The Hospitality Suite - Stop to say hi and meet the gang

[vicki]

Hi--I'm Vicki and I serve as emcee hereabouts. My first LRK book was The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and I've been a hopeless Russellholic ever since. I'm also a big fan of the Martinelli series and LRK's other books and stories, so I'm excited about meeting other LRK readers here.

Other items of interest: I have two fabulous kids who keep me in line and I love to read all sorts of things--but especially genre and YA books. I'm an escapee from the legal profession and I like to run, crochet, do volunteer work and even write a little fiction from time to time. I led the Young Adult Reading Group at Readerville.com for several years, so if you're a YARGster, howdy!

I'm also a member of RUSS-L, a group that discusses the Mary Russell series (although I mostly lurk), so a big hi to all the RUSS-L Bees and to anyone who's a member of another LRK group. It's great to have you here!

And if this is your first experience in an online book group, a special welcome to you. Please feel free to ask questions or let us know if you run into any problems. You'll get the hang of it in no time at all.

[Kerry]

First, thanks to Laurie et al. for making this possible!

I'm Kerry, and my first LRK was A Grave Talent. I love the Russel books, but the Martinelli series holds a special place in my heart, if only because it's set in the Bay Area, a place I still think of as home. Of course, I'm a big fan of all her books and am looking forward to whatever comes next.

I'm a college professor (Biology) by trade and an avid martial artist and novice equestrienne by avocation. I read mostly mysteries and sci-fi/fantasy (let's hear it for Califia's Daughers!) and am currently on a West Wing DVD marathon during my limited downtime :)

[Diana]

Hello there,

I have never been a member of an online book club (?) before, so this is quite novel to me. (har har, pun intended) My name is Diana, and my first Laurie King book must have been... Folly, I think. I was living in Japan as an exchange student at the time and it was one of the few English-language books I managed to buy there. I've since read a few Martinelli books, all of the Russel books (saving the Beekeeper's Apprentice for last, because I knew it would be amazing).

I'm currently at work on a graduate degree in veterinary medicine here in Edinburgh (I'm from the Bay Area & Oregon) and I hope to work in as a pathologist after I graduate (perhaps because I've read too many mysteries!) I like to row, run, cycle, and read interesting books with my cat on my lap.

[Carlina]

Hi there...

First of all thanks again to Vicki and the wonderful folks at LRK, including LRK, for this delicious opportunity to have exchanges about the wonderful worlds LRK has enriched us with. I look forward to some interesting conversations indeed.

I am a big fan of the Russell series (as well as Sherlock Holmes...he's always been my Victorian icon) and got hooked last November...I am now starting the Kate series and so far like it...I think I'll always be a Russell addict though. There is just something about her and Holmes.

I am completing my Ph.D. in physical anthropology...Hobbies..well I can't have any at the moment, but I do like to read and write fiction when I flee from data analyses. Mystery and Sci Fi are my preferred forte for reading along with the classics. I also enjoying reading up on the history of medicine and Civil War health.

[Rose]

Hi everyone, and very good to meet you. My first LRK book was The Beekeeper's Apprentice, though I am now fully invested in the Martinelli series as well.

I currently live in Columbus, Ohio, though I am originally from Oregon and lived for many years in Indiana. I have a Biology BS and a Masters in Public Health and I would like to work in a hospital as an infectious disease control technician. But for now I am at home with my 2 year old daughter. Baby #2 arrives early July.

I suffer from a lack of good book clubs at convenient times, so it will be great to discuss whenever time permits. I'm looking forward to some great discussions!

[tammycravit]

Well, I guess it's my turn to jump in here and say hi. I'm a big fan of both the Russell and Martinelli series, though it would be hard for me to pick a favorite book (or even a favorite series).

I live in Central California, on the coast, about 150 miles north of Los Angeles. I'm a computer programmer, freelance journalist and non-published mystery writer -- gradually transitioning my income into the latter two categories and out of the first one, I hope. I fell into computer work by accident, but I can't say it's anything I enjoy doing. (Well, I could say it, but I'd be lying.)

It's great to be here, and I look forward to joining in the fun.

-- Tammy (http://www.tammycravit.com/)

[KarenB]

Hey everyone! I'm glad to meet such an eclectic group! I can't remeber the first LRK I read - might have been Grave Talent - because I keep rereading them over and over. I live in NJ (no, jokes, please!) but out in farmland, 2 kids, an ancient and decrepit dog and two hyperactive mice and a husband. I have a psychology degree and a teaching degree and taught middle school for a while. Can't think what else anyone would be interested in . . .

KarenB

[The Grey Badger]

Hi! I'm Pat Mathews from Albuquerque. I've been reading Laurie King for a long time, both the Kate Martinelli series and the entire Russell/Holmes series.

This forum format is very familiar and comfortable to me because I've been a member of the quirky, historical-minded Fourth Turning forum for years and years. You have a better selection of emoticons, though.

I'm also on Live Journal as The Grey Badger, http://idiotgrrl.livejournal.com/

And I am the helpless slave of two cats, one granddaughter, and 2.5 grandsons. Fraction subject to change as my daughter's pregnancy wears on.

[kathykatty]

I am a lowly little toilet cleaner for a Hospital who works nights. I fell into LRK by accident by grabbing what ever cd I could get to load into my cd player to fill my dull and boring nights. But then I kept grabbing. I was a Sherlockian fan from my youth when my father introduced me at ten to the canons. I was a hippie in SF in the 60s so that area touched a note. I am now hooked. And THANK YOU for providing me a place to be at 3am. I've been so alone.

[jtb1951]

Hello, everyone!
I am excited to be provided the opportunity to join with the fans of one of my favorite authors. I have been enjoying the books of LRK for the last decade, starting with The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and continuing through all of her books; the Russell and Martinelli series, the stand-alone novels, all of them. Her consistently high level of story-telling hooked me early on, and I eagerly await each new offering. My major reading interests are in science fiction and fantasy, mystery, biographies, and historical non-fiction.

My profession is analytical chemistry in an environmental lab in west suburban Chicago, and my family (wife and 2 daughters in college), reading, bicycling, and collecting space memorabilia occupy my life.

I look forward to chatting with you all, and thanks to LRK and friends for bringing this site to fruition.

John.

[spiston]

Hey all,

I'm enamored of the Russell series, first LRK book was The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I suppose I will move on to Martinelli but have not gotten to it yet...

Mystery buff and anglophile, raised and lived in NYC for around 30 years, moved to Tucson, AZ a few months after 9/11. I have had several vocations: former software developer, middle school math teacher, fishmonger, to name a few.

Currently I am in school on a path towards a master's degree in theatre education and outreach. I was taking classes towards becoming an auto mechanic but decided that working on cars was much more fun than working with the people who work on cars (the XY variety).

I'm working in light construction and at a coffee shop and perform with a local troupe. I have been longing to join a book club lately.
Good timing, no accidents in this life, so I'm jumping...

[Laurel]

I have never been a member of any book club, but am a lifelong read-aholic! (Hi, my name is Laurel...) My first LRK was A Grave Talent, and I fell in love with Martinelli! I also adore Russell, and Folly & Keeping Watch, and A Darker Place. In short I own all LRK's books and re-read them regularly!

About me, I am currently living in Felton, CA, I am graduating from osteopathic medical school this Sunday (really), and moving to Portland Maine for my internship & residency in Family Medicine. Hopefully I will make it back to the Bay Area after that! For LRK: my mom was a LLL leader so I grew up at meetings :)

Looking forward to connecting with all the LRK fans,

Laurel

[2maple]

Hi! I'm Nan from mid-coast Maine. I have an undergrad degree in biology and a masters in environmental science...and am the world's worst proof-reader (my apologies in advance).

I've been an enivironmental consultant since the dawn of Superfund removing various shades of methyl-ethyl death from places it doesn't belong and sorting out who is responsible and how everything paid for. I just crossed the threshold to begin the second half-century of my life and live on partially working farm complete with husband, teenagers, pets (ferret, chinchilla and a pair of cockatiels), bees, highland cattle and an aloof and regal llama. We also grow Christmas trees.

My local book club is the favorite spare time (what's that?!?) part of my life. Born at a Christmas party we are coming up on our 5th year it something we all treasure. Our husband's can never quite understand how we can laugh so much for two hours each month ... tentitively watch/join in from the edges until they can't take the estrogen ocean and run away to save themselves (even though they would be welcome).

And Laurie...if you every wonder about the fallout from your blog, we are about to start a women's network where I work and the roots of how it got worded in presenting to all were born in a response/rant to one of your blogs a long while back...the coolest thing is based on those ideas, the guys here are all behind it (and truthfully, it wouldn't work without them)! So thanks for letting me talk into space and clarify my thoughts!

[vicki]

Hi, everybody—it’s great to see you all here!. *Waves* I recognize some of your names from the blog comments and Russell’s myspace page—welcome to the VBC! And welcome to those of you who are new the LRK cyberworld and/or to online book discussions. Being able to talk to fellow book-lovers online really brings reading into the arena of social hobbies in a way that wasn’t possible before the internet became available.

After a long youth and young adulthood yearning to talk to someone, anyone about my favorite books, it was so wonderful to get on the internet and find places to do just that. It was like some floating puzzle piece clicked into place in the most satisfying way or, maybe more accurately, like getting a huge pitcher of clear, cold water after years of being parched. So it’s particularly rewarding for me to work on the VBC, a place for readers of one of my favorite authors to gather and talk.

[vicki]

I finally figured out how to do quotes in BB code, so here goes. (I normally post in html, but our vBulletin forum manual says that while we can enable html coding, doing so will leave the forum open to invasion by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Eeek.

I'm… an avid martial artist and novice equestrienne by avocation

Cool! I used to take karate and want to get back to it when I get a little more time in the evenings (mom-duty generally calls at the best times for adult classes at my dojo. It’s funny how it really stimulates your mind at the same time as it exercises your body. That’s not really the case with other forms of physical activity I do like running, although I enjoy that too, in a different way.

I'm currently at work on a graduate degree in veterinary medicine here in Edinburgh

I *love* Edinburgh! I went there on a couple of weekend trips one summer back in early Triassic period, when I was at a college summer program at Oxford U. I just loved every minute I spent there, even with the cold, rainy weather (and I am not a cold weather person.)


I think I'll always be a Russell addict though. There is just something about her and Holmes.

Yup—I’m on my fifth or sixth year of Russellholism and still going strong.

I have a Biology BS and a Masters in Public Health and I would like to work in a hospital as an infectious disease control technician. But for now I am at home with my 2 year old daughter. Baby #2 arrives early July.

Wow, we have a lot of academics here—cool! Rose, I do some volunteer work related to public health, and deal with a lot of people from the local university’s school of public health. That seems like a great field. And congratulations on the impending baby! Another reason I like online book groups is because I can slip in and post while the kidlets are busy with a snack/TV show//etc. It’s a very mom-friendly format.

Hi, Tammy! It’s nice to see another non-published writer. I’m working on a mystery story as part of a collection, but I haven’t turned my hand at even trying to plot a whole mystery novel—that would take an intimidating amount of planning and forethought.

I live in NJ (no, jokes, please!)

I feel your pain. </Alabama native>

Fraction subject to change as my daughter's pregnancy wears on.

Hehehehe! That’s hilarious.

And THANK YOU for providing me a place to be at 3am. I've been so alone.

As an inveterate night owl, I’m with you on that one.

jtb, you should visit my hometown, Huntsville, Alabama (aka “Huntsvegas,” aka “the Rocket City”). Lots of space stuff there, and they have a great Space and Rocket Museum (http://www.spacecamp.com/museum/), which is also the site of Space Camp..

Hi and welcome, Spiston—it sounds like you should be writing books, what with all the life/vocational experience you’ve had. And hi to Laurel, fellow life-long readaholic, and to Nan--your RL book club sounds like a terrific group. That’s so cool about how LRK’s blog has served as inspiration for the women’s network).

It's great to have you all here!

[Ela]

My name is Ela and became addicted to the Russell/Holmes books by way of a friend that highly recommended them. Since I've read them all in less than four weeks, I will now start on the Martinelli books.

I work at a non-profit organization as a Manager of Information Resources (fancy title for librarian) in Washington DC. I have a BA in Information Systems and Masters in Information Management. In my spare time I make jewelry and the usual stuff that people like to do, i.e. watching movies, theater and travel.

[Magpie]

This is a new experience for me but I am excited about trying it out. Thanks to all for the opportunity.
I am an avid reader but am finding it harder to find books that match up to LRK's caliber. I like sci-fi and fantasy and many of the classics. I haven't found Califia's Daughter anywhere.
I write. (not published for $$ yet) I paint. I have a BA in Humanities and in Religious Studies. Currently, I am in training to be an ESL teacher.
I may be the only Canuck on this forum, I don't know.

Looking forward to some good discussions.

[Kerry]

Cool! I used to take karate and want to get back to it when I get a little more time in the evenings (mom-duty generally calls at the best times for adult classes at my dojo. It’s funny how it really stimulates your mind at the same time as it exercises your body. That’s not really the case with other forms of physical activity I do like running, although I enjoy that too, in a different way.

I could go on for days and days about martial arts training. I see a lot of similarities between it and my horseback riding, and some crucial differences (in the latter, I'm dependent solely on "feeling" to identify when I'm doing something right vs. wrong; in the former, I can use mirrors :) ). What's been really helpful has been being able to be a new student again (first at 37 with the martial arts, and again at 47 with the riding). I've discovered that being a student is the best way for me to become a better teacher.

[hooloovoo]

i'm madeline.
my first LRK book was Beekeeper's Apprentice, when i was.... twelve, maybe?
been addicted ever since.
i'm a college student, theoretically. i'm taking some time off to travel and sorta figure myself out.
i live in washington state, for the moment.
i'm trying to learn more spanish.
i just got back from two months in costa rica, studying spanish and getting my teaching english as a second language certificate.
other spare time stuff is mostly reading, yelling at cspan, and going to baseball games.

[azdolphin]

Hello to everyone,

This is my first foray into the world of book "cyber-discussions," so here goes! I started with the Martinelli books a long time ago, but didn't start on the Russell series for quite awhile. Started those last summer during a month-long road trip with my daughter -- feel in love with them as well!

I live in Tucson with my partner, my 18-year-old daughter, and two dogs. My daughter graduated from high school two weeks ago and will be heading to Cornell for college in August.

I'm an editor/publications director for a contract archaeological firm. Oh, hobbies... I love to read, exercise, listen to music, and walk the dogs. I referee soccer to supplement the income. Also, I play soccer -- on both a women's team and a coed team.

That's about it for me!

[Geri]

Hi

A couple of years ago I moved back to my homestate of beautiful New Mexico after many years away. I'm a librarian...but I don't work with books, I work with numbers, other libraries, and money - it can be a lot of fun. I'm a gardener, a sports fan (especially of women's sports) and a reader.

Grave Talent was the 1st LK book I ready followed closely by Beekeeper's Apprentice. After reading Grave Talent, I quickly logged on to my local public library to find out what other books this amazing woman had written. I love Laurie's books because they are always a rip roaring good story. I always learn, find things I want to learn more about - these books always send me off on other journeys.

As much as I love the other books, Grave Talent remains my favorite - I've read it many times. I also don't really consider it a mystery...it's an evocative story that stays with me about what a burden and a responsibility talent can be and how important it is that talent goes with ethics.

[cathyb]

I am Cathy and live in Augusta Ga - so we say hey alot. I began reading Laurie King a few years ago because I adore Sherlock - I just got sucked in! I am full time Director of christian Ed at a Pres. Church in Aiken SC and working on a Masters in Christian Ed so - hobbies are really taking a back seat. I am feeling a bit guilty about signing up for this since I made a pact with self not to start anything good and new until AFTER the summer session! Looking forward to chatting with everyone!

[vicki]

Welcome, Ela! I'm impressed that you busted through all the Russells in less than four weeks. It's great to have another librarian in the fold. <Radiates librarian love>

Hi also to Magpie, the first of whom I hope will be a large Canuck population in the VBC. I love SF and Fantasy, too--we should trade recommendations soon.

And greetings to HooLooVoo--love your screen name, by the way. And thanks for giving me the idea to yell at cspan. I must have had an inchoate longing to do so for years, because it just seems to make a lot of sense.

Welcome to the online book-discussion world and to the VBC, azdolphin! Congrats on your daughter going to Cornell--does she know what she wants to study?

Hi also to Geri (another New Mexico resident--cool!). I like your take on AGT. You'll have to join us in the monthly discussion of it over in the Club Room. And welcome to cathyb--I caught "y'all" in your thread title and knew you were somewhere near my stomping grounds. I'm in Alabama, but my mom grew up in GA, about an hour ourside of Savannah.

Welcome all of you--hope I didn't miss anyone.

What's been really helpful has been being able to be a new student again

Absolutely. I feel as stale as a forgotten roll in the back of the bread box if I'm not learning something quasi-constantly. Given some of the jobs, interests and hobbies of the people I'm seeing here, that's probably something a lot of us have in common.

[Emmy]

Hi, I'm Emmy and have never been part of an online group. I got hooked on LRK one summer when I had just been to Jerusalem and O Jerusalem was just published and a friend loaned it to me. There went the rest of the summer, reading that and all the other LRK books. Best summer ever.

[Crochet]

Hi! My name is Laurie Wheeler, and yes, I found Laurie R. King's books because the name jumped out at me first. We "Laurie's" have a thing about our name, believe me, just ask another "Laurie." When I looked past the moniker, I saw the title "Bee Keepers Apprentice." I thought, hmmm, that sounds different, read the spoiler and snatched it up. I've been a Holmes fan from childhood, and I remember thinking, "Hmmm...let's see how good this author is, can she pull it off!" Man did she ever.

Anyway, other than being long winded and eccentricly attached to my first name, I am a mother of two children, wife to a Washington State Park Ranger, Wearable Art Designer and Handspinner. (Yes, I spin yarn by hand using a wheel...not the drop spindle thingys they can poke your eye out.) I have always loved reading, and collecting books. My husband shares my biblophilia and we have over 5000 books, mainly Sci Fi/Fantasy First Editions. However, I own a fair share of Esoterica, Mystery, "Horror", and a collection of religious texts.

I have lived and travelled in 23 countries and look forward to someday, somehow doing it again.

So excited to meet you all...I have been overly curious as to know others who read these books!

[azdolphin]

"Welcome to the online book-discussion world and to the VBC, azdolphin! Congrats on your daughter going to Cornell--does she know what she wants to study?"


Thanks for the welcome, Vicki, and for your good thoughts. My daughter was accepted into the College of Human Ecology and is leaning toward either Nutritional Sciences or Human Biology, Health, and Society. Her goal at this point is to work toward something in epidemiology or public health.

[jtb1951]

Thanks for the welcome, vicki, and for the invite to Huntsville; it is definitely on my "must see" list of NASA sites. BTW, can you steer me towards directions of how to insert quotes? Thanks, again!

John.

[Gail]

Hi!
This sounds like fun. I too have never been part of an online book club. My first LRK book was Grave Talent which I discovered when visiting my brother and his wife who were living in Santa Cruz CA and I saw an advertisement for a visit to a local bookstore by Laurie. That was a while ago and since then I have read almost everything that Laurie has written but especially love the Russell books.
I live outside of Boston MA with my husband and sometimes one son (he is currently a college freshman) with another son living in Boston - he returns for laundry and food, and a cat named Teddy. I am a United Church of Christ minister. It is at least my second career, maybe third. I headed off to grad school when I was 40 and was just ordained this year.
I love that we have a diverse group!
Gail

[Magpie]

Thanks for the warm welcome, Vicki. On the top of my list of fantasy authors is Terry Pratchett. He is crazy/funny but with depth especially if you have a mystical bent, or an interest in religious studies or celtic folklore or... There is a lot to Terry Pratchett.
Seeing all of the interesting people here, I am thinking, "Ooooh, this is going to be fun!"

[vicki]

John, here is a site about how to do bb code (http://www.bbcode.org/tags.php). You basically just start the quote by putting the word quote in brackets before it and then /quote in brackets right after it. And you should definitely visit Huntsvegas--it's got a lot of cool things to see other than the space stuff--there is also a big, gorgeous historic district where you can't throw a rock without hitting an antebellum house or a local history museum. It's a great change of pace after touring the space museum.

Best summer ever.

I also have very fond memories of the weeks I spent inhaling the Russells. Welcome, Emmy!

Wow, Crochet--you have a huge book collection! I love SF and Fantasy, too (just got throught with Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, in fact). Have you read Laurie's SF book, Califia's Daughters (http://laurierking.com/califias_daughters.php)? It's a good dystopian tale--I love those, for some reason. And given your profession, you might enjoy Laurie's short story, "Weaving the Dark," listed here (http://laurierking.com/books_and_reviews.php#shortstories) on the site, which is about a weaver who has gone blind, but still works (as I recall) in monochrome, focusing her craft on texture, which I thought was pretty cool.

My daughter was accepted into the College of Human Ecology and is leaning toward either Nutritional Sciences or Human Biology, Health, and Society. Her goal at this point is to work toward something in epidemiology or public health.

Wow--that's impressive. Those are great areas. I do some volunteer work in public health, and there is just no end to what's needed or what's possible, on so many fronts. Good luck to her!

[vicki]

Cross-post with Gail and Magpie--

On the top of my list of fantasy authors is Terry Pratchett.

