Ellen (EBT1002)'s 2022 Reading Adventures - 3

Our new little T@B trailer

This is why I can't keep up on LT. Carson occupies my lap pretty much any time I sit down. Blanket preferred but not required.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten 3.5 stars
2. Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead 4 stars
3. Red Clocks by Leni Zumas 3.5 stars
4. Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves 3.5 stars
5. Runaway by Peter May 3 stars
6. Matrix by Lauren Groff 4.5 stars
7. The Maid by Nita Prose 3.5 stars

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

8. The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris 4 stars
9. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı 5 stars
10. The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar 4 stars
11. All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris 4 stars
12. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna 4 stars

COMPLETED IN MARCH

13. the Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson 4 stars
14. The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore 3.5 stars
15. The Fell by Sarah Moss 5 stars
16. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 4.5 stars
17. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss 4 stars
18. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich 4.5 stars
19. Deacon King Kong by James McBride 3.5 stars

COMPLETED IN APRIL

20. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby 3.5 stars
21. The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki 5 stars
22. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi 3 stars
23. Still Life by Sarah Winman 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN MAY

24. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez 3.5 stars
25. A Shot in the Dark by Lynne Truss 3.5 stars
26. Salt Lick by Lulu Allison 4 stars
27. Zorrie by Laird Hunt 4.5 stars
28. The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini 4 stars

COMPLETED IN JUNE

29. The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead 3.5 stars
30. Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon 4 stars
31. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton 3 stars
32. Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor 3 stars
33. Night Waking by Sarah Moss 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN JULY

34. Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey 4.5 stars
35. And a Dog Called Fig by Helen Humphreys 5 stars
36. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason 4 stars
37. Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide 4 stars
38. The Force by Don Winslow 3.5 stars
39. A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee 3 stars

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

40. The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier 4.5 stars
41. Booth by Karen Joy Fowler 3.5 stars
42. A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes 4.5 stars
43. An Island by Karen Jennings 4 stars

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

44. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr 4.5 stars
45. Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty 3.5 stars
46. Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman 3.5 stars
47. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak 4.5 stars
48. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout 4 stars
49. Foster by Claire Keegan 4 stars

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

50. Bewilderment by Richard Powers 4.5 stars
51. Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout 4 stars
52. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel 4.5 stars
53. The Midcoast by Adam White 2.5 stars
54. Mecca by Susan Straight 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER

55. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
56. Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout 4 stars
57. The Magician by Colm Tóibín 3.5 stars
58. Haven by Emma Donoghue 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN DECEMBER

59. Death at Whitewater Church by Andrea Carter 3 stars
60. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan 4 stars (reread)
61. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
62. Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella 3.5 stars

Booker Prize winners since its inception in 1969 -- goal not included

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G. -- DNF
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist ... and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late***
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace***
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman
2019: Margaret Atwood, The Testaments, and Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other
2020: Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain
2021: Damon Galgut, The Promise
2022: Shehan Karunatilka, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

***On my shelves

Reading Plans

I'm keeping my challenges light this year, focusing instead on reading what I want to read, what is on my shelves, and what is available from the library at the moment (I'm always in the queue for several books at a time).

That said, I will be reading Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty with Laura and others in September.

I'm also doing shared reads with Kim and Beth approximately one per month, with flexibility and leeway built in.

Carson on my lap (of course)

WELCOME!!!

Copied over from my prior thread -- my completed books so far in July:

Remote Sympathy by Catherine Chidgey is set in and around Buchenwald about 1942-45. We get to spend time inside the minds of three main characters with a chorus of townsfolk chiming in here and there. The characters are a sturmbönnfuhrer (I really have no idea how to spell that, but he's an SS officer of moderately high rank, responsible for managing the camp's finances), his wife who is dying of cancer, and a prisoner who was a doctor before being sent to the camp and who was the inventor of an ambitious but useless contraption designed to cure cancer by sending mild electric current through the body. The officer brings the doctor into his home to treat his young, beautiful wife and the story of the camp and its impact on those working in it, those living (and starving) in it, and those living nearby unfolds through these three intimate portraits. Absolutely stunning and poignant. It was long-listed for the 2022 Women's Prize. 4.5 stars

And a Dog Called Fig by Helen Humphreys is a memoir focused on the writing life, dogs, and their connection. Helen Humphreys has had Vizslas and this delightful long essay was written as she and her newest puppy, Fig, got to know one another and settled into life together. Humphreys explores the human-dog bond, but does so in the context of the solitary writing life. She includes a few sketches about other famous writers and their dogs, and a few photos and drawings along the way. I read it in 24 hours and absolutely loved it, even though I've never really had a dog companion. Highly recommended. 5 stars

Happy new one, Ellen. I look forward to our next discussion. I do need to read the book again!

>10 EBT1002: These both sound great. I do have Remote Sympathy on my shelves.

I love your little trailer Ellen.

Maybe if you set up Carson with his own 75ers blog, he will give you some time ha. Always good to see him.

More new thread well wishes. Your new caravan looks nifty.

Your little trailer is cute.
Carson is beautifully marked.
I've added A Dog Called Fig to my reading list.

All good wishes to you Ellen!

Happy new one, Ellen!

>11 BLBera: Hi Beth. I'm looking forward to our discussion of The Intuitionist. I was thinking last night that it's been a while. It's unusual for me to finish the book first! I think I'll remember it well enough for good discussion.

I'd be interested in your reaction to Remote Sympathy. I thought it was excellent and multi-layered. I know I missed some things.

>12 Caroline_McElwee: LOL Caroline. When I can coax him into his little heated bed next to me, it frees me up to have my laptop here. Of course, it's my own doing. I'm loathe to disturb him when he's so sweetly sprawled on my lap! Yesterday after a too-large Blizzard from Dairy Queen (ordered a mini, got a medium, at it anyway *shrug*) I crashed on the sofa for a luxurious mid-afternoon nap and he stretched out on top of me. I was in heaven.

>13 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. We LOVE the new little caravan. It's absolutely perfect for us. Small, easy, well-constructed, easy.... Did I mention that it's easy?

