Beth (BLBera)Turns the Pages in 2022 - Page 3

My name is Beth. I am an English instructor at my local community college, but I plan to retire in May, so 2022 will be a year of change for me. I love books – talking about them, writing about them, reading about them. I also love to read with my granddaughter Scout.

I tend not to plan my reading, other than for my book club, which meets once a month. We celebrate twenty years in 2022.

Each year my goal is to read more books from my shelves, but those shiny new library books often distract me. In 2022, I would like to read more in translation.

As always, though, goals may fall by the wayside.

Please comment, lurk, make yourself at home.

Maple Valley Branch Library, 1967
by Rita Dove

For a fifteen-year-old there was plenty
to do: Browse the magazines,
slip into the Adult Section to see
what vast tristesse was born of rush-hour traffic,
décolletés, and the plague of too much money.
There was so much to discover -- how to
lay out a road, the language of flowers,
and the place of women in the tribe of Moost.
There were equations elegant as a French twist,
fractal geometry's unwinding maple leaf;

I could follow, step-by-step, the slow disclosure
of a pineapple Jell-O mold -- or take
the path of Harold's purple crayon through
the bedroom window and onto a lavender
spill of stars. Oh, I could walk any aisle
and smell wisdom, put a hand out to touch
the rough curve of bound leather,
the harsh parchment of dreams.

As for the improbable librarian
with her salt and paprika upsweep,
her British accent and sweater clip
(mom of a kid I knew from school)--
I'd go to her desk and ask for help
on bareback rodeo or binary codes,
phonics, Gestalt theory,
lead poisoning in the Late Roman Empire,
the play of light in Dutch Renaissance painting;
I would claim to be researching
pre-Columbian pottery or Chinese foot-binding,
but all I wanted to know was:
Tell me what you've read that keeps
that half smile afloat
above the collar of your impeccable blouse.

So I read Gone with the Wind because
it was big, and the haiku because they were small.
I studied history for its rhapsody of dates,
lingered over Cubist art for the way
it showed all sides of a guitar at once.
All the time in the world was there, and sometimes
all the world on a single page.
As much as I could hold
on my plastic card's imprint I took,

greedily: six books, six volumes of bliss,
the stuff we humans are made of:
words and sighs and silence,
ink and whips, Brahma and cosine,
corsets and poetry and blood sugar levels--
I carried it home, past five blocks of aluminum siding
and the old garage where, on its boarded up doors,
someone had scrawled:

I CAN EAT AN ELEPHANT
IF I TAKE SMALL BITES

Yes, I said to one in particular: That's
what I'm gonna do!

Currently Reading

Tentative Reading Plans
Book Club
✔️January: The Glass Hotel
DNF February: Anxious People
✔️ March: Hamnet
✔️ April: The Four Winds
✔️ May: The Hired Man
✔️June: The Midnight Library
July: Swimming Lessons
August: H Is for Hawk
September: A Visit from the Goon Squad
October: Little Fires Everywhere
November: To the Lighthouse
December: The Guest Cat

Shared Reads
✔️January: Red Clocks - Kim and Ellen
✔️February: Thirty Names of Night - Kim and Ellen
✔️March: Spring - Anne, Julia, and anyone else who cares to join us
✔️May: Summer - Anne, and anyone who cares to join us
✔️ Salt Lick - Ellen, Kim
June: The Intuitionist - Ellen, Kim
June: (family reunion book) - The Sentence

Library Challenge
A book with a month in the title
✔️A book by or about someone experiencing poverty or homelessness The Four Winds
A Minnesota Book Award winner
✔️A book by a deceased author Radio Golf
✔️A book by an African American author My Monticello
✔️A book that starts with the same letter as your first name Braiding Sweetgrass
✔️A book inspired by Shakespeare - Hamnet
A book by or about someone in the military
✔️ A book about mental illness A Really Good Day
A book by an Australian author
A book by an author under 25
A funny book
A travelogue/travel story
✔️A book with a senior protagonist Violeta
✔️A book downloaded on Libby - The American Agent

Tentative Reading Plans (cont.)
Longlist for the Women's Prize for Fiction
The Bread the Devil Knead SL
✔️Salt Lick by Lulu Allison
Careless by Kirsty Capes
Remote Sympathy
The Paper Palace
Flamingo
✔️The Sentence SL
Build Your House Around My Body
✔️Sorrow and Bliss SL
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
✔️The Book of Form and Emptiness WINNER
This One Sky Day
✔️The Island of Missing Trees SL
✔️Great Circle SL
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
✔️Creatures of Passage

Read in 2022
☔️April☔️
39. The Four Winds*
40. Beautiful World, Where Are You
41. French Braid
42. Essays on the Self*
43. The Book of Form and Emptiness* 💜
44. Look Alive Twenty-Five* 🎧
45. Checkout 19
46. Sorrow and Bliss
47. Small Things Like These 💜
48. Unfinished Business*
49. Sea of Tranquility

April Reading
Books read: 11
By women: 11
- American: 5
- Irish: 3
- Canadian: 1
- English: 1
- New Zealander: 1

Novels: 9
Essays: 2

Library books: 6
From my shelves: 5

🌳May🌳
50. The Candy House💜
51. Clean Air
52. The Hired Man*
53. Mercy Street
54. The Investigator
55. Read Dangerously*💜
56. Salt Lick*
57. The Beatryce Prophecy*
58. Death at Whitewater Church*
59. Summer*💜
60. Cobweb*

May Reading
Books read: 11
By women: 10
By men: 1

Novels: 10
Essays: 1

Library books: 4
Books from my shelves: 7

🍓June🍓
61. Mecca
62. Vermilion Drift* 🎧
63. The Midnight Library*
64. E Is for Evidence* 🎧
65. Thin Places
66. Love Marriage
67. A Deceptive Devotion

*From my shelves

Read in 2022
☃️January☃️
1.Red Clocks* REREAD
2.The American Agent 🎧
3. The Boat People
4. Dare to Disappoint
5. The Glass Hotel* REREAD
6. These Precious Days 💜
7. A Sorrowful Sanctuary
8. Delivering Death 🎧
9. The Fell* 💜
10. Moon of the Crusted Snow*
11. Words Under the Words
12. No Land to Light On
13. Foster*

January Reading
Books read: 13
By women: 12
By men: 1
- American: 5
- Canadian: 3
- First Nation: 1
- Turkish: 1
- Irish: 1
- English: 1
- Lebanese: 1

Novels: 9
Novella: 1
Poetry: 1
Memoir (graphic): 1
Essays: 1

Library: 8
From my shelves: 5

💝February💝
14. A Really Good Day 🎧
15. My Monticello 💜
16. Tunnels
17. Artificial Condition 🎧
18. Violeta
19. Rogue Protocol 🎧
20. How High We Go in the Dark 💜
21. Exit Strategy 🎧
22. Poems to Learn by Heart*
23. The Vanishing Half* REREAD
24. The Thirty Names of Night

February reading
Books read: 11
By women: 9
By men: 1
Nonbinary: 1
- American: 9
- Israeli: 1
- Chilean: 1

Novels: 7
Short stories: 1
Memoir: 1
Graphic novel: 1
Poetry: 1

Library: 9
From my shelves: 2

🌷March🌷
25. The Island of Missing Trees
26. Olga Dies Dreaming 💜
27. Fugitive Telemetry 🎧
28. On the Bus with Rosa Parks
29. Hamnet* REREAD
30. Braiding Sweetgrass* 💜
31. Winter* REREAD
32. The Seed Keeper* REREAD
33. Radio Golf
34. Spring* 💜
35. Creatures of Passage
36. The Trees
37. Oh William!
38. The Taxidermist's Daughter* 🎧

March reading
Books read: 14
By women: 12
By men: 2
- American: 7
- Indigenous: 2
- British: 3
- Irish: 1
- Turkish: 1

Novels: 11
Poetry: 1
Essays: 1
Drama: 1

Library: 8
From my shelves: 6

* From my shelves

You Must Read This!

I read this last month and still think about it. It deserves lots of love.

26. Olga Dies Dreaming

I loved this novel. It may be my favorite book of the year. And it follows one that I also loved and doesn't suffer in comparison. In this novel, Gonzalez has achieved something that isn't easy; she tells an engaging story that is very funny at times and that is filled with interesting characters while also addressing serious issues -- all without bludgeoning us with a MESSAGE.

Olga Acevedo is a Brooklynite of Puerto Rican descent. She's a successful wedding planner, an Ivy League graduate and sister to a congressman. She has a complicated family. Her father was a heroin addict who died of AIDS, and her mother left the family when Olga was a child to become a freedom fighter.

Olga doesn't go far from her neighborhood, but descries the gentrification and the disappearance of landmarks she remembers as a child. The weddings she helps plan emphasize the difference between her family and the wealthy. When Hurricane Maria destroys Puerto Rico, the response makes the gap between black and brown people and wealthy whites even more apparent.

Yet through all these issues, Olga and her family celebrate weddings and stick together. Wonderful novel. Great cover, too.

Happy new one, Beth!

