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  <name><![CDATA[Keith]]></name>
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    <about><![CDATA[Our complete library is at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.librarything.com/profile/Wombat">LibraryThing</a>. I'm trying hard to only enter books here that I'm either reading or willing to write a review of. I haven't decided about the star ratings. I understand it can be useful, but I have trouble lining up books on a one-dimensional axis. I find myself spending too much time looking at my ratings on each pair of books and asking, &quot;Do I really like A better than B?&quot; That's an O(N^2) habit that runs the risk of consuming all my time!]]></about>
    <gender>M</gender>
    <location>The United States</location>
    <website><![CDATA[http://www.librarything.com/profile/Wombat]]></website>
    <joined>07/2008</joined>
    <last-active>12/2009</last-active>
    <interests><![CDATA[Computers, origami, baking, pizza, crossword puzzles, music (classical, opera, jazz, flamenco), guitar, big cities, odd Australian mammals]]></interests>
    <favorite-books><![CDATA[Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Lord of the Rings, Willie's Time, Diary of a Wombat]]></favorite-books>
    
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          <updates type="array">
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[marked as to-read: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6948293-kenneth-grahame-s-the-wind-in-the-willows">Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows: A Children's Classic at 100 (Children's Literature Association Centennial Studies)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3105592.Jackie_C_Horne">Jackie C. Horne</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80058035</link>
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    <updated_at>Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:42:46 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[Woo-hoo!   Jackie's first book has arrived!]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[is currently reading: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/261689.The_Grand_Sophy">The Grand Sophy (Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18067.Georgette_Heyer">Georgette Heyer</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75191889</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173229244s/261689.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:10:04 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 3 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4653634.Letters_from_Father_Christmas">Letters from Father Christmas (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/656983.J_R_R_Tolkien">J.R.R. Tolkien</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40747028</link>
    <image_url>http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y9T2FMEGL._SL75_.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:43:54 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[J.R.R. Tolkien, better known as the author of <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5907.The_Hobbit_Or_There_and_Back_Again" title="The Hobbit  Or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien">The Hobbit</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34.The_Fellowship_of_the_Ring_The_Lord_of_the_Rings_Part_1_" title="The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien">The Lord of the Rings</a>, used to write and illustrate letters to his children from &quot;Father Christmas.&quot; This book contains a selection of those letters, each reproduced on a separate sheet of paper and enclosed in an envelope. The l...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/J.R.R.%20Tolkien,%20better%20known%20as%20the%20author%20of%20%5Bb:The%20Hobbit%7C5907%7CThe%20Hobbit%20%20Or%20There%20and%20Back%20Again%7CJ.R.R.%20Tolkien%7Chttp:%2F%2Fphoto.goodreads.com%2Fbooks%2F1233949700s%2F5907.jpg%7C1540236%5D%20and%20%5Bb:The%20Lord%20of%20the%20Rings%7C34%7CThe%20Fellowship%20of%20the%20Ring%20(The%20Lord%20of%20the%20Rings,%20Part%201)%7CJ.R.R.%20Tolkien%7Chttp:%2F%2Fphoto.goodreads.com%2Fbooks%2F1156043001s%2F34.jpg%7C3204327%5D,%20used%20to%20write%20and%20illustrate%20letters%20to%20his%20children%20from%20%22Father%20Christmas.%22%20This%20book%20contains%20a%20selection%20of%20those%20letters,%20each%20reproduced%20on%20a%20separate%20sheet%20of%20paper%20and%20enclosed%20in%20an%20envelope.%20The%20letters%20tell%20of%20various%20misadventures%20of%20Father%20Christmas%20and%20his%20assistant,%20North%20Polar%20Bear,%20problems%20with%20Goblins,%20etc.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AI%20read%20the%20letters%20with%20my%20(then%2010-year%20old)%20daughter.%20She%20enjoyed%20the%20novelty%20of%20the%20book%20of%20letters,%20and%20she%20found%20the%20stories%20are%20cute%20and%20funny.%20Being%20a%20bit%20more%20jaded,%20I%20feel%20it%20is%20cute%20and%20nicely%20done,%20but%20probably%20never%20would%20have%20been%20published%20if%20it%20wasn't%20by%20Tolkien.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf%20you%20like%20this%20concept%20of%20a%20book%20of%20facsimile%20letters%20each%20enclosed%20in%20its%20own%20envelope,%20you%20might%20also%20want%20to%20look%20at%20%5Bb:The%20Jolly%20Postman%20Or%20Other%20Peoples%20Letters%7C385250%7CThe%20Jolly%20Postman%20%20Or%20Other%20People's%20Letters%7CJanet%20Ahlberg%7Chttp:%2F%2Fphoto.goodreads.com%2Fbooks%2F1174352523s%2F385250.jpg%7C374972%5D%20and%20%5Bb:Griffin%20&amp;%20Sabine%20-%20An%20Extraordinary%20Correspondence%7C381102%7CGriffin%20&amp;%20Sabine%20-%20An%20Extraordinary%20Correspondence%7CNick%20Bantock%7Chttp:%2F%2Fphoto.goodreads.com%2Fbooks%2F1174329407s%2F381102.jpg%7C981140%5D.%0D%0A">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="comment">
