Alcott Acre's Home, Room 2

Thanks for stopping by my second thread of 2022! All visitors are welcome - with the exception of spammers!

Excellent Reads from 2022 (thus far and in the order in which I read them):

5 Stars
The Writing of the Gods by Edward Dolnick
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
The Singapore Grip by J.G. Farrell

4.5 Stars
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
Square Haunting by Francesca Wade
Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith

4.25 Stars
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
The Fall of Light by Niall Williams
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

2022 Goals - I am going to record the titles as I finish them:

Reading (or rereading as they case may be) all of Jane Austen’s novels this year
- Sense and Sensibility - Completed January 13, 2022

The St. Mary’s books
- Just One Damned Thing After Another - Completed January 14, 2022

The In Death series - started in 2021
- Vengeance in Death - Completed January 9, 2022

The Decker/Lazarus series - started in 2021
- Sacred and Profane - Completed January 23, 2022

The Outlander series

The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series - started in 2021

The Murderbot series - started in 2021

The Three Pines series

The Maisie Dobbs series

Classics - at least one a month; could be children's classics, modern classics, scifi/fantasy classics
1. Kim by Rudyard Kipling - Completed January 7, 2022

Continuing my Civil Rights/ African & African American experience reading (at least one book per month)
1. How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith - Completed January 21, 2022

Continuing my Holocaust/Jewish experience reading (at least one book per month)
1. We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter - Completed January 16, 2022
2. Sala's Gift by Ann Kirschner - Completed January 25, 2022

Books on Berly’s Indie List

Monthly Nonfiction Challenge:
January - The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson Wallace - Completed January 20, 2022

TIOLI Challenges - For January, I am reading:

Challenge #1: Read a book in which the title’s first word and last word have the same number of letters - started by SqueakyChu
Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala - Completed January 24, 2022
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed - Completed January 8, 2022
The Italian Boy by Sarah Wise - - Completed January 27, 2022

Challenge #2: Read a book first published in my birth year (1972), your birth year or the last year (2021 or 2022) - started by helenliz
Freiheit! The White Rose Graphic Novel by Andrea Grosso Ciponte - Completed January 23, 2022
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn - Completed January 3, 2022

Challenge #3: Read a book with pictures (photos or illustrations) - started by wandering_star
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo - Completed January 16, 2022
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson - Completed January 20, 2022
The Writing of the Gods by Edward Dolnick - Completed January 2, 2022

Challenge #4: Read a book that's on some Best of 2021 list - started by Citizenjoyce
How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith - Completed January 21, 2022

Challenge #5: Read a book by an author who is new to you - started by lindapanzo
Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks - Completed January 9, 2022
The Fall of Light by Niall Williams - Completed January 10, 2022

Challenge #6: Read a book you acquired in December 2021 (state how you obtained it) - started by susanna.fraser
Fire on the Mountain by John Maclean - (One of my Christmas books)
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett - (Library Book) - Completed January 5, 2022

Challenge #7: Read a book by an author whose name has 2 initials or has written at least 22 books - started by Morphidae
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston - Completed January15, 2022
The Singapore Grip by J.G. Farrell - Completed January 29, 2022
Vengeance in Death by J.D.Robb - Completed January 9, 2022

Challenge #8: Read a book set in one of the top seven countries from the United Nations 2021 Happiness Report - started by DeltaQueen
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - Completed January 26, 2022

Challenge #9: Read a book written by a Turkish or Turkish born author - started by PaulCranswick
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak - - Completed January 27, 2022
Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci - Completed January 16, 2022
Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk - Completed January 7, 2022

Challenge #10: Read a book whose cover shows women in period costume facing away - started by countrylife
The Book Borrower by Alice Mattison - DNF
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter - Completed January 16, 2022

Challenge #11: Read a children's book published in the UK/by a UK author before 1980 - started by Chatterbox
Kim by Rudyard Kipling - Completed January 7, 2022

Challenge #12: Read a book with a specific woman in its title - started by lyzard
Sala’s Gift by Ann Kirschner - Completed January 25, 2022
Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali Completed January 24, 2022

Challenge #13: Read a book without an article in the title - started by FAMeulstee
Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar - Completed January 12, 2022
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor - Completed January 14, 2022
Pleasure of Ruins by Rose Macaulay - Completed January 19, 2022
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas - DNF
Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman - Completed January 23, 2022
Square Haunting by Francesca Wade - Completed January 14, 2022

Challenge # 14: Read a book with the word “Lark” in the title - started by AlcottAcre
The Housing Lark by Sam Selvon - Completed January 20, 2022
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson - Completed January 17, 2022
An Exaltation of Larks by Robert Reed - DNF

Challenge #15: Read a book with a "state" in the title - started by bell7
97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegler - Completed January 28, 2022

Challenge #16: Tidying Up,,,finish a book you started before the New Year - started by avatiakh
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots - Completed January 8, 2022

Challenge #17: Read a book which includes at least one list - started by elkiedee
The World Between Two Covers by Ann Morgan - Completed January 21, 2022

Challenge #18: Read a book of adventure, fiction or non-fiction - started by dallenbaugh
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings - Completed January 20, 2022
The World's Strongest Librarian: A Book Lover's Adventures by Josh Hanagarne - Completed January 23, 2022

Challenge #19: Rolling Challenge: Read a Book Starting with the letters from "Two Faced" in honor of Janus - Started by quondame
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams - Completed January 17, 2022

My biggest challenge this year is for the Asian Authors Challenge. I am so stoked for this one. I want to try and read at least 3 books per month toward this challenge.

January's proposed reads are:

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World - Elif Shafak - Completed January 27
My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk - Completed January 7
Madonna in a Fur Coat - Sabahattin Ali - Completed January 24

I added two more:
Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci - Completed January 16
Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin

Shared/Group Reads:

A Sword Named Truth by Sherwood Smith - shared read with Nina
Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar - shared read with Paul - Completed January 12, 2022
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings - shared read with Paul and Nina - Completed January 20, 2022
Pleasure of Ruins by Rose Macaulay - shared read with Peggy - Completed January 19, 2022
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots - shared read with Karen O - Completed January 8, 2022
The Fall of Light by Niall Williams - shared read with Mary - Completed January 10, 2022

On hold currently:
Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart Postponed at Karen’s request
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon Ruiz Postponed at Karen’s request
Moonglow by Michael Chabon - Shared read with Kim and Mark - FEBRUARY
Night Haunts by Sukhdev Sandhu or Redemption Ground by Lorna Goodison - shared read with Caroline and Paul - FEBRUARY
Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings - Group Read - FEBRUARY
Empires of the Plains by Lesley Adkins - Shared read with Peggy and Lucy - FEBRUARY
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson - shared read with Lynda and Kim - MARCH
Here I Am by Jonathan Safron Foer - shared read with Kim - Moved to MARCH
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine - shared read with Mark - MARCH
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - shared read with Mamie - MARCH
Taft by Ann Patchett - shared read with Mark - JUNE

Next one is yours. . .

Happy new thread Stasia. It sure looks busy over here!

>8 mdoris: Thanks, Mary. Not sure what looks busy, but I will take your word for it :)

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Stasia.

I'm happy to see the acre buzzing again these days!

Please give us an update on your daughter.

Happy new thread Stasia. Ambitious reading goals at the acre, although that's probably nothing new really.

I was planning on re-reading Austen last year. I got as far as reading Northanger Abbey, I am planning on getting to the rest this year but not sure when I will start that.

Holy Jumpin' Jehoshaphat! Lists and challenges! Oh my. Singletons and serieses. Aye yi yi!! Going to be a lot of words to hang on. :-)

>10 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>11 PaulCranswick: Beth and Shaquille seem to be doing OK, Paul. They both have mild cases - at least right now it appears that way.

>12 fairywings: Hey, Adrienne! I am still reading Sense and Sensibility. I am very much enjoying it - except that there are times I would gladly dispatch Mrs. Jennings, lol. I hope you get back to Austen soon.

