September 2022 Harvest Moon

I chose harvest moon cause when I see one it always reminds me of autumn and everything that goes with it. Its my favorite season, and its three months long, so you can choose books on fall holidays, or some aspect of fall that you especially enjoy. I have chosen books that just have a feel of autumn; a little bit scary and mysterious, a little gothic. School begins, animals start hibernating and its getting colder. lots of avenues you can take this. Looking forward to what you guys all decide to read!

Oh, I've got something similar in mind for the RandomCAT over in the Category Challenge!

A fall theme sounds good.

>3 cindydavid4: I'm hosting September and will post on 15 August.

most autumn themed books lists are horror or gothic. here are some that might work; scary but not nightmarish. Most of these are mysteries of sorts along with ghost stories and psychological thrillers, also some gothic. *YA but still fun

the picture of dorian gray

dr jekyll and mr hyde

frankenstien

the girl who drank the moon*

Pride and Prometheus this is a combination of Mary Bennets story with Frankenstien. Not as weird as you think its reallly a great story thats a bit spooky

the ocean at the end of the lane*

the sundown motel Simone St. James

coraline*

neverland

the haunting of maddy clare

the broken girls

october dreams a collection of stories by various writers

the legend of sleepy hollow

the night sister

the thirteenth tale

the haunting of hill house

rebecca

the end of october

the distant hours

when mockingbirds sing

we have always lived in a castle

the martian chronicles

the turn of the screw

picnic at hanging rock

the hazel wood

not that I could tell

by the light of the harvest moon*

a dark adapted eye

>2 MissWatson: add as you will!

>7 cindydavid4: I'm a little unclear--could you spell out the exact theme for September and put it in >1 cindydavid4: (the first message)? Thanks!

>8 kac522: I posted 'work in progress to get it set up in the thread. I haven't completely finished and will probably whittle down my suggested list a bit. But when I think of Harvest Moon I think of crisp cool air, falling leaves, apple and pumpkin pie, slowing down before the winter. What I am finding however are books that relate more to Octovber and horror. I don't want to go there but we can. Its reallly all up to you guys, how you want to interpret it. You can pick a book on the list or anothr book that makes you feel autumn. Does that help?

>9 cindydavid4: Thanks, I get it now. I'm thinking of reading The Fortnight in September by R. C. Sherriff.

I can't resist Pride and Prejudice spin-offs and I have one on my Kindle entitled Under a Harvest Moon by Sophie Lynbrook. I have another that I think would also work for this theme, At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier, so I will be reading one these two in September.

How about The Fantasy Worlds of Peter Beagle, an omnibus edition that includes Lila the Werewolf; The Last Unicorn; Come, Lady Death; and A Fine and Private Place?

oh yes!!!! Actually A Fine and Private Place is my fav of his; Ive read the others in that collection, they would all do just fine

I noticed he has a collection of short stories that Id like to read. we never talk about my brother "he extraordinary stories in this new contemporary fantasy collection show a mature, darker side of the author of The Last Unicorn in modern parables of love, death, and transformation shadowed lightly with melancholy." a dance for Emilia looks good too

>13 cindydavid4: Thanks! For some reason, I've never read anything at all by him, notwithstanding that I do read a fair bit of fantasy. That's the only volume of his that I've got and I deliberately got it for its omnibus nature. Unicorn seems to be such a classic that I can't believe I've never read it, and Fine and Private seems like a must-read too.

Just saw this. shocked and saddened but pleased he got back his property Peter Beagle, Author of ‘The Last Unicorn,’ Is Back In Control

After losing control of his intellectual property — including the book, a classic and a strong seller for decades — he has regained the rights, and is publishing again.

Also did not realize that he wrote a fine and private life when he was 19 years old! so young to have written such a poignant story!

I try to keep my reads for this group historical and, ideally also nonfiction. Most of what I'm finding is either Johnny Appleseed or Pilgrims or Thanksgiving. Much of it is picture books.

The more interesting ones to me are not really about Fall/Autumn, but about some event that happened in the Fall. :-) (Disaster, true crime...)

So, still thinking about this one.

I might try a short story by Truman Capote. Fiction, but historical. Set at Thanksgiving, but not sure how Autumn-y it is.
The Thanksgiving Visitor / Truman Capote

I may also (or instead) do a reread of
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow / Washington Irving

love the irving book!

dance for emilia story of two close friends. When one of them passes they experience unusual events, Sweet story, well written as usual. Would have liked it to have continued but I guess it was just fine in the end 5*

Well, I'm going to take a slightly different tack here and queue up The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster: The Great Gulf Hurricane of 1900 (by Al Roker & William Hogeland; narrated by Byron Wagner). The hurricane of Galveston is on record as having been one of the deadliest natural disasters in United States history and maybe (?) the first recorded super disaster. It made landfall on September 8 and, fits in with my idea of the Fall as being Hurricane Season.

