klobrien2 Karen O's Book-It List Part One

Welcome to my 2022 reading thread!

I've been with the 75-bookers for many years now, and I enjoy so much the camaraderie and book talk that happens here. I'm very glad to join with you all again!

The year 2021 has been a terrific time for reading. I find myself reading pretty much as the spirit leads. I participated in the American Author Challenge, and plan to continue with them. A long-term project of mine is to accomplish reads from the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" book, so that may guide my reading a little. Current 1001 Books count: 214.

What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

This is my thirteenth year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!; 153 in 2011; 160 in 2012; 114 in 2013; 92 in 2014; 109 in 2015; 145 in 2016, 210 in 2017, 200 in 2018, 180 in 2019, 225 (3 x 75!) in 2020, 242 in 2021. In 2022? Maybe I'll shoot for 243?

In addition to reading books, I've also discovered the world of Great Courses DVD lifelong learning courses. I love them! Below is a list of the courses I've completed, and I will try to always have at least one course going all the time.

A list of the Great Courses I have done can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/331920

I've also begun some serious magazine reading, using my public library as source once again. I keep track of and read some fifteen magazines, on a range of topics: science, quilting, nature, birding, cats, news, etc.

I read three newspapers, two daily (St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune), and one more on Sundays -- the New York Times).

Here's where I'll list the books I read (the number at the end of each line represents the post number where I listed the book).

The books I read in January:

1. The One Thing You'd Save by Linda Sue Park -- 2
2. Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan -- 19
3. The Midwest Survival Guide: How We Talk, Love, Work, Drink, and Eat...Everything with Ranch by Charlie Berens -- 20
4. Good Bones by Maggie Smith -- 21
5. The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon -- 26
6. In Memoriam, A. H. H. by Alfred Lord Tennyson -- 30
7. Hench: A Novel by Natalie Zina Walschots -- 36
8. My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel by Derf Backderf -- 37
9. Cove by Cynan Jones -- 39
10. Fauci: Expect the Unexpected: Ten Lessons on Truth, Service, and the Way Forward by Anthony Fauci and National Geographic -- 41
11. La Mere Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugenie Brazier -- 45
12. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr -- 46
13. Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives (Cat Kid Comic Club #2) by Dav Pilkey -- 50
14. Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Love by Haruki Murakami -- 51
15. How Did I Get to Be 40 & Other Atrocities by Judith Viorst -- 52
16. Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine -- 65
17. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead -- 68
18. When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson -- 71
19. When Did I Stop Being Twenty (And Other Injustices) by Judith Viorst -- 74
20. Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout -- 77
21. Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 by Brian Herbert -- 78
22. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson -- 80
23. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman -- 86
24. On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illus. Nora King -- 87

The books I read in February:

25. It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty by Judith Viorst -- 89
26. Bird by Bird: Some Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott -- 91
27. Forever Fifty and Other Negotiations by Judith Viorst -- 93
28. Suddenly Sixty and Other Shocks of Later Life by Judith Viorst -- 105
29. I'm Too Young to Be Seventy and Other Delusions by Judith Viorst -- 106
30. Unexpectedly Eighty and Other Adaptations by Judith Viorst -- 107
31. Nearing Ninety and Other Comedies of Late Life by Judith Viorst - 108
32. Foster by Claire Keegan -- 112
33. A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr -- 119
34. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn -- 129
35. The Annotated American Gods by Neil Gaiman, annotated by Leslie S. Klinger -- 130
36. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave -- 154
37. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman -- 160
38. Recitatif: A Story by Toni Morrison -- 166
39. The Maid by Nita Prose -- 178
40. The Book Rescuer by Sue Macy -- 182
41. Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright: An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year, selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup -- 188
42. Moon Crossing Bridge by Tess Gallagher -- 192
43. How to Listen To and Understand Great Music (Great Courses) by Robert Greenberg -- 193
44. Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger -- 202
45. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh -- 204
46. Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7) by Rex Stout -- 205
47. Bone, Vol. 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith -- 207

The books I read in March:

48. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- 209
49. 5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food by Jamie Oliver -- 216
50. Matrix: A Novel by Lauren Groff -- 222
51. The Princess Mononoke: The First Story by Hayao Miyazaki -- 236
52. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa -- 237
53. Bones, Vol. 1: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith -- 238
54. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh -- 247
55. The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries (Great Courses) by Neil deGrasse Tyson -- 248
56. Poems to Learn By Heart, ed. Caroline Kennedy -- 256
57. Bones, Vol. 3: Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith -- 257
58. Bones, Vol. 4: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith -- 257
59. Bones, Vol. 5: Rock Jaw by Jeff Smith -- 257
60. Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning -- 259
61. A Deadly Affair: Unexpected Love Stories from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie -- 260
62. Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer -- 266
63. On the Bus With Rosa Parks: Poems by Rita Dove -- 273
64. Bone, Vol. 6: Ghost Circles by Jeff Smith -- 274
65. Bone, Vol. 7: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith -- 274
66. Bone, Vol. 8: Treasured Hunters by Jeff Smith -- 274
67. Bone, Vol. 9: Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith -- 274
68. Rose: A Graphic Novel (Bone Prequel) by Jeff Smith, ill. Charles Vess -- 274
69. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- 296
70. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- 299

Here is where I'll list the authors selected for the 2022 American Authors Challenge, the books I will read, and if I complete them (here's hoping!)

2022 AAC

JANUARY Graphic novels, comics and/or non-fiction:
My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel by Derf Backderf -- COMPLETED
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illus. Nora King -- COMPLETED
Dune Book 1 by Brian Herbert and Frank G. Anderson, illus. Raul Allen -- COMPLETED
Maus, Vol. 1 by Art Spiegelman -- COMPLETED

FEBRUARY Tess Gallagher Moon Crossing Bridge: Poetry -- COMPLETED
MARCH Bernard Malamud The Fixer -- Reading
APRIL Jennifer Finney Boylan
MAY 19th Century American Author of your choice
JUNE John Dos Passos
JULY Gish Jen
AUGUST Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
SEPTEMBER Pulitzer Prize Winners
OCTOBER John McPhee
NOVEMBER Native American authors, themes and history
DECEMBER Martha Gellhorn

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Here is a link to my last thread from 2011: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

Here is a link to my last thread from 2012: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138897

Here is a link to my last thread from 2013:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/156012

Here is a link to my thread from 2014: http://www.librarything.com/topic/163564

Here is a link to my thread from 2015: https://www.librarything.com/topic/186139

Here is a link to my thread from 2016: http://www.librarything.com/topic/211096

Here is a link to my last thread from 2017: http://www.librarything.com/topic/268142#

Here is a link to my last thread from 2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298557

Here is a link to my one-and-only thread from 2019: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301738

The books I've read in the first half of 2020 (115 of them) are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/314888

The books I read in the second half of 2020 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/322010#

The books I read in the first half of 2021 are here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/328372#

The books I read in the second half of 2021 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/333390#

Good reading to you!

1. The One Thing You'd Save by Linda Sue Park

This group always helps me to read; welcome back to the group, Karen.

>1 klobrien2: Heck of an impressive topper.

I keep track of what I'm reading via a weekly recap. Here's my last "roundup" from last year:

Thursday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (12/30/2021):

Actively reading:

The Midwest Survival Guide by Charlie Berens -- p. 89 of 286
Fauci: Expect the Unexpected: Ten Lessons on Truth, Service, and the Way Forward by Dr. Anthony Fauci
The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon -- p. 11 of 122
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
Macbeth by Joe Nesbo
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 11 of 251
Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars, and the Myth of the California Paradise by Joel Selvin -- p. 27 of 275
Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art by Rebecca Wragg Sykes -- p. 48 of 421
Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz -- p. 25 of 252
La Mere Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugenie Brazier
Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout

AAC (American Author Challenge for December): Young Adult: I am reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen -- on p. 100 of 189

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 14 of 48 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

All's Well (Mona Awad) -- p. 17 of 282
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead -- p. 0 of 318
The Rose Code (Kate Quinn) p. 11 of 488
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott -- p. 26 of 169
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

>3 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! Happy New Year!

I googled and found an article on www.guardian.com: The World's Most Beautiful Libraries and could not resist! (Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Photograph: Massimo Listri/Taschen). I'll have to spend more time with the article.

I'm about to head to the 2022 group and star my threads for 2022 (and you will definitely be in that group!). Thanks so much for visiting, and for being my first guest!

>5 klobrien2: More than welcome, Karen. I am always blown away by your proclivity for finishing books. x

Happy New Year, Karen, and congratulations on getting the new year started with a good book! I already have it in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

Happy New Year, Karen.

Happy new year! I hope 2022 is a great reading year for you!

Happy reading in 2022, Karen!

Thanks, everyone! I’ve just “starred” you all, so I’ll see you around.

Happy New Year and happy new thread for 2022, Karen!

>4 klobrien2: State of Terror, 1177 BC, and The Hidden Palace are on my radar for 2022, too.

Happy New Year to you, too, Karen!

I’m playing catch-up with the pre-2022 2022ers. Gosh, there are a lot of long threads (already!)

See you around!

Hope you have a great year of reading!

>1 klobrien2: Wow. You really blasted along the years! 243, huh.

I dare not aspire to that. 75 will please me, but I also read magazines (mostly the New Yorker from years back, but also Scientific American, Smithsonian, The Economist (a little), and some others. And we share an appreciation of The Great Courses - I think we did the one you are in the midst of now. And, I'm listening to 1177 B.C. We seem to be in tune.

Happy 2022!

Happy New Year, Karen!

Hi Karen, happy 2022's reads!

>14 thornton37814: Great reading to you, too, thornton!

>15 ffortsa: Interesting to see the similarities in our reading!

