kac522's Slightly Challenging 2016

Welcome to my Slightly Challenging Reading Thread for 2016.

I love reading challenges, but I inevitably fall down on the job by the end of the year, as they become a chore. And inevitably, I don't really enjoy what I'm reading--it's just to get it finished.

SO...I've decided to make this year a loosely challenging year, with the principle theme being READ WHAT I LIKE and hopefully as much as possible off my shelf.

With that in mind, I'm calling my challenge the ABCDRW and Etc. Challenge.

That stands for:

The
American Author
British Author
Canadian Author
DeweyCAT
RandonCAT
WomanBingoPUP
and ETC (Everything Else that doesn't fit into any category)
Challenge

My Slightly Challenging goal is to attempt to read at least 1 American OR 1 British OR 1 Canadian author a month from the list for these Challenges. Maybe. In a good month.

And just maybe get in a DeweyCAT challenge book of non-fiction from my TBRs. In an even better month.

And just maybe get in a RandomCAT challenge book from my TBRs. In a Really Great month.

And hope that one of these books fits on my WomanBingoPUP Bingo card. In a Really, Really Great Month. (see http://www.librarything.com/topic/209669#5388668)

and of course anything that's been on my shelf since before December 31, 2015 counts as a ROOT. I hope to read at least 30 ROOTs in 2016 and am tracking them here:




The 2016 Challenge Rules:

--I don't have to read any books by any author if I don't want to.
--If I do choose an author/book, I don't have to read the books IN THE APPROPRIATE month if I don't want to. As long as I read it by the end of 2016, IT COUNTS.
--I don't have a minimum number of books to read by the end of 2016 or in any category
--Possible rule that I will probably overrule: that I read more books for the combined Challenges than in the ETC category.

and the most important Rule is to enjoy what I read!

My simple chronological thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/209668

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you Great Reading in 2016!

Here's the American Author Challenge List: (see http://www.librarything.com/topic/209611#)

Jan: Anne Tyler replaced with Pearl S. Buck The Good Earth--COMPLETED May
Feb: Richard Russo replaced with Maya Angelou, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings--COMPLETED March
Mar: Jane Smiley--Ordinary Love COMPLETED March
Apr: Poetry--Felicity by Mary Oliver COMPLETED May
May: Ivan Doig
Jun: Annie Proulx replaced with Maxine Hong Kingston
Jul: John Steinbeck--Of Mice and Men COMPLETED January
Aug: Joyce Carol Oates replaced with
Sep: John Irving replaced with
Oct: Michael Chabon replaced with
Nov: Annie Dillard replaced with
Dec: Don DeLillo

I've read quite a few of these authors in the past (the authors with the strike through), so I'm going to concentrate on those authors I have not read before. I've read some Steinbeck (not my favorite), but he is such a giant in American literature that I'm going to try at least one more of his works. So that leaves me with:

Tyler replaced with Pearl Buck
Poetry--DONE May 2016
Doig
Steinbeck--DONE January 2016
DeLillo

Here's the British Author Challenge List:

Jan: Barry Unsworth Susan Hill, Howards End is on the Landing--COMPLETED January
Feb:William Dalrymple Agatha Christie, The Crooked House--COMPLETED February; The Mysterious Affair at Styles--COMPLETED March
Mar: Ali Smith, Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge--COMPLETED March
Apr: George Orwell, George Eliot, Impressions of Theophrastus Such--COMPLETED May
May: Robert Goddard, Jane Gardam
Jun: Lady Antonia Fraser, Joseph Conrad
Jul: Bernice Rubens, H.G. Wells
Aug: Diana Wynne Jones, Ian McEwan
Sep: Doris Lessing, Laurie Lee
Oct: Kate Atkinson, William Golding
Nov: Rebecca West, Len Deighton
Dec: West Yorkshire writers

I have Christie, Hardy, Eliot, McEwan and the Brontes (West Yorkshire) on my TBR shelves. I've been wanting to read Atkinson & Laurie Lee for some time, so I hope to get to some of these.

Here's the Canadian Author Challenge List: (see: http://www.librarything.com/topic/209622)

Jan: Robertson Davies, Kim Thúy: Ru--COMPLETED January
Feb: Helen Humphreys: The Frozen Thames--COMPLETED February; Stephen Leacock: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town--COMPLETED March
Mar: Farley Mowat, Anita Rau Badami
Apr: Michael Crummey, Margaret Atwood,
May: Michel Tremblay, Emily St. John Mandel
Jun: Timothy Findley, Joseph Boyden
Jul: LM Montgomery, Pierre Berton
Aug: Mordechai Richler, Gabrielle Roy
Sep: Miriam Toews, Dany Laferrière
Oct: Lawrence Hill, Jane Urquhart
Nov: Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Laurence
Dec: Alice Munro, Rawi Hage

I've read a few on this list (Atwood, Montgomery, Ondaatje, Munro), but there's a lot to explore here. I am VERY excited about this list, and hope I can get to a good selection of these authors.

Here's the DeweyCAT Challenge (based on the Dewey Decimal System--see http://www.librarything.com/topic/197938)

Jan: 000 - 099 I. F. Stone: A Portrait by Andrew Patner; DDC 070.092--completed March
Feb: 100 - 199 Famine, Affluence and Morality by Peter Singer; DDC 170--completed February
Mar: 200 - 299 Albert Schweitzer: Essential Writings, ed. J. Brabazon; DDC 230--completed April
Apr: 300 - 354 Shadows of the Workhouse: Call the Midwife Vol. 2 by Jennifer Worth; DDC 305--completed May
May: 355 - 399 Choosing Civility by P. M. Forni; DDC 395--completed May
Jun: 400 - 499 1. How To Speak Brit by C. J. Moore DDC 427.941;
2. In Other Words by C.J. Moore: DDC 413.21;
3. How English Became English by Simon Horobin: DDC 420.9 --all completed June
Jul: 500 - 599
Aug: 600 - 699
Sep: 700 - 799
Oct: 800 - 899
Nov: 900 - 939
Dec: 940 - 999

I hope to get most of these books off my TBR shelves. I think 500 & 600 will be my most difficult to fulfill, but I'm looking forward to this challenge.

And, last but not least, I'm excited to do the WomanBingoPUP card, as I read a lot of books by women. I will be updating this message as I read a book that fits on my bingo card:



Here are my WomanBingoPUP books:

WomanBingoPUP

1. New-to-you female author--Marriage by Susan Ferrier
2. Female author over 60 when book was published--Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill (age 67 when published) finished 22 Jan
3. Female African author
4. Female author using a male pseudonym--The Lifted Veil and Brother Jacob by George Eliot (aka Marian Evans) finished Jan 2
5. Female author from the Middle East--George Eliot: The Jewish Connection by Ruth Levitt (from Israel) finished Jan 17
6. By or about women set in Latin America or Asia--Ru by Kim Thuy finished Jan 14 (partially set in VietNam and Malaysia)
7. Female author made into a movie--To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee finished Feb 4
8. About a female critter
9. Female author published before 2000--Ordinary Love by Jane Smiley finished Mar 19 (published in 1989)
10. By or about women set in Europe, Australia, or New Zealand
11. Different genre than you normally read--Impressions of Theophrastus Such by George Eliot finished May 10 (essays--most of her other work that I have read is fiction)
12. Award winner by a woman writer--The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley finished May 4--Newberry Honor
13. Any book written by or about a woman--The Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot by Gertrude Himmelfarb finished Mar 11
14. Mystery by a female author from the 1920's & 1930's--The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie finished Mar 30
15. Poetry or plays written by a woman--Felicity by Mary Oliver finished May 21 (poetry)
16. About woman/women in non-traditional roles--Maisie Dobbs by J. Winspear finished Apr 7
17. Female author published less than 10 years ago--The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys finished Feb (published in 2007)
18. By or about a woman/women from TBR--The Crooked House by Agatha Christie finished Feb
19. An autobiography, memoir, or correspondence--How to Understand Israel in 60 days or Less by Sarah Glidden finished Jan 6
20. About a female spy
21. A short story collection by a woman
22. About women in science
23. About women in combat
24. About a female ruler
25. By a female African American author--Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings finished March 3

RandomCAT

Occasionally, I'll try the current month's challenge, if I can find a book on my TBR that fits:

January--Embrace Your Uniqueness: 1. George Eliot: The Jewish Connection by Ruth Levitt--shared with only 1 other LT member
2. Sailor and Fiddler by Herman Wouk--shared by 15 others on LT
February--It Takes Two
March--Celebrations
April--Earth Day--The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
May--Color Your World--Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
June--I Do, I Do (marriage)--
July--Good Times

Nonfiction Challenge

Again, I'll participate if there's a TBR or a current library book I'm reading that fits for the month's theme. These will be different from the Dewey nonfiction:

January--Biography/Autobiography/Memoir--1. Spinoza: A Life by Steven Nadler; 2. Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill
February--History--Graveyards of Chicago by M. Hucke & U. Bielski
March--Travel--My Love Affair with England by Susan Allen Toth
April--Spirituality--No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh
May--Arts
June--Natural History/Environment--Audiobook: The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester, read by Winchester
July--Current Affairs
August--Science and Technology
September--Philosophy/History of Ideas
October--Politics, Economics, Business
November--Essays
December--Quirky/Who Knew

ETC.--anything that doesn't fit in any ABCDW or Challenge category:

1. The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato (Feb)
2. Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret Sullivan (April)
3. Plotted: A Literary Atlas by Andrew DeGraff (April)
4. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (April)
5. Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield (April)
6. Outwitting History: the Amazing Adventures of Man who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky (May)
7. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (May)
8. The Provincial Lady in London by E. M. Delafield (May)
9. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes (May)
10. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (June)
11. English Country Houses by Vita Sackville-West (June)

My first plans for January 2016: (where A=American, B=British, C=Canadian, D=Dewey, W=Woman)

A, W--Ann Tyler--Maybe Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
C--Robertson Davies--Maybe the first book of the Deptford Trilogy
C, W--Kim Thuy--Ru DONE
D--Bookshops of London I.F. Stone: a portrait by Andrew Patner (Dewey 070.092)
R--George Eliot--The Jewish Connection, Levitt DONE

Also up: To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee--for my book club--we're actually discussing Go Set a Watchman, which I read in 2015. I decided it would be interesting to re-read Mockingbird for comparison.

