Cecily’s review of The Human Body (Visual Books) > Likes and Comments

A happy anniversary on GR, Cecily. What a marvellous, authentic way to celibrate!

Thank you, a remarkable and poignant review

Congrats, Cecily, and thanks for this entertaining and glowing write-up (and what a lovely picture).

Perfectly apt.

What a wonderful idea, great choice, and lovely review, Cecily! I can understand why a book like this would have stayed with you. I think I’d have enjoyed it, too, although maybe at a slightly older age. Mind you, I was just in normal old school - no boarding school to worry about growing up for. Fun to think of you getting ready for anything!

A very happy 10 year anniversary to you Cecily - and one that we have good reason to celebrate as well as you :O)

How wonderful that you found this book at the time that you did, and maybe it did kick start your ambitions to become a writer who explained things.

Love that photograph of you. Such character...

I look forward to another 10 years of great reviews.

Marc wrote: "A happy anniversary on GR, Cecily. What a marvellous, authentic way to celibrate!"

Thanks, Marc. I have gained so much from being here, that I feel the need to celebrate.

Jan-Maat wrote: "Thank you, a remarkable and poignant review"

Thank you, Jan-Maat. Without wanting to sound ungracious, I think "remarkable" is very generous, but poignant - and I hope slightly amusing - is fine.

Ilse wrote: "Congrats, Cecily, and thanks for this entertaining and glowing write-up (and what a lovely picture)."

Thanks, Ilse. If the "lovely picture" is the child, thank you again.

Krista wrote: "Perfectly apt."

Thank you, Krista.

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "What a wonderful idea, great choice, and lovely review, Cecily! I can understand why a book like this would have stayed with you...."

What a lovely comment. Thank you, Patty.

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "I was just in normal old school - no boarding school to worry about growing up for. Fun to think of you getting ready for anything!"

I think boarding is a strange idea, but was fortunate to make several deep and abiding friendships, which meant I enjoyed it. Two nights ago, I met with three of my closest friends, all from that time. We do that several times a year.

Boarding toughens you up in some ways, but keeps you very sheltered and naive in others. It certainly didn't get me ready for anything!

Caroline wrote: "A very happy 10 year anniversary to you Cecily - and one that we have good reason to celebrate as well as you :O)..."

You're very kind, as usual. Thank you, Caroline.

Caroline wrote: "How wonderful that you found this book at the time that you did, and maybe it did kick start your ambitions to become a writer who explained things..."
Now the possibility has occurred to me, I like to think so.

Caroline wrote: "Love that photograph of you. Such character..."

From some people, I'd assume that was a euphemism. From you, I assume you mean it. Thanks.

I love this "Cecily Grows Up" story -- on both levels; how you changed as a child; how you changed here on goodreads. Lovely review, photo and illustrations! I always enjoy your reviews, especially the ones on which we disagree. : ) (They always give me lots to consider.)

Happy 10 years on Goodreads. I thoroughly enjoyed your reflections and love the picture of you as a 10 yr old. I look forward to the next 10 and reading more of your comprehensive reviews. I think we’ve only been GR friends for about 6 months and already you have introduced me to a few new authors, most notably, Billy O’Callaghan.

Cecily wrote: "Jan-Maat wrote: "Thank you, a remarkable and poignant review"

Thank you, Jan-Maat. Without wanting to sound ungracious, I think "remarkable" is very generous, but poignant - and I hope slightly am..."

so it seems that I can be very generous too!

Jan-Maat wrote: "so it seems that I can be very generous too!"

Indeed you can. Thank you.

Julie wrote: "I love this "Cecily Grows Up" story -- on both levels; how you changed as a child; how you changed here on goodreads..."

Thanks, Julie. I'm not sure I've fully grown up in either realm, but that means there's always room to learn and improve.

Julie wrote: "I always enjoy your reviews, especially the ones on which we disagree. : ) (They always give me lots to consider.)"

Yes! Friendly disagreement is often a fascinating and fruitful source of ideas, inspiration, and entertainment.
Which makes me wonder: should I have disagreed with that comment.
;)

Antoinette wrote: "Happy 10 years on Goodreads. I thoroughly enjoyed your reflections and love the picture of you as a 10 yr old. I look forward to the next 10 and reading more of your comprehensive reviews..."

Thank you so much, Antoinette.

Antoinette wrote: "I think we’ve only been GR friends for about 6 months and already you have introduced me to a few new authors, most notably, Billy O’Callaghan."

Happy to help - you and Billy. That's what GR is for.

