The Vine, Anniversary Edition: April 27, 2010
Hi Sars,
Reading the plot summary of An Education reminded me of a book I read as a youth. This would be young-adult material, which I read around the early 1990s (late junior high/high schoolish).
Like An Education, the book is set in England in the ’60s. The protagonist is a teenage girl who meets an older man. They don’t have a romance, though I think she starts to dig him, maybe wants to lose her virginity to him. I think he (mostly?) resists. I don’t think she mentions him to her parents at first, but then does. To their chagrin (yes, very much like An Education).
The only other thing I can remember is that he gives her a white turtleneck sweater, because it brings out her eyes or something. He thinks it makes her look good and she agrees. And she tells her parents this. Dumb.
I so wanted a sweater like that, but as this was in the early ’90s, we only had jackets with shoulder pads or flannel shirts to choose from… Any thoughts, anyone?
Sarah
*****
I keep hoping this book will come up in one of your “Ask The Readers” columns, since my memory of the book has more holes than Swiss cheese.
I read this book in the late ’80s, in paperback form. It was in my small-town library, so chances are that it was released in the early to mid-’80s. The story is about a young girl, maybe around 10-12 years old, who attends some type of boarding school or camp. One day, she realizes that she can make “things happen” and later discovers that she is a witch.
She then discovers that there are several other witches and warlocks in this school, but someone is trying to kill them or get them kicked out or imprison them or something else awful that bad guys do in young-adult books. I think that the witches and warlocks eventually “win” the battle, but I don’t really remember what happens in the end.
It is not the Worst Witch series. I’m also fairly certain that it was a standalone book and not a series, but I’m not positive. This is particularly hard to Google since anything that involves the term “witch” coupled with “school” brings up Harry Potter stuff.
Witching She Could Remember
*****
Hi Sars!
I know you’ve got a ton of these, so I’m sorry to add to the backlog. I am in no hurry as these have been bugging me for a while now and it only just occurred to me to ask my fellow TNers.
My aunt is a librarian and she used to send me the best YA books every Christmas. I’ve moved around a lot since I’ve been a grown up and have either misplaced these or gotten rid of them totally. Google has brought me nothing, so I turn to you!
Book 1 was about a youngish guy with a dog. He joined up with a group called the Nukismetic Humanists (you’d think such a phrase would come up on the Goog, but no!). Basically they were a religion who believe in fate, I guess, hence the “kismet” in the name. Anyway they operated some kind of factory, in which this young man worked. At one point he realizes that his job is just a cover and really the factory is full of pot! I guess that’s why it sticks out for me…hah. Any ideas?
Book 2 was kind of a mystery novel. The protagonist was a great tennis player. Her coach would make her run on the beach and swim a ton of laps. The coach ends up drowning the girl’s tennis rival. Sound familiar?
Thanks for your help, everybody!
I wish Kindles were invented way earlier so I wouldn’t have this problem
*****
Hello Sars and Readers,
I’m hoping some one who has more shopping kung-fu than I do can help me out. Which is not a far reach. Here is the deal. My boyfriend has a fancy hotel annual work party coming up. Generally boys wear suits and women wear cocktail dresses. Which would be fine and easy if I had not recently just destroyed both of the bones in my leg below my right knee.
First there’s the boot that’s getting super-dingy (why white fake fur? really?). That’s what it looked like a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s more thrashed and gray.
On top of that, my right leg looks like it spent a few weeks in a POW camp. It’s half the size of my left leg, it’s bruised, some parts are swollen, some parts are creepy. It should be kept covered at all times.
Which I guess is the longest way to get to the point that I need a long dress. I have some long dresses, but they’re all very “oh, I just threw on this breezy soft cotton thing on my way home from the beach” and not at all “I’m in a fancy hotel where no one is wearing flip-flops.”
I wear a size 10 and have small boobs. Generally empire waste dresses work out well. Halters are cool, straps are cool, but I never loved wearing strapless. I want to pull it up all night even if it’s been tailored to fit.
