Chautauquan's second year page 3

This is the Amsterdam - my home for the next two months. If you would like to follow our journey you can do so at
Rquastler.wordpress.com

My reading goals this year are to:
- read at least 75 books
- continue working toward reading all winners of Pulitzer Prize for fiction
- continue working toward reading at least one book by each winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

BOOKS READ IN 2013

January
1. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
2. What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael J. Sandel
3. The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter
4. The Habit by Susan Morse
5. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
6. Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz
7. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
8. Vipers' Tangle by Francois Mauriac

February
9. The Fishing Fleet: Husband Hunting in the Raj by Anne de Courcy
10.Red Sorghum by Mo Yan
11. The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau
12. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
13. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot

March
14. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
15. Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser
16. Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass
17. The Fixer by Bernard Malamud
18. The Cove by Ron Ras
19. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
20. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
21. A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar by Suzanne Joinson
22. Dog On It by

April
23. Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
24. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith
25. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
26. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
27. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith
28. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
29. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
30. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith
31. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
32. Tiny Beautiful Things by Doris Strayed
33. Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins
34. Straight Man by Richard Russo

May
35. Prairie Fever by Peter Magnamenta
36. Nothing Daunted by Dorothy Wickenden
37. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Baines
38. Stiff by Mary Roach
39. Some Assembly Required by Lynn Kiele Bonasia
40. Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart

June
41. Elbow Room by James Alan McPherson
42. The First Man by Albert Camus
43. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
44. A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
45. We Are Taking Only What We Need by Stephanie Powell Watts
46. The Late George Apley by John P. Marquand
47. Last Ape Standing by Chip Walter

July
48.The Case for God by Karen Armstrong (audio)
49. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
50. Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan
51. Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS (for fiction) read in 2013

1. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (1947)
2. The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter (1966)
3. The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau (1965)
4. Martin Dressler: A Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser (1997)
5. The Fixer by Bernard Malamud(1967)
June
6. Elbow Room by James Alan McPherson (1978)
7. A Bell for Adano by John Hersey (1945)
8. The Late George Apley by John P. Marquand

Pulitzer Prize Winners read before 2013
1. The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1928) by Thornton Wilder
2. The Magnificent Ambersons (1919) by Booth Tarkington
3. The Stories of John Cheever (1979)
4. The Optimist’s Daughter (1973) by Eudora Welty
5. The Able McLaughlins (1924) by Margaret Wilson
6. His Family (1918 – first award) by Ernest Poole
7. Early Autumn (1927) by Louis Bromfield
8. The Reivers (1963) by William Faulkner
9. A Death in the Family (1958) by James Agee
10.The Good Earth (1932) by Pearl Buck
11.Angle of Repose (1972) by Wallace Stegner
12. A Visit from the Goon Squad (2011) by Jennifer Egan
13. Tinkers (2010) by Paul Harding
14. Olive Kitteridge (2009) by Elizabeth Strout
15. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2008) by Junot Diaz
16. The Road (2007) by Cormac McCarthy
17. March (2006) by Geraldine Brooks
18. Gilead (2005) by Marilynne Robinson
19. The Known World (2004) by Edward P. Jones
20. Middlesex (2003) by Jeffrey Eugenides
21. Empire Falls (2002) by Richard Russo
22. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (2001) by Michael Chabon
23. Interpreter of Maladies (2000) by Jhumpa Lagiri
24. The Hours (1999) by Michael Cunningham
25. American Pastoral (1998) by Philip Roth
26. Independence Day (1996) by Richard Ford
27. The Stone Diaries (1995) by Carol Shields
28. The Shipping News (1994) by E. Annie Proulx
29. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain (1993) by Robert Olen Butler
30. A Thousand Acres (1992) by Jane Smiley
31. Rabbit at Rest (1991) by John Updike
32. The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (1990) by Oscar Hijuelos
33. Breathing Lessons (1989) by Anne Tyler
34. Beloved (1988) by Toni Morrison
35. A Summons to Memphis (1987) by Peter Taylor
36. Lonesome Dove (1986) by Larry Mcmurtry
37. Foreign Affairs (1985) by Alison Lurie
38. Ironweed (1984) by William Kennedy
39. The Color Purple (1983) by Alice Walker
40. Rabbit is Rich (1982) by John Updike
41. A Confederacy of Dunces (1961) by John Kennedy Toole
42.Humboldt’s Gift (1976) by Saul Bellow
43. House Made of Dawn (1969) by N. Scott Momaday
44. To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) by Harper Lee
45. The Old Man and the Sea (1953) by Ernest Hemingway
46. The Grapes of Wrath (1940) by John Steinbeck
47. The Yearling (1939) by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
48. Gone With the Wind (1937) by Margaret Mitchell
49. Arrowsmith (1926) by Sinclair Lewis
50. So Big (1925) by Edna Ferber
51. One of Ours (1923) by Willa Silbert Cather
52. Alice Adams (1922) by Booth Tarkington
53. The Age of Innocence (1921) by Edith Wharton
54. The Orphan Master's Son (2013)

note: the year in parenthesis is the year the book won the Pulitzer Prize

Books by Nobel Prize Winners read in 2013

1. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (1946)
2. Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz (2002)
3. Vipers' Tangle by Francois Mauriac (1952)
4. Red Sorghum by Mo Yan (2012)
5. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot(1948)
6. The First Man by Albert Camus (1957)

Book by Nobel Prize Winners read before 2013

1. Ernest Hemingway (1954): A Moveable Feast, The Sun Also Rises, Old Man and the Sea
2. Pearl Buck (1938): The Good Earth
3. W. B. Yeats (1923): A Poet to His Beloved: The Early Love Poems of W. B. Yeats
4. William Faulkner (1949): The Reivers
5. Doris Lessing (2007): The Sweetest Dream
6. Gunter Grass (1999): The Box: Tales from the Dark Room
7. Rudyard Kipling (1907): Captains Courageous
8. Yasunari Kawabata (1968): Snow Country
9. Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1982): Love in the Time of Cholera
10. Mario Vargas Llosa (2010): The Storyteller
11. Sinclair Lewis (1930): Main Street, Babbitt, Arrowsmith
12. John Steinbeck (1962): The Grapes of Wrath
13. Saul Bellow (1976): Humboldt’s Gift, Herzog
14. Toni Morrison (1993): Beloved, The Bluest Eye
15. John M. Coetzee (2003); Disgrace

note: the year in parenthesis is the year the author was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature

Yay, I'm first!

Good morning Susan -- thanks for stopping by :-)

A new thread for Reba! Happy New Thread!

Thank you -- you helped get me here and now I have one more thing done for the trip :-)

Happy New Thread - it's our 25th Anniversary as well this year but we're only managing 3 weeks! Have a great trip!

okay... posted on the old thread.. ooops! Maybe you can post your blog link on your profile page? Then we can find you more easily?

Hi, Reba! I liked your review of 'Martin Dressler'. I read it several years ago and my reaction was almost exactly yours. I think I enjoyed the glimpse into the time period more than the actual story, but none of it was bad.

Ohh, Roni, the cruise looks fabulous!! Enjoy, enjoy!

You asked about Trollope on previous thread. Yes, I have read many of his; he is one of my favourite authors! Last year, I finished the Barsetshire series, six novels in all. This year, I've started his Palliser novels, another six. So far, of the Pallisers, I've read Can You Forgive Her? and Phineas Finn. Both were excellent, but if I had to pick a favourite it would be Can You Forgive Her?. Most of Trollope I listen to on audiobook; Simon Vance narrates most of them, and he is just sublime!

Rhian, we're a good bit older than you which means that we're retired and have the time and also that we won't live long enough to have a 50th (or, if by some wild chance we did we'd be far too old to travel far) so we decided to do this one up big.

Kath -- also a good idea, I will

Hi Julia -- it's always nice to have one's opinion confirmed :-)

Hi Nancy -- Thanks -- I had a generic "Trollope" on my wish list. I've now refined that to read "Can You Forgive Her?"

