Ellen (EBT1002) counts books, months, & adventures in 2020 - Stave 2

Iconic Thompson Hall on WSU campus

.. ..

Abby, aka "The Bean," whom I miss every single day

My Rating Scale:

= Breathtaking. Perfect for me at this moment.
= Excellent! Among my favorites of the year.
= Particularly enjoyable or thought-provoking.
= Really good. I'm glad I read this.
= A solid read. Generally recommended.
= This was an okay read.
= Meh. Pretty much a waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

Honestly, I'm rarely going to complete any book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

Here is the rating scale Karen (karenmarie) has outlined on her thread. I'm thinking I'll give this a try:

= Masterpiece
= Stunning.
= Excellent.
= Very good.
= Good.
= Average.
= Bad.
= Very bad.
= Don't bother.

Of course, it still holds true that I'm rarely going to complete a book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver 4.5 stars
2. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell 4 stars
3. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe 4 stars
4. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood 4.5 stars
5. Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame by Erin Williams 3 stars
6. Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith 3.5 stars
7. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths 3.5 stars
8. Little Gods: A Novel by Meng Jin 3.5 stars ~ Early Reviewers
9. Sudden Traveler by Sarah Hall 3.5 stars

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

10. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman 4.5 stars
11. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner 3.5 stars
12. The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas 3.5 stars
13. Still Waters by Viveca Sten 3 stars

My 5-star reads from 2019

Four novels:
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
When All Is Said by Anne Griffin

One non-fiction/memoir:
Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country by Pam Houston

Two Graphic Memoirs:
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

RandomCAT

✅ January: New Years Resolutions ~ Oryx and Crake and The Bone Clocks
✅ February: Still LEAPing into the new year! Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner (1984)

March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December (my call!):

AlphaKIT

A & U January ✅
-- U: Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
-- A: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

F & B February ✅
-- F: The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas
-- B: Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner

G & C March
-- C: Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee /// Copperhead by Alexi Zentner
-- G: G by John Berger

S & T April

L & P May
-- L: Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke
-- P: Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt

K & Y June
-- K: How Late it Was, How Late by James Kelman

J & R July
-- J: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
-- R: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

O & H August

M & E September
-- M: Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

D & V October

I & Q November

W & N December

Yearlong letters: X and Z
-- Z: Grand Union by Zadie Smith
-- X:

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist ... and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance***
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late***
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things***
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace***
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman
2019: Margaret Atwood, The Testaments, and Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other

***On my shelves

I decided to edit this post to capture my newly-conceived additional challenge for 2020. I like short stories and I seem to like them better when I read them more frequently. They require a slightly different mindset, a sort of patience that I want to foster in myself. In fact, PATIENCE is my new mantra for 2020.

I am still counting down the months until retirement but the counting down tends to keep me focused on the future, wishing away these precious months of my life as I complete my 60th decade on this Earth. SO, if when work gets stressful, instead of thinking to myself "Thirty-one months...," I will take a deep breath and think "patience, Ellen." Yoga is helping with this.

Back to the challenge. I'm going to read at least one collection of short stories each month in 2020.

✅ January - Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith 3.5 stars (very good)
February - Dear Life by Alice Munro currently reading
March -
April -
May -
June -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

Happy new one!

Nice topper

Happy new thread, Ellen

From my last thread:

6. Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith




This collection includes nineteen stories, about half of which are exquisite and about half of which were either okay or, in three cases, lost me altogether. Both the first and the last stories were in this latter category but in between are an assortment of mostly very-good-to-excellent short works exploring time, identity, reality. Set in past, present, or future and moving between New York and the UK, Smith's stories tend to begin in the middle. The reader is asked to follow along as the time, place, and relationships among characters are revealed more or less indirectly. My favorites: "Words and Music," "Big Week," "Two Men Arrive in a Village," "Kelso Deconstructed," and "Blocked." Recommended for a patient reader.

>11 figsfromthistle: and >12 jessibud2: Thank you, Anita and Shelley!

>9 EBT1002: I'm not sure what I'm going to read next. I'm sure I'll find something in this house. LOL

Happy New Thread, Ellen. I like that Thompson Hall topper. The Packers are getting stomped. Not sure anyone expected this.

Happy new thread Ellen!

>1 EBT1002: Pretty.

Happy New Thread, Ellen! Lovely photos up atop too.

Hi.

Happy new one, Ellen. I love the photo at the top!

I think I liked the Smith stories more than you did. I loved the one with the aunts in NYC, don't remember the title. I thought, though, as you did, that they started out really strong, and then there were some not-great ones in the middle.

I really enjoyed the Smith stories: I rather suspect you and Beth are more discerning readers. I think I feel in safe hands with her, which maybe affects the reading experience I have.

Glad to read from the previous thread that you are enjoying listening to your CDs- of course that is the most important thing.

Happy thread #2, Ellen!

Happy new thread Ellen. I love the topper.

I always thought Thompson Hall seemed so architecturally different compared to the rest of campus. It looks so European, all coated in a snowy landscape. Great photo!

Look like the reading is going apace!

Hi! Snow's all gone. Friends who were out for breakfast early Sunday say they spotted a coyote wandering down the road (in Bellevue!). Warning to all small dog owners.

Still struggling to find reading time. Damn TV keeps flirting with me to watch the run up to the trial, however, yesterday I ended up watching some of the Animal Planet, my favorite time waste.

I'm glad you are finding some of the Palouse to be beautiful, and enjoying the snow as much as possible.

Happy new thread, Ellen!

>13 EBT1002: I am not sure if I am a patient reader or not, but I have that one in the BlackHole. Unfortunately, my local library does not have a copy.

Hi Ellen, and happy new thread. Beautiful photo, beautiful building.

It's spitting snow this morning, but nowhere near as much as in your topper! I doubt ours will accumulate.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Happy New Thread, Ellen!

I like the looks of iconic Thompson Hall.

That's a helpful mini-review of Grand Union. I'm still trying to make up my mind about that one.

Happy new thead Ellen. Thompson Hall looks so stately.

Snow is gone here too, although we did get more than a sprinkling. At least it's cold. I was hoping for a few weeks of genuine freeze, to help my allergies along, and it looks like my request was answered.

I had to let The Bone Clocks go back to the library. Too much to do in the next 10 days or so, and it was almost due anyway. I'll get it back again.

I decided my next read would be another collection of short stories, Sudden Traveler: Stories by Sarah Hall.



I've read three stories and so far, so good. Thank you, Beth!

>16 msf59: That 49ers-Packers game was crazy, Mark. I certainly didn't expect such a one-sided competition.

>17 humouress: Thanks Nina.

>18 ronincats: Thanks Roni. The WSU campus is pretty, especially in the snow.

>19 richardderus: Hello, Richard dear.

>20 BLBera: Oh yeah, that was a good story, Beth (I don't remember the name, either, and I already took the book back to the library so I can't check). Really, there were several stunners in the collection. My overall rating might have been influenced by the three, exactly three stories that I just didn't get. But 3.5 stars means "really good, I'm glad I read this."

>21 charl08: Hi Charlotte. As I noted, I thought several of the Smith stories were exquisite, a few were good enough, and three left me cold. Overall, it's a really good collection!

>22 Carmenere: Thank you Lynda!

>23 fairywings: Thanks, Adrienne!

>24 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy. Yes, Thompson Hall is its own thing on this campus. Of course, Bryan Hall with its clock tower is also iconic but Thompson is probably my favorite.



Bryan Hall on WSU campus

>25 maggie1944: Hi Karen! Our first year in Seattle, I was awakened by what I thought was a cat fight. I went out into our little neighborhood in my pajamas and bare feet, and it turned out to be a coyote. I chased it away and when I went back into the house, P said, "um, just for future reference, I'd rather you didn't go out into the street in your pajamas to confront a wild animal." Sadly, we learned the next day that a neighborhood cat was found, appeared to have been killed by a coyote. I still hear that scream sometimes and it haunts me. So, yes, Keep Gretchen Inside!!

>26 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! I think my comment about reading Grand Union as a patient reader is just a nod to her gradual unfolding of the story. It's good stuff but not to be raced through. I think you'll enjoy!

>27 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen.

>28 thornton37814: Hi Lori. Our 18" of snow is now melting away. It will take a while for the piles on the sides of the streets to disappear but they're certainly diminishing.

>29 ChelleBearss: and >30 lkernagh: Thank you, Chelle and Lori!

>31 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I think you would appreciate the stories in Grand Union. I just think it will help to engage with a bit of patience as her narrative style unfolds. There are some terrific stories in the collection.

>32 mdoris: Hi Mary. Yes, Thompson Hall is massive and quite memorable.

>33 ffortsa: Hi Judy! I'm glad you're getting some good cold weather to help those allergies along. We are now hanging out above freezing and the snow is -- slowly -- melting away.

The Bone Clocks is definitely a novel to dig into when you have time to dedicate to it. It's so very good but it does require some focused concentration.

I love having a Monday holiday! I got up to an alarm but a whole hour later than usual, spent a bit of time reading, then went to yoga while P went to her regular water exercise class. Then a shower, yogurt and muesli and fruit, and some more reading. Now P is watching and I am re-watching the final episode of Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time. Honestly, I am going to enjoy retirement when the time comes.

Happy new thread!

>34 EBT1002: You are welcome.

>36 EBT1002: Nice photo.

I am also enjoying my Monday off.

Bryan Hall's clock-tower is lovely!

>34 EBT1002: I also have Sudden Traveler: Stories, courtesy of Beth. Glad to hear it is off to a fine start. I hope to get to it, in the next 2 weeks are so. My short fiction fix.

>40 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>41 BLBera: Honestly, I can't think of a single rational reason we shouldn't all have every Monday off, Beth!

>42 richardderus: I've now shown you all the two prettiest buildings on campus, Richard. It's all downhill from here.

>43 msf59: Ha, Beth beat me to it, Mark. I was going to offer to pass along my copy (from Beth) after I finish it. I think I need to read short stories more often; it kind of gets me in the habit as reading them takes a slightly different mindset than a novel. I'm enjoying this collection and it is probably benefiting from my very recent reading of Zadie Smith's Grand Union.

Hmm, I think I'll create yet another "challenge" for myself to read one collection of short stories per month in 2020. I have a handful of Alice Munro to which I haven't gotten, as well as the wonderful William Trevor. I have Edwidge Danticat's latest collection on my wish list.

>44 EBT1002: ...and don't forget that May is National Short Story Month....

>34 EBT1002: Another one going into the BlackHole. My local library does not have a copy, unfortunately.

>45 richardderus: Hmm, I did not realize that, Richard. I refuse to add to my burden by saying I have to do any more short story reading in May than in any other month. :-D

>46 alcottacre: Stasia, PM me your address and I'll send my copy along when I'm done with it. Beth sent it to me and I believe in sharing.

I just edited >9 EBT1002: above which I had originally reserved for "currently reading." I never keep up with that post in each thread, so on to better things.

You can just read it here instead of clicking upwards.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I like short stories and I seem to like them better when I read them more frequently. They require a slightly different mindset, a sort of patience that I want to foster in myself. In fact, PATIENCE is my new mantra for 2020.

I am still counting down the months until retirement but the counting down tends to keep me focused on the future, wishing away these precious months of my life as I complete my 60th decade on this Earth. SO, if when work gets stressful, instead of thinking to myself "Thirty-one months...," I will take a deep breath and think "patience, Ellen." Yoga is helping with this.

Back to the challenge. I'm going to read at least one collection of short stories each month in 2020.

January - Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith 3.5 stars (very good)
February -
March -
April -
May -
June -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

Wow, I just did a bunch of editing and lost it all.

Whatevs.

I altered >9 EBT1002: which had been the post reserved for "currently reading." I never keep up with that post as my thread evolves, so I'm repurposing that post. You can read it here rather than clicking upward.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I like short stories and I seem to like them better when I read them more frequently. They require a slightly different mindset, a sort of patience that I want to foster in myself. In fact, PATIENCE is my new mantra for 2020.

