Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2020 - Part 6

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Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2020 - Part 6

1lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 30, 2020, 2:21 pm


Earthenware Dish, German, 1762 | The Elk earthenware tile, Henry Chapman Mercer, 1903

This year I’ve been highlighting Philadelphia artists and their work. While painters often steal the spotlight, Philadelphia has just as much history in ceramics. The Pennsylvania Germans of the 17th & 18th centuries produced red-bodied earthenware using glazes for effects. Later, during the Arts and Crafts movement, Philadelphia artists produced ceramics for architectural uses. One of the better-known producers was the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, established in 1898 by Henry Chapman Mercer, an archaeologist and collector.




Welcome to my thread! I'm Laura, late 50s, retired, and living in Philadelphia with my husband Chris, our two dogs, and a cat. We have two adult daughters, Julia and Kate. In 2019 I made the 75-book goal for the first time in years, but I’m here more for the people and book recommendations than for the numbers.

I don’t have any specific reading goals for 2020. I’m in two RL book groups, which obviously has a bearing on what I read each month but other than that, I read what I feel like reading. One of the best things about my 2019 reading was jumping on books recommended by my LT pals, reading them right away rather than putting them off for “someday.” So there will be more of that this year, I’m sure. At the same time, I try to read enough books from my shelves to offset the new ones that come in, but that’s pretty much a lost cause. I also like making steady progress on my series, and staying current with new series releases. I might dip into the odd challenge or group read now and then.

Besides reading, I spend a lot of time knitting and have a knitting thread in the Needlearts group; stop in and say hi sometime!

My 2020 threads can be found here:
Part 1 (books 1-8) | Part 2 (books 9-19) | Part 3 (books 20-35) | Part 4 (books 36-51) l Part 5 (books 52-66)

Books completed (click on "details" to jump to my comments)
October
67. The Night Watchman - details
68. A Long Petal of the Sea - details
69. When Gods Die - details
70. Jack - details
71. The Yellow House - details
72. The Searcher - details

November
73. All the Devils are Here - details
74. Normal People - details
75. The Vanishing Half - details
76. The Chalk Circle Man - details
77. Mansfield Park - details
78. The Red Hill - details

December
79. Beheld - details
80. The Crow Trap - details
81. A Promised Land - details
82. Hudson River Bracketed - details
83. Summer Lightning - details

2lauralkeet
Bewerkt: nov 30, 2020, 9:28 pm

Series Progress

Active series as of October 1:


The above snapshot is a view of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2020:
* In Search of Lost Time - March
* Wolf Hall - March
* Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne - May
* Sandhamn Murders - June
* Ruth Galloway - August
* Inspector Gamache - November

Series started in 2020:
* Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett
* Love Medicine, by Louise Erdrich
* Blandings Castle Novels, by P.G. Wodehouse
* Sebastian St Cyr Mysteries, by C.S. Harris
* Chief Inspector Adamsberg, by Fred Vargas
* Thomas Berrington, by David Penny

Series abandoned in 2020:
* Maisie Dobbs

---------------------

Toni Morrison Catch Up Project
Inspired by a course I took earlier in the year, I started a project to read all of Toni Morrison’s novels in order of publication. I’ve read a few already, several years ago, so I might re-read some of them. Below is a list of Morrison’s novels, with those I have yet to read in bold.

The Bluest Eye, 1970 (read June 2020)
Sula, 1973 (read July 2020)
Song of Solomon, 1977 (read August 2020)
Tar Baby, 1981 (read October 2020)
Beloved, 1987 (read Jan 2020, this was a re-read)
Jazz, 1992
Paradise, 1997 (read in the 1990s, plan to re-read)
Love, 2003 (read in 2005)
A Mercy, 2008 (read in 2009)
Home, 2012
God Help the Child, 2015

3lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 29, 2020, 8:51 am

4LizzieD
okt 2, 2020, 12:22 pm

I think, looking at the time, that it's safe for me to chime in with a wish for a Happy New Thread with lots of commenting on lots of good books! I'd love to catch up with you. *sigh*

5katiekrug
okt 2, 2020, 12:33 pm

Happy new thread, Laura.

6BLBera
okt 2, 2020, 12:46 pm

Happy new thread, Laura. I'm getting there with Tar Baby - I've had a busy week at school and have tended to fall asleep when I read at night. I hope to finish today. I'm having mixed feelings. There are parts that really drag for me.

7SandyAMcPherson
okt 2, 2020, 12:51 pm

Hi Laura,
Best wishes for a good month of reading.
The bar chart - I'm perhaps being unintentionally dense, but what's the purple box indicate? "Read"? I'm guessing the grey boxes are intended titles.

Hope the St. Cyr novels roll on happily for you.

8drneutron
okt 2, 2020, 1:12 pm

Happy new thread!

9laytonwoman3rd
okt 2, 2020, 1:26 pm

>1 lauralkeet: Oh, I really like that tile.

10lauralkeet
okt 2, 2020, 3:43 pm

>4 LizzieD:, >5 katiekrug:, >8 drneutron: hi Peggy, Katie & Jim! Thanks for the greetings.

>6 BLBera: I'm a bit mixed too, Beth. Can't wait to compare notes!

>7 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, you have interpreted correctly. Purple means read, Gray shows the remaining books in the series. This is a spreadsheet and I've put "comments" in cells where a new book is forthcoming. Those cells are pale yellow (not my choice). I also put an X if I've abandoned a series mid-way. Those rows look ugly so at some point I might move them or find another way to format that doesn't throw off my math.

>9 laytonwoman3rd: me too, Linda. And I really should get myself to the Mercer Museum in Bucks County.

11SandyAMcPherson
okt 2, 2020, 9:41 pm

>10 lauralkeet: I like visuals like bar charts and scatter point graphs etc. For me, they convey the information so effectively.

I hope you'll find time to explain how one finds these layout programs. Are they part of licensed software?

12PaulCranswick
okt 2, 2020, 9:47 pm

Happy new thread, Laura.

>10 lauralkeet: & >11 SandyAMcPherson: As you might guess I am fond of charts too!

13FAMeulstee
okt 3, 2020, 6:46 am

Happy new thread, Laura!

>1 lauralkeet: The Elk tile looks lovely.

14dudes22
Bewerkt: okt 3, 2020, 7:18 am

Happy New Thread, Laura! When FictFact ended, I started a spreadsheet very similar to yours. It looks like none of your series have ".5" books or prequels. Makes mine very messy.

15lauralkeet
okt 3, 2020, 7:52 am

>11 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, a chart like mine can be created using spreadsheet software like Excel. Mine is in Google Sheets which is very similar. I use something called "conditional formatting" to turn the cells purple or gray. If there's a zero in the cell, it's gray. Entering a 1 in the cell turns it purple, and also "counts" it in the "progress" calculation. This is my Comp Sci degree still paying off after 35+ years LOL.

>14 dudes22: Betty, I've seen series like those and thought "I'm glad I don't have to track that one!" It's enough to put me off even starting one.

>12 PaulCranswick: >13 FAMeulstee: Hello there Paul & Anita!

16SandyAMcPherson
okt 3, 2020, 8:58 am

>15 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I do use Excel extensively but didn't know about the "conditional formatting".

So on the CS front, do you have a way of downloading the whole of your LT catalogue?
I tried to look this up in the wiki but was obviously not using the right search terms.
There was an article from 2013 that mentioned something about downloading the LT database for a library but wasn't applicable to my own catalogue.

Perhaps this is simply not doable.

17lauralkeet
okt 3, 2020, 9:09 am

>16 SandyAMcPherson: Yes Sandy, you can export your library in a variety of formats. And you can either export the whole shebang or filter based on collection, tags, or other criteria. More here:

https://www.librarything.com/more/import

18msf59
okt 3, 2020, 9:15 am

Happy Saturday, Laura. Happy New Thread! I hope those books are treating you fine. Are you getting out for any walks?

19karenmarie
okt 3, 2020, 11:59 am

Hi Laura, and a happy new thread to you.

I export bits of my LT catalog all the time. It’s a very useful feature. I occasionally export the whole shebang, although that takes a bit longer.

20lauralkeet
okt 3, 2020, 3:42 pm

>18 msf59: Hi Mark! It's a gorgeous autumn day here. We haven't been on any birding outings recently, but the hubs and I took a long walk today into the city's historic district where we had coffee and a pastry in a park and then walked home. It was a great day to be outdoors.

>19 karenmarie: Hey it's Karen, my fellow techie! 😀 I like the export feature too. At the beginning of each year I create a spreadsheet of the unread books on my shelves by exporting books with specific tags. It helps me answer the question, "what should I read next?" and balance reading books I own vs. buying new. I've really whittled that list down this year, mostly because the pandemic curbed my book-buying and library use. Hmm ... maybe I should treat myself to some new books!

21lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 26, 2020, 3:42 pm

This review really "belongs" on my previous thread, since it was a book I finished in September. But if I posted it there, no one would see it. So ... here it is.


66. Tar Baby ()
Source: On my shelves

Tar Baby opens with an unnamed sailor jumping ship and swimming to the shore of a Caribbean island, and then the scene shifts abruptly to the residents of a large house on the island, and their preparations for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Valerian and Margaret are white Americans who have lived on the island since Valerian’s retirement three years earlier. Sydney and Ondine are a Black couple who serve as butler and housekeeper. Their niece Jadine has recently arrived from Paris, where she has enjoyed a somewhat successful modeling career. Margaret is eagerly anticipating the arrival of her son, Michael, but Valerian is convinced he won’t show up. From the outset you know there’s more to that situation than meets the eye. And then the sailor shows up and pretty much turns everyone’s world upside-down.

Valerian and Margaret are oblivious to the ways in which they marginalize Sydney and Ondine, and take them for granted. Jadine is caught between two cultures, enjoying independence in Paris but still struggling to make it in the world on her own, especially as a Black woman. She finds Son, the sailor, simultaneously loathsome and attractive. As often happens when too many people are thrown together for two long, tensions begin to rise, tempers flare, and family secrets are maliciously revealed. Christmas turns out much differently than anyone expected. Each character must try to heal themselves and, if they choose, their relationships with the others.

Published in 1981, Tar Baby was Toni Morrison’s fourth novel and explores themes of feminism and race. The first two-thirds of the novel felt fresh and unique, perhaps because it was set in the Caribbean and was the first of Morrison’s novels where white and black people shared the stage. The last third is set elsewhere and focused primarily on only two characters. My interest flagged a bit at that point as I kept wondering what had happened to the others. My questions were answered in the denouement, and I was ultimately satisfied with this book but enjoyed it less than some of Morrison’s earlier books.

22BLBera
okt 3, 2020, 6:04 pm

Great comments, Laura. I just finished it myself and have a couple of thoughts. It seems to me that Jadine and Son offer contrasting world views. Son feels nostalgia for Eloe and the past, the way things used to be. He wants a world with the "pie ladies." Jadine, on the other hand, has not lived in a world like that. She has lived in the white world, although perhaps not always at ease there. I think that's part of the reason that she returns to the island, to try to figure out her place.

Then, there are the other characters and the complications involved in those relationships. In the end, it seems like Ondine and Sydney also expect Jadine to take care of them, as in the past children have done. So, in a way, they are like Son in their expectations.

I was looking at Morrison's comments on Tar Baby in The Source of Self-Regard and they don't really clarify much although they do give me more things to think about.

23katiekrug
okt 3, 2020, 7:12 pm

>21 lauralkeet: - Your review piques my interest, Laura. I think I might get to TB sooner rather than later.

24lauralkeet
okt 3, 2020, 8:59 pm

>22 BLBera: *smacks forehead* I totally forgot to look at the Morrison essays! Thanks for the reminder, Beth. I like your thoughts about Jadine and Son as well as Ondine and Sydney's expectations.

>23 katiekrug: woo hoo! I'm love it when that happens, Katie.

25BLBera
okt 3, 2020, 9:18 pm

Most of the comments come starting on page 331, toward the end.

26figsfromthistle
okt 3, 2020, 9:22 pm

Happy new one!

27lauralkeet
okt 4, 2020, 9:10 am

>25 BLBera: Beth, thanks for the reference. I appreciated the Morrison's discussion of how she applied the Tar Baby folk tale in her novel. As always with Morrison, it's not straightforward, which explains why I had difficulty figuring out the connection while I was reading it.

For anyone interested, the short version is that Morrison drew on themes from the folk tale to structure the novel.

>26 figsfromthistle: Hi figs!!!

28BLBera
okt 4, 2020, 3:31 pm

The more I think about it, the more questions I have Laura. I think part of that might be that she tried to fit too many things in, not totally successfully. And the change in focus after Christmas didn't help either.

So, is Beloved next for you? I would join you in Jazz, depending on when you read that one. I've read Beloved a few times, so I won't reread at this time. The only other one of hers I haven't read is Love. I would definitely reread Paradise as well; I've only read that one once and it was one I would like to read again.

29lauralkeet
okt 5, 2020, 7:51 am

Beth, I think you're right about Morrison trying to fit too much into Tar Baby. As for what's next, I read Beloved earlier this year for a course (absolutely loved it), and that's what inspired this Toni Morrison reading project. So I will skip over it and read Jazz next. I have a slew of library books coming in to land so timing is uncertain, but I'd say November at the earliest. I'd love to sync up with you!

30dudes22
okt 6, 2020, 7:15 am

>21 lauralkeet: - I haven't read this one yet. I'm currently struggling through Paradise. I think I'm having trouble following it because there are so many characters, and there are multiple people related to each other and it moves in time. I think I'll try to get the book Beth mentioned and see if it can clear things up for me. I thinking I'll have to do a reread at some point.

31lauralkeet
okt 6, 2020, 7:45 am

>30 dudes22: Hi Betty. The book Beth mentioned is a collection of speeches and essays, very few of which touch on Morrison's books or her writing process. As such it would be hard to find what you're interested in. I read the book recently and marked pages as I went along, so I could find them easily later. And then I forgot to look LOL.

Anyway, I think you might be better off with other secondary sources. Have you tried SparkNotes?

32karenmarie
okt 6, 2020, 9:26 am

Hi Laura!

>20 lauralkeet: Yes, fellow techies are we. I did a spreadsheet at the beginning of the year for my tbrs. It’s easy for me because each book in my catalog is tagged ‘started’, ‘abandoned’, ‘read’, ‘tbr’, or ‘dnr’.

I’ve utterly failed, so far, at this year’s goal of reading 2 of my tbrs by year acquired – one fiction, one nonfiction. I have read 23 of my goal of 30 tbrs, but not the archaeological dig I planned at the beginning of the year.

Buying new books is always on my list… go for it!

BTW, I admire you for your Toni Morrison project. I still haven’t started Beloved, the only one by her on my shelves.

33laytonwoman3rd
okt 6, 2020, 11:56 am

>30 dudes22: When I read Paradise a few years back, I wanted to go back to the beginning and start over as soon as I finished it. I really wish I had done it...I think I would have considered it time well spent, and the book would have meant so much more to me after a second reading. One day I'll go back and do it, but it won't be quite as effective after all this time.

34BLBera
okt 6, 2020, 12:25 pm

>29 lauralkeet: The end of the year might work for me with Jazz, Laura, but go ahead and read it when its convenient for you.

>31 lauralkeet: Book reviews might even be helpful, if you choose ones from "Atlantic" or NYTimes.

I do want to reread Paradise; I read it grad school; I should check to see if I still have my notes...As someone who desperately needs to declutter, I might be able to find them...

35lauralkeet
okt 6, 2020, 12:44 pm

>32 karenmarie: Karen, Beloved is a really good book. Hope you get to it one of these days!

>33 laytonwoman3rd: that's interesting, Linda. Now I'm intrigued about Paradise. It's been forever since I first read it.

>34 BLBera: I'll keep that timing in mind, Beth. Thanks.

When I started this project I thought I would skip over books I had read previously. Song of Solomon changed my mind. That was supposedly a reread, but I remembered none of it. I'm only skipping over Beloved now because I read it just a few months ago. And that was a reread, but I got so much more out of it than before. So I now plan to read all of her novels regardless of whether I've read them in the past.

36lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 28, 2020, 7:17 am


67. The Night Watchman ()
Source: Kindle library loan

Like all of Louise Erdrich’s novels, The Night Watchman is set in a Native American community in the Dakotas, and draws on the author’s cultural and family history. In 1953, the reservation was threatened by government action which proposed to end “privileges” provided to the tribe and relocate them to lands of supposedly better opportunity. Tribal chair Thomas Wazhashk spends his shifts as a night watchman writing letters to officials, and uses his spare time to educate the community and gain their support and involvement to try to block the government’s plan.

Patrice, aka Pixie, has come of age on the reservation and now works in the factory where Thomas is night watchman. Pixie’s sister Vera has disappeared, and Pixie decides to go to the city and find her. The experience opens her eyes to life off the reservation. Although she successfully rescues her sister’s baby, she returns home with only vague leads about Vera’s whereabouts, and her life settles back into a routine involving work and supporting her mother and brother.

While these are the two main threads in this book, there are many more characters and several subplots. Erdrich tells a vivid tale and I enjoyed getting to know these members of the community, But at the same time, it felt like she threw in “everything but the kitchen sink,” which meant that even the dominant threads were not fully developed and the denouement felt rushed. The Night Watchman would have been better if some of the characters and subplots were minimized and held in reserve for future novels.

37dudes22
okt 6, 2020, 2:10 pm

>31 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I ran by the library to pick it up and quickly realized it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought there might be an index in the back. Still it looks like something I would enjoy reading sometime. I guess I could try SparkNotes.

>33 laytonwoman3rd: - I'm not so sure I want to start it again right now. But I might take it when we go away this winter and have more time to concentrate on it.

> I just read my first Erdrich this year although I've had a few of her books in my TBR for a few years now. But I like to read in publication order so they will sit until they pop up in the list.

38laytonwoman3rd
okt 6, 2020, 4:15 pm

>36 lauralkeet:. Hmmm....too bad about the "clutter". Sounds like another example of an editor leaving an established author alone when a little trimming and re-drafting might have made a much better book.

39lauralkeet
okt 6, 2020, 5:01 pm

>37 dudes22: I'm no expert on Erdrich, Betty, but I enjoyed her early novels quite a bit. I requested this one during lockdown because it had just been published.

>38 laytonwoman3rd: Yes I think you're probably right, Linda.

40SandyAMcPherson
okt 6, 2020, 11:34 pm

>17 lauralkeet: I'll try this out for sure. Thanks for the link and the fact I can export selected aspects.
Short of sleep after a disrupted weekend, so planning to skim the threads for awhile. I faved this post, though!

41lauralkeet
okt 7, 2020, 7:25 am

Happy to help, Sandy!

42lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 26, 2020, 3:42 pm


68. A Long Petal of the Sea ()
Source: Kindle library loan

In 1939, the poet Pablo Neruda organized a ship to transport 2200 Spanish refugees to Chile, to start a new life. In A Long Petal of the Sea Isabel Allende placed two fictional characters, Victor and Roser, into this setting and imagines their lives over the next 50 years.

Or at least that's what I think she meant to do. Unfortunately, the book often reads like a Wikipedia entry on Chilean history, with the characters as convenient pawns in that narrative. There's a lot of good stuff for a novel here: a multigenerational story arc involving war, romance, illegitimate children, lost loves, and lives well lived despite adversity. But the long explanations of history and the political climate snuff out any possibility of the reader’s emotional engagement.

43laytonwoman3rd
okt 11, 2020, 8:57 pm

>42 lauralkeet: If I recall, Allende's fondness for encyclopedic history made me give up on her Daughter of Fortune years ago. I haven't tried her again since.

44lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 28, 2020, 7:13 am

Linda, your comments prompted a deep dive into my LT catalogue to refresh my memory. Daughter of Fortune is the first of her books I read and reviewed on LT, and I liked it. I also recall enjoying two of Allende's books pre-LT: House of the Spirits and Portrait in Sepia (and rated them highly, in hindsight, when I was creating my library). So I thought I was a fan, and was eager to read this new novel when my book group chose it. But I also noticed that it's been 10 years since I read any of her books, and the last few were decidedly "meh".

So that's a very long-winded way of saying I'm with you: I won't be trying her again.

----

In other news, I was beyond excited when I received notice that Marilynne Robinson's Jack is waiting for me at the library. Woo hoo!!! The other three books in the Gilead collection have been 5-star fabulous. With today's holiday and other commitments tomorrow, I won't be able to pick it up until Wednesday, so I'm filling the reading gap with the second Sebastian St Cyr mystery.

45laytonwoman3rd
okt 12, 2020, 11:03 am

>44 lauralkeet: I've been thinking of reading Jack next. My copy is staring at me.

46SandDune
okt 12, 2020, 2:10 pm

>42 lauralkeet: I’ve enjoyed several of Isabel Allende earlier books House of the Spirits and Eva Luna spring to mind. But I read the more recent The Japanese Lover for my book club and found it very flat indeed, with as you say ‘no emotional engagement’.

47lauralkeet
okt 12, 2020, 3:45 pm

>45 laytonwoman3rd: Hopefully we can compare notes, Linda.

>46 SandDune: I'm glad I'm not alone, Rhian. It's disappointing when a once-loved author loses their luster.

