Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5




Currently reading:
Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by Robin Kelley (US)
Chowringhee by Sankar (India)

Books Read in 2009: (***=unfinished book)

January:
1. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
2. The Illusion of Return by Samir El-Youssef
3. A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʾo
4. Mishima's Sword by Christopher Ross
5. Patriotism by Yukio Mishima
6. Does Your House Have Lions? by Sonia Sanchez
7. Mi Revalueshanary Fren by Linton Kwesi Johnson
8. The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso
9. Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami
10. Pinball, 1973 by Haruki Murakami
11. Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra
***12. Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolaño

February:
13. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
14. Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoevsky
15. The Interrogation by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio
16. Admiring Silence by Abdulrazak Gurnah
17. Novel 11, Book 18 by Dag Solstad
18. A Better Angel: Stories by Chris Adrian
19. The Cobra's Heart by Ryszard Kapuściński
20. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
21. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
22. Travelling with Djinns by Jamal Mahjoub
23. The Conjure Woman by Charles W. Chesnutt
24. Metropole by Ferenc Karinthy
25. A Journey Round My Skull by Frigyes Karinthy
26. Ül: Four Mapuche Poets, edited by Cecilia Vicuña
27. The Lemoine Affair by Marcel Proust

March:
28. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
29. My Floating Mother, City by Kazuko Shiraishi
30. The Oldest Orphan by Tierno Monénembo
31. Outcasts United: A Refugee Soccer Team, an American Town by Warren St. John
32. Resistance: The Human Struggle Against Infection by Norbert Gualde, M.D.
***33. The United States of Africa by Abdourahman A. Waberi
34. The Winners by Julio Cortázar
35. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
36. Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
37. Broken Glass by Alain Mabanckou
38. The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martinez
39. Autonauts of the Cosmoroute by Julio Cortázar & Carol Dunlop
40. Golpes Bajos/Low Blows: Instantáneas/Snapshots by Alicia Borinsky
41. UFO in Her Eyes by Xiaolu Guo (China)
42. Shyness & Dignity by Dag Solstad (Denmark)
43. A Strange and Sublime Address by Amit Chaudhuri (India)

April:
44. Brain Surgeon by Keith Black, MD (USA)
45. The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (The Netherlands)
46. Cambridge by Caryl Phillips (UK/Caribbean)
47. Afternoon Raag by Amit Chaudhuri (India/UK)
48. A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo (China/UK)
49. Breath by Tim Winton (Australia)
50. Books v. Cigarettes by George Orwell (UK)
51. Rhyming Life & Death by Amos Oz (Israel)
52. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan)
53. World Ball Notebook by Sesshu Foster (US)
54. The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt (US)
55. Unlucky Lucky Days by Daniel Grandbois (US)

May:
***56. Five Spice Street by Can Xue (China)
57. The Mighty Angel by Jerzy Pilch (Poland)
58. The Fat Man and Infinity by António Lobo Antunes (Portugal)
59. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín (Ireland)
60. Gimpel the Fool: And Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Poland)
61. Flowers of a Moment by Ko Un (Korea)
62. W, or The Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec (France)
63. Voice Over by Céline Curiol (France)
64. C.L.R. James: Cricket's Philosopher King by Dave Renton (Trinidad/UK/)
65. The King's Rifle by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/UK)
66. Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello (Italy)
67. Plants Don't Drink Coffee by Unai Elorriaga (Basque/Spain)
68. Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (UK)
69. The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt)
70. The Armies by Evelio Rosero (Colombia)
***71. The Bathroom by Jean-Philippe Toussaint (France)

June:
72. Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun (South Korea/US)
73. Rose by Li-Young Lee (Indonesia/US)
74. Frida's Bed by Slavenka Drakulić (Croatia)
75. In the Falling Snow by Caryl Phillips (St. Kitts/UK)
76. The Halfway House by Guillermo Rosales (Cuba/US)
77. How I Became a Nun by César Aira (Argentina)
78. The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre (France)
79. Ravel by Jean Echenoz (France)
80. Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
***81. Hoppla! 1 2 3 by Gérard Gavarry (France)
82. Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones (UK)
83. The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Tóibín (Ireland)
***84. The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat (Iran)

July:
85. Ghosts by César Aira (Argentina)
86. Medical London: City of Diseases, City of Cures by Richard Barnett (UK)
87. Chess Story by Stefan Zweig (Austria)
***88. The Postman by Antonio Skármeta (Chile)
89. Nostalgic Views of Atlanta {Atlanta History Center}
90. Mercury Under My Tongue by Sylvain Trudel (Canada)
91. The Fête at Coqueville by Émile Zola (France)
92. Flaw by Magdalena Tulli (Poland)
93. The Observer by Matt Charman (UK)
94. Literary Cafés of Paris by Noël Riley Fitch
95. Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi (UK)

August:
***96. Palafox by Eric Chevillard (France)
97. The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds (UK)
98. Literary Paris: A Guide by Jessica Powell
99. Not Untrue & Not Unkind by Ed O'Loughlin (Ireland)
100. Journey into the Past by Stefan Zweig (Austria)
101. Harare North by Brian Chikwava (UK)
102. Another Gulmohar Tree by Aamer Hussein (Pakistan/UK)
103. Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne (Sri Lanka/UK)
104. England People Very Nice by Richard Bean (UK)
105. The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (UK)
106. Derelict London by Paul Talling (UK)
***107. Me Cheeta: The Autobiography by James Lever (UK)
108. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (US)
109. The Trial of Robert Mugabe by Chielo Zona Eze (Nigeria)
110. The Country Where No One Ever Dies by Ornela Vorpsi (Albania)
111. How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall (UK)
112. Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Rachel Fershleiser (US)

September:
113. Summertime by J.M. Coetzee (South Africa)
114. Beauty Salon by Mario Bellatin (Mexico)
115. Love and Summer by William Trevor (Ireland)
116. Blood & Guts: A Short History of Medicine by Roy Porter (UK)
117. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (UK)
118. Coloured Lights by Leila Aboulela (Sudan)
119. A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua)
120. The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe (US)
121. A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro (Japan/UK)
122. At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua)
123. The Flood by Emile Zola (France)

October:
124. The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt (UK)
125. Solo by Rana Dasgupta (India)
***126. Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin (US)
127. My Men by Malika Mokeddem (Algeria)
128. Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux (France)
129. The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
130. "I Remain in Darkness" by Annie Ernaux (France)
131. The Education of a British-Protected Child: Essays by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)
132. Dance with Snakes by Horacio Castellanos Moya (El Salvador)
133. North of Hell by Miguel Correa Mujica (Cuba)
134. Running by Jean Echenoz (France)
135. The Possession by Annie Ernaux (France)

November:
136. A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux (France)
137. A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke (Austria)
138. Translation is a Love Affair by Jacques Poulin (Canada)
139. An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (UK)
140. City Gates by Elias Khoury (Lebanon)
141. A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux (France)
142. Shame by Annie Ernaux (France)
143. Creole Folktales by Patrick Chamoiseau (Martinique)

Message edited by its author, Nov 9, 2009, 4:04am.

a little jar of Miracle Whip tiptoes in....

LOL! Now I'll have to create another thread...

*tiptoes in*

HELLO! (hello) ECHO (echo) ANYBODY HERE? (dyhere)

Here! (it's 8.45 pm over here...v quiet in LT-land!)

Not mentioning the unmentionable. And also wishing I could come on your trip to San Francisco.

#2 knew someone would take up that taunt! ;)

When're you off to SF?

Yeah, I figured it wouldn't be too long before someone spread the offending substance over the new thread.

I leave for SF tomorrow morning, and fly back the Sunday after next (10/25).

Oh, wow... have a GREAT time. My mum is off to Siena in a week or so, and a good friend just got back from Mauritius... everyone seems to be having nice holidays.

Rachael, when I first read your post, I was barely awake and hadn't had coffee yet, so when you wrote that your mother was going to Siena, I thought "Hmm, she's going to Siena College? Albany, New York wouldn't be on my list of top vacation spots." Then my neurons began to work, and I decided to look up Siena on Wikipedia. What a beautiful looking city! Why isn't she taking you along? Bad mum.

She's touring with her choir! I'd love to go with her but it's the kids' half-term so I'll be 'entertaining the troops'... it is a gorgeous city. We stayed there for a couple of days when a good friend got married in Italy a few years ago.

Ah, Siena, lovely.... (sigh)

Have a lovely time in SF!

My best wishes for the trip as well (since you refuse to miniaturize Ruth and me!)

Unfortunately my shrink ray only works for a couple of hours, so you & Ruth would return to normal size in mid-flight. :)

No, I want to stay permanently shrinked (shrunk?) - especially my weight!

I am permanently shrunk and its not so fun. I can't reach things, I can't find clothes that fit, my trousers always look scruffy cos they drag and people treat me like a child cos I'm so small.

We're never happy with what we've got, are we??

Jenny

Somedays I'm very happy with what I've got...a wonderful, special granddaughter to love, a great mate who is considerate and kind, a sheltie dog who is intelligent, warm and fuzzy, a job that is challenging and unique, a warm house on a rainy night, and shelves filled with books...lots and lots of books.

Regarding my weight..ugh, that is something that I continue to struggle with.

Darryl, I hope you have a lovely trip! I've never been to San Francisco, so I'll be anxious to learn of your impressions.

Lucky you, Daryl.... SF is wonderful at this time of the year ....but gets cold when the fog rolls in in the evening. And all those wonderful restaurants! And the downtown Farmers' Market ... oooh what a delightful place to walk around and sit with a book over brunch.

SF should be nice for most of the trip, with highs in the mid to upper 60s, and hopefully no more rain. I find that it's often less cold there in October than it is in July or August, and less foggy, in keeping with the famous Mark Twain quote about the city. A few years ago I went to a SF Giants baseball game at Pac Bell Park on a July evening, and bought a suede coat at J. Crew to wear to the game, as it dropped to the low 50s or high 40s during the game. I use that coat as a winter coat in Atlanta!

I definitely like the Farmers' Market, and the restaurants and shops in the Ferry Terminal Building, although one of my favorite eateries, Mistral, closed operations there earlier this year or late last year. There are a ton of great restaurants there, and some fantastic outdoor cafes. My favorite is Caffe Greco on Columbus Avenue in North Beach, near its intersection with Stockton Street, and a short walk from City Lights Bookstore. I'll normally start my days with a long leisurely breakfast there, then head to City Lights just after it opens at 10 am. It's also a great place for a late night dessert, with wonderful Italian desserts and drinks, and a perfect place to read the Sunday New York Times, when the owners usually play Italian opera music.

Tomorrow I'll probably head to Caffe Greco and City Lights in the afternoon or early evening. On Friday I'll take Caltrain from SF to Palo Alto to go to a conference at Stanford on the management of eating disorders in adolescents. A former med school classmate and good friend of mine will also attend this conference, and afterward we'll meet up with another ex-classmate who lives near San Jose for dinner; the three of us usually get together once or twice a year. The SF Jazz Festival starts next week, and I have tickets for five performances, along with a Sunday afternoon performance at Yoshi's, a famous jazz club and Japanese restaurant in Oakland.

I finally did some reading today; I'm almost halfway through My Men by Malika Mokeddem, which I'll be reviewing for the second issue of Belletrista. I'll bring two other books with me, Solo by Rana Dasgupta, which won the Guardian's "Not the Booker" prize for the best book that wasn't nominated for this year's Booker Prize, and The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa.

I definitely want to be in your pocked for the SF Jazz festival!

Ooooh, travel envy - you make me want to go back to SF!!

That's it - I'm definitely going to book a holiday...

Ooh.. City Lights.... love that place.

Did you hear that a number of restaurants in Palo Alto have had fires break out this year? Really bizarre ... made me wonder if there was a crazy food-hating arsonist running around the town.

If you haven't already been there (and even if you already have), try to have dinner at Zibibbo in Palo Alto - it's on Kipling Street and is the baby restaurant of Lulu in SF.

I made it to SF safely, although it took forever to leave SFO airport.

I hadn't heard about the Palo Alto restaurant fires, Caroline. That's very weird; PA isn't exactly a hotbed of crime. I hardly ever go to any PA restaurants anymore, now that my best friend moved from PA after he finished his neurology residency at Stanford. The last place I ate in PA is Ming's, on Embarcadero. My two friends (ex-med school classmates) that I'll be visiting tomorrow are Chinese-American (actually Yvonne is originally from Taipei, and Anlin spent most of her childhood in Shanghai), so we usually go to neighborhood Chinese restaurants and order family style.

