Batgrl (Book Data Kept Elsewhere) > Recent Status Updates

I really wish I could twiddle with the books on my 2012 reading challenge. There are 2-3 things down there that I really don't consider long enough for books, so I'm really 3 books behind the count.

Typewriter hate! "...a tool that frustrated and mystified her, as did all machines. Once, stymied in a struggle to change a ribbon, she abandoned the machine in disgust and quietly resolved the problem by buying a new one."

Still pondering what the hell a "philopoena" from back in Ch 11. Besides a book title that from the period, Google is no help. Where is the Urban Dictionary of the 1800s????

When passengers sing God Save the Queen, Bly notes their loyalty to their ruler: "With that thought came to me a shamed feeling that there I was, a free born American girl, the native of the grandest country on earth, forced to be silent because I could not in honesty speak
proudly of the rulers of my land, unless I went back to those two kings of manhood, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln."

I had forgotten how much of the book consists of ghost stories that Hare has heard and retells - no wonder I liked the book so much. Must put it on ghost story shelf as well.

"On the verge of adolescence, acutely self-conscious, she felt there was something wrong with her, and so it was necessary to create a Dorothy Rothschild she liked better. She started by changing her handwriting..."

Apparently once upon a time people threw things out of windows more often. Sewing, dinner, etc.

p. 26 Grannie teaching schoolgirls to sing, wanting mouths opened wide would open their mouths by force "putting her fingers so far down their throats that she made them sick. ...Margaret Beeston bit her violently." And was unrepentant. Way to go, Margaret!

I'd forgotten how well Hare describes the eccentrics in his family. Also I'm terribly glad no one's ever tried to box my ears.

Silly is spending a great deal of time finding your Lord of the Rings books version because you still have them from the 70s and dearly love the covers. And I have no memory of finishing the last book or two, so yes, on the every lengthening reread list.

There are books on my reading challenge that I wish I could remove as 1) they're not really books (30 pgs isn't a book) and 2) I mistakenly moved one to currently reading and back to read and oops, now it counts. Doesn't seem to be any way to edit the thing.

On the up side I finally get the Noel Coward joke in a play about Mount Pleasant thanks to this book. (Added info to review.) On the downside am now sitting with Coward book of 4 plays and about to reread...

2% in "Her favorite word contained four letters. The word she used almost as frequently also had four letters." Which makes me think I've been reading a lot of edited versions of Parker. Or just that she didn't add those words in her reviews, etc.

So she has 2 favorite 4 letter words - what are they?! I mean, I'm pretty sure what the first one is.... (will quote later)