PAUL C'S SECOND HOME - PART 18

SCENES FROM MY BOOKS

The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin.

POEMS

There are few accomplished poets associated with World War II especially in comparison with WW1. I suppose Keith Douglas would be one and another certainly was Alan Ross. He is a poet who has gone a little out of fashion but I much enjoyed his work in my youth and I remember my school library seemed to have quite a lot of poems by him in various anthologies. This poem is called "Pilot Station, Harwich"

Reading Record First Quarter

JANUARY

1. Plague 99 by Jean Ure (1989) 218 pp
2. Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes (1857) 309 pp
3. A Lear of the Steppes by Ivan Turgenev (1870) 117 pp
4. A Fall from the Sky by Ian Serraillier (1966) 78 pp
5. The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri (2015) 262 pp
6. Dove on the Waters by Maurice Shadbolt (1996) 198 pp
7. A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson (2019) 81 pp
8. The Other End of the Line by Andrea Camilleri (2016) 293 pp
9. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (2019) 208 pp
10. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (1930) 501 pp
11. Carrie's War by Nina Bawden (1973) 211 pp
12. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (2020) 430 pp
13. Judge Savage by Tim Parks (2003) 442 pp
14. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (1962) 280 pp
15. Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer (1969) 227 pp
16. Jazz by Toni Morrison (1992) 229 pp
17. A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell (1951) 230 pp

4,313 pages.

FEBRUARY

18. Junk by Melvyn Burgess (1996) 278 pp
19. The Great Fire by Monica Dickens (1970) 64 pp
20. At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie (1965) 265 pp
21. A Room of Own's Own by Virginia Woolf (1929) 153 pp
22. Bury the Dead by Peter Carter (1987) 374 pp
23. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (2011) 390 pp
24. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (1873) 242 pp
25. Woods, etc. by Alice Oswald (2005) 56 pp
26. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg (2015) 293 pp
27. A Burning by Megha Majumdar (2020) 289 pp
28. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch (2011) 373 pp
29. What is History? by Edward Hallett Carr (1961) 156 pp
30. A Buyer's Market by Anthony Powell (1951) 278 pp

3,211 pages

MARCH

31. The Return : Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between by Hisham Matar (2016) 239 pp
32. The Hammer of the Scots by Jean Plaidy (1978) 417 pp
33. Bright Dead Things by Ada Limon (2015) 101 pp
34. Some Experiences of an Irish RM by Somerville & Ross (1899) 223 pp
35. The Age of Improvement 1783-1867 by Asa Briggs (1959) 523 pp
36. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (1853) 203 pp

1,706 pages

Reading Record Second Quarter

APRIL

37. Love Story, With Murders by Harry Bingham (2013) 439 pp
38. Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid (2000) 270 pp
39. Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-Ha (2013) 200 pp
40. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2001) 428 pp
41. Blue Horses by Mary Oliver (2014) 79 pp
42. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1864) 160 pp
43. The Curious Case of Dassoukine's Trousers by Fouad Laroui (2012) 134 pp
44. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham (2014) 457 pp
45. Arid Dreams by Duanwad Pimwana (2019) 244 pp
46. Figures in a Landscape by Barry England (1968) 208 pp
47. Echoland by Per Petterson (1989) 132 pp
48. Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith (2019) 205 pp

2,956 pages

MAY

49. The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (1984) 330 pp
50. I Choose to Live by Sabine Dardenne (2004) 210 pp
51. Three Poems by Hannah Sullivan (2018) 71 pp

611 pages (maybe my worst ever performance!)

JUNE

52. Still Waters by Viveca Sten (2008) 434 pp
53. Half a Life by VS Naipaul (2001) 211 pp
54. Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih (1969) 169 pp
55. A Bell for Adano by John Hersey (1944) 269 pp
56. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (2020) 370 pp
57. Springtime in a Broken Mirror by Mario Benedetti (1982) 181 pp
58. My Country : A Syrian Memoir by Kassim Eid (2018) 194 pp
59. Vita Nova by Louise Gluck (1999) 51 pp
60. The God Child by Nana Oforiatta Ayim (2019) 241 pp
61. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (1946) 154 pp
62. Mr Norris Changes Trains by Christopher Isherwood (1935) 230 pp
63. Mr Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons (2010) 355 pp
64. Injury Time by Beryl Bainbridge (1977) 212 pp
65. In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen (2014) 244 pp
66. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (2015) 438 pp
67. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1851) 1,179 pp
68. Cat and Mouse by Gunter Grass (1961) 191 pp
69. No Turning Back by Beverley Naidoo (1995) 191 pp
70. Look at Me by Anita Brookner (1983) 192 pp
71. Vice Versa by F. Anstey (1882) 219 pp
72. The Age of Revolution by Eric Hobsbawm (1975) 308 pp
73. Mrs Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw (1893) 98 pp

6,131 pages (best for a while)

Reading Record 3rd Quarter

JULY

74. Bernard Hinault and the Fall and Rise of French Cycling by William Fotheringham (2015) 345 pp
75. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling (1997) 332 pp
76. Rendang by Will Harris (2020) 85 pp
77. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (2016) 383 pp
78. Corridors of Power by C.P. Snow (1964) 352 pp
79. Arab Jazz by Karim Miske (2012) 242 pp
80. The Kingdom of This World by Alejo Carpentier (1949) 136 pp
81. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (2000) 395 pp
82. The Quality of Madness by Tim Rich (2020) 417 pp
83. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (2006) 404 pp
84. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (1838) 162 pp
85. The Devil's Pool by George Sand (1846) 119 pp

3,372 pages

AUGUST

86. Poetry Please! edited by Charles Causley (1985) 113 pp
87. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (2020) 448 pp
88. Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World by Edward Shepherd Creasy (1851) 380 pp
89. Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell (2011) 380 pp
90. Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2021) 85 pp
91. The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell (2013) 345 pp
92. The Return by Dulce Maria Cardoso (2011) 267 pp
93. Here and Now by Stephen Dunn (2011) 103 pp
94. I am, I am, I am by Maggie O'Farrell (2017) 285 pp
95. Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburo Oe (1958) 189 pp
96. The Flint Anchor by Sylvia Townsend Warner (1954) 322 pp
97. At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop (2018) 145 pp
98. A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow (1960) 345 pp
99. The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi (2000) 282 pp

3,689 pages

SEPTEMBER

100. Pew by Catherine Lacey (2020) 207 pp
101. Northlight by Douglas Dunn (1988) 81 pp
102. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende (2019) 349 pp
103. The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf (1992) 192 pp
104. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard (1967) 118 pp
105. Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz (2020) 107 pp

CURRENTLY READING

READING PLAN

1 British Author Challenge - set this year by Amanda in the 75er Group

2 1001 Book First Edition - Ongoing

3 Booker Challenge - Read all the Booker winners; I may get close to completing that in 2021

4 Nobel Winners - Read all the Nobel Winners

5 Pulitzer Winners - Read all the Pulitzer fiction winners

6 Around the World Challenge - Read a book from an author born in or with parents from all countries - I reset this challenge in October 2020.

7 Queen Victoria Challenge - Read a book from every year of Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901) with no repeat authors. Started December 2020

8 Queen Betty Challenge - Read a book from every year of Queen Elizabeth II reign (1952-2021) - British authors only and no repeats.

9 Dance to the Music of Time - One a month all year.

10. The 52 Book Club Challenge - A book a week from these selected categories https://www.the52book.club/challenges/2021-reading-challenge/

11. A Dent in the TBR - I have approaching 5,000 books in my TBR so I must read some of the 250 books I have bought in 2020 that end the current year unread.

12. Poetry - My first love in many ways and I am still something of a scribbler of lines to this day.

13. American Author Challenge - Linda came up trumps.

14. Series Pairs - I will choose one favourite series and read the next two books in that particular series I have slightly fallen behind with.

15 Great British History Writers - One classic work per month from a great British historian.

BAC



January: Children's Classics https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7317610 9 READ

February: LGBT+ History Month https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7317871 2 READ

March: Vaseem Khan & Eleanor Hibbert https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7318561 1 READ

April: Love is in the Air https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7319432 2 READ

May: V. S. Naipaul & Na'ima B. Robert https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7320231 1 READ

June: The Victorian Era (1837-1901) https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7320541 3 READ

July: Don't judge a book by its movie https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7321220 9 READ

August: Bernard Cornwell & Helen Oyeyemi https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7321374 2 READ

September: She Blinded Me with Science https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7321899

October: Narrative Poetry https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7322840 2 read

November: Tade Thompson & Elizabeth Taylor https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7323772

December: Awards & Honors https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7325017 2 READ

Wildcard: Books off your shelves https://www.librarything.com/topic/326122#7325595 16 READ

49 BOOKS READ TO DATE

AMERICAN AUTHOR CHALLENGE



Please see:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/327669#7354831

January : Keep it in the Family :
February : Ethan Canin
March : Roxane Gay
April : Makers of Music : Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith
May : Mary McCarthy
June : Ken Kesey
July : Native American Themes : The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
August : Connie Willis
September : Howard Norman
October : Attica Locke
November : Albert Murray
December : YA Fiction

BOOKERS
Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For - READ
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize) - READ
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur - READ
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist ... and Stanley Middleton, Holiday - READ
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust - READ
1976: David Storey, Saville - READ
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On - READ
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore - READ
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage - READ
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children - READ
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark - READ
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac - READ
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils - READ
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger - READ
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance - READ
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger - READ
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders - READ
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things READ
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam - READ
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace - READ
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang - READ
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi READ
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea - READ
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering - READ
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger - READ
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall - READ
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending - READ
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies - READ
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North - READ
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings - READ
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout - READ
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman
2019: Margaret Atwood, The Testaments, and Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other
2020: Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain READ JAN 21

READ 33 of 56 WINNERS

Pulitzer Winners

As with the Bookers, I want to eventually read all the Pulitzer winners (for fiction at least) and have most of the recent ones on the shelves at least. Current status.

Fiction

1918 HIS FAMILY - Ernest Poole
1919 THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS - Booth Tarkington
1921 THE AGE OF INNOCENCE - Edith Wharton
1922 ALICE ADAMS - Booth Tarkington
1923 ONE OF OURS - Willa Cather
1924 THE ABLE MCLAUGHLINS - Margaret Wilson
1925 SO BIG - Edna Ferber
1926 ARROWSMITH - Sinclair Lewis (Declined)
1927 EARLY AUTUMN - Louis Bromfield
1928 THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY - Thornton Wilder
1929 SCARLET SISTER MARY - Julia Peterkin
1930 LAUGHING BOY - Oliver Lafarge ON SHELVES
1931 YEARS OF GRACE - Margaret Ayer Barnes
1932 THE GOOD EARTH - Pearl Buck
1933 THE STORE - Thomas Sigismund Stribling
1934 LAMB IN HIS BOSOM - Caroline Miller
1935 NOW IN NOVEMBER - Josephine Winslow Johnson
1936 HONEY IN THE HORN - Harold L Davis
1937 GONE WITH THE WIND - Margaret Mitchell ON SHELVES
1938 THE LATE GEORGE APLEY - John Phillips Marquand
1939 THE YEARLING - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
1940 THE GRAPES OF WRATH - John Steinbeck
1942 IN THIS OUR LIFE - Ellen Glasgow
1943 DRAGON'S TEETH - Upton Sinclair
1944 JOURNEY IN THE DARK - Martin Flavin
1945 A BELL FOR ADANO - John Hersey
1947 ALL THE KING'S MEN - Robert Penn Warren ON SHELVES
1948 TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC - James Michener
1949 GUARD OF HONOR - James Gould Cozzens
1950 THE WAY WEST - A.B. Guthrie
1951 THE TOWN - Conrad Richter
1952 THE CAINE MUTINY - Herman Wouk
1953 THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA - Ernest Hemingway
1955 A FABLE - William Faulkner
1956 ANDERSONVILLE - McKinlay Kantor
1958 A DEATH IN THE FAMILY - James Agee ON SHELVES
1959 THE TRAVELS OF JAIMIE McPHEETERS - Robert Lewis Taylor
1960 ADVISE AND CONSENT - Allen Drury
1961 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Harper Lee
1962 THE EDGE OF SADNESS - Edwin O'Connor
1963 THE REIVERS - William Faulkner ON SHELVES
1965 THE KEEPERS OF THE HOUSE - Shirley Ann Grau
1966 THE COLLECTED STORIES OF KATHERINE ANNE PORTER - Katherine Anne Porter
1967 THE FIXER - Bernard Malamud
1968 THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER - William Styron
1969 HOUSE MADE OF DAWN - N Scott Momaday ON SHELVES
1970 THE COLLECTED STORIES OF JEAN STAFFORD - Jean Stafford
1972 ANGLE OF REPOSE - Wallace Stegner ON SHELVES
1973 THE OPTIMIST'S DAUGHTER - Eudora Welty ON SHELVES
1975 THE KILLER ANGELS - Jeff Shaara ON SHELVES
1976 HUMBOLDT'S GIFT - Saul Bellow
1978 ELBOW ROOM - James Alan McPherson
1979 THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER - John Cheever ON SHELVES
1980 THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG - Norman Mailer ON SHELVES
1981 A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES - John Kennedy Toole ON SHELVES
1982 RABBIT IS RICH - John Updike
1983 THE COLOR PURPLE - Alice Walker ON SHELVES
1984 IRONWEED - William Kennedy ON SHELVES
1985 FOREIGN AFFAIRS - Alison Lurie ON SHELVES
1986 LONESOME DOVE - Larry McMurtry ON SHELVES
1987 A SUMMONS TO MEMPHIS - Peter Taylor
1988 BELOVED - Toni Morrison - ON SHELVES
1989 BREATHING LESSONS - Anne Tyler
1990 THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE - Oscar Hijuelos
1991 RABBIT AT REST - John Updike
1992 A THOUSAND ACRES - Jane Smiley
1993 A GOOD SCENT FROM A STRANGE MOUNTAIN - Robert Olen Butler
1994 THE SHIPPING NEWS - E Annie Proulx
1995 THE STONE DIARIES - Carol Shields ON SHELVES
1996 INDEPENDENCE DAY - Richard Ford ON SHELVES
1997 MARTIN DRESSLER - Steven Millhauser ON SHELVES
1998 AMERICAN PASTORAL - Philip Roth ON SHELVES
1999 THE HOURS - Michael Cunningham ON SHELVES
2000 INTERPRETER OF MALADIES - Jumpha Lahiri
2001 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY - Michael Chabon ON SHELVES
2002 EMPIRE FALLS - Richard Russo ON SHELVES
2003 MIDDLESEX - Jeffrey Eugenides ON SHELVES
2004 THE KNOWN WORLD - Edward P. Jones ON SHELVES
2005 GILEAD - Marilynne Robinson ON SHELVES
2006 MARCH - Geraldine Brooks
2007 THE ROAD - Cormac McCarthy
2008 THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO - Junot Diaz ON SHELVES
2009 OLIVE KITTERIDGE - Elizabeth Strout ON SHELVES
2010 TINKERS - Paul Harding
2011 A VISIT FROM THE GOOD SQUAD - Jennifer Egan ON SHELVES
2013 ORPHAN MASTER'S SON - Adam Johnson ON SHELVES
2014 THE GOLDFINCH - Donna Tartt ON SHELVES
2015 ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE - Anthony Doerr ON SHELVES
2016 THE SYMPATHIZER - Viet Thanh Nguyen ON SHELVES
2017 THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD - Colson Whitehead ON SHELVES
2018 LESS - Andrew Sean Greer ON SHELVES
2019 THE OVERSTORY - Richard Powers ON SHELVES
2020 THE NICKEL BOYS - Colson Whitehead
2021 THE NIGHT WATCHMAN - Louise Erdrich