A big part of why it was such a disaster was because warnings (from Cuba) were not passed on to Galveston and the information which was given drastically understated the power of the storm. Can't remember the name of the book which I read, but it was well written.

>20 Tanya-dogearedcopy: perfect choice! I

>21 cfk: read another book about that hurricane by Simon Winchester sounds like the same book, need to look up the title

Isaac’s Storm by Eric Larsen is about that storm, I think. It’s my favorite book of his.

As best I can remember, from long ago graduate school days, Northrup Frye in his Anatomy of Criticism associates autumn with tragedy. So maybe I’ll be rereading a Shakespeare tragedy or two or maybe a tragic novel. There are lots of choices, and I’m looking forward to this theme, now that I’ve chosen my approach. Just not in the mood for Halloween yet, September is still summer in Alabama.

>23 dianelouise100: Yes, it is really good.

I found this at the library: Autumn: A Season of Change by Peter J. Marchand. Speaking of change, I always look at September as a new start. I found this lovely quote by Wallace Stegner:

“That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air . . . Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year’s mistakes had been wiped clean by summer.”

>23 dianelouise100: that's it!

Welp, I finished my hurricane book early!

The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster: The Great Gulf Hurricane of 1900 (by Al Roker & William Hogeland; narrated by Byron Wagner) - A mix of both expository & narrative non-fiction, the beginning chapters set up the factors that played into one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, the hurricane that pretty much wiped out Galveston, TX in 1900. Al Roker is an American weatherman who duly describes some meteorological things that went above my head sometimes, but I think that really says more about me than what his accessible writing style proves to be in the latter parts. The subsequent sections of the book adroitly relate the accounts of people who managed to survive the storm.

If I can make time for a re-read of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet (by David Mitchell), it will probably be at the end of September. The last time I read it was was when it first came out, and in print. This time I might go for the audio version.

>26 marell: I like that idea; its also the time of the High Holy Days, when jews consider their past year, the mistakes, the regrets, the blessings and pause to see what they can change next year.. Always loved the tradition of asking forgiveness of others for any wrongs, before they can go to god for forgiveness.

>28 Tanya-dogearedcopy: love Mitchells books, and thats a good one.

>29 cindydavid4: Yes, indeed.

>24 dianelouise100: I can relate to equating autumn with tragedy. That's basically how I feel about it. I'm not sure what I'll read for this month. Will have to scan my shelves.

Well there was certainly a human made tragedy that happened in the Ukraine in September 80 years ago, That month, during Rosh Hashanah the Nazis rolled through killing 100,000 jews, throughout the region. My grandparents had emigrated from the area and later learned that their entire familes were wiped out. I know many of the stories, told to me by survivors. I thought I might do homage to them all by reading Like a River from Its Course I know it will be a emotionally difficult read, but I will try.

Reading we never talk about my brother a short story collection by Beagle. Im finding as usual excellent writing with that mystical style you find in all of his work. I think my fav so far is the unicorn tapestries. He always loved visiting the Cloisters as a child and spending long periods looking at them He writes the story of the hunt from a young boys perspective. really quite beauiful and haunting very much invoking autumn

Thinking also of reading Autumn Ali Smiths first book in her Seasons series. I loved Companion Piece and this looks like a good book to read for this theme

I searched my shelves for something related to autumn and came up with a book in the Wexford mystery series. The Babe in the Wood is set in autumn, there's so much rain that there's flooding and the weather is a major part of the story.

Peter Beagle has a story that is perfect for autumn. Wanted to share it with you all The tale of Junko and sayuri

I read Starting Over by Jack Sheffield, which is set in Ragley, a small English village in the 1950's. Although it is primarily the story of Lily Briggs, a new teacher at the village school, other characters play an integral part of the story. In a way it is like Miss Read books, but includes more about the cultural values and strictures on women in the time period. I was surprised to find that my copy is autographed and inscribed by the author.

>33 cindydavid4: I was interested when you mentioned Like a River from its Course and thought I would glance at it on my next trip to the library. Well, the first few pages, which take place during the bombardment of Kiev on the day Hitler invades Russia (June 22, 1941), hooked me and the book came home with me. It was an engrossing read, though much of it was painful to get through. The characters and their interactions were so real to me, the sympathetic, often heroic, ones and the inhuman, disgusting ones, as well. Their stories over the course of the war, are compelling, and the book’s main theme, I think, is how survivors’ lives are changed forever. All of the characters are dying in this story in one way or another—physically, emotionally, spiritually—and for some there is redemption. For me the story perfectly fit the melancholy, tragic mood of autumn.

thanks for that review. I will try to read it. I also have the newly translated Yizkor book from Saryna to go through. sigh.