What I need in a dress:
- Not pink, orange or red (maroon-ish is okay)
- Long
- Fancy enough
- No floral prints
- Something I can buy online
And finally, not that expensive. Closer to 100 bucks than 300 is the general goal.
LG
*****
So, I’ve been trying to find the name of this book I read as a kid. I think it took place in either France or England in the 16th or 17th century.
The main character was a young peasant girl who gets somehow lost with the son of a lord and has to spend a winter with him in an abandoned house somewhere. He teaches her to read, and she keeps his life, as medieval wealthy children weren’t so good at self-sufficiency. It’s weird the things kids remember — I can’t remember the name of the book, but I remember that when they came back to their families and were separated, he gives her a piece of paper telling her not to forget him.
Somehow…she becomes a Robin-Hood-type figure, I think. Or maybe it was him. I think the book was called something like “Jack O’Lantern” or “Jacobite” or something like that, but I’ve Googled and Amazoned every single combination I can think of, so I’m hoping your readers can help.
It’s probably not as good as I remember, but if it is, I want to find it and give it to my niece.
Karen
*****
Okay Sars,
I’ve got one for you. I need advice on a new watch. I have had a LOT of trouble finding a watch that meets my needs.
To explain: I am an elementary-school art teacher. I am rough on watches. Especially the crystal. My current watch is so scratched up that I can’t really read the dial between 5 and 9; I have resorted to squinting and guessing.
I am kind of old-school and REALLY don’t want a digital watch.I also need the date as a part of the display. So I have come to you hoping that you or the readers have some advice on the subject.
I am willing to pay a little more if I know that the watch will be durable enough to stand up to my use. But so far I have been paying a little less and replacing it once or twice a year. Thanks for any advice you can give.
Timeless in Texas
Dear Time,
Ask your local jewelry-repair shop if they sell any watch or crystal guards, like the old Swatch guards everyone used to use (you can also get an estimate for replacing the crystal, and see if it’s less expensive than replacing the entire watch).
Many Fossil watches offer analog styling with a little date window, and you can probably get a competitive price on eBay; once you’ve picked out a watch, try wearing it face-in on your wrist at work, or fashioning a little “sleeve” for it out of fabric scraps (the watch I have on today, a big wood-“paneled” men’s model, drives me nuts with the clopping on my laptop, so I made a little sliding damper for it — it took ten minutes).
Or go nuts and get a pocket watch instead. They have covers; you can wear it as a pendant.
Readers?
*****
Hello,
We are thinking of buying a new (used) vehicle for the family. I have a large husband and two adult-sized teenagers. We are looking at 4WDs that are 2000 and newer. We have narrowed the search down to the Nissan X-Terra, the Toyota 4Runner and the Honda Pilot.
I am looking for any information that current owners would like to pass on to looky-loos. Any pros or cons…any information about roominess…we are test-driving, but a short test drive can only tell you so much. I know that The Nation is a place of strong opinions and that’s what I need.
Thanks in advance,
MP
*****
Dear Sars,
Happy Anniversary to the Vine! I had intended to write this for a while, and now I guess here’s an opportunity for a reader to win a prize, because the answer(s) should be easy enough.
You’re a fan of oral histories; I am too. Every once in a while I’ll get the urge to read one, but the only one I have in my personal library is Tom Shales’s SNL book. So I read it, and it that leads to re-reading The Late Shift and Desperate Networks and the upshot is I don’t get any new reading done for two weeks.
So I was hoping you or the readers could recommend ones you’d found particularly enjoyable, enlightening, whatever. Entertainment, history, politics or culture (no baseball please — sorry, but I wouldn’t have a clue who the people were). Oh, and if anyone has any bright ideas on where to find the late David Mills’s oral history of P-Funk, that’d be awesome, since it seems to be out of print in Canada.
