Bonnie (brenzi) Gives It Another Go - 3

Cole just turned one last month but that doesn't stop him from doing what we all love best.

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean---
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down---
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
~Mary Oliver

I belong to a writing group where we share our writing, get tips and writing prompts. We often start with a poem and this Mary Oliver poem was one that was used last week. Because I was too intimidated to divulge plans for my “one wild and precious life” I wrote about what I called The Perfect Summer Day:

I’d love to stroll through the fields with my three-and-a-half year old granddaughter this summer so that I can hear her ask a million questions about all the things that may be new to her. The innocence of her questions is certain to astound even a casual listener. We take so much for granted maybe because we’ve seen so much and very little surprises us any longer. But a child, without that experience behind her, is sure to be in awe and wonder at all that nature is certain to offer up. And maybe that wonder will transfer to me. In fact, it’s bound to. I can see her face light up now if we are lucky enough to find a grasshopper that would eat sugar from our hands. I can almost feel the wind in my face, the sun on my back, on this perfect summer day.

Books Read in 2018

January

Home Fire – Kamila Shamsie – eBook - 5 stars
Fateless - Imre Kertesz - OTS - 4.2 stars
Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann - eBook - 4.3 stars
Fire and Fury - Michael Wolff - eBook - 3.8 stars
Go Tell It on the Mountain - James Baldwin - OTS - 4.6 stars
The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson - OTS - 5 stars
The Good People - Hannah Kent - eBook - 4 stars
Bluebird, Bluebird - Attica Locke - eBook - 3.5 stars

February

The Last Crossing - Guy Vanderhaeghe - OTS - 4.5 stars
The Black Count - Tom Reiss - eBook - 3.7 stars
Pachinko - Min Jin Lee - eBook - 3.2 stars
In This House of Brede - Rumer Godden - OTS - 5 stars
Road Ends - Mary Lawson - eBook - 4.5 stars

March

Travels with Charley - John Steinbeck - OTS - 4.2 stars
White Houses - Amy Bloom - eBook - 4 stars
The Jewel in the Crown - Paul Scott - 4.8 stars
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - eBook - 4 stars
In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson - OTS - 4.1 stars
The Custom of the Country - Edith Wharton - eBook - 5 stars
The Vet's Daughter - Barbara Comyn - OTS - 4 stars
Go, Went, Gone - Jenny Erpenbeck - eBook - 4.3 stars

April

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing -eBook - 4.3 stars
The Dog Stars - Peter Heller - OTS - 4.2 stars
The Woman in the Window - A. J. Finn - eBook - 3.5 stars
The Day of the Scorpion - Paul Scott - OTS - 4.9 stars
Invitation to the Waltz - Rosamond Lehmann - OTS - 4 stars

May

The Light Years - Elizabeth Jane Howard - eBook - 4 stars
Sugar Money - Jane Harris - 4.2 stars
American Fire - Monica Hesse - eBook - 4.5 stars
The Post Office Girl - Stefan Zweig - OTS - 4.5 stars
The Towers of Silence - Paul Scott - OTS - 4.5 stars
Across the China Sea - Gaute Heivoll - L - 4.8 stars

June

Blue Monday - Nicci French - L - 3.8 stars
Circe - Madeline Miller - eBook - 4.5 stars
American Wolf - Nate Blakeslee - eBook - 4.5 stars
Anderby Wold - Winifred Holtby - OTS - 4 stars
A Division of the Spoils - Paul Scott - OTS - 5 stars
Black Swans - Eve Babitz - OTS - 4.4 stars
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston - OTS - 4.2 stars

July

Marking Time - Elizabeth Jane Howard - eBook - 4.3 stars
Warlight - Michael Ondaatje - eBook - 4.7 stars
Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott - OTS - 3.8 stars
Two Days in Aragon - M. J. Farrell - OTS - 4.1 stars
Staying On - Paul Scott - OTS - 4.2 stars

August

Confusion - Elizabeth Jane Howard - eBook - 4.2 stars
The Mars Room - Rachel Kushner - eBook - 4.3 stars
Changing My Mind - Zadie Smith - OTS - 4 stars
High Rising - Angela Thirkell - OTS - 3.4 stars
Tuesday’s Gone - Nicci French - L - 4 stars

September

Paris Echo - Sebastian Faulks - ER - 3 stars
1947: Where Now Begins - Elizabeth Asbrink - eBook - 4.5 stars
Casting Off - Elizabeth Jane Howard - eBook - 4.2 stars
Dear Life - Alice Munro - OTS - 4.5 stars

October

Transcription - Kate Atkinson - OTS - 4 stars
Jane Steele - Lyndsay Faye - eBook - 4.3 stars
Educated - Tara Westover - eBook - 4.7 stars
Waiting for Wednesday - Nicci French - eBook - 4 stars
How to be Safe - Tom McAllister - eBook - 4 stars
Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen - eBook - 4 stars

November

Lethal White - Robert Galbraith - eBook - 4.5 stars
All Change - Elizabeth Jane Howard - eBook - 5 stars
Bad Blood: Secrets And Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup - John Carreyou - eBook - 4.8 stars
A Christmas Memory - Truman Capote - eBook - 4.8 stars
Thursday’s Children - Nicci French - eBook - 4 stars

December

Kingdom Of The Blind - Louise Penny - eBook- 4.5 stars
American Mirror: the Life and Art Of Norman Rockwell - Deborah Solomon - L - 4.6 stars
The Friend - Sigrid Nunez -eBook - 4.4 stars
Calypso - David Sedaris - eBook - 4 stars
Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively - 4.5 stars
The Great Believers - Rebecca Makkai- 5 stars

STATS (Idea borrowed from drneutron)

Total Books: 70

Author Gender
Male: 25
Female: 41
Joint: 4

Author Status
Living: 44
Dead: 26

Publication Medium
Hardback: 6
Trade: 25
Mass Market: 0
eBook: 39

Category
Fiction: 53
Nonfiction: 17

Source
Library: 40
Mine: 30

Translation: 5

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

4.2 stars

”Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eye away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.”

The opening lines of this book set the stage for the depiction of the life of one fiercely independent black woman, Janie Crawford, living in the South in the early 20th century. It’s considered by many to be one of the most important books of the century. Janie is no dreamer. She takes what life hands her and makes the most of it. When she finally finds her one true love, after a couple of misses, she happily follows him, leaving behind a comfortable life in order to work the Florida muck because she knows his pride depends on her doing so. This is true romance with no holds barred. At the end, Janie needs to swallow her pride and because her character is so resilient, she’s is able to do so and carry on. This has been her true legacy, this ability to carry on, make the best of things and move forward.

I have to admit I found the dialect difficult at first and kept wishing that Hurston had used the voice she began the book with throughout. But she would have lost the authenticity of this admirable character and that would have been a tragedy. So as the book continued I found myself actually enjoying the dialect and appreciating its value. Highly recommended.

Marking Time – Book 2 of The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard
4.5 stars

The author really ramped up the interest in this second volume and I could hardly put it down. The Cazalet family certainly has their share of tragedy and drama but it makes for delightful reading. This volume takes place mostly in 1940-41 so the Blitz plays a large role and the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor has set the stage for the U.S. to enter and thereby prolong what everyone had hoped would be a short war.

For a book with so many characters I have no trouble keeping them sorted and following the stories, most of which are told through the eyes of the youngest members of the family. The writing is excellent but that’s not what this series is about. It’s the story, through and through. A large family, caught up in WWII and its effect on everyone dominates the narrative, with different love stories playing out. So good. And highly recommended.

Happy New Thread, Bonnie. Love the Cole topper and the Oliver poem. Hope you had a good weekend and are enjoying Warlight.

Happy new thread, Bonnie! Thanks for sharing your writing with us - that , along with the pickleball you posted about on FB, must be keeping oyu busy, even without the grandkids! Good on you.

I loved TEWWG. I first read it my junior year in high school, and still remember the title and thesis of the paper I wrote about it. I had a great teacher for that class who really helped my appreciation of the novel. I understand people struggling with the dialect, but like you, I think it would have been less authentic without it. I read portions out loud to get a sense of what it sounded like, and then could hear it in my head when I read it. I re-read the novel last year, and was still very moved by it.

I have the entire Elizebeth Jane Howard series on my shelf. It might just be the thing for this summer - at least to get a start on it!

>7 msf59: Hi Mark. I am really enjoying Warlight. The writing is just phenomenal.

