AlisonY - Moseying Along As the Mood Takes Her in 2022

Welcome, welcome. This is my 8th year in CR (whaaaaattttt?), and as ever I'm just going as the notion takes me. There will be plenty of literary fiction, no doubt a smattering of memoirs and non-fiction titles, some travelogue / adventure books, some Victorian books from the group read and, well - whatever else takes my fancy as the year progresses.

My book journey of 2021 can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327717

2022 Reading Track

January
1. The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgaard - read (4 stars)
2. Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen - read (4 stars)
3. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo - read (3.5 stars)
4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - read (2.5 stars)

February
5. The Eggman's Apprentice by Maurice Leitch - read (4 stars)
6. God Help the Child by Toni Morrison - read (4 stars)

March
7. Property: A Collection by Lionel Shriver - read (4 stars)
8. Benediction by Kent Haruf - read (4.5 stars)
9. The Arab Mind by Raphael Patai - read (3.5 stars)
10. Out of Thin Air: Running Wisdom and Magic From Above the Clouds in Ethiopia by Michael Crawley - read (4 stars)

April
11. Real Life by Brandon Taylor - read (3.5 stars)
12. Anniversaries Volume 1 by Uwe Johnson - read (4 stars)
13. Poets Are Eaten as a Delicacy in Japan by Tara West - read (3.5 stars)
14. The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah - read (4 stars)

May
15. Anniversaries, Volume 2 by Uwe Johnson - read (4 stars)
16. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson - read (3 stars)
17. The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver - read (3.5 stars)

June
18. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - read (3 stars)
19. Atomic Habits by James Clear - read (3.5 stars)
20. Rock, Paper, Scissors by Naja Marie Aidt - read (4.5 stars)

July
21. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - currently reading

F = 15
NF = 5

Up next:



The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgaard

I love your topper photo! I'm looking forward to your thoughts on The Morning Star.

I'll be around, of course!

The years do fly by! I look forward to continuing to follow your reading for another year.

Love the topper Alison.

My 2022 thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/337997#

I love the pic! It looks like they're about to start a dance.

Lovely opening photo, Alison!

I eagerly await your review of The Morning Star.

Well, I'm curious how Knaugaard will go. I'm a little scared by your critters in that picture. Wish you a good 2022.

I love the critters! They're all set for 2022, even if we're not.

I’ve been quiet but enjoy reading your reviews and will so in the coming year. Wish you a very happy 2022 🤍

Hi Alison-I'm so glad you're back for another year!
I have The Morning Star out of the library now, and the question will be whether I can get to it before the library grabs it back. When I read the description of it the science-fictiony elements appealed to me, but it has gotten some less than stellar reviews, so I'll be interested in what you think of it.

>4 labfs39:, >5 ursula:, >6 RidgewayGirl:, >7 Caroline_McElwee:, >8 DieFledermaus:, >9 kidzdoc:, >10 dchaikin:, >11 lisapeet:, >12 Simone2:, >13 arubabookwoman: Welcome all for another year of rambling!

For those interested in the Knausgaard new book I'm about a third of the way in (the last few days have been busy) but I'm enjoying it so far.

I like the picture too, maybe they are guiding a third in to land? Look forward to following your reading.

>15 tonikat: They just look so jolly I had to have them as my topper.

>1 AlisonY: OMG that photo is awesome! I'll be popping in from time to time.

Happy reading 2022 :-) - what a great topper

Love the dancers at the top, and look forward to another year of wandering & reading.

Happy New Year, Alison! I’m with everyone else admiring your photo at the top. I’m looking forward to your thoughtful reviews.

Happy New Year, Alison. I hope 2022 is a good one for you. I also love the photo at the top.

>17 avaland:, >18 Ameise1:, >19 markon:, >20 NanaCC:, >21 BLBera: Welcome all! Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to your comments in 2022.

Alison, I took a quick scroll through your 2021 thread (thanks for including the link) and am reminded that I need to get back to the Hilary Mantel trilogy. I read Wolf Hall when it first came out, loved it, and bought the other two, but for some reason never got back to them. Something to look forward to. You have also motivated me to revisit Umberto Eco, as I have a few of his unread on my TBR. I'm looking forward to following your 2022 reading. And I also loved the topper!

Happy New Year, Alison. May it be a happy and healthy year, with many excellent books on the way.
I also love the photo (>1 AlisonY:) and I'll be following your thread.

Happy New Year Alison!

>23 Linda92007: I was a reluctant reader of the Cromwell trilogy, Linda, but I'm so glad Rhian set up a CR group read last year which encouraged me. I loved all three, and think the middle one was the best of all, so I would definitely recommend going back to it.

>24 Trifolia:, >25 SandDune: Welcome and happy New Year!

1. The Morning Star by Karl-Ove Knausgaard

First of the year, and what better way to start than with the most recent title from my literary crush, the bad boy of Norwegian literature. Unlike the My Struggle series this book is 100% fiction, yet somehow it never feels like it strays too far from the Knausgaard which we know and love, which was something of a surprising delight.

Each chapter in this book it told from the perspective of different people whose lives are all intertwined, some more obviously than others, with the common thread being that all see a large new star arrive in the sky out of nowhere. In Isaiah 14 the Morning Star was the name given to the devil before his fall from grace, and for the narrators in each chapter it symbolises bad times to come. Some of these are domestic unravellings which had already begun, while others are much darker.

It's an unusual yet familiar book in many ways. It bears much of Knausgaard's familiar stamp present in the My Struggle series - only he can make descriptions of Norwegians stacking their dishwashers something that transfixes me in some weird, rubber-necking way. (And the number of cigarettes lit - are Norwegians still a big smoking nation, or is this coloured by Knausgaard's own addiction? It feels quite alien now in the UK, where smoking has become the territory of a small minority). There's a strong Nordic pull in his writing for me - his depiction is of a society / country quite different to my experience of growing up in the UK, where children seem to be allowed much more freedom and independence at a young age, and where marriages and relationships seem generally ultimately doomed. Whether that's a fair representation of Norwegian reality or is just more a representation of Knausgaard I will never know (or perhaps it's just total fiction), but nonetheless it fascinates me and I can't look away.

For the first half of the book I wasn't sure that he needed the morning star as a plot device - I was enjoying the individual stories of characters screwing up in various ways, and introducing that supernatural element felt unnecessary. As the novel progresses, however, he takes the bad omen element into a much darker place in some of the chapters, on occasion blurring the lines between what is reality and what is imagined, and I felt ultimately it worked. Whereas other authors may have taken this magical realism in another direction, Knausgaard uses it to lightly prod concepts such as the occult and the undead, but he doesn't lose his trademark 'reality bites' narrative style by getting overly lost in the idea, and instead it feels intriguing and unsure territory for the reader.

Those who have read Knausgaard previously will know that he can't help himself when it comes to interjecting a generous peppering of philosophy into his books, and in this one his thoughts are relating to death itself and whether it is actually inevitable. This becomes a much wider scientific and philosophical discussion than Christian belief in immortality, and as is often the case I felt like Knausgaard indulged himself in that a little longer than the book warranted. Having said that, although these deep-thinking bursts in many of his books always feel very much self-gratifying, they're also interesting in an unexpected way.

It's a hefty read at 666 pages (see what he did there?), but it never felt a chore to read (although I won't miss its weight in hardback form). If you like your book endings nicely tied up then this is not the book for you as Knausgaard leaves us all over the place with the various stories, but apparently there's a sequel in the works so I for one am delighted.

4 stars - I think for sure this will be a love it or hate it novel for people, but if you're already a paid up member of the Knausgaard fan club I think you'll enjoy it.

Up next:



Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

From one Marmite author to another...

I'm back to work tomorrow, which seems such a rude and unnecessary interruption of my reading time. I need to figure out when I can afford to retire. I have done absolutely nothing since Christmas but read, play games with my daughter and enjoy the company of family and a few friends, and it's been blissful. New favourite games for my gaming buddy and I this Christmas were that old favourite Yahtzee (although new to me - I never had it as a child) and Azul, which is a simple but very addictive board game.

Sigh - all good things must come to an end.

>27 AlisonY: Great review, Alson.

>29 AlisonY: Good luck back at work Alison. I have one more day off. No idea where the past 13 days have gone.

I'm glad you liked The Morning Star. I have it out of the library and will be starting it soon.
And, as I noted on the What Are You Reading? Thread, I read Crossroads in December and liked it a lot. The strange thing however is that I entirely forgot I read it in all the hustle bustle of the end of the year, and failed to record it on LT or my book journal. So, it was entirely absent from my 2021 summary of books read--had I remembered it might even hav3 made it into the best of 2021.

>27 AlisonY: Great review, Alison. I look forward to your thoughts about the Franzen, as well.

I was at my daughter’s in Connecticut for a week around Christmas. We played several games. We all like cards, so there was a lot of that, and quite a bit of a game called Rummikub. That one has been a favorite for years. It made for a nice week. I used to hate the end of vacations and that dreaded first day back at work. I feel so lucky not to have to do that anymore. Are you at work in person these days?

>30 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara. As you can tell I've a soft spot for Knausgaard's writing when he doesn't lose himself in his own self importance.

>31 Caroline_McElwee: Enjoy the extra day, Caroline. I've just been off last week and today, but it's felt very mentally refreshing. However, I'm not quite ready to go back (but are we ever?!).

>32 arubabookwoman: Oh I'm delighted to hear you loved the Franzen, Deborah. Always great to start a book with a good recommendation. I've loved 2 of his previous books and abandoned 1, so was hoping the odds are in my favour.

>33 NanaCC: Thanks Colleen. I'm the only one that will play board or card games with my daughter as my husband and son hate them (they reluctantly play short games after dinner on a Sunday, like Uno). Now that she's older and can play the adult games we've a lot of fun together (although she mostly always beats me!). I must note Rummikub for next year's Christmas present list, as I know that's another classic game but forgot about it (I've not played it myself). The decent games have stood the test of time well - we've been very disappointed by the new games that are trending on Amazon over the years such as Exploding Kittens - the game play just wasn't fast enough to keep them interesting.

