Jan Priddy > Recent Status Updates

How does it take "a few steps" to close the gap between two people when one of the has his hands on the other's shoulders? A step. Two?

I dislike books that withhold "the terrible thing." I'm clearly in the minority, because I have read two very popular books before this that held off revealing "the terrible thing" until near the end. By the time I find out what "the terrible thing" is, I just don't care. It's awful, sure, but the withholding of the information is a cheap way to maintain tension.

"Bone Black" on pages 197-198 is the first chapter I loved. The history of charred buffalo bones used to whiten sugar felt new to me.

Still waiting.

So far, foolish people making stupid choices. All of them. Holding out on the secret "accident"? That's a cheat. A reviewer revealed that it wasn't till the last third that she felt any connection to the story. I'll keep reading and hope for the best.

How many remember why they distrust GMOs? Monsanto developed a dangerous pesticide and then modified crop seeds that could survive in that poisoned soil. That's corn.

"Also, super loaded was Jordan at the party." Is this meant to be voice? In that case, my husband insists there should be a "dude" in there someplace.

So far, an interesting scenario, but issues, even so. One incoherent sentence [I read it several times, read it aloud, showed it to my husband—nope] and a couple typos that should have been corrected.

khaki binding, black lettering on the spine with General Jinjur on the spine, The Reilly & Lee Co., and photos, likely of stage actors Montgomery and Stone riding on the surrey (B&W) on the end sheets.

My copy is dated 1904, "Popular Edition" hardcover with a plate showing Scarecrow and Tin Woodman on the cover.It is the 2nd in the series, the first with John R. Neill illustrations.

I have written three reviews which will be published soon in literary and philosophical journals. And I am working on a story collection.

I'm already irritated. However, my husband worked in a large metropolitan zoo, and he assures me: "never underestimate the stupidity of zookeepers." [Books with animals generally get stuff wrong.] I am cringing over what seems to have been delivery of a bull Asian elephant by dropping him the last few feet from a helicopter. No. Just no.

All of this is really not about the animals, and it shows. Love the cover!

My husband and I lived near the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, he worked in the animal commissary for a time and interacted with the elephants there, but we never visit the zoo these days, though we now live walking distance from another zoo. I fear this novel will trouble me, and I am already struggling with the elephant, though we haven't met him yet. He's male, for one thing, and I assume Asian (from Singapore).

I read the first couple of pages and thought, Okay. But the reason I had to buy this book, I'll admit, is the cover. It might be the most gorgeous cover I've ever seen. And a jaguar. I've spent some quality time from childhood watching jaguars in the Woodland Park Zoo.

90/208 pages. This book was read to me as a child, and then I reread it as an adult and collected old copies of the entire series. I am surprised at how much I have forgotten.