>8 katiekrug:. I can honestly say I’m busier now than when I worked Katie lol. I remember years ago when my father in law used to tell me that and I’d think, Yeah, right. But it’s true.

This is my first time reading the Hurston novel. I have no idea why I was so late getting to it but I’m glad to have read it. The parts that weren’t written in dialect were incredibly well written, just beautifully crafted. And the dialect was necessary I think.

Happy new thread, Bonnie. Cole is absolutely adorable!

Happy new thread, Bonnie, and happy belated birthday to Cole!

Happy New Thread, Bonnie!

Great to see Cole "reading." Can't wait until he starts posting on LT. :-)

That's one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems. What an amazing couple of last lines.

You'll see I posted Tony Hoagland's The Word on my thread after you mentioned it. My wife liked it so much she wants to put it on our refrigerator door (the home of many special things).

Happy new thread, Bonnie! I love the photo of Cole and the poem in >2 brenzi:. Hope you're enjoying the lovely weather!

>10 tymfos: Thank you Terri. He can be a handful😏

>11 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle.

>12 jnwelch: We kind of decided in our writing group that MARY Oliver is so good at what she does because she’s the most observant person ever. That Tony Hoagland poem is special too Joe.

>13 RebaRelishesReading:. Thank you Reba. By lovely weather I assume you’re not talking about last weeks abominable heat. Much nicer now. Just about perfect with sunny days in the 80s and low humidity and no rain. I’ll take it.

>14 brenzi: Goodness no, I don't mean last week!! That was horrible. I mean since the turn to lovely on Friday which I believe is still continuing (we left for Washington yesterday so can't really speak first-hand about what is going on now).

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Bonnie. I love the Cole photo. Grandkids are the best!

I am also a Hurston fan, and loved the Cazalet chronicles. I haven't read the last one yet. I read the first four? close together, and I'm wondering if I need a reread to refresh my memory.

I look forward to your comments on Warlight; my library owns a copy.

I'm eager to hear your thoughts about Warlight, I'm considering rereading The English Patient,now that it won the Golden Booker award. Maybe this time I'll try it on audio.
I'm right behind you on the Cazalets. I loved The Light Years and will start #2 soon. It reminds me of how I felt about the Winston Graham's Poldark series which was equally compelling for me.

>15 RebaRelishesReading: 😎

>16 drneutron: Thanks Jim.

>17 BLBera: Hi Beth. Grandkids certainly are the best. Warlight is quite good.

>18 vivians: I’m loving The Cazalet series Vivian. I’m trying to read one volume a month just like I did The Raj Quartet but I probably won’t get to volume three until the end of the month. Too. Many. Books lol

Happy new thread, Bonnie! Cole looks like a cutie! Glad to see he's picked up one of your favorite past times.

>20 Carmenere: Cole is a happy little boy Lynda and very very active but he always finds time to read 🤷‍♀️

Lovely new thread, Bonnie. Don't pictures of grandchildren make the best thread toppers? It looks like we have another reader in the LT family. Cole is a cutie and on the right path. I know you will keep him motivated.

>22 Donna828: Absolutely Donna. That's the plan anyway.

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

4.7 stars

”That familiar false modesty of the English, which included absurd secrecy or the cliché of an innocent boffin….had concealed in some ways the most remarkable theatrical performance of any European nation. Along with undercover agents, who included great-aunts, semi-competent novelists, a society couturier who’d been a spy in Europe, the designers and builders of false bridges on the Thames that were meant to confuse German bombers who attempted to follow the river into the heart of London, chemists who became specialists on poison, village crofters on the east coast who were given lists of German sympathizers to be killed if and when the invasion came, and ornithologists and beekeepers from Kew, as well as permanent bachelors well versed in the Levant and a handful of languages…All of them biding by the secrecy of their roles, even when the war was over, and receiving only, years later, a quiet sentence in an obituary that mentioned they had ‘served with distinction in the Foreign Office.’”

I have always admired how the English conducted themselves during the horror that was WWII. Michael Ondaatje in his new novel Warlight, makes it clear, through his meticulous research, that I was only aware of a fraction of their sacrifice. The willingness of regular, everyday citizens to fight secretly, in undistinguished ways, with no recognition is quite remarkable.

Nathaniel (14) and Rachel (16) are left by their parents in post-WWII Britain in the care of a very dubious, possibly criminal, man they have been told to call the Moth. He invites other suspicious characters into the home and soon Nathaniel finds himself involved in many and various unexpected activities. Exciting for a teenager for sure, but all in all, very dangerous. The first part of the book reveals that Nathaniel’s mother hasn’t actually gone to Singapore as she suggested. And in Part 2 she is reunited with her children and Nathaniel begins his quest to find out exactly what it is that his mother does.

I found this second part of the book to be almost dream-like in quality as the narrator goes back and forth in time and so many secrets are finally revealed. Breathtakingly beautiful prose adds to the splendor of this book along with finely drawn characters that aren’t always what or who they seem. This was a wonderful story of sacrifice and love of country which makes it an anomaly in today’s world. Very highly recommended.

Happy new one, Bonnie!! Love your thoughts on the wonders of children--I certainly find it catching! Love the photo of Cole, with a book, of course! Warlight sounds wonderful and I am anxious to hear your thought on Lamott's in >25 brenzi:. I usually like her. : )

Hi Kim, just a few pages into the Lamott book it’s very funny for one thing. Always like a little humor in a book.

Great comments on Warlight, Bonnie. I'm number 10 on the library reserve list, but I will get it sooner or later.

Love Bird by Bird - seems like a good follow-up to Warlight.

Thanks for the Warlight review...onto the list it goes!

We just bought Warlight yesterday! I’m happy to see it was a winner for you, Bonnie. That bodes well for me.

>28 BLBera: Thanks Beth. Bird by Bird is making me laugh out loud.

>29 vivians: I hope you enjoy it too Vivian.

>30 lauralkeet: That’s great Laura. I hope you enjoy it too. Now I have to get to The Cat’s Table. 🙄

Uh, oh. Must add Warlight to the list.

Happy Wednesday, Bonnie! Great review of Warlight! Big Thumb! Bird By Bird sounds like just my cuppa. I do not think I have read Lamott. Bad Mark?

I am really enjoying Beautiful Music. Brings back a lot of musical memories from my childhood.

>24 brenzi: We got that one at the library. You just settled whether or not I will be reading it. It's going on the TBR list.

>32 tymfos: Gotcha Terri lol.

>33 msf59: Thanks Mark. I've only read the one Lamott so I'm right there with you.

>34 thornton37814: I hope you enjoy Warlight as much as I did Lori.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

3.8 stars

”Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do---the actual act of writing---turns out to be the best part. It’s like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.”

Anne Lamott has written a few novels and a lot of non-fiction, some of it much too spiritual for my taste. But in this book she shares her ideas about the writing process that are all part of the syllabus that she uses in her writing classes at UC Davis. Some struck me as invaluable, some seemed pretty obvious and many were downright hilarious and that’s why I liked this book. She said a lot of things that could apply to almost any career path you were contemplating and would hold you in good stead. With humor and sympathy for those struggling with the writing process she explained why so many writers fail miserably before they finally succeed. By so explaining I had to wonder why any books have ever gotten written. It sounds like a horrible slog.

She stresses that you should write about your childhood and quotes Flannery O’Connor who said that anyone who survived childhood has enough material to write for the rest of his or her life. And my mind immediately goes to The Glass Castle, Liar’s Club, Angela’s Ashes and other books that found great success because the author survived a truly awful childhood and I think O’Connor may have hit on something here. At any rate, Lamott is pointing out that within ourselves we have many stories that need telling and some of them may even be interesting to other people so it’s a good place to start. I think she’s probably right. Recommended.

Two Days in Aragon by Molly Keane (M.J.Farrell)

4.1 stars

Set in the 1920s, just after the Irish “troubles,” and during the Irish Civil Wars, Molly Keane describes two heartbreaking days in one of the last of the Irish great houses, Aragon. Residing within its great halls are young sisters Grania and Sylvia, their mother Mrs. Fox and dotty aunt, Miss Pigeon as well as Nan, a distant cousin and nursemaid, although the girls are way beyond that stage.

Grania sets the narrative in motion by falling in love with Nan’s accomplished horseman son, Foley. It would be unheard of for her to associate with what is really just a serving class member so nothing good can come of this and it would be outrageous for Grania to reveal this relationship to “good” people. Her slightly older sister has her heart set on Captain Purvis of the British army who is stationed locally and often invited for tea and tennis. The IRA is frequently in the area also.

