Maya, you seem to love all the books I have trouble finishing! I need to sit down and give David Copperfield a chance, I guess. For now, my favorite Dickens book is The Old Curiosity Shop. Yes, I know it is sappy at times and is melodramatic, and that people are not that good and generous in real life. But I still loved it. It was almost a fairy tale.

Thanks for the pep talk concerning Moby Dick. I have not gotten very far . . . my 2 year old is having trouble adapting to daylight savings time. My hour and a half of free time each evening is down to a half hour!