Beth (BLBera)Turns the Pages in 2022 - Page 5

My name is Beth. I am a recently retired English instructor at my local community college (16 August 2022), so 2022 is a year of change for me. I love books – talking about them, writing about them, reading about them. I also love to read with my granddaughter Scout.

I tend not to plan my reading, other than for my book club, which meets once a month. We celebrate twenty years in 2022.

Each year my goal is to read more books from my shelves, but those shiny new library books often distract me. In 2022, I would like to read more in translation.

As always, though, goals may fall by the wayside.

Please comment, lurk, make yourself at home.

Currently Reading

Tentative Reading Plans - Part 1
Book Club
✔️January: The Glass Hotel
DNF February: Anxious People
✔️ March: Hamnet
✔️ April: The Four Winds
✔️ May: The Hired Man
✔️June: The Midnight Library
✔️July: Swimming Lessons
✔️August: H Is for Hawk
✔️September: A Visit from the Goon Squad
✔️October: Little Fires Everywhere
✔️November: To the Lighthouse
✔️December: The Guest Cat

Shared Reads
✔️January: Red Clocks - Kim and Ellen
✔️February: Thirty Names of Night - Kim and Ellen
✔️March: Spring - Anne, Julia, and anyone else who cares to join us
✔️May: Summer - Anne, and anyone who cares to join us
✔️ Salt Lick - Ellen, Kim
✔️ June: The Intuitionist - Ellen, Kim
✔️June: (family reunion book) - The Sentence
✔️August: A Thousand Ships - Ellen
✔️September: Cloud Cuckoo Land - Ellen, Kim
✔️October: Afterlives - Ellen, Kim
✔️November: Haven - Ellen, Kim
December: A Visit from the Goon Squad - Ellen, Kim

Tentative Reading Plans (cont.)
Longlist for the Women's Prize for Fiction
The Bread the Devil Knead SL
✔️Salt Lick by Lulu Allison
Careless by Kirsty Capes
Remote Sympathy
The Paper Palace
Flamingo
✔️The Sentence SL
Build Your House Around My Body
✔️Sorrow and Bliss SL
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
✔️The Book of Form and Emptiness WINNER
This One Sky Day
✔️The Island of Missing Trees SL
✔️Great Circle SL
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
✔️Creatures of Passage

Booker Prize- Ones I am interested in reading
✔️Audrey Magee, The Colony
Selby Wynn Schwartz, After Sappho
✔️Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These SL
✔️Leila Mottley, Nightcrawling
✔️Percival Everett, The Trees SL
✔️Hernan Diaz, Trust
Shehan Karunatilaka, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida SL ⭐️WINNER
✔️Elizabeth Strout, Oh William! SL

Books Read 2022
📓September📓
94. When I Sing, Mountains Dance
95. Black Cake
96. A Visit from the Goon Squad* REREAD
97. Scary Monsters
98. An Uncertain Place*
99. How to Read Now*
100. In Plain Sight 🎧
101. Cloud Cuckoo Land*💜
102. Squire
103. Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon 🎧
104. Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller
105. This Time Tomorrow

September Reading
Books read: 12
By women: 9
By men: 3

Novels: 8
Graphic novel: 1
Essays: 1
Memoir: 1
Biography: 1
Translations: 2

American: 8
Catalan: 1
Egyptian: 1
Australian: 1
French: 1

Library: 8
From my shelves: 4

🎃October🎃
106. Trust
107. Catherine Called Birdy*
108. How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water* 💜
109. Sparked: George Floyd, Racism, and the Progressive Illusion*
110. Little Fires Everywhere*
111. Lucy by the Sea
112. Companion Piece*
113. Tied Up in Tinsel * 🎧
114. Laurentian Divide*
115. Nightcrawling
116. When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through* 💜
117. Afterlives*
118. On Rereading*
119. The Ghost Riders of Ordebec*

October Reading
Books read: 14
By women: 11
By men: 2
By various: 1

Novels: 11
Poetry: 1
Essays: 2

Library: 3
From my shelves: 11

🍁November🍁
120. Crushing It*
121. Best of Friends
122. To the Lighthouse*
123. Pitch*
124. Demon Copperhead 💜
125. Righteous Prey
126. State of Terror 🎧
127. Haven*

November Reading
Books read: 8
By women: 6
By men: 2

Novels: 6
Poetry: 2

Library: 4
From my shelves: 4

❄️December❄️
128. The 1619 Project
129. G Is for Gumshoe 🎧
130. The Guest Cat*
131. A Question of Honor*
132. The English Understand Wool
133. Dust Child*

*From my shelves

Books Read in 2022 - Q1
☃️January☃️
1.Red Clocks* REREAD
2.The American Agent 🎧
3. The Boat People
4. Dare to Disappoint
5. The Glass Hotel* REREAD
6. These Precious Days 💜
7. A Sorrowful Sanctuary
8. Delivering Death 🎧
9. The Fell* 💜
10. Moon of the Crusted Snow*
11. Words Under the Words
12. No Land to Light On
13. Foster*

January Reading
Books read: 13
By women: 12
By men: 1
- American: 5
- Canadian: 3
- First Nation: 1
- Turkish: 1
- Irish: 1
- English: 1
- Lebanese: 1

Novels: 9
Novella: 1
Poetry: 1
Memoir (graphic): 1
Essays: 1

Library: 8
From my shelves: 5

💝February💝
14. A Really Good Day 🎧
15. My Monticello 💜
16. Tunnels
17. Artificial Condition 🎧
18. Violeta
19. Rogue Protocol 🎧
20. How High We Go in the Dark 💜
21. Exit Strategy 🎧
22. Poems to Learn by Heart*
23. The Vanishing Half* REREAD
24. The Thirty Names of Night

February reading
Books read: 11
By women: 9
By men: 1
Nonbinary: 1
- American: 9
- Israeli: 1
- Chilean: 1

Novels: 7
Short stories: 1
Memoir: 1
Graphic novel: 1
Poetry: 1

Library: 9
From my shelves: 2

🌷March🌷
25. The Island of Missing Trees
26. Olga Dies Dreaming 💜
27. Fugitive Telemetry 🎧
28. On the Bus with Rosa Parks
29. Hamnet* REREAD
30. Braiding Sweetgrass* 💜
31. Winter* REREAD
32. The Seed Keeper* REREAD
33. Radio Golf
34. Spring* 💜
35. Creatures of Passage
36. The Trees
37. Oh William!
38. The Taxidermist's Daughter* 🎧

March reading
Books read: 14
By women: 12
By men: 2
- American: 7
- Indigenous: 2
- British: 3
- Irish: 1
- Turkish: 1

Novels: 11
Poetry: 1
Essays: 1
Drama: 1

Library: 8
From my shelves: 6

* From my shelves

Books Read in 2022 -Q2
☔️April☔️
39. The Four Winds*
40. Beautiful World, Where Are You
41. French Braid
42. Essays on the Self*
43. The Book of Form and Emptiness* 💜
44. Look Alive Twenty-Five* 🎧
45. Checkout 19
46. Sorrow and Bliss
47. Small Things Like These 💜
48. Unfinished Business*
49. Sea of Tranquility

April Reading
Books read: 11
By women: 11
- American: 5
- Irish: 3
- Canadian: 1
- English: 1
- New Zealander: 1

Novels: 9
Essays: 2

Library books: 6
From my shelves: 5

🌳May🌳
50. The Candy House💜
51. Clean Air
52. The Hired Man*
53. Mercy Street
54. The Investigator
55. Read Dangerously*💜
56. Salt Lick*
57. The Beatryce Prophecy*
58. Death at Whitewater Church*
59. Summer*💜
60. Cobweb*

May Reading
Books read: 11
By women: 10
By men: 1

Novels: 10
Essays: 1

Library books: 4
Books from my shelves: 7

🍓June🍓
61. Mecca 💜
62. Vermilion Drift* 🎧
63. The Midnight Library*
64. E Is for Evidence* 🎧
65. Thin Places
66. Love Marriage
67. A Deceptive Devotion
68. Home to Woefield
69. The Sentence* REREAD

Reading Report - June
Books read: 9
By women: 7
By men: 2
American: 5 (1 Indigenous)
Canadian: 2
Irish: 1
Bangladeshi/English: 1

Novels: 8
Essays/Memoir: 1

Library books: 5
From my shelves: 4

Books Read in 2022 - Q3
☀️July☀️
70. Auē* 💜
71. Pandora's Jar*
72. Woman of Light
73. The Intuitionist* REREAD
74. Swimming Lessons* 💜
75. Vigil Harbor
76. A Match Made for Murder
77. The Locked Room
78. The Hurting Kind 💜
79. Reading Like a Writer*
80. Now Lila Knows*
81. The Blackhouse*

Reading Report - July
Books Read: 12
By women: 10
By men: 2
American: 5
Canadian: 1
Irish: 1
Scottish: 1
New Zealander: 1
English: 2
Trinidadian: 1

Novels: 9
Essays: 2
Poetry: 1

Library books: 5
From my shelves: 7

🏕August🏕
82. The Poet's House💜
83. The Wild Inside 🎧
84. Night of the Living Rez
85. Treacherous Strand
86. A Thousand Ships* 💜
87. H Is for Hawk*
88. The Girl Who Drank the Moon*
89. Bitter Orange Tree
90. The Colony 💜
91. F Is for Fugitive* 🎧
92.Lessons in Chemistry
93.One Thousand and One Nights: A Retelling*

Reading Report - August
Books read: 12
By women: 11
By men: 1

American: 6 - 1 Indigenous
English: 2
Irish: 2
Omani: 1
Lebanese: 1

Novels: 8
Short stories: 2
Memoir: 1
Young reader: 1

Library books: 7
From my shelves: 5

You Must Read This

84. Night of the Living Rez
This is an excellent debut collection of linked stories set on a Penobscot reservation in Maine. In many of the stories, we follow the narrator, David, as he grows up and tries to make sense of his world. While there are tough times when we see the effects of drugs and alcohol on the family, there are also carefree times when David plays with his friends in the woods.

I will definitely follow Talty to see what he does next.

Can I really be the first to salute you on your new thread? Wow for me. Thanks for the welcome. I confess to falling so hopelessly behind on your previous thread that I've been praying for you to start a new one. Answered!

What do the purple hearts signify? Are they more than your favorite books? (You know that in the military, the purple heart is awarded to soldiers injured in battle.)

And I am happy to be second up to wish you a very happy new thread, Beth.

Happy new thread Beth.

Happy new thread Beth!

Happy new thread, Beth!

More new thread wishes from me.

>9 BLBera: I really want to, it's on my list!

>11 weird_O: Yes, Bill, you are first!



Purple hearts just signify my favorite books of the month. I like purple.