My work is relaxed about people working from home at the moment, so at least I've only to commute down the hall in the morning. I'd prefer to be in the office at least once a week, but with Omicron I probably won't go in for a few weeks at least.

>27 AlisonY: Wonderful review of Morning Star, Alison. I even went and dropped a start on the book's review page.

>35 labfs39: Aw, thanks Lisa. I nearly didn't order it from the library as it had some awful reviews on Amazon, but I really enjoyed it.

Many of my family enjoy card and board games when we get together. I wish I could find some friends that like playing Pinochle. Uno Flip is a favorite with some of my friends.

>37 markon: Oh I've not heard of Pinochle before - off to Google how you play that.

> 27 Great review. I'm not "a paid up member of the Knausgaard fan club" mainly because I wasn't a fan of A Time for Everything, which gets good reviews, and so it left me a little worried about whether he's a good author for me. But i have My Struggle book 1 here. Didn't quite make the 2022 plan.

>28 AlisonY:, >32 arubabookwoman: Ok, I'm interested in the Franzen.

Hi Alison! Just dropping in to catch up on news, reading etc. I adore the topper picture.

Moseying along sounds like a great plan! Enjoy and stay laid back!

>27 AlisonY: "Those who have read Knausgaard previously will know that he can't help himself when it comes to interjecting a generous peppering of philosophy into his books..."

Uh-oh. I don't usually get along with novels described as philosophical. And I am supposed to buddy read My Struggle, Book 1 this month.

Fabulous review of The Morning Star, Alison! Yours is the first one that has made me want to read it, and I'm glad that I succumbed to temptation and bought a copy of it last year. I still have to read Books Five and Six of the My Struggle series, but I would ideally like to read them, The Morning Star, and A Time for Everything by the end of the year.

>27 AlisonY: Oooh!! I don’t normally really read reviews of books I haven’t read (maybe skim a sentence or two), but I couldn’t help myself with this one. I want to get to it! *fangirling*

>42 ELiz_M: I think you may do all right with it. I HATE philosophy but I absolutely raced through Book 1 and loved it.

>39 dchaikin: I've avoided A Time for Everything, Dan, as from the synopsis it sounds like this is very much a book where his amateur philosophising takes over, and I've no interest in that. I would certainly give the first of the My Struggle books a go before you give up on him completely.

>40 VivienneR:, >41 majkia: Waving.... Thanks for stopping by!

>42 ELiz_M: From memory (and it's been a few years) there was only a smattering of him disappearing into philosophising in Book 1. I also don't enjoy that, and whilst I do get something out of Knausgaard's tangents into this stuff generally it's not my cup of tea. So as I said to Dan above, don't let that put you off - it's generally great fly on the wall stuff that puts you right into his life in Norway.

>43 kidzdoc: I think you'll like it, Darryl, given you also liked the My Struggle books you've read to date. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it quite so much as those, but it was still worthwhile.

>44 ursula: Oh super - another member of the fan club! I was worried about this one as the initial reviews were lukewarm, but it worked for me. He ends with an essay at the end which did spoil it a little for me (although he was trying to tie up the loose ends in the novel with it), but if you got as far as book 6 and made it through the several hundred pages of diversion on Hitler you'll have no problem with it.

>39 dchaikin: Vol 1 of My Struggle was my favorite of the series (I've yet to read Vol 6). It really got its hooks into me.
>42 ELiz_M: I haven't found My Struggle particularly philosophical, but maybe I skimmed those parts and forgot them since that's not usually my thing. As I said the first volume was my favorite, and I found it visceral and compelling.
>45 AlisonY: >39 dchaikin: A Time for Everything was the first Knausgaard I read and I liked it a lot. It was so different from anything else I've read, and I liked thinking about angels, good and bad, here on earth. I do remember some "philosophizing", but somehow it didn't bother me. I can't say if I would like it as much if I reread it today.

Here to drop off my star, Alison. I'm interested in the Knausgaard. I've never read any of his, but I love almost all Science Fiction, and this sounds great.

>45 AlisonY: />46 arubabookwoman: re A Time for Everything: my review from 2017 mentions a reading slump caused some issues, but also mentioned "prolonged satirical but entirely true to the text biblical retellings" - which is the part I remember unpleasantly. But, I really do plan to read My Struggle volume 1. I'm just a little less excited about it than I might be otherwise.

>47 sallypursell: It's not really SF, Sally - a tinge of it perhaps, or maybe more magical realism.

>48 dchaikin: I really hope you read Book 1, Dan - I really think you'll enjoy it.

>49 AlisonY: Thanks for the clarification, Alison.

Happy new year, Alison! I will be lurking around here again this year! I love the photo at the beginning of your thread!

>51 OscarWilde87: Thanks for dropping by!

>27 AlisonY: - A really tempting review, although I haven't jumped on the Knausgaard train, and it sounds like My Struggle is the place to start.

>54 AlisonY: Oh definitely start with My Struggle Book 1 if you're going to give Knausgaard a go. I loved all 6 volumes.

Hi, there. Have never read any Franzen, so interested to know how Marmite fits into that picture. My kid was obsessed with Marmite for awhile (we live in Michigan, US). I finally found some in the foreign food aisle. For a couple of weeks, I had a parade of 12-year-old boys in here taking the Marmite Challenge.

Great review of the Knausgaard. I have a crush on him too and not yet read this book, but now I feel I should. I have Crossroads waiting for me too!

>55 nohrt4me2: Calling something 'Marmite' indicates that people either love it or hate it - there's no in-between.

>55 nohrt4me2: Franzen is definitely worth a try, but he seems to polarise readers.

>56 Simone2: I hope you enjoy Morning Star when you get to it, Barbara. Definitely more enjoyable than I expected.

2. Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

I had a very weird experience reading this book. I enjoyed it, yet somehow it seemed to take me absolutely forever to get to the end. No matter how many evenings I spent reading it I somehow never seemed to get much further in terms of page numbers. Maybe it's because it was a hard back and a long book anyway (580 or so pages), but boy - it just seemed to go on and on.

Like most of Franzen's fiction, at the heart of Crossroads is a totally dysfunctional family. The patriarch of the family is an associate minister who's failing miserably as a pastor, husband and father and who's desperate to embark on a sexual affair with an old acquaintance who's recently joined the church. His wife is also having a mid-life crisis about the person she's turned into, and is no fool to what's going on with her husband, whilst their teenage children are all rebelling against both of them in different ways.

Told over a short period between Advent and Easter in the early 1970s, Crossroads is a story of the worst of times and the best of times, of losing oneself and of finding oneself. With the backdrop of the church and in particular the popular youth group that runs within the church ('Crossroads'), it's a really interesting setting - a juxtaposition between Christian teaching and human fallibility and immorality.

Despite taking me ages to finish this I did enjoy it. The characters of the minister and his wife were particularly enjoyable, with more than a touch of resemblance to writing by Richard Yates or John Updike.

4 stars - recommended for those who enjoy a good old family implosion.

Incidentally, I've a feeling I asked this question once before but I can't remember the answer so I'm asking it again - the word 'pocketbook' came up in this book. I'm gathering that this is an American word for a handbag or purse. Is this an old fashioned word or is it still used?

Up next:



Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

Thankfully, a book half the size of my last two...

>60 AlisonY: Yes, it's another word for purse that has largely fallen out of style.

I still hear it, but purse is the usual.

>60 AlisonY: my grandmothers always carried a pocketbook, and mother did too, although she may not have always called it that. I can't think of the last time I heard anyone else carry one.

Great review of Crossroads. I admit i was really entertained by your description of never making progress.

>60 AlisonY: My grandmother too was of the pocketbook ilk. My parents still say it. Around here it's often pronounced more like "pockybook" with a DownEast accent.

>60 AlisonY: Something I've wondered on a similar theme: I know Americans call what we call a handbag, a purse. So what do people call the thing that actually holds your money, which we call a purse. Is this a wallet? We use the word wallet too, but more predominantly for what men carry, something that goes in a pocket rather than a handbag, and a purse looks different from a wallet in that it generally has more room for coins.

Wallet for men or women; sometimes 'coin purse'

>60 AlisonY: I still say it. Not sure what that says about me!

>62 RidgewayGirl:, >63 cindydavid4:, >64 dchaikin:, >65 labfs39:, >67 cindydavid4:, >68 Linda92007: I'm surprised that it was only in the last year or so that I came across pocketbook in a novel. Thanks for clearing that up for me - so a pocketbook is a purse in America which is not a purse in the UK but a handbag. Who knew these things could be so complex.

I was slightly traumatised when reading Crossroads as Franzen also included my most hated word in the world EVER not once but several times. I can't even type it I hate it so much, but it's the American slang word for bum which in the UK is slang for 'women's bits' and is so not something to casually drop into conversation.

>64 dchaikin: Yeah Dan - at one point I thought someone was adding pages to Crossroads in the night as no matter how much time I spent reading my bookmark never seemed to move forward much.

>69 AlisonY: at one point I thought someone was adding pages to Crossroads in the night as no matter how much time I spent reading my bookmark never seemed to move forward much

Lol. Been there

>69 AlisonY: read his first book and it was interesting in fact the family reminded me of mine. Then he just went off the rails. Havent tried another again

>69 AlisonY: One Christmas season, many years ago, I worked in a department store in New Jersey for extra money. They put me in the department that sold handbags. I made the mistake of calling one a pocketbook and was swiftly told I should call them handbags. I’ve done so ever since. If you look online at department stores, the category used in your search is handbags. I think the other versions may vary based upon where you live. All of the different variations are interesting. I heard a lot of the word pocketbook where I grew up.

>66 SandDune: Yes, we use wallet for women too. Coin purse brings to mind a smaller thing that snaps close and has plenty of room for, well, coins. Wallet involves cash, card slots probably, etc.

>60 AlisonY: I think it is more like a wallet here--St Louis, that is. It tends to be flat and hold paper money or paper items. I definitely still hear it, but it isn't the most common usage. You could grab your pocketbook and go without a purse.

>69 AlisonY: “ I can't even type it I hate it so much, but it's the American slang word for bum which in the UK is slang for 'women's bits' and is so not something to casually drop into conversation.

