Michael. I just love The Great Gatsby, an all-time favorite for the characters and portrayal of time and place.

Double Bind is coming up in a book group I'm in, after we discuss The (why does GR omit that word??) Great Gatsby. Halfway through that one; also reading Dom casmurro for an online group. Seems less "Latin" than I was expecting, but only a dozen pages into it. It sure is fun rereading the Fitzgerald. So much to like in his style and attitudes.

Rosie wrote: "I just finished DOUBLE BIND by Chris Bohjalian
and it was excellent. http://www.amazon.com/Double-Bind-Novel-Chris-Bohjalian/dp/1400047463"

Rosie wrote: "bunny,
I read Small Sacrifices some time ago,and while the subject matter was atrocious, I liked book. It was made into a movie too with Farrah Fawcett."

I hope the movie shows up again on Lifetime - Farrah would be good in the role.

bunny,
I read Small Sacrifices some time ago,and while the subject matter was atrocious, I liked book. It was made into a movie too with Farrah Fawcett.

I'm in the midst of Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule and enjoying it, although the subject matter (killing one's own children) is not dear to my heart. This woman is crazy!!!!

Nancy...

I am a big favorite of Chirs Bohjalian too! Everything I have read by him I have really really enjoyed!
I dont know how I missed it, but I just found Buffalo Soldier and bought it. I am really looking forward to starting it,

Currently, I just started Mermaids in the Basement by
Micheal Lee White. As good as her others!

I was going to stop until I read the reviews so I persevered- also, I purchased it and I usually get my books from the library LOL! I had an extra 15% off at B&N and I'm a member so get a big discount anyway. I bet I finish it tonight. The only book I can think of that I couldn't finish was the 100
Years of Solitude by Marquez. I tried to read it a couple of times...

Nancy, I couldn't get into Lacuna at all. I gave up fairly quickly and I almost never do that. And I like this authors books. The book started off slow and a bit confusing. Not what I expect from this author at all. :( I thought it may have been me, just not the right time for me to read the book, but your post seems to make me think I was correct to drop it.

I liked that too- he's one of my favorite contemporary authors. I am almost finished with Lacuna by Kingsolver- I can say I am enjoying the last third of the book but the first 2/3rds...not....I don't know what I'm going to read next!

I just finished DOUBLE BIND by Chris Bohjalian
and it was excellent. I couldnt keep my eyes off it!

http://www.amazon.com/Double-Bind-Novel-...

A quick funny thing about Nevada Barr and her national park mysteries. This May when I visited Mt. Rainier and young ranger came up to us, and her name tag said Sarah (not Anna)Pigeon. I took her photo, laughing, and asked if she'd read any of the mysteries, but she hadn't. Now that we're back from a few days away from home I can get back to Winter Study.

Michael wrote: ""OT, re St Mary's..."

What a beautiful campus, and what terrific facilities. Including a new gym that basically wraps around the old one but is about three times its size, maybe more. Yes, my ..."

Yes, it is a beautiful place, but also a great school. Glad you were able to make the tour and notice the positives. Hope your son is able to make the right choice for him.

Donna in Southern Maryland
St. Mary's College of Maryland, Class of '75

Winter Study, mmm, set in my neck of the woods, I guess I'd better read it.

"OT, re St Mary's..."

What a beautiful campus, and what terrific facilities. Including a new gym that basically wraps around the old one but is about three times its size, maybe more. Yes, my son found it a bit remote -- where else could you find such natural beauty? -- but we also all noticed the quality of the students. As best one can judge from one tour.... They just seemed more mature than those at either of the other two colleges we also looked at. They looked healthier, too! Wish it were me going off to college.... !

I finished Land Girls by Angela Huth this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A nice find on the library shelves.

I've liked the Nevada Barr mysteries i've read but they don't call to me. Sometimes i wish she included photos of the parks & particular sites mentioned. It's a great running theme, though, and i've learned from each one.

deborah

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "Sherry (sethurner) wrote: "I just started a Nevada Barr mystery set in Isle Royale National Park. The title is Winter Study, and it is based on a real ongoing study of wolf packs in that park. She..."