>14 Whisper1: Linda, I think you'd love A Dog Called Fig.

>15 katiekrug: Hi Katie!

I can't decide what to read next. I have two library books loaded on my kindle: Violeta by Isabel Allende and Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason. I just don't seem terribly motivated by either.

Happy new thread!

>1 EBT1002: One way to make sure you have bedding to fit your requirements at your destination!

>2 EBT1002: The requirement for bedding between lap and pet can be a bit much in the summer. But I've found dog paws can be a bit rough on an unprotected lap, so it's always an option.

Happy new thread, Ellen.

>18 EBT1002: I have heard good things about Sorrow and Bliss.

Happy New Thread, Ellen. Happy Independence Day! Love the little camper. Enjoy, my friend. We are still on the hunt for one.

>19 quondame: Hi Susan. Carson is pretty clear that he likes my lap, in fact he demands my lap, but it must have a blanket on it. This is fine 9 months out of the year but it's a bit warm in the summer. I spoil him so.... unless it is absolutely unbearably hot, I will always put a blanket on my lap so he will sit here. I just keep my feet poking out if it's too warm.

>20 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I have heard good things about Sorrow and Bliss, too. It's probably what I'll dig into next. Violeta will probably end up on my "For Later" shelf in my library account.

>21 msf59: Hi Mark. We LOVE this little T@B. We're now trying to sell the rpod. We liked it but it was too much trailer for us. It's only a 16-footer but it has a slide out and just too many bells and whistles for our taste. We are tent campers at heart but too old and stiff to sleep on the ground anymore!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one! That’s cute little teardrop. We’ve been debating getting one when we retire.

>1 EBT1002: I've heard the wait on T@B and T@G trailers is really long. How many months did you have to wait?

Happy new thread! I LOVE the trailer. We are thinking a van would be good for us and may do some of the conversion ourselves. For now, we are blessed to have great cabins and yurts at the state parks when we want to escape. I would be willing to sleep in the back of the pickup but two humans and two dogs make it a little too snug!

I need a book about a dog for my bingo card and I like the sound of And a Dog Called Fig.

Happy new thread, Ellen.

>1 EBT1002: I have never camped, or stayed in a movable trailer. You new little T@B trailer looks kind of cute.

>23 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita!

>24 drneutron: We love the little teardrop trailer, Jim. It's the perfect size and complexity for us. It has a clamshell opening in the back where the cooking space is. So we're still cooking outside (honestly, we're still cooking on our little stove on the picnic table but eventually we'll probably use the cooking equipment on the trailer). It's got great ventilation, too, so it will be better than the rpod if we're camping in hot weather.

>25 thornton37814: Hi Lori. We bought this used on Craig's List. It is in pristine condition and we saved about $13K off current prices for new T@Bs. We got very lucky. We had the conversation about wanting a T@B instead of our rpod, agreed on that, and within a week this one showed up online. The couple who owned it before us took really good care of it and the improvements they made are truly improvements. I do think the wait is pretty long for trailers. We have a friend who ordered a big SUV (a Ford Bronco?) and he said there is a 3-year wait for them. So weird.

>26 witchyrichy: Hi Karen! We talked about the vans but one thing we like about the trailer is we can disconnect it and when we go on day trips, we don't have to pack up everything. It's more similar to tent camping in that regard. Also, the camper vans are super expensive and we just didn't feel we could do that. We recently discovered a state park near here where there are some nice camp sites and some yurts, as well. We've always talked about wanting to rent a yurt but have never done so.

Oh, I do recommend And a Dog Called Fig. I think you'll enjoy it!

>27 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. We are campers from way back. And I feel so much safer and more comfortable in the trailer. I don't worry about critters and I don't end up with my hips on the cold, hard ground by morning when the air mattress or thermarest loses some of its air.

We just talked with our Schenectady friends, planning for the October New York City adventure. We'll dedicate all day Thursday and possibly Friday morning to them (our Hamilton tickets are for Thursday night, October 13). We'll visit Stonewall with them, as well as a couple other adventures. Dinner before the show, of course.

So now we just have to make plans with Prudence's cousin who lives in NYC (and does tours for a living!), our nephew's husband who is living in NYC for about 15 months while working on a nursing degree at Columbia, and, of course, hopefully, a LibraryThing meet-up! :-)

Oh, and I want to do some NYC-focused reading in the next few months. Recommendations, anyone??

>28 EBT1002: Sounds like you got a good deal.

>32 thornton37814: Yes, we got very lucky!

Happy new thread! Cute trailer.

Happy new thread, Ellen. The caravan up top is really cute. I imagine it will attract lots of attention wherever you go.

Maybe take a look at this for NYC- inspired reading?

The 25 Most Significant New York City Novels From the Last 100 Years https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/t-magazine/new-york-city-novels-books.html?un...

Also, I can recommend a good one about the "forgotten borough" of Staten Island ( home of my best friend):

Small Mercies by Eddie Joyce. He happens to be the brother of a college friend of mine... 😁

>31 EBT1002:
Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto would be a good nonfiction book to set the town for the city that New York is now. I read Shorto's book on Amsterdam and it was a fine piece of writing. I would expect that this one on New Amsterdam would be as well.

I love the idea of a trailer like you have. I think it would be great for those shorter camping trips that provide lots of stress relief. I hope that since it is handy and easy for the two of you that you will take it out and do more weekenders. You live in a beautiful part of the country and this should help you take advantage of that.

>31 EBT1002: Okay, I have three picks for you:
* Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence is an excellent novel about 19th century New York society. The book won the Pulitzer, and she was the first woman to do so.
* How about some James Baldwin, like If Beale Street Could Talk?
* The Hours is another Pulitzer winner, about 3 women whose lives mirror situations in Mrs Dalloway. One of the women is a contemporary version of Woolf's main character and her story is set in 1999 NYC.

I started reading Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason yesterday. Now I'm sitting here reading it with my coffee. I had been thinking it wasn't really for me; there is something about it I have felt disdainful of.* I just finished chapter 13 and I had to stop, close my kindle (admittedly not as satisfying as closing the cover of an old-fashioned book), and catch my breath. My undercurrent of disdain is being overridden by what is truly an affecting book.

