Tip of the Iceberg

Clarissa Group Read: January Links

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:40:00 +0000

Here is the Mr. Linky for January's Clarissa Group Read posts. If you've written a post for Letters 1-6 or have comments on your January reading of Clarissa, please leave a link to your post below.

Hope you are all enjoying the book!

TSS: January 2012 in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:24:00 +0000

January has turned out to be a very busy month for me, but I've managed to get in some reading in spite of the busyness and a winter head/chest cold. I've also managed to make progress on all three of my commitments: the Merely Mystery Reading Challenge, the TBR Double Dare, and the Clarissa Group Read.

Merely Mystery Reading Challenge

This month I read three mystery novels and one short story for the Merely Mystery challenge. The novels and short story have all been quite different from each other (except for the mystery angle). I've written one "review" which you can link to below. I do plan on writing reviews for the others.

A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael medieval mystery) by Ellis Peters (thoughts)
The Winter Queen (Erast Fandorin Russian mystery) by Boris Akunin
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (short story) by Edgar Allan Poe
In the Bleak Midwinter (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne upstate New York mystery) by Julia Spencer-Fleming

TBR Double Dare

So far, so good. All of my January reading has been taken from my TBR collection. There is one title that is probably "gray area," but I consider it a TBR book. I received In the Bleak Midwinter in early January from the publisher. I was told in December that I would be receiving this book. What do you think? Does it count or did I cheat?

Clarissa Group Read

I've read Letters 1-6 of Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. So far I'm really enjoying it and can't wait to read February's letters. I still need to write up my thoughts and I'll be putting the Mr. Linky post up this coming Tuesday, January 31st so participants can link to their thoughts. I'm looking forward to what you all have to say! On a side note, reading older literature like Clarissa and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" gave me an idea for a blog post that I hope to put up soon.

Books Purchased

As you all know, I'm trying to read down my TBR collection and trying not to purchase too many books. I'm keeping a "Books In/Books Out" spreadsheet to help me try to send more books out than I take in. By and large the spreadsheet is keeping me accountable. The books I purchased this month are classics that I want to have in my permanent collection, which is another goal. Two of them are the new Penguin Clothbound Classics. Want to see them?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The Wings of the Dove by Henry James
The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

Well, that was my January in book news. How was your January?

P.S. See that lovely little leaf plate in the photo above? I'm not sure I ever posted about it, but I received that courtesy of Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza several years ago. I love it.

An Interlude

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:39:00 +0000

Francisco Masriera y Manovens, "A Harem Beauty" 1899

I love themed reading. Themed reading helps me to get a sense of things like an author's collective works, a genre and its sub-genres, or a style of writing. It is informative in a way that dipping in and out of that theme is not.

For instance, reading the collective works of Louise Erdrich lets me see her growth and change as a writer. Reading mysteries written in different eras helps me understand how these tales have both changed and remained the same over time. Delving into works of magical realism written by authors from a variety of countries allows me to understand how this style is handled in different cultures.

I can develop the bigger picture while looking at specifics when reading by theme.

Themed reading can also burn me out. Too much Erdrich in one gulp can leave me dreading "yet more Erdrich." So, sometimes I need an interlude.

Right now I'm getting a little bit weary of mysteries, even though I love them. So I will be taking a side trip to read something that sounds a bit exotic ... a bit historical ... and quite enchanting. The Palace of Tears by Alev Lytle Croutier caught my eye as I was browsing shelves at a used bookshop in Colorado last Spring. The description reminded me a bit of Silk by Alessandro Baricco (my thoughts on that book here). Croutier was born in Turkey, studied in Istanbul (among other places), and divides her time between San Francisco and Paris. You can read more about the author here.

So I shall take a little interlude for the next bit of time. If you're looking for me, you can find me in The Palace of Tears.

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:01:00 +0000

Title: A Morbid Taste for Bones (Book One of the Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
Author: Ellis Peters
Year: 1977

Synopsis: "In the remote Welsh mountain village of Gwytherin lies the grave of Saint Winifred. Now, in 1137, the ambitious head of Shrewsbury Abbey had decided to acquire the sacred remains for his Benedictine order. Native Welshman Brother Cadfael is sent on the expedition to translate and finds the rustic villagers of Gwytherin passionately divided by the Benedictine's offer for the saint's relics. Canny, wise, and all too worldly, he isn't surprised when this taste for bones leads to bloody murder. The leading opponent to moving the grave has been shot dead with a mysterious arrow, and some say Winifred herself held the bow. Brother Cadfael knows a carnal hand did the killing. But he doesn't know that his plan to unearth a murderer may dig up a case of love and justice... where the wages of sin may be scandal or Cadfael's own ruin." (from the back cover)

I tend to read mysteries during the winter season. I'm not sure why that is exactly, but there is something about the early darkness and the cold that makes me want to curl up under my reading lamp with a cup of hot tea and become immersed in the puzzling, unknown, and strange. Perhaps it is the idea of something enigmatic, covert, or cryptic that seems to set so well with me when it is dark and cold. The season just seems to match the atmosphere.

