Member: suslyn

Wow! Doing their scrapbook must bring back so many memories. Sounds like a moving project. Glad to hear you and Steph are doing well. Happy reading and God bless.

posted by thomasandmary at 11:24 pm (EST) on Jun 7, 2009

Thanks for letting me know (and sorry for being late with the thanks - I've been AFK for a couple of days)!

Amber
(scaifea)

posted by scaifea at 7:13 pm (EST) on Jun 7, 2009

Thanks for the recipe! It looks great for summer--my peppers are growing and setting on as we speak. I'll have to post a picture in the garden thread.

posted by ronincats at 2:45 pm (EST) on Jun 6, 2009

Susan - Thank you so much for thinking of me when you read that post and alerting me to it. What a fantastic little community this is :)

posted by petermc at 10:13 am (EST) on Jun 5, 2009

"Did you like The Wheel of Stars by Norton? I had trouble with it and put it down."

It's been so long since I read it that I can't remember it at all (mid-80s) but that was a period where I wasn't that fond of much of her output. And if I'd liked it, I'd probably have remembered something about it! Your review didn't inspire me with a desire to pick it up again to see. ;-)

posted by ronincats at 10:59 pm (EST) on Jun 1, 2009

I read you always! But you are right, it has been busy, and you've been reading books for which I have had nothing to add, so I've moved on without commenting. I appreciated your commenting on my thread today, too. There's this fine balance between posting without really saying anything and adding to the bulk, vs. keeping in touch and letting friends know we are there! I've gotten to the point where I don't read a thread unless the owner has posted OR there are at least 3 unread posts, because so many posts are just "hi" or a platitude. I find that way I hit it whenever there is a new book, or a real discussion going. I have over 150 threads starred, and most of them are still active. But I always read yours as soon as I see anything by you on it. Thanks for caring!

Can I have the recipe for pepper soup? Please?

posted by ronincats at 7:39 pm (EST) on Jun 1, 2009

Hi, Susan!

I'm back online after 3 days of interrupted Internet access--didn't know I'd had a Hot Review!

I want to thank you again for the pepper soup recipe. We've made it at least a half dozen times, probably more, and we love it. We brought some to Panamanian friends who also love it; they enjoy it as a topping for rice.

Many thanks!

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 9:46 am (EST) on May 29, 2009

I think it will cut it, it just isn't clicking right now. My biggest problem with it is the fact that he writes excellent prose.

posted by Ti99er at 11:40 am (EST) on May 27, 2009

Hi Susan,

Thanks for stopping by. I didn't start mine to keep track of my reading (I do that in My Books). I did it last year to talk about books a bit. It worked well...probably because the group was so much smaller then. Now, it seems like everyone can barely get through the threads.

I find myself wondering whether to get a small group and do what Avaland did, branch out and start a different group that isn't buried.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just cranky because work is no fun at the moment and vacation is a week away.

--Tad

posted by TadAD at 11:18 am (EST) on May 27, 2009

AHA! I can save you a precious moment or two..."The Reckless Barrister" is not worthy of your august attention. It was merely *meh*.

Glad I coculd brighten your day a little!

RMD

posted by richardderus at 2:38 pm (EST) on May 26, 2009

Hi Suse...drive-by hug

RMD

posted by richardderus at 1:49 pm (EST) on May 26, 2009

That book should fit in well with all my simplifying books I'm reading this year, thanks!

posted by amwmsw04 at 8:58 pm (EST) on May 25, 2009

awww, thank you very much :)

posted by beeg at 7:18 pm (EST) on May 25, 2009

thanks for your interest! I really need to take better pics of my glass projects, I'll post them at my profile and let you know.

Beeg

posted by beeg at 6:13 pm (EST) on May 25, 2009

LOL, I think I saw pics of lots of kids on your profile, I hope they weren't the "young professionals"

Everyday I make a promise to go back to my pre-job reading level, but it just doesn't happen, same is the case with being active on LT. Yesterday though, I took up reading again though, hope to cover some ground this week.

Piyush

posted by PiyushChourasia at 10:05 am (EST) on May 19, 2009

Yes, I am MAKING time to read! Couldn't survive without it! I'm glad to be getting back to LT. I missed y'all! The past month has been final exams (for me and my students), college graduations, family obligations, work, family, work, friends in need, work ... you get the picture! Are you doing ok? What are you up to?

Leslie

posted by bibliotecara at 2:53 pm (EST) on May 13, 2009

When you say your Maine Coon is diminutive, you aren't by any chance referring to the one pictured in your profile wrapped casually around an unsuspecting neck? :-) I haven't located the pets thread @ 75 so if you could point me to it I'd be grateful. I'm still trying to get the hang of all the groups. I'm still a bit sad that the Gothic thread appears to be in limbo.

posted by mjs1228 at 4:15 pm (EST) on May 12, 2009

You asked about my cat, Archie. He's from a shelter so his lineage :-) is a bit of a mystery. He certainly has all the markings of a Maine Coon but little of the size. (He's a mere 10lbs.) My guess is that he's part Maine Coon.

posted by mjs1228 at 3:58 pm (EST) on May 12, 2009

Oh my... all I see are fatal errors, on every thread I open! I guess LT is having a bit of a seizure or something. Yikes. Hope they get that fixed soon...!

I didn't realize that the Byzantine era was Turtledove's area of expertise... but then again, I guess I haven't read enough of his work to really make an educated assumption (is there such a thing? hah!) about it. Lest Darkness Fall sounds very intriguing!!! Definitely interested, thank you! :D Hope you're feeling better today...

posted by dk_phoenix at 7:59 pm (EST) on May 11, 2009

Hi - Nice to hear from you! Glad the new cat is settled in. I know that can be a fur ripping jangle till it gets sorted out.

Yes, the notation on that book - right up my alley - I'd prefer to rely upon Celestial, any day, than lean on a satellite - electronics DIE FAST in a salt water environment, and every sailboat leaks through the deck, working at sea. Yes, I studied Celestial, once, and yes, I did a LOT of research on how it was done, before chronometers and books of tables!

Star sights are the best.

I've been writing, piping, passing a HUGE certification exam for the music, preparing for the US Amateur Championships, writing some more, and nursing the oldest cat over bumps. All are thriving today.

I want to plant my gardens, but were in an awful drought - OUR POND DRIED UP!!!! That, a hideous first. We are a month from the "start" of the rainy season - may it be early this year!!!

and I've been helping out on foaling watch at an arabian farm nearby - if you want an eyeful of GORGEOUS horses, check out Hawk's Flight Farm on a web search. Wow. Six babies born in the past few weeks, pretty awesome stuff.

posted by JannyWurts at 9:51 pm (EST) on May 6, 2009

Suze,

I did see it, thanks. I was going to respond but I couldn't think of anything to say wise or otherwise based on such a complete explanation. Thanks for keeping your friendly ignoramous edgeumacated. ;-)

-Scott

posted by Ti99er at 6:07 am (EST) on May 5, 2009

Susan, I'm sorry to have caused any concern, but I do appreciate it. My little corner of the world has been thrown into chaos, and I haven't been able to stop by and visit here in quite some time. I haven't even picked up a book in a month and a half! Shocking, I know! :)

I do hope to have things back to normal soon -- I quite miss keeping up with everyone!

I hope you're well!

posted by alynnk at 5:58 pm (EST) on Apr 30, 2009

merci madam :)

posted by girlunderglass at 2:45 pm (EST) on Apr 29, 2009

Hi Susan,

Thank you for your recommendations for me on Bible references. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, but I didn't want to respond until I had a chance to check out the website you mentioned. It is quite vast with the knowledge it contains and the searches one can do.

posted by Cauterize at 5:48 am (EST) on Apr 27, 2009

haha, or maybe he thinks I look like a witch. ;p

posted by kayinpa at 9:00 pm (EST) on Apr 23, 2009

Thanks, Susan. Two really good books in a row, so just luck of the draw. What a big orange baby in that photo!
Tui

posted by tiffin at 5:51 pm (EST) on Apr 20, 2009

Susan

I owe you an apology. Returning to work after surgery is challenging. I'm way behind on the threads. This morning I vowed to try to catch up. I checked yours today and found 34 messages. Amid one was the notation of your grandmother's death. I am so sorry! How are you doing? How are your spirits.

I send HUGS. BIG ones.

posted by Whisper1 at 9:55 am (EST) on Apr 19, 2009

Take your time with the peeking, its not as if I am running out of books :)
Who btw is Sten, don't remember seeing him around?

posted by PiyushChourasia at 6:31 pm (EST) on Apr 15, 2009

Stupid of me to not have guessed, Road to Oz was a total give away! Another thing I wanted to know was which all books are worth reading from the Baen Library that you know of...

posted by PiyushChourasia at 7:17 pm (EST) on Apr 14, 2009

I cannot believe this! One of the writers I wanted to ask you about was Hobbs! Thanks for the update, will start the series this month. I was also curious about The Seventh Sword series by Dave Duncan.

posted by PiyushChourasia at 5:19 pm (EST) on Apr 14, 2009

You're such a sweetheart - thanks for making my day!

posted by amwmsw04 at 9:08 pm (EST) on Apr 13, 2009

Goodness, she must have had a masterfully forgiving group of friends.

posted by JannyWurts at 9:40 am (EST) on Apr 13, 2009

Thanks susan for the link, downloaded a few of those videos and they are quite good. Some of them deal with differences between British and American accents, thankfully something I don't need to deal with, my accent is more closer (if it can be called that) to American than British and the friends I told you about were Europeans (mostly Scandinavaians).

Hope you have found a few more English bookstores in Romania. How is your health?

Will contact you soon for feedback on a few writers.

Piyush

posted by PiyushChourasia at 8:15 am (EST) on Apr 13, 2009

My TBR "pile" numbers about 200.
I am not sure whether I should wail in despair, or jump gleefully in circles giggling..

I do like knowing wher I will get a laugh or two, sometimes ya just ned that !

(((su)))

posted by mckait at 2:57 pm (EST) on Apr 9, 2009

I haven't read Shipping News yet.. but I will definitely move it up on my list.
I am a little bogged down under some "have to read" books to review..
It is a love hate relationship with those.. :)

How are you? I have GOT to catch up on your thread and a few others..
Thankfully I have a few days off in a row.. yay!

take care :)

kath

posted by mckait at 11:13 am (EST) on Apr 9, 2009

Good grief! I'm so relieved you didn't have a cat-splat!!!

We have a loft with a railing, too high up off the studio floor, which is terrazzo. I've always feared our one-eyed cats would misjudge a jump to that railing and fall, so for 14 years, we've kept the stairway blocked off to them!

posted by JannyWurts at 4:29 pm (EST) on Apr 7, 2009

Hi Susan -

Sorry to hear things are piling up, and sad for your mom, too, never having a reconciliation.

Sounds like a good time to play with Sooty, or cuddle one of the older ones. Or settle in with a good comfort read, if you can.

On hearing the pipes - you never know what's coming!

posted by JannyWurts at 11:27 am (EST) on Apr 7, 2009

Hi Susan - hugs - sick, aged family members can put everything in a turmoil, this I know well. I am glad to hear the desire for milkshakes as the sign there is someone "still home" - yay for your grandmom. She sounds like a tough old boot, in a good way.

My deadline is progressing at a nice, steady pace.

Had a Scottish Games yesterday - our band did very well. I also pounced on the opportunity to get a new set of pipes - that are AWESOME sounding - copied precisely after the only known set of Duncan MacDougalls in the world - (over 200 years old). The cut of the drones is different, and the sound is out of this world. (The old set of MacDougalls belonged to my instructor, once, until he gave them on to his son.) Well, enough, on a crazy subject - my excitement is the whole point.

Glad your little kitten is settled in - sounds fun! Our cats are all doing well, even if hair shed season is hard on the older ones, they are holding their own.

We got a little rain, the pastures that were so horridly crispy (smell of burnt grass at NIGHT just hurt) have turned green and are recovering a bit. We may get rain tomorrow. All the birds are nesting, the citrus is just finishing blossom (yes, fruit trees in blossom are divine!!! We slept to that wonderful scent, just outside the window) if the rain keeps up, I look forward to fixing the gardens, the drought made a mess.

Glad to hear from you!

posted by JannyWurts at 12:20 pm (EST) on Apr 5, 2009

Thanks for the comment, you are too kind! Haha can you actually tell that it says "Narnia" on the book cover? You have super-vision, I'm squinting here and still cannot decipher it :)

posted by girlunderglass at 5:41 pm (EST) on Mar 31, 2009

you're all out to get me with the cats, aren't you?! ;)

posted by flissp at 7:05 am (EST) on Mar 30, 2009

Hi Susan,

Thanks for the note! I have been completely piled under with work and travel. And it's such a bummer that I can't spend more time reading or with my latest obsession, LibraryThing. This is such a great community that you would post a note. You made my day! I'll pop over and say hi to GUG too. Take care!

Best,
Lisa

posted by LisaMorr at 4:59 pm (EST) on Mar 29, 2009

Thanks so much... I think the prayers definitely helped, because he's back home now, healthier (somewhat, haha) and best of all: he passed. :) I'll post more on the group thread when I have a moment...

posted by dk_phoenix at 4:38 pm (EST) on Mar 29, 2009

ah, what a nice picture you paint.

Animals bring peace and contentedness. My Shetland sheep dog Simon is a wonderful, loyal friend. While I'm recovering from surgery, he simply lies by my feet, at times using his nose to nudge my arm.

posted by Whisper1 at 11:39 am (EST) on Mar 25, 2009

Yeah, when I stop to look at it it does seem a bit long and varied!;-) Oh, well, what's life without a few challenges? It's actually gotten a bit longer since I last updated it! I'll let you know how I progress!

posted by bibliotecara at 10:15 pm (EST) on Mar 24, 2009

Hi Suslyn, how's it going? I was thinking about you and thought I'd drop you a note to see what you're up to. How's spring in Bucuresti? I'm actually teaching conversational Romanian to a group of students who will come there this May. It's fun!!!

posted by bibliotecara at 10:06 pm (EST) on Mar 24, 2009

Let me know what Liliana says. I'm anxious to see if I did something wrong. If it was an error on my part, I will pay to send them a second time. I've shipped lots of books overseas via Bookmooch and nothing like this ever happened before.

Take care,
Angela

posted by amwmsw04 at 4:08 pm (EST) on Mar 22, 2009

Hey! Thanks!
My hip is fine now, back to full mobility.
How are you? The allergies still troubling you?

