Diane’s Reading Plans

This year I want to be more attentive to my reading life by looking at TBR’s on a monthly basis and recording what I actually do read. No pressure, not goal oriented, but a monthly memorandum.

Books completed in January:
1. Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym
2. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra
Bannerjee Divakaruni
3. Overkill by Vanda Symon
4. The Chequer Board by Nevil Shute
5. On the Beach by Nevil Shute

Books I’m currently reading, probably to be finished in February: Little Dorrit, Thirteen Stories, Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling

I remember no details of Overkill other than it was an entertaining mystery that read very quickly. I read it to fullfill a reading challenge of books set in specified different (from the U.S.) countries. I do remember that this book was set in New Zealand. The other four I remember well and could recommend.

>2 dianelouise100:


Welcome, Diane. Thank you for joining us. Happy reading in 2022. If you have any questions, please feel free to just ask.

>3 Carol420: Thank You, Carol, I’m very glad to find this group!

Welcome to the group, Diane.
I see you’ve read 2 Nevil Shute’s this month - how did you rate them? I must make an effort to seek out more of his books for my own reading, this year.

>5 Sergeirocks: Thanks! On the Beach 5*, The Chequer Board 4*. These were my first reads by Chute, and I totally enjoyed them. I think he really knows how to tell a story. I plan to read more of his works soon.

February Plans:

1. Finish Little Dorrit 93 pages left of 860
2. Finish Mahabharata 704 pages left of 843
3.Silas Marner by George Eliot
4. The Second Coming by Walker Percy
5. What Happened to the Corbetts by Nevil Shute

>3 Carol420: is there any way to correct Touchstones? There are several mistakes in what has been posted automatically.

>8 dianelouise100: Diane, to the right of the “Add a message” box where you’ve listed your books will be a list of the Touchstones. After each book there will be a set of brackets which says ‘others’ (if there is more than one book of that title). Click on ‘others’, scroll down the list ‘til you find the author you want, then click on their work.
(I think your Shute book is second on the list after Christie’s - listed as ‘What Happened to the Corbetts’ (unless I’m mistaken).

Come back if this explanation doesn’t help, ☺️.

>8 dianelouise100: >9 Sergeirocks: Thanks for answering >8 dianelouise100:. Sometimes the list is L-O-N-G and if the book is very new, it might not even be there. I've found they are accurate 99% of the time.

It worked! Now, is there any way to delete the Nabokov entry? It appeared without ever having been on any of my lists.

Many thanks for your explanation, Sergei

>10 Carol420: They are indeed long! But handy to have…

>11 dianelouise100: Where did it appear? When the correct Touchstone was inserted when you clicked on "other" and chose it...the incorrect one should have disappeared. I know that sometimes incorrect authors appear with books, and they seem to just be something you have to live with. Doesn't happen very often.

>11 dianelouise100: Diane, do you mean you’re not intending to read Nabokov’s ‘Thirteen Stories’? (>2 dianelouise100:)
I’ve no idea why it would pop up unwanted, but have you tried simply to delete it from your post?

>11 dianelouise100:, >14 Sergeirocks:
Ps. I’ve had another thought (🤔), perhaps your ‘Thirteen Stories’ is by another author? If so, just search the ‘other’ authors in the touchstones again and change it. Should do the job.

Carol and Sergei, I’ve never entered Nabokovs Dozen anywhere, in fact I’d never heard of it before it mysteriously appeared in these Touchstones; and the Welty listing does appear correctly in my book list. Curiouser and curiouser. I can live with it though. Thanks for taking time with me over this..

>16 dianelouise100: When I click on your ‘Thirteen Stories’ on your second post (>2 dianelouise100:), it brings up the Nabokov book. I suspect that’s where it has come from.

