Laura (lauralkeet)'s 75 in 2021 - Part 6

Woody chilling on the cool stone kitchen floor | Alys thinking evil thoughts



Midnight, Aug 2002 - Apr 2021



Welcome to my thread! I'm Laura, late 50s, retired. My husband Chris and I recently moved from Philadelphia to northern Virginia. Our daughters, Kate and Julia, live in Brooklyn. 2021 is my thirteenth year in the 75 Book Challenge Group. Where has the time gone?!

Reading has always been an important part of my life, but it saved my sanity in 2020. I made a nice dent in the tbrs on my shelves, but also read a fair amount of contemporary, recently-published stuff. More of the same this year, I think, along with a group read now and then. And of course I’ll keep plugging away at various series, and stay current with new series releases.

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

My 2021 threads can be found here:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Books completed
September
48. Force of Nature - comments here
49. A Town Called Solace - comments here
50. Happy Returns - comments here
51. Bodies of Light - comments here
52. Passing - comments here
53. The Madness of Crowds - comments here

October
54. Still Life - comments here
55. The Sweetness of Water - comments here
56. Beautiful World, Where are You? - comments here
57. The Painted Drum - comments here

Series Progress

Active series as of October 1:

A snapshot of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2021:
* Harbinder Kaur, by Elly Griffiths (June 2021)
* Sandhamn Murders, by Viveca Sten (June 2021)
* Ruth Galloway, by Elly Griffiths (July 2021)
* Inspector Gamache, by Louise Penny (September 2021)

Series started in 2021:
* Harbinder Kaur, by Elly Griffiths
* Darktown, by Thomas Mullen
* Kate Burkholder, by Linda Castillo
* Lord Peter Wimsey, by Dorothy Sayers

Series abandoned in 2021:
* Darktown, by Thomas Mullen

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Toni Morrison Catch Up Project
Inspired by a course I took last year, I started a project to read (or re-read) all of Toni Morrison’s novels in order of publication. Below is a list of Morrison’s novels, with those I have yet to read in bold. Some of these will be re-reads.

The Bluest Eye, 1970 (read June 2020)
Sula, 1973 (read July 2020)
Song of Solomon, 1977 (read August 2020)
Tar Baby, 1981 (read October 2020)
Beloved, 1987 (read Jan 2020, this was a re-read)
Jazz, 1992 (read January 2021)
Paradise, 1997 (read February 2021)
Love, 2003 (read March 2021)
A Mercy, 2008 (read May 2021)
Home, 2012 (read June 2021)
God Help the Child, 2015

Currently Reading




The Age of Innocence

On Deck



Oh William! | Any Human Heart

Happy new thread, Laura!

Happy new thread and happy new month! Hard to believe it's September. I love Jane Harper and am eagerly awaiting her next one. The Survivors was really good.

Happy new one, Laura! I just finished catching up with you in time for your newest thread. I was very sorry to read about Woody - hoping the meds can keep him comfy.

Lovely furry friend pics. Yup, definitely evil thoughts there Laura.

My plan is to save A Town Called Solace for my holiday mid month.

Nice shelter here from Ida's rain. A lull just now, but I'm on the line between 4-6 inches and 6-8 inches. Glad I'm at the top of the ridge. Stay dry.

Happy new thread, Laura!

Force of Nature was my first Jane Harper, and it was a doozy.

>4 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! You win the prize for being first. What's the prize? I'm afraid it's just the ability to take pride in your lightning fast response. You're welcome.

>5 vivians: That's good to know, Vivian. I'm making up for lost time with Jane Harper.

>6 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, thanks for the well wishes for Woody. He's doing really well on his exotic Chinese herbal medicine. It *might* be keeping the worst at bay, but at a minimum it's helping him live in comfort. Such a sweet boy.

>7 Caroline_McElwee: I'm looking forward to A Town Called Solace, Caro. And I will eagerly await your thoughts on it as well.

>8 weird_O: Hi Bill, we're getting an Ida-induced drenching today as well. Our patch of Northern Virginia is on the eastern border of a band moving your way. It's been raining on and off all day and coming down somewhat heavier now, but only 1-2" total precipitation is forecast. Tomorrow should be sunny, and cooler temps will prevail for the next week -- hurray!

>9 karenmarie: That's good to hear, Karen. I read the first Aaron Falk book, The Dry, four years ago and then lost track of Jane Harper. There's only two books in the "series" so I'm not going to bother adding it to my series tracker spreadsheet. But as with Sarah Moss, I want to catch up on Harper's books.

Happy new thread, Laura. From your last thread, you had a GREAT month of reading in August. May it continue.

The county library system has restarted their monthly book clubs. "My" branch has two meeting in September. One is a memoir, Still Life with Chickens, and the other is ... wait for it ... the first Ruth Galloway novel, The Crossing Places !! Could the RG Fan Club be expanding into Northern Virginia?

I was actually a bit surprised to see this selection since the book was published way back in something like 2010. But perhaps the person responsible is a Ruth Galloway fan/evangelist? I must investigate. Or at least ask my "library boss" about it at the next opportunity.

>11 BLBera: Thanks Beth!!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Laura!

Happy New Thread, Laura! Woody’s looking good up there.

Oh, I hope you enjoy the Ruth Galloway book. I’m one of the hopelessly hooked 75ers.

>14 drneutron:, >15 katiekrug: Thanks Jim & Katie!

>16 jnwelch: Hey there Joe. Woody says thank you. 😃 And I am also hopelessly hooked on Ruth Galloway, having read all of the books including the latest. I was just surprised to see the series as a library book club event. I didn't realize it was that well-known, I guess.

Thanks again for your copy of Night Waking. It's a five star read for me - I absolutely loved it.

Happy new thread.

>18 vivians: Excellent! I'm so glad.

>19 quondame: thanks!

Happy new thread, Laura!

>8 weird_O: Bill, our neighborhood took a beating from the storm. Many of the units have flooded basements. Mine is dry, but I fear the attic took a beating. I'll go up there and check tomorrow when my granddaughter is here to pull the steps down. Hopefully, we won't have water crashing on our heads.

Happy new thread Laura! I had time away from the internet recently and your last thread got so big that I never caught up! It's good to be back. I hope all is well with you.

>21 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul!

>22 Whisper1: Hello Linda, I'm glad your basement is dry and hope you find the attic is okay too when you are able to check it out.

>23 Sakerfalcon: Welcome back Claire! I'm always glad to have visitors but don't expect people to be completely riveted on this thread. I don't think you missed much. I read some books. See, now you're up to date. LOL.

Sweet Thursday, Laura. Happy New thread! I love the furry toppers. Good looking bunch. Glad to hear you are getting ready to read the Lawson. That is on my agenda too.

>25 msf59: Hi Mark! Yep, the Lawson is next up for me and I'm looking forward to it. I decided to read Jane Harper's Force of Nature first because I noticed there's a hold request for that one, and not for A Town Called Solace. So I thought I'd be nice and shorten someone's wait for Force of Nature.

Sorry you're in an area with storm damage and hope your attic is Ok. Quite the year we're all having, isn't it?

>27 RebaRelishesReading: We're fine Reba, and feeling fortunate that we had a risky tree removed just last week. It was Linda (>22 Whisper1:) who was worried about her attic. But yes, it has been quite the year.

>28 lauralkeet: Oh dear -- sorry about that mix up but glad your attic is OK. We're surrounded by huge trees so I can well imagine you're glad you had a risky one removed!

>29 RebaRelishesReading: Definitely!

Just beginning to look around to see how we did. Hearing from my kids. Water in basements seems to be it. The Grand Helen had classes cancelled because subways and basements are flooded in NYC. I actually got pretty absorbed in America, America by Ethan Canin. Coming of age, national politics, scandal, etc.

Good to hear that most of my digital friends are safe.

I skimmed this and the previous thread quickly to see if you were okay. Lots of hurricane disasters in the news. My elder daughter in RI is ok. Her apartment up on College Hill, (I think it is called) so above the flood-prone areas.

