labfs39 wanders the world of words pt. 4

Currently Reading


The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa


A Dictionary of Maqiao by Han Shaogong, translated from the Chinese by Julia Lovell

Books Read in 2024

January
1. Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein (F, 3.5*)
2. The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata, translated from the Japanese by J. Martin Holman (TF, 3*)
3. The Seventh Cross by Anna Seghers, translated from the German by Margot Bettauer Dembo (TF, 3.5*)
4. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (SF, 4*)
5. Chekhov by Henri Troyat, translated from the French by Michael Henry Heim (TNF, 4.5*)
6. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (F, 5*)
7. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (SF, 3*)
8. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker (NF, 4*)
9. Minor Detail by Shibli Adania, translated from the Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette (TF, 3.5*)

February
10. Peter Duck by Arthur Ransome (F, 3*)
11. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated from the Japanese by Eric Ozawa (TF, 3*)
12. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (SF, 3.5*)
13. Mãn by Kim Thúy, translated from the French by Sheila Fischman (TF, 3.5*)
14. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard (NF, 3*)
15. The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov, translated from the Russian by John French (TF, 4*)
16. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (SF, 3.5*)

March
17. My Vietnam, Your Vietnam: A Dual Memoir by Christina Vo & Nghia M. Vo (NF, 3*)
18. Grass Soup by Zhang Xianliang, translated from the Chinese by Martha Avery (TNF, 4*)
19. Tinkers by Paul Harding (F, 3.5*)
20. Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang (YANF, 3.5*)
21. Feather in the Storm: A Childhood Lost in China by Emily Wu and Larry Engelmann (NF, 4*)
22. Network Effect by Martha Wells (SF, 4.5*)
23. Hungry Ghosts: Mao's Secret Famine by Jasper Becker (NF, 3.5*)

April
24. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (SF, 3.5*)
25. Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikötter (NF, 4*)
26. Apeirogon by Colum McCann (F, 4.5*)
27. System Collapse by Martha Wells (SF, 4*)
28. A Faraway Island by Annika Thor, translated from the Swedish by Linda Schenck (TYA, 4*)

May
29. Half of Man is Woman by Zhang Xianliang, translated from the Chinese by Martha Avery (TF, 3.5*)
30. When We Were Colored by Clifton L. Taulbert (NF, 3*)
31. The Lily Pond by Annika Thor, translated from the Swedish by Linda Schenck (TF, 3*)
32. Eastbound by Maylis De Kerangal, translated from the French by Jessica Moore (TF, 4*)
33. Bitter Herbs by Marga Minco, translated from the Dutch by Jeannette K. Ringold (TYA, 4*)
34. Village School by Miss Read (F, 2.5*)

Short Stories

See the previous thread for list of Chekhov stories read in January.

1. The Victim by Junichirō Tanizaki, translated by Ivan Morris
2. Rome 16 October 1943 a visual adaptation by Sarah Laing of a short story by Giacomo Debenedetti

Anton Chekhov, translated by Constance Garnett
3. The Trousseau
4. An Inquiry
5. Fat and Thin
6. A Tragic Actor
7. A Slander
8. The Bird Market
9. Choristers
10. The Album

Book Club
✔January: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
✔February: This Other Eden by Paul Harding
March: The Lone Winter by Anne Bosworth Greene
✔April: Apeirogon by Colum McCann
May: The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison
June: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Holocaust Literature
1. Rome 16 October 1943 adaptation by Sarah Laing, original story by Giacomo Debenedetti
2. A Faraway Island by Annika Thor
3. Bitter Herbs by Marga Minco

Nobel Laureates
1. The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata

Graphic Stories
1. 1. Rome 16 October 1943 adaptation by Sarah Laing, original story by Giacomo Debenedetti

In French

Reading Globally

Books I've read in 2024 by nationality of author (a tricky business):

American: 13 (7 in Murderbot series)
Canadian: 1
Chinese: 4
Dutch: 2
English: 2
French: 1
German: 1
Irish: 1
Japanese: 2
Kyrgyz: 1
Palestinian: 1
Russian French: 1
Swedish: 2
Vietnamese American: 1
Vietnamese Canadian: 1

Check out my Global Challenge thread, labfs39 reads around the world, for a look at a cumulative list since around 2010. And I've broken out the US by state in my labfs39 tackles the states thread.

