Books I've Read
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Doomsday Book
Oxford Time Travel #1. Kivrin goes back in time to study Medieval times for a couple of weeks. Things, of course, go wrong. On both ends.
Quote:
"My father comes soon," Rosemund said.Read:
11/2023
Passage
I was liking this book very much, then the author stepped on the gas. Woah!
Why the hate for Dances With Wolves, I like that movie. I liked the book Pollyanna, too, but I read it as an adult of maybe forty or so. I liked the movie Titanic, too!
I didn't realize Vielle was a black woman until chapter 32. Shows my reading comprehension level, I guess!
Read:
9/2023
The Road To Roswell
Francie goes to Roswell (New Mexico) to attend the wedding of her best friend from college. There is some sort of UFO event going on in town, too.
Quote:
"SHOW LAP DANCING," Indy scrolled.
"Not now, Indy," Wade said. "Francie's busy," Quote:
Even though this whole thing had been Indy's idea, Francie automatically looked down at her bouquet, which was still, thankfully, silent.Read:
10/2023
To Say Nothing Of The Dog
I didn't read Three Men In A Boat until I was like, forty, or so. My son said, "Dad, Heinlein mentions it in Have Spacesuit, Will Travel." Well, I read that when I was in junior high school, I didn't realize those book mentions were actual books I should read. Anyway, my thanks to Mr. Lampedusa for recommending Three Men to me!
This was a good book, the third I've read in this world/setting, and this fun is much more fun!
Quote:
"It makes the rounds from year to year. Like fruitcake." -- Hey, I like fruitcake! A lot!Quote:
"You need to switch to a safer habit, like smoking." -- Said to a cat.Quote:
And kissed her for a hundred and sixty-nine years. -- I teared up a little bit!Read:
2/2023
Sunflower Dog: Dancing The Flathead Shuffle
A very enjoyable book about some folks in a small town in North Carolina whose lives intertwine interestingly.
Read:
8/2021Read:
12/2021
The Men Who United The States
The trouble with this book was that every couple of pages I had to stop to look something up on the internet. Then, a few hours later, I'd get back to the book. Very slow going!
Read:
5/2017
The Professor And The Madman
Subtitled "A tale of murder, insanity, and the making of the Oxford English Dictionary". Good book.
QUOTE:
The policeman, plodding and imperturbable, replied that if he did have another gun, perhaps he would be so kind as to keep it in his pocket for the time being.Read:
1/2000
Detectives In Togas
Students in Rome solve a mystery. First published in 1956, I'm sure I read it when I a lad. I see the author also wrote "Castaways In Lilliput", which I remember was one of my favorite books in elementary school.
Read:
10/2012
Christopher Mouse
Charming tale of a white mouse who has some adventures in New York City.
Read:
11/2006
The Virginian
I rember Mr. Lusk in college telling me this was the classic western story. It took me ten years to get around to reading it, but it was worth it! First published in 1902.
Read:
No date
Carry On, Jeeves
Part of the Jeeves Omnibus. Great stuff!
Words I Had To Look Up:
Eftsoons (pg. 352) -- 1. Soon afterward; presently. 2. Once again.
From the O.P. to the Prompt Side (pg. 380) -- Stage directions. The Prompt Side (P.S.) is stage left, O.P. is Opposite Prompt.
Excrescence (pg. 382) -- 1. An outgrowth or enlargement, especially an abnormal one, such as a wart. 2. A usually unwanted or unnecessary accretion
Bally (many instances, pg. 396 for one) -- Informal intensifiers; "You bally idiot!"
The Carmantle (pg. 396) -- A ship. probably fictional.
Jimmy Mundy (pg. 431) -- Not the jazz musician, probably a fictional charactor.
Mens sana in corpore sano (pg. 470) -- Latin, a healthy mind in a healthy body
Ris de veau à la financière (pg. 496) -- Calf's sweetbreads in a sauce of wine, olives, truffles and mushrooms (from Blandings: Anatole.)
Consommé pâté d'Italie (pg. 497) -- Soup of italian pasta .
Paupiettes de sole à la princesse (pg. 497) -- Rolled fillets of sole garnished with asparagus tips.
Caneton Aylesbury à la broche (pg. 497) -- Aylesbury duckling on the spit.
Lady Bablockhythe (pg. 513) -- Fictional author created by Wodehouse, see the Wikipedia List Of Fictional Books.
Gaspers (pg. 520 ) -- Slang for cigarettes, OBVIOUSLY, probably a lesser brand.
