I was browsing the older threads and found this one. Since I'm a newbie, thought I'd pop this up to the top and see if others also need to be introduced.

My name is Cindy. I am 49 and actually looking forward to my 50th birthday (my sis turns 60 the same month and we plan a major sistah trip to Broadway!) I live in a suburb of Phoenix Ariz with my husband and five cats. Our house is filled with books (mostly mine) and toys (mostly his). I teach preschool children with hearing loss. Love my job - just wish I lived someplace with seasons! I have been in another online forum for 6 years. Love how many books and authors I have discovered there, despite the groans I hear in my bookshelves at night!

(btw, kennebunker, I also attented UofAz, from 1974-79, and 1983-5. When were you there?)

I read just about anything, but love historic fiction as well as sci fi/fantasy. But if a book has a good story, complex characters, and scenes I remember long after I have read them, than its fine by me.

I also read non-fiction, esp travel and history (mainly Medival, but I dabble in lots of different time periods and places). I also garden (which is how I found this forum), and travel as much as my husband and I can afford to do.

BTW, curious - how long has this site been running? I ask because I have been in the Garden Web for three years, and I just found this place through a friend. It doesn't seem like its that recent! I am very glad to finally find this place, have already enjoyed the discussions here!

Cindy, the RP forum has gone back and forth a couple of times in its relationship with GW, at times affiliated, and at times separately owned. It has always been set a little apart, even when owned by GW. Now of course both are owned by iVillage. I did not discover it on my own. Another member that I know in Real Life suggested it to me.

In any case, welcome! We share interests in reading genres and in gardening. And I have two daughters living in suburbs of Phoenix. Both went to school at ASU and ended up settling there.

Rosefolly

cindy, I'm glad you popped this back up so I get to add my 2 cents' worth.
First of all, I was amazed to see so many quilters and crafters. (I counted 6 quilters and one more with myself added.)

My name is Mary. Froniga is from one of my all-time favorite books by Elizabeth Goudge. I spent 20 years teaching in the elementary grades--4th - 6th and am now teaching developmental reading at the local tech school. My students are all high school graduates who just happened not to learn much about reading along the way.

To me, this would make a great topic for discussion--Why Johnny Can't Read. I have a theory and it has nothing to do with money or teachers.

Reading these posts has been fascinating. I noticed several mentions of C.S. Lewis. I love all his books but must admit that he is over my head sometimes. Right now I'm reading A Year with C.S. Lewis and some I must read 2 or 3 times to follow his thoughts. But it's a challenge and a healthy workout for the brain.

And so many other familiar and beloved authors were mentioned right along with new ones (to me) that I'd like to try out.

My hobbies, in addition to reading,are quilting and practicing the violin (fiddle?) I received for Christmas. No, I can't really play it but since it's something I always wanted to do, figured there's no time to waste if I'm going to give it a try. (I Just can't understand why Carnegie Hall hasn't called.)

Sometimes my reading habits get stuck for weeks or months on end. Once I decided to read everything Carl Sagan ever wrote. Came close to doing it.
Then I'll get on a medieval kick.
Or reread all the LOTR books.
Once I read nothing but Barbara Kingsolver books until they ran out.
But its generally a pretty eclectic preference and I do like books that leave me a little more informed than before. As yoyobon mentioned, I don't care for the sad, problem books (The Lovely Bones comes to mind.) Don't care for romance. Do like science, history, historical fiction, and fantasy such as The Mists of Avalon.
At the moment I'm rereading Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. It is so well-written. Modern authors should take note of her skills when they write today.

Anyway, hello to everybody. This is a great forum.
Mary

Hello, Mary. It was Froniga's garden sparked my interest in the history of garden plants. Until I read that book, it never occured to me that once upon a time, some of the plants we take for granted were new arrivals to our gardens. She is one of the reasons I grow mostly antique roses.

Rosefolly

Hello, Mary, and welcome, from another "Mary", here! We have some reading tastes in common, as I am a fan of both C.S. Lewis and Elizabeth Goudge.

Welcome Mary!

