almost 2008 - new zealand time!!

next to read ...
Love games, by Charlotte Lamb, c. 1984 bc 5727396
Boobela and the worm, by Joe Friedman, c. 2007, wcl purple fiction
Palaces in the sky, by Ted Reynolds, c. 1997, wcl
Relative Love, by Amanda Brookfield, c. 2004 - petone ubs, bc 5728621

"Varoius Faerious," Jacqui Grantford, c. 2002


"Not all are so noble
or pretty of face;
The vain Hairy Faeries
have no faerie grace.
From top down to toe
they are covered with hair.
All day and all night they
comb it with care."

Wonderful. Love the rhyming words and the imagination.

"Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella," by Pamela Allen, c. 2006

Both Margaret and Anneke enjoyed reading this one with me. M is an emerging reader but it kept her attention. For me Christmas = the beach, so this was a seasonal read for me!

"Mrs Claus takes a vacation," by Linas Alsenas, c. 2006

Delightful kids book. I like the ending, too.

I have just gathered my next "to-be-read" pile ...

"My spy," by Christine Skye, c. 2002 -- bc 5433799
"When daylight comes," by Lyn Andrews, c. 2003 -- bc 5459605
"Prince of delights," by Renee Roszel," c. 1992 -- petone find -- bc 5727398
"Norton's Hut," by John Marsden and Peter Gouldthorpe, c. 1998 -- wcl - teens graphic novel -- snowy cover caught my eye
"Santaland diaries," by David Sedaris, c. 1999 -- reserved b/c of season -- from lcl
"After you've gone," by Joan Lingard, c. 2007 -- reserved -- newbie from ecl

"The Woman Who Won Things," by Allan Ahlberg, c. 2003

From blurb..
One lucky day .. Mrs Gaskitt gets a prize .. Mr Gaskitt gets a kiss .. And Gus and Gloria get a new teacher ... with a new suitcase!

This wasn't what I expected. Some kids may enjoy ... I shall gather some views.

Books next on my reading list: -- all chosen by random from my piles lol

Blackwater, by Kerstin Ekman, c. 1993 BC 545 9639
The Bad Girls Club, by Rhian Tracey, c. 2005 -- LCL - teen read
The Screaming Room, by Thomas O'Callaghan, c. 2007 -- WCL "new book"
The Marriage Adventure, by Hannah Bernard, c. 205 -- WCL rom

"A Little Peace," by Barbara Kerley, c. 2007

From blurb:
It doesn't take much to spread a little peace. Seeds of peace are all over the world - in a shared smile, a helping hand, a compassionate voice. From a soccer game in Iraq to children holding hands in New Mexico, from dancing monks in Bhutan to old friends laughing in Afghanistan, peace, powerful, infectious, is ready to grow.
Reach out your hand - and your heart. Help spread a little Peace.



for me: smiley faces; colored pictures of kids, families, meditation etc. beautiful book.

"The Sea Princess," by Katie Chase ... enjoyable read. Good use of pictures, too.

from blurb:
Rosie knows a very special secret. Hidden in her great-aunt's mysterious Scottish castle are lots of little princesses for her to find. And each one will whisk her away to another part of the world on a magical adventure!
Marissa, the Sea Princess, needs Rosie's help to find her crown and the Pearl of Wisdom that will restore order to the underwater kingdom of Aquatica. However, to find it, the girls must swim down to the bottom of the ocean and enter the cave of the Sea Hag ...

my notes -- mermaids -- courage -- treasure hunt -- adventures.

Reading for work - kids's books

A Little Peace, by Barbara Kerley, Nov 30, 2007
Grandpa and Thomas and the green umbrella, by Pamela Allen, Dec 23rd, 2007
Mrs. Claus takes a vacation, by Linas Alsenas, Dec 22nd, 2007
Sea Princesses, by Katie Chase, Nov 28, 2007
The Woman Who Won Things, by Allan Ahlberg, Dec 17th, 2007
Various Faerious, by Jacqui Grantford, Dec 30th, 2007

I'm in the process of reading Into the Wild, ed by Susan Fox Rogers, c.1999. An inspiring read ...

"I've come a long way from that solo hiker who nearly welcomed the cold as an appropriate companion to fill ou the emptiness of my first Appalachian hike without Maude. I had spent many lonesome nights huddled in a sleeping bag on a shelf floor, a water bottle full of hot water held tight to my body. Now I've learned that we must fill our internal wilderness with people, and that sharing something - experiences, thoughts, food, care - with others is a truer, warmer way to live. p68

Today, though, the land is a backward-moving conveyor belt of charred brown tundra. The red sun has broiled the sky white. I fish Diet Cokes and a few Tim Tams - a richer, more chocolately version of the Oreo that's very popular in this car - from the mini-cooler we keep shoved behind the driver's seat. I read aloud from the guidebook, which says that in Aborigine culture, the land is considered a huge, detailed road map of the mind. p9


Next books on my to-be-read list:

Death by Meeting, by Patrick Lencioni, c. 2004 - from shelf at LCL
Friday Night Cocktails by Allison Rushby, c. 2004 - reserved; copy is from LCL
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, c. 2007 - reserved; copy is from Naenae

I just finished "Goodnight, Mister Tom," by Michelle Magorian. Great read ... highly recommend. I guess that's why they call it a Puffin Modern Classic.