That's wild that I posted about reading Good Omens just as you were posting he was one of your favorites. I've read one of the Discworld books (Mort), but am hoarding the rest of the series the same way I'm hoarding my last Peter Wimsey book (I've also also got about 10 of the Wimsey short stories I'm saving). I don't want to start busting through the Discworlds until I've got 3 or 4 days to just read constantly.

Hi, Gail! It's great to see another 2nd/3rd career person. I'm 41 and still trying to figure out what I'm going to be when I grow up. It actually doesn't seem all that long ago that I was returning home from college for laundry and food.

[katfisher]

Greeting to all (especially Vicki) from Kat in Raleigh, NC. It's another crackling dry day but I pause from my rain dance to say hey to all. As a beekeeper, I was intrigued by the title of LRK's book several years ago. I've read every book since, and worship the ground that sassy bun-wearing lady trods upon. Folly is more than a book to me, it is a refuge I seek when life gets too overwhelming. So much so that I'm making my husband use his frequent flier miles to take me to the San Juan Islands for our 15 year anniversary next summer. My background is in recreation, especially serving children with disabilities. I have a master's in recreation administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and an undergraduate degree in communications from VA Tech. I love to read, write, fly fish, play with my two kids and husband, and try to keep my bees from dying (no small feat these days). Thanks for this unique book group!

[Ann]

Hey everybody, my name is Ann and I live in Virginia. I have a BA in English and an MLS, and work in a public library. The first Laurie R. King book I read was With Child, I have since read (and reread) everything she's published. :)

[Elizabeth Chase]

Well, of course, I'm not really Elizabeth Chase, but the coincidence of having a school teacher grandmum named Elizabeth, who when she stood on tippy-toe might reach 5', was just too much to resist!!

I first met Laurie through the Mystery Guild in the spring of 1999 when O Jerusalem was one of their offerings. Sherlock Holmes having a female associate was very intriguing so I purchased the book. IIRC The Moor was available at the same time. Being a bit compulsive about reading a series in order, I found the earlier books and was immediately lost in the wonderful world of Russell/Holmes! I think I read those five books at least three times before I came up for air!! How's that for obsession?

I've also read all of Laurie's stand alones and two Martinelli's -- Nightwork and The Art of Detection. I enjoyed them all, but Mary Russell is my favorite.

As for the 'real' me -- I'm a woman of indeterminate age, which means of course that I'm really, really old but don't want to tell you my age, and live in a mid-sized city in the Great Lakes region. I like to read mysteries written by women, visiting on Internet forums, and knitting socks. Yes, a very exciting life!! :rolleyes:

I'm four chapters into A Grave Talent and looking forward to the discussion though I'll probably be a lurker for a while.

[sarahm@actcom.co.il]

Many of you will know me from Letters of Mary, and even RUSS-L (although I hardly post there any more). There's a short story of mine on LOM, "The Jazz Singer" in the Files section.

I'm a nurse midwife by trade, live in Jerusalem, like history and handcrafts. Laurie King was mentioned, on a Dorothy Dunnett list, as having created the "ultimate Mary Sue" fiction, and I was intrigued to read what sort of woman she envisioned joining with Holmes, who had been a great favorite of mine ever since childhood. The only other book of Laurie's, besides the Holmes/Russell series, that I've read, is "The Art of Detection". I liked the story; didn't like Martinelli so much.

[vicki]

Hi, farmwife! Cool blog--I was looking at your autism blog-roll and didn't notice this one, which I check into sometimes: Mom-Not Otherwise Specified (http://momnos.blogspot.com/). My 11yo DS is also on the autism spectrum--the mild end, fortunately, but even that presents a lot of challenges. We'll have to compare notes sometime.

Welcome, katfisher--I'm rain-dancing right alongside you, as Alabama is dry as a bone. That's interesting that you're a beekeeper--did they ever figure out what's causing this colony collapse disorder thing? BTW, bless you for your recreation work with special needs kids--that can make such a huge difference to the kids and their families.

Hi, Ann--it's great to have another member of the VBC librarians! Librarians rock!

Welcome, Elizabeth! I like your screen name--my DD is an Elizabeth, named after Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.

who when she stood on tippy-toe might reach 5'

I'm vertically challenged, myself--I barely make it onto those charts on the back of the panty-hose boxes.

Hi, sarahm! You have a very interesting profession--I love the diversity of vocations and avocations we're seeing in the VBC.

Welcome, all!

[alina]

Hi! I'm known most often as Alina, and I hail from the just-rained-on town of Roswell, Ga, though I do consider myself a native of Pittsburgh, PA.

How I found Laurie: I allowed myself the luxury of just staring and gliding my hands over the books at Barnes and Noble when I found The Moor left on top of a shelf. I read the back and decided I had to try the series after having gone through all of the Holmesian canon and some awful pastiches. So I bought the first two books, and my susceptible 12-year-old brain read them in two nights. I gave them to a friend in school; she soaked them up just as quickly. Soon we both had complete copies of the books and were discussing "what if" scenarios in our free time. (To this day we are still best friends even though we're separated by miles and tremendous life changes.)

Now I'm spreading the series out to all my friends in college who in turn have been recommending the series to their friends in different colleges. (Just five more steps to world domination! <insert badly-voiced evil cackle here>)

How I actually live my life: Well, that's rather boring, but I'm an undergrad student at college studying towards degrees in English and Theatre. Who knows how long this will last. I'm your typical college student sans wild sex, drugs, and binge drinking.

I'm adopted. Born in South Korea, adopted by a very white-middle-class-suburbia family. It's rather amusing to see people's reactions when I tell them I can't speak a lick of Korean but can rattle off all of the Spanish verb forms and tenses for "to be."

Umm...I act, sing, dance, write, read voraciously, ponder over the meaning of life until my brain temporarily shuts down, dabble in theology (an expanding hobby), and I'm sure a million other little things that don't come to my head.

Oh, and I'm a night owl. Hence the 3 AM post.

I've taken up enough space; I'm sure we'll talk soon!

Toodles!

Lina

[steppwolf]

I'm a big LRK-fan from sweden (I do beg you a pardon for bad spelling/grammar and hope that it won't be to hard to understand me)

right now I'm taking a class in chemistry, other intrests (exept reading, I'm a obsessive compulsive reader) are horse-riding and writing (though preferly in swedish).

My first LRK-book was "A Grave Talent" and I have read almost every of the Martinnelli-books and absolute all of the Russel-books, who I re-read at least twice a year, I truly enjoy immersing myself in the world of Mary Russel!

vänliga hälsningar (best wishes) /steppwolf

[vicki]

Welcome, Alina! That's cool that you found the Russells on a shelf-wander through the bookstore. I have many fond memories of shelf-wandering through the library on summer afternoons when I was a kid. I still like to shelf-wander in libraries and bookstores. Not all who wander are lost. </Gandalf> I notice you are studying theater and also sing--have you performed in some musical plays? I love musicals!

I'm a night owl. Hence the 3 AM post.


Soul sister!


I hail from the just-rained-on town of Roswell, Ga


<Jealous> Once again, there's not been a cloud in the sky all day here in central Alabama. Poor grass. Poor hydrangeas. Poor mondo grass, which took two full days of back-breaking labor to plant. Grrrrr.


And I've pulled back again from reading a lot of ASD blogs or I hop from those listed into others.


Yah, it can really consume a lot of your life, if you let it. You're wise to keep some boundaries up there.

Hi, Steppwolf and welcome--it's great to have a VBC member from Sweden! I love meeting people from other countries online. I always learn so much from them, and it's so good to get a different perspective on things. Do you read LRK's books in English or in a Swedish translation? Vänliga hälsningar to you, too! (See, I already learned something from you today). :-)

[alina]

Dear Vicki,

Shelf-wandering is one of my favorite hobbies. Especially when I step into an antique bookshop. The smell of the place is intoxicating!

Yes, I've done some musical theatre before, and It's always tons of chaotic fun! I've been in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and a musical version of A Christmas Carol. If all goes well, I'll be in a performance of Urinetown in the fall. Fingers crossed!

What's your favorite musical? Or are there too many to pinpoint just one?

I hope you get some rain soon! We didn't get enough to solve our problems, but enough to keep the grass from dying.

[Scarletquill]

Wow! This forum is great, so many interesting people and some new topics popping in!

Hi all,

I just got the e-mail today for the virtual book club and thought I'd drop in and join the fun. The first LRK book I ever read was "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" and I have loved every Russell book afterwards. Just pure joy!

[followingcharlie]

Hi there - just joined the VBC so thought that I should say hello to everyone and introduce myself.

This club is great as I also suffer from a lack of good book clubs where I live (like others have mentioned), and also being virtual is great as it means that I can join in as and when time permits and any time of the day and night! So thank you to LRK.

My first LRK book was the The Beekeeper's Apprentice and from the first page I was hooked and I am now a huge fan of LRK. I have now read a few more in the Mary Russell series and also one of her non-series books; Folly - which also happens to be my all time favourite book.

Now the blurb about me: I live in Buckinghamshire in the UK, I'm 34 (nearly 35 years old) married with a 10 year old daughter and two older step sons. I love to read, my favourite genre is thriller and crime but I have recently also started to read a few classic novels (19th Century), mainly because I am doing an Open University course in September called 'The 19th Century Novel' so I thought that I should start now as some of the course books are long! I have nearly finished Middlemarch by George Eliot and loving it; although it is a little tough going at times. The next LRK book that I am intending to read is 'Keepintg Watch'.

Thanks for listening and hope to have some discussions with you all soon

[Strawberry Curls]

Hi all. I'm a bit late introducing myself as I wanted to lurk for a bit and see how this was going to work before I jumped into the pond -- so to speak. I was burned on another site and remain a bit weary.

My name is Alice and I live in So Calif where I run my own business and write Russell/Holmes fanfiction. I discovered BEEK the summer of '05 and was obsessed with the books by March of '06. Needing a fix I searched the INTERNET and found The Hive and started reading the wonderful pastiche stored there. My secret desire had always been to write but I had never tried, and knew nothing of the world of fanfiction. I tried my hand and found I could put a story together and I had several stories posted to The Hive.

Last Sept. I joined the Letters Of Mary website that allows writers and readers of Russell/Holmes fanfiction to share their stories and discuss our favorite detectives. I am a very frequent poster there, and hope I can contribute something to the discussion on this site. I love all the works of LRK, but Russell will forever be my favorite.

[vicki]

Especially when I step into an antique bookshop.


The only problem I have with going to antique bookshops is that I usually have to carry somebody along who can physically pull me out of the shop once my eyes glaze over and I start gibbering excitedly to myself.

I've been in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and a musical version of A Christmas Carol. If all goes well, I'll be in a performance of Urinetown in the fall. Fingers crossed!


Good luck! Remind us when you go to audition so we can cheer you on. BTW, was that the same musical version of ACC that they filmed in the early 70s with Albert Finney? I love that movie. I love the book, too--it's my favorite Dickens work. It's been badly underrated by the critics, I think--they overlook its originality and brilliant structure. That structure and the story's universality go a long way toward explaining why so many tv series have adapted it for their Christmas episodes, imho. Well, not to mention that it's also in the public domain (ie free).

Welcome, Scarletquill! Cool website--I'd like to read some of your work when I get a chance. And I must say that I love the fact that you named your cat Mewse. Hehehehe!

Hi, followingcharlie--it's great to see our UK membership grow! I've got a daughter almost the same age as yours, but it seems like she's going on 25 most of the time. I just don't recall being anywhere near that fashion-savvy when I was her age. BTW--I think you're really going to like Keeping Watch. There's a Vietnam sequence in it that was so scary and so effectively done that it made me want to go hide under the bed. I'll bet you'll see which one I mean. <Shivers>

19th Century novels--hmmm. I have Middlemarch. I should read Middlemarch. But I will probably never read Middlemarch. Sad, but true. I'd love for you to convince me to overcome my inertia about it, though. I hated Vanity Fair with a purple, screaming passion and wanted to slap everyone in it. Repeatedly. On the other hand, I am absolutely ga-ga over all things Austen, and actually named my daughter after Elizabeth Bennet (which my family thought was weird, but that it was at least a normal name). Also love the Brontes, except Anne, whose stuff I've never read. I did once see a tv adaptation of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but found it rather dreary. If you like Jane Eyre, you might enjoy The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Very funny.

Welcome, Strawberry Curls! I'm glad to see a face from Letters of Mary. I check in there from time to time and am impressed by what a vibrant and supportive group it is. We can't do fanfic here or link directly to it (as per our instructions from the legal department), but LoM already offers a good resource in that respect. Does anyone know if the LiveJournal group, Dammit Holmes, is also a Russell fanfic group? If so, that's another resource. I haven't visited there, but I'll do so when I start a LJ.

Welcome, everybody!

[meagb]

Hi everyone, I'm really excited about this book club. I've been a fan of LRK since I first read The Beekeepers Apprentice. Though I have read and enjoyed some of the Kate Martinelli books, I absolutely adore the Russell books. I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan ever since middle school, but I love Holmes and Russell together.

I'm a huge bibliophile in general (like many other people in this club) and it will be nice to have a forum for talking to fellow read-a-holics because as I've gotten older, fewer of my friends have made time to read for fun and one thing I have always liked about reading is sharing the experience with other people.

As for my life when I'm not reading...I'm just finishing up my first year in the Neuroscience PhD program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and I love Madison, partially because I got to meet and have lunch with LRK last fall!

P.S. Vicki, I love your avatar, The Philadelphia Story is one of my favorite movies and that scene is hilarious.

[Kiyomi]

Hello all! I hail from sunny southern California. I first stumbled across 'The Beekeepers Aprentice' a few years ago in a used book store on the recommendation of a friend and quickly acquired and read the rest of the Russel-Holmes books in about a week. So far I have successfully hooked 6 other people on them.

[alina]

Ah, Vicki darling, the wonderful world of the antique book shop happened to be only steps away from my dorm this last year. I lived there. It was like I worked there without pay. I'm going to apply for a job there this fall, after figuring out auditions.

And of course I'll tell you when I audition! I'll be posting it everywhere in hopes that people will fervently send their goodwill and prayer in my direction!

As to which version of ACC I did: I have no clue. It was for a local community theatre. I believe the current owner and a friend of his collaborated to create this version. It was filled with humor, though at times it drowned out the universal themes. Or perhaps it was after 22 performances that I felt these opinions rise in my chest. *shrugs shoulders* Who knows?

Anyway, happy hullos to everyone! I know we'll all chat soon!

[jtb1951]

Hey, everyone! meagb is my oldest daughter, so I want to be the first to welcome her to the LRKVBC! As an inveterate reader, she gets it honestly from the parental units! :) So here's a big shout out to my meag!!!

John.

[vicki]

Welcome, meagb--I love your avatar, too! Cool picture! It's great to meet another fan of The Philadelphia Story. That scene really is a hoot, isn't it? I laugh just to think about the look on Jimmy Stewart's face when Dinah started singing that absurd song. I had a devil of a time finding a good, avatarable picture of that scene, but google images finally pulled through.


I'm a huge bibliophile in general (like many other people in this club) and it will be nice to have a forum for talking to fellow read-a-holics because as I've gotten older, fewer of my friends have made time to read for fun and one thing I have always liked about reading is sharing the experience with other people.



I agree--reading is even more fun if there is some social aspect or sharing to it, which isn't always easy to find in RL. The internet has made it a lot easier for us biblioholics to find and enable each other. :) You're lucky to have parents you can share your love of books with (hi, jtb! <waves>).


I'm just finishing up my first year in the Neuroscience PhD program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison


Cool! I'm a brain-science geek from way back. I even subscrbe to Scientific Amercian Mind and like to read stuff in the vein of Oliver Sacks's work. A couple of years ago, I read a book about intelligence by Jeff Hawkins, the guy who invented the palm pilot--he has a brain science foundation and is doing research that may one day lead to advancements in artificial intelligence--making artificial brains work more like human brains. That stuff really appeals to my inner Star Trek fan. Do you study any of that sort of thing?

I love Madison, partially because I got to meet and have lunch with LRK last fall!


Was that during Bouchercon? That's a fun convention--I went to the one in Vegas a few years ago and they had great panels and a good bunch of folks. I met some nice people there. Maybe we can do some VBC get-togethers at some upcoming conventions/mystery-fests. The upcoming Bouchercon is in Anchorage, which should be an interesting venue.

Welcome Kiyomi! You got through the whole series in a week? W-O-W! You get the speed reading award. Color me jealous--my brain spins to think how many books I could read a year if I were that speedy. And you definitely get a biblio-evangelism citation, too, with six new Russellphiles to your credit. Good work!


It was like I worked there without pay. I'm going to apply for a job there this fall


Good idea. You're going to be over there all the time, anyway. Might as well get paid for it.

[meagb]

That stuff really appeals to my inner Star Trek fan. Do you study any of that sort of thing?

I also love Oliver Sacks, cognitive Neuroscience and Star Trek, but I discovered while doing rotations that I would go crazy trying to do my dissertation in cognitive areas. I actually work in a neuroendocrinology lab, studying the way progesterone and vasopressin interact, using different behavioral and molecular tools.

Was that during Bouchercon?

Yes, Laurie was there for Bouchercon, though I didn't go, I heard that she was going to be in Madison via her blog.

You're lucky to have parents you can share your love of books with

How right you are. Actually, I'm lucky to have my parents in general! ;) Thanks for the warm welcome to the VBC.

[steppwolf]

thanks (tack) vicki! as for your question; all the martinelli-books i've read and the two first of the russel-books were in swedish, and i didn't know that there were any more books written by LRK, but then i found out and desided to give it a try in english... the first book i read in english was "the moor" and i did found the descriptions of datmoors geografy and tin-mining a bit of a strain, but wiht a good lexicon and a bit of googling i managed to understand most of it, and i loved the book as whole, so i continued with the rest of the russel-books imedeatly, learning a great deal and having a really good time..

//steppwolf

[ivanova]

The first LRK book I read was A Grave Talent, but the first one I noticed was The Art of Detection. It looked interesting, but I didn't pick it up because I never, or almost never, start a series in the middle. But that combined with LRK being recommended by my teacher, is what got me started. I was expecting to like the Martinelli books better, but to my surprise I much preferred the Mary Russell books, although I do like the Martinelli books too. Aside from LRK, I read mysteries, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, whatever the book club I'm in decides to read, and recommended books.

I'm a library clerk at two different libraries. I'm also taking classes to get my Library Technician AA. After that, I'm planning to get my Master's in Library Science. I already have a Bachelor's degree in Astronomy.

I have two cats, Gandalf (the gray tabby) and Gimli, who turned out to be a girl. ^_^;; I also have two kittens at the moment. I rescued them and raised them, and now I should be finding homes for them...

In what little free time I have, I tend to read or watch DVDs. A point of trivia, it is possible to max a Netflix queue.

I don't know how much I'll be able to participate here, but I'm going to give it a try.

[vicki]

Welcome, Ivanova! We have a lot of librarians hereabouts (yay!), so you're in good company.

I never, or almost never, start a series in the middle.

Linear reading buddies, unite! I even read the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries in order (contrary to quite a few well-informed opinions), except that I'm hoarding Nine Tailors as my last real Wimsey novel, along with about ten of the Wimsey short stories. If I get hit by a mack truck before I get to finish them, I shall be very Put Out.

The linear reading thing is why I haven't read the Canon, however. I tried, but got only four pages into the Utah section of "A Study in Scarlet" before throwing it against the wall. Although I've been advised to skip ahead to Hound of the Baskervilles, the linear reader in me recoils from the thought.

Aside from LRK, I read mysteries, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, whatever the book club I'm in decides to read, and recommended books.

In what little free time I have, I tend to read or watch DVDs. A point of trivia, it is possible to max a Netflix queue.

Come over to the Great Room and tell us what's on your Beloved Bookshelf (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28) and in your movie cabinet (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31).

Great kitty names, by the way. :-)


but wiht a good lexicon and a bit of googling i managed to understand most of it, and i loved the book as whole, so i continued with the rest of the russel-books imedeatly, learning a great deal and having a really good time..

Wow, steppwolf. Now, that is true book-love--I admire your tenacity!

thanks (tack) vicki!

Var så god! (You're welcome!) :)

[Christina]

Hello All,
Christina here. I am a recent fanatic convert to LRK, via finally giving in to reading BEEK (is that the correct abbreviation?). I had avoided it for years because I could not imagine how anything or anyone could pay proper homage to Sherlock... I could only imagine how anyone else's pastiche would tarnish a character I loved so. But finally I gave in to recommendations. And I was hooked in the first couple of pages and immediately ordered all the other Russell series, went on to the Martinelli series and all the rest. It took some arm twisting to get my DH to read any, as he shared my original reservations, but as soon as he did he was hooked too. We anxiously await the new one as the whole household is suffering withdrawal!
A bit about myself: I am a Licensed Acupuncturist, herbalist and classical homeopath. I love all books, just some more than others! As to fiction I used to read mostly SciFi in my youth, the switched pretty much out of fiction to non-fiction, mostly quantum metaphysical alternative medicine buddhism ;-) and the like. Went through oriental medicine school to get that L.Ac., and it took a few years for me to regain the energy to read beyond the necessary, and when I did I found that I was back to fiction, but this time in the mystery genre (as well as all the non-fiction I continue to read.)
I am brand new to this virtual bookclub (and blogging) stuff and am still trying to figure it all out, but I have been on all sorts of listservs for years and years, mostly the alt med stuff.
I look forward to meeting all the other hopeless LRK fans out there!
Christina

[vicki]

Hi, Christina and welcome to the VBC! I'm glad you and your DH decided to give the Russells a go. <Waves to Christina's DH>

Alternative medicine is expanding fast here in the Western world, although I know it's been huge in Asia for a long time. That must make it an exciting time to be practicing in the field. Another of my favorite authors, Robin McKinley, is a homeopath. I keep wondering if she'll write about that in her fiction. That would be interesting!