Started a new thread for September now that I'm back. Am voraciously reading The Goblin Emperor while I mind the stewing down of ripe tomatoes (and catching up on LT). We're getting close to frost, so soon all the green ones will need to be brought in to ripen.

Glad to hear that you escaped damage, Laura.

>32 SandyAMcPherson: - I'm from RI too, but down closer to the coast (and yes - it is called College Hill) We had a little water in one corner of the basement. There was a lot of rain but luckily all during the night so not too many people on the roads. We've only been in our current home for 4 years so we weren't sure if we'd get water or not. Hubby will commence a repair project to prevent this in the future.

Bill, Sandy, Beth & Betty ... thank you for checking in. As you can see, we are fine here. My daughters live in Brooklyn, and I was more than a bit concerned when I woke to a barrage of NYTimes news alerts about the situation in NYC. But they are fine too -- no flooding or apartment damage and since they both work remotely they weren't affected by the subway closures.

Did you see photos of Vine Street in Philly? It filled with water, right up to the undersides of the many bridges across it. The pump that pulls water out of the sunken roadway failed, overwhelmed maybe, so draining this new canal will be a challenge.

>36 weird_O: Yes Bill, I did see that. Pretty wild. I was trying to figure out how it happened, like why on that highway vs. anywhere else. What you've said about the pump kind of explains it. Probably just more of the aging infrastructure Philly is "known" for.

Hi Laura!

>24 lauralkeet: I'm always glad to have visitors but don't expect people to be completely riveted on this thread. I don't think you missed much. I read some books. See, now you're up to date. LOL. You are a hoot.

>24 lauralkeet: " I read some books. See, now you're up to date."

Yup, that's about the extent of my thread these days, too. At least I'm reading a few pages every night now but often too tired, even though the books have been pretty decent.

>38 karenmarie: I'm glad I made you chuckle, Karen. Happy Saturday!

>39 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy. I've been in a pretty good reading groove of late myself, both pace and quality. But honestly, pace doesn't matter much to me and I'll choose quality every time. I hope your books continue treating you well.

48. Force of Nature ()
Source: Library loan

One Friday night, eight colleagues head into the Australian bush on a corporate team-building event. The men follow one route, the women another. On Sunday, the women return much later than scheduled, and one of them is missing. The police are called, and search and rescue teams begin their work. The missing woman, Alice Russell, is a key figure in a money laundering investigation led by Aaron Falk, and had left a faint and garbled voice mail for Aaron over the weekend. Falk realizes he may have been the last person to hear from Alice, and joins the search effort along with his partner Carmen Cooper.

The women lost the trail on the second day, which caused them to miss the depot where they could replenish supplies. They had been required to surrender their phones before departure; Alice secretly held on to hers but it didn’t matter, there was no signal to be found. On their own with no way to get help, tensions escalated as their resources dwindled. The women told police that Alice simply walked away from their campsite during the night, and was not seen again. Was she a victim of an accident, or foul play? Was someone from her own group out to get her because she knew too much about the money laundering? It seems like every member of the group is a bit shifty and a possible suspect.

Investigators have little to go on other than interviews, but readers are privy to a day-by-day narrative of the women’s trek and power dynamics at play in the group. Suspense builds as this narrative and the investigation converge, leading to a resolution that had been just out of reach but, once revealed, made complete sense.

>41 lauralkeet: It's good to know you liked that one, Laura. I read The Dry (courtesy of a mutual LT friend) a couple years ago, and was inclined to continue the series. Must check the public library catalog.

>42 laytonwoman3rd: apparently it's only a 2-book series, Linda, which is too bad because I like the Aaron Falk character. There are some allusions to The Dry in this book but I read it so long ago that details are lost. I didn't fully understand those references but they weren't central to the plot in Force of Nature.

Jane Harper has published two other novels, The Lost Man and The Survivors, which I will probably read.

Hi Laur,
Did you read The Goblin Emperor?
I finished this story today and really enjoyed it. Posted a review right away 'cause to my surprise, when I looked at Overdrive, I saw that I could borrow The Witness for the Dead (Book 2). I would probably mix the stories up if I tried to review them both at a later date.

It was hot today in our part of town ~ Went to 30 oC! I had to turn the thermostat setting back to 'cool' because we oven-roasted a chicken. Kind of scary how much drought we're experiencing.

>44 SandyAMcPherson: No chance of mixing up the two.

>42 laytonwoman3rd: Force of nature sounds great. I haven't read The dry (although I own it) but it sounds like I don't need to.

>24 lauralkeet: Glad all is well!

>44 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks for the recommendation, Sandy. I'm not looking to add another series right now, but I'll keep it in mind. I definitely need to get back to Sebastian St Cyr soon.

>45 quondame: Hi Susan!

>46 Sakerfalcon: Hey Claire, I think you should read both books in order so you can fill in the gaps in my memory. LOL, just kidding! Nice to see you again!

Stopping by -- A little envious that your library reading group is going ahead. My group (associated with a bookstore) has backed off again. Frustrating as we chose The Warmth of Other Suns and I was looking forward to the discussion.

>48 sibylline: I was surprised to see the book groups too, Lucy. They do require masks inside the library, so maybe that is how they justified it.

Hi Laura. I'm going to nudge my way in and take at least partial credit (*wink*) for Migrations recommendation (your prior thread). It was a 5-star read for me.

I read and enjoyed The Survivors by Jane Harper. I'll add The Lost Man and Force of Nature to my wish list.

I loved the images of all the beautiful libraries on your prior thread and congrats on being a library volunteer now! That is certainly on my list of things to do after I retire!

>50 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! Thanks so much for visiting! You can also take partial credit for A Town Called Solace, which I just finished and am now sitting hear all teary-eyed. I remember you mentioning the cat, who was a sweet character in his own right but I especially loved the way Mary Lawson wove him into the story, especially at the end. There were a number of tear-inducing scenes and yet for some reason that one really got to me.

49. A Town Called Solace ()
Source: Library loan

What a lovely novel this is! Seven year old Clara’s older sister Rose has run away from home, and her parents are too distracted to pay any attention to Clara or explain what is going on. Clara has been feeding the cat for her elderly next-door neighbor Elizabeth, who had to go into hospital. Clara’s companionship with Moses the cat is about the only bright spot in her day. And then one day a man drives up to Elizabeth’s house, unloads a few boxes, and appears to make himself at home. What is going on? Clara monitors his activity and visits Moses when the man is not at home. Meanwhile the man, Liam, is dealing with issues of his own including a failed marriage and career.

Clara, Liam, and Elizabeth each narrate chapters in a rotating fashion, gradually building out a story of love and loss. While it’s not obvious to Clara, the reader knows almost immediately that Elizabeth has passed away and left her house and some money to Liam. Elizabeth’s chapters provide a portrait of a woman who knows her life is coming to an end, while also explaining Liam’s important role in that life. Liam’s chapters deal with his attempt to put his life back together after recent losses. And Clara, through her love for Elizabeth and emotional ownership of Elizabeth’s house and cat, is the glue that holds the story together. Each person’s story is interesting and emotional, and taken together the whole is truly greater than the sum of the parts.

>52 lauralkeet: Wasn’t it lovely? Broke my reader heart, in the best ways possible. Mary Lawson does not disappoint. (But I still like Crow Lake best)

>53 raidergirl3: Broke my reader heart, in the best ways possible.
Well said! I choked up umpteen times during this book, even at the very end, when Moses finally came out of hiding.

Whoa you don't often rate a book higher than me but how great is that Laura. Yay!

>53 raidergirl3: I agree. She never disappoints but my favorite is still either Road Ends or The Other Side of the Bridge but anything she writes is excellent.

>55 brenzi: I haven't had many 5-star reads this year, Bonnie, but A Town Called Solace affected me in just the right way. And now I realize that I somehow missed Road Ends, so I've added it to the "read soon" list on my library account.

Morning, Laura. I hope you had a nice holiday weekend. I definitely did- plenty of birding, biking and socializing with friends, along with a fair amount of book time. Need you ask for more? I just skimmed the Lawson review. 5 stars is good enough. I have requested the book.

