Vanessa S’s last login was yesterday. « hide recent activity
“I've wanted to read some more Vonnegut, b/c I read Slaughter-house 5 in high school...a loooong time ago. Breakfast of...”
“I was biased, being that I already loooooooved Anderson, but this book was excellent - even better because he actually had...”
“If you are an anthro-wanna-be, this book is for you. It is also a bit like a travelouge, as Bickerton got to travel to some...”
“Palahniuk states in his "Afterward (or Warning) of Sorts" that, "This would be a book you wouldn't want to keep next to your...”
Vanessa S’s last login was yesterday. show recent activity »
alysia b says
Ness -- I got both your letters FYI -- randomly the woman's daughter we used to housesit for sent it to me the other day! Thank you so much for the notes. Is your address current? Can I send a note to you there and you'll get it in the next week or so? I can't believe you found Arthur -- do you have his email you can send me via email so I can drop him a note? Did you say he has a kid? Is he married to Lauren or someone else? I completely understand what you mean about moving FYI -- it is so hard to carry stuff around all the time. I just finished Hide -- trashy murder paperback -- I enjoy supplementing my summer reading with those. I need to finish The Natural and The Book of Lost Things. I also started Persuasion the other day and I want to read this book called The Inconvenient Wife -- a reader described it as Edith Wharton on crack. Too many books not enough time! Anyway -- I have to run to the store to get food for dinner. I will talk to you soon!Al
thelibrarian says
Here are some titles for you to choose from. It was difficult to select only a handful from my favorites, so I hope this doesn't overwhelm you. A beautiful mind (Nassar), Animals in Translation (Grandin), Blue Latitutes (Horwitz), Colter (Bass), Desert Queen (Wallach), Dreamers of the day (Russell), Good Dog Stay (Quindlen), Hanta Yo (Hill), Life is Good (Koontz), Nineteen minutes (Picoult), Play for a kingdom (Dyja), Stuck in neutral (Trueman), The contract surgeon (O'Brien), The Giver (Lowry), The heartsong of Charging elk (Welch), The night birds (Maltman), and The Turtle Warrior (Ellis). There is a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Let me know if you'd like me to narrow the field a little.
I've selected two books to read from your suggestions, though reading time is limited right now and I'll probably only get to one of them. Which ever arrives first. Either Bastard out of Carolina by Allison, or Shadow of the Sun by Kapuscinski. I'm hoping it's the later as I prefer non-fiction, and books about Africa. Will send my suggestions for you momentarily.
Hi Vanessa S. Thanks for the suggestions for book swap - I'm just catching up from the weekend and will contact you later today. Noticed you're from NOLA - enjoyed my time there for a library conference around 1998. Won't forget the food - or the sweet tea ever.
suze says
And your July bookswap partner is.... TheLibrarian!! Happy reading :)
meghan h says
sounds like a plan. Colleen is planning to host--she will email once she gets a list together of books that she wants to propose to read.
My co-worker colleen has expressed interest in hosting the next book club. I gave her everyone's contact information a few weeks ago and asked her to get in touch with everyone. I will email her today to follow up--if she isn't interested anymore would you be interested in hosting?
Hey Ness, I don't think you have to read them in order or rather I should say I haven't read them in order. I just finished Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovitch -- she is my fave summer author -- I wait every year for her new book to come out. Have you read her? I find her hilarious. I also am reading Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasan (sp). It is okay. I like his books because it has an environmental twist, but it doesn't appear to have much of a mystery to it. I started The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. Pretty good so far. I know I have a list of summer books somewhere, but I think I will go the route of just picking books off my shelf that I haven't read yet. Went to Heather's baby shower this past weekend. Hev looks great. I have some pics. If I can remember how to get them off my computer I'll send them to your email account. I had a crazy driving weekend -- remember how we used to drive all over the place and could still take names and kick butt (fyi -- I tried to type another word in there and found out that I had a banned word -- interesting!). I have officially decided I might be old. Anyhoo. Today I am using my day to read books, hang with the dogs, and eat donuts. I might do some laundry, but that is really pushing the envelope. If you like Laura Lippman, you may like Tess Gerritsen. I have been reading a bunch of hers lately -- the ones with the series I forget the main character's name. Anyhoo. Keep me posted with book titles I may enjoy and I'll do the same. Happy official start to the summer! Al
paige k says
I cannot remember for the life of me the books I have read....slowly it is coming together. I just think it is the coolest thing though, making your own virtual book shelf. It is so neat!
