Joanne (Copperskye) Reads in 2023 (1)

Happy New Year!! I’m Joanne and happy to be back recording my reading life with you all. 2023 marks my 15th year on LibraryThing and my 14th year in this great group. My goodness, where does the time go?

I wouldn’t want to start a thread without a photo of my Skye girl. Here she is this morning, wondering why I won’t come out and play (in my robe and slippers). And Boomer, too, hiding under the Christmas tree.

>1 Copperskye: Skye's face is so emotion filled! What a beautiful dog!!

2022 was a good reading year for me. I finished 77 books. I was very surprised that I only read a couple books that weren’t fiction and hope to read a bit more non-fiction this year. We’ll see. I love mysteries, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction.

My 6 favorite books from 2022. I had it narrowed down to 5 but then I read Foster.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Armin
Sharks in the Time Of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Foster by Claire Keegan

Here are my reading plans for 2023:

(Tom Gauld, Revenge of the Librarians)

Books Read in 2023

January 2023
1. The Soul Of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery,OTS #1, 4 stars
2. The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante, OTS #2, 3 stars
3. Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths, 4 stars
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finley, OTS #3, 3.5 stars
5. Dead Lions by Mick Herron, OTS #4, 4.25 stars
6. The Soul Of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor, OTS #5, 3.75 stars
7. Real Tigers by Mick Herron, 4 stars

February 2023
8. The Twilight Man by Koren Shadmi (graphic), 4 stars
9. The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves, 3 stars
10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë OTS #6, 4.5 stars (reread)
11. Maigret and the Old Lady by Georges Simenon, OTS #7, 3.75 stars
12. Horse by Geraldine Brooks, 4.5 stars

March 2023
13. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, OTS #8, 4.5 stars (reread)
14. Spook Street by Mick Herron, 4.5 stars
15 I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, 4.5 stars
16. London Rules by Mick Herron, 4.25 stars
17. Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen, OTS #9, 3.75 stars
18. Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J Farmer, 3 stars
19. Kunstlers in Paradise by Cathleen Schine, OTS #11, LTER, 4.25 stars

April 2023
20. Exiles by Jane Harper, 3.75 stars
21. Joe Country by Mick Herron, 4.25 stars
22. Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen, 4.25 stars
23. The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland, 4.25 stars
24. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, OTS #12
25. Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan, 4.5 stars

May 2023
26. Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane, 4.5 stars
27. Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans, OTS #13, 4.5 stars
28. Slough House by Mick Herron, OTS #14, 4 stars
29. Maeve’s Times by Maeve Binchy, OTS #15, 3.5 stars
30. The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan, 4.5 stars
31. V for Victory by Lissa Evans, 4.5 stars

June 2023
32. Billy Summers by Stephen King, OTS #16, 4.5 stars
33. Number One is Walking by Steve martin and Harry Bliss
34. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, OTS #17, 4.25 stars
35. The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths, 4 stars
36. A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor, 4 stars
37. Blood Work by Michael Connelly, OTS #18, 3.75 stars

I always like the end of year meme. Here’s mine.

2022 Year-End Meme:

Describe yourself: The Maid
Describe how you feel: State of Terror
Describe where you currently live: A Far Cry From Kensington
If you could go anywhere, where would you go? The Mountains Wild
Your favorite form of transportation is: Slow Horses
Your favorite food is: Wild Strawberries
Your favorite time of day is: A Night in the Lonesome October
Your best friend is: Nora Webster
You and your friends are: Santa’s Little Yelpers
What's the weather like? Cloud Cuckoo Land
You fear: Lessons in Chemistry
What is the best advice you have to give? An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed
Thought for the day: When God Was a Rabbit
What is life for you? Maigret Enjoys Himself
How you would like to die: The Drowning Sea
Your soul's present condition: Plainsong
What was 2022 like for you? A Royal Pain
What do you want from 2023? Love & Saffron

>2 Whisper1: Hi Linda, welcome! She is a cutie. And has a face that can launch a thousand treats.

I am laughing out loud at the phrase "A face that can launch a thousand treats!"

>8 Whisper1: :) It’s too true.

Happy reading, Joanne.

Some really nice MEME answers. Slow Horses are definitely the way to travel and ladies old or young should never be crossed.

Happy new thread for the new year Joanne! Cute pictures and I have Remarkably Bright Creatures on my list to read this year so I'm glad to see it as a top read.

Happt to see you around this year, Joanne.

Happy new year, Joanne. And thanks for the reminder about the end of year meme!

Happy reading in 2023!

Happy new year, Joanne!

Welcome back, Joanne!

Skye is such a beauty, and the expression on her face is definitely, "What are you doing, Mom? Come out and play!" :-)

I only learned about Tom Gauld this past year, but I love his work. That's a great one. Here's to reading for fun in 2023!

>3 Copperskye: I really need to get Foster read! I bought it several weeks ago, I just have not gotten to it year. I think of your favorites only Sharks in the Time of Saviors is not on a list somewhere. Unfortunately my local library does not have it. Into the BlackHole it goes!

>4 Copperskye: Oo, I loved that one!

>6 Copperskye: Great answers!

Have a wonderful new year!

Happy New Year! Happy Reading! Love your meme answers, and a good reminder to do mine.

Yay! I found you!

Skye and Boomer are such sweeties.

Three of your favorites were among my top-rated reads of last year, and 2 were in the top 11. (Supposed to be top 10, but, like you, that’s simply not possible.)

Happy New Year, Joanne!

Happy new year! Wonderful pictures of Skye and Boomer. And, I love your meme answers. I used An Elderly is Up to No Good to describe myself ;-) Lovely little books.

Happy reading. I haven't tackled my top five but I know Cloud Cuckoo Land will be on the list.

>10 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, Welcome! I like fast horses, too. ;)

>11 WhiteRaven.17: Hi and welcome! Remarkably Bright Creatures was so good!

>12 richardderus: So happy to be here, Richard and to see you, too.

>13 katiekrug: Hi Katie, Happy new year to you, too!

>14 figsfromthistle: Same to you, Anita!

>15 bell7: Thanks Mary, Same to you!

>16 drneutron: Thanks, Jim, and thanks as always, for keeping us so well organized.

>17 rosalita: Yes, she’s a keeper, Julia, my little shadow. I borrowed an ecopy of Revenge of the Librarians from the library and picked up a physical copy as a stocking stuffer for Chris. The book itself is lovely.

>18 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Welcome and thank you. Foster is a quick read and well worth the time and then some!

>19 PaperbackPirate: Nice to see you, Pirate, and happy new year to you!

>20 Storeetllr: Yay, you found me, Mary! And don’t we have great taste in books. :)

>21 norabelle414: Thanks Nora, Happy new year to you!

>22 witchyrichy: Happy new year, Karen, and thanks! Cloud Cuckoo Land was a good one, for sure!

Happy new year of reading!

Star dropped! Looking forward to hearing about your life and reading in 2023 :)

Happy New Year, Joanne. Great list of favorites. I hope 2023 is good to you.

Happy New Year Joanne! Skye's face in that picture is just so beautiful.

>25 Whisper1: That’s lovely, Linda, Happy Reading to you!

>26 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! Welcome!

>27 BLBera: Same to you, Beth!

>28 brenzi: Good to see you, Bonnie, happy 2023!

Happy New Year, Joanne. Looking forward to following my very first LT buddy, for another year of banter and books. I can't believe we are still going strong. I like your best of list. I am so glad to see Remarkably Bright Creatures on there. I still need to get to Foster. Watching any good shows? I am finishing up "Three Pines" and will be starting "1923". I really liked "1883", despite bailing on "Yellowstone", after season 2.

Dropping off a star, Joanne. I have a similar goal for my reading this year. Here's hoping we both meet it. :)

>30 msf59: Hi Mark, good to see you! Foster will be a quick and satisfying afternoon read for you when you do get to it. I’m a little behind on my TV watching lately but I’ll add 1923 and 1883 to my list even though I quickly gave up on Yellowstone. We’ve watched a lot of movies lately - Glass Onion, the new Avatar (surprisingly not bad, I disliked the first), Emily the Criminal (highly recommend), Banshees, and The Worst Person in the World were a few that I really liked.

>31 MickyFine: Hi Mickey, Welcome! Here’s to reasonable reading goals!!

1. The Soul Of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

As much as I love visiting aquariums, I’ve never given a lot of thought to marine life beyond what they look like and the facts to be found on the ID cards outside of the exhibits. And I never paid a lot of attention to the octopuses which I’m sorry about now. Sy Montgomery’s book is a highly readable and fascinating look at the sheer magnificence of octopuses, mostly concentrating on a few individuals she met at the aquarium in Boston. I read Remarkably Bright Creature last year which led me to learn more and I highly recommend that fictional account and this one that’s helping me satisfy my desire to read more non-fiction this year.

>33 Copperskye: I'm so glad you've fallen under the spell of my dotes the Tentacled Americans. Fascinating story, and Author Montgomery does a fine job of explaining why they are important.