Will the Easter Bunny be visiting Scout?

Happy new thread Beth! Enjoy your Easter weekend.

>10 katiekrug: Hi Katie: Yes the Easter Bunny AKA Mom - Scout figured it out about a year ago. I think she caught her mom putting money under her pillow from the Tooth Fairy, and from there, she figured out that Mom was also Santa, etc.

>11 mdoris: Thanks Mary.

Happy new thread Beth.

From your last thread - I agree it's a strong longlist this year. I keep seeing messages about the books I haven't got to too, saying how great they are. Not enough hours in the day. Although I have just had the first of five days off for the holiday weekend, so can't complain!?

>12 BLBera: - I found out the truth about Santa very young, when I found out it was my father dressed as him at my nursery school Christmas party.

Happy new thread!! Olga Dies Dreaming sounds awesome. Stop hitting me with book bullets! ; )

I just put together Easter baskets because I am taking one over to my daughter's house tonight. She's 28. I keep trying to quit and the kids keep saying No!!!! They also still like the Easter egg hunt. LOL

>13 charl08: Yes, Charlotte. I have a couple from the library that I should get to soonish.

>14 katiekrug: That's a great story, Katie. The thing about Scout figuring it out before other kids is that we had to impress on her that she couldn't tell any of her friends.

>15 Berly: I hear you, TwinK. I suggested that we discontinue baskets one year to my GROWN kids, and you would have thought I suggested killing the bunny! So, we still do baskets. And the egg hunt. :)

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>8 BLBera: BB. I just completed two books largely or entirely set in NYC, one in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan. In the first, gentrification was a bit of the plot.

Happy New Thread, Beth, and thanks for that Book Bullet. Olga Dies Dreaming was vaguely on my radar, but it sounds really great.

>16 BLBera: I had a very awkward situation once with a 5-year-old carpool mate. Helen was 10 or 11, and still believed in Santa. This other kid did not, and never had--his parents had told him flat out that there was no such thing, and he and Helen were getting into quite an argument about it. I decided the best thing to do was to stay out of the conversation altogether. Helen's conclusion was that he must be a really badly behaved kid for Santa not to ever come to his house, and that his parents were trying to cover it up to make him feel better.

Go New York Public Library!
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/15/1093095474/new-york-public-library-makes-banned-b...
>17 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita

>18 drneutron: Thanks Jim

>19 quondame: Hi Susan - What were the books?

>20 AnneDC: Hi Anne - That is a great story. Scout likes to share things that she learns, and her mom thought this would be something hard for her to resist, so they talked about not sharing...

I think you would like Olga Dies Dreaming.

I'm reading Unfinished Business right now and just finished a chapter about Colette. I have never read Colette and was curious about other LTers. Have you read her? Thoughts? Judging from Gornick's comments, her work doesn't age well.

>21 BLBera: - Also, go Brooklyn Public Library!
https://lithub.com/the-brooklyn-public-library-is-giving-ecards-to-teens-nationw...

>22 BLBera: - Isn't the super problematic film Gigi based on a Colette novel? I loved it as a kid and then as I got older realized wtf it was about (grooming a young girl to be a man's mistress) and was like NOPE.

>22 BLBera: Well, Beth, I had never even heard of Colette until I read Gornick's book so I ordered The Other Woman and it's on my shelf. It's short so I'll get to it soonish. I recently read Natalia Ginzburg because of Gornick. I've read three of her essay collections and have three more on my shelf. I don't know what took me so long to discover her.

>21 BLBera: One Last Stop & The Final Revival of Opal & Nev.

Happy new thread, Beth.

I have amassed most of the Women's Prize Longlist (14 of 16) and will complete a couple more this month to add to the Shipstead I have already read. I will read the entire shortlist this time before the prize is announced as Hani will bring me the remaining two not yet in my collection when she flies back (they are not in the stores here). Which is your favourite so far?

I'm also a little surprised based on the almost universally positive reviews for Olga Dies Dreaming and The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois that neither got longlisted.

>24 brenzi: I'll watch for your comments, Bonnie.

>25 quondame: Thanks Susan. Do you recommend them?

>26 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. My favorite is The Sentence, but the ones I've read have all been good.

>27 BLBera: Yes. The first is minimalist urban fantasy and the second is a non-mockumentary.

Happy new thread, Beth! How is the Ruth Ozecki going? I am reading it and like it so far.

Happy new thread. Lurked on your last thread and added a couple books you had reviewed to my TBR.

>8 BLBera: Olga has gone onto the list Beth, it is out in paperback here later this year.

>28 quondame: Thanks Susan. Opal & Nev is on my WL already, but I'll look for the other one as well.

>29 banjo123: I just finished, Rhonda. I'm gathering my thoughts for comments. There's a lot to think about. I love the book narrator. I'm really enjoying the books I've read recently that play with the narration. Shafak has a fig tree narrate in The Island of Missing Trees.

>30 WhiteRaven.17: Always happy to add to others' WLs.

>31 Caroline_McElwee: I'll watch for your comments, Caroline. I really liked it.

Thanks just requested Olga from the library!

I hope you like it!

Happy new thread, Beth.

Haven't read Colette myself, but her autobiography is somewhere on mount TBR. I will let you know when I get to her.

Oh, forgot to say that I read a good bit of Colette when I was younger, and liked it, but suspect you are right that it wouldn't age well. She had such an interesting life story, though...

>35 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. I'll watch for your comments.

>36 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. From Gornick's comments, I got the impression that Colette probably wouldn't work for me at this age. And there are so many good books.

>8 BLBera: My local library actually has that one. I have no idea when I might get to it though. Thanks for the recommendation, Beth!

Happy new thread! Happy weekend!

Thanks Stasia. Happy weekend to you as well.

43. The Book of Form and Emptiness
This novel is hard to describe, and my comments won't do it justice.

On the surface, it's the story of Annabelle and Benny Oh, who are grieving after the death of Kenji, husband and father. But it's also the story of books; in fact Benny's book is narrating the story of Benny's life:"Every person is trapped in their own particular bubble of delusion, and it's every person's task in life to break free. Books can help. We can make the past into the present, take you back in time and help you remember. We can show you things, shift your realities and widen your world, but the work of waking up is up to you."

Benny occasionally interjects and objects to the story the book is telling.

Then, there's the addition of the public library, a homeless poet, Walter Benjamin, and Jorge Luis Borges. Oh, and a Zen nun.

This is one of those books that when I finish, I want to start reading again.

Two small things keep it from being a five-star read for me. I thought it was too long, and the ending was rushed. Still, small things, and I think most readers will love the time they spend with Benny's book. I wasn't crazy about the title either.

44. Look Alive Twenty-Five
Stephanie Plum novels are always entertaining, and I've found that the audiobooks are well done and work well for these books.
Evanovich is still able to come up with new twists, and in this latest, Stephanie and Lulu are sent to work in a deli that their boss has taken possession of when the owner skipped bail. This goes about as well as one would expect. Add to that, chickens, and a fugitive who stabs people on bad days, and we get the usual, entertaining mayhem.

I just started Checkout 19 by the author of Pond, which I loved.

>40 BLBera: Great review Beth. I agree with you re the ending. I hadn't even thought about the title. Benjamin has popped up in a few books I've read, but I've never read him, and am not too sure where to start.

>43 charl08: I've read some of Benjamin's essays, Charlotte, and they are very dense. I was thinking about his lost book last night. I wonder what happened to it.

For August Wilson fans:
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/17/1093062451/walk-into-august-wilsons-life-and-play...

Just stopping by to say hello!

>40 BLBera: Oooh, I am seeing this book everywhere now! If you want to read is straight away after finishing it, that's gotta be a good sign.

> 44 I could suggest a good place to start to read about Benjamin: Walter Benjamin and the Demands of History. Actually it too is a little dense and scholarly, but since it's written by my brilliant older brother, I have to recommend it :).

>45 witchyrichy: Thanks Karen. I wish it looked like spring here! Snow flurries this morning again!

>46 LovingLit: It is very good, Megan, with lots to think about.

>47 vivians: Of course you have to recommend it, Vivian. I will add it to my list.

Hello Beth. I've been away from the threads, and miss the interaction very much. I am slowly challenging my brain to be able to read, and to concentrate. It was a rainy spring day today. I did a few things around the house, and find at the end of the day that I don't think I accomplished a lot. But, tomorrow awaits.

All good wishes to you!

Nice to see you posting, Linda. I hope the pump is working as it should, and you are soon at a maintenance stage.

Happy newish thread, Beth. I hope your weather warms up soon.

Hi Beth! I am all caught up here. You got me with Olga Dies Dreaming, but then, you never steer me wrong:)

Re Santa et al, I really didn't want Callia to spoil anything for Marina, particularly as Marina was SO into the magic of everything (and still is), so I very plainly told Callia that those who believe receive. Callia loved the magic of the rituals also and was happy to still get eggs hidden, money under her pillow, leprechaun mischief, and presents from Santa in return for keeping the magic alive for Marina.

