Leslie's Fossicking 2024

Happy Holidays - getting set up for another fun adventure for 2024 even as I finish book 75 for 2023. I anticipate reading books related to upcoming travel, fiction for my 3 book groups, and naval history. I also went on a bit of a bender over sci fi in the last quarter of 2023, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that happen again in 2024. I look forward to perusing other 75-Challenged readers' threads - okay, maybe to get recommendations, but also out of curiosity as to who else is here and what the "hot" reads are at the moment. Grateful this site/group exists!!

Last year my motto was Commit and I shall prevail! This year, given the activities of the elder and younger generations of my family (troublemakers, every one of them), I’m expecting “Semper Gumby” to be the de facto personal philosophy. But perhaps “ears and eyes open and mouth closed” is the best attitude!

Welcome back, Leslie!

Happy reading in 2024, Leslie!

>2 drneutron: Thank you, drneutron and >3 FAMeulstee: FAMeulstee for the greetings and encouragement. May we all have a successful and happy year in reading!

Happy new year, Leslie.

>5 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. Good Wishes for a happy reading/listening year!

1. The War Below: The Story of Three Submarines That Battled Japan, James M. Scott, Audible, 14h, 20m (448 pages hardbound)


WWII submarine stories from the Silversides, Drum and Tang. There are additional stories from other boats (such as Wahoo), notable personalities (such as Pappy Boyington), and POW experiences that intersect with these three boats. I would note the last few chapters on USS Tang are rather graphic about the violence experienced by the crew before the end of the war: not for all readers. I really appreciated the last chapter's pivot to the final days of the war and the liberation/subsequent repatriation of former POWs.

2. Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon, B. H. Liddell Hart, Audible, 6h, 16m (304 pages hardbound)


A slow start to the year's reading, but the reads themselves are not the problem! This was an extremely interesting book. The author ardently argues that his subject, the late Republican general Scipio Africanus, is possibly the greatest general of all time. I greatly appreciated the comparative analysis of various ancient and more recent biographies and histories referring to Scipio's campaigns in the Iberian peninsula and northern Africa. The book is a 5-star to me, or dang close. But I'm woefully ignorant of the subjects of this book: this period of history is not one I know beyond it's architecture. Maybe that's what I'd love to have supplement this work: it was written in 1926 and there's been so much research done, particularly in archaelogy, since then, that it would be really wonderful to read an update. If time allows in the future, I'd love to pursue this thought further.

Note: read for The War Room Challenge - January, 2024.

3. American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis, by Adam Hochschild. Audible, 15h, 6m (432 pages hardbound)


This book contains a lot of what I don't know about WWI and the subsequent century of history in America. While the origins of the book's themes pre-date the war, this book shows how the political pressures of WWI and Wilson's presidency fueled the flames. Free speech, the labor movement, immigrants, women's suffrage, socialism/communism/democracy, and African Americans are all involved in the political and economic tensions and frictions of this era.

I found this book a fascinating companion piece to Killers of the Flower Moon and other works about 20th c. labor struggles, the Red scare, and vigilante groups in America. Having read TR's Last War and Lindbergh last year, I enjoyed feeling the puzzle pieces start to fit and a picture forming out of the mists of time. Would like to read more about Louis F. Post: his personal character and ideals as exhibited in this story make him worth knowing more about.

Note: read for The Non-Fiction Challenge - January, 2024 - Prize winners

4. I Remain in Darkness, Annie Ernaux. Paperback, 96 pages.


Annie Ernaux shares her journal entries of her mother's experience with Alzheimer's and her own response to watching her mother's life change. This is a very honest, personal story which can be appreciated whether or not you relate to everything the author is conveying, a distinctive quality of Ernaux's writing style.

This is my second Ernaux book. She's a very important contemporary French writer, though I don't think many English speakers are familiar with her work. I've been reading translations by Tanya Leslie, which are quite good at capturing the essence of the French language/thought in English.

A short book that warrants giving time to pause in the reading of it: sometimes to allow the mind's eye to examine it thoroughly and at other times because it is emotionally complex. This book needs time for its meagre 94 pages.

Really enjoyed it: 4.5 stars. Not sure what is missing, and maybe that's the point.

Note: read for the January 2024 Janus challenge in "Reading Through Time."

I discovered Annie Ernaux last year or the year before when I read The Years. She is a few years older than me, but I lived through many of the events she experienced, and I found the book fascinating. I loved her experimental style. If you haven't read that one I highly recommend it. I read I Remain in Darkness late last year, and also liked it very much. I have a couple more of her books on my Kindle, and really want to read more by her. She won the Nobel Prize a few years ago if I'm not mistaken.

>11 arubabookwoman: Yes, and that caused one of my bookgroups to pick up her book A Girl's Story last year - how I was introduced to her. Yours is the second recommendation I've received for "The Years", so I'm adding it to my TBR. First though, I'd like to read A Woman's Story. I understand A Man's Place is what really made her reputation.

5. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain. Audible, 13h, 25m (381 pages hardbound)


A fun, irreverent look at the Middle Ages from Mark Twain. Not at all as I remember it, nor should it be - it's probably been 40 years since I first read it! I enjoyed all the contemporary American political reflections from a favorite Missourian while speaking of Camelot, plus the comedy of the situations described. Mr. Clemens, we could use more writers like you now! Definitely a 4 star or higher, especially given its innovative or unique subject and premise.

Note: I read this for the American Authors challenge.

6. Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir. Hardbound, 496 pages.


Another sassily-narrated novel. I had to suspend a bit more disbelief than I generally like to, but Weir is an excellent, fun storyteller and I enjoy this type of science fiction very much - especially as the math and science is well explained to a reader such as myself (whose last real lab experiment was performed in 1982!). Sometimes it's nice just to be taken on a trip in someone else's imagination. And I like the puzzles and problem solving descriptions: they're very satisfying to an organized mind even if the leaps of faith taken to get there were a bit strenuous. I give this a 4 or 4.5 stars, but I'm not as harsh a grader on the writing aspect/style in this genre.

In thinking about the two books together, I'm struck with the similarities and differences required for the suspension of disbelief in each in order to make the premise of the novel work. Each is writing for a reader of a certain Age. Twain doesn't really bother to explain everything and yet goes to a great deal of explanation for some other details. To wrap up the story he ends it with a sort of 'magical sleep'. Similarly there's also a degree of 'just accept this happened' that the reader has to swallow in the Weir book in order for the imagined world of the book to be believable. It ends by having revealed the how's and why's along the way pretty well with a lot of science and math explanation. Yet it too ends with a bit of a Let's Wrap this Up nice and tidy ending. Since I like happy endings I have no complaints, but perhaps such an ending might not satisfy all.

7. The Fraud, Zadie Smith. Audible, 12h,26m (hardcover = 464 pages)


The narrator in this story finds she lives in a world of fiction, sometimes literally (real world writers such as Charles Dickens are amongst the characters of the novel), and seeks truth among the falseness she encounters in the world. In the end she finds she also has not been truthful to herself, is a fraud, and begins writing. The reader doesn't get a sense of transformation, however, but a sinking disappointment. The confrontation with her self-perception is not a big or memorable scene.

Discussed with my bookgroup tonight, and they always help me focus my thoughts! Most of the others loved it, but me, well ...

I always seems to have a hard time connecting with Zadie Smith's narrators and characters. I find them hard to care about, and would probably put the book down (literally, permanently) if I hadn't been looking forward to discussing it with friends. It seems this book received a lot of 4-5 stars, but a few 3 stars, and I am in the latter group. Too many themes! And there was only really one worthy of a book: the storyline that takes place in Africa-Jamaica, that of Mr. Bogle. On the other hand, listening to the author herself read the work was very nice indeed, and I'm very glad she read it.

Note: read for Bookclub "Too".

A final note on The Fraud: the New Yorker has a terrific essay by Zadie Smith about the circumstances or process around the writing of this book: "On Killing Charles Dickens." A terrific essay, several of my bookgroup felt it was much more enjoyable than the book itself (a small vindication of my own outlier opinion within the group). It will make one laugh, and definitely worth searching for. (Should anyone be looking at my review of The Fraud)...