I'm sure that I've never been to Zibibbo. I haven't yet been to LuLu, but I usually go to LuLu Petite in the Ferry Terminal Marketplace at least 2-3 times every trip.

Are you from the Bay Area, Caroline?

My favorite place in Palo Alto, which unfortunately isn't there anymore, was Printers Inc., a bookstore connected to a restaurant/cafe. On Sundays when I was in SF, I'd often visit my friend, his wife and young daughter in PA, and we'd usually start the day there, with breakfast, the Sunday NYT, and the purchase of a couple of books (his wife is also an avid reader, I'm trying to recruit her to LT). Then we would often drive to Santa Cruz and, among other things, hit the Bookshop Santa Cruz, a fantastic book store. Now they've moved to Madison, Wisconsin, which lacks an ocean beach, good independent bookstores and hippies.

My friend is making reservations for us tomorrow night at Kiku Sushi in Cupertino, which is near her home in Saratoga (I think).

I think I'll grab a late lunch, take a nap, and then head over to Caffe Greco and City Lights. I hardly slept on the plane, but I did read almost 200 pages of Solo by Rana Dasgupta, which is very good so far.

Glad you had a safe flight out to SF, Darryl.

I live in MA, but I've spent quite a bit of time in SF both for work and to visit friends who live in and around the city. So I'm usually there at least once or twice a year. One of my friends works at the Carnegie Institute in Standford , so visiting her means I get to traipse through PA.

Enjoy your dinner tomorrow night. If there's one thing CA has plenty of, it's great restaurants serving top grade sushi and sashimi. Since I know you'll be posting a review of Solo soon, I won't turn but a very light shade of green from envy.

Hope you have a great time in SF - I'm very jealous of your imminent sushi experience! I really miss the good Japanese restaurants in New York.

Rachael I'm also jealous of your mum's trip to Siena! We had a fantastic few days there in 2003 (but freezing cold...it was early January and the hotel scrimped on heating). I'm pretty sure the end of one of Iain Pears' mysteries is set in the cathedral tower there.

I finished Solo by Rana Dasgupta this morning; I need to re-read a couple of sections before I write a review, but it was a good read.

This is my first haul from City Lights Bookstore, from Thursday night:

Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by Robin Kelley: a biography of the legendary jazz pianist.

The Good Doctors: The Medical Committee for Human Rights and the Struggle for Social Justice in Health Care by John Dittmer: the "untold story" of the Medical Committee for Human Rights, which was formed during the height of the US civil rights movement and played a role in the care of demonstrators injured during Freedom Summer, the 1965 Selma march, and the 1968 Democratic Convention, and in exposing discriminatory medical practices by the American Medical Association and hospitals in the South and elsewhere.

The Education of a British-Protected Child by Chinua Achebe: a new collection of essays by the famed Nigerian author and winner of the 2007 Man Booker International Prize.

To Die for the People by Huey P. Newton: the latest book published by City Lights Books, which is a collection of writings and speeches by the founder of the Black Panther Party.

The Word Book by Mieko Kanai: a short novel by an acclaimed Japanese poet, fiction-writer and critic, which is her first English-language translation; I'll probably review this for an upcoming issue of Belletrista.

Dance with Snakes by Horacio Castellanos Moya: a novella about people living on the margins of society in post-civil war El Salvador.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: a classic tale, which I'll read for this month's Reading Globally theme (Ghoulies and Ghosties).

How the Two Ivans Quarrelled by Nikolai Gogol: an early novella which is "the story of two long-time friends who have a falling out when one of them calls the other a "goose"."

Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin: a "controversial" autobiographical novella about "youth culture attacking the mainstream."

Message edited by its author, Oct 23, 2009, 12:18pm.

Wow - that is a very eclectic haul, Darryl. Sociology, biography, Russian and Global titles galore. Cannot wait for your reviews.

Nice pickings, Darryl. I loved How the Two Ivans when I read it. Enjoy the weather .. it's pretty chilly out here in MA now

Hi Kidzdoc,

Found you and starred you. Your list leaves me very humbled. I see you've already read Wolf's Hall. I'm going to look for your review to see how you liked it.

Darryl..
What a great list of books! If has a Christmas like feel to it...All those wonderful gifts you can open throughout the year and enjoy.

ye gods man, traveling again?!?

We be safe and have fun and feel hugged......

#28: Thanks, Karen. I've already finished Shoplifting from American Apparel , which was short but very juvenile. I've started reading "The Education of a British-Protected Child", and will read several of the others this week.

#29: Thanks, Caroline. I'll read How the Two Ivans Quarrelled later this week. Sorry to hear about the bad weather in MA and the Northeast, hopefully it will warm up soon.

#30: Welcome, brenzi! Wolf Hall is one of my top five reads of the year, and I'll be looking for more books by Hilary Mantel later this week.

#31: You're right, Linda; starting a new book from a favorite bookstore is liking opening a new Christmas present. I'll probably go back to City Lights for more "presents" tomorrow; "The Passport" by Herta Müller is supposed to be re-released tomorrow.

#32: Hi, kath! I normally visit San Francisco for the SF Jazz Festival in mid to late October. Spending time with two of my closest friends and their husbands and sons on my trips is priceless, although we're all realizing that we want to spend more time with each other; so, we're thinking about taking a vacation together, probably a cruise, in the near future.

Reviews coming soon...I finished Solo and Shoplifting from American Apparel yesterday, will finish "My Men" this afternoon (although I'll be reviewing that book for Belletrista), and will probably finish The Education of a British-Protected Child later today or tomorrow. I've also started The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa.

Book #125: Solo by Rana Dasgupta

My rating: Solo was selected by readers of the Guardian's Books page as the inaugural winner of the paper's "Not the Booker" prize, for the best book that was not nominated for this year's Booker Prize. This captivating novel is divided into two distinct and minimally related parts, or movements. In the first movement, 'Dream', we are introduced to Ulrich as he approaches his 100th birthday in his home town of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. He has no heirs and is nearly penniless, and he despairs that his life's work has been meaningless. Ulrich reviews his life from early youth, and uncovers the multiple external disappointments and personal failures that characterized his early life. His father throws his beloved violin in the fire, destroying his dream of becoming a classical musician, and he is forced to give up his university studies in Berlin before obtaining his degree, and to say goodbye to the love of his life. He returns to mid-1920s Sofia, where brutal government suppression of dissidents leads to personal tragedy. The country is devastated by World War II and its aftermath, as the communist regime strips Ulrich and his mother of dignity and freedom. He is able to use his chemistry background to eke out a meager living, but unscrupulous apparatchiks thwart and destroy his best efforts. He is given a pittance of a pension, and only the grudging generosity of his neighbors prevents him from homelessness.

The second movement, 'Daydreams', is initially set in post-communist Bulgaria and Georgia at the turn of the century, and features three young people eager to make their mark: Khatuna, a beautiful and ruthless woman who uses powerful men and her own considerable wit and skill to climb out of poverty; her brother Irakli, a sensitive and troubled poet; Boris, a farm boy and talented violinist; and 'Plastic' Munari, a popular music producer in the US whose discovery of Boris leads to a meteoric rise that threatens to engulf and destroy all of them in a post-9/11 America that is both welcoming and fearful of eastern European culture. Toward the end of this movement Ulrich makes several appearances, which provide a linkage to the first movement as this symphonic novel closes.

This novel manages to cover a lot of territory for its relatively short length of just over 350 pages, with rich portrayals of its main and secondary characters. The differences between the first and second movements are quite striking, and it took me quite awhile to get used to the flow of the second half. Once I did, the novel regained its hold on me. This would have been a worthy nominee for the Booker Prize, and it would have made my shortlist had it been selected. Highly recommended.

Message edited by its author, Oct 19, 2009, 9:45am.

Book #126: Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin

My rating:

Reading this novella after finishing "Solo" was the literary equivalent of eating a Pop Tart after a fantastic dinner. The narrator of this autobiographical novel is an aimless twentysomething with the maturity of a 12 year old, who works in a vegan restaurant and gets caught shoplifting from American Apparel, then is caught shoplifting again. The characters and dialogue are quite puerile, and even though it is only 103 pages long, I skimmed the last half of the book. Recommended only for fans of 'Beavis and Butthead' and Fox TV.

Message edited by its author, Oct 19, 2009, 6:41am.

#34: I must say - I love it - 'not the Booker prize!' I have added the book to the reading list I always glean from your threads, Daryl.

BTW - I read The Good Doctors earlier this year and it made my 'memorable' reads list for the year. I will be interested in your take on it.

Congratulations on the haul of books!

>34 Solo sounds really good and since I've found that so many times the books that don't get the Booker are excellent I think this one will go on my TBR list. Great reviwe.

I've made minor corrections to my review of Solo, and downgraded my rating of Shoplifting from American Apparel from 1-1/2 stars to 1/2 star, as I think it is the worst book I've read this year.

I doubt that I'll get to The Good Doctors this week, Stasia, but I'll probably read it sometime in November, maybe Thanksgiving week.

After breakfast I'll head back to City Lights, as The Passport by Herta Müller is supposed to be re-released by Serpent's Tail Press today.

the literary equivalent of eating a Pop Tart after a fantastic dinner.

Ha - Kidzdoc - that is a great phrase. I think Solo sounds very worthwhile - thanks for the great review. (Cripes - there are a lot of Solo touchstones!)

I don't think I have seen a half star from you before.

This is my second haul from City Lights Bookstore, from this morning:

The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor: Shortlisted for the 2002 Booker Prize, "this haunting story of love, loss and hope captures the atmosphere of a country in turmoil and the heart-rending emotions of a family torn apart. The tragedy that unfolds when the Gault family come to follow their neighbours into exile is one that will blight them for many years to come."

The Wild Things by Dave Eggers: This is Eggers' newest novel, based loosely on the classic Maurice Sendak children's book.

Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux: A novella about a woman who is at the end of a two-year all-consuming relationship with a married man.

"I Remain in Darkness" by Annie Ernaux: An award-winning memoir of Ms Ernaux's relationship with her mother during the last days of her life.

Who Ate Up All the Shinga? by Wan-Suh Park: An autobiographical novel of the award-winning author's 'experiences growing up during the Japanese occupation of Korea and the Korean War, a time of great oppression, deprivation, and social and political instability.'

Fludd by Hilary Mantel: A novel in which a mysterious stranger turns up in a dismal postwar English village and transforms the town for the better.

Blokes: The Bad Boys of British Literature by David Castronovo: A short historical work about several British mid-20th century writers who 'transformed British heritage', with chapters on Philip Larkin, Kingsley Amis, John Osborne, and Kenneth Tynan.

We Are All Moors: Ending Centuries of Crusades Against Muslims and Other Minorities by Anouar Majid: A historical work which contends that 'the acrimonious debates about immigration and Islam in the West are the cultural legacy of the conflict between Christians and Moors.'

Message edited by its author, Oct 19, 2009, 7:28pm.

I read The Story of Lucy Gault several years ago. It is a startling and very sad read that I hope you love as much as did.

Darryl - are you leaving any books in City Lights for others before you leave SF? ;-) What an interesting basket of books you carried out with you.

I love your review of Solo. That's definitely made it to my wishlist. And since I detest pop tarts I shall steer clear of Tao Lin's book. Thanks for the warning.

Message edited by its author, Oct 19, 2009, 11:24pm.

#39: You're right, Karen; this is the only book I've read this year that I've given a half-star rating to. I think the only other book I've given this rating to was The Dim Sum of All Things, which I tried to read several years ago.

I should have mentioned that I bought Solo in London this summer after reading a review in the Guardian, and it has not yet been published in the US or Canada. However, the Book Depository has it in stock.

#41: I'm looking forward to reading The Story of Lucy Gault, after I read and enjoyed Love and Summer by Trevor a couple of months ago.

#42: Fortunately City Lights has plenty of books left over, although not always the ones that some tourists are looking for. One very annoying woman today loudly lamented that her friend's book was not available, and several years ago a self-righteous conservative chastised the staff for not stocking books by Ann Coulter and Ayn Rand. ¡Qué horror!

Despite the sizable haul, it was a slightly disappointing trip, as I only found one of the 14 books that were on my handwritten list.

So, Caroline, which is worse, Pop Tarts or Miracle Whip?

Pop tart after a fantastic dinner - I shall be using that one! ;)

kidzdoc:
I saw Where the Wild Things Are on Friday. I really enjoyed the movie. Eggers wrote the screenplay, so I hope the book is just as good. I will be looking for that review.

I can't wait to see the Wild Things movie - the previews look fantastic.

