Laura (lauralkeet)'s 2024 Reading Nook - Part 5

Alys checking her socials


Ellie, then (8 wks) and now (~7 mos), sitting like a person

Welcome to my thread! I'm Laura, 62, retired and living with my husband Chris in an 18th century farmhouse in northern Virginia with our 9-year-old terrier mix Alys, and puppy Ellie (born Oct 2023). Ellie interrupted our predictable routine of gardening, home projects, reading, and (for me) knitting but she has also brought a lot of joy to our life and we know things will settle down as she grows up.

This thread will be all about books, reading, and day-to-day life. I occasionally post about my knitting here, but if you’re so inclined you can see more on my thread in the Needlearts group.

2024 is my sixteenth year in the 75 Book Challenge Group! I can’t imagine a year without bookish discussion with this wonderful community and others who follow my thread. It’s been quite a while since I actually read 75 books in a year, but this group is such an excellent source of book recommendations that my totals don’t really matter. I read mostly contemporary fiction, with the odd classic or memoir thrown in. Last year I added more nonfiction to my reading diet and enjoyed that immensely, so look for more of the same in 2024.

Books Featured on This Thread
(Go here to see all books read this year)
23. What is Left the Daughter
24. The Talented Mr Ripley
25. So Late in the Day
26. James
27. Confusion

Series Progress

Active series as of April 1 (updated quarterly):


A snapshot of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2024:
* Sean Duffy

Series started in 2024:
* The Cazalet Chronicles

Series abandoned in 2024:
* tbd

Currently Reading & On Deck



Clear | Where You Once Belonged

Gardening Update


The Entry Garden in late April

The Entry Garden was the high point of April. We created the garden last year, so this was our first chance to see whether we lost any plants over the winter. Early in the month we began seeing green shoots poking out of the soil, followed by early blooms. By month’s end, nearly everything had come back to life.

The entry garden is located in front of the house, to the right (click here for a garden diagram). There are four quadrants, with gravel paths in between and a soon-to-be water feature in the center. In the photo, you can see steps leading up and through the boxwoods to the croquet lawn. Most of the plants have yet to flower, but you can see a bit of purple on the right. Here’s a close-up:



Front and center are “Purple Sensation” alliums, one of my favorites in this space. They bloom early and the color is so rich and showy. Behind the alliums is Dame’s Rocket, which is a bit of a thug to be honest. We had to cull a lot of last year’s plants. But it adds some nice soft color, if we can keep it from taking over the garden. There’s more purple to come, along with pink and white.

The obelisks are new this year. We planted climbing roses beneath them in early spring. They are doing well but are too small to be seen and we don’t expect much flowering this year. So you’ll just have to imagine them covered in pink blooms!

Happy new thread Laura!

Your entry garden looks delightful!

Ellie looks ready for anything.

Happy 5th thread, Laura.

Your gardener does a really nice job, Laura. Tomorrow is May Day, so I must get outside and mow here and there. Fun!

Your gardens are so far ahead of ours. And your lamb's ear is gorgeous.

Lovely, lovely garden! I'm happy that some people enjoy the work and know how to do it!

I love it when Nuala sits like a person. It always cracks me up.

The entry garden looks beautiful.

Happy new thread!

>5 quondame:, >6 PaulCranswick:, >7 weird_O:, >8 dudes22:, >9 LizzieD:, >10 katiekrug:
Hi Susan, Paul, Bill, Betty, Peggy & Katie! I love the burst of greetings on a new thread.

>7 weird_O: Your gardener. Ha! Sometimes I wish we had one. But I have to give most of the credit to Chris. I take the lead on the veg garden, but he's the brains behind everything else. He has a good eye for color and design.

Thank you, everyone, for your lovely comments about the garden. We're pleased to see how much of it survived over the winter, and seeing lots of plants come into bloom is really satisfying.

Good morning !!!

Yesterday I did most of my gardening work in the morning, planting lettuce and basil. I'll plant the green beans in the next few days, and then we'll have all the veg in the ground. We also made a run to the nursery to help us with ideas for a spot in need of attention. We also picked up some ferns for a bed along the front of the house.

Last night we starting watching The Cazalets, a 4-episode series that covers the first 2 books. I also finished knitting my summer tee, just in time for warm weather. I'll take photos eventually. And of course I'll be starting a new project soon!

Today's agenda will definitely include the dreaded vacuuming, as well as weekly menu planning/grocery list making. Maybe I'll also plant first row of green beans ...

Wordle 1,047 3/6

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POSER, RAINY, DIARY

Happy new one, Laura!

Love the garden photos, Laura. Keep them coming. Your pups are very photogenic.

Happy May thread.

Happy new thread. Love the garden.

>1 lauralkeet: Oh my gosh Ellie is so big!! Where did the time go??

>1 lauralkeet: Waving at Alys. Wow how you have grown Ellie.

>4 lauralkeet: Garden looking good Laura. I love alliums.

>13 drneutron:, >14 BLBera:, >15 Helenliz:, >16 norabelle414:, >17 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Jim, Beth, Helen, Nora, and Caro. I'm glad you all are enjoying the garden photos. I'll keep 'em coming!

