• Tell your readers what is it about “an” author that you are most passionate about, that have you coming back for more from them, following their every blog post – literally blackmailing people to read their books?

• Who are some of your all time favourite authors?

• And what is it about them that makes you keep going back for more?

Be as creative as you want with this topic, use excerpt if you wish to convey the authors style, Use pic as necessary and make your readers see why you love the authors you do.

There are many authors whose work I love and whose books I read as soon as a new one hits the bookstore. So it was a little difficult for me to pick just one author to highlight. Given that this month is Women’s History Month, I finally decided on one of my favorite female authors who leans towards historical fiction in her writing, although her writing could also easily be classified as literary fiction as well.

Rose Tremain

Rose Tremain (b. August 2, 1943) is an English author who has won many awards for her writing. She has published 11 novels, 3 short story collections, and 1 children’s book.

I am slowly working my way through Tremain’s work and, so far, have loved everything I have read by her. I thought that the best way to share with you what I love about Tremain’s writing, is to share some of the books I’ve read by her, including some notable quotes from them.

The Colour (published 2003)

This was my first Tremain novel … and it blew me away. Set in New Zealand, the story centers around a newly married couple. I wrote in my review: ‘The inhospitable and breathtaking land of New Zealand seems pitted against these people almost from the very first when Joseph mistakenly builds his home on an exposed hill instead of the protected flats. Then one day Joseph discovers gold dust in the creek near his home and keeps it a secret from both Harriet and Lilian. It becomes an obsession which promises his redemption and one which will finally drive him to the other side of the Southern Alps where a Gold Rush is underway.‘

There are multiple themes in this novel: the power of nature, love and desire, materialism vs. inner contentment, and the connection between cultures. But it was Tremain’s characterization of the women in the novel which I loved the most.

Some passages which demonstrate the beauty of Tremain’s writing:

Better that we never know (she wrote to her father) what lies beyond the next hill. For the answer might come back “nothing.” And I confess that, having travelled across the world, I do not feel I would be content with that “nothing.” My habit of looking at the mountains has not gone away. They are so fine. I wish that I could paint a picture of them for you. And they Contain a mystery: that is what I feel. And I ask myself: Is the mystery they contain the mystery of my life? -From The Colour, page 168-

For a few moments, the sun disappeared behind a cloud, and in the shadow, nothing of it was visible, only the shingly mud and the herringbone imprints of the ducks’ feet. But Joseph knew that he’d seen something. He stood without moving, waiting for the sun to come out again. It returned and sparkled on the water, dazzling him. He had to close his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, he’d forgotten the precise spot where the colour had revealed itself. Then he saw it once more, a minute patch of shining yellow dust. -From The Colour, page 57-

Read my full review here.

Music and Silence (published 1999)

Music and Silence won Tremain best novel in the 1999 Whitbread Awards. Set in 17th century Denmark, this incredible novel is told from multiple points of view including that of Kirsten Munk who was the manipulative and unfaithful wife of King Christian IV. This is, in part, what I wrote about this sprawling medieval  novel: ‘In Tremain’s competent hands, this historical novel becomes a symphony of romantic twists and turns, and a saga which encompasses all the excesses and political intrigue of royal life in seventeenth century Europe. Tremain explores such complex themes as order vs. chaos, love vs. hate, dreams vs. reality, and betrayal vs. loyalty – all through the metaphor of music and silence.‘

In Tremain’s talented hands, Music and Silence transcends the historical fiction genre and becomes an extraordinary work of literature. Here is an Tremain’s description of a waterfall – the Isfoss – which has frozen solid, and the way King Christian imagines the tiny crystals of ice forming in the roaring water:

They acquire thickness, length and weight. The water is transparent clay, moulding them, layer upon layer, and as the layers accumulate, the roar of the river has become muffled. The human ear has to strain to hear it. And then, in the space of a single night, it falls silent. -From Music and Silence, page 107-

Read my full review here.

The Road Home (published 2008)

The Road Home won Tremain the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction Award in 2008, and for good reason. This beautifully written novel is about 43 year old Lev who is forced to leave his rural East European town to seek work in London after becoming a widow and single father. This is a moving character driven novel about loss and identity. And it is the character of Lev who sticks with the reader long after the final page has been turned. In my review I wrote: ‘Dreams are the fuel for overcoming obstacles in this story of a man who must leave his home in order to find it again. Lev is a dreamer and a romantic. He is a character who readers want to see succeed, a man whose flaws are surpassed by his kind and vulnerable heart.‘

Although I loved the two previous novels enough to give them five star reviews, I believe The Road Home to be Tremain’s most accomplished novel which I have read. She writes flawlessly, with an insight into the human condition which touches the reader’s heart.