>13 weird_O: If I do not have the lists, Bill, I will get completely lost as to what I am supposed to be reading. The lists change too, so I have to update as they do.

Happy new thread, Stasia.

Happy new thread, Stasia!

>4 alcottacre: Well on your way for all TIOLI challenges again :-)

Sweet Thursday, Stasia. Happy New Thread! I think I will add The Writing of the Gods to my audio list. Sounds good.

HAppy new thread!

Happy new thread, Stasia!

Happy new thread, Stasia! I was going to post on your last thread that I hope you like How the Word is Passed. That was one of my top reads last year.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread! Looks like a great haul toward the end of the last one.

Happy new thread, Stasia!!

Congratulations on a new thread, Stasia. I also want to commend you on your daily walks. I strive to get 10,000 steps everyday and was doing well with that until Covid laid me low. I am back on track once again. Having an active dog certainly helps in that regard. I can walk to my library, but I don't think I can get Penny admitted so mostly we walk around the neighborhood.

>15 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley!

>16 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. I am trying!

>17 msf59: I hope you enjoy The Writing of the Gods, Mark, if and when you get to it. I would be curious to see how they handle the hieroglyphs on audio :)

>18 figsfromthistle: >19 foggidawn: Thank you, Anita! Thank you, foggi!

>20 AnneDC: Good to know, Anne. I expect to be starting How the Word Is Passed next week. I have a few other reads to finish in the meantime.

>21 drneutron: >22 thornton37814: >23 curioussquared: Thanks, Jim, Lori, and Natalie!

>24 Donna828: Thank you, Donna. I am finding the daily walks invigorating. My doctor does not think that 10,000 steps a day are enough, so he has encouraged me to get in at least 16,000 a day. Too bad Penny cannot go into the library - she might learn something there :)

General Announcement:

I will be out of town tomorrow with no Internet access. It is our daughter Catey's 31st (!) birthday, so Kerry and I are off to visit our youngest for the day.

See you on Saturday!

Happy new thread Stasia!

>27 swynn: Thanks, Steve!

Finished this afternoon:

12 - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - This first book of Austen's was published in 1811. I would say that it stands the test of time with its themes of love (especially familial) and its well-drawn characters. My biggest quibble with the book is the ending. I am sorry that Austen felt the need to marry off Marianne to Colonel Brandon, despite my liking both characters. I did not believe the romance, at least on her part, so I found that a bit disappointing. However, overall I enjoyed this book again. My first read of it was so many years ago that I do not even recall when it was! Probably not the best place to start with Austen if you have not read her before; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

So, I now have my booster scheduled for Monday morning. Kerry is going to try and get his scheduled for next week as well. We both want to get them done before we head to Las Vegas at the end of February. Now if I could just get Beth and Catey to get vaccinated at all. . .

>8 mdoris: >9 alcottacre: "Busy" I mean lots going on with amazing reading plans. Not sure how you do it!

Safe travels tomorrow to visit your youngest on her birthday with best wishes to her!

Happy new thread! And hurray for the booster! Have fun at the bday party. : )

>31 mdoris: Ah, OK. Thanks for the good wishes, Mary.

>32 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

Happy Birthday to Catey!!!! Happy Catey's Birthday to you and Kerry!!!!!!! Y'all have a wonderful visit!
I'm happy to hear about the booster too............

I didn't read a word of *Ruins* today, but I did find "mozo." I'll try to make up for it tomorrow because I would love to have finished this one this month so we can start *Empires*. Yay us!

Oh - and I liked *Red* better than *Snow*, and I loved and adored Niall Williams's History of the Rain. I've hoarded another couple of titles, but the one you read isn't among them. I see that I need another book.

Speaking of another book, there's still no sign of Lady Hester.

Have a good visit, Stasia. Stay sfe

Happy Friday, Stasia! Happy Birthday to Catey! Have a good trip.

Happy new thread! I hope you're having a good time at your daughter's birthday!

Hi Stasia my dear, happy new thread and i just love your thread topper.

Enjoy your trip and your daughter's birthday!

Great comments on Sense and Sensibility. That one tends to be my least favorite Austen, but I'm due for a reread.

Happy birthday to Catey - she shares a birthday with my Belle who turned/turns 18 on the 15th (it is already Saturday here).

My weight loss continued but a bit steadily as I shed four pounds in the week.

Will start Pawn of Prophecy a little later today.

Have a lovely weekend.

>30 alcottacre: Good luck with the booster! Hopefully you will have no ill after effects.

Have a great weekend :)

>34 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy! Sorry to hear about Lady Hester.

>35 jessibud2: >36 msf59: >37 mstrust: >38 johnsimpson: Thanks, Shelley, Mark, Jennifer, and John.

>39 AnneDC: I have not yet read all of Austen, Anne, but Sense and Sensibility is definitely not my favorite of hers - although I adore the movie version with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, etc

>40 PaulCranswick: Happy Birthday to your Belle, Paul! I hope she has a lovely day despite being separated from her mother, sister, and brother. Congratulations on the continued weight loss! I will likely be starting the Eddings book on Sunday.

>41 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Finished today (I read while Kerry drove!):

13 - Square Haunting by Francesca Wade - Nonfiction; this book was recommended by Laura and Caroline along with a couple of others in the group (thank you!); The book is short biographies of H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Dorothy Sayers, Jane Harrison, Eileen Powers, and Virginia Woolf. I was completely unaware of Doolittle, Harrison, and Powers prior to reading the book, which brings the ladies together based on a place where they each lived at least briefly, Mecklenburgh Square in London. There is a lot in this book for it being fairly short and I would say that the author very much succeeds "in researching their lives. . . being reminded of how knowledge of the past can fortify us in the present: how finding unexpected resonances of feeling and experience, across time and place, can extend a validating sense of solidarity"; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

14 - Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor - This is the first book in the Chronicles of St. Mary's, you know, the place with the time traveling historians!; Although there are some choppy bits to the book, it is such a rollicking, romping adventure that I can overlook them because I am having so much fun along the way. If you have not given these books a try, start here - I bet you will get hooked!; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

Happy birthday to Catey! I hope you had a good visit and that she had a special day. I agree with you that S&S is probably not the best place to start. Marianne frustrates me sometimes and Edward is not the best Austen hero, though I do like the way he is played by Hugh Grant:)

>2 alcottacre: I also rated Ann Patchett's These Precious Days essays high. It is a great book. I loved the chapters about her father, and her special friend she met through Tom Hanks.

You are reading at a rapid rate! You'll read twice as many as I do if we keep up our current reading rates.

>43 alcottacre: Glad you enjoyed Square Haunting Stasia, that was a fav of 2020 for me.

>44 AMQS: We did have a very nice (albeit short) visit, Anne. Who cannot like Hugh Grant? My favorite movie of his, in my limited experiences of them, is Notting Hill.

>45 Whisper1: I am glad to know that you enjoyed it, Linda. I am thinking of getting a copy for my personal library.

>46 thornton37814: I doubt I will keep up my pace, Lori, and I doubt you will keep up yours. It will all even out in the end, I am sure.

>47 Caroline_McElwee: I very much enjoyed it, Caroline. Thank you again for the recommendation!

New books in-house today-

From the public library:
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora - a recent recommendation from Linda (laytonwoman)

For my personal library:
Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin
Constantine's Sword by James Carroll
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - Since I am reading all of her books this year, I am trying to get nice hardcover copies to own.

Happy new thread, Stasia, and happy birthday to Catey. Good to know that Beth and Shaquille are improving.

Tee Hee. I'm another who read and recc'd Square Haunting.
Glad that you're home. Still haven't thought of what I meant to say.....

>50 humouress: Thanks all the way round, Nina!

>51 LizzieD: Peggy, I did not realize you enjoyed Square Haunting too! Glad to hear it.

Hi Stasia, and a belated happy new thread.