I am still counting down the months until retirement but the counting down tends to keep me focused on the future, wishing away these precious months of my life as I complete my 60th decade on this Earth. SO, if when work gets stressful, instead of thinking to myself "Thirty-one months...," I will take a deep breath and think "patience, Ellen." Yoga is helping with this.

Back to the challenge. I'm going to read at least one collection of short stories each month in 2020.

January - Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith 3.5 stars (very good)
February -
March -
April -
May -
June -
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -

Since moving to this tiny town in eastern Washington, with only a meh sort of bookstore on campus, I have been using amazon. A lot. The convenience is amazing and there are so many things, books among them, that I can't easily otherwise obtain. When I lived in Seattle, or even in Corvallis, such was not the case. But I'm wanting to reduce my dependence on this mail-order giant. I won't stop using them altogether, but I do want to reduce. So I'm going to start saving up my book wish list purchases for visits to towns with, you know, wonderful indie bookstores.

>51 EBT1002: - There are also great used book websites. I used to order a lot from Abebooks (I found out it is now also owned by amazon and I refuse to use that one). There is also a site called Better World Books that, I believe donates books to charities for every book purchased. There was recently a discussion about this over at my Bookcrossing forum. Here is a link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_World_Books

I haven't yet used them myself but I know friends who do.

Good luck with the short story challenge. Glad to hear you have an interest in reading more short fiction. You know that is my jam. And speaking of Munro, I have Dear Life lined up, for the very near future. Do you have that one? I have to thank Bonnie for reminding me about this collection.

Happy new thread, Ellen. From the photos of the campus buildings it looks like you live in a pretty part of the country.

>47 EBT1002: Why, thank you, Ellen. I will take you up on that offer. PM on its way.

Happy new one, Ellen! I hope your day is going well.

>1 EBT1002: >36 EBT1002: Beautiul picks from the WSU campus. I have never been threre, but I am a sucker for old brick buildings. :-P

I am almost done with Asivmov's Foundation (for the third time) and will move on to The Mourner and then News of the World. I have some specific reading goals this year and am starting off with some shorties to prime the pump so to speak. A little SF, a little crime, and some western style literature to start my years. How is that for diversity?

Reading a collection of short stories a month is a daunting challenge, I think. I tend to have a collection on my nightstand, and read one or two in between other things. I seem to appreciate them better that way. Right now, I have Tom Hanks' Uncommon Type going. He has a flare for language and character. A little weak on actual story.

>57 laytonwoman3rd: - I am generally not a fan of short stories (though there have been some exceptions over the years). I read the Tom Hanks collection when it first came out because well, it was Tom Hanks! I enjoyed it though I have to agree that not all were great. There were a few though, that I did love.

>50 EBT1002: Patience is a good mantra. Mine, I fear, is 'now', as I'm a chronic procrastinator, and then get cranky if things don't get done.

Hm. Are you sure about your math? I thought I was a decade ahead of you.

>51 EBT1002: I try to limit my use of Amazon too...and they don't make it easy! But I've found a lot of wonderful independent bookstores have an on-line presence, with occasional free shipping deals.

I use Alibris to order my used books. One of the places listed on their web site is Better World Books. I also use Book Depository for books, but they don't offer the discounts that Amazon does. I think that used books are just fine so I use Alibris. I also try to keep lists of books with me so that when I find a used bookstore I can make some purchases.

Here is the link to Alibris. It is just Alibris.com

Is BruiseD books still around in Pullman? I spent a lot of my not-copious spare time there.
And drank good coffee across the street, The Daily Grind, right?

>50 EBT1002: Good luck with your challenge Ellen. I need to get back to some short story reading. Currently I am aiming to read a book of poetry a week ... too early to say I am achieving, but so far I am!

>57 laytonwoman3rd: I've had that in the pile for a while Linda. Interesting that he is weaker on story, that is where I have found actor/writers stronger.

Good luck with the short story challenge, Ellen. I was thinking along similar lines. I read the Danticat collections and it is wonderful.

I know what you mean about Amazon.

Somehow, I received TWO copies of Sudden Travelers, which is why both you and Mark got copies from me. I have another book to send your way - Midnight's Children and will try to get it to you soon.

I'm sort of stuck with Amazon for books, as I usually get them in e-form, mostly Kindle. For the rest, I'm trying to limit my purchases too.

Ellen, I've been lucky enough to get several different editions of the (city) Noir short story collections, and I'll probably read a few of them this quarter. Have you read any of them?

Hi Ellen!! I love your idea of doing the Short Story challenge. Hmmm...what are some good ones I have read?

Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Machado
Minority Report: Volume Four Of The Collected Stories by Phillip K. Dick
Magic for Beginners by Keely Link

and then there's always

The Best American Short Stories (The Best American Series ®), which is a HUGE annual collection and you could just read a few. ; )

Tunneling to the Center of the Earth by Kevin Wilson is one of the best short story collections I've ever read Ellen. Each story is finely crafted but I’ll warn you now, it’s a weird, weird world. For instance, ”Worst-Case Scenario,” opens this way:

”I work for Worst-Case Scenario, Inc. I have a degree in Catastrophe from a small college in the Northeast, where I learned all the ways that things fall apart. I am a field agent in ‘what could happen.’ I go to amusement parks and punch numbers in my computer and tell them how many people could die on a ride, what we call absolute disaster. I calculate what would happen if a city bus full of people was taken hostage and then got stuck in a freak blizzard during rush-hour traffic.”

Just brilliant, weird and wonderful.

We Live in Water by Jess Walter. Also, do you count novellas? Kitchen and A River Runs Through It

>2 EBT1002: I feel like I could re-read Oryx and Crake. My dad raved about it at the time it was out, and I think my expectations of it were too high.

Re: short stories, I like them so much now! I just started The Metamorphosis and feel like it could be a kick start for a short story re-boot.

Short story collections I've enjoyed:
Rock Paper Scissors (Russia) NYRB editions
Sweet home (Ireland)
The Empty Family (Ireland)
You Think it I'll Say It (US)
Rotten Row (Zimbabwe)
Cross Channel (stories by British writer Julian Barnes who has strong links with France, so these stories cross 'the Channel')

The Caine Prize for African writing publishes a collection every year which includes some big hitters.

Looking at my lists I'm reminded there are some I still want to read - The Winter Book.

If you're including novellas, I'll second the recommendation of A River Runs Through It. I loved that, and there are shorter stories included with it. The movie was pretty good too.

My five star collections of short stories include Mrs. Somebody Somebody by Tracy Winn (and I must see if she has anything else available) and Sweet Land Stories by E. L. Doctorow.

>71 laytonwoman3rd: YES!!! Mrs. Somebody Somebody was phenomenal! Also, along the same lines (that is, gritty) Bonnie Jo Campbell's American Salvage.

>67 brenzi: I liked this one too, Bonnie. A talented guy. Also LOVED American Salvage.

I am very late to your newest thread, Ellen, but now I am all caught up with you. I love the idea of reading a collection of short stories every month, but as soon as I set myself that challenge, I would bail. I am hoping you have better stamina. Heh.

Your thread topper is full of gorgeous!

>67 brenzi: Bonnie hit me with a book bullet on your thread!

>74 Crazymamie: Hey, I aim to please 🥴

>75 brenzi: *grin*

Happy Saturday, Ellen!

Have a great weekend!

I'm back from the presentation and short stint in the sunshine. The presentation went beautifully!! I am so pleased; the audience really engaged and seemed to appreciate my talk. I stayed and had buffet lunch with them and it was fun. Then I changed into not-working clothes and went for a 3-mile walk in the sunshine. It was warm and I had on long pants but it was also delightful. I can see why people who can afford it winter in Palm Springs (I was actually in Indian Wells, but same diff). Then I sat outside and read in the shade with some excellent chips, salsa, and guacamole. Then to the airport where the university (that one, not the one for which I work) had me in first class for the flight to Seattle. I admit that I took advantage of the free drinks, read some, listened to some music (blocking out the conversation between the two men in front of me was imperative).

This trip got me thinking, too. I had a great time and I was reminded of my professional strengths. I don't want to end my career in a job that is sucking the joy from my work. I don't want to end it with all my focus on counting down to retirement, surviving the institutional culture, and putting one foot dutifully in front of the other. I don't know exactly what this will mean but there may be one more job change in my future. We'll see.

Oh, and I met Darlene Shiley who is on the Board. Gold star to the first person who knows who she is.

I will come catch up later as we're watching the Australian Open.
Happy Saturday everyone!

>78 EBT1002: Alzheimer's activist and philanthropist; widow of Donald.

>78 EBT1002: Ellen, it sounds like you made the most of a very short trip. I am so happy that the presentation was full of fabulous. And I am even happier for your new thoughts concerning your job. One's happiness should not be procrastinated - every single day is important even in the big scheme of things. Joy is not to be treated lightly. Keeping you in my heart and sending you thoughts of boldness and audacity.

>80 richardderus: GOLD STAR, Richard! Major contributor to PBS Masterpiece (part of her philanthropy), which is why I know her. I admit that I wasn't myself aware of the Alzheimer's activism.

She came up to me after the presentation to compliment and thank me. When she said "hi, I'm Darlene Shiley" I just barely managed to refrain from saying "of course you are."

>81 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie and thank you for the encouraging words -- boldness and audacity are just what I need.
"...happiness should not be procrastinated...." AMEN to that!

Currently reading:



Little Gods: A Novel by Meng Jin

I received this from Early Reviewers and so far I'm quite enjoying it.

What Mamie said! Go, Ellen!

Well, the Shiley family contributes to the public television station big time, and she is usually the one announcing it. So they have lots of money.

ETA obviously I skipped down and hadn't read Richard's response yet.

I wonder, with your experience, if you can segue into a consulting role. That might be a way to manage the journey to retirement, and still participate in these affirming activities.

I can hear Laura Linney saying such and such was made possible by funding from "Donald and Darlene Shiley" on PBS.

>52 jessibud2: Thanks for that link about Better World Books, Shelley. I have also bookmarked Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane so I can order from them (of course, I can also go there in person if I'm willing to drive 86 miles and back). I have ordered from Book Depository but then I'm just having books shipped across the ocean which doesn't seem very carbon-footprint conscious, so I'll save them for instances when I want a book that is not yet published in the U.S.

>53 msf59: I did a survey of my shelves so I could post here about the short fiction collections I already have on hand and Dear Life is among them, Mark. When are you planning to read it? I could make it my February designee.

>54 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. The Palouse is quite lovely and has an undeserved poor reputation. Pullman may deserve that reputation but the Palouse is unique and beautiful. And of course, I think most college campuses are picturesque.

>55 alcottacre: Got it, Stasia! I have two stories to read in the collection and then Sudden Traveler will be on its way to you.

>56 brodiew2: Hi Brodie. I agree with you -- old brick buildings have a charm that is often irresistible. I find those on college campuses to often be among the prettiest buildings around.

I hope you enjoy News of the World. It was a five-star read for me!

>57 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. The idea of reading a collection of short fiction each month doesn't feel daunting to me. I wonder why that is. I do tend to read a collection straight through, although not always. I have paused in my reading of Sudden Traveler by Sarah Hall but will return to it soon.

>58 jessibud2: I think I may have Uncommon Type in audio.... Or on my kindle? I'll have to check. I know when it first came out it was getting some love. I think part of that may have been, as you say, because it was Tom Hanks. Of course, being a talented actor and being a talented writer are not generally considered to be drawing on the same genes. :-) I will say that he is one of my favorite actors.

>59 ffortsa: I suppose "now" could be a helpful or not helpful mantra depending on how one "means" it, Judy. I'm trying to stay in the present so there is that. My math is based on the earliest I feel I can possibly retire, not what tradition or the government would say is my retirement age.

