Member: alphaorder

Oh my gosh! I was going to give you my alphabetized list, but you do not need any more recommendations! ;-)

You have a ton of great books at your fingertips right now! Two books that I loved and that I think everyone should read: Beloved and A Fine Balance. I also loved Homestead.

There are a ton of good books in your stacks that have serious subjects but are easy reads: Five Quarters of an Orange, The Secret Life of Bees, The White Tiger, or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, and Water for Elephants.

Just plain easy (and still good) reads with an environmental message: Letters from Yellowstone, The Highest Tide and Prodigal Summer. I loved The Flying Troutmans, but looking at your library I'm not sure you will.

A Lesson Before Dying is quite dark, very sad, but I'm so glad I read it. Liked God of Small Things, too, though you could tell it was her first book.

Lots of people raved over The Shadow of the Wind or The Thirteenth Tale. I liked but didn't love them--they're good escapist fiction though.

Ms. Hempel's Chronicles and all of Richard Russo's books are good reading too. OK, got enough suggestions yet? Happy reading!

posted by bonniebooks at 2:13 pm (EST) on Oct 17, 2009

Hi Nancy, I saw your note of teelgee's thread. I only looked through the first few pages of your to read list but I saw some there that I loved: Charming Billy, In the Woods, Law of Dreams, Five Quarters of the Orange, Guernsey, Frangipani, God of Animals, and my favorite SK, Bag of Bones.

Have fun finding a good one! Sometimes it's hard to figure out what you're in the mood for. Hope all is well, Joanne

posted by coppers at 1:26 pm (EST) on Oct 17, 2009

just saw the P.S. - and I have one! Not for anyone but my first readers yet, but I'm getting there. So nice to have a draft and be in revision mode.

:-)

Meg

posted by megwaiteclayton at 10:45 am (EST) on Oct 4, 2009

I'm happy to join your circle of friends.Thanks for being my friend

posted by CassandraRichmond at 5:18 am (EST) on Jul 27, 2009

Hi,
How's things? What's new?
Did you read Reliable Wife? I am 100 pages in. I'm liking it so far but hope to hear your thoughts on it. Someone on here suggested I blog and I read about a bookgroup in BC that set one up for themselves and I think it would be fun to do for my group but has to wait till my classes are over (mid-July).
Hope all is well and what's on your summer reading list?
Cheers,
J

posted by clamato at 11:07 pm (EST) on Jun 17, 2009

N - The one in Highlands Ranch. It's pretty convenient although I still miss the original Cherry Creek store that closed a few years ago. J

posted by coppers at 5:51 pm (EST) on Jun 13, 2009

Hi, yes that makes perfect sense. :) I was surprised when I thought you may have missed it. Did you like it?

I have a bookseller story for you. So my son and I went over to The Tattered Cover (our local indie) tonight after we had dinner near by and I was looking around and remembered your suggestion and thought I'd check to see if they had Stoner on the shelf so I could take a look at it. But I couldn't remember who wrote it so I asked the gentleman at the desk if he wouldn't mind looking up an author for me. Well this guy is always very helpful but you should have seen how he lit up! Apparently he also loves this author and is quite a fan. He even knew one of his relatives. Anyway he was so enthusiastic, I didn't have the heart to stop him when he ordered it delivered from their other store for me. It'll be in tomorrow.

Long story but I thought you'd enjoy it!

posted by coppers at 10:14 pm (EST) on Jun 12, 2009

Well duh! It's not like I shouldn't have been able to figure that one out!! Thanks for the help. Since you left me such a lovely recommendation, I'm going to leave one with you that I don't see in your library - 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Have you read it? As a former bookseller, you may especially enjoy it. Talk to you later! Joanne

posted by coppers at 4:44 pm (EST) on Jun 12, 2009

Hi Nancy! Thank you for the friend invite. I am honored to have such a well read new friend! I was glad to hear you found another job. Too bad about the book store though, talk about a great place to have worked.

I wish I could attach the link to my challenge thread but **rolls her eyes**, I haven't figured out how to do that yet, even after looking at the FAQ...but it's just "coppers 50 book challenge". I just posted a note there so it should be near the top right now. Anyway I hope you can find it - I'd love for you to stop by! Talk to you soon! Joanne

posted by coppers at 11:14 pm (EST) on Jun 11, 2009

hey, I was led to your page from your review of A Meaningful Life (you don't have to like everything we publish!) if you're up for joining another group, you might be interested in the NYRB Classics group though

http://www.librarything.com/groups/newyo...

cheers, sara

posted by nyrbclassics at 5:53 pm (EST) on May 4, 2009

Hi Nancy,

I found Wallace Stegner this year--I think because of LT, but it might have been BookMooch. Angle of Repose was first, and I thought it was very good, but, for me, Crossing to Safety is his best. I can understand why you wish you could read it for the first time (again)! I got through Spectator Bird, but am having a devil of a time with Every Little Live Thing.

Looking at your profile and your library might be the inspiration I need to get more of my books listed and also start tagging. It would be nice to have a list of the books TBR, in particular.

Thanks for your note, and Happy New Year to you, too. Let's hope that the midwest gets a long reprieve from the nasty weather.

Lisa

posted by LisaCurcio at 5:54 pm (EST) on Dec 31, 2008

Just poking my head into LT for a minute, and wanted to wish you especially happy holidays! Such a nice treat for me to have met you this year.

:-)

Meg

posted by megwaiteclayton at 12:17 pm (EST) on Dec 24, 2008

Thanks for the friends invite - which I accept with delight.

Hope to see a pile of TBRs on the Nudgers Group - so we can pick through your selections!

