rosalita jumps a little higher in 2017: verse 1

I don’t know about any of the rest of ya, but that graphic pretty much sums up how I feel about the year that has just ended. I haven’t seen many signs that 2017 will be any better, but on the other hand it can’t get much worse. Can it? Please say no.

The book-reading slump I fell into in the last two months of 2016 may be the way of the future, which is OK. I’m going to continue reading books of all sorts (fiction, nonfiction, mystery, history, science fiction/fantasy), maybe fewer but hopefully better. (Better does not mean Serious, or Literary, or any such thing. It just means, you know, Better.)

And because I do a lot of reading outside of books, I’m going to also “review” some of that as well, which just means I’m going to be dropping some links and comments to articles I come across that I find interesting, amusing, or thought-provoking. Perhaps you will, too! None of the non-book reading will count toward my 75-book total, of course.

About those stars:
My system for assigning star ratings to books has evolved over the years, but this chart comes the closest to describing what I consider when I rate a book.
Breathtaking. This book may not be perfect, but it was perfect for me.
Not quite perfect, but I will actively recommend this book to friends.
A really great book with minor flaws, still highly recommended.
Better than average but some flaws. Recommended.
Entertaining but probably forgettable, not worth re-reading. Recommended only for fans of the genre or author.
Readable but something about the story, characters or writing was not up to standards. Not recommended.
Finished but did not like, and would not recommend.
Some redeeming qualities made me finish it, but nothing to recommend.
Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
Could not finish, possibly destroyed by fire (unless it's a library book)

Life Is Full of Challenges
I always start the year with such lofty reading plans. So many fabulous challenges, so many fabulous books to slot into them! And then somewhere in the middle of the year, I fall off the challenge wagon. I stop planning my reads and just start reading by the seat of my pants. Which is fun, too, so no regrets.

And it might happen again this year, and that’s OK! But I’m going to list here the challenges that have caught my eye, in hopes that it will help me stay on track. I’ll add possibilities as I run across them, and I welcome suggestions from any and all of my visitors. Some of these are from this group, and some are from our friends over at the 2017 Category Challenge group.

75ers Nonfiction Challenge

• Jan - Prizewinners
  
  • The Fire Next Time (Baldwin)
• Feb - Voyages of Exploration
  
• Mar - Heroes and Villains
  
• Apr - Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions
  
• May - History
  
• Jun - The Natural World
  
• Jul - Creators and Creativity
  
• Aug - I've Always Been Curious About ...
  
• Sep - Gods, Demons and Spirits
  
• Oct - The World We Live In: Current Affairs
  
• Nov - Science and Technology
  
• Dec - Out of Your Comfort Zone

American Authors Challenge

• Jan - Octavia Butler
  
  • Kindred
• Feb - Stewart O'Nan
  
• Mar - William Styron
  
• Apr - Poetry
  
• May - Zora Neale Hurston
  
• Jun - Sherman Alexie
  
• Jul - James McBride
  
• Aug - Patricia Highsmith
  
• Sep - Short Stories
  
• Oct - Ann Patchett
  
• Nov - Russell Banks
  
• Dec - Ernest Hemingway

CATWoman

• Jan - Classics
  
  • Middlemarch
    
  • Frankenstein
• Feb - Debut books
  
• Mar - Genres
  
  • The Daughter of Time
• Apr - Biography/autobiography/memoir
  
  • Eleanor and Hick
• May - Women in the arts
  
• Jun - Professional women
  
• Jul - Women of color
  
• Aug - Nonfiction or historical fiction
  
  • A Room With a View
• Sep - Children’s/YA/Graphic novels
  
• Oct - Regional reading
  
• Nov - LGBT/feminist writing
  
• Dec - Modern (post-1960) novels

CultureCAT

• Jan - Ethics in Science & Technology
  
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Dick)
• Feb - Medicine & Public Health
  
• Mar - Cultural Awareness & Diversity
  
• Apr - Religious Diversity & Freedom
  
• May - Gender Equality
  
• Jun - Environmentalism/Conservation (including global warming concerns)
  
  • Upstream (Oliver)
• Jul - Violence, Crime & Justice
  
• Aug - Impact of Natural disasters
  
• Sep - Journalism & the Arts
  
• Oct - Poverty
  
• Nov - Conflict & War (including terrorism)
  
• Dec - Cultural Flow & Immigration

AwardsCAT

• Jan - Year's Best lists and Costa Book Award
  
  • The Hand That First Held Mine (2010 Costa Novel) (O’Farrell)
    
  • The Fireman (NPR Best of 2016) (Hill)
• Feb - Canada Reads competition and The Morning News Tournament of Books
  
• Mar - The Newbery and Caldecott medals and other Genre Awards (any genre prize not already featured)
  
• Apr - International Dublin Literary Award and the Pulitzer Prize
  
• May - Man Booker International Prize and the Edgar Awards
  
• Jun - The PEN Literary Awards and the National Book Award (USA)
  
  • Station Eleven
• Jul - Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and any Science Fiction/Fantasy award
  
• Aug - Miles Franklin Award and the Stonewall Book Award
  
• Sep - Man Booker Prize and O. Henry Award
  
• Oct - Nobel Prize for Literature and the Giller Prize
  
• Nov - Local Awards (a regional prize of your choice)
  
• Dec - International awards (a prize from a country you aren't living in)

What I'm Currently Reading:

        

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

Happy New Year, Julia.
>1 rosalita: Yes, that pretty much sums it up.

Dropping my star, Julia! I love your topper - I feel the same way. And your rating system made me giggle - especially the 1/2 star rating.

Happy New Year Julia!

>4 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the lovely thoughts, Paul.

>5 BLBera: Doesn't it, though?

>6 Crazymamie: I'm glad I could make you laugh, Mamie!

>7 luvamystery65: Hello, lovely Roberta!

Happy new year, Julia! Looking forward to hearing about your non-book reading (and, of course, the books, too)!

Erm, don't hate me, but you have Station Eleven listed under the Nonfiction Challenge? I know it *seems* like the apocalypse has happened, but I think SE is still a novel ;-)

I am so tempted by all the CAT challenges, but I've decided to try to limit myself to just the CultureCAT. We'll see if I can resist the temptation!

>9 katiekrug: HA! Thank you for catching that, Katie. I'll have to look back at my notes and figure out which challenge I meant to slot that one into!

Happy New Year! (dropping a star)

Happy reading in 2017, Julia!

Happy New Year, Julia! I just finished Middlemarch on Christmas eve so I'll be curious to see what you think of it when you've finished it.

>10 rosalita: Station Eleven would fit in a few of the AwardCAT months. It would also fit in with next month's CultureCAT, medicine and Public Health, (swine flu pandemic) which I am hosting!

;-)

From Wiki for awards inspiration

The novel won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in May 2015, beating novels including The Girl with All the Gifts and Memory of Water. The committee highlighted the novel's focus on the survival of human culture after an apocalypse, as opposed to the survival of humanity itself. The novel was also nominated for the National Book Award, ultimately losing to Phil Klay's short story cycle Redeployment. It was also a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, as well as the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.