At the end of the movie I felt very happy. Our whole group seemed to be thinking about it the rest of the night too. Almost everyone cried. I was not the huge fan of the book that most people in my age group were. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

Just added Who ate up all the Shinga? to the Wish List. But what Shinga?

Lucy Gault will either break your heart, or (if you are the sort of person whose teeth are set on edge by Thomas Hardy) make you very cross. It kind of did both to me. More plot than Love and Summer, but it shares some of the atmosphere.

Book #127: My Men by Malika Mokeddem (4 stars): My review will appear in issue #2 of Belletrista.

Book #128: Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux (4-1/2 stars): I'm planning to review this for issue #3 of Belletrista.

Message edited by its author, Oct 20, 2009, 6:51pm.

There is also a claymation version of Fantastic Mr Fox out, which looks great too.

I'll plan to see the movie Where the Wild Things Are after I read the book.

I'm that much more eager to read The Story of Lucy Gault now; I'm trying to imagine being heartbroken and very cross at the same time!

What is shinga? From the introduction:

"Those about to embark on the work may rightly wonder just what a shinga is. Although the nature of this edible plant, which grew in abundance around Park's native Kaesong, will become clearer as the text proceeds, curious readers should rest assured that they are not alone in their perplexity. The author deliberately opted for a title that would leave the vast majority of Koreans scratching their heads, and the Korean name of the plant has no precise English equivalent (the Latin name seems to be Aconogonon alpinum, for the insatiably curious), hence our decision to romanize the term in our title."

Clear as mud?

Message edited by its author, Nov 7, 2009, 11:51am.

Another haul from City Lights:

Three books by the Martiniquian author Patrick Chamoiseau: Creole Folktales, a collection of stories he heard as a child in Martinique; Solibo Magnificent, a mystery cum political satire that takes place during Carnival; and School Days, a narrative based on the author's childhood in Fort-de-France, Martinique.

The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector: This is the final novel of the "premier Latin American women prose writer of {the 20th} century", which is about a wretched young woman living in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, who finds love from an unlikely suitor.

Three by Perec by Georges Perec: A collection of three novellas by this "master of the verbal firecracker."

Cleaned Out by Annie Ernaux: A novel about a young college student in the aftermath of a complicated back-alley abortion.

I'd never heard of Clarice Lispector before this month - have still only read the opening portion of Lorrie Moore's NYRB piece, but she sounds completely fascinating. Our booksellers have picked Benjamin Moser's new biography as their 'Bookseller's Choice' this week.

Will be interested to hear what you make of her...

One of the things that I like about you is that you take friendship seriously.. and that you are close to your parents.. and clearly care deeply about them..
and you have a sense of humor and you read and you ..

well never mind. you seem tobe very clost to being an almost perfect ... well..
whatever you are to whomever... you know what I mean?

hugs ( mask firmly in place)

Joining in the admiration club, here!!

a href="http://www.glitter-graphics.com">

Count me in as a member of the Darryl is great fan club!

Aw, gawrsh (said in my best Goofy voice)...my ears are turning red!

I'm with you, Rachael, I hadn't heard about Clarice Lispector until I read a glowing review of her biography recently. That book was one of several that I wanted but have decided to pass on for now, including the new translation of The Tin Drum and the new novel by Orhan Pamuk, The Museum of Innocence. I'll read The Hour of the Star later in the week, after I finish The Time of the Hero later today or tomorrow.

Interesting look ( red ears)

Do the red ears make you look like this?

Aaackkk! *runs away*

Aaahhh!!! My thread has been invaded by a Tasmanian devil! Nice kitty...

hey a Tassy ... aren't they cute?!

Darryl, I love your eclectic book selections. I see you are continuing to deplete the inventory of City Lights ... their faces must light up like Christmas trees everytime they see you coming through the door. Your third haul sounds really interesting, with the exception of Cleaned Out which sounds like it could be a sad story. Usually when the words 'back-alley' and 'abortion' are in the same sentence, it's a prelude for things that will go wrong.

hmmm...Pop Tarts or Miracle Whip? I'd have to say MW is worse. Ooh..MW on Pop Tarts?!

More books! First, from Aardvark Books, a great bookstore, especially for used books (on Church Street, 1/2 block south of Market Street), I found four books that were on my handwritten list:

Jerusalém by Gonçalo M. Tavares: This breakthrough novel by this Portuguese novelist was just published yesterday in the US by Dalkey Archive, "Jerusalem is a terrifying and grimly humorous summation of the possibilities and limits of the human condition at the beginning of the 21st century."

The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov Enquist: I bought this for the January Reading Globally theme read (Sweden); a historical novel based on the life of Johann Friedrich Struensee, the court physician to a mad young King Christian, who ascended to become the most powerful person in 1760s Denmark, had an affair with the Queen, and introduced hundreds of reforms in that country, before suffering a "tragic demise".

The Giant, O'Brien by Hilary Mantel: I added this to my list, after kiwidoc's review of it yesterday.

The Two Kinds of Decay by Sarah Manguso: A memoir written by a 21 year old award-winning poet, who was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder during her last year at Harvard, and uses her literary skilll to describe her experience with chronic illness and pain.

And, I bought two books from Green Apple Books, a bookstore in SF's Richmond District that is regularly voted the best independent bookstore in the city; this was my first visit to the store, but it won't be my last!

Nadirs by Herta Müller: This was a lucky find, after I asked the woman at the front counter if they had any of the new Nobelist's books; the store had just gotten it in stock earlier today, and hadn't put it on the shelf yet. This is a "collection of largely autobiographical stories based on {her} childhood in the Romanian countryside."

Sizwe's Test: A Young Man's Journey Through Africa's AIDS Epidemic by Jonny Steinberg: This is on the shortlist for the inaugural Wellcome Trust Book Prize, which "celebrates the best of medicine in literature", and is an account of the impact of the epidemic on a small South African village.

By my count, I've bought 29 books since I came to SF last week. I'll now have to see how much room I have in my "book bag", to see if I can buy any more. Fortunately most of these books are small- to medium-sized paperbacks, so I should be able to buy a few more, heh heh.

Message edited by its author, Oct 21, 2009, 8:44pm.

#63: You're right about City Lights, Caroline. Two of the guys who usually work there during the day know me, one of them on a first name basis. The other one gave me a free item on Monday, in thanks for my "loyal support". I'm thinking that I'm possibly the only "loyal customer" that lives over 2000 miles away from the bookstore!

Since you find the Tasmanian devil "cute", I'll ask it to move to your thread.

Miracle Whip on a Pop Tart?!?! I think I need an IV infusion of Pepto-Bismol...

Message edited by its author, Oct 23, 2009, 12:31pm.

I remember your glowing comments regarding Wolf Hall. Thus, I'll be watching for your review of The Giant, O'Brien to see if you find this equally as good.

It sounds like you are having a dream time in SF!

So how large is this "book bag", Darryl? Whenever I go to Australia, I find myself buying a fair number of books there that I don't easily find over here ... and instead of lugging it all the way back, and either herniating a disk, or breaking the scale at the airport's check-in counter, I usually lug all of them over to our office before I leave and have them ship it back to my office in the US for me.

c'mon Tassy.... you're always welcome onto my thread as long as you behave and don't claw it to shreds.

Stop buying books. Its not fair on those of us who have a book buying ban, and it makes our wishlist/tbr lists shudder in fear.

Why can't you do something boring and not jealously inspiring like.........go and sit in the middle of a roundabout for a week?

Caroline, my "book bag" is a Travelpro Deluxe Tote, pretty similar to the one below, which is 16" x 8" x 12":



I'm like you, I buy books that I can't find easily in Atlanta, Philly or NYC, and I avoid buying large books that would take up too much space. Of course, the two worst things about the end of my SF journeys are (1) leaving SF, and (2) lugging a moderately heavy extra bag. I almost succumbed and bought the new Orhan Pamuk novel yesterday, but I'm sure that my local Borders in Atlanta will have it.

BTW, thanks for inviting the devil to your thread; he was starting to eye me hungrily.

Jenny! You're so mean (but funny as hell)! Fortunately for me, there are no roundabouts in SF; maybe I could smother myself in Caroline's Miracle Whip and offer myself to the sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf instead. However, being palatally sophisticated sea lions, they probably wouldn't take more than a nip at me.

Dammit! Guess I'll have to think of other punishments for you then.

I just found the recipe for a Tuna Pineapple Salad made with Miracle Whip. Perhaps I'll force you to eat it until you promise to lead an untempting life ;)

Great haul of books, Darryl. I have read The Royal Physician's Visit - a heavy book but worthwhile, and of course the Mantel. Lucky finding the Muller book - my library only carries the Plum title, but I guess that will change with her recent win.

Hope you are enjoying the West Coast. Further up here in Vancouver, we are starting into our rainy season - puts most people in a moldy mood for a while until they adjust to the low light.

Okay, just the threat of that concoction is enough to put me on the straight and narrow path. After I return to Atlanta, I'll enroll in the local chapter of Bookoholics Anonymous.

Karen, I purchased a paperback copy of The Royal Physician's Visit, which wasn't large at all. The Müller book was a lucky find, as none of the other Bay Area bookstores I've visited have any of her books at the moment. City Lights did have a few, but they sold out soon after the prize announcement.

The weather here has been very nice, except for a brief deluge on Monday afternoon, with highs in the upper 60s and a good amount of sun from mid-morning on, after the fog lifts.

Message edited by its author, Oct 22, 2009, 9:19pm.

My tactics have worked and my job here is done.

Right, now I've got to go and de-rail Stasia.............................soon, my tbr pile will be under threat of increase no longer and you will all be under my control *insert evil laugh*

Darryl, That looks like a good book bag. How many average sized paperbacks can it generally hold? I usually have one extra bag that I have to check at the end of a trip to Australia, Singapore or Hong Kong because they carry more Aussie, Indian, British and local authors ... it's only if my bag threatens to set off overweight alarms that I ship the excess back through our local office. Thankfully, I travel enough that my status on some airlines waive the recent bag check fees.

Go lunacat! You're helping slow the impending explosion of my tbr and wishlist piles and i appreciate it.

Message edited by its author, Oct 22, 2009, 4:19pm.

I finished The Time of the Hero this morning, which I'll review tomorrow, and I've just finished "I Remain in Darkness" by Annie Ernaux, which I'll review for Belletrista. I'll start Creole Folktales by Patrick Chamoiseau this evening, and continue reading "The Education of a British-Protected Child" by Chinua Achebe.

Caroline, my tote bag is able to hold all 29 books I've purchased on this trip, which consists of 10 hardcover and 19 paperback books, if that gives you an idea of what it can hold.

Does the bag come with Hercules to help me carry it if I load it up with as many as you have? ;-)

The mere thought of dragging along that many books in that admittedly lovely bag makes me swoon.

Thank the goddess for online ordering...

---off to find some pepto for myself.. poptarts are bad enough, but...

kidzdoc, your threads make me all flustered and jittery. you always amass such an amazing collection of books on your trips. and you having me feigning to go to SF and visit this City Lights book store. My parents have also raved about SF. I must make this happen in 2010. :)

(Munch) Mmph, now that I've finished eating a scrumptious carne asada burrito mojado at my favorite killer taquería in SF, I'll say that the best thing about SF is the food! If you avoid the touristy places (Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf) and the yuppie-infested fusion restaurants (Financial District, SoMa), and go to the authentic neighborhood places (Chinatown, Mission District, Sunset District, North Beach), and pop in to almost any place that has a lot of neighborhood people in it, especially if the signs and menus are not primarily in English, there is a 90% or better chance you will have the best Szechuan, Cantonese, Japanese, Mexican, Vietnamese, or Italian food you've ever had... although you may not understand the waiter or vice versa!

For example, I often go to Hing Lung Restaurant in Chinatown, which specializes in juk (which is a rice porridge; I prefer the seafood juk, which has a variety of very fresh fish and shellfish). Most times when I go there I'll be the only non-Chinese person in the place, and several times the waitress has had to get someone else who works there (one of the owners?) to take my order, as she spoke little or no English. And the best dim sum I've ever had was when one of my friends that I visited last week & I walked along Clement Street (an area populated mainly by Chinese- and Korean-Americans) and popped into a Cantonese restaurant that neither of us had ever been to.

Of course, the California cuisine is also very good!

Okay, I'll stop here...but there are many many other reasons to visit SF (bookstores, jazz, Napa Valley, Berkeley and Palo Alto, the coast (Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel), ocean, great views, etc.). I highly recommend the Access San Francisco guide, which separates the city into neighborhoods and is a great resource for first-time or frequent visitors.

Message edited by its author, Oct 23, 2009, 6:07pm.

