A Little Reading

Booking Through Thursday: Returns

2013-05-16T03:15:00.000-05:00

This week's BTT question/topic:

What book(s) do you find yourself going back to? Beloved children’s classics? Favorites from college? Something that touched you and just makes you long to visit? (Because, doesn’t everybody have at least one book they would like to curl up with, even if they don’t make a habit of rereading books? Even if they maybe don’t even have the time to visit and just think back longingly?)

Well, to be honest, the older I get, the less I'm tempted to "think back longingly" about any of the books I've read in the past -- there are just way too many books to be read, and WAY too little time left to read them!

But I'm certainly not opposed to re-reading, and I do have favorites that I've read more than once: Lewis Carroll's Alice books, Huckleberry Finn, Wuthering Heights, Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, The Aspern Papers and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Ox-bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, Nabokov's Lolita, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and most of Barbara Pym's novels (actually, I can't think of anything by Pym that I haven't read more than once). Also The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy -- one of the funniest books ever written. I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones that come to mind.

Monday Reading Update

2013-05-06T10:50:00.001-05:00

So here we are in the midst of May already. Can you believe it? Where did April go? Could we slow the year down just a bit, please?

Probably not.

Anyway, back to the subject. April was another not-too-great month for me, reading-wise. I only finished two books -- Lawrence Durrell's Clea (last book in his Alexandria Quartet), and The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club, by Duncan Whitehead.

Hope to get reviews up soon. Actually, I have a bunch of reviews I need to get posted -- I'll be working on that later in the week.

Right now I'm trying to finish up The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

(which I'm having a lot of trouble staying with), and Rex Stout's Fer-de-Lance

(which I'm enjoying, but keep putting aside to finish other things). Also just started The Seduction by M.J. Rose,

and I have a feeling that one is going to nudge me into putting all the others aside, yet again.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. If you want to let the world know what books you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Teaser Tuesdays: Clea

2013-04-30T01:30:00.000-05:00

This week my teaser lines come from Clea, the final novel in Lawrence Durrell's series of novels known collectively as the Alexandria Quartet. I read the first three books -- Justine, Balthazar, and Mountolive -- many years ago, and don't know why I've waited so long to get to this one. I guess I was waiting for the Middle East Reading Challenge to come along and give me the necessary nudge. This snippet comes very early in the novel -- I'm reading an electronic version, so I'm not sure about page numbers.

A faint and terrible moaning came out across the water towards us, pulsing like the wing-beats of some fearful prehistoric bird -- sirens which howled as the damned must howl in limbo. One's nerves were shaken like the branches of a tree.

Durrell is a wonderful writer and I'm enjoying the book so far. It's not exactly heavy on plot or action, though -- but some really gorgeous prose.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or take part yourself, just head on over to her blog.

And please feel free to leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in your comment here.

Booking Through Thursday: Sporting

2013-04-25T09:58:00.000-05:00

This week, BTT asks a couple of sports-related questions:

1. Do you read books about sports?
2. How about AT sporting events? (Kid’s soccer practice?)

And my answers are really pretty simple: No and No.

I do consider myself something of a sports fan -- I watch lots of sports on TV (mostly because the hubby watches them, but I enjoy them too). But we VERY rarely attend live sporting events, so the second question really doesn't even apply in my case.

And I hardly ever read a sports-related book, although one of my favorite "new finds" of recent years was The Longshot by Katie Kitamura, set in the world of mixed martial arts. I would never have picked that one up if I hadn't been sent the ARC for review -- and I ended up really loving it. So I guess that just shows how valuable a step out of your comfort zone can be.

Teaser Tuesdays: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

2013-04-23T02:00:00.000-05:00

This week I'm taking my teaser lines from the classic children's book, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, written by E.L. Konigsburg who died last Friday. I read this one for the first time a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so in honor of Konigsburg's passing, I gave it a quick re-read over the weekend and as a "tease," here's a snippet from the beginning of the tale:

Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away. That is, running away in the heat of anger with a knapsack on her back. She didn't like discomfort; even picnics were untidy and inconvenient: all those insects and the sun melting the icing on the cupcakes. Therefore, she decided that her leaving home would not be just running from somewhere but would be running to somewhere. To a large place, a comfortable place, an indoor place, and preferably a beautiful place. And that's why she decided upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Good book. But I used to work in a museum, and it was definitely spooky after all the visitors and staff left for the day -- so I'm not really sure about living in a museum, even for a short time. Still -- good book.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2013-04-15T04:09:00.000-05:00

Didn't get a great deal of reading done last week -- we were busy with visitors and errands and family stuff. But I did manage to get through one book. Hoping to finish at least three or four more before the end of the month, so I can get back on track for my 50-book goal for the year. So far, this week looks pretty clear -- I might even be able to get a few reviews posted (fingers crossed).