It was at this moment – with Rudi halfway up the ladder – that he heard himself whispering to his friend, “Don’t look down…don’t look back…” and he felt that he suddenly understood why Rudi had brought him here and that the thing he had to embrace was the idea of perseverance. – from The Road Home, page 127 -

It was passages like this, which explore the meaning of friendship and hope within the context of Lev’s future, which made me truly appreciate Tremain’s writing.

Read my full review here.

Other books by Rose Tremain which I have not yet read, but hope to:

Novels:

• Sadler’s Birthday (1976)
• Letter to Sister Benedicta (1978)
• The Cupboard (1981)
• The Swimming Pool Season (1985)
• Restoration (1989) and the screenplay for the 1996 film
• Sacred Country (1992)
• The Way I Found Her (1997)

Children’s Books:

• Journey to the Volcano (1985)

Short Story Collections:

• The Colonel’s Daughter and other stories (1983)
• The Garden of the Villa Mollini and other stories (1987)
• Evangelista’s Fan and other stories (1994)

Rose Tremain’s newest novel, Trespass, is due for release this year. The product description on Amazon reads:

In a silent valley stands an isolated stone farmhouse, the Mas Lunel. Its owner is Aramon Lunel, an alcoholic so haunted by his violent past that he’s become incapable of all meaningful action, letting his hunting dogs starve and his land go to ruin. Meanwhile, his sister, Audrun, alone in her modern bungalow within sight of the Mas Lunel, dreams of exacting retribution for the unspoken betrayals that have blighted her life. Into this closed Cévenol world comes Anthony Verey, a wealthy but disillusioned antiques dealer from London. Now in his sixties, Anthony hopes to remake his life in France, and he begins looking at properties in the region. From the moment he arrives at the Mas Lunel, a frightening and unstoppable series of consequences is set in motion. Two worlds and two cultures collide. Ancient boundaries are crossed, taboos are broken, a violent crime is committed. And all the time the Cévennes hills remain, as cruel and seductive as ever, unforgettably captured in this powerful and unsettling novel, which reveals yet another dimension to Rose Tremain’s extraordinary imagination.

Have you read any novels or short stories by Rose Tremain? If so, did you enjoy them? Which were your favorites? If you have not yet read anything by this author, have I tempted you to do so?

Visit this week’s Weekly Geeks to link up your post and see who other readers highlighted.

For the second year running, welcome to the Weekly Geeks Book Bloggers Top 10 of 2009.

You always see these “Top Whatever” lists that the newspapers/publishers put out and, for a second year in a row, we the book bloggers are going to put out our own Top 10 list. This week, the Weekly Geeks team and I are asking you to come up with your own Top 10 Books that were published in 2009 (books that were reprinted or re-released are not eligible, sorry).

Now, the idea is to only choose books that were published in 2009, regardless of what country you live in. If a book was released in the US in 2008, but released in your country in 2009, that’s okay. I know there is still a month in a half left of 2009, but if you know there is a book coming out between now and Dec. 31st, then it’s still eligible.

This year, I am also asking for something a little more specific. When you submit your novels, you must include the genre it is from as well. Last year, when I was trying to categorize everything, I had to guess on a lot of novels and I know there were some people who disagreed with my choice. If there are any contradictions in genres (say if a book was selected for two genres), then the Weekly Geek Staff will vote on where it goes (please?).

If you see a Top 10 list somewhere else, add it to the Mr. Linky, even if they aren’t a part of Weekly Geeks. We’re trying to gather as many lists as we can, so we can come up with a nice comprehensive list. You’ll have two weeks to come up with your list before I begin compiling the voting booths. Then we’ll put it to a vote. Last year, we ended up with over 1300 individual voters and I know we can make it just as big this year.

So what are your top 10 books of 2009?