*apologies for ending that sentence with a preposition

>34 banjo123: Hi Rhonda!

>35 Familyhistorian: You are so right, Meg. One thing a dealer said to us when we were looking at T@Bs a few years ago is that the only down side to the trailer is that we'll be giving up privacy when camping. We've only taken one trip but we certainly had folks stopping by to exclaim over its cuteness.

>36 katiekrug: and >37 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie! I will peruse the NYT list and I love the suggestion with the personal facet.

>38 benitastrnad: Thanks Benita. I'll add that one to my NYC Reading List.
And I am excited to have the T@B in our lives for some of the reasons you mention: it's so easy to hook up to our little truck and it's easy to use. The camping last weekend was lower-stress because of it.

>39 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. I read The Hours when it was first published and absolutely loved it even though, at that time, I had not yet read Mrs. Dalloway. I knew enough about Virginia Woolf to appreciate the parallels. I still remember the moment of finishing it -- such an excellent novel.

Also, If Beale Street Could Talk is a Baldwin I've not yet read so that is perfect.

And Edith Wharton -- another author whose works I have been wanting to explore more.

>43 EBT1002: Excellent!

I will be really interested in your comments on Sorrow and Bliss when you finish it. We'll have to add that to our discussion next week. :)

If Beale Street Could Talk is a great choice, as would be Go Tell It on the Mountain.

From the NYT article, I can recommend:
Invisible Man
The Street
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
Jazz
Ragtime
Harriet the Spy

And off the top of my head, a few more that I've loved recently-ish:
All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg (contemporary, artsy NY)
The Family Man by Elinor Lipman (warm and funny)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (I've read this numerous times since I was about 10 years old)
The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine (added benefit of dogs!)
Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (absolutely delightful coming of age set during WWII; baseball!)
Dreamland by Kevin Baker (historical, turn of the century Coney Island)

ETA: Infinite Home by Kathleen Alcott (contemporary Brooklyn, neighbors)

Well, I may not be going to New York but I will be doing some great reading about the city! I can recommend The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

The Hours has been on the shelf for awhile so I think it just moved up the TBR list a bit.

Here's an interesting insight from this morning:

I don't dread going to work in the morning, but I just want to stay home. If I can maintain that for the next year, what a wonderful mental space to be in as I enter retirement!

Delurking to say nice trailer! We have been looking at teardrops but will probably need to wait until the kids are grown. We currently are in a pop up and enjoy the perks of a tent but the comfort of not being on the ground. :)

>44 lauralkeet: :-)

>45 BLBera: We'll have to set aside a wee bit of time to touch base about Sorrow and Bliss, Beth.

>46 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I've read Go Tell It On the Mountain and Kavalier and Clay. I agree that both are excellent. I can imagine rereading the James Baldwin. I can also imagine rereading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I missed that one in my youth so I've only read it once and it was just a few years ago. Others on the list look interesting, too. Oh boy, a theme for my reading. ;-)

>47 witchyrichy: I agree, Karen, that Kavalier and Clay is a good read. I've read it and probably won't read it again, although I'm considering it. I think Michael Chabon is such a great writer. Oh, and I definitely recommend The Hours even though it has been many years since I read it!

>49 jayde1599: I completely understand, Jayde. I used to be fine sleeping on the ground but no longer. Thanks for delurking!

>31 EBT1002: NYC books I have enjoyed include:

M Train or Just Kids by Patti Smith
Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hurbert Selby Jr (very dark and slightly depressing/depraved)
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
The Tenants by Bernard Malamud
Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina and Richard Farina by David Hajdu

And there's always The Great Gatsby, The New York Trilogy by Paul Aster, and my all time fave and one that's up there for you too......My Name is Asher Lev.

>40 EBT1002: Apology accepted. It was very amusing :)

>1 EBT1002: Oh, this looks like fun!! Enjoy!! I also hope you’re better than I am at backing up a trailer. :)

Carson is a cutie. I love cuddly cats.

I read A Dog Called Fig a month or so ago and thought it was so charming! I’m glad you liked it, too.

I’m going to add three NY books to your lists of excellent NY books, The Brooklyn Follies, The Bonfire Of the Vanities, and Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. Oh, make that four, Rules Of Civility.

I highly recommend Ragtime for your NYC reading. Also, Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, Forever by Pete Hamill, and The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead (which does much better what I think Teju Cole was trying to do in Open City. ) Then, of course, you must read E. B. White's Here is New York (get the later edition with the introduction by his stepson, Roger Angell); it absolutely captures the spirit of the city for me, even 70-some years after it was written.

Ellen, have you read Apple of My Eye by Helene Hanff (she, of 84 Charing Cross Road fame)?

All these great books about New York! I've added a bunch to my own TBR list and can echo Brooklyn and Lilian Boxfish Takes a Walk as great books!

Way behind but Hi!! Love your topper, NY books and your mental atitttue towards work. : )

Hey check out the Oregon Visitor Thread....

https://www.librarything.com/topic/332414#

Maybe....?! : )

Whew. What a few weeks. But I'm now on vacation! We leave tomorrow for six nights camping in our little trailer. I won't take my computer or iPad with me, but I'll keep notes about what I'm reading.

I finished Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejide. What a great read! Mystical and imbued with warmth, it's a very different novel about a common theme: recovering from trauma, especially trauma inflicted by other humans. Thanks for the tip, Beth!

Now I'm reading Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi, about the importance of reading subversive literature. She is exploring "the hostility of tyrants to imagination and ideas," and, as one of the novels she is writing about is The Satanic Verses and she is an Iranian writer who has lived much of her adult life in the United States, she's drawing some parallels between the Ayatollah Khomeini and Donald Trump. Since I spend too much time these days worrying about the demise of our democracy (you know, it's not really out of the realm of possibility that all those books I have acquired and that are resting on my various To Be Read shelves could become contraband), this is a good way to expend some of my reading energy.

And for contrast, and because I need books on my kindle for camping, I'm also reading The Force by Don Winslow. I started it at 3am when I was not sleeping last night (because it's the first day of vacation and, to be honest, Friday was an effing doozy) and I can tell it's going to be a propulsive read.