Going back to your last thread, I think having your own student in a classroom is more common than some might think, especially in a small school. I would think that remote and rural schools would be the same. Many teachers in my school have had their own kids in their classrooms for a variety of reasons. We're a gifted and talented center school, and there's only one GT class per grade, so if a teacher's student is also GT, that's a natural. Last year a colleague chose to have her son in her class because we knew the school year would be unpredictable with COVID. We had classes quarantining at various points, and she knew if her son's class had to quarantine she would also and she thought the two of them being in the same place would make things easier for everyone. Since we're a small school we also have multi-age classrooms, so kids switch around a lot for math, where they go to the level they need (we are a K-5 school but have some students in grade 7 math, for example) and science and social studies are grade-based also. One of my colleagues teaches science to his daughter but she had to go to a different 5th grade classroom for state science testing. I know schools and teachers make it work.

>8 BLBera: A-ha! I thought you had recently reviewed this. The author has a newsletter at The Atlantic (though non-subscribes can sign up to receive selected issues) that I thought you'd be interested in. It's called Brooklyn, Everywhere, and the first issue talks about the way her "native language" of Old Brooklyn is dying out, and the way she uses that language in the book as a way for the characters to relate to each other. This issue is free for all to read: https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/brooklyn-everywhere/617ff91e07557f0021a61f76...

I hope you find it as interesting as I did. I've put the book on hold at the library, thanks to your review and her newsletter.

>53 rosalita: The author has a newsletter at The Atlantic (though non-subscribes can sign up to receive selected issues)

Shameless plug: my daughter Kate is Newsletter Engagement Editor at The Atlantic. Their full lineup of both free and subscriber newsletters can be found here. So everyone go subscribe, okay?! 😀

>54 lauralkeet: That is so cool, Laura! I subscribe to an alarming number of their newsletters — a few I had previously paid to read on Substack before they were "poached" by The Atlantic. Since I already had a subscription to The Atlantic, it ended up saving me money. :)

My favorites are Galaxy Brain by Charlie Warzel and Peacefield by Tom Nichols, but I enjoy reading all of them, to be honest. So good job, Kate!

>51 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg.

>52 AMQS: Olga Dies Dreaming is so great, Anne. Read the essay linked in >53 rosalita:, and if you like that, you will love the novel.

>53 rosalita: Thanks Julia! It's a great essay. I loved: "Later that same first year, I caught a floormate rifling through my underwear drawer and, quite deservedly, called him a fucking skeevatz perv. I somehow found myself in a mediation with a residence counselor." That sounds just like Olga.

>54 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura - I'll have much more time to read these with retirement looming.

>55 rosalita: Thanks for the recs, Julia

45. Checkout 19
I loved Pond and was anxious to pick up Bennett's new book. If you are a fan of stream of consciousness novels with no plot, this book is for you. The opening of Checkout 19 gives you a good idea of Bennett's style: "Later on we often had a book with us. Later on. When we were a bit bigger at last though still nowhere near as big as the rest of them we brought over books with us. On loads of books. And sat with them there in the grass by the tree. Just one book, in fact. Just one, that's right. Lots of books, one at a time. That's it, one at a time."

The narrator meanders through bits of her life, telling us about the first story she wrote, about a character, Tarquin Superbus, that she wrote about for years, about her reading, and about various relationships. She sometimes ends an anecdote and then circles back to it. Sometimes not. There's not plot, no discernible chronology.

I enjoyed the novel; it's a bit like reading someone's diary. I know though, that it won't appeal to everyone. If the paragraph I quoted doesn't appeal, this is one you might pass on.

Bennett is an original.

>57 BLBera: That quote is fun but based on my experience with Pond I think I'll pass on this one! Glad you enjoyed it.

I've just added loads of poetry to my wishlist from the new LT list. And tried to nudge up some of my favourites! I suspect you'll be familiar with many more of the poets than me.
https://www.librarything.com/list/43565/all/Favorite-Recent-Poetry-1980-2022

Hi Charlotte - If you didn't like Pond, I think you can pass on Checkout 19. I do read a fair amount of poetry, so thanks for the list.

Beth, It was a lovely day spent with my granddaughter Kayla. I love her so! She is a very special 19 year old who is kind, sensitive, and intelligent. She's lived with me since December of 2021. Our communication is good and thus the arrangement works.

She loves to read poetry, and I wonder if there is a book you could recommend.

Hi Linda - It's so great to see you posting. I hope all is well with you, or at least improving. There's a lot of great poetry; it depends on what she likes. If she likes nature poetry, Mary Oliver is great.

Hi Beth, finally catching up here. I love your opening with "Maple Valley Branch Library" by Rita Dove. Brings back memories of how important my weekly visits to the library were to me back in the day.

>40 BLBera:. Nice review! I liked it even better than you did, and went for the 5 stars.

>8 BLBera: I added Olga Dies Dreaming last week, Beth and hope to get to it soon.

A bit poignant for me as I have a good friend and previously work colleague, Olga, who has just left her home in St Petersburg and moved to Amsterdam for work at a time when Russian is not the most popular thing to be and I do worry for her a little. She has Ukrainian family as well as Russian family and is devastated by the fighting.

Have a lovely weekend.

>62 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy - It does bring back memories, doesn't it?

>63 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - The Book of Form and Emptiness is a great one, isn't it? I will probably read it again at some point. I love the Buddhist stuff.

>64 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great weekend.

46. Sorrow and Bliss
Martha Friel, the narrator of Sorrow and Bliss, has just turned forty. She is not an easy person to be around, and as she reflects on her disastrous birthday party, she takes us back to her childhood and the time her mental illness started, when "a bomb" went off in her brain.

Martha has a distinct voice, funny and grating, and I loved the portrayal of her family and her relationship with her sister.

I felt Mason really dropped the ball when Martha was diagnosed. This part of the book seemed lazy. Mason could have done a little research and come up with a diagnosis and not just given us "---".

This is on the longlist for the women's prize, and it is my least favorite so far.

47. Small Things Like These
Every once in a while, I read a book that grabs me, and I immediately know I will buy a copy for my shelves to reread. Claire Keegan's novella is such a book.

It tells the story of Bill Furlong, a coal merchant, in the days leading up to Christmas. He has a lovely family with five daughters and is respected in the community. And he is a good man. When he sees a girl in need, he acts, "...he found himself asking was there any point in being alive without helping one another? Was it possible to carry on along through all the years, the decades, through an entire life, without once being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian..." It's a good question.

I suspect that this will become a traditional Christmas read for me. A gem.

Just popping in to say Hi!

>67 BLBera: Such a lovely read, beautifully written. Like you I'd like to own my own copy. Olga Dies Dreaming came in at the library but I think I'm reading Kim Jiyoung, born 1982 first as someone else has requested it!

>68 Berly: Hi back!

>69 charl08: I think you'll like it when you get to it, Charlotte. But I know about library book pressure.

48. Unfinished Business is a good collection of essays on the value of rereading. I will definitely give Natalia Ginzburg and Elizabeth Bowen a try. Some of the authors like Collette and Duras don't call my name, but I am tempted to give Hardy another try. I think I might appreciate him more than I did when I was a teenager.

If anyone would like my copy, PM me your address. I'll be happy to give this one a new home.

Book has been claimed.

>67 BLBera: That’s definitely one that I’ll reread!

>71 BLBera: I enjoyed that volume too Beth.

I thought I responded, but oh well.
>73 Copperskye: Hi Joanne - I'm thinking of all the readers I know who would love it.

>74 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline - What's not to love -- a book about books, right?

I've picked up The Candy House and wish I would have reread A Visit from the Goon Squad before. In the very first chapters, we get characters from Goon Squad. But, there is a long list of reserves, so if I return it to the library, it will be months before I get it again. So, I'm going to keep on.

I'm reading Read Dangerously, Azar Nafisi's new book, and the first chapter is outstanding; she talks about the importance of reading in a democracy. In this chapter, she discusses The Satanic Verses, Fahrenheit 451 and The Republic. And Trump. She compares him to the Ayatollah.

>67 BLBera: Small Things Like These just came from the library and I think I'll read it today. It looks like a one sitting book, potentially.

I've been seeing The Candy House everywhere lately and your comments reminded me that I should maybe reread A Visit from the Goon Squad. The hold list is long so I don't have any immediate plans to read Candy House.

Are you still thinking about Summer this month?

Hi Anne - Yes, I read Small Things Like These in one sitting. I'm going to continue with The Candy House, but if you have a wait, I think rereading Good Squad is a good idea.

I do want to read Summer in May, probably in the second half. I have a couple of book club books to read first and a bunch of library books.

49. Sea of Tranquility

In Emily St. John Mandel's new novel, there is a pandemic, a pandemic novel, and time travel. The novel spans about 500 years; this huge time span reminds me a little of How High We Go in the Dark, and there are similar concerns articulated in both novels. As the characters travel through time, they ask how to choose to live their lives and the nature of reality.

There are some characters from The Glass Hotel, but it's not necessary to have read it to appreciate this novel.