>16 jnwelch: Happy new year to you, too, Joe!

>17 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Have a great year!

Thank you all for stopping by to chat! I read all of your threads (eventually!) and have gotten so many good reading ideas from you!

2. Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan

3. The Midwest Survival Guide: How We Talk, Love, Work, Drink, and Eat...Everything with Ranch by Charlie Berens

4. Good Bones by Maggie Smith

(The touchstone is not working correctly).



Rain, New Year's Eve

The rain is a broken piano,
playing the same note over and over.

My five-year-old said that.
Already she knows loving the world

means loving the wobbles
you can't shim, the creaks you can't

oil silent--the jerry-rigged parts,
MacGyvered with twine and chewing gum.

Let me love the cold rain's plinking.
Let me love the world the way I love

my young son, not only when
he cups my face in his sticky hands,

but when, roughhousing,
he accidentally splits my lip.

Let me love the world like a mother.
Let me be tender when it lets me down.

Let me listen to the rain's one note
and hear a beginner's song.

--Maggie Smith

>19 klobrien2: Dorie Greenspan authors such lovely, clear recipes I think she should give classes. To writers, that is, not cooks which she already does.

Sending Wednesday orisons!

>22 richardderus: I certainly agree with you about Dorie—the book was a delight to read. Well, I didn’t spend a great deal of time with the recipes themselves, but I did with everything surrounding them. A treat to read!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Wednesday!

Wow! four books already! Good bones looks interesting

Hi! Good Bones was short and sweet. Motherhood was a major theme, I guess, but Smith excels, IMO, at catching difficult feelings and experiences. And children. And marriage. And nature.

If you get a chance, I hope you like her!

Thanks for stopping by!

5. The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon

>26 klobrien2: That one is already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

Thursday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (01/06/2022):

Actively reading:

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr -- p. 30 of 453
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead -- p. 0 of 318
In Memorium A.H.H by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Fauci: Expect the Unexpected: Ten Lessons on Truth, Service, and the Way Forward by Dr. Anthony Fauci -- p. 0 of 93
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (TIOLI 16) -- p. 113 of 323
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 20 of 251
La Mere Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugenie Brazier
Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout -- p. 21 of 194
Macbeth by Joe Nesbo

AAC (American Author Challenge) for January: Graphic novels, comics, and/or non-fiction: I am reading MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 20 of 48 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

All's Well (Mona Awad) -- p. 17 of 282
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Rose Code (Kate Quinn) p. 11 of 488
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Train Dreams: A Novella by Denis Johnson -- p. 0 of 116
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott -- p. 26 of 169
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngard
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars, and the Myth of the California Paradise by Joel Selvin -- p. 41 of 275
Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art by Rebecca Wragg Sykes -- p. 48 of 421
Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz -- p. 25 of 252

I've switched on the star. I hope to stop by regularly, but it'll probably be sporadically. :-)

Wowie wow: You certainly have many books going. I've got three cooking now, and that's about my limit.

6.In Memoriam A. H. H. by Alfred Lord Tennyson



This poem was written to help Tennyson grieve for his dear friend Arthur Hallam. The 131 stanzas and Epilogue take us through the years and tell the love story of the two men.

b>Famous lines from this poem, in stanza XXVII:

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

Then, later on (stanza LXXXV) (notice the switch to past tense!):

This truth came borne with bier and pall,
I felt it when I sorrow'd most,
'Tis better to have loved and lost,
Then never to have loved at all--

Here's another favorite, from stanza XCI:

Come: not in watches of the night,
But where the sunbeam broodeth warm,
Come, beauteous in thine after form,
And, like a finer light in light.

And I just love this stanza (CVI), a poem for the new year (and seems so appropriate for this time in American life):

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

>29 weird_O: Hi, weird_O!

Good to see you here! And, yeah, I have too many books in the works right now. Of the top "actively reading" section, I'm really only making progress on five. I've just removed three books from the "later" section for good (actually moved them to TBR). I've just been keeping them out from the library and never getting to them, so time to fish or cut bait (is that the saying?)

I hope to see you here again, even if only once in a while!

>28 klobrien2: Oooh! You have quite a few great ones on the go there. Happy reading :)

>32 figsfromthistle: A lot of my requests from the library eBook source (Libby) came in at once! And I have others coming available soon! Must go read!

Thanks for stopping by!

>30 klobrien2: I give up:
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
What the heck does that mean.

Poetry. Yeesh.

>28 klobrien2: So much good reading! Yay, Karen!

>34 richardderus: Hi, Richard! And the only thing I can think of for, "ring out my mournful rhymes" is that this is, at heart, a poem of grief and sadness. The poet is getting to the point where he feels that it is time to turn the page, maybe.

Great to see you here! Happy Sunday to you!

7. Hench: A Novel by Natalie Zina Walschots

8. My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel by Derf Backderf

>37 klobrien2:, >36 klobrien2: NOW we're talkin'! Both very interesting, very involving, and...mirabile dictu!...comprehensible reads!

>38 richardderus: Richard, you will be glad to see my next read, because I searched it out based on your review:



9. Cove by Cynan Jones

(Touchstone not working).



Powerful, terrifying, brief snatches of images and recollections provide the narrative. But I want to know if he will be all right!

>36 klobrien2: I also gave it 4 stars, so we were thinking alike there!

>39 klobrien2: I bought that one based on Richard's review as well, but will not get to it for a bit yet. I am glad to see that you liked it.

Have a great rest of your week, Karen!

10. Fauci: Expect the Unexpected: Ten Lessons On truth, Service, and the Way Forward by Anthony Fauci, National Geographic



Got this for a Christmas present. I really respect and like the man, but this book was pretty crappy.

"You must be prepared at any moment to enter uncharted territory, to expect the unexpected, and where possible, seize the opportunities."

>41 klobrien2: I "get" why they wanted to publish this, but really?! Sorry it took up your reading time, Karen.

>39 klobrien2: YAY!! Well...now...about Cynan's books...he is just not going to give you An Ending. None of his work does. But if you're willing to think it all over, you'll have a fine reading experience and a memorable time deciding what you THINK happened. I'd recommend to you his novel The Dig if you're in the market to try one more.

And Cove is "simmering" in my thoughts--I'm very glad I read it. I think I'll put The Dig on my TBR. Thanks!

Always good to see you here!

Thursday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (01/13/2022):

Actively reading:

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr -- p. 214 of 453
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead -- p. 22 of 318
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngard -- p. 18 of 317
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 20 of 251
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Train Dreams: A Novella by Denis Johnson -- p. 11 of 116
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott -- p. 34 of 169

AAC (American Author Challenge) for January: Graphic novels, comics, and/or non-fiction: I read My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf; Will also read the graphic version of On Tyranny

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 26 of 48 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

La Mere Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugenie Brazier
Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout -- p. 39 of 194
Macbeth by Joe Nesbo
All's Well (Mona Awad) -- p. 17 of 282
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Rose Code (Kate Quinn) p. 11 of 488
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife

11. La Mere Brazier: The Mother of Modern French Cooking by Eugenie Brazier



Interesting reading, although the recipes here are provided more for their historical importance than accuracy and share-ability. LOTS of meat and strange (to me) seafood. Still a fun read.

12. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr



My first five-star read of the year!

This book is one of those that I started slowly; in this case, because there are five characters whose lives span nearly six centuries. The story shifts a lot, and until one adjusts, it's a little confusing. The five characters are all interesting and likable, and their lives are bound together by a mutual love for a single book. It's just delightful reading, a can't-put-it-down read.

Doerr dedicates the book thusly: "For the librarians: then, now, and in the years to come." In a note at the back of the book, Doerr tells us that this book is intended as a paean to books--I sure figured that out by the end. Highly recommended!

Love your photo topper, Karen! A belated happy new year to you. I'm glad Cloud Cuckoo Land was such a good read for you.

>46 klobrien2: The praise for that one hasn't been as universal as with its predecessor, Karen. It will be interesting to see what the prize judges think!

Have a lovely weekend.

>48 PaulCranswick: I try to not pay too much attention to negative comments about books. A lot of times it has more to do with the reader than the book. And I care even less about "The Prizes."

The USA has a holiday today in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. I'm reading the graphic "On Tyranny" in memory of Dr. King.

Thanks for stopping by, Paul!

I dedicated this past weekend to reading as my eyes led me, so I quickly finished some fun, very visual books.



13. Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives (Cat Kid Comic Club #2) by Dav Pilkey



I adore the Dog Man books from Pilkey, and the Cat Kid Comic Club is turning out even better. This one is terrific, with a collection of "comics" created by the fictional members of the Comic Club (they are little tadpoles and frogs!); just hilarious and full of good thinking.

14. Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Love by Haruki Murakami



Very fun, very illuminating little gem of a book featuring the great Murakami's...t-shirts! The author is very well traveled and is a great tourist, and what he shares with us using the t-shirts as a medium is so informative.

15. How Did I Get to Be Forty & Other Atrocities by Judith Viorst



So, evidently there is a set of these books by Viorst, a writer that I remember reading in my mother's copies of Redbook magazine, YEARS ago. Evidently there is a book for each of the decades; I'll have to go back and pick up the Thirties, then proceed from there on.

Sweet little book; lots of funny and lovely illustrations. This is NOT stellar poetry, or really, poetry of any kind, but it is entertaining.

What a lot of reading going on, Karen. I can only read one or two books at a time. I've been waiting for my turn with Cloud Cuckoo Land; it sounds like one I would love.

>53 BLBera: i hope your turn comes quickly, and that you like the book as much as I did. I had to let myself be a little patient with the format until I got familiar with it, is all.

Thanks for stopping by!

>52 klobrien2: My mother enjoyed those books! I can't remember reading them, but I can remember her snorks and hoots as she enjoyed them.

