Annie, I've got to agree. I enjoyed some of Moby Dick, but didn't find it to be a page-turner. In fact, I preferred the Wishbone version my kids had when they were younger (hanging my head in disgrace!). As many of you ladies who have suggested Austen, I have to say that both my DDs had Austen assigned in Lit class and hated it. Broke my heart, because I loved them and read them again and again as an undergrad. I don't know why, but my girls don't even like the movie versions. I thought for sure that Du Maurier would succeed where Austen had failed with DD2, only to find that she didn't care for Rebecca or Jamaica Inn, either. I can't fathom it. I was passionate about Nectar in a Sieve and Things Fall Apart as a young adult, and neither of my girls cared for them, even though they read non-fiction on the same topics greedily. As happy as I am when one of my girls loves a book that I loved, too, it makes me sad when they don't. I spent so many happy hours with British novels and by and large, they flop with my daughters. I won't give up trying, though!

Hi veer! Sorry for the lack of explanation - the RP discussion selection for March is Cloud Atlas, and March is only a few days away (but really, I often don't have the book finished in time and its often just fine. Just being silly) And the number of books I read in a month depends on the time of year. Right now things at school are moving along splendidly. After Spring Break in March, all hell breaks lose - I'll be in the middle of transition conferences for kids going to Kindergarten, as well as evaluation for preschoolers coming in next year. So its a whirl wind till the end of school. And then I once again have lots of time. >the place was full of loggers, trappers and huskies Hee, sort of like visitors from 1950 said Arizona was nothing but cowboys - and the sterotype stuck! :) Actually it is filled with excellent high quality museums, plus some little places to explore (tho we are really going to do that in Quebec City) Thanks for the suggestion - I know some people did mention a few ideas, and think dynomutt was one.

Just today, with the rain coming down in buckets, the kids in school, and me with the day off, I sat down and watched 84 Charing Cross Road. I've read it many a time but never knew it was made into a movie. It was quite old for a movie, and starred Anthony Hopkins, Dame Judi Dench and Anne Bankcroft as Helene Hanff. I thought it was very well done. And a perfect movie for the weather and my mood. I confess, however, that after watching the movie, I am very much annoyed at my computer. Yes, the internet allows me to sit in my living room and make friends, through RP, with all of you all around the globe. But the magic of a letter! The warmth of the words, the bits of smeared ink, seeing my name on an envelope written by the hand of a friend... what computer can compare with that? Sorry... went completely off topic. But I was excited to share this movie with all of you. PAM

Yesterday I re-read Ford's The Good Soldier. The last time I read it was in graduate school, many years ago. What an absolutely fascinating case of an unreliable narrator! And a good study of the stolid English upper class that so intrigues the American. I had forgotten the mad Nancy's single and utterly appropriate word toward the end: "shuttlecocks"!