19 READ
37 ON SHELVES
38 NOT OWNED OR READ

94 TOTAL

NOBELS

Update on my Nobel Prize Winning Reading:
1901 Sully Prudhomme
1902 Theodor Mommsen
1903 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
1904 Frédéric Mistral and José Echegaray y Eizaquirre
1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz
1906 Giosuè Carducci
1907 Rudyard Kipling - READ
1908 Rudolf Christoph Eucken
1909 Selma Lagerlöf
1910 Paul Heyse --
1911 Count Maurice Maeterlinck
1912 Gerhart Hauptmann
1913 Rabindranath Tagore - READ
1915 Romain Rolland
1916 Verner von Heidenstam
1917 Karl Adolph Gjellerup and Henrik Pontoppidan
1919 Carl Spitteler
1920 Knut Hamsun - READ
1921 Anatole France - READ
1922 Jacinto Benavente
1923 William Butler Yeats - READ
1924 Wladyslaw Reymont
1925 George Bernard Shaw - READ
1926 Grazia Deledda - READ
1927 Henri Bergson
1928 Sigrid Undset
1929 Thomas Mann - READ
1930 Sinclair Lewis - READ
1931 Erik Axel Karlfeldt
1932 John Galsworthy - READ
1933 Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin - READ
1934 Luigi Pirandello - READ
1936 Eugene O'Neill - READ
1937 Roger Martin du Gard
1938 Pearl S. Buck - READ
1939 Frans Eemil Sillanpää
1944 Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
1945 Gabriela Mistral
1946 Hermann Hesse - READ
1947 André Gide - READ
1948 T.S. Elliot - READ
1949 William Faulkner - READ
1950 Bertrand Russell - READ
1951 Pär Lagerkvist - READ
1952 François Mauriac - READ
1953 Sir Winston Churchill - READ
1954 Ernest Hemingway - READ
1955 Halldór Laxness - READ
1956 Juan Ramón Jiménez
1957 Albert Camus - READ
1958 Boris Pasternak (declined the prize) - READ
1959 Salvatore Quasimodo
1960 Saint-John Perse
1961 Ivo Andric - READ
1962 John Steinbeck - READ
1963 Giorgos Seferis
1964 Jean-Paul Sartre (declined the prize) - READ
1965 Michail Sholokhov
1966 Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Nelly Sachs - READ
1967 Miguel Ángel Asturias
1968 Yasunari Kawabata - READ
1969 Samuel Beckett - READ
1970 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - READ
1971 Pablo Neruda - READ
1972 Heinrich Böll - READ
1973 Patrick White
1974 Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson
1975 Eugenio Montale
1976 Saul Bellow - READ
1977 Vincente Aleixandre
1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer - READ
1979 Odysseas Elytis - READ
1980 Czeslaw Milosz - READ
1981 Elias Canetti
1982 Gabriel Garciá Márquez - READ
1983 William Golding - READ
1984 Jaroslav Seifert - READ
1985 Claude Simon - READ
1986 Akinwande Ouwoe Soyinka
1987 Joseph Brodsky - READ
1988 Naguib Mahfouz - READ
1989 Camilo José Cela - READ
1990 Octavio Paz
1991 Nadine Gordimer - READ
1992 Derek Walcott - READ
1993 Toni Morrison - READ
1994 Kenzaburo Oe - READ
1995 Seamus Heaney - READ
1996 Wislawa Szymborska - READ
1997 Dario Fo - READ
1998 José Saramago - READ
1999 Günter Grass - READ
2000 Gao Xingjian
2001 Vidiadhar Surjprasad Naipaul - READ
2002 Imre Kertész - READ
2003 John Maxwell Coetzee - READ
2004 Elfriede Jelinek - READ
2005 Harold Pinter - READ
2006 Orhan Pamuk - READ
2007 Doris Lessing - READ
2008 J.M.G. Le Clézio
2009 Herta Müller - READ
2010 Mario Vargas Llosa - READ
2011 Tomas Tranströmer - READ
2012 Mo Yan
2013 Alice Munro - READ
2014 Patrick Modiano - READ
2015 Svetlana Alexievich - READ
2016 Bob Dylan - READ
2017 Kazuo Ishiguro - READ
2018 Olga Tokarczuk - READ
2019 Peter Handke - READ
2020 Louise Gluck - READ

READ 73 OF
117 LAUREATES

AROUND THE WORLD CHALLENGE

Around the world in books challenge. I want to see how many countries I can cover without limiting myself to a specific deadline.

From 1 October 2020

1. United Kingdom - The Ways of the World by Robert Goddard EUROPE
2. Ireland - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde EUROPE
3. Lithuania - Selected and Last Poems by Czeslaw Milosz EUROPE
4. Netherlands - The Ditch by Herman Koch EUROPE
5. Armenia - The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian ASIA PACIFIC
6. Zimbabwe - This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga AFRICA
7. United States - Averno by Louise Gluck AMERICA
8. Australia - Taller When Prone by Les Murray ASIA PACIFIC
9. France - Class Trip by Emmanuel Carrere EUROPE
10. Russia - The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov EUROPE
11. Denmark - Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard EUROPE
12. Democratic Republic of Congo - Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanze Mujila AFRICA
13. Canada - I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven AMERICA
14. Italy - The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri EUROPE
15. New Zealand - Dove on the Waters by Maurice Shadbolt ASIA PACIFIC
16. India - A Burning by Megha Majumdar ASIA PACIFIC
17. Libya - The Return by Hisham Matar AFRICA
18. Pakistan - Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid ASIA PACIFIC
19. South Korea - Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-Ha ASIA PACIFIC
20. Morocco - The Curious Case of Dassoukine's Trousers by Fouad Laroui AFRICA
21. Thailand - Arid Dreams by Duanwad Pimwana ASIA PACIFIC
22. Norway - Echoland by Per Petterson EUROPE
23. Belgium - I Choose to Live by Sabine Dardenne EUROPE
24. Sweden - Still Waters by Viveca Sten EUROPE
25. Trinidad - Half a Life by VS Naipaul AMERICAS
26. Sudan - Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih AFRICA
27. Uruguay - Springtime in a Broken Mirror by Mario Benedetti AMERICAS
28. Syria - My Country : A Syrian Memoir by Kassem Eid ASIA PACIFIC
29. Ghana - The God Child by Nana Oforiatta Ayim AFRICA
30. Austria - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl EUROPE
31. Germany - Cat and Mouse by Gunter Grass EUROPE
32. South Africa - No Turning Back by Beverley Naidoo AFRICA
33. Mauritania - Arab Jazz by Karim Miske AFRICA
34. Cuba - The Kingdom of This World by Alejo Carpentier AMERICAS
35. Nigeria - Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie AFRICA
36. Portugal - The Return by Dulce Maria Cardoso EUROPE
37. Japan - Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburo Oe ASIA PACIFIC
38. Senegal - At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop AFRICA
39. Malta - The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi EUROPE
40. Chile - A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende AMERICAS
41. Lebanon - The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf ASIA PACIFIC


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

QUEEN VIC CHALLENGE
Regarding my Victorian Era Challenge which I started this month with the aim of completing it by the end of 2021. 64 years. 64 books. 64 authors.

From Dec 2020

1838 NARRATIVE OF ARTHUR GORDON PYM OF NANTUCKET by Poe
1843 FEAR AND TREMBLING by Kierkegaard
1845 THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Dumas
1846 THE DEVIL'S POOL by Sand
1850 PENDENNIS by Thackeray
1851 FIFTEEN DECISIVE OF THE WORLD by Creasy
1853 CRANFORD by GASKELL
1857 TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS by Hughes
1864 NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND by Dostoevsky
1870 A LEAR OF THE STEPPES by Turgenev
1873 AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS by Verne
1881 PRINCE AND THE PAUPER by Twain
1882 VICE VERSA by Anstey
1893 MRS WARREN'S PROFESSION by Shaw
1899 SOME EXPERIENCES OF AN IRISH RM by Somerville & Ross
1900 THREE SISTERS by Chekhov

16/64

QUEEN BETTY CHALLENGE

From December 2020 70 Years 70 Books 70 Different British Authors

1952 A Buyer's Market by Anthony Powell
1954 The Flint Anchor by Sylvia Townsend Warner
1959 The Age of Improvement by Asa Briggs
1960 A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow
1961 What is History? by EH Carr
1962 The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side by Agatha Christie
1964 Corridors of Power by CP Snow
1966 A Fall from the Sky by Ian Serraillier
1967 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
1968 Figures in a Landscape by Barry England
1969 Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Framer
1970 The Great Fire by Monica Dickens
1973 Carrie's War by Nina Bawden
1975 The Age of Capital by Eric Hobsbawm
1977 Injury Time by Beryl Bainbridge
1978 The Hammer of the Scots by Jean Plaidy
1983 Look at Me by Anita Brookner
1984 The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley
1985 Poetry Please! edited by Charles Causley
1987 Bury the Dead by Peter Carter
1988 Northlight by Douglas Dunn
1989 Plague 99 by Jean Ure
1996 Junk by Melvyn Burgess
1997 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling
2000 The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi
2001 Half a Life by VS Naipaul
2003 Judge Savage by Tim Parks
2005 Woods, etc. by Alice Oswald
2010 Mr Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons
2011 Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
2013 A Delicate Truth by John Le Carre
2014 The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
2015 Bernard Hinault and the Fall and Rise of French Cycling by William Fotheringham
2017 I am, I am, I am by Maggie O'Farrell
2018 Three Poems by Hannah Sullivan
2019 A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson
2020 Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

37/70

52 BOOK CLUB CHALLENGE

Based on this challenge suggested by Katie & Chelle

https://www.the52book.club/challenges/2021-reading-challenge/

January
Week 1 : Set in a school : Tom Brown's Schooldays by Hughes Read 2 Jan 2021
Week 2 : Legal profession : Judge Savage by Tim Parks Read 28 Jan 2021
Week 3 : Dual timeline : Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer Read 29 Jan 2021
Week 4 : Deceased author : Jazz by Toni Morrison READ 30 Jan 2021
Week 5 : Published by Penguin : Junk by Melvyn Burgess READ 3 Feb 2021
Week 6 : Male Family Member : Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch READ 12 Feb 2021
Week 7 : 1 Published Work : A Burning by Megha Majumdar READ 19 Feb 2021
Week 8 : Dewey 900 Class : What is History? by EH Carr READ 28 February
Week 9 : Set in a Mediterranean Country : The Return by Hisham Matar READ 5 MAR 2021
Week 10 : Book with discussion questions : Love Story, With Murders by Harry Bingham READ 2 APR
Week 11 : Relating to fire : Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid READ 4 APR
Week 12 : Title Starting with D : Diary of a Murderer by Kim Young-Ha READ 6 APR
Week 13 : Includes an Exotic Animal : Life of Pi by Yann Martel READ 11 April
Week 14 : Written by an author over 65 : Blue Horses by Mary Oliver READ 14 April
Week 15 : Book Mentioned in a book : Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky READ 15 April
Week 16 : Set before 17th Century : Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell READ 5 June
Week 17 : Character on the run : Figures in a Landscape by Barry England READ 26 April
Week 18 : Author with 9 letter surname : Springtime in a Broken Mirror by Mario Benedetti READ 6 JUNE
Week 19 : Book with a deckled edge : In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen READ 21 JUNE
Week 20 : Became a TV series : Corridors of Power by CP Snow READ 12 JUL
Week 21 : Book by Kristin Hannah : The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah READ 22 JUNE
Week 22 : A Family Saga : Mr Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons READ 14 JUN
Week 23 : Surprising Ending : Still Waters by Viveca Sten READ 2 JUN
Week 24 : Book to be read in schools : Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl READ
Week 25 : Multiple POVs : Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys READ 11 JUL
Week 26 : Author of Colour : The God Child by Nana Oforiatta Ayim READ 8 JUN
Week 27 : 1st Chapter Odd Page : The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner READ 25 JUL
Week 28 : Little known historical event : The Kingdom of This World by Alejo Carpentier READ 20 JUL
Week 29 : The Environment : The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf READ 16 SEP
Week 30 : Dragons : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling READ 8 JUL
Week 31 : Similar Title : The Return by Dulce Maria Cardoso READ 9 AUG
Week 32 : Selfish Character : The Flint Anchor by Sylvia Townsend Warner READ 24 AUG
Week 33 : Adoption : The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi READ 31 AUG
Week 34 : Five Star Read : Poetry Please! by Charles Causley READ 1 AUG
Week 35 :
Week 36 : Nameless Narrator : Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburo Oe READ 22 AUG
Week 37 :
Week 38 :
Week 39 :
Week 40 :
Week 41 : Endorsement by Author : At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop READ 28 AUG
Week 42 :
Week 43 :
Week 44 :
Week 45 :
Week 46 :
Week 47 :
Week 48 : Woman Facing Away : A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow READ 30 AUG
Week 49 :
Week 50 :
Week 51 : Published in 2021 : Notes on Grief by Adichie READ 7 AUG
Week 52 :

SERIES PAIR CHALLENGE

January : Andrea Camilleri - MONTALBANO DONE
February : Agatha Christie - MISS MARPLE DONE
March : Ben Aaronovitch - PETER GRANT DONE
April : Harry Bingham - FIONA GRIFFITHS DONE
May : Megan Whalen Turner - EUGENIDES DONE
June : Bernard Cornwell - UHTRED DONE

BRITISH HISTORIANS

As if I don't have enough challenges! I want to polish up on my reading and re-reading of the British historians who either inspired me as a student or who I have since come to greatly admire

The French Revolution by Thomas CARLYLE 1837
The Age of Improvement by Asa BRIGGS 1959 READ MAR 21
The History of England by Thomas Babington MACAULAY 1848
The Making of the English Working Class by EP THOMPSON 1963
Fifteen Decisive Battles by EDWARD CREASEY 1851 READ AUG 21
What is History? by EH CARR 1961 READ FEB 21
The Course of German History by AJP TAYLOR 1945
The American Future by Simon SCHAMA 2009
The Face of Battle by John KEEGAN 1976
The King's Peace by CV WEDGWOOD 1955
The Age of Capital by ERIC HOBSBAWM 1975 READ JUN 21

READ MORE THAN ACQUIRED

Last year I added 300 books but read 50 of them. In addition I have another 4,500 plus on the TBR.
The challenge is not to make the situation of my TBR worse.
So I must read or remove from my wider TBR more than I acquire this year and I will gauge this against last years "new" TBR and any future incomings. Therefore the older TBRs don't count against this challenge.