And yes, Ellie has grown so much. A couple weeks ago she weighed in at 36lbs, the same as Alys. But she is taller than Alys and starting to look like a big dog by comparison.

23. What is Left the Daughter ()

Wyatt Hillyer was orphaned at 17 and went to live with his aunt and uncle and their adopted daughter Tilda in Middle Economy, Nova Scotia. Wyatt was instantly smitten with Tilda, but too inhibited for those feelings to develop into a relationship. Throughout his life Wyatt was more bystander than protagonist, his fate determined almost exclusively by the actions of others. The novel is in fact a long letter to his 20-year-old daughter, whom he has not seen in years. By sharing his life story Wyatt hopes to bridge a very large gap.

Wyatt was a young adult working in his uncle’s business at the start of World War II. His uncle became obsessed with German U-boats in Canadian waters, and developed a hatred of Germans who had immigrated to Nova Scotia before the war. This ultimately led to a horrific crime with consequences for Wyatt which will impact the rest of his life.

I’m not sure the epistolary nature of the novel worked for me. For the most part the story read more like a novel than a letter, and Wyatt’s relationship with his daughter felt more like a literary device than a real situation. But I enjoyed Wyatt’s story, its many interesting and quirky characters, and the way everything wrapped up at the end.

>19 lauralkeet: Hey, 4 stars is a mighty fine read. I think I just set aside the fact that it was meant to be a letter very shortly after I began reading it.

>20 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda. I did pretty much the same thing, so much so that it struck me as odd whenever he would address his daughter by name. I guess I feel like the story would have been just as good without that element.

>19 lauralkeet: Adding that one to the BlackHole, Laura! Thanks for the recommendation.

Speaking of recommendations, I finally started The Light Years today.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Laura. Ellie is definitely starting to look like a teenage pupper.

Trying not to be too envious of all your spring blooms. We had snow again today (le sigh) although it at least had the courtesy to become rain later in the morning. My tulips are quite leafy at least but we're probably a week or two away from blooms yet.

Happy New Thread, Laura! Your garden looks beautiful and the purple alliums are gorgeous.

Happy new thread, Laura, love the garden pictures.

Ellie is growng fast! She sits like some of my Chows did, on her bum. Most dogs sit on the back their backlegs. I hope you understand what I mean, don't know how to explain better...

Sweet Thursday, Laura. Happy New Thread. Ooh, can't wait to read James.

>22 alcottacre: I can't wait to see your thoughts on The Light Years, Stasia!

>23 MickyFine: Hi Micky. Snow ... say it ain't so! I hope spring decides to make an appearance soon.

>24 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah.

>25 FAMeulstee: I know exactly what you mean, Anita. Sometimes Ellie sits like most dogs, so we had a good laugh when we saw her sitting on her bum like that.

>26 msf59: Thanks Mark! I'm looking forward to reading James, too. Chris also wants to read it but fortunately he's in the middle of a long book right now, and doesn't spend as much time reading as I do so I am sure I'll get to it first.

It's a beautiful morning here, cool and crisp. BUT ... the expected high temp is 87F/31C. Oof. I'm not sure how much time I'll spend in the garden, but that's okay because I took care of some things yesterday and am caught up for the moment.

Last night we watched the film, L'Eclisse, the third in a loose trilogy of 1960s Italian cinema directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. I have to admit I'm glad to be done with these. There's something to admire in the film-making, but I've been unable to engage with them. Even film buff Chris admitted L'Eclisse was lacking.

Today is grocery shopping day, and while I'm out I need to stop by the library to return one book and pick up another (So Late in the Day, by Claire Keegan). I'm also feeling the urge to make brownies, so that onerous task might also end up on my agenda. Ha. Other than that, I hope to spend a chunk of time reading The Talented Mr Ripley. I'm enjoying the "book to film" comparison. The story is so familiar that I'm constantly poised for the next step in the drama.

Wordle 1,048 3/6

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I went to make brownies the other day, but it turned out I didn't have a mix (no scratch brownies here...). Disappointment!

So the other day at Costco, I bought a six pack of Ghiardelli mix :)

>29 katiekrug: Katie, your message inspired me to check our supplies before I went to the store! Fortunately we had both the mix and the required chocolate chips. I admire your advance preparation.

Happy Friday!

I had a nice relaxed day yesterday. I did some prep for my next knitting project, and enjoyed some reading time. Tom Ripley did the deed that is central to the plot, and things became a bit intense. Brownies were the perfect antidote, ha.

Last night I started the new knitting project (a henley sweater), while we watched an episode of The Cazalets. We also started watching Shardlake (on Hulu in the US), based on the historical mystery series by C.J. Sansom who, coincidentally, just died. I read and loved the books several years ago, and the first episode of the series successfully created the vibe I remember.

Today's agenda is pretty light, just an appointment to start physical therapy for my rotator cuff injury. I have some herbs I'd like to plant in pots, so will probably take care of that too. Dinner will be takeout of some sort.