Happy Tuesday, Karen.

>55 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I went and requested ALL of them I could locate at my library! Thay are a little dated (at least “40s” was), but quite a bit of fun, and for a tiny investment in time.

Always good to see you here!

>52 klobrien2: Not heard of that one before, Karen, but it does look like fun.

>57 PaulCranswick: I don't think it would be your cup of tea, Paul. I don't know if these books (there are several of them, one per decade) are my cup of tea, but they're on the libraries dime, so no skin off of my nose (three metaphors in a row there!)

As always, good to see you here!

>46 klobrien2: Congratulations!

>50 klobrien2: >51 klobrien2: Those both look fun!

BTW - I think I have you to thank for my recent read of The Beatryce Prophecy. I loved it!

Thursday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (01/20/2022):

Actively reading:

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead -- p. 88 of 274
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 20 of 251
Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout -- p. 43 of 194
Train Dreams: A Novella by Denis Johnson -- p. 11 of 116
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott -- p. 37 of 169
A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr -- p. 0 of 135
The Annotated American Gods by Neil Gaiman, ed. Leslie S. Klinger -- p. 13 of 627

AAC (American Author Challenge) for January: Graphic novels, comics, and/or non-fiction: My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf; graphic version of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illus. Nora King; graphic version of Dune Book 1 by Brian Herbert and Frank G. Anderson, illus. Raul Allen

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 26 of 48 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Macbeth by Joe Nesbo
All's Well (Mona Awad) -- p. 17 of 282
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Rose Code (Kate Quinn) p. 11 of 488
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngard -- p. 18 of 317
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Blood of Elves (Witcher 1) by Andrzj Sapkowski -- p. 18 of 282
Beyond the Great Snow Mountains by Louis L'Amour
Gilded by Marissa Meyer

>21 klobrien2:. Love it. Good pick from the book. The title poem is a knockout, isn’t it.

>46 klobrien2:. I’m so glad you enjoyed Cloud Cuckoo Land so much. Me, too! I was impressed with the structural ambition of it, too. What a complex one to pull off so smoothly. I loved All the Light We Cannot See, and this one moves him into some very elite company, seems to me.

>61 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I haven’t read All the Light We Cannot See but I think I need to rectify that, sooner rather than later!

Always great to see you here!

I thought I had been by here to welcome you to the New Year but it looks like I was wrong. Happy New Thread, Karen. I love your book choices. I am glad you enjoyed Hench and Cloud Cuckoo Land. I need to read the latter. Trying to bookhorn that one in, in a crowded reading schedule.

Ooh, Train Dreams. So good...

>63 msf59: Yep, I probably got all of those titles from you! You are an unfailing source of good reads for me--Thanks!

And thank you for stopping by to chat!

16. Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine



Wonderful book; filled with sadness, but there is also remembrance and hope. Lots of pictures of Hana and her family, many drawings by Hana (!). Reading it broke my heart, but there is much here to build it back.

>64 klobrien2: Aw, shucks. 2022 is off to a great bookish start and of course there is Jackson too. 😀

Happy Sunday!

>66 msf59: Aren’t grandkids great?! Your Jackson is a cutey! I have two grandsons; Rory is 10 and Quin is 6. Super-cute and quite entertaining!

17. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead



Very good read--exciting, informative, and there was even a bit of humor. Of course, Whitehead has such a gift of writing, his words sometimes read as poetry. His descriptions of 50's New York and Harlem especially are clear and vivid. Highly recommended!

>65 klobrien2: I get to dodge that BB since I read it years ago.

>68 klobrien2: I am finally getting around to reading The Underground Railroad in February, so Harlem Shuffle will be my next Whitehead book. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did, Karen!

>69 alcottacre: Have you read any Whitehead before? I read Zone One previously, but this was only my second by the author. I'll be interested in seeing what you think about The Underground Railroad.

Thanks for stopping by, Stasia!

18. When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson



Beautiful, heartbreaking graphic story of Omar, a boy/young man who spent his childhood in a UN refugee camp.

>71 klobrien2: That breaks my heart...that it's real, mostly. So, so sad.

Thursday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (01/27/2022):

Actively reading:

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 42 of 251
Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout -- p. 122 of 194
Train Dreams: A Novella by Denis Johnson -- p. 59 of 116
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott -- p. 37 of 169
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger -- p. 36 of 170
A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr -- p. 40 of 135
The Rose Code (Kate Quinn) p. 11 of 488
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

AAC (American Author Challenge) for January: Graphic novels, comics, and/or non-fiction:
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf (Completed)
graphic version of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illus. Nora King; (p. 51 of 127)
graphic version of Dune Book 1 by Brian Herbert and Frank G. Anderson, illus. Raul Allen (p. 36 of 163)

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 30 of 48 lectures

PROJECT: Judith Viorst "Decades" (8 books)
When Did I Stop Being Twenty (and Other Injustices)
It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty (And Other Tragedies of Married Life)
How Did I Get to Be Forty (And Other Atrocities) -- Completed
Forever Fifty (And Other Negotiations)
Suddenly Sixty (And Other Shocks of Later Life)
I'm Too Young to Be Seventy (And Other Delusions)
Unexpectedly Eighty (And Other Adaptations)
Nearing Ninety (And Other Comedies of Late Life)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages

The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngard -- p. 18 of 317
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Beyond the Great Snow Mountains by Louis L'Amour
The Archimedes Codex

I'm reading the Judith Viorst "Decades" poetry books as more of a historical research project, than a celebration of good poetry. The books feature topics and language that reflect their times, but do seem dated (!) Good points: lovely drawings illustrate them, there is humor and warmth. They are also short, so are not a big investment in time.
I have fond memories of reading Viorst in my mother's Redbook magazines, and I'm cherishing that memory, as well.



19. When Did I Stop Being Twenty (And Other Injustices) by Judith Viorst

>74 klobrien2: I'm so glad the memories are pleasant! And the re-reads aren't huge, so as you say...easy to slot around other things.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads!

>70 klobrien2: I have read The Nickel Boys, Karen, and recommend it. I thought it as terrific.

Thanks for dropping by the Acre while I have been sick. I appreciate it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

20. Some Buried Caesar (Nero Wolfe #6) by Rex Stout



Well, not my favorite of the Nero Wolfe books so far, but there were some funny spots, and lots of great dialogue.

21. DUNE: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 by Brian Herbert



Beautifully illustrated, fair adaptation of the original first third of Dune. There will be two more volumes following this first (looking forward to them).

Hi, Richard and Stasia! Thanks to you both for stopping by to chat. Have great weekends!

22. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson



Another 5-star read for me in the first month of the year! Bodes well for the rest of the year.

Lovely writing, subdued but gemlike. Almost reads like short stories.

Here's what the cover says: "Robert Grainier is a day laborer in the American West at the start of the twentieth century--an ordinary man in extraordinary times." A totally likeable character, in such interesting times and places!

Here's one of my favorite passages (difficult to choose just one, but maybe this was the passage behind the name of the novella?):

Now he slept soundly through the nights, and often he dreamed of trains, and often of one particular train: He was on it; he could smell the coal smoke; a world went by. And then he was standing in that world as the sound of train died away. A frail familiarity in these scenes hinted to him that they came from his childhood. Sometimes he woke to hear the sound of the Spokane International fading up the valley and realized he'd been hearing the locomotive as he dreamed.

You are on a very good roll this month with your reading choices, Karen. I have done ok myself.

Have a lovely Sunday.

I've liked and admired everything I've read by Denis Johnson. There's a few of his books I've not gotten yet, so I guess that means a few more Johnson treats await me. Rex Stout's books are pleasant between the meals treats.

>81 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>82 weird_O: Denis Johnson was new to me, so I’m thrilled to find him. I think I was turned on to him through a mention in Erdrich’s The Sentence. I love it when one book leads you to another!
Want to recommend any Johnson books in particular?

Thanks for stopping by!

Pretty good Wordle for me today!

Wordle 226 3/6

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23. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman



Read this again for many reasons: To finish out my participation in the American Authors Challenge this month, which was to read graphic format books; secondly, because it merits rereading; lastly, in response to the pea-brained school board in Athens TN who pulled the book from class reading.

I just came across a quote by Rex Stout (I'm respecting this guy more with every new thing I read about him). This is from the time when Tropic of Cancer was banned, and Stout was the speaker at a
library event. "But then he launched into a jeremiad against book-banners. He said, 'Efforts to censor what people read are not justified under the American system.'" Perfect!

I'll continue on with a reread of Maus II, and then MetaMaus: A Look Inside a Modern Classic, Maus.

24. On Tyranny: Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder, illus. Nora King



Wonderful illustration of the great little-in-physical-size-only book by Snyder! I loved the synchronicity of reading this book at the same time I was reading Maus I.

I just solved Wordle in 2 tries - first time (probably only time). I promise I’ll stop posting these, but had to record this one for posterity.

Wordle 227 2/6

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25. It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty (Judith Viorst's Decades) by Judith Viorst



Very short, and some of the poems have appeared in the books that I've read already. I'm a completist; otherwise, I'd say don't bother. I'm hoping that the series picks up a little.

>88 klobrien2: Why should you stop posting your Wordles, Karen? It's your thread, if you want to post them, then do. I know I enjoy seeing them!

I've got my first review for my new thread to finish polishing up, so I shall see your new week's Wordles later.

26. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott



Very interesting, informative book based on the author's writing life, including her side stint as a teacher of writing. She's got a terrific sense of humor, a love of life, and a lack of fear in the face of truth-telling. I very much recommend this book.

I got turned on to this one from an episode of Ted Lasso--the head coach (Ted) reminds his assistant coach, "Bird by Bird," after a devastating team loss.