Hey Ness. I hope all is well. I have not been logging on as much, but finally it is summer and I am hoping that I will now be able to get a little more reading in. How are things with you? Any new reads you recommend? Hope all is well. Talk to you soon!
This is awesome, I got my whole family into it. Thanks!
Hey Ness, Which Laura Lippman book are you talking about? I read a couple over the vacation. The newest one -- about the dead--is based on a true story or at least the idea came from something that really happened, but her book is definitely fiction. Finished "The Double Bind" -- the one based on Gatsby that is set in VT. Interesting. Didn't expect the twist at the end, but I really wasn't looking for one. I guess if I was reading more closely I would have seen it coming. Picked up Barbara Kingsolver's newest in paperback -- the one about gardening and eating locally. I also picked up Stephanie Meyer's new one -- sci fi -- probably won't get to it until after school gets out. Tonight I am set to read a gazillion papers of my students -- I would say I'm exaggerating -- but right now it doesn't feel that way.Anyhoo. Glad to hear it is starting to get warm. We are in the 60's still. 70s at times. Happy Monday!
carisa o says
I would love to have lunch/dinner. I work across the lake so unless you're out here, we will probably have to do dinner during the week or lunch on the weekend. What is your schedule like?
Hey there: glad to hear that you had fun at jazz fest! We will probably be the pool again next weekend so if you are free let me know. Oh--I start teaching an aerobics class tomorrow at loyola, do you think I could borrow one of your spin CDs to burn?
Oh--I think that Arkansas will be a defintite vote for next time, not to worry. We're going to the International Festival in Lafayette this weekend so no jazz fest for me this weekend. Maybe I will find a benefactor to fund my jazz fest ticket for next weekend. Have fun!
Happy Monday! We are on vacation finally. The pond finally melted so no worries about dogs falling through the ice. I have polished off more no brainer murder mysteries -- good way to head into a vacation -- now I am feeling ready to start some other books. I think maybe I am not supposed to read Water for Elephants because yet again I left it at school under my desk. I still have to finish Double Bind and The Book of Air and Shadows. I am possibly teaching sport literature and science fiction fantasy next year so I may start Atlas Babylon and The Natural. Going to the movies to see Nim's Island with Jodie Foster. Saw Smart People from the people who brought us Sideways. Slow moving and not as good. Too bad because the cast was killer. Anyhoo. Off to the movies, but good luck with grants! Talk to you soon!
Hey Ness. I am home sick today so I polished off a no brainer murder mystery by Tess Gerritsen "The Sinner" I am a sucker for mystery books when I am sick. I was going to read Water for Elephants, but it is under by desk at school. April vacation in a week will prove to be a time where I can read some more books. I need to finish the Michael Gruber book, WFE, plus a variety of other books. I also need to start rereading Romeo and Juliet for teaching after the vacation. It is gray and rainy here today. We are lying low (the dogs and me). Anyhoo. Hope you are well.
Hey Ness -- sorry I was out of the loop for a bit. We came back from Hev's wedding and it has been a whirlwind -- end of the quarter, grades, and parent/teacher conferences. Finally, it is Saturday and I am able to write. I have yet to finish Water for Elephants which doesn't surprise me at this point because since March (which never really seemed to exist -- it flew by) I have felt like I have been running a marathon. I am rereading Night by Elie Wiesel since I am teaching it and just finished Gingerbread (short YAF book) per recommendation of a student. Other than that I am waiting for April vacation because maybe I will be able to read -- if not summer vacation. It is a gray, rainy day here in Vermont. I have mucho grading to do today so the weather is fitting. How are you? Did the case turn out okay for your clients? Are you busy busy busy too? Hope you are getting a little reading in. I had forgotten about Beach Music until you posted it. I read Beach Music, but never really got into Prince of Tides. I think I read another Pat Conroy book too, but I can't remember it. Anyhoo. Happy Saturday!
Ness -- got all your notes -- it is always such a treat to find new things for me. We just got back from Orlando -- we were down there on a whirlwind tour to see Heather get married! It was very nice, but I am fully exhausted at this point. I also read 20 narratives from my students on Sunday and Monday. I still have yet to find time to read in Water for Elephants and now, of course, I can't find where I put the book. This happens a lot for me! I did start in Florida a book that was on the New York Times Best Seller List -- The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber. Not bad so far, but