>33 Copperskye: The Soul of an Octopus looks just my sort of thing. I love octopuses.

>34 richardderus: I’m definitely under their spell, Richard. Truly fascinating creatures.

>35 SandDune: Hi Rhian! If you already love octopuses, you will absolutely love it. And Remarkably Bright Creatures, too, for some fictional fun.

Happy New Year, Joanne! Love the topper photos. Linda is right that Skye has such an expressive face.

>37 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, Happy New Year to you as well! :)

>33 Copperskye: One of my top favorites from last year, along with Remarkably Bright Creatures. So glad you enjoyed it too!

Happy weekend!

>33 Copperskye: This one is very appealing. Is it possible my local library might have it? Must investigate ...

>33 Copperskye: I am quite ignorant when it comes to much of marine life so perhaps I should go and seek that one out, Joanne.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Hooray for The Soul Of an Octopus! I loved it too, perfect companion piece to the wonderful Remarkably Bright Creatures.

What shows have you been enjoying? I really liked "1883" but "1923" really hasn't grabbed me. I hope to start the 2nd season of "Slow Horses".

Hi Joanne. I’m looking forward to keeping up with your reading this year. I’m not at all surprised that we shared some favorites. Let’s think seriously about a meetup next summer. I may try to go to Colorado Springs in July for Griffin’s Lacrosse tournament. If I go by myself, then I will be able to stay longer and spend time in Denver as well.

>39 Storeetllr: Don’t you just love it when one book leads to another, Mary! Hope your family is feeling better this weekend!

>40 rosalita: Oh, I hope so, Julia!

>41 PaulCranswick: Happy Sunday to you, Paul. The older I get the more attuned I am to how little I know. It was a wonderfully readable learning experience.

>42 msf59: Absolutely Mark, the two books went together so well! Besides the movies I mentioned above, we just finished The Mosquito Coast. John liked it a lot more than I did. The Watcher on Netflix was also pretty entertaining, yet strange. Did you ever watch Ozark? I plan on starting the first season of Slow Horses this week. And we’re looking forward to the new season of All Creature Great and Small on PBS tonight. :)

>43 Donna828: Hi Donna! I hope that works out!!

>33 Copperskye: This sounds great, Joanne. I'll add it to my WL.

2. The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

I was hoping the book would clear up some questions I had about the movie version of this that I watched last summer. The movie, starring Olivia Coleman, was very good, but puzzling. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the movie followed the book rather closely. The main character, Leda, a divorced mother of two adult daughters, decides to vacation at a seaside resort where she interacts (I can’t say befriends) an extended Italian family and their young daughter. And her doll. I will just have to work out Leda’s motivations and her fight between maternal responsibilities and self fulfillment on my own. Ferrante’s prose is lovely but, as with the movie, I’m not sure I enjoyed it.

>45 BLBera: It’s really good, Beth!

>46 Copperskye: I have the full set of Ferrante's Neapolitan novels but have yet to crack one open. I hope they are not as confusing as this book was for you! I have a low tolerance for not knowing what the heck is going on. :-)

I read the Neapolitan novels in order and did not find them confusing although by the end I was finding them rather boring. I wish I had stopped after the second one.

>49 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for the heads-up, Reba. I'll see how they go but I won't feel bad if I don't want to read them all.

>48 rosalita: Not confusing in that I didn’t know what was going on, more in that I didn’t fully understand Leda’s motivations. I’m usually pretty good at empathizing with a character but this book left me feeling off balance.

>49 RebaRelishesReading: One of my sisters is a big fan of Ferrante and I know My Brilliant Friend is/was very popular. Maybe she’s just not for me.

Ferrante was a fail for me, Joanne. I had the first one out from the library several years ago, and I just could not get into it.

>52 Crazymamie: I also tried and failed to read My Brilliant Friend. Oh well, too many other books to read anyway!

Belated happy reading in 2023, Joanne!

>54 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita, and same to you!!

Happy Birthday, Joanne! What are you doing on your big day? 😁🍻

>56 msf59: Thank you, Mark! Quiet day with spicy Korean Noodles for dinner and Cold Stone cake for dessert. And some quality reading time, of course. :)

3. Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths

I liked this a lot and I’d feel a lot better about the end of Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series if we get a new Harbinder Kaur novel each year. Is this a series? LT and Goodreads list it as book #3 in a series yet the author and publisher have the first two listed as standalones. Either way, I loved the characters and the way Harbinder is developing, it was great fun with gentle humor, and the mystery itself kept me guessing.

Happy belated birthday, Joanne. I hope you had a fantastic day.

Morning, Joanne! I also just finished Bleeding Heart Yard. It is part of series, and it is book three. The first two are The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. All three books feature Harbinder Kaur.

>59 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>60 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Wasn’t Bleeding Heart Yard good?! I’ve read the other two and liked them, as well. But in the list of books by Griffiths in the frontpages of Bleeding Heart Yard, her Ruth Galloway books and Brighton Mysteries are grouped together but The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders are listed as “Other Works”. Kind of odd, I thought, but I sure hope she continues the characters (and the ending made it seem like she would).

That is odd, I had not noticed that. It feels like she means to continue with the series. I do think the first one started as a standalone.

>62 Crazymamie: That’s probably the case. I don’t remember much about the first book, for whatever reason, and I don’t remember a substantial connection between book 1 and 2. This one felt different, like it was ready to jump off.

Hope you had a great birthday, Joanne. Sorry I'm a day late :(

Belated happy birthday wishes, Joanne. Hope it was a good one and the celebrations last through the weekend.

>64 RebaRelishesReading: >65 Storeetllr: Thank you Reba and Mary! Well wishes are always welcome! :)

Happy Belated Birthday, Joanne. I remember a meetup on your birthday one year. As I recall, the sun was shining, and it wasn't all that cold. A perfect Colorado afternoon in January.

Oh, thank goodness for another series by Ellie Griffiths. I still have two books to read in the Ruth Galloway series, but worried about what to do next. ;-)

>67 Donna828: Thanks, Donna! And yes! I remember that, too, at the Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch. Jenn brought me a beautiful cupcake and I’m sure Anne was there, too. That was quite a few years ago now.

Sadly, we aren’t having a balmy January this year.

Happy New Year, and happy belated birthday, Joanne!

I do remember that meet-up - they are always wonderful!

My husband - being Greek and all - always loved eating octopus, but can't bear to anymore after reading The Soul of an Octopus. I have Remarkably Bright Creatures on my list after you recommended it.

4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

A small town California doctor begins to get concerned as more and more patients come to him complaining that something isn’t right with their loved ones. They just don’t seem like themselves. And for good reason. They’re not. A creepy classic sci-fi story of paranoia and otherness. I liked the first person perspective and was intrigued that the author set it in 1976 (first serialized and then published in 1954). The movie is one of my favorites of the 50s era - the others being “The Blob” and “Them!” - and I’m glad I finally read this book.

>69 AMQS: Hi Anne, Thanks and happy 2023 to you! We’ve had some fun meetups, haven’t we?

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten octopus and I know I never will now. I think calamari is off my plate, as well. You’ll love Remarkably Bright Creatures!

>69 AMQS: >70 Copperskye: I used to love octopus but we went on a snorkelling trip with a marine biologist when we were in Greece in about 2006. He showed up an octopus and told us all about their intelligence. I’ve never been able to eat it since.

I've never eaten octopus (and I think Calamari is first cousin to rubber bands) but I never gave much thought to them until I saw the film on them and now I have great respect for them. Amazing creatures.

I enjoyed your meme answers.

>58 Copperskye: I think I just ordered that one for the library. I noticed it wasn't Ruth Galloway. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it.

>72 SandDune: Oh my goodness, Rhian, I’d love to see an octopus while snorkeling. Lucky you!

>73 RebaRelishesReading: “first cousin to rubber bands” - that’s perfect, Reba, lol. I’ve had some tough calamari so I know what you mean and I’ll keep that in mind if I’m ever tempted. They are pretty amazing.

>74 thornton37814: It’s a good one, Lori, and third in a series but can certainly be read as a stand-alone. I think it’s the best of the three.

>70 Copperskye: I didn't know the movie was based on a book. I might have to look for it.

>70 Copperskye: Sounds like a great book! I am adding it to the my TBR list.

>76 BLBera: I didn’t either until a few years ago. I bought the book for my husband and finally picked it up myself.

>77 witchyrichy: It was, Karen, and I’m really not a big sci-fi reader.

Some very varied stuff here already, Lynda - Octopi via harbingers of Harbinder and then Ferrante to Finney.

>79 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, you are so clever! :) Nice to see you and hope you had a good weekend! (I think you may owe Lynda a visit) ;)

5. Dead Lions by Mick Herron

This is the second book in Mick Herron’s Slough House series and what a great series it is. I never thought I’d enjoy spy books so much. Twisty plots, unexpected humor, and likable characters (even the seemingly unlikeable ones), make me want to immediately dive into the next one.

