(last updated August 15th, 2006)

I am using this page now to record books I've borrowed from people/places.


Index ...
"A Country Practice," Aug 6th, 2006
"About Adam," Aug 12th, 2006
"Burning Road," July 18th, 2006
"Cell," July 31st 2006
"Escape from Cabriz," July 31st, 2006
"Forty Stories," July 6th, 2006
"Murder Suicide," July 11th, 2006
"No Earth Sunne," July 25th, 2006
"Paper Doll," July 18th 2006
"Round the Clock Temptation," July 24th, 2006
"Sam's Letters to Jennifer," July 31st, 2006
"Strange Bedpersons," Aug 15th, 2006
"The English Breakfast Murder," July 11th, 2006
"The Husband," July 21st, 2006
"Velocity," July 12th, 2006

==========================================
today

"Forty Stories," by Donald Barthelme, c. 1987 (from booksfree.com)

This is next after A Dangerous Business by Michael Underwood, c. 1990

-- note July 22nd -- book abandoned as I couldn't get into the stories

==========================================
July 11th, 2006

Needed to squeeze two books in after my current read. One is from a pile of books from Penne across the road and t'other is a library book. Ah the joys of having many books to read :)

From Penne ... "Murder Suicide," by Keith Ablow, c.2004
and from the Davidson library "The English Breakfast Murder," by Laura Childs, c. 2003

Current read is The Boss Man's Fortune by Kathryn Jensen, c. 2004

Murder.. good book, kept my interest.
English .... most enjoyable.

==========================================
July 12th, 2006

Another from Penne ... "Velocity," by Dean Koontz, c. 2005 -- after Impulsive Butterfly by Kay Gregory, c. 1989

I collect quotes as I read. They tend to be ones that are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility ... p85

"They are the stories of a seeker," Vallis said. "You know the truth of life, but you circle around that fruit, circle and circle, reluctant to admit it, to taste it." p361

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. A diabolic killer plays a harrowing game of cat and mouse with a reclusive bartender in Koontz's latest gripping suspense thriller. Billy Wiles, a 30-something bartender and former writer, is content with his solitary Napa County existence listening to "beer-based psychoanalysis" from tavern regulars; visiting his hospitalized, comatose fiancée, Barbara; and carving wood sculptures. But the simple life gets mighty complicated when he finds a note with a deadly, time-sensitive ultimatum: he must choose between the death of a young schoolteacher or an elderly humanitarian in six hours. Reluctant local sheriff Lanny Olsen dismisses it as a joke until a comely teacher is found strangled and another threatening note appears—offering even less time for Billy to decide the fate of two more people. Who would have guessed that one of those people would be Olsen? After his friend's murder, Billy finds that the cunning killer has gained access to every aspect of his life as the ultimatums grow increasingly more personal. Suppressing horrific childhood memories, Billy scrambles to bury grisly incriminating evidence the murderer has deviously planted. More gruesome deaths and shaky suspicions trap Billy right in the demented killer's lair for just the beginning of Koontz's serpentine showdown. Graphic, fast-paced action, well-developed characters and relentless, nail-biting scenes show Koontz at the top of his game. (May 24)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

==============================================================
July 18th, 2006

--> "Burning Road," by Ann Benson, c. 1999

book is via booksfree.com

random pick after "Paper Doll," see below ...

from the book:
He could eat and think in motionless peace, which he considered a blessing. p542
[comment: simple, but true]

my thoughts:
Ending wasn't as I had expected it to be but it was riveting.

--> "Paper Doll," by Robert B. Parker, c. 1993

Spenser fans will delight in the Boston PI's latest adventure, after Pastime and Double Deuce , as Parker, restraining a penchant for arch characterization, returns his attention to plotting. Spenser is hired by Boston Brahmin Loudon Tripp to find the murderer of his conventionally impeccable wife, Olivia Nelson, whom the police consider a victim of random urban violence. After consulting with the police detective assigned to the case, a gay man whose lover is dying of AIDS, Spenser travels to Olivia's hometown in South Carolina, where his questions land him in jail, uncharged, and at the mercy of some Northern thugs. Rescued at the last minute by Boston police Lt. Quirk, the burly detective soon finds himself taken into the confidence of a sleazy but powerful Massachusetts senator. The case builds on a nicely woven mix of false identity, self-delusion and, unexpectedly, the powerful attachment of two old Southern gentlemen, one black and one white. Spenser's lover, the elegant psychiatrist Susan, and his pal Hawk stay pretty much in the background as the tough-but-sensitive PI hews mainly to the mystery at hand. Mystery Guild Main selection, Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

randomly chosen to be next after 24 Hours by Greg Iles, c. 2000

book is from Penne

Fun pieces:

She laughed. I always loved the sound of her laughter. And to have caused it was worth the west side of heaven. p94

... a good book
==============================================================
July 20th, 2006

"The Husband," by Dean Koontz, c. 2006

Another Koontz book from Penne :) Will read after "Forty Stories" - see above.

fun!

================================================================
July 24th, 2006

From Davidson Library "Round the Clock Temptation," by Michelle Celmer, c. 2005

To be read after When I See Your Face by Laurie Page, c. 2001

When Nina and Connor stepped into her daddy's hospital room an hour later he was asleep, and Jane was perched in one of the visitor's chairs reading a romance novel - her one personal indulgence. 1.00pm every afternoon, for exactly one hour she could be found on the cedar swing, or curled up on the couch, her nose buried in a book. Unless someone was bleeding to death or the house was in flames, everyone knew better than to weasel in on her "me" time. p33
[comment: mmmm ... I wonder why I like this one :)??]

==============================================================
July 25th, 2006

"No Earth Sunne," by Margaret Ball, c. 1994

This copy is from the wonderful booksfree.com

To be after "Round the Clock Temptation," ... see above entry!

=====================================================================
July 31st, 2006

"Cell," by Stephen King, c. 2006 -- From Penne
"Escape from Cabriz," by Linda Lael Miller -- another from Penne
"Sam's Letters to Jennifer," by James Patterson -- from Penne

I will read Cell after The Snow Bride by Debbie Macomber, c. 2003

He said the mind can calculate, but the spirit yearns, and the heart knows what the heart knows. p250 -- "Cell".

=======================================================================
Aug 6th, 2006

"A Country Practice," by Laura Abbot, c. 2001 -- from books free.com

Randomly chosen to be next after Duet Comedies #48 by Cathie Linz and Jane Sullivan, c. 2001

aah books recently read:

Paper Doll by Robert B. Parker, c. 1993
24 Hours by Greg Iles, c. 2000
The Secret Groom by Myrna Mackenzie, c. 1997
The Husband by Dean Koontz, c. 2006
A Dangerous Business by Michael Underwood, c. 1990
Velocity by Dean Koontz, c. 2005
Impulsive Butterfly by Kay Gregory, c. 1989
English Breakfast Murder by Laura Childs, c. 2003
Murder Suicide by Keith Ablow, c. 2004
The Boss Man's Fortune by Kathryn Jensen, c. 2004
The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks, c. 2000
The Jury by Fern Michaels, c. 2006
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie, c. 2005
House of Dreams by Leigh Michaels, c. 1994
The Zigzag Way by Anita Desai, c. 2004
Just Desserts by Sue Welfare, c. 1999
A Match Made In Heaven by Susan Wales and Ann Platz, c. 1999
By The Light Of The Moon by Dean Koontz, c. 2002
Spring Fancy by Annette Broadrick, Lass Small & Kasey Michaels, c. 1993
Five Mile House by Karen Novak, c. 2000
The Famished Road by Ben Okri, c. 1991
How Happy To Be by Katrina Onstad, c. 2006
Lie By Moonlight by Amanda Quick, c. 2005
Fool's Gold by Jennifer Skully, c. 2005
Silence in October by Jens Christian Grondahl, c. 1996
False Light by Caroline Llewllyn, c. 1997
City of Truth by James Morrow, c. 1990
The Bachelor by Carly Phillips, c. 2002
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, c. 2000

===================================================================================
August 12th, 2006 --

"About Adam," by Stella Cameron, c. 2003 -- from Davidson Library

Randomly chosen to be next after:
The Grey King by Susan Cooper, c. 1975

From front cover: In the names of justice; fun and most of all, love, the residents of Mayfair Square are about to challenge fate ... yet again.