Book stats for 2024

I am trying to promote diversity in my reading and, for the lack of a more refined method, am tracking the following:

books:
total: 34 (9 in 2 series)
countries: 14
translations: 13 (38%)
in French:
nonfiction: 10 (30%)

Authors:
women: 19 (58%)
men: 13 (42%)
both: 2
nonbinary:

nonwhite and/or non-European/US/British Commonwealth: 11 (33%)
new to me authors: 18 (52%)

Genres:
literary fiction: 13
contemporary fiction: 1
children's fiction: 1
young adult: 4
science fiction: 7
biography/memoir: 6
history: 3
medical history: 1

TIOLI Challenges

May
Challenge #3: Read a book with a girl's name in the title
The Lily Pond
Challenge #5: Read a book that you acquired in 2024
When We Were Colored
Challenge #6: Read a book that poses a new question or answers a question already posed
Bitter Herbs
Village School
Challenge #10: Read a book with first person narration
Half of Man is Woman
Challenge #13: Read a paper book
Eastbound

Hold

Unread E-Books

2022
North to Paradise: A Memoir by Ousman Umar
Where the Desert Meets the Sea by Werner Sonne
American Seoul: A Memoir by Helena Rho
Light to the Hills by Bonnie Blaylock
Local: A Memoir by Jessica Machado
This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear
The Singing Trees by Boo Walker (accidental purchase)

2023
Bird of Paradise by Ada Leverson (public domain)
The Limit by Ada Leverson (public domain)
The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Kamusari Tales Told at Night (Forest Book 2) by Shion Miura
Where Waters Meet by Zhang Ling (First Reads)
The Wren and the Swordfish Pilot by Stella Hutchinson (First Reads)
Elizabeth's Star by Rhonda Forrest (First Reads)
The Lost Girl from Belzec: A WW2 Historical Novel, Based on a True Story of a Jewish Holocaust Survivor by Ravit Raufman
Ester and Ruzya: How My Grandmothers Survived Hitler's War and Stalin's Peace by Masha Gessen
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré (First Reads)
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Guernsey Saga: The moving story of one English family under Nazi occupation by Diana Bachmann (First Reads)
Journey To The Heartland by Xiaolong Huang (First Reads)
Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino (First Reads)
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
Scorpio by Marko Kloos (First Reads)
Freydis by Gunhild Haugnes (First Reads)

2024
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. Wells
The Lone Winter by Anne Bosworth Greene (book club selection, public domain)
The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World by Kati Marton
Operation Columba—The Secret Pigeon Service: The Untold Story of World War II Resistance in Europe by Gordon Corera
The Tiger in the Attic by Edith Milton
Lovers at the Museum (short story) by Isabel Allende (First Reads)
Cut and Thirst: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood (First Reads)
A Light through the Cracks: A Climber's Story by Beth Rodden (First Reads)
The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
To Keep the Sun Alive by Rabeah Ghaffari (First Reads)
The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel (First Reads)

Books to read on Chinese history:

famine (1958-1962)
Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikötter (rec by mabith and Sassy)
Hungry Ghosts by Jasper Becker (rec by mabith)
Tombstone: The Great Chinese Famine 1958-1962 by Yang Jisheng (rec by SassyLassy)
The corpse walker : real life stories, China from the bottom up by Liao Yiwu (rec by SassyLassy)

general
The Gate of Heavenly Peace: The Chinese and Their Revolution, 1895-1980 by Jonathan Spence
The Search for Modern China by Jonathan Spence
Leaden Wings by Jie Zhang (rec by Eliz_M)
Zhou Enlai : the last perfect revolutionary by Wenqian Gao (rec by SassyLassy)
Red Star Over China: The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism by Edgar Snow (rec by dchaikin)
Maoism: A Global History by Julia Lovell (rec by wandering_star)
Quotations of Chairman Mao aka Little Red Book