Congrats on the new thread, Reba! I hope you are having a wonderful time - so great that you are soaking up the moments!

Nog 2 nachtjes slapen! Good luck with all last things before you can leave.

Inderdaad! En daarna vele uren vliegen...ik zal blij zijn als we eindelijk aanboord zitten.

Wow! Lots of photos pls of your ports of call. So much fun.

WOW! Look what I missed. 2 months at sea sounds amazing! Have a fabulous time, Reba! I'll be checking in on your blog. It looks like you're going to be seeing quite a bit of the world and I can't wait to see pictures and hear about your adventures. :)

I'll do my best on the photo score but they're be on the blog, not here. I only expect to report reading here while I'm gone because I have to be conservative with my use of expensive on-board wifi minutes.

Okay, when are you actually off? Any time now, I presume!

Bon voyage to the both of you and hopefully see you soon.

Hi Roni and Paul -- We leave for the airport first thing in the morning -- fly at 10:30. Tomorrow will be a very long day. Hope to see you in Langkawi, Paul. Hope to see you when we get home, Roni.

#14 we're a good bit older than you which means that we're retired -it's funny but sometimes I get completely wrong ideas about people's ages on LT! I think the school would object if we took my son out for two months. I suppose actually they'd object more if I took my husband out for two months! Hope you enjoy Langkawi, we will be there for a few days in the summer as well.

Hope you'll have a wonderful trip, Reba!

Reba, if you're online before you go, have a great time! We'll miss you but I think quite a few people have the blog bookmarked, so we'll be following along.

Susan, Diana and Rhiana -- thank you for seeing us off. We're at the airport, awaiting the first flight. It's gonna be a long day!! an hour to SAn Francisco, then an hour on the ground, then 14 hrs. 40 min. to Hong Kong, then taxi to the ship, then boarding procedures, then...bed. I'm quite sure I'll sleep well.

Reba, that does sound like a loooong day. Maybe you'll be able to nap on the plane :-)

That 14 hours is always over-estimated! Shouldn't be more than 13 1/2!

I'm excited to follow your journey on the blog! Safe travels.

I got your blog bookmarked, too, Reba! Safe travels!

Actually flight was scheduled to be 14 hours 45 minutes but we did it in 14 hrs. 15 -- and we survived...but it wasn't fun. I did manage to read a really good book though.

The Fixer by Bernard Malamud

1966 Pulitzer Prize winner and winner of the National Book Award

Yakov Bok is a young Russian jew living "beyond the Pale" in a poor village in 1911. He is intelligent and literate and longs for better things. His wife has recently run off with another man. He has been outside the village briefly in a brief stint as a soldier so he decides to make his way to Kiev to search for opportunity. He makes a good start but is ultimately falsely accused of a crime. The book is powerful. It's a great story. I got knots in my stomach reading about the twists and turns of Yakov's fate. But, perhaps more importantly, it's a very clear depiction of Russian oppression but it also has shows the struggles real people have and includes good, decent people sruggling to do the right thing.

Ostrovsky had reminded him that there was much more wrong with Russia than its anti-Semitism. Those who persecute the innocent were themselves never free.

Glad you made it. I assume you are on the ship now, so it should be all smooth sailing from here on!

Hi Reba! That flight doesn't sound like fun. I hope the cruise is going well, and at least there is no long flight at the end of it!

Glad you had a good book for your long flight, Reba!

So nice to log on and hear from you Roni, Susan and Amy. We're at sea today, will be in Viet Nam tomorrow. Sea is calm and weather not too hot (yet) lol.

I just asked those questions on your blog! Enjoy your day at sea--I'm sure you still have some sleeping catch-up to do.

hmmm I need to check you blog!

A belated Bon Voyage, Reba. I can't wait to hear all about your fabulous trip, hopefully in person in Lawrence, KS! I just thought you were going to Hong Kong. Didn't realize you were on a long voyage. Hope you don't get sea sick! I will check out the blog for pictures and more trip details.

The Cove by Ron Ras

Laurel and her brother Hank live on a farm in a dark cove in the Carolinas. Laurel was very smart and did well in school but had to quit when her father became very weak, and then died, from a heart problem. The mother died a few years later. The locals were very superstitious and thought that Laurel was a witch because she had a large purple birthmark. Hank lost a hand in WWI and was more accepted when he came back as a war hero but Laurel was shunned and lonely. One day she finds a stranger in the woods playing beautiful music on a flute. When she is cleaning his clothes she finds a note saying that he can't speak because of a childhood illness and that he wants to buy a train ticket to New York. She and Hank manage to talk him into staying around to help build a fence that Hank can't do with only one hand. Laurel is attracted to the stranger and Hank thinks it may be her only chance for happiness. And so the story unfolds. It is an interesting tale of the lives of these three main characters but also a story of prejudice of different kinds. A very worthwhile book.

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

In this book, we meet CC de Poitiers, a cold, ambitious woman who has purchased the "old Hadley place" and has just self-published a book about Li Bien which she claims is an ancient eastern belief system based on the color white. She believes, among other things, that everything must strive toward whiteness and order and that all emotions should be repressed. She has a husband who is a weak man and a daughter, Crie, who is bright and has a beautiful singing voice but who is very over-weight and socially inept. CC despises them both and treats them with contempt. She is also having an affair with a photographer she has hired to take photos for her book and for a catalog of "lifestyle" items, based on her Li Bien theory, that she hopes to release soon. These four people join with the residents of Three Pines to provide another page-turner from Louise Penny.

Hi Kath and Donna -- nice to hear from you. Don't worry Donna, since I found ginger tablets and meclizine I never get seasick. Besides, so far the seas have been like glass.

Reba, glad you enjoyed A Fatal Grace as much as I did : ). Ahh, glass seas ...

Reba, I'm glad it's going well, and your husband's luggage arrived!

Reba, I'm following along with your blog. Love seeing the pictures there!

Hi Kathy, Nancy and Susan. We're in a McDonalds in Langkawi, Malaysia enjoying the cool and their free WiFi so I get a chance to take at peek at LT. We've been in port a lot and I've become involved in knitting for Linus Project on board so not getting as much reading done as I would like. We have a couple of sea days coming up though so perhaps it will improve.

I say don't stress about reading! If ever there was a good reason for not reading much it's having the cruise of a lifetime with your beloved.

Did I read somewhere here you would be meeting with Paul? Or did I dream that?

wow 2 months at sea! I would die of seasickness but my husband would love it! If I could cure my seasickness then that would be a really cool trip!
Have an amazing time!

We were trying to meet up with Paul yesterday but he had an important business meeting so couldn't leave Kuala Lumpur. We had a very nice day on a beautiful island off the coast of northern Malaysia even though it didn't include him.

I used to get terribly seasick but with larger boats and my discovery of ginger capsules and meclizine I never have even a single moment of discomfort. Try the combo on a short cruise sometime and I bet you'll be fine.

Glad you trip is going so well Reba. It's unfortunate you didn't get to meet Paul.

Hi, Reba. Company is gone now, so I'll be back at your blog soon to catch up on your trip.

A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar
by Suzanne Joinson

A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar is written in a form that I often find annoying, jumping between two story lines on in India in 1922 and one in present day London. In this case, however, it didn't take long for each track to become so interesting that I wasn't annoyed.

In 1922 India, we meet three English women missionaries. The eldest, Millicent, is the leader of the group. She has recruited Elizabeth, a young, delicate woman who has strong religious feelings. The third member of the party is Evangeline, Elizabeth's older sister who misrepresented her religious feelings in order to come along for the adventure and to take care of her sister. Elizabeth is planning to write a book entitled "A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar" and has brought a bicycle along. Millicent insists that they penetrate past areas where missionaries have worked before and, therefore, past where there is a support system for them. On the road one day they spot a 10-year-old girl who is about to give birth and stop to help her. When she dies they are blamed and forced to stay in the area to await trial. They also take the baby because they are afraid that she would otherwise be left to die.