>81 Copperskye: I’ve just watched the first series of this on TV and it’s encouraged me to seek the books out. I’ve got Slow Horses on order from the library.

Morning, Joanne! I love the Slough House books! They are also excellent on audio, narrated by Gerard Doyle. Can't remember if you do audio or not, but I love them in that format.

>82 SandDune: Hi Rhian, If you liked the first season of Slow Horses, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the books! I loved them both. Still need to start season 2.

>83 Crazymamie: I used to do audio, Mamie, when I was driving to work every day. I have a hard time concentrating when I’m doing anything except driving, it seems. I’m sure with a good narrator, they’re great! I used to like to revisit books on audio after I read them and I’m sure I’d have loved to do that with this series.

6. The Soul Of Kindness by Elizabeth Taylor

This was not my favorite of the Elizabeth Taylor’s I’ve read. The character studies were wonderful, but everyone was just so unhappy, married to the wrong person or just in love with the wrong person. Flora, the main character, although she’s sometimes pushed to the side, is flighty and vacuous, yet well meaning, and the story follows her and her family and a small circle of friends. They are all very memorable and well drawn. There’s very little plot, which is fine, and it’s beautifully written, but I just found it all very sad. It’s set in the early 60s, London, and the wealthier households in the story still had live in help. The housekeepers’ relationships with their employers was a lot of the comic relief, albeit very mild. Elizabeth Taylor is certainly under appreciated, though, and as far as I’ve read, you really can’t go wrong with any of her books.

What is your favorite by Taylor, Joanne?

>86 Crazymamie: Having only read about half of her oeuvre, Mamie, this may certainly change, but right now, I’d say it’s a tie between Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont and In a Summer Season. Have you read her?

I read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont last year, and was charmed by her. I have not read anything else. Yet.

I need to read Taylor; I have a couple of her books on my shelves. Some more choices for this year! I also want to start the Slough House series; I've seen so many positive comments about it here.

I read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont several years ago and then sort of lost track of her. Thanks for bringing her too mind again.

>88 Crazymamie: Unsurprisingly, I'd recommend In a Summer Season, Mamie. :)

>89 BLBera: I think you would really appreciate Taylor, Beth. Not to mention the Slough House series. (Too many choices!)

>90 RebaRelishesReading: I think she is truly underappreciated, Reba!

>88 Crazymamie: I am in the same boat as Mamie. Read only the same one as her and really liked it. Will definitely read the rest of her books.

>92 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont seems to be her most widely known, at least here in LTers catalogs. I wonder if that's because of the movie, but I'm not sure if the movie was all that popular. Regardless, I absolutely encourage you to give her another go!

>91 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. It was inexpensive on Kindle, so I snagged it.

>94 Crazymamie: Oh good, Mamie. I hope you like it when you get to it!

Wishing your a wonderful weekend, Joanne.

>96 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! We finally have some warmer temps this weekend. 50F. I'm off for a walk.

Hope your weekend is going well!

>85 Copperskye: I enjoyed your comments on Elizabeth Taylor, Joanne. Apparently I read Angel by her in 2012. I have a vague memory of it which got “jiggled” by the review I wrote. It started out with “Angel was no Angel”. Apparently I like feisty female protagonists as I gave it a 4-star rating. I have The Blush on my TBR shelf.

I’m glad you still get those bright relatively warm days in winter that I remember so fondly. It seems like winter has been challenging this year all around the country. We had ice to deal with last week. Or not. I just stayed home!

>98 Donna828: Hi Donna! I haven’t read Angel. Something about the description turned me off so I’m not in a hurry to get to it. I haven’t read The Blush either but I do have a couple others to be read on my shelves.

Ice is the worst. I hope it’s cleared up for you. January was actually pretty cold here - Denver’s coldest month since 2009. I really did miss the sunshine. But hey, it’s almost March. We’ll have snow but some warm days, too! I hope.

7. Real Tigers by Mick Herron

In this book 3 in the Slough House series, one of the Slow Horses is kidnapped and as they work to get her back, everything is not quite as it seems. Very fun and complex, I love the characters and just want to start the next one.

8. The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth Of Television by Karen Shadmi

I’ve been a Twilight Zone fan for a very long time and this graphic bio of Serling and his influences, the early days of television and the Twilight Zone, is very well done. And with a Twilight Zone twist. I appreciated finding out why a few episodes were done in video rather than film - I’ve never liked watching those.

Thanks to Mark for putting this one on my radar.

Twilight Zone is great! Glad you enjoyed it too. I haven’t yet looked for the hitchhiker episode you mentioned was your favorite but plan to. (I’ve already calendared New Years 2024 so I don’t forget to watch the Twilight Zone marathon. Or at least some of it.)

>102 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! It’s a good one! SCFI also does the marathon on the July 4th holiday or at least they used to. Shorter wait. :)

>33 Copperskye: Hi Joanne! I read The Soul Of an Octopus last year, and it was one of my favorite books of 2022!

Hi, Joanne. I hope thing are going fine in CO. I am glad you enjoyed The Twilight Man. That seems to have become a hit around here. Go, Warbler!

>104 Whisper1: Wasn’t it fascinating, Linda!? I learned so much. Have you read Remarkably Bright Creatures? I think you’d like it.

>105 msf59: Hey Mark! Yes, thanks for bringing The Twilight Man to our attention by singing its praises! Still winter here. It just started snowing again. Just in time since the snow that’d been on the ground since December was almost all gone!

9. The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves

This was okay, but honestly, Vera is such a drag. I'm not sure I'm interested in continuing the series. Unlike the Slough House series, for instance, where I can't wait to read the next one, I finished up Glass Room and was happy to be done.

10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

And here is proof that I can like a book while disliking the characters. This was a reread for me and somehow, I forgot just how truly, truly terrible they all are, Heathcliff being the absolute worst. But I love the way the story is structured and still find it a page-turner. It must have been quite a shocker in 1847. If you've only ever seen the 1939 movie with Lawrence Olivier and Merle Oberon (a movie that makes me cry/weep every time), prepare for something completely different if you're trying this Bronte classic for the first time.

And I love this Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition cover

I almost envy you the snow. It’s been like spring here for the past week. I’ve even been able to keep my bedroom window cracked all night without turning up the heat! March will probably end up being a deep freeze.

>108 Copperskye: I never read Wuthering Heights, nor saw the film. For some reason, the synopsis just makes it sound annoying and like something I wouldn’t enjoy.

Morning, Joanne!

>107 Copperskye: I love Vera in the tv series SO much better than in the books.

>108 Copperskye: Abby and I both love that book, and we each have that exact edition!

>109 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! That is too warm for February! It's 15F here this morning. But the sun is shining brightly and I'm actually looking forward to going out and shoveling up the remaining snow that fell late yesterday.

Well, when you're looking for a disturbingly dark gothic read, give WH a try. It is good if not necessarily enjoyable. The 1939 movie is great with a darkly handsome Lawrence Olivier as a sympathetic Heathcliff. And so very different from the book.

>110 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, I LOVE TV Vera! I keep waiting to warm up to book Vera but I'm getting discouraged.

I'm thinking of shelving all my Penguin Deluxe editions together. Will I ever read Moby Dick or Middlemarch? Probably not, but I do like to look through them. :)

>108 Copperskye: That is a great cover, Joanne. Great comments. Wuthering Heights is an amazing book with hardly any likable characters.

>112 BLBera: Hi Beth, I'm so glad I reread it, having forgotten so much! I see there's a new movie about Emily Bronte. The review I read panned it. It's too bad.

"I'm thinking of shelving all my Penguin Deluxe editions together." This is how I have mine displayed. I also keep all of my Penguin Clothbound Classics together. I love seeing them all lined up together and it makes it easy to check what I already have.

>114 Crazymamie: Yep, they definitely should be lined up together. My books aren’t in any order but I can group them very easily.

11. Maigret and the Old Lady by Georges Simenon

In this 33rd entry in Simenon’s Maigret series, Maigret is approached by an elderly widow whose young housekeeper has been poisoned after drinking a sleeping aid meant for the widow. Maigret agrees to journey from Paris to a seaside village to determine who murdered the housekeeper, who was the intended victim, and why. This was a good entry in a long-running series that can be read in any order. They are quick reads and great to pick up when I can’t seem to settle in with a new book.

12. Horse by Geraldine Brooks

I knew very little about Horse before I started it beyond that it took place in the US South of the mid-1800s, and there’s a racehorse and an equine painting involved. I quickly got up to speed and learned it was about the great Thoroughbred sire, Lexington, and so much more. Set in three time periods, I loved how the story was constructed. It really brought home just how close our current day is to America’s rather sordid past. As it happens, the current day storyline was the least interesting to me. The character of Jess somehow never seemed fully fleshed out, but Theo was a realistic figure. The 1950s sections with real-life NY art dealer, Martha Jackson, connected back the 1850s storyline and brought the equine painting’s story to the current day. The real heart of the book, though, takes place in the barns and plantations and slave quarters of the Antebellum South. Lexington’s groom/trainer, Jarret, was a great character and I loved following his oftentimes harrowing and heartbreaking story. A fascinating mix of history and fiction and highly recommended!



