Ellen (ebt1002) Reads On in 2016 - Chapter 12

Sunrise In Olympic National Park by kevin mcneal

Mt Shukasan From Picture Lake In Winter also by kevin mcneal

In doubt? Call 911.
Time is of the essence. Tell them you think someone is having a stroke.

My Rating Scale:

= Breathtaking. This book touched me in a way that only a perfect book can do.
= A wonderful read, among my favorites of the year.
= A great read; truly enjoyable.
= Not quite great but I'm truly glad I read this.
= Pretty good, with a few things done particularly well.
= Average, and life is too short to read average works.
= A bit below average. A waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

Honestly, I'm rarely going to complete any book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen
2. Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson
3. In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria
4. Hell is Empty by Craig Johnston
5. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
6. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel**
7. Ru by Kim Thúy
8. The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill**
9. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
10. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
11. The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown audio
12. The Manticore by Robertson Davies

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

13. Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark
14. Epitaph: A Novel of the OK Corral by Mary Doria Russell
15. This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison
16. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
17. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
18. Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth
19. Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith
20. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters audio
21. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo

COMPLETED IN MARCH

22. A Cure for Suicide by Jesse Ball
23. And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile**
24. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak**
25. 78 Keys by Kristin Marra**
26. Dodgers by Bill Beverly**
27. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard audio
28. That was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton
29. A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

**Off my shelves

COMPLETED IN APRIL

30. Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson**
31. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
32. 19 Varieties of Gazelle by Naomi Shihab Nye
33. The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng**
34. As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson
35. Without: Poems by Donald Hall
36. Sweetland by Michael Crummey
37. Mothering Sunday: A Romance by Graham Swift
38. The Translator by Leila Aboulela**
39. A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far: Poems 1978-1981 by Adrienne Rich
40. The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church

COMPLETED IN MAY

41. The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf
42. Ruby by Cynthia Bond
43. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker
44. This House of Sky by Ivan Doig
45. Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund**
46. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond audio
47. A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa
48. Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey
49. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

COMPLETED IN JUNE

50. The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah
51. The Green Road by Anne Enright
52. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris audio
53. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
54. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes
55. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith**
56. Pax by Sara Pennypacker
57. Last Orders by Graham Swift

**Off my shelves

COMPLETED IN JULY

58. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden**
59. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
60. Life on Mars: Poems by Tracy K. Smith
61. The Little Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien
62. White Sky, Black Ice** by Stan Jones
63. The After Party: Poems** by Jana Prikryl
64. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
65. Denali's Howl** by Andy Hall
66. The Arab of the Future 2** by Riad Sattouf
67. Excellent Women** by Barbara Pym

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

68. A Catskill Eagle by Robert B. Parker
69. Solstice** by Joyce Carol Oates
70. State of Wonder** by Ann Patchett
71. The Paris Wife** by Paula McLain
72. Gallows View** by Peter Robinson
73. Death Takes Passage by Sue Henry
74. The Bookseller** by Mark Pryor
75. Missoula by Jon Krakauer audio

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

76. A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James**
77. Papa Gatto by Ruth Sanderson illustrated
78. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
79. Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves
80. The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney
81. Empire of the Summer Moon** by S.C. Gwynne
82. A Life Worth Living: Albert Camus and the Quest for Meaning** by Robert Zaretsky
83. The Sellout by Paul Beatty

** Off my shelves

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

84. This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell
85. A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler
86. The North Water by Ian McGuire
87. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
88. A God in Ruins** by Kate Atkinson
89. The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks by Terry Tempest Williams audio
90. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER

91. The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
92. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
93. Bright Dead Things: Poems by Ada Limón
94. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
95. Jimmy Bluefeather by Kim Heacox
96. The Blackhouse** by Peter May
97. The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan
98. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

COMPLETED IN DECEMBER

99. White Noise** by Don DeLillo
100. Maman, What Are We Called Now? by Jacqueline Mesnil-Amar
101. Paris Nocturne** by Patrick Modiano
102. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
103. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

** Off my shelves

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969
(For some reason, the touchstones won't work for this post.)

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout

Currently reading:



Currently listening

Reading Plans for the remainder of 2016

1. Starting mid-December, a shared/group read of A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk

2.

From Domaíne Madeleíne near Olympic National Park

Open for visitors!

94. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead




"Sometimes a slave will be lost in a brief eddy of liberation. In the sway of a sudden reverie among the furrows or while untangling the mysteries of an early-morning dream. In the middle of a song on a warm Sunday night. Then it comes, always -- the overseer's cry, the call to work, the shadow of the master, the reminder that she is only a human being for a tiny moment across the eternity of her servitude."

"'Before I came to North Carolina, I'd never seen a mob rip a man from limb to limb,' Martin said. 'See that, you stop saying what folks will do and what they won't.'"

This novel is every bit as good as the reviewers and my buddies here on LT have said it is. Having heard that the underground railroad is depicted as a real, rather than figurative railroad, I worried that this bit of magical realism wouldn't sit well with me. It works beautifully, in part because the magical realism occupies about 5% of the narrative. The rest is poignant, terrifying, lovely, and honest prose about a slave who escapes a Georgia plantation in the early-to-mid 19th century. Cora flees north and stops in various states along the way, each with its own brutal approach to the institution of slavery. Timely in its exposure of humans' ability to dehumanize other humans, this is absolutely recommended.

I posted this near the end of my prior thread and decided to migrate it over here.

Hi Ellen. Happy new thread. I knew you would like The Underground Railroad. I plan to read more Whitehead, probably next year. I'm trying to convince my book club to try one.

We're not setting up a new thread or anything for the Pamuk, correct? Second half of December works for me.

It looks as though you'll make your 100 again this year.

Happy Sunday.

>12 EBT1002: This is really beautiful Ellen.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments on the previous thread.

>15 BLBera: Hi Beth! Oh, I like that idea. I will suggest Whitehead to my book group, too.

I can go either way on setting up a thread. I'm happy to do that but it will be very basic.

Yes, I think I will make my century again this year although November has been a very slow month. My concentration has been as bad as I ever remember it being and work has kicked my butt. I think I worked well over 100 hours in the past two weeks.

But I only have to work one day this week (that would be tomorrow) and then we're flying to Tennessee to spend Thanksgiving with my aunt and cousins and their various husbands and kids.

>16 charl08: Thanks, Charl. I wish I had found that >12 EBT1002: earlier. I could imagine using it as my topper for the entire coming year.

Have a great Thanksgiving. Safe travels.

Whatever you want re: the Pamuk - I would probably visit your thread more than a special one set up for that, but I'm easy. :)

Thinking about 2017...

I posted this on Beth's thread a while back.

I'm thinking about dedicating most (I want to say "all" but am worried about the impact of not leaving myself room for the occasional exception) of my 2017 reading to authors from marginalized or disempowered groups, diaspora, or regions of the globe with which Western readers rarely interface. I'm not sure exactly how to define this and, honestly, I don't feel up to developing a good rubric for myself. I don't want to get into "does this qualify?" conversations, with myself or others, but I do want to dedicate myself to more broadly hearing the voices of those whose voices have historically been silenced. Maybe that is the way to say it.

I am also still considering leading a re-reading challenge for the year. This won't be a monthly thing; it will either be every other month or maybe even once per quarter. And it will have some structure around it.... more to come about that.

>19 BLBera: Thanks!

I am up for the rereading challenge.

I have a lot of books that would fit into the world lit category. I agree that it would be best not to worry too much about a strict definition.

Happy new thread, Ellen!

I hope you have a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.

And I am definitely up for a re-reading "challenge."

Happy New Thread, Ellen. Glad you liked my resource in the prior thread--I thought it was very good and specific. How about that reception Russell just had for the touchdown!?!!

>23 katiekrug: Cool beans. Now that 2017 is actually closing in on us, I'm rather enjoying the process of devising the particulars for a re-reading challenge.

>24 ronincats: That was a great play, Roni! I'm a huge Doug Baldwin fan so I love that he threw it to Russell, too. A little trickery from my Seahawks. Heh heh.

It's great to see the Seahawks looking more like their old selves. Russell is more mobile, we can definitely feel the presence of Kam back on defense, and Rawls is getting warmed up.

I'm going to focus on getting a couple of books out of the house over Thanksgiving holiday. Taking Blackhouse by Peter May and The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. Both have been on my TBR shelves for a while and P has read them both, so I can leave them in Tennessee when I finish reading them. I'll probably also be taking the delightful Jimmy Bluefeather to finish on the plane but it's a library book so it has to come back home with me. :-)

And for those of you with whom I'm Fitbit buddies, my steps are about to drop precipitously. I went for a lovely run yesterday and then stood on the field at the Huskies football game -- about four hours -- so I'm staying off my feet today to help stave off the ever-threatening plantar fasciitis. And, honestly, I won't get much exercise while in Tennessee. I will eat, talk, read, eat some more, watch some football, talk some more.... you get the idea.

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Happy new thread, Ellen, dear.

>29 scaifea: and >30 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Amber and Paul!

>9 EBT1002: still haven't read The Luminaries huh? It is a chunkster... ;)

>20 EBT1002: nice one, there is nothing like expanding one's repertoire. I think it would be a great experience, and couldn't help but broaden and deepen your life. Maybe allow a few wild card "normal" (whatever that means to you) reads.

As you know I am all for the rereading challenge too. I used to shy away from rereads, thinking I'd not get much more out of a book. But boy- was I wrong, I have loved my last three rereads.

Happy Sunday, Ellen! Happy New Thread! So glad you loved The Underground Railroad. i passed my copy onto Joe and Debbi today. Love spreading that book joy. I am so glad you started Jimmy Bluefeather and I hope you continue to enjoy it. That is a warbler special.

I am deep into The Atomic Weight of Love. I was enjoying it but the 2nd half, has been a bit of a slog. Did you feel the same way?

I always reread, so I'm a natural for your challenge!

Happy New Thread!

Dropping by to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving week!

Happy new thread and have a great Thanksgiving, Ellen. The "eat, talk, read" plans sound a lot more interesting than keeping up with stepping in the rain! Enjoy!

Happy thanksgiving! And great review of The underground Railroad

Waving at you on my saunter through your newest thread. Happy Thanksgiving!

K.

Hi, Ellen. Happy New Thread! >1 EBT1002:, >2 EBT1002: are purty.

Very encouraging review of Underground Railroad. Mark brought me his copy; I've started it and met Cora.

I have Black House on my tbr shelf. So I'll look forward to your comments on that one, too.

A re-reading challenge - intriguing. I've certainly thought of ones along the way that I'd like to read again.

>32 LovingLit: I have not yet read The Luminaries, Megan. I own a copy (I think it's an ARC) but haven't yet committed to lugging it around! When we walked the West Highland Way, there was a couple from Australia whom we befriended. She was carrying a Kindle and was reading The Luminaries. She loved it.

In my "planning" for 2017, I feel like I want to commit to themes rather than specifics, and I definitely want to leave some wiggle room for impulse reading. When I over-plan or over-commit, it doesn't end well.

Oh good, another possible participant in a re-read challenge. I also used to shy away from re-reads, feeling that there are too many books and too little time as it is. But as I have engaged in some rereads, usually due to something going on here at LT, I have found it to be a worthwhile endeavor.

