This-n-That Picking Up Where I Left Off (Sep-Dec)

Well, my original topic had fallen by the wayside, so I thought it would be appropriate to just create a new one for the remainder of 2020. My reading slowed a great deal in March and only recently has it gained momentum again. I've still been quietly chipping away at BingoDog and trying to throw a few feel-good reads into the mix. As in my prior topic, I'm keeping things simple. Whew!

I hope group members here are keeping your spirits up in the midst of all the craziness and stressors going on right now. Happy reading and be well.

BingoDog Squares for 2020
(Numbers correspond with squares)

19. Book that's in a Legacy Library
Little Women ★★★★ (Astrid Lindgren Legacy Library)

10. Book written by a LT author
The Watchmaker's Daughter by C.J. Archer ★★★

9. Book published in 1820 or 1920 Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum ★★★ (pub 1920)

15. Book published in the year of your birth The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier ★★★★

14. Book published under a pen name or anonymously
How the Grinch Stole Christmas ★★★★★

2. Book set in Asia
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (no star rating)

24. Mystery or true crime
The Silent Patient ★★★

18. Book involving a real historical event (fiction or nonfiction)
Victoria: The Queen ★★★★

17. Book about books, bookstores, or libraries
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes ★★★

16. Book with at least three letters of BINGO consecutively in order in the title
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel ★★★★★

20. Red cover (or red is prominent on the cover) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel ★★★★

23. Title contains a pun Have a Little Pun ★★★★

4. Book about birth or death Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? ★★★★

1. Book with a proper name in the title The Ten Thousand Doors of January ★★★★

6. Book published by a small press or self-published
Brave New Medicine: A Doctor's Unconventional Path to Healing Her Autoimmune Illness by Cynthia Li MD (Reveal Press) ★★★★

21. Book published in 2020
The Exiles ★★★★

25. Epistolary novel or collection of letters Dear Santa: Children's Christmas Letters and Wish Lists, 1870 - 1920 ★★★★

7. Book by a journalist or about journalism I Contain Multitudes ★★★★

5. Book not set on Earth Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars ★★★

22. Mythology or folklore The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ★★★★

8. Weird book title The Poet X ★★★★

12. Book with "library" or "thing" in the title or subtitleThe Library Book ★★★

3. Book with a periodic table element in the title
By the Shores of Silver Lake (book #5 in the Little House series; I added the series to my "read books" rather than individual titles, thus no checkmark by the touchstone) ★★★★

11. Book by a woman from a country other than the US/UK
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (Canada) ★★★

13. Read a CAT
The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees ★★★★½ (NonfictionCAT January - Journalism and News)

'Tis the Season Autumn Book Bonanza: Grab a cup of tea and a blanket, while enjoying some holiday themed books. (Including Halloween 👻 Thanksgiving 🎃 Christmas 🎄)

1. The Turn of the Screw 👻👻/5
2. Northanger Abbey: An Audible Original Drama by Jane Austen, adapted by Anna Lea 👻👻👻👻/5
3. Gothic Tales 2.5/5

Reading the works of Elizabeth Gaskell:
**Start date 9/29/2020. No formal end date.**
For novels and novellas I have previously read, I am going to allow myself to either skip a reread or watch a movie/TV adaptation instead. The primary goal of this challenge is to read works by Gaskell, that I have not read before.

Novels & Novellas:

Mary Barton - 1848
The Moorland Cottage (novella) - 1850
*Cranford - 1851–53 - Read ★★★★
*Mr. Harrison's Confessions (novella) - 1851 - Read ★★★★
Ruth - 1853
North and South - 1854–55 - Read 2016 ★★★
*My Lady Ludlow - 1858 - Read ★★★
A Dark Night's Work - 1863
Sylvia's Lovers - 1863
Wives and Daughters - 1864–66

Short Story Collections:

Gothic Tales: ★★½
Disappearances - 1851 ★★
The Old Nurse's Story (novella) - 1852 ★★★
The Squire's Story - 1853 ★★
The Poor Claire - 1856 ★★
The Doom of the Griffiths - 1858 ★★★
Lois the Witch (novella) - 1859 ★★
The Crooked Branch - 1859 ★★
Curious, If True - 1860 ★★
The Grey Woman - 1861 ★★★