Portrait of Lexington, Thomas J Scott

>117 Copperskye: I got Horse for Christmas. Good to know you highly recommend it!

Happy Sunday, Joanne. Great review of Horse. Such a terrific book. Brooks delivers once again. Thanks for the rec on Bad Sisters. I have added it to my watchlist. So many promising shows to check out.

>118 PaperbackPirate: Lucky you! I hope you like it as much as I did!

>119 msf59: Happy Sunday to you, too, Mark. Bad Sisters was great! The only other book by Brooks that I read was March, which I liked but really didn't love. That's probably why I wasn't rushing to read Horse. I have Year of Wonders on the shelf, I just need to get to it.

>117 Copperskye: Hi Joanne, I love your enthusiastic review of Horse. Isn't Lexington a gorgeous animal? I have read seven books by Brooks. Horse and People of the Book (read in 2008) were my favorites.

>121 Donna828: Hi Donna! So nice to see you out and about, and thanks for dropping by! My lack of enthusiasm for March is probably why I hadn't read anything else by Brooks and hesitated a bit to start Horse. I definitely need to read more of her books.

>117 Copperskye: Thanks for the nice review of Horse, Joanne. I love Brooks and I am a "horse girl" from way back, so I think this one is right up my alley.

>123 rosalita: Hi Julia! From another horse girl from way, way back, I think you'll really like it. As you'll no doubt notice, it's amazing how rugged those Thoroughbreds from way back were since they weren't being raced as babies as they sadly are today.

13. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

This was a delightful reread of a favorite book I first read as a teen in the early 1970s. I'm so happy I've managed to hold onto my hardback copies of Herriot's books from way back when. They are treasures.

14. Spook Street by Mick Herron

I have a new favorite series. This one starts with a flash mob and a terrorist. River is concerned about his grandfather, who appears to be suffering from dementia - is the old spy really being stalked or is it all in his head? The books keep getting better and better and I just love the characters, even the unlikable ones.

15. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

This was so good! Lots to think about and would be a great book club selection. If I had to quibble about anything, I think the subplot regarding the main character's husband was unnecessary, but other than that, a thoroughly engrossing read.

>125 Copperskye: I’ve got (or had) that exact book. All of them in the series, actually. I don’t remember seeing them since I moved here so may have given them away. Of course, now I want to read them again. I imagine the library will have copies.

Hope all is going well with you and yours.

>128 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find the books. Don't you hate when you finally get rid of something and then decide you need/want it? It happens too often to me. All is well here!

Thanks, Joanne! Hope you had a lovely St. Pat’s Day. No celebrating here. Ruby’s not feeling well, so I stayed downstairs and had a quiet day, other than my monthly trip to Trader Joe’s. Closest one is in NJ, so I also filled the tank. (I didn’t look to see how much it cost, but it’s almost a dollar cheaper than here, and I only have to gas up every other month or so. So it’s really not that big a deal. I guess.)

As for the books, yes, it pierced my heart to think I got rid of them, though I prefer to read on the Kindle these days. Or listen to audiobooks. I bet they’d be great as audiobooks. I’ll have to check.

ETA the library has the audiobooks of all of them, unabridged! Woohoo! Put it on hold.

Happy Saturday, Joanne. I am really looking forward to reading I Have Some Questions for You. I have heard nothing but raves and I also loved The Great Believers.

My cousin talked me into giving Better Call Saul another try. I only watched the first 2 seasons and then stopped for some reason. I rewatched the last 2 eps in S2 and I am 4 eps in S3. I am totally hooked. I also have 2 eps left in Fortitude, which I am also enjoying. I enjoyed Last of Us too. Did you watch it?

>130 Storeetllr: While I was reading it, Mary, I was thinking how fun it would be as an audio book, with the right narrator, of course. I hope it works for you. Aren’t we lucky to have great libraries at our disposal! I hope Ruby is feeling better.

>141 Copperskye: Hi Mark! I loved The Great Believers, too. Yay for your cousin getting you back on the Better Call Saul bandwagon! I found some of the storyline surrounding Saul’s brother hard to watch...I wonder if that’s where you bogged down. But anyway, the last several seasons were absolutely incredible. Fortitude was so weirdly fun and yes, we watched and really liked The Last Of Us! You should add Bad Sisters (on Apple) to your list if you haven’t already.

Happy Sunday, Joanne. I think you are right about me giving up on Better Call Saul. The brother stuff was getting annoying, although Michael Mckean is wonderful in the role. It is playing better the second time around. I am nearing the halfway point in S3. Mike and Gus are great too.

Yes, thanks to you, I already have Bad Sisters on my watchlist. Have you heard of the show "Why Women Kill"? My daughter and SIL have been raving about it.

P.S. I hope you can get to Runaway. I sure did.

>127 Copperskye: I am ready to start the new Makkai book later this afternoon. I am very happy to hear your praise. I always try to mention a little quibble about a book for some reason. I guess there is no such thing as a perfect novel. *shrug*

Hope all is well in Denver and that you are gearing up for the spring snowfalls. I hope we don't see any white stuff here. Haha.

>133 msf59: Yes, Mike was a great character, too. And Nacho was one of my favorites. You have a lot of great viewing ahead of you! I haven't heard of Why Women Kill but I'll look into it, thanks.

>134 Donna828: Hi Donna! I hope you like the Makkai as much as I did. I guess sometimes I have to remind myself of why a book doesn't end up being a 5 star read, hence the quibble. It was awfully good, though! So far, no major storms forecasted for March, at least down here. We shall see.

Hi Joanne! I love the photos of Skye and Boomer.

I also really liked I Have Some Questions for You and I need to get back to Mick Herron.

>136 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, Thanks and thanks for stopping by! I haven't seen any truly negative reviews about Makkai's new book, it was so good.

I'm just going to throw this out there to anyone with a Kindle with "special offers". I highly recommend having a chat with Amazon customer service about maybe having the offers removed, at no charge. I did that last week and I like my Kindle so much more now. The sleep screen now shows the cover of the book I'm reading and it opens from sleep much faster. It was so simple to do and I was too cheap to pay Ammy the $20 or so they charge. What took the longest was getting to a chat screen on Amazon.

16. London Rules by Mick Herron

Normally if I read series books too close together, they start to lose their appeal. So far, with the Slough House series, that is not the case at all. I finish one and I just want to start the next. In London Rules, someone wants to kill Roddy Ho, and as annoying as he is, the rest of the Slow Horses feel threatened as well. They band together, adding a bit more mayhem and a few more deaths. Still my new favorite series.

I am really anxious to read the Makkai; I've heard so many good things about it. I just need to finish my current book, and it is next. One of these days I will get around to the Herron series. It sounds like one I would like.

>132 Copperskye: I put two different audio editions of All Creatures Great and Small on hold at the library. The one read by Christopher Timothy is 2 weeks away, and the one read by Nicholas Ralph is 5 weeks away. I’m not familiar with either of them. Apparently they are still popular books!

>139 BLBera: Hi Beth! I'm sure you will like the new Makkai when you get to it!

>140 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! I wonder which will be better? But I think both'd be great. Christopher Timothy played James Herriot in the 1970s TV version of All Creatures. Nicolas Ralph (I love how they both have two first names) plays Herriot in the most recent series of All Creatures. Have you watched either? I'm sure that's why there's a wait.

No! I didn’t even know there was a new TV series! What channel?

>142 Storeetllr: It was on PBS, three seasons, so far. I'm sure you can get the DVDs from your library. Unless you have PBS Passport. It took me a bit to get used to the new acters but they are all very good.

>141 Copperskye: I don't remember ever seeing the original series (although I sadly can't claim it was before my time) but I read all the books as a kid and I love the new series. Honestly, the new Herriot's Scottish accent would make me lean toward that version — I think it's dreamy!

>144 rosalita: It started in the late 70s, Julia, in the dark ages when you had to actually be home on a set day and time to watch a TV program. We are so spoiled now. Lol. I warmed up to the new actors and love the show and the accents. I don’t remember the original, Christopher Timothy’s, voice/accent at all at this point. I wish there were more episodes each season. An aside, I only realized while watching Great Canal Journeys that Samuel West, who plays Siegfried, is the son of Timothy West and Prunella Scales. Prunella Scales played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers which is an old (70s again) sentimental favorite of mine and very, very funny.

>145 Copperskye: I can hardly stand to sit through live programming, Joanne, except for sports. We are indeed so spoiled to be able to pick when and how we want to watch shows. Your story about the actor who plays Siegfried reminded me that I was watching Midsomer Murders a while back and up he popped in an old episode. It was startling to see him out of context. :) The same thing has happened to me with the actor who played the Earl of Grantham on Donwton Abbey, seeing him in something that he had done much earlier in his career. It can be a bit distracting!