Deirdre
Dear Dre,
(…Hee.) The Mills is available on U.S. Amazon and on Half.com, though I don’t know if they’ll ship to Canada. I’m not seeing bargain pricing, so you may want to start a search with a price cap on eBay.ca and see how it goes.
My favorite oral histories, the Shales excepted, are all edited by George Plimpton: Edie, about Edie Sedgwick; American Journey: The Times of Robert Kennedy; and Truman Capote. You don’t have to like, or even know anything about, the subjects going in, and the RFK book in particular has a few turns of phrase that will make you nostalgic for a time when people still spoke this way in conversation:
JOSEPH ALSOP, columnist
There was always that ludicrous mixture of heartbreak and how do you get your sandwiches? That’s always true. It always happens when people who love someone very much who’s gone are necessarily gathered together; they have to go on nourishing themselves and deciding whether to have another drink. (60)
If you liked the SNL book, you’ll probably like The Chris Farley Show. It’s a bit clanky in places, but pretty good. And you could also try Elvis Aaron Presley: Revelations from the Memphis Mafia, which I remember liking — and apparently it’s really good, because I keep lending it to people and never seeing it again and having to buy new copies.
Readers?
Tags: Ask The Readers Chris Farley David Mills Edie Sedgwick Elvis Presley George Plimpton Jean Stein Joseph Alsop popcult retail Robert F. Kennedy Tom Shales Truman Capote
Book 2 was kind of a mystery novel. The protagonist was a great tennis player. Her coach would make her run on the beach and swim a ton of laps. The coach ends up drowning the girl’s tennis rival. Sound familiar?
I remember this one! But not the name! Boy, I’m helpful….
Anyway, I’m pretty sure I got it from scholastic, and the protaganist’s name was Kathy, if that helps at all.
Karen – I’m pretty sure the book is by Cynthia Voight.
I finally know one!
Karen, I believe the book you want is Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt. I discovered some other Cynthia Voigt books from my closet that were also very good like “Wings of a Falcon” and “The Runner”. Good read.
Witching,
Could the book you are looking for be Witch Week, by Diana Wynne Jones? It wasn’t published in the US until 88, but it was originally published in the UK in 82. It centers around several students at a boarding school somewhere in England who discover they can use magic. In the alternate history of the book, Guy Fawkes was a witch and he managed to blow up Parliament, only the explosives went off in the middle of the night before anyone was there and he got caught. Since that time there have been witch hunts and an inquisition in England. It’s part of her Chrestomanci series, which I highly recommend.
Yes, yesss!!! I finally know one! As I’m a librarian it makes me feel very bad when I don’t know these books, even though American YA isn’t my field.
@Karen, you are definitely thinking of Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt (of Homecoming fame). It’s the first in a series of loosely connected fantasy books, and they are really good (well, she’s a brilliant author). Some of the details are wrong, they don’t spend the winter, just some days, and she’s the daughter of an inn-keeper, but it’s absolutely that one.
Wikipedialink:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Voigt#Kingdom_Series
LG, I hate to say it, but have you looked into bridesmaid dresses? Some of them are really quite normal-looking, and David’s Bridal has a pretty wide selection of styles and colors, many of which come in around $100.
Witching: Sounds like Diane Wynn Jones’s Witch Week to me, which is loosely part of her Chrestomanci books (Chrestomanci is a sort of deus ex machina, rather than a main character).
Karen: That’s Cynthia Voigt’s Jackaroo. It’s actually the first in a series set in that world; I’ve read three of them, and loved them as a kid.
Deirdre: Haven’t read it myself, but Ta-Nehisi Coates of The Atlantic magazine has nothing but praise for Charles L. Perdue Jr.’s Weevils in the Wheat, which is interviews with former slaves in Virginia.
@LG, you might want to try eshakti (http://www.eshakti.com/). They are affordable and for an extra $15 they customize dresses so if you found a short dress you like, they could make it long.
