Jennifer's (japaul22) Year of Rewarding Reading

Hi everyone! I’m Jennifer, a classical musician living in Northern Virginia with my husband and two little boys. I read a variety of classics, books off the 1001 books to read before you die list, contemporary literature, and nonfiction (mainly history and biographies).

This year I’ve decided to do my challenge a little differently. I've thought about what I really want to accomplish this year and it's getting back to classics and the 1001 books to read before you die list. When I first joined LT, I had no idea what to read in new fiction and had a very low opinion of it. Now I have many authors and awards I follow and love but my balance has shifted farther than I'd like it too. I normally read about 80-90 books a year, so I've picked 25 books of the 1001 books list and 25 books off the shelf that I'd like to get to. I also have a personal project of starting Proust this year so I have a category for that. And everything else - nonfiction, new releases, mysteries, comfort reads, etc. - will go in the final miscellaneous category. Let's see how this goes!

25 books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List

25 Books off the shelf

3 Proust and books about it

Unlimited miscellaneous (probably about 30 books based on past reading)

25 books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die List (25/25)

Goals:
Love in Excess
Balzac, Eugenie Grandet
The Charterhouse of Parma
Adam Bede
He Knew He Was Right
Zola, L'Assomoir
Bel-Ami by Maupassant
Jude the Obscure
Summer by Edith Wharton
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
All Quiet on the Western Front
To the North
The Radetzky March
Tender is the Night
Summer Will Show
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Under the Net
The Dispossessed
House With the Blind Glass Windows
The Diary of Jane Somers
The Radiant Way
The book about Blanche and Marie
Cider With Rosie
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Alternate Choices:
The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble
The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
Eline Vere by Louis Couperus
Everything That rises must converge by Flannery O'Connor
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Collector by John Fowles
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark

25 Books off the shelf (25/25)

Goals:
Iceland’s Bell
Lady Audley’s Secret
Deerbrook
School for Scandal
Butcher's Crossing or Augustus
The Reivers
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Hangsaman
Revolutionary Road
The Golden Child by Penelope Fitzgerald
Mr. Bridge
The Lacuna
Barbara Pym, Crampton Hodnet
How it all Began by Penelope Lively
The Vegetarian
The Road Home
A Change of Climate
Last 2 Cazalet novels:
Casting Off
All Change
Good Wives
The Book Thief
A Train in Winter
*Helen of Troy - abandoned and donated
Paradise
The Land of Green Plums

Substitutions (only other long-term on-the-shelf books):
The Glass Devil by Helene Tursten
Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
March by Geraldine Brooks
Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
A Misalliance by Anita Brookner
City of Thieves by David Benioff
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng
The Duke's Children by Anthony Trollope
Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym

3 Proust and/or books about it
Swann's Way
Within a Budding Grove
An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust
Sodom and Gomorrah by marcel Proust
The Captive by Marcel Proust

Everything else (about 30): rereads, new releases, gifts/new purchases, random library, TBR-list, non-fiction, recommendations

1. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (new release)
2. The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman (random library)
3. Seal Woman by Solveig Eggerz (random library)
4. Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey of an American Icon by Robin Gerber
(random library, nonfiction)
5. Ivory Vikings by Nancy Marie Brown (gift/new purchases)
6. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey (new release)
7. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti (recommendation)
8. The Wonder by Emma Donaghue (new release)
9. The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf (recommendation)
10. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin (recommendation)
11. The Observations by Jane Harris (on my mental list, library)
12. Middlemarch by George Eliot, read by Juliet Stevenson (reread)
13. The Siege by Helen Dunmore (TBR list)
14. The Vanishing Velazquez by Laura Cumming (LT rec)
15. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
16. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
17. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, (audio book, reread)
18. Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin, (nonfiction, library book)
19. Persuasion by Jane Austen, (audiobook, reread)
20. The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti (new release)
21. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (new release)
22. The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
23. Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (audio book)
24. Autumn by Ali Smith
25. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (audio book)
26. Outline by Rachel Cusk
27. Wait til Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin
28. Still Midnight by Denise Mina
29. The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan
30. Grant by Ron Chernow
31. The Sister by Poppy Adams

Possibles (just listed as reminders)
Helen Dunmore
Gail Jones
Penelope Lively
Heather O'Neill
Anita Desai
Misery

not needed

not needed

not needed

not needed

not needed

not needed

You've got some really interesting books lined up for next year and your challenge seems loose enough to allow you a certain amount of freedom. I.m looking forward to following along.

Looks like a great setup! I like the idea of using percentages or proportions to set up your challenge. Have fun picking from your various lists :)

I see a few books/authors I'm interested in also. So I suspect there will be a book bullet or two coming my way.

Nice plans. I hope you manage to read those books you are really keen on.

Great setup! So many promising books. I hope you get to all of them.

Good luck with your challenge! I've had The Lacuna on my shelf for way too many years too. Maybe you'll inspire me to finally read it.

Thanks everyone! I've already done a revamp to try to simply things. I really miss reading classics and was abysmal at reading off the shelf this year so I'm trying to fix that!

Wow - you're planning on reading 25 books from the 1001 list - that's awesome! I read 10 this year, which was my goal. I'm still considering how many I'm going to try for in 2017.

>19 LisaMorr: I was reading that many pretty easily for a while, but this year was abysmal. I think I got sidetracked by trying to read group reads of things I didn't really want to read and by making myself random challenges. This year I've decided to just read the books I really want to read whether they were on the list or not.

You've lots of interesting picks in your "goals" lists - looking forward to hearing about them as some are on my to-read list as well. :)

Using the challenge to get back to reading the classics and continuing with the 1001 book list sounds like good goals for 2017. I admit, I have never read anything by Proust so I will be paying particular attention to see what you read for that category.

I see you have those three Proust books all reserved. So you plan on reading one every 4 months then? I've had Swann's Way sitting around waiting to be read for a while now.

>21 -Eva-: Thanks! I hope I can stick to it and actually get to the majority of them!

>22 lkernagh: I'm so curious to start Proust - seems daunting, but I plan to just try it and see.

>23 The_Hibernator: I'm hoping to read the first three over the course of the year. I also have several books to read about reading Proust ;-). If I find that I can't keep up with even that slow pace, I'll use one of those spaces for one of those books.

Good luck with your challenge!

Good luck with your 2017 challenges! You're brave to list the books from your TBRs that you will tackle during the year. I could never keep to such a commitment. I hope you have a wonderful year of reading in 2017!

>26 mamzel: I'm not sure I can do it either - it's sort of an experiment. BUt I'm sick of getting to the end of the year and thinking "why have I still not read _____"!

AHHHHHH! I made a horrifying discovery today as I flipped through the 2003 Modern Library Paperback set of Proust that I purchased last year. It skips from page 524 to 557 of the final volume!!! I'm so disturbed that I might have read all six volumes, thousands of pages, only to find that the last 25 pages of the text and the beginning of the character list are missing!!

I've contacted the publisher. I'm very curious to know if this is a problem with a particular printing, a fluke, or what. There aren't many published sets of this book out there right now. I want paperbacks in the same edition so I can take notes (no ebook). Does anyone own this set and not have this issue? Or could someone recommend the English publication they read? I'm going to ask this on a few threads here on LT to get some recommendations.

I'm so disturbed!!

>28 japaul22: That IS horrifying!!! I hope you're able to resolve the problem and get a copy that contains all the pages!

>28 japaul22: That is maddening! But I would contact the publisher. Not too long ago I discovered that a Collector's Library edition of Emma that I had purchased a couple of years ago was falling apart. I had never even opened the book, and when I did so a few months ago, the binding was coming apart from the pages. I found the publisher's contact info on the web, sent them a picture, and within a month I had a brand new book. This is a UK firm, so I'm not sure if a U.S. company will be so obliging, but it's worth a shot.

>29 christina_reads: and >30 kac522: I emailed the publisher. I will definitely update with what happens.

>28 japaul22: You are certainly allowed your frustration! To work through so much (and since I have never read Proust I can ably imagine the effort) and be thwarted at the end! I hope the publisher sends you a new volume and soon!

>32 mamzel: luckily I found the mistake before I'd read any of the volumes. I was flipping through the end material when I noticed the missing pages!

>28 japaul22: Oh no! I'll be curious to hear the publisher's response. Good to see you here!!

A Book off the shelf: 1/25

A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead

I'm starting off 2017 with a remarkable book about women who were active in the French Resistance during the German occupation of France in WWII. These women were arrested for varied acts of resistance against the German occupiers such as transporting Jews to the free zone, hiding people wanted by the Germans, writing political pamphlets, secretly sending letters, printing fliers, denouncing German occupation, and, for some, simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most of the politically active women were Communist.

After being arrested, the women were held in camps in France. In January of 1943, 230 French women, most labeled as political activists, were put on a train and sent to Birkenau in Auschwitz. Here they faced hardship and humiliation that is impossible to describe. Those that ended up surviving were mainly in their mid 20s or early 30s, healthy to start, and found strength through each other. Most of the survivors stressed that their womanly qualities of caring for each other and their organizational skills pulled them through the ordeal. They could not have survived alone. They pooled meager food, hid the sick and wounded, and supported each others spirits.

Upon returning home, they found a wounded France, dead family members, and the inability to talk about their experience to people who largely didn't want to hear about it. Only 49 of the 230 women survived and about a third of those died within a decade of their return. Many stayed in touch, finding that only around each other could they find some modicum of peace.

Besides the obvious horrors committed by those who had clear roles as torturers and sadists, Moorehead points out the gray areas. What about all the French people who denounced their fellow countrymen and women to the Germans? Or those who saw and did nothing? This permeated every level of French society and largely it was decided that what the country needed was to move on after convicting those who committed the worst crimes. But these politically active women came home to a France where they felt that the strongest and smartest men who should have been leading their country had been killed in the war and they were left with those who had no business being in power. Some stayed active in their Communist parties, some left for other countries, and some withdrew from life altogether. A particularly moving part of this book is the final pages, where Moorehead lists every single one of the 230 women: their names, where they were from, why they were initially arrested, if they had children, and where/when/how they died or survived.

This is a sad book, a moving book when describing the tight bonds that drew these women together, and a book that will make you question humanity.

Definitely recommended.

Original publication date: 2011
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 374 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library sale paperback
Why I read this: on the shelf, heard great reviews

>36 japaul22: Hmmm. I gave it a 2 star rating but honestly, I don't remember it well.
In other news.... Happy New Year!!

>37 VictoriaPL: Interesting!! To be honest, the first section, describing the Resistance, was hard to get through and I thought of abandoning it. I felt like she was trying to describe too many women and I couldn't get a grasp on who anyone was. But once they moved to Auschwitz, the writing got very personal and the women came to life. I couldn't put the book down at that point.

>36 japaul22: Wow! A five star read already!

Category: Everything Else 1/30

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

This is the second book I've read by Ann Patchett, and again I really liked it. Patchett has a really smart way of weaving together characters and incidents. You'll read something in an earlier chapter from one character's point of view and then it will be subtly mentioned by a different character later on. I'm sure I don't catch all of them because they seem easy to miss, but it adds what feels like a layer of truth to her books. Sort of like other characters are unknowingly corroborating the story.

Anyway, the plot is messy. Affairs, divorces, remarriages, and kids getting mixed in to new families. I had a hard time in the first few chapters keeping everyone straight - which kids belonged to which parents and which they were currently living with and who was married to who. It's one of those books that is just sort of about life, so there isn't a ton of plot, but the writing is good and the characters are mainly good; I liked it.

Original publication date: 2016
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 336 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: new release that I wanted to read

>36 japaul22: I'll take a book bullet on that one.

Edited - I just went to add it to my wishlist and found it was already here! So, it needs to move up the list.

>41 LisaMorr: Yes, I remember a lot of LT-ers reading this in the past few years and I'm sure I put it on my list from them.

I took a BB on it from Kay last year during the tournament of books challenge last year and am probably going to read it next month for the Awards Cat.

For my "off the shelf" category (2/25)

Deerbrook by Harriet Martineau
Harriet Martineau lived from 1802-1876 and was a well-respected writer of sociological and economic articles and was admired for her only novel, Deerbrook. I don't believe this book is widely read these days, but for admires of Austen and George Eliot this book holds a lot of interest as a sort of bridge and also in its own right as a novel.

Martineau sets up a situation where two sisters go for an extended visit to Deerbrook to stay with relatives, the Greys, and end up finding love interests. The love stories are very messy, but present some interesting situations. There is also lots of gossip and meddling from several of the characters which harms the lives of many people in the book. Also present is interaction with the poor and a disease epidemic that explore some of the class divides of the day.

Although some of the longer didactic passages got annoying, I enjoyed this novel and am so glad to have been introduced to it through LT!

Original publication date: 1839
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 656 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle book, virago paperback
Why I read this: group read

>45 kac522: Yep, I'm really glad I read it, too, and I also had never heard of the book or author. LT is awesome, ain't it?

>44 japaul22: I've been seeing the photos on FB of the President's Own practicing for the inauguration and thought of you. Much excitement?

>46 VictoriaPL: Yes! Inauguration is always one of our busiest times. The Marine Band is the group you'll see playing prelude music before the swearing-in ceremony and music during the ceremony. We will then go march in the parade and then many of us play at an Inaugural Ball that night. The next morning there is a worship service at the National Cathedral where a brass group plays. It's a long day, but really neat to be a part of. And today we got to go to the White House to say goodbye to President Obama - he took the time to shake hands with all 150 of us. It's been such an honor to play for him for the past 8 years.

For my 1001 books to read before you die category (1/25)

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

I read this because it's on the 1001 books to read before you die list and it was available to read on my kindle from the library. I love the movie, and I was sort of hesitant to read the novella. I should have gone with my gut. The book is great, but just watch the movie and call it a day. Audrey Hepburn is the best.

Original publication date: 1958
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 160 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle book, library
Why I read this: 1001 books

>47 japaul22: that is awesome! Enjoy!

>47 japaul22: Very, very cool.

Have fun and stay safe at the inauguration and related events! I am basically planning to hide in my apartment until it's all over. :)

>47 japaul22: Wow! It's great that you got to say goodbye to President Obama. He seems like such a nice man. I'm really going to miss him as President. Stay safe at the inauguration. I was reading an article today about how Bikers for Trump will be there and plan to become a "wall of meat" between Trump and danger. I'm sure the Secret Service is thrilled about that. I won't be watching the inauguration. I'll be shopping for foam boards for my posters for the Women"s March here in NYC on Saturday.

How cool that you play a part in the inauguration events!