I also have a pile of library books due in January, which I need to get to.

Welcome back! Your challenge looks great.

Incidentally, if you run out of time for Robertson Davies this month, we're doing a group read of him from April to June. :)

I love the image and your rules in >1 kac522:. I am hoping to participate in the American Author Challenge again this coming year too. I hope you have a great year of reading!

Lots of interesting authors I've not gotten around to reading, so looking forward to following along.

>8 rabbitprincess: Thanks for stopping by! I am so looking forward to the Canadian authors. I may take you up on Robertson Davies in April-thanks for letting me know.

>9 Tara1Reads: Glad you like the "rules" :). I get so side-tracked by good books I see on LT and at the library and from friends, etc., that the lists get lost in the shuffle. I hope this year I'll read more of what I enjoy. I definitely need to read lots of books that I already own, and these will help me with my goal of 30 ROOTs (TBRs). Are you in the ROOTs group?

>10 -Eva-: Glad you can come along for the ride, Eva. I really admire how well you've managed your challenges.

I'm still working on a couple books for the 2015 BAC Challenge (a Murdoch and maybe a Huxley). We'll what I finish before the gong strikes on Dec 31!

Love your challenge setup and welcome back!

Welcome back and I hope your 2016 challenge brings back the enjoyment of reading to you.

>13 mamzel: Thanks--I'm hoping it does, too. Sometimes too much required reading has me running the opposite direction, even when it's thing I really want to read!

It looks fun! There is so much going on here at LT, even just within the category challenge! I wish I had more time in a day so I could do it all.

>15 cammykitty: It's true--I need to retire just to keep up with LT!

LOL! Me too, but I'm certainly not willing to get a disability to do that! And I love my job, but early retirement ain't goin' to happen there.

I love your "slightly" challenging challenge! And I know what you mean about Steinbeck...he's not my favorite either, but I actually LOVED East of Eden, if that helps!

>18 christina_reads: Thanks for stopping by--I'm determined to read a lot more TBRs this year, especially ones I want to read, hence the pretty vague challenges. As to Steinbeck, I've got East of Eden on my TBR shelf, bit it's so lonnnnnng........ I'm trying Of Mice and Men first.... only 107 pages. :)

I really like your setup and the flexibility it allows. I hope you enjoy your reading!

>19 kac522: Haha, fair enough!

Just because I'm nuts, I'm going to also try the RandomCAT--IF I can find a book on my TBR that fits the challenge.

And I have one for January--George Eliot: The Jewish Connection I believe has only 1 other member on LT, so I'm adding it to my January pile. Plus I have to switch my Dewey choice--the book I chose The Bookshops of London is more like a travel reference book. I'm going to attempt I.F. Stone: a Portrait by Andrew Patner. Stone was a journalist, and Patner was an arts critic here in Chicago.

I also have a love/hate relationship with Steinbeck. Be prepared to be depressed, but he is an awfully good writer and had some interesting political views, and not just for the time. Some of his comments on California are ugly but seem to fit.

>23 cammykitty: OK, glad I'm not the only one. In my book group, I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't absolutely love Steinbeck. Oh well.

Now that 2015 is official done, here are my most memorable books from the past year:

Interestingly, the audiobooks (on the whole) were outstanding. My best were:

--Middlemarch read by Juliet Stevenson--far and away the best audiobook I have ever listened to.
--The Eustace Diamonds read by Simon Vance--I had read the book first, which left me with a "meh." But the characterization and dialogue by Vance made the book shine.
--Loved McCullough reading Truman.
and constantly amazed by listening to Guns, Germs and Steel.

Actual reading was good, but it's hard to find a stand-out book. Some of the best were, in no particular order:

--Re-reading A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
--The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
--Re-reading Silas Marner by George Eliot--better every time I read it.
--The Great Western Beach by Emma Smith--a wonderful memoir of a Cornish childhood
--Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow
--How To Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster
--Two Worlds: an Edinburgh Jewish Childhood by David Daiches
--Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I enjoyed being introduced to these authors, and I hope to read more:

Kazuo Ishiguro: A Pale View of Hills
Molly Farrell: The Rising Tide
Fanny Burney: Cecilia
P. G. Wodehouse: Quick Service
Iris Murdoch: Jackson's Dilemma

Now to my first summary for 2016.

1. The Lifted Veil and Brother Jacob by George Eliot

Type: Fiction: short stories
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP square 4, ROOTs
Format: Paperback, owned by me

These 2 stories were very different in character, but both extremely interesting. The first is a probing psychological story about a man who has visions of future events. The second is more of a fable about a man who justifies his dishonesty to suit his goals.

Both stories deal with concepts of what is "truth" in different ways. They both had such interesting character studies, as only George Eliot can do. They were short, easy reads, and a great way to start the New Year.

Currently reading:

Clarissa by Samuel Richardson, which is going to be a year-long project. I'm up to Letter XI in the first Volume. The language is a little difficult. I thought by reading Burney's Cecilia I'd be better prepared for this style, but Richardson is not as accessible as Burney. Clarissa herself is not as lovable as Cecilia; we know how she feels about her family, but it's hard to tell exactly how she feels about Mr. Lovelace. She's seeing him and writing to him, even as she protests that she's indifferent to him.

I'm also desperately trying to read Spinoza: A Life by Steven Nadler, which I have renewed from the library 15 (yes, that's 15) times. It's due at the end of the week, as I've hit my limit on renewals. For whatever reason, I just kept putting this off, but it really is a very interesting book about 17th century Jewish-Portuguese Amsterdam. Hopefully I'll finish by Saturday...

Need to concentrate on finishing this before I can move on to some of Challenge reading for the month.

>25 kac522: I love Middlemarch! And if you're looking for another book by Kazuo Ishiguro, I highly recommend The Remains of the Day.

>28 christina_reads: I've read Middlemarch twice; the audiobook was my 3rd "reading." If you love it, you have to listen to Juliet Stevenson reading it. It is somewhere around 30 CDs (quite a project), but she consistently makes every paragraph, every line of dialogue interesting and compelling. I can still hear her saying "Oh, Dodo!" and her voice for Mr. Casaubon is spot-on.

I started Rebecca Mead's My Life in Middlemarch last year, but had to interrupt to finish all the other books that had to get done. At some point this year when I'm not rushed, I'm going to get back to it.

I have The Remains of the Day on my TBR shelves; I enjoyed the movie when I saw it years ago, but I have forgotten a lot of it.

>27 kac522: Wow, you can renew books 15 times? That's amazing! Our limit is three.

>30 rabbitprincess: - We can renew up to 99 times at my library as long as nobody else is on the waiting list. I've never made it remotely close to 99 times. That would mean I'd have the book on my shelf of over 5 years - I'm okay leaving books I've bought on my shelf that long without reading them, but draw the line at the library book.

>30 rabbitprincess: & >31 LittleTaiko: Yep--apparently nobody else in Chicago wants to read about Spinoza :-). After 15 times (45 weeks) & I still let it sit! I've decided it qualifies as a ROOT for the ROOTS group--I think that's the incentive I need.

2. How To Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden

Type: Memoir; graphic/cartoon book
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP square 19: autobiography/memoir
Format: Paperback, from Chicago Public Library

Israel has to be one of the most difficult topics to discuss dispassionately. I rarely discussed it at all until recent years, when, in my 40s, I discovered that I was part Jewish. That was 20 years ago, and it's still a topic that brings up all kinds of conflicted feelings.

Glidden's graphic memoir of her trip to Israel with Birthright Israel attempts to grapple with this topic. Intense, conflicted, and moving are the best ways to describe this little book. I can completely empathize with her emotions, her skepticism and her confusion. I can't say I've changed my opinions, but my view is broader. The watercolor drawings are really quite good, and I particularly liked the maps.

My only quibble is that sometimes you'd turn the page and it was a completely different topic. I think I could have used a bridge or explanation or break between these sections.

>33 kac522: This looks interesting. I wish my library had it. I recently encountered the same thing with the graphic novel I just read. I would turn the page and it would be talking about something else!

>34 Tara1Reads: It was a very quick read--you could did it in one evening. Got the recommendation from Joe's (jnwelch) thread and was well worth it.

3. Spinoza: A Life by Steven Nadler.

Type: Nonfiction; biography
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): Dewey Challenge (Feb); Nonfiction Challenge (Jan); ROOT
Format: Hardcover, from Chicago Public Library

This exhaustive biography covers every known aspect of Spinoza's life. It encompasses background information on Amsterdam's Portuguese Jews, society and politics in 17th century Amsterdam, and the state of philosophy and religion at the time. Nadler covers what is known (and assumed) about Spinoza's life, relying often on surviving correspondence.

