Assorted Nonsense

Life has a way of intruding. Yesterday The Groaner of the Week didn't appear because I had doctor appointment and, obviously, I am guilty of bad planning. Sigh. Today was neurologist day and while the news is less than stellar, it was sorta fun. When I received my packet from the neurology practice in the mail, it didn't specify which doctor I was to see. -- I didn't know until they called to remind me of today's appointment with Dr. Jody. I laughed like hell because he was my neurologist when I had my stroke over thirty years ago and my hospital roommate dubbed him 'Jody' because he looked like Billy Crystal who played 'Jody' on that wacky old series, "Soap". He's bald now and almost chuckled when I mentioned that -- neurologists aren't famous for their sense of humor or bedside manner (probably because they sees so much tragedy). We had good meeting and he ordered a test for neuropathy. There's no cure but there are some things that can help. The bottom line the is that I know I'm in good and trusted hands and that, my friends, is a great blessing and a cause for hope.

* I'm so glad y'all enjoyed the Banned Books Week posts. And Nance, Ambrose Bierce is indeed a snarky sort -- I hope you're laughing as hard as I do when I revisit The Devil's Dictionary. There's a copy of it on my desk.

* I'm still hoping to head up to Toledo for a few days but until I have everything scheduled, I'm not making definite plans until I know that my Social Security check has been deposited (no, I don't trust Congress nor should you)and yes, Dr. Jody has ordered yet another test. Nothing makes me hungrier than knowing that I'm not allowed to eat. Oh well.

* I've been watching a lot of the wonderful interviews from Inside the Actors' Studio -- available at Netflix, of course. If y'all haven't seen them, they are really interesting and often revealing. I particularly enjoyed the interviews with Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman.

Here's a video I found and I want to shake the hand of the gentleman who speaks! It softens my jaded and crabby view of the world.




Hope y'all are having a great day!

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Sins of Omission

Thanks to all y'all for your great response to yesterday's post on banned books. I did, however, make an error or, as those of of us who grew up Catholic would call it, a sin of omission by not including the link to the American Library Association's excellent Banned Books site. I wish all sins could be so easily corrected. There lots more books that have been challenged listed there -- some will astound and puzzle you -- others will raise your blood pressure. The Harry Potter series is a prime example. In addition to being an interesting and fun read, they got a lot of kids reading who may not have done so otherwise. I read them and liked them and so do my children and grandchildren. And the English teacher in my soul says that anything that catches a child's imagination and gets them reading is a good thing. It's fantasy and anyone who thinks most kids don't understand that is plain damned sick.

In a twisted way, I like the would-be book burners because if I see that a book is being banned, it sends me out to the bookstore to buy a copy. I have to find out what all the shouting is about. As a result, I met some outstanding authors who I otherwise may have missed and I'm guessing, from your responses here, that I'm not alone and in very good company! Thanks!!!!!

Happy Blogging and Happy Reading!!!!!!

Kay

Banned Books Week! September 24−October 1, 2011 Read One Today!

It's National Banned Books Week so I'm urging y'all to head your bookshelves, local library, or bookseller and read a banned book.

I'm gonna re-read Catcher in the Rye just for fun.  My ex teases me about it because he says I'm too shy about using the F-bomb but I love Salinger's book and thinks that's weird. Oh well.  I've never claimed to be anything but unpredictable. Besides, telling me that a book is banned is like waving a red flag in front of a bull -- I simply have to read it!  And I find some of the entries downright astounding.  It takes a really sick mind to find Wuthering Heights or Macbeth worthy of banning -- just my take. If anyone has such a mind, stop reading now and go find another blog to read.

So, do y'all want to join me in reading a banned book? Here's a list of banned and challenged books -- some of which will amaze or amuse you. Wuthering Heights? Puh-lease!!!! Have fun!