48BLBera
okt 12, 2020, 6:29 pm

>42 lauralkeet: I had a similar reaction to this one, Laura. I found the history fascinating, but it took over the novel. I wonder if she could write it as nonfiction; it might work better. I love Allende's early work better as well although Island Beneath the Sea was one I loved.

49AnneDC
okt 13, 2020, 12:06 am

Hi Laura, returning your visit to my thread and it is so exciting to see so many favorite books and authors here!

I think at this point I've read all of Toni Morrison's novels--I had a similar project as yours a while back--but as I was realizing from reading Beth's review on her thread, and yours, I read Tar Baby the year it came out. And I remember nothing.

House of the Spirits has been one of my favorite books but I may give A Long Petal of the Sea a pass, and maybe some of her others too. I haven't read much beyond House.

And I've been waiting to get to The Night Watchman, and probably will eventually, but maybe I will read LaRose sooner. It's been kind of a toss-up between two unread Erdrichs.

I did not know there was a new Marilynne Robinson book!

50Caroline_McElwee
okt 13, 2020, 7:54 am

>42 lauralkeet: disappointing, a colleague recommended this just last week too.

51japaul22
okt 13, 2020, 7:57 am

Ahh, somehow I missed that Marilynne Robinson has a new book out. I'm now in a very long library line for it.

52lauralkeet
okt 13, 2020, 8:13 am

>48 BLBera: Beth, I think I may have seen your comments. As I was reading and getting increasingly disgruntled, I had this vague notion that someone on LT had posted similar reactions to mine.

>49 AnneDC: Hi Anne! I'm happy to help you make your reading choices. 😀 Thanks for visiting!

>50 Caroline_McElwee: well Caro, I'd like to say "your mileage may vary" but I don't think it will. 😂

53Caroline_McElwee
okt 13, 2020, 8:15 am

>52 lauralkeet: I suspect you are right. My colleague is new, so we don't yet have a literary taste history.

54jnwelch
okt 13, 2020, 10:26 am

Happy New Thread, Laura!

I want to read the new Marilynne Robinson, too.

It sounds like I should go back to the earlier Isabel Allende books. I read a couple of her more recent ones, and was underwhelmed.

55lauralkeet
okt 13, 2020, 11:24 am

>54 jnwelch: Joe, Allende's earlier writing is known for its magical realism, which I normally dislike but I still have fond memories of those early books.

56LizzieD
Bewerkt: okt 14, 2020, 12:10 pm

I'm always happy to see your good reading and commenting, Laura. I have liked and not liked Allende, loved and liked Morrison, and loved Robinson. So much to read! I could happily live to 120 if only I could retain my eyes, mind, and books!

57lauralkeet
okt 14, 2020, 12:49 pm

>56 LizzieD: Peggy, I would describe all three of those authors the same way. And I tend to agree with you about longevity as well, although I would also like to have chocolate. 😀

58BLBera
okt 14, 2020, 2:40 pm

>52 lauralkeet: Great minds, Laura, great minds. :)

59Berly
okt 15, 2020, 11:05 am

Happy newish thread, Laura! I love your Toni Morrison project. I just read The Bluest Eye and it was a great book for discussion, both for my bookclub and with my Dad and daughter, although the rape stuff was a little hard to talk over with my Dad. He said he was a big boy though, and we got through it. He also chose the next book. LOL. I think I have read 5 of her books and really liked them all.

60lauralkeet
okt 15, 2020, 11:20 am

>59 Berly: Hoo boy, I can see where that might be a difficult book to discuss with your dad. Full marks to both of you for accepting the challenge, Kim. I'm looking forward to my next Morrison read although it will be a little while before I get to it. I am at or near the top of the list for several library books and I want to enjoy those without feeling pressured to "bookhorn" Morrison in.

61LizzieD
okt 15, 2020, 12:14 pm

>57 lauralkeet: O.K., Laura, if you're adding chocolate to the mix, I'll second that and add coffee!
>59 Berly: Wow, Kim! Full marks!!!!

62lauralkeet
okt 15, 2020, 1:04 pm

>61 LizzieD: YES to coffee Peggy! It was a tossup between coffee and chocolate, to be honest. But if you bring one and I bring the other, we will be all set.

63lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 26, 2020, 3:43 pm


69. When Gods Die ()
Source: On my shelves

Only four months have passed since the Prince Regent began his tenure and Sebastian St Cyr solved his first murder. When a young woman is found dead in the Prince’s Brighton residence, the staff scramble to keep the Prince from being implicated. Sebastian is brought into the case because of his personal connection to some of the evidence (avoiding spoilers here), and he quickly forms the opinion that the Prince was not involved. So what happened? A complex tale ensues, linking historic events in British politics with intrigue and deception among the nobility. Sebastian continues to enlist help from key players in the first novel, including the actress Kat Boleyn, the surgeon Paul Gibson, and Tom, a former street urchin now in Sebastian’s employ. I enjoyed all of the twists and turns in this book, and the chase scene leading to the reveal wasn't too bad, either.

64sibylline
okt 17, 2020, 12:16 pm

Glad you are enjoying Harris -- they sure were/are perfect for knitting and driving around . . . for a few months I wasn't driving, but now I am, and I just began knitting again. It can quickly become so obsessive!!!!

Coffee! And I have found a brand of chai tea, put together by a GENIUS here in Vermont -- the brand is called Chai Wallah. (I get the spice chai w/black tea). Somehow the tea is so comforting during these stressful times.

65lauralkeet
okt 17, 2020, 12:31 pm

Lucy, I'm so happy to see you're on the mend! I do like a nice chai now and then. The hubs and I are partial to a cup of tea in the afternoon. Constant Comment is our go-to. Nothing fancy, but it suits us.

66SandyAMcPherson
okt 18, 2020, 1:28 am

>63 lauralkeet: Funny thing, I was sure I had already commented on this CS Harris review.
Maybe some other thread. Or my post disappeared into cyberspace.

Anyway, here I am to say what a great way to non-spoiler the story. I liked that you referenced the characters that reappear from the previous book. I enjoyed this saga (rated it 4-stars, think).

About tea, my fave beverage is an herbal concoction in the late afternoon or after dinner (since coffee is such a sleep-disrupter for me). It's a cold-weather habit, and already in my routine, since we have plunged into the below-freezing temps.

My go to choice is either 'Night Time' (Pukka) or 'Angelwater - Tea of Serenity' (Silk Road). I used to drink a mint Celestial Seasonings tea, except my doctor told me not to at night, because mint relaxes the neck muscles and contributes to conditions like sleep apnea. Who knew!? I don't have sleep apnea by medical testing standards, but once I quit with the mint after dinner, I do sleep better.

I did go on at length about tea here so I'll say goodnight now!

67msf59
Bewerkt: okt 18, 2020, 8:02 am

"I want to read the new Marilynne Robinson, too." I am in too! Even if it is half as good as Lila it would still be a winner.

Happy Sunday, Laura. I hope you and the family are doing well and I hope you are enjoying those books.

68lauralkeet
okt 18, 2020, 8:03 am

Hi Sandy! Thanks for your kind words about my review. And thanks for introducing me to a great series!

Tea is a cold-weather habit for us as well, and while our temps aren't as cold as yours, the afternoon cup is now back in our routine. We try to drink decaf tea and coffee whenever possible from the afternoon into the evening.

69karenmarie
okt 18, 2020, 9:22 am

Hi Laura, and happy Sunday to you.

Coffee, chocolate, and books work for me, too. I only drink hot tea when I'm sick and coffee doesn't taste right. Unfortunately I like it sweetened with sugar.

70sibylline
Bewerkt: okt 18, 2020, 9:36 am

Thanks for stopping by my thread. Laura. I've been so absent -- really working hard on finishing the post-apoc book (done now) and playing music obsessively and tons of PT and the day just vanishes . . . It is indeed exciting the our daughter will at last be coming home. 11 1/2 months apart is no joke. We've managed though -- I play Words With Friends with her every night and we lob photos of weather and pets back and forth and talk pretty often, sometimes with faces, sometimes not. Still it is far too long. Are your daughters still at home? It's interesting how many families I know here whose kids have settled in, finishing grad school, finding local jobs

71Caroline_McElwee
okt 18, 2020, 10:24 am

>67 msf59: I have it here, and may read it next.

72lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 28, 2020, 7:13 am

>67 msf59: oh Hi Mark! I missed you earlier. I'm really enjoying Jack and think you'd like it.

>69 karenmarie: hello Karen. I like my tea sweetened too, although I use artificial sweetener.

>70 sibylline: Lucy, my girls stayed with us in April & May, but have been back in Brooklyn since June. Unfortunately Julia was laid off, and it's so hard to find a job that feels safe (I.e., she'd prefer to work remotely). We think grad school would be a good idea, but we need to allow her to come to that conclusion.

>71 Caroline_McElwee: Ooh! Enjoy, Caro.

73BLBera
okt 18, 2020, 12:16 pm

I also like tea in the afternoons when the weather turns, and I do have to do decaf in the afternoon. Recently I have been drinking ginger tea.

I must get back to the Harris series. I think I read the first two, then got distracted...

74SandyAMcPherson
okt 18, 2020, 3:10 pm

Hi Laura,
I hope you don't mind that I am commenting here about your iPad difficulty with Chrome screen sizing (saw the post on the "New Pages" Talk thread...)

Just for fun I looked up "How do I enlarge Google screen on iPad?"
The answer ~
Open your device's Settings app.
Tap Accessibility, then tap Display size.
Use the slider to choose your display size.

I don't know if that will affect the LT screen you want to see, but it appears to control screen size generally.

75lauralkeet
okt 18, 2020, 4:12 pm

Thanks Sandy. My Accessibility menus don't have the options mentioned. This is the second "help" article that doesn't match my setup. That might be because I recently upgraded to iOS14, which was a significant upgrade. Perhaps these online help sources haven't caught up with that yet.

What I was trying to do was make my Chrome browser window larger by zooming out to fit more stuff in the window. If I understand the discussion over on that thread, this would move both "Star this topic" and "Ignore this topic" from the bottom of a Talk thread to the top right side. I can't seem to zoom the browser window like you can on a desktop. It's not a huge deal, I can function perfectly fine with it the way it is.

I appreciate your willingness to help!

76SandyAMcPherson
Bewerkt: okt 18, 2020, 4:43 pm

>75 lauralkeet: When a computer-literate person like you can't find online solutions, that's a considerable slam against online help!
Whatever happened to the C&O testing for usability? Is it like having no competent editors and copy editors etc in the book publishing business?
I'm also disappointed to read of Ravelry's design #fail. LT's new talk page design pales (as you said) into insignificance from the sound of it.

I used to work in a University-research situation where Waters (big analytical chemistry instrumentation company) sent out beta-upgrades to their heaviest users. We always had beta-programs to test for at least 8 to 12 months or more, because there would be a flurry of patches that had to be re-tested. In return, our instruments had free upgrades. Bear in mind this was a *big* deal because Univ. research isn't like private industry and our funding was always a bit skint. The people not on free upgrades paid between $20- and $30,000 for this specialised programming. Not really that outrageous because the instruments that need this software were between $300K and up to $1.2 million. And that was "back in the day".

No wonder I'm not getting much reading done this month. Too chatty by far.
I think that I lack f2f company and my poor LTer friends are going to say, oh no, not HER again.

77EBT1002
okt 18, 2020, 5:12 pm

Hi Laura. I'm enjoying the discussion about Tar Baby and I'm reminded that I want to pick up a copy of The Source of Self-Regard.

I had more to say but Carson is insisting that HE get to be my laptop!

78lauralkeet
okt 18, 2020, 5:28 pm

>76 SandyAMcPherson: oh no it's Sandy again! Just kidding, you are always welcome. Like you, in my career rigorous testing was the norm. Of course, that was pre-Internet. Life comes at you fast these days, to steal a phrase from Ferris Bueller. One of the good things about LT is the way they involve members in making the site better. But that's also a downside, because new things are released as production and then revised based on feedback. Perhaps we should be thinking of these events more like a beta test.

>77 EBT1002: hey Ellen! Just don't let that kitty nip at you again!!

79lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 26, 2020, 3:43 pm


70. Jack ()
Source: Library loan
”Well, if things go wrong for you--the slide into haplessness can be quick. You can find yourself looking at the world from the wrong side before you know what's happened. I think people look at me and they see that. They call me preacher and so on. Professor. It usually means they want to give me a little trouble. I bother them, because they don't think I'm the sort that ends up like this. I know there might be more to it. Of course there is. I'm just saying it can happen. It's nothing you should be anywhere near. Take my word for it.”
Jack is the fourth of Marilynne Robinson’s novels set in and/or featuring characters from the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa. Each novel overlaps the others in interesting ways, either by describing events from a different perspective or telling a story that occurred “off stage” in another novel. Readers first met the eponymous Jack in Home, where he returns to Gilead after a more than 20-year separation from his father and siblings. We know he's a bit of a ne'er do well, but much goes unsaid.

Jack gives us the backstory of a man who left home after doing someone wrong, and fell into further trouble both with alcohol and the law. He also met Della, a remarkable woman who sees the good in Jack. But Della is black, Jack is white, and in the mid-20th century it was illegal to marry. Even spending time together caused trouble, but they found ways to do so. Their relationship developed despite Jack frequently showing up late, drunk, or both, and despite strong pressure from Della’s family. And while Della initially comes across as the more rational side of the relationship, it's Jack who sees the long-term effects of staying together and struggles with the possibility of doing greater harm to the woman he loves simply by remaining with her. Jack also cannot escape being both son and godson of preachers, which shaped his world view. There are times when the church comes to his aid, but it also lets him down.

Marilynne Robinson’s prose is exquisite, both in giving readers a fully-formed Jack, and in depicting his turmoil. I hope there are more novels ahead. Perhaps one about Della?

80SandyAMcPherson
okt 22, 2020, 3:06 pm

>79 lauralkeet: Great review Laura. Another author that I might "need" to look into.

81lauralkeet
okt 22, 2020, 4:46 pm

Thank you Sandy. While these books aren't a strictly linear series like, say, most mystery series, I do recommend starting with the first book, Gilead. Which won the Pulitzer by the way, so that says something about Robinson's talents.

82SandyAMcPherson
okt 22, 2020, 10:11 pm

>81 lauralkeet: Excellent reason to pursue this idea.

83BLBera
okt 22, 2020, 10:35 pm

I need to get back to the world of Gilead; I think I've only read two of the novels.

84lauralkeet
okt 23, 2020, 7:47 am

>82 SandyAMcPherson:, >83 BLBera: Hi Sandy & Beth!

I read the first two novels, Gilead and Home, about ten years ago. I can't believe it's been that long! I read Lila in 2014, right after it was published. I rated all three 5 stars. Jack was just as well written, but it didn't affect me emotionally in the same way, i.e., it didn't make me cry. That's usually what differentiates a 5-star read for me, so 4.5 stars it is.

Anyway, they're all beautiful, slow, quiet fiction. Good for the soul.

85msf59
Bewerkt: okt 23, 2020, 8:36 am

>79 lauralkeet: You sure got me stoked on, Jack, Laura. Big Thumb! I also rated Gilead Home & Lila 5 stars but will gladly take a 4.5 star read.

86katiekrug
okt 23, 2020, 10:56 am

I wasn't as crazy about Gilead as some when I read it recently, but I am going to give Home a go, because her writing is so lovely.

87lauralkeet
okt 24, 2020, 4:19 pm

>86 katiekrug: I totally agree with you about her writing, Katie.

-----

Okay, here's a question I can't believe I'm asking: I have a $5 Kindle credit. What should I spend it on? I have a week before it expires, and I've been dithering about how to use it. For arbitrary-possibly-stupid reasons, I want to use it on a book truly worth owning, but that I wouldn't mind not having in print.

Suggestions are welcome!

88laytonwoman3rd
okt 24, 2020, 6:17 pm

Can't help you...in my mind having the Kindle version is not "owning" a book...and that is no sort of judgment, just my own preference.

89Whisper1
okt 24, 2020, 9:39 pm

>3 lauralkeet: Hi Laura! I love the colors on this post!

Happy Fall!

90lauralkeet
okt 25, 2020, 6:51 am

>88 laytonwoman3rd: I get that, Linda. Based on tags in my library, Kindle books make up only 15% of the books I own. My reasons for buying a kindle edition vary: my library doesn't have it, my library has it but I need it now, it's not yet available in paperback and kindle is cheaper than hardcover, or there's a deal I can't resist. No worries, I'll find a way to use my $5!

>89 Whisper1: I hadn't noticed that, Linda. Thanks for pointing it out, and for stopping by!

91japaul22
okt 25, 2020, 8:38 am

>87 lauralkeet: I don't have a specific suggestion, but I usually would buy something I know I want to read but don't want to wait in a long kindle library line for. Something like Tana French's new mystery (which I just finished and was very good, though not my favorite of hers) or by any contemporary author that I like who has a new release. Happy shopping!

92qebo
okt 25, 2020, 9:47 am

>36 lauralkeet: Helpful review. My local book group is reading this for November.

93karenmarie
okt 25, 2020, 10:12 am

Hi Laura!

>79 lauralkeet: I really need to start this series. I have Gilead on my shelves.

>90 lauralkeet: My reasons are mostly the same, but I rarely buy a book on Kindle unless it’s part of a series I don’t own/the Library doesn’t own and I want it NOW or it’s free.

94SandyAMcPherson
okt 25, 2020, 12:06 pm

>87 lauralkeet: I only buy e-books for my reader when there is a reference book I would consult again and again.

These days, I'm a great fan of borrowing novels from the library in either e-book or physical formats. My reading tastes are not to anyone else's taste in the family, so if I can't borrow the book, I haunt the secondhand shops. And then trade it back if I'm not going to re-read it.

For me, novels on my e-reader become "invisible" after awhile so I discovered if I'm not re-reading them, it feels wasted buying the book. I know, not really what you asked...

95lauralkeet
okt 25, 2020, 12:28 pm

>92 qebo: happy to help, Katherine!

Jennifer, Karen, & Sandy, I appreciate your thoughts on my Kindle purchase. It's interesting to see that we all have similar criteria for buying Kindle books. I also really appreciated my library's Kindle offerings. I often request both the print and digital editions to see which one becomes available first.

There are a couple of interesting books in today's NYT Book Review, now contending for my Kindle credit.

96laytonwoman3rd
okt 26, 2020, 10:28 am

>79 lauralkeet:, >84 lauralkeet: " Jack was just as well written, but it didn't affect me emotionally in the same way, i.e., it didn't make me cry. " Well, I'm not finished, but so far the conversation in the church between Jack and the black pastor brought tears to my eyes.

97lauralkeet
okt 26, 2020, 10:37 am

>96 laytonwoman3rd: I came close at that point, Linda. I loved the interactions between those two.

98MickyFine
okt 26, 2020, 1:44 pm

Hmm, maybe use it for something that's only available digitally? I can't remember if you're a romance reader but Courtney Milan has a new book out...

99lauralkeet
okt 26, 2020, 3:20 pm

>98 MickyFine: Hi Mickey! Romance isn't really my thing, but I appreciate the "only available digitally" suggestion. Hmmm ... maybe porn? HA! 😂

100lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 26, 2020, 3:44 pm

71.
The Yellow House ()
Source: Kindle library loan

Sarah Broom grew up in New Orleans, the youngest of twelve children. She never knew her father Simon, who died six months after Sarah was born. The family lived in New Orleans East, on a short street sandwiched between a busy highway and railroad tracks. While they were far from financially secure, they were close-knit. Sarah’s mother Ivory moved heaven and earth to provide for her children, and as the children grew into adults they looked after one another, too. Their home, the Yellow House, was lovingly cared for by Ivory, but it was also riddled with structural issues due to its age, construction, and attempts at remodeling to meet the needs of a growing family.

Everything changed when Hurricane Katrina ripped through the city in 2005. By that time, Sarah was twenty-five and living in New York, but most of her family was still in New Orleans. Several family members evacuated to California and Texas. One brother rode out the storm and found himself living on a rooftop for a week before being rescued, The Yellow House did not survive the storm. Not surprisingly, the scope of the tragedy and her family’s long-term displacement took its toll on Sarah.
Who has the rights to the story of a place? Are these rights earned, bought, fought and died for? Or are they given? Are they automatic, like an assumption? Self-renewing? Are these rights a token of citizenship belonging to those who stay in the place or to those who leave and come back to it? Does the act of leaving relinquish one’s rights to the story of a place? Who stays gone? Who can afford to return?

Growing up, the Yellow House had been a source of embarrassment. Sarah and her siblings were actively discouraged from inviting friends to visit; on the rare occasions this occurred, it did not go well. But even as Sarah forged an identity that could never reveal where she lived, the house was still home, a foundation holding up every member of the family. With its loss, Sarah also lost the structural foundation in her life. The Yellow House is the product of Sarah’s efforts to reconstruct her family history, much of which she had not been aware of, to understand the ways in which Katrina impacted each person, and to determine what this all means for her life moving forward.

101lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 28, 2020, 7:12 am

I hit the jackpot with my library holds today!