Oh dear, do not read the last Wharton novella i read - it’s the name of a prominent character. : )

>75 dchaikin: Thanks for the heads up - will be fully avoiding!

3. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

I'm finding it hard to assimilate my thoughts on this book - I'm very conflicted.

Lisa Taddeo tells the story of the real life passions of three women - one has had an affair with her high school teacher, another is having an affair with her first love and a third is enjoying additional sexual partners with her husband's eager assent (and often involvement). All three stories share the common thread of hot sexual desire, which Taddeo describes to us often with forensic detail.

Taddeo wraps a prologue and epilogue around the stories, and halfway through I found myself returning to the prologue again with the question in my mind of "what, exactly, again is Taddeo trying to achieve with these stories?" And therein lies my issue with this book. What Taddeo wants this book to be about and what she actually writes about (or how she writes it) are not necessarily the same thing.

In the prologue she writes that in her research she became interested in the difference between men and women when they are in the throws of desire; how for men their passion can be compartmentalised between during and after, whilst for women every aspect of the passion consumes their every moment. The stories that she chooses don't feel representative of the average woman on the street (OK - they aren't representative of the women that I typically know). These are three women who have some serious issues going on in their back stories, and they are women making choices that not every woman would make. And that would be fine in the context of simply enjoying reading about their loves and passion in their three very different situations. However - and this is where I take issue with this book - Taddeo loses sight of her own objective and the retelling of these stories becomes some sort of feminist polemic agains the men involved in the three stories. When, unsurprisingly, these three stories don't end up with happy endings, in Taddeo's hands the three women all become victims of a perceived cruel, emotional deception by the men, and by the end it feels like we've unwittingly been duped into signing up to some all-men-are-bastards sisterhood.

Yes, the guys in these stories probably all sit somewhere in the lower echelon of the hierarchy of decent blokes, but somehow Taddeo manages to make this a broad brush sweeping generalisation of men (and indeed of us women - of how we love and the people we become when we're in love). These stories ring truer as stories of immature infatuation. These are the stories of women who chase other women's husbands, who seek the thrill of the bad boy and yet are surprised when they get hurt. And despite cheerleading for the women protagonists in these stories, Taddeo never champions the corner of the cheated on wives affected by these affairs, so this is where her feminism championing rings hollow for me.

Which brings me back to my question throughout this book - just what point is Taddeo trying to make? That this is how women love? This is how some women love, but in Taddeo's hands it feels wider than that.

I also question its supposed categorisation as non-fiction - the level of detail included belied what anyone would have been able to truly recount, and somehow I therefore lost the voice of the women themselves and it became all about Taddeo's voice and perception.

So why the best-selling plaudits? Well, it does feel visceral and depicts well the raw spectrum of emotions that the women feel as the sun rises and sets on their various affairs. Taddeo writes fearlessly and quite rightly unashamedly about the women's sexual desires with a distinct voice and turn of phrase, and all of that I applaud and enjoyed in the book. But I can't get past the fact that somehow her sincerity in recounting these women's stories doesn't ring true and her true objective is to bend them to some version of the book that she wants to write about.

3.5 stars - a great book for a book club discussion, but this book was too full of Taddeo's personal agenda for my taste.

>77 AlisonY: Very thoughtful review, Alison

>77 AlisonY: I also question its supposed categorisation as non-fiction
WTF? I thought it was a novel. ok if this nf, who is she basing these characters on and how quickly will the law suits start pouring in unless she got the oks. I think you are on target here: "But I can't get past the fact that somehow her sincerity in recounting these women's stories doesn't ring true and her true objective is to bend them to some version of the book that she wants to write about". Nah this isn't one Id read, fictio or not

>60 AlisonY: ncidentally, I've a feeling I asked this question once before but I can't remember the answer so I'm asking it again - the word 'pocketbook' came up in this book. I'm gathering that this is an American word for a handbag or purse. Is this an old fashioned word or is it still used?


I grew up in the 70s and 80s in Canada and used to come across that word in novels. I'd never heard anyone use it in conversation and it took me years and years to figure out what they were referring to. I didn't realize it was from US books. I started reading fashion magazines from the US around 1975 and I never saw that word used there either, so it must be rather old. The British word that took me decades to figure out was "the wireless". What WAS this contraption they spoke of!? Once I realized what there words were, they both seemed pretty obvious, but I think that's just age

>77 AlisonY:

Interesting! This was on my radar, although low (is that the right way to scale "radar"? Should it be dim, instead?) Anyway . . . I'm not sure if your comments make me want to try it or cross it off my list. It will sit where it is for now.

>77 AlisonY: Your review makes me think she wants to make the reader uncomfortable. Does sounds a very conservative to me though - woman break out of their traditional roles and end up getting hurt. That seems very tradition-enforcing. Anyway, interesting to read your response. It's the first I think I've heard of this book.

>78 labfs39: Thanks Lisa.

>79 cindydavid4: Definitely there's a lot of embellishment going on in her recounting of the stories.

>80 Nickelini: My grandparents would have referred to a radio as a wireless, Joyce. It's not used at all now by current generations.

>81 Nickelini: It's a funny book. I both liked it and got irritated by it in equal measure.

>82 dchaikin: It was released 18 months ago in the UK, Dan, and was a best seller. I'm pretty sure it was in the States as well.

Does sounds very conservative to me though I think Taddeo would be mildly horrified by that idea, Dan, although interesting that that's what jumps to mind. I think she wants to portray that women are strong, independent beings who enjoy and need sex and passion every bit as much as men do, but that at the end of the day it's a man's world and the rules that apply for men are totally different compared to women. In other words the women get labelled as slutty and end up with their lives in pieces, whereas things continue as before for the men in the story without too much collateral damage. It's the sweeping nature of that sentiment that grates on me in this book.

>77 AlisonY: This has been on my TBR pile for almost 2.5 years. I had heard the buzz at the time and when I saw it in a bookshop while on holiday I couldn't resist. But every time I've picked it up as a potential next read it somehow hasn't appealed.

Based on your review I think it can stay on Mt TBR a little longer.

>60 AlisonY: Late to the discussion of 'pocketbook', but just about the only usage I ever heard for it is that of a small paperback book.

If I saw it used as a word to describe an accessory, I would know the meaning, but would have difficulty knowing the size. In my mind a purse is a larger item carried by people of both genders, often for status reasons, for who knows why they are necessary. A wallet is that flat thing for bills and credit cards carried by both men and women. A change purse is that small thing with a snap that grannies used when doling out change. Purse and handbag seem to be the same thing to me, but I think there is a country of origin/class base in which usage is selected.

>80 Nickelini: Ah the wireless, which never really seemed to be so, but rather to be a huge piece of furniture in all those forties' movies.

>83 AlisonY: Interesting reaction to the Taddeo. I thought she was showing how difficult it is to characterize women's passion. And at least in the case of the teacher who groomed his student, I don't think I'd consider him a "decent bloke" regardless of how pleasant he came across. The other men were far more complex, although the high school sweetheart did come across as kind of affable-but-dumb. I enjoyed the complexity and discomfort of women making choices that I would not have made, often for reasons opaque even to themselves.

>77 AlisonY: Great review, thanks for that. Every description of the book that I've read since it came out left me lukewarm and not very interested in picking it up, and I have to say I feel like I'd rather have read your synopsis than the book itself.

>77 AlisonY: Excellent comments. I think I agree with Lisa; I'll settle for them and skip the book.

>84 rhian_of_oz: Well don't let me put you off. It is enjoyable enough - just those points irked me.

>85 SassyLassy: In the UK we would never call a handbag a purse. It's either a coin purse as you describe or a wallet, specifically when used by women.

>86 RidgewayGirl: Maybe I didn't explain it well, but I meant that I don't think any of the guys scored highly as decent blokes. The old high school sweetheart seemed to want an arrangement where he completely dictated the terms around when they saw each other and for how long. Totally agree that the teacher was absolutely out of line.

>88 BLBera:, >89 AlisonY: Again, I don't want to put anyone off, but I just had to get those irritations off my chest!

>85 SassyLassy: Ok i am confused: " In my mind a purse is a larger item carried by people of both genders, often for status reasons, for who knows why they are necessary. A wallet is that flat thing for bills and credit cards carried by both men and women. A change purse is that small thing with a snap that grannies used when doling out change. Purse and handbag seem to be the same thing to me, but I think there is a country of origin/class base in which usage is selected."

Purse has always been for women (unless you are talking middle ages then it was for either) and I never thought of the size of them being status symbols but what size people need. back in the day a male carrying one was considered gay. The joke used to be that the reason why men didn't have a purse was that he just gave his stuff to a woman to carry..... A change purse is still in use tho it might be called another name now.

>77 AlisonY: Thanks for this review Alison, I have it in the pile, but feel I'll better judge my mood for it after reading your thoughts.

Up next:



The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

One from my RLBC.

>77 AlisonY: - Enjoyed reading your review, although this doesn't sound like the book for me right now.

>27 AlisonY: - I think for sure this will be a love it or hate it novel for people. I wonder which side I'll end up on if I ever decide to read Knausgaard.

>59 AlisonY: - Excellent review.
recommended for those who enjoy a good old family implosion.. That used to be me, but I find I've read enough of these now. But I'm tempted now.

>60 AlisonY: - Strangely and funny enough we use the English word "pocketbook" in Dutch to indicate a paperback. I had never realized before that pocketbook means something completely different in English and that there is even a difference between American English and British English. I'm now wondering what words I've already used that actually mean something completely different from what I mean. A bit disturbing, actually :-)

>92 AlisonY: - Rather enjoyed that one.

>91 Caroline_McElwee:, >93 DieFledermaus: I think it's entirely possible to read Three Women and not get irritated by certain aspects of it as did, but even if I'd not had those few issues I don't think it's a book that blew me away.

>94 Trifolia: I beg everyone to try Knausgaard - I think his writing is just fantastic. I'm also with you on starting to get weary of family sagas now. I also used to love them, but am getting a bit jaded by them now.

I'm now wondering what words I've already used that actually mean something completely different from what I mean.

There are definitely a few words that mean really quite different things between American English and British English. I just learnt a few new ones from this article: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/626826/words-different-meanings-american-and...