>12 PaulCranswick:, >13 WhiteRaven.17:, >14 quondame:, >15 FAMeulstee:, >16 charl08:

Thanks! Paul, White.Raven, Susan, Anita, and Charlotte.

Love your topper, Beth. Happy new thread.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Beth!

Happy new thread!

>19 jessibud2:, >20 figsfromthistle:, >21 drneutron:, >22 swynn:

Thanks Shelley, Anita, Jim, and Steve!

Go Serena!

happy new thread, and yes, go Serena!

She did it! The crowd was so electric in the last few games of the third set.

>26 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda! She did it.

>27 rosalita: Hi Julia - I couldn't believe her level. She's not done yet.

Happy New Thread, Beth!

Finishing your previous thread, I've added four to my library hold list. Night of the Living Rez, One Thousand and One Nights: a Retelling, Bitter Orange Tree, and The Colony. And oh yes, one that someone else mentioned on your thread, When Women Were Dragons.

Hi Janet - I'm happy you were able to find all of them at your library.

94. When I Sing, Mountains Dance
This novel, set mostly around a small Pyrenees village tells the story of generations of people who live there, but it is also the story of the place and the stories that go with the place. The mountains narrate one chapter, while deer, a bear, and water sprites narrate others, giving the novel a mythological air. The poetic language makes this seem more an epic poem than a novel.

I loved learning about this out-of-the-way place, but if you want a plot, this novel may not be for you.

>30 BLBera: Hi Beth. I know I've mentioned this before but my small town library is a member of a 30+ library conglomerate which makes borrowing books within the group very easy - it's different than doing an official inter-library loan is more complicated and expensive.

I'm enjoying all the international reading than you've been doing.

That's great that it's easy to borrow from your conglomerate, Janet. I think I could do more reading in translation, but baby steps.

And now tennis is taking away from reading time.

Happy new thread, Beth. Enjoy the tennis and the books!

Thanks Meg.

>31 BLBera: Sounds good, Beth. I have added the Dutch translation to my library wishlist.

>31 BLBera: Sounds fascinating, Beth. One of the small publishers involved in the bookgroup just does Catalan translation. Not sure if this is interesting, but in case.
https://www.fumdestampa.com/fde-diary

Happy Sunday, Beth. Happy New Thread! When I Sing, Mountains Dance sounds like a good one. Are you still reading Goon Squad this month? I loved that book.

>36 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita. I will watch for your comments.

>37 charl08: It was very original, Charlotte. Thanks for the link.

>38 msf59: Hi Mark. I love Goon Squad. This is a reread for me, but I will read it this week before my book club meets on Friday.

95. Black Cake
When Eleanor Bennett dies, her children, Byron and Benny learn that their parents had a lot of secrets. The story alternates between the past and present and eventually we learn the connections between the characters in both timelines. The story is enjoyable although perhaps everything comes together too neatly in the end.

I've been curious about Black Cake, Beth. It's still on the "maybe" list. So many more compelling (to me) books on my list already. Congratulations on getting so close to the 100 book mark. My computer wants to make "bookmark" out of book mark. It doesn't realize I was going for the play on words. Haha.

>40 BLBera: That sounds like something I might like.

>41 Donna828: Hi Donna - If you like family stories, you might like this.

>42 Copperskye: Give it a try, Joanne. The alternating timeline works pretty well, and it's a good family story.

>43 BLBera: I’ve added myself to the rather long holds list. :)

>44 Copperskye: Yes, I had to wait for a while before it was available.

96. A Visit from the Goon Squad
I wish I would have reread this before I read The Candy House. Now I'm going to have to reread The Candy House.

I read this again for my book club. As I had expected, feelings were mixed about this. Some members had tried the audiobook and had a hard time following it, which I can understand. Some who read print copies had similar reactions. They didn't like reading about one person and then abandoning the person in the next chapter. I always thought this compelled me to read on; I wanted to see if there was a connection eventually.

We also discussed certain topics like fame and aging and how fame didn't seem to make anyone happy, and how quickly fads and tastes change.

People generally liked the writing.

So, overall, good discussion that, I think, gave people who didn't like the book something to think about.

Happy new thread, Beth! The US Open has been fun watching, though I'll probably only half watch the men's final on my laptop while football is on the big screen. Will you have a little feeling of tennis withdrawal, or do you have other things to watch lined up?

>29 streamsong: I probably missed your last thread...took a bit of a hiatus. I just copied the four books Janet mentioned to my own reading list. Meanwhile, happy newish thread.

>46 BLBera: I'm reading A Visit from the Goon Squad for the September American Author Challenge (Pulitzer winners). Good to see your review!

Happy rest of the weekend!

Karen O.

>47 bell7: Hi Mary. Thanks. I always miss tennis when it's done. I'm sorry Tiafoe didn't make it into the final.

>48 witchyrichy: Hi Karen - Enjoy. I'm always happy to add to others' wishlists. :)

>49 klobrien2: Hi Karen - I love Goon Squad, and it gets better each time I read it. Is this the first read for you?

>50 BLBera: Yes, it's my first read of Goon Squad, and I'm having a little difficulty getting started, but I'm sure once I get a few more pages in, it will flow. Your words reassure me!

Karen O.

Hi Beth, I am all caught up after being away for a bit. I have been glued to the TV watching everything about the passing of Queen Elizabeth. I am surprised at how much her death has touched me, she has certainly been a constant in my life.

>51 klobrien2: I was just talking about Goon Squad with a friend yesterday, Karen, and we agreed that it's a book that we wouldn't necessarily recommend freely. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, even though I love it. I've read it four times now, and have loved it each time. But the nonlinear narrative won't appeal to all.

>52 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. Yes, it will be a time of change for GB. It's amazing to think that she has ruled longer than I have been alive -- not by much, but still.

Tennis is done with amazing new talent taking home trophies. So back to reading. I'm reading the first part of Scary Monsters, which is very good so far.

Today I have my first piano lesson, and I submitted an application to volunteer at the public library. I also plan to volunteer one day a week in my daughter's classroom. Retirement is keeping me busy.

>54 BLBera: Yes, you're keeping busy in retirement, but it all sounds like the good kind of busy!

Yes, Julia, and in a couple of weeks, I get to attend the book festival!

>54 BLBera: That's definitely a good kind of busy. Have you played an instrument before? I also can't wait to hear about your library volunteering Beth -- we can compare notes.

Good for you taking piano lessons. I took them when I was 8-years-old for only one year. I still have my John Thompson instruction book! I am looking forward to hearing about your new hobby...and about the adventures of school volunteering. I did a lot of that years ago and found it very fulfilling.

You are the queen of rereads, Beth. The only book I can think of that I've read more than 4 times would be A Christmas Carol.

Not a Goon Squad fan here. I am rethinking Black Cake, though. I do like family stories and will move it to the top of the 'maybe' list. That probably means that I will pick it up if I actually see it on a library display. No promises!

Good luck with the piano lessons! What a great idea. I gave up at 17 and have never had my own piano. I had a big keyboard for a while that I used to doodle around on. I picked up some jazz piano books and liked them a lot more than the classical ones I played in lessons. I have since thought about a digital piano (but am still just thinking!).

>57 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Yes, I also fit in a visit to my mom, which I'll try to do after lessons each Monday. I will take a meal as well. My parents are both fine, mentally, but physically my mom finds it really tiring to cook, so one of my sisters and my daughter and I have been trying to drop off meals once or twice a week. I've played piano off and on since I was a child, but I've never had time to practice as much as I would like. I hope I hear from the library quickly; they have to do a background check. :)

>58 Donna828: Hi Donna. I think volunteering for my daughter will be fun. I've reread books that I've taught many times. When I don't get tired of it, I know it's a good one. I know that Goon Squad is not one to appeal to everyone.

>59 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. I have owned a piano for years. My daughter took lessons for a while, and I kept it, thinking one day I would have time for it.

>60 BLBera: That's nice what you're doing for your parents, Beth.

Beth, Congratulations on your retirement. I retired at the end of November 2019, and I never looked back. I very much liked working with students, but it really was time to enjoy life without the pressure.

>61 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. It's nice to be able to do something for them now that I have time.

>62 Whisper1: Thanks Linda. I am enjoying the freedom, for sure.

97. Scary Monsters is a novel in two parts. There's no indication as to which part to start with; you have to flip the book to read the second part. Both stories, Lili's and Lyle's, show the isolation and loneliness of immigrants, especially immigrants of color. I found both stories engrossing, although only tangentially connected, and the format of the novel is interesting.

I started with "Lyle," set in a future dystopian Australia where the air is unbreathable, and fires rage continuously. Immigrants are barely tolerated and run the risk of deportation at any time. Lyle and his wife and children try to fit in unobtrusively: "I believe it's best for people like us not to aim for the heights. It creates envy and attracts unnecessary attention." It's a scary world.

The second part, "Lili" takes place in France in the 1980s. Lili has immigrated from Australia and experiences a casual racism, even among her group of friends. She is lonely and although she has a group of friends, feels like an outsider, noticing that her white friends don't understand the privilege their race offers them. David Bowie's "Scary Monsters" is referenced in this part.

I will read more by de Kretser.

>64 BLBera: Interesting concept, Beth. After reading it, do you have an opinion on which half to start with? In the absence of any other opinions, my compulsion for reading things in order would probably compel me to go chronologically and start with Lili, but since you started at the other end I wonder what you think?

I'm not sure, Julia. I started with Lyle because that's the way the book was shelved; the barcode, which is on the back, was on the "Lili" part. I really don't think it matters. It would be interesting to see how ideas about the stories would change if read in a different order. I think the Lili story is more hopeful, so if I read that one first, before reading Lyle's story, I might feel differently? I'm not sure.

>66 BLBera: That is a clue, maybe, about the barcode being on the Lili part. I think the only way we can test this hypothesis is to have you undergo a medical procedure to erase all memory of having read the book, then re-read it starting with the Lili half, and then we'll compare that review with the one you wrote above. Luckily, you've got Mayo Clinic right down the street to do the procedure. :-)

Tennis certainly was interesting at the US Open this year! Lots of new faces in the last few matches. : ) Glad you are finding ways to keep busy in your retirement, not that I was really worried. Interesting concept on Scary Monsters being read in either order. I am just starting Cloud Cuckoo Land today -- I didn't know it was so long!! LOL

>67 rosalita: I'll get right on that, Julia. Or I could just wait a few years when I have forgotten the book and start again.

>68 Berly: Hi TwinK. Glad the wedding went well. Have you had your surgery yet? I also just started Cloud Cuckoo Land, and yes it is LONG. I think you suggested it, so just saying...

I had such a great surprise last night; season 7 of "Shetland" has started!

Yeah, yeah. It was my idea. LOL.

Still, it seems like it will be a good one, and Ellen loved it, so...Good taste, TwinK. I hope you heal quickly and are soon back to kicking things.