memoirs/bios
Grass Soup by Zhang Xianliang
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang (rec by mabith, rec by cindydavid4)
Big Sister, Red Sister, Little Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China by Jung Chang (rec by mabith)
No Wall Too High: One Man's Daring Escape from Mao's Darkest Prison by Xu Hongci (rec by lilisin)
Bullets and Opium: Real-Life Stories of China After the Tiananmen Square Massacre by Yiwu Liao (rec by lilisin)
A Chinese Life by Li Kunwu (graphic novel) (rec by avatiakh)
Feather in the storm : a childhood lost in chaos by Emily Wu (on shelves)
No tears for Mao : growing up in the Cultural Revolution by Niu-niu (on shelves)
Colors of the mountain by Da Chen (on shelves)
Chinese Lives: An Oral History of Contemporary China by Zhang XinXin (on shelves)
Red Scarf Girl : A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang (on shelves)
The Private Life of Chairman Mao by Zhisui Li (rec by wandering_star)
1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows by Ai Weiwei (rec by rocketj)
A Gang of One by Fan Shen (rec by BLBera)
Red Azalea by Anchee Min (rec by RidgewayGirl)

earlier
Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang (on shelves, rec by mabith)
Two Years in the Forbidden City by Princess Der Ling (rec by lilisin)

WWII and Communist Revolution
Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45 by Barbara W. Tuchman
The Long March: The True History of Communist China's Founding Myth by Sun Shuyun
The Women of the Long March by Lily Xiao Hong Lee
Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945 by Rana Mitter

historical fiction
A Dictionary of Maqiao by Shaogong Han (on shelves)
Half of Man is Woman by Xianliang Zhang (on shelves, rec by Eliz_M)
Naked Earth by Eileen Chang (rec by SassyLassy)
Raise the red lantern : three novellas by Tong Su (on shelves, rec by steven03tx)
Nanjing Requiem by Ha Jin (on shelves)
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck (on shelves)
The Concert by Ismail Kadare (rec by SassyLassy)

Peripheral
Prison Diary by Hồ Chí Minh (rec by LolaWalser)

I should have started a new thread May 1, but better late than never. Thanks for following along so far!

Happy new thread, Lisa. The nationality of the authors is tricky, isn't it? I am inspired by your reading internationally as well as the reading in translation.

Enjoy your new thread, Lisa, as will, I'm sure, we all. Cheers!

Happy New thread! What wonderful reading you have done this year, and we're only halfway through.

Happy New Thread, Lisa. I hope you had a nice Mother's Day. Congrats on seeing your FOY hummer. I have had a couple of quick glimpses but not seeing a regular visitor yet. As a matter of fact, my feeders have been pretty quiet the past few days.

>14 rocketjk: Thanks, Jerry.

>15 rv1988: I'm happy with the quality of my reading this year, though the quantity is a little lacking. Hopefully I will read more this summer than last, but the garden is always a time sink.

>16 msf59: Thanks for journeying over to Club Read, Mark. I am making new "nectar" for my hummingbird feeder now. My feeders have been busy with tons of goldfinch, but I also had my first of season rose-breasted grosbeak, which I was excited about. They are so pretty. I hear lots of Eastern Phoebes in the morning, but they don't come to the feeder. I need to get some meal worms for egg season.

Eastbound by Maylis De Kerangal, translated from the French by Jessica Moore
Published 2012, English translation 2023, Archipelago Books, 127 p.

Two people meet on a train and despite not sharing a language recognize the desperation in each other and form a bond. Aliocha is a teenage conscript headed for a Siberian training camp with his troop. Desperate to escape before reaching his destination, he turns to a foreign woman for help. Hélène had come to Siberia with her lover, but boards the Trans-Siberian train one night with only one thought—escape. As the train moves relentlessly onward toward the east, the tension mounts between the protagonists and between them and the world.

This small novel is incredibly well-crafted. From the start I was drawn in and became increasingly anxious for Aliocha. It was a little harder to inhabit Hélène's mind, as her motivations are not as well-drawn, but the relationship between the two highlights a shared humanity that I found moving. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in a single sitting. Highly recommended.

>18 labfs39: I’m so glad that you enjoyed this little book Lisa. It has a sort of magic and yes it’s captivating.

>19 kjuliff: I knew it was a book I wanted to read when I saw it on the Archipelago list of books for 2024, but your review confirmed that I had to get to it sooner rather than later. I'm glad I did.