Non-fiction (popular):

The Life of Charlotte Brontë (1857)

* Read as part of The Cranford Chronicles

Completed This Month:

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty ★★★★
Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley ★★★★
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker ★★★ ½
The Turn of the Screw ★★
Have a Little Pun by Frida Clements ★★★★
Northanger Abbey: An Audible Original Drama by Jane Austen, adapted by Anna Lea ★★★★

Completed This Month:
The House on the Strand ★★★★
Gothic Tales ★★½
When We Were Young & Brave ★★★★
Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life★★★★
The Tatooist of Auschwich★★★
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ★★★★★
Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars ★★
Frankenstein (audio) ★★★
Darkness There: Selected Tales by Edgar Allan Poe★★★★

Happy new thread! Focus on books has been a challenge for many of us this year. I hope you get a new boost from your new leaf!

Happy new thread! Good idea to start a new one for the rest of the year :)

I really liked Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs. It makes an amusing contrast title-wise to your other read, Why We Sleep. I imagine worrying about whether your cat would eat your eyeballs would keep you awake! ;)

Happy new thread! I love that first leaf picture!

>9 NinieB: >10 rabbitprincess: >11 Jackie_K: Thanks so much!

rabbitprincess That is just too funny! I hadn't thought of it that way but those two books do make quite a contrast, lol. Thankfully I don't have a cat right now, unless I count the neighbor's cats who always sleep in the backyard. One less worry, right?

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (audio)
Rating: ★★★★
BingoDog: Strange Book Title

Late into the night I write and the pages of my notebook swell from all the words I’ve pressed onto them. It almost feels like the more I bruise the page the quicker something inside me heals.

This wasn't something I planned to read but it showed up on a list of recommended books and was available on Hoopla, so I thought why not give it a try. I was surprised to feel a connection to a YA novel written in the form of slam poetry. Even though I grew up during a different time period surrounded by a different culture, it seems the teenage experience of finding a place to fit in and always questioning, has not changed much.

I listened to this on audio. The author also provided the narration. Ms. Acevedo gave a strong voice for her work and added a layer of authenticity to the teenage narrative.

The Watchmaker's Daughter by C.J. Archer
Rating: ★★★
BingoDog: LT author
September MysteryKIT: Series

This book was a freebie on Kindle and a really quick read. It is technically a historical mystery but very light on any historical facts. I'd consider it more of a young adult/fantasy/romance novel with an easy to follow plot. I liked it enough to finish but I probably won't continue on with the series. I have been reading more mystery novels lately but prefer the plot to be more sophisticated.

Happy new thread! I hope you are safe, too.

Thank you, Birgit. Same goes for you. I guess we can all just do our best to stay as safe as possible under the circumstances. Things aren't going great in the US though with the high number of virus cases, plus wildfires burning in California and the Pacific Northwest.

Good to see you're feeling able to get into reading again. And the leaf is a fabulous picture.

2020 has certainly been a difficult year so far and we are all feeling our way. Staying healthy and safe is our number one priority and for me, reading books is the best escape from the depressing reality. Good luck and good reading!

>17 Helenliz: >18 DeltaQueen50: Thanks so much for stopping by and the kind thoughts. I agree reading is a wonderful escape right now. It will be fun to plan some chilly weather and December holiday reading too.

A new thread is a nice way to "re-boot". Happy new thread! I agree, it is challenging to keep positive and not let the news and events take over our lives. good thing we have books to escape into. ;-) Stay safe!

Thank you for stopping by Lori and I hope you stay safe too! :-)

Nice new theme and great looking categories!

>22 Tess_W: Thanks for stopping by, Tess.

Books completed as of Sep 23rd:

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty
Rating: ★★★★
BingoDog: Book about birth or death

Caitlin Doughty actually took a delicate and morbid subject and turned it into a readable, informative and occasionally humorous book. The illustrations by Dianné Ruz added a macabre, yet fun touch. Having said that, I'd suggest not reading this book while you are eating or directly before bedtime. Just don't.