The Searcher | All the Devils are Here | Normal People

I started reading The Searcher this afternoon. Two chapters in and I'm hooked.

102msf59
okt 26, 2020, 8:16 pm

>100 lauralkeet: Good review of The Yellow House, Laura. I liked the memoir too.

Congrats on the library haul!

103lauralkeet
okt 26, 2020, 9:23 pm

Thanks Mark!

104BLBera
okt 27, 2020, 8:16 pm

>101 lauralkeet: It looks like you have some good reading ahead, Laura. I am curious about what you will think of Normal People; I loved it, but there were many who didn't. My mom lent me her copy of All the Devils Are Here. -- which I'd forgotten about. I need to get to that.

105EBT1002
Bewerkt: okt 27, 2020, 10:14 pm

>101 lauralkeet: Nice! (I mean, except the Louise Penny...heh).

I bought a copy of Normal People way back when it was nominated, have not yet read it.

106lauralkeet
Bewerkt: okt 28, 2020, 7:11 am

Hi there Beth and Ellen. Normal People is a book club pick. I've been on the fence about reading it; if not for that it might have fallen off my radar screen.

Ellen, I didn't know you were a Gamache hater LOL. I'm not a rabid fan and I understand some of the criticism of the series, but I keep coming back to it. Like the Ruth Galloway books, in a way: I like the characters and the setting which outweigh any flaws in the plot or the writing.

Meanwhile, I'm zipping through The Searcher. Good stuff.

107vivians
okt 28, 2020, 10:21 am

Hi Laura - I'm glad you're enjoying The Searcher. I know there are a lot of complaints about her long-windedness, but that's never been a problem for me (although I thought The Wych Elm was a little slower than the others.)

I liked Normal People a lot, and have been meaning to watch the recent TV adaptation. And I agree on Three Pines: I've read them all and will continue to do so, but I'm not a huge fan.

Right now I'm struggling through Leave the World Behind, nominated for the National Book Award, which I'm finding to be slow and repetitive.

108lauralkeet
okt 28, 2020, 12:42 pm

>107 vivians: Hi Vivian! It's nice to see you here. I am a Tana French fan too, and totally agree The Wych Elm went on too long. She seems back on her game with this new one.

Good to know that you liked Normal People, and VERY good to know you're struggling with Leave the World Behind. My daughter took a course taught by the author, and was excited to see his novel getting such acclaim. I was thinking about buying it but wasn't completely convinced. You've tipped me into the "don't buy" camp.

109Caroline_McElwee
okt 28, 2020, 5:54 pm

>79 lauralkeet: I'm half through, and also enjoying this.

110lauralkeet
okt 28, 2020, 6:05 pm

>109 Caroline_McElwee: I'm glad to hear it, Caro!

111sibylline
okt 28, 2020, 8:42 pm

Not a huge fan of Normal People -- it didn't seem sufficiently special for all the fuss. I agree totally about the Penny mysteries. I've even BEEN to Three Pines, more or less, (in the area called the Townships, just north of the Vermont border) and MET Louise Penny at a party (yonks ago) although I like the Galloways better than the Pennys. I couldn't get into French's last mystery and gave up. I really hope this one is better.

112lauralkeet
okt 29, 2020, 9:16 am

>111 sibylline: I love that you've been to the Townships, Lucy. My cousin went on a Gamache-inspired tour while visiting Quebec a while back. That would probably not be my thing but I'd like to compare the landscape to the one in my imagination.

I'd say the new Tana French is worth your time. I assume The Wych Elm is the one you gave up on? The Searcher is much more like her earlier books.

113vivians
okt 29, 2020, 9:48 am

>108 lauralkeet: I'm really curious to hear what your daughter thought about Leave the World Behind, Laura. There are so many positive reviews and I'm wondering what I might have missed (since I was not a fan, to say the least!)

Thinking of you and all the trouble in Philly. Seems like it was a bad night there. I had such optimism last week that we'd be ending this four year nightmare, but that has faded and just the anxiety remains.

114laytonwoman3rd
okt 29, 2020, 10:09 am

I'm glad to hear the new Tana French is back on form. I wasn't that keen on The Wych Elm either.

115jnwelch
okt 29, 2020, 12:58 pm

Congratulations on the heaven sent library haul, Laura.

Good reviews of Jack: A Novel and The Yellow House. I read The Yellow House, and your 3 and 1/2 stars seems right. It was very good, and I'm glad I read it, but it was at that level.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Jack.

116lauralkeet
okt 29, 2020, 1:25 pm

>113 vivians: Vivian, I'll have to ask my daughters about the book. My younger one has read it, but I'm not sure about the older daughter (the one who took a course from the author). I think it might still be on her list. I read the thoughts you posted on your thread, including how the book "devolves into an extremely irritating, repetitive and overwritten end-of-the-world horror." and thought nope, I do not need that right now.

>114 laytonwoman3rd: Yes! You should give it a try, Linda.

>115 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Thanks for reinforcing my thoughts about The Yellow House. Because it was a National Book Award winner I was expecting a 4-4.5 star read. It was good, just not that good.

-----

In other news, I am a happy camper today, because I'm now using a shiny new iPad Air with a "Smart Folio" keyboard. The keyboard on my 2017 iPad failed about a month ago. I braved an appointment at the Genius Bar, which ruled out software issues. I decided to wait for the new iPad's availability because I had the option to buy a newer (and hopefully more reliable) type of keyboard. Meanwhile, for the past few weeks I've been forced to use only the iPad's on-screen keyboard. It was a real pain in the ***, especially when using HTML code in Talk posts. And I couldn't use any keyboard shortcuts, like for cut and paste. Oh, the horror!!

All is right in my tech world now. Yay.

117Caroline_McElwee
okt 30, 2020, 6:25 am

118lauralkeet
okt 30, 2020, 7:52 am

Thanks Caro! I love those kind of author interviews.

119lauralkeet
okt 30, 2020, 9:13 am

Well, I'm feeling a little silly about my $5 Kindle credit. It turns out I already used it! I thought I earned the credit when I bought the first Vera Stanhope book a couple weeks ago. So after much dithering about how to use my credit, I bought the second book in the series last night but the credit wasn't applied. A bit of digging into my previous orders shows that I actually earned the credit on a different purchase, and spent it on the first Vera book.

Doh!

120BLBera
okt 30, 2020, 12:06 pm

Hi Laura - I've been thinking of you as Philadelphia is much in the news. I hope things get calmer and that this doesn't interfere with the election. We are all watching Pennsylvania!

Hooray for technology that works!

Off to read the French interview...

121lauralkeet
okt 30, 2020, 3:58 pm

>120 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. The part of town we live in has been relatively quiet, but you never know when tensions might flare up. It's been a difficult week and I'm worried about next week as well.

122lauralkeet
okt 30, 2020, 3:59 pm


72. The Searcher ()
Source: Library loan

After retiring from the Chicago police force, Cal was looking for a quiet, solitary lifestyle where he could also recover (or maybe escape?) from his recent divorce. He finds a small, inexpensive fixer-upper in a remote Irish village. As he settles in, Cal gets to know a few people in the village, and with their help begins learning the ways of their deceptively different culture. And then Trey, a teenager from a difficult family circumstances, comes into his life looking for help. Trey’s older brother Brendan disappeared six months earlier, and no one -- not even the police, or Trey’s mother -- seems interested in finding him. Trey knows Cal was once a cop and hopes he can help find Brendan. Cal doesn’t particularly want to take on an investigation, but can’t ignore Trey’s emotional state.

Cal takes advantage of being both the “new guy” and “not from around here” to ask questions of anyone he chooses, and does a pretty good job of making up legitimate reasons for asking. But he still manages to arouse suspicion, and runs into some roadblocks. As a reader, I quickly became disoriented, not sure who was trustworthy and who might be working to undermine Cal’s efforts. Tana French delivered a couple of good surprises, which I enjoyed, and while some elements of the “reveal” are obvious in hindsight, I didn’t figure it out on my own and I enjoyed the journey.

After being disappointed with French’s The Wych Elm, it was great to see her back on her game.

123BLBera
okt 30, 2020, 6:09 pm

I loved the interview with French. She sounds like a person I'd like to have a drink with.

I need to read the next book in the Dublin Murder Squad series.

Is this new one in a series?

124lauralkeet
okt 30, 2020, 6:28 pm

>123 BLBera: I enjoyed the interview, too, Beth. And this new book is a stand-alone. The protagonist is American, which is a change, and the setting is in a rural area, not in Dublin. However, I do wonder whether The Searcher might be the start of a new series. This wouldn't be the first tiny village to become a hotbed of crime (I'm looking at you, Three Pines).

125SandyAMcPherson
okt 30, 2020, 6:51 pm

>119 lauralkeet: I'm glad I'm not the only one who does things like that...
I was sure of a store credit and turned out I had applied it immediately with a really mundane purchase rather than something special. I can only blame the anxiety level of just wanting to get the heck out of the shop for that mistake. Too many people not wearing masks.

126lauralkeet
okt 31, 2020, 7:14 am

>125 SandyAMcPherson: I can see how that could have happened, Sandy. There's a lot of anxiety and distraction these days.

127PaulCranswick
Bewerkt: okt 31, 2020, 8:02 am

>126 lauralkeet: I hope to blame distractions too. I had to go from one site in downtown KL to our PNB118 site at Stadium Merdeka. Best way was to jump on the monorail. Sat down finishing off my latest book and looked up to see the train coming. Rushed on and sat down rapt with the final chapter of The Double Bind and arrived at Stadium Merdeka to realise that I had left my wallet on the seat at the earlier monorail station - four stops down the line. I rushed across to the other platform and jumped on the train back the other way and rushed back to the seat I had earlier occupied and my wallet was still where I had left it. I hope my repeated carelessness will leave me quite as unscathed if not quite as out of breath.

Have a lovely weekend.

128lauralkeet
okt 31, 2020, 8:56 am

>127 PaulCranswick: Wow, that was lucky, Paul! Hope you have a lovely weekend as well.

129scaifea
okt 31, 2020, 9:15 am

Morning, Laura!

I need to get round to reading Tana French at some point...

130lauralkeet
okt 31, 2020, 9:30 am

>129 scaifea: Ooh, yes you do, Amber! I would start with In the Woods, the first Dublin Murder Squad book.

131karenmarie
okt 31, 2020, 9:44 am

Hi Laura!

>116 lauralkeet: Congrats on your new technology.

I really need to give the Dublin Murder Squad series a second chance... read the first and loved it, started the second and didn't. They're all on my shelves, just waiting for the right time, I suppose.

132SandyAMcPherson
okt 31, 2020, 11:42 am

>127 PaulCranswick: OMG!! That was _so_ fortunate.
I'm extremely happy for you, Paul.

133SandyAMcPherson
okt 31, 2020, 11:43 am

>130 lauralkeet: Just going to start In the Woods today!
I think a suitable October 31st story, no?

134lauralkeet
okt 31, 2020, 1:10 pm

>131 karenmarie: Hi Karen. One of the things I love about LT is being able to read reviews of books I read ages ago, like the Dublin Murder Squad series. I had issues with the premise of the second book in the series, because it didn't seem plausible. I don't know if you remember this one, but Cassie, the detective, happens to be the spitting image of a young woman who was found dead, so she goes undercover and assumes the identity of the victim.. I didn't think that situation could have been maintained for very long. My reviews of the other books mostly picked up after that one. All in all, they're a solid set of mysteries.

>133 SandyAMcPherson: I hope you enjoy In the Woods, Sandy. My review reminded me of a couple quibbles I had with it, but they weren't enough to dampen my enjoyment. We can discuss. 😀

135lauralkeet
Bewerkt: nov 3, 2020, 8:48 am


73. All the Devils are Here ()
Source: Library loan

This entry in the Inspector Gamache mystery is a departure, literally, from the previous books in that it is set not in Quebec, but in Paris. Over the series arc, Armand Gamache’s two adult children have relocated to Paris with their spouses and children. Armand and his wife Reine Marie arrive in the city in order to welcome a new grandchild. Armand also takes the opportunity to visit his godfather, Stephen Horowitz, a wealthy businessman who took Armand under his wing after his parents died. After a night out with the family, Stephen is struck by a car and critically injured. It appears this was no accident; while Stephen fights for his life in hospital, another man is murdered and Armand inserts himself into the investigation.

The entire family quickly becomes involved: Armand’s son-in-law, Jean Guy Beauvoir, was Armand’s second in command in the Sûreté du Québec. His son Daniel works for a bank that might have been involved in transactions relevant to the case. Even Reine Marie, who is usually more of a bystander, plays an active role due to her background as an archivist. This ““family investigative team” was a bit of a stretch, made up for by a strong subplot involving family relationships.

The investigation is filled with so many twists and turns it can make your head spin. While it was well crafted, the reveal relied heavily on the brilliance of a single investigator, rather than a series of clues for the reader to piece together. It’s best to just go with the flow, and enjoy some fast-paced armchair travel.

136SandyAMcPherson
nov 3, 2020, 3:29 pm

>135 lauralkeet: "While it was well crafted, the reveal relied heavily on the brilliance of a single investigator, rather than a series of clues for the reader to piece together"

That's an excellent description of some of the mystery novels I've read this year. I'm thinking of Kate Ellis when I say that. I like her writing and the Wesley Peterson series is engaging, but often I don't follow the mystery very well because I "didn't have a clue".

137lauralkeet
nov 3, 2020, 4:15 pm

>136 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy! It's a good thing I'm already invested in the Inspector Gamache series (this was book 16). I'm more likely to tolerate the "brilliant investigator" trope because I'm interested in the subplots about the characters, the village, etc. To be fair, Armand almost always pulls a rabbit out of a hat but in previous books I've at least been able to see the rabbit's ears sticking out. In this one, I just thought, "really?!" and "oh come on!"

But will I read the next one? Yeah, probably. 😀

138SandyAMcPherson
nov 4, 2020, 8:27 am

Hi Laura. I finished another book and posted a review for Heirs of Locksley. The story is aimed at a 9 to 12 yo audience I think. You can tell that's an escapist read if ever I saw one!

Today doesn't feel like I have any hopes of staying off the news sites... hope you are okay.

139lauralkeet
nov 4, 2020, 11:57 am

I'm okay Sandy, thanks for asking. Still bewildered and stressed out, but okay. I am working hard to minimize my contact with news sites and social media. Even LT Talk, which is a lovely "liberal bubble," has a bit more election-related chatter than I am looking for today.

140laytonwoman3rd
nov 4, 2020, 4:09 pm

>135 lauralkeet: I do like the title....I recently read the Longmire entry called Hell is Empty. What would we do for titles without Shakespeare to mine?

141lauralkeet
nov 4, 2020, 5:21 pm

>140 laytonwoman3rd: I'm glad you caught the reference in the title, Linda. I admit that I didn't, but I have higher expectations of you. 😀 Fortunately for less learned folks like myself, the title was introduced and explained very early on.

142EBT1002
nov 6, 2020, 2:16 pm

Laura! I keep thinking about you as we watch Pennsylvania's vote count.... YOUR vote is one of those precious ones....

Fingers crossed....

143lauralkeet
nov 6, 2020, 4:56 pm

>142 EBT1002: OMG yes, Ellen, we've been on pins and needles here,. watching 45's lead shrink a bit every day until finally, this morning, Biden took the lead. Most of the PA votes being counted right now are from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, two overwhelmingly "blue" areas, so we remain hopeful despite certain legal challenges that have been brought to bear.

Of course Nevada is also kicking butt. The more the merrier, I say.

144sibylline
nov 7, 2020, 10:12 am

In truth, I'm a little envious that you are in Philadelphia. So appropriate that Philly be the center of this particular maelstrom!

So glad to hear that this next French is a good one! And even if this next Penny is sub-par I am sure I will read it. I liked the other two she set elsewhere, the one in the monastery and then the one in Quebec City -- that one especially as it has a historical bent.

I've been trying to get a decent pic of the pullover/jumper I am presently knitting but the colors come out a washed gray when it is this lovely mix of blue/green/gray. I'll try a photo outside and then give up! It's coming along.

145karenmarie
nov 7, 2020, 10:33 am

Hi Laura! Pins and needles here, too, but very hopeful.

Hang in there.

146BLBera
nov 7, 2020, 11:19 am

Pins and needles here as well, Laura. I've spent way too much time watching the news this week. I've avoided LT -- not much reading being done. I hope we'll soon be put out of our misery and have a new president.

147SandyAMcPherson
nov 7, 2020, 11:25 am

>143 lauralkeet: Thrilled to read your news.
I had to take a news-break the last couple days, for my sanity...

148lauralkeet
nov 7, 2020, 11:40 am

THANK GOD. That's all I have to say right now. I am more emotional about Biden's victory than I expected to be.

149qebo
nov 7, 2020, 11:44 am

>148 lauralkeet: Hallelujah. A long road ahead, but this is a necessary condition for anything resembling sanity.

150katiekrug
nov 7, 2020, 12:00 pm

>148 lauralkeet: - Same.

Thank you, Pennsylvania! Proud to be your neighbor :)

151karenmarie
nov 7, 2020, 12:24 pm

Yay. Relief. Joy.

152lauralkeet
nov 7, 2020, 12:51 pm

There's dancing in the streets here in Philly, and much honking of horns. It's a great day.

153BLBera
Bewerkt: nov 7, 2020, 1:36 pm

>152 lauralkeet: Amen! I'm doing a little dance here as well.

154lauralkeet
nov 8, 2020, 2:34 pm


74. Normal People ()
Source: Library loan

Her eyes fill up with tears again and she closes them. Even in memory she will find this moment unbearably intense, and she’s aware of this now, while it’s happening. She has never believed herself fit to be loved by any person. But now she has a new life, of which this is the first moment, and even after many years have passed she will still think: Yes, that was it, the beginning of my life.
Marianne and Connell meet as teens and strike up a relationship, with an unspoken agreement to keep it a secret from their classmates. Marianne is socially awkward, where Connell is more popular. But the real reason for secrecy comes down to class: Marianne comes from a wealthy family, and Connell’s mother is their house cleaner. But the pair are the brightest kids in their class, and their intellectual leanings are part of the initial attraction. There comes a time when Connell betrays Marianne, and this drives them apart. But only for a while. Both are admitted to Trinity College in Dublin, where Marianne comes into her own socially while Connell struggles, and their relationship is rekindled. And so it goes, on again/off again for four years, through good times and bad.

And times get tough, indeed. Marianne may have wealth, but she has suffered abuse as well. Connell is from a loving home, but that’s not enough to prevent him falling into a rather serious bout of depression. Their separations are usually the result of misunderstandings arising from poor communication. And their reunions come from recognizing they deeply love and understand each other, and can be counted on to be there when times are tough. The novel’s uncertain but hopeful ending felt “just right” for this complex couple.

155SandyAMcPherson
Bewerkt: nov 8, 2020, 4:58 pm

>154 lauralkeet: Was this a mentally-exhausting read, Laura?
Well-reviewed. I've read several reviews now.
Edited to say ~ Still not sure whether the fit is good for me (yet). But maybe...

156lauralkeet
nov 8, 2020, 5:21 pm

>155 SandyAMcPherson: I didn't find it mentally exhausting, Sandy. I would however, say that the book's readership trends young. At the time of publication, it was hugely popular with my daughter's contemporaries (mid/late 20s), and the author is also in that age group.

Oh, there's also lots of sex, but I thought it was well-written. So make of that what you will.

I read Normal People for a book group made up of women mostly over 60. And before knowing what I was getting into, I agreed to facilitate the discussion. We don't meet until Dec 7, but I'm already developing predictions as to where each member of the group will fall on the love/hate continuum. I'm actually hoping for mixed opinions, as that usually makes for the most lively discussion.

157katiekrug
nov 8, 2020, 5:26 pm

>154 lauralkeet: - I tried to read Conversations with Friends a couple of years ago and really didn't like it, so I gave Normal People a pass. But my best friend loved it (well, first she loved the TV adaptation), so I plan to give it a go soonish. I might try it on audio, because the sample I listened to was lovely (Irish narrator)...

158lauralkeet
nov 8, 2020, 6:15 pm

>157 katiekrug: I bet it would be great with an Irish narrator, Katie. Accents are one way of defining class, and they would get those right.

159SandyAMcPherson
nov 8, 2020, 8:50 pm

>156 lauralkeet: I read Normal People for a book group made up of women mostly over 60.
Well, Laura, I just had to laugh. That's going to be a mighty interesting book meet-up. I bet you'll be surprised how incisive they'll be. I super look forward to hearing about this book group discussion! I believe you'll be a marvellous facilitator.

160BLBera
nov 9, 2020, 12:02 am

That will be an interesting book group discussion, Laura. I thought the relationship was well done. Rooney is good with people, I think. I was one who did like it, even though I am not in the intended demographic.

161lauralkeet
nov 9, 2020, 7:01 am

>159 SandyAMcPherson:, >160 BLBera: Hi Sandy & Beth. In all fairness to my book group, our raison d'être is reading "books that challenge us." The members are well-read and enjoy depth both in literature and discussion. But you know, there are always those one or two people ... and with them, I can see the possibility of an anti-millennial rant and I will have to redirect the conversation.