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Hi Laura - I saw the news about C.J.Sansom this week and remembered how much I loved that series. I had no idea it was made into a series, so thanks for that info! Shardlake was such a memorable character.

>31 lauralkeet: - I remember your love of the Shardlake series from back in the day. It's the reason I have the first couple in the stacks.

>32 vivians: All credit goes to Richard, Vivian. I read about Sansom's death on the In Memoriam thread here, and Richard commented there about the series. I was pleased to learn that Arthur Hughes, the actor who plays Shardlake, is disabled. That's an excellent and very appropriate bit of casting.

>33 katiekrug: My influence knows no bounds, eh Katie?! LOL.

Have a fantastic Friday, Laura!

Happy Friday from me too!

It's hard to knit here in the summer, but I wonder whether I can get back into it. I have a LOT of yarn in skeins not garments.

>35 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia!

>36 LizzieD: Peggy, I'm familiar with that "yarn in skeins not garments" issue! And yes, it can be less fun to knit when it's really hot. The top I just finished is a cotton blend, which helps. Is any of your yarn suitable for socks? That could be a nice small project to start back with.

Good morning ...

Not much more to report from yesterday. We had a typical Friday night with takeout dinner (pizza, for the first time in quite a while) and Gardeners World on TV. I also made significant progress with The Talented Mr Ripley and my new knitting project, which is a sweater with a henley style neckline.

After several days of warm and sunny weather, today is much cooler and rainy. There are a few household chores I could take care of, and of course books and yarn will be calling my name.

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>31 lauralkeet: Can't find the Cazalets at a reasonable price here at the moment, nor i European format. Sad face.

Oh that's a bummer, Caro. It's on Britbox here. It's interesting to see how they adapted the books. The novel is filled with so many small incidents, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The adaptation can't possibly show all of that, and instead focuses on major plot developments (pregnancies & babies, Edward's behavior, Rachel's sexual orientation, etc.) but even these are more subtly handled in the novels.

>40 lauralkeet: Something on the scale of a series of 5 books is a tough task Laura (though what they did with Olivia Manning's 'Fortunes of War' series was outstanding).

I think for the Cazalets they only focused on the first two books, but might be wrong.

>37 lauralkeet: Hmmm. I do have a pair of socks that I started using Magic Loop toe-up. I'd have to go back and relearn the technique, and I'm not sure that my eyes can handle that small yarn, but it's a good thought and I thank you.

>41 Caroline_McElwee: Caro, you are correct that the Cazalets TV adaptation only covers the first two books. I'd forgotten about Fortunes of War, that was excellent.

>42 LizzieD: You're welcome, Peggy. Most importantly, do whatever feels right and is enjoyable.

>43 lauralkeet: I highly recommend the Manning trilogies if you haven't read them Laura (dare I say they are better than the Cazalet Chronicles). I will do my third or fourth reread of those in the autumn I think.

>44 Caroline_McElwee: Noted, Caro. It looks like there are two trilogies: The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy, to be read in that order. Is that correct?

>45 lauralkeet: Yes, that's right Laura. The Balkan trilogy is my fave by a whisker.

Just to say, Cazalets v5, just started. Despite an 18 year gap EJH manages to maintain the tone Laura. I'll be finishing it while I'm away.

>47 Caroline_McElwee: I'm so glad to hear that, Caro. It sounds like perfect holiday reading as well.

I took advantage of yesterday's rainy weather to spend some quality time with The Talented Mr Ripley, which was an excellent way to pass the time. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful day.

This morning started out rainy again although it's supposed to diminish as the day goes on, and it will be a tad warmer than yesterday. We started off our day with some King Arthur Apple Cinnamon scones, which was a nice treat. This was the last of the mixes in my pantry, so at some point I might need to stock up again. They are really tasty and so easy to make.

I'm not sure what else the day will bring. We may run an errand or two, or check out a coffee shop that just reopened under new ownership. Or we might just hang out at home. There's no need to rush into a decision ... ha.

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We are getting your grey and damp weather today, Laura. I don't mind, as TW managed to get the grass mowed yesterday :)

Wordle took me all six today - d'oh!

Happy Sunday, Laura. I am so glad you are enjoying The Talented Mr Ripley. I may not read the others but I certainly liked that one. I watched ep 5 of Ripley last night. That is the one that ended with the kitty's bloody footprints. 😁

*Oh yeah- I just had my first hummer visit.

>50 katiekrug: I thought our rain might reach you today, Katie. I'm glad the grass got cut, it grows like crazy this time of year. Enjoy what I assume will be a cozy indoor day.

>51 msf59: I loved the cat, Mark. Always watching ... if only it could talk eh?

Chris thought he saw a hummer last week but we weren't absolutely sure.

Yesterday was delightfully relaxing. I finished The Talented Mr Ripley, which was really good even though I knew the story. Then I spent a while working on my latest knitting project, which started off with a section that required a fair amount of concentration. I'd started it while watching TV but that wasn't ideal. I worked on it enough to get past that section, which should make for more relaxed evening knitting now.