8. The Lincoln Highway, Amor Towles. 576 pages, hardbound.


I enjoy a good story with heroes, moral lessons, and interesting characters, and this book delivers generously. Really enjoyed the "side" characters as well - they fit beautifully for the most part, or at least furthered the plot or explained some aspect of a character's backstory. A few things might be a little too neat and compact, but there's more than enough texture to the rest of the book that they don't annoy too much and aren't too "clever." Definitely 4 stars, and a bit more because I won't forget the characters and the story was very entertaining.

Editing to include a favorite quote of my Bookgroup's:

Wouldn't it have been wonderful, thought Woolly, if everybody's life was like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle. Then no one person's life would ever be an inconvenience to anyone else's. It would just fit snugly in its very own, specially designed spot, and in so doing, would enable the whole intricate picture to become complete.

Note: read for Bookgroup (1), and noted in BFB LT group as well as here.

9. Struggle for Sea Power: A Naval History of the American Revolution, Sam Willis. Audible, 15h,50m (hardcover = 608 pages)


5 stars. Perhaps an over-rating if one knows a lot more of the literature out there about this topic/era (I do not), as all ratings are somewhat comparative. But even so, the easy to understand language, chronological presentation of events, and abundant documentation of source material (absolutely first rate) make this an outstanding, fresh perspective on the event called the American Revolution. At least for me. And, as a bonus, it's not particularly from the American perspective but arguably very European in tone/flavor.

I LOVED this book, and I caught my spousal unit listening in, fascinated too! I thought I had an adequate history of the American Revolution stored in my head but this work taught me so much more than I'd ever learned before; was so much better at putting all the events as well as the Revolution itself within context of contemporary diplomatic relations, politics, economics, and strategic purposes of all the nations involved; and, ultimately provided a whole new view of the revolution that fits so much better with all the nations' struggles than the courses I'd studied a generation ago in school. I can actually say that I understand the outcome, and the subsequent half century of history so much better than before reading this book. Really! I WILL be listening to this again or may invest in a hardbound copy, too, so that I can more easily refer back to it in the future. Thank you, Mr. Willis!

Note: read for February War Room challenge, and will note it there, in BFBs, and in the Military History LT group as well as here.

10. Rise of the Federation: Tower of Babel (Star Trek: Enterprise), Christopher L. Bennett. Kindle. 368 pages.


I'm not quite as fond of the Federation series of Enterprise books as I was the earlier ones: the author has a very different voice and emphasis, and the stories are less character-driven so far. Perhaps a little more complex than they need to be, too. But I enjoy Star Trek sci fi, so I was happy to read another in this series (3 to go).

11. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, Margot Lee Shetterly. Audiobook - Libby, 10h, 47m (hardbound 368 pages).


An interesting history of the African American women who contributed to aviation and the Apollo missions' technological advances within the context of racist and sexist policies, beginning with WWII. Worth the time but falls into the category of exhaustive histories that by structure are prevented from being well written. Not the author's fault - in trying to present so much sometimes it is difficult to edit out information that diverts the reader's focus. Looking forward to watching the film - and very grateful this undertaking was completed. (Its current rating at just under 4 stars here on LT seems just right).

Note: read for Reading Thru Time February challenge (Aquarius & Purple, change), but also neatly satisfies the Non-fiction February challenge on Women's Work.

12. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon. Paperback and Libby, 6h, 2m (paperback 226 pages): read first half, had to return physical copy by library due date, so finished with Libby audiobook.


So much had been written about this book a few years ago and I always wanted to read it. Happened to be passing it as I was searching for something else at the local library... love wandering through libraries and "fossicking" to find something I didn't know I'd want! This book didn't let me down, despite all the hype, it is an exceptionally unique perspective on a little mystery. Grateful the author wrote it. 4.5 stars from me, maybe 5, because the imperfections might be more due to the fact that the world it describes, our own, is so imperfect.

You've got some awfully appealing books here, Leslie, (Numbers 2,3,6,8 & 9 in particular) that I have not read yet and I am adding them to my hideously enormous list. All I have to sort out is which to buy and which to borrow. Such a burden!

>21 Fourpawz2: Thank you, but I can hardly take credit - my book groups are really excellent, especially at getting me to read outside my comfort zone. Many of the ones you particularly mention were the result of LT challenges (Non-fiction, Military History, War Room, Reading Thru Time, and of course, the 75 Books Challenge). I'm trying a new real life book group today at my local library, a Sci Fi group, as the first selection for the group was very enticing (described below).

13. The Resisters, Gish Jen. Audible, 8h, 51m (paperback 322 pages).


Extremely hard to put down. Although I elected to listen rather than physically read, that format had nothing to do with my fondness - it is the story itself that rivets one's attention. And, yes, I am in small measure fond of baseball, but this too is unnecessary to enjoy the exciting tale of a three-member family struggling through the dystopian world created by "Aunt Nettie" (an imagined super-AI that essentially has taken over American society). I haven't read a tremendous amount of SciFi, but prefer it straight up like this than the kind than wanders into fantasy, magic and the like. If anything, there's only a smidge of science, more of baseball and political/public life. Having recently read and enjoyed Martha Wells' Murderbot series, I can appreciate the similar technique of throwing the reader in the deep-end to figure out the meaning of vocabulary rather than tediously hand-holding and over-explaining. Not a 5-star ... But I'll give it a 4 and a smidge. My main criticism would be more of a question: could the "voice" of the book, it's narrator, been improved by making each of the three family members a turn at narration? There seemed to be a little contortion to have it all be from a single voice. But I'm not a writer, and this writer gets to create their story as they best see fit .... so now I have to go learn about them and put some other works of theirs on my TBR list!!

14. Cocktail Time, P.G. Wodehouse. Audible, 6h, 9m (paperback 224 pages).


A fun P.G. Wodehouse that's not Wooster & Jeeves. Rather, the story substitutes a lovely uncle-godfather type who plots for all to come out 'right' and with everyone as happy as can be. Things don't always go as planned, and thus there's a story that is very entertaining and written with all the Wodehouse descriptors that are so much fun.

I don't think I've read any of the other of Wodehouse's "Uncle Fred" series, so I'll have to go poke about in those soon, too, because it's always enjoyable to find oneself laughing out loud while reading, even if it startles the dog a bit!

15. Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots: Tales of a Submarine Officer During the Height of the Cold War, Frank Hood, Charles Hood. Kindle, (paperback 550 pages).


A very detailed book of the author's experiences training and career in the US Navy as a submarine officer. Many engineering and naval terms are thoroughly explained, and an appendix defines all the terms concisely. I appreciated the care with which describing and defining was done in this book, because the naval terms could have one's head spinning quickly without it. I think it's safe to say a non-submariner comes away from reading the book with a much greater appreciation of the complexity and technical marvel that a submarine is. There are funny anecdotes along the journey which make the reading pleasant as well as informative.

16. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, David Grann. Libby audiobook, 8h, 28m (hardbound 352 pages).


This book has been very popular lately, and I absolutely agree that the story is interesting. Grann is excellent at filling in the holes of history and providing the different perspectives of the various participants, along with contextual setting, to allow the reader to see both the mystery and the truths. I was fond of Killers of the Flower Moon, despite some of the problems with the uneven pacing/writing/structure - if that was slow in the beginning but thrilling at the end, The Wager, in contrast, was fast then slow ... and felt rushed to conclude. I was constantly pulling out Google Earth to "see" what was being described. The oceans were described beautifully but I was "all at sea" to understand anything about the land descriptions, and often the "where are we?" aspect. Nonetheless, this story, and thus the book, are well worth the read. I'd put it at just under 4 stars, but could be persuaded ... I certainly would happily read other Grann works.

17. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel, James McBride. About 50/50 between hardbound and Audible, (385 pages or 12h, 21m).


A very well written book, with stories within stories. McBride creates characters that are so rich - how does he do it in so few pages? This is definitely a book that is hard to put down, if at times a bit heart retching. The world isn't always good or fair, but McBride somehow guides the reader to feeling a certain satisfaction by the conclusion.