>30 alcottacre: I'm glad to hear you've got your booster scheduled.

Happy new thread, Stasia!

Joining you in hoping that your daughters get vaccinated. I had the opposite problem, of getting frustrated that my parents put it off (they had two jabs now, not sure if either is boosted). And happy birthday to Catey!

I've been interested in reading Conjure Women, so I'll look forward to your thoughts on it.

>53 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! Kerry has Monday off, so it seemed best to have the booster on a day when he was going to be around in case I had issues.

>54 bell7: Hey, Mary! Catey has promised to get vaccinated before we go to Las Vegas at the end of February. I hope she follows through. Thanks for the birthday wishes!

I am hoping I enjoy Conjure Women as much as Linda did!

Finished tonight:

15 - Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston - Juvenile; this is a book that Anne (AMQS) recommended recently for middle-grade kids. I thought it was very well done. Twelve-year-old Amari's older brother, Quinton, has gone missing and the authorities are convinced he has gotten caught up in drugs or some such as the family is rather poor and living in a bad neighborhood. Amari and her mother know better - they are sure that Quinton has been kidnapped or something else ill has befallen him. Unbeknownst to Amari and her mother, Quinton is a magician and he has disappeared from the magical world. It is up to Amari to discover what has happened to be beloved brother and try to save him before it is too late; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"It's kind of like how being a Black kid from the projects makes Mr Jenson feel the need to watch me extra close every time I come to his store. Or how surprised my scholarship interviewers were that I could speak so well. People assume stuff about you based on things you can't change about yourself. So I just do my best to prove them wrong, to be the person they're not expecting. Amari Peters, changing minds one person at a time."

>56 alcottacre: I need to pick up my pace again reading wise after a tough few days work wise.

Have a lovely Sunday.

I hope the COVID situation is tamping down.

>57 PaulCranswick: Sorry work has been tough, Paul. I am sure you will get back up to speed rapidly.

From what I hear from Beth, they are just experiencing mild symptoms, so it seems like everything is as OK as it can be.

>58 alcottacre: That is good news, Stasia.

>59 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

Oooh, you're going to Vegas! That's my second home.

>43 alcottacre: Oh, I do love a good time travel book! That one is already on the WL. I'll have to look for a way to squeeze it in soonish.

Popping in! Glad to see you enjoyed Just One Damned Thing After Another -- I have a few more in the series I need to get back to. And I started her second series, The Time Police (there is some overlap in characters), and I liked that one, too. Happy Sunday and good luck with the booster. I made some notes on Red Clocks on the thread i you want to check it out.

Happy newish thread, Stasia! Good to see that the illnesses are mild and that you have your booster scheduled. It sounds nice to have a trip planned.

Good luck with your booster Stasia. I have Last Train to Istanbul on my Kindle but I won't get to a second book this month.

>61 mstrust: Yes, Jennnifer, we are going to Las Vegas for a boardgaming convention. I am really looking forward to the trip.

>62 cbl_tn: The series is funny, Carrie, which is one of the reasons that I enjoy it so much. Taylor does not take herself too seriously.

>63 Berly: I did not know she had a new series. I will have to look for that one if and when I ever finish this one! Thanks for the mention, Kim - I think.

>64 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

>65 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. I have not yet started Last Trip to Istanbul, but I am hoping to get to it before the month ends. We shall see!

Some quotes for today:

From Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson: "There was no dearth of books. . .Modern writers who speak of the booklessness of the poor at that time must mean books as possessions; there were always books to borrow."

From The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo: "He Jack watched the letters appear one by one beneath her hand, and he felt as if each letter were a door pushed open inside of him, a door that let to a lighted room."

A good reading day today:

16 - Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci - Nonfiction; Lisa mentioned this on one of the Asian Author threads and gave it high praise, so I decided to give this graphic novel a try. Samanci tells what it was like to grow up in modern Turkey, what with changes in government and trying to meet the expectations of her parents. A word on the artwork of this book - I liked the artwork, but am not sure that it is goint to be to everyone's tastes. There are not the frames typically used for graphic novels, so the author has less restraint. There is art that is mixed media used for the chapter headings. All of the artwork conveys a sense of childlike innocence, especially at the book's outset when she is age 6; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

17 - We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter - Hunter took her family's history - specifically that of her grandfather - and wove it into a remarkable tale of survival during WWII and all of it based on fact. In between chapters, Hunter gives us the facts of what is happening in Poland and other war impacted places and I appreciated this touch. She begins the book just before WWII begins so that we get to know the family members before their lives begin to change due to the war and we see them all the way through. The "Author's Note" and "Since Then" sections at the end of the book are well worth reading too; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

18 - The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo - Ann Patchett in her recent book, These Precious Days, devotes a chapter to children's author Kate DiCamillo for good reason - DiCamillo is just that good. This book, which I would say is for 8-10 year olds (I am terrible at guessing these things!), finds Beatryce protected by a goat (who is a major character in the story!) and discovered by a monk. She does not remember who she is or where she came from, only her name, and we watch as she makes friends in this new world of hers and slowly pieces together who she is. There is so much in this book: humor, sadness, friendship, love; Highly Recommended (5 stars) Library Book

Happy day, Stasia! I'll have to give Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey a try. My library's catalog is getting an upgrade, but I'll put a hold on in a few hours. And glad that The Beatryce Prophecy was an excellent read for you. For whatever reason, I tend to like-not-love DiCamillo's books (maybe I'm just being contrary because many love her works), but she also tends to be on a lot of awards lists, so I may just read it eventually.

Happy Mmmday, Stasia, only 70 posts late to the party.

>69 bell7: I hope you enjoy Dare to Disappoint when you get to it, Mary. As far as Kate DiCamillo goes, we cannot all love the same things, can we?

>70 richardderus: Happy to have you here, RD!

I am off to get my booster shot shortly. I will report back!

Happy new room, Stasia! Hope your booster treats you well!

>72 Carmenere: Well, the booster did not treat me well, Lynda. It has pretty much knocked me flat. Thanks for stopping by!

>73 alcottacre: Stay down...it goes away faster if you play along with it.

>73 alcottacre: Keep hydrated too! Hopefully, you'll be back to your ole self tomorrow

>73 alcottacre: I do not think I have much choice in the matter, Richard! I almost drowned myself taking a bath because I kept falling asleep in the tub. That, and Kerry being home. He is definitely of the "stay down" instructions!

>74 richardderus: I hope so. I am ready to get rid of this very weird feeling in my head.

Ooh, good to hear that about Dare to Disappoint. It will be my next GN, waiting nearby. I heard about it from Lisa too.

>77 msf59: I think that you will love it, Mark! At least I hope so!

Couple of more completed:

19 - Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson - This is actually a trilogy of books in one anthology (Lark Rise, Over to Candleford, and Candleford Green), all of them semi-autobiographical in nature. They all take place in the late 1880s-early 1890s, although there is some foreshadowing of WWI. Really nothing much happens during the course of the books, but the way that Thompson describes the way of life in a hamlet, a village, and a country town is wonderful; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

20 - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams - Take an Electric Monk, a few ghosts, a murder, and a time machine and you have this book - an awesome concoction brewed in the imagination of adams with a soupcon of humor thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed Dirk Gently and Reg particularly in this book even if some of Adams' humor does not work for me in spots; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

Now, I am going to pass out for a while. . .

Another DNF for me - the third(!) since the beginning of the year: An Exaltation of Larks by Robert Reed. I do not think I am the audience for whom the book is intended.

Happy Tuesday, Stasia.

You are in a reading groove for sure. 20 books in 17 days is just whew!

^This is a snowy owl I got 2-3 years ago on the lakefront but I saw another one yesterday. Not as clearly as this one, unfortunately.

I just added Dare to Disappoint to my library holds.

Hope you're feeling better today!

>82 msf59: Such a pretty bird!

>82 msf59: That's an amazing shot. What a beautiful owl.

Hi Stasia!