I misread it as “pubLic hair”, - Hahahaaaaha! 😊
Thank you for this lovely review, and sharing your memories with us *hugs*

Michael wrote: "Great review, Cecily! We’ve been friends on here for only about a week now, but the level of thought and insight you put into your reviews is already clear to me - and appreciated. Happy 10 year GR..."

Thank you, newest friend. I hope we're both still here in 2028!

Marita wrote: "Happy anniversary, and thanks for your wonderful review, Cecily."

Thank you, Marita.

William wrote: "I misread it as “pubLic hair”, - Hahahaaaaha! 😊
Thank you for this lovely review, and sharing your memories with us *hugs*"

Thanks, William. I presume that made you smile or chuckle (as I intended).

Cecily wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "What a wonderful idea, great choice, and lovely review, Cecily! I can understand why a book like this would have stayed with you...."

What a lovely comment. Thank you, Pat..."

I just checked my profile and see that I joined in April 2008, so I’ve hit the 10-year mark also! I imagine I was reading Nancy Drew mysteries or something - nothing I’m prepared to review. :)

Lovely celebration. That picture of you is priceless. Hope you were finally satisfied with the answers to unanswered questions. Analyzing the quandary by analogy of reading duration and volume brings to mind that life's quest can be defined as reading with interludes of sex or as sex eith interludes of reading.

I suffered from not javing such reading material. At least we had farm animals to see how nutty and beastly the whole business could be. Dogs that got stuck together put me off my feed. Late in adulthood I finally got some inspiration to be more accepting of the primate plan from Natalie Angier's Woman: An Intimate Geography.

A wonderful way of celebrating 10 years! And, many of us probably read pubic as pubLic. :)

🤣 Great way to celebrate! 10 years ago GR had no idea what they've been blessed with, it has never been the same since. The birds and the bee, eh? I miss Eric the Half Bee...

Happy Anniversary, Cecily! I adored your entire review/story - and especially the picture of your 9-year-old self! 💖

Cecily, it's a testament to your abstemious life, and any number of skin creams, that you look no different now to when you were nine!
My first official sex education lesson was at the age of ten (the girls listened and watched intently while the boys cringed with callow embarrassment).
Prior to this, and aged eight, my thirteen-year-old sister decided to give me a detailed summary of the process by which babies are conceived, leading me to march up to my mother to tell her just how disgusted I was!

A super review, Cecily. One which brought back distant memories of my own sudden interest in human biology!

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "I just checked my profile and see that I joined in April 2008, so I’ve hit the 10-year mark also! I imagine I was reading Nancy Drew..."

Belated happy tenth anniversary to you, too, Patty.

You could review Nancy Drew. In the last year or so, I've discovered in pleasure in occasional reviews of childhood books.

Michael wrote: "Lovely celebration. That picture of you is priceless..."

Thank you, Michael.

Michael wrote: "Hope you were finally satisfied with the answers to unanswered questions..."

Not quite. It was years before it occurred to me that there were no meaningful answers to either.

Michael wrote: "life's quest can be defined as reading with interludes of sex or as sex eith interludes of reading...."

LOL.

Michael wrote: "Dogs that got stuck together put me off my feed. Late in adulthood I finally got some inspiration to be more accepting of the primate plan from Natalie Angier's Woman: An Intimate Geography."

And now you can eat again!
;)

Jeanne wrote: "A wonderful way of celebrating 10 years! And, many of us probably read pubic as pubLic. :)"

Thanks. I'm glad I'm (probably) not the only one.
Or should that be "probaby"?
;)

Apatt wrote: "🤣 Great way to celebrate! 10 years ago GR had no idea what they've been blessed with, it has never been the same since. The birds and the bee, eh? I miss Eric the Half Bee..."

But I'll never be able to compete with Eric:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlrsq...

Thanks, my friend.

Jaline wrote: "Happy Anniversary, Cecily! I adored your entire review/story - and especially the picture of your 9-year-old self! 💖"

Thank you, Jaline. I wasn't always that serious, but the picture fitted this review.

Kevin wrote: "Cecily, it's a testament to your abstemious life, and any number of skin creams, that you look no different now to when you were nine!..."

If you only knew...!
But thanks.

Kevin wrote: "leading me to march up to my mother to tell her just how disgusted I was!"

I think most children react with a mix of incredulity and disgust, possibly tinged with humour. Marching up to your mother shows chutzpah, though.

I was glad to learn the information, but it certainly didn't make me enthusiastic to experiment at that age.

Kevin wrote: "A super review, Cecily. One which brought back distant memories of my own sudden interest in human biology!"

Ha. Thanks, Kevin.

Cecily, what a wonderful way to celebrate ten years on GR! Loved the picture of your 9-year-old self and learning a bit about your precious growing up years and clever choice of book. I celebrate having you as a GR friend. Here’s to many more rewarding years on GR and great conversation.