In "present day" London, we meet Frieda a young writer who is in a relationship with a married man and a young man from Yemen who has been living in the country illegally for 15 years.

I'll leave the introduction there in order not to spoil the plot for those who may want to read it. I will say that I liked the book very much -- didn't love it but liked it a lot. ****

Reba.....thanks for not spoiling the plot....this has been sitting in my TBR pile for several months and I intend to get to it this year. So glad you're enjoying your trip.

Reba - What a lot of great reading you've been doing!
So sorry we weren't able to meet up the other day but I trust that Langkawi was lovely without me imposing on your time. Hope that the food at the Loaf was ok too.

I'm disappointed that you didn't get to meet Paul but maybe you can rectify that this summer in the U.S. how cool that you found a knitting group on the ship. I enjoy following your blog.

Lovely photo of you with the knitting group, Reba! How peaceful it must be, just sailing and knitting :-)

Hi Reba, I trust you're still having a blast on the high seas? I like the picture of the knitting group, how fun! I hope you girls don't run out of yarn. Or have you been picking some up along the way?

Great to see that you are enjoying the cruise. So much fun to see how things are going via the blog.

Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton

I read this book because we're traveling to South Africa. Although it's quite an old book, it's a classic and I had never read it. I finished it last night as we sailed from Mozambique to Richards Bay, South Africa.

For those who, like me, had never read this lovely book it's about the problems faced by changes in South African society during the mid-twentieth century, especially the problems faced by young rural blacks who move to the city and have trouble coping successfully with urban life. The story is divided into three "books". The first tells the story of Rev. Stephen Kumalo, a black Anglican priest in a rural village, and his family. He receives word that his sister, who left the village to find her husband who had gone to the mines and never returned, is living a sinful life in Johannesburg. He decides to go to the city to find her and also to find his son who moved to the city about an year ago and has stopped writing. In the city he is helped by a number of people as he follows the trail of his sister and son.

The second book is about a white family. The parents are large land-owners in the area of the village where the Kumalo's live. The son has moved to the City and made a successful life with his wife and two children. The son and daughter-in-law are sympathetic to the plight of the blacks whose tribal structure has been broken down by white society without providing a replacement.

I won't spoil the story by telling more but I will say that this is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. The language is like poetry and the story is full of humanity. It is one of my favorite books ever. Since I've given ***** to lessen books I guess I'll just have to give this one six ******.

Reba, that's a great review! I've never read it either, but I know that it's supposed to be a great read.

I've been following the blog - it sounds like you're seeing everything! Glad there were no pirate issues.

Wonderful review, Reba! Onto the WL it goes! After all, how can I pass up six stars?!

I have Cry, The Beloved Country on my category list this year. I can't wait to read it now!

Reba> When I worked at an academic library in Ohio, one of the English teachers always had her students read Paton's novel. The students really appreciated the book after their study. You would often hear them discussing it--long after they'd completed that English course.

Hi all - thanks for your kind messages. Just wanted to add a little bit about what I learned about McCall Smith & No. 1 Ladies while in Botswana.

While in Botswana I had a fun tour of sites related to The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. Through it I learned a number of interesting things about the books. First of all, nearly all of the stories are based on actual happenings. One exception was the tale of the twin dentists but, by and large, the stories are based on fact. Some of the characters are actual people. Rev. Trevor Mwamba was actually the Anglican Bishop of Botswana, In the first episode of the HBO series, which opens with Mma. Ramotswe's father's funeral, the Rev. played himself. Also, in the final scene at graveside, where Mma. Ramotswe is standing next to the Rev., the woman on the other side of him was the then- Minister of Health who hand just finished playing Mma. Ramotswe in an amateur theater production.

Another actual character is Dr. Moffet who operates the clinic in the stories. The real Dr. Moffet was a school friend of McCall Smith from Rhodesia who, indeed, founded a medical clinic in Gaborone.

In 2001 the first mall, River Walk, opened in Gaborone. The Full Cupboard of Life had already been written when the mall opened but McCall Smith rewrote the opening to reflect the change to the city. From that point on, the Equatorial Coffee Shop at River Walk was used as a model for Mma. Ramotswe's favorite coffee shop. You can still look across at the eucalyptus that she mentions as you sit there.

The address on Zebra Way was the address of a friend of McCall Smith's. It has since sold twice and has been remodeled into a huge house but a few doors down the street are some of the small houses like the one described at Mma. Ramotswe's home in the books.

We stayed at the President Hotel, which is in the middle of the city. It has a terrace called "Mma. Ramotswe's Tea Corner" although she never drank tea that the President in the books (she did drink coffee there, however).

I read The Kalahari Typing School for Men on the flight from Gaborone to Cape Town. I've always enjoyed the books but it's so much better now that I recognize many of the places mentioned.

Reba, that does sound like fun. The books must have given Botswana tourism a real boost - maybe a bit like Lord of the Rings in New Zealand. I want to reread my collection now - maybe I'll fit the first one in soon. So you're back on the ship? I think I checked the blog yesterday or the day before and saw tha Botswana entries.

Wow Reba, that sounds amazing! What neat trivia, thank you for sharing. It makes me want to see the show again. I enjoyed the books but the show was so well done.

The lead ladies on the show were both American. The show was premiered in a big auditorium in Gaborone. When it first came on the audience burst into laughter at the accent of the actress playing Mma. Ramotswe. By the end of the series her accent was quite good, however, we're told. But yes, I thought the series was very well done.

Reba - I am loving getting to travel vicariously through you. Such good pics on your blog! And Cry the Beloved Country went right on my TBR. Six stars - wow!

Hi Amy -- nice to hear from you and glad you're enjoying the blog. I wish I could include more photos but the connection isn't good and I'm not proficient enough with the program :-( We are surely having the trip of a lifetime though.

Reba - Catching up because I too have been on my travels albeit more pedestrianly back to Mum in England for a few weeks.

Nice review of Paton's masterpiece which reminded me too how much I enjoyed it myself many moons ago.

Hi Paul -- good to hear from you. Hope you had a good trip home and that your Mom and brother are doing well/better. We''re nearing the end of this amazing trip -- just 1 1/2 weeks to go. It's going to be fun (but a huge job) catching up with LT when I get back to our home cable connection.

Hi Reba. Time does go quickly - I am surprised that your trip is so close to being finished. Are you also planning your annual trip to The Chautauqua Institute? I loved Cry the Beloved Country, which I read many years ago. It is on my mental list of books that I really would like to re-read some day.

Yes, we're going to be at Chautauqua for the entire season this summer because I'll be working there :-) We'll only be home for 3 weeks before we leave again.

Nothing Daunted by Dorothy Wickenden

Nothing Daunted tells the story of two well-to-do Smith graduates who ventured west to rural Colorado in 1916 to teach school. The beginning of the book includes information about their families and their travels and education as girls but the bulk of the book describes their life in the mountains in northwest Colorado where a well-educated young attorney had organized a school district and built a two-room school house to provide "winter school" for the children in Routt County. Although the two were well-educated they had no training or experience as teachers nor had they ever lived in rustic circumstances. They did have cheerful, accepting natures and a thirst for adventure which made them embrace the hardships they would encounter in the coming year. The book is a charming description both of the young women and of life in the early 20th century rural west.

>71 RebaRelishesReading: Lucky you!

We're home!! The bags are unpacked and the first load of laundry just announced that it's ready to come out of the dryer. I'll try to catch up a bit over the weekend!

Welcome home!

Woo hoo! Welcome home!

Welcome back!

Welcome home, Reba! I enjoyed following along on the blog - you saw some wonderful things. I can't believe the time has gone so quickly. Neither can you, probably!

