Cameling's Throwdown with a side of 1010 - Makes 10

My categories for the 1010 Challenge are:
Biographies : Perfect Hostage
Travelogues : An Area of Darkness
Crime/Mysteries : White Nights,The Cipher Garden
History : A Forger's Spell
Business Non-Fiction : Drive : The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Classic literature : Anna Karenina
Historical Fiction
Short Stories : Love Begins in Winter, What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us,Nocturnes,The Elephant Vanishes
Asian fiction : The Palace of Illusions,The Last Chinese Chef
Fantasy : The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers >/b>

January Books Read
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy
Double Cross by James David Jordan
Drive : The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
The Information Officer by Mark Mills
Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
The Salt Smugglers by Gerard de Nerval
White Nights by Ann Cleeves
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us by Laura van den Berg
An Area of Darkness by V.S. Naipaul
The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery

February Books Read
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
Georg Letham : Physician and Murderer by Ernst Weiss
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
Beyond the Blossoming Fields by Junichi Watanabe
Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon
Not Quite Paradise : An American Sojourn in Sri Lanka by Adele Barker

March Books Read
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Cat's Claw by Amber Benson
The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards
Sundowner Ubuntu by Anthony Bidulka
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
No Sleep Till Wonderland by Paul Tremblay
Nocturnes : Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon
The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews
Still Life by Louise Penny
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

April Books Read
A Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Going, Gone by Laura Crum
The Sleeping and the Dead by Ann Cleeves
Madam Will You Talk by Mary Stewart
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
Perfect Hostage by Justin Wintle
Descartes' Bones by Russell Shorto
Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis
Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

May Books Read
White Masks by Elias Khoury
Cassanova by Ian Kelly
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood
The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood
Sweet Dates in Basra by Jessica Jiji
Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
A Forger's Spell by Edward Dolnick
Mona Lisa Awakening by Sunny
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie
Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart
Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens
Amandine by Marlena De Blasi
The Elephanta Suite by Paul Theroux

June Books Read
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child
Aloha Candy Hearts by Anthony Bidulka
To Mervas by Elizabeth Rynell
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason
Music, Food and Love by Guo Yue & Clare Farrow
The Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada
Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
Dressed for Death by Donna Leon
The Glister by John Burnside
Amagansett by Mark Mills
Laundry by Suzane Adams
Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

July Books Read
Annette Vallon by James Tipton
The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
All Around Atlantis by Deborah Eisenberg
Wish Her Safe Home by Stephen Benatar
Have Mercy On Us All by Fred Vargas
Valeria's Last Stand by Marc Fitten
The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri
The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart
Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra
Spanish Recognitions by Mary Lee Settle
The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri
American Cookery by Laura Kalpakian
Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

August Books Read
Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
9948792::The Story of Sushi by Trevor Corson
River Angel by A. Manette Ansay
The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry
The Bellini Madonna by Elizabeth Lowry
Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran
Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri
Boy : Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
Strip Tease by Carl Hiaasen
The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart
A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi
Fantasy in Death - J.D. Robb
Eline Vere - Louis Couperus
The Patience of the Spider - Andrea Camilleri

September Books Read
Seeking Whom He May Devour - Fred Vargas
Candide - Voltaire
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms - Gail Tsukiyama
Death on Demand - Carolyn Hart
Cooking with Fernet Branca - James Hamilton-Paterson
The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie R. King
The Persian Pickle Club - Sandra Dallas
The Patron Saint of Liars - Ann Pachett
Beatrice and Virgil - Yann Martel
Lumby Lines - Gail Fraser
Iqbal - Francesco D'Adamo
Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny
Invisible People - Will Eisner
The Elephant Keeper - Christopher Nicholson\
Chi's Sweet Home - Kanata Konami
The Wings of the Sphinx - Andrea Camilleri
The Quickening Maze - Adam Foulds
The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay - Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi

October Books Read
Your Republic is Calling You - Young Ha Kim
An Imaginative Experience - Mary Wesley
Excursion to Tindari - Andrea Camilleri
Red Bones - Ann Cleeves
Footprints in the Sand - Sarah Challis
A Dead Hand: A Crime in Calcutta - Paul Theroux
The Gardner Heist - Ulrich Boser
How We Decide - Jonah Lehrer
The Glass Room - Simon Mawer
Silence of the Grave - Arnaldur Indridason
The Marriage Artist - Andrew Winer
The Book of Tea - Kakuzo Okakura
Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

November Books Read
Merle's Door - Ted Kerasote
Quietly in Their Sleep - Donna Leon
Tanamera - Noel Barber
The Limits of Enchantment - Graham Joyce
Harnessing Peacocks - Mary Wesley
Gilead - Marilynne Robinson
Island of Demons - Nigel Barley
The River Between Us - Richard Peck
The Language of Threads - Gail Tsukiyama
The Anodyne Necklace - Martha Grimes

My first thread appears here : http://www.librarything.com/topic/78973
My second thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/83496
My third thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85876
My fourth thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/88333
My fifth thread appears here : http://www.librarything.com/topic/92422
My sixth thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/94568#2123521
My seventh thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/96341
My eight thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/98010
My ninth thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/99380

I am here!

Wow, you're quick, Kath!

fast and quiet.. that's me..

Stealthy cat ..err, i mean Kath.

I have been known to answer to kat, you know..

I'm here too! :)

#6 : mmmrreow ?

#7 : hey there Stefano .. good to see you. now how do i post a picture again if it's not on a web album?

Hi, Caroline!

Hey, Caro! Tracked you down again.

Tracked you down through the group page, when the link didn't work!

Ah. Here you are. Good.

A gift for you:

Caro- Congrats on the Big Ten! Yah!

>13 kidzdoc: OMG OMG OMG OMG *drool* I ***looooooooove*** donuts!

#9 : Hi Pat, thanks for visiting

#10 : Sherlock Stas shows her skills once more!

#11 : Thanks for providing the proper link, Roni .... I must have copied over the wrong link.

#12 : Yes, all of me made it over here in one piece ... a rather hungry piece now looking at the doughnuts Darryl just sent me.

#13 : Darryl, I shall desist, I shall desist ... I shall not go in search of a late night snack. I shall ignore the squeals and growls my stomach's emiting thanks to your thoughtful gift ..... fruit doesn't count as a real snack, right? Maybe i'll just chew on a few blackberries.

Reading slump is over, I think ... I knew Baby Blues Scrapbook would pull me out of the rut last night. I'm deep into a re-read of Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. I read this about 8 years ago, I think ... and I realized today that I didn't remember the second half of the book very well.

#14 : Thank you, Marky-Mark ... and double thanks to you for The Wave which arrived in my mailbox today. *smooch*

#15 : Ahh... i see your eye is better, Richard ;-)

omigod, Krispy Kreme....
*drool*
*ahem*
Congrats, Caro, on surviving to the tenth thread!!

what Suzanne said ..... ditto!

8: Ok, here's step-by-step instructions.

You have the pictures on your computer, right? Ok...

-Go to where you upload images on LT (Profile -> Your Pictures -> Upload Picture)

-"Browse" and find the picture you are looking for.

-There is a button that says "Members Gallery." Change that to Junk Drawer. Click Upload Image.

-You should have a Junk Drawer now. Only you can see this. Click on the image you want to post, once you see the big, full-size image, right-click and choose "Properties." Copy the the Adress (URL) and paste it into the IMG code. There you are!