>70 BLBera: What platform is Shetland on, Beth? I watched the first season a few years ago and loved it. An of course the series is just great.

BrittBox, Vivian. All of the seasons are available there.

I was so excited to start this season of Shetland. I thought they did a great job of catching you up/reminding you of where they left off, in a "show, don't tell" sort of way. Like the point when Tosh turned around and there she was carrying a baby. The mystery part is off to a great start, too.

We noted that there seems to be more "salty" language in this season. Jimmy Perez called himself a d*** at one point. It doesn't bother me, it's just a shift. And, he was right. 😂

I agree, Laura, they did a good job of bringing us up to date. I didn't really notice the language, but you're right. This is Doug Henshaw's last season, but they're going to continue the series. Not sure how I feel about that. He's so good in the part.

I haven't dived into season 7 of Shetland yet but probably will in the next day or so. If I remember correctly, S6 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm glad to hear they catch us up a bit! I saw that Doug Henshaw is leaving and I hope the other actors stay. I really like the acters who play Tosh and Sandy, but Henshaw is a big loss.

It starts out well, Joanne, resolving the cliffhanger. The actors are great, aren't they?

98. An Uncertain Place has a twisty plot that moves from a London cemetery with a pile of shoes with decaying feet in them, to vampires, and government corruption. Commissaire Adamsberg comes across the shoes while on a conference in London. Soon after he arrives back in Paris, he is called to a grisly murder scene that seems somehow connected. Adamsberg and his team are great idiosyncratic characters, and I look forward to the next book in the series with the promising title of The Ghost Riders of Ordebec

I've seen the first four seasons of Shetland and enjoyed them very much, but that was as far as our library system had seasons on DVD. I'm glad to know there are other seasons. I'll have to look in to how to acquire Britbox. This being able to stream movies is new to me since I just recently got broadband service.

>79 BLBera: Nice to see you are still enjoying the Adamsberg books, Beth.
I read the last one four years back, and wish there were more.

>80 streamsong: I enjoy Britbox, Janet. It has lots of good shows. And it's not too expensive.

>81 FAMeulstee: They are so original with great characters, aren't they, Anita? Is she done writing them? I hope there will be more. I think I still have three left to read.

>82 BLBera: Indeed, Beth, completely different from other police procedurals.
I don't know if she is done. The last Adamsberg was published in 2017. Her latest publication (2021) was a non-fiction on worldwide food problems (if I understood the French wikipedia well).

>83 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. Well, we can hope for more.

Hi Beth! Good luck with the piano.

I have heard good things about Cloud Cuckoo Land.

If you read and loved Cloud Atlas, you would like Cloud Cuckoo Land, Rhonda. Although I am only about 150 pages in.

99. How to Read Now
In this collection of thought-provoking essays, Castillo uses reading in a wide sense, not just books, but also culture. She has challenged me to think about the way I read. She states that white people read from a privileged point of view, that we take for granted that we are the "expected" reader, that "...even when writers of color tell their own stories, those stories must cater to the needs and wishes of that expected, and expectant, reader: translations, glossaries, indexes, maps, rest stops along the way." I think about all the times I have wished for more information when I am reading writers in translation or from a different culture.

As in all essay collections, some of the essays are better than others. I thought "Main Character Syndrome" was too long, and a bit repetitive, but I really liked "How to Read Now," "Reading Teaches Us Empathy, and Other Fictions," and "The Children of Polyphemus." Her take on "white fantasy" is also interesting; she mentions J.K. Rowling, among others. Other topics include Peter Handke's Nobel Prize award, American Dirt, Joan Didion, Jane Austen, and The Odyssey.

Some quotes that stand out:
"Books, as world-encompassing as they are, aren't the destination; they're a waypoint. Reading doesn't bring us to books -- books bring us to reading. They're one of the places we go to help us become readers in the world."

"Our mainstream literary discourse continues to read writers of color ethnographically -- as if they provide crucial data about a certain subjugated group of people -- and white writers universally."

"We know that the stories we inherit and erase, no different from the ones we produce or ignore, are never neutral or ahistorical, and the force they bring with them is one that influences, consciously or subconsciously, how we read our world..."

I will come back to this collection, and, I hope, become a better reader because of it.

100. In Plain Sight
In this sixth book in the series, Joe has a new boss, and Opal Scarlett, the matriarch of the powerful Scarlett family, has disappeared. This has started open warfare between Hank and Arlen Scarlett, her two sons. To complicate matters further, J. W. Keeley, who blames Joe for the death of his family, has come to Wyoming for revenge. Action-packed but I miss the game warden aspect and time in the beautiful wild areas. Lots of blood and guts. This reminds me why I paused on this series.

The audiobook is well done.

Okay, Cloud Cuckoo Land is Cuckoo!!! I am finally far enough into the book to start keeping the different story lines straight. : )

It is like reading three different books at the same time. You can do it!

I had not realized there is a new season of Shetland! Yay! We get Britbox so I'll check it out.

>90 BLBera: "It is like reading three different books at the same time." Yes! And the do come together. I look forward to chatting about it.

Piano lessons! What a great idea! I can't wait until I'm writing on LT about how I'm going to spend my every-day-is-Saturday.

>91 EBT1002: they do come together, but I found one particular story that I decided to follow, skipping other parts to find out what happens and then go back for the rest. Not recommended for everyone but a way to keep my anxiety down while reading!!!

>91 EBT1002: It was a nice surprise for me as well, Ellen. I think the new episodes come on Tuesdays.

I am almost halfway and loving CCL. I actually have time to practice now, so I'm hoping to improve greatly. I have to keep up with Scout!

>92 cindydavid4: I am enjoying all the threads right now so am reading as written.

Hi Beth. I also have only seen the first four seasons of Shetland so I must look into obrtaining Britbox as well. I can't imagine the series without Doug Henshaw in the lead!

>87 BLBera: I've added this one to the wishlist, sounds like a worthwhile addition to the pile of books about books. I just got two out of the library which I saw on the shelf on my last visit The secret life of books : why they mean more than words and Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller. Although I would imagine they will be quite different from each other, let alone from Castillo.

>94 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy - It's a great series. The thing about the new season is they only release a new episode every week, so I am anxiously waiting for the next one! Yes, I can't imagine what they'll do without Henshaw.

>95 charl08: Hi Charlotte - Those titles sound interesting. I'm off to see if they are available here.

I started to listen to Malcolm Gladwell's interviews with Paul Simon, Miracle and Wonder, and it is great! If you are a Simon fan, I highly recommend it. I think it's only available on audiobook; in fact, I can't see how it would work in print only.

Has anyone else started watching "The US and the Holocaust"? I watched part 1 last night, and it's pretty discouraging. A lot of the attitudes about immigrants in the early 30s seem eerily familiar. Sigh. Still, I learned quite a few things I didn't know.

I havent been, but well remember from our trip to ellis island a complete timeline of us immigration, with limits much earlier than that.

>98 BLBera: I am recording it, but haven't watched any yet.

>100 Berly: It's LONG, TwinK. How's CCL going? I have about 150 pages left! I might even finish today, depending on how the day goes. My first day of volunteering in my daughter's classroom!

>98 BLBera: We watched the first episode. It’s bleak and the parallels to events happening lately are scary. Of course, we’ll watch the rest.

Shetland’s first episode was great!

101. Cloud Cuckoo Land
I loved this sprawling novel, or two or three novels. Besides showing the importance of books, for a number of reasons, the novel also reveals the fragility of the written word:"...books, like people, die. They die in fires or floods or in the mouths of worms or at the whims of tyrants. If they are not safe-guarded, they go out of the world. And when a book goes out of the world, the memory dies a second death." We have lost so much of past literature. And, will technology safeguard the written word into the future?

Doerr takes several characters, and despite the disparate times and places, manages to bring them together. There are Anna and Omeir from fifteenth century Constantinople, Zeno and Seymour from present-day Idaho, and Konstance in a spacecraft somewhere in space. Learning what connects them through these pages is a wonderful journey.

>102 Copperskye: Hi Joanne - Our reactions to "The US and the Holocaust" were similar. I will watch the rest as well. I am impatiently waiting for the next "Shetland" episode.

Hi Beth - I loved Cloud Cuckoo Land too. I felt like starting again at page 1 when I put it down. It might be a reread for me in the future.

Hi Vivian - Yes, I felt the same way. Now, the problem with a great book is that whatever I read next will pale in comparison. What a problem!

>98 BLBera: I watched the whole series and was horrified by both the history and its parallels to the current day. The PBS app includes some panel discussions that I want to watch. I think the hardest part were the testimonials of the elderly people who somehow managed to survive, including a woman that knew Anne Frank.

>103 BLBera: I LOVED Cloud Cuckoo Land!

>98 BLBera: >107 witchyrichy: I thought it was comprehensive and very well put together. Both my parents were among the lucky ones who fled in the early 40s and spent several years in Cuba desperately waiting for American visas. When I talked to my 97 year old mother last night after the third episode, she said her greatest regret was not having thanked her father, a completely assimilated German Jew who had been an officer in the first WW, for having the foresight to send his kids out of Germany in 1933. It took her 8 years to leave Europe, fleeing from one country to the next.
My other take-away from the series was how relevant Burns made the history to what's happening in the U.S. today. Very frightening.

>107 witchyrichy: I really wish it was on other stations as well; not everyone watches PBS. At the very least, this should be shown in HS, or even upper elementary. I was about 6 when I first heard about it. the education dirctor of our shul was a survivor, and he'd often spoke about it. I wasnt tramatized or anything;. its part of our history as jews and history of our country and world.

>108 vivians: One of the most powerful comments was from the man whose family had perished in so many different ways, not just in the camps. He said that we are already forgetting the history, painting over it into generalizations. The stories of your family are important. I think the panel discussions dig more deeply into the contemporary connections.

>109 cindydavid4: I agree about this being shown other places besides PBS. Burns makes the connections to US history and policies that are not usually part of the history curriculum.

>107 witchyrichy: The parallels were what I found especially depressing, Karen.

>108 vivians: Your family was lucky, Vivian. As I watched the first one and saw the State Department officials putting barriers to emigration, I felt sick. How many more people could have been saved.

>109 cindydavid4: I'm sure the series will be on other platforms eventually.

>103 BLBera: Adding this to the wishlist. It comes out in paperback here next week. Very tempting!

>112 charl08: I think you'll like it, Charlotte.

RIP Hilary Mantel
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/23/1124682328/hilary-mantel-author-wolf-hall-dies

103. Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon
This is a wonderful audiobook, an artistic portrait of Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam. They explore Simon's career from the beginning, as a teen singing on the street in Queens to the present day. Simon talks about writing songs, with in-depth looks at "Sounds of Silence," "The Boxer," and "Graceland," to name a few. Even if you are not a Simon fan, this is a fascinating exploration of the creative process.

