Beth (BLBera)Turns the Pages in 2022 - Page 1

Happy New Year!

My name is Beth. I am an English instructor at my local community college, but I plan to retire in May, so 2022 will be a year of change for me. I love books – talking about them, writing about them, reading about them. I also love to read with my granddaughter Scout.

I tend not to plan my reading, other than for my book club, which meets once a month. We celebrate twenty years in 2022.

Each year my goal is to read more books from my shelves, but those shiny new library books often distract me. In 2022, I would like to read more in translation.

As always, though, goals may fall by the wayside.

Please comment, lurk, make yourself at home.

Favorites of 2021

Reading Observations 2021
I read:
84% were books by women
39% were books from my shelves
70% were novels

The numbers I kept didn't reflect the diversity of my reading; I would like to track that as well.

I hope to read more from my shelves in 2022.

Currently Reading

Tentative Reading Plans
Book Club
✔️January: The Glass Hotel
February: Anxious People
March: Hamnet
April: The Four Winds

Shared Reads
✔️January: Red Clocks - Kim and Ellen
February: Thirty Names of Night - Kim and Ellen

Library Challenge
A book with a month in the title
A book by or about someone experiencing poverty or homelessness
A Minnesota Book Award winner
A book by a deceased author
✔️A book by an African American author My Monticello
A book that starts with the same letter as your first name
A book inspired by Shakespeare
A book by or about someone in the military
✔️ A book about mental illness A Really Good Day
A book by an Australian author
A book by an author under 25
A funny book
A travelogue/travel story
A book with a senior protagonist
✔️A book downloaded on Libby - The American Agent

Read in 2022
☃️January☃️
1.Red Clocks* REREAD
2.The American Agent 🎧
3. The Boat People
4. Dare to Disappoint
5. The Glass Hotel* REREAD
6. These Precious Days 💜
7. A Sorrowful Sanctuary
8. Delivering Death 🎧
9. The Fell* 💜
10. Moon of the Crusted Snow*
11. Words Under the Words
12. No Land to Light On
13. Foster*

January Reading
Books read: 13
By women: 12
By men: 1
- American: 5
- Canadian: 3
- First Nation: 1
- Turkish: 1
- Irish: 1
- English: 1
- Lebanese: 1

Novels: 9
Novella: 1
Poetry: 1
Memoir (graphic): 1
Essays: 1

Library: 8
From my shelves: 5

💝February💝
14. A Really Good Day 🎧
15. My Monticello
16. Tunnels
17. Artificial Condition 🎧

* From my shelves

You Must Read This!
This was one of my favorites in 2021. I found myself thinking about it and the question it asks often.

Secrets of Happiness
In this novel, Silber follows several tangentially related characters through their lives. One asks, "Who knew where happiness comes from?" No one really answers the question, except that money certainly doesn't buy happiness. In fact, the wealthiest people in the novel seem to be the most miserable.

There are many references to Buddhism, but Silber isn't pushing any doctrine. Instead, she shows several characters -- some more likable than others -- who are all living their lives in the best way they can.

I really liked this novel, or collection of connected stories; each person has a distinctive voice, and it was fun to discover the connections among them.

I don’t know where happiness comes from, but this book did make me happy.

Welcome back, Beth! I hope 2022 brings good thing - like retirement!

This group always helps me to read; welcome back, Beth.

Happy New Year!

Thanks Jim, Paul, and Rhian. You are very fast! I plan to visit threads later. Happy New Year!

Happy new year, Beth! I'm looking forward to your reads in 2022. I just jotted down Secrets of Happiness. I think that would up the happiness scale for me too.

Happy reading in 2022, Beth!

Happy New Year and happy first thread of 2022, Beth!

>1 BLBera: If I haven’t said it before, congrats on retiring this May! How exciting.

Happy new year Beth! Love the covers of your favourite books.

Morning, Beth! Happy New Year! Looking forward to following your reading - maybe I can do a better job of keeping up this year.

Happy New Year, Beth! Wishing you lots of great reading this year!

Happy new year, Beth. And retirement, eh? That's exciting!

Hi Lynda, Anita, Karen, Charlotte, Mamie, Carrie, and Katie. Happy New Year to all of you.

I'm reading a collection of essays by Ann Patchett, and one I read last night really resonates, "My Year of No Shopping." In it she talks about giving up shopping for a year and what she learned from it. I'm thinking that would be a great New Year's Resolution. I have to think about it, and what the parameters would be.

It's gonna be a good year, TwinB!!

Happy New Year, Beth. Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. Maybe we will finally be able to schedule a meetup. I hinted around to Roni (who moved to Salina, KS last year) that a fall meeting in Lawrence, KS would be fun. My granddaughter Audrey will start KU as a freshman in August.

Well, I encountered my first book bullet this year. Secrets of Happiness is right up my reading alley. On the library hold list it goes! I knew I could count on you for a recommendation. Thanks!

May isn't that far away! I hope you're going to love retirement as much as I do. I'm heading into my 7th year of it now, and I've never once looked back.

Happy New Year, Beth! I look forward to getting hit by tons of book bullets from you throughout 2022.

Happy New Year, Beth. Secrets of Happiness struck me too. Thanks.

>21 Berly: I hope so, TwinK!

>22 Donna828: I'm so happy to see you back, Donna. Happy to start the year with a recommendation.

>23 laytonwoman3rd: The semesters always pass quickly, Linda, so I know I will be done before I know it.

>24 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia.

>25 ffortsa: Thanks Judy. You are welcome.

Happy New Year, Beth!

I see Hamnet in your reading plans. I loved that one. I think you’ll enjoy it.

It will be a reread for me, Joe. I read it last year. I loved it!

Happy New Year, Beth. Hooray for retirement. These 5 months should fly by. Mine certainly did. Glad to see we are both enjoying These Precious Days. Patchett Rules!!

Happy New Year, Beth. I'm excited for you, that you'll be retiring this year. It's a great feeling.

Happy New Year, Beth! Two of your best of 2021 books wound up under the tree for my mom. You and Joanne are like gold for me as far as recommendations go.

I'm so excited for you to retire! And I love >22 Donna828: Donna's idea to meet up in Lawrence. Though fall is a difficult time for. the non-retired to travel... by brother in law and family live there. They were supposed to come between Christmas and New Year but put their plans on hold when my BIL got sick with COVID (now fully recovered).

Happy New Year, Beth!

Hope you have a great year of reading!

Happy 2022, Beth!

I’m impatiently waiting for my turn with the library’s copies of The Sentence and These Precious Days.

>29 msf59: It will go fast, Mark.

>30 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, I think I will be more excited as the end of the semester approaches.

>31 AMQS: Hi Anne - Yes, a meet-up would be fun.

>32 jayde1599: Thanks!

>33 thornton37814: Thanks Lori.

>34 Copperskye: I usually read an essay a day, so it will take me a while to finish These Precious Days, but I am enjoying them so far. I'm thinking of taking a year off of shopping, inspired by one of her essays.

Happy first new thread of the year :)

Thanks Anita.

Found you! And already there are book bullets!
I love that Paradise wound up in your 2021 favorites list--I included it in my list in a special "favorite rereads" category.

What an exciting year for you Beth. You will LOVE being retired I'm sure. Have a wonderful year of reading!

Hi Anne! I'm so happy to see you here. It's the only reread I included, mostly because it had been so long since I read it for the first time.

Hi Mary. I think as the end date gets closer, I will be more excited. Right now I'm just trying to get ready for the start of the semester. Winter break always seems so short.

Happy new year! Looking forward to sharing the retirement journey with you.

Thanks for sharing your favorite books: I am struck by how diverse everyone's lists are..so many books to read. I have moved Secrets of Happiness to the top of the list!

Setting my star down.

I hope retirement will be everything you want it to be Beth.

Hi Karen - Thanks!

Hi Caroline - Thanks. Right now I'm trying to organize my last semester. I'll start to think about retirement in a couple of months.

Beth--Just keeping current here. ; ) I finished my first book of the year!!

I was just on your thread. I was thinking I need to set up our Zoom for the 10th. I am about 1/3 of the way through Red Clocks; I still love it the second time around, but it is hard to read, knowing how close to reality it is. I love the characters though and the way she has organized the story.