I read a lot of great books published this year and expect to squeeze a few others in before the year ends, but this is my top ten as of today:

1. A Disobedient Girl, by Ru Freeman (Literary Fiction)
2. Last Night In Twisted River, by John Irving (Literary Fiction)
3. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (Historical Fiction)
4. The Mechanics of Falling, by Catherine Brady (Short Story Collection)
5. Last Night in Montreal, by Emily St. John Mandel (Literary Fiction/Contemporary Fiction)
6. Cleopatra’s Daughter, by Michelle Moran (Historical Fiction)
7. Everyone is Beautiful, by Katherine Center (Women’s Fiction)
8. The Laws of Harmony, by Judith Ryan Hendricks (Women’s Fiction)
9. Love Begins in Winter: Five Stories, by Simon Van Booy (Short Story Collection)
10. The Cradle, by Patrick Somerville (Contemporary Fiction)

**A side note given the latest controversy surrounding the Publisher’s Weekly Top Ten and their failure to name a book written by a female author: MY top ten included SEVEN books written by women!

Ruth writes:

Book blogging, as a concept, is essentially pretty simple: If you have Internet access and an opinion about a book, you can be a book blogger. However, actually maintaining a book blog is much more complicated — our blogs are labors of love that require a lot of time, energy and devotion. For this edition of Weekly Geeks, I want to focus on the little things that make your blogging and/or reading life a bit easier. Do you use sites like GoodReads, LibraryThing or Shelfari to organize your books? Do you swear by Book Darts? Couldn’t live without your Book Buddy? Love connecting with other bloggers on sites such as Twitter? Tell us about what makes your blog tick. Is there something specific that keeps you organized or inspired?

I keep things pretty simple, but I do have some tricks to make my life easier when it comes to blogging.

Google Reader: I use the star feature of Google Reader all the time to “bookmark” posts that I want to refer to later when I’m writing a post. If I didn’t do this for the Friday Finds weekly meme (hosted by Jenn at Should be Reading every Friday), I would never remember where I had seen a book featured. I am not sure that using stars to bookmark was Google’s intent (given their extensive help list on the subject of starred items), but it works for me!

Library Thing: I catalog my books at this terrific site and I use tags liberally which helps me do my end of the year post. I tag books for the BEST OF each year, which ones came to me for review or as ARCS, as well as MUST READS and by subject or genre. I also use tags to indicate prize winners. You can check out my library here and see all the tags here (by clicking on a tag, it will take you to a page which lists all the books under that tag). I paid the $25 lifetime membership fee quite some time ago so that I could catalog an unlimited number of books (the unpaid membership restricts how many books you are able to add to your library) and it is well worth it to me. LT has tons of different features and keeps adding to them all the time. If you are a statistics person, you will love LT’s Zeitgeist feature, as well as their statistics page for every person’s library.

Google Spreadsheets: This is another feature on Google that helps keep me organized. I keep a spreadsheet for my ARC and Review books which show where the book came from, when it was (0r is about to be) published and if there is a “deadline” for when I must read it. I also have a spreadsheet specifically for the Read-A-Thon so that I can keep track (hour to hour) the number of pages read, who I visited during the event, the mini-challenges I completed, and the number of hours spent blogging or taking a break. The cool thing with Google is that you can share your documents and spreadsheets with others if you’d like to.  For example, here is last October’s spreadsheet for Dewey’s Read-A-Thon.

Reading Journals on my blog/Review page on my blog: These are features I developed after blogging for awhile. I keep both updated regularly and it helps me tremendously when I am trying to either find an old review, or when I do my end of the year post. I also print off my Reading Journals each year and keep them in a loose leaf notebook (I live in fear of losing the content on my blog!).

I also have some low-tech ways to make my blogging more user-friendly.

Sticky Notes: I use these liberally to mark pages in books I am reading. This is how I manage to keep track of passages I loved, or passages that support a theme of the book, etc. Sometimes I make short notes on the sticky notes to jog my memory of why I chose that particular passage.

Lap Desk: I never knew what I was missing until I bought this awesome lap desk last year at Levengers for half price. This allows me to sit wherever I am most comfortable while I am blogging. I love it!

What about you? Do you use certain tools to make blogging easier or more fun? Drop by this week’s Weekly Geeks post to leave a link to your post!

Unfinished Person writes about the hectic pace of blogging, especially after a busy week. She writes:

Personally, after such weeks, I feel almost burnt out and think, “Why am I doing this? I’m not getting paid for this.” Do you ever feel the same way after weeks like the ones mentioned above? If you do, what do you to counter it? How do you keep going? Do you take a break from posts after that, or do you just “soldier on”?

Or if you don’t feel burnt out after such weeks, why not? Also why are you a book blogger? From what I’ve seen and experienced, it’s certainly not the fame or the glory that you get. So what is it? Why? Why? Why?