• 1984 - George Orwell
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) - Mark Twain
• Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
• Age of Reason - Thomas Paine
• Andersonville (1955) - MacKinlay Kantor
• Animal Farm - George Orwell
• Arabian Nights
• As I Lay Dying (1932) - William Faulkner
• Awakening - Kate Chopin
• Beloved - Toni Morrison
  
• Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
• Bless Me, Ultima - Rudolfo A. Anaya
• Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
• Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
• Call of the Wild - Jack London
• Can Such Things Be? - Ambrose Bierce
• Candide - Voltaire
• Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer
• Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
• Catcher in the Rye (1951) - J. D. Salinger
  
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
• Civil Disobedience - Henry David Thoreau
• Color Purple - Alice Walker
• Confessions - Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Death in Venice - Thomas Mann
• Decameron - Boccaccio
• Dubliners - James Joyce
• Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
• Fanny Hill - John Cleland
• Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
• Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
• Grapes of Wrath (1939) - John Steinbeck
• Hamlet - William Shakespeare
• Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
• House of Spirits - Isabel Allende
• Howl - Allen Ginsberg
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
• Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde
• Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
• King Lear - William Shakespeare
• Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence
• Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman
• Lolita (1955) - Vladimir Nabokov
• Lord of the Flies - William Golding
• Lysistrata - Aristophanes
• Macbeth - William Shakespeare
• Madame Bovary
• Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare
• Moll Flanders - Daniel Defoe
• Monk - Matthew Lewis
• Native Son - Richard Wright
• Nigger of the Narcissus - Joseph Conrad
• Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell
• Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
• Origin of the Species - Charles Darwin
• Passage to India
• Portnoy's Complaint (1969) - Philip Roth
• Rights of Man - Thomas Paine
• Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie
• Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Separate Peace - John Knowles
• Silas Marner - George Eliot
• Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison
• Sons & Lovers - D.H. Lawrence
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
• Tropic of Capricorn - Henry Miller
• Twelfth Night - William Shakespeare
• Ulysses - James Joyce
• Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
• Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Sunday Update

I'm still buried with my current project and at the point it looks like there's no end in sight! If I could type faster, it would help a lot but distractions abound and, as always, life intrudes and creates delays.

So what is this gargantuan project? I'm organizing my collection of books at my The Library Thing site. One of the problems I've encountered is that I was haphazard (read: lazy) when I began the site and didn't enter my books properly so I'm, for all practical purposes, starting from scratch. My dining room/office has stacks of books sorted by author and content waiting to be organized and, as near as I can tell, 514 books have been cataloged and there are at least that many more awaiting their place -- not to mention putting them back on the shelves properly. I now have a stack of a dozen (and growing) books that I haven't read. Sigh. Are we talking addiction here? At any rate it's slowing me down a bit to say the least.

Michelle brought little Ana over Friday night and we discovered that she loves wind chimes. We let her sit on one of my porch chairs and I'd make them ring for her (yes, I'm tall enough to reach them) and kept Ana giggling and smiling while we talked about Michelle's trip to Florida this week (I wish I had a cousin like hers). I'm taking her to the airport at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. With what she's been through in the past few months, I think a vacation will be good for her. I'm also have pick up duty for Gracie at school on Tuesday -- always fun! And I promised that I'd help Uncle Jeff keep an eye on Bryce while she's away.

On Saturday, I went over to a friend's to watch the Buckeyes with other kindred spirits. We beat the University of Akron 42-0 so it was sort of a yawn. The first two games are always Ohio schools and give these smaller schools some TV time. Next week we play the University of Toledo. Afterward, I headed to the pharmacy to pick up my scrips and the grocery to restock the larder.

Today, I'm back to the books and trying to get some routine housework done as well as getting ready for another busy week. (And more books!) Sigh. However, I am trying mightily to keep up with y'all!

Happy Blogging!!!!

Kay

Notes for Wednesday

I hope it will be a quiet week. Dr. Maria and I discussed anti-depressants and agreed that I can take a look at alternative options because my reaction to most of them is not good. I did, however, have to agree to continuing counseling and I will -- for a while. I suspect that when I had my stroke that it threw my body chemistry out of whack and marvel that no one seems to consider that possibility. Oh well -- I'll just keep on keeping on in my quest for answers.

* I keep forgetting to tell y'all that I'm doing another River of Stones project for the month of July. And y'all can see my efforts here and check out what it's all about by clicking on the link in the sidebar there.

* I'm working on finally getting my books organized and entered on my site at The Library Thing (until I get sidetracked) -- again! So far I have 425 books cataloged and prolly have at least that many more to add. If any of y'all are members there feel free to 'friend' me. I love to see what y'all like to read. I finally figured out that just entering the ISBN number saves a LOT of time and typing!

* I am probably jinxing myself by admitting that we have had some truly lovely weather of late. I hope it stays nice for Football's Greatest Weekend next month. Then again, it means that I'm throwing my annual party again. Funny how I only see those people one week out of the year. Oh well. It's one of those things that make you go "hmmmmmmmmm . . ."