>95 AlisonY: Thanks for sharing the article on UK/US words. A couple I didn't know, for instance that "to table" an item means the exact opposite in the two countries. Interesting.

>96 labfs39: That one was new to me too. And now I finally get talk of people in the States putting gravy on biscuits - that was sounding pretty grim to me previously!

>95 AlisonY: - Okay, I'll try to read something from Knausgard soon. Is My struggle a good starting point or would you recommend another book?

It is quite intimidating to see that there are such differences between British English and American English. I'm now wondering which English I actually use. We learned British English in school, but I'm sure I've picked up a lot more from music lyrics, books, movies and my former pen pals from America, Canada, Australia, etc. so maybe now I'm using a very strange mishmash of English words.
You also have something similar with Flemish and Dutch. We understand each other, but there are words that we use differently, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings that are sometimes funny.

>98 Trifolia: I haven't noticed you use a word "incorrectly" from the American perspective, so maybe you skew to this side of the pond? Or maybe we just haven't talked about lorries or jumpers or braces.

>99 labfs39: - Or maybe we just haven't talked about lorries or jumpers or braces.: LOL

>95 AlisonY: Ah yes, the eraser problem. Learned that difference in words the embarrassing way on a Junior High (ages 13-14) trip to England.

>95 AlisonY: >96 labfs39: One I know which isn't mention is 'slated'. If you say a film, for example, is slated in the U.K. it means it is being heavily criticised. If you say it is slated in the U.S. am I right in thinking that you mean that it is scheduled?

>102 SandDune: I’ve never heard of being slated. But “slated to” has various meanings related to something officially scheduled. I think it comes from the idea that something was written down on a slate. So, a movie or book is “slated to be released”. You also can say someone is “slated to” do something. I didn’t know it was an American thing. Actually, even though it’s a weird phrase, I never consciously thought about at all.

>98 Trifolia: Yes - definitely start with Book 1 of My Struggle.

And on British English vs American English, there's definitely more blurring going on these days from social media, with a lot more Americanisms peppering English vocabulary in the UK. My kids talk about watching a movie, for instance, whereas for me it's always been watching a film.

>99 labfs39: Jumpers was totally new to me from that website. I had no clue that's different between our sides of the pond.

>101 ELiz_M: Yes, the eraser issue. When an American complimented my suspenders as a 14 year old on a flight to Florida that made my eyes nearly pop out of my head. And then there's the word that I can't even mention that I referred to some posts back.

>102 SandDune:, >103 dchaikin: Another new learning.

Root never fails to make Australians giggle when Americans use it.

Anyway, back to books....



4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Matt Haig has written a lot of children's books as well as adult fiction, which felt entirely obvious when I was reading this book. He just swapped out a fairy godmother for an old high school librarian, a monster for a bit of a vile ex boyfriend and a runaway child for a suicidal adult, but basically the formula was pretty much the same as your average kids' book.

I'm entirely the wrong reader for this type of book. It just felt a bit silly the whole way through. Girl's life spirals out of control so she tries to leave this earthly world but ends up instead in some kind of literary purgatory in a library where she can select different books which propel her into multiple versions of lives she could have led. Now Haig might have left the fairytale world behind in his children's books, but his imagination was every bit as active as our protagonist tried out life as an Olympic swimmer, a rock star, a yoga teacher, an animal charity worker, a teacher of philosophy at Cambridge.... The list went on. And on. And yes... silly is the word I can't escape.

The best thing this book had going for it was the fact that there was a lot of half filled pages so it went past pretty quickly. I'm being a little cruel, as the writing wasn't awful and it was OK to read, but no - not for me.

2.5 stars - not my vibe I'm afraid.

>106 AlisonY: Thanks for that. Every once in a while I see a book that "everyone" is reading that seems like it wouldn't be a good one for me and I start to think "well maybe I should just give it a shot..." Now I know I don't need to with that one!

>107 ursula: Well clearly many, many people disagree with me on this book, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

It's not something I'd normally gravitate towards, so it's probably unfair for me to review it. This is the fear I always had of real life book clubs!

>106 AlisonY: That was my reaction exactly to that book, but your review said it so much better that I did!

>109 arubabookwoman: Shame - others liked it, but not my thing.

Up next:



The Eggman's Apprentice by Maurice Leitch

Intrigued by this next one. A bit like The Maiden Dinosaur from last year, it's considered a Northern Ireland classic that deserves more recognition.

Another British-American difference - I went to university in London, a school that taught American-style. My one British teacher scared his entire class half to death when, the week before the final exam, he said "OK, today we'll revise everything we've covered so far..." In British, that means to go over. In American, going over the material would be "review" - revise means to change or amend. Nooo! We have to change everything we learned, just before finals?

The roots are identical (see again), don't know why the meaning changed so much in American.

The talk of words being different on two sides of the pond reminded me of a conversation I had with one of the priests in our parish years ago. He was in England and was invited to a party. He said he walked into the party and announced “Hi. I’m Randy”. He said all of the faces turned to him with mouths open. It amuses me every time I think about it.

>106 AlisonY: Thank you for your review. This is on my TBR list and just moved down considerably.
I am putting >59 AlisonY: this on my list, though.

>I hope you enjoy Crossroads. Franzen excels with dysfunctional family stories.

>111 AlisonY: - I think The Eggman's Apprentice and The Maiden Dinosaur are both strong contenders for strangest book title.

When I read it last year in CR we all fell in love with The Maiden Dinosaur title.

Loved the conversation about UK/US words. One of my college professors was visiting England and staying in a boarding house. The power went out and before going to fix the problem the landlady told her husband to "bring a torch". The prof imagined one of those flaming sticks used by knights storming the castle.

>118 VivienneR: So what's a (battery operated) torch called in the US / North America then?

>119 AlisonY: I'm not American but is it called a flashlight? (We say torch in Aus)

>119 AlisonY: Flashlight.

I think of myself as 'bilingual" in the two Englishes and love seeing the confusion it can cause.

Once in Scotland the (speeding) car I was in was stopped by a constable and the question was "Is this your motor?" The very perplexed Canadian driver, from a province with so many of its own words that it has its own English dictionary, was completely flummoxed, thinking the constable thought he had stolen the engine in the car, and so made completely inappropriate responses.

>121 SassyLassy: I think of myself as 'bilingual" in the two Englishes and love seeing the confusion it can cause.

Yep, me too!

>121 SassyLassy: I've always considered myself boringly monolingual when all this time I've been trilingual - Australian English, English English and American English :-).

>121 SassyLassy: >123 rhian_of_oz: ha! love it!

there is a great line in the musical My Fair Lady sung by Henry Higgins who is desparaging how the english teach their childen how to speak "in some places English completely disappears. The Americans haven't spoken it in years'

The American partner of one of my British friends likes to say that British English is a tonal language. "There are at least three different 'fines'!"

And to add to these language confusions I almost missed getting today's Wordle as it was a US spelled word. Sigh. First world problems.

>126 AlisonY: LOL

>126 AlisonY: It was. I didn't know that wordle had crossed the pond.

>128 RidgewayGirl: It's crossed the globe by all accounts.

5. The Eggman's Apprentice by Maurice Leitch

I read an article last year on Northern Ireland's must read authors and must confess I'd never heard of Maurice Leitch before. Apparently I'm far from the only one (even in Northern Ireland), yet in Irish literary circles he's considered to be one of their finest. At the ripe old age of 88 he's still tapping away at the keys, with his last book published in 2019.

The Eggman's Apprentice is set in Leitch's native county Antrim in the early 1960s. When 'wee Hugo' is left orphaned at an early age, he's forced to leave his comfortable home to live with a rabble of poorer distant relatives. When his singing voice leads him to be discovered by Eggman, the local gangster Kingpin known for being driven around in his 1950s pink Cadillac, Hugo sees a way out of his current circumstances, but as he becomes increasingly controlled by the mysterious Eggman Hugo makes an ill thought out break for freedom.

I'm very torn on this book. The writing was excellent yet it took me ages to read it, and I can't decide if that was down to me or the book. The second half was certainly more engaging than the first, so perhaps it dragged a little until Hugo got into the world of the Eggman. Nonetheless I enjoyed its inventiveness. Rather than getting bogged down in the underworld story and becoming a different type of novel, Leitch takes a humorous slant, telling the story through the humorous eyes of the naive and carefree young Hugo who doesn't take life too seriously and takes an amused view of the new circles he's running in.

This was somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 star read for me, but I'll go for the 4 due to its originality and high quality writing. It took me a while to get there but it won me over in the end.

I'm sorry I'm not being very active on LT at the moment. I started a new job a couple of months ago and it's been pretty full on so I've not had much time to go on my computer for fun. I'm trying to lurk and keep up as best I can.

Up next:



The Arab Mind by Raphael Patai

Last year I read a book by Hisham Matar which made me very aware of my preconceptions about the Arab race and how I actually really don't understand what drives the mindset of those living in the Middle East in particular. This book was on my wish list after that following some recommendations from people here on LT. I have some weird thoughts as I start this book (are Arabs shopping for an equivalent 'The White Mind' book?), but we'll see how I get on.

>131 AlisonY: I missed hearing about your new job. What are you doing now? Are you enjoying it?

>106 AlisonY: I liked your review of the Matt Haig. I believe every book has its own audience, and yes, not every book is for everyone. It was nice to see a reader acknowledge that in a review (rather than just writing a scathing review).

>132 AlisonY: Looking forward to your review on this book.

>133 labfs39: I've stayed in Life Science tech, Lisa, working for a company that makes laboratory software and imaging equipment for breast cancer. Although it's in a similar space to where I was before it's a very different role so that's challenging but interesting.

>134 avaland: Thanks Lois. I'm really enjoying The Arab Mind - it's incredibly interesting.

>132 AlisonY: I read John Laffin's book of the same name many years ago Alison, and found it fascinating. Will look forward to your thoughts on this one.

Good luck with the new job!

>130 AlisonY: - Sounds like an interesting book, although yours is the only review.

>The Eggman was on a list of must read Northern Irish books I stumbled upon last year. I'm surprised it's not more well known - it was very well written, although a bit slow in the first half.