For me this is a 4.5 stars (maybe a 5), but I also didn't have any issues with all the characters sometimes noted in other reviews here on LT. Each subculture/subcommunity weaves its way into playing a role in the story of the community as a whole - made all that richer by realizing there is a real Pottstown, PA with a Chicken Hill company town segregated from the WASP community. To have music, multiple ethnic immigrant histories, and a real place woven together so beautifully was such a pleasant read: I always feel like I'm in the hands of a master storyteller with this author.

18. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan. Libby, 2.5h (or ~250 pages).


I've seen this constantly described as a Christmas Story yet I would rather characterize it as a story of bravery. So much is left unsaid in this book - we know the main character is thinking, and sometimes thinks about the act of thinking, but we don't know his precise thoughts. Only their conclusion, which is a call to action which requires courage and the acceptance of hardship.

The reader can't help but like the main character, Furlong, for what we do know of his thoughts and life shows kindness, gentle love, and simplicity. Ultimately his journey ties him to all the great heroes because of his great need to be good and do the right thing: it shows a depth of character not always associated with simplicity. 5-stars: not only a good story well told but the writing is beautiful.

I want to read more about this book - the mention of David Copperfield, the evolution of Irish society in tone as well as law in the 80s and 90s, and about the everyday heroes amongst us will give me a lot to think about for some time to come.

19. Thunder Below!, Eugene B. Fluckey (aka "Lucky Fluckey"). Audible, 15.5h (or ~464 pages).


The author, former commander of the USS Barb (SS-220), recounts the war patrols of his boat during WWII engagements in the South China Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk (amongst other locations). Some of the patrol stories are enriched to include others' experiences, such as the rescue of Australian POWs after the sinking of an enemy ship transporting them to mainland China. And in case you're unfamiliar, this is the legendary boat that "sunk" a train! Most of the book takes place between 1943-1945.

This is a very gung-ho recounting in the style of action and adventure stories: there's some tension and drama, and certainly recognition of the destruction and loss of life the submarine caused during the missions, but generally the book celebrates the success of the boat during its missions. The reader will be very familiar with the phrase "Splice the Main Brace" by the end of the book! The author was a very aggressive, forward thinking commander, and his story celebrates the crew of the boat...and a bit his own achievements and leadership, although that is sometimes masked with a bit of formal humility.

There's no doubt he also got a bit lucky - and I wonder if perhaps his nickname rankled him a bit as he wanted his boat's war patrols to be recognized more for their skillful action than their good fortune. He generally commends his peers, but can't help but brag near the end that he returned his crew home after 5 war patrols unharmed, something a few of the other great skippers of WWII failed to do (or in the case of 52 US submarines, to come home at all).

Every time I read one of these books I'm floored by the bravery and sacrifices made by the whole crew of these boats. I tried to follow along with maps, sometimes hampered in Google Earth by the change of place names (after Mao took over mainland China many/most place names were changed). Overall, a riveting account and rather than saying "worth its length" I will say, "I would've happily read more". I definitely understand why this book is often quoted by submariners to this day!

20. The Kaiju Preservation Society, John Scalzi Hardbound, 272 pages.


The protagonist Jamie finds himself in a hard spot and miraculously offered a secret job. Jamie fights for the good guys against the evil billionaire-types in this alternate-world, man is the real monster type of sci fi. It's a little cheeky, very 'au courant' in language/attitudes (the language and politics aren't for everyone's enjoyment), has a fair amount of action, and is a quick read. My only complaint is an unexplained leap in this smart, good guy's character being brilliant in action as well - saw him more as an everyman in the beginning and not sure the author successfully evolved his character towards being so great at taking action after one seriously hard learned lesson. Not that the everyman couldn't be! But stepping us through Jamie's thinking a little on that or taking baby steps there might have been a little smoother. Nonetheless, it's a fun, good story/book and I definitely recommend it unless your personal politics would get in the way (I think the book is geared toward a young, liberal crowd - not knowing this author, maybe that's who he always writes for). Last note: I enjoyed the author's notes at the end of the book about how he came to write this story.

Note: read for my local library's Science Fiction Book Club (our 2nd meeting).

21. Foster, Claire Keegan Kindle, 62 pages.


Although there's a temptation to discount such a short book as a full novel, this author writes in a sparse manner, and the things left unsaid end up being a large part of the book. One might be tempted to pick up these books with the thought "I can knock this off in an hour, two tops," but that would be an error: savoring, re-reading parts, and thinking about the characters and the story are part of the deep pleasure experienced with Keegan's work.

I enjoyed this work immensely. It's timeless.

I do wonder though ... there's an Author's Note at the end, thanking the author Richard Ford. He's named her as a master short story writer, to quote:

Richard Ford, who lauded Keegan's "patient attention to life's vast consequence and finality" and her "thrilling" and "sparkling" prose style.

I'm now tempted to go seek out his work in the short story arena as well.

And I'll definitely be bingeing on some Keegan in the meanwhile.

22. Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire, Roger Crowley Audible, 13h, 7m (400 pages).


I wanted to find something to listen to about the History of Portugal and somewhat randomly selected or ended up with this book. As I visited Portugal, I kept coming across this book, in English and other languages, in many gift shops. That was a reassurance about the selection: knowing nothing about the history of Portugal beforehand, nor having studied the Age of Exploration after elementary school, it was good to know that the work was both 'au courant' and considered worthy to make available by those curating museum gift shops. I place my trust in strange places perhaps, but one can't question everything and still get out of bed in the morning.

This book was a good introduction to the topic of the Portuguese explorations around the tip of Africa and into the Indian Ocean. Establishing the first truly world-wide empire, the motivations and endeavors of the Portuguese explorers of the late 15th and 16th centuries is carefully laid out with many first-hand accounts (i.e., primary sources) by the author, who dutifully compares personal accounts and political alignments to cobble together facts through the haze of personal motivations. A bit too detailed to be characterized as just an overview, the reader still gets the big picture with a satisfying amount of detail to back up the author's salient points. The descriptions of military action are what I would call "full of personal violence," not very enjoyable to imagine, and there were tens of thousands of innocents killed and maimed in really gruesome ways totally unjustifiably. But that is my very 21st century squeamishness showing: in the brutal encounters between the Muslim and Christian worlds there isn't a lot of pretty behaviour.

Lastly, I'll just mention that as I then walked through streets named after the Joao's, Prince Henry the Navigator, Albuquerque, Vasco da Gama, etc., my mind was able to connect the people and events of 500y ago to the Portugal of today. A very enjoyable experience for this reader from the New World! Of course I also had to visit the Museu de Marinha, full of the instruments of this great period of technological development in navigation and map-making, and there were many small ships to really fill the imagination. So I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone about to set off for a visit to lovely Portugal, to deepen their appreciation and experience of this tiny country's mighty history and culture.

23. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier, Thad Carhart Hardbound, (288 pages).


An enjoyable read about discovery, or re-discovery, of music and the author's personal journey/obsession with the Piano. The author uncovers a whole world of craftsmen, passionate music players, and wonderful teachers as he follows his curiosity about a mysterious storefront in the Latin quarter of Paris. Taking the reader with him, this was a lovely, peaceful book to enjoy, and highly informative.

And I am now very determined to get my piano tuned!! :)

24. The Fault in Our Stars, John Green Libby audiobook, 7h 11m, (352 pages).


25. Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom Libby audiobook, 3h 51m, (224 pages).


Note: read for the Reading Through Time April Challenge, books with characters with disabilities.

Both books featured characters who became disabled through illness. Both books focus on the lessons learned when confronting mortality and what is important in living. Enjoyed both and understand why they have been popular reads as they stress the importance of relationships between people.

26. Piccadilly Jim, P G Wodehouse (Audible) 8h, 9m (231 pages)


Another fun, light-hearted convoluted tale of nothing going as planned yet ending in happiness for all.

27. France 1940: Defending the Republic, Philip Nord (Audible) 4h, 16m (208 pages)


This is an analysis of the Third Republic of France in the years and specifically the weeks prior to its dissolution by the Vichy government after Nazi invasion in May, 1940. The author argues that France, unique amongst what was to become the Allies, was more prepared in many ways militarily than its friends, and had been at the forefront of the various efforts to react to and repulse the aggressions of the Nazi regime in the years leading up to 1940. A worthwhile argument and read/listen, this is not so much a military analysis of the problems that befell the French Army in its final days of the Third Republic, but a review of the political, diplomatic, and military preparedness of the Third Republic in its final moment. I particularly valued the consideration of the "enemies within" and the analysis of the various to-be-Allied Nations dealings with Stalin's government in the Soviet Union. Note to self: I need to read more about both Rommel and de Gaulle.