* If y'all want know what John Boehner is about in 30 seconds, here's an ad from his last campaign:



If y'all saw this, would you have voted for him? I really wonder about those folks down in SW Ohio. And I predict that he's the next congressional sex scandal (1:13):
What do y'all think?



And stop by The Progress Report to see their latest antics! Sigh. We really have to start paying attention.

Happy Blogging!!!!

Kay

Random Sunday Thoughts

It's a sunny quiet Sunday and I'm more or less vegetating. Here are some thoughts I've had and things I've found in my travels around the 'Net.

* I sincerely hope that recent passage of the gay marriage bill in New York is just the beginning of a wave of the States' passing such bills -- especially here in Ohio -- and not because I have a stake in its passing but because it would be the right thing to do and another real slap at our idiot governor on top of our getting the referendum on SB7 on the ballot . Think maybe Kasich's a one term governor? My daughter said long ago that "Everyone is entitled to the 'wrongs' of marriage". That might explain why she isn't married.

* For you grannies out there, I tripped across this cool new site, Pottermore from J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books. It sounds fascinating and will open in October but y'all can pre-register now here. Ms. Rowling talks about it:



I sent the link to my grandsons.

* I liked this Supreme Court cartoon that says a lot about where these bozos should be working after their decision this past week. We have the best judges money can buy.

* Here's a quiz I found at the AFL-CIO site. It's funny and sad all at once. I passed it.

Hope y'all are having a great day!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Thanks and Afterthoughts

I really appreciate all y'all who came by yesterday and left such nice comments!!! My front porch is reasonably neat and clean and ready for summer!!!! And today is another sunny day in Ohio. I slept like a rock.

Yesterday while contemplating all the John Denver comments, I realized that a more apropos video might have been this this one but I stand behind what I chose because I like sunshine a lot and it's been in short supply.

There have always been predictions that the world will end and cults -- for want of a better term -- and, so far, they've been wrong. One of my favorite books is The Clowns of God -- the second book of Morris L. West's Vatican Trilogy. Although some call it dated, I think it holds up pretty well in our muddled times. I also don't think there's any point in worrying about them because ain't nobody getting off this rock alive if it happens. Just my take.

Bill Maher had a really intelligent and witty panel on Friday and they provided some interesting and intelligent insights here. I think Dylan Ratigan is terrific but I'm a sucker for charming Irishmen which I think y'all know. Bill also weighed in on the IMF guy who is now in jail and the Arnold's confession but I couldn't find a clip for y'all.

Gotta run! There are places to go and sunshine to enjoy so here's another great oldie -- I like this version a lot:



Happy Blogging!!!!

Kay

Couch Potato Thoughts

I feel a bit better today but not great so I'm more or less a couch potato. I did, however, drag myself out to go to mass with Jeff because its intention was for his beloved mom who passed away last year about this time. I had arranged it because I really loved the Fair Bridget and am glad Jeff was here to attend with me. I wear one of her Claddagh rings that Big Alex gave in her memory so I think of her every day. She was a grand lady. As the Irish say, "God be good to her and He'd better!"

Thanks to all y'all for all the nice comments yesterday some of which left me laughing hysterically. It's nice to get Red Carpet treatment now and again and I do appreciate it.

Last night was movie night and we watched two of my favorites. "The Russia House" with Sean Connery which is probably my favorite of his films. I really think he's a better actor now that he's older. I was never a great fan of the Bond films but will argue any day that he really is the only Bond. Fortunately, Jeff agrees. We followed it with "In the Electric Mist" starring Tommy Lee Jones. Based on a novel by one of my favorite writers, James Lee Burke, they did an excellent job of adapting it to film. I usually don't watch such films because they usually ruin a perfectly good story. Despite Jones being one of my favorite actors, I wasn't certain that he was right for the hero's role but he did a wonderful job and John Goodman played the villain extremely well. Jeff hadn't seen the latter film and loved it and borrowed my copy of the book. Like me, he is always up for Connery but his favorite is "Finding Forrester" which I also love.

I hope that tomorrow I feel better and can get something accomplished. I have to do battle with bureaucracy again and don't relish the challenge. And yeah, I'm still thinking. Fortunately, Jeff is patient. He just brought lunch from Papa Gyros -- Greek salads and Pastisio! Serious yum!!!!!