>33 msf59: Hi Mark. I am very much enjoying Jimmy Bluefeather. Thank you for that recommendation! I just got to the start of the canoe trip....

I felt exactly that way about The Atomic Weight of Love. I enjoyed it but would have loved it had she stayed more focused.

>34 ronincats: Excellent! :-)

>35 nittnut: Thanks you, Jenn. Today is the only day this week that I have to work, and I'm hoping campus is a wee bit calmer than it was last week. Happy Thanksgiving week to you, as well!

>36 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg! The weather in Tennessee is predicted to be rather lovely (sunny and in the 50s F) so I may take walking shoes, just in case. ;-)

>37 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda! I highly recommend The Underground Railroad, especially in these times.

>38 maggie1944: Hi Karen! Happy Thanksgiving to you, as well! You'll see that I left some suggestions on the book group page.

>39 jnwelch: I think you will appreciate The Underground Railroad, Joe. I'm glad Mark shared it with you. Cora is memorable, in a good way. :-)

So, as a reminder, here is the deal with the possible 2017 Re-Read Challenge. Some of you may remember this story....

At commencement last spring, I got to chatting with a literature professor and she described an assignment she gives her class. I may not recall all the details but essentially, she asks her class to choose a novel for rereading. Before they reread it, they are to write a short (e.g., about one page) essay on why they are choosing to reread it. Then, after the read it, she asks them to write another essay about the experience. So, my thinking is to create something like that here.

I will NOT do this on a monthly basis. Rather, I'm thinking about doing it as a quarterly challenge. Four rereads. Four brief "essays" (maybe I'll give a word-limit to that, maybe no more than 500 words?) about why one is doing the reread, and four brief essays about the experience afterwards.

Thoughts? Suggestions for the challenge, how to "do" it?

>43 EBT1002: - Interesting, Ellen. I had forgotten the impetus for your contemplating a re-reading challenge. My first reaction to your proposal is - "Yikes! Essays!" I like the idea of commenting on why one wants to re-read something and then commenting afterwards on it; I guess I just shy away from making it sound like more work than maybe it needs to be? But maybe I'm just lazy! I will happily participate, but any "essays" I write will be on the short side ;-)

Good morning, Ellen. I hope all is well with you. Happy new thread!

Russell CAUGHT a touchdown pass! Excellent game, despite some injuries. Go Seahawks!

>43 EBT1002: I have the perfect book for this: Rendezvous With Rama. My volume is low enough that I will likely only do one reread next year.

Hi Ellen - happy new thread!

Delurking to say hello and that I saw your comment on Beth's thread re your 2017 reading plans (>20 EBT1002:) and have been thinking of doing something similar since then. I think a stretch goal for my reading would be to read one book a month that is outside my experience or represents a minority's experience in some way.

I also think your rereading challenge sounds very interesting although my initial response is a bit like Katie's (>44 katiekrug:) "Yikes! Essays!"

My essay would be, "I want to read this for comfort. Now go away."

:D

Hi, Ellen! Hooray for a very short work week. I wish you could have joined Joe & I on our mini-pub crawl yesterday. You would have fit right in. I am surprised our lips aren't blistered from all that yakking.

So glad you are enjoying Jimmy Bluefeather. I hope you can inspire a few others to give this a shot.

>44 katiekrug: I totally hear you, Katie. I do NOT want to make this work --- for me or for anyone else! Maybe I'll just suggest folks say one or two points about why they are choosing to reread a particular work. The professor said that one thing that emerged from that exercise was that people remembered one or two things about the work, and sometimes their memory turned out to be completely wrong, or the work just landed on them differently. I don't want to create work but I do want to provide a vehicle for an interesting or different experience.

I hereby prohibit the word "essay" from appearing anywhere in my 2017 Re-reading Challenge.

I PROMISE, I will not make this feel like taking a class! (Because I would feel the same way as you all would --- "blech!")

>46 souloftherose: Hi Heather. I have never done a "CATegory challenge but I'm toying with doing one, a personally created one, that will enhance my global reading. Or I may just keep it loose. I have lots of books on my shelves that would qualify.

Please see my comment above in >50 EBT1002:. No essays. I promise. :-)

>47 Morphidae: LOL, Morphy. No essays, I promise.

>48 msf59: If Jimmy Bluefeather continues along its current trajectory, I will be joining you in some warbling, Mark, and hopefully we can encourage some others to give it a try. Keb is such a wonderful character.

In 30 minutes, I'm leaving work. Not to return until Monday, November 28. Hooray!!!!!!

Darn! I was already outlining mine. I am trying to figure out a way I can work this assignment into a class next fall.

Happy Monday/Friday, Ellen. Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving.

>50 EBT1002::

Composition...NO!

Report? No!

Assignment? no.

What then...?

Fun?

>52 BLBera: Well, just because I hereby promise never to utter or write the word that shall not be uttered or written, doesn't mean you can't write one of the not-to-be-uttered things, Beth. Heh.

I love having my Monday also be my Friday. This morning I wondered why I didn't take annual leave for today, as well, and just have a longer stay-cation attached to the vacation. But it has been a productive day so I'm glad I was here.

>53 brodiew2: All of those words are stricken from my vocabulary, Brodie.

Even fun?

You missed me back at >45 brodiew2: :-P

>49 EBT1002: - I love that there will be a slightly different 'structure' to this challenge, and a way for people to comment meaningfully on what they read. I'm finding some of the challenges are lacking in any discussion or conversation lately (I'm certainly guilty of not doing much!).

Suz has outlined her NF challenge for next year, and it's quite fun, so I'm excited about these two!

Cool! I love the re-read challenge. My assignment (to myself) will be the composition of an essay or report on what I recall of the book to be re-read and why I want to re-read it. I think it would make the re-read more thoughtful and more rewarding.

Have a good time in Tennessee.

Hey, and boo on those Seahawks.

>43 EBT1002: other than to say yes, I can't add anything right now. I love the idea of justifying your choice for the reread though, and of mandating a meaty price of writing so as to not get a heap of one-sentence reviews. Make us work for our satisfying experience! We'll thank you for it later ;)

Hi, Ellen.

Currently, Mark and I are still planning on reading Infinite Jest in January. It's a whopper, of course, but you're welcome to join us.

Good morning, Ellen! I hope all is well with you.

>58 weird_O: Interesting idea, weird_o. Would be call the pre-port to the report?

Have a great Thanksgiving week, Ellen. You deserve some good thanks giving with family and loved ones.

Happy new one, Ellen. I am in for the re-reading challenge next year - the only one I am committing to, but I have to admit that I am relieved that the essay part is out.

I goto see the Seahawks game this past weekend, and they are looking good. SO nice to see Wilson feeling better and looking great again. Loved that touchdown that Baldwin threw!

Wishing you safe travels and a very relaxing and indulgent Thanksgiving vacation.

500 words is nothing. Mamie just wrote 73 words in >63 Crazymamie: with no effort. I like the idea of writing a short rationale prior, and then a followup afterward.

Ha! Good point, Roni! I could commit to 100 words. Heh.

Hey, you only have to write 25 words for an Early Reviewer book review.

Ellen, I am thankful that I am able to call you "friend". xx

Good morning and Happy Belated Thanksgiving, Ellen. You are missed around here. I hope all is well.

If I had to make a choice regarding the Apple Cup, it would be the Huskies. Go Huskies!

I am two chapters into Just Mercy and it is both informative and maddening...and quite compelling.

Yay! Yeah! Huskies!!

Belated Thanksgiving Greetings, Ellen. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday!

happy weekend, Ellen!

Hey everyone. I'm home and we spent today getting caught up on real life --- grocery shopping, laundry, etc. I went for a lovely run in the rain (and 45F, brr) and finished reading The Blackhouse by Peter May. It was a four-star mystery read set in the outer Hebrides. While in Tennessee, I also finished Jimmy Bluefeather which was a sweet tale set in southeast Alaska, where I visited this past summer. Thanks to Mark for that recommendation!

I'm way behind but unable to catch up at this moment. I will be back as the week progresses.

Thanksgiving with family in Tennessee was special, as always.

I feel most grateful for:
family,
my health,
my job which I love,
living in a country firmly committed to freedom of the press and freedom of expression, and
books.

Welcome back. It sounds like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was special as well; we learned that we will have a new baby in the family next May. Another girl. My parents have nine great grandchildren, only three boys -- and another little girl on the way!

Welcome back, Ellen! Glad you liked Jimmy Bluefeather. Glad you had a nice time with your family.

I like the re-read challenge idea a lot. So count me in. I'm not bothered by that writing thing, either.

Good morning, Ellen, and welcome back. I'm glad to hear that you had a good Thanksgiving. My brother lives in greater Nashville.

And, yes, the Seahawks offense stunk it up yesterday. Glad they got it out on a day when everyone else in the division lost as well.

Welcome back, Ellen!

Sounds like an excellent Thanksgiving. I've got The Blackhouse on my tbr shelf, and it's good to see your endorsement.

Welcome back to the land of long, long nights. We are creeping towards Winter Solstice and it cannot come soon enough for me. Walking the dog in the dark is a bit of a challenge but I've upped my goals for how much walking we do so we will walk on!

I hope the days at work between now and the new year are easy on you!

I understand your fear of your thread. Trying to keep up with it, is what keeps me from establishing a thread of my own. I don't want things like that to take over my life. I spend most of my work day at a computer and sometimes I just don't want to or can't find the time to get to the threads.

I'm so glad you had a nice Thanksgiving Ellen. I like your rereading challenge. Also, love your goals for next year. You've seen my Category Challenge thread for next year. I'll be reading way out of my comfort zone on a couple of categories. I also, love the CultureCAT and WomensCAT next year. Both those challenges will give me multiple opportunities to read outside my usual choices.

Lots of sympathy for your linonophobia, Ellen, or metus fili, as we say in Latin. (We've been working this all out over on my thread).

I know you love your work, not to mention your free time, so no worries over getting some respite from LT.

>56 brodiew2: No indeed, fun shall not be stricken from my vocabulary. Thanks for that catch! And sorry about missing your post at >45 brodiew2:. Sometimes my own thread overwhelms me! :-D

>57 katiekrug: I'm glad this one (the re-read challenge) is interesting and even exciting, Katie. I agree that sometimes the challenges feel like structure without discussion/engagement and I am TOTALLY guilty of that check-the-box approach. I need to visit Suz' thread to see what she has brewing for next year's nonfiction challenge. This morning on my run I was particularly thinking that, with the current state of the nation, I want to read more intelligent nonfiction in 2017.

>58 weird_O: Hi Bill and I'm glad you're interested in the reread challenge, too! I will keep the structure within the realm of permissive so that folks with a wide variety of interest in writing about their reading can participate. But I think the challenge will be most interesting if folks are willing to engage in a bit of reflection as they prepare to reread a work.

>59 LovingLit: LOL, Megan. Your post kind of gives me an idea. I wonder if I should do a Reread Challenge and a Reread Challenge Lite... (I hate the word "lite"!!). But, I could give folks a couple of options.... Hmmmm..... *thinking*

>60 jnwelch: Joe, I am tempted by a shared read of Infinite Jest with you and Mark. On the other hand, I gave away the copy I had impulsively purchased a couple of years ago..... So, I'm a definite maybe. :-)

>61 brodiew2: "...the pre-port to the report" Cute. ;-)

>62 maggie1944: Thanks Karen. My Thanksgiving among family in Tennessee was lovely. I ate a bit.... :-|

>63 Crazymamie: Mamie! Thanks for visiting my thread while it was still shiny and new.
This past week saw Russell Wilson looking mobile and performing poorly. The O Line is a problem....