>60 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, Linda, I will need to track the shipping costs when I order from indie bookstores. I'm glad to hear I may find some free shipping specials out there. I'm a prime member with amazon so I know I'm supporting them in that way. The speed with which things arrive on my doorstep has me spoiled.

>61 benitastrnad: Thanks for that info, Benita. Honestly, I don't shop amazon for the discounts but for the convenience. Other than occasional kindle deals, I tend to still pay the going rate for books I order. I don't mind used books, either, but so often I'm seeking books that are still pretty newly on the market.

>62 SandyAMcPherson: BrUsed Books is indeed still in town, Sandy, and I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't explored it much. And yes, The Daily Grind is across the street with one of the best chicken salad sandwiches I've ever had! I will go to BrUsed Books and see what I can find among its stacks.

>63 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. My challenge to read one short story collection a month sounds much less daunting -- to me -- than yours to read a collection of poetry a week. But I also like that one. I may borrow it after I retire. :-)

I'm not sure I've read works by other actor/writers. I'm interested in examples if you don't mind sharing. Your note that actor/writers may be stronger on story makes some sense to me although I just don't have an image in my head at all of these two professions manifesting strongly in the same human.

>64 BLBera: Hi Beth. I'm definitely interested in the Danticat collection. I've done a survey of my shelves and I will need to acquire a handful of collections to round out my year. Of course, I encourage myself to use the library! *smiles angelically*

>65 ffortsa: Hi Judy. Yes, as an avid kindle reader, using amazon is just the way it is. I do love my kindle, but I use it almost exclusively for eBooks from the Seattle Public Library. I did splurge on those Viveca Sten books that Laura and Katie and others were warbling about.

I have two of the (city) Noir collections on my shelves: New Orleans and Tehran. I will probably dedicate a month to each of these.

>66 Berly: Hi Kim! Her Body and Other Parties is one of the collections I have on my shelves and I remember it getting lots of love around here (which is why I bought it at the time). It'll be one I read this year.

I admit that I always admire those Best Of... collections and have been known to buy them (essays or short stories) but I'm not sure I ever finished a whole edition.

>67 brenzi: Bonnie, thank you for that recommendation! I had not heard of Tunneling to the Center of the Earth but that opening to the story "Worst-Case Scenario" has planted it firmly on my wish list.

>68 banjo123: Oh good, another recommendation. Thank you, Rhonda. We Live in Water is on my watch list now.

You ask a good question about novellas. I considered that as I was looking at a collection of three novellas on my shelves this afternoon (I can't remember who the author was now and I'm too lazy to get up and go downstairs to investigate). But I think I decided that only collections of short stories would count for this particular challenge. That said, I'm noting Kitchen and A River Runs Through It just for interest. :-)
I also just noticed that there is a collection, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, so that would count...

>69 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I was so pleasantly surprised by Oryx and Crake. Margaret Atwood is so good.

You say you like short stories "so much now!" What led to that? I'm just curious.

>70 charl08: Charlotte, thank you for that list! I don't know any of those collections so I will add them to my watch list. I'm clearly going to have to check out my two libraries and, hopefully, put some things on hold-and-pause so I get one per month. Even beyond this "challenge," I'm excited to be learning about some great collections. I also love that you share the country of origin. Thank you for that.

>71 laytonwoman3rd: I can certainly include A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, Linda. It's the "and other stories" that makes it a short fiction collection for me. I can't remember whether I've read the novella -- I think not -- but I remember loving the film.

And thank you for sharing your five-star short fiction collections. I'm just "adding to favorites" all these posts until I can compile my short fiction wish list. :-)

>72 brenzi: Okay, I'm definitely adding Mrs. Somebody Somebody to the list, Bonnie. And I read American Salvage in 2017 and gave it 4.5 stars so I wholly agree with you there!

>73 msf59: Another vote for Tunneling to the Center of the Earth; thanks Mark! And, as I said ^ I also loved American Salvage.

>74 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I love when we get hit by book bullets on other people's threads. It happens all to often, methinks.

>75 brenzi: And you succeed, Bonnie. :-)

Have you been watching any tennis?

>76 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! It has been a pretty good and easy Saturday. THAT is a good thing. :-)

>77 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>85 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. Mamie is usually spot on. :-)

>86 ronincats: Yep, you're spot on, Roni. I think she gave $50M to Masterpiece last year. That is a chunk of disposable income contributed to a worthy cause (imo).

>87 ffortsa: You know, Judy, others have made similar suggestions and I have to admit that I have shied away from it because I feel intimidated by the set-up-and-get-started part. But there is a kind of rent-a-dean (of students) thing out there that I think would be a perfect fit for me. If a university wanted to hire me on a short-term basis (say, one year or maybe 18 months) to help evaluate and refine student wellness programs and services, I think I would feel like I was using my talents and making a positive difference. Not consultation exactly, but in the same vein. It's worth my consideration. And in any case, this trip has reminded me that I have some options if I can muster the courage and energy to pursue them.

>88 laytonwoman3rd: Yes! I can hear that, too! Donald died a few years ago and would have been 100 this year. Now it's apparently just the Darlene Shiley Foundation but they have said that they want to give the money -- from the invention of a heart valve that has saved a life or two -- away rather than save it for after they are dead. How cool is that.

>95 BLBera: I have indeed been watching tennis, Beth. Right now we are watching the Sakkari - Kvitova match, thinking that another top-ten seed is about to go down.

ETA: Also, I didn't see the incident when Rafa accidentally hit a ball girl with a tennis ball but the story of his response is wonderful!!

Okay, here are the short fiction collections I have on my shelves:

Birds of a Lesser Paradise by Megan Mayhew Bergman
Dear Life by Alice Munro
The Progress of Love by Alice Munro
Cheating at Canasta by William Trevor
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
New Orleans Noir edited by Julie Smith
Tehran Noir edited by Salar Abdoh
The New York Stories of Edith Wharton by (duh) Edith Wharton (NYRB) -- this one might have to span two months....

And on hold at the library:

Lot: Stories by Bryan Washington
Sabrina and Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Ellen--Welcome back! So glad your talk went well and that you got complimented by a famous person. ; )

If you can find another job and are up for it, make your countdown more fun--go for it!! It sucks not being able to enjoy your job, feel appreciated and have a reason to smile about it.

Now I have to watch some more tennis....

>78 EBT1002: Life is an adventure, Ellen, and you should not tie yourself to an unrewarding job at the end of your working life. It's not like changing jobs at this point will hurt any forward trajectory and it might just make for an uptick in feeling valued and fulfilled.

>98 EBT1002: This looks like a great list! I was in a big bookshop yesterday and was reminded that I wanted to read more Lorrie Moore. I read some of her short story collections before LT, so now am pretty confused about which I've read and which I haven't. I'd love to just buy them all and solve the forgetfulness that way. Sweet Home blew me away, I couldn't believe this was her first book. I hope she will be writing more. From your list I'm really intrigued by Tehran Noir - look forward to reading more.

I do hope you can find a way to bring the joy back into your working life. I don't really understand when educational institutions keep good practice to themselves. The option you mention of short term contracts would be a great way to share things that work.

>91 EBT1002: Three of my favourites Ellen are Dirk Bogarde. He wrote five novels I think, all good in varying degrees, and maybe six autobiographies. Ethan Hawke, although it's been a while since his last one, unless I blinked. I particularly liked that one Ash Wednesday, and Sam Shepard, who as well as being a great playwright wrote short stories.

>98 EBT1002: hmm I look forward to your report on New Orleans Noir.

>98 EBT1002: Please, please, pick Birds of a Lesser Paradise as your next story collection. It is amazing and how can you beat that cover!! I have a "keeper" copy on shelf. I also really enjoyed Her Body and Other Parties.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. I also have a copy of Sudden Traveler on shelf. I NEED to bookhorn it in somewhere.

>78 EBT1002: Of COURSE, your talk went well. You are a star. Good luck with whatever course you choose to pursue, Ellen.

I think I have a copy of Haiti Noir that was edited by Edwidge Danticat. I have a HUGE pile of short stories. I was thinking I should try to read some of them this year. I'll pass the good ones on to you. :)

I was so happy to see Kvitova win. The Kenin-Gauff match was exciting - I'm watching the end now; I can't stay awake when the matches go late, the disadvantage of the AO time difference. One of these years, I'm going!

Rafa sounds like a nice young man. The "60 Minutes" interview was great.

I hope you're having a lovely weekend.

>90 EBT1002: Oh, I hope you didn't take 'Now' as an admonition to you! Strictly a personal effort on my part, to not sit and moan about the things I want or need to do instead of doing them. On that note, I'm just about packed for my trip on Thursday, and while some friends laugh, it has made me much more relaxed, that and the fact that my mail-order pair of long-legged rash guards fits perfectly!

I thought Tehran Noir was a good read - should have a review of it on last year's thread, and in the review spot.

Congrats on the successful talk! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

>102 Caroline_McElwee: I would add a few names to Caroline's list of actors who write (or wrote)---Carrie Fisher; Steve Martin; Julie Andrews and Jamie Lee Curtis have each published around a dozen children's books; Robert Shaw (of Jaws and The Sting among other films) was an award-winning novelist and a playwright.

Hi Ellen!

>3 EBT1002: *blinks* I didn't read about using my rating scale. I hope it works for you.

I will probably read Oryx and Crate sooner than later - it was already on my radar for this year as part of my personal archaeological dig - one not-yet-read fiction and one not-yet-read nonfiction entered into my catalog each year I've been on LT. I entered OaC into my catalog in 2011 and I've moved it onto my 'active' shelf. I'm currently reading The Second Sleep, a very interesting post-apocalypse mystery, and just may segue directly into the Atwood.

Congrats on the talk and first class airfare and your musings on possibly ending on a higher note career wise.

Happy Sunday to you, friend. I'm still keeping up with your threads, although not with my reading. The book Beloved is next up for our community's book group, and I am trying to get back to it. I'm also looking at Becoming which I've read, and which I need to be ready for leading a discussion on it for March's book group meeting.

I'm fascinated by your emphasis on short stories and may very well find myself picking up a book or two of them.

I sincerely hope and encourage you to find a happy way to spend your time as you approach the retirement horizon. It is sad beyond measure to spend your precious time doing something which sucks the joy from your life.

Yo ho ho, EBT, pirate onboarding to steal your Sunday peace of mind!

You'll need to add to your on-the-shelves list of story collections.

That is all.

I'm another one who loved A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, Ellen. So good. His Young Men and Fire grabbed me, too.

>99 Berly: Thanks Kim. I don't know what will happen on the job front but this trip certainly reminded me that life is short and I have something yet to offer the profession. Hunkering down and just surviving the last two and a half years of my working life seems like a poor choice for someone who has loved her work as much as I have done.

>100 Familyhistorian: My thoughts exactly, Meg. I took this job in good faith, thinking I would work 5-7 years and it would be my last gig. I know I have already made a positive difference here but I'm not willing to sacrifice my last few years of work by hunkering down and ignoring my own feelings. I don't know exactly what it will mean but I'm embracing the possibility that it may mean one more move before retirement.

>101 charl08: Charlotte, I'm glad you mention Lorrie Moore. I have had her Self Help and Birds of America on my wish list for a while now. I feel like I read A Gate at the Stairs pre-LT but I have no real memory of it.

Universities are large bureaucracies when it comes down to it and they each seem to have their own culture, steeped and cemented in the particular institution's geography and history. There are many wonderful people at my current university but there is less openness to change than I would have hoped. I know it's based in fear and I know some of the stories underlying that. But I don't have to give up who I am for it.

>102 Caroline_McElwee: Oh, thank you for those names, Caroline. I've heard of each of them but I'm not sure I've read anything by Bogard, Hawke, or Shepard.