The simple answer is: YES, I feel burnout. I have been thinking about this a lot lately as the days fly by and the unread blog posts pile up in my feed reader, and the stacks of books in my TBR pile go on and on and on. I get more emails than I can deal with on some days. There are events, challenges, endless requests to review books, Yahoo book groups to run or participate in. And don’t even mention Twitter – I quickly found myself unable to keep up and hardly ever even sign in to my account there anymore. Don’t get me wrong…I love blogging. I love books. I love the social network of the book blogging community. I even love writing reviews. But sometimes I feel so tired and overwhelmed by my never ending list of “to dos.”

This morning I sat down and wrote a guest blog post for an author’s blog which will post on September 30th – and guess what I wrote about? How the fast pace of the Internet and digital age carries us along and we forget to stop, breathe, relax, enjoy the simple things. Writing it felt cathartic.

I have lately been giving myself permission to just stop and to do something completely unrelated to technology. I’ve been quilting, digging around in the dirt of my potted plants, cuddling my animals, watching an old movie, sitting undisturbed on my porch listening to nature, reading a book I want to read. I’ve been taking walks and long showers. I’ve been perusing my recipes, planning big feasts that will take all day long to cook. It feels good. It feeds my soul.

My books are still piling up. The over 1000 blog posts remain unread. The email requests for reviews are left unanswered. But tomorrow the sun will still come up, and one of these days my energy and enthusiasm will rev up again. Until then, I’m taking life a little slower. And that’s okay.

This week’s Weekly Geeks is brought to us by Terri who asks us about our world travels through books.

Are you a global reader? How many countries have you “visited” in your reading? What are your favorite places or cultures to read about? Can you recommend particularly good books about certain regions, countries or continents? How do you find out about books from other countries? What countries would you like to read that you haven’t yet?

I have a long term goal to read a book representing every country in the world. You can see my progress by visiting these links on my blog:

Africa
South America
North America
Europe
Australia/Oceania
Asia

Here is my progress graphed from The World 66 site:

I am not sure I actually have a favorite region from which to read. So far, I have enjoyed them all! Some of my favorite reads which I can recommend are:

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (read my review) set in the Congo.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (read my review) set in Nigeria.

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (read my review) set in Canada.

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (read my review) set in Bosnia.

Music and Silence by Rose Tremain (read my review) set in Denmark.

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (read my review) set in France.

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (read my review) set in Norway.

Guernica by Dave Boling (read my review) set in Spain.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville (read my review) set in Australia.

The Colour by Rose Tremain (read my review) set in New Zealand.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (read my review) set in Afghanistan.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (read my review) set in India.

I still have a long way to go before I reach my goal, but I am having fun reading around the world!

This week’s Weekly Geeks is inspired by Sheri at A Novel Menagerie who writes:

Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented? Or, do you find that as you near the end of a challenge that you’ve failed because you fell short of your original goals? As a result of some reading challenges, I’ve picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Do you have favorite reading challenges?

Well, I could not pass this one up since I own A Novel Challenge blog and with Teddy’s help we try to keep readers up to date with all the latest challenges and events across the blog-o-sphere (I also run a sister Yahoo group called A Novel Challenge which is open for anyone who wants to join).

When I first discovered reading challenges, I went crazy joining them. Last year I completed 24, although I signed up for a lot more than that! Although challenges can be really fun, they can also easily become overwhelming. This year I decided to tone down the amount of challenges for which I signed up, and tried to stay focused on my overall reading goals (ie: reading new authors, making time for review books, reading from the prize lists and the 1001 books before you die list, reading books from around the world, and fitting in some of the books from my towering TBR stacks). With these goals in mind, I try only to sign up for challenges which will further those goals.

Do I feel stressed if I cannot finish a challenge?

No. I remind myself that no one is really keeping score (except for me!) and this is supposed to be fun.

Why do I like reading challenges?

• I like being encouraged to read books outside my comfort zone.
• I like reading as part of a group of readers all working toward the same goal.
• I like being pushed just a little bit (for example, I would never have read 100 books last year without a challenge that pushed me to do so!)
• I love lists and crossing things off of lists. Challenges are just another way to feed my list compulsion.

What are my favorite challenges?