Before tonight's SF Jazz Festival concert, which featured the Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet, I stopped by the nearby Books Inc. store, briefly listened to Kay Redfield Jamison speak about her new book, Nothing Was the Same, and bought two books:

Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson by Wil Haygood: A biography of the great American middleweight boxer of the mid-20th century, which was released last week.

Cheating at Canasta by William Trevor: A collection of short stories by the author of Love and Summer, Books Inc. had this on sale for $4.98.

Dr. Jamison is a clinical psychologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the author of one of my favorite books, An Unquiet Mind, in which she chronicles her experiences with bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. Unfortunately I had to leave the bookstore before her talk ended, in order to make it to the concert on time.

The Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet's performance was the best of the ones I've seen so far, with an interesting and dynamic interplay between the saxophonist (Yosvany Terry), trumpeter/clarinetist (Alex Sipiagin) and pianist (Rubalcaba). On one song the horn players took alternating solos, which became progressively shorter and more intense, until both played their solos simultaneously, something I had never heard before. This new quintet can be heard on Rubalcaba's latest CD, "Avatar"; I found a YouTube video that has excerpts from this CD:

GONZALO RUBALCABA - EXCERPTS FROM ALBUM 'AVATAR' 2008

I finished The Education of a British-Protected Child: Essays by Chinua Achebe this afternoon, and started Dance with Snakes by Horacio Castellanos Moya tonight. I'm still reading Creole Folktales by Patrick Chamoiseau, and I'll start Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original either tomorrow or Sunday, when I fly back to Atlanta.

I am looking forward to your review of the Achebe book. I also cannot wait to see what you think of the Thelonious Monk book.

Safe travels back to Atlanta, Daryl.

Thanks, Stasia. I'll probably post reviews of the Achebe, Llosa, Moya and Chamoiseau books on Sunday or Monday. The Monk biography is over 600 pages long, so I probably won't finish it until sometime in November.

Nope, I expect Monk to be read while you are on the plane. No disembarking until you are finished!

You spend far too much time doing interesting and exciting things. What did I tell you....................BE BORING!!!!!!!!!!

Take heart, dearest Jenny; today is my last full day in San Francisco (sob). I won't go anywhere after that until late November, when I'll spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my family in the Northeast, and I doubt I'll find anything interesting or exciting to do in Atlanta between now and then.

(Close your eyes, Jenny.) Stasia, I'd be happy to stay in San Francisco until I finish the Monk biography and all of the other books I've purchased here. I could also report on most of the other SF Jazz Festival performances; the festival doesn't end until November 21st. Oh, right; there's that work thing I'm supposed to be doing. Never mind...

Can I open my eyes yet?

No, not until I get on the plane tomorrow afternoon. :)

I'm amazed and proud of you for holding back and ONLY buying 2 books, Darryl. I won't assume that it was in consideration of our loudly groaning piles of tbr books added as a result of your vaulted recommendations.

safe travels back to Atlanta

Oh. But I've got to go to work tomorrow. How am I going to drive or muck out the horses??

#90: Um...um...I have some bad news, dearest Caroline and Jenny (in my best embarrassed spouse voice). I stopped at City Lights after breakfast, and picked up 11 more books! (I'm now cringing, awaiting a finger-wagging lecture: "Didn't I tell you not to buy any more books!!!")

North of Hell by Miguel Correa Mujica: Originally published in 1984 and "hailed as a masterwork throughout the Spanish-speaking literary world", a novel about ordinary Cubans "gagged and confined" by the Castro regime.

Waylaid by Ed Lin: A coming-of-age novel about a "Chinese-American boy struggling to grow up amidst the drudgery and sexual innuendo of his parents' sleazy motel on the Jersey Shore."

Close to Jedenew by Kevin Vennemann: A novella about an actual historic incident, in which a group of children tell about a murderous rampage conducted by farmers of a small Polish town against the local Jewish population.

Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal: A "postwar classic about a young man's coming of age in German-occupied Czechoslovakia", as a railroad apprentice heroically confronts a trainload of Nazis.

Running by Jean Echenoz: A fiictionalized portrait of the Czech runner Emil Zápotek, who won three gold medals at the 1952 Olympics but became a victim of the communist regime in that country.

Selected Cronicas by Clarice Lispector: A collection of columns that the author wrote for Jornal do Brasil, Rio's leading newspaper, from 1967 to 1973, which variously take the form of "serialized stories, essays, aphorisms, conversations with taxi drivers, random thoughts, introspective revelations, {and} memories."

A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke: A New York Review Books classic, in which the author confronts his mother's suicide in the context of her life during and after the Nazi era in Germany.

The She-Devil in the Mirror by Horacio Castellanos Moya: A novel about "a 'typical' superficial telenovela-like Salvadoran upper-class heroine" who investigates her friend's murder, and then descends into madness.

Waves by Bei Dao: A collection of short stories by "China's foremost modern poet", about ordinary individuals caught up in the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath.

City Gates by Elias Khoury: A "fable of displacement and a visionary tale about the consequences of civil war in the Middle East."

Street of Lost Footsteps by Lyonel Trouillot: A "harrowing novel {that} depicts a night of blazing violence in modern-day Port-au-Prince", which "recals hundreds of years of violence stretching back even before the birth of Haiti in the fires of revolution."

Whew. These are all short works, with only one greater than 200 pages, so I should be able to fit them in my luggage without much difficulty.

I'll finish Dance with Snakes by Horacio Castellanos Moya later this afternoon, and review it with the others tomorrow or Monday.

Holy macaroni!! Now where are you going to put them all? Each time I slink it with another bag full I'm always worried someone is going to commit me.

Fortunately my place is big enough to fit these extra books. I do need to buy some more bookcases, though...

I have the same fear about being committed! Oh well, excessive book buying is a victimless and harmless vice, right?

What an interesting haul - I'm already looking forward to your comments on a few of these. And you have my permission to buy as many books as you can carry on any of your trips.

I'd have had to commit myself if not for the fact that I KNOW you're not going to have time to go back to City Lights before your flight home. Arrrgghhhh.... what are you doing to me, Darryl? How could be so mean as to tempt me with this latest haul? They ALL sound positively intriguing

Yikes...a day away from your thread and I returned to find 30 messages!

You may find it humorous that the conversations regarding miracle whip inspirited me to buy oscar meyer bologna today when I went grocery shopping.

Tonight I'm going to drink a glass of milk and eat a bologna sandwich with lots of miracle whip and partake of the treat while reading Tender Morsels, a YA book recommended by avatiakh, and found in the libraries of Kiwiflowa, Allthesedarnbooks, Judy Lou and Avaland, This is not as exciting as your SF trip and your travel experiences but it is something to look forward to on a raining Saturday evening.

Message 93...catarina1, my local library had a book sale today. Paperbacks were .10 and hard cover books were three for $1.00. My haul is locked in the trunk of my car. I'll sneak them in tomorrow so that I don't witness the raised eyebrows that accompany the silly smile and the questioning of where in the world am I going to put them.

Nooooo....Linda....stoppppp.... that noxious Miracle Whip will make you go blind!

I'm safe, my husband is a retired eye doctor. He will know the warning signs before the blindness occurs!

I'm just astounded at the fact that Darryl is getting on a plane with that haul. How is that even possible?

>97 Ahhh Linda, bologna w/Miracle Whip (on white bread I assume) brings back such happy childhood memories. Mmmmmm.

Also, my library's book sale starts tomorrow. For the first time they're taking debit cards. Did you say yikes??

brenzi

My local library now accepts debit cards as well as mastercard and visa...Yikes is right!

Are you, like me, a child of the 1950's? White bread, bologna, miracle whip with a drink of ovaltine! Naturally, all this would be eaten on a "tv tray"
in front of the black and white tv, while watching howdy doody.

Dance with Snakes was probably the second wackiest book I've read this year, after The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso Yáñez, but it was excellent!

#95: Thank you, Kerry! I needed a vote of confidence, after the unwarranted attacks from Jenny and Caroline.

#96: Sorry, dear. You're right, dear, I shouldn't tempt you with more books. And I promise not to go back to City Lights, even though it doesn't close until midnight (hmm...).

#97: Linda, considering that I'm lactose (and Miracle Whip) intolerant, that meal would send me to the closest ER--or medical detox unit. I'll join you in spirit, though. I'd love to hear about your haul!

#100: Fortunately, most of the books I've bought are small. The ones I bought today won't take up much space at all, and probably weigh no more than two or three pounds.

Mmm, Ovaltine...the vanilla(?) malt version was my favorite.

Wow - that book haul is very interesting. I haven't heard of any of them so will be interested in your reviews. I wish we had a bookstore like City Lights in Vancouver!!

Safe home......

I think I am glad we do not have a bookstore like City Lights anywhere close to me. I would be bankrupt for sure!

Darryl Darryl Darryl............*shakes head disappointedly* What in the world am I going to do with you?

And how on earth can you claim that excessive book buying is a victimless vice?? I'M a victim dammit!!!! You swagger in here, seduce me with these books and these experiences and then leave again, and I'm left sitting on my sofa in pangs of jealousy and envy. VICTIMLESS??? Pfffffffffffffffffft to you.

On one hand I wish there was a bookstore like City Lights in Atlanta. However, as Stasia said, I would probably go bankrupt, or I would have twice as many books as I already have! For every book that I buy there, there are probably three to five other books that I'd like to read. I'll usually avoid buying books that I know I can get locally, except for books that I want to buy ASAP, such as the Thelonious Monk biography.

#107: Uh oh, I'm in hot water again. I have to figure out a way to hide my posts from Jenny and Caroline...

You can run, but you can't hide, Darryl..... we WILL find you!

I wish my library carried books like you've found in City Lights

I haven't had bologna in more than 20 years I think. gosh...brings back memories .. i used to like bologna and pesto sandwiches.

Message edited by its author, Oct 25, 2009, 12:26pm.

You were never OUT of hot water.

The solution is not to hide the posts, it is to stop being bad! Or I will commit the worst offence possible and sit you in the middle of a roundabout for a week with no books and only tuna pineapple salad with miracle whip to eat.

Its a threat I won't enjoy fulfilling, but I will do so for the good of everyone.

Bah, nothing wrong with buying new books! Especially since you actually seem to get through most of them. I, on the other hand, tend to go on book-splurges when I have the least time to get around to them.

Thankfully, my husband accepted my insanity years ago. ;)

Jenny, if the roundabout is in London then I'll accept my fate.

Right, Caroline, I cannot think of any bookstores in the US that have the selection that City Lights does. No Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh titles, though!

Thanks, Luxx! One more for my side.

Nope. Its in the middle of the country. And it rains all the time. And its knee deep in mud.

In fact.........its exactly like the place I work ;)

It must be approaching winter. The mud has started and the clocks have changed. Its all downhill from here until spring hits! And you WILL suffer the same fate as me if you keep making me jealous!!!!

I can't buy any more books from City Lights, as I'm now on the flight back from SF to (ugh) Atlanta.

Jenny, I don't do well in rain and mud; so, I will go back to my boring non-SF existence in Atlanta.

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY

I won..........wait..........what do you mean you were going back anyway..............????

Rubbish. I didn't win. I wanna win at something!!

Oh well, I'll get the prize for working in the most mud this winter :)

Has anybody actually met kidzdoc? I, myself, have long suspected that he is actually a reading robot.

One LTer has, who can vouch for my existence, if not my reading output.

If I'm a "reading robot", what does that make Stasia?

I finished North of Hell by Miguel Correa Mujica in mid-flight. I started The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector, which I'm so far not impressed with; after 30 pages the author has spent more time talking about her own life and career as an author than the main character!

Message edited by its author, Oct 25, 2009, 7:43pm.

Me! I've met him! (Sorry, Darryl - I hope it was OK to own up?). He definitely exists and I don't think I ever saw him without a book in his hand. My personal theory is that he's perfected the ability to walk and read simultaneously, so no second may go unfilled.

That's absolutely fine, Rachael! And you've hit the nail on the head on both of your statements. I cannot stand to be without some reading material if I'm otherwise unoccupied for more than a couple of minutes; even standing in the supermarket checkout line drives me crazy, as I'll pick up Reader's Digest or one of those horrid tabloids if it's taking too long. And I do read the front page of the newspaper when I walk from the hospital's parking garage to the office. But, I'm too much of a city kid to try to do this on the street, especially in London, where I have to pay especially close attention. I read on the US State Department's web site for travelers abroad that the most common cause of morbidity for US citizens visiting the UK is to get hit by a vehicle, from looking the wrong way when crossing a street. I can believe it!