>57 msf59: Hi Mark, I was just posting on your thread! I am sure you'll like A Town Called Solace. Our holiday weekend was pretty low key, but this coming weekend we're meeting up with our daughters and their SOs at an Airbnb near Hudson, NY (just outside NYC). It will be really nice to see them!

I am sure you will have a great time visiting your daughters. Enjoy, my friend.

>45 quondame: >47 lauralkeet: I am far enough into The Witness for the Dead to realize how different the story is to The Goblin Emperor. I would definitely not call this a 'series' according to my concept of a series.

So I agree completely, Susan, "No chance of mixing up the two".

>52 lauralkeet: Got me with a BB there, Laura. It's on the wish list.

>59 msf59: Thanks Mark!

>60 SandyAMcPherson: Hope you're enjoying it, Sandy.

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Hurray! I'm pretty confident you'll enjoy it, Reba.

Hi Laura! Also WLing A Town Called Solace. : ) Glad to hear you and yours are fine after the flooding. Whew.

>63 Berly: Hi Kim! I'm delighted to see A Town Called Solace landing on so many wish lists. And yes, we were spared any flooding, thank goodness.

I see there's already a long list for A town Called Solace in our library system.

I'm not surprised, Betty.

oops, duplicate post!

I placed a hold on A Town Called Solace. I’m number 11, but I think they have several copies. I’ve been on hold forever for Unsettled Ground, and I’m number 11 with that one too. With my luck, I’ll get both at the same time.

>62 lauralkeet: I did enjoy the book, Laura (The Witness for the Dead in case this post is far removed from the original chatter).
Reviewed it on my thread and posted on the book page. I had a few niggles and whined about there not being enough Maia, but it is a dandy murder mystery, hey?

I'm going to have to move A town called Solace up my tbr pile. I was lucky enough to snag it in a kindle deal. I loved Crow lake but haven't read any of Lawson's other books.

>68 NanaCC: Colleen, I guess I was lucky. I did not have to wait long for A Town Called Solace -- a couple people, maybe? I was surprised since it was long listed for the Booker Prize. That usually generates demand.

>69 SandyAMcPherson: Glad it was a good one, Sandy.

>70 Sakerfalcon: Good catch on that Kindle deal, Claire. I hope you enjoy it, but if you loved Crow Lake I feel pretty confident you'll like this one too.

I can't wait to read A Town Called Solace; so many great comments.

>72 BLBera: You'll love it, Beth.

Many people whose reading tastes match mine tell me this, so I think you are probably right. Also, I did like her other books.

Well, we will soon be off to the Hudson, NY area. Kate, Julia, and their menfolk will join us this evening, an we'll be away through Sunday. The Airbnb has wifi but I expect to be online less than normal. I'm bringing Angela Thirkell's Happy Returns with me, although I'm having trouble getting fully immersed in it. I have my Kindle as backup. 😀 To be honest, my reading time will be limited, but I can't imagine being without a book!

Hudson, NY! That area is where I grew up. Bit of a haul for you guys from Virginia... Have fun!

Safe travels and have a wonderful trip, Laura! Are the dogs going on vacation with you?

Happy Friday, Laura! Have a safe and lovely trip.

Safe travels, Laura. It sounds like you will have a fun weekend.

Hi Laura!

>75 lauralkeet: Have a wonderful trip. To be honest, my reading time will be limited, but I can't imagine being without a book! Or two, or ten… or a Kindle.

Safe travels and happy holidaying and family gathering.

Hi Laura.

>52 lauralkeet: Oh good, I'm so glad you also loved A Town Called Solace. It is a favorite for this year. I mean, Moses the cat is such a great character (along with all the human characters).

I hope your trip is being fun!

Hello Katie, Amber, Mark, Beth, Karen, Caro, & Ellen! Thanks for keeping my thread warm while I was away this weekend.



left to right: me, Chris, Kate, Tyler, Julia, Noah

We had a nice family get-together in the Hudson valley. Yes, we did bring the dogs, which was all is all the more important given Woody's condition. The dogs were great travelers and behaved perfectly in the Airbnb.

.

.

The Airbnb was a 1772 farmhouse, sort of like a bungalow. There were two sitting rooms, a great room, and a kitchen on the ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs. There were several very pretty small garden spaces. That wooden bridge is behind the house, and takes you across a creek into a meadow with a meandering path. The veg garden is to the side, as are the chickens. There's also a patio area with container plants and a picnic table. We were able to enjoy fresh eggs from the henhouse just about every morning (one morning we had some excellent pastries from a local bakery instead). We spent a lot of time just hanging out together, and on Saturday enjoyed a stroll, shopping, and food in the town of Hudson. We arrived home Sunday evening. It was a long-ish drive but worth it for the family time.

Reading time was scarce, but will be back to normal as of today.

Oh, wow, that place looks lovely! And what a great photo of all of you! It sounds like you had a wonderful time - yay!!

>83 lauralkeet: Oh, that looks lovely. I'd love to have a getaway at a place like that.

I don't think I've seen your daughters before - they both look just like you!

Such a great family photo! (Including your gorgeous knitted top!) The place looks lovely, so glad you enjoyed the weekend. My oldest son got married at a beautiful venue in Hudson 3 years ago (they're the ones who already have 3 kids!) and we all loved the town.

>84 scaifea: Thanks Amber, we did have a very nice time together. And I like these opportunities to get to know the menfolk better, too. Kate and Tyler have been together for three years, and he spent a few weeks with us during the pandemic last year, so we know him pretty well already. Julia and Noah just marked one year as a couple, and we met him back in May. Both guys are pretty wonderful, and very easy to be with.

>85 PawsforThought: It's genetics in action, Paws! Closer scrutiny would tell you that both Chris and I made contributions to their appearance; for example Kate has Chris' eyes and Julia has mine. But looking at that photo, I see what you mean.

>86 vivians: Thanks Vivian (about the photo and the knitted top)! Hudson is a really cute town. Our Airbnb was a few miles away in Claverack, in a much more rural setting. Kate has been to Hudson several times so she was eager to introduce us to some of her favorite shops and restaurants.

>83 lauralkeet: Love the photo! Great looking bunch. Glad you had a good time. The farmhouse sure looks neat.

>83 lauralkeet: - Thanks for sharing the photos, Laura!

If you (or Kate) ever find yourself in the area again, a mere 20-minute drive from Claverack is Hillsdale, NY and the wonderful Rodgers Book Barn - way out in the woods, down a twisty, narrow road... http://www.rodgersbookbarn.com/

Great family photo and that Air B&B looks amazing! Glad you had such a nice time :)

>89 katiekrug: What a neat place!

>88 msf59: thanks Mark!

>89 katiekrug: ooh, good to know Katie! I'll have to see if Kate is already aware of this treasure trove.

>90 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba!

>91 laytonwoman3rd: It looks great doesn't it, Linda?

>83 lauralkeet: Beautiful picture, Laura! That looks like a great spot.

>87 lauralkeet: I know what it’s like. I can point out exactly what parts of me I’ve inherited from mum and which are from dad. It’s like someone literally copy-pasted my genetic material (which is kind of what happened, of course, but it’s not always so obvious).

>83 lauralkeet: Whoohoo! A Family Get-Together! So glad you had a nice time and got to see everyone. And in a nice spot, too.

>83 lauralkeet: - What a great family! And what a great place to stay.

>93 brenzi:, >95 Berly:, >96 dudes22: Thanks Bonnie, Kim, and Betty. It was a really nice weekend.

>94 PawsforThought: Exactly, Paws.

When we moved earlier this year I mentioned that we wanted to make the living room a library/reading room. The living room has a couple of built-in bookshelves but we needed more space for books (because of course we did). We've had several boxes of stacked in our dining room for months. Until now.

.

Above: standing in center of living room directly facing each side
Below: standing at front entrance, angled shot of each side

.

There are three new bookcases. One is to the right of the fireplace (top left pic). There's a bookcase+cabinet (top right pic), and one more bookcase (bottom right pic). The brown chairs seen in the top left pic will move to another room when other furniture we've ordered is finally delivered (ETA November). That "window" in the lower right pic is filled with mirror glass (the kitchen runs along the other side of that wall).