Finished last week:

The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club. Duncan Whitehead
**Will try to get a review of this one up later today. **

Reading this week:

Clea. Lawrence Durrell

Fer-de-Lance. Rex Stout

The Flamethrowers. Rachel Kushner

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. If you want to let the world know what books you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Teaser Tuesdays: Fer-de-Lance

2013-04-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

This week my teaser lines come from Fer-de-Lance, the first book in Rex Stout's series of Nero Wolfe mysteries. In this snippet, narrated as usual by Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin, we get our very first glimpse of the great man himself.

Wolfe lifted his head. I mention that, because his head was so big that lifting it struck you as being quite a job. It was probably really bigger than it looked, for the rest of him was so huge that any head on top of it but his own would have escaped your notice entirely. (p.2)

I've read a few other Nero Wolfe books in the past, but somehow managed to miss this first one. And so far, I'm loving it.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2013-04-01T09:59:00.002-05:00

Well, here we are -- first Monday in April AND first day of the month. Also April Fool's Day, and I was sorely tempted to do one of those "Gotcha!" posts for today. Maybe talk about how I got through War and Peace plus several volumes of Proust last week -- NOT! But that would be really lame, right? Right.

So, truth. In March, I managed to get back to reading after having a lot of STUFF get me off track earlier in the year. Actually finished five books, although I'm still working on getting the reviews posted. Here's what I read in March:

Cold Remains, by Sally Spedding
Farewell, Dorothy Parker, by Ellen Meister
Guilt, by Jonathan Kellerman
Half Magic, by Edward Eager
The Happy Hollisters, by Jerry West

Of course, two of those are children's books, so they were easy to get through. Nevertheless, I'm still pretty amazed. Enjoyed almost all of them -- Cold Remains was hard to finish, but I'll have more to say about that in my review.

This week, I'm trying to finish up The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (another children's book -- I seem to be on a roll...or in a rut), and The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner. After that, I'm not sure what's up next. How about you? Got any idea what you'll read in April?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. If you want to let the world know what books you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Once Upon A Time VII

2013-03-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

Spring is here again! How I love being able to say that! And one of the nicest things about spring is the reappearance of Carl V’s Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge -- just like the annual return of Persephone in Greek myth. And even though I’m just signing up at the “Journey” level...

and only committing to ONE book, I definitely hope to read more than that -- especially since I’ve got a long list of possibilities left over from last year! Now I just need to decide which one to start with -- these are a few of the books I’m considering:

The Bell at Sealey Head. Patricia A. McKillip

The Crystal Cave. Mary Stewart

Neverwhere. Neil Gaiman

The Well-Wishers. Edward Eager

To read all about the challenge and sign up, see the challenge announcement page, HERE. There’s also a “Quest on Screen” category that I might try out this year -- although I tend to prefer reading fantasy to watching it, so we’ll see how that goes. During the year, I’ll be tracking my progress on my challenge blog, here.

A Bit of an Apology

2013-03-19T09:47:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't been posting much lately, and I'm sorry about that. (Hmmmm -- maybe that's actually a good thing, now that I think about it.) Anyway, I also wanted to say a little "sorry" to all the bloggers who've left comments for me -- I haven't been doing much blog visiting lately, either.

My excuse is that my mother-in-law has been in hospice care for the last few weeks, and finally passed away last Saturday -- so I've been spending a lot of time with family, and not doing much reading or computer-ing. I will return soon. Thanks for staying with me.