>103 msf59: I remember you warbling about Birds of a Lesser Paradise, Mark. It's probably why I purchased it. It will be one of my early short story installations although I was thinking I'd read Dear Life to be companionable with you. :-)

I still have two stories in Sudden Traveler to read. It's a good collection.

>104 BLBera: Aww, thanks Beth. I was so pleased with how the talk went -- it was one of my best ever, I think. Part of that is that it was in my subject matter wheelhouse and part of it was that I got to say what I really think about the topic. It's not surprising, I suppose, that one will perform better when one is speaking authentically and confidently from one's own perspective.

I will happily accept any short story collections you want to send my way -- after you finish them, of course!

Regarding the AO, I never stay up to see the midnight matches. I just can't do that at this point in my life. I'm watching the Halep-Mertens match right now. It's a tight one.

>105 ffortsa: No worries, Judy. I was just thinking about my own tendency toward putting pressure on myself. I'm trying to be in the moment and be patient for what comes next. It is a balancing act, for sure.

I think it's great that you're all ready for your trip. Anticipation is part of the fun!

I will look for your comments about Tehran Noir. It looked like an interesting collection when I picked it up off the shelf lo these many months ago. :-)

>106 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita! It has been a good Sunday. We went out for breakfast, always a treat. And we watched the DVD of The Queen with Helen Mirren, which I had not yet seen. I also got in a good workout and I'm feeling better about how I'm taking care of myself health-wise these days.

>107 laytonwoman3rd: Oh, good additions, Linda. I knew that Jamie Lee Curtis had written but not the others. And of course just mentioning The Sting makes me want to watch that one again. :-)

>108 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I hope it's okay that I "published" your rating scale. I think I said something on your thread about giving it a try -- but I felt compelled to give you credit. I think it may be an example of elegance in simplicity.

I love your year-by-year archaeology project. I have not used the function to keep track of when I acquire my books but I love that it's enabled you to create such a creative challenge. I hope you enjoy Oryx and Crake when you get to it. I haven't yet read any Robert Harris.

>109 maggie1944: Hi Karen! I don't know whether you ever listen to books but I have heard that Michelle Obama narrating her own memoir, Becoming, is outstanding. Like you, I have read it, but listening to it might be a good way to prep for leading that book club discussion.

Thanks for the encouraging words. I don't know what the next juncture in my career might be but it does feel good to shift from "head down, just put one foot in front of the other and don't let the turkeys get you down" to believing there is some way I can continue to do good work somewhere for the last few years of my career.

>110 richardderus: Ah, you did the math, Richard. You're right. I will have to acquire more short story collections in order to read one per month for 2020. Darn. You know how much I hate buying books! *smirk*

>111 jnwelch: Hiya Joe. I'm thinking A River Runs Through It and Other Stories may be one of my library-based short story collections for the year. It's been getting lots of "votes" around here.

Alan Alda is another actor/writer that comes to mind. Also, one of my faves, Billy Crystal, has penned a few as well..

Duplicate post. That was weird

>114 EBT1002: I looked back for my comments on Tehran Noir and couldn't find them! Ran around the apartment looking for the book, checked my e-book list - nada. I know I read it, or at least most of it, but no record. Sigh. Sometimes, if I get a book from the library, I forget to post it. Anyway, I've just (re)captured it from the library, and will reread with pleasure, I'm sure. And then I'll get back to you.

Belated happy new thread, Ellen.

I am just catching up after my trip back home.

Hi Ellen - I loved reading the positive comments about your recent trip and to hear how rewarding it felt to both have something to offer and to feel it was well received.

I've finally started Oryx and Crake, Ellen. Not very far in, but I'm already engaged!

Your topper photo reminds me of winter at my alma mater...

>121 katiekrug: Well, that's gorgeous!

Morning, Ellen!

>121 katiekrug: Ooh, pretty.

Hope you are enjoying the snow where you are, Ellen. I am just so happy that it disappeared here.

I've won a couple of the Noir books through LTER and enjoy them. I especially like that they are stories written by authors within the country (or state or city ).

I'm currently waiting for Nairobi Noir.

And somewhere in the piles, I have Montana Noir.

8. Little Gods by Meng Jin
(very good)

...

This book took a while to settle into but the reward in the end was worth it. Su Lan is our protagonist in a sense, but her story is told by those who knew her: a close friend, her husband, and ultimately her daughter. A brilliant and enigmatic physicist, Su Lan is concerned with time as the fourth dimension of the universe, as it manifests beyond our limited human ability to experience it. Obsessed with the notion that time may move backwards, that we can erase the past, Su Lan immigrates from China to the U.S. with her small daughter a few years after the June Fourth protests and the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Su Lan's story unfolds through the eyes and experiences of our three narrators, most powerfully through that of her daughter who returns to Beijing after Su Lan's death in search of her father.

Meng Jin's writing is beautiful -- only occasionally overwrought -- and she deftly explores and illuminates the human need for a secure sense of place in both space and time, the human desire to feel confident about "where one comes from." This need plays out in geography but also in relation to parentage and history and culture, and it is in these dimensions that the novel's substance is most powerfully moving. Su Lan's motivation never quite solidifies for us but the motivations of our three narrators provide enough grounding for the novel's arc and meaning. We witness the tremendous impact of an event as momentous as the Tiananmen Square Massacre on the day-to-day lives of Chinese citizens, those for whom its larger political implications were of little interest. And we witness the ultimate conciliation with past and future, time and space, autonomy and dependency in Su Lan's daughter's final trip to her grandmother's village. This is not a perfect novel but it's a strong debut effort and a compelling introduction to an author worth watching.

>116 jessibud2: and >117 jessibud2: Billy Crystal -- a favorite!

>118 ffortsa: I love the image of you scurrying about the apartment in search of some evidence of Tehran Noir, Judy. I look forward to reading it some time this year.

>119 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. And welcome home even though I know you'd rather be back with your mum.

>120 vivians: Thanks Vivian. It was weird being back in the office today and feeling a bit distant from that affirmation. But I held onto it. It's a reminder of what I have to offer.

>121 katiekrug: I'm glad you're enjoying Oryx and Crake, Katie.

And I'm wondering what your alma mater is. I feel like I should know, should recognize.... of course, part of the point is that most university campuses in the snow look a bit the same. :-)

>122 Crazymamie: Isn't that pretty, Mamie? I do love a college campus.

>123 Familyhistorian: Our snow is almost all gone now, Meg. We had about 18" but it has been persistently in the 30s for the past ten days or so. It was a slow melt but a steady one.

>124 streamsong: I have noticed that the Noir series are often up for dibs for Early Reviewers, Janet. I know I bought New Orleans Noir in New Orleans but I'm guessing I got Tehran Noir via ER.

February Plans:

Good Omens for Fantasy February
The Chalk Circle by Fred Vargas for AlphaKIT
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner for AlphaKIT + Booker winners + RandomCAT
Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey for RandomCAT + Booker winners
Dear Life by Alice Munro for my Short Story Challenge

I feel like I committed to something else. Kim??

>128 EBT1002: I’m now interested in reading Oscar and Lucinda. I’ve just finished Father and Son by Edmund Gosse which apparently was the inspiration for Peter Carey in writing this book.

Thanks for your Scotland recommendations on Katie's thread. I'm trying to plan a family trip in June but these darn kids just can't make commitments that far in advance!

Oscar and Lucinda has been on my TBR for a while so I'm eager to hear what you think. I read A Long Way From Home when it was longlisted for the Walter Scott historical fiction prize, and wasn't too thrilled.

>115 EBT1002: No problem publishing my rating scale. I’m flattered that you think it possibly worth using. Elegance in simplicity. Doubly flattered.

My archaeology project is only made possible because LT records the date a book is entered into one’s catalog. You could do it, too – just sayin’.

Since I have a status tag for books I haven’t read yet – tbr – I exported my tbr tagged books then did a bit of Excel wizardry to group the entries by year. Also, since I also have every book tagged as fiction, nonfiction, or reference, that helps me pick one and one nonfiction for each year. I’m highlighting books by year that I might want to read. I’ve met my challenge for books entered in 2007. That was my first year on LT, so there were a lot to choose from. It’s been a lot of fun so far. I’m working on a nonfiction book entered in 2008 but have started Oryx and Crake, entered in 2011.

I’ve read Fatherland, Pompeii, and now The Second Sleep by Harris. All three have been very good, all are very different from one another IMO.

>128 EBT1002: Good Omens is a blast. We started watching the series first and I just Had to Have the Book. Oscar and Lucinda could be my archaeological fiction read from 2013. I’ve just highlighted it.

>127 EBT1002: - Holy Cross in lover-lee Worcester, Mass.

>129 SandDune: Oh cool, Rhian. I admit that I don't have a copy of Oscar & Lucinda on my shelves so I'll have to check it out from the library. I'm number one in the queue. I'd love to have reading company! And I've put Father and Son on the wish list.

>130 vivians: Vivian, I am happy to give all the recommendations you might like for Scotland. As I said, we have been twice and the two trips were very different from one another. I have even fantasized about retiring to that country -- if they would have me. Anyway, I can be as bad about Scotland recommendations as about book recommendations. *smile*

The only Peter Carey I have read is True History of the Kelly Gang which I gave 3 stars. The man has won two Booker Prizes so I "have to" read two of his books.

>131 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I will follow along with your archaeology project; it is very cool. And I'm happy that we're having some overlap as we use our respective challenges to read down those tbr stacks! I was mistaken: I read An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris in 2014. I gave it four stars but I don't remember it very well. I know it was a fictional account of the Dreyfus affair. Anyway, he is an author whose work I'll keep an eye out for.

I'll definitely read Good Omens in February. I think I may have even bought it last year for Fantasy February (did "we" do it last year??) and didn't get to it.

>132 katiekrug: So, this may be a question for the "stoopid answers" category on Jeopardy! but is Holy Cross a Catholic school in the, um, Holy Cross (I don't know what noun to use here) "group" -- along with Notre Dame and University of Portland?

I thought Good Omens was hilarious, and I also loved the miniseries.

>128 EBT1002: Good reading list. I think we're rereading Tracks in March, right?

I read the latest Peter Carey. I don't remember the title. It was OK. I do have a couple of his on my shelves.

Off to choose my next book, something light, definitely.

>134 EBT1002: I listened to an audio book of Good Omens last year. I agree it was hilarious, I loved it. Haven't gotten around to watching the miniseries yet. However I did watch The Colour of Magic miniseries and thought that was a lot of fun.

9. Sudden Traveler by Sarah Hall


I absolutely loved a couple of the stories in this collection and would recommend it just for those: "The Woman the Book Read" and "The Grotesques" are exquisite examples of the possible power of a short work of fiction. The rest of the collection was very good; Hall's prose is lyrical and the magical realism that permeates the stories has a dreamy sort of presence. The overall collection probably lost a star in my rating because I just didn't even get the last story, "Live That You May Live." Maybe you have to be a mother to understand that one. Still, this is a worthy little collection and an author to watch.

>135 BLBera: I started Good Omens last night, Beth. I was too tired to get very far into it but I can tell it's going to be a fun ride! Unfortunately, I woke up around 3am and never got back to sleep. I finally just got up around 5am and now I'm going to drink my coffee and dig into Good Omens.

Yes to Tracks in March. I may need help remembering.... I'll put it on hold at the library and pause it until the first of the month.

>136 fairywings: Hi Adrienne. Even in the early going, I can tell that Good Omens is going to be a funny read. I'm looking forward to it; I haven't read a downright funny book in a while! I know nothing about the miniseries but I might investigate after reading the book.

Glad your trip went well! I could use a dose of warmth right about now!

The best Peter Carey I've read was The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith. It's...well...it's sorta kinda alternate history-cum-SF and, as such I don't usually recommend it to normies...but it's beautifully layered, deeply weird, and fully involving.

So there's that.