I like these mysteries sometimes - think it's time for another one and this sounds good.

Currently reading Maisie Dobbs. I am enjoying it

Sherry (sethurner) wrote: "I just started a Nevada Barr mystery set in Isle Royale National Park. The title is Winter Study, and it is based on a real ongoing study of wolf packs in that park. She had another book set there..."

Sherry, this one is very intense. Let me know what you think when you finish!

Donna in Southern Maryland

I recently finished two really good crime novels by two authors I saw on the same panel (A Town Called Malice: Where is as important as Whom) at the Baltimore Bouchercon last year. First was Raven Blackwhich was set on the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland by Ann Cleeves and then I read Sweeping Up Glass which was set in depression era Kentucky by Carolyn Wall.

I just started Hardly Knew Her Stories a collection of short stories by Laura Lippman and am listening to The English Assassin by Daniel Silva with the narration by John Lee.

I just started a Nevada Barr mystery set in Isle Royale National Park. The title is Winter Study, and it is based on a real ongoing study of wolf packs in that park. She had another book set there, one of her first entitled A Superior Death, and that was the one that started me on the series.

Nevada Barr

Winter Study

My current read is "Cutting for Stone", which I'm pretty sure was recommended on Good Reads. I am enjoying it, and now I kind of want to go to Ethiopia. I've recently finished "The Girl Who Played with Fire", which I also enjoyed. Vanity Fair has an article on the author, including speculation that his death may have been a murder by Sweden's rightwing Nazi types (pretty flimsy evidence).

I just finished Anne Rice's new one "Angel Time" in 2 sittings. I loved it! Have it in my book's read with my review.

Michael wrote: "OT, re St Mary's:

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "If you've driven that road, we live less than 10 miles from there. Enjoy your visit, and holler if I can help"

Donna, I'm hollering becaus..."

Michael, I'm sorry you could not e-mail me. Didn't realize about the setting, I'll fix it. As far as weekends at St. Mary's........gosh, let me see if I can remember that far back! :o) I'd say back then,I'd average going home 1 weekend a month. So yes, I'd say your 25% figure is about right for back then. My home was about an hour and 10 minutes north. Most kids had homes farther away than me. I have no idea what it is now...........

Of course there is far more to do in the closest town, Lexington Park, than when I was there. Every kind of store, fast food, and even movie theaters! I was there for 2 years before we got a McDonald's. Some students now do get involved with working at Historic St. Mary's City as re-enactors, etc. HTH

Donna in Southern Maryland

OT, re St Mary's:

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "If you've driven that road, we live less than 10 miles from there. Enjoy your visit, and holler if I can help"

Donna, I'm hollering because I can't email to your private-profile status. So, my question about St. Mary's is, do students stay on campus on weekends, or do a substantial number (say, 25%) head home? I realize you may not know current campus customs; if so, how about when you were there?

I finished Song of the Lark this morning. It took ages, not because it wasn't good - it was very good - but because I had it loaded on my iPod, and only read it in spare moments. I enjoy Cather's writing, with its emphasis on place, and on the lives of both ordinary and extraordinary people. She also has a sense of place, and of how place shapes a person.

This novel is about Thea Kroneberg, a young woman with great musical talent from a little Colorado town. It traces her girlhood, early family life, lessons, travel and study, loves, and eventual career as an international opera star. I've read that it is the most autobiographical of Willa Cather's novels; it suggests something of the sacrifices an artist must make to excel.

Reading . Charlotte Perkins Gilman's only detective story, discovered in manuscript and recently published for the first time. Husband and wife detective team reminiscent of The Thin Man. Haven't got far enough to spoil the plot for anyone... Charles

Am currently reading the newest "Maxie & Stretch" book by Sue Henry called The End of The Road A Maxie and Stretch Mystery

Donna in Southern Maryland

Shannon wrote: "JoAnn, I think OUTTAKES would be a great book to listen to. The author's voice (in her writing) has a lot of personality, and I'm betting the audio would do it justice.
"

GREAT!