Cheers,

Karen

posted by kiwidoc at 1:14 am (EST) on Nov 29, 2008

About the box of books, there's no hurry. Send them whenever you get the chance. This is an ongoing project. My goal was 100 books for Aspenwood. I delivered 50 books as of yesterday. I have a feeling that their librarian might even go for 100 more! :)

posted by SqueakyChu at 11:15 pm (EST) on Oct 4, 2008

Oh, definitely count me with everyone else re Guernsey. I read an ARE I got from Early Reviewers - lucky me!

posted by megwaiteclayton at 11:00 pm (EST) on Sep 25, 2008

Nancy, I'm just catching my breath from taking my oldest off for his freshman year at college (U of Chicago! and yes, I'm weepy at having him gone) and found your note. I'm planning to read American Wife and in fact have on my list of things to do this afternoon to walk down to the library and pick up the copy that just came in for me. I have such a huge stack of books to read, but since it's a library book I'll have to read it soon. Love to discuss when I'm done. I visited Nancy Salmon's book group this morning (she's the book group person at Kepler's Books), and she also recommends it.

How was the rest of your summer?

Meg

posted by megwaiteclayton at 7:12 pm (EST) on Sep 22, 2008

Hi
Thanks for your post on my lt page. I'll move Stoner up the list of TBR.
Thanks again for your recommendation.

posted by Whisper1 at 5:56 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2008

PS. I'll be in Madison next May if we don't make a connection this time, we can try then.

posted by avaland at 9:30 pm (EST) on Sep 20, 2008

Hi Nancy,

My TBR list is growing daily with all the great books I keep discovering on LT. There is just not enough time in the day for all the reading I want to do! I have found a lot of interesting books in your library that are now on my TBR list.

Cheers,
Lori

posted by lkernagh at 12:03 pm (EST) on Sep 13, 2008

Hi Nancy, thanks for adding me. I do own just about every best American short story collection, and am looking forward to the new batch coming out soon. I loved the Latehomecomer-simply a beautiful book. Best, Jen

posted by fridagirl at 5:41 am (EST) on Sep 1, 2008

Nancy,

Thanks for stopping by my profile and dropping a comment. Yes, you are correct in assuming that if I haven't starred it, I haven't read it. One of those is indeed Andrew Sean Greer's "The Story of a Marriage." I've heard many good things about this one and hope to clear my reading calendar enough so that I can read it sometime this year. Thanks for the recommendation!

All my best,
David Abrams

posted by davidabrams at 12:18 pm (EST) on Aug 11, 2008

Hi Nancy! So excited you joined. Ina has told me how much you love LibraryThing.

posted by lmcguirk at 2:32 pm (EST) on Jul 30, 2008

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for your comment! I'm an Oxford fan too. Everyone in Square Books would know me should you drop my name. When I can't be in that part of the world (though I doubt I could live there year round), I console myself by being a member of the Square Books signed first's club!! Some friends of mine had their wedding reception at Taylor Grocery a few years ago! I was lucky with that photo and caught the light just right, so I thought I'd put it up. I'll be back that way in just a few days around the time of the Faulkner Conference!

posted by vincentvan at 8:55 pm (EST) on Jul 16, 2008

Thanks for adding me. There is currently no way to tell which books are read and which are tbr. I'm still working on adding all my books. I thought that after they are all entered I would edit, spiff up the tags and add some reviews. All the books I have added are ones I actually own.

posted by lesliecp at 11:52 am (EST) on Jul 16, 2008

Nancy,
Thanks for visiting my 'library'. I enjoyed your comments. I've added you to my interesting libraries.
Lisa

posted by knittingfreak at 2:38 pm (EST) on Jul 14, 2008

Hi Nancy,

I'm glad you liked the Milwaukee memory. I'm really looking forward to visiting the city again and your store.

See you soon!

All best,

David

posted by Debershoff at 10:47 am (EST) on Jul 10, 2008

Hi Nancy-I have just begun Crossing to Safety, and already I don't want it to end. It is beautifully written, and the best book I've read in quite awhile. I'm sure you also enjoyed the Milwaukee connection - didn't you love the line about its being not the heartland, but the liver of the U.S.? So many word treasures.

posted by pdebolt at 9:08 am (EST) on Jul 7, 2008

Nancy-thank you for the recommendation. The books I am adding are from many lists I've compiled over the years - books I've read and many more that I want to read. My desk is almost entirely uncluttered now that I have all my notations on LT. I am going into a Richard Price phase after he was highly recommended by two other book lovers whose opinions I value. Have you read Lay of the Land or Lush Life? LT is such a wonderful way to remember what I've read - too often I've taken books out of the library, only to find I've read them after reading a chapter. I'm also looking forward to Story of A Marriage and Crossing to Safety.
Pat

posted by pdebolt at 3:24 pm (EST) on Jul 4, 2008

Hi Nancy,
I see that your library is creeping up in numbers. Isn't this site fascinating? If you have not already read A Fine Balance, do so at your earliest opportunity. It really is a treasure. I appreciate your recommendations - thanks,
Pat

posted by pdebolt at 4:33 pm (EST) on Jul 1, 2008

Hi Nancy, Thanks for the [Dear American Airlines] recommendation. I moved it to the top of the TBR pile and just finished it. It really packs a lot into a relatively few pages -- every word counts, and it's both very funny and very serious, and unlike most other books. Rebecca

posted by rebeccanyc at 10:23 am (EST) on Jun 29, 2008

Don't thank me - I could go on for days! I have got Max Tivoli and I do remember having enjoyed it but I'm ashamed to say I don't remember very much about it now. I think I preferred Story of a Marriage out of the two.