>134 EBT1002: oh...oh...oh. I really loved An Officer and a Spy Ellen, and have been meaning to get to more of his books. I have a couple of them on my Kindle. And I haven't read any Peter Carey which is unbelievable considering how I follow the Booker.

So it turns out that i have not read Tehran Noir. Instead i read Baghdad Noir, but it happened between thread 1 and thread 2 last year and i never recorded comments. Sheesh. I'm planning to start the Tehran collection now. We can compare notes when i get back home the second week of February.

I didn't like Oscar and Lucinda much, but maybe I'm just a grump.

Happy Friday, Ellen. Good luck with your February planned reads. Nice diverse list. I had a fine time with Good Omens and you know I recently finished and enjoyed Dear Life.

Looking forward to Sudden Traveler.

>128 EBT1002: Plans...

February--Still Waters: Sandhamn Murders, Book 1 ??
March--Tracks by Louise Erdrich with the other Twin and Laurelkeet. : )

I loved Good Omens!! Enjoy. And get some sleep!! That's an order.

I finished Good Omens last night and it was such great fun! I'm glad I finally got around to reading this fantasy satirical tale of the apocalypse.

Next up:
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner

>140 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. It was a lovely trip.

>141 richardderus: Hmm, I don't think Peter Carey is an author whose entire oeuvre I need to read but I'll watch for that one, Richard.

>142 brenzi: I'm going to have to read more Robert Harris, Bonnie, and perhaps pay a bit closer attention in future. :-)

>143 ffortsa: I hope you're enjoying your trip and Tehran Noir, Judy. I don't think I'm going to get to that collection this month but I'll get to it this year for my short story collection.

>144 jnwelch: Yep, I think of you as a grump every time I think of you, Joe. It's why I'm so excited to make a meet-up happen when I'm in Chicago for a conference at the end of May. ;-)

>145 msf59: Hi Mark. You can see that I have been awol - again - but I'm hoping to catch up a bit in the next few weeks. I'm going into an intense time at work as I'll be leading some conversations about expanding and more fully supporting student health care on campus, so we'll see how much reading and LT-ing I get done.

I very much enjoyed Good Omens - what a fun read! And I'm looking forward to Dear Life, although Lot: Stories by Bryan Washington has come available for me from the library so I may end up prioritizing that one for February. So many books!!

>146 Berly: Right! I will add Still Waters to the list, Kim, although I'm more confident that I'll get to Tracks in March. February is feeling tight already with work demanding so much of my time. But the Viveca Sten should be a pretty quick read, eh?

February Plans:

Good Omens for Fantasy February -- DONE
The Chalk Circle by Fred Vargas for AlphaKIT
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner for AlphaKIT + Booker winners + RandomCAT ~ currently reading
Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey for RandomCAT + Booker winners
Dear Life by Alice Munro or Lot: Stories by Bryan Washington for my Short Story Challenge

>147 EBT1002: ooh, Hotel du Lac: lovely quiet fiction. It was my introduction to Anita Brookner (because Booker, which I suspect is your motivation as well) and I've read several more since.

Dear Ellen, I'm late to the party, but I do want to add my voice to those crying, "Go for the joy!" Joy always includes usefulness and creativity. You have my continuing hope that you will find your perfect fit for the rest of your working life - and maybe into retirement too.

>153 lauralkeet: Quiet fiction, indeed, Laura. I'm enjoying it slowly, savoring her descriptions, wondering where she will take me. Yes, the Booker is my primary motivation although this one will also work for my February AlphaKIT (B) and RandomCAT (published in a Leap Year).

>154 LizzieD: Thanks so much, Peggy. The past week has been surprisingly joyful and I think it's due to a number of things: me being more courageous, me having room to make progress on some important projects/initiatives at work, and just feeling more centered in who I am and what I care about. Today's snow day helped, too! P and I went out and walked about in the falling snow (about 6" was already on the ground) and we've watched a couple of episodes of Dr. Blake Mysteries and I've read some in Hotel du Lac. I have worked some, too, but it has been a nice taste of stay-at-home retirement. :-)

Tomorrow I work half the day and then I'm flying to Seattle. Staying with BIL Thursday night and then I have a couple of doctor appointments on Friday. I'm not sure of the details yet but I expect my Friday to include Phó for lunch and a visit to one of my two favorite bookstores before I have to catch the light rail to the airport. It's a very quick trip, P is not going with me. I'm looking forward to about 27 hours on my own in my favorite city. I mean, doc appointments and all that, but still. :-)

Interesting article about Anita Brookner's Booker Prize for Hotel du Lac, beating out JG Ballard's Empire of the Sun. The Guardian describes Hotel du Lac as "...a funny, flawed, but still beautifully written study in melancholy." I think that is about right so far.

^ And that makes me want to read Empire of the Sun.

>152 EBT1002: Not my favourite Booker winner, Ellen, but by no means the worst.

>159 PaulCranswick: No that has to be The Finkler Question Paul.

I read Hotel du Lac last year, my first Brookner. Loved it. My plan is to read one Brookner per month. She wrote 24 books.

>158 EBT1002: - Empire of the Sun is one of my favorite movies. I have never read the book, despite owning a copy for several years. Let me know when you are diving in and I'll try to join you :)

Hi, Ellen. I also have Lot: Stories on my TBR list. Maybe, you will give me the nudge to finally read it.

Have a great time in Seattle.

I finished Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner. 3.5 stars

This was, as Laura said, a quiet read and one that I struggled with at times. Edith Hope is in exile in Switzerland at (you guessed it) the lovely Hotel du Lac, having been sent away from London by friends after an embarrassing indiscretion. The story revolves around her interactions with the other guests of the hotel as she observes and critiques them on the way to completing her newest romance novel. Romance being what it is, Edith is confounded by the whole concept. The enigmatic Mr. Newell becomes the centerpiece of her shift in consciousness as he challenges her view of herself, love, and marriage. I say no more in an effort to avoid spoilers.

Hotel du Lac won the Booker Prize in 1984, an apparently controversial choice. It was a worthwhile read but I can understand the controversy, even without having read the competition. Still, I rather enjoyed this novel and I absolutely loved the ending.

>159 PaulCranswick: Having completed it now, Paul, I wholly agree. Not my favorite but better than many!

>160 brenzi: Oh Lord, Bonnie. I dread "having to" read The Finkler Question in order to complete my Booker challenge. Actually, I will probably release myself from it. I did try it once and I've read just enough about it to know that I. do. not. want. to. read. it.

I had no idea Brookner was so prolific! What other works by her would you recommend? I enjoyed Hotel du Lac enough to want to read more of her.

>161 katiekrug: I have never seen the movie and I know nothing about the book other than what I read in that article, Katie. But I might just see if they have a copy at one of the bookstores I hope to visit later this week. :-)

>162 msf59: Mark, I lied to you (but not on purpose). I was thinking I had Lot: Stories waiting for me at the library but I was confused. I do have it on hold but it's not yet ready. SO, I have queued up Dear Life for reading this month.

>163 EBT1002: I came across Hotel du Lac thanks to my aunt who was a wide reader and loved her books. She captures something about (middle class) women's dissatisfaction with what was permitted by society, I think.

Empire of the Sun is an amazing book: it's like a real life example of a key element in children's fiction. What happens when mum and dad disappear? What adventures are possible? Of course, the setting is horrendous (Japanese internment camps), but Ballard's child's eye view is somehow protective.

>164 EBT1002: I haven't read The Finkler Question but I would place it above:

The God of Small Things
Offshore
The Old Devils
The Gathering
and
The Sellout which I despised.

Top of the Tree for me:

Midnight's Children
Sacred Hunger
Saville
Wolf Hall
Troubles

>164 EBT1002: Ellen, I've read a few Brookners, thanks to some used bookshop finds, and another that I really enjoyed was The Misalliance.

---

By the way, last week on our cruise we met a couple from Seattle whose daughter just started at WSU in January (she delayed her freshman reasons not explained). They were singing the praises of the institution and the staff they came in contact with during the process. I know they would have crowed even more if you had been one of the people they met. 😀

>147 EBT1002: I thought I posted here the other day: Hotel du Lac is a BB for me. I like quiet reads. I put it on my WL but I was a good little LTer and did not (yet) request it from the library.

Ellen, you sound crazy busy. Make sure to take time for you. Don't worry about LT although we really miss you around here.

Duplicate post...

The film of Empire of the Sun is excellent. I highly recommend it. Never fails to make me cry.... Maybe I'll watch it this weekend. It's been several years since my last viewing.

I am so happy that you share my love of Good Omens, Ellen! If you are an Amazon Prime member, you should really check out the mini-series now--they really did a decent job.

Hello Ellen! I hope all is well with you. Just stopping in to Wish you a Happy Thursday!

>103 msf59: I need to get that short story collection just for the cover, Mark!

>125 EBT1002: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review, Ellen.

>137 EBT1002: Not a big reader of short stories, but I do like magical realism, so I am going to have to check that one out.

>147 EBT1002: Ha! A BB I get to dodge. I already read that one :)

>163 EBT1002: Already in the BlackHole!

Whew! I think I am caught up for the moment. . .

I'm so jealous that you're going to be bookstoring in Seattle! Truthfully, I can't do the standing, walking, and especially sitting, that would be required for me to get somewhere they actually *have* bookstores but the urge never leaves me.

Re: La Brookner, The Debut is simply wonderful. (It also goes by A Start in Life.) Dr. Weiss made all my little withered happy-cells smile.

>175 richardderus: Yes Richard. I read it last month. It was Brookner's first published novel. And it was wonderful. The copy I have is A Start in Life.

>164 EBT1002: And those are the only two I've read Ellen. This month I plan to read Providence. I'm reading them in order of publication.

>165 charl08: Hi Charlotte. Brookner has a quiet and understated way of exploring women's dissatisfaction with their expected location in society and the intra-psychic dynamics that develop from that. I didn't love Hotel du Lac but I'm glad I read it.

I'll definitely be looking for a copy of Empire of the Sun. And I said I hadn't seen the movie but I think I may just be forgetting. I think I saw it when it was in theaters.

>166 PaulCranswick: Of those you pan, I've read Offshore and The Sellout, Paul. I gave both of them 3.5 stars so I liked them about as much as I liked Hotel du Lac. I remember your disgust with The Sellout (and you were hardly alone) but I rather appreciated the satire. I admit that I don't expect to like The Old Devils.

Of your tree-toppers, I've read Sacred Hunger, Wolf Hall, and Troubles. I agree wholeheartedly that they are three magnificent works. I loved all three of them but I only gave Sacred Hunger the honor of five full stars. I could easily imagine rereading any of them and I would not be surprised if Wolf Hall and Troubles even improved on a revisit.

>167 lauralkeet: Oh good, thanks for that tip, Laura. I will look for The Misalliance. I don't yet know which bookstore I'll get to tomorrow (figuring out some transport details because of construction on the light rail as it expands to the east side of Lake Washington) so we'll see what I can find. It occurs to me that if I stay in the U District where my last medical appointment is, I can visit two bookstores pretty easily: the U Bookstore (which is an Indie, its association with the university notwithstanding) and The Magus, a wonderful used bookshop that might have some of the older works I'm interested in finding. And, of course, Pho.

I'm glad to hear the family is pleased with the staff they have interacted with at WSU. There are some truly amazing folks on campus and the staff are, for the most part, so committed to student success and the student experience. It's the higher-up politics (and my boss) that have made the place difficult for me. And, you know, Pullman. It is a lovely little town but it is simply not for me in the long term. Oh, and thank you for the compliment. 😀 I appreciate the nod of confidence.

>168 SandyAMcPherson: I'm glad, Sandy. I've found myself thinking of other "quiet" writers I have enjoyed and there is one whose work I read eons ago -- I remember reading her while I was proctoring exams on Saturdays so this goes back decades -- and I cannot think of her name. When I do, I'll chime in to see if others have read and appreciated her. The descriptor "quiet" evokes her work so vividly for me (it just doesn't prompt me with her name! - LOL).