Finished we never talk about my brother, a really excellent collection of stories that definitly fit the sept autumn feel. Think my fav story was the tale of junko and sayuri. My only complaint was that this edition's print is very small, esp on the introductions to each one. Needed a magnifying glass for heavens sakes.Just weird but worth it I guess

>41 cindydavid4: I’ve been reading about this book a lot lately and began reading a library copy a couple days ago. I’m allowing myself one story a day while I’m also reading a book with a deadline, and today’s story is the one you mentioned! I’ve enjoyed the stories I’ve read, this is my first book by this author.

Follow this up with a fine and private place, overneath is another collection of short stories, and and if you are into fantasy, the innkeepers song and the last unicorn are fun.

now reading autumn by Ali Smith

Finished up The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith. Urban fantasy set in NYC in 1911, and the main story actually starts in September! And there's definitely an "historical novel" feel to it, with working class girls and young women.

ETA: Just started Stephen King's Fairy Tale. Have to wait and see how suitable it is for this month's theme.

>45 CurrerBell: I know he did a couple of fantasy - loved eye of the dragon will have to look for that one too.

>46 cindydavid4: Just published September 6. It's going at 30% off in B&N stores, at least when I bought it. I've never gotten into King (not a big horror fan, though I love Maine). Stumbled across it browsing at B&N and bought it on impulse because of my fantasy interest.

Wow, reading the synopsis, this looks like something I might enjoy. Lemme know what you think

autumn is an amazing book, perfect for this thread. You have to be patient with her expermenting, it will all start coming together soon. I have underlined so much of this book with quotes I want to remember but I think what stopped me in my tracks

Its a question of how we regard our situations, dearest Dani, how we look and see where we are, and how we choose, if we can, when we are seeing undeceivedly, not to despair and at the same time, how best to act. Hope is exactly that, thats all it is, a matter of how we deal with the negative acts towards human beings by other human beings in the word,remembering that they are, we are all human, that nothing human is alien to us, the foul and the fair and that most important of all we;re here for a mere blink of the eyes, thats all.But in that blink theres either abenign wink or a willing blindness, and we have to know we're are equally capable of both. even when were up to our eyes in it. So its important, not to waste the time, our time, when we have it

also love how she sneaks in Pauline Boty's life and all that pop stuff from the early 60s so seemlessly. This will be a book I will be rereading.

I have completed my read of Under The Harvest Moon by Sophie Lynbrook which is a light version of Pride and Prejudice that takes place over the course of one evening at the Harvest Dance being held at Netherfield.

Well, I just finished a fun science fiction pulp paperback novel published in 1975 that has, really, nothing to do with the current topic except that its title is Falling Toward Forever. I'm basically just using that as an excuse to drop in and say hi and to thank folks for the interesting posts here. Cheers!

>51 rocketjk: hee, the title fits, so there is that. you never need an excuse to drop in of course. and you are welcomed; Ive been having fun participating so many interesting threads. Its why I love talking books here, and why Ive been a bit bored with my RL book groups.

>48 cindydavid4: Just finished Stephen King's new Fairy Tale and I'll give it 4****. I'm a fantasy fan, though, and I don't know how horror fans might react to it. It tends to be somewhat episodic from chapter to chapter; but stylistically, that's the way it often is with "fairy tales." I'm not really that into King, despite my love for Maine, because I'm not that much a horror fan, so I really can't say how Fairy Tale compares with his horror classics.

Although I refer to Fairy Tale as a fantasy, it's definitely got horrific scenes in it. For example, one character suffers a severe cheek wound and has to hold his hand over his cheek so that the food doesn't spill out when he eats. I don't want to say anything more to avoid SPOILER.

It does start slow. Roughly the first third of the book's total 598pp is "suburban realism" (for want of a better term), but that's necessary to set the scene for the fantasy elements that follow.

Definitely fits this month's theme, I'd say, because the skies of the fantasy world are dominated by not not just one but two moons.

>53 CurrerBell: Definitely fits this month's theme, I'd say, because the skies of the fantasy world are dominated by not not just one but two moons.

Indeed! if we were to go that way, N.K. Jemisin has the killing moon a wonderful fantasy "n the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and among the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the Gatherers - the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe...and kill those judged corrupt." (goodreads review) would fit just fine as well!