>79 alcottacre: I haven’t read the books, but Bill and I loved the TV series adaptation.

I’m sorry that the booster has knocked you flat. I hope you’re doing better today.

>81 PaulCranswick: The pace will not keep up, Paul, but I am enjoying it while it is lasting. Graphic novels and juvenile books have helped, that is for sure.

>82 msf59: Lovely, Mark, just lovely!

>83 Carmenere: No, I wish I were feeling better, Lynda. I hope you enjoy Dare to Disappoint when you get to it!

>84 thornton37814: >85 mstrust: Yes, it is a gorgeous shot. Thank you for coming by, ladies.

>86 karenmarie: I did not know that there was a TV adaptation! I so rarely watch TV other than sports, it is not funny.

Tuesday update:

I slept later today than I have slept since I retired, even after sleeping away 5 hours of my day yesterday. I still feel like I have been run over by a truck - I ache everywhere, especially my joints. Kerry is dealing with a headache, which I have as well, on top of the body aches.

Maybe tomorrow I will feel better? I hope so!

I am so sorry that the booster is having such an effect on you, Stasia. I have rarely, if ever, had any side effects from shots of any kind, I wish I could share that with you! I sure hope that tomorrow will find you back to your old self!

>6 alcottacre: your reading is so social! I can't seem to a) read enough, or b) plan well enough to get a shared read these days.

Bad news on the booster after effects! I am not due mine for another couple of months, but little Lenny is eligible for his first one now that the paediatric version of the shots have been approved here. Almost 15,000 kids got a shot on the first day they were able to, so it's looking good.

Keep sleeping. It goes away.

>80 alcottacre: "Ick" was my response to that one.

>89 jessibud2: Unfortunately for me, I have a lot of sensitivities to medications (and food, for that matter), so I was shocked when I had no reaction to the original shots. The booster is more than making up for it! I wish you could share your ability to avoid reactions too, Shelley! Thanks for the offer :)

>90 LovingLit: I love doing shared reads, Megan, because I love getting other people's perspectives. If you want to share a read with me, I am ready to sign up!

>91 richardderus: I am going to finish up here and do just that, RD. I am glad to know that I am not the only one with An Exaltation of Larks! I think I got the book mixed up with one by James Lipton with the same title.

New books in-house today:

For my personal library:
Continental Drift by Russell Banks
The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews - from Berly's Indie list
The Boy Who Went Away by Eli Gottlieb - from Berly's Indie list
Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen - from Berly's Indie list, probably the last Franzen I will ever read unless this book really grabs me!

Drink and sleep....drink and sleep...and then feel better! (New books should help a little.)

>88 alcottacre: I had the extreme fatigue too Stasia. I hope you are back to yourself tomorrow.

Stasia so sorry to hear about your recent reaction to the shot. That is not great! Hope you have steady impovement very soon!

I had a similar reaction to the booster--feverish and sleepy. I stayed in bed a good portion of the day after and then I was better. I hope you feel better soon!

>92 alcottacre: Oh, it wasn't THAT An Exaltation of Larks! I enjoyed Lipton's book.

>68 alcottacre: We were the lucky ones looks interesting; added to my TBR.

I hope you feel better soon, Stasia! I was also totally knocked on my butt by the booster but luckily symptoms had mostly abated after 24 hours.

I hope you are now boosted by the booster instead bested by the bustard!

Have a lovely Wednesday.

I hope you're feeling better, Stasia. I think my second shot was my worst and gave me an excuse to stay in bed for about a day and a half.

>82 msf59: A Hedwig sighting! Maybe it's because the owl is fluffed up but it surprised me with how large it looks.

>94 laytonwoman3rd: New books always help, Linda! I am feeling much better today.

>95 Caroline_McElwee: I am, thank you, Caroline!

>96 mdoris: >97 AnneDC: Feeling much better today, Mary and Anne. Thank goodness!

>98 quondame: I ordered a copy of Lipton's book and hope to have it soon. Thanks for the input, Susan!

>99 ArlieS: I hope you enjoy the book when you get to it, Arlie!

>100 curioussquared: It took a couple of days, but I am feeling much better today, Natalie.

>101 PaulCranswick: Happy whatever, Paul!

>102 humouress: I am feeling better, Nina. A lot of sleeping - probably as much as I normally get in a week, I swear - was involved.

New books in-house today -

From the local library:
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra - from Kim's Indie list
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

For my personal library:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - for my Austen reading this year
The Book of Jonas by Stephen Dau - from Kim's Indie list
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - recommended by Paul and others recently

The Anthony Marra book is a personal favorite of mine, Stasia. It's very intense and harrowing to read, but beautifully written. Mark and I met Marra at a Booktopia event, and he was lovely.

ETA: I'm glad you're feeling better!

>105 katiekrug: Good to know, Katie! I hope I like it as much as you did!

Hi Stasia, Good to know you are feeling so much better!
Cpuld you please give the link to Kim's Indie list. I tried to find it but couldn't. Thanks!

>107 mdoris: Sure, Mary. Here you go: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336987

If you lose the link, you can check the wiki for the group in 2021. The thread is listed as Berly's INDIEspensable Books there.

Finished today:

21 - Pleasure of Ruins by Rose Macaulay - Nonfiction; this was a shared read with Peggy (thank you!), a book that we started last December. I am not at all sure that this book is meant to be read from cover to cover, but that is what we did. I very much enjoyed this look into places that I had never heard of before in some cases, but which have fallen into ruin. The book benefits from pictures of the ruins that Macaulay discusses. I would say at least a passing knowledge of classical literature and places would be helpful, but not absolutely necessary when reading this one; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"This book is a random excursion int the fantastic world that the (unreadable Greek) have made and left, a shattered heritage for us to deplore and admire."

>108 alcottacre: Gotcha, found it! I had been looking in the wrong place and thought there were 2 threads but realize only one. I know you gave me the one link before but I thought there was another. All sorted. Thanks!

>104 alcottacre: ^^^what >105 katiekrug:

>109 scdoster: Roloff Beny! I had his Roloff Beny In Italy photo-book in the 1970s, what a beautiful object it is.

Happier Thursday to come.

>110 mdoris: Glad you found it, Mary!

>111 richardderus: I accidentally listed the wrong book, Richard. I do not have the Roloff Beny edition, unfortunately.

Looks like the booster affected you for a while, Stasia. I hope you are feeling back to normal now.

>68 alcottacre: Nice to see that you read We Were the Lucky Ones and recommend it. There was one piece of information that you left out of your write up about the book, the fact that the family was Jewish which made their journey and survival even more extraordinary.

Something I discovered today during the course of my reading - Kora music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig91Z0-rBfo

>113 Familyhistorian: The fact that they were Jewish was just one of things that I knew about them and expected everyone else to know, I guess, Meg! LOL

I am back to feeling normal, thanks for asking.

>112 alcottacre: Oooohhhh...oh well. *smooch*

Glad you're feeling better now, Stasia!

I’m glad you’re feeling better now Stasia.

I’ve finished Pawn of Prophecy and really enjoyed it; I was a bit worried that it might have suffered the fate of long held long-ago read favourites but it held up really well. Edding’s writing style might be a little simplistic but he packs a lot of information in. Unfortunately I don’t have the rest of the series on my shelves and Queen of Sorcery is only available on Overdrive at one of my libraries but it’s an audiobook and is currently wait-listed.

I’ve cracked open A Sword Named Truth, which is the first book in Sherwood Smith’s Rise of the Alliance sub-series which is part of her longer running Sartorias-deles sequence. It opens with a character called Senrid and looks like it follows on from his previous adventures, though, but I assume we don’t need to have read them before.

ETA: I investigated Smith's website for a reading order and, yes, A Sword Named Truth is one entry point into the ongoing series. However, the last two books of the sub-series are only due out in the next few weeks and the second one should have been issued last month. I'm happy to continue reading this book, though. How about you?

>116 richardderus: Yep, "oh well." **smooches** back at you!