>20 labfs39: I saw it reviewed in The NY Times Deserting the Russian Army on a Train Full of Soldiers by By Ken Kalfus last year, but I think even before that a LT member mentioned it. I was amazed at how well it was translated.

Interestingly, I know a little Spanish now so I really appreciated Jennifer Croft’s translation of The Woman from Uruguay. I think she won a Booker prize for her translation of Flights. In the Uruguay book the difference between Argentinian and Uruguayan Spanish was referenced several times, so my rudimentary Spanish came in handy.

I would love to be a translator. I think that’s what enticed me into computer programming as a second career choice - translating from English to computer languages. In any case I am even more encouraged to expand my Spanish now - so many books I’d love to read in their original.

—Edited to fix spelling error

I realize I haven't had the opportunity to make a comment yet on your reading but just wanted to let you know that I always read through your thread. Your Chinese reading has been particularly fun to follow as that is also my current topic of interest (although I scatter my reads more than you do). I'm currently reading a memoir that could end up on your list.

>21 kjuliff: I admire polyglots and translators immensely. Good for you for continuing to develop your Spanish skills. Every year I pledge to brush up my French, and every year I seem to put it off.

After reading your review, I put Woman from Uruguay on my list.

>22 lilisin: Thanks for popping up to say hello, Lilisin. Which memoir are you reading? My list seems to grow two books longer for every book I read and cross off!

Next up


The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated from the Arabic

I read the first few pages of this Early Reviewer book this morning and can't wait to get back to it. The opening scene reminds me of Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal, one of my favorite books, with the protagonist in bed surrounded by stacks of stolen books.

Because of his new job, he knew about the maladies caused by books—in fact, he had started to display some of the symptoms: metaphors cropping up in his head; persistent ache in his upper back; stealing books involuntarily; compulsive late-night reading by candlelight even when the power went out...

>24 labfs39: Sounds nice! I’m usually wary of books about books, but that quote is intriguing. And I like the cover.

>24 labfs39: I have that one on my "read soon" shelf as well. The first few pages are promising.

>25 FlorenceArt: I’m usually wary of books about books

I have become more so, after a few bombs set in bookstores. This one seems like it might be a good one though.

>26 BLBera: I'll look forward to your impressions, Beth. I hope to sit down with it tonight.

Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday that my oldest niece, now 7, learned to read. Yesterday she sat down with a juvenile version of Oliver Twist and when she finished, asked if there was a sequel. I love it!

>18 labfs39: I happened to come across this very edition of Eastbound in the library today. What a beautiful little book! I didn’t want to put it back. I headed off to the French section to see if they had it there, but no luck. I’ll keep an eye out for it.

>28 labfs39: How lovely! You’ll have to remember that one to tell it to her when she’s grown up. Asking for more of Oliver Twist. Smart kid!

>24 labfs39: Have requested this from the library as I also liked Too loud a solitude. The title for the Bothayna book here is Guardian of surfaces.

>28 labfs39: Ooh how sweet. There are so many great books waiting for her.

>29 rachbxl: I love the feel of the Archipelago Books editions. The textured paper, French flaps, unique square size... I buy them whenever I see them. I bought Eastbound and a couple of others direct from the Press when Eastbound came out.

>30 kjuliff: Her dad told me tonight that when she showed him the book, he said, "Please sir may I have more," and she told him he could borrow the book. :-)

>31 avatiakh: Guardian of Surfaces makes a lot of sense as the title. I wonder what the original Arabic is? I'm about a third of the way through the book, and had so many post-it notes sticking out of it, that I stopped and wrote down the passages I wanted to remember. Fantastic writing (as far as I can tell from the translation) and may be my favorite book of the year so far. We'll see if the rest of the book can keep up with the beginning.

I've loved watching my niece learn to read and learn to love to read. There's something magical about the process.

I started watching a Chinese eight-episode series last night that is an official selection of the Canneseries. It's called To the Wonder and is based on an essay collection by Juan LI called "My Altay". It is visually very beautiful. It is set in Xinjiang amongst "Kazakh" herders. It's a region where the Uyghur are the native population, so while I love the scenery and glimpse into life in the Altay, I have to wonder what China is trying to say with this film. Is it a beautiful PR piece, or is it an insight into the Uyghur way of life? Has anyone else seen it? What did you think?