    <action_text><![CDATA[new comment from Keith]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56952626</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172194610s/148337.jpg</image_url>
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  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:57:31 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[I like (and agree with) your comparison of the book and movie. I also discovered this book (and then MacLean's other books) after stumbling across the movie on TV. But the actor who played Major Smith was <em>Richard</em> Burton, not Tim Burton.]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[is currently reading: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1159114.Piccadilly_Jim">Piccadilly Jim (Penguin Books)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7963.P_G_Wodehouse">P.G. Wodehouse</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77423070</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181497613s/1159114.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:40:02 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 5 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16415.Leave_It_to_Psmith">Leave It to Psmith (Psmith, #4)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7963.P_G_Wodehouse">P.G. Wodehouse</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72441381</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166722842s/16415.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1214963010p2/1290678.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:34:19 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[This was our latest family-read-aloud book.  I read, and my wife and daughter listen, comment, and (particularly with this book) giggle, chuckle, and laugh.<br/><br/>Psmith (&quot;the p is silent, as in phthisis, psychic, and ptarmigan&quot;) is a debonair young gentleman who needs to support hims...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/This%20was%20our%20latest%20family-read-aloud%20book.%20%20I%20read,%20and%20my%20wife%20and%20daughter%20listen,%20comment,%20and%20(particularly%20with%20this%20book)%20giggle,%20chuckle,%20and%20laugh.%0D%0A%0D%0APsmith%20(%22the%20p%20is%20silent,%20as%20in%20phthisis,%20psychic,%20and%20ptarmigan%22)%20is%20a%20debonair%20young%20gentleman%20who%20needs%20to%20support%20himself.%20Unwilling%20to%20work%20for%20his%20rich%20uncle%20in%20the%20fish%20business,%20he%20runs%20an%20advertisement%20in%20the%20paper%20offering%20to%20do%20anything%20for%20anyone.%20Before%20long,%20he%20finds%20himself%20impersonating%20a%20poet%20at%20Blandings%20Castle,%20home%20of%20the%20Earl%20of%20Emsworth,%20hired%20by%20the%20Earl's%20son,%20Freddie,%20to%20steal%20a%20diamond%20necklace%20from%20the%20Earl's%20domineering%20sister.%20At%20the%20same%20time,%20Psmith%20falls%20in%20love%20at%20first%20sight%20with%20Eve%20Halliday,%20who%20conveniently%20is%20at%20Blandings%20to%20catalogue%20the%20library.%20Unfortunately%20Freddie%20also%20loves%20Eve.%20%20Eve%20believes%20Psmith%20has%20recently%20jilted%20her%20best%20friend%20and%20thinks%20Freddie%20is%20a%20dolt.%20Throw%20in%20the%20Earl's%20suspicious%20and%20astute%20secretary,%20a%20card-sharp%20turned%20jewel%20thief,%20and%20a%20few%20more%20house%20guests%20and%20hilarity%20ensues---much%20of%20it%20involving%20flower%20pots.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis%20was%20a%20great%20read-aloud%20book%20for%20our%20eleven-year-old%20daughter.%20She%20loved%20the%20twisting%20plot,%20lunatic%20characters,%20and%20Wodehouse's%20wit.%20Every%20chapter%20provided%20seemed%20to%20provide%20a%20few%20laugh-out-loud%20moments.%20At%20the%20same%20time%20it%20exposed%20her%20to%20a%20world%20(and%20vocabulary)%20beyond%20her%20regular%20reading%20genres.%20%20I%20suspect%20we'll%20be%20reading%20a%20lot%20more%20Wodehouse%20in%20the%20future...">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68496.Un_Lun_Dun">Un Lun Dun (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33918.China_Mi_ville">China Miéville</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69391240</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170692699s/68496.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:31:52 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[I came across this book a few months ago while browsing my wife's library.  We had recently been to London, and the flap copy, describing an adventure set is some sort of fantasy mirror of the real London, sounded intriguing.  My wife gave it a thumbs up, so I put it on the &quot;to read&quot; list....