Another lover of Elizabeth Goudge. The White Witch is the book I credit with beginning my love of herbs. I hadn't realized that herbs were used for more than seasoning food, and even then, that they came from real plants, that I could actually grow myself. It was quite an eye opener to me at age 14 or so.Even today (and I am now 50)I feel a sense of amazement when I snip off some thyme or rosemary to use in a dish, that I grew this herb and it really does come from a plant, not a bottle from the grocery store.

I just found this site, having been playing on the Birdwatching, Laundry, caregiving, remodeling and knitting sites.

Growing up in KS in the 40s & 50s our weekly haul from the library was 10 books each and I devoured them. Reading was a wonderful escape. In my confused 20s I read psychology, survival and romance. In my thirties and forties I branched out. I have gone from mostly fiction to mostly non-fiction. My brain seems to want answers to myriad questions about how our world works. Books on the English language, writing, food, natural phenomena, the mind, etc. are some currently on my shelves.

I have 3 children, all grown and no grands yet. I am a caregiver for my mother with dementia and near-blindness. My DH is a physician, and does not share my love of books, though is a well-rounded fly fisherman, golfer and home-helper. My other interests include an herb garden, cooking, knitting and our c.1920 house. We reside in the lovely Blue Ridge Mountains of NC and feel fortunate to be here.

At this moment, I am missing the old wonderful summer books that are sometings called "beach reads." Where is the next Thorn Birds, Pillars of the Earth, Shell Seekers? I hunger now and again, for a book to get lost in.

Hi knit, Welcome! I have some friends in NC and it does indeed sound like heaven. And I envy you the 1920s house....

>My brain seems to want answers to myriad questions about how our world works.

Bill Bryson The History of Nearly Everything is vintage Bryson, and very very interesting.

Books you can get lost in (not new however)

Far Pavillions, M.M. Kaye

All We Know of Love, Katie Schneider

Our Kind Kate Walbert

The March E.L. Doctorow

Anything by Sharon McCrumb, Barbara Vine, Stephen McGrath.

Hello all,
I recently joined and reading is my very favorite pastime. I am a semi-retired librarian, and when working it is "water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink!" In other words, librarians get to see the new books and scan shelves while walking past, but we don't read on the job unless it is professional lit.
I love Thomas Hardy and Barbara Pym and am so sorry that they and writers like Jane Austen are sadly dead and we can't have any more works from them! I reread because I don't think anything else is as good. I was told that Marcel Proust is the French Hardy. I am trying to read him, but it is slow going. His bio is pretty wild.
I love recommendations!
Did you readers ever see the movie "Fahrenheit 451" where all books were burned, so "underground" people hiding in the woods memorized the classics so they wouldn't be lost? "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...."

Cindy, thank you for these. I have listed them and will explore them shortly. I do apprecite your taking the time.

Not only saw the movie, the book has been a long time fav of mine since high school. Re read it a few years back; not only does it still hold up, but its really amazing how prescient Bradbury was - his future sounds an awful lot like our present.

Mollie, we had a F451 game on here some time ago, each of us choosing one adult and one children's book that we would memorise if all books were to be burned! I think it must have fallen off the bottom of the forum though, cause I can't find it now...

Its too bad that this forum doesn't save threads somewhere, esp ones that might come up again. That does sound like an interesting game. I'll have to think on my answer a bit.

I'd choose Horton Hears A Who and the first Harry Potter book! ;-)

Ok, Green Eggs and Ham would be a close third.

I actually read Fahrenheit 451 for the first time just over a year ago and loved it. I read it after having seen the film which intrigued me greatly. In fact, I conducted a very intense research/analysis project and wrote a thorough paper, as part of my degree, about the music of that film relating the structure and style of the music and compositional choices to the theme of the film/book.