The figure at the start of the year is 250 books and this number must be smaller by December 31. These are the 250 books:

1 Stay with Me Adebayo
2 American War Akkad
3 The Catholic School Albinati
4 The Unwomanly Face of War Alexievich
5 Saltwater Andrews
6 Big Sky Atkinson
7 At the Jerusalem Bailey
8 The Body Lies Baker
9 The Lost Memory of Skin Banks
10 Remembered Battle-Felton
11 Springtime in a Broken Mirror Benedetti READ JUN 21
12 A Crime in the Neighborhood Berne
13 Stand By Me Berry
14 Love Story, With Murders Bingham READ APR 21
15 This Thing of Darkness Bingham
16 The Sandcastle Girls Bohjalian
17 The Ascent of Rum Doodle Bowman
18 Clade Bradley
19 The Snow Ball Brophy
20 Paladin of Souls Bujold
21 Parable of the Sower Butler
22 The Adventures of China Iron Camara
23 The Overnight Kidnapper Camilleri READ JAN 21
24 The Other End of the Line Camilleri READ JAN 21
25 Lord of all the Dead Cercas
26 Uncle Vanya Checkov
27 The Cherry Orchard Checkov
28 Blue Moon Child
29 Trust Exercise Choi
30 The Night Tiger Choo
31 The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side Christie READ JAN 21
32 At Bertram's Hotel Christie READ FEB 21
33 The Water Dancer Coates
34 The New Wilderness Cook
35 Hopscotch Cortazar
36 The Illumination of Ursula Flight Crowhurst
37 Deviation D'Eramo
38 Boy Swallows Universe Dalton
39 The Girl with the Louding Voice Dare
40 The Rose of Tibet Davidson
41 Dhalgren Delany
42 The Butterfly Girl Denfeld
43 Vernon Subutex 1 Despentes
44 Postcolonial Love Poem Diaz READ SEP 21
45 Childhood Ditlevsen
46 Youth Ditlevsen
47 Dependency Ditlevsen
48 Burnt Sugar Doshi
49 Frenchman's Creek Du Maurier D
50 Trilby Du Maurier G
51 Sincerity Duffy
52 Sumarine Dunthorne
53 The Narrow Land Dwyer-Hickey
54 Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race Eddo-Lodge
55 Axiom's End Ellis
56 Figures in a Landscape England READ APR 21
57 kaddish.com Englander
58 Shadow Tag Erdrich
59 The Carpet Makers Eschbach
60 The Emperor's Babe Evaristo
61 Small Country Faye
62 To Rise Again at a Decent Hour Ferris
63 At Freddie's Fitzgerald
64 The Guest List Foley
65 Man's Search for Meaning Frankl READ JUN 21
66 Love in No Man's Land Ga
67 Norse Mythology Gaiman
68 The Spare Room Garner
69 The Kites Gary
70 Gun Island Ghosh
71 Vita Nova Gluck READ JUN 21
72 Trafalgar Gorodischer
73 Potiki Grace
74 Killers of the Flower Moon Grann
75 The Last Banquet Grimwood
76 Guapa Haddad
77 The Porpoise Haddon
78 Late in the Day Hadley
79 The Final Bet Hamdouchi
80 The Parisian Hammad
81 Nightingale Hannah
82 Coastliners Harris J
83 The Truths We Hold Harris K
84 Conclave Harris R
85 The Second Sleep Harris R
86 Tales of the Tikongs Hau'ofa
87 A Thousand Ships Haynes
88 The River Heller
89 Dead Lions Herron
90 Real Tigers Herron
91 War and Turpentine Hertmans
92 A Political History of the World Holslag
93 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Honeyman
94 The Light Years Howard
95 Promise Me You'll Shoot Yourself Huber
96 A High Wind in Jamaica Hughes
97 Ape and Essence Huxley
98 Me John
99 Nightblind Jonasson
100 Black Out Jonasson
101 How to be an Anti-Rascist Kendi
102 Death is Hard Work Khalifa
103 Darius the Great is Not Okay Khorram
104 Himself Kidd
105 Diary of a Murderer Kim READ APR 21
106 Dance of the Jacakranda Kimani
107 The Bridge Konigsberg
108 Who They Was Krauze
109 The Mars Room Kushner
110 The Princesse de Cleves La Fayette
111 The Other Americans Lalami
112 The Curious Case of Dassoukine's Trousers Laroui READ APR 21
113 Fish Can Sing Laxness
114 Agent Running in the Field Le Carre
115 Pachinko Lee
116 The Turncoat Lenz
117 The Topeka School Lerner
118 Caging Skies Leunens
119 The Fifth Risk Lewis
120 The Three-Body Problem Liu
121 Lost Children Archive Luiselli
122 Black Moses Mabanckou
123 Blue Ticket Mackintosh
124 A Burning Majumdar READ FEB 21
125 The Mirror and the Light Mantel
126 Original Spin Marks
127 Deep River Marlantes
128 The Return Matar READ MAR 21
129 The Island Matute
130 Hame McAfee
131 Apeirogon McCann
132 Underland McFarlane
133 Hurricane Season Melchor
134 The Shadow King Mengiste
135 The Human Swarm Moffett
136 She Would Be King Moore
137 The Starless Sea Morgenstern
138 Poetry by Heart Motion
139 A Fairly Honourable Defeat Murdoch
140 The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov Nabokov
141 The Warlow Experiment Nathan
142 The Left-Handed Booksellers of London Nix
143 Born a Crime Noah
144 The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney Nzelu
145 Girl O'Brien
146 After You'd Gone O'Farrell
147 Henry, Himself O'Nan
148 Inland Obreht
149 Weather Offill
150 Dept. of Speculation Offill
151 Stag's Leap Olds
152 Blue Horses Oliver READ APR 21
153 Felicity Oliver
154 Will Olyslaegers
155 Woods, etc Oswald READ FEB 21
156 Night Theatre Paralkar
157 The Damascus Road Parini
158 Empress of the East Peirce
159 The Street Petry
160 Disappearing Earth Phillips
161 Arid Dreams Pimwana READ APR 21
162 Peterloo : Witness to a Massacre Polyp
163 Lanny Porter
164 The Women at Hitler's Table Postorino
165 A Question of Upbringing Powell A READ JAN 21
166 A Buyer's Market Powell A READ FEB 21
167 The Acceptance World Powell A
168 The Interrogative Mood Powell P
169 Rough Magic Prior-Palmer
170 The Alice Network Quinn
171 Where the Red Fern Grows Rawls
172 Such a Fun Age Reid
173 Selected Poems 1950-2012 Rich
174 The Discomfort of Evening Rijneveld
175 Jack Robinson
176 The Years of Rice and Salt Robinson K
177 A Portable Paradise Robinson R READ JAN 21
178 The Fall of the Ottomans Rogan
179 Normal People Rooney
180 Conversations with Friends Rooney
181 Alone Time Rosenbloom
182 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Rowling READ JUL 21
183 The Watch Roy-Bhattacharya
184 The Five Rubenhold
185 Contact Sagan
186 The Hunters Salter
187 The Seventh Cross Seghers
188 Will Self
189 Moses Ascending Selvon
190 The Dove on the Water Shadbolt READ JAN 21
191 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Shafak
192 In Arabian Nights Shah
193 The Caliph's House Shah
194 Mrs Warren's Profession Shaw READ JUN 21
195 Arms and the Man Shaw
196 Candida Shaw
197 Man and Superman Shaw
198 Dimension of Miracles Sheckley
199 The Last Man Shelley
200 Temple of a Thousand Faces Shors
201 Year of the Monkey Smith P READ APR 21
202 Eternity Smith T
203 Crossing Statovci
204 Lucy Church, Amiably Stein
205 Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead Stoppard READ SEP 21
206 Blood Cruise Strandberg
207 Shuggie Bain Stuart READ JAN 21
208 Three Poems Sullivan READ MAY 21
209 Rules for Perfect Murders Swanson
210 Cane River Tademy
211 Real Life Taylor
212 The Queen's Gambit Tevis
213 Far North Therous
214 Walden Thoreau
215 Civil Disobedience Thoreau
216 Survivor Song Tremblay
217 The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee Treuer
218 The Small House at Allingham Trollope
219 A Nest of Gentlefolk Turgenev
220 A Quiet Backwater Turgenev
221 A Lear of the Steppes Turgenev READ JAN 21
222 The Queen of Attolia Turner READ JUL 21
223 The King of Attolia Turner READ JUL 21
224 Redhead by the Side of the Road Tyler
225 Outlaw Ocean Urbina
226 Plague 99 Ure READ JAN 2021
227 The Age of Miracles Walker
228 The Uninhabitable Earth Wallace-Wells
229 Judith Paris Walpole
230 Love and Other Thought Experiments Ward
231 The Death of Mrs. Westaway Ware
232 Lolly Willows Warner
233 Second Life Watson
234 Final Cut Watson
235 Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen Weldon
236 Before the War Weldon
237 Lazarus West
238 Educated Westover
239 The Nickel Boys Whitehead READ JAN 21
240 The Death of Murat Idrissi Wieringa
241 Salome Wilde
242 An Ideal Husband Wilde
243 Lady Windemere's Fan Wilde
244 A Woman of No Importance Wilde
245 The Salt Path Winn
246 The Natural Way of Things Wood C
247 East Lynne Wood E
248 A Room of One's Own Woolf READ FEB 21
249 Interior Chinatown Yu
250 How Much of These Hills is Gold Zhang

BEGIN : 250
READ : 33
LEFT : 217

THIS YEAR'S ACQUISITIONS

1. Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. by Somerville & Ross READ MAR 21
2. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome READ JAN 21
3. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
4. The French Revolution by Thomas Carlyle
5. The Black Corsair by Emilio Salgari
6. The Prime Ministers : Reflections on Leadership from Wilson to Johnson by Steve Richards
7. The God Child by Nana Oforiatta Ayim READ JUN 21
8. Arturo's Island by Elsa Morante
9. Coningsby by Benjamin Disraeli
10. The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
11. The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron
12. Death's Mistress by Terry Goodkind
13. The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey
14. Small Days and Nights by Tishani Doshi
15. Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai
16. Desert by JMG Le Clezio
17. For the Record by David Cameron
18. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
19. The Guardians of the West by David Eddings
20. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
21. The Council of Egypt by Leonardo Sciascia
22. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
23. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin
24. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
25. Rupture by Ragnar Jonasson
26. White Out by Ragnar Jonasson
27. The Age of Capital by Eric Hobsbawm READ JUN 21
28. The World Turned Upside Down by Christopher Hill
29. The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
30. Modern Times by Paul Johnson
31. The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy
32. The Warehouse by Rob Hart
33. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
34. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
35. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
36. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings
37. Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
38. In Ashes Lie by Marie Brennan
39. The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
40. The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
41. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
42. At Lady Molly's by Anthony Powell
43. Casanova's Chinese Restaurant by Anthony Powell
44. The Kindly Ones by Anthony Powell
45. The Financier by Theodore Dreiser
46. Still Waters by Viveca Sten READ JUN 21
47. Toilers of the Sea by Victor Hugo
48. The Europeans by Henry James
49. Vice Versa by F. Anstey READ JUN 21
50. A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry
51. The Scarred Woman by Jussi Adler Olsen
52. Closed for Winter Jorn Lier Horst
53. News of the World by Juliette Jiles
54. Bright Dead Things by Ada Limon READ MAR 21
55. A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri
56. Death in the Tuscan Hills by Marco Vichi
57. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
58. Good Morning Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
59. Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
60. The Enchanted by Rene Denefeld
61. The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
62. The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas by Machado de Assis
63. The Innocents by Michael Crummey
64. Night Waking by Sarah Moss
65. Idaho by Emily Ruskovich
66. Throw me to the Wolves by Patrick McGuinness
67. Consent by Annabel Lyon
68. Selling Manhattan by Carole Ann Duffy
69. Rendang by Will Harris READ JUL 21
70. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
71. No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
72. Amnesty by Aravind Adiga
73. The Awkward Squad by Sophie Henaff
74. The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan
75. Afternoon Raag by Amit Chaudhuri
76. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
77. The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
78. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
79. Bricks and Mortar by Clemens Meyer
80. The Eastern Shore by Ward Just
81. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
82. The Wild Iris by Louise Gluck
83. Vertigo& Ghost by Fiona Benson
84. Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
85. Soot by Dan Vyleta
86. Deacon King Kong by James McBride
87. Abigail by Magda Szabo
88. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugresic
89. Coming Up for Air by Sarah Leipciger
90. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
91. Selection Day by Aravind Adiga
92. The Voyage by Murray Bail
93. Peace : A Novel by Richard Bausch
94. The Third Reich by Roberto Bolano
95. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
96. The Kingdom of this World by Alejo Carpentier READ JUL 21
97. My Life as a Russian Novel by Emmanuel Carrere
98. Texaco by Patrick Chamoiseau
99. Man V. Nature by Diane Cook
100. The Melody by Jim Crace
101. SS-GB by Len Deighton
102. Human Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald
103. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
104. The Beautiful Indifference by Sarah Hall
105. Munich by Robert Harris
106. Bodies Electric by Colin Harrison
107. The Punch by Noah Hawley
108. Spook Street by Mick Herron
109. London Rules by Mick Herron
110. The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst
111. The Land of Green Ginger by Winifred Holtby
112. The Wreck of the Mary Deare by Hammond Innes
113. The Cider House Rules by John Irving
114. Exiles in the Garden by Ward Just
115. Duffy by Dan Kavanagh
116. The Good People by Hannah Kent
117. The Life to Come by Michelle de Krester
118. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin
119. 10:04 by Ben Lerner
120. Home is the Hunter by Helen MacInnes
121. Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan
122. The Blood Miracles by Lisa McInerney
123. The Girl in Green by Derek B. Miller
124. Arab Jazz by Karim Miske READ JUL 21
125. Bodies of Light by Sarah Moss
126. Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates
127. The Changeling by Kenzaburo Oe
128. The Horseman by Tim Pears
129. Echoland by Per Petterson READ APR 21
130. Last Stand by Michael Punke
131. The Waiting Time by Gerald Seymour
132. Home Run by Gerald Seymour
133. Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith
134. To the Back of Beyond by Peter Stamm
135. They Know Not What They Do by Jussi Valtonen
136. The Tulip Eaters by Antoinette Van Heugten
137. Smoke by Dan Vyleta
138. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
139. That Eye, The Sky by Tim Winton
140. Fear : Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward
141. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell READ JUN 21
142. Gerta by Katerina Tuckova
143. My Country: A Syrian Memoir by Kassem Eid READ JUN 21
144. Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann
145. The Hotel Tito by Ivana Bodrozic
146. Strange Hotel by Eimear McBride
147. Blame by Paul Read
148. House of Lords and Commons by Ishion Hutchinson
149. To Calais, In Ordinary Time by James Meek
150. Your Story, My Story by Connie Palmen
151. Wake Up : Why the World Has Gone Nuts by Piers Morgan
152. Death of a Coast Watcher by Anthony English
153. Limitless by Ala Glynn
154. Toddler Hunting and Other Stories by Taeko Kono
155. Daughter of the Tigris by Muhsin al-Ramli
156. Don't Call Us Dead by Danez Smith
157. Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
158. Incomparable World by S.L. Martin
159. The Dancing Face by Mike Phillips
160. Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors
161. Sharks in the Time of Saviours by Kawai Strong Washburn
162. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
163. Rest and Be Thankful by Emma Glass
164. Minty Alley by CLR James
165. The Fat Lady Sings by Jacqueline Roy
166. Actress by Anne Enright
167. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
168. The Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan
169. Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas
170. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov *Replacement*
171. Summer by Ali Smith
172. If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor *Replacement*
173. Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
174. The Temple of Dawn by Yukio Mishima
175. The Girls by Emma Cline
176. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich READ AUG 21
177. The Flint Anchor by Sylvia Townsend Warner READ AUG 21
178. The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro
179. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
180. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
181. Just Like You by Nick Hornby
182. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
183. Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih READ JUNE 21
184. The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa
185. The Dig by Roger Preston
186. The Historians by Eavan Boland
187. Selected Poems by Elizabeth Jennings
188. The Deemster by Hall Caine
189. When Rainclouds Gather by Bessie Head
190. Maru by Bessie Head
191. Derek Mahon: New Selected Poems by Derek Mahon
192. A Move in the Weather by Anthony Thwaite
193. Door into the Dark by Seamus Heaney
194. Driftless by David Rhodes
195. Independence Square by AD Miller
196. Our Lady of the Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga
197. Lot by Bryan Washington
198. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende READ SEP 21
199. The Wandering by Intan Paramaditha
200. Fire and Ice by Dana Stabenow
201. Aria by Nazanine Hozar
202. Waking Lions by Ayelet Gudar-Goshen
203. Victim 2117 by Jussi Adler-Olsen
204. The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell READ AUG 21
205. The Quality of Madness by Tim Rich READ JULY 21
206. Ghosts of the Past by Marco Vichi
207. The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray
208. Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie READ AUG 21
209. Here We Are by Graham Swift
210. Deaths of the Poets by Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts
211. I am, I am, I am by Maggie O'Farrell READ AUG 21
212. The Whale at the End of the World by John Iremonger
213. Precious Bane by Mary Webb
214. Bina by Anakana Schofield
215. Little Siberia by Antti Tuomainen
216. At Night the Blood is Black by David Diop READ AUG 21
217. Muscle by Alan Trotter
218. The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
219. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
220. Missionaries by Phil Klay
221. Pew by Catherine Lacey READ SEP 21
222. Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
223. Selected Poems by Anna Akhmatova
224. The Safety Net by Andrea Camilleri
225. Corpus by Rory Clements
226. Nucleus by Rory Clements
227. The Rain in Portugal by Billy Collins
228. The Hill Station by JG Farrell
229. Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut
230. The Abstainer by Ian McGuire
231. The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray
232. Mating by Norman Rush
233. One by One by Ruth Ware
234. The Yield by Tara June Winch
235. The Sicilian Method by Andrea Camilleri
236. Rotten Days in Late Summer by Ralf Webb
237. Tracks by Louise Erdrich
238. The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf READ SEP 21
239. Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake
240. The Holy Road by Michael Blake
241. Afternoons with the Blinds Drawn by Brett Anderson
242. A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
243. A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
244. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
245. The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
246. The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

246 added
24 read
222 nett additions

A book for the book bullet that made the biggest mark on me that month. Only one win per person each year.