The action starts in British Columbia in 1912, then moves ahead hundreds of years to colonies on the moon and beyond. At the center of the novel is a strange event that occurs in the forest of British Columbia. Under a maple tree, there is a sudden sense of darkness and the sound of a violin being played in a huge terminal. This event happens to various characters through time, and some of the characters make it their lives' work to figure out what happened.

This is one novel that I wished were a little longer.

>80 BLBera:. I am so eager to read this one, as I loved The Glass Hotel

>80 BLBera: I'm really looking forward to this one too. I'm in line at the library, but it will be a while.

>81 banjo123: Hi Rhonda - it is very good. But Station Eleven is still my favorite.

>82 lauralkeet: Hi Laura - it is worth the wait.

Pleased to see that the Claire Keegan book was such a hit, Beth. I thought it was wonderful.

It was, Paul. It's one of my favorites so far this year.

50. The Candy House

If you loved A Visit from the Goon Squad, you'll love this. I'm sorry my comments won't do justice to this wonderful novel.

At first, I was sorry I hadn't reread Goon Squad recently, but, in the end, it didn't matter. Egan revisits many of the characters and continues with their children's stories. In the years that have elapsed since Goon Squad, the world has become more connected, and the fame people are obsessed with in that first novel takes on a new form in social media. Now everyone can be famous, and to take it a step further, everyone can be connected to everyone else. We now have a Collective Unconscious; we can download our consciousness to the collective and access everyone else's as well.

The structure is similar to Goon Squad, and the disparate stories all come together in the end, and we see that stories are important, and perhaps we don't need to know everything, that "knowing everything is too much like knowing nothing; without a story, it's all just information." So, I'll pass on downloading my consciousness, but I'll keep reading Egan.

>86 BLBera: Looking forward to reading this one when it comes in to the library.

It is so good, Charlotte. I know my comments don't do it justice. Egan is amazing.

Hi Beth. I am adding Small Things Like These to my wishlist. I've seen a number of very positive reviews and it sounds intriguing.

Hi, Beth! I know you are a big fan of Mary Oliver, so I thought you'd appreciate this poem that came across my Twitter timeline today:

... Now the women are gathering
in smoke-filled rooms,
rough as politicians,
scrappy as club fighters.
And should anyone be surprised

if sometimes, when the white moon rises,
women want to lash out
with a cutting edge?
— Mary Oliver, "Strawberry Moon"

>89 DeltaQueen50: I'm pretty sure you will love it, Judy.

>90 rosalita: Excellent, Julia. My language is not quite so appropriate these days.

>91 BLBera: My language is not quite so appropriate these days.

You're not alone in that!

I feel like I'm living in a dystopia.

>93 BLBera: You are. We all are. Scary times.

Is today the Retirement Party? : )

>94 rosalita: :(

>95 Berly: Yup! Should be fun. You have a good memory.

>22 BLBera: I didn't know about her till I saw the movie that came out in 2018 (keira knightley plays the lead). Fascinating woman, and quite a popular writer. I read a couple of the Claudine books which are sweet but yeah dated. I loved the one she writes about her childhood and esp her mother, but Im having trouble finding it. She wrote gigi which became a play then a movie which I saw I think in HS. Was a while before i realied what it really was about....
Anyway the bio is definitely worth watching.

>52 AMQS: My sister was my drama teacher in HS. Loved the class theo I had to keep remembering not to call her pammy

>80 BLBera: just finished reading it and liked it enough (Ive also read her Station Eleven which I loved. ) Interesting take on time travel here; felt almost like Cloud Atlas but not as complex. Planning to read Hotel soon

Oh today's the day! Happy retirement, Beth.

Congratulations, Beth!

Congratulations!
Welcome to the joys of retirement!

Congrats! retirement is great!

>97 Berly: Thanks - I have balloons. :)

Just to clarify, my party was today. My last official date is August 16.

>104 cindydavid4: The bio for Collette appeals more than the work, from the description. It sounds like it hasn't aged particularly well. I enjoyed Sea of Tranquility, but Station Eleven is still my favorite.

>101 lauralkeet:, >102 katiekrug:, >103 quondame: Thanks Laura, Katie, and Susan.

>105 BLBera: Just to clarify, my party was today. My last official date is August 16.

I think you need to have a second party in August!

Agreeing with Laura >106 lauralkeet:. Enjoy today's celebrations too Beth.

>106 lauralkeet: I'm sure there will be more parties. :)

>107 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline.

51. Clean Air is a dystopian novel with a twist. It's not climate change, rising water, or air pollution that kill people; it's the trees. In an event called The Turning, trees start to emit so much pollen that the air becomes unbreathable. A large percentage of the population is killed and those that remain live in sealed, domed cities.

There's a mystery here, too. Someone is slashing plastic walls of the houses, killing people. We follow one family, Isabel, Kaito and Cami as they try to live life as best they can.

This is an interesting addition to the growing list of ecotopias.

>109 BLBera: Interesting Beth. Adding to the list.

I'll watch for your comments, Caroline. The cover shows giant fruit, an effect of the overpollenization.

>109 BLBera: That is an interesting twist to the usual dystopia — I like it! I'll look for it at the library.

>112 rosalita: There were some other things, but I didn't want to add spoilers.

Sorry. I was just trying to celebrate the party. I knew it wasn't your actual retirement date, but you aren't working during the summer are you? I know you get paid until August, but when is your actual last day of work? THAT'S when we should jump up and down with joy! : )

>109 BLBera: That sounds like a winner! And a new category for me -- ecotopias.

"Ecotopia" is just the term for dystopias that focus on the environment -- there are LOTS of them now. I think you'd like it.

No problem - I'm all for celebrating. And yes, my last day of class is May 11 and then I have five days to turn my grades in. I will probably do a little jumping then. :)

>155 lauralkeet: I figured that's what it meant, and I like the terminology.

So May 16th you'll be all done-- got it! 10 days and counting!!

>109 BLBera: I remember reading a sci fi back in HS where trees started to take over. Wish I could remember the title. I remember it being quite satisfying

>115 BLBera: Jumping sounds good. Perhaps also a bookshopping expedition to celebrate?

>116 Berly: Just in time for my birthday. :) We can raise a glass together next time we talk.

>117 cindydavid4: Let me know if you think of it.

>118 charl08: Right, Charlotte. And my colleagues gave me a gift certificate to a new bookstore about two blocks from my house. :)

>117 cindydavid4: There is The Word for World is Forest, but that's not Earth.

Happy pre-retirement, Beth. Do you get a party each time?

>119 BLBera: Ready to raise the glass!!

>115 BLBera:, >116 Berly: So May 16th you'll be all done-- got it!
Noted. That's really exciting, Beth!

>120 quondame: Thanks Susan.

>121 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg. I can party every day, I guess. :)

>122 Berly: Done.

>123 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura.

Some recommendations for the Queen's Jubilee:

https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/features/features/recommendations/the-bi...

Wow! So close to retirement! Congratulations.

Happy Mother's Day, Beth! And a fast-approaching retirement date, too? How exciting. Congrats, my friend.

>125 BLBera: That is a great idea.

>125 BLBera: Some brilliant books on this list, and some that I've not heard of and want to read. And we have a two day holiday coming up here in which to read one or two of them! Thanks for posting.

Thanks to Rhonda, Mark, Paul.

>129 charl08: You'll probably make it through the list, Charlotte!

>105 BLBera: - Close enough! Congrats! An official party is the official beginning of retirement. The more you celebrate it, the better it gets!

I'm glad your party was fun! And I predict with confidence (as LT says) that you'll enjoy retirement very much.

Your thread is always so dangerous for me - I've added four to the library hold list. We can request a hold and then suspend them until a certain date; I suspended Small Things Like These until Thanksgiving since you said it was a marvelous Christmas book.

The others were: The book of form and emptiness, Clean Air, and of course, Spring which I need to read before (if??!)! summer arrives

52. The Hired Man is another excellent character-centered novel by Forna. Duro Kolak tells about life in a small Croatian town before, during, and after the Croatian war for independence. It asks a lot of questions about how people can justify actions during war and how they live with the consequences.

I look forward to our book club discussion; I'll report more fully after that.

>131 jessibud2: Thanks!

>132 streamsong: I'm not concerned about not enjoying retirement, Janet. I'm only returning the favor; I always find books on your thread. :)

Dropping in to say hello!

Congrats on your retirement!

Thanks Anita.

I was just on my Home page and saw that today is your 14th Thingaversary, Beth! I'm so glad you're here. I know the excitement level probably doesn't match retirement, but I hope you have some good book acquisitions planned to celebrate.

Thanks Julia: I always forget my Thingaversary! I still have some grading to do. :(

I can see why a Thingaversary can get overlooked when one is in the midst of retiring. It sounds like party time in Minnesota. Happy Days!

I never realized we shared a Thingaversary, Beth. Happy day to you and even happier, I’m sure, thinking of your imminent retirement!

Congratulations on your retirement Beth! That is very exciting news and I know you will LOVE it.

Happy Thingaversary!

May the books be with you!

>139 Donna828: Hi Donna - I usually don't remember my Thingaversary, but, yes, it's a good time to celebrate.