>145 Copperskye: OMG Joann!!e -- we love Great Canal Journeys and often watch episode just before going to bed -- so soothing it helps us get ready to sleep. I didn't know Timothy or Prunella before this but find "Timmy" in episodes of many of our favorite shows now.

>146 rosalita: We rarely, except like you, for sports (severely curtailed now for years thanks to an Altitude and Comcast carriage dispute) watch TV live. The commercials seem to take up more time than the shows sometimes. Thank goodness for fast-forwarding. And sometimes trying to figure out “where have we seen that actor before?” is so distracting that we have to pause and, often, google.

>147 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! Another fan! It’s such a gentle, soothing show and was such a balm during Covid!! I love the scenery, and the canal boats and history, and especially the couple. They are so sweet! I think we have one more season to still watch.

>145 Copperskye:, >146 rosalita: Samuel West also plays Peter Judd on the Slow Horses TV show! Its hard to recognize him with different facial hair.

>149 norabelle414: That's who that is! I knew he looked familiar when I was watching Slow Horses but couldn't figure out where I knew him from.

>149 norabelle414: >150 rosalita: Oh, absolutely! I knew he was on something I had just recently watched. It wasn't his clean-shaven face I recognized at first, though, it was his voice.

17. Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen

If you are at all familiar with Hiaasen's work, you can imagine what fun he has with giant Burmese pythons, a Palm Beach Fl club called Casa Bellicosa, a POTUS couple with the Secret Service code names of Mastodon and Mockingbird, and a cast of various hangers-on and innocent victims. Angie Armstrong, a wildlife wrangler, is a great protagonist and I hope there are more books with her as the star. Truly some laugh out loud moments.

18. Death Of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer

This is the 100th entry in the British Library Crime Classics series. It was first printed in 1956, and, as such, still contains the oftentimes uncomfortable attitudes of the time. A policeman befriends a used book seller who is then murdered and when a rare book is found to be missing from his collection, a connection is made to the business. Because Sergeant Wigan had been learning the basics of the used book trade, he is kept on to help investigate the murder of his friend. This classic bibliomystery really seemed to drag in the middle but I managed to stick with it and was ultimately rewarded with a satisfying ending. I do love the cover and Martin Edwards introductions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the egalley.

19. Kunstlers in Paradise by Cathleen Schine

Mamie Kunstler, a Jewish refuge from 1939 Vienna, travels to the safety of Santa Monica with her parents and grandfather. As a young refuge from a formerly well-off and artistic family, she meets many famous and talented artists of the 30s and 40s. Her grandson, Julian, a “woolgatherer”, according to his mother, finds himself suddenly girlfriendless and apartmentless in NY in 2019. When Mamie, at 93, breaks her wrist and needs some temporary assistance, Julian moves into her little house in Venice Beach. Soon, this short-term arrangement is forced to be longer when Covid strikes, and Mamie begins to tell Julian stories of her life and their family.

I loved Mamie and her relationship with Julian and the way she told him her stories of Los Angeles in the 1940s. There were a lot of historical tidbits and it reminded me, at times, of Anthony Marra’s “Mercury Pictures Presents” because of the location and the time period. Schine has a light touch, and except for a few pages where I thought Mamie went on too long (but maybe that was deliberate, in the way that stories of the past are sometimes told), I found the whole book delightful. I also spent a lot of time googling people and places and have a new old book on my Kindle, “Prince Jan, St. Bernard”.

I was sorry to have this book end, and hope Mamie, Agatha, Julian, and Sophie are still enjoying cocktails and tea in the garden under the stars.

It's been awhile since I've enjoyed an ER win so much!

>154 Copperskye: I've read and enjoyed two of Schine's earlier books, so I'll put this one on the library list. Nice review, Joanne!

>154 Copperskye: My first BB of April! Great review, Joanne - I added my thumb.

So glad you are still enjoying the Slow Horses books - one of my favorite series.

>155 rosalita: Oh good, Julia, and thanks! I read Schine's The Love Letter and The Evolution of Jane pre-LT so it's been quite a while. I think I need to read the ones I have on my shelf!

>156 Crazymamie: Thank you Mamie!! I have my next Slow Horse book, Joe Country, checked out from the library. It's next up after Exiles.

>157 Copperskye: I guess I actually have read three: The Grammarians and They May Not Mean To But They Do were better for me than The New Yorkers but I liked them all. I'll look for the other two you mentioned!

>159 rosalita: They May Not Mean to But They Do is one I came across recently on my shelves and the next by her that I'll read. I'm glad you liked it!

Happy Sunday, Joanne! Thanks so much for visiting my new Q2 thread! So nice to have visitors!

>154 Copperskye: I haven't come across Cathleen Schine before, but this book looks pretty good. Onto the TBR list it goes!

>154 Copperskye: Oh oh! BB

>161 Storeetllr: Back at you, Mary! I enjoyed my little flurry of activity today, too.

>162 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! Glad to add to your tbr list!

>154 Copperskye: This sounds good, Joanne. I'll add it to my WL. I am reading the new Makkai and enjoying it.

>164 BLBera: Hi Beth! I’m looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the Makkai.

>153 Copperskye: I love that cover, Joanne!

>166 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Isn’t it though?! Whoever does the design work for the British Library Crime Series did especially well with this one.

>152 Copperskye: >153 Copperskye: >154 Copperskye: Wow...three in a row! Looking forward to reading all of them.

Happy Easter!

>168 witchyrichy: It's a trifecta! Good to see you Karen! I was just on your thread to wish you the same. :)

20. Exiles by Jane Harper

I loved both The Dry and Force of Nature and wanted (and expected) to love Exiles as well, but it just moved along too slowly. I liked the plot and the characters, though.

Hi Joanne...I'm sad that the new Aaron Falk didn't work out for you because the series is such a pleasure for me. I'm not up to that one yet ut I know now to slot it into my reading at a more contemplative moment, so thank you for the heads-up.

Enjoy the week we're halfway through, and be very happy you didn't read about Nancy Cunard. What a horrible, selfish, gin-soaked brat! Magnificent Rebel: Nancy Cunard in Jazz Age Paris came out today and I'm due to review it when all I want to do is screech insults at a 60-years-dead woman. What to say, what to say....

>170 Copperskye: I think I didn't mind the slower pace of this one because I knew it was going to be the last Aaron Falk book and I wanted to savor it. And I was satisfied with the ending — made me feel that she left the series and the characters in a good place.

I actually went straight back and re-read The Dry after finishing Exiles because I wanted to refresh my memory on how the relationship between Aaron and the Racos. It was just as good this time around.

>171 richardderus: Hi Richard, thanks for stopping by. I was disappointed, too, but my reaction may very well not be your reaction. I've never even heard of Nancy Cunard but it sounds like you read a very interesting book about her to get such a strong reaction. You've got me curious.

>172 rosalita: Hi Julia, I wonder if I would have like it better if I had realized it was the last Aaron Falk book. I love the characters and the relationship between Aaron and Racos. She really brings the characters alive - I can picture them as real people going about their life. Speaking of The Dry was there a movie made? Why do I think that. I'll have to go and check now that I'm thinking about it.

>173 Copperskye: There is a movie of The Dry — I haven't found it streaming anywhere but it's available to rent on Apple TV+ and I'm sure other places, too. I have it in my "queue" but haven't watched it yet.

I completely agree with you about Harper's skill with creating memorable characters. Have you read any of her standalone books?

>174 rosalita: I haven't read any besides the three Aaron Falk books but I do have a copy of The Lost Man here somewhere. I'm guessing you've read it?

It looks like my library has The Dry on DVD and so I've requested it! And Wikipedia tells me that a Force of Nature movie will be released in August.

>175 Copperskye: I have — I loved it but you shouldn't trust my judgment because I've loved every one of her books. :-)

>176 rosalita: Pshaw!! I loved the other two books I read. The Dry was a year-end favorite of mine, so two out of three I loved and one I just liked. Bottom line, I trust that I’ll like it since I like the author AND your taste in books! :)

>177 Copperskye: I'll look forward to your reaction whenever you're able to get to it!

>178 rosalita: Hopefully sometime this year! :)

21. Joe Country by Mick Herron

This is such a terrific series. I'll be so sorry when I'm all caught up, but every time I finish one, I just want to start the next. Smart, fun, and thoroughly engaging, I never thought I could get so completely wrapped up in the lives of some failed British spies.

Hi Joanne. thank you for your honest opinion on Exiles. I have enjoyed all four of the Jane Dry books I’ve read. I like her her slow (unhurried) approach to telling a story so I expect her latest one to be right up my alley. You never know, though. You will have to let us know more about the movie adaptation of The Dry.

I enjoy your conversations with Julia. Reminds me of the meetup in Boulder. Good times!

>181 Donna828: Aw, I miss you, Donna. We've had some good times — in Boulder and in Joplin. Does the Joplin meetup still happen?

>181 Donna828: Hi Donna, So good to see you! I'm guessing you'll love Exiles. It probably just caught me at the wrong time. The Boulder meetup was such fun!!