The reasoning behind the title: "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he's had three months to write, which was due the next day....he was at the kitchen table, close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird."

That passage is from near the beginning of this book/ Here's one from right at the end: "Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It's like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can't stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship."

That's what Library Thing means to me.

Sudden turnaround in my solving today!

Wordle 229 5/6

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27. Forever Fifty and Other Negotiations by Judith Viorst



Here's my favorite from this volume of "Decades""

The Pleasures of a Ordinary Life

I've had my share of necessary losses.
Of dreams I know no longer can come true.
I'm done now with the whys and the becauses.
It's time to stop complaining and pursue
The pleasures of an ordinary life.

I used to rail against my compromises.
I yearned for the wild music, the swift race.
But happiness arrived in new disguises:
Sun lighting a child's hair. A friend's embrace.
Slow dancing in a safe and quiet place.
The pleasures of an ordinary life.

I'll have no trumpets, triumphs, trails of glory.
It seems the woman I've turned out to be
Is not the heroine of some grand story.
But I have learned to find the poetry
In what my hands can touch, my eyes can see.
The pleasures of an ordinary life.

Young fantasies of magic and of mystery
Are over. But they really can't compete
With all we've built together: A long history.
Connections that help render us complete.
Ties that hold and heal us. And the sweet,
Sweet pleasures of ordinary life.

>92 klobrien2: I was so irked by that one! I had all but the last letter for TWO TURNS. *grumble*

>91 klobrien2: That, and Operating Instructions, are to of my favorite Lamotts.

Happy weekend ahead's reads, Karen!

Hi, Karen. I thought that first volume of the Dune Graphic adaptation was well done, too. I’m looking forward to the other two.

The Tyranny Graphic Edition has come in at the library. It’ll be a re-read, and I can’t quite imagine reading it with illustrations, but your positive reaction helps.

>94 richardderus: Hi, Richard! How did Wordle go for you today?

Wordle 230 4/6

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I’ll have to check out Operating Instructions. I do have Dusk Night Dawn: On Revival and Courage in at the library—that one looks pretty timely (I could use some “revival” and “courage.”)

As always, great to see you here!

>95 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Hope you enjoy the graphic On Tyranny! It’s a beautiful book, and that made the actual words more illuminating, to me. Thanks for stopping by to chat!

ThursdayFriday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (02/04/2022):

Actively reading:

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 42 of 251
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger -- p. 36 of 170
A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr -- p. 54 of 135
The Rose Code (Kate Quinn) p. 63 of 488
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave -- p. 11 of 236
The Annotated American Gods by Neil Gaiman -- p. 109 of 627
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright: An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters, illus. by Brita Teckentrup
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife

AAC (American Author Challenge) for February: Tess Gallagher: I'm reading Moon Crossing Bridge

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 32 of 48 lectures

PROJECT: Judith Viorst "Decades" (8 books)
Suddenly Sixty (And Other Shocks of Later Life)
I'm Too Young to Be Seventy (And Other Delusions)
Unexpectedly Eighty (And Other Adaptations)
Nearing Ninety (And Other Comedies of Late Life)

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl -- 20 of 176
Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7) --
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngard -- p. 18 of 317
Beyond the Great Snow Mountains by Louis L'Amour
The Archimedes Codex
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick

>96 klobrien2: I got it in four, as well! It really does feel like an accomplishment when I get under that, though I realize it's just a game.

Still, I'm enjoying it.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads!

>96 klobrien2: & >99 richardderus: I was also a four today. On my 18 game winning streak exactly half of them are done in 4 guesses.
Glad you continued posting your results, Karen. As RD said, why shouldn't you?

So much great reading! I love the Viorst project, very tempting.

Great comments on Bird by Bird; it's been years since I read it, but you make me want to pick it up again.

Hooray for Maus; I think the TN school board didn't understand what their decision would unleash.

I read Dune years ago; the GN version sounds interesting. I'll look for it.

Hello, Richard, Paul, and blbera! Good weekend to all of you, and may your reading and Wordle efforts be blessed! As always, thank you so much for stopping by!

I was starting to worry a smidge…

Wordle 231 5/6

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Wishing you a great weekend, Karen.

Had a Judith Viorst read-a-thon today, and have completed my read of the "Decades" volumes.



28. Suddenly Sixty and Other Shocks of Later Life by Judith Viorst



The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days

A Song for Our Children and our Children's Children

I wish you, I wish you,
I wish you these wishes:
Cool drinks in your glasses.
Warm food in your dishes.
People to nourish and cherish and love you.
A lamp in the window to light your way home in the hze.
I wish you the sweetest of nights and the finest of days.

I wish you, I wish you
A talent for living.
Delight in the getting.
Delight in the giving.
A song in your soul, and someone to hear it.
The wisdom to find the right path when you're lost in a maze.
I wish you the sweetest of nights
And the finest of days.

A snug rood above you.
A strong self inside you.
The courage to go where you know you must go,
And a good heart to guide you.
And good friends beside you.

I wish you, I wish you
A dream worth the doing.
And fortune's face smiling
On all you're pursuing.
And pleasures that far far
Outweigh your small sorrows.
Arms opened wide to embrace your tomorrows.
A long sunlit sail on the bluest and smoothest of bays.
I wish you the sweetest of nights
And the finest of days.

29. I'm Too Young to Be Seventy and Other Delusions by Judith Viorst



At Seventy

Instead of "old,"
Let us consider
"Older,"
Or maybe "oldish,"
Or something, anything,
That isn't always dressed
In sensible shoes
And fading underwear.
Besides which,
Seventy isn't old.
Ninety is old.
And though eighty
Is probably old,
We needn't decide that
Until we get there.
In the meantime
Let us consider
Drinking wine,
Making love,
Laughing hard,
Caring hard,
And learning a new trick or two
As part of our job description
At seventy.

And this short but sweet one:

The Secret of Staying Married

Still married after all these years?
No mystery.
We are each other's habit,
And each other's history.

30. Unexpectedly Eighty and Other Adaptations by Judith Viorst



I Don't Intend to Gently Fade Away

I don't intend to gently fade away.
Though actuaries warn of coming night,
There's still a tune or two I'd like to play.

A ripened cheese and glass of Chardonnay
Continue to beguile my appetite.
I don't intend to gently fade away.

His hand on my bare shoulder can allay
The fear that passion's finally taken flight.
There's still a tune or two I'd like to play.

A grandchild's poem or masterpiece in clay
Has not yet ceased to fill me with delight.
I don't intend to gently fade away.

The world has much against which to inveigh,
But it remains beloved in my sight.
There's still a tune or two I'd like to play.

I hope to see another spring's array,
Another autumn's slanted golden light.
I don't intend to gently fade away.
There's still a tune or two I'd like to play.

And, lastly, my favorite of the books. In this last volume, Viorst includes pithy sayings with each poem (I love pithy sayings!) Viorst seems to be alive and kicking; maybe there will be a century book? I've quite enjoyed these slim little gems, and do recommend them to you (but you may find them to be more commonplace and not high-flown "Poetry," with a capital "P").



31. Nearing Ninety and Other Comedies of Late Life by Judith Viorst



Here are some of the pithy sayings I mentioned, ones I really want to remember:

Tell me what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? (Mary Oliver)

Old age: the crown of life. (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

May you live every day of your life. (Jonathan Swift).

And a few lovely little poems:

At the Nursing Home

Touch me, remind me who I am. (Stanley Kunitz)

She gets on the crowded crosstown bus
To visit him once a day,
Though there's never a seat
And people push and shove you.
She goes without complaint or fuss
In order to hear him say,
"I don't know who you are,
But I know I love you."

Lasts

I want all of my lasts to be with you. (Anonymous)

Wouldn't I linger with you till the sky had turned black
If this was the very last sunset we'd ever see?
Wouldn't desire be trumping that pain in my back
If this was the last time that you could make love to me?
Would I complain you were stepping all over my toes
If this was the last of the dances we'd ever dance?
And wouldn't I travel wherever the highway goes,
If you traveled with me and this was our last chance?

>108 klobrien2: "Lasts" made me cry. What a lovely verse and so sweetly expressive of feelings I think we all relate to on some non-verbal level.

>109 richardderus: Yep, I agree. Makes me feel so strongly that one should live in the present.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and have a great week!

“phew,” definitely! I love the little responses Wordle gives. Even though I took six tries to get the word, I like the graphic representation.

Wordle 233 6/6

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(Touchstone is bad; are any of them working?)

32. Foster by Claire Keegan



Lovely, heartbreaking, wonderful short story about a young girl in Ireland sent to friends? family? for a short summer visit. I believe it was blbera who brought this to my attention; I owe her a visit, and a bunch of thanks.

Oh, Karen! Thank you for posting all the Viorst poems. (I'm here from Richard's thread.) They all touch me right where I'm living now, but "Lasts" most of all.

>110 klobrien2: I read "Lasts" to my Young Gentleman Caller...he was in tears.

Mission accomplished!

Wordle 234 4/6

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>115 klobrien2: Oh heck! It took me five tries. *sigh*

I'm glad you liked Foster, Karen.

>116 richardderus: Today's was not easy!

>117 BLBera: Foster has layers, doesn't it?! Definitely will require a reread (at least one).

Good to see both of you here!

33. A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr



I get so many great "referrals" from friends on LT; A Month in the Country is one I hadn't been aware of, but I just loved reading it, and know that I will reread it. Carr does such a good job at people, and plot, but does an amazing job at places.

Here's one passage that I noted during my reading:

So, eating, drinking, dozing, making love, the day passed until evening came and the horses were led from their pasture. Then, as the first star rose and swallows turned and twisted above the bracken, our wagons rumbled down from above the White Horse and across the Vale towards home: the Sunday-school Treat was over.