6. God Help the Child by Toni Morrison

This was a short interlude read to come up for air from my non-fiction book on Arab social culture, and read for my RLBC. I have to say I was relieved when I saw it was a Morrison novel as being generous I've had a 50/50 success rate with the RLBC choices to date.

This is my third Morrison novel, after being blown away by Beloved and disappointed by The Bluest Eye (I know - pretty much on my own on that one). The latter didn't work for me because of its overblown and disjointed writing style, but with God Help the Child the writing style was closer to what I'd enjoyed in Beloved.

So why, then, am I struggling to figure out what I thought of it?

It was a good enough page turner, but perhaps it's just that Morrison sets such a high bar with the best of her novels that the rest have a lot to live up to, and 'good enough' just doesn't feel good enough for Morrison.

There are various themes at play in this short novel, particularly colourism and child abuse, but whilst The Bluest Eye felt overly bleak in this novel these difficult subjects feel almost too glossed over, the dial pointing less in the direction of race and poverty and more in the direction of something lighter and shinier.

Halfway through I was congratulating Morrison on making us work as a reader and put the pieces together on why Bride's lover had suddenly left her, but then she spelled it out and went Hollywood schmuck with the ending and it lost its lustre somewhat.

Still, I enjoyed this short little novel, and if I ignore the pedestal Morrison sits on and judge it for its own merit it was certainly good enough.

So, 4 stars - I'll have forgotten it by the end of the week, but sometimes you've got to put the literary analysis to one side and just award the stars for plain old readability.

>139 AlisonY: didn’t stick for me either.

>140 dchaikin: Yeah, I think the fact that I didn't have a huge amount to say about it afterwards spoke volumes, but although it wasn't memorable I did enjoy reading it.

>141 AlisonY: I understand. I actually I liked it when i read it. I remember it was harsh (which is kind of expected) and I thought it was well done. But I can’t remember anything else now.

>139 AlisonY: I agree this was one of her weaker novels Alison. Up there with Beloved for me, is Song of Solomon, which is due a reread this year. I would also say that IMO all her novels have benefitted from rereads. I think the only one I haven't read is Sula.

In the mix:



Property: A Collection by Lionel Shriver

I'm getting a bit bogged down in my Arab book so I'm taking a temporary hiatus.

I'm reading at a trickle and not getting much time on LT at the moment. Work's busy, we're decorating and we've got Covid in the house (which is leading to new TV watching as my affected child is no longer hogging the TV with Nickelodeon crap each evening). Normal service will be resumed at some stage.

Sorry to hear about Covid in the house Alison, and your too busy job.

I think everyone's busy in their jobs these days, Caroline. As the newbie I'm just feeling the pressure to put that bit extra in.

So far Covid has just inflicted one in the household. She's been really good about isolating. It''s not nice, though; it goes against every mothering instinct not cuddling her when she's sick.

>147 AlisonY: That would be hard. Wishing her an uneventful recovery. No wonder your mind doesn't currently have space for books. They'll be waiting when your life calms down.

>148 RidgewayGirl: Just a blip, Kay. Plenty of people much worse off.

I have to admit that events in Ukraine are unsettling me as well and affecting my concentration for books. I've all sorts of thoughts and questions running around my head, not all of them the obvious ones. Of course it's right that we're utterly horrified by what's happening there, but I'm saddened that in the West we've conveniently turned a blind eye to what's been happening in Syria and Afghanistan. It seems we only really get disturbed by atrocities when they're happening to white people on our own doorstep and there could be consequences that impact us directly. That's been really playing on my mind this week.

Plus, the world generally feels really, really screwed up and sad in recent years. I worry about the mental health of our young people. Climate change, Covid, this screw loose Russian crazy man... It really feels like a we're utterly spiralling out of control on this planet now.

You’re not alone in those feelings. I’m sorry you’re dealing with covid on top of that.

Definitely not alone. I’m actively seeking out positive news just to remind myself that there is still good out there.

Been doing that myself Sometimes its just easier to change what is in your own backyard. Thing is we can all look day to day, the little things people do for each other, the kindness they show, or how they help. its those little things that keep me sane and make me smile. sometimes listening to A Wonderful World reminds me of the good out there. And then I share things like this https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/little-girl-wears-new-prosthetic-leg-her-friends-ha....

>149 AlisonY: Of course it's right that we're utterly horrified by what's happening there, but I'm saddened that in the West we've conveniently turned a blind eye to what's been happening in Syria and Afghanistan. It seems we only really get disturbed by atrocities when they're happening to white people on our own doorstep and there could be consequences that impact us directly.

I share your views, its so frustrating to see.

Ohhh that sounds like a hard one, not being able to mother a child who needs it. And yeah... I keep flashing on Joni Mitchell singing "Reading the news and it sure looks bad." Not that they were ever going to give peace a chance in the first place. February's been a slog for almost everyone I know, and I'm sorry it is for you too—here's hoping spring is revivifying, at least a bit.

>150 dchaikin:, >151 Yells:, >152 cindydavid4:, >153 lisapeet: The sun is shining in a cloudless blue sky today so I enjoyed my cup of tea outside in my dressing gown in a little sun trap this morning (albeit at 6 degrees C it was a little fresh around the legs). My cat was enjoying her first silly rolls on the ground too, so there's a definite air of spring that helps bring more positive thoughts. As you've all rightly said, there's a need to actively seek out the small pleasures at the moment.

On the Covid front my little munchkin had only the faintest trace of a line on this morning's COVID test, so I'm hoping she can come out of isolation tomorrow. I've missed her cartwheeling around the living room.

The Letters of Note newsletter this week sent out several extracts from letters by Kurt Vonnegut including this one, which I have saved in my commonplace book:

I am off to the city tomorrow, Thursday, and then to the outskirts of Chicago, to Harper College, where I will tell my audience about the pregnant woman who asked me in a letter if it was wrong to bring an innocent baby into a world as awful as this one. I told her that what made being alive almost worthwhile for me was all the saints I met almost anywhere, people who were behaving decently in an indecent society. I will tell the audience that I hope some among them will become saints for her child to meet.

>156 AlisonY: Such a wonderful quote - thanks for sharing that.

I had to look up what a commonplace book was - interesting. Do you find you use it much to refer back to, or is more of the love in recording things when you come across them (if that makes sense)?

Alison - Sending good karma your way. I hope your job continues to interest you and that your girl is soon turning cartwheels.

Nodding along from my little corner of Stressville...

>157 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I'm grand really - just a bit busy and distracted at the moment.

>158 labfs39: I think the timing of the Ukraine invasion is difficult for everyone to take in after two years of Covid-related bad news.

>155 wandering_star: >156 AlisonY: I have a commonplace book to, but I use it more broadly than for quotes, sometimes I do my thinking in it, and occasional journalling.

I don't look back too often, though did pull an earlier volume out recently with the intent of grazing.

I vaguely remember Richard mentioning having a very organised commonplace book.

Just catching up, Alison. I hope your new job is going well and you are happy in it. Sorry to hear your young one got Covid and I hope you are all healthy and over the episode. I'm with you about the state of the world. Sometimes I am thankful that I'm old because I don't think I could face this world in say, fifty years time.

And the good news is that at last "Belfast" was produced in North American format. I ordered it as soon as it became available. We watched it already and loved it. Naturally! My son is looking forward to seeing it now because he was just a baby in Buddy's time.

I too keep a commonplace book (well, kept may be more accurate). Usually a note of what I'm reading or doing with some thoughts. It's interesting to look back on. Now it seems it's mostly notable quotations from books I'm reading.

>156 AlisonY: I actually now keep it electronically, in the same app which I keep other notes in, which means that periodically when I am looking for something else one of the commonplace notes comes up, which is a happy accident. And sometimes notes saved at very different times speak to each other! For years I kept quotes I liked in paper notebooks and did very occasionally browse them.

I keep a commonplace book as well—at the very least, it's a way to rotate all my currently inked pens so none of them dries up. I also use my journal for quotes and such, and sometimes another notebook I keep for notes for reviews, so stuff I want to keep is spread out among a few books. But I'm the only one who's going to look at them, so I don't think being super organized matters. Though it would be a fun handwritey project to recopy all the good stuff into the commonplace book as well.

>161 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne. Thanks for your best wishes, and yes - very depressing news right now. I switched it on briefly earlier to read a headline about Chernobyl being at risk and decided to promptly switch off again.

>161 VivienneR:, >162 wandering_star:, >163 lisapeet: Love the chat on commonplace books. Feel good stories in the midst of global madness.

Covid has now left the house and only took one of the four of us down, so considering that a result. Normal service is now resumed.



7. Property: A Collection by Lionel Shriver

Crawling through books this year, but although it took me a while to get through it I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Bookended by two novellas, Property was a fairly tenuous link between all the stories, but as ever Shriver's writing was tight, wry and smart. Nothing escapes her notice as a writer, and with this collection she stays up there in my list of favourite writers.

My only disappointment was that the first novella is The Standing Chandelier, which I read as a standalone novel for my RLBC a few months ago. I hate doing rereads as time's too short, but I also hate partially reading books so I read it again despite myself and enjoyed it all over again.

The final novella was surprisingly based in Belfast (although I don't know why I was surprised as Shriver lived there for 12 years back in the Nineties), and as well as being an enjoyable (but slightly stressful) account of an unexpected flat share with a difficult flatmate, it was an interesting portrayal of Belfast seen through an outsider's eyes, an American who, like Shriver, had been living there for a decade. I'm not sure the Northern Ireland Tourist Board will be quoting from this novella in its advertising any time soon, but I think Shriver captured the city and its people pretty well, warts and all (and she certainly doesn't hold back on the criticism). She also doesn't shy away from looking her fellow Americans straight in the eye, calling out American sympathy for the IRA and Irish nationalism (the novella is set just after the Good Friday Agreement). I was curious about this, so I read up on a few interesting pieces online in which she talks about how her eyes were very much opened by her time in Belfast, changing her home politics away from liberalism as she was angry that murderers were being viewed through rose-tinted glasses.

