Karen - Heck, if I'd know it was about fountains of youth turning the characters into red-eyed mutants, I'd be all over it. Thanks for the heads up. It IS summer, after all!

I read the Michael Palin "Himalays" book, too, and enjoyed it very much.

A good friend (retired librarian, God bless her) runs a book group. I burned out on reading for pleasure in graduate school (many moons ago) and so much technical reading in my job (have comments back on these 8 documents totaling 1200 pages by tomorrow morning - ugh!!). The reading group has finally sparked my interest in pleasure reading. Old habits die hard, though .. I get busted at book club because I read the first chapter or two, read the last chapter and then decide if I'm going to read the middle. Tough not to give away the ending when that's all you've read.

I'm a Wall Street Journal girl (duh!) with once-in-a-while online Chicago Tribune, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Newark Star-Ledger and, as a very occasional treat, The New York Post. Either the Daily News or the Post are the perfect unwind newspaper. Magazines are "Bird Talk" (very funny - ways to train your bird (like that's going to happen) and my favorite, the centerfolds of the bird of the month); "Food and Wine" - always a good recipe or two I can manage; and "New York" - a way to daydream about a nightlife.

The birds love to chew up those magazine postcard inserts. Dual duty - recycling and bird entertainment. No, "Bird Talk" doesn't include that particularly helpful suggestion for bird owners.

Cheers, Anne

Joanna...Maureen Dowd wrote a very moving column about her mother a few weeks ago. I hope you had a chance to read it. (I think it was in the Sunday Magazine but I'll have to ask Tom, he'll remember). Anyway, she's one of my favorite also.

Maureen Dowd was one of our favourites, until they moved her column out of the Sunday Times. It's a treat to get this once a week, but now if we want to read Maureen, I guess we have to go on-line.

Read "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood when I came home from Pip. It's one of her good ones, Booker short-listed, although chillingly and scary. If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, you might like it.

I love mysteries, especially by writers who have written lots of them! I have started on Elizabeth George, having seen some of the TV series on BBC TV.

Back to fantasy as well, I have started David Eddings fantasy series, The Dreamers.

Don't read alot of non-fiction, frankly. I should, but I need escape when I read right now. One of these days I will start reading history, since there is alot that I want to know about the past.

Gave my son a subscription to Harper's for Xmas, and he drops off the old mags for us to read, but I mostly let him stay on top of the issues, then he can feel superior to his mum about something.

Karen, your book about red-eyed mutants sounds fun. I like to mix it up. Don't want to get bored and sometimes need a rest after a challenging book.

I have a friend who's an "Honors English" teacher in high school. We trade books and sometimes I end up with ones I would have never considered otherwise. Some I like, others I don't. Broadens my horizons, though.

Anne, you're my kind of reader. I sneak to the back page too. Alan is appalled!

Joanna, so you're reading all your papers online? That's basically how I get my news, too. How did we ever live without it? When I do read a "real" newspaper, I catch myself "scanning" through everything rather than reading it. Blame my computer!

Vicki wrote:

"Another mystery set on a cruise ship (to Alaska) is Birds of Prey by J. A. Jance."

Oh Vicki, I might have to take that one on MUSH!!

Yes Margo I read her column about her mother and was so touched I sent it to a few people. Maureen Dowd often said Mary McGrory (Puliter Prize winner Washington Post) was her mentor - two fabulous women whose writing I can/could (Mary died in 2004) never get enough of- spunky, bright, and oh can/could they write!!! Mary was honored several years ago, National Press Club? and it was televised - Maureen Dowd sort of "roasted" her in one of the most touching speeches I ever heard - funny too! I am sorry I never taped it - Just finished Susan Jane Gilman's autobiography, "Hypocrite in a Poufy White Dress - a LOL book!!! And, of course, I do my paper reading online

Vicki, we have similar reading habits. Check out literaryguild.com or mysteryguild.com They beat Amazon's prices by $4-5 a book and often have "no shipping fee" specials. Judith

Oh I forgot Janet Evanovich and her Stephanie Plum, girl bounty hunter, books are fun quick reading - just finished "Ten Big Ones" -

Margo, you're reading the wrong Patterson, James lost his "fastball" several years ago; he offers very little nowadays, mostly soft stuff!