>169 BLBera: Aww, thank you, Beth. It is a crazy busy time. The good news is that I have authorization to proceed with high level conversations about how we are going to support student health services in the coming 3-5 years. Health care is expensive and it is also something that needs to be done well if it's going to be done at all. I'm SO pleased that I get to proceed with the strategic conversations. I have a plan, I have a vision, I have a clear sense of the principles we need to keep in sight, and I will be nervous moving into this space. I'm just reminding myself that it will be what it will be. I make the case, articulate the concerns I have, explore the options, articulate my commitment to developing multiple revenue generating possibilities, and what comes out of all that is ultimately outside my control. All I can do is my best and I will rest easy knowing I did my best even if the outcome is not what I think it needs to be.

How's that for a self-pep-talk? 😀

>170 katiekrug: and >171 katiekrug: You know, Katie, in thinking about it, I'm sure I saw the movie Empire of the Sun when it was in theaters. I would like to see it again; I'll check the DVD selection at the library when I'm back in Pullman. And I'll definitely be looking for a copy of the book tomorrow in whatever bookstore(s) I visit.

>172 ronincats: I am an Amazon Prime member, Roni, and I will check out the mini-series of Good Omens. I can see that, done well, it would translate well to that genre. Prudence might even enjoy it. 🙄

>173 brodiew2: Hi Brodie. Thank you for the Happy Thursday wishes! I had a busy but productive morning at work and a decent afternoon traveling over here to Seattle. Now I'm sitting on my BIL's couch. He is on his way home from visiting FIL so I have the place to myself for a while. Happy Camper, me.

>180 EBT1002: Great pep talk! Your students are lucky to have you.

>174 alcottacre: It's a great cover, isn't it, Stasia! I bought Birds of a Lesser Paradise a couple of years ago when Mark was warbling about it. Now I'll finally get to reading it with this little 2020 short story challenge of mine.

Sudden Traveler is in the mail on its way to you; I hope you enjoy!

I think I may be the last person on Earth, or at least the last person on LT, to read Good Omens. I'm so glad I finally got to it!

>175 richardderus: I'll have less time for bookstoring than I would like, Richard, but any amount will feel like a treat. I'll see what time it is and how I'm feeling after my last medical appointment, then I'll figure out how to tackle my two cravings: Pho and at least one really good bookstore.

Okay, adding The Debut aka A Start in Life to the list of works to watch for tomorrow. This could be fun!

>176 brenzi: Another vote for The Debut. If I don't find a copy, I'm guessing I can get it from the Seattle Public Library. *happy dance for high recommendations*

Hmm, having read Hotel du Lac for the Booker Prize challenge, I can now do the same and read in the order of publication, depending on how the search actually unfolds. With you and Richard giving it high marks, I do hope I can find a copy of The Debut.

>182 BLBera: *smile*

So, I started reading The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas on the plane over here. I now know that Fred Vargas is a woman, the novel is translated from the French, and it's wonderful so far! I will do a wee bit of thread-visiting but then I want to get back to that novel. It took a couple of chapters to get caught up in it but caught up in it I am!

>151 EBT1002: Still Waters will be a quick read -- promise!! Mostly because the chapters are all so short and that leaves lots of extra spaced at the beginning and end of the pages. And it is a fun read. ; )

>152 EBT1002: I loved Good Omens, too! See, that's why I know I can trust your recommendations.

>180 EBT1002: You sold me!!

>185 EBT1002: Oh, I loved The Chalk Circle Man and all other Adamsbergs books, enjoy!

On the Booker Prize winners, I have a somewhat deviant opinion, The Sense of an Ending and The Narrow Road to the Deep North are at the top of my list and Wolf Hall and Lincoln in the Bardo are at the bottom.

>177 EBT1002: Brookner has a quiet and understated way of exploring women's dissatisfaction with their expected location in society and the intra-psychic dynamics that develop from that.

Wow, spoken like a true psychologist! Please take that as a compliment. I've had a hard time figuring out how to describe her books and what I like about them. You nailed it my friend!

>185 EBT1002: I almost started The Chalk Circle Man once, and then got sidetracked. I do not need a new series right now and my library doesn't have these, but I'm still interested to see what you think.

Hi Ellen!

Have fun bookstoring and Pho-ing and 27 hours of Ellen time.

I also recommend the Amazon Prime series of Good Omens. I watched and read pretty much at the same time. David Tennant as Crowley and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale are an absolute blast.

I'll have to try the Amazon prime Good Omens. My internet is poor here, so I haven't had much luck with streaming videos, but I'll give G.O. a try. I haven't tried the A.P. streaming. Glad you liked it - such a fun book! I bought a copy for my library with the booktopia bucks however many years ago that was.

Seattle sounds wonderful. February is such a tease with longer days (yay!) and more snow.

>183 EBT1002: "I think I may be the last person on Earth, or at least the last person on LT, to read Good Omens." Nope. I have not read it. Yet. Birdy just watched the Amazon Prime series of it and absolutely loved it.

Hoping that Seattle is being kind to you and that you get both your Pho and your bookstore.

I also have not read Good Omens.

>180 EBT1002:, Ellen, you are a professional when it comes to self-talk pep-talks! We should all pay attention and use your experience and wisdom when we catch ourselves roaming around in our own brains, worried about "how we will do", and "am I good enough".

I am glad you have some time in Seattle, but our rainy weather may remind you of some of the worser parts of living here.

If you liked Good Omens, Ellen, you should watch the mini series. It is hilarious.

I think The Chalk Circle Man is the weakest in the series. I love Fred Vargas.

And yes, let's read the new Jiles book together when we get our ER copies. Fingers crossed that we get them.

>183 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. I look forward to getting it!

Happy weekend!!!

*awaits list of hauled books*

Well, my trip to Seattle turned out to be a bit disconcerting. One of my medical appointments was with the dermatologist and, just as he was declaring my skin free of concerns at this time (this is not always true -- I have had several spots frozen and have used Efudex more than once, most recently on the skin above both eyebrows), he noticed a spot on my scalp, in my part, that concerned him. He took a biopsy of it and I await the results. It is either a mole or a type of cancer that, according to the doctor, will need removing but should not affect my overall health. Hmph. If it's cancer I will need to schedule a minor surgery back in Seattle. At least there is that (any excuse for a trip to Seattle!).

After leaving that appointment, vaguely woozy and anxious, I went to the U Bookstore and purchased In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez and Dominicana by Angie Cruz. I carried a few other books around for a while but ended up putting them back to keep my backpack manageable.

Then I went to my favorite little hole in the wall on The Ave and had chicken pho (yum). Then I wandered into The Magus, a wonderful used bookstore, where I found nothing that was on my list. Sigh.

As I said above, there were many more books I considered purchasing but I was trying not to add a second bag to my carrying experience and my backpack was pretty full. I decided I'd wait until an upcoming trip to Spokane where I can visit Auntie's Bookstore, another indie with a great selection. And I think I was feeling sort of blue so even book buying wasn't feeling the way it normally does.

Picked up some indulgent snacks and headed for the airport. Oddly, on the flight home my reading light was not working (I'm not sure any of them were) so I abandoned The Chalk Circle Man for the evening and started Viveca Sten's Still Waters on my kindle.

Home now. Back into The Chalk Circle Man. I've checked and the Seattle Public Library does not have a copy of Brookner's first novel, The Debut, so I'll have to keep an eye out for that one in other venues. The Magus didn't have a copy either.

I'm doing okay, just feeling my mortality more than I like. Aren't we all.

>186 Berly: I started the Viveca Sten on the plane last night, Kim, and I can tell it's going to be a fun and quick read. I still want to finish The Chalk Circle Man before I fully commit to Still Waters, but that won't take long.

>187 FAMeulstee: Anita, I am enjoying The Chalk Circle Man. The translation feels a wee bit odd to me in moments but the story and the characters are imaginative. I like that.

Oh, I LOVED Narrow Road to the Deep North and liked The Sense of an Ending so I agree that those were strong winners. I do think you find yourself in the minority about Wolf Hall but I think Lincoln in the Bardo generated fairly disparate reactions from readers so you're not alone in that one. I liked them both. Have you read Bring Up the Bodies? I actually liked it a bit better than Wolf Hall.

>188 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I do hear the compliment in your post. :-) I wish I had found a copy of The Debut in my Seattle bookstore forays but no such luck. There were a couple other Brookners on the shelves at The Magus but I think I'd gotten myself focused on reading them in publication order.

I'm enjoying The Chalk Circle Man. The story and characters feel original even though the translation feels awkward now and then. If you no longer have your copy, let me know. I'm happy to contribute to your overburdened shelves. *grin*

>189 karenmarie: "David Tennant as Crowley and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale are an absolute blast." I can imagine! I don't watch a lot of Amazon Prime but now I'm thinking this might be a fun option for the flight to Oahu in March. :-) I see so many people watching movies on flights and I tend to just read. Time to expand my horizons.

>190 streamsong: We haven't done much streaming with AP, Janet, because we do it through my laptop onto the larger screen and it gets pixel-y. We use Netflix on the "big" screen because we have access via a friend's account. But I'll give Good Omens a try.

The days are finally starting to feel a bit longer but winter on the Palouse has been pretty yucky. Too much cold rain and not enough snow. The snow we got last Wednesday so quickly transformed to cold rain that the snow was quickly gone. I'd rather have snow than mid-30s rain any day! Still, I'm looking outside right now and the sun is shining. It always does, eventually. :-)

>191 Crazymamie: Mamie, I think you would love Good Omens; the humor would appeal to you (imo).

>192 katiekrug: Really, Katie? As I told Mamie, I think you would enjoy it. Snarky humor. I'm just sayin'.

>193 maggie1944: Thanks Karen. I'm mostly good at bucking myself up though it does vary from day to day. It's a life-long process, this managing of stress and pressure. Eh?

The weather was pretty dreary in Seattle but Pullman has been more like Seattle this winter than it was last winter. Somehow I almost always managed it in Seattle; it was what we expected, right?

I thought of you as I wandered around The Magus yesterday. Next time I'm in town for such an excursion, I'd like to see if you're up for a trip to campus. :-)

>194 BLBera: That's interesting, Beth, that you think The Chalk Circle Man is the weakest in the series. I am liking but not loving it. I do think the characters and story are imaginative and unique, but the translation is not the best I've encountered. Still, it has me engaged.

I'll let you know when (if?) my copy of the new Jiles book arrives and you do the same. I know we were both such fans of News of the World.

>195 alcottacre: In the mail this coming week, Stasia!

>196 Berly: Thanks Kim! I do love a weekend. Any weekend. All weekends.

>197 richardderus: See >198 EBT1002:, Richard. It turned out to be an underwhelming book haul sort of trip.

Okay, time to mess with laundry and Walk. On. The. Treadmill. I'll listen to Curse of the Pogo Stick while I walk.

>202 EBT1002: Sad...sorry there wasn't a more uplifting tenor to your trip.

Yay for Dr. Siri!

Hisssssbooooooooobooooooooohissssss on mid-30s rain. Satan's Own.

Sorry to hear your trip to Seattle was such a mixed bag. I hope the scalp thing turns out to be nothing to worry about.

As for The Chalk Circle Man, back when I first considered reading the series I didn't actually manage to get my hands on a copy. So if you truly don't want to keep yours, I'll happily relieve you of it!

*smacks forehead* Like I need another series.

I think part of my problem with The Chalk Circle Man was the fact that I didn't read it first; I think it wasn't yet available in translation, so I started with a later one that I loved. It's been so long, I'm feeling like I should reread the series. It is imaginative. And each one gets better.

Back to Hawaii? Lucky you.

Good luck with the skin problem.

>201 EBT1002:, yes, I'd love to make a trip to the University District any time. I also would not mind finding my way to Elliott Bay Books if ever you want to drop in there.