Spinoza was excommunicated from the Amsterdam Jewish community at age 24, before he had written any of his famous works. From this point on his main friends and contacts were non-Jews in the community of philosophers and thinkers in the Netherlands. Nadler covers the basic concepts of Spinoza's writings and philosophy. Years ahead of his time, Spinoza believed that God and Nature were one and the same. His critics considered him an atheist. My only minor criticism of the book is that it ends abruptly with Spinoza's death--I would have appreciated a chapter on Spinoza's legacy--for Amsterdam's Jews, for his fellow philosophers, and for philosophy in general. Well worth the time and effort put into completing (and understanding) this biography.

Note: I'm considering this book a "ROOT" even though it's a library book because I've had it sitting on my shelf since at least May 2015. My library allows 15 renewals, and I renewed it 15 times :( It took me that long to tackle the book, but in the end, was worth it.

Hurray! Congratulations on finishing the Spinoza book! That is dedication.

>37 rabbitprincess: Thanks (she says, sheepishly). It really only took about 2 weeks to read, but it just looked so ominous for so long. And in the end it wasn't that bad to get through.

4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Type: Fiction
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): American Author Challenge (July)
Format: Paperback, Lincolnwood Public Library

Steinbeck packs a lot of punch in this novel (novella?). The dialogue is true, the images of light and sound are ever-present, and the story is dark. The male characters are fleshed out and believable, but the one female in the book is negative and stereotyped--I have a hard time getting past that. I've read a couple by Steinbeck and I was hoping this might change my mind about him, but it just solidified how I feel.

5. Ru by Kim Thuy

Type: Fiction
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): Canadian Author Challenge (Jan); WomanBingoPUP square 6 (set partially in VietNam and Malaysia)
Format: Paperback, Chicago Public Library

Told in one-page memories, this is the story of a Vietnamese refugee to Montreal. I enjoyed the writing and the small pieces, but I wish they had been a bit more chronological (rather than by subject or random), to make the story flow better. But it's also part of the fabric--the "stream" or "ru" is not always smooth. The overall tone is poetic and pensive, without resentment--much like the mother in this book. I'm glad I read this.

I like how you've set up your challenge - lots of great authors to pick from!

I would also recommend Never Let Me Go in addition to The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

>43 LisaMorr: Thanks for the recommendation. I definitely need to read more Ishiguro.

6. George Eliot: The Jewish Connection by Ruth Levitt

Type: Nonfiction: Literary criticism; Zionism
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): ROOT; WomanBingoPUP (square 5); RandomCAT (Jan)
Format: Hardcover from my library before 2009; purchased at a used book sale

Disappointing. The author rambled, was disorganized, quoted lengthy passages without footnotes, and generally did not substantiate her claim that George Eliot's book Daniel Deronda had a significant impact on the birth of Zionism. She comes to all kinds of conclusions about Eliot and Judaism with little basis in fact. I can see why there are only 2 copies on LT!

Ru sounds interesting, more like poems though perhaps? I'll pass on The Jewish Connection though! Sounds like someone's Masters thesis. And not an "A" one at that.

>46 cammykitty: perhaps Ru can be called poetical vignettes--evocative language of a paragraph or two. I see some other readers felt that these are too short--we really don't get to know each character very well. I agree, although that might be the author's objective--not sure.

And yes, Levitt's book is like a mediocre thesis or final paper. Which is too bad, because there might be some real material there. I've found another book on the topic: The Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot, which looks more promising (certainly better documented).

7. Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill.

Type: Nonfiction: memoir, reading
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP (square 2--over 60 years old--published in 2009 at age 67)); BAC January
Format: Paperback from my library; gift from my husband January 2016

This book was uneven for me. I loved the chapters where she analyzes books and authors; she spends time on both Anita Brookner and Thomas Hardy, who I think should have more attention. But the chatty bits, about famous authors she met, didn't do anything for me. Perhaps if one of these was one of your favorite authors, it would be interesting, but I just found it name-dropping, (which she denies). I have never read any of Hill's fiction, and I read this for the BAC Challenge.

>48 kac522:
I've been looking at that one (mainly because the cover is so attractive), so am a bit sad to hear about the name dropping - I'd rather just read about books. :)

>49 -Eva-: Lots of people love the book, and she weaves in the stories of meeting these authors effortlessly. But it just wasn't what I was expecting--more than half of the book is seriously dedicated to reading and authors.

Ah, political vignettes makes sense. To bad you didn't like Howards End is on the Landing more. It is a good title at least.

>51 cammykitty: Funny you should mention the title--one of the early points she makes in the book is that books need interesting titles! I'm not sorry I read it, but it was uneven for me.

>50 kac522:
I very much appreciate the "warning!" :)

8. Sailor and Fiddler by Herman Wouk.

Type: Nonfiction: memoir
Completed: January 2016
Challenge(s): Nonfiction challenge (biography/autobiography); January RandomCAT
Format: Hardcover from the Chicago Public Library

Wouk provides a little memoir of his life through his writing: how he came to his books, his models for characters, his triumphs and failures. Hard to believe he started out in radio, writing for Fred Allen--anyone out there remember Fred Allen? At age 100 (and still alive today), this is a man with a very long memory, who has kept journals since 1937! It could have been a bit more introspective--I read it in one evening and it seemed to rush through his contacts, his houses, his travels. I am only familiar with the movie version of The Caine Mutiny and I have Marjorie Morningstar somewhere on the TBR. Will have to get to it one day.

9. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Type: Fiction
Completed: February 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP--a book made into a movie
Format: Paperback, from the Chicago Public Library

Re-read this for my book club in conjunction with our Go Set a Watchman discussion. (I read Go Set a Watchman last fall). This is clearly the better book of the two. It captures the South, childhood and growing up so well. And it is the story of Atticus Finch from a child's perspective: certainly idealized, but it is a better story than the Atticus Finch of Go Set a Watchman. My own feeling is that the two books started life as one very long book, and Lee took out the adult Scout parts, creating a bigger-than-life father that inevitably would never stand up to reality when the 26-year-old Jean Louise of Go Set a Watchman returns home. Still TKAM is a great book on its own, and the 2 books generated a lively discussion in our group. If you haven't read it lately, it's worth re-visiting.

Now that February is alive and kicking, time for the January Recap:

Best books of the month:

The Lifted Veil and Brother Jacob by George Eliot
Spinoza: A Life by Steven Nadler
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (actually completed in February, but I read most of it in January)

Interesting new-to-me books/authors:

Ru by Kim Thuy
Sailor and Fiddler by Herman Wouk

These books were disappointing:

George Eliot: The Jewish Connection by Ruth Levitt
Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill

Challenges completed:

AAC--July--John Steinbeck
BAC--January--Susan Hill
CAC--January--Kim Thuy
WomanBingoPUP--filled 6 squares
Nonfiction Challenge--Biography/Memoir--Spinoza, Howard's End is on the Landing, Sailor and Fiddler
Dewey Challenge (100s)--February--Spinoza
RandomCAT--Uniqueness--George Eliot: The Jewish Connection
ROOTs--3 off my shelf!

Gave up on:

AAC--January--Ann Tyler--after reading many reviews by others, I've decided I have way too many other books I really want to read, and that I think Tyler would just be "meh" for me.

Carrying over to February:

CAC--Robertson Davies
Dewey Decimal 000

February Plans:

2 carry-overs from January--I'm hoping to read:

1. CAC--January--Robertson Davies' Fifth Business (first book of the Deptford trilogy)

2. Dewey Decimal 000--I have a couple ready to go, either I F Stone: a Portrait (he was a journalist) or Outwitting History

For lyzard's Virago Group Read:

Marriage by Susan Ferrier

For my Book Club:

The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato

The Challenges:

BAC--February--have several Christies on the TBR; just have to pick one (or two)
CAC--February--if I read one, it will probably be a Leacock
Nonfiction--February--History--again, several on the TBR--maybe A. N. Wilson's London
RandomCAT--It Takes Two--Probably The Annotated Sense and Sensibility, which I've had on my shelf for ages

For the February AAC, I've read Russo, and didn't particularly like him. Plus, I want to read some authors of more diverse backgrounds. So in honor of Black History month I have a boxed set of Maya Angelou's books, and will try to finish at least 2, if not all 4 of these.

And I'm still plugging away at:

Clarissa by Samuel Richardson and
Moby Dick by Melville

I leave for Italy Saturday night to visit my son and his family. Hope to get in some reading while traveling, but probably not much posting time.

10. Famine, Affluence and Morality by Peter Singer

Type: Nonfiction, Ethics, Philosophy
Completed: February 2016
Challenge(s): Dewey Decimal February 100s--170
Format: Hardcover, from the Evanston Public Library

This is a small book, apparently several essays by Singer collected into one volume. Singer argues a philosophy of philanthropy to eliminate famine, on moral grounds (not religious). Should be recommended reading for all.

I'll be interested to hear about your experience with Stephen Leacock if you get around to reading him this month. I have My Discovery of England set aside for the challenge.

Have a great trip!!

Have you decided yet what book of Helen Humphreys' you plan to read? I loved The Lost Garden, and Coventry is also excellent.

I'm challenging myself to read Canadian authors this year, too. Good luck!

>48 kac522: That's the one I wanted which wasn't available locally so I skipped it. Your review makes me feel that I didn't miss much.

>54 kac522: I saw that one listed on a recent release list. I wondered how it was.

