a novelty. :-)

The discussion of Smilla's Sense of Snow reminded me, for some obscure reason, of my favorite section of Thoreau's Walden. There is a section when the writer is crossing a frozen pond, and launches into an obscure, yet fascinating, discussion of all the different types of ice. Though it sounds weirdly specific, for me it was one of the most memorable parts of the book.

Mary, I listened to 'Ethan Frome' as a BBC radio serial a couple of weeks ago and once the 'bleak mid-winter' weather which we are suddenly experiencing here, ends, I will read it.
I'm now about half way through My Antonia. It is rather like 'Little House on the Prairie' for grownups, isn't it?
I am enjoying it for the interesting look at the lives of the early settlers and the little groups of German/Scandinavians who arrived with no English and little farming skills. I had to look up which 'modern' country Bohemia was part of and discovered its peoples are now mainly Czechs. I can see what Carolyn says about nothing much happening in the story, but in this case that doesn't bother me as it is "how things were back when . . ."

The 'downstairs' read is Magnificent Obsession by Helen Rappaport. It is the story of the all-consuming love of Queen Victoria for Prince Albert and the consequences of his sudden death on her, the Royal Family and Great Britain and how for years she became 'The Widow of Windsor'. Not a heavy read and lots of snippets of fascinating information.
Rappaport also writes well on Russian history.

Here is a link that might be useful: Helen Rappaport

Ten minutes ago, I closed the back cover on Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Fabulous. It is one of those classics that I shake my head and think, "WHY haven't I read this before?" In a world where TV's keep getting larger, sports teams more "important", fun and vacations are deemed to be "needs" not "wants", where we eat in front of the television and text instead of talk, this book should be mandatory reading... AND followed by mandatory discussion, in every classroom. I cannot begin to think what to read next... I am still digesting Fahrenheit.

PAM

PAM - Don't you love a good read that keeps you thinking about it long after you finished it?...

Vee - Oooh. I have heard so many good things about Magnificent Obsession, but it's not available here until March so I am biding my time (somewhat impatiently). It's not as though I don't have five hundred other books (plus the public library) to choose from!...

And I got caught up with Downton... last night. I just adore Lady Violet and her comments... And - a very small claim to fame here: at dog park, there is the brother of the guy (American but lives in London) who is currently dating Lady Mary. (Tho' they just had a big fight so who knows if that's still on...) :-)

I'm half-way through Julian Fellowes' Past Imperfect and I'm really enjoying it. It's one of those books that (for me, anyway) pull you in so far it's a bit hard to re-focus on real life when you put it down.