Quotes:
She was rather like one of the innocent-tasting American drinks which creep imperceptibly into your system so that, before you know what you're doing, you're starting out to reform the world by force if necessary and pausing on your way to tell the large man in the corner that, if he looks at you like that, you will knock his head off. (pg. 365)
'Mens sana in corpore sano,' observed the Prof.
'I shouln't wonder,' I said cordially. (pg. 470)
My daughter Bootles has just developed mumps. (pg. 483)
Young Bingo uttered a frightful cry of agony.
'What! Is that - that buzzard trying to pinch our cook?'
'Yes, sir.'
'After eating our bread and salt, dammit?'
'I fear, sir,' sighed Jeeves, 'that when it comes to a matter of cooks, ladies have but a rudimentary sense of morality.' (pg. 500)
Read:
3/2008Read:
10/2009Read:
3/2010Read:
11/2010Read:
5/2012
Jeeves And The Feudal Spirit
Bertie is ordered to his aunt Dahlia's place in the country, ends up having to steal another necklace, inadvertently gets engaged to Florence Craye, and yet another run-in with Spode.
Read:
6/2012
Jill The Reckless
Jill is engaged to an up and coming British politician, but he breaks the engagement. Funny and romantic, I enjoyed the story very much. Although I can't believe people actually talked like that. But Wodehouse was there, I was not.
I read the Project Gutenberg e-book edition.
Quote:
And I'm glad—glad—glad, if you don't mind my quoting Pollyanna for a moment. -- From chapter IV.
Read:
8/2022
Leave It To Psmith
Various people, including Psmith, come visit Blandings Castile. There is a missing necklace. Good story!
Quote:
“Yes,” agreed Psmith. “Don’t pinch it. It’s copyright.”Quote:
“But, Liz!” said the tree plaintively.-- CHAPTER XIIRead:
8/2022
Lord Emsworth And Others
One tale from Blandings castle, several golf stories, and I get to meet Ukridge for the first time.
Read:
3/2013
My Man Jeeves
A small collection of Jeeves and Regi stories that I borrowed. Where is my omnibus?
Read:
8/2016
Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves
This is part of The Jeeves Omnibus I am reading, but has been published separately, so it get its own entry. One fun thing about Wodehouse's writings is the vocabulary. Plus, I still picture Jeeves and Wooster played by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.
Words I Had To Look Up:
Gyves (pg. 10) -- Fetter or shackle.
Diablerie (pg. 14) -- From the Old French for Devil, but in this case might mean mischievous conduct or manner
Raisonneur (pg. 29) -- a character in a play, novel, etc. who serves as spokesman for the author's views. Advises the protagonist.
Nolle prosequi (pg. 29) -- Latin, to be unwilling to pursue.
Very white of him (pg. 38) -- Decent of him, or generous, or forgiving. Common usage in the UK in the 30s.
frisson (pg. 43) -- Shudder, thrill, moment of emotional excitement.
Amour propre (pg. 60) -- Self-esteem.
Posish (pg. 64) -- Position, as near as I can figure.
Singer midget (pg. 76) -- An entertainment troupe of the 20s or so.
Costermonger (pg. 81) -- A vendor of fruits or vegetables. (Or is it vender?)
Pukka (pg. 89) -- Genuine, first class, superior.
mal au foie (pg. 111) -- Aching liver, general malaise, hangover...
Meum and tuum (pg. 143) -- Mine and thine.
Soigne (pg. 153) -- Polished and well-goomed.
Read:
3/2008Read:
10/2009Read:
3/2010Read:
11/2010Read:
5/2012
The Adventures Of Sally
I enjoyed this romantic comedy of the resourceful Sally back in the teens of the 20th century.
Quote:
"All through her stay at Roville, she had found in dealing with the native population that actions spoke louder than words. If she wanted anything in a restaurant or at a shop, she pointed; and, when she wished the lift to stop, she prodded the man in charge. It was a system worth a dozen French conversation books."-- from chapter two.
Quote:
" Mrs. Meecher sighed, for she had been a little disappointed in the old gentleman, who started out as such a promising invalid, only to fall away into the dullness of robust health once more. “He's well enough. I never seen anybody better. You'd think,” said Mrs. Meecher, bearing up with difficulty under her grievance, “you'd think this here new Spanish influenza was a sort of a tonic or somep'n, the way he looks now." -- from chapter seven.Quote:
"That's me all over, Mabel." -- from chapter nine. The title of a book by Edward Streeter. Now I have to read it. He also wrote Father Of The Bride.Words I Had To Look Up:
ingurgitating -- to swallow greedily or in large quantities, -
Read:
7/2022
The Girl On The Boat
Billie is quite an "engaging" girl. Who will she marry?
