Jennifer's 2024 Reading (japaul22) Part 2

Part 2!
Hi everyone! I'm back for my 14th year in Club Read. I live in Northern Virginia and am a musician in the U.S. Marine Band - I play french horn. I'm also a mom to two boys, ages 14 and 11 this winter. So, I'm busy! But I also find plenty of time to read. I love contemporary fiction and gravitate to women writers. I also read and reread the classics. I also always have a nonfiction book going, usually history or biography.

This year, I want to have some sort of focus/theme to my reading. I think I've decided on two broad topics. In looking at my 2023 reading stats, I noticed I'm really reading A LOT of novels published in English. I also read A LOT of women authors (about 70% of my reading). So, I think I'll try a "women in translation" theme. I think this is a growing area in publishing, so I'm hoping to find some gems and broaden my reading horizons a bit, while still enjoying the books I choose. My second theme will be Norwegian authors. This is because we are planning a trip to Norway this summer with extended family to see extended family. I've already read quite a few Norwegian authors, but I'd like to round this out a bit with some of the classics I've missed and some modern authors.

Looking forward to the reading year ahead!

These lists are to help me pick books when I don't have a "next book" in mind. They will also give you an idea of the kinds of books I enjoy. These are all a work in progress. I will remove or add on any whim - they are not "definitive" lists for me!

Contemporary Authors that I follow (i.e. I'll probably read any new novel they put out and am reading any backlog I haven't gotten to yet):
Hilary Mantel
Kate Atkinson
Eleanor Catton
Eowyn Ivey
Tana French
Marilynne Robinson
Hannah Tinti
Barbara Kingsolver
Ann Patchett
Chimamanda Adichie
Margaret Atwood
Madeline Miller
Esther Freud
A.S. Byatt
Siri Hustvedt
Ottessa Moshfegh
Charlotte McConaghy
Niall Williams
Maggie O'Farrell

Series/Mysteries/thrillers that I follow:
Tana French, (8/8)
C.J. Sansom, Matthew Shardlake series (6/6)
Ruth Ware (6/7)
Thursday Murder Club (4/4)
Maisie Dobbs (8/17)
Lisa Lutz

Classic authors I love (reading novels I haven't read yet or rereads):

Jane Austen
the Brontes
Virginia Woolf
George Eliot
Trollope
Thomas Mann
Doestoevsky
Tolstoy
Haldor Laxness
Sigrid Undset
Faulkner
Zola
Scandinavian classics
Willa Cather
Edith Wharton
John Williams
Proust
Thomas Hardy
Henry James
Barbara Pym

Kindle TBR (because I never remember I have these) 3634 books on this list at the beginning of 20232024:
Daughters of the Winter Queen by Nancy Goldstone
Martin Chuzzlewit
Armadale
Our Mutual Friend
Nicholas Nickleby
Lost Children Archive
The Fire This Time
Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Sandhamn Murders by Viveca Sten books 1-6 (WIT)
Titan by Ron Chernow
The Imprisoned Guest by Elisabeth Gitter
How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
Three Lives by Gertrude Stein
Compartment No. 6
The Great Circle
Tyll
The Books of Jacob
An Eye for an Eye
She Has Her Mother's Laugh (science book on heredity)
A Woman's Life by Maupassant
Nightwood by Djuna Barnes
Lapovna by Otessa Moshfegh
Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie
Was Heathcliff a Murderer by Jon Sutherland
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
Scatterlings by Resoketswe Manenzhe
The Spare Room by Helen Garner
Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich
The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier

Link to my "best book by publication year" list
https://www.librarything.com/topic/346894#8025553

Category ideas for 2024: Do I need/want these?

Best Book by publication year (1976, 1944, 1914, 1906, 1904, 1902, 1893, 1888, 1887, 1879, 1870, 1852) - spreadsheet up to date through book #59 of 2024
*Women in Translation
Seventh Cross
After Midnight
A Modern Family
Easy Life in Kamusari
The Pastor
Quake
Baba Dunja's Last Love
*Norwegian authors/topics
Hunger
A Modern Family
The Pastor
Nansen
*Civil War reading
Master Slave Husband Wife
Gone with the Wind
James
Uncle Tom's Cabin
*Rereads
The Scarlett Letter
Possession
Gone With the Wind
Scarlett

Projects/Big Books for 2024:
Georgia O'Keefe letters book
A Fine Balance
Rereads month?
Virginia Woolf bio

“Oh right, I wanted to read that soon” books:
Next maisie dobbs
reread Brideshead Revisited
Helen Garner
christmas books

Zola Les Rougon-Macquart

Publication order
*La Fortune des Rougon (1871)
La Curée (1872)
Le Ventre de Paris (1873)
La Conquête de Plassans (1874)
La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret (1875)
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon (1876)
*L'Assommoir (1877)
Une page d'amour (1878)
*Nana (1880)
*Pot-Bouille (1882)
*Au Bonheur des Dames (1883)
La joie de vivre (1884)
*Germinal (1885)
L'Œuvre (1886)
La Terre (1887)
Le Rêve (1888)
*La Bête humaine (1890)
L'Argent (1891)
La Débâcle (1892)
Le Docteur Pascal (1893)

A recommended reading order13
*La Fortune des Rougon (The Fortune of the Rougons) (1871)
*Son Excellence Eugène Rougon (His Excellency Eugène Rougon) (1876)
La Curée (The Kill) (1872)
L'Argent (Money) (1891)
Le Rêve (The Dream) (1888)
La Conquête de Plassans (The Conquest of Plassans) (1874)
*Pot-Bouille (Pot Luck) (1882)
*Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies Paradise/The Ladies' Delight) (1883)
La Faute de l'Abbé Mouret (The Sin of Abbé Mouret) (1875)
Une page d'amour (A Love Story) (1878)
Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris) (1873)
La joie de vivre (The Bright Side of Life) (1884)
*L'Assommoir (The Drinking Den) (1877)
L'Œuvre (The Masterpiece) (1886)
*La Bête humaine (The Beast Within) (1890)
*Germinal (1885)
*Nana (1880)
La Terre (The Earth) (1887)
La Débâcle (The Debacle) (1892)
Le Docteur Pascal (Doctor Pascal) (1893)

Reading Log

January:
1. The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams
2. The Seventh Cross by Anna Seghers
3. Every Eye by Isobel English
4. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
5. After Midnight by Irmgard Kuen
6. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
7. North Woods by Daniel Mason
8. East Angels by Catherine Fenimore Woolson
9. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

February
10. William - An Englishman by Cecily Hamilton
11. A Modern Family by Helga Flatland
12. All Systems Red by Matha Wells
13. Chrysalis by Kim Todd
14. Hunger by Knut Hamsun
15. Learned By Heart by Emma Donoghue
16. Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo
17. Fidelity by Susan Glaspell

March
18. Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith
19. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
20. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
21. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
22. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay
23. Eve by Cat Bohannon
24. The Hunter by Tana French

April
25. The Wager by David Grann
26. The Dress Diary by Kate Strasdin
27. China Court by Rumer Godden
28. The Easy life in Kamusari
29. The Ladies' paradise by Emile Zola

May
30. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear
31. Shakespeare's Sisters by Ramie Targoff
32. Family Roundabout by Richmal Compton
33. The Feast by Margaret Kennedy
34. The Pastor by Hanne Ørstavik
35. How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

June
36. Jane Austen's Wardrobe by Hilary Davidson
37. The Idiot by Elif Batuman
38. The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
39. Grass of the Earth by Aagot Raaen
40. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
41. Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
42. My Faraway One by Sarah Greenough
43. Long Island by Colm Toibin
44. The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock
45. The Belton Estate by Anthony Trollope
46. What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
47. Clear by Carys Davies

July
48. Bear by Julia Phillips
49. The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
50. Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
51. Three Sisters by Bi Feiyu
52. We Die Alone
53. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
54. The Whispers by Ashley Audrain
55. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

August
56. Quake by Auðor Jonsdottir
57. We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
58. Baba Dunja's Last Love by Alina Bronsky
59. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, audiobook read by Linda Stephens
60. Possession by A.S. Byatt
61. THe Other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow
62. James by Percival Everett
63. Nansen by Roland Huntford

September
64. The Fortune of the Rougons by Emile Zola
65. Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley
66. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
67. News of the World by Paulette Jiles
68. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
69. Brook Evans by Susan Glaspell
70. The Mothers by Brit Bennett

October
71. The King's General by Daphne DuMaurier
72. Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks
73. God of the Woods by Liz Moore
74. A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman
75. Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman
76. We're Alone by Edwidge Danticat
77. Tar Baby by Toni Morrison
78. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

November
79. There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
80. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
81. The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner
82. American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee
83. Orbital by Samantha Harvey
84. His Excellency Eugene Rougon by Zola
85. The Hike by Lucy Clarke
86. Animal Life by Auður Olafsdottir

December
87. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
88. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
89. The Elements of Marie Curie by Dave Sobel
90. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
91. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
92. Circe by Madeline Miller
93. Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs by Pagnol
94. Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

#36 Jane Austen's Wardrobe by Hilary Davidson
A beautiful book with fantastic illustrations and photographs that uses references from Austen's letters to create a picture of what her wardrobe was like. Davidson covers dresses, undergarments, hats, gloves, shoes, jewelry, etc. I really enjoyed this and it's a beautiful book to own. It's written as a series of essays on the different items of apparel, so would be easy to dip in and out of, but I read it straight through. It's a little light on detailed info, but I loved it.

Original publication date: 2023
Author’s nationality: Australian
Original language: English
Length: 240 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: how could I resist a book about Jane Austen and fashion?

happy new thread!

#37 The Idiot by Elif Batuman

It's the mid 1990s and Selin is in her freshman year at Harvard. Email is new, cell phones aren't around yet, and Selin is navigating the transition to adulthood. She's learning to interact with her peers and learning all the different ways people interact with each other and the world. And, of course, what story about young adults could avoid a love interest?

I loved the opening of this book. Selin's voice is funny and the mid-90s college setting is my era. But, reading this on my kindle, I found myself checking how close I was to the end after 16% of the book was read. Hmm. I don't think Batuman really sustained the freshness that she achieves in the opening of the novel.

I kept reading and moderately enjoyed it, but I got annoyed with the love interest and thought things just got a little too out-there for me.

OK, but not as special as I was hoping it would be.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 423 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: kindle library book
Why I read this: described as funny and I was looking for something less depressing than my last few books

>7 cindydavid4: thanks!

Happy new thread. I'm impressed that the size of your kindle tbr is actually going down. What a feat!

>10 RidgewayGirl: keeping that list of kindle books has been a game changer for me!

You have a couple of books on your e-reader that I really enjoyed Baba Dunja's Last Love and Burnt Shadows. I think I've read Baba Dunja three times now.

>12 labfs39: Those are two I keep meaning to get to. I'd be willing to bet I bought Baba Dunja's Last Love after your review!

I swung by the library book sale yesterday on my way home from work and was pleasantly surprised with what I found.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (which I'm reading right away and enjoying)
Trust by Hernan Diaz
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippmann
Kon-tiki by Thor Heyerdahl (which I've wanted to read before our Norway trip)

AND . . . drum roll . . .
3 green Viragos!! I almost never see these at used book sales. I don't think they are very common in the U.S.
A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor
Palladian by Elizabeth Taylor
Millenium Hall by Sarah Scott

>14 japaul22: Viragos, wow! Those are indeed a rare find. Used bookshops maybe, but I don't think I've ever come across them at a book sale either. Have you read any of those? I'm a big Elizabeth Taylor fan. The Virago Group read all of her novels (one per month) back in 2011.

I have read A View of the Harbour but I couldn’t resist snapping up the virago publication. I looked at the LT reviews of Millenium Hall so I’m prepared for that to be more of an interesting read than an enjoyable read. 😉

>16 japaul22: LOL you got that right!

Happy June thread!

>6 japaul22: I read a review about that Austen fashion book (I think in the NYRB); it sounds lovely. Maybe I'll splurge for JA July.

>14 japaul22: Great Virago haul! I have that Palladian edition--my notes say it has an Austen/Bronte vibe--the main character has hints of Fanny Price. I liked the writing, but was so-so about the characters.

A View of the Harbour is one of my favorites; I have the NYRB edition, though.

I don't have Millenium Hall, but I remember that Liz led a group read (it was one of the first Virago chronological reads); I didn't participate because I couldn't find a copy. But here's the thread from 2015, in case you want to refer to it when you get to the book:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/189583#

RE: last thread - I do remember that, and I too know of at least one vet who was told the same thing as your friend. At least it's better than it was.

Happy New Thread! I started using the "call number" field of a book to tell me where the books that I haven't read are located and I have at least 5 times as many kindle books as you do (how did that happen?). I'm trying to work on getting that number reduced this year too.

I've never seen any Viragos at any of the library sales I go to. How lucky for you. And some other good picks too.

>14 japaul22: That is a great haul for a library book sale. And congrats on the three Viragos.

>18 kac522: I think you'd love Jane Austen's Wardrobe. It's both a beautiful book to display and an interesting one to read. Just note it's more a series of articles rather than a continuous nonfiction text.

Thanks for the notes and links about my new Viragos!

>19 dudes22: I really stopped (for the most part) buying kindle books to read later. I can so often find them at the library and it's just not as satisfying to me to have kindle books "on the shelf" like it is to have physical books on the shelf.

>20 RidgewayGirl: thanks! I was pleasantly surprised with the selection. They last couple times I've gone I haven't found much.

>6 japaul22: This looks very good! I've added it to my list.

#38 The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
I believe this is McCullough's first mainstream nonfiction writing, and his trademark way of making nonfiction both informative and readable is already on display. I became interested in the Johnstown Flood when I performed in Johnstown, PA on one of our concert tours. The downtown has lots of markings indicating the water levels during the flood and it is staggering to think about.

The city has experienced several major floods, submerging the town, but the 1889 flood is the most well-known and the one this book addresses. A dam up in the mountains surrounding Johnstown broke during an epic storm and a giant wave of water made it's way down the mountain, knocking down giant trees, bridges, homes, and large buildings. Thousands of people were killed. The town was flooded up and over two story structures.

This novel focuses on the storm and the destruction. It talks about the dam and how it was not properly built or maintained. It also focuses on the wealthy families (including Carnegie, so we're talking REALLY wealthy) who used the dammed lake as a vacation site and had a hunting and fishing club there, but yet did nothing to maintain the dam. McCullough also talks about the clean up effort and Clara Barton's use of her newly formed Red Cross to help the effort.

All in all this is an interesting read, but it left me wanting more. I thought McCullough could have dug in a little deeper and made some harder hitting statements about the whole situation.

Original publication date: 1968
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 302 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: interested in the town's history after visiting

>23 japaul22: I enjoyed that book, especially McCullough's portrayal of some of the people of the town.

There was a PBS American Experience documentary with McCullough introducing the film, I think from the 1990s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pK2CGk42mY

Great review of The Johnstown Flood, Jennifer. I first heard about Johnstown when it had a major flood in 1977, when I was in high school, and I first passed through the city via Amtrak in 1993 when I took a train to Pittsburgh to interview at Pitt's medical school. I thought about the floods, especially the 1977 one which was widely covered in the Philadelphia and national press, due to the significant loss of life (according to Wikipedia 84 people died as a result of it). I've wanted to read this book for many years, so I'll have to move it higher up my TBR list.

>23 japaul22: I have this one kicking around the house, I should get to it. Sounds interesting.

>24 kac522: I bet it makes a really interesting documentary! Thanks for the link.

>25 kidzdoc: Yes, when I did I little googling about Johnstown, I found there were subsequent floods to the 1889 one. Makes you wonder if it's the best place for a city . . .

>26 labfs39: It's worth the time!

#39 Grass of the Earth by Aagot Raaen

I saw this reviewed by someone on LT, and thought it would be interesting to read the story of Norwegian immigrants, told by a woman. My mother's side of the family came from Norway, albeit in the 1920s and to Chicago and city life. Grass of the Earth is about an earlier group of Norwegian immigrants in the mid to late 1800s who end up in North Dakota, farming the newly available land.

This is a simply written book, mostly told from the point of view of a younger daughter in the family. The author is the older sister. The family - father, mother, brother, and three sisters, one of whom is an invalid - has a small farm. They work incredibly hard every day with very little to show for it. The father also is an alcoholic who often spends the money they are able to save in the saloons of the nearest town, disappearing for months at a time. This lack of money leads to them taking out a mortgage on their farm and struggling most of their lives to figure out how to pay it off. The father does overcome his addiction after about a decade, and the family fortunes begin to make a small turn for the better.

The book focuses on the day to day grind of small farm life. Hunger, lack of clothing, extreme temperatures, etc. But the siblings strive to better themselves through any education opportunities they can find. They value hard work and independence to an extreme, and deny themselves most pleasures. They rely on the Bible for wisdom.They are friendly with neighbors, and though they help others freely, they are reluctant to accept help themselves. I found it interesting that there was no mention of the Native people that were likely living in the Dakotas when these immigrants arrived and started taking over the land.

Raaen attended school whenever she could afford it and be absent from the farm. When she was 30, she managed to graduate from a pre-college school, I imagine kind of like a high school. In 1913, she graduated from the University of Minnesota. She taught and was a school administrator for the rest of her life. She wrote this book near the end of her life.

Though this book is simply written and has some inconsistencies in point of view, it is a really interesting look at one family's immigrant experience. I'm glad I read it. Made me feel quite spoiled with my relatively easy lifestyle.

Original publication date: 1950
Author’s nationality: American, Norwegian heritage
Original language: English
Length: 272 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: interested in the story of this woman immigrant pioneer

>28 japaul22: Was this fiction or a memoir? A couple of years ago I read a similar book about Swedes who immigrated to upper Wisconsin (along Lake Superior) in the 1880s called From These Shores by Helga Skogsbergh. It was an "autobiographical" novel--you could clearly tell which was Helga--and was written in the 1960s. It's pretty rare--I picked it up at a Gail Borden (Elgin) library sale. Helga also ended up going to college in Minneapolis and taught school for many years.

And just to add coincidence to your post, today my husband brought home a pecan treat for me from our neighborhood Scandinavian restaurant--Tre Kronor--on Foster across from North Park College. Their Swedish meatballs are to die for.

>3 japaul22: I hadn't noticed your list of best books by year before. Great idea! There are some I liked a lot. When I come up for air I'll try to put together something like that for myself.

Looks like a great haul at he library book sale--well done!

>29 kac522: It's somewhere in between. I mean, it's definitely a memoir in that it's the "true story" of their family, but the author tells most of the family story through the eyes of her younger sister. Though in the last third of the book, it's clearly the author's own point of view. Hence my comment about the inconsistencies. I'd call it something like a "narrative memoir". It doesn't read like fiction or a novel, in my opinion.
And, Elgin!, that's my old neck of the woods. I was born in the hospital there when my parents were living in West Dundee.
I'd love a good Scandinavian restaurant in the neighborhood!

>30 Jim53: I think several of us in Club Read were working on these "best of the year" by publication date lists. It's a lot of fun!

>31 japaul22: The Gail Borden Library has great book sales--a bit of a drive for me from Chicago--but well worth it! And the library itself is modern and appears well-run.