Now - to think of something for you! I don't really know enough about your tastes yet to be very good at that. Do you fancy anything really nasty and creepy? I only ask because I've just had huge success with recommending John Fowles's The Collector to another LTer. I can't say too much for fear of spoiling things but I'll just say it's the kind of book that keeps you awake at night. Failing that, a couple of books I was (slightly) reminded of by Story of a Marriage (and I don't really know why) were The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger and (for a really quick read) Silk by Alessandro Barricco (a book I thought I wasn't much enjoying until the end when I realised how good it was)!

posted by Booksloth at 3:50 pm (EST) on Jun 26, 2008

Hi Nancy,
I have become totally immersed in LT when I find spare time. It is fascinating to see how one book I like leads to so many more I want to read. I am currently into Barbara Gowdy's Helpless, and will then move on to Garden of Last Days, which I understand is a truly stunning novel. As for Bohjalian, I hope you like his work. I have found that he is not an author who fizzles after his first book. Skeletons at the Feast and Midwives are two of my favorites by him. Let me know what you think. Please let me know what you are reading and if you like it. Your library is one of my favorites.
Pat

posted by pdebolt at 7:40 pm (EST) on Jun 25, 2008

i have not read any of them yet. i am really loving this new homepage/connections feature and i checked them out because i saw where you added them and when i looked them up alot of my "top similiar library" peeps loved them as well. thanks for the heads up though, i will add them to the top of my wishlist. and feel free to stop by anytime if you read anything else great. i think u have excellent taste in books! :)

posted by amanaceerdh at 1:34 pm (EST) on Jun 24, 2008

Thanks for that, Nancy! You've got me really looking forward to it now. It's actually one that I got through Early Reviewers but I did a swap with another member after each reviewing our own I didn't much like the one I swapped it for so I think I got the better half of the bargain! I'm hoping to resist it for a little while yet as I plan to take it on holiday in a couple of weeks. I'll let you know how I got on when we come back. Many thanks for the reccomendation though.

posted by Booksloth at 9:55 am (EST) on Jun 24, 2008

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for the recommendation of "Dear American Airlines." I bought it because of another recommendation here on LT, and will probably start it next. The best book I've read recently is "Netherland" by Joseph O'Neill. It is a compelling, readable, and ultimately deep look at love and life, set largely in post-9/11 New York and London, but of much broader scope than that might imply.

Rebecca

posted by rebeccanyc at 9:35 am (EST) on Jun 24, 2008

Hi Nancy,
I have put your recommendation for Story of a Marriage on hold at the library - sounds excellent. Thank you. Have you read Bohjalian's Skeletons At The Feast? It is well done. I am also recommending The Condition by Jennifer Hay. She is a relative newcomer - her debut novel was Mrs. Kimble and then she wrote Baker Towers. She seems to have a noteworthy talent. I also looked at Stoner, which really appeals to me because of its academia themes. I worked at a university, which is very interesting - the life of the mind with unbelievable political undercurrents. I have starred the books I've read and put two asterisks by the books I am most eager to read. Lucky you - I can only imagine the joy of working in a bookstore. I tend to get most of my books at the library because there simply isn't enough room for all of them to "live" with us. I buy the ones I love the most and eventually give or lend them to friends and family. I don't like paperbacks - the heft of a book has such a tactile appeal. I know, how odd of me, but it's true. I am so glad to find people on LT with similar tastes and a love of books. It simply can't be explained to a non-reader. There is a sign up for the summer on a local school that says, "Be sure to read." Isn't that like saying "Be sure to breathe?"
Take care,
Pat

posted by pdebolt at 11:17 pm (EST) on Jun 23, 2008

Hi Nancy,
Thank you for adding me to your Interesting Libraries group. Looks like we share quite a few, and I've enjoyed looking at your library - so would very much like to add you to my IL group. LT is such a wonderful way to add new books that I am looking forward to reading, and remembering those I'd all but forgotten I'd read. I am now able to throw away the myriad pieces of paper with book recommendations from friends, book magazines, newspapers, etc. Even I was amazed (and appalled) how full my wastebaskets were when I'd finished. I recently read Bohjalian's Skeletons At the Feast and enjoyed it very much. I seem to be on a WWII "spree" at the moment after loving Suite Francaise. I am also enjoying some wonderful Canadian authors, most recently Elizabeth Hay. I thought Clara Callan was also very good, but can't remember the author. I find that going from one LT site to another is the best way to find books and I'm always looking for interesting libraries, so thank you in advance.
Pat

posted by pdebolt at 10:14 pm (EST) on Jun 22, 2008

Hi Nancy,

I was dropping a note to Louis Branning and I saw your post whereby you stated that you have put Andre Dubus on the top of your short story list. Well, I've done the same, purchasing a copy of his Collected Stories this afternoon. I plan on getting to it as soon as I'm done with his son's, The Garden of Last Days which, so far, is an out-an-out page turner. I've been wanting to read his father's stuff for years, and just never seemed to get around to it. Shame on me, for I've heard nothing but grand things about his writing.

Slainte!

Sean

posted by SeanLong at 8:47 pm (EST) on Jun 8, 2008

Hey Nancy, always good to hear from you, and yes, there's been more than a little buzz locally about Jonathan Miles' book, have talked with a couple of people who've read and recommended it too, and will get to it later this month. It's such a little short thing though, but it does look like a lot of fun.

I'm sure it's not gonna be everyone's cup of tea, but I thought Andre Dubus's The Garden of Last Days was absolutely stunning. I just finished it last afternoon, have re-read the last 20 pages a couple of times already, and still can't get it out of my head. And I'm sitting here with 2 or 3 really great things to read (Tim Winton, Lee Child, the aforementioned J. Miles), but don't feel like starting anything right now till I can come down from the high of Dubus's unbelieveable book. All the luck!!

Louis

posted by LouisBranning at 5:47 am (EST) on Jun 6, 2008

Hi Nancy, and oh yes, I absolutely loved Beginner's Greek which came totally out of left field for me, a total surprise, and could hardly put it down. It's one of those you want to tell everyone about, so I'll be recommending it for a long time to come.

I had to jump ship on Tom Rob Smith's Child 44, a total waste of time, but have landed in the middle of Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge and am enjoying it to the max so far. Good luck!!