Also, if the pictures are HUGE and you want to shrink them, you can do that with microsoft Paint, if you are using windows. It should open up in paint (if not, you can right-click -> Open With and choose paint.) In Paint, click Image -> Sketch/Skew and reduce the Vertical/Horizontal percentages by however much you like. Then click File -> Save As and save the image with a slightly different name (Like, add "resized" in parentheses to the end.) Then you'll have your regular HUGE image and a smaller one to upload and post.

Also if you want the picture to be public, you can just leave it in Members Gallery and it will show up on your profile with your other pictures.

Hope that helps, and isn't a garbled mess. :)

Caro- Thanks for letting me know! I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts!

Finally made it. Phew! No spice night menu yet...

Found you again Caro! Looking forward to reading about your reading, food, and other adventures! :)

Don't ask me how I got here... but Hey! I'm here!
(Dang gps had me going in u-turns, etc.)

Hi Caro! ;) Starred and tuned in for more excitement!

awwwwwwww I love penguins! :) You are wonderful! :) Still smiling

Claudia.. glad you are here.. with your nursing experience, you are an asset to all of us, especially Caro and her amazing antics.

I was hoping to prove you all wrong in this thread, that I'm not a walking accident ... but ......... *sigh* .....

#18 : Thanks, Suz .... and *ahem* how are your knees, my dear? Fallen over anything else lately? *vengeful smirk*



#19 : My favorite doughnuts are the plain glazed ones, Kath.

#20 : Thanks, Stefano .. it's all clear now. I'll try it out tomorrow if I'm not once again overwhelmed with work as I've been everyday this week.

I did, however, manage to some time out for dinner with a friend. It was a fun 2 hours and helped me relax before coming home to do my conference calls.

#21 : I hope to post a review worthy of the book, Mark.

#22 : Jenn - I've turned Spice Night to Potluck Spice Night because I'm going to a party on Friday and the last time I went to this friend's house, I didn't get home until 3am! So 4 of my friends are bringing at least 1 spicy dish each and I'm going to make :
Malay dry beef curry
Coconut jalapeno shrimp rice
Thai Masaman Curry
Habanero chicken wings

I know one of my friends is making spicy Korean short ribs, and another is making her amazing 6 alarm chili. Her husband is bringing a few gallons of milk and a box of surgical gloves so we don't get stinging fingers and worse... stinging eyes if we were to rub our eyes, and the boys stinging err... parts when they go to the bathroom.

#23 : hello Angela .. always nice to see you

#24 : I never know how I get anywhere either, Claudia ... but you're here and that's all that counts! And thanks for reminding me that I need to update my maps on my GPS.

#25 : Squawk, squeal ... as the penguins say, Kath. I love penguins too ... I saw the cutest ones in Melbourne some years back on Philip Island .. they were tiny and walked up the beach at night to go sleep in their nests on land.

Caro = evil demon. Really. And my knees are just ducky. OK, bruised a bit, so I'll be wearing opaque tights if anything I do requires a skirt, but, hey... Just keep your falling-over-own-feet vibes to yourself in future! *harumph*

Waving hello (and ignoring donuts since they are not on my diet!)

plain glazed are my favorite too..

Now I am craving krispy kremes..
but it is hard to swallow.... and there is no krispy kreme store nearby..

#27... ye gods.. there are still things that require a skirt?!?!?!

horrors.

#30 - Not until April

ok here goes...

here goes what???

this .. it didn't take the first time ....

*blinks*

i give up. you'll have to do without my Halloween picture

Kath I don't know why it isn't working either but you can find the picture here

http://www.librarything.com/pic/211859#comments

Cute angel, Caroline!

Edit to say

I'll give it a try to get it in this thread

#27 : Suz, you're safe now. The falling-over imp has moved on to more delectable victims ... namely my boss, who tripped walking next to me

#28 : Diets that do not allow for a little donut once in a while is a bad diet ... discard at once!

#29 : Poor Kath .. why is it hard to swallow ... having a bad throat today? honey and lemon tea works a dream .. that is a more palatable alternative to the almost immediate cure of gargling with salted water.

And yes, I wear a skirt to work ... even in winter. I wear pants too, but I mostly wear skirts.

I think you got the image code mixed up, Caro! Anyway, here are the other two:

hey how did you find that, and how did you get it in there, calm?

wait wait... how are you all finding these pics?! ack ...

You have them in your members gallery, Caro, instead of Junk Drawer. We can see them on your profile. :P

Actually, no, they aren't on your profile. Hmmm, I'm not sure how Calm found them. Haha. I just clicked the link in post 38...

ha because they're in my junk drawer ... i did listen to you, Stefano ... and i found them again.

caroline

When I can't see an image which someone is trying to post:-

Left click on the image and choose - open in a new tab (or your browsers equivalent).

While I was in there I left clicked the image
chose copy image URL
and put it in the normal image code.

Stephen obviously went a step further and chose to see your other images:)

edit to add a missing step!

LOVE the pics... you are and your friends are just gorgeous.. even if devilish and vampire-y

:)

Caro- Great pix! Looks like you had a wonderful time!

I was just testing this junk drawer thing out .... i'm now REALLY glad i didn't test it by uploading some of the other pics from the party! I'll work out the image code one of these days I'm sure .... or not.

Love the photos! I might have to copy the angel/devil costume one of these years.

#26 - Yummy menu. LOL on the stinging parts. Gloves are a very good idea.

Fantastic photos!

yea .. the image code trips me up for some reason.. blast it!
That is why my heart belongs to photobucket.. or in photobucket.. ?

Nice pictures: some very impressive costumes there! Looks like you all had lots of fun too.

Kath...it's so simple! :(

Look, I can't type it, but here is an image of what the code looks like:



All you do is paste the URL in between the two quotation marks.

Simple, right? :)

ahhh no. didn't work

Haha! *Slaps forehead*

Ok, now for the URL part. You get the URL by right-clicking the picture and clicking Properties. You'll see "URL (Address)" with the URL. Copy that, paste it into the code, and there you go. Here, try it on this image:



Right-click -> Properties -> copy Address URL -> paste into code. Now every picture on the internet is at your disposal! :)

trying

Kath: You're not copying the URL right. You have to right-click on the picture to get the URL. The fish's URL looks like this:

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/images/smilies/fish6.gif

Do you see that URL when you click Properties?

ETA: Sorry for hijacking your thread here, Caro, but it's a worthy cause, no? :)

I have a mac.. so i click copy link location? maybe?

Perhaps. If you hit copy link location, when you paste do you see that hotcouponworld URL? If not, I'll look around and see how to get an images URL on a mac.

So, Stephen.... when I need to post a picture you can do it for me. Right?
* harummmmp... crazy 21st century technology stuff...*

Hi Caro! You were very cute in that costume! Love it...

Stephen, shouldn't the code in #55 finish "/> ?

62: Certainly, so long as you can link me to the image. :)

*weeps*

63: Should it? I don't add a / in my code. Let me see...





ETA: Yep, it works both ways...

Well, waddaya know, so it does. Remind me never to believe those 'you have to get your code exactly like this or it won't work' people again.

You learn something new every day.

Sorry, Stephen. As you were.

Please highjack away Stefano...we're all learning here. Kath and I belong to the 'please hold my hand, point to object, move my hand, pick up object, place object' class.

Jenn/Cat/ Claudia : That costume was a little baggy on me because I didn't have time to take it in since I came home only the morning before the party. The first time I wore it, I was supposed to be a pregnant angel/devil.

Seriously Stephen. I right click, and there is no "properties" and that's where it all bogs down for me.

Jenn, do you see a "copy image location" (or something like that) when you right-click? That's what I get in my browser without having to go through any other option.

How strange .. just as suddenly as they appeared on my fb page, all new books added in LT now suddenly no longer appear on my fb page.