>16 dianelouise100: We all need help sometime. It's frustrating when technology doesn't cooperate:)

>17 Sergeirocks: Bingo!
😊

>18 Carol420: maybe technology would be somewhat more cooperative if I read my own entries more carefully… Anyway, mystery solved and I have learned more about the workings of LT😊

>19 dianelouise100:👏👏👏

>19 dianelouise100: Yeah! Glad it worked out for you.

Read: Little Dorrit

Reading: Mahabharata, Silas Marner

Yay for technology! I've had the instance that Sergei and Carol described earlier, where the touchstones aren't quite what you expected them to be. But congrats on figuring out how it all works.

>23 dianelouise100: I saw that you read Little Dorrit. I read it a few years back as part of a Dickens F2F group. What did you think (or did you post your review and I'm just not looking thoroughly enough, which happens!)?

>24 threadnsong: i loved Little Dorrit. There are a few 19th century novels I reread every few years and Little Dorrit will become one of them.. In fact I was so pulled in by the plot that I read it too fast, so I’ll probably see so much more in a reread. I’ll also mention that I read it accompanied by Juliet Stevenson’s outstanding narration, which made it such an enjoyable read.

I’ve finished “Silas Marner” in The Best Known Novels of George Eliot. I had not reread it since it was assigned in 9th grade, and of course, this second read was much more enjoyable. I loved the story of the bitter old weaver (40!) whose life of loneliness and social isolation is transformed by an event that is simultaneously miraculous and sadly realistic. Other major and secondary characters are believable, mostly sympathetic and representative of the role of community in a small village.

The more I reflect on the the complexities of plot and language in this novel, the more astonished I am that it would be assigned to 14 year olds—and that in some places it still is!

Read:
Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym
The Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat

>27 dianelouise100: I enjoyed Shute’s ‘Pied Piper’. I gave it 5★s; and it made it onto my favourites list.
Happy Reading!

>27 dianelouise100: I like Shute and have also read The Pied Piper which I enjoyed.

>28 Sergeirocks: I’ve just started reading Shute this year and think he’s a great storyteller. I love how his plots come together so beautifully at the end. Do you have other favorites of his?

>30 dianelouise100: I’ve only read 3 so far (unfortunately finding them in short supply at local libraries), but they all made my favourites list and earned 5★s apiece:
Pied Piper
Pastoral
Requiem for a Wren

I’m searching out another of his books to read in the next week or two. I’ll let you know what I decide on, 🙂.

I have no difficulty making reading plans, but seem to change my mind as I go along. I think I’ll try listing books as I read them, then summarizing at the end of the month.
So, in February, I read:

Little Dorrit
Silas Marner
Some Tame Gazelle
The Pied Piper
Claire of the Sea Light

(2 of the planned 5)

So far in March, I have completed Armadale by Wilkie Collins, a novel I enjoyed but thought it was too long. I probably won’t be reading more of Wilkie Collins.

>32 dianelouise100: What did you think of Little Dorrit? And have you read The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins? It's the only one of his that I've read but I really liked it. In case you want to try W.C. one more time.

I loved Little Dorrit, it will be one I will reread every so often, right up there with Bleak House. I read The Woman in White a couple of years ago, and tried to reread, but could not finish The
Moonstone. Of the three novels, The Woman in White was absolutely my favorite.

Books read in March:

1. Armadale by Wilkie Collins
2. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
3. Death in Kashmir by M. M. Kaye
4. Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres

Birds Without Wings was easily this month’s winner, and one of the year’s best so far. Set in the first few decades of the 20th century in the Ottoman Empire as it transitioned into modern Turkey, this novel could not be more relevant with its accounts of the effects of war, religious fanaticism, and strident nationalism.

For this quarter I’m experimenting with a different way of planning, looking at categories of books I want to read, instead of specific titles. This will give me more choice and still be attentive to reading goals. Categories are:

1. Nonfiction
2. Books in translation
3. North American in the 19th century
4. 19th century Classics
5. Novels by Nevil Shute
6. Ongoing (Long books that take more than a month to read)
7. Writers from the American South and/or books about the American South

These categories reflect the books I’ve read so far this year. I plan to focus on nonfiction, since I’ve not yet read any in 2022. I’m resisting for now adding the category Miscellaneous!