January 2021 MARK (msf59) for THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones
February 2021 ADRIENNE (fairywings) for THE BELGARIAD by David Eddings
March 2021 BONNIE (brenzi) for DRIFTLESS by David Rhodes
April 2021 KERRY (avatiakh) for THE DIG by John Preston
May 2021 DEBORAH (Cariola) for I AM, I AM, I AM by Maggie O'Farrell
June 2021 ES (Esquiress) for not failing any challenge
July 2021 CAROLINE (Caroline_McElwee) for Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford

BOOKS OF THE MONTH

January : The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
February : Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
March : The Return by Hashim Matar
April : Life of Pi by Yann Martel
May : The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley
June : Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

BOOK STATS :

Books Read : 105
Books Added : 250
Nett TBR Addition : 145

Number of Pages in completed books : 27,064
Average per day : 100.61
Projected Page Total : 36,722

Number of days per book : 2.56
Projected Number : 142
LT Best : 157

Longest Book read : 1,179 pages
Shortest Book read : 51 pages
Mean Average Book Length : 257.75 pages

Male Authors : 62
Female Authors : 43

UK Authors : 52
USA : 18
France : 3
Italy, Russia : 2
NZ, India, Libya, Pakistan, South Korea, Canada, Morocco, Thailand, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Trinidad, Sudan, Uruguay, Syria, Ghana, Austria, Germany, South Africa, Mauritania, Cuba, Nigeria, Portugal, Japan, Senegal, Malta, Chile, Lebanon : 1

1001 Books First Edition : 13 (317)
New Nobel Winners : 1 (73)
Pulitzer Fiction Winners : 3 (19)
Booker Winners : 2 (33)
Around the World Challenge : New countries : 28 (41)
BAC Books : 49
AAC Books : 2
Queen Vic Books : 16/64
Queen Betty Books : 37/70
52 Book Challenge : 38/52
British Historians : 4/12

OVERALL TBR RECORD/UPDATE

TBR at Midnight 31 May 2021

Books Unread : 4,425
Pages Unread : 1,555,749
Average Book Length : 351.58 pages

Books Read : 52
Pages Read : 14,021 pages

Books Added : 59
Pages Added : 17,334 pages

Books Culled : 180
Pages Culled : 77,262

Revised TBR
Books Unread : 4,252
Pages Unread : 1,481,800
Ave Book Length : 348.49 pages

Next one is yours

Happy new one!

Well done on being first, Anita xx

Happy new thread, Paul!

Wow! I never zipped through your lists and stats so easily. It might be a result of having gotten here before you actually posted the lists and stats. Keep up the great work, Paul, I love it. *snork snork snorkity snork*

>28 bell7: Thank you Mary. Always lovely to see you here.

>29 weird_O: Thanks Bill. It does take me a while to get set up in new digs!

Happy new thread!

>32 quondame: Thank you, Susan. I always look forward to seeing your posts.

Happy New Thread, Paul. I hope the work week is going well.

Happy new thread!

>34 msf59: Thanks Mark. It is much busier this week as all my staff are back in the saddle so to speak. We have some catching up to do submitting claims for the delays caused by the Government of Malaysia's COVID directives. As you can imagine the Pandemic has been disastrous for the construction industry in general and this Mega-project in particular.

There is an argument that the pandemic is a force majeure (act of God) event under which circumstances it is generally accepted in law that the contractor is awarded time but not cost. I am propounding an argument that this is not the case in that the it is not the pandemic that caused the delay but the Government's directives issued pursuant to it. The Contract Conditions allow the contractor to claim costs in the event of changes in legislation which includes under the terms of the FIDIC contract "directives and orders". As you can imagine we have site running costs approaching $5 million per month so that the delay from March 2020 to September 2021 (with some partial progress grabbed in between) has cost us in excess of $80 million for which we have currently had no recovery. In addition to this the Government decreed that the employers should foot the bill for all COVID-19 screening and testing AND pay salaries to staff in the meanwhile. This has proved easier said than done for some parties.

With further documents being released under subpoena which seem to indicate that Dr. Fauci and his cohorts funded the Wuhan research knowing it to be dangerous and after the same research was banned in the States, I could alternatively mount an argument that it is not force majeure on any level as it seems ever more likely on the balance of probability that it came from a lab in China.

>35 amanda4242: Thank you, dear Amanda. I have a revised challenge to read 75 books this year in the BAC challenge.

Paul--Happy new thread!! I have read 4 of your 6 listed books of the month and they were all winners for me too! We should hang out together. ; )

Good luck navigating the claims process. You're gonna need it, but I have faith.

>38 Berly: Hopefully when we can travel again, Hani and I will visit the states and we will make it a date to hang-out!

It will be hotly contested but I have a feeling we will cut a commercial deal with the Developer at some stage - I have to keep the ball in the air in the meantime.

Happy new thread, Paul!

Despite your few readings in May, you are still reading a bit more than last year.
Good luck carching up at work this week.

>40 FAMeulstee: May was the exception rather than the rule, Anita unlike other years. I lost someone very close to me in May and was devastated for most of the time. Surprised that I actually read three books then.

Always lovely to see you visit. x

>2 PaulCranswick: Starring this post, as Trinity House in Harwich has a special place in my heart, and I'd never seen this poem before...

I can't believe you're on to PART 18 of your 2021 thread!

>20 PaulCranswick: Oh. My. Goodness.
That is a lot of books acquired! I can only imagine your lovely wife's reaction to those stacking up in the corners, hallways, closets of your home :)

>38 Berly: >39 PaulCranswick: Do I detect plans for an international hangout??! lol, count me in. (Of course, this will occur only once lotto has been won, and Covid has been slowed.)

>42 Dilara86: Lovely to see you posting here, Dilara.

Best number of threads I ever managed in a year is 37 and I am a way from that this year but every post is precious to me. x

>43 LovingLit: Well we moved and I shelved the corridor on both sides to make both of us pretty happy.
I would love an international meet-up as I am really fatigued by not going anywhere! Happy to meet up with you anytime again Megan but it is eleven hours by plane for either of us and if we pitched it in the UK - I would have 14 hours to fly and you around 25!

Happy New Thread Day 🎉🎉

Happy new one, Paul! You are closer to the weekend than I, so I shall hope that it is full of fabulous for you.

>45 BBGirl55: Thank you, Bryony. xx

>46 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. What would we do without your liberal distribution of fabulous?! xx

Happy new one!

Seems like a perfectly reasonable argument re the claim... But then, logic usually isn't the ruling criterion in these sorts of things. 😀

>48 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.

In the end it comes down to money. If the Developer is able to pay they will come to the table.

happy new thread, Paul! And good luck with the project.

Hi Paul mate, Happy New Thread dear friend.

>37 PaulCranswick: Another challenge?! I think you'll make 75 BAC books since you're already about 2/3 there.

Happy new thread, Paul! I admire your list of lists.

I read The Origin of Species by Darwin a gazillion years ago. I remember is adventure on The Beagle was a large part of it. Can you imagine that trip?

Barely scraped into the Hot Hundred, haven't I.

>50 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda, on both counts!

>51 johnsimpson: Thanks John. Disappointed that Mahmood and Parkinson were not added to the test squad for Old Trafford.

>52 amanda4242: I'm not going to make most of them this year so one at least would be great, Amanda!

>53 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda. In those days journeys over land but especially by sea really were adventures.

>54 richardderus: Welcome in whatever position you arrive, RD!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335110

>58 SilverWolf28: Thank you Silver. Another weekend I am hopeful of reading up a storm!

>36 PaulCranswick: Good luck with the legal maneuvering. That's quite a lot of money to hemorrhage every month. I can see why no one wants to take responsibility for it. Huh. I thought the claims that COVID-19 came from a lab as part of secret government experiments were pretty much conspiracy theories. I haven't been paying much attention to the whys and wherefores, mostly just getting updates on the numbers and the decisions at local and state levels contributing to the numbers, plus offering emotional support to friends stuck in areas full of unmasked, unvaccinated fools.

>60 justchris: It is a costly last year and a half, Chris, you are right that it is very difficult to get people to take responsibility for the consequences.

We will probably never know exactly what started the pandemic in China but the government there is almost certainly not telling the truth in just the same way that 110 other countries have had more cases than they have. The fact however that the American governmental agencies were funding research in China they knew to be dangerous - and documents now obtained prove this - is a scandal of monumental proportions.

I don't agree with the mandating of mask wearing or vaccinations, Chris, but I have to I am very much pro vaccine (have taken both of my AZ shots) and don't understand the reluctance by so many to do so. The mixed messaging from politicians trying to score points off each other doesn't help this.

Hi Paul, and happy new thread. Wow. #18. Fantastic.

>62 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen and even I can find the 8 in that one!

Happy New Thread Paul!
Hope you are doing well!! Looks like you are reading some interesting things.
Have a great weekend!!

>64 hredwards: Thank you, Harold. Nice to see you here.

I have been following the US Open tennis avidly this year.

For the first time in the Open Era (since 1969 if I am not mistaken) a qualifier has made a Grand Slam Final and an 18 British girl to boot. Her warm smile and fearlessness is endearing. Only snag she plays a 19 year old Canadian girl in the final who is also fearless and endearing. It is going to be fun to watch - GO EMMA!

Just trying to keep up, Paul. Your threads move much too fast!

The American "news" media continues its quite outrageous recent trend to ignore stories that do not fit its agenda.

I will preface my next comments by saying that Larry Elder's politics are not my own and that I feel a sense that the Recall process underway in California seems to seek to undermine the electoral will of the people there and is an abuse of democracy whereby candidates should be elected or kicked out in an election not by way of a garnering of petition signatures to force what is basically a no-confidence vote on an incumbent. Possibly only Obama of all recent Presidents would have survived a mid-term vote under such circumstances including for sure Mr. Biden and the gentleman that preceded him.

What I do find irritating and intolerable is how many of the American networks failed to cover the egg throwing incident of the white woman wearing a monkey mask at the black Republican candidate Mr Elder. The fact that Elder is a Republican seems to allow CNN and MNBC etc to downplay what is an abhorrent race crime against him. If this had been a Democrat then the media would have played the incident to the hilt but is so afraid of engendering sympathy for Elder that it does not give due coverage to this matter.

You probably ought to look at the media in India, Australia and the UK if you need to get news rather than policy from the media.

>67 laytonwoman3rd: Lovely to see you as always, Linda. No need to keep up; just drop by as it is always a pleasure to get a post from you. x

Come on CNN, do your job. This is not acceptable.

At my temple of books yesterday, I added the following

235. The Sicilian Method by Andrea Camilleri
236. Rotten Days in Late Summer by Ralf Webb
237. Tracks by Louise Erdrich
238. The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf
239. Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake
240. The Holy Road by Michael Blake

Camilleri needs no explanation and I now have episodes 25 & 26 to go at. Ralf Webb is a young West Country poet (British) whose debut collection seems devoid of a touchstone as yet. I reckon on collecting and reading all of Erdrich's work. Amin Maalouf is my tip for the Nobel Prize this year and both Blakes are together in one volume.

Duplicate post so I'll use it to inform that I have three books on the go this weekend:

Black Out by Ragnar Jonasson
The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
and
The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf as is my wont these days to read something per week the moment I buy it.

>70 PaulCranswick: I didn't even hear about that story, which is to your point exactly. The U.S. media has definitely been stumbling lately.

Happy Weekend, Paul. I read and enjoyed Dances With Wolves a number of years ago. I am a fan of the film too.

>74 msf59: What cheeses me off, Mark, is that the left can carry the arguments easily without such need for misdirection.

Biden's only virtue right now is that he isn't Trump. He needs to be consistent and frankly more honest. Promised no American would be left behind in Afghanistan and there are several hundred stuck there and likely to be pawns in terrorists games ere long. He promised no mandates and now you have mandates (of course people should get vaccinated but really no exceptions?!, those that developed antibodies from having COVID already? Those whom a doctor believes should not be vaccinated for other pre-existing medical reasons?) He should be convincing people not forcing them,

I liked the film too, Mark, but of course it is a touch far-fetched.

>68 PaulCranswick: All the media in every country lie.

No U.S. coverage on Larry Elder? See THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.

Aren't there WAY more important things? 9/ll? Taliban resuming beheading and raping?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And you actually believe that Biden has done nothing to help America vs trump?!?

Count trump's dead from COVID. The horror of his destruction of the climate - the list is interminable...

His ONLY VIRTUE? Huh. Check the records before the Afghanistan disaster.

Obvious to any intelligent and compassionate American is that the Mandates HAVE to change

when COVID is reeking destruction across the country, including hospitals full of kids

and unvaccinated people with death screams refusing blood transfusions from vaccinated people.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And Larry Elder is what you want to focus on...

>76 m.belljackson: Taliban resuming beheading and raping? and the leaving behind of Americans and the disregarding of allies who supported you -
thank you Biden Administration.

I agree with vaccines but not with mandates especially without exceptions.

If Larry Elder was a Democrat the news media would have been all over the story but it seems racism doesn't matter if it is perpetrated against a black Republican. I didn't say there was no coverage at all but some of the networks decided against running the story or downplayed it. Whatever one's politics and I am no conservative that is truly reprehensible.

Larry Elder vs "Child deaths from COVID double in Florida...." ?

(Elder was also covered on both FOX and Newsweek as well as You Tube.)

Larry Elder along with the reprehensible man he worked hard to elect:

"In 2016, Americans elected a president with an anti-Muslim platform
and
a surge in violence against American Muslims led a rise in hate crimes
against all people."

Why many don't give a rat's *** about Larry Elder...

>78 m.belljackson: Marianne, I really don't know why you are focusing on Florida other than following media bias as the statistics don't show Florida in a much worse light than other states and there seems no correlation between red and blue states.

https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP%20and%20CHA%20-%20Children%20and%20COVID-1...

Child covid deaths remain at 0.03% of child cases and whilst every life is precious it is important to stop the surge in cases for the strain it puts on medical resources rather than a spike in child mortality which is unlikely.

Fox of course would make hay with the attack on Larry Elder and over dramatise it as they are just as bad as CNN.

I'm not going to say anything positive about Trump or their supporters but America is in deep trouble when one side fails to condemn a hate crime against someone just because they don't have the same political views.

I haven't slept a wink and tennis is much better than politics!

Emma Raducanu an 18 year old British girl came through qualifying to win the US Open and didn't drop a set in the whole tournament - 10 matches, 20 sets won, not even a single tie-break. Flabbergasted.
Fantastic for tennis that those two young ladies contested an enthralling final.

I thought of you when I was listening to the match, Paul, knowing you'd be cheering for Raducano. It's exciting to see young talent making it through and winning majors. I'm looking forward to the next few years seeing how their careers progress.

Hi Paul. I am not a follower of tennis and don't understand the scoring at all but it was fun to watch. You know that Raducanu is technically also a Canadian, having been born in Toronto. Still, both these young ladies are talented and should be around for a long time.

>81 bell7: It was a really good match, Mary and many of the games could have gone either way. Both of them have nerves of steel so I expect to see much more of them.