I am fairly new here, came over from the Antique Rose Forum on recommendation from Rosefolly. I am Swedish, married with 2 grown children and 4 grandchildren, working as an administrator at Uppsala University. I am a compulsive reader, will read the back of the milk carton if there's nothing else, (there is lots of text on our cartons) and a compulsive gardener and rose collector. I read all kinds of books but not much SF. I liked Ursula le Guin, though. I commute 80 minutes a day and need 3 or 4 books a week for the bus ride, mostly cheap crime stories. I get most at the Salvation Army store and return them there when I am finished. I am hooked on English language books but I have a husband who reads all the new books in Swedish and keeps me informed. I read books in German, Danish and Norwegian but not French although I have actually translated from that language but I happened to know the subject of the book. I worked for a publisher of children's books for a time and try to keep up with the new books for kids. I read the classics, history, biographies, art, anthropology which was my favourite subject at university, crime, poetry, drama. I am very interested in the change in manners and morals that occurred around 1790-1820. My interest began when I read Jane Austen's observations in Persuasion. At present I am reading Amanda Foreman's book about Georgiana, 5th duchess of Devonshire, Katharine S. White's Onward and Upward in the Garden, Harry Potter No. 5 (too longwinded), Georgette Hayer's Lady April (don't like it much, too mannered and little humour) and re-reading T.S. Eliot for I don't know what time.

If I had to memorize a book for posterity I would chose the Odyssey because I have already told it to my children once, poorly from memory, when we were on holiday in Greece and had to keep the children at table in the hotel dining room and they tired of all the courses. My husband and I took turns to tell the stories every night for two weeks. Our daughter was 6 and our son was 4. In autumn we took them to a children's puppet play based on the Odyssey but adapted out of recognition. This was the 70ies so it was very PC and Telemachos was the main character, longing for daddy to come home. They had left out the ending with the dog who recognized its master, the suitors of Penelope and Ulysses in his beggar's clothes drawing his bow and defeating them all. This was my son's favourite part so he was furious with disappointment and stood up on his chair and screamed that it was wrong!

As I have mentioned before, I attended a lecture by The Great Man Himself, Ray Bradbury, a few years ago. He talked extensively about F451. You might be interested to know that he himself loves the film and thought it was even superior to the book in some ways. He wishes that he could rewrite certain parts of the book, but of course that is not possible now.

Molly mentions Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen as being so unfortunately dead and therefore unable to write more books - it saddens me to think that there aren't any more Bradburys out there. I'm not sure our society is capable of producing people with minds like his anymore.

Mariannese, välkomnande! I love the Odyssey, too. and thought I would share my favorite translation; of course, I am reading in English. If you want a beautiful translation into English verse, please pick up Alexander Pope's. This book called a 16-year old girl to come running home from school just to read!

As my user name states I am Penny in Phoenix. I have lived in Arizona most of my life and absolutely LOVE the desert. I have been a lurker here for about a year, or maybe two? I rarely post, but love to hear what everyone is reading and how much they liked it.
I mostly read fiction, usually I look for novels that have received rave reviews from sources that I trust. I am also reading classics, either those that i missed or don't remember reading when I was younger.
I am 43, have been married 17 years. I have two teenaged sons. My sixteen yr. old is also an avid reader and is passionate about becoming a film maker. My younger son and husband are not really readers.
I have 3 dogs, a husky, a malamute/lab mix and a beagle. I guess I am pretty over the top as far as dog lovers go.
I am working on writing the story of my mother's life. She is 73, and I want to have her perception of growing up in the dust bowl in the 30's.
I love to travel, journal and hike in the desert.
I am a motivational speaker and teach seminars on speaking and goal setting.
Penny

Hi, Penny, and welcome! I'm a dog lover, too, having raised 2 Samoyeds (arctic breed). Another writer, here, too, also. Your book about the Dust Bowl sounds fascinating, just the sort I would want to read. I've posted a message for you on the "In Like a Lion" reading thread.

Mary

Mary,
Do you ever take your dogs to off leash dog parks? They are such an entertaining place to go, not just for the dogs, but the people there and their behavior is hysterical and facsinating. I would love to write a tongue in cheek book about the dog park!
Penny

I know what you mean, Penny, about wanting to write a tongue in cheek book about dogs. IMO, they are as interesting and complex as people! I'm lucky enough to live near a large wooded park with trails around a lake, so that solves the off the leash problem. Actually,apart from that, we only have a couple of special dog-friendly parks in my area. There is a real push to create more.

Penny, hi from another Phoenician! Glad to see I'm not the only Zonie reader. I'm in the East Valley, but grew up not far from Central High (60s-70s when it was known as Little Israel). What part are you in, and where'd you go to school?