When you get a chance, come by the Great Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=8) and tell us about your favorite books and movies.


BEEK (is that the correct abbreviation?)


That works for me! :) For anyone who hasn't been to the RUSS-L community, they have a number of useful abbreviations for the Russells, including BEEK, MREG, OJER etc. I forget all the abbreviations (although I should know them, having been on RUSS-L for years), so if anyone wants to post the others, feel free.

[Zoë]

Hi LRK VBC,

My name is Zoë, and I have a confession to make: I am Laurie King's daughter. I know, I know what a heavy burden to bear.

I have been shadowing the discussion for a while now, but I wanted to throw my two pennies in. I have read all LRK's books multiple times over, some more recently than others, and hope to contribute a slightly different take on the books when I can.

I look forward to chatting with you all!

[Christina]

Actually, Homeopathy was at its height at the time of Russell & Holmes, and I think they would have been interested in it (it's coming back in the last 2-3 decades here the States, and is huge and ever-growing in India). Once bitten by the bug, homeopathy and homeopathic philosophy is a true, complete and authentic "Path" and for those who love it, it's hard not to evaluate all the world through its lens. (Oriental Medicine, Taoist philosophy from which the medicine derives, I-Ching and all that are the same... but different ;-) I do sincerely wish LRK was into classical homeopathy, since I think it would fit so very nicely within the milieu and philosophy of Russell & Holmes.
I did not know there was a major, prolific author who was also a homeopath! As far as I know, there has been only one novel published with the premise of homeopathy (The Law of Similars, Chris Bohjalian,) but IMHO it was not very true to homeopathy and therefore despite the good reviews it got on Amazon and elsewhere, I find it sad because it does not properly represent what a truly endlessly amazing and profound Art homeopathy, properly practiced, can be. Christina

[vicki]

Hi, Zoe! <waves>


Actually, Homeopathy was at its height at the time of Russell & Holmes, and I think they would have been interested in it


Wow--I didn't realize that. It does sound like something Russell might find interesting--almost like a system of thinking

[Christina]

Hi Vicki, Sorry to say I have not figured out how to quote your messages inside mine yet. (I tried hitting [quote] but what I got didn't look right <BIG sigh!>)

Anyway, Homeopathy is indeed a system for thinking. Absolutely anything can be analyzed with homeopathy (same for Taoism from which oriental medicine derives.)

My metaphor for the Universe (and especially for any healing paradigm) is that it's a room with windows, each system (Homeopathy, Oriental Medicine/Taoism, Biodynamics, Anthroposophy, some forms of Christianity, some forms of Buddhism, etc, etc,) represents a window into the room. From each window you can see a certain percentage of the room. Some windows are larger than others and some you are predisposed to being able to see through easier than others. The more windows you can open (paradigms you can learn well) the more of the room you can see. The more of the room you can see the clearer your intervention will be. By "intervention" I mean within your own life; or if you are an educator or practitioner then your intervention can also be within the lives of others.

The process of diagnosis and differentiation within both homeopathy and oriental medicine is very like the process of detection as practiced by Russell and Holmes; it can be applied to absolutely anything including healing ;-) It is my gut feeling that Russell would be instantly comfortable with homeopathy and that Holmes would have to do as some of history's greatest homeopaths have done: Start by trying to disprove it. Anyone who--with an open mind--tries to disprove homeopathy ends up a convert.

Christina

[vicki]

I have not figured out how to quote your messages inside mine yet.


What I do is to copy the snippet I want, paste it in the posting box, highlight it, and then hit the quote icon at the top of the box. Quote and unquote tags in brackets will then appear around the quote, which the program transposes into that nifty quote format when you post the message. Pretty cool!

That's a fascinating way to look at different disciplines and systems of thought--as windows through which we can gain a greater understanding of things than we could by looking through just one or two windows. That's a good metaphor.

[llm132506]

I love the Mary Russell Series by LRK. I've read, collected both hardback books and audio CD's of this series. I strongely suggest getting the audio CD because you can listen and carry LRK's books everywhere you go.:)

Looking forward to the "July" discussion! And, meeting everyone.:D

[vicki]

Hi, llm and welcome to the VBC! A lot of people have mentioned how much they love the audio versions of the Russells? Have you ever heard the BBC dramatization of The Beekeeper's Apprentice? That's a lot of fun. I've got an extra copy of the CD set of it, so if you can't find a copy, I don't mind lending it out via snail-mail.

When you get a chance, come by the LRK Reading Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=4) to talk about LRK's books, and by The Great Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=8) to tell us about your favorite books and movies, and anything else that occurs to you. Or if you have a question for LRK, you can leave it in The Author's Study (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=17). Happy posting!

[irish]

Hi! My first LRK was "Monstrous Regiment of Women" sent to me by my Mom and then my first Martinelli was "With Child". I have read all the Russells so far and I am 3 books into the Martinelli's and I am addicted.

I am an avid reader and willing to try most things, especially juicy mysteries. It keeps the brain working. I also love medical stuff and am a pre-nursing major at Carson-Newman College, if anyone has heard of it. It's a little bitty school in Jefferson City, TN, right next to the Smokies.

I love this book club. I hope we all have fun discussing everything and anything!

[vicki]

Welcome, irish and a big "howdy, neighbor!" to you. <Waves> I'm in Alabama--usually in the central part of the state, but I'm currently visiting a city near the TN state line, so I'm not much more than a stone's throw from your state right now.

That's cool that you're going into nursing. Are you planning to specialize? I have a friend who is an obstetrical nurse in a high-risk unit and she has a lot of fascinating stuff going on at work. I also have a friend who is an obstetrical nurse-practitioner. I thought it was kind of funny that she turned out to work in obstetrics because I learned about the birds and bees from her when we were in 3rd grade. (My response--"No way! that's so gross!)

We're so glad you're here--happy posting!

[vicki]

Hi, farmwife! I've discovered a few ways to pull up a thread's unread posts. There may be other methods, but these are the ones I know about:

1. The quickest way is probably to click on a forum or subforum so that its thread-list pops up. To the left of each thread-title with new posts is a little downward pointing arrow. If you click on that, it takes you to the first unread post in that thread.

2. You can also just click on the thread, and near the top left-hand side there is a place to click that says something like "go to unread posts." It takes you to the same place.

3. Also, if a thread is listed under a "last post" column on the right side of the VBC home page, a click on that title will take you to the unread posts.

4. Right under the light gray secondary banner (which is below the LRK logo banner) is a darker gray bar with white text on it. One of the phrases on that bar is "new posts." Clicking on that pulls up the threads with the new posts. I think you can then follow 1, 2 or 3 set forth above.

5. Another nifty thing in the dark gray bar is the "quick links" button, which allows you to pull up "today's posts." It pulls up the list of threads with new posts, and following 1-3 above should pull up the unread posts.

6. You can also go into the user cp (also linked in the dark gray bar) and click on the "edit options" link. Once there, you may arrange for the threads to post linear order-newest first (rather than the default, which is linear order-oldest first). That allows you to see the end of the thread first (although not necessarily the first unread post).

I hope this is reasonably clear. I get muddled up with these technical directions sometimes. And if any of you know another method for going directly to the unread posts, let us know.

[Carlina]

*Waves back energetically to everyone*

I've already introduced myself, but going through and reading, I just wanted to say that I am amazed at the range of diversity, both literally and academically, found here. There are numerous folks in all different fields of the humanties and sciences with degrees in a broad range disciplines. That is truly amazing...wow!

Nice to meet you all and I look forward to some intellectual as well as just plain silly conversation! You all seem like a cool lot!

Thanks to LRK for this community and Vicki for keeping it together. Now I fear I must return to my academic responsibilties...

[Ms. Kay]

Hi! I'm Kathleen and, once I post this, I'll no longer be the one inactive member of this VBC. I live near Charlotte, NC and am the supervisor at a small branch library in Gaston County, NC. I discovered LRK and her books about 10 yrs. ago while reading an article about her and her books in Publisher's Weekly. The first LRK book I read was A Grave Talent. I was so excited about this book because I, like Kerry, used to live in the SF bay area and recognized many of the places talked about in the book.

I've also read and enjoyed the Russell books and look forward to any that may be coming in either/both series.

I'm 50 something, have two adult children and one wonderful husband (we'll have our 34th anniversary in about a week and a half), and a large grey cat named Samantha.

I'm stopping now because this may be waaaaaaaaay too much info.

I'm glad to be here with others who enjoy these books.

[Christina]

My Dear Ms Kay! What a WONDERFUL quote you use as a tag line.
====
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright (1846-1944)
====
I LOVE it.... LOL! Christina

[vicki]

Welcome, Kay--I'm so glad you de-lurked! You'll find a lot of fellow librarians here in the VBC, and many enthusiastic library fans, as well. I'll have to echo Christina on your tagline--I love it!

When you get a chance, come by The Great Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=8) to tell us about your favorite books and movies, and whatever else comes to mind. The LRK Reading Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=4) is the place for talk about LRK's work, and the discussion of this month's VBC selection, A Grave Talent, is here (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4). And if you have a question for LRK, you can leave it in The Author's Study (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=17).

Farmwife, let me know if you need any further help with that. There are a lot of options and features with this software, but we'll get it all figured out soon.

I just wanted to say that I am amazed at the range of diversity, both literally and academically, found here.

I'm with you on that, Carlina! It's great to see such a broad range of interests and fields in this group. It's also rewarding to discover some things we share, including a love of learning in the many forms it may take.

[fallonash]

Hi! I'm fallon ash (or fallon, or fa), and I've been a fan of LRK for some 10 years now, since I randomly picked With Child off my school's library shelf for a free reading assignment, and fell in love with it from the first page. I've since read and loved and re-read all of LRK's other books as well, but Kate will always have a special place in my heart for being the first lesbian character I'd come into contact with who was written in a three-dimensional wonderfully human way; growing up gay in a small town it meant the world to me to have someone like her to look up and relate to.

Anyway, work has kept me from doing much more than briefly scanning the forum, but it's calming down now, and I'm looking forward to getting more closely acquainted with all the interesting discussions I've seen!

[nkk1969]

Hi Laurie,

I just had to pop in here to say I envy anyone who gets to travel on a frequent basis. I've only been to four countries (US, Canada, Mexico, and Germany), but I plan to travel more often as soon as I get these kids out of the house. Okay, that will be at least four years from now, but hey, a girl's gotta dream, right? :-)

Nikki

[vicki]

Welcome, fallon! That's great that you found With Child on a random sojourn through the library shelves--I'm glad you found something that spoke to you and helped you through the difficulties of adolescence. And I'm also glad you found your way here!

Hi, nkk! I don't get to travel much, either, but I adore living vicariously through other people's travels. Maybe we need a travel thread in the Great Room area for people to tell about their travel experiences. And I noticed on your profile that you're a dorm mother. I did that for two years when I was right out of law school and really enjoyed it. I have some funny tales from that time.

[Roxanne]

I am sitting on a computer station in my local public library and have taken this opportunity to catch up on the VBC. Since I am currently without a job, I have not been able to check out LRK's site every day, as was my usual wont.

I, too, am a librarian. I live outside of Philadelphia, PA, with my almost-14-year-old daughter and five cats: Mat, Abby, Snapple, Annabelle, and Buddy Lee (a.k.a. Mow-Mow)--the latter a cat my sister asked me to watch for her for "just a couple of weeks" while she moved to Florida. That was a year ago this July...

My first LRK was <b>The Beekeeper's Apprentice</b>, which was lent to me by one of my former student employees. I was smitten. I have lost count of how many times I have reread BEEK. In fact, the weekend after I lost my job, I read it again; I give Laurie R. King much credit for helping me maintain my (little) sanity. Since then I have read everything written by LRK--except "Weaving the Dark" from Thrilling Tales.

Vicki--"Weaving the Dark" is the <i>only</i> LRK writing I have not yet read. Any suggestions how I can go about obtaining it?

Vicki--are you really willing to lend out the BBC dramatization of <b>The Beekeeper's Apprentice</b>? If so, would you add my name to the list? I would *love* to listen to that.

(I hope I executed that quote-thing correctly...)

Zoe--is that your real (given) name? I considered naming my daughter Zoe, but settled on Chloe instead.

It has been a pleasure reading about all of you. I have never been part of any book club--RL or virtual. I won't be able to check in everyday, as I used to, but I will still look forward to reading everyone's comments.

Roxanne

[vicki]

Hi, Roxanne--it's great to have another librarian in the VBC! No worries about not being able to check every day. We're open 24/7, so you can post whenever you want. We're just happy to see you when you're able to come by.

And yes, I would be glad to lend you a copy of the BBC dramatization of BEEK. Just email or private-message me your snail-mail address and I'll pop it in the mail to you. I'll also include my copy of Thrilling Tales, which includes "Weaving the Dark." When you're done with them, you can mail them back to me or to anyone who wants to get behind you in the lending line-up.

About the quote and italics thingies--you're posting in excellent html, which I know and prefer to the formatting language used on this software--bb code. Danged bb code. Even the name sounds stupid. We could enable html in the posts, but the developers of this forum software (vBulletin) strongly advise (in bold, italicized and underlined font) not to do that. It makes it much easier for people to hack your forum to pieces, evidently, which would be bad. So bb code it is. You can google some guides for it, or you can just highlight whatever text you want to change and hit one of the formatting buttons at the top of the posting box. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it.

Is your dd a reader? She's at a good age for the Russells--they are very popular with YA readers.

Sorry about the job situation. I'll be sending many positive professional thoughts your way!

[nkk1969]

Vicki,

My official title is Desk Clerk, but I'm just there, at the front desk, in case the kids need anything. I fill in at different buildings each week. The guys are the most fun. One time this poor kid poked his head around the corner but kept his body hidden. He went down the hall to take a shower and forgot his room key, so there he stood in nothing but a towel. "Umm, Mrs. Rowe, could I, just this once, get a loaner key to my room without having to show I.D.?" I tried very hard to keep a straight face.

And, yes, a travel thread sounds great.

Nikki

[jtb1951]

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

I'm now a member!!! ;)


I love this place!!!!

John.

[lauriebain]

Hi, y'all. I was born in Memphis, but as I left before my first birthday, I don't have a southern accent, EXCEPT to use "y'all." I live now in Woodstock, IL. This is the beautiful town where "Groundhog's Day" was filmed. It is a movie with many spiritual and "what is right" implications, so it would appeal to many LRK fans, I think. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

This is the first bb I've signed up for since the internet got easy. I'm really quite excited. Like most of you, my first experience with LRK was through BEEK, recommended to me right after it came out in paperback by a clerk in a mystery book store in Evanston, IL. Does anybody know if that is still there, and what it is/was called?

I re-read BEEK at least twice a year, own all the MR books in hardback, and have listened to the wonderful Jenny Sterlin's readings (Recorded Books) of the series at least three times. I can't tell you how many paperback versions I've purschased, because I buy them specifically to give away to friends who haven't read any LRK before. I've recently found a way to get those books that are available only on tape (not CD) onto my i-pod, so I'm sure to be reading them even more often in the future. With my i-pod, I can take Mary Russell with me everywhere I go. And I travel a lot, with my family in four different time zones.

Finally, I would like to be put on the list for the video of BEEK viewing. Those of you who have seen it, what do you think?

[vicki]

Welcome, Laurie! It'll be nice to see a few more y'alls floating around the forum (says she from Alabama). I looove "Groundhog Day"! That is too cool that you live where they filmed it! What a picturesque place.


I re-read BEEK at least twice a year, own all the MR books in hardback, and have listened to the wonderful Jenny Sterlin's readings (Recorded Books) of the series at least three times. I can't tell you how many paperback versions I've purschased, because I buy them specifically to give away to friends who haven't read any LRK before.


Oooh--not only a true devotee, but also a fervent LRK-evangelist! Isn't it fun to help spread the word about a great read? You might be interested to know that LRK is putting up long excerpts (the first few chapters) of her work on the website--BEEK and A Grave Talent are already up there. So that will make it easy to send links out to friends and other potential converts. Yay!

Finally, I would like to be put on the list for the video of BEEK viewing. Those of you who have seen it, what do you think?

I'd be happy to add you to the list for the BBC dramatization set, but alas, it's only a radio dramatization. It's an entertaining and fun radio play, but we really do need a movie or mini-series, don't we?

[jtb1951]

Like most of you, my first experience with LRK was through BEEK, recommended to me right after it came out in paperback by a clerk in a mystery book store in Evanston, IL. Does anybody know if that is still there, and what it is/was called?

Welcome, lauriebain, from Carol Stream,Il ! There was a mystery bookstore in Evanston called Something Wicked which I believe moved to a different location in Evanston; I'm not sure if it is extant. There is a terrific mystery bookstore called Centuries and Sleuths in Forest Park, which LRK and Les Klinger appeared at earlier this year. Again, welcome!

John.

[Elizabeth]

I'm a little late in introducing myself (always the shy one in the corner at parties) but my name is Elizabeth and I'm an LRKholic.

I live in London, but my first introduction to Laurie's writings was on a visit to a mystery bookshop in San Mateo, CA (M is for Mystery?) back in 1994. I was on the Russ-L yahoo list for a few years, but real life began to take its toll and I had to limit myself to Laurie's wonderful blog entries.

I've never been in any kind of book club before, and I've enjoyed reading the comments from this international group of people with obvious good taste!

[Aoife]

Hi,

My name is Aiofe (pronounced EE-fah). Actually it's my middle name. I am a fan of both series but I tend to lean more toward Mary Russell. I am a librarian by profession, and I do historical research for two aspiring writers.
I guess that's all at least for now.

Aoife

[vicki]

Hi, Elizabeth! It's lovely to have another LRKholic/RUSS-L bee in the house, and one from Russell-country, to boot! I also love that we're an international group. It really enriches a group's perspective to have a lot of diversity. I love your avatar, BTW.

Welcome, Aiofe! That is a very cool name. We do love our librarians and are always glad to see more of them. <Radiates librarian-love> That's great that you're helping out some aspiring writers! What eras are you researching? I love reading about how writers incorporate historical research into their work. LRK does a good bit of it, obviously, and I've read some stuff about how other writers go about it. I think the main danger for me would be that I'd get so immersed in the research that I'd neglect my writing. I'll bet you're having fun with it.

[QueenBee]

Hello!

Very happy to be here. The message about the LRK book club has been sitting in my e-mail for weeks and I just now got around to reading it.

I've read all of Laurie R. King's books at least once....even the non-series books.

I primarily get my books from the library...but if I really enjoy a book I've read from the library I will go out and buy it to add to my collection.

I'm very glad this forum was created and I look forward to posting here.

B

[vicki]

Hello, QueenBee and welcome to the club! I love your screen name and avatar--tres cool. It's great to have you here.

If you get a chance, stop in to this month's discussion of A Grave Talent (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4). LRK will be dropping in there soon--and take a look at some of the fun topics in the LRK Reading Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=4) and the Great Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=8)--you may see something fun to dip your toes into there.

[seslavie]

Hi all! This is my first virtual book club and I am looking forward to it. Some of the best books I've ever read have come as recommendations by word of mouth. My first question to other bibliophiles is always, "name your top 5 favorite books". I stumbled on my first LRK book more than 10 years ago by accident. I was in the hospital and the previous occupant of the room had left behind a copy of "The Beekeeper's Apprentice". I am forever grateful! I have since read all the Russell/Holmes books and many of the Martinelli series. I am currently in the process of re-reading the entire Russell/Holmes series (currently working on "O Jerusalem") just because I enjoy them so much.

I live in Southern Maine and work as a pricing analyst for an insurance company. I'm married with two children. The older has left the nest and is engaged to be married. The younger just finished her freshman year at Bowdoin College. I love to read, love to garden, and occasionally get addicted to a TV show (X-Files, Farscape, Gilmore Girls). I'm looking forward to participating in this forum!

[vicki]

Hi and welcome, seslavie! Great Hepburn pic as your avatar, and I love that signature quote--both true and hilarious.

Some of the best books I've ever read have come as recommendations by word of mouth.

Same here. Since so many of my best recommendations have come over the internet, I could just as well say "word of keyboard" or "word of pixel" or something along those lines. :)


My first question to other bibliophiles is always, "name your top 5 favorite books".


Oooh--that's a tough one. I have so many favorites, I have a bookshelf for them, and even dedicated a thread here to it --see the Beloved Bookshelf thread (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28). If I had to narrow it down to just five, I'd definitely include Pride and Prejudice, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and...and...um...uh...<brain melts>.

That's such a great story about how you stumbled onto LRK. Maybe we all need to plant a copy of our favorite LRK book somewhere to spread the word and increase the good karma of the reading world.

The older has left the nest and is engaged to be married. The younger just finished her freshman year at Bowdoin College.