===================================================================================
August 15th, 2006 --

"Strange Bedpersons," by Jennifer Crusie, c. 1994 -- from Mooresville Library

Next after How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen, c. 1998

(last amended June 28th, 2006...)


This is a continuation of a journal held in another place.

For ease of use I have included an index of titles and the date of entry:
"A Match Made in Heaven," June 4th, 2006
"Can you keep a secret," Apr 26th, 2006
"Chasing the dime," May 4th, 2006
"City of Truth," May 8th, 2006
"Killer Takes All," May 14th, 2006
"Lie By Moonlight," May 31st, 2006
"The Jury," June 27th, 2006
"The Rescue," June 28th, 2006

============================================================
date: today

"Can You Keep a Secret," by Sophie Kinsella, c. 2004

It's from booksfree.com and will be next after Jared's Love-Child by Sandra Field, c. 1999

=============================================================
date: May 4th 2006

"Chasing the Dime," by Michael Connelly, c. 2002

book is from Davidson Public Library.

It will follow Shadows at Sunset by Anne Stuart, c. 2000

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Wednesday, May 10th, 2006 --
Before leaving, he went back into the living room and stood before her bookcase. Her shelves were crowded. Hardcover books only. It was an altar to knowledge and experience and adventure. He remembered one time walking into the living room and finding her on the couch. She wasn't reading. She was just looking up at her books.
One of the shelves was completely dedicated to books about tattoos and graphic design. He stepped over and let his finger tick along the spines of the books until he found the one he knew was there and pulled it out. It was a book about Chinese pictograms, the book from which she had chosen her tattoo. He turned the pages until he found 'fu' and read the copy. It quoted Confucius. "With coarse rice to eat, with only water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow, I am happy." p359

============================================================
date: May 8th, 2006

"City of Truth," by James Morrow, c. 1990

This book is from booksfree.com and is next after The Bachelor by Carly Phillips, c. 2002

Fun passages:
A door opened. A short, round, onion-eyed man in a white lab coat came out, accompanied by a fiftyish couple - a blobby woman in a shabby beige dress and her equally fat, equally disheveled husband: rumpled golf cap, oversized polyester polo shirt, baggy corduroy pants; they looked like a pair of bookends they'd failed to unload at their own garage sale. p41



==============================================================
date: May 14th, 2006

"Killer Takes All," by Erica Spindler, c. 2005

Penne from across the road gave me this to read. I think she sees me reading outside all the time and thought it would be fun to share the fun. What a neat gesture.

I'm going to read it after my current read:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, c. 2005

===============================================================
date: May 31st, 2006

"Lie by Moonlight," by Amanda Quick, c. 2005

This was also given to me by Penne. It will be next after Fool's Gold by Jennifer Skully, c. 2005

=================================================================
date: June 4, 2006

List of recent reads

The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews, c. 2002
Children of the Lion by Peter Danielson, c. 1980
Small Island by Andrea Levy, c. 2004
Killer Takes All by Erica Spindler, c. 2005
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, c. 2005
Full Circle by Kay Thorpe, c. 1978
Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly, c. 2002
Shadows at Sunset by Anne Stuart, c. 2000
The Town by Bentley Little, c. 2000
Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella, c. 2004
Jared's Love-child by Sandra Field, c. 1999
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, c. 1985
A Delicate Finish by Jeanette Baker, c. 2005
Fantasy Wife by Julie Kistler, c. 1995
Moon Shadows anthology, c. 2004
Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson, c. 2004
Deep Cover by Brian Garfield, c. 1971
Make-believe Marriage by Renee Roszel, c. 1995
Montana Man by Barbara Delinsky, c. 1989
Brazen by Carly Phillips, c. 1999
Burning Dreams by Peggy Nicholson, c. 1991
Ella In Europe by Michael Konik, c. 2005
Once a Dreamer by Candice Hern, c. 2003
Where or When by Anita Shreve, c. 1993
The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer, c. 2004


=======================================================================
date: June 4th, 2006

"A Match Made in Heaven," by Susan Wales & Ann Platz, c.1999

Randomly chosen from my pile of books from booksfree.com. It's next after Spring Fancy an anthology, c. 1993

ah -- a bookring has emerged and it will now be after By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz, c. 2002

=========================================================================
date: Jun 11th, 2006

This is what my profile at BC looks as of today.

Welcome!!

Pammykn introduced me to bookcrossing by sending me Cold Tree on a Hot Day through the mail. The idea intrigued me and I responded by sending The Hours out into the wild. My first "catch" was in December, 2004. I left a book at MacDonalds (exit 33, I77) I'm so happy :)) It was Scarlatti Inheritance. My second catch was this one. It was journaled 8 months later! Here is one I left at a OBCZ St Cinnamons. This one has traveled a bit.

Most of the books here have not been read. Pls feel free to message me if you see a book that tickles your fancy. I will then most likely bump it up my TBR list.

Why the kiwifruit? I am an expat kiwi.

Currently reading:
Fool's Gold by Jennifer Skully, c. 2005

Just Finished:
Silence in October by Jens Christian Grondahl, c. 1996
False Light by Caroline Llewllyn, c. 1997
City of Truth by James Morrow, c. 1990
The Bachelor by Carly Phillips, c. 2002
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, c. 2000


see this link for Books read from 1997 to June 29th, 2005 xx from June 29th, 2005 to October 6th, 2005. xx from October 7th, 2005 to April 7th, 2006 xx Books read April, May, 2006 xx.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Monday, June 13th, 2006 --
I mused that time is not only a river, but a river that constantly breaks its banks so you must flee from it as it covers everything behind your back, flee into the future, empty-handed and dispossessed, as the river obliterates your footprints with every step you take, your every passage from one moment to the next. It is only our own helpless lack of synchronicity, the inertia of our senses, the illusory power of memory and habit, that shields us from facing the unknown when we open our eyes in the morning, washed up on the shore of yet another alien day. Every morning we tread an unknown path, and we only have faint and falling memories to tell us who we might be. Disconnected, frayed memories, that no longer distinguish between the world we passed and the shadows it cast in our hollow, clean-swept head as we fled onward, on and on. Now and then we overcoe our fear of stumbling and turn around to look back one last time, and again one very last time, because we do not understand the strangeness that approaches, and the words we have to name it will be hopelessly inadequate , and so we flee from the havoc of time, backward, until we are nothing other than the story there is to tell of all we have lost. p292
Silence in October by Jens Christian Grondahl, c. 1996

Saturday, June 11, 2006 --
In a short while, when I had taken a bath and changed my shirt, I would go down in the elevator and mix with the crowd at the bottom of the shaft among the columns of shining glass. I would reduce myself to a particle among particles fluctuating beneath me, each with its own direction and yet swallowed up in the same stream of continual, unstoppable, directionless movement. p101
Silence in October by Jens Christian Grondahl, c. 1996

Sunday, June 4th, 2006 --
A door opened. A short, round, onion-eyed man in a white lab coat came out, accompanied by a fiftyish couple - a blobby woman in a shabby beige dress and her equally fat, equally disheveled husband: rumpled golf cap, oversized polyester polo shirt, baggy corduroy pants; they looked like a pair of bookends they'd failed to unload at their own garage sale. p41
City of Truth by James Morrow, c. 1990

Sunday, May 28th, 2006 --
Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so a grateful spirit removes the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart.
My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting to give thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.
I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
Today I will choose to be happy. p110
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews, c. 2002

Monday, May 22nd, 2006 --
Early Bird, my teacher at Bolsbrooke Elementary School, taught us all in English grammar that an apostrophe is a mark to show where something is missing. And that was how I'd always seen Bernard's father, Arthur: a human spostrophe. He was there but only to show that something precious had gone astray. When Bernard said he was being posted overseas I asked him who was going to look after his father now. A bewildered expression was all I got tell that I was. p288
Small Island by Andrea Levy, c. 2004

Monday, May 15th, 2006 --
"I've been happy here," XX said, and it was true. FF felt congestion had ruined Paris, but for XX the charm was infinite, the boulangeries and the patisseries, the crepes sold from street stands, the spires of ancient buildings, the bells. The sounds, too, of the language flowing like a stream, a word here and there emerging like a pebble. p333
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, c. 2005

Sunday, May 14th, 2006 --
He scanned the room for her again and did not see her, and the first threads of panic began, tiny, pervasive, like the filaments of mushrooms hidden in a log. p256
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, c. 2005

Some (perhaps) interesting updates:

From Nov 11, 2003 - Dec 11, 2003, I had a much needed moratorium on buying books from charity stores etc. It was an exercise in self-control which on the whole I managed to achieve! I have a love/hate relationship with Ebay. The boxes of books are wonderful but I have bought much more than I can chew.

