Monday, January 13, 2014

Monday Malarkey - Arrivals, posts, finished books, current reads and the number 2,000


I have just officially passed 2,000 posts (this is #2001).  I don't pay much attention to such things so I admit seeing the number "2,000" beside the word "posts" rather astounded me. 

This week's arrivals:

  • The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert - from Sourcebooks for review
  • The Black Count by Tom Reiss - via Paperback Swap
  • Spy Smuggler: The Story of Paul LeLaud, France 1942-1944 by Jim Eldridge - sent by my delightful friend Tammy. Here is Tammy's review of Spy Smuggler.
  • 10 copies of Labor Day by Joyce Maynard - from HarperCollins for book group - apparently the first box that was mailed went astray. Book group meets Wednesday night and the books just arrived last Thursday so it'll be interesting to see how many people manage to read it in time for the meeting. I've already reviewed Labor Day, here, so I didn't need a copy and went on an outing to our former town to deliver the books when they arrived. I had a good time.  I don't go back to Vicksburg very often, anymore.  

Last week's posts:

Finished (last week) but not yet reviewed:

  • Brain: The Man Who Wrote the Book that Changed the World by Dermot Davis
  • The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen - This one's for tour so the review will be scheduled for later in the month.

Currently reading:

  • The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman - Oy, she's a chunkster. Bigger than The Goldfinch! It's going to take me quite a while to read this one but I'm reading it along with friends in a private Facebook discussion group created specifically for the purpose. Hopefully, they'll help keep me motivated.
  • The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning - Stalled on this one about halfway through (and it's a reread - nothing urgent) so I need to make a decision whether to shove myself through the second half or set it aside.
  • Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell - Just read the first story, this morning, and I thought it was an interesting take on the vampire story but I disliked the ending. It'll be fun to see what else this book has to offer.  Vampires in the Lemon Grove got a lot of buzz in 2013.

One of our trees has budded, already.  In mid-January.  What?  Winter's over?  I'm not even sure we got our full 2 weeks of cold weather.  It's completely gray, gloomy, wet and miserable today, though, so it feels close enough to winter.  I'll take it.

Happy Monday!

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14 comments:

  1. My box of Labor Day books went astray as well. UPS delivered them to the wrong house even though they were addressed correctly. Luckily for me, the person who received them brought them to me.

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    1. I was wondering if it might be a function of the Christmas holiday overload and kept waiting but we were getting so close that I had to get an entirely new box sent. No idea what happened to the other. It's probably in some random state. I'm glad your box made it back to you! Nice of the person who received them to bring it to you!

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  2. Um, what is the likelihood that I can beg a copy of Labor Day? Since surely someone in your club won't want to keep their copy? I'm shameless. I haven't even read the other books you've sent me. YET.
    Congrats on 2001 posts! wowza. I just had to go look at mine - I've done 1071 which is more than I expected. yay me.

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    1. If my copy isn't needed I think it's a good likelihood. I couldn't find mine on the day I drove to Vicksburg but I finally located it (in plain sight, duh) about 2 days later. You will love the peach pie scene. Will get in touch with you after I find out whether anyone needs to borrow my copy.

      Thanks! I'm kind of stunned. 2001 posts? I think maybe I talk too much. LOL

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  3. My mother loved The Ragamuffin Gospel, and bought copies for my brother and I, but I still haven't read it. Glad to see that you're enjoying it. Congrats on 2000 posts! I guess deep down we knew we had that many words inside us just waiting to come out. xoxo

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    1. I originally got my copy of The Ragamuffin Gospel because of Rich Mullins (the tiny person on the cover), who named his Ragamuffin Band after the book. It's interesting. I can't say I always agree with the author about absolutely everything but I like his down-to-earth approach to the Gospel.

      Thanks! Yes, I suppose crossing a number like 2,000 means blogging is very much like opening a vat of wine and letting it spill and spill and spill. There was, and is, a lot inside. (HUGS)

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  4. Glad to know not just my neck of the woods has mail adventures. I am constantly not getting mine... I was hoping it would be better now that we have moved. Jury is still out.

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    1. Kelly, it seems to be a problem all over but some of us have it worse than others. I had the occasional book go missing in Vicksburg but it wasn't a regular thing. Here, I truly believe there is a thief within the local post office. When I realized I hadn't gotten anything from Algonquin in *months* (and their parcels are like Ft. Knox - really, really difficult to get into) I knew something was very wrong. Then I had a book stolen right out of a parcel, the package re-taped. I don't think USPS is doing anything about the problem. It's really upsetting.

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  5. Go you with your 2000 posts! That's wonderful, and can I just say, I'm so glad you're still here! I need to go back to Vampires in the Lemon Grove. I was digging that first story but I laid it aside because of life stuff last year.

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    1. Thanks, Andiloo, on both counts!

      Vampires in the Lemon Grove is really something. I just read the second story, last night. I guess you could call it "Kafkaesque". It's not as creepy as Joe Hill's Kafka-inspired story in Twentieth Century Ghosts but it's definitely bizarre, which is not a bad thing. I like the uniqueness.

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  6. Wow! 2000 posts? I have no idea how many I've written. Congratulations. Here's to the next 2000. :)

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    1. Thanks! It should tell you on your blogger home page, Les. I usually ignore the info, there. It just kind of jumped out at me when it hit 2,000.

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    2. Wow. You are way ahead of me. I've only posted 1068.

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    3. That probably just means I talk too much. ;)

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