For my 3 Proust and/or books about it (1/3)

Swann's Way by Marcel Proust

I've begun my journey to read all of In Remembrance of Things Past and I have to say it's off to a good start. This first volume begins with the narrator as a child visiting Combray, then shifts to Charles Swann's obsession with Odette de Crecy, and then ends with a short section where the narrator meets and begins his own obsession with Gilberte, Swann and Odette's daughter.

This isn't a real review, because this is obviously only part of the whole. As such, it sets up many themes which I'm looking forward to seeing developed. Memory is important, both how it is triggered by the senses, especially smell and taste, and how it is hard to truly recreate a moment. Love, which I gather is going to be more about obsession, begins immediately, with the narrator obsessed as a small child with receiving a kiss from his mother each night. Swann's obsession and jealousy of Odette, a woman he barely knows, is already continued in the narrator's obsession about Gilberte. One thing that bothered me, though I think it was intentional to make a point, was how little Odette is developed. She doesn't have much personality of her own, and just seems to be a reflection of Swann's obsession.

There's lots more - the set up between the aristocratic Guermantes vs. the Verdurins, the various discussions of the arts, etc. Suffice to say I'm enjoying the dreamy, reflective writing style and looking forward to starting the next volume in a month or so.

Original publication date: 1913
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French
Length: 606 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: 1001 books

>48 japaul22: I've been wanting to read this book, because I love the movie so much, but it does sound that it might be a disappointment for fans of the movie. I've heard from others that there are significant differences between the two. Maybe I should just rewatch the movie ... yet another time. :)

>55 mathgirl40: the book is darker, but the dialogue is word for word a lot of the time. I prefer the movie but have a healthy respect for the book since it made one of my favorite movies!

For my 1001 books to read before you die category (2/25)

Summer by Edith Wharton

This is one of Wharton's shorter novels and is set in the NY countryside amongst the relatively poor instead of the city wealthy like most of her novels. While I loved this setting in Ethan Frome, I have to say that it didn't work for me this time. I found it predictable, dark, and fairly hopeless - not really what I was hoping for right now.

The story surrounds Charity Royall, a young woman who is adopted by the Royalls and taken away from the Mountain where a group of poor, hopeless people live, to live in a small town in the valley. When Mrs. Royall dies, Mr. Royall propositions Charity and she makes it clear that she will never have that sort of relationship with him. Then Mr. Harney comes to town. He is young and attractive and interested in Charity. They develop a relationship and then the inevitable happens she gets pregnant, he leaves, and she finds out he's already engaged to another, wealthier woman in the town. There is no fairy tale ending here.

Wharton's writing is wonderful as always, but I thought this story was predictable and so hopeless that I just couldn't get on board. This is the first book of Wharton's that I've found disappointing.

Original publication date: 1917
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 120 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle freebie
Why I read this: 1001 books

Books off the shelf: 3/25

Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard
The fourth in the Cazalet chronicles, a WWII family epic about life in England around and during the war. I'm really loving this series. Great characters and interesting setting/time period. I like that these books are light as in easy to read (sort of soap opera-y circumstances), but are well-written, deal with some serious topics, and are so fun to get sucked into.

This installment has the best love stories so far and we see a few of the characters seeming to find happiness which is a relief. I just loved the ending, but no spoilers here!

Looking forward to the last book.

Original publication date: 1995
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 626 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased series as a set of paperbacks
Why I read this: continuing the series

For my "everything else" category (2/30)

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman
I picked this book up at the library because I've been meaning to get to Lippman's books for a while. She's a Baltimore author who is very active and visible in Baltimore and uses it as a setting for her mystery novels. While I don't live in Baltimore, I have several friends who do and have spent a bit of time there since it's not far from D.C.

I think that this, disappointingly, was not Lippman's best work. The mystery itself was ok, but seemed sort of familiar. A group of adults who were friends as children come together when one of the five dies. This brings up a traumatic incident from their childhood involving the death of a homeless man in the woods where they play and they finally learn the whole story.

I liked the characters and overall thought the writing was ok except for one glaring feature that I could not get past. When Lippman writes about the past she uses "we" in describing the children's adventure. But it isn't from any one of the five kid's voices, so it's almost as though there is a sixth person telling the story. But there isn't a sixth person. It's really odd and disconcerting and I can't believe her editor let her do it. I read a bunch of reviews to see if I missed something and almost everyone complained about this. It was really very odd.

So I think I'll probably try another of her books sometime, but I can't say I really liked this one too much.

Original publication date: 2011
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 342 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library
Why I read this: interested in the local author

I've been reading her Tess Monaghan series off and on and I like the Baltimore vibe. Seems to me I've read and/or have on my TBR a few books lately that are a group getting together after some event and all the past comes spilling out. At least you weren't the only one to notice her grammatical error.

>59 japaul22: I've read quite a few of Laura Lippman's books and, according to my ratings, the one I've liked best so far is What the Dead Know. But I can't really remember much about any of them.

Love the Cazalets.

Wow.... kind of an interesting mix of great and not so great reading. ;-(

I have heard great things about the Cazalets. Happy to see another positive rating, even if it means I will probably be compelled to start reading the chronicles sooner rather than later.

Books from the 1001 books to read before you die list (3/25)

L'Assomoir by Emile Zola

L'Assomoir follows the hard, sad life of Gervaise from her arrival in Paris at age 18 with her partner, Lantier, and their two young boys (yes, she had her first child at 14!) through her death. I don't consider it a spoiler to say that things don't work out well for Gervaise - you can sense immediately that the world she lives in is too hard and unforgiving for her life to turn out well.

When Lantier leaves Gervaise for another woman, Gervaise buckles down and gets a job as a laundress to feed herself and her boys (one of which is Etienne, the main character in Germinal). She meets Coupeau who hounds her until she marries him. He is a good person, hard worker, and doesn't drink so she finally gives in. They have a good life until an accident at work sends Coupeau and subsequently Gervaise into a tailspin. They descend to the lowest of the low and lets just say things do not end well.

This is my second book by Zola and it was, again, an amazing reading experience. Zola creates great characters (I especially loved the despicable, leeching Lantier) and has amazing descriptive ability. He is able to characterize not only the people in his books but also the settings.

I didn't see myself ever reading all of the Rougon-Macquart series, but after reading just these two, I'm already considering it. I thought it was really interesting to see the early life of Etienne and how it would have influenced him. And I believe one of the books focuses on Nana, child of Gervaise and Coupeau and I'd really like to read that one after seeing her childhood in this book.

Consider me one of the many Zola fans on Librarything!

Original publication date: 1877
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French, translated by Margaret Mauldon
Length: 442 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: wanted to read more Zola, on the 1001 books list

>63 japaul22: I have this on the TBR shelf. The only Zola I've read is The Ladies Paradise, which I enjoyed, but then I watched the PBS series first, so I wasn't sure if it was Zola or the TV version which made me love it. Based on your review I'm going to give Zola the benefit of the doubt and read this soon!

>64 kac522: Oh good! I would say Germinal is the better of the two if you'd rather start there.

Everything Else Category (3/30)

#10 Seal Woman by Solveig Eggerz

This book randomly jumped out at me from a library bookshelf so I decided to give it a chance. In reading the cover, I found out that it was written by a local author and that it is historical fiction about a woman who joined a group of German women that answer ads in the newspaper for women wanted in Iceland to help with farm work (and probably marry the farmer) after WWII. Interesting.

Charlotte arrives in Iceland broken. She had married a Jewish artist just before WWII began and he was taken to a concentration camp and assumed dead. She hid her half-Jewish daughter in a willing convent that was raided during the war and lost track of her. She assumes she is also dead, but a sliver of hope gives her no peace. In Iceland, she finds a stoic, silent farmer and his wise mother. She embraces the way of life and the myths of the land and has two boys in Iceland. This book explores how and if she can come to terms with her war experience.

I thought this book was good, though not great. The topic is interesting and the writing is good overall. Charlotte's time in Germany is told in one extended flashback which I think could have been incorporated better into her Icelandic experience. Overall, though, the atmosphere is good and I'm glad I randomly picked this up.

Original publication date: 2011
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 241 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library paperback
Why I read this: looked interesting

Books off the shelf (4/25)

Good Wives by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
I like reading Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's books - they always make me feel smarter. I think this is partly because she doesn't draw every conclusion for the reader. Instead, she presents lots of primary sources and puts them in context, but then often stops short of telling you what to think about them. Sometimes this annoys me and sometimes I really appreciate it. It's a very different approach than the current trend of narrative nonfiction.

This book explores women's lives and roles in early colonial America, namely in northern New England between 1650-1750. She covers economic roles, the community of women, childbirth/motherhood, violence committed by and against, interaction with Native Americans, religion, etc. It's a very broad look at women's lives in this time period in a very limited location. In that way it's broad but deep at the same time.

I enjoyed it, but probably not for everyone. Her A Midwife's Tale is definitely a better place to start.

Original publication date: 1980
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 281 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: just interested in the author's works and topic

1001 books to read before you die category (4/25)

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

I finally got around to reading this classic about a German soldier's experience during WWI. It was published in 1929 and of course created a storm of discussion and controversy. Remarque doesn't soften or glamorize the war, instead he gives a realistic portrayal of the horrors of death, wounds, and lack of food. He also explores the friendships and connections made on the front and the challenges of returning home during periods of leave.

I was so mad, reading this, that just a few decades later WWII happened. I'll never understand how people who lived through WWI could have allowed WWII to happen. Academically, I've heard and understand the standard answer, but I still don't really comprehend it.

I thought this was really well done and obviously an important work, but reading about war will just never be a "favorite" for me.

Original publication date: 1929
Author’s nationality: German
Original language: German
Length: 304 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle library book
Why I read this: 1001 books list

1001 Books to read before you die (5/25)

The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble

I went into this book sort of expecting to be bored and confused based on some other reviews I read. Maybe it was my patient attitude because of this, but I actually really liked this!

This is the story of The Crown Princess Hyegong who was a Korean princess in the 1700s. The first section of the novel tells her story in her voice - her marriage to Korean Prince Sado who goes mad and is terribly disposed of by his father, the King. She has children with him, one of whom dies, and leads a fairly traumatic, though long, life.

The next section follows current-day Babs Halliway who reads the Crown Princess's memoirs on a plane headed to Korea for a conference. She is immediately drawn to the Princess's voice and identifies with her, having also lost a child and having a husband with mental illness. She explores the Crown Princess's world as a tourist and has some meaningful life events herself while at this conference.

Interwoven in this story rather loosely is the idea that there are spirits, both of the Crown Princess and of another group of spirits that are observing and slightly coordinating events in an effort to have the Princess's story more widely known in modern day. This spirit idea is ever-present but not really explained. I imagine that bothers many readers, but I was able to just accept it. Drabble also uses an odd technique in the Crown Princess's version of events where she has the Princess narrate her life story as a spirit who has witnessed historical events since her death. So she knows about modern-day ideas about mental illness and political events that she would have had no idea about during her life. That was also odd, but I liked it. I think it worked for me because Drabble didn't get bogged down in trying to explain or rationalize it, she just used it.

I was pleasantly surprised by this and read it in just a few days.

Original publication date: 2004
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 325 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: 1001 books list

Books off the shelf (5/25)

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

This is a debut novel by a 23 year old Southern woman, published in 1940. There were things I found very impressive about it, but overall it didn't work for me.

It centers around a deaf man, Singer, who starts out the book best friends with another deaf man, Antonapoulos (you guessed it, he's Greek). Antonapoulos is sent to a mental facility by his cousin and Singer starts to come undone without anyone to talk to through sign language. But four very different people in the town find Singer a perfect person to confide in. Though Singer means a ton to each of them, they don't even realize that they aren't reciprocating the relationship to him.

First for the good things. The writing is smooth and mature and one of the characters in particular, the teenage girl Mick, is very well-written. I appreciated the theme of one-sided friendship.

Unfortunately, I found a lot of the other themes rather preachy, especially the attempt at race relations and communist ideals. And I really didn't care much for any of the characters except Mick.

I've heard many great things about this book, so don't skip it because of my review, but it just wasn't for me.

Original publication date: 1940
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 339 pages
Rating: 2.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback, library sale
Why I read this: off the shelf

>70 japaul22: It didn't do much for me, either, when I read it a couple of years ago. Like you, only Mick (and to a lesser extent her friend Harry) rang true as characters for me. Singer seemed like a Christ figure, and for some reason that bothered me. However, what still stays with me today from the book is the sense of place: the hot, hot, small-town South.

>71 kac522: you're right that it does have a good sense of time and place. I wondered if Mick rang true because McCullers put elements of herself in that character.

It wasn't a bad book, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

>72 japaul22: After about the first 100 pages or so, I remember having to push myself to read it. Took a lot longer to finish than it should have. Maybe it was just too hot ;)

For my "everything else category" (4/30)

Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey of an American Icon by Robin Gerber

I absolutely loved Katharine Graham's autobiography, Personal History when I read it a decade ago so when I saw this book on the library shelves it called to me. It was lots of fun to relive Graham's autobiography through Gerber's focus on leadership qualities. This is a brief book comparatively and stays fairly close to the topic of leadership. Her personal traits and the growth she achieve during her career are studied. I think it would have been more meaningful as a leadership book, though, if leadership had been spelled out a little more clearly. It's there, but sort of hidden in her life/career story. I would have liked it to be a bit more explicit.

Original publication date: 2005
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 211 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library
Why I read this: interested in the topic and person

1001 books to read before you die (6/25)

The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

I chose to read this book because it's on the 1001 books to read before you die list and there is a group read of it. I knew it would be a little out of my comfort zone, but I ended up really appreciating it, though I can't say I enjoyed a book this brutal.

This book is about the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo era (roughly 1930s-1960s). It starts in the present day with Urania Cabral who is in her late 40s finally returning to the country that she fled from just before Trujillo's assassination. She left as a 14 year old girl after a traumatic experience that led her to break ties with her father, a high-up political figure. Her story is slowly revealed and sheds light on Trujillo's personality and her father's fall from favor.

Another story line is that of Trujillo himself in the days before his assassination. Vargas Llosa paints a fascinating portrait of the dictator, his hunger for power, and the inner insecurities of his mind.

Along with these two stories is the story of the men behind the assassination. As they wait to ambush Trujillo, flashbacks tell how they got there.

In the end, it all comes together and you witness the brutal aftermath of the assassination and find out what happens to this small country when their dictator is gone.