Hi Caroline. Loved seeing the pictures--great costume!

Yoo hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!

Love the costume, Caro! Looks like everyone had a great time at the party.

dreaded double post...

fb + lt = bad match at times.. grrrr

I have still not succeeded in the html/image thing...
I may have to continue to bow to the god of photobucket.
tries again:

Way to go Kath, did you get it? :D

69: Are you on a mac? And what browser are you using? Kath has informed me that Macs (and upon googling, certain browsers) don't have "Properties." Like Caty said in post 70, do you see "Copy Image Location" anywhere when you right-click?

Oh, and I never commented on the pictures. LOVE THEM! And I'm happy for you...I mean, there are no visible bumps or bruises...you must have had a good week I'm assuming? :)

>69 nittnut:: Jenn, the right-click menu item you choose depends upon the browser you use. Look for something that sounds like "Copy picture location" or "Copy picture URL" if you don't see Properties.

Btw, if you go to the Basic HTML thread, and look at Post #2, you'll find information on what to choose.

LOL! I thought I knew how to upload images....until I read these volumes of instructions. Oh my, I'm just going to stick with my "easy" way. It works for me! Btw, the Halloween pics are priceless and worth all the trouble you went to. Proof that you really are an angel!

*Tearing hair and grumbling loudly.* I know it's not this hard, I know. But. here. goes. another. try.

Woot! Now if I can just remember that code.

So where is my piece?

I served it in the kitchen, weren't you there?

Yes, I was there. I want my piece here too. I am greedy!

Waitaminnitwaitaminnit if *SHE* gets two pieces, **I** want two pieces too!

#86: Why don't we just split the whole pie between the two of us, Richard?

Hey, waitaminute. I want pie too!

>87 alcottacre: It's a plan.

>88 drneutron: Get your own! We got dibs FIRST!!!

Ohhh Richaaarrd, I think I hear auntie calling. Here, I'll watch over your pie while you go tend to her.

>90 Ape: *snort* I was born at night, but it wasn't LAST night, kiddo. Hafta try a LOT harder than that.

Ohhh RIchaaarrd, I think I hear George Clooney calling. Here, I'll watch over your pie while you go tend to him.

>92 Ape: A LOT closer, but pie vs sex...pie wins, sex is always available and pie isn't.

sex is always available and pie isn't.

Hmmm... Thanks for the advice! I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm in a bakery.

Hey this is MY thread ... if there's pie being shared, I demand my slice too! *grumpy sulk*

#93 : ditto Ricardo ... best combination is sex with pie though. :-)

Having said that, I'm having serious cupcake cravings today. Maybe because I have a box of 2 dozen Shot Cakes in my kitchen that I'm taking to a friend's place in an hour for a OMG TGIF party.

And sex with who always comes into play. I am picky.

Uh huh.... by invitation only, Kath. But if sex is not involved, then I'll eat cupcakes with anyone as long as they don't smell bad and have teeth.

Cupcakes & sex! Hmmmmmmm...interesting stuff going on over here!

sex with pie

I am not in the belief that pie accurately mimics the human vagina...

cupcakes are yum.. pie even better... friends are better than pie

I am sure

I will pass by the cupcakes to get at the pie. I am with Richard on the pie vs. sex too!

#99 : LOL ... good one Stefano ... that wasn't what I meant .... but you made me remember the scene from the movie American Pie with that reference.

I attended a wedding today where each guest received not just a slice of cake but also a beautiful and very delicious orange cupcake. Came to pass, they couldn't decide on just 1 cake so they decided to have 2. A tower of cupcakes and a dark chocolate cake.

So drove a bit like a maniac this morning to CT to a friend's wedding ... got there a half hour early, and went into the church, heard the music and a packed church, so I hustled into the nearest seat at the back I could find ... then looked around for my other friends ... for about 20 mins and realized I didn't recognize a single person .... including the groom and best man standing up at the altar. Hmmm..... asked the person next to me who the couple was getting married that morning, received a very odd look and .... ah me....... wrong church, wrong wedding!

The church I wanted was just down the street ... zipped over with screeching tires, and made it with about 7 to spare. I was ever so glad to recognize not just the groom, best man at the altar, but also my friend's family and some other friends, some of whom were waving frantically for me to run down the aisle so I could sit next to them. Whew!

The rest of the event went wonderfully .. the bride was beautiful, we all cried, the food at the reception was to die for, and nobody fell and broke a leg during the party after.

That is so funny Caroline! Good thing the churches were near each other!

What a great story. Sounds like you all had a good time.

>96 mckait: And sex with who always comes into play. I am picky.

Women, sheesh. For me, if it's human, male, and clean, it's doable. Hairy a plus, muscles double plus, and red hair with brown eyes goes to the head (pun optional) of the line. But apart from that, whassa diff anywhoz?

Daze with Caroline

is a good name for the Caroline reality show, doncha think?

#106: I like it, Kath!

Hi, Caroline! Liked your wedding crasher story.

Jenn : Yeah, no kidding .. it was my fault for turning off the GPS the minute I turned down the street and saw a church. I just kinda assumed it was the one I wanted.... instead of leaving it on and arriving at the church I needed to be at 5 blocks down!

Could have been worse I suppose .. I could have bumped into the bride and her entourage when I was leaving the church. Think how shocked they'd be to see a 'guest' leaving before the big show.

#104 : Yes, Cindy...eventually. Needless to say, the maid of honor managed to weave it into her speech at the reception and the couple demanded to know if their real gift had been left at the other church and if I picked something up from the mall on the way to their reception venue. Would you believe those clowns actually marched me over to the desk where I'd put my gift with some of the others and made me describe the wrapping paper, ribbons and then proceeded to open the gift with my back turned, and I had to describe what the gift was, color, # etc. sheesh... I drove like a maniac for 3 hours for this?!

#105 : I have almost the same criteria that you do, minus the red hair brown eyes bit ... i don't care about hair/eye color ... I'd just like them to have hair on their head and 2 functioning eyes. Oh and they have to have clean un-bitten fingernails.

#106 : It's just the Fall, Kath. I'm not like this all year round .... at least I don't think so.

Having said that, I was about to leave my friend's house on Friday night without my shoes on until someone pointed out that my shoes were by the porch door ... I'd forgotten I had taken my shoes off. Oh well.. I would have realized it the minute I stepped outside anyway.

#107 : Don't encourage her, Stas.

#108 : Thanks, Pat. Could have happened to anyone, really.... no, really!

Took a while but I finally finished Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote. What a wonderful book about a man who went river-rafting with some friends and finds a stray dog. The dog started to accompany them on their journey and ended up following Ted home. What makes this a particularly compelling book is that Ted chronicles Merle's behavior over the 13 years that they shared. Ted also includes really good information on studies about animal behavior.

It's rich with stories of their time together. There's a lot of funny stories and also some very touching stories. The book covers the wonderful relationship they shared.
4.8 stars .. I loved it

Oh, yes! This book is one for me, Caroline. Thanks!

Rest up for your upcoming travels... don't know how you do it.
Really, I don't.

Hi Caroline, just trying to catch up with you (not an easy task ever). I love the idea of a book about funny stories so Merle's Door is going on the pile.

Hey, Caro, I don't even require hair on their head any more! Obviously, my standards have slumped. But then, so have I!

Going waaaay back in this thread -- yes, there are still things that require skirts. I'm supposed to be going to a benefit at the Waldorf for the UN Foundation in 2 weeks. Not only a skirt, but black tie. Which means shopping. Sigh. And this coming week there's a work dinner on Thursday night. Which means eradicating the big grey roots growing into my hair...