Update March 1st, 2004 --
I'm so excited!! Dusties left one of my books, First Counsel, in the wild last month and it's in now in Asia!

Update March 19th 2004 --

I am releasing some books at Caribou Coffee on Park Rd in Charlotte this afternoon. AdventureTom is trying to set up an Official Bookcrossing Zone there so I thought I would go along and have a look. These are the books I'm taking with me...

The Shape of the Snakes by Minette Walters -- picked up March 19th, 2004.
Almost Innocent by Jane Feather
22 Indigo Place by Sandra Brown -- picked up March 20th, 2004.
The Incumbent by Brian McGrory -- picked up April 4th, 2004.
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian -- no longer there -- I brought it home again to release locally.

December 2004 --

HOLIDAY CLEAR-OFF -- BOOKRINGS GALORE ...
There are 19 days left til Christmas and I have so many books lingering, relaxing, reposing on my shelves. I want to offer up some bookrings. Just PM me.

1. Zen and the Art of Fatherhood by Steven Lewis
2. A Scandalous Proposal by Julia Justiss
3. Tender Malice by Catherine Lanigan
4. Wild West Wife by Susan Mallery
5. Meant for Trent & Leigh's for Me by Liz Jarrett

6. Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend by Robert James Weller
7. A Painted House by John Grisham
8. Guardian Angel by Sara Paretsky
9. Temporary Santa by Cathy Thacker & Leigh Michaels
10. The Bachelor by Carly Phillips
11. Name Dropping by Jane Heller
12. 7B by Stella Cameron
13. Blue Skies by Catherine Anderson
14. Southern Gentemen by Jennifer Blake and Emilie Richards
15. The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown by Julia Quinn and others
16. After the Music by Diana Palmer
17. The Other Twin by Katherine Stone
18. Undressed by Stef Ann Holm
19. The Leopard's Women & White Wolf by Linda Lael Miller & Lindsay McKenna

These are the bookrays I have intitiated 2003/2004:

Satellite Sisters Uncommon Senses
The Pleasure Principle
Inner Gardening
The Five People You Meet In Heaven

============================================================================
June 27th, 2006

"The Jury," by Fern Michaels, c. 2006

Copy is from Penne across the road.

Chosen to be next after Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie, c. 2005

Enjoyable escape :)

=============================================================================
June 28th, 2006

"The Rescue," by Nicholas Sparks, c. 2000

This is from booksfree.com.

Chosen to be next after "The Jury", see above.

Ah, this was a great book. It's not often that I cry when reading but this one made me weep.

I am using this page now to record books I've borrowed from people/places. It works for me at the mo :) Happy reading.

"The Photograph," by Penelope Lively, c. 2003 (copy from booksfree.com)

(entry edited July 23rd, 24th, to include a passage)

'Tis next after The Angel of Devil's Camp by Lynna Banning, c. 2003.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

The thing about coming home, says Polly, when she dashes down for a night, or a meal, is that everything's always got to be exactly the same. Don't you see? I mean, you can have some new curtains occasionally, if you like, within reason, but basically it's got to stay put. I've got to be able to touch base. Totally self-centered, I know, but you don't 'mind', do you? The occasional innovation I will allow - actually, a makeover of the bathroom would be no bad thing - but basics have to stay the same, right? No blue rinses, Mum, OK? And if Dad ever goes in for gray flannels and a tweed jacket I'll slaughter him. p52
[comment: makes me think what my expectations are.]

She is dumpy, fresh-faced, wholesome-looking, she reminds me of a small brown loaf. p127

I have just finished The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney, c. 1999! And, as always, I have another book in my hand within 30 minutes. This time it's "Split Second," by David Baldacci, c. 2003. Copy is from booksfree.com.

My thoughts (added July 22nd, 2005) - the book is a good piece of escapism. I took it with me on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. We went with my parents from New Zealand. We all did a lot of reading as they are not TV watchers. 'Tis nice to have a good book to read!

"Summer Secrets," by Barbara Freethy, c. 2003 (library copy)

To be read soon after Remembrance by Jude Deveraux, c. 1994

Books read May 22nd to June 29th, 2005 --

The Measure of Our Days by Jerome Groopman, c. 1997
This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, c. 2002
Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald, c. 1979
The Last Curve, by Margaret Allison, c. 1999 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of June 15th, 2005
A Stetson on Her Pillow by Molly Liholm, c. 2002
Follow the Stars Home by Luanne Rice, c. 2000
A Trip to the Beach by Melinda & Robert Blanchard, c. 2000
One Pink Rose by Julie Garwood, c. 1997
How Late It Was, How Late by James Kelman, c. 1994
A Time-Travel Christmas, by Megan Daniel, Vivian Knight-Jenkins, Eugenia Riley & Flora Speer, c. 1993 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of May 27th, 2005
The Buttercup Dream by Monica Martin, c. 1987
The Klone and I by Danielle Steel, c. 1998
Living History, by Hillary Rodham Clinton, c. 2003 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of May 13th, 2005

"The Clothes They Stood Up In and The Lady in the Van," by Alan Bennett, c. 2003 (booksfree.com copy)

This is to be read after The Measure of Our Days by Jerome Groopman, c. 1997

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Truth to tell (and though she didn't say so to Mrs. Ransome) it was advice Dusty only proffered halfheartedly anyway. The more she saw of the lilies of the field syndrome the less faith she had in it. She'd had one or two clients who'd told her that a hurtful burgulary had given them a clue how to live, that from now on they would set less store by material possessions, travel light, etc. Six months later she'd gone back on a follow-up visit to find them more encumbered than ever. Lots of people could give up things. Dusty had decided: what they couldn't do without was shopping for them. p50
[comment: how true]

This guy moves house the way other people move their bowels. p112

"The Last Curve", by Margaret Allison, c. 1999

-- copy from booksfree.com

This is next after A Stetson On Her Pillow.

from front cover: A man, a woman, a pulse-pounding desire - and a quest for justice at any price.

"A Time-Travel Christmas," by Megan Daniel, Vivian Knight-Jenkins, Eugenia Riley & Flora Speer, c.1993

I have just finished The Buttercup Dream by Monica Martin, c. 1987. Twas a quick read.

Book comes from booksfree.com

Fun pieces from the book:

The scene appeared to have been scooped from the pages of a book on colonial history and plopped intact onto the face of the Massachusetts countryside - like a dollop of ice cream on a wedge of apple pie. p137

. a dilly of a bruise. p221

Books read Macrh 28th to May 20th

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch, c. 1978
Trueblood Christmas by Jasmine Cresswell, Tara Taylor Quinn & Kate Hoffman, c. 2002
Mountain Man, by Vardis Fisher, c. 1965 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of April 28th, 2005
Ride The Pink Horse by Dorothy Hughes, c. 1971
Earthly Delights. Gardening by the Seasons the Easy Way, by Margot Rochester, c. 2004 -- link goes to blog as it's from the library. See entry of April 24th, 2005
Honor's Splendour by Julie Garwood, c. 1987
Home For The Holidays, by Leanne Banks, Dixie Browning & Kathie DeNosky, c. 2003 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of April 15th, 2005
On The Street Where You Live by Mary Higgins Clark, c. 2001
Stolen Moments by Janice Kaiser, c. 1987
Born O'Hurley by Nora Roberts, c. 2004 (but stories from c. 1988)
A Love Beyond Time, by Judie Aitken, c. 2000 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of April 2nd, 2005
The Hunt for Hawke's Daughter by Jean Barrett, c. 2001
The Mommy Fund, by Madeleine K. Jacob, c. 2005 -- link goes to blog as it's from the library. See entry of March 31st, 2005
Interface by Mark Adlard, c. 1971
The Will, by Reed Arvin, c. 2000 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of March 21st, 2005

"Living History," by Hilary Rodham Clinton, c. 2003

(edited May 17th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd to include a quote)

I have almost finished The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch, c. 1978. This one is next. The book comes from booksfree.com

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

I thought of him as a force of nature and wondered whether I'd be up to the task of living through his seasons. p61

I craved information like oxygen. p176
[comment: I love this one - particularly as I am an information professional.]