Louis

posted by LouisBranning at 5:07 am (EST) on May 29, 2008

Thank you alphaorder. I also have a co worker who just finished it and she said I should read it also. She said it was great. Thanks for the recommendation--I think Child 44 it is next.

posted by momom248 at 1:35 pm (EST) on May 27, 2008

Oh, I will definitely want to read her new book. As I said, I thought her style was superb.

Deborah

posted by Cariola at 6:05 pm (EST) on May 26, 2008

Hi, Nancy. I finished Astrid and Veronika last night. Let me start by saying that I loved the writer's style--so spare and clean, and yet so descriptive and sensually evocative. I could actually feel the cold, taste the berries, smell the wet forest--she did that good a job. And she also effectively creates a bleak sense of loneliness and longing. I was a little less impressed with the story itself. The idea of a friendship developing between women of two generations was interesting, but parts of it seemed a bit unbelievable to me. I found it a bit unlikely that Astrid would ever have initiated interactions with a total stranger, and their two "secrets" are pretty dissimilar; although their sadness unites them, Astrid's is so shocking that it's hard to imagine Veronika would simply accept it. In some ways, I thought it was shaped to lead to the rather cliched themes stated pretty directly in the letter Astrid left for Veronika. No man (or woman) is an island. All you need is love. Love never dies. Overall, I gave it a seven on my 10-point rating scale.

posted by Cariola at 2:51 pm (EST) on May 26, 2008

Forget to say: Looking forward to tea!

posted by megwaiteclayton at 9:19 am (EST) on May 19, 2008

Nancy, I keep track of what I've read (and am reading) on my website (http://megwaiteclayton.com/meg_recentboo...). I confess I have what I like to call a five-star policy on reviews: If I can't give a book 5 stars, I don't post a review. Call that the writer's perspective! For Early Reviewers, I may have to rethink that, but that's the way I've posted on Amazon for years now. As a result, I read a whole lot more than I review.

And yes, I absolutely LOVED Madapple - just a lovely lovely book. I enjoyed Ten-Year Nap too, and Wit's End, which I just finished, butI'm trying to get a draft of a new novel done before the promotion for The Wednesday Sisters kicks into high gear so things are a little frantic.

I'm at 21 for the year (working on 22 and 23) - but it sure doesn't help that group reads chose War and Peace and now Middlemarch. Though I love them both, and am glad of the nudge to reread them again!

Meg

posted by megwaiteclayton at 9:18 am (EST) on May 19, 2008

Kate did tell me I was going to read at a Harry Schwartz, and that was you! What a small world. It will be a treat to meet you in person. I didn't know the date, though. I just knew late July. Will you let me buy you a cup of tea beforehand or something if you have time? I have no idea yet where I'm going when, but surely I will be allowed time for a cup of tea now and then!

:-)

posted by megwaiteclayton at 6:06 pm (EST) on May 12, 2008

Hi Alpha. I'm guessing that everyone on Book of the Month must enjoy listing their favourite books. Come and give us your thoughts on Desert Island Books (Book Talk).

posted by Booksloth at 5:31 pm (EST) on Apr 26, 2008

Thanks for your comment, I'm originally from The Hague, but have lived in Amsterdam for over ten years. Do you have roots in Amsterdam?

It is far better to be swimming in them than not! :-)

posted by marvas at 10:42 am (EST) on Apr 20, 2008

Thanks for the quick response, Nancy. I think I'll go ahead and purchase Interpreter. It's a slim volume and my local bookstore has about 8 copies of the paperback, probably due to all the recent Lahiri hype (hype well deserved, I might add). As you say, I probably can't go wrong.

posted by SeanLong at 11:51 am (EST) on Apr 14, 2008

Nancy,

Thanks for adding me to your friends list.

As you know, I raved about Unaccustomed Earth. I was wondering if you've read Lahiri's other book of stories, Interpreter of Maladies, and how it compares to UE assuming that you've read both books. I'd really like to read it but am afraid of it coming up short to UE since I was so impressed. It's been 24 hours since I've finished UE and I still think about those stories.

Thanks,
Sean

posted by SeanLong at 7:41 am (EST) on Apr 14, 2008

Hi Nancy, I was a total newbie to Hustvedt's work, but really liked her book, and still don't think her husband Auster has written anything close to this fine in a long time. Her last novel What I Loved looks pretty good too. Once you asked how close I was to Oxford, and here in Germantown, I'm about 65 miles north of O-town, a place I always love to visit. When I graduated college my first job had me headquartered there, stayed a year, and my oldest son was born there. And FYI, I've got 3 adult sons (36, 28, 25), and 8-year-old triplets(2B,1G) as well, so you know I stay pretty busy when I'm not reading something.

I see Sean's reading Andrew O'Hagan's Be Near Me, a gorgeously written but finally a disappointing book for me, but he's also gotten himself a copy of Angle of Repose, and I've been considering re-reading it myself. I've still got my original reviewer's copy of it(in lovely shape, highly prized), so it's a sentimental favorite for sure. I'll be getting to The Big Rock Candy mountain post haste, plus the new Stegner bio too.

I'm looking forward to the Lahiri next week, also James Meek's We Are Now Beginning Our Descent, and Modern Library has just published Peter Matthiessen's 3 Watson novels, all revised and abridged by Matthiessen into a single (and quite impressive) volume called Shadow Country, which has been calling my name ever since it came in the house last week. My TBR pile is now paltry and nearly non-existent, so I welcome any of your very kind suggestions. Good luck!!

Louis

posted by LouisBranning at 7:46 pm (EST) on Apr 13, 2008

I’d be delighted if you added me as a friend – hope it's ok for me to do likewise. My listed books aren't very impressive; I’m using librarything to keep track of what I’ve read in the last year or two. I imagine as I make my way through the TBR mount we'll share a lot more. As for Stoner, dear god what a magnificent read; like I said in my post I’m reading it slowly to try and really get my penny's worth – I can see why it's a favorite of yours: I have a feeling it's becoming one of mine too. If it wasn't for this site I’d probably never have heard of it (Shudder).
I look forward to hearing how you get on with “the enchantress of Florence”
– S.T.

posted by STOCeallaigh at 9:25 am (EST) on Apr 13, 2008

Nancy, I had the same reaction you did to Senator's Wife. I hmmmmed over the ending, but I did think it worked. And I just love how truly she presented the relationships. She is so good at that.