I will report back!

162Caroline_McElwee
nov 9, 2020, 8:44 am

>154 lauralkeet: >156 lauralkeet: I saw the tv dramatisation of the book Laura, and thought it was really well done. I haven't read the book yet, though read her earlier one.

163lauralkeet
nov 13, 2020, 9:12 pm


75. The Vanishing Half ()
Source: On my shelves

Twin sisters Desiree and Stella grew up in Mallard, Louisiana, a town so small it couldn’t be found on maps. Mallard had an unusual history: since its founding by a slave owner, the skin tone of each successive generation became increasingly white. At seventeen, tired of small-town life, the sisters left for New Orleans, where Stella learned she could get a better job by passing for white. She abruptly left Desiree behind for what she believed would be a better life.

Their stories diverged, with Stella living a lie and Desiree remaining loyal to her past. Desiree mourned the loss of her twin and tried to find Stella, but the trail went cold. Stella, on the other hand, appeared to have all the trappings of success and comfort, but this came at the expense of maintaining an elaborate layer of lies. Both women gave birth to daughters, and the novel also explored how each sister’s decisions affected the next generation.

With its thought-provoking premise, The Vanishing Half caught my attention right away. Desiree and Stella’s characters were well developed. Stella’s story in particular was an excellent depiction of the many ways white privilege manifests itself. The transition from mothers to daughters was less effective, as the daughters seemed less real to me, but the ending came full circle and left me feeling quite satisfied with this book.

164lauralkeet
nov 13, 2020, 9:15 pm



Ta da ... ! I've just hit the 75-book milestone. Let's celebrate! The bar is open: French 75s for everyone!

165SandyAMcPherson
nov 13, 2020, 10:37 pm

Yay for you, Laura!
Happy to see your reading continued apace. 🎉

166drneutron
nov 13, 2020, 10:43 pm

Congrats!

167BLBera
nov 14, 2020, 10:37 am

Congrats on reaching 75, Laura. I'm glad to see your favorable comments on The Vanishing Half. Yesterday at my book club, someone suggested it for a future selection!

168katiekrug
nov 14, 2020, 10:54 am

Congrats on 75! I'll have a drink, if there are any left :)

169RebaRelishesReading
nov 14, 2020, 1:04 pm

Hooray for 75!!

170lauralkeet
nov 14, 2020, 1:24 pm

Thank you Sandy, Jim, Beth, Katie, & Reba!

>167 BLBera: Beth, The Vanishing Half is a great book club pick. There's much to discuss. I wanted to write a more enthusiastic review but just couldn't find the words.

>168 katiekrug: Katie, it's a bottomless vat of French75ness, so have at it!

171dudes22
nov 14, 2020, 3:42 pm

Congratulations on reaching 75. Base on where I am now, I'm hoping to squeak in at the end of Dec. I've been wanting to try a 75 ever since you mentioned it last year.

>163 lauralkeet: - I've already hosted my month at book club this year, but I'm going to keep this in mind for next year. It was already on my radar to read.

172FAMeulstee
nov 14, 2020, 6:13 pm

>163 lauralkeet: Congratulations on reaching 75, Laura!

173lauralkeet
nov 14, 2020, 8:50 pm

Thank you Betty & Anita!

The French75 is not only a delicious cocktail, it's one I learned about through the 75ers group! Katie (katiekrug) recommended it at some point, and I tried one myself at the next opportunity. It's now a favorite.

Betty -- I hope you enjoy The Vanishing Half!

174karenmarie
nov 14, 2020, 8:59 pm

Congratulations, Laura! I like it - French 75s for 75.

175LizzieD
nov 14, 2020, 11:54 pm

Hmmm. I posted here last night, I thought, but my router was temporarily dead. Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS on 75!
I kind of picked up my French 75 and disappeared.

176Caroline_McElwee
nov 15, 2020, 5:51 am

>164 lauralkeet: Congratulations Laura. And some good reading in there.

177lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 7:37 am

>174 karenmarie: Karen, I propose the French 75 be declared the official cocktail of the 75 Book Challenge. Note that I didn't say official beverage, because we need to put coffee on its own pedestal, right? 😀

>175 LizzieD: Peggy, was that you I saw dancing around with a lampshade on your head? I hope you enjoyed your French 75. And thanks for the congratulations.

>176 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caro!

----

Just a little comment on the 75-book milestone: last year was the first time in eight years I made the goal. I was surprised then; this year, with the pandemic increasing my reading time, I'm less surprised but no less pleased. What would we all do without books?

178msf59
nov 15, 2020, 7:53 am

Happy Sunday, Laura. Congrats on hitting 75! Good review of The Vanishing Half. Thumb! I liked the novel too.

"What would we all do without books?" Excellent question, my friend.

179japaul22
nov 15, 2020, 8:34 am

I have The Vanishing Half on my library wishlist, but I was thinking I might read The Mothers first. Did you read her first novel?

180lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 9:05 am

>178 msf59: Happy Sunday back at ya, Mark! Have a great day.

>179 japaul22: Hi Jennifer. I read The Mothers back in 2016, not too long after it was published IIRC. I enjoyed it (3.5 stars), but found The Vanishing Half to be a better book. In my review of The Mothers I wrote, "This was a well-crafted debut novel that explored some interesting themes. It didn't quite live up to the hype but was still a good read."

181japaul22
nov 15, 2020, 9:07 am

>180 lauralkeet: Thanks! I'll go ahead with The Vanishing Half when I get to a Brit Bennett book.

182BLBera
nov 15, 2020, 10:37 am

>180 lauralkeet: I agree with you about The Mothers. I expected more from it and was disappointed. So I've been hesitant about The Vanishing Half.

183karenmarie
nov 15, 2020, 11:20 am

>177 lauralkeet: Yay for official beverages! I vote for coffee, too. And, indeed, what would we do without books?

184LizzieD
nov 15, 2020, 11:35 am

>177 lauralkeet: It couldn't have been me with the lampshade, Laura. None of ours fit, as I know to my sorrow.
Two pedestals for two official beverages sounds fine to me! (---- or as a long-ago student wrote, "two pedal stools.")

185lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 2:58 pm

>182 BLBera: Good to know, Beth. I never know how much hype influences my views. If i read The Mothers for the first time now, when the hype is long gone, would I enjoy it more? Or would its defects be even more clear? Who knows, but I'm curious.

>183 karenmarie: I was pretty sure you'd come out on the side of coffee, Karen. 😀

>184 LizzieD: There's a story in there somewhere, Peggy, about the many times you have tried to wear a lampshade. We'll save that for the next time I ply you with French 75s, after which I will put you up on your "pedal stool" to tell us the story.

186RebaRelishesReading
nov 15, 2020, 3:20 pm

Three or four legged stools are easier to sit on than two legged ones so how about we add wine and tea to the official beverage list?

187laytonwoman3rd
nov 15, 2020, 3:51 pm

" this year, with the pandemic increasing my reading time". I feel that should be true for me as well, but I am waaay below my average in numbers this year.

188lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 5:28 pm

>186 RebaRelishesReading: sure thing, Reba! I'm no beverage czar. The more the merrier.

>187 laytonwoman3rd: Distraction maybe, Linda? At one point I thought I'd surpass last year's figures but I don't think I will, and that could be why.

189lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 5:30 pm


76. The Chalk Circle Man ()
Source: Received from Ellen (EBT1002) -- thank you Ellen!

I can’t remember how I first heard of the Chief Inspector Adamsberg mysteries, but I was intrigued because they are translated from French, and written by a woman (Fred Vargas is a pseudonym, and “Fred” is short for Frédérique). When Ellen offered to send me her copy, I jumped on it.

In this first book we meet Adamsberg, recently arrived in Paris after a string of successful cases in the Pyrenees. The members of his team are getting adjusted to his style. Adamsberg is trying to make a strong start, but is also distracted by a relationship which ended abruptly. The city is abuzz over a recurring prank in which a blue chalk circle is drawn on the street with a specific phrase written along the edge of the circle, and an unusual object placed in its center. Adamsberg is alone in thinking this might not be harmless, and of course he is right.

There was nothing inherently wrong with this book, but as a series it just didn’t grab me. The investigation and the reveal were well crafted. But I found one of the principal characters annoying, and I suspect they may be a regular. At this point, I have plenty of series in progress and don’t need to add another unless it really wows me. Moving on.

190lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 5:34 pm

In other reading news:

* Next up for me is a reread of Mansfield Park, inspired by Karen (karenmarie's) reread earlier this year. This was my least favorite Austen the first time I read through her books, but this time I am more committed to appreciating it. We'll see how it goes.

* The next book in my Toni Morrison project is Jazz. Beth (BLBera) and I are going to read it together, and for various reasons (holidays, end-of-semester, etc.) we've decided to wait until early January. Anyone else want to join us?

191katiekrug
nov 15, 2020, 5:45 pm

>190 lauralkeet: - I hope Mansfield Park hits you better this time around, Laura. I rate it more highly than a lot of people do in my Austen ranking.

I would love to join you and Beth for Jazz in January!

192BLBera
nov 15, 2020, 6:26 pm

Laura - I read others before The Chalk Circle Man, and it is really the weakest book in the series. The others are MUCH better. I love this series.

193lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 7:47 pm

>191 katiekrug: That's great, Katie!

>192 BLBera: Hmmm .... now I'm intrigued. I did noticed that The Chalk Circle Man was translated after some of the later books. Sometimes that happens after the later books (presumably deemed "better" by the US publisher) have become popular. Maybe I'll try another one, Beth.

194SandyAMcPherson
Bewerkt: nov 15, 2020, 9:03 pm

Edited because it turns out that none of the Chief Inspector Adamsberg series are in my local PL. I'm always on the look out for new series!

Laura, were going to try the St. Cyr novels or am I thinking of someone else?

195lauralkeet
nov 15, 2020, 9:08 pm

>194 SandyAMcPherson: Hi there Sandy! I've read the first two St Cyr novels this year, thanks to your excellent reviews! I really enjoyed them and will definitely continue with the series.

196BLBera
nov 15, 2020, 9:08 pm

I think if I had started with The Chalk Circle Man, I might not have continued either. You remind me that I have a couple I haven't read.

197EBT1002
nov 15, 2020, 9:51 pm

Hi Laura and hooray for living in a blue region of one of the states we flipped in favor of decency this year!

I loved the conversation up there about Normal People. "N" is one of the letters for December's AlphaKIT so maybe I'll finally get around to reading it. And it, along with several others, will certainly fit my challenge to "read something you've been meaning to read all year." THAT is a long list!

I'm in a very long queue for The Vanishing Half and I note you "only" gave it four stars. I know that is a high rating for any novel, but so many people have talked about it like it's the best novel ever written (okay, I exaggerate a wee bit).

I'm also intrigued by Beth's comments about The Chalk Circle Man. I liked this one a wee bit more than you did, although I noted that the translation was sometimes awkward and I remember thinking the mystery itself was less than fully convincing. So, if this is the weakest in the series, it suggests that I should at least give the second one a try.

198lauralkeet
nov 16, 2020, 7:30 am

>197 EBT1002: Ooh, Ellen, I think you'd like Normal People and it's a great pick for your December category. I've also been influenced by Beth's comments on The Chalk Circle Man and will give the series another chance.

About The Vanishing Half, some further thoughts:
It's had a lot of hype, which for me makes it difficult to think about objectively. But I'm still thinking about the book, and some of the themes that add depth and meaning to a straight plot-focused reading. Last night I came across an article I had bookmarked a while back, intending to read after I read the novel. I'd completely forgotten about it, and it required more concentration than I could muster at the time, but I'm planning to return to it today:
The legacy of Toni Morrison looms large in The Vanishing Half. The article discusses the novel's narrative technique and "the place of the oral tradition within the Black literary canon."

I'll post some thoughts on this later.

199vivians
nov 16, 2020, 12:24 pm

Hi Laura - I liked The Vanishing Half a little less than you did, but it made for an excellent book group discussion, that's for sure. We're reading The Invisible Life of Addie Larue for this month's zoom discussion, and it has much less depth and content.

200Whisper1
nov 16, 2020, 12:37 pm

Are you reading more now that you are retired? I am trying to go through bins of books to get rid of some I know I will never read.

I spend time trying to get order, which leads to less reading.

Finally, the rain stopped. This morning is a lovely sunny fall day.

201lauralkeet
nov 16, 2020, 12:41 pm

The legacy of Toni Morrison looms large in The Vanishing Half.

This is the article I linked to in >198 lauralkeet:. Some quote and takeaways:
* This was an interesting quote: So, when I read The Vanishing Half, I think, “This is not a book that’s trying to be a realist novel.” It’s a book where everyone is defined by their epithets — the two beautiful sisters, the darkest girl, the lightest girl — and their narrative trajectories are intertwined in ways that feel fated. It reads in many ways like a fairy tale or a folk story.
* And this: ... Bennett is relocating us, taking us out of the world and into the one she’s built, and then inviting us to co-create her book with her.
* The book opens with someone telling the story of the twin sisters to a group. That story-telling style continues even as others pick up the narrative.
* In using the oral tradition as a narrative technique, Brit Bennett enlists the reader as "a co-creator of the text," a principle of the oral tradition. Traditionally, readers would be observers, looking for the meaning the author has embedded in the text. Applying principles from the oral tradition, the novel is just a starting point. The reader's active engagement leads them to draw out meaning, and then pass that along.

And I guess that's why it feels like it would be such a great book club book.
>199 vivians: Vivian, do you recall any interesting points from your book group?

202lauralkeet
nov 16, 2020, 12:43 pm

>200 Whisper1: Are you reading more now that you are retired?
Hi Linda! That wasn't the case the first year (2018), but I've read more in 2019-2020 than when I was working. I also try to balance time spent reading with my other hobby, knitting.

203karenmarie
nov 17, 2020, 9:50 am

Hi Laura!

>190 lauralkeet: Yikes! Such a responsibility! I hope you like it more than you did the first time. I’m currently bogged down in Emma – my excuses are the election and the pandemic.

204vivians
nov 17, 2020, 10:28 am

>201 lauralkeet: Everyone was positive overall. There was general unhappiness about the spate of coincidences - I think in particular the one at the party in LA but also when Early and Adele met again. Another criticism concerned the time transitions, which some thought were too abrupt. I think it was a much better book than The Mothers and would read whatever she comes up with next!

205LizzieD
nov 17, 2020, 12:09 pm

*waving to Laura* and *off to fix lunch* (Does fixing lunch tell you where I live?)
Oh! If I were wearing a lampshade, I'm sure I'd fall off my pedal stool.

206lauralkeet
nov 17, 2020, 12:46 pm

>203 karenmarie: Karen, no worries about the responsibility. I'm only about 50 pages into Mansfield Park, but I am enjoying it immensely. I love Austen's skewering of society and I am *gasp* sympathetic to Fanny. The first time I read the book, I found it slow going and didn't engage with it as much as I seem to be this time around.

>204 vivians: Vivian, thanks for sharing your book club's perspective. I agree about the coincidences; the one at the party was implausible indeed, which is too bad since it was the event that made the rest of the novel possible. I admit my mind kept returning to that event as I read further, and it never set well with me.

>205 LizzieD: We "fix lunch" here too, Peggy. But that could be my midwestern upbringing speaking. Turkey sandwiches on homemade sourdough today, which were pretty tasty.

207jnwelch
nov 18, 2020, 9:44 am

Hi, Laura.

Good review of The Vanishing Half; I've been on the fence about that one.

I read the first couple of Fred Vargas/Adamsberg books, and would've given them three stars, although a lot of people like them more than that. That's one series I let fall by the wayside.

208SandyAMcPherson
nov 20, 2020, 10:57 am

I was tempted by the The Vanishing Half, too. Haven't added it to any lists, though.

I was feeling a sense of being overwhelmed because my 2020 "genre lists" are looking like listy fantasies, as in, I'll never get to reading many of the titles before starting the 2021 lists. I'm still working my through some 2019 BBs.

I recently curated the 2019 lists because I realized I was done with certain series. I'm not alone in series-burn out but still, the sense of guilt was ridiculous!

209lauralkeet
nov 20, 2020, 11:54 am

>207 jnwelch: Thanks for your thoughts on the Fred Vargas books, Joe. I'll try another one and see how it goes.

>208 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, you've highlighted what, for me, is one of the most fun parts of the reading year: list-making and -culling! I've already created my 2021 spreadsheet where I list each book planned/read, with a bit of categorization (yes, this duplicates LT somewhat, but I find it useful). My spreadsheet also includes a list of "tbr books on our shelves" which I've whittled down considerably this year (a very very tiny silver lining from this pandemic). And yet, there were books on that list that I finally decided I wasn't going to bother reading, mostly Kindle deals/freebies bought in a weak moment. They aren't taking up physical space but I don't want to feel that sense of obligation anymore, so they have now been culled from that list and are no longer tagged "tbr" in my LT catalog. That was a satisfying exercise!

210lauralkeet
nov 20, 2020, 12:07 pm

A couple of bookish updates:



I am really enjoying my reread of Mansfield Park. Normally when I reread a book, I don't post a new review but this one demands it, because I was SO. WRONG. I don't know where my head was 7 years ago, but I completely missed the goodness of this novel. I'm approaching the halfway point (Sir Thomas has just returned after a two-year absence), and am still really enjoying it. I've also read some insightful pieces online about how the book makes subtle statements about slavery, as only Austen can. To begin with, Sir Thomas has business interests in Antigua. Oh, right: sugar. And the success of his business interests (and therefore the family fortune) is in question. Because abolition. Austen doesn't feel the least bit sorry for him. Go Jane.



I saw a post the other about supporting independent bookstores this holiday season, by purchasing a copy of this book. Happy to oblige, I popped over to Harrietts Bookshop on Tuesday, the day it was released. I wasn't sure when I would actually read it, but now I have two reasons to dive in: first, one of my book groups chose it for discussion in January. And second, there's a LibraryThing group read getting started! This was mentioned in the most recent State of the Thing email, and details can be found in the One LibraryThing, one Book group. Anyone else planning to read this one?

211katiekrug
nov 20, 2020, 12:11 pm

I'm so glad you're enjoying your re-read of MP, Laura! I've read it twice now, and the second time definitely deepened my appreciation of it.

I have put Obama's book on my Christmas list.

212sibylline
nov 21, 2020, 10:43 am

Oh marvelous, so happy you are loving MP! Jane didn't miss a thing! Somewhere recently(Atlantic?) is an essay about the Bennetts and that if you read attentively and thoughtfully the mother becomes the one you sympathize with, Mr. Bennett is just so totally self-absorbed. Over many readings, I had begun to feel that shift and so was thrilled to read this piece. She is desperate for her daughters to make decent matches for good reason!

Belated congrats for 75!

I agree that Normal People had a YA feel -- I found it a bit simple somehow, but perfectly ok. Couldn't quite fathom the hype.

213laytonwoman3rd
nov 21, 2020, 11:11 am

>210 lauralkeet: I am absolutely planning to read Mr. Obama's book. After seeing him do a couple interviews about it, I think I want the audio version... I don't usually do audio books these days but I like the idea of having this gentleman talk to me for 29 hours! I'll have to up my support of local independent bookstores another way (like that'll be hard...)

214lauralkeet
Bewerkt: nov 21, 2020, 12:15 pm

>212 sibylline: Hi Lucy! I haven't read that essay but that thesis rings a bell. I probably saw a headline, said "yeah I can see that" and moved on. I love how each reading of an Austen novel bears new fruit.

>213 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, one of my book groups just decided to discuss the Obama book in January (we take December off), and most of the group members are going to use the audiobook. I agree it would make for great listening, but I just can't "do" audiobooks. Believe me, I've tried.

215katiekrug
nov 21, 2020, 12:18 pm

>212 sibylline: and >214 lauralkeet: - I'm familiar with that reading of the Bennetts, too. It's one of the reasons I like the Keira Knightley film adaptation, because I think it comes closest to "getting" that.

Laura, I caved this morning and picked up a copy of Obama's book when I went to pick up some books I'd ordered from our little local bookshop. I blame you :)

216lauralkeet
nov 21, 2020, 12:23 pm

>215 katiekrug: Ooh yes you're right about the 2005 P&P film, Katie. The long-suffering Mrs Bennett is a wonderful character, and Donald Sutherland equally excellent at being "self-absorbed".

I feel no remorse about your book-buying! I just read the Preface and it's wonderful already.

217karenmarie
nov 21, 2020, 2:04 pm

Hi Laura!

I'm so glad you sent me the link to the APL group read. I've just read the Preface and I feel like he's just talking to me, here in my house. Such a contrast to you-know-who...

218lauralkeet
nov 21, 2020, 3:43 pm

I’m so glad you’re joining the group read KAREN, it will be nice to see a familiar face over there.

I read the Preface and first chapter today. That man can write, wow. And he’s so introspective and modest.

219laytonwoman3rd
nov 21, 2020, 3:55 pm

>214 lauralkeet: In the past, I've only done audio books while driving. They don't fit well into my life otherwise. I went for a free trial period with Audible, and got the Obama book for nothing, but I've tried listening a bit, and with the volume on my Kindle turned as high as it will go, it's still not good. So I'll be reading it in print at some point. Nothing lost, as I will promptly cancel the Audible account.