Oddly enough, Nan O’Neill stands at the center of the book, even though her class should preclude this. We aren’t really aware of this at first but as the novel progresses it becomes more and more apparent as this very powerful woman dominates the narrative in surprising ways. Keane has depicted such complex characters that I wonder why the rest of her oeuvre has been described as “light.” Perhaps she didn’t realize how well-done these strong characters were but this book is a testament to powerful women. Sylvia, in the end, turns out to be another very complex character who is left questioning everything she once stood for.

Told with humor and poignancy, Two Days in Aragon dispels any question about the differences in the Irish classes at that time in history and the reasons why that social structure crumbled. This is only my second Molly Keane book but it certainly won’t be my last. Very highly recommended.

Currently Reading:



Staying On - Paul Scott

>37 brenzi: OK, I'm convinced :)

Sooooo since it was 93 degrees on Friday we apparently lost our freaking minds and actually went to a local water park along with about a million other crazies. Ok so Mia had the time of her life but honestly...I would rather have been in the air conditioning.

>39 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

>37 brenzi: I liked that one too, Bonnie. I don't know why her work is considered light either. Maybe some of her early work would fit that description, but when she hits her stride it's all very good.

>38 brenzi: yay!

The Keane goes on my list, Bonnie. You make me want to pick up Bird by Bird again; I remember laughing a lot while I read it.

>40 brenzi: I love the pics. Kids seem immune to temperatures, don't they?

Hooray for Bird By Bird. Sounds like a good one, Bonnie.

Not familiar with Staying On.

>42 lauralkeet: Well you just made me go look to see what other Keane novels I own Laura. I’ll probably read another one sometime soon (famous last words lol).

>43 BLBera: oh yes Beth. Hot? It’s not too hot Grandma. Of course it isn’t Mia. Let me spray some more sunscreen on you. Lol.

>44 msf59: Keep up Mark lol. Or should I say B.A.G.

>40 brenzi: Nice photos!

>45 brenzi: LOL at your comments about Mia.

>40 brenzi: That looks awesome! A dragon bouncy slide, how cool!

>46 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl.

>47 ChelleBearss: It is cool Chelle. And naturally Mia loved every minute of it.

So I’ve been negligent of my own thread again but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading.

I finished the last of Paul Scott’s brilliant Raj Quartet by reading Staying On which was a sequel of sorts described as a coda. It takes place about 25 years after India gained its independence from Great Britain and after partition and the creation of Pakistan. It followed the lives of one couple who played a part in the earlier novels and decided to stay on in India rather than return home. They both have their regrets but especially Lucy Smalley whose life we learn a great deal about. I know Scott’s many other books are not looked upon with great esteem but I may try a couple because his writing and descriptions are absolutely incredible. This description of Mrs. Boolabhoy owner of the dying hotel, is a good example of the wry humor his books were infected with:

“On her bad days he walked on tiptoe and had the entire staff doing the same so that even the guests (when there were any) felt themselves under a cloud and got out of the place as soon as possible after breakfast. This last Monday in April was such a morning; if anything heavier than usual with the pressure of Mrs. Bhoolabhoy’s martyrdom which throbbed like a silent fog-warning through the hotel from the shuttered bedroom where she lay on a massive double bed which she took up most of.”

Just another wonderful, yet tragic read.

I also finished Volume three of Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicles, Confusion which ends with the end of WWII. I have become very invested with these characters. Howard did a phenomenal job of blending unique characterizations with historically cogent activities and made this series just delightful. I’ve watched with much interest as she aged the people involved and the children fron volume one are now adults making their way in a new world. It won’t be long before I move on to Volume 4. Just a great series overall if you’re interested on how ordinary citizens made their way through the war years in Great Britain.

Currently reading



The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

I never read Staying On, Bonnie. I didn't know it carried on after the Raj Quartet. I want to reread the whole thing.

I have one volume left in the Cazelet series. And it's been a while, so maybe I should start that one again...

Too many books!

I'll watch for your comments on The Mars Room.

Happy Sunday, Bonnie. I am also reading The Mars Room. 65 pages in. I like her grim, tough, style.

>52 BLBera: yes Beth, way too many books. They get stacked around the house in little piles that signify nothing or they accumulate on my Kindle or languish on my Overdrive request list getting constantly suspended because some other book pushed them out of the way. And then somebody will mention a book that I’d thought of reading some time ago and that’ll serve as a reminder to bring that one forward. It’s hopeless. Lol

>53 msf59:. Grim is just the right word Mark. Interesting that I’m reading this just when I started watching the latest season of OITNB.

>54 brenzi: Too many books indeed! I have the same kinds of piles, jumbled Kindle account, Overdrive list . . . oh, dear!

Happy Reading to you, Bonnie, from whatever pile or file you pull your next reads!

Hi Bonnie, I'm glad to see you enjoyed the coda to The Raj Quartet. I read it quite some time after the quartet and thought it was a brilliant premise, to revisit the place and the themes and explore "what happened next."

I also just read your post on Katie's thread about Sebastian Faulks and understand you have a copy of Birdsong on your shelves!!! I read it waaay pre-LT and absolutely loved it so I'm here to urge you to pick it up sooner rather than later!

Hopeless in a good way, right, Bonnie?

Just finished The Mars Room and am still mulling it over. Powerful and distressing, that's for sure. I'll definitely continue the Cazalet Chronicles - I'm one behind you.

>55 tymfos: Hi there Terri. I know we all struggle with too many books and I guess it’s a good problem to have lol.

>56 lauralkeet: I thought Staying On was quite a melancholy read Laura, the way he brought forward the marital regrets of both the Smalleys and the Bhoolabhoys. My heart went out to Lucy Smalley. But Scott is a brilliant writer so I’m going to see how his other books stack up.

I knew a lot of people loved Birdsong which is why I grabbed it when I saw it at the book sale. But knowing you loved it kind of clinches the idea that I will read it sooner rather than later🤷‍♀️

>57 BLBera: Yes absolutely Beth haha.

>58 vivians: I’m really loving the Cazalet Chronicles Vivian and The Mars Room is very compelling.

Hi, Bonnie. 130 pages into The Mars Room. I really like her no-nonsense writing style and it sure looks like she has done her homework as well.

Hey, I have not read Birdsong yet either. Lets set a date!

>59 brenzi: knowing you loved it kind of clinches the idea that I will read it sooner rather than later

Oh, such power, I hope it doesn't go to my head ha ha.

>61 lauralkeet: 😂

So after requesting an ER book for the first time in years I promptly forgot all about it until last week when I got notice that I’d won the book, Paris Echo by Sebastian Faulks. Today it arrived. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten an ER book this fast. I guess I’ll have to actually read it now. Not RIGHT now but soonish. Hope it’s good. I never continue with a book that doesn’t satisfy.

>63 brenzi: I look forward to your thoughts about Paris Echo, Bonnie. IIRC I also requested it, but I won another book instead.

>63 brenzi: I'm also very interested to see what you think of the Faulks!!

>63 brenzi: - My copy arrived today, too!

>64 kidzdoc: >65 lauralkeet: you’ll be the first to know lol.

>66 katiekrug: yay Katie!

This is a picture of what’s on top of a small book case in the hall outside of my bedroom. Can you tell which books are the direct fault of one laurelkeet? Haha. Just a couple of little hints.

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

4.3 stars

”I worked at the Mars Room, giving lap dances. It’s not even the best of the strip clubs in San Francisco. There isn’t any status in it unless you’d be impressed to know that the Mars Room is not a middling or mediocre strip club but definitely the worst and most notorious, the very seediest and most circuslike place there is.”

Romy Hall is a young mother in 2003 when her shitty world comes crashing down around her and she ends up with two life sentences in a California penitentiary. This is the grittiest and most maddening novel I’ve read in a long time. Kushner knew just what she was doing in tearing down the general policy of mass incarceration of poor people who may or may not belong in prison but definitely got a raw deal because they couldn’t afford a good criminal attorney and had to settle for a court appointed lawyer, who really could care less what the outcome for their client was.

Romy was dealt a hand from the bottom of the deck from the day she was born and her negligent mother named her after a German actress who was said to have dated Hitler. So an auspicious start for Romy. Things just went downhill for her from there. It’s not until the end of the book that we learn the details of what she did to land in prison.