It seems like we were gone about 2 weeks. It was indeed a wonderful trip and we visited places I never expected to go. I still have to finish up the blog. I ran out of internet minutes and didn't want to buy more. I hope to get to that tomorrow. Meanwhile, we're unpacked, suitcases have been returned to storage, laundry is done and the mail has been sorted (which left a grocery cart full of junk to recycle tomorrow). This means I should be able to devote most of tomorrow to "desk stuff". But for now, "great to see you and good night".

Welcome back to the "real world," Reba! I too enjoyed following you and your husband on your amazing journey through the blog. I hope you are still planning your stop in Lawrence, KS, on June 13 because I want to hear more about it in person. Brenda and Terri will have their own amazing adventures in Philadelphia to share. It's a good thing that I'm a good listener!

Welcome back!

Can't wait to hear "the rest of the story". Relax and enjoy the memories. We'll be here and so will you so we can take your stories in tiny tidbits to be savored slowly. Welcome back.

Thank you :-) Didn't get to it today and grandkids are coming tomorrow -- maybe Sunday.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

The story begins with three English school friends, Alex, Colin and the narrator who are joined by a fourth, Adrian, who is smarter, more philosophical and more independent of thought that the other three. It continues by following the narrator through his life to retirement and then circles back to review parts of it from the perspective of late life. At one point an ex-girl friend tells him "you don't understand now, you never did and you never will". He discovers what she means at the end of the book. I, however, only understood part of what she meant. I would love to discuss it with someone and see if I could figure out the rest but, at any rate, it's a quick and enjoyable read a book that is staying in my mind. *** 1/2

Nothing Daunted by Dorothy Wickenden

Nothing Daunted tells the story of two well-to-do Smith graduates who ventured west to rural Colorado in 1916 to teach school. The beginning of the book includes information about their families and their travels and education as girls but the bulk of the book describes their life in the mountains in northwest Colorado where a well-educated young attorney had organized a school district and built a two-room school house to provide "winter school" for the children in Routt County. Although the two were well-educated they had no training or experience as teachers nor had they ever lived in rustic circumstances. They did have cheerful, accepting natures and a thirst for adventure which made them embrace the hardships they would encounter in the coming year. The book is a charming description both of the young women and of life in the early 20th century rural west.

Got the blog finished today. I even went back and put in the missing photos that didn't upload on the sometime weak connections at sea.

Thank you Roni, Rhonda, Julia, Amy, Tina and Bonnie for leaving posts on my blog while we were away. I loved hearing from you! Sorry I didn't always get to respond. I was foiled by a combinations of not really knowing what I was doing on the blog site and having really poor connections sometimes.

It sounds wonderful! Glad you are having such a wonderful time..

Hi Kath!! Thanks for stopping by. It's so nice to have visitors.

I finally finished a book!! I've been so busy since I got home that I've hardly read anything. I had started Letters of a Woman Homesteader on the ship but only read a bit once. I'm reading it on Kindle, however, and sat down a few minutes ago to read it and just a few pages later reached the end.

Letters of a Woman Homesteader is just that, letters written by a young widow who left Denver in 1909 with her two year old daughter to try and make a better life. She had been working as a "daily domestic" and moved to Wyoming to become the live-in housekeeper for a Scottish cattleman. She decides to try homesteading and claims the plot next to her employeer's land. The letters chronicle her life in Wyoming through 1913. It's a heart-warming story of early 20th century life in the west.

Now that you are home, can you sum up your feelings about the cruise?

Oh my, that's hard.

It was wonderful. I got to places I wanted to go but never expected to reach (South Africa and Botswana especially). I love visiting out-of-the-way places and we did a fair bit of that. The sense of community among the people on the world cruise was interesting (and nice). When we got back to San Diego I really didn't want to get off the ship (even though I love being home too). Does that give you a sense of it?

Reba, I think you did a great job expressing your feelings about your cruise. Did you make any lasting friendships - or is it too soon to tell?

Wow, Letters of a Woman Homesteader sounds like a courageous story. When I think of the hardships our predecessors faced, I blush about my petty complaints about long lines at the supermarket, etc.

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day to you too! We did meet a couple from Australia that we really liked and teamed up with during the first leg (Hong Kong to Cape Town, where they disembarked). We have vague plans to see them again which we hope will actually happen.

I was amazed at how hard the woman's life was in Wyoming even as late as 1913. I guess you rise to the occassion but, wow, I'm not sure I could do what she did.

Overcast cool morning -- perfect for the Rock 'n Roll Marathon. Woke up to a loud band but before I got breakfast made the race had already passed us by, band was quiet and streets reopened. The runners have a long way to go yet but in our neighborhood you would never know it.

Reba, you've been so quiet, I almost forgot you are here! Have you shifted yet from settling back in to getting ready to head out again?

Yes, I'd say that happened about last Friday. I am enjoying a couple of days of quiet time before I really get seriously busy again starting Wednesday. We made it to the market this morning and then to Kennsington Cafe for lunch today. I then spent the afternoon knitting. Plan to read a bit after I catch up here. Such luxuries!! I hope you're having a good weekend.

I was trying to decide which of the books from my TBR stack to take with me and then realized I'm going to want to buy a bunch of "real" books on the trip so just added A Rule Against Murder, The Brutal Telling and Bury Your Dead, all from Louise Penny to my already amply supplied iPad and am going to leave all of the others home.

Glad you enjoyed Letters of a Woman Homesteader. I'm heading to San Diego on Saturday and will be there for a conference most of the week. Do you have bookstore recommendations? I'm not sure I'll even have time to go to one, but it's always a good thing to know where they are!

The only used bookstore I would recommend is Adam Ave. books in the University Heights are (there is also a University City -- NOT that one). I believe there is a good new bookstore in La Jolla but I only heard about it recently and have never been there. I don't remember the name. If you're in Coronado, there's a nice new bookstore on Orange Avenue. It's not exceptional but I used to live near there and used it all the time then.

Too bad about the timing. I would suggest a meet-up except we leave Saturday morning for our summer in Chautauqua!!

Yes. I don't arrive until that evening. I do plan to head out to Coronado. I have to see the hotel again and walk on the fabulous beach there. I'll try that used bookstore if I have a chance, and I'll see if I can find info on the store in La Jolla.

Have a good trip and hope you enjoy San Diego while you're here.

Where I have I been? You've been to Botswana and back! Welcome home, but now you are dashing off again.

I'll be in Geneseo, just a bit north of you, in Western New York state for ten days or so later in the month, family stuff. I can wave in your direction, as it is the closest we are ever likely to get!

I had to give up on Kashgar because I had it on an audiobook with the most annoying reader ever.

Hi Lucy -- thanks for stopping by! Yes, we've been to Botswana (which was wonderful) and many other places and are in the final stages of getting ready to go again. Three weeks between these trips is really cutting it fine!! Please do wave -- but you never know, the way we travel we may be in Vermont again some day :-)

Too bad about Kashgar being poorly read It wasn't the best book I ever read but I did enjoy it. I had a series of books about late 19th/early 20th century people living adventuresome lives there for a while. Trying to finish Elbow Room a Pulitzer prize book of short stories but finding it hard to find time right now. One more story to go.

Hope you're having a good week.

Hi Reba, just popping to catch up with you!
I absolutely adored seeing the photos on your blog during the cruise. You take lovely pictures. :)

Kathy -- thank you so much! It's nice to know people enjoyed the blog. It was a fun way for me to feel a bit in touch by"telling" folks at home what we were up to.

Elbow Room by James Alan McPherson

I've been having difficulty finding time to read since we got home but finally managed to finish a book. Elbow Room is a Pulitzer Prize winning collection of short stories. The jacket describes it as "a beautiful collection of short stories that explores blacks and white today". I'm not a big fan of short stories and this book didn't really over come that, however, most of the stories held my attention and it was interesting to see the African-American perspective.

We'll be off in a little bit to load the RV then tomorrow we hit the road for what may be our last RV trip. I have seriously mixed feelings about that...not about the trip but about possibly/probably selling the RV when we get home. I'm really looking forward to summer at Chautauqua though :-)

I've always wanted to do a long RV trip...