Thanksgiving was wonderful! I love Thanksgiving.

>64 ronincats: I wondered how long 500 words would be, Roni. I will probably not put word limits (neither minimum nor maximum) on the writing but I will provide prompts for those who want a more reflective experience. As I said above, I'm thinking about providing two versions for folks to choose. I, myself, might choose the heavier one for one reread and the lighter one for a different reread.

>65 Crazymamie: "I could commit to 100 words." :-)

Hey Ellen, Am I too late for happy new thread greetings?! I think not as I've apparently been in some sort of time/space warp. Hope all's well!

>66 Morphidae: I didn't realize that, Morphy. 25 words. That is minimalist. :-)

>67 PaulCranswick: Paul, you are so sweet. Thank you for those kind words.

As folks know, I was visiting family in Tennessee for Thanksgiving. One tradition this branch of the family has is that, when all the food is ready, we stand in a circle holding hands and take turns saying what we're thankful for ---- and, often, reflecting a bit on the gifts of the past year. It often involves sweet tears and a renewed sense of how incredibly fortunate we are, even when the year has been a tough one. Your graphic makes me think of this year's circle. My gratitudes?: My health, my job, and my family.

And I'm tremendously grateful for the friends I have made here on LT. It may sound cheesy but this circle has enriched my life.

>68 ronincats: Thanks for the turkey, Roni!

>69 Berly: Thanks, Kimmers!

>70 brodiew2: Thanks for rooting for my Huskies, Brodie! P was cheering for her Cougars (she went to WSU) but now we're both just hoping for a victory against Colorado on Friday.

I'll visit your thread in the next day or two, see how Just Mercy is landing as you continue reading it. It looks very interesting.

>71 maggie1944: Huskies looked awesome, didn't they? And Jake Browning got Pac-12 Player of the Year. Nice.

>72 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb!

>73 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda!

Not completely caught up but now I must get back to work. This was a nice little break. I'll pick up where I left off later today or this evening.

I've missed LT and it feels good to be back. :-)

I hadn't realised you were 'gone' for so long! Welcome back :)
I love LT too, it is such a place for birds of a feather, as it were.

"but this circle has enriched my life." Not cheesy at all, Ellen. I am sure most of us, feel exactly the same way.

^Did some one mention birds?

Good luck, catching up. Just to throw a BB your way: I am really enjoying The Shell Collector: Stories. Just sayin'...

I forget (or never really knew) just where in Tennessee your family gathers---nowhere near the wildfires, I hope. Having spent several vacations in and around the Smokies, this is breaking my heart.

Good to see that you got over your linonophobia, Ellen, and that you had a good Thanksgiving. I like the sound of that giving thanks circle and really, the folks on LT, are ones to be thankful for - interesting, respectful of other people's opinions and well read - no wonder we all get along so well!

So good to see you round here again, Ellen!

>83 jnwelch: Joe: *snork!*

I am focused on the fact that we are on a way, nearly there, to the Winter Solstice when we can begin to look forward to days becoming more sun lite, one by one, and in the meantime - happy good reading times in the dark, rainy, comfy days we have now.

OK, that was a long, probably completely ungrammatical sentence. And it was fun to write. Happy Days, Ellen.

Good morning, Ellen!

Nice to see you back Ellen. Have a great weekend, dear friend.

99. White Noise by Don DeLillo




This novel is both brilliant and torturously dull. Postmodern and satiric (though lightly satiric compared with, say, Paul Beatty's The Sellout), it is an exploration of consumerism and the universal human fear of death. First, there is a somewhat nebulous toxic event, after which Jack Gladney, a college professor specializing in the study of Hitler (from what perspective? we never know), learns that he has experienced exposure likely to result in his death. How soon? Well, you know. He will die. That's really the point. Next, Jack determines to learn about a medication that his (fourth) wife appears to be taking, a medication that shows up in no medical index and about which no medical doctor admits to knowing anything. I'll stop there to avoid spoilers but I will say that the novel has some prophetic aspects that are almost scary 25+ years after its first publication. It also has some delightful moments. Its treatment of modern Americans' efforts to numb our fear of death is brilliant. And reading it, especially the last third or so, was almost as painful as having my fingernails removed slowly and without anesthetic.

>75 BLBera: Hi Beth. Finally getting around to working my way through the last several posts in my thread. Congratulations on the news about a new baby girl joining the family in May! Very exciting!

>76 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I'm glad you recommended Jimmy Bluefeather. It was a worthwhile read.

>77 laytonwoman3rd: Great, Linda. I'm glad you'll be joining in the Reread Challenge of 2017. I do need to figure out the details, and soon! I know this group likes to get a head start on their reading each December/January. :-)

>78 brodiew2: Hi Brodie. Of course, now, a week later, we can say that it was great fun to watch the Seahawks be themselves! I'm sorry about Earl's injury, though. The Legion of Boom is definitely better when Richard, Kam, and Earl are all healthy and playing!

>79 jnwelch: I think you'll enjoy The Blackhouse, Joe. It was an engaging mystery in a wild and wooly (heh) setting.

>80 maggie1944: Hi Karen. For some reason, the dark is bothering me less this year than it usually does. And I'm walking in the dark more than I usually do, insisting on riding the light rail even though it means walking home in the dark. We put up some new lights out front today and they are very cheerful. We'll leave them up all the way through February, at least. They are not holiday lights, more like picnic lights....

>81 benitastrnad: Yeah, LT and thread-maintenance can take up a bit of time, Benita. For me, it's ultimately worth it but I just have to take a break sometimes.

>82 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! By the way, I will be in San Antonio in March. It's set. More about that later.

Meanwhile, I'm impressed by those of you who participate in several challenges each year. I'm determined to host the Reread Challenge (though I don't think it will be set up to operate on a monthly basis, if only because I don't want to reread twelve books next year!). And I want to read more globally and I really want to make my way through some of my TBRs (don't we all say that every year?). And I'm planning to read some nonfiction, especially six books that were recommended in the post-election. But, you know, other than all that, I don't want to tie myself down. Heh.

>83 jnwelch: I did go over to your thread and saw the discussion about my linonophobia, (or meths fili) Joe, and it cracked me up. My life is just waaaaaay too busy right now. Even when I plan to spend some time on LT, something comes up that gets in my way. I'm looking ahead, hoping to take one day off over winter break, just to stay home and read and play on LT. Oh, and P is possibly having hip replacement surgery sometime in the next few months. I'll simply have to stay home with her for at least a week, right? Just to be here with her while she rests and recovers.... *BAG* as Mark says.

>86 Carmenere: You're never too late to offer New Thread felicitations, Lynda! Trust me, I totally understand the time/space warp.

>90 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan. I like the birds of a feather notion. You know, Mark would say that we're all warblers. :-)

>91 msf59: "Did someone mention birds?" Indeed she did, my friend, and I posted a photo of a lovely warbler before I even saw your post! :-)

Hmmm, a collection of stories by Anthony Doerr, eh? Sounds promising.

>92 laytonwoman3rd: Watching and hearing about the Blue Ridge and the Smokies burning has been breaking my heart, too, Linda. My Tennessee relatives are west of Nashville but my sister is in Asheville, NC, and I have a deep fondness for the Smoky Mountains. I grew up in Florida and that whole area was one of our vacation destinations for several years. And I worked at a lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Mt. Pisgah, one summer in the early 1980s.

>93 Familyhistorian: I agree, Meg. The folks around here are indeed "...interesting, respectful of other people's opinions and well read" and I value this community for those very qualities.

>94 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>95 maggie1944: I'm always happy to see the winter solstice arrive, Karen, and to watch the days gradually (and then not so gradually!) lengthen. I also love that folks in our region are dedicated to our winter lights. It helps.

>96 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Of course, I ran into another few days without time or opportunity to check in on LT. Part of it was that I was determined to finish White Noise so I dedicated all free moments to that torturous endeavor. Done now, so I can return to my wonderful LT community. Oh, and it was book number 99. What to read for number 100???

>97 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. My weekend has been lovely if busy. Work is kind of kicking my butt right now.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Okay, but here is a rundown of my weekend:
Friday night, watched my Huskies win the PAC-12 Championship.
Saturday, a lovely run and then some shopping. Went to an open house hosted by two of my favorite humans on Earth.
Sunday, laundry. Housecleaning. 90 minutes on a work conference call. Women's basketball game (my Huskies are ranked #13 in the country!). Put some more lights up in the tree out front. Read (finished!) White Noise while watching my Seahawks play very well against Carolina. Steak dinner cooked by P.

Currently reading:



Currently listening:

But each of those is the sort of thing I read (or listen to) in bits at a time. I'm not sure what I'll designate as my likely 100th read for the year. I have two Early Reviewers books that I should -- and want to -- get to before too long.

I am thinking I will read all six books described in this New York Times article in 2017, not because I believe reading them will help me understand the results of the most recent election, but because I believe they will help me better understand our country on a larger scale at this point in time.

The books are:
THE UNWINDING: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer
STRANGERS IN THEIR OWN LAND: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild
HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
LISTEN, LIBERAL: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? by Thomas Frank
THE POPULIST EXPLOSION: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics by John B. Judis
WHITE TRASH: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg

With thanks to Darryl for the idea.

How about them Seahawks?

Hi, Ellen! Hope you had a good weekend. Love the warbler up there and I like your current reads.

>106 EBT1002: That is a good list. I liked both Hillbilly Elegy and White Trash and I am a big fan of Thomas Frank.

>106 EBT1002: Great, Ellen. To be fair, it was Rachel's idea to read these books, not mine.

Good morning, Ellen!

both brilliant and torturously dull. Ha! I'm going through that right now with his Zero K. I'm having trouble understanding those who have a passion for his books, but I'm sticking with it.

Yes, I'd recommend you stay home at least a week with P if it's a hip replacement. :-) I've had both replaced, and I couldn't get around at all the first week. Madame MBH's help was critical. After two weeks, I went back to work for half days for a week. Then I was okay, but I still ended up doing rehab for 8 weeks altogether for the first one, 6 for the second.

Sad face because you're not remembering that I recommended Jimmy Bluefeather to you when you arrived back from Alaska. I recommended it to Mark at the same time. Great book. Happy face that you liked it.

Sounds like a great list Ellen. I think you'll have some company with reading it, judging from Rachel and Darryl's threads.

I didn't get on with White Noise either. You are much kinder to it though.

I read Petina Gappah's new collection of short stories this week. Hoping it makes a lot of people's diverse lists - such good reading.

Good morning, Ellen. It was, indeed, refreshing to see the Hawks dominate a game. That's what I call bouncing back!

>100 EBT1002: Yay for San Antonio Ellen!

Perhaps a loosely structured Quarterly reread challenge, where you commit to one book a quarter but others could add in as many rereads as they like?

I saw your list Ellen and I just commented on Rachel's Category Challenge for next year that I read White Trash last month. It is excellent. I highly recommend it. Mark recommended Hillbilly Elegy as a companion piece but it will have to wait. You saw on my 2017 Category Challenge, that I am making my way through Bustle's 11 Books That Will Make You Think Even More Deeply About The #BlackLivesMatter Movement https://www.bustle.com/articles/103714-11-books-that-will-make-you-think-even-mo.... I don't plan on tackling all of the books, but I do want to make a serious dent. I think the books listed, along with the 6 books in the NYT article are important books for understanding the current state of our country. I also think that books that examine economic inequality, like Evicted by Matthew Desmond and $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin are important as well. I plan to read those 2 this next year.