I'm now back safely in Atlanta, after an uneventful (but not enjoyable) flight. I'm off tomorrow, so I'll write reviews of most if not all of the books I've read since the Tao Lin novella.

You are supposed to be reading Thelonius Monk!! lol

BTW - I love the picture of you as the reading robot :)

Message edited by its author, Oct 26, 2009, 2:05am.

I'm the same Darryl, it starts getting like a scratch I can't itch if I haven't got anything to read. I even read in the shower because I don't like to stand there with nothing to do......I've got it down to a fine art so the books very rarely get wet.

If I'm somewhere where there is nothing to read and its inappropriate to pull out a book then I will resort to reading signs over and over again and making different words and sentences out of whats there.

I think it might class as a form of OCD :/

>121 thirded here. I get horrifically twitchy if I'm facing a stretch without a book. Train journeys are the worst: my last hideous late Friday in London, I got on the train only to realise that (1) I'd finished my book (2) I hadn't found anything on the shelves at work to replace it (this rarely happens) (3) I'd managed to leave the page proofs of the magazine behind (4) the battery on my phone, on which I have "emergency reading" stored, was nearly flat. PANIC ATTACK.

Fortunately I discovered an unaccountably unread copy of the Guardian Review in my work bag, which I managed to spin out for the whole journey, but it was a BAD moment. In similar circumstances I've made an emergency trip to WH Smith's and assembled something from their 3-for-2 selection, but Smith's shuts long before midnight :-(

I'm really glad to hear that it's not just me that will read the same stuff over and over if nothing else is to hand. I still think that they should replace the static ad panels in tube trains with screens, because people like us would have more to read on longer journeys - and we WOULD read it all.

ETA: on the other hand - reading in the shower, Jenny? I think that might just about take the prize...

Message edited by its author, Oct 26, 2009, 5:56am.

:) Everyone thinks I'm crazy for doing so!

I know what you mean about spinning things out for longer times. I'll read all the articles in a newspaper or magazine, even if I am not interested whatsoever, if there is nothing else at hand.

I wonder what it is within our brains that makes us so desperate for words?

If I'm on my own in the house I'll usually put subtitles on tv if I'm watching it, so I can read whats being said. I don't know why, I just find it more relaxing that way.

Jenny, you are the winner, of "The Most Dedicated Reader" award! I still can't figure out how you can read in the shower. How do you keep the pages from getting wet? It would never work for me, as I can't read without my glasses.

Is there such a thing as "Obsessive Reading Disorder"? If so, then I have it, along with Jenny and innumerable other LTers.

I would have been better off reading the Thelonious Monk biography, Stasia. I did start it, but not until I took the subway from the airport last night. I enjoyed those dozen pages more than anything else I read yesterday! I'll finish The Hour of the Star today, since it's a short novel (96 pages).

Regarding subway ads: When I worked in NYC and the subway was too crowded to read (i.e., if I was standing and my hands were full or I wasn't able to get a book or paper out), I would read the Spanish language ads, and translate them into English, or read the subway poems.

"reading in the shower"...OK I have to know how this is done w/o getting the books wet because I believe that is the only place I can honestly say that I haven't read. What's the secret? The other day I turned around and went back home because I forgot my book and didn't want to get stuck reading what was offered in the doctor's office.

Well...........

First of all, our shower is an attachment above the bath, not a unit on its own, so there is a fair amount of space longways.

I stand with one arm, usually my left, outstretched and holding the book with the water hitting my back and shoulders etc. When its time to turn round, the book goes behind the spray of the shower so that it is between me and the wall. The other hand does washing, shower gel, leg shaving etc.

Washing my hair is slightly more tricky so the book gets put down whilst shampooing is done. Conditioner has to stay on my hair for about 2-3 minutes as I have really long hair, so the book can get picked up again (it sits on the ledge at the end of the bath while not reading). Then rinse, wash the other hand and my face and get out :)

Like I said, I have really long hair so it doesn't get washed very often as it doesn't need it...usually once a week, so showers are a lot easier the rest of the time. Its a hassle to wash anyway as there is so much of it, and I would get bored if I didn't have the book to read whilst I waited for the conditioner to work its magic.

This technique does work in shower stalls as I have done it on many an occasion while staying at other peoples or on holiday, although the book has to be put outside when I need both hands, as there is nowhere it wouldn't get wet.

I think only a couple of books have ever got really wet doing this. It cannot be done with hardcovers though, and I don't do it with other peoples as I'd be too worried about them. I'm not too concerned about a few drops of water hitting my own books though, but the vast majority of the time no water gets on them at all.

Please tell me that you don't read and shave your legs at the same time!

I'm putting aside both The Hour of the Star and Creole Folktales for the time being. I've started Running by Jean Echenoz, which I'm sure I'll finish this afternoon.

Ummm..............yeah?

And you never cut yourself?

Nope. I've been doing it for years!

#126/128 chuckle ;)

I read in the bath all the time, but it doesn't require quite the same extreme logistics!

Message edited by its author, Oct 26, 2009, 12:24pm.

If I tried that, I'd probably slice off a knee cap or something. I have steady hands when I'm doing a medical procedure (spinal tap, IV line placement, placement and removal of stitches), but I'm very clumsy toward myself. Years ago I used a sharp knife, with the blade pointed up, to open a package, and sliced my left index finger at the PIP joint down to the joint's capsule. Fortunately I was working at the NYU Medical Center, so it was a short trip to the ER for stitches.

I can beat that! I sprained my ankle quite badly by running in to an big, bright yellow biohazard wheelie-bin. Over five years later and I'm still being teased about it...

That sounds agonizing though. Argh. Good to know that you've steady hands for the medical stuff though! ;)

Reading in the shower? Really? I have, on the rare occasion, read in the bath but I hate the wrinkly skin feeling and inevitably wet the book and get really annoyed. One thing I cannot stand is a book that is wet or dirty.

How is this for OCD - I cover ALL my hardbacks with plastic covers and allow them off the shelves only to "responsible readers". No page corner bending for page marking, no spine springing, no wet fingies anywhere near. (The rest of my family drives me crazy with their book treatment - they know my wrath if caught). The Book Nazi!

Daryl- I saw that you dropped by my challenge! It was an honor good sir! I also love Monk. Big fan of "Brilliant Corners"!! I also loved the Eastwood doc'!

#134

Oh dear. You'd really hate me. You'd better not lend me any books then :P

I always think I'm going to enjoy reading in the bath, and then inevitably when I get there I never manage more than a couple of pages, preferring just to zone out... perhaps the post-traumatic stress legacy of once dropping my history notes (written in water-soluble blue fountain pen, natch) in the bath a few weeks before a major exam.

This trophy goes to lunacat for being the Most Dedicated Reader! I read in the bath, but I have never even considered reading in the shower!

Darryl, I say buy until your bookshelves collapse. I live vicariously through your book buying sprees as I wish my budget would allow me such pleasure.

I'm ready to start writing reviews. But, I think I'll do it in reverse order, starting with:

Book #134: Running by Jean Echenoz

My rating:

Two quick comments: According to Amazon US, this book is supposed to be released tomorrow, but I bought it at City Lights on Saturday. Amazon US also indicates that it is 1285 pages in length, but it's only 128 pages long!

"Running" is a fictionalized account of the life of the Emil Zátopek (1922-2000), who reluctantly took up competitive running in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia as a young man, and became one of the premier long-distance runners of the mid-20th century, winning gold and silver medals at the 1948 Olympics, three gold medals at the 1952 Olympics, and setting world records in nine different events.

Zátopek's running style was most unorthodox, which Echenoz describes in detail in this brilliant passage:

"Emil, you'd think he was excavating, like a ditch digger, or digging deep into himself, as if he were in a trance. Ignoring every time-honored rule and any thought of elegance, Emil advances laboriously, in a jerky, tortured manner, all in fits and starts. He doesn't hide the violence of his efforts, which shows in his wincing, grimacing, tetanized face, constantly contorted by a rictus quite painful to see. His features are twisted, as if torn by appalling suffering; sometimes his tongue sticks out. It's as if he had a scorpion in each shoe, catapulting him on. He seems far away when he runs, terribly far away, concentrating so hard he's not even there—except that he's more than than anyone else; and hunkered down between his shoulders, on that neck always leaning in the same direction, his head bobs along endlessly, lolling and wobbling from side to side."

Videos of several of Zátopek's races on YouTube are readily available, which would make any running coach cringe in horror.

Zátopek is hailed as a national hero, and joins the Czech army, which uses him as a tool to promote communism. He is restricted from traveling abroad during the Gottwald regime, and his comments to the press are censored and rewritten by the party. However, he has a good life, with a happy marriage to another Olympic champion, and a good career, until public comments in support of Alexander Dubček during the Prague Spring of 1968 led to his dismissal from the Communist Party and internal exile.

The descriptions of Zátopek's running style and accounts of his most famous races were excellent, and the highlights of the book for me, as I ran for my high school's cross-country and spring track teams. His life in communist Czechoslovakia is covered in lesser detail, especially his exile after 1968. I would have liked more detail into his personal life outside of running, but I suspect that these details were not available to Echenoz or were sanitized by communist censors. However, "Running" was a fabulous and quick read, and is highly recommended.

Message edited by its author, Oct 26, 2009, 7:26pm.

Hehehe, but did you want another 1157 papes of his personal life ;)

I'd read another 157 pages, but not 1157! I did change the length on LT, so that anyone interested in "Running" would not be put off by its apparent length.

This is the second book by Echenoz that I've really enjoyed. I've read Ravel, and will read Chopin's Move and Piano in the very near future.

#134: A good friend of mine in medical school did the same thing with her textbooks.

#135: What's up, Mark? I agree, "Brilliant Corners" is one of my favorite Monk compositions. My favorite Monk album is "Underground" (1968), both for the music and for the cover, with Monk depicted as a fighter for the French Resistance:

Book #133: North of Hell by Miguel Correa Mujica

My rating: Miguel Correa Mujica was born in Cuba in 1957, and emigrated to the US as part of the Mariel boat lift in 1980. "North of Hell (Al norte del infierno)" was originally published in Spanish in 1984, and received widespread praise. It was translated into English, and published by Green Integer Books in 2008.

"North of Hell" is a collection of short and unrelated vignettes about the lives of ordinary Cubans under the Castro regime. Every day is a struggle for food and other basic items, and only through special connections can anyone hope to escape poverty. The stories are powerful, dream (or nightmare)-like and absurd: a student is kicked out of the university, because the country needs field hands and street sweepers, not engineers or journalists; a man waiting in line for days for soda curses the Party after learning that the store has run out of soda and must buy fish sticks instead; a man is lynched during a political rally.

I may give this another go in the near future, as I was distracted by the annoying couple sitting next to me on the flight from SF to Atlanta yesterday. Despite that, it was still a very good read.

Message edited by its author, Oct 26, 2009, 7:42pm.

Daryl, I really need to stay away from your thread! You are always reading books that my local library never even dreamed of!

I am adding both Running and North of Hell to the ever-increasing BlackHole.

>134 Oh yes I like my books in pristine condition also.

Book #132: Dance with Snakes (Biblioasis International Translation Series) by Horacio Castellanos Moya

My rating:

This book was wacky as hell; I loved it!

In post-civil war El Salvador lives Eduardo Sosa, a sociologist who is out of work and lives with his sister in her tiny apartment. Eduardo is friendly enough, but "not quite right". The woman who runs the local market encourages him to find out more about a mysterious newcomer, who lives in a beat-up yellow Chevrolet that is parked in front of the market, across from his sister's apartment. He follows the unwashed and bedraggled man, named Jacinto Bustillo, who tells Eduardo that was a successful accountant that was forced into poverty and homelessness by his deceitful wife. The men go to the outskirts of town, where Don Jacinto murders a man who performs fellatio on him. Eduardo then kills Jacinto, grabs his keys, and prepares to take up residence in the Chevrolet. He soon discovers that it is occupied by four poisonous female snakes, who are fluent in Spanish and soon become enamored with Eduardo.

Eduardo assumes the persona of Don Jacinto, and enacts revenge, with the eager help of the snakes, against Doña Bustillo and the husband of his mistress whose affair led to his downfall. Numerous innocent citizens also succumb to the snakes' taste for violence. The entire country goes on alert, as the sensationalist media and panicked law enforcement and government officials fear for their lives and the stability of the country.

"Dance with Snakes" was one of the most entertaining books I've read this year, and as I mentioned previously, it was one of the weirdest, after The Obscene Bird of Night. Highly recommended!

Message edited by its author, Oct 26, 2009, 7:34pm.

Wow, reading in the shower? That's a whole new level of dedication. I write papers in the shower (with the help of children's bath crayons), but I'd be afraid of ruining books if I actually tried reading. I'm amazed!