>82 jessibud2: Yes, Shelley, Canada can be doubly proud, really. Emma was born in Toronto to a Chinese-born mum and a Romanian-born father. The family relocated to the UK when she was two years old. She still has a Canadian passport in addition to her British one. Leyla Fernandez (born in Montreal to a Filipina-born mum and an Ecuadorian-born father - what cosmopolitan lives and how wonderful) more than played her part and made a lovely comment about New York in her post-defeat interview. Gracious girls both.

Another own goal for the Biden Administration on Afghanistan as the NY Times has revealed that the much vaunted revenge drone strike ordered after the death of many including 13 Americans due to an ISIS attack mistakenly targeted an Aid worker and took out him and his family in lieu of any terrorists.

On this 20th anniversary of the heinous World Trade Center attacks, it doesn't strike quite the intended message of closure.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/11/us-drone-strike-mistakenly-targe...

>71 PaulCranswick: Well, of course the poet's debut collection has no touchstone. You're the only actual person, as opposed to library, that's bought one of them. Even his mum got hers as a gift.

There's no need for closure...the "War on Terror" is too good for business to warrant closure. Excused the sudden and unchecked, by now uncheckable, rise of surveillance capitalism; bloated military budgets by factors of hundreds; excused the most *appalling* cruelties being visited on, well, whoever They've got a mind to abuse...this is livin' the dream for the scum that's risen to the "top." Closure! You sweet naïve child of gawd.

>85 richardderus: Well yep, RD, I was the only fellow to have it catalogued on LT but a slight surprise as he is getting a bit of coverage in the poetry magazines in the UK.

Second paragraph made me smile as usual. Sane, rational and scarily but necessarily cynical. See that they still don't want to upset China by asking too many questions about the pandemic they may well have started.

>86 PaulCranswick: ...there are poetry magazines...like, stapled mimeographed things? Or those online places that somehow manage to convey the sense of cobwebs and cat-pee-soaked "ambiance"?

>79 PaulCranswick: Florida keeps coming up in U.S. news & so I mention it because the governor is destroying the state - it is thus a major "focus" here.

When across the South, hospitals - as in Texas - are filling with kids with COVID, deaths will follow.

It's not about having "the same political views" - no compassionate Democrat wants to see this guy attacked,

but why care so much about a person whose political views are filled with hatred?

>84 PaulCranswick: George Bush opened the idea of any closure with his speech dealing with inbred violence.

>87 richardderus: Hahaha yes and most probably yes too!

>88 m.belljackson: Florida keeps coming up because the media there is quite aware that the Governor of that state is rising in the Republican party and a likely candidate in 2024. He is vocally against mandates so they are keen to show the wrong-headedness of his policies. The idea that hospitalisation in children is a uniquely red state phenomenon is a false narrative as can clearly be seen by the statistics (governmental agency statistics) that I posted in >79 PaulCranswick:. Nobody wants to see children in hospital and the way to keep them out of there is a difficult one.

I'm not convinced that mandates will work other than to polarise an already fraught situation. Persuade people. Research does appear mixed on the benefits of vaccination of children but without vaccinating such a significant proportion of the population I don't really see how the virus will ever be completely defeated. These are difficult issues and I cannot pretend to have all the answers:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/boys-more-at-risk-from-pfizer-jab-...

As to why should you care about a racial crime perpetrated on someone whose political belief's aren't my own? Being required to answer that rather demonstrates my point.

>89 m.belljackson: Again a deflection of my point that the Administration misdirected focus with bogus information about their drone strike. Killing innocents is not the way resolve the harm they have done by the manner in which they left Afghanistan.

This was the New York Times breaking the story and not Fox News.

Hi Paul!

>1 PaulCranswick: I love that image!

>80 PaulCranswick: I watched that match and it was spectacular. I was rooting for Emma and I'm excited about the prospect of watching these two young women face each other across the net many times in the coming years. What Emma accomplished is amazing and she is a delightful and talented new star.

"I reckon on collecting and reading all of Erdrich's work." Excellent plan!

>92 EBT1002: Lovely to see you, Ellen.

It was a special moment for British fans of tennis yesterday and Emma did it in some style. 20 and 0 in sets without a single one going to a tie-break even and the first winner ever to come through the qualifying.

Novak Djokovic failed in his attempt to be the first man to win a Calendar Slam in 52 years last night as he fell at the final hurdle to Medvedev. He is a strange phenomenon Djoko; eminently unlovable when compared to FedEx and Rafa but always shows great class in defeat. What a wonderful competitor he is.

Three troika of greats and, to a much lesser extent Murray (eleven finals) has meant that winning has skipped a generation of players. Hopefully Medvedev can herald a new age in a more competitive men's game.

Happy New Thread, Paul - Phew, I just made it under 100!
Congratulations for passing the 100.

>95 SirThomas: Safely inside 100, Thomas and always welcome.

>94 PaulCranswick: I was honestly flabbergasted by that match and the result, Paul. Djokovic can play amazingly but also seems to be good own worst enemy at times. I still think he'll win a few more majors and cement the "best ever" moniker by the time he retires. I do wonder if we'll see a bit of a rivalry form between him and Medvedev much like we saw with Federer/Nadal.

>94 PaulCranswick: And both individual wheelchair tennis players, Dylan Alcott, and the Dutch Diede de Groot, made a Golden Slam (Grand Slam + Olympics) with their win at the US Open!

>97 bell7: I will have to admit that I got 50% in my forecast of winners over the weekend, Mary. I didn't think that Emma would win but was overjoyed at her poise and nerve. I had an inkling that Djoko would lose to Medvedev as he seemed a little off his best during the fortnight. I have hopes that Thiem and Tsistpas and Zverev and Berretini and Auger-Alliassime will make it a competetive elite for a few years to come.

>98 FAMeulstee: Wheelchair events don't get enough coverage here, Anita, which is a shame.

The spire on our PNB118 project is coming along at last with the lockdown lifting:

>100 PaulCranswick: Wow!

>100 PaulCranswick: I love this photo

>101 amanda4242: We have some problems with designing the platforms such that we can safely lift up the spire in sections. I won't be going up there to check it out first hand - lucky that I can read building plans!

>102 BBGirl55: Thank you, Bryony. x

>101 amanda4242: I'm sure you are happy to see progress.

Holy Moly, I would not want to be the person in that crane...

Hi Paul!

>80 PaulCranswick: We didn’t watch any of the US Open this year for some reason, but I’m excited about Radacanu and look forward to watching her play.

>94 PaulCranswick: I was surprised that Djokovic lost in straight sets, but not unhappy about it. Federer’s been my male tennis hero for a very long time. I’ve never particularly cared for Djokovic’s or Nadal’s style, and now I think I’m going to have to be satisfied with watching tennis for itself alone, not for the pleasure of following Federer.

>100 PaulCranswick: Marvelous.

>104 thornton37814: Yes, Lori, but we are now expecting overall completion will be delayed to the end of next year!

>105 drneutron: Me neither, Jim. TC-02 (Tower Crane 2) was struck by lightning up there on 26 August and you can imagine what storms are like in the tropics and how they are magnified so up in the clouds.

>106 karenmarie: I must admit that it is a long time since I watched a ladies match from start to finish - every point - and it was great. They are both excellent players and real tigers but Emma was just a shade stronger. I hope that they will be at the top for a while. The tall Eastern European ladies who have been collective, though not individually dominant, are statuesque and impressive but difficult to pick one from the other personality wise and these two young ladies are a real breath of fresh air.

Of the three I always preferred FedEx too, Karen, but at 40 I don't think he'll win another major.

Amid all the terrible and miserable things that have happened over the last while there is suddenly news to bring joy!

ABBA are back with new songs and an upcoming album. Not quite as catchy as before but the signature sound and brilliant production is still there. How wonderful to see them back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAzEY1MfXrQ

Hi Paul - today's recall was preceded by a lovely article, "California governor recall..."
dated Monday, September 13th by Toure'. Hope you can find and enjoy it!
(It's up on YAHOO today, but there stuff moves quickly.)

ps. I found it with a Search = "California governor recall..." toure'

>110 m.belljackson: Thank you, Marianne - I'll go and take a peek!

The image of the crane in the clouds is most evocative and impressive. What a common experience, to look at a cloud, but what a wildly different cloudscape you are looking at!

>110 m.belljackson: That was an excellent article. Thanks for sharing

I can only hope that the CA Recall will go down to defeat. We did our part. And if not I hope its Angelyne, and not Elder. JK, if you don't know who she is, google her, but tread carefully, she's not always safe for work. There truly wasn't (IMHO) any serious candidate in the 40+ people who ran. I voted for a 20-something kid right out of community college with a political science degree. Didn't want to leave that part blank, even tho I voted No.

>112 richardderus: RD it is impressive up there I must say although I have of course not entered the cab of the Tower Crane up there. I have worked on a number of high-rise developments but this is 46 stories more than anything else I have done before.

>113 mahsdad: I have to say Jeff that I find the idea of a recall quite alien to my Brit sensibilities. I cannot see that there was anything so pressing that the electors couldn't decide on him when his term is up. From all accounts there is debate as to whether he has done a good job but there always will be whoever is Governor and isn't that the whole point of elections?

Not the way to remove someone from office IMHO irrespective of their current popularity or not.

>114 PaulCranswick: I suppose the recall process does sound odd, especially to a Brit, but it's been part of the laws of California for over a century: state law dictates how many signatures must be collected in what amount of time for a special election to be called. And despite recall petitions constantly being circulated, they very, very rarely gain enough signatures for a vote.

I know this is widely seen as a Republican ploy, but here in my neck of the woods I've heard people who would not vote Republican if their lives depended on it support the recall. Around here there is a great deal of frustration not only about pandemic mandates and the appearance of Newsom's supporters being exempt, but also about water restrictions that will harm agricultural*, the nation's highest fuel prices, taxes, the condition of the roads**, homelessness, the run of the mill cronyism, and the state being on fire again; when people see all that and then see the governor do things like attend a party at a Michelin-starred restaurant in violation of his own mandates, it makes them lose faith in their elected officials. I won't argue that Newsom is any worse than many previous incumbents or that any of his challengers can do better, but can you understand the frustrations that led to this?

*The major business here. When farming takes a hit, not only does the area suffer, but food prices around the world will increase.

**Despite the gas taxes that are supposed to fund repair, highways and major roads in this part of the state look like the surface of the Moon.

>115 amanda4242: While there is discontent, the recall was almost entirely a replulsican attempt to disrupt government by Democrats. The map of the results is pretty conclusive that the recall supporters are from more Republican territories. Any attempt to blame the fires, homelessnes, high fuel prices and water restrictions on the current administration are pretty lame. The non environmental issues are mostly due to conservative efforts to not fund improvements which also have a significant effect on the environmental ones as well.
Newsom is no prize, but the challenges he's faced are a bit steeper than most as well.

>116 quondame: I know California's problems are not his fault, but I would argue they are his responsibility. We live in very different parts of the state and I do not know what it is like to live where you do and how people there think; I can only report on what I see around me, and what I see are many people of all political ideologies who feel they are being poorly served and are frightened of what will become of them if we continue as we have been. It does not help that both sides are preying on fears to try to swing the vote in their favor.

I dream of a world where we can be governed by people who will bring their differences to the table in such a way that they can enrich the lives of everyone, where politicians will try to serve their constituents' needs instead of those of their financial contributors, where debates will lead to acceptable compromises instead of descend to name-calling, where we can honestly and proudly say we have a government that exists to support its people. I do not see hope for that dream in any of the candidates on the recall ballot, no matter if they have a D or R after their name.

Please forgive my ramblings: I'm thoroughly disgusted by everyone tonight and wish a (metaphorical) plague on all politicians.

>115 amanda4242: Good government seems to be missing worldwide and I don't think the hue of party involved in implementation makes too much difference.

As a socialist, I of course have problems with the Johnson government in the UK but my complaints are of administrative bungling rather than philosophy, similarly Democratic problems in Government seem just as manifold as Republican although I would argue that they come from a better place generally.

I don't know enough about the issues impacting Californians to speak with any surety on the same. My contributions being limited to the strangeness of the recall process (for me) and the monkey-masked egg thrower not being called out for a racist act by parts of the media because the target happened to be a conservative.

>116 quondame: Whilst generally I would of course concur, Susan, that the left attempts to do good socially through interventionist policies whereas the right believe that a laissez-faire approach will be more beneficial; I do think that to dismiss criticism of governance as mere politicking can be dangerous.

I certainly agree that threshold for the trigger of a recall needs to be sufficiently high to avoid the nuisance of tactics and I don't like the thought of its use to subvert the elective process. As I say I don't know enough about California to make a sensible comment on issues but the demarcation on responsibilities between states and federal does get blurred when responsibilities, blame and even credit get doled out.

I must admit that I found Rose McGowan's allegation that Newsom's wife tried to buy her off from whistle-blowing on Harvey Weinstein to be deeply, deeply disturbing and hope that there is some explainable misunderstanding there.

>117 amanda4242: Your second paragraph, Amanda, pretty much sums up my thoughts and frustrations too. Politicians of all ilks are failing us all terribly. Trump's main problem was the crassness of his behaviour and his obvious disdain for someone with a different point of view. I don't know whether he was a racist but he is undeniably a misogynist. He was un-Presidential and frankly his attack-dog approach to everything was deeply polarising.

I had high hopes for the healing message that helped Biden get to power. I had stated early concerns about his seemingly waning cognitive powers and I think these are becoming more apparent weekly. Those high hopes for his administration have - for me looking in from without - been disappointed - as he has not kept his word on so many issues and bungled the Afghanistan withdrawal so completely that he has done considerable damage to American prestige and its relations with its allies. Most of all though I disliked the clear lack of empathy shown to the families of the 13 American service personnel killed as a result of his "plan" by looking at his watch continuously as the coffins were being disembarked as if he had somewhere else better to be. On mandates which, you know, I am against (but I am very pro vaccine) and to your point about political contributions how on earth does Biden square mandating the jab but then exempt the postal workers whose union help fund him?

Where on earth are all the leaders? Trump is clearly and disastrously going to stand again and Harris has been a tremendously disappointing and disappearing VEEP. Biden may not complete this term never mind stand for another. Somebody needs to occupy the centre ground and fast before things get much worse.

Well, Paul, the Great Good News and the Bad:

The reigning Governor and Science win landslide victories over racists and anti-vax!

Yesterday's postcard " BADGER MARBLE SHOW 2021 IS CANCELLED."
Hey, here in Token Creek, that's right up there with Cricket and Football and Tennis.

>118 PaulCranswick: Paul, I should keep my mouth closed, but I would venture a guess that if the monkey mask incident is properly investigated we would find that it was a ploy by someone in Elder's campaign.

>120 m.belljackson:

I didn't agree with the recall process, Marianne, but it does seem that Newsom is an arrogant asshole who sends his kids to private school whilst the rest of the state is doing on-line schooling and who flaunts his own rules on mandates knocking back champagne with his pals.

I don't know what racist he was beating and certainly not the monkey-mask egg throwing kind. I saw a BBC fact checker that revealed that every single one of the candidates on the recall ballot had been vaccinated and not a single one was anti-vax.

Newsom is no man of the people but I am still glad that the recall process failed.

Now your second message is of far more import! How could they cancel such a vitally important show? xx

>121 RBeffa: I doubt it, Ron, but then again nothing would really surprise me nowadays as all the politicians and would be politicians are just different shades of bad.

I think anyone who really thinks the US is a "classless society" needs to look at education at all levels there - if anything it's more divided than in the UK, although there are common themes in both (unfortunately).

>124 elkiedee: Would agree entirely, Luci.

I did enjoy seeing that Raab got a (sort of) demotion today being removed as Foreign Secretary. He should have been sacked for his behaviour during the Afghan withdrawal.

>113 mahsdad: >122 PaulCranswick: Paul - just read the Toure' article for the full scope on racism and the anti-vac.

Mahsdad - I'd never heard of Toure' until this article. He's got a pretty impressive resume!