Piyush

posted by PiyushChourasia at 11:58 am (EST) on Mar 21, 2009

Hi Sus--thanks for asking about ye olde knee...it's much better. Only bothers me now if I've been on in all day-- or driven for a long time w/o stopping to get out and stretch. Now that our snow is melting and I can get back to the pool, that is working marvels not only on the knee but the rest of me too. Of course, my tape player in the car has decided to join the ranks of the non-working, so I'm going to have to make a decision - pay big bucks to get it fixed, stop listening to books, buy external speaker or adapter for my MP3, or just BUY A NEW CAR--- this last is a definite LOL.

All in all tho, I'm doing fine.

posted by tututhefirst at 10:13 am (EST) on Mar 20, 2009

I'm surprised you haven't received the Jasper Fforde books yet!! If they get lost in the mail I will be SO upset for you!!!!

Happy reading,
Angela

posted by amwmsw04 at 8:29 pm (EST) on Mar 18, 2009

Susan,

We are thrilled that you got the books OK and that they have survived in good condition. We hope you get many hours of enjoyment from them :)

Catey & Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 4:36 am (EST) on Mar 17, 2009

Thanks Susan for all the recomendations! Realistic Fantasy is probably more to my taste than something "way out there" LOL! Thanks again. :)

posted by kayinpa at 7:29 am (EST) on Mar 16, 2009

Susan,

I am loving Tigana but if your friend wants a book with no sex this is not the one. It actually has a lot more sex in it than most books I read and I've been surprised that I haven't found it disturbing. However, except in one instance--maybe two--the sex is not particularly graphic and is not gratuitous--it works with the story.

I also loved The Doomsday Book and that one has no bad language or sex. TadAD says that it is more historical fiction than scifi--the story starts in the not too distant future and involves traveling back through time to the Middle Ages. The young graduate student who does the traveling gets stuck there and there are two parallel stories of what's going on in the "present" and what's going on in the past. However there is no "magic"--if that is what she is looking for.

Last year I read the series by Susan Cooper called "The Dark Is Rising" which I enjoyed. It is YA but is a good fantasy--especially after the first book, which I considered to be not as well written.

I am a newcomer to reading fantasy--I read Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia many years ago (and many times since!) but I'm just now widening my horizons. I would suggest you ask ronincats for some ideas. My next book is going to be The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley which she recommended. From my cursory perusal that might be a good one for your friend.

Sorry I can't be more helpful!

Carolyn

posted by MusicMom41 at 2:15 am (EST) on Mar 15, 2009

I have seen people trying to introduce new animals into the household, it always reminds me of trying to introduce new babies. If not done right there can be real problems, and sometimes even if everything is done right there can be real problems. Good luck!

posted by sten at 6:21 pm (EST) on Mar 14, 2009

Thanks so much! I had a couple of Lloyd Alexander books one time but freecycled them because they looked strange, but will give them a go! Shamefully (somewhat ;) ) I have never read any of Tolkien's books and really didn't want to go with LOTR trilogy, so maybe I will give The Hobbit a go and if I like it read some of the others. Will also check out the others you mentioned. Thanks a lot! :0)

posted by kayinpa at 1:33 pm (EST) on Mar 14, 2009

Can't wait to see the photos!

posted by JannyWurts at 12:34 pm (EST) on Mar 14, 2009

Your newbie sounds fun!

Our cats lie on their backs, waving paws, inviting to play all the time. Maybe the others just have to take time to get their noses back in joint to take up the invite.

Don once had a black cat called Scorch. It hated people, though.

Another friend had a cat who promptly ate their canary - they called it Killer, and it stuck. (It was sweet, really).

When you said yours was bowlegged, I pictured a rolling gait - sailor...the white triangles sound intriguing. We often let the markings name the cat - Triangles isn't so bad...(We've had a Chevron, a Cocoa, and obviously, Rorschach and Fractal). I can ask Don...he said Domino! That would indeed fit a "player" cat.

We named Magic because for a cat with one eye and a huge scar on the cornea of her good one, she's ALWAYS joyful and fearless - and into batting what we can't see, so we figure, she knows what she's about better than we do. Moonshadow got his name from the Cat Stevens song, Moonshadow, from the lyric "If I ever lose my eyes, I won't have to cry anymore" - and one eyed, here in complete comfort, there is no more crying for him.

Cats name themselves, really, even if it takes a few days - I'll be curious what this one does to id himself.

posted by JannyWurts at 10:23 am (EST) on Mar 14, 2009

Hi Suslyn,

I have chosen fantasy as one of my genres for the 999 challenge. This is not a genre I usually read from, but since I enjoy the movies based on Jules Vernes books I though I should like to read them. There are 3 that I am planning on reading: "Around the World in 80 Days", "Journey to the Center of the Earth" & "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". This leaves me with needing to read 6 more books in this genre. I could reread some of the Chronicles of Narnia but would like to try something new. So here is what I am looking for. 1) Language and Immoral behavior is a big deal to me so must have minimal of that, it doesn't have to be "Christian", just clean. 2) Realistic Fantasy....It's got to be somewhat believable and some elements that I might be familiar with. 3) Readily available. Should be able to get it through my local library or ILL. Oh, and not a lot of magic (no Harry Potter)

Thanks

Kay

posted by kayinpa at 7:29 am (EST) on Mar 14, 2009

No, anyone who has a remedy for migraines, please tell me. Some of the basic things don't work on mine because they are usually triggered by tension headaches. I have recently tried the magnesium and baby asprin and that seems to make the severity less, but not the frequency. Thanks for your kind thoughts.

posted by sten at 6:49 pm (EST) on Mar 13, 2009

We rarely see yellow peppers here, so we made it with red and green. It was fast and easy! Used a yogurt garnish which was just the thing.

When we come across yellow peppers again, we'll try them. In the meantime, the soup is just fine with red and green and was a real treat.

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 2:14 pm (EST) on Mar 13, 2009

Just tried your Two Pepper soup--delicious! Into the repertoire it goes.

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 1:48 pm (EST) on Mar 13, 2009

Hang in there. I'm thinking of you.

Linda

posted by Whisper1 at 1:39 pm (EST) on Mar 13, 2009

Hi - no, haven't read that title, or if I did, it was long since.
I am very well familiar with Mike Resnick, though - he's an old hand, knows his yarn spinning. Any title of his will be workmanlike and competent, so expect a solid good read.

I really miss Dan Mannix - he was quite an original, and a character in his own right - boy, could I EVER tell some stories!!!

It has always surprised me, but shouldn't, that Dan's work was so influential and so widely read. It was a great privilege to live at his place for the 13 years - I came away with many unique experiences, including watching him man and fly, and upkeep his various hawks and falcons. Some days it was like stepping back in time...

If you've never read anything by Daniel P. Mannix, it is quite an experience, whether fiction or nonfiction. He also did a lot of articles for True magazine and other venues - all really adventuresome and wild stuff, in a world when there was still a lot of space for nonconformity.

I feel very lucky to have known him so well. And you should have SEEN his library!!!

posted by JannyWurts at 10:46 am (EST) on Mar 11, 2009

Well, you'll have to post a picture of the new arrival!

posted by JannyWurts at 6:49 pm (EST) on Mar 9, 2009

How'd I "get them" to sit four in a row! Heh!!

The photoshoot began, when (rarely!!!) I saw Fractal and Rorschach sleeping chockablock. They usually don't! I said to Don, Get the Camera!!

Magic was sleeping, so I put Shadow next to his sister...there was a magic moment (missed) due to the slight shutter delay on digital cameras, where I called names, and all four were trained on the camera, alert, and content. Then the click of the shutter started Rorschach awake enough to realize he was tight to another cat, and Shadow, seeing Rorschach starting to depart, decided to pelt, too - grin. We got a couple of shots in before the boys exited. This was the best - it does show them pretty clearly though, and in one take.

Rorschach is now 17. The others are 14. But you can see, they are doing great!

Often, all four will sleep in my writing room, on that sill - but Rorschach is usually tucked in the spare chair, to one side.

posted by JannyWurts at 3:20 pm (EST) on Mar 9, 2009

Hi susan
The painting on my home page is one of Anne Boleyn as she was awaiting beheading in the tower of london.

posted by Whisper1 at 11:47 am (EST) on Mar 9, 2009

Hi - Cat pix is up - took a bit to figure how to do it - but now you can see the whole line up!

posted by JannyWurts at 9:21 pm (EST) on Mar 8, 2009

No, I didn't know Ben Kingsley was in a Silas Marner movie. I'm going to have to check out Netflix to see if they have any movies of this book. I've been wanting to see "A Simple Twist of Fate" again for a while anyway :-)

posted by thekoolaidmom at 4:03 pm (EST) on Mar 7, 2009

LOL! Yeah, I wouldn't leave that book face up in church either!

posted by amwmsw04 at 8:21 am (EST) on Mar 3, 2009

Hey Susan,

All is well, thanks for checking in. I've just been quietly catching up on some library book reads. These due dates come up on you so fast, I am actually having to read two books at a time, something I don't normally do. How are you doing?

-Scott

posted by Ti99er at 6:34 am (EST) on Mar 3, 2009

Susan,

I sent your books today! Hope they don't take too long getting there.

-Marcia

posted by allthesedarnbooks at 1:06 pm (EST) on Mar 2, 2009

"On" IMDb? I often look things up on there, but I am not sure what you mean... *wanders off to see what this means* OH! You can CATALOGUE your DVDs?!?!?! This is FANTASTIC!!! I think I have a new project... la-la-la-la, how I love to catalogue things... (I'm assuming you're on there, in that case?) :D

posted by dk_phoenix at 8:27 am (EST) on Mar 2, 2009

LOL, demon lord in church is really interesting, I guess he had run out of titles, the remaining series was also named likewise, Sorceress of Darshiva, Seeress of Kell, etc. I, too, carry a book with me wherever I go, had a job interview yesterday and while all the other candidates had there laptops open and were reading relevant stuff, I had my copy of Things Fall Apart with me :)

My leg is pretty much alright now, I have resumed my normal activities and more with the job search this week.

posted by PiyushChourasia at 4:46 pm (EST) on Mar 1, 2009

I can't believe we have so few books in common.

posted by kayinpa at 5:03 pm (EST) on Feb 28, 2009

Susan,

I am glad they made it there - and so quickly, too! I think I mailed them something like the 16th or 18th, so that is pretty good. Sorry about the mix up with the post office. I hope Liliana is not too mad at us! Let me know how the books held up, would you?

Thanks for the prayers.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 2:46 am (EST) on Feb 28, 2009

Susan,

I remember reading a comment somewhere that you made regarding your love of all things Icelandic, so I thought I would recommend a book I read several years ago (I was thumbing through my book journal and happened to run across the name) - Summer at Little Lava by Charles Fergus. I know it is difficult for you to get books there, but if you would like, I will see if I can find a copy of it for you.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 1:34 am (EST) on Feb 28, 2009

Hi Susan,
Nice to hear from you. Don't tell me you have grown allergic to fantasy and sci-fi!!! On a serious note, whats up with these allergies and how are you feeling now?

I have also gone soft with fantasies this year (just The Game of Thrones and first three of Artemis Fowl Series out of the 15 books read this year). Last year, as I started entering books on LT, I realized that a good 50% of them were fantasies, that was my cue to cut down on this genre, else one fine morning, I would wake up right in front of a dragon or something.

Take Care.
Piyush

posted by PiyushChourasia at 6:15 pm (EST) on Feb 24, 2009

Hi - glad to hear your Indian dinner was such a hit. I hope you find a way through your allergies, easily. Asthma doesn't sound fun, one bit, may you avoid that.

Interesting - your correlation between that bit in Fugitive Prince and that bit in you had read from the Bible - it's so much fun to see a reader examining the deeper ramifications - you will see a lot more (depths) on that point as you go. Can't say I was inspired by that passage, as I had not been aware of it, till you posted it to me. But the concept behind surely has the ring of a similar correlation. Fun to look forward to where the story is going to take you, and wonder what you will think and find, then.

Rorschach is MUCH more on top of things. You'd be quite amazed. I have every expectation he'll be fine, hereforward. Age is just a number, and basically, he's in very very good shape. I have a picture of all 4 of our cats in the bay window that I'm hoping (soon) to put up. Then you can see the whole bunch!

posted by JannyWurts at 11:26 am (EST) on Feb 24, 2009

Yes, I've read it and enjoyed it. I think I've read everything by her except her newest (which I have, but haven't started) and No Wave Without A Shore, which I never seem to get around to.

posted by TadAD at 4:42 pm (EST) on Feb 22, 2009

No, I haven't read The Marriage Mart yet, but I have it on my list after reading about it on your thread. Hopefully I can get it from my library or on Bookmooch! I went to the library book sale yesterday and picked up a whole bunch of regencies (among other things), so hopefully they'll be some good ones in the batch! I'm in the process of cataloging them over on my other account, marcia_g. So far I think I'm most excited about The Nabob's Widow by Elsie Lee and Carousel of Hearts by Mary Jo Putney.

posted by allthesedarnbooks at 1:36 pm (EST) on Feb 22, 2009

We were in Paris 1997 - Jan 2001 thoroughly enjoyed France - loved Rouen, saw a bicycle made entirely of chocolate in a window there just before a Tour de France. Our first break from Paris was a gite in Normandy, beautiful neck of the woods

posted by cgaus at 1:17 am (EST) on Feb 21, 2009

I sent them today!

posted by amwmsw04 at 5:52 pm (EST) on Feb 20, 2009

As for majoring in music, I actually added my English major on because I'm also not good enough to make a career out of performing. It's not my main passion, either. Books always have and always will come first!

posted by RebeccaAnn at 10:11 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2009

Susan--

Okay--you win. "nudge, nudge!" I just put in a request for Cordelia's Honor at the library. (I do know how to use the library! It's just that I am a slow reader and don't like the pressure of due dates. However, I think Cordelia could be renewed since there are no requests for it except mine.) Hopefully I can finish the 3 books I'm currently reading and get a good start on Battle Cry of Freedom before it gets here! I guess I'd better get some reading done now--since this is my free morning! :-)

Carolyn

posted by MusicMom41 at 2:34 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2009

Hi Susan

Thanks for reminding me of Cordelia's Honor--I've got so much fantasy/scifi on my plate right now I almost forgot I have that on my wish list! It was highly recommended to me by ronincats and I do mean to get to it. I've just pushed it up the list so I can remember my next buying spree. This month I'm trying to be more careful because last month I "kinda went wild!" I need to do what you and Joyce have done--move someplace where books are not so easily accessible! However, I would probably end up like you with all the treasures I currently own left is boxes in storage where I couldn't get to them. :( Nope! Not worth it. I will just have to struggle with my addiction! :-)

I enjoy reading your thread. And the soup in your profile picture looks delicious. When Hubby retires this summer I'm pulling out our soup book by James Peterson to give him something to do! I love soup.