Take care of yourself.

Can't wait to see you again.

P.S. So glad you are continuing with the Lonmires!

Hi Ellen - I hope you do get some down time soon. Take care of yourself.

I think I can skip White Noise; thanks for reading it for me. ;)

100! Yes, it must be worthy.

The shorter days aren't bothering me as much this year, either; I think because here we had a pretty sunny November, which normally doesn't happen.

Are we still reading the Pamuk at the middle of this month? It's teetering on the top of the pile on my desk.

I decided to read one of my Persephone Books. These are lovely books to hold in one's hands and this journal from the Nazi occupation of France in 1944 is poignant and engaging.


Maman, What Are We Called Now? by Jacqueline Mesnil-Amar

>115 BLBera: "Are we still reading the Pamuk at the middle of this month?" Yes!

>107 ronincats: That was a fun game to watch last night, Roni! The Seahawks looked like themselves.

>108 msf59: Hi Mark! I've had Hillbilly Elegy on my radar for a while, thanks to your warbling. The others in the list in >106 EBT1002: are less familiar to me.

>109 kidzdoc: Ah. Well, then, kudos to Rachel for the idea. :-)

>110 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Well, I own Mao II but I don't feel any urgency to get to it now. I have long wanted to read DeLillo so I'm very glad that Mark's AAC motivated me to do so. And I even see the talent and creativity and intelligence he brings to his writing (this, based on one novel). But I am not a fan.

Oh good, I'm glad to hear that I'll be needed at home for a whole week when P gets her hip done. She is in pretty constant pain, so I'm hoping the surgeon she sees next week recommends proceeding.

>111 streamsong: Janet, I am so sorry. I totally forgot that you had recommended Jimmy Bluefeather to me! I often forget this kind of thing and have tried to get better about putting a note in the comment field - who recommended this book to me? - when I add a book to my wish list. But I started that very recently and am not yet very good about doing it each and every time.
So, belatedly, thank you for the recommendation. It was a good one. :-)

>112 charl08: Hey Charl! I need to get my butt over to Darryl's and Rachel's threads so I can be a participant in the reading of the books in >106 EBT1002:. I think it will help to have some discussion to accompany the reading.

I am very interested in Petina Gappah's short story collection; it seems to have landed well with a couple of folks around here and I loved The Book of Memory.

>113 brodiew2: Brodie. It was a good Sunday.



That is all. :-)

>114 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! I'll keep you posted as the San Antonio trip approaches. :-)

Your suggestion is right on track with my thinking: "...a loosely structured Quarterly reread challenge, where you commit to one book a quarter but others could add in as many rereads as they like." I will perhaps do one reread per quarter but I can provide and manage the space (and, you know, include occasional pretty pictures and such!) for others to do as many rereads as they are inclined to do!

I LOVED Evicted (listened to it on audio) and have been interested in reading $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America. You know, I used to read almost no nonfiction and I'm still very heavily a fiction reader, but I'm learning that there are some great nonfiction options out there.

Oh yeah, speaking of fiction. I continue to love me some Longmire. :-)

>115 BLBera: Hi Beth! You can see my choice for 100 in >116 EBT1002: above. It's a bit esoteric but I am quite enjoying it. It fits into my current need to better understand how countries/populations can so easily go down a fascist rabbit hole.... I'm not sure it's really providing that kind of insight but I am enjoying it. It's giving me a firsthand sense of life in occupied France in 1944.

I do recommend skipping White Noise. I am glad I read it as I have long wanted to read DeLillo (I remember my very cerebral graduate school roommate, whom I loved and admired, reading him back in the mid-80s). So, I can check that box off the reading bucket list now.

And yes to reading A Strangeness in My Mind in the middle of the month. I even have a reminder in my calendar, around the 14th or 15th, I think.

Time to start (continue?) planning for 2017. This post will be my starting point and I will edit and/or copy and paste as plans and ideas develop.

I've already made note in >106 EBT1002: of six nonfiction books I plan to read.

THE UNWINDING: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer
STRANGERS IN THEIR OWN LAND: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild
HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
LISTEN, LIBERAL: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? by Thomas Frank
THE POPULIST EXPLOSION: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics by John B. Judis
WHITE TRASH: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg

I'm also thinking I'll finally read The New Jim Crow which has been on my radar for a while.

I will host the 2017 Reread Challenge, for which I will reread at least four works. I have no idea yet what they will be although an all-time favorite, To Kill a Mockingbird, is likely to make the cut. I'm also thinking about rereading The Color Purple as I have not read it since it was first published.

Mark has created his AAC list; here are some initial thoughts:

January- Octavia Butler -- Lilith's Brood
February- Stewart O' Nan -- I've had Snow Angels on the TBR shelves for eons.
March- William Styron -- The Confessions of Nat Turner
April- Poetry Month
May- Zora Neale Hurston
June- Sherman Alexie -- I've read a lot of his work and this may be another candidate for my reread challenge.
July- James McBride
August- Patricia Highsmith -- The Talented Mr. Ripley and maybe Strangers on a Train and/or The Cry of the Owl
September- Short Story Month
October- Ann Patchett -- Maybe Bel Canto, which is on the TBR shelves.
November- Russell Banks -- I LOVED Cloudsplitter so maybe that will be a reread for me. Or I have Lost Memory of Skin on my shelves.
December- Ernest Hemingway

I have also said that I want to read, more intentionally, books by/about marginalized or oppressed peoples, diaspora, global regions that tend not to get represented in "mainstream" publishing circles. I don't have a clear picture of this yet but it is an intention that will guide my reading selections in 2017.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Adding this comment now:

Today I received three new books that I believe fit into my 2017 plans to read toward greater understanding of the political landscape:

The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics by George Lipsitz
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

I also received a copy of A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz which fits into my plans to read globally and with intentional attention to marginalized (is that the word I want?) voices.

>121 EBT1002: I'm interested in reading $2.00 a Day as MrMorphy and I are considered poor or at least at 135% of the Federal guidelines.

>124 Morphidae: A colleague of mine who is often involved in working with students who experience food insecurity read it and said it was quite good.

Yes, we have the dreadful snow and ice problems here on " The Southcoast." I'm not sure about you, but we are supposed to get more " arctic outflow" on Thursday , either afternoon or evening, with with sleet and snow. A lot of hassle. Greater Vancouver just does not have the snow equipment to deal with snow. Our public transit gets frozen up, can't go up quite a few of the hills, " ice bombs" fall from some of the bridges and it's a real hassle . http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/province-investigating-damage-fro...

Ellen, I too am trying to understand the rise of what I might refer to the rise of the far right, not just in the USA, with Trump, but it seems to be a shift around the world. We are really blessed right now in Canada, but we still have a dreadful person running for the Leader of the Conservative, party, Kellie Leitch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie_Leitch She supports Trump. I am very hopeful that she will not get far with her leadership bid .

>126 vancouverdeb: Good morning, Deb. Yes, they are predicting snow for us tomorrow, Thursday, as well. Seattle is also rather ill-equipped to deal with it (and, really, with our hills and the relative infrequency of snow, I'm okay with the city not spending a ton of money on this kind of thing) so we'll see what the tail end of this week brings!

Thanks for the link about Kellie Leitch. It is an unsettling time around the world right now.

Sounds like you have great plans for your 2017 reading! I miss when I could actually plan! Once the kid is grown I'll get back to normal reading!

>128 ChelleBearss: Chelle! I have been seeing you out and about on various threads. I need to find your thread. It's so great to "see" you.
I am actually rather ambivalent about the planning I do, year to year, with regards to my reading. I had been thinking I would let 2017 be the Year of Whim but post-election, I have felt the need to be more intentional and directive with myself. AND I always reserve the right to jettison reading plans and read something else. I have SO many books on the shelves that I really WANT to read! I know I am not alone in this.

I finished my 100th book last evening. More to come but Maman, What Are We Called Now? is a poignant and timely journal, written in the waning days of the Nazi Occupation of France. Beautiful book (as in, the object itself is a work of art!) and lovely content.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And I started reading The Lesser Bohemians (Early Reviewer copy) during my morning train ride this morning. Really?!?!

I just skimmed some reviews of The Lesser Bohemians.
One LT reviewer, JacBauer, wrote "Prose that is at first nearly impossible to submerge oneself in, but that as it continues develops a cohesion and beauty of its own that could only come with time, patience, and the characters’ development."
And that theme seems to come up a lot, although some found the prose so disconnecting that they rated it very poorly.
I will persist.

Congrats on reaching 100, Ellen!! Excellent work! I have Bright Dead things out from the library, and I am loving it, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Hi, Ellen. Sweet Thursday!

I also have Bright Dead Things now. I might take a break from the long Rilke collection I'm reading to read that one.

I thought, way back when, that The Confessions of Nat Turner was terrific. I'm glad you have it on your list.

Congrats on 100 - good luck with what sounds like a challenging one. Soon we'll be starting the Pamuk.

>132 Crazymamie: Oh good, Mamie, I'm glad you're enjoying that poetry collection. I did end up purchasing a copy for keeps and I will reread it slowly during 2017.

>133 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Sweet Thursday, indeed! I am READY for the weekend! I think you will enjoy Bright Dead Things, too. There are some gems in there.

I think I've owned and given away at least two copies of The Confessions of Nat Turner over the years. Now I own a copy and I WILL read it in the coming year!

>134 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! I like hitting the century mark when I can.

I think we're all aiming for about December 17 to start reading A Strangeness in My Mind. I recall Darryl mentioning that date as the start of a slow work period (or a break) for him, your finals will be done and papers graded, and I'll be on winter break. Still working, mind you, but I should have a bit of flex in my schedule from about 12/17 through January 2.

>135 EBT1002: I have a copy of A Strangeness in My Mind so I will likely join you in reading it. Will there be a separate thread?

>136 luvamystery65: Yay! The more the merrier!
I had not planned to create a separate thread but I can do so if that would facilitate discussion. So far, it's you, Beth, Darryl, and myself.

>123 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! I like your thoughts for 2017. I haven't thought very far, beyond my AAC. I am still considering kicking off the year with Infinite Jest. I have been talking with Joe about it. I might see if someone, would like to host a Group Read.

I might be joining you on Styron's Nat Turner.

>138 msf59: "I might be joining you on Styron's Nat Turner." That would be great, Mark. I think that will be one of the great AAC months. :-)

I am also considering Snow Angels. I remember seeing and loving the film version, a few years back. I am also hoping to finally get to Cloudsplitter. I have dragged my feet on that one, for years.

>138 msf59: I would love to hear your thoughts on Infinite Jest when you finish Mark. Some of us in the Category Challenge group are considering a read but not until April or later. Too many books, so little time!

The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride
DNF



I feel badly for not giving this novel an honest effort, especially given that I received it through Early Reviewers, but I just wasn't in the mood for experimental prose. And I do mean experimental. As if the narrative was a direct download from the neuronal firings of the narrator's brain. Other reviews are mixed and it does appear that most people who gave it an honest shot ended up appreciating the author's work.