With all that said, A Morbid Taste for Bones is pretty low key as far as mysteries go. There is no gore, nor is the tension terribly high, and what excitement there is comes mainly at the end. I was a bit surprised that the physical historical setting is not a great focus. Instead, Peters chooses to focus on the main character, Brother Cadfael, a Benedictine monk, and the politics and power plays of the Medieval church.

Peters wrote the Brother Cadfael series later in her life. Perhaps this gave her a greater ability to empathize with her older character, because she captured him well. Cadfael has joined the cloister as a "retirement job." He has already lived a very worldly life. This makes him a perceptive, patient, and watchful personality. He understands the ambitions and motivations of others, and this makes him good at solving crime.

Cadfael also has a wry sense of humor. In one scene, he is listening to a younger Brother rant about the ambitions of their Prior and his plans to dig up the bones of a saint and bring them back to the Abbey as relics. While we get the impression that Cadfael does indeed find this activity a bit repulsive, he can not be overtly subversive:

"I don't see why they should want to dig up the poor lady's dust. It seems like charnel-house business to me, not church business. And you think exactly the same," he said firmly, and stared out his elder, eye to eye.

"When I want to hear my echo," said Brother Cadfael, "I will speak first."

I like Brother Cadfael not only for his wry humor, but also for his quiet subversiveness. As I mentioned above, Cadfael is not young and inexperienced. He understands the need to work within a quite intermingled societal and religious structure, but he comprehends all too well the harm that comes from power plays by the ruling bodies, both "prince" and "bishop." His subversiveness flows from his compassion and sense of justice.

"It was a long time since he had exercised some of his more questionable skills, he was glad to be confirmed in believing that he had forgotten none of them, and that every one had a meritorious use in the end."

I am very excited to read more of the Brother Cadfael mysteries! If you are looking for a well paced novel with a very likable main character and a Medieval setting, then you might just like this series too.

Also reviewed by: things mean a lot

I read this for the Merely Mystery Reading Challenge hosted by Literary Feline.

Update: Clarissa Group Read Participants List

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:17:00 +0000

I've created a list of all those participating in the year long Clarissa Group Read with me and JoAnn. I hesitated to do this because JoAnn and I want to keep this read as relaxed as possible! Then I thought about all the people I meet through book blogs and how I enjoy visiting new-to-me book bloggers, and so decided to make it easy on myself to hop around and visit you all during the year. Hence THE LIST.

I've simply added a list of participants, that I am aware of, to the Clarissa Group Read Page on my blog. If I missed you and you want to be on this list, please let me know and I'll add you.

The Clarissa Group Read Is Here!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:01:00 +0000

I am so excited to begin the group read of Clarissa with all of you who will be reading this hefty tome with me and JoAnn throughout 2012! Some of you are on the other side of the dateline and might have already started reading. I will confess that I "peeked" ahead of time and have already read a few of the letters. I think we are in for a treat!

I have discovered that it is handy to have a dictionary nearby while you read. There are some words completely foreign to me, some words that I thought I knew but really didn't(!), and other words that just needed those nuanced meanings pointed out for a richer reading of the text. For instance, I know that the word "approbation" means "approval," but in the context of Clarissa it often means a formal or official approval and there can be serious consequences without that formal endorsement.

Where to leave links to your Clarissa posts:

JoAnn and I will take turns hosting a place for you to link to your Clarissa posts. Please do not feel obligated to write posts, but I know everyone would love it if you do. I'll be hosting at the end of January. You can find the reading "schedule" and where to link each month on either of the Clarissa pages (here and here).

The conversation about #Clarissa never ends on Twitter:

You can find me on Twitter as @MsTerriB and you can find JoAnn as @lakesidemusing. Use the hashtag #Clarissa to more easily pick up any conversation threads.

Again, don't feel obligated to write if you don't want to. Write and discuss as much or as little as you want. The point really is to read this novel, and any conversation is icing on the cake.

Happy reading!

TSS: Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:02:00 +0000

I mentioned in a previous post that I would be participating in the Merely Mystery Reading Challenge hosted by Literary Feline at Musings of a Bookish Kitty. I'm trying to be judicious with the challenges I join for a number of reasons. Mainly, I tend to do the reading part of the challenge, but then don't write any blog posts or visit others participating in the challenge. This defeats a great part of the challenge - the social part!

One of the criteria for joining a reading challenge this year is whether or not reading for that challenge will contribute to one of my main reading goals for 2012 - to read down my TBR collection. I've noticed a lot of others have this same goal. (I think we've been enabling each other!) The Merely Mystery Reading Challenge fits this goal and sounds like so much fun. It will also provide reading that contrasts nicely with the year long Clarissa Group Read.

I really appreciate the way Literary Feline has provided a very nice breakdown of the Mystery sub-genres. Sub-genres like: The Whodunit, Locked Room Mystery, Cozy, and others. You really should take a look at these descriptions, even if you're not participating.