>182 rosalita: We need a bit of time travel to do it again!

22. Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen

It's 1994 in a small town in Northern Ireland, and Maeve Murray and her friends are waiting for their A-level results and hoping they'll be good enough to get them to university and away from the violence of The Troubles. Catholic girls, they get summer jobs at the local British-run shirt factory, bringing them closer to the violence they've lived with their whole lives. The characters are bright, funny, and irreverent. The story is very political and humorous, but rather sad at times, and I can't wait to read more by this author.

I don't know why this isn't more popular around LT. Fans of the TV show, Derry Girls, would probably love it.

>184 Copperskye: - I've not heard of this one, Joanne, but it's now on my list. I was getting serious Derry Girls vibes from your comments and then your last line sealed it :)

>184 Copperskye: You got me with Factory Girls, Joanne. I've been spending quite a bit of time in Ireland , bookwise and your review prompted me to put it on my wishlist.I do have a thread in the 75's this year, if you want to pay a visit.

>185 katiekrug: Hi Katie, It definitely has the same Derry Girls vibe, just a bit darker. You'll see a lot of similarities.

>186 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, I did notice you were posting again but didn't know you were back to having a thread. I'm very glad! I'll be over to visit shortly. You have always been dangerous to my TBR pile!

I loved "Derry Girls," Joanne, but have not heard of Factory Girls. I'll add it to my WL.

Well, Joanne, I think you said my thread was dangerous to you as far as book bullets go, but on Saturday I headed out and purchased the one copy I could find in the Vancouver area of Factory Girls. My library did not have it, but I was fortunate to find it at Chapter's in Vancouver. Just one copy. I just read on Beth's thread that you are going to read Trespasses by Louise Kennedy. I hope you will enjoy it. It's my favourite of the four novels that I have read so far from the Women's Fiction Prize Longlist.

>188 BLBera: Hi Beth, I honestly can't see not liking it if you liked Derry Girls.

>189 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, I was surprised that my library had Factory Girls and another of the author's books, Big Girl, Small Town. I love my library system. I have yet to read anything on this year's Women's Prize Longlist but a couple (so far) are on my WL. I've usually read at least one or two when they make the announcement so I obviously have some catching up to do, but Trespasses will be the first.

23. The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

I loved this. I was expecting a sweet little bookstore romance, and I guess it was, but really, it was so much more.

>191 Copperskye: I keep thinking I've read this but just "searched" in my booklist and it seems haven't...so a treat yet to come I guess :)

>191 Copperskye: ... so I am hearing you say that this read is so much more awful and sad and depressing, right? Good! Now I don't need to get it for my Kindle. *whew* So glad you warned me! *skedaddles*

>190 Copperskye: My library has it, so I hope to get a copy in my hands soon, Joanne.

Somehow, I hadn’t found your thread before now, but you are now starred, and I’m so glad! Got hit with a couple of book bullets (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Factory Girls), which made me quite happy!

Have a great weekend!

Karen O

Now I know why I sometimes avoid threads: BB overwhelm! You got me with Factory Girls especially as I am huge Derry Girls fan.

>191 Copperskye: I am also always ready to read books set in bookshops.

>192 RebaRelishesReading: There seem to be so many books with "Bookshop" or "Bookstore" in the title, Reba. I thought I had this one on my Kindle but wound up getting it from the library.

>193 richardderus: Nope, nope, nope, Richard! Well, I'll give you sad, but definitely not awful or depressing! :)

>194 BLBera: Nice, Beth!

>195 klobrien2: Welcome, Karen, I'm glad you found me and that I found your thread, too. Those are two good ones so I'm glad I got you with them! I hope your weekend is good, too.

>196 witchyrichy: I know what you mean about the BBs, Karen. We are all so bad for each other. :)

>197 Copperskye: You'd think they were trying to appeal to readers :)

>198 RebaRelishesReading: And I'm guessing it works - at least for some of us!

>184 Copperskye: & >196 witchyrichy:

Won't avoid you thread, Joanne and I'm sure that Karen is joking too, but you got me with Factory Girls too - I bought it on Friday.

>200 PaulCranswick: I hope Factory Girls works for you, Paul! Imagine how quiet this group would be if we all tried to avoid adding to our TBR piles? Crickets!

24. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

I kept waiting for this to come together, for me to have an aha moment as to why it's a classic, but it just never did. Maybe it was dated. Maybe I just didn't get it. At least it was short.

>202 Copperskye: I have a vague memory of liking this book eons ago, Joanne, but then I'm as dated as the book. Haha. You did get me with some book bullets: the "so much more" in The Lost for Words Bookshop and Factory Girls because I love Irish books.

ETA: Just checked: I read Miss Jean Brodie in 2012 which wasn't that long ago. I gave it 3.5 stars. It was on the 1001 Books List.

Hi, Joanne. Finally checking in after my travels. Catching up around here can be quite a task. I also like the sound of Factory Girls. Our Spring migrants are slowly beginning to arrive. We have a nice warm-up coming up, so I hope it starts to pick up. Seeing anything new at the feeders?

>202 Copperskye: This read was intensely irritating to me. The betrayal and then guilt-conversion of the betrayer, that Spark implied was granting absolution to her despite her "suffering" for the childish pique that led to her telling a vicious lie left me pissed off.

>203 Donna828: Hi Donna! 2012 was just a couple years ago, wasn't it? Seems like yesterday. Speaking of Irish novels, have you read Donal Ryan? I just finished Strange Flowers a few days ago and you'd like it, I think.

>204 msf59: Hi Mark! Good to see you. Our spring travelers have been stopping by, as well. I just saw a Black-headed Grosbeak at the feeders this morning. Our first hummingbirds arrived last week but I've only seen them twice and they don't seem to have moved in. I've been ready for them. Overall, I think our bird numbers are down though.

>205 richardderus: Hi Richard, Yes, I agree. The whole book really annoyed me. As Donna mentioned, it's on all these lists of what "you need to read" and I just don't get it. And comic? I don't think so.

25. Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan

I'm back in Ireland again, this time in rural Tipperary. It's 1973 and Kit and Paddy Gladney's young adult daughter leaves their home without a word and doesn't reappear for 5 years. There is much grief at the seeming loss of Moll, but surprises are in store after her return.

Ryan's prose is lyrical and the story is sweet, surprising, and well told. I had to keep reminding myself that it was taking place, initially at least, in the 70s and not the 50s, but I think the rural setting had a lot to do with that. I could have done without the story within the story but it was easy to skim those parts. Beautifully written and so easy to recommend!

Great comments on Strange Flowers, Joanne. He writes beautifully. I'll have to add this one to my WL.

>208 BLBera: I have The Queen of Dirt Island checked out from the library and hope to get to it soon!

26. Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

Summer 1974, South Boston, and the Irish neighborhood is enraged about upcoming, federally mandated busing to desegregate the schools, set to start in the fall. Mary Pat Fennessey, who grew up in the projects, is barely scraping by. One night, her teenage daughter fails to return home. That same night, a young black man is found dead in a nearby subway station. Mary Pat hears differing stories but is determined to find the truth about her daughter. These are mostly all terrible people, mobsters and racists, but Lehane manages to make us care what happens to them. Considering the subject matter and historical background, this is not an easy read, but it's truly gripping. I just heard that this is probably his last book, which is a shame, but this is a good one to go out on.

Vastly different from my previous book, set in the same time period, with similar themes.

Happy Wednesday, Joanne. I am glad to hear that Small Mercies was a solid read. I am also surprised that it will be his last. He is still fairly young, right? I wanted to let you know that I have been watching "Bad Sisters". Sue bailed on it early for some reason but I am enjoying it. I plan on starting The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, also on Apple. Joe recently watched and enjoyed it and I really liked the book, as well. I bailed on "Shrinking". It just wasn't working for me. It felt forced.

No hummingbirds yet at my feeder. It has been up since Friday.

>211 msf59: I think he's planning on sticking with his TV writing. I hope he writes more fiction but I still have one or two of his to read. I'm sorry Sue bailed on Bad Sisters. Such a fun show. We watched the first episode of Shrinking weeks ago and haven't gone back to it. Have you watched the new Perry Mason on HBO? I really liked both seasons.

Our hummers are back.

Our weather turned stormy last night and usually that brings in the odd bird or two. I was hoping the Western Tanagers would finally arrive but so far I haven't seen any. I have orange halves ready for them. But what I did see this morning was a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak! I believe it's a lifer for me. This isn't really their normal range but there have been a few spotted lately.

>212 Copperskye: I just have a couple of episodes left in the first season of "Bad Sisters," and I'll be sorry when it's over. It's a real treat! I kind of want to hang out with the Garvey sisters, although maybe only in public places. :-D

>213 rosalita: Lucky you to have them in front of you, Julia!! Such fun! Have you watched Catastrophe? Sharon Horgan is in it, too, and it's also darkly funny (but in a different way).