JoAnn, I think OUTTAKES would be a great book to listen to. The author's voice (in her writing) has a lot of personality, and I'm betting the audio would do it justice.

I've picked up Frank Delaney's latest Irish book called SHANNON. I've found him to be a reliable historian and storyteller in the past, so I'm looking forward to this one.

Alias, I do not think it matters which book you read first...they are not about the same people.

The Outside World has improved since I posted last night.

JoAnn: I am reading The Outside World by Tova Mirvis who also wrote The Ladies Auxiliary a few years ago )and I really like that book).....
----------------------------

I have both books by her on my TBR list after you recommended them to me when I was reading The Unchosen. The Unchosen, by the way, had a small dictionary of Yiddish terms in the back of the book. It was very helpful.

Make sure you post your final thougts on The Outside World. Though it sounds like I should start with The Ladies Auxiliary.

>>Next up Land Girls by Angela Huth. Something I found on the shelves at the library yesterday. <<

I read Land Girls about ten years ago and really enjoyed it. Also saw the movie that was based on the book and found it entertaining enough.

Shannon wrote: "I just finished OUTTAKES FROM A MARRIAGE by Ann Leary. It has great reviews on the back cover, including one from Frank McCourt. It's a quick read, very likeable, and the characters each have a life- which isn't the case these days in too many novels! ..."

Isn't THIS the truth, Shannon?

Looked this book up and it sounds good...and I love the cover art. My library system has the audio..I think I will reserve that soon.

I finished A Time To Embrace by Karen Kingsbury last night. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Next up Land Girls by Angela Huth. Something I found on the shelves at the library yesterday.

I just finished OUTTAKES FROM A MARRIAGE by Ann Leary. It has great reviews on the back cover, including one from Frank McCourt. It's a quick read, very likeable, and the characters each have a life--which isn't the case these days in too many novels!

Michael wrote: We've driven through the Amish area many times, heading down toward Budd's Creek and then over, crossing the Potomac on Rte. 301. I agree that it is beautiful, peaceful, and interesting. Maybe I will email you with one or two more questions relating to the college. Thanks, Donna!

If you've driven that road, we live less than 10 miles from there. Enjoy your visit, and holler if I can help.

Sando wrote: I started Mennonite in a Little Black Dress A Memoir of Going Home on audio (narration by Hillary Huber) today.

There's also a large Mennonite Community in St. Mary's County!

Donna in Southern Maryland

I am reading The Outside World by Tova Mirvis who also wrote The Ladies Auxiliary a few years ago )and I really like that book).....except that I think "ladies" should be possessive - ladies'

This newer book is a look inside the Orthodox Jewish culture and shows how two observant families cope with the demands placed upon them by their more Orthodox children. I am probably saying that wrong....."more Orthodox" in this case meaning more strictly observant.

I should mention that the Jewish vocabulary in this book has been really off-putting until I decided that I just need to skim it and not try to figure out the meaning.

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "Southern Maryland is set on a peninisula, with the Potomac on one side, and the Chesapeake Bay on the other. On one hand, it is very rural with lots of farms and a large Amish Community. On the other, Pax River NAS is close to the college, and the area has grown by leaps and bounds since the base realignemnt put a heliocopter development center there... I've lived here all my life, and it's a very vibrant, beautiful, interesting area that very few people across the country know about..."

We've driven through the Amish area many times, heading down toward Budd's Creek and then over, crossing the Potomac on Rte. 301. I agree that it is beautiful, peaceful, and interesting. Maybe I will email you with one or two more questions relating to the college. Thanks, Donna!

I started Mennonite in a Little Black Dress A Memoir of Going Home on audio (narration by Hillary Huber) today.

Richiesheff wrote: "I am reading a debut novel. The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden. Keeping my interest. About a mother whose kids are grown and she decides to leave and make a go on her own."

Sounds good, thanks for the title. I just read a few pages online and think I will pick it up at my library tomorrow.

Bunny wrote: RE: CHOKE: "If one is very fond of graphic descriptions of bodily functions, this is the book for you! I did enjoy it on some level - absolute insanity and lots of imagination...."