>117 bell7: Thanks, Mary!

>118 humouress: If you are fine with going ahead and reading it, Nina, I am as well. I will be finishing Pawn of Prophecy tomorrow if all goes as planned.

^The last one I posted on my thread was from last year at this time. This one is from about a week ago. Go Mama!

Sweet Thursday, Stasia!

Hi, Stasia. I hope you’re feeling back to normal after that booster reaction.

I’ll request Dare to Disappoint from the library. Nice to see a GN getting some love. I’m reading a good one called Dancing at the Pity Party., about a daughter’s loss of her mother.

Happy Thursday!

Wow! You are on a reading roll. 21 books already!

Glad you are feeling better!

Thursday orisons, Stasia.

>120 msf59: That's gorgeous. And amusing.

>120 msf59: Lovely! Go Mama is right! Happy Thursday to you too, Mark!

>121 jnwelch: I am feeling back to normal - well, as normal as I ever get anyway. My local library has a copy of Dancing at the Pity Party, so I await your final verdict.

>122 figsfromthistle: >123 richardderus: Thanks, Anita! Thanks, Richard!

New book in-house today:

For my personal library:
Buffalo Girls by Larry McMurtry - from Kim's Indie list

HI Stasia, I have had a good peek at Kim's Indie list and it is a great reference place to dip into.

>120 msf59: She is suspicious of your motives, for sure!

>127 mdoris: Mary, Kim is doing group reads of books on her list that she has not already read if you want to join in. Next month we are reading Moonglow by Michael Chabon.

Finished today:

22 - Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings - This book is the first one in Eddings' Belgariad, a series of five books tracing the quest of Garion, whom we come to know as a child, and his companions. As I remarked on the group read thread, I appreciate the fact that Eddings allows us to see Garion from the beginning - we get to see his close relationships, especially with his Aunt Pol. Eddings also has a good sense of humor and does not take the book too seriously; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

23 - The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson - Nonfiction; this is the true story of a theft that took place at the Tring museum in Great Britain. No, no art was stolen - what was stolen were rare bird specimens. This book is the story of the theft and the thief - and the consequences of his thievery along with a discussion of his sentence. The book asks some underlying questions about when something like these priceless specimens are stolen, who suffers the most from such a theft? Is there really an appropriate punishment for such a theft?; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

24 - The Housing Lark by Sam Selvon - This book was a recommendation from Paul. I enjoyed this short novel, but wish it had been (at least slightly) longer as we look at the lives of a group of friends who are trying to purchase a house together back in the early 1960s when houses for West Indian immigrants were hard to come by - prejudice was rife and most landlords jacked up the prices of rents and houses for people of color. The book interjects humor throughout in what could have been a maudlin tale. I like the way that Selvon gives us back stories for his characters, but again, I wish the book was longer. I had a bit of trouble with the vernacular but that went away as the book progressed. As Paul said in his review "A fun read with an underbelly"; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

"And hear Fitz, high with rum: 'Don't teach the children no wicked things! Henry Eight was a evil character living with ten-twelve women!'

'It don't say so in this book,' Teena say, waving a brochure.

'Never mind the book, ' Fitz say, 'he uses to behead them one after another in the Tower.'

>129 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. Bit overwhelmed right now with library books coming in all at once! Will the group reads being listed on the main Wiki page?

>131 mdoris: The first of the reads, Red Clocks, was listed under "General Group Reads." I would guess that the rest of them will be listed there as well, but you might check with Kim.

>132 alcottacre: Good idea!

I’ve read upto chapter 5 of A Sword Named Truth, which mainly introduces us to characters as well as setting up the action. I’ve been looking at Sherwood Smith’s website so I know that the characters appear in previous books but (other than because I did look at it) I don’t really miss not having read the books.

>133 mdoris: I do occasionally have them, Mary :)

>134 humouress: It is good to know that I do not need to have read any of the other books in order to read A Sword Named Truth, Nina. I will catch you up today.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads!

>130 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! I’m getting Pawn of Prophecy from the library, and plan to read along with the group. Sounds so fun!

Have a great weekend, and keep feeling better!

Karen O

>136 richardderus: Thank you, Richard! Same to you!

>137 klobrien2: I hope you enjoy it, Karen, and continue on throughout the entire series. You have a great weekend, too!

Finished tonight:

25 - How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith - Nonfiction; this book was on several "best of" lists for last year and I can see why. Smith takes a look at slavery by visiting places like the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana, Monticello, and Senegal. He studies the ramifications that slavery had not only in the past, but in the present as well, even interviewing his own grandparents to see the effects that slavery had on their lives. The way Smith narrates the book is very down-to-earth, nothing pretentious here, and understandable; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

26 - The World Between Two Covers by Ann Morgan - Nonfiction; When blogger Ann Morgan set out to read a book from every country in the world, she did not know how big a task it would prove to be. Some of the countries might put out 10 books a year in the native language, let alone in translation. This book details Morgan's journey to complete her self-appointed task. Although she does not review the books that she read, she does supply a complete list of the 196 books (and Kurdistan) that she read and the country from which the book originated; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Hi Stasia, I am glad you're feeling better. I remember when I got my second shot - it wiped me out but I was already home on medical leave recovering from my hip surgery, so I could just wallow in it. For my booster I went to school late and pumped full of ibuprofen. Blech.

>67 alcottacre: Ooh, a new Kate DiCamillo! *pulls up Titlewave list* I so love her books.

>140 AMQS: Yeah, this has not been a fun week for me, Anne. That booster just wiped me out completely Monday and Tuesday.

I hope you enjoy The Beatryce Prophecy when you get to it!

>135 alcottacre: I've finished part 1 of A Sword Named Truth (about the first 1/3 of the book) which explains how the Alliance was created. I get the sense that it's continuing on stories of many characters from her CJ's Notebooks set of books and Senrid but gives enough background that I don't feel I'm missing anything - but does pique my curiosity.

The World Between Two Covers is going on my WL. Sounds great, thanks!

>139 alcottacre: Hey! No fair! I'm supposed to book-bullet *you* not the other way around...and that one got carted before I could muster my tsundoku-resistance.

*smooch*

Happy Saturday! >130 alcottacre: The Feather Thief sounds intriguing, and it's now on my OverDrive wishlist!

Wishing you a great weekend, Stasia.

>142 humouress: Your curiosity is piqued, eh? I bet mine gets piqued as well. I was already thinking that I would like to know the backstories of all these characters!

>143 mstrust: I hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Jennifer!

>144 richardderus: Hah! About time. **smooches** back at you

>145 cbl_tn: I hope you like The Feather Thief, Carrie!

>146 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Happy whatever!

In the news for today - Kerry is sick. He is currently getting tested for COVID. He has had both shots and the booster, but before he got the booster he was exposed via his boss. Ugh. I am trying to stay at the other end of the house from him, lol.

BTW - Kerry never gets sick, which is why this is so worrisome for me.

OH boy, hope Kerry is okay!

He just called - he tested positive for COVID. Kerry is almost 8 years older than I am, so he is 67, making his age a concern.

>150 alcottacre: Sorry to read Kerry tested positive, Stasia.
I hope he feels better soon.
(((hugs)))

>148 alcottacre: Sorry to hear that Kerry has COVID! I have been MIA lately because I had it. Still wiped out and running cold, but no more headaches. Hope you don't get it. : (

>148 alcottacre: Crossing everything for Kerry.

Kerry's age is a worry, of course, but I don't recall you ever saying he's smoked which is a bigger worry for *serious* illness. Which, TBH, isn't likely anyway in a triple-jabbed person of any age. Most likely to happen is feeling crummy, sleeping a lot, and being low-energy for a few months.

So sorry to hear that Kerry has Covid, Stasia. I'll be praying for a quick recovery and that you stay well!

>150 alcottacre: Oh that's too bad. I hope it will be mild, short, and that you don't catch it.