>60 Melissa_J: I don't know that I'll get time for Helen Humphreys; I had not heard of her before this challenge. I think if I see some outstanding reviews, I'll make time for one of her books later in the year. I had not planned on reading Robertson Davies, but with so many glowing reviews of his books, I had to make time for at least one, which I hope to get to in the next few weeks.

>61 thornton37814: re: Hill's book--it wasn't bad, but I think I was expecting something different. I wanted more thoughts on the authors and the books; she does some, but not enough for me. Other people loved Hill's book, so I hesitate to say it's a complete waste of time. If it passes your way, you may want to check it out.

Wouk's book was very short--I think if you've read his work, and you want to know the back stories of his novels, this is the book for you. He modeled many of his characters on real people, and at age 100, he's probably out-lived all of them, so he can safely talk about them without fear of angering anyone!

11. Crooked House by Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction
Completed: 16 February 2016
Challenge(s): BAC, WomanBingoPUP (space 18), ROOT
Format: Paperback from my TBR

Christie had me fooled. I read this on my flight home from Italy--kept me from thinking about the turbulence.

12. Marriage by Susan Ferrier

Type: Fiction
Completed: February 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP (space 1), Virago Chronological Group Read
Format: Hardcover, from the Chicago Public Library

Written in 1818, it's easy to see how Ferrier was heavily influenced by Jane Austen. There's a lot of real humor (loved Lady Emily and Dr. Redgill) and some wise observations on marriage. The heroine, Mary Douglas, was not too overly perfect. The novel dragged a bit in the middle, but picked up quite a bit at the end.

Ferrier is a new-to-me author; I had never heard of her before this Virago Group Read.

13. The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato

Type: Fiction
Completed: 23 February 2016
Challenge(s): none--for my book club
Format: Paperback from Chicago Public Library

This is a tightly written short novel about a man's descent into obsession & madness. Not my usual fare, but it does what it sets out to do almost too well. We are always in the mind of the narrator, and there is a tension and dread from the first paragraph of the book that never lets up. Not for everyone.

14. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Type: Fiction
Completed: 27 February 2016
Challenge(s): CAC; WomanBingoPUP 17--written less than 10 years ago
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

I have mixed feelings about this little book. I know lots of people loved it. It is a beautiful book, especially in the hardcover version. The illustrations are well-chosen (did Humphreys choose them?); the language is exquisite; the concept of the book (a vignette or story for every year the River Thames has frozen) is original and interesting.

But here are my reservations: 1) since many of the stories are based on real events, I would have appreciated the article, or quote, or inspiration for each story; 2) most are written in first-person, and the style of writing/language doesn't change from 1142 through 1927; and 3) most of these stories are sad, disaster stories. It is interesting in the Author's Note, that Humphreys mentions climate change as one of the reasons that the Thames doesn't (and won't) freeze over any more. But after reading her stories, I would think most people would be happy about that fact--nearly every story ends in a death or disaster! There are very few "happy" stories about the frozen Thames; a few are introspective/neutral, but most are just cold, dark and depressing.

If Humphreys brings this kind of outlook to all of her books, I'll probably not be reading more by her. I need some warmth and thawing at the end of the river...

15. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Type: Memoir
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): My revised AAC; ROOT; WomanBingoPUP 25--African American author
Format: Paperback from my TBR

Because I've read many of the authors in this year's American Author Challenge (AAC), I've decided to replace those I've read with ones I haven't read, especially authors of more diverse backgrounds. Also, this year's AAC is all white authors, and particularly during Black History Month, I wanted to read an African American author. I pulled Angelou's book off my TBR.

This was a difficult book to read--I had to put it down several times, because the events and emotions were overwhelming. Angelou tells the story of her first 17 years of life, in the south and in California. There is joy and love and warmth, but there are a lot of hard times, anger and frustration as well. Angelou does not gloss over or excuse the racism she encounters nearly every day, but she never loses her faith in humanity. I am glad that I read this book, but it was not easy.

16. I. F. Stone: A Portrait by Andrew Patner

Type: Biography/Interview
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): ROOT; Dewey Decimal Challenge: 070.092
Format: Hardcover from my TBR

I picked up this book at a used book sale back in 2013, chiefly because it was written (and autographed!) by Andrew Patner, a well-known arts and music critic in Chicago. Patner could be heard on WFMT on his "Critic's Choice" and "Critical Thinking" programs. I had absolutely no idea who I. F. Stone was, but from flipping through the book, it looked like the small book would be interesting.

Andrew Patner died suddenly last year, and I recently found this book on my TBR shelf. Patner interviewed I. F. Stone for this book over a series of days in 1984, when Patner was a young 25-year-old journalist. Stone had been a left-wing journalist starting in the Depression until the Vietnam Era, and his I. F. Stone Weekly had a circulation of almost 70,000 in 1971.

Patner was able to interview Stone through their mutual connection, Studs Terkel. And Patner's book follows Terkel's style: it's basically a transcript of the several days' interviews with Stone. The topics range from Stone's life in journalism, the Korean War, the 1950's Red Scare era (HUAC and the Rosenbergs), the Vietnam War, and large sections on Stone's fascination with the Ancient Greeks. The transcripts wander through these topics, probably just as Stone rambled through them himself. Although there's not much original material by Patner here, there's an interesting look at the politics and behind-the-scenes maneuvering in journalism during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, much of it new material to me, and certainly Stone was new to me. This was way out of my regular reading, but still worthwhile.

17. Graveyards of Chicago by Matt Hucke and Ursula Bielski

Type: Guidebook, genealogy, Chicago history
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): Nonfiction Challenge: History
Format: Paperback lent from my friend Rose

A guide to Chicago area cemeteries. I'm not quite sure how the authors chose the "notable" personalities to highlight in this book. There are way too many gangsters featured--more than I wanted to know. However, I give the authors a great deal of credit for featuring lesser known African American cemeteries and the lives of important people buried in them. Thanks to this book, I now know a little bit more about Bessie Coleman, the first Black female pilot. This edition was from 1999; I hope the authors have put out an updated edition, as many things (even cemeteries!) have changed. A good reference book for any Chicago area genealogist to have on the shelf.

February Recap:

Famine, Affluence and Morality by Peter Singer
Crooked House by Agatha Christie
Marriage by Susan Ferrier
The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

started in February and finished in March:

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I managed to read several books for WomanBingoPUP; books for BAC, CAC and my own AAC. I would have to say Angelou's book was the most moving; The Tunnel was the strangest book I've read in a while; and Humphreys'The Frozen Thames was somewhat disappointing. But some great writing in all of these selections.

On to March:

Have already finished I. F. Stone: A Portrait and Graveyards of Chicago. My other reading plans:

--Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, for both the BAC and my book club selection
--Heyer, The Black Moth
--Jane Austen's Names: Riddles, Persons, Places by Margaret Doody

and continue with Moby Dick (didn't read any in February, so most catch up in March) and Clarissa--am almost finished with Volume 1, but is moving v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

Congrats on almost being finished volume 1 of Clarissa! I won't even admit how far behind I am.... ;-)

>67 kac522: Interesting review. The collegiate journalist inside of me is interested.

>70 lkernagh: Lori, I decided to dedicate a day to "catching up" on Clarissa, which I have promptly put down again, as I have to read & prepare The Mayor of Casterbridge for my book club. In our book club, we take turns choosing, presenting & asking the questions for each month's book. Coming up with enough questions to fill an hour's worth of conversation is sometimes a challenge, so Thomas Hardy is going to be my soulmate for the rest of March.

I've been following your bout of vertigo, which I get off and on as well. Never debilitating, but I can have several days in a row where every sudden move of my head (especially in the morning) can send me spinning. I try to move my head as slowly as possible, and I'm usually OK by afternoon. It's sleeping all night that starts it all over again the next morning. Anyway good luck with your maneuvers; I've never tried them, as I have seemed to get it under control most of the time. And good luck with Clarissa--like I said, not much is happening yet, so I hope Volume 2 will be a bit more eventful.

>71 VictoriaPL: Patner's book is short--maybe 150 pages at most, so if you can find a copy, it might be of interest, especially if you are interested in the 1950s and 1960s and how journalism and politics worked. And if you like Ancient Greeks.

Well, March plans already changed (that didn't take long, you say!). I started to read Jane Austen's Names: Riddles, Persons, Places by Margaret Doody, and it's SO GOOD that I've decided to buy my own copy and return this copy to the library. I see that a paperback version is due out in October, so I may wait until then. So I'll finish it later. Here's what I picked up next:



18. The Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot by Gertrude Himmelfarb

Type: Nonfiction: literary criticism (George Eliot); Jews in Literature
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP: Middle square: By AND about a woman
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

Back in January I read a very disappointing book about George Eliot's Jewish connection. However, The Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot completely exceeded all my expectations and is a wonderful literary review of Eliot, Judaism and her last major novel, Daniel Deronda. Just about everything in this book was well-planned and well-executed. Himmelfarb starts out with an overview of the state of Jews and Judaism in Western Europe in the 19th century, and then puts particular emphasis on England. After setting this background, she moves into a short life of George Eliot, emphasizing her relationship to religion in general, and Judaism and Jews in particular. Next follows sightings of Jews in Eliot's early work (not much) and her Jewish and Hebrew studies (extensive).

Himmelfarb spends the majority of the book on a summary and analysis of Daniel Deronda, the book's reception and contemporary reviews, and present-day thoughts on Daniel Deronda and the Jewish state. My only reservation was Himmelfarb's comparison of Eliot's Daniel Deronda and current Israeli politician Natan Sharansky's book Defending Identity. I found Himmelfarb's comparison of the authors/works less than compelling.