The core mystery in "The Woman in the Library" was complex and well done. But overall, I found the book's structure confusing and distracting.
It was setup as a story within a story: an author writing a story about an author writing a story with herself as one of the characters. Plus another character critiquing the author's story.

The stories seemed to be set in summertime Austrailia (author 1) and autumn in Boston (author 2) which aburptly became sort of wintery. The originial setup for the murder was twisty and interesting at the same time that it setup the unique friendship of the four main characters.

I think I would have enjoyed it more without author 1's story, though her thread left me wondering about the ending of author 2's story.

I completed Living On One Acre or Less by Sally Morgan. I live on "more" and find this not to be really possible in regards to animals.

>56 Tess_W: Sounds like some other books I have read that just do not work for me although they sounded promising. Almost Amish: One Woman's Quest by Nancy Sleeth.

For me September means the beginning of school, so this month I read Early Days by Miss Read (2007). Dora Shafe Saint--aka Miss Read--is the author of many books, primarily contained in two series set in small English villages. One series, the Fairacre books, are told in the first person by Miss Read, who is the Fairacre village primary school teacher. The other series is set in the village of Thrush Green.

I've loved both series, and was so happy to find this short memoir, which is a combination of 2 shorter memoirs: A Fortunate Grandchild (1982) and Time Remembered (1986), published together in one volume as Early Days in 1995 and revised in 2007. The first book is a profile of Miss Read's grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles; and her early life in London until age 7. She loved her family, their homelife, visiting her grandparents, and seaside vacations in Essex. She hated London and her primary school--the noise, the crowds, the many children, and the strict school discipline were unhappy memories for her. Despite being an early reader, she did not thrive in school.

The second book begins with the Shafe family moving to the village of Chelsfield in rural Kent for her mother's health, and this memoir mostly covers her school experiences and country life from ages 8 until 11. As soon as she arrives in Kent, she feels immediately at home, and considers these years the happiest of her life. These memories are mostly about the country: the trees, flowers, birds and slower pace of life; and about her time in school, where (except for arithmetic!) she becomes a star pupil and comes to love learning, her teachers and her many school friends. From this part of the memoir, you can easily see how Miss Read's life in Kent influenced the love of the country village and school that are so wonderfully portrayed in her many books.

I enjoyed these memoirs; this small volume will be a keeper to re-visit again and again.

(2022 review; this is my 5th time reading in the past 10 years.)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow / Washington Irving
3.5 stars

Icabod Crane is a teacher in a village near “Sleepy Hollow”, where there is a legend of a headless horseman – a ghost of someone without a head who rides a horse; they say he was a soldier. Crane has a crush on young local beauty Katrina Van Tassel, but another man – a good-looking brawny practical joker – also has eyes for her. Even still, bookish Crane thinks he has a good chance with her. But he runs into trouble late at night after a party at the Van Tassels on his way home.

I’ve read this a few times before, usually around Halloween. I feel like I paid more attention this time, as I was at home without other distractions. I tend to gloss over descriptions, and this one is very descriptive, but I paid more attention today so I feel like I “noticed” more going on in the book in addition to the ending. Keeping my rating at “good”.

For my autumn reading, I picked up a mystery, The Babes in the Wood. It had a very atmospheric beginning as it started with autumn floods in Sussex. At first it was thought that three people missing had drowned but as the floods got worse, the police realized they had a probable murder on their hands. Autumn turned into winter, then spring before the solution was found.

Although the story didn’t spend much time in the season, flooding pretty much chimes with my feeling about autumn – soggy and miserable. Right now where I am, it’s making a liar out of me, giving us the last bit of summer weather but my description fits in other parts of Canada.

Ruth Rendel!!! .Im not a huge fan of mystery but Id read her in a heart beat. I am pretty sure I read that book and it works here - autumn leading into winter into spring, the moods and cycle of the seasons!

Gosh I just remembered mists of avalon the stori of king arthur through the eyes of the women in his life. The sequel wasn't bad either/ Lots of harvest moons and bon fires in this one

I have finished Chatterton Square which ends in September 1938 with the Munich Agreement. The coming war hangs over the story like an autumn cloud. It's also a wonderful story about two different families, one happy, one unhappy, and a strong friendship between two women.

>61 cindydavid4: It had been awhile since I read a Ruth Rendel. It was good to get back to her mysteries.

I've completed One Woman Farm by Jenna Woginrich. The book recounts her experiences on her 6 acre farm from the first October through the next October.

oh my, that sounds interesting. Howd you like it?

btw anyone else see that harvest moon last night?

>66 cindydavid4: I did notice it. And just looked out my window again just now, and it's pretty impressive tonight, too. :-)