Carolyn

posted by MusicMom41 at 12:37 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2009

I was reading a thread on Ethiopian cookery on Cookbookers, and the book on African cuisine was recommended, so I shall try to get it from the library to have a look. I love LT for finding new books! Thinking of which, I have recently discovered Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series - fantastic!!! As great a find as Bujold was (though quite different).

Well, anyway. Have you finished reading your box'o'books yet? Find any more good ones?

posted by sarahemmm at 3:05 am (EST) on Feb 19, 2009

Susan--just now saw that you'd posted comments on my FlickR site--the incredible Flying Saucer and the bougainvillea. I uploaded a bunch of stuff yesterday. took a quick, quick look at your FlickR site and am definitely going to have to spend time there browsing, which I will do, soon.

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 9:58 am (EST) on Feb 18, 2009

Smoking - no fun. I sympathize there. We spent a Christmas with Don's sister and mother - both chimneys. And had to leave the house for a walk (frigid/rainy/whatever) every hour, to rid the headaches from the smell. Sleeping - difficult! Always a puzzle why people are fond of this habit.

Rorschach is eating again, and starting to move about. Little steps, but he's moving ahead. Hate to see him so knocked flat. But at this point, I know the situation is on track. Cat watch without worry, at this point. Thanks for caring.

Let me know how the Indian dinner went.

posted by JannyWurts at 12:40 pm (EST) on Feb 13, 2009

Christmas decorations! My gosh, your life must be very richly full. Gawp of amazement - or are you one of those who just love to enjoy them so much. I always feel a pang at putting them in the box - but aways want to move one, too.

The Indian dinner sounds luscious. Probably labor intensive, too - I hope your guests enjoy it. We lived on Indian food on our jaunts to the UK. Had a craving for spicy British cooking just lacks. I can imagine you doing a fantastic job!!

How fun, you enjoyed Fugitive Prince! Off and running, then, and I hope you have an easy time finding the other volumes. Luckily they are all in print. Good hunting, and grand to hear from you. Thanks for making my day!

(we've had an old cat setback, with trips out for x rays, then a rush for an ultrasound - all negative - so it's probably one of his chronic problems, rebounding. He's sleeping after all that exhaustion - won't really eat yet...just a lick of yogurt and some water now and again - so I am on cat watch. He's such a grand fella - a tuxedo with a black nose and white tip on his black tail - gorgeous and KNOWS it. Love him so much. He's not in pain, thank gosh, yesterday's trauma is past. Let's hope he starts eating by tomorrow. He didn't sleep well last night, discomfortable as he was. Now he's feeling better, he could just be stacking z's to regain his strength. Another loop. It's wait and see.

posted by JannyWurts at 5:33 pm (EST) on Feb 12, 2009

I do Middle Eastern Dance, also known as belly dance! I do a bit of Indian Fusion as well, but belly dance is my main focus. I took it last year on a whim, and was absolutely hooked from my first class... I now take 4 classes a week and participate in two Troupes. I could talk about it all day, really... the benefits to women, the joy of participating in an ancient art form that celebrates the female body and doesn't discriminate based on age or body type, the amazing friends and sense of community that's created when women come together over this dance form... the sense of self-confidence that comes from it... okay, so I started on a tangent already, haha. All my life I'd wished I could be a dancer, but my parents were never able to afford dance lessons when I was young, so I figured "if you don't learn dance when you're growing up, it's too late". Apparently that's only true for things like ballet and jazz, because you can start belly dancing at any age... and that buried childhood dream is now a reality.

That's probably more than you wanted to know, sorry! But once you get me started talking about belly dance, I can't help but grin like a little girl and start raving about my love for it :)

posted by dk_phoenix at 10:59 pm (EST) on Feb 8, 2009

Hi - thought I would stop by and see what you are up to! I see you are reading Gerald Durrell - how do you like it? It has always been one of my favourite comfort books. What an amazing childhood to have... If you like it, I strongly recommend [The Bafut Beagles], which is about one of his earlier collecting journeys.

posted by sarahemmm at 8:33 am (EST) on Feb 7, 2009

Hi Susan! Thanks for stopping by. Sorry I don't have any pics of my pets online, but I love the ones you have above. The one of your orange cat using your hubby like human furniture is hilarious. :D Glad to know I'm not the only one who is "owned" by my cats.

posted by saraslibrary at 10:27 pm (EST) on Feb 6, 2009

Oh thank you Susan! It is hard. I loved her, and she me, but we ended her life without reaffirming our bond because she was horrible to me, and I was unforgiving of her human frailty, and well frankly...stuff happens. I still expected to be drinking coffee with her on my 80th birthday out of cups and saucers I bought for her as a Christmas present 40 years before. Or arguing over brussels sprouts prep at Thanksgiving 2020, for the umpteenth time. (She didn't like my roasted sprouts with apples and pecans, said it was tricky not like sprouts.)

I soldier onward, and I am almost done with Savannah Lee's return from oblivion. I expect the weekend to see me done, since I was not up to it after Doreen's death.

Cheers, dear
RMD

posted by richardderus at 6:03 pm (EST) on Feb 5, 2009

Delightful to see you are having a good time! My copy editors enjoyed the word selections, too.

We are having such a cold winter, it's delightful for reading.

posted by JannyWurts at 7:17 pm (EST) on Feb 4, 2009

I am not doing the 999 challenge, but am informally trying to diversify my reading. Present categories include: Classics, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Plays. Might decide to add humour later in the year or next year. Interestingly, though I have not read any of the four books you have mentioned, I intend to read all of them this year, and have already started on Don Quixote as a group read.

posted by PiyushChourasia at 1:57 pm (EST) on Feb 3, 2009

Susan,

Your reading this year looks good. Do tell me which books do you plan to read for your Classics category, 999 challenge.

posted by PiyushChourasia at 8:31 am (EST) on Feb 3, 2009

Yup, we were in there, toward the back, but identifiable. Nationwide, on prime-time - well! grin.

posted by JannyWurts at 10:46 am (EST) on Feb 2, 2009

No problem. Take all the idea you can get. It took me a little while of fiddling with the profile to get the shelfari inserts to work just right. I wish LT would allow the standard wood shelf, but they don't seem to like the platform it uses.

posted by Phienix at 11:46 am (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

Susan,

I have already started adding books to my Shelfari wishlist, and you are right, it is not the most navigable of sites, but it certainly helps me out by being on the web instead of a Word document. Thanks again!

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 9:33 am (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

hey Susan, hope you don't mind I borrowed your review-attached-to-post-number format in my 75 challenge thread - it's brilliant! :)
Happy reading!

posted by girlunderglass at 9:25 am (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

Susan,

Thanks for the title of the book your father is using. I have ordered my own copy. Here's hoping it helps!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 1:27 am (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

Susan,

Thank you so much for mentioning Shelfari to me! It will be a wonderful place for me to keep track of the Continent and so much easier to use when moving between computers. At present, I have a Word document that keeps getting transferred back and forth which, needless to say, is just inviting problems.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 1:09 am (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

Well, I have survived more than a day away from my computer! I will be happy to send "Thousand Days in Tuscany" to Romania. I know you are there and have limited access to books, and that is why I offered. Just send a mailing address by private post here or to my e-mail address. I will get it out within a week or so.

I wish we had plans to travel in the near future. It would be great fun to hook up somewhere. It is just terribly expensive for us to get overseas now, and discretionary funds are under tight controls.

Yes, we are in the U.S. We were last in Europe in October, 2006 when we visited relatives of my husband's in France. I learned a new respect for official interpreters. I was the only one in our group who spoke French, and had not really used it in years. Interpreting for both sides was grueling, but fun.

posted by LisaCurcio at 9:29 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2009

Yes, sure, that works great... all I have to do is quit school and rob a bank first!

The brain surgery was scary, but it could have been worse (ie. more invasive & painful). I had been sick for such a long time that it was a relief to finally know what was wrong with me & that it was fixable. My hair was a little longer, but I tend to keep my hair fairly short in general. Thankfully they only had to shave the back of it for the surgery, so I was able to cover it with scarves and hats. It's grown back pretty well now.

Your cats are beautiful! I'm generally a dog person, but I can recognize a good looking cat when I see one! ;)

posted by allthesedarnbooks at 4:12 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2009

Hi - I read Jaran, and liked it, but somehow didn't keep the steam up the finish that series. I decided to give Elliott another try, with Spirit Gate - I loved the premise of the story, and the worldbuilding was superb. I am deciding whether to go on and get the next one, at this point.

I like Gemmel, in small increments - his books read so well, definitely a stamp to them. They are good to pick up and put down, while I am working on difficult bits in a novel - nice flow, interesting how he engages the characters with so little depth to the backdrop - a natural storyteller....and one that doesn't fascinate so deeply that I lose the thread of the story I am trying to work out.

Ah Fugitive Prince - the one that will come back to haunt you, as the "forgotten" book in the series - while I was writing the rest of Arc III, the Alliance of Light, folks kept saying this book was the "least" - only to have it bite them in the tail when they got to Book V....everything in it builds to something. Really, all 5 books are one tale, with Peril's Gate the tipping point, and Stormed Fortress the finale. Have a good time!

posted by JannyWurts at 3:51 pm (EST) on Jan 30, 2009

Well, after a comment like that, I will have to look up that book!

posted by JannyWurts at 3:39 pm (EST) on Jan 30, 2009

That's because I really didn't see it, myself, as rip-snortin' funny. Weird funny, yes--bizarre funny, yes--but not, to my mind, rip-snortin'. Of course, then there's the whole problem of--exactly how does one define rip-snortin'? lol

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 2:47 pm (EST) on Jan 30, 2009

Yeah - i think i'll give her a go very soon. May as well - i've got a few of her books still unread!!! Anyway, i believe in only reading one fantasy saga at a time and i'm nearly finished Janny's books now. She'll probably be next. Thanks for the advice.
Regards
Willie

posted by WillieD at 2:19 pm (EST) on Jan 30, 2009

Hi Susan,

I responded to you on my thread, but it occurred to me to tell you here that I can send you A Thousand Days in Tuscany if you want it.

Lisa

posted by LisaCurcio at 12:51 pm (EST) on Jan 30, 2009

Okay, I'll get The Eyre Affair for you and I will send you the first three in the series or whatever I can fit in the box!!

I definitely think you should read them in order, though I've only read the first one. It is an introduction to the world of Thursday Next, detective. I've heard they get better as they go, but I really did enjoy The Eyre Affair. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time, which definitely helped me to enjoy the book.

It will take me a few weeks, I'm sure, but sometime I will need you to give me your mailing address!

Take care,
Angela

posted by amwmsw04 at 3:39 pm (EST) on Jan 29, 2009

I love your pictures, Suslyn. You cats are... sooo cat-like ;o)

btw, I have another larger library on LT. PamFamilyLibrary which I share with the kids and my husband. I'm going to check later and see if we have any more books in common than just Tan's "The Arrival".

posted by ThePam at 11:31 am (EST) on Jan 29, 2009

Thank you! And thank your dad for me, those Aggie vets-to-be have saved my pup's life with the work they're doing down there. :)

posted by alynnk at 4:39 pm (EST) on Jan 27, 2009

Susan, I did not start a thread on 75 books. I was all ready to, had lots of time while on Christmas break, and then found I could either read or get online once regular work life started back up:) I have read about 10 books already and have forgotten to record them. I tried to read every thread and it was exhausting! I guess if I'm going to do it, I have to sacrifice actually keeping up with everyone else.

I don't get a notice if you post to me through library thing.

posted by Rahsystem at 11:44 am (EST) on Jan 27, 2009

Hey, great to hear from you!

We are all well, thanks. The auto purr cat - very funny! Yes, they do pick up habits. We have one that purrs so loud it shocks people - and his "habit" is to lie next to my head when we got to bed, and just purr into the night until he runs down - a long time! The other cats purr with him, but the Bengal crosses are very quiet. This guy rumbles.

On cats: the rumbler, Rorschach, is now 17 and we had a "bad cat moment" with him Christmas eve. It has taken a LOT to put him back on track - (he had a terrible case of old cat constipation) but wow - the transformation is incredible. Today he was running around the house, sharpening claws, POUNCING on Moonshadow - such a joy to see him come alive again. He's given us two other scary moments, but always bounced back. I just reminded Don - he's eating, he wants to live and remember how LONG it took Magic to heal up that ulcer - and look at her now! Rorschach is a tuxedo cat with a white tip on his black tail, and a black nose in his white blazed face. Gorgeous. And a character.

That is SO COOL you got a heap of books! Wonderful - many may be duds for your taste, but, oh, the FINDS! I used to be sent books by a friend in the bookshop business, after he made his hauls at book seller conventions. Got some nice stuff, amid the - wow, who'd read THAT? grin. shrug.

I have found the best books in ANY genre are wonderful reads, and make the effort to check them out....the funniest - when I gave my Father a book that was truly well done, by a Romance writer - but more in the lines of a thriller - it was yards better than the rest of her stuff - and I'd pegged it, he LOVED it. Then, I forgot - he usually tracks down other books by authors he likes - and man, did I HEAR IT, that the next title he tried was - well - women's fiction....grin. But that one title - exquisite! - and a solidly good read.

I am reading David Gemmel's TROY series, now; and struggling with To Ride A Rathorn by P C Hodgell - man, that one is crazy confusing and rushes off on tangent after tangent till you practically cannot FIND the story in the pastiche - but I have to say, she has an amazingly inventive imagination. Cuts outside a lot of boundaries, which in it's own zany way is refreshing. (as in, to HECK with reader understanding, let's just write for the juice!)

Writingwize - I am in the middle bits of Initiate's Trial - and doing a bit of plot rearrangement as some scenes wrote themselves out of order - typically for a book that kicks off an arc - it will be a bit difficult but smooth by the end, as I grasp the starting threads and get them interwoven to emerge into the right degree of suspense.

I've done a lot of practicing (music) and now my horse is better, will hope to get back on her today (nice weather) and if you watch the Superbowl festivities on CBS next Sat at 8, for the Funniest Advertisements riff - you might SEE Don and me among the period pirates giving the background commentary some extra color (yeah, hired to be an actor???!!! That's a first!) Normally we'd be Far Far Away from anything football - but bringing on the pirates was just too cool. Lots of those guys were from the West Coast Mutineers, who model for his paintings. You may recognize a few faces, if you visit the pirate gallery on his website (Don Maitz).