#40 Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
This book was not for me. It's the story of a family in crisis. In the spring of 2020 (yes, during covid - forms a background and adds to some plot points, but not "about covid"), a father goes missing. He was with his teenage son in a park and never comes home. This son must know something about the disappearance, but he is autistic with the addition of Angelman syndrome, which makes him nonverbal and uncommunicative.

At first, I really liked this. The narrator, the sister, is quirky and has a kind of fun voice. But, you know how in a lot of mysteries you feel like you're waiting forever for any real info to come to light? Well, in this novel, revelations are flung at the reader over and over at a breakneck speed. Some of these revelations are misread by the family, and some lead to the truth. But I was so annoyed that there was no room to process anything that was happening. And then, to be honest, the ending I found ridiculous and unbelievable.

I'd recommend skipping this.

Original publication date: 2023
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 387 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased hardback at library sale
Why I read this: local author, set near where I live, a friend said she liked it

#41 Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

Sarah Perry has really hit her stride with this new novel. It keeps her trademark character-driven plot, and continues the rather odd writing style she has that seems a mix between Victorian and modern syntax. And in this novel, unlike some of her others, she's created characters and situations that kept me fully engaged.

The center of this novel is Thomas Hart, a middle aged man at the beginning of the book, who writes a column in the local paper. He is straight out of the past - wearing formal clothes, speaking in an old-fashioned way, continuing to favor letters over email or the phone. He is also gay, but a member of a strict Baptist church, so he hides this from others and practically from himself. He stayed in the church when he was drawn to a baby girl whose mother died and whose father is a member of the church. The two have a deep connection, Grace Macaulay and Thomas Hart. Grace is in her teenage years when the book begins, and with that comes all the rebellion and soul searching and love interest that you would expect.

Unfortunately, Thomas and Grace have a falling out. Over the next twenty years they will be drawn back together, though whether they'll forgive each other will be the question. Tying this all together is a subplot that is integrated beautifully. Thomas Hart, early in the book, is assigned to write about the Hale-Bopp Comet. This prompts a love of amateur astronomy that continues through his life. He also finds a local story about a woman who went missing in the late 1800s named Maria Vaduva, whose incomplete letters and diary are found. Her story, and the story of her forays into astronomy, bind the book together.

This all sounds complicated and I didn't even tell half of it, but Perry does an amazing job of tying everything together seamlessly. There is no "dual timeline" or "flashback" to Maria Vaduva's life - it's all integrated perfectly into the present day story. Though, as I said, the present day story barely feels present-day with Perry's quirky Victorian writing style and characters.

I'm not doing justice to this novel. It's so hard to describe. I found it completely original and captivating. I think it's her best book to date and I hope she keeps writing more novels. I will try them all!

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 384 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased hardback brand new
Why I read this: as a treat, an author I've enjoyed

>34 japaul22: - That sounds really good! I've added it to my wish list. My library doesn't have a copy (yet)...

>35 katiekrug: I really liked it. Sarah Perry has a quirky style, though. I'm sure it won't be for everyone.

>34 japaul22: Great review! I will wishlist this, it sounds very tempting.

>36 japaul22: - I've only read The Essex Serpent, but I enjoyed it and have been keeping my eye out for others by her.

If you liked The Essex Serpent, then I think you'll like this. It's a similar vibe.

#42 My Faraway One: Selected Letters of Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz edited by Sarah Greenough

For the last six months, I've been reading this 800 page behemoth of a book that collects the letters of O'Keeffe and Stieglitz from the beginning of their relationship in 1915 until 1933. The book contains about 650 of the more than 5000 letters the couple wrote to each other. Why so many letters? Well, to write letters, you must be apart and this couple spent lots of time apart. This was both because of where their art took them and because their relationship, though passionate, was not always the most healthy.

I've enjoyed O'Keeffe's art, but I knew basically nothing about Stieglitz or their relationship until I started this book. The two were decades apart in age when they met and they quickly developed a romantic and, I guess you would say spiritual, connection through writing letters to each other. These letters encompass the first years of their relationship, their happy years together, a stretch when their relationship begins to fall apart, and how they (sort of) stitched it back together.

In the first section of letters, O'Keeffe writes artistically - almost in an abstract way and even the script and page breaks and symbols she uses are interesting and I'd say indicative of her personality (pictures of some of the letters are included). Stieglitz is a more traditional writer and writes lyrically and very descriptively. This first section spans 1915-1918 and is over 300 pages (large, oversized pages with small type) of letters. During this time period, O'Keeffe and Stieglitz are getting to know each other. They had met briefly in New York, and then O'Keeffe has been teaching in Virginia and Texas. They have a large age difference - she is still in her twenties, and he is in his fifties, married and with an almost adult child. Her letters are impressionistic and emotional, his are more matter of fact and traditional. However as the letters progress, their styles seem to meet in the middle. Hers generally concern her art, her health (which was not good), and her relationships with fellow teachers/people in her community. His revolve around his art gallery, his failing marriage, and his cultural experiences in NYC. They both address their feelings about the World War. They both talk about the weather a lot. :-) Their letters grow more passionate as they get to know each other. By the end of this time period, they are enamored enough with each other that O'Keeffe moves to New York and Stieglitz finally ends his marriage.

The second section of letters is shorter, spanning the years 1922-1928. These are from the early days of their marriage. The letters become a bit more down-to-earth. O'Keeffe's in particular grow in confidence. She seems to come into her own in these years. O'Keeffe and Stieglitz obviously have a deep love and similar views on life, art, and beauty. But their age difference starts to cause problems. O'Keeffe clearly has more vitality in her 30s than Stieglitz in his 60s, who has health problems. She doesn't seem to enjoy visiting his family vacation home and often goes to Maine instead. This creates a need for letters. Also, Stieglitz's flirtations with other women wear on O'Keeffe and several time she flees for space and solitude. O’Keeffe also makes a trip to Wisconsin to visit family. She is obviously inspired by both the landscape and the company. I think it starts to reveal her discontent with being so bound to Stieglitz’s family and family vacation home at Lake George where they are expected all summer every summer. The letters mainly talk about their relationship, their art, other artists they interact with, some politics, nature, and what they are reading.

The last section of letters is the longest, spanning 1929-1933 and containing 335 pages of letters. In this section, I felt O'Keeffe come into her own as a woman and artist. She spends time in the Southwest without Stieglitz, beginning to paint her most famous paintings. She makes new friends, learns about this new culture and landscape, and learns to drive. Stieglitz obviously has a hard time accepting her new-found independence and is upset to no longer be as needed as he used to be. It doesn't help his cause any that he has repeated affairs that are hurtful to O'Keeffe. Also, being so much older, Stieglitz is beginning to think about his mortality. He has health problems and starts organizing his finances and deciding which of his photographs to keep and where he should donate them . They obviously still have passionate feelings for each other, though. Their letters are often explicitly erotic, including pet names for each other and for body parts. Stieglitz just obviously can't deal with O'Keeffe's independence and does a lot of lecturing on whether she's spending enough time painting and giving unwanted advice.

As the letters progress the two seem to drift farther apart, though they do still care for each other. World events are still part of their letters, including the stock market crash in the 1930s, politics in Europe, and interactions with other artists, writers, and actors. O'Keeffe has another health issue/breakdown and goes to Bermuda for over a month to recover. As the letters end, they seem to be in the same pattern. Not really willing to let each other go, but not gaining much from the relationship.

I enjoyed reading these over the last 6 months. Reading someone's letters is such an interesting way to learn about someone. I can't say I was impressed with their relationship or was drawn to either one of them. I found them both a bit "too much", too over the top, and felt like they both needed a good talking to about being adult! I'm glad I spent the time on this and will look at their art with different eyes having gotten to know both of them through this book. Apparently there will be a second volume of collected letters from the rest of their relationship. I have not decided yet if I'll take the time to read those, or if this book was enough.

Original publication date: 2011
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 832 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: gift
Why I read this: looked like an interesting project

>40 japaul22: - Nice review. I think the idea's nice and am always interested that people would keep such a volume of letters. But over 800 pages is more that I think I'd like to tackle even if spread out like you did.

>40 japaul22: That looks interesting, though probably a reading project I won’t be taking on anytime soon. As a letter writer myself, I do love to read collected correspondences.

#43 Long Island by Colm Tóibín

The sequel to Brooklyn picks up about 20 years after Eilis has returned to New York to create a life with Tony, her Italian husband. Her husband's large family lives in a cul de sac of four houses on Long Island. Tony and Eilis have two teenage children and Eilis has a job. But things are not all well. Eilis has never really felt that she belonged, being Irish. And then she discovers that Tony has had an affair and she's being expected to live with the consequences. So she decides to visit her mother in Ireland and take her kids as well, creating some space for herself to figure out how she wants to proceed. Meanwhile, Jim Farrell, the man that Eilis jilted twenty years ago, and her best friend Nancy have recently developed a relationship. When Eilis returns, so many feelings reemerge.

The plot in this book is simple. It's Tóibín's writing that creates another really beautiful novel. There is a lot unsaid but somehow described perfectly at the same time. I think anyone who loved Brooklyn will also love this sequel. It is very similar in tone and style, and I was happy to spend time with Eilis Lacey again. I hope there will be a third installment as this one does not end up with a neat and tidy ending, as life rarely does.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: Irish
Original language: English
Length: 304 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: loved the first book

>43 japaul22: Looking forward to reading this sequel.

#44 The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany begins her life's work at 72 by Molly Peacock

I took one for the team on this one. The subject is interesting - an 18th century woman who creates beautiful, scientifically correct paper collages of flowers by cutting out hundreds of tiny pieces of colored paper and pasting them on a black background. They are striking and original, even 250 years later. And Mary Delany's life was interesting too. She moved in the upper aristocratic circles and had interesting friends and a great second marriage. She wrote 1000s of letters which are used to create this biography. The book also has beautiful, full-page reprints of Delany's work.

Sounds great, right? Except this is one of those annoying nonfiction books where the author feels the need to insert herself into Mary Delany's story and try to draw parallels with her own life. I had absolutely no interest in this and found it incredibly distracting and annoying. I tried to skip over these parts but sometimes she would integrate her story with Mary Delany's so it wasn't clear where to skip. I would recommend a different Mary Delany biography - there must be a better one out there.

Original publication date: 2010
Author’s nationality: American living in Canada
Original language: English
Length: 416 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: interested in the artist

>45 japaul22: oh gee I really wanted to read that! I did find another bio Mrs Delany: a life tho apparently there was abundance of text, and not so many images. Maybe someone can write one that really reaches her artistic talent and her life

>46 cindydavid4: It’s a pretty book and most of the info about Delany is interesting. But the author really overdoes it trying to make herself part of the book. It’s too bad.

>45 japaul22: The only book of this type that has worked for me is My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead. It probably worked because it starts out as Mead's memoir, with Middlemarch strategically inserted, so you knew from the beginning Mead's journey was the main focus, with life lessons from Eliot & her novel.

I've read a couple others of this type and they haven't worked and consequently I can't remember them at all!

David Grann inserted himself into the end of Killers of the Flower Moon as an amateur detective, and I didn't care for it at all. I guess I prefer my history straight up, no chaser.

That's such a shame about the Mary Delany biography. I'll definitely be looking for a different book about her anyway, because she sounds fascinating and the art is beautiful.

>48 kac522: I also liked My Life in Middlemarch, but, like you said, I understood from the start that it was predominantly a memoir and sort of organized around Middlemarch. I really liked it.

>49 labfs39: Yes, I didn't like that end section of Killers of the Flower Moon. I guess authors try to make the story more relatable by giving a personal touch? But to me it often reads as narcissism.

>50 mabith: It's such a pretty book that I might keep it, even though I'd normally donate a book I don't like to our library sale. But the art work is reprinted very nicely and it's a nicely bound paperback. It's really disappointing that I found it so annoying!

Maybe, if you know going in what to expect, others won't have as much of a problem with the author's tactic?

>45 japaul22: Too bad that one didn't work, Jennifer. It sounds like it had so much potential. But I would have been annoyed by the author's self-insertion too.

#45 The Belton Estate by Anthony Trollope

One of Trollope's lesser-known novels, The Belton Estate follows a typical Victorian plot line. Clara Amedroz is a young woman whose family estate is entailed away from her, leaving her penniless. She has two love interests, and of course she makes the initial wrong choice. There is an overbearing mother-in-law, a mysterious neighbor with a troubled past, and several misunderstandings due to poor communication/pride.

While I always enjoy reading Trollope, this book was a bit to simple and single-focused for me. I think Clara's story would have been more enjoyable if there was at least another subplot or two to break it up. As I've said with so many of these lesser-known Trollope novels, if you're new to Trollope, I recommend starting with the Barsetshire or Palliser series rather than these more obscure novels, that are obscure for a reason!

Original publication date: 1865
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 390 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased used paperback
Why I read this: bought this for a group read that I never got to, so I thought it was time

>53 japaul22: I have yet to read any book by Trollope and will follow your recommendation when I do! :)

>45 japaul22: This has been on my TBR pile forever it seems. I keep looking at it, but it always feels like the wrong book, wrong time.
It is awful when the author inserts herself into another person's life gratuitously. I recently read The World According to Joan Didion, wherein the author keeps trying to draw parallels with herself. There was only one Joan Didion - period, full stop!

#46 What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
Laura Lippman has written a lot of mystery/suspense novels set in Baltimore. While I don't live in Baltimore, I'm close enough and have visited there enough that I appreciate the insider vibe she has while writing about that city. I've read a few of her books now, and have found them hit or miss, but I liked this one.

The story centers around a young woman who turns up in Baltimore claiming to be Heather Bethany, one of two teenage sisters who disappeared from a local mall in the 1970s. Her story doesn't quite add up, but she knows details that only Heather Bethany could know. Lippman slowly reveals the story of what happened to the sisters, dropping some confusing hints along the way.

The timeline jumps all over the place, which I thought was sort of annoying and a way to make the plot seem more complicated than it was. But the story was decent and I was always willing to pick this up - read it in a couple days.

Original publication date: 2007
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 384 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased used paperback at a library sale
Why I read this: local author

>56 japaul22: I don't read many suspence novels but this one seems interesting.

>57 chlorine: It was entertaining enough! I wouldn't run out to buy it or anything, but if you come across it, it was fun.

>55 SassyLassy: I'd be curious to see what you think of The Paper Garden if you read it. Maybe knowing ahead of time that it's one of those where the author is part of the book makes it easier to accept.

Lippman is a bit hit or miss for me, too, but I think she's one of the better writers in the genre.

I have WtDK on my Kindle...

#47 Clear by Carys Davies

This brief novel captures a moment in time in 19th century Scotland when the church is splitting in an argument over power and wealth, and when landowners are forcibly removing the poor from their lands to create room for crops and livestock. John Ferguson is a pastor in the new Scottish church. So he has split from the old church in support of the poor. But he and his new wife, Mary, are without any means to live, so he takes a job to remove a last remaining man from a remote island - talk about a conflict of interest! When John gets to the island, he injures himself and Ivar rescues him. The two slowly create a relationship, learning each other's language.

There are things I loved about this book - the remote setting, the exploration of language, John's competing interests of his ethics vs. money/survival. I liked that the short length meant that every word counted and there were a lot of themes and ideas that weren't explicitly explored but were there to think about. But there were a few things I wish were done differently. I was a little uncomfortable with the portrayal of Ivar. I really felt like Davies (probably unintentionally) made him seem "less than" John. His interior life seemed small and he's barely surviving on his island. I also would have liked a little more detail about Ivar's reaction to finally discovering he had to leave the island. I think both John and Ivar's feelings and reactions were kept a bit out of view from the reader. In some ways I liked that distance, but in other ways it bothered me and I wanted more.

Overall, a good book about a fascinating moment in history, and I'd like to read more by Carys Davies.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: British (Wales)
Original language: English
Length: 208 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: lots of LT love and sounded like a book I'd enjoy

>60 japaul22: Great review, Jennifer. Your comments on Ivar are interesting; something I didn't fully notice at the time but makes a lot of sense in hindsight.

>60 japaul22: Enticing review Jennifer. It reminds me a bit of An Island, but perhaps only because of the two men on the island, one being an intruder.

>61 lauralkeet: I couldn't decide if I was being over-sensitive about Ivar, but there was something that just rubbed me the wrong way.

>62 kjuliff: There were vague similarities in some aspect or another with An Island, Haven, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, and I'm sure others. But this is definitely its own book.

>63 japaul22: Thanks. I have put it on my list

#48 Bear by Julia Phillips

This was good. I think really good.

Sam and Elena are young adult sisters caring for their dying mother on a small island off the coast of Washington state. They are struggling to make ends meet and falling deeper and deeper into debt. But they have a strong family relationship and are each others' greatest support.

And then a grizzly bear arrives on their island and seems to be drawn to them. Elena is enamored. Sam is terrified. Somehow the arrival of this bear starts to make things unravel. Maybe the sisters' relationship isn't as strong as they think. The book is told from Sam's point of view, and maybe she's been reading things differently than her older sister all along.

Part fairy tale and part grim reality of living in America through a pandemic, with expensive medical issues, and without generational money - this is an impressive and engaging novel. I wasn't totally convinced by Phillips's first novel, Disappearing Earth, but I knew that I liked her writing enough to read whatever she put out next. I'm so glad I did.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 286 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased brand new hardback
Why I read this: interested in the author and intrigued by the book description

>65 japaul22: This sounds interesting! There's a secondhand bookshop near my house that has several copies of Bear, and I've been eyeing them. I think I will pick it up and give a shot.

#49 The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
This was just what I expected it to be. Historical fiction that is easy to read with characters you care about, a straight ahead plot that pulls you along, and a few interesting historical details.

The setting is 19th century Australia, Tasmania actually, when convicts from England are being sent there to serve their sentences. The focus is on female prisoners. Evangeline has been accused of stealing a ring that the son of her wealthy employer gave to her. She is also pregnant with his child. But, he turns a blind eye to the situation, and off to Australia she goes. The story of what happens to her, her child, and a few friends she makes along the way makes the story. There is also a second storyline of a young native girl who is adopted as a curiosity by a wealthy, white couple. The two stories intertwine a bit by the end, but the author sort of misses the mark on trying to connect these two, in my opinion.

I enjoyed this but it wasn't anything special.

Original publication date: 2020
Author’s nationality: Born in England, raised in the U.S., lives in the U.S.
Original language: English
Length: 370 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library sale paperback
Why I read this: I've heard good things about the author and thought the plot sounded fun

>67 japaul22: I've read a couple of Baker Kline's novels; my favorite was Orphan Train, which I read for a meetup group several years ago when we lived in Durham.

>56 japaul22: As someone else said, I have found Laura Lippman kind of hit-or-miss. I think my favorite of hers was Charm City, but it's been a long time. I met her at Malice a few years ago and found her quite personable.

>68 Jim53: I've heard others say Orphan Train was good. I'll keep it in mind!
I will also keep an eye out for Charm City - thanks for the tips!

>65 japaul22: Bear seems really interesting!

West is also wonderful. Davies is good with short novels.

>71 BLBera: Oh, that does sound good!