Good luck!
@MP – my brother works for a car dealer, and his biggest piece of advice when looking at cars? TEST drive that thing. Get out on the interstate. Go somewhere residential and STOMP those brakes. Check mirrors/blind spots. Parallel park it. Most people try to drive as carefully as possible when they test drive a car, which – very good. Don’t wreck a car you don’t own. But you have to (within reason) actually see how the car drives, and how it fits you, and your husband, and your children.
Other than that, I know X-terras have a high center of gravity, which can lead to easier tipping…they may have corrected this in recent years, though. I would guess you could get a hell of a deal on a 4Runner right now, too.
@MP – My husband is on his second Honda Pilot (he leases) and I’m currently driving a 2005 Honda CRV, just FYI. We’re both super happy with our vehicles. The Pilot is lovely to drive. I find it handles like a small car, really – great site lines, quick response, easy handling. It runs very quietly and smoothly, and it’s super comfortable. Its ability to carry 8 is nice – I don’t drink, so I’m frequently the DD and we haul people around all the time. And you can’t beat the cargo space. I’ve hauled 4 grown women, 4 hockey bags, goalie pads, overnight bags, coolers, and hockey sticks to a weekend hockey tournament with room to spare. We bought hardwood flooring for our house and were able to cram it all in the Pilot; we’ve moved friends in the Pilot; and we’ve had se…ok, just kidding there.
I can’t speak to your other two choices, but we love our Honda.
My God you guys are amazing! Why did I wait so long to ask you? I had no idea there was a whole series, but if it’s as good as I remember, I’m getting them all for my niece.
Th Witching person may want to read the Lois Duncan book “Down a Dark Hall.” The students are at a boarding school where they discover hidden pyschic powers, get possessed by spirits of famous dead artists and composers, and basically have to fight for their lives.
Here’s a better summary from Fine Lines:
http://jezebel.com/5280403/down-a-dark-hall-getting-the-spirit-in-the-dark
Re: Deirdre’s question–I love Studs Terkel’s books (“Hard Times” and “Working” are both favorites of mine.) They are not, shall we say, politically neutral, so readers of a more conservative persuasion might not love them, but I think they’re the greatest. Also, if fictionalized oral history is OK, the book “World War Z” by Max Brooks, an after-the-fact retelling of the great war with the zombies, is surprisingly good! I’m not really a survival-horror person, but the book was really well done: it got perspectives from all kinds of (fictional) people–children, soldiers, industrialists, farmers, perpetrators–and it eventually pieces together this great backstory about the origins of zombies and the complex situations that led to the war.
Could the witch book be Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan? The protagonist, named Kit, goes to a boarding school that turns out to be a collection spot for girls who have supernatural gifts. The school burns down at the end, too, so all the girls get a chance to escape.
Sarah – are you certain that the story you read that was like An Education wasn’t the article that the movie was based on? Here is the link to the Guardian story: http://tiny.cc/v1s5t
Deirdre – I highly recommend A Personal History by Katharine Graham. It’s her autobiography which is closely intertwined with The Washington Post. It won the Pulitzer Prize.
@MP
Had a friend recommend this tactic to me, when I was looking for a new car (me being 6’1″ and zaftig): visit a car rental place – especially if you have a “Rent-A-Wreck” or “Ugly Duckling” car rentals near you. The cheaper rental places tend to have sightly older cars. Rent each of the models you’re interested in for a weekend, or other somewhat extended period. Use it like you would your regular car. You may not find all the quirks of the car you end up buying, but it will help you narrow down the field. And isn’t the cost of a rental worth getting a car you truly like, rather than one you merely tolerate?