Kushner fills the book with complicated characters who share Romy’s fate and favors a dry, static narration that serves to build the drama of their lives. Overcrowded conditions wear the inmates down as well as the inhumane treatment by the prison guards. The scene where Romy and some other inmates are being delivered to the prison initially when a young woman goes into labor will tear your heart out and just adds to the frustration and anger that builds as the novel progresses. This is not an easy read but, I think, a necessary one. If we are not going to ensure that poor people get a proper defense in court we will never get beyond the horrifying conditions of mass incarceration in this country. Highly recommended.

Currently Reading



Changing My Mind Zadie Smith

Great comments on The Mars Room, Bonnie. I am waiting for my turn with the library. I think I'm 5 or 6. But I have other stuff to read. I've been reading other essays by Smith; I love her. I'll watch for your comments on this one.

>70 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. I like Zadie Smith, but haven't read that one. Waiting for your thoughts....

>68 brenzi: Lauralkeet!!! You go girl.

>40 brenzi: Love the photos of Mia. : )

>68 brenzi: ha ha ha I love it, Bonnie!
And you can tell I'm not quite awake yet: I spent a good minute zooming in on the photo to check a couple titles before realizing you'd circled the ones that are "my fault"!

You also reminded me I need to hunt for The Fire-Dwellers and The Diviners. After my summer course I want to read Laurence's complete Manawaka cycle. Done! I found two Virago editions on Abebooks. Now see, that's YOUR fault!! 😀

>71 BLBera: Thanks Beth. Im a big Zadie Smith fan but this is the first book of essays I’ve read.

>72 Berly: Hi Kim, this is the first time I’ve read any of Zadie Smith’s non-fiction.

>73 lauralkeet: Hahaha I couldn’t resist Laura. As I was adding my new ER win to that stack of books which I hope to get to soon, I thought hmmmm. Which one is not like the others.

I wouldn’t mind rereading the whole Manawaka cycle at some point but right now I’d just like to get through the last two.

Great review of The Mars Room, Bonnie. I'll read it sometime in September.

I look forward to your thoughts about Changing My Mind. I own a copy but I haven't read it yet. I've read two or three of her essays that were published in The New York Review of Books, which were all very good.

Good review of Mars Room! I'm looking forward to reading that one sometime this fall.

>75 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. I think The Mars Room is an important book especially given the current conditions in this country. It’s not important whether or not it wins the Booker. I doubt it will.

I’m enjoying Zadie Smith’s essays and will probably seek out other collections.

>76 ChelleBearss:. Thanks Chelle. I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Sunday, Bonnie. Excellent review of The Mars Room. Thumb! I loved the book, as well. It could end up being one of my favorite fiction titles, of the year.

Just catching up and wishing you a wonderful Sunday, dear Bonnie.

I discovered the old Jewel In The Crown miniseries on Amazon Videos and I’ve started rewatching it. It’s as good as I remembered. The actor who played Ronald Merrick is perfect.

>80 arubabookwoman: That may be my favorite miniseries of all time. Soooo good.

>78 msf59:. Thanks Mark. I still have The Mars Room on my mind. Such a compelling novel.

>79 PaulCranswick: Hi there Paul😊

>80 arubabookwoman: which one are you arching Deborah? The one from the 80s or the later one. I still haven’t started it.

>81 lauralkeet: And which one ar you referring to Laura?

>81 lauralkeet: the original 80s version with Tim Piggott-Smith as Merrick. I didn't know there was a newer one.

>82 brenzi: >83 lauralkeet: I thought there was only one too, the one Laura references. I saw it when it originally aired, and I don’t think I’ve watched it since, though I’ve read the books several times.

>83 lauralkeet: >84 arubabookwoman: Amazon Prime lists two versions, one from 2015 which you need some kind of passport to Masterpiece for and the one from the 80s which they say is currently unavailable for viewing. Grrr. Maybe they’re the same thing.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday, Bonnie. xx

Hi, Bonnie. Happy Saturday!!! Rachel Kushner of The Mars Room is coming to Porltand--I am hopibng to go see her. : )

>86 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul.

>87 Berly: Lucky you Kim. I would love to see her. Have you read her novel Telex from Cuba?

Paris Echo by Sebastian Faulkes

2 stars

This was the worst book I’ve read in a long, long time. If it hadn’t been an ER book, I never would’ve finished it. But I forged my way through what was really quite a slog. Part coming of age, part WWII history about the role of Paris women in collaboration with the Germans (or not) it held great promise but never really lived up to it. It failed to draw me in on so many levels. An Algerian teenager who doesn’t really know what he wants, leaves his home and travels to France to work for what amounted to a few months. He finds that all is not rosy in France and eventually returns home, somehow buoyed up to finish his degree and go on at college. Why he arrived at this conclusion is about as clear as mud.

An American woman, doing research about the Parisian women during the war years, listens to audio recordings supplied by these women in their old age. In the meantime, an old acquaintance, recently divorced, seems to have fallen in love with her. She’s oblivious. Until the last few pages of the book. Then she suddenly realizes she’s in love with him and MUST move in with him.

The worst, and I mean the very worst part for me was the fact that the author felt the need to flood every single page with French street names or restaurant names or neighborhood names until I wanted to just throw the book against the wall. I don’t speak French. If I wanted to read a book loaded with French phrases I’d look for an actual French author. This was absolutely mind-numbing and very, very tiresome. Just like the rest of the book. Save yourself.

High Rising by Angela Thirkell

3 stars

”Ah, Laura, you mock me. Your paths are beyond me. You raise mediocrity to genius.”

I really have no more words to describe this book. That quote spells it out. I never got interested in these ho-hum characters, in a plot that didn’t thicken so much as sit desultorily waiting for someone or something to jump start it. What in the world is the draw here? I loved the Anthony Trollope Barsetshire novels and they could be silly and pointless sometimes yet they were somehow highly enjoyable. But this novel just falls flat. If you couldn’t figure out the one twist or so-called mystery in the book then you really have been sleep-reading which is certainly possible.

On the back of my paperback copy it says: “There’s just no stopping after one novel.”

Wanna bet?

Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays by Zadie Smith

3.8 stars

I absolutely love Zadie Smith but this collection of essays was a mixed bag. The first essay, “Their Eyes Were Watching God: What Does Soulful mean,” was especially good mostly because I just read the Zora Neale Hurston book in July. I appreciated almost every word Smith had to say on the subject. Essays about Nabokov, Barthes, Kafka and especially David Foster Wallace….not so much. The Wallace essay was downright deadly boring and long. Just terrible.

The essay about Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo was absolutely fascinating. So much I never knew about these women was brought out beautifully by Smith. And her essay entitled “Smith Family Christmas” was wonderful and this passage really hit home:

”Santa help me but I believe this too. You know you believe it when you start your own little family with some person you met four years ago in a bar, and then he tries to open the presents on Christmas Eve because that’s what he did in his family and you have the strong urge to run screaming from the building holding your banner about the end and how it is nigh. It is a moving and comic thing---a Murdochian scuffle between the Real and the Dream---to watch a young couple as they teeter around the Idea of Christmas, trying to avoid internecine festive warfare.”

So like many essay collections this one had its ups and downs but on the whole was really quite good. Recommended.

Once again I had abandoned my own thread but only because RL is just kicking my butt for all of August well into September. Things are finally settling down a bit so I'll try to be more attentive to LT.

One thing keeping me particularly busy is the fact that I had to buy a new car. I don't know about the rest of you but for me that whole process is like having major surgery. Why can't they make it easier? No idea but it points out why Ill never be a candidate to lease a car. The whole idea of doing this again in three years makes me slightly very nauseous. I kept my last car for eleven years and hope to get just as many years out of my new Subaru.

I also bought a bike and that has kept me really busy also. There's a bike trail a few blocks from my house and have been enjoying riding way more than I ever thought I would.

But I've still been finding time to read. My current read is absolutely fascinating:

>89 brenzi: - Ruh roh! Guess i wont be rushing to read my ER copy...

Sorry your recent reads haven't been very satisfying, Bonnie.

Great comments, Bonnie. I'm sorry your recent reads have not been all you hoped for. I do want to try the Thirkell (it's on my shelf), but I guess there's no hurry.

Enjoy your Sunday. A bike ride?

Car buying is terrible. I'm hoping mine lasts for the rest of my life.

>93 katiekrug: Yeah to say I as disappointed in Paris Echo is a complete understatement Katie.