#50 Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

I was really unimpressed by Erik Larson's nonfiction account of the attack on Fort Sumter that began the Civil War. It seemed that it would be interesting. I'm definitely intrigued by the time period and Larson focused on a diverse group of people to try to bring the time period to life. He draws from the experiences of Abraham Lincoln, Mary Chestnut (a Confederate diarist), Major Robert Anderson (the commanding officer at Fort Sumter), and Edmund Ruffin (a secessionist actively trying to make sure the south secedes from the union). Larson focuses on South Carolina, as the heart of the South, the location of Fort Sumter, and the first state to secede.

Interesting time period, great historical characters, a varied look at the competing opinions and forces of the time - so what went wrong?
To me, Larson flits around too much. He writes very short chapters (even as short as a page) and skips around from person to person. He loses momentum and focus. And no one persons' experience or contributions are fully fleshed out. There's no depth or continuity. Several of the people he talked about in detail at the beginning are nowhere to be found be the end of the book. I just didn't get any sort of narrative arc or propulsion to the start of the Civil War.

I'd give this a pass if you were considering it.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 565 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: interested in the time period and hadn't read anything by this popular nonfiction author yet

>73 japaul22: I've only read one book by Larson (Dead Wake) about the sinking of the Lusitania, and it was only OK for me. It focused on 1) the wealthy passengers (because they were the ones who left first-person accounts--I guess the steerage people didn't count) and 2) President Wilson's affair with Edith Galt, which seemed completely meaningless to the disaster.

Did Demon of Unrest have any photographs, maps, diagrams or any other non-text illustrations? I remember going to a talk of his, where he said he leaves all of these things out of his books because he wants the reader to depend on his text to build images in his/her mind. I think this is a huge mistake; it's almost as if he wants to tell _his_ narrowly focused story, not a complete narrative of events.

I refuse to read The Devil in White City, partially for this reason and partially because it's been said to be so gruesome.

>74 kac522: That's interesting about Dead Wake, especially the story about Wilson's affair not having anything to do with the disaster. I felt like all of Demon of Unrest was like that. Just these little stories about the people involved that never ended up being connected in any meaningful way or tying to the story of Fort Sumter.
He did not include photos, maps, etc. except for one map of Charleston harbor at the beginning of the book. I agree that I would prefer to have more of that. These are, after all, real people and real events, not a work of fiction.

>75 japaul22: Larson focused on Wilson because there are letters from this period describing his relationship with Edith. Larson attempts to make a case that Wilson was "distracted" by this affair, so that he made poor strategic decisions which in turn affected the ship's fate. I didn't buy his theory. I just felt he wanted to use the letters to pad the book.

I've always been a bit baffled by Erik Larson's popularity, so I'm glad to see some pushback on it. His combining of two or more stories in one book usually doesn't add anything to either story in the ones I've read and often just feels like a gimmick he felt he had to continue. I have a feeling it's just that Devil in the White City came out right when popular history writing was becoming more widespread and true crime was also gathering a wider readership than previously. That was popular so he stuck with the formula.

>76 kac522: A lot of "padding" in Demon of Unrest as well. So much, in fact, that I completely lost interest in what actually happened at Fort Sumter.

>77 mabith: Glad to know you weren't an Erik Larson fan either. I just recently picked up Devil in the White City from a library sale, but I think I'll just donate it back without reading (it was only $1)

#51 Three Sisters by Bi Feiyu

I picked this Chinese novel up on a whim at a library sale and I'm glad I did. Three Sisters takes place during the 1970s Cultural Revolution in China. The book is divided into three parts, each highlighting one of the sisters. Their family is made up of a father who is a mid-ranking government official, their mother, and 8 siblings - 7 girls and finally 1 boy. Yumi, the oldest sister, gets the focus first. She is driven and focused and determined to make a good marriage, despite her father's sexual escapades, which end up losing him his government position. The next section is about Yuxiu, the third sister, who is more flighty, more flirty, and looks to her older sister to help her make her way in the world. Yuyang is the smartest sister and goes off to school. There she finds that school is just as corrupt as the government and her home community.

The politics and ideology of the Cultural Revolution are present behind all of the sisters' stories, but they pleasingly form a backdrop rather than overriding the girls' personal stories. I was very invested in the first two sections. Yumi and Yuxiu's lives connect and also form contrasting experiences. Yuyang's story was less impactful to me. Though I appreciate the way the author sets up the school setting in contrast to the community/town setting, the section felt like it didn't connect well to the first two sections.

I found the ending unsatisfying and hoped that things would be tied up a little better, but even with an unsatisfying ending, I did enjoy this book quite a bit and would recommend it if you are interested in contemporary Chinese literature.

Original publication date: 2010
Author’s nationality: Chinese
Original language: Chinese, translated by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-Chun Lin
Length: 279 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: hardback, library book sale
Why I read this: picked it up on a whim

I have been enjoying the NYT list of the top 100 books published in English since 2000. It's very flawed, but I always love anything that sparks discussion about books. When I joined LT way back in 2009, one of my stated goals was to learn more about contemporary fiction and try to find some that appealed to me. At the time I was reading exclusively classics (and really only American and Western European classics) and had no idea there was really excellent literature being written right now. So the beautiful thing about looking through this list is realizing how many fantastic books have been written already, only 24 years into this century. And thinking about all the wonderful books that weren't included on this list. Thanks to all my LT friends who have steered me towards all the wonderful books being written today.

I’ve read 41 books on the list ...
My Brilliant Friend ● The Warmth of Other Suns ● Wolf Hall ● The Known World ● The Corrections ● The Underground Railroad ● Never Let Me Go ● Gilead ● The Road ● Outline ● Pachinko ● Lincoln in the Bardo ● Evicted ● Behind the Beautiful Forevers ● The Overstory ● Atonement ● Americanah ● Cloud Atlas ● Sing, Unburied, Sing ● White Teeth ● Between the World and Me ● Small Things Like These ● A Mercy ● The Vegetarian ● Life After Life ● Middlesex ● Demon Copperhead ● The Great Believers ● The New Jim Crow ● The Copenhagen Trilogy ● Olive Kitteridge ● Exit West ● Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow ● An American Marriage ● Frederick Douglass ● Detransition, Baby ● The Sympathizer ● Station Eleven ● On Beauty ● Bring Up the Bodies ● Bel Canto

I submitted the following "top ten" list to the NYT "readers' poll".

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
North Woods by Daniel Mason
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
John Adams by David McCullough
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguru
Circe by Madeline Miller

It's interesting with that 21st century list what has dropped off which I'm sure would have been on there ten years ago (The Botany of Desire and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell not being there struck me particularly).

>81 japaul22: I haven’t read a single book in this list, but most of them are on my wishlist. Which probably means I will never read them 🙄

>82 mabith: I did wonder about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, but then when I tried to build my own list it didn’t make it. On the other hand the much more recent Piranesi is now in it, and in retrospect I am surprised it didn’t make the NYT list.

#52 We Die Alone by David Howarth
This is the tale of Jan Baalsrud's escape from German-occupied Norway during WWII. He arrived in Norway from England with a small mission trying to attack a German airbase in the north of Norway. Unfortunately, as soon as they get to Norway things begin to go wrong. He ends up alone, trying to get across the harsh landscape to the safety of Sweden with no supplies and with the Germans actively looking for him. Many Norwegians help him along the way, but his challenges out in the element are practically unbelievable - frostbite, avalanches, being buried in the snow, etc.

It's a gripping story, but somehow I didn't really find it all that interesting. It's a good story of perseverance and grit, and I liked hearing about the help he got along the way, but I think something about the tone the book is written with sort of lost me. Hard to put my finger on, but considering the details, I think I should have found the book more gripping than I did.

Original publication date: 1954
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 231 pages
Rating: 2.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: LT reviews intrigued me and we're about to travel to Norway

I enjoyed We Die Alone . There were some chunks in the middle that were a bit repetitive and verged on the unbelievable, but on the whole I thought it was a good read. I liked it more than you did Jennifer; I enjoyed finding out about wartime Norway. I know little of Scandinavia as I avoid those Scandinavian noir mystery novels.

I do agree with you about it not being gripping. It started off being so, but as the MC survives so many seemingly unsurvivable events from the beginning, it came to be expected that he’d pull through.

>85 kjuliff: I think you and Lisa both enjoyed We Die Alone more than I did. I don't know why it didn't work for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.

>86 japaul22: Ah well, we can't all like the same books. I read it for the history rather than for the adventure/survival aspect, so I went into it with different expectations perhaps. For your sake at least it was short. :D

#53 Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

My second book by Wallace Stegner (the first was Angle of Repose) has convinced me that Stegner is an excellent writer. In Crossing to Safety, Stegner confidently portrays the friendship of two couples who meet as they are just starting out in the 1930s and continues through the next 35 years of friendship. Larry and Sally, Sid and Charity meet in Madison, Wisconsin as the Depression is in full swing. Larry and Sid are both trying to carve a place in academia as English professors and writers. The difference is that Sid is incredibly wealthy through inherited money and Larry and Sally are living on a shoestring budget, not knowing where next month's rent is coming from. Sid and Charity, in essence, adopt the couple, demanding that they let them help monetarily because they need and want them as friends. But, though Sid and Charity have the money, it is quickly clear that Larry has the literary talent, though it will take time for him to make a living from it. Almost 40 years after they meet, Charity's deteriorating health precipitates a return of both couples to a summer home that they all stayed in for an extended period of time at the beginning of their friendship, and this prompts Larry to tell the story of the couples' friendship.

The real heart of the book is the women. Charity is the driving force behind everything that happens in this book. She always has a plan, whether it's for the activities of the day or the long-term plans for each couple. Her ideas come from a place of love but become more and more rigid and controlling as the book progresses. Sally is a quiet, steadying force in the book as she works her life around a fight with polio and losing the use of her legs. As Charity gets sicker and sicker, her need for control might ruin the relationships she's worked so hard to develop.

I thought this story was skillfully told and gave me a lot to think about. Because I didn't love any of the characters, I won't end up ranking it as a favorite, but I recognize it's excellence nonetheless.

Original publication date: 1987
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 335 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library sale find
Why I read this: loved the author's book Angle of Repose and wanted to read more

I've been quiet because we just returned from a 13 day family trip to Norway! It was absolutely fantastic. My family of four (husband and 14 and 11 year old boys) and my mom and sister went together. My mom still keeps in touch with some of our family that lives in Skien, Norway, on the east coast a couple hours south of Oslo. We flew into Oslo and spent a few days there. Then to Skien, but we really went to our family's summer home on the southern coast. It was fabulous!!! Beautiful home right on the water with fabulous views. They took us out on their boat, made us fantastic home cooked food, and we swam in the fjord/North Sea. We met about 30 family members over the 3.5 days, from age 5-75. It was just lovely. Then we took the scenic train ride across the country to Bergen and also went up to Balestrand on the Sognefjord and saw a glacier.

I didn't do a ton of book shopping, though I ducked in every bookstore I saw. It was really interesting to see the translated titles of books I've read. I only bought two books. At the Fram museum in Oslo, I bought Nansen: The Explorer as Hero by Roland Huntford because I loved his book about Amundsen. And in the airport at Reykjavik airport (we had a layover), I bought Quake by Auour Jonsdattir. They had a lovely section of Icelandic authors translated into English and this was one I hadn't heard of. I read the first half on the plane and totally love it.

I will update the reviews of books I've finished over today and tomorrow.

>89 japaul22: What a wonderful trip, Jennifer! I would love to see photos, hint, hint. My sister offered a trip to a destination of their choice to each of her two boys when they graduated high school. The older of the two chose Switzerland, and they had a fabulous time. The younger chose Norway, but he graduated during Covid, and they didn't get to go. Everyone was disappointed, but hopefully they will reschedule as some point. It must have been even better (and more affordable) when you have family there.

>89 japaul22: I’m jealous. I’ve always wanted to go there so jealous. And seeing a glacier! Wonderful. Good to have you back Jennifer, and I second Lisa about the photos.

>92 japaul22: is us at Vigeland Park, the view from the cottage we stayed in with family in southern Norway - near Kragero, and my kids playing badminton at the summer cottage.

>93 japaul22: is a sunset view at the summer cottage, the Jostedalsbreen glacier on the Sognefjord, and all of us overlooking Bergen's harbor

Uploading pictures to LT is still so clunky . . .

Thanks for sharing the photos! Looks and sounds like a wonderful trip.

Your holiday sounds and looks fantastic.

>93 japaul22: Thank you for these beautiful photos.

Lovely scenery, lovely family! I know the process is clunky, thank you for taking the time.

What a great trip and one your boys will always remember. Treasure this year as it is the last one you will be taller than one of your sons.

Thanks for looking at my pictures, everyone! It was such a special trip. And yes, Kay, Isaac will definitely surpass me in height this year!

What a fantastic trip! Thanks so much for posting photos. Nice to see your smiling face, too.

What a wonderful trip! Great photos--thanks for sharing.

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip! Great pictures.

#54 The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

I liked this suspense novel focused on four women living in a gentrifying neighborhood. Whitney has the high-powered job, gorgeous body, and is a mother of three. But motherhood doesn't exactly agree with her. Blair is the ultimate stay-at-home-mom of one daughter who has dedicated her life to her daughter and is constantly worried that her husband is cheating on her. Rebecca is a gifted ER doctor who has had five miscarriages and is mourning her inability to have a biological child. And Mara is an older woman with her own struggles with motherhood after her only son, who was neurodivergent, died young.

Amongst all of this, Whitney's son falls out of his 3 story bedroom window and his life is in jeopardy as they all wait to see what happens during his hospitalization. Many secrets come to light and what everyone has been feeling and doing underneath the glittering surface of their lives is finally revealed.

I've liked both of Audrain's books and will keep reading them for a diversion.

Original publication date: 2023
Author’s nationality: Canadian
Original language: English
Length: 336 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: wanted something easy to read on vacation and liked her first book, The Push

Great holiday photos, Jennifer!

#55 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

This historical fiction novel is based loosely on the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife in colonial Maine in the late 1700s. I know of Martha Ballard because she kept a daily diary and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich wrote a fabulous nonfiction account of her life and the life of her community by drawing out info from the terse but complete diary.

In The Frozen River, Lawhon takes a lot of liberties, basing the story partially around Martha's diary, partially around research of the general time and area, and then filling in the gaps. The picture she creates of Martha Ballard clashed with what I had in my head, but I was able to suspend that and enjoy the book for what it was. I think a lot of it was very good. I was a bit put off by the violence, though, as the book centers around the rape of a woman in the town by two men, one of whom is very powerful. It's very possible the real life events were even more violent than Lawhon depicts them, but nevertheless I had a hard time stomaching it and also some of the retaliatory violence. Maybe I'm overstating that and it wouldn't bother most. It's definitely part of the story and not gratuitous, but it did bother me.

Anyway, I'm not sure about recommending this. I recommend Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's nonfiction to everyone - A Midwife's Tale (please read it, it's brilliant!), but I'm afraid real fans of that book won't like this take on Ballard's life, and people unfamiliar with her just might not really care to read historical fiction about her.

Original publication date: 2023
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 432 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: love the nonfiction book it's largely based on

>102 lauralkeet: >103 kac522: >104 rv1988: >106 kidzdoc: Thanks for looking at my pictures! It was such a memorable trip.

And that last review gets me up to date with my July reading. I expect to finish my first August book in a day or so.

Oh wow - such lovely holiday pics. Sounds like a wonderful adventure that will stay in the family memory banks.

>107 japaul22: My book club had chosen this, but then decided not to read it when interlibrary loan within the state of Maine was suspended. I have, but have not read, A Midwife's Tale, although the book club read it years before I joined. It might lead to an interesting discussion, as most people would have read both.

>110 labfs39: It would definitely be good discussion for those who've read both. And interesting to see how people reacted differently if they hadn't read the nonfiction first.

Putting in another plug to get to A Midwife's Tale sooner rather than later! It's one of the rare nonfiction books that I loved so much I read it twice!

>111 japaul22: Totally agree about A Midwife's Tale! It gives such a down-to-earth portrayal of women's daily lives in early America. Based on your review, I think I'll give The Frozen River a pass, though.

I have a hard time with people messing with my idea of characters! I'm currently reading The Murder of Mr Wickham by Claudia Gray--well-written, but her vision of Austen's characters don't always mesh with my own, and unfortunately, it's annoying me. I wish I could suspend my own idea of the characters, but it's so hard.

>112 kac522: Austen spinoffs are hard for me, too. I keep trying though!
Glad you loved A Midwife's Tale also. I think Cariola recently read The Frozen River and liked it more than I did, so you might want to look for her review before deciding to pass on it.

#56 Quake by Auður Jónsdóttir translated by Meg Matich

I picked up this slim novel in the airport in Reykjavik in a section dedicated to English translations of Icelandic authors. This was one of the few books I hadn't heard of and it was a woman author - how could I pass it up?

The novel centers around a young mother, Saga, who is epileptic and, after a decade of having no seizures, has several large seizures and some small ones over a course of just a few days. It affects her ability to care for her 3 year old son, Ivar, especially since she is recently divorced and on her own. The seizures have affected her memory and as things begin to come back to her, both her childhood and the past few days of her life reveal a lot about her and her family. She also spends time with her older sister, Johanna, who helps keep an eye on her as she recovers. They rehash a lot of their childhood, including their parents' troubled relationship and the death of their baby sister when they were young.

I thought this book was fantastic. It realistically looks at family relationships in a brief amount of words. I was immediately drawn in to Saga's life.

I think the translation was very good. Instead of doing a word for word translation, Matich works to keep the tone and intent of the original in the way it would work in English. The translator's note makes it clear that the author encouraged this and gave Matich a lot of leeway. I think I prefer this to a more literal, word-for-word translation. As a reader of a translated novel, you never can really know how faithful it is to the original, but you can tell how you connect to a book. I connected to this one and the English never felt clunky or contrived. I liked that the translator kept some Icelandic words as well (with a glossary in the back).

Highly recommended - especially since it's Women in Translation month!

Original publication date: 2015, 2022 translation
Author’s nationality: Icelandic
Original language: Icelandic
Length: 295 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: paperback in Iceland's airport bookstore
Why I read this: on a whim while traveling

>114 japaul22: Ouch, book bullet!

Coming in late but in admiration of your Norway photos. Like everyone else, I'm really glad you had such a great family adventure there. I've always wanted to see the country. The closest I've come was a vacation my wife and I took in Finland about 10 years back. That was fun, too. Also, thanks as always for the intriguing reviews. Cheers!

>115 labfs39: I think you'd like it!

>116 rocketjk: Thanks! It was such a great trip - I highly recommend visiting Norway. Beautiful country.

#57 We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen

This epic, multigenerational novel is about the Danish seaside town of Marstal and spans a century of adventure. The men of Marstal are sailors and as such, many of them drown or disappear. The women of Marstal are left behind to live their lives the best they can in the absence of men. Taking place from the 1840s through WWII, there is a war for each generation. In between there are many seafaring adventures, some love, and some murders.

It's written masterfully - Jensen keeps track of a huge cast of characters and gives them all an individual personality. Lives connect in sometimes unexpected ways and the generations do as well. There's also a really clever use of "we" as narrator - the people of the town, telling their own story in the plural.

But somehow, I was still bored for large chunks of this. I loved the beginning and I was moved by the very end. But there were a couple hundred pages in the middle where I felt the book really dragged. I wasn't that interested in the characters and the situations weren't enough to keep my interest.