>214 Copperskye: I have not — is that on Apple TV+ also? The worst part of the streaming era is never knowing where to find a particular show or movie.

>215 rosalita: It's on Prime. Looks like it's on Apple TV, too, but not free. I wouldn't pay extra for it.

I use the JustWatch app to find things. I also have to keep a list. Whenever I just try to guess/remember where something is streaming, I'm usually wrong. :)

I've not read anything by Donal Ryan, but I'll have to remedy that soon. That sounds like a good one.

>217 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! Strange Flowers is an easy book to recommend.

Hi Joanne!

First, late, embarrassed visit of the year. Happy New Year?

>3 Copperskye: I adored Sharks in the Time of Saviors, and have been toying with the idea of Lessons in Chemistry for my RL book club. We’ll be selecting the next 11 months of books (11 members, 1 book/month) in June. Glad it made your top 6. And I always love Tom Gauld.

>58 Copperskye: I really like the Harbinder Kaur series. I’ve read the first two, and just ordered this one.

>81 Copperskye: Gack. Another sort-of BB – I’ve resisted the series so far, but just ordered Slow Horses.

>103 Copperskye: I watched the 4th of July Twilight Zone marathons all through the early 80s.

>107 Copperskye: Another TV show Vera fan here.

Skippety-skip-skip

Happy Friday!

>219 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Always good to see you, no matter how often! I always love your chatty posts. I've been terrible about visiting, and especially posting, myself.

I'm glad I got you with some BBs. I loved Lessons in Chemistry and think it'd be a great book club pick.

My only complaint about the Vera series is that there are too few episodes!

Well yesterday was my 15 year Thingaversary. LT needs to have a balloon drop or something when you log in on that day. I happened to have bought quite a few books in the last month or two so adding more would just stress me out as I have no where left to put the ones I have. So those will have to count as my anniversary books. I really need to weed out some books on my shelves.

Thank you all for adding to my book buying fever for the last 15 years. I am never at a loss for a good book and that is truly a good thing!!

27. Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans

This is definitely on my list of books on the shelf that I ignored for far too long. Noel, a precocious 10 year old London blitz evacuee moves in with Vee, a widow with a money problem and the two of them scam their way into more trouble. They are a thoroughly charming pair.

I've already read Old Baggage, which was a prequal, apparently. I'm looking forward to revisiting the characters in V for Victory.

I really enjoyed both Crooked Heart and V for Victory, Joanne. I've got Old Baggage slated for this year some time.

>221 Copperskye: Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary, Joanne. I enjoyed Crooked Heart and Old Baggage, but I need to read V for Victory soon. I was trying to decide on it between a library book or V For Victory, and the library book won out .

Happy Thingaversary!

Your fifteenth is a solid achievement, Joanne... and considering how many books you have racked up it's better not to add to your stress level by getting an artificial arbitrary number more. I'm busily getting tree-books I've read already off the shelves for the same reason.

>207 Copperskye: Thanks for the heads up, Joanne. I've read another book by Donal Ryan and enjoyed it. I picked up my copy of Strange Flowers at the library and am looking forward to a "sweet, surprising, and well told" story.

Oh No, Dennis Lehane needs to keep writing novels. I am in the queue at the library. Perhaps I should buy a copy to coax him into writing more books? Haha.

Congratulations on 15 years of Library Thing. I like the idea of a balloon drop. I joined March 7, 2007 and agree that this group has kept me reading good books over the years.

🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

Hi Joanne!

Congrats on your 15-year Thingaversary. I, too, like the idea of a balloon drop.

You’re like me – I am always buying books so don’t go out of my way for my Thingaversary. My 15th was last October, so we’re pretty close. And so far this year I've acquired 60 books.

I also loved Crooked Heart, Joanne. It was such an original take on a WWII novel. Old Baggage was also great. I still have to read V for Victory; I'm sure I will enjoy it as well.

>223 katiekrug: I'm sure you'll like Old Baggage when you get to it, Katie.

>224 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary!

>225 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, I have V for Victory checked out from the library but another library book won out because its due date is nearer. My poor neglected book shelves.

>226 PaperbackPirate: Thanks Pirate!

>227 richardderus: Good for you to clear them off, Richard. I have to get better at culling my shelves. I get attached to the books I really liked, though, and getting rid of them is hard even if I know I'll probably not read it again.

>228 Donna828: Thank you for the 15 balloons, Donna! I'm reading Donal Ryan's The Queen of Dirt Island right now and I'm delighted to have characters from Strange Flowers wander in!

>229 karenmarie: Hi Karen, Thank you! 60 books! How brave of you to keep track. I think I'm better off not knowing. As long as I don't count ebooks, I'm pretty sure you outdid me so far.

>230 BLBera: I may have heard about Lissa Evans from you, Beth. I know Old Baggage was an ER win for me but I also have Their Finest Hour and a Half waiting to be read.

I need to have a Thingaversary more often - I'm unused to so many visitors!

The rain seems to have finally stopped for a day or two. We had a third of our annual rainfall in just a couple days last week and I think the most rain ever in a 48 hour period. I should get some planting done this afternoon. And the backyard grass needs to be mowed before Skye gets lost out there. But first, more coffee and a book...

Hi Joanne! Congratulations on your Thingaversary! I love the idea of a balloon drop on the day. Your post made me remember that my Thingaversary is in May. I've been buying so many books lately, however, that I think I'll just consider it celebrated and not search out any more, however.

Hi Reba! Thank you and Happy Thingaversary to you, too!

Happy belated Thingaversary to you! Hope all is well.

I finished V for Victory a couple of days ago and really loved it. I know what you mean about getting to library books, I have one on the go right now. They have to be returned, so sometimes must take priority.

Happy Thingaversary, Joanne. I love it that we started at the same time. I joined on June 10th. 15 years?? Wow!! I am glad we have remained friends through it all.

I hope those current reads are treating you well. I started Daisy Jones and the Six on Prime and I am enjoying it. I also really liked The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, on Apple. Great showcase for Sam Jackson. I gave up on "Shrinking" early on. Just wasn't for me.

I hope you had a good holiday weekend.

234 Hi Karen, Thank you! I seem to have neglected my own thread.

>235 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! I just finished V For Victory yesterday and I absolutely loved it. I need to stop by your thread and see what you had to say about it.

>236 msf59: Hi Mark! 15 years...amazing. So glad that we found this place, right? I haven't checked out either of the shows you mentioned but will. We watched one episode of Shrinking and never went back to it. Also gave Platonic a try on Apple but we didn't love it either. Have to catch up on Ted Lasso and then the new season of Somebody, Somewhere. I'm sorry that Succession is finished. We've been busy with the NBA semi-finals and looking forward to the finals. Go Nuggets!!!

28. Slough House by Mick Herron

I only have one more book in the series to go and I was going to hold off but Herron left Slough House with a huge cliff hanger and now I have Bad Actors waiting for me. This is such a fun series. I never thought I'd like a spy series so much but I absolutely love the characters!

29. Maeve's Times: In Her Own Words by Maeve Binchy

A collection of Maeve Binchy's columns from the Irish Times dating mostly from the 1960s through the 1990s. This was fun to go through and I was surprised that it was the older essays that I found the most interesting. Binchy was a lovely writer and a keenly observant essayist.

30. The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

I'm so glad that I read Ryan's Strange Flowers before this one as characters in that book also appear here and it certainly made for a richer story knowing their backstory. Not that this doesn't stand on its own extremely well. Mothers and daughters, family relationships, love and loyalty, set in rural Ireland and written with an Irish lilt, this was just as wonderful as Strange Flowers.

>240 Copperskye: Good to know, Joanne. I will read Strange Flowers first.

One of these days I will get to the Herron series. It sounds like one I would like.

>239 Copperskye: I loved Binchy's books and I did read her articles when I lived in Ireland.

>241 BLBera: Hi Beth, I still need to try some of Herron's non-Slough House books. It may be my favorite series at this point.

>242 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, Binchy's empathy and interest in her subjects comes shining through in her essays. It's been a while since I've read one of her novels. I need to get back to her.

31. V for Victory by Lissa Evans

A charming follow-up to Crooked Heart that follows Vera and Noel to London in the closing months of WWII. More please!!

My sweet girl, Skye, turned 11 last Friday and I couldn't let another day go by without noting it and posting a photo. She's slowing down some but is my shadow and best little buddy.

>244 Copperskye: Having recently finished V for Victory, I heartily agree, Joanne. Another book would be great! A little more about Mr Jepson and Vee and Noel, please!I read Slough House a few years ago, and enjoyed it. I read a few others in the series, but now seem to have stalled out. Sweet picture of Skye! She is beautiful!

>245 Copperskye: Such a sweet looking buddy. I so miss having a dog :(

>245 Copperskye: Thank you for letting us celebrate Skye's birthday with you both, Joanne! Is she still part of that medical study about golden retrievers or has it ended? I thought it was so neat that she could contribute to science!