Anyway, this is simply a review and not a political manifesto. The stories in between these two novellas were also very clever and amusing - I may be warming to the short story genre after all.

4 stars - dropping half a star for cheating me with a repeat of that separately published novella, but I remain in the Shriver fandom.

Next up:



Benediction by Kent Haruf

So sad I've accidentally spread this trilogy over so many years, but finally starting the last one.

8. Benediction by Kent Haruf

Kent Haruf's books are so gentle and touching I can't help but think he must have been such a lovely man in real life himself.

I'd expected this third book in the series to pick up on the characters from the first two books, so it confused me a bit when it didn't, but once I got past that this was just a beautiful book to read.

Not one for the recently bereaved, the main story centres around Dad Lewis, his wife and their grown up daughter preparing their goodbyes as he lives his last couple of weeks following a battle with lung cancer. Whilst of course it's very sad in places, it's ultimately a quiet story of a good and decent man who did his best. Neither his life nor those of the neighbours and preacher who help in those final days have been wrinkle free, but in Haruf's hands they're all people with a good heart, so when at last Dad Lewis passes there's a profound feeling of gratefulness for his life and for the people who have always been there for the family.

4.5 stars - a beautiful trilogy that makes your heart sing that some goodness remains in this world.

9. The Arab Mind by Raphael Patai

I actively sought out a book on this subject, as I was fascinated by the stark cultural differences between Arab families and Western people in a book I read last year.

A book with a title such as The Arab Mind raises immediate questions of stereotyping, but Patai - who was an anthropologist, historian and biblical scholar - goes to pains to explain that in this book he's looking at inherent traits in many areas of Arabic life which strongly influence thoughts and actions in adulthood. Clearly there is scope for individualism within this, with this influence likely significantly diluted amongst Arabs living in the West. Patai's focus is on the Arab mindset of those living in North Africa and the Middle East.

It's a dense book, clearly written originally for use in academia, and in certain chapters a few pages rather than 50 would have been sufficient for my more casual interest, but overall it's incredibly interesting, with Patai supporting his arguments with plenty of evidence. One of the chapters which grabbed me most was an early chapter on the commonality of child-rearing approaches amongst Arabs which Patai links to strong, repeatable traits in adulthood. Boys are very much coddled by their mothers and the other adult females in the family, breast-fed for almost twice as long as girls and typically fed on demand, whereas girls are treated more harshly and typically do not enjoy the same level of adoration due to the reverence that is placed on male offspring. Around the age of 4 or 5 father's typically begin to take more interest in their sons and there is a sharp change from the warm, loving environment enjoyed with mothers to the harsher world of the males of the family, where sons begin at the bottom of the hierarchy of respect and are disciplined harshly by not only their fathers but also older male cousins and uncles. This male upbringing, Patai argues, shapes the personalities of adult men who learn to treat inferior males harshly (but not to the same level of inferiority as women are typically treated).

Other particularly interesting themes were around the continued influence of Bedouin culture and values on work ethic (i.e. an aversion to manual labour), the practice of mediation (which is still widely practised from neighbourly disputes to at a leadership level between Arabic countries) and a dichotomy between outbursts of activity and passivity, geniality and aggression. Patai argues that the passivity aspect has led to long decades of stagnation amongst Arab nations, resulting in most of the Arab countries being significantly left behind in terms of development in comparison with the West. That leads on to another very interesting chapter on the general hatred felt for the West which Patai puts down mainly to two things; firstly, rather than blaming lack of Arab advancement on these traits of stagnation and work-ethic, there is a tendency to blame instead the West for being responsible for this disparity and actively working to keep the Arab nations down. Secondly, much less there being tensions between Islam and Christianity, the tensions arising from increased Westernised influences in Arabic countries are argued as being more down to the secular influences of the West, where religion is now much less important and morals hence considerably looser. Arab countries, Patai writes, struggle greatly with how to adapt Western-influenced advancements without impacting on the strict moral code of Islam. For example, how to keep women ignorant and subordinate to men in a world of mobile phones and internet.

The biggest negative of this book is that it was written 50 years ago. Patai wrote a postscript chapter in 1983, looking at recent Arab conflicts and developments (particularly the huge impact that the development of the oil industry has had on the likes of Saudi Arabia), and argues strongly in this chapter that these changes are still heavily shaped by his earlier arguments of the aspects which shape the Arab mentality. In his more recent forward, Norvell B. de Atkine, a retired US army colonel, writes post 9/11 but also strongly supports Patai's works and it's continued relevancy despite the passage of time. It's a great shame not to have more recent considerations of this in the context of ISIS, the Arab Spring and more recent conflicts, but sadly Patai is no longer with us.

Going back to my original reason for reading this book, I found in incredibly useful in lifting the lid a little on what drives some of the behaviours I noticed strongly in the other memoir I read, such as the huge importance of family honour. Of course Patai's book is one person's opinion and no doubt many Arabs would disagree with a number of his points, but it reads credibly and still respectfully towards Arab people.

3.5 stars - removing half a star simply due to the age of the text, but an important and interesting book nonetheless.

Great review of The Arab Mind, Alison.

>168 AlisonY: Entertaining Freudian slip: how to keep women ignorant and subversive to men

I have read some reviews of this book, and I would take it with an enormous grain of salt. I am trying to imagine a book called The Asian Mind or The Christian Mind or something. Arab culture is not monolithic.

>170 ursula: Oh blimey - good spot! Clearly subordinate was the word I meant to go for there!!

I am trying to imagine a book called The Asian Mind or The Christian Mind or something.

I know exactly where you're coming from and indeed had the same thoughts going into reading this book. He does argue his points well, though, in terms of how parallels can be drawn between certain cultural and societal influences and how various conflicts have panned out. He dwells quite a lot as well on the importance of the notion of Arab unity to most Arabs (well, certainly back in the 1970s anyway). Given how much has happened in that part of the world in the last 50 years it's certainly lacking an updated view, however.

>170 ursula: yeah I always have trouble with books that are meant to tell us what a culture is like without considering individural and group differences. The author fails in this regard.And so yes take it with a grain of salt. Would be interested in similar book that explores the culture in a more nuanced way.

>168 AlisonY: Patai argues that the passivity aspect has led to long decades of stagnation amongst Arab nations, resulting in most of the Arab countries being significantly left behind in terms of development in comparison with the West. That leads on to another very interesting chapter on the general hatred felt for the West which Patai puts down mainly to two things; firstly, rather than blaming lack of Arab advancement on these traits of stagnation and work-ethic, there is a tendency to blame instead the West for being responsible for this disparity and actively working to keep the Arab nations down.

Given that the brits did much to encourage this behavior its no wonder that they say the same, long after the lines in the sand were drawn.

Secondly, much less there being tensions between Islam and Christianity, the tensions arising from increased Westernised influences in Arabic countries are argued as being more down to the secular influences of the West, where religion is now much less important and morals hence considerably looser. Arab countries, Patai writes, struggle greatly with how to adapt Western-influenced advancements without impacting on the strict moral code of Islam

IIRC the highjackers from 9/11 spent quite a bit of time in Las Vegas, to enjoy those secular influences that they were so bent on destroying

Jewish communities have the same issues re western (ie Christian) influences. and its probably the same in all minority cultures here. I know that intermarriage is up consideravbly All of my sibs intermarried, most of my cousins. But most in the circle I know have some Jewish Identity. I do wonder tho as our generation ages and the younger kids grow, how much this is going to change the religion itseld

IIRC the highjackers from 9/11 spent quite a bit of time in Las Vegas, to enjoy those secular influences that they were so bent on destroying

I imagine they were more than happy to enjoy all that Las Vegas has to offer - just so long as it doesn't influence their own countries and women.

>173 AlisonY: yup

An interesting discussion about Arab Mind. I can't remember where I read it years ago, that enjoying non-muslim behaviours (ie Las Vegas) is perceived as acceptable as it is outside their culture. Also, simply not getting caught in said behaviours. I suspect that applies to all cultures/faiths too. The western men who make use of Asian prostitutes when in those countries, who wouldn't dream of visiting a prostitute in their home country for example.

I really enjoyed Julian Baggini's How the World Thinks which I read in 2019, and want to reread this year.

>175 Caroline_McElwee: How The World Thinks looks very interesting. Thanks for the prompt on that one, Caroline.

Yes I may need to try that as well!

>175 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for recommending How the World Thinks, Caroline. I'll order myself books for my upcoming birthday later today, and this may be one of the books I'll choose.

10. Out of Thin Air: Running Wisdom and Magic From Above the Clouds in Ethiopia by Michael Crawley

I've never been a good runner. Although I've gone through fits and starts of doing it over the years it's always felt fairly torturous, even when I've got my fitness levels up. Despite this I really enjoy reading books on running, although I admit to feeling just a teeny bit envious when I read accounts of people putting in serious miles and somehow still managing to enjoy it.

Michael Crawley is a young British anthropologist who had the potential to be an elite runner but at the age of 18 was more interested in travelling and enjoying himself than taking the sport seriously. Later, as part of his pHd, he spent 15 months running with runners in Ethiopia in a bid to learn what exactly is it that drives so many Ethiopian runners to greatness on the world stage, particularly in marathon running.

Having started to gradually get back into running himself*, his own athletic capabilities make this an absorbing read as he has the physical ability to train directly with some of the world's best runners, learning first-hand the methods that propel so many Ethopian athletes to greatness. Getting up at 3am to do hill training in the dark and partaking in endless runs at altitude in the forests surrounding Addis Ababa, Crawley lives out the punishing schedules on difficult terrains which numerous Ethopian athletes partake in, all with eyes on the life-changing prize money that can be won at international marathons for the chosen few.

* Following his time in Ethiopia Crawley himself goes on to run his second marathon in 2 hrs 20 minutes.

4 stars - well written and atmospheric, my legs are sore just from reading it.

Next up:



Real Life by Brandon Taylor

>179 AlisonY: I've never been a runner, but this book sounds interesting. Were they barefoot runners? I was reminded of the book Born to Run, but that's about Mexican runners. There are also great Ethiopian barefoot runners though.