>140 msf59: Hey Mark. I will likely read Snow Angels during the O'Nan month. I can not recommend Cloudsplitter too highly. I read it before LT and I still remember it vividly. It's a chunkster but well worth it.

>141 luvamystery65: I will lurk on the Infinite Jest GR, too, Roberta. I owned it for a while but realized that I was unlikely to decide to commit my time to it, so I put it in one of our neighborhood Little Free Libraries. :-)

Next up:



Paris Nocturne by Patrick Modiano
translated by Phoebe Weston-Evans

Hi Ellen! I read the Lesser Bohemians all through and did not like it. I felt bad because I heard an interview with the author and she sounds very interesting.

>145 banjo123: Hi Rhonda. Good for you to have stuck with Lesser Bohemians all the way through. I felt kind of bad for bailing on it as I had this sense that if I would stick with it I might appreciate it in the long run. But life is short and I am getting older and I just wasn't willing at this point in time to give her the chance to impress.

It's snowing in Seattle!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

*whispers* did I mention that it's snowing??

Brrrrrr!

100. Maman, What Are We Called Now? by Jacqueline Mesnil-Amar




"We -- I in particular -- loved that Parisian life, the patrician culture, which was, essentially, already part of another era and, worst of all, we failed to foresee the hatred and the horror looming on the horizon, nor were we aware that we were about to be betrayed by a large section of our own social class, a betrayal that would be cold, timorous, and poorly concealed under a veneer of politeness. It was already too late when we began to worry about the German Jews, or the Spanish socialists, when we began to help the refugees who were starting to arrive in droves from every direction... We understood too late what was happening."

"They let it happen, didn't they, they let that poisonous climate develop on their own soil, and let it flourish over thirteen years, to become a breeding ground for injustice and blind brutality?"

I'll start with the physical book. The image above hardly communicates what a lovely objet d'art the book itself is. The feel of the paper, the construction of the book, the endpaper which is from a textile designed for l'Atelier Offner in Lyon 1939-42 (says the Persephone Books website) -- all add up to a delightful object that is a pleasure to hold and to read.

The narrative is the journal of a Frenchwoman from the last months of the Nazi occupation of France. She is a Jew and her husband has been deported; she and their 9-year-old daughter hide and wait and hope and wait for his return. The title comes from a poignant scene during which the daughter, trying to make sense of the ever-shifting landscape of desperate subterfuge for survival, asks her mother what their surname is at that moment. She asks other questions, as well: how old am I? Where do we live? All in a childish effort to tell the story her mother has urged her to tell, the truth as it exists that week, with a sensed but barely understood set of ramifications for failure to answer officials' questions correctly.

The author is a woman of some means and privileged in her longstanding French heritage. This hardly makes her safe, but it provide some buffer between her, her daughter, and the French collaborators who are all too happy to turn Jews over to the German officials. She recognizes the distinctions that render some human beings safe(r) and some absolutely vulnerable, and she rails against them as the war ends and she comes to terms with its terrible aftermath.

Highly recommended.

Each Persephone book comes with a high-quality bookmark of the same print as the endpapers in the book itself. I love the bookmarks almost as much as the books themselves.

>151 EBT1002: Oh, I LOVE that idea!

>147 EBT1002: Someone who goes to church with Jeff posted that it's supposed to snow in Raleigh next Thursday. Jeff told me they aren't predicting much though. If their weather forecasting is like ours, they'll change the forecast several times before Thursday.

ETA: I'll be there starting Wednesday for a few days. I'm singing in their Christmas program.

Maman, What Are We Called Now sounds really good, Ellen. If you post the review, I'll thumb it. Adding it to the WL.

Nice to hear you excited about snow! Over here it's often more of an "oh no" reaction, as Mother Nature tends to overdo it in our part of the world. It is a beautiful sight, though.

The Persephone books are so beautiful! and what wonderful titles! Thanks for posting that. I did not get as many international reads done this year as in previous years.

Several inches of snow here, too and temps in the single digits/teens. What a joy not to have to take care of the outside chores before going to work!

>137 EBT1002: I don't know that we need a specific thread. I'll keep an eye out here and on Beth and Darryl's thread to see where the discussion is. Thanks!

I've added Maman, What Are We Called Now to my wishlist. The Persephone books are lovely. I want! Maybe a gift to me?

>156 luvamystery65: I'm also good with discussing on our threads. Let's keep things here as simple as possible.

>123 EBT1002: Looks like you have an even more complex reading plan than I do! I plan on reading The New Jim Crow in July. If you're free then you can join me. Though I know that's month one of the Listen, Liberal group read. But I'll just try to squeeze in both. 🙂

Hooray for snow - I am slightly jealous, but very happy for you! And you got me with Maman, What Are We Called Now. Lovely review, and if you posted that, I will add my thumb. Those Persephone books are gorgeous, and I love the bookmarks - what a beautiful bonus.

Hoping that your Friday is full of fabulous.

I had not known what Persephone books were but I followed the link and love them! Love the matching bookmarks idea.

Ooh you've been bitten by the Persephone bug! How did you discover them? I first learned of them through the Virago group here. A couple years ago I was part of an LT meetup in London and we went to the Persephone shop which is lovely. I have 6 or 7 titles and they are things of beauty, plus I've discovered authors I never heard of before.

101. Paris Nocturne by Patrick Modiano




After an automobile accident in which he is struck, as a pedestrian, by a woman driving a sea-green Fiat, our 20-year-old unnamed narrator becomes obsessed with finding the woman and understanding the bizarre events in the hours and days immediately following the accident. Narrated with a detached, disimpassioned tone, the novel recounts emotional reactions with the same voice as a description of a list of addresses found in the narrator's dead father's notebook. The result is less than fully satisfying for a reader who most responds to character development, but it was also oddly compelling. Themes of memory, illusion, and the vague boundary between dreams and reality kept me engaged.

A 2015 article in the New York Times about Nobel-winning Modiano suggested that reading more than one of his novels will enhance the experience of reading any individual work. Having read that article, I was admittedly a bit proud to have set the novel, in my mind because it was not provided directly in the narrative, in the year immediately after the Nazi occupation of France. That sombre air was present throughout.

>152 scaifea: The Persephone Books are truly beautiful, Amber.

>153 thornton37814: Lori, I hope they get a lot of snow. They need the precipitation desperately.
And I hope you have fun singing in the Christmas program!

>154 jnwelch: Joe, thanks for the nudge. Review of Maman, What Are We Called Now? is duly posted. Sometimes I just forget that step.

The snow Thursday night was just about perfect. It started snowing around 9pm and by 6am it was raining lightly with rising temps. By noon most of the snow was long gone. But I stayed up too late watching it fall. So beautiful.

>155 streamsong: Janet, holding a Persephone edition in one's hand is a delight. They are simply stunning. I've owned a couple of them for a while now but recently went on a spree, ordering a few and registering for their monthly delivery: you get to choose which six you want mailed to you during each of the next six months. It's a treat to have them arrive in the mail!

Yes, one good thing about snow is the opportunity to bail on some outdoor chores.

>156 luvamystery65: Sounds good, Roberta. We'll all start reading A Strangeness in My Mind around December 17 and just post where it makes sense on one another's threads. I'm looking forward to it!

>157 BLBera: Beth, I would love to send you my copy of Maman, What Are We Called Now?. As lovely as the physical book is, I'm not sure it makes sense for me to keep them --- I'm supposed to be getting books out of the house. Heh. Have you had/read a Persephone edition before?

>158 The_Hibernator: I would love to read The New Jim Crow with you in July, Rachel. I'll make a note of it. Oh, and regarding my complicated reading plans, I do this to myself every year. I also give myself full license to change my mind along the way. 2017 was supposed to be the year of getting books off my TBR shelves. Then the election happened and suddenly I had this need to do things at work, in my community, and in my reading plans ~~

>159 Crazymamie: Mamie! Both you and Joe nudged me so the review of Maman, What Are We Called Now? is duly posted. Thanks in advance for the thumb.

As I told Joe above, the small snow event was just about perfect. It snowed all night, we got about 2" in our neighborhood, and it warmed up and rained the next day, resulting in almost no difficulties for the city. Most schools in the region were on 2-hour delays although a few closed outright. They may have felt silly having done so when the snow was mostly washed away by 9am.

>160 jessibud2: Shelley, the Persephone editions are even more beautiful in person than they are on the internet. I recommend splurging and ordering at least one for yourself.

>161 lauralkeet: You know, Laura, I don't remember how I first discovered Persephone books. I have and two of them on my TBR shelves for over a year and loved loved loved the bookmarks. A few weeks ago I just got excited about them all over again and ordered a few more. Every one that arrives is a delight. I really want to go to the bookshop in London. The images of the shop look SO appealing! First, I have to plan that trip to London.

Which books have you read? Favorites so far?

Persephone Books in London

Today (Saturday) was spent being a good daughter-in-law. My 94-year-old FIL has separated from his wife of 3 years (he was married to P's mom for 67 years) so we'll be spending more time supporting and taking care of him. It made for a long day but a worthwhile way to spend it.

We did swing by the library on our way to his place, where I had three books waiting for me:

Local by Brian Wood, recommended by Joe
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue, recommended by Beth and others
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, recommended by everyone who has read it!

I'll read Another Brooklyn first out of respect for the 286 people in the library queue. Only 102 are waiting for Behold the Dreamers....

Ellen, I just checked my library and I have 13 Persephones (so much for my estimating skills, lol). My two favorites (at least based on rating) are Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Miss Buncle's Book. Hmm, interesting, those two are kind of similar: light humor and romance set in the early 20th century. In a more serious vein, I also really enjoyed two by Dorothy Whipple: Someone at a Distance and Greenbanks.

This is my my Persphone collection on LT.

Happy Sunday, Ellen! We are dealing with our second snowfall and it could be close to 10 inches by the time it wraps tonight. Sighs...

Hooray for Local & Another Brooklyn. Behold the Dreamers is on my list too.

You should have just picked up A Gentleman in Moscow while you were there. Just sayin'...

>166 EBT1002: - Oh. My. Goodness. I am afraid that if I ever came within 2 feet of this shop, I would disappear into it, never to emerge again....

Off to check out the website in more detail......

Thanks, Ellen. I think...

Hi Ellen - So much going on here.
>162 EBT1002: Great comments on Modiano. Good to know that one should read more than one of his books. Noted.
>163 EBT1002: Review starred.
>164 EBT1002: Thanks for the offer of Maman, Ellen. I accept. I'm already acquiring books to read in 2017! I just posted about NOT acquiring books on my thread. I think, maybe, that resolution should go away.
>167 EBT1002: While I loved Another Brooklyn, Behold the Dreamers is one of my favorite reads of the year. I hope you get to both of them.

Persephones are gorgeous, and I don't think I own any.

Happy Sunday. I will be shoveling at some point. As a break from grading.

>165 EBT1002: - Sigh. I am weak. It's a done deed, now. I ordered one, the *Maman* book. The dollar conversion being what it is, this isn't going to become a habit but as a little splurge, it is just fine. And I can't wait for it to arrive!

;-)

>166 EBT1002: Oh. Holy. Moly. That's so beautiful, I may cry...

I love looking at beautiful books, but I feel bad reading them and potentially getting them dirty.

That snow does sound absolutely perfect, Ellen. How fun. And I am thinking I need to indulge in one or two of those Persephone books - just gorgeous.