It turns out that The Force fits my New York City reading endeavor. And I'm loving the lists and suggestions folks are leaving here!

>52 LovingLit: Oh Meg, I hadn't thought of My Name is Asher Lev in a while. SUCH a good read!! I can definitely imagine returning to that one. I've been wondering about The New York Trilogy by Auster and I've not read The Burgess Boys or The Tenants so I'll put those on the list.

>53 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. You cracked me up with the comment about backing a trailer. I would give myself a C on that skill so far. I've had some really good experiences with it and, after getting perhaps a bit too full of myself as a result, been absolutely humbled by the exercise. We'll see how I do tomorrow!

Thank you for the three/four additions to my NYC list! I've read Rules of Civility but the other three are going on the list.

It will be interesting to see how many books on the NYC list get purchased and/or read before October and how many just end up in a brand new shopping bag as I wander the aisles of The Strand bookstore. Ha.

Enjoy your time off, Ellen. You deserve it! I'm so glad you loved Creatures of Passage; it's not one that would appeal to everyone, so I wasn't sure about recommending it.

I loved Read Dangerously.

>54 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for those suggestions, Linda! I have had Open City on my list but was not aware of Whitehead's The Colossus of New York. I've so enjoyed a couple of his novels. I'm excited to try to find Here is New York -- and I love Roger Angell so an introduction by him is very appealing!

>55 jessibud2: Oooh, Shelley, I have not read Apple of My Eye and I LOVED 84, Charing Cross Road!!! Thanks for that recommendation.

>56 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen! I have read Brooklyn and remember liking it a lot but I'd like to read it again. Lilian Boxfish Takes a Walk is new to me.

>57 Berly: Hi Kim! I will check out that thread. And thanks for the support. As you know, work has been a bear. P and I were talking last night.... I don't come home angry and feeling disempowered like I did under my previous boss, but I am working a lot and there is a lot going on. I'm doing "change management" times ten.

AND..... we just booked a 5-day walking tour in Ireland for September 2023!!!!! We're calling it Ellen's Retirement Trip. *big smile*

>61 BLBera: Hi Beth. I admit that when I started Creatures of Passage, I was initially thinking "hmm, this may not be my cup of tea." But by the second or third chapter, once I got used to the rhythm and the mystical and supernatural elements, I was sucked in. I read a couple of reviews and one said that the the strength of the novel -- the uneven pacing -- was also its greatest flaw. I thought it worked pretty well.

I bought Read Dangerously on your recommendation. I don't think I'll take it camping with me but I hope to finish the section on Rushdie, Plato, and Bradbury today. Then I'll come home to Hurston and Morrison. :-)

Ellen, I hope you have a great vacation. You absolutely deserve it, as hard as you've been working these days. Likewise, that 5-day walking tour in Ireland. Yay!!

Hurray for the vacation and for booking Ireland!! Now that's what I'm talking about--take care of YOU!! : )

>64 EBT1002: I thought the same when I started. I'm not big on ghosts...Hooray for a walking tour of Ireland! I would love to go back.

>63 EBT1002: A walking tour -- sounds wonderful!! Where does it take you? Guided or independent?

Have a great trip Ellen.

Love the trailer! And the way that Carson likes to lay on a blanket on your lap. Rollo likes an "under" - he likes me to put a blanket over my legs and he'll get underneath it. Also a little warm at 27C but he does enjoy it so much.

wishing you a wonderful trip!

Happy Sunday, Ellen. All your travel plans sound great. I have still not visited NYC. I have been to Ireland but that was nearly 40 years ago. I would like to go back. You got me with Creatures of Passage. Sounds interesting.

Have a lovely trailering trip in the new (adorable!) teardrop. Read well.

We're back. I'm so not excited to go back to work tomorrow. But I also get paid tomorrow....

I got absolutely eaten alive by mosquitoes but also got to try stand-up paddle boarding, which I have wanted to try for years. I LOVED it and we'll be investing in a couple of boards for future adventures.

I didn't get much reading done but we had so many adventures: hiking, boating, visiting with family (we have family in both Nelson and Kaslo), stand-up paddle boarding (aka SUP), swimming in the amazingly clear, beautiful, and clean Lake Kootenay, fighting the mosquitoes, driving around the area a bit.... The T@B trailer was awesome -- it really is exactly what we wanted. And we had a screen "house" in which to sit. Thank goodness.

I finished the long but good The Force by Don Winslow. 3.5 stars.

Today I did laundry, spent some time in the hammock, and now we're watching "Traitors" on Netflix.

I'm still reading and enjoying Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi. So good.

Carson is very glad we're home!

>74 EBT1002: I'm currently reading City on Fire by Don Winslow, and it is also good. I may have to add The Force to the teetering pile of TBRs.

Hi Ellen! Over on my thread you posted about reading Delta Wedding in August. I thought we said September. Scrolled through this thread for discussion about it and ... wait for it ... >7 EBT1002: says September. Is that still okay for you? If need be I can do August too, not sure about others who expressed interest in reading along.

>74 EBT1002: I read and enjoyed Read Dangerously earlier this year, Ellen. Glad to see that you are liking it!

Your break sounds great. I hope your return to work was smooth. And good luck with replacing the people who left!

I've finished a couple of books in the past few days:

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee 3 stars
and
The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier 4.5 stars

It's the second day of August and I've just completed my 40th book. I think I'll get to 75 this year but I won't get much past that.
On the other hand, since I'm committed to July for retirement (the 14th? 21st? 28th? -- that part is unsure, but JULY is set in stone for me mentally), I'm now in my last year. Yay!

Currently reading A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes and I can tell I'm going to love it. I'm going to draw out the "cast of characters" for myself tis evening. I have never been good at remembering who's who in the territory of mythology, etc.

>79 EBT1002: Glad to see you enjoyed The Anomaly, Ellen. I enjoyed it in June.

Good you have set a month for your retirement. Have a good last working year!

Come on, July 2023!

>81 katiekrug: I started a little craft project:

Love it!

>54 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, thanks for this list of books regarding New York City. I'm going to add those I haven't read yet.

I'll start A Thousand Ships next week.