Teaser Tuesdays: The Flamethrowers

2013-03-12T00:30:00.000-05:00

This week my teaser lines come The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner, coming next month from Scribner. I just started reading this one last night, and I'm not very far along, but so far it's holding my interest pretty well. This snippet comes from page 5 of the advance reader's edition -- so please remember that it might be different in the final published copy. And it's a bit more than two lines -- sorry, but I didn't know what to cut.

Bobby was my mother's brother. Growing up, we'd all lived together. My mother worked nights, and Bobby was what we had as a parent. Done driving his dump truck, he sat inexplicably nude watching TV and made us operate the dial for him, so he wouldn't have to get up.

Well now, that's a warm and fuzzy family portrait, is it not? As I said, I haven't read very much of this yet -- but I have a sort of feeling that sitting around in the buff and turning the kiddies into your personal servants isn't terribly unusual behavior in this protagonist's family.

Teaser Tuesdays: Happy Hollisters

2013-03-05T00:28:00.000-06:00

I've been a little absent from the blogging world lately. (Did ya miss me?) Nothing much really going on, but I've been a little too busy with LIFE to do a lot of reading. Actually, that should be Project Life -- I was bitten by the scrapbooking bug a few weeks ago, and I've been playing with photos and photo albums and little scraps of paper for days now. But that's material for another blog post...someday, maybe. For now, I'm just really happy to slip back into the world of books and reading.

This week, my teaser lines come from one of the books I'm thinking of reading for the Pre-1960 Classic Children's Books Reading Challenge. As a child I read several of the Happy Hollister books and really liked them; but somehow I managed to ignore the first book in the series (The Happy Hollisters, published in 1953), so I thought I might do something about that this year. This snippet comes from page 24, and has Pete and Pam, the two oldest Hollister siblings, looking over their new home:

"This is it," Pete shouted. "A trap door on springs."
Pete opened it quickly and flashed his light below. A narrow flight of steps led downward.
"A secret stairway!" Pete gasped. "Our new house has a secret stairway!"

Trap doors. Secret stairways. That's the kind of stuff I would have loved as a kid. And also the sort of thing that was always happening to the Hollisters. No wonder they were so Happy!

Teaser Tuesdays: Seduction

2013-02-19T10:05:00.000-06:00

This week my teaser lines come from Seduction, the latest novel by M.J. Rose. I haven't actually started the book yet, but it looks so tempting I might just have to drop all the other books I've got going and jump into this one. The quote comes from an advance uncorrected proof, so please remember that the finished copy may differ. Here's the snippet, from page 78:

"I know there's crime on the island," I said. "Fights, drunken brawls, thievery, but are there many unexplained crimes here? Have there been many murders?"

"She's a missing child, Monsieur Hugo, not a dead one."

But I had a feeling -- one I wished I didn't have -- that she was dead....

I read Rose's The Hypnotist a few years ago, and really loved it. Hoping this one will be a great read, too.

Teaser Tuesdays: Farewell, Dorothy Parker

2013-02-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

This week my teaser lines come from Farewell, Dorothy Parker by Ellen Meister. I haven't actually started this one yet, but it's next up. Apparently the book's central character, movie critic Violet Epps, somehow summons up the spirit of Dorothy Parker. Sounds interesting, and I'm looking forward to reading it. My teaser comes from an uncorrected proof of the novel, so please remember that the quote could be different in the finished edition.

Mrs. Parker was sounding particularly morose, even for her.
"Are you okay?" Violet asked.
"I'm dead, my dear child, so the answer to that is unequivocal -- I am most definitely not okay." (p.241)

I've always loved Dorothy Parker's writing. She could be so deliciously nasty -- like the quote that begins Meister's book: "The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue."

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2013-02-04T10:55:00.001-06:00

So now it's February! This year seems to be zipping by just as fast as the last one zipped by, doesn't it?

In January I read three whole books!

Cat on the Scent, by Rita Mae Brown

Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution, by Rebecca Stott

The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown

I know that doesn't seem like a lot of books to some of you speed-readers out there, but for me it's a real accomplishment! And I even posted reviews! Will wonders never cease?