A little later:

Ah, those days...for many years afterwards their happiness haunted me. Sometimes, listening to music, I drift back and nothing has changed. The long end of summer. Day after day of warm weather, voices calling as night came on and lighted windows pricked the darkness and, at day-break, the murmur of corn and the warm smell of fields ripe for harvest. And being young.

>119 klobrien2: Oh my, yes indeed. I love that book most immoderately. I found it because of an LT connection, too!

Wordle 235 4/6

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>121 klobrien2: I got that one in three, which I confess made my day.

>122 richardderus: wow, Richard, that’s great! I’m having so much fun with Wordle; I know you are, too!

A little work today…

Wordle 236 5/6

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>80 klobrien2: I have only read one of Denis Johnson's books. I will have to see if the local library has that one!

>86 klobrien2: I love Maus! I hope you get a chance to read the second volume as well.

>91 klobrien2: I enjoyed that one when I read it too. I have read several of Lamott's books beyond that one and enjoyed them more or less - less when she starts straying into politics.

>112 klobrien2: I sure hope I enjoy Keegan as much as everyone else seems to! I have one of hers set aside to read this month.

>125 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! I’m planning on rereading Maus II (maybe today?). I saw someone added it to TIOLI #7, so even more reason to get to it.
Nice to see you here!

>126 klobrien2: Someone added it to TIOLI Challenge #7? I will have to update it since I read it over the weekend! Thanks for letting me know.

It is good to be here. Actually, it is good to be anywhere. I will be glad when COVID fatigue finally lets me go!

>125 alcottacre: I got it in the same. *sigh* Can't be swiftest in the pack every day, but getting it solved was a good feeling.

Happy Thursday!

34. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn



Exciting novel about the Bletchley Place code-breaking establishment in the WWII and the friendships of three young women who worked there. I'll definitely be looking up this author again, soon!

35. The Annotated American Gods by Neil Gaiman, annotations by Leslie S. Klinger



I love annotated books! although the annotations of such a chunky novel make for a very large and heavy result. The notes of "godly" information were very useful and illuminating. Some of the annotations dealing with American popular culture, maybe less so, but I understand why they were included.

I've read American Gods at least twice, and the last time was fairly recently. As I read, I would determine if I needed to refresh my memory of the original content: if not, I would pay more attention to the annotations.

Very enjoyable read!

>1 klobrien2: Good luck with the reading!!

>131 ocgreg34: Hi, ocgreg34! Thanks for the wish and for visiting. Do you have a thread on LT? I’m off to look…

Good reading to you!

Wordle 237 4/6

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Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (02/11/2022):

Actively reading:

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 42 of 251
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger -- p. 36 of 170
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave -- p. 25 of 236
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
The Women of Troy by Pat Barker -- p. 1 of 245
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright: An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters, illus. by Brita Teckentrup -- p. 40 of 325
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline

AAC (American Author Challenge) for February: Tess Gallagher: I'm reading Moon Crossing Bridge

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 34 of 48 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl -- 20 of 176
Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7) --
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngard -- p. 18 of 317
Beyond the Great Snow Mountains by Louis L'Amour
The Archimedes Codex
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol -- p. 16 of 312
Phillis Wheatley and Her Writings by William Henry Robinson -- p. 129 of 459
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides -- p. 1 of 305

>134 klobrien2: Really good active reads, as usual, and there's only one...wait, two...oh okay, three...on your insensitive list that I would feed into the Belly of Baal as opposed to read/re-read.

>135 richardderus: Ha! I don’t even want you to tell me which ones you would have be Baal food. 😜

I’m always glad to see you, Richard! Have a great weekend!

>129 klobrien2: I enjoyed that one too, although I felt like it was a bit long. Like you, I will be looking out for more of Quinn's books.

>130 klobrien2: Oh, an annotated version?! I will have to look for that one!

Have a wonderful weekend, Karen!

>137 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! Yes, Rose Code did get a little bogged down in the middle, didn’t it? But then, maybe that heightened the sense of weight of living through war…and I thoroughly enjoyed the reread/read of the annotated American Gods, and the ability to read more closely my favorite parts AND the new insights I gained from the notes. I hope you find a copy!

Happy Saturday, Karen. Slowly making my way through the mountain of threads and posts. They sure build up fast. Glad to hear you enjoyed Harlem Shuffle. I am trying to bookhorn that one in. Enjoy your weekend.

Another “Phew!” Day with Wordle. I was careless on some of my tries—oops.

Wordle 238 6/6

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>139 msf59: Hi, Mark! I know what you mean about the thread traffic! I’ve found I have to try to get through all new posts every day, or I’ll fall hopelessly behind.
Harlem Shuffle was great! Such a sense of place—mid-century NY.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

>140 klobrien2: I was almost there...got saved by accidentally getting the third letter in the proper position on try #4.

Happy Saturday!

>142 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I was glad to see that my Wordle history transferred over to nytimes. Did yours move over okay? I do love that game!

Yes, I've had no issue (yet), but I started out a subscriber so...?

I’m subscribed to the NY Times “paper”paper (Sunday) and the games function (I do the crossword every day). I hope that they keep Wordle accessible to all, though.

Happy Saturday, fella!

>145 klobrien2: I guess we're reaping the rewards, then. Not like I'd do without it anyway but bonus!

Splendid, indeed

Wordle 239 4/6

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I notice your Wordle colours are blue and orange. I thought mine was the only one with a difference and even then it shows black instead of white (the green and yellow are still the same). I wonder why?

ETA: I took a bit longer than you:
Wordle 239 5/6

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>108 klobrien2: Break my heart, why don't you.

>148 humouress: I use the “high contrast mode” option in the Wordle settings. I wonder if the black boxes on yours come from the “dark theme” on the settings? I like the orange and blue colors better—more pleasing to my eye.

>108 klobrien2: Aren’t those poems wonderful? Anyone who has dealt with having a loved one at the end of their days would recognize the emotions expressed there, methinks.

Thanks for visiting!

Wordle 240 5/6

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>150 klobrien2: Took me all six, and was that an annoying word or what!

>151 richardderus: Ooh, that was a toughie! Once I got the first letter, there weren’t many letters left that would work in second place. I do love the thrill of watching the correctly picked word coming through in full color, though!

Buon giorno!

>138 klobrien2: Yeah, I am keeping an eye out for the annotated version of American Gods. Like you, I am very fond of annotation editions.

36. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave



This book really involved me in its twists of mistaken identity, corporate crime, but especially the relationship of the stepmother and stepdaughter who are dependent on each other to resolve the situation and get to a place of safety.

Oof! Another “phew!” Wordle for me. Husband got it in two (will ask him what his Word One was, didn’t want to know ahead of time).

Wordle 241 6/6

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American Gods has been on my shelf for a while, Karen. Maybe this year. The Kate Quinn book sounds fun as well.

>155 klobrien2: It was a 4 day for me...most of mine are 3, or 5; no ones or twos as of yet, and few sixes.

>156 BLBera: I hope you get a chance to read American Gods! This was my third time through, and it seemed even fresher than ever. And The Rose Code was a great read, too. Yay for reading!

>157 richardderus: Only the sixes make me a little anxious, when I swear to stop playing the game. Have a great day!

37. Maus: A Survivor's Tale, Vol. II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman



Such a hard book to read, but such a necessary one.

>160 klobrien2: An urgently necessary read as the events recede further and further into History.

>161 richardderus: Yes!

I have got to pay closer attention to the letters that I find! No need to reinvent the wheel!

Wordle 242 5/6

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Wordle 243 5/6

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Wordle 244 5/6

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38. Recitatif: A Story



Story about two women, from early girlhood through their lives. Morrison wrote the story as an "experiment," to present two characters without identifying any "color coding." We know that one is "black," and one is "white," but no further.

I'm going to need more time to let this story simmer in my mind! I enjoyed the reading, and I really enjoyed the essay on the story provided by Zadie Smith.

>166 klobrien2: This is one of those books that appears out of a mental nowhere for me...never knew she had written short fiction, never knew she had written anything experimenting with "race" identity...I will be extra interested to learn what your thoughts are about the results after some cogitating.

Nice weekend-ahead's reads, Karen O.

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (02/18/2022):

Actively reading:

The Maid by Nita Prose -- p. 35 of 289
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 60 of 251
Matrix by Lauren Groff -- p. 13 of 198
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger -- p. 36 of 170
The Women of Troy by Pat Barker -- p. 11 of 245
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright: An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters, illus. by Brita Teckentrup -- p. 40 of 325
A Deadly Affair by Agatha Christie -- p. 1 of 263
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl -- p. 20 of 176
Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7) -- p. 22 of 190

AAC (American Author Challenge) for February: Tess Gallagher: I'm reading Moon Crossing Bridge

My current Great Course(s):

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music -- DVD, 40 of 48 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) by Lee Child -- p. of 524
Bone (the whole thing!) -- p. 39 of 1332
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
The Archimedes Codex
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick

>167 richardderus: Hey, Richard! I believe that Recitatif: A Story was the only short fiction that Morrison wrote. And Zadie Smith made it clear that Morrison wrote it as an experiment. It's definitely worth a look-see.

Have a great weekend, Richard!

We're quite the cable TV watchers in this house! We are well-established with the second season of Resident Alien; The Afterparty; Somebody, Somewhere; and Astrid & Lilly Save the World. The third and final season of Discovery of Witches ends this weekend (sob!) But, the next season (fifth?) of Outlander starts in a week or so.

Other shows are starting up today: Fourth season of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! Second season of Space Force!

Husband Art and I will be couch potato-ing this weekend.

Got it in 4 today! Funny word!

Wordle 245 4/6

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Weekly library run brought me a plethora of new reads! Now, I will let the books simmer until I finish up some old reads, and decide which ones to read next.

