Are you ready?

I think so, Letty. Of course with my poor planning, I'm already into two other books (which I very rarely do)!

Letty _ We are reading Genghis Birth of an Empire, aren't we? There are a few titles that start with Genghis, so I thought that I better ask!!

Yes Jeanne it is Genghis, Birth Of An Empire.   That is why it is so nice to have this a month long read along, everyone's pace is different.

Present and accounted for sir!  Started today only on pg 42 but I'm hooked. I think it was the name calling that got me...Yak penis? Really? Hmmm that would make him a Tartarbully no?

Ha!  Yes Bonnie it would in my book!  I am just on page 55,

I just got started last night as well and snorted at the "yak penis" mention too.

You all know we could start a super secret spy language,  YP= jerk.

Yes! ...and CAVE = dog poop!

I am certainly glad I don't have to eat the food.

I also am really hating the Olkhun'ut.  Temujin is one tough kid.

Eat the food, pump out the kids, live in a ger - no thanks to any of that, but what'cha gonna do in the 12th century? What puzzles me is why Yesugei thought it was okay to take Temujin to the Olkhun'uts alone - certainly he knew that he would have to return all by himself! I guess being a khan of the Wolves definitely instilled an overabundance of confidence!

Tough kid is right Letty, but then what would we expect from someone who will become Genghis?

BTW, I popped into biography.com and an interesting tidbit there is that Bekter was a half brother and supposedly Temujin was a third brother (?) in the family. I didn't see any mention of who the other brother was who came before him.

I did the same Jeanne,

Got to chapter 11 last night.

I am so enthralled when I am reading that when a seemingly modern phrase comes out it hits like a sledgehammer. Anyone else cringe when Enq said he "had to take a piss"?

Only because my Mother HATES that word and when ever I hear it used in that context  I cringe.   Doesn't bother me if some one says I'm pissed off.  weird

Yeah Jerelyn it's like certain expressions guys have for pooping...

Bonnie you said some thing interesting about a father beating his son to make a warrior out of him, and beating their horses.  Is this coloring anyone elses view of the books so far?

Jeanne, I was wondering about why Yesugei , went alone to the Olkhun'ut as well.

I'm having some difficulty with a lot of this - eagles, horses, kids......And when you think about it, it still goes on, only back then it was the custom and now it's a crime (usually)!

Yeah, Letty, obviously he didn't use very good judgment there for such a smart man!

Not to throw to much of a grenade in here.  But, I read on Wikipedia that., while forming the Mongol Empire it is thought that Genghis Khan's armies  killed as many as 40 million people. 

Whoa I bet he could find Bin Laden!

Ah, ya, Letty, 40 million would probably be about right. He was ruthless - a real terror!! I've got those "slant upward" eyes and our family always said it was probably that Mongol influence from when he ran right over Poland (I'm half Polish)!

Bonnie GW  your a nut!

Jeanne,  That very well might be.  Do you ever crave warm yogurt?  *shutters* 

I only like my yoghurt fixed up with everything and very cold! thank heaven!

Hey Jeanne that is so crazy.  I am Polish on my father's side and some of the family has those same eyes.  We also blamed it on the Mongol invasion!!!

It's funny Cheryl - people always envied me those eyes because I never needed any eyeliner to make them look "uplifted" or whatever. My mother's were even more pronounced.  Those must've been some strong genes those Mongols carried, cause what would it be - 700 years or so later, and some of those traits are still there! It's my mother's side that is Polish. My father's family were all from Luxembourg - many people have no idea where that is (tiny little duchy between France, Belgium and Germany).

I agree those are some strong genes.  I don't have them but a couple of my siblings do, one aunt and several cousins.  Amazing.