Will swallowed a few mouthfuls of tea and put some fresh coke on the range. As he observed it tumble and fall between the wood and hot coke, it occurred to him that strength was quite different from toughness and that being vulnerable wasn't the same as being weak. p429

"Can we go down the river?"
Will looked surprised. 'Ent you got no more chores?"
She shook her head and grinned. "I climbed out the window. It was the only way. As soon as I finish one job she finds me another one. If she sees me with so much as my fingers on a book she jes gets hoppin' mad."
"I thought she was better now."
"She is, but she stil thinks readin' is being idle."
She squatted down beside him and stared intently into his eyes.
"If I don't need a book soon I think I'll explode."
Will laughed. "Well, don't do it over me plantin'."
"Have you another trowel? ..." p417

Recently finished
Stormbound Surgeon by Marion Lennox, c. 2003
Falling Stars by V.C. Andrews, c. 2001
Out Of My Depth by Emily Barr, c. 2006
Love Falls by Esther Freud, c. 2007
The Right to Write by Julia Cameron, c. 1988
Four Blondes by Candace Bushnell, c. 2000
The Capture by Kathyrn Lasky, c. 2003
Beach of Dreams by Sergio Bambaren, c. 1996
Footloose by Kate Cann, c. 1999
From the Diary of a Snail by Gunter Grass, c. 1972
Having the Boss's Babies by Barbara Hannay, c. 2005
The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris, c. 2007
Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon, c. 1987
Crazy As Chocolate by Elisabeth Hyde, c. 2002
Suburban Shaman by Cecil Helman, c. 2007
The Damaris Woman by Grace Green, c. 1994
Wedding Belles by Zoe Barnes, c. 2006
Better Than This by Stuart Harrison, c. 2001
Longshore Drift by Karen Gillece, c. 2006
The Diary of Peter Ginz edited by Chava Pressburger, c. 2004 (part of)
The Lazarus Child by Robert Mawson, c. 1998


*****************************************************
Order of the new few books on my TBR list...

Goodnight Mister Tom -- from LCL
A Bride at Birralee -- from BC -- 5578881
Here comes Santa Claus -- from BC -- 5578890
Two in the wild -- from LCL
On angel wings -- from WCL
Just between us -- from BC -- 5336470

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian, c. 1981 -- borrowed from LCL system, this book is from Stokes Valley Library. Recommended by family members - Lisa & Frances. Just finished "Stormbound surgeon," ... bookcrossing book.

"When old friends get together it's supposed to be a laugh - but not when you've got something to hide..." from front cover Out of My Depth by Emily Barr, c. 2006 -- tis my current read

Thoughts on current books or ones just read ...

4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell ... I don't think this lead up to the hype. Perhaps I was expecting more from it.

The Right To Write by Julia Cameron .. Inspirational! I am rereading this one.

Love Falls by Esther Freud ... I wouldn't pick this as a YA read as it is a good read for "grown ups" too. lol

Notes on current read

"Beach of Dreams," by Sergio Bambaren

Passages from:

Just for an instant I understood. "I have to believe again. I have to understand that magic happens." p65

"We have placed so much pressure on ourselves to succeed that we have turned happiness into one more thing we have to have. So we chase it and equate to it wealth and success without realising that the people who already have these things are not necessarily happy." p50

Notes on last read: Having the Boss's Babies by Barbara Hannay c. 200?

This was a quick Harlequin read. It did have a few fun bits of humour which I cherish. -- random choice

Notes on current read: From the Diary of a Snail by Gunter Grass c. 1972

Inspiration for book, family in ChCh read it last month. This is certainly a different read from the one above.

A couple of fun/thought provoking quotes from my current read, "The Lollipop Shoes," by Joanne Harris, c. 2007

"As if she could see it in the air around me like candyfloss gathering on a spindle." p219

"All the same I can't help feeling uneasy. Rarely does anything ever come free - there's not a gift or a kindness that doesn't have to be paid for in full in the end. Life has taught me that, at least. That's why I am more cautious now. That's why I keep the wind-chimes over my door, to warn me of the Kindly Ones, those messengers of credit due -" p356

"You choose your family," Mother said. As I chose you and you chose me. That girl - she wouldn't have cherished you. She wouldn't have known how to take care for you: how to slice the apple widthways to show the star inside, how to tie a medicine bag, how to banish demons by banging on a tin pan, how to sing the wind to sleep. She wouldn't have taught you any of that - p102

-- I would recommend this title. It had a good sense of setting.

(last updated Jan 13th, 2008)