220lauralkeet
nov 21, 2020, 4:01 pm

>219 laytonwoman3rd: they don't fit well into my life otherwise
Ditto. They would have worked better when I was commuting, although I had a steady diet of podcasts at the time. I'm sorry Audible didn't work out for you, Linda. I tried it not too long ago myself, but also cancelled after my introductory free book.

221laytonwoman3rd
nov 21, 2020, 5:25 pm

>220 lauralkeet: My husband has a pair of bluetooth headphones he says may help...not sure if they are compatible with my Kindle or not.

222Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: nov 21, 2020, 6:10 pm

>210 lauralkeet: Yup Pres O's book has landed, and plan to start it next month.

223lauralkeet
nov 24, 2020, 1:39 pm


77. Mansfield Park ()
Source: On my Kindle

This was my second reading of Mansfield Park, and my feelings are so different this time around that an entirely new review is in order. My first reading was more than a decade ago. I found it a bit of a slog, with a slow-moving, interminable storyline and stereotypical characters. Well, I was wrong.

The Bertrams of Mansfield Park get the notion that taking in their 10-year-old niece, Fanny Price, would be a benefit both to Fanny and her parents, who are raising a large family on far less income. Fanny is intimidated by Mansfield Park, and largely ignored by her upper-class cousins except for Edmund, the second son. Her uncle, Sir Thomas, leaves to attend to “business interests” in Antigua, and Fanny falls into the role of companion to her aunt, Lady Bertram. Eight years pass, during which time Fanny is educated and adapts to the comforts of her new lifestyle, even as she is prevented from experiencing all of the social privileges enjoyed by her cousins Maria and Julia. Nevertheless, Fanny develops a very clear set of values, and is able to resist pressure to marry someone she believes completely wrong for her. When Fanny at long last has the opportunity to visit her family, she realizes how much Mansfield Park has changed her. During her time away, the Bertram family is rocked by two major events that have far-reaching consequences.

In many ways, this book is typical of Jane Austen’s novels in its exploration and satirization of English society, and its depiction of the rhythms of country life. But Fanny is a unique heroine, coming from a lower class and ultimately proving herself the best person in the bunch. I liked her much more on this re-read than I did the first time around. Fanny’s aunt, Mrs Norris, was also delightful as the character you love to hate. Having convinced Sir Thomas that taking in Fanny is their duty to the family, she continually avoids taking any responsibility for Fanny herself, and is most vocal in trying to keep Fanny in her place. Mrs Norris is awful, but Austen’s portrayal made me laugh out loud. The book ends with each character getting pretty much what they deserved, both good and bad -- a very satisfying conclusion.

224MickyFine
nov 24, 2020, 3:32 pm

>223 lauralkeet: Glad to see Fanny won you over this time around, Laura. While Mansfield is amongst my less favourite of Austen's novels, any Austen novel stands head and shoulders above most other books. :)

225AMQS
nov 24, 2020, 7:22 pm

Catching up here, Laura. Congrats on reaching 75, and what an inspired idea to make the French 75 our official drink!

My book club chose The Vanishing Half this year - slated for spring, I think. I appreciate your comments. Mansfield Park is not my favorite Austen, but I may be due for a reread also.

226Berly
nov 24, 2020, 11:38 pm

>213 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, Obama's book is on my WL and I have listened to one of his audio books in the past and loved having it in his voice. I'll be getting the audio.

>223 lauralkeet: Hurray for the Mansfield Park upgrade!! I love Austen. : )

227lauralkeet
nov 25, 2020, 7:37 am

>224 MickyFine: any Austen novel stands head and shoulders above most other books
I agree 100%, Mickey! I have loved nearly all of her novels, and I'm glad Mansfield Park is now on the "loved" list.

>225 AMQS: Anne! It's so nice to see you making the rounds here again. I just nominated The Vanishing Half for one of my book groups, so it *might* be a spring selection for us as well. We'll see.

>226 Berly: Hi Kim, always happy to welcome another Austen fan to my thread. At some point I had the idea of re-reading Austen's novels, at least one per year over and over again, but I didn't follow through on that. I should at least reread the ones I've only read once: Persuasion (which I loved) and Northanger Abbey (which I didn't, but maybe I'll change my mind!)

228msf59
nov 25, 2020, 7:59 am

Morning, Laura. I hope you and the family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have not read Mansfield Park. I want to read more Austen and I keep skipping over her. I am loving Shuggie Bain.

229lauralkeet
nov 25, 2020, 8:23 am

>228 msf59: Good morning Mark! I received an email from Amazon yesterday, kindly asking if I might be interested in Shuggie Bain. The Kindle price was lower than I expected, and the warbling around here had gotten pretty loud, so I took Amazon up on their offer. It looks like a good one!

230Caroline_McElwee
nov 25, 2020, 12:44 pm

>223 lauralkeet: I got stuck in Mansfield Park last year Laura. The only Austen that's happened with. I think i got 20% in and just let it get buried. I'll revisit sometime.

231LizzieD
nov 25, 2020, 12:57 pm

Hi, Laura. I don't know whether I've read *MP* more than twice - certainly not within the last 15 years though. I always liked *NA* least, then *MP*, and then loved the rest. I haven't read the incomplete ones or juvenalia either. I wonder what I've been doing when I think about it.
Thanks for researching the Shuggie Bain Kindle price. You're right; it's not so bad, and I will get it when I am not quite so overwhelmed with new things that I haven't read. (The two ER books spring to mind.)
I'll be interested to see what you think of Promised Land.

232lauralkeet
nov 25, 2020, 1:49 pm

>230 Caroline_McElwee: I can understand getting stuck in MP, Caro. There is a point where things kind of bog down a bit, and the denouement is compressed into the final chapter and seems a bit rushed. But taken as a whole, I still really liked it.

>231 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Northanger Abbey and the juvenilia sit at the bottom of my Austen list, now that MP has been elevated. I might give NA another try (and it's short, so yay!), but I don't see myself returning to the juvenilia.

----

I am really enjoying A Promised Land. Obama is an amazing writer, and he's so self-aware and modest. And having read Michelle's memoir, it's interesting to read his accounts of major decision points in his career -- like running for the US Senate, and then President. Michelle was very candid about her feelings, and Barack acknowledges her reservations. He is very understanding of her point of view, and even questions his own motives. Such a class act.

233lauralkeet
nov 26, 2020, 7:58 am



It goes without saying that 2020 hasn't been the best of years. But it would have been a lot worse without my LT pals to keep me going. Thanks to all of you for being here!

234lauralkeet
nov 26, 2020, 12:56 pm

Just stopping by my thread in the midst of Thanksgiving cooking. I spent the morning making the side dishes which can be reheated later: stuffing, mac & cheese, and a sweet potato casserole. The turkey went into the oven about 11am.

Still ahead:
* Make batter for sticky toffee pudding, our preferred Thanksgiving dessert (not enough love for pumpkin pie, or pies in general, around here)
* Make the roasted potatoes, which are rather involved requiring boiling, frying, and roasting, as well as brussels sprouts with bacon, a salad (mmm, more bacon!), and gravy.

The puddings cook in a muffin pan and don't take long, so they can bake while we're eating dinner and I'll whip up the toffee sauce before serving.

235katiekrug
nov 26, 2020, 1:06 pm

Happy Thanksgiving, Laura!

I'm not a huge pie fan, so your sticky toffee puddings sound awesome. Enjoy!

236Caroline_McElwee
nov 26, 2020, 3:04 pm

>232 lauralkeet: I'm going to start it at the weekend Laura.

I enjoyed this interview (scroll down) it's just under an hour.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/25/barack-obama-breakfast-club-inte...

237lauralkeet
nov 26, 2020, 7:42 pm

>235 katiekrug: The puddings were pretty tasty, thanks Katie!

>236 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the link, Caro. Obama has really been making the rounds since his book came out.

238brenzi
nov 26, 2020, 10:04 pm

Hi Laura, Mansfield Park sounds great and it's the only Austen I haven't read. Can I squeeze it in in December?? Hmmm time will tell. Somehow I knew you would immediately add to my reading pile. Sounds like you had a lovely Thanksgiving. The food sounds absolutely amazing especially those potatoes. And I'm presently stuffed myself from our own Thanksgiving dinner lol.

239PaulCranswick
nov 26, 2020, 10:51 pm



This Brit wishes to express his thanks for the warmth and friendship that has helped sustain him in this group, Laura

240lauralkeet
nov 27, 2020, 7:08 am

>238 brenzi: I'm glad you had a nice Thanksgiving, Bonnie!

>239 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.

241RebaRelishesReading
nov 27, 2020, 12:26 pm

>234 lauralkeet: Happy Thanksgiving, Laura.

OMG, Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of the best things in the world! Do you have a recipe you can share?

242lauralkeet
nov 27, 2020, 12:40 pm

>241 RebaRelishesReading: Sure thing, Reba! This is the one I use:
https://www.cookingclassy.com/sticky-toffee-pudding/

I'm sure there are others recipes out there that are more traditionally British. I like this one because it makes individual puddings using a muffin pan. Also, just click on the "recipe" button at the top of the page if you want to skip the "preamble."

243raidergirl3
nov 27, 2020, 4:02 pm

Ooh, it’s sticky date pudding! I looked into the recipe because it sounded good, but I make a version, maybe even the same recipe called Sticky Date pudding. And the sauce! So good! The muffins freeze great too, if you ever happen to have leftovers.

244lauralkeet
nov 27, 2020, 4:13 pm

>243 raidergirl3: Leftover pudding?! These never make it to the freezer although that's good to know, Elizabeth. We do have leftovers from yesterday but have already decided they will be consumed as tonight's dessert.

245EBT1002
nov 28, 2020, 10:41 pm

>210 lauralkeet: Yesterday we were wandering the streets of Sand Point, a sort of resort-y town in northern Idaho, and there was an indie bookstore. I stopped dead in the street and said "it has been SO long since I've been in a bookstore!" We went in. There was one unmasked family but mostly we felt safe. In any case, I looked at Obama's new book and I was about to purchase it but $45??? WTF. I adore Obama. I love him. And I want to support Indie bookstores. But $45 for his book? Something about that just feels wrong. I left it on the shelf.

Instead, I bought An American Sunrise, a book of poems by Joy Harjo, and Vesper Flights by Helen MacDonald.

I'm reading the second in the Sean Duffy series, I Hear the Sirens in the Street. I love this series by Adrian McKinty.

246LizzieD
nov 28, 2020, 11:55 pm

Oh, Laura! THANK YOU for the sticky toffee pudding recipe. I see it ending our Christmas feast!

247lauralkeet
nov 29, 2020, 7:53 am

>245 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! So nice to see you. And guess what: I've been to Sandpoint. My brother lived there in the late 1990s. He was a teacher at Rocky Mountain Academy, a boarding school for troubled teens in Bonners Ferry, which has since closed. He met his wife through a colleague and they later moved to Minneapolis. But somewhere in there we visited them. I'm glad you enjoyed one of those rare bookstore visits!

I, too, had some sticker shock over the Obama book. But it works out to only $0.06/page -- a bargain! 😀

>246 LizzieD: That makes me happy, Peggy! I hope you enjoy it.

248RebaRelishesReading
nov 29, 2020, 11:55 am

Thank you so much for the recipe. I not only love the stuff but also have happy memories around the first time I ever tasted it so that makes it extra good. After the move and when my life is back under control a bit I'll try it.

249lauralkeet
nov 29, 2020, 11:56 am

>248 RebaRelishesReading: That's great, Reba, it would be a nice treat to celebrate your new abode. And the best part is, it's not at all difficult to make. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, except (for me, anyway) the dates which are easy enough to find.

250lauralkeet
Bewerkt: nov 30, 2020, 4:22 pm

The LT Group Read of Obama's A Promised Land is underway, and discussion of Part One began today. This is what I posted on the discussion thread:
First Impressions
It felt so. darn. good. to be back in Obama-land. I read Michelle's memoir, Becoming, last year so I enjoyed reading Barack's account of topics she also covered: the formative years of their relationship, marriage, and parenthood, and her response to his political ambitions. Concerning the latter, he was actually harder on himself than she was. I absolutely love both his modesty and candor.

I liked the scene after the Democratic National Convention, when the Obama family headed out on an RV trip as part of his Senate campaign. They were repeatedly met with huge crowds ("you're gonna need a bigger boat" -- p. 53). And then there was a bit between Barack and Michelle after he won the Senate election, when his book deal also came through: "Magic beans, baby. Magic beans." (p. 54)

It was also interesting to read about things that happened behind-the-scenes, like Harry Reid's role in influencing Obama to run for President.

Events I Remember
In the summer of 2004, we were in the midst of a family relocation, returning to the US after four years in the UK. We lived in the UK during 9/11 and its aftermath, and our eyes were opened to the international views towards the US government. We returned to a much-changed country and paid more attention to the Presidential election than ever before. So there we were, squished into a temporary apartment with two young kids and some pets, when suddenly this amazing speaker appeared on television. Who is this guy? We assumed Obama was someone who *should* have already been well known to us, but of course that wasn't the case. For most of the American people, he truly did come out of nowhere.

I don't remember much more about Obama until a few years later, when the campaign got underway. I'm currently reading Part Two, and there are more familiar memories already.

I have one week to read Parts Two and Three which, as Karen (karenmarie) pointed out on her thread, requires reading about 36pp/day, a pace I'm not likely to meet given I'm reading other books concurrently. But I guess the threads will be there when I'm ready.

251katiekrug
nov 30, 2020, 4:36 pm

>250 lauralkeet: - You're making me want to dive in, Laura. I also used an Audible credit today to get the audio, so I plan to consume it both ways. Not sure when I'll start, though...

252lauralkeet
nov 30, 2020, 9:26 pm

>251 katiekrug: jump in, Katie, the water's fine!!

253lauralkeet
nov 30, 2020, 9:26 pm


78. The Red Hill ()
Source: On my Kindle

Meet Thomas Berrington, an English surgeon in Granada during the final years of Moorish Spain (1482). Thomas is highly regarded by the Sultan of Granada, who asks him to investigate a string of murders in the Alhambra, the royal palace. Thomas has secrets from his past which are only partially revealed in this novel, and author David Penny also introduces several other characters whom I suspect will become fixtures in later books. In some respects, the series follows some well-worn paths; Thomas could be solving mysteries just about anywhere. But the setting and historical context make this series unique, and I enjoyed spending time in Thomas’ world. The story had some minor flaws and there were some grammatical errors in the text, but I liked it well enough to try the next book in the series.

254brenzi
nov 30, 2020, 9:55 pm

>250 lauralkeet: I watched a special four part series on MSNBC on Friday and Saturday night about the Obama years Laura and it was just so good to be back when things were normal.....when we could go for weeks without thinking about what was going on in government or what the president had to say about.....anything. Normal seems so very good. It's the main reason I'm looking forward to the change in administrations so very much. It'll be a long time before I get to the Obama book. I'm #253 on 34 copies so.....

255lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 1, 2020, 8:14 am

>254 brenzi: I am totally with you, Bonnie. I guess it was too much to hope that things would calm down immediately after the election results were announced. Hopefully the remaining weeks of this dumpster fire will pass quickly. So far Biden is showing all signs of being Normal with a capital N, which is such a relief.

----



When the NYTimes published its 2020 Notable Books list, Beheld caught my eye. There's been very little LT chatter about this book; in fact only 106 members have it in their library. Well, I'm here to tell you that I started reading last night and was immediately sucked into the story. I enjoy historical novels in general, and am especially interested in history told from women's perspectives, so this is right up my street. Here's the publisher's book description:
Ten years after the Mayflower pilgrims arrived on rocky, unfamiliar soil, Plymouth is not the land its residents had imagined. Seemingly established on a dream of religious freedom, in reality the town is led by fervent puritans who prohibit the residents from living, trading, and worshipping as they choose. By the time an unfamiliar ship, bearing new colonists, appears on the horizon one summer morning, Anglican outsiders have had enough.

With gripping, immersive details and exquisite prose, TaraShea Nesbit reframes the story of the pilgrims in the previously unheard voices of two women of very different status and means. She evokes a vivid, ominous Plymouth, populated by famous and unknown characters alike, each with conflicting desires and questionable behavior.

Suspenseful and beautifully wrought, Beheld is about a murder and a trial, and the motivations--personal and political--that cause people to act in unsavory ways. It is also an intimate portrait of love, motherhood, and friendship that asks: Whose stories get told over time, who gets believed--and subsequently, who gets punished?

256msf59
dec 1, 2020, 8:00 am

Morning, Laura. Good review of Beheld. I had not heard of that one either, so I am catching a BB. I like that cover too.

257japaul22
dec 1, 2020, 8:06 am

>255 lauralkeet: I put Beheld on my wish list after seeing it on the NY Times book list as well! Isn't it interesting that with all the varied readers we follow on LT, we still miss hearing about books?!

258lauralkeet
dec 1, 2020, 8:13 am

>256 msf59: Hi Mark, just to be clear, that's not a review but rather the publisher's book description. I'm only on page 29 so my post was just some early warbling!

>257 japaul22: I'm not surprised to see that you wishlisted Beheld, Jennifer. It seems like it would be your cuppa. Whenever I come across a book that looks interesting, LT is the first place I go for corroborating reviews. Cariola wrote a favorable review of Beheld, and my library had the Kindle edition with virtually no wait time, so I jumped on it.

259dudes22
dec 1, 2020, 9:02 am

>255 lauralkeet: I think I'll be taking a BB for this also. I guess I lost track that the list was out already. I'll have to check out what else is on there.

260lauralkeet
dec 1, 2020, 9:10 am

>259 dudes22: oh yeah Betty, it's LIST SEASON! I love perusing all of the annual book lists, and the NYTimes is just the beginning. Enjoy.

261dudes22
dec 1, 2020, 9:14 am

>260 lauralkeet: - I think I was distracted by the Morning News Tournament of Books long list that just came out. I swear one year I'm only going to read the BBs I've taken over the years. I'm sure there are enough to fill an entire year. And then some...

262katiekrug
dec 1, 2020, 9:49 am

Oooh, Beheld sounds excellent! Thanks, Laura.

263vivians
Bewerkt: dec 1, 2020, 10:09 am

Hi Laura - two great recommendations, thanks. I'm going to take a look at the David Penny series since I love historical fiction. And Beheld will definitely go on my list.

I just started The King at the Edge of the World which also made the NYT 2020 list. I've read and liked Phillips before and so far this one is very good. It's about a Turkish doctor who is a member of a diplomatic party sent to England at the end of Elizabeth I's reign in 1600.

ETA my library doesn't have any of the David Penny series, although Hoopla has The Red Hill in Spanish! But Audible has it.

264lauralkeet
dec 1, 2020, 11:22 am

>261 dudes22: Betty, I've taken so many BBs here over the years, I could probably spend the rest of my life reading only those books!

>262 katiekrug: Yay Katie!

>263 vivians: and Vivian! I have to admit now I'm getting nervous that it won't live up to my self-generated hype.

Vivian, concerning the Thomas Berrington mysteries, I bought the first one on Kindle over a year ago, after a friend recommended it. I was hoping to get the rest from the library, but they have exactly the same selection that yours has. They must not be as widely available as I assumed, which definitely bumps the series down my priority list.

But ooh, The King at the Edge of the World sounds excellent! I just added my name to the library's Kindle hold list. They actually have print copies available but I have too many other irons in the fire right now.

265brenzi
Bewerkt: dec 1, 2020, 5:17 pm

Hi Laura, Beheld will be added to my Overdrive list as soon as I can remove an item as I seem to constantly be at: Error! You are at the limit for holds! Sigh....why does there need to be a limit?

266Donna828
dec 1, 2020, 5:53 pm

Congratulations on reaching and surpassing the 75 Book Challenge benchmark, Laura. My unofficial goal is 100 books and I am closing in on it. I've decided to do some light reading in December and have some Christmas books waiting for me at the library.

I just finished Jack and a reread of Home. I really liked reading them together but I won't be able to read anything "heavy" for awhile. I agree with you about the lesser emotional affect in Jack which I rated 4.3 stars. Yes, I sniffled through Home and rated it 4.5. I give very few 5-star ratings, but Gilead certainly earned that rating all three times that I've read it!

267SandyAMcPherson
dec 1, 2020, 6:12 pm

I was away with the card paradox, (see my thread), but thanks for stopping by to see which rabbit hole I'd fallen down. I'm posting this update on a few threads just so's y'all know I haven't succumbed to a Coronavirus infection.

PS. So great looking titles in here Laura. A Promised Land is on my wish list and I might find it after Christmas, second-hand like . That's how I acquired Becoming *grin*.

268msf59
dec 1, 2020, 6:34 pm

>258 lauralkeet: Thanks for clarifying, Laura. I jumped the gun a bit. I am sure you are much further into it, by now.

269lauralkeet
dec 1, 2020, 9:12 pm

>265 brenzi: Oh, those silly arbitrary library limits, Bonnie. So unfair!

>266 Donna828: Congrats on being so close to your 100-book goal, Donna. You got this!