Hope y'all are having a great day!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay

I Think Bill Is Right

This is a very funny, very true video on the mass firing of teachers in Rhode Island. Yeah, it's Bill Maher and yeah, he's irreverent and often over the top but this time he is so right. Education begins at home. The only thing he got wrong was that George W. Bush went to Yale -- not Harvard.



I know a lot of my readers are teachers and I'd bet dollars to doughnuts they will agree with Bill. I refused to teach after student teaching at a local high school because no one can teach anyone anything if they don't know how to sit down and listen. And that, my friends, starts at home. And yeah, there are some pretty awful teachers (who the unions protect) but most are okay and some are brilliant.

Let me know what you think.

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Stuff from My Wanderings

I took some time just to wander across the net between reading blogs. Sometimes I find the darnedest stuff when I just click on a link.




Yesterday I wrote that Sarah Palin has a new book and cracked that she hadn't finished coloring the last one. Little did I know that some wags actually made one for her!!!! If you have time and money to waste, you can buy it here. And there's a 'look alike' on her first book here.

And oh yeah, The Daily Kos says Sarah's appearance on the Tonight Show was bogus. Read about it here. Interesting. I couldn't be bothered to watch -- I'm a Letterman fan.



On a bright note, on Tuesday the First Lady read "The Cat in the Hat" to school children at the Library of Congress in honor of Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel's birthday which has been designated "Read Across America Day". I like that. (I would have read "Green Eggs and Ham") Reading has been a part of my life ever since I was a toddler. Both my ex-husband and I are inveterate readers and raised two more. One of my best memories was the summer when my husband and the Dynamic Duo would adjourn to the front porch after supper (on nights where our presence wasn't required at the soccer and softball fields) and he would read E.B. White's wonderful books to them. The fun part is that a bunch of the neighbor kids came to listen, too and kept coming back! Our kids were amazed to discover that their parents didn't read to them. My ex and I found that appalling.

I checked in at Crooks and Liars -- I like them because they are equal opportunity annoyers and will skewer anyone -- which is always an adventure and found this:
10 Lessons for Tea Baggers.

It's the first Friday of the month and it's a nice day so I think I'm going to head downtown to see what's going on in the the arts!!!!!

Hope y'all are having a great day!!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay

Random Tuesday Thoughts

It's early Tuesday and that should tell y'all that my non-existent sleep patterns are still very much the status quo. Sigh.

* I had to take Miss Ruby for a new tire yesterday. The ex recommended a place that is fair and reasonable when I mentioned the need last week. It's kind of nice that we are able to talk to each other. And don't anybody get excited, I am delighted that he seems so happy with his lady and told him that, too.

* Yesterday was the anniversary of the Reverend Martin Luther King's birth. We really have come a long way since then but we still have a long way to go.
I swiped this photo of the Tea Party's rally last summer. It stuns, amazes, and saddens me greatly that this 'mentality', to put it kindly, still exists. When are we going to grow up in this country? [Note: Sarah Palin is going to speak at their upcoming convention.]



* I just read Game Change by John Heileman and Mark Halperin. It's about Election 2008 and while not much surprised me, I was impressed by their candor and impartial approach. If it were a novel, I would have thought it a bit over the top but we're living with it. Am I scared? You betcha.

* Y'all know that I think Facebook is pretty useless and had deactivated it a while back. Somehow it got reactivated so I decided to just live with it until I could find a way to get rid of it completely. However, someone tripped my trigger, and decided that I should add people I didn't want to add, I got angry and went to work and found a way to rid myself of it. There really is a way to delete it but they keep it concealed which offends my right to make the decision to leave. Allegedly, it takes up to 14 days for my profile, etc., to be deleted which seems pretty damned stupid to me. Here's a pretty funny video about it. And I am done -- I hope. If not, there will be hell to pay.



Happy Blogging!!!!!!

Kay

Escalate in Afghanistan?

I have been a great fan of author James Michener since I was about fourteen -- that's fifty years of reading and re-reading but who's counting? I loved the wonderful, well-researched lessons in history, culture, and geography that he taught in his novels as he wove "can't put it down" story after story of people and places both here and abroad.

And it's one of his novels that is very much on my mind these days and it causes me to look askance -- to put it mildly -- at President Obama's plan to increase our presence in Afghanistan.

Published in 1962, Caravans gives an excellent perspective of post WWII Afghanistan. It is, even now, a nation that holds tightly to its old ways. Change comes at a snail's pace. Tribal infighting and haggling for power among the varied Islamic sects are the norm and women and children are still chattels. The 21st century hasn't taken a foothold there.