Running index of books mentioned here April 2006 to Jan 2008

"24-Karat Kids," Mar 2nd, 2007
"A Carol for Christmas," Jan 7th, 2007
"A Country Practice," Aug 6th, 2006
"A Day With A Perfect Stranger," Jan 19th, 2007
"A Familiar Feeling," Mar 11th, 2007
"A Fistful of Sky," July 8th, 2007
"A Match Made in Heaven," June 4th, 2006
"About Adam," Aug 12th, 2006
"All Because of You," Jan 4th, 2008
"All Night Long," May 28th, 2007
"Almost Like Being In Love," Jan 23rd, 2007
"Amy's Honeymoon," Jan 13th, 2008
"Angels Fall," Aug 25th, 2006
"At the Scent of Water," Jul 13th, 2007
"Baby Father," Jan 13th, 2008
"Backpack," Jul 29th, 2007
"Beach Girls," Sep 4th, 2006
"Beach of Dreams, Sep 21st, 2007
"Boobela and the worm," dec 31st, 2007
"Brimstone," Apr 23rd, 2007
"Buffalo Before Breakfast," Jan 16th, 2007
"Burning Road," July 18th, 2006
"Cage of Stars," Feb 17th, 2007
"Can you keep a secret," Apr 26th, 2006
"Caroline's Journal," Dec 17th, 2006
"Cell," July 31st 2006
"Chasing the dime," May 4th, 2006
"Chocolate Kisses," Dec 13th, 2006
"City of Truth," May 8th, 2006
"Crazy as Chocolate," Aug 30th, 2007
"Dance of the Gods," Nov 7th, 2006
"Dance With Me," Dec 8th, 2006
"Death by Meeting," Nov 16th, 2007
"Dirty Blonde," Mar 16th, 2007
"Dying To Sing," Nov 13th, 2006
"Escape from Cabriz," July 31st, 2006
"Fairy Dust and the Quest For The Egg," Aug 24th, 2006
"For Love and Family," Sept 7th, 2006
"Forty Stories," July 6th, 2006
"Four Blondes," Oct 4th, 2007
"Friday Night Cocktails," Nov 16th, 2007
"From the Diary of a Snail," Sept 21st, 2007
"Ghosts of Boyfriends Past," Feb 2nd, 2007
"Goodnight Mister Tom," Nov 4th, 2007
"Hard Truth," May 28th, 2007
"Having the Boss's Babies," Sept 15th, 2007
"Home, Where the Wild Roses Grow," A0r 12th, 2007
"I Heard The Owl Call My Name," Jan 14th, 2007
"If The Shoe Fits," Feb 2nd, 2007
"In My Mother's House," Apr 30th, 2007
"Into the wild," Nov 4th, 2007
"Killer Takes All," May 14th, 2006
"Light Readings," Aug 30th, 2007; postponed for now; sept 13, 2007
"Lie By Moonlight," May 31st, 2006
"Love Falls," Oct 13th, 2007
"Old Bones," Jan 13th, 2008
"On Angel Wings," Nov 4th, 2007
"Out of My Depth," Oct 20th, 2007
"Palaces in the sky," Dec 31st, 2007
"Please Mr. Einstein," Jan 30th, 2007
"Point Blank," Feb 5th, 2007
"Ready for Love," Dec 24th, 2006
"Reunion," Nov 5th, 2006
"Ride the Wind," Oct 6th, 2006
"River Angel," Jul 27th, 2007
"Round the Clock Temptation," July 24th, 2006
"Sam's Letters to Jennifer," July 31st, 2006
"Second Opinion," Oct 21st 2006
"Stargirl," May 26th, 2007
"Stories To Excite You," Feb 10th, 2007
"Strange Bedpersons," Aug 15th, 2006
"Suburban Shaman," Aug 30th, 2007
"Take Me," Mar 16th, 2007
"The Bad Girls' Club," Dec 1st, 2007
"The Big Love," Dec 17th, 2006
"The Borrowed Ring," Mar 31st, 2007
"The Boy Next Door," Jan 23rd 2007
"The Capture," Apr 2nd, 2007 & Oct 13th, 2007
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," Feb 17th, 2007
"The Diary of Petr Ginz," Aug 12th, 2007
"The Dream-Hunter," Feb 20th, 2007
"The English Breakfast Murder," July 11th, 2006
"The Friday Night Knitting Club," Nov 16th, 2007
"The Hotel Everest," July 3rd, 2007
"The House Guest," July 8th, 2007
"The Husband," July 21st, 2006
"The Jury," June 27th, 2006
"The Last Days of Dogtown," Feb 26th, 2007
"The Lollipop Shoes," Sept 14th, 2007
"The Marriage Adventure," Dec 1st, 2007
"The Mediterranean Tycoon," Apr 12th, 2007
"The Orange Outlaw," Feb 10th, 2007
"The Owl & Moon Cafe," Mar 16th, 2007
"The Playboy and Plain Jane," Sept 25th, 2006
"The Quest for the End of the Tail," July 22nd, 2007
"The Rescue," June 28th, 2006
"The Right to Write," Oct 4th, 2007
"The Rule of Four," March 5th, 2007
"The Scarecrow Room," Jan 13th, 2008
"The Screaming Room," Dec 1st, 2007
"The Sledding Hill," Jan 13th, 2008
"The Stories of Eva Luna," March 31st, 2007
"The Summer I Dared," Apr 19th, 2007
"The Unbelievably True Fairy Tale," Jan 25th, 2007
"The Way It Is," Oct 20th, 2006
"The Worry Tree," Jan 4th, 2008
"Timeline," Jan 3rd, 2007
"Twins Too. Run Girls, Run," Jan 13th, 2007
"Velocity," July 12th, 2006
"Wedding Belles," Sep 1, 2007
"Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed?" May 12th, 2007

Format
title of book -- date -- read after

from Wainuiomata Library

"The Lollipop Shoes," by Joanne Harris, c. 2007 -- Sept 14th, 2007 -- "Crazy for Chocolate," see below

"Having the Boss's Babies," by Barbara Hannay, c. 2005 -- Sept 14th, 2007 -- "Windmills of the Gods," bookcrossing 5417989

"From the Diary of a Snail," by Gunter Grass, c. 1972 -- "Having the Boss's Babies," see above

"Four Blondes," by Candace Bushnell, c. 2000 --

"The Right to Write," by Julia Cameron, c. 1998 -- "Four Blondes," see above

from Lower Hutt Library
"Love Falls," by Esther Freud, c. 2007 -- Oct 13th, 2007 -- "The Capture," see below

"Out of My Depth," by Emily Barr, c. 2006 -- Oct 20th, 2007 -- "Love Falls," see above

from Petone Library
"The Capture," by Kathryn Lasky, c. 2003 -- Oct 13th, 2007 --"Footloose," bookcrossing 5481325

from Nathans Bookshop on Queen St
"Beach of Dreams," by Sergio Bambaren, c. 1996 -- Sept 21st, 2007 -- "From the Diary of a Snail," see above

I collect passages as I read and these ones gave me pause for thought ...
"Suburban Shaman," by Cecil Helman, c. 2007