>12 FAMeulstee: The same to you, Anita! I must come find your thread in the bustle of the 2017 group ...

>13 cbl_tn: I will keep you posted on my progress, Carrie. Although as it happens it will be slightly delayed, as I realized I did not have it downloaded to my e-reader and so had to start another of my January reads instead, The Fireman. But I will get to it next.

>14 luvamystery65: Yeah, it would fit a number of categories in a number of challenges. I have no idea what my intentions were, but I will get it read this year for sure!

Returning your visit, Julia. It's a lovely day in our neighborhood. Reading-wise, I'm in Pretoria, locked in a Boer prison, looking for inspiration from Winston Churchill.

Yeah, kick 2016 off a cliff. I'm just not confident 2017 will be favorable.

Hoping that 2017 is better. Fingers crossed!
Happy new thread...

Hi Julia! Happy new year! I see you are planning to read Kindred this month. I read it last year and loved it! Hope you do too!

Hi, Julia!!

Happy New Year and Thread, Julia! Everyone else got fireworks, but of course, you're special! :)

(I have consciously stopped myself thinking, "2017 must be a better year" on at least a dozen occasions: at this point tempting fate seems flat-out foolhardy...)

>1 rosalita: great graphic! And yes. I'm sure many share your sentiment.
I have some grave fears for 2017 actually, but am willing to put my head in the sand whenever trump rears his ugly sentiments via media.

I love your thread topper too!

Hi Julia, I've dropped a star and I'm going to try and keep up. I am also doing the AAC. I am going to read something shorter - Unexpected Stories - for my first go. I'm a little fussy about science fiction. She gets good reviews though.

>16 weird_O: Well, Bill, if you're going to look for inspiration from someone you could do worse than Churchill, I reckon. I share your apprehensions about the coming year.

>17 charl08: Fingers and toes crossed, Charlotte! Makes it hard to type, though. :-)

>18 porch_reader: I'm glad to hear you loved Kindred, Amy. That bodes well for me.

>19 scaifea: *waves at Amber*

>20 lyzard: SLOTH!!!!! Just for me? Aw, that makes me blush!

>21 LovingLit: I'd love to join you in that headfirst dive into the sand, Megan, but unfortunately it's hard to avoid around these parts.

>22 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian! It spoke to me, and clearly to many of us.

>23 nittnut: Hi, Jenn! I have never read anything about Octavia Butler, so I'm looking forward to making her acquaintance. And I'm glad you're reading something different, as we can compare notes.

Welcome back!

>25 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

I finally got around to watching the 2015 movie Spotlight tonight, and I was blown away. For those of you that aren't familiar with it, it's the story of how a team of investigative reporters from the Boston Globe broke the story of how the Catholic Church (specifically the Archdiocese of Boston) covered up the predatory sexual abuse of children by priests for decades. Of course, it turned out that the scandal was not just in Boston or just in the United States, but pretty much everywhere the Catholic Church has a presence. There are still repercussions being felt all over the world.

The movie resonated especially powerfully at this moment in time, as we prepare for what will almost certainly be (one way or the other) a historic presidency. As much as people deride the so-called "mainstream media", and I've done my share of criticizing because they are far from perfect, we need good reporters, brave editors and financially solvent organizations to be our eyes and ears in the halls of power. I hope and believe at least some of them are up to this heavy task.

Of course, in 2017 not all investigative journalism will be done by legacy media like the Globe and other newspapers, so please indulge a brief pitch: If you'd like to support some of the nonprofit news organizations that are doing important investigative work right now, please consider making a donation to one or more via the Knight Foundation's NewsMatch program. The Knight Foundation is matching dollar for dollar donations given to a selection of organizations; you can find the full list on the foundation's website. Some are national and some are more local (I think they are all US-based, though.) The match program runs through January 19.

And if you haven't seen the movie, it's streaming on Netflix US and maybe elsewhere.

I suggested Spotlight for viewing tonight but The Wayne was not interested. So I am LTing while he watches something with lots of guns and things exploding :-P

Happy New Year, Julia, and a star! I wish you a year of great satisfaction and lots of good reading!

...it can’t get much worse...

SHHH!!! MrMorphy and I have learned to NEVER say this. Every time we did something awful would happen.

We've had a car accident, appliances break, jobs lost, bankruptcy, etc.

Learn from our experience.

Do.not.say.those.words!

Happy New Year, Julia!

(Holding happy thoughts as long as I can about the year's reading opportunities.)

Happy New Year, Julia!

Julia! I found you!! So happy to see you! Happy happy new year! All the best in 2017

We watched Spotlightlast year, and it was just so well done. A very nice post about it and I appreciate the additional information you shared - off to check out the link. Happy Pre-Tuesday to you, Julia.

>28 katiekrug: Well, darn The Wayne anyway. Let me know what you think if you ever do get to see it.

>29 LizzieD: Howdy, Peggy! And the same to you!

>30 Morphidae: That is an excellent point, Morphy!

>31 swynn: HNY, Steve! Positive thinking is going to be a challenge this year but so necessary.

>32 DianaNL: And the same to you, Diana!

>33 Carmenere: I'm so glad we found each other, Lynda!

>34 Crazymamie: It is a great movie, Mamie. I can see why it won the Best Picture Oscar. And thanks for considering my PSA. :-) I like the idea of Pre-Tuesday. Today is our New Year's holiday for work, so I am lounging around in my PJs at the moment, but I need to go grocery shopping soon. It's a very gray day here, which makes me want to just curl up with a good book.

We're practically twins - it's very grey here, too. Curling up with a good book sounds like just the thing.

>37 RebaRelishesReading: We saw Spotlight this summer. I didn't think I was all that interested but I really loved it. I second your recommendation!

Happy New Year!

Hi Julia! I have you starred.

>27 rosalita: - I downloaded Spotlight from Netflix to watch while we are traveling, Julia. Your recommendation makes me want to get to it soon. We are taking a break from amusement parks and watching the last quarter of the Hawkeye game now. Not pretty!

Happy New Year, Julia!

That's a perfect topper, and I love Liz's sloth in >20 lyzard:.

We thought Spotlight was terrific, too. And somehow not a downer, despite the subject matter. The portrayed dedication of the journalists, and the positive change brought about, probably were largely responsible for that.

Ooops, I dropped a star, but forgot to stop and say something. It's that crazy time of year on LT. My eyes are dry and fingers are sore from typing. I am so glad you are having a thread again this year, Julia. Are we going to get to read about all the great cereal boxes you are reading along with the books? I don't care. You write what you want and I'll be reading it! Happy New Year, friend!

>39 kgodey: Welcome to my thread, Kriti!

>40 porch_reader: I will be interested to know what you think of Spotlight once you watch it, Amy. And that bowl game — ugh, just ugh. Once Beathard got hurt in the second quarter it was all over. Ah, well. On to basketball and wrestling season!