As for the answer to the question the title poses, I'd suggest you read the book. I will just state I am somewhat relieved I do not have a pet cat or dog at the moment.

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
Rating: ★★★★

Historian Lucy Worsley is someone I've associated with BBC TV programs about UK royalty so this is the first book I have read by her. Although very wordy in some passages, this is a well researched biography of Jane Austen. There are two points worth mentioning, Worsley does occasionally insert her personal opinions into the narrative but at least it is obvious it is opinion versus fact. She also includes passages from Austen's novels which contain various spoilers. At the time I write this, I haven't tackled Sense and Sensibility or Persuasion so I found myself skipping over any paragraphs mentioning those books.

My hope is the revelations contained in this biography will help me to appreciate and understand Austen's works more. She really was a trailblazer in many ways, paving the way for future female authors. As a member of the psuedo-gentry, Austen had certain advantages. As an unmarried female of the Georgian era she also faced many uncertainties while basically being dependent on the male members of her family for food and shelter. Throughout all that, Austen's one constant was writing and thankfully we have her enduring, sharp-witted novels to study and enjoy as a result.

>24 This-n-That: Good to know that there are spoilers for Persuasion -- that's the one Austen novel I haven't read yet! I've read the others at least once.

In honor of Elizabeth Gaskell's birth date of September 29, I will be kicking off my new reading plan to work my way through most of her novels and short stories. (Please refer to message # 4.) Some novels such as Cranford are old friends to me but others such as Ruth will be new reading experiences.

Since (in the US) this conveniently lines up with the beginning of the Autumn season and Victober, my plan is to begin with the appropriately creepy sounding Lois the Witch, and Other Gothic Tales. Otherwise I hope to work my way through Mrs. Gaskell's major works according to the dates they were written, beginning with Mary Barton.

I made it part way through an Elizabeth Gaskell festival. I need to resume! Ruth is really interesting and Mary Barton is a bit dry but quite good overall. Her writing focus varies considerably from work to work. I'll keep an eye on how your reading is going.

I'm reading Mary Barton myself and finding it a bit hard going. But I did love Wives and Daughters, and liked North and South.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Rating: ★★★ ½

I started out listening to Why We Sleep on audio but often found myself needing to go back and listen to passages again. The narrator is good but I ended up switching over to an ebook version midway through.

Matthew Walker is a professor of neuroscience and psychology. He delves deeply into the subject of why sleep is so incredibly important for people to function well and the ways it contributes to multiple aspects of health maintanance, including the immune system. He also addresses some myths and misinformation regarding sleep deficits. It is truly and interesting subject. Having said that, the information is presented in a dense and repetitive manner. It could have used more editing, which might have made the flow more reader friendly.

One interesting point Walker presented was a study that showed the amount and quality of sleep two weeks prior to receiving a vaccine inoculation, can impact the amount of antibodies a person produces. (Hint: Make an attempt to get 7+ hours of good quality nightly sleep in the weeks leading up to getting a flu shot.)

For those who are interested, the author presented a nineteen minute TED Talk called "Sleep is your Superpower," which covers some of the information in Why We Sleep.
https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower

>27 NinieB: At some point I hope you'll feel excited about continuing on with your Gaskell festival. With long-term reading plans, I know it is difficult to remain energized and interested in a subject. I am mainly speaking for myself though. We shall see if I can stick with the plan into 2021, especially with so many recently published books on my reading horizon.

>28 rabbitprincess: I'm sorry Mary Barton is proving to be difficult to get through. There are several good audio versions available, and I'm thinking of listening to the version narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Maybe that will help me get through it.

>31 This-n-That: I've heard great things about Juliet Stevenson!