28. Armada, Ernest Cline (hardbound), 368 pages


Picked this up while waiting for another SciFi to become available ... eh? meh. The book is a bit of an homage to SciFi entertainment with copious tipped hat remarks to TV serials, movies, and especially, games. If you're a gamer who enjoys SciFi, this book may be enjoyable. And it did provide an insight into that subculture not always accessible to little old ladies like myself (I'm old enough to have played Pong as a ~12yo when it first came out. Okay, I played a little Doom when it came out, too, but I was a Mom of future Gamers by then - iow, not a Gamer myself). And perhaps searching for Easter Eggs is your Thang, but well, to be honest, the story and characters were a little too rote and required leaps - I mean like HUGE FLIPPING SUPERPOWER leaps requiring one to empty your stashed energy boosts - to accept. Although I remained unmoved during the 368 pages, I deserve at least to count it towards my 75, which I will count as my prize for finishing it. I guess it just didn't hit my personal "Saving the World" fantasy. (The author also wrote "Ready Player One" which I'd recently re-watched. Maybe this book was intended more as a movie idea.)

29. Napoleon at Peace, William Doyle (Audible) 6h, 34m (248 pages)


The author analyzes the perspective of Napoleon's accomplishments within the context of the French Revolution to the establishment of Empire. Rather than analyzing his accomplishments as a military commander, there is a review of other issues Napoleon grappled with, such as domestic security and tranquility, the role of the Catholic Church and faith in French society, and the many changes in governmental structure Napoleon's grasp of power involved. Nonetheless, there is a constant theme of war, uprisings, and violent struggles throughout the book - so it ends up being a review of Napoleon's strategic actions more than battle tactics. Maybe. I'm not quite putting my finger on it in this description. However, I learned a tremendous amount by listening to this book. The section on the relationship with the Popes and the Catholic Church was especially informative.

Note: read for the May War Room Challenge - Napoleonic Wars.

30. So Late in the Day, Claire Keegan Libby-Kindle (128 pages)


Another of Keegan's short works, this time made up of three completely separate short stories. I'd read somewhere that this collection was about women and men totally not communicating well with each other. I see that, I guess. For me it was about solitude, first a man's and then two women's solitude. The first story was a story of mismatch and communication, the second about female empowerment, and the third about risk and danger in solitude. In other words, facets of solitude and not all the same subject matter. But whatever. I enjoy her writing tremendously as she creates very real people and situations with so few words. I'll undoubtedly see out more of her work.

31. D-Day with the Screaming Eagles, George Koskimaki (Audible) 14h, 13m (308 pages)


I really appreciated this author's focus on the first-hand accounts of the 101st Airborne's landings as pathfinders and paratroopers in advance of the main D-day landings on June 6th. The chapters organized around themes, such as the stories of the individual regiments within the 101st Division, segments of time, tasks, etc. This book included the stories of the medical corps, ministers, and even some recollections of the French citizens' experiences with the paratroopers. It is an amazing series of events full of remarkable people and their sacrifices, and one can only further appreciate the undertaking of the Normandy invasion by reading this book.

32. Sapphira and the Slave Girl, Willa Cather (hardbound) 194 pages


Okay, not sure what to do with this one. I've enjoyed reading Willa Cather previously, as she paints portraits of eras long gone with only a dose of the romantic style. I need to read a bit more about the author so that I can understand this book in context and spend less time reacting to it. It seems at some level to be based on places and perhaps people/family she knew as a child (she was born in the place the story was situated). But the apologist attitude is hard to swallow, and the reality is this: Sorry, Willa, but there's no excuse for slavery. Not ever. And although the book shows whites grappling with the issue the book seems to end with a shrugged shoulder and a "that's just the way it is" outlook. As with the Epilogue's description of the post-Civil War era in Virginia - that everyone just accepted the loss. And maybe that's the story: that we accept things as they are and don't fight, don't take the braver way out, and don't necessarily like those who do. But - nope, this story doesn't quite pull that off either, so ... I dunno. Maybe discussing it with my bookgroups will give me the insight I'm lacking on my own, no doubt partly in response to the revulsion I felt towards the characters and the language. I'll come back and add something if I learn something of general interest during discussion. Or maybe I'll just happily move on to the next read and not look back!!

I liked the bits of Bunyan worked into the father's scenes of conscience but don't know Bunyan enough to really appreciate that significance perhaps. In one scene he recalls a biblical verse, "Remember them in bonds as bound with them," interpreted by this character as a responsibility to see to his wife's slaves' well-being and futures should they be freed. Ah, yes, because slavery wasn't all bad... ?!? YUCK paternalistic racism!!!! Sorry, Willa, but I can't and won't travel that thought journey with you. I'm a product of an education that taught very early on: dehumanize others and you equally dehumanize yourself.

Other smaller problem with the book: the daughter's difference from her father (they were the acorn/oak) was to be believed by her overhearing someone say slavery was wrong, someone who was within the same conversation offering to buy two slaves? Had her father never heard it? Was that not his struggle in this book, that he wouldn't take the harder way? Was this an issue of those we surround ourselves with make all the difference in our character? Again, yuck, and I must be missing something.

Note: read for Bookgroup Too and Bookgroup 1 which happened to vote for the same book for the first time ever. I feel cheated out of a good read to only have one book to read this month even though it gives me more time with my own personal selections. Wow. I must be grumpy today - and I doubt reading the Toni Morrison essay Playing in the Dark that mentions this work is going to improve my mood.

Going to add a note here which really is an edit: think of this book as Cather's memoir of a story she heard as a girl, or of an older woman's nostalgic memory of family history. My bookgroup helped me see that character isn't the point: there's no character development but rather it's just a story being told. I, personally, still can't see it without the context of the early 20th c. history in America (Jim Crow laws, segregation, KKK, lynching, etc.), as part of a false description of the slave era. More motivated to read the Toni Morrison essays!

33. Touched, Walter Mosley (hardbound) 176 pages


Okay: no idea what to do with this one. The title "Touched" probably relates to the phrase "touched in the head", similar to "touched" as in emotional reaction, and questioning sanity - a little mad, in other words. There's also physical touching as a means of non-verbal communication or power transfers. Throughout the story the main character is questioning his own sanity, so the title makes sense. What I can't figure out is if the book is a Sci Fi commentary on modern American society and the isolation and violence towards African Americans, or more of a fantasy in the Next Level of Existence type of Sci Fi writing. I need someone to explain this to me - definitely feeling rather stupid after reading it. And I have questions for the author, like why choose the 3 racist gang members as allies rather than some policemen, the lawyer, etc.? Why biting in addition to blood-sharing? This is the first Walter Mosley book I've read, so unlike others who are already fans of his crime novels, I'm not already a fan or understand his perspective or writing style ... the writing style is interesting, almost choppy, but since much of the book is internal thoughts that didn't bother me - my own head was jumping around while reading this so I guess that worked for me!

Note: read for local Sci Fi bookclub May meeting. There are adult scenes and violence in the book.

34. Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day, Giles Milton, (Libby audiobook) 15h, 48m (512 pages)


This retelling of the D-day story primarily focuses on the departure through the first 24hr period. The tone is very much in the style of what I call in my own head the gung-ho British boys' adventure story. Yet there are many redeeming features, such as presenting the first-hand accounts of French citizens and German soldiers. The author also strove to include many of the different services, nationalities, and jobs involved in both defending and invading a territory. It was a 3.5-4 star for me: absolutely worth the read. I think each book I'm reading on the subject tackles some new perspective or provides new information in part because the topic is so incredibly complex.

35. D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944, Rick Atkinson, (Libby audiobook) 3h, 43m (224 pages)


I confess I listened to this one because I'd been searching on Libby for audiobooks on the subject. It's a high-level, brief summary of the Overlord operation, and is itself an adaption from a longer book, The Guns at Last Light, the third in Atkinson's series on WWII and the Liberation. I recognized some of the stories being told, but there were new ones as well about the meetings in advance of the decision to go. I'm also reading, but unlikely to finish just now, Omar N. Bradley's A Soldier's Story, so I look forward to the point where that reading overlaps with the final month of meetings discussed in the Atkinson book.