>41 jnwelch: You can always count on Liz for a cute sloth, I've learned. And great to find more fans of Spotlight. I know what you mean about the mood not being a downer. It's hard to believe you could finish a movie about a child abuse scandal feeling good, but the sympathetic portrayal of the journalists along with the knowledge that a great deal of good has come out of it made it so for me, too.

>42 Donna828: I've done that on several threads already so far, Donna. Thinking I had posted and only later realizing I just starred and moved on. I will try to refrain from subjecting you to reviews of cereal boxes, but pretty much everything else is fair game. Ha!

Hi Julia, Happy New Year! I like your topper too, and I appreciate the info at >27 rosalita: about the Knight Foundation's News Match program.

I'm not going to have a 75ers thread this year, but am moving over the the 2017 Category challenge here. Time to change things up a little.

We can at least have a good reading year, and hope for the best.

Well, now I know why I couldn't find your 75er thread, Ardene — you don't have one! I've starred your Cat Challenge thread so I can keep up with you over there.

And you're welcome for the info about the NewsMatch program. I suspect all of those organizations are going to do some of their most important work in the next few years, and I'm happy to be able to help them just a little.

I finally made it over here to say hello and wish you well in the new year! My reading also fell off the last few months but I plan on burying my head in the books this year. We'll see how that goes....

Wasn't Spotlight wonderful?! Wow. I didn't realize it was on Netflix. I should watch it again.

We're trying to watch more (in other words, any) movies this year, so I'll put Spotlight on the list for viewing.

>46 Copperskye: Welcome, Joanne! Right now I have no idea how my reading will proceed this year, but I'm trying to be OK with whatever ends up happening. Very Zen of me, isn't it? :-)

>47 ursula: I hope you enjoy Spotlight when you watch it, Ursula!

And now some non-book reading recommendations. I need to think of a snappy name for these ...

What 80% Comprehension Feels Like — A linguist muses about how A Clockwork Orange changed the way she approached learning a new language.

The interesting thing is that, because the book is a fictional version of English, you can trust as a reader that the author will make the story somehow comprehensible even though you don’t initially understand some of the words.

The Give Back Box — This isn't an article per se, but rather a website that helps you put all those holiday shipping boxes and unwanted household items to good use. You can print a free shipping label to send your box (now filled with items you no longer need or want) to your local Goodwill store. I haven't done this yet but it seems like a fantastic idea.

Help me out — what should I call these link roundups? I know there are some clever folks in this group!

>49 rosalita:

Lynx?

Not-Book Notes

>50 lyzard: That kitty's cute, Liz, but he's no sloth!

>51 katiekrug: Not bad, Katie! I woke up this morning thinking "Click Bait!"

I'm another fan of Spotlight, Julia.

>49 rosalita: That article about comprehension sounds interesting, I'll click on it later. It's particularly appropriate as I'm reading The Country of Ice Cream Star, which is also in a different sort of English.

I thought reading by the seat of your pants was part of the point of 75ers! I come from the Category challenge where things are much more planned!

May I suggest spotlight for your non book recommendations? An homage to your first non book recommendation this year.

I just watched Spotlight, Julia. What a powerful movie! Thanks for the recommendation.

>53 BLBera: Hooray!

>54 ursula: I hope you found the article as interesting as I did, Ursula. I'm not familiar with that book, so I'll look for your review of it when you're done.

>55 cammykitty: Howdy, Katie! I veer wildly between wanting my reading to be structured and wanting to read by the seat of my pants, as you say. I seem to have a split reading personality!

>56 luvamystery65: Thanks for the suggestion, Roberta! I'm still mulling...

>57 porch_reader: I'm so glad you liked it, Amy! It is very powerful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I am home sick for the second straight day. I've got some sort of stomach bug that just will not go away. Yuck! Catching up on LT is about all I'm good for right now, but I hope to get to the point of being able to read an actual book. I mean, what's the point of being home sick from work/school if you can't spend it with a book?!

Feel better, Julia! Hoping you get to read later. I started the Fiona Griffiths series last night, and I am liking it, so thank you.

Oh, ding dang, Julia! I'm sorry you've got the crud going around. Charlie has it today, too. He's having a movie marathon day, with fits of napping interspersed...

Hope you feel better soon but get a lot of reading done in the meantime

Ok, Julia, I'm getting ready to travel to Iowa! I picked up the Smiley from the library yesterday but before I travel I've got to finish the book about the count and the Metropol. Have a great weekend and keep warm! Hope you feel better soon!

Ugh! I hope you are feeling better, Julia! I'm hoping with a sick kid today, but his is just a cough so far. It seems like there are so many different bugs going around this year.

Feel better soon, Julia. I hope everyone is healthy for out meet up, which is a week from Monday, right?

Late to the party, but dropping my star all the same. So sorry you aren't feeling well. Seems to be a lot of it going around. Hung up with a bug myself.

>1 rosalita: My sentiments exactly. I had a very tough time with 2016, too. Like several around here, I took the election quite hard.

>27 rosalita: I was a big fan of Spotlight. Of course, as a Globe subscriber, it was intriguing to see how it matched up with memory. Thought you would be interested to know that the editor (played by Liev Schreiber) has gone on to be the editor in chief at the Washington Post. If you remember, DJT has gone after them in a major way. I recall thinking, if the Catholic Church couldn't intimidate him ....

Sending healing whammies to cure the stomach bug ouchies.

>59 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I slept most of the day but I did manage to finish a book this evening. Woot! I'm glad you like the Fiona Griffiths book.

>60 scaifea: Lots of bugs going around, Amber. I hope Charlie's on the mend soon.

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. I did get some reading done, and I do feel a little better.

>62 Carmenere: So exciting, Lynda! I will try to keep warm but it won't be easy. It's 3 degrees F at the moment.

>63 porch_reader: Thank you, Amy. So much ickiness floating around this winter. More than usual, it seems.

>64 BLBera: Yes, Beth! Monday, January 16. Our usual time of 10 a.m. at Prairie Lights, I assume?

>65 michigantrumpet: Thanks, Marianne. I knew that Marty Baron was at the Post, and I assume he had a big hand in the great investigative work that Post reporter David Fahrenthold did into Trump's phony Foundation. I bought a subscription to help support that sort of work, which will be more important than ever.

I'm sorry you've been under the weather. I hope you'll be feeling better soon!

How are you feeling this morning, Julia? Much better, I hope!

Hope you're feeling better Julia. Being ill without reading time, I agree, is not the thing at all...

Juuuuliaaa? Feeling better yet?

Ewww. Sorry you're not feeling well. Hope you're over it quickly.

>67 cbl_tn: >68 scaifea: >69 charl08: >70 scaifea: >71 nittnut: Thank you, Carrie, Amber (twice!), Charlotte and Jenn for checking in on me. Thanks to copious amounts of sleep over the past four days, I am feeling ever so much better today! And ... (drumroll please) I have finished two books! Which I will review shortly.

>72 rosalita: Woot!!

Congratulations on both achievements!