>10 labfs39: Happy new thread. You are very organized here. I also have A Thousand Ships on my unread ebook list. I'm not sure what's keeping me from reading it, other than other books. : )

Sorry I cannot lend any opinions or guidance toward your Chinese history reading endeavor but I wish you good luck. I did read Lady Tan's Circle of Women in 2023 and was impressed by it, especially for popular historical fiction.

>23 labfs39:
The memoir is Pingru Rao's Our Story: A Memoir of Love and Life in China. It's very simply written as he doesn't delve into politics and truly just writes about certain moments in the life of him and his wife. What makes the book lovely though is that the entire thing is filled with his illustrations. It's a quaint read, I'd say.

Thanks to Simone and Monica for prompting me to search for this one.



Bitter Herbs: A Little Chronicle by Marga Minco, translated from the Dutch by Jeannette K. Ringold
Copyright 1957, English translation 2020, 147 p.

Marga Minco was a young adult when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and she would lose her entire family in the ensuing Holocaust. She wrote pieces of this novel as short stories about her experiences, and in 1957 she put the stories in chronological order and published them as a novel. The book became very popular and acclaimed and was required reading in many schools in the Netherlands. In the novel she is roughly six years younger than she was in real life, but the incidents are based on her life.

Although told in a spare style without excess emotion, I found Bitter Herbs quite touching. The story of her and her brother going to various stores looking for good camping cups to take with them will remain with me.

>34 Ann_R: I'm not sure what's keeping me from reading it, other than other books. : )

Right? A good problem to have though. I'm making note of Lady Tan. I have not read anything by Lisa See in many years.

>35 lilisin: Our Story: A Memoir of Love and Life in China sounds interesting, Lilisin. I wonder if I'll be able to find it locally.

>31 avatiakh: The title for the Bothayna book here is Guardian of surfaces.

I'm from Portugal and the online bookstores that I use, they put the same cover with the title The Book Censor's Library, but on the actual title they put Guardian of Surfaces.
Anyway, one more book for my wishlist! *happy frustrated tears*

>38 dicentra8: I hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Inês.

---

A few titles I'm looking forward to from Archipelago Press:

Canoes by Maylis de Kerangal, author of Eastbound, Oct 1, 2024
Sister Deborah by Scholastique Mukasonga, author of Our Lady of the Nile, Sept 17, 2024
Children of the Ghetto: Star of the Sea by Elias Khoury, author of White Masks and Gate of the Sun, Sept 3, 2024
The Joyful Song of the Partridge by Paulina Chiziane, author of The First Wife, May 27, 2024

>39 labfs39: I've read another of Khoury's Children of the Ghetto series and it was excellent -- well-written and full of history and human experience. I've added this new one to my wishlist.

>41 labfs39: I didn't realize that there were other Children of the Ghetto books. Good to know.

>38 dicentra8: That's exactly the same in my library's catalog. It's still on order and we often get an Australian edition.

>36 labfs39: I read that some years back. My library's copy was the original Oxford Univeristy Press 1957 edition and the cover did nothing to entice you to read the book.

>42 avatiakh: This cover reminded me of The Girl in the Blue Coat, a book that is also set in the Netherlands during the war, but which I didn't like.



Edited to fix images

I just noticed that I have another book by Minco on my shelves, The Other Side, a story collection.

>44 avatiakh: I wonder if there is overlap between the two, since several of the stories comprising chapters in Bitter Herbs had previously been published as short stories.

Your list of Chinese books is tempting me to make that a focus of my reading again. There's just so much to read.

>43 labfs39: I’ve never heard of The Girl in the Blue Coat but the title would turn me off in the case of a WWII or Holocaust book. It’s just too glib for the subject matter. Maybe this is peculiar idiosyncrasy of mine but I’ve had it for years.

>46 mabith: My list is ever growing thanks to recommendations like yours. I've been picking off a few shorter non-Chinese books that have been begging to be read, but I hope to get to The Cultural Revolution soon. I feel like I've read enough about 1958-62 for now.