I came to tell you that I read Bright Dead Things, and I absolutely loved it. Thanks so much for recommending it, as I don't think I would have discovered it on my own. My review of it is on my thread, if you are curious, If not, there are also kittens there. Just saying...

Sunday afternoon, watching the doggone Seahawks give up two touchdowns to GB. And trying to catch up on LT, too. Hmmmmmmm

I cracked open Auntie Mama yesterday and enjoyed the "introduction" by Paul Rudnik, he gave a great little summary of how the sarcasm and societal commentary made it such a fun novel, and one which holds its own somewhat over the years. I don't know whether you "youngsters" will enjoy it, but I'm laughing myself silly.

Not laughing at our Hawks, though. I guess I need to hold out hope for 2nd half.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

I'm very interested in those books, too. Having subscribed to the NY Times I've been enjoying reading their book reviews. I am also feeling caught up with a couple of your good reviews - Maman, What Are We Called Now looks just like the books I love to read. Might even look at Paris Nocturne, too. Sigh.

See you soon.

p.s. not liking this football game, just now. Still the 2nd Q, so there's hope. Our pass receivers seem to be slippin' and slidin' something awful. Just not used to snowy temps. maybe.

Congrats on reading 100 and beyond, Ellen. Yay, for your snow. Wish ours had been like that. We have lots left over up here to the north of you and would gladly ship it down.

Good morning, Ellen! At least one Seattle sports team won this weekend and won big!

The other once is showing some inexplicable vulnerability. :-(

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson




"This is memory."

This is a beautiful short novel of girls' coming of age, of grown up poor in the 1960s, of finding oneself and finding one's pride. After moving from Tennessee to Brooklyn with her father and younger brother, 8-year-old August befriends three other girls and learns about love, loyalty, ambition, sex, and the power of memory to mold our stories of ourselves. Lyrical and lovely, this confirms for me that I will read anything Jacqueline Woodson writes.

I have the day off today. I have a couple of appointments (one is for P to learn whether she will be getting a new hip, a new knee, or both, or neither) so I took the whole day off. I've already gone for a lovely run, showered, breakfasted, and ordered some new towels. Excitement.

I certainly plan to spend some time on LT later this afternoon.

Oh, and in books, up next is Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue.



Then, this coming weekend I will start the shared group read of A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk.

>168 lauralkeet: Laura, thanks for sharing about your Persephone library. I like the idea of creating a collection just for these. I will do that; then I can check any time to see which of them I have (and possibly prevent myself from ordering a duplicate). I think we have some overlapping editions although I have only so far read Maman, What Are We Called Now?. Most of mine are in my office at work, where I keep some of my TBRs..... Since I'm home today, I'll have to check later this week on my whole collection.

>169 msf59: Hey Mark! "...it could be close to 10 inches by the time it wraps tonight." I know that is very hard on you but I am truly envious. Of course, my job does not involve walking all day in whatever weather Mother Nature throws my way....

You are hell on my wish list, you know that, right? I'm adding A Gentleman in Moscow to my wish list. Sigh, indeed.

>170 jessibud2: LOL, Shelley! I know, and I totally agree: that shop looks like a place into which to simply disappear. How one doesn't end up walking out with one copy of every single edition is beyond me. Even if it's only for the delightful bookmarks that come with each edition.

I don't know if you'll thank me in the end but if you just give yourself permission to order ONE book from Persephone, you will be giving your book-loving senses a serious treat.

I was intrigued by the Persephone library and had to look it up. I think I may join, if for no other reason than the titles they have selected are very interesting.

I have read two Orhan Pamuk books, and have generally liked his work. A Turkish friend of mine said that he is just an old curmudgeon, but I find his work provocative and thought provoking.

My sister read Cloudsplitter years ago and loved the book. I have long had it in my sights, but just never have gotten around to reading it. I think this will be the year to get it done - and I can participate in the AAC as well. Although, I have tried to keep up with Mark's reading of hefty books in the past, and he finished David Copperfield in a month, I am still trying to finish it. God knows what I will do with Cloudsplitter.

Well done Ellen for passing 100 books this year with such aplomb. xx

>172 BLBera: I have Suspended Sentences by Modiano also on my shelves, Beth, and I will try to read it early in January or maybe even late in December. I want to read it while Paris Nocturne is still quite fresh in my mind.

Thanks for the star and I will get Maman, What Are We Called Now? in the mail to you over winter break. The only thing is, and I hope you will forgive me for this, I'm keeping the bookmark. As I think you know, I collect bookmarks and the Persephone bookmarks are among my all-time favorites. Still, I think you will enjoy both the physical book as a lovely object and the book/journal itself.

I remember your warbling about Behold the Dreamers and I'm looking forward to starting it this afternoon, after my errands and P's doc appointment (see above).

By the way, I can't recall if you are a women's basketball fan, but we went to the game yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. "My" 11th-ranked Huskies beat the undefeated Boise State Broncos and Kelsey Plum, our star senior point guard, broke the record to become the all-time scoring leader in Pac-12 history. She passed the likes of Chiney Ogwumike and Candice Wiggins. She is 635 points away from the NCAA all-time scoring mark. Averaging 30 points per game, she just might make it.

Yikes, gotta run. I'll be back later today!

>182 EBT1002: - Too late. I DID order just one - the *Maman* one. What with the Canadian dollar exchange plus shipping, I can't make this a regular habit but this one little indulgence.... I love giving myself presents.... :-)

>173 jessibud2: and >187 jessibud2: Shelley, I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did, both the content and the physical object. It's true that they are a bit of a splurge.

>174 scaifea: I know, Amber. I think we all need to start saving our nickels so we can plan a meet up in London and build in a visit to the Persephone bookshop. Of course, in order to save up my nickels, I would need to stop buying books.... sigh.

>175 The_Hibernator: Rachel, I did find myself wanting to take extra care with the book as I was reading Maman, What Are We Called Now?. Luckily, I'm pretty easy on books and these editions, in addition to being beautiful, are quite sturdily built.

>176 Crazymamie: Mamie, you NEED to indulge yourself with a couple of Persephone editions. I believe you would love them.

I'm so glad you loved Bright Dead Things! As I have told others, I purchased a copy to keep (mine originally came from the library) and I plan to read it slooooowly during 2017. It will count as one of my rereads. :-)

Heading over to your thread to see your review and the kittens! (You know I have a weak spot for kittens!)

>177 maggie1944: Hi Karen! I am SO glad we chose to go to the women's basketball game rather than watch the Seahawks. P kept an eye on the football score but it was much more fun watching the Huskies (ranked 11th and really fun to watch!!) beat Boise State. Kelsey Plum broke the record and is now the top leading scorer in Pac-12 basketball history! She has a shot at the all-time NCAA record currently held by Jackie Stiles. I hope you can make it to a game this year.

I'm glad you're enjoying the reading -- laughter is good!

Yes, see you soon and looking forward to it!

>178 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I love it when I can read 100+ books in a year. I now feel confident that I can hit the 75 mark almost any year but 100 is harder for me to accomplish.

I know that snow is not everyone's favorite thing, especially those who have to deal with it more regularly. For us it is a treat because we don't even get snow every year. I think this was the first snow we'd had in three years.

>179 brodiew2: Hi Brodie! Yes, the Huskies women's basketball team is very exciting to follow these days! Not even having watched the Seahawks yesterday, I have to agree with your adjective "inexplicable." Five interceptions. Something had to have been happening with Russell.

>188 EBT1002: - Like you, Ellen, I love bookmarks so will admit that that was a bonus drawing point for me, with the Persephone books!

And speaking of things of beauty, I just today received my ER copy of a book I had requested, Loving Vs. Virginia, about the landmark civil rights case from 1955. It is a heavy, hefty hardcover book, with photos, drawings, maps, timelines, and is a visual work of art. It appears, at first browse, to be presented in poetry, or at least, in poetic format. I can't wait to dig into this one. It is heavy, though! I wonder how much it weighs... I am not sure I can read it in bed at night, in case it falls on my face! But it is a real visual treat. So few of the good books are ever available for Canada, on the ER offerings, that I rarely ever request anymore. I was thrilled when this one was and even more excited when I won!

Hi, Ellen!

I've got Bright Dead Things, and you and Mark and Mamie have convinced me to let it jump the queue of poetry books waiting for me.

Yay for Another Brooklyn! What an author she is.

Sorry about them Seahawks. Yeah, five interceptions, weird. Never seen him like that.

>183 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. I think you would enjoy the Persephone editions. I like what they are trying to do, "reprint neglected fiction and non-fiction by mid-twentieth century (mostly) women writers."

A Strangeness in My Mind will be my first Pamuk although I have Snow on the shelves and I think I used to have a copy of My Name is Red but never got around to reading it. I'm looking forward to doing a small group read of this one.

Cloudsplitter is a hefty volume but it flew by for me back when I read it. It certainly went faster than almost anything by Charles Dickens....

>184 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. I owe my success entirely to the support of LibraryThing.

>190 jessibud2: Oh Shelley, I think you're going to fall in love with the Persephone books. I was visiting my sister this past September and I was using one of the bookmarks and I explained where I'd gotten it. She would be not the least bit interested in the books, themselves, but she hinted that she would love a couple of the bookmarks for Christmas. I think she is in for a disappointment. I can't part with them. :-|

And good for you for getting an ER copy of Loving vs Virginia! I will be very interested to hear how you like it when you have a chance to really dig into it. It sounds lovely and SO important in these times. I want to see the film that is currently (I think) in the theaters here, called just "Loving."

>191 jnwelch: Yes, Joe, please do move Bright Dead Things up in the poetry stack. I predict that you will enjoy the collection as much as Mark, Mamie, and I have done.

You know, this may sound like fair weather fandom, but I'm kind of letting some space develop in my heart and head as far as the Seahawks go. I mean, I still love them and we still have a large "12" flag hanging from our front porch, but I'm also trying to pick and choose where I spend my time. Women's basketball, in. Football, not so much. Well, although.... I will watch the Huskies take on 'Bama in the first round of the national championship playoff. Talk about likely to be bad for my blood pressure.....

Seattle is having a lot of sports to watch, eh? Soccer! Yeah! Women's Collegiate Basketball and Men's Collegiate Football doing great! Seahawks seem to have lost their steam, and the Storm... well, maybe its building up some steam.

>193 EBT1002: Never too late to jump on the Sounders bandwagon. My son was very excited for their first MLS Cup win.

I'm glad that you liked Another Brooklyn, Ellen. I'll probably start reading it tomorrow.

I'll get going on A Strangeness in My Mind this weekend.

Yeah, 'Bama is a powerhouse again. Go Huskies! I'll be pulling for them.

Did you find that SI article about the young woman on the Huskies b-ball team? I'll be keeping an eye out for them, too.

>193 EBT1002: - Yes, Ellen, *Loving* is playing here, too and is on the schedule for a viewing with some friends over the holidays.

Also, I am sure it was on someone's thread here on LT that I first heard of the book Hidden Figures. The subject matter intrigues me and I wrote it down so as not to forget it. Then, about 10 minutes ago, I was watching the news on tv and saw a preview of it as a film! I didn't know it was a film (Kevin Costner is in it though I didn't catch any other familiar actors; it went by so fast). Anyhow, I think it opens here next week. I usually prefer to read a book first, before its film version comes out but sometimes, I can't get to it on time so I go for the film.