1. The Fireman by Joe Hill.

Sometime in the near future/recent past, a deadly spore has begun spreading across the globe. When it embeds itself in a human, it creates distinctive tattoo-like skin markings and eventually causes its host to spontaneously combust. Nurse Harper Willowes, newly pregnant and newly infected with the Dragonscale spore, flees the "cremation crews" that roam the countryside and stumbles into a hidden community of infected people who have somehow learned to harness the infection without bursting into flames.

The seeming utopia, in the tradition of literary utopias everywhere, turns out to be not quite what it seems, and Harper isn't sure who she can trust after all. The titular Fireman is the wiseacre fellow who brings Harper to the community, and who seems to have learned not only how to avoid going up in smoke but actually to control and direct the incendiary infection, although he's reluctant to share that particular secret with the group.

I really enjoyed this one. It's weird and suspenseful and funny, and it didn't overly strain my suspension of disbelief. The only thing that would have made it better for me would have been a little more attention to the "big picture" of how the Dragonscale spore was affecting the world outside of the little corner of New England where the book is set. Highly recommended for fellow fans of dystopian fiction.

Read as part of the AwardsCat, January 2016 (Year's Best Lists and Costa Awards)

>75 rosalita: Julia, you are the one that convinced me to read The Stand. Did you feel like there were little nods to it in The Fireman? I did.

2. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.

I didn't know anything about this book before reading it, which made the complete surprise of discovering it is a time-travel science-fiction tale even more delightful. A young black woman, living in California in the 1970s, finds herself "called back" to the antebellum 19th century whenever a young white boy's life is in danger. Dana figures out that the boy is one of her ancestors, and she must save his life so that he has a chance to grow up and have the child who will become her grandmother's grandmother. And she has to do all this while navigating her way as a free black woman in the slave-owning state of Maryland.

The scenes when Dana is forced to confront the reality of black lives in slave-holding America are incredibly powerful. Though she is not technically a slave, she also can't prove that she is free, as she has no papers. She can only escape back to the 1970s when she fears that her life is in immediate danger, but she has no control over when the reckless Rufus might "call" her back again, which happens several times over the years as he grows to be a man.

Complicating Dana's situation is the white man she is married to in the 20th century, who accidentally travels back in time with her on one of her trips and then gets stranded there for five years. It's disturbing to see the ways that both of them are changed by their experiences in the 19th century, and the reader might well wonder what the long-term effects of the experiences will be for them and their life together.

Read as part of the American Author Challenge, January 2016

>76 luvamystery65: Yeah, absolutely. Both of them deal with the ways that people under the thread of pandemic turn to religion for comfort, and the ways that religion both succeeds and fails at that mission.

You know that Joe Hill is Stephen King's son, right?

Yes I know that Joe Hill is King's son. We have had a King family month in our Horror! Group last year and this year.

I mean more than the parallels between the theme of both books. I meant like Harold Cross (Harold Lauder and Nadine Cross). That kind of thing. The two Nicks, the two pregnant heroines etc...

>79 luvamystery65: Ah, sorry for misunderstanding. I have to confess that those did not jump out at me, although I can see it now that you've pointed it out. Good eye!

>77 rosalita: I really need to get around to reading some Octavia E. Butler. Kindred sounds really good.

>81 kgodey: I really liked it, Kriti. I'm looking forward to exploring some of her other works some time. So many books, so little time!

Great comments on The Fireman and Kindred, Julia. Luckily, I've already read Kindred, so I only took one BB.

I did not know that Joe Hill is Stephen King's son. Another confession - I think I'm the only person on the planet who has never read anything by King.

I've never read anything by Joe Hill. I might have to check The Fireman out.

I liked Kindred but I loved Bloodchild (even though it was short stories, not typically my favorite form.)

>83 BLBera: You're not the only one who has never read any King.

>83 BLBera: At least I got you with one shot, Beth. :-) I think you'd be surprised how many people have never read Stephen King. I'm glad I'm not one of them.

>84 Morphidae: I think you'd like The Fireman, Morphy. And I will look for Bloodchild at the library — thanks for the tip!

>85 archerygirl: Well, there you go, Katherine — I was just saying to Beth that she wasn't alone in being King-free!

Two good 'uns in a row! Don't look now, but you are on a roll....

It's a good way to start the year after a lackluster end to the old one, Katie.

I keep trying Joe Hill books in the hopes that I'll like one, but so far it hasn't worked. I don't think I even managed to finish Heart-Shaped Box, and I didn't like NOS4A2 at all. Maybe one day ....

Sorry you started the year with being sick. Not fun.
Glad you liked Kindred ~~ similar to my experience with it a couple of years ago. I'm very much enjoying Lilith's Brood, too.

Dropping off my star and wishing you a Happy New Year (only 9 days into it....)!!

I'm a little late with my star, Julia, but I seem to be moving slowly this year. My way of dealing with what's going on politically is to bury my head in a book. Fantasy is better than reality some days - although I know this isn't the best way. We should all be vigilant and be ready to fight the good fight but I am still having difficulty in acknowledging who is about to be sworn in as President of the United States.

On to bookish things, I have liked every Joe Hill book that I have read so far, and of course, I'm a fan of Stephen King as well. So The Fireman will eventually fall into my hands.

>89 ursula: I'd say you have my permission to officially give up on Joe Hill, but you don't need my permission to do anything, Ursula! I'm sorry he doesn't work for you.

>90 EBT1002: Thanks for another Butler title to look for, Ellen!

>91 DeltaQueen50: I seem to be wildly vacillating between absolute denial of our political reality and full-throated anxiety attacks about the same, Judy. On top of the federal mess, here in Iowa our legislature and governorship are now all controlled by the Republicans, and they have lots of goodies up their sleeves, including gutting the collective bargaining rights of public employees (wait, that's me!). Also the obligatory Voter ID law, to make sure that now they have acquired power they never have to give it up. Heavy sighs.

I will boldly predict that you will like The Fireman!

>77 rosalita: Glad you liked Kindred. I think my favorites of Octavia Butler are the Xenogenesis series, although I've pretty much liked everything I read by her.

>93 markon: Ooh, Ellen mentioned Lilith's Brood ^ so that's two votes. Do you recommend starting at the beginning of the series, Ardene?

>93 markon: >94 rosalita: I love the Xenogenesis novels too! They're available as a set in Lilith's Brood. If you get them one at a time, I'd start with the first book, Dawn. Otherwise, it won't make much sense.

Fledgling and Wild Seed are also very good. Actually, all of Butler's work that I've read so far is very good.

>95 Storeetllr: OK, now I'm confused. The series here on LT indicates that there are 4 books, the last of which is Lilith's Brood. But it sounds like you are saying that the Lilith book is a compilation of the earlier books? I just want to make sure I look for the right thing at the library.

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Started the Hillerman yesterday. Jim & Janet are rant inducing! I thought she was gone. Ugh!

Hope you are feeling better, Julia. I am waffling between Wild Seed and Dawn for my Butler read this month. The latter has been physically on my bookshelf in the Omnibus edition for years.