It's five hours long, distilled from about 30 hours of conversation. I would have happily listened to more.

I think I saw part of this intereview online and it was indeed superb. Is it on Audible?

>115 cindydavid4: I would imagine it is available on Audible. I got it from my library.

>103 BLBera: Beth I have that same problem after I've read a stunning book. Nothing lives up to it! That's when I do one of my series books or a reread. It's kind of like the let-down after a terrific vacation. Coming home and the familiarity of the old routine can be comforting.

Hi Beth! Nice review of Cloud Cuckoo Land. I am not a huge fan of Doerr, but maybe I will have to try this.

>106 BLBera: Now, the problem with a great book is that whatever I read next will pale in comparison. What a problem!

yup, takes me a while to leave the world the author created just for me. I dont bother trying to read anything else until I come out, eyes blinking into the sun.

>117 Donna828: Hi Donna - I went with nonfiction this time.

>118 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - If you liked Cloud Atlas, I've heard it compared to that...

>119 cindydavid4: Yes, it's good to take time to savor the experience.

Hi Beth! I'm glad you enjoyed Cloud Cuckoo etc. For me, it was not a fulfilling read, partially, I suppose, because I read the ebook which is not my favorite media. That said, it was so busy my pea brain couldn't handle all the layers.

>121 Carmenere: I can see it would be a difficult read if you can't concentrate on it, Lynda.

104. Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller
In her memoir, Nadia Wassef recounts how she and her sister Hind and friend Nihal came to found Diwan, an independent bookstore in Cairo. None of the three had experience in business and Wassef tells about her learning curve. For example, she has to get beyond her own reading tastes, which center on literature. At first she resists self-help books, even though they sell. She also recounts problems with censorship and supply.

She also discusses the stratified class system; many of the employees can't afford to shop in Diwan. They sew shut the pockets of the uniform pants to prevent theft.

A fascinating mix of culture and personal life.

>123 BLBera: Sounds fascinating Beth.

>123 BLBera: You beat me to this one! I still have it in the TBR pile.

>124 Caroline_McElwee: I found it very interesting.

>125 charl08: Yes, thanks for bringing it to my attention Charlotte!

>114 BLBera: I have Paul Simon's memoir on my shelf and am adding the audio book to my TBR list. I have collected a fair number of musician memoirs that I want to start reading.

>123 BLBera: Added to the list!

Hi Karen: I haven't read a bunch of musician memoirs, but the best is Keith Richards' Life, which is amazing.

105. This Time Tomorrow
The protagonist of the novel, Alice Stern, goes to sleep on her fortieth birthday and wakes up the next morning on her sixteenth birthday. She moves through her day as a sixteen-year-old with new appreciation for her youth, her father, and the fact that life is full of future possibilities. But more than time travel, this is really a story about a daughter grieving for her father, a novelist. Knowing that Straub recently lost her father adds to the poignancy of the novel, and one can certainly draw parallels between Leonard Stern and Straub's father. As Alice observes, "...fiction was a myth. Fictional stories that is...the good ones..were always true." So this novel does ring true emotionally. The time travel device is an interesting way of working through that grief.

In some ways, the time travel is similar to The Midnight Library, but Straub handles it more thoughtfully and is less repetitious.

>128 BLBera: I second your recommendation for Keith Richards' memoir, Beth. It was terrific.

>129 BLBera: - I'm glad you liked that one, too, Beth.

>129 BLBera: I haven't been a huge Straub fan but I'm willing to give it another try after reading your review (and Katie's too). Plus I love what she's written about her father.

>114 BLBera: - I absolutely loved this and raved about it on my thread when I first listened to it when it first came out almost a year ago. In fact, I liked it so much, I listened to it twice! I am a huge Simon fan and also a big Gladwell fan so this was a real treat for me.

As for the Ken Burns doc, I also thought I knew pretty much all I needed to know but learned a lot more this time. Most Burns docs can be found on dvd at your local library, or at least, they are here. I set myself a personal challenge to watch all his work and most have come to me that way, except when they are on tv and I know about them. I think he does an exceptional job of balancing sensitivity, thorough historic research and visuals. Not all are as grim as this one. I recently watched (from the library) his doc on Mark Twain, and a shorter perpetual fave of mine is called Horatio's Drive, about the first cross country road trip. Delightful!

>130 rosalita: After reading it, I am amazed he is still alive.

>131 katiekrug: It was better than expected, Katie. The other Straub I read, I liked a lot less than most people, so my expectations were not high.

>132 vivians: This is better than the other book I read by her, Vivian.

>133 jessibud2: I wonder if I first heard about it from you Shelley. I remember hearing about it from someone on LT. I would give Ken Burns a grant anytime he asks for one. Which reminds me, I think I'll finish the Holocaust program tonight.

Hi Beth! I've enjoyed getting caught up here.

>31 BLBera:, >37 charl08: That is interesting! I am involved in a Catalan project myself. After two and a half years of not working with the Chorale I have been asked to help with some Catalan pronunciation for a carol on their Christmas concert. I worked for the Chorale for ever and ever, but pronunciations were something of a speciality for me with my linguistic background. A highlight was the 15 national anthems we had to learn for the World Ski Championships! Catalan is a new one for me.

>54 BLBera: Piano lessons! How wonderful! I took lessons in jr high and high school and always wanted to try again but never had the time. Once, though, I saw an ad for piano lessons in a mountain community marketplace publication. I remember the lessons were taught by a woman named Cherry Kilgore. I dog-eared the page and kept going and found an ad some pages later for an alien abductee support group hosted by Cherry Kilgore. I never did call about lessons. Years later I told that story at school and found out that Cherry Kilgore and the alien abductee support group have met for decades at the Indian Hills Community Center a mile or so from my school :)

You got me with >103 BLBera: Cloud Cuckoo Land - I had seen it around but your review finally nudged it onto the list, and >114 BLBera: Miracle and Wonder.

Happy Sunday!

Hi Beth! Maybe I will see if my daughter would like the Straub. She loved Midnight Library, so this could be up her alley.

I thought the Straub was better than Midnight Library, which I didn't love.

>135 AMQS: That is cool about your Catalan project, Anne. I am so enjoying my piano lessons. My teacher is great, and the time flies by. I signed up at the college. It's cheaper; in Minnesota, people over 62 don't have to pay tuition, just the fees.

I think anyone interested in creativity and music will love the Paul Simon interviews. I wish Miracle and Wonder had been longer. I especially liked the different versions of songs that they discussed.

Beth, congratulations on reading so many books thus far this year.

>114 BLBera: This looks wonderful. I'll have to see if my local library has this. If not, they order it from interlibrary loan.

Thanks Linda. I borrowed it from the library. I hope you enjoy it.

106. Trust
Trust is about money and power in the early twentieth century when there weren't a lot of rules on Wall Street. The story follows one tycoon through the century. The novel's structure is fascinating, divided in to four sections, we get various glimpses of the tycoon's life. It's hard to say more without spoilers, but I quite enjoyed this.

>141 BLBera: Ooh, I was put off by the financial stuff, but maybe I should rethink?

I've just picked up Whatever happened to interracial love?. Really good.

That collection of stories does sound good, Charlotte.

Think of Trust in terms of Gatsby -- and there are some interesting things Diaz does with the structure as well.

>141 BLBera: I just picked this one up at the library last week. Glad you enjoyed it.

Hi Beth, here we are in October already - where did the year go? We are celebrating Thanksgiving here next week, yet we are still having summer-like weather. I am so ready for some crisp Fall days!

I haven't read any Emma Straub yet but I do have one of her earlier ones, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures on my library list

Time flies, Judy. I am not complaining about the weather; it is beautiful here.

I am so excited. I finally get to go to the Iowa Book Festival. I go tomorrow and will plan to see Angie Cruz and Elizabeth McCracken, to name a couple. Tons of good events.

It's been several weeks since I slithered through here, Beth. Glad I finally did. Added three books to The WANT! List™. Trust, How to Read Now, and Miracle and Wonder. And I might add the Emma Straub title, too.

>146 BLBera: Have fun at the festival, Beth! How long of a drive is that for you?

I hope you have a wonderful time at the Iowa Book Festival.

I've been to two meet ups. Both were very special!

Hm. I looped back to read your review of How to Read Now, based on Weird_O's comment, and decided to check the library for it.

>147 weird_O: It's hard to keep up. I hope you enjoy the books on your Want List.

>148 lauralkeet: I've wanted to go for years, Laura, but school was always a conflict. It's about a four-hour drive. I have some audiobooks.

>149 Whisper1: Thanks Linda.

>150 ffortsa: Hi Judy. As in all essay collections, some are better than others. I found her essay on Joan Didion fascinating, but thought it was too long and a bit repetitive. Still, it gave me a new perspective on Didion.

>146 BLBera: Sounds brilliant!

The book festival sounds great! We are doing one here in November.

Im crossing my fingers that the az book festival happens this year; Always lots of fun at the U of A in tucson. I get books, and get to see my buddies living there. Missed it the last two years

It was great seeing you today,Beth! I'm so glad you had a great time at the IC Book Fest and I can't wait for you to show off your book haul here!

Drive safely back to Minnesota tomorrow. I hope you don't encounter any of Iowa fall-season wildlife on the road — farm vehicles and deer!

>152 charl08: It was brilliant, Charlotte. I heard some great speakers, met some new-to-me writers, and added to my TBR pile, supporting independent bookstores.

>153 banjo123: It was fun, Rhonda. More in a later post.

>154 cindydavid4: Fingers crossed that it happens.

>155 rosalita: Great to see you as well! I wish you had been feeling well enough to attend some events. Next year. No wildlife on the road today.

107. Catherine Called Birdy
Good historical fiction for young readers. In some ways this is reminiscent of the Beatryce Prophecy, although I liked the later better. Perhaps because I read it first. Catherine Called Birdy is set in 13th century England. Birdy is a fourteen-year-old girl who likes to run and climb trees and rebels against the restrictions placed on her. Written in the form of Birdy's diary, this gives us a clear view of the times as well as Birdy's changed point of view as the year progresses.


108. How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is a brilliant character-centered novel. Cara Romero is a fifty-something Dominican woman who lives in Washington Heights. The novel is a collection of monologues as Cara talks to the workforce program social worker. Interspersed with the sessions are the forms that Cara fills out.

The structure of the monologues works well here. I saw Angie Cruz at the Iowa City Book Festival, and she talked about the various forms the novel took before she decided on the monologue format. She also discussed how incredibly difficult it was to get Cara's voice right; she speaks English as a second language, while Cruz does not, so Cruz had to do a lot of thinking about word choice.

If Cara doesn't capture you from the first sentences, this book is probably not for you. Cara's voice is distinctive from the beginning and doesn't change.