We are in desperate need of lamps for this room but right now it's a great place to sit and read in the daytime.

Ooh, looks very nice, Laura! I like the colour on the walls - fits really well with a library and reading room (it's a calm colour). And those brown leather chairs (the ones you're moving elsewhere) are exactly the kind of chair I've been looking for myself! I want one as a reading chair in my bedroom.

Oh, nice! We're debating making a reading space/study in our current dining room as we never use it for its intended purpose. 😀

Hi Laura!

>83 lauralkeet: Wonderful photos. So nice to see you all together and glad you had such a good time. Thanks for labeling the pic, too. What a beautiful farmhouse/bungalow. From 1772, too. Quite nice.

>98 lauralkeet: Ah, books and bookcases. Always one of my favorite things to look at. I look forward to seeing the final product – new furniture and lamps – in November (🤞)

>91 laytonwoman3rd: and >92 lauralkeet: - It's a very cool little place. I grew up about 10 miles south of Hillsdale, and then when I was a junior in college, my parents moved north, onto the same road as Rodgers. I made several trips there the summer between my junior and senior years...

>98 lauralkeet: - Oooh, thanks for sharing the pics! Did Chris make the shelves/cabinet?

I love all of the pictures, Laura. Really nice.

>98 lauralkeet: Beautiful!! I can imagine it would be heaven to sit in there and read!

>99 PawsforThought: Thanks Paws. The paint was the first change we made to the room (Chris was here painting while I was in Philly with the movers). I'm rather fond of it as well.

>100 drneutron: I get that, Jim. Our "breakfast nook" is best suited to just the two of us so we will use our dining room for family get-togethers and such. But still, the dining room is one of the least-used rooms in the house.

>101 karenmarie: Thanks Karen! Nothing like photos of books and bookshelves to liven up a thread, eh?

>102 katiekrug: Lucky you, Katie! I told Kate about the bookstore 'cause she's likely to return to Hudson sooner than I will. And no, Chris didn't make these bookcases. We left the handmade ones behind in Philly (they were customized to the space), although we have a couple freestanding bookcases in another room that he made a few years ago. The "make or buy" decision took some time as he is rather ... erm ... particular about what he wants and dithered over whether he would be better off making them. Never mind that he doesn't really have a shop set up here (yet) ...

>103 NanaCC: Thanks Colleen!

>104 RebaRelishesReading: and thank you, too, Reba! We've already enjoyed a few reading sessions accompanied by cups of tea or coffee, and expect there will be more in the winter so I'm glad we've been able to make so much progress.

Hi Laura,
Fun thread to page through. I am determined to stop lurking, else peeps will think I'm not interested.
>83 lauralkeet: That BnB place looks so attractive. What a lovely venue to be with family.

>98 lauralkeet: Lordy, 💚 -- I've turned green admiring your space for books and big, comfy club chairs. Our 'mid-century-modern' living space would never be able to accommodate the furniture. We have a lower level area with 8 bookcases and an office space with 4 tall cases. And low shelves elsewhere... semi-works for us but I miss the 3-shelf units we had before we moved. They were long and didn't fit into the space in this house.

Love love love that new space Laura!

Thanks for sharing the pics from your weekend, Laura. You have a beautiful family. I love what you've done to the house!

>98 lauralkeet: What a wonderful room, such a lovely place to read.

>106 SandyAMcPherson: Hi Sandy! It's nice of you to de-lurk to say hello but rest assured I hadn't written you off. You're always welcome, and I also totally understand the need to manage our visiting time.

>107 brenzi:, >108 BLBera:, >109 quondame: Thanks Bonnie, Beth, & Susan!

Oh that reading room is gorgeous, Laura! Wow!!

>98 lauralkeet: What a beautiful library! I foresee many happy hours spent there. It's my dream to have enough shelf space for all my books!

>111 scaifea:, >112 Sakerfalcon: Thanks Amber and Claire. We have enough shelf space for our books FOR NOW. Someday we will be complaining that there's no more room! Such a first world problem.

And today's good news: the furniture delivery we were expecting in October, which was delayed til November, is now scheduled for ... wait for it ... MONDAY. I was so surprised when they called today.

>113 lauralkeet: Oooh, that's a great surprise about the furniture delivery! Which room will that be for?

>98 lauralkeet: What a beautiful home! Of course, I love all the bookshelves. Swoons...

Sweet Thursday, Laura.

>114 scaifea: The new piece will go in the living room, Amber: a moss green velvet sofa (to rival Katie's purple chesterfield LOL). It will go where the two brown leather chairs are in the top left photo up in >98 lauralkeet:.

>115 msf59: Thanks Mark!

---

In the "when it rains it pours" department, not only is the moss green velvet sofa being delivered on Monday, but there are two other things scheduled. We're having another tree removed from the terrace garden because after the recent crown cleaning, it became obvious it wasn't in great shape, and it allows us to start over with two new, smaller trees on each end of the terrace. We're also expecting a second furniture delivery: a table for the Keeping Room. Now, I know you all remember discussion of the Keeping Room back in April-May. But just in case it's slipped your mind (lol):



When you come in the side door you find yourself in the Keeping Room. It's a room, not a foyer, and has a small wood stove. The previous owners used it as an informal sitting room. As you can see, it sits between the master bedroom and the family room (labeled "home office" on the floor plan), and the kitchen is just beyond. The keeping room has a large-ish window looking out onto the terrace. Our breakfast nook has just enough room for a table for two, so we decided to put a larger table next to the keeping room window in that corner by the laundry room & powder room. We'll use it for family meals when we're all together, puzzles, or whatever. There's also enough space to make a cozy sitting area near the wood stove, which is where we think the brown leather chairs will go.

So ... Monday will be a busy day.

I can't wait to see the new furniture - especially the moss green sofa!

I can never get anywhere in yr thread without a a book bullet! Lawson is unknown to me, so will have to check her out!

Your bookcases are superb!

Wow, that *is* a busy day! Exciting, though, too. I can't wait to see the new stuff (if you choose to share pictures, that is - no pressure, of course)!

>117 katiekrug:, >119 scaifea: sure, I can share photos! We've been waiting so long for some of this stuff that I'm pretty excited.

>118 sibylline: Lucy, I've read a few of Lawson's books and they are all very good. I hope you enjoy.

How exciting that your couch is coming early. It's really exciting to have a new house coming together, isn't it? Please do share those photos.

Will do Reba!

>116 lauralkeet: Oh lucky you with your sofas. We ordered new sofas back in April that should have been arriving this month. Unfortunately ‘Brexit’ has intervened and they are now expected in January. Not happy!

>98 lauralkeet: Very nice new bookcases. One thing though. You haven't a sufficiency of books. You know, when you have to add pots and small paintings to fill out the shelves...well...you need to head out to a library book sale to stock up. Remember: Book shelves are for books.

>123 SandDune: We're experiencing long lead times on a lot of furniture items, Rhian. The other day Chris received notification that an item of interest was "back in stock," but estimated delivery was still sometime early next year. That's not what I call "back in stock"!

>124 weird_O: Ha ha Bill you are so right! Although we like to mix a bit of decor into the books, we bought these with room to grow.

Hi Laura. I PM'd for some computer help wrt LT log in.
If I don't answer, it's because I might be locked out via my having a new device and the old one died!

>126 SandyAMcPherson: I just PM'd you back, Sandy. I hope my suggestions are helpful.

>127 lauralkeet: Yup. Worked a treat.
Right now I am sweating it through trying to set up a wireless connection to my new printer (to go with new computer).
What's really frustrating is that one needs to understand all the IT jargon to understand the set up instructions.

I think it is beyond crazy that better videos aren't available on YouTube. The Canon website is pretty lame with "404" errors and lack of accessible documents with the service-supplied urls.

OK. Done ranting (and eating comfort chocolate bars).

Hi Laura!

>116 lauralkeet: Exciting plans. Tree-be-gone and 2 new pieces of furniture. Of course it’s all happening on the same day.

>119 scaifea: Shhh, Amber! Laura, ignore her – I want pictures!

>128 SandyAMcPherson: I have a Canon printer too, Sandy, and agree with you about their website. Please pass the chocolate ...

>129 karenmarie: I'll do my best, Karen!

50. Happy Returns ()
Source: On my shelves

The books in Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire series typically follow a tried and true formula, with two romantic storylines interlaced with other developments in the life of the county. In this book the romantic storylines held my interest but there was little else to keep the inhabitants of Barsetshire occupied, just a series of tea and garden party set pieces. There’s only one reason it would take ten days to finish a novel like this: it was a slog. That is all.

After that less-than satisfying read, I'm treating myself to another Sarah Moss novel: Bodies of Light

Hi Laura: That's the next Moss for me as well. I'm just not sure when I will get to it. My library holds have been coming in fast!

>98 lauralkeet: Very nice!

I liked Bodies of Light a lot. I'm thinking I'll take Night Waking to Yellowstone with me although I have a bit of a backlog of library e-books to go, as well.

>133 BLBera: Bodies of Light is off to a great start, Beth. I understand the library hold situation, though. It can be tough to keep up!

>134 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen! I'm glad to see you liked Bodies of Light. Night Waking was quite good.

>130 lauralkeet: Sure...


My current favourite...

>132 lauralkeet: I keep meaning to add Summerwater to my library hold requests (it's on my WL at the library).

>136 SandyAMcPherson:, >137 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks for the chocolate, Sandy! I hope you enjoy Summerwater, whenever you get to it.

51. Bodies of Light ()
Source: On my shelves

Alethea “Ally” Moberley grows up in an austere Victorian household, the daughter of Alfred, a well-known artist and Elizabeth, whose stern temperament and methods frequently cross the line into abuse. Elizabeth has strong feminist values, working tirelessly in aid of disadvantaged women, and while she has high expectations for Ally and her sister May, she is completely unable to show love or affection. Ally is silently obedient, while May is more likely to test the boundaries set before her.

Ally does well in school, and is encouraged to study medicine and become one of the first women doctors practicing in England. This is a monumental task, since it is not clear whether she will actually be conferred a degree at the end of her studies, let alone care for patients. She is literally forging a new path, and this singular focus coupled with her upbringing makes her socially backward. Still, you can't help admiring her dedication and persistence in overcoming both societal barriers and the effects of her mother’s tyrannical rule.

This novel is a more traditional narrative, compared to the spare, suspenseful prose I have come to expect from Sarah Moss’ work. But the characters are well developed and the story, well told. And finally, the Moberley family features in the “historic” chapters of Moss’ previous novel, Night Waking; I loved reading the back story on events that unfold in that book.

>139 lauralkeet: - Nice review, Laura. I have that one on my shelf.

>139 lauralkeet: I skimmed over your comments, Laura. I've been anxious to read more of the Moberley back story. Maybe this year, if I can resist those library books!

>140 katiekrug: Katie, have you read Night Waking? Bodies of Light can absolutely stand alone, but understanding the connection with Night Waking enriches the reading experience.

>141 BLBera: Beth, I understand the library book "problem." I've had to sit on my hands lately, to keep myself from requesting more books. This is partly because I have a few already in my library queue, and also because I was determined to knock out a few books on my shelves. But I'm finding it very hard to resist temptation.

>142 lauralkeet:, >141 BLBera: yes, those library holds!! I put most new books I'm interested in on hold for a kindle copy at my library. It's great because I'm not paying for them, but I always prioritize them over books on my shelf because of the timed and limited availability. I've tried to be better about suspending holds or delaying checking them out, but inevitably they get read at the expense of other options. Ah well! It's a good problem!

It's a great idea to have a library room. Even with the older furniture, it looks so inviting.

>143 japaul22: You're right Jennifer -- it's a good problem to have. I have a couple of outstanding holds but they are moving slowly, so I will probably cave and request more books soon.

>144 ffortsa: Thanks Judy. You've reminded me that I should take a photo of the new moss green velvet sofa. Watch this space.

*taps fingers, waiting for photo*

Okay, okay!



Presenting: the moss green velvet sofa!
They replace the brown leather chairs in >98 lauralkeet: top left (said chairs have moved to the Keeping Room, where we've agreed they are a good fit so more on that later).

What a beautiful addition to an already gorgeous space! #libraryenvy

>147 lauralkeet: Ultimate cosiness! How lovely.

😍😍😍

Lovely

Hi Micky, Susan, Katie & Judy -- thank you! We're really pleased with the way the living room is shaping up. We had the chimneys cleaned this week so now we can use the fireplace. We're finding ourselves spending more and more time in there when we just want to relax for a bit, or read for a while, which is exactly what we intended.

Morning, Laura. Happy Saturday. Any special activity at those feeders?

>147 lauralkeet: A very cozy room. Is that an empty book shelf??

52. Passing ()
Source: On my Kindle

When I read The Vanishing Half for book club last year, one member recommended Passing as a companion read. Published in 1929, it explores the idea of a black woman passing as white most of her adult life. I can see how this would have been groundbreaking for its time and can appreciate it on that level, but as a novel it fell flat for me. Coming in at just 94 pages, it suffers from lack of character development and a somewhat stilted storyline.

When I'm disappointed by a book I’m supposed to like, I usually turn to LT reviews to see what I missed. In this case, I found a great review from Julia (rosalita), that sums up my feelings exactly. I have nothing further to add, so here’s a link to her review: https://www.librarything.com/review/195892549

Oh, that couch is beautiful!! *sigh* Such a lovely room. Were you ever in the Gambier House (the only B&B in town)? This room reminds me of their sitting room, which was so gorgeous and cozy.

I read Passing way back in college and I can't remember much about it besides not really thinking it was worth the literary hype. *shrug*

I appreciated Passing and think I enjoyed it a bit more than you, but I far preferred the other Larsen novella I’ve read, Quicksand.

>147 lauralkeet: That does look very inviting, Laura. The couch looks like it would be a good napping couch as well.

Moss green sofa is beautiful and looks amazingly comfy. There is little in life better than reading next to the fireplace on a crisp day. Here's wishing you much of that in the coming months.

>155 scaifea: I'm glad I'm not the only one, Amber. I know it's one of those books I should appreciate more because of what it is, and when it was written. But that's all I can muster.

>156 japaul22: I read your review this morning as well, Jennifer, and I thought about linking to it as well because it's a fine review. But I decided you liked the book more than I did, and Julia's review was more representative of my feelings.

>157 BLBera: I agree with you about the napping, Beth. I don't nap often, but when I do, this will be the first place I go!

>158 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. I'm looking forward to it.

>155 scaifea: Amber, I forgot to mention that yes, I stayed at Gambier House once. Such a lovely B&B. Thanks for the compliment.

>147 lauralkeet: Lovely new sofa and what an inviting room Laura.

^I think we may have cross-posted up there Laura. Gorgeous day here in Chicagoland.

>161 brenzi: Thanks Bonnie

>162 msf59: Oops sorry Mark, you're absolutely right about cross-posting. I wouldn't ignore you on purpose that's for sure! This morning we had a bit mourning dove party going on (although they eat what drops on the ground, they don't sit on the feeders themselves). We've also been seeing a lot of titmouses (titmice?) lately. And I hear a red-shouldered hawk almost every day. The other birds clear out when it's flying nearby.

>154 lauralkeet: - I was thinking of suggesting this as a book for next year's book club, but I think now I'll pass on that. I thought the premise would make for interesting conversations. Although I may read it anyway.

>164 dudes22: Betty, I think the premise is interesting but The Vanishing Half is similar and I enjoyed it more. As for reading it anyway, Passing is only 94 pages so it's a quick one.

Hi Laura!

>147 lauralkeet: Brava, moss green velvet sofa. It looks wonderful, the room looks wonderful.

Thanks Karen!

Hi Laura.
Just catching up. Lovely library room. Such a splendid house you have!

Thank you so much, Sandy. We're starting to feel settled in -- it's amazing what creating a nice reading space can do for your well-being.