I think this is a great book, I just think it wasn't quite for me. I appreciated things about it, but couldn't help wishing it would end. I think it's a book that most people should give a try, but I am evidence that even a good book doesn't work for every reader.

Original publication date: 2006
Author’s nationality: Danish
Original language: Danish, translated by Charlotte Barslund
Length: 678 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased kindle edition
Why I read this: sounded like something I would like

>118 japaul22: Sorry it didn't work for you. Was it possibly just a case of wrong time (I hope), or just didn't work.
You're right though - even a good book doesn't work for every reader.

>119 SassyLassy: Maybe the wrong time? But I also was so grabbed by the first story with Laurids and Albert, and I never bought in to Knud Erik once he grew up. It seemed like one of those cases where the first part was so good I wasn't ready to be drawn into a new story or time period. I'm not sure that would change for me.

#58 Baba Dunja's Last Love by Alina Bronsky

I loved this short book about Baba Dunja, who, at the end of her life, decides to move back to her hometown of Tschernowo. Yes, this is Chernobyl, or just outside it, where the nuclear reactor went off years back and required everyone who survived to flee. But Baba Dunja is nearing the end of her life anyway, and she just wants to live simply, tending her garden and enjoying a quiet end to life. There are a few other people who join her there, all older people who aren't afraid of the radiation that is certainly still present. Of course, the real world ends up intruding, but Baba Dunja remains herself and the book ends the way it should.

I loved this - short and focused, charming and with plenty of depth.

Original publication date: 2015
Author’s nationality: Russian-born German
Original language: German, translated to English by Tim Mohr
Length: 192 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased kindle edition
Why I read this: rec from Lisa that seemed like something I'd enjoy in the right mood

>121 japaul22: Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

>122 labfs39: It was so good, and now I want to read more of her books!

>121 japaul22: Great to read this review. I've had Baba Dunja on my TBR (or rather To Be Bought) pile for ages. I must nudge it up.

>121 japaul22: - Nice review, Jennifer. I have two of Bronsky's books on my shelves but haven't read anything by her - yet.

>123 japaul22: I also really enjoyed My Grandmother's Braid, but found Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine disturbing, even repellant, and yet still interesting. I would pick up anything she writes and always keep my eyes open for her books.

>124 AlisonY: >125 katiekrug: I think you'd both like this one, but it's a little bit of a hard one to judge. Wait for a time when you're in the mood for something short, humorous/charming/tongue-in-cheek, and engaging.

>126 labfs39: I will keep that in mind about her other books!

>121 japaul22: Great book, and your advice on timing (>127 japaul22:) is spot on.

#59 Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

A reread of a favorite, this time on audiobook. The reader, Linda Stephens, does a remarkable job. I liked her Rhett Butler even better than Clark Gable's.

I hope you all know me well enough to know I do not believe this glorified version of the "old south". But I can't help loving the book - the characters are too maddeningly real to me for me to disown them.

Once again, rereading a book through audio format worked amazingly well and revealed new things in a book I've read many times.

Original publication date: 1936
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 49 hours 2 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: audible purchase back when I had a subscription
Why I read this: an old favorite and something that I started when I was having a stretch of nights when I couldn't sleep

>129 japaul22: I first read this when I was twelve and it holds a special place in my memories, even if I'm not sure I'll read it again (not wanting to spoil the pleasant memory of the experience). Did you know that Doc Holliday was Margaret Mitchell's cousin by marriage? I learned that little tidbit from Mary Doria Russell's historical novel Doc.

>129 japaul22: Yes it’s like that Levon Helm and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". There’s a charm that you don’t want to be part of …

>129 japaul22: I'm another who has this in her list of all time favourites. I can't imagine a better Rhett Butler than Clark Gable though (okay, maybe Sean Connery could have done it).

>130 labfs39: Interesting tidbit, and a reminder that Doc is on one of my closer TBR piles.

>132 SassyLassy: I think it's mainly that in the book, Rhett Butler's character is much more developed. And I just love the voice/accent the reader used for him. It's always bothered me that Clark Gable did not bother to have any sort of southern accent. But he is the perfect fit in terms of look and demeanor.

>130 labfs39: I didn't know Doc Holliday was related to Margaret Mitchell (through marriage). I've meant to read Doc since it came out and haven't gotten to it yet.

>132 SassyLassy: Cary Grant would have been a fun Rhett.

First day of school for my kids! William is starting 9th grade at our local high school. I cannot believe that - time goes so fast! Isaac is in 6th grade which will be his last year at our local elementary school.

>132 SassyLassy: & >134 kjuliff: I would love to see Gone With the Wind with Lee Marvin as Brett Butler. This reminds me that in one of Mark Leyner's early short stories you could buy some sort of software that would allow you to see any movie you wanted with Arnold Schwarzenneger in the lead role.

>129 japaul22: That was one of my favorite books as a teenager. I did visit the house used as her inspiration for Tara and it is much smaller than you would think. Also, women collected their hair back then and the house featured a display of very interesting objects made out of that hair that I would never want to have in my house.

>137 RidgewayGirl: Oh, I've heard of that Victorian obsession with collecting hair and making things out of it!! I think of it as a British thing but am not surprised to hear it caught on here too. Ew.

>134 kjuliff: Rhett Butler definitely strikes me as having more edge than Cary Grant could give. Maybe Grant could have played Ashley Wilkes?

>139 SassyLassy: Naw. He’s far to debonair.

#60 Possession by A.S. Byatt
Ah, what a book. Possession is a masterclass in writing. Inventiveness, control, and heart. It's a literary mystery of what happened in the relationship between two fictional (but they seem so real) Victorian poets, Randolph Ash and Christabel LaMotte. Modern day (well, the 1980s), impoverished Ash scholar, Roland Michell finds a half-written letter in a shelved library book. It is from Ash to an unnamed woman and it is clear he was enamored of her. In trying to discover who this woman was, Roland turns to Christabel LaMotte scholar, Maud Bailey. Maud and Roland slowly develop their own relationship as they hunt for the answers to this hidden Victorian relationship. While they try to solve the mystery, they must hide the revelations from the half-dozen scholars who have a similar interest in Ash and LaMotte. All of the ridiculousness and competitiveness of literary scholarship is explored and gently made fun of.

This book takes some patience. This was a reread for me, and I think I had a very similar reading experience both times. The beginning of the book really sucks you in, and then there are about 100 pages in the middle where things are moving slowly, and some of the puzzles seem overdone, and I'm just sick of these people who live so far in the past and read 20th century ideas of feminism and sexuality into every word of Victorian poetry. But then the action picks up and a few extra characters enter the story and I'm sucked right back in. I think I read about 200 pages of this dense text today and I loved every minute of it. The ending is so satisfying.

Original publication date: 1990
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 555 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: reread because Dan's recent reading reminded me how much I loved it and wanted to get back to it

>141 japaul22: So glad but not surprised that you are enjoying this wonderful novel.

>141 japaul22: You and Dan are relentless in making me feel I need to read this book! Possession and A Fine Balance are the two books I currently feel most guilty about not reading.

>143 labfs39: I read A Fine Balance this year, finally, and loved it. If I had to guess, it will be more to your taste than Possession.

I really need to re-read Possession. I read it as a teenager and remember almost nothing about it, except for the pages of poetry...

>141 japaul22: - I think the size is what has kept me from reading this so far. Our vacation next month involves a 6 hour drive each way, so maybe that's a good time to fit it in.

Just catching up, and what a lot of good reading... a lot of books I have on my shelf or wish list and was wondering about. So: I'll pass on The Frozen River, but I've added A Midwife's Tale, which I didn't know about before (or passed by if I saw it, because "midwife" is one of those words in titles that I'm slightly biased against for no real reason—"bees" is another). Quake goes on the wish list, too, and Possession is already there, calling to me with its siren song.

And what fantastic trip photos, thank you! I love that there was such a strong family component.

>147 lisapeet: strangely I too am biased against “bees” in a title . As are any “The {insert person’s occupation}’s Daughter” titles.

>148 kjuliff: Or "The _____________ of Auschwitz".

>149 labfs39: Fantasy novels lately have seen a lot of "NOUN of NOUN and NOUN." Queen of Steel and Ravens, Maiden of Pumpkins and Roses, Servant of Cliffs and Pogo Sticks, Tyrant of Backgammon and Talcum Powder.

>149 labfs39: Ditto

>146 dudes22: Not sure it's a book for a drive. It's more like something you want to immerse yourself in completely.

>141 japaul22: It was a great book.

>143 labfs39: Agreeing with >144 japaul22: that you might prefer A Fine Balance between the two. However, I don't think they are so different, preference may be immaterial.

>152 SassyLassy: >146 dudes22: Yes no way is Possession suitable for a long drive. It needs one’s full concentation to be appreciated. DWR is not suitable for this book.

I'm catching up after some time away... wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing (and jumping through the LT hoops to do so). This recent discussion has me thinking about Possession again, and maybe A Fine Balance (the thickness has deterred me so far). I hope your boys have a wonderful year at school!

>150 KeithChaffee: Hah! While I share your aversion, I think a book titled "Tyrant of Backgammon and Talcum Powder" is something that actually might be interesting. We had the "Girl" mystery books for a while also: Girls on a train, in a window, behind the drapes, under the bed, in the linen cupboard, and so on.

>141 japaul22: So glad your re-read held up to the original reading experience. I read it in 1997, which seems like several life-times ago. My notes tell me I loved the ending and admired the way it was all put together. I've thought about re-reading it, but I've always been afraid it won't measure up to my younger self's reaction.

>148 kjuliff: ha same here; cant they think of a more interesting title?

>155 rv1988: Ha!

>150 KeithChaffee:, >155 rv1988: Ha! These made me laugh!

Love all the title discussions, everyone.

>145 katiekrug:, >156 kac522: I was worried about rereading this as well, and I'll say that I didn't love it as much as the first time. The first time I read it, it seemed completely unique and impressive. This time I felt certain parts were a little annoying and overly erudite at the expense of the heart of the story (though I think that's a huge part of Byatt's goal as well, to make fun of the literary scholarship of the day). Anyway, I'm glad I reread it, it was still a 5 star read for me, and I still consider it a favorite.

>154 Jim53: Thanks for checking in! Really do try A Fine Balance!! It's so good and it read quickly for such a long book.

#61 The Other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow

This was a lovely companion book to Pride and Prejudice all about Mary. It was nice to see the overlooked Bennett sister get to shine and come in to her own. Hadlow has a nice writing style that meshes with Austen's without feeling like a parody. She does lift some scenes and lines from other Austen novels and sticks very closely to the P&P feel.

I enjoyed it.

Original publication date: 2020
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 463 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: sucker for Austen retellings/companion novels

I went to my son's "back to school night" yesterday, which is an opportunity for parents to meet each teacher for a 10 minute talk about the class curriculum, grading, etc. Thought you'd all be interested to see his reading list for 9th grade Honors English. (freshmen have two options for English levels - general and honors) This is his first year at high school (age 14).

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

I like it! Comments?

>161 japaul22: Seems like a good variety. At this level though, I would also want something from another language and culture.

Will. Romeo and Juliet be the full version?

Congratulations on an honours student. Will you be reading along with him on any of these titles?

>162 SassyLassy: I believe they do world literature in subsequent years. I think they do all of Romeo and Juliet, but I’ll be surprised if they read the entire Odyssey! Curious to see.

Oooh I like that reading list! I wish I could remember what my two had to read that year, but I know it was a mix of classic and contemporary, similar to yours.

>161 japaul22: Although I have read and enjoyed all of those selections, like Sassy, I would like to see more diversity in high school required reading. Four out of five are dead white guys. At least there is one female author required. I did an analysis of the English honors curriculum in Florida's virtual school when my daughter graduated, and the lack of diversity was shocking (or maybe not, as it was Florida). You can see the results in my post from 2021.

>165 labfs39: I agree, but it's also only one year of their 4 years of English - I'll be curious to see what subsequent years bring. Also, this is the whole group reading. Their "choice books" can be almost anything and his teacher's classroom shelves were full of a diverse set of authors/titles.

My son's middle school reading the past two years (in the same district) was very diverse, with units on literature from the Middle East, Africa, and Black American authors.

I do 100% agree with you, though, that I hope (as I suspect does happen) that subsequent years bring study units and whole class books that are more diverse.

>166 japaul22: It sounds like your son went to a progressive middle school. Studying Middle Eastern and African literature in MS is fantastic. The books the class is reading this year are all good ones for discussion. I'm tempted to pick up the Wilson translation of The Odyssey myself. I've heard nothing but good things about it.

>166 japaul22: I'm not familiar with the US course curriculum, so didn't realize there are also "choice books". It'll be interesting to see what he picks!

>162 SassyLassy: In India at the same age, we had a Shakespeare play too (yay colonialism). My year did Julius Caesar, but I know previous years did A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest. I think it wasn't hard to get through the whole thing for my class, especially, because we had a great English teacher who did most of the teaching by having us read it aloud. It was easier than just reading it alone because it let us catch the rhythm, and of course she stopped to explain. I still have fragments of the play memorised because of the way we learned it. There are some really good BBC audio adaptations available online, which are good to listen to.

It's an interesting reading list, I hope that he will enjoy it!

we had a great English teacher who did most of the teaching by having us read it aloud.
What a good English teacher. The ones I had in high school did their best by taking us to productions and by putting on school plays, but I think had we all participated by reading Shakespeare aloud many more of us would have understood the plays.

#62 James by Percival Everett
Finally read my first novel by Percival Everett and now I see what all the fuss is about. James is a clever novel that deals with tough subjects with humor, while somehow still giving them the gravity they are due.

James is a retelling of Huck Finn from Jim's point of view. In my opinion, it's a much more enjoyable book than the original, which I read about a decade ago.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 304 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: lots of buzz

>171 japaul22: I just finished this today—really good writing.

>171 japaul22: I just finished rereading Huck after many years, in preparation for reading James. I found Huck to be a lot less enjoyable than I thought I remembered. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed James. I voted for it for our local book club because of all the positive attention it's gotten on LT.

#63 Nansen by Roland Huntford
I picked this biography up in the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway. I knew quite a bit already about Roald Amundsen, who was first to the South Pole, and had read and loved Roland Huntford's account of Amundsen's race to the South Pole. Nansen is a fascinating person, who did much more than explore the North polar region, and I really enjoyed this biography.

Nansen had a varied life. His career was actually as a scientist, and he began his research on sea creatures, discovering some of the first insights into the neuron system in the 1880s. While doing this research in Bergen, he honed his interest in skiing, which was just taking off in Norway. He was one of the first to ski across Norway and really helped to popularize skiing (both cross country and downhill) in Norway. His love of adventure and exploration led him to take a break from his scientific endeavors to set up a voyage to Greenland. He ended up being the first to ski across the interior of Greenland, and he proved that travel on skis and with sled dogs was the key to polar travel.

His next endeavor was an attempt to get to the North Pole. He sailed on the Fram, a boat specially developed to withstand the crushing polar ice. Though Nansen did not reach the North Pole, he got the farthest north of any recorded attempt, and everyone got back safely, including the Fram. The Fram had dropped off Nansen and one other man, Johansen, to travel to the North Pole while the Fram used a suspected current to drift them through the ice back to open water and to Norway.

After these adventures, it took Nansen a while to find a new path. He was already married, but the marriage was never easy. Nansen continued to travel, giving lectures about his explorations. He also returned to his scientific studies, focusing on ocean currents. His popularity led him to become a statesman. Norway was under Swedish rule and Nansen was pivotal in the peaceful separation of the countries. He also was pivotal in convincing Prince Edward of Denmark to accept the Norwegian throne (he changed his name to King Haakon). After WWI, Nansen continued his forays into international relations. He was heavily involved in the League of Nations. He also worked hard to help emigres from Russia, where the Communists were taking over. The refugees' status of being country-less led Nansen to suggest a passport not tied to a specific country. This is still called the Nansen passport. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for all of his work in these areas.

This is a long and detailed biography of an incredibly interesting person. I really enjoyed it. It was interesting because Nansen's life was very tied up in Norwegian history as well. Happy to have spent the time on this book.

Original publication date: 1997
Author’s nationality: ?? lived all over, "son of Lithuanian parents living in South Africa"
Original language: English
Length: 750 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased at the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway
Why I read this: interested in the person and polar exploration

>174 japaul22: That sounds very interesting, Jennifer, and I am complete ignorant of Nansen, despite his accomplishments. The book's size is a bit daunting, but I'll keep an eye out with the hopes of reading it "someday". That list is quite daunting in its own self.

>175 labfs39: This is one that might be a bit "niche". It is written in that slightly older style of nonfiction - feels a bit drier than our modern narrative nonfiction style. Obviously, I loved it, but I might not have loved it as much if I hadn't just traveled to Norway. How Nansen's life meshed with Norwegian history was really fascinating to me.

If I were going to recommend a Roland Huntford book, I'd pick The Last Place on Earth first, which is the story of Scott and Amundsen's race to the South Pole.

>176 japaul22: Noting. I checked my catalog, and I currently own three nonfiction works on polar exploration:

South : the last Antarctic Expedition of Shackleton and the Endurance by Shackleton
In the land of white death : an epic story of survival in the Siberian Arctic by Valerian Albanov
The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk and the Miraculous Rescue of her Survivors by Jennifer Niven

I also have The worst journey in the world on my wishlist, a recommendation from rebeccanyc.

Have you read and/or would recommend any of these?

I am pretty sure I read the Shackleton book and The Worst Journey in the World, but it must have been before I was doing LT reviews, and I don't remember them individually. I haven't read the other two.

>161 japaul22: While these are all good books, there isn't much diversity on the list. At least they included one woman.

I am another fan of Possession; I guess I'll have to add it to my reread pile. I've read it twice, once for book club, and my book club hated it. :( Oh well.

>179 BLBera: I'm not surprised the book club didn't love it. It's not one of my favorites that I think would work for the majority of people.

Yes, I have learned that my favorites aren't always successful at book club.

>181 BLBera: Yeah the last four of mine were voted down. not sure whats going on, but its making me very skittish about suggesting more

Re school reading, I always think it's a bit of a shame it's always Of Mice and Menon those lists. I adore Steinbeck, but I might not if I'd started with that one. It's so hard with high school and classics though.

#64 The Fortunes of the Rougons by Emile Zola

I am embarking on reading the whole Rougon-Macquart cycle written by Emile Zola. I have absolutely loved several of the books that occur later in the cycle, and I decided to join in on a group read to read them in order.

The Fortunes of the Rougons is the first book in the cycle, and it sets up the family origins that will be explored throughout the subsequent novels. Adelaide is the matriarch and she has children with two different husbands. These children and their children will form the basis of exploration. It was really interesting to read about this, already having a little glimpse into future characters through my Zola reading. Also in this book, Zola sets up the politics of the Second Empire and has his characters either supporting Louis-Phillipe's regime or as Republicans hoping for a more democratic France. I had to do a refresher on French politics of the time period and I'm still not sure I have it really sorted out, but I think it will continue to clarify as I read more.

Also in this story is the love story of the very young Silvere and Miette. Their story was the most engaging part of the book for me, but it was odd to have years of their relationship encapsulated within the short days of the revolution in their hometown of Plassans. At first I was confused about what was happening with the timeline.