After finishing Ripley, I decided to start two books:


So Late in the Day is a very short collection of short stories (just 3 in fact) by Claire Keegan. It's the sort of book you could devour in a day, but I want to pace myself. I read the first story yesterday. I started James in the evening, but am not very far into it yet.

This morning I'm working a library shift. In the afternoon I have a few admin / household items to take care of, and might do a bit of gardening.

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Whew.

I got skunked on Wordle this morning...

Interested to hear your thoughts on the Keegan stories. Reminds me I need to get to Foster...

>54 katiekrug: Sorry to hear about your Wordle skunking, Katie. And I'll keep you posted on the Keegan stories. I really liked Foster. Just sayin'.

I've decided not to write a review for The Talented Mr Ripley. There are many, many reviews already and I don't have much to add. I enjoyed comparing the book to the film & TV adaptations. The new Netflix Ripley series goes deeper than the films and is fairly true to the book. If you haven't seen it, start watching now!

>55 lauralkeet: I too really liked the new Riply series Laura.

>56 Caroline_McElwee: It's sooo dark and creepy isn't it? Andrew Scott is an excellent Ripley.

I was pleased with myself yesterday for tackling the weekly cleaning and dusting all in one go. Small victories eh? I stayed indoors tending to the dogs while Chris worked outside which, on the plus side, allowed me to curl up in a chair to read James, which I'm enjoying so far.

In the evening we had a short FaceTime call with Julia and watched an episode of Shardlake followed by some of The Story of Film, and I did some knitting while watching.

This morning I have a Zoom meeting, my last one chairing the Guild's Programs Committee. I hope to do a couple of gardening tasks before that, and then the rest of the day is unplanned.

Wordle 1,053 2/6

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Woo hoo!
My stats show 2s slightly edging out 6s (34 to 31). 4 is still the peak of my bell-shaped curve, by a significant margin.

>58 lauralkeet: Great Wordle-ing today! Your first word really put you in good position!

I also have 2s edging out 6s (50 to 44). And 4 is my usual result. I have 50 more “3”s than “5”s. My “win percent” dropped back to 97% (had gotten back up to 98%, briefly).

I’m still loving the puzzle. I can’t visualize starting my day without playing.

Happy Tuesday to you!

Karen O

>58 lauralkeet: / >59 klobrien2: - I just checked my stats and my 6s definitely outnumber my 2s :( Today's Wordle was a standard 4, ho-hum.

Laura, are you sad to no longer be PRogram Chair or is it a bit of a relief?

Trying to catch up a bit -- love your garden and looking forward to seeing your next knitting project.

>59 klobrien2: Hi Karen! I was lucky with today's Wordle, that's for sure. I can't imagine a day without Wordle anymore. It's just so fun, and it warms up my brain for the day.

>60 katiekrug: Katie, I have really enjoyed being Programs Chair for the past two years. I'm not burned out, but I'm ready to step aside. The Programs committee has to deliver a program for every monthly meeting. The parties in December and May pretty much plan themselves, but there are still 10 other meetings in the year. So there's a rhythm to the role, but it also doesn't stop. Programs Chair is also a Board position so that's another layer which again I enjoyed being part of but also welcome a break. I will be helping the Guild in other ways, things I can do on my own time that don't have a leadership/board component and the associated committee meetings.

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Don't worry about catching up, Reba! It's mostly same old same old around here. But I'm very glad to see you back among us!

>3 lauralkeet: Happy new thread!

I recently picked up Everett's latest from the library. It looks to be a great read and look forward to your thoughts about it.

>2 lauralkeet: What a great garden!It is formal but maintains a nice relaxed vibe. Looks like a perfect place to read.

>63 figsfromthistle: Thank you! We've really enjoyed creating garden spaces like that. But now I think we need some benches or similar for reading!

Yesterday went pretty much according to plan. We had an errand to run in the afternoon and stopped at a coffee shop that just changed ownership. It was just okay before, and we were hoping the new owners would give it a facelift and overall boost. They're currently in the "soft open" stage, without their full menu and still figuring out a lot of details like opening hours and seating. They offer house-made baked goods, but don't seem to know much about the coffee side of the business. Our preferred coffee shop has excellent drinks but isn't so great with food/baked goods. I'll visit again in a few weeks to see if anything has changed, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

We spent a relaxed evening watching an episode of The Cazalets and then Chris watched some Arrested Development (for the millionth time) while I read James. I'm also nearly done with So Late in the Day which I've been reading at bedtime.

This morning I have a Guild Board meeting (another monthly meeting that disappears from my calendar after today). These meetings are really casual, dare I say fun, and I've made some good friends so it's been really worthwhile. This afternoon I'll probably do some gardening, and I also need to do the menu planning/grocery list making so I can shop tomorrow.

Wordle 1,054 4/6

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Oof. This was a tough one!

I occasionally use today's Wordle word as my starter. But not today, of course :-P

>66 katiekrug: If I get nothing on my first word, it's my go-to second word. So, 2 for me today on Wordle, which felt like a one!