Hi Beth. Happy New Year! I'm making the rounds and dropping off stars. :-)

Oh, and I started Great Circle because it's a library book but I may try to read it and Red Clocks at the same time so I can participate at least somewhat in our Jan 10 discussion. As you know, I don't usually read two books at the same time but maybe 2022 will be the year I develop that skill. *smile*

Happy new thread, Beth and happy new year. Yay for retirement. I can recommend it heartily! :-)

Hi Ellen! I can't wait to hear about your Alaska adventure. Good luck reading two at once. I am never happy doing that unless one is nonfiction and one is fiction. I will be interested in hearing what you think of Great Circle -- and Red Clocks. I know which one I am sure you will love...I'll send you a link for the discussion.

>48 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. I am sure I will enjoy it.

Happy New Year Beth! And Happy reading this year. I knew I picked up that Silber book idea from somewhere and it must've been from you. I'm going to have to read it.

Happy New Year, Beth! 2022 is going to be a special year for you with retirement coming up. Just think of all the books you will now have time for! I, of course. am looking forward to all the book bullets I will be taking here.

>45 BLBera: Excellent comments on Red Clocks! I am also a third of the way in. : )

Happy New Year, Beth! Wow, retirement coming right up.

Happy New Year dear Beth. I look forward to visiting your thread more often in 2022.

I hadn't realised retirement was so close for you, Beth, I am rather green. Will you do any p/t teaching after retirement or is that a future decision?

>51 brenzi: Thanks. I think you'll like it, Bonnie.

>52 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy.

>53 Berly: Thanks TwinK.

>54 banjo123: Yes, Rhonda. I think the semester will go fast. I do have some things to do, too.

>55 Whisper1: Thanks Linda.

>56 charl08: Well, Charlotte, before COVID, I was thinking I would probably teach two more years, but I am so sick of Zoom and other accommodations that I am ready to move on to something else.

Hi Beth and happy New Year! I empathize with your zoom exhaustion...Thanks to your recommendation I've finally started the Mistress of the Art of Death series...so far it's great.

Happy Monday, Beth! I have Hamnet on order and hope to get to read it soon. My local library has failed me in that regard. It still does not have a copy.

>58 vivians: Great Vivian! I know you like historical fiction, and this series is a great mix of historical fiction and mystery. I think the first one is the best, but I enjoyed all of them; there aren't that many.

>59 alcottacre: I'll watch for your comments on Hamnet, Stasia. It is wonderful.

I made my first trip of the year to the library and picked up the 2022 reading challenge:
A book with a month in the title
A book by or about someone experiencing poverty or homelessness
A Minnesota Book Award winner
A book by a deceased author
A book by an African American author
A book that starts with the same letter as your first name
A book inspired by Shakespeare
A book by or about someone in the military
A book about mental illness
A book by an Australian author
A book by an author under 25
A funny book
A travelogue/travel story
A book with a senior protagonist
A book downloaded on Libby

Hi Beth! Good luck with your first day back.

>57 BLBera: Zoom teaching is exhausting. For us it's Google Meet, but the issues are the same. Ugh. I have no idea what's in store for us when school resumes tomorrow, but I dread remote learning. Not sure if that's on the table, but that's my fear.

>61 BLBera: This is a terrific challenge!

The library challenge is always fun, Anne.

I am hoping my last semester can be in the classroom. We'll see.

>61 BLBera: That looks like a fun challenge!!

>63 BLBera: I hope Omicron clears quickly and you can have some comfortable time in the classroom. Zoom has been a lifesaver, but I'd rather just use that for out-of-state meetings! Give me some in-person!

It's always fun, TwinK. Join in if you like.

Fingers crossed that we can stay in the classroom.

Wow, this year does have some big changes for you coming up! More best wishes!

>66 quondame: I hope all the big changes are good ones, Susan. Thanks.

1. Red Clocks REREAD
In this novel, Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and a constitutional amendment has been ratified, making abortion illegal in the US. Girls caught attempting abortions are charged with manslaughter and sent to prison. Also about to take effect is a law allowing only married couples to adopt children.

On the back cover of Red Clocks is the question, "What is a woman for?"

Zumas uses several characters, identified by roles: Biographer, Mender, Daughter, Wife to show us the wide array of women's experiences and desires, and also to show us how narrowly society defines women. The Mender is a witch because she lives in a cabin in the woods by herself. The wife should be happy because she has what society says she should want. The biographer should want a husband. The daughter should not be allowed any say over her body.

The way Zumas connects the various characters works well. There's certainly a lot to think about here.

2. The American Agent
This is a Maisie Dobbs novel. Set during the Blitz in September 1940, Maisie and her best friend Priscilla are driving an ambulance. On top of this, Maisie is asked to help investigate the murder of an American reporter.

I liked the excerpts from Murrow's broadcasts and, as usual, Winspear gives us a clear sense of the time.

The audiobook was well done.

>68 BLBera: Beth, I was interested to see this here after it's been decisively Pearl-Ruled by a few LT friends. And a reread, too! Do you recommend the book?

Hi Anne - Did you read The Handmaid's Tale? If you liked that you, you would probably like this. From what people said, some thought the language was too crude and others just thought it was hard to read because of the real possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned. I really liked it; I thought Zumas did a good job of showing how women are expected to fit in a certain niche, and how anyone who strays from the expectations is punished.

I think there's a lot to think about.

>71 BLBera: I loved The Handmaid's Tale but Red Clocks didn't work for me, Beth. Part of it was what you mention - too crass for me. I felt like she went out of her way to make us feel uncomfortable and keep us there, and to almost shock/repel us with her descriptions of smells and body parts. It felt unremitting. So, while I can appreciate what she was trying to do, how she executed it made it something I was not interested in finishing. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks Mamie - I get what you are saying. I think maybe she does get beyond that, but you aren't obligated to love the same books I do. ;)

>61 BLBera: Good luck with your new challenge, Beth. I have no doubt you will make short work of it!

>68 BLBera: I had to give up on that one. While I felt like Zumas had important things to say, I did not care for the way in which she went about it. That is on me, not on her.

>69 BLBera: That is one of the series that I need to return to after missing quite a few books while I was in school.

The Library challenge is always fun, Stasia.

We can't all like the same books.

I'm about three behind on the Maisie Dobbs books, I think. I've listened to a couple and they do make good audiobooks.

In school news, cancel day was today, and even my class with just seven students made the cut. My chair said there were too many classes with low enrollment, and since we have to teach a certain number of credits, admin didn't know what to do with us, so they're hoping more students enroll before class starts on Monday.

>76 BLBera: Beth, cancelling a class after you most likely started to plan for it, is rough.

I know when I was at Lehigh University, they also started the numbers game. It seems cruel as we really have so little control over enrollment of our classes.

Hope some more students sign up, Beth. They should have advertised as a last chance to catch you!

>77 Whisper1: The worst thing about having a class cancelled is picking up a new class with little time to prep.

>78 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. I do have some returning students.

Happy New Year, Beth!

Wow - Didn't realize you are on the very verge of retirement. Congrats! I know you'll love it.

I think I'll pass on The Red Clocks. Politics are giving me the heebie-jeebies right now, although I was very thankful the 6th passed without outright violence.

Hi Janet! I did find The Red Clocks a bit hard to read because of our current political situation, but it was worth it. And, of course, I jumped right into another that is tough, which I think I heard about on your thread, The Boat People. It is very good so far. I'm about halfway through.

>81 BLBera: The politics didn't put me off, Beth and that certainly made the point of the book very prescient, but I was with Mamie in thinking her style unduly gratuitous. I may have another go at it another time. I do think that the Texas Amendment in particular is a bit frightening.

Have a lovely weekend.

>58 vivians: >60 BLBera: Just added Mistress of the Art of Death to the TBR list: I'll start at the beginning of the series. I cannot resist historical fiction and mystery!

I appreciated the conversation around Red Clocks. I may be one of the few people who haven't read The Handmaid's Tale so not sure I'll give this one a go. I have enough of my own dystopian thoughts, I guess, that I don't need them written out.

>82 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul.

>83 witchyrichy: Karen, if you love historical mysteries, I think Mistress of the Art of Death is one you will like. Handmaid's Tale is one of my all-time favorite books, Karen, if you ever get to it.

>83 witchyrichy:, >84 BLBera: Somehow I scrolled by previous mention of Mistress of the Art of Death. I love historical mysteries so I just requested it from my library, and there's no one ahead of me so I should be able to read it very soon. Hurray!

Morgan is also sick to death of Zoom, but he's back on it for the last two weeks of this semester. It's extra hard when you're teaching students whose grasp on the language is not always the best.