I hope your cotton brains clear out. Life's too short not to be just overflowing. I'd be there to blast you into some fun, but, it's a long way!

posted by JannyWurts at 10:19 am (EST) on Jan 27, 2009

re Hannah & Sam - yes, their lyrics are always this innocent, they're in highschool themselves you see; they're quite young. They record all their music at school :) And I bet their teachers and parents wouldn't be very happy if they used profanity
re Culture Reject - I haven't heard many songs of their but from the ones I've heard this is the only song I really loved. I wouldn't buy the album myself... there are about 100000 others I'd like to own first (just like with books)

posted by girlunderglass at 8:52 am (EST) on Jan 27, 2009

Hmmm...I'm not sure I ever thanked you for the compliment re our blog :P Anyways, thanks sooo sooo much!

Here's our best songs of 2008 part1:
http://letterarms.blogspot.com/2008/12/l...

and part 2:
http://letterarms.blogspot.com/2008/12/l...

and here's an older post trying to get our (music freaks slash) readers into Neil Gaiman :)(yes, that's me in the picture with Wolves in the Walls)
http://letterarms.blogspot.com/2008/05/h...

posted by girlunderglass at 6:04 am (EST) on Jan 27, 2009

I'm not sure whether I should be very happy you did or start weeping for my empty pockets...I think I'll choose the former. Can't wait to see the list!

posted by girlunderglass at 1:38 pm (EST) on Jan 25, 2009

I am so very glad!

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 8:13 am (EST) on Jan 25, 2009

I'd procrastinated putting my wedding pics up on Flickr for the longest time, resigning myself to only posting them on Facebook... but your request pushed me to finally get them up there! It's good though, as I have plenty of relatives without Facebook that would like to see the pictures... so they're up now at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dkphnx/ , organized into 3 chronological sets (some of the pictures only make sense that way, lol). I really have no idea how to use Flickr, so I hope it worked!!! Haha.

I took a look at your pictures, I can see what you mean by 'Cinderella hoop'! Did you have trouble sitting down at all? It looks fantastic though, and what an incredible location... I love ancient/old buildings... *sigh* Your dress story is great, what are the chances? And for only $400...! I had mine made by a costume maker in NY and it was only $800, and I thought I was doing well, haha.

Thanks for the compliments on my site, it's definitely a work in progress! :)

posted by dk_phoenix at 7:15 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

Susan,

I totally agree about Martha Stewart. A friend of mine who doesn't like Stewart the person, nevertheless confessed that "at least she has standards." My Martha Stewart Christmas Cookbook has really reliable recipes, including amazing cranberry sauce (with orange zest and dried cherries). Ditto on Katzen whose Sunlight Cafe is a great resource for breakfast cookery.

On a completely different note, I received a copy of A Day in the Life of ElBulli, for Christmas. It is a compendious photo essay about the behind-the-scenes activities at Ferran Adria's famous Costa Brava restaurant, which specializes in "molecular gastronomy." Fascinating but totally unuseable. Who has nitrous oxide kicking around the kitchen, a freeze-dryer, or the custom gelling agents that Adria's Texturas business produces? Still, the chocolate- and yoghurt- dipped freeze-dried fruit; candy-floss-wrapped thai nymphs with coriander shoots; tandoori wings with foam cheese; parmesan marshmallows; and black sesame praline paste do sound intriguing...

Good luck with the cookbook projects!

Cocoa

posted by cocoafiend at 5:53 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

I saw that message, but didn't want to barge in. I would say a regency romance is a romance set in the years of George the 3rd's madness and thus the future George the 4th was appointed regent. That is 1811 to 1820, but generally anything set from 1800 to 1825 is considered to be a regency. This IS the same time during which Jane Austen was writing, but most regencies don't aspire to her level of comment on society. The best of the romances utilize the social settings, dress, and vocabulary of the times to construct their romances in a way where the mindsets of the characters are true to the culture of the time, while the worst simply transpose modern mores into Regency dress, with somewhat appalling results.

posted by ronincats at 5:49 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

You're welcome :)

posted by CatyM at 3:50 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

Seriously, if you have a "thing" about Iceland, you will LOVE this book. I don't have a thing...lol, and thought it was great. I think it will be out soon.. I got it from Amazon vine program, and they make us promise not to sell or give vine stuff away... or I would send it to you :(

k

posted by mckait at 3:40 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

China it is, on my first trip in 2004. It's the wall at Mutianyu. I was back in 2006, and the pollution was so bad you couldn't see to the next watchtower. I hope it's better now. You have a good rest of the weekend too!

posted by LisaMorr at 1:01 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

Yeah - I KNOW what you really meant, but decided to take it the other way anyway! And you are quite the prodigious poster as well - I was doing a search on Suslyn to find your 75 book thread again (only have to read 43 posts to catch up...), and you've been all over the place today! Cool!

It's not good to be torn between post-reading and book-reading!

posted by LisaMorr at 12:44 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

I just looked at your wonderful cat pictures again here and realized that your orange cat looks a lot like our Punxy (short for Punxsutawney Phil, adopted on groundhog day). He/she looks pretty big (could be just the fur though). It seems like all orange cats I know are big, including ours. We also have a black and white cat, who will be (hopefully) celebrating her 22nd birthday next month. And we have an all-black cat.

posted by LisaMorr at 12:38 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

Thanks - the best of all 233? What a nice compliment!

posted by LisaMorr at 12:34 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

Certainly!

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 6:22 am (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

I hope you have a great weekend, too! Did Steph get off on his business trip all right? You should have plenty of reading time if he is not there, right?

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 5:53 am (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

Susan,

I just looked at the books you and I share, and I do not think a single one of them is a regency. You may be getting quite a few from me! I am not sure how many I actually have, but they were the smallest part of my 'romance library'. I would say there are probably above 50. Are you still interested in them? I could send you the list of all the titles.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 5:48 am (EST) on Jan 24, 2009

I think there is a version with West Virginians and a opossum floating around this end of the country. :)

Carrie

posted by cal8769 at 5:03 pm (EST) on Jan 23, 2009

thanks Susan! so far a common country (to have lived in) AND a common taste in music - I wonder how we'll do in books :)

posted by girlunderglass at 10:09 am (EST) on Jan 23, 2009

re gaiman's reading of graveyard book on flossiet's thread - can't believe i missed it!

posted by flissp at 9:25 am (EST) on Jan 23, 2009

Suslyn
You are ever so kind. Many thanks for your message. This darn pancreatitis just won't go away...

The stress of a new academic semester excerbates it I'm sure.

How are you? Are you getting some rest after your whirlwind USA visit.

posted by Whisper1 at 9:55 am (EST) on Jan 22, 2009

P.S. the cats love the piano.

posted by tututhefirst at 1:36 pm (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Thanks for starting the music thread. It will be starred and I plan to give only a weekly update. I'm really trying to impose some discipline in my life and all these threads/groups, etc are beginning to be unfun! However, there's always music to calm us, even if it's just tripping thru the John Thomas' third grade lesson book. I'll post to the thread this afternoon, after I hit the ivories again for the sake of verisimilitude. (think I got that word right.) Tina

posted by tututhefirst at 1:35 pm (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Right...bed time for me! Very late here...nice chatting! :)

Cheers, K

posted by Severn at 8:11 am (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Oh that's wonderful! Even that wouldn't fit in our house right now hahah. We had to pick smallish couches. :)

But I shall remember it for future reference...

posted by Severn at 8:02 am (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Yes...you have your own orange monster for sure - and more and more like Charley...the sleeping in the basin, peering in at you while you have a bath....hahah...what a cutey. And I love how the litter mates sleep in a little ball together. Sadly, Ginny is a hissy grumpy cat and would certainly not allow that!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/45451

There are some in there of them both...sleeping. Given the nature of the thread heh.

posted by Severn at 8:00 am (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Oh, btw, I *love* the kitty pictures hehe. Your orange one drapes himself about much like our Charley does...

posted by Severn at 7:45 am (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Oh, no I haven't seen those! Sounds fascinating though...and useful sigh. I've always lived in small spaces, so I'm quite used to it - but sometimes I do feel like I'm walking around an obstacle course!

Doing the book cull has been useful. I'm trading at the rate of 1 for 2, so at least I come home with *half* the amount of books I took in!

posted by Severn at 7:44 am (EST) on Jan 21, 2009

Hi - Thanks for the notation on that book! I will definitely look for it, mostly with regard to my husband, who paints pirates, and has ships with cannon. (We have sailed and crewed on a period topsail schooner for piratical reenactments, and of course, he was gun crew on the cannon). Some of our best friends, also, are black powder and period weapons builders and experts.

I had a grand uncle who built models, and for awhile, as a hobby, I was restoring the rigging on many of his works. I wound up inheriting his maritime library, and a LOT of books on period ships, and also books on model building.

To date, the book that has been absolutely gold for writing research, has been Harland's title, Seamanship in the Age of Sail, which details everything about how a ship operated, what every single line and spar did, all of the maneuvers under sail and dropping anchor, and the multiple ways that various sail plans were rigged, in different styles and time periods. It takes you there. But yes, if you've never sailed, some of the language would be problematic.

I appreciate you pointing out the title - thanks! Never too many good books, and maritime art and writing are an ongoing project, under this roof, always.

posted by JannyWurts at 9:51 am (EST) on Jan 20, 2009

I hope you enjoy Ravelry!! It's an awesome site :)

posted by fasciknitting at 6:39 am (EST) on Jan 20, 2009

Thanks!

S

posted by alcottacre at 4:40 am (EST) on Jan 20, 2009

Hey, thanks for the comment! I LOVEDD The Geography of Bliss, I hope you enjoy when you get around to it! Your list is impressive! I look forward to seeing your progress as well. Also, I had no idea the scope of the IMDB profiles! I only signed up for the message boards at the time and am VERY excited to start cataloging my movies! Thanks again!

posted by gracemcclain at 10:30 pm (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

Where in Texas did you live? I left California in 1966, moved to Mercedes, Texas (about 200 yards from Mexico and 200 years from the USA) thence to Austin in 1968. Manhattan, though never a place I planned to live, was gloriously fun to be young and rich in; Long Island is more suited to restricted circumstances and advancing age.

posted by richardderus at 12:35 pm (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

Octavia Butler's work is very, very well-crafted and also quite tendentious. "Mind of My Mind" is where I would suggest that you start. DOwn-and-out ghetto telepath decides to rebel against the ancient one, whose shifting and unfixed relationship to her is disturbingly real. VERY good stuff.

Cheers, fellow Islander!
RMD

posted by richardderus at 11:43 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

oh, Thank you so much!!

yum!

posted by mckait at 8:18 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

oooooo

that sounds yummy.. do you have a recipe?

posted by mckait at 8:07 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

I just wanted to sy that I sent that picture of your table to my nephew..
he is trying madly to figure out what the soup is... he thinks maybe pumpkin and tomato?
lol

k

posted by mckait at 8:00 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

You're right--it IS simple! My kind of recipe.

Thanks a lot--we'll try this soon and I'l let you know what happens.

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 4:41 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

Oh, litter away. :) I'm never going to turn down a possible rec. I've looked at The Woman in the Dunes a number of times but still haven't been able to bring myself to actually read it. I think I want to and then... I get intimidated.

posted by enheduanna at 8:10 pm (EST) on Jan 18, 2009

Hi Susan
Yes, the photo on my home page is of my five year old granddaughter. She is the light of my life!

Nice to hear from you. Are you home and did you have a good time in the US?

posted by Whisper1 at 5:21 pm (EST) on Jan 18, 2009

oh well.. they are so cute though!

lol

posted by mckait at 7:26 am (EST) on Jan 18, 2009

Hi Susan!
Romania? wow! I think it is very brave to move to a non english speaking country. I am poor at learning different languages though..

You have some beautiful cats! And hubby?

I have seen your recent postings in the forum, and glad to have you.
It can become quite addicting~

It looks as if you have been a very busy LTer since October..2 badges!

How did you fid this wonderful place?

kath

posted by mckait at 6:52 am (EST) on Jan 18, 2009

Yes, I did. That's quite the place...beautiful.

From your other postings, are you also a Victor Borge fan? I love him.

posted by TadAD at 6:07 am (EST) on Jan 17, 2009

You've announced you have five guest rooms and people love your piano. You should probably expect Europeans to start showing up on your door. Americans may take a bit longer due to travel costs. ;-)

--Tad

posted by TadAD at 5:44 am (EST) on Jan 17, 2009

Hi --this site is remarkable for finding old sheet music. My sister and I were fighting over who really 'owned' a decrepit falling apart Hayden Sonata that we had both studied under our grade school nun piano teacher. She had tried to 'preserve' it by encapsulating it in clear contact paper...worked great, but then it couldn't be copied. We ended up buying the CD with ALL the Hayden and Mozart sonatas for under $20, and just print them out when we decided we want one. IT's wonderful. I suspect the postage to ship overseas wouldn't be too bad.

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_...

posted by tututhefirst at 1:12 pm (EST) on Jan 16, 2009

Hey - I always find the jetlag coming home to hit like a bomb. No doubt you miss your friends, too. Reading any book without a brain - easier to listen to music.

I hope you start bouncing soon - nice to know you are OK, meantime. The books will be there, always.

posted by JannyWurts at 11:25 am (EST) on Jan 15, 2009

Susa,

If you are coming to Texas in June, perhaps we can arrange some way to meet up? Honestly, though, I do not mind shipping the books to you, whichever way you would prefer. Just keep me posted and let me know what you decide.

I am heading off to bed for a bit. School starts shortly.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 7:07 am (EST) on Jan 15, 2009

Susan,

When I finally get the books ready to ship (I still have not gotten to that project yet! sorry, just too much life going on at the moment!) where would you like me to send them?

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 6:26 am (EST) on Jan 15, 2009

No worries. I'm just following the thoughts of someone over on Reading Globally who said, "I don't really want to just read what Americans think about other countries."

posted by TadAD at 1:07 pm (EST) on Jan 14, 2009

Thank you very much, Susan!!

Catey

posted by fantasia655 at 1:05 pm (EST) on Jan 14, 2009

Re: "An Unexpected Light" I may read it because it sounds good, but it won't do for my reading. It would need an Afghani author, or at least someone who had made Afghanistan their home.

posted by TadAD at 12:02 pm (EST) on Jan 14, 2009

No, I didn't make my goal of putting a location on all my books. The summer was just too darn short! Consequently, I still spend time wandering around the house looking for books I know I have. At least I can look on LT and see if I actually have a book! One day, I'll get that done!

posted by hobbitprincess at 10:28 pm (EST) on Jan 13, 2009

Susan

Thanks for the links to the two books about Rwanda. I'm adding them to my list of African books to explore. There is so much to be concerned about there! Right now I'm concentrating on Congo and Darfur--but my lists seem to be branching out and I think this may be something I will reading about for more than just one year. The subject is vast--and urgent!