>267 SandyAMcPherson: Welcome back, Sandy!

>268 msf59: I had a busier-than-usual day today, Mark, and the reading time I carved out for myself was spent on the Obama memoir. Time well spent, and I'm looking forward to logging a few pages of Beheld before bedtime.

270BLBera
dec 2, 2020, 8:44 pm

I have Beheld on reserve at my library, Laura. It sounds great.

271lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 3, 2020, 7:52 am

>270 BLBera: That's great, Beth! I'm more than halfway through now so I can speak more knowledgeably. I like it a lot. The pacing is great -- tension is building and TaraShea Nesbit is taking us towards an inevitable conflict step by step. I find myself both wanting to keep reading to see what's going to happen, and wanting to slow down my reading pace to match the pace of the novel, if that makes sense.

272lauralkeet
dec 5, 2020, 10:48 am


79. Beheld ()
Source: Kindle library loan

I came to see that threat we feared was not the Wampanoag—our treaty with Massasoit had been long-standing—nor the unknowns beyond the colony’s fences. Instead, the threat came from within our own community.
In 1630, the original Mayflower settlers had been in Plymouth for ten years, their early dreams settled into some sort of reality. The puritans, who originally fled England for the Netherlands, held the power and governed worship, commerce, and even the ways of day-to-day living. Anglican settlers, often indentured servants, were considered a lower class and treated as such. In Beheld, TaraShea Nesbit discards the myths associated with early American colonists, and shows readers real human beings and their all-too-real struggles, told in the voices of the marginalized: women and Anglicans.

Americans will recognize William Bradford and Miles Standish from their history books. In Beheld, we see William through the eyes of his wife Alice. William sent for Alice following the death of his first wife Dorothy, shortly after the Mayflower docked in Plymouth. Because Bradford’s diaries make no mention of Dorothy’s death, Nesbit has Alice quietly questioning the circumstances, especially since Dorothy was a close childhood friend. Standish doesn’t come across particularly well either. Anglicans John and Eleanor Billington are disputing their entitlement to land. In the face of Standish’s smug abuse of power, John becomes increasingly angry and unhinged. Nesbit rotates the narrative among these settlers with measured prose that simultaneously sets the scene, develops characters into seemingly real people, and builds suspense. As the colony moves towards the inevitable, its members become increasingly cruel and violent. The pacing of the dénouement felt a bit rushed, but that is a small quibble. Beheld is an excellent example of historical fiction that amplifies voices that have traditionally been silenced

273laytonwoman3rd
dec 5, 2020, 11:20 am

>272 lauralkeet: Iiiiiinteresting....

274qebo
dec 5, 2020, 1:52 pm

275lauralkeet
dec 5, 2020, 1:53 pm

>273 laytonwoman3rd:, >274 qebo: ooh ... am I tempting you two?

276Berly
dec 5, 2020, 1:59 pm

Just popping in to get caught up (I am) and say Hi!! : ) Congrats on passing the big 75!

277qebo
dec 5, 2020, 2:26 pm

>275 lauralkeet: Yes! I need more books in the queue to not actually read because I have no attention span these days.

278lauralkeet
dec 5, 2020, 2:32 pm

>276 Berly: Hi Kim, and thanks!

>277 qebo: Katherine, this book has the advantage of being only 275 pages, if that helps.

279SandyAMcPherson
dec 5, 2020, 2:40 pm

>272 lauralkeet: Upthumbed your review, Laura.

Too much is indeed silent in the real machinations of the society to which Beheld relates. I hugely admired your analysis.

My genealogy-expert relative says one of the biggest sins of omission related to the vanishing of the women. They went from being Miss Mary Smith to becoming Mrs. John Doe. Thus the women are lost from our ability to follow our ancestry unless their personal diaries or letters are discovered.

It's very sad really, that such discrimination persisted well into the 20th century ~ evidenced by my own immediate family member burning old photographs from the late 1890-early 1900's as well as my great-grandmother's diaries, "because it was none of my business". This family member took it into their own hands to edit what remained of personal property after my grandmother passed away.

Sorry, that was probably TMI!

280lauralkeet
dec 5, 2020, 4:00 pm

>279 SandyAMcPherson: Not TMI at all, Sandy, in fact it sounds like an area of mutual interest.

My dad did a lot of genealogy research in the 1980s/1990s, and after he passed away I used all of his documentation (printouts from PC software) to recreate the tree in Ancestry.com. Along the way I was able to supplement his data with digital copies of public records (Dad tapped into public records in his research but didn't have copies, digital or otherwise). I learned first hand how difficult it is to document the women's stories. In lieu of hard facts about actual female ancestors, I've been researching the social history of different periods to understand what women's lives would have been like. Nesbit's book was right up my street, even though it's a work of fiction, and none of my colonial ancestors were in Plymouth.

281RebaRelishesReading
dec 5, 2020, 7:36 pm

It is a lot easier than it was when I started looking into family history 25 years ago or so. Now there are a lot of marriage, birth, death records on line that you can search. I amazed at what I can find sometimes. It helps, I will admit, that I have a lot of Quaker ancestors and they kept wonderful records but there are marriage license, birth certificate, etc. that help a lot too.

282brenzi
dec 5, 2020, 9:11 pm

>272 lauralkeet: well I just got a free space on Overdrive soon to the list it goes. Very tempting review Laura.

283PaulCranswick
dec 5, 2020, 11:38 pm

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Laura.

284LizzieD
dec 5, 2020, 11:46 pm

Another wound from your Beheld BB, Laura. Thanks!

285lauralkeet
dec 6, 2020, 7:59 am

>281 RebaRelishesReading: It's amazing what can be found online, isn't it Reba? My dad did things the old-fashioned way, involving actual letters with stamps, and microfilm. I'm so glad he made a print copy of his database at some point, or else all his work would have ended with him. I really enjoy finding the birth, marriage and death records that verify the dates in his records. Burial records and grave photos are also easy to find. I love it when I find photos of an ancestor on another person's tree, and can add the image to mine. It makes it all the more real somehow.

>282 brenzi: yay! I'm glad you were able to request it, Bonnie.

>283 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul!

>284 LizzieD: I think you'd like Beheld, Peggy. I hope you can get your hands on a copy.

286lauralkeet
dec 6, 2020, 3:35 pm


A Hundred Suns

Nope. This book suffers from having to follow Beheld's excellent writing, pacing, and "show, don't tell" approach. I read about 80 pages of A Hundred Suns and it was making me cranky. The first chapter ends with an interesting twist which encouraged me to keep going, but the prose felt wooden and the dialogue, forced. As in, people don't really talk that way. This is a book club pick for January so I feel a bit guilty for not pushing myself but reading shouldn't make me cranky. I didn't read enough to count this one, so I'm just moving swiftly on to better things.

287jnwelch
dec 7, 2020, 10:39 am

Hi, Laura. Good for you for re-reading Mansfield Park, and getting so much more out of it. It comes in last among the Austen novels for me, but as Micky says, any Austen is awfully good. It took me a while to warm up to Fanny, too, but that's part of what makes her such an interesting character.

P & P and Persuasion are my favorites.

288lauralkeet
dec 7, 2020, 11:01 am

>287 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Thanks for weighing in on Austen's novels. I'd like to re-read Persuasion soon; it ranked as my favorite the first time I completed the cycle, although I also adore P&P.

289lauralkeet
dec 7, 2020, 6:41 pm

My book group met this afternoon to discuss Normal People. I mentioned previously that I had volunteered to facilitate the discussion and was a bit wary (see >156 lauralkeet: and the following few posts). I am pleased to report that we had a very rich discussion. Most felt it pushed them outside their comfort zone because the "voice" is much younger than their typical reading. But being pushed was seen as a positive, and one member admitted she started off not liking the book or the characters and ended up being quite impressed with it. We had great conversation about the two protagonists as individuals, and as a couple, and about how sex and relationships are written about and discussed now vs. "back when we were their age." I might even classify this as one of our better meetings. Yay!

290brenzi
dec 7, 2020, 7:08 pm

I actually really liked Normal People Laura even though I'm not young lol. And the show on Hulu (I think) is really well done. I thought the way Rooney basically had the two characters exchange the way they were viewed by their cohorts when they left high school was quite brilliant.

291Berly
dec 7, 2020, 10:26 pm

>289 lauralkeet: Hurray for leading a successful book discussion! I love when the discussions go deeper.

292lauralkeet
dec 8, 2020, 8:03 am

>290 brenzi: Hi Bonnie, I'm happy to see another fan of Normal People here.

>291 Berly: I love that too, Kim. This is a really good book group in that sense. My other group is much more likely to have a quick round of "liked it/didn't like it/oops haven't read it" and then end up on other topics. I prefer the deeper discussion but the less meaty group also has its benefits: nice people, and wine (when we meet in person, that is).

293laytonwoman3rd
dec 8, 2020, 10:19 am

>289 lauralkeet: Congratulations! And also, >286 lauralkeet: Wise woman. Lots of stuff vying to make us cranky without letting books do it to us.

>292 lauralkeet: "and wine (when we meet in person, that is)" I do not understand. You HAVE wine in the house, don't you? *shakes head in bewilderment*

294vivians
dec 8, 2020, 11:46 am

>289 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - that discussion sounds great. I've found that my book group discussions have devolved much more into social chatting because we've been together for so long (25 years!!!) and we need to catch up on each other's lives. It's always lovely, but I miss the in-depth book talk.

295lauralkeet
dec 8, 2020, 11:46 am

>293 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, thanks for validating my abandonment of A Hundred Suns. This is the next pick for the book club that met yesterday, and I'm feeling a bit more guilty/wondering what I've missed. It will be interesting to listen to what people have to say about the book.

And YES we have wine in the house but somehow it's not the same over Zoom!

296lauralkeet
dec 8, 2020, 11:50 am

>294 vivians: Hi Vivian! Looks like we posted at the same time. I envy you having such a long-standing book club. Your mention of 25 years jogged my memories. My youngest just turned 25 two days ago, and at the time she was born I was in a really great book club. I remember reading book club picks with a wee Julia in my arms, and bringing her to at least one meeting. The book club members have since all gone their separate ways, but it sure would have been interesting if we could have continued to share our lives with one another.

297vivians
dec 8, 2020, 12:10 pm

Exactly my experience Laura! We all met in a baby group for my 3rd son Oren, who turned 25 earlier this year. (Happy birthday, Julia!) We even had a "little boys book club" for our kids, but that only lasted until they were about 10 or so. The boys didn't remain friends, but 4 of us, and 2 later additions, have been meeting monthly since.

298AMQS
dec 8, 2020, 12:26 pm

Hi Laura! Your sticky toffee pudding looks really good. I'm sure I'e had one but never made one.

You got me with Beheld. Sounds like a really good one to recommend to my book club when we are ready to choose a new batch.

299lauralkeet
dec 8, 2020, 1:52 pm

>297 vivians: Belated happy birthday to Oren, Vivian!!

>298 AMQS: Anne, Beheld would be an interesting book club pick. My "wine-oriented" book club is due for a new round of picks so I might recommend it as well.

300BLBera
dec 9, 2020, 3:54 pm

Hooray for a great book discussion. My book club started meeting in 2002, so we have been together for a long time. We do have newer members as people have dropped out. The advantage is that people aren't afraid to say what they think. There are a few of us who push to talk about the book before we visit -- not always successfully!

301lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 11, 2020, 8:35 am

>300 BLBera: It's great when a book club reaches the point where people feel free to speak their minds. In that respect I've been pleasantly surprised by the group that met this week. We've only been meeting for about two years and have had a couple changes in membership, but everyone is pretty comfortable expressing their opinions.

My other book group -- the one that is more about wine and socializing -- is, I think, suffering from being too small. When I joined there were 7 or 8 members and now there are only 5. If one person can't make it to a meeting, the organizer usually tries to reschedule both to be accommodating and because book conversation requires some sort of critical mass. This group is also a little less structured about choosing books. Although we've come up with lists to guide our choices we seldom choose a book more than a month in advance. So it's annoying to have a meeting rescheduled at the last minute when I've made the effort to get my hands on a book and read it in time. I've actually considered dropping out of this group but the organizer is a good friend from my knitting group, and besides what else do I have to do with my time?

----

I'm aware this thread has just reached the 300 mark. But we are also just a couple of weeks from a new year so I'm just going to keep this one going if that's okay with everyone. And even if it's not okay with everyone that's what I'm gonna do LOL.

302SandyAMcPherson
dec 12, 2020, 7:45 am

>301 lauralkeet: 300-strong posts is fine with me!
And I have lightning fast internet service. ~:D

I'm not taking time to do more than delurk occasionally, *but* I am around the threads, peeking at the book bullets.

Mainly, I'm emptying/reorganizing a couple of bookshelves so I can move them into a more accessible arrangement. Also, *finally* getting the uncatalogued books onto my LT catalogue. Important stuff, you know, like Calvin & Hobbes and my Latin-English pocket dictionary! I even posted dictionary reviews yesterday.

303lauralkeet
dec 12, 2020, 12:48 pm

>302 SandyAMcPherson: Nice to see you Sandy. I'm glad you're still lurking. I'm impressed with your burst of organizing. I haven't been similarly inspired although there's a certain kitchen drawer in need of a reorg that I will probably tackle soon. I have also vowed to start wrapping Christmas gifts in the coming week. Normally I leave it to the 23rd or 24th and do it all at once. I think I'd enjoy it more if I spread it out.

304SandyAMcPherson
dec 13, 2020, 12:18 pm

>303 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, I'm so over the gift wrap thing. It can be a great activity, though but I always left it too late and was usually bone-tired back when there was a family gathering at our house.

I hauled out my stash of Christmas craft fabrics a few months ago and was disgusted with having 2 (two!) large bins crammed with seasonal motifs, 95% of them Christmas-related.
I sewed up about 2 dozen various-sized bags with ribbon-ties and sent most of them away to family. Many with the gifts enclosed.

2 Flannelette bags ~ + Mary Engelbreit designs ~ .

I love the Mary Engelbreit textiles and was always buying the new designs.

Another fun activity, homemade tags from old cards. It was a very enjoyable pastime, and *win* one of bins was emptied and the other moved to a smaller plastic prison.

305lauralkeet
dec 13, 2020, 3:39 pm

>304 SandyAMcPherson: what a great idea, Sandy!

306lauralkeet
dec 13, 2020, 5:28 pm


80. The Crow Trap ()
Source: On my Kindle

In The Crow Trap, three women are assigned to conduct an environmental impact assessment prior to proposed construction of a new quarry. Rachael, the first to arrive at the site, discovers the woman from the farm next door has committed suicide in the barn. Rachael was friends with Bella, so she is more strongly affected by her death than her colleagues, Ann and Grace. The three women settle into their accommodation, and from the outset there are tensions between them, mostly due to personality conflicts. When Grace is found dead, their work is largely put on hold as an investigation gets underway.

This is the first book in the Vera Stanhope mystery series, and its structure is unusual. Vera isn’t introduced until 200 pages into the novel; the earlier parts of the book are all setup narrated by Rachael, Ann, and finally Grace. Their characters are very well developed, and these early sections introduce others involved with the quarry project, who will become important to the police investigation. When Vera finally arrives on the scene she is able to take advantage of the amateur sleuthing conducted by the women, and she makes effective use of them once the formal investigation is underway. The police investigation occupies the next 335 pages, and the reveal relies heavily on Vera’s skills, rather than on “evidence” the reader would have picked up along the way.

Although I found myself wondering whether all the setup was really necessary, Vera is a memorable character, I enjoyed the book, and I will definitely read more books in the series.

307brenzi
dec 13, 2020, 6:25 pm

>301 lauralkeet: As a person who absolutely hates starting a new thread I say go for it Laura. As a matter of fact, why do we have to start new threads....ever? When I first started on LT in 2009 it was said that people who had dial up Internet had a hard time loading long threads. If there's someone out there who still has dial up Internet I'd like to know who. How do you stream? I got rid of cable over a year ago and stream everything. So why again do we have to start new threads? I may not start more than one thread next year. So what if it has a thousand posts? Lol.

308katiekrug
dec 13, 2020, 6:27 pm

>307 brenzi: - Hear, hear!

309laytonwoman3rd
dec 13, 2020, 6:35 pm

>307 brenzi: If people put a lot of images in their thread, and especially GIFs, it can slow the loading process down, even with good internet. Somehow I just like the idea of breaking the year up by starting new threads with the seasons. (Of course this year, I haven't started a 4th one, but this year isn't a good example of anything.) But I'm all for "each to her own" when it comes to threading.

310lauralkeet
dec 13, 2020, 8:04 pm

Bonnie you've become quite the rabble rouser during your time away from LT. I love it! Of course I expect no less from Katie LOL.

My post was a pre-emptive strike against any potential comment on the length of this thread as I passed another 100 milestone. I agree the practice dates back to an earlier time in LT's history when network speeds (and probably the site itself) were slower than they are today. I also agree with Linda that threads with a lot of images can get unwieldy. Personally I come out somewhere in the middle and also support every LTer's right to choose ("my thread, my choice," as they say).

In years past I've had quarterly threads. This year with the pandemic people were chattier in general so I ended up creating new threads sooner, but I think next year I'll go back to quarterly.

311katiekrug
dec 13, 2020, 8:13 pm

I'm just anti-another meaningless statistic that people get worked up about. Also, I hate making new threads :)

312brenzi
dec 13, 2020, 8:23 pm

>310 lauralkeet: >311 katiekrug: Rabble rouser? Moi? Actually it's a carry over from my wild child college days in the 60s haha. At any rate, what bugs me is my thread gets to 250+ posts and someone invariably post something like, time for a new thread? No. No it isn't.

313lauralkeet
dec 14, 2020, 7:40 am

>311 katiekrug: I get that, Katie. Even though my thread-opening posts are pretty minimalist, it's still work to prepare and post them. Right now I'm stressing over thread-toppers for 2021. Silly, I know.

>312 brenzi: someone invariably posts something like, time for a new thread?
Oh, I understand, Bonnie. That's exactly the kind of post I was hoping to ward off.

314SandyAMcPherson
Bewerkt: dec 14, 2020, 7:49 am

>307 brenzi: I've wondered that, too (starting a new thread for readability).

One thing I do like are the seasonally-related "toppers" but OTOH, I guess one could have a theme-reset at the point in the thread where the season changes.

Edited to add that I have been taken aback at someone invariably posts something like, time for a new thread? comments. Woah! It's the thread police! Take cover and hide in the stacks.... (just joking).

315scaifea
dec 14, 2020, 9:59 am

>309 laytonwoman3rd: Lots of images and gifs? Who would do such a fool thing?! Honestly.

>310 lauralkeet: Of course I expect no less from Katie LOL.
*SNORK!* If I didn't already know and love Katie, this would make me want to be her friend. I LOVE IT.

I also loathe making new threads. It's one of those things that causes stupid, unnecessary, and completely illogical anxiety for me. *self eye roll*

316katiekrug
dec 14, 2020, 10:13 am

I love and appreciate all of you who "get" me. I'm not to everyone's taste, but most people aren't to mine ;-)

317lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 14, 2020, 10:21 am

>314 SandyAMcPherson: Oh yes Sandy, the thread police are out there, lurking, waiting to catch us all in wrongful acts of thread making!

>315 scaifea:, >316 katiekrug: what would we do without Katie's snark?

----
Maybe we should all band together in solidarity and manage our 2021 threads differently. Who's with me?!

318katiekrug
dec 14, 2020, 10:54 am

>317 lauralkeet: - I have already been contemplating changes I want to make for next year's threads. Like, does anyone really read through the list of 100+ books read (by the end of the year)? I'm thinking of just posting the last 10 or something. And I may try to limit threads to one per month, max. Even that seems like a lot, though... *cogitating, cogitating*

319scaifea
dec 14, 2020, 11:04 am

>317 lauralkeet:


>318 katiekrug: Now I'm thinking about thinking about changing my threads...

320laytonwoman3rd
dec 14, 2020, 11:14 am

Another thing I have noticed just this morning when loading two extra long threads containing multiple images is that LT does not take me to the first unread message. This happens on one thread that is only 112 messages long, but full of wild gifs (and NO, Amber, not yours and not that other person's either).

321lauralkeet
dec 14, 2020, 2:18 pm

>318 katiekrug: I only list the books I've read in that thread, not my complete list. Still, I do that more for me as a sort of "table of contents." I doubt anyone reads it especially now that LT jumps automatically to the first unread message.

>320 laytonwoman3rd: I hadn't noticed that, Linda. I guess I'm not hanging out on those threads, but I can see how it would be annoying to land in the middle of a GIF-fest.

322katiekrug
dec 14, 2020, 2:24 pm

>321 lauralkeet: - Oh, I like that idea of just listing the books read during that thread. I think I'll do that.

323lauralkeet
dec 14, 2020, 3:44 pm

>322 katiekrug: glad I could help ease your burden, Katie!!

324msf59
dec 14, 2020, 4:58 pm

Hi, Laura. The Old Warbler has returned. Back to the retirement grind. We had a great and relaxing trip. Check out my bird sightings. I hope all is well on your end.

325lauralkeet
dec 14, 2020, 5:18 pm

Hi Mark, welcome back! I'll pop over and pay you a visit.