Bill often reminds me of the boy who is digging furiously in a barn filled with manure. When someone asks why, he says, "With all this manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere." p397

All we had to do was figure out a name for the dog. We vacillated and made lists. People wrote letters with suggestions and devised dog-naming contests. Two of my favorite candidates were Arkanpaws and Clin Tin Tin. p436
[comment: great play on words]

.. she says, "It just got too hard." Hanks replies, "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it - the hard is what makes it great." p501
[comment: cliche but good]

"Mountain Man," by Vardis Fisher, c. 1965

(entry edited May 2nd, 3rd to include quotes}

This is next after Ride The Pink Horse by Dorothy Hughes, c. 1971. Copy is from booksfree.com


I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

From the bitterroots they had gone southeast to the continental divide and had crossed it just north of Henry's Lake. From there they went to Pierre's Hole and climbed the backbone of the Teton range and looked east across what would be known as Jackson Hole country. On the eastern flank of this range, high against the spine, were more wild flowers than Sam had ever seen in one spot - whole acres, whole hillsides, with such a wealth of color and scents that he could only stand and stare. He knew only a few of them - the asters, paintbrushes, pentstemons, gilias, mallows; none of them for him was as lovely as the marsh marigold, which he called the alpine lily, or the alp-lily, with their yellow centers and six creamy white petals, and the columbine. But he loved them all and marveled at the beauty of this mountainside. Among the flowers, as if to set them off, were the ferns, the leathery leaves of myrtle, the mountain laurel, and various berry plants, including the huckleberry. And the huckleberries were ripe. p69

What made him most unhappy were the hours he had to give to sleep, in a life that was short at best. He thought that possibly the Creator had given sleep to His creatures so that they would awaken with the eyes of morning and a fresh discovery of the world. p210

"Earthly Delights. Gardening by the Seasons the Easy Way", by Margot Rochester, c. 2004

[edited 25th, 26th, 27th to include passages from the book]

I finished Honor's Splendour by Julie Garwood, c. 1987, last night. Within five minutes I was reading this one. Some people call this book chain addiction.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

So much for the garden rules. No penalty for breaking them .. execpt the possibility of a year without blooms. You may lose a plant or two by dividing at the wrong time of year, but so what? Plants forgive much more readily than people, and they are easily replaced when we do them in. p10
[comment: I like this philosophy .. freeing]

Tuesday, April 27th, 2005 --
The trick to gardening, at least the gardening I choose to do, is to focus on pleasurable endeavors. If a task is hard and tedious, think of a way to make it easier or do not do it at all. There is always a way to turn yard work into garden joy, and we should make sure we find it. p114
[comment: this philosophy can spread to other areas of life]

Next time we have one of those warm winter days that remind us that winter does not last forever, take time to step outside, breathe deeply and think gardening thoughts. The oxygen you inhale will fill you with hope and enthusiasm, just the stuff gardeners use to energize themselves for spring.
Walk around and admire the winter features of your garden. Enjoy the sculptural shapes and textures. Observe the abundance of greens provided by nature even in early February. Notice the shadows. Look for the purples and grays that dress up the garden any time of the year, but are especially appreciated when flowers are scarce. p80
[comment: any quote on true observation is a goodie for me]

On the way home, we stopped at a nursery and purchased chocolate mint (Menta cv. x spicata). I do not know what happened to hers, but mine has made itself at home far from its original site and every time I pull up a clump and get a whiff of York Peppermint Patty, I think of our trip together.
Chocolate mint is the most invasive of the mints but it is quite handsome with dark green foliage, chocolate-brown stems, and an alluring calorie-free scent. Pulling it up is a sensual experience but, as a rule, I leave it unless it is crowding other plants. p161

"Home for the Holidays," by Leanne Banks, Dixie Browning & Kathie DeNosky, c. 2003

[entry edited April 19,20th to include quotes]

This book, obtained via booksfree.com, is next after On The Street Where You Live by Mary Higgins Clark, c. 2001.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

All a part of her stress-related symptoms, according to Dr. Hodges, friend and physician.
Ann Elise wasn't sure she bought into the diagnosis. On the other hand, a brand-new year was bearign down on her and she wasn't even done with the old one yet. As soon as she could clear her calendar she vowed to spend a solid month on a beach - any beach at all, but the more deserted the better. That way, no one could make demands on her, real or implied. No telephones, no e-mail, no persistent sales reps. For one whole month she would do absolutely nothing but sleep in the sun, float on the water, and read purely for pleasure - nothing even faintly resembling literature, certainly nothing educational. p136
[comment: it would be nice to take a month off, huh? But no computer? hmmph!]

"If I hadn't acted like I cared for you it would have raised a red flag the size of Rhode Island with your sister." p290

"A Love Beyond Time," by Judie Aitken, c. 2000

(entry updated Apr 4th, 5th to include quotes)

I have rolled the dice to see what is coming up to be read. Ta-da. This is next after
The Hunt for Hawke's Daughter by Jean Barrett, c. 2001. Copy is from booksfree.com

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

When his parents had died, Dillon had followed the traditions of his Lakota and Cheyenne heritage. He had begun his year of mourning by cutting his hair off just below his ears. In the ten years since, it had grown untouched by scissors. p62
[comment: i'm always looking for tidbits of info like this.]

no quote this time -- just a fun word "etiology" -- definition from dictionary.com 1. The study of causes or origins. 2. The branch of medicine that deals with the causes or origins of disease.

"The Mommy Fund," by Madeleine K. Jacob, c. 2005

(entry edited Apr 1st,2nd to include quotes)

I've just about finished this cookie, Interface by Mark Adlard, c. 1971. My boss, Hazel, used to refer to a research request as a "cookie", and sometimes the word just slips out as I refer to a book I'm reading. "The Mommy Fund" comes from the library - hence entry here.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

While the boys large and small celebrate the thrill of midweek pizza, Kate celebrates the thrill of twenty minutes alone in the car.
"I didn't call ahead, so this might take awhile," she warns.
"No problem." Andy's voice is muffled under the dining room table. "Just don't forget to order extra pepperoni." p72
[comment: as a stay-at-home mum i can relate to Kate.]

"The joy that isn't shared .. dies young." -- Anne Saxton p205

--
A light read. It goes quickly. Suspend belief though.

Books read February 9th to March 27th, 2005

The Fifth Victim by Beverly Barton, c. 2003
Heart of the Home stories by Fern Michaels, Brenda Joyce, Bronwyn Williams, & Denise Domning, c. 1997
Shadows in the Night by Linda Turner, c. 1986
Night Games, by Nina Bangs, c. 2002 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of March 10th, 2005
The Passion of Molly T. by Lawrence Sanders, c. 1984
Circles of Time, by Tess Mallory, c. 1997 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of March 6th, 2005
Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, c. 2003
Hotel World by Ali Smith, c. 2001
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan, c. 1998
Sleeping Beauty by Dallas Schulze, c. 1999
The Silver Rose, by Jane Feather, c. 1987 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of February 25th, 2005
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, c. 1979
Heart of a Woman, by Maya Angelou, c. 1981 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of January 29th, 2005
Rancher's Bride by Jeanne Allan, c. 1990
Murder on Embassy Row, by Margaret Truman, c. 1984 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com. See entry of February 6th, 2005

"The Will," by Reed Arvin, c. 2000

(entry edited March 26th, 27th, 28th to include new quotes)

This title is from booksfree.com. This is next after my current read The Fifth Victim by Beverly Barton, c. 2003.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

The whole Breedon family, huddling together as they entered the church door like ducks in a rainstorm. p28
[comment: this was snipped from a passage describing the people at a funeral]

They had spent only a brief time together, but her image came to him easily, with surprising clarity. He was jealous of her, in a way, she had what he himself had possessed and then lost: real passion for battle, and the belief that somehow one had to fight even if there was no winning. And not blind passion; she felt her defeats to the core, their last conversation had shown that. But even after defeat there would always be another battle, and another, and another, and for people like her, that was the glory and the power of the thing. p230
[comment: not profound language, but I chose it for the sentiment.]