Carolyn

posted by MusicMom41 at 10:05 pm (EST) on Jan 13, 2009

suslyn, i'll let u know next time we're anywhere close to romania :-) my husband and i go to hungary for his projects. we were in serbia last Aug and went all the way to Djerdap National Park where the Danube is widest and straight on to the Iron Gate (sounds something like that) with Romania just on the other side. would love to see Bucharest next time. btw, if u ever go to Budapest, do spend at least a day just dropping by their bookshops --- they have so many, very lovely and well-stocked shops. it's a reader's paradise! (i buy lots, 2nd hand, new, whenever i go there, for prices u won't see in my part of europe!)

posted by deebee1 at 6:44 am (EST) on Jan 13, 2009

Ah, I already have that book. I read depressaholic's thread over in Reading Globally and picked it up from there.

posted by TadAD at 5:22 am (EST) on Jan 13, 2009

Yes I thought that was rather a nice touch: "contemporary attitudes to relationships"!

I didn't want to come across as all "holier than thou". We live in a world characterised by the knowledge of good and evil. I read something interesting about that, that the opposite of good and evil is "life". Not only evil but also "good" is the opposite of "life". That is why our supposed "righteousness" or "goodness" is without merit, because it cannot impart "life".

I hope you find this as interesting as I do.

Best wishes

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 5:06 am (EST) on Jan 13, 2009

Thanks a lot for the invitation, have never been to Europe, had an opportunity in mid-2008 of a 3 month exchange program, but had some other committments in India. Would defintely love to come there and don't worry about cats, thankfully I am not allergic to cats or any other thing for that matter till now :)

I hope to read atleast one more Jane Austen this year itself, don't have a pecking order yet though...

posted by PiyushChourasia at 2:49 am (EST) on Jan 12, 2009

Hi Susan
I live roughly in between Ruinen and Amstelveen. So if you get somewhere near please let me know.
Arnem (that looks wrong... Arnam? I want an 'h' in there for some reason...) Yes you miss an "h", it is Arnhem ;-)
Anita

posted by FAMeulstee at 8:13 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Hi, thanks for the kudos! LT doesn't seem to have any means of crediting the authors in an anthology so Polaris wouldn't count toward LT authorship even if someone else on LT owned a copy. (Award winning anthology and nobody owns a copy... well, it's primarily marketed to High Schools, after all, I guess. ::Sigh:: Cool that I posted about it on your birthday!) I'm working on selling a book. If I keep trying it's gotta happen eventually, right?

I've been on LT for a while but I haven't done much with it. I found last year's 75 group through ronincats who appears really high on my "people with the same books as you list" and it looked like everyone was having such fun, I decided I would try it this year. It's a bit too big this year for me to keep up with in its entirety, but I'm enjoying going through and finding people who appear to have similar tastes, and starring they're threads so I don't missing anything.

Now that I'm actually using LT, the odds of me actually getting around to putting the whole library have increased immeasurably. :)

posted by lshelby at 7:18 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Thanks for the rec! I looked into it myself and despite what she thought of it, it looks like just the sort of thing that's interesting to me so I've added it to my wishlist and I'm going to check it out when I get a chance. So, I'm glad you didn't notice she didn't like it until you'd already suggested it to me. ^_^ And I did finally start my thread on the 75 list. I've just not read that much yet...

posted by enheduanna at 6:56 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Thanks, I'll take a look.

posted by TadAD at 6:43 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Oh, Hamburg is between Reading and Allentown PA. It's actually at the intersection of Rt. 61 and Interstate 78. We are 'famous' for having a Cabela's store. I think it put Hamburg on the map. It's a small town otherwise, not too much to do.

posted by amwmsw04 at 5:50 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

I only have one thread for my reading:
It's called Angela's 75 books (amwmsw04) or something like that.
I also started threads on other subjects, like the omnibus thread and the "do you read on the treadmill thread". Sorry if it's confusing!

Yes, we do have friends in a variety of ages. My husband grew up always being with younger kids and I grew up always around adults - so I guess that's why we got together!

Shopaholic and Sister was the only Shopaholic book I've been able to read. I started two others and I just could not tolerate how shallow and materialistic Becky was. But I think she got better by Shopaholic and Sister. She seemed to grow up. I don't know if I'll try Shopaholic and Baby or not.

Yes, that Dave Barry book you mentioned is great. But I think I can understand why I wasn't allowed to read that one when I was a kid, haha!

posted by amwmsw04 at 5:49 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

There's a Librarian group at LT--why don't you ask them for their help? They're a friendly group, and I'm sure someone will have an idea for you.

posted by Nickelini at 4:17 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

You're right - we do have a lot in common!
I was delighted with your comment. You are the first person to say that you're enjoying my thread. I think many people from the challenge are ignoring my thread because I didn't join the challenge til late last year. Many are only reading threads for people they recognize, due to the huge amount of posts! I can definitely understand - it was just so nice to hear a compliment.
Don't worry about the age difference. For one thing that photo was taken 5 years ago - I'm 29 now, almost 30. I'm married to a man turning 40, and I've always gotten along well with people older than me. I think I have an 'old soul', haha!

I do not think I'm going to read less this year (even though I want to), not at this rate - I'm already at 10 books! But I'd like to write more. I'd love to write a book even if it's never published. I even got a used laptop so I can work on my writing. Anyway, I think I should change my ticker to be like yours - 150 books. I read 144 last year so it would be a good goal. But this year I want to read War and Peace, and maybe Bleak House and Anna Karenina. So that should lower my book count.

Nice chatting with you!
Happy reading ~ Angela

posted by amwmsw04 at 4:14 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Thanks for the tip!
Regards
Willie

posted by WillieD at 2:34 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Hello, I'm not 100% sure what you're asking, but yes, my library has books that I can read from their website that are fairly recent. I seem to be running into a lot of them lately, so they must have added a whole bunch. This particular library is my university library, but I find that the public library often has similar access (haven't tried this one though). If you're interested, I guess the first thing you could do is contact a library that you're affiliated with and ask them how you can get these too. Hope that helps. If I've misunderstood your question, let me know.

posted by Nickelini at 2:23 pm (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

You are still jet lagged. I am sure it would have come to you eventually :)

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 1:02 am (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Susan,

It will probably be Monday before I have a chance to look at them, but I will let you know what I come across that I have and you do not. That way if they sound like something you have read already and you do not want them, I can dispose of them here in the States.

Have a great weekend! Try and get some sleep so the jet lag does not dog you too long.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 12:59 am (EST) on Jan 11, 2009

Thanks a lot dear, as usual you have been most helpful :)

posted by PiyushChourasia at 5:14 pm (EST) on Jan 10, 2009

I guess from your comments the second (not the sequel) one is good too...if yes, title please :)

posted by PiyushChourasia at 12:25 am (EST) on Jan 10, 2009

Hi Susan,
Thanks a lot for the recommendation, will start looking for a copy immediately! Is it a single book or a series like Dune?

posted by PiyushChourasia at 7:17 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

I haven't read McCaffrey in awhile. I did like Dragonriders of Pern a lot. I'll try Restoree to fill out my Fantasy category. Thanks.

posted by LisaMorr at 5:41 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Hi Susan,
I'm on the 75 Book Challenge - Lisa's 2009 75 Book Challenge (imaginative, eh!). I just starred yours.

I was crushed when I heard about Robert Jordan. I remember exactly when I picked up The Wheel of Time in paperback - I was interviewing for a job in Phoenix, and bought it in a resort shop. I bought and read them all when they came out, then as things slowed down, I just started buying to read them all the way through when he was finished. I understand maybe we'll see something this year?

Love your cats - I have 3 too - lost one last year :<

Thanks for the laugh today!

Wow - just looked at when you joined - you have been tremendously productive at entering your books! And you're an expat living in Romania! Wow, just talking to my husband today about a possible expat opportunity.

posted by LisaMorr at 5:27 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

I think everyone is a 'little' weird, so just tell him you fit right in with the rest of us :)

S

posted by alcottacre at 5:07 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

speaking of envy...our local shelter currently has 12 Maine Coons who were 'rescued?'--not sure how or why from a local breeder. They were my second choice until I met Bruiser and Lightening, and they needed a home so much more.

posted by tututhefirst at 4:29 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

A little bit about how the romances I have were chosen:

There are 2 romance review sites that I used - romantictimes.com and theromancereader.com. I would compile a list of the books (oops, I used the word) that received the best reviews and my mother and I would go shopping and buy them. It was a great way for us to be able to do something together, the problem is I am just not all that into romance, I was more the romantic suspense type. I have kept the books all this time more for sentimental reasons than anything else, but really, they are just sitting here collecting dust and occupying much-needed space, so I have finally decided to start disposing of them to people who would appreciate them.

S

posted by alcottacre at 4:27 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Catey promises not to tell, either. She is sitting here reading over my shoulder . . .

S

posted by alcottacre at 4:20 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

I have a lot of romances (series and otherwise), and you are welcome to chose as many as you like. Catey (that would be my daughter) has some regencies that she will pass on to you if you would care to take a look at her library, too. She is under 'fantasia655'. We can get like a box sent to you every couple of weeks, so you could have Christmas for a while in the new year, lol.

S

posted by alcottacre at 4:16 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Yes - I got it as a Christmas present from alaskabookworm. She told me she loves it, so she sent it to me. I am hoping to get it read some time this month.

S

posted by alcottacre at 4:12 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Susan,

To tell you the truth, I do not remember how I cataloged them. Just go through and pick out what you would like, and if it is something I do not want to get rid of, I will let you know, OK?

The bookstore in Amarillo sounds like a great idea, except I do not live anywhere close to Amarillo and shipping them all that way would cost both of my arms, my legs, and possible other body parts.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 4:10 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Actually we have a 3rd sister, Maureen(traumatroller) who has recently joined, but she's not taken up any challenges yet. We'll get her there eventually, but she's still spending most of her time cataloging and organizing.

posted by tututhefirst at 4:03 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Suslyn,

If you see any regency romances in my library that you would like, let me know. I have decided I am going to have to get rid of some of the romance books so I have room for others. I do not mind shipping to you.

I hope you had a wonderful visit here to the States! Try and get some rest to recuperate from all your 'vacationing'.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 4:01 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Suslyn...the rearranged thread looks great. I've decided to take my sister cyderry (aka Cheli) recommendation and post personal comments like this on profile pages vice making the threads so long and unwieldy. I hope you had a great trip home, and now can settle back into a more normal reading pattern.

I noticed a new kitty picture...are these more members of the family? We are in the process of adopting two FIV positive beauties from our shelter. Since we have no other cats in the household to worry about, and have always kept our cats inside, these two just spoke to us. I hope to bring them home next week and post pictures (either here or on Facebook). Happy reading!

posted by tututhefirst at 3:45 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Welcome Back!

Pleased to hear you found the book (amazing!)

May the jet lag lift quickly.

posted by JannyWurts at 11:27 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Hm--how about passing along the recipe if it's not too much trouble? We grow and eat a lot of peppers here!

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 7:42 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

If you run across similar book venders, please do let me know--I'm always on the lookout.

GREAT profile picture--is that a soup of some sort?

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 5:34 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Thanks, Susan! You saved me the trouble I had just started checking them out, for prices, as I had no time (or computer access) to do much more--was going to do it this morning when I'm on a decent computer.

That's really too bad--their prices--of the books I checked that they did have--were competitive with Amazon--and the shipping would have been a tremendous break.

Muchas gracias for taking the time and trouble.

Joyce

posted by Joycepa at 4:58 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Wish you a very Happy New Year! May your TBR pile go down significantly this year :)

posted by PiyushChourasia at 9:07 am (EST) on Jan 1, 2009

Susan,

I will be sure to let you know about the book. It will probably be my next read. I am currently reading 3rd Degree by James Patterson. Lately I have the tendancy to read a piece of fiction followed by a piece of non-fiction. I used to read fiction exclusively, but over the past year or so I have broadened my horizons and have begun to read books about real life. I guess I have come to the realization that I can't continue to live in a fantasy world all of the time. :-)

Peace,

Scott

posted by Ti99er at 7:57 am (EST) on Dec 29, 2008

I did wait until Christmas to open them. You made two great choices, thank you. I haven't started the Alex Cross Series yet as I have been working through the Women's Murder Club Series. And I always love stuff involving C.S. Lewis. Thanks again!

posted by Ti99er at 8:15 am (EST) on Dec 27, 2008

Oh that...but thats because you do have an interesting library :)

posted by PiyushChourasia at 11:09 am (EST) on Dec 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!
Welcome :)
But what for?

posted by PiyushChourasia at 4:34 am (EST) on Dec 25, 2008

Susan,

Thank you so much! I still don't know what you got me. Although the package arrived yesterday, I am going to wait until tomorrow to open it.

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

posted by Ti99er at 8:15 am (EST) on Dec 24, 2008

HI Susan,

which sources are you using for cataloguing? Have you tried amazon.co.uk for those ISBNs?

Let me know if it works,
Gio

posted by Gio at 6:59 pm (EST) on Dec 21, 2008

Thanks for the kind comments
I think that's my main problem - i usually have good ideas - not so good at implementing them! lol! I had another idea for a book that would kind of review the 1st book in loads of different series, it would give a overview of what happened in the book, descriptions of characters and kingdoms,and where they stood at the end of the book, maps of the travels related to that book, etc. It would ideally be for people who want to catch up on a series they haven't read in a while (say if a new book came out and you couldn't remember what had happened before, without having to reread the series. And have loads of interesting extras!) The only problem being that it would end up being a series, with loads of volumes as every series progressed. It would become too big! Maybe it would make a great website instead? What do you reckon?
I saw a petition on the internet for a 25th anniversary edition of David Gemmell's Legend. (In case your interested).
Have a happy Christmas
Willie

posted by WillieD at 3:14 pm (EST) on Dec 19, 2008

Hi Susan,

thank you for your message. I am not sure I understand your issue.

The ISBNs 978-184022-407-8 and 0-14-062207-1 have been catalogued already and are on the site. THe other two are not been added yet, but you can easily add them via amazon.
For the 2 missing ISBN, there are many other edition of the works there.

Gio

posted by Gio at 7:38 am (EST) on Dec 19, 2008

Safe trip, raise a glass to Philly with your friend - as a beloved old stomping ground. Merry Christmas, Happiest New Year, be well, be happy, laugh often. And may your packing be collected and sweet - hugs to your kitties, too, for the duration.

posted by JannyWurts at 1:35 pm (EST) on Dec 18, 2008

Thanks for sharing your highlight moments, re, Warhost. If you liked the culmination of Arc II (Ships/Warhost) the culmination of the next 5 book sequence will blow your socks to shreds. Hope you have Fugitive Prince already in hand, since it's not in print yet, in the USA...unless you find a used copy.