Mario Vargas Llosa writes with a ton of confidence. His writing is smooth and authoritative. I believed every word of his portrait of this man, which bothered me at times since this is fiction, after all. Even though this isn't my favorite sort of book, I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in the era and topic.

Original publication date: 2000
Author’s nationality: Peruvian
Original language: Spanish, translated by Edith Grossman
Length: 404 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback library sale
Why I read this: 1001 list, group read

I read In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez a couple of years ago which was also about the Dominican Republic during Trujillo's reign and gave it 5*.

>76 dudes22: I remember hearing good things about that one - I'll have to add it to the list. Thanks for the tip!

Books off the shelf (6/25)

The Golden Child by Penelope Fitzgerald

This was Penelope Fitzgerald's first novel and is a classic British mystery. Set in a museum, the plot revolves around an exhibit of the Golden Child, a mummy from the ancient African culture, Garamantia. Of course there is said to be a curse around it and when people start dying, it's discovered that the exhibit is a fake.

This was fun. Good characters, interesting and slightly zany plot, and a classic, Golden Age mystery feel. Not earth-shattering, but a nice light read.

Original publication date: 1977
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 189 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback library sale
Why I read this: for fun, off the shelf

Just catching up on your thread and I have really enjoyed your reviews! You're making great progress on 1001 books I see - I just read my first for the year (oh well).

I really must read some Zola. I believe I've read Therese Raquin, but my memory is faint, and I'll need to re-read it I think.

>79 LisaMorr: I had a slow year with the 1001 books list last year, and I resolved to do better this year. So far, so good, but we'll see if I can keep it up!

Try Germinal if you're going to read Zola. It got me hooked.

Everything Else (5/30)

Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the most Famous Chessmen in the World and the Woman who Made Them by Nancy Marie Brown

The Lewis Chessmen were discovered in Northern Scotland in the 1800s and have been fascinating people since. They were most likely crafted between 1100-1200 out of walrus tusk ivory but where, by whom, and for whom remain largely a mystery. Brown obviously likes the Iceland theory and the possibility that they were crafted by Icelander Margret the Adroit who is known to have made a beautiful ivory bishop's crozier during the time period the chessman were crafted.

Since there really isn't a ton to say about the chessmen themselves, Brown supplements this mystery by using each chesspiece (rook/berserk, bishops, kings, queens, and knights) to talk about the history, politics, and culture of the time. She uses them as a jumping off point to talk about Scandinavian history between 800-1300 (focusing mainly on 1000-1200). There are lots of interesting stories and tidbits of history and culture.

Overall I enjoyed this, but I thought the construction was a bit loose. She sort of lost her thesis and often didn't connect her stories very well to the chessmen. This meant that even though I was enjoying the things she was telling me, part of me was bothered that I couldn't see the over-arching point. As a result, this receives a middling grade from me.

Original publication date: 2015
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 243 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: gift
Why I read this: love anything scandinavian

The Golden Child sounds like just my thing, but the touchstone went to Moby Dick! I wonder what the connection is?

>82 pamelad: Ugh, I always forget to fix the touchstones. I have no idea why, but they often link to Moby Dick or Harry Potter. Anyway, I do think you'd like The Golden Child.

I took a bullet too on The Golden Child by Penelope Fitzgerald. Sounds like a fun read for a rainy day.

Everything Else (6/30)

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

I quite liked this new book by Eowyn Ivey, a young writer living in Alaska. She uses her home territory to craft a book told through journals, letters, newspaper articles, and pictures about an 1885 expedition from Vancouver through uncharted (by white men) territory in Alaska.

Allen Forrester leads the expedition, bringing with him two young men and using Indian guides along the way. He and his wife, Sofie, intend for her to go along for the first leg of the journey but they discover she is pregnant and it's deemed unsafe for her to travel. She stays at the army barracks. While they are apart they both keep a detailed journal of their experiences and these make up the heart of the book. Forrester's journey contains many trials and descriptions of beauties and challenges of the Alaskan terrain. They travel up the Wolverine river, meeting the local Indian tribe. They are sometimes helpful and sometimes not. Some tribes are starving along with the men, some are thriving, and some are already suffering from the contact with white men. Along the way, Forrester and his men begin to experience the supernatural occurrences that are part of the Indian culture. They each believe and interact with the these events in different ways. One in particular, the Old Man who seems to fly and also inhabit a raven is also experienced by Sophie back home. This sounds sort of cheesy, but Ivey makes it work very well through her subtle writing and the way she ties it to what the Native Americans believe and have experienced. Back home, Sophie is dealing with the expectations of the women at the camp for her to behave as a "normal" wife. Instead, she begins a successful endeavor as a photographer.

All of this is revealed when an older man sends the source materials to a small museum in Alaska to see if they will incorporate the items into their collection. He and the young man curating the museum begin writing letters to each other, discussing the journals and finding material that pertains to the information in the journals.

I really liked this book. The idea was interesting and I liked the format she used to tell the story. While it was very enjoyable, though, it was somehow lacking a bit in complexity. The story was fairly predictable and I thought sections were a little over-emotional. It's one of those books that I loved reading, but as I think more about it I'm not sure if it will stay with me or not. I'll be interested to see at the end of the year what has happened to my opinion of it.

Original publication date: 2016
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 432 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: sounded interesting

Although I haven't yet read The Snow Child, this book sounds interesting too.

>86 dudes22: I haven't read The Snow Child yet, either, but now I want to!

Everything else (7/30)

The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti

I really liked this novel set in the early 1900s America about a young orphan named Ren and what happens to him when he's adopted by a man, Benjamin Nab, claiming to be his older brother. Ren showed up at the orphanage as a baby missing one hand and this man has a long, detailed story about how it happened and what happened to their parents.

Ren is a good kid. This man is obviously a liar and we soon find out that he's also a thief. But throughout the book, even when put in unbelievably awful situations and even through some questionable decisions, Ren is a good person and people like him almost immediately. He's not a goody-two-shoes or saccharine-sweet, he's just the kind of person that people trust and feel connected to.

The books hinges on this idea of lies vs. truth that we're introduced to by Benjamin. This was the key concept for me - that the truth is the most horrifying scenario for these characters. After leaving the orphanage, Benjamin tells Ren the "real story" about their parents and it is absolutely gruesome. Ren says:

"I don't want to hear anymore"
"All right." Benjamin let go. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"No."
The man reached over, took hold of the lantern, and blew it out. Night enveloped the barn. "Well," he said at last to the darkness between them, "that's when you know it's the truth."

I really loved Tinti's writing and I will definitely read her new book that just came out. This was her first novel and it is really well done. It doesn't get five stars because parts were a little gory for my taste (they spend time as grave robbers and there's lots of violence) but it was definitely part of the story, not gratuitous. The book has this great Dickens feel without trying too hard to be a Dickens remake. The characters are fantastic and I like the underlying themes. I'd highly recommend this.

Original publication date: 2008
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 325 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: interested in the author

1001 Books to read before you die (7/25)

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

Pnin is a Russian immigrant in the U.S., working as a professor of Russian at a small liberal arts college. This book is a humorous portrait of his trials and tribulations trying to navigate American culture and his personal life. Really, I had no idea Nabokov could be so funny. You end up feeling amused by, sorry for, and impressed by Pnin. It's a short novel, and one that made me feel that every word was considered in the writing process. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad to have read something besides Lolita by Nabokov. I just couldn't get past the subject matter in Lolita, so it was great to get to admire Nabokov's beautiful writing with a more palatable subject.

Original publication date: 1957
Author’s nationality: Russian
Original language: English
Length: 143 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: 1001 books list

Books Off the Shelf (7/25)

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson
This is a weird book, in the very best sense of the word. Natalie Waite is a young woman about to go off to college. We are introduced to her in her family setting, with her intellectual and domineering father, her boring and normal mother, and her unimportant brother. All of these descriptives are Natalie's point of view because there is no escaping Natalie's point of view in the book. Though it's not told in first person, there is almost no difference between the omniscient narrator and Natalie's point of view. It's an extremely interior book. And Natalie has a weird mind.

At first her mind seems "normal" in the sense of being quirky but I thought that most readers would identify, especially if they remember the teenage years, the fantasizing and odd thoughts that come to mind at that formative age. When Natalie goes off to her small liberal arts college and is faced with living with hundreds of other young women of varying character and morals, things devolve quickly. She develops an odd relationship with a girl named Tony (I actually couldn't tell if Tony was real or imaginary) and things get weirder and weirder.

I loved it.

The book isn't scary, but it's slightly creepy to witness someone's mind changing (desintegrating?) so rapidly. This book deserves to be talked about as much as We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House, Jackson's more famous novels.

Original publication date: 1951
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 218 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: used paperback
Why I read this: like Shirley Jackson

I also loved Hangsaman. Here is a link to the book on the Shirley Jackson centenary thread. I had a binge on Shirley Jackson last year.

Putting Pnin on the wishlist.

>91 pamelad: Thanks for sharing that link. It's so interesting to read other reviews of Hangsaman because so hard to know what to make of that book. I'm going to be thinking about it for quite a while.

3 books about or by Proust: 2/3

Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust
In this second volume of In Search of Lost Time, the narrator is now a teenager and accordingly is obsessed with girls. That pretty much sums it up, but I guess I'll go into a little more detail. :-)

The first section is "Madame Swann at home". Here we see the narrator fall in and out of love with Gilberte, the daughter of Swann and Odette. Even though Gilberte is the object of the narrator's love and obsession, really he spends so much time describing Odette that she seems more to be the object of his obsession. I did think the narrator was sort of funny throughout this book because the language is very beautiful and mature and lyrical, but the ideas really are just of a typical teenage boy concerned with how others view him and thinking about the girls he meets. It was an odd mix.

In the second section, the narrator goes with his grandmother and Francoise (their servant and my favorite character) to Balbec, a seaside town, for his health. He meets and develops a friendship with Saint-Loup. He also sees a group of girls parading around the beach and falls in love with them. Among this group is Albertine, the next object of his affection. His descriptions of the girls and their interactions with each other and him are absolutely on point for the typical teenager experience. I really liked this section.

As in the first volume, there were large swaths of this that lost me, but I just keep reading and eventually something grabs me again. Overall it's been a really good reading experience for me so I'm excited to continue on in another month or two.

Original publication date: 1919
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French
Length: 730 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: my current project

Just stopping by to say that I am so impressed with your Proust reading! He's an author I have yet to try.

>94 christina_reads: I think I was finally in the right frame of mind to try Proust. Definitely wait til you really want to read it, and pack a little patience for the style of writing.

Books off the shelf (8/25)

School for Love by Olivia Manning
Yet another NYRB publication that I ended up loving. It's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years because it just didn't sound that interesting, but it turned out to be just my kind of book.

The novel takes place in Jerusalem just after WWII. A young boy, Felix, arrives to live with Miss Bohun, a distant relative, after his mother dies of typhoid. His father had already died in the war. Miss Bohun is an elderly woman who is quite a piece of work. She's a member of the "Ever-Readies" a second-coming religious group but she is also one of the cheapest, stingiest people you'll ever meet - of course having excuses for every one of her penny-pinching ways. She runs a boarding house (charging Felix his "fair share") and rotating tenants according to how she can make the most money and feel best about herself for helping the unfortunate. Miss Bohun isn't all bad, though, which is what makes this such a lovely book. She definitely has some redeeming qualities (I think) or at least she's amusing to read about. The other boarders all have their own stories and Felix's interactions with them form the book. The city of Jerusalem and the various people who find their way there during and just after the war are also an important part of the story.

The best relationship in the book is Felix and the cat he befriends, Faro. This thread added a really nice touch to the book.

After reading this, I'm very interested in reading Manning's Balkan Trilogy which is I think her best known work. This was another great read to justify my constant NYRB purchases; they don't just look good on the shelf, they have almost all been great books to read as well!

Original publication date: 1951
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 192 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: on the shelf

For my "everything else" category (8/30)

The Wonder by Emma Donaghue

I really liked this new novel by Emma Donaghue. It explores a small Irish community's reaction to an eleven year old who stops eating. She has survived 4 months and is considered a miracle by her highly Catholic and superstitious community. The local leaders decide to set up a watch manned by two nurses to verify that Anna really isn't eating and is a living miracle. Lib, a skeptical nurse who worked under Florence Nightingale, is the main focus of the book. How she uncovers truth from fantasy and religious fervor is central to the story.

A modern reader will probably see the truth behind the miracle coming from a long way off, but I thought this was sort of the point. Lib was modern for her time, but still couldn't see the truth behind what was happening until it's almost too late.

This book was less over-the-top than the other two Donaghue books I've read, Slammerkin and Room. I really liked it and would definitely recommend it.

Original publication date: 2016
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 304 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: like the author

>90 japaul22: I'll have to look out for this one. I'd read Shirley Jackson for the first time a few months ago, with The Lottery and Other Stories and was very impressed.

>89 japaul22: I read Pnin and really liked it. I'm also reading, in small doses, Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose and am up to the chapter about sentences, so I paid special attention to Nabokov's superb sentences.

>98 mathgirl40: I've read two of her other novels, but I think this was my favorite.

>99 pamelad: someone else around here mentioned Reading Like a Writer. I think I already have it on my wish list, but thanks for the reminder - sounds interesting. I couldn't get past the subject matter in Lolita, so I was glad to be able to appreciate Nabakov's writing on a different subject.

1001 books to read before you die (8/25)

The House With the Blind Glass Windows by Herbjorg Wassmo

This is a novel written in 1981 by Norwegian author, Herbjorg Wassmo. I learned about this book from the 1001 books to read before you die list, and I'm so glad I did. It is a tough subject matter, centering around a young girl who is being sexually abused by her stepfather, but Wassmo manages to make the book about so much more without negating the trauma of abuse.

Tora lives in a small Norwegian fishing village with her mother, Ingrid, who is a social outcast after having an affair with a German soldier during WWII. Tora is the outcome of that relationship. Ingrid later marries Henrik, a man who is an alcoholic and is sexually abusing Tora while her mother works the night shift at the local plant. The book centers around Tora, Ingrid, and Ingrid's sister Rachel. Rachel has a happy marriage to Simon. They are well off financially though have the sadness of not being able to conceive children.

The book is beautifully written and subtly but thoroughly explores several themes, many centering on women's interactions and relationships with each other, the good and the bad. Apparently this is the first of a trilogy, but I'm having trouble finding the other books in English translation. If anyone has any leads on that I'd be very interested. I bought this book used as I think even this first volume may be out of print in English.

Definitely recommended.