Some of the authors and/or series that I'll be pulling from for this challenge are:

Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters
Various P.D. James mysteries
Inspector Banks mysteries by Peter Robinson
Various Agatha Christie mysteries
Various J.A. Jance mysteries
Anna Pigeon mysteries by Nevada Barr
Hamish Macbeth mysteries by M.C. Beaton
Elvis Cole & Joe Pike mysteries by Robert Crais

I'm sure there are more on my shelves, but this is a fair representation of what I'll be reading for this challenge. I do want to dig through my stacks and see if I've got some pre-twentieth century mysteries to read (besides Sherlock Holmes). I've had a craving to read some older literature this year. I'm guessing it has something to do with reading quite a bit of YA (young adult) fiction and contemporary paranormal fiction last year. It's been a while since I've read many classics ... but I'm getting ahead of myself. That is an entirely different post!

Tea & A Book

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:01:00 +0000

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough, to suit me." ~ C.S. Lewis

I should have set a copy of Clarissa in this picture to better match Lewis' sentiments! I'm looking forward to my weekend. I think I'll start it tonight ... like this.

The TBR Double Dare

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:41:00 +0000

The TBR Double Dare
C.B. James threw out the dare and I'm going to take it on! If you remember from my reading goals and challenges post, I mentioned that a top goal for me is to read from my mountainous to-be-read collection. This dare nicely aligns with that goal.

The dare is simply to "make a resolution to read only the books in your To Be Read stack from January 1, 2012 to April 1."

This is not a book buying ban but is, instead, a dare to only read books from my TBR collection during the stated time period. As of 12:00 am January 1, no newly purchased books and no borrowed books can be read until April 1. Of course, it would be helpful if I didn't buy any books during that time as well, but that is a separate issue!

At least this wasn't a double dog dare or, gasp, the dreaded triple dog dare! Wish me luck.

Touch by Alexi Zentner

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:44:00 +0000

I finished this book yesterday evening. It was dusk. I'd been reading by the light coming through my window and as I read the last words, it became too dark to read any longer. It was perfect. I simply sat in silence and awe of this beautifully written debut novel. Emotions swirled within me. I let myself just feel for awhile. Then I hastily scribbled some thoughts to try and capture just a tiny bit of that emotion.

This is a story about family stories. Stories that are passed from one generation to another and, in this way, keep those who have died alive. It is also the story of a place. A north woods (British Columbia) forest and river full of mystery and magic that lurk and overshadow human endeavors and intrusions. Sawgamet is a boom town gone bust. An inadvertent logging town that seems to exist at the beneficence of the forest. It is here in this harsh and beautiful place, with crippling winters and fickle summers, that the living and dead part and meet and part again through three generations of love and loss.

Magic is woven throughout the story so seamlessly that you don't question it. The forest is a character of great age and mystery, beyond modern rationality. Jeannot is a figure of mythic proportions tied to this ancient forest, and between these two characters is woven the net that allows you to suspend disbelief in such things as the golden caribou, the quallupilluit (sea witches), a singing dog, and a miner who repeatedly rises from the dead to take his revenge.

There is also romance of a kind that burns with a heat to rival that of the cold north. Beauty that challenges the harsh rugged setting. It took me by surprise and took my breath away at times.

I mentioned earlier that I sat in the dark with my emotions and thoughts. Part of that came from feeling this story through my own story of love and loss; from thinking of those that I miss dearly and the places that I visit in order to feel their presence more acutely. I'll leave you with the words I hastily scribbled last night:

We have our own harsh yet beautiful forests that we walk through; forests that are sometimes tinged with a touch of the magical. Those places that hold memories and perhaps the lingering presence of those we have loved and lost. This is how they live on ... we remember them and we tell their stories; we pass them to the next generation. We walk again in those places where those stories have their beginnings and middles and ends. We can almost see them, feel their presence as though they have left something of themselves behind ... which, of course, they have ...

Photo credit: Nancy Devine

Thank you to Eva at A Striped Armchair for pointing this book out and writing a wonderful review that made me want to read it!

My "review" is much more an emotional response than it is a review. For a lovely and informative review, please read Kim's words about this book at Reading Matters.

Books Read in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:15:00 +0000

Here is a list of what I read during 2011. I was terrible at writing up my thoughts this year, but I've linked to the books I did review. There are some comments on my favorites and disappointments of the year at the end of the list. Enjoy!

January
1. The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett
2. Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
3. Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2) by Patricia Briggs
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

February
5. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I) by Stephen King
6. The Cereal Murders (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
7. The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II) by Stephen King
8. The Last Suppers (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
9. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

March
10. The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower III) by Stephen King
11. Sequins, Secrets, and Silver Linings by Sophia Bennett
12. The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton
13. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

April
14. Queen of the Night by J.A. Jance
15. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
16. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
17. A Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
18. The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
19. Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
20. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
21. Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson, Book 3) by Patricia Briggs
22. Rumors by Anna Godbersen
23. 13 Curses by Michelle Harrison

May
24. Envy by Anna Godbersen
25. The Concubine's Tattoo by Laura Joh Rowland
26. Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Book 4) by Patricia Briggs
27. Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) by Patricia Briggs
28. Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Gunn
29. Splendor by Anna Godbersen
30. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Book 1) by Carrie Vaughn
31. Kitty Goes to Washington (Book 2) by Carrie Vaughn