The discovery that Henry's father's office was the property of the Cottonwood Valley Bank gave Henry a momentary sense of awe; if his destiny was finding him, it was running, for the moment, on rails." p348
[comment: I don't believe in coincidences - things always happen for a reason - and I love it when I come across passages about synchronicity]

--
Opinion of the book...
Good read. Didn't have to think too much. But what happened to Roger?

"Night Games," by Nina Bangs, c. 2002

This book is next after The Passion of Molly T. by Lawrence Sanders, c. 1984. Copy is from booksfree.com.

"Circles of Time," by Tess Mallory, c. 1997

(entry edited Mar 8th, 9th to include a quote)

This copy, from booksfree.com, is next after my current read Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, c. 2003

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

..he felt the desire wrapping itself around him, twisting his insides as though they were as supple as the mass of tangled auburn curls she was trying to braid. p60

"Have faith, my dear. Remember how God sent an angel to open the cell where the apostle Paul was imprisoned?"
Kendra leaned her face into the palms of her hands. "Somehow I'd feel better if I knew they had something a little more definite to count on, Father. Do you have a plan? Is this attack on the castle part of it?"
The priese didn't answer and in irritation she lifted her face to his, only to find his blue eyes twinkling as he patted her shoulder.
"God works in mysterious ways, my child, and many have entertained angels unawares." p224
[comment: cliche, but true]

"Silver Rose," by Jane Feather, c. 1987

(entry edited Feb 27th - new passage added)

This copy comes from booksfree.com. I started this one last night :) Shall let you know how I feel about the book over the next day or two.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Oliver was a rake, untrustworthy, and emotionally shallower than a birdbath ... p18

She was listening with half an ear to Gertude, who was complaining that her copper kettles needed resoldering and the tinker hadn't been by in six months. "Send Sam to the Romany encampment. I'm sure there'll be someone there skilled at mending pots."
Gertrude frowned. "Them Romanies are trouble, m'lady. Don't want 'em around 'ere. There'll steal the tears outta yer eyes soon as look at you."
"They need work," Ariel stated with a slight dismissive gesture. "If they're treated courteously." She moved toward the pantries, leaving Gertrude muttering her disagreement. It was not a disagreement she would voice openly so Lady Ariel, whose tolerance for Romanies was well known, if disapproved of. p250
[comment: I remember being curious about gypsies when I was a teen. Now the net is about I have more access to information. Seeing this passage rekindled by fascination. I like the sentence about the "tears."]

Books read since January 7th, 2005 --

Cameo Lake, by Susan Wilson, c. 2001 -- link goes to blog as it's from the library. See entry of February 5th, 2005
The Longer The Thread by Emma Lathen, c. 1971
All Around The Town by Mary Higgins Clark, c. 1992
Writers Writing edited by Jenny Brown and Shona Munro, c. 1993
Room For One More by Virginia Nielsen, c. 1987
The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier, c. 1997
A Mother's Reflection, by Elissa Ambrose, c. 2003 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com, see entry of January 18, 2005
Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory, c. 2002
A Warrior's Vow, by Marilyn Tracy, c. 2003 -- link goes to blog as it's from booksfree.com, see entry of January 7, 2005
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley, c. 2000

See entry of January 29th, 2005 -- I now have my library copy of "Heart of a Woman," by Maya Angelou.

"Murder on Embassy Row," by Margaret Truman, c. 1984 -- Book 12 of 2005

(entry edited Feb 12 -- to include passages from book)

This copy comes from booksfree.com and will be read after I finish my current read, "Cameo Lake," by Susan Wilson, c. 2001.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

"What is it about you, Sal, that keeps you from enjoying what you have instead of chasing after what you don't have?" p176
[comment: yes, it's cliche, but dang, i still like it :)]

"Cameo Lake," by Susan Wilson, c. 2001 -- book 11 of 2005

(entry edited daily Feb 7th - 11th -- quotes added)

This copy comes from the library. I imagine I'll start this one tomorrow as I only have about 50 pages left on my current read (The Longer The Thread by Emma Lathen, c. 1971).

Cheers.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Flakes of conversation from earlier in the day surrounded me. p48

The humidity was layered over the lake like whipped cream over a pie. p77

I wrote for a couple of hours, but my work was slow and mainly disjointed. The impulse which had given me my conflict had leveled out and now I had the technical work to do, the weaving of foreshadowing and believable character reaction. It was a little hard getting back to work on Monday morning, just like a real job. I was fidgety and eventually I abandoned the attempt and climbed into my [swim] suit. p144
[comment: any quote on writing intrigues me]

In theory we were to examine and rebuild our life, with the aid of a high-priced therapist. In practice, we just built new lives, the hub of our defeated marriage at the center, threads here and there crossing which would always keep us connected, but not close. p220

I tried to stand and shake off the enervation. I needed to pack, to gather our belongings spread from one corner to the other of the cabin, load the big car, and go home. Yet as I sat there, letting the dark cultivate my fears within its protective shield, a petri dish for my emotions and fears. p190
[comment: I like the petri dish analogy]

"The Heart of a Woman," by Maya Angelou, c. 1981

(entry edited Feb 14th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 21st)

This one is next after Room For One More by Virginia Nielsen, c. 1987. This copy is from booksfree.com

update 2/5/05 -- This one has bumped down the queue a bit. Sent booksfree copy back to them and am waiting for a copy from the library. I imagine it will show up at my branch shortly - I had to request within the system.

It is now Feb 14, 2005 -- and I have my copy from the library. This one is now next after Rancher's Bride by Jeanne Allan, c. 1990

Now Feb 16th, 2005 --

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

"Ask for what you want and be prepared to pay for what you get." p31

When I realized that Godfrey's idea was workable, the burden of tension left my body and for the first time in weeks I relaxed and my brain started to function. p74
[comment: had bad case of writers block. Any passage on the process of writing intrigues me]

I had worked two months for the SCLC, sent out tens of thousands of letters and invitations signed by Rev. [Martin Luther] King, made hundreds of statements in his name, but I had never seen him up close. He was shorter than I expected and so young. He had an easy friendliness, which was unsettling. Looking at him in my office, alone, was like seeing a lion sitting down at my dining-room table eating a plate of mustard greens. p107
[comment: I liked the last sentence in particular]

Female voices shot up like arrows over the crowd. p172

Every ill I knew at home, each hateful look on a white face, each odious rejection based on skin color, the mockery, the discenfranchisement, the lamentations and loud wailing for a lost world, irreclaimable security, all that long-onerous journey to msiery, which had not ended yet, had begun just below our plane [Sahara Desert]. I wept. Gut rose from time to time to bring me fresh Kleenex, and I didn't dare speak to him of my thoughts. I would not make a sound. If I opened my mouth, I might not be able to close it again. Screams would pierce the air and I would race the aisles like a mad thing.
I cramped my lips together until the seam between them meshed, and allowed, as my only expression, the warm tears gliding like honey down my face.
[comment: I liked the imagery of the honey. I needed to give you some context though.]

--
My thoughts after finishing the book:
I would recommend her autobiographies. This the first I have read and will read more as they come my way. She leaves me curious - and that's a great thing by my standards.

"A Mother's Reflection," by Elissa Ambrose, c. 2003

This one is next after Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory, c. 2002. It's from booksfree.com

(it's now Jan 23rd and I am adding passages as needed)

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Like Megan, his hair had been a deep fiery red.
She remembered the way the nurses had clucked after Megan was born, swearing they had never seen so much hair on a newborn. "The devil's crown," one insensitive nurse had said. "Heiress of sin."
[comment: being a red head I am interested in remarks like this. and, yes, "grrrr"]

His thoughts drifted to Rachel. Okay. maybe he was more than a little out of tune; maybe he wasn't even in the orchestra. At his house, Rachel had made it clear that she had no intention of going where he'd been headed, but had he listened? p108

my opinion:
The plot kept me reading although I didn't think the language was overly original. I am most happy when I see great use of imagery/humour. It is one that I would recommed but it's not a re-read, if that makes sense.