My kids are still young, but I know it'll seem like a flash and then they'll be off at college, getting married, etc. I just hope they'll let me keep reading to them every night for a few more years. That's one of my greatest joys of the day. Are your kids also readers?

I also like to do some gardening--or I do when there's not an epic drought happening, that is. Grrrr. It has been frighteningly dry here in Alabama all spring and summer, and we're all down to hand-watering in the dark for a few hours a week--and we're glad just to have that. How's it been in Maine?

[fallingforthefirsttime]

Hi all,

My name is Molly, I live in Washington state. I'm a third year college student majoring in linguistics with a double minor in Latin and liberal studies.

My first LRK book was actually The Moor; I found it at the library, and had to go back and find all the others.

I tend to be a lurker in message forums, but maybe this will be the time I make my way out of the shadows... Anyway, this is a great idea, thanks for putting it together!

[vicki]

Hi, Molly from Washington state! You have a formidable course of study--it sounds interesting. I'd love to go back and take some linguistics. And with the Latin, you'll really be able to take apart language. What kind of classes does your school offer in liberal studies?

You should definitely step out of the shadows. We have a lot of nice folks you'll like--avid readers who are welcoming, curious and intelligent--and they're all book-lovers of the first order. In addition to our great LRK discussions, we have a lot of fun book-related (and even non-book-related) topics in the Great Room area.

[2maple]

Sslavie, glad to see another Mainer (I'm from the Mid-coast).

Bowdoin's a great school. My daughter's looking at colleges now, but Bowdoin was too close to home for her (she might run in to high school friends, their parents and, possibly even worst of all, her own parents, shopping or at the movies !!). Oh well, college is the time to reinvent yourself out from under your parents, so I couldn't really argue.......

There are a phenomenal amount of excellent book recommendations in a variey of places here...I know I 've learned about a number of books I want to read. Happy hunting

[seslavie]

Thanks for the warm welcome vicki. Richard Thompson is one of my favorite musicians and I just love his sense of humor.
Oooh--that's a tough one. I have so many favorites, I have a bookshelf for them, and even dedicated a thread here to it --see the Beloved Bookshelf thread (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28). If I had to narrow it down to just five, I'd definitely include Pride and Prejudice, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and...and...um...uh...<brain melts>.
:lol: I agree. Maybe 5 books per genre would be easier? I'll head over to the Beloved Bookshelf thread and post some of mine.

That's such a great story about how you stumbled onto LRK. Maybe we all need to plant a copy of our favorite LRK book somewhere to spread the word and increase the good karma of the reading world. It worked for me!

My kids are still young, but I know it'll seem like a flash and then they'll be off at college, getting married, etc. I just hope they'll let me keep reading to them every night for a few more years. That's one of my greatest joys of the day. Are your kids also readers? Yes. I started reading to my children while they were quite young. (I can recite quite a bit of Dr. Suess, Maurice Sendak and Shel Silverstein by memory LOL). As they got older, we switched so that they would read out loud to me. We had a right of passage where when they finished reading a book out loud to me, they could put their name and the date in the front cover. I can't tell you how proud they were of themselves when they did that. They both continue to love books and read as voraciously as I do.

I also like to do some gardening--or I do when there's not an epic drought happening, that is. Grrrr. It has been frighteningly dry here in Alabama all spring and summer, and we're all down to hand-watering in the dark for a few hours a week--and we're glad just to have that. How's it been in Maine?We're not so bad here. The rainfall has been about average. Currently, we've been having quite hot (90's) weather which usually triggers thunderstorms in the afternoon.

[seslavie]

Seslavie, glad to see another Mainer (I'm from the Mid-coast).Ditto! Bar Harbor marks mid-coast for me. Are you south or north of there? Beautiful country either way! I love our state.

Bowdoin's a great school. My daughter's looking at colleges now, but Bowdoin was too close to home for her (she might run in to high school friends, their parents and, possibly even worst of all, her own parents, shopping or at the movies !!). Oh well, college is the time to reinvent yourself out from under your parents, so I couldn't really argue.......
:lol: I know the feeling! Bowdoin is only 40 minutes away for us, but it might as well be 4 hours....my daughter has no car. I do remember however sending my daughter an e-mail shortly after she started college advising her that it would be wise on her part to respond to her mother's e-mails in a timely manner...otherwise her mother might show up on her dorm doorstep unannounced to make sure that she was still alive! I had a response less than an hour later! :lol: Good luck on the college search. There are so many excellent colleges out there and it's such an exciting time in your child's life.

[KristaB]

Hi all! My name is Krista and I also started this journey with The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I was at the Public Library one day and was looking for something to pick up, so I picked up an audio copy of the book and put it on the stereo in my car. I now own the entire LRK collection to date including the Russell series, the Kate Martinelli series, Folly, A Darker Place, Keeping Watch and Califia's Daughters on both cd and printed book. I went from an admirer of her work after listening to Beekeeper's Apprentice to a true fan of her as a person when she wrote back to me after my surgery for cancer on and around my heart. I met her in person when she came to Madison, WI for a book signing and was priviledged to have her sign copies of some of her books.

[vicki]

Welcome, Krista! I'm glad you came through your illness and that LRK corresponded with you during your recuperation. She's mighty good people, as they say here in Alabama. :)

There are several other VBC folk from Wisconsin around the forum, so you'll be in good company. One of my good friends grew up there, in fact--I love her distinctive accent.

I look forward to seeing you around the forum--check out this month's discussion (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4)of A Grave Talent (the BEEK discussion starts in a few days--wahoo!), the LRK Reading Room (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=4), and the Great Room area (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=8). And stop by to tell us what's on your Beloved Bookshelf (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28)--the bookaholics over there are always in search of another item to add to our teetering, tottering TBR stacks.

Maybe 5 books per genre would be easier?

That's moving in the right direction! Just to be safe, maybe we can go with something more like 5 in each sub-genre (ie, amateur detective mysteries, police procedurals, paranormal romantic mysteries, country house mysteries, etc, etc) I envision say, 30-40 categories. That should work! ;)

We had a right of passage where when they finished reading a book out loud to me, they could put their name and the date in the front cover. I can't tell you how proud they were of themselves when they did that. They both continue to love books and read as voraciously as I do.

Wow--that's a fabulous idea. I'm going to have to try that one. One of my greatest hopes is that my kids will continue to love books as they grow older, so I can always share that with them.

I'm glad the weather's been more obliging in Maine than it has been down here. It's been so dry here, we've taken to putting a bowl in the sink to catch water from hand-washing to use for watering, as well as using the reclaimed bath, shower and clothes-washer rinse-water. I've gotten used to standing in the middle of a bunch of buckets as I shower. It's not all that much fun to haul bath-water out to sustain the hydrangeas, but it's a good reality-check for all of us in the area--reminding us of how scarce our resources are.

otherwise her mother might show up on her dorm doorstep unannounced to make sure that she was still alive! I had a response less than an hour later!

Hehehehe! I'll bet that did improve her response rate and time!

[2maple]

Sslavie, I'm not that far north…that’s funny, I always think of Bar Harbor as downeast …but I am north of the Kennebec.

I have been having a lot of fun looking at colleges with my daughter, and I think she has some really exciting options…now its time for applications and waiting!!

Vicki, you made me laugh at we are having such nice weather! …Last week when I finally got around to posting an avatar, this amazing thunderstorm blew through and while I was waiting for our dial-up to complete it’s tedious task. I was outside taking these incredible pictures of this storm front that stretched from one side of the sky to the other across a hay field and debating weather I should shutdown the computer and try again later as our house is on a hill and has been struck by lightning before (thank goodness for lightning rods!!)… then, when it passed overhead and the wind picked up, this one low hanging cloud was actually going around in a circle. It looked perilously close to what I always imagined the beginnings of a tornado to look like or for those who love movies - God to start talking to Charleton Heston. I wish I could post these they were really amazing. And, we are still picking up branches and in some cases whole trees along the field edges from the April “Patriot’s Day” storm in which our county and several others were declared “National Disasters” … I guess this is better than drought!?!

[vicki]

2maple, if you want to email me those "God talking to Charlton Heston" pictures, I should be able to post them--they sound amazing.

Yah--as natural disasters go, tornadoes are definitely the pits. They're a fact of life here every spring and fall, and just a few months ago, 8 kids died and scores were injured when a tornado hit a high school in Enterprise, Alabama. After stuff like that, you'd think we'd get a pass on the other disasters, but we got a double-whammy this year with that and the drought.

I guess every region has its natural disaster of choice. I've always thought a tornado would be better than a bad earthquake because you can at least go below ground to be safe from a tornado. The only safe place in a big earthquake is in a helicopter or airplane. Scary.

[2maple]

Vicki - I couldn't figure out how to attach photos to the email...could post insructions for idiots...

[vicki]

You're not an idiot. Email attachments can be tricky sometimes. I'll email you later today and we'll get it figured out. That's something that'll come in handy for you in the future, even apart from getting the Charlton/God pictures delivered.

[seslavie]

Wow--that's a fabulous idea. I'm going to have to try that one. One of my greatest hopes is that my kids will continue to love books as they grow older, so I can always share that with them.

Another thing that I did with my children that was educational (but they thought it was a game...hehehe) I called "Country of the Day". I had a big National Geographic map of the world posted on our dining room wall. While my husband and I were busy preparing dinner, we would give our older daughter the name of a country to find on the map. If she had trouble finding it, we gave her a hint like which continent is was on, or another country that it was near. She was always so proud of herself when she finally found it that she would want another country to find. The game usually continued during the entire time it took to prepare dinner. We would usually start out with countries that she had found before and then move on to new ones. It quickly got to the point where I would need to study the map after she went to bed to find new countries to give her. :lol: We continued this tradition with our younger daughter with just as much success. Needless to say, both our daughters kick butt if you play "Global Pursuit" with them!

[jtb1951]

Another thing that I did with my children that was educational (but they thought it was a game...hehehe) I called "Country of the Day". I had a big National Geographic map of the world posted on our dining room wall. While my husband and I were busy preparing dinner, we would give our older daughter the name of a country to find on the map. If she had trouble finding it, we gave her a hint like which continent is was on, or another country that it was near. She was always so proud of herself when she finally found it that she would want another country to find. The game usually continued during the entire time it took to prepare dinner. We would usually start out with countries that she had found before and then move on to new ones. It quickly got to the point where I would need to study the map after she went to bed to find new countries to give her. :lol: We continued this tradition with our younger daughter with just as much success. Needless to say, both our daughters kick butt if you play "Global Pursuit" with them!

Excellent! A family after my own heart; I don't think there is anything more important or more satisfying than sharing our passions and interests with our children, and watching them develop into new adults, educated, self-sufficient, involved, and full of life! Being able to sit down as a family, and talk/discuss/argue about just about anything is priceless!! Good job!

John.

[scriveling]

Hi, I'm Becca. I'm a librarian. I was referred here from Miss Russell's MySpace page, and I'm looking forward to the discussion. :)

[Chris]

Hi all! My name is Chris and I'm a LRK addict. ;)

I like to do things in proper order, so I started with BEEK and from there on out, I was making almost weekly trips to B&N until "Locked Rooms". So depressed when I finished that one, I had withdrawls for weeks.

I tried, but couldn't get into the Martinelli's, but I'm all for giving them another shot. I think I was too fresh off the Mary Russell train to give any other female detective a chance. I'm bad.

Anyway, I think this looks like a fun and intersting place to hang out! Thanks for starting it and thanks for having me!!:D

[vicki]

Hi, Becca! I'm glad you found your way over from Miss Russell's MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/maryrussell) (wow, she's up close to 500 friends--go Russell!). You'll find many colleagues around the VBC--there are a lot of librarians here (yay!). If you have some book recommendations, there are a number of good places to post those in the Great Room area (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=8).

And hi also to you, Chris! We're always honored to welcome a fellow LRKaholic into the fold. I was in your state not long ago, enjoying the World (Disney, that is) with my kids. I have many happy Florida memories, as my grandparents lived in Cocoa Beach during the Apollo missions. My aunt went to FSU while they lived there and is still a major Seminole fan.


I like to do things in proper order


I'm a chronological reader, too--almost obsessively so. I read the whole Lord Peter Wimsey series in order, bucking much advice to the contrary (and I'm very glad I did so). I did save out one Wimsey novel just so I know there's still one left to read. It would be depressing to have no Lord P. left unread. Of course, if I get hit by a train instead of wasting away from a lingering illness, I'll never get to read it, which will be really annoying.

Incidentally, if you're coming down from a Russell binge and need a little hair of the dog, you might try the Wimseys (here is an excellent chronology (http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html)). The first ones are not the strongest of the bunch, but stick with them, trust me. They get good, and I do mean good. And a certain character from the series makes an uncredited and very fun appearance in A Letter of Mary. Whee!

When you're in the right mood, you might give the Martinellis another shot. When you're still on a Russell-high, it's hard to adjust to the very different language, perspective and tone you find in the Martinellis. I remember flipping back to the cover of A Grave Talent a couple of times, to make sure I'd picked up the right book, it was so different from the Russells. It was astounding to me that any author could write in such completely different ways, and do both kinds of writing so well.

[Peppermint]

Popping in to say hello from Austin!

I'm a teacher over here, and also do some work as a cashier. Both jobs are very interesting, but teaching is what I hope to turn into a career :)

My own introduction to Russell was at a summer camp 5 or 6 years ago, where I promptly devoured everything that had been published at the time (I had been an avid Holmes fan up to that point, and the idea of a female counterpart was a wonderful find). Like many others, I'm eagerly awaiting the next book. . .

[vicki]

Hi, Peppermint and welcome to the VBC! I've heard so many good things about Austin--I'd love to visit there sometime. Maybe I'll try to go during the SxSW festival one year.

What subject and age group are you interested in teaching? Although you might not want to make a career out of your other job, you're probably learning a lot from it. Looking back, I think I learned as much from the jobs that weren't in my career path as those that were.

That's cool that you discovered Russell at summer camp! I love to hear how people discovered LRK--we've had a number of interesting stories posted about that. I especially like seslavie's story upthread about her introduction to LRK--she was in the hosptial and the previous occupant of the room had left a copy of The Beekeeper's Apprentice behind. Pretty cool.

[Peppermint]

Hi, Peppermint and welcome to the VBC! I've heard so many good things about Austin--I'd love to visit there sometime. Maybe I'll try to go during the SxSW festival one year.

What subject and age group are you interested in teaching? Although you might not want to make a career out of your other job, you're probably learning a lot from it. Looking back, I think I learned as much from the jobs that weren't in my career path as those that were.

Austin is wonderful. I'll be honest: I'm not so keen on living in the South, but this is a great city. Sx is a fun event, and so is the Austin City Limits festival, which rolls in around the end of September, I believe.

I'm interested in teaching middle school [first response from all of my friends/family: are you nuts?], so I'm working with the teens in a summer program right now. It's been quite the learning experience; they will definitely keep you on your toes!

And, I'm definitely learning a lot from the retail job. Unfortunately, one of the things I've discovered is that my mental math skills need some help :rolleyes:

[jhaupin]

and a happy 4th to you all- I stumbled on Mary several years ago and must say that she and her husband have brought me hours of enjoyment- and anticipation.
recently I picked up a gps unit (tired of getting lost trying to get home from Boston on crowded Friday highways) that reads digital books to me as I perambulate the byways north of Boston, and I 've found the best stress reducer is having a Mary tale read to me by the wonderful Jenny Sterling.

getting ready to head down to Boston for the 4th's Harborfest - lobster, a little clam chowder, great seats at the hatch shell for the pops and wonderful fireworks- can't think of a better way to celebrate the 4th!

[Chris]

Incidentally, if you're coming down from a Russell binge and need a little hair of the dog, you might try the Wimseys (here is an excellent chronology (http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html)). The first ones are not the strongest of the bunch, but stick with them, trust me. They get good, and I do mean good. And a certain character from the series makes an uncredited and very fun appearance in A Letter of Mary. Whee!



Thanks! I'll try the Wimseys next, I think. MAYBE the Martinellis afterward...

[Piper]

Greetings, fellow LRK fans!

I've been a fan of LRK since I read a rave review of BEEK in Publisher's Weekly many years ago. I haunted the bookstores till it came out (back in the dark ages before Amazon.com), bought it, read it cover to cover, then promptly began reading it again.

I live in Los Angeles, in a lovely little Spanish-style house from 1930, with my husband, 20-month-old daughter, and a mischievous calico whose name I have appropriated as my screen name.

Vicki, you may remember me from the R'ville YARG; we met at BEA in Los Angeles and had some delicious (and potent) mojitos at Ciudad.

I'm off to explore the board & to start re-reading BEEK...

[vicki]

Vicki, you may remember me from the R'ville YARG


MOGGET! <squeals, hugs> You've gone and gotten yourself a little bambino since last we typed--congratulations!! I have very fond memories of Cuidad, those lovely mojitos (I so printed off that recipe from their website) and our fun visit there. Good times!

Send pictures of the excellent bambino and the lovely new casa (love, love, looove those 1930's houses) when you're able. Yes--'splore the board, as Ricky Ricardo would say. Lots of nice folks and fun stuff to talk about.


I picked up a gps unit (tired of getting lost trying to get home from Boston on crowded Friday highways) that reads digital books to me


What a cool device--need it! I've heard good things about Jenny Sterling and have been meaning to try those audiobooks.

getting ready to head down to Boston for the 4th's Harborfest - lobster, a little clam chowder, great seats at the hatch shell for the pops and wonderful fireworks- can't think of a better way to celebrate the 4th!

Wow--I want to go celebrate my next July 4th with you. That does sound pretty smashing. I hope y'all had a fabulous time!
http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/images/misc/progress.gif

Thanks! I'll try the Wimseys next, I think. MAYBE the Martinellis afterward...


Here's a no money down, risk-free trial of Martinelli #1--the first four chapters of A Grave Talent (http://laurierking.com/pdf/A%20Grave%20Talent.pdf), from LRK's website. Pass the URL along to anyone you think might like it!


I'm interested in teaching middle school [first response from all of my friends/family: are you nuts?]


Don't listen to the nay-sayers. Kids that age are wonderful. In my experience, if you really listen to them and take their concerns and thoughts seriously, they will almost uniformly respond in a positive way. Certain people have a real knack for interacting with teens that way--it sounds like you do, which should make the job a lot more enjoyable than it might be for the average teacher. Good luck with it--I hope to hear all about how your first week/month/year of teaching go!

[Jancron]

Hi there

I'm a fan of LRK books and first discovered her through a Grave Talent but I love the Russel series the best.

I used to be an avid poster on forums but now life has taken a different turn and I no longer have the time I used to but I am hoping to drop on by a bit and have a read and find out what is going on.

So... HI!

[Peppermint]

Good luck with it--I hope to hear all about how your first week/month/year of teaching go!

Thanks for the kind words! The first week was really rough for me this summer (none of the teens showed the first day, we have one who is off his ADD meds for the summer, etc.), but it's wonderful to see them learn :D A few of them have gone through mock-interviews with my boss already, and they did a stellar job remembering all their interviewing manners -- they even wrote thank-you notes afterwards!

[Peppermint]

recently I picked up a gps unit (tired of getting lost trying to get home from Boston on crowded Friday highways) that reads digital books to me as I perambulate the byways north of Boston, and I 've found the best stress reducer is having a Mary tale read to me by the wonderful Jenny Sterling.

That sounds wonderful! I sure wouldn't mind being stuck in traffic if there were books involved :p

[vicki]

Hi over here, Jancron! I hope you'll be able to post a good bit. We have some great discussions and a lot of fun things planned for the coming months, so don't stay away too long!

A few of them have gone through mock-interviews with my boss already, and they did a stellar job remembering all their interviewing manners -- they even wrote thank-you notes afterwards!

That's great--I hope things continue to go well! Re: the kid with ADD being off his meds for the summer--I know that can be stressful to deal with. My DS is taking most of the summer off his attention meds so he can catch up on his weight gain. The meds are enormously helpful, but they sure do kill a kid's appetite.

[ValentineWiggin]

Hi everyone! My name is Brenna and my dad and sister have been going on about this for awhile, so I figured that I might as well jump on the bandwagon. I've only read the Russell books, but I will read the other ones as soon as I can get to them. I'm lookign forward to talking about the books!

[jtb1951]

Welcome to the VBC, daughter!!:) I think you will enjoy all the give and take that ensues!

Dad.

[ValentineWiggin]

Thanks for the welcome, Dad. Nice to see that you are rockin' the Jabberwocky...

[vicki]

Hello and welcome, Brenna! It's nice to see another member of the jtb family here! You are in for a major treat with the non-Russell LRK books--they're all excellent. If you want to get a jump-start on the Kate Martinelli series, you can try the first four chapters of A Grave Talent (http://laurierking.com/pdf/A%20Grave%20Talent.pdf), from LRK's website.

Love your screen-name (explanatory aside: it's the name of a character from the series starting with Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card). I used to post over at OSC's Hatrack forum and still get over there from time to time. The Enderverse rocks! I also like the Alvin Makers (at least through #3) and Enchantment. OSC can really spin a good yarn, but I try to stay away from his socio-political writing/blogging, little of which jives with my views.