This book is not Zola's best, but it's important as set up for what will happen later on. And, still present is his striking imagery. I loved the description of the enormous cloaks the women would wear as the walked with their lovers, enveloping both. And no one does a death scene like Zola. :-)

If you want a taste of Zola, don't start here, but if you already love his writing, you'll enjoy this.

Original publication date: 1871
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French
Length: 348 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased kindle edition (oxford press with the good notes)
Why I read this: reading the cycle

#65 Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

The "sequel" to Gone With the Wind often gets a bad rap. And, really, how do you follow that ending of GWTW? I read this when it came out in the 90s but didn't remember much of it and remember thinking it was very sub-par. But, actually, I kind of liked it this time around.

Scarlett and Rhett are apart for most of the book and it's really all about Scarlett finally growing up and getting over her damage from the war years. Most of the book is set in Ireland. It definitely drags in some places and once you get what direction Ripley is going to go, it's all fairly predictable. But I kind of liked that it was predictable - it felt like something I could have dreamed up happening. I think the first half is less good, which probably means the first time around I started skimming and didn't really read the second half, which gets better. Or maybe it just takes that long, as a reader, to forget Margaret Mitchell's style and go with Ripley's. I wish Ripley had dragged out the ending a little longer than she did. It was a bummer to wait for Scarlett and Rhett to finally get reunited and then have them only be together for a few pages before the book ends. I get why she didn't want to explore that too much, but as a reader, I wanted to see them together for a longer portion of the book after waiting so long for it!

Anyway, I had a good time spending more time with these characters. I listened to this on audio, because I wasn't willing to spend my reading time on it (I only listen to audiobooks when there's no way I could be reading in print - like when I'm driving or out for a walk, or folding clothes, etc.). It was an entertaining way to spend my time and I never zoned out like I do with lots of audiobooks. Apparently there's a "Rhett story" by a different author, so maybe I'll give that a try on audiobook as well.

Original publication date: 1991
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 36h 47m
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: audible book narrated by Linda Stephens
Why I read this: curiosity

#66 The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

I have a lot of friends at work and at LT who have raved about this book but I found it only ok. The main character, Rachel, is a millenial trying to make her way in Ireland in the early 2000s, when the economy is bad and there are no jobs to be had for a recently graduated English major. She has best friend, James, who is her roommate and is gay. He has an affair with one of her professors and it ends up creating the circumstances for the titular "Rachel incident". Rachel, of course, has a love interest of her own and an unexpected pregnancy that adds the complication of the decisions surrounding that pregnancy. I think the abortion question was meant to be a big part of the book, but I found it little more than a sidebar. In fact, the character personalities were so big that the overshadowed any plot to be had.

I was mildly annoyed the whole time I was reading this, but I'll give the author credit that there was something compelling there. I just couldn't quite cut through the millenial nonsense to get there.

Original publication date: 2023
Author’s nationality: Irish
Original language: English
Length: 304 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: lots of buzz

I've decided to DNF Mary Chestnut's Civil War. It's the diary of an upper-class confederate woman. She kept a journal during the Civil War and twenty years later revised it to try to create a narrative (kept in diary form) of the war. The intro was really interesting, but I read the first 100 pages of the diary (it's about 900 pages, all told), and there isn't enough of a narrative arc to keep my interest or give me the picture I was looking for. There is a lot of "name dropping", i.e. saw -famous General- for dinner, had lunch with Varina Davis, etc. I'm not interested in that. I was hoping it would be more of a "woman's POV" of an era I'm really interested in. Anyway, I don't feel it's worth the vast amount of time it would take. I'm glad to have read the intro by C. Vann Woodward. He won the Pulitzer for his work on editing this in the 1980s.

>187 japaul22: I only remember Mary Chesnut from Ken Burns' film The Civil War...I think there were excerpts read from her diary at various points. They probably picked the most interesting observations from the 900+ pages.

>188 kac522: Once I knew more about Mary Chestnut, I see her name everywhere that the Civil War is mentioned! She's obviously influential and I'm interested in her, but reading that entire diary just isn't going to work for me.

I just started a nonfiction book, The World on Fire by Amanda Foreman about Britain's role in the American Civil War, and I've already seen Mary Chestnut mentioned several times in the first chapter.

>188 kac522: I was going to make the same comment. I can still hear the narrative voice in my head! I can't imagine reading 900 pages of that, though.

I don't think I ever watched the Ken Burns Civil War series. I'll have to get to that - I love his work.

>191 japaul22: oh it so good. I still hear the theme song when I think about the series I did have that book, got it after the series but never got into it. should loo k to see if I even have it

>192 cindydavid4: I second that! It was ground-breaking at the time, because Burns' approach was different from anything that came before. But also, it gave me a much better understanding of the Civil War than I had from high school history class.

#67 News of the World by Paulette Jiles
I finally read a book by Paulette Jiles, after having her books on my shelves and wishlists for years - and I liked it. This short novel is about a veteran of the Civil War who is making money in Texas by reading the news to remote towns/settlements. At one of these, he is hired to return a 12 year old girl to her aunt and uncle who live across the state. The girl was captured by the Kiowa Indians when she was six and was recently "rescued". Unfortunately, the girl, Johanna is her English name, didn't want to be rescued. She doesn't remember English and has been completely immersed in Kiowa culture and lifestyle.

As they travel to her aunt and uncle's home (who she does not remember), Johanna and Captain Kidd create a deep grandfather/granddaughter relationship. It's a very sweet book, without being saccharine. I liked it quite a bit and would be happy to read more of Jiles's writing.

Original publication date: 2016
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 204 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: off the shelf, library sale
Why I read this: been meaning to and it has loose Civil War ties, which fits my current reading mood

>194 japaul22: Didn't realize this was a book. I saw the film, which I thought was well done. It was really interesting that idea of travelling around, reading the latest news to people.

>194 japaul22: I liked it too, and thought the film was an excellent adaptation (hard to lose with Tom Hanks) I have tried a few of her others but didn't care for them.

92> Ashokan Farewell? Was that the one for the Civil War show? I know we picked it up from a Ken Burns show - it is a _beautiful_ piece of music.

really, at the time I assumed it was a song of that time ,amazed that it was modern. that somber tone fit so well in that era

I have the sound track CD; I think my fav on it is the reading of the letter from a soldier to his wife, with that song in the background

#68 Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

I need to start by saying I understand how revolutionary this book condemning slavery was when it was published in the 1850s. It is credited with changing a lot of northern minds about slavery and contributed to the willingness of the people in the north to fight a brutal war over it. For that, I loved it and found it brave and impressive.

As a book, though, I found it pretty lacking. The characters all seem there to only to present the various viewpoints. There is little complexity in the characters and little plot or character development. The plot contains dramatic events that are there just to put characters in the right situation to again prove Stowe's point that slavery is wrong. She also ties all of her slavery arguments to Christianity and with the benefit of 160 years of hindsight, that just doesn't work for me.

I can't say I enjoyed reading this, but I am grateful that Stowe wrote it when she did and that it had such a huge impact on our country and others (like Britain). I'd love to read a biography of Stowe - I think that would be more enjoyable than actually reading Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Original publication date: 1852
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 438 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: kindle freebie
Why I read this: I've never read it and it's an important book in American history

>199 japaul22: I found the language so patronizing that I had a hard time appreciating it. I DNF'd it and chalked it up to a book that it was more important for me to know about than to actually read.

>200 labfs39: yeah, I admit to quite a bit of skimming because it was pretty unreadable. And I (and I know you have as well) have read lots of books from the Victorian era that were intended as commentary on political and social conditions that are also good books in their own right. This was disappointing considering how influential and popular it was. I think the subject was just so explosive that it drew people in.

gosh I remember reading this book in HS and it had a major effect on me at the time. I agree, it was the subject, perhaps not the story that drew people in. Ive thought about rereading, but Ive seen so many comments like your I think Id leave it be. It has its historical import , and I have other books to read

#69 Brook Evans by Susan Glaspell

My edition of Brook Evans is Persephone no. 26 and it was another Persephone publication that I loved. Brook Evans takes place in three sections taking place in 1888, 1907, and 1928. In the first, 19 year old Naomi is living in rural Illinois and falling in love with her neighbor, Joe. Unfortunately her parents do not approve of Joe, and her clandestine meetings with him result in a pregnancy. Tragedy ensues, which I won't spoil, and Naomi is forced into marriage with a older man who she is not at all in love with or attracted to. He knows the situation and is very religious and agrees to accept the child as his own and move the family to Colorado.

The eponymous Brook Evans is that child. She is raised not knowing her mother's story or her true father. We meet her in the second section, when she is 19, just like her mother was in the first section. She also begins to love a boy in town who her father does not approve of. Her mother desperately wants her to experience love and tries to facilitate their relationship. She also ends up telling Brook about her real father. This backfires on Naomi, and Brook becomes even more devoted to the father who raised her.

In the last section, we see Brook as an adult, again 19 years later. She will have to choose between a passionate love and a steadfast, safe relationship, and her relationship with her mother will finally gain some understanding and closure.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing is excellent and I thought the themes were developed well. It's so interesting to read these books by women that were written in the 1920s, when women were finally gaining a little more social freedom and making some legal headway into independence. The bridge between the 1880s and 1920s is a fascinating time period to me.

Original publication date: 1928
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 312 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: Persephone edition
Why I read this: off the shelf, in the mood for the style of book I've come to expect from Persephone

>203 japaul22: Wonderful review, this sounds excellent. This month I read Glaspell's short story "A Jury of Her Peers" which was intense and so good.

Brook Evans definitely going on the list. I think about that span of history and the changes a lot. My great-grandmother was born in 1878 and died in 1972 that's just quite a series of events and societal changes to live through. Unfortunately, my mom and her sisters weren't interested enough in that kind of history or old enough to really get her story before she died (and their mom died in 1966, so no help there).

>204 kac522: I think you'll like her writing. I would maybe give the edge to Fidelity, which I read earlier this year, but they were both excellent.

>205 mabith: I hope you enjoy it! 1878-1972 is a fascinating life span! I feel the same way - that I wish I knew more about my great grandparents' lives. My mom did a fantastic job gathering and writing out my grandparents' life stories, but she didn't get into that until it was too late to really talk to her grandparents.

#70 The Mothers by Brit Bennett

I devoured this novel about friendships and parental relationships and secrets. Nadia is a 17 year old when her mother commits suicide. She is a beautiful, smart young woman, about to go off to a good college, unlike many of the young people in her small town. But her pain causes her to seek out a secret relationship with a young man, Luke, suffering himself from a gruesome football injury. After their relationship falls apart, she becomes friends with another young woman, Aubrey, who has her own painful and abusive past. Though they all move on from this set up, those years follow the three as they make their way into adulthood. When Nadia returns to the town to care for her father (and at the same time starts to become closer to him), all the secrets kept in their youth will come to a head.

All of this is set within a church, the Upper Room, where the "mothers" of the church provide a sort of Greek chorus commentary on events. I found this a good idea, but not perfectly executed. In fact, that's how I felt about a lot of the book upon reflection. I LOVED reading this - flew through it, cared about the characters, wanted to know what would happen to them, and I'm still thinking about them after finishing. However, there are definitely some flaws. There are a few plot holes that I wish had been answered, and also a few transition points that weren't handled very well.

Even with my caveats, though, I will definitely read anything else that Brit Bennett writes - I've really enjoyed both of her books.

Original publication date: 2016
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 288 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: browsed my libby wish list and this one caught my eye - it's been on that list for a long time!

>207 japaul22: I read that and like you loved it, and noticed flaws. but still find it amazing

Have you read her vanishing half? another one that I loved until the ending which I found to be poorly set up, and with many gaps in the plot But I still loved it and recommend it

>208 cindydavid4: I did read The Vanishing Half and I really liked it as well. Her books aren't "perfect", but they are so engaging and have a lot of heart.

>199 japaul22: I think Uncle Tom's Cabin was as much polemic as it was a novel. It was initially published in serial form and targeted abolitionists in the north. I remember running across it as a child (8, 9, 10 ish) and it gave me a headache.

>210 markon: I haven’t read it and had the impression it did not reflect the horrors of slavery. Hence the derogatory expression, “He’s an Uncle Tom”. What have I got wrong?

It's also got Eliza crossing the ice - a child slave being chased across a half-frozen river by hunting dogs. I also haven't read it - but my impression is that Uncle Tom is a slavery apologist, used as a way of pointing out the weakness of the excuses used. So _he_ thinks slavery is fine - but that's not what the book says.

>211 kjuliff: I would say it definitely reflects the horrors of slavery - beatings, families being split up, sexual abuse, etc. The derogatory "Uncle Tom" reference is because in the novel, Uncle Tom is a beloved slave who is humble and meek. He is sold South because he is known as a good worker and rule-follower, so he fetches a high price. He accepts all the terrible things that happen to him and his loved ones, trusting in his belief in God and that he will be rewarded after death. So, later, an "uncle Tom" is someone who is too meek, won't fight back, etc.

He is only one example in the novel of how the enslaved dealt with their lot in life. There are other slaves in the book who try to escape and won't accept the hardships they are faced with without a fight.

>213 japaul22: But he - Uncle Tom - is the main one. Looking back on the place of the book in American history I suppose the book may have done some good in exposing slavery to those in the north who didn’t know much about it. But from what I understand about it, I don’t think I’ll want to read it.

>214 kjuliff: not just in the North - it was also wildly popular in Great Britain.

>215 japaul22: I wasn’t talking about its popularity. Britain had already abolished the slave trade in 1807. I meant in influencing potential abolitionists in America.

#71 The King's General by Daphne du Maurier, audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson

I've been turning back to audiobooks recently. I listen VERY slowly (this 13 hour audiobook took me 3 weeks to listen to). But, it is a nice way to get to some books I might not otherwise make time for, and it's a nice way to spend my commute if I don't want silence (which is my norm).

Juliet Stevenson reads this book, which is the main reason I picked it. I love her reading style. This book is historical fiction that takes place during the English Civil War in the 1600s. It has a great cast of characters. The story is told by Honor Harris, a young woman who falls in love with Richard Grenville. They are planning to elope when Honor has a hunting accident and ends up crippled. This coincides with the beginning of the English Civil War. Honor and her friends and family are on the side of the King. She and Richard are separated, but their paths will continue to cross and their love will continue to grow through the dramatic war years. There are great details about the war, and also a sort of gothic mystery feel with a castle with a hidden room and a villain, Richard's beautiful sister, Gertrude.

I really enjoyed this and it worked so well on audio.

Original publication date: 1946
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 13 hours, read by Juliet Stevenson
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: libby audiobook
Why I read this: read by my favorite audio book reader

<217 - It takes me a long time to listen to a book too, Jennifer. Being retired, I don't even have a commute to listen. So, it's usually just errands around town. I do go back to the town we used to live in about once a week which is @30 minutes away so that helps. I keep thinking I should listen while I quilt, but I'm afraid I'd get sidetracked and make a mistake. I'm going to make note of that reader and look for other books by her. I'm still figuring out which readers I really like.

>217 japaul22: Juliet Stevenson is the best, isn't she. My personal favorite is her reading of Austen's Persuasion.

>219 kac522: I’ll have to check her out. A narrator can ruin or enhance a novel. Good to hear of a good one

>219 kac522: I don't think I've listened to her version of Persuasion, but I did listen to her read Middlemarch and it was fantastic!

>220 kjuliff: I really like her and she has recorded a lot of my favorite British books.

#72 Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks
It took me a long time to get up the energy to read this 750 page historical fiction novel about the abolitionist/terrorist/martyr John Brown, but I ended up glad I did. Russell Banks is an excellent writer and had me completely immersed in this family's life and times. The focus of the book is actually Owen Brown, the third son of John Brown. When most people think of this family, they probably think of their time in Kansas and the fight between those who wanted Kansas to be a free state and those who wanted in to be a slave state. And then, of course, the raid on Harpers Ferry. But Banks, instead, explores the growth of the family and their time in the Northeast, meeting other abolitionists, codifying their beliefs, and just trying to make ends meet as a large, poor family.

I really liked this approach. I thought it was so interesting to imagine how John Brown and his family came to their beliefs during a time when it was not the norm to actively crusade for an end to slavery. Banks spends 600 pages on this time and a mere 150 on the final, famous events in Kansas and Harpers Ferry. It made the novel unique and presented a more nuanced view of John Brown and his family/followers.

I don't think this book will be for everyone, but if you have an interest in Civil War era, I think it is well worth your time.

Original publication date: 1998
Author’s nationality: America
Original language: English
Length: 758 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: paperback, library book sale
Why I read this: reading from the Civil War era recently, off the shelf

>216 kjuliff: While the trade in slaves was abolished by the UK Parliament in 1807, the abolition of slavery, and so the end to owning slaves did not actually happen then. That took another 30+ years, and compensation for slave owners.
Here's another take on the idea that the British willingly abolished slavery: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/11/lets-end-delusion-britain-...

>222 japaul22: Pushing me closer to reading it!

>223 SassyLassy: the nonfiction book I'm reading right now is A World on Fire about Britain's role in the American Civil War, and it's really bringing an interesting perspective for me. Though, like you and Kate have said, Britain had abolished the slave trade, there was still a large portion of the country (they were fairly split) who supported the South, despite their reliance on slavery. Certainly the UK was still heavily benefitting from the South's use of slaves to grow cotton, and the upper class of the UK seemed to feel an aristocratic solidarity with the South. I have about half the book left to go, so I'm sure I still have a lot of info left to gather.

Cloudsplitter is not a book I would universally recommend, but I really enjoyed it and I am very glad to have spent my time on it. I'd enjoy hearing your opinion of it if you ever get to it.

>224 japaul22: A World on Fire sounds really interesting, Jennifer. It's a view of the American Civil War that we don't learn about in school. I enjoyed Amanda Foreman's Georgiana so it would be interesting to read more of her work. But oof ... it's a long book! I might need to buy it on Kindle rather than borrowing from the library. How many pages are devoted to indices and notes vs. text?

>225 lauralkeet: It is very long. I am reading it on my kindle, so I'm not exactly sure what it would look like in paper form. On kindle, the page numbers for the actual text to read is 1047 pages and to the end of the index, photos, etc. goes to about 1400 pages.
It's a slow read, and there's a huge "cast of characters" but I'm really enjoying it and learning a lot. It helps that virtually all of the Americans in the book are already very familiar to me, so I only have to keep the British straight.

>226 japaul22: Thanks Jennifer. I was looking at a print edition on my library's website, where it said it was something like 950 pages. I think I'd rather buy it and take my time reading it, than feel pressured by a library due date.

>227 lauralkeet: It is definitely working for me as a book to read slowly, with other reading in between. I also read her book Georgiana and enjoyed it, which helped me commit to reading this one despite the length!

>224 japaul22: I remember reading a different book about the English involvement in the American Civil War. Can't remember the name offhand. I never got the idea that British economic and/or military policy had to do primarily with the American slavery system. The Confederacy made the mistake of trying to force British support by withholding cotton exports until Britain officially recognized them as an independent country. My memory of events is that the policy pretty much backfired and brought about an erosion of British support for their cause, which had been fairly significant originally. Does that square with what you've been reading or am I misremembering?