Books read since Nov 17th, 2004 --

A Knight's Vow by Kurland et al , c. 2001 -- link goes to blog as the book is from booksfree.com -- see entry of Dec 31st, 2004.
You Never Can Tell by Kathleen Eagle, c. 2001 -- link goes to blog as the book is from library -- see entry of Dec 28th, 2004.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman, c. 1973, 1998
Voice of the Heart by Barbara Taylor Bradford, c. 1983
The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe , c. 2002 -- link goes to blog as the book is from booksfree.com -- see entry of Dec 4th, 2004.
Dakota. A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris, c. 1993
Starting Over by Robin Pilcher , c. 2002 -- link goes to blog as the book is from booksfree.com -- see entry of Nov 30th, 2004.
The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi, c. 2000
Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund, c. 1999
Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark, c. 2000
The Pint-Sized Secret by Sheryl Woods, c. 2000
Sincerely Yours by Gertrude Wood, c. 2000
The Mermaid by Betina Krahn , c. 1997 -- link goes to blog as the book is from booksfree.com -- see entry of Nov 5, 2004

"A Warriors Vow," by Marilyn Tracy, c. 2003

I'm currently reading Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley, c. 2000. However, I have literally rolled the dice to see that this one is next. Crazy method, I know, but it works for me. This book comes from booksfree.com

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

"Denial can be an attractive piece of real estate," she said.
Daggert gave her an odd look, one both measuring and slightly rueful, but he said, "True. Reality's ground is much stonier." p76

The Guadalupe Mountains sported more pockets of pure iron than almost any range in the entire mountainous state. And if pure iron was absent, the plentiful deposits of iron pyrite would lure the lightning as surely as any rod might.
The very top of the mountain was almost completely iron, iron pyrite and sheets of glass from the numerous times lightning had struck the sand there. Enrique had been right about the strange lights, but wrong the source, Daggert thought. Cima La Luz was aptly named "Light Peak," but from the frequent bolts of lightning striking there and reflecting in the glassy surface, not from alien spaceships stealing hapless humans. p162
[comment: I love passages like this -- can't vouch for it's authenticity as it's from fiction, but it sounds logical]

"A Knight's Vow," by Lynn Kurland, Patricia Potter, Deborah Simmons & Glynnis Campbell.

This copy comes from Booksfree.com. It is next after the book by Kathleen Eagle. I literally roll the dice to see what's next.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Juliana felt incredibly conspicuous in her Keds and Donna Karan suit. William removed his cloak from his shoulders and draped it over the front of her. It didn't, however, cover her shoes.
"Better?" he asked.
"Oh sure," she agreed. "It'll keep me warm until they stoke up the fire to burn me at the stake.
He only snorted out a litte laugh. p65
[comment: I think it would be fun to do some time traveling but there are extreme risks associated with it ]

I do not feel well enough to go to supper," he said. "You go along and entertain them." He looked old and frightened. Her heart contracted. Though he was not a man who showed affection, he had tuaght her to read, had given her the means to take her own adventure through books. He had allowed her to ride, or at least had not forbade it. She owed him much. She leaned over and kissed him, seeing the pleased surprise in his eyes.
Then she left the room and steeled herself for the evening ahead. p149
[comment: remember this is 1485. what a dad!]


"Clement suggested I make a living by tourneying, and I managed to do well for myself," he said. "I defeated many others, winning the value of their horse and mail in ransom, and I began to hoard a tidy sum."
"And what amount would have been enough?" Guenivere asked him, a trace of bitterness in her voice. "When would you have amassed enough to return?"
Beren ddin't reply, for he was not sure of the answer himself. Never for a moment had he forgotten her. Guenivere had been there with him always, his anchor and his talisman, the reason for all he did. And yet, even when Edward chose him, Beren had been no more than a bachelor knight, without lands to call his own. Would he come back and claim Brandreth? By what right? And so, he had always put off his return, thinking that he must do more, have more, BE MORE. p234
[comment: okay, i am probably thinking too much when I read - but this one clicked with me - why am I always wanting "more", more books to read, more sleep, more pieces to stitch etc? -- how can you tell when you've got 'enough'?"]

"Oh, Beren," Guenivere whispered. "I always acceoted you as you are. 'Twas you who would not. 'Twas you who valued knighthood and money and lands, not I. And though I admit to a young girl's fascination with the romances, I did not want to marry any of those heroes. Nor did I seek to make you into one. I only wished you see that you could do anything with your life that you wished, and you did, succeeding beyond imagining." p256
[comment: okay, it sounds twee - but i think it rings true]

no quote -- just an odd word -- forsooth; adv : an archaic word originally meaning `in truth' but now usually used to express disbelief.

"You Never Can Tell," by Kathleen Eagle, c. 2001

As soon as I finish The Princess Bride by William Goldman, c. 1973, 1998, I'll be reading this one. It is a library book from the Statesville Library, NC.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

He was there, but no one really saw him.
Except Heather. She'd known who he was right away, as though there was still something inside him that glowed in the dark, still some fire in his belly. Maybe that was why he'd taken her in, taken to her, taken her. When she looked at him, she saw Kole Kills Crow. She knew him. She appreciated him. And that felt surprisingly good to him. p120
[comment: what makes you "glow"?]

Mary confirmed with a nod. "I used to help with their homework, and I'd tell the way I learned these things. The old stories about why Turtle walks in two worlds and why we must be alert when Frog's voice goes silent at night. Not all knowledge comes from science." p235

added passage on nature to entry of Dec 4th, 2004.

"The Beach House," by Mary Alice Monroe, c. 2002

I've decided that this'll be next after Dakota. A Spiritual Geography by Kathleen Norris, c. 1993. This copy comes from Booksfree.com

From front cover: An unforgettable novel about finding your way home.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

The night was blowsy but it was a good thing. The wind moved the clouds that had blanketed the sky earlier like a giant eraser. The stars now sparkled in a clear sky and made one understand why generations had so often compared them to diamonds. p112
[comment: the simple things we take for granted. when did you last look at the stars?]

"Isn't this the most beautiful place?"
She had to agree. It was low tide. The beach stretched far far out and gulleys coursed through the sand like rivers. In the distance, a small child chased a gull along the surf. What was most captivating, however, was the quiet. The din of humanity seemed so very far away. The only sounds they heard were the gentle roar of the surf and the cry of the gulls. p165
[comment: i'm a beach girl myself. any mention of the coast makes me salivate -- we're landlocked here]

"Turning forty does that to a person, she said.
"The ol' Tolstoy's bicycle theory?"
She laughed lightly and looked at him. "What's that?"
"Tolstoy wrote War and Peace at forty. He learned how to ride a bicycle in his sixties. It's supposed to be inspiring."
"Well, it is to me." p184

"Do you walk out here often? At night, I mean?" she asked, then felt silly for the question. "But of course you do. You live here."
"Actually, it's because I live here that I don't. I guess I take the ocean for granted. Look up there," he said, pointing to a row of houses up the beach. Even at this late hour, a number of them had lights still shining indoors. "See the gray flickering lights? They're all inside watching TV. I'm not the only one who takes it for granted."
"My condo faces Lake Michigan and I have to admit, I rarely stand at the window to look out at the lake anymore, either. But, I know it's there. I sense its presence. Every once in a while I look up and really see it. It takes me by surprise how beautiful it is. Like a gift, I appreciate it then. It may only be a moment, but in that moment my life is better. I suppose it's the same for those people, too." p264
[comment: I don't have the ocean to look at anymore but I do take the trees and the sky for granted. Until moments like these -- when I am reminded of the beauty.]

The wind teased her like a naughty child, lifting her skirt and pushing her forward with a gust. p353

Okay, since I last posted on the 17th November two books came in the mail --The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi, c. 2000, and Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund, c. 1999. This took precedence over "Starting Over," by Robin Pilcher. It'a about 2pm and I will start this boook shortly. Happy reading to you all.

Starting Over by Robin Pilcher, c. 2002

This copy is from Booksfree.com. It's next after my current read of
Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark, c. 2000

From back cover:
"[Pilcher] has an excellent sense of pace of his story. It's easy to feel you know these people and to grasp the complexiites of their relationships... a worthy novel." -- Houston Chronicle

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading each night.