#109: Why not? I love encouraging, Kath!

#110: That one is already in the BlackHole and I may, some time in this lifetime, get it read.

I liked Merle's Door too. I read it right after the other.... Marley and me..
oh my.. Beautiful and terrible and wonderful and sad and happy books.

Merle's Door has a sequel about his new dog......

as for Daze with Caroline, I think I will call FOX tv and pitch it..

#115: Call me if you need any help with your proposal, Kath!

Caro- I have to hang my head! I gave my copy of Merle's Door away! I think my daughter and my wife had read it but I must have thought it wasn't important enough to read myself. Snobbish MBG!

#111 : Thanks, Claudia ... not much chance of a rest .. I have still to pack, do a spot of laundry, eat dinner, tidy up around the house ..... and leave the house at 3.30am to get the airport in time for my 6am (yes, 6am) flight.

#112 : Hi Bonnie ... Merle's Door is funny, and touching, and insightful and makes you need to visit your nearest animal shelter to bring them all home with you ... the animals, not the human helpers.

#113 : LOL .. you crack me up, Suz. I like black tie events if they aren't too stuffy. I do so like guys in black or white tie.

#114 : Could you at least encourage Kath to make me chicken quesadilla and pie, Stas?

#115 : Is the sequel Merle's puppy, Kath? FOX? FOX?!! At least give me CBS or NBC! Ye gods and little fishes, woman, is my market value that low?

#116 : Again with the encouragement, Stas!

#117 : Shame on you, Mark .... quick go track it down and get it back. It's a really good read.

MARK!!!!!!!!! You have got to be kidding?

tsk tsk tsk

I think Fox would be *perfect* for you, Caro...you travel so much they'd never find you to cancel you.

120 lmao

3.30am?! Ick. Hope you manage to get some sleep at some point, Caroline.

Quietly In Their Sleep - Donna Leon is another in the Commissario Brunetti series. Once again, our delightful commissioner of police is swept into a puzzling mystery ... at least the initial puzzle is that there doesn't seem to be any mysterious about the deaths of some residents of a nursing home. But a nun has come to see him, convinced that there was something irregular about deaths. The cast of characters start to grow as Brunetti starts to look deeper into the nun's complaint and is about to admit that perhaps she was mistaken when she is hospitalized following a hit and run accident.

What is interesting in this particular book for me is the history behind the Opus Dei, how and why they were formed and how little we really know about this secret society. As always, Leon provides us with delightful scenes of Venetian life, the loyal team that Brunetti leads and his relationship with his family.

3.8 stars

okie dokie ...off to do everything I need to get done before I leave tomorrow morning. See you all in a day or 2. I am looking forward to part of the trip though .... it will be my mom's 80th birthday and we're having a party for her on Saturday in Singapore with family (some like me flying in) and some of her closest friends.

I'm bringing some presents for her, one of which I have to tie onto the dog, and have him walk over and 'give' it to her. I just hope he doesn't turn around and decide to chew it to pieces.

Hope you have a good trip, Caroline!

Thanks Pat

You even dropped the Marky-Mark, you must be upset! I have never read Donna Leon. She seems to have her fans on LT.

Caro- Have a safe trip, my friend!

Okay, I'm dying to know. What are you going to be tying onto the dog?

Adding Merle's Door to the pile. A big fan of good animal stories.

#118: I will most decidely encourage Kath and her cooking, Caro. I have to eat too :)

Safe travels! (again)

Have a safe trip, Caroline!

New Donna Leon going right onto the TBR pile...especially if it dishes about Opus Dei...

*looks under sofa cushions*
no caroline there...

I've had a Donna Leon hiatus. Not sure why; it just happened. I'll have to figure out where I am somewhere around #7) and pick it back up. I love these stories.

And I'm back and very happy to be back! Boo hooo... it was a terrible few days. My computer crapped out on my the day after I arrived in Singapore and I kept getting the blue screen of death. With all the meetings I had scheduled, I didn't have time to bring it down to an HP service center to get it fixed.

I flew into Tokyo yesterday afternoon, and after my shower, I immediately headed out to Akihabara and found myself a new best friend, a rather cute one actually, with blue & yellow hair, with incredible technical talents ... he fixed my laptop in 2 hours. Whoohoooo..... it's so good to be back online again! I've missed you all !!

You have been missed here too, Caro! Congrats on finding someone to help with the laptop - and very quickly as well!

My mom's 80th birthday went really well ... my brother and I organized a celebratory 10 coursed dinner with family and her close friends at a wonderful restaurant at a club we are members at. It was great to see her so happy ... it was a surprise for her .. we made her believe that it was just going to be our immediate family. I was a bit concerned she'd faint or throw up in shock .... but after going a little pale when we brought her into the private room in the restaurant and her seeing all the people in there (my husband stood behind her, in case she fell over ... she didn't, but she did take a step back and stepped on his foot ... and she wears heels still at her age!), she walked around in a bit of a daze for a few minutes. But she recovered admirably and then became the belle of the ball .. haha.

I did manage to tie a box of pomegranate and acaii berry tea to the dog ... although he wrecked the wrapping 3 times by trying to eat the box ... so finally we wrapped it for the 4th time, tied it on again, and then my husband walked in front of the dog, waving and giving him little treats all the way to my mom's room. Thankfully, we gave her her other presents in a more conventional (and slobber-free) fashion.

My sweet husband (unbeknownst to me) had a bouquet of 80 mixed roses delivered to the house for her on the morning of her birthday.

Thanks, Stas ... I missed you all so much.

Sounds like a wonderful birthday party for your mom. Kudos to your hubby too. He sounds like a great guy!

Great birthday party!
Glad you're back online.

Tanamera by Noel Barber is a delightful read. Historical fiction about the life of an English grandson from one of the most prominent English business families in Singapore since the early 1920s before WWII, during the Japanese occupation of Singapore, and after the British took it back from the Japanese in 1949.

This book starts off with the grandfather, having built an impressive business in Singapore and the impressive mansion he built on the island, naming it Tanamera, which in Malay, means Red Earth, for the color of the rich soil on which the house stood. It's in this house that his son and grandchildren grow up, fall in love, keep secrets, and fight to hold.

It was an interesting look at Singapore (then part of Malaya) through the eyes of the rich Englishman and the society they moved around in. Some of the buildings still exist in Singapore, thankfully without the same racial and gender prejudices during the 20s - 50s. It was fun to visualize these places and the patrons of the time. The comparison to the patrons of today is vastly different.

But it is the exploits of the grandson, one Johnny Dexter, and his antics as a child, as a teenager in (forbidden) love with a Chinese girl, as an adult, a father and then a soldier that holds our attention through the book. Touching on the horrors the islanders received at the hands of the Japanese soldiers after they invaded Malaya, this story is told from the view of an English family and what they did to fight for the country they loved. It provides a rather romantic view of the war though and it certainly doesn't delve into the gruesome horrors that the native islanders went through at the hands of the Japanese, but having said that, it did stay close to historical truths, especially the secret partnership the British formed with the Chinese Communists to sabotage the Japanese camps in the jungle, although they did turn on and attempted to hunt down these same communists after the Japanese surrendered at the end of the war.

I'm going to give this 4.5 stars because I really couldn't put this down after I started it .... good thing I had a very long flight from Boston to Singapore.

#140 : He has his moments.. haha.... but in general, yes, he's a keeper. ;-)

#141 : Me too, Jenn... me too. Is your son's postcard project still on? I could send him a postcard from Japan if it is.