>96 rosalita: There are three parts to the Xenogenesis "series" (more accurately, "trilogy"). Dawn, Adulthood Rites and Imago. All three are together in the omnibus titled Lilith's Brood, which was also an alternate title for Dawn.

Have I managed to confuse you even more yet? Just get the omnibus Lilith's Brood and start reading from the beginning. It will all work out. :)

>98 luvamystery65: Ugh! I started it this morning and practically on the first page Hillerman starts right in on the dink and his dame. I'm afraid if it hadn't been a library book I would have set it on fire by now. >:-

>99 ronincats: I am feeling much better, Roni. I will look forward to seeing which Butler you choose!

>100 Storeetllr: OK, I think I understand now. Thank you for laying it out for me, Mary. :-)

Ha! Just reading your review of The Fireman proves that Joe Hill is Stephen King's son. If there was any doubt. I enjoyed your comments on Kindred. I definitely have to try to fit some Butler in this month.

Rather belatedly finding your 2017 thread and saying happy new year, Julia! I read Kindred in 2015 and really enjoyed it/found it powerful and sometimes disturbing (is it weird to feel both those things?). I have been meaning to explore more by Butler - am maybe considering trying to fit Dawn in this month but am quite overbooked already.

>102 cammykitty: That description does sound like vintage King, doesn't it, Katie? I hope you are able to give Octavia Butler a read sometime.

>103 souloftherose: Howdy, Heather! I'm happy to have you here whenever you can make it. I totally understand what you mean by powerful and disturbing — I felt both of those, too. I don't think I'll get to another Butler in January because I've got too many other targets lined up, but I will certainly be reading more in the future.

Today's Clickbait

Claire Hollingworth, Reporter Who Broke News About Start of World War II, Dies at 105 (via Washington Post) — The obituary of a truly amazing woman of whom I had never heard. What an extraordinary life she lived.

An Absurdly Complete Guide to Understanding Whiskey (via Eater) — Because if you're going to drown your sorrows about the world's new political reality, you might as well do it with style.

That article on whiskey was pretty cool! I've had a chance to visit a couple of Scottish distilleries - a lowlands (Glenkinchie) and a highlands (Glengoyne). It was an interesting experience - there are worlds of differences in the way the whiskey is prepared just between the two of them. And a real difference in taste! Glengoyne is my fave of the two.

The Hollingworth piece was fascinating. I'd never heard of her, either.

I should read the whiskey one, as I'll be in Scotland next summer, but I really don't have much interest in said beverage!

Happy New Thread, Julia! I thought I had stopped by previously, but I was dead wrong. So nice to see you posting around again. I have missed you and your reading life.

Good review of The Fireman. I have had this saved on audio, since early summer and I really like Hill too. Was this your first?

It looks like we had very similar feelings about Kindred. I am so glad my first Butler was a winner.

>106 drneutron: Oh, what I wouldn't give to tour a Scottish distillery or seven, Jim! That sounds absolutely fascinating. You probably should taste the whiskeys again just to make sure your opinion hasn't changed ...

>107 katiekrug: I'm glad you hadn't heard of her either, Katie. After reading that obituary, I think someone should make a movie about her life!

>108 msf59: Howdy, Mark! I've read other Hill books and enjoyed them, so I expected to like this one as well. I also follow him on Twitter, where he is pretty active, which has made me appreciate him more. And I'm so glad you chose Butler as one of your AAC authors.

>101 rosalita: I'm afraid if it hadn't been a library book I would have set it on fire by now. >:- Ditto!

>77 rosalita: Nice summary of Kindred, Julia. I too just finished it, just last night in a burst of late-night reading. Took in about half the book in one session. Big thumb up.

>75 rosalita: I must get to The Fireman soon. And Kindred has been on my TBR list for ages ....

Hope you continue to feel better, Julia!

>110 luvamystery65: I just don't know why an author as accomplished as Hillerman could ever have thought that readers would give a rat's behind for the Chee/Janet romance. On the plus side, at least Leaphorn's woman is back. That relationship is so much less grating than Chee's it's almost laughable.

>111 weird_O: BIG thumb up indeed, Bill! It really pulled me right along, as it sounds like it did you, too.

>112 swynn: Honestly, Steve, I can't believe you haven't read The Fireman yet. It seems right up your street. And I am over my stomach bug and back to as normal as I ever get, thankfully.

Glad to hear you are feeling better. I, too bought a subscription to WaPo to support their investigative work. A strong free press is needed even more now than ever.

Kindred seems like a winner-winner-chicken-dinner. Onto the list it goes.

So glad you're feeling better! It's nice to see that you liked Kindred. I've got Unexpected Stories on my kindle, and it's queued up for later this week. Supposing my kids ever go back to school and I have quiet reading time again.

>114 michigantrumpet: I completely agree, Marianne! I've been an NYT subscriber for years now, thanks to their 50% education discount for students, faculty, and staff, but I was impressed with some of the Post's investigative reporting during this election cycle and I want to encourage them to keep it up.

>115 nittnut: Poor Jenn, snowed in at work (as you said on Peggy's thread). Hang in there!

>100 Storeetllr: What she said. It's been awhile since I read the Xenogenesis series, but I do think it reads best if you read it in order.

>117 markon: Thanks, Ardene! That's good advice. I never feel quite right reading series out of order, even when I know it doesn't matter.

Hi Julia - Hollingworth sounds amazing; I'm going to look for her bio. I don't like whiskey.

Not looking good, weatherwise for Monday, a wintry mix is the forecast right now. :(

>119 BLBera: Yes, the Monday forecast was better for a while but now is looking worse again. I don't think either you or amber from the north nor Steve from the south should attempt it unless something changes in the next day or so. Big bummer, after I missed last year's meet-up when I got sick. :-(

Fingers crossed. Otherwise, think about Rochester in May.

>120 rosalita: Dingdangit!!

>121 BLBera: Definitely! Is there a date in May that you are shooting for? I'll go ahead and put it on my calendar.

>122 scaifea: I know, right?! Meet-ups are the only good thing about Midwest winters as far as I'm concerned, and now even that is being ruined. :-(

>123 rosalita: I honest-to-goodness look forward to this meet-up all year long. SADNESS.

Sweet Thursday, Julia! I am thinking of having a Meet-up again. Early spring, perhaps? We are way overdue. I miss the group.

I've been cussing at the weather report for Monday too. It definitely doesn't look like a good day for traveling. I am so disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing everyone. January is so unpredictable!

>124 scaifea: So much sadness!

>125 msf59: Wow, that would be awesome, Mark! I had a wonderful time the year I crashed your party. I could bring you some more Iowa craft beers. :-)

>126 porch_reader: Maybe it will all blow over? *fingers crossed*

>123 rosalita: Steve had mentioned he was doing the Med City marathon but would be in town the Saturday before. I'm not sure of the date.

>128 BLBera:, Thanks, Beth. There's plenty of time to plan, so I won't worry about it for now.

If the weather *does* cooperate, what time would we be meeting? And I assume it would be in the Prairie Lights cafe?