326brenzi
dec 14, 2020, 6:07 pm

>318 katiekrug: Well I won't be leaving that out. That's my favorite part lol. I'm not like some others, who shall remain nameless, who maintain a spreadsheet. But I digress.

Looks around, sees a bit of havoc....let me take my leave now that I can tell that I've done....something. Not sure exactly what but that's the way rabble rousing works🥴

327katiekrug
dec 14, 2020, 7:34 pm

326 - LOL! I keep a spreadsheet, too, thankyouverymuch :)

328lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 14, 2020, 8:53 pm

>326 brenzi:, >327 katiekrug: Another spreadsheet maven here, AND PROUD OF IT.

So there, Bonnie!



This actually kinda looks like a 6-year-old me

329drneutron
dec 15, 2020, 9:48 am

>326 brenzi:, >327 katiekrug:, >328 lauralkeet: Hi, I'm Jim and it's been 12 years since I started keeping a spreadsheet...

Engineer, so of course I want data to analyze. 😀

330lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 15, 2020, 9:59 am

>329 drneutron: *fist bump* 👊

Not only do I have an annual spreadsheet, I have one for "trends" where I keep my stats for each year. According to my trends spreadsheet, my first annual sheet was in 2007.

Comp Sci, so I a) want data to analyze and b) consider spreadsheets as something akin to Swiss Army knives.

331karenmarie
dec 15, 2020, 10:24 am

Hi Laura!

>286 lauralkeet: Reading absolutely shouldn’t make you cranky. Glad you bailed.

>289 lauralkeet: Congrats on a successful meeting.

>292 lauralkeet: My book club is one of the “liked it/didn't like it/oops haven't read it" and then end up on other topics book clubs. We haven’t met since March 1st at my house. The internet is too spotty for most of the women for us to have a video conferencing meeting, alas. We’ve been meeting since 1997, with the current membership getting settled in 2007.

>310 lauralkeet: Definitely your thread, your choice! I try to keep my threads around 300 messages each, but that’s personal preference. I will probably create one more thread since my current thread’s at 266.

>317 lauralkeet: thread police? If they’re out there they’re not visiting me. I’d ignore them if they did anyway. There was some hubbub years ago about only using specific types of tags, but I ignored that, too, especially since Tim said that there were no rules for tags.

>318 katiekrug: I don’t keep the list of books I read on each of my threads for anybody but me. If folks want to check them out, fine, if not, no skin off my nose.

>326 brenzi: I also keep a spreadsheet for statistics and a word document each month’s Lightning Round. Retired systems analyst/programmer here...

332karenmarie
Bewerkt: dec 15, 2020, 10:25 am

Dit bericht is door zijn auteur gewist.

333brenzi
dec 15, 2020, 4:29 pm

Wow you nerdy spreadsheet snowflakes need to get a grip. I wasn't actually criticizing spreadsheets per se just saying that I will continue to maintain the list I have now on my thread because it's of interest to me even though other people are free to ignore it. Just like they can ignore my thread when it goes over a thousand posts next year haha.

334lauralkeet
dec 15, 2020, 4:49 pm

>333 brenzi: you nerdy spreadsheet snowflakes
That made me laugh, Bonnie!

It seems many of us maintain a list on our threads for our own purposes. Lists rock!

335lauralkeet
dec 15, 2020, 5:02 pm



A Promised Land | Hudson River Bracketed

Time for a little reading update. After finishing The Crow Trap, I picked up Edith Wharton's Hudson River Bracketed. Wharton is one of my favorite authors, and I haven't read anything by her in ages. Peggy (LizzieD) started this book recently and it piqued my interest. I'm less than 100 pages in and liking it well enough but it's also a doorstop and that's difficult considering my other doorstop-in-progress: Obama's memoir.

I'm pretty far along in A Promised Land, having just started Part Six (of seven). It's excellent, but I'm also feeling a bit itchy to be done, if that makes sense. The LT Group Read has inexplicably and disappointingly gone quiet, so I think I'm just going to power through and finish the book, with Hudson River Bracketed on my nightstand for bedtime reading.

Once I've finished the memoir I will probably have something shorter and lighter as a companion read to the Wharton. There's an Angela Thirkell waiting on my shelves which will probably suit my mood.

336katiekrug
dec 15, 2020, 6:08 pm

I've never even heard of that Wharton, Laura. I'll await your final comments on it. I've only read a few of her shorter works, but have plans to finally read The Age of Innocence this winter...

337lauralkeet
dec 15, 2020, 8:54 pm

>336 katiekrug: I have a bunch of Wharton's novels in Virago editions, which I snapped up without giving them much thought. Most of her work is pretty good, but Age of Innocence is a real classic. I hope you enjoy it.

338karenmarie
dec 16, 2020, 10:02 pm

Hi Laura!

>335 lauralkeet: The LT Group Read has inexplicably and disappointingly gone quiet,. Yup. So far just you and me on parts 2 and 3. I’ll be starting part 4 tomorrow. I’ll probably post on the threads since I do like Tim’s format of “First Impressions”, “Favorite Passages”, and “Events I Remember”. They are a good structure for me to think about this book.

339lauralkeet
dec 17, 2020, 7:26 am

>338 karenmarie: Good morning Karen! I'm glad you chimed in over there, I was getting lonely. 😀 I got lazy about favorite passages. You did a great job calling them out. I've been taking notes as I read, to remind myself of the topics covered in each chapter and any passages that jump out at me.

For anyone wondering what we're talking about, here's the thread for Parts 2 and 3 of A Promised Land: https://www.librarything.com/topic/326451#unread

340msf59
Bewerkt: dec 17, 2020, 8:04 am

Morning, Laura. Sweet Thursday. Why do you think there has been a slow down in the Obama memoir? Is it the length?
I am a fan of Wharton too but had not heard of that one. I just started Jack.

Did you get a lot of snow?

341lauralkeet
dec 17, 2020, 8:32 am

Hi Mark! It looks like we have about 5-6" of snow which is not unusual for this part of the country, except that the past two winters we've had virtually no snow. Fortunately we have nowhere to go so we can just admire the view.

I don't know for sure what's happened with the Obama memoir group read. Tim initially posted a schedule and created threads for each:
Monday, November 30. Part One.
Monday, December 7. Part Two and Three.
Monday, December 14. Part Four and Five.
Monday, December 21. Part Six and Seven.

He also kicked off the discussion of Part One, and several people joined in. December 7 and 14 have come and gone with no posts from Tim or other LT staffers. Karen and I both posted on the Part Two/Three thread in an attempt to get things going.

When the schedule was posted, many commented that it was a bit too ambitious: by Karen's calculations, it requires reading about 36 pages per day. I have no problem with abandoning the schedule; I'm more disappointed that Tim et al seem to have abandoned the entire thing.

But hey, it was a catalyst to get me reading a book that I am really enjoying. Maybe I should just be happy about that instead of whinging about the group read.

342PaulCranswick
dec 17, 2020, 8:37 am

All that snow make you want to risk a final thread of the year, Laura.

You'll get a hundred posts before new year, I'm pretty sure!

343lauralkeet
dec 17, 2020, 9:58 am

>342 PaulCranswick: Nope! See discussion beginning at >301 lauralkeet:. I'm sticking with it.

344brenzi
dec 17, 2020, 6:08 pm

>342 PaulCranswick:>343 Bwahahaha! That's hysterical.

345karenmarie
dec 20, 2020, 10:48 am

Hi Laura!

I still haven't started part 3 but don't feel as guilty since the official threads have gone dormant.

I hope you're having a good day so far.

346SandyAMcPherson
Bewerkt: dec 20, 2020, 11:00 am

Almost the Winter Solstice, Laura. I'm looking forward to heading out to see the great Saturn-Jupiter conjunction. We're even forecast to have a mostly clear sky. Whether it is clear low on the horizon is the problem.

I was hoping to make a new record in my annual reading and make it to 150 books, but that sure is unlikely ~ however, it isn't like being in school so I comfort myself that the reading should not be a chore. Hudson River Bracketed looks promising. I added it to my WL. It isn't available as an eBook in my Overdrive access to library holdings, so I guess this book will be a 2021 read, once I venture back to the public libraries for a physical book.

Have a great week ahead! Stay sheltered and isolated!

347lauralkeet
dec 20, 2020, 6:27 pm

>345 karenmarie: Hi Karen, it's been a pretty good day I guess. Today's highlight was a trip to the wine store to get my curbside pickup order.

I have one chapter to go in the Obama book. I just decided to press on and not worry about the group read, although I'm very disappointed in how that turned out.

>346 SandyAMcPherson: Happy Sunday, Sandy. We might try looking at the stars here, too. I'm not sure our skies are clear enough but why not have a go? I'm impressed with your 2020 reading. I've never even come close to 100, let alone 150. But you're right: reading should be fun, not a chore, and I will judge it a "good reading year" if I enjoyed more books than not, regardless of quantity.

348brenzi
dec 20, 2020, 6:46 pm

You may have given me the nudge I need to read another Wharton, Laura. I hate to go a year without reading at least one of her books. The last one on my shelf is Old New York so I'll try to squeeze it in.

349lauralkeet
dec 20, 2020, 7:00 pm

>348 brenzi: Bonnie, I'm embarrassed to admit it's been 3 years since I last read Edith Wharton. I have about half a dozen unread Whartons still on my shelves. And I claim she's a favorite author. Sheesh. Well, I'm happy to have nudged you, anyway.

350BLBera
dec 20, 2020, 10:15 pm

Still thinking of starting the new year with Jazz, Laura? I have it waiting on my desk.

351lauralkeet
dec 21, 2020, 7:46 am

>350 BLBera: Hi Beth! Yes, I am definitely up for Jazz as book #1 for the new year. My copy is hanging out on my nightstand shelf with other TBRs so at least it's not feeling lonely. I'm looking forward to reading it with you!

352PaulCranswick
dec 21, 2020, 8:07 am

>343 lauralkeet: I think it fairly easy to see I was tongue in cheek precisely because of the previous discussion.

I am a great believer in each to their own.
Some people like to start new threads at 150, some 200 some 250 some 300 (me normally)
Some monthly and some quarterly and some half-yearly.

It is all whatever one likes and I'll visit and comment on my pals threads (you most definitely included) whether you have 1 thread or 20.

Some like stats and some don't like them and that's ok. I like them, meaningless as they may be and make no apology for wasting my time by keeping them.

Linda is right though and certain threads (Paul Stalder's is one) have difficulty loading after a certain time due to the lovely photos he blesses us with.

I visit all my friends at least once a week when I am in the right frame of mind and visit all threads on yearly celebrations and to update stats etc. Whether people reciprocate or not or are put off by the number of posts or number of threads or the content on my threads is entirely up to them.

353lauralkeet
dec 21, 2020, 8:20 am

Hi Paul! I wasn't sure if you had seen the discussion about thread length or if you just said, "OMG this thread is out of control!" and posted a comment. So thanks for clarifying.

I'm a stats nut too, one of those 75ers who keeps a reading spreadsheet in addition to LT data (also discussed upthread). I agree, might be meaningless but it's still fun. I admire your efforts tracking thread stats across the 75ers group as that seems like much more work to maintain.

I'm always glad to see you here.

354BLBera
dec 21, 2020, 9:25 am

>351 lauralkeet: Perfect! I hope it's a good start to the year.

355PaulCranswick
dec 21, 2020, 9:35 am

>351 lauralkeet: & >354 BLBera: I have had Jazz on the shelves for the longest time. It is about time I got it read and I'm up to join you ladies on it.

>353 lauralkeet: I love my spreadsheets too, Laura. xx

356lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 21, 2020, 12:21 pm

>354 BLBera: Me too Beth. I think maybe Katie was planning to join too? I'll check in with her.

>355 PaulCranswick: Great! We keep it pretty informal Paul, just checking in w/each other via PMs and posting comments on our threads. Glad to have you with us.

ETA: Katie is a maybe. She definitely plans to read the book in January, but it may or may not be her first book of the year.

357ffortsa
dec 21, 2020, 6:03 pm

As usual, I got WAY behind, but I've caught up now. Some great reads here. I'm not sure of my schedule for January, but I might join you in reading Jazz. Then again, I say that a lot. Sigh.

Merry Christmas!

358lauralkeet
dec 21, 2020, 7:03 pm

>357 ffortsa: Hi Judy! Nice to see you. If you decide to read Jazz, you'll know where to find us. Merry Christmas to you too!

359lauralkeet
dec 22, 2020, 7:59 am

I finished the Obama memoir yesterday. Very long, but very good. My review-ish thoughts are percolating but I'll post something soonish.

Meanwhile, my "Books that Challenge Us" group will choose our next 6 or so books on Jan 4. Yesterday I received the list of books to consider, all nominated by group members. Each member votes for the books they would like to read (no limit), and the six titles with the most votes will be the ones we read next.

This is one of the more eclectic lists we've compiled, with considerably more non-fiction than usual. I've looked up most of them on LT to skim reviews and see if any of my LT pals have read/rated/reviewed the book. Some look promising, some are definite non-starters for me.

And now, over to you all. Comments? Recommendations?
America, America (F, 2009)
Interior Chinatown (F, 2020)
Hamnet (F, 2020)
The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters (NF, 2015)
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (NF, 2012)
Caste (NF, 2020)
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (NF, 2018)
The Last Negroes at Harvard: The Class of 1963 and the 18 Young Men Who Changed Harvard Forever (NF, 2020)
Time and Again (F, 1970)
The Vanishing Half (F, 2020)
The Yellow House (NF, 2019)
The Map that Changed the World (NF, 2001)
Moloka'i (F, 2010)
Shuggie Bain (F, 2020)
A Perfect Spy (F, 1986)
Blood and Oil (NF, 2020)
The Cold Millions (F, 2020)
Burning Down the House (NF, 2020)
The Testaments (F, 2019)

360scaifea
dec 22, 2020, 8:30 am

Ooof. I've only read The Map That Changed the World on that list, but I did love it. Winchester is always a good bet.

361PaulCranswick
Bewerkt: dec 22, 2020, 8:34 am

362karenmarie
dec 22, 2020, 8:36 am

I'm impressed that you're so close to finishing A Promised Land. Brava!


... and here's to a better 2021!

363katiekrug
dec 22, 2020, 9:14 am

>359 lauralkeet: - I haven't read any of them, Laura, but several are on my shelves/Kindle. Unhelpful, I know :)

364katiekrug
dec 22, 2020, 9:20 am

Back to say I looked up Blood and Oil (because work), and it sounds rather outdated. I see there is a new Afterword, so maybe that addresses the changes since it was written before the shale boom, but the US is now a net exporter so its reliance on foreign sources is much lower, and that previous dependence seems to form the thesis of the book. So I'd not vote for that one. It's a super interesting topic, though. A more timely read would probably be The New Map by Daniel Yergin which was published this year.

F*$ing touchstones....

365brenzi
dec 22, 2020, 11:46 am

Oh my I've read a bunch of these Laura. The NF that stands out is Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. Outstanding. I'd pick this for NF.

I vacillated between The Six and The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family By Mary Lovell and opted for the second due to LT reviews and ratings. Plus, Lovell is a noted biographer.

The fiction list is solid and I think you've read some haven't you? I'm thinking of Hamnet and Shuggie Bain and The Testaments. I gave up on Molokai just could not get into it. I'd pick SB from these because I think you read Hamnet.

Several others I will be reading soon including The Cold Millions and Interior Chinatown

366lauralkeet
dec 22, 2020, 5:17 pm

>360 scaifea:, >361 PaulCranswick:, >362 karenmarie:, >363 katiekrug:, >364 katiekrug:, >365 brenzi:

WOW! Thank you Amber, Paul, Karen, Katie, and Bonnie. I appreciate your perspectives so much!

Paul, Shuggie Bain is one of the books I nominated so I hope it gets chosen but I plan to read it regardless!

Bad Blood didn't grab me initially but now it gets a "yes" because Bonnie has never steered me wrong. I'm also planning to cast "yes" votes for The Cold Millions and Interior Chinatown.

I will cast "no" votes for Blood and Oil and Molokai. Katie, I appreciate your industry perspective on the former.

I don't mind if the group chooses books I've read already (Hamnet, The Vanishing Half, The Yellow House, The Testaments) although if all four of those were chosen that would leave me with only two new-to-me books on our list. Hopefully that won't happen.

I have until Jan 1 to submit my votes so I'll be mulling over any additional yes/no's from the list. Thanks again y'all.

367lauralkeet
dec 22, 2020, 5:18 pm


81. A Promised Land ()
Source: A very recent purchase

A Promised Land is the first volume of President Barack Obama’s memoirs. It begins with his early political career in Illinois, describes his campaigns for state and federal legislative roles and the presidency, and ends in May, 2011 (those with good memories will understand the reason for this seemingly arbitrary timing).

When I began reading this book, my first reaction was that it felt so good to be back in Obama-land, reliving those heady early days expressed with such modesty and candor. I choked up reading about his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and Election NIght 2008 in Chicago’s Grant Park. Of course, soon after that the real work of being president began, and Obama had several concurrent crises to address. At this point the memoir became more event-driven and less emotionally charged, but no less interesting. I was struck by the sheer breadth of the President’s responsibilities and the significance of decisions that ended up on his desk. Throughout the narrative Obama also described events that ultimately influenced the outcome of the 2016 election and all that followed. While it’s unclear how much of this he saw coming and how much was told in hindsight, I found his perspective helpful.

Obama is a superb writer, whether he is explaining the intricacies of the country’s financial and healthcare systems, describing a complex military campaign, or relating poignant moments shared with his family. Highly recommended.

368caliweedshop
dec 23, 2020, 1:54 am

Deze gebruiker is verwijderd als spam.

369lauralkeet
dec 23, 2020, 7:01 am

Harrumph. Please ignore the continuation thingie at the bottom of this thread. Annoying spammer.

370msf59
Bewerkt: dec 23, 2020, 11:33 am



Have a wonderful holiday, Laura. Good review of A Promised Land. I will add it to my audio list for next year.

371scaifea
dec 23, 2020, 8:01 am

>369 lauralkeet: *SNORK!!* That's impressive spam, really. And hilarious, in light of the recent thread continuing chat! At least I know where to get my weed vape cartridges now, so thanks, Laura!

(Apologies for going against your orders to ignore it. I just couldn't.)

372lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 23, 2020, 8:40 am

>371 scaifea: oh I know, Amber, the hilarity wasn't lost on me either. The intent behind my "order" was to say, "don't follow that link, I didn't create it". But snark and humor are totally fine -- the more the better!

My first thought was "Hey, did Paul do that?"
(just kidding, Paul!)

373lauralkeet
dec 23, 2020, 8:39 am

Can I interest anyone in a cannabis oil vape cartridge?

374Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: dec 23, 2020, 10:09 am

>367 lauralkeet: I'm on my last 90 pages Laura, it will be my 75 read of the year, and I plan to finish it by tomorrow. I agree with your assessment. Fine read.

>372 lauralkeet: I thought you'd found a new pandemic sideline Laura!

375katiekrug
dec 23, 2020, 10:10 am

HIGH-larious!

See what I did there?

376PaulCranswick
Bewerkt: dec 23, 2020, 10:29 am

Hope to finish Shuggie Bain in the next couple of days. Have been savouring it somewhat.

377PaulCranswick
dec 23, 2020, 10:28 am

>372 lauralkeet: Hahaha, could have been that pesky son of mine as he is partial to occasionally partake and thinks I don't know.

Ironically inventive although sure to be shut down but a dastardly cheek too.

378karenmarie
dec 23, 2020, 10:44 am

What a bizarre thing to happen. Bad cess to the spammer.

379SandyAMcPherson
dec 23, 2020, 11:47 am

So I take it that LT staff haven't got a way to remove that link, "topic continued by ...." an undesirable cannabis oil spammer?

I didn't clicky it.
Just delurking to say I was here....

380lauralkeet
dec 23, 2020, 12:41 pm

>374 Caroline_McElwee: I'm glad you've enjoyed the Obama book as much as I have, Caro.

>376 PaulCranswick: I'm looking forward to reading Shuggie Bain, Paul. Timing will depend on my book club selection process.

>374 Caroline_McElwee:, >375 katiekrug:, >377 PaulCranswick:, >378 karenmarie:, >379 SandyAMcPherson:
Caro, Katie, Paul, Karen, and Sandy: welcome to my wild & crazy end-of-year party!! I made brownies this morning. Help yourself!



Sandy, I considered asking LT staff about removing the continuation link, but since I have already proclaimed that I am NOT starting another thread this year I thought, why put them to any trouble? Besides, the more of those brownies I eat, the less I care. 😀

381vivians
dec 23, 2020, 12:59 pm

Hahaha -my, those look good.

382katiekrug
dec 23, 2020, 1:00 pm

>381 vivians: - I bet they feeeeeelllll good, too ;-)

383msf59
dec 23, 2020, 1:08 pm

^I think you may have missed me up there but I definitely want one of those brownies!

384lauralkeet
dec 23, 2020, 1:16 pm

>383 msf59: Aww, sorry about that Mark! That's a very nice holiday greeting. To make up for my oversight I will allow you to have unlimited brownies!

385Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: dec 23, 2020, 2:12 pm

>380 lauralkeet: yum-high..

386brenzi
dec 23, 2020, 2:21 pm

I thought I heard a lot of noise. What's all the partying? Oh just upto your usual high jinks Laura, eh? Lol

387BLBera
dec 23, 2020, 9:39 pm

:) Great stocking stuffer, Laura.

388SandDune
dec 24, 2020, 3:24 am



Or in other words, Happy Christmas! And have a great New Year as well. Here’s hoping 2021 is an improvement on 2020.

389lauralkeet
dec 24, 2020, 7:48 am

Hiya Caro, Bonnie, Beth and Rhian. The party seems to have quieted down but maybe that's for the best. My gift wrapping is done but I have a bit of cooking to do today. And I need to head out this morning to pick up some croissants from a local bakery for our Christmas morning breakfast. I wouldn't mind finding bit of reading time somewhere along the way. I made good progress on Hudson River Bracketed at bedtimes while I was reading the Obama book, and am more invested in it than I was at the start.

390katiekrug
dec 24, 2020, 11:09 am

I still have wrapping to do, but The Wayne has taken over the table and supplies, and I've been banished to the office! Guess I know what I'll be doing this afternoon :)

391lauralkeet
dec 24, 2020, 2:14 pm



I don't usually go thread-to-thread leaving holiday greetings, and this year I've been extra busy with my cannabis vape oil business so ... from our house to yours, I wish all of you a wonderful holiday.

Please help yourself to today's batch of special festive cannabis brownies!



P.S. Katie, these should help get you through the afternoon!

392katiekrug
dec 24, 2020, 4:28 pm

>391 lauralkeet: - This whole post made me laugh out loud!

Good luck with that new business venture :)

Merry Christmas to you and the fam!

393Caroline_McElwee
Bewerkt: dec 24, 2020, 5:10 pm



I hope there are some treats, some relaxation, and some reading over the festive season, and that 2021 is a kinder year to everyone.

Hoping there will be some fine reads among your parcels Laura.

>391 lauralkeet: Tee hee.

394Berly
dec 24, 2020, 5:17 pm



Laura--Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May 2021 bring you less need for masks, loads of peace and joy, good health and, of course, books!

395AMQS
dec 24, 2020, 5:42 pm


396SandyAMcPherson
dec 24, 2020, 10:12 pm

Have a lovely time for the rest of this year. Yes, why not?! It will be so different next Christmas. And the election detritus will be done and gone, along with (one hopes) Mr. Virus.

397scaifea
dec 25, 2020, 7:47 am

*snags a handful of brownies, waves, toddles out the door, munching all the way*

(Happy Christmas, Laura!)

398PaulCranswick
dec 25, 2020, 11:19 am



I hope you get some of those at least, Laura, as we all look forward to a better 2021.

399BLBera
dec 26, 2020, 10:42 am

It sounds like you are having a great holiday, Laura. I'll see your around the New Year for some Jazz!

400jnwelch
dec 26, 2020, 11:11 am

Happy Holidays, Laura!

>359 lauralkeet: is a great list. Caste was my favorite book of the year, so that'd be my pick. Plenty to talk about!

Good review of A Promised Land. My better half asked for it as a holiday present, so I plan to read it after she does. (My favorite kind of gift!)

401lauralkeet
dec 26, 2020, 3:53 pm

Hello to Katie, Caro, Kim, Anne, Sandy, Amber, Paul, Beth, and Joe! Thank you for stopping by with holiday greetings. We had a nice holiday and I hope you all did as well.

I set up my 2021 thread today, but I won't be posting much over there until January. I should finish my current read (Hudson River Bracketed) soon, and will try to squeeze in one more before the calendar turns.

402cushlareads
dec 26, 2020, 6:08 pm

Merry Christmas Laura! Glad you had a good day. I've just caught up on your last 250 messages, including the entertaining discussion about whether to bother with a new thread or not, and been hit by several book bullets as usual. Have just reserved Beheld from the library - don't think it's in the shops here yet.

Not sure if I'm too late on the book picks for your group, but I loved A Perfect Spy when I read it a long time ago - am thinking about re-reading a bunch of le Carre novels and that would be high on the list, because I can't remember what happens! I had Caste out of the library before school finished and the part that I read before it was due back was great (it has been that kind of a year...)

403lauralkeet
dec 27, 2020, 6:54 am

Hi Cushla! I hope you and your family had a lovely Christmas. I'm so pleased you stopped by. Thanks for recommending A Perfect Spy. I can't wait to see how the votes turn out. There are several books on the list that I could see myself reading even if not selected by the group.

404EBT1002
Bewerkt: dec 27, 2020, 5:44 pm

I think you've been hacked....

405EBT1002
dec 27, 2020, 5:45 pm

In spite of said hacking, I want to say that you cracked me up with the comment about the Obama book: "But it works out to only $0.06/page -- a bargain!" LOL

406lauralkeet
dec 27, 2020, 7:17 pm

>404 EBT1002: Indeed, a spammer continued my thread. The continuation was deleted but I couldn't continue it now if I wanted to. Which I don't (discussed at length upthread).

We made the most of it around here, consuming vast quantities of cannabis brownies using ingredients left by the spammer. That said, I'm looking forward to wrapping up my 2020 reading and moving to a nice clean thread.

407BLBera
dec 28, 2020, 9:39 am

Laura, when do you think you'll start on Jazz?

408lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 29, 2020, 8:52 am

>407 BLBera: Hi Beth! I'd say not for a few days yet. I just finished Wharton's Hudson River Bracketed, which I found annoying and melodramatic (review forthcoming). As a result, I am in desperate need of a mindless palate-cleanser, which Morrison is not. I'm thinking P.G. Wodehouse. I'm pretty confident I can finish one of his before the end of the year, which is great because a) I can count it and b) I love it when the end-of-year coincides with the end of a book, or as close as I can get to it. Does that make sense?

HOWEVER ...I don't want to hold you up. You should start whenever you're ready!

409BLBera
dec 28, 2020, 3:11 pm

No, I think I can fit one in and start the Morrison on New Year's Eve. That's the plan right now.

410lauralkeet
dec 28, 2020, 5:26 pm

>409 BLBera: that's great, Beth!

411lauralkeet
dec 29, 2020, 8:49 am


82. Hudson River Bracketed ()
Source: On my shelves - Virago Modern Classic

Vance Weston is an aspiring young writer who came of age in the American Midwest in the 1920s. After a sudden illness, his family packs him off to New York’s Hudson Valley to stay with distant relatives and recover in the country air. Vance is thrilled, confident that proximity to New York City will jump-start his career. Early in his stay he meets Halo Spear, a woman a few years older and much wiser in the literary arts, and she becomes a sort of muse, broadening Vance’s literary perspective while nurturing his talent.

Poor decision-making sours Vance’s relationship with the relatives and he returns home, but finds his way back to New York a few years later. He leverages contacts made previously to find work at a literary review, but continues to make bad, impulsive decisions including a ridiculously misguided marriage and a series of career missteps borne either of naïveté or arrogance. Vance never achieves the financial success he believes he is entitled to.

And there’s the rub: that entitlement. Vance seems to regard himself as somewhat of a genius, a view that Halo continues to encourage, but Edith Wharton failed to convince me of his talent. Instead, I found him a petulant, annoying young man and the entire novel quite melodramatic, all the way to the end which offered a completely unrealistic resolution to some of Vance’s dilemmas. Apparently I am not alone: in the Afterword of the Virago edition, Marilyn French speculates on Wharton’s intentions for this “portrait of an artist as a young man,” and concludes that she was not entirely successful.

Edith Wharton is one of my favorite authors, but those not familiar with her work would find classics such as House of Mirth or The Age of Innocence a better introduction.

412katiekrug
dec 29, 2020, 12:33 pm

>411 lauralkeet: - That's a pass for me.

413lauralkeet
dec 29, 2020, 6:52 pm

>412 katiekrug: Good call, Katie.
The other thing I learned from the Afterword is that there's a sequel: The Gods Arrive. Yes, I have it. But I doubt I'll ever read it.

It's worth noting that Hudson River Bracketed is one of Wharton's later novels, followed only by The Gods Arrive and The Buccaneers. I also disliked The Buccaneers, so this confirms, for me anyway, that her earlier work is where it's at.

414brenzi
dec 29, 2020, 8:03 pm

>367 lauralkeet: I meant to tell you I enjoyed your review of the Obama book Laura. I'm halfway through the audio and it is really excellent. Like Michelle, he narrates it himself and I have to see I think he's a better narrator. I'd like to think I'll finish before the new year but I'm not sure I will.

I think I've already read the really good Whartons. I started The New York Stories which is four novellas set in the 1850s or so but it didn't grab me and I dropped it for now. I may pick it up again at some point. I doubt I'll read Hudson River Bracketed.

415scaifea
dec 30, 2020, 7:30 am

>413 lauralkeet: Everytime I see or hear the word "buccaneers," I think of 3rd Rock from the Sun and the scene where John Lithgow's character, dressed as a pirate for a party, is asked, "Where are your buccaneers?" He looks confused for a moment, then answers, "Under my buckin hat?" One of the best punch lines in TV history.

416drneutron
dec 30, 2020, 9:55 am

>415 scaifea: 😂😂😂

417thornton37814
dec 30, 2020, 12:05 pm

I think your continuation thread got spammed.

418lauralkeet
dec 30, 2020, 1:47 pm

>414 brenzi: Thank you Bonnie for the nice comments about my review. I'm glad to see you're enjoying the Obama memoir as much as I did.

>415 scaifea:, >416 drneutron: That's funny Amber, and I'm not even familiar with the show!!

>417 thornton37814: Yep Lori, it did. It happened back around >369 lauralkeet: and we had a little fun with it. But since that was ages ago in thread-time, it bears repeating for anyone who might be concerned.

Seems like we should ring in the new year with another batch of special brownies. Sorry, I've had a few already.

419lauralkeet
dec 30, 2020, 2:17 pm


83. Summer Lightning ()
Source: On my shelves

I haven’t quite finished this book yet but I expect to do so before the ball drops on 2020. P.G. Wodehouse’s Blandings Castle Novels are set in an English country house, and so far each plot seems to involve a mix of money and romance troubles, mistaken identities, and minor misconceptions, all working out happily in the end. Summer Lightning followed the usual formula, and was just the light entertainment I was looking for after some heavier reads.

420lauralkeet
dec 30, 2020, 2:19 pm

Year in Review

Thank goodness for books to get me through what was, by all accounts, an awful year. I read 83 books, one short of last year’s tally, but still an average of 7 books per month. Lower-volume months were usually the result of reading a chunkster, like Proust or Barack Obama’s memoir, but most of my reads were in the 300-400 page range. 82% were written by women, which is high even for me (75% is more typical). Only 25% were library loans, understandable since the library had to close for an extended period. On a very positive note, nearly half of my reads were books already on my shelves, and new purchases were generally read soon after. My nightstand TBR looks almost pathetic now, a situation I’m sure will be corrected in time.

My ratings skewed a tiny bit higher than usual, averaging 3.77 this year vs. 3.7 every other year since 2011. Only three books earned a 5-star rating, which I save for those truly “unforgettable” books. One of these was a re-read. But then I had ten 4.5-star reads. So all in all, a high-quality reading year, and I am so thankful for this community, which is such a marvelous source of recommendations.

Normally I try to come up with a “Top 5” list, but can't seem to whittle it down. So here’s the full list of my 4.5- and 5-star books:


Hamnet
Tin Man
Homegoing (re-read)


Beloved
The Mirror and the Light
Long Bright River
The Round House
The Memory of Old Jack
The Heart’s Invisible Furies
Song of Solomon
Caste
Jack
A Promised Land

So there you have it. I'll be hanging around here today in the event anyone wants to chat about year-end stuff. See you next year on my 2021 thread!

421katiekrug
dec 30, 2020, 2:45 pm

>418 lauralkeet: - You've had "a few"? Rearrange what's left and half the pan is gone ;-)

>419 lauralkeet: - I think I've only read Wodehouse's short stories. I'm not sure I could take a whole novel, but NYPL has a bunch on audio, so I might give one a whirl.

>420 lauralkeet: - Did I know you read Tin Man? I must have, as you are good about reviewing all your reads. I love that one so much. I gave it to my BFFfor Christmas last year, and she loved it, too. Long Bright River will also be on my Best Of list - which reminds me, I need to start putting that together.

422SandyAMcPherson
dec 30, 2020, 2:46 pm

Hi Laura,
I enjoyed your threads this year, certainly garnered several ideas for books, although I'm forgetful about which titles I picked up. So ~ I can't blame credit you.

I haven't read a single one in your list at >420 lauralkeet:. I wonder what that says about my reading choices this year? I think maybe "escapism" characterizes the genre I chose. I do plan to read A Promised Land but have held off so far, hoping to find it in our second-hand book shop.

I did a ten best list in my thread but you may have missed it. I posted near the beginning of this thread. It's lost up there because I started keeping track back in January and just kept moving the list along with each new thread.

423karenmarie
dec 30, 2020, 3:24 pm

Hi Laura!

Excellent reading year for you. I'm looking forward to finishing A Promised Land - I admire you for continuing when the group read fell apart. I'm still chugging away at page 407 of 706. I'll definitely continue into the new year with it.

Hamnet was a Christmas present and I'll be starting it early in the new year, along with Banker, a re-read and part of 2021's Dick Francis Shared Read. I'll be administering the group this year and have been having fun deciding what 6 we'll read.

Beloved is on my radar for 2021 as is Gilead so that I can eventually get to Jack.

This year's journey has been fun even with pandemics and wicked politics, and I'm looking forward to seeing you on the 2021 threads.

424lauralkeet
dec 30, 2020, 3:32 pm

>421 katiekrug: Katie, I think you might be the one who inspired me to read Tin Man. I just loved it, and yet had almost forgotten about it! Weird.

Wodehouse is best in small doses, I think. Otherwise it's a bit like eating a few too many brownies (damn, you caught me ...)

>422 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy! you may have been reading to escape, but you introduced me to a mighty fine series: the Sebastian St Cyr mysteries. So, thank you for that!! I'm not surprised to see the series making it onto your list. Also Anita Brookner, she's marvelous.

>423 karenmarie: Hey Karen, your admiration is always appreciated but I had another motive besides the DOA LT group read: one of my book groups will be discussing A Promised Land in late January. For stupid reasons I just didn't want to end the year with a book-in-progress.

425brenzi
dec 30, 2020, 3:42 pm

Heh you and I both have Hamnet and Tin Man as memorable reads for this year Laura. I wonder how that's possible lol.

426laytonwoman3rd
dec 30, 2020, 3:56 pm

So, I'm late to the party and the brownies are probably all gone, but how is it I didn't realize anyone but the thread owner could use the continuation feature? That seems like a thing that ought to be fixed, and I wonder why it hasn't been more widely abused by spammers.

ALSO, thanks for the review of Hudson River Bracketed, which I think I will now add to my CULL box without attempting to read it. I enjoy Edith Wharton, sometimes, but not in a completist sort of way, so I will not feel a bit deprived of anything if I remove this one from my TBR piles.

427lauralkeet
dec 30, 2020, 4:05 pm

>426 laytonwoman3rd: happy to help you cull your TBR, Linda!

As for the continuation feature, yes anyone can continue any thread. Just for fun, go visit Amber and continue her thread LOL. If you think about it, thread owner is an abstract concept that is applicable in situations like this one, but I can also think of situations where there isn't a single owner, and any group member should be permitted to continue a thread.

That said, I haven't yet reported this issue to the LT staff so I'm going to create a topic in the Bug Collectors group.

428lauralkeet
dec 30, 2020, 4:15 pm

>425 brenzi: oops, almost missed you there, Bonnie! You and I are certainly "reading soulmates" aren't we? I love it.

429BLBera
dec 30, 2020, 4:39 pm

I imagine the brownies are gone by now, but, oh well. Great list for best reads of 2020, Laura. Hamnet will also be on my list.

I am reading one that you recommended, I think, and loving it. I will definitely continue. It's High Rising by Angela Thirkell. I have been laughing out loud. I love Tony and his trains. It reminds me quite a lot of Miss Buncle's Book, which was set in a village as well. Anyway, thanks. As soon as I finish this, I will be ready for Jazz.

430laytonwoman3rd
dec 30, 2020, 4:50 pm

>427 lauralkeet: I definitely think you should report it, Laura, if only to see if they can remove the link from this thread. Any given thread is started by somebody, even if lots of people use it, and I think only the thread starter ("owner" was probably a bad choice of words) or the Big Bosses should be able to continue it. I'm going to be paranoid now, since I've let my last 2020 thread get so long!

431thornton37814
dec 30, 2020, 4:54 pm

>430 laytonwoman3rd: I was thinking the same thing. I'm seriously considering continuing my threads as soon as they can be continued next year to avoid this type of thing.

432scaifea
dec 30, 2020, 5:40 pm

433lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 30, 2020, 6:33 pm

>429 BLBera: I'm so glad you're enjoying your first Thirkell Barsetshire novel! I almost wrapped up my year with one of hers, but chose Wodehouse instead. High Rising is a good introduction to her world, which is a 20th century re-imagination of Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire. Have you read his Barsetshire Chronicles? He was more-or-less a contemporary of Dickens and I like his stuff more.

>430 laytonwoman3rd: Done, Linda. I posted in the Bug Collectors group.

>431 thornton37814: That's an idea, although this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this.

>432 scaifea: Tee hee!

434SandyAMcPherson
dec 30, 2020, 9:02 pm

>424 lauralkeet: I'm pleased you enjoyed some CS Harris mysteries, Laura. I didn't see reviews (or drop by at the right time?)

>427 lauralkeet: Re the comments about continuing a thread ~
I had no idea that threads could be amended with a bogus continuation thread by anyone who happened along. In fact, I believe LT software should somehow prevent it.

The fix should be easy, since a non-thread owner can't activate an 'edit' on a post which they didn't write. Heck, if that was possible, the posts could be spammed like crazy.

435SandyAMcPherson
Bewerkt: dec 30, 2020, 9:10 pm

>431 thornton37814: I'm seriously considering continuing my threads as soon as they can be continued
And maybe, even then, there could be some idiot hanging around to make several consecutive posts (if the thread is near the 150), to artificially hasten the "continuation" link. Just so they can post a bogus thread continuation...

So yes, I hope some programming changes will be instituted right smartly.
(I wonder if we can also ask Jim to provide a stopper so our 2020 threads aren't hijacked?)

(Edited due to silly typos)

436lauralkeet
dec 30, 2020, 9:17 pm

>434 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy. I've read the first two St Cyrs: the first in August and the second in October. Methinks I'm about due for another one.

Re: the ownership question. You are correct that only the author of a post can edit that post. But there are no controls at a thread level. In this group we each have a thread that we consider "ours" but there are no "admin privileges" associated with it. There are also threads, like the Kitchen or the "What are we Reading" threads, used by everyone in the group and any member can continue one of those threads if they see fit. I actually think it would be fairly complex to implement a moderator function or any other kind of rights management.

I'd like to see LT staff address the spam aspect of this but am not sure we *need* stricter controls across the board. In all my years on LT I can't recall ever seeing a thread with a "rogue continuation," as we tend to respect one another's space.

437SandyAMcPherson
Bewerkt: dec 30, 2020, 9:33 pm

>436 lauralkeet: In all my years on LT I can't recall ever seeing a thread with a "rogue continuation," ... thanks for that.
I'm not experienced enough here on 'Talk' to know.

Ever since I joined in on Talk (recent! ~ 2019; although I signed up in 2017 for making a catalogue), there have been increasing amounts of spam and at one point, posts on the members' walls. So I had the impression this rogue activity was more of an issue.

You certainly have the technical experience to know that it would be a complex development to moderate the continuation algorithm (or whatever the correct term is for how that "continue" function is configured).

Could the function be controlled by leading to a "confirm password" requirement? I had to make some changes to my Net Gallery preferences the other day and that website required me to confirm my identity before proceeding. (Probably a naive question).

438lauralkeet
dec 31, 2020, 7:23 am

>437 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, I'm afraid I don't know enough about LT's underlying technology to answer your final questions. There's no doubt the amount of spam on our threads has increased, and I am sure it is a challenge for LT staff to keep up with the many different methods spammers have used. Hijacking the continuation feature seems to me to be a new variant, or at least it's the first time I've ever seen it. So, they'll have to figure out how to deal with it, and hopefully strike the right balance between managing spam and preserving the user experience we've come to enjoy.

439lauralkeet
Bewerkt: dec 31, 2020, 1:49 pm

With just hours remaining in 2020, I think it's time to pack up and move on. I just finished my last book, P.G. Wodehouse's Summer Lightning (brief comments posted in >419 lauralkeet:).

If you missed my "year in review" post, you can find it in >420 lauralkeet:. And my 2021 thread is here and open for business. See you there!

440ffortsa
dec 31, 2020, 4:58 pm

Happy New Year, Laura! See you on the other side.

441PaulCranswick
dec 31, 2020, 9:35 pm



Laura

As the year turns, friendship continues