>46 BLBera: Count me amongst those who have been meaning to read Good Squad for an age. I had the impression that it was - not polarising exactly, but an odd read, so I had been put off starting it.

>114 BLBera: I have a lot of love for Paul Simon, so will have to track this one down.

>158 LovingLit: I don't think Goon Squad is polarizing, but there are a lot of characters and it isn't a linear story. Still, I found it a wonderful reading experience. But, it certainly isn't for everyone. My book club was split on it. You will love the Paul Simon interviews.

>114 BLBera: Another fan of Paul Simon so I will go and seek that one out too.

Iowa City Book Festival
Angie Cruz
She read from her new novel How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water. Funnily enough, no one asked about the title. She talked about starting to write it at a time she was very discouraged and thinking about quitting writing. The voice of Cara Romero came to her on the subway, and she wrote most of the novel on different commutes. The finished novel is a series of monologues, sessions Cara has with her social worker. However, Cruz talks about how the novel went though a series of narrators before she settled on the current structure.

Cruz's reading brought the character to life, and the Q&A session with the writing students was warm and encouraging. It took her four years to sell Dominicana.

Alex Kotlowitz
An American Summer is a One Community One Read selection and Kotlowitz was an engaging speaker. He began as a journalist and believes stories are important, and that it's important to understand that there isn't one single story. One thing he noticed about reports of deaths is that often the parents are blamed, which adds to parents' grief. His book focuses on one summer in Chicago in 2013, but he pointed out that the violence hasn't ended. He talked about how we treat violence in neighborhoods differently from school shootings, yet youth in communities with a lot of violence are just as traumatized. He feels strongly that gun violence is a human rights issue. I've read the first couple of chapters and think this is an important book.

One of the questions asked about how he convinced people to talk to him. He said that for one of the stories, he met with the young man every week for eighteen months. He also said that there were stories that he worked on that people later asked him not to include.

Jennifer Knox
Crushing It is a collection of poetry. I was not familiar with Knox, but she was an entertaining reader and speaker. The title of the collection was given to her by Ada Limón. She has a lot of dialogue in her poems, yet she says she doesn't read them aloud when writing them. Also, mushrooms creep into a lot of her poems and she loves Levon Helm. The collection she's working on now has a lot of poems about menopause. One poem that she read from Crushing It:

Wolverine Season
"Oh honey, are you okay?"
I asked the woman in the bathroom,
soaking wet as if she'd just emerged
from the shower. "yeah -- maybe too
mush rum on an empty stomach."
She wiped her mouth with her hand
and left. In the sink, waxy red flecks
of lipstick. "That women over there
just puked up lipstick in the bathroom!"
I yelled in my friend's ear over
the Black Sabbath tribute band.
"Write a poem about that!"
she yelled back and smiled.
We were up late for a school night --
it was all part of the new regimen.
The documentary I'd just seen about death
said rocking out is actually good for you.
And rocking out to Sabbath? Dude,
we were gonna live, like, forever
on the bones other animals passed up.

Knox said people often tell her to write poems about things.

Elizabeth McCracken
The Hero of this Book
McCracken read from her novel, which is about her mother, but is a novel. She was very entertaining and talked about her time as a student at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and her experiences teaching writing. She says she is a very gentle critic except for titles. She is often critical of titles. I can't wait to read the book.

The Festival runs over two weeks, so I had to choose three days, which was hard. I would have liked to see Anthony Doerr and Rebecca Solnit, but they appeared during the first couple of days. Still, I am really happy with the writers I saw.

I added some books to my library and will post about those later.

Thanks for sharing your experiences at the Book Festival, Beth. What a worthwhile few days!

It sounds like a great trip, Beth with some very interesting author events. What a treat.

Glad the book festival was worthwhile. I didn't realize Catherine Called Birdy was a book. I've been seeing lots of promotion for the film.

Your book festival visit sounds varied, Beth. I am heading to events in Manchester later this month, hope that the trains behave for my trip.
I'll only do two author sessions though.

Joanne, Katie, Laura, and Charlotte: It was really fun. I enjoyed my first retirement activity; I've wanted to attend for years, but school was always an obstacle.

Catherine Called Birdy was originally published in 1995, I think. I haven't seen many positive comments about the film. I thought Scout might be interested because she loved The Beatryce Prophecy.

109. Sparked: George Floyd, Racism, and the Progressive Illusion
This is a thought-provoking collection of essays sparked by George Floyd's murder. The essays are written by scholars, activists, and artists who lived or are living in Minnesota. I found the personal essays the most effective, but I did appreciate the breadth of experience represented. Amy August's "Coloring In the Progressive Illusion" is an excellent introduction to the various shocking racial disparities that exist in Minnesota. We have to do better.

Books acquired in Iowa City
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water
Crushing It
The Hero of this Book
An American Summer
Balladz
In the Margins
Fresh Water for Flowers
In the Field
A Sister's Story
Bach and the Blues

and from Julia,
Circle of Friends
Echoes
Light a Penny Candle

110. Little Fires Everywhere is my October book club selection and I think it raises a lot of interesting questions. Ng does a great job of character development; we learn a lot about characters from their actions. I also found it really interesting that Izzy, the youngest Richardson child doesn't appear until about a third of the way through the novel even though people talk about her a lot.

This is about the Richardson family members, who live in the utopian Shaker Heights. Mrs. Richardson owns a rental house and has decided to rent to a single mom, who is an artist, Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl. The novel begins with the events that result from this relationship, and Ng does a good job of keeping us reading to find out how everyone arrives at that point.

I look forward to discussing this. Some of the questions that I would like to discuss are: What makes a good mother?
Is Shaker Heights a good place to live? Advantages? Disadvantages?

>169 BLBera: enjoyed this book very much. will be interested in what your club things of it Just finished her new one our missing heartswhich was very goodl

>169 BLBera: I have seen this everywhere lately. glad you enjoyed it. I will add it to my list.

>170 cindydavid4: I have her new one on reserve from the library. There is a long waiting list.

>171 figsfromthistle: I think it's a TV series, Anita, so that may be why you are seeing it everywhere. It is very good.

Love your book haul and the account of the book festival. Even though I enjoy our small Montana festival, my bucket list includes making it to one of the big ones. Fall is a good time for me to be able to travel away from the place. Just the idea of being able to contemplate travel again is exciting!

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water sounds very interesting as does Sparked: George Floyd, Racism, and the Progressive Illusion. Did you read The Sentence by Louise Erdrich which is also set in Minneapolis during the riots?

Hi Janet! Well, if you decide to check out the Iowa City Book Festival, let me know. We could have a meet-up.

I did read and loved The Sentence. I recommend both the George Floyd essays and Cruz's novel.

I enjoyed reading about your time at the book festival, Beth. Isn't it wonderful not to be constrained by the need get back to work?

>169 BLBera: I heard Ng talking about her new book on the book radio show I listen to. I'd not bitten on her previous books, but from what she said, the new one has lots about etymology and I am now tempted.

I hope the book group discussion goes / went well!

>175 Familyhistorian: Yes it is, Meg.

>176 charl08: Book club is tomorrow, Charlotte. I will report on the discussion. This is the first novel by Ng that I have read, and I probably wouldn't have picked it up if not for book club. Her new one sounds more interesting to me.

Beth, your experience at the Iowa City Book Festival sounds amazing. I had that on my bucket list before Covid. Perhaps if I could interest my husband in driving me up there next year we could meet up. I would love to meet you and see Julia again, too. If Janet or other LTers could come, that would be a bonus.

I'm interested to hear your book club report on the Ng book.

Hi Donna - We had a good discussion of the Ng book. One of the members actually lived in Shaker Heights! We talked about the characters a lot. One of the members said she didn't find Izzy's behavior believable, but most thought that it could be feasible for a teen; they don't always think things through. Overall, people liked the book.

A meet-up in Iowa City would be great!

111. Lucy by the Sea
Lucy Barton is back with her distinctive voice. Strout does an excellent job of capturing the uncertainty of the pandemic, especially for older people, who underwent huge changes in their lives. This reads like Lucy's diary, and while I liked this book more than Oh! William, I kind of hope Strout moves on from Lucy. I think she has explored her life as much as she can.

>57 lauralkeet: When I first joined this group in 2008, I was introduced to Young Adult books. I read so many those first years! Karen Cushman is an author I liked very much.

You are reading along at a great clip! Congratulations not only for reading 111 books thus far, but for reading some might good books as well.

>180 BLBera: I did not like O! William! at all. I know a lot of people liked it, and it received awards, I simply could not connect with it.

>180 BLBera: Interesting comment about Strout having explored Lucy's life as much as she can. You may be right about that. Perhaps we'll get glimpses of her in other books, as we did with Olive in this one.

>181 Whisper1: Oh! William is my least-favorite Lucy Barton. Yes, I am enjoying young reader books with Scout.

>182 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - I feel like Lucy has explored her past, and in this novel, aging, and that anything else would be a repetition of what we've already read. Strout's description of Lucy's uncertainty about the pandemic was masterful. At least the pandemic has produced some good books.

>183 BLBera: Strout's description of Lucy's uncertainty about the pandemic was masterful.
Oh yes, I completely agree with that. We all went through it in our own way but still know exactly what Lucy was dealing with. Strout brought back some aspects of daily living during that time that I happily pushed into a corner of my memory but fortunately (for me anyway) not in a traumatic way, but in a way that made me say "oh yeah, right, I'd forgotten it was like that."

Hi Beth, I will be looking for your comments on the books you picked up at the Iowa Book Fest. You got yourself a very interesting collection!

>184 lauralkeet: I felt the same way as I was reading. She really brought back the doubts and uncertainty of the early days.

>185 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. Yes, I hope to read them soonish.

Interesting for me to read this book talk about Lucy By the Sea. i am starting it tonight.

I will be surprised if Oh William! wins the Booker, Beth, but she certainly deserves her readership.

>187 mdoris: I'll watch for your comments.

>188 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Of the books I've read, oh! William is my least favorite. But yes, Strout is very good at exploring the complexities of relationships, and in her last two books, of aging.

>180 BLBera: I'm going to listen to the audio of this one because, honestly Beth, I really don't need more of Lucy and don't feel like I will need to concentrate on it at all.

>184 lauralkeet: >186 BLBera: A line from Louise Erdrich's The Sentence re: the early months of Covid when nobody knew what was going on or what to do (masks/no masks)

"The rules for staying alive had changed."

>185 DeltaQueen50: >190 brenzi: I was also struck by Strout's pandemic descriptions. I'd nearly forgotten that constant dread and fear for everyone, despite it being just 2 years ago. It's amazing (and maybe not instructive enough) how our minds just propel us to the next pressing issue.

>190 brenzi: I'll watch for your comments, Bonnie. I think it would be a good audio; Lucy's voice is so distinct.