>194 maggie1944: It's kind of fun having the sports energy move around a bit, sport to sport. Having the women's basketball team ranked 11th nationally is fun. Four years ago they were dismal!

>195 Oberon: I have friends who are huge Sounders fans, Erik. I was pleased that they won the cup but I have to admit that I'm reluctant to invest in another sports team! When would I read??? :-)

>196 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl. I think you will enjoy Another Brooklyn. It's a quick read. I was trying to describe it to P and I found myself using the word "sad." But I corrected myself: it's melancholy, rather than sad.

>197 jnwelch: Joe, I did find that S-I article, and I purchased that issue even though it featured the evil Oregon Ducks on the cover. The "young woman" is Kelsey Plum, who busted the all-time Pac-12 scoring record at yesterday's game. She scored 44 points yesterday. She's FUN to watch! Thank you for alerting me to that article; it was fun to see her featured.

>198 jessibud2: P and I actually made a list of all the current films we want to see. There are several of them and we're actually pretty bad about getting to the cinema. My hope is that we'll also see *Loving* over the winter break. And YES, Hidden Figures is another film I really want to see!!!!

>200 EBT1002: The Hidden Figures book is excellent, too. Not to add to your humongous reading pyramid.

>201 jnwelch: Sigh. Adding it to my wish list. Thanks (I think) for the tip!

>200 EBT1002: - Movies seem to come and go in waves. Either there are a lot out at once that I want to see or none at all. I belong to a documentary film theatre and I tend to go to a lot of docs throughout the year. Since retiring last year, it's been a point of particular delight that I can go to daytime showings.

So far, for the holidays, there are 5 I have decided I want to see: Loving, Lion (the Brierley story), Manchester by the Sea, Jackie, and Hidden Figures.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I know we're all chomping at the proverbial bit in planning for 2017. I mean, not that I ever plan ahead this far, but I know some folks do. Last year I didn't start my new thread until right around December 30 or 31 and I plan to stick to that this year, too. But I'm having fun thinking about what I'll read in the new year, especially January. NOT that I want to wish December away!

>203 jessibud2: I have the same experience, Shelley. It seems that enticing films come out in groups. Let's see, what shall we call that? A production of films. Kind of like a murder of crows or a parliament of owls or a charm of finches (the latter is one of my favorites).

"Since retiring last year, it's been a point of particular delight that I can go to daytime showings." Count me envious!

My sister, also retired, is in a film discussion group in Asheville. They see the films on their own and then discuss them over dinner. I think they meet once a month and the discussion is facilitate by a former professor of film studies. I attended their discussion when I visited in September and it was SO engaging!

I want to see:
Loving
Lion
Moonlight
Hidden Figures
Jackie

Will go investigate Manchester by the Sea...

Hi, Ellen! I hope you enjoyed your day off. So glad you loved Another Brooklyn. I was a fan too. Love that Woodson.

Mamie really got the ball rolling again on Bright Dead Things. I love those warbling recurrences. Next up Mr. Joe...

I also have Hidden Figures lined up on audio. Sounds great.

On the film front, I have been hearing glowing reports about Manchester By the Sea.

Manchester by the Sea is getting a ton of buzz here. I don't think I've heard of Moonlight.. Will check it out....

>180 EBT1002: I'm so happy to see Another Brooklyn worked so well for you. I'm with you -- I'll read anything she publishes!

Also, thank you very much for the kind comments you left on my thread. LT love is much appreciated these days.

>207 jessibud2: I just looked at David Sims' review of *Manchester by the Sea* and it looks like a movie to see!

>208 lauralkeet: I haven't read any of Jacqueline Woodson's children's literature but I'm tempted to get one or two from the library. I did love Brown Girl Dreaming, as well.

And you're so welcome. Kind words matter. Just take good care of you.

My goodness, Ellen. Behold the Dreamers will be one of the best of the year for me. I also loved Another Brooklyn. Melancholy is a good word, I think. It is hard to grow up.

Thanks for the book. You can keep the bookmark :)

I look forward to A Strangeness in the Mind, my first Pamuk. First I have to finish The Terranauts, but I should be able to do that by the weekend.

So, what's the verdict with P? A new knee?

>210 BLBera: I'm loving Behold the Dreamers, Beth. I'm only on page 55 but it's wonderful so far. Jende is a delightful character.

The verdict is new hip. We put her in the queue and the surgery will likely happen in June or July. She'll be taking a few weeks off and I'll take about one week off to care for her (and to read), then I may do part time for a few days just to be sure she's getting around well enough on her own. We haven't developed any travel plans for this summer so it's working out rather well. Our next big (hopeful) trip is Palau in January/February 2018. Her brother lives there.

It looks like a long way until P's surgery. I hope she is not in too much discomfort.

I think I have Behold the Dreamers saved on audio. I will have to take a look.

Ellen, as the lucky and happy recipient of two hip replacements, on on each side, I can say Whooopeee! It is so damn lovely to walk without pain. The first was in 2000 and it took pretty much the whole 6 weeks for me to recover, but I could get around with my walker in just a few days. I did spend lots of time in bed reading, watching TV, and sleeping. And oh, doing the physical therapy assigned. The second one was a wonder. The doctor said they'd learned so much in the intervening years that it would be loads easier. And he was so right. 2005 I think. I was up within days and had no problem at all with recovery. Was getting around pretty easily within about 1/2 the time. And now! Think. The improvements continue. There's a fellow here who had his done a little over a week ago, and he is already walking around carefully without walker or cane. He did confess that going up a case of stairs was probably pushing it a bit too far, but omg, the progress he is making.

So: moral to my story. Tell P that it should be a good deal easier than she's imagining. To be sure to do those PT exercises, and enjoy ordering you around for the full week. Best of luck to you both!

Good morning, Ellen! I hope all is well with you.

>205 EBT1002: Interesting film list. for a per who proposes to at least know what films are out there, I am not familiar with many of these. I have heard of 'Manchester by the Sea', but have not seen it. I also want to see Affleck's previous 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints'. Have you heard of the recent film 'Hell or High Water' with Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges?

My list of Persephone Books:

Maman, What Are We Called Now? by Jacqueline Mesnil-Amar
Lettice Delmer by Susan Miles
Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple
Mariana by Monica Dickens
Housebound by Winifred Peck
The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding
Fidelity by Susan Glaspell

And I will receive four more over the next four months, having signed up for the six-month membership. :-)

What Karen said in >213 maggie1944:, Ellen. I've had two hip replacements, and as far as I'm concerned, they're a medical miracle. From misery to being A-OK.

My dad recovered quickly from hip replacement surgery too. It sounds a lit worse than it is, I'm told.

>215 EBT1002: having signed up for the six-month membership
oh my goodness. lucky you! Did you choose your books in advance, or how does that work?

"My 94-year-old FIL has separated from his wife of 3 years" Well, now, there's a statement you don't hear every day! I'm sorry the new relationship didn't work out permanently, but I'm amazed at anyone plunging into marriage in their 90's.

The Persephone bug is one I'm trying hard to avoid; having said the same about Slightly Foxed editions and Folio Society editions, I know I'm probably doomed, if I live long enough. And then there's my Library of America subscription. I must remind myself of my retired (read "non-income-producing") status.

I will not go to the Persephone website, I will not....

It's too bad P has to wait so long for her surgery. I hope she's not in a lot of pain.

I'm glad you're loving Behold the Dreamers so far.

Hi Ellen, it's been awhile since I've visited but I certainly enjoyed catching up here. Cloudsplitter has been placed firmly on my wishlist and I am trying not to look at the Persephone Books too closely! I love planning my reads in advance but I do find it hard to stick to my planned list, there are always so many other temptations that arise throughout the year.

I am glad to see one West Coaster who likes to see it snow, personally, I am much happier with our usual rain. But now that we have a fair bit on the ground I do sort of hope it sticks around for Christmas.

>205 EBT1002: Your sister's film discussion group sounds very interesting. Lovely what some retired folks get to explore. We don't get snow very often close to Vancouver and I am more than ready for this "treat" to be over.

Seahawks had a decent first half.

Like Meg, I'm looking very forward to the snow melting away and the temperatures rising back up. Brrr! Glad you enjoyed Another Brooklyn. I did too! Best wishes to you and P as you go forward with the hip replacement surgery. I know a few people who have had the surgery and all of them were delighted by the results. The husband of the woman who walks Poppy once a week just had a hip replacement about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I've not spoken to her in detail, but I understand that her husband is doing very well so far.

Good morning, Ellen!

A Seahawks win is a Seahawks win. But we need to get it together. There does not seem to be a lot of chesion this month.

Still working on Just Mercy. Slowly but surely.

Oh Just Mercy is on my nearby pile. It will be interesting to hear what you think about it! >225 brodiew2:

I started A Strangeness in My Mind today since I'm working this weekend.

>215 EBT1002: Like Laura, I am keen to find out more about the books you got. I have the Monica Dickens on the shelves.

Have a lovely weekend, Ellen.

>130 EBT1002: #100 books!
congratulations! What a reading year.

>215 EBT1002: I know of someone called Persephone, and I still can't get my head around that she is called that!

I have a busy day ahead of me: already went for a chilly run (26F). In a little while, P and I are going Christmas tree shopping, and there are presents to wrap and packages to get in the mail.... BUT.... a quick books update:

I finished Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue last night and I loved it! I have downgraded Another Brooklyn to 4.5 stars and have given Behold the Dreamers the same rating. More about that in a bit but I absolutely recommend both of these novels.

I started reading A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk this morning. I've only read Parts I and II but I'm already captivated! I think this is going to be another excellent read!

Hi, Ellen! I'll start reading A Strangeness in My Mind tomorrow. I'm thrilled that you're enjoying it so far.

I also started it, Ellen. I like the humor in the first section. In Part III, it's starting to seem a little Dickensian. I think following Mavlut's life will be an adventure.

>212 msf59: Hi Mark! Yes, the wait for the hip surgery is a long one. P is happy to have that much time to prepare.

I hope you have Behold the Dreamers. I ended up giving it 4.5 stars and I agree with Beth that it is one of my favorite reads of the year. I need to write my review....

>213 maggie1944: Thanks for sharing your experienceS with hip replacements, Karen! Everyone we know who has had one (or two) has been pleased with the outcomes. I think P will be good about doing the PT exercises. Her mother had a hip and two knees and a shoulder done..... the first three went better because she was dedicated to the exercises.

And, by the way, you get around quite well so that is itself a testimony!

>214 brodiew2: Good morning, Brodie. I'm having a good weekend so far!

I haven't heard of either "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" or "Hell or High Water" (I mean, I've heard of hell or high water but only when my mom was saying how determined she was about something -- heh). Honestly, I can make lists of films till the cows come home and I'll see few of them. I love going to movies and P seems to enjoy it, too, but life is so freakin' busy....

>216 jnwelch: Joe! I did not know that those two hips of yours are artificial. I'm passing all the good new-hip stories along to P. She knows all this, of course, but it's hard not to be nervous when you think about surgery.

>217 The_Hibernator: That is what we're hearing, too, Rachel. I don't know if I have any new knees or hips in my future, and I suppose I would be nervous too, but I want P to be able to walk easily again.

>218 lauralkeet: I know, Laura. I LOVE getting those little brown packages in the mail from Persephone. I did choose them in advance. You pick the six (or twelve) that you want and they send one per month.