Meg

posted by megwaiteclayton at 9:46 pm (EST) on Apr 11, 2008

My pleasure! You sure have a lot to browse through! But that's what I like, it gives me great ideas of what I should add to my TBR mountain... if it weren't already huge. Do you have any absolute stand out favorites?

posted by Hollister5320 at 11:29 am (EST) on Apr 11, 2008

Nancy, I just had my bookclub meeting for Senator's Wife the other night. It was the most raucous meeting we have ever had - everyone talking all over each other, about whether the ending was realistic or an author grab for attention, and which was the bigger betrayal, etc. Left me wondering: what did you think of it?

posted by megwaiteclayton at 9:44 pm (EST) on Apr 8, 2008

I'll wave every time your name comes up in all the talks!

posted by Booksloth at 1:12 pm (EST) on Apr 2, 2008

Hi Friend! I'm never quite sure what we're supposed to do next but it's still very flattering!

posted by Booksloth at 5:43 am (EST) on Apr 2, 2008

alphaorder, I will fill you in on Jhumpa Lahiri after I hear her speak. It's not until 4/29. I am very much looking foward to her. I loved Namesake and just picked up Interpreter of Maladies and Unaccustomed Earth is on order. Talk to you later this month.

posted by momom248 at 3:30 pm (EST) on Apr 1, 2008

Nancy,

Thanks for the recommendation. I looked for it in a bookstore last week the day I read the NY Times review, but they didn't have it yet, so now I know why. I'll try again this week.

Rebecca

posted by rebeccanyc at 9:39 am (EST) on Apr 1, 2008

Hi Nancy,

I've been too busy to check Talk, but will try to give Terri some idea about "What's for Dinner".

I don't mark in my library whether I've read books or not, but I LOVED "Troubles". Even though "The Siege of Krishnapur" won the Booker, I think "Troubles" is a far better book.

And yes, I got "What's for Dinner?" at the moving sale, along with a pile of others!

Rebecca

posted by rebeccanyc at 10:18 am (EST) on Mar 28, 2008

Hi Nancy -- OK, I'll trust you re: What's for Dinner? You've piqued my curiosity now! Thanks.

Terri

posted by teelgee at 12:04 am (EST) on Mar 28, 2008

Thanks for the welcome! I am already spending WAY to much time on here. I am most definately addicted already :)

posted by Kittybee at 9:47 pm (EST) on Mar 26, 2008

Nancy (I see that's your name from other comments),

Thanks for your note about "What's for Dinner?" I'm a big NYRB fan, and bought this during their recent sale. It seemed just the thing to read after a bunch of longer, serious books, and I found it utterly unlike anything else I've ever read -- and hard to put down once I got into it.

posted by rebeccanyc at 4:30 pm (EST) on Mar 26, 2008

Nancy, it's always good to hear from you, so please don't be shy. As you know I'm always on the prowl for good books, a task that, for me anyway, gets harder the older I get. After 50 years of reading like a maniac, not only have my tastes sort of matured, but there's just not much of interest that I've missed or overlooked, so if you run across anything you especially like, please tell me about it. Sean Long and I keep a running dialogue going on what's good and what's not, and you're welcome to chime in anytime.

Yes, I loved Crossing to Safety, thought it was wonderful, though I honestly wasn't a bit surprised by how much I liked it, as I'd read his NBA-winning The Spectator Bird last year, another really exquisite novel, and knew I should explore more of Stegner's work besides his non-fiction. I'd always loved Angle of Repose too, but hadn't gone much beyond that until last year. Right now I've got The Big Rock Candy Mountain and its sequel Recapitulation coming up for summer and they both look great.

I saw in a couple of your posts that you mentioned your daughters, and how lucky you are! How old are they? Are there two or did I mis-read?, and how cool was your meeting with Tony Earley?? If you weren't aware I've got my hands full with 8-year-old triplets (2B,1G) who're all three little demon readers, so I'm always over-run with kiddie lit around here, but they're amazing kids and I enjoy it all as much as they do.

Right now I'm about 100 pages into David Hajdu's The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, a whiz-bang cultural history of comics that I'm enjoying to the max so far.

Louis

posted by LouisBranning at 6:37 am (EST) on Mar 19, 2008

Hi, Nancy,

Good heavens, I should have figured that out for myself! Just a tad embarrassing, I have to say. :-) However, even when I looked for the right author and title, I still couldn't find it in my books. It's listed, however, in the online catalogue, and I have it down to be purchased soon.

I hope you like Troubles!

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 7:11 am (EST) on Mar 11, 2008

Hey, thanks, Nancy, for the tip on Mary Doria Russell's scheduled appearance at your bookstore. I wish I could fly out for it ~ I think she's amazing and would love to hear her speak.

posted by Storeetllr at 12:21 am (EST) on Mar 11, 2008

I've just looked through the list of titles in the NYRB series in my copy of Troubles, and can not find any listing for an author named "Stoner". The Singapore Grip has a longer list but still no Stoner. What am I missing here?

And thanks for the recommendation--I'm always looking for good authors to break out of my usual ruts. I love Farrell's books.

posted by Joycepa at 8:39 am (EST) on Mar 10, 2008

I know Schwartz well. My friend Dave Weich at Powells speaks very highly of your stores and your work. I think that thing you do at the Kohler resort is genius.

Well done!

posted by Smokler at 12:45 am (EST) on Mar 7, 2008

Why thank you. What a nice thing to say!