Original publication date: 1981
Author’s nationality: Norwegian
Original language: Norwegian
Length: 223 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: used paperback
Why I read this: 1001 books list

3 books by or about Proust (3/3)
I find I should have allotted more books to this category; I'm finding Proust more enjoyable and less of a chore than I thought I would!

An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris

I loved this historical thriller centered around the Dreyfus Affair that happened in the French military in the late 1800s. I don't usually read books in this genre, but the historical nature of the book really gripped me and I flew through this long book.

The Dreyfus affair refers to the case of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French military, who is charged with treason for informing the German military about French military secrets. He has already been convicted and sent to a remote tropical island in isolation when Georges Picquart is chosen to be head of the Espionage unit of the French military. Picquart is asked to "shore up" the evidence against Dreyfus, but when he starts digging he quickly begins running into a different french officer named Esterhazy. Picquart finds definite proof that Dreyfus was wrongly imprisoned but the military is in it too deep and refuses to acknowledge the mistake or admit that there were those who knew of this before Dreyfus' trial and went ahead with it anyway. Of course, Picquart finds himself in quite a bit of trouble as well.

From what I gather, the historical accuracy of this book is pretty close to exact for a novel. The events don't need to be changed or embellished much to make a satisfying thriller - what really happened reads like fiction anyway. Of course, a large part of the conspiracy, cover up, and popular opinion revolved around Dreyfus being Jewish. There was open anti-semitism in France at the time and Dreyfus certainly suffered from that.

I picked this book up because I'm about to read volume 3 of Proust's In Search of Lost Time and I've heard there are many references to the Dreyfus case. I felt that I really needed some background on the case presented in an entertaining manner and I certainly got that. I might have liked a bit more delving into the heated public opinion of the day. Certainly, Zola and his famous "J'accuse" is present in the book, but I would have liked one level deeper on public opinion. It's a minor quibble, though, as I can admit that may have made the book too long.

Original publication date: 2014
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 425 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: to become better acquainted with the Dreyfus affair

>102 japaul22: Sounds good. I've asked for it on an ILL. Ten ILLs! They'll probably all come at once.

Everything else: 9/30

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

This is a biography of the late 18th/early 19th century naturalist/explorer/scientist/writer Alexander Humboldt. To be honest, I had never heard of Humboldt, so I was interested to see how famous he was in his day and what an influence he had on others that I had heard of.

Humboldt's main claim to fame was beginning the movement that saw nature as a global whole, not just getting stuck in the classification system on a small level. His travels throughout South America and particularly in current-day Ecuador where he climbed Chimborazo, an enormous active volcano, opened his eyes to the ways nature is connected around the globe. He realized that plants from different regions are often the same or similar when growing at the same altitude. He was also one of the first to point out man's destructive impact on nature.

This biography tells a lot about the people Humboldt influenced. In this book Simon Bolivar, Darwin, Thoreau, and John Muir (among others) are all talked about extensively and tied to Humboldt's ideas. I found this interesting but at the same time, sort of distracting. I wanted to get back to Humboldt during each diversion.

Overall, this was an interesting biography, but not a great one.

Original publication date: 2015
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 576 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindlen book
Why I read this: interested in the topic

1001 Books to read before you die (9/25)

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin

I'm not sure if the problem with this book is that I'm just not into science fiction or with the book itself. Not having read much science fiction, I'm not sure I can write a great review for this, but here are my thoughts.

I was hoping to be engaged and transported to a different world. Instead, I felt bogged down by first having to learn about this different world and then felt preached at about different forms of government and their pros and cons. The characters felt secondary to the world-building and political thought. I was bored.

I think that pretty much sums up my reading experience. I apologize to the many LTers who love Ursula K. LeGuin!

Original publication date: 1974
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 400 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: 1001 books

1001 books to read before you die (11/25)

Eline Vere by Louis Couperus

A Dutch 19th century psychological character study of a woman and the society she tries to fit in to? Yes, please! I was so happy to discover this Dutch classic through the 1001 books to read before you die group. It fit right in with some of my favorites: Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, Middlemarch, and Age of Innocence.

This book is the story of Eline Vere, a well-to-do but mentally unstable young woman living in The Hague. Her manic-depressive tendencies make her various relationships volatile and unfulfilling. Eline and her relationships with her sister, brother-in-law, and various love interests are central to the over-arching flow of the book, but there are plenty of other characters to follow as well.

I loved this book and definitely recommend it to others who love this time period of writing. I think it is "under-known" in English. In fact, the only print copy of it I could find easily in English translation is an Archipelago publication from 2013. It was my first Archipelago book and, as a side note, I love the book quality - very nice cover, binding, paper, etc.

Original publication date: 1889
Author’s nationality: Dutch
Original language: Dutch
Length: 507 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: 1001 books

Everything Else (10/30)

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

Most of you will realize that this isn't my typical sort of book. It's a self-help book about using habits to build a better life. The author starts by categorizing people into four broad categories: upholder (follows through with both inner and outer expectations), obliger (follows outer expectations but has trouble with inner expectations), questioner (obvious), and rebel (obvious).

I read this because one of my friends whose thoughts and intelligence I absolutely trust has been raving about the author - her books and her podcasts - for over a year to me. We've been talking a lot at work about good leadership and she thinks that understanding these different personality traits really helps her leadership of a varied group of people.

I get it and I did think there were some interesting suggestions in this book, but overall I was really, really annoyed by the author's tone. I suspect she was trying to use self-deprecating humor sometimes, but she came off as very smug. And the whole book was based around her life as an upholder set up vs. "the others". As if she was doing it all right and everyone else should aim to be like her. So annoying.

And then there was the troubling fact that she and I have almost the same habits and tendencies which made me wonder if everyone I know thinks I'm as annoying as she was to me!

So, I don't know, it came highly recommended but I can't think of anyone here who would really like it.

Original publication date: 2015
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 320 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: recommendation

Books off the shelf (9/25)

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver is one of those authors that I avoided for a long time because of the very snobby idea that an author that popular couldn't be very good, i.e. very literary. I'm so glad I took a chance because I've loved all of the books I've read by her. She is gifted at creating characters you care about and using interesting settings. That makes her easy to read and popular, but her books are not at all common, light, or simple.

In The Lacuna, she delves into a young man named Harrison Shepherd through his diaries which are compiled by V.B. (later we learn this is Violet Brown). Shepherd is the son of an American father and Mexican mother. At age 12, his mother leaves his father and takes him with her to Mexico, where they live in a string of locations following her boyfriend of the moment. When he strikes out on his own, he ends up as cook, aide, and eventually friend to Diego Rivera, the famous muralist, and Frida Kahlo, the famous painter. He and Frida have a close relationship and it resurfaces throughout the novel, even after he leaves Mexico. He moves back to America, to Asheville, N.C., after a traumatic incident involving Trotsky (yes, Trotsky) and begins writing historical fiction novels. His ties with the Communists during his time in Mexico come back to haunt him as the McCarthy Era begins.

Normally I don't give that much of a plot summary, but the history really shapes Shepherd's life in this book. Somehow even with all the famous characters and true history drama, Kingsolver usually manages to keep the focus on Harrison Shepherd and his internal life. The symbolism in the book is subtle and deep and the characterizations are very believable.

I thought at times that the history overwhelmed the main character just a little bit, but I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Original publication date: 2009
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 507 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book sale paperback
Why I read this: off the shelf, like the author

>108 japaul22: - I've had this on my TBR pile almost since it came out, but have picked it up and put it back down a number of times. Not sure why - maybe just didn't seem like the right book at the time. Plus maybe the length. Maybe I'll consider this for our next vacation. I think my favorite book of hers is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life of the ones I've read so far.

>109 dudes22: The Lacuna had its ups and downs for me. I liked the start, the middle got a little bogged down, and then loved the end. It's worth sticking with it!

Everything Else (11/30)

The Observations by Jane Harris
This was fun. I loved Jane Harris's second book, Gillespie and I, and have been meaning to go back and read this, her first book. While it didn't have the depth and twists of Gillespie and I, it was very entertaining to read.

The story is told by "Bessy", a very young lady in Victorian times who strikes out on her own and winds up as a maid in a secluded household in a small town. The woman who owns the house, Arabella, hires Bessy despite her obvious incompetence as a maid when she learns she can read and write. Things quickly get weird, and Bessy realizes that she is one of a string of maids that Arabella has hired to study and experiment on. She also finds out that one of the previous maids ended up dead under suspicious circumstances.

Bessy writes the book and her voice is amusing and entertaining. This is the sort of book that I will probably remember that I liked, but not actually remember much of the plot or confuse it with others of a similar nature. But that doesn't change the fact that I had a ton of fun reading this book and will definitely read more by Jane Harris. I believe she has another book coming out this year.

Original publication date: 2007
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 407 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: like the author and found it at the library

Just went to the library book sale and purchased:

The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C Sullivan
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Cassandra and Jane by Jill Pitkeathley
The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

Off the Shelf (10/25)

How it all Began by Penelope Lively

This was my first book by Penelope Lively and I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed. The premise hinges on how one event can cause a chain reaction. In this case, Charlotte is mugged and breaks her hip. She moves back in with her daughter and son-in-law. She is teaching English to immigrants, one of whom comes to the house for lessons. Her daughter, Rose, and this man, Anton, fall in love. Rose works for an elderly historian. When she can't attend a function with him because she's caring for Charlotte, he asks his niece, Marion, to go with him. She meets a wealthy new client for her faltering interior design business. Marion also texts the man she's having an affair with that she won't be able to meet that weekend, and that text is intercepted by the wife.

I found the chain reaction idea was dealt with in a very heavy-handed manner. There wasn't any subtlety and it's too familiar an idea to be used in such an obvious way.

Penelope Lively has written many, many books so I may give her another try some day, but I'm not itching to do so.

Original publication date: 2011
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 207 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback, library book sale
Why I read this: off the shelf

>112 japaul22: Hurray, book sales!

1001 Book to Read Before you Die (12/25)

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor

In the middle of two long, dense books, I felt the need to finish something, so I chose this short story from The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor that is on the 1001 books to read before you die list. It was my first foray into O'Connor and I love her writing, though the short story medium is not my favorite.

In this story, a mother and her adult son, Julian, take the bus in the desegregated South to the mother's weight loss group. On the short bus ride, they are confronted with an array of racial prejudices. Julian is embarrassed by his mother's racist views and her interaction with a black woman and her small child.

The writing is excellent, but as with most short stories, I'm left wanting more. I can imagine a whole novel around these characters, but it's already over. Luckily, O'Connor wrote two novels that I will definitely be reading.

Original publication date: 1964
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 16 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback, library book sale
Why I read this: 1001 books list

>115 japaul22: - That's how I feel about short stories too, Jennifer. Probably why I don't read too many. Although I did like Elizabeth Strout's book Olive Kitteridge. The stories are loosely connected.

>116 dudes22: I didn't like Olive Kitteridge at all, but I did like Jhumpa Lahiri's short story books, especially Unaccustomed Earth.

>115 japaul22: What I like is how O'Connor packs so much emotion into such a brief format. I read this story in a Southern lit class, and the professor pointed out how all the themes of the story were introduced in the very first paragraph: the mother's health; riding a bus/class issues; racial tension; and the mother/adult child relationship. It's all there, in a brilliant simple opening paragraph.

>118 kac522: That's a great observation! I went back and read the first paragraph and you're right, it's all there. I really liked the story, I'm just never prepared for the end of a short story. I realized that Everything that Rises Must Converge is the title story in a collection, so I'll be reading the rest of them over the next weeks.

>119 japaul22: Yes, isn't that amazing? (I wish I could take credit for figuring that out, but gotta give the credit to Prof Greenberg). You can see the intense craft of the writer in O'Connor's stories.

>102 japaul22: Thanks for this recommendation. I found An Officer and a Spy an engrossing read for the story alone, which really whips along, and a useful background to The Guermantes Way.

>121 pamelad: I'm glad you liked it! I thought it was really fun to read.

Proust and related books (4/3 - ahead of the goal!)

The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust

In volume 3 of In Search of Lost Time, the narrator goes back to Paris where he finds a new woman to obsess over, the Duchesse of Guermantes. The narrator follows her on her morning walks, hoping to be noticed and invited to a dinner at her home. He does have a connection with her; his friend Robert Saint Loup is her nephew. Saint Loup is stationed at Doncieres with the army and the narrator goes down to meet up with him. There is a great section with the narrator interacting with the soldiers.

Back in Paris, there are two long set pieces at parties that sort of build on and contrast with each other. The first is at Mme Villeparisis's house and the second is at the Duchesse of Guermantes (finally!!). In the middle there is a long section on the death of the narrator's grandmother. The dinner party at Mme Villeparisis's is pretty entertaining to read - lots of familiar characters and a few new, talk of the Dreyfus affair, and an appearance by the highly intriguing Baron de Charlus at the end. The section at the Duchess's home was pretty boring, but it occurred to me that that was sort of the point - the fascinating-from-afar Duchesse of Guermantes is in reality quite boring and predictable (though still striking in her presence). I like how Proust chooses ordinary objects to create a thread through the novel. Some of these recur through all of the volumes (so far), like the hawthorn bush, and some are present in one section only (like the hats at the parties or the Elstir works of art). Some seem to have some deep significance and I think that some really are just memory triggers. It's a neat effect.

I'm really enjoying this book. This volume was very character-driven which was a little easier to read than some of the dreamier diversions in the previous two volumes and it was a nice change. I'm still very much seeing the work as a whole and not as separate volumes. I kind of want to go right on to the next volume, but as I have some other reading plans in July, I think I'll stick with my schedule and wait til August.

Original publication date: 1920
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French
Length: 819 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback, purchased
Why I read this: my current project

>119 japaul22: I hope you enjoy the rest of the collection Everything That Rises Must Converge. One of the stories, "Revelation," gives me chills every time I think about it!

1001 books list (13/25)

Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar

I read this book because there is a group read in the 1001 books group. It sounded interesting, a first person narrative of the Roman Emperor Hadrian who was emperor in the 2nd century. There were aspects I really enjoyed in the book, but there were also some elements lacking for me.

I know very little about Roman history and I was hoping this would enlighten me a bit, but I felt the history mainly provided a backdrop for the man. There wasn't much in depth exploration of culture or even historical events. I should say this wasn't present in an obvious enough manner to work for me. For those who have a strong background in the era, I think they would find that Yourcenar weaves these elements in to her portrait and probably really appreciate the details. There were a couple things that jumped out at me - one was how the next ruler was picked not through genealogical heredity, but through the preference of the current ruler who then "adopted" this next ruler. I also thought the discussion of the fighting in Palestine with the Jews there seemed to have many of the same issues present today, almost 2000 years later.