OK, this week I'm reading a couple of Early Reviewer books from Library Thing:

The Heat of the Sun, by David Rain, and

Farewell, Dorothy Parker, by Ellen Meister

And for the Pre-1960 Classic Children's Books Reading Challenge, I'm continuing to read:

First Edition (Wikipedia)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

I'm reading that last one on my iPad, without the illustrations by W.W. Denslow, which I think is really a bad idea. So I might have to pull out my old paperback copy and switch to that -- don't want to miss out on all those wonderful pictures.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. If you want to let the world know what books you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Review: Darwin's Ghosts

2013-01-31T17:05:00.000-06:00

Written by Rebecca Stott
Spiegel & Grau, 2012; 410 pages

Publisher's Description:

Darwin’s Ghosts tells the story of the collective discovery of evolution, from Aristotle, walking the shores of Lesbos with his pupils, to Al-Jahiz, an Arab writer in the first century, from Leonardo da Vinci, searching for fossils in the mine shafts of the Tuscan hills, to Denis Diderot in Paris, exploring the origins of species while under the surveillance of the secret police.... Evolution was not discovered single-handedly, Rebecca Stott argues, contrary to what has become standard lore, but is an idea that emerged over many centuries, advanced by daring individuals across the globe who had the imagination to speculate on nature’s extraordinary ways and who had the courage to articulate such speculations at a time when to do so was often considered heresy.

With each chapter focusing on an early evolutionary thinker, Darwin’s Ghosts is a fascinating account of a diverse group of individuals who, despite the very real dangers of challenging a system in which everything was presumed to have been created perfectly by God, felt compelled to understand where we came from. Ultimately, Stott demonstrates, ideas -- including evolution itself -- evolve just as animals and plants do, by intermingling, toppling weaker notions, and developing over stretches of time. Darwin’s Ghosts presents a groundbreaking new theory of an idea that has changed our very understanding of who we are.

In 1859, around Christmas time and only a month after the publication of his earth-shaking work On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin received a letter accusing him of failing to acknowledge his predecessors in the study of evolution. Deeply disturbed by the letter, Darwin set about trying to trace all those individuals who had laid the groundwork for his new theory. The list of names he eventually came up with was to expand and change over time, and proved more frustrating than he imagined when he began. In Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution Rebecca Stott tells the story of Darwin's research and traces the histories of some of those forerunners.

What an interesting book this was. I was familiar with the basics of Darwin's work, of course, but really didn't know much about his precursors -- or that there were so many of them! As a non-scientist, I found the information fascinating; and I loved that Stott was able to fit so much data into such (relatively) short and readable sketches. She also includes a substantial section of notes, and and a wonderful bibliography for further study.

I was a bit bothered at first by her habit of portraying Darwin (and her other subjects as well) actually "thinking" or "imagining" or "feeling" one thing or another -- a little bit too much of the omniscient narrator, for nonfiction, I thought. I suppose it was an attempt to add some immediacy to the work by "getting inside their heads" -- if so, I don't think it was really necessary. But even with that one problem, I still enjoyed the book even more than I expected I would. Definitely recommended to anyone interested in the history of science, although probably more appealing to the non-specialist.

Disclaimer: My copy of this book was furnished free of charge, by the publisher, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. No other compensation was received, and no one attempted to influence my opinion of the book.

Review: The Lost Symbol

2013-01-31T15:44:00.000-06:00

Written by Dan Brown
Doubleday, 2009; 509 pages

Publisher's Description:

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object -- artfully encoded with five symbols -- is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation...one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon -- a prominent Mason and philanthropist -- is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations -- all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

I love Dan Brown. There. I've said it. His books are so wonderfully exciting, and beautifully implausible -- such absolutely perfect guilty pleasures!

This is Brown's third book about Harvard professor Robert Langdon, so I guess that's enough to call it a series now. Langdon is still the same likable, self-effacing, modest-though-brilliant guy we got to know in the previous two books. Still getting into incredible amounts of trouble through no fault of his own. Still out there saving civilization as we know it, clad in Harris tweed and cordovan loafers, and with only his intellect as weapon. What a guy.

I picked this novel to start the year with because I figured it would be something I could stick with and get through quickly. And that was all true. Even though it's a bit of a chunkster (well, for me 500 pages is a lot), it was a very fast read. And informative, too: Brown always includes lots of nice detail for Langdon and all the other characters to pass along -- this time all about the Masons, our nation's Founding Fathers, and Washington DC. (Thrilling and educational! Can't beat that.)