>94 BLBera: It’s 57 out right now Beth so I’m not sure about a bike ride. Maybe but it’s windy too. Brrrr. First taste of autumn. I’m hoping this is my last car. If not I may turn to Uber.

A new car! A new bike! Congratulations and may they last you many years so you don't have to go through this again soon. I want to hear more on 1947: Where now begins...

Haha I hadn’t ridden a bike since high school Kim but. I’m really enjoying it.

I finished 1947: Where Now Begins last night but I haven’t written any remarks yet. It was a fascinating book.

Hi, Bonnie. Glad to get the updates. I hope your next few reads are all winners.

Congrats on the new car. Yes, it can be stressful but I hope you are happy with the decision. A new bike too?
Since, I have been getting into birding, my biking has taken a backseat. I miss it.

>89 brenzi: Thanks for thanking the bullet Bonnie! I had Paris Echo on my radar after listening to an interview Faulks did with Simon Mayo. I'm very happy to skip it, although I'm still curious about Mayo's historical fiction Mad Blood Stirring.

Good luck with your new Subaru! We've had them for years and routinely keep driving them for 150,00 miles plus! They've always been very reliable for us.

>89 brenzi: oh dear. Well, I'll just add my gratitude for doing us all a favor. Sorry the Thirkell didn't work for you, too. I must say that first one in the series is not the best and it might be a good thing that I (unknowingly) started in the middle somewhere. They are definitely fluffy reads, though, so I can only take so much at once.

I love that you bought a bike! Go Bonnie go!

1947: Where Now Begins Elizabeth Asbrink

4.5 stars

I don’t remember how I learned about this book but I know I was drawn to it by the title. This may be an embarrassing revelation but 1947 is my birth year so how could I not be interested in this book? And it was absolutely fascinating.

Translated from the Swedish, the narrative was somewhat choppy but I came to view that as purposeful to better describe exactly what was going on during that pivotal year, just a couple of years out from WWII. The author goes through the year month by month describing events that will come to be very important today. Europe is a disaster with little to eat and homes and factories destroyed. And yet people somehow march on and survive.

In the March section she poses this:

”The meeting between Per Engdahl and Johann von Leers is also a point in time from which threads stretch on into the future and at which other names appear, but the dreams are the same: a new Europe, a homogeneous section of a continent in the world. No social classes. No political parties. The individual subordinated to the collective. Authoritarian movements, with leaders who take clear-cut decisions, and in which no time is wasted on slow, unsatisfactory democratic processes. A uniform organism, harmoniously white. Europe a Nation, to quote the British Fascist leader, Oswald Mosley.”

She makes a direct connection between these men, in 1947, and what is going on in Europe and even in the U.S. today. They are responsible for being the first to deny the Holocaust.

She details the establishment of the state of Israel, and the difficulties that accompanied it including the blocking of ships with Holocaust survivors on board by both Britain and the U.S.

The birth of the Muslim Brotherhood occurred in 1947.

The Nuremberg Trials began in 1947.

Simone de Beauvoir, Christian Dior, Thelonius Monk, Primo Levi

The Marshall Plan. And it’s consequences when the Soviet Union refuses to allow Eastern Europe the U.S. aid that would help their people survive.

The birth of jihad under Hasan al-Banna.

The Palestine Problem

George Orwell was on an island with his young son in 1947 writing his most well- known book, 1984. If that’s not prescient I don’t know what is.

In August, Arnold Schoenberg composes A Survivor from Warsaw for a narrator, choir and orchestra.

The role of the Vatican in helping to set up Nazi escape routes to Argentina to avoid trial was startling to me.

The Kalishnakov rifle was invented by the Russian Mikhail Kalishnakov.

I could go on about this connection between 1947 and the world we know now. It’s absolutely amazing. And fascinating to me.

Very highly recommended.

>98 msf59: Hi Mark, I know you love your birding but I am really enjoying bike riding. So much more than I expected.😀

>99 vivians: I love my new car and hope I get as many miles out of it as you do Vivian. Considering I drive maybe 7-8,000 miles a year I’ll have to stretch my life maybe more than is possible lol. See what Katie thinks of Paris Echo when she reads it. She may have a different opinion.

>100 lauralkeet:. Sometimes I don’t mind fluffy Laura but that’s not usually my go to genre, if you can call it that. I’m really loving my bike and riding almost every day. I also play pickle ball two or three times a week and someone there told me I could take my bike on the subway at the end of the bike trail and go down to Canalside and follow the trail along the water so I’m thinking of giving that a try.

Great review of 1947, Bonnie. Thumb! Congrats on the bike riding. I like biking too but since I started birding, I have not rode much. I may have to tune up my bike.

>101 brenzi: Good review, Bonnie, sounds good. My library has it in Dutch translation, so I hope to get to it soon.

Wow, that sounds like a rather unpleasant period there, three disappointing books in a row and having to buy a new car. Ugh! But brighter lights at the end with a good book and a new Subaru. Which one did you get?

>101 brenzi: Great comments, Bonnie. This sounds like one I would like.

>104 msf59: Thanks Mark. It’s not really NNF but it’s awfully good NF. Can’t you watch the birds from your bike haha.

>105 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. I hope you enjoy it.

>106 RebaRelishesReading: Yes Reba, I seldom have the problem of terrible books so I may have been due. I bought a Forester and I love it. No blind spots.

>107 BLBera: Thanks Beth. It was really eye opening to me.

Congratulations on your new forms of transportation. I recently gifted my bicycle to my daughter-in-law. It was making me feel too guilty because I quit riding a few years ago when vertigo entered my world. I like to keep my feet on the ground!

>101 brenzi:: I share your birth year, Bonnie, and had no idea how pivotal it was. Thanks for calling it to my attention.

>108 brenzi: "Can’t you watch the birds from your bike haha." I have definitely thought about it. LOL. I just think it might be to dangerous.

I hope you had a great weekend, Bonnie.

>109 Donna828: Vertigo is so hard to deal with so I don’t blame you for keeping your feet on the ground Donna. It’s good to see you my friend.

>110 msf59: yes it would be dangerous Mark so don’t try it lol.

What a cutie Cole is, Bonnie. Enjoy your new Subaru. In July, I purchased a humble new Toyota Corolla. The sports model ;-) But they are great reliable cars.

>108 brenzi:. We bought a Forrester last year and totally love it. We’ll have to introduce them sometime🙂. Are you around in late October?

HI, Bonnie! Congrats on the new car. May it roll on for many years to come!

Great review for 1947: Where Now Begins by Elizabeth Asbrink. And you just saved me from having to figure out what to get my FIL for his birthday! He's a bit older than you. ; ) Maybe I should get two copies...

>112 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Great to see you! Enjoy your Corolla.

>113 RebaRelishesReading: Haha great idea Reba. Yes I’ll be around at the end of October I should think.so you’re still at Chautauqua?

>114 tymfos: Thanks Terri!

>115 Berly: Thank you Kim. And yes, get two copies;-)

Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard
4.2 stars

This is the fourth book in the Cazalet series and is just as good as the rest. I love this family, and the ins and outs of all their relationships. It’s now a couple of years after WWII and the young people who tell most of the story are grown up. The characters are basically mopping up the personal messes caused in part by the war and in part by their personal choices. So very good.

Dear Life by Alice Munro
4.5 stars

God how I love Alice Munro. After reading five of her books last year I thought I’d better slow down or I’d have them all read in a matter of no time at all and since she’s well into her eighties I don’t know if she’s got anymore books in her. This collection was typical of her other books (wry humor, complex characters, everyday life where people are at their most vulnerable) but the last four stories are uncharacteristically autobiographical. She describes them as “autobiographical in feeling, though not, sometimes, entirely in fact. I believe they are the first and last—-and the closest—-things I have to say about my own life.”
Highly recommended.

>119 brenzi: me too! I'm enjoying it, to the point where I get antsy about lack of reading time and find myself looking for ways to sneak in a few pages.

>116 brenzi: we’re in UK but returning to CHQ in mid-Oct.

I share your Munro love, Bonnie. She is the best.

>119 brenzi: Lucky you; I'm looking forward to it.

>118 brenzi: Ooh, good review of Dear Life, Bonnie. And I have it on shelf too. I think I need to move it up the pile. It has been a couple of years, since I have read her.

I started and I am enjoying The Children's Blizzard. Have you read this one?