>140 Copperskye: I didn't know either, Joanne. We'll have to remind each other in the future.

>141 mdoris: Thanks Mary. I haven't heard anyone say they hated retirement.

>142 quondame: Thanks Susan.

>143 BLBera: Hating retirement? Well maybe the challenge in retirement comes from the mate of the retiree. I love this story told to me by my fiery neighbour Helen many years ago. Her husband retired and one day she blew her stack at him as he was instructing her how to close the refrigerator door. She pointed to the front door and told him he was to go and not return until he had a job to go to (get out of the house!!). Luckily we lived near Yonge Street in Toronto and he pounded up and down the pavement, asking at all the stores until he found employment.

They lived happily ever after!

>144 mdoris: That's a great story, Mary.

53. Mercy Street is an abortion clinic in Boston. The novel follows four people as they move through their lives. Claudia is a social worker who works at the clinic. Victor is an antiabortion activist (not to say nut job). Anthony pickets Mercy Street from time to time. Timmy sells pot to Claudia and Anthony.

Haigh is really good at telling people's stories. Through these characters, she shows us how poorly our society takes care of people who need help, especially poor women. As one character notes: "But what was the point of making yet another person, when the woman herself -- a person who already existed -- counted for so little." While women are her focus here, she also explores the childhoods of her characters, and we can see how bad we are at protecting children.

Haigh gets a little heavy handed with her message at times, burt this is certainly a timely novel.

Posted grades. Now I get to go watch Scout play soccer. The second grade girls are fun to watch. And they are getting better.

>125 BLBera: Like many, I've read most of those Beth.

Happy last day tomorrow.

Congratulations on posting grades and on retirement. Is that the last thing you are responsible for?

>148 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline.

>149 AnneDC: Thanks Anne. I still have paperwork to do, and I have to clean out my office, stuff like that.

54. The Investigator is a fast-paced, entertaining read. It's a good way to start the summer break.

This novel centers on Letty Davenport, the adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport of the Prey novels. If you like those, you will like this one.

Letty is twenty-four now and works for a senator. She is bored and jumps at the chance to do some investigating for the DHS (Department of Homeland Security). She is charged to look into possible crude oil thefts with possible militia involvement.

There's lots of action and Letty has to prove herself to the Good Old Boys in Texas (she does). I hope this is a new series.

Scout story: So, Scout and I were reading Sleeping Beauty and when we got to the part where the fairies were giving gifts, she told me, "Athena is the goddess of wisdom." Then she told me the story of Prometheus, who gets his liver pecked out every day. She thinks that's a really cool story. She and her dad have been reading Greek Myths.

Beth, I'm excited about the John Sanford book. I also hope it turns into a new series. JS is my husband's favorite author and he has read them all now. I hope to get this one on audio for our long trip to Michigan this summer. There are very few books we both like.

Great Scout story.

>151 BLBera: The by-line seems to intimate that it will become a series, Beth. I like the prey books and will pick this one up.

>151 BLBera: It's a good way to start the summer break

I'm sure it is but ... you're retired now, right? Every day is a weekend/summer break! 😀 Although I suspect the rhythm of the school year may never leave you. My career wasn't even in education and yet September still brings all the "new year" feelings commonly felt in January.

>152 BLBera: I love that Scout is reading Greek myths!

And be ready to compleltly mix up your days!

>153 Donna828: I haven't listened to any of the Sandford books, Donna, but I imagine they would be good audiobooks.

>154 PaulCranswick: Enjoy it, Paul.

>155 lauralkeet: I am retired, Laura. Since my daughter is a teacher, I imagine that the rhythm of the school year will stick with me. And I do hope to volunteer in her classroom next year...

Scout seems not to be bothered by the bloodthirsty myths. In fact, she said they were great stories.

>156 cindydavid4: Noted!

55. Read Dangerously
In this collection of "letters," Nafisi points to the power of literature and argues that we have to be vigilant, that totalitarianism can appear anywhere, even in the US, and reading "restores us, awakens our feelings, and returns to us our sense of individuality and integrity. Both writing and reading become ways of protest..."

She discusses work by Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Elias Khoury, and James Baldwin, to name a few. I think any reader will enjoy these essays and the way that Nafisi shows the works to be relevant today.

One thing that struck me, as I look at the news about the most recent mass shooting, which was provoked by ideas from "Replacement Theory," "I think true equality is based on celebration and appreciation of difference, accompanied by the recognition and acceptance of the common spaces we share and the universality of humanity." Amen.

Recommended.

I have a couple of Nafisi's other books on my shelves. Time to dust them off.

Happy happy birthday!!

happy birthday!

Happy birthday Beth, and happy retirement too.

Happy birthday!

>158 BLBera: Predictably, I love the cover of this one.

I just started The Bone Readers but forgot to write down who recommended it. Was it you? (The international setting made me think it likely) If so, thank you. Enjoying it.

A very happy birthday to you, Beth!

>159 Berly: Thanks TwinK - last year we were listening to Yaa Gyasi!~

>160 cindydavid4: Thanks Cindy.

>161 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline.

>162 charl08: Thanks Charlotte. It wasn't me. Noted.

>163 rosalita: Thanks Julia.

Happy Birthday and Retirement. Live it up!

Thanks Donna. As you can see, I'm partying, here on LT. :)

Happy Birthday! Party on!

Thanks Susan.

Wishing you a wonderful birthday!

Happy Birthday, Beth.

Well, I'm late to the party but your birthday's not over yet! I hope you had a great day, Beth.

Adding to the birthday wishes!

Showing myself in a little late... happy retirement and happy birthday!

Glad you enjoyed Azar Nafisi's newest. I found it a good read, though I haven't read (nor will I, most likely) most of the books she discusses.

Thanks Anita, Katie, Laura, Shelley, and Mary.

So, did you party hardy? Any hangovers? LOL

All happiness on your retirement! And of course your birthday!

Loved the Scout story. It's so cool that she loves the Greek myths.

Read Dangerously sounds wonderful. Onto the wishlist it goes.

>175 Berly: I am still in the process of celebrating, TwinK. I had lunch with my mom and dad today. Tomorrow I'm lunching with my sister and having a happy hour with some of my friends. :)

>176 streamsong: Thanks Janet. I think you'll like Read Dangerously.

>177 BLBera: Celebrate away! You've earned it, TwinB.

56. Salt Lick
I love good dystopian novels, so I had high expectations for this one, on the long list for the Women's Prize for Fiction. The addition of a cow chorus further whetted my interest.

The novel is set in England after a pandemic and after severe flooding of a big part of the island. Most people have moved to London, where the majority of the resources are concentrated, especially after the huge population loss of the pandemic. The story follows Jesse, a young boy growing up in a village at the start of the novel, and Isolde, a young woman who grows up in London in a children's home after her mother is killed in a bombing. When Isolde visits the man responsible for the bombing in prison, she discovers she doesn't know the whole story and leaves London in search of answers.

The novel started slow for me, and I didn't really see what the cows added to the book. But Allison writes beautifully, and her bleak view of the world is compelling. There are also some big surprises as we read. One of her descriptions of a deserted village: "But the absence of people hangs uncomfortably, like the unhinged and broken doors a few feet into the trees. This place is home to new souls the little lives of birds and rodents who don't feel alarm at the sightless squares of dark windows. They don't feel the absence of the people behind the broken glass, or the memories that drift, indestructible, fragile waste, like tattered plastic bags in trees." Her descriptions are wonderful and give us a vivid view of the world.

In the end, I loved this novel, even if the cows were a little disappointing.

>178 Berly: Thanks TwinK! I imagine some beverages will be consumed tomorrow.

>158 BLBera: Oh yes, I'll have to read that.

And happy birthday!

Thanks Steve.

Happy extended birthday!

>179 BLBera: Not a sentence I anticipate writing often, but I remember the cows more favourably in this one. They kind of won me over, I liked the classical chorus feel of it.

Hope Happy Hour was happy.

>183 drneutron: Thanks Jim.

>184 charl08: I appreciated them more towards the end, Charlotte, but still not sure that they added much to the novel as a whole?

Happy birthday a little late!

>161 Caroline_McElwee: Those colours are beautiful and worthy of a happy birthday.

Sorry to post my greetings so belatedly, Beth, my only excuse is that RL has kept me from getting around the threads with my usual speed these few days.

Hi Beth. I'm loving Salt Lick and I wholly agree that the chorus/cows don't really add anything. I read their verse, but I think the book would be complete without them. The characters, writing, and story are wonderful.

Sorry I missed your birthday! Happy belated!

I bought a copy of Read Dangerously at Auntie's Bookshop in Spokane and it sits on my bedside table waiting for my attention. I may take it to Asheville with me. I know it's silly but it would be a good book to be reading on the airplane -- a small (insignificant) intervention in this effed-up world of ours.

Looking forward to our zoom book discussion on Monday!

>186 AnneDC: Thanks Anne. I'll start Summer next week, if you're interested.

>187 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. Not a problem. Even though I'm on break right now, it's hard to keep up with threads.