>229 rocketjk: I think I haven't gotten quite far enough to say - I'm only up to the beginning of 1862. So far, economically, the British textile industry was highly reliant on cotton from the South, which they clearly knew was only available because of slavery. When the mills stopped running, there was a lot of public support to recognize the South and help them get past the blockades the North had set up.

There seemed to be a large portion of the British public (and politicians) who felt that the North should just let the South go and that the South would eventually abolish slavery on their own. Not sure where they got that idea! But there was also fear that the US would try to annex Canada and be willing to fight Britain for Canada if they gave up or lost the South.

So far, Britain is maintaining it's neutrality, at least officially. I don't remember if they ended up recognizing the South as a country before the end of the war, but I feel like no. I'll see in a few hundred more pages!

>230 japaul22: There are a couple of other salient points in terms of the British decision, but I don't want to let slip any spoilers, so I'll let you learn it all on your own. I'm glad you're enjoying the book. Cheers!

>230 japaul22: What you describe here is exactly what piqued my interest in the book. I hadn't thought much about Britain's dependence on cotton from the South until I read Worn: A People's History of Clothing. It made me want to learn more.

>232 lauralkeet: it’s a very readable book, just long. I’m not finding it particularly dense, but there are a lot of people to keep track of. Very interesting info.

I think Cloudsplitter will be one for me eventually. Being a West Virginian we do learn a fair bit about Brown in school, and not just Harper's Ferry (largely because the WV history books tend to be financed by coal companies, and probably natural gas now too, so there's quite a lot of interesting labor related history they refuse to have in the books but the creation of WV as a state is a key point of course, so there's just a big Civil War focus).

>234 mabith: I think it's a very well-written book, so if you're interested in the topic, I imagine it works pretty consistently well for people. I expect people with less of an interest in the time period and John Brown have a harder time with it.

#73 God of the Woods by Liz Moore

This is a very satisfying mystery. I loved the time period (the 1960s and 1970s), the setting (a summer camp in the Adirondacks), and the large and well-handled cast of characters.

In present-day 1975, thirteen year old Barbara Van Laar goes missing from summer camp. Barbara was there as a camper, but her family also owns the large home up the hill and the camp. The search for Barbara will bring up the unsatisfyingly resolved case surrounding her brother, Bear, who also disappeared in 1961 in the same woods. Investigator Judy Luptack, the only woman in the 1970s department, will work to crack the case and combat the sexism on the force.

There are a lot more characters and subplots - with Barbara and Bear's parents, with the camp director and her father, with other campers and counselors, and with local townspeople. Oh, and an escaped serial killer.

OK, it's starting to sound crazy and not very good as I write about it, but I promise it works and I liked it a lot. I was a little unenthused by the very end, but other than that I think the book holds together well and certainly kept my attention. I like Liz Moore's mysteries and I'll continue to read them.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 490 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: came available in my library holds, wanted something light and fun

>236 japaul22: I am waiting for this one from the library, Jennifer. I loved Long Bright River and have been looking forward to this one. So far, it seems like it's getting favorable comments here, so that's a good sign.

>237 BLBera: I feel like with every mystery I read, as long as I don't dwell too long on all the more logical/straight forward solutions, I enjoy them. I really loved the setting in this one, and a lot of the characters.

#74 A World on Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War by Amanda Foreman

Foreman has written an exhaustive account of the American Civil War that takes into consideration Britain's role in the politics between the North and the South. This is a VERY long book - about 1000 pages of text plus extensive photos/illustrations, maps, notes, index, etc. I very much enjoyed reading it, and yet, in the end, it still left me a bit wondering about just how crucial Britain's role really was.

What I do know, now, is that officially the UK maintained neutrality through the war. They never openly acknowledge the South as its own country and did not contribute funds or military support directly to either side. This was not to say that they, in actuality, stayed completely out of it. Britain turned a blind eye to war ships being constructed in their ports by the South. They gladly purchased cotton illegally run through blockades (according to the U.S.'s view). There were also many British ships that ran the blockades delivering supplies to the Confederacy.

Why in the world would Britain, supposedly a bastion of anti-slavery, support the South? At least half - probably more - of the residents of the UK believed the South was in the right and the U.S. should let them secede. It's complicated, but Foreman's conclusions seem to be that there was a sort of "aristocratic" fellow-feeling between the British aristocracy and the Southern plantation owners. It seems the British thought that the South would naturally abolish slavery on its own once it seceded (haha, yeah right!).

Supposedly, Lincoln not coming right out at the beginning of the war and emancipating the enslaved made many British feel that the war wasn't really about slavery - that the Southerners just wanted to govern themselves. Um, also no. Lincoln shrewdly waited. He did not have the will of the Northern population yet to immediately emancipate the enslaved. Britains excused their support of the South by telling themselves the North was just as bad because they were too racist to want to liberate slaves.

Certainly, there was about half the British population that was solidly pro-North, mainly for abolition reasons. There were many British who fought in the Civil War on both sides. And in the end, Britain's neutrality certainly helped the U.S. win the war and retain the Southern states as part of the U.S. If Britain (or France) had openly supported the South, things could have been very different. In that respect, Britain did play a crucial role in the Civil War - by not getting too deeply involved.

Foreman spends a lot of time on the Americans from both the North and the South who were sent as diplomats to England. This I found very interesting and pertinent to her thesis. She also spends quite a bit of time on the British diplomats that were in the U.S. during the war - also interesting and pertinent. And then she spends quite a bit of time with some British newspaper reporters and a couple of examples of British men who volunteered to fight in the Civil War. This I found a little less pertinent. I also thought she spent too much time reliving battles - events that are covered in many other books and didn't have much to do with Britain at all, besides the presence of some British fighters. I thought if she had streamlined some of these sections, the book would have been a bit more effective and concise.

Even in this long review, I haven't even scratched the surface of the things I learned or the topics Foreman delves into. I really loved getting a slightly different perspective on the American Civil War - something I've read quite a bit about over the years through fiction and nonfiction. I wondered if, for me, this book would have come together a little better if Foreman had chosen just one or two people to really focus in on, and had made it more of a biography. I think she could have gotten most of the same info into the book, but the reader would feel a bit more connected to the information through the one or two people focused on.

In the end, I do recommend this. I think it is an impressive accomplishment. Overall, most of the book was engaging to read and kept my interest - and that's saying a lot considering the length. I think the Civil War is yet to be fully reconciled with in the U.S., despite being over for almost 160 years.

Original publication date: 2011
Author’s nationality: has lived extensively in both U.S. and U.K.
Original language: English
Length: 988 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: I've been reading a lot of Civil War books

#75 Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman, audiobook read by the author

Every four years when our Presidential election rolls around in the U.S., I get crabby about the electoral college. I am a strong believer that we should shift to a national popular vote with ranked choice voting to ensure a candidate wins with a majority rather than a plurality.

This book is a series of essays/arguments that includes historical information about the creation of the electoral college, analysis of how it has succeeded and failed in elections of the history of our country, and addresses myths and fallacies about who the electoral college benefits.

It's laid out well and easy to understand. Reads kind of like a series of newspaper articles - not surprising considering the author is a journalist. If you are curious about the history of the electoral college and the arguments for a national popular vote, give this a read. Or a listen - I listened to it as an audiobook and it worked very well that way.

Original publication date: 2020
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 7 hours 50 min
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: audible audio book
Why I read this: passionate about this topic!

>239 japaul22: That's an excellent review, Jennifer. I'm glad it was such a worthwhile read.

>239 japaul22: - I think this is a book that my husband would find interesting if he could look past it's length.

>242 dudes22: To be fair, I read it on my kindle, so I don't know exactly how many pages of text a paperback of this book is. Kindle page numbers aren't always accurate. But, any way you look at it, it's a long book.

>239 japaul22: Thanks for your informative review of what looks like a very interesting book. A few years back I read a book called Blue & Gray Diplomacy: a History of Union and Confederate Foreign Relations by Howard Jones, which covered a lot of the same ground though seemingly not as well as A World on Fire. A couple of the points I recall from Blue & Gray Diplomacy was that the Confederacy made a mistake in trying to blackmail England into supporting their cause by refusing to sell them cotton until the British agreed to formally recognize the Confederacy. I believe it was called King Cotton Diplomacy. Another was that part of the British reckoning was that in order to trade heavily with the South, they'd have to run the Northern blockade of Southern ports, which the North would have considered an act of war. I assume your books covers those items, too. (You can never cover all the salient points in a review, of course!) Am I remembering them correctly?

>244 rocketjk: Yes! I don't remember her using the term "King Cotton Diplomacy" but yes, the South did hold its cotton hostage from Britain, though of course plenty of individuals did "find a way". The blockade was a huge issue that Foreman covers thoroughly in the book. Whether the U.S. should officially declare a blockade creating a lot of in-fighting amongst Lincoln's cabinet. Some thought they should have an undeclared blockade, because officially declaring blockade status could lead to other countries recognizing the South with something called "belligerent status". Not a full recognition of them as a new country, but recognition none the less. Lincoln decided to officially declare the blockade. The UK did grant the South belligerent status, though I didn't gather that it helped the South much.
Any time there is profit to be made, humans will find a way around obstacles, and the blockades were no exception - both ways - though they became very effective by the end of the war, especially since foreign countries weren't giving official support to the South.

>245 japaul22: OK, nice to know my memory's not failing me entirely. I recall that holding cotton hostage in that way caused a lot of resentment within England. Nobody likes being blackmailed, of course. As for the blockade, there were complaints that the North's blockade was only a "Paper Blockade." Evidently, at least in those days, the convention was that if you declared a blockade, you needed to commit enough ships to the project for the blockade to actually have some teeth. Otherwise, it was just a blockade on paper (hence the name). That was not considered kosher. You weren't allowed to tell other countries not to trade with your enemy and threaten war if they did unless you were willing to back it up with the money, manpower and ships to actually back up the threats with real enforcement. The Confederacy constantly claimed in their international dealings that the North was transgressing in that manner. They didn't get much traction with that, however.

>246 rocketjk: I think that’s still the definition of a blockade. If it’s on paper, it’s an embargo. Don’t know if that existed at the time.

>247 FlorenceArt: "I don't know if that existed at the time."

I got curious to see if my memory was correct and did some searching. There's a lot on the definition of paper blockades here, with some info on the American Civil War in particular:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/blockade-warfare

A quick definition as per that article:

. . . Paper blockades were declared illegal by the Declarations of the Armed Neutralities of 1780 and 1800, and it was to suppress their subsequent continuance that Article 4 of the Declaration of Paris (1856; a supplement to the Treaty of Paris) provided that “blockades, in order to be binding, must be effective.” A blockade, therefore, must be maintained by a force sufficient to truly prevent access to the coasts of the enemy.

>248 rocketjk: How strange that they had to issue a rule like that! I suppose paper blockades were a way to pay lip service to an ally in war. At least that’s the only way I can think to interpret the term "binding".

#76 We're Alone by Edwidge Danticat

This collection of essays has the connecting thread of being Haitian running through it. I enjoyed Danticat's novel, Farming of Bones, and learned about this new collection of essays from Danticat's recent opinion piece in the about being Haitian and facing prejudice in America.

Danticat writes about her family, her literary inspirations, politics on the island of Haiti, and hurricanes/natural disasters. I found this collection moving and informative.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: Haitian-American
Original language: English
Length: 139 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: like Danticat's writing and enjoy the essay format

>249 FlorenceArt: Well, I think it was (is?) that if you declare a blockade against an enemy in war, you are telling all other countries that they can't trade by sea with your enemy and that doing so might be a cause for you to go to war against them. To use the situation we've been discussing as an example, if the Union was telling England they couldn't trade with the Confederacy for the cotton they needed for their mills, that would be a big deal, not only for the Confederacy but for England as well. So the Union had to be able and willing to back up their blockade declaration with real ships, men and the finances it took for both. Otherwise, you're just calling "blockade" like a kid calling "front seat!" for a ride to town. If you weren't willing or able to put your money where your mouth was when you declared a blockade, it wouldn't be considered "binding" by the international community, so you wouldn't be in the right, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, if you seized a neutral country's merchant ship that was trying to trade with your enemy. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that's the story.

>251 rocketjk: that’s how I understand it as well. It took a while for the US to successfully blockade the south - that’s a LOT of coastline. But they did end up pretty effectively shutting port down. And I don’t think any countries broke the blockade in an official fashion, though individuals certainly did.

#77 Tar Baby by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison's novels always manage to be both impressive and create a emotional connection. Tar Baby is impressive with how it delves into relationships between white and black people, between couples, and between generations. The characters feel like real people, who were complex enough for me to both love and hate.

Valerian Street is a retired, wealthy man who has retired to a Caribbean Island with his wife Margaret (who was only 18 to his 39 when they married and was the "Principal Beauty of Maine", i.e. beauty queen) and their long time household servants, Ondine and Sydney. Jadine, Ondine and Sydney's niece and adopted daughter, is also there. Jadine is a beautiful young woman who has been making a name for herself in the modeling world both overseas and in New York. Micheal is the Streets' son, who isn't physically present, but who might be coming for Christmas and is on everyone's mind. Ondine will end up revealing a big secret to the family about Margaret and Michael.

Into this, a young black man named Son arrives. He has escaped to the island and is hiding on the grounds, stealing food and watching Jadine sleep. When he is discovered, Valerian makes the surprising decision to invite him to stay with them. Jadine and Son eventually fall in love, but their relationship with being black is different, they have different life goals and a different view of the world, and this will create issues.

The ending is pure Morrison - symbolic, confusing, and multiple possible meanings. I loved it.

I really liked this novel. Within Morrison's oeuvre, I'd rank it in the upper middle. Not quite as stunning as Beloved, but just as good as Sula and Love, and better than A Mercy and Home. Just my humble opinion - but of course anything Toni Morrison writes is outstanding.

Original publication date: 1981
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 305 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library sale find
Why I read this: will read all of Morrison's novels at some point. I think I only have a few left

>253 japaul22: - I read Tar Baby earlier this year, the last of her novels I had left to read, and I didn't like it as much as you did. I gave it 3.5 stars. There's always a lot to ponder in her novels, and TB was no exception, but I just couldn't get into it.

When I finished it, I posted my rankings of her novels:

"My ranking of Toni Morrison novels, from "worst" to "best." My ratings scale has changed so much over the years that what I originally rated these is pretty meaningless, so I've group them roughly into 3-3.5 stars, 4 stars, 4.5-5 stars.

God Help the Child
Tar Baby
A Mercy

Jazz
Love
Home

Sula
Song of Solomon
The Bluest Eye
Paradise
Beloved"

>254 katiekrug: I can see not loving Tar Baby as much as some of her others. I struggled against it for a bit, but then I started really loving it.

I love seeing rankings of author's works.

Mine would be very close to yours (lowest to highest group):
A Mercy
Home
God Help the Child

Sula
Tar Baby
Love

Beloved
Song of Solomon
Paradise
The Bluest Eye

I think Jazz is the only one of her novels I haven't read, though I also need to reread a few of them because it's been decades since I read them.

I love Toni Morrison and really enjoyed reading all of her novels in publication order a few years ago (with some exceptions for books I'd read previously, like Beloved). My reaction to Tar Baby was similar to Katie's. Here's how her novels stack up in my LT catalogue. We have more overlap on the higher end of the scale than at the bottom. But even Love wasn't a bad book, it just didn't click for me the way the others did.

3 stars:
Love

3.5 stars:
Tar Baby
Jazz

4 stars:
The Bluest Eye
Sula
Home
God Help the Child

4.5 stars:
A Mercy
Beloved
Song of Solomon
Paradise

>256 lauralkeet: Thanks for sharing this, Laura! I remember that you read Morrison's books in publication order. After I read Jazz, I'd like to go back and reread them all in order. I have the same goal for Virginia Woolf's novels at some point.

I am not surprised that we have a similar "top of the list" between the three of us. I think especially Beloved and Song of Solomon are simply stand out books.

I purposely didn't include my star ratings because, for an author like Morrison, I tend to rate her books against her other books. So I might have given one of her books a 3.5 or 4, but that's in comparison to Beloved. It doesn't mean it's the same overall quality as, for instance, an "of-the-moment" thriller that I enjoy reading and gave 4 stars, but don't think will deserve a reread or a lot of deep though. Definitely a place for both, and my stars can't convey all of that!

#78 The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

The Husbands is one of those books that all my friends are reading, so I decided to give it a try. The premise is great - a young woman comes home from a night of partying with her friends to find a husband in her home that she doesn't remember. She quickly discovers that any time the husband goes fully into the attic of her apartment, a new husband comes down and her life is subtly changed.

Lauren flies through husbands, keeping some a few months, most a couple days, and lots for just minutes. I was worried the author wouldn't be able to sustain the premise for a whole novel, but actually, I think it worked pretty well. The book ends up bringing up lots of thoughts about relationships and what people are really looking for. Is there such a thing as a perfect person to marry? A soul mate? Are all husbands "just ok"? Are you yourself no matter who you marry/love?

I liked this and recommend it if you're looking for something modern and fun.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: British (based in London, anyway, not sure if it's her home country?)
Original language: English
Length: 352 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: lots of buzz and sounded fun

>258 japaul22: I'm tempted to try this next time I need something light and distracting. My local library doesn't have it, but I can request it ILL.

>258 japaul22: I tempted too. Checked it out on The Guardian and got -

“ **NO 1 KINDLE BESTSELLER**
**A GUARDIAN, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, RED, DAILY MAIL AND iNEWS BEST SUMMER READ**

'One of the funniest debuts for years' SUNDAY TIMES * 'The most fun I've had reading in the longest time' MARIAN KEYES * 'An absolute riot' THE UNMUMSY MUM * 'A wonderful, wonderful novel' JENNIE GODFREY * 'A time-bending gem' GABRIELLE ZEVIN“

>259 labfs39: >260 kjuliff: It got a little repetitive/tedious in the middle, but then I actually liked the sort of wild ending. It worked for me and was just what I wanted in the midst of some heavier reading.

>261 japaul22: Thanks I will bear that in mind.

>258 japaul22: oh that does sound fun! got it on hold for me and i think I have enough in trade to work

>261 japaul22: I just started it. It’s a fun read so far.

>261 japaul22: Thanks for putting me on to The Husbands . Ir was just what I needed. A very clever idea behind the plot and very very funny!

>265 kjuliff: I'm so glad! I enjoyed it, but it's hard to know how it will read to others. I'm really happy it worked for you.

>266 japaul22: Well it was just what I needed. I thought it was very cleverly executed. I’ve had family problems, health problems, and election anxiety. I’d started several books from my tbr but just couldn’t get into them. But from page 1 of The Husbands I was hooked.

>266 japaul22: I sat in the book store reading it and loving it. but not ready to spend 30 dollars. will see about the library or paperback

>268 cindydavid4: It’s pretty good on audio but still not cheap. I got mine from the Talking Books library so I can vouch for narrator quality. There’s a ten week wait at the NYPL.

Something light sounds good right now, Jennifer.

#79 There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

In There are Rivers in the Sky, Shafak connects three seemingly unconnected characters: a man name Arthur who is growing up and out of the slums of 19th century London, a young Yazidi girl name Narin who lives a quiet and introspective life with her grandmother in the Middle East until political/religious violence rips it apart, and Zaleekah, a modern-day woman in London dealing with a failing marriage and depression.