Most people should approach this book as the self-portrait of a leader at the end of his life, preoccupied with death and legacy. His thoughts on death are poignant and relevant and his preoccupation with the legacy he'll leave behind is also interesting and well thought out. Actually, though, possibly my favorite part of the book was the end section where the author lays out the personal journey that led her to completing this book.

This was certainly ambitious and thoroughly researched, but it was not without its issues for me and I ended the book glad to be done with it.

Original publication date: 1951
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French
Length: 347 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback, purchased
Why I read this: 1001 books

Everything Else (12/30)

Middlemarch by George Eliot, audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson

I really loved listening to this favorite as an audiobook. I have a really short attention span for audio books so I listened to this over months (it is about 35 hours long!), but it really worked for me to listen to a reread. I've read this book 3 times, I think, and know it very well. So if my attention wandered, I didn't lose any of the plot.

One reason I love this book is that I get something different from it every time. I went back and looked at my review from 2012, and that time I was very interested in the differences between the three main women characters, Mary, Rosamund, and Dorothea. This time I was drawn most to Bulstrode and Lydgate's stories. Bulstrode, particularly, was so interesting to me. His pretense of being morally superior, which was made easy to achieve because of his wealth, and his subsequent fall from grace are shown with so much detail and insight.

I still cannot really get on board with Dorothea and Ladislaw as a couple. They seem way too different to me and I think Celia sums it up best when she says something like "you seem determined to be unhappy with your marriages" to Dorothea regarding her choices of Casaubon and then Ladislaw at the end of the book. But Eliot makes it clear in the Epilogue that their love remains strong through their marriage so I'll have to believe her on that.

This is a book I will never read "a final time" so I'm already looking forward to my next rereading.

Original publication date: 1871
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 35 hours
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: audible audiobook
Why I read this: wanted to try a reread on audio

>126 japaul22: Isn't Stevenson the best? I never tired of listening to her read this book, and I had read it at least twice before.

>126 japaul22: And I loved the way she portrayed Mr Casaubon--spot on!

I've never listened to an audio book but I've been thinking about trying one. And not that Middlemarch would be my choice but listening to something I've already read might be the way to try it for the first time. Or maybe read and listen at the same time (not simultaneously, but at the same time). I'll have to think about what book I could try that with.

>127 kac522: I really liked her reading. I searched my library audio books with her name and came up with quite a few more that will be fun to reread with her.

>129 dudes22: Lots of people love audiobooks and I want to love audio books since I have a long commute, but I have a hard time paying attention to them. I tend to like nonfiction because it's kind of like listening to NPR, I like the Maisie Dobbs mysteries because they keep my attention but don't need a lot of focused concentration, and I really liked this reread.

Everything Else (13/25)

The Siege by Helen Dunmore

The Siege describes the horrors and devastation experienced by the people who lived through the Siege of Leningrad during WWII. Dunmore chooses to keep a narrow focus to the book, telling the story of a young woman named Anna, her much younger brother Kolya who is like a son to her, her father, and a family friend, Marina, who ends up living with them through the siege. There is a good lead-up to the siege so that you really feel interested in the characters relationships with each other and bothered by the direction that the Soviet regime has taken in controlling the population. Then, as the siege begins in September and winter sets in, the twin tortures of starvation and freezing take precedence and all that was being developed in the beginning falls away. Survival is all there is.

This book ends after about 8 months of the siege when the first winter ends in May. It ends sort of hopefully but my memory made me skeptical. In looking up the Siege of Leningrad, I found that the Siege would continue for almost 2.5 years total. Possibly 3 million people died between the people who stayed and those who tried to evacuate, most unsuccessfully. The first winter that is described in this book was the worst stretch where people were allotted only 125 grams of bread, which I think is about 2 normal slices, per day. Of course, this measly amount of food was in reality even less because it was full of sawdust or similar.

Realizing that the events described in this book were really only the beginning and that there would be almost 2 more years of similar conditions is truly horrifying. But as Stalin supposedly said (albeit about a different starvation), "If only one man dies of hunger, that is a tragedy. If millions die, that is a statistic." Dunmore has tried to reverse this idea, telling a deeply personal story of one small family and not muddying the waters by broadening the scope of the book too wide.

Original publication date: 2001
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 291 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: Dunmore recently passed away and I realized I hadn't read one of her books yet

Excellent batch of reviews. Like you, I really enjoyed listening to Stevenson reading Middlemarch. Thanks also for the nudge that I should get around to reading my copy of The Seige at some point.

Everything Else (14/30)

The Glass Devil by Helene Tursten

I'm of two minds about this mystery series. I really like the main detective, Irene Huss. It's one of the few detective series I've found where the lead detective works to maintain a healthy home life and work life balance. It strikes me as much more realistic than when the detectives fall into each case so completely.

But . . . this book took a really gruesome turn at the end that I wasn't really prepared for. I think it sort of soured me on reading any more in the series.

Original publication date: 2001
Author’s nationality: Swedish
Original language: Swedish
Length: 311 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback borrowed
Why I read this: mystery series I've been reading

Off the Shelf (12/25)

Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym

I like to equate reading Barbara Pym to doing something super relaxing and a little indulgent, like getting a pedicure or an afternoon nap or a leisurely walk in a cool, scenic place. There's something about her writing that is very comforting to me. But at the same time it isn't boring. This book focuses on Miss Morrow, companion to an elderly spinster, and Mr. Cleveland, an Oxford professor. Most of the drama surrounds Mr. Cleveland as he starts an inappropriate relationship with one of his female students. Sounds rather dramatic, but actually it turns out being quite comical.

This was one of her first books and wasn't published posthumously. I think it got some final editing after she died. It was a bit simpler than some of her other books, but I still liked it quite a bit.

Original publication date: 1940 written, 1985 published
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 211 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback purchased
Why I read this: for fun

Everything Else (15/30)

The Vanishing Velazquez by Laura Cumming

The Vanishing Velazquez is a tribute to the 17th century Spanish artist, Diego Velazquez. Little is known about Velazquez except that he was the primary artist at the court of Philip IV and that he is revered by other artists for his realistic portraits and incredibly minimalist brushstroke and lack of reworking.

He is also revered by the author of this book, Laura Cumming. Her exuberance for his work jumps off every page and makes for an exciting and compelling reading experience. The story she has to tell is admittedly a little thin. She focuses on a portrait of Charles I that Velazquez supposedly did when Charles visited Spain before ascending the throne. There is enough evidence that this portrait was completed but it is lost track of until a bookseller and art lover, John Snare finds what he believes is the lost Velazquez portrait in 1845 at an estate sale. Cumming follows this story in an effort to unravel what was really happening with the benefit of modern research. Along the way she describes as much of Velazquez's life as is known and also analyzes his most famous works of art. Her descriptions of his art and his technique are very well done and I feel I learned a lot. I'd love to see some of these in person - the colored illustrations are beautiful but it would be amazing to see these in real life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Cumming's adoration is infectious and I couldn't put the book down.

Original publication date: 2016
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 296 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library
Why I read this: LT review that sounded interesting

I saw a LOT of Velazquez paintings at the Prado last week and they are pretty amazing. Now I want to read this book.

>136 jfetting: So jealous!!! She constantly references the works housed there. Some day . . .

Everything Else (15/30)

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Another book by Kingsolver that I really loved. This is her newest and it meshes the fictional plight of a monarch butterfly population with the challenges of a family living in rural Tennessee. The book centers around climate change and how it has effected the butterflies, causing them to winter in Tennessee when their normal mountain top in Mexico changes too much to sustain them. A scientist and his team arrive on the property of the Turnbow's where the parents Hester and Bear own the land and their adult child, Cub, and his wife Dellarobia live in a separate house with their two children.

Kingsolver's books work for me because there is always an interesting context (as in climate change here) but she keeps her characters at the heart of the novel and never loses sight of them in favor of preaching about a cause. Dellarobia is the heart of this novel and she is a beautifully written character - intelligent and funny (the kind of observant, quick, and occasional wit that you want in a best friend) but also fallible. I loved the character interactions in this book and also loved that the children were part of the story. I feel like children are seldom realistically drawn in a novel and these were done very well, including how Dellarobia felt about them.

Highly recommended.

Original publication date: 2012
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 464 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: borrowed from a friend
Why I read this: recommended by a friend

>138 japaul22: - I haven't read this one yet, but I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. I think my favorite book of hers is not one of her fiction but Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life about her family's move from Arizona to Southern Appalachia to live on a family farm and try for one year to live on only those foods they could grow themselves or get locally. (With a couple of exceptions and defined as a 100 mile radius.) There are also some recipes and her husband writes some asides about the food industry. But I digress...I have a few of her books waiting for me on my TBR; I suppose I should get to them.

>139 dudes22: My best book friend at work recommended Flight Behavior to me and let me borrow it. She loves Kingsolver and also says that even though it isn't fiction, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is her favorite as well. It's one of those books that I meant to read back when it came out and never got to. Hopefully someday!

Everything Else (16/30)

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

This book has gotten a lot of hype and I'm happy to report that I feel it very well deserved. I absolutely loved this. Saunders has taken a moment in the life of Abraham Lincoln and created an inventive and emotional story around it. The moment is when his 11 year old son, Willie, dies. The night he is buried, Lincoln visits his tomb twice, reportedly holding the body. Saunders takes this idea and creates a spirit world, the bardo, based on a Tibetan idea of the time between death and afterlife.

The spirits who inhabit this world are odd, fixated on some moment in their human lives, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, and sometimes funny. The arrival of Willie's spirit, a child who doesn't move on immediately is rare, and then his alive father's visit sends the bardo into turmoil.

Any exploration of death and the afterlife is hard. These are topics that are hard to put into words and hard for a reader to believe an author's idea of. Saunders balances this by contrasting the events in the bardo with snippets from real contemporary reports of Willie's death and the Lincolns reactions. They come from newspapers, diaries, letters, essays, biographies, etc. This really grounded the novel for me and kept it moving. It was also a wise choice for Saunders to keep everything brief despite the weighty topic. The contemporary clips are very brief and the events in the bardo are all dialogue that keeps things moving along.

I think the most impressive thing about this book to me was that even though it uses a unique and inventive form, the emotions are very strong. The form does not overwhelm the emotion of losing a child.

This is an exciting and impressive novel and one that I highly recommend

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 343 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library hardcover
Why I read this: lots of buzz

>138 japaul22: - Darn it all.... I was completely taken in by Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and now you offer up Flight Behaviour as highly recommended.

At least you cannot get me with Lincoln in the Bardo.... that one is already on my wishlist. ;-)

>142 lkernagh: Definitely give Flight Behavior a try! And glad to hear Lincoln in the Bardo is already on your list - it's excellent.

Half way through the year! The way I've set up this challenge is really working for me this year. I did big categories with specific books which worried me (thought I might rebel against too much dictation of what to read) but I'm loving it. Here's my progress.

Books from the 1001 books to read before you die: 13 out of 25 read, i've read 7 of the books I put on my list and 6 alternates (all, of course, on the 1001 books list)

Books off the shelf: 12 out of 25 read, 11 off the books I listed and 1 alternate

Proust and books about it: 4 out of 3, ahead of goal

Everything Else: 15 out of a predicted 30 books

Everything Else (17/30)

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, audio book read by Johanna Ward

I LOVED rereading this Austen novel as an audio book. Johanna Ward did a great job reading and I felt that listening to a book I've read many times (3 or 4, I can't remember) was enlightening. It seemed to really throw light on some new aspects for me, particularly the dialogue pacing (the talk between Sir Thomas and Fanny after she rejects Crawford is memorable). I also found myself rooting for Henry Crawford which was kind of weird. I've never felt that way before. This has never been my favorite Austen novel, but I loved every minute of listening to it so maybe my opinion is changing.

As I listened to the audio, I also kept up with reading the annotations in Mansfield Park: An Annotated Edition with notes by Deidre Shauna Lynch. The notes were ok, but not particularly enlightening.

I now want to listen to all of Austen's novels. It was so much fun.

For those who do audio books, any favorite readers for Austen?

Original publication date: 1814
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 16h 47m
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library audiobook
Why I read this: just for fun

>145 japaul22: My absolute favorite reader is Juliet Stevenson. I don't think she's done Pride & Prejudice, but I believe she's done all the other novels. Persuasion is my favorite reading by her...and Emma is probably my least favorite of Austen's novels, but Stevenson makes it so interesting...you can't beat her portrays of Mr. Woodhouse and Mrs. Elton!

>146 kac522: I loved her Middlemarch reading, so I will try some of her Austen as well.

I am going to be reading Persuasion this month so I just went to Audible and got myself a copy of the Juliet Stevenson version. Looking forward to it. :)

>148 DeltaQueen50: Hope you enjoy it - I'll look for your review. I just got Persuasion from the library on audio, but read by Nadia May. I listened to her read Howard's End and really liked it.

Everything Else (18/30)

Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

After reading reviews of this books, I had sort of written it off. I got the impression that it was too speculative and jumped to too many conclusions about what Jane Austen must have been like. But I saw it at the library and figured it wouldn't hurt to read the first chapter and make my own opinion.

I'm glad I did because I ended up loving this biography. Certainly it's true that it's hard to know what Austen was really like or really thinking or really looked like. Most of her correspondence was destroyed by her family and any journals she may have kept are also lost. But there is some remaining correspondence and there is much known about her large family and neighbors. Also, her movements are known and her finances as well. All of these things combined paint a much clearer picture about what her life must have been like than I expected. Certainly we don't know her reactions to her life events, but knowing the events themselves is very informative.

There were three interesting large points for me. One were how large her family was and how close she was to them. They all led fairly different lives with varying degrees of success but they seem to be pretty close and definitely supported each other monetarily and by visits to help with child births, child rearing, and death. A second was how different her environs was from what she wrote of in her books. Her books are largely concerned with upper middle class or upper class families living in a small, fairly stable circle of country families. Austen's life was quite different. Her neighbors especially were anything but stable gentry, particularly in her youth and young adulthood. There was lots of moving around and lots of scandal. A third was how her movements influenced her writing. I hadn't realized how long a period came between her leaving her childhood home and moving to Chawton, a residence provided by her brother, Edward. There were almost 10 years here where she moved around, living in rentals in Bath and visiting family and former neighbors. During this time she wrote almost nothing. Her three early books, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice were written while she was still in her childhood home and Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion were written at Chawton. The publication dates don't necessarily reflect this timeline, but the timeline of when they were actually written.