>47 kjuliff: I tend not to be as discriminating as I should be when it comes to Holocaust books. Plus my family knows I read in this area and often gift me books that mention the Holocaust on the cover. That's how I end up with books like Girl in the Blue Coat and The Tattooist of Auschwitz, both gifts.

I'm having a lousy day. I have a terrible cold and the book I was distracting myself with, The Book Censor's Library, has major printing errors in the second half. After page 242 things go haywire, with only every other page printing. Frustrating! It is an advance reading copy, but still. I posted a message on the Early Reviewer page to see what can be done. Has anyone else had this problem?

>48 labfs39: What was The Tattooist of Auschwitz of like? I’m probably over-discriminating about Holocaust books because of my upbringing and my connections with Jewish communities. I was taught by my parents to be very careful of books portraying the Holocaust as so many are inaccurate or romanticized. I was brought up when Australia actually had an official White Australia Policy. Jews were not allowed to hold positions on the Stock Exchange or join select clubs. Aborigines did not have full citizenship rights. My parents were active in an anti-Nazi, anti-racistb political organization during the war, and that organisation remained for some years after the war (after I was born) so I was politicalized at an early age.

I should add that my name Juliff is very close to “Juif” which is French for Jewish. You see it plastered over smashed Jewish shops in Germany in WWII. When traveling in North Africa I suffered discrimination at border stops and in hotels, especially when I was asked for my nationality. The word Australia, especially when pronounced by Australians (Straya) sounds like Israel. So I am over-sensitive in this area.

>50 kjuliff: I don't want to dismiss anyone's perspective, so I tend to read everything, but then end up disliking most of the based-on-a-true-story, sorta, kinda books. You can read my review of Tattooist of Auschwitz here.

>51 labfs39: A very sensible review Lisa. I won’t be reading the novel. The historical inaccuracy of getting the tattoo number incorrect is enough to turn me off.

I just finished All the Lovers in the Night where the main character is a proof-reader of books. I’d previously associated proof-readers with newspapers and editors with books. In All the Lovers the MC has to not only check spelling and grammar, but also geographic and biographic references - such as - is Street x a valid street, did explorer y start his expedition in year w, and so on.

I always find it strange when I come across obvious errors in historical fiction, though some errors are of more consequence than others.

BTW I highly recommend All the Lovers in the Night. It’s a most delightful book and I’m hoping to be well enough to review it soon.

>24 labfs39: I've placed the first hold on the copy of The Book Censor's Library that my library has ordered but not yet received.

>28 labfs39: Lovely story about your niece. I've been enjoying my grandkids' progress into reading.

>52 kjuliff: Here in the US a book would have both editors and proofreaders. There are purchasing editors and content editors, and once they are done, the galley goes to the copy editor, and finally proofreaders and fact checkers (sometimes the same person). The content editor helps with big picture problems, and the copy editor with flow, mechanics, and repetition. Once they give the clear it goes to a proofreader who catches typos, grammar errors, layout issues, etc. Sometimes there's an indexer too! I actually took some courses in editing once upon a time. Proofing was my favorite activity.

I'll look for your review of All the Lovers in the Night, I have been meaning to read something by Mieko Kawakami. It sounds like one I would like.

>53 Jim53: That makes sense Jim, as I have an advance readers copy. I think it was published April 30.

It's so fun to see the seven-year-old excited about what she's reading. The four-year-old is on the cusp of reading, but not quite there. How old are your grandchildren?

Since my copy of Book Censor's Library is misprinted, I've had to find something else to read. I felt crummy yesterday, so I went for something easy: Village School by Miss Read. A quiet description of life in the English countryside, published in 1955. Quite charming until I hit the occasional racial slur.

>54 labfs39: Thanks for the explanation of the roles of proof-readers and editors. I suppose I got my incorrect idea from an uncle who was a proof-reader for “The Truth”, a newspaper in Australia. The joke was that it was a trashy Murdoch tabloid, and he used to say the only thing true about was the grammar.

Yes I think All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami is a good book to start with. I tried her Heaven but have put it aside for now because I can’t handle the subject matter - bullying - though I am sure it’s an excellent book. Her Ms Ice Sandwich looks good too but isn’t available in audio yet.