>191 vivians: Hi Vivian - It is amazing how we forget. Lucy by the Sea did bring back the uncertainty and dread.

112. Companion Piece
Ali Smith is her usual genius self in this novel that explores the effects of COVID and isolation. Of course, Smith doesn't do this in a linear fashion; she also includes a story of a young apprentice from the Plague years.

Smith also plays with language, demonstrating the dangerous possibilities of words and stories. Wonderful.

113. Tied Up in Tinsel
In an isolated manor house on the moors, Troy Alleyn is painting a portrait of the Halberds Manor's proprietor. When a servant goes missing, her policeman husband is called to investigate.

I read through Marsh's books years ago, but I had no memory of this one. As Patricia Meyer Spacks points out in On Rereading, "...the adult who has read many books over a long period may have memories sufficiently blurred that a book reread after a gap of years offers nothing recognizable." This was certainly true of this novel. The only thing left was the memory of enjoyment of this series, and I did enjoy discovering it again.

The audiobook was very good. My library has other Marsh audiobooks, so I may dip into those as well.

>193 BLBera: I have this on the shelf, looking forward to reading it!

Hi Beth. The day started with rain, but now the sun is shining and the humidity is high. I've added Tied Up in Tinsel to the TBR list. I hope your day is a good one!

>180 BLBera: Beth, I'm in total agreement that Strout has explored Lucy Barton's life 'as much as she can' and needs to move on. I just finished Lucy by the Sea and liked it...but enough already! ;-)

>193 BLBera: Oh my, another Pandemic book. I am going to have to space these out, but this one does look good. Good idea about a side story set in the times of The Plague. What a beautiful cover!

>195 charl08: Smith is genius although I didn't like this as much as the others of the seasonal quartet.

>196 Whisper1: Hi Linda. It's sunny and cold here. Marsh is good entertainment.

>197 Donna828: Hi Donna - Yes, it's good to space out pandemic books. On someone's thread, I read that Strout said she is done with Lucy.

114. Laurentian Divide returns to Hatchet Inlet in the second of Sarah Stonich's Northern Trilogy. The first, Vacationland, focused on Naledi, a resort outside of Hatchet Inlet. This novel revisits some of the same families who appear in the first one.

I loved this novel with its focus on small-town life in northern Minnesota. The locals, while depending on tourists, mostly feel contempt for their risky, uninformed, and often dangerous behaviors. Anyone who has ever spent time in a small resort town will recognize Hatchet Inlet.

The community is a close one but also one that is losing its young people; there are few opportunities outside the service industry. There is also the disadvantage of small-town life, brilliantly shown by Stonich, in which everyone knows who drinks and who is having marital problems. Yet, when two young women are killed in a car accident, the whole town gathers to console the families.

I look forward to the final book in the trilogy.

I’ve never read any Ngaio Marsh but I picked up one recently. Good to know they’re worth a reread.

I remember enjoying them, and this one held up, Meg. We'll see if others do as well.

Scout and I had a sleepover, which is always fun. We finally finished reading The Girl Who Drank the Moon, which Scout enjoyed enough to take home for her mom. We started The Inquisitor's Tale, which she is liking so far.

>201 BLBera: oh isnt Barnhill incredible? so grateful that a fellow book collector hereabouts introduced me to her. I think Scout will enjoy her short story collection dreadful young ladies and other short stories (touchstone is not working) which has one of my favorite covers. She also wrote a more adult novel, when women were dragons. I am not famiiiar with the inquisitors tale, will have to check it out

Hi Beth! You are doing lots of reading, that's great. Interesting to hear your take on Lucy by the Sea. Honestly, the Lucy Barton series isn't my favorite Strout, but I kind of think that Oh, William was my favorite so far. I think I will have to read this one also, even though I am ready for different characters.

>202 cindydavid4: Barnhill knows her audience, for sure. I thought The Girl Who Drank the Moon was a bit long, but Scout loved it.

>203 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. I don't have any excuse. I will watch for your comments on Lucy by the Sea; Strout made some great observations about aging.

115. Nightcrawling
This novel is a disturbing one, not least because it is inspired by real events. Kiara Johnson is seventeen at the start of the novel and lives with her brother Marcus. They are on their own, high school dropouts and underemployed, on the verge of being evicted. Kiara begins to sell herself, the only way she can see to avoid homelessness. In Kiara, Mottley has created a living, breathing character who is more than a statistic.

While the plot is uneven in spots, Mottley has avoided the temptation to tie up all loose ends. This is a remarkable first novel that gives us characters to care about and issues to consider after finishing the book.

I've added the Cairo Bookshop!

Our book group has similar tastes -- presently we are reading Still Life by Sarah Winman, but we've read Hamnet and several others.

116. When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through
"The equating of written languages to literacy came with an oppositional world view, a belief set in place as a tool for genocide. Yet our indigenous nations prized and continue to value the word."

These words introduce this comprehensive collection of indigenous poetry. Arranged chronologically, by region, the collection gives us an idea of the immense depth and variety of indigenous poetry. As with any anthology, I enjoyed some selections more than others, but I learned a lot about the poetry of various regions. Some poets were familiar to me, while I encountered others for the first time. What is clear from this collection is that indigenous poetry has a rich history and that it is still going strong today.

I read through this collection from cover to cover and will probably revisit it in the future.

>206 sibylline: Hi Lucy - overall I enjoy my book club's selections. I hope you enjoy the Cairo bookshop book.

117. Afterlives
This was my first novel by Gurnah, a Nobel Prize winner, and I have to admit, I was disappointed. I discussed this novel with two friends, also avid readers, and neither of them finished it. I understand I may be in the minority here as there are some four and five star reviews.

Primarily, the novel suffers from a lack of focus. In parts, it seems very much like an anti-colonialism polemic, and when the characters' stories emerge, the characters seem wooden. The narration creates a distance between the reader and the characters; there is detailed accounting of day-to-day activities, but little information about motivations and the insertion of random events that don't seem to lead us anywhere. And then, in the last twenty pages, about ten years pass, in which loose ends are tied up.

I liked learning about the lives of the characters and would have liked to see them more fully developed. I'll give Gurnah another try, but I did find this disappointing.

It's interesting because I am reading On Rereading, and am currently reading the chapter "Books I Ought to Like." This reminds me of how varied reading tastes are, and while I can appreciate reading books set in a different time and place, I didn't love this.

If anyone wants my copy, PM me your address and I'll pass it on.

>209 BLBera: I'm sorry to see you didn't enjoy this one, Beth. Not because you *should*, but just because it's such a letdown when that happens. Several years ago I had a thing about working my way through prize lists. I enjoyed my Booker, Pulitzer, and Women's Prize reading enormously. I had trouble with Nobel winners and eventually abandoned my quest to read them all. I don't mind being challenged by literature but I still want to enjoy it and that wasn't happening. Sometimes I feel guilty about that and then I read reviews like yours.

>209 BLBera: I havent read that one but I did love by the sea fwiw

>210 lauralkeet: Yes, Laura, I've learned to pick and choose from prize lists. Still, Gurnah was one I expected to like, so maybe my expectations were too high? If you want to give him a try, I have a copy I'm willing to pass on. :)

>211 cindydavid4: I'll make a note of that one.

You've been doing some good and varied reading, Beth.

>209 BLBera: I have this on the shelves to read: but maybe I'll leave it a little longer.

>213 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I try to pick up at least some books I wouldn't normally choose - the Women's Prize is good for that.

>214 charl08: You should give it a try, Charlotte; I'd be interested to see your comments. There are quite a few four-star reviews for the book.

118. On Rereading
I enjoyed Meyer Spacks' exploration of rereading. She looks at a variety of books, from childhood favorites, to various books she both enjoyed and didn't enjoy in the past. Some books hold up better than others. Childhood favorites like The Wizard of Oz and Treasure Island, she still finds rewarding, while The Catcher in the Rye and The Golden Notebooks, books she read when they were published in the 50s and 60s, don't fare as well.

Meyer Spacks' academic approach may not appeal to everyone, but I found a lot to think about, and as a academic, I could relate to many of her experiences.

Two quotes that strike me:

"The discoveries of each new reading of a given text -- 'bad readings' included -- add up to a richer interpretation than a single reading could offer."

"It's a problem for precocious readers that they invariably read much that they're too young for, and they don't necessarily realize that fact."

119. The Ghost Riders of Ordebec
In honor of Halloween, I picked up this novel in the Commissaire Adamsberg series. The mystery surrounds the legend of a "ghostly cavalcade" that, when it appears, forecasts death.

Of course Adamsberg becomes interested in this and when murders of those seen in the cavalcade do occur, he is called to investigate. Other mysteries involve the death of a wealthy industrialist and the question of who tied a pigeon's legs together. Those questions kept me turning pages, and I enjoyed my visit to Adamsberg's squad, with its interesting personalities.

>217 BLBera: I like that cover, Beth. And the title is much better than the title of the Dutch translation "De verdwijningen" (=The disappearances).

>216 BLBera: Sounds interesting. I will put this on my list.

>218 FAMeulstee: It's funny how covers change from country to country. I do like the title in English.

>219 figsfromthistle: I enjoyed it, Anita.

120. Crushing It is an enjoyable collection of poetry from an author I saw at the Iowa City Book Festival. Her poems look at everyday life with a healthy dose of humor. She uses a lot of dialog in her poetry, and she was a good reader.

>128 BLBera: Woefully behind but wanted to make sure you were aware of Keith Richards’ interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air. It was funny with Richards calling Gross all sorts of endearments and even managing to deflect her question about the anti-girl songs. Will definitely read the book. It will fit right in.

The worst part of the memoir, in fact, kind of icky, was the part when he talks about groupies. I will look for the interview. He is an interesting guy, and I am amazed he survived -- and lasted!

>216 BLBera: Intriguing idea for a book. I do look at some books that have been on my shelves for years and wonder if it's time to reread (and disrupt the memory of the first read).

I think you'd like it, Charlotte. She was pretty academic, but she brought up a lot of good points about rereading.

121. Best of Friends is another great novel by Kamila Shamsie. It explores the complexities of friendship.

Zahra and Maryam are best friends growing up in Karachi until Maryam is sent to boarding school in England when they are fourteen. Thirty years later both women are in London, still friends, each successful. Zahra is a lawyer working for a civil rights organization, while Maryam is a wealthy venture capitalist. The novel explores the dynamics of friendship between people who are very different.

Highly recommended. Lots to think about.

>226 BLBera: That sounds like a good one, Beth. And you’ve reminded me that I have a copy of Shamsie’s Home Fire around here somewhere that I’ve never read.

>227 Copperskye: This is so good, Joanne, a great novel about friendship.

Beth, thanks so much for sending me On Rereading. Jim and I are both avid re-readers, and I can't wait to get into it.