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall
Sylvia Plath Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson
Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky
The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come by Sue Macy

Fun times ahead!

Happy Sunday, Karen. I am glad to see you read Maus. I should do a reread soon. Braiding Sweetgrass is a gem. Enjoy. I loved Matrix. I hope you feel the same way.

Wordle 246 4/6

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>173 msf59: Hiya, Mark! You know, I immediately seek out any book that you rave about. I have so much good reading ahead of me.

I’m reading Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright: An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year and the bird poems make me think of you. The book is beautiful, both the illustrations and the poetry.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

>174 klobrien2: I got it in three today!
Wordle 246 3/6

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Me, too!

Wordle 247 3/6

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What is it about this game? Is it its simplicity?

Have a great week!

39. The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose



A murder mystery this is, but also a story of the likable, unusual, neuro-atypical Molly Gray. Molly is a maid at a prestigious city hotel whose life is turned upside down when one of her clients is found dead, murdered, in his bed. Molly is alone, betrayed by those she considered friends. She finds herself arrested for murder.

One of my favorite passages: If all of this has taught me anything, it is this: there's a power in me that I never knew was there. I always knew there was power in my hands--to clean, to wipe away dirt, to scour and disinfect, to set things right. But now I know there's power elsewhere--in my mind. And in my heart too.

Good read!

Quite happy with my 3/6, especially my usually very helpful first word bit the dust!

Wordle 248 3/6

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>179 klobrien2: My very-first-ever 2/6 was today! So chuffed.

>178 klobrien2: I understand they're already working on a film of the book...which isn't unusual...but they appear to have made it to script-having in record time.

>180 richardderus: Excellent Wordle for you! I was very happy with my 3/6.

I read in the acknowledgements to The Maid the author's thanks to all of the cinematic types, so I suspected that a film version of some kind was in the works. It's a very cinematic kind of story--lots of action, and cheering for the hero. Almost melodramatic. But I quite love it.

Have a great week!

40. The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Save Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come by Sue Macy



Excellent picture book, a child-size version of Outwitting History. I've got that book back from the library, too, and I've read the "executive summary" now.

Bonus was spotting in one of the wonderful illustrations (library interior), a character which could be no other than Leonard Limoy as Star Trek's Spock! I will try to find a copy of that illustration--it's wonderful!

>178 klobrien2: The boys' school has just started book clubs and mine has picked this one. I was hoping to borrow it on Overdrive but it's so popular, it doesn't look like I'll get a copy in time. It's promising that you liked it.

>183 humouress: Hi, humouress! I did really like The Maid; it should be a great book for discussion. Hope you can get your hands on a copy.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Today was slow but steady…not bad.

Wordle 249 4/6

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Hey there Karen O...I'm awake at this ridiculous hour because I'm in pain from the revolting weather. But the heck with that, I used my time to tart up my last few Black History Month reviews, fixing some stuff and getting my final count: I'll have blogged 29 new reviews this month, averaging one a day.

Very pleased with myself. PLUS my new thread will, in only two days of existence, have four new reviews, another personal best. Heck, if the God of Sleep is gonna give me the cold shoulder, might as well be productive.

>186 richardderus: You're a superstar! Amazing review numbers--and that's quality as well as quantity. Congratulations!

I'll be around to your thread in just a few.

Thanks again for visiting!

41. Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright: An Animal Poem for Each Day of the Year by Fiona Waters

+++

Excellent poetry collection, fantastic illustrations (two pages across)(look at that cover!). Beautiful book in all measures! Sure, it's very heavy (serious poundage here), but it was easy to crank my arm around to hold it; not pain-causing. Just a true delight to read. I'm sure I have to have a copy of my own.

Here are a few of my favorites, although it was very hard to pick:

Grey Wolf (January 7th)

I am the grey wolf
shadow on snow

I am the silence
of the high places

the dark of ancient forests
I am closer than you know

feel the steam of my breath
in this icy air

see the gleam
the amber lightning of my eye

between black pines
the pack gathers

I am the thunderhead
we are the coming storm

(Jan Dean)

Hippo Writes a Love Poem to His Wife (March 15th)

Oh, my beautiful fat wife
Larger to me than life
Smile broader than the River Nile
My winsome waddlesome
You do me proud in the shallow of morning
You do me proud in the deep night
Oh, my bodysome mud-basking companion

(John Agard)

I've News For You (December 14th)

I've news for you
the stag bellows,
winter's snow,
summer's gone,

high cold wind,
sun low in sky,
short days,
heavy seas,

deep red bracken's
skeletal form,
barnacle goose's
customed call,

cold has seized
the bird's wings,
ice season:
that's my news.

(Anonmous, translated by Sean Hutton)

>188 klobrien2: what a great idea for a collection.

My students always enjoy reading and discussing "Recititif."

>188 klobrien2: what >189 BLBera: said

>187 klobrien2: Thank you most kindly!

“Phew,” definitely!

Wordle 251 6/6

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42. Moon Crossing Bridge by Tess Gallagher



I finished this today, read for the February American Authors Challenge. I found the poems interesting and well-written, though none really touched my heart. The Asian influence was compelling. I'm glad to have read this new-to-me author.

43. How to Listen To and Understand Great Music (Great Courses) by Robert Greenberg



This was a massive course (48 lectures of 45 minutes each), covering Western music from the dawn of time until the 20th century. I'd be hard-pressed to think of another instructor who could handle the teaching as well as Robert Greenberg. He is so good--funny, smart, musically talented, all-around great teacher of this Great Course.

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (02/25/2022):

Actively reading:

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells -- p. 95 of 251
Matrix by Lauren Groff -- p. 52 of 198
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger -- p. 106 of 170
Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7) by Rex Stout -- p. 110 of 190
Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh -- p. 156 of 519
A Deadly Affair by Agatha Christie -- p. 1 of 263
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl -- p. 20 of 176
The Cat Who Saved Books by Susuke Natsukawa -- p. 23 of 198
The Archimedes Codex
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick

AAC (American Author Challenge) for March: Bernard Malamud: Thinking of reading The Fixer

My current Great Course(s): The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries -- DVD, 6 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Bone (the whole thing!) -- starting with Vol. 1
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
The Women of Troy by Pat Barker
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 1 of 208
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas -- p. 14 of 314
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boutley

Happy Friday, Karen. Ooh, Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright sounds really good. I like the poems you shared. I will have to request a copy. I just did!!

I will be starting The Firekeeper's Daughter soon. Just sayin'...

>194 klobrien2: A lot of good reading progressing nicely, so enjoy the weekend of it!

>195 msf59: >196 richardderus: Hello, you two! Mark, I hope you will love Tiger, Tiger as much as I did—I bet you will! Richard, have a great weekend, with much reading and fun! Is the weather treating you better?

Wordle 252 4/6

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Sunshine galore today...nary a twinge of gout...dare I say it, it's been whispers pleasant.

...now I've done it...

I got it in 4 as well. Weird word, I thought, but it could just have been my mood.

Wordle 253 4/6

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>200 klobrien2: I took an extra step to get where you got to. Those last three complete more words than I thought they did!

44. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J. D. Salinger



These novellas (novellae?) kept me intrigued and entertained very well. The cast of both short books are the fictional Glass family, and the narrator is another member of the family. Salinger writes so well that if I hadn't looked it up, I would have believed that he was writing about his own family. His writing is clear, funny, heartbreaking; all around good reads.

So, now I have a new project: to reread/read ALL of Salinger's books (I count four). This book is his fourth, so I will go back to the first, Catcher in the Rye. These days of renewed book banning have brought the memory of Catcher in the Rye as the banned book of my youth.

Another book project I will undertake: A reread of the "Bobiverse" books! in preparation for my receipt of the fourth book in the trilogy (haha).

I had purchased my own copies of the Dennis E. Taylor books, thinking that I would do this reread, and it appears as if that time is now! Here are the book titles:

We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
For We Are Many
All These Worlds
Heaven's River

I've also got two of Taylor's books; I think they are part of his World-Lines series:

The Singularity Trap
Outland

I'll include them in my Bob-athon.

45. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh



Really good book, with some unusual clear and clever illustrations. Some serious topics are discussed (personal illness, grief, relationship breakups), but mood of book is upbeat and crazy funny. Thank you to scaifea who recommended it! I think I must now get the author's first book, Hyperbole and a Half.

46. Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7) by Rex Stout



Ooh, this was a good one. International intrigue, Wolfe's daughter (!), and bodies turning up left and right.

This series of ebooks, "The Rex Stout Library," features little bits of ephemera from the popular culture. This book includes a short review of the book from "The Criminal Record" ("The Saturday Review's Guide to Detective Fiction"). The book cost $2 back then (1939?). "Nero Wolfe is back to solve mystery of who stuck epee through customer in N. Y. fencing school, followed by another lethal impalement." "Summing Up: Stooge Archie Goodwin at funniest, and two murders plus transplanted Balkan intrigue can't get him--or his boss--down." "Verdict: Swell." Love it! It WAS swell!

Wordle 254 4/6

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47. Bone Vol 1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith



Fun, classic comic. Single volumes much easier to read than the massive all-in-one. Sweet characters, good themes.

Wordle 255 4/6

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48. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells



This was a fun reread! I bumped my rating of it to a full 4 stars. My edition had illustrations by Edward Gorey (NYRB New York Review Books).

I found one passage that I really liked:

But saving the race is nothing in itself. As I say, that's only being rats. It's saving our knowledge and adding to it is the thing. There men like you come in. There's books, there's models. We must make great safe places down deep, and get all the books we can; not novels and poetry swipes (me: gasp!), but ideas, science books.

>209 klobrien2: How wonderful to have Gorey illustrations!