I am not fond of Phoenix. Did most of my schooling in Tucson and love it, but came up here for a job and have stayed. As long as I can go traveling, I'm ok. But I do get frustrated here. It didn't used to be polluted. Tho I'll probably feel better when (if!) we get some rain! Oh, I do love the desert as well. Makes me cry when I see what the developers have done to this valley.

Your book sounds interesting. My parents lived during the depression, and most of the stories we heard were about life in New England. I know very little about the DustBowl except for the Dorthea Lange photos and books like Grapes of Wrath. I'd be interested in hearing about yours.

Hi Cindy,
I live in North Phoenix, Moon Valley area, actually I live very close to Lookout Mt. preserve.

I was born and raised in Tucson, so that is really where my heart is. I am so sick of this pollution and scared about how dry it is here. We could be looking at a fire season like no other.

My parents were both born in Oklahoma in the early 30's. The pictures that I have seen of the storms are unbelievable. Many of my relatives still live in small Oklahoma towns in the panhandle. In fact, my parents are there right now to celebrate my aunt's 80th b-day. She still lives on the cattle ranch that she and my uncle have worked for over 60 years!
Keep in touch, if you hear of any interesting book events in the Valley let me know.
Penny

I found this site about a month ago and have been lurking ever since. I'm a Children's Librarian, currently working for Los Angeles County. I've been married almost three years. No children yet, but do have three cats, two birds and a fish. Can't wait 'til I have a house with a yard someday--I miss having a dog in my life.

I just finished Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris. He cracks me up. I was able to hear him speak at the American Library Association in Chicago this summer. They closed the doors just as I got there, so I listened to him piped into the lobby and was the first person in line for the book signing. He was so sweet in person (of course, I got to him while he was still fresh)! He wrote in my copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day : "Nicole, I am so happy that you are alive." What a kind sentiment, huh?

Anyways, glad to have found this site. I've already gotten so many great book recommendations!

Hi- an eternal meteoric lurker here! I discovered this site about two years ago, and have been visiting on and off ever since. I find I don't have enough time to participate regularly, but when I come, I read every thread, post if I have anything to say, and then disappear for a while again. Sorry about that!

I am 47, a Polish Canadian, a teacher and the ESL and Literacy head in a Toronto high school. I have two sons: one 20 (living at home uni student) and the other one almost 13 (Grade 7). I also have an accomplished 'do everything around the house' husband (he just made a great counter between the living room and the kitchen) who is a computer technician/programmer.
I read mainly literary fiction, and a variety of non-fiction, probably more non-fiction now than ever before. I try to read in Polish and German as well as in English, but I haven't been very successful lately. I am including my bibliophil link with my recent reads.
I love to garden- I just read the reading-gardening thread, and had a look at some beautiful gardens there. I used to knit- mainly sweaters of my own design, but I definitely do not have the time to do it now.
Greetings to everyone I know and all the new members!
Magda

Here is a link that might be useful: My bibliophil link

Magda,
I am interested in getting involved in an ESL program here in Phoenix. We are very much in need of more programs for our young hispanic population. Many adults need help as well. It can be a very controversial issue here in Arizona as many people are here illegally. Even if I can volunteer I would like to help.
Cindy,
Can you believe it? We were praying for rain and we even got snow!!! I really want to take my husky up to the snow before it melts. Snow in the desert is such a treat.
Penny

Penny, I somehow missed your earlier post from last week.. sorry for the late reply. I have heard of Moon Valley but I don't think I have been there. I do remember Lookout Mt preserve as a hiking venue (and IIRC, a few spots were lover lanes in my younger day)

I was estatic about the rain. Stayed home all day and curled up with my cats, a blanket and a book. We have an AZ room with a skylight, so I could hear the rain. Lovely. Did feel badly for a colleague who had an outdoor wedding planned. 140+ dry days, and she picks the one with the rain. Poor dear. My brother is up in Cave Creek and took his grandgirls out in the snow. Wish I could have gotten up there, but I am sure he has pics.