Elias works in a poor, rural environment, in which much of the belief system is summed up by the well-known Xhosa saying: Ubuntu ngumntu ngabanye abantu ('People are people through other people). Each person's humanity is expressed through a relationship with others, and their humanity in turn comes through a recognition of his or hers. To be uninvolved with other people, and in the life of the community, is to be an incomplete person. p175

... or even the word "enthusiasm" (from the Greek, 'the God within) ... p73

Fun passages from my current read, "Wedding Belles," by Zoe Barnes, c, 2006

"Look at my boobs - if you've got a microscope handy. They're like two aspirins on an ironing board." p10

She might look feminine, but this was the kind of woman who had muscles on her toenails. p34

Belle had never expected life to be exactly fair, but she did wish it wouldn't take quite such evident delight in tripping her up. p84

Recently finished:

Meant-To-Be Marriage by Rebecca Winters, c. 2006
Backpack by Emily Barr, c. 2001
Will by Kelly Jamison, c. 1993
River Angel by A. Mansette Ansay, c. 1999
Dangerous Alliance by Helen Bianchin, c. 1995
Calum by Sally Wentworth, c. 1995
The Quest for the End of the Tail by W.J. Corbett, c. 2000
At the Scent of Water by Linda Nichols, c. 2004
The Newcomer by Margot Dalton, c. 2000
A Fistful of Sky by Nina Kiriki Hoffman, c. 2002
The Horizontal Instrument by Christopher Wilkins, c. 1999
The House Guest by Barbara Anderson, c. 1995
A Place Called Ugly by Avi, c. 1981
The Tullagindi Rodeo by Kerry Allyne, c. 1986
The Shadow Child by Judith Lennox, c. 1999
An Unusual Affair by Lindsay Armstrong, c. 1991
All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz, c. 2006
Hard Truth by Mariah Stewart, c. 2005
Blue Skin of the Sea by Graham Salisbury, c. 1992
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, c. 2000
Smart Women by Judy Blume, c. 1983
Of Love and Dust by Ernest J. Gaines, c. 1967 (didn't finish it)

notes for me from home:

listology.com
magazines read
NZ Life and Leisure jan/feb 07

Quotes that caught my eye from "At the scent of water," by Linda Nichols, c. 2004

"The house calls weren't too difficult. A baby with the croup, a two-year-old with a suspected case of roseola, an old woman needing a listening ear for a moment or two, and a routine blood pressure check. Sam shook his head. He couldn't believe Carl traveled twenty minutes up in the hills just to take somebody's blood pressure, but actually that had been the best call of them at all. He had sat on the porch with the old man, had drunk a cup of coffee, and listened to the creek run. He had felt at peace, at least for a time." p250

"She took down her bowls and measuring cups. She assembled her ingredients. glad she knew the recipes by heart, for they had been left behind along with the rest of her life.
She could picture exactly where she had left them - stuffed in the aged metal box with scraps of paper and index cards on the top shelf of the old Hoosier cupboard in her kitchen. She hadn't needed them even then, but she had treasured them, many of them written in Grandma mamie's own spidery hand. Her grandmother's recipes were historical artifacts, though essentially useless unless you already knew how to make the dish. Mamie hadn't bothered with measurements. Those kind of detailed instructions were for amateurs." p108

"At least there was hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
And it's new shoots will not fail.
Its roots may grow old in the ground
And its stump die in the soil.
Yet at the scent of water
It will bud
And put forth shoots like a plant." Job 14:7-9

(last updated Sept 1st, 2007)

Running index of books mentioned here April 2006 to August 2007

"24-Karat Kids," Mar 2md, 2007
"A Carol for Christmas," Jan 7th, 2007
"A Country Practice," Aug 6th, 2006
"A Day With A Perfect Stranger," Jan 19th, 2007
"A Familisr Feeling," Mar 11th, 2007
"A Fistful of Sky," July 8th, 2007
"A Match Made in Heaven," June 4th, 2006
"About Adam," Aug 12th, 2006
"All Night Long," May 28th, 2007
"Almost Like Being In Love," Jan 23rd, 2007
"Angels Fall," Aug 25th, 2006
"At the Scent of Water," Jul 13th, 2007
"Backpack," Jul 29th, 2007
"Beach Girls," Sep 4th, 2006
"Brimstone," Apr 23rd, 2007
"Buffalo Before Breakfast," Jan 16th, 2007
"Burning Road," July 18th, 2006
"Cage of Stars," Feb 17th, 2007
"Can you keep a secret," Apr 26th, 2006
"Caroline's Journal," Dec 17th, 2006
"Cell," July 31st 2006
"Chasing the dime," May 4th, 2006
"Chocolate Kisses," Dec 13th, 2006
"City of Truth," May 8th, 2006
"Crazy as Chocolate," Aug 30th, 2007
"Dance of the Gods," Nov 7th, 2006
"Dance With Me," Dec 8th, 2006
"Dirty Blonde," Mar 16th, 2007
"Dying To Sing," Nov 13th, 2006
"Escape from Cabriz," July 31st, 2006
"Fairy Dust and the Quest For The Egg," Aug 24th, 2006
"For Love and Family," Sept 7th, 2006
"Forty Stories," July 6th, 2006
"Ghosts of Boyfriends Past," Feb 2nd, 2007
"Hard Truth," May 28th, 2007
"Home, Where the Wild Roses Grow," A0r 12th, 2007
"I Heard The Owl Call My Name," Jan 14th, 2007
"If The Shoe Fits," Feb 2nd, 2007
"In My Mother's House," Apr 30th, 2007
"Killer Takes All," May 14th, 2006
"Light Readings," Aug 30th, 2007 -->postponed for now; sept 13, 2007
"Lie By Moonlight," May 31st, 2006
"Please Mr. Einstein," Jan 30th, 2007
"Point Blank," Feb 5th, 2007
"Ready for Love," Dec 24th, 2006
"Reunion," Nov 5th, 2006
"Ride the Wind," Oct 6th, 2006
"River Angel," Jul 27th, 2007
"Round the Clock Temptation," July 24th, 2006
"Sam's Letters to Jennifer," July 31st, 2006
"Second Opinion," Oct 21st 2006
"Stargirl," May 26th, 2007
"Stories To Excite You," Feb 10th, 2007
"Strange Bedpersons," Aug 15th, 2006
"Suburban Shaman," Aug 30th, 2007
"Take Me," Mar 16th, 2007
"The Big Love," Dec 17th, 2006
"The Borrowed Ring," Mar 31st, 2007
"The Boy Next Door," Jan 23rd 2007
"The Capture," Apr 2nd, 2007
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," Feb 17th, 2007
"The Diary of Petr Ginz," Aug 12th, 2007
"The Dream-Hunter," Feb 20th, 2007
"The English Breakfast Murder," July 11th, 2006
"The Hotel Everest," July 3rd, 2007
"The House Guest," July 8th, 2007
"The Husband," July 21st, 2006
"The Jury," June 27th, 2006
"The Last Days of Dogtown," Feb 26th, 2007
"The Mediterranean Tycoon," Apr 12th, 2007
"The Orange Outlaw," Feb 10th, 2007
"The Owl & Moon Cafe," Mar 16th, 2007
"The Playboy and Plain Jane," Sept 25th, 2006
"The Quest for the End of the Tail," July 22nd, 2007
"The Rescue," June 28th, 2006
"The Rule of Four," March 5th, 2007
"The Stories of Eva Luna," March 31st, 2007
"The Summer I Dared," Apr 19th, 2007
"The Unbelievably True Fairy Tale," Jan 25th, 2007
"The Way It Is," Oct 20th, 2006
"Timeline," Jan 3rd, 2007
"Twins Too. Run Girls, Run," Jan 13th, 2007
"Velocity," July 12th, 2006
"Wedding Belles," Sep 1, 2007
"Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed?" May 12th, 2007