#142: Rats. The local library has several of Barber's books but not that one. *sigh*

The Limits of Enchantment by Graham Joyce turned out to be a rather ho-hum read. An orphan, Fern, brought up by an herbalist in a little village learns that life is rife with prejudice against all who might be different. She continues to help some of the villagers with herbal cures and potions, and even takes a course in midwifery in her attempt to gain a certificate that will allow her to legally practice what she's already helped her Mammy on on multiple occasions.

When Mammy is taken to the hospital, Fern has to learn who to trust, who to avoid, who her friends and enemies are, and more importantly ... figure out if she has the 'calling' or if she's going crazy.

I thought this a rather choppy read and I was tempted to chuck it a few times.
2 stars

#145: Skipping that one! I probably would have chucked it.

#144 : Rats, I gave that book to a friend in Singapore after I'd finished it on the plane or I'd have sent it to you, Stas.

And yes I wish I had chucked the Joyce book, but I didn't because I thought it might get better ..and then it was too late to chuck it because I was close to the end.

#147: No worries, Caro. It is not like there is nothing around my house to read :) Besides, I think I owe you one.

The birthday party sounds lovely!!

So are you still in Tokyo? Are you going to give us some sushi photos or at least descriptions? I haven't been there yet, but would love to go.

I am way behind in the Donna Leons but was delighted to find Acqua Alta for 2 francs at the school book sale last week. I have the next few after this one, so might have a blitz on them soon.

Hi, Caroline! I'm glad that your computer is working again, and that your mother had such a wonderful 80th birthday party. Nice review of Tanamera; however, the book's title is making me think of Pete Seeger:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5JLCAIJLJ8

Hi Caro! *waves* You forgot to stuff me in your suitcase before you went off to Japan!

Welcome home Caro- Good to have you back! Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday party for your mother! Hope you can get some rest before going back to work!

This is nice... Caro-ness is back at LT.
80 roses? wow! Bet mom was blown away!
It sounds like you gave her a wonderful party... :)

Hi, Caroline. Glad to see you back online. Your mom's birthday sounds wonderful and I love the part where your husband gave her 80 roses. Definitely sounds like a keeper.

Hi there, Caroline!
Sounds like you had some birthday fun!!! I couldn't help but think you must take after your Mom... little mishaps, and all. lol So glad you and family got to see her :)

#138 Sounds like a great celebration!

Good review of Tanamera: I shall add that one to the wishlist, I think.

#149 : I'll try to remember to take some photos of some of the foods here in Tokyo for you, Cushla .... usually when food arrives in front of me here in Japan, I forget everything except my name ...and even that is sometimes forgotten if a lot of sake is offered. Of course my challenge is not so much taking the photos, but then having to figure out (successfully for a change?) how to post them here.

#150 : Darryl ... LOL .... There are a few Portuguese Eurasians on my dad's side of the family and that Guantanamera was one of the songs they always sang during our family gatherings.

#151 : Oops... I thought my suitcase was lighter than it should have been. Sorry, Stefano. Maybe you can remind me the next time I head out here ... or perhaps you'd rather come to Bangkok with me in December?

#152 : Hmm.... rest, Marky-Mark? Rest will be on the plane coming back home on Thursday I fear because I've got a slew of meetings on Friday at the office.

It is so nice to have you popping up more often, Caro! I am glad that your computer is fixed!

#153 : I think my mom was happy .... she was flitting about like a butterfly on speed. According to the guests, they enjoyed the food and the party too, so that's great. I'm always worried about planning parties, if people will have a good time. Mom was teary-eyed when she read the card that came with the flowers ..... and then happily put them all in a beautiful vase and promptly called her friends to boast that she's got the best son-in-law in the world! haha....

#154 : Haha, Pat... the hubster is claiming some hubby points. But he does like my mom, and I was very touched too that he chose to send her the flowers on his own.

#155 : Hey there Claudia. I take after my mom in the cooking department. She's an amazing baker and cook. My skills are nothing compared with hers. *ignoring the comment about mishaps ....lalalalala*

#156 : I think you'll enjoy the book, Cat.

#158 : It's so nice to be able to pop up and peek around, Stas ... even if it's just for a short visit. I've got to put some presentation slides together shortly for my meetings this afternoon ..... and as you can see, I chose to spend my time on LT first, and then I've got to plan where I'm going to have lunch today! At least I've got my priorities straight, right? :-)

Harnessing Peacocks by Mary Wesley is a darling book. Can a woman whose family holds a family conference to decide and plan her abortion manage successfully to steal away in the night and run away to make a life for herself and her unborn child? It appears so. Hebe lives in a quiet English village with her son, Silas, and manages by working as a private chef to a few elderly ladies for a few weeks at a time, and a prostitute to select men, a group she calls, her Syndicate. The latter career is of course, not a well known fact, and most of her clients, carefully chosen, communicate with her only through letters sent to a Pakistani store.

With her chosen lifestyle, Hebe lives a quiet but contented life, earning enough for the stiff tuition fees at Silas's private school.

Silas comes home for the holidays but goes off to spend 3 weeks with a friend whose family have invited him on a sailing vacation. As Hebe contemplates the change in plans, she decides to offer her cooking services to one of her elderly clients for the time that Silas will be away with his friend. Things start to unravel, when one of her clients learns that she is to be at his mother's friend's place, a rather shy nephew meets Hebe, a stranger meet with Silas and one of her clients becomes her friend.

Wonderfully humorous with a touch of whimsy.
3.8 stars

#160: Oh, priorities are straight for sure, Caro!

#161: I will have to see if my local library has that one. I would not mind giving another Wesley book a try.

Do try this one, Stas ... I think you will enjoy it. It isn't like the last one you read.

I already checked and the local library does have it. I am not sure when I will get to it though. Probably not until after the beginning of the New Year.

Hi Caroline, what a great party you threw for your Mom. Tanamera is going on the pile.

Wishlisted and thumbs-upped as always, dear Caro!

Yes! The postcard project is still going on. Here's the info:

Please help North Star Academy Middle School students with our "Postcard Project". All you need to do is send one (or more) postcards from where you live to this address: North Star Academy 16700 Keystone Blvd. Parker, Colorado 80134.

Thanks!

I may have some of Barber's books lying around the place, Stasia, though I won't find them until I finish making my way through what is lodged behind the front rows of my massive bookshelves... Not 100% sure Tanamera is one of them; I think his book set in Cairo is, however. I do notice that it has been re-released, and Amazon vendors are advertising hardcover copies for a penny plus shipping -- for when the book ban is over! (or maybe you can find one in Joplin??)

Stopping by to wave hi!

Harnessing Peacocks sounds nice.. I might have to list that one ..

and she wears heels still at her age!

She's my hero.

perhaps you'd rather come to Bangkok with me in December?

No no, that's ok...it has to be Japan. *Lapses out of the conversation and gets a faraway dreamy look in his eyes*

I'll come to Bangkok with you in December!! I did Xmas in Bangkok/Chiang Mai a few years ago and it was fun. Can go shopping at Jim Thompson... May have to commission you to buy me some silk!

ye gods... Bangkok

Oof... had a horribly long day yesterday ...nothing as long as what Darryl sometimes has to go through, but a 16 hour day for me is too long for my liking, especially when I don't have any downtime at all during the 16 hours. *ugh* managed to grab 4 hours sleep (Stas would consider that sleeping in!) and then I was up again.

Heading out for a meeting now, then will come grab my stuff from the hotel and off to Narita airport I go. I'm coming home !!

#165 : Hi Bonnie. I think you'll enjoy Tanamera.

For anyone interested in an accurate history of how the British lost Singapore to the Japanese due to their complacent inefficiency and then engineered the Japanese surrender later during WWII, I would recommend Singapore Burning by Colin Smith.