If you grew up in Tucson, you might remember when it snowed in town, 1972/73. (assuming you are my age :) I was a sophmore, staying at Mohave dorm. Walking home from work, I suddenly noticed all this white stuff coming down! Oh it was great fun. We got up on top of the roof and had a snowball fight. That weekend a bunch of us went up to Mount Lemmon (didn't have to go far) to play. And the pictures of snow in the desert from this weekend reminded me of some I took then.

I am also a teacher btw, and deal with many ESL issues. Would love to talk with you about them. Do you know about the Arizona Book Festival? Held every year at the Carnegie Center in downtown Phx, this year its on Saturday April 1. Maybe we can do a F2F then?

Here is a link that might be useful: Arizona Book Festival

Magda....you are Similar Reader #8 on my Bibliophil list!

I'm in Toronto as well.

Hi Mummsie- we do seem to read many of the same books! I noticed it a long time ago actually as you are Similar Reader #2 for me :) You always rate a grade lower than me though.
Penny- it's always a good idea to help people communicate, legal or illegal. Good luck in your efforts!
And let it rain more where you are, and be less cold and more springlike here in Ontario. (I hope the gods read list messages)
Talking about students, I have one student from Turkey right now (among hundreds of Chinese students- literally), and together with Pamuk's trial, it piqued my interest in Birds Without Wings, so I may hurry up and read it before the discussion thread disappears.

Magda

Cindy,
I would love to go to the book festival, in fact, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go! My son's 13th b-day is the 2nd, so I'm not sure what he wants to do. They might do a "guys only" fishing trip. Which would mean I would have the whole weekend to myself!
It looks like we might have more rain today, maybe snow again?
You never know. I do remember the '73 snow. We were in school and they let us play outside all day. In '85 it snowed on Christmas Eve. I was 25 years old and having a very rough time in my life. When I was a little girl I would pray every Christmas that it would snow. My parents explained to me that since we lived in Tucson this would never happen. That year I felt that God was telling me to never give up, just have faith!
Penny
Sorry my response was so late, my moniter burned out!

Hi Penny. Love stories like that!

I am loving these huge puffy clouds today. Been just gorgeous out - cool enough and windy enough for a sweater, but just the perfect day to be outside. Yeah - no snow I think, but its supposed to rain tonight or tomorrow.

Yes, lets plan to do the festival, and maybe get ice cream at my fav ice cream parlour in the valley - Mary Coles. Did you get the email I sent to the above address?

Well, Penny and I finally managed a F2F at the Arizona Book Festival and had a wonderful time. Weather could not have been more perfect, which made browsing along the stalls of books all that much more enjoyable. Found out about a few interesting book marts in the area that we didn't know about, and shared comments on all sorts of books (if I recall Penny was carrying away several books which I told her she must read. Worried now that she'll be very disappointed). I remarkably did not walk away with books for me, but several for my students. After the morning book shopping, we went to my favorite ice cream shop in town. Oh, in between this I had a minor traffic accident in a parking garage. But other than that, a most pleasant day, and a most pleasant way to be introduced to another RPer!

So glad that the two of you met! It's wonderful when Rp'ers can actually meet face to face. And I am hoping that all this recent rainfall in Arizona means there will be desert blooms when I get there in three weeks. :-)

Cindy and I had so much fun. It was great to get to know each other and share which books we had read and which we liked. I was looking at my stack of books when I got back home and smiled at Cindy's enthusiasm and my excitement to start reading them. I have never had a face to face with any forum friend, this was a wonderful first experience. It's always great to meet a new friend, and we have plans to visit some of our new bookstore finds!
Penny

>And I am hoping that all this recent rainfall in Arizona means there will be desert blooms when I get there in three weeks. :-)

jan, unfortunately it won't. We need winter rains to make the desert bloom. Spring is too late, except for the weeds of course! BTW, let us know when you are in town. Perhaps we can manage another F2F (can't remember tho, are you just going to be up north?)

Penny, we must do this again! There are bookstores yet unexplored out there!