Format
title of book -- date -- read after

from Wainuiomata Library

"The House Guest," by Barbara Anderson, c. 1995 -- July 8th, 2007 -- after "Once Upon A Pillow," see below.

"A Fistful of Sky," by Nina Kiriki Hoffman, c. 2002 -- July 8th, 2007 -- The Horizontal Instrument by Christopher Wilkins, c. 1999

"At the Scent of Water," by Linda Nichols, c. 2004 -- July 13th, 2007 -- The Newcomer by Margot Dalton, c. 2000

"The Quest at the End of the Trail," by W.J. Corbett, c.2000 -- July 22nd, 2007 -- after "At the Scent of the Water," see above

"River Angel," by A. Manette Ansey, c. 1999 -- July 27th, 2007 -- Dangerous Alliance by Helen Bianchin, c. 1994

"Backpack," by Emily Barr, c. 2001 -- July 29th, 2007 -- Will by Kelly Jamison, c. 1993

"Meant-to-be Marriage," by Rebecca Waters, c. 1998 -- Aug 5th, 2007 -- "Backpack," see above

"The Diary of Petr Ginz," edited by Chava Pressburger, c. 2004 -- Aug 12th, 2007 --
The Lazarus Child by Robert Mawson, c. 2006

"Light Readings," by Fiona Farrell, c. 2001 -- Aug 30th, 2007 -- The Damaris Woman by Grace Green, c. 1994

"Suburban Shaman," by Cecil Hellman, c. 2007 -- Aug 30th, 2007 -- "Light Readings," see above

"Crazy as Chocolate," by Elisabeth Hyde, c. 2002 -- Aug 30th, 2007 -- "Suburban Shaman," see above

from Hutt Central Library

"The Hotel Everest," by Allan Sealy, c. 1998 - July 3rd, 2007 -- A Place Called Ugly by Avi, c. 1981 -- couldn't get into it

"Once Upon A Pillow," by Christina Dodd and Connie Brockway, c. 2002 -- July 3rd, 2007 -- after "The Hotel Everest," see above -- couldn't get into it

"Longshore Drift," by Karen Gillece, c. 2006 -- AUg 23rd, 2007 -- after "The Diary of Petr Ginz," see above

from Hot Picks -- Wainuiomata

"Wedding Belles," by Zoe Barnes, c. 2006 -- Sept 1st, 2007 -- Better Than This by Stuart Harrison, c. 2001

Books I have recently finished ...

Her Dream Come True by Donna Clayton, c. 1999
In My Mother's House by Margaret McMullan, c. 2003
Getting Married Agsin by Melinda Curtis, c. 2004
Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, c. 2004
The Summer I Dared by Barbara Delinsky, c. 2004
Reckless Dreamer by Dion Alden, c. 1985
Isle of Palms by Dorothea Benton Frank, c. 2003
Everlasting Love by Linda Howard et al, c. 1995
The Mediterranean Tycoon by Margaret Mayo, c. 2002
Not Looking For A Texas Man by Lass Small, c. 1995
Table For Two by Nora Roberts, c. 2002
Home, Where the Wild Roses Grow by Margaret Gadd Fowlkes, c. 2002
A Question of Murder by Eric Wright, c. 1988
A Joyous Season by Fern Michaels et al, c. 1996
Saville by David Storey, c. 1976
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende, c. 1989
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy, c. 2004
Take Me by Cherry Adair, c. 2002
The Borrowed Ring by Gina Wilkins, c. 2005
Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline, c. 2006
The Owl & Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson, c. 2006
One True Thing by Anna Quindlen, c. 1994
Rogue's Reform by Marilyn Pappano, c. 2000
A Familiar Feeling by Margaret Barker, c. 1999
Truth or Consequences by Diana Duncan, c. 2005
24-Karat Kids by Judy Goldstein & Sebastian Stuart, c. 2006

I collect quotes as I read. Sometimes they are enlightening, sometimes cliche, but hey it works for me ... The quote is not necessarily the best in the book, but happens to be close where I stopped reading at night.

