NovaLee

Hello and

There have been a few here and there that I've put down for one reason or another with the most recent being A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It just went on and on and on and on with tedious detail that I gave up before I was even half way through.

For me ....The Notebook. Wasn't overly crazy about the book; loved the movie though.

Oh Gawd ....I'm not sure I can count that high. There are numerous books on my TBR pile and the more I read it seems, the more there are.

Ahh yes....I think that was to goal; to see which ending was the most gruesome. Wicked wee buggars.

I remember reading My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara and enjoying it.

Thank you yes ....think I'll pop over to the Lost Mojo Group right now and see if I can find some inspiration. I do promise to get this book read within the week and get that review up for you Blithe. Thanks for the much needed nudge.

Rawr ....I'm sorry to hear that. Hope it's better tomorrow. It was homemade soup over here tonight with buns and brownies for dessert.

Somebody kick me please. I'm still reading The Ghost at the Table. Barely into it in fact ....only on page 67. Tsk Tsk Tsk I don't know what's happening ....it looks like it's going to be a great read, I want to read it, I've carried it back and forth to work for a week now and for some reason, I'm just not reading it. This book is for my bookclub which meets next week and it must be done then. I'm in a slump, I suppose and need someone to give me a nudge.

Looks like a great list Katrina. I'd like to hear your thoughts on Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett. I haven't had the chance to read this one yet but it's on Mount TBR

Hi Lauren

You guys are speed demons. Verra impressive! There is no way I could manage 3+ books a week ....3 a month maybe.

Tenderloin, roast potatos, veggie and cucumbers on the side here tonight.

Hi Holly and

Hi Ladies ~ I'll be sure to let you know what I think of The Ghost at the Table. I'm only on the second chapter right now .....didn't get much reading done today ~ season premiere of House was this evening and I can't miss House. So far though, the book is interesting and I think I'm going to enjoy it.

I've just read the prologue to The Ghost at the Table ....hope to get the first couple of chapters read today.

Skipping Christmas ~ John Grisham

Hu funrun The Lovely Bones was pretty good. I haven't read anything else by Alice Seabold but I have a co-worker who just finished Lucky and she says that one is good too. I've put it on Mount TBR but just haven't gotten to it yet.

Up next a psychological drama ....The Ghost at the Table ~ Suzanne Berne. This is my bookclub's latest pick .... Synopsis: "Cynthia Fiske is a writer living in California, aloof from her family back in Massachusetts. Her sister, Frances, begs her to come back for Thanksgiving, since their father is dying and his second wife is divorcing him. Their mother died mysteriously when they were younger while their father was having the affair with the woman he eventually married. Cynthia writes historical novels around famous sisters, so she agrees to come home since she can also do some research on Mark Twain's daughters. When she arrives, she finds herself sucked into an old-time Thanksgiving dinner with a host of relatives, and as she and her sister recall stories from their collective past, they clash over whose version is correct. As the family history and secrets are peeled back, they'll have to decide whose memories are faulty." Review: There is tension and conflict in the Fiske family, resulting from the unacknowledged envy and resentment felt by Cynthia toward her older sister Frances. Frances appears to have it all; beautiful home, two daughters, loving husband and a successful career as an interior designer. But all is not as it appears to be on the surface and Cynthia has a tendency to prey on these weaknesses. Cynthia has gone home to join her family for Thanksgiving at Frances’s request. Frances has suggested that she is experiencing marital problems as well as other conflicts and she feels that Cynthia’s presence at Thanksgiving would in some way help to ease her problems. Because Cynthia lives a carefree, unattached life in California, she is able to distance herself from family tensions and her own unresolved feelings about them. But coming home forces her to confront her childhood and it's messy, unresolved issues. Rather than being helpful and supportive, her presence only increases existing difficulties. Cynthia is a writer and is writing an historical fiction novel for young readers and there are some interesting parallels between the Cynthia's family and Mark Twain's family throughout the book. All in all, this is a good book and worth the read.

I agree with the others ~ if something captures my attention ....a certain event in history, person or place I'll most certainly research the subject. With the internet at our fingertips, why not? But I don't think I would ever try to live out my books.

No question ....travel!

I'm a freelance writer from San Francisco attending a Thanksgiving family reunion hosted by my sister at her perfectly restored Colonial home in Concord, Mass. I believe my father, now 82, murdered our invalid mother with an overdose of pills when I was 13, and I have no wish to ever see him again. The Ghost at the Table ~ Suzanne Berne

"Going home for Thanksgiving wasn't something I had planned on-or I should say, I hadn't planned on going to Frances's house in Concord , which over the years I've sometimes referred to as "home," simply because it's back east." The Ghost at the Table ~ Suzanne Berne