This country has been in a state of civil war since the 1970s. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and and spent nearly 10 years fighting there to no avail.
I would think that there would be a lesson for our leaders in that. These people don't appear to want change or freedom.

So why are we investing our money and our sons' and daughters' lives there? Ask your Congressman. I may be over-simplifying but the bottom line is that we can't afford to keep playing policeman to the world when there are pressing issues here at home.

Just my take.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

The Kay's Favorite Quotes

As I've often said here and there, I've been an inveterate and voracious reader since I learned to read when I was five or six. If it has printed words, I'll read it -- from labels on household products to encyclopedias. It's been that way for decades.

I do have my favorites but I rarely meet a book I don't like although there are some that I avoid because they bore me. My vast reading of hundreds of books over the years have more than probably anything else, made me the person I am today. Over the years, I've built a huge database of quotations from many of the greatest -- and not so great -- minds of yesterday and today and many of them have become part of my philosophy of life.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes keep me going. I hope you enjoy them.

* What does not destroy me, makes me stronger. --Friedrich Nietzsche

* Once you accept the existence of God -- however you define him, however you explain your relationship to him -- then you are caught forever with his presence in the center of all things. You are also caught with the fact that man is a creature who walks in two worlds and traces upon the walls of his cave the wonders and the nightmare experiences of his spiritual pilgrimage. -- Morris West

* A life lived without regret is a life not lived. -- Anonymous

* What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority -- Molly Ivins

* When you're going through hell, keep going! -- Winston Churchill

* The past is a bucket of ashes. -- Carl Sandburg

* The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. -- H. L. Mencken

* The whole conviction of my life now rests upon the belief that loneliness, far from being a rare and curious phenomenon, peculiar to myself and to a few other solitary men, is the central and inevitable fact of human existence. -- Thomas Wolfe

* It's not the tragedies that kill us, it's the messes. -- Dorothy Parker

* We have met the enemy and he is us. -- Pogo

* All the contact I have had with politics has left me feeling as though I had been drinking out of spittoons. -- Ernest Hemingway

* There may be a time in life when one is tired of everything and feels as if all one does is wrong, and there maybe some truth in it, Do you think this is a feeling one must try to forget and to banish, or is it 'the longing for God,' which one must not fear, but cherish to see if it may bring us some good? Is it 'the longing for God' which leads us to make a choice which we never regret? Let us keep courage and try to be patient and gentle. And not mind being eccentric, and make distinction between good and evil. -- Vincent Van Gogh

* There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. -- Oscar Wilde

* The first rule of holes: when you're in one, stop digging. -- Molly Ivins

* I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death. -- George Carlin

* Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option. -- Anonymous (attributed to Mark Twain but isn't everything? et al?)

And this last one is what I recall when the going gets tough:

* Whatever happens at all happens as it should; you will find this true, if you watch narrowly. -- Marcus Aurelius

The trick is 'watching narrowly.' Sigh.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay

Fifteen

Cowtown Pattie got tagged with this interesting meme and I'm taking up her challenge.

First, the rules: This should be a quick one. Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag as many people as you like, including the person who tagged you.

Here are Pattie's memorable books:

1. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
2. Mistress of Mellyn, Victoria Holt
3. Helter Skelter, Vincent Bugliosi
4. Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
5. Portnoy's Complaint, Philip Roth
6. Mary, Queen of Scots, Antonia Fraser
7. Dr. Zhivago, Boris Pasternak
8. Lord of the Rings, Triology, J.R. Tolkein
9. Centennial, James A. Michener
10. The Lottery, Shirley Jackson
11. Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Daniken
12. Animal Farm, George Orwell
13. The Color of Turquoise, Ellen Meloy
14. Ten Little Indians, Agatha Christie
15. The Bible, mortals

Here are mine (in no particular order):

1. Hawaii, James A. Michener
The beginning of a long love affair with Michener's wonderful novels that combine fiction with history and do it well.

2. Sonnets from the Portuguese, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The most glorious love poetry ever written.

3. The Clowns of God, Morris West
What if the Pope had a vision of the Last Things? This book gave me a lot of food for thought.

4. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
A perspective on the Civil War and yeah, Rhett Butler won my heart.