>208 klobrien2: What a weird word today, no?

>207 klobrien2: No idea what that comic is, so yay for enjoying it I suppose but...?

Wordle 256 3/6

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Best possible word for today's world, no?

Hi Karen!

Yay for Wordling.

>130 klobrien2: I read and loved American Gods.

>134 klobrien2: Oh, I am so glad to see you reading Raise High the Roof Beam Carpenters and Seymour an Introduction! In fact, although I’m stuck in a thriller mode at the moment, it may be time to do a complete re-read of Salinger. I even have the two bootleg short story anthologies. ... I just brought my Salinger back into the Sunroom. AND, I just recently bought Maus and really want to get to it this month.

>154 klobrien2: Onto the wish list it goes!

>170 klobrien2: We love Resident Alien and are anxious to start watching season 2.

>172 klobrien2: A Solitude of Wolverines caught my eye because of the marvelous title, and the fact that it’s set in Montana is a bonus. Another one makes it onto the wish list.

>178 klobrien2: I was going to add this to my wish list, but it turns out that my non-LT friend Rhoda recommended it to me last month.

>202 klobrien2: Glad to see you wanting to read all four. Catcher in the Rye is a standalone, of course. The other three, Franny and Zooey, Nine Stories, and Raise High the Roofbeam are all about the Glass family. I originally read all his short stories while I was in high school in the magazines they were published in – thank you card catalog.

>209 klobrien2: Anything with Gorey illustrations has to be more than marvelous.

Wordle 256 6/6

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Ouch! But at least I got it.

>212 karenmarie: what a nice post! I’ve noticed before that we seem to have similar tastes in reading. Thanks so much for stopping by to chat.

>211 richardderus: Good job, Richard!

49. 5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food by Jamie Oliver



Lots of very nice looking, simple recipes. Most of the 5 ingredients are foods like rice, noodles, beans; with veggies and protein sources. It's the spices and sauces that jazz the meals up. I can see getting my own copy of this cookbook to have in my kitchen.

Just a coincidence, but I ran across illustrations that Henrique Alvim Correa created for a French edition of War of the Worlds. He was born in Brazil and moved to Belgium, where he died of TB at only 34. I sort of feel this is what I envisioned when I read Wells' story years ago. And long before I saw Correa's drawings.

Oh, that's cool!

>217 weird_O: I love that!

>217 weird_O: Excellent picture--thanks! I feel very much the same about Gorey's illustrations as I do for this--spooky, ethereal, impacting...Thank you for sharing!

And thank you all for visiting and chatting!

>216 klobrien2: I always wonder when I see a title like that: "is salt an ingredient in your book?" Like 15-Minute Meals...I don't have a sous-chef, how much chopping, peeling, and grinding needs to be done beforehand?

50. Matrix: A Novel by Lauren Groff



Marie, a young relative of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, is sent to a small rundown abbey, to live out her life (probably short and brutal) there. I can't think of what else to say about this book, but that I liked it. I think I need to let it simmer a bit. Maybe I'll try to figure out the meaning of the title.

This is a short but sweet novel. Many words are not found in one's English dictionary. Could be because of the medieval setting? Or the Old French setting? Or both?

Sweet Thursday, Karen. Are you enjoying Hench? That was such a nice surprise for me.

>217 weird_O: Beautiful image, Bill!

>218 drneutron:, >219 BLBera:, >220 klobrien2:, >223 msf59: Oh, good. Glad you like it. I didn't want to put up such a large image on someone else's thread if it was gonna bomb. (It's the Rooskies.)

>224 weird_O: Feel free to post such great images here whenever you want!

A little better than yesterday! And it was fun!

Wordle 257 4/6

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Wordle 258 4/6

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>227 klobrien2: Took me all six. I was sure it wouldn't, since I had the first letter in the right place from the get-go.

*grumble*

>228 richardderus: One just never knows…there is quite a bit of luck in the game sometimes, isn’t there?

>229 klobrien2: There's so much that goes into the playing of any game. Luck's always the last one I think about since it's not susceptible to influence.

>230 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I've caught myself basing my first word choice on a previous day's answer. And I might not be completely aware of why I'm doing it. I'm still having so much fun with Wordle, and I don't sweat it (too much). C'est la vie!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (03/04/2022):

Actively reading

The Cat Who Saved Books by Susuke Natsukawa -- p. 80 of 198
The Plot by Jean Hanff Karelitz
Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman
A Deadly Affair by Agatha Christie -- p. 1 of 263
Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 11 of 208
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- p. 17 of 326
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 10 of 235
Bone Vol. 2 by Jeff Smith --
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

AAC (American Author Challenge) for March: Bernard Malamud: I'll be reading The Fixer. TIOLI #5!

My current Great Course(s): The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries -- DVD, 4 out of 6 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Bone (the whole thing!) -- starting with Vol. 1
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Archimedes Codex
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas -- p. 14 of 314
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boutley

>232 klobrien2: I do hope you enjoy The Fixer, Karen. I loved it when I read it many moons ago now.

>233 PaulCranswick: That’s great to hear, Paul! I just picked it up from the library today—can’t wait to get started!

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

Wordle 259 4/6

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51. Princess Mononoke: The First Story by Hayao Miyazaki

THIS BOOK REPORT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION



52. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa



"Reading can be grueling."

The old man's eyes twinkled behind his reading glasses.

"Of course it's good to enjoy reading. But the views you can see hiking on a light, pleasant walking trail are limited. Don't condemn the mountain because its trails are steep. It's also a valuable and enjoyable part of climbing to struggle up a mountain step by step."

He reached out one thin, bony hand and placed it on the boy's head.

"If you're going to climb, make it a tall mountain. The view will be so much better."

The First Labyrinth: The Imprisoner of Books
The Second Labyrinth: The Mutilator of Books
The Third Labyrinth: The Seller of Books
The Final Labyrinth

53. Bone, Vol. 2: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith

Wordle 260 5/6

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>232 klobrien2: I loved The Plot, gave it 4*. I’ve got 3 copies of Catcher in the Rye on my shelves – my and my husband’s mass market paperbacks from our teenage years, and Bill’s grandmother’s.

>239 klobrien2: I went slow today, sat still and thought hard after #2 and got it on #3! I was really pleased by that result.

Interesting graphic reads indeed. Not likely to get into my stacks, though, given my resistance to comics.

I've settled on The Fixer for this month's AAC, for the simple reason that it isn't The Assistant. Those are the only two Malamud novels in my collection. Tried to read The Assistant several years ago and couldn't get into it. Hence, The Fixer. Moreover, it's a Pulitzer winner. Skimming your thread just now, I paused and hovered over the book title. Surprise! It's set in Kiev, the city being besieged by the rooskies.

>242 weird_O: Isn’t that timely?! I’m looking forward to the read. Malamud is new to me. Glad to be sharing the read with you. And thanks for stopping by to chat!

>241 richardderus: Graphics have changed so much over the years, and there are just so many variants. “Comics” really doesn’t do the genre justice, in my thinking.

That said, the Bone series is an older one, was considered “underground” at the time, and it is just the sweetest, funniest thing.

Princess Mononoke was simply gorgeous—a collection of large watercolor paintings created as concept illustrations for the film of the same name.

Thanks for stopping by, Richard!

>240 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! I’ve started Catcher, and I am remembering it from my high school read, a million years ago. Surprise!

Really looking forward to The Plot, even more so with your high regard of it. I probably read about it on your thread in the first place! If so, thanks!

Great to see you here!

Wordle 261 4/6

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54. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh



Very funny, poignant at times, and generally silly book with drawings that could be considered simple if they weren't so clever. Really enjoyed this book as well as its successor, Solutions and Other Problems. Thanks to scaifea for the recommendations!

55. The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries (Great Courses) by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Darn that English language! Too many possibilities!

Wordle 262 5/6

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Happy Tuesday, Karen. I am so glad to see you added Firekeeper's Daughter to your future reads list. I just finished it today and loved it. I also remember enjoying Hyperbole and a Half when I read it a few years ago.

Hi, Mark! Looking forward to reading Firekeeper’s Daughter when it comes back around to me.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wordle 263 5/6

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>252 klobrien2: I got this one in three, Karen O., because having AEONS and NORTH as my first choices told me what it was!

>253 richardderus: Ha! I figured you and I had the same word number two. (My starting word, I've decided as of today, is atone)

Hiya, Karen! I'll look forward to your thoughts on Firekeeper's Daughter. I also really enjoyed Hyperbole and a Half.

Hi, Mary! Great to see you here.

56. Poems to Learn By Heart ed. Caroline Kennedy, Paintings by John J. Muth



Great selection of poems, with wonderful illustrations. The variety of poetry included was surprisingly all over the place! Classics, new poetry; from Ovid to Ogden Nash; biblical passages to the Gettysburg Address (!). The book is meant for youngsters, but I loved it (maybe that says something about my mentality)(in a good way, of course!) Thanks to whisper1 for bringing this lovely collection to my attention!

Here are a few examples (I love to put poems in my thread):

He Wishes for the Cloth of Heaven (William Butley Yeats)

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

In beauty may I walk (From the Navaho, translated by Jerome K. Rothenberg)

In beauty....................................may I walk
All day long.................................may I walk
Through the returning seasons.......may I walk
Beautifully will I possess again
Beautifully birds
Beautifully joyful birds
On the trail marked with pollen.......may I walk
With grasshoppers about my feet....may I walk
With dew about my feet.................may I walk
With beauty..................................may I walk
With beauty before me..................may I walk
With beauty behind me..................may I walk
With beauty above me...................may I walk
With beauty all around me.............may I walk
In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty,
.........................................lively, may I walk
It is finished in beauty
It is finished in beauty

I find myself on a Bone-a-thon, reading the classic graphic novel, which started as an underground comic, but then was championed by the Scholastic brand (long may they wave!) Enjoying the heck out of these funny, sweet, fantasy-rich books!