Transcription is next up for me. I’m looking forward to it.

I need to get back to Munro. I have several of her books waiting on my shelves.

>116 brenzi: I got two copies. : )

Hi, Bonnie.

What a shame about Paris Echo. I loved Birdsong, but nothing since by Sebastian Faulks has measured up to that.

>126 jnwelch: I totally agree, Joe. Birdsong is just amazing. After reading it I then read Charlotte Gray (okay not great) and Girl at the Lion d'Or (disappointing). And I don't think I've read any Faulks since, but still keep hoping he'll deliver.

I tend to agree that Faulks has never got close to matching Birdsong but, to be fair, that was some achievement.

Have a lovely weekend, Bonnie.

>120 lauralkeet: it doesn’t seem like a typical Kate Atkinson book to me but my reading has been very sporadic Laura.

>121 RebaRelishesReading: I see Reba. I have to track down your thread.

>122 BLBera: I just get completely hooked as soon as I start reading Munro Beth.

>123 msf59: I read The Children’s Blizzard a few years ago and really liked it Mark.

>124 Copperskye: Hi Joanne, enjoy Atkinson and Munro. You can’t gonwrong.

>125 Berly: Yay Kim.

>126 jnwelch: I still have Birdsong to look forward to Joe and it’s sitting on my shelf.

>127 lauralkeet: Hi Laura 😊

>128 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul. I hope your weekend has been great too.

>129 brenzi: Hi back at ya, Bonnie! I just finished & reviewed Transcription. I really liked it; it seems like she's one of those authors whose books are all very different from each other.. The review is on my 3rd thread (I just started thread #4 this morning).

>130 lauralkeet: I'll check it out Laura.

Transcription by Kate Atkinson

4 stars

Spies. Espionage. WWII. Yes we’ve seen and read it all before but in the hands of Kate Atkinson it’s not quite what we’ve come to expect from other espionage writers. First of all we have a female protagonist who appears to be a typical well, I don’t know, secretary, very young and naïve from all appearances. It’s her life that we carefully follow as WWII is just revving up in 1940, as well as her interaction with those around her, all involved with the MI5 and the monitoring of British Fascist sympathizers.

Midway through the book, although it’s still 1940, the monitoring seems to be over, assignment resolved and this left me puzzling over the rest of the book. Where in the world does Atkinson go from here? Believe me, there’s much more in store and I have to say I never saw the twist at the end coming. As a matter of fact when I finished the book I thought I should go back and reread it to find the clues that must’ve been there for me to discover. I guess I’ll leave that for another day. Highly recommended.

Currently reading:



Jane Steel by Lyndsay Faye

>132 brenzi: I know what you mean about wanting to re-read for clues. Atkinson is sooo good at plot development; I'd love to hear more about how she does it.

>133 brenzi: You got me with Transcription, Bonnie. I'm going to track it down.

I hope you enjoy Jane Steele as much as I did.

I have Transcription on my desk, Bonnie, right next to a pile of papers to be graded. We'll see how long it is before I give in to temptation. :)

Hi Bonnie - I'm almost finished with Casting Off and am enjoying it as much as the others. It's amazing how invested I've become in all the characters. I'll be very sad to read the last book.

>134 lauralkeet: So would I Laura.

>135 jnwelch: I am absolutely loving it Joe. I can hardly put it down.

>136 BLBera: Go ahead Beth. Give in.

>137 vivians: It’s amazing how invested I’ve become in all the characters. Yes!!! Me too Vivian.

Good review of Transcription, Bonnie. I am looking forward to it. I am glad to hear you are enjoying Jane Steele. I am a big fan of it too.

Nice review of Transcription, Bonnie. I'll add it to my wish list.

>139 msf59: I’m loving Jane Steele Mark. Almost as much as her trilogy which I was wild about.

>140 kidzdoc: I hope you like it Darryl.

No encouragement needed, Bonnie. I have a short week next week and hope to get to it then.

I think you're going to like it Beth;-)

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

4.3 stars

”We tell stories to strangers to ingratiate ourselves, stories to lovers to better adhere us skin to skin, stories in our heads to banish the demons. When we tell the truth, often we are callous; when we tell lies, often we are kind. Through it all, we tell stories, and we own an uncanny knack for the task.”

Jane Steele is a world class liar. She has lived her life disguising herself and making her sins disappear in order to present herself as someone not quite, well, what she really is. She is a devoted fan of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and uses quotes from the book in writing her own memoir. But she is no Jane Eyre.

In the mid 19th century, Jane (Steele) is living with her mother in a small cottage on the property belonging to her aunt, Highgate House. Her mother is barely functioning and as expected, dies leaving Jane in the care of the aunt who really doesn’t like her at all. But Jane has been told by her mother that Highgate House will belong to her when she comes of age as it was originally her father’s. The crux of the narrative is Jane’s desperate attempt to claim what is hers and she goes to great lengths to obtain it.

This is a rip roaring tale and Lyndsay Faye is just so good at Gothic novels. She has an uncanny ability to make you feel as if you’re right there in the midst of the action. Excellent character development and an incredible plot line that had me guessing almost until the very end all combined to make this such an enjoyable read that I can only highly recommend it to lovers of Gothic literature. Simply divine.

***Footnote: Lyndsay Faye has a new book coming out in January: The Paragon Hotel. I can’t wait.

Currently reading



Educated by Tara Westover

Good review of Jane Steele, Bonnie. Big Thumb! Hooray for a new Faye book too.

I loved Educated. I hope you feel the same way.

>144 brenzi: - I thought this was a fun one, Bonnie. I didn't realize she had a new one coming out - yay! I still need to read #2 and #3 in her TImothy Wilde trilogy...

>145 brenzi: oooh, that's such a great book.

Cool! A new Faye book!

>146 msf59: . Thanks Mark. I've enjoyed all of her books and am really looking forward to her new one.

>146 msf59: >148 lauralkeet: Educated may be the best NF i've read this year. I'm only 28% into my Kindle version but it's sooooo compelling.

>147 katiekrug: Oh yes Katie. Do read the next two books in the trilogy. Soooo very good.

>149 drneutron: Hi Jim. I'm glad to see there are some Faye fans. I wish she were more well known. She is awfully good.

>141 brenzi: Yay! Nice review of Jane Steele, Bonnie. I loved that one, too.

Just added a thumb.

>144 brenzi: You’ve put a “new” author on my wishlist, Bonnie. Thank you, I think. :)

>151 jnwelch: Thanks Joe.

>152 NanaCC: Happy to oblige Colleen lol.

Educated by Tara Westover

4.6 stars

This was the most powerful memoir I’ve read in a long, long time. Tara Westover was born to fundamentalist Mormons in the 80s. Her father lived his life preparing for the end of days (huge let down when 2yk came and went without a hitch) and her mother was a midwife and herbalist. To say they had a strict interpretation of their faith would be the understatement of the century. Tara basically receives no education. Her parents tell others she is being homeschooled but it’s basically a story they make up. She spends most of her days helping her father in his junk yard, which provides a daily harrowing experience. He’s never seen a safety device he likes therefore Tara is continually in danger of being seriously injured and, of course, she succumbs to his dangerous habits. Her older brother is a psychopath who continually tries to harm her while her parents turn a blind eye. The mountains of the Idaho valley where she grew up were an immensely important part of the narrative. She has a hard time letting go of the beauty. But of course she must in order to save herself. When she educates herself enough to get into BYU she begins to realize all she’s missed in life and the role of mental illness in her family. Such a powerful story and very highly recommended.

Currently Reading

Waiting for Wednesday - Book three in the Frieda Klein Mysteries - Nicci French

Great review of Educated, Bonnie. I think it was an excellent memoir, as well. If you post it, I will Thumb it!

>154 brenzi: superb review, Bonnie. Despite (or perhaps because of) all the publicity surrounding this book, I went into it with a bit of skepticism but was quickly sucked in and I thought it was fabulous.

Like Laura, I was skeptical of all the buzz surrounding Educated, but now I really want to read it. Nice review.

>156 msf59: Thanks Mark. I know I’m pretty late getting to this one.

>157 lauralkeet: on top of everything Laura, her writing was absolutely terrific. So polished.

>158 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. And looking here...I will finish up the Frieda Klein mystery tonight and start on....wait for it...How to Be Safe tomorrow. I wonder how that happened???

WOOHOO! Can't wait to hear what you think.