(Excluding his Bill Clinton escapades...)

>126 m.belljackson: I read the article and Toure is entitled to his opinion in what was an op-ed. I don't agree with Elder's politics to seek to end the minimum wage is just plain wrong but the couching of every issue in terms of race is pernicious and deeply divisive to a society that needs to heal and in my opinion people like Toure do more harm than good. To state that Elder is the black face of white supremacy is a good propaganda soundbite but it defames him. He is the son of a janitor who made good.

Call out his policies sure and I couldn't vote for him, but to term people racist because they don't agree with you is not right. Period.

I hadn't heard of him earlier either but I like to make up my own mind about issues and not have them made up for me other than via a dissemination of facts and there are no facts disseminated in the article.

I'm not sure that the lady accusing him of sexual harrassment would quite agree that his resume is so impressive.

>127 PaulCranswick: Agree with you about harassment;
agree with Toure' on calling out Elder who most recently claimed (BEFORE the election)
that the election was rigged and had his advisors verbally attack Newsom's wife to help him win.

>128 m.belljackson: Yes, Marianne, the recall vote was clearly not rigged. I also found the raising by Rose McGowan of Newsom's wife's alleged involvement covering for Weinstein a little too pat. No idea whether there is any fire with that particular smoke but the timing was suspicious.

Happy newish thread! And I was rooting for Emma as well. May she keep the joy alive. It was nice to see the next generation coming along with an icon like Virginia Wade there as part of the history.

Hope all is well.

>130 witchyrichy: Lovely to see you, Karen. Emma's progress over a few months is amazing and, I may be wholly wrong, but somehow I don't see her disappearing as a one-hit-wonder.

It has been a Public holiday here today celebrating Malaysia Day (When Malaya joined with Sabah and Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia, although Singapore was subsequently given the order of a very nervous boot two years later).

BOOK # 103



The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf
Date Published : 1992
Origin of Author : Lebanon
Pages : 192 pp

Challenges :
Around the World Challenge : 42nd Country
52 Book Club Challenge : 38/52

Loved the premise for this book, but its execution was deeply flawed and ultimately unsatisfying.

Beans derived somehow from the scarab beetle (not really explained) result in a huge increase in virility and a side effect in users that results in overwhelming numbers of male children being born. Maalouf equates "the South" with a preponderance of parents wanting boys instead of boys so that over consumption there leads to over-use and eventually disaster as, well, we need women too ya see. The more privileged and civilised "North" didn't much bother with the beans and were only impacted economically as a result of supply chain issues from the South.

I had a few issues with the novel. Firstly there didn't seem any link at all between the birth of the daughter Beatrice and the point of the story. Secondly, I found the idea that an increase in virility would produce boys not girls seems extremely false biology. As far as I am aware libido and virility have nothing to do with the resulting sex of a begotten child which is a chance encounter between sperm and egg. The book came off as a bit whiny, pointless and misogynistic.

That said, the fellow can write beautifully even when propounding silly ideas.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335306

Thank you Silver. I plan to look at the Booker shortlist this weekend and read half of it.

>134 PaulCranswick: I've read two of the Booker shortlisted titles, The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed, and The Promise by Damon Galgut, which were both superb; I gave each book 4½ stars. I'm a quarter of the way through A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam, and so far it's also excellent.

>135 kidzdoc: I will update my Friday lunchtime shopping shortly, Darryl, but the Nadifah Mohamed and Anuk Arudpragasam were both available in the shops here (in hardback form but reasonably inexpensive with my 20% store discount) I paid about $17 each for them which, I think, is ok.

I also have the Lockwood already on the shelves.

Galgut and Powers' books are not available here yet and the Maggie Shipstead book is only in the over-sized paperback form I studiously avoid as it buggers up my shelving!

Today's book trawl:

241. Afternoons with the Blinds Drawn by Brett Anderson
242. A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
243. A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
244. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
245. The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
246. The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

Two of the Booker shortlist. One by Australia's premier literary writer of historical fiction, one by a highly talented young British author, the continuing memoirs of Suede's lead singer and a novel I have seen lauded in the group.

>138 PaulCranswick: all of your new acquisitions have beautiful covers!

>138 PaulCranswick: Pretty! Evie Wyld got on my bad side after I got fed up withthat still, small thing where the "men" are louts.nThe others sound interesting.

>132 PaulCranswick: ...and there's the other side of the silliness! Good lord, a man's "virility" affecting the sex of his offspring?! Horny men produce daughters by the bucket...look at my father, I'm his sole male issue (that I'm aware of).

Noting for private smirkage the other and Manifestly Unaddressed Issue with a too-many-boys world: Lots of homosexual sex will be had. Lots. Funny how that fails to, um, enter the conversation.

>139 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita. It is a consideration in picking out the book!

>140 richardderus: I saw a criticism of Wyld's book for it being anti-men. Hmm.

You are right, the homosexual sex angle wasn't covered at all.

Nice book haul. Have you had a good reading weekend?

>143 avatiakh: Not really in truth, Kerry. I was very lethargic this weekend after a single malt session with my American clients on the PNB118 project. Gave me a good sleep but not too many pages turned.

I also have the problem that I have just got too many books started. It normally induces a reading paralysis in me which I struggle to overcome. Hopefully, after a restful Sunday, I will be able to read more in the coming week.

Sorry that I have been unduly quiet over here these few days.

I have the following books ongoing:

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
Whiteout by Ragnar Jonasson
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
Bitter Lemons by Lawrence Durrell

All of them are fine and the Nadifa Mohamed in particular is impressing me but I cannot seem to concentrate sufficiently one over the others to start to bring the books to conclusions.

My target is to knock one of them off per day over the next week before I start anything new, although I am also dying to open A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam too!

There will be more revelations today as Sky News Australia will be broadcasting more on the source of the COVID pandemic and the intricate funding relationship between Anthony Fauci and the Chinese (including the Chinese Military/Communist Party) which was certainly dangerous if not the actual cause of the pandemic.

How Fauci continues in his job beggars belief.

Three other issues which have caused some grief to the Biden administration this week (other than Afghanistan) are:

1. The scuppering of the French submarine deal with Australia and its replacement with a tripartite deal between the US/Australia and the UK. I really don't see what Biden is getting criticised for here - clearly good for American interests, trade and jobs. Of course France is unhappy but isn't that the possible outcome of free trade?

2. The revelations about General Milley. Of course the military has to safeguard that the result of the electoral process is respected and to take reasonable precautions to ensure that the departing incumbent does so without endangering the nation is sensible. Less comfortable with the Woodward reporting that Milley told the Chinese he would "tip them off" if any attack was planned against them as that is sailing close to treason and seems to be in keeping with his mistaken view that China is an ally and not a potential or real threat.

3 Bit concerned that with the US/Mexico border seemingly non-existent that the Biden administration favoured the enforcement of no-fly zones for drones to stop reporting on the issue rather than tackling the issue. I just don't see why illegal immigration is seemingly encouraged unless it is to try to turn red states blue. There will be a humanitarian disaster in Texas unless something is done to fortify or enforce the borders - children being dumped in fields with notes tied to them makes poor viewing as does the fact that people are obviously coming across with no COVID vetting when it is increasingly mandated for Americans. Britain has the advantage of being an island but we would not let anybody into our country without at the very least ensuring that they were negative tested and quarantined.
I'm not anti-immigration and note that a diverse society often adds to a nation's vibrancy and well-being but that immigration should be controlled and legal. Sovereign nations are meant to support and abide by the rule of law and ignoring it on a single issue undermines the integrity of the law in general terms.

Oh and speaking about drones I note that the White House has been quiet about the drone attack which they had originally trumpeted as taking out an evil ISIS K operative and his bombs on the way to wreak death and destruction on the Airport in Kabul.

The military have acknowledged the veracity of the New York Times report that it actually killed ten people - an aid worker and seven children included. Would they have told us that they were lying if the NY Times had not called them out on it? Shameful. So much for the vaunted "over the horizon" capability which most military experts seem to find implausible.

Really nobody gets fired for the debacle in Afghanistan?

Some bad news from the UK overnight. My mum slipped into a coma and it looks like the long procession of illnesses is going to finally be too much for her.

Please help to pray that her passing will be peaceful and as sweet as possible. I am a little devastated that I cannot be there. I checked with the authorities here and it is estimated that it takes about 2 weeks to obtain approval to travel back to the UK where I would need to quarantine at home for a further period. Then there is no guarantee under present circumstances that return to Malaysia is certain to be approved - it took a colleague in similar circumstances to me three attempts to obtain approval for re-entry.

I am so sorry for the bad news, Paul.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

>148 PaulCranswick: So sorry to hear this about your Mum, Paul.

>148 PaulCranswick: I'm sorry to hear this, Paul. It must be so difficult to be at a distance. We have all been taking travel so much for granted until these Covid times.

>149 SirThomas: Thank you dear Thomas.

>150 SandDune: Thanks Rhian. I know that you are having issues with your mum too. I sort of got a little blase thinking she was indestructible as she kept getting up again every time she got knocked down but this time it looks and feels a little different.

>151 CDVicarage: Thank you, Kerry. How our lives have changed over the last year and a half. When will we all be even a little bit back to normal?

From a number of years ago - my three terrors with their Grandma.

>148 PaulCranswick: Keeping your mum, you and the family in my thoughts Paul. A sad time.

>155 Caroline_McElwee: Gorgeous family pic - sorry to hear about your mum.

My thoughts are with your mum, you and your family, Paul xx

Adding my virtual hugs and holding you close, Paul.

Sorry to read about your mother, Paul, so hard to be so far away.
Sending comforthing thoughts for you and yours.

>155 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you dear Caroline. My brother told me that she seemed to be comfortable.

>156 elkiedee: Bad hair day for my two eldest, Luci, but I love the image of my mum between her two granddaughters and the joy on Belle's face.

>157 DianaNL: Thanks Diana. I didn't hear from you for a while - I do hope that things in your world are under control at the moment.

>158 jessibud2: Thank you Shelley. It is amazing how the caring and warmth of my friends here helps me so much. xx

>159 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita - the distance and obstacles are hurtful and cruel at moments like this.

Sorry to hear this news about your Mum especially with all the travel restrictions we are all facing. So many sad stories like your own of families unable to be together at these times.

Sorry to hear about your Mum, Paul. You are in our thoughts. Keep us updated.

You are in my thoughts, Paul. I am certain it is difficult for you to remain where you are. It's sad you all cannot be together.

I'm sorry about your mom, Paul. I'll keep your family in my thoughts.

I’m definitely praying for your mom and your family. So sorry you’re not able to be with her.

I am sorry to hear about your mother and the fact that this terrible pandemic prevents you from traveling to the UK.

>148 PaulCranswick: I am praying hard and sending all the love and peace I can to you and your family.

>163 avatiakh: I do so much wish I was elsewhere just now, Kerry.

>164 msf59: Thank you, Mark. I will do.

>165 thornton37814: Thanks Lori. The kind and loving wishes of my friends in the group mean so much to me. xx

>166 scaifea: Thank you, dear Amber.

>167 drneutron: Thanks Jim. Who knows how powerful are the positive wishes winging their way to West Yorkshire?

>168 torontoc: The travel restrictions are pretty ridiculous, Cyrel and particularly cruel at times like this, but I was fully aware that this could happen.

>169 witchyrichy: Thank you so much, Karen. xx

>148 PaulCranswick: Thoughts and hopes and love all with you and the family.

>174 BekkaJo: Thanks to my favourite Channel Islander. xx

Paul - been praying for Peace and Healing for your Mum every morning...

>176 m.belljackson: Thank you my dear friend.

>148 PaulCranswick: I’m so sorry to hear about your mum, Paul. Prayers for a peaceful and sweet passing.

And how crazy making for you that you can’t be there. I’m sorry for that on top of your mum’s situation.

>148 PaulCranswick: My thoughts are with you and yours, my friend.

It's shocking that travel is still nigh impossible for someone who has been fully vaccinated.

I'm sorry to hear about your mum, Paul, and especially that you can't travel to see her. Thinking of you and your family.

>148 PaulCranswick: I'm so sorry to hear about your mum and hope all the best for you and her and the rest of your family.

I’m sorry to hear about your mom. Hang in there. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. Perhaps a way will present to you to be near her

>178 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen. My brother video called me last night and she has amazingly regained consciousness again although she looks terribly frail. I managed to tell her that I loved her and am so grateful to be able to.

>179 amanda4242: Thanks Amanda. Most concerning is Malaysia's seemingly arbitrary view on right of return. I have friends with the same "spouse visa" qualification as me who have been refused re-entry three times already. Just as I have turned around my finances I cannot afford just yet to lose my job.

>180 bell7: Thanks Mary. I am sure that the prayers of friends do have a wonderfully therapeutic effect.

>181 quondame: Thank you Susan. My brother has always been seen as a tough guy but I know that he is emotionally fragile and it is clear by the number of times he has called me in the last 48 hours that he needs his twin brother too right now.

>182 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita. The best we can hope is that Hani/Kyran can be close to her - Kyran already has approval to travel to take up his studies and it is relatively easy for Hani to go and no block on her return.

>148 PaulCranswick: It is a sad, sad thing to face from so far away. I'm grieved for you and so sad with you in this rough passage.

>186 richardderus: Thanks for your togetherness in this RD.

Sharri Markson of the Australian has done fantastic investigative work to show on the balance of probability that the COVID-19 emanated from the Wuhan Institute in China.

Shame on China and on those who have and who continue to abet them to cover this up. Even today I am struggling to find the full Australian broadcast on line. This is all I could find at the moment but it does dissect it. Fauci should be stood down immediately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzFq1rgz-D8

My prayers go out to your mother, you, and your family, Paul. I'm relieved that she regained consciousness and that you were able to tell her that you loved her. I'm sure that hearing from her beloved son was a great comfort to her.

>190 PaulCranswick: I hope so, Darryl. I was a little groggy as the call came in to me at 2.13 am and I initially feared the worst to be honest. It was wonderful to hear her because I never thought I would again.

I'm glad to hear you were able to speak to her, that at least gives some measure of peace no matter what happens from here. Sorry that you can't get back there.

>191 ursula: Thanks Ursula. I am having some trouble concentrating today.

I'm glad you were able to speak to her. It helps a little with the closure although I know you will miss her the remainder of your life as I miss my own mom.

>193 thornton37814: It was more than I wished for, Lori, and she really does astonish me sometimes with her combative nature.

So sorry about your mom, and the travel restrictions.

So sorry to hear about your Mum Paul, we cannot imagine what you must be going through at the present time with all the restrictions on you being able to travel home. Despite the Covid pandemic i would have thought that they would show some compassion, it is not as if you have only been resident in Malaysia for a year or two, it seems so very cruel.

You, Hani, the kids, your family and especially your Mum are in our thoughts and prayers at this traumatic time for you all. Stay strong mate.

>195 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda. No news is good news overnight.

>196 johnsimpson: Thanks John (and Karen). Malaysia is a strange place sometimes - when it suited them I was sent to Sao Tome as a representative of their government to obtain projects there, but in the wake of a pandemic they cannot control I am just another foreigner they would rather wasn't here.

>197 PaulCranswick: just another foreigner they would rather wasn't here.

Considering your impact on their economy....

>198 richardderus: I know RD; the ungratefulness of xenophobia!

In example I note that not being an especially (organised) religious person the following doesn't impact me so but in relation to social distancing and the call to Muslim prayer - mosque numbers would be limited and managed on a first come first served basis with the only proviso being that non-Malays are prohibited from attendance at this time. Imagine that in the West!

>199 PaulCranswick: That sounds very harsh if it applies to Muslims who would like to worship. My kids' childminders when they were young were a Somali family - mum, daughters and niece - and they have family in Malaysia.

>200 elkiedee: I actually spoke to a friend of mine in the religious affairs department and he confirmed that this is the practice to give preference to Malaysians over foreigners in the sphere of making places of worship available.