[ValentineWiggin]

Thank you. My sister thinks that Valentine would find it ironic that I am using her name as an online alter ego, and I have to admit that I like the thought. Have you read both the series? So, both the one which continues w/ Speaker for the Dead as well as the one which begins with Ender's Shadow? I have Enchantment and I need to finish it. Also, I love your picture. That movie is wonderful. They don'r make them like that anymore.

[vicki]

Have you read both the series

I've read the first two Enders, the first 3 of the shadow series, the first 3.5 Alvin Makers and Enchantment. Those are all good--well, except for the last .5 of the Alvin Makers. Or maybe I just wasn't in the mood for another Alvin. I'll have to reread to make sure my impression wasn't skewed. Yes, finish Enchantment--it's really good! I love a good fairy tale retelling! I have Lost Boys and have heard great things about it, but haven't read it yet.

Thanks for the snaps on my avatar--I'm always glad to find another fan of The Philadelphia Story. It's one of the best movies ever.

[ValentineWiggin]

My dad has all the Alvin Maker books, I'll have to try those and finish Enchantment. If you love The Philadelphia Story, have you seen Bringing Up Baby?

[vicki]

Definitely try the Alvins--they're good stuff. A very astute reader I know regards the series as one of the few distinctly American fantasy works out there.

Bringing up Baby is a big gap in in my viewography. Thanks for reminding me of it--I'll look for a copy next time I'm at the video rental place (I really need to get on the netflix bandwagon). The movie that most often comes to mind when I'm watching The Philadelphia Story is His Girl Friday--there's the Cary Grant factor, of course, and all the great wisecracks. One of my favorite exchanges:

Louis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080867/): What's the matter, Hildy?
Hildy Johnson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751426/): Don't give me that innocent stuff! What did you pull on Mr. Baldwin THIS time?
Louis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080867/): Who, me?
Hildy Johnson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751426/): Yes, you and that albino of yours!
Louis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080867/): You talkin' about Evangeline?
Hildy Johnson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751426/): None other!
Louis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080867/): She ain't no albino.
Hildy Johnson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751426/): She'll do 'till one comes along!
Louis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080867/): She was born right here in this country!

Hehehehe! Lots of fun quotes from HGF can be found here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032599/quotes).

[ValentineWiggin]

I love His Girl Friday. I'm actually doing an internship this summer working with pictures from an old newspaper called the Chicago Daily News, and it was two writers from that paper who wrote the play The Front Page which His Girl Friday is based on. Also, a great movie in the Grant/Hepburn cannon that my sister and I discovered by accident on one of the movie networks is Holiday. It was during the period when Hepburn wasn't all that popular, so it isn't really well known, but it is a great movie.

[spiston]

Holiday with Hepburn/Grant has got to be one of my favorite films of all time! Thanks for reminding me of it...

[annobime]

Hello to all VBC readers and fans,

I am an educator who loves school, learning, reading, etc- you get the picture! My first LRK book was Beekeeper's Apprentice and I was enthralled- first of all by the notion that Sherlock Holmes lived a double life- and by the fact that Mary was such a suitable match for him! As their relationship blossomed, she has always held her ground voraciously -I have found in every LRK book I read (and I have read all of the Mary Russell series to date) I learn a lot- about the world past, about other cultures, religions, regions, etc. It's a marvellous experience, not just a reading pastime. I am looking forward to sharing opinions and information on future reading forays in the world of LRK

[jtb1951]

I learn a lot- about the world past, about other cultures, religions, regions, etc. It's a marvellous experience, not just a reading pastime.

Welcome to the VBC! I think one trait we all share here is a thirst for learning (and reading, of course!) You're absolutely right, it is a marvellous experience!!:)

John.

[birchblanket]

Hello! Looks like a friendly place to be - I'm new to this sort of thing, being a digital immigrant and all (albeit a young one), so bear with.

Been 'lurking' a bit and am learning a lot from Christina (thanks for the intel on honey!) and others - nice to know we LRK fans all have a home...first read BEEK when I was pregnant with my daughter in 1999 and have been hooked ever since - read all the Holmes/Russellian ones and then the Martinellis and the others (darker place was dark but good) and now just started AOD, savouring it, trying not to go too fast.

The fact that I'm a huge knitter helps - slows down the reading a bit since I'm not great at doing both at the same time. My sister swears by audio books since she runs and spends hours on the runway as a pilot, but I'm still a purist...

Anyway, nice to meet you all, and I'm a little sheepish to say it took the bribe of the first ed. BEEK to get me here. But now that I"m here, I'll keep watching and learning and perhaps make a post here or there.

Sunshiny thoughts!

[library_student]

Hi everyone!

I'm a returning distance learning college student heading for my Bachelor's in Library Science. I've also been a stay-at-home mom for the last 2.5 years to my wonderful daughter who's now looking for a job to help our household bills.

My mother died last year after a 2 year bout with stomach cancer that she wasn't expected to survive 3 months. She was not dying then, she insisted, but held on to meet her first grandchild, my daughter, and start seeing her grow up. My mom was adopted when her mother was 46 (father was 35), and Grandma only died 11.5 years ago as well, another huge influence in my life.

I am Jewish, and feel I have some education in common with Russell. At my Bat Mitzvah when I was 13, my rabbi told all my gathered friends and family he thought I could be a rabbi someday. I still have family asking when I'm enetering rabbinical school.

I have read all the short stories of the Canon, and of course The Hound of the Baskervilles. I just ordered the last movie to complete our collection of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, The Master Blackmailer.

Of course, I have all the full book Kanon as well! I hope LRK releases a short story collection at some point. I'm disappointed I can't get a copy of "Mrs. Hudson's Case" in Crime through time: new and original tales of historical mystery because even the limited discusssion of it in Contemporary Feminist Historical Crime Fiction by Rosemary Erickson Johnsen sound intriguing. I agree with Russell that Mrs. Hudson may be rather underestimated in Canon, and love how she gets more attention in the Kanon.

[vicki]

Vicki, I must say you look young to be so savvy in your admin position!


Hi, annobime, and thanks for the youthful-appearance kudos. :) But I have to give all the credit to Virginia Weidler (http://classicmoviemusicals.com/weidler2.htm), who played the delightful Dinah Lord (little sister to Tracy Lord, played by Katharine Hepburn) in one of my favorite movies, The Philadelphia Story. If you haven't yet seen it, run--don't walk--to the dvd store and get a copy.

Welcome, birchbark--it's great to have you here! I love the term "digital immigrant"--haven't seen that one before. I'm writing it down in my mental phrase-book. And I must say that I'm impressed that you can read and knit at the same time. I can crochet like clockwork (can't seem to knit, however--must have a major knitting block), but I don't think I could do it and read at the same time.


I'm a little sheepish to say it took the bribe of the first ed. BEEK to get me here. But now that I"m here, I'll keep watching and learning and perhaps make a post here or there.



That's cool--we're just glad you're here! And do keep posting when you can. The more, the merrier, especially with all these friendly, smart LRK readers.

Hi over here, library student! How is the distance-learning experience? I once did an online writing course that was pretty good, but that was several years ago, so I imagine the technology is even better and more supportive now. Maybe you could find some distance-learning rabbinical courses, once you've got your library science degree!

I'd also like to see an LRK short-story collection, as the individual stories are pretty hard to track down. I just now looked for my copy of the collection including "Mrs. Hudson's Case," but couldn't find it. I'll keep looking and if I can lay my hands on it, I'd be glad to mail you the book so you can read the story.


My mother died last year after a 2 year bout with stomach cancer that she wasn't expected to survive 3 months. She was not dying then, she insisted, but held on to meet her first grandchild, my daughter, and start seeing her grow up.

I'm so sorry about your mother but am glad to hear that she was able to enjoy her grand-baby. There are quite a few posters here who have lost their mothers and were able to find comfort in the Russell books. Spiston was thinking of starting a thread for those who had lost their moms, which sounds like it would be a good place for support and camaraderie.


I think one trait we all share here is a thirst for learning (and reading, of course!)


So true. If the VBC population is any indication, LRK readers do have a great love of knowledge and information, and they dearly love books. My kinda people!

[library_student]

Hi over here, library student! How is the distance-learning experience? I once did an online writing course that was pretty good, but that was several years ago, so I imagine the technology is even better and more supportive now. Maybe you could find some distance-learning rabbinical courses, once you've got your library science degree! Distance learning is interesting, with occasional posts to the classroom discussion board holding and reassuring our daughter, to liven up the experience! I've found some distance learning Hebrew and Jewish Studies courses, but the only total program for an rabbinical candidate not requiring uprooting my family for months for a trip to Israel as part of a single semester's curriculum so far is the ALEPH ordination program, http://www.auburn.edu/~silvesb/Aleph/prepare.html, that I've found. I have a hard time getting to scheduled classes taking care of our daughter and moving into the job world. I have been to Israel, Jerusalem, and Meggido are just what are described in OJER. I have a heart condition and grew up on an island, so the low humidity in Israel generally had me hopitalized during my one trip becuase I couldn't drink fast enough to stay ahead of dehydration. It's a beautiful country, but I don't want to visit until it gets quieter so I can deal with my health without giving myself a heart attack.

I'd also like to see an LRK short-story collection, as the individual stories are pretty hard to track down. I just now looked for my copy of the collection including "Mrs. Hudson's Case," but couldn't find it. I'll keep looking and if I can lay my hands on it, I'd be glad to mail you the book so you can read the story.

I've emailed you with my name and address!

I'm so sorry about your mother but am glad to hear that she was able to enjoy her grand-baby. There are quite a few posters here who have lost their mothers and were able to find comfort in the Russell books. Spiston was thinking of starting a thread for those who had lost their moms, which sounds like it would be a good place for support and camaraderie.

Mom did enjoy her granddaughter. Becca was the light in her life, and because my mother-in-law also became disabled while I was pregnant, Mom was the grandmother to get down on the floor and play with her despite her chemo port and everything else. Sometimes, it's the daily heroes who get forgotten, but we have photos so Becca has that at least!

[Pamela]

Hi all,

Pamela here from the Las Vegas valley (I actually live in Henderson, but most people just know Vegas). I love the Mary Russell series and look forward to reading the Martinelli books. I love Laurie King's writing style - always so interesting and full of great background. I've been a Sherlockian forever (well, since I can remember!)

I have three grown boys and my husband and I are embarking on a new adventure of opening our own mystery bookstore - Cheesecake and Crime, Inc. - a Mystery Bookshop and Cheesecake Joint. My husband makes the most incredible cheesecake in the world and has had people encouraging him to open a bakery for ages. So, here we go . . .my love of mystery/suspense/thriller books combined with death by cheesecake! ;)

Hope to hear from you and see you in Vegas!

[Kiyomi]

I've driven through Henderson before! Welcome! Cheesecake and Books sound like a winning combination to me! I'd love to see some pictures.

[KarenB]

Pamela - Good luck in your (and your DH's) endeavor! I would go a long way for good cheesecake and good books!!

[vicki]

Welcome, Pamela! It's great to have you in the VBC. Cheesecake and Crime is officially on my must-see list for Las Vegas! Great cheesecake, great books--what's not to like? And maybe we can do some mail-ordering from you. In particular, I need copies of the books with LRK short-stories in them, if they're still in print, because--as I was telling library student over email--I cannot find my copies of those anywhere. :..( I think they were in a box that was inadvertently given away. Waaah! I'd love to have some copies of those to mail-lend to the VBC.


Distance learning is interesting, with occasional posts to the classroom discussion board holding and reassuring our daughter, to liven up the experience!


Online learning is a great thing for those with small kids. I'd never have been able to do that writing course if it hadn't been online. I wouldn't mind doing another such course, come to think of it. I took mine with Gotham Writers Workshop, but I think there are others out there. I think AmyLizzie mentioned that Oxford U. now has some online classes--talk about cool! I'd love to do something like that.


the only total program for an rabbinical candidate not requiring uprooting my family for months for a trip to Israel as part of a single semester's curriculum so far is the ALEPH ordination program, http://www.auburn.edu/~silvesb/Aleph/prepare.html, that I've found.


Wow--Auburn is a couple of hours away from me. That's where my mom and dad went to school. I didn't realize they had an ordination program. That's great!

I have been to Israel, Jerusalem, and Meggido are just what are described in OJER. I have a heart condition and grew up on an island, so the low humidity in Israel generally had me hopitalized during my one trip becuase I couldn't drink fast enough to stay ahead of dehydration. It's a beautiful country, but I don't want to visit until it gets quieter so I can deal with my health without giving myself a heart attack.

I'm glad you got to visit there, but that's way scary about your heart condition. I hope you'll get to go back at a point when you can do it safely.


Mom was the grandmother to get down on the floor and play with her despite her chemo port and everything else. Sometimes, it's the daily heroes who get forgotten, but we have photos so Becca has that at least!


What a great lady. I'm glad you have those photos to show Becca.
http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/images/misc/progress.gif

[vicki]

BTW--I love your new avatar, Karen. :)

[KarenB]

Vicki - I have a sweatshirt with that one it and am so tickled that I figured out how to make it my avatar as I am rather newby-ish to the whole virtual thing. Having fun here!!:D

[vicki]

Oooh. I need a t-shirt like that! Kudos on working your avatar-magic with it. Did you copy the front from an online catalog, or did you actually scan the shirt to get the image?

[library_student]

Wow--Auburn is a couple of hours away from me. That's where my mom and dad went to school. I didn't realize they had an ordination program. That's great!

It looks like Auburn University donates webspace to ALEPH or at least the Rabbinic Path Ordination program, because the ALEPH headquarters are near me in Philadelphia, PA! Ah, the joys of the Internet. None of the higher links have the http://www.auburn.edu/ header, see http://www.aleph.org/ordination.html.

I'm glad you got to visit there, but that's way scary about your heart condition. I hope you'll get to go back at a point when you can do it safely.

I would like to visit again. After all, next year in Jerusalem! :-)

What a great lady. I'm glad you have those photos to show Becca.
http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/images/misc/progress.gif

I am too!

[Arcadian]

I just dropped into the Hospitality Suite for the first time, so hello everyone! I am a long time Sherlockian and member of a scion group of the Baker Street Irregulars here in Ann Arbor. I am an artist, (I'll have to figure out how to get myself a creative avatar) part time student, avid reader, living and working in Ann Arbor. A Michigan native, but half Canadian. (I bake wonderful Canadian style butter tarts.) I'll be spending time this week at the Ann Arbor Art Fairs. See ya there?

[vicki]

Hi over here, Arcadian! I've never had a butter tart, but it's now on my to-try list--it sounds divine!

That's cool that you're an artist--watch for the announcments about next month's VBC contest, which should be right up your alley. :) What kind of art do you like to do? My little boy loves to draw and wants to be an artist when he grows up. I'll have to post some of his stuff sometime. Which reminds me--I've been meaning to start a VBC gallery.

Say hi to the Ann Arbor BSI-folks for us!


It looks like Auburn University donates webspace to ALEPH or at least the Rabbinic Path Ordination program, because the ALEPH headquarters are near me in Philadelphia, PA! Ah, the joys of the Internet.


Good on Auburn--I'm glad they're donating webspace to ALEPH. The address for that page did surprise me--I wouldn't normally think of a Rabbinical ordination program in connection with an agricultural and engineering school, but stranger things have probably happened.

[vicki]

FYI--Karen emailed me where she got the sweatshirt featuring her avatar design, and I found that it's on sale at Signals catalog (http://www.signals.com/signals/Outlet-Store_200/View-All-Outlet-Store-Items_2AA/Item_Edward-Gorey-Book-Lovers-Shirts_HA2522G_ps_cti-2AA.html). Enjoy!

[JEA]

Hello - I'm new to the world of the online book club. I've read all of LRK's Mary Russell series, and all the Martinelli novel. I've read a few of the ACD Holmes, but was never a big fan, actually.

I'm from Florida, but travel throughout the US for work, and am on the road more than home. Interested to see what turns up in discussion.

[vicki]

Hi and welcome, JEA! Have you read any of LRK's stand-alones? Those are excellent, too. What other authors do you like to read?

[Nin]

Hi
I'm Nin. I'm taking a year of from university currently to pursue an EMT license and an internship in horticulture, though normally I'm an elementary education major. I love to read and sing and dance and garden. I'd say more but my English stopped working around noon today as I work as a summer camp science instructor and our rocket launch was rained out so I was stuck with many wild children and nothing to do for a day.

[jtb1951]

I'd say more but my English stopped working around noon today as I work as a summer camp science instructor and our rocket launch was rained out so I was stuck with many wild children and nothing to do for a day.

Welcome to the VBC, Nin! As a professional chemist and long-time model rocket enthusiast I was interested to hear about your summer camp job; bringing science to life interestingly for young minds is a noble pursuit!! BTW, is Nin a nickname, or in honor of Anais Nin, or Nine-Inch Nails, or something completely different? Glad you can join us!!:)

John.

[vicki]

Welcome, Nin! You have an awesome array of interests--teaching, science, health work, the arts, horticulture, child development. </impressed> It sounds like you have literally hundreds of career paths you could easily follow with all that. It reminds me of what so many of the VBC folks have in common--an immense curiosity and a great desire for knowledge and learning. Pretty cool.

One of my friends runs science camps for middle- and high-schoolers at a science and math outreach center here in Birmingham. That sounds like such a cool thing to do. I'll be its fun, even when the kids get a little rambunctious.

Explore the forum, when you get a chance. There are a lot of fun threads to try out!

[Nin]

BTW, is Nin a nickname, or in honor of Anais Nin, or Nine-Inch Nails, or something completely different?

It's a shortening of Ninianne which sounds somewhat like my given name. I've been called by it by a good portion of my family for a very long time.

The summer job is with a company called Science Adventures. I get a group of around 20 children, K-6, for a week and we learn about basic science centred around a theme. Last week was Space and Rocketry while next week is called "Gizmos, Gadgets, and Goop" which I believe deals with circuts, physics, and possibly some chemistry.

Nice to meet you, John.

Nin

[jtb1951]

It's a shortening of Ninianne which sounds somewhat like my given name. I've been called by it by a good portion of my family for a very long time.

The summer job is with a company called Science Adventures. I get a group of around 20 children, K-6, for a week and we learn about basic science centred around a theme. Last week was Space and Rocketry while next week is called "Gizmos, Gadgets, and Goop" which I believe deals with circuts, physics, and possibly some chemistry.

Nice to meet you, John.

The pleasure is all mine, Nin! Your summer job sounds great; I think basic science education is sadly lacking in this country, and I applaud all endeavours to present science to young folks in a manner that is interesting and engaging. Props to you!! and welcome, again, to the VBC!:)

BTW, I love the beautiful flower that you've chosen for your avatar!

John.

[Snowflake]

Greetings from Georgia!

I first read The Beekeeper’s Apprentice in 2002, and I joined Russ_L about a year later and have been a member off and on ever since.

I haven’t read any of the Martinelli books – just haven’t been able to get into them.

Christina

[jtb1951]

I first read The Beekeeper’s Apprentice in 2002, and I joined Russ_L about a year later and have been a member off and on ever since.

Welcome to the VBC, Snowflake; we hope you take the opportunity to look around the various topics, LRK-related and otherwise, and join in when the mood strikes. Welcome, again!!

John.

[vicki]

Hiya, Snowflake and welcome to the VBC! I love your avatar, btw.

I hail from Alabama, but I have a lot of Georgia connections. My maternal grandad's family is from Bainbridge, and my maternal grandmother and my mom grew up in Claxton, which is near Savannah. We still have family and friends in Statesboro, Claxton and Bellville. And I also have in-laws in Macon, where I'll be going soon for a family wedding. So it's nice to see a font from Georgia. I think we have a few others around here from GA, also.

I'll echo jtb in suggesting that you explore the forum when you get a chance. There are a lot of great discussions you might enjoy. And we're discussing The Beekeeper's Apprentice this month here (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=63)and will be starting our discussion of A Monstrous Regiment of Women on August 1.

[Elsie]

Hi, I'm new. I just finished The Bee Keepers Apprentice on Sunday night and am officially hooked on Russell and Holmes. Well, I've been hooked on Holmes for years, but the two of them together are wonderful. Looking forward to getting through all the books and some interesting discussions here.

BEEK was an amazing book and I am so thoroughly impressed with Ms. King's writing. It's intelligent and captivating. I could hardly put the book down!

[vicki]

Hi, Elsie and welcome to the VBC! I'm glad you enjoyed BEEK--and now you can read A Monstrous Regiment of Women so as to join us for the August discussion, starting tomorrow! And of course, you can post in the July discussion of BEEK (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=564#post564)--although the spotlight moves on to another discussion tomorrow, the BEEK discussion will remain open for further comments. You have a lot of wonderful reading ahead in the Russell series, and in all the other LRK books, as well.

Explore the forum when you get a chance--there are some excellent discussions going on that you might enjoy.

[Bex]

Hello!

I'm a history graduate still living in her University town of Aberystwyth, but I originally hail from Amersham in Buckinghamshire. My interests other than reading (naturally!) include Shotokan Karate and coastal rowing in Celtic Longboats.

I first picked up a copy of BEEK from my local library back in Bucks about four or five years ago, and have since devoured pretty much everything that Ms. King has written.

I look forward to discussing all things literary (and beyond!) here.

[jtb1951]

Welcome, Bex, to all things LRK, literary, and beyond!!:) I think you will find many interesting and entertaining topics and personalities here in the VBC, so feel free to partake of any and all, and welcome, again!

John.