#166 : You're sweet. Thanks, Ricardo ... i hope you're enjoying one of the few sunny days on LI this season.

#167 : Thanks Jenn. I'll see if I can get a postcard after my meeting and have the hotel mail it for me.

Hi caro... I am happy that you will be home soon....

#168 : Suz, did you visit any of the buildings mentioned in the book when you went to Singapore? e.g. the Cricket Club? I love that old building.

#169 : Hey there Linda .. *waves back* ... I love seeing you back on LT again because I know that means you're feeling a little better.

#170 : There is no might about that, Kath... it's you have to add that to your list.

#171 : It's pretty cute ... she's shy of 4'11" and she loves wearing 2" heels.

#172 : ok .. raincheck then, Stefano. I'm likely to have to come back here again next year at least once if not twice. You can stowaway in my luggage then... please keep up with the contortion exercises.

#173 : Let me know if you want some Suz. But from Jim Thompson? Way overly expensive. There are some very good silk stores in Bangkok that cater to locals rather than tourists .. I can get my aunt to take me to one of them. I have a few relatives in Bangkok.

#174 : Sawadee kaap, Kath.

ok

:)

I finished Gilead by Marilynn Robinson this morning over breakfast.

How many people, elderly and in poor health, knowing the Grim Reaper is slowly shuffling up the street, would think of writing a journal of their life, dreams and hopes to leave their young child? This is the story of one such man. John is a preacher, widower and then husband to his much younger 2nd wife, and father to a little boy. John's relationship with his own father, his one-eyed grandfather, his mother, his brother, his best friend and his wife are gradually drawn and painted in this journal. He speaks of his joy in watching his son play, the quiet of the night, walking into church and writing out his sermons. His character takes form as we read his journal and the reader sees this religious, gentle and loving man wanting to make sure his son knows who he is once death takes him.

At times funny, I loved his story of the town who dug a tunnel a stranger's horse fell into, at times a little sad, at times thought-provoking, at times inspirational. The experience reminds me of sitting at the foot of my grandmother as she told me stories of her past.

3.5 stars

Kohbkun-kaa, Caro. I'll take you up on that! I'm looking for a couple of lengths that I can have made into shirts, so about 1.5 meters of the standard width. Will send you a PM -- and some baht, of course! No, doesn't need to be JT! Although they have the loveliest handwoven silk scarves, and that's the other thing I would love to lay my hands on. There is a store here that used to carry stuff like that but it has been replaced by nasty nylon imitations of Lao and Khmer textiles and as for silk, just the cheap Vietnamese stuff and the sarongs you can buy on the beach.

I have Gilead sitting on my Kindle, demanding to be read. I may put it on my 11 in 11 list.

I have had both Gilead and Home in the TBR for absolutely ages. I really must read them.

Liked your review of Gilead, Caroline. I started it and then abandoned it and have always meant to give it another try. Glad you're on your way home.

I'm not sure that my long days are worse than yours, Caroline, especially when you combine your frequent travel, long flights, jet lag and challenges of working in unfamiliar environments with limited supplies and unpredictable snafus. I'm certain that you could do my job; I doubt that I could do yours.

Have you read The Singapore Grip or Empire of the Sun? I'll read both books early in 2011, especially the Farrell, as it's the last of his Empire Trilogy.

I'll have to read Gilead and Home in the not too distant future; nice review of the former book.

I just added The Singapore Grip to my 11 in 11 challenge, along with Gilead. Time to start stocking those "shelves"!

I loved Gilead, too. Nice review!

Caro- Nice review of Gilead! Only 3.5, though? It was a 5 star book for me! Try to get to Home, at some point. It's also very good. Have a safe trip back!

Darryl- I loved Empire of the Sun, although it's been over 20 years since I read it.

Caro, I am glad to hear you are on your way home! Safe travels.

checking in to see what you are up to today.. :P

I've added Empire of the Sun to my 11 in 11 challenge (Booker Prize longlisted novels that I already own), and The Singapore Grip is already in my 'New York Review Book that I already own' category.

I enjoyed The Singapore Grip but I didn't think it was the equal of Troubles or The Siege of Krishnapur. For me, it was most interesting for its portrait of Singapore and of the interaction of the British colonialists with the varied populations of the city.

178: please keep up with the contortion exercises.

Maybe if I practice hard enough they'll be able to fit me in one of those crazy Japanese vending machines! :D

*drive-by hug*

I agree with Rebecca about The Singapore Grip. But both The Singapore Grip and Tanamera were interesting to me because I spent 9 months in Singapore many, many years ago.

I loved Empire of the Sun.

I'm in awe of how you manage your traveling so well. I would be utterly exhausted.

Hats off you to my friend!

I've added Empire of the Sun to my TBR list, as well as Siege of Krishnapur. Or should I read Troubles before Seige?

You don't need to read the Farrell books in order because they are a thematic trilogy (i.e., the Empire trilogy), not one with continuing characters. Although Farrell wrote Troubles first, chronologically it takes place after The Siege of Krishnapur. I read Troubles first, and it remains my favorite, but you could easily read Siege first.

If you get Stephen into a Japanese vending machine, I want a photo.

I loved Empire of the Sun .. if I were to rate it, I'd give it 5 stars. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed with Singapore Grip. I thought Troubles and Siege of Krishnapur were good though, and I think that raised my expectations for Singapore Grip a little higher than it would have been if I hadn't read the first 2 in the trilogy.

#181 : Suz, definitely send me a PM (you don't have to send me any baht, it'll be easier if we just convert into US$ when I get back) with what you want. I was going to be staying at the Grand Hyatt Erawan which is a lovely hotel near the Erawan Shrine, the Grand Palace and of course WTC, but my partners apparently worked out some deal for the conference that they're holding at The Peninsular Hotel so I'll be staying there instead. If you do want something from Jim Thomson, I can still go because it's just across the river from my hotel. Let me know.. I leave Boston Dec 8.

#184 : Thanks for the big belly laugh, Darryl .... I could definitely not do your job and your lovely little patients, their nervous parents and your nurses would be frightened if I even attempted it.

#187 : I wonder if I underrate books sometimes, Marky-Mark. Sometimes I think it also depends what books preceded the one I'm currently rating. It's hard to follow an exceptional book with another exceptional book and I think the ones that are good sometimes suffer from my just having had my mind blown by another I'd read before it. It's hard not to compare sometimes. I suppose I could squeeze another .5 stars out for Gilead and give it a 4 because it was good and I did like it, but I wasn't blown away by it.

#191 : I'm with you, Rebecca. I definitely preferred Troubles and Siege

#192 : *wondering why Stefano wants to fit in a Japanese vending machine?*

#193 : *skate-by-hug-back to Ricardo*

#195 : I sleep on planes, Linda ...without a hat but with my iPod ear plugs firmly shoved into my ears so my neighboring seat mate doesn't try to have conversations with me... although this didn't work as well during part of my trip back because the woman next to me had a very piercing (and grating) voice, and she kept nattering about her divorce and her new found love almost the entire way to the other guy sitting next to her from Tokyo to San Francisco. And her elbow kept jostling me awake because she fidgeted more than a hyperactive jumping flea.

#198 : If Stephen gets into a vending machine, I'll be taking a photo from the other side of the street ..... of the police arresting him.

Will send you PM when I get organized, and wasn't really gonna send actual baht, but US proxy. Altho I may have some baht lingering around...

ETA: Caro, have you discovered Bose earphones yet? They do work re noise reduction. Even obnoxious neighbors are less obnoxious. Though it wouldn't help with the elbow jostling. How annoying!

haha.. ok, I should have known you'd be too sensible for that, Suz. I only said that because someone asked me to get something for them when i was going to Italy, they actually sent me an envelop with lira in it ... after Italy had already joined the EU.