#146: You know, I reallly could learn to hate you :) You continue to add to the BlackHole and I may never get the books out from it!

It's not my fault, Stasia! Blame the buyers at City Lights; I wouldn't have heard of these books anywhere else.

I think I'll use this little City Lights logo to indicate books that I've purchased there (if it works):

#139: browngirl, does that mean that I have to stop buying books when my bookshelves collapse? Can't I just buy more or stronger bookshelves?

Daryl- Nice review on Dance with Snakes! Sounds fun! I was able to download Monk's "Underground". I'll let you know!

Wow, I never knew reading books and writing papers was POSSIBLE in the shower. Thanks for the lessons! :D
Next time someone teases me about my reading/books obsession - I'm going to mention this! "You know, I could be worse..."

Just kidding you two! I'm actually jealous that I didn't try it first!

This is too funny. I thought I was bad, but I'm so normal compared to you lot. I take a book everywhere too and sit in the car reading before I go into school to get my son. I've timed it and I need to leave the car at 2.58 - on a typical day I squeeze a whole 4 or 5 minutes of reading in!

Luxx, you have a newborn and you write papers in the shower?! Anything else?

#149: Sure, sure, Daryl! Well, you can blame it on City Lights and I will just continue to blame it on you :)

Re: multi-tasking: I'm the kid who couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time. I could never read in the shower -- I'm all thumbs, and the books would be ruined! I'm not sure I'd want to, anyway . . . I guess I'm a little (just a little) less compulsive about reading than some of you.

I am trying to multitask more, mainly with LT. (I've been spending so much time in front of the computer, that really is cutting into reading time.) But I can't seem to do that, either. Today I tried LT-ing while getting my son ready for school. It seemed to be going well, until I almost sent him off to the bus without his lunch!

153 - Ha, I'm not actually in school right now - I finished my MA a month (to the day!) before having our first. I am applying to graduate programs right now, so hopefully it'll only be a matter of time before I break out the bath crayons again. ;)

ETA: You know, shower-writing may be useful for those tackling the NaNoWriMo challenge.

Message edited by its author, Oct 27, 2009, 8:29am.

I'm so proud that I get to be a winner. I've never been a winner at anything! But now...........the pressure of keeping up such high expections!!

157- Now you have to find a new place to read that no one has thought of before!! :)

#158

I shall enjoy the challenge :)

This is a no-no, but I read at Stop signs when driving. Never, of course, driving a moving vehicle (but I have been tempted). It can get frustrating for the guy in the car behind me when the light turns green, though. Road rage and all that.

#150 Noooo! Keep buying even then. Just do like me and stack them on the floor. And I totally just added North Of Hell (Green Integer) to my tbr.

Great reviews, Darryl ... they were so good that I've almost .... not quite, but almost, forgiven you for introducing me to so many off mainstream book.

I think Running Jean Echenoz will make a great gift for my husband because he used to be a competitive runner and still runs about 6 - 10miles every other day.

Dance with Snakes sounds like something right up my alley, so I've had no choice but to add it to my wishlist too. Now the challenge is finding copies of these books .... I'll bet anything that my local library doesn't carry them. I'm off to Australia in November for 2 weeks, and there are a few bookstores there that seem to carry alot of books that my bookstores in Boston haven't even heard of, so maybe I'll have some luck converting books from my wishlist to my TBR there.

I'm glad that I'm almost back in your good graces, Caroline.

Would Harvard Book Store have some of these titles? When I went to Boston last summer (for a conference at Cambridge), I thought that the store had a nice selection of international literature and books from small press publishers.

But you're not almost back in my good graces so stop feeling so pleased with yourself. You still have a lot of making up to do.

Both the Harvard Book Store and the Harvard Coop do thankfully carry some great off mainstream authors, and they're such great and dangerous places to browse in. Step in to get out of the rain, and you leave with an armload of books, a raped wallet and dented plastic...although they may kindly give you an extra plastic bag to wear as a hat so your head stays dry. I usually visit them every other month. ;-)

I remember going to the Coop once with a list of books I couldn't find in my friendly B&N or Borders thinking they may carry a few of them ... to my horror, they had every single title on my list! It became a fruitless game of eeny-meeny-miny-mo to try and cut the number of books down to 10, because no sooner did i take a few off, then I'd be filled with the desperate need to have them. So I ended up buying all of them, vowing never to return with a list for 4 months, and to give up Starbucks coffee for a year.

Don't want to burst anyone's bubbles, but I've looked, and all of the titles that Darryl listed are obtainable on Amazon. And then you don't have to worry about going out in the rain.

#164: What? Sorry dear, I can't hear you. I'm watching the World Series. The Philadelphia Phillies (the defending World Series champion and my home town team), are playing the New York Yankees. The Phillies won the opening game yesterday of the best of 7 series at Yankee Stadium. Currently the Yankees are winning in Game 2, but only by 2-1, so we still have a good chance to win this one. Go Phillies!!!

When I think Phillies, I think of sandwiches with cheese and steak and onions and
grease and stuff...

but for you... go Phillies!

oh and LOL with catarina... I am with you!

#167 - Well, even with the loss there's still a great chance for them to win the series!

#167

All I hear is blah blah blah blah blah. Although at least if you're watching sport, you aren't reading.

We appear to be bickering.

Go put the trash out would ya?! ;)

I love Philly cheese steak ...but I cannot love it enough to switch teams.... I'm a NY Yankees fan, and am thrilled that we tied your team last night with exceptional pitching from Burnett.

lunacat .... what? Showergirl is not reading while watching sports on tv?! I was reading during the commercial breaks

I love Philly cheese steak ...but I cannot love it enough to switch teams.... I'm a NY Yankees fan, and am thrilled that we tied your team last night with exceptional pitching from Burnett.

Go Yankees!


lunacat .... what? Showergirl is not reading while watching sports on tv?! I was reading during the commercial breaks

I don't watch sports on tv so that would explain it!

Showergirl...yes, that will have to be Jenny's new nickname.

The Phillies and Yankees are tied at one game apiece. But, the next three games are in Philadelphia. Go Phillies!

I haven't had a Philly cheese steak in a long time, not sure why, I go to the city whenever I visit my parents.

Two more items to add to my hate list: MRSA and RSV. I've seen more than enough of both of these infections this week at work. If this week is any indication, this will be a horrible RSV season.

Well, I hope you all know that your discussion of Philly cheese steaks sent me to Penn Station Subs for dinner tonight. Best I can do under the circumstances.

I've generally found the "Philly" cheese steaks offered in places other than Philadelphia bear little resemblance to the genuine article.

(Go Phillies!!!!)

#176: Right. There is a place that "specializes" in Philly cheese steaks in midtown Atlanta, less than a mile from where I live. I've been there once in 12 years; it's not the same as the real thing.

Daryl, I've been on the library wait list forever it seems for Wolf Hall which you recommended so highly and sounds so great. I hope to still be alive when my turn comes - likely will just break down and get it soon. Sunday's NY Times has a wonderful review - thought you might want to keep an eye out for it ( and the many others who loved it as well).

I embrace the hate so many have for the Bronx bombers - go Yankees!

Go Phillies!! Can we get Cliff Lee to pitch every game?

All we need is for Cliff Lee to win games 1, 4, and 7 (if it goes that long). I still think the key to the Series is Cole Hamels, the MVP of last year's World Series, who pitches tonight. He hasn't been as good this year, and if he can't get it done, it will be tough for the Phillies to win. I liked the idea of pitching him in game 3, at Philadelphia, instead of in game 2 at Yankee Stadium, so that the home crowd can be behind him. But, someone else will have to step up and pitch well. Pedro Martinez, despite losing, pitched a strong game on Thursday; as he said in the post-game press conference, if he gives up three runs in his next start, there is a good chance that the Phillies will win, given their prolific offense.

There is another huge New York-Philadelphia game on Sunday: Giants vs Eagles, for first place in the NFC East. I'm a big fan of both teams, and both are playing well.

I'm off for the next four days. Today I'll plan to finish two short books by Annie Ernaux, The Possession and A Man's Place, which I received in the mail, and I'll start The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. I'll also get back to the Thelonious Monk biography, which has been good so far.

Message edited by its author, Oct 31, 2009, 8:24am.

Daryl- I listened to "Underground". It was very good. I loved the track "Raise Four". Thanks for the rec. I'm not sure if you are a big film fan but I saw a French film last night, from the late 50s, called "Elevator to the Gallows", (Louis Malle's 1st feature) and Miles Davis did the soundtrack and it was pretty damn good! Hope you are having a good weekend.

I'm glad that you enjoyed "Underground", Mark. I like practically everything on this album, including "Raise Four", as I think the interplay between Charlie Rouse and Monk is the best of any the studio albums. Monk gives Rouse plenty of room to stretch out on his solos, especially on "Green Chimneys", and you can tell that the band members are familiar with each other, and very relaxed.

I'm starting to listen to more salsa, especially the Nuyorican salsa that I heard growing up in northern NJ and across the river in NYC. Last night at work I was falling asleep while doing my notes and billing on the computer, so I put on one of Willie Colón's early albums, "Cosa Nuestra". That and a strong cup of Peet's coffee had me awake (and swiveling in my chair) in no time! A representative song, and one of my favorites, is "Che Che Colé". When I was in London this summer, several of the Starbucks cafes were playing Nuyorican salsa, and they would frequently play this song, and you could see the customers in line swaying and even dancing to the beat. And "Juana Peña" is just SICK; I think I would still dance to that on my death bed.

I have the album from "Elevator to the Gallows" (also known as "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud"), and it is very good. I haven't listened to it for awhile...I think I'll listen to it later, after I get my (re)fill of Willie Colón. I'm not much of a movie buff, but I do like old movies, and I really should get this one.

Message edited by its author, Oct 31, 2009, 11:55am.

#180 That Eagles-Giants game is a big one in our household. (My husband is a serious Giants fan, and of course I'm rooting for my Eagles!)

Of course, we're used to the sports rivalry thing. One of our first dates was Phillies vs. Mets at Veterans Stadium.

just stopping by to say hello...

still reading twaddle and farb... excuse being.. sick. Again. Do you make housecalls Darryl? lol. If you did, I wouldn't let you into my house! gak.

Looks like Hamels has gotten his groove back, and Pettite has lost his ... Game 3 progressing nicely for the Phillies ....but the game is still young.... so it's not over until the Fat Lady sings

#184: I hope that date wasn't in the 700 section of the Vet.

#185: Hi, kath! Sorry to hear that you're sick. However, you wouldn't want me to make a housecall, as I'm also sick, probably with RSV (bad cold, sore throat, and laryngitis).

#186: Caroline, I just now noticed the NYY graphic in #172. I'll have to find a similar Phillies graphic.

Argh! The Yankees just tied the game, on a hit by Pettite (the pitcher!). Uh, now it's untied, 5-3 Yankees. If I were Charlie Manuel, I wouldn't pitch Hamels for the rest of the Series, he's been awful.

#175: A store called Penn Station Subs sells Philly cheesesteaks? Penn Station is in NYC, not Philly!

#178: Thanks orangeena, I'll look for that review in tomorrow's paper. By all rights I should be a Yankees fan, since my maternal grandparents lived in the Bronx, where I spent many summers and weekends as a kid.

#179: If this keeps up, we may need Cliff Lee to pitch every game. I think I'd use Hamels for long relief, and use the following rotation: Lee, Pedro Martinez, and either Blanton or Happ...but not Hamels.

Look like Werth is trying to single-handedly provide enough offense to offset the damage the Yankees did to Hamels. Bless his home run hitting heart! But the Phillies still need more . . .

Cole Hamels has definitely lost the groove this season and needs to be out of the rotation for the Series. This one game may cost the Phillies dearly unfortunately :(

At least the 2 teams are making this a WS worth watching .... good pitching and batting from both sides. I agree with you, Darryl .. I think Hamels would be better as a relief rather than a starter.

On to Game 4 tonight. I hope no more rain. Everyone in Philly... get out there and do an anti-rain dance please.

I haven't understood one word f the above three posts...
Sorry you are feeling sick, D...
I recommend hot tea with honey and lemon and a drop of whiskey
( or splash...or two...)

Hope you are better soon.

Message edited by its author, Nov 1, 2009, 8:48am.

I've finished two short novels that I'm planning to review for issue #3 of Belletrista, both by the French writer Annie Ernaux: The Possession, which could have been titled "The Obsession", as it is about a woman who becomes obsessed with her former lover's new girlfriend; and A Man's Place, which won the Prix Renaudot in 1984, a seemingly biographical novel about the simple life of the narrator's father. I'll give 3-1/2 stars to the first book, and 4 stars to the latter one.