Kymster
@LG – White House/Black Market has some halter type maxi dresses. They may be more than what you want to pay but you can sometimes find coupons online.
http://www.whitehouseblackmarket.com/store/browse/shelf.jsp?cat=Dresses++Skirts&catId=cat210002
@LG – Ann Taylor Loft has a dress that might work too:
LG, I can’t help on the dress, but for the non-Boot foot, go with “trouser socks”. I forget which major hosiery brand I buy, but they’re in grocery stores, etc. by the nylons. They’re knee high, and more opaque than nylons, and more comfortable. The plus sizes even make it over my rubesque calves. And take care of yourself and wear something flat and comfy for the “good” foot. People will understand that you aren’t up to fancy footwear.
I’m afraid I can’t help anyone out today, but I want to say I had that red and yellow and green swatch! And a plain black one, and a pink and white faux swatch. That is all.
@LG: Sears (I know, but still…) has a bunch of long dresses that are currently 60% off. Some of the DJ Jazz offerings are really cute too. Check them out: http://tinyurl.com/2cy4f6o .
Kindles: I believe the “weed factory” book you’re looking for is called Discontinued, by Julian F. Thompson
Can I say how excited I am that there are so many Diana Wynne Jones fans here? The day I realized that there is a whole series of books about Chrestomanci was a very happy day.
@Time: I’m not sure what price range you are in now, but I currently have a Tissot PR 50 which has a Sapphire quartz face and no scratch on it. I garden in my watch (which means digging in dirt, hauling around bags of mulch, rock, etc, moving landscaping bricks, etc), painting (I both accidently painting the entire face and spatter painted it–What time is it…paint o’clock). Occassionally dunk it in assorted water. I’m clumsy and bounce my arms/hands off of door jams.
Granted, I do not wrangle children all day, so I cannot attempt to that abuse. But any kind of plastic face is going to scratch. I suggest giving the sapphire quartz face a look if you haven’t already. Its not uncommon, but it might be a bump up in price, depending on the level you are shopping at now. I’ve had my watch for 5+ years and although I’ve had it cleaned at the watch shop (after the paint gun spattering), no scratches on the face.
I was so excited to finally know one of these! The witch one definitely sounds like Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones, as several others have already commented. The whole Chrestomanci series is kind of my go-to reading when I’m home sick, I love them so very much.
http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Chrestomanci-Books-Diana-Wynne/dp/0688155456
And could the tennis mystery be When No One Was Looking by Rosemary Wells?
MP – I have a 2004 XTerra and I love it. We originally bought it as a triathlon vehicle because it has an interior bike rack (removable), but we have since had a kid and a dog and it carts around both things with ease. It drives well, needs very little maintenance (in 6 years of owning it I have only had to get new tires and a new windshield after it got hit by a rock). The first-aid kit has come in handy a few times as well. It’s a most excellent vehicle for camping, tailgating, or braving the wilds of suburban NJ. We drove it from NJ to FL over New Year’s and that was a rather comfy 20 hours (each way!) in the truck. Much love.
Oops, forgot to combine my comments.
@LG — along the lines of the trowser sock…I would vote for darker tights. Do any of your existing dresses go with darker tights? Dark gray or black or navy? I’m thinking you’ll then have your legs covered and it might balance out the dingy boots (dark tights…blend with dingy boot…maybe..)? I mean, its not like a long dress is going to completely hide the boot, it will still be on your foot anyway. Even if its summer time and you wouldn’t normally wear something dark…its cocktail, a Little Black Dress is always appropriate, right?
Dre: In addition to totally seconding World War Z, I’m going to recommend Please Kill Me by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. It’s an oral history of Punk (the music, the movement, etc). I actually met Legs and Gillian once, and they’re pretty cool (although, let’s just say Legs lived a hard, fast life and it shows).
LG- Chadwicks has some nice looking long black dresses- a lot of them are a little higher than your price range but there are several in the sale section.
MP- I know it isn’t on your list, but when I couldn’t afford a used Rav4 the car guy at my bank recommended a 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander, and I love it. It handles great, is quiet on the freeway, and, most awesomely, is comfortable for tall people in any of the seats- the floor is lower in the back so even my 6’4″ brother-in-law doesn’t mind riding back there on road trips.