Jan,
The weather has been absolutely beautiful here the past few days. This is such a nice time to visit AZ.
I love BC, haven't been up there for about 7 years and I am dying to go again.
Will you be visiting Phoenix? It would be fun to get together.
Unfortunately, our dry, dry winter won't bring out our wildfowers this year. However, you can't beat the weather this time of year!
Penny

Hi Penny - We got one of those cheap flights to Vegas so will be there one night (I always feel like I have landed down on another planet when I visit there) and will probably spend the evening checking out the gawdy bright lights and hotels along the strip. And I have about a $20 limit for the nickel slots. We've rented a car for a week and are heading to the South Canyon; my husband has planned some kind of circle route but I know we won't be getting near Phoenix. One of these days we will -- I want to visit the Tucson area. The desert fascinates me, probably because I live in a rain forest. Anyway, I will no doubt be buying plant/animal/bird ID books for the area, and travelling with camera, two sets of binoculars and notebook. :-)

How lovely you two got to meet.

Janalyn, you must check out the Anasazi ruins on the way from Vegas to the Canyon - amazing! Do you mean you are visiting Tucson? Or that you want to but DH doesn't have it on the itinerary? If you do visit, I highly recommend the Desert Museum. There is also a lovely Roadside Geology of Arizona which cues to the mile markers on the road and is very interesting because in Arizona every two hours on the road brings you to a new and different landscape. Okay, maybe it is just my enthusiasm for geology - but I bet you would still find it interesting.

Chris -- We are going to the Anasazi Ruins in Canyon De Chelly. (I just checked with the trip planner!) We've both always wanted to go to Tucson, in fact DH had a 2-3 yr job opportunity there at one point but the move would have affected our kids' schooling. Does the Roadside Geology of Arizona apply to the whole state? It sounds like something I'd love.

It applies to the whole state. Interstates and major highways. Check out the Table of Contents

Thanks chris-on-the valley for the info!I wish I had known about books in this series when I went to South Dakota! But, nothing is lost. I'll probably go either to Arizona, Nevada, or California this year.

Thanks Chris - I've ordered it. (Just hope it gets here in time!)

> Canyon De Chelly

Gorgeous place. BTW, its pronounced 'Canyon de Shea'. Enjoy the trip, and if you find yourself having time to come a bit south, let us know.

I am just reading The Annals of the Former World by John McPhee. It's all (whopping 600+ pages)on the geology of North America, and there is quite a bit of roadside geology in it as well.

Hello!

I have just recently found this forum and I am ecstatic!

I'm a "stay-at-home" mom (which is a misnomer because I'm almost never 'at home')of four children (ages ranging 4-20). Previously I have been employed in construction/design in the Atlanta area. (Yankee born)

Reading has always been a big part of my life since I was a small child. I've enjoyed many different genres, historical fiction is likely my favorite with fantasy being my least. My reading is smattered with biographies, and non-fiction, but fiction definitely tops everything. I have a tendancy to go on reading jags and then take a month or so off from reading, but I always come back.

Presently I am on a "big read" quest to read every book on the Pulitzer Prize winning list for fiction. I also need to finish the Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, somewhere along the way she has published three more books without my knowing...guess I haven't been paying attention.

My favorite author is Kaye Gibbons.

I often post "on the fly" so I apologize ahead of time if sometimes I don't make sense...thank you and have a nice day!

Welcome, April! This is a great forum with lots of intelligent and friendly people, and I'm glad I found it myself.

I need to finish the Outlander series myself. I'm two books behind. I never was able to finish The Fiery Cross.

Welcome April! You've definitely come to the right place. Look forward to reading your posts!

>My favorite author is Kaye Gibbons.

She is one of mine as well, tho wasn't thrilled with her latest book. But I've reread a few of her others now and again.

A friend was doing the Pulitzer winners a while back. He was surprised by how many winners from the past are little known now (and there were some good ones there)

Welcome to the board April. I live in Georgia, too (if, indeed, you are still here).

One of my favorite Pulitizer Prize winners is "The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington.

Peachy! Yes I'm living in Canton now, where the grass is greener and the air is cleaner...(didn't know it, but I'm a poet).

>One of my favorite Pulitizer Prize winners is "The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington.

Perhaps I should read this one next. I don't thnk I'll read them (Pulitzers) in any particular order. It will be more fun to read them at a whim. Thanks for the recommendation.