Passages ...

April 28th to May 27th, 2007

May 6th, 2007
"... We were caught in lots of storms. Weather forecasting wasn't as good then. Storms could come on you out of the blue. We didn't talk about it, because we knew what we faced, and what we faced was not knowing. The sea has a mind of its own. I don't care what pictures satellites beam down, it can be different under those clouds. My guess is we're in for another eight hours of this. Could be more, could be less."
"What do we do until then?"
"If we start talking on water, we bail. If we broach, we pray."
"Broach?"
"Turn sideways. That's risky." p440
"The Summer I Dared," by Barbara Delinksy, c. 2004

May 5th, 2007
"Come on, Dad," Julia coaxed as she had so many other times. "She has to be autocratic at work, that's how she succeeds. She just has trouble turning it off." p342
[I chose this passage as a reminder to me]
"The Summer I Dared," by Barbara Delinksy, c. 2004

May 4th, 2007
When Ian spotted him, the grin died - and still Noah's pride remained. Ian was a young man with a savvy way about him. When Noah had been seventeen, he hadn't had that way about him. Kids nowadays grew up faster. Or maybe it was that kids on the mainland grew up faster.
"Hey," Noah called as he strode forward. He put out a hand to shake, but when Ian's met it, Noah impulsively drew him into a hug. It wasn't a smooth thing, and Ian's stiffness didn't help. He actually looked annoyed when Noah set him back.
But Noah wasn't sorry for the hug, not for a minute. He hadn't planned it, didn't even know he'd needed it. In lieu of words though, it said something. Ian was his son, flesh of his flesh. That fact demanded acknowledgement. No, he wasn't apologizing for the hug. p291
[at airport]
"The Summer I Dared," by Barbara Delinksy, c. 2004

May 3rd, 2007
By the time Noah let himself into the house, he was feeling disgruntled. Given his druthers, he'd have stayed awhile on the boat. That was where he felt most calm. Here in the house, there were ghosts. It didn't help that the place was dark, but he didn't see the point in raising the shades, when he was gone so much of the time. Besides, if he let the light in, he'd see the emptiness. It was a trade-off, emptiness for ghosts. p 182
[a reminder to me that we all can make choices]
"The Summer I Dared," by Barbara Delinksy, c. 2004

May 2nd, 2007
The temperature's just right - never too hot which would spell death for an Angora carrying this kind of fur. Angora wool is seven times warmer than lambs' wool. Anything over seventy-five and they start panting. Forty-five to fifty-five degrees is perfect for them. Once in a great while, in the dead of winter, we have to hook up supplementary heaters, but the walls of the barn deflect the wind, and the air coming off the ocean is always more moderate than it is on land. The screens here provide the kind of cross ventilation the rabbits need. Give them shade and a breeze, and they're great. p61
"The Summer I Dared," by Barbara Delinksy, c. 2004
[books are a gateway to learning]

May 1st, 2007
"They got up from the table. Alison kissed her mother goodnight and went to her room under the eaves, where she could hear the rain falling on the roof and had the comfort of a good New England storm to remind her who she was and where she was from." p226
[why this quote? it reminds of the times I read in bed with the noise of rain on a tin roof above. bliss!]
"Reckless Dreamer," by Dion Alden, c. 1985

April 30th, 2007
"She picked 'Our Town', though she wasn't sure why. Was it the New Englander's homesickness, a longing for some scent of pine and lilac in the middle of diesel and mimosa? Or was it because she missed her father, thought about him a lot, and was losing touch with him? p113
"Reckless Dreamer," by Dion Alden, c. 1985

April 29th, 2007
"Baby," her father had cautioned her, "never take anything for granted. Not this day, nor the way we live, not our love for each other. Happiness is not just given. It is earned." p53
"Reckless Dreamer," by Dion Alden, c. 1985

I collect quotes as I read. Sometimes they are enlightening, sometimes cliche, but hey it works for me ... The quote is not necessarily the best in the book, but happens to be close where I stopped reading at night.

From March 28th - April 27th, 2007

April 27th ...
But by the time you're in your thirties, having traveled a sidewalk pockmarked with personal disappointment, you learn that life goes on. I knew there was a lid for every pot. Unfortunately, every lid I had found was a little warped or maybe I wasn't the right pot. It didn't matter because he was gone and a prolonged examination of his exit was a waste of my time. p379
Isle of Palms, by Dorothea Benton Frank, c.2003

April 26th ...