That sofa is a beautiful addition to your reading room, Laura. It looks like such a nice cosy place to hang out.

Thanks Colleen! I'm sitting on that sofa right now in fact!

53. The Madness of Crowds ()
Source: Library loan

It's been a busy week, and I will be entertaining three women I used to work with this weekend, so I'm going to take a pass on reviewing this one. Suffice to say I really enjoyed it, and thought Penny did an exceptionally good job acknowledging the pandemic and its impact on the Sûreté, Three Pines, and all of our favorite characters from the series.

It's a new month! A Town Called Solace was my top read in September, and on the other end of the scale I was disappointed with both Thirkell's Happy Returns and Nella Larson's Passing.

The Series Progress graphic in >2 lauralkeet: is now current through September. In past years I started a new thread every quarter, with a new version of this graphic. Although I've had more threads this year, I've stuck with quarterly revisions to my Series data.

I won't have much time to read this weekend, but whenever I can grab a few minutes I'll be starting this:



A huge thanks to Bonnie for sending me her copy!

Happy Friday, Laura. I am still waiting for my copy of A Town Called Solace to come in from the library. It could still be awhile. I am really enjoying Great Circle but it is a Big Boy! If you need to find a home for Still Life once you are through, let me know. Grins...

I had a northern flicker in my yard yesterday and the red-bellied woodpeckers sure love peanuts in the shell.

Hi Mark! I'm afraid I already promised this traveling copy of Still Life to Colleen (NanaCC) but I'm sure you'll manage to find it somewhere.

I haven't seen any flickers yet and in fact our woodpeckers have gone elsewhere after we had a couple of unhealthy trees removed from the terrace garden. I hated to do that but they (trees) were posing danger to the house. We need to choose another tree for our suet feeder so we can lure the woodpeckers back.

ETA: I forgot: a raccoon (or some varmint) also made off with our suet feeder. It was one of those small wire box types. So I need to address that issue as well. I made note of your fancy suet feeder, and might go that route.

Morning, Laura!

I need to get back to Penny...

Ooo -- love that new sofa! Worth the wait!

And a new Penny. That is good news!

>173 lauralkeet: I'm looking forward to Still Life too Laura, though it will probably be near the end of the month.

Hi Laura, it's Sunday morning and I see nearly a whole week's worth of posts on the threads and I am not responding very wonderfully.

>172 lauralkeet: Penny is not an author I read anymore, but I'm glad you enjoyed her latest.

My comfort reading has been the High Society Lady Detective series by Sara Rosett. I forget who recommended the author but this particular series is very amusing. I like the character development and the British society in the 1920's developments.

I had a nice weekend with my former work colleagues. In addition to that, daughter Kate made a stopover visit with some friends en route to the Outer Banks. We watched the latest bake-off episode together, which was fun. I am looking forward to some quiet time and some reading now.

>176 scaifea: Hi Amber, Penny seems to drop a book a year and so far I'm keeping up. How far along are you in the Gamache series?

>177 sibylline: Thanks Lucy.

>178 Caroline_McElwee: I hope you enjoy it, Caro.

>179 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, no need to worry about not responding very wonderfully. It's always nice to see you, and when I don't I still know you're out there somewhere, reading or whatever. I'm glad you're enjoying some comfort reads.

>180 lauralkeet: Well, I've read the first one... Ha! I did love it, though, and I'm not sure why I haven't gone back yet.

>181 scaifea: Well, maybe someday!

There's a reference in the book I'm reading, The Rain Watcher to a French 75 and I immediately thought of you. I will try one one of these days.

>183 dudes22: Ha ha thanks Betty!

TGIF! Here's a round on me:

Hi Laura.

I have been putting books on hold but "pausing" them to come available approximately one week apart. It's a system to keep me from getting overwhelmed and it sort of works. The idea is that I can read books off my shelves in between library books coming available for my kindle. Sometimes it works out that way, sometimes it doesn't.

Looking forward to hearing how you like Still Life.

>185 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! I like your holds strategy. I'd kind of forgotten about the ability to suspend a hold and need to keep that in mind. Recently several of my holds have been new releases, requested before the library has copies available to lend. In those situations my position in line remains static for a while and then suddenly the book will be "in transit." Case in point: the new Sally Rooney which I will pick up today along with another book. Fortunately I don't think I'll have any problem reading them in time, but it does mean bumping a book from my shelves in order to do so.

----

I've been enjoying Sarah Winman's Still Life this week. It's a really good read and I feel like I should have finished it by now. For various reasons I haven't had as much time as I'd like to just curl up with a book, darn it all. And here's what's up next: two library holds and I hope to finally get to Boyd's Any Human Heart. I enjoyed a TV adaptation several years ago and the book has been on my shelves nearly four years ...

It looks like you have some good reading coming up, Laura. I've been reading mostly library books recently.

>187 BLBera: I'm pretty happy with those upcoming reads too, Beth.

Also, today is gray and rainy and perfect for knitting and reading. I spent some time on the former this morning and just had lunch, so I think it's time to curl up in a comfy chair with my copy of Still Life.

It's my Thingaversary! I joined in October 2006, but I didn't catalog any books until December. I remember that day: I had an unexpected day off from work and decided to spend some time organizing my books. I discovered Talk in January. Just 18 posts that month, but it escalated pretty quickly. 😀

Thank you all for making LT such a great place to hang out. My reading life has been dramatically transformed thanks to you!

Happy 15th!! I'm so glad you found this group!

Happy 15th, Laura! How wonderful that you've been on here for so long, and obviously got a lot out of it (or you wouldn't have stayed). I'm very glad you're here!

I remember my first day of LT very clearly - I had nothing to do at work and remembered a lecturer at university had mentioned LibraryThing being a fun page for book lovers so I figured I might as well check it out. I think I dove into Talk before I really started cataloguing.
Time really does fly - next year will be my 10th Thingaversary.

Happy Thingaversary, Laura! I'm glad this group brought us together :)

Hi Laura!

>180 lauralkeet: I’m glad to hear that you had visitors, glad that you were able to get back to some quiet time.

>189 lauralkeet: Congrats! You were one of the early birds. Ain’t LT grand?

>189 lauralkeet: Happy Fifteenth! Hard to remember when LT wasn't part of our daily lives, isn't it?

Happy Thingaversary! LT is such a great place to be!

Happy thingaversary, Laura!

I'm loving all the Thingaversary wishes! Thank you Amber, Paws, Katie, Karen, Linda, Claire, and Micky. I've tried to remember how I first heard of LT, but am not exactly sure. I was a member of a Yahoo! Book Group at the time, so perhaps someone there mentioned it. Or I saw an article about LT online somewhere. I know I was unaware of any "competing" sites like Goodreads. I just showed up here and never left. This is an amazing place.

Happy 15th, Laura! I think a colleague mentioned it to me. I logged on and never looked back.

Thanks Beth! And I'm glad you're here!

Happy Thingaversary, Laura! 15 years? I wonder if you might be the very first 75er that joined LT. Wow! I loved Any Human Heart. My very first Boyd. You are in for a treat.

>200 msf59: Hi Mark! Great to see your endorsement of Any Human Heart. As for being the first 75er that joined LT, Linda (laytonwoman3rd) likely owns that honor. She joined LT in December 2005. Wowza, right?

2005? Was Linda waiting in line, when they opened the doors? 😊

LOL Mark! Maybe she'll stop by and let us know.

Oh, hi! I did get in on the act pretty early on. My daughter told me about this cool site where you could catalog your books. She was in grad school at the time, working on her PhD in the field of words, so tuned in to such things. She joined LT a day ahead of me, so she's got the Early Bird title until challenged.

There was no "Talk" yet when I joined, and my first foray into that feature was in the 50 Book Challenge Group in 2007. I really had no idea at that time how many books I read in a year, and I didn't "know me own strenth", as they say. I jumped up to the 75'ers in 2009, so there are surely members who have been part of this group longer than I.

>204 laytonwoman3rd: That is a great LT history, Linda. What month did you get in? I don't think I joined the 75 until 2009. I should check.