36. A History of France, John Julius Norwich, (Audible) 15h, 11m (400 pages)


This is a wonderful overview of French history. It is also a love letter to an adopted country by the author. So in between the descriptions of battles involving mass casualties, the intrigue and jockeying for power at the highest levels, and mobs reigning through anarchy, there are beautiful descriptions of culture and landscape (literal and figurative) that

There is a certain type of English voice that will be extinct before long. John Julius Norwich, born between the wars and now deceased (he claims at the beginning of the book that this is his last, and this book was published 4 months after his death 6 years ago), had that special Great Books type of education that makes his writing glow. I'd become familiar with his work while a grad student studying Byzantium and the Near East, and so jumped at the chance to read/listen to this survey of two thousand years of French history. So glad I did! There's enough colorful detail on some wonderful stories to satisfy and prevent a feeling of zooming along through so much rich history at the pace of the autobahn - and very memorable quotes for added fun. My fave: "Nobody likes an armed missionary" - Robespierre. Or how about Bismarck about Emperor Napoleon III: "He is a sphinx without a riddle." These are placed within the context of a high level review of what was occurring. And these bits of color brought the presence of the author into this work, for which I was grateful. Since he read the book there is an added pleasure - yes, I'm a fan of this historian!

37. Madame Fourcade's Secret War, Lynne Olson, (Audible) 16h, 9m (464 pages)


A fascinating story of amateurs setting up a spy network to fight France's Nazi occupation from 1940-1945. There are many personal stories, and the book starts out strongly by explaining how Marie-Madeleine Fourcade (her name is an issue, so the author purposefully selects this one to use throughout the book) got involved with spycraft. It was interesting to learn how she set about to create a network: definitely a situation where she rose to the occasion as she was thrust into particular situations.

There is a bit of the "exhaustive" exploration of the Alliance spy network, and that is where this book stumbled a little bit for me. There are many worthy people the author tries to give credit to, and sometimes the story and pace of the story suffers a bit because of this. Not that I would suggest for a second that any one of the people who gave their life for this cause shouldn't be mentioned! Still a marvelous story and worth the read.

38. Mercury Pictures Presents, Anthony Marra, (Audible) 14h, 3m (432 pages)


What a book/story! A very richly described fictionalized history of a Hollywood film company's selected employees and owner during WW2. This is the first book I've read by Marra, and what a delightful journey. There are so many little details that are based in fact that seem like total fiction - it's worth looking things up as one reads to be further astounded - that it's hard to believe this book is actually fiction by the end. A wonderful, wonderful read, this is a 4.5 - 5 star book for me, and I'm generally not a fan of historical fiction (I'd rather read the history/fact). Definitely recommend!

39. Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters, Dick Winters, (Audible) 9h, 54m (320 pages)


I decided to skip reading Ambrose's book after re-watching the Band of Brothers mini-series and hear from Mjr. Winters directly. There are several books out on the market, but this appealed. It didn't disappoint. I read the portion of the book about the 101 Airborne's training and jump in France on D-day just prior to my own visit to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings; just finished the remainder of the book today. The book is much more a personal account than the Ambrose book, and it was interesting to sometimes get a slightly different perspective than the one dramatized in the mini-series. Anyways, this is an interesting book and has several take-aways. I will also mention that anyone interested in leadership might enjoy the book more by starting with the very last bit. In the final chapter Winters presents his "Leadership at the Point of the Bayonet", a guide for leadership and conduct. The rest of the book explains how he strove to live up to these principles and where the struggle was very real.

Here's my own picture of the Richard Winters Memorial near Manoir de Brécourt taken June 9th:

40. The Deadly Deep: The Definitive History of Submarine Warfare, Iain Ballantyne, (Libby audiobook) 28h, 38m (752 pages)


I actually enjoyed listening to this book. What follows are my take-aways, not really a review of the book.

Although I'm rather "over" exhaustive histories, this one touched on so much history and so many boats I wasn't familiar with that I really appreciated its (heavy on the European) perspective. Having read Submarine boats: The beginnings of underwater warfare by Richard Compton-Hall last year, I can honestly say these two books are completely different although they are covering much of the same material. I also very much appreciated the coverage of post-WW2 submarine activities. This book is an excellent "framework" book, giving the reader a very helpful structure in understanding the use of submarines, too. This is the first book I've read that extensively covered WW1 submarine activity - obviously, I have a lot more to read!

41. The Conquering Tide, Ian W. Toll, (Audible) 27h, 22m (656 pages)


Read this over a couple of months ... I liked it's straightforward presentation backed by individual stories, but my reading was interrupted by deadlines and travels and this book requires a certain level of concentration. It's the middle volume of a trilogy, but stands on its own just fine. It's very thorough - walking the reader through the Pacific war chronologically with each chapter having a particular concentration, such as a particular warfare community, leadership perspectives, or the Japanese homefront and censorship. In other words, its not just campaigns, although there are a lot of individual D-days by virtue of the many landings as the Allies swept (like the "tide" of the title) through the Pacific islands. The author's clear writing style and the narrator's voice made this a favorite. I slowed down the audiobook speed by about 10% so that I could really "hear" and visualize - and that's a rarity for me. Will (eventually) read the other two volumes, because I definitely enjoyed learning about the war in the Pacific from this author.

42. Old Babes in the Wood, Margaret Atwood, (Libby audiobook) 8h, 44m (272 pages)


I never get my LT catalogue quite right: this book was enjoyed by another LT reader and I thought it sounded interesting, so I put it on my wishlist and in a fit of looking through Libby was able to get it (everything else had a wait). But I didn't note on my catalogue wishlist who had recommended it! It sat there ticking down on my Libby shelf and was coming up on its auto-return so I quickly crammed it in over the July 4th weekend. So glad I did!

Margaret Atwood can definitely write but I've never "warmed" to her (not a devotee). I loved The Penelopiad, but was meh on The Edible Woman. I highly suspect its this reader's mood and/or subject, not the writer. I found Old Babes in the Wood to be a strong collection of short stories, some quite funny and entertaining while others were more thoughtful. I particularly enjoyed the story "A Dusty Lunch", given other recent reading and travel related to WW2. Tig and Nell are a charming couple, "Widows" had some great thoughts, "My evil mother" was a brilliant kind of funny, and even the experiment (or writing exercise) "The Dead Interview" was interesting. So a very decent read, particularly because the reader can relax in a master's hands. So thank you, LT reader, and so sorry I forgot to note who gave out the recommendation (it was a good one!)

43. Daniel Deronda, George Eliot, (Kindle and Audible) 36h, 51m (955 pages) - please note that the length varies greatly between different editions


Read for Bookgroup Too. A small gathering to discuss the second half - I have a feeling the book lost favor as we progressed through it - but an equal split of like/meh in the group. I do love her writing style and her ability to allude with a well-chosen word. An Egyptian upbringing evokes Moses, for example.

As usual, all the characters could use some time in psychotherapy to work out their issues instead of acting them out, but then what kind of story would that be?! I preferred Gwendolyn to Daniel, in terms of characters, but as usual, George Eliot has her heroes struggle and become all the better for it. I don't think Daniel was really the hero of the story, and that's part of the problem with the book as a whole. But the language was delicious, so it wasn't a struggle to read this book: I enjoyed alternating between reading and listening, or doing both simultaneously, as my versions matched perfectly (not always the case with the classics).

44. Steel Boat Iron Hearts, Hans Goebeler, (Kindle and Audible) 11h, 37m (288 pages)


The memoir of a WW2 enlisted Kriegsmarine sailor recounting his experiences aboard U-boat 505 from ~1942 until its capture on June 4, 1944. U-505 is the German submarine currently housed in the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, IL. Many many years ago I visited it, but honestly have no distinct impressions other than surprise at its existence! The author of this book moved to Chicago after his retirement to be close to the boat, and was known to give tours aboard. Wish I'd taken one! His descriptions of life onboard are pretty interesting (although some are a little gross), and he shares what he knew about missions, the War, and the Kriegsmarine at various points in the book - an additional dimension to the boat adding a lot of depth to the text. I really appreciated the non-Allies perspective and will definitely search around for more such books.

45. Light From Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki, (Libby audiobook) 13h, 13m (384 pages)


Read for the local library's Sci Fi bookgroup meeting in June, which I missed, and so just now catching up.

Life, the Universe and Everything. Or maybe everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink. Somehow this author managed to write a Sci Fi/fantasy novel with many themes, from donuts to aliens, from violin music sub-culture to trans sub-culture, and pull it off. I certainly get why it won so many awards - it was easy to read, hard to put down at points, interesting, and yet totally imaginative. I cared about the characters and never once could tell where the author would take the story, so that alone made for a very fulfilling read. I'm lucky this bookgroup is choosing really interesting work - just sorry I missed the discussion last month.

46. Unnatural Causes, P. D. James, (Libby audiobook) 9h, 11m (272 pages)


I've always enjoyed P.D. James' writing style and her main detective, Adam Dalgleish. While reading about murder one is reminded through Inspector Dalgleish that violence is a horrible crime, and so rather than feeling sullied or some moral deficit in reading about it, one can appreciate the nuance of negative human experiences (like fear) while indulging in the whodunit aspect of the story. Anyways, some of her books are more satisfying than others, but it'd been so long since I'd picked up one of her works that I thoroughly enjoyed this one - couldn't put it down.

Editing not to fix a mistake, but to add: the denouement was not James' best effort, but I liked the preceding action scene for its twists.

Not going to count this as a book towards my 75: Learning from Experience by John F. Schank, (paperback) 60 pages.

A self-described monograph of program analysis subtitled, "Lessons from the Submarine Programs of the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia." This book is a very high level analysis on what might be called project management performance in 5 submarine programs (Ohio, Seawolf, Virginia, Astute, and Collins, with a few mentions of the Trafalgar, Vanguard, and SEA 1000 - but no analysis of these last 3). Very limited examples - in my project manager's mind, this is clearly an introduction/summary document to frame program and project management/structure experience for future endeavors of AUKUS which would not even have yet been foreseen by these authors writing for the Rand NDRI. I was looking for something else when I picked this up, mainly to understand a bit more about AUKUS, and starting at a pre-AUKUS publication enticed me. Not that it wasn't worthwhile - it's always good to be reminded of sound practices in project management! okay, yeah, I'm a nerd, but I'm an ORGANIZED nerd! :) Anyways, at 60 pages it was quick and I have a little more (mind you, very very little more) contemporary background on the submarine programs to go find something else more 2020's now - i.e., not a waste of time.

Been a bit lax on updating the list, so a little bit of catch-up:
47. The Knowledge, Martha Grimes, (Libby audiobook) 14h, 6m (368 pages)


A light-hearted read about the grizzly business of murder.

48. A Mind to Murder, P. D. James, (Libby audiobook) 9h, 13m (256 pages)


Another murder mystery - P.D. James is probably my favorite mystery writer (Sue Grafton was a stiff competitor but I'm one of those disappointed there was no plan for a Z fans). There's a mood to her books that really sucks me in - and I love the main character.

49. Horse, Geraldine Brooks, (hardbound and Audible) 9h, 11m (416 pages)


I wasn't in the "loved it" crowd for this one. I liked the history I learned and both the historical and the contemporary story lines were good. It was just that there was a bit too much going on for my taste, and the use in the contemporary story of non-Americans to discuss American racism was like a huh? moment for me. Nor did it tie in well, imo. Anyways, okay, on to the next read.

50. The Quiet Man: The Indispensable Presidency of George H.W. Bush, John H. Sununu, (Libby audiobook) 12h, 43m (432 pages)

I wasn't expecting a non-partisan book, so it was no surprise that I wasn't disappointed! Thankfully one could either overlook descriptions of the other party as evildoers pretty easily - or at least the comments were brief. On the other hand, I relished in the descriptions of Gingrich and Perot... even though I'm one of Sununu's evil liberals I've always appreciated Bush's foreign policy and diplomatic skills - they are absolutely "next level", and this book shares a lot of the how. I'm not going to comment on the domestic efforts because this isn't the appropriate place.

Given the lapse of time since the Bush presidency (could it really be 30+ years?! WOW), I read this book wanting to see if the account matched my memories from my very young adulthood: I gained some knowledge, saw a different perspective, and was reminded of what an active 4 years the first George Bush's presidency really was. The spousal unit and I had recently watched a Cold War mini-series (I refer to it as The Doom-and-Gloom show, so I can't remember it's actual title), which was a nice pairing with the parts of this book that covered the eastern European and Russian events - only Sununu's account is much better in some spots. So a good read. Another LT had mentioned it, and I'm glad I went looking for it after the recommendation.

51. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Dee Brown, (Audible) 14h, 20m (512 pages)


This book took me a long time to get through because it isn't an easy book to read/listen to because of the topic of genocide. Yet the topic was and is so important that it was worth persevering through the tragic events to better understand the events. Especially to understand the context of individual raids/wars within the broader picture of systemic genocide. Sadly, the only trouble with listening to this book is that there are so many events, so many tribes, and so many individual people that it is hard to keep them separate in one's memory - the pattern of mass murder, theft, and inhumanity repeats too many times. An important history, glad I now have a broader picture of westward American expansion. 4+ stars.

52. Solito, Javier Zamora, (Kindle) 401 pages (17h, 8m)


I really enjoyed this book. One of my bookgroups is reading a lot of memoirs lately, and this one was unique because a relatively youngish adult man is remembering ~ 2 months of his 9yo life. It isn't a book of "Before and After", but the line that separates his life lived first in El Salvador and later in the U.S. The beautiful writing often masks the horrid dangers of the unaccompanied North American minor immigrant. The story sucked me in deep from the first pages and I had the hardest time putting it down.

Some of my bookgroup didn't care for it - but I loved the 9yo's "voice". I've seen the question asked as to whether it's appropriate for children, and I'd say 13+ absolutely. 4+ stars, and possibly 4.5+.
(Editing post to add: there's a lot of spanish in the English version. I don't speak it at all, but managed just fine, and occasionally looked up a word. Don't let this deter you!)

Note: read for Bookgroup Too.

Summary: both of the above books will stay with me for years, I predict.

53. Master and Commander, Patrick O'Brian, (Audible) 16h, 20m (416 pages)


Took me a little bit to get into this, I confess, because the antique sailing jargon was a little bit of a barrier - this might be a problem with listening to the book instead of reading the printed word. My MIL was fond of this book series, so it was a pleasure to read for that sake as well as the story itself. It's a well-written, battle-filled adventure story.

54. On a Sunbeam, Tillie Walden, (Audible) 544 pages (no audiobook)


Wellllll, gotta admit right off the bat this book isn't my "thang". It's my first graphic novel read, but the art and well-layed out panels were not a barrier. I didn't read comic books as a kid and never been attracted to them quite frankly, so I'm going to make that the first reason it wasn't a hit with me. Although touted as SciFi, quite frankly it was just relationships and I can't recall a piece of actual science in it (yeah, I prefer the hard science filled SciFi books, too). The setting is other worlds, space travel, etc., but it's about maturing into relationships. Not bad, just not my thing - so this isn't at all meant to be a review but a way of storing this preference for my own edification.

Note: read for SciFi bookgroup.

Another bit of catch-up:

55. What If?, Randall Munroe, (Audible) 6h, 36m (352 pages)


A fun book with scientific reasoning for (somewhat) ridiculous questions for which one enjoys learning the answers.

56. Of Boys and Men, Richard V. Reeves, (Audible) 6h, 55m (256 pages)


An interesting gathering of many, many sociological/anthropologic studies and polls advocating for solutions to problems possibly uniquely faced by men in today's western societies.

57. The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel, Douglas Brunt, (hardbound) 384 pages (12h, 41m)


I really enjoyed the historical context in this biography - which is what this book is - of the inventor of the diesel engine. Only bits of the book deal with his disappearance just before the beginning of WW1, so the title is not exactly inaccurate but possibly meant to bait a reader more than a straight-up biography would. Nonetheless, a very interesting perspective on technological history and some of the major players during the turn of the century up to 1914.