What bookstore do you work at?

posted by Smokler at 1:44 am (EST) on Mar 6, 2008

Hi, Nancy: I saw your comment on the "What Are You Reading Now?" thread about The Sister. I have to admit that I am having a hard time getting through it. Oh, the moths! How moths reproduce, why they go toward the light, what's in their cocoons - it's all in this book. I am latching on to the moth metaphor, but the science talk is making me a bit dizzy (and uninterested). I will let you know when I am done...

=) Thanks for letting me vent! LOL!
Jill

posted by mrstreme at 8:24 pm (EST) on Mar 3, 2008

Hi Nancy,

I'm very much enjoying Their Eyes Were Watching God. On occasion the "regional" speech becomes tiring, but otherwise I love it. Should be finished this weekend, because my book club is Monday.

As to Obama, I enjoyed his book and found him to be a very intelligent and fair. I wasn't surprised when he chose to go into charity work, even after he was a lawyer. It suits him.

Happy reading,

Maggie

posted by whymaggiemay at 7:24 pm (EST) on Feb 22, 2008

Hey alpha...

I am the adult book buyer for Penn Books, 2 stores located in Penn Station. Our stores are high volume commuter general bookstores...a little different from the other indies like Three Lives, St. Marks, or Crawford Doyle. Again, thanks for the interview.

posted by kingkama at 9:57 pm (EST) on Feb 18, 2008

Hi just joined last night, so interesting to see all these common titles...noticed mark salzman's lost in suburbia on your list... was it good? Im a big fan of lying awake the soloist and most recently Iron and Silk love his readable but yet engaging style hard to find sometimes

posted by kateblu at 9:37 am (EST) on Feb 14, 2008

alphaorder:

I see you have checked in on the latest "What Are You Reading" thread and saw my exchanges with LouisBranning about Charles Baxter's The Soul Thief so there's no reason for me to let you know that I am reading it now. As you read, I am finding it fabulous so far---will finish it up later tonight. This was my first Baxter book and assuming all goes "well" (LOL) I can see buying some backlist ASAP. *THAT'S* how much I am enjoying the fine writing!

When you left your message to me you mentioned that it was a book that had been making the rounds with the staff at your store? If you ever feel so inclined I'd be interested in just briefly knowing what the general consensus was.

posted by bookjones at 10:09 pm (EST) on Feb 13, 2008

>PS - I noticed when you had 10 book added we shared 4. Now that you have added 38, we still share 14. Seems like we have simliar taste!

I will definitely be looking at the list of books you've read that I haven't, Nancy!

posted by megwaiteclayton at 11:47 am (EST) on Feb 7, 2008

Hi and thank you for your comment. No spoilers here. I read the informative introduction by Holly Eley which set the novel in context and reflected upon themes. Now half way through, I am enjoying the journey of Janie, her thoughts and desires as she searches for a glimpse of what she found under the pear tree. In fact I am so fascinated by the pear tree that I am tracking them with my little index stickies. However I am a bit in a rut section at present with a lot of men ruminating on a porch!!

As you know Their Eyes Were Watching God is mostly written in dialect. Although I have heard some folks say this was a challenge - personally it is no problem, apart from the fact that it slows down my reading in places.

posted by juliette07 at 2:27 am (EST) on Feb 5, 2008

Nancy, how nice to meet you as well! And I already know what you mean by addiction here. I'm spending far too much time just trying to get my library up.

I did read Senator's Wife and loved it - as I always do with Sue Miller. Though I'll confess my very favorites remain three of her first: Inventing the Abbots, The Good Mother, and Family Pictures. (Though that may be just because I didn't yet know her writing, so didn't have such high expectations.) Other authors I love: Alice McDermott, Ann Patchett, Anne Tyler, Richard Russo, Ernest Gaines, Ian McEwan. To name a few. But I also have a great fondness for fat old books, esp. Middlemarch and War and Peace (which I'm currently rereading). And Graham Greene.

posted by megwaiteclayton at 4:12 pm (EST) on Feb 4, 2008

Hi, Nancy! I am only one chapter in to The Friday Night Knitting Club, but it seems like a good book. I will let you know when I am done. At first glance, her author photo reminded me of Jennifer Weiner. You are lucky to meet the authors!

=) Jill

posted by mrstreme at 4:50 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2008

Hello
In regard to your comment on the 75 Book challenge, I was thinking of the novels of [[Anita Rau Badami]], [Tamarind Mem],[ The Hero's Walk] and [[Rohinton Mistry]]'s first book , a short story collection, [Tales from Firozsha Baag ]. They write of the immigrants experience, and first and second generation conflicts.

posted by torontoc at 10:37 am (EST) on Jan 29, 2008

Hi,

Thanks for noting my library as being of interest. I see we share quite a few books. I would like to peruse your library if that's okay. I don't know how all of this works yet, being new to LT.

Ferris

posted by hemlokgang at 2:36 pm (EST) on Jan 28, 2008

You go, girl!!! :-) Lois

posted by avaland at 5:09 pm (EST) on Jan 22, 2008

Nancy, I've no insight into that problem, probably a bug in the system. Email Tim and Abby if it continues (and they may tell you to email one of their minions). Hope it works out, always good to have more voices on Girlybooks! Best, Lois

posted by avaland at 8:01 pm (EST) on Jan 19, 2008

Alpha,

If you haven't read any McGahern let me suggest starting with his novel, Amongst Women. It's very autobiographical and has just some plain beautiful sentences.

I'm looking forward to reading Stoner, and will let you know when I'm finished. I see that an old friend of mine, Louis Branning, recently wrote you a post extolling the virtues of John Williams. I value his opinions greatly, and if Louis recommends something it's usually worth reading.

Your husband has a good Irish surname. In fact, I received a book for Christmas by Peter Quinn called Looking for Jimmy - A Search for Irish America.

Good reading to ya and stay in touch!

Sean

posted by SeanLong at 7:46 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2008

Alpha,

Hope you don't mind that I added your library to my "intersting" list.