5. Telling Lies for Fun and Profit, Lawrence Block
The best and most fun book on writing fiction ever.

6. The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, St. John of the Cross
Painfully beautiful thoughts on one man's struggles with God and his faith.

7. 1984 -- George Orwell
Scared the hell out of me at thirteen; now I think he was right but got the year wrong.

8. Les Miserables -- Victor Hugo
Jean Valjean's adventures in 19th century France fascinated me.

9. Crime and Punishment -- Fyodor Dostevesky
Caught my attention with its radical philosophy and gave me a different perspective on the world.

10. The Devil's Dictionary -- Ambrose Bierce
Wordplay at it's finest. I fell in love with Bierce's piercing wit.

11. Love in the Time of Cholera -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Possibly the most beautiful love story ever written. Garcia Marquez has the soul of a poet. I read it in both English and Spanish and the translator did a wonderful job.

12. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter -- Sharyn McCrumb
The first of a beautifully written mystery series that retells the legends of Appalachia.

13. The Deep Blue Good-bye -- John D. MacDonald
The first in the Travis McGee series that rekindled a love affair with mystery series that began with Nancy Drew. I'd go sailing with Trav anytime.

14. The Metamorphosis -- Franz Kafka
Definitely food for thought in this surreal novel.

15. Proteus -- Morris West
A fictional albeit believable commentary on violence and terror in the modern world.

I'm not tagging anyone. If you decide to take the challenge, let me know. I'd love to know what books y'all love!!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Ohhhhhhhhhh!!! The Places You'll Go!!!!

I swiped the title for this post from Dr. Seuss. It seems appropriate because I've visited some pretty interesting and fun places -- for me anyway and wanted to share them with y'all.

The Library Thing bills itself as the world's largest book club. A body can post his/her entire library or as much as they wish. Membership is free (with limitations, of course). A life membership is only $25 and I think I'm gonna go for it. A tip of my Thinking Cap to M.E. for having the widget on her blog.

For a hearty laugh go look at OnGame Dating. The real hoot is their prices. I'll do my "happily ever after" single, thank you. I gag when I see the dating service ads on TV but this place takes it to new lows.

I'm wayyyy late in posting this but The National Endowment for the Arts' The Big Read has posted their September 2008-June 2009 reading list. Check your local library to see if they are participating. I've read ten of them and I figure I can read the rest by next September. It's an interesting list.

My dear, dear Fran of Sacred Ordinary mentioned Memiary at her blog the other day. They call it the weightless pocket diary and on their site they ask the question: Don't you wish you could remember five interesting things you did last Tuesday? My answer: "Hell, yeah!" and I signed up immediately. It's easy, quick and fun!

One my favorite sites for just doodling around in mind play is Smith Magazine's Six Word Memoirs. You tell a story in six words. It's really fun and makes an interesting writing prompt. Just reading others' submissions can be a hoot or a heartbreak.

If you liked today's post about the Founding Fathers on Religion, check out this site: Founding Fathers Religion Debate and Poll for further discussion on this topic.

There!!!!!!!! That should keep y'all busy for a while!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

The Big Read

I saw this at Tabor's and again at BearNaked and I simply had to do it here being the inveterate reader that I am. And I do love the classics.

"The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed."

1. Look at the list and bold/colourize those you have read.
2. Post the list on your site.
(This can also remind you of some great books to read.)

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkienn
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M. Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - A.S. Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Hmmmm I read a lot of these -- partially because I spent my high school years in advanced English with some incredibly great, challenging teachers and partially because being the nerd/geek that I am, when I was about 16 I made my summer reading project a goal of reading the classics. When I became a mother, I read all the classic stories to the Dynamic Duo. Also, in college, I was a double major in Spanish and English so I read a lot of classics in both languages and still do. If I had to live my life over, I would have a Ph.D. in comparative literature (and have a reading knowledge of French and Russian) and would be a professor of literature hopefully somewhere nice.

Happy Blogging and Reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

My Favorite Mysteries #3

I know that I've told y'all that I love mysteries and thrillers. Both leave a body wondering, "Whodunit?" or "What's Next?" It's been that way since I was a kid and discovered Nancy Drew in my Christmas stocking. My mother didn't know it but she started a love affair that lasted well over fifty years!!! I wrote about this before in August 2008 twice (and feel free to check them out) but there are so many series I truly enjoy I'm writing another here today and there will probably be more in the future. As I've said often here, I'm a voracious reader.