I agreed with your comments on both Transcription and Educated, Bonnie. Both were better than I expected them to be. I heard some negative comments about Transcription and am getting tired of memoirs yet I got caught up in both books. Now I need to get to Jane Steele. It has been on "the list" of recommendations from LTers for awhile now. It's good to know I've got another Lyndsay Faye book to look forward to. I hope all is well with you and the munchkins. Time for some fall pictures?

I really enjoyed Educated too, Bonnie. My sister crowed about in the spring and so I gave it a try. I believe she even convinced her son to read it . It was fascinating. I really enjoyed Transcription too, and to my surprise, Washington Black .

>154 brenzi: I am excited to hear Tara Westover talk when she comes to Portland early in December. Hoping to start her book soon!

Happy Thanksgiving, Bonnie. I hope you have a nice holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving, Bonnie. Have a great day with the family.

Wishing our Queen of Reviews a lovely Thanksgiving Weekend.

Wow it looks like I abandoned my thread completely. Don't ask me why except i made a decision way back in the summer maybe when I bought my bike that I would try to be much more active and that's pretty much what I've done. Time when I would've been updating my thread I was probably either riding my bike, playing pickle ball or going on long walks. I'm no longer riding my bike because it's just too darn cold but I still am playing pickle ball (that's indoors) and going on long walks. I'm probably the healthiest I've ever been in a long time and hope to continue along the same path.

Hello to Katie, Donna, Deborah, Kim, Laura, Mark and Paul. Thanks for keeping my thread semi-warm:-)

I'm not going to attempt to do any reviews (I have been managing to keep up with my reading) but rather will list what I’ve read since I last updated with just a few comments.

Waiting for Wednesday and Thursday’s Children by Nicci French - I’ve really been enjoying this mystery series set in damp, foggy dark London and following the travails of Frieda Klein, intrepid psychotherapist and sometime amateur detective. Looking forward to the next volume.

How to Be Safe by Tom McAllister, - a satirical look at the aftermath of a school shooting and unfortunately the steps that we may find necessary to take if we ever find ourselves in close proximity to this kind of horror. Regrettably it seems more and more likely.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - oh how I enjoyed my time in Austen land once again. I had never read this one and loved the mocking of the popular (at the time) Gothic novels. Poor Catherine. Everything she knew came out of a novel. Very funny and enjoyable.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith Yes it was very long for a mystery novel (600+ pages). Yes Robin and Strike’s relationship was frustrating at times and Robin ending up in a perilous situation (again) is getting a wee bit tiresome. But dang it, I couldn’t put the book down and enjoyed it immensely. Can’t wait for the next one.

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyou - my non- fiction reading this year has been astoundingly good (The Warmth of Other Suns, Educated, 1947: Where Now Begins, American Wolf, American Fire, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, Killers of the Flower Moon to name a few) and this account of snotty know it all Elizabeth Holmes tells an incredible story of complete chutzpah at the very least. I knew very little about her and her company Theranos but this book explained it all away in no uncertain terms. Soon to be a movie!

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote - possibly the sweetest story I’ve ever read I hope to read it every year around Christmas. A Capote memoir.

All Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard

The fifth and final volume of the Cazalet Chronicles completed a family saga that I found absolutely compelling and wonderful from beginning to end If you haven’t read this series do yourself a favor because I can’t give it a higher recommendation. Set in the UK from the 30s through the 50s, these characters will stay with me for a long long time. Not as good maybe as The Jewel in the Crown which I also read this year but excellent as a family saga that draws you in completely. I’ve found that I really love to read these shortish series where I can read one book every month until I’m done and therefore don’t ever forget what’s happened in the previous volume.

Currently Reading


American Mirror: the Life and Art of Norman Rockwell by Deborah Solomon

I picked this up after seeing all the Rockwell images on Joe’s thread recently, which probably means five threads ago lol. A hundred pages in and it’s quite fascinating.

Then this morning I thought I would check (for the hundredth time) to see if my library had a eBook of Louise Penny’s new one and shockingly they must’ve just posted it because they didn’t have it last night when I went to bed. So I got lucky and will be reading this starting well, as soon as im done with this posting



Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

Oh and Donna asked for some fall pictures of my little munchkins so here we go.



Cole – 17 months old



Mia – 4 years old

Lovely photos Bonnie, thanks for sharing! I loved Lethal White too, despite its length. Same with Tana French's new one. And I totally agree with you on the Cazalet series. I'm just sorry I finished them.

Hi, Bonnie. Love the photos of the grandkids. They are adorable. I am so glad to hear you have been active. Hooray for the long walks.

I enjoyed your book update too. Hooray for Bad Blood. I plan on getting to Lethal White, early in the new year. I am way overdue for an Austen and I also loved the Capote novella.

>170 vivians: Hi Vivian, I am also sorry to be done with the Cazalet. I felt like they were family. I’m looking forward to The Witch Elm.

>171 msf59: Thanks Mark. Wasn’t A Christmas Memory just so sweet? I’d only read In Cold Blood so wasn’t expecting this sort of book.

Hi Bonnie! I enjoyed reading your update; it's great that you're so active and healthy. I'm glad you enjoyed Lethal White, despite its flaws. And lucky you to have the new Louise Penny already! My copy is in transit to my local library branch so it shouldn't be long now. I can't wait. Happy reading.

Love the photos of the little ones.

From the photos of Chautauqua that I saw today I'm guessing you may have a cozy reading day today. It's raining here so it's sort-of cozy and I'm planning to start Kingdom of the Blind when I finish here.

Cole and Mia are adorable, Bonnie.

I still have the last one in the Cazalet series to read. I guess I'm saving it? I did enjoy the others.

Lucky you to get the new Penny! I'll watch for some comments.

>173 lauralkeet: It is great Laura. Seventy is the new fifty hahaha.

>174 RebaRelishesReading: No snow today Reba but we did get six inches yesterday. We’ll never achieve what Chautauqua gets. That’s where the real snow goes lol.

>175 BLBera: Thanks Beth. You really should read that last volume of The Cazalet Chronicles. A fabulous ending to a great series.

Kingdom Of The Blind by Louise Penny

4.5 stars

I really tried to drag this book out as long as I could which ended up being five days. That’s because it’ll be a long year until the next Gamache mystery comes out. And how I LOVE this series.

Gamache is on the hunt for the opioids he allowed into the country in the last book and he also has been named as liquidator for a woman he didn’t know so there’s more than one mystery going on here. Penny just seems to get better and better although I have to say, her choppy incomplete sentences drive me crazy. But the mystery itself as well as the characters are why I’m reading this series. And it looks like there are some changes a coming.....

Oh boy....

Wow - I can't wait to read Kingdom of the Blind - so glad you enjoyed it!

My turn is coming, Bonnie! I can't wait.

>169 brenzi: Cole and Mia are growing up quickly. They are adorables, Bonnie.

I started A Christmas Memory tradition two years ago. I will probably fit it in over the upcoming weekend as DH will be in our Atlanta location for their Christmas party.

Good for you and your activities. I do try to get my 10,000 steps in every day. It’s challenging in this cold weather. The treadmill is not my friend.

I am bothered by Penny’s choppy sentences, too, yet I keep gobbling up her books. I want my name to come up soon at the library, though I kinda hope it’s after Christmas. So much to do. Remind me to never do a bathroom remodel during the holidays. What was I thinking?

>177 brenzi: I am feeling really impatient because my library copy of Kingdom of the Blind is "in transit," and every day I hope to receive the pickup notice. I've been holding off returning Lethal White, thinking I would do so when I picked up the new Gamache. It's due today, and no pickup notice yet. The way these things go, I'd say there's 100% chance I'll get my notice right after I get home from returning the book.

>177 brenzi: I read right through it. Couldn't help myself. Now a long wait ensues. I never noticed the sentences until it was mentioned on LT. But I don't care. I love the characters. Want to go live in Three Pines.

>178 vivians: I don’t think I’ve ever NOT enjoyed one of these mysteries Vivian, some more than others but they’re always enjoyable. To me anyway. I’m a notoriously easy grader I guess but I know what I like haha.

>179 BLBera: Enjoy, Beth.

>180 Donna828: I don’t actually mind the treadmill much Donna since I can read when I’m on it but I prefer to be outside listening to my Apple Music (haha) as long as the wind isn’t howling and there isn’t a foot of snow. Those days will,probably be ending soon or at least be limited. However, on Sunday it was sixty degrees and I got my bike out and took to the trail. You’re in the middle of a bathroom renovation? I remember one Christmas Eve when my dear hubby was still working on some sort of reno job and had a ladder up and tools all over. Somehow he pulled it all together in time for Santa.