One of the benefits of age :-)

Bon voyage, Reba!

I apologize if you've discussed it before and I've forgotten, Reba, but why are you considering selling the RV? You seem to have such a great time traveling around!

Thank you Roni.

Julia -- because its' pretty expensive to pay insurance, license, storage, and maintenance for no more than we use it. Three months this summer makes it worthwhile but we have no more plans for major road trips and i don't plan to work at Chautauqua after this year which means we'll only be there for 3 weeks or so and will want to stay "on the grounds" in an apartment so it won't be worth driving the RV just to store it for the whole time we're there. It's a wonerful RV and perfect for us but we just think we've done what we want to do in an RV.

Reba, that makes a lot of sense. It certainly does sound like its time has perhaps come and gone in your lives. It's great that you have so many wonderful memories of the places you've been and the things you've seen.

Have no fear - we'll continue to travel just not in an RV. Our decision has been underscored by this trip, which hasn't been easy so far. Here's a summary:

We went to the storage lot Friday to clean and stock for the trip. Found a mouse has spent part of the winter so there was extra cleaning to do. As we left we turned on the refrigerator so it would be cool Saturday when we brought the fridge food down.

Saturday we did the laundry and got the house ready for the "kids" who will be using it a couple of weekends while we're gone. Then packed up the food and headed out. Got to the RV to find that the fridge hadn't turned on. Started the generator and got fridge going, loaded the fridge food and hooked up the tow-car. Drove to the dump area to empty the black and grey tanks. Pump wouldn't start. Turned out that and the fridge were because it hasn't been properly taken off of "storage" mode (hub thought he had pushed the button but apparently not hard enough). Got that straightened out and noticed we were low on LP so got someone to come and sell us some. Left the storage lot. A mile or so out hub realized he had forgotten his cell phone so we took RV-towing-car into our very urban neighborhood so he could run in and pick it up. Made it to first RV park at 9:00 p.m. It was 103 degrees. Turned on the A/C which ran a few minutes and then stopped. Turned out the plug from the RV to the main hadn't been pushed in well enough.

Sunday we headed out and, while driving through Utah on the I-70, our "slide-out" slid out!!!!! We pulled over and found that it has somehow broken so that it now slides freely back and forth instead of needing a motor to do so. We've wedged it with a table so it only sticks out about 6 inches and we're driving it that way until we can get to the factory in Indiana to get it fixed.

Today (thank God) has been uneventful except we were on the road for 11 hours trying to make enough time to get to Indiana before Friday!!

Cruising is MUCH easier lol

The First Man is Albert Camus' last work which was found in the wreckage of the car Camus was killed in. It was still just a handwritten manuscript and remained unpublished until 1995 when Camus' children decided to publish it just as it was.

The story is gripping and lovely. It is a semi-autobiographical novel about a man born in Algeria and living in France as an adult. It begins with his birth in Algeria on the night his parents arrive at a small village where the father is to become a farm manager. The mother is a descendent of Spanish refugees to Algeria and the father is French. The father dies when the main character is an infant and he is raised by his mother, who is partially deaf, and his maternal grandmother. The family also includes an older brother and the mother's brother who is totally deaf. Their only income is what the uncle earns in a barrel factory and a small pension the mother receives from the father's death. We follow this character to adulthood and then back to his roots in a visit to his father's grave and back to Algeria. I didn't expect to love it but I did and now I'll read more Camus.

The boy loves books and is thrilled when a library opens near his home when he's about 12. Here is a paragraph in which he describes visits to the library with his best friend:

"Actually the contents of these books mattered little. What did matter was what they first felt when they went into the library, where they would see not the walls of black books but multiplying horizons and expanses that, as soon as they crossed the doorstep, would take them away from the cramped life of the neighborhood. Then came the moment when -- each of them provided with the two books they were allowed, holding them close against their sides with their elbows--they slipped out onto the boulevard, dark by this time; they squashed underfoot the fruits of the big plane trees while calculating the delights they were going to extract from their books, comparing them already with those of the previous week, until, having arrived on the Main Street, they would first open them by the uncertain light of the first streetlight, to pick out some phrase (for ex.: "his was a most uncommon strength") that would heighten their joyous and avid hopes. They would part quickly and dash to the dining room to open the book on the oilcloth by the light of the kerosene lamp."

That sounds like more than enough excitement for the whole trip, Reba!

I agree!! I didn't mention the 114 degree temp. in Barstow when we stopped for gas and lunch. Boy I'm glad we don't live inland!!! On my way over to your thread to see what you've been up to.

Oh Reba, your trip sounds like a bad movie! I hope all the kinks have been worked out and you have smooth sailing the rest of the way. That paragraph from the Camus book was lovely. The boys' excitement about books is palpable. First Man is duly wish listed.

I think you'll like The a first Man.

I hope our kinks are worked out too except watching the Weather Channel tonight I'm not so sure! I thought 80 would be quieter than 70 and now they show us travel long right up the middle of an area that may have a "derecho" tomorrow and Wednesday. Oh dear!

After four really long days driving we're in La Salle, IL tonight. Will go on to Elkhart tomorrow and then have an appointment at the factory first thing Thursday AM to get slide-out fixed. It will be so nice not to have wind whistling around us as we drive! I hadn't realized how noise can wear me out -- of course, having to shout to talk to each other doesn't help either.

Wow.. what adventures you have! Good and not so good... all in all though, I think that you will be able to pronounce this a successful season :) and that is what really counts...

Have fun!

Reba, I enjoyed your review of The First Man (can't find a touchstone). You mention that it was still a handwritten manuscript when found. Was there any indication that it was unfinished in any essential way?

Your RV adventures have me riveted. It's funny how over time what seemed so perfect does change.....
- Next year we're planning to acquire one of those smaller camper vans - (my dream is the Airstream model) - We used to camp then we went about in a tent camper (it died a smelly death after becoming, briefly, a mouse condo) and loved it dearly, but we're definitely beyond that. Since then we've rented the smaller kind of RV a few times - really a camper loaded on a truck chassis, so you can crawl in and out of the back if you needed, to, but we really want to be IN the camper as we drive around, not tow something, and no more crawling through smallish apertures...... but we don't want a huge monster of a vehicle either.

Well now, I'm just blathering.

Hope things have gone smoothly in Indiana.

When do you get to Chatauqua? Soon, it seems like?

Kath -- I'm sure this will be a great summer -- but it's a trying start.

Linda - the book reads very well but there are a few places where a word is missing and a couple of characters are referred to by different names. I thought it still read very well. The children decided to publish it just as it was but they include margin notes, etc with additional information.

Lucy - we'll arrive at Chautauqua Friday or Saturday. We went by the factory today and they're comfortable they can make the repair in one day so we should be able to sleep here tomorrow night. Sounds like you want an RV like ours -- it really is perfect for us and I hate to give it up but, on the other hand, I hate to cover fixed costs for no more than we use it.

The fun continues. We're sitting here waiting for the storms to arrive. We're under a severe thunderstorm watch. There's a block building about 100 feet from here which is where we're supposed to shelter. If it comes to that, I hope the RV and Smart car are still here when we come out lol

Oh gosh, one thing after another! Stay dry, Reba!

I'm relieved you got the RV to the factory with no further incident. I would reassure you about the odds of a tornado right there, except that you all seem to be beating all the odds so far.

Reba, I didn't hear any news reports about flying RVs so I am thinking you weathered yet another storm. Are you sure you want to give this baby up? It sounds like you've been through a lot together. I hope the rest of your trip is uneventful.

Reba, hope the repairs go smoothly and you are soon back on the road to Chautauqua!

Thanks Kathy. We're fine and today is a beautiful day.

Repairs are done and we're back in the campground. Having dinner with friends tonight and then will head on toward Chautauqua tomorrow.