>188 EBT1002: Can't wait to discuss Salt Lick. You will love Read Dangerously; I'm pretty sure.

57. The Beatryce Prophecy is another winner by Kate DiCamillo. Young readers will appreciate the adventure, the fairy tale elements and the demon goat, of course. I look forward to Scout's reaction.

Well I’m very late but a belated happy birthday and happy retirement!

It's never too late, Rhian. Thanks.

58. Death at Whitewater Church
This is a great start to a series. The mystery was twisty enough to keep me guessing, and the setting, the Inishowen peninsula, was outstanding. This is being made into a TV series, so I look forward to that. And my library has the next books in the series, so I'm set.

In a cool kind of reading synchronicity, I am reading a collection of essays Thin Places set in Northern Ireland, very close to the action of this mystery.

The protagonist is Ben (Benedicta) O'Keefe, a solicited in the small town of Glendara. During a survey of a deconsecrated church, she finds a skeleton in the crypt. All bodies had been removed, so the identity of the bones is a mystery. Are they the bones of Conor Devitt, a man who disappeared on his wedding day six years ago?

If you would like my copy, PM me your address, and I will send it to you.

>179 BLBera: Is it possible to get a tentative book bullet? I do like cows so maybe they will set better with me. I will probably read this book when my book requests slow down at the library. I loved the passage you quoted. Thanks, Beth.

>179 BLBera:. Cows?

It seems like everyone is liking this book, so maybe I should read it.

>189 BLBera: Beth, I'd love to start Summer next week--maybe tomorrow.

>194 Donna828: If you like dystopias, you'll like it, Donna. Allison writes beautifully.

>195 banjo123: Yes, cows. It is good although the cows were not the best part, Rhonda.

>196 AnneDC: Hi Anne - I just started it.

>2 BLBera: love that! is that a poem from a book?

Happy Retirement/Birthday/start of Summer and whatever else you've got going on Beth.

>198 cindydavid4: I think it's from her collection On the Bus with Rosa Parks.

>199 brenzi: Thanks Bonnie.

>179 BLBera: excuse this quick diversion from books, but everytime I see 'cows' I keep thinking of Sandra Boyntons wonderful silly album called Philadelphia Chickens. Check out the song entitled 'cows' I used to play this whole album for my preschool students, and even if they didn't get the humor, I was rolling on the floor laughing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHwq-TtYYA

actually this is my fav song from the album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI-MyGWWi34

now returning you to your book talk already in progress :)

>201 cindydavid4: Those are great, Cindy! My granddaughter loved the Boynton books, but I hadn't seen the songs before.

While waiting for my mom to have a test done, routine, I got a big chunk of Summer read. As with her other books, lots of discussion of language and words. We also go back to Daniel from Autumn. And, we continue with the issue of internment camps. Really good so far.

>201 cindydavid4: - A trip down memory lane! I also wore out taht cd with my primary class when I was teaching. In fact, we did the Dinosaur Blues song when I did a unit on dinosaurs and they loved it. Boynton has 2 other songs books with cds but I still like Philadelphia Chickens the best! Thanks for that memory! (and what a cast of singers!)

>203 BLBera: I started Summer yesterday (following your lead) but I'm not very far yet. I'm looking forward to carving out a chunk of reading time.

>204 jessibud2: I knew about the other two but never listened to them; afraid Id be dissappointed but I should try them anyway. What I loved was the variety of music types to teach kids to explore. Oh and other song i loved that the kids didn't get was the intermission song with the aardvarks pretending to be cows....

>205 AnneDC: Well, I had to go with my mom to a test, so I got a big chunk done. It's great so far. I am loving Daniel again.

>207 BLBera: I’m still at the very beginning, but it’s very interesting that the time period so far is early 2020–so people are talking about the coronavirus but it hasn’t really hit Europe. I’m wondering how Smith approached that. I see that the book came out in August—it strikes me as a real challenge to capture 2020 in real time.

I hadn't thought about that. There is stuff about lockdowns...

I am finally getting caught up with you. Congrats on both your birthday and your upcoming retirement. Just think of all the time you will have for more reading! Salt Lick definitely sounds intriguing, I have it waiting on my Kindle for when I get a chance to read it.

Hi Twin! Fun discussion of Salt Lick; so we glad we read it together. I highly recommend the book. Moo!

>210 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy. How are you doing? I hope all is well with you and your family after the loss of your mother.

>211 Berly: Ditto, TwinK! Are you watching any tennis these days? Moo back. :)

I have only watched one match so far. There is not enough time in the day! LOL. Who are you routing for?

Rafa, of course. For the women, I would love to see Madison Keys break through.

Happy Belated Birthday, and happy retirement!

Thanks so much Linda.

>212 BLBera: We are all doing quite well, Beth. We had time to prepare for her loss and feel some relief that her suffering is over. I am heading back to Victoria next week to see my brother. He is struggling a little as he lived with her and is now facing being alone.

That has to be a big change for your brother, Judy. He's lucky to have a good sister. Take care.

Hi Beth.

Belated happy birthday, congrats on retiring this summer.

Thanks Karen.

Congrats on your upcoming retirement!

So, how was your first week as a retired lady Beth? Probably just feels like annual leave at this stage.

>221 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita

>222 Caroline_McElwee: Yes, Caroline, I think it will really seem like retirement in August, when I would normally be getting ready to go back to school. This week I've been going through files and papers and recycling. Teachers accumulate lots of paper, it seems.

Ooh a dystopia with cows! I know nothing about cows, never having any - but although I thoroughly enjoyed the songs in >201 cindydavid4: I can say that from chasing neighbors' cows out of my yard, they are anything but slow!

Uh oh burned the sandwich thin in the toaster listening to the "Can I Keep It? song. Smoke alarms sounding, cat launching off the couch amidst a shower of papers.

When DS was preschool age and his Dad was talking about 'getting a deer' (ie hunting) DS thought it was a great idea and wanted to keep it in a stall in the barn. Years later when we had a young skinny mountain lion that went through our place, DD wanted to try to catch it so we could feed it and fatten up the poor thing.

Neither happened.

awwwww. Oh but I love that song! Worth burning toast for!

Happy weekend, Twin!! I am set to watch some tennis this afternoon. Dang paperwork -- good luck purging. : )

>224 streamsong: You might enjoy Salt Lick, Janet. Sorry about your burned sandwich.

>225 cindydavid4: :)

>226 Berly: Hey back! My next project is my desk, which is already looking better. Any favorites in the FO?

59. Summer wraps up Smith's quartet in a fitting way. There is so much to think about in these novels, that I'm sure I will return to them. I'm glad I do have Companion Piece to look forward to, as well as other works of Smith's. She is a genius.

In Summer, Smith continues with the themes of the previous novels. She pairs brothers and sisters, Daniel and Hannah and Sacha and Robert as well as internment camps in different time periods to show that some things don't change very much. Humans seem to gravitate towards conflict. And yet there are moments of grace (Grace?). We can look at the siblings and see that while they do argue, there is a deep connection and love there. We also see that there are people who are willing to house refugees and do the charitable thing. So, maybe there is hope.

There's so much more to comment on. Just a few more questions/observations:
- What does summer mean to us?
- The significance of The Winter's Tale?
- The birds? Art in nature?

60. Cobweb is a continuation of the Patrick Gillard and Ingrid Langley series. In this one, Gillard and Langley are asked to investigate the deaths of two police officers to determine whether there is a continued threat to the police. Full of the usual twists and turns and an action-packed ending, this is an entertaining addition to the series.

I've never read The Winter's Tale but now I have a thought. I wonder if I could get one or two or three people to read a Shakespeare play with me here on LT. As you know, I plan to reread the first two in Ali Smith's quartet when I retire, along with two I have not yet read, in close proximity to one another. Maybe I "should" read AWT first?

Have a great week, Beth. You only have a few to go until every day is Saturday. ;-)

I'd read Shakespeare with you, Ellen. But I don't think you have to read AWT before reading the Smith quartet. What I find interesting is the fact that Jeanette Winterson is also fascinated with the play. She wrote a version for the Hobart series and has referenced it in other work as well.

I went to the nursery today and got plants. Tomorrow will be yard work. And Scout's piano lessons, of course.

>230 EBT1002: I'd read a Shakespeare play with you Ellen!

>231 BLBera: I like those Hobart Shakespeare adaptations. Winterson's book, The Gap of Time, includes a short summary of AWT, which was a real help since I've never read it. I also just like Winterson in general.

Enjoy your yard work, Beth!

>232 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, my yard work is not in the same league as yours, but I do plant a few flowers and have some pots. Also, lots of weeds.

I don't think The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's best plays, so it's interesting to me that both Smith and Winterson call it out. And yes, Winterson is great. And I am reminded that after reading all of the Hobarts as they were published, I forgot about them. I need to see which ones I've missed.

My yard work isn't in your league, Laura, but I do plant some flowers and have a few pots.

I am a fan of the adaptations as well. I don't think The Winter's Tale is one of the better plays, so I am intrigued by the fact that both Smith and Winterson seem fascinated by it.