Deirdre: I just finished reading “Free for All: Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told” by Papp and Kenneth Turan, and thought it was one of the best and most fun books I’d ever read about American theater history. It’s also great if you have any interest in urban history or New York City during the second half of the 20th c.
The classic “And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic” is not strictly an oral history (it’s written much more like a novel, not in the script-like “name: quote” format that oral history traditionally uses) but it is the product of hundreds of exhaustive interviews and is a gripping account of several sides of the early days of AIDS: medical/epidemiological, political, and the human patients and activists who first grappled with the disease.
I also second the recommendation for any of Studs Terkel’s books, especially “Working.”
Oh my God! I’m having knowledge!
Kindle, Book 2 is When No One Was Looking by Rosemary Wells.
Amazon link
Hey everyone,
LG here. Thank you so much for the suggestions. They’re great. I really appreciate it. The party was 3 days ago and I ended up just getting something off of blue fly. Spent more then I wanted to but it was beautiful and fits and I can probably wear it for a while. The best part is that I finally got a walking boot so while it’s bulky and ugly I don’t hate it nearly as much as the other one.
I’m checking out all your links though since I think I’ll be wearing long dresses for a couple more months. I’m mostly over the “I hate my leg and I don’t want people to see how creepy it looks” and well into the “if I have to answer one more question about this stupid thing I’m going on a killing rampage the second I can walk” mode.
MP: You mention that you want a 4WD, but don’t say why. If you’re looking for a vehicle that sits high and has a ton of interior space, but not one for any serious offroading, I’d reccomend the Honda Element. I’m 6’6″ 240# and I fit very comfortably. My dad is 6’4″ and can sit behind me and still cross his legs. Every time someone gets in it for the first time, they say how much bigger it is inside than it looks. Decent mileage, and the floor is completely flat, with no carpeting. Super easy to clean! I’ve had mine for 5 years so far and I absolutely love it!
Deidre,
I loved Please Kill Me (http://amzn.to/aXd3tt) about the history of punk in New York. However, junkies can be kind of gross, so be prepared.
OMG you guys are awesome! Discontinued and When No One Was Looking are totally my books. Too bad they both appear to be out of print! I often head to the library and hit up the YA section because it’s almost as vivid nostalgia as a good smell or going back inside your elementary school. I hope I can find them to re-read. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
@LG: Have you considered David’s Bridal? I know, I know, but they have some cute things these days, that are party appropriate and don’t SCREAM Bridesmaid and they come in all sorts of colors!
http://tinyurl.com/36cus98
http://tinyurl.com/23meku5
http://tinyurl.com/2vg4ltp
http://tinyurl.com/359gkkn
http://tinyurl.com/37ryvp2
http://tinyurl.com/33hy76r
http://tinyurl.com/y3ez8s7
Karen,
I’m sorry to hear about your leg trouble. I wish you a complete recovery ASAP!
I’m no fashion plate, but I think a very dressy pants outfit would suffice, don’t you? You know, wide-leg, breezy material paired with a really nice top and a cropped jacket, or whatever!
I just shopped Yahoo for Dressy pants and saw some nice options. I hope this helps.
Good luck!
Oops sorry, I meant LG. My bad!
I don’t have anything helpful to add, but I want to thank TN commentors for reawakening my dormant love of YA fiction. I am going to go on a YA reading binge. When I start remembering old favorites with forgotten titles I am going to ask you folks!
I think Witch Week might be the book! I’m going to order it right now. Thanks, Tomato Nation!