Worse, I had forgotten about the sense of belonging to the island had always given me. Loving it was one thing but it was marvelous to actually belong someplace. How many years had I spent feeling that I didn't belong anywhere that I was? How many people never felt that they belonged in the space they inhabited? p138
Isle of Palms, by Dorothea Benton Frank, c.2003

ah - I see I have been lax sharing my quotes lol

March 30th ..

p283 Professor Sagan, are you glad to be out of this world? I bet you are. AIDS, overpopulation, homelessness, heart disease, cancer, Ebola virus, anthrax - the list never ends. I bet you are glad you don't have to think about that stuff anymore. I would be glad not to think of it. Are you stardust? Allegra says that's what our spirits become. Gammy says heaven is whatever you want it to be, but God is there and he'll want to chat with you about things you did while you were alive, which sounds to me an awful lot like the principal's office. Buddhists believe your soul passes from one place to another, mostly to a person, according your karma, which is like points on a scale. If you did enough bad things, you could come back as a fire ant. If you did good, you could be a redwood tree in a National Park protected from logging. Personally, I think the best thing to come back as would be a drop of water. People always need water. Just imagine how much a cactus would love you.
Currently reading:
The Owl & Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson, c. 2006

March 29th ..

p161 "Maybe I do. Kids as smart as us are ten times as likely to off ourselves even without the Taylor Fosters of the world. Check out the statistics. Did this day suck or what?"
"It sucked."
"It sucked dead donkey!" Sally yelled. "Green dead donkey dong!"
Currently reading:
The Owl & Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson, c. 2006

March 28th ..

p6 Breathing car fumes was muddling her thinking. What she needed was a lemon tart and a cup of coffee. She'd tell Gammy the news first, grateful for any homespun wisdom her mother might have. "God shuts doors right and left, Mariah. I won't tell you He doesn't. But somewhere you least expect it, a little mouse is gnawing a hole, and right there's the gateway to freedom." Gammy was straitlaced and old-fashioned, but protective as a mother tiger.
Currently reading:
The Owl & Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson, c. 2006

[last updated May 28th, 2007]

Running index of books mentioned here April 2006 to May 2007

"24-Karat Kids," Mar 2md, 2007
"A Carol for Christmas," Jan 7th, 2007
"A Country Practice," Aug 6th, 2006
"A Day With A Perfect Stranger," Jan 19th, 2007
"A Familisr Feeling," Mar 11th, 2007
"A Match Made in Heaven," June 4th, 2006
"About Adam," Aug 12th, 2006
"All Night Long," May 28th, 2007
"Almost Like Being In Love," Jan 23rd, 2007
"Angels Fall," Aug 25th, 2006
"Beach Girls," Sep 4th, 2006
"Brimstone," Apr 23rd, 2007
"Buffalo Before Breakfast," Jan 16th, 2007
"Burning Road," July 18th, 2006
"Cage of Stars," Feb 17th, 2007
"Can you keep a secret," Apr 26th, 2006
"Caroline's Journal," Dec 17th, 2006
"Cell," July 31st 2006
"Chasing the dime," May 4th, 2006
"Chocolate Kisses," Dec 13th, 2006
"City of Truth," May 8th, 2006
"Dance of the Gods," Nov 7th, 2006
"Dance With Me," Dec 8th, 2006
"Dirty Blonde," Mar 16th, 2007
"Dying To Sing," Nov 13th, 2006
"Escape from Cabriz," July 31st, 2006
"Fairy Dust and the Quest For The Egg," Aug 24th, 2006
"For Love and Family," Sept 7th, 2006
"Forty Stories," July 6th, 2006
"Ghosts of Boyfriends Past," Feb 2nd, 2007
"Hard Truth," May 28th, 2007
"Home, Where the Wild Roses Grow," A0r 12th, 2007
"I Heard The Owl Call My Name," Jan 14th, 2007
"If The Shoe Fits," Feb 2nd, 2007
"In My Mother's House," Apr 30th, 2007
"Killer Takes All," May 14th, 2006
"Lie By Moonlight," May 31st, 2006
"Mixed Messages," Oct 1st, 2006
"Morrigan's Cross," Oct 12th, 2006
"Murder Suicide," July 11th, 2006
"New Dreams For Old," Aug 31st, 2006
"No Earth Sunne," July 25th, 2006
"On The Run," Dec 27th, 2006
"One Last Look," Dec 24th, 2006
"Outback Surrender," Jan 26th, 2007
"Paper Doll," July 18th 2006
"Please Mr. Einstein," Jan 30th, 2007
"Point Blank," Feb 5th, 2007
"Ready for Love," Dec 24th, 2006
"Reunion," Nov 5th, 2006
"Ride the Wind," Oct 6th, 2006
"Round the Clock Temptation," July 24th, 2006
"Sam's Letters to Jennifer," July 31st, 2006
"Second Opinion," Oct 21st 2006
"Stargirl," May 26th, 2007
"Stories To Excite You," Feb 10th, 2007
"Strange Bedpersons," Aug 15th, 2006
"Take Me," Mar 16th, 2007
"The Big Love," Dec 17th, 2006
"The Borrowed Ring," Mar 31st, 2007
"The Boy Next Door," Jan 23rd 2007
"The Capture," Apr 2nd, 2007
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," Feb 17th, 2007
"The Dream-Hunter," Feb 20th, 2007
"The English Breakfast Murder," July 11th, 2006
"The Husband," July 21st, 2006
"The Jury," June 27th, 2006
"The Last Days of Dogtown," Feb 26th, 2007
"The Mediterranean Tycoon," Apr 12th, 2007
"The Orange Outlaw," Feb 10th, 2007
"The Owl & Moon Cafe," Mar 16th, 2007
"The Playboy and Plain Jane," Sept 25th, 2006
"The Rescue," June 28th, 2006
"The Rule of Four," March 5th, 2007
"The Stories of Eva Luna," March 31st, 2007
"The Summer I Dared," Apr 19th, 2007
"The Unbelievably True Fairy Tale," Jan 25th, 2007
"The Way It Is," Oct 20th, 2006
"Timeline," Jan 3rd, 2007
"Twins Too. Run Girls, Run," Jan 13th, 2007
"Velocity," July 12th, 2006
"Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed?" May 12th, 2007

Format
title of book -- date -- read after

from booksfree.com:

"Ghosts of Boyfriends Past," by Carly Alexander, c. 2003 - Feb 2nd, 2007 -- Blue Bayou by JoAnn Ross, c. 2002

"Stories To Excite You," by Divine & Forrest, c. 2003 - Feb 10th, 2007 -- Dreamcatcher by Mary Summer Rain, c. 2002

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," by Mark Haddon, c. 2003 -- Feb 17th, 2007 -- "The Last Days of Dogtown," by Anita Diamant, c. 2005 -- see below

"Rule of Four," by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason, c. 2004 -- Mar 7th, 2007 -- "24-Karat Kids," by Judy Goldstein and Sebastian Stuart, c. 2005 -- see below -- note: abandoned as it got too technical for my mood, read to 80pp.