I admit that my curiosity was piqued by Red Clocks after seeing people ditch it, so I checked it out of the library to see what I think. I haven't started it yet, but will in the next couple of days.

Oh, also I like the challenge list in >61 BLBera:

>85 lauralkeet: I predict you will love it, Laura.

>86 ursula: Hi Ursula. Fingers crossed that I can get through my last semester in the classroom. I can't imagine trying to do Zoom with students who don't speak good English.

I'll be interested in your feelings about Red Clocks; I think there's so much in the book to talk about.

My public library has a challenge every year, and it's always fun.

This is a great time for lists of upcoming books:

https://lithub.com/lit-hubs-most-anticipated-books-of-2022?utm_source=Sailthru&a...

>88 BLBera: - I'll check that list out. I am waiting for The Millions most anticipated list - I always get a ton of things to add to my WL from them.

I've been watching for that one as well, Katie. I skimmed this one and saw quite a few calling my name, not good for my reading-my-own-books project.

>88 BLBera: I hadn't heard of many of those writers Beth. I shall be revisiting.

>90 BLBera: I avoid those lists precisely because I am trying to read my own books, and also because I get plenty of solid recommendations already from you and Amber and Katie and Joanne and Mamie, among others! So thanks for tracking them on my behalf. :-)

>92 rosalita: - Aw, I'm honored to be included in such august company, Julia!

>91 Caroline_McElwee: There are many new-to-me writers as well, Caroline.

>92 rosalita: I'll be sending you a box of books, Julia. :)

Books that I will be reading and am looking forward to are The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel and The Candy House.

>93 katiekrug: :)

>94 BLBera: And now you've reminded me that I still have Station Eleven waiting on myself shelves, so thank you for that! I'll wait for your verdict on the Egan before committing; she's been a bit hit-or-miss for me, though I loved Manhattan Beach.

>88 BLBera: Thanks, I love looking at these lists!

>96 rosalita: You are welcome. I loved A Visit from the Goon Squad, and The Candy House is supposedly related to that one.

>97 mdoris: They are fun, aren't they?

Hi Beth! I am not going to read the book list, because my house is already full of book piles. I started Red Clocks a few years ago, and it didn't grab, though I really didn't give it enough of a chance. Maybe I will try again when I am in a dystopian mood.

Happy weekend to you! Does that mean you get to teach a class with only 7 students? As a student, would love that.

I'm staying away from lists this year so not even peeking. Somehow Beth, I think I'll hear about these books anyway🥴

>99 banjo123: You have more discipline than I do, Rhonda. Do give Red Clocks another chance. I think you might like it. I do get to teach a class with seven students, although by Monday there might be a couple more. We'll see how they feel about it. :)

>100 brenzi: Good luck with that, Bonnie. I suspect you are right. You'll hear about some of them.

3. The Boat People
"He knew distrust and suspicion surrounded them, fears of Tigers hiding in their midst. Why else would they still be in jail after all these months? But he had thought, with time and effort, these fears could be allayed, that deep down everyone was keeping an open mind. Now to find this was how the Canadians felt. People he had never met hated him and wanted him dead."

When a boat full of Sri Lankan refugees lands off the coast of British Columbia, those on board are jubilant; they have survived and think they are now safe. Instead, families are separated, and people are incarcerated for months with hearing after hearing.

Sharon Bala based this novel on events that happened in Canada and Sri Lanka. She has written a powerful novel with characters that make immigration issues live.

The story is told from three characters' viewpoints. Mahindan is one of the refugees, Priya is a law student assigned to his case, and Grace is an adjudicator, a recent political appointee to the office hearing the cases. She has no background in law or immigration.

Each character is complex, showing that there are no easy answers. Instead, perhaps we need to see refugees as people and treat them with compassion. This is a powerful, intense novel, deserving of accolades.

Whew! I need to dial down the intensity. I think I'll pick up the graphic memoir Dare to Disappoint about growing up in Turkey; the first chapter was fun.

Oh, and what a great cover!

Thanks to Janet for bringing this book to my attention.

>68 BLBera: BB for me!

>103 figsfromthistle: I read that one a few years back. It was an excellent read. Good review!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

>69 BLBera: Hi Beth, I’m glad to see someone else reading -or listening to- the Maisie Dobbs series. One of my mini-goals during last year’s hiatus was to make progress in my series reading. I am up-to-date with Maisie, have 4 to read in the Ruth Galloway series, 9 to go with Cork O’Conner, and one left in the Cork Cormoran quintet by Robt. Galbraith.
That may be more than you wanted to know. ;-)

My DH went to the library for me yesterday and picked up my books: Secrets of Happiness and The Sentence. I will read the Erdrich first because of the long line of requests. I am eager to read both of them. Thanks for the recommendation.

I would think teaching a small class would be so rewarding because of the closer interaction dynamics. I hope you enjoy your last semester!

>103 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. I hope you like it. The Boat People is great.

>104 Donna828: Hi Donna - I hope you are feeling better. You are so lucky to have two great books ahead. I have found that listening to the Cork O'Connor and Maisie Dobbs books works really well.

Teaching a small class can be great, but it depends on the students. They need to be involved to make it work.

Hi Beth! I'm adding The Boat People to the wish list and reminding myself to read Mistress of the Art of Death.

I am loving Great Circle although it is loooong. I'm about 65% through, hoping to make good headway today while P is still in isolation downstairs.

I paused Red Clocks at page 86 but I'm still looking forward to the discussion tomorrow. I still plan to finish it and I figure the discussion may even enhance my appreciation for it.

^Posts like that make me anxious to retire sooner rather than later. There is so much reading to be done!

Yes, there is so much reading to be done!

I have a pile of books by my desk to use to prepare for my classes, and I had an anxiety dream about class, so I guess it is time for the semester to start.

I look forward to the discussion. I hope P. feels better soon.

4. Dare to Disappoint
I really liked this graphic memoir by Özge Samanci. She offers a clear view of growing up in Turkey, from the way the education system is organized to the politics and the economy. I thought her use of color effective; I loved looking for the little yellow-haired girl on each page.

Happy Sunday, Beth!

>88 BLBera: I peeked and added more than a few to my list.

>93 katiekrug: Me, too!

>109 BLBera: Got me with this one - onto The List it goes.

Which ones did you add, Mamie?

Hooray, I made Mamie's list!

>111 BLBera: Let's see...

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - because "...a generous and elegant novel about art and family and time travel—in fact, they will be particularly rewarded by the way the three texts intersect."

Portrait of an Unknown Lady by Maria Gainza because I loved optic Nerve

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu because "...begins in 2030, as an archaeologist arrives in the melting Arctic Circle..." I mean, Arctic Circle! I have a thing about Cold Reads

*The Hurting Kind by Ada Limon - because I loved her Bright Dead Things

Trust by Hernan Diaz - because "mystery surrounding a wealthy Manhattan couple during the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression."

Ocean State by Stewart O'Nan because Stewart O'Nan

The Old Woman With the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo - because "A sixty-five-year-old female assassin..." and also it's her first novel to be translated into English

The Fell by Sarah Moss - because anything by Sarah Moss

The Verifiers by Jane Per - because "...contemporary mystery and centers on amateur sleuth Claudia Lin, who defies her parents’ traditional gender roles and gets a job at a dating detective agency."

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James - because I really liked the first book in this trilogy

*touchstone doesn't work

I have many of the same ones on my list, Mamie! I still haven't read the James. I've heard they are violent, and I am squeamish, so I've been avoiding them.

>113 BLBera: Very violent.

Thanks for the heads up. I will pass on them.

>88 BLBera: SO dangerous!

Beth, I am finally going to be reading All's Well. I have it from the library so it will be next after Red Clocks. I have a question: I have Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Works of Shakespeare and I was thinking I would read about All's Well That Ends Well before digging into the novel. What do you think? Will it matter? Will it help?

I bought the book when we were still living in Oregon and I was thinking we'd be going to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival every summer. We haven't been since we left Oregon in 2007 but I'm determined to get back there. It's an amazing summer theater experience.

Looking at the list in >88 BLBera: I am realizing I have only read one work by Isabel Allende. I read The House of Spirits eons ago and I know I didn't appreciate it as much as I think I would now. Have you read much Allende? Interested in some shared reads?

>116 EBT1002: It might not be a bad idea, Ellen, although probably if you know the basic story, that would be all you need. I haven't read the Awad yet. I'll be interested to see what you think. I've read a fair amount of Allende. On the whole, I like her earlier work the best although I probably will read her new one. I would like to reread The House of Spirits; I remember loving it, but it has been years. So, yes, I'm in.

Huh. I would have sworn my interest in reading All's Well was sparked by you! Well, regardless, you know I'll let you know what I think.

Cool. We can pick a month for a shared reread of The House of Spirits. I imagine we may get some others interested, as well.

>83 witchyrichy: You are not the only one who has never read The Handmaid's Tale, Karen. I have never read it either.

>102 BLBera: Adding that one to the BlackHole. I thought it was already in there, but nope.

>109 BLBera: Adding that one to the BlackHole too.

I only got as far as January on that list of new books and I think I want to read most of them. The Jami Attenberg memoir reminded me that I was going to seek out her other books - I really liked Saint Mazie. I've seen Joan is Okay listed elsewhere as one to look out for, so that's on the list already!

Hope classes go well this week.

>69 BLBera: >104 Donna828: I started Maisie Dobbs but then got sidetracked. I am also trying to get through a few series. Right now, I am listening to the Russell/Holmes mystery series by Laurie R. King.

Blagh! I just lost a post. Anyway, hello to Ellen, Stasia, Charlotte, and Karen.

>123 BLBera: I hate when that happens. Hello back, Beth!

It took me a while to check in Beth but I see that you're already tempting us with reading lists. Nice that you've set a date for retirement, the time with go both too slowly and too fast between now and then.

>124 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen.

>125 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. I think the time will fly.

Hi Beth. The Boat People looks really good, but I don't think my spirit can take it just now. I'll add it to my list. I don't read too many new books other than children's books. I've been really good over the years about getting books cheaply through library sales, etc, and so I have a large pile - as most of us do!

How is the class going? Any more students?

Anne: The first week is almost over, and it seems like I have good groups. Small classes, which is nice. I still have one class with eight students. They can still enroll until Friday at midnight, so we'll see. I suspect that I won't have a lot of additions.

I read a lovely essay about Kate DiCamillo in Ann Patchett's These Precious Days, a great collection of essays. I might go on a DiCamillo reading spree. :)

Nephew update: He is out of the ICU, so it seems like he will survive. He has a lot of rehabilitation ahead, though.

My sister just texted me that she has COVID (she's vaccinated) and feels pretty sick. I'm starting to think it's only a matter of time before we all get it.

>128 BLBera: Good news about your nephew. I haven't heard too much about what post-COVID rehab involves...a lot of cardio/pulmonary stuff, probably? Sorry your sister is ill now. I'm afraid you're right---it's hitting so many people who are taking the sensible precautions now, avoiding it may be a vain hope.

>128 BLBera: so glad your nephew is out of ICU. I was worried not hearing any progress. Fingers crossed that your sister's illness is of short duration.

And yeah. I'm fighting against the tide, but we may get a touch of it eventually.

>128 BLBera: Yes, good news about your nephew, and luck re his ongoing recovery.

Sorry to hear about your sister Beth, am certainly hearing more fully vaccinated and boostered folk getting it to more than just 'mild' level, if not flu level. I suspect having it in this form is likely in all our futures. Hopefully more medical breakthroughs will make that a tolerable burden for the majority.

>131 Caroline_McElwee: well said, Caro, can't think of anything to add. I'm sorry your sister has the virus, Beth.

Thanks Linda, Judy, Caroline, and Laura. It's very discouraging that this never seems to end. I'm just hoping I can finish teaching in the classroom and not on Zoom.

Beth, I'm glad you seem to have good groups of students. I hope you can stay in person with them. I am really sorry to hear about your sister and relieved to hear about your nephew. I think it's kind of inevitable also, although I am certainly not trying to get it or anything. Marina goes back to school January 22 (classes on 24). Stelios was saying hopefully she can stay healthy until then. I was thinking if she was going to get sick (seems extra likely at college) that I'd much rather she be sick here. But again, we're being as careful as we can possibly be.

I have requested These Precious Days but there's a long wait. I do love Kate DiCamillo. Did you ever read the essay written by Matt de la Pena (he mentions her) and her response to him? I absolutely love both of these.

I'm listening to the Patchett essays now, Beth and I'm wondering if nonfiction isn't her strongest suit. I love every essay she writes but I'm a bit tired of the stuff about why she hasn't had children.

Hi Anne - Fingers crossed that Marina stays healthy. You always have such great suggestions; I will definitely look up the de la Pena essay and DiCamillo's response.

Hi Bonnie - I thought the essay about children was pretty funny; I have several friends who are childless by choice and it is amazing how people feel they can comment on it. Is Patchett reading the book? I think I have a couple of essays left.

>135 brenzi: It's only one of her essays in this collection. You can skip that one and read the rest! I thought they were awesome. : )

Hi TwinB! Nice discussion of Red Clocks, which I am enjoying even more after the fact as I reflect on it and read comments. One of these days, I 'll even write my review! LOL

Glad your nephew is out of the woods, but what a long haul to wellness. And now another person you know....My daughter had it and now her boyfriend does. They both had mild symptoms and I suspect it was the Omicron variety. Dang.

>134 AMQS: Those were wonderful essays of Kate DiCamillo and Matt de la Peña about writing books for kids. Thank you! Interesting too the quote from Charlotte's Web. Wonder if that's where Ann Patchett got the title for her recently published book of essays? I have read it and thought it was wonderful but can't remember anything about the title selection.

Beth, I am happy to read the news about your nephew. What a long road he has ahead of him. And I'm sorry about your sister - hoping she is feeling better very soon.

I just got that Patchett essay collection out from the library on Monday. It was just sitting there waiting to go home with someone.

Happy Friday, Beth. Sharing the love with the Patchett collection. It has been great on audio and I am nearing the end. I also have Dare to Disappoint waiting nearby.

>137 Berly: I really enjoyed our discussion as well, TwinK! I just finished These Precious Days. I'm a little sad because Sooki dies :(. I hope my sister feels better soon; I will call her later.

>138 mdoris: Weren't they great articles? I will definitely send the links to my daughter. I don't think Scout has read Charlotte's Web.

>139 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. You have some great reading ahead with the Patchett essays. I just finished them.

>140 msf59: Does she read the essays, Mark? It is a great collection.

I've finished two books. I'll comment on The Glass Hotel after my book club discusses it today. It's a reread for me, and I think I appreciated it more this time.

6. These Precious Days is a great collection of personal essays on a wide variety of topics including book covers, shopping, Snoopy, flying, family, and children -- or lack of in Patchett's case.

5. The Glass Hotel was my book club selection for January. It was a good discussion. A lot of what we talked about was a comparison with Station Eleven, which we read in November. One thing people noticed is that both books are about disasters, one a pandemic, the other about the financial collapse of 2008. The Glass Hotel's action centers around the collapse of a Ponzi scheme, modeled on Bernie Madoff's. In both novels, we see how the various characters react when faced with disaster, and all agreed that Station Eleven was much more optimistic.

This was my second reading, and I think I liked it more the second time. There are a lot of shifts in time and place, and this time, I could follow the flow of the novel better.

I can't wait to see her new one, Sea of Tranquility.

>143 BLBera: I've still to get to Station Eleven Beth, but I am glad she continues to win plaudits.

>143 BLBera: What >144 Caroline_McElwee: said. I'm always in a perpetual state of catch-up, it seems!

>141 BLBera: The book I'm reading now, Termination Shock blames Charlotte's Web for a central tragedy in one character's life. Moral, pigs aren't pets. Especially wild boars.

Hi Beth,

I saw that new book list you posted but stopped reading it after the library website informed me that I had the maximum number of holds allowed. Ocean State is one that I’m considering buying. Anne Tyler also has a new book coming out soon and I may purchase it, too. What’s two more?!

I started listening to These Precious Days but have only listened to the first five or six when I decided I needed a break. It seems very similar, so far, to This is the Story of a Happy Marriage which I loved. A no shopping year sounds intriguing.

Sorry to hear about your sister’s Covid dx. Glad your nephew is on the mend, however long that may be.

Good luck with your classes this semester. I never dreamed (nightmared?) we’d be in this mess still.

>143 BLBera: I loved Station Eleven but haven't gotten to The Glass Hotel yet, or thought much about it. I think that qualifies as a Book Bullet.
Upthread, I made a note of The Boat People and Dare to Disappoint for future reference. These Precious Days is already on my radar.

Good luck with your semester!

>102 BLBera: You are right, Beth, that is a wonderful cover.

Have a great weekend.

>136 BLBera:, >138 mdoris: glad you liked them, Beth & Mary!

And here is another list from The Millions
https://themillions.com/2022/01/most-anticipated-the-great-first-half-2022-book-...

>151 BLBera: Thanks for this list Beth. Every time I tell myself I own too many books and I need to read them before adding more, it never works that way. I took a quick look and wanted to add many.

>102 BLBera: And, to prove my point, I'm adding The Boat People to the list because of your excellent review!

>151 BLBera: My hold on To Paradise just came in, I’m starting it today. I’m not examining the list beyond that too closely because I have my hands full already!

>144 Caroline_McElwee: Station Eleven is great, Caroline. I've read it several times, and I still love it.

>145 rosalita: Aren't we all, Julia? I must face the fact that I will never read all of the books I own.

>146 quondame: That sounds interesting, Susan. I'll note that one.

>147 Copperskye: Hi Joanne - I haven't read This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, but I really loved These Precious Days. I think I might try for a year of no shopping, excluding books, of course, because I have to be realistic. :)

>148 AnneDC: Thanks Anne. I found that reading Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel together made me think about both books a little differently. The book club discussion also helped.

>149 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul.

>150 AMQS: The essays were wonderful, Anne. I will share them with my daughter. I have wondered about the same thing, especially when Scout used to ask us to stop reading if something worried or scared her.

>151 BLBera: Hi Linda. I skimmed the list but will look at it more today. I had already added some books. I'm especially excited about the new Emily St. John Mandel and Jennifer Egan books.

>153 ursula: I'll watch for your comments, Ursula. Is it a door stopper like her previous novel?

Happy Saturday, Beth. Yes, Patchett narrates These Precious Days and of course does a wonderful job. I remember having some mixed feelings about The Glass Hotel. I am glad you liked it better, the second time around. I am still looking forward to her new one.

>128 BLBera: Sorry about your sister. My husband made the same comment yesterday as we headed to get our booster shots. No adverse effects so far. I may still retreat to bed with a book.

Happy Saturday!

>155 msf59: Thanks Mark. I shoveled my sidewalks and now will do a bit of LT surfing. I loved These Precious Days.

>156 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen. Bed with a book sounds like a great plan for a Saturday.

>154 BLBera: yes it is - 700 pages!

7. A Sorrowful Sanctuary is another Lane Winslow mystery set in British Columbia after WWII. In this one Lane finds a wounded man in a drifting rowboat one hot afternoon. Of course Lane has to get involved, and the investigation leads to Sudetenland refugees who came to Canada before the war, and to the realization that Nazis are popping up in Canada.

I love the bits of history that Whishaw includes, and in each novel we learn a bit more about the people in Lane's small community. Very enjoyable reads.

Hi Beth! I really liked The Glass Hotel -- glad your book group had a good discussion.

Looking forward to the new Patchett!

>158 ursula: I think that will be a retirement read for me, Ursula. The description sounds good. Olga Tokarczuk has a new one coming as well; the description says it was a best seller in Poland -- and it's about 1000 pages! I have newfound respect for Polish readers. I can't imagine that a book that long would ever be a best seller in the US.

>160 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - I liked The Glass Hotel even more on the second read. I'm glad I read it close to the time of her new book; it will be fresh in my mind.

>154 BLBera: I'm enjoying it, but like lots of Stephenson's books it's mostly about the journey rather than the destination, and a long journey too.

I finished another audiobook!

8. Delivering Death is the final book, at least so far, in the Riley Spartz series. I listened to this one, and the audiobook was well done. In it TV news reporter Riley Spartz receives an envelope full of teeth, which turn out to be human. When a toothless corpse is found, Riley's investigation leads her to an identity theft ring and a jailed millionaire. This is really well plotted with lots of twists. It was a good mystery, and once again I enjoyed the look into a local newsroom.

>163 quondame: I'll watch for your comments, Susan.

9. The Fell
Two years after the start of the pandemic, we are starting to see novels that deal with it. Two excellent ones that I've read, The Sentence and The Fell make me look forward to discover how various artists will treat COVID in their writing.

The Fell focuses on the effect of the virus, specifically quarantine and isolation, on a small group of people. Kate, a single mother and her son Matt, Alice, an elderly neighbor, and Rob, a member of the search and rescue team, are the characters. Kate, who along with her son, is confined to the house after a close contact, becomes stir crazy and decides to go for a walk on the deserted moors late one November afternoon. What happens as a result propels the novel.

Told in stream of consciousness, each character considers how the isolation is affecting them.

I found the story compelling and hard to put down -- and certainly relatable. This novel reveals the psychological cost of the pandemic to individuals and communities and does it brilliantly.

Recommended only if you are ready to read about the pandemic.

Oh, and the cover is beautiful.

>166 BLBera: Nice review. But nope. Thanks.

Hi Linda - I know there are people who aren't ready to read about this yet.

>166 BLBera: It is a beautiful cover, Beth. Maybe someday.

>166 BLBera: - The Fell is next up for me, Beth. Looking forward to it.

>169 rosalita: I know not everyone will want to jump into this one, Julia.

>170 katiekrug: I'll be interested in your comments, Katie.

I've been meaning to ask: Is anyone watching the new PBS Masterpiece "Around the World in 80 Days" with David Tennant as Phineas Fogg? I am loving it. I think the first three episodes have aired.

>171 BLBera: - I wasn't aware of the Masterpiece production. I will check it out. We can't get PBS over the airwaves, but I finally got our Passport streaming service figured out...

>166 BLBera: Nice review, Beth. I agree with your recommendation.

>171 BLBera: thanks for reminding me about "Around the World...". We and love David Tennant and saw a promo for the show, but somehow it fell out of my brain. We have PBS Passport too, so should be able to watch it anytime.

>159 BLBera: I've been thinking about adding the Iona Whisahw series to my list - I see she's still writing them. Sounds like you'd recommend them, right?
I'm glad you enjoyed The Fell. I did too, although perhaps not as much as some of her earlier ones.

>172 katiekrug: That reminds me, figuring out my Passport connection is on my to-do list.

>173 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I think you'll like "Around the World.." It's making me want to revisit the Verne novel. I think I read it in middle school.

>174 vivians: Do you like Maisie Dobbs, Vivian? If you like those, you'd probably like Iona Whishaw. They are light, entertaining reading. The place is vivid, and her protagonist has an interesting background. I think The Fell might be one of my favorites although Night Waking is still the best one. There are a few I haven't read yet.

>159 BLBera: That sounds like an interesting series! It's going on the wishlist.

>166 BLBera: I just put The Fell on my bucket list. Thanks!

Karen O

>176 cbl_tn: I think you'd like it, Carrie.

>177 klobrien2: It's a good one.

Figuring out Passport should be easier. Says the wife of a former PBS station IT guy.

Just catching up here, Beth, and now I am staggering away, having taken 2 book bullets! The Iona Whishaw series sounds interesting, especially the setting and The Fell.

>175 BLBera: That reminds me, Beth: Last night you mentioned that you were having trouble setting up Passport, and that you were following the directions in the flyer from TPT (I think) even though the PBS channel you actually receive is Iowa PBS. Have you tried setting up Passport via Iowa PBS? This is the website for it: https://www.pbs.org/passport/videos/?utm_source=local_station_in_nav&utm_med...

>179 laytonwoman3rd: Heh, Mike has set up network control centers and done all sorts of IT support over the years and keeps us connected here, and even though I was programming computers for decades I don't expect to share any of his expertise.

I hope you get Passport working soon.

>159 BLBera: I'm hoping to get around to reading the second in that series this year.

>166 BLBera: I'll have to look for that one. I think I ordered it for the library, but I don't remember it arriving yet. It might be back-ordered. ETA: Oh, it's on our March list since it doesn't come out until March 1.

>182 quondame: Oh, I have Passport working now, but I thought it was remarkably user-unfriendly, and if my husband had still been working for the local PBS station, I would have made him take measures to make it easier! Oddly, he now leaves most of that kind of thing to me.

>179 laytonwoman3rd: I haven't really put much time or effort into it, Linda. I'm sure it will be fine.

>180 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy - I think you'll like the Iona Whishaw books. They are very enjoyable and set in your part of the world.

>181 rosalita: Thanks Julia. I will give it a try.

>182 quondame: Thanks Susan.
>183 thornton37814: Hi Lori - I am enjoying them. I ordered The Fell from the Book Depository, but I think it will be published here in March.

>184 laytonwoman3rd: I am hopeful, Linda.

Watching the Australian Open. Go Rafa!

Beth, I had seen The Fell but your review got me. I’m listening to a book set in alternating time periods, and one of them is 2021. It’s kind of jarring not to hear about the pandemic in the sections set in 2021 (you’re going into their house? And drinking tea?)

But I really came over to share this Kate DiCamillo Facebook post. Not sure if you do FB, but the post is public so I would imagine you could still see it. It made me cry. I get it. As a parent, a teacher, and a reader. https://www.facebook.com/100044432586570/posts/481205050037244/?d=n

Thanks Anne - Yes, my heart! I am not on Facebook, but I could read it. Scout asked me a similar question about Ada in The War that Saved My Life - it's amazing when kids get so wrapped up in books.

>187 AMQS:, >188 BLBera: - My cynical heart wants to know (1) what small child would recognize the author of a book they were reading in a grocery store, and (2) why wasn't she wearing a mask?

I think I might be a terrible person...

Go Rafa!! Also watching tennis. : ) And Hubby and I love David Tennant -- I will have to look for Around the World in Eighty Days!!

>128 BLBera: I am glad to hear that your nephew is on the road to recovery, Beth, and hope that your sister has a mild case.

>142 BLBera: I get to dodge that particular BB as I have already read (and loved) it.

>166 BLBera: I hope to have my hands on that one soon!

>186 BLBera: Unfortunately the timing for the Aussie is maybe worse here than it was in the US, so I'm not watching. But I am following the progress, of course! Vamos Rafa!

>189 katiekrug: I don't know about the mask; DiCamillo does do a lot of local readings, so it's possible the kid had seen her before.

>190 Berly: I'm joining in the David Tennant love. I plan to watch more tennis this weekend. Because of the time difference, it's hard to keep up with the AO if one wants to sleep.

>191 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia.

>192 ursula: Glad to see another Rafa fan, Ursula.

10. Moon of the Crusted Snow takes place in an isolated Anishinaabe village in northern Canada. Even though the village is isolated, people have electricity, running water and the internet. When all power and communications go off, will people remember enough of the old ways to survive? Rice, chapter by chapter, creates tension that only increases when outsiders show up.

This is a first novel, and the writing is a bit uneven; Rice does a lot of telling vs. showing. Still, he does know how to keep the reader turning the pages and has captured a community threatened once again. Good first novel.

I love the cover of this.

If anyone would like my copy, PM me your address. First come...

>171 BLBera: yep. We are. We pretty much will watch anything Tennant does, and he's pretty funny as the persnickity protagonist.

>193 BLBera: Re: keeping up with the Aussie Open - It's especially hard when one doesn't have ESPN+ and they don't show any tennis until after college basketball! But I hope you're enjoying what you're watching, Beth. I've been watching what I can too.

>194 BLBera: I read that one last year. It was a good read.

>194 BLBera: Yes, interesting idea, but the storytelling wasn't quite up to it. But despite that the book has stuck in my memory (or parts of it, at least). I wonder how that happens for some books and not others.

>195 ffortsa: He is good, isn't he, Judy? I like all of the characters. It makes me want to pick up the book.

>196 bell7: The schedule keeps me from watching too much, Mary. It's on so late. I'm hoping they rerun matches during the day over the weekend.

>197 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. Maybe I heard about it from you.

>198 charl08: Well put, Charlotte. It makes me wonder how long I could survive without power.

11. Words Under the Words is a collection of poems from other of Nye's books: Different Ways to Pray, Hugging the Jukebox, and Yellow Glove. So the poems come from different periods and places. It is a great collection, and I love Nye's poetry, but I think I prefer the smaller collections. I'll look for more of her work.

It took me about three months to read this, reading a few poems each morning. For my next poetry reading, I am picking a book from my shelf, Poems to Learn by Heart. I've loved Caroline Kennedy's other collections, and Jon Muth does the delightful illustrations in water color.

Scout Story
Scout: Tita, was Vincent Van Gogh your boyfriend?
Me: Yes, Scout.
Scout: Did you break up because he wanted to paint and you wanted to read?

Smartiepants. :)

>201 BLBera: - Ha! Out of the mouths of babes!

that is too funny Beth!

>202 jessibud2:, >203 lauralkeet: I have no idea where that came from.

>189 katiekrug: LOL Katie. I wouldn't be surprised if kids recognize her. She served as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for awhile, and her books are really beloved. Some teachers really go in depth learning about the author as well as reading the books. The mask thing, though...

>201 BLBera: Beth, she is precious!

>201 BLBera: Priceless.

You can tell her Vincent read a lot too. Did you keep borrowing his paintbrushes maybe?

>205 AMQS: She is so much fun, Anne.

>206 Caroline_McElwee: Great idea, Caroline. I will tell her that. We'll see what she says.

I'm reading and loving Braiding Sweetgrass. The chapter "Learning the Grammar of Animacy" is amazing. She talks about learning Potawatomi, that in that language 70% of the words are verbs, while in English, only 30% are. She says, "To be a hill, to be a sandy beach, to be a Saturday, all are possible verbs in a world where everything is alive." One of her students comments asks, if "speaking in English, thinking in English, somehow gives us permission to disrespect nature?" Great illustration of how much culture is lost when a language is lost.

I've also started No Land to Light On, another novel that is about immigration. The first 50 pages are heartbreaking. Zgheib is really showing the powerlessness of refugees, in this case Syrian refugees.

>208 BLBera: - I am also reading Braiding Sweetgrass. My cousin gave it to me and I am trying to read a little bit each night before bed. It's the kind of book to read slowly and savour, not plow through.

>208 BLBera: I just put a hold on No Land to Light On. Obviously Syrian refugees are a topic of interest.

Happy Saturday, Beth. I also loved Braiding Sweetgrass. No Land to Light On sounds good too and I LOVE the cover.

>208 BLBera: Oh, another one I want to read. I love hearing about how other languages "see" the world.

>209 jessibud2: I've been reading one chapter each morning with my coffee, Shelley. It is one to savor.

>210 ursula: I think it will be a good one, Ursula. Tough, but good.

>211 msf59: Thanks Mark. There are birds in No Land to Light On. :)

>212 charl08: It is fascinating, Charlotte.

Oh, I need to read Braiding Sweergrass. It’s been on mount TBR for a while.

>208 BLBera: I’m waiting for Braiding Sweetgrass from the library, not very patiently, I’m afraid. But I’ll get it eventually!

Karen O

Hi Twin! Love the Scout story. I'm watching lots of tennis! Happy Sunday.

>214 banjo123: You will enjoy it, Rhonda. I read a chapter in the morning with my coffee.

>215 klobrien2: It's worth waiting for.

>216 Berly: Yes, Scout is pretty fun. !Vamos Rafa!

Beth, if no one has yet claimed your copy of Moon of the Crusted Snow, I'd love to give it a try.

Also, I purchased a copy of Dare to Disappoint based on your comments. I'll read it soon. I've been wanting another Graphic to read.

Did you watch Rafa yesterday? We didn't see the whole match but we did see that incredible tiebreaker in the first set. It was some amazing tennis.

I'm reading Matrix by Lauren Groff now. Loving it so far. The mid-twelfth century is a time about which I don't feel like I know much.

It's yours, Ellen. I'll send it your way. You will enjoy Dare to Disappoint, I think. I did watch Rafa. The first set was shaky, but he warmed up and finished strong. I like his chances against Shapapolov -- but he can't have a slow start.

I loved Matrix - the nun is a great character.

I finally watched some tennis yesterday - Shapovalov/Zverev (whoever is playing Zverev is always instantly my favorite player), Kyrgios/Kokkinakis doubles, and Monfils/Kecmanovic.

I'm about to turn on the VPN and see what I can see of the current matches.

>201 BLBera: Love that!

>208 BLBera: Adding Braiding Sweetgrass to the BlackHole. I actually thought it was already there. Goes to show what I get for thinking.

Have a wonderful week, Beth!

>220 ursula: I think Nadal has a better chance against Shapovalov, so I am happy with that result. I love Monfils and am happy to see him doing well. If it comes to it, I might even cheer for him to win the title; he's getting to the end of his career. I do like Barty on the women's side.

>221 alcottacre: Scout is a lot of fun. I am enjoying my chapter of Braiding Sweetgrass with my coffee. Thanks Stasia. I am on Zoom this week, so fingers crossed that everything works.

I'm super annoyed with ESPN shoving so much of the Aussie Open over to ESPN+ because it means the automatic DVR recording I have for all of the Opens does not record anything that's not on an actual ESPN channel. So I can't go back and watch the stuff I want to see at a reasonable time of day. Boo!

I found that very annoying as well, Julia. It seems that more and more programming is moving over to streaming, premium channels.

>224 BLBera: Yeah. And it's not that I don't have access to ESPN+ but it's a separate app and I can't record for watching later. It's just not worth the hassle.

Oh well, more time for reading, at least!

There is that, Julia. I watched the first two sets of Rafa v. Shapovalov last night. Go Rafa.

We watched the first set of Rafa's match last evening. He is still amazing to watch.
We also watched Keys win her match. I'm kind of rooting for her to go all the way although I don't have a strong favorite right now in the women's game. I think Barty will be hard to beat.

In Matrix, I just read the scene where the townsmen try to attack the abbey and the nuns hold them off with their wily planning. It was a great chapter to read right before having to put the book down to get ready for work!

I missed the Keys match; I have always liked her and would like for her to go all the way, but I do think you are right about Barty.

I think that may have been my favorite part of Matrix.

I hope P. is feeling better.

>223 rosalita: Exactly!! Boo!

Sad that Halep is out. Watching the quarter finals today, at least whatever I could record, LOL.

Also Medvedev was whiny against Cressy and the umpire. Not my favorite although I think he is the top seed.

Medvedev looks pretty unbeatable. I was cheering for Monfils. :(

I was cheering for Monfils too, although I like Berrettini and mostly I was cheering for a good match. I got that, so I’m happy.

I can't believe FAA took Medvedev to five sets!

How about Nadal and Shapovalov? What a match!

I love Rafa! He was so kind to Shapovalov. I was happy they replayed it yesterday afternoon. I got to watch the last set at the gym. I wonder if Rafa will have enough energy to beat Berritini?

At least Rafa gets some time off to recuperate.

I saw some highlights of the Rafa/Shapovalov match last night. Shapovalov seemed a little unhinged during the match, but not in a malicious way, I don't think. And he seemed so sad in the post-match press conference, I felt sorry for him a bit. Rafa was very gracious to him.

Glad the tennis is going well!
Your card arrived today - thank you.

>235 Berly: I hope it's enough. Tsitsipas looked good against Sinner.

>236 rosalita: I think he's young, Julia, and tends to get fired up, to the detriment of his tennis. Rafa is always gracious. And he has never broken a racket.

>237 charl08: Wow, the card took awhile. I mailed it in December.

12. No Land to Light On begins on January 27, 2017 when Hadi Deeb, a Syrian refugee returns to Boston to his pregnant wife after attending his father's funeral in Amman. January 27 is the day Trump's executive order goes into effect, excluding Syrians, even those with legal refugee status. Hadi is stopped before he reaches customs, and the account of the hours he is detained is horrifyingly convincing. Zgheib's portrayal of Hadi's fear and despair as he is sent back to Jordan, is vivid and real.

In the characters of Sama Zayat and Hadi Deeb, Zgheib represents the plight of refugees wanting to come to the US. I would like to think we are better than this. As Sama protests, "This isn't right! This isn't the story I was told, promised. The dream to come to America, work hard, become somebody. Become better and larger than who I was and could be in the life I left." Even though this is a novel, it is heartbreaking.

The only things I didn't like were the short chapters, jumping around in time. I think longer chapters with less jumping would have flowed better.

Beth, I love the latest Scout story! Too funny! Hoping your Friday is full of fabulous!

Scout is hilarious, I wonder where that came from?

I loved Braiding Sweetgrass, it's one my daughter was insistent that I read. I listened to the audiobook, but I also have it on my Kindle and feel like it would be worth going back to, more slowly. It's hard to savor an audiobook!

Skipping through all the tennis talk makes it easier to catch up!

I'm making a note of No Land to Light On, it sounds sad.

>240 Crazymamie: Scout it hilarious. Her latest request is that I make a tutu for her bunny, Geranium, because the one she has is too small. :)

>241 AnneDC: I have some posters from the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and one of a Gaugin and Van Gogh exhibit in Chicago, so she might have wondered about those. Who knows?

I am savoring Braiding Sweetgrass, Anne. I read one chapter with coffee each morning. I just finished the chapter about gratitude and am feeling in charity with the world. Maybe a good time to grade.

No Land to Light On is sad. Zgheib created such believable characters that I feel the experiences represented are probably realistic. Kind of a contrast with Braiding Sweetgrass.

>242 BLBera: "Maybe a good time to grade." Ha! I'm sure your students will benefit. Braiding Sweetgrass was one of my top reads last year.

>242 BLBera: LOL. Your students will appreciate this. I've added the book to my WL.

>243 laytonwoman3rd: I am enjoying it, Linda.

>244 AMQS: I think you would like it, Anne.

Go Rafa!! And happy Friday. : )

Happy Friday back, TwinK! Yes, go Rafa!

13. Foster is a novella about which David Mitchell says, "As good as Chekov. There's nothing wrong with it. Not a word."

The narrator is a young, unnamed girl who is taken to stay with a childless couple as her mother waits for the birth of another baby. She doesn't understand a lot of what happens around her, but she comes to enjoy the quiet order of the Kinsella household. It's a lovely account of a few weeks in the life of a girl who is growing up and realizing that not all families are like her own.

Have you read her new one Beth? I'd like to read Foster and I have Antarctica on my Kindle. Love her writing.

Hi Bonnie. I'm waiting for my turn at the library for Keegan's new one. I had this one on my shelf, so I decided to give it a try until my turn arrives. Her writing is lovely.

Whoohooo Rafa!!

Yes! He was amazing. I bet he'll sleep in.

>248 BLBera: This reminded me that I'd not looked up her books on my library catalogue, after enjoying her latest one. They have the collection of short stories Walk the Blue Fields as an e-book, so I've started that one. They don't have Foster though. Grump.

Happy Monday!
>208 BLBera: Braiding sweetgrass has been on my radar for a while. I can't wait to read it

I'm glad you liked the Iona Whishaw series, Beth. I've read a few of them and really should get back to the series. Now if only I could stop hitting that library hold button!

>253 charl08: Hi Charlotte. I had picked this one up in Ireland. It was originally a short story, I think. I wonder if there's a version in your collection?

>254 figsfromthistle: I am really enjoying Braiding Sweetgrass, Anita.

>255 Familyhistorian: They are entertaining, Meg -- and close to your part of the world, right?

>248 BLBera: You got me with Foster, Beth. And a wonderful review.

Thanks Anne. It was a lovely little book. Keegan can write.

Happy Tuesday, TwinB!

Back atcha, TwinK!

>256 BLBera: I don't think so, but it was very good, nonetheless!

14. A Really Good Day is a memoir read by the author, Ayelet Waldman. In it, Waldman describes her 30-day experiment macrodosing with LSD in an effort to help with her mood disorder and have a "really good day."

She sets the stage by explaining, maybe in a bit too much detail, her problems with her mood disorder and her relationships. At first, I thought she overshared, but as I continued listening, I began to respect her honesty. She doesn't spare herself.

Both before and during the experiment she does a lot of research, so there is a lot of information about the War on Drugs and the history of drug policy in the US. This was fascinating as I learned that most of what I know about drugs is wrong. Most experts agree that drugs should be decriminalized and that we need to allow clinical trials on psychedelics, which have shown promise in treating mood disorders, with fewer side effects than SSRIs, for example. Unfortunately, LSD is illegal, and there are no clinical trials. And, yes, she was breaking the law.

She's smart and articulate, and I enjoyed listening to this.

>262 BLBera: Hi Beth - I've read about these experiments. Did Waldman find the treatment to be successful for her? Re her oversharing: she's the author of that viral piece in the NY Times years ago in which she disclosed that her love for her husband (Michael Chabon) was greater than for her four children. So I guess oversharing is the norm for her!

>263 vivians: The treatment did work for her, Vivian. At the end of the thirty days, though, she felt bad that she couldn't continue. It turns out it's hard to find illegal drugs if you're not a criminal and don't want to go to jail. :)
She talks about that infamous essay. She also talks about her feelings about being a writer, which I thought was interesting. She doesn't state that she feels Chabon is more of an "artist," but I think it's implied. Certainly she talks about the fact that he makes a lot more money than she does. She did a LOT of research and in fact has lectured on drug policy at Berkeley's law school.

My cousin's kids went to the same Hebrew school as her kids, and Anne knew both Chabon and Waldman. I'll have to ask her if she's read this.