<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/I%20came%20across%20this%20book%20a%20few%20months%20ago%20while%20browsing%20my%20wife's%20library.%20%20We%20had%20recently%20been%20to%20London,%20and%20the%20flap%20copy,%20describing%20an%20adventure%20set%20is%20some%20sort%20of%20fantasy%20mirror%20of%20the%20real%20London,%20sounded%20intriguing.%20%20My%20wife%20gave%20it%20a%20thumbs%20up,%20so%20I%20put%20it%20on%20the%20%22to%20read%22%20list.%20%20It%20took%20me%20a%20little%20while%20to%20get%20around%20to%20it,%20but%20a%20recent%20beach%20vacation%20provided%20the%20perfect%20opportunity.%0D%0A%0D%0AZanna%20and%20her%20friend%20Deeba%20find%20themselves%20mysteriously%20transported%20to%20%22UnLondon,%22%20an%20alternate%20London%20where%20Zanna%20is%20greeted%20as%20the%20%22Shwazzy%22%E2%80%94the%20choosen%20one%20predicted%20by%20a%20prophecy%20to%20come%20from%20%20London%20and%20save%20UnLondon%20from%20the%20evil%20Smog%E2%80%94an%20intelligent%20malevolence%20formed%20from%20the%20smoke%20and%20fumes%20generated%20by%20the%20city.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%20far,%20this%20sounds%20like%20the%20plot%20of%20yet%20another%20good-vs-evil,%20heroic%20quest%20novel.%20%20But%20that's%20where%20the%20real%20fun%20starts.%20%20Author%20China%20Mi%C3%A9ville%20deliberately%20sets%20up%20many%20of%20the%20plot%20conventions%20of%20standard%20fantasy%20novels,%20only%20to%20unexpectedly%20take%20the%20story%20off%20in%20completely%20unexpected%20directions.%20%20%0D%0A%0D%0AUnLondon%20is%20described%20as%20the%20place%20that%20unwanted%20and%20broken%20objects%20from%20London%20go.%20%20Houses%20are%20built%20from%20old%20television%20sets,%20broken%20umbrellas%20flap%20and%20fly%20about%20the%20city,%20a%20discarded%20milk%20carton%20becomes%20a%20pet,%20etc.%20%20In%20addition,%20strange%20mirrors%20of%20London%20landmarks%20appear%20in%20UnLondon.%20%20The%20city%20is%20built%20around%20the%20river%20Smeath%20(Thames%20spelled%20backwards,%20sort%20of).%20%20The%20UnLondon-I%20is%20a%20gigantic%20water%20wheel.%20%20There%20is%20an%20adventure%20at%20Webminster%20Abbey,%20etc.%20%20%0D%0A%0D%0ABut%20most%20of%20all,%20UnLondon%20is%20a%20canvas%20for%20Mi%C3%A9ville's%20endless%20creativity%20and%20imagination.%20%20All%20manner%20of%20people%20inhabit%20UnLondon.%20%20There%20are%20fighting%20garbage%20cans,%20a%20tailor%20with%20a%20pin%20cushion%20head,%20a%20bird%20with%20a%20rather%20remarkable%20cage,%20and%20more.%20%20Throughout%20it%20all%20clever%20puns%20abound.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe%20plot%20is%20highly%20episodic,%20consisting%20of%20one%20small%20adventure%20after%20another,%20often%20with%20the%20larger%20story%20arc%E2%80%94the%20quest%20to%20defeat%20the%20villainous%20Smog%20and%20the%20heroines%20efforts%20to%20return%20to%20London%E2%80%94moving%20into%20the%20background.%20Combined%20with%20the%20division%20of%20the%20book%20into%20nearly%20100%20bite-sized%20chapters,%20I%20think%20this%20would%20make%20%3Ci%3EUn%20lun%20dun%3C%2Fi%3E%20great%20read-aloud%20book.%20%20There%20are%20lots%20of%20easy%20stopping%20points%20where%20a%20young%20lister%20won't%20feel%20that%20she%20is%20being%20left%20hanging%20in%20suspense.%20%20That%20said,%20I%20haven't%20actually%20tried%20reading%20it%20to%20our%20daughter...%20yet.%0D%0A">more...</a>]]></body>
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 3 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/861326.The_Viscount_Who_Loved_Me">The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/63898.Julia_Quinn">Julia Quinn</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74888526</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178979322s/861326.jpg</image_url>
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</actor>

    <updated_at>Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:39:06 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 3 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23230.Naomi_and_Ely_s_No_Kiss_List">Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List (Hardcover)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13139.Rachel_Cohn">Rachel Cohn</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73808969</link>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181944194s/23230.jpg</image_url>
    <actor>
  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:17:04 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
        
    
  </update>  
      <update type="review">
    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 4 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/854757.Bet_Me">Bet Me (Mass Market Paperback)</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19005.Jennifer_Crusie">Jennifer Crusie</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73210128</link>
    <image_url>http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WS7HWMQVL._SL75_.jpg</image_url>
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  <id type="integer">1290678</id>
  <name>Keith</name>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1290678-keith</link>
</actor>

    <updated_at>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:33:42 -0700</updated_at>
        
      
        
    
  </update>  
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