• I love the perpetual challenges – Orange Prize Project, Pulitzer Project, Complete Booker, etc…
• I really enjoyed the Suspense-Thriller challenge because I have a lot of those kinds of books on my TBR shelf and I sometimes forget to read this types of books.
• I also like challenges that encourage me to read around the world – like the Orbis Terrarum and Lost In Translation.
• I love the PUB Challenge, ARC Challenge, and New Author Challenge as they help me keep up with my ever increasing stack of review books.

Which Challenges have I completed so far this year?

1. Unread Authors (1/6/2009)
2. What an Animal (4/8/2009)
3. Book Awards II (5/30/2009)
4. Mystery Read-A-Thon (6/7/2009)
5. Suspense-Thriller Challenge (6/8/2009)
6. Bloggiesta (6/21/2009)

To see ALL my current challenges, visit my Reading Challenges page. Clicking on the graphic or title of the challenge will take you to the post where you can see my progress.

What’s your non-reading guilty pleasure?
Trashy TV?
Trashier movies?
Junk food?

I have a few guilty pleasures. My job can be pretty intense – I work with people all day answering questions and problem solving…so by the end of the day I am ready to just zone out, not think, be a little numb. Here’s what I turn to:

People Magazine – Yup, I like reading the celebrity gossip and the latest updates from reality television. I can read through this magazine in about an hour. Just pure, unadulterated trashy stories. Love it.

Starbucks. Give me a double tall caramel macchiato and a chocolate croissant and I slip into a sugar-induced great mood. I like stopping by Starbucks right before I start my 30 minute commute home after a long day of work.

Reality Television. My favorites: America’s Next Top Model, American Idol, The Bachelor (and The Bachelorette), and Survivor. I know, these shows are all brain-dead. That’s what I like about them.

I think there are more guilty pleasures in my life…but you get the gist of it!

So this week it is all about sharing other passions and interests…

Animals

All Photos are clickable to enlarge

Anyone who visits my blog knows immediately how important animals are in my life. I have a dedicated page for my fur children with sub-pages for Caribou (which I recently updated), Argus, and a piece I wrote about the journey through my life with animals. I also have a category titled “animals” here on my blog with dozens of vignettes about the wonderful animals who have passed through my life and left their mark. For each decade of my life, I can remember the animals who have shared it with me: dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, fish, horses. I spent several years, at one point, volunteering as a foster mother for German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California. Rescue organizations are always seeking volunteers…and my time helping to save these magnificent creatures was rewarding.

My work in Search and Rescue is not a secret here – both Caribou and Argus certified as search and rescue dogs with CARDA – a statewide organization.

I have also managed to find a way to incorporate animals into my profession as a physical therapist. Triple Creek Ranch Inc. helps children and adults with disability by using horseback riding. Therapists use the horse as a movement tool to deliver Hippotherapy – a specialized therapy which helps people work on strength, balance, coordination, motor planning, posture and a vast amount of other skills.

I cannot imagine my life without animals. I was completely devastated January 29th when I had to say goodbye to my loyal and noble german shepherd Caribou. The house is a bit empty without her boundless energy and presence…and poor Argus seems to have lost his direction (Caribou was the “Queen” and always told him what to do and when). But I would not trade the years of companionship and love Caribou brought to our lives…and she will live on forever in our hearts.

Cooking

I credit my older sister Paula for my love of cooking. She is a fabulous cook who rarely relies on recipes, but can scrape together amazing dishes from whatever happens to be on hand in her cupboards or refrigerator. At one time I subscribed to Gourmet Magazine (where I discovered not only the ease of cooking gourmet food, but also the wonderful columns written by Laurie Colwin). I am completely addicted to buying cookbooks and when we remodeled our home a couple of years ago I made sure to put in shelving in the kitchen where I could store my collection. Recently I have discovered the absolute joy of making soups from scratch. My favorite kitchen appliances are my slow cooker, my bread machine, and my immersion blender. Just this week I got my first installment of my subscription to Fine Cooking Magazine.

Writing

I have been a writer for as long as I can remember. Writing is a way to voice my inner thoughts, to work through problems and grief, and to give life to the characters who speak to me in my imagination. My first published work appeared on The Piker Press – a literary ezine where I met other writers who encouraged me. My book reviews appear there on a weekly basis, but I also have several short stories as well as non fiction work archived there. My blog evolved as a way to share my writing with others…and then grew to become mostly a literary blog where I could share my passion for books. I have participated in several NanoWrimo events and have written four novels in rough draft form. My goal in 2009 is to take at least one of those and edit and rework it into a finished story.