Congrats, Cecily! Both the anniversary and the fine review. Brava.

I congratulate you, my friend, Cecily. Blessings to you for blessing us. Thank you for your 10 years of labor on this site--though I know you invested this significant chunk of time for ""pleasure" --"excitement". :) You also did it for the love of books and readers. How fitting that you chose a reproductive text as a metaphoric idea of giving birth to books and to reviews and to creativity and connect it to ten years. Brilliant. (I also note that this review falls fast upon the heels of your 600th review, another extraordinary milestone.) You have given us a library of exceptional reviews that are comprehensive and laced with your trademarks-- precision of words and clarity of thought. In each review, you present an orderly view of the book, imposing order on the chaos of experiences and combustible impressions that that most of us tend to have after a first read but without your discipline to state the experience clearly and preserve it for ourselves and for others. Thanks to you, I always understood whether or not I actually wanted to read the book reviewed based on your collection of themes, quotations, and provocative questions. You bring a level of extraordinary particularity, detail, organization, and clarity to your reviews-- the sheer volume of which seems unmatched on GR. You have directed your considerable skills as a technical writer to improve our understanding of imaginative literature. I smile at your typical modesty that you did not wish to be pretentious with an epic masterpiece. Instead, you return to childhood and a blessed mother who passed on her love of books. You are doing the same. May your words "be fruitful and multiply." Thank you for what you have given us, Cecily. Thank you.

What a terrific review! Clearly an excellent book, straight talk, no lecturing, or euphemistic nonsense; exactly what a kid should receive at that age.

Happy GR anniversary, Cecily! What a pleasure to haveyou here, sharing your tremendous amount of goodreading!

Happy and well earned tenth anniversary, Cecily! Your reviews are always a reference that lights up the path for future readers. May the fertility of your reviews guide us for ten years more.

Laysee wrote: "Cecily, what a wonderful way to celebrate ten years on GR! Loved the picture of your 9-year-old self and learning a bit about your precious growing up years and clever choice of book. I celebrate having you as a GR friend. Here’s to many more rewarding years on GR and great conversation."

Thank you, Laysee, not just for your comments (this, and previously), but for being a lyrical and inspiring friend. Here's to many more such years.

Agnieszka wrote: "Congrats, Cecily! Both the anniversary and the fine review. Brava."

Thanks, Agnieszka. I have enjoyed, and am enjoying both.

Bishop wrote: "I congratulate you, my friend, Cecily. Blessings to you for blessing us. Thank you for your 10 years of labor on this site--though I know you invested this significant chunk of time for ""pleasure"..."

Gosh, thank you for your flood of generous words. Too generous (not that I'm complaining).

Bishop wrote: "How fitting that you chose a reproductive text as a metaphoric idea of giving birth to books and to reviews..."

I thought about growing up and maturing, but I hadn't taken it the extra step. Yes, giving birth to books and reviews!

Bishop wrote: "I also note that this review falls fast upon the heels of your 600th review..."

I'm one of many, and there are many better and more prolific. That said, and without wanting to be ungratefully nit-picky, it was recently my 700th review, not 600th. ;)

Bishop wrote: "I always understood whether or not I actually wanted to read the book reviewed based on your collection of themes, quotations, and provocative questions...."

That is truly good to know. Thank you, Bishop. Some write reviews that are exquisite works of art in their own right. Others do brilliant and original riffs on the source. Occasionally, I attempt those. But giving a realistic impression of a book is what I usually strive for, so it's good to know I manage it.

Jim wrote: "What a terrific review! Clearly an excellent book, straight talk, no lecturing, or euphemistic nonsense; exactly what a kid should receive at that age."

Thanks, Jim. And if a child of that age doesn't "receive" it, an ingenious child, pre-internet, sorts it out for themself.

Lisa wrote: "Happy GR anniversary, Cecily! What a pleasure to haveyou here, sharing your tremendous amount of goodreading!"

Thank you, Lisa, and thanks for sharing your goodreading and goodreviewing so prodigiously.

Dolors wrote: "Happy and well earned tenth anniversary, Cecily! Your reviews are always a reference that lights up the path for future readers. May the fertility of your reviews guide us for ten years more."

You're always ready with an appropriate piece of imagery. Thank you for your kind words, Dolors.

Congratulations on the milestone, Cecily! The site is better for your presence here.

"Public Hair"....lol...

Edward wrote: "Congratulations on the milestone, Cecily! The site is better for your presence here."

You're very kind - hence, the same is true of you. Thank you, Edward.

Greg wrote: ""Public Hair"....lol..."

Just occasionally, it's fun to be low-brow.
;)