I just took some generic Nyquil, as I couldn't stop coughing despite taking daytime medicine. I'm no longer coughing, but I'm now very sleepy...

next time.. try my remedy :) or comtrex. or?

I have a wretched cough too, sore throat and hoarse voice.
gak. Intermittent temp. bah!

I am reading a light mystery to help me feel better ...

I slept for 5-1/2 hours without waking up, and feel pretty good now. I needed that sleep, so the (generic) Nyquil was a good call. I have some good tea (Peet's Lapsang Souchong) and even better Bay Area honey (Snyder's Honey in La Honda, CA), so I'll have that after dinner and Peet's coffee.

It sounds like you probably have RSV, too. The human immune system doesn't mount a good response to this virus, and I (and everyone at work) usually gets this every year about this time (late October to early November). In babies it can lead to bronchiolitis, a lower airway infection that is between bronchitis and pneumonia, and infants with this frequently need to be hospitalized for supportive care. I had to transfer two infants with RSV bronchiolitis to the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) last week, and a third one was nearly as bad.

I'm sure that you're not the only one who can't follow the football talk, Kath!

The Eagles manhandled the Giants, 40-17. Hopefully that momentum will carry over to the Phillies tonight.

After dinner I'll start A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke, which is only 76 pages, and then start Translation is a Love Affair by the Canadian author Jacques Poulin, the latest release from Archipelago Books.

yikes! will I contaminate our students ( 3-5 yrs)

oh and my book is awful ~blech

Practically all kids get RSV by the time they are three years old. For healthy toddlers without asthma, RSV just causes a bad cold. Infants who are siblings of these toddlers, kids with asthma, and chronically ill kids are the ones who are at risk to develop LRTI (lower respiratory tract infection).

Toss that book!

tossed

how are the poorly people?

taking it easy I hope!

I found a recording of "Juana Peña" on YouTube, from the "Cosa Nuestra" ("Our Thing") album by Willie Colón, with Hector Lavoe on lead vocals. The quality of the recording is not great, and it's a little bit slower than the recording that I have. However, it's still pretty good.

¡Juana Peña, ahora me llora!

Juana Peña

Message edited by its author, Nov 1, 2009, 6:25pm.

Daryl, you are supposed to be reading the Thelonius Monk biography! Illness is no excuse :)

Is dancing to "Juana Peña" a good excuse?

I'll get back to Thelonious Monk shortly, after I read and review A Sorrow Beyond Dreams . I'm on a weird sleep pattern now, as I've been waking up at 3:30 am for the past three days. Fortunately I don't have to go back to clinical duty until Wednesday, so I should be able to readjust to a normal schedule by then.

Well, the Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, but I fear that she is waiting in the wings. Cliff Lee will win tonight, to send the series back to Yankee Stadium for Game 6. With any luck, Pedro Martinez will pitch the game of his life, and send the series to a deciding seventh game. If that happens, who pitches for the Phillies? Happ? Blanton? Hamels??? Or maybe Cliff Lee again, on very short rest.

If the Phils put in Hamels for game 7, they are nuts or being paid by the Yanks to lose! IMHO, the critical game for Philly was the game he started Saturday with Sabathia starting on short rest for the Yanks Sunday. I think the Yanks will win the WS, unfortunately.

195, Darryl, I just finisthed Translation Is a Love Affair (we must have gotten then from Archipelago at the same time). I will be interested in what you think about it.

I'm enjoying it so far, Rebecca. It's certainly a quick read; I've already read 51 pages this morning, and with only 93 pages to go I'm sure that I'll finish it this morning.

I thought Game 4 was a great game .... at least it was exciting and it could almost have gone either way. I like that the Phillys and the Yankees are both tough teams to beat so it's not a boring walkover.

I missed most of the game, between reading and sleeping off and on. I doubt that I watched more than 20 minutes of it, after watching two NFL games yesterday (Eagles-Giants and Packers-Vikings). Actually I missed most of the first game, all but the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter, but I did see all of the latter game, which was very good. Favre continues to amaze me.

I'll split time between watching Game 5 of the World Series and the MNF game (Atlanta-New Orleans) tonight, although I expect that the Saints will wax the Falcons, especially since the game is in New Orleans.

I finished two books this morning, and I'll review them shortly...

>195 reading your comments on bronchiolitis and revisiting unhappy memories... my eldest spent Boxing Day after his first Christmas in A&E with bronchiolitis - and then most of the Christmas season, two years later, in the Chelsea & Westminster hospital after his first full-blown asthma attack. Oh for decent paediatric emergency care... in the UK, that is. No aspersions are intended to be cast upon your own practice.

Rachael, there is also a big difference in pediatric emergency care in the US. The best care, as you would expect, takes place in the ED of a large tertiary care children's hospital, such as the one I work in. Our main ED has at least 50 regular rooms, 3-4 trauma bays, and probably 30-40 smaller ("Fast Track") rooms for kids with minor illnesses (fever, ear infections, colds). It's the largest pediatric ED in the state, I'm sure. A second level of care takes place in pediatric Urgent/Immediate Care Centers; the system I work with has several of these centers spread over the metro Atlanta area. Then there are adult hospitals that employ pediatric emergency medicine (EM) doctors, and/or have a pediatric ED within the larger ED. In the latter two settings, the pediatric ED care is still good, but limited by resources and sometimes the experience of the docs that work there. However, most kids outside of a major metropolitan area receive ED care in adult hospitals that have adult EM doctors, who know far less about kids than they do adults. With any luck, these docs are able to consult an on call pediatrician, who can come in to see a kid or provide consultation by phone. The worst case scenario is what we call a "doc in the box", which is an Immediate Care Center that is mainly for adults. Generally the care at these centers is substandard, at least for kids.

Unfortunately, I've taken care of several kids who were horribly mismanaged in the emergency setting, and who suffered the worst possible outcome (or outcomes that had life long ramifications) as a result. However, the vast majority of kids I see receive appropriate and excellent pediatric emergency care.

You probably know that infants that have bronchiolitis are at increased risk for developing asthma in childhood, although a family history of atopy (asthma/reactive airways disease, eczema, or environmental allergies) in first-degree relatives is a greater risk factor.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 5:14pm.

Book #137: A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke

My rating:

In 1972, the author's mother took her own life by overdosing on sleeping pills, after an unremarkable life of 51 years that was marred by poverty, depression, neurogenic pain, and especially the limited opportunities available to her. After the initial "dull speechlessness" he experienced after receiving the news of her death, Handke was proud that his mother had taken the affirmative step to end her suffering. Soon afterward, he decided to write about her life, before the need to do so faded away.

The account of her life and demise is unique, in that he chooses to write about her in relation to other women of her era and socioeconomical status. She is born in a small Austrian village to a struggling family, and is described as a high-spirited child and a good student. She is taken out of school by her parents once her compulsory education ends, then runs away to Berlin as a teenager to pursue opportunities that her village and parents cannot offer her. After bearing a child out of wedlock to the love of her life, she agrees to marry a man whom she does not love or respect, in order to provide for herself and her child in post-war Germany. She sinks back into the life that she had sought escape, and ultimately moves back with her family to her home village. In her remaining days she is an embittered woman who frightens her children and is emotionally separated from her emasculated husband, yet she becomes more independent and full of life before developing the chronic pain and depression that ultimately led to her suicide.

I found A Sorrow Beyond Dreams somewhat difficult and less than enjoyable, primarily because of the author's use of abstraction to distance himself from and depersonalize his mother. We only get brief glimpses into her personality, and into what made her unique from other similar women, which would have made this a much more interesting book for me. The book is well written and brief (76 pages), and sufficiently unique that it may be of interest to a limited audience of readers.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 6:58pm.

OK, not one for me, I think... will save wishlist spots for books towards which you felt a little more warm enthusiasm!!

Re risk trajectory from bronchiolitis to asthma - no, I never knew that: which is really what your post is making me reflect on! No one ever suggested it as a possibility; we had a good two years of terrible nights with the eldest before the terrifying major attack. With hindsight, I can't help but think that this was at least partly due to breathing difficulties resulting from undiagnosed asthma.

He seems to have grown out of it now - touch wood - and hasn't had an attack or needed his inhaler since he was about 6. But I would dearly love to have all those lost hours back again....

Book #138: La traduction est une histoire d'amour (Translation is a Love Affair) by Jacques Poulin

My rating:

Jacques Poulin is an award-winning French Canadian author who is considered to be "the most North American of the Quebec authors writing in French". This book was originally published as La traduction est une histoire d'amour in 2006, and was published by Archipelago Books last month. It was translated into English by Sheila Fischman.

This beautiful novella centers around two main characters, Marine, a young woman starting her career as a translator, and Monsieur Waterman, a well regarded writer nearing the end of his career. The two initially meet at a cemetery where Marine's mother and grandmother are buried, in a neighborhood in Quebec City. She is fully alone, as she does not know her father and her younger sister died tragically. Waterman is also alone, but after he reads the portion of one of his books that she is translating, he employs her as his official translator, and sets her up in a lovely chalet. The two become close and intimate friends, sharing weekends and frequent phone calls with each other.

The tranquility of this arrangement is interrupted when Marine discovers a young cat in her backyard. Attached to her collar is a note, which the two later discover is from a young girl who appears to be in danger. Marine desperately wants to help this girl, as she was unable to do for her younger sister. She and Waterman find the girl, and photographs taken by him seem to confirm that she is in trouble. They seek to rescue her from the pistol carrying old "witch" that she is living with.

This book was a pleasure to read, with a straightforward, musical style. The art of translation and the ability of words to express emotions and heal wounds is celebrated throughout the book. The tender love that Marine and Waterman share for each other was sincere and heartwarming. The ending of the book was a bit contrived to me, but it was otherwise an excellent read, and is highly recommended.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 6:29pm.

Regarding the bronchiolitis→asthma link, I found this abstract from a recent issue of JACI, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology:

Infant bronchiolitis severity correlates with childhood asthma risk and severity

Viral bronchiolitis affects 20% of infants, leading to the hospitalization of 3% of healthy infants in the United States yearly. Infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis have a high prevalence of early childhood asthma. However, it is not known whether the severity of the infant bronchiolitis episode is associated with the risk of developing early childhood asthma or with asthma morbidity in a severity-dependent manner.

In a population-based retrospective cohort study of 90,341 term, otherwise healthy infants, Carroll et al. found that infant bronchiolitis severity was positively correlated with the odds of early childhood asthma in a severity-dependent manner. Infants with the most severe bronchiolitis during infancy, as determined by hospitalization, had increased early childhood asthma morbidity compared with children who did not have a medical visit for bronchiolitis during infancy.

These findings, published in the May 2009 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, could reflect either a relationship between host risk of both infant infection and asthma and/or the extent of infant lung injury, impairment in lung development, or alteration in immune response following infection that predisposes to increased risk and severity of childhood asthma. Further work is needed to determine whether preventing infant infection or the severity of infection prevents subsequent development and severity of childhood asthma.

“The Severity-Dependent Relationship of Infant Bronchiolitis on the Risk and Morbidity of Early Childhood Asthma” by Carroll et al. (JACI May 2009 Volume 123 No. 5)

Great reviews, Darryl. The Jacques Poulin book sounds very interesting. I have to see if my library can get hold of a copy or 2. Whew .. I only have 1 book to add to my wishlist today from your thread.

This book is literally hot off the presses, Caroline; the release date was October 30th, and I received my copy in the mail (as part of my 2009 Archipelago Books subscription) the following day. Rebeccanyc also reviewed it today on her thread; she also subscribes to Archipelago Books, I think.

I'm way behind on reading my 2009 Archipelago Books; I think I've only read three or four of the nine I've received so far. I'll try to read as many as I can before year's end. I've enjoyed all of their books so far, and I'll definitely subscribe again in 2010.

All right! Good start for the Fightin' Phils, Utley hit a three run HR off Burnett. 3-1 Phillies, still nobody out in the bottom of the first inning.

Add me to the list of people who find your review of Translation is a Love Affair very intriguing. I'll be adding that one to my TBR pile.

Yes, I do subscribe to Archipelago and this is the first of the four books I've received so far that I read -- it just happened to come on a day when I needed a small book to tuck in my shoulder bag for a train trip to a family event! Darryl wrote a much better review here than I did over on my thread, but my thoughts and a link to Archipelago are there.

Good job last night, Phils ..... now we go back to NY. The games have been really exciting so far, and the personalities on both teams have been great to watch. It does look like they're having fun out there.