Arthur's relaxed contentment in perusing the scenery was such that, when the incident took place, the most immediate thought that flashed through his mind was that his Maker had predestined the fifteen-minute journey to be a resstful and fitting climax to his otherwise disruptive life. They had just driven, at nothing more than a gentle pace over the crest of a hill on the twisting road when they were suddenly confronted by a speeding car heading straight towards them, its driver having become frustrated at being caught behind a queue of traffic that was fronted by a large, slow-moving tractor. p64
[comment: you literally don't know what's coming around the next corner -- and thank goodness for that]

Within two months, the guy had pulled enough strings to strangla an elephant. We were given Canadian nationality, the man found us a small house in Toronto and a job for my father in a high school there. p109
[comment: I like the first sentence of this quote]

"Perfect," Roberta replied, trying to stifle another yawn. "By Jimmy, I really have got the gapes." p194
[comment: thought this was a perfect place to stop last night :)]

He glanced across to where she sat, absently stroking the dog on her knee and staring out of the window at the ribbed surface of the cold grey water far below them. p385
[comment: I like the "ribbed" part.]

Books read since October 4th, 2004
The Scarlatti Inheritance by Robert Ludlum, c. 1971
Funny Letters From Famous People edited by Charles Osgood, c. 2003 -- link goes to blog as the book is from the library -- see entry of Oct 29, 2004
Between Friends by Debbie Macomber, c. 2002 -- link goes to blog as the book is from booksfree.com -- see entry of Oct 25, 2004
Wifey by Judy Blume, c. 1978
Home to You by Muriel Jensen, c. 2000
Sweet Revenge by Nina Bruhns, c. 2002
Intimate Enemies by Shana Abe, c. 2002 -- link goes to blog as the book is from booksfree.com -- see entry of Oct 12, 2004
Peep Show by Faith Bleasdale, c. 2002
Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey, c. 1998 -- link goes to blog as the book is from booksfree.com -- see entry of Oct 3, 2004
The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, c. 1958 -- link goes to blog as the book is from the library -- see entry of Oct 4, 2004

"Mermaid," by Betina Krahn, c. 1997

I am currently reading The Scarlatti Inheritance by Robert Ludlum, c. 1971, and Sincerely Yours by Gertrude Wood, c. 2000, is next. This one will follow. Title is from booksfree.com.

From back cover:
With the wit of The Last Bachelor; the charm of The Perfect Mistress, and the sparkle of The Unlikely Angel, Betina Krahn has penned an enchanting new romance about a woman ahead of her time and an academic who must choose between cold reason and The Mermaid.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading last night.

A warm bath, a change of clothes, and a cup of Maria's rich coffee, laced with something from Stephan's special shelf in the wine cellar, did wonders for Celeste's chilled spirits. She soaped and soaked and sipped, relishing the sudsy warmth between her bare toes and recalling the afternoon. p109
[comment: aah, the joys of life to be held. what simple things do you hold precious?]

"And you snored like a bear in winter." p187
[comment: ok, i agree. it is cliche, but i still like it.]

"Now give us the slick and skinny of it." p240
[comment: I hadn't heard this term before]

The words came haltingly at first, as if he were sorting through a much denser memory; condensing it, abstracting it, making it transferable. p288
[comment: recounting how he found something. i am fascinated with memories, subconscious etc]

added a passage re mail to "Funny Letters"

I added a passage on growth / standing up for yourself to entry re "Funny Letters."

added a passage on eating vegetables to entry on "Funny Letters ..."

added passage on parenting to entry re "Between Friends."

added an entry on writing letters to entry re "Between Friends".

"Funny Letters From Famous People," edited and introduced by Charles Osgood, c. 2003

This is next after "Between Friends." It's a library book.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading last night.

A young visitor to the White House had the unexpected pleasure of being invited to join President Hoover for lunch. Sometime later, Hoover received a note from the boy telling him that no one in the boy's homeroom believed he had actually dined with the president, or that spinach had been served. Hoover promptly replied:
The White House
My Dear Stephen:
This is certify that you lunched at the White House with me. I have never been strong for spinach myself, and I had meant to tell you that you didn't have to eat it.
Herbert Hoover. p32
[comment: this reminds me of the constant broccoli discussion with dd5]

Some trees grow very tall and straight and large in the forest close to each other, but some must stand by themselves or they won't grow at all. p84

Dear Edmondo,
I got back from the country to find your card sparkling like a jewel in a diadem of unpaid bills, poison pen letters, and rusty old telephone messages. p156
[comment: letters/cards are a wonderful break from monotony]

"Between Friends," by Debbie Macomber, c. 2002

This book is next on the pile after Wifey by Judy Blume, c. 1978. It's a copy from Booksfree.com

From back cover:
The friendship between Jillian Lawton and Lesley Adamski begins in the postwar era of the 1950s. As they grow up, their circumstances, their choices - and their mistakes - take them in virtually opposite directions. Lesley gets pregnant and marries young, living a cramped life defined by the demands of small children, not enough money, an unfaithful husband. Jillian lives those years on a college campus shaken by the Vietnam War and then as an idealistic young lawyer in New York City.
Over the years and across the miles, through marriage, children, divorce and widowhood, Jillian and Lesley remain close, sharing every grief and every joy. There are no secrets between friends.

--
I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest. Note that these aren't necessarily the "best" in the book. These happen to be close to the spot where I stopped reading last night.

Dear Jimmy,
I promised I'd write as often as I could, but it's been a while. I've discovered that jotting down a few lines to send home helps, eases the tension. We all look for ways to keep our minds off the war. That's one reason getting mail from home means so much. p133
[comment: when did you last sit and write a letter or a long email about what's happening in your life? I know I don't do it often enough!]

I finally figured out what I'm getting Mom for Christmas - a book. I know that sounds boring, but she enjoys reading and "The Shoes of the Fisherman" by Morris West is one I know she'd enjoy. Dad subtly dropped that hint and I was grateful. p56
[comment: I chose this quote simply because it referred to books and Christmas. What a delightful combination]

I used to think I was smart, but solving algebra equations is a whole lot easier than making decisions that affect the lives of my children. p174
[comment: I hear you -- parenting is a tough job]

added an entry on nature to entry re "Intimate Enemies".

added quote about someones character to entry re "Intimate Enemies".

"Intimate Enemies," By Shana Abe, c. 2000

I think my current read, Peep Show by Faith Bleasdale, c. 2002, is going to be a quickie. I have decided that this one will be next on the list.

From blurb:

From Shana Abe, author of 'The Truelove Bride' and 'A Kiss at Midnight,' comes this exquisitely, emotional, beautifully written novel about two warring clans on a Scottish Isle united by a fragile pact ... and the hearts of two unforgettable lovers.

This copy is from Booksfree.com

**
I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest.

It was ingrained in her as the deepest rings in the heart of an oak tree. p46

She couldn't understand what that meant until she angled her gaze downward and saw, strangely, the sky beneath her. But it wasn't truly the sky, just the reflection of it, clear blue threading through the canyon right below her. They were at the edge of a very steep drop. Far, far down was the river she had glimpsed earlier this morning, catching heaven and showing it off through the rocks. p211
[comment: I love the last sentence in particular]

He might as well dream of the wind as of Lauren MacRae. Any chance of holding either was mere illusion. p315
[comment: Yes! It is a cliche, and the book is full of them. However call me naive but I'm going to pretend I haven't read this simile before.]

Books read August 2nd to October 4th, 2004 --

The Dionne Years by Pierre Berton, c. 1977 -- abandoned part way through
Manitou by Donald Cole Porter, c. 1988
Something Beautiful by Marilyn Tracy, c. 1995
This Very Earth by Erskine Caldwell, c. 1948
"I'm not scared," by Niccolo Ammaniti, c. 2001 -- library book
Pastora by Joanna Barnes, c. 1980
Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy, c. 1989
Blood Brothers by Anne McAllister, c. 2000
The Green Bay Tree by Alexandra Connor, c. 1993
"Cheet," by Anna Davis, c. 2001 -- library book
Suffer A Witch to Die by Elizabeth Davis, c. 1969
The First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith, c. 1992

"The Dharma Bums," by Jack Kerouac, c. 1958

This book is next after my current read, "The Mermaids Singing." See entry of Oct 3, 2004. I roll a dice and this one came up as next. It is a library book.