June
32. Kitty Takes a Holiday (Book 3) by Carrie Vaughn
33. Kitty and the Silver Bullet (Book 4) by Carrie Vaughn
34. From Barcelona, With Love by Elizabeth Adler
35. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments, Book 1) by Cassandra Clare
36. City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments, Book 2) by Cassandra Clare
37. City of Glass (Mortal Instruments, Book 3) by Cassandra Clare
38. Beach Music by Pat Conroy

July
39. The City of Ember (Ember, Book 1) by Jeanne DuPrau
40. The People of Sparks (Ember, Book 2) by Jeanne DuPrau
41. Darkfever (Fever Series #1) by Karen Marie Moning
42. The Prophet of Yonwood (Ember, Book 3) by Jeanne DuPrau
43. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
44. The Beach House by Jane Green
45. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
46. The Diamond of Darkhold (Ember, Book 4) by Jeanne DuPrau
47. Blameless by Gail Carriger
48. The Gospel-Driven Life by Michael Horton

August
49. The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
50. Witch by Barbara Michaels
51. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
52. Bloodfever (Fever Series #2) by Karen Marie Moning
53. Faefever (Fever Series #3) by Karen Marie Moning
54. Dreamfever (Fever Series #4) by Karen Marie Moning
55. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
56. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
57. City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments, Book 4) by Cassandra Clare
58. Killer Pancake (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson

September
59. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
60. Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV) by Stephen King
61. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

October
62. Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans
63. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
64. The Dark City (Relic Master #1) by Catherine Fisher
65. The Lost Heiress (Relic Master #2) by Catherine Fisher
66. The Hidden Coronet (Relic Master #3) by Catherine Fisher
67. "The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in The Body Snatchers and Other Classic Ghost Stories
68. "Alone Among Others" in The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee
69. The Victorian Chaise Longue by Marghanita Laski
70. Endless Night by Agatha Christie

November
71. Shadowfever (The Fever Series #5) by Karen Marie Moning
72. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
73. Snake Dreams (Charlie Moon Mysteries) by James D. Doss
74. The Widow's Revenge (Charlie Moon Mysteries) by James D. Doss
75. A Dead Man's Tale (Charlie Moon Mysteries) by James D. Doss

December
76. hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
77. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
78. The Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin
79. The Main Corpse (Goldy Culinary Mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson
80. The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
81. The Margrave (Relic Masters #4) by Catherine Fisher
82. Touch by Alexi Zentner

Favorite books of 2011:

The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett
This book follows The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. It's a delightful and mannered fantasy (Regency fantasy?) with a bit of gothic thrown in. Wonderful images continue to haunt me long after reading this. Mr. Beckett also managed to make my heart ache for one of his characters. A third installment comes out in March 2012 titled The Master at Heathcrest Hall.

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
I liked this book on so many levels. The writing is gorgeous. The story is epic and moving. GGK pulls from historical folklores and creates a world that is at once recognizable and other. This is a novel about memory and loss of identity. It just about tore me apart emotionally (in a good way) and I came away from it so stunned that I wasn't able to write a review! The swirling emotions after reading this book and my awe at GGK's writing pretty much left me speechless. I did take notes while I read this, so I may still be able to write up my thoughts at some time in the future. This book bears repeated readings and I will be reading it again.

A Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
Fantasy by Diana Wynne Jones will always make my favorites list!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Extremely well written YA (young adult) novel with a fantastic and balanced blend of fantasy, adventure, and romance.

The Victorian Chaise Longue by Marghanita Laski
Psychological horror at its finest. Contrasts the lives of women in Victorian times to modern (1950s) in a rather startling and effective way. Those interested in Women's Studies will want to read this one.

Touch by Alexi Zentner
I'm actually not quite done with this book, but the majority will be completed by midnight tonight so I've included it. I already know that it is one of my favorites! This is a debut novel that is just beautifully written. It makes a wonderful winter read (lots of snow and coldness and memories). It is a story about family stories, and the way in which the author weaves magical elements - golden caribou, malevolent wood spirits - throughout the "real" is seamless. Also captures the rugged wilderness of northern British Columbia. A gorgeous read and one I will probably read again.

Most disappointed by:

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels
A YA series that many bloggers loved, but it didn't live up to the hype for me. I found it to be a bit too derivative. Combine this with way more teen angst than I'm looking for, this series just isn't for me. On the other hand, teens will love it for the most part.

A Clarissa Read-a-long

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

One of my 2012 reading goals is to read Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. Clarissa is an 18th century epistolary novel that is composed of 537 letters and is about 1500 pages long. I've wanted to read it for a very long time, but just couldn't seem to commit until I read a lovely tribute to this book written by o on her blog Delaisse.

Here is a Plot synopsis (from Amazon.com):
Pressured by her unscrupulous family to marry a wealthy man she detests, the young Clarissa Harlowe is tricked into fleeing with the witty and debonair Robert Lovelace and places herself under his protection. Lovelace, however, proves himself to be an untrustworthy rake whose vague promises of marriage are accompanied by unwelcome and increasingly brutal sexual advances. And yet, Clarissa finds his charm alluring, her scrupulous sense of virtue tinged with unconfessed desire. Told through a complex series of interweaving letters, "Clarissa" is a richly ambiguous study of a fatally attracted couple and a work of astonishing power and immediacy. A huge success when it first appeared in 1747, and translated into French and German, it remains one of the greatest of all European novels.