Yes, I love Winterson's work as well.

I read the first adaptions as they were published. Then I forgot about them. I need to check to see which ones I missed.

Happy belated birthday, Beth!

I have Death at Whitewater Church waiting on my kindle. Thanks for the reminder - I’m glad you liked it!

Thanks, Joanne.

It's a good one.

Hi Beth! Echoing the Ali Smith admiration here.

I've been trying to get a copy of Salt Lick since reading your review but it's not available at my library or on Audible. So I'm adding it to my Book Depository list. I've read the whole Women's Prize shortlist with the exception of The Bread the Devil Knead, which I'm also unable to find. Now on to the Booker next month!

Darn, Vivian, I already sent Salt Lick to someone else, or I would have been happy to send it on. I do have a copy of The Bread the Devil Knead, and I will send it to you when I've read it. It might be a couple of weeks...

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/13/1098827190/what-to-read-summer-travel

Interesting list? Thoughts?

>239 BLBera: - I enjoyed perusing the selections - thanks for sharing, Beth!

As usual, the entire state of New York remains in the shadow cast by NYC... :-P

>239 BLBera: Great to see Sabrina & Corina get a mention here, Beth. Most of the others are new to me, all very tempting!

>239 BLBera: Lots of new to me writers Beth, I'll certainly dip into the list going forward.

>240 katiekrug: It's always fun to look at lists like that, Katie, but I wondered at some of the selections.

>241 charl08: I was happy to see that one, too, Charlotte.

>242 Caroline_McElwee: I'll watch for your recommendations, Caroline.

>239 BLBera: interesting list, and kind of all over the place in terms of genres. On the plus side, there's something for everyone. But it's also a bit overwhelming!

>231 BLBera: and >232 lauralkeet: Okay, I think I'll start by reading The Gap of Time with its brief summary of The Winter's Tale. My father was an English professor who specialized in Shakespeare. You'd think I was more well versed in Shakespeare's works.

>244 lauralkeet: I noticed that too, Laura.

>245 EBT1002: I loved The Gap of Time, Ellen. Well, if my dad were a Shakespeare scholar, I can almost guarantee that I would know nothing about Shakespeare. :)

I must be the only one Beth, who does not look forward to these NPR lists because they're way too long. It's like every book needs to be read. Their end of the year list is ridiculous. Not every book published needs to make its way onto these lists.

>246 BLBera: Thanks Beth, I appreciate the pass. I know my father would not have given me the same! LOL

And I just read a summary of The Winter's Tale on shakespeare.org.uk.

>247 brenzi: I don't think they were meant for everyone to read them all.They are put in the list because all of us readers are different and have individual taste and a sense of what we are looking for in books. I know I enjoy going through them just to see what gem I might come across. But of course, YMMV

>240 katiekrug: I have the opposite problem with Arizonas one selectionn Arizona: 100 Years Grand by Lisa Schnebly Heidinger "Selected as Arizona's official centennial commemorative book, Arizona: 100 Years Grand highlights special people, events, geographic features and buildings of the Grand Canyon State throughout its first century of statehood, from 1912 to 2012. "

they couldn't find one novel? really we do have excellent writers here. Oh well

>247 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. I just have fun scrolling through the lists. I don't feel compelled to read all the books on it.

>248 EBT1002: I just know I was a contrary kid, Ellen. You are good to go with TWT. :)

>250 cindydavid4:, >251 cindydavid4:, >252 cindydavid4: Hi Cindy.

>239 BLBera: It is an eclectic list and fun to look through, especially if you like to read about a state you’re planning to visit. I’m just glad The Shining wasn’t chosen as Colorado’s book!

You got a good one for Colorado, Joanne, in Sabrina & Corina. Minnesota got a collection of essays about how racist the state is. :( It would have been nice to get some fiction as well.

>253 BLBera: oops deleted duplicate post :)

Mary Coin was really good, a book that follows a photographer during the Depression

>257 cindydavid4: That one did catch my eye.

Vamos Rafa and Coco!

61. Mecca
I love this novel. Straight gives us a Southern California we can feel, the heat of the desert, the dryness of the canyons, and the congestion of the traffic. She also gives us the people, the black, brown, indigenous. No matter the citizenship status, her characters' legitimacy is constantly questioned.

When ICE officers ask about citizenship, "RC folded his arms and said, 'He speak French cause he born in Louisiana, man. He telling you his five great-grandma got here 1760, so they citizen before your people was chopping down cherry tree. Here. Take my damn license. My first people was Mustafa and he from Mali. Come to New Orleans in 1799. I did my AncestryDNA, man. You should do yours."

The story starts with Johnny Frias, a CHP officer who rides 200 miles a day on his motorcycle. The circle of characters widens to his friends and people he meets. These characters, besides the everyday racism, have to navigate the lockdowns of COVID, continuing in their jobs as butchers, nurses, maids, and police. They are the essential workers who become invisible, until, of course, immigration questions their status. And most of these characters are citizens.

There are a lot of characters, and Straight switches points of view. I sometimes had to refer back to keep characters straight. That is only a small complaint, though, of this wonderful novel. Straight has given us a slice of America that we don't often see, and has done it beautifully.

Highly recommended.

Fabulous cover, too.

62. Vermilion Drift is a good addition to the Cork O'Connor series, much better than the previous one. In this one, Cork is still trying to figure out life after the death of his wife. When a group of skeletons are found inside a deserted mine tunnel, the investigation goes back forty years, to when Cork's father was the sheriff. Good story and the audiobook is well done.

I am not sure those are the best books to represent any state! I think I would pick Mink River for Oregon.

>260 BLBera: Your review makes me want to read this but unless I crack and buy the international edition from A----n, I have to wait until next summer. Boo.

>262 banjo123: I was wondering about who chose the books. I get that a poet might choose a selection of poetry, but...

>263 charl08: It is so good, Charlotte. Mecca would be a great book for California...I haven't read anything by Straight, so now I will have to look for other work.

Mecca straight to the wishlist Beth. Looks like she's quite prolific but this book must be new as it's not available in either of my libraries but this one, with such an interesting title is available: I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots😳

>260 BLBera: Oh, a southern California book not locked into the movie industry! And it sounds so interesting.

>260 BLBera: That sounds really good, Beth. My library has it, so I've added it to my "read soonish" list.

Mecca sounds very good, Beth. Thanks for the heads up - I'd not heard about it. Neither of my library systems has it for Kindle, but it's apparently sitting on the New Arrivals shelf at my "home" library, so I'll pick it up when I'm down there on Tuesday. According to the library record, it hasn't been checked out even once, so I think it'll probably still be there in a couple of days!

>265 brenzi: It is her new one, Bonnie. I will look for her backlist. That is a great title.

>266 quondame: Definitely not about the movie industry, Susan. It is amazing.

>267 lauralkeet: It is so good, Laura. I think you will like it.

>268 katiekrug: I haven't heard a lot about it, Katie, and it's a novel that deserves a lot of love. I hope you like it. I also had a new copy from my library.

63. The Midnight Library is my June book club read. It has an interesting premise. Nora Seed is depressed and decides to kill herself. She wakes up and finds herself in a library. All of the books are her possible lives. She opens a book and goes to the life she chooses.

It is an interesting premise, but after a few lives, it gets to be repetitive. I'm not sure how to get past that structural issue. Another quibble I have is that depression isn't really treated like an illness in this novel. Still, it should make for an interesting discussion. It raises questions about choice and life turning points.

If anyone wants my copy, PM me your address, and I'll send it your way after our discussion.

>268 katiekrug: that's wild, there are 9 holds on the copy(ies) in my library system.

I paged through my stack of library books to decide what to read next and the first couple of sentences of Love Marriage caught my eye:

"In the Ghorami household sex was never mentioned. If the television was on and a kissing-with-tongues scene threatened the chaste and cardamom-scented home, it was swiftly terminated by a flick of the black box."

So, Monica Ali, it is. :)

Go Rafa!

>272 BLBera: what a great paragraph! I've seen some excellent reviews of this book in the press, and I'm eager to know what you think of it.

>270 BLBera: I wondered that too; her depression will probably be with her no matter which life she chooses. I also couldnt get passed the idea that she can just jump in to her new life and have context and experience enought to even decide if she was interested let alone pick that life to live. Plus what happens to the lives of those she left behind and how does her prescence in a new lift affect the new people in her life. It was just a little too much like 'Its a wonderful life' for my taste. Gave it a 3* for effort

I agree with your take on The Midnight Library, Beth. And I'm going to see if I can find a copy of Mecca. Maybe our local library has a copy (or SPL may have it in e-book form).

>274 lauralkeet: I thought it sounded good, Laura. I'm just starting it.

>275 cindydavid4: I also rated it three stars, Cindy. It was a good idea.

>276 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. You will love Mecca. I think it will be one of my favorites this year. I have to check out her other books.

I'm simply stopping by to say hello.
>270 BLBera: I think I would have a difficult time reading The Midnight Library. Your review is a good one!