Why did I choose an oldie? It was in the "to be shelved" area of the stacks at North County Regional Library and the word "dharma" caught my eye.

From blurb:
Two ebullient young men search for Truth the Zen way: from marathon winedrinking bouts, poetry jam sessions, and "yayburn" in San Francisco's Bohemia to solitude in the high Sierras and a vigil atop Desolation Peak in Washington State. Published just after a year after 'On the Road' put the Beat Generation on the map. 'The Dharma Bums' is sparked by Kerouac's expansiveness, humor, and a contagious zest for life.

I collect quotes as I read. These ones are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest.

This Rod Sturlason was interested the famous Ryonaji rock gardens of Shokokuji monastery in Kyoto, which is nothing but old boulders placed in such a way, supposedly mystically aesthetic, as to cause thousands of tourists and monks every year to journey there to stare at the boulders in the sand and thereby gain peace of mind. I have never met such weird yet serious and earnest people. I never saw Rod Sturlason again, he went to Japan soon after, but I can't forget what he said about the boulders to my question: "Well, who placed them in that certain way that's so great?"
"Nobody knows, some monk, or monks, long ago. But there is a definite mysterious form in the arrangement of the rocks. It's only through form that we can realize emptiness." p23
[comment: I must admit I hadn't heard of the place before. Perhaps it's a neat place to visit]

Suddenly I was exhilerated to realize I was completely alone and safe and nobody was going to wake me up all night long. What an amazing revelation! p154
[comment: as a 'sleep-hog' I can certainly relish this feeling. The things we take for granted, huh?]

The jiggling sunshine leaves of Northwest breeze seemed bred to rejoice. p225

"The Mermaids Singing," by Lisa Carey, c. 1998 --

As if I didn't have enough to read I signed up with booksfree.com. Mermaids Singing from this outfit is next on my list after my current read, The Dionne Years by Pierre Berton, c. 1977.

Why do I read old books? I am a sucker for books on ebay -- especially those mixed lot boxes. I must admit that my range of reading has certainly expanded. I will give almost anything a go.

update October 4th, 2004 --
I canned The Dionne Years after about 100pp. It got very repetitive.

From blurb of "Mermaids Singing":
There is an island off the west coast of Ireland called Inis Muruch - the Island of the Mermaids - a world where myth is more powerful than truth, and love can overcome even death. It is here that Lisa Carey sets her lyrical and sensual first novel, weaving together the voices and lives of three generations of Irish and Irish-American women.
Years ago, the fierce and beautiful Grace stole away from the island with her small daughter, Grainne, unable to bear its isolation. Now Grainne is motherless at fifteen, and a grandmother she has never met has come to take her back. Her heart is pulled between a life in which she no longer belongs and a family she cannot remember. But only on Inis Muruch can she begin to understand the forces that have ton her family apart.

--

I collect quotes as I read. These ones from 'Mermaids,' are fun, poetical, or even philosophical. Take what you like, and leave the rest.

The flames of the bonfire shot up toward the night, making a slapping noise like laundry in rough wind. p33

"Mom, cut it out."
"You think that man sits at a desk all day? He's dropping his pants all over the city."
"What's wrong with his pants?" one of the twins asked. p83
[comment: I love comments from children]

The black slices of the cliff went so far down, it was hard to capture the depth. The only way I knew how high we were was by looking at the seagulls, some of which looked like pieces of lint floating far below. p104

My father died twenty-three years after his wife, and yet it was my mother I grieved at the funeral. I grieved that I had not known her, that she had died before I was a mother, before I had a chance to understand that no one is the mother she plans to be. p179
[comment: oh, my. this brings up all kinds of emotions for me. I'm going to try and capture them on my blog.]

The waves sizzled whispers at our feet. p253

--

My views on the book (updated Oct 9, 2004)

This a masterful book with many different levels to ponder. Being an immigrant of the USA I can relate to the feeling of finding your roots. I'm sure that my girls will think of America as home much more than I think of New Zealand as home.

The book also concentrates on the difficulties of parenting. My gut instinct would be that this book is mainly for mothers but it would also would resound with teens that are struggling for independence from their mother.

My thoughts on book "I'm not scared," by Niccolo Ammaniti ...

I must admit that I found this book confusing. It seemed as though we only had a sliver of information. However this quality made it a real page turner. What was going to be revealed? Will it all fit together?

I didn't have any preconceptions going into this novel. And that's how I love it. This afternoon I checked other reviews that confirmed my emotions.

I guess life is not black and white so why should Michele's story be so clear. I admire Michele's courage. Enough said otherwise it will be a spoiler.

I collect quotes for my sig file. When I read books I own, or those I have obtained via bookray, I copy the quotes into a Bookcrossing.com journal entry. I didn't have a system for keeping quotes from library books. In the middle of the night I had a harebrained idea to make a journal entry here for such books.

These are from "I'm not scared," by Niccolo Ammaniti, c. 2001 -- library book

That morning the clouds had appeared. They ran swiftly across a faded sky throwing black patches on the wheatfields and clung onto their rain, carrying it off somewhere else. p63

On her nose she had some thick specs that made her eyes as small as a fisherman's sinkers. p119

Books read since June 16th, 2004

The Heiress Inherits a Cowboy by Carol Grace, c. 1998
"The Silent Shore," by Rosemary Aitken, c. 2001 -- Library book
Whirlwind by Nancy Martin, c. 1992
The Australian Heiress by Margaret Way, c. 1997
Sleeping Beauty by Judith Michael, c. 1991
Blue Ice by Marilyn Tracy, c. 1990
Asking for Trouble by Barbara Faith, c. 1987
Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie, c. 2001
Northern Knights by Bobby Hutchinson, c. 1987
A Royal Mission by Elizabeth August, c. 2000
Sweet Enemy by Diana Palmer, c. 1979
Late Bloomer by Peg Sutherland, c. 1993
Lonesome Rider by Heather Graham, c. 1993
Til Tomorrow by Sandra Marton, c. 1996
Dilemma by Megan Alexander, c. 1987

Books read since May somethingorother lol, 2004

Her Father's Daughter by Anna Adams, c. 2000
"The Time Traveler's Wife," by Audrey Niffenegger, c. 2003 -- Library book
Pale Dawn, Dark Sunset by Anne Mather, c. 1975
The Miracle Baby by Janice Kay Johnston, c. 1997
The Bachelor Takes a Wife by Jackie Merritt, c. 2002
Parting Gifts by Charlotte Vale Allen, c. 2001 -- bookray,
"The Knitting Sutra. Craft as a Spiritual Practice," by Susan Gordon Lydon, c. 1997 (Library Book),
The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald, c. 1995
By Special Request by Barbara Kaye, c. 1987
Dangerous Precedent by Lisa Jackson, c. 1985
His Only Son by Kelsey Roberts, c. 1999

I collect quotes for my sig file. When I read books I own, or those I have obtained via bookray, I copy the quotes into a Bookcrossing.com journal entry. I didn't have a system for keeping quotes from library books. In the middle of the night I had a harebrained idea to make a journal entry here for such books.

from "The Time Traveler's Wife," by Audrey Niffenegger, c. 2003

He smiles, that beautiful crooked radiant smile, all innocence, and I allow my guilt to subside, back to the little box where I keep it crammed like a parachute. p415

Gomez answers the door. Maximilian, three years old, is clinging to his leg, and hides his face behind Gomez's knee when we say "Hi Max!" Joseph, more extroverted at one, races up to Clare babbling "Ba Ba Ba" and burps loudly as she picks him up. Gomez rolls his eyes, and Clare laughs, and Joe laughs, and even I have to laugh at the complete chaos. Their house looks as though a glacier with a Toys "R" Us store inside it has moved through, leaving pools of Legos and abandoned stuffed bears. p333

"Oh, but you must call me Lucille, everyone does," and smiles in an exhausted but warm sort of way, as though she is a brilliant sun in some other galaxy." p166

Or maybe it was a dream like when Buster died and I dreamed he was okay and he was in his cage but I woke up and no Buster and Mama said 'Dreams are different than real life but important too.' p45
[comment: I had a very vivid dream last night so this quote touched me no end]