But overall this book is thoughtful, comprehensive, and well-planned: each section leads effortlessly into the next, as Himmelfarb builds her arguments about Eliot's connection with Judaism.

>66 kac522:
I read that one at Uni, but it's one I'd like to read again - when you read a book with a mind to write something academic about it, the emotional aspects are lessened and in this case, that's not a good thing. Quite a read, isn't it.

>75 -Eva-: Yes, it was quite a read. I've seen this book for years (Angelou briefly taught at the university I worked at) and I always thought it was a book of poetry, so I passed it by :( Last year I bought a boxed set of 4 of her books, but I'm going to need some time to process this work before I pick up the next book in the set.

I think the other part is that given all that's happened in the last year between people of color and the police, it's so tragic how we still need to rally again & again against injustices after all these years. When will we ever learn?

19. Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock; 100th Anniversary Edition with Illustrations by Wesley W. Bates

Type: Fiction; humor
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): CAC February author
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

A humorous, affectionate look at small-town life in 1912 rural Ottawa--sort of a News from Lake Wobegon, 19th century Canadian style. Human nature hasn't changed much in 100 years, and Leacock has captured it in a light-hearted way. I'm sure there were many "inside" jokes that I didn't get, but there were plenty of jokes I did get, which made it worthwhile, and lots of moments that just made me smile. The election chapter was especially appropriate. The edition I read was a 100th anniversary large coffee-table type book, with wonderful wood-engraved illustrations by Wesley W. Bates. A nice break from more serious books.

I've made a note of The Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot - sounds very interesting.

I'll also be curious to hear your thoughts on the Jane Austen book. I'm always interested in another book about her!

>78 japaul22: Yep, we just can't get too much of Ms. Austen, can we! Have ordered Jane Austen: Cover to Cover from my library, as I grabbed that BB from LT.

>79 kac522: good choice! It is a lot of fun.

>77 kac522: - Ooooh, making note of the Leacock book!

>81 lkernagh: From comments I've seen on LT about this book, some people were disappointed because it wasn't as funny as his other writing. But I just imagined the text being read by Garrison Keillor, and I smiled and chuckled along.

20. Ordinary Love by Jane Smiley

Type: Fiction; novella
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): AAC March author; WomanBingoPup #9: published before 2000
Format: Paperback from Chicago Public Library

Originally I hadn't planned on reading Jane Smiley this month. I read A Thousand Acres when it first came out, and I did enjoy the book. After reading all the good reviews on LT for Smiley, I decided to try a small one. This novella was one of 2 published in the same paperback (Ordinary Love and Good Will).

I started out liking the story. A mother of 20s-something children reflects on her life and her relationships with each of her kids. I appreciated her thoughts at first, but then it seemed like these characters knew each other too well. Having 2 adult sons myself, it seemed like they were almost too close to their mother, and I found their interactions not ringing true. The mother and the daughter reveal "secrets" that seemed over done and unbelievable to me. I hope my kids never reveal those types of thing to me, or that I ever burden them with those types of scenes from my past life. Some things are best unsaid. After the intensity of the story, I couldn't bring myself to read the second novella, Good Will.

21. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

Type: Fiction
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): BAC March author; ROOT; my selection for my book club discussion
Format: Paperback from my library

I knew I wanted to re-read a Hardy novel, and to lead the discussion for my book club. I'm so glad I picked this one. I particularly love Hardy's descriptions of Wessex and Casterbridge as a place with ancient roots and traditional values. The country people and customs were enjoyable. I found the many twists and turns of the plot a bit much to keep up with, but the character study was well done. The book follows the rise and fall of Michael Henchard, who comes to Casterbridge penniless and becomes the town's mayor. The women were decent and not pitiable. Hardy contrasts the old world (Henchard) with the new (Farfrae), and makes us feel like we are looking back at a very ancient time; yet he was writing in 1886 about events circa 1846. Forty years is not such a distant past, but this story made it feel so.

Over the years Hardy made many changes in 1895 and 1912 to The Mayor of Casterbridge; some quite substantial. This edition was based on one of the earliest versions of the novel. However the endnotes were irritating--most had to do with later changes made to the text, and sometimes there were even spoilers of the plot. I wish these textual changes had been notated separately. There were also rural words and foreign phrases that were not translated or explained.

This book was for my book club, and I was the discussion leader. I think it went pretty well, and most people enjoyed the book.

22. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

Type: Mystery
Completed: March 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPup #14 (20s-30s Detective Fiction); BAC February
Format: Paperback from Chicago Public library

I never had a clue. I've read a couple random Dame Agatha's, but decided to read this very first Poirot to get a feel for him from the beginning. I'm sure I will never, ever figure out a single mystery, if they are all like this, but it's certainly an entertaining way to spend a few hours.

Time for March Recap:

I. F. Stone: A Portrait by Andrew Partner !
Graveyards of Chicago by M. Hucke & U. Bielski
The Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot by Gertrude Himmelfarb *
Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock
Ordinary Love by Jane Smiley
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy *!
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

I thought I did pretty well in March; caught up with the AAC, BAC, and almost the CAC. (I have Badami on my pile to read.)

This month The Jewish Odyssey of George Eliot was my favorite book; Ordinary Love was my least favorite; Sunshine Sketches was a surprising find, and I was hoping for more from I. F. Stone: A Portrait.

My WomanBingoPup board is quickly filling up, but I think it's going to slow down now (female critter?? female in combat??--ugh--these will probably never get done).

Goals for April:

--Catch Up on RandomCAT: Feb It takes 2: Annotated Sense & Sensibility; Mar: Celebrations Molly Fox's Birthday; Apr: Earth Day maybe Silent Spring
--AAC: Selections from Good Poems, American Places, edited by Garrison Keillor
--BAC: George Eliot: Impressions of Theophrastus Such
--CAC: Badami, The Hero's Walk and Atwood, Lady Oracle
--Dewey Mar 200s: Albert Schweitzer, Essential Writings
--Dewey Apr 300s: Luis Albert Urrea, The Devil's Highway
--Nonfiction Mar: Travel: Trollope, Australia; Apr: Spirituality--maybe No Death, No Fear
--Book Club: The Death of Ivan Ilych
--Continuing: Clarissa and Moby Dick

>85 kac522: That's an odd cover on Mysterious Affair at Styles. Who is that supposed to be? And yes I very often don't guess the culprit with Agatha either.

Enjoy your April reading!

>87 rabbitprincess: You're right! It is a weird cover...although I didn't pay much attention to it (I read the book in a day), and my library copy was pretty beat-up. The woman in the photo seems too young to be Mrs. Inglethorp, the mistress of Styles; maybe Mary Cavendish, wife of John, who sneaks around Mrs. Inglethorp's room?

>88 kac522: Or Cynthia? She's pretty young.

This is the cover of my preferred edition (the one belonging to my parents):

>89 rabbitprincess: Cynthia is a good guess, too. Yes, that is a great cover. Amazing how a good cover can enhance your memory of the book.

23. Albert Schweitzer: Essential Writings, selected and edited by James Brabazon

Type: Nonfiction, spirituality
Completed: April 2016
Challenge(s): March Dewey Challenge (DDC 230); ROOT
Format: Paperback from my shelves

This is a small (175 pages) and accessible introduction to the writings and work of Albert Schweitzer. Selections of his writings are made from his early sermons, his book on Bach, his works on ethics, as well as letters and speeches. The book includes introductory remarks by Brabazon, so that the selections are put into context. Although Albert Schweitzer is a familiar name, I didn't know his story and his impact on philosophy and the world. His "Reverence for Life" philosophy was radical in its time, but makes perfect sense today. Essentially, ethical philosophies in the past dealt with the relationships between man and man; Schweitzer's Reverence for Life encompasses our relationships with all living things, and our responsibilities toward all living things. A great introduction to the man, his work and his thought.

I was just checking my male/female author ratio read this year. Although I've tried in the past to read more women authors, I've always fallen a bit short. This year, I've got a good start:

13--female authors
9--male authors
1--female & male joint authors

I think the WomanBingoPUP is giving me the incentive to purposefully seek out the woman authors on my shelves.

24. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Type: Fiction
Completed: April 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP: Woman in Non-traditional roles (16)
Format: Paperback from Chicago Public Library

Back in March, leslie.98 had this to say in her review of Maisie Dobbs:

Things that bugged me:
-Maisie's reliance on her intuition/paranormal ESP
-her ability to be able to completely understand the emotional state of others by mimicking their body language
-the fact that her father is constantly referred to by his full name (was Winspear afraid we would forget who he was? It was always "Frankie Dobbs came to the door," never "Her father came to the door" or "Frankie came to the door.")

Things I liked:
-the historical fiction (both the "present" of 1929 and the WW1 parts)
-Maisie's caretaker & former patient Billy Beale
-Rita Barrington's narration, especially when she sang!

I would say it is a good historical fiction story but not a good mystery.

And I have to agree 100%, except that I read the book, I didn't listen to it. Yes, it was good historical fiction, but the intuition/paranormal stuff was very annoying. Based on that alone, I will probably not read another book in this series.

Leaving out the ESP stuff, I thought the background story on Maisie is integral to understanding her as she pursues her life as a Private Investigator. We understand her struggles with her family life, her class struggles (from a "downstairs" life to a business woman), and we know why she can relate to all types of people.