So all in all, I found this both readable and informative. Some conclusions are drawn which it's probably good to approach with a dose of skepticism, but overall I found it very moderate and reasonable in trying to piece together Austen's life.

Original publication date: 1999
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 400 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: love Jane Austen

>150 japaul22: I really enjoyed the Claire Tomalin biography also! I still have Park Honan's Jane Austen: Her Life and Paula Byrne's The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things on my shelves...I may try the Byrne first, since I really liked her Perdita: The Literary, Theatrical, Scandalous Life of Mary Robinson.

>151 christina_reads: Ooooh, thanks for the suggestions of more Austen books!

1001 Books List (14/25)

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

This was terrible. I tried to read the whole thing because I LOVED Middlesex by the same author and this is on the 1001 books to read before you die list. But it was just awful. Horribly pretentious, self-involved, messed up characters, and a boring and predictable plot/character interactions.

I skimmed the last 50 pages and it just got more ridiculous.

Isn't it surprising when an author can write one book you love and one you think is awful?

Original publication date: 2011
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 406 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book sale
Why I read this: 1001 books list, liked another book by this author

>153 japaul22: - I've been meaning to read something else by Eugenides (I thought Middlesex was wonderful too), but I guess I'll reconsider.

>141 japaul22: - I thought this was quite an impressive book and it will be definitely be one of my favorites for the year. Alas, my dad did not feel the same way and struggled through the first 50 pages or so. Oh well, to each his own.

>150 japaul22: I'm adding Claire Tomalin's book to my wishlist. I have a feeling it might be more interesting than the one I read recently by Carol Shields.

>153 japaul22: - Sounds like I get to ignore The Marriage Plot, which won't be too difficult since I don't own a copy. Darn that it was such a bad book, especially after having read and loved Middlesex!

Books off the shelf (13/25)

Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey

I picked this up off of my shelf needing something totally brainless to read. It is really hot here in D.C. (actual temps in the upper 90s and heat index in the 100s) and I've been working outside all week. This book was the perfect thing to read amongst all of that.

Some of Tey's books have annoyed me because they reflect the racist notions of a different generation, but this one basically avoids that by being set in an all-girls college. Miss Pym goes there to give a lecture on psychology and ends up enamored with the girls and life there. She stays for a week or two and is witness to some jealousies and crimes. I thought this was written with a lot of insight and subtlety for a mystery and I enjoyed it. I've read six of Tey's mysteries and this and Brat Farrar are my favorites.

Original publication date: 1946
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 236 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book sale
Why I read this: for fun, light read

1001 books to read before you die (15/25)

He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope
After reading both the Barsetshire and Palliser series, this was my first foray into one of Trollope's standalone novels. It left me a little unsatisfied, I think because of the main topic, marriage.

The main storyline here involves the marriage of Louis and Emily Trevelyan who have been happily married for about 5 years and have a young son. Trevelyan becomes jealous of Emily's relationship with a friend of her father's, Colonel Osbourne and forbids her to see him anymore. She believes he is overreacting (which he is) but also can't see that Col Osborne is certainly flirting with her and sort of enjoying making the situation worse. At first I felt they were equally at fault, but then Trevelyan descends farther and farther into obsession and madness to the extent of banishing Emily from his house and hiring a private detective to watch her.

Contrasted with this portrait of marriage is Emily's sister's love for Hugh Stanbury. Stanbury works as a journalist for his income and here is another theme. Should a woman tie herself to a husband who doesn't have inherited income and has to work for a living - and not just work, but work in journalism instead of something like the clergy, a doctor, or a lawyer? And then there are a host of other women who treat marriage and love in different ways, but always the question is what is more important, love or financial security or independence. It doesn't seem possible to achieve all three of these things. In fact, Trollope seems intent on saying that women really need to worship their husbands (a troubling word and concept to me) for a marriage to be happy. Certainly this has come up before in his work, but I found it more pervasive here and harder to gloss over or accept.

Then again, I really loved some of the characters, particularly Miss Stanbury, and thought there were some really funny moments (especially the running "chignon" joke). I enjoyed this, but it wasn't my favorite of his novels.

Original publication date: 1869
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 806 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle freebie
Why I read this: group/tutored read

>159 japaul22: Ugh, Trevelyan was such a prig. I had to stop reading this about 1/3 of the way through because he gave me such a headache :( The TV adaptation is great, though. Bill Nighy makes an excellent Colonel Osborne.

>160 rabbitprincess: I'll look for the tv adaptation - I can imagine it making good watching!

Everything else (19/30)

Persuasion by Jane Austen, audiobook read by Nadia May

Continued my "rereads on audio book" with another Jane Austen. Again, this worked very well for me. I thought Nadia May did a great job reading (though maybe not quite as great as Johanna Ward with Mansfield Park). I love Anne Eliot and I think the romance between her and Wentworth is done very well. I particularly love the scene where he writes the letter to her while she's sitting in the same room. Brilliant.

Original publication date: 1818
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 8h2m
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library audiobook
Why I read this: fun reread on audio

Everything Else (20/30)

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

Hannah Tinti has written two novels and I've read both of them this year. She is an excellent writer. Both of her books have slightly fantastical plots with great characters and a lot of depth. This, her newest book, is about Samuel Hawley who is dealing with the repercussions of a life of crime and trying to raise his daughter. The book alternates between present day and Hawley's past, exploring the incidents that have caused his many scars. As his past is revealed by the author, his daughter, Loo, is finding out about her father in her own way.

As much as I loved the writing and creativity of this book, it was a little violent for my taste. You know from the beginning that someone who lives this sort of reckless life is not going to have a happy outcome and I found that sort of depressing. But I still think that everyone should give Hannah Tinti a chance as I find her writing appealing and impressive.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 400 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle book
Why I read this: like the author

I laughed so much reading these!

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/20-literary-would-you-rathers

>163 japaul22: - I have both books by her but for some reason haven't gotten to either yet, but hope to rectify that soon.

>164 japaul22: - Those were so funny! The only one I could answer for sure was that I'd prefer to get SO IT GOES tattooed on my wrist.

>164 japaul22: Haha those are awesome! For #12 I would answer Sauron, as long as Sauron is played by Benedict Cumberbatch :D

>164 japaul22: Tough choices, but it looks like LittleTaiko and I would have matching tattoos!

>164 japaul22: #19 is my favorite

Everything Else (21/30)

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. I liked it, but I can't put my finger on why. The writing has a lyrical quality which I enjoyed and I do love the time period, Victorian England. But nothing much happens, or at least nothing that I wouldn't expect in a novel about this era, and I didn't find that the characters had much depth.

I think what it boils down to is that the theme is more prevalent and easily defined than the plot or characters. Perry delves into the conflict between superstition, church, and science so often in battle during the Victorian era. The fossil-craze and new strides in medicine find parallels to each other as those who believe in them find new innovations to be science while to skeptics, these innovations are as fantastical as the superstitions they've grown up believing in.

The backdrop for this conversation is the country town of Essex, where the inhabitants believe a giant serpent is wreaking havoc with their community. Cora Seaborne, a newly widowed woman, and her female companion (typical-Victorian "are these women lesbians" issue) and her kind of weird kid leave London for Essex and meet a clergyman, William Ransome, and his wife Stella who is dying of tuberculosis. William and Cora sort of fall in love but in an odd way. And then another man, Dr. Luke Garrett, also loves Cora. He is one of the most daring surgeons in the country. Cora's companion, Martha, wants to improve living conditions for the poor. All of these characters seem crafted to serve the themes that Perry wants to explore. I guess that's ok, but I think it's why the book felt a little cold and a bit shallow.

I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to most. I liked it, but didn't fully connect to it.

Original publication date: 2016
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 418 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book
Why I read this: sounded like my kind of book

Off the Shelf (14/25)

March by Geraldine Brooks

Geraldine Brooks uses one of the beloved books of my childhood, Little Women, to create a story of cruelty and death by focusing on the time the father of the March family spends as a chaplain in the Civil War. The Civil War was gruesome and painful and Brooks doesn't shy away from it. She also gives Marmee, the "too good to be true" mother of the March family, a temper and strained relationship with her husband. I liked that.

I loved the idea of this book and the brief mentions of the March girls, but, really, the author went a little over the top with Mr. March. His notions of how to uphold his principles coupled with his cowardice were really annoying. It was an intentional move by the author, but it was hard to read. Apparently she based him on Bronson Alcott, Louisa Alcott's father. Lets hope she got it wrong for Louisa's sake.

Original publication date: 2006
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 280 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book sale
Why I read this: off the shelf, pulitzer prize winner (2006)

Everything else: 22/30

The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
This was excellent narrative nonfiction about the Donner Party by the author of The Boys in the Boat (which I also loved). Brown picks a newly married woman, Sarah Graves Fosdick, to focus his story. She traveled with her family and her new husband from Illinois to California as part of the Donner Party.

I think everyone knows the basics - group of families on their way to the West gets stuck in a snowstorm and eats each other to survive. Yeah, that part is pretty horrific and more drawn-out than I expected. What I hadn't pieced together was that these were whole families - the old, the young, the single, the married, the infant. It wasn't a bunch of men striking out to get rich or simply to explore. I also did not know any of the details, especially that they had tried a new path that was billed to them as a shortcut to California (rather than taking the established path to Oregon and then making their way down the coast). Why they chose this new route is understandable to me. It was suggested by Hastings himself, the man who wrote the book on California that made them all want to go there. Hastings knew there was really no way to get heavily laden wagons through this route which went through the salt flats in present day Utah and then the Sierra Nevadas. He suggested it, though, because he had an interest in getting California settled by Americans and knew that inevitably some of the group would stop in Oregon if they went through there first.

Brown does a great job of capturing the spirit of adventure and hopefulness that drove these people to leave their homes. He also describes the hardships and terrain well. I found this book a page turner and read so fast that I admit to losing track of some of the people he talks about. It was a much bigger group than I realized and it was hard to keep all the families straight. That's why his focus on Sarah was really smart.

I also loved that he included his personal experience in researching the book but kept it to the prologue and epilogue. I don't like when authors insert themselves into nonfiction.

I have a weakness for survival/explorer nonfiction so this was right up my alley. Overall this was a great book for me and I would highly recommend it.

Original publication date: 2009
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 376 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: interested in the topic, like the author

Books off the shelf (15/25)

Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki

This is a new book that explores two women at different stages of their lives. Lady is a 41 year old with an 18 year old mute son who is trying to gain some independence from his mom and a 2 year old son. She has recently separated from her husband and hires a nanny, Esther, to babysit while she tries to write a book. Esther is a 20-something year old who has recently restyled herself as "S". She is an artist and her new project is to become her mother and also paint portrait of young women before they become mothers. She'll be painting these as her mother. Odd.

I liked this book. I particularly enjoyed Lady's sense of humor and the contrast between these two women at different stages of life. I thought the actual plot and momentum was a little off, though, and I wasn't totally convinced by the ending. I also am always annoyed when new books use too much technology (there's lots of twitter and such in this). I know it's part of life now, but I also feel it dates a book quickly because those things change so often. I also felt like some of the humor would mean more to someone familiar with L.A. since that's the setting and it seemed like I needed some insider knowledge to find some of the observations funny.

I read this as an Early Reviewers book.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 304
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: ER book
Why I read this: ER book

Everything Else (24/30)

Autumn by Ali Smith

I really liked this Booker longlist selection. I've read one other book by Ali Smith There but for the and I didn't like it at all - too confounding and weird. This one though, while I can't say I completely got it, I really enjoyed it. I think this is for a few reasons. One is the relationship between 30 something Elisabeth and the elderly Daniel Gluck both in the sections about their current day ages and in the flashbacks of their neighborly relationship when she's a preteen. This was really sweet and meaningful and I loved the connection between them and also the ways their lives surprisingly intertwine later. I also really liked that this book is very current, taking place immediately after the Brexit vote. Often I don't like books that use current events but it worked here as a backdrop without clobbering the reader over the head with politics. Also, as opposed to the last book I reviewed, Woman No. 17, the modern setting doesn't seem like it will make the book feel dated in a few years.

All in all I would definitely recommend this. I'm also excited that it's the first in a set of four books and I'll be reading the next.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 272 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: booker longlist

Excellent review of Autumn. I enjoyed it a lot too and will watch for the others in the series.

1001 books (16/25)

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

This was what I expect from Hardy: excellent writing, brutal social commentary, and utterly depressing. This novel has a narrower set of characters than I remember from other Hardy novels I've read. Basically, there is Jude and his first wife, Arabella, and Jude's cousin, Sue, and her first husband, Phillotson. Both Jude and Sue end up separating from their first marriages and live together, loving each other but choosing not to marry. Well, Sue chooses not to marry. There is a lot in this novel about marriage and sex and whether these two things really must coexist. Is marriage without sex a true marriage? Is a deep relationship and love without sex enough? Can you cheat on a spouse without actually having intercourse? I was surprised at how explicit Hardy is in this novel about making clear that Sue was revolted at the idea of sleeping with her first husband and that she holds off with Jude for a long time too. And once she starts sleeping with Jude, things go down hill fast.

There's also an exploration here of whether the legal act of marriage is necessary to a couple for them to have a meaningful relationship. And of course how society judges those who live together and don't marry. Interesting that this is still an issue today in America. Obviously, it's much more socially acceptable now for couples to live together before they marry and a small percentage choose to continue to live together and never marry, but it's tough legally.

There is also the inevitable Hardy theme that upward mobility is all but impossible for the poor. Jude starts out a hard-working, ambitious young man. He makes mistakes, but most of his bad luck is imposed on him by society and culture of the time.

Certainly not a pleasant read, but I'll keep coming back to Hardy every few years.

Original publication date: 1895
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 230 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: free kindle classic
Why I read this: 1001 books

>176 VivienneR: Excellent review of Jude the Obscure. It's been many years since I first read it and the details have become foggy. You make me want to go back for a re-read.

ETA: I was going to thumb your review but see you haven't posted it yet.

Proust and books related (5/3)

Sodom and Gomorrah, volume 4 of In Remembrance of Time Past by Marcel Proust

I've been reading this for about a month and have definitely decided it's not the best way for me to approach Proust. The other volumes I made my primary reading and loved them. This one I was distracted by travel and other books and read it slowly in chunks. I did not connect to it as well.

That being said, there is still a lot that happens in this volume that is interesting. The narrator finally gets to a party hosted by the Guermantes family, the apex of noble society in Paris. What he finds isn't really very exciting. There is more discussion of the Dreyfus case, especially surprising that the Price de Guermantes has changed his mind and is now a Dreyfus supporter. This party is contrasted with a later party in Balbec with our old favorites, the Verdurins. Here the vibe is "lower class", but the conversation is more interesting and artistic. Well, at least by a few characters.

