Two More Down

Finished Frozen in Time and The Mighty Queens of Freeville. Both were good, but I loved The Mighty Queens. Hope to have both reviews completed today.



I'm still reading several yoga books. Initially, I was going to read them one at a time, but I found myself putting one down and picking up another for comparison. It is interesting to see the different way the books present information.

Recent acquisitions (ARC's and library books) that have joined the stacks:

Becoming Enlightened - the Dalai Lama - An ARC from Atria Books, I look forward to this one because it gives information about Buddhism, meditation, and anecdotes from the Dalai Lama's life and experiences. It will fit in well with my yoga study.


Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism - Barbara Weisberg - A digression from my reading itinerary on the Franklin Expedition. Both this one and Frozen in Time are on interlibrary loan and arrived the other day.



Gauntlet - Richard Aaron - An ARC from Glen House Press, it is described as a techno-thriller and a novel of international intrigue. Looks suspenseful.



The Creative Habit - Twyla Tharp (in progress) - Choreographer Twyla Tharp has lots of interesting accounts of creative people in different professions, examples from her own life, and a practical philosophy of hard work and the importance of habit. I love that she quotes from her own wide reading of some of the literary greats.

Miscellaneous

I'm reading Brother by James Frederick. Started it last night and stayed up way too late because I couldn't put it down. Have a couple of others started, but Brother will require finishing before I can get back to them. A legal thriller with lots of tension and suspense!

Not that I don't have enough in my current TBR stack, but here are the most recent additions to my list of books that sound good:

The Annie Seymore series by Karen E. Olsen
The Ursula Marlow series by Claire Langley-Hawthorne
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs (YA)
To Catch the Lightening by Alan Cheuse
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
Drood by Dan Simmons

Simon & Schuster have a weekly podcast.

Stefanie of So Many Books wrote about library elf, but my library isn't listed. Maybe I should let them know about it.

Library

Carl's post this morning (actually, now it was yesterday morning, as I didn't finish this post yesterday) was about the benefits of the public library, one of my favorite places. This is my most recent stack of library books.
Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Carrell (mystery, thriller - lost play by Shakespeare; murder and mayhem)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldonl (the 600 page time-travel romance that everyone else has read; first in a long series)

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (one review says, "It can be read with equal validity as fantasy, science fiction, horror, or slipstream.")

Hunting Fear by Kay Hooper (rec. by Kim at Mouse Medicine; a thriller with psychics)

Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill (Dalziel and Pascoe...Love them! newest in the series by Hill; just finished and must review.)

Baltimore,: or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden (rec. by Carl as one of his favorites from 2007)

I'm not finding much computer time lately and when I'm home, I have to limit myself in order to catch up with other things, but today I hope to have more time to visit some of my favorite blogs.

Stack of TBR

Here are some of the library books I picked up the other day. There are several more - a couple by my bed and a couple by my chair. Currently, I have about 5 books that are in progress. The one that is actually getting my attention is Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott.

This and That

I've not been doing much reading lately as too many other things have been taking precedence. Still working on the biography, but haven't been picking it up as often. There are certain elements that I didn't expect, like Von Arnim's relationships with her husbands and the effects of WWI on her life.

As usual when reading nonfiction, a break is needed, and I did sit down and read The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery all the way through. It isn't very long and reads quickly. I can see why it would be some people's favorite book and a great comfort read, especially if you associate it with your early reading experiences. It won't replace the Anne books for me as they are the ones I read at that early influential period in my life, but I enjoyed re-visiting L.M. Montgomery in a new way.

Received two new books on Alzheimer's activities and am disappointed in them both. They don't suit my purpose, although I'm sure they are useful in their own way. I had such a good time "exercising" with Laddie and the ladies last week out at the Cottage. The little group that participates in the exercise period come alive when handed a ball or a bean bag. They are not always sure about how to play the games, but they enter into the fun with gusto. The ladies are all fierce competitors whether or not they understand the general purpose of the games. Mr. P. won't play, but watches pretty closely, even if he pretends that he's going to sleep. When the ball comes his way (there are plenty of wild throws), his foot goes out to kick it back, then he shuts his eyes again.

The book stack continues to grow and is becoming quite intimidating.

We are planning to go to Baton Rouge Saturday to see the grandbabies; looking forward to seeing the new house, too, as Erin and Eric have completed their move. Can't wait to see Miss Mila and listen to her grown-up four-year-old conversation and to watch Max toddling around.