>150 alcottacre: Sorry to hear this, Stasia. Sending all the positive thoughts toward your household. But as RD says, hopefully the shots will keep Kerry from getting seriously ill.

What everyone said, Stasia. Hope Kerry bounces back quickly and isn't too affected and that you remain negative.

So sorry to hear about Kerry. Sure hoping his recovery is quick and that you stay healthy.

Sorry to hear about Kerry. My mum got covid last week, she is late 60's with other health issues which put her in the high risk category. She had dizzy spells, a throat so sore she could barely eat and drink, and a severe cough, but she started feeling better around day 3, so hopefully Kerry being otherwise healthy he may only have a mild case. Stay healthy Stasia.

Sorry to hear about Kerry's positive test.

Very sorry to hear about Kerry, Stasia. Keep us updated. I also really liked The Feather Thief. I will have put How the Word is Passed to my audio list.

Will keep Kerry in my thoughts and prayers, Stasia. I am sure that the jabs will do as intended and lessen the impact.

Keep your own chin up because that will help him tremendously too. xx

Thank you all for your concern with Kerry. I have passed your messages on to him.

On another note, I have my fourth(!) DNF for the year - Crazy Brave: A Memoir by Joy Harjo. Mac (blackdogbooks) gave this one 5 stars, but there are just too many triggers in it for me. In this case, it is me rather than the book. I made it about 70 pages in, but I had to give it up there.

Oh no, Stasia, I am so sorry that Kerry is sick. I will send good, healing thoughts to you both.

And >152 Berly: Kim I'm sorry you were sick also:(

>164 alcottacre: Good call. I've found it hard to put books down, but I'm getting better at it. Not every book works for every reader.

>164 alcottacre: Good for you for putting it aside...you need comfort reading right now, not something that increases your anxiety levels.

>164 alcottacre: Sorry to hear that Kerry has Covid.

While Crazy Brave sounds like it can be an emotional stour - I am not sure that I could read it at this point in my life either.
It is strange that as I have gotten older, I have a more difficult time with the triggers in books.

I am sorry that Kerry got Covid. Sending healing thoughts from very cold Toronto!

I'm much more comfortable with tossing a book that doesn't please me than I used to be. Why suffer?
Best wishes for Kerry's health!

Best wishes for Kerry’s health from me as well.

>165 AMQS: Thank you so much, Anne. Yes, as I have gotten older, it has become easier for me to put books aside that just are not working for me.

>166 laytonwoman3rd: Definitely true, Linda!

>167 jayde1599: I do not know that it sounds strange, Jess, just different. Not that it matters all that much - your triggers are probably different than mine, but they are still our triggers!

>168 torontoc: Thanks, Cyrel!

>169 mstrust: True, Jennifer. I am not into suffering! Thanks.

>170 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian!

I’m sorry to hear Kerry has covid. I hope he feels better soon.

>164 alcottacre: Life's too short. Happy you made the call, and go you for being so willing to unload stuff that's not working for you!

Sorry to hear about Kerry, and I hope all symptoms are mild!

>172 humouress: Thanks, Nina!

>173 richardderus: I am getting better at it, RD! Practice makes perfect, right?

>174 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

Hope Kerry's case is mild and that you don't come down with it.

>176 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori. He is really feeling rough today - and currently napping on the couch. I know that a lot of rest is the best thing for him!

hoping he feels better soon!

Stasia, so sorry that Kerry tested positive for Covid. I hope you don't get it. As for his age, I'm seven years older than he is, and while my bout lasted longer than I thought it should, I managed to overcome it just fine. Keep us posted!

>148 alcottacre: >150 alcottacre: I'm really sorry to hear this; I hope he'll recover fast and completely.

Editted to add: and you don't get it.

>178 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>179 Donna828: I hope that he gets over it like you did, Donna!

>180 ArlieS: Thanks on both counts, Arlie!

Finished today:

27 - Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman - This is the second entry in Kellerman's Decker/Lazarus series. In this one, Decker is moved temporarily to Homicide and is confronted by the deaths of 2 teenage girls, which reminds him of his daughter. In the meantime, he is also trying to balance his relationship with Rina; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

28 - Freiheit! The White Rose Graphic Novel by Andrea Grosso Ciponte - This was a recommendation from Madeline, who did a wonderful review of it on her thread (https://www.librarything.com/topic/337726#7725564); I was not aware of the White Rose movement at all, which surprised me. I was also surprised that the primary characters in the movement were all young people - all of whom paid the ultimate price for Freedom (Freiheit in German); Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) MIne

29 - The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne - Nonfiction; The true story of Hanagarne, who suffers from Tourette's syndrome (I have a BIL and a nephew who do as well) and how he learned to deal with it over the course of his life. The book is also about his love of books: "If I could bring my bed, expand the fitness room, and kick everyone out (of the library), I wouldn't need to pursue Heaven in the next world. I'd be there."; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

30 - Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala - Richard brought this book back to my recollection about a month ago and I finally got around to reading it. I could wish the book worked better for me - there is a lot of devastation and chaos here as would be expected in a war and at the end there is also some hope. Rather than making this a "no name" African country, I wish that we were given a specific time and place. I had a bit of a problem with the vernacular as well; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

New books in-house today:

I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson
Clown Girl by Monica Drake

Both of these are from Kim's Indie book list.

Ooh, you got me with Freiheit! The White Rose Graphic Novel. I had not heard of that GN.

>182 alcottacre: #30 oh dear! I'm sad it's not as impactful for you as it was for me...quite some time ago, though, I wonder if I'd love it as much on a re-read....

>184 msf59: Well, that is unusual. Normally it is the other way around!

>185 richardderus: Part of the problem for me, Richard, was that I wanted a specific place. I got no real sense of where I was, so to speak. I think I would have preferred to read about the experience as nonfiction rather than fiction.

Finished tonight:

31 - Madonna in a Fur Coat - My third book of the month for the Asian Authors challenge and one that I enjoyed overall. I would definitely read more of Ali's work as I found his prose perfectly lovely. He did a good job of setting the time and place and making me believe in Raif Efendi and his Madonna. It is a love story of sorts - more unrequited love than anything else though; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

>187 alcottacre: I am just starting it too, Stasia.

Any update on Kerry - I am keeping him (and you) in my prayers.

>188 PaulCranswick: I hope you enjoy it, Paul.

As far as Kerry goes, he feels better in the afternoon than he does in the morning, but by evening he is back to feeling terrible again. He told me today that he did not feel any worse today than he did yesterday.

>189 alcottacre: Good to know that he's not feeling worse. My niece and SIL in Seattle went down with suspected covid but were feeling better after three days.

>43 alcottacre: I am quite a long way through the St Mary's series and, whilst I quite enjoy them, I sometimes find the actions of the characters so frustrating.

>190 humouress: No, he is not feeling any worse, but I am. I am pretty sure I have COVID now too.

>191 meanderer: I understand that feeling, Tony. I think that the same can be said of pretty much any long running series.

>192 alcottacre: Oh, nuts, Stasia. I'm afraid it's probably inevitable when you're sharing the house with someone who has it, but I'm really sorry. Treat yourself with loads of care, OK?

>192 alcottacre: Oof. Hope you both get through it quickly.

First, get a test. Second, act like you have it, get more alcohol-based hand sanitizer, a zillion disposable masks, and hunker down. Sleep all you need to, you ain't workin' no more! And (someone who's had it twice speaking) nothing...no thing...will help more than sleep.

*smooch* see ya when we see ya, though occasional hello-theres are appreciated.

Oh, Stasia. So sorry to hear this. Listen to Richard!

Oh no Stasia. that is not good news. Please take care of yourself.

>192 alcottacre: Sorry to hear you are now ill as well Stasia. Follow RD's instructions >195 richardderus:.

>192 alcottacre: Oh bummer. Get well soon!

Stasia, I hope both of you recover quickly. Take a test just to be sure.