Yes, I bought a pair of Bose earphones for Edd but I don't like wearing them. I don't like things covering my ears, and they're also hard to sleep with because I tend to turn my head to the side. Usually noise doesn't bother me, and I usually have my iPod buds in my ear which cut off most of the white noise and other sounds, but this woman had a voice that could cut glass.

*wondering why Stefano wants to fit in a Japanese vending machine?*

I'm picturing cute japenese girls exclaiming excitedly over the new "American Man Machine"...and how affordable he is! :D

err... are you saying you're cheap? hmm...btw, there are clubs in Japan where women are catered to by young Japanese and caucasian gigolos. No need to contort yourself into a vending machine ... I don't think they have proper air vents in those things.

Cool! But...with my way we could start a gigolo vending machine empire!

Hi Caro! Are you home now? If so, I'm sure it feels good. Some of my fellow LTers think I "rate" to high! Maybe I do but what the heck! I yam, what yam! I just think I loved Gilead and you liked it. Period.
I am so slow sometimes, I never realized Empire of the Sun was part of the Ballard trilogy and I've had Troubles on the WL for nearly 2 years now. Duh! Bottom line, I loved Empire!

#206 : *trying to picture someone actually buying a human being out of a vending machine*

#207 : Hi Marky-Mark .. yes, I arrived home last night. It sure does feel good to be home - especially sleeping in my own bed, and then waking up in the morning to see a relatively leaf-free yard and driveway ... I guess the lawn guys came after all while I was away. I didn't even mind the really busy day at the office I had today.

Welcome home, Caroline. Hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead of you!

Thanks, Pat. I'm definitely looking forward to one. We just have a potluck party to attend tomorrow evening and either a hike on Sunday if I wake up early enough or brunch (more likely). All in all, I'm hoping for some lovely reading time.

Hi Caroline,
Happy to hear you are back in the USA - safe and sound. I don't know about you, but all this traveling to Asia is exhausting me! :)
Be nice to yourself this weekend - rest well.

#210: All in all, I'm hoping for some lovely reading time.

I hope you get your wish!

208: You don't think if you put women inside vending machines in casinos and hotels that men wouldn't buy them? C'mon, it's brilliant! :)

I too, am hoping for some reading time today :)

I need to choose a book! ( and do laundry )

I'm often tempted, and have rehearsed several times, to turn to the 'neighbor' in my seat on the plane with something that goes along one of these lines....

a. Maam, I'm so sorry to interrupt your lively conversation, but I have a dreadful headache that does not react well to loud noises....in fact, I often vomit violently, so I hope I won't get any on you if it happens.

b. Maam...I've already been up for almost 20 hours, and must must must get some sleep so I don't turn into a raving maniac. I really don't give a flying &*&% about your divorce, your love life, or anything else, so perhaps you could turn it off so your unfortunate sleep-deprived seat mate can get some desparately needed medicinal rest?

c. Did your momma teach you any manners at all? Why don't you save the personal details for Facebook....I'm not interested, and I'm going to gag all over you if you don't stop.

Wonder if any of those would get me arrested? I doubt it, and frankly when people are that obnoxious, someone needs to take pity on them and let them know it. Unfortunately, they are the type that just don't seem to get subtle, well-mannered hints, and since I don't plan to become their best friend, I can't see where it would hurt. And maybe the poor sucker on the other side will buy you a drink to thank you.

#215, Alas, those responses often tend to escalate the situation rather than shaming the offender into silence... I've tried similarly straightforward remarks with parents of small children kicking the small of my back, and have been literally screamed at. Yes, I'm right, but I end up more stressed. Similarly, when people park themselves outside my home at 3 a.m. and have loud conversations, turn up the car stereo etc., if I get dressed, go and ask them to please move or be more quiet, I have learned to expect hostility, even threats. People who are that oblivious to common courtesy are just scary.

Will refrain from my usual comment on parenting skills.. or lac thereof

#211 : It's nice being home, Claudia ... too much travel can be exhausting for me too, although sometimes I get the opportunity to meet friends in those countries and those opportunities make the trips less tiresome.

#212 : A little this morning, before I started cooking for a party I'm going to tonight, and now I'm catching up on some tv programs I recorded while I was away, Stas.

#213 : I still can't picture it ... you should start a poll on your thread, Stefano and get responses from the men on LT. ;-)

#214 : Did you manage to pick a book, Kath? I did laundry last night ...3 loads. bleach!

#215 : LOL .. I LOVE those options, Tina ... but alas, I'm not brave enough and besides, the man sitting next to her seemed to encourage her prattling. He said he was a missionary, just coming home from 9 weeks in Japan, trying to bring the Word of God to the heathens in a 3rd world country! First I've ever heard of anyone calling Japan a 3rd world country.

#216 : I too refrain, unless their little brats injure me, on saying anything to the parents because they're usually hostile towards anyone who dares criticize their little darlings.

#217 : Oh by the way, Kath ... Edd has downloaded your nephew's app. :-) How clever of him to build an app to help people prepare for potential disasters and safeguarding their personal effects.

:) Thanks for letting me know Caro. I finally got a look at it the other day at work.
The director downloaded it on a couple of our iPads. It is very simple.. but I like it. I like the idea of having all of the important info in one spot like that.

He did it for work.. :) ( Oh and it is my son in law)
I believe it is an adapted version of the original...not certain about that.

Oops.. well, please tell your son-in-law that he has a new fan of his work, Kath. :-) I'm having fun learning my way around the app ... on Edd's iPad. ;-)

I was sad that they changed the dog pic from my grand dogs to that dog.. lol

sigh......iPad....love...

Island of Demons by Nigel Barley is an interestingly creative historical fictitious romp through Bali during the 1920s and 1930s when Indonesia was still under Dutch rule.

The book centers around Martin Spies, a bon vivant German artist, has made Bali his home and his people, and his relationship with Rudi Bonnet, a Dutch painter and other famous luminaries such as Noel Coward, Barbara Hutton, Charlie Chaplin and Margaret Meade. There are joyous escapades throughout the book, lighthearted but falling short of being farcical.

Barley gives us glimpses of Balinese culture and music, the kind gentleness of the people, and the spirituality on the island that is so pervasive, even today. I think though, that Barley skates on what I consider important details. I've been to Bali a few times in my life, and there are subtleties in Balinese spirituality, Balinese dances and culture which Barley could have spent more time explaining for readers who have not been to that island. If he had done so, I believe it would have enriched the experience for his readers.

But as I've been, Barley brought me back to the sights, music, sounds and food of Bali that I so enjoyed. And I now long to return even if briefly, to reacquaint myself with the idyllic island ... at least north Bali. I shall keep away from the tourist trap that is the southern tip of island.
3.2 stars

Ha, just before reading your last comments, I was thinking to myself, this sounds more like Ibud than Sanur or the resorts around Jimbaran Bay!

Nice review of Island of Demons, Caroline; I'll avoid it, though, based on your comments about it.

>223 cameling: Wishlisted, with heartiest enmity at making it sound so good! Loathe ya! Mean it!

Nice review, Caroline!

I think I will skip Island of Demons, Caro.

Japan a 3rd world country? Makes me wonder if the missionary was actually there!

#207 Hi Mark! I just added Empire of the Sun and Siege of Krishnapur to my wishlist. From your message above though, it seemed as though you were thinking Empire of the Sun was in the same trilogy as Troubles. My rudimentary understanding is that Troubles, Siege of Krishnapur, and Singapore Grip are one series, and Empire of the Sun is followed by The Kindness of Women. Is that right? It's confusing because both authors are J.G.s!