Arthur is an archaeologist whose unusual brain allows him to translate ancient cuneiform. He travels to the area of ancient Nineveh to search for tablets containing parts of the ancient poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh. While there he meets Narin's great-great-great grandmother. Narin's story is the saddest. She is living a peaceful life with her grandmother when the political violence in Iraq crushes her world. The Yazidi people are being exterminated by ISIS and the "real world" comes crashing in to her simple existence. Zaleekha's story is the most mundane, but provides good contrast to Arthur and Narin and helps to tie things together.

Water loosely holds these characters together and connects them. It's a tenuous premise and I mentally pushed against Shafak's idea for most of the book. I also seemed to want to dislike the introspective and over-analytic tone. It all seemed to "meaningful" or "deep". But at the same time, it works. And the endings for these characters certainly bring you back to reality.

I was both moved by this book and bored by this book. I think it's the kind of book where my opinion could switch either way depending on who I'm talking to about it. So, someone else read it and tell me whether to love it or roll my eyes at it. :-)

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: British-Turkish
Length: 464 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: loved Island of the Missing Trees

>271 japaul22: Interesting review! I’ve got a library hold on an e-book but that could take months to come through. With a bit of luck I’ll be able to get hold of a copy elsewhere sooner than that and I’ll tell you what I think.

Whilst here I’ve also put holds on The Husbands and The Mothers (funnily similar titles) - well-written fun novels can be hard to find.

>272 rachbxl: I will be curious to hear what you think of any of those three!

#80 If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

When I described this book to one of my friends, she said "oh, it's dark academia genre - that's what my 16 year old calls it". I hadn't heard that description yet, but it certainly fits!

This book is a mystery/thriller set at a small arts college in Illinois. The main characters are fourth year acting students in an extremely competitive Shakespeare program. The class is whittled down each year and the talented seven are the last ones standing. They have become incredibly close over the four years, but are they friends? Tensions are seething and they are becoming violent with each other. The whole story, including the death of one of them and the aftermath, is being narrated by Oliver, who is telling the story to the detective who worked on the case after the detective is retired and Oliver has been released from prison. It's clear that Oliver, though he's been in jail, may not have been the actual killer. Or is it an unreliable narrator situation?

The seven have complicated relationships - they know tons about each other, but at the same time they are all keeping secrets. Meredith has been dating Richard (the one who dies) and she is beautiful and sexy and talented. Oliver and James are roommates and best friends, but Richard's death reveals some weaknesses in their friendship. Alexander is gay and increasingly using drugs and alcohol to numb himself. Wren and Filippa round out the group and try to bring a bit of grounding to the group.

The author does a fantastic job of creating a realistic group dynamic between these artistic young adults. They are competitive but also each other's support system. It's set in the 1990s and she gets that era just right (they were my college years while doing a music performance degree as well!). She gets how they are all at the age where they are trying to create themselves but also being pulled back into home situations with parents and siblings. AND she works tons of Shakespeare into the book. Of course the actual plays they are doing are part of it, but the group also has their own internal language that incorporates Shakespeare quotes and I found this totally realistic when I think of the actor friend groups I've been on the fringes of.

Definitely recommend this when you're looking for a mystery/suspense novel that is smart and engaging.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 358 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: random purchase in a bookstore - an employee rec
Why I read this: impulse buy

#81 The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner

Eric Foner writes brilliant nonfiction focused on the era of Civil War and Reconstruction in America. As a professor at Columbia University, his writing is scholarly, smart, focused, and researched. In this book, he focuses on Abraham Lincoln's personal and political journey in addressing slavery. This was fascinating to me and revealed Lincoln in a new way. As Americans, we are all used to revering Lincoln as the man who brought down slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation (which freed the enslaved in the rebellious confederate states) and the 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery everywhere in America), but this book firmly grounds Lincoln as a human being whose personal opinions grew over time and whose political views of unity and appeasement of the slave states sometimes took a front seat over his personal beliefs.

Lincoln was always personally against slavery, but this does not mean he didn't espouse some of the racist views of his times. For instance, for a large part of his life, he couldn't envision Blacks having any sort of equality with white Americans. He was very intrigued with the idea of recolonizing all Blacks, freed and the currently enslaved, to a new home country in Africa or Central America. I also learned that many of his policies, especially during his early political career and first term as President, were heavily influenced by the desire to keep the country together. He supported gradual emancipation, envisioning a system of apprenticeship for freed slaves and having the U.S. government reimburse slave-owners (no thought of reimbursing the enslaved, of course). During the Civil War, the border states, who had a high percentage of slaves and slave-owners but who did not secede from the Union, were appeased over and over. Those enslaved were not included in the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln really wanted each state to provide its own plan for freeing the enslaved. Like the vast majority of the rest of the country, though, he continued to have a hard time envisioning Blacks as full citizens. He believed they were entitled to the basic rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence, but likely was only starting to see a path to true equality when he was assassinated.

What I loved about this book is that Foner presents Lincoln's views in a balanced manner. He doesn't revere Lincoln blindly. He shows that Lincoln was ahead of his time in terms of the will to end slavery and the belief that slavery was a great wrong, but that Lincoln was also a product of his times and we shouldn't assume that he had a 21st century idea of equality. What is so impressive about Lincoln, a quality that shines through in this book, is his ability to change and grow his ideas. Lincoln was a thinker and a listener. He surrounded himself with people who would challenge him in both political directions, forcing him to truly think through his beliefs and how to best act on them. These are the reasons to respect and, yes, revere, Lincoln. This book does an impressive job of showing how his beliefs grew over time and make it even more depressing that he wasn't the one to lead our country through Reconstruction. If he had been the guiding voice, I wonder how different our country would be today. I feel strongly that it would be wildly different and for the better.

This is a book to read after you already know a bit about the history of the era. I highly recommend it. I highlighted many passages and learned so much.

Original publication date: 2010
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 406 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased after reading Foner's book on Reconstruction
Why I read this: I've been doing lots of Civil War reading

I wanted to add a quick note comparing The Fiery Trial with the Amanda Foreman book I read recently on Britain's role in the Civil War, A World on Fire. I have to say that reading Foner's book so closely on the heels of Foreman's solidified for me that Foreman's book, while interesting, sort of lost it's way. I said in my review that I wish it had been more focused, and now I feel that even more strongly. I can clearly envision a way she could have stayed more tightly to her thesis and cut that book down to about half its size. It is valuable for covering a topic (Britain's role in the Civil War) that I haven't seen written about many other places, but Foner's book is by far the better in terms of choosing a focus of a wildly complicated era and illuminating it.

>275 japaul22: I haven't read a lot about the Civil War, partly, I think, because my parents are huge buffs and trotted us kids around to every battlefield, monument, and historic site between Maine and Florida. Your review of this book, however, is enticing. For some reason, reading a book about an intelligent, nuanced, listening leader written by a calm, academic writer appeals at the moment.

>277 labfs39: Yes, EXACTLY! I also highly recommend Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals if you haven't read it yet. It might be a better starting book for Lincoln's leadership style and growth.

>278 japaul22: I have not, and it's such a classic, I really should.

ETA: I just ordered a copy, though I don't know when I'll get to it.

#82 American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee

This is a wonderful nonfiction book about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park. The author approaches the subject in the style of journalistic reporting. He is clearly on the side of the wolves and approves of the reintroduction, however, he does present both sides. Many of the people who live in the region worried about their livestock and the easy hunting of elk that both stocks their freezers and brings tourism/money to the area.

Blakeslee goes into the politics and legal fights around the issue, but where the book really shines is in describing the wolves themselves. He spends most of the book detailing how the wolves work as packs and how they interact between packs, bringing to life several individual wolves. He also describes how reintroducing the top predator helped so many animals thrive and brought the terrain back to life in ways that even experts didn't even know it needed.

Thanks to someone (Jerry?) for bringing this book to my attention. I loved it.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 289 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: recommended on LT and I enjoy books about American wildlife and conservancy

>281 lauralkeet: You're on a nonfiction roll, Jennifer. Your description of American Wolf reminded me of Once There Were Wolves, a novel about reintroduction of wolves in Scotland. The locals had similar worries about livestock. I gave it 5 stars back in 2021.

>281 lauralkeet: I loved that Once There Were Wolves!
I hope to continue my great nonfiction streak with Dava Sobel's new book about Marie Curie, which is up next.

Great stuff on The Fiery Trial. Very interesting. You make American wolf appeal.

Great reviews. I probably don’t know enough about American history to appreciate the Lincoln book, but American Wolf sounds very tempting.

>280 japaul22: "Thanks to someone . . . "

Yes, that was me. Glad you liked American Wolf as much as I did.

>283 dchaikin: if you ever get into a theme based on that era, Dan, I think you'd really enjoy Foner's books.

>284 FlorenceArt: I think you're right - Foner's books appeal more to people who have a good background in the era already. But American Wolf is written like investigative reporting or journalism and I think would appeal to anyone interested in the topic.

>285 rocketjk: Glad I had the right person!

I’ve had American Wolf on my wish list for a long time—only heard good things about it. I may have to library it up.

#83 Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Orbital is a unique book that packs a lot of ideas and feelings into a short amount of pages. The novel is about six astronauts/cosmonauts on the International Space Station and explores their thoughts, observations, and their love of Earth (both the planet itself and those on it) during one 24 hour period - 16 orbits of the Earth.

I can't believe Samantha Harvey hasn't been in space. Has she??? Her descriptions of what the astronauts experience bodily and her descriptions of what they see as they orbit the Earth are amazing - in the real sense of that overused world.

I loved this - unique and calming and gave me lots to ponder. Also nice to have a big, zoomed out picture of our planet in these times when close focus can yield a lot of heartache.

Highly recommended and a very deserving Booker Prize winner.

Original publication date: 2023
Author’s nationality: British? Seems to have lived all over
Length: 207 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: recommended widely on LT - I probably wouldn't have read it based on the description alone

>222 japaul22: This sounds so interesting. Literally the only thing I know about John Brown is the song ("John Brown's Body") - and I have no explanation for why I picked up that song in a childhood in the South Asian subcontinent, except that there are these odd links between abolitionists and anticaste activists that keep popping up. The approach of focusing on the development of his beliefs instead of well-know events really does seem a more thoughtful take.

>236 japaul22: I'm about halfway through God of the Woods. Great review.

>250 japaul22: Oh, I'm glad this holds up! Her fiction is great, I was wondering what We're Alone would be like.

>258 japaul22: The Husbands does sound light and fun.

Sorry for the multiple comments, I'm just catching up on your thread after a while and enjoying your reviews.

>289 rv1988: Thanks for checking in! Glad you found some reviews to interest you!

>288 japaul22: this is lovely to see. If you can, find her speech on receiving the award. She talks about how insecure she was writing about space without having been there. I’m really glad you enjoyed. It’s a special book.

Fyi - 4 minutes. Obviously, you will need sound. https://www.tiktok.com/@thebookerprizes/video/7436540132271901985

I loved Orbital as well, and like you, I couldn't believe she hadn't been in space. It's such a beautiful book.

>288 japaul22: I requested Orbital from the library right after the Booker Prize announcement. I'm around #7 in line so it will be a while yet, maybe even January, but that's okay. I'm really glad to see your enthusiastic review -- it has definitely increased my interest.

>292 dchaikin: What a lovely speech. I'm glad that what I got from the book seems to be similar to her intent.

>293 BLBera: There were quite a few reviews on LT praising this book, but I always know that when you love a book there's a very good chance I will love it as well!

>294 lauralkeet: I'm glad you're going to try it Laura! I hope it works for you. I think it's a really special and unique book.

Audible is having a great Black Friday deal of three months for .99 each and a $20 credit. I only listen to about 6 audiobooks a year, so the library is ok, but I like audible because I can listen at my very slow pace without worrying about the book coming due at the library.

I'd like to spend my credits on long books and/or popular books that would have a wait at the library. Anyone have suggestions of books that you think were enhanced by the narrator (vs. reading in print) that I should consider?

>296 japaul22: Haven't listened to it myself, but Richard Armitage's reading of David Copperfield has gotten rave reviews. Of course, anything by Juliet Stevenson--her Middlemarch is wonderful, and she's done all of Jane Austen's novels, as well as Jane Eyre and North and South (Gaskell) and so much more. And the late actor Timothy West was considered the best reader of Trollope.

>297 kac522: I listened to Juliet Stevenson read Middlemarch and loved it so much. I was considering some Dickens, so thank you for the tip on Richard Armitage's reading. And maybe I'd actually get to the reread of the Barsetshire series if I got some Trollope on audio. Thanks for the ideas!

I loved Abraham Verghese reading his own long novel, Covenant of Water. I also liked the dual narration of Color of Water.

>297 kac522: Seconding any and all of Richard Armitage's narrations, he's very good.

>299 labfs39: I will keep Covenant of Water in mind. That sounds like a promising option.

>300 rv1988: Good to know about Richard Armitage. I'll look for some of his narrations.

#84 His Excellency Eugene Rougon by Émile Zola

The second book in Zola's Rougon-Macquart series (based on the order recommended by Zola) and another kind of "meh" book for me. I'm glad I know that I absolutely love his later work, or I'm not sure I'd keep going.

Eugene Rougon is all about power. As France itself has power shifts, Rougon's power ebbs and flows as well. Most of the book is about political machinations, and people trying to use others to further themselves. There is one very memorable character, Clorinde. Clorinde is a young woman who has positioned herself to be around powerful men and to be admired by them. Her ambitions are high and she intends to attain them. As with many of Zola's characters, especially the women, she has plenty of quirks to make her memorable and special.

This book was fine, but it never grabbed me and didn't have the shock value that I have come to expect and love from Zola.

Original publication date: 1876
Author’s nationality: French
Length: 343 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased Oxford edition
Why I read this: reading the Rougon-Macquart series with a group read

I would have sworn blind that I'd read The Fiery Trial, but my records say not, so it must have just been languishing on the to-read list for years. Your review reminds me to consider it more seriously.

>303 mabith: I thought it was very good and a bit easier to read than his book on Reconstruction, but maybe that's just because I have a better background in Lincoln. I know you enjoy denser, intelligent nonfiction, and this is definitely that!

Happy Thanksgiving, to everyone celebrating! I love this holiday because it has remained to be simply about gathering with family and friends and sharing food.

>305 japaul22: - Well said. A quiet, laid-back day before the frenzy begins. Hope you have a good Thanksgiving also.

#85 The Hike by Lucy Clarke

I needed something fast to read and entertaining and this book completely worked. In The Hike, four friends vacation in Norway for a four day challenging hike over a mountain. They have been friends since high school and meet up every year for a vacation together. They are, of course, all dealing with large life events, which makes the book interesting.

As they hike, the book becomes a thriller. They have to combat the terrain, the weather, and stumble upon a mystery that puts them all in danger. I thought Clarke did a great job of creating fun characters and relationships and putting them in a situation that enhance the character building she was doing. I'd definitely read more by her when I'm looking for a diversion.

Original publication date: 2023
Author’s nationality: British
Length: 384 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: kindle library book
Why I read this: read by Rachel (rachbxl) and it caught my eye

>307 japaul22: I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s far from being the best book I’ve ever read (won’t even be along my best for this year) but it gave me real enjoyment as I read it, and that’s not insignificant. I’ll certainly read more by Lucy Clarke.

ETA my library borrowing history tells me I borrowed Clarke’s One of the Girls in 2022. The synopsis rings just enough of a bell to confirm that I did actually read it. I vaguely remember enjoying it though perhaps not as much as The Hike. I stand by what I said about reading more by Clarke, though - I always like to have a name or two up my sleeve for when I’m in the mood for something light and escapist.

>308 rachbxl: The Hike won't be on any of my "best" lists either, but that doesn't mean I didn't thoroughly enjoy it! And I'd also gladly read more by Clarke when I'm in the mood for this sort of book.

I'm rereading Brideshead Revisited, which I read way back in 2009, and it's reminding me why I reread. What a fantastic book, and I remember so little of it. I'm particularly struck by the time period it was written in, which I don't think I understood at all the last time I read it. Waugh wrote this on a leave from the fighting during WWII. It's set in the 1920s and is an ode to a lifestyle he thought was disappearing forever.

I'm only a third in but it's just so good. Had to share something about it while I'm reading!

>310 japaul22: interesting - I re-read it a few months ago, having read and loved it in my 20s. Upon tr-reading I found it irritating. The upper-crust English, Sebastian taking his teddy bear to university gatherings….

>310 japaul22: If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend the 1981 TV adaptation starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews. The cast, sets, and evocative musical theme are all great. There's a more recent feature length film but the long-form treatment (11 episodes) does it better IMO.

>310 japaul22: this enthusiastic post makes me really want to read Brideshead Revisited. Enjoy!

I should really read Brideshead Revisited next year. I watched the 80s TV series in high school and it made me so incredibly sad that I developed a slight grudge against it.

>313 dchaikin: Despite my reservations on my second read Brideshead is a must-read. It’s beautifully written and evokes Oxbridge life and the war. Sadly however the advent of the Woke movement, although there are many pluses, has had the effect on me, of turning me off the upper-crust English.

>312 lauralkeet: I remember watching that TV adaptation, which was beautifully done. Unfortunately I watched it with some Dutch and Irish friends in Australia, and they didn’t appreciate the Englishness of it all. I think their negative responses may have influenced my re-read some years later.

>315 kjuliff: I think I understand. Faulkner was very un-woke. But I'm tolerant to a degree.

>311 kjuliff: and >315 kjuliff: I can appreciate where you're coming from, Kate. The book is evocative of an era of privilege that could definitely feel out of touch. I think that reading the forward about how Waugh wrote it while WWII was ongoing put me in a frame of mind to be ok with that reverence for a time period where, if we dig a little deeper, it wasn't so great for everyone!

I will look into the TV adaption - I just spend so little time watching anything. I use my limited free time for reading (and LT!).

#86 Animal Life by Auður Ava Òlafsdóttir

An interesting short book from Iceland about a midwife and her relationship with her deceased grand-aunt who was also a midwife. Her relative leaves her an apartment and she has moved in without changing anything. She begins to go through her grandaunt's papers and writings and finds musings on life, animals, and the environment. In the background is the dramatic weather of Iceland and an impending winter storm.

Not a lot happens in this book, but it's an enjoyable meditation on life and our place in the world.

Original publication date: 2020
Author’s nationality: Icelandic, translated by Brian FitzGibbon
Length: 192 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: kindle library book
Why I read this: read by SassyLassy and caught my eye

>318 japaul22: sounds terrific. Great review

>318 japaul22: Wow - that was quick! Glad it worked for you.

#87 Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

I thoroughly enjoyed this reread of Waugh's 1945 novel. I had not remembered that he wrote it while on leave from WWII. Knowing when he was writing it makes the nostalgia of the first section, in particular, that is set in the 1920s, feel more meaningful.

In the novel, Charles Ryder is a WWII officer getting ready to deploy. While they are still in England, they end up staying at the enormous country home of Brideshead. Ryder was connected with the family in his young adulthood, and the Flytes had a formative effect on his life. He reminisces about those years.