If you, or others, haven't read Richard North Patterson, begin someday; begin with "Degree of Guilt", about 10 years ago, and do them in sequence, I believe nine in total.

His most recent three novels delve into abortion, "Protect and Defend", gun rights, "Balance of Power", and, the death penalty, "Conviction".

Just finished the latter. My opinion, he's the best out there right now!

Margo, Donna; Posted earlier about Carl Hiaasen's Skinny Dip and Joanana and Margo both said try Skin Tight...Hiaasen is great, like him better than Elmore..have plowed through; Sick Puppy, Lucky You, Basket Case and now am on Stormy Weahter (about unusual behavior in South Fla after hurricanes)...he is wickedly funny...for action try Christopher Reich, he now has a new novel Patriot Games out (he wrote Numbered Account, The Runner, First Billion) also their is the tried and true Clive Cussler he now has Polar shift out and a new Dirk Pitt novel is due in Novemember...recommend Costco for new novels and www.abebooks.com for used...happy reading! r/wes

Wes: Carl Hiassen is wickedly funny - I bought Elmore's latest at Costco now can't find it, somewhere in this house, have not read yet- also read this summer John Feinstein's "A Good Walk Spoiled" about life on the PGA tour; Michael Takiff's "Brave Men, Gentle Heroes" about fathers and sons in WWII and Vietnam and "The Day I went Missing" (true story) by Jennifer Miller - "an ominous tale of the dangerous psychological manipulation of a young woman by her therapist" - downright scary!!! Nothing too intellectual for me

I just saw a new book that looks good. Called "Little Beauties". About three offbeat characters and destiny bringing them together because of a newborn.

I am currently alternating between a biography of Lucretia Borgia and "Reading Lolita in Tehran" Talk about an odd juxtaposition! I also have the latest Elizabeth George sitting on my night table, begging to be read.

101 Ways To Kill Your Builder!!!

Just kidding - really have not had a chance to read anything thanks to this #@%$ house.

Anthony

Crystal...I tried "Reading Lolita", just couldn't get into it. Should I keep plugging away?

I am reading Linda Ellerbee's "Take Big Bites". I am loving it. Very interesting, about places she has traveled to in her life and the memorable food she experienced in these exotic or not so exotic places. Really a fun read. There are recipes too. When I write my travel journals I also include details of where and what we ate. To me experiencing the traditional food in an area is an important part of the experience.

Jeanine: I regret not keeping good notes of travels - so often a question comes up and I cannot remember - darn!!!

LOL, Anthony. Guess it helps to have a sense of humor when you are waiting and waiting and waiting for a house to be finished.

Margo, I read "Reading Lolita" too. Although it gave me a good "feel" for the times, I couldn't get into the book either but finished it. I think it was too many references to too many books that I had never read!

One of my favorite airplane books writer. His people are so bizarre and funny. Right now I'm reading his book Skin Tight

Reading Lolita is a tough book to get through, but I thought it was interesting.

Thowing in my two cents worth on summer reading: Read 1776, really enjoyed it and can't figure out how the h--- we won the Revolution! Now reading Life of Pi--an amazing book, I couldn't put it down. Read Kite Runner and LOVED it, latest Jodi Picoult, did not love and now have out Reichl's book Tender At The Bone which I'm told is a hoot.

Karen, how can I make my little doggie smaller? Like use him for my avatar instead of my picture???

That is between you and Karen - but love your pix and your doggie

NO!!!! We love seeing your smile! And his ears won't blow if you make him static. Do you remember on cc when Todd had that funny penquin thing? Todd or Karen, can you bring it up again to show? I really miss it. He put it on when we were planning the Chilean Fjords thing. Funny, we never saw penguins there.

Well, since you all asked what we're reading "Italy for Dummies" and the DK book, Italy. Guess where my next destination is? :D Tauck Tour (Classic Italy).

Olivia, here's the funny penguins. I was glad when Todd switched pictures as this one always froze up my old PC!




Jean, I made your dog smaller for you, does it look better to you?

Karen: Don't know yet so I'll try now. I love the doggy's ears waving, too, but it seems as if he takes up a lot of room on the page. :lct:

Yes, that's better!

Margo, if you can't get into Reading Lolita in the early stages, you probably won't at all. I know a number of Persians, and I think that helps with the interest level (that, and having recently met one of the girls from the book).