* Vince Flynn's high tension series has the CIA at it's center with a female director and an engaging operative/assassin who take on bad guys all around the world and even within our government. These timely thrillers are definite page turners.

* Joan Hess has two mystery series both of which are written with her tongue planted firmly in her cheek. My favorite is the one set in Arkansas in the little burg called Maggody. Oft beleaguered Chief of Police, Arlie Hanks, is the central character of a cast that makes the wackos on the old Green Acres television series look normal. Scary? Nope. But you might die laughing.

* James Patterson is one of the most prolific writers around today has several series that consistently make the best seller's list. My favorite is his Alex Cross series -- which has titles taken from nursery rhymes. Patterson is an excellent writer with interesting villains and enough twists to keep the reader guessing. If you saw the film "Kiss the Girls", it was based on a book from this series.

* I'm sure most of y'all have heard of David Baldacci as he almost perennially holds down a spot on the Best Seller's List. His "The Camel Club" series is a new favorite of mine. The members of the club are a motley crew who, with the assistance of a Secret Service agent, uncover all sorts of crimes within our government. So far there are two of these and I'm not so patiently awaiting more.

* Julie Smith's Skip Langdon series also features a lady cop and it's set in New Orleans -- one of my favorite cities -- and she captures it's essence wonderfully. I identify with Skip -- she and I share insecurities -- as she defies her ultra snobby Garden District family in her work as an ace policewoman.

I hope y'all check out the links and try an author who strikes your imagination!!! Any of these authors will provide you with a great read!!!!! Enjoy!!!!

Happy Reading and Happy Blogging!!!!

Kay

Road Trip Music and a Good Read

I received a wonderful birthday gift from The Man this year -- he has a way of knowing what I like and usually surprises me greatly. This year was no exception. I received a really nifty MP3 player!

I have often told y'all that I am not a techie so it took me a bit time to figure out this little goody. I am now truly enjoying it and working on loading it with favorite tunes. I'm getting help with that from a favorite author.

I've mentioned here before that I am a rabid fan of John Sanford's "Prey" Series and his hero, Lucas Davenport who is a quirky, wealthy, more educated version of "Dirty Harry." These are a great read if you like insidious villains and great ensemble of characters.

Somehow I missed the debut of Broken Prey -- life has a way of interfering with my reading -- which has one of the most amazing plots in the series and had just finished it around my birthday. It has an interesting subplot wherein Lucas' wife has given him an iPod and a gift certificate for one hundred songs for it. Lucas takes this as a challenge to come up The 100 Best Songs of the Rock Era and fiddles with the list throughout the book. The list can be found here. It's in no particular order "except that, as any intelligent person knows, any decent road trip will start with ZZ Top." Don't tell me what should or shouldn't be on it, it isn't my list.

However, it caught my imagination and the idea of putting together a really good selection for my upcoming road trip is really fun. One thing I definitely agreed with Lucas on was beginning with "that lil' ole band from Texas", ZZ Top -- they are a fav of mine and their sound is great for running down the highways and added a few more from Lucas' list. Since I love all sorts of music I added Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" -- definitely a road trip kind of tune.

I am opening the floor to suggestions. What do y'all consider your favorite road trip tune? Any genre -- from country to classical is fine!!! I'll look forward to seeing your responses.

And if you like a good mystery, give Lucas a try -- I think you'll enjoy this series!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

My Favorite Mystery Authors and Why #2

Hope y'all enjoyed yesterday's groaner! As promised, here is the second part of my favorite mystery authors. I could write on mystery writers I enjoy for days but I wouldn't presume to bore y'all that long -- two blogs is plenty!

* Martha Grimes' Richard Jury series is interesting because she's an American author who writes very English murder mysteries. Her Inspector Jury is the only relatively sane one of the quirky ensemble of characters she's built for this series that is really rather a fun read. All the books' titles are real names of English pubs, e.g., The Man with a Load of Mischief. Her plots are interesting, well-organized and punctuated with humor which keeps me coming back with each new book.

* Carl Hiaasen's Florida mysteries are another fun read loaded with satire and some of the most improbable characters ever to appear in print. A veteran reporter for the Miami Herald, Hiaasen's books are a send up of the industries and culture of Florida from theme parks to fake environmentalism. If you haven't a good sense of the absurd, you'll hate this series.

* John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series is also set mostly in Florida -- his hero resides in his houseboat, The Busted Flush, moored at Slip F-18, Bahia Mar, Fort Lauderdale. He is nominally a salvage consultant and what he salvages can cover a broad and dangerous spectrum. And yeah, he always gets the girl -- well almost.