Does the usual time of 10 a.m. at the Prairie Lights cafe work for everyone? Would it make a difference if we pushed things back a bit, and ate lunch first and then went book-shopping? I think the high on Monday here is supposed to be around 40, with the freezing rain switching over to plain rain, but I don't know when that transition is supposed to happen or how quickly the roads would clear, so perhaps starting at 12 wouldn't really make enough of a difference. And it might mean driving home in the dark, which is never good if the roads are slickery.

>131 rosalita: For me, at least, moving the time wouldn't really matter. If there is a chance for slickness at any point in the day, I likely won't risk the trip. Fingers crossed that the weather changes its mind!

Hooray for LT Meetups! Pleading with the weather Gods right now so that it remains a possibility!

I hope y'all get to have your meetup!

Time doesn't matter for me; I'd be driving in the dark either coming or going, and most probably both. If I remember right, it's about a four-hour drive.

>132 scaifea: Yeah, as much as I want to see all of you I wouldn't want any of you to come if there's any chance it will be slick. I've got those fingers crossed!

>133 michigantrumpet: Thank you for the Meetup karma, Marianne!

>134 Storeetllr: Me, too!

>135 BLBera: OK, so we can keep that in mind, if it seems like the ice will be gone. Though even for a noon meetup you'd have to leave MN by 8:00 and that might not be late enough for the higher temps to bring on plain rain. Ugh. So many variables!

I think Steve is going to have the worst of it, as this storm seems to be centered south of here, with Iowa City toward the northern edge. But forecasts change, so there's still hope!

Here's the latest weather forecast from a Cedar Rapids TV station:

http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/WWCF-Icy-Conditions-Likely-Early-Next-Week-4106...

*chants*
Meet up! Meet up! Meet up!
Have fun :)

"I could bring you some more Iowa craft beers" I better start working on a date...pronto! Grins...

Happy Friday, Julia!

Meet up envy. Sigh

Gorgeous day here today. Almost makes up for One of the snow days. Certainly not All of them. *grin*

>138 LovingLit: Please send us some of your summer weather, Megan! We could use some right about now to make this meetup happen.

>139 msf59: I thought that would get your attention, Mark. ;-)

>140 nittnut: Nothing makes up for a string of snow days, Jenn. Except maybe chocolate. But if you could spare some of those warm temps to send our way, that would be lovely.

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Hi Julia, just stopping by to drop my star and to wish you a very belated Happy New Year, I could have sworn that I had already dropped by but I hadn't so making up for my lack of decorum in this. Hope you are having a good weekend so far my dear.

Julia, your forecast sounds like ours for yesterday. School was canceled the night before and we got Nada!. Strangely enough, Springfield was mentioned in USA Today because the north part of town got hit. Trees down and 5,000 lost power while we didn't even hit a slick spot on our walk or drive across the south part of the city. May you be so lucky. Fingers crossed for your Monday meet-up!

Julia - I just looked at the weather again. This is our forecast for tomorrow: "Cloudy with light freezing rain expected...becoming heavier in the afternoon. Significant icing possible. High 33F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 90%."

So, don't expect me. :( I am terrified of driving on ice.

Yeah, the forecast doesn't look good. Dingdangit.

>120 rosalita: I am almost certainly following this advice. I really don't want a repeat of 2014. Still, I'll probably rise early and check Weather.com in hopes of a MLK Miracle.

>128 BLBera: The Med City Marathon is on (Sunday) May 28. I'm registered and optimistic I'll make it. Assuming I do, then I'll have to be in town on Saturday (May 27), and probably in the area for more. One of the advantages of Med City is that I have family in NE Iowa and SE Minnesota, so even if my ankles veto my running plans, I can still make it a vacation. I guess that's where I'll pencil in my hopes for a meetup this year.

>143 johnsimpson: I'm glad to have you visit anytime, John! The beginning of the year is always hectic.

>144 Donna828: Unfortunately it is not looking like a false alarm for us, Donna. :-(

>145 BLBera: I am right there with you, Beth! Ice is the worst. I want us all to be around for next year's meetup!

>146 scaifea: It's just not fair, Amber!

>147 swynn: I wish we could be more optimistic, but it sure doesn't sound good, Steve. But I am penciling your May visit to Minnesota in my calendar, in hopes that we can make that our backup plan. Stay safe!

I think you are right, Julia! I'm not sure that I'm even going to venture out to Iowa City tomorrow. Ice is nasty business. Stay safe, everybody!

I just looked again at the forecast for tomorrow, and it's only gotten worse. Freezing rain ALL DAY here. Sorry, all, but I'm staying home. I've put the May date in my calendar, too...

Julia, I pulled out the physical book, the omnibus containing Dawn, but I haven't started it yet because I have a library book due that I can't renew because someone is waiting for it. It's the second book in the Invisible Library series.

>149 porch_reader: I never even left the house on Sunday or Monday, Amy. It looked pretty nasty, so no regrets over it, other than missing out on seeing everyone.

>150 scaifea: That was a good call, Amber. We will have to try to make May happen!

>151 ronincats: Thanks for the info, Roni.

3. The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman.

Jim Chee, now acting lieutenant for the Navajo Tribal Police, catches a cop-killer in the act. Or did he? More than one person casts some doubt on Chee's collar, and unfortunately one of them is Janet Pete, the romantic interest who outlived her welcome for me about four books ago. It's a pity that she couldn't have been infected with the bubonic plague that is a featured plot point. As usual, the mystery in this one is interesting, and retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn ends up on the case when he is hired as a private investigator in another seemingly unrelated case that of course is totally related. I know it doesn't happen, but I keep hoping that Chee will wander off to Washington D.C. with Janet and leave Leaphorn in charge again. He's by far my favorite character, and at least his romantic interest seems to be capable of having a mature relationship without constant game-playing and idiocy. Sigh.

Read for Roberta's Leaphorn/Longmire Reading Project

4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

A science fiction classic, in which a bounty hunter in future San Francisco (the date isn't clear but it's sometime after "World War Terminus" has left a radioactive cloud over the planet and blocking out the sun; most humans have chosen to emigrate to Mars or another space colony to survive) has to track down and "retire" some lifelike androids that have escaped from the Mars colony and returned to Earth. It was never exactly clear to me why the androids (who don't seem to be out to overthrow humans) had to be killed, other than that in order to escape Mars they must have killed their owners there, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story. In addition to the basic action-driven plotline, there are some interesting ethical, religious and philosophical questions posed about what makes us human, and why it's acceptable to kill androids even if they are so nearly human that only the most exacting psychological-type tests can detect their machinery. One of the most poignant aspects has to do with the scarcity of real animals due to the radioactive fallout, which makes each specimen (even toads and spiders) worth thousands of dollars and the main status symbol for humans, who have to resort to lifelike electric animals if they can't afford the real thing. I've never seen the Harrison Ford movie The Blade Runner, which is apparently based on this story, but I'd kind of like to check it out now and compare it to the Dick story.

Read for the January CultureCAT: Ethics in Science and Technology

5. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.

A seminal work by Baldwin that actually consists of two essays. The first, quite short, is an open letter to his nephew on the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The heart of the book is the second essay, in which Baldwin writes with searing honesty about the prospects of Negroes ever achieving equality in America, and whether they wouldn't be better off establishing their own separate country apart from the one that enslaved and brutalized them. The most interesting part for me was Baldwin's account of his meeting with Elijah Mohammed, the founder of the Nation of Islam. Mohammed and his fellow travelers, including Malcolm X, were not impressed with the progress being made by Martin Luther King's nonviolent protests and were prepared to take their piece of the American pie by force, if necessary. Baldwin makes it clear that while he understands and agrees with much of Mohammed's viewpoint, ultimately rejects the path laid out by the Nation of Islam even as he acknowledges that the nonviolent movement is not making much progress, either.

It was especially interesting to read this after having read Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me last year. I saw in Baldwin's writing what seems to have been the genesis for much of what Coates believes and writes about. If I hadn't already read Coates I might have been jarred by the harsh tone and anger that Baldwin displays, but instead I found myself much closer to understanding what both Baldwin and Coates wrote about by having read both of them. I've definitely made a note to myself to read some of Baldwin's fiction to get a fuller sense of where he was coming from.

Read for the January Nonfiction Challenge: Prizewinners (it was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1964.

Great comments on the Baldwin, Julia. I think I read this years ago, but definitely will reread. I like your idea of reading it alongside the Coates.

Ow, that's some good reading!

Julia--Better late than never, I've found you! I am still hoping to get my hands on the Hillerman for this month. Happy 2017!!

>154 rosalita: There are definite differences between Blade Runner and the book, but I do love the movie. They're making a sequel to it right now, which I am somewhat interested in. Large potential for completely screwing it up, of course, but it could also be good. :)

>156 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. I feel bad that I'm only now getting to some of these seminal civil rights works, but on the other hand I certainly have a greater perspective on everything from reading newer works.

>157 drneutron: I did not read them all at once, Jim! I've just been incredibly lazy about posting my reviews. :-)

>158 Berly: Howdy, Kim! I'm happy to have you visit whenever you can. This is officially a No-Pressure Visiting Zone.

>159 ursula: Thanks for those comments about the movie/book differences, Ursula. I need to figure out where to get hold of the movie so I can see it for myself. I noticed on the book page that it was listed as the first in a series, but when I clicked through it looks like the other 3 books were written by someone completely different, so I'm not going to bother with them. Have you read any of them?

What I'm Currently Reading:

      

>155 rosalita: Great Review Julia. As I started reading, I immediately thought of Coates' recent work, as well as some of his magazine essays. Seems you wee on the exact same wavelength. Sorry about the meet up,. but glad everyone remained safe.

>153 rosalita: I posted a bit of a rant in my review too Julia!

I look forward to reading both of these >154 rosalita: & >155 rosalita: this year.

Have you read anything else by Tana French? I read In the Woods and was so-so about it but would be willing to try something else. She writes well. I had more of an issue with plotting.

>164 Morphidae: I felt the same about In the Woods but she gets better and better. Give the next in the series a try.

Nice reviews, Julia! Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is my favorite PKD so far, and I hope you manage to track down Blade Runner because it is totally worth seeing. I was not a fan of the Hillerman books, so I gave up after the first few, but I love reading the rants.

>165 luvamystery65: I believe the next in the series is about Carrie and I liked her most of all the characters.

>162 michigantrumpet: Thanks, Marianne! Great minds think alike. :-)

>163 luvamystery65: You are still much nicer than I am about the Chee mess, Roberta. But that makes sense, since you are just generally much nicer than me.

>164 Morphidae: >165 luvamystery65: >167 Morphidae: Yes, the next one is The Likeness and I liked it a lot. I've read all of the series and I would say at this point In the Woods is probably my least favorite, although I liked it at the time. The interesting thing is that unlike most series, the main character(s) is different in every book, so if you really dislike someone (like Rob) you can take comfort that he isn't prominent in subsequent books.

>166 Crazymamie: I think it's my first PKD, Mamie, but definitely not my last. Blade Runner doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere that I can find, so I'll have to see if the library has it. I would give up on the Hillerman books but I'm stupid stubborn about leaving things incomplete, plus I couldn't abandon Ro at this point. At least there only 5 left!

>168 rosalita: It's not so much that I didn't like Rob, as that his mystery was left hanging. I felt that was a rotten thing to do as an author. It was too big a thing to be just left there.

>169 Morphidae: I liked that she left it hanging! I didn't like Rob though. I think he is guilty in some way.

>169 Morphidae: >170 luvamystery65: There you go — two smart women, two different opinions! I thought leaving his mystery unsolved was an attempt at making a larger statement about how childhood mysteries often remain mysteries though I wouldn't argue if you said she didn't make that point very clearly. And I actually liked Rob, and was completely confused and disappointed when I realized he wasn't in The Likeness (though I got over that quickly because the story sucked me in).

>171 rosalita: I think that is what Tana French does best in these books. She brings out completely different opinion and reactions to her characters. That's why I really love this series so far. The Secret Place is up next for me.

>172 luvamystery65: I just got the latest, The Trespasser, from the library but I have to read Middlemarch first, because it's a January challenge read. Such torture. All I can say is that George Eliot better hit the ground running with Middlemarch because otherwise she's getting dumped!

I like the Tana French series (ok, I've only read 2 so far but whatever!) because the novels aren't just mysteries. She is doing something more with them and they aren't pure genre fiction. So Rob's childhood storyline isn't neatly wrapped up because that wasn't the point of the novel and life rarely works that way anyway.

>174 katiekrug: Why have you only read 2, Katie! Chop chop!! (And I agree with your comments; they are not at all standard crime fiction.

>174 katiekrug: The mystery is always secondary. You have the best ahead of you Katie. Faithful Place and Broken Harbour are both really good.

>175 rosalita: I have The Trespasser too. I just need to read The Secret Place.

I don't think you can "rush" Middlemarch Julia. LOL!

I know, I know. I own the next two - just need to get around to them! You both know what that's like :)

>176 luvamystery65: Those two are my favorites in the series, Roberta. Just great.

I am not rushing Middlemarch. I'm simply putting Ms. Eliot on notice that she'd best get to the point tout sutie or she may get shoved aside by Ms. French. :-) I own the Eliot book, though, so I can always come crawling back to her after I've had my fling.

>177 katiekrug: I mean, I've heard rumors. I myself would not do anything like that, though. *cough cough*

*SNORK!*

Heh. You never let me get away with anything, KAK.

Well, certainly not a whopper like that ;-)

hee hee! >179 rosalita:

>182 katiekrug: Ha!

>183 luvamystery65: I don't know about happier, but it might be the only thing to warm me up in this freezer of an office I work in!

>184 rosalita: That is the worst! Our new office is so cold. I need to find me some of those fingerless gloves like the ones you made.

>185 luvamystery65: I'm wearing them right now! And the cowl I made. I can't imagine how much colder I'd be without them!