I wish you a safe and wonderful trip to Texas - and the happiest of holidays. Funny, you are actually closer! A phone call away. You could even be flying over...delightful thought.

How long are you staying?

I have always wondered how magical it must look, seeing Christmas lights from an airplane...particularly when you reach the holding pattern and are below the clouds enough to see the sparkle. May it be a clear landing, if at night!

posted by JannyWurts at 11:07 am (EST) on Dec 18, 2008

Hope you are all feeling really well by now and are ready for your trip!

I'm almost to my vacation--rehearsals for 4 hours tonight and recital tomorrow night--much shorter! :-) and then I can start getting ready for Christmas.

posted by MusicMom41 at 6:02 pm (EST) on Dec 17, 2008

If you want to check out the derivation of a word in English, you should absolutely go to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), which is available online. The noun version of "customer" is listed:

http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/5005...

You can use the list on the left-hand side of the screen to change the form of the word.

Have fun!

Laurie

posted by Prop2gether at 3:19 pm (EST) on Dec 16, 2008

Thanks. But I'm glad to know that my library leads one to believe that I am a girl....LOL

posted by Ti99er at 2:18 pm (EST) on Dec 16, 2008

No, I haden't heard of the Shopaholic novels. I just looked them up on BookMooch. I don't mean to come off as chauvinistic but aren't these novels a bit feminine?

posted by Ti99er at 2:04 pm (EST) on Dec 16, 2008

Hi Susan,

Yes, I did study Old English, but it was years ago in English Lit and speech therapy classes (I abandoned that study when I couldn't hear the difference between certain aspirated and non-aspirated vowels because of my years in Texas). I can barely make my way through a sentence now and then.

And thank you for the Secret Santa thoughts! It's very kind of you. I added my daughter (kbergfeld) to the list so she can be merrily surprised this year! I will be adding your reading suggestions to my "LT list" in the 2009 75 Book Challenge, so watch to see when I get to them. I have My Brilliant Career somewhere on my Netflix list, but I own a DVD of Paradise Road, and just love the music (can't love the story too much) of the vocal orchestra.

Hope you and your family are well--I, too, have three cats, although I suspect they are a bit older than yours (one is nearly 18 years old), and I may be babysitting my daughter's cat if things don't work out well for a new apartment for her. Have a great holiday season--I'm off to my ex's in St. Louis so I can meet up with our son and his girlfriend and our daughter and her very serious boyfriend (whom I have never met). It promises to be quite an event.

Happy holidays!

Laurie

posted by Prop2gether at 1:55 pm (EST) on Dec 16, 2008

Hi - wow, what fun. You certainly took research on that pesky word to a new level, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I am wondering at this point whether the word may be a migrant from French (perhaps the other spelling being foreign) since so may "official" sounding words came in with the Normans. And laughably, now, the "French" are so busy dumping on English migrant words - many of which are derived from the French terms in the first place. What a world. grin.

With regard to stopping points in the books - I think cliffhanger novels in series are a dirty cheat on the reader - if the story is sufficiently interesting, the reader will go on without them. I just howl when I get to endings that aren't - in a series, hanging threads are inevitable, but, to stop short of the punch being swung - never for me! I tried, always, to put the facts you need to know in each volume in such a way that a new denouement happens - not a recap, but a revelation regarding the events in question.

So none of the books have a recap in them, up till Traitor's Knot and Stormed Fortress (when, my publisher insisted.) I did it as a historic timeline, with dates, so it wasn't just this wedge - and at that point, the books are moving so fast to convergency, that there wasn't the leisurely pace to rework all the facts in. If a reader runs straight through they would not need the time line. Gaps between books, some readers say it helps. I still feel, all the facts needed are in the stories themselves, but it's a very complex tale, at that point. I will be quite interested to see what your take is, when/if you get there. In all cases, the glossaries were rewritten for each volume, and if a reader had a question, they could look up the name or event or place in the glossary, and it would be updated to reflect the close of the volume prior/the starting point of the current book in hand.

Again, how delightful that you noticed the care going in...do make note that Warhost was originally bound under the same cover as Ships, and that they were designed as one continuous story. (only published in one cover as the US hardback, the British and then the US mass market were split as 2 volumes.)

posted by JannyWurts at 10:45 am (EST) on Dec 16, 2008

You will get your wish - there is a full scale wedding shown in a later volume.

Have a very safe trip to TX.

My copy editors, happily, showed the same delight over words that you have. The only word they could not find, and would not allow (but dammit! I know exists...) was customar...for customs (as in import) officer...if you can tag an origin on that one, I'd love to get the comuppance! since I was forced to use 'customs officer' instead and it just - was - not - elegant.

posted by JannyWurts at 5:32 pm (EST) on Dec 15, 2008

My gosh - what a complete delight!

A thoughtful reader who actually enjoys and takes in the depth and the breadth of the words! You cannot imagine my grin of pleasure - or can you?

I have always crafted for the adventure, in all respects - but many times, the words themselves are the most overlooked facet.

posted by JannyWurts at 1:56 pm (EST) on Dec 15, 2008

Susan, I certainly hope Steph gets better soon. That flu can be exceedingly nasty.

posted by ronincats at 10:04 pm (EST) on Dec 14, 2008

Well, now that we know I can get books shipped to you and they arrive safely, if there is something that you think of once you are back, I can always ship it to you once you are back in Romania. In the meantime, if you think of anything, just let me know.

It goes without saying - I hope you have a wonderful time with your family.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 7:18 am (EST) on Dec 14, 2008

I stink at numbers, too, particularly while painting...

Copyright and submissions: in the literary world, IF you are dealing with a professional publisher (established, as in, money flows TO THE AUTHOR!) and not a fly by night or subsidy house (the "we're here to rip you OFF, while you ignorantly chase your dream, or, we're in the BUSINESS of making a PROFIT by having you PAY US to publish your (usually awful) stories...and the ignorant bunnies bite the hook)...if you are sending to an established house, your copyright will be respected. In fact, it's amateurish to register, first...when they buy the manuscript, and publish it, they will register the copyright in YOUR NAME - that's standard practice by the reputable house. They are in the business of earning off copyright, and as such, the law is meticulously respected, supported, upheld.

YOU OWN THE COPYRIGHT ALREADY if you created the work. It gets registered (usually) upon first publication.

Beware: the internet is considered FIRST PUBLICATION if you post it...that's why it's so deadly if a draft gets loose before pub date.

If you are seriously considering submitting, look at these two sites: writerbeware (on the SFWA website, my site has a link) and Predators and Editors - get educated, so that you don't get ripped up by the sharks.

The ability to notice words like that is a gift - and can be made into a business. Many publishers use independent contractors, these days, for copyedits. It takes a meticulous eye, an wide knowledge of language, and a by the numbers knowledge of grammar.

posted by JannyWurts at 11:38 am (EST) on Dec 13, 2008

It's a deal, suslyn. (I'll let you know how I like it.)

posted by Fourpawz2 at 12:10 pm (EST) on Dec 12, 2008

Thanks for the book recommendation! I've been interested in the subject for years and now every year my teacher friends and I have students who are diagnosed as on the continuum or appear to be. I've added the book to one of my offline lists. I decided to stop adding books I haven't read yet to my LT library so that it continues to represent what I've actually read. I have about 30-35 books on now that I want to read (tagged as: Wish List) which for me demonstrates enormous self-control. (Smile!) I attached your name to your recommendation, though, so that when I read it, I can post you a note.
Bonnie

P.S. Oh, thanks for the recipes. IF I cooked on a more regular basis, I would try the fennel for me and the chili for my son. (Smile!)

posted by bonniebooks at 10:57 am (EST) on Dec 12, 2008

Hi Suslyn, My posting started to feel too long for your 999 challenge so thought I'd bop over and post my response here instead. Looking forward to checking out your library! I love cookbooks and I don't even cook anymore. My 2009 New Year's Goal is going to be to choose one recipe from each of my cookbooks and make it until I can do it in my sleep. I'm going to concentrate on healthy comfort food (sort of an oxymoron?) that I can pass on to my younger son who's in college and living on canned chili and mac and cheese. Good luck on meeting your 999 challenge! I, too, enjoyed reading other people's categories.
Bonnie

posted by bonniebooks at 11:30 pm (EST) on Dec 11, 2008

Ah, hooked by the art terms....usually the stumpers are the nautical bits. grin.

posted by JannyWurts at 4:56 pm (EST) on Dec 11, 2008

Hey, what a lovely moment for you to post a "gotcha" comment - saw it today, but you posted on my birthday! Cool. I get such a kick out of hearing from happy readers!

We were out to dinner, and a lovely trip to the bookstore to cache in on my gift cards...so I came home with a haul of new books, and 2 music cds, as well as shopping for gifts for others.

May your penlight hold out for the duration!

posted by JannyWurts at 10:53 am (EST) on Dec 11, 2008

That's kind of strange!.

My publisher is in Missouri. I Crane - some little town in the middle of the state - I haven't been there yet.

When I was in Texas in summer it was evenn hotter than Sydney in January.

Have a nice break.

David

posted by DavidHWebb at 4:32 pm (EST) on Dec 10, 2008

Hi Susan,

I have applied for a tag thingy. I guess that will happen.

I have only had a book out since july this year so I am newish to all this author stuff.

The book did take 8 years to write and they say it is pretty good but that's not for me to say - you'll have to read it and let me know what you think...

The second book is going much faster. I had that partly done when Beckwood Brae came out.

Christmas will be spent in shorts and T-shirts (or even boardys or budgie smugglers) around the pool and the BBQ.

It is already very hot although we look like having a storm this afternoon. Maybe it is global warming but we seem to be getting more tropical than sub-tropical here in Sydney.

So Christmas lunch is usually cold meats, salad, seafood or as I said things we can throw on the BBQ: prawns, steak, sweet corn chicken etc

Usually we consume this under the pergola with some beautiful, chilled white wines. We do wine well here in Aus.

Does that give you an idea?

Felicitations of the season,

Dave, The Aussie.

posted by DavidHWebb at 10:04 pm (EST) on Dec 9, 2008

Hi -- we are just back from a pirate reenactment weekend, where Don (my other half) gets models for his paintings, and I get to play lots of pipes, make mayhem, and sail on a period schooner, all in Key West.

So pleased you found the book again, and that the ending satisfied - it was designed for re-reads, and each time, more layers will surface. When you get to the next one, bear in mind that Ships/Warhost were designed to be ONE BOOK, read together...and then, starting with Fugitive Prince, that book kicks off a new story arc...you are in for some mind blowing surprises.

I hope those kitties get a good new home.

We are madly trying to catch up with stuff, and me, to do that while 4 cats cling like burrs - they hate it when we are away and insist we make up for lost time.

Yes, it's holiday madness and the piratin' weekend always sets me way back...but worth it!

posted by JannyWurts at 3:01 pm (EST) on Dec 9, 2008

Our weather was sunny, but unusual for Florida, long sleeves needed. We're having a colder than usual season, but that's OK, it's good after two winters warmer than usual.

On Lysaer - don't give up on him, entirely. The series isn't finished. Just gnash your teeth, meantime.

We have several people taking care of the kitties - no house sitter, but they will be quite well spoiled.

Christmas comes up way too fast! I think the recipes will be most appreciated, whenever you finish them.

Celebration is in order, I completed a difficult chapter today. Even though the cats wanted to PLAY PLAY PLAY - it's chill out, and when that happens they demand that people twitch the toys for them. Were yours sprawled out like dropped silk scarves? That's what ours do when its hot.

posted by JannyWurts at 9:45 pm (EST) on Dec 2, 2008

Thanks a lot. Will try and get those, waiting to hear from you for more.
Take Care.

posted by PiyushChourasia at 7:59 pm (EST) on Nov 30, 2008

I love your spotted cat! Ok, well, really, I love all cats... but yours are especially nice. I have a black shorthair and a long-haired calico myself. How neat to live in Romania! Do you like it there?

posted by enheduanna at 7:28 pm (EST) on Nov 30, 2008

I see you are also a fantasy fan. Suggest me some good series please.

posted by PiyushChourasia at 6:46 pm (EST) on Nov 30, 2008

On the sentence collection - now you really do know how to warm the cockles of an author's heart - I really do labor over them and it's nice to see the shared appreciation for language.

If you never read Barbara Hambly, or Sarah Zettel, both of those authors really know how to write with a gorgeous slant.

posted by JannyWurts at 7:34 pm (EST) on Nov 29, 2008

Wow, lots to reply to, and I'll have to do it quick as we're going out to dinner to celebrate Mom's recovery. (She's home, just called, sounding chipper and normal, what a relief!)

I love Breton Music - got a chance to hear Alan Stivell live, once, and have everything Tri Yann did, too. We like lots of Celtic - from Scottish, Irish, to Cape Breton - if you haven't heard them, the Barra MacNeils are just FABULOUS - look at their website for a listen.

I have a beautiful old vintage Mandolin - a Gibson A model from the 1920s, very gorgeous and sweet - it's easy to play you don't need much callus, unlike the steel 12 string and the custom six. I play highland bagpipes, pretty seriously - if you look back at the DragonCon thread in LT, some LTers shot some pix of that at the DragonCon parade.

I also like feel good or fluff books, mixed between the serious stuff.
What's wrong with a read you can coast with, with a hot chocolate? Makes a great break from brain cracking writing all day.

My Dad was an engineering type, too, so I know exactly where you are coming from there. When his tech friends passed, he had no one to talk to and it really went hard for him after that.

I haven't been to Houston, but visited (extended) Ft Worth area, lived in a little apt there when my husband did production art for the motion picture Ant Bully - it was quite interesting, there were just wonderful art museums in that area. And they were really in to planting flowers in spring to beautify their town.

The Pirate fest will also have lots of cannon and black powder - it gets really fun and rowdy, with a period bar, all lanternlit, and a redcoat camp, period, with a battle wherein the pirates take over the fort, and ransom the town mayor. They also reenact the trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, all done from some of the original trial script. It's a wild weekend. The stuff books are made of.

posted by JannyWurts at 7:32 pm (EST) on Nov 29, 2008

suslyn, Wherabouts in Romania? I have travelled there, but not widely - through the Carpathians, then Sighisoara, Brasov, Bran and Cluj-Napoca. I share your love of cookbooks, but have no food-related field. Cooking is a hobby. My field is English literature. If it weren't for the four-language requirement, I would probably have gone into Comparative Literature, because I do enjoy world lit. My father is a Canadian diplomat currently posted to Zimbabwe, so I also share your experience of expat life. Most of his previous postings have been to south-east Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Korea... Well, despite the difficulty of accessing English-language books, I hope you're enjoying Romania!

cocoafiend

posted by cocoafiend at 3:43 pm (EST) on Nov 29, 2008

Hardrock cafe, yup, leaves the ears ringing. We ate there at DragonCon this Sept, and have the beer glass with the logo to prove it. It's fun, seeing all the museum memorabilia, but oh, I just ache for all those beautiful instruments, behind glass, and played no more.