Thanks for the tip to Archipelago ... I am very tempted to check them out.... and since I am an extremely weak-willed person, I wonder how long I will last before I succumb to their siren song.

I resisted the subscription the first time I visited their site, but on the second visit . . . .

I've been very pleased with practically all of the books I've received from Archipelago Books, Caroline, starting with the first one I ever bought, Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury. I'd encourage you to check out the publisher's web site (http://www.archipelagobooks.org) for their current, past and forthcoming offerings. I will definitely subscribe again next year, as most of the forthcoming books are ones that I would probably buy, anyway.

>213: I'm happy to hear this kind of review. I was given the book by a friend because he knows I like books that have a modern folk tale aspect to them. He thought this did and loved it.

#173 Jenny/Showergirl - you lie - Wimbledon, no? ;)

I have to confess though, I haven't worked out if you're all talking about American football, or baseball!

Like the sound of your last book...

We're talking about both American football and baseball, flissp. The Eagles-Giants game was an NFL (National Football League) game played on Sunday, and the World Series is, of course, baseball.

As for college football, my two football-playing alma maters are doing well so far: Rutgers is 6-2, and Pitt is 7-1. Pitt beat Rutgers a few weeks ago, 24-17, and remains undefeated in the Big East Conference, along with Cincinnati (8-0).

Good MNF (Monday Night Football) game last night; the New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons 35-24, but it was a closer game than the score would indicate.

I'll finish An Artist of the Floating World later this afternoon; it's very good so far.

I'll be interested in your thoughts on Translation is a Love Affair, Tad.

Message edited by its author, Nov 3, 2009, 1:10pm.

That explains it!

#225

and the World Series is, of course, baseball.

Well of course. I can't possibly think why any self respecting British woman wouldn't know that ;)

Its all washing over my head serenely. I've stopped reading any post that implies anything about sport whatsoever cos I know I won't understand it! As far as I'm concerned, American Football is just Rugby for wimps because of the amount of protection they wear.

So, you'll ignore my book reviews and off-topic babbling as long as I include anything about sports in them? Fantastic! I'll do that from now on, so that you'll stop harassing me. ;-)

Darryl..... you fiend.....I'm sunk! Archipelago Books has wrapped its tentacles tightly around me and a peek at their catalog had me salivating and by the time I got to the 2010 Spring frontlist, I was positively foaming at the mouth and scrambling for my wallet.

I wonder if I can subsist on 1 small meal a day ... since I'm probably not going to be able to afford much food for a few years now.

Miracle Whip is cheap...

My book radar will be able to scout out any book reviews OR babbling hidden as sports chat.........you don't get off that easily.

Rats! Let's see...what if I post my reviews in Nuyorican Spanish?

Dear Darryl .. i said food, not poison.

>213 this sounds lovely. I'll still stick to just following Archipelago Books on Twitter - either their subscription package *can* be shipped internationally, and is affordable, in which case I'll sign up - or it's either too expensive or *not* available internationally, in which case I'll be cross. Either way, it's not good (for me).

>214 and thanks for this - very interesting indeed. I guess I should just be glad he seems to have left it all behind him now....

Rachael, I did see a rack dedicated to Archipelago Books at Foyles on Charing Cross Road this summer, which had at least a dozen of the publisher's titles. The rack was near the side entrance, close to the cashier's desk.

I'd still keep an eye on your eldest, though not as closely as you did when he was younger. I've heard a lot of parents say that they or their children "grew out" of their asthma, but that's not really the case. Once you have it, you are at risk for future attacks, especially if a child has an attack after about 6 years of age. The chance of an attack is much less than someone (child or adult) with intermittent or persistent asthma, but it isn't out of the question. Every year I take care of several kids in the hospital with status asthmaticus that have not had an asthma attack in many years, which caught their parents by surprise.

There are two simple questions that we'll ask parents or older children, to determine if they may have undiagnosed asthma:

(1) When your child is well, does she cough at night? If so, does it occur more than twice a week?
(2) When your child is well, does she tire out or cough with exercise, or is unable to keep up with her peers?

If the answer to either question is "yes", then it is very likely that the child has persistent asthma (mild, moderate or severe). But, there are a number of kids and adults (like me) who have intermittent asthma, with flareups associated with URIs, weather changes, or environmental allergens.

One easy trick I've found helpful in determining if I'm having an asthma flareup or not is to take a DEEP breath in, and a DEEPER breath out (breathe out as fully as possible). If I can do so without discomfort, coughing or audible wheezing, then my chest is clear, and I'm not having LRT (lower respiratory tract) symptoms.

Well, we can answer "no" to both of those at least!! He's never had the kind that was triggered by exercise - it was always night-time that was the problem, I think in part exacerbated by a cold and tending-towards-the-damp bedroom in our previous flat. (Sorry for cluttering up your thread with asthma talk - it's just really interesting. They're supposed to be so clued up about childhood asthma now, but I've had more advice and information off your thread in the last 24 hours than I've had in the whole 10.5 years of my son's life!!)

Oh cripes, 236 unread posts here...Darryl, I have just read your review of My Men by Malika Mokeddem in Belletrista and wanted to stop by to say how good it is. There were so many excellent books this issue that it is positively dangerous!

Hi, Tui! Good to see you here. I'm glad you liked my review of "My Men". I'll look at issue 2 of Belletrista later today.

On that note...

Book #127: Mes Hommes (My Men) by Malika Mokeddem

My rating:

My review is in issue 2 of Belletrista:

http://www.belletrista.com/2009/issue2/r...

Message edited by its author, Nov 7, 2009, 9:43am.

whatsa cripe?

A cripe is always plural and is an exclamation of dismay at having fallen so far behind with Darryl's reading.

Belletrista is entirely too dangerous for the BlackHole!

Book #139: An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (4 stars): To be reviewed soon.

Book #141: A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux (4-1/2 stars): To be reviewed in issue 3 of Belletrista

Book #140: City Gates by Elias Khoury

My rating:

In this early novella by the acclaimed Lebanese author, a wandering man travels to a faraway city in order to lead a life of luxury, surrounded by beautiful mistresses and provided with the finest clothes and perfumes. However, when he arrives to the walled city of Beirut he is unable to find a proper entrance. After an extensive search, he eventually encounters several young and mysterious women, each of whom offer to permit him to enter the city alone, and to meet him inside at the city square. After initially refusing these gestures, he eventually agrees to the gesture from the last woman that he meets. Once inside, he discovers that the city is nearly deserted, and that the town square is bare, except for the coffin of the deceased king and the sounds of wailing from an unknown source. He is unable to find any of the women he met previously, and after walking aimlessly in circles, he cannot find a way out of the town or anyone who can help him. He decides to return to the square, where he eventually meets the women and the entombed king, who share stories about what has happened to the town, and themselves.

I found City Gates to be an easy and pleasurable book to read, but I didn't understand the message that Khoury was trying to convey.

Message edited by its author, Nov 8, 2009, 4:18pm.

I am anxious to see your review of An Artist of the Floating World. I own it, but have never read it.

It was very good, Stasia. I'll probably review it later today. I also noticed that there are several other books I haven't reviewed yet, including A Pale View of Hills by Ishiguro, The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa and The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, which were all very good.

Message edited by its author, Nov 8, 2009, 3:47am.

I need to locate my copy and put it with the ones I am setting aside for next year. Thanks, Darryl (do you know I have been mispelling your name all this time without realizing? - until I saw your name as a byline in Belletrista. Sorry about that!)

No problem, Stasia! There was a magazine article years ago, I think in Vanity Fair or GQ, about the different spellings of famous people named "Darryl", such as Darryl Strawberry (ex-baseball player), Daryl Hannah (actress), Daryle Lamonica (ex-NFL quarterback), and Darrell Royal (hall of fame UT football coach). Because of all of these spellings, and a dozen or so others, my name has been misspelled dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the years. You weren't the first, and certainly won't be the last to do so!

BTW, urania1 on Club Read spells my nickname as "kizdoc", which may be tongue in cheek, given her sense of humor.

You are probably right about urania!

I really try to make sure I spell names correctly as mine gets mispelled and mispronounced all the time.

I'm eagerly waiting for your review of An Artist of the Floating World, Darryl.

I'm glad you liked The Children's Book... I have that somewhere on my TBR piles, but haven't gotten to it yet. I find though, that I need to be in a certain frame of mind to read and enjoy A.S. Byatt.

Book #142: Shame by Annie Ernaux (4 stars): to be reviewed in issue 3 of Belletrista

Book #143: Creole Folktales by Patrick Chamoiseau

My rating:

This is an entertaining collection of folktales that the author, who grew up and continues to reside on the island of Martinique, heard as a child. These tales originated amongst the slaves brought from Africa to the island by the French to harvest sugar cane, and were told by storytellers at night, once the work day was done. Common themes include food, as the slaves were given barely enough food to stay alive, and trickery, by clever Creoles, devils or other spirits. Chamoiseau enlivens these stories with warmth and humor, and they are delightful to read.

Message edited by its author, Nov 9, 2009, 4:10am.

I do not know why I bother coming to your thread, Darryl. I just get weighted down with more books to throw into the BlackHole . . .

I can't think of anything clever to say in response, Stasia! My brain is all foggy...

I probably won't review An Artist of the Floating World, The Children's Book and The Time of the Hero until later in the week, and possibly sometime the following week. I'll start probably the worst work week I'll have in years with a night call tonight, followed by several day calls from Wednesday to Sunday. I'm not complaining, but just saying that I probably won't be reading much for the next 7 days, and I doubt that I'll finish any books during that time. So Stasia's BlackHole will get a respite for the time being.

Message edited by its author, Nov 9, 2009, 5:33am.

Get some rest in where you can, Darryl. I expect you will be back adding to the BlackHole soon enough :)

I'm sorry to hear of your week, Darryl, and I hope you manage to get some rest.

I loved your review of Creole Folktales and have added it to my wishlist.

I have good reason to know of the value of excellent pediatric hospitalists right now. So, thank you even though I'll miss your reviews for the next week or so.

Happy 40th anniversary to Sesame Street! I was 8 years old when it first went on the air in 1969, so I was a little too old to appreciate it, compared to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (RIP, Fred Rogers). But, my younger brother was born in 1965, so I ended up watching it practically every day with him.

Google's home page has featured several appealing graphics in honor of the 40th anniversary, and the one from today is my favorite:



My night call (8 pm to 8 am) is out of the way, and one of my partners who was sympathetic to my rough week came in early this morning so that I could leave 40 minutes ahead of time. We (myself and two residents that were on call with me) didn't get any sleep, as we admitted a dozen new kids to the hospital, and had to take care of several other sick kids. I'm glad they were with me, as it would have been a horrible night without their help.

I actually will get some reading in tonight before I go back to sleep. I've read 100 pages of Chowringhee, which is fantastic so far. So, I'll preliminarily suggest this one for Stasia's BlackHole.

I grew up with Sesame Street and have extremely fond memories of all my furry, feathered and funny friends on the street. I still love them all, and occasionally on Saturdays, I find myself watching a segment or 2. I think I may have learned how to count with the Count!

I'm glad you had some friends help you out during your night call. I hope you manage to get some rest, Darryl, and that the rest of the week turns out to be less frantic.

Sorry to hear about your hectic work schedule at the moment - and a night call without sleep :-( But thank you for finding the energy to share the Sesame Street graphic! We have several Sesame Street records (yes, the vinyl kind) which my parents played incessantly when we were small: so much so that when I had my own kids, it rapidly became to clear to me that I couldn't imagine parenthood without it, and had to rip a copy of Bert and Ernie's Singalong to CD. We often listen to it in the car - classic stuff, and with proper harmonies and everything :-)

Today is Veterans Day in the US. Please keep the troops and their families in your thoughts and prayers today, especially the family and friends of the soldiers that lost their lives at Ft. Hood.

A big pat on the back for the partner who came in early. I hope you were able to rest yesterday!

#255: It's not bad enough that you recommend books after you read them, but now you are doing preliminary suggestions as well? For shame, Darryl! lol

My "hell week" is finally over. I'll be off on Monday and Tuesday at least, so I'll get back to reading after I catch up on sleep.

Congratulations on a couple days off in a row, Darryl. I hope you enjoy your sleeping!

Woo for "hell week" being over - sleep well!

Have a good sleep!!

I'm almost caught up on sleep...just in time to go back to work tomorrow.

I'll start a new thread here.

My daughter (now 37) learned to count with the count!

Happy 40th to Sesame Street. Oh, my but I'm feeling old!

Congratulations on your hot review of Chowringhee!

Thanks, Terri!