Booking a retirement trip makes it official, Ellen. Have fun with the countdown!

>74 EBT1002: I'm so not excited to go back to work tomorrow. But I also get paid tomorrow....
I can relate! :)

I am rather lucky to work part time, I think; I can avoid the drag of a 40 hour week, I also don't get caught up in too much project commitment....having said that though, my pay cheque does suffer.

Happy Birthday, Ellen! Many happy returns. I hope you get to celebrate at some point and that there is cake.

Ooh it's Ellen's birthday! I hope you are having a great day, Ellen.
I brought cake for a virtual celebration. I decided on just one candle because ... well, why even go there.

Happy Birthday Ellen!

I hope you are having a great day, Ellen! We sure miss seeing you around, my friend.

Happy Birthday Ellen! I hope you have a lot of wonderful trips in your camper!

Happy birthday, I hope you had a lovely day, and that Carson helped blow the candles out!

Happy belated birthday! Hope you had great tasting cake and bookish presents :)

Happy belated birthday!

Well, I survived August and here we are in September. As promised a few months ago, Laura and I are hosting a Group Read of Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty

HERE is the link for folks to join in. I'll start reading it this afternoon.

Many thanks for the birthday wishes a while back there, and for keeping my thread a wee bit warm while I worked my tail off. With the start of school in August, it was a crazy month. I only completed four books in August, on the low end for any month, but especially in the summer.

Next August will be different. On August 31, Prudence and I shared a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle sparkling wine to celebrate my last August as a working person. My plan is for us to drink bubbly on the last day of each month, culminating in a really good Champagne at the end of next July (on whatever date in that month ends up being my last day of work).

Part of the reading challenge is how busy I am, but part of it is also concentration. I'm generally so exhausted when I am home that I've been working on jigsaw puzzles and re-watching British mysteries (Morse, Endeavor, etc.).

The good news, though, is that I've also been cutting into my morning reading time with good morning walks before work. I finally had a really helpful insight: back in the years when I was a runner, I never listened to anything during my runs. I liked to hear my own footsteps and breath, to have time in my head to think, process whatever was going on in my life, and just be. Since I transitioned to walking, I've had this notion that, because it's slower, I "should" listen to something while I walk. About two months ago, I figured out that I need to make my walks more like my runs: get my heart rate up and just be. No music, no podcast, no audiobook. Just me and the landscape around me. It has helped tremendously in terms of enjoyment, stress relief, and motivation.

Today Prudence is making Carolina Pulled Pork on the grill. We made potato and corn salads to accompany it for dinner this evening. I'm so very glad to have tomorrow as an additional day off.

I'm keeping tabs on, but not actually watching, the Seattle Storm game. They're in overtime right now with the Las Vegas Aces. I just can't watch.

Happy September, everyone, and Happy Labor Day weekend!

Okay, but what have I read? Yesterday I completed Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr and I absolutely loved it. I gave it 4.5 stars, and I'm not sure what quibble kept me from giving it five full stars. Perhaps just plain stinginess?

Other August reads of note include:

The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier -- 4.5 stars
Booth by Karen Joy Fowler -- 3.5 stars
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes -- 4.5 stars

It's good to have a catch-up post from you, Ellen. I wish your last working year didn't take so much out of you, but kudos for realizing you need to "just be".

I'm about 150 pages into Booth right now, and I expect I'll eventually rate it about as you did. It's pretty good, but not knocking my socks off.

This afternoon I spent about two hours pouring over books and maps, developing the skeleton of our 3-week trip to Ireland in September 2023. We've already booked a 6-day walking tour which will start in Cork and focus on the Counties Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. We'll start with about three days in Dublin, train to Cork, do the walking thing, and then spend almost two weeks with a car. Our plans are probably to spend that time in Counties Clare, Galway (a couple full days in the city of Galway), Connemara, and then around Longford, Roscommon, and Westmeath before heading back to Dublin to fly home.

If anyone has been to Ireland and has recommendations about sites to see, feel free to share!

>99 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. I wish my last year wasn't taking so much out of me, too. I still love the work, love my team, love the impact I think I'm having. But it's a lot of responsibility, a lot of politics, and just a lot of work. I'm putting in about 55-60 hours a week, with another dozen spent just thinking or stewing about it.

Enjoy Booth. It's quite good and I'm glad I read it, but not as impactful or memorable as some of the other books I read this summer.

>100 EBT1002: Let's talk about Ireland when we meet later this month.

You might not have read a lot of books in August, but they were good ones - I also loved A Thousand Ships. The Anomaly is on my list, and, of course Cloud Cuckoo Land. I have to read Goon Squad and then I will start it.

Tennis is cutting into my reading time right now.

>100 EBT1002: You are on the right side of the country for sure, Ellen! Kinsale in County Cork is an excellent place to visit and has wonderful restaurants, the Ring of Kerry, try and catch Dingle as you go up to Galway (possibly the Western World's most friendly town) through Connemara. Not sure you'll make it but County Donegal where my antecedents hail from has some beautiful scenery too.

Nice to see you posting.

I really enjoyed Cloud Cuckoo Land. I think it will make my top books of the year list. I think that any author who can make you care about a pair of oxen is a very good author.

I requested Delta Wedding and starred the thread, but I am not sure how much reading I a going to get done. I am only about 100 pages into Angle of Repose and that was supposed to be read in August. However, I am going to try to get this one read. I am still reading the books for the Kansas Authors Contest and only have one left for that, so I hope that by the end of the month I can really set down and read Welty.

Like you, I have been deep into the beginning of the school rush and am going into it knowing that it will be my last one. I have been teaching and working with tons of students and the days just fly by. I come home exhausted and then spend the entire weekend resting so my poor house is really suffering from neglect.

I am not doing champagne at the end of the month, but I am day dreaming about all that spare time.

>97 EBT1002: Great update Ellen. Love the countdown to retirement ritual.

Another fan of the retirement ritual here. I went to a conference in Galway a decade ago now, and would echo Paul's comments re friendliness. I wished I'd had longer to sit in a pub/cafe there and just watch the world go by!