What do you play?

The recipe book - what a wonderful idea for a personal gift. Any sort of creative project always seems to take longer than planned, but oh, the rewards.

I am always amazed by how many new books you've added, it's a different screen each time.

We had a nice quiet thanksgiving with my Mom - who's better enough she's planning to go visit my brother tomorrow. Should be a nice change of pace, her cough being much much better.

Our cats hunt HUUUGE roaches - always a comedy show.

Folk tunes - my thing is old ballads and maritime. Have a loft full of stringed instruments, for the sheer fun and enjoyment. Next week, we go off to the pirate reenactment festival in Key West, where my husband does much of his photography for painting (see the Don Maitz Pirates! calendar, published by Tidemark Press). I get to play pipes on a period schooner, drink lots of beer, and play with some crazy fun people.

posted by JannyWurts at 8:21 pm (EST) on Nov 28, 2008

What a gorgeous eyeful (what you are reading) - you do know how to make an author's holiday coolest!

I can imagine you busy, cooking up wonders.

May you have many millions of blessings to count.

I do. Your nice wish note being one of them.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, too!

posted by JannyWurts at 7:35 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

A happy Thanksgiving to you as well, Susan. It's been a pleasure to see you become so active on LT in the short ONE MONTH since you've been here.

posted by ronincats at 1:05 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

Well, I was nominally an exchange student in Bolivia. However, there was a revolution the first month we were there and schools were closed by the order of the government. Some folks went home, but I had graduated high school in the U.S. early and had a delayed acceptance to college. So, a couple of us got an apartment and then backpacked through Bolivia, Peru and Chile for 18 months.

posted by TadAD at 10:54 am (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

Thank you...I hope you have a happy one, also.

Can you get turkey? I spent a few years in South America and one of my peeves was that there was no turkey to be had for Thanksgiving.

--Tad

posted by TadAD at 10:35 am (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

Thanks for nice Thanksgiving wishes. I wonder, what does Thanksgiving look like in Romania?

posted by blackdogbooks at 10:29 am (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

I like the movie site, but it's still in Beta format, so there are some kinks. I don't have anywhere near the total of my movie collection listed because I've been collecting (like books) movies for years. I have no cable or satellite television (refuse to pay those fees!), so I watch movies. My movie collection is kind of like my reading library--all over the place, except I don't do slasher movies and I'm not fond of teenage boy humor (although I have some of those as well because--well, I had a teenage boy). I didn't realize that IMdB had a listing service or I'd probably have used it. And I also have a list which is now about two years out of date.

posted by Prop2gether at 2:45 pm (EST) on Nov 25, 2008

What a nice surprise to get a recommendation for what looks to be a great book -- The Speed of Dark. I liked John Elder Robison's memoir (Look Me in the Eye), which touched on the disability (or not!) of Asperger's; The Speed of Dark seems to explore that, too. Thank you! ;)

posted by DetailMuse at 2:04 pm (EST) on Nov 25, 2008

You're welcome---hope you read and enjoy my suggestions! I'm probably going to join the 75 Book Challenge Group next year---I've kept a thread on the 50 Book Challenge for two years, and last year read 72. I'm up to 68 now for 2008...75 should actually be a reasonable challenge for me.

posted by laytonwoman3rd at 1:09 pm (EST) on Nov 25, 2008

Mom's recovering well, thank you. She should go home today.

On the thought of cats who close doors - shudder! - I can just imagine the glee with which they'd lock certain things IN! Speak softly and don't give them ideas?

Off to write - there's a certain character in a very tight spot...(in prison, accused by the current reigning dogmatic types of their particular namebrand of wicked crimes, and the wrong fanatical party in the judge's seat....turn up the heat, eh?)

posted by JannyWurts at 11:18 am (EST) on Nov 25, 2008

Nine categories of books can't be too bad. I kept changing the names of the eight categories to include more and more books. It's a challenge that's more fun than it is serious.

posted by SqueakyChu at 6:28 pm (EST) on Nov 24, 2008

I guessed something like that.
Jokes are difficult in writing, even more in a foreign language ;-)

Anita

posted by FAMeulstee at 2:49 pm (EST) on Nov 24, 2008

No worries - those titles are really close.

I laughed at the cat story - like when it rains, and they try another door, saying, "It won't be raining out THIS one."

My mother's got a bad cough, so she's here for the security - and her sheltie, who lived 2 years with Many Cats and Knows Better, but my dad liked to egg her into chasing. So, now she has to relearn the boundaries. Which she's smart enough - knowing when the game's up. I began the retrain yesterday, and when Mom went to take the dog out this morning, she had to pass a cat, and I'd seen the dog with a bead on Sight! and said, "Don't you DARE!" Then warned Mom, watch it, she's got the cat in mind, don't let it start - and the dog, turning to look at me with this crystal clear look of disgust, "Don't train her to discipline my fun with the Cats!I LIKE seeing them jump when I hide out and rush them."

I just cracked UP. That, "Oh, crap, the game's up at HOME, too! RATS!"

posted by JannyWurts at 10:43 am (EST) on Nov 24, 2008

thanks for adding us to your interesing libraries!

I enjoy your input too.
Correct me if I am wrong, you mean Alban Berg? ;-)

posted by FAMeulstee at 3:23 pm (EST) on Nov 23, 2008

I hope you track the books down or have someone in the States do it for you so that you can get them on your next trip stateside. I would ship them to you myself, but you said you had problems with getting your mail over there, and I would not want the books to get waylaid.

Have a great Sunday yourself!

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 5:14 am (EST) on Nov 23, 2008

Good! It's a very thoughtful little book. Anyone could love it.

posted by lmichet at 6:12 pm (EST) on Nov 21, 2008

Looks like your latest new discovery is working for you, even if you are misplacing Kipling. (Kipling - brings back memories of my Dad, reading to us as little kids).

Knew which was the Buck, because of that Maine Coon coat!

posted by JannyWurts at 10:49 am (EST) on Nov 21, 2008

Way cute! My daughter has three cats, two of them look like two of yours! Best, Lois

posted by avaland at 4:26 pm (EST) on Nov 20, 2008

I see from SaintSunniva's profile that you have recently read a biography of Thomas a Becket. I just acquired "Thomas" by Shelley Mydans, an Historical Novel of the life, passion and miracles of Becket. I am adding it to my 75 books list for 2009.

Nice pussies!

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 4:02 pm (EST) on Nov 20, 2008

Oooh, pictures! I always start at the top! Nice looking cats, and hubby too.

Long ago, I did read and enjoy some of Grafton's letter mysteries. Deadline at the moment won't give me that sort of leeway to read for pleasure.

Have fun with Facebook - I'd be curious to know what you find to enjoy there - I do know they have specialized discussion of books and various authors. And probably cats and cooking and everything else under the sun.

I am writing today with a throw rug in my lap, promptly occupied with Magic. Cold for Florida, with no temps in the 70s in sight until well into the weekend. When northerners laugh at me, I just tell them, c'mon down here in July, and try gardening side by side with me, at noon, see how long YOU last.

It will be great weather to curl up with a book, tonight.

posted by JannyWurts at 2:36 pm (EST) on Nov 20, 2008

Hello Susan,

Thank you for adding me to your Interesting Libraries.

I am amazed that we only share one book and that a Thesaurus!

Who is the man with the cat? Or are you "a boy called Sue" a la Johnny Cash!

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 4:03 am (EST) on Nov 20, 2008

I'm glad I could help. As you may have guessed, I do "lean" towards Schlafly. I have a lot of books - my own and from the library - that I'm trying to get to read, so I'm not going to even say that I'll read her biography. But maybe!

A book I don't own, but highly recommend is, The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto. Are you familiar with it?

Amy

posted by SaintSunniva at 5:45 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

Hi Susan,
I don't mind following rabbit trails one bit -- I'd never delete such an interesting post. Re the Archbishop of Canterbury bio - would you be thinking of Thomas a Becket?
Amy

posted by SaintSunniva at 4:40 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

Well, the first try was bunged up...

The picture has to be on the web somewhere, then you just put in the html code for displaying the picture. It looks like:

< img src="URL for picture" >

Except you need to take the spaces out before and after the brackets.

posted by drneutron at 1:05 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

I'll try Baen books. Thanks for the advice. Hope there I will be lucky.

posted by Amy888 at 12:49 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

I'm glad you are my friend too because you are so helpful, funny and.. patient. You are asking me What I am looking for? I just want TO READ A BOOK:)). I'm beginning to doubt that I can do it and guess that my library is just a collection of good books titles. I opened the book page, clicked on "edit" as you tought me - there you are - another chart with the info about the book etc. However there I found two options ("currently reading" and "to read") that nearly gave me hope that I'm close to the happy moment. I clicked on "to read", saved the page but nothing happened. "sigh"

posted by Amy888 at 12:42 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

LOL Thank you Susan. But that is the problem too. When I click on the title of the book it doesn't open the book page but some info about the members who added it, its popularity etc. I can't open ther book!

posted by Amy888 at 12:17 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

Dear Susan, this is really as easy as mud but this I CAN do - I can GO to my library and see the titles of the books added. What I can't do is open the books and read them. Is there any secret? I will be grateful if you help. You hardly know me and I am pleaed to meet you too. Inna

posted by Amy888 at 11:58 am (EST) on Nov 19, 2008

Ah - you have some fun reading to catch up on, then. Keeper of the Keys is the middle of a trilogy - you want to get Stormwarden to begin, and Shadowfane to follow Keeper up.

There was an omnibus edition done by HarperCollins US a few years back that did all 3 titles together.

There's a complete list of titles and orders on the website, linked off my author page, here.

This, typed, while Shadow attacked his "mouse" toy at my feet - he demands this, every day, the mouse on the stick must be jiggled, and I was on errands, so he has catch up to play.

R. M. Meluch is a fantastic writer - I've loved most everything she's done. All a cut above, in depth and development.

I think tonight will be curl up with a book - early possible frost, and I was out on errands all day, so a little relaxing fun is on the list.

It's interesting to note, that, although LT only lists one book we share, on the random lists pulled from your library, always there are another one or two we have in common. I haven't entered my whole library...today, the list includes Asimov, Poul Anderson and Modesitt. Can't say I have everything by those guys, but they are well represented on my shelf, here.

posted by JannyWurts at 10:14 pm (EST) on Nov 18, 2008

Hi - cooler still, today - I love it, even if the cats are miffed. They're not Maine Coons, with the huge coats! They get hungrier when it's brisk, and so do I, being skinny chaps.

If the book in your box was Fugitive Prince, that follows Mistwraith/Ships/Warhost, and is the first book in the sequence of five that comprises the third arc in the series, Alliance of Light - if this is where you are, be prepared! This book lays the foundation of a huuuuuge crescendo - and you will see the veil lifted to reveal a LOT more about the world, with many unexpected twists....some things were not as you thought them...expect the tension to build - I can't forecast what your reaction may be - some readers have finished Stormed Fortress and felt it's the best culmination yet...for others, it's another volume along the line. I completely enjoy the fact you have the enthusiasm to keep going. Certainly, I am shooting to create a series that does not tread predictable patterns! Have fun, there's a lot in store.

I will be reading R. M. Meluch's latest - space opera, but with such fun characters, I get a lot of laughs. She's done some pretty deep stuff, too. I've followed her career for a very long time, and her creativity continues to surprise me, which is not an easy accomplishment.

posted by JannyWurts at 11:02 am (EST) on Nov 18, 2008

Woke up today to four little cat heaps, cuddled all over the bed - you know it's turned cold!

posted by JannyWurts at 12:07 pm (EST) on Nov 17, 2008

Susan,

Well, I am sorry that I cannot pick it up for you! (You could always ship me to Romania with a copy of the book in hand, lol). I did not realize the difficulties you would encounter with getting foreign mail. Maybe you can get a copy next time you are in the States.

Sorry I could not be of more help,
Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 9:29 pm (EST) on Nov 16, 2008

I ASK you, no sense of humour with a name like that!

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 5:44 am (EST) on Nov 14, 2008

I figured anybody who's got a copy of The Billionaire's Vinegar is ok in my book! 8^}

posted by drneutron at 8:03 pm (EST) on Nov 13, 2008

Thank you for the recommendation! I'll have to move it up the list.

posted by alaskabookworm at 5:42 pm (EST) on Nov 13, 2008

Why, thank you for asking! I've had worse actually - spent my lunchtime shopping for Christmas (book shopping obviously) which was nice. All the fun of choosing books and none of the guilt that comes with knowing I already have too many :-)

Sorry you didn't have such a great day. By the way - I don't iron either. When my eldest son was about 2, he very seriously told my mum we didn't own an iron...

posted by FlossieT at 5:37 pm (EST) on Nov 13, 2008

Well then, I guess you just have to adopt that lived-in look, wrinkles and all. I gave up ironing when I became an adult--my mother taught us to iron the first time she found a clean, ironed item in the wash. After that, we had to iron all our own clothes, and most of them were cotton, so it was a bear! And being allergic to dust has its advantages--if you don't stir it up, there's no problem.

posted by Prop2gether at 2:42 pm (EST) on Nov 13, 2008

Hello Suslyn,

The Thomas Henry Edward Tortoise aka The Tortoise is just my little joke, it is a pseudonym.

Thanks for dropping by, I enjoyed the joke about ASK!

- TT

posted by TheTortoise at 2:00 pm (EST) on Nov 13, 2008

Ah, I'm fine. grin. It's the nature of the job - creativity itself is so rewarding and SO unpredictable...I hope you have a fantastic surprise trip. Can't wait to hear about it!

And yes, I will take that ride you suggested.

posted by JannyWurts at 12:07 pm (EST) on Nov 13, 2008

Glad to hear you've found your lost book, and that it was a good read. I like to hear readers who are excited when authors step out of their regular groove. Inventiveness is great stuff.

The Eggplant Lasagna sounds intriguing. You are a fearless cook, I deem!!!

I am not much of a fan of "modern slang takes" on Fantasy, myself, but the image you posted did raise a snort. For stand on its head humor, I liked Josh Wheedon's Firefly, and R. M. Meluch's late serial space opera, beginning with the Myriad. The character twists happen where you least expect them, and march to an impeccable logic all their own.

I've just been buried in work....the next Light and Shadow book, keeping it unpredictably inventive at vol 9...with cats. You how know that goes.