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I greatly enjoyed visiting other Weekly Geeks for this week.

I especially enjoyed reading about Lynda’s beautiful dogs Spike and Amy and could sympathize about her loss of  Freddy not too long ago.

Michelle at Master Musings by Michelle shares my love of cooking (I also LOVE Food and Wine Magazine!) as does Jackie of Literary Escapism.

I loved browsing the gorgeous artwork on Claire’s post.

To read more about the passions of other readers, visit this week’s Weekly Geek post and click on the Mr. Linky links.

When most people think of the classics, they think of Dickens or Austen or Tolstoy or Wharton. And while I have read from these classic authors, they can be a little intimidating (although War and Peace is still in my top 10 reads of all time, and Anna Karenina is a must read for readers who want a good taste of classic literature). I also think immediately of John Steinbeck when I think of classics. I’ve read several of his books, but my favorite is The Grapes of Wrath (read my review).

But what about the lesser known classics?

For readers new to this type of literature, I would recommend books by Edna Ferber who wrote in the 1920s. So Big, her novel about a gambler’s daughter, won her the Pulitzer Prize. I loved this novel which is set in the farm country outside of Chicago (read my review).

Another engaging author of classic literature is Pearl S. Buck. Written in 1931, The Good Earth is the first in a trilogy about a Chinese farmer. The book has been banned in China, but it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 (read my review).

Sarah Orne Jewett wrote in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Her work is almost poetic and she was skilled at creating character. The Country of Pointed Firs (written in 1896) is perhaps her best known work – and a story I simply loved (read my review). Set on the coast of Maine over the course of one summer, it is a delightful and easy read.

Lastly, Daphne du Maurier wrote classic gothic novels in the 1930s – and Rebecca is perhaps her most famous (read my review). Filled with suspense and quite atmospheric, it is one of the best in the genre.

Other books I can recommend for classic reading are:

• How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn (written in 1939 and winner of the National Book Award) – read my review
• Doctor Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak (translated from the Russian in 1958) – read my review
• The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins (written in 1868) – a classic detective/mystery
• Candide, by Voltaire (written in 1759) – read my review

3) Let’s say you’re vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into the hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don’t find her a book, she’ll never let you get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull off the shelf for her?

There are plenty of good “new classics” out there. Here are a few I think cousin Myrtle might like:

• Arthur and George, by Julian Barnes (read my review)
• Hotel du Lac, by Anita Brookner (read my review)
• March by Geraldine Brooks (read my review)
• The Great Fire, by Shirley Hazzard (read my review)
• Atonement, by Ian McEwan (read my review)

4) As you explore the other Weekly Geeks posts: Did any inspire you to want to read a book you’ve never read before—or reread one to give it another chance? Tell us all about it, including a link to the post or posts that sparked your interest. If you end up reading the book, be sure to include a link to your post about it in a future Weekly Geeks post!

This was a fun week! I enjoyed reading through other bloggers’ posts. Some that stood out for me, and introduced me to some “new” books to read were:

Suey from It’s All About Books reminded me of some classic authors I should pick up one of these days (including John Galsworthy and George Eliot)

Marineko at Dreaming Out Loud who mentioned some classic childrens books which I want to read or re-read (such as The Wind in the Willows and The Railway Children)

Gavin at Page 247 introduced me to some brand new authors and books (including The House on the Borderlands by William Hope Hodgson, AND The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic)

For those who have been with the group, either from the start or joined within recent months, what does being a member mean to you? What do you enjoy about the group? What are some of your more memorable Weekly Geeks that we might could do again? What could be improved as we continue the legacy that Dewey gave us?

For those just joining us, why did you sign up for Weekly Geeks? What would you like to see here?

I joined Weekly Geeks the first week it started – mostly because by then I had discovered the joy of Dewey’s community efforts and wanted to meet other book bloggers in a fun and different way.  My participation was a bit spotty at times – sometimes life just got in the way. My favorite themes were Storytelling and Social Awareness … I loved the creativity these inspired and the posts were so much fun to read.

Dewey’s vision was a weekly event that united the community – and that was truly a brilliant vision. It worked. I came back again and again because I enjoyed the connections I was making with other bloggers … and I was learning more about them through these fun events. When Dewey passed away and it was decided to keep Weekly Geeks going, I knew I would want to be part of that sense of community.

I hope to see things stay fresh and original…I hope that we get lots and lots and lots of ideas emailed to us and that this event will continue to grow and evolve.