I will be reading Clarissa with JoAnn at Lakeside Musing (see her post). The plan is to read the letters close to the corresponding dates of January 10th through December 18th. As you can see, this is a year long reading project. I've downloaded the Penguin Classics edition to my ereader. JoAnn will be reading the same edition in print.

I know there are a few other people out there who have already expressed an interest in reading along with me and JoAnn. There is also a separate read-a-long with Allie of A Literary Odyssey and Jillian from A Room of One's Own. I believe they are reading during April.

JoAnn and I will probably be posting reading updates once a month and will be chatting on Twitter. I will add a Mr. Linky in my monthly Clarissa posts. Please feel free to leave a link to your own Clarissa posts during the read-a-long; even if you are reading it for another read-a-long or reading it solo.

Would you like to join us? Just leave a comment on this post or with JoAnn.

Reading Goals and Challenges 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:19:00 +0000

I don't have terribly lofty reading goals for 2012 (since I fail if they are too many or too complex), but I do have a few and thought I'd share them with you. 'Tis the season for goals you know.

Mt. TBR
Goal #1 - Read lots of books I already own

There will not be a book buying ban, but I will be trying to read as many books that I already own as possible. This could actually keep me busy for about a decade since I have so many. It is really quite embarrassing when I look at the number of books I own and haven't read. See that picture above? Those are just some of the books that need read. They are also occupying my breakfast nook. Have I mentioned this as a problem before? Why, yes! Yes, I have! Maybe I won't have to repeat myself next year? Ah, well, I can at least try.

BTW, I don't impose book buying bans on myself because they work to opposing effect with me. I will just feel an inordinate NEED to buy more books if I do that. A book buying ban is negative, but a "read what you own" tactic is positive. I know I'm not the only one who plays mind games with themselves. Right?? *smile*

Merely Mystery Reading Challenge
Goal #2 - Join a limited number of reading challenges

Yeah. I don't do well with reading challenges. I join and then read the books but never write any blog posts. That rather defeats the social nature of reading challenges, yes? I will be joining a few anyway. All I can say is, "I will try to actually participate." Here are the ones I know I will join:

Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012 - hosted by Literary Feline at Musings of a Bookish Kitty
I have tons of unread mysteries. My problem will not be finding enough mysteries on Mt. TBR, but rather choosing which ones to read.

Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge (Spring 2012)
R.I.P. Reading Challenge (Fall 2012) - Both of these challenges are hosted by Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings
These challenges have not been announced yet, but I'm hoping! I just can't imagine not participating in these two challenges. I should be able to draw from Mt. TBR for titles to fulfill both of these challenges. I already have plenty of fantasy/folklore/fairy tales for OUT as well as lots of "spooky reads" for R.I.P.

Japanese Literature Challenge - hosted by Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza
This wonderful challenge generally takes place June through January. I haven't heard if there will be one this coming year or not, but I hope so!

Clarissa Read-a-long
Goal #3 - Clarissa Read-a-long

I've been meaning to read this 18th century epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson for decades. I mentioned this as a personal reading goal on Twitter (and previously here on the blog), and found that others are also interested. As of now, I will be reading Clarissa as a read-a-long with JoAnn at Lakeside Musing beginning January 10th. A few others have also expressed interest over at her blog. The plan is to read the letters on or around their corresponding dates of January 10th through December 18th. It's not a firm schedule, but we are leaning toward monthly progress posts as well as chatting on Twitter. Do you want to join us?

As of now, these are my goals. The biggest one is to try and read down Mt. TBR. The reading challenges can all be accomplished by reading from Goal #1 and the Clarissa read-a-long is based on a personal reading goal but should be more fun with company!

Sound Travels: Sean Quigley's Little Drummer Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:41:00 +0000

What I'm listening to now ...

This young man is from Manitoba. His joy is so apparent and infectious.
Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:05:00 +0000

A glass of Christmas cheer!

Christmas Themed Reading List 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:09:00 +0000

Last year I put out a Christmas themed reading list that a number of you enjoyed, so I thought I'd put together another list this year. This year's Christmas themed reading list focuses on short story collections. Feel free to leave your favorite Christmas reads in the comments section!

Christmas Stories (Everyman's Library)
About the book: Christmas stories by great writers of the past two centuries. Dickens, Tolstoy, Checkhov, Cather, Nabokov, Cheever, and Munro are some of the luminaries. There is a little something for everyone in this collection of Christmas stories. From bits of fantasy, to heartbreaking tales of woe, to the comedic. What they have in common is Christmas spirit.

The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories (Alberto Manguel)
About the book: Stories by writers from across the globe, some well known (like John Cheever and Alice Munro) and others seldom or never before translated into English, such as "A Risk for Father Christmas" by Siegfried Lenz and "The Night Before Christmas" by Theodore Odrach. I haven't read this collection yet, but I have heard that there is not much Christmas cheer found here.

A Rumpole Christmas: Stories by John Mortimer
About the book: If you don't know him as an author, you might be familiar with the British TV adaptation of Mortimer's beloved and memorable Rumpole character called Rumpole of the Bailey.