57. Bone, Vol. 3: Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith





58. Bone, Vol. 4: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith





59. Bone, Vol. 5: Rock Jaw by Jeff Smith

>256 klobrien2: I also enjoyed this one, Karen. The illustrations are lovely.

60. Sonnets From the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning



Lovely collection of old-style poetry, these about love. Thanks to thornton? for the "heads-up"!

Here's my favorite, probably also the most well-known:

XLIII

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints--I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

61. A Deadly Affair: Unexpected Love Stories From the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie



Sweet (and sometimes a little shocking) love/hate stories from Christie, some I'd never seen before. Poirot is here, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence; also Parker Pyne, Harley Quin, and there's a little excerpt from Christie's own An Autobiography by Agatha Christie. Good, comfortable reading!

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (03/11/2022):

Actively reading

The Plot by Jean Hanff Karelitz -- p. 97 of 320
Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman -- p. 11 of 119
Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 95 of 208
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- p. 17 of 326
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 10 of 235
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger -- p. 69 of 277
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor

AAC (American Author Challenge) for March: Bernard Malamud: I'll be reading The Fixer. TIOLI #5! -- p. 20 of 335

My current Great Course(s):

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

Bone (the whole thing!) -- starting with Vol. 1
1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Archimedes Codex
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas -- p. 14 of 314
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boutley
Space Opera (Catherynne M. Valente) p. 9 of 212
In the Woods (Tana French) -- p. 17 of 431

Happy day for me! After two days of missing the Wordle, got it in three!

Wordle 266 3/6

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I am 100+ posts behind, Karen, and not even trying to catch up. Just swinging by to wish you a happy Saturday!

>262 klobrien2: Congratulations!

Hi, Stasia! Have a great week!

Wordle 267 3/6

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62. Return of the Pharaoh: From the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D. by Nicholas Meyer



Last book finished was an Agatha Christie collection; this one is a Sherlock Holmes mystery, done in the classic way, but with "modern" sensibilities and twists. Truly enjoyable, comfortable read.

>266 klobrien2: I'm not sure I'll enjoy any modern pastiches any more. They've metastasized to the point I feel resistant to them. I think it's too bad, too.

Anyway, hope you'll have a good week-ahead's reads.

Thanks, Richard! And I wish the same for you. Thanks for stopping by!

Wordle was fun today. The solution made me laugh!

Wordle 268 4/6

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Wordle 269 3/6

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Wordle 270 4/6 Aeons, cheat, crate, cater

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Wordle 270 5/6

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It was a relief to get it at all, still less in five not six. *whew*

>271 richardderus: I want to thank you so much for the great starter word! I've used other first words (I change them up every day), but that one is awesome!

Thanks for stopping by!

63. On the Bus With Rosa Parks: Poems by Rita Dove



This collection was recommended by BLbera--thanks to her!

One of her favorites was one of my favorites, too:

The First Book

Open it.

Go ahead, it won't bite,
Well . . . maybe a little.

More a nip, like. A tingle,
It's pleasurable, really.

You see, it keeps on opening,
You may fall in.

Sure, it's hard to get started;
remember learning to use

knife and fork? Dig in:
You'll never reach bottom.

It's not like it's the end of the world--
just the world as you think

you know it.

Final portion of my Bone-a-thon (I know it sounds trashy, but I like the term). I so enjoyed this series!



64. Bone, Vol. 6: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith





65. Bone, Vol. 7: Ghost Circles by Jeff Smith





66. Bone, Vol. 8: Treasure Hunters by Jeff Smith





67. Bone, Vol 9: Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith





68. Bone: Prequel (Rose) by Jeff Smith, ill. Charles Vess

>266 klobrien2: Do you need to have read any of Meyer's other Sherlock books prior to reading that one, Karen?

>274 klobrien2: I love Bone! I have a huge anthology of it.

>275 alcottacre: Meyer has written a few other Sherlock books, but I haven't read them, and I didn't sense any missing understanding. I'd certainly heard of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, but it must have been in my pre-LT days.

I had the huge anthology of Bone home from the library, but it was just too physically big for comfortable reading. These singletons were just the ticket for me. It was a wonderful series--exciting and funny, beautifully written and drawn.

Thanks for visiting, Stasia!

Wordle 271 5/6 irate, glide, niche,
moxie, movie

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>277 klobrien2: Heh. I tried MOXIE before MOVIE as well!

>278 richardderus: That word is one of my favorite words! Another one is “rascascielo” (skyscraper, in Spanish). Boy, am I being random today, or what?!

One of my favorites is "telefonerebbero" (I will have telephoned) from I talian.

>280 richardderus: Like it!

>266 klobrien2: >275 alcottacre: Meyer wrote five Sherlock Holmes novels: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The West End Horror, The Canary Trainer, The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols, and finally, The Return of the Pharaoh. He wrote a movie script for the first novel, which was produced, and Meyer was nominated for an Oscar for his adaptation of his own novel. How 'bout that? He scripted and directed Time After Time, three Star Trek films, and more.

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was one of the first books I shopped for on-line; I had vague recollections of the story and wanted to reread it. I didn't know he did other Holmes novels, so I have to keep an eye out for them.

Sweet Thursday, Karen. I hope you are having a good week and enjoying those books.

>282 weird_O: I remember reading The Seven-Per-Cent Solution and The West End Horror, but somehow missed the rest. I'd love to go back and read them all. I suppose the challenge would be finding them.

>282 weird_O: I think I see a Meyer@thon in my future. I really enjoyed Return of the Pharoah. Thanks for the bibliography and the personal anecdotes, weird_o! And thanks for stopping by to chat!

>283 msf59: Hi, Mark! Have a great weekend!

>284 drneutron: I’ll be watching your thread to see if the books show up. Thanks for stopping by!

P.s. There is a graphic novel version of “7%”! I’ve got both the original and the graphic on their way to me!

Wordle 272 3/6 (aeons, steal, saute)

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Wordle 272 4/6

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I chose SABRE before SAUTE darn it!

>287 richardderus: You know, there might be a downside to knowing lots of words, Richard! E.g., “moxie” before “movie.”

Amazon has all five of Meyer's Holmes books. Pharaoh and Peculiar Protocols in hardcover, the old three in paper. I just might jump into a Meyer@thon if one should materialize.

>289 weird_O: I'm in! Maybe drneutron and alcottacre will join us! I, myself, will start up "7%" (I hate typing it all out!) as soon as I get the book from the library.

Hear that, LT? We are starting a "Meyer@thon," to read the five Sherlock Holmes books of Nicholas Meyer:

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
The West End Horror
The Canary Trainer
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols
The Return of the Pharaoh

Want to join us?

Friday Reading Roundup Time!

Why I do this "Round Up": Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (03/18/2022):

Actively reading

The Plot by Jean Hanff Karelitz -- p. 243 of 320 (so close to done, and so exciting!)
Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman -- p. 11 of 119
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- p. 218 of 326 (this, too, almost done)
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger -- p. 69 of 277
The View From Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper's Life by Lee Radzak -- p. 11 of 157
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor -- p. 25 of 299
Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petron with Roseanne Foley Henry -- p. 0 of 257

AAC (American Author Challenge) for March: Bernard Malamud: I'll be reading The Fixer. TIOLI #5! -- p. 20 of 335

My current Great Course(s): A Guided Tour to Ancient Egypt -- 4 of 24 lectures

Not-So-Time-Sensitive-But-Still-Want-to-Get-to-Them (so, these are readily available to me although I might not be reading them quite yet or may have had to return them to the library; some are my own books.

1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline
The Archimedes Codex
The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone by Edward Dolnick
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Scaife
Tevye's Daughters by Sholom Aleichem (my own)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (my own)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (my own)-- 394 pages
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -- p. 0 of 472
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas -- p. 14 of 314
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan -- -- p. 1 of 241
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boutley
Space Opera (Catherynne M. Valente) p. 9 of 212
In the Woods (Tana French) -- p. 17 of 431
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips -- p. 10 of 235

Aaaalmost done with Jean Hanff Korelitz's latest...I hope you're impressed with the ending!

>292 richardderus: Finished last night—Wow! I’d had the faintest of suspicions earlier in the reading, but not to that extent. Very enjoyable read!

Wordle 273 4/6 Irate, haply, aloud, allow

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Hi Karen - I'm so glad you liked the Rita Dove collection!

>294 BLBera: I am so glad you posted about the book on your thread--one of the good things about Library Thing! Have a great weekend!

69. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz



Enjoyable read, though a little confusing at times--well, I guess that's part of the deal, isn't it?! I love books about books, and books about writing, and this one fits the bill. I didn't expect the resolution, although I had inklings early on, but then discounted them. So the ending was thrilling for me.

One of my favorite passages:

"It's been very interesting. I've learned so much about writers. You're a strange kind of beast, aren't you, with your petty feuds and your fifty shades of narcissism? You act like words don't belong to everyone. You act like stories don't have real people attached to them."

>296 klobrien2: I think it's a terrific story. That ending...!!

Tomorrow I'm posting a review of a book that made me So. Bloody. FURIOUS! at the injustices done to vulnerable people in this country!

>297 richardderus: I'll look forward to reading your review (and probably adding the book to my TBR)!

One more book report until I start a new thread--this one is becoming too unwieldy. I had hoped to break cleanly at the end of the month but, oh, well, months are just a manmade thing, right?



70. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman



Loved this book the first time I read it, and even more so this time. It was great to read it so soon after rereading American Gods. Anansi Boys is so funny, so clever, and has so many terrific characters. And the good guys win.