>205 msf59: I joined LT on December 3, 2005, Mark, and never looked back!

>204 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda! I loved reading about your early LT history. It looks like I was following your lead: I joined the 50 Book Challenge in 2007, thinking "A book a week? No way!" and then proceeded to read 72 books that year (yes, I have kept historic records thankyouverymuch). I hung out in that group for another year and joined the 75ers in 2009.

I believe this group existed for a year or two before I joined, so you're probably right that we have active members who have been 75ers since its inception.

>205 msf59: Let us know, Mark! I feel like I've been seeing you around here for quite a while.

>207 lauralkeet: I feel like there was once a way to check Thingaversaries on the zeitgeist tab, but I can't find it now.

>208 laytonwoman3rd: Look on your profile page for "Member Since:"

I joined on June 13, 2007. The first year for the 75ers was 2008, started by Cariola. It was a small group, but really took off the next year.

>209 drneutron: I know how to find MY date. (See >206 laytonwoman3rd:) I just thought there might be a graph of members showing everyone's dates, since we were trying to see who had been around the longest.

>210 laytonwoman3rd: Ah. I don't think I've seen that! Will look around...

>210 laytonwoman3rd:, >211 drneutron: I thought there was a home page module that showed Thingaversaries, like "on this day" or something. I can't find it at the moment but I swear it used to exist.

54. Still Life ()
Source: Bonnie (brenzi) sent it to me, wasn’t that nice of her?

Towards the end of World War II, British soldier Ulysses Templar has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner somewhere near Florence, Italy. Evelyn is several years older than Ulysses, and theirs is not a romantic liaison, but in one evening Evelyn transforms Ulysses’ world view. At the end of the war, Ulysses settles back home to London, reconnecting with a cast of characters in his neighborhood including Peg, a woman he married in haste before he left. Many years later, a chance event from Ulysses’ past becomes the impetus for his return to Italy, and from there the novel grows into a tale of love and community that spans generations.

Ulysses is surrounded by a strong supporting cast from both London and Florence. Historic events pertaining to both art and Florence figure prominently. The Italian setting is evocative; I was constantly imagining myself sipping espresso in a sunny Italian piazza. There are references -- both subtle and overt -- which readers of E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View will appreciate. And yet something about the sprawling nature of this novel left me wanting … but just a little bit. It’s a great read.

Happy Thingaversary, Laura!! I'll be seeing my 14th year here in January. A co-worker (at the time) got me started here and I love it.

>212 lauralkeet: Thank you! That's what I thought, too. I've spent too much time today investigating the profile pages of people I think might have been here longer than I have. So far, it's Tim (duh) and lycomayflower. I even have a few days on Abby.

>214 dudes22: Thanks Betty!

>215 laytonwoman3rd: That's impressive, Linda. You're in elite company!

>189 lauralkeet: Belated happy 15th Thingaversary, Laura!

>209 drneutron: I joined in 2008, and found the 75ers within a few months. I didn't know back then it was the first year of this group. And certainly didn't know how it would grow on me!

Happy Thingaversary Laura! I read about LT in a WSJ book column in late 2008 and joined in February 2009. I never remember my Thingaversary until it's long past lol.

I hope you're enjoying your Thingaversary books.

LibraryThing just happened to be the book inventory tool that worked for me - I'd already had a couple of apps that just didn't, then I discovered the groups and have been stitched in here for most of the 4 years I've been around.

I don't remember how I found LT but I had been thinking about cataloging our books for a while, found it and joined in May 2007. Took a while before I looked around enough to find the 75'ers. I joined for the first time in 2011 I think and now it's a delightful part of my day (most days).

Hi Anita, Bonnie, Susan and Reba! I love reading everyone's LT-joining stories. Regardless of our paths, I'm glad we've found one another.

Happy Saturday, Laura. Good review of Still Life. Looking forward to that one.

>222 msf59: I think you'll enjoy it, Mark.

Happy belated Thingaversary, Laura.

Nice review of Still Life. I have a brief trip to Seattle coming up at the end of the month and I'm so excited. I'll be staying with family, but P will not be with me. I plan to go to at least two bookstores, maybe three. In any case, Still Life will be on my shopping list along with a few books from the National Book Award nominee list.

>224 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! that's great, that you'll be visiting Seattle. I'm sure there are things you miss, especially bookstores. Sounds like fun. I'll watch your thread in hopes of seeing your haul.

55. The Sweetness of Water ()
Source: Library loan

The town of Old Ox, Georgia is reckoning with the aftermath of the American Civil War. Landowners are forced to manage without enslaved labor. Formerly enslaved people are cautiously trying to forge a new, independent life. And George Walker and his wife, Isabelle, are reeling from news that their son Caleb was killed in action. When George, who did not own slaves, comes across two brothers in the woods, he offers them shelter and paid work on his farm, a move that angers many townspeople. Prentiss and Landry become surrogates for the boy he’s lost until Caleb reappears, injured but very much alive.

The family begins rebuilding their lives, but they find themselves socially ostracized because of their employment practices. And they are further tested when there’s a murder, and Caleb is completely betrayed by his closest friend. These two incidents set off a cascade of consequences that push the family to their limits.

I enjoyed most of this book, particularly the character development, the exploration of racism during this period in history, and a well-crafted plot. The end fell a bit short of my expectations, as debut author Nathan Harris seemed determined to tie in a few themes that were not fully developed earlier in the novel. But for the most part, this was an interesting story, well told.

Happy 15th Thingaversary! And I am very glad you have your furniture all nicely arranged to accomodate reading and storing the books now. ; ) I found LT after my Hubby suggested the site. I thank him for this regularly!!

>227 Berly: Thanks Kim! Hurray for your hubby!

Congratulations on your Thingaversary, Laura! That's a long tenure. I think I'm a couple of years behind you. What a treat LT is.

You got that right, Joe!

56. Beautiful World, Where are You? ()
Source: Library loan

Eileen and Alice are best friends whose careers have taken their lives in different directions. Alice is a successful novelist, and moved to a seaside town after struggling with mental health issues. Eileen works for a Dublin-based literary journal, earning barely enough to pay the rent. Alice has begun a relationship with Felix, whom she met on Tinder. Eileen’s lifelong friendship with Simon has developed into something more. The women keep up a brisk email correspondence, mostly focused on art, ideas, and their responsibility to make the world a better place. Despite being best friends, they are guarded when writing about their careers and relationships, as if each is afraid of being judged by the other.

This is a good setup, and all four characters are well-developed. And yet, I was never able to care deeply about them and tired of their angsty ruminations. Your mileage may vary.

Happy Wednesday, Laura. Happy 15th Thingaversary! Who knew we would ever be saying that? I loved Once There Were Wolves and I am currently enjoying Bewilderment. How are your feeders doing? I have not heard a bird report from you in awhile. Mine are bustling but with the usual visitors.

I find myself back in comfortable territory with Louise Erdrich's The Painted Drum, which I started yesterday. LT says this book is part of her Love Medicine series, although the setting and characters are completely different. Nevertheless, I was instantly drawn into the story because Erdrich is so good at developing her world, focusing on the main character and the town for quite a while before the eponymous drum makes its appearance.




I've been planning to read William Boyd's Any Human Heart for a while now, and it keeps getting bumped for library books. Now, I'm bumping it again in favor of a classic. Jennifer (japaul22) recently re-read The Age of Innocence, and it reminded me that it's been probably 20 years since I read it. I've read a lot of Wharton since then, and I think I'd like to revisit this one. I've added it to my "on deck" list and plan to read it next (although I have a few pending library holds ...)

>232 msf59: Hi Mark! Looks like we cross-posted so I'm glad I saw your post. We've seen a new burst of activity on our feeders lately. The hummingbirds have left, but the cardinal, nuthatch, and titmouse populations seem to have grown. Sadly, we haven't seen woodpeckers in a while. We had an an unhealthy tree removed, and it used to house the suet feeder. We just put up a suet feeder near another tree in hopes of enticing them back. No takers yet ...

Hi Laura!