Roni: I had a (semi) Kansan with me telling me there wouldn't be an issue but I was watching the Weather Channel and wasn't so sure. There were a lot of funnel clouds, some wind gusts up to 80 mph (which worried me as much as the possibility of a tornado, actually) and hail the size of tennis balls just south of us and some excitement just north but on the weather maps you could see it all part and magically go around us. We had heavy rain and a lot of thunder and lightening but no serious winds. Whew!!

Thanks Donna. No, we aren't sure actually. We continue to discuss and doubt. We'll see when we get home in Sept.

Thanks Julia. I'm hoping we've had all the drama for the summer.

The thing is, I love thunderstorms with a passion, and miss them here in San Diego. But I can do without the funnel clouds.

I think I have my mother to "thank" but they scare me. When I was little she used to take me into a cupboard where she tossed all of her fabric scraps and we would sit in the pile with the door closed until the storm was over. I grew up in L.A. so it wasn't frequent but enough to scar me I guess. So, one of the things I love about San Diego is that we rarely have them (especially near the coast) and when I have to experience one when we're out in the RV I feel doubly (or more) exposed and I really am not a happy camper (pun intended :-))

Reba - I'm so glad to hear that you got the repairs made and weathered the storms. I hope that the rest of your trip is relaxing and uneventful!

Thanks, Amy. We made it to Chautauqua this afternoon and are now all set up in a lovely, shady spot where we'll stay for the next 6 weeks. Then we'll have two weeks in an apartment "on the grounds" and then two weeks at a different RV park. Weather has been spectacular since the storm passed and the slide is working perfectly SO I think (and hope) the drama is over for this trip.

Glad you are safely there, and the weather has been good!

I grew up in a farmhouse where there was only one upstairs room next to the attic, over the kitchen which ran across the entire back of the house and was obviously an add-on to the original house. That was my bedroom after I was 6 years old, and it had wall to wall windows on the three walls that weren't against the attic--3 to the north, 3 to the south, 7 to the east, and two small windows on the outside corners of the west wall over the roof. It was cold in the winter--ice usually formed on the inside windows and I was delighted when electric blankets were invented when I was in high school, but it was a totally marvelous place to experience a Kansas thunderstorm.

132 > roni, me too! Love them! I wish we could have a good one once a week. ( greedy) We do get them, and I hate when I am at work when it happens, so I can't be outside enjoying them or curled up watching with the furkids. I envy you your childhood bedroom!

My nephlet is terrified of them, garbage trucks and anything that makes noise. I think that immersion is the way to go, but Kim disagrees, so they huddle during storms and dab tears and curse trucks and noisemakers... So far that isn't working for them. Then of course he wakes Owen, if it happens to be at night and chaos ensues.

Glad it looks like smooth sailing for you now Reba!

Hi Kath and Roni -- I'm glad someone likes thunder storms. I don't panic anymore but I still really dislike them. I much prefer 70 degree sunny days like today. We've had three simply wonderful days in a row now, for which I'm very grateful.

The used bookstore that is just down the road from Chautauqua is closing. It was for sale last year and never sold so they're selling the stock and closing. I'm so sad. It is a great opportunity though with all paperbacks going for $1 and all hardbacks for $2. I got there only about 30 minutes before closing this afternoon so plan to be back tomorrow morning when they open at 10. I got three books today but I'll wait and list them with what ever I find tomorrow.

Wow! Can't wait to hear about your book finds, although I'm always sad when a bookstore closes. Hope you continue to have beautiful days!

I grew up thinking that a thunderstorm was the God's jousting and I'm not so sure that I was wrong at that. Stay safe Reba and have fun despite and because of the incidents filling up your days.
Have a wonderful and mechanically perfect weekend.

Roni I must say I found your description of your girlhood domain delightful and beautifully drawn.

Oh how I hate it when a bookstore I love closes down.

Hi Amy, Paul and Lucy. Nice to find you here this cool Sunday morning. Yes, the bookstore closing is sad. It's a huge wonderland and will be missed. I found two more today but don't have the others with me (I'm at the laundromat) so will report that later.

Paul, everything has been fine since we got the RV repaired and the storm passed on Thursday. It's working fine and weather has been wonderful. I'm hoping that the drama is over -- or at least the bad drama.

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

I decided to treat myself to a book I knew I would just settle into and enjoy so picked the next one is the Chief Inspector Gemache series. This one takes place in a wilderness lodge where the Gemache's go for a week's vacation and are there at the same time as a large, rather disagreeable family reunion. One family member is killed, of course, and the rest is the solving of the murder.

Sad to see a good bookstore close, but I do love a bargain.... Look forward to seeing what you picked up!

OK -- the acquisitions are:
A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
The Late George Apley by John Marquand
Amyntas by Andre Gide
The Issa Valley by Czeslaw Milosz
A three book collection which includes Midaq Alley, The Thief and the Dogs and Miramar by Naguib Mahfouz

The first two are Pulitzer Prize winners and the last three authors are Nobel winners. Now I'm only missing 19 Pulitzer winners. Much further than that to go on the Nobels, though.

Nice additions to your prize winners, Reba. I'm looking forward to hearing about your Chautauqua summer, and just a wee bit envious.

Thanks, Linda. I'm really excited to be here for the entire season although since I'll be working I won't be able to attend as many things as I would like.

A Bell for Adano by John Hersey is a story of the American occupation of Italy at the end of WWII. The protagonist, Major Victor Joppolo, is a good man who wants to see the people of the town learn about freedom and democracy and experience happiness. He insists on truth and fairness and works to help the town get things it needs, like food, but he also understands that it is important for them to have a sense of pride in their town and country so when he learns that the bell from city hall, which had been treasured by the townspeople, was taken by the fascist government to be melted down for arms, he works to get them a suitable replacement.

Hersey was a journalist during WWII and spent some time in Sicily during the occupation there. He was impressed in general by the way the military was governing and he was specifically impressed by the U. S. Military Governor of Licata, Frank Toscari on whom he modeled Major Joppolo. The antagonist in the book is an American General who was modeled on Patton.

The book was published in 1944 and certainly some of its popularity was the sense it gave Americans that they were doing the right thing by being in the war. While the book is clearly a rosy picture of the U. S. occupation it also includes references to uglier things that happened, for example the actions of the Patton character.

Here's a quote from Major Joppolo talking to the mother of a child who has been hit and killed by a military vehicle;

"Then he turned to the woman and said: "I hope you will not hate the Americans because of this thing. Please try to remember in your grief that the reason the children were out there, running into danger, was that the Americans have been generous with them, too generous. If the Americans did not throw candies to them they would not keep on running beside the trucks and begging. Sometimes generosity is a fault with Americans, sometimes it does harm. It has brought high prices here, and it has brought you misery. But it is the best thing we Americans can bring with us to Europe. So please do not hate the Americans".

The book presents a captivating story full of lessons about leadership, compassion and caring. Although certainly a product of its time, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Wow, Reba, that was fast work on A Bell for Adano. I realize it is a short book, but still... It does sound like a great story. I've had the book for a long time. Perhaps it's time to read it!

So glad you are situated in a shady area. Enjoy your home away from home. And do keep us posted about your activities.

Hi Donna, it's a quick, pleasant read so when you want what I think of as a "breather" book it's a good choice. Since "the season" (and my job) haven't started yet I had a lot of time to read yesterday :.)

I don't know what's going on with this WiFi tonight but I've had to pick up my knitting to keep from going crazy every time I ask it to do something!! So in between training sessions for my job today I went over to the library and bought five of this season's Chautauqua books. They are:
We Are Taking Only What We Need by Stephanie Powell Watts
Last Ape Standing by Chip Walter
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
Immortal Bird by Doron Weber
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

All of these authors will be speaking here this season. Should be interesting.

I'm now an employee of Chautauqua and they request that I make clear that any opinions I may state are mine only and not those of the Institution. I think I'll also change my user name to something that doesn't cause confusion.