* Sharyn McCrumb's Appalachian mysteries are set in the mountains of North Carolina and have roots in the old legends and culture of that area. Her central character, Nora Bonesteel, has "the Sight" and is acquainted with the spirits that roam the mountains. The rest of the characters are pretty much "down home folks" who respect Norah as the elder of the tribe as it were. Ms. McCrumb writes poetic descriptions of the area and its history while presenting interesting complex plots and I like that a lot.

* John Sandford's "Prey" series is not for the faint of heart or to be read at bedtime. This Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist writes some of the most insidious villains -- usually serial killers -- I've ever read. His tough-guy, cop/hero, Lucas Davenport, is pretty amazing, too -- he reads classic poetry, plays strategy games, and designs gaming software when he isn't busy catching bad guys. The series is set in Minneapolis but he also sometimes travels in his pursuit of justice but never by air -- I think it's the only thing that scares him. The word 'prey' is always in the title of each book. I find this series interesting because of the well-developed characters and plot and the authenticity of the portrayal of the police.

Well, that's it! I hope that if you're a mystery lover like me, you found some new reading material and if you aren't -- maybe you'll become one! I read a couple other series as well and there are a couple more I plan to try. So many books . . . so little time . . . sigh.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

My Favorite Mystery Authors and Why -- Part I

If I haven't mentioned it before -- and I think I have -- I am an inveterate reader. I love books and have since my first grade friend, Stevie Jo (short for Stephanie Joyce), took me to the Toledo Public Library branch near our school and the librarian gave me a card for my mother to sign so I could get books, too. That librarian didn't know that she was creating a monster. From that day forward I was at the library at least once a week -- usually twice. Summer was even better because there was no homework to interfere with my reading. They had a Summer Reading Program and when you returned your books, you told the librarian about each book you read which were duly recorded in your booklet and at the end of summer you received a certificate with a big gold seal and ribbons denoting how many books you had read. Stevie Jo and I were always among the top readers each summer.

My mother caught on that I would rather read than eat and books started appearing as gifts for my birthday and Christmas. I think I was in 4th grade when she got me my first Nancy Drew books for Christmas. I liked them so much I saved my small allowance to buy more. Nancy's exploits began my never-ending love affair with the mystery genre.

I was going to make this a Top Ten list but soon realized that that was impossible. I like each on it's own merits so I'm listing them in alphabetical order by author. I found it hard enough to keep the list at ten and even harder to keep myself from writing volumes on each of them! Even at that, I've decided to make this a two-part post that will continue on Tuesday because otherwise it would be far too long.

* Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder series -- Matt is the typical hard boiled New York gumshoe even after he quits drinking and becomes a pillar of A.A. I like the way Block develops his plots and characters and how the latter grow and change through this series. I've been reading it for over twenty years and have never had a bored moment.

* James Lee Burke's Dave Robichaux mysteries -- Set in Louisiana, Burke's descriptions are so vivid and poetic that you can smell the breeze off the bayou and visualize the demons that plague Robichaux. A former New Orleans cop, he has a lot of of them both in his mind and in his life.

* Patricia Cornwell's Dr. Kay Scarpetta series -- Dr. Scarpetta is both a doctor and a lawyer which eminently qualifies her to head the coroner's office in Virginia and in reading the series one sees her grow as a woman and a professional. This is not for the weak of stomach as things like crime scenes and autopsies are described.

* Dick Francis' horse racing mysteries -- Not all of this series is about British horse racing but there's always a connection to it somewhere in each book. This is not surprising considering that Mr. Francis was a champion jockey (and rode for the Queen Mum's stable for years) before he began his writing career. I like his insights into racing's upper crust and the insidious villains he creates.

* Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series -- This another series I've read for well over 20 years and I never tire of it. Kinsey is the quirky female equivalent of the hard boiled detective with a few soft spots that crop up now and again. The series begins with "A Is for Alibi'" and Grafton's latest offering , "T Is For Trespass", will be out in December. Fans are wondering what happens after 'Z' and I'm one of them. Grafton always writes a good page-turner injected with wry humor that keeps us addicted.

Well, that's the first five! Hope it gives you some new or old reading material. I'll be back on Tuesday with the rest of my favs because we all know what Mondays are for, don't we? Ha!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay