Linda Has the Goal in Sight---No. 4 for 2024
This is a continuation of the topic Linda Aims for 80 in the Third Quarter.
Talk75 Books Challenge for 2024
Join LibraryThing to post.
1laytonwoman3rd
Long ago, when we had fewer books, we also had a cat who loved ice cream and milkshakes, and would sometimes try to help himself. His name was Thibodeaux, adopted from a shelter in Louisiana, where we lived immediately after we were married.
Hi, I'm Linda, a retired paralegal, though that says very little about me nowadays, as my work life ended in 2015. I live in Northeast Pennsylvania, with my husband, flamingrabbit and our current four-footed tyrant, Molly Cat. Since giving up the legal grind, I have kept busy with volunteer work centered around libraries, cemeteries, and genealogy. I serve on the Board of Directors of the Scranton Public Library, and several of its committees. I am President of the Equinunk Cemetery Association, which is located in my home village along the Delaware River, and do as much grave-hunting and photographing as time and weather will allow for the website Find-A-Grave.com.
LT has been an essential part of my life since I joined in 2005, after my daughter lycomayflower told me about "this site where you can catalog your books." My response was something like, "Why would I want to do that?" HA! I simply can't imagine life without it anymore. I never knew how much I needed a reading community, until I found one. There are links on my profile page to my earlier reading threads.
I've been hosting an American Authors Challenge in the 75 Book Challenge Group since 2019, and details of this year's monthly challenges can be found downthread.
Finally, as some of you know, I'm averse to gifs and list-serve-type greetings, but I LOVE visitors who comment on my reading, or on other topics introduced here. Everyone is welcome to lurk or engage, as you see fit.
2laytonwoman3rd
The ticker where I will keep track of my numbers, and how pitifully I fall short of my 100 book/year reading goal. (For four years after retiring, I routinely surpassed that goal. The pandemic, for some reason, plunged me back to the low 80s, which is less than I was reading those last several years when I was still working full time.) I actually made a list of my totals for the last dozen years, and was surprised by the consistency:
2023: 81
2022: 82
2021: 85
2020: 84
2019: 104
2018: 110
2017: 100
2016: 112
2015: 86
2014: 100
2013: 82
2012: 88
3laytonwoman3rd
Here will be a list of the books I read in the current quarter of 2024.
I use some shorthand to help me keep track of my reading trends:
ROOT identifies a book that I have owned for at least a year at the time I read it.
CULL means I put the book in my donation box for the library book sale after finishing it, or otherwise gave it away.
DNF means I didn't finish the book, for one reason or another, usually explained in the related post.
ER means I received the book from LT's Early Reviewer program.
GN refers to a graphic novel, GM a graphic memoir This is not a category I use much.
An * asterisk indicates a library book.
LOA means I read a Library of America edition;
SF means the book was a Slightly Foxed edition, (NOT science fiction, which I so rarely read);
VIRAGO means it was an original green-spined Virago edition from my own collection;
FOLIO indicates a Folio Society edition.
AUDIO and e-Book are self-explanatory, and probably won't appear very often.
AAC refers to the American Author Challenge.
NF indicates a non-fiction read.
TR indicates a work in translation
RR means it's a re-read for me
Clicking on titles in this post will take you to the message in which I reviewed or commented on that book. This is true of my reading lists for the rest of the year in posts below as well.
OCTOBER
*67. Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson
*68. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
69. Ride with Me, Mariah Montana by Ivan Doig ROOT
70. Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah
71. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
*DNF The Mythmakers by John Hendrix GN
NOVEMBER
72. By the Waters of Manhattan by Charles Reznikoff ROOT, AAC
73. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride ROOT, AAC, CULL
74. The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri ROOT, CULL
75. Village Diary by Miss Read ROOT
76. The March by E. L. Doctorow ROOT
77. The Highwayman by Craig Johnson ROOT
78. Darkness Visible by William Styron ROOT
79. An Owl on Every Post by Sanora Babb ROOT, NF
DECEMBER
80. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson ROOT, NF
81. A Colorful Palate by Raj Tawnet ROOT, CULL, NF
82. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee FOLIO, RR
83. The Tribal Knot by Rebecca McClanahan AAC, NF
I use some shorthand to help me keep track of my reading trends:
ROOT identifies a book that I have owned for at least a year at the time I read it.
CULL means I put the book in my donation box for the library book sale after finishing it, or otherwise gave it away.
DNF means I didn't finish the book, for one reason or another, usually explained in the related post.
ER means I received the book from LT's Early Reviewer program.
GN refers to a graphic novel, GM a graphic memoir This is not a category I use much.
An * asterisk indicates a library book.
LOA means I read a Library of America edition;
SF means the book was a Slightly Foxed edition, (NOT science fiction, which I so rarely read);
VIRAGO means it was an original green-spined Virago edition from my own collection;
FOLIO indicates a Folio Society edition.
AUDIO and e-Book are self-explanatory, and probably won't appear very often.
AAC refers to the American Author Challenge.
NF indicates a non-fiction read.
TR indicates a work in translation
RR means it's a re-read for me
Clicking on titles in this post will take you to the message in which I reviewed or commented on that book. This is true of my reading lists for the rest of the year in posts below as well.
OCTOBER
*67. Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson
*68. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
69. Ride with Me, Mariah Montana by Ivan Doig ROOT
70. Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah
71. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
*DNF The Mythmakers by John Hendrix GN
NOVEMBER
72. By the Waters of Manhattan by Charles Reznikoff ROOT, AAC
73. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride ROOT, AAC, CULL
74. The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri ROOT, CULL
75. Village Diary by Miss Read ROOT
76. The March by E. L. Doctorow ROOT
77. The Highwayman by Craig Johnson ROOT
78. Darkness Visible by William Styron ROOT
79. An Owl on Every Post by Sanora Babb ROOT, NF
DECEMBER
80. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson ROOT, NF
81. A Colorful Palate by Raj Tawnet ROOT, CULL, NF
82. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee FOLIO, RR
83. The Tribal Knot by Rebecca McClanahan AAC, NF
4laytonwoman3rd
My third quarter reading:
JULY
45. You Never Know by Tom Selleck NF, CULL
46. Girl Gone Missing by Marcie Rendon
47. Sinister Graves by Marcie Rendon
48. The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin NF
49. Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan
50. The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman CULL
AUGUST
51. Ghost Towns of North Mountain by F. Charles Petrillo ROOT, NF
52. An Orphan in History by Paul Cowan ROOT, NF
53. The Way it is Now by Garry Disher CULL
54. James by Percival Everett
55. The Journey by James Norbury
*56. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and also
DNF The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis under the same link. ROOT
57. Lost Nation by Jeffrey Lent ROOT, AAC
*58. Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
SEPTEMBER
59. Kickback by Garry Disher e-Book
60. That Librarian by Amanda Jones NF
61. A Cab at the Door by V. S. Pritchett ROOT, SF
62. Sammy Two Shoes by Phillip Depoy
63. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat ROOT, AAC
64. Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner ROOT
65. Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson ROOT
66. Stoner by John Williams ROOT
JULY
45. You Never Know by Tom Selleck NF, CULL
46. Girl Gone Missing by Marcie Rendon
47. Sinister Graves by Marcie Rendon
48. The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin NF
49. Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan
50. The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman CULL
AUGUST
51. Ghost Towns of North Mountain by F. Charles Petrillo ROOT, NF
52. An Orphan in History by Paul Cowan ROOT, NF
53. The Way it is Now by Garry Disher CULL
54. James by Percival Everett
55. The Journey by James Norbury
*56. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and also
DNF The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis under the same link. ROOT
57. Lost Nation by Jeffrey Lent ROOT, AAC
*58. Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
SEPTEMBER
59. Kickback by Garry Disher e-Book
60. That Librarian by Amanda Jones NF
61. A Cab at the Door by V. S. Pritchett ROOT, SF
62. Sammy Two Shoes by Phillip Depoy
63. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat ROOT, AAC
64. Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner ROOT
65. Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson ROOT
66. Stoner by John Williams ROOT
5laytonwoman3rd
My second quarter reading went like this:
APRIL
22. Harm Done by Ruth Rendell CULL
23. ZABAR'S by Lori Zabar NF, AAC, ROOT, CULL
24. Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres ROOT
*25. The Hunter by Tana French
*26. Kissed A Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie
27. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams NF, CULL
28. A William Maxwell Portrait by Charles Baxter et al. NF, AAC
MAY
*29. Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah
30. Rain Breaks No Bones by Barbara J. Taylor
*31. The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier YA
*32. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris
*33. Northern Fried Chicken by James T. "Chimsey" Williams NF
34. The Folded Leaf by William Maxwell LOA, AAC, ROOT
*DNF The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder by C. L. Miller
JUNE
35. Octopus Mind by Rachel Carney
*36. Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke
*37. Selected Works of Audre Lord NF, AAC
38. The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan
39. Currents in the Electric City various authors
40. Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby AAC, NF
41. The Virgin and the Gypsy by D. H. Lawrence BAC, FOLIO, ROOT
*DNF The Boy With a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund
42. Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf ROOT
*43. Thirst by Mary Oliver AAC
*44. Morally Straight by Mike DeSocio NF, AAC
APRIL
22. Harm Done by Ruth Rendell CULL
23. ZABAR'S by Lori Zabar NF, AAC, ROOT, CULL
24. Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres ROOT
*25. The Hunter by Tana French
*26. Kissed A Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie
27. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams NF, CULL
28. A William Maxwell Portrait by Charles Baxter et al. NF, AAC
MAY
*29. Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah
30. Rain Breaks No Bones by Barbara J. Taylor
*31. The Chocolate Wars by Robert Cormier YA
*32. What Angels Fear by C. S. Harris
*33. Northern Fried Chicken by James T. "Chimsey" Williams NF
34. The Folded Leaf by William Maxwell LOA, AAC, ROOT
*DNF The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder by C. L. Miller
JUNE
35. Octopus Mind by Rachel Carney
*36. Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke
*37. Selected Works of Audre Lord NF, AAC
38. The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan
39. Currents in the Electric City various authors
40. Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby AAC, NF
41. The Virgin and the Gypsy by D. H. Lawrence BAC, FOLIO, ROOT
*DNF The Boy With a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund
42. Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf ROOT
*43. Thirst by Mary Oliver AAC
*44. Morally Straight by Mike DeSocio NF, AAC
6laytonwoman3rd
Way back at the beginning of 2024, I accomplished this:
JANUARY
1. Sula by Toni Morrison ROOT, CULL
2. Heading North by Holly M. Wendt
3. In Between; Creativity Set Free by Don Freas NF
*4. Force of Nature by Jane Harper
5. Calico Lane by Judy Kiehart
*6 Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
*7. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie
FEBRUARY
*8. North Woods by Daniel Mason
*9. Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri
10. People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman CULL
11. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk CULL, TR
12. The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell ROOT
13. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ROOT, NF
14. The Commonplace Book of Pie by Kate Lebo ROOT, RR, NF
15. No, I Won't Bow Down on That Dirty Ground by Maurice Martinez ROOT, NF
16. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe NF
MARCH
17. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote AAC, ROOT, CULL
18. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple ROOT, CULL
19. Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard ROOT
*20. Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
21. The Black Box: Writing the Race by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. NF
JANUARY
1. Sula by Toni Morrison ROOT, CULL
2. Heading North by Holly M. Wendt
3. In Between; Creativity Set Free by Don Freas NF
*4. Force of Nature by Jane Harper
5. Calico Lane by Judy Kiehart
*6 Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
*7. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie
FEBRUARY
*8. North Woods by Daniel Mason
*9. Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri
10. People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman CULL
11. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk CULL, TR
12. The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell ROOT
13. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. ROOT, NF
14. The Commonplace Book of Pie by Kate Lebo ROOT, RR, NF
15. No, I Won't Bow Down on That Dirty Ground by Maurice Martinez ROOT, NF
16. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe NF
MARCH
17. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote AAC, ROOT, CULL
18. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple ROOT, CULL
19. Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard ROOT
*20. Dry Bones by Craig Johnson
21. The Black Box: Writing the Race by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. NF
7laytonwoman3rd
New Books 1-55 can be found on my previous thread. From October 1 forward this will be the list:
56. The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
57. Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
58. Testimony by Charles Reznikoff
59. Of Time and Turtles by Sy Montgomery
60. The Horse by Willy Vlautin
8laytonwoman3rd
SOMETIMES, a few just have to go....Here's a link to my previous Books Removed From Library thread, which probably no one cares about but me. I have managed to move 141 books out at this point, and hope to continue some culling as the year winds down---those I will keep track of here:
142. Babel-17/Empire Star by Samuel R. Delany
143. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
144. The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri
145. Steinbeck: Travels With Charley & Later Novels duplicate copy
145. Cheever: Collected Stories & Other Writings
146. Cheever: Complete Novels
147. Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino
9laytonwoman3rd
Here's the line-up for the 2024 American Authors Challenge:
(I put links here to each month's thread as it is created.
And, I will update this post periodically with my personal choices and completions in the challenge.)
JANUARY: Mark Twain
January thread is here.
FEBRUARY: Susan Sontag
Her thread is here.
Read and skimmed portions of the Moser biography and first section of "Against Interpretation" Enough.
MARCH: Truman Capote
The Capote Thread
Finished Other Voices, Other Rooms
APRIL: General Non-Fiction (with host Caroline Caroline_McElwee)
Here is the April thread
Finished Zabar's by Lori Zabar
MAY: William Maxwell
The Maxwell Thread
Finished A William Maxwell Portrait and A Folded Leaf
JUNE: Queer Authors (with host Dr. Laura Koons lycomayflower) Here you will find the thread for Queer Authors.
Finished Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby and Selected Works of Audre Lord
DNF The Boy With a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund
Finished Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts by Mike de Socio
Finished Thirst by Mary Oliver
JULY: Susan Power a/k/a Mona Susan Power
Here is the thread for Mona Susan Power.
DNF A Council of Dolls
AUGUST: Jeffrey Lent
The August thread is here.
Finished Lost Nation
SEPTEMBER: Living American authors who were born outside the US but adopted this country as their home.
AMERICAN BY CHOICE
Finished Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
OCTOBER: Katharine Anne Porter
Here is the Porter thread Read selections from her Katherine Ann Porter: Collected Stories and Other Writings
NOVEMBER: Jewish American Authors (with host Kristel kristelh)
The November Thread is here.
Finished The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride and By the Waters of Manhattan by Charles Reznikoff; read "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy", "From the Diary of One Not Born", and "Gimpel the Fool" by Isaac Bashevis Singer
DECEMBER: The Heartland (regional authors from the middle of the country)
Here is the December thread
Finished The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
WILD CARD : 2015 Redux Pick an author from the 2015 Challenge Wild Card Thread for 2024
EXTRA POINTS CHALLENGE
Complete the challenge by reading at least one work from the author or category featured each month AND one work from the Wildcard list each month.
(Just like the main challenge, this earns you no points whatsoever.)
The general discussion thread for the 2024 AAC Challenge is here.
(I put links here to each month's thread as it is created.
And, I will update this post periodically with my personal choices and completions in the challenge.)
JANUARY: Mark Twain
January thread is here.
FEBRUARY: Susan Sontag
Her thread is here.
Read and skimmed portions of the Moser biography and first section of "Against Interpretation" Enough.
MARCH: Truman Capote
The Capote Thread
Finished Other Voices, Other Rooms
APRIL: General Non-Fiction (with host Caroline Caroline_McElwee)
Here is the April thread
Finished Zabar's by Lori Zabar
MAY: William Maxwell
The Maxwell Thread
Finished A William Maxwell Portrait and A Folded Leaf
JUNE: Queer Authors (with host Dr. Laura Koons lycomayflower) Here you will find the thread for Queer Authors.
Finished Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby and Selected Works of Audre Lord
DNF The Boy With a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund
Finished Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts by Mike de Socio
Finished Thirst by Mary Oliver
JULY: Susan Power a/k/a Mona Susan Power
Here is the thread for Mona Susan Power.
DNF A Council of Dolls
AUGUST: Jeffrey Lent
The August thread is here.
Finished Lost Nation
SEPTEMBER: Living American authors who were born outside the US but adopted this country as their home.
AMERICAN BY CHOICE
Finished Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
OCTOBER: Katharine Anne Porter
Here is the Porter thread Read selections from her Katherine Ann Porter: Collected Stories and Other Writings
NOVEMBER: Jewish American Authors (with host Kristel kristelh)
The November Thread is here.
Finished The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride and By the Waters of Manhattan by Charles Reznikoff; read "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy", "From the Diary of One Not Born", and "Gimpel the Fool" by Isaac Bashevis Singer
DECEMBER: The Heartland (regional authors from the middle of the country)
Here is the December thread
Finished The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
WILD CARD : 2015 Redux Pick an author from the 2015 Challenge Wild Card Thread for 2024
EXTRA POINTS CHALLENGE
Complete the challenge by reading at least one work from the author or category featured each month AND one work from the Wildcard list each month.
(Just like the main challenge, this earns you no points whatsoever.)
The general discussion thread for the 2024 AAC Challenge is here.
10laytonwoman3rd
You are all cordially invited to drop in and take your chances!
13laytonwoman3rd
>11 figsfromthistle: He was cute, but he was ornery...not a cuddlebug like our Molly. He did provide us with some memorable moments, though.
>12 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Poor critter could not figure out how to make the straw work, but I'm pretty sure he did get the last few slurps of the shake anyway.
>12 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Poor critter could not figure out how to make the straw work, but I'm pretty sure he did get the last few slurps of the shake anyway.
14kaylinb-GT
Happy new thread!
>8 laytonwoman3rd: That's an impressive list! My shelves aren't quite that extensive, but I am reaching a point where I'll need to cull soon. I feel so attached to them though, so I don't know how I'll decide...
>8 laytonwoman3rd: That's an impressive list! My shelves aren't quite that extensive, but I am reaching a point where I'll need to cull soon. I feel so attached to them though, so I don't know how I'll decide...
16Caroline_McElwee
>1 laytonwoman3rd: Ha smart cat.
19PaulCranswick
Happy new thread, Linda.
20msf59
Happy October, Linda. Happy New Thread. I will have to give Stoner another try. I know how many have praised this novel but it left me a bit cold. It certainly didn't feel like a Haruf to me. Maybe, it was just a matter of timing.
ETA- I had you down for a shared read of Ride with Me, Mariah Montana. Are you still up for joining us, this month?
ETA- I had you down for a shared read of Ride with Me, Mariah Montana. Are you still up for joining us, this month?
23laytonwoman3rd
>14 kaylinb-GT: Thank you, and welcome! I think we've had GIT students "studying" us before...this is a terrific on-line community, and I hope you may find it a congenial place to hang around even after your course is finished.
>15 alcottacre: Hey, Stasia!
>16 Caroline_McElwee: Oh, he was smart alright. He knew how doorknobs were supposed to work--he would hang from one by his front feet, trying his best to turn it, but no joy.
>17 quondame: Welcome, Susan!
>18 jessibud2: I know...the cat's the star, always.
>19 PaulCranswick:, >20 msf59: Good to see you guys here --and yes, Mark, I will try to fit the Doig in this month.
>20 msf59:, >21 drneutron: JIM! and FOGGI! More welcome visitors.
>15 alcottacre: Hey, Stasia!
>16 Caroline_McElwee: Oh, he was smart alright. He knew how doorknobs were supposed to work--he would hang from one by his front feet, trying his best to turn it, but no joy.
>17 quondame: Welcome, Susan!
>18 jessibud2: I know...the cat's the star, always.
>19 PaulCranswick:, >20 msf59: Good to see you guys here --and yes, Mark, I will try to fit the Doig in this month.
>20 msf59:, >21 drneutron: JIM! and FOGGI! More welcome visitors.
24vancouverdeb
Happy New Thread, Linda!
25laytonwoman3rd
>24 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb!
26laytonwoman3rd
67. Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson No. 6, I believe, in the Jackson Brodie series. As quirky and full of plot twists and odd characters as Atkinson's previous books. In this one Brodie gets hired to find an allegedly stolen painting, and ends up in a farcical version of a classic manor house mystery, stumbling over dead bodies both real and theatrical (really, who has time to sort them out?). A romp through British cliches with stock characters just slightly skewed. Atkinson's usual abundance of literary references (not quite so excessive as sometimes), parenthetical asides, red herrings, perilous moments anti-climactically defused, and send-ups of the upper class.
27Caroline_McElwee
>26 laytonwoman3rd: Wasn’t inspired by this one Linda, tho only read the first Brodie book, which suggests that didn’t blow me away.
28laytonwoman3rd
>27 Caroline_McElwee: I read the first one back in 2011, Caroline, and I didn't say too much about it, except that I really liked it. I don't remember thinking it was quite as off-beat as the later ones became.
29laytonwoman3rd
Your reward for lurking today:
Bookshop.org is having a 2-day free shipping event, which they are calling Anti-Prime Days. Good time to order those books you've been thinking about, and support your favorite independent bookstore at the same time...
I will also point out that a new LT member, kaylinb-GT, is studying LibraryThing for a course in building on-line communities. She interviewed me yesterday, and it was a lovely experience. She could use another participant or two. If anyone is interested, send her a message through her profile.
Bookshop.org is having a 2-day free shipping event, which they are calling Anti-Prime Days. Good time to order those books you've been thinking about, and support your favorite independent bookstore at the same time...
I will also point out that a new LT member, kaylinb-GT, is studying LibraryThing for a course in building on-line communities. She interviewed me yesterday, and it was a lovely experience. She could use another participant or two. If anyone is interested, send her a message through her profile.
30laytonwoman3rd
68. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore WHEEEEE! What a ride. A real gripper of a mystery/thriller. The elements are irresistible: two missing children from the same family, nearly 15 years apart; dysfunctional families with and without vast resources; the Adirondack forest, with a lake; the 1960s and 1970s, when so much was changing; rotten men, scheming women, frightened children, rebellious teenagers, escaped convicts, red herrings...I could go on. But Moore has assembled, embellished and arranged all of these familiar bits into a totally engrossing story that sped by. I had a theory or two, rejected what I thought were obvious misleads, totally overlooked what should have been a significant clue, and was quite satisfied with how it all wrapped up. Most fun I've had with a book in a long time.
31lauralkeet
>30 laytonwoman3rd: wasn't that a great read? I loved it too.
32alcottacre
>26 laytonwoman3rd: I am slowly but surely making my way through the Jackson Brodie series again so it will be a while before I get to that one, but I am looking forward to it when I do.
>29 laytonwoman3rd: If the annual Joplin Meet up was not in a week, I would be doing that Anti-Prime shopping. However, I will be buying books (and possibly games) at Changing Hands, an independent book store, in a week (I hope!)
>30 laytonwoman3rd: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.
>29 laytonwoman3rd: If the annual Joplin Meet up was not in a week, I would be doing that Anti-Prime shopping. However, I will be buying books (and possibly games) at Changing Hands, an independent book store, in a week (I hope!)
>30 laytonwoman3rd: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.
33msf59
Sweet Thursday, Linda. Hooray for The God of the Woods. I just finished it yesterday. What a treat. Moore has quickly become a favorite author. I also started Ride With Me, Mariah Montana and based on the first 20-plus pages, I can tell this one will be a treat too.
34katiekrug
Great review of The God of the Woods, Linda. I'm looking forward to it. My e-book hold has come in a couple of times and I've deferred checking it out each time because I'm trying to concentrate on finishing up a reading challenge. I love that Overdrive/Libby feature, as it maintains my place in line but eases the stress of holds coming in at inopportunte times :)
35ffortsa
>30 laytonwoman3rd: Why didn't I star your thread in January? No wonder I feel like I'm missing folks.
As a reward for stopping in, I got a BB from you for The God of the Woods. Sounds very exciting.
As a reward for stopping in, I got a BB from you for The God of the Woods. Sounds very exciting.
36laytonwoman3rd
>31 lauralkeet: Yup. And I want more Moore.
>32 alcottacre: Ah, well, you are doing your part for Indie Bookstores, and that's good!
>33 msf59: I'm having a little trouble with the Doig...I'm not loving Jick's voice, and the constant bickering is wearing thin after 40-some pages. I hope he has more of a story to tell than he's doing so far.
>32 alcottacre: Ah, well, you are doing your part for Indie Bookstores, and that's good!
>33 msf59: I'm having a little trouble with the Doig...I'm not loving Jick's voice, and the constant bickering is wearing thin after 40-some pages. I hope he has more of a story to tell than he's doing so far.
37lauralkeet
>36 laytonwoman3rd: And I want more Moore
I really liked her previous novel, Long Bright River. It doesn't look like that one is in your library ...
I really liked her previous novel, Long Bright River. It doesn't look like that one is in your library ...
38laytonwoman3rd
>37 lauralkeet: No, somehow I missed the buzz on that one, Laura, or possibly I passed it by, given the drug addict on the street element, which wouldn't ordinarily draw me in. Having read Moore's work now, I do think I'll give it a go. My public library does have several copies, so I should be able to grab it whenever I'm ready.
39katiekrug
Moore wrote two (at least?) other books before hitting it big with Long Bright River (which is excellent). I haven't read The Unseen World, but I really loved Heft. It's a very different kind of book from LBR and TGotW.
40laytonwoman3rd
>39 katiekrug: She sure has mastered the trick of keeping a reader engaged. I'll get to Long Bright River very soon, I expect.
41msf59
Morning, Linda. Are you hanging in there with the Doig? It sounds like you weren't getting into it. I should finish it by tomorrow. I am enjoying it. I also have you down for The Sentence for October. Are you still interested?
42laytonwoman3rd
>41 msf59: Hi, Mark. I am getting along better with Jick, but Riley and Mariah are just annoying me. I still feel the story is weak, although some individual incidents have been wonderful, like the moving-the-bear scene.
I'm not sure yet about The Sentence. A couple busy weeks coming up, so I may not get to it. We'll see.
I'm not sure yet about The Sentence. A couple busy weeks coming up, so I may not get to it. We'll see.
43alcottacre
>42 laytonwoman3rd: I finished Mariah Montana this morning, Linda, and ended up giving the book 3.75 stars. Mark ranked it slightly higher than I did, giving it 4 stars.
44laytonwoman3rd
>43 alcottacre: I'm still plodding along...fell asleep reading it this afternoon, but that's mostly because I was up at 5:00 a.m. to take my husband for cataract surgery. The book has its moments, but overall it feels like work.
45laytonwoman3rd
69. Ride With Me, Mariah Montana by Ivan Doig Doig just didn't reach me with this one. It's the third in his McCaskill trilogy, the first two of which were rare treats. We first met our narrator, Jick McCaskill, in English Creek, as he learned the basics of ranching and sheepherding from his father and uncle. Jick's coming-of-age story was marvelous; his coming-to-terms-with-age story was often a slog. The prose felt labored, repetitious, awkward. The characters, particularly Jick's daughter and former son-in-law were unlikable squabblers who were both old enough to know better, and after the first 40 pages of their constant bickering with each other and sparring with Jick, I was ready to give up on them. But there were glimmers of the style, humor and story that I've previously loved in Doig's work, so I persisted, though it continued to be hard. Despite a few near-brilliant bits, I found the road trip at the center of Ride with Me to be aimless and often tedious. That it eventually led to a fairly satisfactory destination for everyone involved did not make up for the hours of monotony; it was my plaintive voice whining "Are we there yet?" over and over.
46laytonwoman3rd
70. Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah A lovely story about a little boy and his teddy bear taking an unauthorized expedition "into the world beyond the shadow of home". Beautiful water color illustrations by Sabina Hahn. Some important life lessons about disagreement and conflict resolution cleverly, if not very subtly, presented.
47jessibud2
>46 laytonwoman3rd: - I saw this recently at the bookstore but I think I'll borrow it from the library.
48msf59
Hi, Linda. I am glad you hung in there with Mariah Montana. I agree with your complaints, but it still worked better for me. Tighter editing would have helped. I will start The Sentence today.
49alcottacre
>45 laytonwoman3rd: It seemed to me that Doig basically used the road trip as a mechanism for Jick to reminisce. I liked the book better than you did, it sounds like, but it is definitely not top tier Doig.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
50laytonwoman3rd
71. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Another favorite author kind of letting me down...I hate when that happens. I was reluctant to read this novel when it first came out---just was not ready for anything dealing with the pandemic. I pre-ordered a signed copy of it directly from Birchbark Books, though, 'cause, well, 'cause. So now I have read it. I liked some things about it very much. The characters of Tookie, Pollux, and Hetta---marvelous. And a good set of secondary characters. The setting---Erdrich's own bookstore, a place I would love to visit. However, overall the story didn't work very well for me. Like some other readers have mentioned, the actual events of 2019-2021 felt patched in, and not complementary to Tookie's quest to understand why her former customer's ghost was hanging around after apparently being shocked to death by one sentence of an old manuscript. THAT story had great potential, but it was not realized. When the big reveal finally came, I was so bewildered I had to go back and read earlier sections, sometimes more than once, to get what we were meant to understand about Flora's past, and how it mattered to Tookie. I very much want to read THAT story, as it should have been written, without the extraneous social commentary. The two things did not fit together well. Erdrich should have done better. And her editor should have told her to.
(If you've read The Sentence and still have your copy at hand, I would ask you to turn to page 356, read the paragraph that begins "Wait, it struck me." and tell me if it made any sense to you immediately. I felt I MUST have missed something, and that something was never provided. I am equally puzzled by the fact that none of the many reviews I read seemed to mention having this reaction.) A reluctant 3 stars...the writing was good, as always. And maybe 10 years from now, the parts I wished were not there would strike me differently, but having lived through it all once, I don't think I'll read about it twice.
(If you've read The Sentence and still have your copy at hand, I would ask you to turn to page 356, read the paragraph that begins "Wait, it struck me." and tell me if it made any sense to you immediately. I felt I MUST have missed something, and that something was never provided. I am equally puzzled by the fact that none of the many reviews I read seemed to mention having this reaction.) A reluctant 3 stars...the writing was good, as always. And maybe 10 years from now, the parts I wished were not there would strike me differently, but having lived through it all once, I don't think I'll read about it twice.
51laytonwoman3rd
DNF The Mythmakers The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien by John Hendrix
Meh. Maybe, if you like a graphic presentation (which I freely admit I do not), and are interested in a quick and quirky summary of the Lewis/Tolkien friendship, and the whole myth/folktale/legend/fairy tale/fantasy question, this might be for you. All the important stuff does seem to be in there, but having just attended a six-session forum on this subject for which we watched the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy including a fair bit of the extras, read and watched part of the C. S. Lewis Chronicles and discussed it all at length, I felt this format shortchanged the dignity of both authors and the depth of their subject matter. (Don't tell Dr. Mayflower I said that...she'll eat my liver.) YMMV
Meh. Maybe, if you like a graphic presentation (which I freely admit I do not), and are interested in a quick and quirky summary of the Lewis/Tolkien friendship, and the whole myth/folktale/legend/fairy tale/fantasy question, this might be for you. All the important stuff does seem to be in there, but having just attended a six-session forum on this subject for which we watched the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy including a fair bit of the extras, read and watched part of the C. S. Lewis Chronicles and discussed it all at length, I felt this format shortchanged the dignity of both authors and the depth of their subject matter. (Don't tell Dr. Mayflower I said that...she'll eat my liver.) YMMV
52lauralkeet
I was lukewarm about The Sentence too, Linda. And after that and >51 laytonwoman3rd: you are overdue for a good read!
53lycomayflower
>51 laytonwoman3rd: Look here, Mims
54kac522
>51 laytonwoman3rd: Isn't this meant for middle-grade/YA readers? I haven't read this one, but I did read his graphic book on Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, and I thought for YA readers it was accessible without being too simple.
55laytonwoman3rd
>54 kac522: It certainly had that feel to it, Kathy. I think I am definitely not the target audience for various reasons, and I didn't star rate it, because it didn't seem fair to do so. lycomayflower can address this question better---she seemed to approve of it, and she's got all the letters after her name, so...
>53 lycomayflower: You should know me better by now!
>52 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I am enjoying my current read, By the Waters of Manhattan.
>53 lycomayflower: You should know me better by now!
>52 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I am enjoying my current read, By the Waters of Manhattan.
56laytonwoman3rd
72. By the Waters of Manhattan by Charles Reznikoff
Lionel Trilling called this short novel "the first story of the Jewish immigrant that is not false". I'm not sure what he meant by that, or what other stories he was comparing it to, but "realism" is definitely an appropriate category to place it in. It is a totally unsentimental tale, in two distinct parts, of a family of Russian Jews both in the Old Country, and in the Manhattan of the late 19th century. We meet Sarah Yetta as a young girl in the village of Elizavetgrad, in what is now central Ukraine. She yearns to go to school like her older brother, but must stay home to help her mother as the family grows year by year. Nevertheless, Sarah Yetta reads and learns as much as she can. The family’s fortunes rise and fall--they move house many times, sometimes for the better, often not. As Sarah Yetta grows older, she meets and rejects a number of suitors, and begins to urge her widowed mother to emigrate to America. Mama will not even consider it, so eventually Sarah Yetta borrows money from an uncle, and makes the trip on her own, taking up life as a seamstress in Brooklyn where she moves between jobs and homes as often as her parents had done in Russia. This first part of Reznikoff’s novel reminded me of reading my grandmother’s diaries, or my mother’s beloved lists of dates and events (she kept track of her various jobs, the houses she had lived in, birth/marriage/death dates of family members, etc.). There is little narrative structure, and no plot at all. I chuckled to myself when, after finishing the book, I turned to the Introduction and found that the author’s mother had written a summary of her early life, which he reworked into the first half of this novel. Part two takes us ahead in time where we meet Sarah Yetta’s son, Ezekiel, a young man of 20-or-so who has an artist’s soul, but no training in or real affinity for any given Art. He spends much of his time in libraries and museums, never finding a direction for his life. Although he eventually opens a bookstore in Greenwich Village, and against all odds makes a modest success of it, he takes little satisfaction from the endeavor, nor from his half-hearted attempts at finding romance. At the end of Part One, his mother, who has worked hard all her life, yet barely managed to rise above the level of survival, says "We are a lost generation...It is for our children to do what they can." Yet Sarah Yetta always had a drive, a motivation to improve her situation, an idea about what should come next; her son, on the other hand, seemed to have no notion as to what he might want to strive for.
Reznikoff was primarily a poet, and there are bits of stunning prose in the second part of this novel that suggest I should get my hands on some of that output.
Once again, the David R. Godine Publishing Co. must be given credit for introducing me to an author whose work might never have appeared on my radar but for their annual catalog of not-to-be-forgotten gems. By the Waters of Manhattan was published under their Black Sparrow imprint.
Lionel Trilling called this short novel "the first story of the Jewish immigrant that is not false". I'm not sure what he meant by that, or what other stories he was comparing it to, but "realism" is definitely an appropriate category to place it in. It is a totally unsentimental tale, in two distinct parts, of a family of Russian Jews both in the Old Country, and in the Manhattan of the late 19th century. We meet Sarah Yetta as a young girl in the village of Elizavetgrad, in what is now central Ukraine. She yearns to go to school like her older brother, but must stay home to help her mother as the family grows year by year. Nevertheless, Sarah Yetta reads and learns as much as she can. The family’s fortunes rise and fall--they move house many times, sometimes for the better, often not. As Sarah Yetta grows older, she meets and rejects a number of suitors, and begins to urge her widowed mother to emigrate to America. Mama will not even consider it, so eventually Sarah Yetta borrows money from an uncle, and makes the trip on her own, taking up life as a seamstress in Brooklyn where she moves between jobs and homes as often as her parents had done in Russia. This first part of Reznikoff’s novel reminded me of reading my grandmother’s diaries, or my mother’s beloved lists of dates and events (she kept track of her various jobs, the houses she had lived in, birth/marriage/death dates of family members, etc.). There is little narrative structure, and no plot at all. I chuckled to myself when, after finishing the book, I turned to the Introduction and found that the author’s mother had written a summary of her early life, which he reworked into the first half of this novel. Part two takes us ahead in time where we meet Sarah Yetta’s son, Ezekiel, a young man of 20-or-so who has an artist’s soul, but no training in or real affinity for any given Art. He spends much of his time in libraries and museums, never finding a direction for his life. Although he eventually opens a bookstore in Greenwich Village, and against all odds makes a modest success of it, he takes little satisfaction from the endeavor, nor from his half-hearted attempts at finding romance. At the end of Part One, his mother, who has worked hard all her life, yet barely managed to rise above the level of survival, says "We are a lost generation...It is for our children to do what they can." Yet Sarah Yetta always had a drive, a motivation to improve her situation, an idea about what should come next; her son, on the other hand, seemed to have no notion as to what he might want to strive for.
Reznikoff was primarily a poet, and there are bits of stunning prose in the second part of this novel that suggest I should get my hands on some of that output.
Once again, the David R. Godine Publishing Co. must be given credit for introducing me to an author whose work might never have appeared on my radar but for their annual catalog of not-to-be-forgotten gems. By the Waters of Manhattan was published under their Black Sparrow imprint.
57alcottacre
Dropping by to let you know that after only owning the book for 14 years (based on your recommendation), I have finally started A Soldier of the Great War. So far, so good!
>72 Kristelh: I am going to have to see if I can locate a copy of that one. It sounds right up my alley!
>72 Kristelh: I am going to have to see if I can locate a copy of that one. It sounds right up my alley!
58laytonwoman3rd
>57 alcottacre: Well, 14 years isn't so bad! Look at all the books you have read in that time.
I see by my catalog that I loaned my copy to lycomayflower six years ago, and apparently she hasn't got to it yet, so...
I see by my catalog that I loaned my copy to lycomayflower six years ago, and apparently she hasn't got to it yet, so...
59laytonwoman3rd
FYI: The NYT Tech Guild people are on strike, and ask that we refrain from their games today. So, no Wordle or Connections for me. Although I don't post results here, I am something of a fanatic about those two. I will stick to the Merriam Webster offerings and Candy Crush for mental gymnastics today.
60weird_O
>58 laytonwoman3rd: I loaned my copy...six years ago...so... I retrieved a couple of loaned books from my daughter just this past week. One she's had since going to college in 1992. The Clocks of Columbus, a bio of James Thurber. I added it to my catalog for the first time last night. The other book is Casey Cep's book about Harper Lee.
I think I might be back. Here. To LT.
I think I might be back. Here. To LT.
61jessibud2
>59 laytonwoman3rd: - I was able to access wordle today, Linda. Hadn't heard anything about a strike.
62laytonwoman3rd
>61 jessibud2: There's no problem with access, Shelley. It was simply a request for support from the Tech Guild, of which the game developers are members.
>60 weird_O: I hope you are, indeed, back, Bill. And the Cep book was a 5 star read for me.
>60 weird_O: I hope you are, indeed, back, Bill. And the Cep book was a 5 star read for me.
63RBeffa
>59 laytonwoman3rd: For the longest time I pooh poohed most online games. I couldn't stay interested very long. But I confess to having played candy crush friends for nearly 2 years now. I usually play it with my morning coffee.
64laytonwoman3rd
>63 RBeffa: Yeah...they draw me in, especially the word-based ones. But I sometimes have to speak very sternly to myself about Candy Crush. I believe the others are good mental challenges, healthy for the brain, etc.
65alcottacre
>58 laytonwoman3rd: Well, I received my copy of By the Waters of Manhattan today. Hopefully it will not take me nearly as long to read as A Soldier of the Great War!
66laytonwoman3rd
>65 alcottacre: It's considerably shorter, that's for sure!
67laytonwoman3rd
>62 laytonwoman3rd: An alternative to the NYT puzzles, while the strike goes on, provided by the game developers.
QUORDLE from Merriam Webster is also good.
QUORDLE from Merriam Webster is also good.
69laytonwoman3rd
73. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Sorry to say this novel didn't work well for me at all. It would almost draw me in with bits of intriguing story and then smother me in wordy repetitious passages where I'd find myself turning a page without having taken in the content. It reminded me of listening to a jazz composition where every so often I'd be engaged in what felt like music, but a lot of the time I'd hear only noise. There are wonderful story elements in here, but I had little patience for the way the novel was put together. I've had similar issues with McBride before, and I think I'm just going to say that stylistically he's not for me, and move on.
70laytonwoman3rd
74. The Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri Escape to Sicily and the utter nonsense of Salvo Montalbano's middle-aged loved life, interspersed with a moider or two. As usual, Enzo and Adelina are feeding Salvo mouthwatering concoctions featuring the fruits of the sea, Catarella is mauling the language, the C'mishner is annoyingly clueless, and Salvo can't figure out who he's in love with. A bit more actual detective work, poissonal danger, and real emotion in this one than sometimes. JUST what the doctor (that being lycomayflower) ordered after a few less than satisfying reads for Old Mims.
71alcottacre
>69 laytonwoman3rd: I am sorry to hear that McBride does not work well for you, Linda, but I guess all of us have authors like that. Good thing that there are so many others to choose from!
Have a terrific Tuesday!
Have a terrific Tuesday!
72Kristelh
>69 laytonwoman3rd:, I think you're not alone. I've heard similar commentary.
73laytonwoman3rd
>71 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. I probably should have taken warning from my previous experiences with Song Yet Sung and Miracle at St. Anna (the latter of which I Pearl-ruled), and just left this one alone. But it sounded so good!
>72 Kristelh: I've read a few reviews now with some of the same quibbles. I'm glad not to be a total contrarian on the book.
>72 Kristelh: I've read a few reviews now with some of the same quibbles. I'm glad not to be a total contrarian on the book.
74alcottacre
Just wanted to let you know that I finished A Soldier of the Great War today. I very much enjoyed it and gave the book 4.5 stars. Thank you again for the recommendation all those years ago!
75msf59
Sweet Thursday, Linda. Good review of The Sentence. I had some issues with it too. I liked it just a bit more than you. It got so much LT praise, I thought it was going to be another winner for sure. On the other hand, I loved The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store.
76laytonwoman3rd
>74 alcottacre: I'm glad to hear that, Stasia! I thought I had a copy of Helprin's Winter's Tale here somewhere, and might read it now that you've brought him back to my attention, but it isn't in my catalog, so I may have dreamed it!
>75 msf59: I'm getting very hard to please in my old age, I think, Mark. When two of my favorite authors (Doig and Erdrich) disappoint me in the same short period of time, I wonder if it's me...
>75 msf59: I'm getting very hard to please in my old age, I think, Mark. When two of my favorite authors (Doig and Erdrich) disappoint me in the same short period of time, I wonder if it's me...
77PaulCranswick
>76 laytonwoman3rd: Well at least >70 laytonwoman3rd: Camilleri didn't disappoint. I must say that I miss my yearly fix of Montalbano now that I have read them all.
I am reading Nathan Englander over the weekend for the AAC and it will probably be Kaddish.com. I loved his collection of short stories What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank.
I am reading Nathan Englander over the weekend for the AAC and it will probably be Kaddish.com. I loved his collection of short stories What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank.
78RBeffa
>76 laytonwoman3rd: I think it might be slightly getting older, but not in a cranky way. The more we read the more we have to compare things. It is the rare author for me like Kent Haruf who didn't manage to disappoint me along the way. In fact it happened to me recently with Robert Harris's latest novel Act of Oblivion. Harris is one of my favorite historical fiction writers but I was bored with Act of Oblivion so I set it aside.
Sometimes, tho, I think we get spoiled by a certain book and expect an author to always spark like that.
Sometimes, tho, I think we get spoiled by a certain book and expect an author to always spark like that.
79laytonwoman3rd
>77 PaulCranswick: Well, my bar isn't set very high when it comes to Montalbano, Paul. As long as he amuses me and makes me drool a little over the food, I'm grand!
>78 RBeffa: Yes, very true, Ron. It most certainly occurs to me that I enjoyed a new book almost without exception, say 30 years ago. Now, a fiction author either has to do something new and appealing, or do something familiar in a VERY good way to earn my praise. Non-fiction fares somewhat better, as long as it's not dry and tedious.
>78 RBeffa: Yes, very true, Ron. It most certainly occurs to me that I enjoyed a new book almost without exception, say 30 years ago. Now, a fiction author either has to do something new and appealing, or do something familiar in a VERY good way to earn my praise. Non-fiction fares somewhat better, as long as it's not dry and tedious.
80laytonwoman3rd
**DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!**
75. Village Diary by Miss Read Nothing to write home about, but that's 75, y'all. Miss Read's books are pure comfort reading for me. No challenges, nothing thought-provoking, or controversial or even topical, just kind, simple stories of village life in the Cotswolds, where time seems to stand still...or rather, things seem to carry on without reference to any particular period of history. We do know it's the early 1950s in this one, but nothing intrudes. Miss Read, the head teacher at the Fairacre School, has been given a diary by her more cosmopolitan best friend, and urged to record the events of her life, which she does, one month at a time. The usual annual school, church and community-wide events, sprinkled with an occasional bit of spice from the "outside" world a few villages away to give our cast of characters something to talk about over tea. These books are cozy, and at the same time real. If you've read them, you know what I mean.
75. Village Diary by Miss Read Nothing to write home about, but that's 75, y'all. Miss Read's books are pure comfort reading for me. No challenges, nothing thought-provoking, or controversial or even topical, just kind, simple stories of village life in the Cotswolds, where time seems to stand still...or rather, things seem to carry on without reference to any particular period of history. We do know it's the early 1950s in this one, but nothing intrudes. Miss Read, the head teacher at the Fairacre School, has been given a diary by her more cosmopolitan best friend, and urged to record the events of her life, which she does, one month at a time. The usual annual school, church and community-wide events, sprinkled with an occasional bit of spice from the "outside" world a few villages away to give our cast of characters something to talk about over tea. These books are cozy, and at the same time real. If you've read them, you know what I mean.
81jessibud2
>80 laytonwoman3rd: - Congrats on 75, Linda. I have never read Miss Read but I feel the same way about the many books by Patrick Taylor, about small village life in Ireland. I have listened to most of them on audiobook because the narrator is Irish and does every possible accent and dialect so perfectly, you come to truly *know* the character just by his voice. Your descriptions could be describing the good country doctor.
82quondame
>80 laytonwoman3rd: Congratulations on 75 reads!
84laytonwoman3rd
>81 jessibud2: We passed the Patrick Taylor books through the family for several years---my husband, my mother, my mother-in-law and I all loved them. They did get a bit repetitious after a while, though, and I haven't read all of the newest ones. My MIL used to make one of Kinky's recipes...potato leek soup, as I recall.
>82 quondame:, >83 foggidawn: Thanks, ladies!
>82 quondame:, >83 foggidawn: Thanks, ladies!
85jessibud2
>84 laytonwoman3rd: - Did you know there is an actual cookbook, called (what else?!) An Irish Country Cookbook? ;-)
87laytonwoman3rd
>85 jessibud2: I believe I did hear about that, Shelley. Surprisingly, it didn't make it into our collection!
>86 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!
>86 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!
89kaylinb-GT
Congrats on 75!
91alcottacre
>76 laytonwoman3rd: I hope you find your copy of Winter's Tale, Linda. I need to find more of Helprin's work. My local library has one of his books, In Sunlight and in Shadow. Have you read that one?
>80 laytonwoman3rd: Congratulations!!
>80 laytonwoman3rd: Congratulations!!
92norabelle414
>80 laytonwoman3rd: Congrats on reading 75 books, Linda!
93laytonwoman3rd
>91 alcottacre: Living my own "Winter's Tale" right now, as we have had a heavy snowfall overnight, and it continues. No power, generator running, nobody going anywhere. Cozy.
>92 norabelle414: Thanks! More reading today, might finish another one.
This is our neighborhood this morning:
>92 norabelle414: Thanks! More reading today, might finish another one.
This is our neighborhood this morning:
94BLBera
Snow! It is beautiful. if only it would stay for about a week and then go away. :)
Congrats on reaching 75.
Congrats on reaching 75.
95alcottacre
>93 laytonwoman3rd: Beautiful! Looks like a great reason to stay inside and crack open a book or two.
96laytonwoman3rd
>94 BLBera: This will probably go away even quicker than that...temps are supposed to go up into the mid-40s tomorrow. It's heavy, wet stuff, and our snow-blower cannot handle it so it's up to Mother Nature to clear out what she dumped on us.
>95 alcottacre: Correct!
>95 alcottacre: Correct!
97weird_O
Salute to you having read 75 books. (I just achieved that myself).
Swell snow. Your photo has some resemblance to my homeplace, with the juxtaposition of the shed on the right and the house on the left and the plowed drive or road. Gives me an image of how pruning lower branches would look. Hmmm. Maybe an outdoor project.
Some snow moved through here—what? Fifty or 60 miles south of you—but the only evidence of that is remnants on the hoods and roofs of the vehicles.
Swell snow. Your photo has some resemblance to my homeplace, with the juxtaposition of the shed on the right and the house on the left and the plowed drive or road. Gives me an image of how pruning lower branches would look. Hmmm. Maybe an outdoor project.
Some snow moved through here—what? Fifty or 60 miles south of you—but the only evidence of that is remnants on the hoods and roofs of the vehicles.
98jessibud2
>93 laytonwoman3rd: - So pretty when it's fresh, isn't it? We have yet to get anything here but it could be any time now. To help ward it off, I will take out my boots tomorrow. Because if I don't, we'll for sure get it faster.
99laytonwoman3rd
>97 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. This is a late 1960s semi-rural housing development and still not overrun with McMansions. Every lot is about a half acre, and there are multiple buffer lots that have never been built on. And most of the "landscaping" is those lovely big old oak trees that the developer spared when clearing lots. They do take a bit of maintenance.
100Caroline_McElwee
Congratulations on 75 Linda.
101LizzieD
SNOW!!!! The last time I watched snow fall here during the day was the day of Obama's first inauguration. I do believe that the world is growing warmer.
And you're engaged in Find-a-Grave. My DH uses that all the time, so I'm impressed that you are a contributor.
CONGRATULATIONS on 75!!!!!
Hope you're reading something wonderful right now!
And you're engaged in Find-a-Grave. My DH uses that all the time, so I'm impressed that you are a contributor.
CONGRATULATIONS on 75!!!!!
Hope you're reading something wonderful right now!
102figsfromthistle
>80 laytonwoman3rd: congrats on reaching the goal!
103laytonwoman3rd
>100 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline!
>101 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy! Oh, another F-A-G user...there are a few of us here on LT. Would you share DH's ID there if he's OK with it? I'll be finishing E. L. Doctorow's The March tonight, and I am enjoying it very much.
>101 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy! Oh, another F-A-G user...there are a few of us here on LT. Would you share DH's ID there if he's OK with it? I'll be finishing E. L. Doctorow's The March tonight, and I am enjoying it very much.
104laytonwoman3rd
>102 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!
105RBeffa
>103 laytonwoman3rd: I read The March a few years ago and think I liked it more than the 3 1/2 stars I gave it. Interesting book.
I like the snow photo!
eta my review Interesting piece of historical fiction - "The March" is Sherman's March through Georgia (Part One), South Carolina (Part Two) and North Carolina (Part Three).
For the most part I like how Doctorow crafted this story. It is fragmented (we don't follow some characters for long stretches) but it worked. There's maybe a bit of oddness to part of it, but emotionally it captured me. There is a rotating cast of main characters. I'd read a chapter, think about it, and then tackle the next. I've read a fair bit of Civil War history and a handful of Civil War fiction. Reading this novel let me see and think about Sherman's march in a way I probably never would have otherwise.
This novel doesn't rise to the "great" level, yet it seems that it could have because parts of it are magnificent. I liked the first half of the novel where we meet each of the characters in various situations. I became interested and invested in the story arc of several characters. However some of those disappeared and the playing out of the story in the second half just did not have the energy of the beginning of the book. In particular I thought the story of one of the primary characters, Pearl, was just odd. When I think about it, I was disappointed with the story arc of virtually every character, none moreso than a young Johnny Reb named Arly.
Slightly surprising to me, Sherman was my favorite character of the book and the only character who did not disappoint.
I like the snow photo!
eta my review
For the most part I like how Doctorow crafted this story. It is fragmented (we don't follow some characters for long stretches) but it worked. There's maybe a bit of oddness to part of it, but emotionally it captured me. There is a rotating cast of main characters. I'd read a chapter, think about it, and then tackle the next. I've read a fair bit of Civil War history and a handful of Civil War fiction. Reading this novel let me see and think about Sherman's march in a way I probably never would have otherwise.
This novel doesn't rise to the "great" level, yet it seems that it could have because parts of it are magnificent. I liked the first half of the novel where we meet each of the characters in various situations. I became interested and invested in the story arc of several characters. However some of those disappeared and the playing out of the story in the second half just did not have the energy of the beginning of the book. In particular I thought the story of one of the primary characters, Pearl, was just odd. When I think about it, I was disappointed with the story arc of virtually every character, none moreso than a young Johnny Reb named Arly.
Slightly surprising to me, Sherman was my favorite character of the book and the only character who did not disappoint.
106laytonwoman3rd
>105 RBeffa: I'm thinking 4 1/2, Ron. I'll get my thoughts together on it tomorrow if I can.
107RBeffa
>106 laytonwoman3rd: I added my review with spoilers to my post at >105 RBeffa:
108msf59
Congrats on hitting #75. Our magic number. I like your snow pic. Our snow lasted about 12 hours. I read The March a couple of decades ago. I vaguely remember enjoying it but I don't remember it much. I always liked Doctorow.
109laytonwoman3rd
>107 RBeffa: Thanks, Ron. I'll save reading that until I've sorted my own impressions a bit. The "tomorrow if I can" part was due to uncertainty about our Thanksgiving plans. We will have my 96-year-old MIL here, and the weather on Thursday is iffy, so we've decided to "do" Thanksgiving tomorrow. Although it's a five minute drive to her assisted living facility, she frets unreasonably over "traveling" in weather, so it would not be an enjoyable day for her if we insisted on bringing her out when it's stormy. A meal for 3 is easily re-scheduled. In any case, it means a delay in finishing my post on The March. I'm sure life will go on for everyone!
>108 msf59: I'm so glad everyone likes my snow picture. It was a pretty accumulation, but very wet and heavy, and it caused widespread power outages. We were only without commercial power for 12 hours, and our generator did a fine job of keeping us comfortable. However, in a couple neighboring counties, there were still people with no power yesterday afternoon. When we got out and about the next day, the causes were obvious everywhere---so many broken branches, even whole trees down, some roads closed where hot wires were still untended. And Thursday's predicted storm seems to be of the same ilk, although not predicted to have as much moisture to draw on. *sigh* It's not even December!
>108 msf59: I'm so glad everyone likes my snow picture. It was a pretty accumulation, but very wet and heavy, and it caused widespread power outages. We were only without commercial power for 12 hours, and our generator did a fine job of keeping us comfortable. However, in a couple neighboring counties, there were still people with no power yesterday afternoon. When we got out and about the next day, the causes were obvious everywhere---so many broken branches, even whole trees down, some roads closed where hot wires were still untended. And Thursday's predicted storm seems to be of the same ilk, although not predicted to have as much moisture to draw on. *sigh* It's not even December!
110alcottacre
Have a terrific Tuesday, Linda! Stay warm!!
111laytonwoman3rd
>110 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. Finding it damp and chilly today...I think the afternoon will involve lap quilts and a kitty cat to warm me up!
Happy Thanksgiving to all who areindulging celebrating today!
Happy Thanksgiving to all who are
112laytonwoman3rd
76. The March by E. L. Doctorow This is Doctorow's fictional account, from multiple perspectives, of Sherman's "March to the Sea" in the late stages of the American Civil War. There is a large cast of characters, from plantation owners to recently emancipated Black people, from a Union battlefield surgeon to a crafty young Rebel soldier with few principles of any kind, from a "white Negro" nurse to a madwoman looking for her sons among the dead and wounded, from General Sherman himself to his reckless but indispensable cavalry commander, General Judson Kilpatrick ("a hell of a damned fool", in Sherman's words). There's blood and suffering a-plenty here, but there is also compassion, humanity in both strength and frailty, and the persistence of pursuing survival into a terrifying and uncertain future. There's even a touch of humor here and there, as when Gen. Kilpatrick, a bit the worse for his overnight non-military endeavors ("horizontal drill"), stumbles outside in his long-johns to see what all the noise is about, and finds himself in the midst of a Confederate cavalry raid on his own camp. When a Rebel officer demands to know the whereabouts of General Kilpatrick, he points at the house he's been using as headquarters ("they went that-a-way") and then, still clad only in his skivvies, careens off into the woods on horseback trying to figure out what to do next. I've always enjoyed Doctorow's way with historical fiction, blending actual events with the fruits of his imagination, putting recognizable historical figures into contact with his fictional creations to excellent effect. The March hit all the right notes for me, and will be one of my best reads for the year.
113laytonwoman3rd
77. The Highwayman by Craig Johnson A novella in the Longmire series. Walt gets involved in a stake-out for a ghost when a friend from the Highway Patrol faces psychiatric evaluation after claiming she has heard the voice of a long-dead trooper multiple times on the radio in her cruiser. A pretty darn fine ghost story, if you care for that sort of thing, or just can't pass up an opportunity to hang out with our favorite Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. As usual, Johnson stretches our credibility with the physical challenges and accomplishments of his characters (except Henry---I believe Henry can do anything), but it's a minor quibble.
114laytonwoman3rd
78. Darkness Visible by William Styron Subtitled "A Memoir of Madness", this is an expanded version of an essay Styron published in Vanity Fair after recovering from his own bout with a deep clinical depression. His insights into the illness, expressed in his exemplary prose, are enlightening, and much less "depressing" than I had feared when I chose to give this book a try. In the 35 years since Styron wrote it, I devoutly hope recognition, understanding, diagnosis and treatment have taken some significant steps forward. But the main take-away for me was that it is possible, even likely, for most sufferers to come out of that darkness, even without excellent treatment, if they manage to wait it out. Tough but valuable reading; if it isn't required of all medical students, let alone psychiatric residents, it should be.
115RBeffa
>112 laytonwoman3rd: excellent review Linda. It was 2015(!) when I read this, and it has stayed strong in my memory unlike many many books. Doesn't seem that long ago. I held on to the book and may give it a reread one day.
116laytonwoman3rd
>115 RBeffa: Thanks, Ron. I agree with your observations about a couple of the story-lines; in fact, I feel Doctorow could have left out at least one of them (not one that you mentioned) that didn't seem to go anywhere, and I subtracted the last half-star of rating for that reason.
117PaulCranswick
In difficult times we have to be thankful for:
Friends and friendship
Books and readers.
This special group
Our loved ones near and far.
Thinking about you, Linda, this holiday period.
And thank you especially for keeping the AAC so gloriously alive.
Friends and friendship
Books and readers.
This special group
Our loved ones near and far.
Thinking about you, Linda, this holiday period.
And thank you especially for keeping the AAC so gloriously alive.
118laytonwoman3rd
>117 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!
119laytonwoman3rd
If you have book-gift-shopping to do, please consider using Bookshop.org today. FREE SHIPPING, and the opportunity to support an independent bookstore, even if there isn't one in your neighborhood these days.