In this volume, the narrator's eyes are opened to homosexuality and he starts seeing it all around him. He suspects his love interest, Albertine, of harboring desire for her friend Andree and starts watching her closely, always looking for signs. His other focus is the Baron de Charlus, who he realizes is gay and then starts noticing all of his interactions with men, especially with a violinist named Morel. Some of this is pretty humorous and also rather dark.

Also running through this volume is a lot of discussion about word origins and language. This didn't work very well for me, probably because of the translation, but some of it was really brilliant - especially the Balbec hotel attendant who always uses incorrect words or pronunciations. The translation here was excellent and very amusing.

So overall, this is a good continuation of the book and ends on quite a cliff hanger, but I didn't connect with it as deeply as I have previous volumes. I've learned my lesson and will wait for the next volume until I'm ready to make it my main book.

This was the last volume that Proust oversaw in publication before his death, so I'm interested to see if I notice a difference in subsequent volumes.

Original publication date: 1922
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: English
Length: 724 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: my project this year

1001 Books (17/25)

To the North by Elizabeth Bowen

I quite liked this book, my first novel by Elizabeth Bowen. Bowen's writing style is a little odd and took me a while to get used to. There's something about the way she crafts sentences that does feel a bit stilted - I think she puts clauses and descriptors in unexpected places which makes for a different reading flow than I'm used to.

After I gave into her writing style, I really liked the story she set up. This book contrasts two young women, Cecilia and Emmeline, who end up living together after Cecilia's young husband, Henry, dies unexpectedly. Emmeline is Henry's younger sister. At first it seems that Cecilia is the lost and slightly flighty one. She is considering remarriage but can't make up her mind and seems a little distracted and unreliable all the time. Emmeline is reserved and responsible, with a job in a travel agency, beautiful and remote. But then she meets a man named Mark Linkwater and she gets into a secret relationship with him that is way over her head to manage. Everything unravels to a dramatic conclusion.

I feel like I've heard mixed reviews of this book, so I went into it with some reservations, but I really ended up liking it and am looking forward to Bowen's other books that are on my shelf.

Original publication date: 1932
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 307 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: 1001 books

>177 japaul22: finally put up that Jude the Obscure review - I often forget to post my reviews to the book page!

1001 books (18/25)

The Collector by John Fowles

This was creepy! A young man becomes obsessed with a girl and kidnaps her, stowing her away in the cellar of a country house. First the events are told through his voice and then hers through a diary she keeps.

I loved the kidnapper's section. I thought it was really creepy and fun to read. I was less impressed with the section from the girl's point of view. I found her sort of annoying and pretentious, which is weird because I should have been rooting for her. I liked how Fowles ends things, well, liked isn't the right word.

Definitely a good book for the upcoming Halloween season.

Original publication date: 1963
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 320 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle library
Why I read this: 1001 books

Books off the shelf (16/25)

All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard

This is the fifth and final book in Howard's Cazalet family epic taking place from roughly the 1930s-50s in England. I was a little nervous because this last book was written about 10 years after the first four. But luckily, it felt just the same in style and gave a satisfying conclusion to the series.

I have absolutely loved reading these books. They are great comfort reads - easy to read, engaging characters, and lots of drama. This is not highly literary writing, a lot of it feels soap opera-ish, but in the best possible way. Over the last couple years, I've turned to these when I need something totally absorbing and I'm sad to finish them. She wrapped things up pretty well, but in a multi-generational story like this there can always be new stories told and I'm sort of sad not to know what happens to everyone. As you can see, I've come to think of these people as real!

Original publication date: 2013
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 573 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback
Why I read this: to finish the series

>182 dudes22: - I have that happen before too - when a book is so good you just want to know what happens next after the book ends.

1001 books (19/25)

Eugenie Grandet by Balzac

Meh. I was not particularly drawn into this story of the young, wealthy heiress, Eugenie Grandet. Though Eugenie will inherit wealth from her father, the family lives in a miserly way until a visit from a young, attractive city cousin, Charles, changes things. Charles brings a letter from his father for Grandet in which he makes it clear that he is bankrupt and about to kill himself. He leaves it to Grandet to break this to Charles. Eugenie of course falls in love with Charles but he leaves for the Indies to try to remake his fortune. Grandet, instead of hoarding his money as he always has, is led into investing his money and learns the glories of compounding interest. Grandet is obsessed with money and Eugenie is obsessed with her love and I suppose the results of these obsessions is the point of the book.

To me, it all felt more like a fable than like real characters. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters and felt the whole premise was overblown and overdramatic. I picked up Balzac on a whim since he's referenced so much in Proust and I'd never read any. I won't be rushing back!

Original publication date: 1833
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French
Length: 225 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle freebie
Why I read this: 1001 books

Everything Else (26/30)

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen read by Juliet Stevenson

I loved this audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson. As with Mansfield Park on audio, I found more things to love in this reread I think particularly because of the audio format. I'm often annoyed by this Austen novel (though I do still love it). I don't particularly like either of the girls' love interests and find Marianne annoying and Elinor a little too good to be true. But listening to this, I loved them all.

Original publication date: 1811
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 12:43
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library audio book
Why I read this: for fun

>185 kac522: Isn't Juliet Stevenson the BEST? I don't think she's done P&P, though. If you find it, let me know! I think her absolute best is overall of Austen is Persuasion, although her portrayal of Mr. Woodhouse (from Emma) has got to be one of my favorites, along with Mrs Elton.

Jennifer, I just love following your reading...you're either reading books I love OR books I've always wanted to read!

>174 VivienneR: I'm happy to see your positive review of Autumn. I'm considering reading it and saw it made the Booker shortlist today.

>186 mathgirl40: Yes, I really enjoy Juliet Stevenson's reading. In fact, I went through my library's audio book catalog by searching for her and wish listed all of her readings, even if it wasn't I book I'd necessarily had an interest in! And thanks for your kind comment about my reading, I enjoy yours as well!

>187 japaul22: I was glad to see it made the short list. I have a feeling it will mean more as a set (I gather she has other installments planned) but I thought it was an intriguing beginning and good on its own.

1001 Books (20/25)

The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

On the surface, this is the story of the life of a typical woman who lived from 1905- 199*. Daisy Goodwill Flett doesn't do much that is remarkable. She is orphaned at a young age but adopted by a neighbor. Marries twice, is a housewife and mother, finds a job after her husband's death as a gardening columnist, suffers from depression when she loses her job, finds her way back into a comfortable old age, and dies.

At first as a reader, I sort of wondered, what is the point? But there is a lot to ponder here. Lots about how society views women, how women's lives changed over the century, and what sort of voice a woman has. The book is titled The Stone Diaries which led me to believe this would be a first person account of a woman's life with lots of personal reflection. But actually, almost everyone gets to comment on Daisy except for Daisy herself. Her friends, children, neighbors all voice observations about Daisy and her life, but only at a few points is Daisy herself allowed a voice about her own life.

Another matter for pondering is the genre of historical fiction itself. This book is set up to make you believe that it is a fictionalized account of real people. There are pictures included of the family, letters that could easily be real, a family tree, etc. So I wondered if Shields was commenting on the genre. She made me think about what is important in historical fiction? How much needs to be true vs. the importance of depicting life in an era whether it's "true" or not. Is Daisy's fictional life any less true than an account of a "real" woman who lived over this era would be?

What I loved about this book is that it can be read on many different levels, one of the marks of a great book for me.

Original publication date: 1993
Author’s nationality: American/Canadian (born in U.S. became a Canadian citizen in 1957)
Original language: English
Length: 361
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: paperback, library sale
Why I read this: 1001 books

1001 Books (21/25)

The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark

Muriel Spark packs a lot in to her short novels. I'm amazed at how many characters are developed over the 140 pages of this novel. The setting is a home for "girls of slender means", i.e. poor, where many young (and a few old) women live - sharing and bartering soap, food, and even clothes. In the opening of the book, we find out that an acquaintance of the house, Nicholas Farringdon, has been killed while living in Haiti. This leads to a series of flashbacks that make up most of the book, taking place in 1945. A tragedy is slowly revealed, and the book ends up sadly for several of the characters.

Spark writes women's relationships with a lot of depth, insight, and a brutal honesty about how women can be both the biggest support and the harshest critics of each other. I really love her writing.

Original publication date: 1963
Author’s nationality: Scottish
Original language: English
Length: 140
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased, everyman edition
Why I read this: 1001 books

Books off the shelf (17/25)

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

Overall I enjoyed this book set in Chechnya during a ten year span that includes two wars. The writing is beautiful and the characters and connections thoughtfully developed. There is a lot of brutality, as any book set in war times has, but it doesn't overwhelm the story.

That being said, all of the things I just said I loved also bothered me at points. I found some of the connections between the characters (paternity, chance meetings, etc.) to be confusing and a little far-fetched. And the war background with death, torture, and human trafficking made some sections just too hard to read.

So somehow I both loved and was annoyed by this book.

Original publication date: 2013
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 384 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library sale
Why I read this: off the shelf

I loved that book! I’d recommend his other book The Tsar of Love and Techno. Both were 5 star reads for me.

I'm about to head out on the Marine Band's national concert tour. I'll be traveling from October 1-31 and have found that I like lighter, fast-paced books and that I don't like doing reviews while I'm traveling. I will update my reading occasionally here with very brief comments about the books I've read. Other than that, I'll "see" you all in November!

>193 rabbitprincess: Have a great trip and a great month! See you when you return :D

Enjoy your tour.

I hope you're having a great concert tour!

Catching up on your thread and really enjoying it. You've convinced I need to try Barbara Kingsolver. I'm also reading 1001 books, and The Poisonwood Bible is on the list, so maybe I'll start there. I think I'm familiar with the 1001 list, and I'm always surprised when I hear about books that I had no idea were on the list (probably stupid of me to think I should be aware of them all, but anyway). From your reviews, I think I'll try and find Eline Vere and To the North.

I really like Muriel Spark also - I've read Memento Mori (also on the 1001 list) and Loitering with Intent - loitering was awesome!

And I'll take a BB for The Observations!

Hi everyone, I'm back from our concert tour. I read 7 books on tour (I finished the Brookner right before I left). I'll do a mini-update here.

68. A Misalliance by Anita Brookner: I enjoyed this as I read it, but to be honest, a month later I barely remember anything about it. 3 stars

69. A Change of Climate by Hilary Mantel - this was really good. A story of a marriage and family and how an experience as missionaries early in their marriage affects their lives back in England and the lives of their children. 4.5 stars

70. City of Thieves by David Benioff - fantastic!!! Set during the siege of Leningrad, two young men are sent on a mission to find eggs for a high-ranking officer. Traumatic events ensue, but it's all told with a sense of humor that I loved. 5 stars

71. Outline by Rachel Cusk - meh. I didn't think this lived up to my expectations. A woman traveling is confided in by many different people, revealing herself along the way. I found it a bit too "pseudo-philosophical". 2 stars

72. Wait Til Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin - I really enjoyed this. Goodwin tells the story of her childhood growing up in Brooklyn in the 50s/60s and her love of the Brooklyn Dodgers. 3 stars

73. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing - another that didn't live up to my expectations. A happy family is traumatized by their fifth child who, from the moment he's in the room, is hard to deal with to the point of danger. I just didn't buy it. 2 stars

74. Mr. Bridge by Evan S Connell - the companion novel to Mrs. Bridge which I read last year on tour. I preferred Mrs. Bridge's side of the story, but it was neat to here "the other side". 3.5 stars

75. Still Midnight by Denise Mina - This is the first mystery by Mina I've read. I liked it but I think I need to read a few more to get totally into the characters. 3 stars

>197 rabbitprincess: I'm glad to see you checked out Denise Mina's work and hope you continue with the series!

>198 japaul22: have you read all of her books? I see she has about 3 different series - do you have a favorite?

>199 rabbitprincess: My favourite is the Paddy Meehan trilogy, which begins with Field of Blood. I borrowed the books from the library, then bought copies so that my mum could read them (and I could borrow them for a reread).
I've also read all of the Alex Morrow series and a standalone novel, The Long Drop. Still have to read her Garnethill trilogy.

>197 rabbitprincess: I loved City of Thieves as well, thought it was a great read. I think I liked The Fifth Child a little more than you, although it was definitely a disturbing read. I wasn't totally sold on the Alex Morrow series by the first book either, but it does get better. I loved her Paddy Meehan trilogy, but my favorite of hers is the Garnethill trilogy.

>200 DeltaQueen50:, >201 japaul22: Great! Thank you both for the suggestions.

>197 rabbitprincess: I'll definitely be adding City of Thieves to my wishlist!

Everything else (29/30)

The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan
This is a nonfiction book about the building of the Biltmore and the Vanderbilts. The Biltmore is America's largest home and was built in the early 1900s, the Gilded Age. It was George Vanderbilt's project - he feel in love with the natural beauty of the Asheville, NC area and hired Frederick Law Olmsted to work on the grounds (something like 125,000 acres) and Richard Morris Hunt to build the home. George married Edith Dresser after almost finishing Biltmore and she did much to support the Asheville community and to keep Biltmore financially viable after George's early death.

This book has plenty in it - information about the families, the building of the house, the grounds and forestry, the Asheville locals, and celebrity gossip. But despite all that I somehow found it a little light on the details. I wanted a bit more in depth analysis of almost every aspect presented.

This was interesting and easy to read, but wasn't quite as great as I wanted it to be. I'd still recommend it to anyone interested in the story of the Biltmore estate.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 400 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: interested in the topic

1001 books to read before you die (22/25)

Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
This is a nostalgic memoir of the author's life growing up in the English countryside in the early 1900s. I picked it up because it's on the 1001 books to read before you die list. It is presented in a series of vignettes and I found it nice, charming, etc., but not super memorable. Except for the portrayal of Lee's mother, which was so well done that I can't imagine forgetting her.

Nice enough, but not something you need to rush out to read.

Original publication date: 1959
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 259 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book sale
Why I read this: 1001 books, off the shelf

Catching up with everyone - trying to get there before the end of the year!

>141 japaul22: The more I see about this book the more I want to read it! I love books with a new format. And the fantasy angle is up my alley, too!

I'm so impressed with how many books from the 1001 List you have read. Some of them are real challenges! Keep up the work.