"A Familiar Feeling," by Margaret Barker, c. 1999 -- Mar 11th, 2007 -- Truth or Consequences by Diana Duncan, c. 2005

"Take Me," by Cherry Adair, c. 2002 -- Mar 16th, 2007 -- "Dirty Blonde," see below
-- squeezed in book "The Borrowed Ring," see below -- and squeezed in another "The Capture," see below

"The Stories of Eva Luna," by Isabel Allende, c. 1989 -- Mar 31st, 2007 --
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy, c. 2004 -- "great read, very insightful into the human spirit and psyche"

"Home, Where the Wild Roses Grow," by Margaret Gadd Fowlkes, c, 2002 -- Apr 12th, 2007 -- A Question of Murder by Eric Wright, c. 1988 -- "well written 'meditation' while walking through a childhood house, except the house no longer exists as it was burnt down."

"The Mediterranean Tycoon," by Margaret Mayo, c. 2002 -- Apr 12th, 2007 -- Not Looking for a Texas Man by Lass Small, c. 1995

"The Summer I Dared," by Barbara Delinsky, c. 2004 -- Apr 19th, 2007 -- Reckless Dreamer by Don Alden, c. 1985

"In My Mother's House," by Margaret McMullan, c. 2003 -- Apr 30th, 2007 -- Getting Married Again by Melinda Curtis, c. 2004

"Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed," by Gemma Bruce, c. 2005 -- May 12th, 2007 -- Dancing Sky by Bethany Campbell, c. 1990

"Stargirl," by Jerry Spinelli, c. 2000 -- May 26th, 2007 -- Blue Skin of the Sea by Graham Salisbury, c. 1992



from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library:

"If The Shoe Fits," by Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens, c. 2004 - Feb 2nd, 2007 -- Guardian Groom by Shelley Cooper, c. 1988

"Cage of Stars," by Jacquelyn Mitchard, c. 2006 -- Feb 17th, 2007 -- after "Ghosts of Boyfriends Past," see above

"24-Karat Kids," by Judy Goldstein and Sebastian Stuart, c. 2005 -- Mar 2nd, 2007 -- 16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber, c. 2001

"The Owl & Moon Cafe," by Jo Ann Mapson, c. 2006 -- Mar 16th, 2007 -- One True Thing by Anna Quindlen, c. 1994

"The Borrowed Ring," by Gina Wilkins, c. 2005 -- Mar 31st, 2007 -- after "Dirty Blonde," see below

from Penne:

"Point Blank," by Catherine Coulter, c. 2005 -- Feb 5th, 2007 -- High Tide in Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver, c. 1995

"The Dream-Hunter," by Sherrilyn Kenyon, c. 2007 -- Feb 20th, 2007 -- "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," -- see above

"Dirty Blonde," by Lisa Scottoline, c. 2006 -- Mar 16th, 2007 -- "The Owl & Moon Cafe," see above

"Brimstone," by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, c. 2004 -- Apr 23rd, 2007 -- "The Summer I Dared," see above

"Hard Truth," by Mariah Stewart, c. 2005 -- May 28th, 2007 -- "Stargirl," see above

"ALl Night Long," by Judith Ann Krentz, x. 2006 -- May 28th, 2007 -- "Hard Truth," see above

from Mooresville Library:

"The Orange Outlawt," by Warren Murphy & Molly Cochran, c. 2004 - Feb 10th, 2007 -- High Priest by Warren Murphy & Molly Cochran, c. 1987

"The Last Days of Dogtown," by Anita Diamant, c. 2005 -- Feb 26th, 2007 Guilty Pleasures by Cathy Yardley, c. 2002


from a neighbor, RJ
"The Capture," by Kathryn Lasky, c. 2003 -- Apr 2nd, 2007 -- "The Borrowed Ring," by Gina Wilkins, c. 2005, see above

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Books recently finished ...

16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber, c. 2001
Hungry Hill by Daphne Du Maurier, c. 1943
The Dream-Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon, c. 2007
The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon, c. 2003
The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant, c. 2005
Guilty Pleasures by Cathy Yardley, c. 2002
Stories To Excite You by Divine & Forrest, c. 2003
Dreamwalker by Mary Summer Rain, c. 1988
The Orange Outlaw by Ron Roy, c. 2001
High Priest by Warren Murphy and Molly Cochran, c. 1987
Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard, c. 2006
Ghosts of Boyfriends Past by Carly Alexander, c. 2003
Blue Bayou by JoAnn Ross, c. 2002
Point Blank by Catherine Coulter, c. 2005
High Tide In Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver, c. 1995
The Unbelievably True Fairy Tale by Denise Fisher, c. 2002
Love Bytes by Sally Chapman, c. 1996
A Streak of Gold by Daphne Clair, c. 1978
If The Shoe Fits by Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens, c. 2004
Guardian Groom by Shelley Cooper, c. 1999
Almost Like Being In Love by Christina Dodd, c. 2004
The Marriage Wheel by Susan Barrie, c. 1968
Outback Surrender by Margaret Way, c. 2003
I Heard The Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven, c. 1973
Just A Kiss Away by Natalie Bishop, c. 1986

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