>246 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! I know I've really enjoyed a book when I start to wonder what happens to the characters and wish them well after the end of the book.
I know they aren't real, but still! And thanks about the photo. I realized after I posted it that she's looks a little unkempt but that's because she just finished her morning roll in the wet grass.

>247 RebaRelishesReading: I'm sure, Reba, they become such an integral part of our lives.

>248 rosalita: Thank you, Julia. Yes, she is still one of the "Hero" dogs (#1947) in the Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. It was originally set to end (end in the sense that they wouldn't be collecting new data) when a certain percentage of the dogs had passed on. Sadly, we've reached that point but they recently decided to continue collecting additional data - I think it had to do with funding. I'm very glad that it timed out and she could be a part of the study and thank you for asking. Here's a link if you, or anyone else, is interested in learning more.
https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/golden-retriever-lifetime-study

Thank you for the information, Joanne — I'm glad Skye is being acknowledged as the hero we all know she is. And thanks for the link to the study — I just made a donation. They have a donor who is matching all gifts in June, so that was extra incentive.

>250 rosalita: Oh Julia, THANK YOU!!! That was very kind of you! Skye and all the other 3,043 Heroes and Angel Heroes appreciate you!

>251 Copperskye: Aw, i love Skye's banner! She's the goodest girl.

>245 Copperskye: >249 Copperskye: Happy birthday to Skye and what a hero she is!

Hi, Joanne! Hope all is well back in Colorado!

I had to laugh at this and thought of you and Skye.

>252 rosalita: :)

>253 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen! I'll pass that along.

>254 Storeetllr: Ha-ha, good one, Mary! Nothing like a little golden side-eye! We're good here, although getting sick of the constant rain. Looking forward to the Nuggets/Heat game tonight!

Hi Joanne, I love knowing that Skye is a Hero as well as being a sweet companion. I can't believe she is 11. I remember all the puppy pictures like it was yesterday...or maybe last week. It's fitting that she has a banner to display her contribution to science...and I love her number as that is my birth year!

>256 Donna828: Hi Donna, Great to see you! Those puppy days really do seem like they were just a few weeks ago sometimes. Dogs and kids...they grow up way too fast. She has a lot of Study swag - scarves, bowls, leashes, t-shirts (well, those are mine), etc. All for a good cause. I love her number, too. It's easy to remember for some reason.

Happy Friday, Joanne and happy belated birthday wishes to Skye. Yah! I can't believe my Thingaversary is tomorrow. 15 years? Wowza!

Watching anything good? I have been enjoying the second season of Somebody Somewhere and we just started Silo, which we really like. A good adaptation. Have a good weekend.

>258 msf59: Good morning and happy Friday to you, Mark! So glad we both found this place 15 years ago. Happy Thingaversary!

We just finished Ted Lasso and before that Perry Mason (have you watched PM on HBO? I loved it!). Next up is Somebody, Somewhere which you know I love. Right now though, we've been all in on watching the Nuggets in the NBA Finals.

My library branch had their summer book sale this weekend. I restrained myself which was easy since it seemed that most of the books were hardbacks and children's books. I can show off my new book tote, too, which was a gift from my son's new girlfriend.

32. Billy Summers by Stephen King

It's been years since I've read anything by Stephen King, the last was 11/22/63 in 2017. I really don't know why, maybe because they are all so long. This one did drag just a bit part-way through but then it roared - I finished the last 150 pages very late one night. I loved this story of an anti-hero who takes revenge on his employer, while helping a young woman get on with her life after a horrific crime. And I loved the ending which I thought was perfect.

>260 Copperskye: That's a modest but quality haul, Joanne — and the book tote is terrific. I always think I have read The Boys in the Boat but now realize that I keep confusing it with Unbroken, which also involves the 1936 Olympics, World War II and a boat but in a very different (also true) story. So TBitB is still out there waiting for me.

>261 Copperskye: Our tastes align perfectly (once again) on this one, as we've discussed elsewhere. A perfect ending from an author who, let's be honest, does not always stick the landing.

Looks like a great haul from the library, Joanne, and I do love the the book tote. I hope you enjoy Black Butterflies when you get to it.

>262 rosalita: Hi Julia, And they are three books I haven't read yet, which isn't always the case with my book sale purchases. I especially like the copy of The Flying Troutmans with its deckled pages and French fold cover, not to mention the lovely pelican. It's a Canadian edition, which is fitting.

>263 rosalita: Sometimes I find that King's books just cry out for some heavy editing but not so much with this one. And that ending really was wonderful. I have a copy of Mr Mercedes and I'll probably read it soonish (which could be anytime in the next month or year, frankly). :)

>264 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah! And I hope so, too!

33. Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss

If you like Steve Martin and Harry Bliss, which I do, I can't see how you wouldn't like this entertaining little book. If I had to complain about something, there could have been a bit more to it. More "Life in the Movies" and less "Other Diversions". I wouldn't buy it but a library loan was perfect.

Happy Sunday, Joanne. I am so glad you got back to King. I have Billy Summers on my audio TBR, along with Fairy Tale. I have not read one of his in a couple of years. I am due.

I read the first collaboration between Martin & Bliss. Lots of fun.

Hi Joanne -- nice to see you :)

>267 msf59: Hi Mark, Hope you had a good Father's Day. Billy Summers was great fun and reminded me of how much I've enjoyed King's fiction throughout the years.

>268 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, Lovely to see you and thanks for dropping by! :)

Happy First Day of Summer! Hope you’re enjoying the season so far. King is hit-or-miss with me, but I’ll try Billy Summers on your recommendation.

>270 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! I don't think you will be disappointed with Billy Summers. It's not horror at all, more thriller.

Summer is roaring in like a lion with hail storms yesterday and today. There was a very rare tornado today in Highlands Ranch, with lots of trees down and some damage to houses. A little one, really, and nothing like the one that hit Windsor several years ago but we don't usually get them so close to the foothills. It was on the ground for about 6 miles and missed us by about a mile and a half, thank goodness. The storm that accompanied it was the worst I remember ever having here. There'll be lots of clean-up to do tomorrow.

Happy Friday, Joanne. I finished the 2nd season of Somebody Somewhere. A solid 3 star season but a 4 star finale. I like Fred. You could do a spin-off on him.

Have I mentioned "Silo" to you? It is a terrific series on Apple. Sue and I are loving it. We 2 eps left. I also wrapped up Better Call Saul S5. Absolutely terrific but it sure left a lot hanging. I am so glad I gave this series another shot.

>271 Copperskye: OMG! I'm glad the tornado missed you. I've never lived where tornados are common but when we were traveling in the RV full-time we had a couple of close calls that really scared me. Good luck with clean up and hope you didn't have any major damage.

>272 msf59: We are watching Silo, Mark, and I think it was your recommendation - thank you! We're up to Ep5 but it's on hold now because we had to go back and watch the previous two seasons of Happy Valley because we kept asking each other who certain characters were as we watched S3. It's been about ten years so we don't feel bad about it and it is very good! Better Call Saul is so good! You have a lot of edge of your seat watching to do!! :) :( Glad Somebody Somewhere nailed the ending. We're behind on that, too.

>273 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, thanks for your good wishes. Tornados like that are exceptionally rare here. It was a supercell like they get on the plains that don't usually form so close to the foothills. We've been here for over 30 years and it's a first in the metro area that wasn't just a narrow land spout. It was wide but luckily relatively weak. Our yard damage was just from the hail and wind. We just got a new roof about three years ago and I'm optimistic that it's fine. I've been through some big storms driving on I70 in Kansas and Colorado but being in an RV would be terrifying.

Hi Joanne, I am getting caught up after accidentally falling into a black hole. Our weather has been crazy, hasn't it? We've been hit but not devastated by the hail. I was locked down in a Costco when the tornado sirens hit - too close for comfort and I'm glad you weren't affected too much.

Sweet Skye! What a wonderful dog, and thank you for sharing the photos.

You hit me with a number of BBs including
Horse
I Have Some Questions for You
Kunstlers in Paradise. and
Factory Girls.

Thank goodness I already read The Lost for Words Bookshop!

Hope you have a great week.

Adding: Congrats on your Thingaversary!! I think my 15th was this week too:)

>275 AMQS: Hi Anne! Thank you for digging yourself out of that black hole! I've missed your visits and seeing your thoughtful book comments. And 15 years of bookish friendship! Hope all is well. You can't go wrong with any of those BBs.

Skye is adorable, Joanne. Great comments on V for Victory; I have loved all the Evans books and hope to get to this one soon. I wonder if she will write more with these characters?

Hi, Joanne! I'm just checking in to report that I finished the second season of Slow Horses on Apple TV+ over the weekend. I think it might have been even better than the first? Anyway, looking forward to the next season whenever it starts.

>277 BLBera: Hi Beth! Good to see you back. I have Their Finest Hour and a Half on my shelf and I'm looking forward to it!

>278 rosalita: Hi Julia, Slow Horses is so good! It deserves a rewatch one of these days. We're currently rewatching all of Endeavour before starting the final season. It's amazing how much I forgot!