I love the cinematic style of Brown's thrillers -- short, succinct chapters that keep you right there on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what's going to happen in the next scene. With each vignette, Brown grabs your attention and then rapidly pulls the ground out from under your feet, dumping you into the next bit of the story. And before you can get bored with that bit, the whole process repeats itself. Very like a movie, and very effective for this sort of tale. In this book, all of the action (500+ pages of it) takes place over just one day and night! And what a 24-hour roller-coaster ride it is!

Review: Cat on the Scent

2013-01-31T11:00:00.000-06:00

Written by Rita Mae Brown (and Sneaky Pie Brown)
Bantam Books, 1999; 320 pages

Publisher's Description:

Things have been pretty exciting lately in Crozet, Virginia -- a little too exciting if you ask resident feline investigator Mrs. Murphy. Just as the town starts to buzz over its Civil War reenactment, a popular local man disappears. No one’s seen Tommy Van Allen’s single-engine plane, either -- except for Mrs. Murphy, who spotted it during a foggy evening’s mousing. Even Mrs. Murphy’s favorite human, postmistress Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, can sense that something is amiss. But things really take an ugly turn when the town reenacts the battle of Oak Ridge -- and a participant ends up with three very real bullets in his back. While the clever tiger cat and her friends sift through clues that just don’t fit together, more than a few locals fear that the scandal will force well-hidden town secrets into the harsh light of day. And when Mrs. Murphy’s relentless tracking places loved ones in danger, it takes more than a canny kitty and her team of animal sleuths to set things right again.

I always enjoy the Mrs. Murphy series, and this is one of the best of the lot. Rita Mae Brown (or is it maybe Sneaky Pie?) has a tendency to become a bit preachy at times, making conversations among her characters seem stilted and less real. But there's very little of that in this book, I'm happy to say.

There's also a lot more action involving Mrs. Murphy and her critter cohorts -- another plus. Of course, when a cat, a Corgi, and a mixed bag of kitties, birdies, and other pets and domestic animals are the lead investigators in a crime story, there's an awful lot of disbelief to be suspended. Which I love, but others might find hard. In this novel, there's one especially wonderful (and totally not believable) episode where Murphy, along with her pals Tucker the Corgi and Pewter (another cat), manage to save the day by actually driving a vehicle. And without a license, too!

My one real quibble with the book was the ending -- everything was wrapped up, but just not as neatly as I would have liked. I won't say any more -- don't want to give too much away, but I would have ended it a bit differently. Still, a fast, entertaining read. Definitely recommended if you like cozy mysteries.

Booking Through Thursday: On Loan

2013-01-31T10:47:00.000-06:00

This week, BTT asks: "Do you lend your books? Are any out on loan right now? Do you have any that have been loaned to you? Do you put a time limit on these? Do you think people should make an effort to read the loaned book quickly?"

And I must say those questions are sending shivers down my spine. Lend my precious treasures? Are you mad?

OK, just joking. Sort of. Let me answer the last question first: Yes, of course, when you've borrowed a book (whether from a library or from another human entity), you should definitely make an effort to read the book quickly and return it as soon as possible. That's only good manners, isn't it?

Do I lend books? Yes, I do lend books, although there are some books I probably would think twice about handing over. And there are some people I'd lend to more readily than others. Don't think I'd ever try to enforce time limits, though -- that seems a little extreme (especially as I'm such a slow reader myself).

At the moment I don't have any books "out on loan," and I don't have any I've borrowed. All the books around here belong to me (and the hubby, of course). All mine, do you hear? MINE!!!!

Not really related -- but this all reminds me a little of my childhood when I used to play librarian and lend out my books to my little cousin MB-B (she now has her very own blog) and force her to read them and return them on time. And she really had to read them, too, because there was definitely going to be a quiz when she brought them back!

See -- I always had the soul of a librarian.

And maybe some wicked KGB genes.

Teaser Tuesdays: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2013-01-22T10:22:00.001-06:00

This week my teaser lines come from one of the books I'm reading for the Pre-1960 Classic Children's Book Reading Challenge. It's L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, first published in 1900. Don't know why it's taken me so long to get around to this one -- especially since I love the movie so much. This snippet comes from Chapter 6 ("The Cowardly Lion"), right at the end:

The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.
"You people with hearts," he said, "have something to guide you, and need never do wrong...."