>30 This-n-That: Just knowing that you're working on a similar project is inspiring! :)

>26 This-n-That: - Oh, I love your Elizabeth Gaskell reading project! One of the few print books that I have kept in my collection is a 1904 Temple Classics copy of Cranford published by J.M. Dent and Co. The green soft leather cover is a bit worn/faded but the text is still very legible. One of these days I will read it, but thinking to save it for when I retire. ;-)

>26 This-n-That: I love Elizabeth Gaskell. I've read Cranford, North and South, and Wives and Daughters, with Cranford being my favorite.

>34 lkernagh: Your leather covered copy of Cranford sounds lovely! :-) I can understand why you kept it and hope you eventually enjoy the story.

>35 Tess_W: Cranford is definitely a favorite of mine too. I thought I had read Wives and Daughters but if I did, I don't recall the story at all.

Three more books completed:



Northanger Abbey: An Audible Original Drama by Jane Austen, adapted by Anna Lea 👻👻👻👻
Personal challenge: 'Tis the Season

...but while I have Udolpho to read, I feel as if nobody could make me miserable.

I went on a listening binge with this one as the dramatized, multiple cast recording was entertaining. Having said that, I read the unabridged version of Northanger Abbey in 2014 and gave it a three star rating. Perhaps listening to a well produced audio version allowed me to pick up on more of the intended symbolism but I think a lot of it still went over my head. Besides the naive Catherine Morland, most of the other characters were just plain unlikable and annoying. Henry Tilney does not make a good romantic hero. Supposedly it was purposely written that way, as an aspect of the parody theme. Overall, I think the story comes across much better via audio but it still doesn't rate among my favorite classic novels. As for other novels by Miss Austen, I still have not read Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility and The Watsons and am hoping to (eventually) be pleasantly surprised by one of those stories.

Rating details: Five stars for the excellent narration, adaptation and production of this audio version. A begrudging three stars for Miss Austen's original story and cast of characters. Rounding this out to four stars, as I am not certain how else to give the audiobook a fair rating

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 👻👻
Personal challenge: 'Tis the Season

Perhaps not my best choice for the first holiday themed book to read during October. I don't like to give a classic author's writing two stars (I mean Halloween ghosts) but I just didn't get it, especially the ending. It is more of a simplistic psychological drama, rather than being frightening.

Have a Little Pun by Frida Clements ★★★★
BingoDog - Title contains a pun

This is a cute little illustrated book and fun to read. I especially enjoyed the "honeybee yourself" and "cray cray" illustrations.

Oh, I disagree about Henry Tilney -- he's so funny and kind! Oh well, I'm glad the audio version helped you to enjoy the novel a little bit more!

>39 christina_reads: That's great, Christina. I'm glad to hear you liked Northanger Abbey and have a different pov about Tilney. I admire Jane Austen as an author but do not always connect with her stories and characters. So far, Emma is my favorite novel by her, followed by Pride and Prejudice. If I am being honest about it though, I actually liked the tv adaptation of P & P with Colin Firth, more than the written version.

>40 This-n-That: Emma and Pride and Prejudice are my favorites too. :)

This is more a note to myself but as of October 23, I have six five three BingoDog squares left to complete. Not certain if I will finish the entire board prior to January but I will at least try to fill in a few more squares before then.

14. Book published under a pen name or anonymously - planning to read a book by Dr. Seuss

25. Epistolary novel or collection of letters - planning to read Dear Santa

7. Book by a journalist or about journalism - Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa

The House on the Stand by Daphne du Maurier
Rating: ★★★★
BingoDog

"It struck me, as he spoke, how our attitude to the experiment differed. His was scientific, unemotional, it did not really concern him who was broken in the process so long as what he was attempting to prove was proved successfully; whereas I was already caught up in the mesh of history: the people who to him were puppets of a bygone age were alive for me."

I was pleasantly surprised by this one, although I didn't know what to expect going in. The story focuses on an unhappily married character named Dick Young who becomes a willing participant in an ongoing science experiment. Without saying too much, time travel is a central aspect of the plot and drives many of the main character's decisions. I usually do not care for dual-timelines but in this case they served a purpose. The historical timeline captured my attention more than the contemporary one and I often found myself wishing for Dick to take another trip back in time. Although Rebecca is often considered to be du Maurier's finest literary achievement, The House on the Strand hold its own.