[vicki]

Hi, Bex and welcome to the VBC! Aberystwyth is lovely (http://www.aberystwyth.org.uk/)--how do you pronounce it?

If you haven't read The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper, you might enjoy that. The protagonist is from a Buckinghamshire farm, but much of the action in the series takes place in rural Wales. So you'd certainly be familiar with the settings! The second book in the series--The Dark is Rising (start with that book, rather than the first in the series)--is being made into a movie, but they're changing the story and characters so much, I'm not going to bother seeing it. Sad--I've been gaga over the series since I was a little kid and would love to see a decent film adaptation. :..(

My interests other than reading (naturally!) include Shotokan Karate

Oooh--I take Kyokushin style karate on and off, when I have time. Osu! I'm taking a break from it now but am planning to get back into it soon. I love it because it keeps me in shape, is culturally instructive and teaches me self-defense. And I love it because it's also mentally stimulating. Here's our organization's website (http://www.worldoyama.com/Main.html), which has some good stuff on it.

and coastal rowing in Celtic Longboats

Okay--this is just cool. Are you in the Aberystwth Rowing Club (http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/Aberystwythrowing/)? The boats are lovely (http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/Aberystwythrowing/boats.htm).

[Bex]

Thank you John and Vicki for your welcome!

Vicki: technically Aberystwyth is correctly pronounced "Ab-er-ust-with" (the 'u' in 'ust' sounds like the 'u' in "utter"), but it's more commonly pronounced "Ab-er-wrist-with" (the last two letters are soft, the "r" is rolled). The name in Welsh means "the mouth of the River Ystwyth".

Karate is great fun. I like the club (http://www.aberkarate.co.uk/exp/index.php?section=1) I attend because it attracts a wide range of people from different backgrounds such as Wado-ryu and Goju-ryu, as well as other marshal arts from kung-fu to jujitsu. It's certainly an eye-opener when we do kumite!

As for the rowing - bingo! you've got the club that I row with. :D The boats (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Walberswick/Rowing/Aberdyfiboatrace019.jpg) are lovely, if a little bit hard on one's backside and hands. That's the trouble with fixed seaters. However, going out to sea and seeing the coast from the boat more than makes up for the discomfort. Sometimes we're lucky enough to see dolphins, porpoises, and seals when we go out training. The racing aspect is also fantastic, I've got to see places in Wales that I wouldn't otherwise have seen such as taking in the fabulous landscape of the Cader Idris horseshoe (http://www.bistro-barmouth.co.uk/images/harbour-1a.jpg) from the middle of the Mawddach Estuary.

[KarenB]

Hi Bex! I have very fond memories of Wales from 12 years ago - hiking in the Brecon Beacons, St. David's Head, dodging stray sheep on the road, and a fabulous fresh trout dinner in Betws Y Coed. Glad to have you here with us on the VBC!

Karen

[mamaocllo]

I'm a former archaeologist, so of course I dote on Mary Russell. 'The Beekeeper's Apprentice' was my first Laurie King book, picked up when I used to work in a used-book store. I don't know why I latched onto it, as I'd always found Sherlock a bit smug, so I shouted with pleasure (Ha!) when Mary was fully his equal and could even keep him in his place. I'm also very grateful for 'Folly,' as when I used to have what seemed to be terrible migraines (turned out to be tension headaches doing a good job of passing for migraines), I could go to that island in my head and sometimes the headache would be gone when I came out.

vicki - as a Jane Austen fan, have you tried Jane Gillespie's continuations
of the favorite books? I find them really the best of the continuations, as they take up some of the lesser characters and present them in a different situation, instead of trying to replicate the main characters. . You find out what happened to the Bertram sisters and their tiresome auntie after 'Mansfield Park' ends - just about what one would hope, in fact. That's 'Ladysmead'; there's also "Aunt Celia,' 'Teverton Hall,' and Brightsea.'

[Nara]

I started reading LRK back in er... well, I was still in undergrad, and my dad bought me the Beekeeper's Apprentice. I grew up reading anything I could get my hands on, and I always really admired Holmes' intelligence (and for a long time, I wanted to be a detective too!) Like Holmes, I totally fell for Russell, since she and I have a lot in common. My brother was killed in a car accident when I was 8, and my older brother when I was 11. :( My parents are a mixed marriage as well, and I love languages!

Anyway, I'm an illustrator now, and I also teach very young children to draw. I'm saving my $$$ to get my Master's so I can do therapy with young adults who suffer from addictive behavior. In my fantasy life, I'll attend Oxford and get a degree in Linguistics, just for fun. (Hence why it's a fantasy... :D )

Well, I didn't mean to write a novel. My only real hobby (since I spend a lot of time getting paid to do what I love, which is draw) is to knit and spin on my spinning wheel.

[vicki]

Bex, these Welsh place-names are really putting me in the mood to reread The Dark is Rising! In fact, Cader Idris (gorgeous picture, btw--thanks!) plays a part in the series. Doesn't Cader Idris mean "the seat of Arthur"?


Sometimes we're lucky enough to see dolphins, porpoises, and seals when we go out training.


Wow--that's so cool! When I was in high school, I was once asked to be coxswain for a local rowing team, but I couldn't work it into my schedule. Of course, in my inland part of Alabama, the most exciting thing we'd probably see would be the occasional catfish. :( Still, I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to do it, as it probably would have been fun.

Your karate club looks cool, too. I really need to get back to it--training really helps me to feel more physically centered and balanced. It's a great way to combat my natural klutziness.

[vicki]

Hi, mamaocllo (cool screen-name, btw)! What kind of archaeological work did you do? If you haven't already read the Amelia Peabody series, which focuses on a family of adventurous archaeologists in Egypt, I'd highly recommend those--they're loads of fun and great between-Russell reading.

Thanks for the heads-up about the Austen continuations by Jane Gillespie! (And yay--a fellow Austenphile!) I was googling them and came up with this page (http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/austseql.html) on Austen sequels (isn't that a great quote from JA's nephew at the top there) at pemberley.com, which is a fun spot. It's been a while since I was over there. I've also heard good things about the Jane Austen mystery series(!) by Stephanie Barron--have you tried those? I need to get that first one, at least, for my TBR stack.

I'd always found Sherlock a bit smug, so I shouted with pleasure (Ha!) when Mary was fully his equal and could even keep him in his place.

I haven't even read any of the Canon, but Holmes is one of those legendary characters who inspire reverence and awe in so many readers, it was enormously fun to see Russell take him down a peg or two.

[vicki]

Welcome, Nara! You really do have a lot in common with Russell--I'm so sorry that includes the loss of family members. :( Kudos to you for helping young artists learn your skill! My DS wants to be an artist, and he has been so lucky to have encouraging and caring teachers--they've helped him greatly. What kind of illustration work do you do?

Good luck with the funding effort for your masters degree! Do you plan to incorporate your artistic bent into your therapy? I know there are art therapy programs around, and some therapists (like Lee in the Kate Martinelli series) specialize in artists. There may be a number of possibilities there.

Taking classes at Oxford isn't as fantastical as you think--they have online courses (http://onlinecourses.conted.ox.ac.uk/)! Keep an eye on that page--they may eventually add something in liguistics. The internet really can be a wonderful thing, can't it?


My only real hobby (since I spend a lot of time getting paid to do what I love, which is draw) is to knit and spin on my spinning wheel.


You're in good company in the VBC--we have lots of people into needlework and threadcraft. I'm a crochet-girl, myself. I've tried knitting, but can't seem to get it, but crochet came as naturally as falling off a log--I started in third grade and have been doing it off and on ever since. It's a great stress-buster!
http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/images/misc/progress.gif

[Tara]

My only real hobby (since I spend a lot of time getting paid to do what I love, which is draw) is to knit and spin on my spinning wheel.

You can spin? I'm jealous. :p I've been looking for a spinning wheel, but I can't find a good one for under $400, and I'm skint at the moment. Have you ever used a drop spindle? (I think that's what they're called, they're really little, anyway, and you can walk and spin at the same time). I like knitting, but I only make scarves :D . I like crocheting better.:)

[mamaocllo]

Hi Vicki,

I mostly did archaeological survey work in Peru and here in the Southwest. It was fun while it lasted, but eventually the knees wear out from all the walking and climbing. I still like to go to Mexico every year in December, to avoid the Xmas frenzy and see some more archaeological sites where I don't have to worry about whether one prof's theory is more likely to be correct than another's - recreational archaeology? I'd rather be Mary Russell, though.

Thanks for the wonderful quote from Jan Austen's nephew. I can reply with an approximate version of a quote from some volume of Austen criticism (I must have been desperate for something to read or in a masochistic mood), where the author said that some Austen criticism is rather like being guided around the gardens at Rosings by the Rev.Mr.Collins. I've felt like that about some of the Austen continuations - they try so hard that all the fun goes out of it.

I see by earlier posts that you're also a fan of Lord Peter Wimsey and worried about what you'll do when you've read all of them. I recommend the two by Jill Paton Walsh ('Thrones, Dominations' and 'A Presumption of Death'); the first was worked up from a partially finished manuscript by Dorothy B.Sayers and the second from her World War II radio broadcasts. Both seemed to me to be as good as if Sayers herself had written them.

Is there any word as to whether there's another Mary Russell book in the works? Isn't it her turn?

[mamaocllo]

Vicki -
I forgot - yes, I've read a lot of the Amelia Peabody books, through I'm several behind, probably because I know I'll like them and keep getting distracted by trying out other authors, to see whether I'll like them, too. I did try the first Stephanie Barron one, but just couldn't get into it. Somehow the tone of the narration seemd more like a Bronte than how I thought Jane Austen would have reacted in the situations - very had-I-but-known and gothic-like, which I suppose might be necessary in a mystery, but it just didn't sound the way Jane Austen comes over (to me, anyway) in her letters. Have you read those? It's not - quite - as good as having another Austen novel, but there are some letters where the same wry observer we love in the novels comes right through. Too bad her sister Cassandra destroyed a lot of them after Jane Austen's death.

Have we ever heard whether Mary Russell has commented on Jane Austen, or is she too busy archaeologizing and investigating crime to read fiction? I suppose one reason I like the Mary Russell books so much is that I can easily envision meeting her at an archaeological conference and going off to have coffee and trade opinions about some supposedly hot new theory. And perhaps she'd tell about her latest travels....

[vicki]

My DD, who is a crafting-whiz (she taught herself to knit, mom says proudly), learned to spin a little bit at this really cool summer camp called "Farmtastic." She was so pumped because she got to card a pile of wool, spin it into yarn and crochet it into a bracelet. It was a great experience for her.

Recreational archaeology sounds excellent, mamaocllo (cool screen name, btw).


I'd rather be Mary Russell, though.



Yah, I'd like to be her, too--other than the whole family-getting-killed, having-a-suicidal-breakdown, getting-shot-by-the-maths-tutor, being-kidnapped/drugged/confined type of thing. If I could pass on all that and just take the brilliant/athletic/skillful/wealthy/adventurous/Oxfordian/married-to-Holmes stuff, now that would be cool.

the author said that some Austen criticism is rather like being guided around the gardens at Rosings by the Rev.Mr.Collins.

Okay, that's just hilarious. And so, so true.

Yes, I do love and adore the Wimseys and am especially mad for Gaudy Night (am still so desolate over the lovely, ruined chess set) and Murder Must Advertise. I did read the JPW continuations but am afraid I was a very tough audience for them. I kept wishing that LRK had written them instead, as she did such a brilliant Lord Peter in A Letter of Mary. I just didn't feel as if JPW's Lord Peter was nearly as good as LRK's. Maybe I should go back and try them again, however, and make sure I wasn't just being difficult.

I'm behind on the Amelias, too. I do love them, but the second generation just seems to take themselves a little over-seriously. I miss Emerson's and Amelia's great humor when they aren't onstage. Elsethread, it was mentioned that Peters is writing a new Vicky Bliss--wahooo! I love that series, too, but I don't see how she can top Last Train to Memphis. That just rocked.

I may try one of the Barrons to see if I agree re: the gothic thing. The closest I recall Austen getting into that style was the tongue-in-cheek version she used in Northanger Abbey.

I love JA's letters. It grieves me to think of her sister burning so many of them. <Sob!> Have you read any of her juvenalia or The Watsons? I haven't read those, but I keep meaning to. I think they're are all online.

Hmm. I don't recall Russell mentioning Jane Austen in any of her memoirs. Why don't you post her a question about it on her myspace (http://www.myspace.com/maryrussell)? :)

[vicki]

My DD, who is a crafting-whiz (she taught herself to knit, mom says proudly), learned to spin at a really summer camp called "Farmtastic." She was so pumped because she got to card a pile of wool, spin it into yarn and crochet it into a bracelet. It was a great experience for her.

Recreational archaeology sounds excellent, mamaocllo (cool screen name, btw).


I'd rather be Mary Russell, though.



Yah, I'd like to be her, too--other than the whole family-getting-killed, having-a-suicidal-breakdown, getting-shot-by-the-maths-tutor, being-kidnapped/drugged/confined type of thing. If I could pass on all that and just take the brilliant/athletic/skillful/wealthy/adventurous/Oxfordian/married-to-Holmes stuff, now that would be cool.

the author said that some Austen criticism is rather like being guided around the gardens at Rosings by the Rev.Mr.Collins.

Hahahaha! That's just hilarious, and so, so true.

Yes, I do love and adore the Wimseys and am especially mad for Gaudy Night (am still so desolate over the lovely, ruined chess set) and Murder Must Advertise. I did read the JPW continuations but am afraid I was a very tough audience for them. I kept wishing that LRK had written them instead, as she did such a brilliant Lord Peter in A Letter of Mary. I just didn't feel as if JPW's Lord Peter was nearly as good as LRK's. Maybe I should go back and try them again, however, and make sure I wasn't just being difficult.

I'm behind on the Amelias, too. I do love them, but the second generation just seems to take themselves a little over-seriously. I miss Emerson's and Amelia's great humor when they aren't onstage. Elsethread, it was mentioned that Peters is writing a new Vicky Bliss--wahooo! I love that series, too, but I don't see how she can top Last Train to Memphis. That just rocked.

I may try one of the Barrons to see if I agree re: the gothic thing. The closest I recall Austen getting into that style was the tongue-in-cheek version she used in Northanger Abbey.

I love JA's letters. It grieves me to think of her sister burning so many of them. <Sob!> Have you read any of her juvenalia or The Watsons? I haven't read those, but I keep meaning to. I think they're are all online.

Hmm. I don't recall Russell mentioning Jane Austen in any of her memoirs. Why don't you post her a question about it on her myspace (http://www.myspace.com/maryrussell)? :)

[mamaocllo]

Vicki -
Not only would I like to be Mary Russell, I do positively pine for one of those robes she wears on the recent covers. The one on the myspace page is particularly fine, and I wouldn't even insist on borrowing the pipe to carry while I swanned about in the robe. I don't remember a robe of that magnificence being described anywhere in the books, which I guess means I'll have to re-read them, just to check on that and Jane Austen references.

As a fellow Austen enthusiast, do you know Kipling's story and poem where she is a major factor? I only discovered these a couple of years ago.

I'm glad that Jill Paton Walsh novelized Sayers' wartime radio broadcasts because I'd heard about them but had no idea how I'd ever get to read them or find out what they were about - other than keeping a stiff Britannic upper lip in the face of threat and privation.

[vicki]

That really is a cool robe. I do recall a robe mentioned at the beginning of one of the Russell books. I think it's at the beginning of Justice Hall, where she and Holmes return to the cottage and are unwinding after a case.


As a fellow Austen enthusiast, do you know Kipling's story and poem where she is a major factor?


???! New info--yay! Found it here, online (http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/DebtsandCredits/janeites.html). Thanks for the heads-up! Are you going to see the new movie, Becoming Jane? There's an interesting Slate article discussing it here (http://slate.com/id/2171615/). It's actually getting pretty good reviews. I'll have to go see it, I suppose.

I'll have to go back and look at A Presumption of Death--I didn't realize it was a novelization of the broadcasts. That's pretty cool.

[mamaocllo]

Vicki -
I'm not sure how close 'A Presumption of Death' is to the Sayers broadcasts, as I never got my hands (or ears or eyeballs) on the originals.

Yes, I'll go see 'Becoming Jane,' though I may wait till it comes to the dollar-per-person theater after it finishes its run at the full-price show. Have you read Barbara Ker Wilson's 'Antipodes Jane,' which is even more speculative about possible romance and includes a trip to Australia(!)? I also like the two books of Jane Austen don't-know-what-to-call-them commentary(?) by Sheila Kaye-Smith and G.B.Stern. I think they came out in th 1940s. My favorite chapter is the one where one of the authors imagines Miss Austen appearing in her modern apartment, so she has a chance to ask her some things we've always wondered about.

I just finished 'Califia's Daughters,' enjoyed it a lot, and now will have to go back over previous posts to see if LRK has said anything about a sequel. Next, a library book that's about due, then I'll settle in with 'Beekeeper's Apprentice.' Mmmmm - gleeful anticipation; is there an icon for that?.

[mamaocllo]

Vicki (P.S.) -
Thanks for the link to the Slate article. I laughed at the image of today's college students 'trawling' the pages of Jane Austen's novels for dating tips.

[vicki]

Yah, I liked that image from the Slate article, too. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

And thanks for posting about those Austen-related books--they sound great!

Re: Califia's Daughter's--did you know that LRK rwrote it at least somewhat in response to The Handmaid's Tale by Margarent Atwood? We're going to do THT as a VBC discussion book before the CD discussion, which should be fun.

[joycepa]

I'm Joyce, living in the country of Panamá. Like everyone else in the group, a dedicated Laurie King fan. While I love the Mary Russell series, I think that A Darker Place is one of the best books I have ever read. I'm looking forward to reading others' opinions and insights and hopefully contributing a few myself. :)

[vicki]

Welcome, joycepa! It's great to see a face from Panama--in fact, I think you're our first member from there. We love to expand our VBC borders! :) I look forward to discussing A Darker Place and all the other great LRK books with you. And we have a lot of other more general discussions too, about books, hobbies etc. So explore the place and see what you like!

[mamaocllo]

Vicki -
Maybe this should be in another thread? Do tell. I've finished re-reading BEEK, and it's full of robes, though generally described as 'grey' or 'well-worn' (or worse), and one that's green and yellow, with no further description. After I finished the book, I went back and read all the discussions from when it was the month's discussion topic, and find I missed the reference to the'second son of a duke" (LPW). Could you reveal approximately where it occurs? I'm starting the second book now.

[Strawberry Curls]

The friend of Russell and Holmes named Peter appears in LETT (A Letter of Mary) while Russell is using the name of Mary Small to gather information about Colonel Edwards (a suspect). She and the Colonel spend a Sunday afternoon together at a country house and Russell runs into Peter there.

So you have to finish MREG and then read LETT. The sequence takes place in Chapter Seventeen or Rho in the book.

I envy you reading these books for the first time. Warning...they can become addictive.

Hope this helps.

Alice AKA Strawberry Curls

[mamaocllo]

Thanks for the reference to LETT. I'm re-reading all the books, but it's so long since I read them for the first time that it might as well be the first, as I'm finding all sorts of new things (or maybe my memory is just addled). I thought there was some reference in July's discussions of BEEK about someone who was 'the second son of a duke,' but it's so hard to speak of one of the books without referring to the others, that I may have misunderstood.

[Jennifer]

Hi Guys!
I tried to read Maisie Dobbs but I just didn't find her descriptive enough. When I read MRH, I feel like I could go into the place where she is and find my way around! I know the sights, the sounds, the smells. But alas I am desperate for something to read now that I have re-read and re-read my favorites. I was thinking of starting the Lord Peter stories. Is there a "correct order?" I would appreciate anyone who's a big fan advising me. I like listening on bocd usually.
THanks,
Jen D.

[vicki]

Hi, Jen--although I'm sorry Ms. Dobbs didn't work out for you, it's good that you can go straight on to LPW! :)

Here is the excellent LPW chronology (http://www.leftfield.org/~rawdon/books/mystery/sayers.html) I used in going through the series. It's wonderful to read it in order and watch Sayers grow in skill, and her characterization of LPW develop and take shape. I'm envious of the fabulous first-time reading experience and joy o' discovery you have ahead of you!

[Jennifer]

Vicki,
So nice of you to pass along the chronology but after just giving it a quick look, I have to ask, who's Harriet Vane and did Lord Peter really die?
Jen D.

[vicki]

Harriet Vane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Vane), courtesy of wikipedia.

did Lord Peter really die?


Whoa! I must have missed that bit. As far as I know, LPW was doing fine through the last book of the series. If it had been otherwise, my complaints would resound often and loudly through the VBC and any other book-oriented sites I visit.

This is what the chronology says at the bottom of the timeline (I haven't looked at the individual book entries below for a while)--


The only knowledge we have of Peter and Harriet's later lives is from the Author's Note in Thrones, Dominations, which states that Peter served in Military Intelligence during World War II, and Harriet published a monograph on Sheridan Le Fanu around 1946. Peter would have been 62 when Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the English throne in 1952. One can only assume that he would have continued serving his crown and country as he always had, that that he would have bourne the changes in the world through the 50s and 60s with the good graces he always displayed in his chronicled adventures.

[Jennifer]

Oh Vicky,
I didn't read far enough in the chronology! His "death" must have been part of a story. Embarrassed for scanning so quickly...
Jen D.