You are correct, McGahern's Creatures of the Earth is not available in the U.S., but you can get it from Amazon.UK. But his Collected Stories you can get here in the U.S., and I highly recommend it.

You're not the first person I've been in contact with who has sung the praises of Stoner. I have not read it yet but thanks for reminding me. I'm plan on starting it as soon as I'm done with Creatures. Williams' other books, the names I can't recall right now, were also highly recommended by a friend.

Good reading to ya and stay in touch!

Slainte,
Sean

posted by SeanLong at 10:00 am (EST) on Jan 8, 2008

Nancy, I can relate! One of my managers and I were big handsellers of the Sparrow; in fact, he handsold the hardcover to me just before I was hired. I loved to handsell it to readers who vehemently claim to not read science fiction as it is a wonderful example of what the very best science fiction does, imo. Btw, if I didn't say it before, Happy New Year! - Lois (must go chase the wild turkeys off my back steps now...)

posted by avaland at 10:21 am (EST) on Jan 2, 2008

Nancy, if you haven't had her as a guest before, I think you will enjoy her (especially if she speaks). She's brilliant and a bundle of energy. I've gotten varying reports on the new book, the concensus thus far seems to be dissatisfaction with the ending (too preachy, for one thing). Still, I will buy the book probably (don't have a clue when I would get to reading it though). Best, Lois

posted by avaland at 7:53 am (EST) on Jan 2, 2008

Thanks, Nancy, for the heads up on the new Michael Pollan book. I will definitely check that out.
Terri

posted by teelgee at 1:40 am (EST) on Jan 2, 2008

Thanks, Nancy, for the friends request! I will look forward to swapping notes with you. And you'll have to tell me some author stories one day. I bet they're an interesting group! =)

Happy New Year too!
Jill

posted by mrstreme at 9:37 pm (EST) on Jan 1, 2008

Hi! Thank you for the book recommendation - I love it when people leave suggestions for me. I will definitely check it out!

What a coincidence to be a mom, married and marketing manager (the 4M's!)! But I am envious that you get to do it for a book shop. I work for a hospital system, so my marketing entails Web, ads, brochures, community health events, etc. It's a lot of fun and very interesting subject matter, but I would give out small body parts to do it for a book store. =) The ARCs you must get!

Keep in touch!
Jill

posted by mrstreme at 9:07 pm (EST) on Jan 1, 2008

Hi Nancy, good to hear from you, and yes, the greatly under-appreciated John Williams had 3 really exceptional novels: Stoner was wonderful, of course, but Butcher's Crossing was every bit as good, it's a rather unique Western(believe it or not), and Augustus is told entirely in letters from one character to another, and while I didn't like it as much as the other 2, it's still quite good.

I read The Book of Ebenezer LePage several years ago, was totally entranced by it, and even found a very nice 1st ed. of it too, but it's one of those books I'm careful about recommending, as I've known a handful of people who just couldn't get into it at all. Nevertheless, I loved it and you'd probably like it too, really one of a kind. I thought Ha Jin's A Free Life was terrific, and one of my favorite books this year too. I've read all his other stuff and while I admired Waiting, my favorite book of his just has to be War Trash.

Right now I'm trying to come back to earth after finishing Tom Pynchon's Against The Day, a dazzling, but often daunting piece of work that I mostly enjoyed but got exasperated with long before it was over. At the moment I'm nearly finished with the ARC of Charles Baxter's novel The Soul Thief (due in Feb), and think it's as good as The Feast of Love, which is saying quite a lot. Good luck!!

Louis

PS - Hey, I only wish I had 425 unread books in my library. At last count there were only 28 of them. Bah.

posted by LouisBranning at 4:51 pm (EST) on Dec 28, 2007

You may really like The Dud Avocado! Don't take my comments on it too seriously. There are many people who have enjoyed it, I thought it mildly entertaining but apparently didn't 'love it' like others did. - Lois

posted by avaland at 8:41 am (EST) on Nov 28, 2007

Yup, I found it too :)

I might check out Mail. I'll put it on my hold list at the library. Thanks for the recommendations!

posted by bearette24 at 9:09 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2007

Thanks, Alpha! I will mull those over. I did read Inn at Lake Devine - guess I have to add it to my library!

posted by bearette24 at 7:23 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2007

By the way, I loved A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers - fiction about a young Chinese girl who moves to England for a year. You might want to check it out.

Bearette

posted by bearette24 at 1:27 pm (EST) on Nov 17, 2007

Hi Alpha,

Hope all is well. Just wondering if you'd read anything particularly good lately. Am in the market for something light and funny.

Best,
Bearette

posted by bearette24 at 1:25 pm (EST) on Nov 17, 2007

Thanks for your friendship! I look forward to checking out your books and hope you enjoy mine.

posted by lisaunger at 10:35 am (EST) on Nov 14, 2007

He sure does. That book is amazingly good. I keep meaning to find his first one. Did you like it?

posted by patiomensch at 4:13 pm (EST) on Oct 2, 2007

Hi
How are you? Haven't heard from you. Hope all is well. I worked at the store tonight and we had a ton of receiving to do. It usually arrives late in the day - in time for the last shift!! I worked mostly on getting author event news out to our local media.
Did I tell you about Elizabeth Hay's new book? You said you like Cdn fiction - this is one not to miss. I can't wait to read it. Our store owner has read it and I am waiting on my turn at the ARC. Still no Sebold ARC. Oh well. Will have to wait on the release date.
Have you heard of the Camel Bookmobile? Masha Hamilton wrote a story about it this year and on her website encourages people to send books to Kenya to help them keep going. I am going to send some this week. Half the country gets book by donkey and the other half by camel and they always need more. Great cause - it's a gorgeous country.
bye for now, write soon and if you want to go private, let me know.
Cheers from Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Clamato

posted by clamato at 10:44 pm (EST) on Sep 6, 2007

Hi
Nope, no sign of a Sebold arc. Too bad. Maybe one will turn up soon. Watch out for the new Elizabeth Hay (local Ottawa writer), you have her Student of Weather. Her much anticipated new one, "Late nights on air" is supposed to be fabulous. She is a customer so hopefully we can get her in for a signing.
Bye for now,
Clamato

posted by clamato at 9:36 pm (EST) on Aug 27, 2007

Hey there,

I saw you added A Version of Truth...I loved their last book! Thanks for the idea :)