I see you'll be reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena for my TIOLI challenge. I loved, loved, loved that book. It was such a hard book to read because of the time bouncing all over the place and its myriad cast of characters, but it was amazing. Good choice!

>182 alcottacre: >184 msf59: I actually got Freiheit! The White Rose Graphic Novel from Librarything Early Reviewer so thank Tim & Company and the publisher for my even having heard of that graphic novel! :)

Sending along my well wishes for a quick recovery for both you and Kerry, Stasia!

Oh, what cruddy news, Stasia. Hope it is a mild case. Keep us updated.

Thank you, everyone, for dropping by. I feel terrible and cannot seem to get warm at all. I just woke up from a nap and am going to take another. Not sure if I am going to get any reading done at all today!

Take care of yourself Stasia. Hope you recover quickly.

Oh, I’m so sorry you’re both ill - that’s rotten. Take care of yourselves (and each other)! Hoping for a speedy recovery.

>183 alcottacre: I certainly hope you like them!! I haven't read I Curse the River of Time yet so let me know what you think. Clown Girl is eclectic and I think I rated it a 3 star.

>189 alcottacre: "he feels better in the afternoon than he does in the morning, but by evening he is back to feeling terrible again." That's me!! Although I don't even really have a morning because I am sleeping in so late. Hope Kerry feels better soon. And me, too!

>192 alcottacre: NOOOO! I am so sorry you got COVID, too. I spent a lot of time in front of our gas fireplace because I was so frickin' cold. Also I kept a heating pad in bed with me. And I am (still) sleeping all the time. Take care. Best wishes to the both of you.

I hope it's a very mild case, and you bother recover promptly and completely. Meanwhile, take care of yourself. (I.e. rest.)

Dropping in to send healing vibes your way!

Feel better soon, Stasia. It takes awhile to get over the crud. Be good to yourself and drink lots of hot tea. I know you like it. I am more of a coffee drinker, but almost got hooked on lemon tea before bedtime.

Oh no! I hope you feel better soon, Stasia. Take care of yourself.

Finished today (in between naps, which was pretty much all day long!!)

32 - Sala's Gift by Ann Kirschner - Nonfiction; This is the remarkable (I can think of no other word) of Kirschner's mother, who was sent to 7 different labor camps throughout the course of WWII (3 in Germany, 3 in Poland, and 1 in Czechoslovakia) as a Jewish worker used to support the Nazi war cause. Throughout her time at the camps, she was allowed to correspond with her family and friends. She was able to hide her correspondence, for which she could have been killed, throughout her wartime experiences. The book is a look at Sala's correspondence and diary; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

OK, I am crawling back into bed now. . . Thank you all again for your good wishes!

I hope you and Kerry both get better soon!

>203 alcottacre: I hope today is better than yesterday!

Hi, Stasia.

>125 alcottacre:. I just finished Dancing at the Pity Party, the”dead mom memoir”, and it was really good. Occasionally I questioned the extent of her enthusiasm for her mother, but her voice is so genuine i almost felt ashamed for questioning it. Lots of good insights into dealing with grief, too.

You know how sorry I am, dear Stasia. When I thought about it, I was afraid that now is too soon for your booster to kick in. Prayers that you'll have a light case (whatever that means) and recover completely and quickly. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!!! Kerry the same!!!!!

I'm hoping it's a better day for y'all today.

So sorry to hear you're sick now, too, Stasia. Hoping you get lots of rest and that you and Kerry both feel better soon.

Today's update: Kerry is feeling a bit better, I am feeling worse. I just got up about an hour ago and am ready to go back to bed. I cannot seem to get warm again today.

To let you know how bad it is, I got books in both yesterday and today - and am feeling too bad to post the list.

So sorry that you’re feeling so bad, Stasia! All of us will be thinking of you and wishing you back to normal.

Karen O

>218 alcottacre: That is a horrible feeling when you have absolutely no energy and feeling so crummy. Sure hoping that with rest you will feel much better soon.

>218 alcottacre: *there there, pat pat*

You've got the books, that's what counts. Sleep thee well.

^Hope this will cheer you up a bit. This is from a few years ago. Me, my niece and a very lovely barn owl.

>218 alcottacre: "am feeling too bad to post the list." We can wait. Sleep is your friend.

Finished tonight - in between naps again (the longest of which was 5 hours long! Yuck):

33 - The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - This semiautobiographical book is one of those in which not a whole lot happens, but I loved the magic of it anyway. Six-year-old Sophie has lost her mother and goes to spend the summer with her grandmother on an island off the coast of Finland. That is the entire plot of the book and yet it hides so much. The grandmother and Sophie have a budding relationship that continues to bloom over the course of the summer and this book explores their relationship. The word for this book is "lovely."; Recommended (4.25 stars) Mine

Please take good care of yourself dear lady. Rest up, take plenty of fluids, keep warm and don't bother about us lot for the time being. All your friends will be waiting here on the acre rooting for you and praying for both you and Kerry to make full and speedy recoveries.

xx

Stopping by again to check on you and Kerry. Sending you both healing vibes. Take it easy. Hoping you both will be fully recovered soon.

Wishing you both health and a speedy recovery Stasia.

>224 alcottacre: That sounds like a very comforting, feel-good story.

>224 alcottacre: You are the only person I know beside me and my Hubby who has had the sleep-a-lot/shiver version of COVID. It does get better!! He's over it and I am down to one hour naps (vs. the 5 hour kind you are having and I had). Hang in there, both of you! : )

>225 PaulCranswick: >226 SqueakyChu: >227 humouress: Thanks, Paul, Madeline, and Nina!

>228 Berly: The shivering finally seems to be gone, Kim, but the sleeping a lot remains. I had a 4 hour nap this morning and a 2 hour nap this afternoon already. Kerry is doing much better today, although he is still napping too. I am about 3 days behind in the cycle and am not to the doing better point yet.

>229 alcottacre: Keep going on the "doing better" as we want both you and Kerry fully healthy again!

>229 alcottacre: Sleeping is surely part of the body's recovery mechanism, Stasia. Kerry is demonstrating the path and the fact that there is a "cycle" (but not a cycle path for this mixer of metaphors) and should give more than a little comfort.

>230 SqueakyChu: I echo exactly what Madeline said so nicely.

>231 PaulCranswick: Oh, I know I need the sleep, Paul. I just do not have to be happy about it!

My in-between naps reading for today:

34 - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak - This is the fourth book I have read this month for the Asian Authors challenge. It is the second book I have read in which the book opened with a corpse speaking to the reader. I am wondering if this is a common Turkish book opening? Anyway, this story of Tequila Leila and her life I found very interesting. It is slower in parts than others, but I was OK with that. I appreciated the approach of the author in treating each of the 5 friends individually; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

35 - The Italian Boy by Sarah Wise - Nonfiction; This is one of those books that, while the story was interesting, the author tried to add too much to it - to the point where it felt like padding. She took off on tangents that had nothing to do with the crime, its victim, or its perpetrators. Yes, some background in Victorian England the the Burke and Hare crimes is probably necessary, but information dumps about everything going on at that time are not. Had the writer stayed more on target, this book would have been a better read for me; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

>233 alcottacre: I’m glad you liked 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World better than I did. It drives me crazy when a novel is not linear, but rather goes into separate chapters for different characters! It was indeed a strange book so the title was apt! :)

Wishing you a speedy recovery from the COVID Stasia.

Just checking in to see if my buddy and loved ones are continuing on the mend?

That pesky virus cannot slow down all the books being finished on the Acre.

Get well soon. xx

I'm pleased to see you posting once in a while, Stasia! That means you're feeling uncrummy enough to focus and do the thinking about your reads. *whew*

Have a lovely weekend ahead's reads, and keep sleeping. *smooch*

Hi Stasia!

I saw “Stupid COVID” on the Health thread, and rushed over here to catch up and see what’s going on.

>150 alcottacre: Oh no! Stupid boss indeed. I’m so sorry.