-Witching She Could Remember
I have a 2005 Xterra, and like Rachel I love it and I’ve had to do almost zero maintenance (new tires is it). And it’s not due to my great treatment of the thing, because I beat the hell out of it pretty regularly and I’m very bad about regularly scheduling oil changes. So it’s apparently an ideal vehicle for the irresponsible (not that that helps MP much). I’m not sure if this has been changed in the newer models, but I do have a lot of passengers complain about how tiny the backseat doors are, which makes the backseat kind of tough to get into. I don’t really mind since I don’t generally ride in my own backseat, and I don’t have kids so it’s not much of an issue for me, but it’s definitely something to think about if you’re going to have frequent backseat riders, especially adult-sized ones.
Also, I laughed at the dorky first aid kit strapped into the back of my Xterra when I bought it, but I’ve used it multiple times in the last five years.
Every X-Terra driver I know is in LOVE with thier vehicle.
I *love* watching the TN solve all these mysteries! (But I’m always disappointed that I haven’t a clue…)
Karen, if you liked Discontinued, check out more of Julian F Thompson’s work. The Grounding of Group 6 is his most famous book. I got it in seventh grade, stupidly lent it to someone, who passed it on, and by the time I got it back the front cover had worn off.
For oral histories, I highly recommend Shawn Levy’s (not the director) Ready, Steady, Go!, about the swinging London sixties, and Rat Pack Confidential, about Frank Sinatra and the boys. He interviewed everyone from genuine stars to hangers-on to gangsters and the results are swift and fascinating.
Oh, and LG? Start making shit up, it’s much more fun.
“The chute didn’t open.”
“7.8 seconds -so close!”
“The bungee cord broke.”
“Game shows are a lot rougher in Japan.”
“If I’d only made it around that corner & into the china shop, that bull would’ve gone right by me!”
Seriously, it does help. Happy healing!
Oh, Margaret in CO, good idea.
Gazing off into the distance, “I’m going to miss the rodeo, but the doctor says I can’t go back.”
Some advice for those of you who are finding old classics left and right, but don’t want to pay insane out-of-print fees: if your local library doesn’t have the book, try Worldcat.org. It lets you check libraries all over the world (narrowing to the ones most near you, of course).
@MP,
You’re comparing 2 vehicles (x-Terra, 4Runner) that are built off of a truck platform, which means they can legitimately go off-road to an SUV/CUV built on a car platform (Pilot), which means that it can not. I suspect you haven’t narrowed down exactly the size/function of the vehicle you’re looking for.
The Pilot is a very functional SUV. It handles nicely, more like a car. Depending on the year of the model post-2000, you’ll find differences in visibility/blind-spots. It’s more comparable to Toyota’s Highlander or Nissan’s Pathfinder, and it seems to be liked better than those models. (The Hyundai Santa Fe and Mazda CX-9 are popular & well-liked in this category as cheaper options to a Pilot).
The X-Terra is the smallest of the bunch. It has less room for hauling cargo, less roomy back seat. But it rocks for genuine off-roading. If you’re buying it for standard commuting or road trips with 2 adults and 2 teenagers, it might be cramped and a less smooth ride, with no real benefit to you.
The 4Runner is a great light-weight truck, if that’s what you want. Good for cargo hauling, worse for gas mileage and handling. But you ought to be comparing it to other light-weight trucks of the same size.
Hope this helps!
In addition to Erin W’s suggestion, see if your local library is part of a consortium or an interlibrary loan program. My library is part of a 280 library network that exchanges books all over the state. 99% of the time, someone, somewhere, has a copy of the book you want.
Timeless: definitely check with a jewelry store or watch repair shop about replacing the crystal. The last time I took mine in for a new battery, they recommended that be done — the watch looks like new and it wasn’t that expensive. I’ve also had the clasp bent back into shape when it has started to pop loose on my wrist. (That was done for free!)
If you need a new one, however, I’ve had an Anne Klein watch with a decorated metal wrist band for the last six years. It’s been in the ocean a few times, survived my penchant for DIY projects involving heavy lifting, and other than the minor repairs I mention above, has worked perfectly throughout. I got mine on clearance from a local department store, and even then it was a bit more than I had spent on a watch before, but it was definitely worth it.