Bearette

posted by bearette24 at 8:37 pm (EST) on Aug 26, 2007

Hi again
Oh I am soooo envious that you have already read Alice Sebold's new one!! I am at my store tomorrow after the 'day' job and I will ask the owner if she has rec'd an ARC yet. The day staff sometimes get dibs on the best stuff. :(
I am looking forward to reading it. I loved Lovely Bones and hope to get to my copy of Lucky soon, but that is not an easy subject to read about.
Another writer I have been sooooo looking forward to new work from is Wally Lamb. Wally, if you are listening, write another piece of fiction!! He's written a couple books about women in prisons.. hmmm WE so need to hear from him again. Although, I was so excited when The Divide by Nicholas Evans came out. It didn't measure up for me. I did not care for it at all and it had been quite awhile between books.
My day job has become incredibly busy with more to come and with everything else gearing up again there will be precious little time for the most important thing of all... READING!!
All for now.
Clam

posted by clamato at 9:15 pm (EST) on Aug 22, 2007

Oh forgot: ps we have Adrian de Hoog coming to the store tomorrow night. He was with the foreign service and wrote a mystery that continues to do well. I haven't read it but it has a gorgeous cover and looks interesting.
zzzzz

posted by clamato at 10:14 pm (EST) on Aug 20, 2007

Dear Alphaorder,
Oh my, 300 author visits a year.. we can barely squeak out a couple dozen. I will take a longer look at your site tomorrow - it looks interesting - 80 years WOW! And you at 18 yrs there. I am closing in on 2 yrs at the store I work at, but that is only part-time because I also have a full-time job that recently became a whole lot more demanding.
This fall I am looking forward to the new Alice Sebold (have heard raves already), new Tess Gerritsen (that I wait for each year about this time)(read everything she's written including the early stuff) and the new Ann Patchet. 13th Tale comes out in soft in a couple weeks as does The Book Thief. Oh my, there is so much! A rep came in the other night and told me about a couple interesting books he is hoping we buy.
Oh so many books, so little time and then some more come out!
bye for now,
must sleep zzzz too much work at the office tomorrow (should call in sick and read all day!)
Clamato

posted by clamato at 10:13 pm (EST) on Aug 20, 2007

Hi
Nice to hear from you. Yes, I did indeed like the Alice & Veronika very much. I sold another copy today at the store. Also, a good customer I sold it to last week was in today and said her mother read it twice!
How wonderful to have met Linda Olsson. Where are you located and do you have a website? I can't say enough about that book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and her writing style.
I just finished "The Girls of Riyadh" this morning and then started a French Canadian book called "The little girl who was too fond of matches" by Gaetan Soucy which is very good.
We share lots of books so let's stay in touch! Tell me what you are reading, what you are looking forward to this fall etc etc.
Cheers from Ottawa!
Clamato

posted by clamato at 6:42 pm (EST) on Aug 19, 2007

Hi
Nice to hear from you. Yes, I did indeed like the Alice & Veronika very much. I sold another copy today at the store. Also, a good customer I sold it to last week was in today and said her mother read it twice!
How wonderful to have met Linda Olsson. Where are you located and do you have a website? I can't say enough about that book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and her writing style.
I just finished "The Girls of Riyadh" this morning and then started a French Canadian book called "The little girl who was too fond of matches" by Gaetan Soucy which is very good.
We share lots of books so let's stay in touch! Tell me what you are reading, what you are looking forward to this fall etc etc.
Cheers from Ottawa!
Clamato

posted by clamato at 6:39 pm (EST) on Aug 19, 2007

Hi Alphaorder!

I'm reading Me and Mr. Darcy (which is about a girl who goes to England and keeps running into the actual Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice). It's fun so far.

I'm also reading Tales of the City, Vol. 2...my Pilates teacher recommended the series to me. It's kind of addictive.

I'm looking forward to reading the Penelope Lively book. I liked Heat Wave a lot...did you read that one?

Best,
Bearette24

posted by bearette24 at 12:53 am (EST) on Aug 18, 2007

The End of the Alphabet...I've never heard of that one! I'll have to look it up.

I liked Astrid and Veronika. At first I had a hard time getting used to the spare style, but then I finished it quickly and enjoyed it. It's also kind of inspired me to get into Ingrid Bergman...I put a couple of his movies into my Netflix queue.

posted by bearette24 at 12:05 am (EST) on Aug 8, 2007

Thanks for the recommendations! I'm going to check them out. Both of them look good to me.

I'm trying to think what I've loved lately. I think Baby Love (a memoir by Rebecca Walker, Alice's daughter), in my library pile, is going to be good.

I also liked Blind Submission, a thriller set in the publishing industry, by Debra Ginsburg. Along the same lines, I liked Because She Can by Bridie Clark (also set in the publishing industry). I also liked Little Stalker by Jennifer Belle (also her other book, Going Down, about a call girl...a little edgy but a lot of fun). I also liked An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (a YA book). Another good YA one is The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green by Josh Braff (I think he is Zach's brother!)

Cheers,
Bearette

posted by bearette24 at 6:57 pm (EST) on Jul 14, 2007

Nope, not a bookseller - I actually work for LibraryThing! I was at BEA to talk about authors and social networking. The Uncommon Reader was actually the first one I read - on the flight home even. I loved it.

Abby

posted by ablachly at 12:07 pm (EST) on Jul 2, 2007