120laytonwoman3rd
Going to the Heartland for the December AAC.
121Whisper1
>119 laytonwoman3rd: Many thanks for posting about Bookshop.org. I'll be sure to check this out. I found thriftbooks.com this year and enjoy the large selection they have.
I love the opening image wherein the kitty cat looks as though there was a mastery of how to use a straw. I laughed out loud.
I love the opening image wherein the kitty cat looks as though there was a mastery of how to use a straw. I laughed out loud.
122laytonwoman3rd
>121 Whisper1: Bookshop.org is a great place to buy new books, Linda. And periodically they offer free shipping. I like thriftbooks.com for used books too.
Thibodeaux never did get the hang of the straw, but he knew he'd get the last few drops of that milkshake, 'cause his people were softies!
Thibodeaux never did get the hang of the straw, but he knew he'd get the last few drops of that milkshake, 'cause his people were softies!
123Whisper1
As I write, Meow is sleeping under the Christmas tree. Soon, she will join me by jumping on the bed, soft ball in her mouth as she drops it on the covers and wants me to play with her. I taught her to play catch and throw the ball back to me. She usually sits on the steps mid way, and when I aim a ball at her, she is often successful in catching it, then raises her arm and her paw throws the ball back to me. It's a cute trick, but not when I want to sleep. Thanks to the local dollar store, she has a rather large selection of let's play ball.
I was always a dog person, but this cat has made a cat lady out of me.
I'll be sure to check out Bookshop.org.
I was always a dog person, but this cat has made a cat lady out of me.
I'll be sure to check out Bookshop.org.
124laytonwoman3rd
>123 Whisper1: Cats can be just as companionable as dogs, and we love both. Molly likes to rest under the Christmas tree too.
125laytonwoman3rd
79. An Owl on Every Post by Sanora Babb Excellent memoir about life on the Great Plains in the years just before the US entered the Great War. A family of "last chance pioneers", the Babbs moved to a claim in Oklahoma to live in a one-room dugout established by Grandpa Babb. Their existence was beyond spartan--five people in that one room; windows at ground level, where the author and her younger sister (renamed Cheyenne and Marcy in the book) enjoyed watching insect life; a two mile trek for water; isolation; near-starvation when crops failed or were flattened by hailstorms three years in a row; blizzards that could literally bury the family inside their home for days; no school, and only one book to read from (a biography of Kit Carson). Yet the memories seem precious to Babb, vivid even decades later when she wrote this book; and those years gave her a love of the freedom of wide open spaces. The writing is wonderfully clear and engaging, the storytelling totally lacking in sentimentality or rosy reflection. If you think you're too old for the Little House on the Prairie series these days, or cannot stomach the casual racism in those, this one's for you. Highly recommended, and thanks to lycomayflower for bringing it to my attention a while back.
126jnwelch
Hi, Linda. The farce in Death at the Sign of the Rook caught me by surprise. But I did enjoy it. I’m glad she’s continued the Jackson Brodie series even with her literary successes. A side character’s unexpected romance was a nice plus in this one.
The Sentence let me down, too. I didn’t buy into either the corpse caper or the ghost story. The story’s spell eluded me, or I eluded it.
You’ve tempted me with The God of the Woods. I do love a fast, fun read.
The Sentence let me down, too. I didn’t buy into either the corpse caper or the ghost story. The story’s spell eluded me, or I eluded it.
You’ve tempted me with The God of the Woods. I do love a fast, fun read.
127laytonwoman3rd
>126 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Thanks for dropping in. The God of the Woods really hit the spot for me, and I'm getting harder and harder to please, as may be apparent from some of my reviews!
128laytonwoman3rd
80. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson This memoir should come with a warning, thus: CHOKING HAZARD!! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ WHILE RECLINING, EATING or DRINKING! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ OUT LOUD!
As usual, Bryson mixes gaspingly funny observations with sobering facts and statistics, giving you time to catch your breath between bouts of helpless, breathless laughter. This is his recollection of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in Des Moines, Iowa. He was born exactly one week before I came down to earth in East B'Jesus, Pennsylvania, but we both basically grew up in Middle America. Humor is a funny thing, and his brand may not tickle everyone, but boy, can I relate. Happy Birthday, Mr. Bryson!
As usual, Bryson mixes gaspingly funny observations with sobering facts and statistics, giving you time to catch your breath between bouts of helpless, breathless laughter. This is his recollection of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in Des Moines, Iowa. He was born exactly one week before I came down to earth in East B'Jesus, Pennsylvania, but we both basically grew up in Middle America. Humor is a funny thing, and his brand may not tickle everyone, but boy, can I relate. Happy Birthday, Mr. Bryson!
129laytonwoman3rd
81. Colorful Palate by Raj Tawney Disappointing memoir that purports to put the author's multi-ethnic family into cultural context through food. Tawney has Italian-American, Indian and Puerto Rican roots. Food from all three traditions was on the table in his home when he was growing up, and the book contains "recipes" for several of his favorite dishes. It would be foolish to attempt to cook any of these by following his instructions, unless you were just looking for a variation on a recipe you were already comfortable with. His amounts and proportions are vague at best, his method muddled and sometimes confusing. As for how his family's mixed backgrounds affected Raj as a child and young man, there is nothing very revealing in the narrative. He had questions of identity, of course, on top of the teenage angst common to all American adolescents. His family was dysfunctional in ways that may or may not have been related to cultural differences. As a teenager Raj did not know what was behind his parents' estrangement (they lived in the same house for years, going their separate ways and almost never speaking to each other). Raj got along with his father, but clearly his sympathies lay with his mother, and his maternal grandmother was his champion. There are hundreds of stories like this, and they all ought to be worth hearing, but this one just didn't do much for me.
131laytonwoman3rd
>130 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy!
132msf59
Hi, Linda. You got me with An Owl on Every Post. Of course I also love the title and the cover. I had been meaning to read Thunderbolt Kid. Thanks for the reminder. I have not read Bryson in years.
133jessibud2
>125 laytonwoman3rd: - Sounds like this one is up my alley, too!
>128 laytonwoman3rd: - I love Bryson and I listened to him read this to me on audiobook, a real treat. I agree with your warning! :-D
Have you read his One Summer: America 1927? In looking at a list of his books (the man is prolific!!), I have read 13 of them and loved most. I own 4 as yet unread.
>128 laytonwoman3rd: - I love Bryson and I listened to him read this to me on audiobook, a real treat. I agree with your warning! :-D
Have you read his One Summer: America 1927? In looking at a list of his books (the man is prolific!!), I have read 13 of them and loved most. I own 4 as yet unread.
134laytonwoman3rd
>132 msf59:, 133 I predict you will both love An Owl on Every Post. Based on this one, I want to read everything she wrote, and I just bought a biography of her as well.
I think the only other Bryson I read was A Walk in the Woods, but I will read more. I had not been aware of the 1927 one, and that might go to the top of the list of his work on my virtual TBR pile.
I think the only other Bryson I read was A Walk in the Woods, but I will read more. I had not been aware of the 1927 one, and that might go to the top of the list of his work on my virtual TBR pile.
135lycomayflower
>134 laytonwoman3rd: Can't over state how great the on on Australia is. Also the history of science overview one.
136jessibud2
>135 lycomayflower: - And At Home. And Shakespeare: The World as Stage. And Bill Bryson's African Diary, which is quite small and a bit of a turn for him but still really good. And on and on....;-)
137laytonwoman3rd
>134 laytonwoman3rd: I checked and found that I did read Notes From a Small Island in 2014, but found it slightly tedious.
138kac522
>136 jessibud2: I liked his Shakespeare book.
>137 laytonwoman3rd: I also found Notes tedious, Linda. I laughed a lot in Thunderbolt Kid, but it seemed to lose some punch in the second half for me.
>137 laytonwoman3rd: I also found Notes tedious, Linda. I laughed a lot in Thunderbolt Kid, but it seemed to lose some punch in the second half for me.
139weird_O
I've accumulated a lot of Bryson's books over the years. Read at least a half-dozen of them, but...entropy. I should look at my bookshelves and see if any unread Bryson appeals to me.
140jnwelch
Hi, Linda. I found the Australian Bryson very funny. For me the Shakespeare one was okay but no great shakes(groan!). A Short History of Everything is the one I found tedious. I loved A Walk in the Woods. I keep hoping for one from him as good as that one.
141drneutron
We’re headed to the West Coast next week to spend Christmas with the son and daughter-in-law so decided to open our local presents tonight. Wow! The card was beautiful, the chocolate looks fantastic, and the books look great! I love the idea of sending books from your own library. Thanks soooo much!
142laytonwoman3rd
>141 drneutron: I'm glad "Santa" did well, Jim! Have a wonderful trip, and enjoy the family time.
143laytonwoman3rd
>135 lycomayflower:, >136 jessibud2:, >138 kac522:, >139 weird_O:, >140 jnwelch: I'm glad to have sparked so much chat about Bryson... I'll have to get another of his into the line-up soonish.
144laytonwoman3rd
One of tonight's Jeopardy contestants, Ram Murali, has published a mystery novel called Death in the Air, which does not seem to have caught the attention of many reviewers here on LT so far. (The Final Jeopardy category was "Authors", and he failed to get the answer...but then so did we.)
145laytonwoman3rd
Adding my own Top Five to LT's 2024 List:
Heading North by Holly Wendt
An Owl on Every Post by Sanora Babb
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
Rain Breaks No Bones by Barbara J. Taylor
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
and two more strong contenders, for the sheer pleasure they gave me:
God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The Tribal Knot by Rebecca McClanahan
Heading North by Holly Wendt
An Owl on Every Post by Sanora Babb
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
Rain Breaks No Bones by Barbara J. Taylor
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
and two more strong contenders, for the sheer pleasure they gave me:
God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The Tribal Knot by Rebecca McClanahan
146jessibud2
Oh, the one by Henry Louis Gates looks very good! I love his show on PBS, Finding Your Roots. A recent episode looked at HIS life. I will seek this one out, thanks for putting it on my radar.