[vicki]

Whew--I'm relieved! :) I'd hate to think of Lord Peter being cut down by the authorial scythe. I was starting to think I wouldn't be able to finish the little bit of Wimsey material I still have left unread. I couldn't bear to watch LPW get the ax.

[Jennifer]

Vicki,
I just finished "Whose Body" and I loved, loved, loved it! It's very different from MRH, even though there are many many parallels in events. But it had my brains working, just like a good MRH book does. I love Lord Peter! I was surprised, delighted, worried, thrilled and amused all throughout the book. I loved the bit in the beginning, describing little Mr. Phipps' hairline as having conceded defeat (or something like that! I must read the whole thing again!).
To anyone who needs something to read between MRH novels, I recommend Lord Peter! Vicki says you will love to watch Sayers' style develop. I must say, if "Whose Body" is just the first one, I can't imagine how much more entertaining and engrossing the following stories will be!
Jen D.

[jtb1951]

To anyone who needs something to read between MRH novels, I recommend Lord Peter! Vicki says you will love to watch Sayers' style develop. I must say, if "Whose Body" is just the first one, I can't imagine how much more entertaining and engrossing the following stories will be!

I certainly agree, Jen; thanks again to vicki and all others who recommended the Lord Peter novels. I've read the first four or five now, and they do just keep getting better; a very enjoyable character (he's not named Wimsey for nothing!)

John.

[vicki]

To anyone who needs something to read between MRH novels, I recommend Lord Peter!


A fan is born! <Happy dance> I wish I could be a fly on the wall as you get up to Murder Must Advertise and Gaudy Night. If you're anything like me, you'll read those with a great big grin plastered across your face. They're that good, no joke.

I'm glad you're enjoying the series as it progresses, John! There is, by the way, an excellent Lord Peter Wimsey Companion (http://www.sayers.org.uk/press/lpwc.html) available. <Dangle, dangle> :D

[mamaocllo]

Or if you want to hunt up something excellent but obscure and probably out-of-print, try 'The Wimsey Family. A fragmentary history compiled from correspondence with Dorothy L. Sayers" by C.W.Scott-Giles (Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms Extraordinary), Harper & Row, 1977. It's set up like a real family genaeology, talks about the early Barons de Wimsey and Earls of Denver, even has some fine drawings and rubbings of monumental brasses frm the tombs of early Wimseys, with mice on their shields and surcoats. First sentence in this small volume, just to tempt you: So little is known of the family of Wimsey that had it not been for the writings of Miss Dorothy L. Sayers one might think that it never existed.

And thanks to Vicki for that reference to the Wimsey Companion, which I'll now look for.

[jtb1951]

I'm glad you're enjoying the series as it progresses, John! There is, by the way, an excellent Lord Peter Wimsey Companion available. <Dangle, dangle>

You dangled that bait, vicki, and I went right for it! However, I have not been able to find a good copy of the Companion (out of print) for less than several hundreds of good ol' U.S. dollars!!! Yoicks!! (I will keep looking!):)

John.

[vicki]

Oh, dear--I didn't scroll down to see that it wasn't available anymore! :( I'm sorry I dangled it, in that case. They really should do another printing of it! Maybe I can email around and find out when they might have another printing, or if they might be willing to do an e-version.

[Strawberry Curls]

Oh, dear--I didn't scroll down to see that it wasn't available anymore! :( I'm sorry I dangled it, in that case. They really should do another printing of it! Maybe I can email around and find out when they might have another printing, or if they might be willing to do an e-version.

If they do either, sign me up. I too have wanted this for a very long time but have not been able to find it, or find it at a price I wished to pay.

[vicki]

I'll let y'all know if I hear anything. And I'd be fine with lending out my copy, although I'll warn you that it is one hoss of a book, so it may be a little more high-maintenance to pack and mail it in a lending line-up. Just so's you know... :)

[KarenB]

Vicki - If you are lending, I'd like to borrow. I am very responsible with others' books, I promise!

Karen

[vicki]

Okey doke--I'll put you in the line-up (I'll add a list to my profile, under the one for the BBC dramatization of BEEK). Much Wimseyness ahead pour vous!

<edit> Oh, cronk! The profile is being very limited and not facilitating separate paragraphs, etc. I'll start some sort of Lending-Line-up thingy on the forum for this sort of thing. That'll be better, anyway.

[Jennifer]

Vicki,
Thanks again so much for the tip on Lord Peter. I had to skip around to "listen" to him and am now reading "Murder Must Advertise" and it is just wonderful, wonderful, fabulous! I love the development of his voice. He is such a man! In the very best sense of the word! I love the Harlequin character! And Diane. The dialog flows much better! There is much more descriptive information and it's so natural. Thank goodness for LPW! Now I have someone very nice to keep company with while waiting for Mary!
Thanks so much!
Jen D.

[jtb1951]

I'm with Jen D.; my sentiments exactly! I can't thank you enough for turning me on to Lord Peter (I need more to read like a hole in the head!); he is a terrifically engaging character, and DLS is a truly talented writer. Thanks, vicki!!:)

John.

[vicki]

<Curtseys>

:) I'm so glad y'all love one of my favorite series! Y'all may see now why I've hoarded one last Wimsey novel (Nine Tailors) and a few Wimsey stories to read. I can hardly bear to think of there being no unread Wimsey remaining for me out there. I'll eventually break down and read them before too long.

[Jennifer]

Dear Vicki, John and any other interested Wimsey fan:
What a great read! "Murder Must Advertise" was quite a ride! One of the many highlights was the cricket match. I had to take a quickie lesson from my Cricket-savy husband and then listened to that part again and I understood a lot more. It was very well-written. DLS could have been a very successful sports writer. And my heart just broke about Tallboy. (I apologize if my spelling is off. Since I listen, I have to guess at British spellings.) I liked the way DLS was not afraid to make this story very broad and with lots of characters. And it was just mesmerising to try to keep up with the switches back and forth between Lord Peter and Breeden. Quite a tour de force and I know I am just knicking the surface of LPW! Thank goodness because I have no idea when a new MRH will be out. I was fascinated by the constant threat that blackmail seemed to be. Honor was a very guarded commodity. The least little toe of line seemed to leave one open for all sorts of mischief. (That was very consistent with MRH and SH.) Any of you looking for a great mystery writer, Dorothy L. Sayers could be your author of choice!
Jen D.

[jtb1951]

Any of you looking for a great mystery writer, Dorothy L. Sayers could be your author of choice!

It's always fun to see someone else get excited about the books and writers that excite you, so I am enjoying your thrill with the Lord Peter books, just as I imagine vicki and others must be with the fun I'm having with the books. I had been aware of DLS and Wimsey for years but always had something else to read. One of the many advantages of participating in the LRK VBC is the plethora of terrific suggestions for excellent reading material that the members are willing to share. I couldn't love it more!!:)

John.

[vicki]

Jen, I'm so thrilled that you loved MMA--it is such a rockin' book! And yes, the cricket match rules with a mighty iron fist! How did you like Peter's suggestion for the margarine campaign--"It's a far, far butter thing..." I just howled laughing at that one.

Gad, I wish I could be a fly on the wall when you get to the antique shop scene in Gaudy Night. It's the kind of scene authors dream their whole lives of writing, and such a precious, blessed few ever get anywhere close to it. Oh, the whole book is awesome!

John, have you gotten up to MMA? I think you were at Bellona Club last time you Wimsey-posted. Either way, you've got some great reading ahead!

I was just thinking of a passage from MMA that I wanted to post here--it's one of my favorite literary passages ever. It's a reflection on the advertising industry that could have only been written by a tremendously smart person who had slogged away in the trenches of the industry for a long time--ie, Sayers. I'll try to find it and type it in. It's so intelligent, incisive and funny. Sayers really had it going on.

[jtb1951]

John, have you gotten up to MMA? I think you were at Bellona Club last time you Wimsey-posted. Either way, you've got some great reading ahead!

Not yet! I read Five Red Herrings out of order, am currently reading Strong Poison, then will get to Have His Carcase and Murder Must Advertise, while simultaneously working on a few other books! I'm getting there, though, and enjoying Wimsey immensely!!

John.

[vicki]

I read Five Red Herrings out of order, am currently reading Strong Poison, then will get to Have His Carcase and Murder Must Advertise, while simultaneously working on a few other books! I'm getting there, though, and enjoying Wimsey immensely!!


:D Wish I could be a fly on the wall as you hit Sayers's masterpieces. You have some seriously good biblio-times ahead!

Note: 5RH is considered by many to be a relatively weak entry in the series--unless you have a thing for train schedules.

[jtb1951]

Note: 5RH is considered by many to be a relatively weak entry in the series--unless you have a thing for train schedules.

The train schedules were certainly tiresome, but I enjoyed the red herrings and Wimsey's re-enactment of the crime!

John.

[Jennifer]

Dear Vicki, John and other WF's,
Oh you all are so far ahead of me! But I just finished "Clouds of Witness" and I just loved it! It's not as humorous as MMA which as you pointed out Vicki, was full of such wonderful lines. Lord Peter was made for advertising! He seemed to just pop them off as easy as breathing (and Vicki, I thoroughly enjoyed her razor-sharp analysis of advertising, as bleak as it was and to think, it was written in the 1920's!). But back to "Clouds," it was one of the most engrossing mysteries that I've ever read! I am not one of those who reads just for character and doesn't mind if the denouement occurs fairly early and fairly predictably. I like intricacy in a plot. This one was fabulous for that! And I couldn't help seeing comparisons between "The Moor" and "Clouds of Witness." I was so impressed with Lord Peter's brush with the bog and the intractable Yorkshiremen. There were so many twists and turns that I was literally holding my breath! Sayers was a master of character! I felt I could see Simone after her meeting with Lord Peter. And I was indelibly struck by Sayer's compassion. Her portrayal of Lady Mary's fiancee was thin on the ground at first and not a pretty picture but in defense counsel's closing statement concerning Dennis, you felt his loneliness, his frustration and heartbreak and suddenly, he was a real person you would have liked to see redeemed somehow. I can't recommend "CLouds of Witness" enough!
Jen D.

[jtb1951]

I was so impressed with Lord Peter's brush with the bog and the intractable Yorkshiremen. There were so many twists and turns that I was literally holding my breath! Sayers was a master of character! I felt I could see Simone after her meeting with Lord Peter.

Good times, eh, Jen! She was indeed a master of character; I have been tempted to blitz through the novels, but instead am trying to savor them as they go and intersperse some of my other TBR backlog, knowing that there are a limited number of Wimsey novels, and ain't no more comin'!:) Enjoy!! (I know I am!)

John.

[Jennifer]

John,
I was never any good at rationing good things. I read 3 Harry Potter books in about 2 weeks. Then had to wait a year for the next one! I know Lord Peter is finite but I am enjoying my first read through of every one of the mysteries I can get on tape or disc! I do understand if you have a huge list of all kinds of books, that you'd be able to space them out. I am the kind of reader that when I am reading a series, I just don't know there is any other book in the world. I think they call that a "jag..." And then when I exhaust that series, I have severe withdrawal, wonder if I'll ever find another good book in the world, (I am quite the drama queen about books) and then slowly get myself back into circulation to find the next good read. I was so bereft when I finished "The Return of the King." But thankfully, it led me to want to understand WWI. And read a lot of other books relating to that period. But I digress.
When's the next MRH book due?
Jen D.

[jtb1951]

When's the next MRH book due?

According to Laurie, it should be out in 2009, so you have lots of time to pick up other books!

And then when I exhaust that series, I have severe withdrawal, wonder if I'll ever find another good book in the world, (I am quite the drama queen about books) and then slowly get myself back into circulation to find the next good read. I was so bereft when I finished "The Return of the King."

You'll get over it:)As I'm sure you have noticed, you will need several lifetimes to read all the good books that are out there for you, so just jump back into circulation!!! Plus, as I can attest to with some 30+ readings of the complete The Lord Of The Rings, some works will easily stand up to multiple reads! Read like crazy, then read some more!! Life is good!

John.

[Jennifer]

John,
It warms my heart that you've read LOTR that many times! I know it can stand up. I have to ask you have you read "Road to Middle Earth" by Tom Shippey? I read it last summer in little installments whilst my son was at swim class and it opened up things in LOTR for me. I immediately wanted to enroll in a philology class! What a great hoary past is in those books! You get the feeling that ages and ages of our world are put into LOTR, not a fantasy at all. I read LOTR constantly for about 6 months, just re-reading and re-reading them, absorbing them as fully as possible. It got to be a joke. I work in a library and we are always talking about what we are reading. People couldn't understand why months later I was still reading LOTR! But it's that big of a series. And WWI had a tremendous impact on Tolkien, just tremendous. I am always moved by the way Sayers talks about WWI and the chaps that served and got themselves gassed and shell-shocked and all. MRH talks about it very much the same way. Is it just me or do you see Sayers as having a tremendous influence on LRK?
Jen D.

[jtb1951]

I have to ask you have you read "Road to Middle Earth" by Tom Shippey? I read it last summer in little installments whilst my son was at swim class and it opened up things in LOTR for me. I immediately wanted to enroll in a philology class! What a great hoary past is in those books!

Yes, I have read Road to Middle Earth; Shippey is one of the pre-eminent Tolkien scholars and has lots of very insightful commentary to share. You're comment about Middle Earth seeming not so much fantasy, but a very believable part of our history, strikes a somewhat humorous chord with me because I often talk to my college age daughters (who are both big LOTR fans) as if Middle Earth was real just to get a rise out of them!:) But seriously, IMHO that was part of the real genius of Tolkien, to create a world SO real that you just had to be caught up in it!

As far as Sayers influence on LRK goes, I guess we would have to ask Laurie, but it certainly appears that Mary Russell's world is very much the post-WWI England of Sayers. I can hardly wait for more!!

John.

[Younger Son]

I'm not entirely clear on how to work this (reply to the main thread or start a new one?), but I'll blunder on regardless.

My name is Fritz, and I've been reading LRK since 1996. I was a member of RUSS-L for a year or more up to 2001 (The Younger Son of a Duke). I met one of my very dearest friends there. Alas, personal considerations took me away. I've now decided to reconnect.

I'm a Mac programmer at the University of Chicago, and have published a book on the subject. I have a cat and two daughters. Um. No. I have two daughters and a cat. I believe American football as practiced by the Indianapolis Colts is the finest enterprise of the human spirit (I had season tickets in the '80s, so I've earned it).

I've been following LRK's work closely ever since, and I am still in love with Mary Russell (I am a toy in the hands of intelligent and accomplished women).

I hope to find here the fellowship I remember so fondly from the old days in RUSS-L.

[jtb1951]

I believe American football as practiced by the Indianapolis Colts is the finest enterprise of the human spirit (I had season tickets in the '80s, so I've earned it).

I've been following LRK's work closely ever since, and I am still in love with Mary Russell (I am a toy in the hands of intelligent and accomplished women).

Welcome to a fellow Chicagoan (or transplanted Chicagoan, if your football loyalties are any indication) to the VBC! I am married to an intelligent, accomplished woman, so I can empathize as a fellow ball of putty. We have a great time discussing all things LRK, as well as lots of tangents, so I hope you join us regularly and post as able. Welcome, again!

John.

[vicki]

Hi and welcome, Fritz! It's good to have you in the VBC. And you're doing fine--this is a great place for an intro. I love your screen-name! Are you a Wimseyphile too? If so, you're in good company--lots of Sayers readers among the LRK fans, as you might have gathered from posts upthread. :)


I'm a Mac programmer at the University of Chicago, and have published a book on the subject.


Wow--it's great to have another published author in the forum! </Impressed> I don't have a mac, but I'd be glad to add your book to my goodreads.com shelf so maybe more people will see it. They have an author program there and at amazon that might be helpful.

I have a cat and two daughters. Um. No. I have two daughters and a cat.

Hahahaha! Did your girls inherit the reading gene? That's been a great joy of parenthood for me--to read to my kids and see them get gobstopped over many of the same books I loved as a kid. And I enjoy trying new kid-lit with them, too!

FYI--you may already know this, but LRK has a new book coming out Dec. 26--Touchstone! It's even got t-shirts (http://www.cafepress.com/laurierking/3659017)--wooohooo! There really ought to be more book t-shirts. When I was a kid, I always wondered why you could buy Alabama and Auburn football t-shirts, but not t-shirts for Little Women or A Wrinkle in Time. Geeks need merchandise, too! Fortunately, Star Wars came out at about that time, and I was able to console myself with Darth Vader jewelry, tiny stormtroopers and models of the Millenium Falcon, et al. :D

[Younger Son]

Hi and welcome, Fritz! It's good to have you in the VBC. And you're doing fine--this is a great place for an intro. I love your screen-name! Are you a Wimseyphile too? If so, you're in good company--lots of Sayers readers among the LRK fans, as you might have gathered from posts upthread. :)

Yes, I was excited to see the explicit Wimsey references in the early Russell books, and think it's a shame no more are possible. I used "The Younger Son of a Duke" as a nom on the RUSS-L list, long ago.

Wow--it's great to have another published author in the forum! </Impressed> I don't have a mac, but I'd be glad to add your book to my goodreads.com shelf so maybe more people will see it. They have an author program there and at amazon that might be helpful.

I'd be flattered if you listed me, but will your audience care to hear about a technical book? An acquaintance once said that while another book on the same subject was more comprehensive, mine was funnier; but the readership that would read it for entertainment is very small.

Here's the Amazon link, as you sort-of asked (http://www.amazon.com/Step-into-Xcode-Mac-Development/dp/0321334221).

Did your girls inherit the reading gene? That's been a great joy of parenthood for me--to read to my kids and see them get gobstopped over many of the same books I loved as a kid. And I enjoy trying new kid-lit with them, too!

Yes, with spotty success. Sherlock Holmes, Terry Pratchett, Lewis Carroll, yes; a few others, no. They are old enough for LRK, and they are very impressed.

Geeks need merchandise, too! Fortunately, Star Wars came out at about that time, and I was able to console myself with Darth Vader jewelry, tiny stormtroopers and models of the Millenium Falcon, et al. :D

Excellent. I am here to meet geeks. Thank you so much for this warm reception!

[vicki]

I was excited to see the explicit Wimsey references in the early Russell books, and think it's a shame no more are possible.

It really is a shame. LRK does such a smashing Wimsey.


I used "The Younger Son of a Duke" as a nom on the RUSS-L list, long ago.



I just saw your post over there--here's a RUSS-L hello to you, as well! I'm a member over there also <waves to all the BEES>, but I mostly lurk.

Thanks for the amazon link--I'll add it to my shelf. I may not be overrun with people seeking technical works, but it can't hurt. It'll give you a higher number of shelf-listings for your book in case anyone checks its entry.

It sounds like your daughters are enjoying some great authors. I'm glad they like LRK's books! I look forward to introducing my kids to them in a few years. :)


I am here to meet geeks.


Geekery loves company, so pull up a chair and settle in!

[mamaocllo]

I wondered whether any of the Lord Peter enthusiasts here have seen the BBC productions of many of the Sayers novels that showed on PBS a loooong time ago. The earlier ones used one actor as Lord Peter and the later ones, another. A friend and I had several hot debates about which we thought best represented the real Lord Peter. So does anyone here have a preference? Mine was for the second actor, who I think was Edward Petherbridge(?),
as I thought the first one, whose name has escaped me (Ian something), came down too heavily on the silly-ass aspects and wasn't physically quite right, either. I don't know if these are available on DVD, but I'm pretty sure they were on VHS at one time. The actor I favored was the one used in Gaudy Night (sigh!), which made me very pleased indeed.

[Strawberry Curls]

Ian Carmichael played Lord Peter in the early 70s productions and Edward Petherbridge the mid 80's three Harriet Vane stories. I prefer Petherbridge as he is physically more Lord Peter. Both series are out on DVD, BTW.

[Younger Son]

I wondered whether any of the Lord Peter enthusiasts here have seen the BBC productions of many of the Sayers novels that showed on PBS a loooong time ago. The earlier ones used one actor as Lord Peter and the later ones, another. A friend and I had several hot debates about which we thought best represented the real Lord Peter. So does anyone here have a preference? Mine was for the second actor, who I think was Edward Petherbridge(?),
as I thought the first one, whose name has escaped me (Ian something), came down too heavily on the silly-ass aspects and wasn't physically quite right, either. I don't know if these are available on DVD, but I'm pretty sure they were on VHS at one time. The actor I favored was the one used in Gaudy Night (sigh!), which made me very pleased indeed.

The actor you are thinking of is Ian Carmichael. I liked him better: Petherbridge, in Strong Poison, played the banter in first scene with Harriet Vane almost mournfully. One of the main points to Lord Peter was that he got along socially, and disarmed suspects, by deliberately playing -- playing -- an amusing twit. It made the contrast all the starker when he finally came down to guilt and duty. Petherbridge didn't play the twit at all.

Now there is one big problem with both: I seem to recall Lord Peter, in the 1920s, was in his mid-to-late-thirties. (Please somebody, look at his bio at the front of one of the books and report the actual birth date.) He was vigorous enough to be a dominant amateur cricket player. Petherbridge was about fifty and Carmichael fifty-five. My girlfriend, God rest her, was outraged.