Life has kept me on the move, so this is another catch-up post, with at least one or two more of these to come.

58. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman, (Audible) 9h, 18m (292 pages)


It's a story, in space, and dealing with war and time relativity. Interesting that the author affirmed that it had ties to his experience in Vietnam. The tediousness of the soldier's life comes through, but somehow I wasn't left with a Wow by the end. Not torture to read, and definitely engrossing at points. Sorry I can't give it more than a "well, there's that" kind of review because I can't point to the problem with it readily.

59. The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck, (paperback) 384 pages (10h, 37m)


A re-read, and I don't do that often. It was amazing to realize how many scenes in the book were deeply imprinted on my 12yo brain the first time I read it - here I am nearly 50 years later and I could picture everything just as my 12yo self envisioned it. Enjoyed it but probably not as much as the first time. I do appreciate Pearl S. Buck's telling of the story and her agenda to bring people together through understanding. An interesting and pleasurable experience for me.

Note: read for Bookgroup Too.

60. Grey Bees, Andrey Kurkov, (paperback and Audible) 360 pages (11h, 51m)


Loved this book. Loved the story of a man's kinda crazy focus on his responsibilities despite what a rational reaction might be, and the continued perplexed mind dealing with the disruption of war. It's how we should all be or are: unable to accept war as a fact of life. When he travels and interacts with other displaced people - in mind or in geography - that was excellent, too. I would definitely recommend this book: a 4.5+, possibly a 5 for me.

Note: read for Bookgroup1.

61. Roman Stories, Jhumpa Lahiri, (Audible) 6h, 4m (258 pages)


I really enjoy this author's short stories so I thought I'd give listening to them instead of reading a try. The loose connector was Rome and Italian culture, but there was still a very international flavor to each story. Different voice talents read different stories, which also added something interesting to the mix of subjects. A very enjoyable listen/read.

62. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Lisa See, (Libby/Kindle) 394 pages (14h, 7m)


This book is particularly interesting in its description of an Asian minority ethnic community under Chinese rule and its economic life. The book's main character sucks one in but my #1 criticism of the book is the lack of character development. The reader is sometimes being taken moment by moment, day by day, and then there is a sudden huge jump in time and the character's growth during that period is quickly told to us (rather than shown). Sometimes the jumps resolve problems the writer didn't resolve fully, too. Yet because the background characters, the scenery, and the culture of Pur (a special type of tea) is so novel the reader kind of goes with it. At least I did.

This book ends up being an interesting pairing with the nearly century older The Good Earth. Both are describing worlds totally unfamiliar to the average western reader. Both follow the life of one character through many character changes and cultural shifts. So there are similarities. However, while Pearl S. Buck wanted to make westerners familiar with the Chinese agraria-based culture one could argue that Lisa See is seeking to bring forth the culture of a particular minority's heritage before it is subsumed within the larger Chinese culture as defined by the Han majority ethnic group and the Chinese National government. Somebody will undoubtedly write much more brilliant theses than I on this!

Any-hoo ... very enjoyable read. Note: read for Bookgroup1.

63. Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History, John Julius Norwich, (Audible) 14h, 25m (400 pages)


A survey of thousands of years of Sicilian history. I was only previously familiar with the Norman period of the Middle Ages, so really enjoyed this book to learn the island's history in connection throughout history, particularly in relation to the Berbers and French Napoleonic nations. The separateness of the "football at the end of the boot" is perpetually fascinating: so few miles, such large differences. Norwich also described the rise of the Sicilian Mafia, and its ties to the New World. Norwich's knowledge is so deep and broad that I can't help but accept his views! No criticism to add here.

64. D-Day through French Eyes, Mary Louise Roberts, (Audible) 7h (220 pages)


The stories included are often found elsewhere, or at least ones like them, but this book brings them together in one place. There is not a focus on the Resistance I would have expected/hoped for. Rather, the emphasis is on a broad range of voices describing events and interactions with the soldiers of the two armies.

65. We Have Always Been Here, Lena Nguyen, (hardbound) 368 pages (18h, 12m - this must've been some wicked slow reading, it didn't take me this long and I'm slowwww)


So many reviews of this book talk about the "endless introspection", but really it's like a series of random useless thoughts or insecure internal dialogue. I was expecting them to incorporate into the story by the end but ... nope. No purpose to them. I will say here "could use better editing", for content and occasionally for pace. Some of these are very brief, and while some probably draw the reader closer to the main character others are fairly annoying. The main character's backstory was good (as an example of the chapter subject timeline jumps), until the uncle became a more major character near the end - really didn't enjoy that and it didn't help move the story forward proportionate to the pages devoted to it - so some of the contemporary tendency of novelists to organize the book chapters out of sequence to the timeline came late or was disruptive as well.

A friend of mine doesn't enjoy reading first novels because "they have too many lists." It's kind of funny since she said this to notice this sometimes, so I will say that this book definitely does not have lists. And that's not the only positive in consideration of this book as a first novel. As a first novel it approaches a 4-star rating.

The plot is a mystery story that the main character has to solve - and that is pretty good, and definitely engaging as the reader also tries to figure out what is going on alongside the not always likeable main character. I liked the additions of other story lines in time and the official typed transcripts of a report, but I missed something along the way and never figured out who those reports were being sent to/from. There were a few instances of unresolved ideas. Ultimately this book stretches its spine to try and hit the 4 star mark. For me it was around a 3.25 in terms of fiction, but higher on a Sci Fi scale because the writing style is good and consistent, not something one can count on in this genre.

Boy, I must've taken my snarky pill at lunch today because really it's a decent book and not boring! Last word: read it if interested in Sci Fi. I hope the author writes more because this work is on to something creatively excellent. And let's face it, one has to write to get excellent at writing.

Note: read for local Sci Fi bookgroup.

66. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke, (Hardbound) 256 pages (6h 42m)


Enjoyable read, and imo slightly better than the movie. More is explained in the book, as it is based on words, than in the movie, which is far more communicative visually. While the mood of the book is exploratory the mood in the movie is definitely more sinister, or at least spooky. And then just weird. But the book is weird, too, so ... I would say that even though the scenes I remember so clearly in the movie should've interfered with my reading they really didn't -- details are just enough different between the two to make reading the book a fresh experience. At any rate, fun to read!

Note: read for local Sci Fi bookgroup.

67. Donovan: America's Master Spy, Richard Dunlop, (Audible) 25h 1m (592 pages)


Listened to this chunkster but then sought out the hardcopy at the library to look at the pictures. There are many endnotes for the printed version as well, something I always regret missing in listening to non-fiction.

The author relates the story of Bill Donovan with an absolutely positive lens but mentions the downsides of his personality along the way. From Donovan's earliest background to the final days of his life, the author manages to convey a stunning combination of great intellect, drive, and creative inspiration in his subject. His ability with languages alone leaves me impressed, but add in the spark of charm and mix it all with an incisive insight and you start to view Donovan as truly one of the geniuses of the first half of the 20th century. For forty years Donovan made singular impacts to American history. A reporter once said he 'moved so fast that he was a man who seemed to leave one morning and return the previous afternoon'. If he was in the room, things happened, and he seems to have been in all the rooms. The gift of speech is wonderful, but the gift of listening also bestowed in the same human makes Donovan seem super-human, indeed. In the Greatest Generation, an era of giants, Bill Donovan earned his seat at the head table.

>59 PocheFamily: I was entirely unfamiliar with Bill Donovan, Leslie, but your review has me intrigued.

68. They Came Like Swallows, William Maxwell, (Hardbound) 191 pages (4h 27m)


A gentle book set just as WW1 ends and the 1918 flu epidemic struck America. There are three parts to the book, each from a different perspective of the two sons and husband of a woman who dies from the flu. She is therefore not a voice in the book, but the book is really about her relationships with her family. The title is based on the W.B. Yeats poem lines:

They came like swallows and like swallows went
And yet a woman's powerful character
Could keep a swallow to its first intent;
And half a dozen in formation there,
That seemed to whirl upon a compass-point,
Found certainty upon the dreaming air ...

Her family are the swallows from the lines of the poem. A very pleasant read, if at times sad at least one comes to realizations about the characters - I liked each one of the narrators and this little family by the end, and felt the book had an uplifting feel to it. Beautifully written, it would be hard to find fault with it. Very glad I read it, and recommend it to anyone searching for a gentle story.