>36 dianelouise100: These look like great categories! I'm suitably impressed with your #2 and #3, and I totally get #6. There are some books that just take a while, either from subject matter or because the language is just one you have to linger over for a while.

Looking forward to seeing how your reading continues this year.

Books read in April:

Monty Lyman—The Painful Truth: The new science of why we hurt and how we can heal (nonfiction) 5*

Maureen Quilligan—When Women Ruled the World: Making the Renaissance in Europe (nonfiction) 4*

James Lee Burke—The Neon Rain (American South) 3*

E. L. Doctorow—The March (American South, 19th c. N. A) 5*

Kim Michele Richardson— The Book Woman’s Daughter
(American South) 4*

Ilya Kaminsky—Deaf Republic: Poems 5*

Favorite read of the month was The March. It was an immersive read about Sherman’s march through the southeastern coastal states, very finely written. Some passages took my breath away.
I’ll be reading more of Doctorow.

>38 dianelouise100: I read The March last year and was totally blown away by it. It was my first Doctorow in a while and I bought it on a whim.

In May’s reading, I’m planning to include categories I neglected last month. I’m currently reading Villette by Charlotte Bronte; next in line is Ordeal by Nevil Shute, a.k.a. What Happened to the Corbetts. And I should certainly try to read another book of Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling, which I’ve been reading for several months now. A Town Like Alice and Pastoral are waiting on my TBR shelves, along with several other Shute novels.

>40 dianelouise100: I have Pastoral marked as one of my favourite books, Diane, I gave it 5★s.

>41 Sergeirocks: I have Pastoral on my shelf—I’ll move it up! Wanting a little change from Villette, I started listening to Requiem for a Wren and am hooked already. Sounding like more of a mystery than anything I’ve read of his so far.

Is Villette Charlotte Bronte's uncompleted work?

>43 threadnsong: It’s her last published novel, but it is complete. I’ve finished about half of it and enjoy alternating it with the Shute audio. The two are very different and both are very good.

>42 dianelouise100: I’ve not read a book by Shute that I haven’t liked.
Happy Reading!

I’ve now finished Requiem for a Wren. It’s a very good story, but very sad.

Books read in May

Charlotte Bronte—Villette (19th century classic)

Sigrid Undset—The Wreath (Book in translation)

Geoffrey Chaucer—The Book of the Duchess in the Middle English ed. by F.N. Robinson; also read in Brian Stone’s translation, Love Visions

Nevil Shute—Requiem for a Wren (Novels by Nevil Chute)

Edith Wharton—The Age of Innocence (North America in the 19th century)

My responses:

Villette—Enjoyed reading it, must reread ASAP to be able to give a thoughtful rating.
The Wreath—This is the first part of the trilogy Kristen Lavransdatter, a medieval romance that was a pleasure to read. I’ll wait to rate it until I finish all three novels.
The Book of the Duchess—still in a medieval mood, I’ve begun to reread Chaucer’s early poetry. Always a 5* read for me.
The Age of Innocence—a fine novel, excellent development of character and plot, and beautifully written. Wharton’s satiric treatment of New York’s Gilded age aristocracy is wonderful. Another book for my TBRR list and a 5* rating.

Best readings of the month: The Book of the Duchess and The Age of Innocence

I finished The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati today, also in the North America in the 19th Century category. Set in the 1880’s in New York City, this mystery tells the story of two pioneering women doctors, practicing in a culture that often disapproved of women who dared to take on a role very different from what was expected at the time. I thought this was an enjoyable historical novel that moved fast and kept me entertained. 4-*

For June, I will be replacing this category with “Books to reread” and hope to make a start on some of the books that made me want to reread them. And I will be including some works in the nonfiction and novels about the South, categories missed in May.