And yeah, I hated the repetitive "Frankie Dobbs", which came along side a lot of "Maisie Dobbs", especially in the first half of the novel. The names are just too similar sounding and it grates after a while.

25. Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan

Type: Noniction; books; Jane Austen
Completed: April 2016
Challenge(s): None
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

A wonderful overview of the covers and publishing history of Jane Austen's works. Sullivan picks important, unusual and representative covers from first publication through the 20th century to today's ebooks, with a side comment on each. Well done for the type of book it is. Ironically, I'm not that impressed with the cover of the book, but it serves its purpose. I borrowed this book from the library, but I am tempted to purchase my own copy (and look for some of the interesting editions featured in the book).

>93 kac522:
Agree. With both of you. ;) The history parts were my favorites.

26. The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer

Type: Fiction
Completed: April 2016
Challenge(s): none
Format: Paperback from Chicago Public Library

This is my first time reading Heyer, and it's also Heyer's first book, supposedly written when she was a teenager. An amazing accomplishment for a 17-year-old, but it fell a lot short of all the Heyer hype that I've read about. It's clever and fast-paced, but the characters felt very one-dimensional. I have a few more Heyers on my TBR, and will probably give them a go at some later point. But I was fairly disappointed in this fluff.

>95 -Eva-: I'll have to see if Winspear has written any other series. She's obviously a great writer, so maybe I'll enjoy her more under a different premise.

27. Plotted: A Literary Atlas by Andrew DeGraff

Type: Nonfiction, graphic maps, literature
Completed: April 2016
Challenge(s): none
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

DeGraff creates "maps" for about 20 great works of literature: The Odyssey, Robinson Crusoe, Pride & Prejudice, Huck Finn, A Wrinkle in Time...to name a few. He even maps an Emily Dickinson poem. These are intricate, colorful works of art that walk the viewer through the stories. I think I liked Huck Finn and Frederick Douglass the best; I've made a copy of the Moby Dick maps (detailed diagrams of The Whale and The Pequod). Even the cover is interesting. Only drawback is that the publisher has put the hardcover book of these wonderful drawings in a very stiff binding, so you can't lay them flat! Hope this gets corrected in a paperback version.

28. The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

Type: fiction, novella
Completed: April 2016
Challenge(s): none; for my book club
Format: Hardcover from my shelves

This was intense. Ivan Ilyich observes his slow death with disbelief and terror, and contemplates the meaning (or more accurately, the lack of it) in his life. And we almost have sympathy for him by the end. There is much truth in this little book, and even more cynicism, which makes it difficult to read.

29. Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield

Type: fiction
Completed: April 2016
Challenge(s): none
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

This was a very welcome change of pace after The Death of Ivan Ilyich. I was not expecting this to be so funny! I love Delafield's off-hand way of relating events and that hurried style. I felt like I was reading about a real person in 1931 Britain--she even shops at Selfridge's. A wonderful entertainment--I've ordered the next book in the series from the library.

Plus, I loved the illustrations by Arthur Watts (and that Mr. Watts was name-dropped in the book!) and that this edition was published by Academy Chicago, where my brother & sister-in-law used to work.

30. Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky

Type: nonfiction; a book about books
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): none
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

Read it in 2 days--easy reading, and a bit of a page-turner. Lots of funny stories and use of Yiddish throughout, but it did get a bit repetitious. Lansky likes to name-drop, too. You wouldn't think that saving old Yiddish books would be controversial, but Lansky did run into those who didn't approve of his mission. But you have to admire this guy, who has spent most of his post-college life (since the late 1970s) in the quest to save as many Yiddish language books as possible, has succeeded in doing so, and has saved a small part of a vanishing culture.

What--it's May already? Sure doesn't feel like it outside. Oh well, must step back and do my

APRIL Recap

Albert Schweitzer: Essential Writings, ed. James Brabazon
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret Sullivan
The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
Plotted: A Literary Atlas by Andrew DeGraff
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield

There weren't any bad books this month, but I can say that Heyer's The Black Moth was the most disappointing. I can't really pick a "best" book--the rest were all good or interesting or meaningful in their own ways, even The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Diary of a Provincial Lady was the most pleasant surprise, as I didn't know what to expect, and I read it at just the right time.

In addition to these I made a little progress on Clarissa--I'm well into Volume 2, but still behind where I should be at this point.

As to Moby Dick, I have to admit that I stopped reading it in December, after the last meeting with the library group. I missed February's meeting, so, of course, I didn't read the next assigned 130 pages or so. When April's meeting date was approaching, I was about 275 pages behind and I didn't remember much of the first 275 pages I read back in December.

So--I went back to the beginning and started over. Yep. Actually, well worth it; got some new insights, and was caught up for the library meeting, but I've kept on. Now I'm over 75% finished, and plan to complete it soon. Two months between readings is just too long for me. The side chapters about the whale aren't thrilling me, but I am enchanted by the main story, once Melville decides to get back to it.

MAY Reading

--The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (for my book club)
--Finish Moby Dick
--Finish at least Volume II of Clarissa
--I'm in the midst of a George Eliot (for the April BAC): Impressions of Theophrastus Such (essays--rather dry--going slowly)

RE: The Challenges: I make no promises. I do have a Badami (March CAC), a Gardam (May BAC) and a Doig (May AAC) on my shelves, which I may get to eventually. And some non-fictions hanging around that would fit the Dewey and non-fiction categories, but we'll see.

April was a good, but restrained, book-buying month:

From a library used-book sale:

Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian (2nd book in the Aubrey/Maturin series)
The Portable Nineteenth Century Russian Reader
Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather (one of her first novels)

And from Indie Bookstore Day:

Old Filth by Jane Gardam
Sylvia's Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell
Jane Austen's Names: Riddles, Persons, Places by Margaret Doody

The last is a scholarly hardcover book that was a bit of a splurge for me, but looks to be well worth the money, and I hope to refer to often.

I admire your perseverance with Moby Dick! Glad to hear you were able to get back into it the second time around. Hope the library book club is also interesting!

>104 rabbitprincess: Surprisingly, once I get going with Moby Dick, it moves quickly. Each chapter is usually 4 or 5 pages, and my Modern Library edition has great art deco illustrations by Rockwell Kent--about one per chapter. Of course, there are 135 chapters.....

The Moby Dick library group is OK--about 20 people come--but there are a couple of people who tend to dominate the discussion. I may skip the last 2 meetings.

My monthly book club, on the other hand, is small (5-7 people). It's modeled on the Great Books format, so we limit selections to authors from the Great Books Authors List, plus books or authors that have won awards or prizes (Pulitzer, Nobel, etc.) We take turns selecting, presenting and leading the discussion each month. We generally have good discussions, and we don't even have wine! Our meetings are on lunch hour at the college where we work (or retired from). We do try to bring snacks tied to the book of the month when we can. Books we've done this year include Go Set a Watchman, The Tunnel, Mayor of Casterbridge, Death of Ivan Ilyich and this month will be The Good Earth.

I would love to hear about the treats that were shared. Egg rolls for The Good Earth?

>106 mamzel: We're discussing The Good Earth at the end of this month and egg rolls are a great idea! I'll need to work on that. We've done scones for British books or some food mentioned in whatever we've read. Plus of course we do holiday items, like Irish soda bread in March for St. Patrick's day.

For Mother's Day, my husband gave me Where the Wild Moms Are by Katie Blackburn and Sholto Walker:



Mom goes out for a "wild" day, but comes home to a bath and a cup of tea. Very sweet!

>108 kac522: Cute!

31. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Type: YA fiction
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): WomanBingoPUP square: Award Winner (Newberry Honor Medal)
Format: ebook from Chicago Public Library

Another quick read. This book has gotten a lot of praise. It was good, but I can't say it was outstanding, but then I don't read a lot of YA books, so I'm out of my element here. The story concerns a poor disabled girl, shut up in her London tenement flat until the threat of bombings in pre-WWII London sends her and her brother to the English countryside. They are "adopted" by a single woman, not particularly happy about taking in two "evacuees." The story is told from the girl's point of view (about 11), and this is the book's strength: she has many emotions and thoughts that she can't express in words, and the author does an amazing job of portraying a child's frustration when communicating with adults. On the minus side I found the ending a bit implausible (although touching) and the narration and language didn't feel particularly British to me. The book is targeted for 4th to 6th graders, and it seems appropriate for that level.

32. Impressions of Theophrastus Such by George Eliot

Type: essays
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): April BAC; ROOT; WomanBingoPUP square: genre you don't normally read (I've read lots of Eliot's fiction)
Format: Paperback from my shelves

This book was the last published work by George Eliot and is a group of essays written at the end of her life. Eliot writes from the first person as Theophrastus, a combination of classical and contemporary philosopher. It was difficult to get my head around this concept. There were so many literary, biblical, classical and contemporary references that just went over my head, even with my copy which had many footnotes. I only understood only parts of each essay, except the final one, which was about anti-Semitism. This essay was accessible and well-thought out, with convincing arguments. Eliot even argues for a Jewish homeland, one of the earliest proponents of the concept. Many of Eliot's ideas which had their beginnings in Daniel Deronda are spelled out here in essay format. A tough read, but the end made it worthwhile. I would only recommend reading this if your edition has LOTS of explanatory notes.