There are three parts and they are all very different. The first was my favorite. It takes place at Oxford and the young men are living the typical carefree life of young, well-off men away from home for the first time. Charles meets Sebastian Flyte, one of the most memorable characters I've come across in literature. Sebastian introduces Charles to his Catholic family at Brideshead and Charles is immediately enamored of the entire family and estate. Sebastian, however, is an alcoholic and sinking fast. Charles and Sebastian's relationship is the central part of this section. It is nostalgic and somehow both leisurely and a bit manic at the same time.

The second part sees Charles become an architectural artist and go off of South America to expand his art work. He's married but an inattentive husband and completely uninterested in his kids. On the boat back to England, Charles and his wife Celia reconnect with Sebastian's sister, Julia.

The third part includes goes back to Brideshead and revisits the Flyte siblings and parents. There's a heavy Catholic theme throughout the book (I gather Waugh had converted to Catholicism by this point in his life) and it all really comes to a head in this section.

It was interesting to me that Sebastian isn't really seen in the second half of the book, but somehow Waugh keeps him ever-present and central to the story. I thought that was pretty brilliant. Lots of themes to ponder and some really beautiful writing. I really enjoyed this reread.

Original publication date: 1945
Author’s nationality: British
Length: 402 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: one of my colleagues was reading Decline and Fall and it made me want to reread Brideshead Revisited

>321 japaul22: I’m glad you enjoyed your re-read. As I think I mentioned before, I didn’t enjoy it was I did the first time.
On writing this, I’ve had a thought. I wonder if one’s take on a book is highly influenced on what book you’ve read immediately prior.

I’d read a number of books with anti-colonial, themes, critical of the British class system prior to my re-read. Maybe it was left-over feelings engendered by those books that made me so annoyed with Sebastian and his teddy bear.

>322 kjuliff: I think that's a good point. I would think other reading would definitely influence feelings about a book. Also, a book like this, that feels so long ago, that is about the wealthy and their issues doesn't tend to bother me. But, I cannot stomach books about rich, white men living in NYC and their troubled lives. Zero sympathy. :-)
So those two sentiments are at odds with each other, but there it is!

Great review. And interesting about the colonial and class issues and how we might respond to them.

>323 japaul22: So true....looking at you, Holden Caulfield....

>325 kac522: Haha, yes for sure!

#88 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

A reread of a Christmas favorite. Like many Christmas stories, this isn't necessarily happy and light. In fact, it's pretty dark, dreary, and disturbing. And leaves you thinking of all the bad things that could come about after the main character's big decision at the end.

But at the same time, it's about someone choosing to do what he believes is the right thing, despite the ramifications that might come. It's complex and gives a lot to think about in a small amount of pages.

I reread this because I am thinking about buying it as a Christmas gift for a couple of friends, but I'm not so sure. If you aren't used to dark, Irish, books, I wonder how it would land . . .

Original publication date: 2021
Author’s nationality: Irish
Length: 118 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: I pack this pretty hardcover up with my Christmas stuff every year and like to reread when it comes out in December. Also trying to decide if it would make a good present for friends.

>327 japaul22: I love the idea of packing up this perfect small book with the Christmas ornaments and revisiting it each year. I'll have to pull out my copy and add it to the decorations.

>327 japaul22: I know what you mean about "how it would land." Last year I suggested this book for my book club's December read (a few of us retired ladies meet on zoom), and I wasn't sure how it would go, as several were raised Catholic. Surprisingly, it went well; I think the "do the right thing" message comes across more strongly than the darker elements.

>327 japaul22: seems like a great gift idea.

>328 RidgewayGirl: my little hardcover looks Christmas-y, too, so it works perfectly with the Christmas decorations

>329 kac522: it is really good to know that your book club liked it overall. Swaying me towards adding it to their present.

>330 dchaikin: glad you agree it would make a good gift!

>327 japaul22: I didnt have much luck with that book either. generally like her writing but this was too dark for me

>323 japaul22: Yes it’s almost ancient history but class differences still exist in England and the hierarchy of royalty, nobles and commoners is still real. I think Australians may be more attuned to it than Americans as we remain part of the Commonwealth and the King of England is our head of state. Perhaps it was the Australian in me reacting to Sebastian et al.

>327 japaul22: - I love that book. I included it on my list of good holiday reads. I tend to like the bleaker stuff 🙂 Have you seen the film? I plan to watch it this holiday season.

The book I read every holiday season is Last Night at the Lobster which is similarly not all sweetness and light...

I also loved Small Things Like These. I think it would make a great Christmas gift for the right people.

Putting Small Things Like These on my to-read list, sounds like an interesting one.

#89 The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel

Dava Sobel has written a new biography of scientist Marie Curie that is a straight-ahead biography of Marie Curie that also focuses on the women who worked in her labs and went on to make significant discoveries of their own.

I enjoyed learning more about Marie Curie's life and her scientific discoveries. The science writing is very clear and understandable to a lay person like me. I also was interested in several of the other women in the book, especially Curie's daughters.

However, I was hoping for a little more. I'm not sure exactly what. Part of it was that if I didn't have the subtitle, I'm not sure I would have really gotten Sobel's thesis. Certainly there was a focus on women in the book, but that seemed like a no-brainer when talking about Marie Curie so it didn't seem that special of an idea.

So, this was enjoyable and informative, but, to me, just not that special. I was hoping for more from Sobel, whose Longitude I loved and found innovative as nonfiction.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 336 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: interested in the topic and have enjoyed the author before

Sounds better than some of your posts implied. The subtitle does imply a lot more than a biography.

>338 dchaikin: It's certainly not bad, it just wasn't quite as special as I was hoping from Sobel.

>337 japaul22: If you are interested in something different regarding Marie Curie, I really enjoyed the graphic work, Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout. When reading it in bed one night, I was very surprised to find that the cover glows like radiation. A startling discovery!

>340 labfs39: haha! That sounds fun! I'll keep it in mind.

#90 Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan

Katie (katiekrug in the 75ers) has been raving about this book as a holiday read for years, and I finally gave it a try. I see why she loves it so much!

It's a really clever set up. The Red Lobster is closing down and it's the last night the crew will be working together. It's four days before Christmas and there's a giant snow storm. Throw in the relationships between the workers and the happenings of a restaurant, and you get a story with great characters and a lot of heart that never gets cheesy.

I really enjoyed this and will look forward to reading more by Stewart O'Nan.

Original publication date: 2007
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 160 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: Katie's rave reviews and I like a novella that is set around Christmas without being Christmas-y in December

>342 japaul22: ...that never gets cheesy.

Hey, what about those famous biscuits?

>342 japaul22: - YAY! Glad you enjoyed it :)

>343 kac522: haha, those were delicious! And do make an appearance in the book.
I’ve not eaten in a Red Lobster since probably 1995. But I think they are still around?

>344 katiekrug: it really is the perfect book for December!

>337 japaul22: I have put it aside. Its not Galielo or Longitud -those grabbed my by the hair and kept me reading. I dunno think I,m spoiled or just not in the mood for bio write now. I hope someone can get me uo and reading it; for now Im not

>345 japaul22: I've only eaten in a Red Lobster once (I'm not a seafood fan) and the cheese biscuits were the highlight of my meal. So I couldn't let that "cheesy" comment go by unnoticed :)

>346 cindydavid4: I haven't read her Galileo book, but Longitude was fantastic. My expectations were high!

It is tough when a beloved author doesn't quite meet our expectations, though I'm glad to know to lower mine a bit for that one!

>348 japaul22: Galileo's Daughter was my first read and I was struck by her writing style in telling the story of Galileo, and filling in the missing pieces of their letters to each other. She was an intellegent woman and in a dfferent age she would have been free to find her way. We were in Italy, and saw his tomb. she was buried with him but it wasnt public knowledge till her book came out

Loved longitude as well; what a great way to learn about clocks and time and sailing

wish this one had more.

>349 mabith: yes it is. makes me want to reread one of them to remind me

>342 japaul22: I'll be reading Last Night at the Lobster soon too, Jennifer. I'm glad to see another enthusiastic review. Not that I don't trust Katie!

#91 The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

I'm so glad I finally picked up this thriller that came out a few years back. I think I saw enough "meh" reviews that I took it off my list, but I saw it again somewhere and it sounded like something I was in the mood for. And it really worked for me.

The idea is that Jacob Finch Bonner is an author whose first book put him on the literary map, but hasn't done anything subsequently. He's teaching a small residence program for writers when one of the adult students tells him he has a plot that is going to make him famous. The student's ego leads him to sharing this spectacular plot with Bonner (the reader doesn't hear it). Fast forward 3 years and Bonner is still thinking about the plot. He googles the student and finds he died without ever writing the book. So he takes the idea and writes the book and it's all the fame the two thought it would lead to. But things start to get weird when Bonner receives anonymous emails and social media messages accusing him of plagiarism.

As the second half evolves, portions of the book Bonner wrote are included in the text, slowly revealing the creative plot twist. I started to get worried at this point, because I felt like I had already predicted the "novel in the novel"'s twist plus figured out the twist that was going to happen in Bonner's personal life, and I didn't feel like it was realistic or really all that exciting of a "spectacular plot". I was annoyed for about 50 pages, but then the authors pulls it off in the end. I still think there are a few holes and leaps that the reader has to accept, but overall I really enjoyed this. I immediately put the sequel on hold at the library.

Original publication date: 2021
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 320 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: popped onto my radar again (I don't remember where!) and it sounded like it would fit my reading mood.

I also gave The Plot 4 stars and thought it was fun. I've also got the sequel on my library list...

Sounds fun J

>353 japaul22: I thoroughly enjoyed The Plot, but The Sequel is even better.

>356 RidgewayGirl: Good to know! I'm looking forward to it.

Hey everyone, every year the Marine Band records an album. In years past, for myriad reasons, we've only released our albums on CD to music educators, but this year it's streaming on youtube. I think it's an interesting and diverse program this year. Here's the link if you feel like checking it out!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA7no0L9zTk6u1vi89YQWeR0I7O5658qe

>353 japaul22: I've had this one on my radar on and off since it came out... sounds like I really need to pick it up

>356 RidgewayGirl: Good to know :)

>358 japaul22: I was just about to ask if there is a recording of the other parts of that program and found them on the same YouTube account. Thanks for sharing! :)

Yeah, the first link (that I just edited) was to one piece and I realized after I put it up that I should have linked to the entire album.

>358 japaul22: Thanks for the link. I've bookmarked it to play to the kids. I took the older niece to see the US Air Force Band's holiday concert last weekend, and it was excellent.

>353 japaul22: I tried to listen to The Plot but the narrator is so flat I could not continue with it. Then I thought of The Sequel, wondering if it had a different narrator. It does and she’s good.

But I read somewhere that it’s necessary to read The Plot first, Do you think The Sequel could be read as a standalone?

>362 labfs39: not sure how kid-accessible the new album will be, but I’ll be curious to hear if you attempt it!

>363 kjuliff: I haven’t read The Sequel yet but The Plot ends with some pretty dramatic plot twists. I think Kay read both - maybe she could comment?

>358 japaul22: how cool! I’ll try to find time to listen over the holiday.

>358 japaul22: - I've added it to my playlists to check out later.

>358 japaul22: Thanks, Jennifer! I'll listen to this performance during Christmas week.

>358 japaul22: I've listened to the Holst and am saving the rest for later. What a stunning performance! And the nerd that I am can't wait to watch the rehearsal videos.

Thanks for sharing the link to the music, Jennifer. Off to listen.

>368 kac522: Holst Suite 1 is probably my favorite band piece. Glad you enjoyed it!

#92 Circe by Madeline Miller, read by Perdita Weeks

This was a reread that I listened to this time. I really enjoyed rereading on audio, because the different format seems to bring something different to the book. I loved revisiting this and enjoyed it just as much as the first time. And the reader has a fabulous voice - I'll look to see what else she's recorded.

Original publication date: 2018
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 12 hours
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library audio book
Why I read this: heard that the reader was fantastic

>371 japaul22: - I could only find one other book narrated by her in my library system. There is a way to search by narrator which is nice. I often do an audio when I'm doing a reread. It sometimes presents a different view (?).

Just stopping by to say I enjoyed catching up on your thread and all your reviews.

#93 Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs by Marcel Pagnol

This book is in two parts, but they really combine to make one book. Though it was written in the 1960s, it is based on an old French (Provençal) story and has a simple, old fashioned feel. Jean, a hunchback with a beautiful wife and beautiful daughter (Manon), move to a small hill village and incur the jealousy of a neighboring man, Ugolin, and his uncle Papet. Ugolin and Papet want access to a spring on Jean's land so that Ugolin can make his fortune growing carnations. They block the spring to hide it and watch Jean struggle to make a go of farming without a fresh water source, hoping to buy his farm once he fails. In the second part, Manon is grown and discover's Ugolin's treachery and plans her revenge.

It's a very simple story with few surprises. The characters are also simple and there to tell the story. I was honestly a little surprised that this is such a favorite for so many people. To me, it read like a children's tale (albeit a dark one) that could have been told in 50 pages. Very moralistic and everything comes around in the end to punish and reward the right people.

I know that for many of my fellow LTers this is a favorite. I wonder if that is heavily influenced by the movie, which I see was also very popular. I'm not a movie person, so I'm doubtful I'll watch it.

Original publication date: 1963
Author’s nationality: French
Length: 448 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased used copy
Why I read this: 1001 books list, saw several positive reviews

Merry Christmas, to everyone who celebrates!

#94 Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
I loved this nature journal by author Amy Tan. It's a lovely book that also includes her own sketches of birds. I think she's a fantastic artist - I really enjoyed looking at the detailed drawings. She makes observations about her back yard birds - thinking about how they interact, what they eat, how they eat, and musing on what they think about.

I found this relaxing and inspiring during this hectic Christmas season.

Original publication date: 2024
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 320 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: saw it on "best of 2024" lists and was intrigued

>375 japaul22: Happy holidays to you, Jennifer. This book's been on my radar for awhile--glad to hear you enjoyed it. Going on my library WishList.

>374 japaul22: I did wonder what you would make of this when you said you were reading it, and your impression confirms what I suspected in terms of what I would think if I read Pagnol now. I read both Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources (published as 2 books) as an impressionable 17-year old, some of the first books I read in French. I thought they were wonderful, and I remember my mum taking me to see the films soon after (films in French! How sophisticated were we???) at the excellent art-house cinema, now closed, in Manchester. I quickly moved on to other books by Pagnol in French, and as an aspiring linguist I felt really good about that because I could read them so easily, which surely was a sign that I was exceptionally good at French. Even then, though, as I raced through his works I started to have a nagging doubt that maybe the reason I was able to devour them was that they were just so simple. There’s no way I would read them again because I think I’d be throwing them down in frustration, and that would spoil the magical memories of a door opening into reading in another language.

>377 rachbxl: That is such an interesting take on the Pagnol books! I read them several years ago, but it was after watching the films which I enjoyed. I do have a vague memory of the writing not being great but I think my interest was more in comparing book to film than it was in discovering a "great" work of literature.

Thanks for chiming in on this >377 rachbxl: >378 lauralkeet:!

I'm not sure I felt the writing wasn't good, in fact it did reflect the simplicity of the story. I was just a bit bored by the story itself. I think it was likely intentional by Pagnol? He was writing in the 1960s and I would guess he and a lot of people were intrigued by a more "wholesome" era that still had people who behaved badly, but no drugs, no pesky women's movement, etc., and that takes place in a remote mountain town rather than bustling Paris.

That is just speculation on my part.

I think if you remember the story, that's basically all there is to enjoy anyway, so probably not worth a reread.

I had a lovely Christmas and hope you all did too. We are planning a quiet week til the kids go back to school on January 6. Just getting the house back in order, seeing friends who are around, and resting before the busy school season kicks up again and we have Inauguration craziness and a new administration at the White House to figure out.

My "bookish" gifts this year were:
David Sibley's What It's Like to Be a Bird from my younger son
Versailles: A Biography of the Palace from my husband - we are going to Paris (and Versailles) in February for our 20th anniversary!
Two Old Women and Keats: A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph from my MIL (off my amazon wish list)

AND, drum roll . . . .
An Author Clock! Have you seen these? It's a clock that tells time through literary quotes. I love it. Pictures about to be added

>381 japaul22: How unusual!

>381 japaul22: Very cool!

>380 japaul22: & >381 japaul22: Yes! We have one of these! It was an apartment-warming gift from our niece. Very entertaining.

>381 japaul22: Wow! Does it change every minute?

>385 rocketjk: It's such a fun idea!

>386 FlorenceArt: You can set it to change at several different intervals. I have it set to change every 7 minutes right now - the every minute option was stressing me out as I tried to catch all of them. :-)

Oh, I always thought those author clocks looked so cool. Let me know what you think of it as (heh) time goes by. What a neat gift!

>375 japaul22: As a backyard bird watcher, I definitely want to read that Amy Tan. Plus I love it when authors also include their artwork.

That clock is so interesting - I've never heard of them. I just read Two Old Women which was a BB from Judy and enjoyed it very much. Can't wait for your comments.

>388 lisapeet: I will try to remember to do an author clock review after I've had it for a few weeks.

>389 dudes22: I'm sure I put Two Old Women on my list after seeing both you and Judy review it favorably. I might even sneak it in before the end of the year, depending on when my library holds come in.

>390 japaul22: - Why do you have a library hold if your MIL gave it to you?

>391 dudes22: Oh, I meant that if a library hold comes in (I'm waiting for Old God's Time, I might read that first and save Two Old Women since I own it. Sorry I wrote that really unclearly the first time!

>381 japaul22: My husband surprised me with that clock for our anniversary last year. It slows me down because I'm constantly pausing to read the quotes!

>393 RidgewayGirl: I should have known several LTers would already have this clock! :-)

#95 A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear

11th book in the Maisie Dobbs series. This one gets a 4 star rating for the way it continues Maisie's story, but only a 2 star for the actual mystery. It does further the action in terms of world events by placing Maisie in Gibraltar and involving her in the political upheavals in Spain. I enjoyed the setting and Maisie's personal story, but, as I said, the mystery was forgettable and I never really connected to any of the side characters in this one.

Original publication date: 2015
Author’s nationality: American
Length: 309 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: continuing with a series

#96 The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

I love this small hardcover with glossy pages. It explores 40 times the Thames has frozen over between 1142 and 1895 in a series of vignettes. Though it isn't a Christmas book, per se, it is wintery in nature, and I pack it with my Christmas decorations and display and read it every December.

Highly recommended.

Original publication date: 2007
Author’s nationality: British/Canadian
Length: 192 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: seasonal reading

>396 japaul22: The Frozen Thames was one of my birthday presents to myself this year, and it may be my first read of 2025. I love the idea of packing it with your Christmas gear.

>395 japaul22: - I'm just finishing book #6 so I could probably read your review, but I skipped it - just in case.

>393 RidgewayGirl: "It slows me down because I'm constantly pausing to read the quotes!"

We put ours in a spot where we're, um, already sitting for a bit, anyway. :)

>398 dudes22: >397 lisapeet: oh I loved that book! I read it in the summer where the idea of living on a frozen river actually feels quite refreshing. The stories are just perfect

>396 japaul22: I have The Frozen Thames as an ebook, haven't read it yet. I should get to it - maybe your review will be the push I need. It certainly sounds like something I'd enjoy...

>401 jjmcgaffey: If you can, it's certainly a book to read in paper format, with the beautiful pictures. Either way though, it is something to enjoy.