>201 PaulCranswick: Organized religions may give comfort to the sick, needy, and dying,
but they still leave a whole wide world lost in the realm of compassion and tolerance.

My ox not being gored doesn't mean I can't fume at the clear, evident violation of the religion's tenets.

My heart goes out to you and your family, Paul. So many obstacles piled on top of anxiety and grief. I wish you strength and solace in all this trouble.

>202 m.belljackson: I am deeply skeptical of organised religions and the harm they have collectively done to the world in their respective names. I don't decry anyone's personal belief systems and individuals have used these to garner so much good but organised religion has lead to the feuds between protestant and catholic, sunni and shia, the persecution of the Jews and islamic terrorism / islamaphobia to name but a few.

>203 richardderus: Well the Malays do have quite a strange conception of religious practice and their own place within it.

>204 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you for those kind words, Linda. I am waiting for an update overnight from my brother who was at the hospice a short time ago.

>206 PaulCranswick: I hope you did get an update from your brother, Paul.

I'm not at all religious , but I do think that some religious organisations in my community have, for example, offered valuable help beyond their own congregations/communities. For example, a local church (Anglican, I think) is hosting a food bank, and during shielding the mosque just down the road from that church was delivering what sounded like quite a nice continental breakfast to nearby shielding households. I live in an area where it's quite important that food parcels take into account to the needs of the people needing help, while some food banks have a reputation for giving out one size fits all stuff. The government was also sending out totally unsuitable food parcels to be distributed by councils, prepared by private companies favoured by our government, which councillors involved just realised weren't fit for purpose - very insensitive to shielding people entitled to these parcels who are Muslim, Jewish or veggie to send them tinned spam, and that was just the worst example of food that people were saying "We can't/won't use this").

>207 FAMeulstee: The update was quite ok, Anita, no change. x

>208 elkiedee: Luci, I would never try to maintain that some groups and organisations have not done a tremendous amount of good, certainly at a more micro level. My point was a wider one on the evil that has been perpetrated in the name of religion and the basic intolerance of most of them to each other.

Some of the mosques here do a tremendous service feeding the needy via individual donations. On food, sometimes it is an educational issue rather than borne of malice that people get sent food that is proscribed to them.

My church has a food pantry. We also offer "God's warehouse" which offers furniture, clothes, etc. to those in need. (The clothing distributed is new because they don't accept used.) We also started the only free medical/dental clinic in town. (Other churches in our area now partner with us on that so that we can offer a wider variety of services.) A businessman in our church began the "soup kitchen" in town, and our church members give a lot of free time to it (and our church supports it). We also have a disaster relief team. We have people in Louisiana assisting with hurricane recovery and in some areas closer to home which flooded.

>210 thornton37814: That is wonderful Lori and good for you all - a perfect example of the micro level goodness that I referred to above.

>209 PaulCranswick: >208 elkiedee:

Even an Atheist would not eat tinned Spam. Dear gods.

>212 m.belljackson:: Indeed! I do eat various pork products but I don't like spam, however, I think there's a difference between being a fussy eater, and I'm lucky enough not to face a choice between eating food I dislike, and it being sent out like this. And Paul, the companies given a contract to send out these packages, and the government, have no excuse for this ignorance.

>115 amanda4242: I also live in California, and my first reaction when I heard of the recall, was very anti-Newsom, basically because of covid. It appeared to me that decisions were being made from on high with no explanation reaching those affected, by a person without a medical background, overruling e.g. county health officers - such as my local one, who clearly knows her stuff, and has the courage to stand alone when she believes the politicians are doing the wrong thing, health wise. They also kept changing, for AFAICT no non-political reasons, which rather presses my buttons.

I'd gotten as regularly far as making cracks, to medical people, about "Dr. Newsom's expert decisions" before I became aware of the recall vote.

The moment I clicked on the link for the recall campaign, I was disgusted by the people sponsoring it, and decided that Newsom had to be better than anything or anyone they wanted. I forget the specifics, but I think it was all about "freedom" - the kind of freedom to swing your fist that does NOT stop at your neighbour's nose. The page doubtless also had various other routine Republican shibboleths; my conclusion was something like "I don't trust these people not to run over stray cats when driving, let alone either tell the truth or have my best interests in mind; whatever they favour probably has really nasty unmentioned side effects".

>119 PaulCranswick: This! Politicians of all ilks are failing us terribly.

As for American prestige - did the country have any left to lose, after Trump? And Trump merely followed in the footsteps of many predecessors, except more crassly. The USA can be relied upon to tear up treaties whenever it pleases, ride rough shod over supposed allies, kill random innocents - not to mention even their own citizens without any due process, and intermittently enforce its own ideas of "morality" on foreign nations.

Add to this their "rugged individualism", aka "devil take the hindmost" at the expense of most of their own citizens, which they regard as prideworthy rather than unfortunate and embarassing.

Of course I'm Canadian, and heartily sick of my country being bullied by the country next door. Even though I'm an expat living in the bullying country ;-) But that doesn't make me respect them.

>148 PaulCranswick: So sorry to hear this. Especially sorry that you cannot be there with her. Wishing you strength, and for her a peaceful passing.

>183 PaulCranswick: I'm glad to hear she regained consciousness and you were able to tell her you loved her once again.

Also glad to not have seen news of her passing, as I caught up on this thread.

>212 m.belljackson: Hahaha Marianne - nicely put.

>213 elkiedee: If it is done by Government or government linked companies then obviously there would be no excuse, Luci. As some may know I don't eat pork although I wouldn't have any issue eating at the same table with someone who had ordered it.

>214 ArlieS: I don't know much of the specifics about the job that Newsom is doing - good or bad, Arlie - but I did find the whole recall process strange and couldn't see why anyone dissatisfied with him couldn't exercise their right in a regular election. I certainly agree that the approach to dealing with COVID has become incredibly politicised.

>215 ArlieS: I think what has upset me the most has been the fact that I am tremendously pro-American and on balance the USA has done far more good than bad in the world. Biden came to power whilst promising from his basement to be a unifier after the polarising Trump years but he seems to be making a very poor fist of things.

I was disgusted by the White House press team drowning out journalists trying to ask questions of him and Boris Johnson (not that I much want to hear what Johnson has to say). Why are they so afraid of Biden being asked to answer any questions?

>216 ArlieS: Thank you xx

My brother spent a couple of hours with her yesterday and she was quite comfortable and lucid. I have incredible admiration for my mum who has turned out to be a real tough cookie despite being written off countless times.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/335478

>220 SilverWolf28: Thank you, Silver.

I do aim to unblock my reading blockage this weekend.

For some reason I am wading through treacle - enjoying certain books but not being able to concentrate on them through to conclusion just yet.

I may throw in a bit of poetry to have my reading juices flow a bit and maybe a play to listen to too. I have something like a dozen things on the go at the moment which is simply crazy.

>200 elkiedee: I am determined to join a readathon but my weekends have been packed with meetings and this weekend even includes travel! I am SO ready to hunker down with pots of coffee and a stack of books!

Sending love Paul to you and your family. I am glad you were able to speak with your mother.

>222 PaulCranswick: I'm suffering from the same - I'm plodding through a couple of book I should be enjoying and can't seem to focus when I sit down to read. Ah, well, it'll pass soon.

>222 PaulCranswick: I may throw in a bit of poetry to have my reading juices flow a bit and maybe a play to listen to too.

Jesus god, PC! I know you're sad you can't go visit Mum and frustrated about the COVID-related holes in the finances, but punishing yourself...and so severely! *tsk*

>223 witchyrichy: Nice to see you Karen. Travel is a word I am enjoying hearing from my friends more and more. x

>224 drneutron: I hope we will both have a good reading weekend, Jim.

>225 richardderus: Hahaha trust you, RD!

>225 richardderus: There is some poetry that isn't torturous. I seem to recall you even said something nice about a poem once...

https://www.librarything.com/work/3665195/reviews/148574550

>228 amanda4242: Nice timely reminder, Amanda. I was, of course, the one administering the dare to my dear friend and poetical skeptic.

BTW Isn't that a great review?

>229 PaulCranswick: It is an excellent review, and of one of my favorite poems, too!

And since we're talking about poetry, the October BAC thread is up.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/335499

That, I shall have you both to know, was An Aberration. That event was a one-off! Utterly unprecedented! *sweats*

>230 amanda4242: I do like Simon Armitage very much, Amanda and he hails from my neck of the woods in West Yorkshire. He is now the Poet Laureate but rarely produces the sugar-sweet rhyming couplets that so aggravate RD.

>231 amanda4242: It may be one of Armitage's works that I read, Amanda, or even some Tennyson whom I am sure RD would not like at all.

>232 richardderus: Don't tempt me to send you something else in the way of bound reading matter to aid in the changing of your mind again, dear fellow.

>232 richardderus: A one-off? Please explain

https://www.librarything.com/work/8508092/reviews/58629113
https://www.librarything.com/work/25918/reviews/110544661
https://www.librarything.com/work/343627/reviews/173505161

>233 PaulCranswick: I look forward to seeing your selection.

Sorry to hear about your mum, Paul, but that is great news that she rallied and you were able to speak to her. I'm sure hearing your voice helped her tremendously.

>234 PaulCranswick: NO!!! Nonononono! I am already *drowning* in paper books that I suffer from reading!! No more!!

>235 amanda4242: ...I...I...was weak...

>238 richardderus: A fib followed by an admission of weakness when caught...have you ever considered a career in politics? ;)

>235 amanda4242: I'd say my pal has been busted!

>236 amanda4242: I will have a look through my poetry shelves this weekend and try and decide on something.

>237 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg. It did help me a lot. I was caught a little cold as the call came in during the early hours but nonetheless it put a spring in my step the following day.

>238 richardderus:

I always believed Richard didn't do verse
Twas something unnecessary to converse
His word I had trusted
But then he got busted
But still that is better not worse.

>239 amanda4242: Hahaha

Still there ain't much poetry at that Southern border!

Friday additions

247. E.E.G. by Dasa Drndic
248. English Monsters by James Scudamore
249. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
250. The Matter of Desire by Edmundo Paz Soldan

Drndic is a writer who many felt would win the Nobel prize but for her untimely passing. Scudamore is a writer whose previous novel Heliopolis I enjoyed and Walker has written this follow up novel to The Age of Miracles. The Soldan was delivered by Book Depo for my Around the World Challenge (Bolivia) and also because I really liked his Norte which I read a couple of years ago.

>188 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, I can't believe how far behind I've gotten on threads. I have scanned yours to catch up on your book additions and life in general. I'm very sorry to hear about your mom.

But I was very surprised to read the harsh words about Dr. Fauci, presumably because he is accused of funding the work at Wuhan. When Fauci was the head of NIH, a grant was awarded to EcoHealth Alliance for about $600,00 dollars. They were collecting samples of the diversity of viruses in China and that included data from Wuhan. This is not an unusual grant. The NIH funds research by American scientists all over the world. The NIH did not fund any of the experiments being done at Wuhan.

I found the research described in the video very interesting; I think most people believe the virus came from Wuhan. I did wonder where the video was filmed and looked at SkyNews Australia. It is owned by the Murdoch family, the owners of Fox News here in the US, and it is extremely right leaning. Articles there report that Biden is so unpopular here that Americans now prefer Trump, Biden was led away in a confused mental state, etc.

I'm sorry to take up so much space on your thread, Paul, but I felt I needed to respond.

>245 Oregonreader: Lovely to see you here, Jan.

I certainly don't believe everything I see on Sky Australia or Forbes or CNN or MNBC for that matter but I do think that it is extremely irresponsible to fund research in China which is effectively, once sent, under the control of the Chinese government (army and communist party). I don't believe for one moment that Fauci had any collusion in causing the pandemic but there clearly is an effort to stop the truth from coming out and very little pressure on China to come clean. If you look at their reported statistics on COVID-19 we are expected to believe that with their density of population and given that undoubtedly the virus started in Wuhan, that they are not even in the top 100 countries in terms of COVID cases or deaths. In the unlikely event that their figures were even half way true it would be quite conclusive that they had prior warning of it. I don't think anybody is in any position to say what the American funding was actually used for until the Chinese tell us.

The best thing about Mr. Biden is obviously that he is NOT Donald Chump. That said, the handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan was terribly bungled and the disregard of allies almost unforgivable. Add to that the drone strike taking out aid workers and children plus the number of Americans still left behind in Kabul, the third quarter of 2021 was not a signal triumph for the West, for the US in particular and especially for the 46th President. As to him being less popular than the 45th President - well I really do hope that that is fake news.

BOOK # 104



Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Date of Publication : 1967
Origin of Author : UK
Pages : 118 pp

Challenges :
Queen Betty Challenge : 37/52
BAC : 49

Pinter and Stoppard. Pinter won the Nobel but Stoppard's plays are at once more inventive and engaging and his wordplay the more literate.

These minor characters from Hamlet dazzle with their tragic buffoonery as they stumble across the scenes of the famous play with indignant incomprehension.

Stoppard considers the vagaries of chance and the minor player's inability to impact upon events (i.e the masses). He creates a play within a play within a play full of wit and wizardry.

Couple of my favourite lines both from Act Two:

"We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except for the memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered." (pp 52)

"We ransomed our dignity to the clouds, and the uncomprehending birds listened - Don't you see?! we're actors - we're the opposite of people!" (pp 55)

Oh boy, I wish I had written those lines!

At least I have broken my duck. Hoping to finish another five this weekend.....let's see.

>247 PaulCranswick: This is one of my very favorite plays - I'm happy you enjoyed it!

>249 scaifea: I saw it ages ago (when I was at school), Amber, but I really did enjoy reading along to the accompaniment of the BBC radio play.

My mum passed away this lunchtime in the nursing home - they called my brother and told him that she passed peacefully but so sadly alone.

My mum's long and brave fight is over and I am stuck half a world away.

>251 PaulCranswick: My deepest condolences, Paul. Your mother fought so long and so well. I could not be with my mother when she passed away last year, and whether it's half a world or 50 miles, the pain of the loss is certainly compounded. I hope you can find some consolation in knowing she heard you speak to her with love so near the end.

{{Paul}}. I agree with Linda. Know that hearing your voice probably brought her the peace she needed at exactly the time she needed it.

My heart goes out to you, Paul. and to your family.

>244 PaulCranswick: I have Trieste on my Kindle and a paper copy of Leica Format hanging about. Neither one has ever been breached, oddly enough...one day soon?

>238 richardderus: Verse. About me.

...the lèse-majesté...
***
Finally, this stupid meme made me smile.

>251 PaulCranswick: I'm so sorry, Paul. {{hugs}}

>251 PaulCranswick: It was a long, hard fight, she never once backed down, and her journey home will be safe.

So very sad with you.

>252 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, of course Linda, the number of miles make no difference if you can't be there. Thank you for the kind words my friend.

>253 jessibud2: I did bring me some consolation, Shelley, and I hope and trust it made my mum happy. Thank you for so quickly sending your good wishes. x

>254 richardderus: Limericks are barely verses, RD, but it was indeed for you.

Books are surely our consolation and I cannot conceive of saying "No Mas"

>255 amanda4242: Thank you, dear Amanda.

>256 richardderus: Thank you, RD. This group and its constituent parts does certainly provide succour in times of great stress and sorrow.

>251 PaulCranswick: I'm so sorry, Paul. The effects of Covid are so far reaching, with the illness itself being almost a minor part.

>260 CDVicarage: You are right, Kerry. We try to do everything possible and responsible and still don't get cut a break. Fully immunised, testing every two weeks, masked up everywhere in public but need approval to leave and approval withheld to automatically return.

Thank you for the condolences. xx

>251 PaulCranswick: So sorry, Paul, my condolences.
Your mother went on for so long, it is sad to know her earthly journey finally came to an end.

(((((hugs)))))

I'm so sorry, Paul, my condolences to you and yours. Big hugs.

>262 FAMeulstee: Thank you for those kind words, Anita. I hope that I manage to comport myself with the same degree of valour and dignity that she managed. She was a good mum and a loving grandmother.