In this collection of short stories, Rumpole finds himself involved in five holiday mysteries. He encounters a suspicious Father Christmas, endures a health spa, visits a church, entertains children, and defends a suspected terrorist.

All of the stories in A Rumpole Christmas have previously appeared in magazines; this is the first time they have been collected in book format. Sadly, Mortimer passed away in January 2009 and this collection is likely to be the last of "new" Rumpole stories ... so enjoy this holiday treat.

Murder for Christmas: 26 Tales of Seasonal Malice
About the book: Do you like a little murder and mayhem with your Christmas? Murder for Christmas features famous sleuths like Nero Wolfe, Lord Peter Wimsey, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Albert Campion, Father Brown and Bombay's inspector Ganesh Ghote. Stories of cheating, lying, kidnapping, and killing written by such authors as Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Charles Dickens and Woody Allen -- all delivered in the Christmas spirit, of course! The introduction by Thomas Godfrey is delightful.

Christmas Stars: Fantastic Tales of Yuletide Wonder
Maybe you like your Christmas stories with an other-worldly twist. This Science Fiction/Fantasy collection includes some (now) classic stories like Arthur C. Clarke's "The Star" (a must read), "Miracle" by Connie Willis (see entry below), and "A Proper Santa Claus" by Anne McCaffrey (who sadly passed away November 21, 2011). Visions of the future of Christmas that perhaps redefine the word "miracle."

A Yuletide Universe: Sixteen Fantastical Tales
About the book: From fantasy to science fiction to horror, contributors to this Christmas anthology include well-known writers such as L. Frank Baum, Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, Harlan Ellison, Clive Barker, Connie Willis, Anne McCaffrey and others. The tales are broken into four major categories: Santa Shorts, Santa Substitutes, Variations on Holiday Theme, and Classic Tales of Christmas Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Whimsy.

And one of my all time favorites (yes, it was also on last year's list):

Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis
About the Book: "Connie Willis loves Christmas. 'I even like the parts most people hate--shopping in crowded malls and reading Christmas newsletters and seeing relatives and standing in baggage check-in lines at the airport. Okay, I lied. Nobody likes standing in baggage check-in lines,' she writes. Willis knows it's hard to write good Christmas stories: the subject matter is limited, the writer has to balance between sentiment and skepticism, and too many fall into the Victorian habit of killing off saintly children and poor people. Here she presents eight marvelous Christmas tales, two of which appear for the first time.

The stories range from 'The Pony,' about a psychotherapist who doesn't believe that Christmas gifts can answer our deepest longings, and 'Inn,' in which a choir member rehearsing for the Christmas pageant becomes part of the original Christmas story, to 'Newsletter,' where an invasion of parasitic creatures causes unusually good behavior in their hosts, and 'Epiphany,' a story of three unlikely Magi following signs through a North American winter toward the returned Jesus Christ. 'Miracle' is a comic romance echoing Willis' favorite Yuletide movie, Miracle on 34th Street, and 'Catspaw' is an homage to the traditional Christmas murder mystery with a sly, science-fictional twist. The collection also includes 'In Coppelius' Toyshop,' in which a bad guy is trapped in Toyland, and 'Adaptation,' a Dickensian story about what it means to keep Christmas in your heart.

Those who want only SF stories may find this collection lacking, but anyone who enjoys complex tales with true Christmas spirit will treasure it." -Amazon.com review by Nona Vero

What am I reading?

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:01:00 +0000

Hi all! I've been such a bad book blogger lately. I think the last post was back in October (OCTOBER! I KNOW!) and it was about music, not books. So, I thought I would cross post something that I wrote for the blog at work. I oversee a blog feature called "What are you reading?" whereby I edit posts written by faculty and staff at my university in which they discuss what they are currently reading. Since I was the one featured this week, I thought I would share. I can't believe how many books I'm concurrently reading right now!

I read. Incessantly. I'm also an eclectic reader who is just as likely to be reading the latest mystery/crime novel by James D. Doss as I am to be reading theology or pop science (is pop science actually a term?). This month is a bit unusual since I've got more than the usual amount of reads going at the same time. I tend to read no more than two books at a time and those books are usually quite different from each other. I'm currently delving in and out of five different books as well as reading articles out of various professional journals. So, if I seem a bit "scattered" this month, you'll know why. Here is the current reading line up:

Clarissa: or, The History of a Young Lady by Samuel Richardson
You might ask, "Why are you reading a 9 volume epistolary novel, published in 1748, written with rather archaic sentence structure and punctuation?" I have a number of reasons for delving into one of the longest novels of the English language. For one, I need to exercise my 18th century literature reading muscle. It is a bit of a challenge to read (no speed reading here), but I like this kind of challenge. I have an undergraduate degree in English and absolutely love reading literature from all literary periods and then having wonderfully intense conversations about that reading. This is one of those works that I've never read and "feel the gap." Not only do I want to exercise my mind a bit, but the storyline intrigues me -- Clarissa is a tragic heroine thwarted by her family in her quest for virtue. This is a long term reading project for me that I just began. I'm reading at least two letters a day. Anyone want to join me in this long term read?

The Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin
Ah. Another love of mine ... 19th century Russian literature. Alexander Pushkin is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the father of modern Russian literature. This particular work is a bit unusual since it is written in prose. As Adam Thirwell says in the Foreword to this book, "A discerning Russian reader [circa 1831] who wants prose reads in French." Russian literature of this period with literary "cred" was written in verse. Pushkin's own famous work, Eugene Onegin, is a novel in verse. One of the queries of the time was an investigation into the conditions of fiction writing. Pushkin intuited that most writers are limited in the kind of stories they can tell. In writing The Tales of Belkin, Pushkin was able to experiment and show that a storyteller does not have to be limited by style. The tales here are exploratory vignettes about "Byronic heroes, lovelorn heroines and supernatural events played out against Gothic backdrops" (from book flap). I'm about halfway through this slim volume and will be writing a review for the publisher, Hesperus Classics, after I finish reading.

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson
Did someone say Vikings? It's a saga! It's an epic adventure! It's historical fiction! This New York Review Books Classic was published in 1954 and translated from the Swedish. As Michael Chabon says in the Introduction, "The Long Ships is big, bloody, and far-ranging, concerned with war and treasure and the grand deeds of men and kings; [it is also] intimate and domestic, centered firmly around the seasons and pursuits of village and farm, around weddings and births, around the hearths of women who see only too keenly through the grand pretensions of men and bloody kings." This book is said to have something for everyone. I'll just say it is really good.

Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
Sometimes I get into these discussions with people. Theological discussions for the most part, but since I'm far from being a knowledgeable theologian, I'll just say they are more discussions of "life, the universe, and everything." Wright's book was suggested to me after one of these discussions, and then I agreed to co-read it with a different person based on a completely separate discussion from the first (are you still following me?). Anyway, the subtitle of the book should explain both my conversations and (loosely) the content of the book: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. I'm not sure who wrote the wonderful blurb on the book flap, but "Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death." There is a lot to prompt discussion here.

Web-Based Instruction: A Guide for Libraries, Third Edition by Susan Sharpless Smith
OK. This is the part where you can go to sleep if you are not a librarian or interested in web-based instruction. This book discusses new tools and trends for web-based instruction. As you can tell by the subtitle (those subtitles are really handy, aren't they?) it targets the needs of those designing and delivering library instruction, but I think it is something that can be helpful to anyone delivering instruction via the Web. From the back cover:

Builds Web instruction advice on a foundation of the latest research in how learning takes place
Translates technical Web-speak into plain English, so even non-experts can make effective use of the Web in their teaching
Includes an accompanying Web gallery, providing examples of screen shots and links to exemplary programs
Shows instructors best practices for incorporating the Web into teaching

So far I'm finding this book to be extremely helpful and easy to understand. Information covered includes project framework; project development tools (e.g. audio software and video editing applications); designing the user experience (e.g. user centered design and instructional design and content); use of multimedia; interactivity; and evaluation, testing and assessment.

College & Research Libraries / College & Research Libraries News
What can I say? These are professional journals with fascinating articles about things like the economics of open access, tying academic library goals to institutional mission, and collaboration in the cloud. If you want to know more, just ask me.

Sound Travels: Cinema Serenade

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:56:00 +0000

I haven't done a Sound Travels post in such a long time, but Dolce Bellezza inspired me to pick up my meme, dust it off, and begin again. Bellezza does a weekly meme on Wednesdays called What Are You Listening To Wednesday.

I'm not a reader who generally listens to music while she reads. I try to set aside time to just listen. But occasionally I find some music that, if I turn it down low, works well for me while I read. Recently I found that I could listen to Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age while reading. It's also fantastic to just sit and listen to. It is the Boston Pops Orchestra, conducted by John Williams and features Itzhak Perlman. Some of the delights include:

Theme from Laura (1944) - this one always makes me want to read Rebecca by DuMaurier!
Theme from Now, Voyager (1942)
Tara's Theme from Gone with the Wind (1939)

You can take a brief listen here.

The Sunday Salon: "Alone Among Others" or Reflections on Read-a-Thon

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Thoughts on my participation in Read-a-thon and some inspiration about being "Alone Among Others" from The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee.

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon is a fantastic event that brings together readers from all over the world to simultaneously read for a twenty four hour period. How does that work exactly? Well, we all agree to read for a 24 hour period and we use various social networking tools to stay connected. Most participants maintain a book blog for longer posts and comments from other readers. Many use Twitter to send short bursts of information and encouragement, and to leave links to blog posts and videos (vlogs). We use YouTube, Vimeo, or other sites to post videos giving a live action look into our doings. A central event blog is available with hosts that post helpful suggestions for staying awake, information about various prize giveaways and contests, and videos in which they cheer the readers on. There are also teams of cheerleaders that "visit" all of the participants and encourage their reading endeavors. As you can see, there is a lot going on besides reading!