You are very welcome, Judy. I hope you enjoy it. I'll watch for your comments.

>226 BLBera:. This sounds good! I enjoyed Home Fire

I think you'd like it, Rhonda.

>1114 Wow, I can't believe it. My library has this available on audio! I am stoked :)

Back up there we were chatting about Visit from the Good Squad....I just read somewhere that the author had seen Pulp Fiction and was interested in the non-linear timeline...and that is what inspired her in part to write her book the way she did. Iteresting!

>226 BLBera: Hoping to get to this one before someone requests it back at the library! I did really love Home Fire.

>180 BLBera: Hi Beth! Do you think Lucy by the Sea would work as a stand-alone or would you recommend the other three first?

I'll also keep the Ngaio Marsh in mind. I usually try a Christmasy read or two in December. I've only read a few of her titles.

I did love the quote in that review from On Rereading. Eventually, I'll have to get to that one, especially as Ellen gave it a thumbs up, too.

Right now I'm reading Reading Like A Writer and enjoying it very much after your recommendation. Somewhere along the line, I've gotten into a sloppy habit of reading quickly by skimming through the center of the line of type. I must have learned this reading scientific papers, especially since they usually have several columns per page.

I think I would have liked taking your writing class.

Hi Beth, you are moving your books along at a very good pace! I tend to avoid re-reads as I have been disappointed in the past. Also I can barely keep up with all the first-time reading I want to do!

>233 LovingLit: Interesting fact about Goon Squad, Megan. Enjoy the Paul Simon interview.

>234 charl08: You'll like it, Charlotte.

>235 streamsong: Hi Janet: If you read Lucy by the Sea as a pandemic book, you could probably read it even though you haven't read any of the others. She does reference the past though, so it might be better to read them in order.

I enjoy the Marsh books.

I'm glad you are enjoying Reading Like a Writer; I think Prose has another one about reading. I need to check that out.

>236 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. I don't do a ton of rereading, but reading a book about it is interesting.

Hi Twin! Just popping in to let you know I'm alive. : ) You've been reading some great books.

I have to get my hands on Haven!!

Hi back, Twin! I am enjoying To the Lighthouse right now and looking forward to Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver's new one. I hope all is well with you.

122. To the Lighthouse
I read this years ago but remembered little. I loved this but can see why people don't. Woolf has written an impressionistic novel in which most of the action occurs in her characters' heads. The novel is divided into three parts. the first part, about half of the novel takes place in one day, mostly from Mrs. Ramsey's point of view. The dinner party scene is amazing.

The second part takes place ten years later, and is very short; we learn the fates of some of the characters. Then, the third part is back at the lighthouse, ten years after part 1.

There is a lot in this novel about the impossibility of knowing another person and about the value of art, to mention a couple of topics.

This is a selection for my book club, and I look forward to the discussion.

I am about 100 pages in to Demon Copperhead and loving it. There are 50+ people waiting for it, so I will have to read it quickish.

The first line: "First, I got myself born." :)

>241 BLBera: I just finished Demon Copperhead and absolutely loved it. She's an amazing writer, with a totally credible voice of an adolescent boy. So glad you're enjoying! (I read the whole thing in two sittings: 5 hour flights to San Diego and back. I just couldn't put it down!)

>242 vivians: Demon's voice is so good, Vivian. I imagine I will finish it quickly as well. It is hard to put down.

>241 BLBera: Wow, 50 people waiting. That's some queue. Good job you've got more time now you're retired (I joke: sounds like you are busier than ever!) I just had a look at my reservation, it seems like I will get hold of a copy soon, as there are 30+ copies in the library network. I am looking forward to reading it.

Someone on Litsy mentioned that Hamnet is now a play and is going to be put on at the RSC in Stratford. Any plans for a UK visit?

>241 BLBera:, >242 vivians: I'm still waiting for my library copy of Demon Copperhead, but fortunately I submitted my request fairly early. But still, I'm #10 at the moment so I have a bit of a wait ahead of me.

>244 charl08: Hamnet as a play! I'd love to see that. Maybe I'll have to make plans for a UK visit. :) I didn't check to see how many copies the library has; still, 50+ requests will make for a long wait for people at the bottom.

>245 lauralkeet: It's worth the wait, Laura. Thank goodness for the "most anticipated" lists. It helps me get a jump on some of those books.

My book club had a good discussion of To the Lighthouse. Some people struggled with the language but thought that once they got into it and went with the flow, it was better. A couple of people listened to the audiobooks with Nicole Kidman reading it and thought it was very good.

We talked about gender roles and how they were defined and how visual much of the novel is. Some mentioned that the characters are very well drawn.

All in all, a good discussion, even considering that most did not love Woolf's style. Some who hadn't finished it decided they would go back and finish, while others were going to try an audiobook.

Happy weekend!! Not that it matters as much now that you are retired. : ) I read To The Lighthouse so long ago, (40 years?) I have but the faintest of memories.

Weekends are still nice, TwinK! I was in the same boat re: To the Lighthouse. I remembered only the broadest outline, but I think I liked it more this time.

123. Pitch
This is another good collection of poems by Todd Boss. And I LOVE the cover, with its piano in the road, a reference to "Overtures on an Overturned Piano," one of my favorite poems in this book. Boss's subjects range widely, from farm life, to love, to the collapse of the 35W bridge. His humor and focus on details that make up our lives appeal to me.

A couple of my favorites include "Six Fragments for the 35W Bridge," especially the start of 2:
2.
Like
reading,
crossing
suspends
us
beginning
to
end.

And a hilarious love poem:
"My Love for You is So Embarrassingly"

grand...would you mind terribly, my groundling,
if I compared it to the Hindenburg (I mean,
before it burned) -- that vulnerable, elephantine

dream of transport, a fabric Titanic on an ocean
of air? There: with binoculars, dear, you can
just make me out, in a gondola window, wildly

flapping both arms as the ship's shadow
moves like a vagrant country across the
country where you live in relative safety. I pull

that oblong shadow along behind me wherever
I go. It is so big, and goes so slowly, it alters
ground temperatures noticeably, makes

housewives part kitchen curtains, wrings
whimpers from German shepherds. Aren't I
ridiculous? Isn't it anachronistic, this

dirigible devotion, this Zeppelin affection, a moon
that touches, with a kiss of wheels, the ground
you take for granted beneath your heels?--

I will look for Boss's next collection.

>249 BLBera: Ooh, you got me with the Todd Boss book! Loved those poems!

Karen O.

Hi Karen - I think his first collection Yellowrocket is even better.

I've added Yellowrocket to the wishlist, Beth. Thanks for sharing those poems. The humour of the second is so welcome.

Great funny poem about love, Beth. Thanks.

>249 BLBera: I like "Six Fragments for the 35W Bridge," for the poem and for the memories of being in MN and that bridge!

>252 charl08: I hope you enjoy it, Charlotte. I saw him read years ago and really enjoyed it. Yes, I love the love poem, so original.

>253 ffortsa: It always makes me smile, Judy.

>254 Berly: It's a good poem; this is just a small part of it. Yes, it's nice to see familiar places in books.

124. Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver's retelling of David Copperfield in today's Appalachia works remarkably well. Demon, born to a single mother with addiction issues, learns early to count on nothing or no one. As he notes, "A kid is a terrible thing to be, in charge of nothing." Social services, schools, and the foster care system do little to protect children, themes that match the concerns of Dickens in his novel. Kingsolver also gives us versions of some of Dickens' memorable characters: Mr. Micawber and Uriah Heep to name a couple. They fit seamlessly into the story.

My only tiny complaint is that I thought it dragged a little in the middle, but that could just be me and my lack of engagement in the subject of high school football. This is a great novel, and it's not necessary to have read David Copperfield to enjoy it -- although now I am tempted to reread it.

>240 BLBera: >246 BLBera: I have read To the Lighthouse several times Beth, and it gets better every reading, as do all Woolf's works.

Mrs Ramsey was very much based on Virginia's mother.

I have a feeling that I will be rereading To the Lighthouse, Caroline. I feel like I missed a lot. I also would like to read other books of Woolf's that I have missed. Good retirement project.

I am going to pause Nights of Plague, I'm about 250 pages in, in the almost-700-page novel and am finding it tedious. I will return it to the library and try again when there is less going on.

Hi Beth, I've enjoyed getting caught up with your, and your reads are outstanding as usual. It sounds like retirement suits you!

This is a fun time of year - lists of best of lists!

https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2022

I love NPR's best books lists and didn't know it was out already (how is it almost Dec?????!!). Can't wait to dig into it!

>260 AMQS: Thanks Anne. Yes, retirement is great.

>262 Copperskye: It's a good opportunity to add to the WL, Joanne.

>261 BLBera: Love lists! A quick glance through the covers tells me that I've read 2 of them and am almost done with a 3rd. Okay then!

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

>241 BLBera: >242 vivians: I really struggled with the beginning of Demon Copperhead: the early scene of domestic violence was pretty tough reading for me. As someone with friends in southwest Virginia, I was also concerned about her depiction of these resilient people, but she showed compassion for them. I did try rereading David Copperfield but it will have to wait. What I did do was read both of Beth Macy's books about the opioid crisis: Dopesick and Raising Lazarus.

Happy Thanksgiving from Bottle Tree Farm

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Beth.

Happy Thanksgiving, Beth! Have a wonderful day!

Hi Beth.

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.

.

Happy Thanksgiving, Beth. Thanks for posting the link to the NPR Best Books, I suspect I will lost hours scanning through the books!

The NPR list looks great!

>264 ursula: We all need more books on our Wishlists, right, Ursula? :)

Thanks >265 PaulCranswick:, >267 witchyrichy:, >268 jessibud2:, >269 Carmenere:, >270 karenmarie:, >271 DeltaQueen50: - Paul, Karen, Shelley, Lynda, Karen, and Judy for your Thanksgiving wishes. We had a fine time.

>272 banjo123: I added a few books to my WL, Rhonda.

Good to see you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving, Beth. I hear you about the difficulty of keeping up with other threads. I’m even further behind than in other years.

Hi Meg - I do an awful lot of lurking this year!

126. State of Terror
I listened to this; it was a good audiobook.

Like all thrillers, it required some suspension of disbelief, but the terrorist plot was not unrealistic. Ellen Adams is the Secretary of State and is in disfavor with the President because of an acrimonious campaign and some personal issues that we discover as the novel progresses. However, after some terrorist attacks, they are forced to work together. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the pages turning.

I kept picturing Adams as Hillary Clinton. I did enjoy the brief visit to Three Pines. This is a good thriller.

I enjoyed State of Terror too, Beth. I agree about the suspension of disbelief. And yet I also knew Clinton brought real-life experience to the book, which as you say makes the plot more realistic.

Hi Laura. I did enjoy the focus on the Sec. of State; I'm sure Clinton has lots of stories.