I’ve finished The Mantle of Command, the first volume of Nigel Hamilton’s trilogy FDR at War. This is an outstanding history of Franklin Roosevelt’s leadership of the Allies in WWII. I’m moving on to the second volume shortly. And I’ve begun a reread of The Name of the Rose, which is a translated work as well.

>49 dianelouise100: Oh yay! Another LT re-read of The Name of the Rose!

Books completed in June:

Sara Donatti: The Gilded Hour

Nigel Hampton: The Mantle of Command=FDR at War, 1941-1942

Clyde Edgerton: Walking Across Egypt

James Ellroy: The Black Dahlia

Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose

Alberto Manguel: Packing My Library

My responses:

Walking Across Egypt: A book I read many years ago. I had pretty much forgotten it, and thoroughly enjoyed its story of Mattie, a 78-year old woman in a small southern town coping with the fact that she’s “starting to slow down.” Even so, she does an amazing amount, feeding most of the characters throughout the book. Eccentric characters and some of the funniest scenes you’ll ever read make this book exceptional. 5 stars

The Black Dahlia: A compelling page turner, the first of a series about the L.A. police and the first James Ellroy for me. The violence and the fast pace were not quite what I enjoy most, but Ellroy is an outstanding writer. I may decide to read the other novels in this trilogy, but will pace them far apart. 5 stars

The Name of the Rose: Another reread and one which I rated a bit lower this time, due to the tedium of the narrator. I still enjoyed reading it and had forgotten the surprising murder method revealed in the book’s climax. And this book has sent me back to my shelves to review some of the literature about Franciscan spirituality, history, and theology I’d read earlier. 4 stars

Packing My Library: I didn’t find this book about the importance of reading and libraries too interesting. 3 stars

July:

This has been a crazy reading month, since I’ve been dealing with cataract surgery. As I’d been told, the surgery was a breeze, but it left me for a three week period pretty much unable to read till the other eye, my reading (!) eye could be done. So this month is has been haphazard as far as reading goes. I was able to complete The Vicar of Bullhampton by Anthony Trollope by listening to the Audio version of the last part of the book. And I have listened to a collection of lectures on CD by Br. William Short called The Spirituality of St.Francis of Assissi. Surgery on my other eye was completed yesterday, so soon reading should be more comfortable, and I can resume planning in August.

Wishing you swift recovery, Diane, 🙂.

>52 dianelouise100: I would imagine that Trollope would be a good author to listen to as an audiobook.

And glad you also re-read "Name of the Rose." I also found many of the explanations/theological discussions long-winded but equally fascinating for their insights into medieval theology.

Time to catch up here! The last couple months have been filled with major distractions, most of them under the heading of home repair—much needed and long delayed. So my reading and writing time have been curtailed.

Here’s what I have read:

In July,
Anthony Trollope: The Vicar of Bullhampton

William J. Short: The Treasure of a Poor Man: St. Francis of Assisi and Franciscan Spirituality

M.M. Kaye: Shadow of the Moon

Lee Smith: Guests on Earth

In August,
J. G. Farrell: The Siege of Krishnapur

Edith Wharton: The Custom of the Country

Kate Atkinson: Case Histories

Mark Pryor: The Paris Librarian

I think that for the last half of the year, I’ll read what appeals, since that’s what I did over the last two months. The winners for me in this group were The Treasure of a Poor Man, Shadow of the Moon, and The Siege of Krishnapur. The last two are both set in the same part of India, during the 1857-58 uprising against British rule. But the approaches are very different. Kaye gives us a great historical romance, while Farrell’s is pure satire of the inept British, includes some scenes I’m still laughing at.

Read in September:
Kelli Stuart: Like a River from its Course

Lars Mytting: The Bell in the Lake

Robin Hobb: Assassin’s Apprentice

Emma Donoghue: Haven

All books were excellent!