dtrpath27

I think that's a reasonable request with the wardrobe. I'll second the formation of a Laura Ingalls Wilder society under the stipulation that all members must dress in costume. Well said.

Just finished Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. Still working on The Dubliners, reading a story or two at a time.

Oh good! I looked for Canticle in the Kindle store, but they didn't have it. I'm going to have to find it at a bookstore. I think it really is a great follow-up for On the Beach. I think it addresses some of the concerns that were voiced about Shute only examining one side of things and sort of glossing over the rest. Both are great books, though, in my mind, just different.

April 2014 Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank Publishing Information: ©1959 by Lippincott Pages: 316 Genre: Fiction Setting: the town of Fort Repose, Florida, United States Synopsis from back cover: When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly. But for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness. Impressions: This was a wonderful book and a great follow-up to On the Beach which I read a few weeks ago. I loved the realism of the story, how both the good and the bad of human nature were explored. It was quite thought-provoking, but in a different way from Shute's novel. I felt that this was more of a cautionary tale, exposing our vulnerability and interdependence, yet maintaining a sense of hope that the human race is resilient enough to endure. In a note at the end of the book, it mentioned Alas, Babylon as being one of three great post-apocalyptic novels published at that time. The other two were On the Beach by Nevil Shute and A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller. I plan to read the third, hopefully giving me another perspective to ponder on this interesting topic.

Woo-hoo! I saw you mention this in another post and I couldn't believe it was almost time for another one. Thanks to a couple of book sales almost back to back, I have a huge TBR list sitting by my bed. I don't even think I'll need to go to the library for reinforcements. I do like having a variety on hand, though, so I'll have to go through it to be sure.

I've never read this, but the description rather reminds me of the Boxcar Children. I rather like stories like that. I read somewhere that the difference is raising children from a perspective of strength and courage versus one of weakness and fear. I have to say I agree. People live up to the expectations placed upon them. If you assume they won't understand, they can't handle themselves, they have no common sense, everything is too dangerous, that they couldn't possibly do it so it better be done for them, and you can't possibly let them fail so it's best not to let them do anything, then of course they're going to become lazy entitled weaklings. If you believe that they are strong capable individuals with a good head on their shoulders and the capacity to learn and overcome adversity and then give them opportunities for realizing that themselves, then they will respond to that as well. I do agree that times are radically different, though, but it makes me wonder if we as a society should be raising children to be stronger instead of sheltering them more and more. Hmm...just thinking aloud, but this is what goes through my head every time I read a book like that.

Sounds like it! I'm trying to get up the motivation to clean, but my stomach and back hurt, so I'm alternating between reading and puttering around on here. I did work all day and do a load each of laundry and dishes when I got home, so at least I'm not completely lazy. :/

Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I thought it might be along the lines of what you were wanting. I'm reading Brilliance by Marcus Sakey. I'm not very far into it, but it seems promising. Let me think of what else might be similar...

What university? If it's a Catholic one, or in a really Catholic area, Holy Week celebrations start in earnest today, so that would explain why they're closed. I'm sorry your having such a frustrating experience. Why can't they just make it simple?

Coconuts

Haley, thank you so much! There were several on the list that looked amazing, so I plan on reading them just to read them. This challenge has really opened me up to some great sounding books that I wouldn't have known about. It's been pretty fun so far.

I've found some that are like that. Sometimes I read them again and find out I was wrong about it, sometimes I find that I just plain don't like it.

So funny! Back about ten or fifteen years ago, I pulled out a record, and a nearby little one asked me why I had a big black CD. Kids are so funny! Actually, they probably think we're so funny. And old.

Thank you very much!

Well, narrowing it down is proving to be more difficult than I thought! There are so many great options... I was able to cull the longest list, Spain, down to three choices: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemmingway, The Stone Raft by José Saramago and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luiz Zaffon. With Turkey, I've read samples of both choices and just can't decide. They're very different books, but both look wonderful. So many decisions. I did, however, manage to narrow down one of the countries. The first country on my trip around the world will be...Ireland! I will be reading The Dubliners by James Joyce. It had a lot of things going for it: both author and setting from the country in question, classic literature, great characters. The main reason I chose it, however, is because it's actually a collection of short stories. I love a good short story and there are no other short story collections on the list. I thought that it would make a great addition to my journey and bring a little variety to things. So off I go to Ireland, compliments of Mr. Joyce!

Thanks, Athena! I was just sorting through them trying to figure out what to read next.

April 2014 A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute Goodreads Synopsis: Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. Jean travels leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals. Impressions: Another wonderful story told by Nevil Shute. I am quickly becoming a big fan of him. I love his simple and direct writing, his way of making the reader connect with even the simplest of characters. The story is at the same time sweet and tragic, giving hope in the resiliency of the human spirit. It's definitely one I'd read again.

So we all went to the book fair again today and guess what...everything was half price! We came away with 28 books for only $22.00!!! So excited with our haul. Between the two days, here is what mine were: Evangeline by Ben Farmer (Totally picked this one up on a whim because guess where it's set? Nova Scotia! I can use it on my Places challenge. I looked it up in the Kindle store and it had 4 1/2 stars. Promising.) The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl Farewell, Shanghai by Angel Wagenstein In America by Susan Sontag The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (I'm giving Christie another go.) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai The Narnian by Alan Jacobs No One is Here Except All of Us by Ramona Ausubel Now I need to amend my TBR.

Love it! Lilacs are one of my favorite spring flowers. When I lived further north, my springtime garden had a lot of hyacinth, peonies and lilacs. It was so beautifully fragrant!

The Ffabulous Ffordian Society - With access to the Book World Library The Narnian Society

It does, thank you! I was able to find it on Amazon, but even if I search by author name in the Kindle store, it comes up with no results. Who knows! Now I'm really determined to read this book.

Missouri. There was the loveliest greenhouse nearby where I used to buy all of my plants and such. The proprietor always chastised me for wanting to buy my annuals on the first nice weekend in April. Sometimes I won out, but sometimes I came home with a nice houseplant instead.

I'm probably thinking of a different book altogether in regards to the cover, but I definitely can't find The Library of Unrequited Love in the Kindle store anymore, and it definitely did not have the cover you posted. Curiouser and curiouser.

Just finished A Town Like Alice.

Sigh...and that's where they get you, isn't it? Early Spring in the Midwest is tough for flower-lovers, isn't it? You just want to plant, but until after Mother's Day, it just isn't advisable. It sounds like you live even farther north than I did, though. Is it even later for you? Athena, that sounds like a wonderful way to start the day! Way to go on your self-control with books as of late. Not an easy thing! I bet the book sale can't come too soon.