127. Haven
In her author's note, Emma Donoghue tells us that Haven is inspired by an island off the southwest of Ireland, Skellig Michael. There's evidence of human settlement there from about 600, and this novel images that first settlement.

This is wonderful historical fiction that immerses us in the inhospitable setting. The three characters are equally well drawn: Artt, who leads the other two monks is charismatic but unforgiving of weakness; Cormac is older and kind, as well as practical; and Trian is naive but appreciates nature.

While the novel is firmly set in the seventh century, we can also see some themes that resonate with us, like the cost of isolation and abuse of the environment.

If you like historical fiction, you will appreciate this novel. I will certainly think about it for a long time.

If you would like my copy, PM me your address and it's yours.

>279 BLBera: I liked Haven too, Beth. As a matter of fact, I've enjoyed a few of her recent ones, including The Wonder and The Pull of the Stars. I read Akin too but don't remember much about that one.

Hi Vivian! I was thinking you would probably like Haven; I know you are a fan of good historical fiction. I haven't read The Wonder, but I did enjoy the other two.

Hi Beth, I'm glad your Thanksgiving was a fine one. I am so thankful for readers like you and others in this group. I trust and depend on you and a few others for recommendations. Demon Copperhead looks good. I am slowly creeping up the library hold list.

>275 BLBera: Likewise!

>279 BLBera: Book Bullet. I am a Donoghue fan.

If you'd like my copy, Donna, PM me your address.

128. G Is for Gumshoe is one of my favorites so far. This is a well plotted mystery, with Kinsey searching for a missing person and trying to stay alive after someone puts a hit on her. Both storylines move along, and I love the Brontë references.

The audiobook is very good.

129. The 1619 Project
This collection of essays, photos, poetry, and short fiction is a must-read for anyone who wants to be informed about race. I learned a lot about US history, parts never mentioned in school, as well as the insidious effects of systemic racism in our country. The essays are by scholars in a variety of fields and cover topics from religion and music to citizenship and justice. The poetry, photos and short fiction are wonderful as well.

Highly recommended.

I just started Burning Questions, a collection of essays and lectures by Margaret Atwood. This is going to be a winner: in the first essay, I laughed aloud at this:
"I wanted to try a dystopia from the female point of view...However, this does not make The Handmaid's Tale a 'feminist dystopia,' except insofar as giving a woman a voice and an inner life will always be considered 'feminist' by those who think women ought not to have these things."

And in defense of liberal arts:
"'The arts' -- as we've come to term them -- are not a frill. They are the heart of the matter, because they are about our hearts, and our technological inventiveness is generated by our emotions, not just by our minds. A society without the arts would have broken its mirror and cut out its heart. It would no longer be what we now recognize as human."

And these quotes are just from the first essay! I am looking forward to this. This work covers about twenty years, so it will take me into next year, I'm sure.

On a personal note, I sprained my wrist playing pickle ball, so I will have a lot of quiet time during the next couple of weeks. Also, since typing with a splint is uncomfortable, I will probably not be around LT much.

Ouch! Sorry about the wrist sprain, Beth. I'm glad you have some books to keep you entertained :)

It is so annoying, Katie.

>286 BLBera: Who knew pickle ball could be so dangerous?! Still, better to be injured doing something athletic than just getting up out of a chair. I hope it heals quickly. And that holding a book to read is more comfortable than trying to type!

>286 BLBera: Sorry about your wrist, Beth.
I had to look up "pickle ball", as I didn't know what it was.

Sorry about your wrist, Beth. Hope it's feeling better soon.

And great that you also read the 1619 project. That was really an amazing undertaking.

My daughter, who is a Donaghue fan, gave up on Haven because she thought it was too much about men. (not usually an issue with Donaghue's books.

>286 BLBera: Ouch!! Hope it heals quickly!

>289 rosalita: Another woman I play with broke her wrist and needed surgery! But the doctor told me I could get back to it in a couple of weeks.

>290 FAMeulstee: It's becoming very popular here, Anita.

>291 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - Thanks. It is so annoying. There are so many things that need two hands. I learned so much from the 1619 Project Well, the only characters in Haven are three monks, so...I thought it was really good.

>292 Copperskye: Thanks Joanne.

My daughter called me earlier and poor Scout, who is just over strep was running a fever again. So, she took her to urgent care, and the poor kid has influenza A and COVID. And we were cuddling yesterday, so I will watch for symptoms. Sigh. This is going to be s long winter.

Oh dear Beth, I'm sorry to hear about your sports injury.
And Scout! I hope she's over it quickly and that you somehow dodged it.

Thanks, Laura. I like your phrasing; sports injury is not a term I would ever expect to be connected with me. :)

Hi Beth, sorry to hear about the accident and about Scout's diagnosis. Hope you both get well soon. I've just got two weeks left of work to get through before the Xmas break, and am very tempted to spend most of them wearing a mask to try and filter out some of the end of year bugs...

Hi Beth, I have had my eye on The 1619 Project for awhile. Your review is a terrific nudge for me.

I am so sorry about your wrist and about poor Scout. I think it is going to be a long and difficult winter. I was so sick over Thanksgiving week (and the week before) that I an trying to be as careful as I can be - particularly with travel coming up. I hope Scout feels better soon and that you can somehow stay healthy.

Oh no, poor Scout. Hope your vaccinations help you on this one.

It's going to be a VERY long winter Beth. Couldn't agree more. I hope Scout has a quick recovery. Mia had a sinus infection with high temperature for two weeks until an antibiotic worked. One week back at school she woke up with 103° Temp but can't have another antibiotic so soon🤷‍♀️

As a long time pickleball player I'm interested in how you broke your wrist, as well as your friend. Did you fall on it? I've never had an injury playing but I know people who have and they're usually head injuries from falling and hitting their head or suffering leg/knee/ankle injuries.

>296 charl08: I am wearing a mask when I am in public now, Charlotte. But I am not sure it's possible to avoid all the bugs.

>297 AMQS: Thanks Anne. It is going to be a long, hard winter.

>298 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda - I hope all the jabs help. So far, so good.

>299 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. Another pickle ball player! I just started. We both fell and tried to catch ourselves with our hands. :( My friend fell backwards.

Poor little ones this winter; I have a feeling things are going to get passed around.

>289 rosalita: A close friend highly recommended the 1619 Project. I look forward to reading it in the new year. Today was spent with neighbor Andres and grand daughter Kayla as we tried to get the tree stand in place. After too many hours, we decided that another tree will be purchased tomorrow -- one that includes the proper stand.

Poor Scout. All good luck to you avoiding the illness.

>285 BLBera: Marianne pushed me into reading it, Beth, and I am slowly working my way through it. I have to appreciate it mainly because it cost me $40!

Whilst I don't subscribe to the premise that America's present and future is explained by the landing of the first slaves in 1619, it is certainly very powerful in shining a light on the evils of racism and worthwhile for everyone to read.

>301 Whisper1: Hi Linda - THe 1619 Project is worthwhile.

>302 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. I will watch for your comments on this one. I learned a lot.

130. The Guest Cat
If not for my book club, I probably wouldn't have picked up this little book. Translated from Japanese, it tells the story of a couple of writers who befriend a neighbor's cat. Lovely and poetic. I am not a cat lover, and I still appreciated the book, which shows the bond we can have with our pets. I will be interested to see how the discussion goes.

Beth, I'm sorry to hear about the run of bad luck. I hope your wrist heals quickly and that you didn't pick up a case of Covid from Miss Scout. It sounds like she got a double whammy. I haven't heard of the Covid/flu combo. It sounds like she might be pretty miserable. Happy healing to both of you!

Thanks Donna. She and her mom are quarantining together until Wed., I think, so Scout is happy to be home with her mom. She is mainly tired.

Ouch. Hope the wrist mends soon.

I have that volume of Atwood essays near the top of the tbr mountain, and may be reading that over the next couple of months too Beth.

Thanks Caroline. The wrist is feeling better but still not fully functioning.

I've read the first few Atwood essays and they are great. I read them in the morning with my tea, and so look forward to them.

I know I should start a new thread, but typing is still a little painful.

>309 BLBera: Oh, as i would imagine. So the sprain is severe enough for a splint. What joy. I hope you progress back to pickle ball soon, and your daughter and granddaughter chase the viruses out even sooner.

Thanks Judy. They were not sure it wasn't broken, so they wanted to play it safe. I hope to be back at pickle ball in a couple of weeks, unless, of course, I get COVID from my girls.

Heres to a speedy recovery for your wrist and may you be able to play pickle ball soon :)

Who knew that pickleball was so dangerous. Poor Scout with two whammies against her. Hope that she and you recover soon. I went to pick up something at the pharmacy yesterday and couldn't believe the length of the line at the prescription pick up counter.

>312 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita. My wrist is much better. Hopefully, only another week with the splint.

>313 Familyhistorian: I know, Meg! A nurse friend says they are seeing all kinds of pickle ball injuries in the ER, including head injuries! That explains why they kept asking me if I hit my head -- that's why I hurt my hand, to prevent a face plant! Scout is better.

Scout story: On her Christmas list, she put a "Tita day": ice cream for breakfast, lunch at a buffet (yuk, but if that's what she wants), arcade, reading, and a movie.

132. The English Understand Wool
This is a wonderful novella, which can be read in one sitting. In it, the first person narrator, a very confident seventeen-year-old young woman explains the lessons she learned from her mother, starting with, "The English understand wool." As the story progresses, we learn that the family has secrets. Very enjoyable.

>315 BLBera: I've got this book requested at the library--looks like a bit of a wait (!) but maybe people will read it quickly since it is short. I can hope, can't I?! Thanks for the reccie!

Karen O.

133. Dust Child
Overall Dust Child is a good story about a forgotten group of people: children of American soldiers left behind when the soldiers left Vietnam. Quê' Mai follows three storylines: Phong, one of these "dust children"; Trang and Quynh, two young Vietnamese women who become "bar girls" in Saigon; and Dan, a Vietnam vet, who returns to Vietnam after fifty years to find peace.

I felt the characters lacked distinctive voices, and the novel became didactic in places, making for an uneven tone. However, hearing the story of the war from a Vietnamese perspective is important. I found Phong's story especially moving.

If anyone wants my copy, PM me your address and it's yours.

>317 BLBera: It's a pity the writing doesn't quite live up to what's a really interesting premise. I watched a documentary about the My Lai massacre and it spent a lot of time with the surviving members of the village and it was quite moving.

Hi Beth, I'm sorry to read about your injuries and Scout's illness. Hopefully all will pass before Christmas comes along. I have taken to wearing a mask in public again as well as there does seem to be a lot of illnesses out there right now.

>318 rosalita: It's still a worthwhile read, Julia.

>319 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy -Scout is on the mend. I am also wearing a mask and will be cautious in public.