>43 This-n-That: I read The House on the Strand in high school and loved it, so I've read it a couple of times since then. It's probably time for a reread!

Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell
Overall rating: ★★½
Gaskell Reading Project and 'Tis the Season

Individual Stories
Disappearances - 1851 ★★
The Old Nurse's Story (novella) - 1852 ★★★
The Squire's Story - 1853 ★★
The Poor Claire - 1856 ★★
The Doom of the Griffiths - 1858 ★★★
Lois the Witch (novella) - 1859 ★★
The Crooked Branch - 1859 ★★
Curious, If True - 1860 ★★
The Grey Woman - 1861 ★★★

I struggled some to get through this gothic short story collection by Elizabeth Gaskell. As shown by my individual ratings, some stories were more interesting and better written than others. Most could be considered atmospheric but none were particularly frightening. I am glad to have read the stories once but won't feel compelled to reread any of them.

>43 This-n-That: I've only read one du Maurier book and will put this one on my wish list.

>46 Tess_W: Glad it is a BB and hope you like it. :-)

Unlike your average cat, he has a purpose.

Initially I was trying to sneak in a graphic novel called Binky the Space Cat for the space related BingoDOG square. Then I reread the wording for the prompt and figured out it wouldn't work, since poor Binky never actually leaves earth. Still, it is a really cute kids book so I thought I'd mention it. :-)

Onto another book hopefully "not set on earth." I think I'll try Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars instead.

Knocked two more squares off my BingoDog list with Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (not set on earth) and an audio version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (folklore) narrated by Tim Mison. I know I had read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow years ago but completely forgot the sentences are so deliciously worded. I actually read along using a text copy on Project Gutenberg, just so I could fully appreciate the phrasing.

>49 This-n-That: Glad you enjoyed Sleepy Hollow. I often read and listen at the same time, especially if the language is difficult, such as translations. I would agree about Irving's words being "delicious." I'm not a big fan of Sleepy Hollow, but greatly enjoyed Rip Van Winkle.

>50 Tess_W: I haven't read Rip Van Winkle. Thanks for mentioning that you enjoyed the story; adding it as a BB. :-)

I had finished two books that fit BingoDog squares, and completely overlooked updating things here. (Sorry, touchstones weren't working at the time of posting, even after trying my usual tricks.)

Epistolary novel or collection of letters:
Dear Santa: Children's Christmas Letters and Wish Lists, 1870 - 1920 ★★★★
This is a really cute collection of children's letters to Santa, with some additional historical holiday tidbits.

Book by a journalist or about journalism:
I Contain Multitudes ★★★★
I liked this book as I usually enjoy reading about science. This time, I wasn't especially in the proper mood to read a book about bacteria and how it drives much of human, animal and insect physiology. Still, I would highly recommend this book, especially for science buffs. It was well researched by Ed Yong who is a contributor to National Geographic and other science related publications.

Reporting book #25 for BingoDOG which fulfills the 'pen name or anonymous author' square . It is kind of ironic and amusing, that my worst overall reading year resulted in me actually filling in the entire card.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas ★★★★★
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
This seems like a fitting book to end 2020 with. The illustrated story is a classic, so I really don't have much of anything new to add to the plethora of reviews. I did borrow the audiotrack for the animated movie version and listened to that as I read the book. It was interesting to note some of the changes in phrasing, plus some additional lines added onto the end of the movie version.

Congratulations on completing your Bingo card!

>53 This-n-That: This reminded me of the five-year-old boy next door to me who made everyone promise not to even mention The Grinch because it would "worry" his little brother. Little brother could care less, it's the five-year-old who is quite fearful of The Grinch.

Well done on completing the whole card! That's something to take out of 2020 at least.

>53 This-n-That: A satisfying way to end the old year--congratulations!

>53 This-n-That: Hurray for completing the Bingo card!

>54 VivienneR: >55 Helenliz: >56 NinieB: >57 rabbitprincess: Thank you. :-)

VivienneR, that is an amusing Grinch story. Thanks for sharing.