We have a book club dinner tomorrow night, too.

posted by JannyWurts at 8:11 pm (EST) on Nov 12, 2008

They're all pretty sweet. But I really wanted a dog.
That is how I got my first cat too ;-)
But he would walk on a leash, just like my rabbit did, so they were almost dogs. Then my first own dog came when I was 20, never have been without dog(s) ever since!

posted by FAMeulstee at 5:29 pm (EST) on Nov 12, 2008

sorry I overlooked that link.
I love the photo of Buckaroux next to the bathtub! He is beautiful.
And I think you call Gabriels color tabby, but it is an odd tabby, not stripes but, how do you say... interrupted stripes? Anyway it looks good.
Anita

posted by FAMeulstee at 5:00 pm (EST) on Nov 12, 2008

thanks Susan
Once in a while we have pups too ;-)
We hope to breed a litter from Chimay next year.
I would like to see your kittens!
Anita

posted by FAMeulstee at 2:56 pm (EST) on Nov 12, 2008

Yes, it is an older home - built in 1930. I absolutely love it!

Do send the pics when you get them.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 12:45 pm (EST) on Nov 12, 2008

--I'm guessing you're not on the NYC end of the Garden State. Is Philly close?--

Well, I'm closer to NYC than Philly. However, what with NJ traffic and the Hudson crossings being what they are, going into the city is about 1½ hours just to get in. So, I don't go as often as I might like now that most of my friends have moved out to the 'burbs.

On the plus side, we have a lot of nice farmers markets in this area, so I tend to do more rustic stuff with a lot of fresh produce.

posted by TadAD at 6:37 pm (EST) on Nov 11, 2008

Well, yes and no. :-) I've never cooked them. However, when I was 17 I spent 15 months backpacking around Peru and Bolivia and ate a bunch of them. Along with another type of potato (and I use that word loosely) called chuño...which is basically Andean potatoes that have been run through a whole bunch of freeze/thaw cycles until they are, effectively, freeze-dried. Then, they are re-hydrated by dropping into boiling water. The result is something that looks like a potato and tastes like library paste.

Some of the best foods I ever had were from that region. However, they're hard to find here in the States outside of some place like NYC. I would kill to find a good salteña shop!

posted by TadAD at 5:16 pm (EST) on Nov 11, 2008

I'm with you on Kurtz. I really enjoyed her first three (publishing order, not chronology) but, by the time I got to The Quest for Saint Camber, I was just tired of investing in a character only to have them killed, or their love marry someone else, or whatever.

I'm glad you joined the 75 club. I think it's the best forum going on LT right now. Most of the active members have agreed to do it again in 2009 regardless of how many books they actually read this year just so we can stay together.

posted by TadAD at 4:11 pm (EST) on Nov 11, 2008

Goodness! It's a delight to have your quick acceptance, and if you had moved, first, no "presumption" - when an author participates in a public event, or a forum, using their name, they are there to participate! And you are just simply a delight.

I do appreciate politeness, don't get me wrong (grin) but it's just awful when one hears, after the moment, "Oh, so and so, my friend, told me they "wished" they had spoken to you, but, they were too afraid to intrude." Private writers stay home. The ones who don't, or are rude as a result, are just human beings acting as hypocrites.

At the moment, I am reading Scotland, the Autobiography - by Rose Mary Goring. It's a collection of "first hand accounts" from people living contemporary with events Scottish history - complete with their foibles and fascinations and evasions - and quite interesting. People are just - such puzzles!

posted by JannyWurts at 1:13 pm (EST) on Nov 11, 2008

Susan,

I will see if I can find a copy of that book - it really looks like something I would like. Thanks for passing along the info to me.

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 11:15 am (EST) on Nov 11, 2008

Hi Susan -

Wow - ! You read all those interviews??? Yup, Culloden was a right sharp brick-slam of an awakener. It has made me a better person, surely! Did you connect, then, Bryn Mawr with (?) info in the interviews? Because I was brought up near Philly, born in Bryn Mawr hospital...lots of Welsh names, there. The translation for Bryn Mawr, is Golden Hills...such a pretty concept! Always made me wonder what Gladwyne and Ardmore meant. Haverford, of course, is obvious. I recall all those singsong names that the conductor used to call, on the train, as I rode it back and forth to school. We skipped about - Haverford, Devon, Gladwyne, and in various fixer uppers, and later, I lived in Frazer (past Paoli/Malvern, but before Exton/West Chester) in the carriage house apartment of Daniel P. Mannix. I do hope you go on and check out those biographies, they are NOT run of the mill!!!

Fantasy names, and the challenge of them - I don't find that the case, but then, I began the "system" for Paravia's nomenclature way way back in high school! And it snowballed (did you see the Paravian dictionary, which is only fractional, based on what's appeared in the books, and only up to Peril's Gate) Influenced, beyond any doubt, by all those ringingly musical Welsh names I heard while growing up.

I do enjoy your notes - looking forward to your post on Patience...may it have some golden nuggets or a laugh - I do tend to chase down runaway baloons with pins, to nail them down...grin...counterproductive? But then waiting for the "drift" to bring them in is boooring...the bang at least has zing.

posted by JannyWurts at 11:13 am (EST) on Nov 11, 2008

Far be it from me to get you stuck on a song! Shudder.

The Bengal cats, yes, they sing. Sit in the most echoey corner they can find and just sing and sing, usually to call attention to the fact they want to play, or want attention. They howl, also, when they have game to signal the other cats to come and play.

If I sing, that will trigger them into doing the same. It's like a cat howl. Very funny. They get quite worked up about it.

When Magic was sick, once, that's how I got her to eat. Sang to her. Worked a trick.

What are you reading? If you like fascinating auto biographies, try (NOT THE VET!!) All Creatures Great and Small by Daniel P. Mannix - and also, Step Right Up (the hardback version, or, Memoires of a Sword Swallower, if you find it, retitled, in paperback) He was my landlord, quite a novelist, and just an amazingly interesting human being.

posted by JannyWurts at 7:52 pm (EST) on Nov 10, 2008

Susan,

Thank you for passing on that book information. It is definitely something that I will hunt for.

As far as my reading goes, I kind of read all over the place, but I do enjoy good biographies. I read one on David Livingstone recently by Tim Jeal and it was lengthy, but excellent. The problem I have with a lot of the Christian biographies is that they tend to treat the subjects as saintly rather than addressing any faults they might have had as just that, faults. Even Christians are human. If you have any suggestions on some excellent biographies, please pass them along to me. I would be interested.

Thanks for visiting my thread!

Stasia

posted by alcottacre at 3:57 pm (EST) on Nov 10, 2008

You are quite welcome. We enjoy 'new blood' in the group - gives us more book lists to review and comment on!

Stasia, aka AlcottAcre

posted by alcottacre at 4:11 am (EST) on Nov 10, 2008

Ah, you want a touchstone. They don't work on the profile pages, but in the threads, you want to put square brackets around your title and/or author. If the one that pops up to the right of message you are writing isn't the correct one, click on others at the end of it and choose the correct one from those that pop up. These are great, and give a nice little summary as to what books have been discussed on a given thread--you'll see them in a column in the upper right of the page. So if I wanted to touchstone The White Mists of Power by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, I'd put [The White Mists of Power] by [Kristine Kathryn Rusch] and the touchstones would pop up, and when my message was posted, they'd be live links. Neat, huh?

posted by ronincats at 11:38 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2008

Ah, but I comment on the books I've read in my posts on the 75 Book Challenge, at http://www.librarything.com/topic/40176

Sorry, I don't know how to post a live link, but if the above doesn't work for you go to the group, 75 Book Challenge for 2008, and look for the thread Half-way Point of 2008: 87 and counting, that's my thread with my comments, at least for the second part of the year, after the first post.

I have the van Scyoc series--been a long time since I read it, but know I liked it a lot. I had the Damiano series as well--like McEvoy in general, but that series was so damn depressing. I haven't read the others you mention--gave up on the McCaffrey/Scarborough series several books ago. Is that Claudia Edwards? I have two of her books, Eldrie the Healier and Bright and Shining Tiger that I liked, from the late 80s, but I've never found any others by her. The only Rusch I have is The Disappeared, which I liked.

posted by ronincats at 4:35 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2008

I think if mine could open doors at whim, I'd go out of my skull, to judge by the number of times I have to shut cupboards, the beer closet, the entertainment console, after Magic!

Is Buckaroux still very young?

posted by JannyWurts at 6:49 pm (EST) on Nov 7, 2008

Thanks for the recommendation - since we have so many similarities in our reading, I am sure I will enjoy it too (not sure why one person gave it one star, tho')

How are you finding Romania? Do you have a blog?

posted by sarahemmm at 6:30 am (EST) on Nov 7, 2008

Your Maine Coon opens doors?? As in latches and knobs, too? Amazing.

Magic opens every door and cupboard she can paw loose, every day, and body slams the folding doors to the studio to crack them enough to pass - but she can't see well enough to figure knobs or latches, though I have heard of cats who do, with ease.

I did a fantasy short story with some scrappy cats (including a Maine Coon) for the Catopolis anthology coming out from DAW this December - you might perhaps enjoy that book, all the stories feature cats living in a human metropolis, in a parallel society of their own.

posted by JannyWurts at 10:22 am (EST) on Nov 6, 2008

Ah, I wasn't plain - both my Bengals were rescues! They were ferals, probably crosses from a purebred tossed out (happens, too much money, divorce!) They were brought to my vets dehydrated, STARVING, with a vicious case of infected herpes in their eyes. The cornea literally rotting away. Both cats lost their right eye, for lack of an antibiotic.

The female has a huge scar on her left cornea, almost lost both. Her courage is amazing, for a cat so impaired, she is FEARLESS.

The two cats were stunted, and shut in a cage at the vet's for four months - the spey neuter, return to feral with a feeder to be responsible wasn't going to work, with one eye...too unsafe for the cats. Magic was adoptable, but her brother - no one could handle him, even after 4 months he hissed and growled all day, and attacked the handlers, who were kind. He and his sister were so bonded - and the vet could not bear to put him down. Then came me, with Fractal as a shelter adopt, to be speyed, and I saw them both (little wildcats with the most cool markings!) and I said, I'd give it a shot, take them both. If they didn't housebreak, I'd give them a door into the tack room at the barn and let them live as barn kitties.

Well Moon Shadow (after the Cat Stevens song, "if I ever lose my eyes, I won't have to cry anymore) had just been scared out of his skull! He has tamed down into a lovely, gentle completely adoring companion, devoted as a dog, with following me about. And Magic - still energetic, sweet and fearless.

If you saw pix of them, they have quite distinct markings (more like the marble bengals), and they have the rounder ears, the thicker tails, the different shaped hind ends, and the head shape typical of Bengals)...the damaged immune systems from the untreated infections has mostly recovered (they are still a little delicate) and the stunting, mostly, reversed with good nutrition.

I'd get another in a heartbeat, cost or not - they are just cool, and the personalities are quite amazing. I have seen Bengals as rescues - rare, but it happens, usually casualty of a high end divorce...they are very demanding of attention, so I can see they would not make a good "ornament" - their devotion is remarkable, I've never had cats who track my every move, before. They get Really Angry if I go away...and they always move, room to room, or wait at the door, if I've been out on errands. They watch through the window if I am in the barn, even.

posted by JannyWurts at 11:50 am (EST) on Nov 5, 2008

Just wanted to pop in and say thanks for the list of other regencies to try. Then I saw your pic - wow!

Anyway, welcome to LT. You seem to be well settled in here already ;)

posted by sarahemmm at 11:36 am (EST) on Nov 4, 2008

Releases are ALWAYS thrilling - it does not ever loose the wow factor. Thank goodness!

The cat, Sekhmet, belonged to my website administrator, Jeff Watson, who does a fantastic job. Our four are still alive and wilding. We have two tuxedo cats, Rorschach and Fractal, and two (brother/sister) rescues with one eye, that have the Bengal Cat gene, and are they ever different! They don't mind getting wet, the don't "wind down' with age, and if anybody is singing or whistling, they are there like a shot, singing and whistling too. It is Moon Shadow who brings in the frogs (and lizards, yup the tail thing, though the cats eat those). If he catches something, he brings it, then calls the rally to the others and shares the fun...that seems a Bengal trait, too, to share the game. The other cats don't do this with each other. They catch and say MINE, though they may bring in to show me.

And like any cat, they always have to sit on what you're reading.

When I sort down your delicious list to the ones I have not read, may I ask you for one line pointers?

posted by JannyWurts at 11:10 am (EST) on Nov 4, 2008

You see one of my cats peeking out from behind the computer screen on my profile page! Your Maine Coone is great! I've never had a breed, just continuously adopted by strays and abandoned kittens.

Yes, I have The Hallowed Hunt by Bujold. I don't have quite the same love for it that I have for COC and POS, but then I love Ista in POS so much, she's a hard act to follow.It is out in paperback now,but I have all three of those in hardback. Have you read her Vorkosigan series? I love that as well.

Good Monday morning!

posted by ronincats at 11:42 am (EST) on Nov 3, 2008

Hi - my cat brings in live frogs, caught in the screened lanai...always fun!

Ahhh, the list! Oh wonderful, there are a few I have not read, there! Claudia Edwards among them....wondering if once, I met her, long ago, at a visit to Barry Longyear's house...now that would be curious.

Thanks for the thoughtful list! I am going to take my gift card to B & N very soon...once the deadlines let up just a bit.

posted by JannyWurts at 11:07 am (EST) on Nov 2, 2008

Well, the soup looks just - wow! We have a gourmet caterer neighbor, and she does stuff like that - wizardly food. You must have a great deal of patience.

I have all of the books you recommended, and have read them..., except for one, and I'll check it out. In my library I listed only one book (random choice) by a favorite author - if I listed one book, probably I had them all. And ones that I used for research for a book.

Must be awful, having to try to fly back with all that load of books at once!

posted by JannyWurts at 11:17 pm (EST) on Oct 31, 2008

Hi - thanks for leaving the kindest note!
What's that for dinner? Looks great!!!

I'm looking for a read at the moment - you have read many authors I have, too - and quite a few I loved. What would you suggest?

Anyone who loves cats and books has to be a cool person. How do you manage to find books in Romania?

posted by JannyWurts at 7:40 pm (EST) on Oct 30, 2008

Welcome to LibraryThing! Anyone who has Bujold, Heyer and Norton in their favorites has to be a favorite of mine! Otis refers to where the book is stored at. I'm a school psychologist and I keep a fair amount of my children's fantasy at my schools, where I let students check them out. Otis is one of my schools. Do you read a lot? There are some great discussions going on over at the 75 Book Challenge in 2008 group.

posted by ronincats at 10:47 pm (EST) on Oct 29, 2008