>102 BLBera: and >103 BLBera: Oh good, I look forward to hearing your thoughts about Ireland, Beth. And enjoy Goon Squad. It has been a while, but I really liked it. I've been mostly ignoring the U.S. Open although P has been watching it some. I watched some of Serena's first- and second-round matches. Had a work thing on campus Friday night so I didn't "get to" see her final loss.

>104 PaulCranswick: Thank you for the suggestions, Paul! Dingle is on our radar. The Ring of Kerry is integrated into our walking tour. I'll look at Kinsale on the map. We're at the stage where we'll start planning where we'll sleep each night, and then build the day trips or the route from place to place around that foundation. The planning is fun!

>105 benitastrnad: "...any author who can make you care about a pair of oxen is a very good author." I agree, Benita! Tree and Midnight were wonderful characters in Cloud Cuckoo Land!

It sounds like we are on basically the same schedule, and managing the busy-ness and stress of our last working year as best we can. I know it will both drag and fly by.

>106 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline! Thanks for stopping by and reading my update.

>107 charl08: Hi Charlotte! I'm glad folks are liking my pre-retirement ritual.

We are intentionally building in some "down" time in Galway. It will be right after the walking tour so I have in my notes for at least one day "explore and rest." That definitely includes some time sitting in a pub or cafe watching the world go by. There is a bookstore in Galway that Prudence really wants to visit. (She is an avid reader and always willing to go into bookstores with me, but it's rare that she is the one identifying a bookshop and adding it to our travel agenda!)

I HIGHLY recommend Charlie Byrne's bookstore in Galway!

Hi, Ellen. We have you and P. in NYC on our calendar, and were wondering if you were free that Thursday. We have NTLive tickets for "Jack Absolute Flies Again", which has gotten very good reviews. We could get you tickets if you are available. If you are already booked, let us know when you are free so we keep that time open. We are eager to meet!

Hi Judy - I'm a huge fan of Caroline Quentin who just starred in the London production of "jack Absolute Flies Again." I had no idea that there would be a production in NY, albeit with a different cast. Reviews were great! I might see if there are still tickets available.

>112 vivians: Are you sure it's a different cast? This would be a film of the London production.

And of course we'd love the chance to say hello. It's playing at the Skirball Center on the south edge of Washington Square Park.

Hi Ellen, it's so good to see your posts and know you are now officially a short-timer in the work world. I'm also very glad that you loved Cloud Cuckoo Land. It is one of my favorite reads this year but it's not universally loved. I happen to enjoy those books that make one think and this is one I'm still mulling over. I probably need my own copy so I can read it again...and maybe again.

>98 EBT1002: Glad to see you enjoyed The Anomaly, Ellen.
I thought it was a brilliant idea, but the story could have been better.

>79 EBT1002: Congratulations on your retirement, Ellen! If you need dates in July, I retired on July 3rd last year :)

It's Olive Editions time, Ellen!
https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/oliveeditions

Hi Ellen! Loved catching up with you and hearing about the wonderful trips you are planning.

Hooray for your little tear drop trailer They are so neatly put together. I had bought a very used, although in wonderful condition, 70's trailer, but I haven't used it. I think I will sell it and trade it in for something smaller and cozier. When I bought it, I thought I'd want an indoor kitchen for rainy days as well as toilet facilities for those middle of the night runs while I'm traveling by myself.

I love your plans for an Irish tour, beckoning like a flag on the finish line. I hope this year goes smoothly!

I have a friend who is currently in Scotland, doing a walking tour from hostel to hostel. Today they are scheduled to take a train to Edinburgh - but today the queen's body is arriving there, too. She said they do not plan to join the throngs to revere the queen, but the city is so packed, they do not think they will be able to see the sights they wanted to see there, either.

>110 BLBera: It's on the list!!

>111 ffortsa: Hi Judy. Sorry for the delay. Thursday is the night we have Hamilton tickets. Between friends from Schenectady, P's cousin, and our niece-in-law, I'm feeling like our four days have gotten pretty full. I have feelings about this (I'm going to NYC, I want to see and do stuff, not just connect with family!!) but we're negotiating our time and plans. More soon as it gets sorted.

>112 vivians: and >113 ffortsa: We'll, if my trip to NYC connects y'all on a show, that's pretty cool!

>114 Donna828: Hi Donna. I'm SO ready to be done with work!

>115 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. I really liked The Anomaly.

>116 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. I'm thinking my last work day will be July 21, give or take a week. 😉

>117 richardderus: YOU are dangerous, Richard!

>118 streamsong: Hi Janet. I feel like I've developed a nice set of "stepping stones" with Ireland as the finale! NYC in October, Kauai in February, probably Tennessee to visit my beloved Aunt Jean in May... then Ireland in September! 😎

>119 EBT1002: No rush for planning. We would love to see you if you can work out a time.

Glad you have gotten back to the quiet art of walking. That's mostly how I take mine, too. I love to hear the wind in the trees and the birds, and just admire the scenery. It calms me.

Your retirement plans sounds awesome! I mean how can you go wrong with NY and Ireland!!

I am just starting Cloud Cuckoo Land today. But I had not idea it was that long or I would have started sooner!! Wait, no. I probably woundn't have. The wedding and surgery have taken up all my time. LOL

>122 ffortsa: Thanks Judy. It's starting to come together. We're connecting with P's cousin for lunch on Tuesday.

>123 Berly: Hi Kim. This past week I haven't walked because the air quality has been poor but it's much better now so I plan to get back to it this week.

NYC is coming up soon! Ireland will be the retirement trip. Yay!

I need to visit your thread to read about how the wedding was. :-)

Hi everyone. Just doing a bit of catch-up here on LT while I watch the Seahawks play like a bunch of high schoolers against the 49ers and game 4 of the WNBA finals.

And I don't have a lot to share. Our camping trip last weekend was pleasant despite fairly smoky conditions. The air quality is much better now so I'll get back into my morning walks this week.

I talked with my sister this morning and my SIL continues to decline. They expect her to see Thanksgiving, Christmas is more iffy, and they apparently think there is very little chance of her making it to Valentine's Day. So, I need to make another trip to North Carolina some time soon. October is out of the question between work, NYC, and Prudence's knee replacement on October 26. So, some time in November I'll make a trip to NC. It will have to be a quick one -- I'm thinking five days with days 1 and 5 as travel days.