>179 AlisonY: I remember decades ago watching a series on PBS about the olympics, and was fascinated by these runners. Not one myself (heck I have trouble walking) but this look really interesting. Thanks for the review

>181 labfs39: Back in the day of the Rome Olympics the Ethiopian runner who won the marathon did run barefoot, but now they all mostly run with trainers. Born to Run was a fabulous book.

>182 cindydavid4: It's a really uplifting account. The author was frustrated that Western media often depicts Ethiopian runners as arriving on the international running scene 'out of thin air' (the title's a poke at that as well as referencing the high altitude), while the reality is that these men and women put in extreme effort for years with their running clubs.

>168 AlisonY: Careful. This book might be more dangerous than helpful. Personally, I can't help seeing the red flags (Main example: An author that patient and at length argues how they avoid a bias generally indicates they have a big bias and either don't see it or are trying to obscure it. An honest author should present their bias as best they can. In Patai's case, he is Jewish. That's a huge cultural bias he carried.)

I'm quoting Wikipedia here, citation brackets left in, but change to squiggly brackets: "Patai is criticized in passing at several points in Edward Said's book Orientalism. Other scholars{who?} describe the book as simplistic, reductionist, stereotyping, generic, essentialist, outdated, superseded, flawed, unscientific, and even intellectually dishonest.{3}" : link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arab_Mind

It sounds very much like a Jewish author attacking the Arab world. Hopefully not. But I suggest reading it with awareness that this is very possible. I do appreciate your summary, Alyson, which told me a lot more than Wikipedia did.

off my soapbox, I loved your review Lionel Shriver's Property and your perspective on her perspective. Makes me want to read it! Enjoyed your take on the Haruf. And I'm in drained agony just reading about the 2:20 marathon Michael Crawley ran.

>184 dchaikin: All fair points, Dan. I should have done more reading up on this before (and after) I dove into the book.

>185 dchaikin: I enjoy Lionel Shriver's writing. She can be uneven at times, but when she's on form she's a very smart and dry witted writer.

11. Real Life by Brandon Taylor

I loved the first three-quarters of this book and was full of anticipation about where Taylor was going to go with it, but in the last quarter it lost me and turned me off.

Wallace, the protagonist, is mentally sliding into a bleak place over the course of the weekend that the book is centred around. A minority black and gay man in a predominantly white Midwestern US grad school, his feelings of not belonging - both socially and academically - come to a head in a weekend of despair and confusion as he puts the barriers up higher between himself and his closest circle of friends, all the while embarking on a new sexual relationship with one of his straight male friends.

Yes, I know this is supposedly a novel of great depth about wounds and being fractured and being on the outside looking in, but in the end I grew tired of being 'told' by the main character of his great inability to fit in and his terrible childhood trauma, all in the midst of a bizarre sudden intense relationship with the rough, straight guy that he gets on with the least out of his friends.

I could feel no sympathy for Wallace by the end of Taylor's handling. He was a depressed guy who wasn't happy with where he was and knew of no other direction to go in, but I really couldn't have cared either way by the end. It all felt a bit directionless and flat.

3.5 stars - a strong start but lost my attention somewhere along the way.

Next up:



Anniversaries: Volume 1 by Uwe Johnson

>187 AlisonY: I've hovered over this a couple of times Alison, but wavered. I'll get to it in time no doubt.

>189 Caroline_McElwee: It was a strong 4 stars right to the last 50 or so pages, Caroline. It annoyed me that it disappointed me at the end, but it's still worth a read.

>187 AlisonY: That cover isn't doing it any favors, either. I like the original one, with the bird:



I have a galley but haven't gotten to it... I'm still going to give it a shot, though.

>191 lisapeet: Oh definitely don't go by me, Lisa. I think I was grumpy after finishing it as I was disappointed it wasn't the 'more' that I thought it was going to be. It's certainly very readable.

I agree that your cover is much prettier. I'm not keen on big in your face capital letters on a book. It feels shouty.

I'm sorry I'm so quiet on LT these days. I used to be able to flick through LT most days to keep up, but I don't have time to do that in my new role, and by the time evening comes after a long day in front of the computer the last thing I'm finding I want to do is go onto the laptop in my personal time.

I am visiting most threads regularly when I can, but most often in lurking mode.

I'm making slow progress with Anniversaries Volume 1, but I am reading away at it.

>193 AlisonY: Understandable, Alison, but thanks for updating us. I hope you are enjoying the reading you are able to squeeze in.

Yeah I get that, please keep updating this when you can, and hope things slow down for you soon.

>193 AlisonY: I'm in the same club, Alison . . . life is too busy and there are other things filling my mind. We can meet back here when life slows down a bit

>194 labfs39:, >195 cindydavid4:, >196 Nickelini: Thanks all. I'm off for a while over Easter so hope to get properly caught up.

>197 AlisonY: Glad you will enjoy a break to recharge your batteries Alison. I added some annual leave so have six days, I've been reading like a glutton.

>198 Caroline_McElwee: Enjoy your break, Caroline. I'm really looking forward to a week off - it takes you a few days to properly unwind, doesn't it?

12. Anniversaries I by Uwe Johnson

This is the first part of Johnson's 4 volume Anniversaries series, written as a chapter for every day of a year in the life of Gesine Cresspahl, a German expat living in New York. The collection starts in 1967, flipping between Gesine's current day as a single mother émigré living with her only daughter, and Germany in 1933, as she recounts for her daughter Marie her grandparents' story and her early life.

It's an incredibly interesting historical and social account (albeit fictional), as Johnson covers 1967 perspectives on the Vietnam war, race relations and crime in New York and defections from East Germany, and in 1933 the impact of Hitler and Nazism's rise and the differing responses from people within the town of Jerichow.

Whilst it started off feeling like more of a literary experience than a novel, the further I got into it the more a story began to emerge. It's a book of great detail, shifting narrative views suddenly and without warning and employing different literary mediums (including extracts from the New York Times, tape transcripts and conversations), so it needs attention and close reading to get the most out of it. I found that my attention wandered when I was reading just a few pages a day; when I've been able to give it longer bursts of my time I started to enjoy it much more, sinking deeper into its rhythm.

Johnson often deliberately starts in the middle of a scene or conversation, making the reader work hard on comprehension, but the more I got into this first volume the more I found that sometimes things that don't quite make sense become clearer later on as Johnson drops some further clues.

4 stars - A unique and fascinating read so far. Will it last the distance of all 4 volumes?

Have you decided how you'll approach the rest of Anniversaries? I agree that it worked better for me to read it in large chunks rather than spreading it too thin.

I think I'll maybe have a one book break and then dive into Anniversaries II.

I seem to be quite slow at reading it in terms of speed per page compared to normal, so I need a quick dive into something else first.

Next up:



Poets Are Eaten as a Delicacy in Japan by Tara West

One for my RLBC. Not sure if it's my thing, but I'll give it a go. Tara West is a Northern Irish writer.

13. Poets Are Eaten as a Delicacy in Japan by Tara West

This novel is exactly the kind of book I might have read in my twenties but positively avoid now. Screwed up characters whose lives are a mess and who drink too much yet are 'smart' and 'witty' in every line. Cliche. Cliche. Cliche. But.... (ssshhhh - don't tell anyone) .... I quite enjoyed it nonetheless.

The protagonist (and her sister) have each led messed up lives ever since their mother published a scathing book in which she spoke about how awful motherhood was and how she'd have been better aborting them. Now their mother has published a new book, and the sister is traumatised that that she's going to spill the beans in the memoir about her daughter's teenage son not being her husband's child as he thinks. As they desperately try to get their hands on a pre-copy of the book before it is released, acquaintances and issues from the past come to the fore that need mental closure in different ways.

3.5 stars - Would I recommend this? Most certainly not, but it was enjoyable, nonsense escapism for a few hours nonetheless.

14. The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah

In The Book of Memory, the narrative takes the form of the protagonist Memory's recounting her story to support her appeal from a death sentence in prison in Zimbabwe. A black albino, Memory has been convicted for the murder of the white man she believes bought her from her parents as a child.

It's a novel that explores a number of interesting themes amidst the backdrop of the relatively newly formed Zimbabwe and the political and social upheaval of the times: the societal difficulties of being albino as a person of colour in Africa, homosexuality in a country where it is outlawed, the education disparities between the wealthy and the poor.

I enjoyed the writing style in this book. It's a book that didn't necessarily feel particularly new in terms of its plot ideas (so much so that for a while I was convinced I'd read it before), but it swept me along and Gappah kept the intrigue right to the end.

4 stars - a very worthwhile random grab from the library this week.

Back to volume II of Anniversaries...



Anniversaries: Volume 2 by Uwe Johnson

Great comments, Alison - I haven't decided whether I want to commit to Anniversaries, but your comments tempt me.

The Gappah has been on my list for a while; it's time I dust it off and read it!

The Gappah's a good book when you just fancy a good old page turner, Beth.

Just catching all your April reviews. Too bad about Real Life, but part of why I enjoyed it so much is that I could relate to those grad school blues. Cool about Anniversaries Vol and I see vol 2. I’m on dec 16, so nearly done with Vol 1. Your last two sound good. The Tara West with that terrific title sounds fun. And I’m very interested in the Book of Memory. Glad to get your take.

15. Anniversaries: Volume 2 by Uwe Johnson

Volume 2 of Anniversaries was easier going in many ways as I was familiar with the parallel stories and knew who the characters were. Gesine's life in New York seemed to take on more of a plot in this second volume, and as Nazism took hold in Germany back in the last 1930s I enjoyed the perspective of what it was like to be a German citizen who didn't buy into Nazism and yet had to live in its midst.

The war years were handled by Johnson with greater speed than I'd expected, particularly the end of the war. After that the book became slightly less engaging for me, but in all I enjoyed it.

I've a feeling Volume 3 may feel a little like hitting that marathon wall now that the German war part of the story is past, but time will tell.

4 stars - overall it maintained my interest, but I'm a little nervous about whether I'll have the concentration staying power for the next two volumes.

16. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

I recently joined a new gym that's a breath of fresh air. The owner is as focused on building your mental strength as your physical, and on my first day last week she lent me this book to read.