33. Shadows of the Workhouse: Call the Midwife Volume 2 by Jennifer Worth

Type: memoir, social history
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): DeweyCAT 305.569094215; ROOT
Format: Paperback from my shelves

This is the second book in Jennifer Worth's memoir of her time as a midwife in London's East End. This volume, however, is more than just a memoir--it focuses on people whose lives were shaped by the workhouse. Worth also includes a short history of the workhouse. This volume, more than the others, focuses on the patients and the workhouse environment, rather than on Worth herself or the Sisters, thus earning it a Dewey Decimal category of 305. Moving, but not maudlin. Having watched the series on TV, it's interesting to read the book and reflect on how the actors matched the dialogue and portrayal of the main characters. Sister Julienne, Sister Monica Joan and Chummy come to mind as being portrayals very true to the book. Jenny is less well-portrayed, I think. She seems more intelligent and aware as the writer of the book, than the girl portrayed on the series.

34. Moby Dick by Herman Melville; Modern Library paperback edition with illustrations by Rockwell Kent

Type: fiction
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): ROOT
Format: Paperback from my shelves

I don't have much to add about this classic, except that it was easier to read than I expected. I did have to read it in spurts, with other books in-between. It's sort of like being at sea for months and months--you become immune to the language, and you have to come back to it occasionally with fresh eyes and ears. The last 150 pages or so did go much faster, almost lightning speed, compared to the first 600 pages or so. Not until the ending epilogue did I realize that Ishmael, the narrator, was rather lost in the narration once he is on the ship. Prior to getting on the Pequod, Ishmael tells us about himself and what's around him. After he's on the ship, we don't hear very much about what he does or how he interacts with others on the ship--the book reads more like third person narration. I am sure I will need to read this again to really appreciate its significance for American literature--perhaps not the whole thing, but chapters here and there.

Finally, the absolute best parts of the book were the pen and ink illustrations by Rockwell Kent from 1930, and it's said that the 1930 edition is in part what revived Melville's book. Every chapter (all 135 of them!) has an illustration, and some have two or more. If you're going to read Moby Dick, these illustrations are the incentive you need to keep reading.

I've posted some below, and you can read more about them here:

http://clubs.plattsburgh.edu/museum/mobydick3.htm

>113 kac522: Thanks for the pics, they are amazing!

35. The Provincial Lady in London by E. M. Delafield

Type: fiction
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): none
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

Second delightful book in this series, in which Our Heroine Takes a Flat in London. I especially appreciate all the times she says "yes" to things that she doesn't want to do or agree to. How often we do this in life, just to be "agreeable." I also loved the part where she goes scrambling around the flat to find enough spare change for carfare. Lots of fun. Next book on order from the library...

>114 MissWatson: They are really cool, and the small format here doesn't do them justice. I would love to see the prints they have at Plattsburgh.

36. Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct by P. M. Forni

Type: nonfiction, psychology
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): Dewey 395, ROOT
Format: paperback from my shelves

Mr. Forni presents good and useful advice about dealing with others in a civilized fashion, but it did get a bit preachy. He could have used more humor to get his points across, and less "don'ts." I was hoping for more positive ways to be kind and courteous. Still, we could all use to be reminded of these rules of civility every so often.

37. Felicity: Poems by Mary Oliver

Type: poetry
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): AAC April Poetry Challenge; WomanBingoPUP square: Poetry or plays
Format: Hardcover from the Chicago Public Library

Lots of people recently have recommended Oliver's poetry, but this little volume held no interest for me. I felt like I was reading someone's rather mundane diary entries rather than poetry. I just wasn't struck by any interesting use of language or phrase. When it comes to poetry, to each her own...

38. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Type: fiction
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): AAC January Challenge substitution; RandomCAT April: Earth Day; for Book Club
Format: Hardcover from my shelves

This book was better than I expected. Knowing that it was written by a Protestant missionary, I had my doubts, but for its time (1931) the book is realistic, sensitive and frank. It is the story of a poor Chinese farmer, Wang Lung, whose greatest joy is in the land, but who loses that joy over time as he becomes successful and more removed from farming. The style of writing is simple, but not patronizing. For its time, it was probably revolutionary for a Western female author to write about such topics, especially the honest way it deals with sexuality.

This particular edition is from 1933 with an introduction by Buck in which she counters several published criticisms of her book and its portrayal of peasant life in China. These criticisms mostly had to do with portraying peasant life at all--that more emphasis should have been on the upper educated classes, rather than the poor. Buck makes no apologies, and I think answers her critics well.

I've decided to make this a substitute for Ann Tyler, who I tried to read, but couldn't take more than a few pages. I'm hoping to substitute more people of color in the AAC choices for myself. Although Buck was not a minority, nearly all of her books focus on Asians and life in Asia, which is very much outside the mainstream of 20th century white American writing. I also thought Wang Lung's story was a story about the land, and seemed to fit in with the RandomCAT Earth day idea for April. We'll be discussing this book in Book Club tomorrow, and I'm bringing egg rolls--probably more of a Chinese American invention--but easy to eat while discussing the book!

Next up: a re-read of Austen's Lady Susan before I go see the new movie "Love & Friendship." Read it some 30 years ago, so I could do with a refresher.

39. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes

Type: fiction
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): none
Format: Hardcover from Chicago Public Library

As enigmatic as the composer himself, this novel based on Dmitri Shostakovich is full of truths, lies, ironies and evasions. It reminds me of the very controversial book Testimony, which came out soon after Shostakovich's death. Barnes' novel is in 3 parts (like a triad) and weaves the composer's life around 3 settings. Great writing from Barnes, but how much is truth and how much fiction is hard to determine, and how much is Shostakovich and how much is Barnes is completely up for grabs. Also there was a fair amount of repetition of ideas and phrases, stories and settings, which by the end was annoying, although it was probably on purpose. Still, I read it in one evening. At the end you can only have hope that Shostakovich's music as art will outlive and transcend the ideologies of the Stalinist and Communist eras that it may (or may not!) have come from.

I'd recommend reading at least a synopsis of Shostakovich's life before tackling this book--it will mean so much more if you know some basic details of his life and the era he lived in.

Last night I re-read Lady Susan by Jane Austen in preparation for seeing the film Love and Friendship today.

I thought the film was really good, although it seemed to drag a bit toward the end. The dialogue is brilliant, but very fast, and there was a lot I recognized from the text. I want to see it again, just to get the bits I missed.

>118 kac522: - I generally love Mary Oliver's poems but found that this one just didn't work very well for me. I agree with your criticism that it read more like diary ramblings than anything else.

>121 kac522: - Thanks for the heads up about reading a bit about Shostakovich before reading this book. As luck would have it, I purchased Symphony for the Dead earlier this year so it will make a nice companion piece when I read The Noise of Time, which I just bought a couple of weeks ago.

>77 kac522: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town sounds like the kind of peaceful fun I've been looking for. I'll be seeking it out. Thanks for the review.

>123 LittleTaiko: Thanks for stopping by! At some point, maybe I'll try another Mary Oliver. My husband has zillions of poetry books around the house--there's got to be an Oliver here somewhere.

I never read Symphony for the Dead (thanks for mentioning it--I'll need to check it out), but I read Testimony when it first came out. It's sort of like the diary/memoir version of The Noise of Time--supposedly from Shostakovich's own writings. I guess what I remember of it is feeling "strained."

By the way, I love the way you've organized your Challenge thread! I should employ some sort of "aging" system to get these really old books outa here--maybe next year.....

>124 brodiew2: Yes, if you've been hankering for something to read on a lazy day on the front porch, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town is for you!

39. No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh

Type: nonfiction, spirituality
Completed: May 2016
Challenge(s): Nonfiction Challenge April: Spirituality; ROOT # 13
Format: Paperback from my TBR

This book didn't do anything for me--just not my style. It was repetitive; he could have gotten the message across in less than 30 pages. But could be very soothing for some individuals--it was given to me by a friend after my mother died, but I just couldn't read it then. It did fit a challenge and it's another long-term book off my shelf (from 2004).

About time for a May Recap:

I read 11 books this month, probably some sort of a record :)

Outwitting History: the Amazing Adventures of Man who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Impressions of Theophrastus Such by George Eliot
Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Provincial Lady in London by E. M. Delafield
Choosing Civility by P. M. Forni
Felicity by Mary Oliver
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes
No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh

Plus, completed Volume 2 of Clarissa! (way behind, but I did make some progress)

I feel good that I finished (after re-reading a lot) Moby Dick. This book has so many layers and levels, that it really must be read again, to appreciate everything. Which I'll do, but not for awhile.

Best books this month were The Noise of Time and The Good Earth. I was expecting much from the latter book, but it was surprisingly good.

Mary Oliver's poems and Thich Nhat Hanh just didn't do anything for me. George Eliot's book was difficult, but good, and I loved passing the time with the Midwives and The Provincial Lady--they gave me some good breaks.

All told, I finished 5 ROOTs, 1 recently purchased book, and 5 library books. Library books seem to be winning in the book race.

As to Challenges, besides ROOTs and Dewey, I'm pretty far behind, so I plan to concentrate on catching up with these. Some planned overdue reads:

CAC Davies, Fifth Business
CAC Badami, The Hero's Walk
CAC Atwood, Lady Oracle -- also a ROOT

BAC Gardam, Old Filth
BAC Conrad--not sure--have a couple on my shelf

AAC Doig, The Whistling Season -- also a ROOT
AAC will probably substitute Maxine Hong Kinston (a ROOT) for Annie Proulx--I've read Proulx, she's good, but I wanted to read an author new to me.
RandomCAT--color--Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte--also a ROOT
Dewey--have several DDC400 language books lined up

whew, I'm tired already...