>181 lauralkeet: I suppose you’re now reading Kingdom Of The Blind Laura because of course it’ll arrive after you get home from the library. I don’t know if that falls under Murphy’s Law because actually getting the book would be a good thing but it’s got to be close. Lol.

>182 RebaRelishesReading: I’d LOVE to live in Three Pines Reba, or at least visit. I remember back in 2009 and I was new to LT Stasia used to always talk about getting a group together on a bus to the fictional Three Pines. If only....

Has anyone been watching My Brilliant Friend on HBO? If you can tolerate subtitles it is wonderful and a good representation of the books. I’m really enjoying it.,

>177 brenzi: Intriguing, Bonnie. I'm glad to hear your positive reaction to the newest Three Pines mystery. At some point I'll be reading it.

>183 brenzi: well, no library notice yet so at least I didn't have to turn around immediately and head back to the library.

>184 brenzi: YES!! It's fabulous. Before watching it I thought it would cover all four books but it's clear now that the first season will be just the first book. So of course I WANT MORE. NOW.

>186 lauralkeet: yes Laura I wasn’t sure how much of the series would be covered this season but then I read somewhere (?) that each book would have a season of its own. It’s just so well done.

Hi, Bonnie! I'm glad you enjoyed the new Three Pines mystery. The semester ends Tuesday, and then I hope to have some more time to read for enjoyment. That's definitely on my shortlist!

Hi Bonnie. I've been MIA throughout a lot of 2018. Visiting here, truly brings home the fact that I've missed your thread and your excellent reviews. Thank you for your thoughtful, well-written reviews that lead me down the path of having to read them, or at least put the books on the TBR pile.

Your grandchildren are lovely! I'm heading to Beavercreek, OH for a week during Christmas. I so miss my three grandchildren. The twins are 15 and their sister Zoe is 14.

All good wishes to you for a wonderful 2019!

Congrats on getting so much healthier! That's great, even if it eats into LT time :)

Bonnie, I had talked myself out of watching My Brilliant Friend on HBO, but now I've been recording it to binge watch sometime. I don't watch much television but I trust your judgment. Thanks…I think. I hate to take away from my limited reading time these days. Oh well, I did like the books and it will be interesting to see how it works on the screen.

>188 tymfos: Hi Terri, I'm glad you'll be getting a break. I think you'll love the new Penney.

>189 Whisper1: Hi Linda, I'm MIA most of the time myself and my revies are short and to the point these days. That works out a lot better for me. Have a wonderful Christmas with your grandchildren.

>190 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. I appreciate that.

>191 Donna828: Hi Donna, I hope you like the series as much as I did. I can't wait for the second season now. I'm pretty judicious about my TV watching too.

American Mirror: the Life and Art of Norman Rockwell by Deborah Solomon

4.6 stars

I guess I’m not enough of an art snob to have felt Rockwell wasn’t an artist but merely an illustrator. The major critics of the time belittled his work but I always loved his work and considered it to be a unique and detailed depiction of American life in the 20th century. Deborah Solomon goes through his life with a fine tooth comb and as she passes from one phase to the next she describes his life as it passes year by year through the art he produced at that time. I knew little to nothing about his personal life. Married three times, Rockwell was an indifferent family man who would rather be in his art studio than anywhere else. He considered himself an illustrator not an artist. When people criticized his work as not really “art” he mostly agreed. He spent years in therapy because he was a terrifyingly shy and insecure man. He traveled the world but was always happiest when he got back to his final home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. His legacy is on display there at a museum set up by his last wife and frequented by tens of thousands every year. This was an excellent biography that I am very happy to have read and I can heartily recommend it.

Thanks to Joe for posting the photos of Rockwell’s work in the café which pushed me to look for this book.



The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

4.4 stars

How I ended up reading a grief novel is beyond me. I didn’t know the subject matter when I saw it had won the National Book Award and decided to read it. A woman loses a good friend to suicide and ends up having to care for his aging Great Dane even though she has a tiny rent controlled apartment in New York City. So although I referred to it as a grief novel it’s also about the bonding between this woman and dog as they both grieve for the friend they both loved. The book is filled with tender poignant moments as the woman, who is a creative writing teacher, thinks about her past with her friend and takes on the daunting task of caring for this enormous animal. Nunez mentions so many books and authors that I lost track, which, of course, adds to the pleasure of this book. Absolutely wonderful.



Calypso by David Sedaris

4 stars

Do I really need to say anything? It’s David Sedaris. If you’ve never read him, what are you waiting for? And if you have, you pretty much know what this book of essays is about. It was the perfect book to follow up a book about grieving because, as usual, it was laugh out loud funny.



Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively

4.5 stars

Claudia Hampton is dying in a London hospital after a life as a no nonsense historian and as she lies there she reviews the high points of her life. To say she’s lived a full life would be an understatement. But this book is more than just a depiction of a very complex character. It’s a powerful story of lost love, adventure and the horrific conditions in Egypt during WWII as Rommel made his way across northern Africa, destroying British tanks and the soldiers. Very powerful and for me, unputdownable. Highly recommended.

Currently Reading:



The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

>193 brenzi: wow, that's quite a string of good books there, Bonnie. Moon Tiger was my introduction to Penelope Lively and I've read quite a few more of hers since then -- all good! And you can't go wrong with David Sedaris. Although I haven't read his books I've seen him live, read several essays, and listening to his "Santaland Diaries" is a Christmas tradition in our family.

I have to admit Laura that I have had a stellar reading year. Not the numbers so much as I won't make 75 but just the quality overall. Very pleased especially after being in a reading funk last year. I've read two others by Lively, The Photograph and How It All Began and loved them both. I saw Sedaris live a few years ago and have yet to read the book i had signed at the time but he's always a pleasure to read. Love the Santaland Diaries.

Great to hear about your stellar reading year! I've never read any David Sedaris but am tempted....I also loved The Friend and think at some point I'd like to read it again. And...great comments on Moon Tiger - that one has been on my list for a while and I just have to get to it.

Nice reviews, Bonnie!

I love Penelope Lively. Moon Tiger was the first of hers I read, but I was a teenager at the time and don't think I "got" it. I keep meaning to re-read it.

Glad your reading year has been so good, Bonnie!

>197 vivians: Oh I may have originally heard about The Friend from you Vivian. It was such a wonderful book. Moon Tiger was another memorable read. So powerful.

>198 katiekrug: Thanks Katie, I wouldn’t be surprised if Moon Tiger didn’t resonate with a teenager. You should definitely reread it.

>199 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. Makes me very 😊

Wow! I love that flurry of mini-book reviews. This is exactly why you have always been one of my favorite LTers. I NEED to start catching up on my own reviews. I have stalled out, since I have been back from vacation. Bad Mark.

Ooh, The Friend sounds excellent and so does the Rockwell. I also loved Calypso & Moon Tiger, my one and only Lively. I am anxious to hear your thoughts on The Great Believers. It has been making many top of the year lists but I didn't see much LT activity on that one. I am sure you will striaghten that out.

Great reading, Bonnie. I also loved The Friend much more than I expected to after reading the description. I thought it was lovely.

I love Penelope Lively, and Moon Tiger is one of my favorites.

You remind me, I must listen to "Santaland Diaries." Sedaris is a great selection to follow The Friend. I haven't read that one yet.

>201 msf59: Well there wouldn’t have been a flurry of mini reviews if I hadn’t put it off for so long Mark haha. You would enjoy the Rockwell I’m sure and The Friend was an unexpected pleasure. So far, about 25% into The Great Believers I’m really enjoying it. Did you know it was set in Chicago?

>202 BLBera: Sedaris is aging pretty well Beth. I hadn’t read any of his in a few years and I could sense an aging in his topics.

Find the Light—Reflect the Light—Be the Light

Happy Yule 2018!

Hoping your holidays are filled with good friends and good books

Hope you have a great Christmas!

Happy holidays, Bonnie.

Happy Christmas from Santa Mouse and Rudy the Red Shelled Lobster, Bonnie!

The Great Believers is on my 2019 list, Bonnie. Terri highly recommended it when we met up in Joplin.
Hope your Christmas was a good one!

Happy New Year's Eve!!

Thank you for all the holiday wishes! come and join me on my 2019 thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301561