Interesting sounding book.... and if anyone is able to pop in there for a visit, I am thinking it is you, missy. Planet wanderer that you are.

#229, Yes, Troubles, The Siege of Krishnapur, and The Singapore Grip are all part of the Empire trilogy by J. G. Farrell.

Lisa- LOL, I'm not sure what I meant either! Maybe, I was thinking of the wrong trilogy.

#224 : Suz, Barley set most of the scenes more towards Buleleng. There were some scenes in Ubud and Denpasar, both closer to the center of Bali.

If you're planning on going to Bali again, stay away from Jimbaran, Nusa, Sanur and Kuta ... they're really overrun with Marriotts, Hyatts and backpacker hotels with the requisite cheap bars. It's becoming another Pattaya or Phuket.

#225 : I'll get you some other time, Darryl.

#226 : *Gleeful chortle* ... yes, my pretty... come to me.

#227 : Thank you, Pat

#228 : My thoughts exactly, Stas ...but I wasn't interested enough to want to be included in their conversation, and since chatty cathy next to me didn't pick up on it, being so focused on her own stories, he didn't get called on to explain that comment.

#229 : Have you read The Kindness of Women, Lisa? Is it a sequel to Empire of the Sun or like the 3 books in the Empire trilogy, is it a standalone?

#230 : I hope I get the opportunity to visit that island again before it's too spoilt by commercialism, Kath. That's the dilemma isn't it? We want certain places to remain pristine and rustic, but that could mean not allowing the locals to change their way of life so that they too can enjoy modern conveniences and technology.

#232 : You did, at least, keep to the same author, Marky-Mark. :-)

The River Between Us by Richard Peck was recommended by Linda and I have to say it's a delightful YA book about how the lives of a single mother and her 3 children in Illinois change after they take in 2 visitors from New Orleans, one of whom may be a freed slave, during the time when the Civil War's starting to break out.
I'm giving it 3.5 stars and it's going to be a book I'm giving one of my nieces for Christmas this year.

Thanks Linda. I enjoyed this read.

Whew! Lost you for a while...but then I lost everybody while my back was hurting......much better now..have found you and ***STARRED* you...

The River Between Us has been recommended to me quite often, lately...must be good...it's on The List!

.......but, then, most of what you read is aces, in my book!

Promise I won't stay "gone" for so long, ever again..

;-}

Yaaay... I'm glad you found me, Jude. I've missed you! You better not stay 'gone' long again or I'll send out a search posse.

No search posse necessary...just a St Bernard with his little keg of brandy!

;-}

Introducing Bernie .... don't get lost for a while yet, Jude ... this guy needs to grow a little so he can carry the keg to you.

Just finished The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama for the readathon today. What can I say... I absolutely loved it. It's a sequel to The Women of Silk. The story continues with Pei and Ji Shen fleeing China to Hong Kong because of the Japanese occupation. There they start to build a new life for themselves. Pei's strength and resilience is put to the test many times over as she learns how to fend for herself and then look after Ji Shen in this new world, taking on new work as a laundress, a domestic helper and later on a seamstress. As the Japanese bomb Hong Kong, round up the British into POW camps in Stanley, life becomes even more difficult, with food shortages and avoiding the Japanese soldiers and Triads. But the silver lining is the silk sisters have managed to gather together once more, this time, to live together once more and pool their resources for their survival.

It's the 2nd book in a month where I've read about the cruel atrocities inflicted on their victims and it's difficult to think that those individuals are ancestors to current day Japanese, who are fun, reserved, and mostly kind and considerate.

Narratives told from the perspective of Pei, Ji Shen, Li (Pei's sister), Mrs Finch (a British employer), Song Lee (a silk sister), and a few other characters, this is a book that's hard to put down once you get started on it.
5 stars and it's a definite re-read in the future for me.

Awww, how sweet!...and I'm not a "dog person"...this little guy looks like a cotton ball...with a nose!

Haven't read The Language of Threads but loved The Women of the Silk.....one more title for The List (unless I already have it here....seriously can't remember....)

;-}

Love the mini-St Bernard; puppies that look as if they still need to grow into their paws are adorable... (Too bad that they require training...)

#239: Awww! Who couldn't fall in love with that face?

thumb for the review. and one for the puppy

Jude, then you'll love The Language of Threads ... quick go check to see if you already have it on your List.

I love puppies who need to grow into their large paws too, Suz. My mom's Golden Retriever was such a cute little thing..and he's grown into a really large, solid but very happily friendly cute thing. My mom handled the training ... I just play with him and the hubster takes him out for manly runs whenever we visit.

Get one, Darryl. :-)

Thanks, Kath. Does Dunkers want a little canine buddy?

The Language of Threads sounds good, Caroline. Do you need to read The Women of the Silk first?

#239 Cute!

I must get to The Language of Threads: after reading Women of the Silk, I was determined to get to the sequel ASAP. It seems like ages since I read Women of the Silk, but it's probably less than 3 months.

#246: Pat, I would recommend reading The Women of Silk first because there's a lot to Pei's life that you appreciate more if you've read the first. There are also some references to characters who appear only in the first book, and those references leave you somewhat confused without the history.

#247 : Run to the bookstore, Cat!

Caroline

I'm glad you liked The River Between Us. Richard Peck is indeed a very good writer of YA books. I believe Stasia likes his writing as much as I do.

Thank you for recommending it, Linda. I'm not usually a reader of YA novels anymore, but I'm glad I decided to read this after your review.

Just finished The Anodyne Necklace by Martha Grimes. My first time reading this author, and I'm now a fan of her Inspector Richard Jury of Scotland Yard. Must now look for other books in the series.

I love police mysteries where the sidekick has a great sense of humor to add some levity to the often dismal exploration of man's darker and murderous side. In this installation, 2 women are attacked, one fatally, in London and in the woods in quiet Littlebourne. What's the connection between the 2 women and what if anything, does it have to do with a jewelry theft a few years ago?
3.5 stars

Great review of The Language of Threads, Caro. I will have to look for both it and the previous book.

Yes, I do enjoy Richard Peck's books a lot, especially A Long Way from Chicago and the other books in that series.

Just in time for your new thread! Hope all is well in your part of the world :)

er... Dunkers said "no thank you" :)

Martha Grimes. I read one of her books.. it was not a Jury book...
not remembering what it was. I have avoided her since. Maybe I should get over it?

Caro- I read several Richard Jury mysteries back in the 80s and remember them being quite good.

I read most of Matrtha Grimes' RICHARD JURY books...up until about 2005....loved them for the quirky characters and twisty plots. Alas, I lost track of her books and the series...maybe I'll pick up the slack some day.

As for the Tsukiyama...i own The Samurai's Garden...and, according to my one notebook..I did own Women of the Silk & The Language of Threads but gave them to someone who really liked them..and can't afford to buy many books..

;-}

I think I tried Martha Grimes's books eons ago (80s sometime?) as I think my mother really liked them. But I don't think I ever finished one -- and I know I tried to read two or three. No idea what it was that prevented me from enjoying them, though.

^
^
^
*ahemhemhem*

tee hee

I don't want to get you in deeper trouble with the thread police, but I do want to mention I have enjoyed the few Richard Jury books I've read (by Martha Grimes). The last one I read was a bit light on story but fun to see the characters.

see.. that is the beauty of it, Laura..
We all like different, same thing. Or same different things. Depending on how you look at it.

Fine ..the thread police has bleeped me ...

New thread here