147laytonwoman3rd
>146 jessibud2: I have really enjoyed everything I've read by Dr. Gates. And we're regular watchers of Finding Your Roots too. He's on my list of people I'd like to have to dinner.
148laytonwoman3rd
82. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee I was given the new Folio edition of this classic for my birthday, with illustrations by Nate Sweitzer, so naturally I had to read it again. Always a treat, and something new occurs to me every time I visit Maycomb and its well-curated cast of characters. Still a 5 star read.
149richardderus
>145 laytonwoman3rd: Sanora Babb! Not one of hers I'm familiar with. She got lost somehow. Whose Names Are Unknown came out a while ago and was the only one of hers I ever read.
150thornton37814
Belated congratulations on surpassing the magic number! I've been busy with little time to check in.
151msf59
>145 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for sharing your Top 5, Linda. Glad to see An Owl on Every Post on there. It is now on the TBR.
152laytonwoman3rd
>149 richardderus: Yup---that novel was written at almost the same time as The Grapes of Wrath, which was published to great acclaim; unfortunately, Babb's novel was too similar in theme, and no-one knew who she was, so it didn't get published until 2004, or thereabouts. I'm eager to read it, and see how it compares. I love Steinbeck, but Wrath is far from my favorite work of his.
>150 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori. Glad you could stop in...no apologies necessary.
>151 msf59: I think you'll like it a lot, Mark.
>150 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori. Glad you could stop in...no apologies necessary.
>151 msf59: I think you'll like it a lot, Mark.
153kac522
>152 laytonwoman3rd: I've not read Babb's book, but I've put it on the WishList. I have read Now in November by Josephine Johnson, also about that era. She even won the Pulitzer a few years before Steinbeck's book came out, but it was another one overshadowed by Grapes. Both women authors, and both actually lived it, as opposed to Steinbeck, who essentially "reported" it.
154RBeffa
I added Whose names are unknown by Sanora Babb to my library in 2016 after it was brought to my attention back then, probably by you Linda, but I do remember it in connection with the grapes of wrath, but dang I don't know where it is filed. double stacked bookcases galore around here. Probably hiding with the grapes of wrath ...
155laytonwoman3rd
>153 kac522: I read Now in November a couple years ago, and I loved it.
>154 RBeffa: I try, vainly, to leave private comments for myself here about double-shelved books so I can find 'em when I want to...and I have a whole collection called "Whereabouts Unknown" for books I'm sure I did not get rid of, and yet cannot find in any of the logical locations.
>154 RBeffa: I try, vainly, to leave private comments for myself here about double-shelved books so I can find 'em when I want to...and I have a whole collection called "Whereabouts Unknown" for books I'm sure I did not get rid of, and yet cannot find in any of the logical locations.
156weird_O
I recall reading about an unknown author who allowed Steinbeck to read her manuscript about the midwestern farmers displaced by drought conditions in the 1930s. Then found that The Grapes of Wrath replicated much of her writing. Was that writer Sanora Babb?
157laytonwoman3rd
>156 weird_O: Yes. Except she didn't give her manuscript to Steinbeck. She worked for the Farm Security Administration, and kept detailed notes of her encounters with families in migrant camps during the Dust Bowl years. Her supervisor shared those notes with Steinbeck, because he had recently published some articles on migrants. Here's what Wikipedia says about what happened next " Babb turned the stories she collected into Whose Names Are Unknown and sent the first few chapters to Random House. Editor Bennett Cerf gave Babb an advance for her novel asking her to finish it. Unfortunately, with the publication of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Cerf voided Babb's contract in 1939 for fear that there would not be enough public support for two similar novels. Babb's novel ...was not published until 2004." Her whole life sounds fascinating, and in fact I have recently obtained a copy of her biography, which I hope to read soonish.
158LizzieD
I can't catch up, Linda, but I'm happy that you enjoyed The March. I read it at about the same time that I read G. Brooks's March, and that was an interesting duo. Most of my family's oral tradition about the War Between the States (!) here in SE NC have to do with Sherman's movement through the area. Of course, I feel obliged to tell you both of them although I think I may have told them on LT before.
My paternal great-grandfather was a little boy. His parents had him climb a tree near the main road to look for the dust raised by many men on horses so that he could run home to let them know that the Yankees were coming. They had loosed their livestock in the swamp behind the house. Those canny Yankees came in through the swamp and mopped up all the livestock on the way, so they lost a lot.
A maternal great-grand, a cousin, was a little girl. When the Union contingent used their house as headquarters, a soldier took her silver thimble. She was crying about it when the Yankee captain picked her up, saying he had a little girl at home just her age. He ordered the soldiers' equipment searched and found the thimble, which he returned to her. nice story, right? When they were gone, her mother made her throw it into the fire because she wouldn't be beholden to a Damn Yankee. Not so nice.
Meanwhile, I've never heard of Sanora Babb, so thank you for another writer worth reading!
My paternal great-grandfather was a little boy. His parents had him climb a tree near the main road to look for the dust raised by many men on horses so that he could run home to let them know that the Yankees were coming. They had loosed their livestock in the swamp behind the house. Those canny Yankees came in through the swamp and mopped up all the livestock on the way, so they lost a lot.
A maternal great-grand, a cousin, was a little girl. When the Union contingent used their house as headquarters, a soldier took her silver thimble. She was crying about it when the Yankee captain picked her up, saying he had a little girl at home just her age. He ordered the soldiers' equipment searched and found the thimble, which he returned to her. nice story, right? When they were gone, her mother made her throw it into the fire because she wouldn't be beholden to a Damn Yankee. Not so nice.
Meanwhile, I've never heard of Sanora Babb, so thank you for another writer worth reading!
159laytonwoman3rd
>158 LizzieD: Those are great stories, Peggy...thanks for sharing them here. The livestock in the swamp one sounds familiar, but I imagine there are dozens of variants on that one. The thimble story is so touching...until it's heartbreaking.
I'm always glad when something I post turns people to a new author. I think Babb came to me through Book Riot, by way of lycomayflower.
I'm always glad when something I post turns people to a new author. I think Babb came to me through Book Riot, by way of lycomayflower.
160richardderus
Solstice cheer, Linda3rd!
161laytonwoman3rd
Thank you, kind sir! Looking forward to the return of the light.
Solstice blessings to all who visit here.
Solstice blessings to all who visit here.
162laytonwoman3rd
83. The Tribal Knot by Rebecca McClanahan This family memoir of life in Indiana from the last half of the nineteenth century into the current era, is one of the best pieces of creative non-fiction I have read in a long time. From family letters, diaries and keepsakes, as well as stories passed down to her, the author reconstructed the lives of three generations before her, bringing some remarkable men and women to life on the page in a style I found thoroughly engaging. McLanahan is almost exactly my age, and despite her Midwestern roots, and having grown up here-there-and-around when her father was in the Marine Corps, her own recollections feel very familiar to this Pennsyltucky girl. In describing herself, she has nailed me down as well: "There's one like me in every family, I suppose: the cemetery haunter, archive junkie, keeper of all things outdated and moldy..." I read this for the Heartland theme in the AAC, and cannot recommend it highly enough.
164PaulCranswick
Thinking of you at this time, Linda.
165laytonwoman3rd
>163 SandDune:, >164 PaulCranswick: Thank you Rhian, and Paul. Christmas went well here, although I confess to being exhausted by all the "doings", and am ready to chill out into the New Year.
166alcottacre
I am not trying to catch up, Linda, but just wanted to drop by to wish you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
I am looking forward to seeing what you read in 2025.
I am looking forward to seeing what you read in 2025.
167laytonwoman3rd
>84 laytonwoman3rd: DNF That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo Meh. I thought this would hit the spot for fairly easy reading and a few chuckles during a busy time, but it just was not working for me at all. I persisted through 60 pages, but it all seemed like background and set-up for a story that never got going. Other Russo novels have worked better for me, although I seem to have failed completely to record my impressions of most of those. I may have had unreasonable expectations for this one, based on how much I love, love, love Paul Newman and company in the movie version of Nobody's Fool (read the book so long ago I don't even have a record of it here). Or perhaps the story I was waiting for wasn't the point at all, and I missed it. In any case...no magic in it for me.
168lauralkeet
>167 laytonwoman3rd: Well that's too bad, Linda. I've enjoyed all three of Russo's "Fool" novels and loved the movie version of Nobody's Fool too. Thanks to your review I don't think I need to track down That Old Cape Magic.
Hope you're able to chill out now ... my chilling begins tomorrow after we say good-bye to family.
Hope you're able to chill out now ... my chilling begins tomorrow after we say good-bye to family.
169laytonwoman3rd
>166 alcottacre: No worries, Stasia. It's VERY hard to keep up this time of year...with ANYTHING. Thanks for dropping in!
>168 lauralkeet: I'm a bit peeved with myself for not reviewing Bridge of Sighs a few years back. Lycomayflower was reading it at the same time, and I didn't want to color her response, so I deferred my comments...and we know what that leads to. I did rate it 4 stars, though. I'm quite sure I read Empire Falls too, and it is in my catalog, but it must have been one of those BLT reads.
>168 lauralkeet: I'm a bit peeved with myself for not reviewing Bridge of Sighs a few years back. Lycomayflower was reading it at the same time, and I didn't want to color her response, so I deferred my comments...and we know what that leads to. I did rate it 4 stars, though. I'm quite sure I read Empire Falls too, and it is in my catalog, but it must have been one of those BLT reads.
170richardderus
>167 laytonwoman3rd: I've had remarkably few Pearl-Rules this year, surprisingly. Maybe I got lucky, maybe the crop was good, whatever...I'm glad for it. Brighter days ahead!
171lauralkeet
>169 laytonwoman3rd: Alas, so it goes. It turns out I didn't review Bridge of Sighs either, although I read in in 2022 and rated it 4 stars. Empire Falls garnered 4.5 stars back in my early LT days (2009). That was my first Russo, and part of my attempt to read all Pulitzer Prize winners.
