Laurel’s Comments (group member since Dec 30, 2013)

Laurel’s comments from the All About Books group.

Reading this in my f2f group in Dec. so I will wait and read it with them.

I was just about to recommend The Shoemaker's Wife myself!

My other commitments have ended, so sure - sign me up. Sounds like fun!

I think the schedule is fine. I've gotten a bit behind, but I have another busy week before I'll catch up.

Robin, glad to see you here! I can't imagine trying to fathom this the first time on audio. But it does sound like it would be fun to go back and listen to it AFTER I have finished reading it. I'm especially looking forward to all the musical bits. I think I might have to get the annotated book via ILL if I can.

Not a lot out there with Laurel in the title and I've already read Mountain Laurel by Jude Deveraux. But on my last trip to Wales I bought a book in a used book store called Lowri by Grace Roberts. Lowri would be my nickname in Welsh and I have friends who actually call me that sometimes! This could be my excuse to finally read it. But please not before November! I have so much to read already this month.

I'm still focused on my "The ___ Wife" project. The talk is next Thursday and I won't get them finished by then, but will continue reading these even afterwards, so...

Currently reading (and loving!) The Witch Doctor's Wife
Currently listening to The Aviator's Wife
Just got via ILL so these are next up: The Twentieth Wife and The Lightkeeper's Wife
Hoping to continue with the group read of Ulysses but I fear I am getting behind because of the other commitments.
I would LOVE to do Kristin Lavransdatter as that has been on my reread list for this year, but I just can't right now. I've promised another online group to read And Ladies of the Club starting mid-October. I hope I can get to it by November and catch up.
And my face-to-face bookclub is doing The Night Circus for next month. I already read it a year ago, but I'm waiting for the audio on ILL, so that will follow The Aviator's Wife.
Wish me luck.

Chrissie wrote: "Re: Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

I was forewarned about the importance of the Author's Note at the end, so I read it both before and a..."

Well, I listened to it on audio, so didn't have that option. It came at the end.

Chrissie wrote: "Laurel, I felt devastated on on completion of the book.... I gave it four stars. What about you? "

I gave it 3 stars. My f2f bookclub is discussing it tomorrow. Will be interesting what the others thought of it.

Trying to get used to seeing another Laurel around here... :-)

Hi Terri,
I keep a reading journal where I make notes of all kinds about books I'm reading. I don't do it to help with reviews, but to keep track of complicated plots and numerous characters. Often with historical fiction I find myself making genealogy charts and things like that. Sometimes I am looking up unfamiliar vocabulary, etc. It's the scholar in me, I guess.

Progress Report: September

Daytimers:
37. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

Leftovers:

The "_____" Wife:
38. The Headmaster's Wife
39. The Traitor's Wife: The Woman Behind Benedict Arnold and the Plan to Betray America

Everything Else:
40. Second Thyme Around - aka Thyme Out

Currently reading:
The Witch Doctor's Wife
The Aviator's Wife

Progress Report: August

Daytimers:
32. Cutting for Stone

Leftovers:

The "_____" Wife:
33. The Silent Wife
34. The Anatomist's Wife
35. The Crane Wife

Everything Else:
36. Death at Buckingham Palace

Currently reading:

Just finished Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. Not sure what I think about it yet.

Oh man, I am as bad with tea as I am with books. Came home tonight with Lapsang Souchong, Keemun Mao Feng, Nilgiri Chamraj Estate, Malaysian Highlands, and a small sample of Jin Jun Mei. I probably need an intervention.

I have seen the movie Smoke Signals. It is good.

And to keep this on topic, I did bring home The Stone Wife from the library today.

I just may join in on this read, especially since it is over several months. I read the first three "episodes" online yesterday and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't find it all that hard to follow. Admittedly it is very stream of consciousness, and his mind jumps from one thing to another rather erratically, but I just let it all wash over me and go with the images. It reminded me very much of Dylan Thomas - the poeticness of the language, and his use of alliteration, color, etc. Glad to do this with a group though. I had no idea what a Martello Tower was. I do think I need to reread though. There is so much there, that you get the overall idea the first time, but maybe miss a lot too!

I just have to pop in and say Happy Birthday! I don't speak much, but I think this is a terrific group. It reminds me of some of the best Yahoo groups that I've been in over the years - a group with a shared passion, but also one where people are allowed to be themselves, and social chitchat is not discouraged which is so important in getting to know others. I, too, have been impressed by the outpouring of care and concern when members are going through dark times, and the joys of seeing folks meet up in person. And pictures of food! What else could one want?

I enjoy the diversity here. While I'm not generally into poetry, this group actually got me to check out Robert Frost's complete poems just because of the discussion. I read a few, though didn't stick with it. I had flooding issues this summer and a lot going on. I also have a large list of personal reading challenges that I am working on, so I haven't taken part in any of the group reads or buddy reads or recommendation swaps. That's not to say I haven't been tempted. And perhaps next year I will purposely not set any challenges, just so I can read at will and participate more here.

But I keep a notebook of things I come across that I want to read. Or even purchase! Independent People was one of those. And I've had Robertson Davies on my TBR forever but I just didn't have time to read it now. Anyway, keep up the good work and I hope to be more active next year.

Gill wrote: "Thanks for the suggestions about War and Peace. I'll have a look to see which of them are available on Kindle."

I did a lot of comparisons of translations before I read War and Peace and read a lot of reviews. I decided to purchase the Pevear translation.

Progress Report: July

Sad to say I have only finished one book this month! I got sidetracked by the flooding and trying to get things back to normal. I even took a week off work, but that was spent painting bedroom walls, shopping for a new dresser and putting it together, new rugs, etc. This weekend I am hoping to get my storage areas (inner hallway and closet) back in order, which will get stuff out of my living room and get that back to order. Was all set to order the bookcases from Target that I had picked out, and the color I want is out of stock! So all my books are in bags and boxes. Well, it will all be sorted out eventually. I might do another run to Ikea this weekend for a bench and a 2-drawer chest that matches the new dresser. It's like moving in all over again!

Anyway, here's my book:

31. Ten Lords A-Leaping which falls in the "Everything Else" category. I have been reading too many random things and not finishing my actual challenges! I have to do my The [Fill-in-the-Blank] Wife talk for MLA in October, so I need to get going especially on that one!

I am almost finished with three other books, but couldn't get them done in July:
The Crane Wife
Cutting for Stone - Daytimer's challenge
Death at Buckingham Palace - another random read by the author of Ten Lords A-Leaping.

Next up:
The Aviator's Wife
The Traitor's Wife: The Woman Behind Benedict Arnold and the Plan to Betray America

Progress Report: June

Daytimers:
29. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
30. Safe from the Sea

Leftovers:
27. The Boleyn Reckoning

The "_____" Wife:

Everything Else:
26. Learning to Walk in the Dark
28. Morality for Beautiful Girls

Currently reading:
The Crane WifeThe Crane Wife
Cutting for Stone

I've switched Goodreads posts to my gmail address instead of Yahoo. We'll see if that works...