I'm having my old Subaru in the hospital for a new radiator, and repairs on both of the front seat side windows,. Yikes! Big expense; however, they do know how to make a woman feel better about leaving my car with them, my "loaner" is a 2020 Subaru, with a back up camera. I'm feeling quite smug for a day or three. Loving driving it, and it tempts me to shop for a new-to-me car as the 2006 Subaru is getting a bit old, and at 150,000 might be giving me more expensive repairs, now. Ah! Life!

>198 EBT1002: I'm doing okay, just feeling my mortality more than I like. Aren't we all.

I know I am! I do hope the scalp thing turns out to be nothing of consequence for you, Ellen.

I can't believe I forgot to look for a copy of Louise Erdrich's Tracks at either bookstore I visited in Seattle. They don't have it in eBook from SPL and my local library doesn't have it either. Since I think it is considered one of her more minor works, copies are not abundant. But I meant to look for it yesterday! Grr.

I HATE when that happens! I will go to the library to look for a book and another book catches my eye, so of course, I forget about the first one. Grrrr.

>209 EBT1002: I understand wanting to find it used, but if that fails Amazon has it in paperback.

12. The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas




Translated from the French, this first in the Chief Inspector Adamsberg series is original and satisfying. Vargas doesn't follow the Dorothy L. Sayers rules of mystery writing so the solution took me by surprise. But let's face it, even if she had followed those rules, I might not have seen this one coming. Throughout Paris there are blue chalk circles being found, circles with an apparently random series of objects inside them: a wine cork, a doll, a man's belt, a dead cat. Bemusing at first, when the body of a murdered woman is found in one of the circles, the police find the circles to be clues in an increasingly frustrating series of murders. Adamsberg is a thinker but one who uses his gut and trusts his instincts. He is determined to find this murderer despite the apparent lack of pattern in the emerging evidence. He is also determined to get over the lost love of his life, a plot element which adds interest to the story. The story is interesting and the characters appealing; the translation is at moments awkward but I settled into it as the novel progressed. I'll certainly be continuing this series.

>204 richardderus: Thanks Richard. I ended up watching track and field on the telly instead of listening to Dr. Siri, but I'll get back to that one soon.

>205 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I hope so, too. The Chalk Circle Man will be on its way to you soon. You do need another series! :-D

>206 BLBera: That makes a lot of sense, Beth. I really liked The Chalk Circle Man in the end and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Yes, six weeks from tomorrow we fly to Honolulu for a min-family-reunion: P and me, two of her brothers and their wives. We had hoped the next two generations would accompany us but they haven't been able to manage it. It will be low-key and relaxed. I'll be taking books. :-)

>207 maggie1944: Karen, when I got my 2012 Subaru with the back-up camera, I rolled my eyes at it. I just thought that was as superfluous a feature as there could be. Now I will never go back to a car without one! Especially living in the city as we did for that decade, the back-up camera was a real godsend.

>208 alcottacre: Thanks so much, Stasia. Life is funny and odd, is it not?

>210 alcottacre: Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one so easily distracted! LOL

>211 lauralkeet: Yes, I may just end up buying it from Amazon, Laura. I'll check the used book store here in town first but I don't mind supporting Erdrich with another purchase of her work.

What you describe on your scalp sounds very much like what I had. I had to have some minor surgery on what turned out to be cancerous on the top of my head.

My dermatologist told me that is rare for women to have this but it is increasing in frequency because women our age spent more time outside than previous generations did. Mine was not in my part but in my hair right on the top of my head. So far it has not returned, but I had to have check ups every six,on this for two years. I now am back to my regular yearly checkups.

I hope the weather is better for you this time, Ellen.

Here's hoping the head thing is just nothing. But better to stress for nothing, than do nothing and be sorry later.

Hi Ellen!

>200 EBT1002: Live a little and broaden your horizons.

If your 'big screen' is a smart TV (does it have to be to access Netflix?) does it have AP as an option? All you have to do is link your prime account to it if so and you can eliminate the laptop intermediary and eliminate the pixel-y pic.

I'm sorry you have the worry about the spot on your scalp and hope it turns out to be nothing.

I've added The Chalk Circle Man to my wish list. My library doesn't have it, sad to say, but I'll get my hands on it one of these days.

I love the back-up camera on my 2012 Ford Escape. I rolled my eyes when I bought the Es-COP-ee, but I, too, now cannot live without it.

I hope you and P are having a good weekend.

Finally caught up here. Happy Sunday, Ellen. You did some great reading. I love Fred Varga's books. I hope you'll read more of her.

Happy Oscars Day! I know you and P will be celebrating as always, in those elegant cocktail costumes with endless magmums of bubbly.

...wait...is that y'all or the Algonquin Round Table...I get so confused.

>201 EBT1002: Birdy and I are going to read it together! She talked me into watching the tv series, and I loved it as much as she did, so now we must read the book.

Sorry that your Seattle trip was not all that you had hoped for. 'I'm doing okay, just feeling my mortality more than I like." This spoke to me - I felt like this most of last year, which was a rough one for us. Life is good with the ebbs and flows, and it catches us unaware sometimes. I am keeping you in my thoughts and wishing you joy and a light heart. Your upcoming vacation sounds full of fabulous. A chance to take a deep breath, perhaps. I love those sorts of moments.

>212 EBT1002: Your review is spot on, and if you posted this, I will add my thumb.

>214 EBT1002: I would also hate to be without the back-up camera now that I've been using one for a while. My husband doesn't use it much---he claims he can't see the screen properly in his truck because it's angled wrong or something. I misdoubt this...

I remember someone talking about Fred Vargas long ago here on LT...it feels in my mind as though it were someone I no longer see around. I will have to investigate....because, like Laura, I just don't have enough series to follow!

All best wishes for a big fat nothing developing from the scalp lesion. I attended the office visit with my uncle a few years back when he had several of those removed from his bald head. I think it was worse for me watching than for him.

Three cheers for back-up cameras in cars. While my "trusty" 2006 Subaru is in the car hospital the loaner car is a 2020 Subaru Outback. Not a small car, let me tell you! And the back up camera is so valuable when I'm trying to navigate backing into a parking space in our big garage. Spots are quite narrow, and not very deep. I could get used to having one quite quickly; however, I still don't think I could get used to an additional bill. (car payments! yuck!)

Yay for Good Omens! I liked it so much I "re-read" it on audio on a car trip. I'm glad you're going to watch the Amazon Prime version, too. Very good adaptation - David Tennant and Michael Sheen are a hoot.

I have the same problem with having to regularly see the dermatologist about skin spots on my noggin (and elsewhere) - too much sun as a kid. Who knew back then? I go in tomorrow, actually. Both my sisters have had Moh's surgery to remove dangerous ones. We're lucky we can all get this kind of help.

I'm enjoying the Viveca Sten book, but I'm not finding enough time to read these last few days. I had a headache all day Saturday which forced me to get off the iPad/iPhone. When I got home, I mainly petted cats. I went to bed early. I didn't have nearly as much time on Sunday to read because of things that came up. Today was vet day for the boys, so that ate most of my free time. I did get a few chapters, comprising a single day, read. Hopefully I will have 30 minutes or more to read when I get home tonight, but it isn't enough to finish the book.

13. Still Waters by Viveca Sten


I really enjoyed this first in the Sandhamn series and I'll definitely keep reading. The setting is charming, the characters interesting and (mostly) likable, the plot just a bit too generously sprinkled with coincidences. Three stars is "Good. A solid read. Generally recommended." I stand by that. A perfect stressful-life read!

Oh, and I've added the Stockholm Archipelago to my bucket list. :-)

I'm glad to see you liked the first Sandhamn, Ellen. As I've commented elsewhere, the next books are better than the first. I, too, rated the first one 3 stars (and that has the same meaning in my rating system as in yours). The next three books were 3.5 stars. It's rare for me to find a mystery series that knocks my socks off with ratings of 4-4.5.

>226 EBT1002: I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it too and will keep going. I have purchased book two and I think I'll end up reading the whole series.

>215 benitastrnad: It sounds like it my be similar, Benita. He said that if this is cancer, it is not one that will adversely affect my overall general health but I will need to have it surgically removed. Ugh.

>216 BLBera: Thanks Beth. As long as I have books, it will be fine. :-)

>217 jessibud2: Yes, spot on, Shelley. I hope it's nothing but if it' something, I want to deal with it head on.

>218 karenmarie: I think our "big screen" (42") tv is not a smart tv, Karen. Or it's an early version of a smart-ish tv. We use a separate box to access Netflix.... actually, I realize that I have no idea what I'm talking about. I do know that I can access AP on my computer by logging in with my account. We can then stream it to the tv using the laptop but it is glitchy.

Thanks for the kind words about the scalp thing. Fingers crossed.

And another fan of back-up cameras! P even had one added to her Nissan Frontier when she bought it used. I like "Es-COP-ee." Kind of like "Tar-zhé"?

>219 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Nice to see you here! I will certainly read more of Fred Vargas' books. Beth says they get better through the series.

>220 richardderus: Your confusion is completely understandable, Richard. P and I are frequently confused with glitzy celebrities. I mean, we are hosting a table at the upcoming benefit for the local humane society -- the theme is The Good, The Bad, and The Snuggly -- so you can just imagine how sparkly and western we'll be.

I think I have a bandana somewhere....

>221 Crazymamie: Yay! I think reading Good Omens with Birdy is a great idea. Your laughter will double.

Thanks for the kind words, Mamie. I agree -- life is good with its ebbs and flows. I heard someone once say at a commencement address "Life is beautiful, and it's also hard...." Yep. It's keeping in contact with both that makes it all okay.

I do think the Hawaii vacation will be well-timed. Six days with my two BILs and SILs will be interesting but it will also be fun and fine.

Oh, thanks for the nudge to post my review of The Chalk Circle Man. Done!

>222 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. My back-up camera sometimes gets a bit foggy after I've been driving on snowy roads but I love love love it. It is probably less necessary in this rural town than it was in the big city.

I know I picked up this copy of The Chalk Circle Man based on some conversation about it here, too. But it was a while ago and I don't remember who was involved. I am glad I snagged this copy last time I was at Powell's!

Thanks for the kind wishes about the scalp lesion. The biopsy was fairly painless although the healing process is just what you'd expect from such a wound. I did get woozy but it's the same thing that happens when I give blood (which I pretty much don't do any more because of the vasovagal episodes.

>223 maggie1944: Yeah, cars have gotten crazy outrageously expensive, Karen. We loved our Outback and kept it for twelve years. If I were getting another Subaru -- and I love my CRV but I sometimes think I should have stuck with the Subarus -- I would get another Forester. We had one of those for the twelve or so years before the Outback and I liked it a wee bit better. A little more T-U-F-F. :-)

>224 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I think Good Omens would be a great road trip audio book!

Good framing about the skin challenges. Too much sun for this girl, too. I remember going to the beach as a teenager, spending a good seven or eight hours in the sun, with nothing but baby oil on my skin! Idiotic. I have had Efudex treatment on my forearms and my forehead and had a few spots frozen. I'm now very careful about sun exposure -- in Hawaii, I'm the one swimming with a long-sleeved 50-SPF shirt on. I guess I need to get better about the hats. Sigh.

>225 thornton37814: Sorry to hear about the headache, Lori. It sounds like a migraine? I don't get those but I know they can be absolutely debilitating. "When I got home, I mainly petted cats." Well, that is a good thing. I miss being able to pet cats when my stress is high or I don't feel well. I hope you're able to find time to read in this coming week. Even with a "fast" read, one has to have the time and concentration to actually read it!

>227 lauralkeet: Yes, I agree, Laura. The genre doesn't really lend itself to 4- and certainly not 4.5-star ratings. Like you, 3.5 stars is a good indication that the series is enjoyable and worth continuing with. Last night I started Red Bones, the third in the Jimmy Perez / Shetland series.