>67 raidergirl3: - Sweet!

>66 katiekrug: that figures, doesn't it?

>67 raidergirl3:, >68 katiekrug: What Katie said!

25. So Late in the Day ()

Claire Keegan is a master of short-form storytelling, each of her novellas saying so much in so few words. And yet, this short story collection was disappointing. First, the stories themselves failed to deliver the punch I’ve come to expect from Keegan’s work. Second, the book contains only three stories, for a total of 119 pages made possible by a large font and wide margins. On top of that, two of the stories were published in earlier books. The edition published in Britain and Europe is even shorter, as it includes only the new story. Both publishing strategies are misguided attempts to capitalize on a writer’s recent popularity. It’s a shame.

>65 lauralkeet: I ended up going to WordHippo for the one today. A "tough one" indeed.

>71 RebaRelishesReading: I didn't know about WordHippo, Reba. I can see how that could help with situations like today. I had two yellow letters bouncing all over the grid. On the plus side, I ruled out other letters with each turn.

>70 lauralkeet: I've enjoyed the books I've read by Keegan, but will take on board the reservations about this edition.

>73 Helenliz: Helen, she is such an amazing writer which I think just amplifies my disappointment. As I understand it the UK/European edition contains only the new, previously unpublished story and at under 50 pages is very slim indeed. It's the best story of the bunch, but why publish a book with just the one?

For US readers the additional stories are from her back catalog; for example, the story Antarctica was published in a 2002 collection of 16 stories under that same title. So I guess this is a way to introduce us to her body of work. I'd much rather see a book of 10+ previously unpublished stories.

Good morning!

It's much cooler today with some chance of rain on and off. We have a few recently-purchased plants that need to be planted in their new homes, and I'd like to continue some tidying that I started yesterday in the kitchen garden/potting shed/greenhouse. Today's agenda also includes grocery shopping, and an afternoon Zoom meeting with the incoming Guild Programs Chair to cover a few topics as part of our transition.

Last night we decided to give the 1983 series Reilly: Ace of Spies a try. It stars a young Sam Neill, and we enjoyed the first two episodes. There are some cringey moments that don't sit well with modern sensibilities (like David Suchet made up to play a Japanese character), but the overall story looks like a good one. It's available on Britbox in the US.

I'm still enjoying James as a take on the Huckleberry Finn story. Early on I found it helpful to refresh my knowledge of the Huck Finn plot. I found a summary online and read just enough to see that the novel would track pretty well with that story, just from an alternate point of view. And I'm enjoying that POV very much.

I also decided to request Confusion, the third Cazalet Chronicles book, from the library. I originally thought I'd read these every other month but they keep calling to me! I have a couple other holds in the pipeline but this is likely to come in first so I expect it will be my next book.

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6s now threatening to equal 2s, much to my dismay.

I just bought The Forester's Daughter, a short story by Keegan that Faber UK published in a tiny volume. I'll probably still read So Late in the Day at some point, but I've heard good things about Walk the Blue Fields, so I might get to that first (after Foster!). Too many books...

>75 lauralkeet: - I love your weather reports as I know that's what we will be seeing tomorrow or the next day. I managed a 5 today for Wordle but also had to move the E&R around quite a bit. You've also encouraged me to try the Cazalet series and will probably put the first on hold at the library soon. It sounds like a good summer series to read.

>76 katiekrug: I'll be following your Keegan reading with interest, Katie.

>77 dudes22: Glad to help predict your weather, Betty! As for Wordle, I too had a bit of an ER shuffle going on. I'm fairly confident you'll enjoy the Cazalets.

Just stopping by to say hello, and read all about the books.

>79 ffortsa: Hi Judy! Nice to see you.

I was lucky to get Wordle 1054 in two, but only because my second usual word was the word. I got skunked the day before , after 382 days of not being skunked. Oh well.

>81 vancouverdeb: Oh dear, Deborah. Skunks are no fun!

Yesterday was a nice mix of productivity and relaxation. I'm moving along nicely in James and really enjoying it, and am also excited to start Confusion soon. Last night we watched the final episode of The Cazalets TV series, which covers only the first two books. They had to wrap up a couple of storylines that were left hanging at the end of book 2, but it would have been weird not to do so and the outcomes were what I expected. I'm interested to see whether these events are in the third book, or if they happen between books. There was a bit of that between books 1 & 2.

There's not much on my agenda today, which is okay by me. The weather is a bit dreary and wet, but I think that might clear up as the day goes on. Kate is coming for the weekend, hurray! I have a bit of last-minute tidying to do and I'm going to make banana bread. We'll have wine and nibbles when she arrives this evening, but probably also banana bread. Is that dinner? Maybe. Ha.

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Wine and nibbles and banana bread sounds like an ideal dinner :)

Have fun with Kate!

Hi Laura - just wondering if you reread Huck Finn before beginning James? Enjoy the weekend with Kate!

>72 lauralkeet: I got lucky Wordle 1,056 3/6

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>84 katiekrug: Thanks Katie.

>85 vivians: Vivan, I read Huck Finn years ago, I can't remember exactly when except I know it wasn't an assigned text. I've also read Jon Clinch's excellent Finn, the story of Huck's father. My memories were vague, but I wasn't up for a re-read. Instead I found a summary of Huckleberry Finn online and read enough to see that James was following the basic contours of the original novel. This afternoon I finished James, and read the rest of the summary. It was interesting to see what was included, and where Percival Everett's tale varied from the original.

>86 RebaRelishesReading: You sure did, Reba! Way to go.

Good morning!

Kate arrived later than expected last night due to traffic leaving the NYC area (always unpredictable). We had dinner on our own, and then stayed up later than usual chatting over glasses of wine. The dogs of course do not understand sleeping in so we were up at our usual time today.

While waiting for Kate we watched Gardeners World and also had time for an episode of Reilly: Ace of Spies. As mentioned upthread, I finished James yesterday afternoon and then at bedtime I started Confusion, the third Cazalets novel.

We haven't decided on our plans for today yet, but I expect a slow morning and then we'll head out somewhere in the late morning or early afternoon.

Wordle 1,057 3/6

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CRATE, WAIST, TIDAL

>45 lauralkeet: >46 Caroline_McElwee: I am going to be reading The Balkan Trilogy later this year. I am glad to hear that you like it.

>53 lauralkeet: I have already read So Late in the Day and James is in the BlackHole, so I am dodging BBs in advance, lol.

Have a super Saturday, Laura!

I look forward to James as well, Laura.

I also located where on my shelves the Howard books are, so I will be ready!

I have big piles of dirt and rocks in my yard and am waiting to hear that I can dig to plant my lilac bushes. Next week, we will visit the nursery and get going on my yard...

>89 alcottacre: Stasia, I've decided to start reading The Balkan Trilogy after I finish The Cazalets. My library doesn't have the individual books, so I will probably buy the NYRB edition (this one). I'm a sucker for those NYRB covers.

>90 BLBera: I'm glad you'll be joining in on Cazalets 4 & 5, Beth. And I'm excited to see your garden take shape. Keep us posted!

We had a nice day yesterday. It was partly sunny and warm-not-hot, so we decided to go to an outdoor art festival in Middleburg, a town near us. As an added bonus, there's an excellent independent bookstore that opened late last year. The festival was on the same street so the bookstore was doing a brisk business, which made me happy. We bought two books: the new Tommy Orange, Wandering Stars, and Clear by Carys Davies. The latter was due to a masterful bit of bookselling by a staff member. I was perusing the fiction shelves and noticed they had Claire Keegan's three recent books. The staff member appeared out of nowhere, asked if I'd read Keegan's books, and we had a nice chat about Keegan's writing at which point she pivoted, grabbled Clear off of a nearby table, and proceeded to tell me why I would like it. I had to admit she was probably right, and I was just so impressed with her technique!

After the book shopping we went around the corner to an ice cream shop and wandered around with our cones (dark chocolate raspberry for me). It started to look like the weather might turn so we decided to head home at that point and spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing. We had a spice-rubbed roast chicken for dinner with potatoes and a salad made from our first lettuce from the garden. In the evening we watched the first episode of Broadchurch. I've seen the first season but Chris hasn't, and it was a long time ago anyway so I don't mind a rewatch. We also watched an episode of the British game show Taskmaster (on YouTube in the US). That was fun.

Today's weather is sunny but cool. We'd like to visit the winery up the road if it warms up enough to sit outside. Moms get a free glass of Rosé, so yay!

Wordle 1,058 5/6

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STEAM, LITER, DETER, VOTER, OUTER

26. James ()

This alternative version of Huckleberry Finn shines the spotlight on Jim, an enslaved man who runs away when he learns he’s about to be sold. Like in the original novel, Jim meets up with Huck but they are soon separated, and Jim takes center stage. Percival Everett gives readers a fully formed version of Jim with intellect, emotions, and a life story. He portrays enslaved people as people, not chattel. On some level I already knew this, but Everett’s use of the classic “show, don’t tell” method reached me in new ways while also being a rollicking good tale.

>92 lauralkeet: - Sounds like a really nice day yesterday. I loved Davies novel, West, and have Clear on my radar. I'll watch for your comments on it.

Your day out yesterday sounds lovely, Laura, and I highly approve of your ice cream flavour choice.

Sounds like you had an awesome bookstore interaction. When I worked on the public facing side of libraries, reader's advisory was always my favourite interaction (although rare) and I'd imagine that chat with you also made the bookseller's day.

Happy Mother's Day to you!

Happy Mother's Day, Laura. I am glad you picked up Clear: A Novel. I thought it was excellent. I have both Wandering Stars & James high on my TBR.

>94 katiekrug:, >96 msf59: Katie & Mark, I'm glad to see your endorsements for Carys Davies. I'll probably read the book quite soon. Possibly next, unless a hold comes in first.

>95 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! We've decided to go out for fro-yo tonight too, which I'm also ridiculously excited about.

>92 lauralkeet: Sounds like a lovely day!!

>98 RebaRelishesReading: It sure was, Reba. Yesterday wasn't too bad either!

We had a very nice afternoon at the winery yesterday. It's just over a mile up the gravel road next to our house, so we walked there with Alys & Ellie. It was busy but not crazy crowded. We stayed longer than expected because people -- both kids and adults -- kept stopping by our table to pet the dogs. Alys has been a bit timid in that type of situation before, but yesterday she was totally into it. It was really sweet to see her so happy. I think Ellie has been good for her!

Kate is doing a bit of work here this morning and will head home after a meeting at noon. I took today off from my usual library shift and my agenda is pretty clear. I will do some of my usual weekly house cleaning, and after Kate leaves I'll wash sheets & towels. I think we're going to FaceTime with Julia tonight about some wedding planning topics. She and Noah are looking at venues, and will set a date based on availability at whatever venue they ultimately prefer. Exciting times!

I haven't done much reading this weekend, except at bedtime. Suffice to say the third Cazalet novel is much like the first two. That is to say, well written and most enjoyable.

Wordle 1,059 3/6

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FLARE, MOUNT, CUMIN

>91 lauralkeet: I'm a sucker for those NYRB covers. You and me both!

>93 lauralkeet: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

>100 lauralkeet: Glad to hear that you had a good Mother's Day, Laura!

>100 lauralkeet: - Sounds like another nice day. Safe travels to Kate!

Are Julia and Noah getting married in the city?

>101 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia! I hope you did, too.

>11 lauralkeet: Thanks Katie. Julia and Noah are looking at venues both in Brooklyn and upstate. We're going to chat about a couple of them tonight, which they will be touring this week (one in person, one virtual). They're quite different and every venue seems to handle their packages and pricing a bit differently too, so we're just going to process all of that together.

Good morning ...

After finishing yesterday's boring house cleaning and sending Kate on her way after lunch, I took advantage of some nice afternoon weather and worked in the garden. Weeding mostly, although I also harvested our first strawberries which are just beginning to ripen. Unfortunately I found some plants besieged by a fungus so now I'm a bit concerned. I will have to do some work on the strawberry bed to see if I can prevent it from spreading. But now it's going to be rainy for the next few days so I'm not sure when that will happen. Sigh.

Last night we finished Shardlake, and I hope there will be more seasons!

This morning I'm going to my knitting group, but other than that today is unscheduled/unplanned.

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PLATE, BRAIN, SMACK, AMASS

Hey there y'all,

Yesterday ended up being rainy all day, but that was okay. I enjoyed my knitting group, which is always a fun social gathering. We made a run to the nursery in the afternoon for some supplies. I didn't get much reading done until late evening after an episode of Reilly: Ace of Spies.

Today is a bit wet again, but that was expected. I have a PT appointment this morning, and we have a short call with our financial advisor in the afternoon. Hopefully there will be time for books and/or knitting somewhere in there (probably books, because I do most of my knitting while watching TV). But I also need to do the menu planning/grocery list making stuff so we'll see.

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MOUSE, RAINY, FINCH, PINCH

It's been awfully quiet on this thread, but then again I've also had a pretty low-key week without much to report. Yesterday's high points: making blonde brownies and curling up with Confusion for a longer than usual spell. In the evening we watched an episode each of Broadchurch S1 and Reilly: Ace of Spies.

I really admire Elizabeth Jane Howard's writing. In Confusion, as in Marking Time, most chapters are told from one character's point of view, typically one of the three oldest daughters in each branch of the family. After a rotation through each of these young women, Howard inserts a chapter about the family as a whole. When she begins a section about a family member, she doesn't identify them by name; instead of writing "Jane walked down the street," it reads "She walked down the street". References to setting, situations, or other characters help to quickly identify who she's writing about, but that short period of uncertainty adds a surprising amount of interest to the narrative.

Have I convinced anyone to start reading The Cazalets yet? 😀

Today is grocery shopping day, and I have a few admin/household/garden tasks to do if I feel like it. Just another day in an unexciting, uneventful week.

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LOTUS, SLATE, STALK, STALL

You had already convinced me to read the Cazelots sooner rather than later :)

>106 lauralkeet: I am hoping to get to Marking Time next month and think I will try to get to one a month every month thereafter. At least that is the plan. Whether it works out or not? Who knows.

>107 katiekrug: Excellent, Katie!

>108 alcottacre: One book per month is my plan too, Stasia. But the good news is, there are no consequences for changing your plan!

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MOIST, STARE, STACK, STAPH, STALL

As you can see, I had many choices today. I was beginning to panic that I might bomb out. Hubby managed to do it in 2. I mentioned above that I've put the Cazalets on my list for this summer. Sounds like perfect deck reading.

>110 dudes22: Yay! I think you'll enjoy The Cazalets, Betty.

Happy Friday!

Nicer weather yesterday meant a bit of gardening after I finished the grocery shopping. The rest of the day was pretty low-key. We watched another ep of Broadchurch S1 in the evening, and some sports coverage: recap of the day's Giro d'Italia stage and a preview of this weekend's F1 race, which is also in Italy.

Today's agenda is pretty light, just a PT appointment this morning and then a free afternoon followed by some sort of takeout for dinner and our usual "boring old people Friday night television". Ha.

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TRADE, TUMOR, TUTOR

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Finding the right first two words can make all the difference. I didn't have many letters left. At least I avoided a 6.

>112 lauralkeet: I had trainto start but went to the same 2nd and 3rd you did. It was nice to get Wordle in 3 today because I had a terrible time with both Connections and Strands.

>113 dudes22: Finding the right first two words can make all the difference.
You are so right, Betty. I don't use the same starter word every day, but I think there are some I use frequently. I try to start with a word containing at least 2 vowels and then try other vowels in my second word if necessary.

>114 RebaRelishesReading: It's fun to see how we all (usually) get to the solution isn't it?

Welcome to this rainy Saturday. It's expected to rain all day so I'm already planning a lazy day. We don't usually watch TV in the daytime but F1 qualifying is on later this morning our time. I might read instead and watch when/if it gets interesting. I'm in the last part of Confusion and eager to see how things are wrapped up or left hanging for volume 4.

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PAUSE, COLIC, GRIND, BRINY

Checking in, Laura...... You have joined several of us who had grind as our penultimate word. Good for all of us!

I have a copy of James available and am eager to get to it. Glad to see encouragement here too!

You have read Mary Hocking, haven't you? I think I've said that I prefer her writing to Howard's, but I do want to read the rest of the Cazalets at some point. (Also, check your Touchstone in your 116, which takes us to Neal Stephenson instead of EJH - not that I think that NS is a bad place to be!)

>117 LizzieD: Touchstone corrected, thank you! I have yet to read Mary Hocking, Peggy. Is there a specific book you'd recommend to start with?

Much reading was accomplished yesterday thanks to the rain. I finished Confusion, another excellent installment in The Cazalets. I also did some knitting while watching Formula 1. At bedtime I started reading Clear, and it sucked me in right away.

Today's weather is clear, if not yet sunny. We don't have anything planned. I'll probably do a bit of catch-up in the garden, and hopefully more strawberries will be ready for harvest too.

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That fourth turn was inexcusable: two mistakes! I just wasn't paying attention.

27. Confusion ()

In 1942, the Cazalet family mourns one of their own, an emotional event in no way lessened by foreshadowing in the previous book. And of course the war continues to shape their lives as well. The story unfolds over the next three years mostly through the eyes of Louise, Polly, and Clary, the eldest child of each family, as they become young adults and hope to find their purpose. Their parents have their own issues, from marital infidelities at home to uncertainty about those at the front. As England celebrates VE Day, Elizabeth Jane Howard continues spinning a long story arc. While some threads are neatly tied up in this novel, some remain unresolved and new plot developments have whet my appetite for the next book.

>120 lauralkeet: Glad you are still enjoying the saga Laura. EJH is certainly very skilled at keeping the lives of so many characters running. I'm about to start a biography of her tonight.

>118 lauralkeet: Laura, I read Hocking before I read Howard, but I don't think that's the reason I prefer her although that likely has something to do with the preference. I started with her trilogy that the Cazalets recall: Good Daughters, Indifferent Heroes, and Welcome Strangers. I loved Letters from Constance too if you're in the mood for letters well done. Really, anything that she wrote was just excellent. Look at all the stars!!!

>122 LizzieD: Thanks Peggy. I'll have to keep an eye out for her books.

I'm reading Clear as well! Lovely writing. Great minds...

>124 BLBera: Ooh, an unplanned shared read! I agree with you about her writing, Beth.

Good morning!

Yesterday: watched the F1 race (and knit), picked strawberries, and did some other puttering in the garden.

The Chelsea Flower Show starts today, and Britbox is airing the BBC's extensive coverage. Last night we watched the kickoff show and plan to watch the nightly recaps this week.

I read some of Clear yesterday afternoon and then again at bedtime. I have to say, the bookseller who urged me to buy it was absolutely right. I'm intentionally pacing myself because it feels like a book that is best savored.

This morning I'm working a library shift. I don't have anything else scheduled, but need to do some cleaning and other household/admin tasks.

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TRAIN, MINOR, NICER

Glad to hear you're enjoying Clear so much. I'm looking forward to it.

>126 lauralkeet: I think you're right to pace your reading of Clear, Laura. I raced through it and wish I had slowed down. It's one I'd like to reread sometime.

>109 lauralkeet: Good thing since my plans get upended all the time these days! I am still getting used to having a husband who is retired, lol.

Have a marvelous Monday!

>127 katiekrug: I think you'll love it, Katie.

>128 vivians: Thanks Vivian. Fortunately today has been busy so while I've been tempted, I haven't had time to read and probably won't get to it until bedtime.

>129 alcottacre: LOL I totally understand Stasia. Chris is always coming up with something to do that requires my help or at least me tagging along. I really don't mind, but it does scramble my plans sometimes. I hope your Monday is marvelous too!