Well written, Bunny. I like the creative aspects of his imagination but the body business becomes less & less interesting as i read more of his books.

deborah

I am reading a debut novel. The Richest Season by Maryann McFadden. Keeping my interest. About a mother whose kids are grown and she decides to leave and make a go on her own.

I finished Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, which I had to do because a good friend gave it to me for my birthday last July, so you can see I was in a rush to read it :) If one is very fond of graphic descriptions of bodily functions, this is the book for you! I did enjoy it on some level - absolute insanity and lots of imagination. Definitely liked it better than his Diary which struck me as rather mundane. I knew where the plot was going from page 1 practically and thought it a worn out plot at that.

Am now reading, for lack of anything else as I've been too sick and too busy to go to the book store, Sea of Poppies by Amitov Ghosh. It's a very interesting look at the British run opium trade in India. Several characters tell the story, which is OK. I like all of them and have no idea where the story's going and how they're all going to end up together. Definitely I'll finish it.

Michael asked:Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "I attended St. Mary's College of Maryland, located in St. Mary's City. It is annually on the list of top 10 small liberal arts colleges..."

How interesting that this has come up; we are going to see a few colleges with our 11th grader next week, and St. Mary's is one of them. The campus looks beautiful, and the school sounds excellent; I just wonder how our city-born and -bred student would handle the rural location. He is a camper and something of an outdoorsman, though. Any tips or advice, Donna? </b>

Well, Michael, I was there from '71 to '75, so that was a looooooong time ago! It has certainly grown since I was there. It is still small, which I very much like. If you don't know everybody, at least you know everybody's face. It's about an hour and a half from DC, so it's very rural, but not that far. I live about 40 minutes north of the campus.

It depends on what your son is looking for. It is a beautiful place, with lots of very important boosters. Ben Bradlee, former editor of the Wash Post, is still on the Board, I believe. They have famous journalists visit to lecture --I know Tom Brokaw was there last year. Since it is located in St. Mary's City, there's a lot of archeology that goes on, and he can participate if he's interested.

Southern Maryland is set on a peninisula, with the Potomac on one side, and the Chesapeake Bay on the other. On one hand, it is very rural with lots of farms and a large Amish Community. On the other, Pax River NAS is close to the college, and the area has grown by leaps and bounds since the base realignemnt put a heliocopter development center there (I think that's what it is.) There are also lots of housing communities that house all the government workers in the area.

I've lived here all my life, and it's a very vibrant, beautiful, interesting area that very few people across the country know about. Mention Maryland when you travel, and most people will mention Baltimore or Annapolis. That's why I always sign off as...........

Donna in Southern Maryland
PS. Feel free to holler if I can offer any more help for your visit. :o)

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "I attended St. Mary's College of Maryland, located in St. Mary's City. It is annually on the list of top 10 small liberal arts colleges..."

How interesting that this has come up; we are going to see a few colleges with our 11th grader next week, and St. Mary's is one of them. The campus looks beautiful, and the school sounds excellent; I just wonder how our city-born and -bred student would handle the rural location. He is a camper and something of an outdoorsman, though. Any tips or advice, Donna?

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: " BTW, thanks for fixing the links. Something MUST be wonky! ."

There is NO WAY both of us could have screwed up our links!

JoAnn/QuAppelle wrote: "Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "I attended St. Mary's College of Maryland, located in St. Mary's City.."

I love the waterfront webcam on the school's website:

http://www.smcm.edu/about/waterca..."

Isn't it nice? That was the view I had every morning! BTW, thanks for fixing the links. Something MUST be wonky!

Donna in Southern Maryland

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "I attended St. Mary's College of Maryland, located in St. Mary's City.."

I love the waterfront webcam on the school's website:

http://www.smcm.edu/about/watercam.html

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "How odd, JoAnn. When I point my clicker at the "Priceless" title in your post, it shows up as Sphere by Michael Crichton!
"

Something must be wonky in GoodReads. Your St. Mary's City link took me to a GoodReads page! LOL

Here is the link for Priceless

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38455...

and the link for St. Mary's City:

http://www.stmaryscity.org/