I'm almost done reading Last Call at the Nightingale, an enjoyable mystery set in NYC in 1924. I have The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak queued up from the library for next. I also want to read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison as part of my half-hearted NYC reading focus.

Honestly, 2022 is being one of my worst reading years in a long time. I don't expect to make it to 75 books read. If that holds true, it will be the first time I have fallen short of that mark since joining this beloved group in 2011.

Ten months to go.

Sorry to hear about your SIL, Ellen. Enjoy NY.

I'm very sorry to hear about your SIL, Ellen.

Very sorry to hear about your SIL. I hope you can swing a fall trip to go see her. Best wishes to P and her knee. I'd like to hear all about it since I see that for myself down the road sometime. Meanwhile, I start PT for my knee on Thursday. Don't worry about making the 75. We all know who you are and won't judge you. Reading is supposed to be fun! So do it if it calls to you. Hugs.

So sorry to hear about your SIL.

>98 EBT1002: I loved A Thousand Ships and have a few other mythologically based books ready to go for the fall.

The trip to Ireland sounds dreamy but I like the end-of-month champagne!

Sad to hear about Hilary Mantel's passing. I have been thinking I would read the Wolf Hall trilogy back-to-back after retirement but I assume there will be some shared HM reads in this group in the next month or so?

Meanwhile, TGIF!!!

Oh, and trip to North Carolina booked for December 1-6. It's not as soon as I had hoped but it was what I could do. My sister is delighted to have a confirmed date.

I just finished The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. LOVED it!!!

Wasn't the fig tree inspired?

>132 EBT1002: I don't know anyone who didn't like this book Ellen. Glad it made your hit list.

Two more completed in September, both very quick reads (both with poverty as a significant theme, but one set in NYC and Illinois, the other in the Irish countryside):

48. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout 4 stars
This was a reread for me but I had absolutely no memory of my first reading in 2016. Even as I read, none of it came back to me. I have not been a big a fan of Strout's work as some others but this one landed well this time around. I am starting to understand her subtle talent for character and the loneliness and longing embedded in human relationships.

I want to read Anything is Possible soon, and then Oh William! since it was short-listed for this year's Booker Prize.

49. Foster by Claire Keegan 4 stars
Beth sent this novella to me a few weeks ago and I read it last night. It's a truly beautiful first-person account of a 9-year-old girl sent to live with relatives for the summer as her newest baby sibling is born. It depicts poverty from the normalizing eyes of a child, giving the experience even more poignant weight.

>126 BLBera: and >127 lauralkeet: Thanks Beth and Laura. It's hard to think of Betty declining so rapidly. She was a significant nurturing figure in my youth and has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember.

>128 Berly: Thanks Kim and it was great seeing you virtually last evening! Keep taking care of that knee, my friend.

>129 witchyrichy: Hi Karen. I'm glad you like the end-of-the-month bubbly ritual we've started. This Friday is the last day of September!

I'm rather enjoying the foray into mythology based books I've been reading in recent years. I have a couple more and there are some I'd like to reread.

>133 BLBera: Yes, Beth, I loved the fig tree! The twist at the end barely worked for me as I thought the fig tree as a narrator worked all by itself and imbedding the mom/wife into it just felt jarring but I still loved it.

>134 Caroline_McElwee: I think I'll read just about anything Elif Shafak writes now, Caroline.

>135 EBT1002: re: Lucy Barton, you may already know this but Strout's latest, Lucy by the Sea, was just released last week. So after your Lucy binge you will be well prepared for it.

I was pretty sure you would love Foster; I will read anything Keegan writes. Maybe you'll be able to find some work of hers when you are in Ireland. Lucy by the Sea is newly released as well. After Oh! William, I was kind of hoping that Strout was done with Lucy.

Only a few posts since I last visited and I've added three books to the TBR list.

The trip to North Carolina sounds wonderful! We used to always go between Christmas and New Year, mostly for the birding.

I started reading Bewilderment by Richard Powers last night.

This book. It is breaking my heart on almost every page. This is what a five-star read feels like!

>138 lauralkeet: I did not know that, Laura. I need to be sure I get to the next two in the series sooner rather than later, given my impaired concentration and memory with the work overload these days. Going to put Anything is Possible on hold at the library, stat!

>139 BLBera: "After Oh! William, I was kind of hoping that Strout was done with Lucy." Because you're tired of her, or because it felt like a good stopping place?

>140 witchyrichy: Well, Karen, I'm being a mucket about visiting other threads these days, so you may have already read and commented on Bewilderment, but if not, I hope I'm adding another book to your TBR list. Admittedly, I'm only about 40 pages in, but my reading time this morning was almost more than I could stand. I want to reread so many passages. It is elegant and beautiful and heartbreaking in a very good way. So far. ;-)

>142 EBT1002: Happy to help Ellen (LOL!). I just received notice from my library that Lucy by the Sea is waiting for me. I'm excited to start it.

I'm also curious about Beth's comment.

Hi, Ellen. I loved Anything is Possible. A 5 star read. I hope you feel the same. I am glad you are loving Bewilderment. It didn't quite work for me but I am in the minority.

>141 EBT1002: I loved this one too Ellen. I've read and loved a couple of others of his too, including The Overstory and maybe my favourite, by a tiny margin: The Time of Our Singing.

Hi, Ellen. I’m glad Bewilderment is working for you; I enjoyed it, too. I just finished a re-read of Plainsong, and loved it even more than the first time I read it.

Hi Ellen, I am starting to get back to visiting the threads. Happy Belated Birthday!

>145 Caroline_McElwee: The Time of Our Singing is on my TBR list. It's time to read this as it's been on the TBR pile for too long. Thanks for listing this book. It is something I know I will like.

>97 EBT1002: I finally had a really helpful insight: back in the years when I was a runner, I never listened to anything during my runs. I liked to hear my own footsteps and breath, to have time in my head to think, process whatever was going on in my life, and just be.