Great month, especially getting through Moby Dick!

I've earmarked The Secret Agent for Conrad, but I probably won't get to it this month. It's an ebook from Project Gutenberg, and those always suffer when it comes time for me to pick a book.

>128 rabbitprincess: I have Lord Jim, Victory, and a book of shorter works on the TBR. I've only read Heart of Darkness. None of them are calling my name right now....

>113 kac522:
That looks like a beautiful version. Congrats on making it through!

>130 -Eva-: It really is beautiful and in paperback, too... if you're ever at a bookstore, just thumb through it for the illustrations.

I read Moby Dick five years ago and enjoyed it more than I thought I would (that cetology section!) and do plan to reread it someday. But not yet.

>132 RidgewayGirl: Right, I was expecting it to be quite a chore, but most of the book was worth the effort. The first hundred pages or so were even humorous, and the last hundred just flew by.

41. How to Speak Brit by Christopher J. Moore
42. In Other Words by Christopher J. Moore
44. How English Became English: A Short History of a Global Language by Simon Horobin

Type: nonfiction, Language
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): Dewey 400s
Format: Small format hardcovers from Evanston Public Library

When looking for a book in the 400s for the Dewey challenge, I realized that every 400 book I owned I had already read! Which meant I had to find some at the library. I went to the library and picked these 3 small books off the shelf. I was not disappointed, and the content did not overlap much between the books.

How to Speak Brit by Christopher J. Moore is a small book of "Britishisms", some common, some local. I was surprised at how many I actually knew or recognized. Some I didn't know were: "spend a penny", "dog and bone" and "a load of cobblers." Short and amusing.

In Other Words by the same author, was an interesting concept. Moore identifies unusual words or phrases in many languages that can't easily be translated into just one word in English. They represent ideas and practices particular to the culture of the language. Romance languages, Asian languages, Yiddish, African, Nordic, and Pidgin are just a few of the language groups he covers, with a brief introduction to the origins of each language and a small sampling from each. Two examples with Moore's English definition:

--Russian poshlost: something cheap, sham or common
--Dutch de doofpot: A common Dutch response to any type of scandal that urges everyone to look the other way, so that the whole thing is forgotten.

A fun book and an introduction to how language is influenced by culture.

How English Became English: A Short History of a Global Language by Simon Horobin just came out this year. It's a short and accessible look at the history & origins of English, English as it is spoken in various countries and the future of English.

Throughout the book Horobin weaves in the battles between those linguists who are "prescriptives" (those who want to define Standard English, and keep it that way), and "descriptives" (those who want to describe English as it is actually being used in daily life and modify the "rules" accordingly). It's an interesting struggle which Horobin identifies throughout the history of English, how it's used today, and what the future may bring. Great reading, and valuable for any speaker/reader of English.

In Other Words sounds like fun! Will have to check it out.

Saw Love and Friendship today and it was great! Kate Beckinsale was excellent. I honestly didn't know how the story was going to turn out. :)

>135 rabbitprincess: I fixed the touchstones, so you should go to the right place now.

Beckinsale was excellent, and I liked the whole slightly flippant attitude of the movie--didn't take itself seriously. A little slow toward the end for me, but still excellent performances.

43. The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

Type: fiction, mystery
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): none
Format: Paperback from Chicago Public Library

The best I can say is that this is the first Christie where I was at least thinking in the right direction, even if I was nowhere near the correct solution. I was also expecting more about golf, but it only was where the murder occurred. Still fun for an evening read. And even mentioned "Apache crime."

>134 kac522: It amazes me how lost I get sometimes watching the BBC, between the slang and the accent. I have to turn on the captions!

>138 VictoriaPL: I think 6 seasons of Downton Abbey helped me with the accents, although every now & then I miss stuff. And now my son will be moving to Sheffield, England, where he says the accents are WAY different than the standard British BBC pronunciation. My son grew up in Chicago, has raised his children in Italy, and he says his children know American English, but the Yorkshire accent is like a foreign tongue!

>139 kac522: Best of luck to your son and his family on the move! I have not yet dipped a toe into Downton but it's on the list to get to - someday...

45. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Type: fiction
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): RandomCAT May: Color My World; ROOT
Format: Paperback from my shelves

The story of a young woman who becomes a governess to help her family. Bronte exposes the indignities suffered and social class limbo of the governess--not quite servant, but certainly never her employer's equal. In between Bronte gives us a novel about High Church vs. Evangelicalism, and of every day morals, which many LT reviewers have found irritating. I was able to tolerate it, with the understanding that Bronte was trying to make a point about ethical behavior. Our governess seems to immediately dislike her charges and her employers; her first family especially has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Towards the end of the novel Bronte's characters become a little more rounded and human. Certainly not as polished as her sister Charlotte, Anne Bronte still gives us a cold, realistic view of the plight of the governess and argues for a kinder, gentler clergy.

46. My Love Affair with England by Susan Allen Toth

Type: travel memoir
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): Nonfiction Challenge March: Travel; ROOT
Format: Paperback from my shelves

Toth gives us tales of her many travels to England. They are organized more by theme than chronologically, so sometimes it became confusing. Toth first went to London in college (1960) and continued making trips up until this book, which was written in 1992. In the meantime, she married, had a daughter, got divorced, raised her daughter alone for some years, and finally remarried. Because her life is so interwoven in the stories, I sometimes couldn't figure out what part of her life she was relating. Still, the stories are good, are honest, are just interesting. She doesn't fawn over England--she loves it, but she's always happy to come home to Minnesota. You're not going to take lots of notes about places to visit, but you will get a sense of places and people.

47. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Type: play
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): none; for my book club
Format: Paperback from the library

Miller's classic tale of Willy Loman, the quintessential American salesman. I think the inherent dishonesty in this family hit me more than the "outing" of American materialism, as well as the lack of any interesting female characters. We had a great discussion about the themes in the play in our group, and our leader asked really good questions. Years ago I saw the Goodman Theatre (Chicago) production with Brian Dennehy--there was an electricity in the performance that I've never had anywhere else in theater. This time, besides reading the play, I also watched the Lee J Cobb 1960s TV production (adapted by Miller). Lee J Cobb, was, well, Lee J Cobb (to me). Interesting newcomer Gene Wilder played the kid next door, Bernard. Always something new to take away in another reading or performance, so I enjoyed the re-read.

48. English Country Houses by Vita Sackville-West

Type: nonfiction, history of select English country houses
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): none; for my Country Houses online class
Format: small format hardcover

This is a very short little book, but not a book for those unfamiliar with the English house and English places. Sackville-West talked way over my head, with references to things out of my sphere. If you already know these buildings, you will probably get something out of this rambling 85 pages. Written in 1941.

49. The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester; read by Simon Winchester.

Type: nonfiction, geology
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): Nonfiction challenge June: Natural history/environment
Format: Audiobook from Chicago Public Library

I enjoyed the story of William Smith more than the geology (sorry, Simon!). It's as much a book about social class as it is about geology. William Smith, coal miner and drainage engineer, created the first geologic map of England, yet was ignored and humiliated because he wasn't born to the proper parents. As always, Winchester is an entertaining reader, and weaves science into the history of time and place.

50. The Provincial Lady in America by E. M. Delafield

Type: fiction
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): None
Format: Paperback Chicago Public Library

Not as laugh-out-loud funny as the previous books, but still a clever read. I thought she was generous in her treatment of Americans. And totally empathized with her need to be home.

51. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson: Volumes 1 through 3

Type: fiction
Completed: June 2016
Challenge(s): RandomCAT Challenge June: "I Do, I Do!"; ROOT
Format: My ebook (Nook)

This 18th century epistolary novel is 9 volumes and almost 2000 pages in my ebook edition. I've decided to count it as 3 books (3 volumes per book), and this past week I finished the first 3 volumes; hence 1 "book" for my totals.

Poor Clarissa, who is to inherit her family's fortune, is being forced by her family to marry the dreaded Mr. Solmes. She refuses, and even begs to give up her fortune, just to get out of the marriage, but her evil brother & sister are relentless. In the meantime Mr. Lovelace, a conniving rake, has weaseled his way into her affections, and has "kidnapped" Clarissa away from her family. Just goes to show you how women of this time period had two choices: between a rock and a hard place. Richardson draaaaags every scene out way beyond tolerance, but it still is a good story, and I hope to finish before year end. I'll need to pick up the pace, as it took me 6 months to read 1/3 of the book.

JUNE Recap:

How To Speak Brit by Christopher J. Moore
In Other Words by Christopher J. Moore
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
How English Became English: A Short History of a Global Language by Simon Horobin
Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir by Susan Allen Toth
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
English Country Houses by Vita Sackville-West
Audiobook: The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester, read by Simon Winchester
The Provincial Lady in America by E. M. Delafield
Clarissa by Samuel Richardson, Volumes 1-3

A good amount of reading this month...I can't say any books were great, but some were pretty good, including Simon Winchester's book, My Love Affair with England and re-visiting Death of a Salesman.

I was most disappointed in English Country Houses, and most entertained with The Provincial Lady in America.

And most relieved that I've made it through Volume 3 of Clarissa--I'm dividing the book into 3 "books" of 3 volumes each, and hope to get it done by the end of the year. It seems to be moving a little faster now.

Now for the Second Half of 2016....

I've heard a rumor that if I reach 150 messages...

...something happens to my thread...

...maybe it's 151?

Come on over & join me in the Second Half of 2016: http://www.librarything.com/topic/226538