Yes, that sounds right, but oh, if it were just that simple!

Cover of the First Edition. Image by Wikipedia.

Booking Through Thursday: Winter

2013-01-17T09:43:00.000-06:00

This week, BTT asks about seasonal reading: "It’s the depth of winter here where I live right now … what books do you like to read when it’s snowy and white? What books do you read to evoke a real feeling of winter (good or bad)?"

Well, it's winter where I live right now, too. Fortunately, though, here in Central Texas winter doesn't involve all those depths that other parts of the world suffer through. (Soooo glad to be done with all those depths!)

But whatever the weather, I really don't think my reading habits are much affected by seasons of the year. I read pretty much the same sorts of thing year-round. With the possible exception of those summer "beach reads," mostly I stick to the same genres and types of books, whether it's cold, warm, rainy or dry outside. And I would never, never try to evoke a feeling of winter "(good or bad)" through my reading because....

I HATE WINTER!!!!!!!!!

Teaser Tuesday: Cat on the Scent

2013-01-15T09:52:00.003-06:00

This week my teaser lines come from Cat on the Scent, one of the Mrs. Murphy mystery series written by Rita Mae Brown (and co-authored by her pet cat Sneaky Pie Brown). In this snippet from page 121 of the paperback edition, Mrs. Murphy the pet tiger-striped cat belonging to Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen is talking with her friend Pewter (also a cat). The two are watching their human and, as usual, trying to figure out why she's doing what she's doing:

"How often do humans climb trees?" Pewter watched Harry swing her legs as she sat on the low, wide branch.
"Not very often. As they get older they don't do it at all, I think," Mrs. Murphy answered. "You see so much more from up here. You'd think they'd want to keep doing it."
"No claws. Must be hard for them." Pewter kept her claws dangerously sharp.
"Everything's hard for them. That's why all their religions are full of fear. You know, hellfire and damnation, that sort of thing."

Well, they're sort of right about that, aren't they? Actually, I have a hard time understanding humans, myself.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2013-01-14T09:42:00.000-06:00

So, Monday again. That week disappeared awfully fast! Still reading The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown's third Robert Langdon adventure). Like the other Langdon tales, it moves really quickly; but it's also something of a chunkster, so it's going to take me another day or two to finish.

I've put aside the other books I started with the new year because I was seduced by another Mrs. Murphy mystery by Rita Mae Brown -- Cat on the Scent, number 7 in the long-running series. Not sure why I picked that one up just now -- I think it must have jumped off the shelf all by itself and landed in my lap. Well, cats will do that sort of thing.

Also signed up for two more reading challenges last week -- the Books in Translation Reading Challenge and the Nonfiction Reading Challenge, both hosted by The Introverted Reader. That brings my total up to (I think) sixteen new challenges for 2013. Probably madness, but at this point, I figure a couple more can't really make much difference.

Now I just need to STOP playing around with my other blogs (Supply Cabinet Chronicles and Joysweb), and get back to my reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. If you want to let the world know what books you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Booking Through Thursday: Gifts

2013-01-10T10:18:00.000-06:00

This week Booking Through Thursday asks: "do you like to give books as gifts?"

I've always thought that books make wonderful gifts, but there are just so many problems involved: Will the giftee have already read this one? Is it the right genre? Do they prefer fiction? Nonfiction? Paperbacks? Hardcover? Have they sworn off print-on-paper in favor of all e-books all the time?

I do give gift cards for books: from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or local book shops (or Borders before they went boom). Especially for the children on my gift lists -- I think it's really more fun to let them choose the books for themselves, anyway.

So, while I do like to give books as gifts, I hardly ever do it.

2013 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

2013-01-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hosted by: The Introverted Reader
Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2013
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page here

As the challenge host says:

Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge.

I generally read at least a few nonfiction books each year, and there are several on my "must read" list for this year. So this challenge sounds perfect for me. But I'm playing it safe and signing up at the "Dilettante" level (1-5 books) -- I think that should be very doable. Tracking my progress on my challenge blog (HERE).