>219 laytonwoman3rd: It is interesting watching this elderly man navigate such significant changes in his personal life, Linda. And I agree. On the list of things you expect to help your 94-year-old FIL do, getting a divorce isn't on the list!

Slightly Foxed and Folio editions, eh?

You know, you can purchase just one Persephone. You don't have to sign up for six months' of them. Heh.

>220 BLBera: GO to the website, Beth. What harm can come from browsing around on a website? ;-)

Actually, June or July is about perfect for P's surgery. It gives her time to prepare and it's certainly a better time of year for me to take several days off to stay home to read take care of her.

>221 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, it's great to see you!

I love planning what to read and I absolutely know that I will deviate from my plans. It's one of the great pleasures: planning involves thinking about books I want to read, and deviating from my plans involves reading other books I want to read. Really, when you think about it, it's a win-win proposition.

Having grown up in Florida, I loved snow during the 12+ years I lived in the midwest. I have wonderfully fond memories of walking in the snow (that crunch!) and enjoying the way it makes the world so quiet. But we get it infrequently enough here that it makes it easy to keep loving it.

>222 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. I think living in a community with a fairly educated populace has a big impact on the quality of my sister's life. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in Asheville is exceptional!

>223 ronincats: Hey Roni. Thanks for stopping by during the Seahawks game on Thursday. You were probably able to tell pretty quickly that I didn't have my computer on my lap during that game. The team played well. And they were green.

>224 vancouverdeb: I have to agree with you and Meg about the temperatures, Deb! If it's not going to snow, it can bloody well go ahead and warm up! I ran in 26F this morning. It was lovely regardless but I'm ready for some warmer temps and we do need the rain (again). Of course, I'd rather have 30F and snowing than 34F and raining....

>225 brodiew2: Hi Brody. Like you, I will take that win. I agree that the team is looking a bit discombobulated. I say they played well but honestly, a good high school team should have been able to beat the Rams given their situation, so we should have looked better than we did. Still, a win is a win and clinching the division is always good.

>226 mdoris: I don't know much about Just Mercy, Mary, but I'm looking forward to Brodie's final thoughts. I suspect it will end up on my wish list.

>227 luvamystery65: Roberta! You started A Strangeness in My Mind first. I hope we all like it!

>228 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Well, I need to actually read more of the Persephone books. I have a hard time resisting buying them because they are such lovely objects, but I'm not yet experienced enough to truly recommend their content.

>229 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan. It has been a good reading year and I'm pleased to have passed the century mark for my second time.

I don't know anyone named Persephone. It's an interesting choice for naming one's kid....

>231 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl. I'll look forward to your early reactions to A Strangeness in My Mind. I'm just getting ready to put the laptop away and go read until time for sleep.

>232 BLBera: Uh oh. "Dickensian" is not a good thing in my, um, book. But I will stay open-minded.

>237 EBT1002: HI Ellen, There was a very interesting article about Bryan Stevenson in the Aug. 22nd 2016 issue of the Nyer "The Legacy of Lynching, on Death Row" and because of that I wanted to read his book Just Mercy I am a slow reader so it is still in the pile.

Just picked up the new Maria Semple book Today Will Be Different and it takes place in your neck of the woods. I really liked her previous book....Bernadette..... so hoping this will be fun too!

>239 EBT1002: I merely meant that it was reminding me of David Copperfield a little, the "I was born," bit. I'm loving the writing. When Melvlut is on the train to Istanbul for the first time, looking out the window: "...Mevlut would look out he window to see women picking tomatoes from a small garden of a village house, hens walking along the train tracks, two donkeys scratching each other next to an electric water pump..."

And then a lovely phrase about the sea: "The sea was as dark as dreams and as deep as sleep."

He is so firmly rooted in time and place - I love that kind of writing.

Happy Sunday, Ellen! Great endorsement of Behold the Dreamers. I will have to try and bookhorn it into the audio rotation.

Hope you are enjoying a good weekend. We have been getting slammed by Mr. Winter! Ugh!

>236 EBT1002: "I love planning what to read and I absolutely know that I will deviate from my plans. It's one of the great pleasures: planning involves thinking about books I want to read, and deviating from my plans involves reading other books I want to read. Really, when you think about it, it's a win-win proposition."

Oh, you've said it so perfectly! Sing it, sister!

Happy weekend Ellen!

Are you getting snow today, Ellen? The Vancouver area is getting hit again today. It is hard to keep up with my Fitbiting when many of the sidewalks are treacherous with ice build up. They are predicting rain later and my fingers are crossed that it will wash some of the snow away.

Happy Sunday, Ellen!

If it goes the usual course, P will be very happy after the surgery.

My mom recently had a hip replacement and it changed her life. It took 10 years off her face, at the least, just from the lack of pain.

She called me, in tears, because she was finally able to go to a restaurant for lunch. Just GO to lunch. Not have to figure out:

- Where to park
- How far was parking from the restaurant
- Could she walk that far
- Where were the bathrooms in the restaurant
- How far were the tables from the bathrooms
- Could she maneuver herself between tables
- Did they have chairs/seating that wouldn't cause her too much pain
- How long could she last before the pain was so bad she couldn't concentrate on the conversation much less get back to her car
- Once she got home, would she be so stiff, she wouldn't be able to get out of the car
- If she could get out of the car, how long would she have to "pay" for the outing
etc.

And that's just for one business lunch. She had to do this type of planning all day long. She doesn't have to do this any more. The surgery has totally freed her and it's like she's another person. "I don't have to sit to cook." "I went grocery shopping for the first time in years." "I went for a walk with my husband."

I'm not saying the results of surgery will be this drastic for everyone. Just that they were for my mom.

However, keep in mind. This was after about two months of after surgery pain and PT - some of which was very intense. And it might have been shorter if mom had listened to her doctor and not pushed herself so much and overdone.

>240 mdoris: Hi Mary. I think Just Mercy sounds like a very worthwhile read.

I have a copy of Maria Semple's first book but I have yet to get around to reading it. Of course, I always like to read novels set in this region so I will get to her works eventually.

>241 BLBera: Yep, I totally get what you meant now that I've been reading into Part III. It's quite a tale and I'm enjoying it. It feels as much the story of the growth of the city of Istanbul as a story of Mevlut growing up. I'm about to start chapter 11 of Part III.

"He is so firmly rooted in time and place - I love that kind of writing."

I agree. And he has me wanting food from the region. There are a number of Mediterranean restaurants near work and I have a lunch date with a friend. I'm thinking it's time to try Shawarma King, which gets great reviews despite its name. It may be more Egyptian than Turkish, but....

>242 msf59: Mark, you must read Behold the Dreamers. It's a lovely story about immigrants from Cameroon, and the wealthy family for whom they end up working, and the impact of the 2008 Great Recession on both families. It's right up your alley.

You have been really hit hard with bitter weather. It's been freezing-*ss cold here, but nothing compared to what you've been facing. Tomorrow "they" are saying we'll make it into the low 40s.

>243 streamsong: Hi Janet! I was rather pleased with that post. Even I thought I had perfectly captured my feelings about planning the next year's reads! :-)

>244 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel. It's been a good weekend. I have to get up early to head back to work tomorrow but it should be quiet on campus. And I have a lunch date with one of my favorite people on Earth, a great colleague and friend. I'm hoping she'll say yes to Mediterranean food.

>245 Familyhistorian: Hey Meg. We had no snow today. We had a brief flurry yesterday but probably not even enough to call a trace. Today was cold and gray. I hope you do (did?) get the rain they were predicting, to wash away the snow and help melt the ice. It has been COLD here but they are saying we'll get up to 41F tomorrow. We haven't gotten much above freezing in a couple of weeks.

>246 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Thank you. It was a lovely Sunday. More about that in a moment. :-)

>247 Morphidae: Wow. Morphy, that is a powerful story about your mom's experience. Honestly, P is not in nearly that much pain but, for a 62-year-old, she is restricted from so many activities she enjoys. Including sleep. :-|
The fact that your mom was in SO much pain meant she had that much more to gain from the surgery. P has less to gain so her story will be less drastic and dramatic. I'm just SO glad your mom had the surgery! That it took 10 years off her face is stunning and, as one who watches someone in pain, it totally resonates. Truly, I can hardly wait (and not just for the week or so that I'll get to stay home reading taking care of her).

Wow - that seems like a long wait for P's hip surgery. Hope her pain level stays manageable.

Just Mercy was a tough but important read.

>235 EBT1002: "What harm can come from browsing around on a website?" HA!

"you know you can buy just one Persephone." I'll betcha can't.

Hello Ellen! I hope all is well with you.

>240 mdoris: >248 EBT1002: I am in the middle of Just Mercy and it is very good. It is taking some time because I am slow and I am reading another novel in tandem.

>251 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli. While putting us in the queue for the hip replacement surgery, the doc also prescribed some super-duper anti-inflammatory meds. P has taken them the past two evenings and been able to sleep pain-free. So I think we'll be okay waiting six months or so.

I've got Just Mercy on my radar for 2017. I think I'm going to be tackling a few "tough but important" reads in the coming year....

>252 laytonwoman3rd: I don't get a commission from Persephone Books, Linda. Really I don't. But I did go to their website and order two more books this morning.

Buying books. It's a sickness.

>253 brodiew2: Just Mercy appears to be a book to read slowly and in tandem with other things. I'm glad you're persisting, Brodie. I wonder how it would be on audio....

Post number 255.
This is about the point at which I would normally start a new thread. With two weeks left in the year, I do think I will create one last thread for 2016. So, keep an eye out for that later.....

>245 Familyhistorian: Ellen, I think it would make a splendid audio book. They its written would work well with an alternative medium.

I am giving my son-in-law Just Mercy for Christmas, so I imagine I'll get a chance at it when he is done with it.

>254 EBT1002: Buying books. It's a sickness.

It's my "other" chronic illness. I just have to watch out for those acute flare ups!

>258 luvamystery65: I cannot wait for my first paycheque to clear so that I can Spend Spend Spend in a bookshop. There may also be cake.

Re the food discussion with Beth - I am really tempted by Yashim Cooks Istanbul - Jason Goodwin writes the crime series featuring Yashim, who is an unbelievable chef, and his recipes are collected in one mouth watering book. This might well make my end of January splurge!
http://amzn.eu/0OCcQc0

I'm drooling on my keyboard.

Hiya, Ellen.

What are you reading now? I've got A Gentleman in Moscow and Darktown going. Liking both a lot.

>256 brodiew2: Okay, I'll consider that. Thanks Brodie!

>257 BLBera: Just Mercy seems to be making the rounds now, Beth. I'm glad Brodie and others made me aware of it!

>258 luvamystery65: "I just have to watch out for those acute flare ups!" LOL!!!! Yep, and I've been having one lately.....

>259 charl08: Oh Charlotte, there should definitely also be cake.

That series sounds, erm, delicious! I did get some Mediterranean food yesterday but it didn't completely quell the craving....

>260 BLBera: Napkins, Beth. Always keep napkins at hand!

>261 jnwelch: Hiya Joe! I'm happily scampering my way through A Strangeness in My Mind, along with Beth, Darryl, and Roberta. It's an excellent read.
I've got A Gentleman in Moscow on my wish list. I sent a copy to my sister but haven't (yet) bought a copy for myself!

Currently reading:

Currently listening (slooowly):