-- F

[Daffodeal]

I have just started reading Laurie King books - I have read the first two in the Mary Russell series, and am picking up the other two tomorrow :)

I love, love, love your work Laurie! This type of mystery is right up my alley. I was sad when I finished all of the Elizabeth Peter novels...I didn't think I could find another witty writer, and I am HAPPY to say you have proved me wrong.

I have literally inhaled the first two books, and if the library or bookstore were open right now I would be heading their way to procure more of your novels....

[vicki]

Welcome, Daffodeal--it's great to have another Russellholic in the VBC! You have some seriously good reading ahead. :) When you've whizzed through the Russells, you can try the Martinellis and the stand-alones, which are all excellent, too. And LRK's newest--Touchstone, a historical stand-alone--is coming out on December 26!

The next LRK book after Touchstone will be <trumpet fanfare> another Russell! But that'll be a while yet, so we'll have to console ourselves with good Russell-gap reading recommendations.

Explore the VBC, when you get a chance--there are some great discussions going on all over the forum!

[vicki]

Jen, put it back, put it back! I was coming to respond--just been too busy getting ready for B'Con to respond before! I'm sure it wasn't offensive--I think we're just having one of those periodic lulls.

[Jennifer]

Vicki,
My letter that I disposed of too quickly was about the video version of Lord Peter that I had just started viewing. I said that I thought Ian Carmichael was too old. I feel harsh about that because he does have the perfection of manners that Lord Peter so easily displayed. He's just Lord Peter in his 50's, not his early 30's. I was saying that Lord Peter in "Murder Must Advertise" played one thumping good cricket match but in the video version from 1973, that whole wonderful section was omitted. I won't be as callous as to suggest that Ian Carmichael couldn't have pulled it off, but it did bring up some timeline difficulties. Did you know Lord Peter was in school as late as 1910! He'd have been a contemporary of my beloved JRR Tolkien! Anyhoo, I hope we one day get a young and handsome Brit to have a turn at LPW!
Jen D.

[vicki]

I haven't seen the Ian Carmichael series, but have seen some stills from it, and IC definitely is too old, and he looks all wrong to me, as well. There was anothe series with Edward Petherbridge, who is very much the right physical type for Wimsey, but he was also too old for it. He was still pretty good as LP, and Harriet Walters was fabu as Harriet Vane.

They omitted the cricket match?! Arrrgghh! It's not the same story without the cricket match. That makes me cranky to think about it. In the Petherbridge seires' Gaudy Night sequence, they omitted the antiques store scene, which nearly made me turn the whole thing off in disgust.

Thats so cool to think about LPW hanging with JRR. I'm sure they knew each other, even if it wasn't mentioned in the series.

[Jennifer]

I think the thing that is so cool is that Lord Peter shared the same experiences with JRR Tolkien. Lord Peter's fictional but in him, we get to see what returning men faced, how they felt. I still get chilled when I remember in "Whose Body" that episode where Lord Peter thinks he's back in the trenches about to get gassed or some other horror. JRR Tolkien lost all of his best friends from school save one. They all had great plans as young men of the things they'd do and the worlds they'd conquer and within a matter of a few years, it was all dust. Lord Peter's world is an altered one, mirroring reality. We get an intimate look at how men and women put their lives, many times shattered by events, how they put them back together. In "The Unpleasantness at the Ballona Club," one of the characters is a gas victim and he has spells of mania, paranoia, all sorts of things and you can see throughout that Lord Peter has a heart for this man, sees past his seeming bad temper fits, and works to try to prove he couldn't have done the crime. I was very proud of Lord Peter for his compassion. And glad to hear in the world of fiction, that the man got much better and kept the devoted good woman who'd married and kept him through all his troubles.
Jen D

[mamaocllo]

Excellent post, Jen - I'd never made the connection between the two men. I do agree that both men who played LPW in the TV versions were too old, but at least Edward Petherbridge was the right physical type. For fantasy casting, how about Leslie Howard as LPW?

[Jennifer]

Hi and glad you liked the post. I can't think of the right Brit for the part. I know what he looks like in my head. Utterly urbane. Utterly unforced. Oozing class and the wealth of high status but not in a way that would make a person uncomfortable. No, on the contrary, Lord Peter was a magnet. Most women seemed to know they were in the presence of the very definition of a gentleman. A good man, a compassionate man, a sensible man. And a younger man than IC. Still up to a thumping good cricket match. We need that match for it confirms that it is Tallboy who has the eye and hand coordination to kill a man with a catapult. But alas, I know very little about English actors. And I do not know if there is enough interest to get Lord Peter back up on the screen. I certainly think the world could use more of his brand of sleuthing. And Bunter is my favorite man's man in the world.
Jen D, off to combine some chores with a little "Clouds of Witness" on dvd...

[Dawnslight]

Hey everyone! I'm a LRK newbie, having just finished The Beekeeper's Apprentice and I've been kicking myself for not having started the Russell series ages ago. I was heartbroken when the book came to an end and that rarely happens to me. But then I remembered that I have the rest of the series to read.

A little about me . . . I'm a 28 year old female from northern Indiana. Currently, I'm employed as a corrections officer, which is an interesting experience. Some days I think I just go to work for the entertainment. I first started the series when I was in junior high, when I was really into Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, my interest dwindled before I could really get into it. Fast forward about 14 years to present day. I had bought the series, thinking that they looked interesting. That and the fact that I just had to see how it would be for Holmes to be married. Well, I set them aside for a while and had recently succombed to their call. So I picked up the Beekeeper's Apprentice and read through it, savioring every word. Now that I've finished it, I'm going to be starting on the next one while I'm on vacation.

[jtb1951]

Welcome to the VBC, Dawnslight! I hope you enjoy conversing with and meeting the excellent variety of awesome folks that inhabit the site, and feel free to share your insights and thoughts with all of us. Look around, there are lots of interesting topics on hand! Welcome, once again!:).

John.

[Jennifer]

Two things!
Lord Peter as portrayed by Ian Carmichael is growing on me. I just finished watching "Clouds of Witness" and I did grow very fond IC's Lord Peter. I do wish someone had gotten him the part 10 years earlier, but as it was, he was quite charming, a very enchanting LPW. Still quite fit (in the British usage of the term, meaning, attractive) slim, looking good in the late '20's period suits. Dashing, good at handing out money w/o making the slightest notice of it. Boyish. Yes, boyish at 51! That was his first outing as LPW. His "Murder Must Advertise" wasn't as convincing as he was supposed to be so handsome as to melt Diane's heart, but none-the-less, he doth grow on one!

2nd thing:
In this dvd of "CoW," there is a small interview filmed in 2000 with Ian Carmichael himself. Looking handsome and aged, he spoke about breaking out of the mold English producers had put him in, of a "review artist" which sounds like a one-man show type of thing. At any rate, it was a pleasure to see him and listen to him talk about being "obviously too old" to do LP. Nice little bit of an extra.
Cheers!
Jen D.

[Bachi]

Hi all,
My name is Wanda; Bachi is a 3rd generation - removed from Poland – misspelled & mispronounced, word for Grandmother (can you get more polish than that!). I was born and lived in NJ for over 50 years when our only daughter and Son-in-law decided to move to Montana with our two beloved granddaughters. My husband and I, knowing what our priority was, changed our whole lives, gave up our careers and relocated with them to Lavina, MT, population under 200 (no I did not miss a zero). We now have 2 more beautiful granddaughters and are right hear to enjoy all four grands.
I was not an avid reader in my youth but I did enjoy Sherlock Holmes, and fell in love with Lord Peter Whimsley. My vote on the BBC actor is Edward P… although I agree he portrayed him a bit too broody. It has always been difficult for me to read print – I prefer to do more than one thing at a time. Discovering audiobooks allowed me to reacquaint myself with all of my old favorite characters and opened the floodgates, allowing me to soak up tons of my favorite genre -“Mystery”. LRK gained another fan as soon as I ‘read’ Beekeeper’s Apprentice and I anxiously await her next installment to either MRH or the KM series.

[Bachi]

Vicki,
Why is my signature showing up like this? In the signature option if I choose any font variation the codes are joining the text!
Please Help

[vicki]

Hi, Kindred-Spirit Wanda, and welcome to the VBC! You and Mr. Wanda were very brave to pull up the stakes and move after so long in N.J.--that's a daunting thing to even consider, much less accomplish. But it's such a wonderful thing to be able to share your grandkids' lives on a daily basis--for them and for you. I'm so glad that I had that with both sets of my grandparents nearby when I was growing up--it really enriched my childhood and adolescence.

Re: signature--I don't see a signature at all on your posts. What are you seeing there? I'll check a bit behind the scenes and see if I see something amiss with the code.

I've not really done the audiobook thing much until recently. Just having so many things to juggle makes it almost necessary to be able to multi-task at times. In fact, I was having so much trouble carving out some time to reread this month's discussion selection, A Darker Place, that I had to go back to the library and check out the audiobook so I could listen to it while doing a bunch of cleaning up that I've been desperately needing to do. That has helped immensely, and I should be done with it by tomorrow evening!

Like you, I love the Petherbridge Wimsey episodes, but Jen is making me very much want to try the Carmichaels.

In this dvd of "CoW," there is a small interview filmed in 2000 with Ian Carmichael himself. Looking handsome and aged, he spoke about breaking out of the mold English producers had put him in, of a "review artist" which sounds like a one-man show type of thing. At any rate, it was a pleasure to see him and listen to him talk about being "obviously too old" to do LP. Nice little bit of an extra.


Ooooh--cool! I love that kind of "extra feature they so often do on dvds now.

<edit> I went backstage to look at your account, and it looks like you removed the signature for now. If you want to give it another shot and it continues to give you trouble, I'll be happy to take at look at it. :)

[Bachi]

Vicki,
Thanks for taking a look at my signature, I did remove it because I thought it looked confusing. I put it back so you can see it. I also have a profile pic that is not showing up on my posting - any thoughts on that?

[Bachi]

This is embarassing, the signature shows up fine now, but last night it showed in the posting the same way it shows in the edit signature box, with the attribute codes for color and italics surrounding the text. My pic is still not showing, at least I don't see it.

[Bachi]

OK so I finally figured out that uploading a picture to my profile pic and then looking for it as my avatar was the problem. At 50+ I have a lot left to learn.

I would like to know about the member types I tried a search in faq's but couldn't find the explanation. Not that being designated as a junior isn't flattering.

Is there an easy way to flip back to LRK's homepage from the VBC? I sometimes want to pop back to the book summaries for a refresher - so actually at 50+ it may not be that I have a lot left to learn, as much as I have a lot left to re-learn.

For the curious my Avatar that I worked so hard at showing, is my oldest 2 grandgirls as they were inducted into our families "Up the down escalator club" can't wait 'till the newest grandgirls are old enough to join.

[vicki]

Hi, Bachi! I was off-line most of yesterday, but I see you got most everything figured out just fine. You're doing great! And I love the avatar--my kids were terrified of the escalator until they were four or five, so I'd have to carry them. For a little while, I had to carry both of them, which was a little tricky.


Is there an easy way to flip back to LRK's homepage from the VBC?


Up in the left side of the banner at the top of the page, you'll see two links--one is "forum home," which takes you to the front page of the VBC and one is LRK home, which takes you to LRK's home page. That should make it much easier to flip over and get to the website's considerable resources.


I would like to know about the member types I tried a search in faq's but couldn't find the explanation. Not that being designated as a junior isn't flattering.



That would be a good thing to add to the FAQs. <Puts on to-do list> You start out as a "Junior Member" upon registration, then move up to "Member" when you hit 30 posts. You move up to "Senior Member" at 100 posts. This is the default system that our vBulletin forum software uses. It also allows you to add ranks and vary the number of posts required, and you can change the rank-titles to all sorts of fun stuff having to do with the forum. So far, we've just kept the three default ranks, but if anyone has a burst of inspiration about ranks and/or titles, post to the feedback forum in the Lobby area or shoot me an email. :)

[Jennifer]

Hi Vicki!
I definitely think you'd like the IC LPW! I thought he was lovely in "Clouds." The writer even managed to work in a bit about LP's war experiences ala "Whose Body." His relationship with Lady Mary was portrayed so warmly (reserved but warm nonetheless) and the production values were very convincing. The costumes and hair were beautiful and spot on. I do think the amount of Princess Leia style do's (on some of the lesser characters) was overmuch but that's a small thing. I have a hunch that at the time (mid-70's) Britain was not enjoying a love affair with it's nobility. It didn't look fun at all to be in the Upper Crust! I wonder what the interpretation would be today.
Jen D.

[vicki]

Okay, you've convinced me. I'll try to get ahold of some IC Wimsey DVDs.


I have a hunch that at the time (mid-70's) Britain was not enjoying a love affair with it's nobility. It didn't look fun at all to be in the Upper Crust! I wonder what the interpretation would be today.



Maybe more nostalgic? I think in the 70s, they were too near that transition where the upper crust, as it had existed in LPW's youth, had largely crumbled away. Even LP expresses a good bit of anguish that his world was fading away. He was acutely aware that he was becoming something of an anachronism and he grieves over that somewhat, even as he embraces the new world with its aeroplanes and motorcars.

[Meredith47]

Hi, folks. you've hit on another of my favorite things, the D.L.Sayers works and the important (cough) question of who on earth would make a decent Peter Wimsey. Though I had the sense to fall for Holmes at 12, it took me until 15 to find PDBW and what fun! I do so agree: both IC and EP too old when in the TV in that role, alas; and a crime (CRIME) to omit the cricket match and the scene with the chess set. I'm still looking for that chess set. But I thought the way EP played it was better chiefly because the physical type was so much better (yes Harriet Walter was Genius casting). Fun facts: there is an autobiography of Ian Carmichael, I saw it in paperback at my English mum's in May but annoyingly cannot remember the title. He has a long acting history. AND Edward Petherbridge gives walking tours of London about once per month, or at least he did some months ago. I haven't managed that yet, but it's on my list. --Meredith

[vicki]

Wimsey sister! <Sits on bench next to Meredith>


AND Edward Petherbridge gives walking tours of London about once per month, or at least he did some months ago.


!!! Now that would be worth a trans-Hotlantic trip! But what would be cooler still would be a EP tour of Oxford. <Swoons>

Now that you mention it, what actor would make a good Lord Peter, if they were to start filming today? I'll start a thread where we can talk about it without taking the Hospitality Suite too far adrift. :D

<edit> Here's the thread. (http://laurierking.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2999#post2999)

[Jennifer]

Vicki,
I was wondering since you are fount of all wisdom concerning Ms. King, do you know if she's ever mentioned if she read the biography of DLS "Careless Rage For Life?" I am reading it just now and I am seeing so much MRH I tell you, it's uncanny! The knowledge and love of books, the desire to perform, the sort-of arrogance (okay, the arrogance, early on at least in MRH...). And the discussion of her life at Oxford, well it's so true to MRH that I just feel like they are sisters under the skin. I also didn't realize how much her Christianity informed DLS and how much of her work was taken up in theology. I see so many parallels. Do you know anything about this subject or could direct me?
Thanks,
Jen D.

[vicki]

Hi, Jen! I haven't seen a mention about that particular biography from LRK, but she may have read it--I know she's a big Wimseyphile.

You know, I hadn't thought all that much about the parallels between DLS and Russell, but you've got a point. Most people focus on the parallels between DLS and Harriet Vane (of which there are many), but I think you're right that she has a lot in common with Russell, too.

I'm embarrassed to say that, although I have a copy of what has been recommended to me as an excellent Sayers bio, I haven't even cracked it open. I'd be happy to mail-lend it to you if you'd like to borrow it, as my chances of getting to it in the next couple of months are somewhere between slim and none. :)

[Jennifer]

Vicki,
I would love to see the bio in print. I tried to listen to a copy, an old one, at my lib. and it was a bust. Let me see if there's a hard copy available and if not, I'll take you up on your generous offer.

From what I've read, DLS had a very high opinion of herself as a young girl. She knew she had something, a way with words, a frightfully quick mind. She won prizes for both Latin and Greek! Doesn't that sound just like our sweet MRH? And that theology thread that runs through both their lives, it's quite hard to dismiss. Reading LPW, you wouldn't necessarily realize how immersed in theology DLS was but it does come quite clear later in her life. During WWII, she wrote a very successful set of plays about the life of Christ. A group of very strict Christians made the enterprise much more famous by spending the amazing amount of 1,200 pounds to protest the plays in a series of newspaper adverstisements. But when they were produced (for the BBC) they were warmly received and redone several times in later years. And so, that was our DLS history lesson for the day!

BTW, I just saw "Strong Poison" with EP and whilst he is exceedingly closer to physical type, I found his portrayal somber, almost ponderous. He had the bearing of someone returning from a funeral. Why on earth were LPW's chatty, bouncy qualities and his unflagging good cheer almost completely drained out of him? I realize he was quite worried about HV, but still, he kept up his normal "What ho!" demeanor. EP seemed to be a sad-eyed little child! But he is nice to look at!
Jen D.

[vicki]

Oooh--that's some cool history on DLS! Hmm--maybe I need to move this biography up a few notches in the Stack. And I agree with you on Petherbridge's portrayal being rather sad in Strong Poison, although that may have been somewhat appropriate given Harriet's precarious position in that story. But then, I don't recall him doing the "silly ass" routine in the adaptations of Have his Carcase or Gaudy Night, either. <Shrugs>

BTW, I'm going to post you question in the Author's Corner thread, to see if LRK has anything to add to what I've said. :)

[quelle]

Dear Vicki,
I'm new here also. I wonder how I can find the RUSS L group you mentioned.
I started with some of the Marinelli books. Then I read Justice Hall and then O Jersaleum so I kind of spoiled it for myself as far as knowing who the 2 Arabs really were. But I am constantly astonished at Laurie's talent to weave a great tale. Now I'm going for the Bee Keeper's Apprentice and A Montrous Regiment of Women. I loved Folly and then Keeping Watch. Oh yes and Locked Rooms. I just have become addicted I think! I hope she keeps writing so I can keep reading because pretty soon I will have reached the end, oh dear!
I would love to belong the RUSS L group because I always want to discuss what I'm reading and I don't have anyone else I know to do that with.
Linda (quelle@wavecable.com)

[vicki]

Hi, Linda and welcome to the VBC! You have some seriously fine reading ahead of you! There are lots of places to talk about your current reads around here, LRK and non-LRK reads alike, so jump on in! :)

The excellent and long-lived RUSS-L group can be found here (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RUSS-L/)--it's a great bunch of Russell fans and I lurk there, posting occasionally. Also, if you're interested in Russell fanfic, there is a very fun and supportive community called Letters of Mary (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Letters_Of_Mary/) that you might enjoy. Many of its members (and RUSS-L's) are here at the VBC as well. Gotta love that LRK network! :D

BTW, which authors/what kind of books do you like to read when you're not immersed in an LRK novel?

[dianams]

Hi! My name is Diana and I am an East coast transplant now living in MN. My first Russell book was he Beekeeper's Apprentice - and was recommended by a great librarian. I was one of those people who had gotten weary of the same blah blah blah on the radio every day and got hooked on book's on tape to pass the time more pleasurably. So, I started with LRK on tape and then read the books in the traditional format after getting hooked.

I also got my husband (a complete non-reader) hooked! And he is constantly bugging me as to when the next LRK novel will be available.

So, I'm a complete newbie to on-line anything (other than shopping) and am starting on on-line masters program so I guess I'll be learning...

I look forward to checking in with you all.

[Strawberry Curls]

I also got my husband (a complete non-reader) hooked! And he is constantly bugging me as to when the next LRK novel will be available.Hi, Diana, and welcome. My husband is a reader, but resisted the Russell books as "not something that would interest me." I waited patiently until he finally decided he had better read the books just so he knew what was so engrossing me. He came in the backdoor, so to speak. He read TAoD first and loved the "Holmes" manuscript and then started reading the Kanon. He started LOCK this past Jan. 1st. I plan to shove Touchstone at him when he finishes LOCK so he can taper off slowly from Ms. King's books.

Glad you found us, and join in the fun.

Alice
AKA Strawberry Curls

[Bachi]

I also got my husband (a complete non-reader) hooked!

Welcome to the club. I got my husband (who likes to read, but never has enough time) into audio book reading while traveling to work. I actually found LRK because he is a Sherlock Holmes fan and we have sampled various authors revivals, not very satisfyingly until “The Beekeepers Apprentice”. LRK coined the phrase “After 1914 Holmes is Mine” and we whole heartily agree.

[Kiyomi]

That is such a coincidence, my husband who is not a big reader also read and loved this series. That is truly the sign of a good book, even 'non-readers' enjoy it!

[vicki]

Hi, dianams and welcome! <Waves> I've had great luck BEEK to several people who aren't big readers. It's just such a terrific story, I think it just sucks people in once they get through the first paragraph. That's one reason I call the BEEK excerpt (http://laurierking.com/pdf/Beekeeper.pdf) Laurie posted on her site "the tractor beam." Mwahahahahaha!


And he is constantly bugging me as to when the next LRK novel will be available.



Have y'all read Touchstone yet? It rocks the Casbah! And LRK is working on Russell IX, tentatively titled The Language of Bees. She's dropped some intriguing hints about it in her blog and in one of her recent blog-tour stops.

What are you studying in your online master's program?

[Kiyomi]

I have not yet had a chance to pickup a copy of Touchstone but hope to do so within the next week. I will then be lost to the world for 6-8 hours as I read it :)