I broke a tooth at lunch. It's one the dentist had been "watching" because it has a big, old filling in it but I wasn't even eating anything hard and suddenly my tongue discovered that it was broken!! Now I'll have to find a local dentist that takes our insurance and then spend time getting a crown...which really isn't how I planned to spend the coming weeks.

I read We Are Taking Only What We Need without knowing much about it because it is one of the books on the Chautauqua Literary & Scientific Circle list this year. From the title I thought it would be non-fiction and deal with living sustainably. Surprise! It's a collection of short stories about African American characters set in the south. Some of the characters appear in more than one story which gives it some appreciated continuity and the stories are well written. Realizing it's faint praise, I will say I liked it as well as I can like a collection of short stories.

So sorry to hear about your tooth. I've had that happen but never when away from home and my own dentist.

I'm not much of a short story fan either.

What does your work at Chataqua consist of?

Hi Roni! I'm in the Welcome Center which is the information/ticket office just outside the main gate. We answer questions, rent scooters (electric wheel chair type ones) and laminate gate passes. I work 18 hours per week: Thurs & Fri from 2-8 and Sat from 8-2. I haven't had a Thurs or Fri yet so don't know what that's going to be like but Saturday is the day most people arrive and leave. Today was the first day of the season so a LOT of people arrived yesterday, many of them new and many with questions. I was really busy all day and had a great time. I love this place and love to talk about it so this really is a natural fit for me.

I'm enjoying learning of your travels. I'm sorry that you need dental work. Crowns can be both painful and expensive.

Despite the dental work, I hope you continue to enjoy your summer.

John Marquand was a successful magazine fiction writer when we wrote The Late George Apley in 1936. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for it and it is generally thought to be his best work.

The novel is written in the form of a memoir supposedly by a friend of the main character, George Apley, and based on letters written to and by Mr. Apley throughout his life (1866-1933). It is described as a satire on upperclass Boston life in those years but I think also provides an interesting description of that era and the changes that took place. I will also admit that I'm not particularly good at identifying satire except when I'm very familiar with the subject, so I'm sure I missed a lot in this book. Here is a sample I found amusing, however. It takes place a few years after George marries when he is bemoaning the arrival of the newly rich in Boston society.

"There is consolation that something of the old life still remains. Not all these newcomers, seeking to gain social prestige by the weight of new-found wealth, have always been immediately received. There are many out-of-town families who no one knows, although they have purchased neighboring estates and have lived on them each summer for over twenty years. In this connection there is an amusing, though significant story, connected with a Cleveland family which came to Mulberry Beach with the idea, presumably, of gaining some indirect social distinction by being members of this community. At the end of the summer, the head of the house was heard to remark that he had met everyone. Although he had heard much of Boston manners and cultivation, he asserted that he might as well have spent the summer in Cleveland, or some place worse. On being questioned further, it appeared that he and his family had made their acquaintances on the beach every afternoon! Coming from an inland city, they had not realized that beaches in the afternoon are customarily left open to the servants."

Last Ape Standing is an interesting review of human evolution, explanation of some of our more interesting characteristics and a brief look at what the future might hold. It is written with a sense of humor and includes very recent discoveries, research and discussions.

I'm not a scientist but I was able to read and enjoy this information packed book quite comfortably. In fact, I found it quite fascinating. Did you know, for example, that nearly all of us contain between 1 & 4 percent Neanderthal DNA indicating that int he period when both our ancestors and Neanderthal's roamed the earth they met and mated? And you should read the chapter on our sense of self, entitled "The Voice Inside Your Head". At 180 pages this is a quick read, and one I found really interesting.

Last Ape Standing sounds interesting, Reba! I'd be especially interested in the section about what the future might hold.

Love your new name too! Hope your tooth is better.

Hi Amy,

The 'what the future may bring' section is short but thought-provoking. I did find the whole thing quite interesting, as I said.

Glad you like the new name -- hope I don't fall off everyone's radar this way. As to the tooth, it doesn't hurt at all. Thank goodness because I can't find a Delta dentist who is willing to look at it. Looks like I'm going to have to just wait until I get home in Sept. or Oct.

Hope your summer is going well.

Reba, I love your new handle. Very descriptive and alliterative. Your job at the Welcome Center sounds like fun. Those are some great hours giving you plenty of time to take part in Chautauquan activities.

Has the heat and humidity let up? We are expecting a cooler week here next week. Too bad we won't be here to enjoy it!

Hi Reba - I saw your new name over on Roni's thread which reminded to check yours. You sound like you're having a fun time, except for the tooth. At least it doesn't hurt.

I love John Marquand. Marvelous quote!

Hi Donna, Susan and Lucy! Glad you like the new name. I am indeed having fun although it will be better once we move onto the grounds in a few weeks.

Yes, the heat and pollen are gone. It's around 70 as a high. Rained gently yesterday which Inloved because air got cleaned of nose-itching-eye-burning stuff. Had a big thunderstorm this morning with heavy rain but by evening it was beautiful. Don't know what's expected for tomorrow.

This was my firstbMarquand , Lucy. I enjoyed it. Any others you particularly recommend?

Last Ape Standing caught my attention too, Reba. I was aware of the Neanderthal dna, but "the voice inside your head" chapter sounds very interesting. Your job sounds like fun if you enjoy people--and you get to meet people you might want to follow up on later! I'm glad your tooth isn't giving you too much trouble. It's warm here, 80 degrees in City Heights right now, but absolutely lovely for evenings on the deck.

Reba, you're beautiful alliterative now :-) Have a great weekend!

Love your new name, Reba! Although I have to say, your posts at #151-155, 157, 159-160 show as RebaRelishesReading, but then posts 162-166 show up as from Chautauquan. Isn't that weird?

Hi Roni ... Yes job is fun. I love this place and enjoy telling people about it, especially those who haven't been before. We've had a rainy three days. It's dry right now but they say it'll keep on from time to timr through the weekend. I'm going back to the grounds to hear the symphony in a couple of hours and hope it stays dry until then.

Thanks, Diana. You too!

Hi Julia. Yes, I've notice d that too and have no idea why.

Next year I want to follow Heather and others and read a book from every year since 1900. (I have done so already but I mean in the same year!) I noticed I didn't have one from 1944 so thanks for prompting me with A Bell for Adano as I have got it ordered already.
Have a lovely weekend.

The other two I've read were H.M. Pullham, Esq and Wickford Point - I loved both of them, although Apley is the only one I've given 5 stars to.

Hi Paul and Lucy!! What a great idea (reading a book from each year). I think you'll like A Bell for Adano, Paul.

Wishing you both a lovely weekend.

The Chataugua sounds really fun. How did you get involved with it?

Hi Rhonda! Yes, Chautauqua is one of my very favorite things! The man who is organist here in the summer (and has been coming here his whole life) became the organist at the church of dear friends of ours. They came to see what it was all about, told us, we came the next year and have been coming every year since.

I'm having so much fun reading threads that I would like to just stay where I am but I really need to get a shower and head over to the grounds for the 10:45 lecture. This morning it's Megan J. Smith, Vice-president of Goodle. Theme for the week is "The Next Greatest Generation". Should be a good one.

I just finished listening to The Case for God. Before I finished it I ordered it from Amazon in "real"book format because this is one I'm going to want to study more closely and probably refer to often. It's a wonderful history of religions (and philosophic thought) through time and around the world. In the latter chapters she discusses the rise of fundamentalism and, finally, makes some suggestions about the future. It's a most amazing book.

I heard back from Jeremy and think/hope the problem is solved. He had me log out and back in -- why didn't I think of that?

And now you are the ravishing RebaRelishesReading permanently!

Gosh, I should have thought to add that one in lol

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is set in a dystopian future America where religious zealots have taken over. Among the changes made, the book focuses on the removal of all rights from women, who are required to devote themselves completely to domestic tasks, are "guarded" at all times, allowed outside only under strict control and forbidden to read. The declining birthrate among caucasians had been one issue leading to the take over and now procreation is a high priority.