I hope that you're feeling better today, Lisa.

I, too, love the feel of Archipelago books!

>56 kjuliff: Thanks, Kate, her works seem to be getting a lot of attention. I should read her sooner rather than later.

>57 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. Yesterday my sister was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection, but they didn't do a chest x-ray, which worries me after her lung embolism this past summer. My case seems to be milder, so I'm hoping to escape with just some cold symptoms.

I picked up the first two books in the Fairacre series last year, as I like to have an older British "cozy" novel for when I'm in the need for some gentle humor. Being ill the last couple of days, I thought this would do nicely.



Village School by Miss Read
Published 1955, 238 p.

I enjoy an older, cozy British novel from time to time, and in many ways, Village School did not disappoint. Our narrator, Miss Read, is a primary school teacher in a two-room schoolhouse in Fairacre, a village in the bucolic English countryside. Through her eyes we see the quiet doings of the villagers and especially the children both in school and out. Festivals, measles outbreaks, and choir practices enliven an otherwise placid atmosphere. I enjoyed escaping to a simpler world for a while. Unfortunately that world is also home to an undercurrent of gentile racism that was startling whenever it appeared. Because of it I was unable to truly enjoy the novel and won't be continuing on with the series.

I remember trying to read that book for the RRT Schooldays theme, and I couldnt do it either

>59 labfs39: Sorry to hear you’ve been unwell Lisa. I know what you mean about those comforting cozy English books. I haven’t read one of those for years. Now when I’m in need of gentle comfort I usually read a book by Narayan. His novellas and short stories never fail in the warmth and humor department.

Hope you get well soon.

>33 labfs39: Sounds right up my alley! I've ordered the book :-) Where did you watch the series?

>35 lilisin: Rao Pingru's Our Story: A Memoir of Love and Life in China is lovely!

>60 cindydavid4: It was disappointing, because otherwise I enjoyed the quiet descriptions and gentle humor.

>61 kjuliff: I'm woefully unfamiliar with Indian literature. I have not read anything by Narayan.

>62 Dilara86: I'll be curious as to your thoughts on the book. If it's good, I might look for it too. I watched the series by subscribing to iQiyi for a month ($5 USD). If you liked Galsan Tschinag's books, I think you will find it quite interesting and the scenery is gorgeous.

>58 labfs39: Yesterday my sister was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection, but they didn't do a chest x-ray, which worries me after her lung embolism this past summer.

From what I remember a simple CXR won't pick up a pulmonary embolus; a spiral CT scan or a V/Q (ventilation/perfusion) scan would typically be required. Is your sister on a blood thinner? If so that should make it less likely that she would develop a subsequent embolus, depending on the cause of the first one, although this is definitely extending at the edge of my comfort zone as a former pediatric hospitalist who has only seen a handful of patients with PEs. A good history and physical examination may also be adequate to rule out a PE, but I wouldn't hesitate to have her seen ASAP if she doesn't improve quickly or worsens.

>64 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I sent you a PM. I'm feeling better today, just a bit run down, so I think I escaped the worst of it.

Hooray! Abby says the publisher will send me a replacement copy of The Book Censor's Library. It is so good, I was dying to read the ending. In the meantime I'm a third of the way through The Door by Magda Szabó. Excellent writing although, if you are thinking of reading it, be forewarned of animal abuse.

>66 labfs39: I loved The Door and for some reason it always brings to mind Sylvia Plachy photography memoir: Self Portrait with Cows Going Home. I think it’s because Plachy spent her early years in Hungry, or maybe because of a photo she took of a dog. In any case I’m glad you are enjoying this book, and if you get a chance, check out Plachy’s photos if you haven’t seen them.

>63 labfs39: Thank you for the information about iQiyi - I'd never heard of this platform!
I should be receiving the book next month. Something to look forward to, as I do like Galsan Tschinag :-) And this reminds me of another book featuring ethnic minority characters in China (Mongolian in this case): The Black Steed by Chengzhi Zhang. The only review is rather lukewarm, but I liked it, although don't ask me for details - I don't remembers specifics, just a general feeling of enjoyment.

>66 labfs39: The Door is one of my favourite books!