>228 ChelleBearss: I impulsively bought the first six in the Viveca Sten series when they were on kindle sale, Chelle. P read right through them (our kindles share content) and now I have them to look forward to!

I meant to tell this group that I have placed the first Harry Potter book on hold at the library. I read it a long, long time ago but didn't pursue the series. I think it was partly the hype and partly my personal snobbishness about dedicating so much time to a YA series (just telling the truth here). But a conversation with an important person in my life last week in Seattle nudged me to give it a try. We were talking about the challenges of my current life situation, my efforts to find meaning and balance in the work and my life when I don't feel "at home" here, and how to sustain my usually incorrigible optimism in the face of the current national and global situation. She recommended Harry Potter as a reading antidote to despair.

I looked at the series at the bookstore. There were three different Scholastic covers to choose from and I couldn't decide. So I just put the first one on hold as an eBook at the library.

Do folks have a preferred cover series? I kind of liked this one but they didn't have the first in stock (only the next six):

>229 EBT1002: on the subject of smart (or not) TVs, and your "separate box" to access Netflix. I agree with Karen's initial point that if you used a SmartTV (or a streaming device, more on that below), you'd have a better experience than you get from connecting your computer to the TV.

Depending on what your "separate box" is, you might be able to use it to access other streaming services. We use AppleTV, and download apps to it (just like phone apps). Each streaming service has its own app (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Britbox, Hulu, YouTube, you name it). We actually recently switched over to this entirely (no more cable). SmartTVs work in a similar fashion, and there are other gadgets that compete with AppleTV, like Roku or Chromecast.

>235 EBT1002: She recommended Harry Potter as a reading antidote to despair.

Ooh, what a great idea!

Grr, LT won't let me edit the above to add another image.
Here is the cover in that same series with black and white art. Not sure about the apparent snake's prominence in these....

>236 lauralkeet: I think we have Chromecast but we're not very smart about how to use it. And we're not paying for a streaming service other than the fact that I'm an AP member (which I use for free shipping). Our 34-year-old nephew helped us set it up. Maybe we need to just start all over again..... Maybe we need a new television! Ha.

>237 lauralkeet: Oh good, I'm glad her suggestion resonates. I know I'm in the minority in not having embraced HP. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the number one book in popularity here on LT.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Time to get ready for work! Maybe tonight I'll start a new thread.

Hi Ellen - just chiming in on Subaru love! I've had them for years and just gave my last one (180,000 miles and 11 years old) to my Brooklyn son who parks it on the street every night. In its place I got a hybrid Subaru Crosstrek and absolutely love it (especially the part about getting 52 mpg!)

I'm another Harry Potter fan: I read all seven out loud three separate times (4th kid was and still is a HP snob and refuses to be sucked in) and would do it again!

Hi Ellen!

We have an Amazon Firestick that serves the same purpose as a Roku, mentioned by Laura. They are super easy to use and set-up, and not having to connect the laptop is a big advantage.

I didn't read Harry Potter until several years ago (2014 maybe?) when I went through the whole series. It was enjoyable, but I didn't become a huge fan like so many people. I thought maybe it was because I was older and didn't experience them with kids, so I'll be interested in how they land on you.

We are starting to think about a new car, and the Outback is on the list. I like SUVs, and The Wayne doesn't, so it seems like it might be a good compromise...

My husband has only recently given in to our daughter and me, and begun reading the Harry Potter books. He became hooked pretty quickly, went through the first 3 back to back and is now into the fourth one. I'll tell you what we told him (and you've probably heard it elsewhere)...they get "older", they get better, they get darker. The wizarding world definitely is a great place to escape to. I hope it works that way for you.

>241 katiekrug: I've had two Outbacks, Katie, and loved 'em. I never thought of them as SUVs...just a very reliable, safe and convenient vehicle which was also fun to drive (that being a function of the manual transmission for me, so take it with a grain of salt).

>242 laytonwoman3rd: - Indeed, Linda. They aren't SUVs, but they are a bit bigger than "regular" cars (or at least seem so), and would be a compromise between what I want and want TW wants.

And Ellen - Linda is right about the HP books getting more "grown up" as they go on. Of course, that means there is more teen angst, especially in one in particular (can't remember which), and I have little patience for that which might have colored the rest of the series for me.

>226 EBT1002: So when are we planning the LT meetup on Sandhamn?

I read the first Harry Potter a few years ago; they became popular when my kids were older, so my son read them on his own, while my daughter has never read any of the books or seen any of the movies and has no interest in them. I could see the attraction in the first book but never felt any urge to read on. Too many books...

>199 EBT1002: I agree Ellen that Bringing Up the Bodies does get unfairly overlooked in comparison to Wolf Hall as there was not much between the two books quality wise. I still think her best book is A Place of Greater Safety.

>240 vivians: I have been like your 4th kid, Vivian, but I'm willing to give HP a go, see if it does serve as a reading antidote to despair.

>241 katiekrug: Hmm, okay, Amazon Firestick. I'll do some research.

I'm guessing I won't be an HP aficionado like many people, but I'm at least willing to give the series a go, see if I enjoy it.

>242 laytonwoman3rd: I have indeed heard that about the series, Linda. I wonder how that developmental trajectory will affect my quest for a reading antidote to despair.

I'm a super fan of Subarus. We loved our Forester and then our Outback. I switched to a Honda CR-V for my most recent car purchase but I might go back to a Subaru next time around.

>243 katiekrug: I think the Outback is a very hip and t-u-f-f station wagon, but you might not want to tell The Wayne that. We loved ours but we loved the Forester more. I guess the Forester is too much an SUV for TW. Both are great vehicles!

>244 thornton37814: I think summer is the time to go, Lori! But it does seem like one of those quaint and picturesque locations in which a lot of murders occur. You know, like Cabot Cove. ;-)

>245 BLBera: That has been my experience exactly, Beth. I understood the appeal after reading the first HP but didn't feel any compulsion to proceed with the series. Too many books. But I'm going to give it a go based on this person's comments and recommendation for anti-despair self-care. We'll see how it goes.

>246 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I haven't read A Place of Greater Safety but I'll add it to my list. I've looked at it many times.

>248 EBT1002: Yes. I suppose we'd be fools to go, since "A Murder Is Announced" is a foregone conclusion. Perhaps we can turn Thomas' investigation into a cozy affair with all of us amateur sleuths on hand to interfere.

>229 EBT1002: Exactly like "Tar-zhé".

>235 EBT1002: The important person in your life in Seattle is a wise woman. Harry Potter is exactly, as she puts it, a reading antidote to despair, although I've never thought of it in that light before.

I have the Scholastic hardcovers, but went on a BookMooch binge many years ago and acquired some Bloomsbury childrens’ covers, one Bloomsbury adult cover, and a Canadian Raincoast edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I also have the Jim Dale audiobooks and listen to them every several years. There are also the Stephen Fry audiobooks, and those who've listened to both or at least excerpts from both have strong opinions on which is preferable.

>238 EBT1002: Not sure about the apparent snake's prominence in these.... Ah, an innocent! You’re in for a real treat if you continue the series.

>247 EBT1002: I wonder how that developmental trajectory will affect my quest for a reading antidote to despair. The series does get darker and darker, but IMO a lot of what makes it good is what would help you through this job/world/despair thing. Don’t want to say too much, but see where it takes you.

My wife's comfort reading is Harry Potter. She got each title on the pub date and raced through it. We went to see each movie as it was released. When the final book arrived and my wife started reading it, I knuckled under and started reading the first book. And just kept reading through the entire series. I haven't gone back to the series, but Judi goes back again and again, usually reading a random title rather than binging on the whole set.

Yeah, getcha a Sube. Best all wheel drive system on the road. We're on our fourth, a 2014 Forester. We had a pre-Legacy model from the '80s, then an early Legacy, then a '01 Legacy inherited from Son the Elder (and passed on to Son the Younger). Now the Forester. I think I'll wear out as a driver before the Sube does as the driven.

Oh, my, all the Subaru love here is so inspiring. I'm trying to hold steady with finding my Forester (2006), at 150,000 miles, as "good enough" for a retired school teacher with a small, elderly dog. I do admit I'm very impressed with how easy it is to drive the Outback (2020) especially with the back-up camera.

I liked, but did not love, the Harry Potter series. Watched a couple of the movies but not motivated to do much more than that! My newest book results from my having bought tickets to the arts lectures in Seattle - Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope. I read a little in it last night after listening to election results from New Hampshire. Very timely and very important book, I think.

Well, crap.

It's a "basal cell carcinoma with some squamous cell carcinoma features." The latter part is more concerning than the former.
I will be having minor surgery in the next few weeks.

Not life threatening but still.

Eff. U. See. Kay.

I'm sorry the result was not what you hoped, Ellen. But not life-threatening is good! Just keep repeating that... (Easily said, I know. I'm a freaker-outer....)

Take care.

>254 EBT1002: {{{Ellen}}}

Not news one ever wants to get, but so much better to get *now* not later.

>245 BLBera: oh not good to need that Ellen. I hope you can get the surgery soon. Oommms and beams.

>254 EBT1002: Sorry to hear that Ellen. Hope you don’t have to wait too long for the surgery.

I'm so sorry it wasn't the news that you were hoping for, but very glad you're getting it sorted so quickly.

{{Ellen}}

Lots of good vibes for a quick and easy-gotten rid of next few weeks.

I'm sorry to hear about test results, but I'm sure surgery will have you right as rain in no time.

Eff. U. See. Kay. for sure

I'm glad your dermatologist spied it.

Concerning, unpleasant, not at all something to look forward to. But hopefully easily fixed. Most of my outdoor friends that are my age have sported the little bandages from time to time. I'm sure my time will also come.

Although I think a month off from work should be required. Maybe two months.

And to rub it it: I found a copy of Tracks at the free book kiosk in the library today. ----- How odd! If I add the touchstone, the name of the book isn't hidden.

Well best that they were able to find it early Ellen. I had two spots of basal cell carcinoma removed from my face about fifteen years ago. MOHS surgery for one of them. I'm sure they'll remove yours and you'll go right on. Fingers crossed anyway.

I'm sorry about the news, Ellen, glad that your dermatologist detected it, and hope that the surgery is soon and 100% successful in removing the cells.

Maybe you can use this as an excuse to try a "punky" hairstyle? I guess I'd just try to be grateful that the dermatologist spotted it, as it was clearly trying to hide out in the "foliage". Good luck with the surgery.

Good news it was found! Bad news it is not benign. Minor surgery, is minor. It is one of those damned good news/bad news days.

I'm sorry. I hope you will do your best to not worry too much over this.

>250 thornton37814: I'm in for that, Lori! Love it!

>251 karenmarie: You're a true HP fan, I can tell, Karen. And your comment about my innocence.... have I mentioned that I have a bit of a snake phobia???

I love your input about the increasing darkness actually be part of the antidote quality. I do look forward to the journey/adventure!

>252 weird_O: Hi Bill. I love that story about HP as comfort reading. I am hoping it will land that way for me, although probably more like you than like Judi. That is, I hope the series captures my attention but I only "plan" to read it once.

Lots of Subaru love!

>253 maggie1944: Hold firm, Karen. You'll know when it's time for that new Subaru. And how is that little elderly dog, anyway? xo

Katie, Richard, Caroline, Rhian, Charlotte, Shelley, Laura, Janet, Bonnie, Karen, Linda, and Karen -- thanks for all the support and encouragement. I will be having Moh's surgery on March 2. I'm optimistic and, to be honest, looking forward to taking that whole week off. I can find a silver lining in almost any situation. :-)
I do think it will be fine, mostly I want to get it over with at this point. I am indeed very grateful we found it early.

>262 streamsong: I went ahead and ordered a paperback copy of Tracks from the evil amazon empire, Janet. I'm looking forward to rereading it in March! And now I'll have lots of reading time that first week of the month.