>206 japaul22: Lincoln in the Bardo has been a stand-out book for me this year. Thanks for the words of encouragement on my 1001 books reading. I was in sort of a slump last year, but have really enjoyed the challenge of reading off that list this year.

Off the shelf (23/25)

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Snuck one more in on the last day of November!

I really liked this book about a mixed-race family living in a small town in Ohio in the 1980s. The middle child, Lydia, goes missing at the beginning and is found drowned in the town lake. The rest of the book is told in flashbacks to various times, including when and how the parents meet, a time when the mother runs away from the family for a few weeks when the kids are little, and recent flashbacks to Lydia's school life and sibling interactions. There are lots of subtle connections as these times are relayed, and I thought it was very well crafted.

This book was sad, though. And sort of terrifying because the parents' actions have so much influence over their children's lives. As a parent myself, I sort of want to believe that I'm not quite this influential or it's scary to think about all the mistakes I'm making! She wrote this before having her first child and I wonder if she would write it the same way now.

Original publication date: 2014
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 292 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library book sale
Why I read this: off the shelf

>208 VivienneR: Great review! I have this one on the shelf but know little about it. Your review has moved it up to the front.

>208 VivienneR: - I loved that book as well as her second novel Little Fires Everywhere. She really knows how to write about family dynamics.

>210 japaul22: I heard good things about that one. I'll have to read it in 2018!

Off the shelf (24/25)

The Duke's Children by Anthony Trollope
This was a reread of the final book in Trollope's Palliser series. This time, however, I read the uncut version. The story is that Trollope wrote the novel and then his publishers demanded that he cut 65,000 words. The cut version is what was published and until very recently was the only thing available. In the last few years, Trollope's original version has been published. I read the "short" version last year but then this restored text became available in an affordable Everyman's edition. Unfortunately, none of the text is marked to show what is restored so the amazing Liz (lyzard) used her Folio Society edition to post ALL of the 65,000 words of cuts in this thread. http://www.librarything.com/topic/272678
I'm sure it was a ton of work, but I so appreciate it.

The result of comparing these two versions of the novel was so interesting to me. I was dissatisfied when I read the originally published version and this restored version went a long way toward repairing that. The characterizations are deeper, the politics are more thoroughly explored and explained, and the characters from other novels are more present. It was all in all a much more satisfying ending to the series and I'm so glad this restored text is now available. I highly recommend it if you're reading Trollope.

Original publication date: 1880/2017
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 784 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: group read

Everything Else (30/30)

Grant by Ron Chernow
I did it. I've been reading this for what feels like forever and I finally finished!

Chernow's exhaustive biography of Grant that just came out this year was an amazing reading experience. It's long - 960 pages of text, 1104 total - but surprisingly readable. Chernow works systematically through Grant's life: his childhood, days at West Point, experience in the Mexican War, a brief and unsuccessful foray in civilian life, extensive coverage of the Civil War, his 2 terms as President, and his civilian life and travels, and brutal fight with cancer as he wrote his autobiography at his end of life.

Throughout the book, Chernow explores Grant's struggle with alcohol and his naivety as far as trusting people with money and positions who he shouldn't have. His relationship with Lincoln is front and center in the book and also with one of his most trusted Generals, Sherman. The Civil War period is fascinating and his shift to being a strong supporter of black rights during the war and especially during Reconstruction was admirable and somewhat outside of his time.

I came away with a deep understanding of Grant as a leader and a man. I found him to be an admirable, intelligent, and courageous person. I had always pictured him as the Civil War hero who was elected to the Presidency sort of by default, based on his military reputation. But I actually think he was the best possible choice for the country as it embarked on Reconstruction. Though it didn't work the way Grant had hoped, his intentions were good and he was up against almost insurmountable odds.

Though it was a huge time commitment, I'm so glad I read this and highly recommend it to anyone interested in American history.

Original publication date: 2017
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length:1104 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: interested in the topic/like the author

Good for you on finishing! My dad got about halfway through and decided he knew all that he really cared to know about Grant. :) He said is started to feel more like a school assignment then something he was enjoying. I'm looking forward to reading it someday soon.

>214 japaul22: I can definitely respect your Dad's opinion. I really did like it though. It was the book I most wanted to pick up the whole time I was reading it.

That's a good sing in a book. If I ever get back to my presidential challenge then Grant should be coming up soon. Just need to finish Lincoln and Johnson first.

Johnson did not come off well in this book - I'd be interested to hear if anyone paints him in a flattering light!

Off the shelf (25/25 Complete!)

Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym

I found myself needing some light, comforting reading and for that I often turn to Barbara Pym. I was not disappointed. This novel follows a brief time span in the life of two middle aged spinster sisters. Despite their age and the expectation that since they are in their 50s their love lives should be over, both sisters still take an active interest in the men around them and have love interests of their own. Most of the book revolves around these relationships.

Not my favorite Pym novel, but enjoyable none the less.

Original publication date: 1950
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length:259 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased
Why I read this: off the shelf

>218 rabbitprincess: Woo hoo for completing your off the shelf challenge!!

>219 japaul22: Thanks! I made a list of 25 specific books knowing that I'd substitute some, but I actually read 14 of them - more than I thought. And getting 25 books read from the shelves feels like a real victory! (Let's not talk about how many I acquired this year . . . )

Funny how a Pym novel always hits the spot.

1001 books (23/25)

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
This was really fun to read. It's sort of a Mexican folk tale that uses the relationship between cooking and emotions to tell the story of Tita. Tita is the youngest daughter of Mama Elena and is destined to take care of her mother for her whole life instead of marrying. When she falls in love with Pedro, Mama Elena prevents the marriage and Pedro marries Tita's sister, Rosaura instead. Each chapter has a different recipe and Tita's strong emotions influence her cooking and those who eat it.

I thought the whole thing was really entertaining to read: Mexican culture, recipes, passion, humor, and a bit of magic.

Original publication date: 1989
Author’s nationality: Mexican
Original language: English?
Length: 246 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library sale
Why I read this: 1001 books, off the shelf

>222 christina_reads: I think I am the only person who didn't enjoy Like Water for Chocolate! Too melodramatic for me, and I didn't enjoy the supernatural elements -- although I'm not sure why, as I have no problem with fantasy novels! Oh well, glad you enjoyed it more than I did!

>223 japaul22: I think I read it at the right time. I was in the mood for something sort of fanciful. There are definitely times when I wouldn't have liked it, though.

1001 books (24/25)

The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark

This, as I expect from Muriel Spark, was a quirky little novella. I don't want to give anything away and it's short so there isn't a ton to say. Just know that it doesn't end where you expect it to.

Original publication date: 1970
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 112 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased in a set of novellas
Why I read this: 1001 books, love Muriel Spark

>222 christina_reads: - This is on my TBR. Might need to move it up.

1001 Books (25/25 COMPLETE!

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This is Fitzgerald's last novel and is supposed to be heavily influenced by his marriage to Zelda. This book witnesses the descent of Dick and Nicole Divers' marriage, due in part to her schizophrenia and his drinking. Nicole starts at one of Dick's patients and he ends up marrying her. He has an affair with a young actress, there's murder, and more affairs.

I really didn't like this. Maybe the topic was just too dark for this time of year, but it was one of those books where I didn't like any of the characters and the writing didn't make up for it.

Original publication date: 1934
Author’s nationality: American
Original language: English
Length: 320 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: kindle
Why I read this: 1001 books

And with that I completed my challenge: 25 books off the the 1001 books to read before you die list, 25 books off my shelves, 5 books by or about Proust (exceeded my goal of 3), and 30 "everything else" books.

I think I'll set my challenge up in a similar fashion next year as this worked really well for me.

I'll probably read a few more books before the end of the year and I'll still post here until January 1.

Congratulations on reaching your goals. I have not had a good year (I didn't expect the move would have as much of an effect as it did), but hope to do better next year.

Congratulations on reaching your goal. There were so many interesting books here! Godd luck for next year.

>227 japaul22: - My book club is reading that one next year. It doesn't sound completely up my alley but I'm curious to see how I feel once I read it.

Congratulations on completing your challenges!

Woo hoo, congratulations on completing your challenge!!

Congratulations on completing your 2017 Challenge. I look forward following along next year, I get great ideas here, especially for the 1001 Books List.

<229, >230 LittleTaiko:, >231 rabbitprincess:, >232 DeltaQueen50:, >233 japaul22:

Thanks! I wasn't sure I'd get through my goals this year so I definitely appreciate the congrats! I've enjoyed all of your threads also, even though I don't comment much I read all the posts.

Adding my congratulations! It seems like you've found a really good system for yourself. Also, I agree with you about Tender Is the Night -- definitely not a fan!

>235 japaul22: Thanks! I intend to try this same system next year.

The Sister by Poppy Adams
Thanks to whoever reviewed this favorably earlier in the year. I really enjoyed it. It's the story of two sisters told from one sister's point of view. This sister, Ginny, is revealed to have something of a personality disorder. She is obsessed with time, has trouble expressing and reading others' emotions, and adheres to a strict routine. She tells the story of her life with her sister Vivian, mother Maud, and father Clive. She lives an insular life in their crumbling Victorian mansion - rarely if ever leaving it. Her family is a long life of lepidopterists, scientists who study moths, and Ginny joins the family trade. In a series of flashbacks, she tells her family's story, always told through her somewhat unique point of view.

I found the ending a little unsatisfying, but otherwise I really liked this - satisfying story telling and interesting characters.

Original publication date: 2008
Author’s nationality: British
Original language: English
Length: 304 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: library kindle
Why I read this: looked good

Congrats on finishing your challenge! Enjoy the free reading days before 2018 starts. :)

>237 japaul22: Thanks! I am enjoying free reading - and taking some time to plan next year's challenge.

>236 Chrischi_HH: Bullet avoided! It looked good until I read that they study moths, my pet hate. I'll pass on this one, thanks. (I'm shocked that I even typed the word.)

Hi Jennifer, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

Jennifer - My wish for you this Christmas:

>239 lkernagh: Yes, if you have an inversion to moths avoid this book (otherwise I think you would like it, but there are plenty of other books to read!)

>240 dudes22: Thank you - to you as well!

>241 japaul22: Thank you - hope you're having a lovely holiday season!

The Captive by Marcel Proust
I returned to volume 5 (of 7) of In search of Lost Time after a 3.5 month hiatus and found that it took me a while to get back into this, but then I ended up getting sucked back in. This volume begins the sections that were published posthumously and suffer a bit from lack of Proust's final edits. For instance, there are several characters who are discussed as dead and then very much alive later. It's definitely a completed work, though, just not as perfect as some of the early volumes.

This volume is the narrator (he sort of names himself as Marcel in this volume) at his absolute creepiest. He has convinced Albertine to come and live with him without a promise of marriage. She is the "captive" not allowed to come and go as she pleases, but supplied with beautiful clothes and amenities. Of course, there are also sexual favors involved - most disturbingly when the narrator chooses to enter Albertine's room as she sleeps. Yuck. Luckily, in the end Albertine leaves the narrator and I suppose she is The Fugitive in volume six.

There's an excellent set piece back in the Verdurin drawing room with the Baron de Charlus in top form and his relationship with Morel explored more deeply (troubling as well).

All in all, I enjoyed this volume, even though parts were pretty disturbing. Proust, or at least his narrator, has such an immature view of love. It's all based on possession, desire, and power. It makes me sad to think he died so young and may have never discovered a deep, quiet, trusting love.

I think I'll carry on with The Fugitive.

Original publication date: 1923
Author’s nationality: French
Original language: French
Length: 563 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Format/Where I acquired the book: purchased paperback set
Why I read this: Proust project

And at this point I'm ready to thank everyone for following my reading and for allowing me to follow theirs. I'll be in Club Read, the Category Challenge, and the 1001 books group in 2018 - hope to see you there!

2017 Reading Round Up

Books Read: 87

Owned: 46 Borrowed: 2 Library books: 12 Kindle: 22 Audio: 5

Fiction: 75
Nonfiction: 12

Books by women authors: 62/87 (71%!)

Pages Read: 29,463
Audio books: about 82 hours

Rereads: 4 (all on audio)
Middlemarch
Mansfield Park
Sense and Sensibility
Persuasion

Decades of publication:
2017 - 6
2010 – 21
2000 - 13
1990 – 4
1980 – 5
1970 – 3
1960 - 4
1950 – 7
1940 – 4
1930 - 2
1920 - 4
1910 – 3
1890 - 1
1880 - 2
1870 – 2
1860 - 1
1830 – 2
1810 - 3

Favorites:
Fiction:
Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust – volume 1, sucked me right in
L’Assomoir by Emile Zola – love Zola’s vivid characters and brutal social commentary
The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa – complex historical fiction about DR leader, Trujillo, and his affect on one woman’s life
The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti – Excellent first book with a Dickensian flair
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson – Creepy and beautifully written
An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris – page turner spy novel based on the Dreyfus Affair
Eline Vere by Louis Couperus – beautifully written 19th century Dutch classic with a tragic heroine
The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust – (volume 3) Drawing room shenanigans and great characters introduced
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders – innovative and emotional look at Lincoln’s grief when his son dies
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields – a look at the life of Daisy, a 20th century woman, told through many voices, noticeably light on her own voice
City of Thieves by Daniel Benioff – the Siege of Leningrad told with humor and memorable characters/friendships

NonFiction:
A Train in Winter by Caroline Morehead – Women spies in France during the WWII occupation
The Vanishing Velazquez by Laura Cumming – The art, life, and mystery of Spanish painter Velazquez
Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin – illuminating biography of my favorite author
The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown – the tragedy and stupidity of the Donner party
Grant by Ron Chernow - exhaustive and interesting biography of Civil War general and President

Audio:
Middlemarch by George Eliot audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen audiobook read by Johanna Ward

Least Favorites:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Summer by Edith Wharton
The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin
How it all Began by Penelope Lively
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
Eugenie Grandet by Balzac
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Here are my 2018 threads:

Club Read http://www.librarything.com/topic/279557
Category Challenge http://www.librarything.com/topic/278741
1001 books http://www.librarything.com/topic/187103

>244 japaul22: Wow! 71% by women... awesome...I think my final tally is going to be close to 50/50. I don't feel like I'm going out of my way to read women writers-- I'm just more drawn to them.

>246 japaul22: I know - I was surprised too, especially since I read 25 books plus 5 volumes of Proust from the 1001 books list, which tends to be male heavy. I don't make an effort to read women's writing - like you, I'm just drawn to them.

Maybe I should do the opposite of most here and try to read more works by men!

(I don't think so!)

>247 kac522: Ha! You got that right!