Yesterday, I had to go to the office for a meeting and saw Amelia and was able to feel the grandchild in progress and see the latest sonograms. Why, what a beautiful little girl already! She won't arrive until December, but then Mila and Max will have a cousin to play with.

My Computer is home...

Fee took the laptop this weekend, and I was without a computer again. Now, I have my recently rehabilitated computer back from the PC hospital and the laptop.

I have several more books to review: The Janissary Tree, Elizabeth's German Garden, and Jennifer Weiner's short story collection. I enjoyed all of them. Have just finished reviews of The Black Sun and Stealing the Dragon in my rush to catch up.

And new books have continued to arrive:

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo -- Thanks, Stefanie!!
An Ocean of Air: Why the Wind Blows and Other Mysteries of the Atmosphere by Gabrielle Walker--Thanks to Anna Sukenov of the Penguin Group

The two M. F. K. Fisher books, Dissolution by C. J. Sansom , Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise von Franz, The Season of the Witch, and the Jane Langton mystery have arrived for the Unread Author Challenge which doesn't begin until September. I'm afraid I may have to dip into at least one of these, which will mean I will have to order something else for the challenge--but I'm going to try to hold out as I have enough to keep me occupied for a while.

~Two Steps Forward and One Step Back~

This is the list of books in the stack I have to finish before ordering any more books or bringing any home from the library. Four completed, one in progress, two yet to be started. I'm having a hard time with The Savage Detectives and am not sure yet whether or not to set it aside. The reviews are excellent, but the book is just not calling me to go on.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (F) -- finished

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales -Kate Bernheimer (editor) (NF)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (F) -- finished

Without a Map: A Memoir by Meredith Hall (NF)

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano (F) -- in progress

Shadow Cities by Robert Neuwirth (NF)

Jubilee Trail (just realized it isn't in the picture) by Gwen Bristow -- finished

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot -- finished

I need to review Water for Elephants and Jubilee Trail, but since I've been so busy lately and having computer difficulties, I simply haven't gotten around to that chore.

AlthoughI haven't ordered from Amazon or been to the library, five additional books have shown up - ARC's and Bookmooch are to blame. And Jill is sending me 3 Campion mysteries that I'm so eager to read that I'm pretty sure they will edge themselves ahead of others.

What Next?

I'm still reading (and thoroughly enjoying) All Creatures Great and Small; it is a great relief to find this book as charming and humorous as it was when I first read it.

Next stack:
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (F)
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales -Kate Bernheimer (editor) (NF)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (F)
Without a Map: A Memoir by Meredith Hall (NF)
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano (F)
Shadow Cities by Robert Neuwirth (NF)
Jubilee Trail (just realized it isn't in the picture) by Gwen Bristow

I just can't decide which one...or two...

Overwhelmed

I'm getting to be like Danielle - I want to read everything. Blogging only increases the need to read. The constant exposure to books and topics that appeal is never ending in the blogging world, so in addition to all of my previous interests, I'm finding myself inundated with reminders of books and authors that I've been interested in but haven't gotten around to reading, new titles and interests that arise in my own reading, and ALL of the titles and topics that the rest of you are reading!

This has produced a curious greed and the feeling that I must stockpile these books so that I can get to them when needed. At this point, I know that settling down and refusing to purchase any more and refraining from library visits is a good thing. But might not something get away from me if I don't act fast, get that book, and add it to the TBR stack?

Whoa, Nellie! Get ahold of yourself! You are NOT going to run out of things to read. It just won't happen. Self-discipline is called for here.

A resolution to complete all of the books that are waiting is in order. Or at least a moratorium on purchases. Those lists will still be good in a month or so. Longer by then, of course, but the books will still be available.

Therefore, I will not order any new books until March-but will still receive those already ordered :)-and will not check out any new ones from the library. I will see what damage I can do to the stacks in 10 days without adding to them.

This stack contains a few still in progress and those that need to be read. This is my current project stack.

Here are the ones already ordered, but not yet received:

The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor
The Silent Tower by Barbara Hambly
Godmother Night by Rachel Pollack

If I can make myself concentrate on the 8 in the stack and the 3 to come, I'll forgive myself the greedy attitude I've developed and move on with whatever I choose. This won't be accomplished in 10 days, but should make a satisfying dent and will, perhaps, let me realize that I need to finish what I begin before adding willy-nilly to the stacks.

I just finished A Corpse in the Koryo (set in North Korea) by James Church and need to review it. And work on my quilt, and clean house, and work in the yard, and write letters, and pay bills, and balance statement, and ....