>174 katiekrug: >176 luvamystery65: Then people need to be warned ahead of time that she's playing against genre rules. In romances there is a HEA, in fantasy there is an imaginary universe, and in mystery, the mystery (or mysteries) are solved. Even if it's later in the series. For instance, if I had seen something like "Literary Fiction" along with "Mystery" in the tags, I would have known to be more wary.

I also probably wouldn't have been upset if it hadn't been such an important plot line. I mean, this was MAJOR, not something said in a side conversation a couple of times.

ETA: This sounds more argumentative than I'm feeling. It's more of a wah wah wah.

Ok, great, now I've got YET ANOTHER series on my TBR. Thanks.

:)

>175 rosalita: >188 drneutron: I have only read In the Woods and I had not idea that it became a series. Dang it. Off to add it to my WL!!

Ooh! I just checked and I have The Likeness!!

>178 rosalita:

Uhhhh, that is...perhaps not the best way to approach Middlemarch. :)

>190 lyzard: Yes!

Maybe you should just read the French book this weekend to get your mind off of horrible orangeness. Then back to Middlemarch when you're done.

>187 Morphidae: No worries, Morphy. This is an All Wah Wah Wahs Allowed Zone. :-)

>188 drneutron: You're ... welcome? Ha! You will give me non-sarcastic thanks after you read it, Jim.

>189 Berly: Don't you just love when that happens, Kim? It was meant to be!

>190 lyzard: You don't think so? Huh.

>191 luvamystery65: I don't know, Roberta. That sounds an awful lot like eating cake before dinner, which was strictly forbidden when I was growing up. Must. Eat. Vegetables. First.

Of course, maybe if I stopped thinking of Middlemarch as the reading equivalent of broccoli, I might be looking forward to it more!

>187 Morphidae: - I'm not sure how you warn people ahead of time? She's definitely not writing genre fiction - at least to me, the style of the narrative and the complexity of the story and her themes are enough of an indication that she's not interested in the usual tropes. I'm also not convinced that she won't return to that particular thread from the first novel. I could see her doing something very clever and bringing things full circle.

"Of course, maybe if I stopped thinking of Middlemarch as the reading equivalent of broccoli, I might be looking forward to it more!"

Yeah, maybe :)

But I firmly believe if reading a book is giving you the feeling of eating unwanted vegetables, the book is not worth reading. Give yourself permission to set it aside for now and try again another time. And if it happens to fall into a giant rain puddle or get eaten by the garbage disposal, well, OOPSY!

;-)

>193 katiekrug: I think Morphy may have seen some misleading marketing for the book (it happens all the time!) or read someone else's review that only talked about the mystery and not the more literary aspects. And, as she said, none of the tags here on LT give any indication that is it anything other than a bog-standard crime/police procedural/suspense novel. Which is partially my fault, because I certainly didn't tag it literary fiction, although I agree it's an appropriate tag for this series.

I love Middlemarch.

But then, I love broccoli...

>194 katiekrug: Let's take the counterpoints one by one, shall we? :-)

1. if reading a book is giving you the feeling of eating unwanted vegetables, the book is not worth reading. OK, I mostly agree with you here. Or at least not worth reading while I'm in this mood. I do occasionally constantly change my mind.

2. Give yourself permission to set it aside for now and try again another time. I fully support this viewpoint.

3. if it happens to fall into a giant rain puddle or get eaten by the garbage disposal, well, OOPSY! That would be a tragedy since it's on my e-reader, but point taken. ;-)

I am going to give it a good-faith effort to start, but I feel better knowing you all support my ditching it for the cake.

>196 lyzard: How would you compare the "grabbability" of the writing to Austen? I actually find most Austen pretty grabby after a few pages, and not at all hard to read. Is this similar? Better? Worse?

>192 rosalita: I don't think of Middlemarch as broccoli or veggies at all. I think of it as a more complex book that would be best served as giving it the time it needs. I haven't read it yet, but I've seen one of the miniseries and it seems that if you are itching to read The Trespasser it would be a book you can stay up all night reading this weekend. Not one or the other. It just sounds like you are in the mood for some Tana French. ;-)

ETA: What Katie said much better than I did in >194 katiekrug:

>198 rosalita:

Possibly harder to get into but very immersive once you have. (But honestly, I've re-read these books so often I don't really remember what the first plunge is like!)

I actually find Middlemarch the easiest to get into of Eliot's novels---none of which compromise at all with the reader. It's not a book to be picked up and put down, though: you really do have to let yourself sink into it. It's a novel with a broad canvas and a lot going on (more than the characters themselves ever realise), though much of the drama is internal.

Trying again some other time seems like good advice to me. Certainly reading it because "you have to" isn't going to make a big commitment any easier.

>195 rosalita: - I guess my point was that since marketing is often misleading and tags are unreliable, the text itself can help set expectations. *shrug*

You don't want to ask me about Middlemarch.

No, I mean it. You REALLY don't want to ask me about Middlemarch.

It isn't having to eat broccoli first. It's having only beets for supper.

Hi Julia, love some of your reading my dear, hope all is well with you. Sending love and hugs.

>200 lyzard: Well, I'm just stubborn enough to try it, but I will keep your comments in mind and be prepared to abandon ship if I'm not feeling it.

>201 katiekrug: Fair enough. And I forgot to mention earlier that I love the idea that she might circle back to the Rob storyline in a future book. That would neat.

>202 Morphidae: Okey-doke, I won't ask you about Middlemarch, Morphy!

>203 johnsimpson: Thanks, John! Same to you and Karen.

I love beets (and brocolli), but I did not like Middlemarch. I tried - got about 100 pages in - and couldn't bear it. Perhaps it was just my mood at the time (I was getting ready to retire and move from L.A. to the Arctic Colorado and was a bit crazed at the time, if I remember correctly), so I may try again, but I'm in no rush.

I loved Middlemarch. And I often have trouble with that sort of book (meaning, that time period, with characters who are motivated by things that I often can't understand, and in which current politics of the day is discussed). But I fell right into that one and was absorbed.

>205 Storeetllr: It's not always easy to tell why books don't click for us, is it? Sometimes it's the book, sometimes it's the circumstances I'm trying to read it in, sometimes it's having another highly anticipated book sitting right next to it on the e-reader ...

>206 ursula: That's good to know, Ursula! I really am looking forward to reading it, truly. But I have decided to dive into The Trespasser because I know I will read it quickly (I have a hard time putting Tana French books down) and then I can turn to Middlemarch with a clear mind.

>205 Storeetllr: You got further than I did. I think I got about 25 pages in. I couldn't stand the writing style.

I also liked Middlemarch but it is quite long and I had a bit of a "whew" reaction when I finished it.

I'm another one who loved Middlemarch, Julia - and broccoli is okay by me, too. :-)

I'm a Dorothea fan. She goes through a lot, and there's one character I'd throttle if I could.

Jump a little higher and join me on my new thread!

>210 jnwelch: Yeah, but what about beets? Beets blow.

>213 jnwelch: Yes!! Beets blow, Morphy. I couldn't agree more. I can't convince the rest of my family here, though.