Makes sense, I first started out listening to music when I ran but then realized I didn't enjoy that very much. So then I either listened to audio books or did this, just listening to my breath and my feet hitting the ground. Now when I walk I don't listen to anything because I can't afford to block out traffic noises, but it's also not that relaxing walking in this city!

>97 EBT1002: interesting re your running/walking and whether or not to listen to books/music while doing that. I definitely do a wilderness walk in silence, so I can hear the trees in the wind, the crunch of the stones under my feet, the birds etc., but for a fitness walk (around the neighbourhood) an audiobook is what gets me motivated to get walking :)

>125 EBT1002: never mind about rubbish reading years, at least you're reading at all, right? There's always next year...post work life means a few more hours up your sleeve :)

Hamilton on Broadway was AMAZING!!!
We were in the 8th row so we could really see facial expressions. What a masterpiece.

I finished Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout today. 4 stars. Maybe I'm turning into a Strout fan at last....

>151 EBT1002: Yay! Hamilton is amazing however it's viewed, but that's even more so!

>151 EBT1002: Clapping.

I finished Sea of Tranquility today. 4.5 stars but I can't seem to edit it in LT -- date read, etc. Grrr.

I'll chalk it up to jet lag. Bed time.

Emily St. John Mandel is becoming a favorite of mine, Ellen. I've loved all the books I've read.

It sounds like your NYC trip was worth it, just to see "Hamilton."

Ellen, am I remembering correctly that you stayed at the Library Hotel? I'm dying to know what it was like!

>157 jessibud2: oooh yes, me too. I hope it lived up to expectations.

Quick life update:

Prudence had her knee replacement surgery four days ago. It went well but I absolutely underestimated the amount of work it would be to care for her in these early days! I'm happy to do it, and glad I took the latter part of last week off, but I'm a tired pup. I'm back to work tomorrow, though I have scheduled myself to come home at lunch, at least, to check on her. I'm a bit nervous about leaving her alone for too long at this stage. She's still pretty dependent on help as her hands are occupied with the walker. Still, she is getting stronger every day so we're on the right track!

My concentration for reading continues to be a challenge but this evening I finished Mecca by Susan Straight. I'm giving it 4.5 stars. I absolutely loved it. It's a messy, complex novel with lots of interconnected characters set in California near Mecca, north of the Salton Sea. This is the California of farm workers, laborers, the folks who clean hotel rooms and pick grapes for the wine industry. The various story lines evoke the wonder of love, heartbreak, family, tragedy, and hope. So very good.

I see that only 81 members of LibraryThing have this one in their libraries. I hope more readers give this novel a go.

Okay, time for bed but I did want to stop by to say hi and make note of some reading I've done.

>157 jessibud2: We did stay at The Library Hotel, Shelley. It's a block from the New York Public Library and in the heart of midtown. Very nice (and a bit spendy).

I'm glad to see P's surgery was successful and her recovery is going well. May it continue! Good luck with the change in schedule this week.

I have Mecca on my list for future library requests. I think Beth first brought it to my attention. And now you, both with glowing reports. Noted.

Glad to hear P's surgery went well Ellen. I suspect most carers underestimate the volume of aftercare that will be needed. Hopefully things will get easier soon.

>159 EBT1002: Thanks for the update, Ellen. Take care of P and give her a wee hug from me.

I'm so glad you loved Mecca, Ellen! It will be one of my favorite books for 2022, I think. I'm glad to hear that P. is doing well. Take care.

Being a caretaker is all-consuming, physically and emotionally. And I totally get your anxiety about leaving P by herself right now. Hope she doesn't try to overreach her bounds ... I probably would!
Now I have taken note of Mecca as well. My wishlist has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last couple weeks---everyone seems to be reading something marvelous lately.

>159 EBT1002: Our adult daughter had knee replacement in September and spent about a week with us after. Her partner took on sole care of 4 year-old so we got the easier end of the stick but still it was a lot of work so you have my informed sympathy :)

I have Mecca on my TBR list, but just haven't gotten there yet.

Nice to hear from you.

>159 EBT1002: Good news about the surgery's success...the recovery will take time but will be so worth it in the end that you'll both forget the process.

What Richard said.

>159 EBT1002: I did enjoy Mecca, Ellen.

I'm glad the knee surgery went well. Mike is pretty independent, but even he needed lots of help the first few days - especially with the strange reaction he had to the bandages that had the surgeon re-open and clean out the wound. But he's doing great now, and has been for months, so there is an end to it.

I'm glad P's surgery went well. I hope she is starting to feel a little better.

I am sorry to hear that your SIL continued to decline. I hope your trip to see her goes well.

Mecca sounds interesting. I'll have to put it on the never ending TBR list.

>142 EBT1002: I claim muckethood with you…haven’t managed to visit threads or read Bewilderment. Your review has moved it up the list although at this point I’m not completely sure where that list is even located ;-)

I am glad Pru is doing well and benefitting from your wonderful care.

Alright, you hit me with a BB for Mecca.

>141 EBT1002: I loved Bewilderment!! He is an author for LT in 2023. : )

Glad P is doing well. I go for PT tomorrow after an absence due to being overwhelmed at work and home. I have been good this week though and gone to the gym 3 so I hope I am gaining.

Thank you as always for books, thank you for this group and thanks for you. Have a lovely day, Ellen.

Happy Thanksgiving from Bottle Tree Farm

Hi Ellen.

I’m thankful for my LT friends, who I’ve been not good about keeping up with this year. I shall strive to do better. Today is a hard reset.
.

I hope the transport to NC to see your sister in law goes smoothly and the visit brings comfort to you all.

Just popping in to say Hi!

Wanted to wish you a Happy Holidays and much reading time.

I send all good wishes for a wonderful holiday!

With every good wish of the season Ellen. I hope you have a lovely celebration.

Happy Christmas from my Christmas gnome!

Happy Holidays to you and yours, Ellen!

Hi Ellen! One of my New Year's Resolutions is to visit my LT friends more.

I have been offline most of the month, busy baking, crocheting, traveling, and reading but didn't want to let the end of the year pass without wishing my LT friends good blessings!

Malaysia's branch of the 75er's wishes you and yours a happy holiday season.

Missing you, Ellen.