Quote:
“Something must have given you a shock,” suggested Billie kindly. --
Quote:
“Love!” said Sam. He jabbed at his soufflé with a spoon. You could see by the scornful way he did it that he did not think much of love. --
Read:
7/2022
The Golf Omnibus
This 467 page book contains 31 stories of golf, mostly related by The Oldest Member. Mostly seem to be written in the early part of the 20th century, yet stand up very well. Very good!
QUOTE:
There comes a mement in married life when every wife gazes squarely at her husband and the scales seem to fall from her eyes and she sees him as he is--one of Nature's Class A fatheads.==pg. 280 BONUS QUOTE:
..."You're sure you've no cigarettes? No? Well, how about a shot of cocaine? Out of that too? Oh, well, I'll be going, then. Pip-pep, Bates." --pg.288Read:
7/2003
20 books displayed
[Abadzis - Aiken] [Aiken - Allinghamc] [Alvarez - Angelou] [Anthony - Atkins] [Atkinson - Backman] [Baen Publishing Enterprises - Balliett] [Balliett - Barnard] [Barnard - Barr] [Barr - Barrows] [Barry - Bear] [Bear - Beaton] [Beaton - Beaton] [Beaton - Bester] [Bingle - Block] [Block - Block] [Block - Bosch] [Bosch - Brashares] [Breathed - Bryson] [Bryson - Bujold] [Bujold - Bujold] [Bujold - Card] [Card - Card] [Card - Caunitz] [Caunitz - Cheaney] [Chesterton - Clancy] [Clare - Coben] [Coben - Colfer] [Colfer - Collins] [Collins - Connelly] [Connelly - Conroy] [Constantine - Cooper] [Corbett - Cornwell] [Cornwell - Crais] [Crais - Crichton] [Crichton - Crusie] [Curry - Cussler] [Cussler - Davis] [Davis - Dilloway] [Dionne - Dorsey] [Dorsey - Dowell] [Dowell - Duncan] [Duncan - Elkins] [Elkins - Evanovich] [Evanovich - Fairstein] [Fairstein - Ferris] [Fforde - Flanagan] [Flanagan - Ford] [Forester - Francis] [Francis - Francis] [Francis - Francis] [Francis - Frey] [Frey - Gantos] [Gantos - Gibson] [Gibson - Gores] [Gores - Granger] [Granger - Greenberg] [Greenfield - Grimes] [Grimes - Grisham] [Grisham - Haddix] [Haddix - Hall] [Hall - Hallinan] [Halpern - Haugaard] [Hautman - Heinlein] [Heinlein - Heller] [Heller - Herbert] [Herman - Hess] [Hess - Hiaasen] [Hiaasen - Hobb] [Hobb - Hoose] [Hopkinson - Hudson] [Huff - Jacobs] [James - Jones] [Jones - Kaminsky] [Kaminsky - Kellog] [Kellog - King] [King - Kline] [Klise - Kowal] [Kowal - Lamott] [Lampman - Lawrence] [Lawrence - Lee] [Lee - Lescroart] [Lescroart - Liebster] [Lindsay - London] [Long - Lubar] [Luna - MacLachlan] [Maclean - Mandel] [Mankell - Martin] [Martin - Mass] [Mass - McBain] [McCaffrey - McCrumb] [McCrumb - Medwed] [Meier - Millard] [Miller - Moon] [Moon - Morrison] [Mortimer - Mysterious Press] [Nance - Nimmo] [Niven - Novik] [Novik - O'Brian] [O'Brian - Oliver] [Oppel - Paretsky] [Paretsky - Parker] [Parker - Parker] [Parker - Paterson] [Paterson - Paulsen] [Paulsen - Peck] [Peck - Phelan] [Philbrick - Posey] [Powell - Poyer] [Poyer - Pratchett] [Pratchett - Prineas] [Pronzini - Pullman] [Pullman - Quinn] [Quinn - Reeve] [Reeve - Ringo] [Ringo - Robinson] [Robinson - Rowling] [Rowling - Russo] [Rust - Scalzi] [Scalzi - Schmidt] [Schmidt - Scottoline] [Scottoline - Seranella] [Setterfield - Shusterman] [Shusterman - Smith] [Smith - Soto] [Sparks - Stark] [Stark - Stephenson] [Stephenson - Stroke] [Stroke - Strunk] [Sturgeon - Taylor] [Taylor - Townsend] [Tracy - Updale] [Urban - Van Name] [van Vogt - Walsh] [Walsh - Weber] [Weber - Wells] [Wells - Westlake] [Westlake - Westlake] [Westlake - Willis] [Willis - Wodehouse] [Wodehouse - Yep] [Yep - Zusak]