>192 alcottacre: Oh no. I can hardly imagine your NOT getting it with Kerry’s having it, no matter how careful you were.

>200 SqueakyChu: I, too, loved A Constellation of Vital Phenomena when I read it in October of 2014.

>233 alcottacre: I gave 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World 4 stars. I am amazed at how much reading you’re getting in with COVID.

Well, after a mere 13.5 hours of sleeping with no breaks, I am up. Unlike previous days in which I was sleeping 4-5 hours and then up for a while, I just kept sleeping last night. Is that a good sign? I hope so! Thank you all for checking in on me!

>239 alcottacre: Sounds like your body had a good rest...and you are most likely recovering. Yay! Keep it up! You and Kerry!!

Kerry is feeling much better today. He even went out of the house to run a couple of errands. On the other hand, I feel like death warmed over. I guess my body just needed a lot of sleep. However, I have TIOLI challenges to finish up! Doesn't it know this??

>241 alcottacre: At least it has, thus far, spared your sense of humour, Stasia.
You'll be fine in a day or two - especially with people literally all over the world rooting for you.

>242 PaulCranswick: When I die, Paul, I hope my sense of humor is the last thing to go :) I am hoping to be back to being slightly alive by Sunday. Kerry started with this last Saturday and today was feeling better, so it took 6 days. I started with it on Tuesday, so I am hopeful of being well by Sunday. I will be heading to bed early tonight - again!

>243 alcottacre: I hope that is an immeasurably long time hence, Stasia - I don't want to be bereft of all my pals here. xx

Roll on Sunday and a recovered Stasia.

Before I head to bed tonight:

36 - 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman - Nonfiction; I enjoyed this look at the immigrant experience through the foods that were traditional to their individual cultures. The families discussed in this book are really just representatives as lengthy biographies of the individual families are not the point. Ziegelman uses them as touch points to introduce the cuisines of Germany, German Jews, Russian Jews, Italians, and the Irish. There is a lot of sociology in the book as well as the author discusses the ups and downs of the immigrant experiences. If you would like a look into the immigrant experience as viewed from the kitchen, this is a good book for that; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

Many thanks to Benita again for sending me the book for Christmas 2021!

>244 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>241 alcottacre: However, I have TIOLI challenges to finish up! Doesn't it know this??

I know!! That's why you have to beat this thing soon. So glad to hear that Kerry is feeling much better. You're next to feel much better!

>241 alcottacre: Checking the TIOLI challenges I noticed you made a sweep (read a book in each challenge) again, Stasia, congratulations!
I hope you feel better soon.

I hope you wake up feeling much better, Stasia. Very unfortunate you had to go through this.

>248 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita!

>249 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I am feeling somewhat better this morning.

OK, I am still not well, but I am decidedly better this morning than I have been for the past several. Better enough that I am finally going to post the books that I have received this past week:

The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear
Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, and Sanditon and Other Stories by Jane Austen
An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton
The Dutch House and This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor - the last book in the trilogy
A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit
Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane
The Bell in the Lake by Lars Mytting
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
This is Happiness by Niall Williams

Once again, I must say "Thank you" to all those who came by my thread while I have been sick. It has been wonderful to have all of your support! 75ers are the best!!

That first uninterrupted sleep is the corner-turning moment. You might get a few more disturbed sleeps, but they'll get less frequent. Keep feeling better!

>253 richardderus: Thanks, RD. I intend to "keep feeling better!"

So sorry to hear that you've been ill with COVID, Stasia--I'm glad you are somewhat on the mend. I'm impressed that you managed to keep checking in with posts about your reading throughout. Take care!

I hope you're feeling better today, Stasia.

>255 AnneDC: Lots of naps in between, Anne :)

>256 karenmarie: I am, Karen, thanks for checking.

Now, off to nap again. . .

Glad you seem to have turned the corner, Stasia!

Hooray for feeling better!

>245 alcottacre: That has been on my wishlist for a long time. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it. I feel that viewing most any subject "from the kitchen" is the way to go!

Here's hoping more rest and more books are just what you need to pull you through.

Glad you have turned the corner, and hoping you continue to rest and feel completely better soon!

Glad that you are feeling better! I am impressed by how much reading you've gotten to while feeling sick.

>258 katiekrug: >259 laytonwoman3rd:>260 >261 bell7: >262 banjo123: Thank you, Katie, Linda, London, Mary, and Rhonda. I feel better today than I have for the past several, so I am hoping that I am on a permanent upswing!

Hi Stasia. I’m glad you’re not letting Covid interfere too much with your reading life.

>251 alcottacre: The last three books on your list of acquired books were all “life-interrupters” for me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

It sounds like all that sleep is good for getting rid of Covid. I could hardly sleep because the coughing and headaches were so much worse when I laid down. But then I also didn’t have chills like you did. Whatever…I eventually got over it and you will, too. The sooner the better, right?

Glad to hear Kerry is pretty much well again, also that you are on the upswing.

I don't know how you keep reading while your ill Stasia, when I'm sick I can't even look at a book, let alone keep up with threads. That you can and keep your numbers up is impressive.

>264 Donna828: Nope, not even COVID comes between me and my books, Donna :) Good to hear that the books are so good! I look forward to reading them. I have had coughing and headaches, Donna, but it does not sound like mine were nearly as bad as yours. I am still sleeping a ton, although not like the marathon yesterday. I have had 3 naps already today though.

>265 fairywings: Thanks, Adrienne! I was not attempting to keep up with threads at all - and likely will not until I am completely well - but I refuse to let COVID or anything else keep me from reading. It is my full-time job now :)

I'm glad to hear you're getting over Covid. I hope you're feeling 100% real soon now.

Tomorrow expecting you to be fine, Stasia!

Speaking of reading:

37 - The Singapore Grip by J.G. Farrell - This is not a book to read when you have COVID. Luckily I was already 2/3 of the way through with it when I got sick. I even had to put the book down and take a nap before finishing it. The entire trilogy is just that good - you do not want to miss a word. It has taken me 10 years, but I have finally finished Farrell's Empire Trilogy - thanks to Bonnie for the reminder that I still had not read the final entry in the series. The book opens with a rather complacent Britisher who knows his place in the world, Walter Blackett, with his fortune-making rubber company, his wife, son and 2 daughters. And then Walter's world begins to change: his partner dies leaving his portion in the company of his son, who has not set foot in Singapore to this point; his daughter Joan is constantly seeking out the "wrong" sort of men; and Japan is set to invade Singapore. Farrell has a lot to say in this book and he says it. The colonial mindset of the British is not ignored at all. I cannot say how much I loved this book. There are so many myriad strands going on that Farrell, excellent author that he is, ties them altogether in the end; Highly Recommended (5 stars) Mine

I did not realize that Farrell was only 44 years old when he died of accidental drowning. That is such a blow to those of us who have read and loved this trilogy. Oh the books he still had in him!

>269 alcottacre: It is funny because I didn't really love it when I first read it and it was the first of his that I read (completely out of order) but it has stuck with me ever since and I appreciated much more what he was doing with the book reflecting upon it afterwards. Having lived a year in Singapore and it being a near neighbour for a couple of decades, I have a fondness for the place and its people.

Dear Stasia, what a time you've had! I'm so sorry and sincerely hope you're feeling better. I've heard that people can't even read (much like you in >203 alcottacre:), but you have finished an impressive number of books! I enjoyed your comments about The Singapore Grip. I also loved The Summer Book when I read it years ago, and I had seen 97 Orchard some years ago and forgotten about it. Need to add it to my list.

>251 alcottacre: Glad to hear you are beginning to feel better.

>270 PaulCranswick: I wonder how you would feel about it reading the book now, Paul. Do you think that your views would change for the better? To me, the mark of an excellent book is one that makes you think about it long after you finish reading it.

>271 AMQS: I am feeling better, Anne. Thank you! I hope you enjoy 97 Orchard if and when you get to it!

>272 ArlieS: Thanks, Arlie!