If the f-word offends then this is not the book for you, as Manson is pretty potty-mouthed and likes to throw it around liberally. He's a funny yet smart guy, and I enjoyed this read for the anecdotes as much as anything. I know the point of these kinds of books is self-improvement, but I couldn't help snickering at the description of a self-involved narcissist which was my ex-boss to a T, and the phrase 'the small dog barks the loudest', which is my husband's current boss in a nut shell.

Bosses past and present aside, there are a few nuggets of wisdom that are worth holding onto from this book, such as whilst we're not to blame for certain things that happen to us, we are 100% responsible for how we choose to respond to them, even the hard and painful things.

Like pretty much every other self-help book I've read, there were no life-changing moments for me from reading this book, but there are some good recalibrating / reaffirming messages. We're not special (and if we think we are we're seriously devoid of room for growth) and it's positive to screw up regularly.

3.5 stars - a fun read with some important points put across in a very non-serious way.

Next up:



The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver

>211 AlisonY: a marathon? I haven’t started book 2 yet. Somehow putting it off a bit.

>214 dchaikin: Yeah, I think going into volume 3 will start to feel a bit like a marathon, Dan.

>212 AlisonY: downgraded this to 3.5 stars on reflection.

Impressed by all of you who are reading Anniversaries!

>217 DieFledermaus: It's actually an enjoyable read. Well so far, anyway. Perhaps it will feel exhausting by volume 4.

17. The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver

Lionel Shriver's writing can be uneven at times, and for the first 70 or so pages this book really wasn't doing it for me, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did as it turned out to be an entertaining, and at times thought-provoking, read.

The couple at the heart of this book are in their early 60s. The wife, who doesn't suffer fools gladly, has been an exerciser all her life, but an impending knee replacement has forced her to slow down. At the exact point that she's reeling from this first major physical setback in her life, her husband, who's recently been sacked and was hitherto somewhat a couch potato, decides to run a marathon.

As exercise starts to become an obsession in the husband's life, helped along by a super fit and super hot twenty-something gym instructor, the once tight marriage starts to unravel.

Shriver is good at picking up on the everyday emotions that people experience and weaving the fabric of a story from them. Is the issue stemming from the wife raging with jealousy that her husband is undertaking extreme exercise at a time when she's dealing with her own physical decline, or is it the husband's recklessness and selfishness in taking on a pursuit which is likely physically beyond him at a time when exercising (or not being able to) is a major sensitivity for his wife? It's an interesting view on how something that's seems relatively harmless, such as taking up a new hobby, can drive a wedge in the most solid of relationships as obsession and a self-serving attitude takes over on one side, and jealousy and bitterness takes hold on the other.

3.5 stars - an enjoyable, light-hearted read with Shriver's usual razor-sharp observations on the character failings of every day people.

>219 AlisonY: Nice review, Alison

Thanks Lisa. Shriver's not everyone's cup of tea, and she doesn't always hit the mark, but I enjoy her dark humour.

Loved her post birthday world but yeah she's hot or cold for me

Waving hi as I pass through to see what you’ve been up to, Alison. Busy as always, I see. I’ve really been having trouble keeping up this year. Life has been busy in good ways, but my reading has suffered a bit. I try to read through everyone’s threads, but haven’t been commenting very much. I think it has been busier in CR this year.

>223 NanaCC: Thanks for stopping by, Colleen. I'm exactly the same - running permanently behind on LT and also not reading as much as other life things have got in the way (but like you, good busy things).

Next up:



The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

18. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

I thoroughly enjoyed The House of Mirth, but boy oh boy this was a drear fest by comparison. The characters were so dully portrayed I couldn't have cared less what romantic choice the protagonist did or didn't make. The whole thing just seemed to go on and on yet never really get anywhere.

This novel might have been scintillating when it was written 100 years ago, but for me it paled in comparison with so many other classics from that time.

3 stars - an almost DNF, but I'd given it so many hours of my time I felt compelled to finish it.

Next up:



Rock, Paper, Scissors by Naja Marie Aidt

This is my contribution to us reading RebeccaNYC's TBR list this year. So far so darkly Danish in writing style, but I'm intrigued.

I hope everyone is well. I'm lurking on most threads but haven't had time to comment much lately.

It's pretty much bright daylight here until 11pm at the moment which is fantastic but quite distracting. I keep losing track of time outside and realising it's much later than I'd thought which is eating into reading time a lot. I've several books on the go at the moment which isn't like me, but means I'm slow to finish anything.

>228 AlisonY: I was at my mother's in South Wales this week and it was noticeably lighter there in the evening than it is here. You must be almost as far west again, so that must make a big difference.

>219 AlisonY: Great comments on the Shriver. As a woman in her 60s who is noticing some physical issues related to aging, I think this book may resonate with me. I haven't yet read anything by Shriver, and she's been on my list for a while.

>229 SandDune: I think it's more to do with how far north we are, but I love it. One silver lining of putting up with this dismal northern weather!

>230 BLBera: Shriver can be hit and miss, but she's got a sass to her writing that I often enjoy, and she's good at picking up on the small things which can result in major unravellings.

19. Atomic Habits by James Clear

I think I mentioned a few posts back that I joined a new gym in early May, and I have to say it's one of the most positive life-affecting things I've done in a long while. I feel stronger, my diet is super healthy and my stress levels are way down. The gym owner takes a 360 approach to wellness and health very seriously, and she sent me this book when I first joined.

I always take self-help books with a generous pinch of salt and have yet to read one that's fundamentally changed my life, but the better ones can be good reminders of things we know but have forgotten along the way.

The gist of this book is to provide some pointers around how to make positive habits stick and get into the mindset of small, incremental improvements (around anything you like - exercise, work, character traits, etc.), as well as how to ditch bad habits.

For the good habits, he looks at ways to make your habit obvious to you (lock yourself down in writing to what you're going to do when and where, and habit stack, e.g. if you want to work on your marriage, 'every time I get into bed at night I'll kiss my husband / wife', or for exercise 'every night I take off my work clothes I'll change into my workout gear', etc.). Conversely, if you want to ditch a bad habit make it invisible - remove your environment cues (obvious one, but get rid of the packet of biscuits if you're wanting to lose weight, for instance).

The next option is to make a habit attractive by pairing it with something you like / enjoy. If I give up my Starbucks Monday to Friday I'll allow myself to buy a new book every Saturday, for instance. Alternatively, join a community that encourages you to stick to your habit through their positivity about the habit (e.g. a really strong gym tribe), as we're mostly naturally primed to want to please people we admire. Inverting that for bad habits, it's reframing your mindset by focusing on all the benefits of avoiding your bad habit (if I avoid this cigarette I am helping myself to avoid an early death, my clothes and breath will smell nicer, I will have money for a holiday at the end of the year with all the money I've saved).

The third rule is make your habit easy so you're more likely to stick with it, especially aiming to downscale your habit to 2 minutes. For instance, rather than the good habit being 'do 30 minutes of yoga' the habit can be ' get your yoga mat out'. The point being if you make it less onerous you're more likely to start and then keep at it. Conversely, make your bad habits more difficult (e.g. lock your phone away in a drawer at 7pm every night if your bad habit is mindlessly wasting hours on social media scrolling).

The last rule is to make your habit satisfying. If you've started weight lifting, keep a record of your workouts so you can see you're progressing, or keep a weekly log of your body measurements so you can see improvement happening. Or pair it with something you enjoy - when I do 10 sit ups I can have a cup of coffee. To make a bad habit unsatisfying, create a habit contract with someone so if you fall off the wagon your fall is public and painful, or ask someone to be your accountability partner.

Like I said, nothing ground-breaking, but the reinforcement of these approaches in this book does make the ideas stick in your head some.

3.5 stars - A useful book to dip in and out of in the future, especially when you're wanting to take a big step on something that feels difficult.

I have the same feeling about self help books but this one looked interning. Already doing similar. When I came home from knee surgery a friend gave me a step counter and blood pressure cuff..she had me keep a journal each day of my BP in the morning a d steps at night took me a week to get to 500 a few ore to get to 1000. After 3 months I was up to a mile a day
Now after 4 .months I average 3 miles a day. My goal is 5iles a day in 6 month my BP has gone from 132/90 to 120_/80. It's been fun watching my progress. Want to see what else I get from that bok.







B

>233 cindydavid4: My gym coach really recommends journalling. I've sort of started one for my workouts (sort of as I'm not very consistent) - I think like in your experience it can be very motivating to record how much you're progressing.

just noticed another advantage - thought Id gaineed weight after a week in san diego. I lost two pounds! Llike this!

Waving hello. I haven't been around on LT much lately, and am poking my head up for air.

You and me both, Ardene. Hope you're still getting time to do a spot of reading.

20. Rock, Paper, Scissors by Naja Marie Aidt

This novel was my contribution to reading from RebeccaNYC's TBR pile, and as always she didn't disappoint. Danish, Aidt is first and foremost a poet, and this was her first novel. As far as I'm aware it's her only novel - she's also written a non-fiction book about grappling with grief in the years after the sudden loss of her 25 year old son and a collection of short stories Baboon.

In true Scandi form this novel is fairly noir in tone. Although the writing pulled me in quite quickly, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it because of that initial grittiness and what seemed to be a leaning towards it being a novel in the crime genre. However, as the novel develops the story evolved and I began to really enjoy it (although the dark themes remained).

The novel opens with the protagonist dealing with the initial aftermath of the death of his father in prison, a man with whom there was no great deal of love lost. When he unexpectedly finds something in his father's toaster, he believes that some good karma is finally coming his way, a two-fingers up to his miserable relationship with his dad. But is it?

It's an interesting novel. It touches on the nordic noir genre but isn't really a crime novel. It's more a novel of dark suspense focused on the unravelling of the protagonist's life at a time when he feels all the cards have finally lined up to bring positive change to his life. There are some dark themes, but Aidt knows how to write good prose and I loved how I didn't know where the novel was going right up to the last page (and even at that she leaves the reader still wondering).

4.5 stars - an enjoyable read. I hope Aidt decides to write more fiction in the future.

>238 AlisonY: Great review, Alison.

>239 labfs39: Thanks Lisa. I'd recommend it.