Hi Linda - It's nice to see you posting. I hope each day is better for you and that your pump is helping with the pain.

>260 BLBera: Ok, ok, another one added to the TBR, Mecca sounds very good.

I'm relieved by your review of The Midnight Library. It totally underwhelmed me and I though I was the only one! SO much praise everywhere but it didn't work for me.

I just finished Sea of Tranquility and absolutely loved it. I'm not hearing a lot of LT interest but I highly recommend it.

oh lots of people, me included loved it. Afterwards I read glass Hotel which has many of the same charactrs, but in a very different journey. Oustanding as well

>281 vivians: I'm reading Sea of Tranquility right now, Vivian! I don't usually read speculative fiction but I really liked Station Eleven and I'm enjoying this one too. At just past the halfway point I'm finally starting to connect some of the dots.

*waves hi to Beth*

>281 vivians: Hi Vivian. I hadn't heard a lot about The Midnight Library, but underwhelmed is a good way to describe my reaction. I loved Sea of Tranquility; Mandel is becoming a favorite of mine. Station Eleven is still my favorite though. You will love Mecca; it is wonderful.

>282 cindydavid4: Hi Cindy. I loved both as well.

>283 lauralkeet: Hi back, Laura.

HAppy Tuesday!

I agree with your review of the midnight library. I had similar feelings when I read it and thought that I was in the minority. It was an interesting idea though.

I reserved sea of tranquility from my local library a while ago. I think I am still 23rd in line.

The Sea of Tranquility is popular, Anita. When I checked it out, there were about 50 people waiting for it.

64. E Is for Evidence is another well plotted entry in the Kinsey Millhone series. In this one, Kinsey is framed for insurance fraud and works to prove her innocence. Along the way, she is forced to confront people from her past. Good audiobook.

One thing I am noticing about the Grafton books is that while they are entertaining, I remember very little about previous books.

65. Thin Places is part memoir and part natural history. Dochartaigh tells the story of growing up in Derry, of being firebombed in her home and living in fear most of time. She seeks solace and safety in the natural world and gives us her wonderful, poetic observations as she tries to heal from the trauma of her youth.

She is very concerned about the effects of Brexit on Northern Ireland and worries that invisible lines will bring new violence and terror to her country. She observes: "Divisions, fear -- the emphasis seems to be strictly on difference and separation, on borders and on keeping us apart, keeping us out."

One thing I found especially interesting is how she relates loss of language to loss of identity and understanding of place.

I thought the latter part of the memoir dragged a bit, but overall, this is a satisfying book and gives us insight into what it was like growing up in the midst of the Troubles.

>287 BLBera: Interesting comments, Beth. I agree with you that the Kinsey series is enjoyable but not memorable. I could never remember which plot line went with which title even while the series was actively being written. I'd read one, enjoy it, and then forget about the whole series until the next one came out.

>289 rosalita: Hi Julia. I'm not sure whether I don't remember because they just aren't that memorable or because I listen to them. I think I remember less when I listen.

66. Love Marriage
Yasmin Ghorami is a young medical student engaged to Joe, another doctor in training. While Yasmin's family is a socially conservative Indian family, Joe's mother is an academic currently writing a book about penises. As the novel opens, the parents are going to meet for the first time, and Yasmin is a bit anxious.

Although Yasmin is the center of this sprawling novel, other family relationships are also explored. What is the real story behind her parents' "love marriage"? Is Joe's relationship with his mother unhealthy? At times as I read, I thought there was too much going on, but in the end, Ali does manage to tie things together. We learn that no relationship is simple and that things are not always what they seem.

>291 BLBera: Hi Beth - I just heard about the Ali book on the "Books on the Go" podcast (one of my favorites) and added it to my list. Glad you enjoyed it, albeit with reservations.

I did like it quite a lot, Vivian. I think you'll like it as well.

I hope you are enjoying your retirement, Beth. Does it feel different from your usual time off yet?

Thanks Meg. It still feels like summer break and I've been busy, so it hasn't sunk in yet.

67. A Deceptive Devotion
In this installment of the Lane Winslow series, there is a lot happening: Lane and Inspector Darling are preparing to be married, Ames is in Vancouver at a training course, a Russian spy ready to defect to the British is arrested before his escape, and a Russian countess who speaks no English is foisted on Lane. Oh, and a local hunter is found murdered.

It's 1947, and people are seeing Communists everywhere as the Cold War is getting started. I would have liked to get a better sense of this in the novel; normally Whishaw is really good at setting, but I think there's too much going on in this novel for the paranoia of the times to really come through. And the characters of King's Cove are more background this time.

Lane's and Darling's discussions about what they expect from marriage is one part of the novel that I found interesting. Both wonder about the adjustments they will have to make.

Fans of the series will probably enjoy this one.

>296 BLBera: I think you placed this series on my radar a while ago, so once I've finished St. Cyr it will be next up for me.

I just got back from a conference in Banff and it felt wonderful to travel again. Still lots of Covid precautions, which was just fine with me. Any retirement travel in your future?

Hi Vivian - I was just talking to a friend about travel. I've been putting off planning things because of COVID, but I think it's time to realize that COVID is not going away, and I need to just plan what I want to do. I don't have any specific plans yet. My daughter and I have been kicking around the idea of Spain next year, so we'll see.

The Lane Winslow series is a good one, set in a time, immediately post WWII that isn't often written about. Whishaw says Lane is based on her mother's wartime experiences.

I keep meaning to pick up the St. Cyr series. I think I read the first one, or possibly two, and enjoyed it.

Beth, I was the same way about planning travel and finally just decided to do it because it is what it is at this point. I feel like COVID isn't going to go away, the 30% or whatever of unvaccinated people aren't going to suddenly change their minds, so I don't really see what the ideal state in terms of being able to travel is. I asked myself what would make me 100% comfortable and the things that came to mind are basically never going to happen, and I'm not willing to never go anywhere again.

That said, I paid more attention to cancellation terms, insurance, etc. than I usually do :)

I have friends who just spent 2 weeks in Spain and Portugal with their two pre-teens, and the photos renewed my interest in going to both places...

Positive comments on Love Marriage duly noted!

>299 katiekrug: I tend to agree with you, Katie. In general when it comes to Covid, "it is what it is at this point." Remember how 9/11 changed how we travel, in terms of security screenings and carrying liquids in your luggage? We've become accustomed to that now. I suspect covid has changed some aspects of life permanently, and we are still adjusting to that.

The COVID thing is weird, I got really nervous the first train I went on after not travelling for so long, and then it just seemed to click back into place.

I've never been to Spain, and would love to go back to Portugal. But having been in the summer, I'd like to visit both in the winter / spring when hopefully the temps wouldn't be quite so difficult (for me) to deal with. There's a university library (maybe in Coimbra?) that just looks amazing. Maybe I'll take my leave in October this year instead!

Katie: You are so wise. My kids both studied at the University of Granada, and of course I had to visit them. They also have cousins who live in Madrid. So, we'll probably spend some time there and see what else strikes us. We've never been to Portugal, so that is a possibility.

>300 lauralkeet: Isn't Katie smart, Laura? I will be anxious to hear about your trip, which is fast approaching.

>301 charl08: Spring and autumn are lovely in Spain, Charlotte, but I agree that summer is too hot. I think we'll try to go in May. We are limited by the school year.

I paused to listen to the Women's Prize for Fiction announcement. Ruth Ozeki won! I was cheering for The Sentence, but The Book of Form and Emptiness was one of my top three.

Beth, my daughter Julia also studied at Granada. We visited about a year later and met up with her host mom. She spoke no English and yet it was wonderful to meet her. We really enjoyed visiting Granada as well.

I’m glad to see your positive thoughts on the Ozeki. I haven’t paid much attention to the prize this year.

>303 BLBera: She seems really lovely. I listened to an interview after she won. She talked about the prize organisation being really great for writers. I liked all the shortlisted books this year. I can't remember a time that has ever happened with any prize.

>304 lauralkeet: Cool, Laura. Granada is a fun city. I have now been through the Alhambra three times, during three seasons. I thought it was most beautiful in May. The sultana's garden was lovely then. The Ozeki was wonderful.

>305 charl08: It was a good list this year, Charlotte. I still have some to read. I'll have to look for the interview. Ozeki seems very zen.

I was also cheering for The Sentence, dang it. Travel sounds fun! Screw Covid and just do your best. : )

Oh well - and the book we read together won! I like your sentiments about travel. I hope to see you sometime this summer in Minnesota. :)

I'm in a bit of a reading funk. Yesterday, I picked up half a dozen books and put them down. Then, I started Home to Woefield, which seems to be the bit of light reading that I need right now.

Hi Beth, your mention of author Susan Straight saw me heading to Amazon to check her out. I picked up A Million Nightingales and have added Mecca to my wishlist. My sister and her daughter-in-law have just returned from travelling in Spain, they both loved it but unfortunately, both came home with Covid. Sigh ...

I'll watch for your comments on the Straight book, Judy. I have to check my library to see if we have other work by her.

I guess it's time to start a new thread. I'll get on that.