>263 DianaNL: Thanks dear Diana. It is remarkable how you are always on hand when your warmth and support is needed xxx

I'm going to miss my mum every day

>251 PaulCranswick: I am so sorry to hear about your mother, Paul. My condolences to you and your family.

>251 PaulCranswick: Adding my condolences. So sorry you are so far away. We were barely a channel of water away when my Dad lost his Mum, and we missed the funeral due to fog cancelling all flights off island. It is so hard not to be with the people who knew your loved one after they pass. We ended up taking a walk as a family during the time of the funeral and talking about her, remembering her. Wishing you any semblance of peace. XXX

I am so sorry for your loss

>266 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian. It is 2:11 am here and understandably I am unable to sleep.

>267 BekkaJo: Thanks Bekka. That a body of water separates us at this time or when you lost your Gran is hurtful irrespective of just how big that body of water is.

>268 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita.

Adding my deepest condolences, Paul. Your Mum sounded like a special lady. Sorry, you are stuck a world away.

So sorry Paul. Thinking of you, your mum and all who loved and were loved by her.

>271 msf59: Thank you, Mark. My friends warm wishes mean a lot to me at this time, mate.

>272 elkiedee: Nicely put, Luci, thank you. xx

I'm so sorry, Paul. I'll be keeping you and your family in my thoughts.

>265 PaulCranswick: Yes, you will miss your mum everyday. She's a part of who you are and "knowing you from a distance" tells me what kind of woman she was, family oriented, for sure.
I am so sorry for your loss and my thoughts are with you and your family. Hugs my friend.

I'm so sorry about your Mom, Paul. The distance makes it all so much harder. Sending my condolences to you and your entire family and hope your good memories help see you through the coming days.

My Mom passed 11 years ago and I still miss her every day.

>275 scaifea: Thank you, Amber. I hope that I can bury myself in books tomorrow but I fear concentration is not going to be easy. x

>276 Carmenere: Thank you so much, Lynda. Your kind words really touched me. xx

>277 Copperskye: Thank you, Joanne. Leeds United were playing when I realised that there were six missed calls from my brother. He would be at the game so I knew what he would tell me as I dialled. I was holding my Grandmother's hand when she passed in the same place as mum did. I wish that I had been able to do the same for my mum. Life can be cruel sometimes.

You are right that the memories will always be company and comfort. Hani just came from the room to try to coax me to sleep and we both had a little sob. She had sprayed some of mum's perfume (Coco by Chanel, I think) and she told me that when mum was struggling last year she made Hani promise to spray her perfume every year at the place she intends her ashes to be spread.

I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your dear Mom. I'm also sorry you are so far away. That doubles the misery.

>280 brenzi: Thank you, Bonnie. I cannot be there of course but I don't feel too much like I am in the present here either.

I’m so sorry your mom has passed. We’ll be praying for and your family. Having just gone through it ourselves, I know that the next while will be hard. Just remember there are lots of folks here who care about you and want to support you.

Dear Paul, please accept my condolences on your mother's passing; I just saw a post from DianaNL on Hani's Facebook thread within the past 15 minutes, and Richard was kind enough to send me a private message to let me know. It is, of course, extremely difficult that you weren't able to be with her in person at the end, but your posts tell me that you loved her deeply and unconditionally, and that you demonstrated your devotion to and concern for her throughout her illness.

My beloved maternal grandmother had a saying at the end of her life, which my parents took to heart and shared with me when I was an adult: "Don't give me flowers after I've gone; I can't appreciate them then" (or something like that). Showing your love and giving your time, as you have clearly done, is far more valuable than only showing up for her funeral, and I think you can take comfort in knowing that you did all that you could for her, especially given your great distance from England and pandemic restrictions.

May God bless your mother, you, and your family in the days ahead. My thoughts and prayers will be with all of you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.

>282 drneutron: Thank you, Jim. You are right - tis a timely reminder of just how wonderful this group is.

>283 kidzdoc: Thanks for those lovely words, Darryl and for dropping by so quickly when you were apprised. I suppose it is a normal reaction to think we never did enough to show and demonstrate our love and affection but I do sincerely hope and believe that my mum has gone to a better place in the full knowledge of our love.

I'm going to go and have a lie down. Don't suppose that I will sleep but I do need to try to as I am a bit heavy of breathing and more than a little bit stressed.

>245 Oregonreader: I fear keeping up with Paul's thread(s) is hopeless. 44 new since I caught up late yesterday.

>246 PaulCranswick: I find it difficult to understand why I should prefer control by the Chinese government/elites to control by the US government/elites, particularly with regard to what is probably a small-by-their-standards research grant.

Both govern for the benefit of their own powerful elites. Both routinely lie to their own people, not to mention outsiders. Both commit violence on their citizens, usually under colour of law, but with emphasis on disfavored ethnic minorities.

China would probably treat me worse, since I'm of favoured ethnicity and language in the US, but not in China. And both the average and the median standard of living are lower in China, but that has more to do with history than current policies. China is slightly more honest in some areas - e.g. they are explicitly authoritarian - while less honest in others. And the US, rather than China, is in the habit of bullying my country.

The US outsources more of their oppressiion to their corporations, just as it puts more of their economy in corporate hands.

China is probably worse, all things being equal, but once again, this is a just a research grant.

Of course you are in Malaysia, where China rather than the US seems to be the local bullying nation, as well as probably being of an ethnic appearance the US would favour. But stepping back from who we are personally, what's so good about the US currently, other than having more wealth per capita?

About all I can see is freedom-to-complain. I can still bitch publicly about the US, in the US, without a major impact on my standard of living, at least if I don't fit the LEO profile of a probable terrorist, which I don't, being old, female, and non-Muslim. I probably couldn't do that in China.

Edit: my apologies for posting this right after your terrible news, but before I'd seen it.

>251 PaulCranswick: I'm so sorry to hear about your mom's passing, but glad you got that one last chance to talk to her.

I'd also like to offer sincere condolences on the death of your mom. My own mom passed a few years back, also after a long illness, and I well know the feelings of loss, as do so many here. All the best.

>251 PaulCranswick: So sorry to hear your news Paul. The world is rarely perfect, in that you were not able to be there, but you did see her last year. She fought the good fight and had a few come-backs which were extraordinary. May her journey on be whatever she hoped it to be. Back to the stars.

My thoughts are with you and the family.

Paul, I'm so sorry to hear that your mother passed away. I'm glad you were able to have that phone call with her, even though I know it's small consolation for being so far away. Thinking of you and your family.

Paul, I am so very sorry for your loss. Your post in >265 PaulCranswick: made me cry because yes, you will miss her each and every day. That's what love is - it not only lifts you up but can also press you down, and having to say goodbye to someone who has been such an integral part of your life, who has helped to shape you into the man that you are today is heartbreaking work. I was also not able to be with my Dad when he passed, and it was devastating. But he knew how very much I loved him, and we had made a lifetime of memories together that he knew would carry me forward. Your Mom knew how much you loved and cherished her - she knew it every day, and that is a powerful thing. I know that right now your grief is a raw and ragged wound, so please remember to be kind to yourself; be gentle with yourself. Allow yourself the time and the space that you need. Please know that all of us here at the Pecan Paradisio are keeping you and your family in our thoughts and in our hearts.

Condolences to you, Paul and your family. Losing a parent is hard at any time of your life.

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. It is hard to lose a parent, and at such a distance, it must have felt doubly so. My deepest condolences.

My father once said he never visited his parents' grave site because they weren't there - they were in his heart. You will treasure your mother always.

I am sorry to hear of your loss. When my father died, a very good friend gave me some advice. He said-Keep on telling stories and relating memories of your father- that will keep him alive to you. It was good advice and I remember that this friend always told wonderful stories about his father. I hope that you keep memories of your mother alive as she meant so much to you.

>251 PaulCranswick: I am so sorry about your mum. When I saw the number of comments since my last visit, I knew what must have happened. She held on strongly as long as she could which must have meant that she had something of overwhelming worth to hang on for, her family. May her memory be a blessing.

Paul, I saw the Facebook post and immediately came here to tell you how sorry I am for your loss. (((((for you all)))))

My love to you and the family Paul. So sad, in these times especially so. x

Paul dear... Richard let me know about your loss. I am so sorry to hear this. Gentle journey to your mom's spirit and peace and healing to you and your family. She know, Paul.. no matter where you are, she knows xo

Deepest condolences for your loss Paul. Love to you and your family in this sad time. It's terrible that travel has been made so difficult and not much in the way of compassion seems to change things, but your mother knew how much you loved her and no matter where you are, nothing will change that.

My condolences to you and your family.

Paul. I said it on one of Hanni's posts, but I'm just getting to LT, to express my condolences. Its never easy losing a parent. I lost my Dad about 6 years ago, and I wasn't there either. I won't say it gets easier, or better, it just gets different, and that's okay. Hang in there.

On a different note, I've never read Stoppard's Rosencrantz, I should. Have you ever watched the movie? It is one of my favorites. If not, when you're in a better place you should check it out. Gary Oldman and Tim Roth.... Brilliant.

>286 ArlieS: Whilst there are very valid criticisms of the US in particular and the West in general and I don't disagree with most of your points other than in its emphasis. From closer up there is no reasonable way to equate the two regimes as flawed as ours is.

>287 ArlieS: Thank you, Arlie. I just woke up from a fairly stunned and uncomfortable sleep hoping that last night was a bad dream but alas it is not.

>288 rocketjk: So kind of you to stop by Jerry and thank you for those kind words. Very much appreciated.

>289 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you dear Caroline. I have so many blessings in truth and my mum had so many reprieves and apparently her passing at the last was peaceful. It is a shame it wasn't in the full loving embrace of all her children but I'm sure that she could understand.

>290 bell7: Thanks Mary. The consolation of being able to speak to her close to the end and for the extra eighteen months of her we were granted is real enough and I am grateful for that. Yasmyne will travel to England from Norway for the funeral.

>291 Crazymamie: Do you know, Mamie, I had a little bit of a think about you last night as I was posting about my mum. One of the things I most admire about the mistress of the Pecan Paradisio is how she memorialises her father in such loving terms. Thank you dear lady and I hope I can follow where you have lead.

>292 avatiakh: Thank you Kerry. I asked Hani to let our estranged father know last night as they were married for twenty-five years and he is also not in the best of health - driving himself too hard I believe. I hope that he will be able to reconcile with my brother at some stage but I fear that the wounds are just cut too deep.

>293 ffortsa: Thanks Judy. Your father was clearly a wise man. It has been a tough year losing Hani's dad in March, my closest friend in May and now my mum in September but, he is right, I can keep all of them in my heart.

>294 torontoc: Thank you for that, Cyrel. I spoke to Yasmyne last night and we reminisced together with Hani via video call on mum/gran/mother in law. Hani was inconsolable last night as she got very close to my mum caring for her in later years.

>295 quondame: Thanks Susan. The post count on this occasion is deeply appreciated and very touching for me rather than my usual wish to stockpile threads, your lovely message included. xx

>296 ronincats: Thank you dear Roni. I hope that I can show the same resolve as you managed last year. xx

>297 LovingLit: Thanks Megan. No good time of course but I would much rather have been able to be there and comfort my brother a bit as he is not as emotionally tough as his physically less impressive twin.

>298 mckait: Now I am crying, Kath. I have missed you so much on the threads and here you are when I am most down. Thank you, my friend.

>299 fairywings: Thank you Adrienne. Compassion doesn't really come into the equation with government rules these days does it? xx

>300 jayde1599: Thank you Jess. Very thoughtful and kind of you to stop by.

>301 mahsdad: Thanks Jeff and for the shared experience - believe me it helps.

As to Rosencrantz, I have seen the movie although it was some time ago. I do like Gary Oldman quite a lot. The radio play was pretty good too despite having no players in it that I had heard of before.

My mum in the bloom of health circa 1995

Condolences to you and your family, Paul.

>311 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie. Lovely to see you over here but I would obviously have preferred slightly happier circumstances.

I am so blessed by all my friends around the world who have passed on comforting messages in the last day. xx

This and the very restrictive COVID regulations in the country (the return from the UK in particular) is keeping me here in my time of sadness:

Paul. My deepest condolences.

I’m terribly sorry about your mum passing and am sad that you’re so far away and unable to get there. Peaceful is a blessing, but alone is devastating to you, I know.

>285 PaulCranswick: and >310 PaulCranswick: Wonderful photos.

…
My dad passed away in 2006 with me 2600 miles away, and my mom passed away in 2016 with me at the Dallas airport trying to get to her before she passed away. Both times the panic and helplessness stayed with me for a long time.

((hugs))

>314 karenmarie: Thank you dear Karen for sharing that with me.

I had had big reading plans for this weekend but have quite understandably not concentrated too well but I am trying to read a little to take my mind off things a bit.

Stopping by to stand with you in your sorrow and your loss.

"Death ends a life . . . but not a relationship"

>316 magicians_nephew: Thank you Jim. I like that!

Wishing you peace, Paul. My sincere condolences.

Missing my mom terribly right now as the fifth anniversary of her death approaches.

Deepest condolences Paul. I'm glad that you got to spend some time with your mum before the covid restrictions and that you got to speak to her last week.

>310 PaulCranswick: How lovely.

>314 karenmarie: There was no lead time for either of my parents, in fact a few weeks earlier my 94yr old dad was told he might have another 15 years - his brother later lived to 102 as did his sister.

Oh, Paul--I'm so so sorry to drop into your thread to find such sad news about your mum. You're right that you will miss her every day (speaking from personal experience)--I hope you're able to find some comfort in missing her. How fortunate that you got to speak with her recently--that is something to treasure.

>318 streamsong: Thank you dear Janet. Hugs to you too.

>319 humouress: Yes, Nina, I have to be thankful for those small mercies. Thank you my friend.

>320 quondame: Wow that is longevity, Susan!

>321 AnneDC: Thank you Anne and I am glad nonetheless that you happened by at this tough time for me. xx

>308 PaulCranswick: I miss being here too. I keep up with how you and yours are doing on Hani's facebook page. I even get to see your latest book buys sometimes.

I know this is a rough time for all of you. I am sending hugs to you all xo

So sorry about your Mom, Paul. You may have been far away but I'm sure she felt wrapped in your love as she passed because you have made that love to clear to her through the years.

>324 mckait: Hani is more liberal these days in recording my book acquisitions isn't she, Kath?!
It was a very welcome surprise seeing your post and now you are just spoiling me. xx

>325 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you for those lovely words, Reba. I do hope so. x

Paul--I am so sorry to hear about your Mom's passing and that you are so so far away. But love knows no bounds and I know she can feel yours. My heart goes out to you and yours.

>327 Berly: Thank you my dear Kimmers. x

Paul- I am glad to see you on here, seeking (and hopefully finding) some solace from your LT friends! I have been thinking about you and the difficulty of not being there to grieve with your wider family, at the place where you have roots. While you keep checking LT, I will keep popping by to offer virtual hugs!

>329 LovingLit: That is lovely and thoughtful, Megan. I do certainly get ooooodles of consolation from my friends here on LT.

Hi Paul, i cannot add more to what i posted on Facebook to you and Hani, i love the photo of your mum you have posted, what a beautiful woman she was, on this basis she must have been a stunning woman in her courting days and had the boys looking opened mouthed as she passed them by.

Sadly i lost my Dad in 1990 just after my 27th birthday and five weeks before Amy's first birthday, i lost Mum in 1995, i was 32 at the time and sadly found her in her kitchen, she had a massive heart attack and was dead before she hit the floor, it haunts me still. I still want to ask them things and wished i had asked more at the time.

We both send our deepest condolences to you, Hani and the kids and the rest of your family and we keep you all in our thoughts, dear friend.

>331 johnsimpson: Thanks for sharing that lovely and thoughtful post, John. You are I am sure the only member of the group other than myself to meet her - at my 50th birthday party at a time when she was already struggling health wise.