Women are assigned to a class which determines the details of their lives. These are aunts, wives/daughters, handmaid's, domestic servants, econowives, and unwomen. Handmaid's are women assigned to households without children to bear babies for them. Their names are taken away and they are known only as Of(name of the master of the household). Our heroine is "Offred". Babies are either "keepers" or "shredders". The story is gripping and the characters well-drawn in a sort of surreal way.

I read The Blind Assassin several years ago and disliked it intensely. As a result I never planned to read Atwood again; however, I was convinced by LT that I should try again and I am very glad I did because I loved The Handmaid's Tale! *****

I read my first Atwood - Oryx and Crake - a couple of years ago and loved it. Sounds like The Handmaid's Tale may be a good next pick. I have it on my Kindle just waiting for me.

Hi Amy, I hadn't heard of Oryx and Crake. If I ever get my tbr list downtown something reasonable I may try it.

Reba - In the spirit of full disclosure, I should warn you that Oryx and Crake is the first of a trilogy, although I haven't read the other two. So it's possibly a triple hit to your TBR list. ;)

Amy - Thanks for the warning :-)

Hi Ravishing! It is funny about Atwood as she must be one of the most divisive writers out there. A Handmaid's Tale seems to be one of those you love or loathe. I fell into the latter camp but really liked Alias Grace so I guess I cannot say I don't like her books.

Have a lovely weekend.

Paul - thanks for stopping by. I love having company.

I'm curious. Do you remember what you didn't like about A Handmaid's Tale? Sounds like you felt about it like I did about Blind Assassin.

Hi Reba, I am trying to catch up on some too-long-neglected threads. I am planning to join the group read of A Handmaid's Tale in December, so I'm glad to see your positive reaction to it.

Reba, I enjoy Atwood's writing. I ended up skipping the book-within-a-book in The Blind Assasin as that's the part that slowed things down for me. I bought one I hadn't even heard of by her while in Michigan. I hope I like Bodily Harm.

Hi Katie - hope you like Handmaid's Tale as much as I did.

Donna - can't wait to see what you think of {Bodily Harm

I think that if you liked Handmaid's Tale you will like Oryx and Crake. They are both the dysptoian, SciFi-y Atwood. And it is part of a trilogy, but also stands on its own.
I am a big fan of Atwood, but prefer her older stuff. I really liked Bodily Harm.

Thanks Rhonda. Once I get the tbr pile a little under control I may try another one.

You might still need to tweak your name on the wiki threadbook - there you still appear as Chautauquan......

I've liked every Atwood I've read. I didn't love Handmaid, but I appreciated it if that makes any sense, I think it is an 'important' book. So far the two dystopians - Oryx and Crake and the sequel (name evading me) are my favorites of her. I like the energy in them.

Hi Lucy. If I had any idea what the wiki threadbook is I would run right over there and fix it...

I've finished Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher and really enjoyed it. I'm going to a class today on writing book reviews and I plan to use it as my book to work on so I'll post what I create later.

Go to the 75 'home' page - the threadbook is listed there. I think anyone can edit the wiki, maybe I'll go over there and see if I can take care of it for you.

Ah, I see what you mean. I'll see what I can do.

I've done it - I put in a referral under Chautauquan to go to Rebarelishesreading.....

Thanks Lucy, that was quick!! I went straight over and you had already taken care of it.

It's rare that I can exhibit any kind of cyber-expertise. Just showing off really!!!!!

Hmmm.... I haven't been keeping up with the name changes! Thanks for hitting the Threadbook for me.

I'm interested to hear what you learn in your class on writing book reviews. That sounds like fun!

The "teacher" was Kate Tuttle who writes reviews for the Boston Globe (among others). She made a point of saying she isn't a "teacher" hence the quotes. She gave us 10 tips which we talked about as we went through them. Then she gave us a couple of samples of negative reviews and talked about how to handle those. It was an interesting discussion among 6 participants, 2 interns and Ms. Tuttle. It remains to be seen whether my comments will improve as a result.

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher
by Timothy Egan

Nearly all of the Indians in the United States had been moved onto reservations by the time Edward Curtis took his first photograph of one in 1896. Missionaries and government agents were busy trying to acculturate them into white society and many of the traditional ways were being lost. The Indian he chose was Princess Angeline, the daughter of See-ahlsh, chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish, for whom Seattle was named.

Curtis was born in Wisconsin in 1868, the son of an alcoholic, itinerant preacher. His education was sketchy and ended at sixth grade. About that same time he found a camera lens his father had brought home from the Civil War and made a camera using instructions found in a book. In 1887, after one misfortune followed another he and his father took up a homestead in the Puget Sound area. After years of foraging for a living, he decided at age 22 to borrow $150 against the homestead and move to Seattle where he heard there was a photo studio looking for a partner. He had clearly found his calling.

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher follows Curtis' career as one of the most well-known photographers in America and his growing obsession with "The Cause", recording as much as possible of the traditional ways of the Indians before they were lost forever. He spends more and more time among the Indians, observing them, talking to them, recording their songs and language, photographing them and ultimately this self-educated man becomes one of the leading experts on the American Indian. His life of adventure, personal sacrifice, dedication, and interaction with the rich and famous is amazing and fascinating.

Curtis died in Hollywood in 1952. In his later years he sometimes tried to record his memories for his children and wrote long letters about his past in response to questions from a Seattle librarian but "Finally, the pace of memory-collecting slowed to a crawl and the words refused to come. Curtis complained about his 'scrambled life,' a blur of disconnected images and places, all at the frenzied behest of The Cause. At night, in his dreams, he revisited the Hopi and Apache, the Sky City of Acoma, the Grand Canyon cellar of the Havasupai and the sublime isolation of Nunivak Island. Had he really been to these places?"

Oh wowie wowie.....Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher just went on to my ILL list to request next month when I get back from vacation. It looks like one the Mr. and I would both enjoy. I really like Timothy Egan's style of getting all the interesting stuff packaged in a readable and enjoyable and understandable prose. Thanks so much for the review and the recommendation.

Thank you. We just heard Timothy Egan speak about Shadow Catcher. He not only writes well, he's a darned good speaker too. He said Curtis's grandson has donated 80,000 photos to the Smithsonian and they're going to have a show at the History Museum of the Native American (that name may be garbled) next year. There are also a lot of photos available for view at the Library of Congress website and at North Western University website. As soon as I get home to a real computer and monitor I'm going to go and look at them.

Reba....that's great to hear. I'm awaiting a new laptop since this one is on its last days and since it's the video display driver that is fading fast, I'll wait to go photo surfing for the new one.

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher sounds excellent, Reba! I heard Egan interviewed by Nancy Pearl and was fascinated by his comments about writing the book. Your review makes me want to read it soon!

I really recommend it. He's an excellent speaker and obviously very excited by the subject. It was also nice that during the book signing he was happy to chat with everyone unlike many who just want to move the line along. I was truly impressed by him AND his book.

Maya's Notebook is unlike any other Isabel Allende I've ever read. I have enjoyed her historical fiction set in Chile but was less pleased with this saga set in 2013. The main character, Maya, is a teenager who has lost her way after her much-loved grandfather died. She is sent to a small island in southern Chile, her grandmother's home, to recover and to hide out. The book alternates between her time there and explanations of what had happened to her in America leading up to her being sent away. This story of interesting and well told. My problem with the book is that it is too broad in scope. In addition to the main story, Allende includes a detective story and the history of Chile under the military government following Salvador Allende (her father was his cousin). The side-stories and details of minor characters distract from the Maya's story.

I listened to an unabridged audio version of the book read by a breathless, child-like voice which was rather annoying at times although the fact that it sounded young was appropriate for Maya who is 19-20 in the story.

All by all it was disappointing to me, not nearly the quality of The House of the Spirits, Portrait in Sepia, Daughter of Fortune or Ines of My Soul. **