Note: read for Bookgroup Too.

69. The Barracks, John McGahern, (Hardbound) 240 pages (possibly no audiobook version)


An amazing book that manages to communicate well the inner mind or soul of the individual in a really specific yet universal way. What is the purpose of this life and death?-for the individual- is the subject, with the backdrop of the Irish family, State, and church. A short quote:

She should never have sat down, she told herself: she should have kept on her feet, working, her mind fixed on the small jobs she could master. A simple trap this half-hour of peace and quiet was, she’d have had more peace if she’d kept busy to the point of physical breaking-strain. She couldn’t ever hope to get any ordered vision on her life. Things were changing, going out of her control, grinding remorselessly forward with every passing moment.

For me, a 4.5-5 star book. I can't wait to read the next McGahern I can get my hands on.

70. Charlie Wilson's War, George Crile, (Libby audiobook) 20h, 24m (416 pages)


I'd seen the movie and heard the stories. However ... this book kind of blows the stories out of the water in terms of "Wait, This really happened??" The author obviously enjoys his main subject, Congressman Charlie Wilson (D-TX), and all the color that Charlie brings to any room or conversation he happens to be in. The exciting details of the Afghanistan struggle for independence from the Soviet Union end up being the perfect setting for Wilson's talents. The aftermath? Thankfully the author bravely tackles this subject, too, and so the epilogue ends up extending the story and walking the reader/listener (quickly) through the 'unintended consequences' in the Middle East region.

I enjoyed this book as an exploration of previously unknown history. I only remember the movie really focused on the embassy employee escape (thank you Canada!), and this is only one story of many covered in the book (but maybe my memory of the movie is too sketchy to rely on), which is really focused on Afghanistan. I enjoyed the stories, and couldn't help but LOL over some of Wilson's larger-than-life comments. He was a very clever man afterall, and if there is a moral to this story it is to beware the passionate man with a talent in dealmaking! The book is a view into the late '70's-late '80's/early '90's political world, the CIA political world (internal and in reference to Congress), and Mideast country relationships. So, highly entertaining while educational! A winner ... 4.5.

71. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley, (Audible) 14h, 48m (456 pages)


An extremely well written work. Not that I loved the story - it's a hard one and not for the "always sunshine" crowd. But what a book! And since reading a few things written about it I'm feeling incredibly dumb, far more than the usual V8 moment, because it's essentially a retelling of the King Lear with all the gory details from a daughter's perspective. It's really wonderful to realize all the Farm=Kingdom ties. I'm just rather poor at seeing this while caught up in the Smiley version. It just went to 5-stars with this information/realization for me. Knowing this little thing also lets me see the masterful character development so much more clearly - again, instead of being caught in the tragic events in this book: truly masterful handling of the narrator's voice and character throughout the book. I'm now experiencing that kind of jaw-dropped awe of the author that doesn't come very often.

Note: read by my Bookgroup 1 before I was a member, book #131, so this was a Wishlist/catch-up read.

72. The Lightning Seed, John R. Durant, 377 pages (no audiobook currently), read ebook on my Kindle


Note: received an e-book version in exchange for a review for LT Early Reviewers, Nov 2024

73. The Sand Pebbles, Richard McKenna, (Audible) 22h, 27m (671 pages)


I'd seen this title on a few other LT readers' lists (sorry, didn't note who/where so I can't thank them directly), and the description definitely put it in my sights. Set in the between war period on a USN Yangtze river Patrol ship, the main character navigates the social and political landscape of both the ship's crew and the unfolding changes to China. He's an outsider, and although he often performs tasks that win him temporary friends or acceptance in social groups, he's self-aware of his difference in opinion and experience and thus always remains an outsider. The setting of the book makes for an interesting backdrop: the upheaval of Chinese society and creation of its sense of nationhood makes for an interesting contrast with our main character. There are lots of different themes in this story (i.e., even the natural river versus the man-made ship), and there is a constant struggle between chaos and order.

Editing because I forgot to say that this book reminded me of A Tale of Two Cities more than other works or authors I've seen it related to.

I'd previously read only a little about the Yangtze Patrol, while researching naval officer biographies. So this book brought to life some of the upheaval and elements of western society in China (like the USN, the missionaries, the diplomats, the businessmen, etc.) during this period for me. I enjoyed listening to this novel even when all the subjects weren't nice ones. There's a movie out there - the book dates to 1963 and the movie 1966 - but if it focuses on stereotypes then it probably won't be nearly as good as the book. 4.5 stars (maybe 4.25, but let's not argue)

74. War, Bob Woodward, (Libby Audiobook) 12h, 15m (448 pages)


Whoooops ... I missed one. This should've been #72, in completion order, but it doesn't really matter I suppose, as long as I caught it in the correct year! Brief thoughts: An interesting perspective. Definitely partisan, but also rather critical of the Presidents since 2000 in general. Maybe always, I don't know, as I haven't read a Woodward book previously (only newspaper articles). In combination with Charlie Wilson's War, my recent reading has lead to some better understanding of the players in the Middle East (and Ukraine).

75. Red Star Rogue, Kenneth Sewell, 12h, 15m (320 pages)


Well, I'm not much into conspiracy theories, and this book certainly starts and ends like that's what it is discussing. Somewhere in the middle it covers facts - but there's a lot of speculation, not much weighted discussion, and well ... there's just not enough in the end to come to any final conclusion. However, the discussion of the death of the K-129 submarine was interesting.

My first instinct is that including the presentiments of the surviving family members is an exploitation of their grief. It weakens the factual tone of the book. Nonetheless, it could also be argued that their families are the casualties of the destruction of this boat and within the context of the Soviet regime's lack of full recognition for their loss, these things could justifiably be included. Not to my taste, I guess.

This book had appeared on some "Top # Books about Submarines," and that is why I picked it up. There was information about Soviet patrols and crews, which I haven't previously read about.

76. 2010: Odyssey Two, Arthur C. Clarke, (hardbound) 291 pages (9h, 41m)


An interesting continuation of the story started in 2001. I understand others' reviews saying something of the sparkly newness of the first volume is missing, yet it is still highly original. Written about a decade later, with more of the science about our solar systems' planets and moons included, it's style seemed a little more relaxed to me. I enjoyed the return of Hal 9000 and the introduction of other characters. I'll definitely continue on with the series since somehow we actually own the 3rd volume (nobody is claiming responsibility, and I don't know that anyone has ever read it, but there it sits on a shelf!), but not immediately.

77. Absolution, Alice McDermott, (Libby audiobook) 10h, 2m (336 pages)


McDermott presents a very unique story set during the Vietnam war. It is organized in the form of letters written between two women many years after knowing each other while they lived in Saigon (one was an adult at the time, the other a child). Events of the war tangentially touch upon the recollections of the characters, but the central theme is their remembrance of the girl's mother. A difficult book to put down. The characters were obviously talking about cultural and attitude shifts since then, and the absolution that all humans seek. There's a brutal honesty the letter writers employ, not just to meet the McDermott's purpose, but believably employed because of the manner of their acquaintance, or what they saw in each other when they interacted. I'm terrible at summarizing the nuances McDermott sought to capture, but I noticed them, and saw this as a story particular to a time in history but simultaneously universal. An excellent read.

Note: read for Bookgroup 1, but unfortunately I missed the discussion. One of our bookgroup members formerly was a spouse in Vietnam in the closing days of the war, and although she is no longer in Bookgroup, I would have enjoyed hearing others' remembrances of her and her tales - or even their own of that era - as I could more directly relate to the child (generationally) than the adults in the book.

78. Murder on the Red River, Marcie R. Rendon, (Audible) 6h, 3m (320 pages)


A very engrossing listen: the narrator's voice, the setting on the Red River valley between North Dakota and Minnesota, and the tale of a brave, hurting, and lonely young woman whose sole friend is the local sheriff was very captivating. Hadn't set out to read this but happened to see it would expire from the "includeds" in my Audible account, and got sucked in before the end of the first chapter. One of the best murder mysteries I've read this year, perhaps THE best.

Congrats on rolling past the goal!