>185 EBT1002: I read about LT on Joe Hill’s website in October of 2007, clicked on the link, and signed up for a lifetime membership that same day. It’s perfect for me. I joined the 75ers in 2008 – I only had one thread, with a total of 123 messages! The visitors I had that I still visit and who visit me are alcottacre, Whisper1, drneutron, and FAMeulstee.

>234 lauralkeet: Good luck getting the woodpeckers back. I need to change suet – they don’t like what I’ve put out. I bought the wrong thing last time. I’ll be out today, maybe I’ll stop in at the feed store.

duplicate. I do not know why.

>235 karenmarie: I don't know why, but I waited a while to sign up for a lifetime membership. Silly really, because it was cheap. And now it's free, I think.

Also Karen, your comment about your very first thread sent me to look at my first, which was in the 50 Books Challenge group for 2007. Only 46 messages! I had a blog at the time, so once a month I posted links to the reviews on my blog. There's very little chatter. The next year, my 50 Books thread was a bit more chatty, with 217 messages. Then I moved to the 75ers and no surprise, ended up with multiple threads in 2009. We're a chatty bunch!

>231 lauralkeet: I liked this better than you Laura, especially those long emails.

With daughters heading towards this age group, maybe there were bits that rang less true.

>238 Caroline_McElwee: It's funny, Caro, because I really liked Normal People and was afraid I wouldn't for that very reason. But I agree it could have been a factor.

>233 lauralkeet: Oh fun, I hope you enjoy your Age of Innocence reread and discover something new!

>240 japaul22: Thanks Jennifer!

Morning, Laura. Sweet Thursday. I hope you start getting woodpeckers. They seem to be very active now, both in my yard and in the wild. I have not read The Painted Drum. She has been so prolific that I have had a hard time keeping up with her. I still have Love Medicine on shelf and I know that is an LT favorite. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Any Human Heart. I loved that one. My first Boyd.

Mark, I know what you mean about Erdrich being prolific. Amazon just informed me she has a new book coming out on Nov 9, called The Sentence. I'll watch for reviews, but will probably read some of her older stuff first.

As for Boyd, I really enjoyed the dramatization of Any Human Heart and my husband then read the book and some of his other stuff. He's definitely an author I'd like to get acquainted with.

I think I remember Any Human Heart being adapted but I never did see it. I will have to see if I can track it down.

>244 msf59: Mark, it was a short series not a feature length film, and both Jim Broadbent and Matthew Macfadyen played Logan Mountstuart, at different times in his life. I just looked it up and see that the cast also included Hayley Atwell, Gillian Anderson, and Samuel West. All excellent actors!

>243 lauralkeet: - I decided that I would read her books in publication order even though I know you don't have to. I did read The Round House because it was a book club pick. I haven't put myself on the list for The Sentence but I see that there are already 3x as many holds on the book as there are books on order. Then I thought that maybe I should read them in the "groups" that they are in: ie the Love Medicine group and the Justice group - we'll see.

>246 dudes22: I like the idea of reading in groups. It looks like I've read one of the Justice novels, so would have two more to go there. LT's Louise Erdrich author page shows a third grouping, called The Birchbark House. But also over 50 books in all. Wow.

>231 lauralkeet: I read and liked Normal People but I feel no urge to read this new one Laura. I know she's supposed to be a hot author but I'm just not drawn to her.

>248 brenzi: I'm with you, Bonnie. I wanted to try another novel but now I'm done.

>247 lauralkeet: - I understand that the Birchbark house series is a YA/Children's series.

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>250 dudes22: oh, that's good to know Betty. I didn't look at it very closely. Thanks!

>251 quondame: Hi Susan! 😀

>252 lauralkeet: I've read one or two of those Birchbark House books. I think they are Erdrich's answer to the Little House on the Prairie books, which she finds somewhat problematic, as you may imagine.

>253 laytonwoman3rd: ohhhh, yes I can definitely imagine that! And I love that she responded to it in that way.

>253 laytonwoman3rd: - Oh that makes a lot of sense. At some point I'll probably try a couple.

>252 lauralkeet: >253 laytonwoman3rd: I added a Louise Erdich book for one of next month's TIOLI challenges, but may check Birchbark House out as well.

>255 dudes22: I'll watch for your thoughts!

>256 quondame: Which Erdrich will you be reading, Susan?

>257 lauralkeet: I've put Love Medicine on hold. I've read Tracks.

I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Saturday, Laura. I read and enjoyed the first Birchbark House but did not read the others. Like we mentioned before she is a tough author to keep up with.

>260 msf59: that's for sure, Mark!

57. The Painted Drum ()
Source: Library loan

Faye Travers and her mother, Elsie, have an estate business in New Hampshire, where they are called in to help families value, sell and/or dispose of possessions after the death of a loved one. When in the course of her work Faye comes across an Ojibwe drum, its impact is visceral and she feels compelled to find out more about it. They learn the drum was sold many years ago to a man who moved east, and the two women travel to the midwest to return it to its original owner and, hopefully, learn more about its origins.

This novel begins and ends with Faye in New Hampshire, but her story “bookends” that of the drum. And with that story, readers find themselves back in familiar Love Medicine territory. The Painted Drum is considered the final book in that series, and the events leading up to the making of the drum finally reveal more about the mysterious Fleur Pillager. In the present day, the drum calls to someone in a way that ultimately saves their life. And somehow (although this link was less clear to me), Faye comes to terms with a significant loss in her own past, and finds a new path.

I greatly enjoyed returning to Louise Erdrich’s world, and was equally caught up in Faye’s life despite the difference in setting and circumstances. Although I’ve finished the Love Medicine series, this will not be my last Erdrich novel.

I have The Painted Drum on my shelf, Laura, and look forward to getting to it. Nice review.

The Painted Drum is one I haven't read yet, Laura. I'm glad to know you liked it. Maybe next year...

>263 katiekrug:, >264 BLBera: I hope you both enjoy The Painted Drum, whenever. Before reading it, I had seen a review or something that made me think it might not be as good as her other Love Medicine novels. And at first I was a bit disappointed, when I saw there was no family tree. But in the first few pages Erdrich brilliantly created Faye Travers' world while setting up the circumstances that lead to her being in possession of the drum, and I was hooked.

This was a weird reading month: only 4 books, what's up with that? The last time that happened was in December 2018. It didn't help that it inexplicably took me 10 days to get through Still Life.

I'm also on pace to read far fewer books this year than the past two years. I'm never sure why this happens; often it's down to a few months of reading just one book less than average.

That said, I'm enjoying my reading and that's the most important thing! My re-read of The Age of Innocence is reminding me of how wonderful Edith Wharton is, and I have Oh William!, the new Elizabeth Strout, waiting for me at the library.

Tomorrow I'll start a new thread to cover the rest of the year.

I'm sure moving affected your reading, Laura! As you say, though, the important thing is that you are enjoying what you are reading. Have a good Sunday.

>267 katiekrug: Fair point, Katie: Feb & Apr were also 4-book months, and we were in the midst of packing and moving then. And in October I did have some friends in town one weekend, and each daughter made separate brief visits, so I'm sure that had an impact (but for good reasons!)

It looks like you had a good month, though, all good reads. I'm on track to read more than ever this year, and I don't know how that happened.

>269 BLBera: yeah it wasn't bad, Beth. While none of the four were standouts they were all solid.

Just saying hi, Laura, and wishing you a good week ahead. I loved Still Life too. I just started Beautiful World, Where Are You last night and on audio I'm listening to The Lincoln Highway. I'm much more optimistic about the latter...

>266 lauralkeet: Who knows why our numbers fluctuate. Sometimes obviously page length but more often, I think, what is happening to our lives otherwise.

It is also strange that sometimes books we enjoy we whizz through but others we enjoy just as much go slowly as we savour sentences rather than gobble them up!

Not trying to catch up, Laura, but hoping I can keep up better from here on out.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

>271 vivians: Interesting comments on your current reads, Vivian. I will watch your thread with interest.

>272 PaulCranswick: That's true, Paul. I love a savor-able book.

>273 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Always nice to see you.