Hi Beth, I seem to remember an interview with Chabon and his wife in The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives that I found overly awkward in the sharing-too-much-information by Ayelet Waldman. While reading it I was a bit embarrassed for MC. Interesting in >262 BLBera: that there is a challenge with a mood disorder and the memoir sounds good. I do have to finish the Michael Pollan's book about this. How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us

>262 BLBera: Beth, I usually enjoy memoirs and personal essay collections. Ann Patchett's latest one is a favorite of mine. I admire people who can "spill their guts" but wonder how much is truth and how much is fictionalized. I don't worry about it too much, however, as I have so many different kinds of books on my shelves to read.

Braiding Sweetgrass caught my attention up there. I think all the reviews have been positive on that one. I have a gift card from our one independent bookstore in town and may use it on that one. Have you finished it yet?

>266 Donna828: I haven't finished Braiding Sweetgrass, Donna. I've been reading one essay per day in the morning with my coffee. So, it will take me a while.

>265 mdoris: I think she mentions The Pollan book, Mary. Before LSD was made illegal, there were quite a few studies done that showed promise. Timothy Leary has a lot to answer for.

15. My Monticello is an excellent collection of short stories, all set in Virginia. The stories speak to the troubling relationship of the state with racism and the devastating effects racism has on the people touched by it. As the narrator of the novella, "My Monticello," a descendent of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson states, "They (whites) believed their security depended on making sure we never felt safe, not even in our own bodies. Their claims, along with their brutal means, trampled over the simple fact of my family..."

In the titular novella, a small group of Blacks flee to Monticello after their neighborhood is overrun by white supremacists. Climate has turned extreme, and infrastructure is failing. Will Monticello provide refuge?

Great collection.

Morning, Beth! Happy Saturday.

>268 BLBera: Good review - adding that one to The List.

Yay! I get to be on Mamie's list! Happy Saturday to you.

Happy weekend, TwinB. I got my copy of Thirty Names of Night but won't start it for at least a week, maybe two.

I picked up my copy from the library yesterday, TwinK! Great minds. I have to read a couple of other books before I start it, but we have until the 24th, right?

Yes, and good thing, too! : )

>268 BLBera: I got this one for Christmas! So glad to see your terrific review.

>268 BLBera: That looks like one I should look out for Beth.

Thomas Jefferson's reputation has not really prospered in the last generation has it?

Have a lovely weekend.

>268 BLBera: That sounds like a great collection Beth. Onto the list it goes.

16. Tunnels is a graphic novel by Israeli writer and illustrator Rutu Modan. On the surface, it is about the search for the Ark of the Covenant. But Nili, the single mom who is leading the search, is no Indiana Jones, and the search is complicated by the politics of the area. The tunnel she wants to dig would go through Palestinian land. When she runs into a Palestinian archeologist who is also digging a tunnel, she recognizes a companion of her childhood, but the years have made friendship and trust between Israeli Nili and Palestinian Mahdi nearly impossible.

There is a lot of politics in this adventure story, commentary about ownership of land, artifacts, and consequently, stories. Modan also shows what happens when two groups can't come together. This is a very clever, thought-provoking graphic novel.

>273 Berly: Amen TwinK!

>274 AMQS: It's a good collection, Anne. I hope you like it.

>275 PaulCranswick: It's good to take another looks at those monuments of the past, Paul.

>276 brenzi: It is a good collection, Bonnie. I know not everyone likes short stories, but I liked every story in the collection; only one was a little weak, but not bad.

>277 BLBera: Humm, the my holds queue is full on the only local library that has an e-copy. I guess I'll have to go paper!

Beth, I've added Foster by Claire Keegan to the books to read in 2022. I am holding fast to only adding books I know I will read. I'm going to see if I can get a copy of this from my local library.

>277 BLBera: I liked this one too. Lots of stuff going on, I suspect it would reward a reread on my part. I would probably find lots of things I missed. The mid-tunnel clinch rather caught me by surprise!

>279 quondame: I like to read graphic novels in hard copy format, Susan. I've never tried as an ebook.

>280 Whisper1: Hi Linda. I got my copy of Foster in Ireland. I don't know whether it's widely available here. Good luck. I would send you my copy, but it has already found a new home.

>281 charl08: Hi Charlotte, I thought I had gotten the recommendation from your thread, but I am terrible at remembering/keeping track of where I hear about books. Yes, that spoiler seem to come from nowhere and lead to nowhere.

>282 BLBera: Beth, I just finished Foster (touchstone bad) and loved it. It's the kind of story I'm going to have to read again (and again). Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

I found it in The Best American Short Stories (2011), edited by Geraldine Brooks. The story had been published in the New Yorker. This book would be more accessible to American readers, I think.

Karen O.

Thanks Karen.

>282 BLBera: Mike sometimes lets me read GNs on his iPad Pro, and it works quite well, but that works best when he's watching TV, otherwise they are inseparable.

>283 klobrien2: Thanks Karen for pointing out the Best American Short Stories (2011), which I own. I hadn't so far been successful finding Foster but there it is!

>286 AnneDC: Yay! Such synchronicity!

Karen O

Morning, Beth!

>277 BLBera: This looks good. Sadly, our library system does not have it. I'll add it to my Amazon list and check back to see if it goes on sale. Like Susan, I read quite a few GNs in digital format - I do it on my Kindle Fire and it works great.

>285 quondame: That's good to know, Susan. I wouldn't have thought that would be a good format for GNs.

>286 AnneDC: Isn't LT great, Anne?

>287 klobrien2: Thanks again, Karen.

>288 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie. Can you request that your library purchase it? My library has really acquired a lot of GNs recently.

17. Artificial Condition
This is the second in the Murderbot series and just as entertaining as the first one. In this one, Murderbot is on his (the reader is a man, so I think of Murderbot as "he" though he doesn't have a gender) own. He wants to find out what happened on the planet where he supposedly murdered a bunch of humans.

On his journey, he meets a transport more powerful than he is, ART (Asshole Research Transport). They form an alliance of sorts. Murderbot also finds himself protecting more humans.

Very entertaining and the audiobooks are great. Can't wait to listen to the next one, which is now available.

>290 BLBera: In some ways I enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd Murderbot novellas more than the first. We get to jump right in with Murderbot being Murderbot and getting in situations where they have to interact.

>291 quondame: I really loved ART in the second one, Susan. I'm hoping ART will reappear in the future.

>292 BLBera: ART is a real player. It's a sure thing.

>290 BLBera: Ooh…Murderbot on audio! I love the books, I’ll check the audios out. Thanks!

Karen O

>256 BLBera: The Lane Winslow mysteries are set close to where I live, in the same province but really a world a way. I live what is called the Lower Mainland which is mainly the cities that sprawl out from Vancouver.

I've started Tunnels which I have home from the library now. It's popular. I got it as a hold and need to read and take it back so it can go to the next reader on the hold list.

Hi Beth! Hope you're having a good week. Need some more Scout stories, please.

My hold on Artificial Condition just came in this morning and I finished the audiobook I was reading today so that is terrific timing. I read them the first time - I love rereading them and I think they are terrific on audio. I spent the second book missing Dr. Mensa and crew, and some of the other books missing ART. We do get to see them again!

>294 klobrien2: I've only listened to them, and they work well on audiobooks.

>295 Familyhistorian: I'll watch for your comments on Tunnels, Meg.

>296 AMQS: Hi Anne! Good to know ART and Dr. Mensa and crew return. I'm listening to the third one now.

I haven't seen Scout for a while. We were going to have a sleepover last weekend, but she didn't feel well, so we had to cancel :( She has a half birthday today, so she is taking treats to school. Her mom told me that Scout told her parents that they didn't have to buy her presents for her half birthday, but if they wanted to, they should just buy her one. :) She is really into the Dragon Masters series right now. They have one Harry Potter left to read, but I think they are taking a break from Harry.

FYI: For those who have not loved Isabel Allende's last few books, Violeta is the best one, at least so far, that I've read in a while. I've always thought that Allende does best with historical fiction, especially when it's set in Chile.

>279 quondame: Ha, love Scout's Chutzpa. Shame she was too unwell to visit last week, hope she is fully recovered now Beth.

>298 BLBera: Hmm, you could have snagged me, I'll await your review Beth.

>299 Caroline_McElwee: Scout is great, Caroline. I'm about a third of the way through Violeta and still enjoying it.

I guess it's time to start a new thread.