Participating in this Read-a-thon for the first time, I found it a bit overwhelming to balance my reading with all of the social interaction. I expected to read a lot. After all, it is a READ-a-thon. I also wanted to stay connected to the other readers. Since we aren't all sitting in the same room, we have to find other ways to be together. In order to stay connected I had to, at the least, write blog posts and visit and comment at other participant's blogs. Posting pictures and/or videos of our book piles, snacks, reading areas, and activities (like that lovely afternoon walk to rejuvenate us for more reading) is a bonus but it is also an important way to make the event more personal and give it a sense of place.

So how did I do? I did get some reading done, but I spent a lot more time interacting socially online!

Reflecting on all of this, I was inspired by an idea in an essay by Lewis Buzbee that I read during Read-a-thon. In "Alone Among Others," Buzbee puts forth the idea that as readers we are alone with our books but by congregating with other readers we can simultaneously be amongst others. Have you ever seen a room full of people reading together? Or spent time in a bookstore or library browsing among the books? It is quiet with everyone individually focused on their reading or browsing, yet it is a gathering together of those with something in common. I love this idea of being alone among others.

Yesterday I was alone among others worldwide (that's a big room!) reading together. I spent time online making connections to other readers doing the same thing at the same time. Yes, this took away from reading time but it also allowed me to be part of an awesome community of book readers and bloggers. We were together. It allowed me to read and chat with my friend in Canada, someone I've never met but consider a friend none-the-less. I was encouraged by another friend in Texas, again someone I've never met but admire for her unending enthusiasm. I could mention others, but like I said ... it was a BIG room. And it was an AWESOME event.

Will I participate in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon again? You bet! It was a great experience. And for those who remember Dewey, she would be proud of our ability to be alone among others.

Read-a-thon: End of Event Meme

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 17:37:00 +0000

This was my first 24 Hour Read-a-thon and I really did enjoy it! I participated for 19 hours. I knew going in that my situation would not allow me to go for 24 hours, but since that didn't seem to be an issue for those running the event I signed up anyway. So glad I did.

A big thank you to those who organized, hosted, and cheered!!!!!

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

For some reason I lost focus and struggled mid-afternoon (hour 12). I went out for a ballet class which gave me some much needed stretching. I thought this would rejuvenate me for reading, but it seemed to rejuvenate me for all sorts of other things! I did manage to pull myself back to reading around hour 15 (7pm my time).

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Reading tastes are so individual that I really don't want to suggest specific books. Also, who knows what new titles might be out by the next read-a-thon! I did have some shorter and easier reads in my stack. Things like novellas, YA, graphic novels, essays and short stories. Definitely have things in the stack that are highly interesting to you and don't be afraid to switch to another book if your current read isn't working for you.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Not really.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

This was the first time I participated in the Read-a-thon and from what I could tell it worked really well. I really enjoyed the social aspects (tweeting and visiting blogs), but that also distracted me from reading -- a lot! Next time I will have to define a structure for myself that I think will help balance out the reading and social aspects. I spent more time telling y'all what I was doing instead of reading. I also hung out on Twitter a lot and didn't visit as many blogs as I would have liked.

5. How many books did you read?

I read 1/2 of a novel, one essay, and one short story. Not a whole lot for 19 hours (I went to bed around midnight my time).

6. What were the names of the books you read?

The Hidden Coronet by Catherine Fisher, "Alone Among Others" in The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee, and "The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

I really enjoyed all three and didn't have a favorite, but perhaps I enjoyed the essay and the short story more because I finished them! I really thought I’d read a lot more, but got distracted by tweeting and a football game on TV (USC vs Notre Dame).

8. Which did you enjoy least?

See question #7.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

The Cheerleaders were great! It was so encouraging to hear from them. The reason I kept trying and made it to hour 19 was largely due to encouraging words. Much appreciated!

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

I would definitely participate again as a reader. I might sign up to cheer; I'm assuming that one can sign up to cheer for just a few hours?

Read-a-thon: Hour Nineteen

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 06:43:00 +0000

Well folks, I'm unable to keep my eyes open much longer. I'm surprised I made it this far! I shall tuck myself into bed and see if I can finish my ghost story, "The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Good night and good reading to you all!

Read-a-thon: Hour Eighteen

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:35:00 +0000

Back home now to read. I was able to finish reading the essay I was working on. Yay! I completed reading something! Think I'm going to switch to some ghost stories now. Let's see if "scary" keeps me awake.

Read-a-thon: Hour Fifteen

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 02:09:00 +0000

I'm having trouble staying focused on reading. Ate dinner, puttered, washed and dried hair, watched Bedlam. Sooooo ... I am going to try and change venues here and go over to my SIL's house. Hopefully I will READ and not talk.

I'm off with my books and cookies. I think I read more when I'm not trying!

Read-a-thon: Hour Twelve

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:38:00 +0000

I'm back from ballet class and all stretched out. It felt good! Of course, that meant there was no reading during the last hour and a half.

It's almost dinner time, so will probably take care of that before getting back to The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop.

Read-a-thon: Hour Eleven and a Break

noreply@blogger.com (Terri B.) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:00:00 +0000

I'm taking off now for a bit of a break. Ballet class. That should get me all nice and stretched out for more reading!

If you don't see me for a couple of hours, it is probably because I've hopped off with a friend to read at a coffee shop for awhile. I won't be taking my computer so will be unplugged for a bit.

See you when I get back!